You are a Catholic Nerd when…

you use your Catholic Blog to try to help your son win a video competition and claim it is related to the faith.

Jesus is the rock, my son made a video called Ready to Rock…just help him win.

You can vote here up to 10 times a day for the next week. His name is Joshua (age 7).

He is one of the 10 finalists in a Disney competition. Please spread the word. God Bless.

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A Guy's Guide to the Good Life: Virtues for Men, by Robert P. Lockwood, is a 145 page book that discusses the 7 virtues. Part one of the book is the cardinal virtues (prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice) and part two being the theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity). Lockwood uses quotes from Dante as well as personal experiences to help the reader not only to understand the virtues better, but also to show the reader how they can be seen in life. I had high hopes for this book. 1) I am a guy. 2) I could use more of these virtues. 3) By the cover art I thought this book might be a throwback to the 50's (a time of Leave it to Beaver and simpler times). To say the least, I was very disappointed.

I am sorry to say that I had to force myself to finish this book. First, looking at the title, I thought it would be a book for...well guys. But after finishing the book I found myself wondering, "Which part was for guys?" Sure the book talked about beer, baseball, basketball, football, and eating, but that was about it.

Second, the book was basically all short stories. I don't have a problem with this, I will shed a tear with the rest of them over Chicken Soup for the Catholic Nerd, or Surprised by Truth books. This book was different. I felt like I had asked the 80 year old neighbor to tell me about how he met his wife and then was barraged with 50 long, seemingly unrelated, stories. Some stories would branch off into other stories, then come back to the original story, but then leave me confused and wondering what it had to do with the topic at hand.

Here is one condensed example. Lockwood tells us that he listens to a folk station in his car, but only when his wife isn't around. He explains that he is not a revolutionary or stuck in the 60's. When he was a kid Burl Ives did a popular take on "The Big Rock Candy Mountain" and talked about a land full of candy for children. He tells us that the original song was much more dreary and was a land of cigarettes and alcohol. The story continues of a time when he was 6 years old at Trout Lake and he was coaxed into singing by his "old man". What song did he sing? Nope, not "The Big Rock Candy Mountain", he sang "Sixteen Tons". He sang this sad song as a happy tune. He said he sang it because it was the only secular song he knew. He ends the story by saying that old folk music reaches out to us. What virtue was this for? Give up? Justice.

I don't want to babble on, but I didn't feel that the author relevant stories and he did not explain his stories well. But with Christ we can turn all things into something positive. The book does show what the 7 virtues are, and the reader will (at least to some degree) understand what they are.

Rating: (out of 5)

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information, or to purchase A Guy's Guide to the Good Life.

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If you don't know Christopher West, he is an awesome Catholic speaker and author who is best known for helping us to better understand the great and prolific work of Pope John Paul II, Theology of the Body. Check out this clip of one of his speeches where he helps us to understand the introduction of Playboy into our society and the beauty of our bodies.

If you want an excellent book that will totally change your view on sex and marriage (in a good way), check out Christopher West's book Good News About Sex and Marriage

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You are a Catholic Nerd when you get excited by things such as this...

This may be a time of recession, but if you are feeling generous or frivolous, I could use $150,000. Yes, this is the starting bid on eBay for this 18"x18" tile that appears to depict Christ's crucifixion. If you do actually visit the eBay page it says "The more you look at it, the more you see." Is it my mind playing tricks on me, or is God showing me something?

Here is what I saw: (you can play along at home)

• Jesus looking down


• Holy Spirit (dove)


• Angel/ghost


• 2 more possible faces (on on Jesus' chest and one to the right of him)

Ok, yes I am a nerd and I actually love this type of stuff. Yes, I loved Mary in the grill cheese too.

But seriously, what if this was real? What if this was purposely made by God? Who was it made for, and why? What would a miracle be worth?

Hoax or not, coincidence or not, if it brings us to think of Jesus and his suffering and sacrifice for us, isn't it worth it?

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It is May, the month of Our Lady and what would please her more than to draw closer to her son by praying the rosary. It is such a beautiful prayer. Simple, yet profound. Life changing. Miracle working. My life would not be the same without it. Here are 2 short videos to help motivate you.



This second video has a slow start, and a few strange translations, but please don't let this discourage you. It is profound.

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One of my biggest devotions is to Our Lady of Sorrows. Yes, I am talking about Mary, the first Christian, the mother of Our Lord. I know that many of you will be busy this day of Our Lord's death, so I will keep this short and to the point.

God gave us a perfect human example to help lead our life. She was not divine, but she helps to lead us to the Divine.

Mary had Seven Sorrows, seven incidents in her life with immense sadness. No sorrow that we could ever experience in our lives could compare to Mary's sorrow. Here is a quick rundown of each of her sorrows:

1. The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus. (Luke 2:34)


2. The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family. (Matthew 2:13)


3. The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days. (Luke 2:43)


4. The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross. (Luke 23:26)


5. The Crucifixion where Mary stands at the foot of the cross. (John 19:25)


6. The Descent from the Cross where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms. (Matthew 27:57)


7. The Burial of Jesus. (John 19:40)

Here are some great devotions and prayers to Our Lady of Sorrows. Here are the 7 sorrows and their bible verses with pictures.

Mary kept her faith through all of her pain, she did not complain, she did not doubt God. God gave us the perfect example (person) to show us not only how to deal with our pain, but how to embrace it, how to help it bring us closer to Christ.

If we love, we will suffer for others willingly and gratefully. Where were all of Jesus' thousands of disciples when he was on the cross, where were his 12 apostles as he lay dying? Did they run away, did they hide, did they deny Christ as Peter did, or did they just chose to save themselves some pain from watching their savior die? God's mother was there, she wanted to be there, she wanted to participate in Christ's suffering.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Ok, great, go to Seven Sorrows Catholic band.

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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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