Mystery of Parenthood: Recent Episodes
RED-C Catholic Radio
Mystery of Parenthood empowers and encourages parents to embrace in day-to-day family life the joys, the struggles, and the duties of parenthood through the lens of Faith practically applied.
The Mystery of Parenthood's Farewell episode! In one of their best shows ever, Trey and Stephanie Cashion distill more than a decade's worth of parenting advice and philosophy in one final episode.
Discover a profound journey into the heart of Catholic family life with The Mystery of Parenthood — the final chapter. In this touching farewell episode, our hosts, guided by faith and love, condense a decade of wisdom into a reflective narrative. From the tender practice of family prayer to the sacramental view of marriage and parenting, this video encapsulates their transformative approach to raising children with God's grace.
Tune in to witness a poignant reflection on the challenges and triumphs of Catholic parenting. As the hosts share their insights on the "tent poles" of their philosophy — sacramentality, reaching the heart, and the "funnel" approach to freedom and responsibility — viewers are invited to explore the profound impact of integrating faith deeply into family life.
The episode offers a treasure trove of practical advice, heartwarming stories, and spiritual encouragement, emphasizing the joys of nurturing children to love God, value family, and lead a purpose-driven life. Whether you're a parent seeking guidance or simply interested in the Catholic perspective on family, this video promises an enriching experience filled with faith, hope, and love. As the hosts bid farewell, they leave behind a legacy of wisdom, a call to prayerful parenting, and an open invitation to partake in the mystery of parenthood — where every challenge is an opportunity to witness God's miraculous work in the family.
This episode features a special surprise for Trey and Stephanie that can be best viewed on our YouTube page!
Listen to 10 years of archived radio episodes of The Mystery of Parenthood at RED-C's website.
Visit redcradio.org or download our RED-C Radio App to access our live radio, listen to all of our podcasts, and find additional information and resources related to our Catholic faith. And if you want to support The RED-C Apostolate and all that we do, please consider making a recurring or one-time donation (https://redcradio.org/donate). You can also subscribe to our email list at https://redcradio.org/subscribe. May God bless you and all your loved ones!
"'I woke up one night in the middle of the night to a burning cross in our front yard'... (my Grandfather) was telling his story as a little kid. He said 'I can remember them banging on the door saying Mr. King, we're not after you, we just want your wife and kids' and he remembers (his father) saying get behind me, he put a chair down, loaded a gun, and he said 'you can't come in here and get 'em but if you do try to come in here the first six of y'all are going to get killed'"
Trey Cashion, host, and Caleb Brawner, guest co-host, discuss the importance of storytelling in parenting as a means of generating teachable moments, examples of virtue, and showing how God actually works in our lives.
Visit redcradio.org or download our RED-C Radio App to access our live radio, listen to all of our podcasts, and find additional information and resources related to our Catholic faith. And if you want to support The RED-C Apostolate and all that we do, please consider making a recurring or one-time donation (https://redcradio.org/donate). May God bless you and all your loved ones!
"We have to make sure that our marriage, which is the source (obviously with God's help) . . . of this family as a whole is foundational—it is the center of this family—and if that's not strong, everything else falls apart."
Trey and Stephanie Cashion continue their discussion about parenting in the "funnel" from last week. They discuss the necessity of making your marriage the foundational principle of your family, using sports and extracurriculars as teachable moments (including time management and prioritization), and the importance remembering that each of your children is unique and unrepeatable (and should be parented as such).
Visit redcradio.org or download our RED-C Radio App to access our live radio, listen to all of our podcasts, and find additional information and resources related to our Catholic faith. And if you want to support The RED-C Apostolate and all that we do, please consider making a recurring or one-time donation (https://redcradio.org/donate). May God bless you and all your loved ones!
"There's plenty of times we've said something and there's definitely a Holy Spirit moment that was like, 'Would you listen to what you're saying? The advice you're giving to your children is the advice you're not taking from Me.' That is part of the mystery of parenthood because we are parented through our parenting—we're parented by God through our parenting."
Trey and Stephanie Cashion use the image of funnel to discuss prudently expanding the freedoms of your children, and they examine how a parent's relationship with their children should reflect God's relationship with man.
Visit redcradio.org or download our RED-C Radio App to access our live radio, listen to all of our podcasts, and find additional information and resources related to our Catholic faith. And if you want to support The RED-C Apostolate and all that we do, please consider making a recurring or one-time donation (https://redcradio.org/donate). May God bless you and all your loved ones!
Lots of laughs and joy to be had in this week's episode of The Mystery of Parenthood, with hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion. The Cashions share wisdom and practical advice on how to joyfully parent your children.
Visit redcradio.org or download our RED-C Radio App to access our live radio, listen to all of our podcasts, and find additional information and resources related to our Catholic faith. And if you want to support The RED-C Apostolate and all that we do, please consider making a recurring or one-time donation (https://redcradio.org/donate). May God bless you and all your loved ones!
In this episode of Mystery of Parenthood, hosts, Trey and Stephanie Cashion, discuss how to create a plan for Holy Week based on your family's needs and your children's capabilities. They talk about tying the Gospels to Holy Thursday, especially John 13-17, and discuss the tradition of visiting different churches for Adoration. The Cashions move through Triduum, discussing different traditions, customs, and activities you can do with your children, including a family-favorite recipe for Resurrection buns:
Resurrection Buns
- Biscuit Dough (homemade or popped out of the can)
- Large Marshmallows
- Melted Butter
- Cinnamon Sugar
Roll out lumps of dough into 4 inch circles. Wrap each dough circle around marshmallow and close tightly. Roll the dough in melted butter and then in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place in well-greased pans. Let rise overnight. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. The marshmallows will melt and leave a sticky (& yummy) syrup in the buns.
In this episode of Mystery of Parenthood, host, Trey, discusses tools for your children's discernment, drawing from Romans 12:2, "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." Trey outlines and expands on Abby Sasscer's article for Seton Magazine, "7 Tools Our Children Need to Discern God's Will".
In this episode, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed developing a relationship with St. Joseph and how to integrate his and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s examples into our families. Some resources utilized in this show are from the Abiding Together podcast on St. Joseph, which can be located at this webpage. Some great additional resources on St. Joseph were also given at this same webpage: 1) Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father Paperback – Fr Donald Calloway, 2) Consecration to Jesus through St. Joseph: An Integrated Look At the Holy Family Paperback – Dr. Gregory Bottaro, 3) The Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph, 4) Patris Corde - With a Father’s Heart - Pope Francis, and 5) Redemptoris Custos - Saint Pope John Paul II.
On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, host Trey Cashion concludes in a multi-part series, a document from the USCCB entitled Rights and Duties of Parents. In this document, it shares that parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you... and He will!
On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discuss in a multi-part series, a document from the USCCB entitled Rights and Duties of Parents. In this document, it shares that parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you... and He will!
On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discuss in a multi-part series, a document from the USCCB entitled Rights and Duties of Parents. In this document, it shares that parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you... and He will!
On Tuesday, January 31, 2023, host Trey Cashion discusses how the family is a great place to live out The Beatitudes. In this discussion, Trey references an online article from teachingcatholickids.com entitled The Beatitudes for Families, which takes the 8 Beatitudes and relates them to everyday family life. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you... and He will!
On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, host Trey Cashion discusses the article, A Biblical Model for Discipling Children. The article and host discuss how Deuteronomy 6:4-9 provides five simple qualities of transformational teaching. These qualities are 1) Relationship, 2) Experience, 3) Truth, 4) Discussion, and 5) Response. Each of these qualities were broken down in the discussion of this episode. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you... and He will!
On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, host Trey Cashion discussed the Aleteia article by Tom Hoopes, "3 Things your teen is right about, and 3 things you know better." Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, host Trey Cashion continued to discuss the deep meaning of Pope John Paul II's 1981 encyclical Familiaris Consortio. Importantly, in this episode, Trey completes his study of the encyclical by explaining the family's priestly, prophetic, and royal character as a basis for its role in God's plan of salvation. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, host Trey Cashion continued to discuss the deep meaning of Pope John Paul II's 1981 encyclical Familiaris Consortio. In this episode, Trey began to survey the section "Participating in the Development of Society." Here John Paul II focused on the important role of the family as the essential cell of society and he unveiled a "Charter of the Rights of the Family." Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, host Trey Cashion continued to discuss the deep meaning of Pope John Paul II's 1981 encyclical Familiaris Consortio. Trey continued the section "Serving Life" from the encyclical, especially focusing on the paragraphs dealing with the responsibility and task of parents to educate their children. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
Merry Christmas! To help you celebrate the season while Trey and Stephanie are taking a well-earned break from the show, we wanted to bring you an encore episode from December 3, 2019. Monica Ashour of TOBET was back on the show to talk with the Cashions about the movie It’s a Wonderful Lifeand the similarities it has with the Christian life. The film has a powerful message containing a lot of goodness, beauty, and truth inside of it. It will leave you thinking about your faith in God and the way in which you live your life. If you haven’t seen this holiday classic before, we suggest you do so before you listen to this episode, because Trey and Monica give away the plot! Only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you and He will!
On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, host Trey Cashion continued to discuss the deep meaning of Pope John Paul II's 1981 encyclical Familiaris Consortio. Importantly, in this episode, Trey articulated the theological backdrop to the pope's defense of the Church's teaching on marriage and sexuality. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
In this episode, host Trey Cashion continued to break down the great encyclical of Pope St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio. In the second section of the letter, wherein the Holy Father explicates the four fundamental tasks of the family, JPII calls us to greatness by reminding us that, "the fundamental task of the family is to serve life, to actualize in history the original blessing of the Creator—that of transmitting by procreation the divine image from person to person." This divine image must be fed in the material, "moral, spiritual and supernatural" dimensions by the parents. Let us recognize that we are involved in illuminating for our children that they have embarked on a particular, special mission for God by being granted the gift of life. This is, in fact, the reality of each Christian's calling to holiness as explained so well in Lumen Gentium, no. 39:
each one of the faithful must willingly hear the Word of God and accept His Will, and must complete what God has begun by their own actions with the help of God's grace. These actions consist in the use of the sacraments and in a special way the Eucharist, frequent participation in the sacred action of the Liturgy, application of oneself to prayer, self-abnegation, lively fraternal service, and the constant exercise of all the virtues.
Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, host Trey Cashion began a discussion arc of episodes based on Part Three of Pope St. John Paul II's 1981 encyclical on the "Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World," Familiaris Consortio. In this third part of the letter, the pope sets out "four general tasks for the family in the modern world:"
1) forming a community of persons; 2) serving life; 3) participating in the development of society; 4) sharing in the life and mission of the Church.
This episode focused on the introduction to part three and the first task. Trey spoke particularly on the Trinitarian relationship and how it is reflected in the conjugal love of the spouses. Remember, only God can take the mystery of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, October 25, host Trey Cashion completed his review of the article, "Domestic Church? Hold On, It's Just a Family!" by Word on Fire Institute Fellow Robert Mixa. You can listen to the first episode here. Trey used this second installment as a jumping off point from Mixa's explanation that Vatican II recovered the patristic understanding of the family as a domestic church. Trey worked through sections 34–36 of Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, to explain how the family as domestic church carries out the Church's three offices of priest, prophet, and king. The discussion will spur you to think anew about your own family's role in advancing the kingdom of God. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, October 18, host Trey Cashion reviewed the article, "Domestic Church? Hold On, It's Just a Family!" by Word on Fire Institute Fellow Robert Mixa. Especially in light of the recent sixtieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, Trey wanted to revisit the concept of the domestic church, an idea central to the Church Fathers that was resuscitated by the council. Listen in to learn about the origin of the term, its connection to the Jewish understanding of the family in Scripture, and how realizing we are domestic churches should lead us to a more evangelical posture as families. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On this encore presentation of The Mystery of Parenthood, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion talked about what makes the Church who She is, and what makes families “The Domestic Church.” They talked about how Catholic families are meant to be apostolic in nature, a sign of holiness, and a sign of what it means to be Catholic. We are the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Being Apostolic means to be a follower of Christ, and then to go out and share that good news with the world we live in. Families should represent these qualities in their purest form. This week’s memory verse was Matthew 16:18-19 which says, “And I tell you, you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.” Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, October 4, 2022, host Trey Cashion explained the seven attributes of a Catholic disciple. According to a series on discipleship authored by Catholic theologian Bob Rice, a Catholic disciple:
- has their IDENTITY rooted in being a son/daughter of the Father,
- is consistent in daily PRAYER,
- actively participates in the grace of the SACRAMENTS,
- lives in OBEDIENCE to the teachings of the Catholic Church,
- participates in a COMMUNITY to grow in faith and support the growth of others,
- frequently does acts of SERVICE out of love for God and neighbor and,
- is enthusiastic about SHARING the Gospel and making disciples.
Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenting. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On this episode of the Mystery of Parenthood, Trey and Stephanie Cashion visited in studio with their guests, Andrew and Sarah Swafford, about cell phone usage in the family and by our children. Multiple ways to set guidelines and limits for both children and adults were discussed, and challenges around this subject were addressed and tackled in a straightforward and practical manner.
