I’m taking a two-month break. Not just from making videos but from consuming them. I’ve deleted Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook from my phone. Sometimes you just need to cut the cord.
I plan to be back, but likely in a different form. I’ve been doing the same old thing for a while now and it’s not only got me a little tired but isn’t producing the “results” I think our Church needs. As the world adapts, so too must our approach to it, and I’m going to take this time to detox and recollect.
I’m also working on two big projects that have taken all of my time and creative energy of late, so that might be part of it. I look forward to sharing these things with you soon!
With faith, there are a lot of people teaching a lot of things. So much exists in the realm of “common knowledge,” but that doesn’t mean that everything we think we know is true. Let’s clear some of the biggest things up.
What Happens When We Die?
There’s probably not a more important… and more misunderstood question in human existence. So much of what we “believe” as a society comes from art and fiction, not Scripture. Here are some answers to important questions.
The Inquisition Was Not What People Think
When most think of the inquisition, they think of torture chambers and kangaroo courts. There is so much more to the story that people need to know.
Confession is Not Hard
Many people have this idea that hearing confessions is a mysterious, difficult task. What should the priest say? How do you handle sins? The answer is simple: remember that you are a sinner as well and don’t be a jerk.
The start of school has made scheduling long-form interviews challenging for me and Tito, but we have more episodes coming, starting this week! Be sure to subscribe!
I often try to come up with a way to connect the media I produce in a week into a theme, but sometimes you just don’t have the bandwidth to be creative! Anyway, don’t let the title take away from some great content this week!
Traveling Preacher
In the fourth installment of “What do Friars do?” I share my quick experience traveling to Florida last weekend to preach a high school retreat.
But in almost every case, you get what you need. Such is the case for so many friars in their assignments, it is absolutely the case for Fr. Mike Johnson, OFM. Listen to his extraordinary story of serving in a prison in Bolivia and then founding an organization to take regular parishioners on mission.
Did You Know There’s an Election?
Believe it or not, there’s a political thing coming up soon. You probably haven’t seen a billion ads for it already. So what are we to do? The USCCB provides an election guide each year that can help.
Priests, Don’t be THAT Guy
Sadly, many of us have had unfortunate experiences in the confessional. It’s important that all confessors remember to show mercy.
Who knew that friar life was so busy! Oh wait, I did! Sorry for the tired refrain… but here we go again sending out a regular newsletter each week (and I mean it this time!)
New Series
Many have asked me to do more “day in the life videos.” I’ve considered it for a while, but my life is so irregular that I didn’t know how to package it in an interesting way. Until now. Instead of one big video, I plan to post a short vlog each Friday with some aspect of my life. Here are the first three.
There are a lot of things we imagine about weddings that have no place in the Catholic Church. Here are 5 things you’ll never see at a Catholic wedding ceremony.
Much Worse Than You Realize
In vitro fertilization has become quite the issue in politics lately. Let’s not be fooled into thinking that it’s okay.
Football’s Back!
Happy start of the season for those who celebrate. Hopefully it won’t affect my productivity too much!
While the online content that I produce is how most people know me, most of my time is spent serving as the chaplain of three schools. Last week the elementary school started, Wednesday is the first day for the high school, and the college students return next Sunday. Things are about to get crazy. My production won’t be able to keep up with the summer pace, but new things will certainly come. For now, let’s look back on the past few weeks.
Power is not good for the Church
In a pair of videos, I first look at what happened to the Church in Ireland, followed by a broader look at what power has done to the Church over the centuries. In both cases, my response is the same: we need to live the beatitudes, serve the poor, and return to the way of Jesus.
Some really great guys
The friars could not be more different. The only thing that unites us all, it seems to me, is our approachability and desire to live the Gospel. As you’ll see from these interviews, every friar is unique.
Also, a reminder that all of these episodes are available in podcast form.
Hope for the Future?
What do you get when you bring 150 young friars together in one place? A lot of hope for things to come.
Using Humor to Teach about the Pope
As you’ve seen this summer, I’ve been making a lot of Pope Francis content on Instagram and TitTok. None of it is overtly serious, but it all teaches in its own way.
Breaking In The Habit 