colin maciver

Freedom is tied in the very identity of God and who we as his children made in his image and likeness. Understanding the real meaning of freedom revealed to us by Christ, will help us respond to the evils of our world and build a more just and virtuous society. As Catholics, our liberty must ultimately point to the participation in the Divine life. Snippet From the Show: “Real liberty is the ability to make a gift of oneself.”

Solidarity is the idea that we are one, we are together. It is rooted in empathy for the person or groups who may not have advantages we have. GoFundMe Campaigns are an example of people living out solidarity. It is a way to live out our faith and helps us know we are not alone. Subsidiarity is the idea we are most effective when we start closest to home and heart. From there we can transform our state and our nation. Colin believes that real subsidiarity starts in the heart with virtue. Subsidiarity is to integrate virtue in our own hearts and to live it out in the spaces closest to us. These two, solidarity and subsidiarity, are the way we will fight against injustice, hate, and have an abundant life.

Engaging on social media with charity and clarity in 2020 is not easy. Inspired by St.Thomas Aquinas, I offer a few principles to help us respond to issues and conflict on social media in a productive and charitable manner. If we remember the humanity of those we disagree with behind the screen, we will learn to truly love our enemies as Christ calls us to do. Snippet of the Show “ It's not just about winning arguments, it’s about winning hearts and building relationships.”

In our pursuit of holiness, we tend to overlook the little things in life. It’s the small moments in life that can either push us upwards towards heaven or pull us down towards evil. Snippet From the Show: “Little things have a great power to move us.”

Navigating Confirmation preparation with teenagers in today’s times is not easy. Today, Colin MacIver and I discuss his newest book ,The Catechists Field Guide to Confirmation, how to reach the hearts of teenagers, and how to implement practical tools to create the best confirmation experience for candidates. Snippet from the Show The main goal of Confirmation is not to check off a box in Sacramental preparation, it’s to reach the hearts of candidates and form them into lifelong disciples of Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

When we unite our suffering to Christ and offer it all up to the Father the way Christ does, everything changes. Our joys, work, hearts, and sufferings can all be offered alongside Christ and given back to the Father. When we learn to offer it all up, we grow in holiness and experience healing. Snippet of the Show Give every part of your life back to the Father the way Christ does, it changes everything.

Although the pandemic has shifted many of our plans and disrupted our normal routines, we can still choose to rejoice because we know the Lord is close to us in our suffering. Today, I encourage you to choose joy in the midst of the obstacles we face this year. Snippet of the Show In the midst of our trials and sufferings, we rejoice because we trust that the Lord draws near to us in our darkest moments.

Sainthood is possible no matter the circumstances. Today, I am joined by a very special guest to discuss schools reopening and the gift of the diverse group of saints we have in the Catholic tradition to help us in our walk with Christ. Snippet of the Show We are all capable of becoming saints, no matter where we have been, what we look like, or what we are facing.

Research indicates that talking about faith in the family plays a critical role in our commitment to the faith as we grow up. Today, I encourage you to go deeper with your family by having intentional conversations about God and what he's doing in everyone's life. Snippet of the Show Don’t be afraid to talk to your family about faith, the Holy Spirit can move in powerful ways if you simply give him a chance.

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. In the midst of the uncertainty and chaos of this year, there are still good lessons we can learn from our experience. Today, I reflect on 5 things that I have learned this year. Snippet of the Show “If we don't confront evil with the power of the Gospel, then we're in big trouble."

What’s going to happen in the fall? Will kids be in school? What will religious education and sacramental prep look like? In this episode, I discuss the importance of remembering our goal of reaching heaven as we plan for uncertain times in the fall. Snippet From the Show: Our ultimate goal is to become who God has created us to be and to go to heaven, and this goal cannot be thwarted by a pandemic.

Navigating social media with love is a challenge we all face today. Looking at the lives of the saints and Jesus himself, Colin and Aimee MacIver discuss why cancel culture is incompatible with the Gospel and how to use social media in pursuit of holiness. Snippet From the Show “Our goal is not just to share truth but ultimately to love each other”

Near a spot where Colin takes his son fishing, there is graffiti on the side of a building. There was a new one however, which caught his eye. "Seen everything but Christ." Snippet From the Show _For the world to see Christ, we must to make him visible by our words and actions. _

Racism is present in our nation, and there is tension between races and classes. There is a danger of the center not holding politically. When Walker Percy wrote, "the center did not hold," in Love in the Ruins, he wasn't speaking just politically, but the interior state of the person. In today's podcast, Colin gives some pointers on where we can find our center. _Snipped From the Show The center is only found in Jesus Christ's grace and mercy. Our minds and hearts must be fixed on him. He is the only one who will save us._

Today, Colin shares how the basics of conversation from his son’s perspective, sharing good news and asking good questions, are the basics to evangelization. _Snippet From the Show Perhaps part of the reason we experience good things is so we can share them with others._

There’s likely going to be two types of people who will need to be reached once the churches reopen. Those who have become used to not going to Mass and won’t come back to church once the doors reopen. Then there’s some who have been doing some soul searching during quarantine. For the former, we will have to work pretty hard to get them back into the pews because they have found they are just fine without Jesus and church. The latter are more spiritually sensitive than before quarantine. They will be looking for churches, looking for God for clarity, purpose, and hope. They will be right there when the doors open again, hungry and thirsty for the Word. This means there will be new faces to welcome and opportunities to evangelize. Either way, we need to preach the gospel with such clarity and conviction that it cuts to the heart and brings people back to Jesus.

If you’re struggling with your Lenten commitment already, that may be a good thing because the purpose of Lent isn’t to do it perfectly, it is to reveal the things we’re putting before Christ. When we realize that there are things we prefer to Christ, we can go to the root of the problem and ask God to enter into that temptation. St. Benedict recognized this when he established his rule for monks. The rule ensured that their ascetic practices pointed to their ultimate goal of preferring nothing to Christ. If we employ this balance in our own Lenten fast, we find that by the end of Lent, our hearts will be ordered properly, with Christ first. Snippet from the Show “The whole goal of Lent is to orient ourselves so that we prefer nothing to Christ.”

You’ve repeated yourself multiple times, you’re getting frustrated and flustered, you’re raising your voice—you’re just not getting through to other people. We’ve all been there. By looking at the reasons why we’re not getting through, maybe we can approach these situations differently in the future, both in our homes, and with others. 3 Reasons We’re Not Getting Through 1. The person we’re trying to talk to isn’t in a position to hear us. Maybe they’re tired or hungry or extremely preoccupied, and the present moment just isn’t a good time to talk to them. 2. The person we’re talking to doesn’t understand us. Maybe the language we’re using isn’t ubiquitous and trying a different way of explaining would help. 3. You’re perceived as an adversary, and therefore nothing you say is affective. Anger is a sure way to get someone to shut down.

Epiphany is the feast where the Magi come to pay homage to the infant Jesus, but it can also be used to describe a moment of sudden revelation or insight. In the life of Jesus, there are three epiphanies, and each one reveals a truth about ourselves and how we can grow toward God. 3 Epiphanies and What They Mean for Us: 1. The Magi - the Magi are instructed to go back a different way. * We turn toward Christ and follow his teachings, and follow a different path. 2. Baptism of the Lord - Jesus’ identity as Son of the Father is confirmed. * We recognize our own identity and dignity as sons and daughters of God. 3. Wedding at Cana - Christ is revealed as bridegroom and Mary says, “Do whatever he tells you.” * We follow the commands of Christ. Snippet from the Show “The three epiphanies are three ways in which Christ dawns upon the human condition.”