A few weeks ago I wrote about four days at four different altars.

This week it was four sons.

Thomas performed in a cabaret in St. Louis last night - songs and stories woven around a theme of pursuing your dreams and supporting dreamers. He shared the stage with lifelong theatre friends from Granite City and a Broadway performer. He was fantastic.

Joseph was one of four selected soloists with the Riverbend Youth Choir last week, then went to Called And Sent - the high school Catholic retreat at Villa Maria.

Andrew had his qualifying rounds for the golf team and feels good about how he did. But the highlight was Saturday night - I took him to the Forrest Frank concert at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. His first concert ever. My first time at the Enterprise Center since 1999. Great show. Even better father-son night. He hasn't stopped thanking Suzanne and me for the tickets - they were part of his birthday gift this year.

Matthew is still at Basic Training, but the letters are coming daily now. He's doing well personally. They're at the point where cracks start to show in the flight - some guys need to step up and mature. He's not complaining. He's observing. He's growing.

You plant seeds for years. You don't always get to see them bloom at the same time.

This week, I did.

Read the full post: Four Sons, One Week

Domus in the News

The & Altar app and what we're building with Domus got some good coverage last week:

Catholic Times ran a full article on all my projects - six pages in print! Domus, Ad Alta, Two Lamps, Lux Perpetua, and the work I'm doing in this new season.

The Catholic Man Show - I recorded an episode with Adam Minihan and David Niles in Tulsa last week. We talked about building a business, making the leap from corporate life, the & Altar app, and being a dad to four sons. It was a great conversation with longtime friends.

I'm grateful for 10-15 new & Altar trials every day. If you haven't tried it yet: WeAreDomus.com/start - 7-day free trial. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving - all in one place.

Ad Alta

Yesterday's Ad Alta Weekly - "What I Couldn't See Then" - is getting strong traction on LinkedIn.

Two ways to answer "who am I becoming?" wrong. The role trap: answering with a title instead of a disposition. The wound trap: answering with what you're leaving instead of what you're becoming toward.

I fell into both, in sequence, in my first Adobe chapter. And I didn't see either of them until years later.

Read it: What I Couldn't See Then

What I'm Praying This Week

For Matthew - steady in the crucible.

For all four boys - seeds blooming in different soils.

For continued clarity as the sabbatical deepens and I prepare to meet with my spiritual director and diaconate leadership to discuss my reflections.

For a handful of prayers that readers of & Altar have submitted to me via the app.

Domus Formation

WeAreDomus.com/start - 7-day free trial. Download the & Altar app. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving - all in one place.

Final Word

You plant seeds for years. You don't always get to see them bloom at the same time.

This week, I did.

Four sons. Four different kinds of growing up. Grace you don't earn - just receive.

Michael