Rekindling Wonder: Touching Heaven in a Screen Saturated World

by Fr. Chris Seith

Our screens are not morally neutral. The devices that we are so attached to affect our perception of the world. Unless we use them in a way contrary to the way in which they are intended to be used, we will find ourselves imprisoned in our own minds and living in a boring and lifeless world. In this book, Fr. Chris Seith exposes the spiritual apathy consuming our lives and, more importantly, God’s response to our imprisonment. In Jesus Christ, God has set us free from our spiritual malaise and rekindles in us a sense of wonder at the beauty of reality.

REVIEW

By Sister Marysia Weber, RSM, author of Screen Addiction: Why You Can’t Put That Phone Down

 

Smartphone use outside of work related activity preoccupies the average American for 5.4 hours each day. In his book, Rekindling Wonder: Touching Heaven in a Screen Saturated World, Father Christopher Seith argues that deleting apps or reducing screentime isn’t enough to rehabilitate a generation dependent on digital stimulants. Constantly irradiated by screens, our culture is sick with what the desert fathers called “the noonday devil”—acedia. He vividly highlights how ever increasing hours spent captivated by screens isolates persons and threatens to precipitate an existential crisis. Acedia’s daughter vices—despair, distaste for the sacred, and distraction– dispose us to estrangement.

 

Without condemning technology, Father Seith observes that dependence on the digital makes life more convenient and less painful, but not more human. Father Seith poignantly describes how a community could devolve into a network of individuals programmed to escape misery and anxiety through virtual algorithms. 

 

Father Seith articulates that with attachment to digital devices, we have forgotten the value of human life and our ontological end to make God’s love present in the world.  He reiterates that the primordial and sacred Church has something liberating to offer in the midst of a dehumanizing world.  

 

Father Seith seeks not to offer practical solutions but to provoke thought.  I highly recommend Father Seith’s book as it invites a world eclipsed by the modern noonday devil into the Light of Truth.  

Testimonials

“Father Seith’s book Rekindling Wonder: Touching Heaven in a Screen Saturated World is a thought-provoking exposé about the necessity of exposing our modern noonday devil—digital devices—to the Light of Truth.” – Sr. Marysia Weber, RSM, author of Screen Addiction: Why You Can’t Put That iPhone Down

“Put down your devices and read Rekindling Wonder. This is a most important work for our time. Fr. Seith has diagnosed a silent, omnipresent and deadly spiritual condition. Gratefully, in this engaging book he leads the reader on a journey to healing through trust and joy with Jesus Christ.” Most Reverend William D. Byrne, Bishop of Springfield, MA

“In Rekindling Wonder: Touching Heaven in a Screen Saturated World, Fr. Christopher J. Seith lays bare the true nature of acedia, showing us how to find stability within an inconstant, digitally-mediated world by grounding ourselves in the truth of Jesus Christ.” – Matt Fradd, author of Does God Exist? A Socratic Dialogue on the Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas

“Do you worry that you are too tied to a smartphone? Do you worry about the consequences? Have you found nothing that resolves the problem? Then turn with author Father Chris Seith to the age-old Christian wisdom about acedia. A new Christ-centered understanding of your experience will set you free.” – Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV, author of The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to Everyday Living

“This book, written with deep spiritual insight and theological wisdom, deftly applies ancient Christian wisdom to the ever-expanding reach of our current technology.” – John S. Grabowski, Ph.D., Professor of Moral Theology/Ethics, School of Theology and Religious Studies, The Catholic University of America

“Father Seith has accurately diagnosed acedia as the condition of contemporary Man. Such a condition will not be disarmed by more data or information provided by the internet. It will only be wrestled to the ground by the in-breaking of the presence of Christ. It is Presence that heals the boring self-enclosed, self-imposed world we inhabit. A world of our making, a world built up through our patterned and addictive relationship to technology. Here in these pages we find a way out of boredom and obsessive control seeking. But the way out is a way of intimate healing, a way of welcoming the Divine Presence IN. Only the harrowing of ‘our’ hell by the Christ will set us free. This beautifully written and erudite book will give us the courage to say YES to this in-breaking, this rescue mission born of God’s love.” – Deacon Jim Keating, Professor of Spiritual Theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary

Rekindling Wonder engages the reader with a vision of living a more authentic relationship with God and man.” – Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, author of Teaching and Learning in the Age of COVID19: Faith-Based — Online and Emergency Remote

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fr. Christopher J. Seith was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington in 2014. After serving as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mercy parish in Potomac, MD, he began his doctoral studies at The Catholic University of America while living at St. John Paul II Seminary.  

In the Spring of 2020, he successfully defended his dissertation in which he examined Josef Pieper’s thought to argue that digital devices, unless they are used in a way contrary to their intended use, will imprison their users within a workaday world and damage their ability to joyfully celebrate the sacred mysteries.