On Tuesday, September 27, host Trey Cashion discussed his reaction to a new video, "This Wonderful Sacrament," released by the Diocese of Austin in support of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' call for a Eucharistic Revival. Trey unpacked the different modes of unity that are on display in the Eucharistic sacrifice and, even more so, the unity it effects in us and in the Church. Listen to this important explanation of a key aspect of the Eucharist and use it to help your children develop a better love and appreciation of the Blessed Sacrament. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, August 9, 2022, host Trey Cashion discussed four of the most fundamental challenges parents face: inadequate time; the failure to pass on moral values to their children; work-life imbalances; and a lack of emotional bonding between parent and child. While in no way unveiling to parents challenges about which they are not aware, Trey's goal was to talk about why these four items are fundamental challenges. They are at the root of much that is difficult or draining about parenting. If we can get these challenges under better control (or mitigate them as much as possible), then family life will be more rewarding and satisfying for everyone. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
We hope you're enjoying the last part of summer vacation before the school year begins again. Trey and Stephanie are too, so we bring you an encore episode from Tuesday, February 1, 2022. Trey gave an extended reflection on the significance of Catholic families living like they are friends of God. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, February 1, 2022, host Trey Cashion offered an extended reflection on the significance of parents and children alike being friends of God if we are baptized, believe in Christ's salvific action, and are striving to follow the example of Jesus Christ. How does that change our relationship to God when we remain aware that He desires friendship with us? How does that reorient our parenting when we recall that He offers friendship to us? Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
Enjoy this encore presentation of Mystery of Parenthood from Tuesday, July 10, 2018. Trey and Stephanie Cashion were pleased to welcome back Monica Ashour, from the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team. Monica spoke with them about how to create families that prioritize bodily presence ("the body demands a response") and embodied relationships over virtual connections and social networks in order to preserve the family as a true community of persons ordered to God's love for the human being. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Wednesday, July 19, host Trey Cashion encouraged families, especially parents, to invest time in Eucharistic Adoration as a way of making grace more available to themselves and their children. Remember only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed an article in Catholic Exchange by Dave McClow: "The Good Samaritan: Not Just a Good Neighbor." This show was a rollicking good time despite the weighty subject. Lots of laughter was shared along the way, but the central point shone through: We are broken, wounded sinners left for dead due to our transgressions (whether original or personal) and our only chance for life is rescue by Our Lord through His Cross. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
Dave McClow, "The Good Samaritan: Not Just a Good Neighbor," Catholic Exchange, December 1, 2016 [https://catholicexchange.com/good-samaritan-not-just-good-neighbor/?utm_source=pocket_mylist]
In observance of the Fourth of July, host Trey Cashion offered a Catholic interpretation of freedom: what it is; what it isn't; and what it's for.
Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, June 14, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed an article from Greg and Lisa Popcak listing four ways the family can mirror the Trinity in order to show God to the world. Trey and Stephanie especially emphasized the way that the family brings a unique person into existence from the love between the husband and wife. This is analogous to how the Holy Spirit, one of the divine persons, is the love between God the Father and God the Son. You can read the article here. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, June 7, host Trey Cashion explained an article in the liturgical journal Adoremus, "Even Children Know the Nature of Mystagogy: How Early Education in Liturgy and Scriptures Can Reveal a Lifetime of Faith." Trey used the article to talk about how the Mass, in particular, highlights events in salvation history through its signs; necessitates catechesis in the meaning of its signs; and should lead us to see how its signs and rites show forth the multi-dimensionality of Christian life. Remember, only God can take the mystery out of parenthood. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, May 17, host Trey Cashion took listeners on a theological and liturgical tour of the Catholic Mass. This episode looked at the Introductory Rite and the Liturgy of the Word. Trey refreshes your memory and gives you some tips for helping children across various ages to understand why we do what we do. He also looped in two documents of the Second Vatican Council—Sacrosanctum Concillum and Dei Verbum—to help make the connection between the external form of worship and our inner disposition. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, May 9, host Trey Cashion discussed the article by Dr. Gwen Dewar, "How to Help Kids Make Friends: 12 Evidence-Based Tips." There is much in the article that is worth incorporating into your parenting toolkit. Trey also critiques some of Dewar's recommendations, particularly her seeming reluctance to admit that punishment and discipline do have a proper part to play alongside positive parenting techniques. Listen and decide for yourself. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, May 2, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed the blog post by Becky Roach, "Seven Parenting Tips I Learned When Mary and Joseph Lost Jesus." This is a beautiful, instructive Gospel story to reflect on as parent, especially for remembering that Mary and Joseph know on a human level our anxiety about making mistakes in raising our children. There's also lots of laughs on this one. So, listen in. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
In this episode of the Mystery of Parenthood, Trey Cashion covers a variety of topics of interest to parents. The four topics discussed were 1.) When kids ask tough questions, 2.) The child in the pew, 3.) Teaching your children about generosity, and 4.) Talking with your children about God. The discussion with show producer, Dennis Macha, was lively and through the lens of both their experiences as veteran parents.
On Tuesday, April 12, 2022, host Trey Cashion considered a Wednesday audience by Pope Francis from 2021 in which the Holy Father explains the meaning and importance of the liturgies for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Easter Vigil. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you! He will!
On Tuesday, April 5, 2022, host Trey Cashion used the constitution on the sacred liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC), and how it pertains to living the liturgy within the domestic church. Especially, SC helps us to teach our children how our Faith directs us to hold in tension the human and the divine, the visible and the invisible, and the contemplative and the active. All of those binaries are meant to inform how we live our everyday lives. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze. He will!
On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, host Trey Cashion delved deeply into what the Second Vatican Council taught about the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chapter Eight of its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium. Listen for advice on how to inculcate this teaching within the domestic church. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, March 22, 2022, host Trey Cashion urged listeners to not bail out if they have reached the middle of Lent, but are holding to all their practices and penances perfectly. He discussed 6 tips for rebooting your Lent that you can share with your children so that you and your family can arrive at the Easter Vigil unencumbered by sin and open to the grace of the resurrected Lord! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, host Trey Cashion invited RED-C's Coordinator of Youth Sports, Robyn Romansky, to discuss the article from Our Sunday Visitor, "As Parents Are We Appropriately Integrating Sports into Family Life?" Romansky, a former Olympic and Division I women's volleyball coach, spoke at length about the challenges and rewards of orienting sports on the virtues and with a view towards truth, goodness, and beauty.
On Tuesday, March 1, 2022, host Trey Cashion went through the beauty and richness of the liturgy of the sacrament of reconciliation. He began by reviewing the nature of the sacraments, then explaining what matter and form are in understanding them. He moved on to highlight the scriptural basis for penance and how that pertains to the role of the priest in acting in persona Christi. Finally, he highlighted some little-known aspects of the Rite of Penance by way of reference to this enlightening article: "Just in Time for Lent: Seven Things You Probably Didn’t Know about the Rite of Penance" by Michael Brummond. Remember to make a point of going to confession more frequently during the season of Lent and learning about why it is a penitential season during the Church year. And always pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On February 22, 2022 (2/22/22!), host Trey Cashion spoke about the foundational role of humility in nurturing and sustaining a fruitful prayer life. He invited onto the show Norbertine novice, Frater Giovanni, who was in Texas as part of a vocations visit for his community at St. Michael's Abbey in Orange, California. Please listen in for some sparkling insights that will supercharge your prayer life and that you can weave into your family catechesis on prayer, especially as Lent approaches. Remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
Carpe Momentum!
On Tuesday, February 15, 2022, host Trey Cashion urged us to follow the advice of St. Josemaria and seize the ordinary moments with our children in order to connect them with the life of faith. Trey used the essay, "Teaching the Faith in the Family: Guidelines from St. Josemaria Escrivá," by Dr. Michelle Dolz, to talk about how parents should be models of holiness as called for by the Second Vatican Council; who lead people to Christ—especially in the family—one by one; based on their baptismal call as priests, prophets, and kings to go and proclaim the Good News. The family is the essential cell of society and it is within the family that human persons are introduced to the Gospel and to relationship with Christ in an environment of caring, nurturing, sacrificial self-gift by the parents for their children. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion recapped Trey's recent appearance on the Catholic Dad Show (https://ablaze.us/the-catholic-dad-show), where Trey was billed as a "Catholic Dad of Genius." We here at the Mystery of Parenthood heartily concur! Give this episode a listen and you'll get a great capsule version of Trey and Stephanie's philosophy of parenting. Also, please check out the Catholic Dad Show and let them know you heard about them on Mystery of Parenthood. Remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, host Trey Cashion used a portion of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Life of Christ (1958) to move deeper into the Feast of the Epiphany. The visit of the Magi has captured the imagination of generations because it is shrouded in mystery and wonder: the gifts, the star, the anonymous wise men from the East. Yet, as Sheen so cogently shows in his account, the Magi are also types for our encounter with Christ, our own witness of that encounter to the world, and the world’s often hateful and harmful response to our witness. Sheen also spends significant space explaining the meaning of the Slaughter of the Innocents and Trey discusses this element of the biblical story as well. Give this episode a listen and then pick up a copy of Sheen’s book here: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0385132204/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_PJ363RSPBSE6ZVTYMPF6. Using that link will make an Amazon Smile donation to RED-C! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. He will!
Trey Cashion and Thaddeus Romansky finished up their discussion of a Catholic Education Resource Center article by Professor Thomas Lickona. (https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/marriage-and-family/parenting/raising-children-of-character-10-principles.html ) They covered his remaining 5 principles for raising children of character. In the 2004 article, Prof. Lickona intended his principles as guideposts for parents to prioritize character formation, which will then have by-products like academic and extracurricular engagement as well as religious conviction and practice. Here are the ten principles at a glance: 1. Make Character Development a High Priority 2. Be an Authoritative Parent 3. Love Children/Love as communication/Love as sacrifice 4. Teach by Example 5. Manage the Moral Environment 6. Use Direct Teaching to Form Habits and Conscience 7. Discipline Wisely 8. Solve Conflicts Fairly 9. Provide Opportunities to Practice the Virtues, and 10. Foster Spiritual Development.
As always, Trey and Thaddeus interwove examples from their own families and lives throughout this energetic discussion.
Come along with host Trey Cashion on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 as we look at the saints of the Advent season, how you can venerate them, and how you came celebrate their feasts in your home and in your family. The saints spotlighted were St. Andrew, St. Nicholas, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego, St. Lucy and, of course, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Get to know these feasts better and live liturgically. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you—and he will!
Trey Cashion discusses with Thaddeus Romansky a Catholic Education Resource Center article (https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/marriage-and-family/parenting/raising-children-of-character-10-principles.html ) on ten principles to raise children of character by Thomas Lickona. In the 2004 article, it lists and explains the following: Parenting is arguably the hardest job there is and the one for which we get no training. Here are ten principles of parenting that can guide us in the demanding work of raising children of character: 1. Make Character Development a High Priority 2. Be an Authoritative Parent 3. Love Children/Love as communication/Love as sacrifice 4. Teach by Example 5. Manage the Moral Environment 6. Use Direct Teaching to Form Habits and Conscience 7. Discipline Wisely 8. Solve Conflicts Fairly 9. Provide Opportunities to Practice the Virtues, and 10. Foster Spiritual Development.
As always, Trey and Thaddeus interweave examples from their own families and lives throughout this energetic discussion.
On Tuesday, November 2, 2021--the Feast of All Souls--hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion delivered up the good news about how living virtuous lives can produce happiness for young men and young women. The Cashions were given an opportunity in the prior week to speak to Aggie freshmen who take part in St. Mary's Catholic Center's John 15 evangelization ministry for first-year students. Please give this episode a listen because there's always lots of laughter when Trey and Stephanie are together and you'll get some perspective on how to make virtue a part of the conversation in your family. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you! And he will!
On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion had a great conversation with Dr. Andrew "Swaff" Swafford and his wife, Sarah. Like Trey and Stephanie, they are a Catholic husband-and-wife team that brings tremendous energy and great insight to the table. Andrew is a professor of theology at Benedictine College in Kansas and Sarah is a Catholic speaker in her own right, who also has a great Instagram (@sarahswafford18). They live in Atchison, KS, with their six children. The Swaffords will be speaking at the Diocese of Austin's first Together in Holiness Marriage Conference on Saturday, November 6, 2021, at St. William's Catholic Church in Round Rock. They will be giving two talks that day and they give you a sneak peek here on the Mystery of Parenthood! You can still register to attend by visiting togetherinholiness.org or emailing erin@forlifeandfamily.org. As always, remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you! And He will!
On Tuesday, October 19, 2021, Trey again welcomed Adam Brill to discuss the liturgical action of the Mass and how to bring this concepts into family conversations about our Faith. Adam is the liturgical coordinator for St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in College Station, TX and brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. In this two-part series, he and Trey especially focused on dissecting the concepts of sacrifice, consecration, celebration, and mystery. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and he will!
On Tuesday, October 5, 2021, Trey welcomed Adam Brill to discuss the liturgical action of the Mass and how to bring this concepts into family conversations about our Faith. Adam is the liturgical coordinator for St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in College Station, TX and brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. In this two-part series, he and Trey especially focused on dissecting the concepts of sacrifice, consecration, celebration, and mystery. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and he will!
On Tuesday, September 14, host Trey Cashion talked about how God is love and how to get our children to gain a proper understanding of what love is. Love is what holds our families together and how we as parents need to be challenged to be better at reflecting of what God's love is to our children. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. And he will!
On Tuesday, September 7, host Trey Cashion followed up on his previous show's discussion about the research of Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith into "best practices" for passing on the Faith to our children. In this episode he discussed an article by Theresa Cervantes Barber, who recommends asking our children two critical questions each day in order to keep them on track. Trey built on Barber's insight by linking these questions to Our Lord's explication of the two greatest commandments in Matthew 22 and to His judgment of the nations in Matthew 25. Listen in and get all the great insights on offer. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you—and he will!
On Tuesday, August 31, host Trey Cashion went through a great article on Aleteia (https://aleteia.org/2021/05/21/if-you-want-your-kids-to-stay-catholic-heres-what-matters-most/) based on the social science research of University of Notre Dame professor Christian Smith. Smith is interested in how families pass on their Catholic faith to their children and keep them in the Faith. It's a great conversation and you can take confidence too. One of the article's key take-aways (and good news) is that the influence and the example of parents really makes a difference in how children internalize and make religious faith their own. Our children are listening and watching us for how we live out our Faith and if it really matters to us! Listen in and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you. And he will!
