The extraordinary “moment of prayer,” the Urbi et Orbi blessing of March 27,2020 was the first ever of its kind offered apart from the election of a pope, Christmas, or Easter. On a bleak Friday during Lent and in the midst of worldwide pandemic and upheaval we witnessed the Vicar of Christ express the eloquence of his office. He pleaded, intereceded, and blessed. He taught with authority and spoke to weary hearts words to rouse.

Catholic parents have become the abbots and abbesses of 1000’s of domestic monasteries. Like all good monasteries yours needs a workable schedule and a focus. Unlike most monasteries, yours may or may not include brooding teenagers, sassy six year olds, or active nine year olds who have just had all of their team sports cancelled. In our home—so far—we’ve experienced lots of trial and error and reset. I’ve learned about weaknesses in my own leadership and have witnessed God’s grace...

As many of us are practicing social distancing, we’re confronted by the things right in front of us. For me this brings to mind this line from The Little Prince, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” This line shows us that while we’re preoccupied with statistics and never-ending news cycles, what’s most important is what’s right in front of us: Our communities, our families, and our God. Snippet from the Show “It’s hard to make...

“What does Lent mean to you?” This question really made me think about why Lent exists. We know it’s derived from Jesus’ forty days in the desert, but what caused Jesus to go there in the first place? Matthew 4:1 says, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” So the origin of Lent, the reason Jesus went into the desert in the first place, is because he was led by the Holy Spirit. We too, are prompted by the Holy Spirit to fast, pray, and...

If you’re struggling with your Lenten commitment already, that may be a good thing because the purpose of Lent isn’t to do it perfectly, it is to reveal the things we’re putting before Christ. When we realize that there are things we prefer to Christ, we can go to the root of the problem and ask God to enter into that temptation. St. Benedict recognized this when he established his rule for monks. The rule ensured that their ascetic practices pointed to their ultimate goal of preferring...

A face-to face encounter can be a powerful thing. I experienced this with my own son while praying for someone who was sick and suffering. His sincere prayer for their deliverance brought me to tears. It’s something we can all do. Before Lent, come face-to-face with Jesus, and make a sincere offering. Snippet from the Show “An encounter that’s face-to-face is really the heart of the spiritual life. We seek to look into the eyes of Christ.”

How should we be preparing for Lent? By enjoying the good things God has made (celebrating Carnival/Mardi Gras) and planning out our fasting, almsgiving, and prayer for the forty days of Lent. Here are some resources to help you plan for Lent! 25 Weird Things to Give Up for Lent 20 Out-of-the-Box Things to Do for Lent 2020 Snippet from the Show “In fasting, we say ‘no’ to things not because they’re bad, but because we love God more. They’re things we hold back from so that we can be...

What is love? It’s seen as a feeling, but more than that, it’s two things: Desire and willing the good of another. The first part craves unity with the beloved, and the second part wants the best for the other. When we love others using both parts of this definition, we are able to do so much more in our relationships. Here are three guidelines to make sure we’re living out the right definition of love. Give, don’t assert. Don’t use people. Surrender to God. Snippet from the...

What is pettifogging? It’s what happens when we put undue emphasis on petty details—which many of us do a lot in our spiritual lives. Pettifogging is the first thing St. Ignatius of Loyola warns against in The Spiritual Exercises. He reminds us that we are made to know, love, and serve God. All other things are minor in comparison. Snippet from the Show When we’re anxious sometimes it’s because we’re fixed on some minute detail and we’ve lost sight of the grander scheme of God’s great...

You’ve repeated yourself multiple times, you’re getting frustrated and flustered, you’re raising your voice—you’re just not getting through to other people. We’ve all been there. By looking at the reasons why we’re not getting through, maybe we can approach these situations differently in the future, both in our homes, and with others. 3 Reasons We’re Not Getting Through The person we’re trying to talk to isn’t in a position to hear us. Maybe they’re tired or hungry or extremely...

Of course parents love their kids, but we may not realize how little we communicate that love to them. Using the five love languages, we can uncover the most effective way to show our love. Whether that’s writing a letter, or sharing a hug, or saying “I’m sorry” for something we’ve done wrong, it’s important to find out what your children respond to. Here are the five love languages: Words of affirmation Quality time Gifts Touch Works of service How do you show love to your family?

Epiphany is the feast where the Magi come to pay homage to the infant Jesus, but it can also be used to describe a moment of sudden revelation or insight. In the life of Jesus, there are three epiphanies, and each one reveals a truth about ourselves and how we can grow toward God. 3 Epiphanies and What They Mean for Us: The Magi - the Magi are instructed to go back a different way. We turn toward Christ and follow his teachings, and follow a different path. Baptism of the Lord - Jesus’...

