Outside the Walls: Recent Episodes
TL Putnam
A show for missionary disciples who worship Christ in the Eucharist and serve him in their neighbor.
Episode Description
Busy has become one of the most common answers to the question, "How are you?" But what if busyness isn't a sign of success at all? What if it's quietly becoming one of the biggest obstacles to living the life you truly want?
In this episode of Outside the Walls, Dave Gast explores The Wall of Busyness—the invisible barrier that convinces us that constant activity equals progress. Through a sports analogy, practical questions, and thought-provoking insights, Dave challenges listeners to examine their calendars, their priorities, and the difference between doing more and doing what matters most.
Sometimes the next step forward isn't adding another commitment—it's creating space for what truly deserves your time.
In This Episode
- Why busyness has become a badge of honor in today's culture.
- The difference between motion and meaningful progress.
- How a full calendar can quietly pull you away from your priorities.
- Three questions to help you reclaim your time and attention.
- Why intentional living always outperforms constant activity.
Three Takeaways
- Busyness is not the same as progress. Motion can keep us occupied without moving us toward the life we truly want.
- Your calendar tells the truth. What receives your time reveals what you actually prioritize—not just what you intend to prioritize.
- Growth often comes through subtraction. Sometimes the most important decision you make is choosing what to remove.
This Week's Challenge
Take five minutes to look at your calendar and ask yourself:
- What on this calendar truly matters?
- What am I doing simply because I've always done it?
- What could I remove to create space for something better?
Memorable Quotes
"Busyness is socially rewarded—but that doesn't mean it's leading you where you want to go."
"Motion and progress aren't the same thing."
"A full calendar doesn't always create a meaningful life."
"Sometimes growth doesn't require adding something new. Sometimes it starts by removing what's quietly standing in the way."
Connect with Me
If this episode encouraged you, I'd love to hear from you.
Visit OutsideTheWallsPodcast.com for episodes and updates.
You can also connect with me:
- YouTube: Outside the Walls with Dave Gast
- LinkedIn: Dave Gast
If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider following, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who could benefit from today's conversation.
Because life changes outside the walls.
The Wall of Approval: When Other People's Opinions Shape Your LifeFrom the time we're children, we learn to seek approval. Parents, teachers, coaches, and friends all influence who we become—and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
But what happens when the desire for approval quietly becomes the driving force behind our biggest life decisions?
In this episode of Outside the Walls, Dave Gast explores The Wall of Approval, one of the most invisible barriers we face. Together, we'll examine why so many people end up living according to expectations they never intentionally chose, and how true freedom begins when your values become louder than everyone else's opinions.
If you've ever hesitated because of what someone might think, this episode is for you.
In This Episode* Why approval serves a purpose in childhood—but can become a prison in adulthood. * How people-pleasing quietly influences career, relationships, and life decisions. * The difference between accepting wise counsel and living for applause. * A simple question that can change the way you make decisions.
Memorable Quotes"The scoreboard changes. Your character shouldn't."
"The people whose approval you chase today probably won't be living your life tomorrow."
"If everyone gets a vote in your life...eventually, you lose yours."
This Week's ChallengeThe next time you find yourself hesitating before making a decision, pause and ask yourself:
"Whose voice is shaping this decision?"
Then ask an even better question:
"Is that the voice I want shaping my future?"
If This Episode ResonatedIf this conversation encouraged you, consider following Outside the Walls, leaving a rating or review, and sharing this episode with someone who may need the reminder that they don't need everyone's permission to live with purpose.
Because life changes...outside the walls.
Connect with MeIf today's episode encouraged or challenged you, I'd love to stay connected.
🌐 Website: OutsideTheWallsPodcast.com
▶️ YouTube: Outside the Walls with Dave Gast
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider following the podcast, leaving a rating or review, and sharing it with someone who could benefit from today's conversation.
Because life changes...outside the walls.
Episode Description
Fear isn't the problem. Letting fear make your decisions is.
In this episode of Outside the Walls, Dave Gast explores one of the most powerful invisible barriers we face: The Wall of Fear. Fear often disguises itself as logic, preparation, or "waiting for the right time," quietly convincing us to stay where it's safe.
