FAD & DAD

05/18/2026

A short reflection in preparation of this weekend's celebration of Pentecost:

"Like the burning bush of old, the Church is now the mediator of God’s burning presence to the world, not burned in anger, but consumed and transformed by the indwelling of her God and Head."

Read more:

In recent years I have been fascinated by the imagery of the tongues of fire that come to rest on the Apostles in the Upper Room on Pentecost. Most artistic depictions show little teardrops of fire…

04/17/2026

Prepare for the Sunday readings with Josh Burks. For all things FAD&DAD visit fadanddad.com.

04/16/2026

"The same Jesus who spoke to Sister Kowalska in 20th century Poland is the same Jesus who spoke to the rogue Pharisee, Nicodemus, in 1st century Judea. It is the same Jesus who “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Phil 2:6), but took on our human nature, and came—why?—so that he could win back our trust. What an amazing way to think about the gospel."

From the latest FAD&DAD blog: "He is Trustworthy"

At the bottom of every image of the Divine Mercy is the inscription, “Jesus, I trust in you.” This has been one of my favorite prayers for many years. In fact, encountering the divine m…

04/11/2026

Smoking ribs and Sunday meditations.

Prepare for the Sunday readings with Josh Burks. For all things FAD&DAD visit fadanddad.com.

04/05/2026

If you have ever been at the bedside of a dying friend or loved one, you know well the power that death holds over the human condition. It is at once one of the most helpless feelings to watch someone succumb to the ancient curse, while it is also a reality that none of us will escape. The Scriptures talk about death as if it has agency—the agency of a king or kingdom that has enslaved us and over which we have no power whatsoever.

All of this is precisely how and why a man like Pope St. John Paul II could look upon the flock of Christians throughout the world and profess: “We are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song!” We are indeed an Easter people, because Someone entered into the jaws of death—the enemy of the human race from the very beginning—and dismantled its agency over us. The only One more powerful than death is Life itself, and he has demonstrated his victory by emerging victorious from its grasp. Death is no longer the end of our story, but now is the door through which we pass into a greater mode of being, sharing in the victory and resurrection of our Head, Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit renew us in the magnitude and joy of this, our sacred Feast!

Happy Easter to our dozens!

03/27/2026

Prepare for the Sunday readings with Josh Burks. For all things FAD&DAD visit fadanddad.com.

03/27/2026

The New York Times, we disagree.

03/25/2026

A blog post from FAD&DAD: "Mary's Moment"

"Enveloped in pure bliss, Mary experienced the Holy Spirit as no other human would for human history, save her Son. It is the experience that, I am sure of it, awaits each of us on the other side of the veil."

The Solemnity of the Annunciation to Mary is one of my favorite feasts to celebrate, as it has become one of my favorite Gospel passages to pray with (Luke 1:26-38). Luke’s account of the Ann…