Deacon Michael Halbrook
Faith, family, work, and life - all intertwined.
Permanent deacon of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. Husband, father of four sons, builder of Catholic technology, and writer of essays, fiction, and homilies.
Homilies & Reflections
The Beatitudes Are a Training Manual
All Saints Day - November 1, 2026 St. Elizabeth Parish, Granite City, Illinois
Faith & Life
Running the Whole Course
On integrity, shortcuts, and the person you become when no one's watching.
The Study at Lyon
Two Lamps, Issue 26: Saint Anselm of Canterbury with Saints Simon & Jude the Apostles, Anselm's study at Lyon during his first exile, an autumn afternoon in 1098
Daily Reflections
He Who Began It
Paul is confident that God will finish what he started. Jesus heals a man while his hosts watch in silence. Both are saying the same thing about how God works.
Daily Reflections
Go Tell That Fox
Herod wants to kill him. Paul is in chains. Both of them keep going anyway - and neither one is pretending the cost isn't real.
The Next Keeper
The chain does not wait for the current keeper to choose the next one.
Daily Reflections
He Prayed All Night
Before he named the Twelve, Jesus spent the entire night in prayer. He already knew. That is what makes the night so striking.
Faith & Life
The Marriage of Pleasure and Virtue
On doing hard things with people you love - and why the best memories cost something.
This Is a Great Mystery
Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time | Ephesians 5:21-33 | Psalm 128 | Luke 13:18-21
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Organizational Effectiveness
Who You Hire Is Your Mission
Three candidates for a parish administrator role. The parish hires the easy one. Six months later, the role isn't working. Here's why - and how to stop it.
Daily Reflections
Stand Up Straight
She is bent over, held by a spirit for eighteen years. Paul says you were once darkness and are now light. The woman standing upright is what that looks like in a body.