A small clip speaking the youth at the Bodega Teens NYC. Why wait?... Can be applied to so many things in our practical and spiritual life.

- The Symbol
- All is Love

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:3

New music... The reality of the addiction to fashion and "things" to cover ourselves up here in America. Read the full lyrics HERE

- The Symbol
- All is Love

In this life it seems there is no joy without first pain . . .
No laughter without first great sorrow . . .

In my "seasons" of the most fruit are always at the exact times I see everything in my personal life start to break down - money becomes the most tight; people seem to be the most unfair and unjust; and things just seem to break down all around me in a series . . .

I have learned that these "crosses" are necessary for me to bear in a very concrete way to offer for the souls who are newly coming to Christ . . . For the souls at the retreats, conferences, and events I lead, I must not be so worried about "my performance" on the day of but even more so I should be consciously aware of these hearts in need of conversion as I bear my crosses of everyday life.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for entrusting these souls to me; to teach, to inspire, and to guide towards you.  I thank you Christ in allowing me to participate in your suffering in my daily life as I interact with people and move all through the world. May I never give up on enduring these various crosses, and always see it through to the end with your grace.  Holy Spirit fill me so that my actions, thoughts, and words may not be my own but may be yours . . . The will of the Father. Amen.

- The Symbol
- All is Love

Stream and download for free below.... Lyrics below as well.

Verse 1:
Who's that dude with that baseball cap on?
How'd they ever let him get the plat form
No shirt no tie no slacks on
We in the church and he's playing a rap song
I don't know but I think that's wrong
We can't let him teach our young ones
Nothing good can come from where he come from
They don't know my heart still they're making assumptions
I guess that's just how it be though
Pause that run it back play the track - TiVo
Team jesus but I ain't David Tito
Cutting deep with the weapon of words they so lethal
If you 'bout that life walking with Christ how they treat you
The spirit of the lord is coming to cause a renew
On the stage just giving you little previews
Real life no movie no AMC or Regal

Verse 2:
I can't believe some of these rappers make sales
With songs that make you feel like you lost a few brain cells
Wearing clothes that make them look like they ain't males
Dang! - I believe how far we fell
In person on snap or on the gram
Still leading my people to the promised land
I guess this mic stand is just like Moses staff
Parting red emcees like the barber chair
Aw yeah aw yeah aw yeah
Been putting in this work all year all year
The Mission same in His name - let's make it all clear
Heating up this church - Dressed it in a Montclair
Met Christ for who he was and my heart had a change
Realized these Sacraments ain't a game
Strictly raw passion setting this place ablaze
Still many people tryna throw dirt on my name

- The Symbol
- All is Love

I remember way back when I started all is love.... This is before the mixtapes and the tours... Before leading retreats and being an official youth minister in a parish.

I remember this time where I had been asked to share my Pro-Life story at an event and I was introduced as having a Hip Hop "Music ministry".  I remember it clearly because I was still a baby in my faith at the time, and I remember being bothered by the word "ministry".  I didn't correct the person, but internally I battled with this word and it started a sort of journey of prayer and reflection for me. I was recently reminded of this moment because if you know me now - everything is about the ministry!

If I think back however, I can remember some of my issues with the word.

1) I didn't have a full understanding of what "being a minister was"
2) Because of my cultural context as a young American this is a word that was associated with being "religious" and I really was conditioned to be against organized religion(although I was still technically Catholic at this time)
3) Also because of the cultural context, I felt that the word would separate me from my peers and I was afraid of that.  I did have this new found relationship with Jesus and his Church, but for most people I knew this wasn't the case and I was afraid of being separated from them.
4) For me it was still very much about the art (music, film, poetry, etc) and not so much about really the teaching or the instructing of the faith.... Although I knew this was a gateway to that relationship that I had found with God for me at the time I was still very much in a place where I thought my only place to focus was really on the art that was relatable and culturally competent (Even though I didn't know this term at the time).

