Recently I got my hands on a copy of the remarkable book The Mythmakers by John Hendrix, which tells the story of the creative and faith-filled friendship of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Marketed as a children’s book, Mythmakers nevertheless has the power to enchant readers of any age through the sheer power of truth and beauty. Indeed, this is a feature shared by all great children’s books.

But Mythmakers is in a league of its own—a remarkable graphic novel hybrid, an illustrated nonfiction book unlike any I’ve encountered before. As the proud author of a beautifully illustrated nonfiction book for kids, I was stunned by Mythmakers: It challenges its young readers, never talking down to them, making complex and difficult topics relatable and accessible.

The imaginative ending (which had me in tears of sorrow and joy) was a genuine Tolkienian “eucatastrophe”1 of the highest order! My first thought upon flipping through Hendrix’s pages was: Wow! I need to up my game!

From Mythmakers, I learned quite a bit about the creative lives of Tolkien and Lewis. What I found remarkable is that, while the two great pioneers of modern fantasy shared many common tastes, interests, and passions (including a love of Norse mythology), their writing styles and “output” couldn’t have been more different! Hendrix explains:

Lewis wrote fast, and without much revision. Tolkien worked slowly and methodically, often starting completely over after multiple rereadings.2

As a writer, I identify far more with Tolkien’s mentality than Lewis’s. Indeed, I’ve often wrestled with anxiety over being a “slow writer.” My bibliography compared to that of many of my peers, is fairly minimal. For his part, Tolkien seems to have been a bit peeved by Lewis’s prodigious output:

Lewis finished volumes, while Tolkien’s obsession with exact detail drove him further away from ever finishing anything! …Throughout the 1940s, Lewis continued to be quite prolific… Whereas, though Tolkien wrote noteworthy academic works, he published little else. The one story Tolkien did publish during this season is an allegorical confession. It follows Niggle, a painter who struggles to finish his masterpiece, the perfect painting of an enormous tree. The titular character is perpetually distracted, lost in overworking the tiny details upon a single leaf.3

As it happens, Leaf by Niggle is one of my favorite works by Tolkien, in no small part because I am a bit of a “Niggle” myself, at least when it comes to writing fiction. I often miss the tree for the leaves, letting my perfectionist tendencies keep me from finishing much of anything. In the past, I often find myself fighting back feelings of envy when talented writers I knew and admired published multiple books a year (without resorting to “AI assistance”) while I trudged along on projects that seemed to be going nowhere. Certainly Tolkien would have sympathized:

Lewis wrote all seven Narnia books in seven years! Tolkien had, at this point, invested over a decade into but the first draft of The Lord of the Rings.4

It’s famously been said that without C.S. Lewis’s dogged encouragement, Tolkien’s ambitious Hobbit sequel The Lord of the Rings would never have made it to print. And that, in essence, was the genius of their creative partnership: For all of their differences, Lewis and Tolkien were never rivals. Their friendship had its low points and even its crises, as all great friendships do, but in the end they wanted one another to succeed. They shared a deep bond, like Sam and Frodo.

I’m blessed to call many talented writers my friends. (You know who you are!) Without their constant encouragement and support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Because of this, I’ve made it a point to “go and do likewise.” The best advice I can give to aspiring writers is: Find your fellowship! Discover friends who believe in your potential, who will challenge you, but who do so by building you up rather than by tearing you down.

No matter how much or how little you create, how fast or how slow you write, your work is worthwhile, your voice is valuable. The world is waiting for the story that only you can tell. Find the people who will help you become the best writer you can be. Then go and be that person for someone else.

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If you’re interested in hearing a two hour (including SPOILERS!!!) audio discussion of The Mythmakers, check out the latest episode of my podcast, The Secrets of Middle-earth:

The theme of the retreat was “Behold the Beautiful Body of Christ.” We stayed at a former seminary on Long Island that now operates as a retreat house. Beautiful art and architecture provided the perfect setting for a restful weekend of faith, creativity, and fellowship.

We had Mass every day and opportunities for confession. There was Eucharistic Adoration and generous leisure time. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and the Sisters of Life accompanied us. Clergy, religious, and artists gave inspirational talks and testimonials.

This was my first overnight retreat experience and I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I was hoping to make progress in progress in spiritual discernment. As the retreat date approached I began to reflect seriously on what “success” means for me as a professional writer. The answers I arrived at surprised me.

I was also aware that a subtle spiritual shift had been taking place in my heart over the previous year. The election of Pope Leo XIV deeply affected me. Leo is both the first American pontiff and a member of the Order of Saint Augustine—a religious community whose charism I deeply admired. I felt a deep connection to Leo and to the Augustinians. Over a year later, I’m still processing exactly what this means for me.

The retreat itself was a wonderfully enriching experience and one of the highlights my year so far. On the professional front, I distributed business cards and got to introduce potential new readers to The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones. I was encouraged by the enthusiasm with which my book was received by my fellow retreatants.

But, of course, this event was more than just an opportunity for networking. There was genuine camaraderie! I made many new friends at mealtimes. The conversations around the table were enlivening and joyful. There was a sense of true spiritual communion. In Arthouse2B I discovered a group of like-minded Catholic creatives who share my values. I hope to become more involved in their mission in the future.

The retreat ended with an open-mic event where the Spirit moved me to recite some of my original poetry. My poem “Deliverance” received an enthusiastic round of applause from the community, which was such a consolation and the perfect way to cap off the weekend.

I came away from the retreat renewed and refreshed. My experience is perhaps best summed up in the testimony I provided for the Arthouse2B email newsletter:

Thanks to this grace-filled moment, I’ve discerned that I’m being called to use my writing talents to create more nonfiction books for kids and teens. I will also continue to pursue professional opportunities in informal education and public history. My mission is clearer than ever before.

At the same time, I still have many questions. What is the meaning of my spiritual restlessness? Am I perhaps being called to a vocation in religious life? Luckily, I am not discerning alone. The support of my family, the prayers of my friends, and the advice of wise spiritual mentors will ensure that I will not go astray. I only need to trust in God’s mercy and goodness, which I certainly felt in a powerful way during the retreat.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Greetings! Today I’m going to share a very special announcement with you all.

Pageturning is beginning a new “chapter.” The truth is, I’ve become dissatisfied with the quality of my monthly update posts, and I feel called to distance my Substack presence from pure self-promotion. The “comparison game” doesn’t have the grip on me that it once did. I no longer feel compelled to “prove myself” as a writer “worthy” of being taken seriously. The success of my debut book, The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones, speaks for itself.

In fact, I’ve thought long and carefully about what direction this newsletter should take. A monthly self-promotion infodump and link collection no longer seems worth doing. I’ve decided that it’s time to retire The Pageturning Report. This newsletter will of course continue, but with a renewed purpose.

After attending a weekend retreat with the NYC-based Catholic artists organization Arthouse2B (more on that in a future post) I came away more in-touch with my mission as a writer. I remembered that not long ago I introduced a new tagline for Pageturning:

It’s time that my content here begins to better reflect this new vision. So, what can you expect going forward?

• More essays about the writing life—the highs and lows, the disappointments and the victories. I want to share my experiences in order to help other writers, especially those just starting out, who may be struggling to realize their dreams.

• Coming soon: a new series of book reviews of children’s books, particularly (but by no means exclusively) narrative nonfiction titles.

My intention is to publish at least two posts a month, if I can. Next month, you can look forward to an essay about what I learned on retreat as well as the first of the new book reviews.

In closing, I want to extend a huge Thank you! to all of my readers who have supported and encouraged me over the past few years. I owe the success of this newsletter and of my books to all of you. I love writing on Substack, and I’ll hope you’ll continue to “turn the page” with me as we begin this new chapter.

God bless and happy reading!

I’d like to thank Voyage Compass managing editor for inviting me to be a part of this project. And a special thanks goes out to , CEO of Voyage Comics, who gave me my first professional writing gig on the Voyage Blog back in 2020.

