Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses possible infringes on the dignity of the human person and Pope Leo understands this. Dr. Matthew Bunson, author of EWTN’s book Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope, joins the podcast to discuss in what w…

My sweet friend Julia, of the Focolare Movement, (the official name is “The Work of Mary”), mentioned to me once the practice they have of stopping to pray for peace at noon. Looking into this, I found out this was… Continue Reading →

Pentecost is the only Jewish celebration found Leviticus that Christians still observe in the Catholic Liturgical Calendar. This festival originally celebrated the harvest fifty days after the Passover. Fr. Rob dives into the story of the Tower of Babe…

“We will be protesting today in Austin. I dedicate this act of resistance to the Lord and his mother Mary, who praised the One who brings down kings from their thrones and lifts up the lowly, who fills the hungry… Continue Reading →

Chastity is an essential virtue in the Christian life through which we see and treat other people as the children of God that they are. For one to commit sins against the virtue of chastity is to not respect the dignity they have. Fr. Thomas G. Morrow,…

Sean and I are in the car eating cherry slushies with spoons. He is in the back seat and I am sitting sideways in the front so I can see him.  “Are you happy?” I ask him. He smiles very… Continue Reading →

Anger is an emotion, but without proper understanding and clarity it can become a sin. To have an emotion is alright, but to allow those emotions to take control of our decisions and actions, that is where we enter problematic territory. Join Abbot Aus…

Sports and athletics mirror the Christian life closely. For someone to grow in a sport, they must acquire discipline, fortitude, courage, among other virtues. Similar traits characterize the Christian life to exhibit and become saints. Kevin Wells, awa…

Anxiety can be a way that the devil attacks our identity as beloved children of God. People experience anxiety in a variety of forms, but at its root, we begin to doubt that we are loved in and of ourselves: that we don’t need to prove our worth …

Starting this Sunday, you’ll hear about a few liturgies to formally begin Pope Leo XIV’s ministry. Leo XIV is the Pope, with full authority, when he accepts his election without needing any additional liturgy or ritual. Similarly, the King of England became the king immediately upon the death of his mother, yet, in both cases, […]

The post Understanding the Liturgies to Begin Pope Leo XIV’s Ministry appeared first on The Journeyman – Brandon Kraft.

To love is to evangelize and is the call of every baptized Christian. We are to go into our workplaces, our families, our communities with abundant love. Then the message of Christ will penetrate the relationships and draw everyone closer to himself. C…

The Regina Caeli is an ancient prayer to Our Lady. We believe it was composed by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century. To learn more about this beautiful prayer, click […]

Many blessings to our new Holy Father Leo XIV! With all new popes, we don’t really know how the Spirit will lead them to lead the Church. I remember when Pope Benedict XVI was elected. Local news interviewed me on the narrative that Cardinal Ratzinger was “God’s German Shepherd”—a hardass conservative. As I said then, […]

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Papal elections is the process where the cardinals of the Church gather to select the new pope. With the recent death of Pope Francis, the cardinals gather on May 7, 2025 to prayerfully discern the next pope. John and Ashley Noronha of the Truth and Be…

Tomorrow afternoon for those in Rome or tomorrow morning for those in the U.S. (), the Cardinals will take the short trip from their temporary housing at Casa Santa Marta to the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace to begin the conclave to elect the 267th Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. While I’m sure […]

The post <span class=’p-name’>Conclave Time!</span> appeared first on The Journeyman – Brandon Kraft.

My late husband, Bob, during our engagement, had been deeply moved by his first Holy Thursday mass. Watching the priest wash parishioner’s feet moved him. One time we were talking about Vigils the night before Catholic funerals. He wondered if… Continue Reading →

Conclaves are the process by which the Catholic cardinals prayerfully discern and elect the next Roman Pontiff, the Pope. Modern papal elections have standard practices and traditions. But that was not always the case in the Church’s history. Fr….

I’ve found myself having trouble writing about Pope Francis since his death but I feel I should. It has been hard because I grieve him as so many do, in a deep, personal way, as well as with the Church… Continue Reading →

Tomorrow morning, I will be a guest on the Real Presence Radio program, which airs directly from Bismarck.   I will be interviewed by Fr. Kregg Hochhalter, Pastor of Saint Anne Catholic […]

Virtuous fatherhood is the goal all fathers should strive for. It is a life of self sacrifice and devotion for one’s family and larger community. Chris Vander Woude joins Fr. George to discuss his father’s virtuous life. Chris’ father…

As the second day in Rome—and the first full day—without a Pope comes to a close, a few things have happened or been announced since yesterday’s message. Confirmation of Death and Transfer The Camerlengo, per the rite of papal funerals that Pope Francis revised last year (Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis), confirmed his death. Pope Francis […]

The post <span class=’p-name’>Apostolica Sedes Vacans: Day 2</span> appeared first on The Journeyman – Brandon Kraft.

