Father Fessio in Five

43: We Are Far Closer Together Than We Know (Colossians Up Close, pt. 7)

Our lives are more intertwined than we can ever realize on earth. Yet how much more is CHRIST'S life—and his suffering—linked to ours.

42: Knowledge vs. Wisdom . . . and Where the Twain Meet (Colossians Up Close, pt. 6)

According to Paul, you can't know anything, much less apply that knowledge, without Jesus.

41: Do You Really Know What "Mystery" Means? (Colossians Up Close, pt. 5)

Christ lives within us. We think we know it, but a thousand lifetimes are not enough to grasp it.

40: Was Jesus Thirty-Three—or Much, Much, Much Older? (Colossians Up Close, pt.4)

You'd have to be pretty old to be "the firstborn of all creation."

39: Saint Paul's Letter to ... Um... Who?

TITUS! Brush up on your Titus. It matters much more than you think.

38: The Meaning of Perseverance (Colossians Up Close, pt. 3)

When you know God's will, no obstacle is insurmountable.

37: Why Waste Time Learning about God—and Praying? (Colossians Up Close, pt. 2)

You're right—it would all be a waste, if not for aκτιος.

36: An Antidote for Jealousy (Colossians Up Close, pt. 1)

Saint Paul CHEERS when he sees virtues in other people.

35: Theological Reflection: In Him, We Live and Move and Have Our Being

God is "more intimate to me than I am to myself," says Augustine. God lives in the deepest part of our being—the Mariana Trench of us, even deeper than our very identity. But if that's true, then we are, even in our remotest corners, in the very heart of God himself. And becoming aware of this could change everything.

34: How God Calls Prophets

Sometimes with a warm hand, sometimes with a hot coal.

33: How Would Jesus Treat a Slaveowner?

War is bad. Slavery is evil. But what happens when Jesus comes face to face with someone who's wrapped up in both?

32: ”The Renewal of Your Minds”

Romans 12:1–2. God wants to make you NEW—not just your body, but your whole way of thinking and feeling.

31: The God of the Ordinary

Like it or not, I'm back. (Rather, my producer is back—from paternity leave.) Are you "finding God"? Well, look no further. He is right in front of us. 

30: Was Man Made for Cruise Ships, Gardening, and Golf?

Dreaming of that life of ease and leisure? Read the Gospel of Luke.

29: Woe to Us Scribes and Pharisees

Read Matthew 23 a little more carefully next you want to point the finger at "those" hypocrites. 

28: Ratzinger’s ”The Spirit of the Liturgy” in Three Minutes

We all know what happens at Mass: the Eucharist. But why does it matter? Pope Benedict has some ideas!

27: How to Make Tough Things Beautiful

This year, a high-school girl made a glorious prom dress out of DUCT TAPE. Impossible? That's what we're called to do with the ugly, gray material of our lives. That is holiness.

26: So Jesus Wants Me to Give Up EVERYTHING?

Jesus tells strange parables.  Would you really leave everything you have for a shiny hunk of calcium the size of a BB?  No. But what if YOU are that shiny BB?

25: The Butterfly Effect

The universe is full of tiny coincidences, but somehow, all of these work together to bring about God's greatest creation:  human life itself. 

24: To Make Our Thoughts Pleasing to the Lord

Learning to think with Psalm 103.

23: Before the Big Bang Was, “I AM” (Entropy, pt. 2)

Today's theological vocabulary word: "prolepsis." How Adam and Eve's sin caused entropy BEFORE they were even created and, more importantly, how Jesus redeemed the whole universe BEFORE he was born.

22: Why Do Things Fall Apart? (Entropy, pt. 1)

A big question: Why would God create death? Why do things fall apart? Is it because of the Fall, because of sin? Then what about the brontosaurus? Here's a first approach at making sense of what scientists call the law of entropy.

21: What Catholics Should Think about Psychology

How are all those self-help videos on Instagram working for you? Not great, you say? Don't worry. Mary's Magnificat shows us psychology done the right way—with God front and center.

20: PRAISE 101—What the Psalms teach us about happiness

Most of us have forgotten how to praise and, therefore, how to be happy. Let's change that right now. How? The Psalms.

19: God Is a Treasure Hunter

Jesus' parable of the treasure buried in the field:  What is this treasure? Well, what if WE are that treasure, and God "sells all he has" to get US?

18: How Did Jesus Read the Bible?

Confused about the Old Testament? The Son of God sure has an interesting solution!

17: When You Knock and the Door Won’t Open

We have all felt it: God isn't answering my prayers. But guess what. He IS—if we'd just open our eyes to see it.

16: But You Can, in Fact, Be Perfect (Perfectionism, pt. 2)

"Be perfect"? According to the original Greek, this is possible only if we first know WHAT we are.

BONUS: I Saw a Saint: My Years with Cardinal Henri de Lubac

In this emotional interview (from the FORMED BOOK CLUB Podcast), Father Fessio tells the story of his long-time mentor, the great Cardinal Henri de Lubac, S.J., whom John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have all cited as a major influence.  De Lubac's cause for canonization is currently being opened by the bishops of France.

15: The Courage to Be Small

Jesus does not want greatness. He wants smallness. Just ask John the Baptist—and Mary.