Breaking In The Habit: Recent Episodes
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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... Read More
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... Read More
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... Read More
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... Read More
It’s been quite a ten-day trip so far! Back in January I was invited to Italy to speak at a conference of Franciscans about evangelizing through social media (more on that next week). Given that Ireland is (sort... Read More
Sorry for the delay this week. Some of you might have noticed that this website disappeared for a few days. Turns out there was a glitch with my email confirmation and they suspended my domain and denied me... Read More
I’m finally home. If you followed my Instagram/TikTok posts this week, you know that I was at VidCon in California with Fr. Tito. What an experience. We went to some helpful presentations about social media and content creation,... Read More
Happy Father’s Day to all! We owe so much of who we are to the men who passed down their wisdom and faith over the years. Catholic Refresher Course When you have as rich of a history as... Read More
How often do you get defensive and look for someone or something to blame for why things didn’t go the way you wanted them to. If you’re like me, it’s all the time. This… is not going to... Read More
What can I say? Just a bunch of bangers this week. Sometimes ideas flop, and then there are weeks like this. Hope you enjoy all four of these videos! Jesus, for Beginners? One of the things I’m finding... Read More
The temperatures are rising, schools are letting out, and I’ve been sleeping in a lot more. It must be summer. Can’t wait to get a break… and to devote more time to videos! Maybe my best video… ever?... Read More
I think it’s important to look at the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as seen in the readings today, in light of our very divided world. In Acts, the Spirit does not give the disciples the ability to... Read More
Exclusive to newsletter subscribers, I’m happy to say that not only do I have a production calendar made up (the first time in well over 6 months) but I’m going to share it with you here. In years... Read More
Admittedly, this newsletter has never been the most consistent communication of mine. There are plenty of times I’m producing content but forget to send it out here. Recently, I was just tired. A lot has happened over the... Read More
At long last, I’m excited to share the new podcast from me and Fr. Tito. It’s called Minor Characters, and the idea is simple: bring on a friar each week to share about their life. The friars are... Read More
Don’t let the lack of videos this week lead you to believe that it was a boring seven days. Oh no no no! Out in the real world, we have Catholic Schools Week celebrations at the high school... Read More
One thing I planned to do this year was post a newsletter each week. After going 0/3 to start 2024, I’m back on track, and committed to keeping it that way. But hey, it’s not like I don’t... Read More
What a wonderful day it is! Our God has become like us so that we can become like him. I pray that this day/season/celebration may be a reminder to you of your place in God as his child... Read More
Today at mass, God speaks through the prophet Isaiah: “Comfort, give comfort to my people.” How do we do this in the face of stress and tragedy. The only answer is to remind them of the one who... Read More
Usually by the end of August we’re through the worst of it here in Georgia. Not this year. Yesterday, 102°F weather turned our annual cookout into a “cook in,” and today wasn’t much better. All things considered, it... Read More
Hope everyone has had a great summer! Mine was too hot and too short! Two weeks ago, the elementary students returned to school; last week the high school students, and tomorrow the college students. It’s back to a... Read More
Last week, the friars of my province met for our once-every-three-years chapter, only, because of the pandemic, we hadn’t been together for 5 years. It was a long time to be apart and just a joy to see... Read More
Holy Week is an amazing time of year. The liturgies are just so powerful. But there is a danger to all of the extra activities, and it’s an ironic one: it can lead us more in the past... Read More
This past week, the students at two of the schools where I serve had spring break. In the past, this was a time of fun and relaxation. Now I’m an adult. And so this past week I was... Read More
Last week I had the opportunity to speak at Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles. It was a wonderful, fruitful experience, but also one that took up all of my time from Wednesday until late Sunday of my... Read More
This week is going to be a busy one. Not only is it the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday, but many will be traveling to Los Angeles for the annual Religious Education Congress. This year I’m fortunate... Read More
These last two weeks have been a blur. Week-long high school mission trip. Six weekend masses, two in Spanish, an hour and a half from home. Catholic schools week. ix weekend masses, two in Spanish, an hour and... Read More
There is nothing boring about this life. Last week I chaperoned a group of nine high schoolers on a mission trip to Philadelphia to work at the friars’ soup kitchen, St. Francis Inn. We got back in town... Read More
As the year starts, I often take a few weeks to collect my thoughts, reflect on the successes and failures of the previous semester, and plan out the semester’s topics. For this reason, there’s only one thing to... Read More
I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas season! I had the opportunity to visit my family for 8 days and didn’t hesitate to let everything go for a week. I hope the absence of this newsletter wasn’t... Read More
Today the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, a short reprieve in a fasting and waiting to remember that Jesus is already among us. And not a day too soon. How easy it is to look around our world and... Read More
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week and are excited about the season of Advent. I spent part of the week with parents, who drove in to stay at the friary, and the other half completely and... Read More
Sorry for the lack of newsletter last week, but one of my videos was blocked, I had a busy day, and I knew there would be less to share this week. Good news? The original video was released!... Read More