He is currently the Director of Spiritual Formation at St. John Paul II Seminary.

OTHER CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY BOOKS

77 Soundbytes of Love

77 Soundbytes of Love

77 Soundbytes of Love: The Philosophical Spirituality of Ronda Chervin By Ronda Chervin This book is an anthology of soundbytes -- 77 to be exact -- drawn from almost one hundred philosophical works of Ronda Chervin written over the past half century. Why 77? It's a...

read more
Mark on the Line

Mark on the Line

Mark on the Line: ​On the sinking of the Marques, June 4, 1984 by Lawrence Hopperton Mark on the Line is centred on the grief author Larry Hopperton endured – endures – in the aftermath of the devastating 1984 loss of the sailing ship Marques, a vessel whose doomed...

read more
Into the Heart of St. Joseph

Into the Heart of St. Joseph

Into the Heart of Saint Joseph by Jason Schreder What was on St. Joseph’s heart and mind when he held Jesus for the first time? What would it have been like to be the head of the Holy Family? Into the Heart of St. Joseph immerses the reader into St. Joseph’s interior...

read more
Talkaholics: Fate or Work-in-Process?

Talkaholics: Fate or Work-in-Process?

Talkaholics: Fate or Work-in-Progress By Ronda Chervin Why would I ever think I talk too much? Here are some tiny stories to show you why: “Ronda,” asked my spiritual director, “what would it be like if you joined a table (at the seminary where I was teaching and took...

read more
Lord, do you mean me? A father-Catechist?

Lord, do you mean me? A father-Catechist?

Lord, Do You Mean Me? A father-Catechist! by Francis Etheredge Reflecting on the reality of childhood, Francis Etheredge explores what is entailed in being a parent who wants to take up the vocation, as widely and as specifically as possible, of helping to found the...

read more
Purgatory in the Words of Jesus

Purgatory in the Words of Jesus

Purgatory in the Words of Jesus by Roger Skrenes In this book, Roger Skrenes explains how the teaching that only two possible realms exist after death, that of Heaven and Hell, as argued by many non-Catholic Christians, is not correct. Christ actually spoke of a third...

read more
The Sea Lord’s Bookshelf by Vincent Salamoni, M.S.A.

The Sea Lord’s Bookshelf by Vincent Salamoni, M.S.A.

All profits go to the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles (M.S.A.) LORD, HAVE MERCY. The oceans are big; our boat is small.The Sea Lord's Bookshelf by Reverend Vincent A. Salamoni, M.S.A. This book is a catalyst, of a beginning voyage. Here it is a short one, yet a long...

read more
For the Love of God: The Sacred Heart and the Divine Mercy

For the Love of God: The Sacred Heart and the Divine Mercy

For the Love of God: The Sacred Heart and the Divine Mercy Kristina R. Olsen The purpose of this book is to invite you into the Sacred Heart of Jesus to experience his love, and to introduce you to the Divine Mercy devotion to encounter God's limitless forgiveness. We...

read more
The Book of Love: Brief Meditations

The Book of Love: Brief Meditations

Cover design by Sophia ClementsWhen given the chance to submit cover designs, four out of five of Richard Clements' children submitted drawings. The one selected is from among those four submissions. The other three submissions are featured here above.The Book of...

read more
Devociones Diarias de LIFE Runners

Devociones Diarias de LIFE Runners

Devociones Diarias de LIFE Runners Editado por Dr. Patrick Castle and Bernadette Costello ¡DIOS primero, VIDA siempre, EQUIPO para siempre! Corredores de VIDA es el equipo Pro-Vida más grande del mundo, correr es opcional, se requiere camiseta y se necesita fe. Nos...

read more
Nuggets of Wisdom

Nuggets of Wisdom

Nuggets of Wisdom By Bob Sizemore with Ronda Chervin In this handy volume, Bob Sizemore and Ronda Chervin engage in a dialogue intended to deliver nuggets of life's wisdom, offering both specific and general insights on navigating one's way through this world and into...

read more
No Longer I: Sharing Christ’s Gospel Narrative

No Longer I: Sharing Christ’s Gospel Narrative

No Longer I: Sharing Christ's Gospel Narrative by Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R. Christ entered our world and gave himself completely to us to the point of dying for us, to become nourishment for us and a source of hope. In this book, Fr. Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R., demonstrates...

read more
His Divine Presence

His Divine Presence

His Divine Presence by Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R. Poetry of praise for the grace that God freely provides at every moment of our lives. Paperback: $9.99 | Kindle: $9.99 TESTIMONIALS "A dancer took off her makeup and costume and asked, "What more is there to life?" A woman...

read more
The Blessings of the Beatitudes

The Blessings of the Beatitudes

The Blessings of the Beatitudes by Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R. This book is about the vision Jesus sets before his hearers of a world ruled by justice and love. The eight beatitudes provide hope to all who listen to and follow the call of the kingdom in their hearts....

