Monday, May 13, 2024

Take Good Care Now [la fin]

Hi everyone,


I think I've reached the point where it's time to retire. 

It's not that I don't enjoy writing (I do), and it's not that I don't have anything to write about (I do). I just think it's time. In some ways, I feel like that guy in the office that stayed on ten years too long, or the sitcom that should have gone off the air three seasons ago. Catholic blogging (aka, the "blogosphere") is just not a thing anymore in 2024. Should have gotten the memo, but didn't. Embarrassing but true.

I am not starting a Substack. I am not going to start writing for Medium. I am not creating a YouTube channel. I honestly don't know what the next step for me is. But I would invite you to enjoy the 838 posts on this blog if you like, it's not going anywhere. Should serve as a nice museum to house the dustier ones. We're all tired, I think. I totally get it. Enjoy the white space and one less thing to spend your time on.

Thank you to all the faithful readers over the years. I never really grew to any kind of standing or popularity in the online Catholic sphere, and that's okay. I am proud that I wrote consistently, faithfully, and honestly for these past fifteen years or so as the Holy Spirit called me to. I was faithful in little things. I was never much of a Thomist, but I always so identified with St. Thomas' last words on December 6, 1273: “Such secrets have been revealed to me that all I have written now appears as so much straw.” What a man. What a disciple.

I used to smile when a kind old mentor of mine would end conversations with, "Take good care now." So that is how I would like to leave you. No drama, no finger wagging, no sadness. Just some fitting words from St. Peter's epistle:


"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:7-11)



Take good care now. And keep me in your prayers.


Rob (Paul)

13 May, 2024

Edit (added at the suggestion of a friend): For anyone who is interested in the "Best of" essays in physical copy, organized topically, my book is available on Amazon here.



13 comments:

  1. This is truly sad news for me. 😥

    I have been reading your articles and posts for about 8 years now, and have eagerly looked forward to them! You write with such honesty and humility that it is easy to relate to. I have learned A LOT from you over the years, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting yourself out there.

    God bless, and hopefully, we will meet on the other side 🙂!

    - a fan in Canada 🇨🇦

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  2. It’s saddening news, but respect your decision, Rob. Will sorely miss your rich tapestry of posts. So much of what you wrote resonated with me, and what didn’t, I always learned from. Many of your reflections I have taken to my time in prayer.

    Thank you for pouring yourself in your writing, and for being obedient to God in sharing your talent with us. I always appreciated the lens with which you viewed the Catholic world - because more often than not, the balanced and humble way you approached things always helped me to not get carried away by emotinalism.

    Your posts will be sorely missed, but glad we have this repository available here always + your book which I hope to own sooner than later.

    You and your beautiful family will always be in my prayers. God bless you, my friend!

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  3. Gods truth and speed. Pray God take your talents and use them for His glory. Well done - go enjoy that family . Peace of Christ

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  4. Thank you Rob! No doubt you will continue yo live for Christ. I was shocked Wednesday, September 28, 2022
    The Horror of Famine

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  5. I haven't commented here before, but I have been reading all your posts as they come into my inbox, for the past 3 years. I really appreciate the way you write. I am sorry that you are retiring from blogging, as you say, but wanted you to know that you and your family will be in my prayers. I probably don't need to ask you to pray for those you have touched with your writings over the years. There are probably many more you don't know about. Take care!

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  6. You have greatly influenced my though, spirituality and strengthened my Catholic faith over the years. I will continue to re-read your articles which have all been excellent. Should be getting my copy of your book soon. God bless, and keep inspiring others.

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  7. Oh wow, Sorry to see you retire from the blog! It has been a source of inspiration and always very thoughtful and rather original. You really gave a wonderful gift. Thanks for sharing it with us for so many years.

    I'll miss the posts!!

    Keep in touch

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  8. But you’ll still be on MySpace, right?

    Thank you for so many wonderful insights and your inspiring introspection!

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  9. Brother, will you get this?

    I found my way here from your cry-out on Crisis.

    Forgive me if I'm wrong. You need St. Isidore the Farmer, middle class St. Louis Martin. You need the countless Unknown 20th Century lay Martyrs of Communism, whose entire lives lay in mundane faithfulness, pure love, until they were rewarded with that divine grace of their suddenly heroic end. They didn't walk around with halos on, reading their own hagiographies. Your midlife Crisis is to be tempted by satan to look for the BIG THINGS, THE HEROIC THINGS. Brother. You can live the monastic life as a happily healthily married man.

    Your mundanity is life at 40 in the monastery too! looking for "isn't there more to being a Saint?" It's a temptation! It's forgetting the Love of Jesus as St Therese and St. Padre Pio taught, really is the whole enchilada!

    You need SOG Fr. Walter Ciszek. With God in Russia was the name of his first memoir of living out his 30s, 40s and 50s in the Gulag. You know what I learned from him? All of our lives can be our personal gulag. All our suffering, daily mundanity and of doubtful value, is our offering to God. There are plenty of would be "big heroes." There aren't enough strong silent type heroes. Willing to suffer silently for Christ. Like Padre Pio, St. Rafka. St. Charbel. What do you think Padre Pio felt like in the period of his life (10 years?) of being silenced unjustly by his Church?

    And the temptation to leave got guys like Rod Dreher and Steve Sajic. God wants us to be faithful to Him even when He leaves us hanging. He wants our hearts to conform to Christ's. Thru Mary. That's it.

    I just read enough of your articles and assiduously followed the astute links to sense your theme for the last three years

    I'm (ascertaining from a post) exactly 2 weeks older than you. And not a Trad, not a lib... possibly you will, having been to Villanova, understand what I mean when I say a Philly Catholic. Just born n raised Catholic, prayerful, lived to Jesus n Mary. To give u context.

    I'm just recovered from > year of battling stage 4 C--. Prolly a miracle. And yet I'm lying here in tremendous abdominal pain. I think it's the stress of returning to the river of everyone's stress. But I'm offering every moment of it up. All the emotional pain of broken dreams... living this age 40s as someone almost waking up.

    I agree, i support your read on the times... "no one cares," "silence" needed. And THANK YOU for not afflicting us with the affected usage of the words "pivot," "season," "curate,", or "lean in"! And for not being a LARP but staying a faithful Catholic. Those port-drinking newsboy cap and tweed wearing Chesterton wannabes are everywhere under age 35! Gag me!! And, no need for the bunyan beard. You're a handsome guy still. Own it. For your wife's sake :)

    Please dont write back, "you're so brave"... if this message resonated with you, just write amen, I believe.

    Long story short, you CAN live a heroic life for Jesus in your mundane 40s. Godspeed, Brother.

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    1. Sorry... I wish I could delete this comment... it rambled and was uncharitable towards Chesterton imitators! Sorry brothers! The Saint recs still stand... but what do you do when the building is burning? You want, need to rush in. More heroes are needed to battle the blaze! But you have to have prudence about it, right? You have to be led by the right impulses... which is always the Holy Spirit... a robust interior life is always the start, and how does it grow? It's obnoxiously simple: just ask Him... it's all Him... thanks for challenging us. God bless and be with you in your mission.

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    2. No need to apologize. I'm going to keep the beard, though--it's low maintenance for me and my wife likes it as well;)

      Say the thing.
      Do the hard task.

      And pray for our country.

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  10. hi Rob, I hope that you will return to writing at some point -- you have a lot to say! May God bless you and your family. Kristi

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