Author - Fr. Barnabas Powell

Face It, You Need a Guide!


Christ is risen! OK, so I have a hard time asking for directions. But, hey, since the invention of the GPS, I don’t have to! My man’s ego is protected by technology once again! Seriously, I do admit to not being crazy about asking for help. It feels like weakness...

Can’t Buy Me Love


Christ is risen! They say that you can't buy happiness. Well, that's a bit subjective, because some folks are very happy for a short time when they spend money. There is even a genuine psychological disorder that deals with folks who are addicted to spending money. So, I guess it...

Dazzled By Popularity


Christ is risen! Everybody loves a celebrity. All you have to do is stand in line at the grocery store and see the many different magazines dedicated to keeping us informed about the lives of this or that celebrity and you can't escape this weakness in we humans. But so many...

Uncircumcised Hearts and Ears


Christ is Risen! "That boy is so hard-headed he wouldn't even notice a rock hitting him between the eyes." My grandmother had a way with words, but I've known people like this; so set in their ways that not even plain evidence would move them to change their ways. They...

Wasting Energy Hiding!


Christ is risen! I come from a generation that was suspicious of tattoos! And the generation before me, forget about it! My grandfather, a lifelong police officer, always said that tattoos were degrading to a man. Wow, some pretty strong words, especially in light of today's generation that consider "body...

Life or Judgement? You Decide


Christ is risen! One of the oldest manuscripts we have for the earliest days of the Christian Faith outside the Gospels is the Didache or "The Teaching of the 12 Apostles." This ancient writing dates from the First Century A.D. and begins with an intriguing phrase: "There are two ways, one...

True Communion


Christ is risen! St. Maximus the Confessor says "Food is not evil, but gluttony is. Childbearing is not evil, but fornication is. Money is not evil, but avarice is. Glory is not evil, but vainglory is. Indeed, there is no evil in existing things, but only in their misuse." So,...

God Doesn’t Condemn You


Christ is risen! The famous author J.K. Rowling once said: “I’m interested in that drive, that rush to judgment, that is so prevalent in our society. We all know that pleasurable rush that comes from condemning, and in the short term it’s quite a satisfying thing to do, isn’t it?”...

Sort Out Your Priorities!


Christ is risen! My mother had a famous saying to me and my brother when we were little. It usually came out when we didn't want to do something like clean our rooms or do other chores. Usually, it was because I either wanted to keep playing or watch TV....

Bright Friday – No Wonder the Water Is Hot!


Christ is risen! "What would Jesus do?" That phrase was popular a few years ago, and I confess to being amused by this fad of "easy religion." One of the main reasons was that the life of Jesus is not easily categorized as the comfortable "Jesus" we moderns would prefer....