For a lively discussion of the new book and the faith themes of the Batman mythos, check out this video interview I filmed with for the LegendHaven writers conference.

Voyage generously gave permission for me to reprint “Faith of Our Fathers” here on Substack for my subscribers and for all those who weren’t able to attend my live reading at LegendHaven. Please leave a comment below to let me know what you thought of this essay. Let’s get a discussion going.

To the Batcave!

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We all know the story…

It is night. Young Bruce Wayne, all of eight years old, tightly clutches the hands of his father and mother as they make their way down a darkened side alley in the heart of Gotham City. Crumpled newsprint blows across the pavement like dirty tumbleweeds. Steam rises from storm drains and manhole covers like an ominous fog. Police sirens keen banshee-like in the distance, as they always do in Gotham.

How and why such a privileged family came to find themselves in such a disreputable spot after dark is not important. What is important is what happens next.

A figure emerges from the shadows. A tired, desperate, frightened man. There is a glint of metal in the dim light of a broken streetlamp. He has a gun.

“Wallet, jewelry! Fast!”

Thomas Wayne remains calm, handing over his wallet.

The man eyes Martha’s pearl necklace and jerks the gun towards her. “I said jewelry!”

Thomas moves quickly to shield his wife.

BLAM! BLAM!

Thomas Wayne crumples to the pavement. Martha shrieks. There’s a scuffle as the robber clutches desperately for her jewels.

BLAM!

Martha falls dead beside her husband. Bloody pearls scatter and roll across the blacktop. The killer flees into the darkness.

Bruce Wayne kneels beside the bodies of his parents, uncomprehending. Tears stream down his cheeks. He shivers. His father’s eyes flutter open one last time. Seeing his son, Thomas whispers, “Don’t be afraid.” Then all is still. Sirens wail in the darkness.

Bruce Wayne died that night in the alley with his parents and something else was born. A nocturnal avenger of the innocent. An otherworldly terror to the guilty. A creature of darkness who fights for the light. The Batman.

Batman Begins

Batman’s origin story is as iconic as the hero himself. It has been told and retold many times, in comics, novels, video games, and film. And with each new telling, further wrinkles are added to the tale, creating more nuance, forcing us to see this familiar scene from different angles. But for me, one interpretation in particular stands above the rest.

Batman Begins (2005)1 is my favorite Batman film. In fact, it’s one of my top movies of all time! Although Batman Begins is often overshadowed by its remarkable sequel, The Dark Knight (2008), it remains a pivotal entry in the history of superheroes on the silver screen. It revitalized the Batman film franchise and, on a personal level, it was a formative movie for me as a socially awkward seventeen-year-old kid with a passionate enthusiasm for superheroes and a lifelong love of storytelling.

As I reconsider Batman Begins, the strong theme of fatherhood stands out, as if for the first time. The film speaks to me differently now than it did two decades ago, when I first saw it as a confused, anxiety-ridden teenager. I have grown and matured. And, while not a father myself, I recognize that, for better or for worse, our fathers (and father figures) shape who we are and who we could become.

Three father figures cast long shadows in Batman Begins—Thomas Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, and Ra’s al Ghul. What did Bruce Wayne learn from these three men in his journey to become the hero Gotham deserved? And what can we, in our turn, learn from their examples as we strive to become the heroes—and saints—that God has called us to be?

Thomas Wayne

Bruce Wayne’s biological father is in many ways a reflection of Christ and a model of what all Christian fathers are called to do, to give of themselves—even their very lives—for their family, in imitation of Christ. As Saint Paul admonishes, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”2 In Batman Begins, Thomas Wayne is a devoted family man to his last breath. He willingly shields his wife from a loaded gun and comforts his son Bruce in his final moments. This image of Christlike sacrifice is one of the most powerful moments of the film.

Thomas’s entire life was spent giving himself away. He was born into privilege and yet “emptied himself,”3 by associating with the poor and marginalized in Gotham City. Leaving his family’s corporate empire, Wayne Enterprises, in the hands of principled businessmen like Lucius Fox, Thomas became a doctor and devoted his life to caring for the sick with charity and compassion. In his vocation as a healer, Thomas resembles Christ in his healing mission as the Physician of Souls. The gospels tell us that Jesus traveled Galilee bringing comfort to the afflicted and “curing every disease and every sickness among the people.”4

Even Bruce feels the touch of his father’s healing hand. When he accidentally falls down a disused well on the grounds of Wayne Manor and is attacked by a frightened swarm of bats, it is Thomas who descends into the darkness to retrieve his son. He sets Bruce’s broken arm himself and imparts a lesson that will guide Bruce’s path for the rest of his life: “Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” As Scripture says, “Hear, O children, a father’s instruction, be attentive, that you may gain understanding!”5

From Thomas Wayne, Bruce learns selflessness, sacrifice, and a concern for the poor and vulnerable in society. Even when he went astray as a young man, the shadow of his father remained with him to steer him back onto the straight and narrow path. His childhood friend Rachel Dawes rebukes him for his apathy:

“Good people like your parents who’ll stand against injustice are gone, Bruce. And what chance does Gotham have when the good people do nothing?”

But Bruce has a shocking secret.

After Joe Chill, the robber who murdered Thomas and Martha Wayne is assassinated by the mob at a parole hearing, Bruce reveals to Rachel that he had planned to murder Chill himself in an act of revenge. Rachel is appalled: “Just another coward with a gun. No better than Chill. Your father would be ashamed of you.” Rachel’s words haunt Bruce and shake his conscience. He leaves Gotham secretly to discover his true destiny. When he returns, he fights with every ounce of his strength to protect the city his father loved, sacrificing his home and his good name, and putting his life on the line, to protect and redeem it.

Alfred Pennyworth

The Wayne family’s loyal butler Alfred is in many ways a reflection of one of the shining examples of fatherhood in the New Testament—Saint Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus. God entrusted Joseph with raising his Son, the Messiah and Savior of Israel. Thomas Wayne entrusted his son’s life to Alfred. After Thomas and Martha’s funeral, Bruce blames himself for his parents’ deaths: “It was my fault, Alfred… I made them leave the theater.” Alfred comforts the boy, expressing a fatherly love and care that never fades, even years later, when his young ward becomes disillusioned and angry. Alfred sharply reminds Bruce that he will always be there for him because “a good man once made me responsible for what was most precious to him in the whole world.”

When Bruce wonders if he should just bury his past and move on, Alfred replies:

“I don’t presume to tell you what to do with your past, sir. Just know that there are those of us who care what you do with your future.”

He assures Bruce that he will never give up on him. During Bruce’s seven-year sojourn abroad, Alfred resembles the loving father in Christ’s Parable of the Prodigal Son, who waits eagerly for his wayward son’s return.6

When Bruce does finally return, he is a man on a mission. A mission to fight for the innocent and powerless in Gotham just like his father did. He tells Alfred that

“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy. I can’t do this as Bruce Wayne. A man is just flesh and blood, and can be ignored or destroyed. But a symbol… as a symbol I can be incorruptible, everlasting.”

Alfred at first does not fully understand that Bruce has come back from his travels transformed. He is frightened by his foster son’s dangerous new mission as an urban vigilante. While he soon becomes Bruce’s loyal accomplice, he also remains the voice of his conscience, always there to remind Bruce about his limits—and Batman’s limits too. “You’re getting lost in this creature of yours,” Alfred warns. When Bruce later admits that he doesn’t care if he has to sacrifice his good name for his crusade against crime, Alfred says, “It’s not just your name, it’s your father’s. And it’s all that’s left of him. Don’t destroy it.”

The best fathers and father figures are the men we can confide in, who we can trust to tell us the truth when we are going astray, and who will never give up on us even in our darkest moments. When Wayne Manor is destroyed by the League of Shadows, Bruce laments that he’s failed to save Gotham and defend his father’s legacy. Echoing the powerful words of Thomas Wayne, Alfred says, “And why do we fall, sir? So that we might better learn to pick ourselves up.” As Scripture says, “though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.”7 Good and virtuous fathers will always support us when we fall, helping us to rise up and keep fighting the good fight.

