This week I finished a fantastic book called Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus. To say that it changed my life might be a bit of an overstatement, but it has got me thinking quite a bit: Maybe I’m not as far along in my journey as I thought. Maybe I haven’t taken Jesus’ command to evangelize seriously enough. It’s with that in mind that I present a few highlights from the past few weeks (and plan to post a bunch more in this vein shortly.)
Conversion Never Ends
It can be easy to look at where we are as Christians and think that we’re finished. While none of us would ever claim to be perfect, I do believe many of us would think that the majority of our work is over. My hope in this video is that each of us would be reinvigorated in our pursuit of the Gospel.
Calling Out Cheap Christianity
There are many people in this world that reject Christianity simply because they’ve only seen counterfeit versions of it. When we see cheap, ridiculous, and even dangerous forms of Christianity that distort of the Gospel, we need to do everything we can to ensure that the world knows the truth. Sometimes, that means making fun of what’s wrong.
Even Learning From Atheists
Not all teachers are good examples. “Do as I say, not as I do,” right? It’s for this reason that, sometimes, we can look even beyond our tradition to learn about it. Sometimes, it takes an atheist with brilliant insights to help us remember who we are and what we’re about.
It’s More than A Costume!
Okay, this last one is a stretch, but I think it still fits. I put on a habit each day as a mark of my life committed to Christ. On days like Halloween, it gets confused as a costume, but it does raise the question: is it, sometimes? Simply putting on a garment does not make someone a Christian, transformation comes from within. May our public signs of witness (habits, cross necklaces, veils, vestments, bracelets, t-shirts, etc.) be a representation of who we actually are and not what we are pretending to be!
And unfortunately, an End to The Word Became Flesh
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was evaluating my work on the daily podcast. I’ve come to the conclusion that, while it was helpful for some, it did not make sense to continue given how few people were listening and how much time it took to make. I will be spending the time putting more effort into YouTube videos and creating TikTok shorts, which you will see a lot more of soon.
Have a wonderful week!
Breaking In The Habit 
Wow I would like to read it I’m a capuchin friar
I am a catholic, but I’m afraid I have to disagree with something the catholic Church teaches. My protestant friends tell me that I cannot be Catholic because I do not see in line with some teachings. In the “React to Hollywood Heaven” video, it was stated. “I wish the protestants did not leave. Like Francis of Assisi, I wish they transformed the Church from within.” I have struggled with this for years. I feel that part of genuinely learning is to question, and sometimes you will have a different point of view whether you stay there or not; who is to know?
I am told that Protestants like Luther tried to reform the Church from within but were kicked out. At what point should you no longer be Catholic?
This question was first shared with me by Marianne, my youth coordinator. I am not looking for a pretty “you are all the church” answer that a priest gave me. I mean realistically. When in honest study and truth, when you come to a different conclusion than the Church on a matter, is it no longer appropriate for you to be Catholic? Are you supposed to stop being catholic at some point, or is it up to the Church to individually kick you out?
If we are to be one but also be able to explore and learn, there will be times when we disagree. My question is not pastorically, but doctrinally speaking: what is the benchmark for when these “differences” stop making us catholic? When is it our duty to leave, not to take the Eucharist, etc?