Costly Things
Costly Things is a Catholic blog for men, families and pilgrims seeking to authentically live the Gospel in the real world. This isn't about rules and routines, but discipleship that costs something.

Latest

10
Oct
Transaction or Transformation?

Transaction or Transformation?

When the spiritual life starts to feel mechanical, it’s easy to slip from metanoia into maintenance. But Christianity isn’t about moral performance — it’s about transformation through Love.
3 min read
03
Oct

Field Notes

It has been a big week for me. For starters, I'm happy to share that Catholic Exchange has
2 min read
03
Oct

Draw Near to the Throne of Grace

As a teen I thought no one could understand me. I sometimes think the same of Christ, yet Hebrews 4:14–16 shows He knows my weakness because He bore temptation Himself. At His throne of mercy, the wound of “Not Good Enough” is healed.
3 min read
05
Sep
The Author of Beauty

The Author of Beauty

A reflection on Wisdom 13, Augustine’s Confessions, and the paradox of the Cross: why Truth without Beauty blinds, and how the suffering of Christ reveals both most fully.
2 min read
21
Aug
Selling Authority: Masculinity in Crisis

Selling Authority: Masculinity in Crisis

The crisis of manhood won’t be solved by culture-war slogans or borrowed masculinity. True authority is forged in the Confessional, at the altar, and in the daily labor of leading the domestic church.
6 min read
19
Aug
Take Your Junk to Prayer: Letting God's Light Transform the Darkness

Take Your Junk to Prayer: Letting God's Light Transform the Darkness

Take your spiritual junk to prayer. Beyond the sins we see and confess lies a deeper darkness, the raw material of our wounds, habits, and struggles. God doesn’t just want to fix our behavior—He wants to transform the very junk of our lives into agents of grace.
6 min read
15
Aug
We Remember, and Tremble

We Remember, and Tremble

A family vacation, a brutal river, and a familiar Old Testament reading converge in this reflection on spiritual complacency, reverence, and the quiet danger of letting awe fade. We must remember who God is—and tremble because of it.
5 min read
05
Aug
Hi-Fi Faith: Cultivating Silence and Curating Holy Sound

Hi-Fi Faith: Cultivating Silence and Curating Holy Sound

In a noisy world, silence isn’t just a tool—it’s a whole toolbox. From intentional quiet hours to curating the soundtrack of your home, here’s how our family guards the rare moments of stillness, embraces the holy noise of family life, and keeps the domestic church a place of peace.
5 min read
01
Aug
God's Beet Field

God's Beet Field

The parable of the vineyard isn’t just about God’s grace—it’s about us. About the ways we measure ourselves against others, and the quiet resentment that creeps in when we think we’ve worked harder for the same reward.
4 min read
29
Jul
The Sacrifice of the Sacrifice

The Sacrifice of the Sacrifice

Voluntary penance doesn’t need to be extreme to be effective. In this week’s Toolbox, we explore hidden sacrifices, prudent practices, and how parenthood can sanctify even our exhaustion.
5 min read