Discover why courage isn't the absence of fear—it's choosing not to let fear become the driver of your life. If you've been waiting until you feel confident before taking the next step, this conversation may change the way you think about fear forever.
Remember...life changes outside the walls.
Featured Story
A former college football coach shared that he wasn't recruiting players who never felt pressure—he was looking for players who knew how to perform while feeling pressure.
The lesson?
The people we admire most aren't fearless.
They've simply learned that fear gets to ride along...it just doesn't get to drive.
Important Points
Comfort and fear often work together to keep us stuck.
Fear is designed to protect us—but it isn't meant to direct our lives.
Fear rarely announces itself. It often sounds like logic, caution, or perfect timing.
Courage isn't about eliminating fear. It's about acting anyway.
Confidence doesn't come before action—it grows because of action.
Every meaningful step forward begins by choosing progress over fear.
Memorable Quotes
"Comfort is often the first wall we encounter. But once we decide to climb over it, we usually run straight into another one...the Wall of Fear."
"Fear gets to ride in the car...it just doesn't get to drive the car."
"Confidence doesn't come before action. It grows because of action."
"Fear may speak. It just doesn't have to decide."
Dave's Three-Step Approach
- Recognize the Voice
Ask yourself if your hesitation is wisdom...or simply fear disguised as logic.
- Unlock the Door
Don't focus on tearing down the entire wall. Just take the next step that's in front of you.
- Let Courage Lead
Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's choosing not to let fear make your decisions.
This Week's Challenge
Ask yourself one simple question:
Where has fear been making decisions that should belong to you?
Choose one conversation.
One opportunity.
One apology.
One first step.
You don't have to tear down the entire wall.
Simply unlock the door.
Looking Ahead
Next week, we'll explore another invisible barrier that quietly shapes our decisions:
The Wall of Approval
Once fear no longer controls your choices, another challenge often appears—the opinions, expectations, and approval of other people.
We'll talk about how to stop living for everyone else's applause and start living according to your own values.
Connect With Me
I'd love to hear what wall you're working to move beyond.
Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
YouTube: Outside the Walls with Dave Gast
Hashtags
OutsideTheWalls #WallOfFear #Mindset #PersonalGrowth #Courage #Leadership #GrowthMindset #SelfImprovement #TakeTheFirstStep #LifeChangesOutsideTheWalls
DescriptionMost people think the biggest obstacles in life are obvious.
They're not.
More often than not, the greatest barrier between where we are and where we could be is comfort.
In this first episode of the 10 Walls series, Dave Gast explores how comfort quietly becomes an invisible wall that keeps us from growing, taking risks, and becoming the person we're capable of being. Through practical examples and simple challenges, you'll learn why growth begins just beyond what's familiar—and how one small step can start changing everything.
If you've been waiting for the "right time," this episode is for you.
Life changes outside the walls.
Episode SummaryWhat if the biggest obstacle in your life doesn't look like an obstacle at all?
In this opening episode of the 10 Walls series, Dave Gast explores The Wall of Comfort—the invisible barrier that quietly keeps many of us from growing. Comfort isn't the enemy, but when it becomes our destination instead of a place to rest, it can limit our opportunities, relationships, and potential.
Through relatable stories and practical reflection, Dave challenges listeners to recognize where comfort has become a wall and take one small step toward growth.
In This Episode* Why comfort can be more limiting than fear. * The difference between healthy rest and settling. * How "waiting for the right time" can disguise fear. * Three questions to help identify your own Wall of Comfort. * A practical challenge to begin stepping outside your comfort zone today.
Memorable Quotes"The biggest limitations in life rarely look like obstacles. Most of the time, they look comfortable."
"Little by little, your world shrinks—not because someone locked the door, but because you stopped opening it."
"Comfort is expensive—not because of what it costs today, but because of what it quietly steals from your future."
This Week's ChallengeBefore the week is over, choose one thing that makes you just a little uncomfortable.
- Make the phone call.
- Start the workout.
- Read the book.
- Take the class.
- Have the conversation.
One decision probably won't change your life overnight.
Repeated decisions absolutely will.
