Roots and Wings

 

Some songs are written from imagination. This one came from a letter I have treasured for years.

My daughter wrote this letter to me for Father’s Day while she was serving as a missionary in Guatemala. She couldn’t be home to celebrate with me, so she put into words what was in her heart.

She wrote about faith, family, her missionary calling, and the example she felt Liz and I had given her. One line especially stayed with me—the gratitude she felt for having been given “the permission and the invitation to live in the love of God and serve Him with my whole life.”

I recently took the heart of that letter and turned it into a song called “You Gave Me Wings to Go.”

As a father, there aren't many greater gifts than seeing your child discover who God is calling her to be—and then having the courage to let her go and follow that call.

The letter meant the world to me when I received it.

It means even more to me today.

“You gave me roots to love Him,
You gave me faith to trust Him,
And when He called my name…
You gave me wings to go.”

❤️ A song from a daughter's letter to her dad—and a reminder that sometimes the greatest act of a parent's love is giving our children both roots and wings.

Why Does the Priest or Deacon Mix Water With the Wine at Mass?

 

Why Does the Priest or Deacon Mix Water With the Wine at Mass?

It happens quietly at nearly every Mass.

As the chalice is prepared, the priest or deacon pours in the wine—and then adds just a small amount of water.

Why?

Those few drops may seem insignificant, but they carry a beautiful message about Christ and our relationship with Him.

In this episode of The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions, we explore this ancient practice, the prayer said quietly while the water is added, its connection to Christ's humanity and divinity, and the blood and water that flowed from His side on the Cross.

And perhaps most beautifully, those few drops of water can remind us of ourselves.

We bring Christ our weaknesses, our families, our struggles, our hopes, our sins—even the parts of our lives that seem insignificant—and ask Him to unite them completely with Himself.

💧 A few drops of water. A chalice of wine. An incredible mystery of union with Christ.

Join me for another episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns as we uncover the deeper meaning behind the Catholic traditions we see every Sunday but may never have understood.

🙏 Helping Catholics see life through the eyes of faith.

#TheCatholicJourney #DeaconPatKearns #CatholicFaith #CatholicTraditions #CatholicMass #Eucharist

Why Does the Priest or Deacon Kiss the Altar?

 

Why Does the Priest or Deacon Kiss the Altar?

It happens at nearly every Mass.

The priest and deacon enter the sanctuary, approach the altar…and kiss it.

But why?

It isn't simply a formal gesture or an old Catholic custom. The altar holds a profound place in our worship. It points us toward Christ, His sacrifice, the Eucharist, and even the witness of the early martyrs.

In this episode of The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions, we uncover what that simple kiss really means—and why understanding it might change the way you look at the altar the next time you attend Mass.

Because the altar isn't just a table.

It points us to Christ—the center of everything.

Join me for another episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns as we discover the deeper meaning behind the Catholic traditions we often see but don't always understand.

🙏 Helping Catholics see life through the eyes of faith.

#TheCatholicJourney #DeaconPatKearns #CatholicFaith #CatholicTraditions #CatholicMass #Eucharist

Take up Your Cross and Follow Me

 

Why Does the Church Use Different Liturgical Colors?

 

Why Does the Church Use Different Liturgical Colors?

Green. Violet. White. Red. Rose. Even black.

We see these colors throughout the Church year—but have you ever wondered why the Church uses them and what they actually mean?

The colors we see at Mass aren't simply decoration. Each one tells part of the story of our faith. They call us to grow, prepare, rejoice, sacrifice, persevere, and hope.

In this episode of The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions, we'll explore the meaning behind the Church's liturgical colors and discover how the Church is communicating something to us even before the first word of Mass is spoken.

Sometimes the Church speaks through bells.
Sometimes through incense.
Sometimes through silence.
And sometimes… she speaks through color.

Join me for another episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns as we discover the deeper meaning behind the Catholic traditions we often see but don't always understand.

🙏 Helping Catholics see life through the eyes of faith.

#TheCatholicJourney #DeaconPatKearns #CatholicFaith #CatholicTraditions

Ride Through the Pines — The Kearns Boys

 

🏍️🎶 Ride Through the Pines — The Kearns Boys

Some trips are about the destination. Others are about who you're riding with.

This Labor Day weekend, my brother Tim, my son Sean, and I are heading out for a four-day motorcycle camping adventure through the mountains of Northern California.

We'll meet up in Shingletown and then make our way through places like Burney Falls, McCloud, Mount Shasta, Castle Lake, and Hat Creek—motorcycles, tents, mountain roads, campfires, and hopefully a lot of laughs along the way.

As I was thinking about the trip, I decided it needed its own song.

So here is “Ride Through the Pines.”

The song isn't really about motorcycles. It's about something much more important: two brothers, a father and son, and taking the time to make memories together while we still can.

Life moves quickly. We get busy, we get older, and it's easy to tell ourselves, “We'll do it someday.”

Sometimes you just have to pick a date, pack the bikes, and go.

Two brothers. One son. One road.

🏍️ Pat • Sean • Tim
🌲 Northern California
📅 September 4–7, 2026

🎧 Here's “Ride Through the Pines.”

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? (21st Sunday ordinary Time - Year A)

 

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

This Sunday’s Gospel asks one of the most important questions Jesus ever asked His disciples:

“But who do you say that I am?” — Matthew 16:15

Peter responds with a declaration of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

But Jesus’ question wasn’t only meant for Peter. It is a question each of us must answer.

We may know what the Church teaches about Jesus. We may recite the Creed every Sunday. We may have been Catholic our entire lives. But eventually faith becomes personal:

Who is Jesus to me?

Is He simply someone I believe in—or is He truly the Lord of my life?

In this homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, we reflect on Peter’s profession of faith, Christ’s promise to build His Church upon the rock, and what it means to follow Jesus not simply with our words, but with the way we live.

🎙️ The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns

Faith. Truth. Encouragement for the Journey.

#Catholic #CatholicFaith #CatholicHomily #SundayHomily #21stSundayInOrdinaryTime #Matthew16 #JesusChrist #CatholicChurch #CatholicJourney #DeaconPatKearns