Bear welcomes Peter Herbeck, Vice President of Renewal Ministries and the host of the Ave Maria Radio show “Fire on the Earth” to discuss periods in our lives when we don’t feel very spiritual.
Read moreThe Desert of Faith →
I said to myself in my good fortune:
“I shall never be shaken.”
O Lord, your favor had set me like a mountain stronghold.
Then you hid your face, and I was put to confusion.
-Psalm 30:7-8, Revised Grail Psalter
In a matter of two sentences, the Psalmist sums up a tremendously complex part of one’s journey of faith. At one moment, we can have a sense of certainty in the Lord, a perceived state of proximity to the divine that is so real that we can say, “I shall never be shaken.” Then suddenly, everything changes. It seems as though everything that we had once felt with such certainty is wrenched away and we are left with nothing in a state of confusion.
Read moreChallenging Men to True Brotherhood - Fr. Larry Richards →
Bear Woznick and Father Larry Richards tackle the real need for men to live in brotherhood and the importance of forming strong friendships.
Read moreSt. Joseph Formed Jesus as a Man →
Jesus did not begin his earthly mission until he was in his early thirties, but that does not mean he was a thirty-year-old adolescent living with his parents. He was a young man being formed in the ways of manhood by Saint Joseph, according to the time and culture in which he lived.
Read moreThe Virgin Mary: The Masterpiece of God →
In this talk, Fr. Calloway unpacks the wonder, mystery and dignity of the Mother of God. God created His own mother and fashioned her to be a tender mother, a beautiful bride and a lovely daughter. Her dignity is so great that God obeys her, saints honor her and all the demons fear her!
Read moreA Primer on Biblical Masculinity - Bishop Robert Barron →
In this 46-minute video, Bishop Barron is interviewed on a podcast on masculinity. He discusses Biblical masculinity using King David extensively as an example and explaining what these Biblical stories have to say to us as Christian men today. What is it to be a man, especially a Christian man? Watch to the end to get Bishop Barron’s take.
Read moreBe Master or Get Mastered →
Nobody likes a person, especially a man, who just agrees to everything and goes with the flow, because that flow will typically by along the lines of whim, impulse, and sin – he’s a “yes man” not just to another man, but to everything. If you say ‘yes’ to everyone and everything you are not free and you are not really your own person. You are a slave to your desires, or other people’s desires. You are not a master of yourself, which requires the act of free will, and for a will to be free it has to be strong. For that, we need temperance.
Read morePeace, Be Still: Making the Most of the Storm We Face →
Fear is a mental and spiritual virus. It spreads faster and more efficiently than any airborne disease. Its symptoms are at times anger, aggression, isolation, despair, irrationality, loss of faith, and clouded judgement, among other things. And if there is one emotion that dominates the world at this time, it is a deep and abiding fear.
It is no wonder, for the situation we now face is unprecedented, and that is no exaggeration. Even in times past, when great plagues would strike parts of the earth, they were usually isolated to a specific locale. Even when all of Europe succumbed to the Black Death, it was far from a global pandemic.
Read moreWhy Leisure? →
During this COVID-19 crisis, many will spend their time in leisure – or they should.
With so many cancellations, in which the majority of sports and events are being closed down, it is critical for us to understand what leisure is and why it is important.
Read moreInto the Breach Video Series - Masculinity →
The Church is facing a “man crisis.” Men are made for greatness. “Authentic masculinity” means to live for excellence. Mike Phelan explains how he discovered the nature of true masculinity and how to live it.
Will you step into the breach with your brothers in Christ this Lent and answer God's call to lead?
The Church is facing a “man crisis.” Men are made for greatness. “Authentic masculinity” means to live for excellence. Mike Phelan explains how he discovered the nature of true masculinity and how to live it.
Read moreRenewing Intimacy in Marriage →
Every married couple wants to have a healthy marriage. This means fostering healthy intimacy throughout the marriage. Intimacy is the emotional connection between two people. It’s where you both know each other thoroughly. You feel completely safe with one another and can talk about anything. When two people have this kind of intimacy, they will never feel lonely. Most couples experience this depth of intimacy early in their relationship; however, as the years go by, that intimacy can fade.
