<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Little Apologist]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Little Apologist]]></description><link>https://www.littleapologist.com/my-blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:02:34 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[How to Explain Relics Without Sounding Weird]]></title><description><![CDATA[A simple guide to explaining the Catholic Church's use of relics (without making it weird).]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/how-to-explain-relics-without-sounding-weird</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a1f31e4d7053c3c7ea2d113</guid><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:32:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_3370ba8ae2164ee995875633d27275bd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_456,h_989,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Summary of Magnifica Humanitas]]></title><description><![CDATA[Not everyone has time to read an entire Papal Encyclical! So when Pope Leo's first Encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas was published this morning, I wanted to create a summary of it for anyone who doesn't have an extra few hours to spare, but still wanted to be part of the conversation. Consider this your "TL:DR" of Magnifica Humanitas! ]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/summary-of-magnifica-humanitas</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a14b6def3bc0136e51bac7a</guid><pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 20:55:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_8b99d41a212745b68ce3b8be451641a8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[10 Catholic High School Graduation Gifts They'll Actually Use]]></title><description><![CDATA[When I graduated from high school four years ago, I never could have imagined the journey the Lord would take me on over the following months and years. The graduation party that I waited, shopped, and planned for felt like an ending- but truly, it was only the beginning! Teens are notoriously hard to shop for to begin with- but add in an event like high school graduation, and things get even more tricky! Skip the cash and grab a gift from this list- you'll be supporting Catholic businesses...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/10-catholic-high-school-graduation-gifts-they-ll-actually-use</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a0d256a93f0cad0f7985717</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 04:49:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_cd7302cb651345ebb3c3ee57f4afaac4~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Catholic Teen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[If Mary isn't the Mother of God, then Jesus isn't who He says He is.]]></title><description><![CDATA[So, Jesus is God, yes? Most of us can agree on that much. And we know that Mary is the mother of Jesus. Therefore, logically speaking, Mary is the Mother of God. Mary was first defined as the Mother of God (Theotokos!) at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. This belief was a conclusion based upon belief in Jesus' Incarnation- that He is fully God AND fully man. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/if-mary-isn-t-the-mother-of-god-the-jesus-isn-t-who-he-says-he-is</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697d28c32c80129225d74493</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_7a090cc914fb41f39874d42ba2c68390~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_205,h_246,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[To the Person thinking about coming back to Mass for Christmas.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hi friend! I'm so very glad that you're thinking about coming to Mass for Christmas! At a time of year when the world seems to focus just a little but more on joy, peace, family, and tradition, there's truly no where better to go than to Mass. I don't know why you haven't been to Mass for a while. Maybe it's because you've been hurt by the Church. Maybe it's because you don't agree with what the Church teaches. Or maybe it's because you've just been busy. But there's a reason why your heart...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/to-the-person-thinking-about-coming-back-to-mass-for-christmas</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69509b400972dbe0f7f0681b</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_34884c2fa6d34b49a6c858b4315c7f95~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_401,h_869,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why does the Church teach that Baptism is Necessary for Salvation?]]></title><description><![CDATA["Baptism now saves you" is one of the phrases we hear in the rite of Baptism. But why would this be? Isn't it unfair of God to make Baptism a necessity when some people will never even hear about Jesus, let alone know that they should be Baptized? There are so many verses throughout the New Testament that make it clear that Salvation and Baptism go hand in hand. Mark 16:16: "The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned." 1 Peter 3:21:...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/why-does-the-church-teach-that-baptism-is-necessary-for-salvation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695098500972dbe0f7f06217</guid><pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_039a6458302d431cbd6127db4db020d1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_401,h_869,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why are all the Catholics saying "Happy New Year?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[So, what's up with all the Catholics celebrating a month early? This isn't the January 1 New Year- it's the Church's liturgical New Year, starting with Advent. Some of us are even having parties. It's a pretty great time! (I promise we're not crazy!) The Church celebrates different moments in the life of Christ and the life of His Church all throughout the year. Reading Scripture each day in the readings that are used for Mass, we are brought through the life of Christ. This "year" begins...