Ra’s al Ghul

Thomas Wayne and Alfred are the virtuous fathers who shaped Bruce Wayne’s boyhood and early life, forming him into the good man he would become. Ra’s al Ghul, the villainous leader of the League of Shadows, is the man who unintentionally molded Bruce into something more.

Posing as Henri Ducard, Ra’s finds Bruce confined in a remote prison in central Asia. Bruce has been traveling the world for seven years, desperately trying to understand the criminal mind and to develop the skills that will help him bring justice to the perilous streets of Gotham. Ra’s offers Bruce “the path of one who shares [the] hatred of evil and wishes to serve true justice.” At first Bruce is skeptical. Ra’s is not deterred:

“If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, if they can’t stop you… then you become something else entirely…. A legend.”

On the surface Ra’s/Ducard seems righteous, but his motives are far from “true justice.” Secretly he plans to destroy Gotham City, wielding the power of a fear toxin derived from a rare flower. When Bruce reaches the League’s mountaintop Himalayan monastery, his purpose is clear: “I seek the means to fight injustice. To turn fear on those who prey on the fearful.” Ra’s responds: “To manipulate the fears of others you must first master your own.” Fears haunt each one of us. The good father figures in our lives can help us to face and confront our fears by their example and by their love for us. But Ra’s al Ghul, while he plays the part of a father figure, treats Bruce more like a pawn, a tool to enact his warped vision of “justice” on a world he believes has wronged him.

Ra’s explains to Bruce that his wife was cruelly murdered: “I was forced to learn that there are those without decency. Who must be fought without hesitation or pity.” Ra’s hopes that Bruce will learn the same ruthlessness. For his final initiation into the League of Shadows, Bruce is instructed to execute a bound criminal. He refuses. “Your compassion is a weakness your enemies won’t share,” Ra’s notes. Bruce counters, “That’s why it’s so important. It separates me from them.” Bruce has not forgotten the lessons in compassion he learned from his father, Thomas Wayne. In the confrontation that follows, Bruce does “what’s necessary,” destroying the monastery, but rescuing Ra’s/Ducard from the ruins.

After Bruce returns to Gotham City and begins cleaning up the streets as Batman, Ra’s and the League arrive to enact their diabolical plan to destroy the city through weaponized panic and fear. Ra’s makes one more plea for Bruce to join his crusade:

“When I found you in that jail you were lost. But I believed in you. I took away your fear, and showed you a path. You were my greatest student… it should be you standing at my side, saving the world.”

But Bruce is unmoved: “I’ll be standing right where I am now—between you and the people of Gotham.” Ra’s is unimpressed, and scoffs at Bruce’s ideals: “Like your father, you lack the courage to do all that is necessary.”

But Ra’s is wrong. He may have taught Bruce Wayne the skills to bring justice to Gotham’s criminals. But it was from his father Thomas Wayne that Bruce learned that justice must be tempered with compassion and mercy. All vice is a corruption or distortion of virtue. Justice divorced from mercy becomes a wicked parody of itself Ra’s adheres to such a distorted vision of justice that has become warped into a lust for power and vengeance.

The bond between Bruce and Ra’s was born out of deception and manipulation. Sadly, in the real world, many people have been harmed by the sins and shortcomings of fathers and father figures. But the story of Batman Begins shines a ray of light—hope that good can ultimately come out of evil events and dysfunctional situations. Ra’s al Ghul—despite his evil intent—taught Bruce valuable lessons that helped transform him into the man he needed to become; the man who could save Gotham City.

Shadow of the Bat

The father figures of Batman have much to teach us. It’s no secret that the West is experiencing a crisis of authentic masculinity. Young men lack positive male role models. Others have been wounded by counterfeit father figures. This crisis of fatherhood makes it ever more difficult for men to embrace their vocations as fathers, uncles, godfathers, mentors, and big brothers. Christian men, no matter if they are married, single, celibate priests, or consecrated religious, are given a special vocation from God as fathers. That is an immense responsibility.

But amidst the societal wreckage of post-modernity, many young men in the West are like Bruce Wayne before and during his sojourn years—lost and rudderless, desperately searching for meaning and purpose in their lives, a path which can help them overcome the fears and traumas that hold them back. This sense of aimless perplexity has been keenly felt in my own generation, the Millennials. Many of my peers have no sense of vocation, are tormented by a restlessness they do not fully understand, and are exhausted from searching for something they do not know.

In the gospels, Jesus invites us to turn to God in a new way—addressing the almighty Creator and Lord of the universe as a loving, tender father.8 This is our birthright as Christians. We have been adopted into God’s family as his sons and daughters. Saint Paul makes this plain:

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.9

Leaving theology aside for a moment, I want to explore one last question: Can Batman, a comic book superhero who battles criminals as a violent urban vigilante, be a positive role model for young men today? Yes, I believe so. Hear me out.

Batman has cast a fatherlike shadow over my own life. Batman Begins and its sequels taught me that fear can be overcome. They showed me what authentic heroism and selfless sacrifice could look like. The hero’s journey of Bruce Wayne leaving his fears behind and becoming the Batman should inspire all of us. Bruce has experienced painful loss. Death marks his childhood. He has flaws and shortcomings, he even makes grave mistakes. But he always gets back up again—a lesson he learned from the most important man in his life; his father. That’s why Batman is a relatable character. He’s thoroughly human; so much like our own fathers in the real world.

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When I first began writing professionally in the spring and summer of 2020, it was the middle of the pandemic and I had lost my job at the American Museum of Natural History. I believed there was slim chance that I would ever have the opportunity to work in the museum field again, so I fell back on freelance writing as a new career option.

I wrote and wrote, researching and crafting articles about faith and pop-culture, often unpaid. Eventually, I started to receive some modest compensation for my work. Not nearly enough to support myself. I tried to write a novel. Several times. The stories went nowhere, petering out into confusion after a few chapters. Dead ends.

After a couple years of this, I began to feel utterly demoralized. My goal of forging a new career as a successful full-time writer seemed unattainable. I felt like a failure.

Then my mom encouraged me to think outside the box and write a children’s book. I scoffed. A children’s book? Why? I’d never written for kids before. But moms have those special insights sometimes. I stopped resisting and began to take her suggestion seriously.

She even pitched a topic to me. “You should write about Blessed Nicolas Steno,” she said. “You’ve had a devotion to him for a long time. I think Steno’s life-story could inspire kids to take an interest in God’s creation and follow in his footsteps as scientists.”

Deep down, I knew she was right. So I put my misgivings aside and wrote. I finished The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones in late 2022 and began pitching it to Catholic publishers soon after. Before too long I had a book deal from Word on Fire Publishing’s children’s imprint, Votive. I’ll always remember the date I got the news: May 1, 2023. It was the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker.

Less than two years later, after many rounds of revisions, intense copy-edits, and long stretches of waiting, The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones was published. It was February 3, 2025, a week before my birthday.

It’s been almost a year and a half since then and I’ve been stunned at the success of my little book. (In case you’re wondering, I dedicated it to my mom. After all, it wouldn’t exist without her.) The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones has sold over 5,000 copies so far! I routinely receive messages from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and godparents who tell me that the book is making a big impression on young minds. I can’t properly express how deeply grateful I am.

Recently it was announced that The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones was awarded first-place in the Association of Catholic Publishers’ 2026 Excellence in Publishing Awards, “Children’s Books - Young Readers” category.

I knew my book had been nominated alongside some truly excellent titles. Taking first place was a complete surprise to me! Of course, the first person I called was my mom. This was her victory too.