Looking AheadThis episode launches the 10 Walls series. In the coming weeks, we'll explore the invisible barriers that often shape our choices without us even realizing it, including:
- The Wall of Fear
- The Wall of Approval
- The Wall of Busyness
- The Wall of Perfection
- And more...
OutsideTheWalls #WallOfComfort #PersonalGrowth #Mindset #GrowthMindset #SelfLeadership #ComfortZone #Leadership #Purpose #SelfImprovement
Connect With MeIf today's episode encouraged you, I'd love to stay connected.
Search for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify for more episodes and weekly content.
Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode DescriptionHave you ever noticed how easy it is to celebrate someone else's progress while completely overlooking your own? We encourage friends, coworkers, and family members to keep going, yet we often become our own toughest critics.
In this episode, I explore why so many driven people struggle to recognize their own growth and how constantly moving the finish line steals the joy from meaningful progress. If you've ever felt like you're falling behind despite how far you've come, this conversation is your reminder to pause, recognize the hidden victories, and appreciate the climb before chasing the next goal.
Featured StoryAs a lifelong sports fan—and a Chiefs fan here in Kansas City—I've always admired the way Andy Reid talks after a win. While everyone else is focused on Patrick Mahomes and the highlight plays, Coach Reid often points to an offensive lineman, a receiver's block, or another small moment that most people completely missed. Football coaches call those the "hidden yards." They're the little plays that never make SportsCenter but often determine who wins the game. It reminded me that life works the same way. We celebrate milestones, but we rarely stop long enough to appreciate the small victories that quietly built them.
Important Points* Progress loses its joy when I keep moving the finish line instead of recognizing how far I've already come. * The hidden victories rarely earn applause, but they quietly shape the person I'm becoming every single day. * Gratitude for today's progress doesn't weaken tomorrow's ambition—it gives me healthier fuel to keep growing.
Memorable Quotes* "Progress deserves recognition, not perfection." * "Championships aren't built by highlight reels. They're built by hundreds of little victories." * "You may not be where you want to be, but you're certainly not where you used to be."
Dave's Three-Step Approach1. Pause long enough to recognize the hidden victories you've been too busy to notice. 2. Appreciate the progress you've made without confusing gratitude for complacency. 3. Carry that confidence into tomorrow and keep growing without forgetting to enjoy the climb.
Connect With MeSearch for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
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- Email: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode DescriptionMost people chase breakthroughs while overlooking the quiet routines that shape their lives every day. Better health, stronger relationships, and meaningful career growth rarely happen because of one big moment. They happen because of small actions repeated with purpose.
In this episode, I explore why successful people rely on systems, how routines create freedom, and why the ordinary habits we repeat today may be building the extraordinary life we're hoping for.
Featured StoryA few years ago, I started paying attention to the people I admired most. The healthiest people weren't obsessed with fitness. The couples with great marriages weren't constantly talking about relationships. The professionals who kept growing didn't seem overwhelmed by every decision. What surprised me was how ordinary they looked. They weren't relying soley on more drive. They had simply removed the daily negotiations from their lives. Exercise, learning, and investing in relationships weren't decisions—they were routines. That realization changed how I think about success. Maybe I didn't need another motivational boost. Maybe I just needed a better system.
Important Points* Success often comes from removing daily decisions, allowing consistent routines to create lasting momentum over time. * The routines you repeat quietly become your habits, and your habits eventually shape the person you become. * Extraordinary lives aren't built through dramatic moments but through ordinary actions repeated with intention.
Memorable Quotes* "A routine isn't punishment. It's permission to stop starting over and start moving forward." * "Maybe we're spending too much time looking for breakthroughs when what we really need is rhythm." * "Extraordinary lives are rarely created by extraordinary days, but by ordinary days repeated with purpose."
Dave's Three-Step Approach* Build one simple routine that removes a daily decision and makes the right action easier to repeat. * Repeat that routine consistently until it becomes a habit instead of something you have to think about. * Allow those habits to shape your identity, creating the life you once thought required motivation alone.
Connect With MeSearch for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
- Email: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode DescriptionEverybody wants a happy life, but most of us spend years chasing the wrong things.
I've learned that happiness doesn't care much about résumés, titles, or whether people think we're kind of a big deal. Real happiness is built, not found.
