Who is Brother Giles?

Br. Giles is the pen name for...well, the point of having a pen name is to remain anonymous, isn't it? Besides, this isn't about me. 

God has done so much for Veronica and me, and we want to share that with others. That's why we've started this blog. It's a place where we hope Jesus will touch lives and heal hearts, just as He has done for us.

I have taken the name Br. Giles in honor of St. Giles, a hermit, monk and abbot of the Middle Ages. He is the patron saint of blacksmiths, breastfeeding, lepers, people with disabilities, cancer patients, and many others. I picked St. Giles as the patron of this ministry because of his kindness, generosity, wisdom, and patience, all virtues that I desperately need!

St. Giles was invoked especially for protection against the Black Death. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Saints who were popular in the Middle Ages, and he is the only one of them who did not die a martyr. (He was shot with an arrow, however. He just didn't die.) He was widely known for his holiness even before his death. 

I will admit to being an older man. How old? Let's just say that I can remember Kennedy and leave it at that.

I've worn many hats in my life.  Husband, father, healthcare professional, trade unionist, and I've even sold cars. 

All this means that I've had more than my fair share of life experiences, and it is these that I wish to share, in the form of whatever wisdom God gave me. That's what the Church needs today—wisdom.

My Background

I was raised in the Catholic faith, but didn't really embrace it for a long time, because I struggled with many questions. When I'd ask for explanations or advice, I was given them, but they seemed unnecessarily complicated, and often they were circular: "Why is premarital sex wrong?" "Because it's a sin." "Why is it a sin?" "Because it's wrong." 

Those kinds of answers made me realize that a lot of people (including some highly educated people) really don't know why they believe what they believe. Maybe they were afraid to ask questions, but I could never live like that. I was forced to ask, to pray, and to seek answers to some of life's most basic questions. In doing so, I came to understand that God's answers to the important questions are all around us. It's we who have missed them, perhaps because we haven't really been listening, looking or seeking.

I've become convinced that much of what we need to know about the Faith is simple, so simple that a child could understand it. Maybe that's why Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

My Mission

I said before that I struggled with many teachings of the Church.  Thanks be to God, He has given me the understanding that the Faith which was handed down to us from the Apostles is both beautiful and simple. I want to share that with others.  I want everyone to experience the freedom, hope and joy that living the Gospel offers us. The authentic love of the Good News.

My Writing

As I said above, I believe that the answers to life's questions are all around us, but we miss them because we aren't paying attention. Another way to put that is to say, "We live in our heads, not our hearts." 

Jesus faced the same dilemma. Even back in His day, people were all too often out of touch with themselves. So He told parables, stories that were often deliberately outrageous, stories that forced His listeners to ponder what He meant. In this way, He taught those who were willing to think with their hearts.

I'm trying to do the same thing with my writing. I believe God and His Saints are all around us, so I asked myself, "Why not tell stories about a town in which Jesus, His Mother, and other Saints visit in person? What would they say? How would they act? How would they try to teach us the timeless truths that we need to understand in fresh ways for our modern times?" Little Cana is the result.

I picked the name "Little Cana" for this (mythical) town because Cana was the place where Jesus worked His first miracle. It's also the place where, Scripture tells us, Jesus first revealed His glory. 

"You may be the only Bible some people will ever read" is an axiom that shows the importance of Christian witness. It is my hope that people who read this little blog (and read the books about Little Cana that, God willing, are forthcoming) will make their hearts, their homes and their families into Little Canas, places where Jesus reveals His glory.

Because you may be the only chance some people will ever have to meet Jesus, His Mother, or one of the Saints.

What's Veronica got to do with all this?

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Casablanca movie, 1942

God has a way of forming unexpected friendships, and it is there that we often find His sense of humor. Veronica and I met in the Catholic Writers Guild Association, and our love for the Lord, His Church and the Faith has laid the foundation for a beautiful friendship in Christ. 

How old is she? Well, let's just say she came long after Kennedy. She may not even really understand who Kennedy was without googling his name. She lives across the globe (under a different name), in a small European country, and is currently working on a contemporary Catholic romance novel, wanting to bring hope to couples who struggle in their marriages. In her spare time, she likes to bring different perspective to my meditations, so you might see her pop-up here and there. 

SPECIAL NOTE FROM BR. GILES: Veronica looks like Ingrid Bergman. Too bad Br. Giles doesn't look like Humphrey Bogart.

As you might notice, Br. Giles and Veronica tease each other a lot.