Breaking In The Habit

Wait… TikTok?

Sometimes, you do something and just ask yourself, “What was I thinking…?” This has been a week of that.

Starting a TikTok

This week, I finally took the plunge, logging onto Twitter and creating my first videos. I don’t know how long it will last or if it’s going to be worth it, but, let’s give it a shot. Here are my first two videos.

@caseyofm

I come here against my will… we’ll see if this works. #catholic #catholicpriest #firstvideo #christiantiktok #christian #friar #franciscan #breakinginthehabit

♬ original sound – caseyofm

@caseyofm

A Christmas joke with a powerful message. christmas christian catholic priest franciscan breakinginthehabit

♬ original sound – caseyofm

Wisdom from TikTok?

One of the reasons I finally decided to get involved is because I realized that the platform was far more diverse than just dance videos. It actually has the potential to reach a lot of different people with a lot of different genres. This week’s YouTube reflection was inspired by one video I watched.

One more until the finale! Still time to enter contest!

As I mentioned in this week’s special announcement, this season of Everyday Liminality is coming to a close next week, which means it’s time for a bracket! This year, we want you to enter our contest by filling out the bracket yourself to see how you do. You have until Tuesday at noon!

Before then, be sure to listen to this week’s episode about Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

https://everydayliminality.libsyn.com/monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-with-special-announcement

An Early Gift

Fr. Patrick was very excited to receive a special package in the mail Thursday! Maybe we’ll share an unboxing video soon…

O Come O Come Emmanuel!

As we enter the final week before Christmas, I throw it back to a video I made three years ago in the “Catholicism in Focus” series. It’s about the origins of the Advent favorite “O Come O Come Emmanuel.”

Special Opportunity!

Hey everyone! It’s your second post of the week and it’s for a good reason! This week, Fr. Tito, myself, and a mystery guest will be recording our finale episode of Everyday Liminality for the season. As we’ve done for the past three seasons, the finale will be a bracket-style discussion to determine the “best” movie of a category, in this case, the most iconic/classic movie. Here’s where it matters to you.

Below, you will see our bracket for next week. We want you to fill it out. Guess which one’s we’ll pick and pick a winner. Once you’re done, send it to me via email (everydayliminality@gmail.com), and I’ll determine the winner. Everyone who submits an entry will receive an Upon Friar Review sticker (as long as you include your mailing address and have a residence in the United States.) Depending on how many people submit a bracket, it might take a while to determine a winner, but whoever wins will receive a gift card!

Have fun, and good luck!

Click below to download.

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

A break. Yes, things are starting to wind down for the winter here at Breaking in the Habit. As I do every year, I’m preparing to take some time off, relaxing, reflecting, and planning for a new semester. But we’re not don’t just yet…

Season Finale of Upon Friar Review?

It’s been a great semester for Upon Friar Review, passing 100,000 subscribers a few weeks ago. We’ve looked at some controversial things, some insightful things, and a lot of things that made us laugh. Because of our busy schedules over the next few weeks, Fr. Patrick and I may not be able to film any more episodes this semester, so this might be our last episode until January. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/-L50S7CUzPM

E.T. isn’t about aliens

The thing with science fiction and fantasy movies is that they’re never really about science fiction or fantasy. They use imaginative and far-fetched ideas to give us insight into the normal, everyday experiences of life. In the case of E.T., it’s about a child struggling through isolation after his parent’s divorce. Watch the movie through a kid’s eyes and see how brilliant it is.

Of all the projects I’m working on right now, this is the one with the most life left. Fr. Tito and I have one more regular episode to release on Tuesday (it’s a comedy) before we conclude with our season finale! More information about the finale next week, but it will be a bracket, and it will be controversial!

