Someday I will add my favorite Catholic books here, because you know that nerds love books. I even love sniffing books. Yes, I am a book sniffer as well as a bookworm.

I promise not to have the world's longest book list. This is a concise list with a short explanation.

Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa by Immaculee Ilibagiza + amazing Church approved Marian apparition of Mary (Our Lady of Sorrows), and how the millions slaughtered by genocide in Rwanda could have been prevented.

An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories (this is part 2) by Father Gabriele Amorth + Incredible first hand story of exorcisms and the power of the devil. Your eyes will be opened and you will never see sin or the devil the same again.

Pierced by a Sword, Conceived Without Sin, House of Gold by Bud Mcfarlane + These 3 novels are Catholic Fiction, yes it does exist. These are not only well written compelling stories, but they will bring you closer in your faith and walk with Christ. You can get all 3 novels for free, yes seriously, but you should donate :-)

Interview With an Exorcist: An Insider's Look at the Devil, Demonic Possession, and the Path to Deliverance by Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea + A question answer format from a world renound (Catholic of course) exorcist who has done hundreds of exorcisms. I actually was blessed enough to have seen him speak a few years ago at Petrus.

Good News About Sex and Marriage by Christopher West

This book will totally open your eyes and change your mind (in a good way) about sex and marriage. It is very easy to read, very understandable, yet very good explanations. No matter how much you already know about the Church's teachings you are bound to come out with a richer understanding which helps you love your spouse and God even more.

More to come, but seriously, how many books can you read at once. If you run out, bug me.

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Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

I post today not to be a killjoy, but to keep our eyes on Christ. I know that our American culture has taught us that today is a day to to get drunk...but why must we do so?

This is a day to remember a great saint. Saint Patrick grew up in 5th century Britain. At age 16 he was captured and made a slave in Ireland. Six years later he escaped and returned to Britain. He became a priest and later a bishop. He felt God was calling him to return to Ireland, so he did just that and was a missionary there for over 30 years, where he built churches, monestaries and helped to spread the faith to tens of thousands of people.

Living as a slave helped him to return to prayer. It had helped his faith to grow. It helped him to appreciate and love Christ even more. Let us take his example during lent to help us reflect on our own lives. Let us not hate the people who have wronged and offended us, but let us show them the love and forgiveness that Christ has shown us. Let us show them how to be the better person. Let us take a situation that seems bleak and show the world what can be done out of love.

Let us remember what the bible teaches us. The Letter to the Galatianstells us: "Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."

So today, as everyday, let us honor God and fulfill the plan he has made for us. Let this not be a day that we commit each of those sins in the name of a good time.

Saint Patrick...pray for us.

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I had a short conversation the other day with a Christian who didn't know what a Protestant was, much less know that they are a Protestant.

Quick Lesson: Protestant means protesting. Who are these Christians protesting? The Catholic Church. Martin Luther is one of the main reasons for the Protestant Reformation. He left the Catholic Church, the Lutheran religion was formed.

So if people are still protesting the Catholic Church, do they know what they are protesting? Martin Luther had his 95 theses. Take a minute to read through and see how you line up.

It seems to me that each year Christians are protesting more and more. It seems that protestants are even protesting protestants. Our society teaches us to reject things we don't like and to find something we do like.

Is this what God wanted? Is this what Jesus planned when he chose his 12 apostles and started the first church? Jesus was a Jew, a perfect Jew. He did not rebel against his religion, he embraced it, he fulfilled it. When we are protesting...who are we really protesting?

Are people protesting people, religion, institutions, or are we merely justifying our disobidience against God?

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I know you are probably sick of this topic, but that is what nerds are known for...bringing up topics after the rest of the world is tired of them.

I too am tired of all the talk, I am tired of flawed logic, and tired of 1/2 morality or double standard morality.

Here are a few things to think about while chewing on your pen...

+People are angry that Nadya had 8 children at once, not to mention the fact that she already had 6 children. They then go on to complain that she should not have been allowed to have that many children.

But it all boils down to this...in vitro fertilization is a sin, yes, it is wrong. I am not here to discuss why, another day, another post...but I will give you a twist on the story...

+People are actually mad that Nadya didn't have selective reduction. If you do not understand, it means that people are angry that Nadya didn't kill the "extra" babies inside after in vitro fertilization. In not so many words, people are saying they would have preferred Nadya to become a serial killer than to do what she did by bringing life into the world. I am not saying she is right...I am just saying.

+People are angry that Nadya implanted the already fertilized eggs into her body. They would rather have had those future babies floating frozen on a shelf.

When we no longer have a firm moral ground to stand on, we can't get mad when the house shakes.

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Almost nothing bothers a nerd more than false information.

Again, all of my blog posts are meant to be short, so I'll try to keep it that way.

It seems that in these hard times, more and more Christians are talking about the end times. There was even a 3 day huge conference that just took place in Southern California. This inevitably brings up the Rapture.

What most Christians don't know is that the idea of Jesus taking away all the saved and leaving the sinners is not even 200 years old. (You could read more about John Nelson Darby (1800-1882). Moreover, most Christians had not even heard of the Rapture (much less believed it) until only about 30 years ago.

So why is it that today it is accepted by virtually all Protestant Christians? (somewhat rhetorical question)

Only 2 points I wish to make:

1) Read 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4"for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." If Jesus comes down on clouds, trumpets blaring, and the devil wrecking things for 1000 years, I have the wrong idea of "thieves in the night." A theif sneak into a house unknown, cause the least amount of ruckus, without waking anyone. Plus, if all this was going down, wouldn't all the non-believers immediately confess Jesus as their savior so they could go too?

2) Read Luke 17: 20-34, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man", then later "Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot", yet again later the Bible states, "I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left." When we think of Noah and the city of Sodom, who was left behind? Yes, it was the good/faithful people that were left behind.

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You know you are a Catholic Nerd when...

you get excited that you are listed first on a Catholic Musician/bands list.

You don't have to get excited for me, but you could find some Catholic musicians/bands that you can follow on Twitter.

UPDATE: Now I'm mentioned on the Catholic Rocker's Podcast #75 - Guitars at 12:23 to be exact *nerd laugh*

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Yes, this story is now a month old, but hey...nerds get busy. Plus, since not quite 1/2 million people have viewed this video...you may not have seen it yet.

This brave, well spoken, 7th grade girl gives an outstanding 5 minute speech for a school competition.

View the full story.



Let us pray for her that she continues to be a voice for the unborn, a soldier for Christ.

We should be inspired and strive to raise our children to be such well spoken advocates of life and Christ. We should be humbled when we see what even the youngest of Christ's followers can do when we follow His will.

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Every so often I will share with you the best Catholic stuff I can find, this is what I call the Catholic Cutting Edge (possible new website? :-) )

Are you a nerd like me?

+Do you worry about how popular you are on the Internet?

+Would you like to find out who the most followed Catholic people are on Twitter? Now is your chance.

The brand new site Tweet Catholic that you can see your rank, find other Catholics on Twitter and follow a feed of all the Catholics. It is easy to sign-up. So find out how much Tweet Cred you have.

In case you are wondering, on my first day today, I am ranked number 134. I guess that just once again proves that nerds aren't popular :-(

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