Samuel Baker
It has become an annual Christmas ritual that my wife and children sit down and watch the whole extended version of The Lord of the Rings. Hot chocolate, Christmas nibbles, dressing gowns, and slippers – for about three days! I like the films but grew up with the...
Today we present the final installment of our God and the Gym series, a poetic reflection on rigorous fitness, physical suffering, Catholic spirituality, and the redemption of the Cross of Jesus Christ. God and the Gym: No Pain, No Gain Read parts 1 -3 of this series:...
I want to develop the theme of unity of body and soul, introduced at the end of my last article on God and the Gym. Here’s what the Catechism has to say about it: Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. … For this reason, man may not despise his bodily life....
To begin is for everyone. To persevere is for saints. ~ St. Josemaria Escriva An active physical life and an active spiritual life – both are so desirable yet can seem so unobtainable. We often think they’ll magically transpire just because we want them to but,...
My gym has a few things it can teach us church-going folk, especially when it comes to taking liberties with the rules. Rules are made for a purpose and if you don’t like those rules, why are you even here? I thought I’d interpret the gym’s rules for my church...
Men, Manhood & Masculinity Over the next five articles, we will embark on a brief exploration of the complex and often overlooked topic of being male. The articles will be reflective and open to discussion, so please share your thoughts and experiences in the...
Over the next five articles, we will embark on a brief exploration of the complex and often overlooked topic of being male. The articles will be reflective and open to discussion, so please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Be mindful...
Men, Manhood & Masculinity Over the next five articles, we will embark on a brief exploration of the complex and often overlooked topic of being male. The articles will be reflective and open to discussion, so please share your thoughts and experiences in the...
The following is a companion piece to Part 3 of our Masculinity Series, "Becoming More Manly." The glory of God is man fully alive. - St Iranaeus Jason Momoa’s short film Canvas of my Life is an extraordinarily powerful and beautiful depiction of manhood, despite its...
Over the next five articles, we will embark on a brief exploration of the complex and often overlooked topic of being male. The articles will be reflective and open to discussion, so please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Be mindful...
Over the next five articles, we will embark on a brief exploration of the complex and often overlooked topic of being male. The articles will be reflective and open to discussion, so please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Be mindful...
One of the great joys of being a teacher is watching my students’ growing awareness of who or what they want to become. When they finally voice that decision for ‘engineer’, ‘designer’, ‘university student’, ‘apprentice’, I very often see a mix of composure,...
I recently read Catholic-Link's ‘A Single Twenty-Something Shares Her Most Intimate Concerns About Dating, Relationships, and Chastity’ article and my heart went out to the writer and her situation. I loved her willingness to make herself vulnerable to us...
In the field of business, economic systems are characterized as either capitalist or socialist; they appear mutually exclusive, either supporting the freedom of the individual or the needs of society. Since the eighteenth century, capitalism and socialism have...
Let’s start with some frank admissions: My name is Samuel. I’m a white, British male in my early forties, a teacher in a provincial town, somewhere near London that you’ve never heard of. I’ve been married for twelve years and I live in an average, middle class...