An Exciting Announcement

I've been writing since I was fourteen years old--thirty years now. I started publishing my writing for public consumption on the now-defunct MySpace in the early 2000s, and this blog (Pater Familias) exists now as the third edition iteration of two previous blogs: Rob's Fobs (May 2006-June 2011), and Wisdom and Folly (Dec 2015-). In totality, I've written and published over 1,400 digital essays on faith, life, and everything in between in the past eighteen years. It's been for me as much as it has been for you, my readers.

As St. John says in scripture, "this world is passing away...but the one who does the will of God lives forever" (1 Jn 2:17). I think the same can be said about our enamored relationship with the digital landscape. The medium is accessible, cheap, easy, convenient, and far reaching with a low bar of entry. It allows one to shovel the coal furnace with the fodder of content en perpetua, in a kind of Sisyphean fashion with no beginning and no real end. But it has reached the point where--at the decades long (loving) nagging of my wife--the need to ensconce that pile of digital literary coal in the tangible amber of a fossil has arisen. The TLDR version of all this, in the words of my wife: "I want a book....and you're going to write it."

A testament can be defined as a tangible proof or tribute, an expression of conviction, or an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death. And so after many years, and eight months of compiling and editing, I'm happy to announce that this testament has fossilized in the publication of Wisdom and Folly: Essays on Faith, Life, and Everything in Between (Cruachan Hill Press). For anyone who is interested, you can order from Amazon here.

The 389 page volume is a compilation of eighty-six of my very best essays written over the last eight years, divided into nine topical sections: On Friendship, On Discipleship, On Marriage, On Family, On Manhood, On Faith, On Prayer, On the Church, and On Writing. Each essay is easily digestible and able to be read independently of one another, with plenty of "meat on the bone" for meditation sans fluff and filler. You'll definitely get your money's worth.

A little teaser from the Foreword, written by my friend Kevin Wells:

"For those unfamiliar with Marco and the countless hundreds of articles and blogs he’s written, you’re in safe hands. Why? Each of these essays stems from where the Holy Spirit led him in prayer. Marco is intensely devoted to meditative prayer, scripture, spiritual reading, and ordered living. He is the least arrogant man you will ever meet, the kind of neighbor who seems to sit in wait for you to ask for a cup of sugar or a stick of butter. Those who know him say he is a happy old soul with an unbudging devotion to Christ and His Church.

This book will lift you into the richness of storytelling and into the soul of a man with a zeal for God. His unique perspectives on modern Catholic life and the jarring manner of his candor will stick to the ribs of your memory and conscience. My advice, as one who has read Marco for years now, take in an essay or two with your morning or evening prayer, close your eyes, and meditate on where the Lord “took you” through Marco’s words. In time, you might see where a particular essay/s in Wisdom and Folly has become a personal invitation from your Heavenly Father to see a blind spot, convert, and to come to know Him in a more intimate way."

You may be a faithful reader of Pater Familias for years now, or you may just be discovering this blog. Either way, for those of you who pine for something tangible, something meaty, something beyond the digital content of the age which is here today and forgotten tomorrow, I'd encourage you to consider ordering a copy and sharing either this blog post, or the order link, with others.

More importantly, if you do so and enjoy the book, I would be grateful if you would be willing to write and submit a 5-star review on Amazon, as reviews carry a lot of weight (especially for those unfamiliar with the work). My hope is that this compilation will fortify Catholics in their faith, lead unbelievers to question their trajectory, and in all things glorify God for His goodness and the gift of faith He extends to all who seek it with earnest and humble hearts. My hope is simply that God will use this work of heart for His purposes. 

I'd also like to thank those who have faithfully read this blog over the years. I will continue to write here weekly, as I always have. I have never monetized it, nor sought anything except to glorify God and do the work of a disciple of Jesus Christ investing the meager talent he has afforded me rather than burying it in the field (which, admittedly, I have been tempted to do from time to time). I desire to stay true to that purpose, and appreciate your prayers for purity of heart and intention. I hope this book will be a testament to that work for years to come.