In light of all this, I’ve been discerning what “success” as a writer means to me now. In some ways, I’ve already achieved more success than I ever dreamed possible. I am an award-winning author! And, thanks to God’s providential care, I now work in museums again too. I’m a part-time history educator at Raynham Hall, a Revolutionary War site in my hometown. I love my job! My colleagues are supportive of my ambitions to build a career in public history. This dovetails nicely with what I’ve accomplished so far as an author. My book, after all, is a biography written for young readers.

I no longer feel pressured to become a full-time writer. I’m at peace with the decision I’ve made to pursue education and public history as my callings. My goal is to eventually become a full-time educator at a museum or historic site. In the meantime, I want to continue writing nonfiction books for kids. I may never hit the best-seller lists or become “famous” (whatever that means…) and I don’t consider those things to be guide markers for success. What I’ve already accomplished feels like success to me. I wrote a book, an award-winning book. That’s worth celebrating.

At the beginning of my writing journey, my barometer of success was very different. I thought that I needed to support myself entirely as a full-time freelance writer or as a successful novelist. I slaved away for a long time at various epic fantasy novels that didn’t go anywhere. The pressure I put on myself was too much for me to bear.

Today, I feel much more at peace with myself. I will still write fiction in my spare time, but I don’t feel obligated to publish any of it. Perhaps here on Substack I’ll create a separate space for my stories. Last year, I discovered a knack for writing sci-fi military thrillers and sci-fi/horror. I wrote a 26,000-word novella called Field Station Delta and I had a blast doing it.

The funny thing is, I wouldn’t have even considered those sub-genres of sci-fi to be in my wheelhouse a year and a half ago. But when I think back to what I read and watched most avidly as a young person, it actually makes a lot of sense. And given my lifelong passion for military history and war stories, military SF seems like a natural fit.

But whether any of my sf novels are ever finished or published traditionally doesn’t matter too much to me anymore. “Best-selling novelist” is no longer part of the picture in my personal definition of success.

I’ll continue to read, to write, to learn, to teach, and to walk the path that God has laid in front of me. In less than two weeks, I’ll be attending a weekend retreat for Catholic artists and writers where I hope to make even more progress in discernment. Please say a prayer for me and for the other retreatants.

Until my next post, God bless and happy reading!

Greetings, friends. May has been a busier month than I anticipated. There’s a lot to cover, but I’ll try to be brief. Let’s get started!

In case you missed it, I finally unveiled the cover for my paranormal sci-fi novella, Field Station Delta. I plan to finish proofreading the text over the next few weeks. If all goes according to plan, the book should be available on Kindle sometime this summer!

Thanks to everyone who read the early chapter drafts that I serialized last year!

LegendHaven, Spring 2026

I’ve been attending the LegendHaven online conventions since they began back in 2022.

For this year’s Spring convention, I recorded two interviews with founder , including the one below:

In “Forgotten Saints and Hidden History” Dominic and I discuss my debut children’s nonfiction book The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones.

On the second day of the weekend conference, I had the opportunity to do a live read-aloud of one of my chapters in the new book Batman & Faith from Voyage Comics & Publishing. If you’re a fan of the Caped Crusader, you’re going to love this new essay collection.

Podcasts

I’m back in the swing of things recording podcasts with my friends at StarQuest (SQPN). It’s such a fun hobby, though I had to take a break from it earlier in the year to attend to a family emergency. It feels so good to be back!

The Secrets of Middle-earth

Every creature in Arda has a story. The panel and I examine Middle-earth's animals—Huan, the Great Eagles, Ungoliant's brood, Beorn the Skinchanger, the Nazgûl's horses, even the mysterious fox from The Fellowship of the Ring. And perhaps the most important question of all: what separates the natural from the supernatural in Tolkien's world?

The Secrets of Star Wars

Darkness closes in on Devon Izara as Maul’s tea ceremony becomes a calculated trap. I join and the rest of the panel to unpack the hidden layers of Chapter 3 of Maul: Shadow Lord.

Power means nothing if you won’t use it—that’s Maul’s creed. The panel and I break down Chapter 4 of Shadow Lord, where a duel with Devon and Daki becomes a clash of Jedi and Sith worldviews.

An Imperial Star Destroyer parks over police headquarters on Janix, and everything changes. The panel and I break down the tactics of Inquisitor Marrok, Devon Izara’s wavering faith, and Maul’s fracturing crew in Chapter 5 of Maul: Shadow Lord.

A chase across Janix ends on a moving train, where Devon Izara lowers her saber — and Maul walks away. The panel and I cover the action-packed Chapter 6 of Maul: Shadow Lord.

The Secrets of Movies

Super Mario Galaxy was a rollicking good time at the movies! I join the panel to unpack the Bowser family drama, Yoshi’s debut, Rosalina’s backstory, and much more!

That’s all for this month’s Pageturning Report. If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! The support of my readers on Substack and my podcast listeners means the world to me, especially during difficult times. It’s a joy to share my creative endeavors with you!

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Stay tuned for next month’s update and a few super-special bonus posts! In the meantime, God bless and happy reading!

Senior Airman Emily Metzger wants payback.

She’s the lone survivor of an Air Force special operations squad that was attacked by a paranormal entity in the mountainous frontier of Afghanistan. Now she’s been recruited by a mysterious government scientist for an ultra top-secret assignment. But instead of fighting to avenge her fallen comrades, Airman Metzger finds herself posted to a stateside research facility in the remote badlands of Wyoming.

But Field Station Delta hides a deadly secret—a classified experiment that places the unwitting residents of a nearby town in mortal danger. When casualties begin to mount, Metzger must learn to trust her instincts—and tap into her own burgeoning paranormal abilities—to counter ruthless enemies both seen and unseen. Can she unravel the mystery of Field Station Delta before it’s too late?

Field Station Delta is my military sci-fi/horror novella, inspired by ’s gripping paranormal short story “Operation White Phantom”, which can be found in The Third Crown and Other Weird Tales.

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In 2025, I released an earlier draft of Field Station Delta as a serial here on Substack. With the help of freelance editor , I have put the text through further revisions.

My plan is to self-publish this book in print and on Kindle in July 2026. The new and improved edition of the novella will include:

• Completely updated and revised text.

• Special forward by Paul Leone.

• New introduction by me.

• Two exclusive bonus short stories.

  • “Site J-7”

  • “Missing Time”

If you’re a fan of The X-Files or Stargate SG-1, or if you just enjoy good old-fashioned action-adventure stories with mystery and horror elements, I think you’ll love Field Station Delta.

And now, I’d like to reveal the cover for the book, which I designed in Canva. I commissioned the amazing character artwork from the incredibly talented artist Jackson Tjota. I hope you love it!

Leave a comment

This month, my goal is to get the text proofread and formatted. This will be my first time using KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and my first experience self-publishing a book. I’ll keep you updated on the process and as soon as the book is available for preorder, you’ll be among the first to know!

Until then, thanks for all of your support. And a big thank-you to everyone who read and commented on the serialized draft of Delta from last year. Your feedback was immensely helpful and your enthusiasm a big encouragement! I hope you enjoy the finalized book!

P.S.

I do have a sequel planned. I have an outline and an early draft of the prologue. After Delta is published, I’ll probably return to working on the sequel, which is tentatively titled… The Nordingham Incident.

Greetings, everyone! After a difficult start to the new year dealing with the fallout from a family health emergency, things have finally settled down at my home into a kind of “new normal.”

Spring has sprung from a long and gloomy winter here on Long Island. The weather is fine, the trees are in bloom, and the American robins have returned.

Things are looking up for me at work as well. I’m so grateful for my job as a history educator at Raynham Hall Museum and for all the lovely people I meet there. I really feel like I’m making a difference in the lives of the visitors and schoolkids who come through our doors to learn about the American Revolution here on LI.

Another exciting professional development update: This month I gave my first university lecture! I’m grateful to my colleague Dr. Justinne Lake-Jedzinak for inviting me to speak about the history of paleoart to her undergraduate students at Hofstra University. It felt satisfying to dip my toes back into academic work. I had a lot of fun and I hope to do more college talks in the future.