The Apostolic See is Vacant. In other words, the Pope is dead. Cardinal Farrell, the Camerlengo, announced that Pope Francis died this morning at 7:35 a.m. local time in Rome. The Camerlengo is a position appointed by the Pope (during his life) whose responsibilities include confirming the death of the Pope, sealing the Apostolic Palace […]

The post <span class=’p-name’>Apostolica Sedes Vacans</span> appeared first on The Journeyman – Brandon Kraft.

Holy Week is the most sacred time in the Church’s calendar. We commemorate the final days of Jesus’ life leading up to his passion, death, and resurrection. During Holy Week, Jesus instituted the Eucharist and established the priesthood. Ka…

Note: I will add to this novena daily until I have reached 9 days. Mary, Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States Novena Intention: For the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, for the protection of all who are… Continue Reading →

Last week, my employer, Automattic, announced a restructuring. “Restructuring” at Automattic isn’t terribly unusual. Team structures change regularly. This one, though, included a layoff or “reduction in force” in today’s jargon, which is the first for Automattic. We’ve had pushes for improving performance management, which has led to an increase in departures, including sometimes a […]

The post <span class=’p-name’>Still at Automattic</span> appeared first on The Journeyman – Brandon Kraft.

Virtue is often defined as the median between two extremes. An overly academic definition, though, can make virtue feel remote and unachievable. Dave DiNuzzo, author of The Steep Upward Climb, joins Fr. George in this podcast to describe how virtue is …

By guest blogger, Roise Manning (my youngest daughter) Funnily enough, watching The Martian has shaped how I think about science in a deep, personal way. There’s something uniquely inspiring about Mark Watney, a man left behind on Mars, completely alone,… Continue Reading →

A few years ago, when we moved into our home, my wife and I talked about having religious images throughout the house. Although we had images and icons around our home in […]

I dreamed about the Prophet Elijah a couple weeks ago. We were sitting on a mountainside talking.The conversation we had is lost to me for the most part.  It seemed significant that I dreamed of him. In the time following, … Continue Reading →

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Pope Saint John Paul II. I was at a friend’s wedding reception in the St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church parish hall in […]

Carlo Acutis, the Millennial Saint, lived an ordinary life and loved the people around him in an extraordinary way. He shows the modern world that holiness is for everyone, we are all called to be saints. An upcoming documentary, The Boy from Milan, sh…

Fitness and Nutrition are the tools for the modern ascetic. As humans, made of body and soul, we must take care of our bodies and that can be a means of self discipline. The goal is to become a total self gift to others. Exercise and eating well are me…

Today is the last solemnity in the Lent season until we get to the Solemnity of All Solemnities on April 20. Still, today’s solemnity sets the course for what we will celebrate […]

You’re walking down a narrow country path. It’s craggy and a little steep. You have a good view of surrounding hills dotted with  wildflowers and sycamore trees. You see  a little group of houses in a valley below and decide… Continue Reading →

I’ve been on a quest for over 20 years now (what‽) to eat a hot dog in every state. I visited DC in 2006, when I scored a DC hotdog at Ben’s Chili Bowl. When flying out of IAD (in Virginia), one sports bar sold hot dogs, so I was set. Except they ran out […]

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Jubilee is an ancient tradition with roots in the Old Testament beginning with Moses and the Exodus. Dr. John Bergsma and Fr. George Elliot compare the ancient themes and practices to how we can live the Jubilee year well in the Catholic Church today. …

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 18, is the traditional celebration of the Marian title – Our Lady of Mercy. Although I have written on this title in the past, based on the writings of […]

When I used to volunteer for Hospice I used to take flowers every week or so to an old man who had kidney cancer. He lived way out in the middle of nowhere in a small, very old wooden house… Continue Reading →

In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast, Fr. Brice Higginbotham of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux joins Fr. George to discuss the Liturgy of the Hours. Also known as the Divine Office, it is the official prayer of the Church outside of the Mass. P…