On Tuesday, August 10, Trey talked about the beauty of God's grace, and the necessity of it in our lives in order to live out our calling as followers of Christ. His talk stemmed from The Parent's Mandate, a talk he and his wife Stephanie gave around 15 years ago. How do parents teach their children the Faith effectively? Trey answers with some ways to do this and help your children grow in their own Faith. Listen in to hear! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, August 3, Trey talked about what it means for a family to be a "domestic Church". If you didn't already know, RED-C stands for Religious Education for the Domestic Church. This conversation stemmed from a talk about RED-C recently. Trey discussed how families can live out the call of being a domestic Church, a visible sign of the invisible graces and mercy we have been given by Christ. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, July 27, Trey talked about the 10 benefits siblings bring to one's life. The conversation stemmed from a recent article at aleteia.org by Tom Hoopes. Some benefits include: siblings help you learn life skills, learn social skills, and provide you will built-in playdates. Trey discussed examples of him watching his own 6 children experience these blessings and benefits. To learn what all 10 benefits of having siblings are, listen to the episode now! And check out the article by Tom Hoopes HERE.
On Tuesday, July 13, Trey followed up on last week's episode of going after the heart of the child. He quoted CCC 1776 and discussed how parents are to do all they can for their children in order to help them have a properly formed conscience. He gave real life examples of situations where he did and did not handle a disciplinary situation properly with his children, and the significance of making sure to speak with your child about why they are in trouble, etc. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, July 6, Trey and Stephanie talked about going after the heart of your child. They discussed real life examples of how they went after the hears of their children in order to help them learn and grow in their faith. They also talked about the connection between body and soul, and how we should be aware of the significance of both and understand how we are to treat each. They gave examples of helping your children to understand the connection as well . Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, June 22, Trey talked about the importance of the Eucharist, and teaching your children about it as early as possible. Can young children truly understand what the Eucharist is and fully believe in its reality? Well, can you as an adult believe the same things? Or do even you have difficulty sometimes fully grasping the concept? We believe it’s probably the latter, so you can never start teaching your kids too early about the source and summit of our Faith! He also touched on helping your kids learn and understand the importance of all of the Sacraments, as well as why we do what we do as Catholics, such as genuflecting. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, June 15, Trey discussed how athletics and sports can play a huge role in a child's life, teaching them many lessons, including lessons in the Faith and cause growth in spirituality. He quoted 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 which talks about running a race and only one runner gets a prize. He also pulled some things from the "Cashechism", and used his son's experience and attitude as a beautiful example of humility! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, June 8, Stephanie was back with Trey to talk about how downtime can still be an opportunity to grow in holiness. You can't fill your children's tanks if yours is empty! They discussed the importance of doing things to replenish yourself, whether that's exercise, quiet time, reading, getting dressed up, etc. - Whatever helps you to unwind and gather your thoughts when necessary. Taking care of yourself is important for you, your spouse, and your whole family! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, May 25, Trey talked about God's love for us, and His desire to love Him in return of our own will, without being forced by Him, which would not be love at all. He compared it to the family and parenting our children. Parents can teach children Truth, show them the way and raise them up in the Faith, but they ultimately cannot make them remain in the Faith. It is the child's choice to remain in the Truth they were brought up in, or to stray from it. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, May 18, Trey talked about John 15:1-11, where Jesus talks about abiding in Him and bearing fruit. He says He is the Vine and we are the branches. We are to abide in Him in order to bear fruit in our lives. What does it mean for us to abide in Christ and Him to abide in us? What does it mean to be pruned in order to bear fruit? Think about when you prune a rose bush, and then it blooms more beautifully the next time! Listen to this great conversation and learn to abide in Him! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, May 11, Trey talked about evangelizing our children and families as parents. Evangelization is the proclamation of Christ in word and deed. What do we need to do to set our families “ablaze” (evangelize them) and help them to evangelize others? He discussed the 4 foundational things he believes are important in evangelizing our children. F.I.RE. is the acronym used to set our families ablaze. 1) Faith 2) Integration 3) Relationship 4) Evangelization. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, May 4, Trey talked about offering ourselves fully to Christ, especially in the Mass. If we unite our lives to Him in every area, nothing we go through is an empty event; it has purpose when we unite it to Christ and His suffering. He also discussed the ordinary life that Jesus lived, the years of his life that are undocumented, and the significance of our "ordinary" lives in relation to Jesus. It's in doing the ordinary things of every day life that we can live holy lives, unite ourselves to Christ, and become saints! Everything Christ did in his life has value, including his ordinary work. That's something that we can relate to on our human level. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, March 23, Trey and Stephanie talked about what to do and how to keep your children engaged in the Faith. Their conversation stemmed from an article found on the USCCB's website. They touched on the 5 points from the article which are 1) Parents, step up to the plate, 2) Be prepared for questions, 3) Teach your children to pray, 4) Foster Mass appeal, and 5) Where the rubber meets the road. Listen in to hear the details of each, and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, an He will!
On Tuesday, March 16, Trey talked about the 7 Secrets of Purposeful Parenting:
1) Parenting is Hard
2) Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
3) Read and Write Mysteries
4) Coach to play
5) Build Scaffolds and Use Funnels
6) Tell Stories
7) Say Yes
Listen in to hear the details about each of these secrets! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, March 9, Trey talked about the current struggle with the pandemic, from the masks and not being able to understand what someone is saying half the time, to being 6 feet apart when we are meant to be much closer. How do we deal with the division, both physical and spiritual, that seems to be rampant right now? Trey talked about trusting in God even when it's hard. He is our strength and we have to keep our eyes fixed on Him, even in the midst of turmoil. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, February 23, Trey broke down the Mass, talking about the 3 main parts of it: 1) the meal, 2) the Presence, and 3) the sacrifice. Meals are usually intended to be a gathering place where we not only eat, but share our thoughts, lives, etc., which is like the Mass; we gather with others as the Body of Christ and bring everything to God. Secondly, when we receive communion, we are united to Jesus in a beautiful way through His Presence in the Eucharist, and Trey talked about the importance of teaching the True Presence to your children. Lastly, Trey discussed the importance of the sacrifice of the Mass, and how we are called to make daily sacrifices in our lives to show our love for Jesus and others. Trey challenged listeners to carry each of these aspects of the Mass into our daily lives, so that we are constantly tying ourselves back to Jesus in the Mass - beautiful! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, February 9, Trey talked about staying true to your Faith regardless of your life’s circumstances. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. In marriage, in school, in jobs that we might not like, we are called to serve and love God, ultimately putting Him first in every situation. Jesus asks us to take up our cross and follow Him, and that is what Trey covered in this episode, along with learning how to balance our work life and home life. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, February 2, Trey talked about the Sacrament of Marriage and specifically, teaching your children to understand the sacrament. What is a sacrament? What is the Sacrament of Marriage and what does it entail? Sacraments are meant to confer grace, and Trey talked about utilizing that grace and leaning on it in a marriage and in the family. God gives us grace, and we have to accept it as the precious gift that it is. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, January 19, Trey and Stephanie talked about Marcel LeJeune's recent blog post titled The World Needs Countercultural Catholic Disciples! As Catholics, we are called to be in the culture, but to be counter-cultural by living out our Catholic Faith boldly despite the culture's views and beliefs. They talked about teaching your children how to be truly Catholic in today's culture, which can be pretty challenging, but the Cashions are here to help you out! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, January 5, Trey and Stephanie Cashion talked about the Year of the Domestic Church, which was recently declared by Pope Francis, along with the Year of St. Joseph. In this episode, Trey and Stephanie discussed how the family life should be an external representation of the Church and what we believe as Catholic Christians. They talked about personal experiences and gave examples of how they raised their children in the Faith. Their conversation stemmed from an article from the USCCB that you can find here. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, December 15, host Trey Cashion talked about indulgences, which is a full or partial remission of the punishment due to sin. The two types of indulgences are partial and plenary. A partial indulgence removes some of the temporal punishment due to our sins, and a plenary indulgence removes all of it. Trey talked about God’s forgiveness, and what Jesus accomplished through His sacrifice on the Cross. Penance is a way for us to reconcile our relationship with Christ, not a punishment intended for us to “earn” his love back. Any good that we do is a gift of grace in itself; every good thing comes from God. Listen to the episode to learn how to earn a plenary indulgence during the Year of St Joseph proclaimed by Pope Francis! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, host Trey Cashion talked about St. Joseph. He discussed the personal experiences where his family prayed to St. Joseph about moving to a different home and St. Joseph answered their prayers (a bit to Trey’s surprise!). He also talked about the importance of St. Joseph in the Holy Family, his role as a father, and the significance of fathers in the family, who can look to St. Joseph as the perfect example of a great father. Hang in through the whole episode for the “two-for” that St. Joseph arranged for Trey’s family. St. Joseph intereced for the Cashions on more than one occasion, you’ll want to hear all of the details. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, November 17, host Trey Cashion talked about the significance of our bodies and our humanity, and how God chose to come into the world as a humble man who lived a fairly ordinary life. He chose to enter into humanity which is a sign of His love for us, a way to show us His relatability to our lives as human beings. Trey talked about the importance of our outward actions in the Church, such as genuflecting and the sign of the cross, among other things, that should be a reflection of what is going on inside our hearts. If humanity is so important for our Creator, it should be the same for us. What we do with our bodies and how we treat them matters. Trey selected Romans 12:1 as our Memory Verse: “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
On Tuesday, October 27, Trey talked with Peter Range, Director of Life and Justice for the Diocese of Toledo, Ohio. He received his MA in Theology from Notre Dame, and he is also the host of a show on Annunciation Catholic Radio in Ohio, called Say Yes to Life. Peter said his life goal is the abolition of abortion. He and Trey talked about how to apply what we know from our Faith to our civic responsibility, voting, etc. How can we apply our morals to our civic and political lives and how can we teach our children to do the same? In regard to how we are to live out our Catholic Faith in politics and the public square, Peter said we have to 1) pray, 2) love, and 3) form relationships consistently. This is a great conversation about the importance of our civic responsibility to vote, and to vote specifically through the lens of the Catholic Faith. Remember to vote, and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, October 20, Trey and Stephanie talked about what makes the Church who She is, and what makes families “The Domestic Church.” They talked about how Catholic families are meant to be apostolic in nature, a sign of holiness, and a sign of what it means to be Catholic. We are the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Being Apostolic means to be a follower of Christ, and then to go out and share that good news with the world we live in. Families should represent these qualities in their purest form. This week’s memory verse was Matthew 16:18-19 which says, “And I tell you, you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.” Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 29, Trey and Stephanie followed up again on Bishop Thomas Olmstead’s Exhortation, Complete My Joy. In this episode, they talked about suffering. And specifically, they talked about how suffering is not meaningless. In fact, when united to Christ, it can even be redemptive, and be a source of joy. They had a beautiful conversation about how spouses and families can help you on the path through suffering, and help you bring it into the right context, which ultimately grows your relationship with God. They even covered some ground on the act and meaning of forgiveness in the family, and how it relates to our forgiveness from the Father. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 22, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion talked again about the Apostolic Exhortation, Complete My Joy. In this episode, they talked about living out God’s will in our lives, specifically as parents. They talked about real life examples of attending Mass with little ones, and the significance of attending Mass as a family. The Cashions discussed how to handle children when they grumble about going to Mass, or what to do if they’re acting up in the middle of the Liturgy. They talked about how when you have to step out of Mass with a child and the frustration that can come with it, we ultimately have to remember that the reason we take our families to Mass is to be in the presence of Christ, and there’s no better place to be on earth! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 15, Trey and Stephanie talked again about the Apostolic Exhortation, Complete My Joy, by Bishop Olmstead of Phoenix, Arizona. They specifically talked about the section on feminine genius in the exhortation. A beautiful line from the exhortation is “Dear daughters in Christ, the worth, dignity and genius inherent to you is irreplaceable in your family.” The Cashions had a beautiful discussion stemming from this section of Complete My Joy about being a spouse, and a mother/father through the eyes of Faith. Each parent plays a vital role in the family, and Trey and Stephanie talked about what those roles should look like in order for us to glorify God. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 8, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion talked again about the Apostolic Exhortation, Complete My Joy, by Bishop Olmstead of Phoenix, Arizona. In this episode they talked about understanding your mission as a family, and then living it out, and this is where our joy comes from. They discussed the messiness of family life and the beauty that comes with it. They also talked about growing in the struggles that family life presents. Check out the full Apostolic Exhortation by Bishop Olmstead here. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 1, host Trey Cashion followed up on the last episode about the Apostolic Exhortation, Complete My Joy, by Bishop Olmstead of the Diocese of Phoenix. (Check out the full exhortation here!) In this episode, Trey talked about the mission of the family, and the role of parents and marriage. He discussed parental authority being similar to the authority of the Church, and how that authority is not to be abused. Rules and regulations are in place for our good and safety, not to be a nuisance. Trey used the analogy of sports – all sports have rules, and those rules help the game run smoothly. The same is true in the family and in the Church. The rules are in place for our ultimate good, in the family, as well as in the Church. Listen to this episode to hear a great conversation about authority in the family and the Church! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, August 25, host Trey Cashion followed up from the previous episode, on the Apostolic Exhortation, Complete My Joy, by Bishop Thomas J. Olmstead of the Diocese of Phoenix. You can check out the full Apostolic Exhortation here. In this episode, Trey discussed the beautiful gift from God that is the life of the family, a man and woman coming together in matrimony, and creating children out of their love, a symbol of the Trinitarian God. The Creator of the Universe allows us to be co-creators in the conception of human life. He gets us involved in an intimate and meaningful way, how cool is that? Trey also talked about the blessing that children are, his family life, personal experiences, and trusting God in the process of his kids’ growing up. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, August 18, host Trey Cashion talked about an Apostolic Exhortation that was written by Bishop Thomas J. Olmstead of Phoenix, called Complete My Joy. Complete My Joy is an Apostolic Exhortation to the husbands and wives, mothers and fathers of the Diocese of Phoenix. Trey talked about living our lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our faith is something that is meant to be implemented and have a say in every part of our lives. Trey said we are on the earth for a purpose, and part of that purpose is to show God to others through how we live our lives. We can find great joy in our families and grow together in holiness through them. One quote from the exhortation is “Family is likely where we feel the deepest joys as well as the deepest pain. This is because of the deep love that comes with families.” Listen to this episode to learn about carrying your cross while also walking through life with the joy of Christ! You can check out the full exhortation, Complete My Joy, here. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, August 11, host Trey Cashion talked about Matthew, Chapter 14, where the disciples witnessed Jesus walking toward them on the water. If you’re familiar with the story, then you know that Peter also walked on water for a time. Trey talked about what brave faith Peter had to take that initial step, even though he eventually fell into the water. Trey posed the questions, how does this event between Peter and Jesus speak to us today? And how does it speak to the times in which we live? He talked about how this passage is a teachable moment and how parents should relay the teachable moment to their kids. Listen to find out! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, August 4, host Trey Cashion talked about trusting in God no matter life’s circumstances. God is good all the time, even if we don’t understand His ways. Trey talked about how God allows certain things to happen to us in order to help us grow in relationship with Him, and that everything He allows and doesn’t allow us to go through, has meaning, and ultimately, is in His control. We are called to trust His ways no matter what. Tune into this beautiful conversation and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, July 28, Trey and Stephanie Cashion talked about vocations, our calling from God in this life, and, specifically, the vocation of marriage. Striving to live out our vocations from God to the best of our ability is what allows us to grow in holiness, with the goal being eternal life with Our Lord in heaven. The Cashions talked about knowing, loving, and serving God in this life in our day to day, every day, as preparation for the next life. Trey defined holiness as “to be in union with the One who alone is Holy.” God is the only source of holiness, so to be holy is to be in union with Him. The Cashions talked about what holiness looks like, how we are all called to holiness, and how to grow in holiness in this great episode. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, July 21, Trey and Stephanie talked about the importance of quality family time. Even in the difficult times we are faced with, it is just as important, if not more so, to make time for family. The Cashions talked about how they have found time to nurture their marriage and their family during recent times while navigating through the challenges we all are facing. They discussed understanding every small action within the family—sibling to sibling, parent to child—as a participation in the Church’s public act of worship in the liturgy. Marriage and family is what God has placed before us to glorify Him. When we value and nurture those relationships, we are giving thanks and praise back to Him for what He has already given us! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, July 14, Trey talked about how Jesus makes Himself present to us in unlikely ways that we have the tendency to miss. He gave examples of how he has seen God work in his life through one of his life mottos, Trust God, do good, and He will act. Trey said we sometimes miss God because we don’t allow Him to act in our lives. We try to take control of things instead of trusting Him and doing what He has placed in front of us, no matter how small or large that task may be. This episode is all about listening for and being mindful of God in our everyday lives. Like Peter on the Sea of Galilee, we begin to sink when we take our eyes off of Christ. When we start to pay attention to Him, we can do things we did think we were capable of! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, July 7, host Trey Cashion talked about listening to and being mindful of the presence of God in our lives. He discussed the importance of prayer, spending quality time with the Lord, and teaching our children to do the same. Just because we may not see or feel the Lord, especially in these trying times, does not mean that He is not actively involved in our lives. We just have to be present, intentional, and listen for Him daily. Trey posed the question, can we look at everything going on in the world and still recognize that God is at work in it? Because He is! We may not understand His ways, but He has a plan in the midst of it all. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, June 30, host Trey Cashion had Dennis Macha, President of RED-C Catholic Radio, on the show to discuss fear and faith, specifically during this time of chaos amidst the coronavirus pandemic. A verse from Matthew 6 sparked the discussion: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Dennis and Trey talked about trusting in the Lord despite our circumstances and how it is alright to be concerned about the things of this world, but we should not let them give us anxiety or override our faith in God. We have to remember that God can bring about good in bad situations, no matter what they are. Listen to this episode for a great conversation about how to handle tough times, specifically, this global pandemic we are all experiencing! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, June 23, Trey Cashion was back in the studio, after a long hiatus, to talk about and reflect on the time under lockdown orders due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the resultant separation from people. He talked about the significance of being in the presence of another person, especially the Person of Christ. Zoom, Instagram, and Facebook Live to name a few, are great sources of technology to help us connect with others, but they simply aren’t the same as being around people physically. Trey also discussed the loss of being able to attend Mass and the deeper understanding he came to that humans are created and meant to be in communion with others and with Jesus, and the Mass is the best way to do this. He talked about his sadness in not being able to attend, but also his gratitude for realizing the importance of the Mass and spending quality, intentional time with family. Listen to this episode to hear his beautiful reflection and new realizations. You might just have some things in common! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday May 5, regular guest Adam Arehart, Director of Evangelization and Adult Faith Formation at a parish in Arlington, Virginia, was on the show to talk about fatherhood. Specifically, being selfless for your family, and sacrificing your own needs and desires for the good of your Domestic Church. They talked about how giving yourself away as a husband and a father, is what leads to you the best version of yourself, and helps you become the man God created you to be. Dads, listen in for a great conversation on fatherhood!
On Tuesday March 3rd, Trey talked with Monica Ashour of TOBET about her upcoming book titled Catholicism for Every Body, and the overall importance of the body. They discussed the beautiful gift that God has given us in and through the liturgy and in and through the body, and how it all ties together and is exemplified through the Crucifx. You can soon order Catholicism for Every Body (coming out at the end of March), and check out tobet.org for more from Monica Ashour! This week’s memory verse is Romans 12:2, “I appeal to you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice fully and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
On Tuesday, February 25, Trey and Stephanie talked about the season and meaning of Lent in light of Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Lent is about fasting, alms-giving, and prayer; emptying ourselves of the things of the world in order to make room for God so as to turn back to Him and repent. Trey and Stephanie tied in Matthew 5:48 beautifully to the Lenten journey, and how we should strive for perfection. Listen to this episode now to improve your Lent this year! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, February 18, Trey talked with regular guest Arland Nichols, president and founder of the St. John Paul II Foundation, about end of life issues and their importance. Arland talked about the Church’s beautiful reminder that all persons, no matter their frailty, their suffering, or their physical condition, is always imago Dei (Image of God), and that should be at the forefront of all medical decisions being made for a loved one. They also discussed avoiding extremes in end of life issues like euthanasia on one end, and on the other, doing everything you possibly can to keep someone alive. This episode is packed with lots of thought-provoking conversation! This week’s scripture perfectly fits the theme of this episode, and comes from Colossians 1:24, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His body, which is the Church.” Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, February 11, Trey had Robyn Romansky as a co-host, and they spoke with Allison Auth, who has written Baby and Beyond: Overcoming Those Post-Childbirth Woes. Prior to the book, Allison was not a professional writer. She felt called and inspired, however, to write this book. How she found time to do it is a story in itself. Allison does a great job not only dealing with postpartum depression, but also what she has termed postpartum depletion. Find out more, especially If you’re a new mother, by listening to the interview and buying this book. You can order Baby and Beyond here. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday February 4, Trey and Stephanie talked with regular guests Shaun and Jessica McAfee about parenting multiple children, and specifically strangers’ less-than-kind comments toward them about their large family. Their discussion stemmed from an article titled 9 Things Parents Never Want to Hear from Strangers Again, (full article here). The Cashions and McAfees talked about each of the nine points in the article, and about how Catholics can respond kindly toward peoples’ insensitive or secular comments, always pointing back to the fact that a large family is a blessing from God, not a burden. It’s not always easy or pretty, but ultimately it is a blessing to have multiple children. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday January 28, Trey and Stephanie talked with regular guest, Dr. Sarah Bartel, co-founder of Cana Feast, a website resource that helps busy Catholic couples deepen their connection with each other and with God. They talked about the famous "Five Love Languages": Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Touch, Quality Time, and Gift Giving. They discussed love as a choice, not simply a feeling, and how to love others in their love language, (especially your spouse) as opposed to your own. Listen to this episode to learn about the 5 love languages, and how you can start diving deeper into them in order to bring more love into your family. And check out more on Cana Feast here! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, January 21, Adam Arehart came on the show to talk about the importance of feasting and fasting. Adam said that fasting has a significant place and role to play that should be ordered toward entering into feasting - in unity with God. Since union with God is our ultimate end, fasting is intended to help us make more room for Him by emptying ourselves of worldly pleasures and instant gratification. If fasting is emptying ourselves to make room for God, then feasting is actually inviting Him in. We need God to fill us up, not the world. It is God who gives us ultimate joy and fulfillment, nothing else ever will!
On Tuesday January 14, Trey talked with regular guest Monica Ashour about the recently-published book, From the Depths of our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church, by Robert Cardinal Sarah and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. They specifically dove into why celibacy in the Catholic Church exists, and the reality of the grace that God gives to people who are called to live that life. Monica tied the conversation into the Theology of the Body and spoke about each vocation—single, married, religious— and how they all have a spousal meaning for the body. We are all gifts and giving the gift of self is what gives us actual meaning and satisfaction. Check out more about the Theology of the Body here.
On Tuesday January 7, Trey talked about the Incarnation. He pointed out that we can sometimes lose sight of the core of the gospel: God becoming a man in the person of Jesus Christ. Vatican II points out that in revealing the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ reveals man to himself. Trey explained that the body matters, there’s nothing in the body that’s not capable of having meaning, and if we study the life of Jesus, we will come to realize that how we treat our bodies and those of others have an enormous possibility to witness to the Gospel today. This week’s memory verse is 1 John 4:2, “By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday December 31, Trey talked about sports, specifically football, and how it can be a benefit to boys who play, as well as to Christian parenting. The discussion stemmed from an article by David Deavel titled “Why We Play: Football, Coaches, and the Making of Boys into Men.” He talked about football’s ability to build character and how it teaches boys to sacrifice themselves for the good of their team, along with many other valuable life lessons in becoming solid men. He also told us how certain aspects of the game of football can help in parenting! Listen to the episode to learn what they are! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, December 17, Trey talked with regular guest, Dr. Sarah Bartel, co-founder with her husband of Cana Feast—a ministry for married or engaged couples to grow closer to God and to each other. Sarah and Trey talked about things we can do to enjoy the liturgical year in whatever season is upon us, but specifically Advent and Christmas. They discussed traditions that help their families observe the two seasons and they talked about how, as Catholics, we are called to celebrate and participate fully in each liturgical season of the Church. While the world says Christmas is over on December 26, for Catholics, Christmas actually begins on the evening of December 24, and lasts through the Baptism of Our Lord which typically take place around mid-January. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, December 3, Monica Ashour of TOBET was back on the show to talk with the Cashions about the movie It’s a Wonderful Life and the similarities it has with the Christian life. The film has a powerful message containing a lot of goodness, beauty, and truth inside of it. It will leave you thinking about your faith in God and the way in which you live your life. If you haven’t seen this holiday classic before, we suggest you do so before you listen to this episode, because Trey and Monica give away the plot! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you and He will!
On Tuesday, November 26, Trey and Stephanie talked with Shaun and Jessica McAfee about family road trips and family pilgrimages. Shaun is a Catholic writer and blogger, and Jessica is a certified Creighton-method NFP practitioner. They currently reside in Vicenza, Italy. The McAfees and Cashions discussed traditions they have when they get in the car for a long ride, limits on technology, designated prayer time; the list goes on! Listen to this episode to learn some new family car ride strategies and traditions you may not already be using with your family! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, November 19, Trey talked with regular guest Monica Ashour, co-founder of TOBET (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team) about family life and specifically, the importance of sibling relationships, based off of a compelling piece by Mary Eberstadt on how identity politics emerged out of family breakdown. One of the tragedies that Eberstadt identifies is how many more Westerners now grown up without siblings and what that loss has meant for the strength and pliability of social bonds. There are many benefits to having brothers and sisters, like learning social skills, learning empathy from one another, and gaining a better understanding the opposite sex, for example. A study has found that the likelihood of divorce later in life is correlated to the number of siblings one has. The higher the number of siblings, the lower the statistical occurrence of divorce. To hear more about the significance of siblings, their relationships in the family life, and Monica tie it all into the Theology of the Body, listen to this episode; you won’t be disappointed! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, November 12, Trey talked with Jennifer Stavinoha, a missionary of Ablaze Ministries in Bryan, TX. In this episode, Jennifer spoke about a ministry she leads there, Beyond the Pew, an online resource and community for parents who want to give their kids a love for Jesus while growing in the faith themselves. They are most active on Facebook. Search for ‘Beyond the Pew’ and request to join their encouraging parent group. You can also check out the website here to learn more! If you feel alone in your Catholic parenting, or need a strong faith-filled community for encouragement, listen to this episode of Mystery of Parenthood to learn about this great resource for parents! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, November 5, Trey reviewed, with regular guest Adam Arehart, the acronym F.I.R.E. (faith, integration, relationship and evangelization), that's been talked about in previous episodes. Adam is the Director of Evangelization and Adult Faith Formation at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Washington D.C. Listen to this episode to hear Adam’s reaction to the F.I.R.E. concept, his thoughts about how it fits in with what he and his wife already do, and his suggestions for getting started with it as a template for family life. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, October 29, Trey and Stephanie talked about the R in F.I.R.E. (faith, integration, relationship, evangelization) for setting our families ablaze. How do we cultivate relationships? How are they meant to happen? Trey and Stephanie believe that there are 3 elements in relationships that we must constantly and actively nurture in our families: time, trust and authority. Listen to this episode to hear more about the significance of relationships and their ability to set our families afire! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, October 22, Trey and Stephanie spoke with regular guest, Monica Ashour, co-founder of TOBET (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team), which tries to promote St. John Paul II’s vision of the Theology of the Body. She talked about the body being the backdrop of the way that God designed us as humans and, if we look at it as such, it helps illuminate everything in the Catholic Church. It is sort of like the foundation that helps everything else come together and make sense. Listen to this episode to hear more about the Theology of the Body and how it is one of the most significant things about our Faith! And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, because He will!
On Tuesday, October 15, Trey followed up on the acronym, F.I.R.E. (Faith, Integration, Relationship, Evangelization) from previous episodes and focused on integration this time. What does it look like to integrate the faith into our daily lives and do it boldly? Listen to this episode to learn about ways you can constantly (yes, really!) integrate your faith into your life! Remember: pray, parent with a purpose, prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, October 1, Trey and Stephanie spoke about their recent experience giving a talk at the Together in Holiness Conference. They spoke about an acronym from a previous episode, F.I.R.E. (faith, integration, relationship and evangelization), and in this episode, focused in on faith and ways in which you can cultivate it into your daily life. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 24, Trey spoke with Arland Nichols of the St. John Paul II Foundation. In the first part of the show, Arland talked about the marriage enrichment conference, Together in Holiness of the St. JPII Foundation that took place in the Houston area on September 28th. To learn more Together in Holiness, and for a conference schedule, click HERE! In the second part of the show, Arland talked about how we form and deal with the emotions of our children in molding the whole person. How do we govern our emotions as spouses, as parents, and how do we teach our children to deal with theirs properly? We are called to strive in every area of our lives to mirror Christ, emotions included. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 17, Trey spoke with Dr. Sarah Bartel, co-founder with her husband of Cana Feast—a ministry for married or engaged couples to grow closer to God and to each other. Sarah and Trey talked about last Sunday’s Gospel reading from Luke - the shepherd’s lost sheep, the widow’s lost coin, and the father’s lost son. What can parents learn from these stories about God's love for his earthly children in order to properly raise their own children? God leaves the 99 sheep to go looking for the 1, He rejoices when a “lost coin” is found, and He welcomes us with open arms when we come home to Him after going astray. In other words, “heaven rejoices I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance (Lk. 15:7)." Parents should strive to show their children the same graces God gives us! Listen to this episode to hear Trey and Dr. Bartel dive into this gospel reading and make it applicable to parenting today. And be sure to check out canafeast.com to learn how you can grow closer to your spouse and to God! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 10, Trey and Stephanie talked about the four keys to “setting our families ablaze”, F.I.R.E. (faith, integration, relationship and evangelization). Faith - Trey and Stephanie said if parents tell their children they are going to do something, they must do it, so their children will have faith that they will do what they promise, just as God the Father keeps His word. Integration – Trey and Stephanie said parents must be integrated in their children’s lives in order to know how they can be helped in growing in their own personal relationship with Jesus. Relationship – Trey and Stephanie said to go after the heart of your children, as we are made for relationships and we are meant to build them. Establishing a good relationship with your children is vital to earning their trust. Evangelization – We are meant to spread the Good News of Jesus, and Trey and Stephanie say you shouldn’t try to evangelize until you have established a solid relationship. They paralleled Jesus and his disciples, as Jesus became very close with his 12, and then told them to go out and spread the gospel and similarly. Ultimately, parents are to reflect the love of our Heavenly Father in their families, and if they integrate F.I.R.E. into their lives, they will set their families ablaze! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, and He will!
On Tuesday, September 2, Trey brought back long-time guest, Monica Ashour, co-founder of TOBET (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team), which tries to promote St. John Paull II’s vision of the Theology of the Body. Monica joined the show to talk about “the best kept secret of Catholicism”, the sacraments. Few people emphasize the sacraments to the extent they deserve, so Monica believes in instilling them early on in children’s lives. Trey and Monica talked about how the sacraments of the Catholic Church lead us to encounter God. As Catholics, we should understand what sacraments are, what they do, and who they involve. The sacraments are a way for us to experience the supernatural through the natural (The Eucharist, Confession, etc.). Monica said that, in a way, marriage is the blueprint for all the other sacraments. In marriage, you give to and receive from your spouse, and with that, fruitfulness abounds. Similarly, in the other sacraments, Jesus gives to us, we receive, we reciprocate and then our lives bear fruitfulness. Listen to this episode to dive deeper into the significance and meaning of the sacraments and check out tobet.org to learn more about their mission! Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you, because He will!
On Tuesday, August 13, Trey brought back regular MOP guest, Adam Arehart to talk about T(t)radition, in the Church and within the family. Through Scripture and Tradition, we can receive the Divine Word of God. Scripture even points out in several places that Jesus gave us tradition pointing back to Him. Adam and Trey talk about how parents can pass on tradition to their children in the way they live their lives. Tradition isn’t all about words or doing things a certain way, but genuinely living out the traditions you believe in. Incorporating the rhythms of the Church year into family life through rituals, feast days, cuisine, prayers, and the Liturgy of the Hours are all possibilities. Tune in to hear Adam and Trey talk about how we can make our families "tradition-minded" and gain from the Tradition of the Church and Scripture.
On Tuesday, August 6, Trey welcomed Dr. Joseph White, who works for Our SundayVisitor Publishing as the Director of Catechetical Resources. He has a background in child and family psychology. They discuss the pedagogy of God – the way that God teaches and what He does for us, and how we can emulate that through a family. As we look at how God teaches us, Dr. White says we should be continually applying that to how we hand on our faith to others. Our number one mission as the Church is to hand on our faith, to lead people to Christ so that we all can be in heaven together. They talk about how God’s pedagogy (the way God teaches) has five attributes. It is 1) invitational and welcoming, 2) incarnational 3) communal 4) structured, systematic and comprehensive and 5) perpetual. We are to mirror these aspects in the way we hand on the faith to our children within the family. Listen in to learn the details about the way God teaches us with his pedagogy! And you can check out more from Dr. Joseph White at his website, sharingcatholicfaith.com.
On Tuesday, July 30, Trey Cashion spoke with Shaun and Jessica McAfee all the way from Vicenza, Italy, about a recent article in The Atlantic titled The Future of the City is Childless, that talks about how families are becoming smaller because couples are having fewer children. (Read the full article here.) They talk about how today younger, urban Americans have the tendency to see children as a burden or something that is going to stop them from chasing their career dreams or prevent them from being able to pay off college loans, etc. In reality, children are blessings from God and should be treated as such. The comparison between being a parent who loves their children shows us just a glimpse of how much God the Father loves us, His children. And He doesn't love one child more than another, He loves us all the same. They also talk about how having children with your spouse makes you a more selfless person because you make sacrifices for your spouse and your children in order to care for them and give them the best, which in turn, makes you an overall better person. Listen to this episode to hear more about the childless culture we're in, and how in our own choices and sacrifices we can be a counterpoint to the culture of childlessness by being open to life. Enjoy the episode and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday July 9, Trey brought back frequent guest Dr. Sarah Bartel. Dr. Bartel and her husband have been preparing engaged couples for marriage for nearly 10 years. Now they have a new online ministry, Cana Feast - "a new way to grow closer to each other and to God". Cana Feast explores the riches of Catholic teaching on marriage and brings the best of marriage enrichment straight to you at canafeast.com! Sarah says that Cana Feast's goal is to give strong support, inspiration, and encouragement to couples in the theology of marriage, spirituality, couple prayer, and even figuring out fertility! Cana Feast is the perfect resource for engaged or married couples. So listen in to hear Dr. Sarah Bartel discuss the benefits of this unique marriage resource. Enjoy the episode and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, July 2, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion dive into what it truly means to “offer it up” to God, no matter what season of life we are in. Trey opens with an excerpt from a document from the Second Vatican Council, paragraph #34 in Lumen Gentium, which talks about all parts of our lives being sacrifices to God if done in the Spirit. When we attend Mass we are essentially offering all of those sacrifices up to God right before Communion. The Cashions discuss how being holy is an ongoing decision we make in our lives. We should choose it deliberately in everything, whether it’s work, rest, or entertainment. If we give it back to God, it is an act of worship. If we as parents live this out as an example for our children, it will overflow their lives, as we teach them that there is nothing in their entire lives that cannot be offered up to God. The Cashions also talk about the importance of quality time in the family and how examining our lives to see what is thriving, or what could maybe use some work, is a good discipline to step into. Listen now to see what you can do to “offer it up” to God! Enjoy the episode and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, June 25, host Trey Cashion talked about why observing and celebrating the Liturgical Year of the Church in the family can make a huge difference in conveying the faith and making it tangible. How can we as parents and families take what the liturgy gives us and live it out? Have you ever thought about the significance of Ordinary Time and the multiple meanings of it? We as Catholics recognize seasons throughout the entire year - and that should be celebrated! Listen in to learn more about why marking the Liturgical Year of the Church will help you on your faith journey! Enjoy the episode and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, June 4, Trey opened with the sacraments and how they are visible signs of invisible realities, or "mysteries". The memory verse that comes to mind for the topic is Heb. 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." In its fullness, faith requires us to not have seen and, yet, still believe. A good example of this is heaven and the spiritual realm. As finite beings, we can't see heaven or experience it on earth in our physical nature, but we still believe in it. Trey talked about the book Imagine Heaven by John Burke in which there are 100 stories of people's near-death experiences, where they encounter heaven or, on the contrary, hell. Fr. Robert Spitzer's analysis of the book asks why God allows these experiences to happen. He suggests that perhaps it is God trying to get people to not only understand that heaven is real, but that it is so much more magnificent than we could ever imagine. The experiences are so surreal and unthinkable that the people who encounter them have a difficult time explaining them to others. The reality of the invisible realm, or heaven, is actually more realistic than our earthly lives. Trey uses the analogy of humans living in a picture hanging on a wall in a room. When we are in the picture, we only have a finite view of our lives; we can look forward out of the picture frame to a small extent, but we are missing an entirely different reality, the room that the picture is in. It's only when we step out of the picture frame that we encounter the fullness of the room and everything it entails. Enjoy the episode and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, May 28, 2019, Trey and Stephanie bring back long-time guest Dr. Sarah Bartel to talk about the Eucharist and Holy Matrimony, the link between the two, and how we can use those to help teach our children about the sacredness of both. Dr. Bartel and the Cashions talk about how when we approach the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we should be cleansed of any mortal sin, lest we bring condemnation upon ourselves as St. Paul says; and as a parllel, when approaching the Sacrament of Marriage, both spouses should be virgins. This is what God intends for us as humans. Similar to how parents ask their children to "wash up" before supper, this is how the Eucharist and Holy Matrimony should be approached; they are special events that we should be prepared and "cleaned up" for, bringing our best selves to the table for Jesus. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, May 21, 2019, Trey Cashion brought back Mystery of Parenthood Show veteran, Adam Arehart to talk about why a rule of life for family should be considered. The last time Adam was on the show he talked about using Third Orders as models for family life. This time, he draws on the notion of a monastic rule of life to guide the family. St. Augustine said "a rule of life is a measure or standard by which we live a life in common with others so that we may all be intent upon God and oneness of mind and heart." A rule of life allows you to accept diversity without eliminating unity. The family should be a place that is united in its forms of leisure, rest and entertainment. The rule of leisure can help us learn to spend our time in good ways that help us grow in holiness. Adam says if our families aren't in a place where they value good things together, with an attitude of gratitude toward God, they can become divided against themselves. Trey and Adam talk about integrating your faith into your daily life no matter what you're doing, whether it's working, doing the dishes, having a discussion, etc. This might require families to take a hard look at how they use their time together. Ultimately, Jesus is the truth, and truth brings unity to our lives. We should allow our faith to permeate all that we do and all that we are by letting God into every moment of our lives. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
How do you sell a faith that calls for suffering? What is this life for? Why am I here? On Tuesday May 14, Trey and Thaddeus continued about holiness and how to become saints. The life that Jesus came to give us is a life of belief and suffering. We must have meaning in life with that suffering. As a parent, that union with Jesus Christ is essential. We have to trust that God will provide and give us grace. As parents, Trey says that we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses. Colossians 1:24 says " Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church." This is the defining verse of suffering. We need to be able to say yes to the smaller sufferings in order to handle the bigger ones. The universal call to holiness is represented by living our lives in accordance with God’s Will. Holiness is going to make us happy, even when we have to suffer. In order to be holy, we have to take up our crosses and unite ourselves with God. Whatever your state of life is, give these gifts to the Lord. Our crosses might not be things we don’t want to do, but we have to embrace them and live them. Most of these are small, but others can be bigger crosses. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, May 7, 2019 Trey and Thaddeus discussed the universal call to holiness for every human being. Creating a union with God is the only source of holiness, which happens when we go to mass. The Catechism even states that we are all called to holiness in an intimate union with God. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. As part of holiness, we are all called to suffer; it helps us to grow in our faith. As part of holiness we are also called to carry our crosses. Trey used to be a football coach, but God was calling him to do something greater. He says when you are doing something that doesn’t feel right, always look to the cross. Sometimes, the most mundane tasks can be a cross for you to carry. Ultimately, we must unite our sufferings and crosses with God to experience true holiness. For a good read on holiness, check out Matthew Kelly's book The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, April 30, 2019, Trey and Thaddeus talked about parenting styles, stemming from an article titled Why Being an Authoritative Parent is the Best Approach. Trey started with the Catechism's teachings on the duties of parents and children then moved on to go through the 4 styles of parenting: authoritarian, permissive, un-involved, and authoritative. He made the point that limits are fundamental to mathematics and physics—laws—and if they did not exist and interact as they do, there could not be life. Authoritarian parenting shows that the family exists for the parents; permissive parenting models that the family is for the pleasure and enjoyment of the child. Un-involved parenting is the worst of four because it tells the child they matter not at all and they rob the child of even a warped version of love. The best solution is the authoritative parenting style which is closest to the purposeful parenting that Trey and Stephanie advocate. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, April 23, 2019, Trey talked with guest Monica Ashour about the theology of the body and the resurrection. We need to start realizing that the body is a gift—from God, and to God, and to others—and that the Incarnated Second Person of the Trinity (Jesus) made himself a gift for us to save us from our sins. At Mass, we put ourselves, our bodies, all those deceased souls, on the altar and we ask Our Lord to transform them alongside the Eucharist. The power of the Resurrection goes backward and forward to the Old Testament saints and to us here and now. The spiritualization of the body begins now by making love be a part of every action that we do with our bodies and choosing holiness instead of concupiscence. It's the power of the Resurrection that forgives us of our sins, thanks be to God! Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, April 16, 2019, Trey talked with Dr. Sarah Bartel about an article from New York magazine titled Is Marriage Obsolete, a sardonic essay on the difficulties and "absurdities" of marriage that are part of the conventional wisdom about the institution today. Dr. Bartel contrasts this with the teachings of the magisterium about the spiritual, sacramental nature of marriage. But the article, however, ends with a surprisingly Catholic conclusion that "some of the peak moments of a marriage are when you share in your anxieties, your fears, your longing, and even your horrors. That commitment, the one that can withstand and even revel in the darkest corridors of a life, grows and evolves and eventually transcends a contract or a ceremony the way an ocean overflows and subsumes a thimble of water." We hope you enjoy another conversation with Dr. Bartel, and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, April 9, Trey and Thaddeus talked with Adam Arehart, former Campus Minister of St. Mary's in College Station, and now Director of Evangelization at a parish in Arlington, Virginia. Adam suggests that Catholic families find out about the charisms and spirituality of the third orders--the lay, secular membership of the Church's historic religious congregations--in order to enrich their prayer and devotional life. He gives us a brief overview and then focuses on the character of the Franciscans, the Dominicans, and the Carmelites. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, April 3, 2019, Trey and Thaddeus talk with Arland Nichols about Parenting Tips from the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Because of the Incarnation we are called to become perfect through the Beatitudes written in the pages of Scripture and written upon our hearts as well. As Fulton Sheen urged in Three to Get Married that God must be at the center of the home and in the center of the marriage for really fruitful, life-giving, happy marriages to be possible. Unless we articulate to our children that love is the sacrificing of self for the other and that parental authority is there to help them to do that, then we are robbing our children of their best chance at happiness. What's at stake in parenting is the very relationship that children will imagine with God and eventually live out. Parents are called to be a visible sign of God's love for them; a visible sign of the Church's care for their soul. A number of examples were given to see this at a work in the family. We hope you enjoy this episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, March 19, 2019, Trey and Thaddeus talked with Monica Ashour about the theology of the body. Monica hit on three points: 1) the body as a teacher 2) the body as a gift and 3) the body deserving reverence. They also talk about the sacredness of sex in a marriage, and how spouses are meant to be co-redeemers with Christ for their spouse. This conversation is full of insightful information on how we are to treat and use our bodies to glorify God and serve our spouses. They talk about the differences between a man and a woman, and how spouses should learn to accommodate the other according to how the other might be feeling-to be sympathetic toward your spouses' emotions and even their body language. The spouses must practice in their marriage a dying to self and an imitation of Christ for one another. Enjoy this profound episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, Trey, Stephanie and Thaddeus answered some questions from last week's show with Dr. Sarah Bartel, like: is it okay to get married during Lent? They also talk about rules in the Church and in parenting, and why we should understand why we are called to follow those rules. They even touch on Lenten practices, and Fridays being penitential days. Enjoy this episode packed with lots of information, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, March 5, 2019, Trey and Stephanie interviewed Dr. Sarah Bartel about weddings in the Catholic Church. Dr. Bartel co-hosts the radio show Enduring Love for Sacred Heart Radio and co-edited A Catechism of Marriage and Family Life. She holds a Ph.D. in moral theology from The Catholic University of America and serves as a marriage and family life consultant within the Archdiocese of Seattle. In this interview, they talk about Catholic weddings and marriages, the reality of the tough days, and how we are called at times to carry certain crosses and make sacrifices for our spouses. They dive into the real-life, day to day aspects of marriage and tell us how love isn't always just a feeling, it's a choice. Dr. Bartel tells engaged couples to go through marriage prep, learn natural family planning, and ultimately keep your eyes fixed on God through all of it. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, February 25, 2019, Trey and Stephanie encouraged listeners to take time to prepare for the coming of Lent within the family. To begin with, they recommended a family catechesis on sin throughout the season that varies with the maturity level of children—i.e. from ‘no-no’s’ to woundedness or loss of opportunity for fulfilled relationship followed by a family catechesis on repentance that, again, must vary with maturity level—i.e. from being sorry for having done something sinful to recognizing repentance as a great gift of the Father’s love for us or repentance as an opportunity to seek that alone which can proffer true abiding joy. They also went through potential Lenten practices for families: what to give up, ways to pray together, e.g. a family examen. Finally, they encouraged parents to bring mortification into the practice of Lent for themselves and their children, i.e. helping our children to see mortification with the heart of Jesus as a pathway to excellence by relating it to their experience with sports, dance, or whatever they’re passionate about. The Memory Verse is 1 Peter 5:6–8, "Be you humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time of visitation: Casting all your care upon him, for he hath care of you. Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour." Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, February 19, 2019, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion took the previous week's theme about why parents should allow their children to fail and applied it to the relationship between God the Father and us, His children. Trey and Stephanie spend time showing resonances between family life and human life in general that teach the need for perseverance, faith, hope, and mortification. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion completed their annual review of the Seven Secrets of Purposeful Parenting. They covered secrets 4 through 7 this time. Purposeful Parents: 4) Coach 5) Build Scaffolds and Use Funnels 6) Tell Stories 7) Say Yes. This week's Memory Verse is Proverbs 29:17: "Instruct thy son and he shall refresh thee, and shall give delight to thy soul." All that and much more on this episode of Mystery of Parenthood. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, January 29, 2019, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion began their annual review of the Seven Secrets of Purposeful Parenting. 1) Parenting is Hard: Nothing about parenting is easy, neat, and perfect. It is meant as a reminder that parenting is a challenging, but in hindsight, it also reminds you to not take yourself too seriously or be unreasonably hard on yourself. Persevere. Don't quit. 2) Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing: "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." Obedience tied with a relationship. Going after the heart of the child. So you have to show the child your own heart. Look for the teachable moments and enter into the moments of their lives, good and bad, to carry their crosses with them. 3) Purposeful Parents Read and Write Mysteries: visible & invisible, spiritual & material aspects to parenting; praying specifically so that children can see very obviously how God answers prayers, Draw meaning out of practical experiences that the children have.
This week's Memory Verse is Hebrews 12:11: "Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice." All that and much more on this episode of Mystery of Parenthood. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, January 22, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion welcomed special guest, Dr. Sarah Bartel (@drsarahbartel), co-editor of The Catechism of Catholic Family Life, a "Baltimore catechism" for marriage and family life that takes the CCC content and arranges it in life-cycle order under a question-and-answer format. Learn about how a Catholic scholar continued her work while also living out her marriage and family. She also discovered that so much of the Catholic understanding of matrimony comes back to many fundamental teachings and understandings about sacramentality, e.g. Gaudium et Spes, 48. Every sacramental marriage has a profound ripple effect that touches many, many areas of life. She urged listeners to read Pope Paul VI's little known address to women in which he urged women to understand it was up to them to maintain mankind's humanity. This week's Memory Verse is Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church and delivered himself up for it." All that and much more on this episode of Mystery of Parenthood. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember, pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, January 15, 2019, Trey and Stephanie invited Adam Arehart (@stcharleschurch) back to the show to consider the crisis in the Catholic Church as an abuse of authority. Discussion ranged widely over the various factors that affect our ability to be clear with our children. This pertains to the rules and expectations of the family; the love and care we communicate to our children, and the moral voice we speak with to them as we prepare them for adulthood. This week's Memory Verse is James 1:19-21, "You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls." Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, January 8, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed the idea of how Christ often hides in plain sight by considering the feast of the Epiphany and Jesus in the ordinary. They considered ways that Jesus was overlooked or ignored in His earthly ministry; ways that we ignore Jesus in our sacramental and spiritual life; ways that we ignore and overlook the Christ Child in our own children. Supernatural grace gave the ordinary moments of Our Lord's life meaning. It is up to us to invest our lives and those of our children with meaning. Nothing that we're doing, no matter how banal and quotidian, is just what's there. There is always a moral and supernatural dimension. We should go back always to the words of the Creed: "…of all things visible and invisible." We must connect action and vision. The Memory Verse for this week is 1 Peter 5:6, "So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." Live your ordinary life in the knowledge that it has extraordinary and supernatural implications and you will see that the Mass, in that ordinary offering of bread and wine, is indeed our amazing, extraordinary participation in that one sacrifice on the cross re-presented in a bloodless manner for our redemption. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, December 18, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion answered question from listeners, family, and friends. One question was how to use the Memory Verses in the family. Steph responded that they are great for memorization, copy work, reflection, eventually a practice they will make their own. Next, parenting unruly children during Mass requires encouragement and self-sacrifice as a parent, including kids drafting their "Ten Commandments for Mass!" or guessing the topic of the priest's homily after studying the Sunday readings. Additionally, pick a Mass time that will help you be successful. Trey and Stephanie recommended against toys, games and food in Mass because they are going to have to go away at some point and they end up being an impediment to the child learning how to pray the Mass. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, November 27, 2018, Trey talked the importance of Christian marriage for a good family and the good of society. Much of this conversation was sparked by the release of Scott Hahn's new book on marriage and family, The First Society. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, Trey invited Adam Arehart back to the show to consider the crisis in the Catholic Church as an abuse of authority. Many Catholic lay people are dismayed with the Church hierarchy's response to these evils and want clarity and conviction. The Church exists because we are sinners and is itself holy and at the same time in need of constant renewal. As we try to parent our children, like the Church, there is an objective standard of truth to which all of us are held even when in a position of authority such as a parent or clergy. Adam reminded us that throughout the Gospel, authority is in service to the other and to someone greater: Christ Jesus. Adam also emphasized that his fatherly authority is always better wielded when he parents in response to the person of his child rather than as a reaction to a perceived problem. Trey emphasized that he tries to use his authority to win the hearts of his children; to use the authority we have for the spiritual good of the child. This week's Memory Verse is Romans 12:2, "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." Enjoy the episode, and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, Trey continued his discourse on the Church. The church is not only a building, but is an institution founded by Jesus Christ that has four marks as stated in the Nicene Creed: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Trey focuses especially on these marks in this episode and explains how if they are true about the universal Church then they should also characterize our families—the domestic church—in a sacramental way. This week's Memory Verses are Ephesians 5:21–32, the well-known passage about the relationship between husbands and wives in imitation of Christ. Trey specifically stressed the number of times that St. Paul used the phrase "as Christ." Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, Trey considered the Church, a big topic to be sure. On a practical plane, the church is a building. But it has many meanings and implications beyond that. Of course, we know from the Nicene Creed that the Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Trey goes even deeper and draws out further meanings of this term that we often pass over quickly. In fact, it even has sacramental aspects in itself. This week's Memory Verse is John 14:2: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, Trey and Stephanie welcomed Adam Arehart, former campus minister at St. Mary's Catholic Center and currently Director of Evangelization and Adult Faith Formation for St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Arlington, Virginia. They discuss the open letter of His Excellency, Bishop David Konderla of Tulsa, Oklahoma to the 2018 Synod on Youth. The touchstone of their discussion is Bishop Konderla's declaration that "leading people to choose to give their lives to Jesus Christ is not one of the things shepherds must do. It is the only thing." And as Stephanie notes, "Parents are the shepherds of their children." The rest of the conversation takes Bishop David's letter and helps parents apply its points to their roles and the life of the family. This week's Memory Verse is Mt 19:14, "But Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, October 09, 2018, host Trey Cashion confronts the problem of the "First Year Experience" seminars that have taken hold on college campuses and serve as venues and vehicles for the teaching of identity politics and victimology based off of an article in City Journal (@cityjournal) titled "Reeducation Campus." Listen for suggestions on how to prepare your children for these attacks and what person--Christ---should be our model of conduct. Trey makes a fascinating point about the true meanings "diversity" and "inclusion" in light of Catholic truth.Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, October 02, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion welcomed back Monica Ashour, from the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team (TOBET) to give her thoughts on talking about difficult subjects with children within the family and at different ages. Monica especially focused on the unfolding crisis of infidelity within the Church and how, in light of what the Theology of the Body teaches about human sexuality, parents can better explain the crisis to their children given their age and intellectual development. If you found the episode helpful, please take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, August 28, 2018, host Trey Cashion encourages parents to greet their children's question about the Faith with joy, encouragement, honesty, and humility. These questions are usually moments of grace, episodes of intervention by the Holy Spirit, that are times to draw the child deeper into the Faith and how to make it their own. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, August 21, 2018, host Trey Cashion revisited how the sacrament of Baptism accomplishes the saving action of Christ's life, death, and resurrection in the here and now. The Latin term sacramentum is the word mysterion in Greek, thus the words "sacrament" and "mystery" are intimately linked. So, it's natural we have a focus on the sacraments here at Mystery of Parenthood. The jumping off point for today's show was an article by Karlo Broussard, an apologist with Catholic Answers, on the concepts of sanctification and justification which are very central for Protestants. Let's look at how they are at work in the sacrament of Baptism and how Catholics take the Incarnation seriously and believe the fullness of what Christ accomplished on the Cross. And it's these merits that are work in the sacraments. This week's memory verse is Romans 6:4, "We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life." Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
"Righteous or 'Reckoned'" by Karlo Broussard
On Tuesday, August 14, 2018, host Trey Cashion reviewed the dogma of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. Trey talked about how to explain it our children and how the truths that the dogma protects can strengthen family life. The Assumption actually leads to greater reverence and awe for Our Lord and faith in Him because, "without Jesus none of this would be possible." The Assumption also reverences the body and points us to treating our bodies and those of others with the utmost care and respect. This week's Memory Verse is 1 Corinthians 15:22, "For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life." Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, July 31, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed the ways that a correct understanding of the Eucharist can be shaped by the aspects of sacrifice, presence, and meal contained in the Blessed Sacrament. This week's Memory Verse is John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, July 24, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion were pleased to welcome Monica Ashour, from the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team, to review, first, the central points of Humanae Vitae. She then went on to explain how Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body raised the encyclical's conclusions to an even higher level. Humanae Vitae demonstrated that the twin, inseperable ends of sexuality are union and procreation. Theology of the Body goes further to suggest that at stake in the right use of human sexuality is the chance for the spouses to experience the real joy and love on offer by not cheating themselves or their beloved out of the chance for a full, free, fair, and fruitful embrace by the couple. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, July 17, 2018, hosts Trey Cashion considered an article from First Things, "Sacramental Realism." Trey took apart the essay and presented its conclusions about the visible vs. the invisible world and a false bifurcation between the two. These confusions present themselves in misappreciations of the sacraments and their efficacy as well as confusions about identity, sexuality, and morality present in the larger society. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
First Things essay by R. R. Reno: https://www.firstthings.com/article/2018/08/sacramental-realism
On Tuesday, September 25, 2018, host Trey Cashion looked at a blog post from Dr. Edward Sri of The Augustine Institute directed at encouraging more Catholics to adopt the Rosary as a regular devotion. Based on his book, Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth, Sri's blog post offers 5 keys to help someone take the plunge into praying a Rosary regularly. Trey reviewed these suggestions and offered his own experience as a husband and father in making the Rosary a part of his family's approach to prayer. He emphasized that it is actually critical to set aside time to pray the Rosary even when you don't feel like it. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dcn. Harold Burke-Sivers's address on the Rosary at the 2017 RED-C Catholic Radio Benefit Dinner [audio]