read more
Jesus Christ: A Man of Prayer by Fr. Paul Ezinando

Jesus Christ: A Man of Prayer by Fr. Paul Ezinando

Jesus Christ: A Man of Prayer by Fr. Paul Ezinando In this work, Fr. Paul Ezinando demonstrates that though we have knowledge of Jesus Christ from various perspectives, we cannot know Him enough. To help us come to a better knowledge of Jesus Christ, Fr Ezinando...

read more
Such Common Stories by Lawrence Hopperton

Such Common Stories by Lawrence Hopperton

Such Common Stories by Lawrence Hopperton There is one story only. It’s woven out of personal experiences and memories, the worlds that we have actually known and loved. The poems in Such Common Stories connect to our individual stories, so that the experiences they...

read more
A Spiritual Plan for Families by Fr. Jacob Dankasa

A Spiritual Plan for Families by Fr. Jacob Dankasa

A Spiritual Plan for Families: Preparing your Home for a Life of Faith following the Examples of Saints who Raised Families by Fr. Jacob Dankasa Considering the challenges that many Christian families face today in building faith-based homes, it’s essential that every...

read more
Dear Mr Putin: An Epistolary Inquiry by Peter Breen

Dear Mr Putin: An Epistolary Inquiry by Peter Breen

Dear Mr Putin: An Epistolary Inquiry | Уважаемый господин Путин! by Peter Breen An epistolary exhortation in monthly installments to Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, that asks: "Are you sure about waging war and brandishing a cross against the woman who...

read more
House of Gold by Mary Elizabeth Anne Kloska, Fiat+

House of Gold by Mary Elizabeth Anne Kloska, Fiat+

House of Gold by Mary Elizabeth Anne Kloska, Fiat+ Our Lady has spent my entire lifetime blessing me with Her friendship –and so I rejoice today to offer Her this little gift of a book, which I hope brings many more souls into Her humble, Motherly embrace. Paperback:...

read more
Living as Long as I Can as Well as I Can by James Pomeroy

Living as Long as I Can as Well as I Can by James Pomeroy

Living as Long as I Can as Well as I Can by James Pomeroy This is a book that will be helpful to health care providers, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, chaplains, and their patients, because it offers a spiritual foundation for living well,...

read more
A La Sombra de Nuestra Señora

A La Sombra de Nuestra Señora

Mary Kloska speaks to a 'Seven Sisters' Group about her book In Our Lady's Shadow (May 21, 2021)A La Sombra de Nuestra Señora: La Espiritualidad de la Oración por los Sacerdotes by Mary Kloska A la Sombra de Nuestra Señora: ‘La Espiritualidad de Rezar por los...

read more
Voices from the Upper Room

Voices from the Upper Room

Voices from the Upper Room by Father Dominic Lenk, O.S.B. Just who were those people gathered together in the Upper Room during those three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection? Imagine with the author all those people gathered in the Upper Room during...

read more
The Holy Heart

The Holy Heart

The Holy Heart by Holly Garman “My Father will love you so deeply that We willcome to you and make you Our dwelling place.”~ Jesus (Jn. 14:32, TPT) The Scriptural truths of The Holy Heart help us to let God become fully at home in us, as we become fully at home in...

read more
Mornings with Mary (A Rosary Prayer Book)

Mornings with Mary (A Rosary Prayer Book)

Mornings with Mary (A Rosary Prayer Book) by Mary Kloska Sometimes gathering as few as a few hundred people, sometimes as many as 100,000 people a day, Mary Kloska has led spiritual warriors each morning on social media in prayer for myriads of intentions. Following...

read more
The Mercy Ocean

The Mercy Ocean

All profits go to the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles (M.S.A.)LORD, HAVE MERCY. The oceans are big; our boat is small.The Mercy Ocean by Reverend Vincent A. Salamoni, M.S.A. Simply described as a collection of information, which perhaps will be USEFUL TO YOU AND/OR...

read more
Shared Miracle Stories

Shared Miracle Stories

Shared Miracle Stories of the Dominican Community of Mary Mother of Dominic and Friends of Cedaredge Ed. by Mrs. Helen R. Hawkins, OP This is a book that invites us to share our miracles with one another. Why does God use or allow miracles? First, a miracle is an...

read more
The Fourteen Holy Helpers

The Fourteen Holy Helpers

The Fourteen Holy Helpers Authored by Allison Lunsford and Illustrated by Joan Bennett Saint Acacius, Saint Barbara, Saint Blaise, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Christopher, Saint Cyriacus, Saint Denis, Saint Erasmus, Saint Eustace, Saint George, Saint Giles,...