Read moreMarriage Building - Pray, Talk, Do →
In her book, Rebuilding a Marriage Better then New, Cindy Beall notes there are three things husbands and wives need to do together to build a healthy marriage: pray, talk, and do.
Read moreThe Veil Removed →
The Veil Removed is a short film that reveals the coming together of heaven and earth at Mass, as seen by saints and mystics, revealed by scripture and in the catechism of the Catholic Church.
An amazing presentation of the Mass in one short 5 minute video. We think your experience of the Mass may never be the same again.
I have never seen a video representation of the Eucharist like this one. ~ John
Read moreAtheist Professor Says Supernatural Vision of Our Lady Led Him to Catholicism: She Was “Indescribably Beautiful” →
Shalom World, YouTube
An atheist professor at Harvard had a supernatural vision of Our Lady that led him to Catholicism. He said: “Although she was perfectly beautiful to look at – indescribably beautiful – even more perfecting was the beauty of her voice. It was composed of that which makes music music.”
Listen to his full conversion story (about 20 minutes) by clicking the link to YouTube below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWDevlijGUI&feature=youtu.be
Read moreMy First Month As A Priest →
It has been just over six weeks since I was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Rockford on June 1st, 2019. Since then, I have been able to celebrate over sixty masses, anoint several people, preside over a couple of funerals, and baptize one child.
While all of these pastoral opportunities have impacted me during my short time as a priest; the most life-changing aspect of priesthood has been the hours I have spent sitting in the confessional.
Read moreSt. Joseph: A Father Like No Other →
Consider this for a second: out of every single man on the planet and, indeed, in human history…God chose Joseph to teach Jesus what it meant to be a man. God could have chosen a famous teacher or an earthly king or a fearsome military leader to raise Jesus. He didn’t. God chose a humble carpenter from a town in the middle of nowhere.
Read moreFour Ways for Catholic Fathers to Give Heroic Witness to Their Children →
As I look at my children every night before going to bed, I wonder what their futures will be: what type of vocation they’ll have, what kind of relationship they’ll have with each other. I wonder what kind of relationship they’ll have with God. And then, as I slowly leave the room and quietly close the door, I realize that the answers to those questions are contingent upon me, their father.
As a Catholic father, I have even greater demands on me, and these expectations are something I must fulfill, particularly because I vowed to follow through at each of my children’s baptisms. Now I’m far from being the father of the year (I pray that our Lord will allow me to raise my children well everyday), but with Father’s Day coming up, I’ve been thinking about how fathers, and Catholic fathers in particular, need to be bold. What does it mean to be a good Catholic father in this day and age?
I only have about four years’ experience of being a father, so this may not be much that I’ve picked up, but here are four ways we as fathers can really live out our vocation in a heroic way. Because that’s what we’re called to do: to give a heroic witness to our children.
Read moreWhat is Discipleship? →
The notion of discipleship is a powerful one. For anyone to say he is a Christian ought to mean, “I am a disciple of Christ.” And to be a disciple means you strive hold nothing back from your commitment to follow him.
Read moreIt’s a Long Race – Nobody Finishes it Alone →
I met a wonderful man today. Well, the truth is that I’ve kind of known of this man for a while because he is a fellow parishioner, but today I got to know him a bit more and he touched my life in a small, yet meaningful way. For reasons of circumstance, we had an opportunity to connect on a personal level and I was nourished by it.
Read more6 Ways to Make Sure You’re Actually Moving Toward Your Dreams →
The smell of a brand new baseball always set me off. It was heavenly. The peacefulness of the baseball diamond could overtake me at times, allowing my mind to wander dangerously in the middle of a pitcher’s wind up. The aroma of dirt, fresh cut grass, popcorn, and sweat complemented the perfect swing; when I couldn’t even feel the ball hit the bat. I loved baseball.
Read more