My Books

The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones

I am thrilled to announce that my debut book The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones: How Blessed Nicolas Steno Uncovered the Hidden History of the Earth is a finalist in the Association of Catholic Publishers 2026 “Excellence in Publishing Awards” in the “Children’s Books: Young Readers” category!

The first, second, and third place winners will be announced in June. Congratulations to all the finalists!

And don’t forget to pick up your copy of Riddle of the Tongue-Stones directly from Word on Fire with 20% off and free US shipping!

Buy the book!

Batman & Faith

I’m very excited to announce a new book about pop-culture and faith, a collaboration with many talented authors for Voyage Comics & Publishing. Many thanks to editor for inviting me to work on this project.

Batman & Faith: Essays on the Dark Knight and the Soul features four essays by me, three of which are brand new and never before published:

• Batman & Boethius: Philosophy, Faith, and the Meaning of Suffering (NEW!)

• The Serpent & the Clown: The Joker as Trickster, Tempter, and Agent of Chaos (NEW!)

• Fear, Faith, & Forgiveness in “Batman: No Man’s Land” (REVISED & EXPANDED!)

• Faith of Our Fathers: Men Who Shaped Bruce Wayne and Batman (NEW!)

Pick up a copy for your Batcave today!

Pre-order the book!

Pageturning LIVE!

Recently, I started hosting video livestreams here on Substack. I’m calling these Pageturning LIVE! Beginning in May, my plan is to go live at least twice a month: 1.) a kind of video version of the Pageturning Report, and 2.) a freeform conversation with a guest.

I’m very grateful to for being the first to join Pageturning LIVE! We talked about LEGOs, Transformers, parish revival, livng with disability, Blessed Solanus Casey, and so much more. Check it out below!

Podcasts

The Secrets of Middle-earth

The panel and I investigate J.R.R. Tolkien's remarkable short story, Leaf by Niggle, exploring themes of purgatory, sub-creation, and the eternal weight of creative work. This haunting, personal story is one of my favorite Tolkien tales and I’m so glad we finally covered it on the podcast.

The Secrets of Star Wars

Maul’s shadows fall over Devon Izara as her master keeps abandoning her. I join the panel to break down Chapter 2 of Maul: Shadow Lord — the manipulation, the cell break-out, and the question of whether Maul is still really a Sith.

LegendHaven: Spring 2026

The weekend of May 2-3, I’ll be joining my friend for the Spring LegendHaven creators convention! Two days of faith, fun, and fiction. All online. And the “main stage” livestream events are free!

Sign up for LegendHaven

It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to collaborate with Dom at LegendHaven. I’ve been an attendee from the beginning. This time, I’ve got an epic lineup of events on my schedule:

• Forgotten Saints & Hidden History: Why I Write Narrative Nonfiction for Kids & Teens — YouTube Livestream, 11:00 AM, Saturday, May 2

• Batman & Faith: Essays on the Dark Knight and the Soul — YouTube Livestream, 11:45 AM, Sunday, May 3

• The Dark Knight and the Soul: “Batman & Faith” read-aloud/Q&A — Google Meet 3:00 PM, Sunday, May 3

See the full LH schedule

So many talented authors and creators will be at LegendHaven! I hope you’ll join us for this two-day celebration of our favorite stories and fandoms.

That’s it for this month’s Pageturning Report. If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! The support of my readers on Substack and my podcast listeners means the world to me. It’s a joy to share my creative endeavors with you. Please share Pageturning with anyone you think might be interested.

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And please, leave a comment! Are you attending LegendHaven? Have you picked up the new Batman essay collection? Are you watching Maul: Shadow Lord? I’d love to hear from you!

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Stay tuned for next month’s update. Until then, God bless and happy reading!

We powered through the technical issues and ended up with something really special. Looking forward to out next collaboration!

Thank you , , , and many others for tuning into my live video with Join me for my next live video in the app. I hope to go live again very soon because I want to iron out a few of the bugs that I experienced in the recording.

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I’m so glad that spring is finally here and the winter freeze is over! We had a pretty rough winter here on Long Island, with two major storms and the resulting cleanup that lasted for weeks.

This month’s update will be shorter than usual. By some miracle, I’ve been able to keep my writing alive while holding down a part-time job and helping to care for a chronically sick parent. Honestly, on many days I’ve barely been able to hold myself together. But I can see the grace of God at work through it all.

This past quarter I was a member of ’s 10-week goal setting sprint group. While I only achieved about half of what I set out to do, I still made significant progress on my current nonfiction WIP. (More on that in a future post…)

If you’re a writer looking for motivation, encouragement, and accountability, please join us next quarter! It’s an amazing group.

Story Notes

Writing Goal Sprint Recap 12

Read more

5 months ago · 1 like · 1 comment · Katelin Cummins

Articles

Word on Fire

Madeline Shepley on the Wonders of Faith and Science

My friend Madeline Shepley is a planetarium director, physics and astronomy professor, podcaster, and science fiction writer. Her podcast, Shine Bright Like the Firmament, features wide-ranging conversations with fellow Catholic STEM professionals about all aspects of the intersection of faith and science. The podcast recently celebrated its one hundredth episode, in which Madeline interviewed Daniel Kuebler, author of Darwin and Doctrine.

In our full conversation, Madeline discusses her experiences sharing the wonder of the universe with young minds, her role as a Catholic science communicator, and her love of science fiction.

Madeline Shepley: Honestly, what amazes me is the universality of harmony between science and faith over the wide variety of Catholic STEM workers that I’ve spoken to. I’ve interviewed people across the major STEM disciplines, in various different vocations, over a wide age range, and across different cultures. No matter what, there exist Catholics who know that, when it comes to faith and science, you don’t need to choose one or the other—that you can have both. This gives me such beautiful hope that a Catholic of any background can find someone like them who is faithful and loves science.

Podcasts

The Secrets of Middle-earth

A new Tolkien book arrives: My friend Kaitlyn Facista of Tea With Tolkien explains her new book Into the Heart of Middle-earth—hope, virtue, and fellowship as lived wisdom. She explains how her book is a spiritual companion to The Lord of the Rings.

Mythic Mind

Anyone who knows me well is aware that I’m a HUGE Godzilla fan! In this episode of Mythic Mind Movies & Shows, I join to discuss one of my favorite films of recent years, Godzilla Minus One. Although it takes the guise of a monster movie, this movie is a profound psychological story of a man fighting with shame and searching for a life worth living. Toward the end, we also discuss how this film relates to other movies in the Godzilla canon.

That’s all the updates I have for right now. If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! The support of my readers on Substack and my podcast listeners means the world to me, especially now. If you know anyone who’d be interested in this newsletter, my books, or the podcasts, please share Pageturning with them!

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Again, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for your prayers and encouragement. Stay tuned for next month’s update. Until then, God bless and happy reading!

Greetings, Pageturning family! Just a brief update this month.

It’s time to celebrate an exciting milestone…

The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones turns 1 year old!!!

On February 3rd my debut children’s nonfiction book The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones celebrated its first anniversary. I can’t express how grateful I am for the incredible support the book has received.

Even a year on, I’m still dazed when I think that my childhood dream of becoming a published author has been fulfilled!

Just the other day I got my latest royalties statement. I did some basic arithmetic and discovered that the book has sold nearly 5,000 copies so far! I’m floored. I heard somewhere that 90% of books never break 1,000 copies. I’m incredibly pleased that The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones is still selling strong. In particular, I’m proud to note (based on the many messages and fan-mail I’ve received) that it has strong appeal with both boys and girls in the target age group (8-12).

Right now, you can get your own copy of Riddle of the Tongue-Stones for 20% OFF directly from my publisher’s website!

