Seeds of Truth Ministries

Joseph Hollcraft

More Blog Entries

Come and See

I still recall as a young boy walking to our local grocery store, and one of my older brothers going underneath a bridge to find some crayfish. At the time, I had no idea what he was doing, or why he would be doing anything other than getting to the... Read more

Stretch for God

What is the first thing we do when we wake up in the morning—if not, before we get out of bed? Stretch (and yawn). We do this instinctively. Our bodies need to stretch after a good night’s rest, because it loosens our muscles and helps blood circulation. Stretching is more... Read more

The Son Becomes the Father and the Father Becomes the Son

In June of 2006 my wife and I went to the theatre to watch Superman Returns. As usual, I did not leave disappointed: from the imaginative cinematography to the engaging storylines, the movie moved swiftly along, but it was one encounter that had the hair on my skin stand up... Read more
  • 1 of 13
  • >

There is Something Exceptional About You

Recently, my youngest daughter was adding color to something she had drawn. Not only was the drawing quite good for a toddler, but her selection of shade and color was equally impressive.  For whatever reason, she decided to erase her selection of shade and color, only to have her older sister tell her, “put that color back, the picture is not the same without it.” That got my attention, because she was right. Something that was once there (color), adding beauty to what was already there (drawing), was suddenly gone. This had me thinking about the spiritual life and our call to add “color” to what is already there in the Kingdom of God.

We have been given a gift in the Kingdom of God and we have something to give in return, ourselves. By turning our lives over to the Kingdom of God, we add something that would otherwise not be seen.

God speaks to us: “I created you because you can manifest Me like no one else…I am putting something in you that is original, an exceptional particularity--a detail that is unrepeatable.”  

The uniqueness of who we are in the image of God bursts forth when the power of Christ lives within us. In other words, Christ’s singular beauty draws out the beautiful detail of who God desires us to become. The deeper we go into the sacramental mystery of Christ, the more we become the person God intended us to be, because God is in us! Christ fills us up with His grace that we would fulfill our purpose of manifesting God in who we are and what we do.

Conversely, without Christ, our uniqueness goes unseen. If we do not embrace the gift of being in relationship with the God-Man Jesus Christ, then a part of what is beautiful in God’s mystical body of Christ will never be revealed. This is striking! Imagine the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, missing something. One of my favorite places to visit is Yosemite National Park. There is an area in the Valley where you get a view of Yosemite Falls with Half Dome in the background. The view is breathtaking. It captivates me every time. I cannot imagine such beauty without Yosemite Falls or Half Dome, and yet, this is what we have (and even more), when we decide not to fulfill our purpose in life by magnifying God in who we are and what we do.

Culture today needs our distinct gift, our Christian uniqueness. There are many people in the world today who desire to be different, but instead of turning to God to give meaning to their lives, they pivot toward the world for answers and are left empty. Our uniqueness abides in the soul and must be attended to by God. We become holy if we walk in the presence of God and allow Him to “set us apart” (actual meaning of holiness).  Our holiness is a manifestation of God’s holiness living within us. And this manifestation of holiness ought to be an encouragement and invitation for others to discover their wholly uniqueness in Christ (holiness).​​

When my oldest daughter told my youngest daughter that her picture was not the same without the original color, I was powerfully reminded that each of us have a “color” to add to the Christian canvas, the distinct “color” of our potential in Christ; our potential when we allow Christ to invade our souls through and through!

View Dr. Hollcraft's author profile on Amazon
Unleashing the Power of Intercessory Prayer - Book Cover

“Hollcraft's book engagingly integrates his personal experience with the luminous witness of Scripture and the overflowing holiness of the saints to help you maximize the effectiveness of your intercessory prayer.”
Bishop Liam Cary
Diocese of Baker, Oregon

“With this book, Hollcraft opens the door to the humble act of praying for others and invites us, through practical and accessible tips, to step through that door with trust.”
Dr. Anthony Lilles
Author and Academic Dean of Saint Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park (CA)

"As I read through these pages, I am reminded of our beautiful calling to pray for others, and Dr. Hollcraft explains here how to do so in deepest intimacy with Jesus Christ!"
Fr. Dave Pivonka T.O.R.
President of Franciscan University of Steubenville

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now from Sophia Institute Press

A Heart for Evangelizing - Book Cover

“Evangelization is never about numbers, and never about programs. It’s one heart setting another on fire. With this book, Dr. Hollcraft helps us keep the home fires burning—even as we set the world ablaze with Christ.”
Mike Aquilina
Award-winning author of more than 40 popular books

“Hollcraft wonderfully displays the tapestry of Catholic life and evangelization by weaving solid Catholic teaching, its application to the modern world, and clearly expressed examples that bring out the light and shadows of this beautiful picture.”
Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J.
Author, television host, Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center
for Biblical Theology

"In a world of burgeoning textbooks and media, the reminder that  catechesis is inescapably a personal task to which we are all called, through a cooperation with the redeeming and educative work of the Person of the Holy Trinity, is a timely and important one."
Dr. Petroc Willey
Professor of Catechetics, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now from Emmaus Road