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/why-are-all-the-catholics-saying-happy-new-year</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695094ef0972dbe0f7f05b11</guid><pubDate>Sat, 29 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_65140e73388f40fa8cd7583e97e488c3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_395,h_236,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Here's What it Means to be a Temple of the Holy Spirit.]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you are a baptized Christian, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in you. At Baptism, we become temples of the Holy Spirit by the grace of God. "Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature," an adopted son of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature,"  member of Christ and coheir with him,  and a temple of the Holy Spirit." (CCC 1265) And what is a Temple? A temple is traditionally defined as a building or sacred...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/here-s-what-it-means-to-be-a-temple-of-the-holy-spirit</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6950937e103da5c23b90bbc5</guid><pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_4f9b36b23c3c457abdceaee1fa18f770~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_578,h_869,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[10 Tips if you Struggle with the Rosary.]]></title><description><![CDATA[I struggle to pray the Rosary, and I don't know exactly why. Maybe it's because my mind wanders. Or maybe because, in my mind, twenty minutes feels like an eternity when I have twenty other things to do. It might be because I know I'll fall asleep. But, more likely than not, it's because I feel like I'm not doing it right. I was thinking about it today- when Our Lady appeared at Fatima, it's said that she told the children to "pray the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world." Notice,...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/10-tips-if-you-struggle-with-the-rosary</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695090620972dbe0f7f05145</guid><pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_c677a98ebc4242aea8673af35bc5616a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_567,h_608,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Should Catholics still pray for others to be healed?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[YES!! The answer is yes. 100%. Absolutely. Today's Gospel had me thinking about the healing ministry of the Apostles. Jesus literally told His disciples to "take nothing for your journey and heal the sick..."So are we called to do that too? Yes- without a doubt. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is "intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness" (CCC 1511) and may certainly bring about physical or emotional healing! In addition to this, we are called as Christians to...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/should-catholics-still-pray-for-others-to-be-healed</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f403a076646ed86e42a95f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_0f81271e9e25470c8407b3eaef02f333~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_414,h_531,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[5 Catechism paragraphs I’m loving right now.]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the last year or so, and more specifically in this last week, I've discovered a love for the Catechism. What a blessing it is to have a text that contains a summary and explanation of all that Christ's Church teaches!! I was never quite sure what the Catechism was- what the purpose of it was- why we needed it if it wasn't the Bible. The Catechism is not here for us to read instead of the Bible- rather, it serves as a companion to the Christian life, summarizing the teachings of the faith...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/5-catechism-paragraphs-i-m-loving-right-now</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f4004d60ceb7e0d1059f29</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_c7167aedd21741aa957527891926a571~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I used to be so afraid of the end of the world.]]></title><description><![CDATA[I used to be so afraid of the end of the world. and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.  In 2020, I remember sitting in my bedroom watching Catholic YouTube (because what else was there to do during COVID?!) and over and over again seeing these fear-mongering “prophecy” videos. I was so scared that all of a sudden something would happen, everything would burst into flames, and everything would be in even more chaos. I'd be so uneasy when I'd hear verses like Revelation 22:20, Titus 2:13, and...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/i-used-to-be-so-afraid-of-the-end-of-the-world</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f3feea6bef380dfdca8900</guid><pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_316c63c3524c428aa5d8b24353f9406e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Call no man 'Father'?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[This question is one that a lot of people wonder about- so let's break it down. Matthew 23:8-10 does say "Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven," when translated into English. In this verse, Jesus was emphasizing that no one has ultimate authority but God alone, not saying that we literally can call no one our father. We know this because there are many verses in the Biblical texts, including the New Testament, where people other than God alone are referred to as...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/call-no-man-father</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f3f7f360ceb7e0d1058f25</guid><pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_c37aedf1ddc6467ba5dc47029f9e3055~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_439,h_660,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[“I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts.”]]></title><description><![CDATA[I saw a comment on someone’s post that said, “I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts.” and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it... Because here’s the thing: Our thoughts don't have the power to change things directly. Thinking ≠ Interceding. The Saints in Heaven- our Cloud of Witnesses that we hear about in the 2nd reading today- are they in Heaven just THINKING about us? No. They're praying. our Father listens to His Children's cries. Prayer changes things. Pleading with the King of the...