About

Who I Am

My name is Anthony Fisher (ha, see what I did with the title of the Blog…), and I started this blog to have a more permanent place to publish some of my work. I am a former Methodist and Episcopalian who read my way into the Catholic Church in 2012. I have an undergraduate degree from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Philosophy, and I am currently working there on Master’s Degree in Theology. I have been working as a lay minister in the Diocese of Lansing, MI for the past three years.

For the past ten years or so (ahh! Old Age!), I have been sending/making daily reflections for people on our faith. Over the years, I have done it through different mediums (texts, Facebook/Instagram posts, Facebook notes when those were a thing), and their content has been varied (poetry, long essay/blog type things, short reflections on Scripture and the Magisterium, and–most consistently throughout the years–#SaintOfTheDay quotes and reflections). As Facebook has retired the Note feature, I figured the longer reflections and poetry should find a home somewhere.

My major interests/hobbies are (in no particular order): Scripture, Church History, Languages, East-West Church relations, the application of our faith to political/economic life (Catholic Social Teaching), Iconography (that is actually one of my icons below), Poetry, Cooking, Hiking, and a whole lot more. If any of that interests you, hopefully you will find something you enjoy here!

This is an icon of Christ and the Theotokos I painted the summer of 2019. It is a style called in Greek Ἐλεούσα (Tenderness or Mercifulness). Mary (along with Joseph) is the one who taught the Humanity of Christ how to be merciful/how to show tenderness. For this reason, she is called by the Latin Church, Mater Misericordiae-Mother of Mercy.

Why “In the Fisherman’s Boat”?

There are three reasons:
1. There is the completely necessary Fisher pun
2. I wanted to express my devotion to the Holy Father, Pope Francis (and his successors). The Church is poetically called the Barque of Peter, the Boat of the First Pope, the Apostle and Fisherman. In all of my work, I want to strive to stay within the Fisherman’s Boat–to stay united in the Body of Christ, and encourage others to do the same.
3. Along with that devotion to the successor of Peter, I feel a particular closeness to Peter himself. I may elaborate in a post someday, but hearing these lines from the Gospel of Mark at Mass one Sunday in 2012 convinced me that I needed to become a Catholic: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17 NABRE)

%d bloggers like this: