Matthew Barron

[Roy T. Bennett @InspiringThinkn]

To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[Roy T. Bennett @InspiringThinkn]

Never remain captive to your past; it was only a lesson, never a life sentence.
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[Masih Alinejad @AlinejadMasih]

Surprised that some Iranians cried for Khamenei? Watch how North Koreans cried for Kim too.

The same playbook, When a regime controls every school, every mosque, every TV channel for 45 years, yes, some people will cry. That's the result of decades of psychological conditioning." Manufacture the grief.

[Bob Woodson @BobWoodson]

Happy birthday, America. Celebrating 250 years founded on hope, self-determination, and collective resilience.

#America250 #FoundedonHope #WoodsonCenter

[Woodson Center @WoodsonCenter]

"The 250th birthday of the United States presents a unique moment to celebrate beyond flag-waving, anthem-singing and praising the wisdom of the Founding Fathers. Though meaningful, such rituals become empty without moral reflection.

...The question is whether we still possess the spiritual
resources to renew ourselves. Will we continue nursing our grievances, or will we choose the harder path of radical grace? America’s future depends on that choice." - Robert L. Woodson, Sr. WSJ ("Architects of American Renewal")

@BobWoodson

[Woodson Center @WoodsonCenter]

"The painful struggle to live up to those ideals takes courage, self-discipline and, above all, grace. Not the cheap, performative grace of political rhetoric that rationalizes wrongdoing or denies injustice. The costly kind that demands something of you: discipline, sacrifice, responsibility and moral courage."

[Roy T. Bennett @InspiringThinkn]

Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[Roy T. Bennett @InspiringThinkn]

A life of significance is not something we possess, but something we embody—through the courage to be real, the grace to remain humble, the strength to endure, and the positive impact we leave on others.
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[Roy T. Bennett @InspiringThinkn]

Peace comes when you accept that not all things are yours to understand.
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[Roy T. Bennett @InspiringThinkn]

A positive attitude nurtures a positive mind; a positive mind radiates positive vibes; positive vibes shape a positive life.
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[Roy T. Bennett @InspiringThinkn]

With every step you take, let love and kindness light the way.
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[Bob Woodson @BobWoodson]

On episode 3 of the @WoodsonCenter's Resilience & Renewal series, Bob shared how the Woodson Center finds its leaders: “The quality that makes them effective makes them invisible. They’re not whining and complaining. They’re not pointing an accusing finger at anybody."

We find leaders by "expecting strengths" to be found.

Watch "Reclaiming Ground" here: https://t.co/l4cCfhSofi

[Gilbert Dabari @SkyVirginSon]

THE CATHOLIC RULE OF LIFE I WISH SOMEONE HAD TAUGHT ME SOONER

A few years ago, I thought becoming a better Catholic meant learning more.

More theology.

More apologetics.

More books.

More Catholic content.

Those things are good.

But I eventually discovered something surprising.

Most saints did not become saints because they knew more.

They became saints because they consistently did a few simple things every day.

That realization changed how I view the spiritual life.

So after studying Sacred Scripture, the Catechism, and the lives of the saints, I began noticing a pattern.

Different saints.

Different centuries.

Different personalities.

Yet they all built their lives around the same foundations.

If someone asked me today:

“How do I actually live like Jesus Christ every day?”

This is the framework I would share.

And honestly, it is the framework I am still trying to live myself.

1. GIVE GOD THE FIRST MOMENT OF YOUR DAY

Before the notifications.

Before the messages.

Before the news.

Before social media.

Give God the first moment.

Make the Sign of the Cross.

Thank Him for another day.

Offer everything to Him.

The first voice you hear should not be the world.

It should be God.

2. READ THE GOSPEL BEFORE YOU READ OPINIONS

One verse.

One paragraph.

One chapter.

Whatever you can manage.

The point is simple:

Let Christ shape your mind before the world shapes it for you.

Many of us spend hours consuming information and only minutes receiving formation.

That imbalance affects everything.

3. PROTECT THE STATE OF GRACE LIKE YOUR GREATEST TREASURE

Because it is.

The Church teaches that sanctifying grace is God's own life within the soul.

Nothing on earth is worth losing that.

Not success.

Not money.

Not pleasure.

Not popularity.

Go to Confession regularly.

Take sin seriously.

Take God's mercy even more seriously.

4. BUILD YOUR LIFE AROUND THE EUCHARIST

The saints never got tired of speaking about the Eucharist.

