LOSE YOUR ILLUSIONS - Firebrand Dispatch #1
A rundown of my latest work that you may have missed
Hey Subscribers (and readers!). Here’s something a little different. It’s a rundown of my latest work. In the future I”ll be sending out these rundowns through my off-Substack newsletter, Catholic Firebrand. It’s a personal project of mine and one of the things I’ll do there is send out newsletters with rundowns of my work from across my three publications on Substack, podcast clips and segments, and something that stood out on my socials. It’s all short form, abbreviated previews that make it easy to read, browse and choose the specific posts that interest you. I also plan on doing exclusive commentary from time to time. Consider it, and subscribe if you like.
Let’s get to this rundown of my latest work
✴️ Recent Reflections — Seeing, Surrendering, and Staying in the Spirit
It’s been a season of seeing things more clearly for me, and that’s a theme for my latest work. Let’s see things more clearly— in the world, in ourselves, and in how God calls us to live and respond. Across The Quiet Ember and Stoking the Embers, these three pieces share one thread: waking up to truth, aligning our will with God’s, and learning how to respond not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.
🕊️ Live in the Spirit, Not the Flesh
We react to life constantly — to people, problems, and even temptations — but not all reactions are equal. The devil can’t force us to sin; he only nudges us to react in ways that pull us off course. In this piece, I explore what it means to “react in the flesh,” and how spiritual composure turns every provocation into an opportunity to resist the enemy. Staying in the Spirit means learning to meet every moment — even the frustrating ones — from a higher place of trust, hope, and surrender to God’s providence.
Live in the Spirit, Not the Flesh
I recently saw this on Substack Notes, posted by Inner Faith Inquiry
🙏 Teach Me to Do Your Will
This reflection begins with a single line from Psalm 143:10: “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.” What starts as a simple prayer becomes a powerful recognition of God’s authority as the true Master and Teacher of the soul. I share how, through the intercession of St. Joseph and St. Anthony, I moved from saying “I’ll consider it” to “I’ll do it.” It’s about humility before divine instruction — standing before God not as negotiators, but as students ready to learn what love demands of us.
How I went from 'My Will!' to 'Thy Will'
An awareness of God’s will, and a sincere and earnest desire to serve that will, is a gift of infinite value!
👓 The Glasses Were Always On — Lessons from They Live (The Quiet Ember)
In this reflection on John Carpenter’s They Live (1988), the cult classic becomes a metaphor for our own blindness. The sunglasses in the film don’t give power — they give sight. They strip away illusions of comfort and control, revealing how easily we trade truth for peace. The real horror isn’t alien manipulation; it’s our quiet cooperation with it. Seeing reality — spiritual and cultural — takes courage, because once you truly see, you can’t unsee.
🔊 Lessons from ‘They Live!’ (Podcast, Stoking the Embers)
I tear into the eerie accuracy of John Carpenter’s They Live, showing how the film’s “glasses” reveal not aliens, but our willingness to believe lies. From the Church to culture, I show how people today see what isn’t there—and ignore what’s right in front of them.
Clip
Lessons from "They Live"
“They Live” isn’t really about aliens—it’s about blindness. It's time to open our eyes, my people!
ARTICLE
🕯️ A Final Word
Each of these pieces circles a common Truth: the Christian life is about learning to see rightly, respond rightly, and live rightly — in the Spirit, not the flesh; in obedience, not pride; in truth, not illusion. If one of these themes speaks to you, I invite you to read the full reflections and share your thoughts in the comments.