The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones

If you want to learn more about Riddle of the Tongue-Stones, check out the launch post from last year or my appearance on the Votive Podcast. My wonderful editor interviewed me about the book, the challenges and joys of writing children’s nonfiction, making science accessible for kids, and the books that influenced me as a young reader.

That’s all for now!

Unfortunately, I have no other updates for you this month. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share a some details about a few special projects in the March update. Until then, I have to keep them under wraps.

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Because of an ongoing family health emergency, I’ve had to take a hiatus from podcasting and from writing freelance articles. You can find more details about what’s been going on in January’s Pageturning Report.

Please continue to pray for my family as we make our way through this crisis. The support and kindness I’ve encountered as part of the Substacker community has been simply extraordinary.

Until next time, God bless and happy reading!

This was not how I expected the new year to begin…

The first month of 2026 has been a difficult one. And I don’t mean because of the many horrible things happening in the nation and the world at large, though those events have indeed been weighing on my heart. Something more personal and much closer to home has upended the last several weeks.

If you follow me on Substack Notes, you know many of the details. But, briefly, this is what happened…

I wasn’t expecting this…

Not long after New Year’s, an unexpected family health emergency occurred. Having a loved one in the hospital is always a scary and emotionally intense experience. You might remember that something similar occurred in my family at about the same time last year. Going through it all over again was tough for us. The amazing emotional support and prayers of the community here on Substack has helped get me through it. And I’m happy to report that our loved one is out of immediate danger.

Please keep the prayers coming! We aren’t out of the woods yet. The hospital stay is thankfully over now but my family and I are in the midst of tough decisions about future long-term care.

Writing

Despite everything, I have managed to get some work done. In fact, writing has been the main thing (after prayer and the sacraments) that has sustained me and given me the strength to provide assistance to my family during this sudden emergency.

In fact, I’ve been working on two major projects. First, I’ve been attempting to meet a goal that I set with the help of my writing coach to spend at least sixty hours over ten weeks working on my next children’s nonfiction title, a follow-up to my debut book, The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones.

I wrote a (very) rough draft last year, but this project has languished since then because I haven’t set aside dedicated time to make progress on it. I finished a ton of research last week and just wrote a newly revised draft that’s about 4,300 words long.

Right now I’m taking a break from the kids’ book to sprint to the finish line for a second writing project. I can’t say much about it yet, except that it is part of a nonfiction anthology series exploring topics in faith and popular culture. I have four chapters due to my editor by February 14th. That’s a tight deadline and it will require pulling some late nights but I’m confident that I can make it work.

I’m off to a strong start. One of the chapters exists as a preliminary draft that will need some heavy revisions. Two more have detailed multi-page outlines. For the fourth chapter I have some ideas but nothing “on paper” just yet.

So, the next two-and-a-half weeks are going to be an extremely busy time for me. But I feel energized rather than stressed about it. As always, I’d appreciate your prayers. I can’t wait to announce these two books sometime later this year!

Podcasts

Because of the family emergency, I’ve stepped away temporarily from recording podcasts for StarQuest (SQPN). But a few episodes that I previously recorded have recently premiered:

The Secrets of Middle-Earth

What happens when evil isn’t fully defeated? I’m joined by my friends Pat Mason, and Jeff Haecker to finish our discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. We unpack Isildur’s failure, Gondor’s long decline, and the fading of the Elves. The Third Age asks a hard question: is victory ever truly final?

The Secrets of Star Wars

What does freedom cost when it’s forced on you? I join Jeff Haecker and Robert King unpack Star Wars Visions: The Bounty Hunters—from droid identity and slavery to anime excess and moral gray zones. Can action alone carry big ideas?

A Star Wars story without Jedi or the Empire—does it still feel like Star Wars? I join Robert King and Jeff Haecker to unpack Yuko’s Treasure, asking whether family—not credits—is the real inheritance, and why this anime-style episode hits so hard emotionally.

The Secrets of Movies & TV Shows

Is 2001: A Space Odyssey a filmmaking masterpiece or a visual endurance test? I’m joined by Patrick Mason, Robert King, and Jeff Haecker tackle the HAL-9000’s AI warning, the origins of human violence, alien intelligence, and that unforgettable ending. Does progress save us—or undo us?

What happens when a war hero finally comes home—and finds rot everywhere? I join Alix Murray and Jeff Haecker, to debate trauma, kingship, and the epic return of Odysseus.

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If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! The support of my readers on Substack and my podcast listeners means the world to me. If you know anyone who’d be interested in this newsletter, my books, or the podcasts, please share Pageturning with them!

Again, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for your prayers. Stay tuned for next month’s update. Until then, God bless and happy reading!

Wow! This year has flown by so fast! I wanted to use part of this month’s Pageturning Report to write up a brief rundown of my major creative accomplishments in 2025. Let’s get started!

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The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones

This year marked one of the biggest milestones of my life and the fulfillment of a childhood dream—I became a published author!

My debut children’s nonfiction book, The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones was released in February and has been a splendid success! When I last checked with my publisher some weeks ago, the book had sold more than 4,000 copies so far!

Buy: The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones

I’ve received so many delightful messages and photos from readers young and old who have enjoyed learning about Nicolas Steno, the saintly scientist who pioneered the study of fossils and laid the foundations of the modern geosciences.

Journey into the exciting life of Nicolas Steno, the father of geology whose passion for truth led him to groundbreaking scientific discovery and a deep religious devotion. Interwoven into this biography of a scientist and Catholic bishop is the story of fossils and the hidden history of the earth beneath our feet. With an extensive glossary of scientific terms and delightful field-guide sketches, this beautifully crafted book will inspire any young person eager to learn about the natural world and its Creator.

In April I held my first-ever book signing at my hometown independent bookstore Theodore’s Books. It was one of the highlights of 2025 for me. I only wish I had had more time and foresight to actively promote Tongue-Stones during its first year in the marketplace. In 2026 I’d like to do more in-person events: more signings and a few library story-time readings too.

You can learn more about the book and how I wrote it by listening to The Votive Podcast hosted by my wonderful editor and “book midwife” .

I’m keenly interested in appearing on podcasts to talk about Riddle of the Tongue-Stones, especially shows focused on faith, history, science, and/or children’s books. If you know of any podcasts in this vein feel free to reach out to me with recommendations.

Unexpectedly Catholic

I’m proud of my association with Voyage Comics & Publishing. The founder, Philip Kosloski, gave me my first break when I was just starting out as a freelance writer back in 2020. Since then, I’ve written for the Voyage Blog, helped with developmental editing on several comic book issues, and contributed essays to nonfiction anthologies about faith and popular culture. The fourth book in this anthology series released early this year: Unexpectedly Catholic: Seeds of the Gospel found in 20 Popular Stories.

Buy: Unexpectedly Catholic

I contributed three chapters about three different sci-fi/fantasy authors whose lives were marked by faith in some way or whose work touches (for better or worse) on religious themes. Only one of these men (Walter M. Miller, Jr) was Catholic.

• “Robert E. Howard and the Adventures of Conan”

• “How Robert Jordan Became a Modern Mythmaker”

• “Walter M. Miller, Jr and a Canticle for Faith”

My friend fellow Voyage collaborator did a great job curating the essays in this book. I hope to contribute to future Voyage projects like this in the near future. There are currently plans in the works, but I cannot say more about them now.

Field Station Delta

I must have been about ten-years-old when I first read Jurassic Park. (Which in hindsight was WAY too young to have been reading such an adult novel, haha!) Ever since then I’ve wanted to write a novel.

This year I managed to complete my first work of long-form fiction, a sci-fi thriller novella called Field Station Delta, which began as a collaboration with my good friend and sf/f writer extraordinaire . I released preliminary drafts of all the chapters as a serial here on Substack!

The final novella is about 26,000 words long and the text has been much improved thanks to the care and expertise of book editor of Trinity Tree Publishing. If I stick to my current plans, I’d like to self-publish Delta on Kindle sometime in the first quarter of next year, perhaps before the end of March. I’ll keep you posted.

