our mission is to enkindle the fire of faith in catholic men & women and those who are curious about what Catholics believe and do.
The word “enkindle” means to set afire, to incite, rouse, to make luminous and glowing. In the Prayer to the Holy Spirit, we ask the Holy Spirit to enkindle in us the fire of his love.
Our goal is to help Christians become believers of authentic passion, people on fire, filled with a zeal to know God’s will, to know His truth and to live with a sincere desire to obey God in all aspects of life.
We will fulfill our mission with a variety of resources, a frequent blog, podcasts featuring lively interviews, articles and booklets that can be downloaded and links to other resources helpful to Christian men and women.
“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”
“Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!”
LATEST UPDATES
Families of Light
“All of you are children of the light.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:5
Technology, Power and God
Deacon Tim Sullivan
Most of us have probably seen the Microsoft commercial where the speaker says, “You have more power at your fingertips than entire generations that came before you.” We apparently want our children to have this power, so they have Chromebooks at school, smart phones and video games even at very early ages.
It doesn’t seem to bother very many of us that our children are looking at screens during most of their waking hours. Evidence of children being addicted to technology is not as important to us as believing that proficiency in technology is essential for them to be successful in life.
How does technology relate to our faith in God? Can a computer raise someone from the dead, bring healing to the ill, forgive sins, connect us with God, bring grace to someone on the other side of the world, experience the power of the Creator of the universe?
You might encourage your children to study the life of St. Pio of Pietreicina. He levitated, read people’s souls, bilocated and experienced the stigmata. Can a computer help someone do any of that?
It’s through our faith in Jesus that we have access to the divine power He shares with the Trinity. We need to help our children believe in and experience that power, that grace.
“That your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.”
BLOGS
Our newest blog posting raises the issue of what essential characteristics of the Catholic faith are missing in the lives of many, many Catholics, not necessarily through any fault of their own. Deacon Tim identifies 3 such elements. Some parishes are working to rectify this situation, but there’s a lot of work to be done.
podcasts
Deacon Tim gave a talk on The Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph on June 8, 2021. He describes chastity as more than an aspect of sexuality. Chastity is presented as a function of personal integrity. The talk is especially challenging for husbands and fathers. It can be found on Youtube at https://youtu.be/Lcq7Gr097pY.
Is the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible purely historical? Is the Holy Spirit still with us? Do our Catholic parishes resemble the dynamic vitality evident in the earliest Christian community? What’s missing and what can we do about it? Deacon Tim and Cyndi discuss these issues.
RESOURCES/HOMILIES
Two recent and popular homilies:
Who Are We Missing? May 12, 2024 (The Ascension). The disciples weren’t ready for Jesus to leave them.
Tree Problems. June 9, 2024. Adam and Eve and a house divided. The source of the problem.
CATHOLIC BOOT CAMP
Deacon Tim has developed a series of from 4 to 6 presentations under the title, “Catholic Boot Camp.” They cover the foundations for living the full Catholic life, and include issues which most Catholics would not list on their job descriptions for being Catholic. The themes of the Boot Camp include the following: 1. Why Jesus? His Mission and Purpose, 2. The Church: Its Mission and Power, 3. The Person: Our Individual Identity, Mission and Purpose, 4. The Bible: Essentials Every Catholic Should Know, 5. The Call To Be Disciples and 6. Evangelization Catholic Style. So far Deacon Tim has presented the Catholic Boot Camp at St. Bernard Church in Tulsa, Saint Mark Church in Pryor, Oklahoma and Saint Joseph Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”