The Anvil & The Altar

Forged and Anointed: Sword and Sacrament

 

A spiritual field guide for fathers, sons, and the wilderness between.

What if becoming a man was never about proving yourself—but about offering yourself? What if the priesthood of fatherhood begins not at the peak of strength, but at the edge of surrender?

The Anvil & The Altar is a book of spiritual letters forged in the heat of daily life and cooled in the sacred stillness of the altar. Written in the tradition of Augustine’s Confessions, C.S. Lewis’s Letters to Malcolm, and the wit-laced thunder of G.K. Chesterton, this collection offers a masculine spirituality that is both tender and unyielding.

Like Augustine, these letters are confessional—prayers more than pronouncements, tracing the inner landscape of sin, grace, and sanctification. Like Lewis, they are directed not merely at an audience, but toward a friend—and ultimately, toward God—with a voice that is both theologically rigorous and liturgically grounded. And like Chesterton, they wield paradox like a sword: finding strength in surrender, authority in service, and joy in the solemn duty of worship. The tone is accessible yet profound, playful where it can be, piercing where it must be—written for the average layman who knows he is called to something more than average.

It is a journey into Exodus: out of slavery to sin, through the wilderness of suffering, and toward the Promised Land of spiritual fatherhood.

These letters are written to a spiritual director—but they are meant for fathers, husbands, and men standing on the threshold of mission. They are a sword for the hand and a sacrament for the heart.

Each page is a strike of the hammer—each reflection a movement toward priesthood, prophecy, and kingship, rooted in Catholic orthodoxy and awakened by paradox.

André, a 30-year Canadian Armed Forces veteran and entrepreneur, brings a methodical military mindset to the business world. As the founder of the award-winning Watercycles Energy Recovery Inc., he pioneered green technology in Drain Water Heat Recovery (DWHR) systems. André's expertise extended to his role in developing Canadian standards for DWHR. Now, as the driving force behind Watercycles Investments Ltd., he applies his systematic approach to business processes, eliminating guesswork in management. In his upcoming book, "Puzzle Pieces to Success: Building the Business Blueprint," André shares insights from his journey, from military service to entrepreneurial success. When not innovating in business, André and his wife Lauren raise their six children on their farm near Edenwold, Saskatchewan, embodying values of loyalty, trust, discipline, and lifelong learning.