Christmas 2025

Although I was sick over the holidays this year, I did manage to enjoy myself on Christmas day. My family knows, of course, that I am an incurable bookworm, so I received many, many books. I was so delighted!

I hope and pray that you and yours had a happy and healthy holiday season.

Podcasts

The Secrets of Middle-Earth

Sauron’s fake repentance. Celebrimbor’s fatal pride. What makes a ring powerful? In our 100th episode, I’m joined by my friends Rob Leonardi, Pat Mason, and Jeff Haecker to uncover the roots of evil in the final chapters of The Silmarillion. What can Tolkien’s fantasy teach us about the nature of corruption? We also share our fond memories of podcasting together, make obscure pop culture references, and have many good laughs! Here’s to the next 100 episodes! The Road goes ever on!

The Secrets of Star Wars

A rebellious scout, a mysterious child, and a paper crane. I join Robert King and Kathryn Laffrey to unpack a wild, heartfelt Star Wars: Visions episode blending anime charm with post-war grief and deep questions of identity and purpose.

What if the future Jedi rebuilt their Order on faith, hope, and trust—not detachment? I join Patrick Mason and Jeff Haecker to unpack The Ninth Jedi and how this anime series might herald the birth of a bold new Jedi era.

The Secrets of Movies & TV Shows

What can a felt frog teach us about redemption? I join , Jeff Haecker, and Patrick Mason to reflect on A Muppet Christmas Carol, unpacking its spiritual depth, musical soul, and surprising emotional weight beneath the whimsy.

Some final thoughts…

Before we wrap up, I just want to acknowledge that the holidays can be a painful time of year for many due to loneliness or grief or other burdens. If that’s the case for you or your family, know that I have been praying for you.

If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! The support of my readers and listeners means the world to me. If you know anyone who’d be interested in this newsletter, my books, or the podcasts, please share Pageturning with them!

Until next time, happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and happy reading!

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

— Matthew 3: 1-2, 5-6

Sometimes, my life seems like such a tremendous mess that it’s beyond salvaging. Perhaps my sins are beyond the reach of God’s mercy. The harder I try, the worse things seem to get. There are days when I feel kinship with the demoralized Charlie Brown in A Charlie Brown Christmas. I want to wail, like he did, that the situation is hopeless because “everything I touch gets ruined!”

Of course, these lies I tell myself are the complete antithesis of Christian hope. Although it’s often forgotten in the joy—and stress—of the secular holiday rush, Advent is a penitential season. It’s a time of repentance. A time when we should meditate on where our lives really stand before God. Not in fear of punishment, but in expectant hope of salvation.

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How can I be freed from the lies of scrupulosity and despair? John the Baptist shows the way. The way of the desert. Many Christians throughout the history of the Church have followed his example—quite literally! Saint Anthony of Egypt and the other Desert Fathers and Mothers of the early centuries found wisdom and holiness in the austere beauty of the wilderness.

One of my favorite saints is Charles de Foucauld, whom I’ve written about at length elsewhere. Foucauld left behind a life of selfish wantonness to become a hermit priest in the Sahara. He ministered in poverty and radical obscurity, far from civilization, until he was murdered by violent partisans who suspected he was a French spy.

Deserts are places of simplicity and silence. That’s why the holy men and women have sought them out for centuries. Free from attachments and distractions, they could hear and be directed by the “still small voice”1 of God. They could discover the what was truly necessary for salvation—aligning their lives with God’s will. Repentance, divesting ourselves of sins and disordered attachments, is part of this process.

Obviously, I don’t feel called to literally leave my suburban life and go live in a desert somewhere. But the lives John the Baptist, Anthony of Egypt, and Charles de Foucauld can still inspire practical Advent devotions for you and me, right now, right where we are.

Here are three simple practices you might try in the next few weeks:

• Take a one day a week (perhaps Sunday) off from the distractions of social media. Silence the apps on your phone. Spend some of the time you would have spent scrolling in quiet prayer instead.

• Seek out a local Adoration chapel or a church that reserves time for the Blessed Sacrament to be exposed. Spend a holy hour in prayer and silence before our Eucharistic Lord. Listen for his “still small voice.”

• Find some quiet time in the evening to make an examination of conscience. Light a candle and ask God’s forgiveness for the sins you have committed. Ask the Lord to show you which disordered attachments he is asking you to renounce. Make time to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas.

Seek out God “in the desert” this Advent with confidence. God’s mercy is yours for the asking. In my worst moments I may moan that “everything I touch gets ruined.” But in the silence of quiet church or in my home “prayer corner” before dawn, I remember that everything God touches is renewed.

The daily Scripture readings can be found on the USCCB website.

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

— Matthew 9:35-38

As I’ve written before, I’ve experienced a few powerful moments in my life when I felt, deep in the inner recesses of my heart, that God was clearly calling me “further up and further in.” (Remember that famous line from the Narnia books?) It was the call to adventure, like Gandalf unexpectedly showing up on Bilbo’s doorstep one fine morning. Or like Luke Skywalker gazing wistfully at the binary sunset.

Of course, I’m not called to be a Hobbit “burglar” or courageous Jedi Knight. At least, I don’t believe so. But that doesn’t really matter, because God has a unique call—vocation—for each person he has created. The Lord (like a a certain grey wizard) is “looking for someone to share in an adventure.”

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But wait, isn’t today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew about workers laboring in a harvest? What does that have to do with adventure? It has everything to do with it! Let me explain.

The harvest is the adventure. The field is contested. There are enemies afoot.1 One only needs a passing familiarity with the Church’s history to realize that the work of the Kingdom is as perilous for lay faithful as for priests and nuns. A good priest recently reminded me of this: “The laity are on the front lines of the Church.”

The lay vocation (either in marriage or as a committed single person) is a serious endeavor. All of us are called to announce the coming of God’s Kingdom no matter what our state in life is. All of us are called to embark on the adventure of working with God in the harvest.

There are as many ways to reap the harvest as their are laypeople. God has called you to announce the joy of the Gospel where you are, in your specific circumstances. I’m reminded of a famous meditation composed by St. John Henry Newman. I pray with it often.

God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission—I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.

And what is my mission? Well, as a writer, for one thing. My priest friend recognized it: “I think writing is where God is leading you right now. It’s clear that writing is where your heart is. And that’s a gift. The question now is, in what context are you called to use your gift?”

Should I continue to live as an unmarried layman, utilizing my freedom from family obligations to offer my time and talents more fully to the service of God’s people? Or is God calling me to a greater adventure? Do I have a vocation to religious life, where I would be supported and directed in my charism by the strength of a prayerful community? I don’t have an answer to this question yet.

Fortunately, we’re not on the adventure alone. As members of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, we can pray for one another. Could you say a prayer for me? I’ll certainly be praying for you.

Let’s set out into the field of adventure together!

The daily Scripture readings can be found on the USCCB website.

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!”

When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.

Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened.

— Matthew 9:27-30

How many times have I read the passage of the two blind men from the Gospel of Matthew? Beats me. I don’t recall having ever heard it preached. But I must have, at some point. Compared to the many other dramatic scenes from the New Testament, is it really that memorable?

After all, it’s just another story about Jesus performing a healing miracle, right? I don’t know offhand how many separate incidents there are in the gospels where Jesus cures a blind person. There’s at least few. It’s easy for them all to sort of blend together without leaving much of an impression.

But this week, when I read the story in preparation to write this reflection, something jumped out at me. You ever have those moments, when you’re reading Scripture and suddenly some seemingly insignificant detail that you always took for granted just leaps off the page like it’s illuminated by glaring neon?

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So, what amazing detail am I talking about here? Read the beginning of the passage again and pay close attention:

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!”

