Daily Inspiration Quote by Paul Begala

“I try hard to be a good Catholic” is the kind of line that looks humble on its face, then quietly does a lot of political work. Paul Begala isn’t a theologian; he’s a Democratic strategist-turned-journalist who has spent decades translating liberal policy into language that won’t get booed in the pews. The verb choice matters: “try hard” foregrounds effort over achievement, which is both recognizably Catholic (the emphasis on ongoing moral formation, confession, imperfect striving) and strategically human. It disarms the listener before any hard argument arrives.

The subtext is a credential check without sounding like a credential check. In modern American media, “Catholic” can signal competing things at once: personal discipline, a social-justice tradition, and a set of high-voltage culture-war positions. Begala’s phrasing doesn’t pick a side so much as claim a seat at the table. He’s telling skeptical audiences: I’m not an alien in your moral universe. The line also preemptively acknowledges conflict. A “good Catholic” is rarely a neutral identity in politics; it implies you’ve weighed Church teaching against party orthodoxy, or vice versa. “Try hard” leaves room for dissent without advertising it.

Contextually, it’s a familiar move for public Catholics in public life: perform sincerity, admit fallibility, and keep the focus on conscience rather than compliance. Begala’s intent is less to announce holiness than to make his worldview legible in a culture that treats faith as either tribal branding or private embarrassment.