TOBET

Screen Time

by Chris Tarantino | Mar 9, 2026 | by Chris Tarantino, Catholic Life, Family, TOBET, Virtues

Before jumping into the deleterious effects of screen usage, I want to mention one thing: giving your kid a device when he or she wasn’t ready for it does not make you a bad parent or a bad person. There’s a definite tension—do I want my child to be part of this group chat in middle school, or do I want him or her to be shunned? All of us are trying to do the best we can to navigate the very complex changes in our society, and the right decision isn’t always obvious. At TOBET, we don’t want to condemn; we want to help pave the path forward.

TOB Reflections From a STEM Major

by TOBET | Feb 23, 2026 | by Samuel Mach, Catholic Life, TOB Elevator Pitch, TOBET, Virtues

Here’s one simple yet profound lesson from working at TOBET: when working, set aside the things distracting you from the task at hand. Keeping your attention on your phone is like keeping one foot in the door: your mind isn’t willing to focus when your body could leave at a moment’s notice. Be where your body is!

The Church’s Definition: For Our Flourishing

by Chris Tarantino | Feb 16, 2026 | by Chris Tarantino, Catholic Life, Culture, Family, Marriage and Love, TOBET, Virtues

The Catholic Church has caught a lot of flak over the years for defending the idea that the word marriage means “an indissoluble union between one man and one woman.” Some take issue with the “indissoluble” part, some with the “one” part, and still others with the “man and woman” part.

ONE Hour a Year!

by TOBET | Feb 2, 2026 | by Monica Ashour, Catholic Life, TOB Elevator Pitch, TOBET

If you only had ONE hour of mandated formation every year to teach over 2.5 million Catholic children and youth, what would you give them? We at TOBET know. We’d have them learn from our new program called Bridges and Boundaries.

New Year, New Program

by Chris Tarantino | Jan 12, 2026 | by Chris Tarantino, Catholic Life, TOB Elevator Pitch, TOBET

With the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord behind us, Christmas season has officially ended in the Roman Calendar. Though some will continue observing it until Candlemas, most of the Church has moved into Ordinary time. The excitement of the holiday season has calmed down, and we can look toward the year ahead. So, what’s next for TOBET?

Holy Days of Obligation

by Chris Tarantino | Dec 29, 2025 | by Chris Tarantino, Catholic Life, Christmas, Culture, Family, Saints and Holy People, TOBET, Virtues

Our parents give us so much. From our very first heartbeat, they sacrifice no small amount of sweat, blood, and treasure to bring us to full adulthood. They love us unconditionally, and work to give us a good life. We, in turn, trust our parents implicitly, and try to give them the respect and obedience due to them. No other relationships in our lives can compare to the importance of that with our parents.

Advent and the Body Part 4: Peace

by Chris Tarantino | Dec 22, 2025 | by Chris Tarantino, Catholic Life, Christmas, Pope John Paul II, Saints and Holy People, TOBET, Virtues

The Prophet’s Candle represented the hope of Israel in the promise of the Messiah. The Bethlehem Candle represented the faith of Mary and Joseph when they obeyed God’s commands. The Shepherd’s Candle represents the joy of those who received the good news of the Messiah. Finally, the violet Angel’s Candle represents the peace that Christ brings with His heavenly kingdom.

Advent and the Body Part 1: Hope

by Chris Tarantino | Dec 1, 2025 | by Chris Tarantino, Culture, TOB Elevator Pitch, TOBET, TOBET Blog

With Thanksgiving behind us, we turn our attention towards Christmas. We call this season of anticipation for the coming of Our Lord in the Incarnation, “Advent.” Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, with each Sunday having its own theme represented by one of the four candles on the Advent wreath. Starting on the first Sunday of Advent, we light the first violet “Prophet’s Candle,” which symbolizes Hope.

Thanksgiving

by Chris Tarantino | Nov 24, 2025 | by Chris Tarantino, Catholic Life, Culture, Family, TOBET, Virtues

Thanksgiving happens in the Fall and coincides with traditional dates of harvest. In fact, many Europeans at the time of the Pilgrims set aside days of thanks to God for successful harvests. The Pilgrims at Plymouth explicitly wanted to thank God for their bounty after having almost starved the prior Winter.

St. Martin’s Day

by Chris Tarantino | Nov 10, 2025 | by Chris Tarantino, Catholic Life, Culture, Saints and Holy People, TOBET, Virtues

Today marks the feast of a somewhat obscure saint in the minds of American Catholics: St. Martin of Tours. This particular feast used to hold particular importance in Medieval Europe, as it marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of Winter. The occasion, often called “Martinmas” or “Old Halloween,” saw feasting, the giving of small gifts to children, and even marked the beginning of St. Martin’s Lent.