Did you notice it? Jesus passed by. He walked right past those two guys begging him for help. You’d expect him to stop immediately and render aid. But he doesn’t. In fact, he appears to ignore them. He passes by. Then the blind men start following Jesus around. (Presumably, they stuck pretty close to him.) But he doesn’t say anything to them. He doesn’t acknowledge them. He passes by. He walks on to his destination like nothing’s the matter.

But the two men are not deterred. Read the next line of the story:

When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”

Even though they had no luck getting his attention on the road, the blind men follow Jesus right into the house where he was staying. Talk about persistence! For his part, Jesus does not appear to resent the intrusion. Instead, he calmly asks them if they believe he can restore their sight. They answer in the affirmative. Their faith, their persistence, and their boldness is rewarded. Their eyes are opened.

Here’s the lesson I took from reading this story with new eyes, so to speak: Jesus’s silence during the first part of the encounter is not a reproach. It’s not a rejection. It is an invitation. An invitation for the two men to follow him and to visit him where he is staying.

Jesus wants them to ask him for sight. In fact, he’s longed for it from all eternity. He’s been waiting for this moment since before the foundations of the earth were shaped! But with his silence, he asks the blind men to wait a little bit longer and invites them to pursue him, secure in their faith that he can and will grant the deepest desire of their hearts—the desire to see.

If only we had such faith! So many of us grapple with the silence that seems to us to be divine indifference. We pray and pray for intentions that are close to our hearts—sometimes for years—yet they somehow appear to go unanswered.

Maybe God is just inviting us to wait, to be patient just a little longer, to keep crying out to him, to follow him wherever he goes, secure in faith that he has can and will do what’s best for us. Or, perhaps, our prayers have already been answered but we’ve missed it because we don’t have eyes to see. There is such a thing as spiritual blindness.

Let’s pray boldly for the gift of sight! With spiritual vision, we’ll be able see what truly matters—what our life is about, where we are going, and who around us is most in need of our prayers, our talents, and our time.

It’s Advent and Jesus Christ, the Word of God and the Light of the World, is coming. He’ll be passing by. I pray that when he does, may he be “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”1

The daily Scripture readings can be found on the USCCB website.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

— Matthew 7:24-27

Confession time: I hate interruptions. Like, I really hate them. On the weekdays when I work from home on my creative projects, I like to have long stretches of uninterrupted time alone to focus on writing.

Knock knock knock.

I open the door to my bedroom/office. My parents need something. I have to drop what I’m doing and troubleshoot some glitch with Mom’s smartphone or google directions for Dad’s upcoming medical appointment.

Whew! That’s over. I can get back to work.

Knock knock knock.

Argh. What now? Mom needs photocopies of a bill that came in the mail. Dad’s TV seems to be on the fritz.

Okay. Finally finished with that. Writing time.

Knock knock knock…

AARGH!!!

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As you can tell, I’m not very patient. Especially when I’m interrupted. But don’t get me wrong! I love my parents and I’m glad that they live with me. It’s a blessing that I have the opportunity to care for them in their twilight years. Especially after all that they’ve done to support me and encourage my dreams. The least I can do for them is endure the occasional “interruption.”

But, like any family, there are times when we all get on one another’s nerves. I for one can snap at petty annoyances. I can be jealous of my time.

So we come to today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew. Christ urges us to heed his words. The words of Jesus are spirit and life.1 What better foundation is there upon which to build our lives? How is Jesus speaking to us in this special season?

Advent is time for listening and awareness, for reflection and prayer. We should attend more closely to the words of Jesus. We can assess whether we’ve truly been faithful to the great commandment to “love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… [and to] love your neighbor as yourself.”2

There’s a good litmus test for whether I truly love my neighbor as myself: how do I deal with those dearest to me, my family and closest friends? Do I sometimes treat them with indifference or take them for granted? Do I resent their needs as bothersome “interruptions”?

I don’t know if you’ve ever read J.R.R. Tolkien’s allegorical short story “Leaf by Niggle”? I’ve written about it before. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I’m a lot like Niggle—a fussy little guy who hates to be interrupted by neighborly obligations that take him away from his beloved artistic projects.

Really, I’m sure we’re all at least a little bit like Niggle. That’s what gives Tolkien’s tale true allegorical power. But, thank goodness, there’s hope for Niggle—and for us! We can learn to see the interruptions in our daily routines as invitations. Invitations from God to move outside of our cramped, fussy little selves and into a wider world of adventure. Indeed, the greatest adventure of all—the Christian life.

And it all starts with listening. So, take some time for quiet prayer this Advent. What areas in your life need improvement in order to make ready for the coming of Jesus? How God is calling you to conversion today? Maybe write your reflections down in a prayer journal like I do. You might be surprised at what you discover.

And if someone interrupts your quiet prayer time, praise God! It might be just the invitation you needed.

The daily Scripture readings can be found on the USCCB website.

Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”

“Seven,” [the disciples] replied, “and a few fish.”

He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets full.

— Matthew 15:34-37

I was desperate to write a novel.

That’s the dream I’ve had ever since I first read Jurassic Park when I was a little kid. (Michael Crichton’s books are NOT for kids!!) Anyway, I must have been about ten-years-old. Then I read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings when I was thirteen. After that, I became obsessed. Nothing else really mattered to me except writing an epic fantasy novel. That’s what I wanted.

Oh, sure, I told myself I wanted to do other things with my life. I spent a lot of time and effort working towards those goals. But I still spent countless hours daydreaming about writing that fantasy novel.

Fast forward to Autumn, 2022. By this point I’d been working (that is, struggling) as a professional writer for a little over two years. I had, to my mind, precious little to show for all my hard work. I had not written a book yet. All of my ideas for epic fantasy novels were going nowhere.

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I hope you can see what the problem was. I sure didn’t.

Here’s what I couldn’t see—I’d made my “writing life” all about me. My ideas. My projects. My dreams. It was my ego getting in the way and I couldn’t see the obvious solution right in front of me. Luckily there were others who could.

I’ll always remember exactly where I was when I had my breakthrough moment. I was sitting on a park bench with my mom overlooking the Long Island Sound. Mom turned to me, and, in her usual way, insisted that I was fighting against the current by trying to write a big impressive novel. She saw a different potential in me that I didn’t recognize.

“I think you have it in you to write a children’s book,” she said. “You love Blessed Nicolas Steno, the saint who dug up fossils. I think you should write a children’s book about him.”

Mom had made this pitch to me before and I’d resisted it every time. But this time was different. There was grace in this moment. It was the moment when I decided to stop conforming my writing endeavors to my own ego’s desires, to my own narrow little ideas about success, and put it all in God’s hands instead.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Three years later my debut children’s book The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones is touching the lives of readers young and old all across the country. A new generation is being introduced to one of my intellectual heroes, the saintly scientist Nicolas Steno.

When I gave my talents back to God, emptied my ego, and conformed my plans to his grace, miracles happened. That’s the best way I can describe it.

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Have you ever heard of the Suscipe prayer? It was written by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. There are many translations out there. Here’s one that’s stuck with me.

Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, me memory, my understanding, and my will. All that I have and cherish you have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by your will. Your grace and your love are wealth enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more.

Here’s what this prayer means to me: Sometimes—okay, most of the time—I tend to use my talents for myself. I want to be a successful writer. This invariably leads to frustration and discouragement. But it’s completely different when I freely offer myself and my gifts and talents back to God.

When I say, “Here, this is yours, God. I give it back to you. Do what you want with it,” things have a remarkable way of working out better than I could have ever planned it. And that’s a lesson we can all take from the Gospel stories of the miraculous multiplication of the loaves.

Think about it: It didn’t take much—only seven loaves of (probably stale) bread and a couple of dried fish—to feed four thousand plus people! The disciples probably had their own plans for that stuff (like dinner) but when they offered what little they had to Jesus, he worked a miracle.

So, offer to God all that you have and are. Don’t be afraid! He will satisfy the deepest longings of your heart. Trust me on this one—God’s plans are better than ours anyway.

The daily Scripture readings can be found on the USCCB website.