Book Description

As the year 2020 began, everyone I talked to thought it was going to be the best year ever. Then, on March 12, the Wuhan virus arrived and suddenly we were forced to live like monks, quarantined in our homes trying to cope with feelings of loneliness, fear, and anger, not to mention struggling with finances and the loss of school and work. As a Catholic priest, my job was to stay connected with friends, family, and parishioners--keeping spirits up, keeping the focus on prayer and God.For me personally, though, being the social person that I am, the biggest challenge was isolation. But then something happened. I realized: Wait a minute, I've learned something about isolation, and what better time than now to tell others about it?Back in the summer of 2018, I had embarked on a 30-Day Ignatian Silent Retreat in Sedalia, Colorado and during it, I kept a journal. In it, I recorded the thoughts, feelings, and imagery I experienced during my meditations. Reading it over in the Spring of 2020, I relived it again: I've been a Catholic priest for 20 years, yet that month was truly life-altering for me. My relationship with Jesus Christ deepened beyond words, and my love and trust in Jesus and the Holy Trinity reached its most profound level.During those 30 days of silence, God spoke to me about my overall life's mission: to encourage others to have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. The only reason I was able to hear His voice so clearly was that I had turned off my tech--not an easy task for someone addicted to his phone and laptop--and followed St. Ignatius' map to the journey of a lifetime.Throughout that amazing month in Colorado, my creative imagination went wild. I'm not an artist--though I am a photographer, producer, and story developer for film and video. After getting the enthusiastic green light from my spiritual director to write this book, an idea to have an artist create illustrations to enhance the reading experience came to me.The first artist I contacted suggested that I invite a number of artists to contribute their talent. Brilliant! Hence, throughout 30 Days Unplugged, you'll experience the special work of some immensely talented people, and my hope is that their unique interpretations will communicate to you on another level entirely the wonder and joy of being alone with God.My hope is that, with 30 Days Unplugged, I can inspire you to take a similar journey, to unplug and find out what God wants to tell you about your life.