Edward Sri, Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth
_____, "The Rosary is Hard!"
St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary
_____, The Secret of the Rosary
Robert Feeney, The Rosary: The John Paul II Method (2nd ed.)
On Tuesday, September 18, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion welcomed first-time guests, Jessica and Shaun McAfee. Shaun is a Catholic writer and blogger; Jessica is a certified Creighton-method NFP practicioner. The Cashions invited them on to discuss the chapter they contributed to the new collection from Catholic Answers Press, Inseparable: Five Perspectives on Sex, Life, and Love in Defense of Humanae Vitae. The McAfees reviewed how their conversion to Catholicism was strengthned by studying Humane Vitae and gave several examples of how they have made the truths of the document part of how they raise their own children to treasure and protect their innocence. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, July 10, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion was pleased to welcome back Monica Ashour, from the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team. Monica spoke with them about how create families that prioritize bodily presence ("the body demands a response") and embodied relationships over virtual connections and social networks in order to preserve the family as a true community of persons ordered to God's love for the human being. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, July 3, 2018, host Trey Cashion continued to discuss a recent essay by sociologist Allan Carlson on the thought of the early-twentieth-century American sociologist, Carle Zimmerman. In this episode, Trey zeroes in on some of the attributes that Zimmerman ascribes to the "domestic family" (one of his three historical family types) and how they contribute to health and vitality of civilizations. Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
How Families Contribute to the Rise and Fall of Civilizations by Allan C. Carlson
On Tuesday, June 26, 2018, host Trey Cashion considered an article linked below by Allan Carlson. It is an essay on the thought of an early-twentieth-century American sociologist, Carle Zimmerman. In this episode, get an introduction to Zimmerman's life and and work followed by an overview of the big themes in his 1947 magnum opus, Family and Civilization. Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
How Families Contribute to the Rise and Fall of Civilizations by Allan C. Carlson
On June 19, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion considered what we can learn from a great new saint, Zelie Martin, the mother of the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux. Below is a link to the article from Aleteia that was referenced at the beginning of the show.
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Some women are called to combine work and motherhood
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“Doing it all” takes help
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Moms are allowed to have fun
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Even moms of saints need a minute to themselves
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It’s the little things that break you
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We all have our own paths as mothers
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Mothers are allowed to have their own interests
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Sometimes, breastfeeding is not an option
Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
Eight Parenting Lessons from St. Therese's Mom
On Tuesday, June 12, 2018, hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion take time to discuss different approaches they have taken over the years to disciplining temper tantrums, dishonesty, irresponsibility, etc. Especially, they encourage us to 1) make an approach to parenting your own, 2) aim to convert your child's heart, and 3) pray to identify the root issue. Listen in to see how your approach to parenting during the tough times compares to what the Cashions have done (and what they've learned). Have a question or comment? Reach out to them on Facebook. Enjoy the episode and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, June 5, 2018, host Trey Cashion shared a recent experience when he allowed his emotions to dictate how he related to his family and to others around him. What we learned during this episode is that genuine love, especially in the family, cannot always depend upon positive circumstances or emotions. It must come from an act of the will. Below is a link to the article from Aleteia that was referenced at the beginning of the show. Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
I stopped doing this one little thing every day, and it strengthened my marriage
On Tuesday, May 29, 2018, host Trey and Stephanie Cashion talked about what Catholic families ought to keep in mind in order to raise effective and frutiful families. The pieces of advice that the Cashions offered included making the family a foundation of life and a reflection of the love and mercy of God. Our memory this week was Ephesians 3:14-19, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, May 15, 2018, host Trey Cashion discussed the Pope St. John Paul II's important apostolic exhortation of 1984, Familiaris Consortio. Trey takes up the message of Part 3 on the role of the family in the modern world. He brings out the three functions that the Holy Father identifies for the family: to guard, reveal, and communicate the Catholic Faith for the world and for future generations. He then went on offer practical and ordinary ways that good Catholic families carry out these functions and are probably already doing so. Purposeful parenting is guided by these functions and they should guide the decisions that mothers and fathers make in raising their children. Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, host Trey Cashion discussed the significance and historical background to the day's feast: St. Joseph the Worker. Pope Pius XII established the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955 in hopes of highlighting the Christian dignity of labor, to give all working people a patron, and to counter the influence of atheistic communism's International Workingman's Day. Trey explained why work is good and how it makes it possible for men and women to acheive excellence through the use of their talents. At the same time, St. Joseph the Worker reminds us that all human beings have a right to work, should be protected from demeaning, desultory labor, and should be able to secure a livelihood sufficient to care for themselves and their families. Our memory verse this week was Genesis 2:15, "The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, host Trey Cashion was joined again by Arland Nichols, the president and founder of the St. John Paul II Foundation. This time they discussed the "Together in Holiness" couples retreats that are planned and implemented by the JPII Foundation. Visit forlifeandfamily.org/together-in-holiness/ to learn more about these retreats. Our memory verse this week was Hebrews 12:14, "Strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, April 17, 2018, host Trey Cashion shared his thoughts on Pope Francis' most recent apostolic exhortation, Gaudete Et Exsultate. The topic of this exhortation was "the call to holiness in today's world." Treypaid special attention to the words of the Holy Father that define holiness as living out our union with God in the ordinary events of our lives. Follow the link below to access an English translation of the papal document itself. Our memory verse this week was Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
Gaudete Et Exsultate (vatican.va)
On Tuesday, April 10, 2018, Trey and Stephanie Cashion decided to share some practical blessings and fruits that they have experienced in marriage and that have come about through a knowledge of the invisible reality of the sacrament. The fruit that was discussed the most was a gradual weeding out of self-absorption through the promotion of selfless service in the family. This attitude of selfless service is essential in the family in order to see our family members not as hindrances but as missions to love as Christ loves His Church. Our memory verse this week was Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, Trey Cashion took a deep dive into the readings for Holy Week, especially Monday and Tuesday of Holy Week with an eye toward how parents can introduce their children to the scriptures of Holy Week in the final preparations for Holy Week. The Memory Verse was John 2:19-21: "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, March 20, 2018, Trey Cashion reflected on the sainthood of Joseph, the Husband of Mary and the Patron of the Universal Church, whose Solemnity was the previous day, March 19. Our memory verse this week is Matthew 1:24, "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
On Tuesday, March 6, 2018, as the season of Lent continued, Trey and Stephanie Cashion covered the topic of Reconciliation. The Cashions delved into the sacramental sign of Reconciliation, the Biblical basis for it, and how to promote it within the family. Reconciliation is vital in our journey to holiness and to communion with God. It involves repentance, or Metanoia, which in Greek means to physically turn around. Not only must we have sorrow for our sins in Reconciliation, but we must also resolve to turn away from our sinful habits and turn towards the face of God. Our memory verse this week is 1 John 1:9, "If we acknowledge our sins, he who is just can be trusted to forgice our sins and cleanse us from every wrong." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday, February 27, 2018, Monica Ashour, the founder of TOBET, the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team, joined Trey and Stephanie Cashion once again to share her expertise on all things Theology of the Body and how these truths can be taught to children. Monica's chosen topic was "The Hermeneutics of the Gift," the way of understanding or interpreting the gift of our bodies within the context of them being made in the image and likeness of God. Monica began by discrediting the modern cartesian way of understanding the human person. As human beings, we are not separately body and soul, but those two characteristics of ours are wholly united to make what Pope St. John Paul II would call "body-persons." These "body-persons" are what God made in his own image and likeness, and Monica explained how we know this. Our ability to give reciprocal gifts of self in community is what proves that we are made in the image and likeness of God. Our memory verse this week is Romans 12:1, "I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, Trey Cashion offered his impressions of His Holiness, Pope Francis's, Lenten Message for 2018. The Holy Father keys off of Matthew 24:12, "Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold," which we have in turn chosen as the Memory Verse for this week. The Pope warns in his letter against listening to the "false prophets" of our time who "offer easy and immediate solutions" and "rob people of all that is most precious." He proposes instead that Catholics devote time to prayer that will "root out our secret lies and forms of self-deception." It is also critical that we respond with charity "in our daily encounters with those who beg for our assistance." This Lent take time to practice more often (or maybe for the first time) the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Finally, we should take fasting seriously and allow it to make us "more attentive to God and our neighbor." Enjoy the episode and take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
Read the Pope's Lenten Message
The Corporal Works of Mercy
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Clothe the naked
- Visit the imprisioned
- Shelter the homeless
- Visit the sick
- Bury the dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
- Admonish the sinner
- Instruct the ignorant
- Counsel the doubtful
- Comfort the sorrowful
- Bear wrongs patiently
- Forgive all injuries
- Pray for the living and the dead
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed Lenten observances within the family. In the majority of this episode, they talked about fasting and the proper attitudes we should have towards it. They pointed out that a fast can be fruitful whether a good or an evil is given up, as long as the fast is done out of sacrificial love for Jesus. Our memory verse this week is Mark 1:12-13, "And the spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, host Trey Cashion was joined by Arland Nichols, the president and founder of the St. John Paul II Foundation. Arland gave an overview of the foundation's mission and especially highlighted the various couples conferences that it hosts throughout the year. During their conversation, Trey and Arland reflected in depth on the value of parents who never stop forming themselves and looking for ways to grow in their spirituality. The two agreed that these parents will in turn assist their children, who will follow after their virtuous examples. Our memory verse this week is a quote from St. John Paul II: "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live. Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song. The future starts today, not tomorrow." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday, January 23, 2018, Trey Cashion discussed the vices of jealousy and envy in light of a technology blogger's claim that jealousy can make you a better person (https://www.getcloudapp.com/blog/jealous-7-ways-jealousy-can-make-you-a-better-person). He reviewed the classical and Catholic tradition's definition of envy and prior to that, a proper understanding of the relationship between the will, reason, and the passions. Two books by the great Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft grounded the conversation: Practical Theology (https://www.ignatius.com/Practical-Theology-P2020.aspx) and Back to the Virtue (https://www.ignatius.com/Back-to-Virtue-P187.aspx). After this preface, Trey critiqued the article and made it clear that far from jealousy being something that can make you a better person, what matters is striving to live in solidarity with others, recognizing excellence wherever we see it, and aspiring to be exactly who God created us to be, that is, a saint. Our memory verse this week is Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday January 9, 2018, Trey Cashion interviewed special guest Monica Ashour, Founder and President of the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team (TOBET). At this time, Monica and her team were in the process of completing their Theology of the Body (TOB) children's curriculum series entitled, The Body Matters. Monica explained to listeners that TOB is a form of Christian anthropology rather than just a sexology. Its primary goal is to teach the truth of what it means to human. Knowing this, TOB can be taught to young children without even mentioning sexuality. Monica and Trey both emphasized that the foundation must be laid down in every child at a young age that their body is a sacrament, a teacher, and most importantly, good. Visit tobet.org/the-body-matters to learn more about The Body Matters series, and check out the programs TOBET has created for children, teens, and adults at tobet.org/programs. Our memory verse this week is Song of Songs 4:9-10, "You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride...How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday, December 12, 2017 and in the middle of the season of Advent, Trey and Stephanie Cashion saw fit to pay tribute to Mary the Mother of Our Savior Jesus Christ by having an in depth conversation on her Immaculate Conception. As Catholics, we firmly believe in Mary being preserved from original sin and in the absolute necessity of that event. We, therefore, must keep Our Lady as a crucial role model in our families. Our memory verse this week is Luke 1:46-55, "And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.'" Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday, November 28, 2017, Trey Cashion explained what the Christian ideal of fatherhood is. He emphasized that Christian fathers must always strive to be an accurate reflection of God Our Father and that a father's first vocation is to lead his family to heaven. Also discussed in this episode is the article, "Important Rules for Catholic Fathers", from integratedcatholiclife.org. Our memory verse this week is Ephesians 3:14-17, "For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, for whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday November 21, 2017, Trey and Stephanie Cashion tackled the issue of how to prepare for Christmas in a world where Christmas is already being celebrated in November. Trey and Stephanie shared some ways they have been able to maintain a sense of expectancy in their family during the preparatory season of Advent. Some of the resources used in the show are listed below. Our memory verse this week is Luke 2:19, "Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
"What are the 'O Antiphons'?" (catholiceducation.org)
Jesse Tree Ornaments (pinterest.com)
Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent (amazon.com)
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Tuesday November 14, 2017, Trey Cashion, Dr Thaddeus Romansky, and Aggie Catholic Campus Minister Adam Arehart continued last week's conversation on heresies in the Catholic Church and the importance of discovering and pursuing truth in all aspects of life. Our memory verse this week is 2 Timothy 4:3-4 "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Monday November 7, 2017, Trey Cashion and Dr Thaddeus Romansky take a closer look at some heresies in the Church and liken deviations from the teachings of the Universal Church to disobedience within a family. Our memory verse this week is 2 Timothy 4:1-5, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word. Be urgent in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, and exhort. Be unfailing in patience and in teaching, for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. And as for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On Halloween, Trey and Stephanie Cashion give advice on how to celebrate this holiday in the Catholic family. They discuss the purpose of Halloween and how it point to the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls. In addition, Trey and Stephanie remind us that all holidays and seasons can bring us closer to the divine realities that they represent. Check out the below links for more information. Our memory verse this week is Romans 1:20, "Ever since the creation of the world, his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
Why Catholics Should Embrace Halloween (catholic.com)
Pumpkin Carving Prayer (pinterest.com)
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On the Feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Trey Cashion explains the need of parents to emphasize to their children God's use of material things to connect us as human beings to Him. Just as children are gradually taught how to properly use their bodies to communicate and express themselves, so they should be taught how outward signs such as the sign of the cross and the mass can bring them closer to God. Our memory verse this week is Colossians 1:15, "[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On October 11, 2017, Trey and Stephanie Cashion give advice on how to teach children how to pray. They discuss everything from the common prayers to sacred silence to prayer journalling. Our memory verse this week is Phillipians 4:6-7, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
8:30 The Common Prayers
15:35 Gratitude in Prayer
20:45 Listening and Sacred Silence
27:52 Reading the Bible and Saint Stories
33:20 Prayer Journalling
36:02 Praying Together as a Family
41:24 Having Realistic Expectations
43:50 Obedience in Prayer
47:13 Emphasizing God's Almighty Power
49:33 Connecting Prayers to Everyday Life
Important: The echoes you hear during the beginning of this episode are the result of technical difficulties during the live recording. The problem continues until it is fixed at 13:50. We are deeply sorry for this error.