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/i-ll-be-keeping-you-in-my-thoughts</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f3f53576646ed86e428d68</guid><pubDate>Sun, 17 Aug 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_87db86eef13b48dc993f7323dfeb774f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[6 Questions Every Catholic Should Know How to Answer About Holy Days of Obligation]]></title><description><![CDATA["What is a Holy Day of Obligation?" Holy Days of Obligations are solemnities in the Church calendar that are to be treated with the same obligation as a Sunday Mass. This means that we are to treat those days as days of rest and attend Mass on those days, as we would on Sundays. "When are they?" In The United States...Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the Solemnity of the Ascension; Aug 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/6-questions-every-catholic-should-know-how-to-answer-about-holy-days-of-obligation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f3f1196bef380dfdca6e56</guid><pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_61ef61fbd06f4b7883be75cc22a24a91~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_447,h_333,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[If fear has held you captive, please read this post.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Or you can go and watch the video on Instagram, because I'll share it there too. This is incredible what God has done.  For years now, I've lived in fear.  For the last five years (and honestly, probably longer) I've lived with obsessive compulsive disorder that manifested itself in ways that made me horrified that I'd committed a mortal sin, afraid to love because it could mean hurting someone else, and the most debilitating of all has been the fear of getting sick- specifically a GI bug or...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/if-fear-has-held-you-captive-please-read-this-post</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68990c0efc810a67e3172845</guid><pubDate>Sun, 10 Aug 2025 21:54:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_10f069cc2fea4ea7ad2db07edcffc713~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Lord, Teach us to Pray": A Simple Guide to the 3 Types of Prayer]]></title><description><![CDATA[Jesus gave us the most foundational prayer in the Our Father, teaching His disciples how to pray. The Church identifies three types of prayer - all seen in Jesus’ own life. Vocal Prayer: Vocal prayer is a form of prayer, modeled after Christ’s own prayers recorded in Scripture, in which we use words- spoken, written, or sung, to talk to God. Examples of Vocal prayer:   The Rosary The Mass Praise and Worship Journaling Spoken prayer In the Catechism... Vocal prayer, founded on the union of...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/lord-teach-us-to-pray-a-simple-guide-to-the-3-types-of-prayer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68867482e2fb1aad706d7ac0</guid><pubDate>Sun, 27 Jul 2025 18:54:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_cd262cceb5ec4f5983347f15e020b722~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Send this to someone who's asked you, "Are you saved?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[There are so many misconceptions surrounding what Catholics actually believe about Salvation. Here's a quick overview... We have been saved by grace through faith by Jesus' Sacrifice, ordinarily received at Baptism, and by no works of our own-that’s justification. (Eph 2:8–9, Rom 5:1) We are being saved by "working out our salvation with fear and trembling" by living a life in cooperation with God's grace; - that’s sanctification. (1 Cor 1:18, Phil 2:12) We have confident hope to be saved and...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/send-this-to-someone-who-s-asked-you-are-you-saved</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68865b12594e3699b613f4cb</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_2798081616a14f5eaca033e8838ef75a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_444,h_355,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jesus gave me flowers on the side of the highway.]]></title><description><![CDATA[... and it made me think about the ways that we can come to know God. Let me explain. I was driving to an appointment the other day and the purple and yellow flowers on the side of the road caught my eye. I love getting flowers.  So  when I saw the hundreds and hundreds of gorgeous blooms in the afternoon sunshine, my immediate thought was, "Thank you Jesus! You are so generous to your little ones." The Catechism says that we come to know God and His existence in primarily two ways: The world...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/jesus-gave-me-flowers-on-the-side-of-the-highway</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6886590c3f524736c9df3f13</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_0a40f0777a8e4adba09674e90f2e20ee~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BOOK REVIEW: My Type of Holiness: Striving for Sainthood with the Temperament God Gave Me]]></title><description><![CDATA[I've always been fascinated by the four temperaments.  I remember being at a talk by Jackie Francois Angel at a  Steubenville conference one year when she started talking about the temperaments. I was fascinated. The powerful choleric. The friendly sanguine. The thoughtful melancholic. The easygoing phlegmatic. Over the years I've read numerous books and articles and listened to podcasts about the temperaments. I'm primarily of the melancholic temperament, with choleric being my secondary...]]></description><link>https://caefreelance.wixsite.com/mysite/post/book-review-my-type-of-holiness-striving-for-sainthood-with-the-temperament-god-gave-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">685dfcba7d12e91fd9bcd761</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2025 02:10:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73dd2d_511feacc42c1419f96ef40ac2973d95a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_401,h_869,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Colleen Eisley</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>