St. Thomas Aquinas is arguably one of the most intelligent Saints to have ever lived. His intellect was stellar to say the least. The question that I’ve always asked is, how did he get that way?
I found my answer in the most unlikely of places: a defunct blog by a Dominican nun who had discovered the actual daily routine of the Angelic Doctor in one of his biographies.
As I read the daily grind of this medieval scholar, I got to thinking, “This can be adapted to modern living!” And so, I decided to make a challenge out of it- The Aquinas Challenge.
If you are curious as to how Aquinas lived in today’s world (and how YOU can live like him too!), take the 5-day Aquinas challenge today. Grab some friends, send them this blogpost, and sign up today at AquinasChallenge.com.
You’ll want to sign up quickly because I’ll be closing the doors to this challenge on at 10PM on Jan. 29th!
Please share the url on facebook, twitter and instagram and see how you can live like Aquinas for 5 days.
Today marks the beginning of something special- my book Detached is available for preorder. I’m so excited about this book, I want to give you a bonus to everyone who preorders it.
Here’s how it works:
You can preorder the book right now either through Amazon or through my publisher, Our Sunday Visitor.
30 Minutes is the final installment of my trilogy on the intersection of technology and spirituality. The first book, God’s WiFi, is free for all and can be downloaded at GodsWiFi.com. The second book, Detached: Put Your Phone in Its Place, will be released on Oct. 1st. The final piece to the puzzle is 30 Minutes, which builds on the other two books and completes the spiritual journey through technology use for Christians in today’s rapidly changing world.
If you preorder your copy of Detached, you’ll get BOTH of the remaining books in the trilogy absolutely FREE. So, if you buy one, you’ll get all three! (Very trinitarian, right?!) This deal will end on Oct. 1st, so make sure you get your order in soon.
Here’s a bit more about 30 Minutes:
Be sure to preorder your copy of Detached today so you can get not one, not two, but THREE books for the price of one.
Don’t forget to forward me your receipt before Oct. 1st so I can send you your free ebooks, 30 Minutes and God’s WiFi.
If you are unfamiliar with Shaun McAfee’s work, now is the time to jump on board. Shaun is a brilliant theologian whose humor, wit, and intellectual muscles that, when flexed, tear the t-shirts of heresy into mere threads of what they once were.
He just recently published his latest book through Catholic Answers Press, Reform Yourself! How To Pray, Find Peace, And Grow In Faith With The Saints Of The Counter-Reformation. I sat down and talked with him about his book and how its awesomeness can make the reader awesome in a world in such need of more awesomeness.
Here we are:
Questions I asked Shaun:
0:06- Your book, Reform Yourself!: How to Pray, Find Peace, and Grow in Faith with the Saints of the Counter-Reformation from Catholic Answers Press, has a very unique twist on most books on the Reformation as it doesn’t focus on Martin Luther, Calvin, and the other protestant reformers of the time. Rather, it focuses on the Catholics of the time who were trying to reform the Church “from the inside” so to speak. What were the problems that the Church faced that caused so many to want to “reform” it?
4:12- As you met these Saints during your research, you obviously became very fond of them. Could you tell us about a couple of them?
7:33- The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification …[which] ‘is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man’” (CCC p. 1989). How does your book help to “renew the interior of man (and woman)” who read it?
Justin McClain, author of Called to Teach (Ave Maria Press), sits down with me to talk about the spirituality of teaching, how technology effects learning and evangelization, and how to teach the whole student.
Here’s what we came up with:
0:06- Describe the spirituality of an educator. What ways do teachers most emulate Jesus?
2:06- With the rapid advancements in technology and the current state of the world economy and globalization as a while, how do you envision the future of education, especially Catholic education?
5:12- What does it take to teach the whole student?
What about you?
What do you see as the key to Catholic education? Comment below.
This week, I had a chance to sit down with Cory Heimann of Likeable Art. We talked about Catholic creativity- its place in our lives and its importance to the world. We also talk about his latest book “Created” (scroll down to enter the giveaway) which can be found at www.createdbook.co.
From my household to yours, may this Christmas be filled with joy and may your 2018 be packed with motivation to accomplish every goal God has set up for you. Remember “it is he who accomplishes all that we have done” (and will do). -Isaiah 26:12
Merry Christmas and happy New Year from the Burdick family
