New Articles Every Monday
New Articles Every Monday
The Hidden Pew
Many single parents remain in what might be called the “hidden pew”—present but largely
unnoticed, faithful yet quietly burdened. They arrive, participate, and depart with minimal
recognition, carrying both responsibility and hope.
To see them is not merely an act of social awareness; it is an act of ecclesial fidelity. It is to
recognize in their lives a reflection of Christ’s own path: one marked by sacrifice, sustained by
grace, and oriented toward redemption.
The Road So Far
One year ago, CodekasWrites began as a simple act of writing. What followed was a year of consistency, growth, and unexpected direction—from reflections on Scripture to the beginnings of The Toll Booth Universe, and now the launch of Salt & Light. The road so far has been about building. The road ahead is about going deeper.
Between Reverence and Ridicule: Aquinas, Scandal, and the Moral Shape of Comedy
In an age of endless content and boundary-pushing comedy, Catholics are faced with a deeper question: not simply what is funny, but what our laughter is forming within us.
Drawing on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and the virtue of eutrapelia, this article explores the line between humor that refreshes the soul and humor that leads to scandal. Through the contrasting styles of Pete Holmes and Shane Gillis, it offers a compelling framework for discerning whether our comedy builds communion—or slowly erodes reverence.
Because in the end, we are not only what we eat—but what we laugh at.
Living in the In-between
In living with fibromyalgia remission, I have learned that
healing does not erase the cross; it changes its weight.
Health, like suffering, becomes a vocation — a call to live
responsibly, gratefully, and with awareness of the body’s
ongoing need for grace. Each day of remission is both gift
and task: to walk carefully, to pray honestly, and to
remember that faith endures not only in weakness, but in
the quiet aftermath of it.
Now What?
In the desert, a super bloom follows sudden rain—what once seemed barren bursts into life overnight. The Triduum feels much the same. After the austerity of Lent, the Church erupts in beauty—light, color, and liturgy drawing the soul in.
And this year, that beauty is drawing people in like never before.
Across the world, young people are entering the Church in rising numbers—many with no religious background at all. They are not returning. They are discovering.
They come not first for arguments or doctrine, but because they have encountered something beautiful—and in that beauty, something true.
Introducing…Salt & Light
An exciting new members only offering from CodekasWrites.com!
Membership — $7/month
For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, Salt & Light offers weekly Catholic reflections rooted in Scripture, tradition, and lived experience.
Each week, you’ll receive:
🎧 A recorded reflection
📖 A written companion piece
🔥 Practical application for daily life
Not just inspiration—but formation.
Cancel anytime. Stay as long as you’re growing.
The Last Longing
Death reminds us that our time is not endless.
Judgment reveals that our lives are not without consequence.
Hell warns us that separation from God is not only possible, but final.
And Heaven—Heaven shows us what all of this has been for.
Is He Alive or Dead?
Then Comes Judgement
Modern culture rejects judgment, yet Christianity insists that judgment is unavoidable. Scripture teaches that each person will face a particular judgment at death and a final judgment at the end of time. Lent calls believers to examine their lives honestly before God, recognizing that divine justice and mercy will ultimately reveal the truth of every soul.
First, Comes Death
Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven—together they form what Christian tradition has long called the Four Last Things. Like the Horsemen who share their number, they are not distant figures galloping somewhere beyond the horizon. They are already on the road. Already approaching. Already closer than we care to admit.
Yet before the soul stands before its Judge, before eternity opens toward Heaven or collapses inward toward Hell, something must happen first. There is no shortcut around it. No exemption. No delay granted by youth, wealth, or good intentions.
First, comes death.