One week into Lent. How's it going?
I've had a full week - two liturgies at the Cathedral, good conversations about what we're building, and a quiet experiment with my phone that's changing more than I expected.
On the Blog: The Names We Carry
Two liturgies this past weekend. Two meditations on names.
Saturday: Confirmation and first Holy Communion for our third graders at the Cathedral. Bishop Paprocki preached on the significance of names - why a new pope takes a new name, why we choose patron saints at Confirmation. Names aren't just labels. They're identities.
Sunday: Back at the Cathedral for the Rite of Election. Our OCIA catechumens enrolled their names in the Book of the Elect. There's something profound about writing your name. It's a commitment. It's public. It's permanent.
I've been thinking about the names I carry - and the saints who are carrying me right now:
- Francis de Sales intercedes for the writing.
- Louis and Zélie Martin intercede for keeping family at the center.
- Pier Giorgio Frassati intercedes for the courage to risk.
- Carlo Acutis intercedes for the technology and the young people we're trying to reach.
Five of the 102 Confirmandi on Saturday chose Acutis as their patron. The saints aren't just historical figures. They're alive. And they're shaping the next generation.
Read the full post: The Names We Carry →
What I'm Learning: Phone Guardrails
Pope Leo said it on Sunday: "Let us create space for silence by turning off televisions, radios, and cellphones for a while."
I didn't plan it this way, but I've been living this since Lent started.
Here's what I did: I turned off all notifications except from Suzanne and the boys. No buzzes when texts come in. No pings from apps. Nothing pulling me out of whatever I'm doing unless it's family.
The result? More peace than I expected. I completely control when I pick up the phone now - it no longer beckons me. And that freedom is giving me more space to reflect, to pray, and to create.
It's a small guardrail. But small guardrails compound.
If you're looking for a concrete Lenten practice that doesn't require heroic willpower - try this. Turn off notifications from everyone except the people who actually need to reach you urgently. See what happens.
This Week's 2 Minute Homily
Second Sunday of Lent — USCCB Readings
The Transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain. His face shines like the sun. Moses and Elijah appear. Peter wants to stay: "Lord, it is good that we are here."
But they can't stay. The mountaintop moment wasn't the destination - it was fuel for the valley. Jesus gave them a glimpse of glory so they'd have something to hold onto when everything fell apart.
What I'm Reading & Watching
Forming Domestic Churches: Models of Family-Centered Catechesis — This article in Homiletic & Pastoral Review is exactly aligned with what we're building at Domus. The author makes the case that traditional catechetical programs have helped ensure reception of sacraments but haven't transmitted ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. The solution? Formation rooted in the domestic church. Yes. Read it →
How to Choose a Confirmation Saint — If you have a young person preparing for Confirmation (or if you're reconnecting with your own patron), this guide from Ascension is helpful. It includes over 215 saint suggestions organized by interest and struggle. Check it out →
Bishop Barron on the Transfiguration — A helpful 10-minute reflection on this Sunday's Gospel - why Jesus took them up the mountain, and why they had to come back down. Watch on YouTube →
This Week's Catholic Cartoon
A Final Word
"Let us create space for silence by turning off televisions, radios, and cellphones for a while. Let us meditate on the Word of God, approach the Sacraments, and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who speaks to us in our heart. Let us also listen to one another - in our families, workplaces, and communities."
— Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, February 22, 2026
Until next Wednesday,
Saint Joseph, pray for us. Saint Michael, defend us in battle.
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Deacon Michael Halbrook serves at St. Elizabeth Parish in the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. He's a husband, father of four sons, and writes about faith, family, work, and life at DeaconMichael.net.
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