One of the biggest witnesses to the gospel in my life is Leo, my nine-year-old son. His strategy for growing closer to Jesus in 2020 is to pray, listen to his parents, go to Mass, and go to Adoration, which sounds like a great plan. He also says that confession is easy because all you have to do is ask a priest. The things Leo talks about in this episode (Mass, confession, Adoration, reading scripture, and evangelization) are cornerstones of our Catholic faith, and worthy of a special...

This January, don’t just make a list of goals for the new year—try developing a vision. I don’t mean a vision for your career, your finances, or even for your family. I'm talking about a deeper, more integrated vision that encompasses the entirety of who you are and who Christ is. Developing a vision like this is only possible if you understand where you come from, who you are, where you’re going, and how you can get there. If you’re clear on all four of these questions, I guarantee you’ll be...

The Nativity is an invitation to learn more about Scripture and ponder it as Mary did. The excitement, beauty, and power of Scripture can be lost on us Catholics if we only hear the Bible at Mass. Let’s dive deeper into the Word this Christmas, and continue through the new year. How is God calling you this Christmas? Snippet from the Show “The Nativity itself is an invitation to study Scripture and to reflect more deeply, as Mary did.”

If you’re struggling with stress and anxiety as we get closer and closer to Christmas, you’re not alone. There are stressors that reemerge for each of us this time of year, from family struggles, to holiday preparations, to aches connected to the past or uncertain future, but we don’t have to just push them aside and put on a happy face. We can bring it all to Christ. Here are some ways to actually find joy this Christmas: Make time for prayer Go to confession before Christmas Go to...

As the feast of the Immaculate Conception passes, we turn to Mary at this point in Advent. Her sinlessness, virginity, and virtue are especially important to us as we look to grow in holiness. Our Lady has many things to teach us, but here are three things that come to mind as we meditate on the immaculate conception. Sinlessness is not boring. We think sin is interesting, edgy, and fun, but in reality it just makes us enslaved. Holiness is what sets us free. Our bodies and souls are...

Advent brings forth this image of the perfect family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) that few of us can relate to, but we forget the the family tree of the Holy Family is actually pretty messy. If you go back in Scripture, there is a lot of sin and suffering in the lineage of Christ on earth. But God can use our broken family stories to bring about his salvation. In this Advent season, let us pray and hope and invite Emmanuel into our lives. Snippet from the Show “The God who saved us...

We know we should “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) but what does that look like from day-to-day? It’s one thing to practice gratitude one day a year, but let’s carry this practice in our families, workplaces, and communities. Here are three ways to get in the habit of thanksgiving: Conversational gratitude - talk to others about what you’re thankful for every week. A good way to do this is by talking about the highs and lows you’ve had throughout the week. You...

The title of Jesus as Christ the King has been at the forefront lately with the release of Kanye’s album, Jesus is King. But Kanye isn’t the first to proclaim the kingship of Jesus. As we look forward to celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the King this Sunday, let’s take a look at a couple of great martyrs who offered their lives up for Jesus Christ: St. José Luis Sánchez del Río and Blessed Miguel Pro. St. José Luis Sánchez del Río was a fourteen-year-old boy who was tortured because he...

It’s difficult to protect our kids from everything online, but there’s a simple thing you can do that can have an impact: check their phones. This will 1.) reinforce the fact that nothing posted online is anonymous and 2.) give them an excuse to opt out of questionable sites and behaviors because they know their parents will be periodically checking up on them. This goes for apps like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and even gaming platforms. Just having eyes on what your kids are up to on...

Many of us are familiar with “The Talk”—the extremely awkward conversation you had with your parents where they vaguely referred to birds and bees and flowers and everyone avoided eye contact. It doesn’t have to be that way! By rooting “The Talk” in JPII’s Theology of the Body, we can hopefully change the conversation to be less about sex, and more about the beauty of God’s plan for men and women. More than a single conversation. Don’t wait until your kid is in high school to begin...

The body of Christ stretches throughout time and space, and the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls Day remind us of that supernatural reality. One of the ways we know the saints are in heaven is because of their good work on earth. On All Saints Day, we praise God for the example of the saints and we ask them to intercede for the souls on earth and in purgatory. On All Souls Day, we pray for the “saints-in-waiting”—the souls who are in purgatory. These souls wait to behold the face of...

Reflecting on Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptor Hominis, Colin reminds us that Christ the redeemer is the center of the entire universe and all of human history. But is he the center of your own personal universe and your own personal history? As Catholics, we need to re-situate Jesus Christ as the center of our reality. Everything we do, say and believe should orbit around him. The devil is looking to sidetrack us and lead us to focus on anything other than Christ the...

If you were baptized, you are called to be a prophet. That doesn’t mean that you’ll be predicting the Second Coming, but you are called to speak the truth with clarity and charity. This means comforting the afflicted, and afflicting the comforted. Comforting the afflicted often mean reassuring people of God’s love for them, and his plan for their life. Afflicting the comforted often means speaking harsh truths that people don’t want to hear. 3 Steps to Afflicting the Comforted Make...