Purpose and Perseverance Podcast

One year ago, on the Fourth of July, I uploaded the first episode of Purpose and Perseverance . This week marks fifty-two consecutive Sundays and fifty-nine total episodes. So, I thought it was a good opportunity to pause, look back, and reflect on what I've learned. In this episode, I talk about perseverance, honoring our commitments, and why so many worthwhile things in life are built slowly ove...

This week I explore one of the more misunderstood quotations in Christian history: St. Irenaeus' statement that "The glory of God is man fully alive." Drawing from the 13th Sunday readings, St. Paul's call to die to sin and live for God, and Christ's paradoxical teaching that whoever loses his life will find it, I consider what it truly means to become fully alive. Perhaps the path to flourishing...

In this homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, I reflect on the contrast between the whispers Jeremiah hears from those seeking to tear him down and the whispers Christ entrusts to His disciples to proclaim from the housetops. We all face the pressure of other people's opinions, criticism, and the desire to fit in, but Jesus reminds us that the greater danger is not opposition - it is silenc...

In today's Gospel, Jesus gives His disciples a clear command: "Cure the sick." That passage has become one of the guiding principles of my own life, yet I can't help but wonder whether we have unintentionally narrowed its meaning. I share why I believe one of the greatest acts of charity today may be helping people understand and overcome the chronic diseases of lifestyle that affect the overwhelm...

Summer is supposed to be the season when life slows down (at least for people working in schools). So why does it often feel busier than ever? In this episode, I reflect on the challenge of juggling work, family, faith, health, and countless good responsibilities while discovering an important truth: the greatest struggle of adulthood is often not choosing between good and bad, but between many go...

My homily for the St. Thomas More Academy Class of 2026 Baccalaureate Mass Homily. Godspeed graduates!

What does our cultural obsession with giant metal water bottles reveal about modern life? In this episode, I use the rise of "emotional support" hydration tankards as a jumping off point to discuss consumerism, social conformity, unhealthy relationship with food, electrolyte imbalances, athlete health, intentional living, and the importance of learning to THINK rather than blindly absorb whatever...

On June 11, 2024, Sam, Chantal, and I walked through the doors of Journey Martial Arts Academy in Youngsville, NC for the first time. It was a practice what you preach moment in terms of the "doorstep mile." What began simply as an opportunity to expose our son to grappling before he matriculated at Virginia Military Institute, and ultimately serves in the Army, has become almost two years of trai...

When I started this podcast, I had the aspiration of eventually getting to interviews. Because this isn't my full time job, or even close to it, time for all of that has admittedly been a challenge. However, I knew that if I ever got around to it the first person I interviewed would be my wife, Chantal, who is the living embodiment of purpose and perseverance. Unfortunately, time didn't allow for...

Short one this week, because there aren't enough minutes in the day. The end of April and beginning of May are pretty crazy for me in terms of obligations and commitments. All good stuff, but just a LOT. So I didn't have time to work on an actual episode this week. Hopefully, this coming week will afford more time to prepare an actual episode. We'll see. So, until next week, God bless, know of my...

In this homily for Good Shepherd Sunday, I reflect on what it really means to imitate Christ as the Good Shepherd. While some are clearly called to lead others in the Church or in their families, all of us are called to lead ourselves in the quiet, unseen moments of daily life. It's about the weight of that responsibility, the importance of listening for the voice of Christ, and the challenge of c...

In Part Two of this series, I explore humility not as weakness, but as the hidden virtue behind courage, adventure, and a life fully lived. Building on my previous episode on fear of the unknown, I consider how pride makes us extremely risk averse through what many now call FOPO, the fear of people's opinions, while humility frees us to act without demanding control over outcomes. Drawing on the e...

On this Divine Mercy Sunday , I take some time to reflect on a familiar phrase that has started to feel a little incomplete to me. Is "fear of the unknown" really just one fear among many, or is it actually the foundation beneath most of what unsettles us? In Part One of this two-part series, I explore how much of our anxiety is rooted not in reality itself, but in uncertainty, and how even  Senec...

On this Easter Sunday, I reflect on how easy it is to move through the Triduum with familiarity, knowledge, and even reverence, yet still miss the deeper meaning of what Christ has done for us. In this episode, I revisit my Holy Thursday homily, which centers on a simple but demanding question Jesus asks His disciples during the washing of the feet in the Gospel of John : "Do you understand what I...

In this episode, I reflect on something I have been contemplating for the past year, which is the idea that real learning follows a progression from wonder to information, from information to knowledge, and ultimately toward understanding. What I am increasingly convinced of is that most of us stop short of that final step, not only in education, but in how we live and how we relate to one another...

In this episode, I take a hard look at what I call mindless passive consumption and how it has quietly become the default mode of our culture. I challenge myself, and you, to stop drifting through life and start living with real intentionality in mind, body, and soul. This is about more than habits, it's about the whole point of this podcast: purpose and perseverance. It is about choosing discipli...

In this episode of the Purpose and Perseverance Podcast, I reflect on the ancient command "Know thyself," the phrase carved at the entrance of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi that challenged visitors to examine their own hearts before seeking wisdom from the gods. Drawing from the insights of Socrates , the warning against hubris in Greek thought, the prayer of St. Augustine of Hippo , and the stor...

This week's episode is my homily from the Adoration Society Lenten Retreat at St. Thomas More Academy. The reflection was on the biblical pattern of redemption after rejection . From Joseph being betrayed by his brothers to Christ in the parable of the wicked tenants, Scripture reveals how God works through even the messiest moments of human sin and suffering. Lent invites us to ask a challenging...

Today's episode is a recording of my homily for the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Lenten Mission - "Praying With The Saints." It was honor to be invited by our Cathedral Rector, Monsignor David Brockman, to offer a brief reflection on my dear friend in heaven, St. Piet Giorgio Frassati. 

Today's episode is a recording of my homily for the First Sunday in Lent. 

A reflection on living whole—aligning thoughts, words, and actions—and why real integrity is about inner transformation, not just outward behavior, in light of this Sunday's Gospel.

In this episode, I look at Christ's "salt of the earth" passage, and why salt is such a powerful analogy for both spiritual life and physical survival. I talk about the real physiological role of sodium in the body, the importance of electrolyte balance, the dangers of both too little and too much, and how modern metabolic health connects to issues like blood pressure. This is a conversation about...

This episode is a follow up to episode 35. These are my thoughts on the modern fear economy and how constant exposure to anxiety-driven media shapes our mindset, stress levels, and even our physical health. Building on the idea of secondhand stress, I talk about why fear is such an effective tool, how chronic stress quietly wears us down, and why Jesus' repeated command to "be not afraid" is not s...

In this episode, I'm talking about decrepitude — the slow, often unnoticed decline that many people mistake for "normal aging." Rather than focusing on disease or dramatic outcomes, I'm talking about the everyday metabolic forces that quietly shrink capacity over time. Using what I call the four horsemen of metabolic syndrome — chronic stress, lack of quality sleep, poor nutrition, and sedentarism...

In this episode, I talk about secondhand stress —the anxiety and tension we absorb simply by moving through certain environments. From school hallways and lunch tables to workplace break rooms and meetings, I discuss how stress spreads through proximity, chronic negativity, and politicized conversation, even when nothing "bad" is happening to us personally. It's a look at how toxic negativity in o...