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On October 4, 2017, in light of the recent tragedy in Las Vegas, Trey and Stephanie Cashion discuss how to deal with the fears and anxieties children may experience during their lives. Trey and Stephanie emphasize being vulnerable with your children and reminding them of God's constant love and protection. Our memory verse this week is Proverbs 12:25, "Worry makes a heart heavy. A kindly word makes it glad." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On September 20, 2017, Trey and Stephanie Cashion provided tips on how to teach accountability to our children. Make sure to check out the resources used for this episode, the book Accountable Kids and the article 9 Tips for Teaching Kids Responsibility. Our Memory Verse this week is Romans 5:3-5, "Let us exhalt too in our hardships, understanding that hardship develops perseverance and perseverance develops a tested character, something that will give us hope and a hope that will not let us down because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
0:45 Opening Prayer
2:16 How to Teach Children Responsibility
11:58 Start Them Early
18:40 Let Them Help You
29:20 Praise Your Children
34:54 Manage Your Expectations
41:13 Avoid Rewards
43:46 Provide Structure and Routine
47:29 Teach Consequences
50:04 Memory Verse, Romans 5:3-5
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On September 13, 2017, Trey and Stephanie Cashion explain what helicopter parenting is, how it can be avoided, and why it is not a proper method of parenting. For more information on this topic, check out the articles linked below. Our Memory Verse this week is Galatians 5:1, "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand fast, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
"What is Helicopter Parenting" (parents.com)
"Take the Test: Am I a Helicopter Parent?" (BBC)
"5 Signs You Were Raised By Helicopter Parents" (Huffington Post)
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On September 6, 2017, in light of the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, host Trey Cashion discussed the topic of suffering and how to talk about it with your children within the context of our Catholic Faith. Our Memory Verse this week is Romans 8:28, "We know that all thing work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On August 16, 2017, host Trey Cashion had a lively discussion with his guest Dr. Mark Giszczak, Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture at the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado. The focus of the conversation was on Sirach 3, especially verses 1-16. Trey and Mark encouraged parents to familiarize themselves with this portion of Scripture because it explains the dynamic of love that should obtain between parents and children when they observe the Fourth Commandment. Consider reading these verses to your children at the same time each day; if possible, have them memorize Sirach 3. This week's Memory Verse is Sirach 3:14. "Kindness to a father will not be forgotten; it will serve as a sin offering--it will take lasting root." When we do a righteous act (e.g. obeying God and honoring our parents) without regard to self, we are atoning for own sin, and more importantly, we participate in Jesus' redemptive work in which he suffered and died in obedience to his father's plan for merciful deliverance of the whole human race. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On August 2, 2017, host Trey Cashion meditated on the need for commitment in sustaining marriages and families. He especially spent time looking at how the vanishing of commitment in aspects of American society points in part to why those considering marriage are loath to make the decision. Commitment entails a permanent eschewing of other paths and possibilities in order to give one's whole life to one, and only one, other. Tune in to hear Trey's elaboation of theese ideas and how to discern them in your own life in order to re-commit yourself to commitment. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On July 12, 2017, host Trey Cashion discussed a blog post by Josh Daffern titled "Seven Ways to Listen to the Holy Spirit." Mr. Daffern lists: 1) spend time with God through Bible study and prayer, 2) memorize Scripture, 3) cultivate a posture of listening in prayer, 4) get still, 5) practice discernment, 6) seek wise counsel, and 7) do the last thing you know God told you to do. Tune in to hear Trey's explanation of the points and how to apply them within the family. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
7 Ways to Listen to the Holy Spirit If you want to begin listening to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide your steps but you're not sure how to begin, here are seven tips to help you start listening to the Holy Spirit: 1. Spend time with God through Bible study and prayer.
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On July 5, 2017, host Trey Cashion used the show to offer some extended reflections about Pope St. John Paul II's Prayer for Families. This is the prayer that Trey and Stephanie pray at the top of each episode. (A copy of the prayer can be found below.) Consider incorporating it into your family's prayer life and use this episode to glean some insights into the heroic life that Pope John Paul II calls mothers, fathers, and children to in this prayer. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
Lord God, from You every family in Heaven and on earth takes its name. Father, You are love and life.
Through Your Son, Jesus Christ, born of woman, and through the Holy Spirit, the fountain of divine charity, grant that every family on earth may become for each successive generation a true shrine of life and love.
Grant that Your grace may guide the thoughts and actions of husbands and wives for the good of their families and of all the families in the world.
Grant that the young may find in the family solid support for their human dignity and for their growth in truth and love.
Grant that love, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass.
Through the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that the Church may fruitfully carry out her worldwide mission in the family and through the family.
We ask this of You, Who is life, truth and love with the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On the June 28, 2017 episode Trey invited on Adam Arehart, campus minister at St. Mary's Catholic Center in College Station to discuss an article from Msgnr. Charles Pope on "Eight Modern Errors Every Catholic Should Know and Avoid." (A link to the article can be found below.) Trey and Adam not only summarized each error according to Msgnr. Pope, but they also gave suggestions and advice to parents for innoculating their children against these errors. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/msgr-pope/8-modern-errors-every-catholic-should-know-and-avoid
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. The 06-21-17 episode brought on Trent Horn to speak with host Trey Cashion about his new book, Why We're Catholic. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. The 06-07-17 episode is an encore presentation of a program from 06-03-15 in which show host Trey Cashion discussed recognizing the importance of the Mass as a teaching tool--as a catechetical device--to instruct our children and ways to do it. In particular, Trey explains the significance of the liturgies for the feasts of the Most Holy Trinity and of Corpus Christi. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 05-31-17, show host Trey Cashion discussed "Six Tips from St. Ignatius Loyola for Finding Purpose in Life." The tips are: 1) pick the right time to think about it; 2) imagine yourself in the future; 3) task the people who know you best; 4) think about how the rest of your life is affected; 5) pretend you are another person giving advice to yourself; 6) imagine you are living your last moments. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
Here is a link to the article by Fr. Michael Rennier at Aleteia: https://aleteia.org/2017/04/30/6-ways-to-find-your-purpose-in-life-according-to-st-ignatius-of-loyola/
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 05-24-17, show host Trey Cashion reviewed the topic of the previous four episodes: becoming "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Family." He then went on to apply a recent address by Pope Francis to Coptic Catholic priests and religious in Egypt. Trey works through the seven temptations that can lead religious life astray. They are the temptation: 1) to let ourselves be led, rather than to lead; 2) to complain constantly; 3) to gossip and envy; 4) to compare ourselves to others; 5) to become like Pharaoh; 6) to individulalism; 7) to keep walking without direction or destination. In doing so, Trey applies the Pope's teaching to the family and the proper attitudes that parents and children should adopt toward one another. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 04-26-17, show host Trey Cashion discussed the second attribute of what it means to be "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Family." Citing paragraph 2204 in the Catechism, Trey noted that the family is intended to be a "community of faith, hope, and love." That is a significant reason why it is properly understood as the "domestic church." This episode considered a number of the ways that the spouses and children in the family are called to holiness as well as how this attribute reinforces the family's call to oneness and unity.
Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 05-10-17, show host Trey Cashion discussed the first attribute of what it means to be "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Family." Citing paragraph 2204 in the Catechism, Trey noted that the family is intended to be a "community of faith, hope, and love." That is a significant reason why it is properly understood as the "domestic church." This episodes discusses the attribute of catholicity as it applies to the domestic church. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 05-17-17, show host Trey Cashion discussed the fourth attribute of what it means to be "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Family." He noted that the quality of apostolicity is demands evangelization and sanctification by the family. By going out and spreading the Gospel through their lives, parents and children also take part in the renewal of the temporal order, i.e. acting and living in ways that accord with Christian moral principle. Finally, families should seek to engage in charitable work and social aid, beginning as close to home as possible in taking this work up. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 04-12-17, show host Trey Cashion discussed the first attribute of what it means to be "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Family." Citing paragraph 2204 in the Catechism, Trey noted that the family is intended to be a "community of faith, hope, and love." That is a significant reason why it is properly understood as the "domestic church." Spouses should let their marital relationship be the centerpiece of the family as they strive to participate in the unity of God and the mystery of the Trinity. Spouses should also remember that parents are burdened with the responsibilityof showing the unity of the Church to their children through their steadfast committment to one another in the sacrament. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 04-05-17, show host Trey Cashion delved into Pope Paul VI's encyclical Ecclesiam Suam, the Paths of the Church. He discussed what the 3 Paths for the Domestic Church should thereby look like: having a greater awareness of God's presence in our calling, following the examples of the Saints in making a daily renewal to follow the path of sanctity, and initiaing dialogue with others about the joy of Faith in Jesus Christ. Even though it was miscited at the end of the show, this week's Memory Verse is from the first letter of St. Peter: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet 3:15). Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 03-29-17, show host Trey Cashion presented St. Ignatius of Loyola's "7 Habits of Discernment" : Openness, Generosity, Courage, Interior Freedom, Prayerful Reflection, Proper Priorities, and Keeping Ends & Means Distinct. He also discussed the Suscipe Prayer by St. Ignatius, as well as Harry Chapin's song "Cats in the Cradle" for listeners to go check out. This week's Memory Verse is Romans 12:2, St. Paul's advice for divinely inspired discernment. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 03-22-17, show host Trey Cashion offered listeners seven tips on dilligent parenting. That is, living out the Hebrew shema prayer within the family by making the Faith central to every domestic moment. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio, headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 03-15-17, show hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed motivational speaker Simon Sinek's recent observations about managing Millenials in the workplace. They then took some of these observations and applied them to mananging Millenials and their spiritual journey. This week's Memory Verse is Galatians 5:22–23, St. Paul's pronouncement of the "fruits of the Spirit." Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a show on RED-C Catholic Radio headquartered in College Station, Texas. On 03-01-17, show hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed how to live out Lent within the family. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a live show on RED-C Catholic Radio, KEDC 88.5 FM, in College Station, Texas. On 02-22-17, show host Trey Cashion discussed the importance of inviting the Holy Spirit into our families and the domestic Church. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a live show on RED-C Catholic Radio, KEDC 88.5 FM, in College Station, Texas. On 10-19-16, show hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed seven pointers from Dr. Ray Guarendi's new book, Advice Worth Ignoring. This week's Memory Verse is from Proverbs 19:20. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a live show on RED-C Catholic Radio, KEDC 88.5 FM, in College Station, Texas. On February 1, 2017, host Trey Cashion discussed dealing with failure as a parent--both in terms of failing as a parent and of helping our children respond to failure. He provided some steps for dealing with failure with our children. He emphasized being open to the truth that failure reveals to us while trusting in the good that will come out of it if we see it as a grace for turther and deeper conversion. Always as Christian we should recognize that Christ on the cross looked like utter failure. Yet, the greatest of goods came throught that apparent failure. All of our failures need to be seen through that lens. Pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a live show on RED-C Catholic Radio, KEDC 88.5 FM, in College Station, Texas. On 1-25-17, show hosts Trey and Stephanie Cashion discussed an article on nine steps to more effective parenting. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
The Mystery of Parenthood is a live show on RED-C Catholic Radio, KEDC 88.5 FM, in College Station, Texas. On 12-21-16, show host Trey Cashion visits with Dennis Macha about the coming of the Christ child and its implications for today's parents. Remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!.