There are probably a whole other list of reasons, but I think all could be summed up in this way.... I still had a sense of selfishness and ego - I wanted my art, and all of my works to be centered in how "good I was" rather than having it really and truly point to Jesus.  I wanted that in itself to be the wow factor.  I still saw a separation with "my story" and "my testimony"... The word "testimony" itself still scared me because of the cultural implications of the church being separate from the people.  

I would "talk about Jesus" but he still hadn't fully become "my entire world"...  I knew that down the road I wanted to do more than just music and art, and lead things like conferences/write books, etc. but the picture was still not clear.  I still had the idea of this "big business" that was forming, rather than this "life changing ministry".

To be completely honest.... It was really around the time of the Golden EP where things started becoming more clear.  The process of its creation, along with the continued meetings with my spiritual director; plus learning more of the charism of the Idente Missionaries continued to draw me deeper.  The mere concept that "I could be a SAINT" was still new but as I explored that journey in creating the Golden EP, as well as being involved in my local parish and traveling more I interacted with people who over time revealed to me that the true focus had to be just that.... Sanctity, and everything else just a means to getting there.

It was in this time that the Golden City Tour launched, and as we went from Parish to Parish, event to event, and Youth group to Youth group, I would have people break down to me asking for guidance after shows.  I was asked to pray and intercede for people, and I saw how much more solid teaching was important.  As I started to have people follow me online and dialogue with them about scripture, as well as being asked to sponsor people as they received their Sacraments this new level of responsibility emerged.  I started then to get frustrated with my peers who could not see this vision of truly serving the people of God, and were so caught up in the art and to be honest some of that frustration continues today..... People who are so caught up in internet music releases, and "performances" but don't even serve at their local church community and are not involved in discipling people for the sake of the Body of Christ.  I even had a conversation with a relatively successful Catholic artist who stated the words "music is not spiritual to me" which not only confused me, but made me angry about how dis-ingenuine everything was.

This could easily be a multiple part post, and it may be in the future but for now I would simply like to point you towards Matthew 25:14-30 and Matthew 28:16-20.  

The use of our talents should always be for the purpose of discipleship. Not only artistic talents, but even those talents of our character and personalities... These natural abilities we have that others struggle with.  As Christians we are to teach and guide as inspired by the Holy Spirit; always pointing towards Christ (who points towards our Heavenly Father) and never should it be about ourselves.... We can share our stories, and be honest in our places of struggle as well as our places of success, but if we are not bringing people the church who have not been before (or are there physically, but have not fully formed that relationship) then we are doing nothing - helping them not only to be "saved", but to also walk in the path of "sanctity".  

​Pray with me that many more may experience this truth, and walk in this reality.

- The Symbol
- All is Love

Just because it's Ash Wednesday.... Read the lyrics below.

(Chorus)
I know where I came from 
I know where I came from
I know where I'm going
I know where I'm going

(Verse 1)
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust oh....
Molded me from clay then you breathed in me Lord
I'm fasting I'm fasting I must I must oh
40 days in this desert to renew my soul
Turning point - I switched on em
I left Sodom
Was so broken
And so rotten
Blast off rocket
No big beard like James but heart Harden
Noooo
Repentance and change
Lessons from pain
Yes I felt that shame
No one to blame
But me Lord

(Pre-Chorus)
Cover me in ashes (6x)

(Chorus)
I know where I came from 
I know where I came from
I know where I'm going
I know where I'm going

(Verse 2)
The stains of original sin
Washed away at baptism still reminded of them
Cuz everyday I'm inclined to reject you again
No longer you call us servants - Jesus you've called me friend
But Where I came from
Where I came from
Gotta Spit it hot - no keysian 
Right on the drop of that Bass drum
Flame on - flame on
Burning up - same song
iPhone notes - or crayon
Gotta make this statement
I'm covering all of my sinning - with lyrics I brag and I boast
Though you are true Lord the Bread of Life I make you the blackest of toast
So butter I'm jamming on track after track from coast to coast
Funny thing about the fire - Where you think ashes come from? (huh)
My ego burned up your grace
My pride yes my pride led me to mistakes
I deserve no hand outs Lord I've disobeyed
Please cover me with ashes this Lent may I change

- The Symbol
- All is Love