Retreat flashback from October 2025:
I woke this morning not by hearing birds singing, but by an alarming discovery of a loud chirping sound above my head. After coming to some sense of alertness, I realized that sound was the smoke detector informing me that it was time to change the battery. Read More
This is a photo of my family on a vacation at Opryland in Tennessee. Honestly, I don’t remember much about that vacation, but this photo reminded me of how my parents had this desire for us to wear matching t-shirts. I’m guessing because it was easy to spot us if we wandered off. But I really think that they wanted us to be the same, only different. Read More
How many of you made New Year’s resolutions? How many of you abandoned these already? Don’t feel bad. Statistics show that only 9% of us keep our resolutions throughout the year. 23% of us quit our goals by the end of the first week of January. 80% of us will bail on our resolutions by the end of this month. That’s pretty wild. Read More
Welcome 2026! How quickly did you arrive – and I honestly don’t know what happened to 2025. Read More
Many years ago, Bill Engvall came out with a comedy bit he called, “Here’s Your Sign,” which was based on his funny observations about everyday life, often involving people asking obvious questions. Let me give you an example: Read More
While on retreat a couple of months ago, I flipped through a magazine in my hermitage to see if anything captured my attention. Indeed there was!
My mind continues to be flooded with all sorts of things, feelings, and thoughts. At times, I feel like I am riding on a never-ending carousel ride that continues to spin and turn, never stopping for a chance to get off. These random thoughts just keep coming at all times, day and night, and it just never stops. Read More
In the year 1910, the Earth passed through the tail of Halley’s Comet for six hours. Leading up to this event, French Catholic astronomer Camille Flammarion said that all life on Earth could perish in the gases from the comet. Read More
Ah, Autumn! That wonderful time of year when the leaves turn colors, temperatures cool, and the stink bugs multiply in numbers.
“What a beautiful day,” I thought as I ventured out on a nature walk. The October sun was bright and warm while an autumn breeze gently blew through the trees, shaking loose its leaves as a reminder that even nature is preparing for another season to come. Read More
© 2026 Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker. All rights reserved.