This Sunday, our readings are focused on death and the afterlife, offering two examples of how life may be full of suffering but that there is something more that awaits us. In the case of the tortured men... Read More
This weekend at Mass, we heard the familiar story of Zacchaeus. We heard how he ran to climb a tree to see Jesus, how we promised to sell half his possessions, how he committed himself to repaying anyone... Read More
Today we have to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question. If you remember last week, Jesus told us that we were to pray without growing weary, that, like the widow, like Moses against the great army, it doesn’t matter... Read More
In our day, it is not uncommon to see protests and demonstrations for a cause. Some are worthwhile, others involve throwing tomato soup at a Van Gough painting. In general, protesting does not necessitate courage. This was not... Read More
When I was a kid, I saw a shooting start and my parents told me to make a wish. Not understanding exactly how wishes worked, I woke up the next morning disappointed that my wish had not immediately... Read More
So, the Saturday morning newsletter just isn’t working out for me, I guess. Let’s try something new: Sunday newsletter, complete with a few words on the weekly readings. You Don’t Deserve Anything “How long, O LORD? I cry... Read More
Every week is busy. Some weeks are just busier. Not only was last week Homecoming week for the Catholic high school where I work, I had the great opportunity of attending a long-time friend’s wedding yesterday. The ceremony... Read More
There are times in our lives when feelings of self-doubt get the best of us. Maybe we feel lost and don’t know where we’re going. Maybe we feel like we’re not appreciated for what we do. It happens... Read More
After many months away, I’m happy to be back with a full slate of content. It’s been a long time coming with a lot of work (and needed time off) in between but I hope you find everything... Read More
Hello everyone! Remember these? Up until a few months ago you were used to receiving a newsletter each Saturday morning recounting the week’s media and news. That was, until things fell apart this summer. Now, admittedly, nothing dramatic... Read More
After 5000 miles, Fr. Tito and I have visited 14 of the 30 MLB stadiums. Just another 16 stadiums and 12000 miles to go! When Did Jesus Know? Jesus did not descend from heaven as a fully-grown man.... Read More
Greetings from Philadelphia! Fr. Tito and I are now ten stops down and moving along quickly. Since May 20, we’ve seen baseball games at 10 stadiums (8-2 for the home teams), eaten 21 hot dogs (pace has slowed,... Read More
The last 9 days have been pretty surreal. Four baseball games, three high school talks, a parish event, 1700 miles traveled, and a whole lot of fried food. The first week might be the most grueling of them... Read More
My apologies for not writing a newsletter last week… but it has been a week! Last Friday (5/13) I went away for weekend, spending two days with my family. Sunday morning at 6:00am, though, I was up and... Read More
Job Description Breaking in the Habit is an online Catholic apostolate consisting of two YouTube channels, a podcast, and various social media accounts. Currently, every step of the production process is completed by the same person. I am... Read More
It’s not news to anyone that we live in a pluralistic society with more than a few disagreements. It’s obviously not a new phenomenon, yet may of us still struggle to navigate situations with diverse beliefs. Here are... Read More
With a diocesan clergy conference, confirmations, high school graduation, and school awards ceremony this week (and all that I had to do to get ready for the upcoming tour!) I just never got around to posting a newsletter... Read More
This week, for whatever reason, everything at Breaking in the Habit focuses on what not to do in order to teach what to do. There is the ridiculously funny, the judgmental, the cringy, and the downright wrong. Hope... Read More
Today we find ourselves in silence. Having entered into the Paschal Mystery Thursday, the Christian world finds itself reeling at the death of Jesus, stunned at the loss. Saturday is a quiet day of contemplation as we mourn... Read More
To be an effective communicator, no matter the situation, you need to know who’s listening. In the work of evangelization, this means getting to know—even coming to love—the world. Do you Love your Congregation? As appalling as it... Read More
Every once in a while, the outside world takes an interest in our faith and something we do goes mainstream. This may seem like a great thing—like the world is becoming more like us—but this is almost never... Read More
I know it’s Lent, but man, there were a lot of things to celebrate this week. Baseball is Back! Let’s start right off with baseball. MLB and the MLBPA accepted terms on a new collective bargaining agreement, ending... Read More
This week, I am full of excitement. Fr. Patrick is back to film episodes of Upon Friar Review, I went down a fascinating rabbit hole, and I finally get to announce some big news I’ve been planning. Let’s... Read More
So often, we simply don’t understand each other. People struggle to see eye to eye, to grasp the experience of someone different from ourselves. In each of the messages I share this week there’s a reminder to leave... Read More
God is the author and animator of all that exists. He does not simply intervene at extraordinary times; His presence radiates through everything for all to see. Do we see him in tragedy? In our struggle for justice?... Read More
Peace and all good everyone! A lot of great things coming from Breaking in the Habit this week! Hope everyone is doing well. My Favorite Movie? In general, I like cerebral, aesthetically beautiful and original movies. Think Christopher... Read More
At long last, Breaking In The Habit is in full swing with a pile of content this week. As you’ll see, I’ve tried some new things this week but I think they’ve turned out well! Confessions Stereotypes As... Read More
As the excitement of the holidays and New Year fade into a distant memory, we find ourselves back in the swing of “normalcy” as we enter the month of February. For me, that means new content returning to... Read More
Carrying on King’s Legacy Over the past week, you have no doubt heard many people quote Martin Luther King Jr. You probably heard stories about the civil rights movement, recounts the heroism that he showed in standing up... Read More
It’s been quite an up and down month for me here at Breaking in the Habit, but I’m refreshed and gearing up for a good semester! Look for a full slate of content very soon! For now, just... Read More
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... Read More