Breaking in the Habit isn’t done yet

Last week I posted a video with a rather ominous title: Im giving up. I am not quitting YouTube, as you probably guessed, but I am dealing with some significant burnout right now and need to reevaluate how I approach this ministry for the future. Things will probably change next semester, but they won’t go away. In fact, they won’t even go away for the semester, just yet. I needed to let that video sit for a while, but I plan on producing one, maybe two more videos before Christmas. See you next week for a slightly more hopeful video!

Speaking of Christmas…

One question I’ve gotten a lot lately is, “What are you doing for the holidays? Are you allowed to go home?” The answer is yes… and no. I will be at the parish for Christmas Day, celebrating masses, serving the community, and celebrating with the friars. Just as it would be weird if a married person left his wife and kids to go spend Christmas with his parents, so, too, would it be a little weird if the community of friars just up and went their separate ways for Christmas. This year, I plan on being with the friars on Christmas Day, but will spend five days with my family starting the next day. I’ll spend New Year’s weekend with some friends from college, and then I’ll spend five days on retreat. It’s going to be a great two weeks away!

Happy Gaudete Sunday!

Tomorrow is the third week of Advent, known a Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a latin word meaning “rejoice,” an opportunity to remember that, even in this penitential season, we have reason to be thankful and look on with hope! As a Church, we like to spark some rejoicing in the simplest of ways… by forcing the priest to wear pink to mass. Fun times had by all!

Peace and good,

Fr. Casey

Trust That God is Near

Advent is a wonderful time of year. But it’s not just about preparing for whatever celebrations we might have on December 25. It’s about preparing for the second coming of Christ. To do this, we remember that we have a savior, and I’m not him.

Burning Out, Finding Balance

Long story short, I’m toast right now. Like so many people, I’m feeling the weight of a world that isn’t the way it should be. Good thing I have a good spiritual director who offered me this important Advent lesson.

The One that Started It All

When you think iconic movies that defined a genre, you have to think Snow White. The first full-length animated movie of all time, not to mention Walt Disney’s first film, it is a landmark work of art that defined cinema for generations.

https://everydayliminality.libsyn.com/snow-white-and-the-seven-re-releases

A Very TikTok Christmas

TikTok is a mess of creativity. Some of it is garbage, some of it is worth discussing. In this week’s Upon Friar Review, Fr. Patrick and I watch some Advent/Christmas themed clips to get into the holiday spirit.

https://youtu.be/o7V5GISc7dI

On Mission!

One of the reasons that this newsletter was delayed this week is because I am in Valdosta, GA, right now offering a parish mission. I had the four English masses at the parish, met with the youth group, and will give two evening talks. I would appreciate it if you would keep me in your prayers!

Thanks to you!

Happy Thanksgiving to the American followers out there! I hope you had a great holiday and are ready for Advent to start!

Big Milestone

Last week, Upon Friar Review hit 100K subscribers. That’s so incredible, and we can’t thank you enough. It’s been a fun year throwing this together and we wanted to show our appreciation to those who made it happen. In this week’s video, we answer 11 questions from viewers.

https://youtu.be/jQ3bPWk2mOc

Would you want to know?

In the 1999 sci-fi thriller The Matrix, a question is posed to the viewer: if the world was not as it appeared, would you want to know? I suspect that most people would answer yes, that living a lie is unfulfilling, but Fr. Tito and I don’t think this is actually the case. Our world tells us repeatedly that it prefers the Matrix.

Fun bit of photoshop

Take a look at this picture below. Just an ordinary picture of me with my parents on their recent visit, right? Nothing peculiar or out of sorts?

To most, it looks like any other picture. The problem? We had no one to take our picture and no tripod to hold the camera. And so, we did what anyone with photoshop would do… We took two individual photos and stitched them together!

A Break on the Horizon

As regular followers will know, I take a break from making content around Christmas time and in the middle of the summer. At this point, I’ll admit, I’m pretty burnt out. I have a few more videos I’d like to make this year, but don’t be surprised if things abruptly stop in a few weeks! Don’t worry, I’ll be back by the end of January.

Peace and good,

Fr. Casey, OFM