read more
Led by the Spirit

Led by the Spirit

Led by the Spirit: Into the Consciousness of Christ by Dennis J. Billy, C.Ss.R. Following Jesus means being open to and led by his Spirit. This book explores the meaning of this phrase by looking at the larger picture of why God entered our world and became one of us...

read more
Experiencing God: Thoughts and Testimonies

Experiencing God: Thoughts and Testimonies

Experiencing God: Thoughts and Testimonies by Robin Arthur In this thoughtful reflection, Robin Arthur presents his perspectives on the God experience, addressing the conundrum of faith in Christ crucified, which St. Paul has told us is "a stumbling block to Jews and...

read more
Fuera de las Tinieblas… por Mary Kloska

Fuera de las Tinieblas… por Mary Kloska

Fuera de las Tinieblas por Mary Kloska Aquí, al principio de este libro, no quiero explicar mucho sobre mí (quien soy, o dónde vivo, o dónde estudié), en su lugar, me gustaría simplemente presentarlo como es: una colección de tesoros que Jesús ha compartido con mi...

read more
Z ciemności…

Z ciemności…

Z Ciemności... Mary Kloska (tłumaczenie: Agata Wesołowska) Ta książka to kolekcja skarbów, których Pan Jezus zechciał udzielić sercu autorki ‒ Mary Kloska. Dzieląc swoje refleksje z czytelnikiem, pragnie ona jak najlepiej zaświadczyć o wielkiej mocy, jaką zawiera w...

read more
A Philosopher Reflects on the Rosary by Raymond Dennehy

A Philosopher Reflects on the Rosary by Raymond Dennehy

A Philosopher Reflects on the Rosary by Raymond Dennehy In this book, Catholic philosopher Raymond Dennehy demonstrates to the reader that besides being a powerful source of God's grace and, as Father Garrigou-Lagrange observed, "a school of contemplation," the Rosary...

read more
In Our Lady’s Shadow, authored by Mary Kloska

In Our Lady’s Shadow, authored by Mary Kloska

Mary Kloska speaks to a 'Seven Sisters' Group about her book In Our Lady's Shadow (May 21, 2021)In Our Lady's Shadow: The Spirituality of Praying for Priests by Mary Kloska In Our Lady’s Shadow–the Spirituality of Praying for Priests is a guide for women, taking them...

read more
Table for Three by Larry Hopperton

Table for Three by Larry Hopperton

Private Chapel Picture someone like a popein prayer, a tiny chapel.Altar servers murmur latin robes raised in personal praise.We did that in choir school.We recited the responses didn’t know what they meantbut could participate at the feetof the meditative...

read more
33 Days … with St. Joseph by Fr. Nicholas Cachia

33 Days … with St. Joseph by Fr. Nicholas Cachia

33 Days . . . with Saint Joseph by Fr. Nicholas Cachia This book is a resource for meditative prayer based on excerpts taken from the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde of Pope Francis (December 8, 2020). It is a prayerful journey into the attitudes and sentiments of St....

read more
Out of the Darkness by Mary Kloska

Out of the Darkness by Mary Kloska

Out of the Darkness by Mary Kloska This work is a collection of treasures Jesus has shared with Mary Kloska's heart. In offering this to the reader, Mary hopes to witness to the great power Jesus’ Cross contains in itself.  Her heart cringes at the thought of her...

read more
Our House of the Sacred Heart

Our House of the Sacred Heart

When you join, you’ll get: for each day of the Consecration: a daily reflection sent to your inbox. You will be guided in beautiful prayer, contemplation or story, great works of Catholic art, and reflection for that day. Each day will prepare your own heart for...

read more
La Santidad de la Mujer by Mary Kloska

La Santidad de la Mujer by Mary Kloska

La Santidad de la Mujer por Mary Kloska, traducido por Alicia Izaguirre La Santidad de la Mujer es un libro de retiro para mujeres. Hay un gran misterio rodeando el don de la femineidad que Dios quiere que la gente atesore y proteja.  Este libro describe los varios...

read more
ŚWIĘTOŚĆ KOBIECOŚCI by Mary Kloska

ŚWIĘTOŚĆ KOBIECOŚCI by Mary Kloska

Poniżej znajduje się konferencja, którą Mary wygłosiła w ośrodku rekolekcyjnym w Bąblińcu (w Polsce) do grupy młodych Polaków, poruszając temat Miłości Boga do nich. Konferencja miała miejsce 3 września 2005 r. i była tłumaczona przez Hanię Przybyło. Możecie jej...

read more
A Love Letter to Mary – Keith Berube

A Love Letter to Mary – Keith Berube

A Love Letter to Mary By Keith Berubé The Holy Trinity is absolutely enamoured of Mary. The Saints and so many good Catholics not canonized are totally in love with Mary. Both God and man have expressed their hearts for Mary in poetry.   When these expressions of love...

read more