MSI Press Blog

When the external structure falls away, the interior one becomes more vivid. People who live outside formal religious institutions often discover that the absence of a building, a program, or a weekly gathering doesn’t diminish their spiritual life at all. In fact, it sharpens it. Without the scaffolding of church, the soul begins to build its own architecture — quiet, sturdy, and deeply personal. For many no‑church folks, the spiritual life becomes a rhythm of solitude that feels like a sanctuary. Not a retreat from the world, but a way of inhabiting it with intention. The Sanctuary of Ordinary Time The practices are simple, almost monastic in their humility: Morning silence before the house wakes That first stillness becomes a doorway. No agenda, no performance — just the soft arrival of consciousness and the sense that something sacred is already present. A candle lit at dusk A small flame marking the transition from day to evening. A reminder that light can be chosen, tended,...

  I just came back from Mass, where I completed the following highly choreographed, spiritually endorsed exercise routine: walked (entered) knelt ("signed in" as my son says) sat stood sat stood sat stood knelt stood sat stood walked (Communion line) knelt sat stood walked (out the door, glowing) People call this “liturgy.” I call it slow Catholic calisthenics . And here’s the real perk: Catholics don’t do this once a week. We offer daily classes. Every morning, all over the world, Catholics gather for: balance training (stand) core engagement (kneel) hip mobility (sit → stand transitions) mindful walking (Communion line) breath regulation (responses) isometric holds (long homilies) It’s basically a free gym membership with holy water. And for Grandma Ninjas? It keeps the joints honest. It keeps the reflexes sharp. It keeps the spirit centered. It keeps the body moving in ways that matter. Some people leave daily Mass spiritually fortified. I leave spiritually fortified and ...

  WORDS MATTER “If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging symbol.” --I Corinthians 13: 1   My three brothers recently visited from afar. We spent a week together crammed into my small apartment. We exhausted ourselves talking about our lives and our favorite subjects--religion, psychology, and politics. I daily used up my quota of words. Many family and friends avoid talking about these subjects to avoid conflict. But we relish the give-and-take of debate. Coincidentally, the Republican National Convention was televised each night. We watched it diligently and exchanged views. Our convictions ranged across the political spectrum. So our conversations were animated, our disagreements passionate. However, at the end of the week, we learned something from each other and parted friends. Words matter. They have power. Our traditions attest to this fact. For example, God created the world with His word. He began, “Let ther...