Advent brings forth this image of the perfect family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) that few of us can relate to, but we forget the the family tree of the Holy Family is actually pretty messy. 

If you go back in Scripture, there is a lot of sin and suffering in the lineage of Christ on earth. But God can use our broken family stories to bring about his salvation. 

In this Advent season, let us pray and hope and invite Emmanuel into our lives. 

Snippet from the Show

“The God who saved us through the blood of his son is not unaware of how terrible the reign of sin and suffering and death is. God is breaking into the brokenness of our family situations, into the mess of the Church.”

An Unlikely Advent Meditation

The Catholic podcast where we take three to five minutes to see and embrace the opportunities embedded in our busy, messy lives that are meant to help us move towards heaven. Together, we walk the tension between living this life fully while being on our way to the next.

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Freedom is tied in the very identity of God and who we as his children made in his image and likeness. Understanding the real meaning of freedom revealed to us by Christ, will help us respond to the evils of our world and build a more just and virtuous society. As Catholics, our liberty must ultimately point to the participation in the Divine life. 

Snippet From the Show:

“Real liberty is the ability to make a gift of oneself.”

Pursuing Real Freedom

Solidarity is the idea that we are one, we are together. It is rooted in empathy for the person or groups who may not have advantages we have. GoFundMe Campaigns are an example of people living out solidarity. It is a way to live out our faith and helps us know we are not alone. 

Subsidiarity is the idea we are most effective when we start closest to home and heart. From there we can transform our state and our nation. Colin believes that real subsidiarity starts in the heart with virtue. Subsidiarity is to integrate virtue in our own hearts and to live it out in the spaces closest to us. 

These two, solidarity and subsidiarity, are the way we will fight against injustice, hate, and have an abundant life.

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Engaging on social media with charity and clarity in 2020 is not easy. Inspired by St.Thomas Aquinas, I offer a few principles to help us respond to issues and conflict on social media in a productive and charitable manner. If we remember the humanity of those we disagree with behind the screen,  we will learn to truly love our enemies as Christ calls us to do. 

Snippet of the Show

“ It's not just about winning arguments, it’s about winning hearts and building relationships.”

Commenting with Charity and Clarity

In our pursuit of holiness, we tend to overlook the little things in life. It’s the small moments in life that can either push us upwards towards heaven or pull us down towards evil.

Snippet From the Show:

“Little things have a great power to move us.”

An Unlikely Advent Meditation

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