Neither should we.

The closer they drew to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the more they began to resemble Him.

Sunday Mass is the minimum.

Not the goal.

If possible, attend daily Mass.

Visit Jesus in Adoration.

Stay after Communion.

Speak to Him.

Listen to Him.

Remain with Him.

5. STOP LOOKING FOR HOLINESS IN EXTRAORDINARY THINGS

Most holiness happens in ordinary moments.

Being patient when you are tired.

Forgiving when you would rather hold a grudge.

Remaining kind when someone is difficult.

Serving when nobody notices.

The saints did not become saints because they did spectacular things every day.

They became saints because they loved God in ordinary circumstances.

6. CARRY YOUR CROSS INSTEAD OF RUNNING FROM IT

Every day brings a cross.

A disappointment.

A struggle.

A wound.

A sacrifice.

A burden nobody else sees.

Modern culture says:

“Avoid suffering.”

Jesus says:

“Follow Me.”

The difference is enormous.

One path seeks comfort.

The other seeks transformation.

[Masih Alinejad @AlinejadMasih]

I stand with the brave women of Afghanistan who face guns, bullets, beatings and arrest, simply for saying no to forced hijab.

I tried to cover my face. I couldn't breathe behind that piece of cloth for even a few seconds. A total humiliation. And the Taliban is demanding Afghan women wear it for a lifetime.

To every Western politician who calls the burqa Afghan "culture" you’re better listen to Women, Afghanistan, and Iran, who lived under Islamic regimes. You're sitting in a parliament in a free country, with a salary and a vote and a podium calling this culture. This is a total betrayal to us who are wounded but unbowed to our oppressors.

Stop legitimizing Taliban. Be the voice of women of Afghanistan. Who wants to end this Apartheid regime.

#LetUsTalk

[WDI.Afghanistan @WDIAfghanistan1]

Love and respect from Afghan women dear @AlinejadMasih
Thank you for your talk and stand up😍🙏🌿

[Matthew Barron @Matthew48088808]

@WDIAfghanistan1 @AlinejadMasih #neverforget

[Roy T. Bennett @InspiringThinkn]

Keep people around you who are loyal and caring—who love you well, support you, give you hope, and make your life brighter.
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[Carol M. Swain, PhD @carolmswain]

Here is my congressional testimony about the #SPLC. @elonmusk @Tyler2ONeil

[Father V @father_rmv]

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), a French Visitation nun, holds a central place in the history of Catholic spirituality as the principal apostle of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through a series of mystical visions between 1673 and 1675, particularly on the feast of Saint John the Evangelist in 1673, Jesus Christ revealed His Sacred Heart to her as a symbol of His infinite love and mercy for humanity.

In these apparitions, Our Lord expressed sorrow over the coldness and indifference of many souls toward His love and entrusted Saint Margaret Mary with the mission of establishing public devotion to His Sacred Heart. This devotion includes practices such as Eucharistic adoration, the Holy Hour, reception of Holy Communion on the First Fridays of the month, and the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. As part of this revelation, Jesus made twelve specific promises to those who would honor His Sacred Heart with true devotion.

The Twelve Promises are as follows:

I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.

I will establish peace in their homes.

I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.

I will bestow abundant
blessings upon all their undertakings.

Sinners will find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

I will bless every place in which an image of My Heart is exposed and honored.

I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.

Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.

I promise you, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Communion on the First Friday of every month for nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance. They shall not die in My displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments. My Heart shall be their secure refuge in that last hour.

These promises emphasize themes of divine assistance, mercy, spiritual growth, and the particular grace of final perseverance, often called the “Great Promise,” associated with the Nine First Fridays devotion. They underscore the Sacred Heart as a fountain of boundless love, inviting sinners to conversion, the lukewarm to renewed zeal, and the fervent to greater holiness.

The revelations to Saint Margaret Mary occurred during a period of spiritual challenges in 17th-century France, including Jansenist influences that portrayed God as distant and severe. In contrast, the Sacred Heart devotion highlights the tenderness and accessibility of Christ’s love. Although initially met with skepticism, the devotion gained ecclesiastical approval and spread widely. Saint Margaret Mary was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV, and the Feast of the Sacred Heart was extended to the universal Church.

The promises serve as a profound reminder of Christ’s desire for intimate union with souls, offering hope, consolation, and the assurance of His merciful presence in every aspect of human life. Through this devotion, we are invited to respond to the Heart of Jesus that loves us so greatly.