In this episode, I share the three pillars that have mattered most in my own life: purpose, people, and service. We'll talk about former NFL players searching for meaning after retirement, why relationships matter more than achievements, and how helping others often changes us in the process. If you're looking for a happier and more meaningful life, this episode is for you.
Featured StoryOne of my favorite sports stories involves former NFL players after retirement. For years, they live with purpose, teammates, and a mission bigger than themselves. Then one day it's over. The games stop. The crowds disappear. The schedule vanishes.
I've always been fascinated by the players who thrive after football. They coach, mentor, build businesses, and invest in people. They don't spend their lives looking backward.
What strikes me is that the happiest former athletes seem to rebuild three things: purpose, relationships, and opportunities to serve. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that's not just an athlete's challenge. It's all of ours.
Important Points* Happiness isn't found by accident. I build it through purpose, relationships, and serving others. * The people who matter most won't remember my résumé. They'll remember how I showed up. * Helping others changes me too. Service creates gratitude, meaning, and perspective.
Memorable Quotes* Happiness isn't something I find. It's something I build, one choice at a time. * Happiness doesn't care much about my résumé or whether people think I'm a big deal. * The happiest seasons of my life weren't about stuff. They were about purpose and people.
Dave's Three-Step Approach* Start with purpose. Find something bigger than comfort that gets you moving every day. * Build relationships next. Invest in family, friendships, and the people who matter most. * Then serve others. Meaning grows when I help someone beyond myself and my own needs.
Connect With MeSearch for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
- Email: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode description
Most of us live like we’ve got unlimited time.
We push off the trip. Delay the conversation. Keep saying we’ll start “one day.” Meanwhile, the clock keeps moving whether we pay attention or not.
This episode hit me hard because I started asking myself a dangerous question: what would change if I knew I only had three months left to live?
I talk about the relationships I’d fight harder for, the meaningless stuff I’d finally stop caring about, and the sports moment that reminded me how fast a season can disappear. If you’ve been waiting to fully live, this one’s for you.
Memorable quotes
“When the clock gets short, clarity gets loud.”
“Most people aren’t living. They’re postponing.”
“The scoreboard is running whether we acknowledge it or not.”
“You stop wasting time when you realize time is wasting nothing.”
“Later has buried more dreams than failure ever did.”
Three-step takeaway
Audit what actually matters if your time became limited tomorrow.
Eliminate one thing draining your energy that wouldn’t matter in 90 days.
Act on one meaningful thing immediately instead of waiting for “someday.”
OutsideTheWalls #PersonalGrowth #Mindset #LifeAdvice #SportsStories #LiveFully
Connect With Me
Search for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
- Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode Description
A recent conversation with a bank chair reminded me that trust and opportunity are usually built long before people ever see the results. Most people focus on talent, timing, or networking. But the people who create momentum in life often do one thing differently… they consistently show up.
In this episode, I talk about reliability, leadership, consistency, and why presence matters more than perfection. If you’ve been waiting until you feel fully prepared before taking action, this conversation might change the way you think about growth, relationships, and long-term success.
Featured Story
I sat down with a bank chair recently for what started as a casual conversation about business and leadership. Somewhere in the middle of it, he said he learned over the years who he could trust simply by watching who consistently showed up. Not the loudest people. Not the most impressive resumes. Just the people who kept showing up over time.
That hit me hard because it reminded me how much consistency matters in every area of life. It also made me think about sports. Coaches trust the players they never have to wonder about. The same thing happens in relationships, careers, and leadership.
Important Points
- Most opportunities grow quietly through consistency long before the visible breakthrough ever arrives.
- Reliable people stand out today because consistency has become rare in business and relationships.
- Showing up repeatedly builds confidence, trust, discipline, and long-term credibility over time.
Memorable Quotes
- “People stop questioning your intentions when your consistency keeps showing up for them.”
- “Confidence usually follows action, not the other way around in real life.”
- “Reliable people quietly separate themselves long before success becomes visible.”
Dave’s Three-Step Approach
- Show up consistently before results appear so trust and momentum have time to build naturally.
- Stay present through uncomfortable seasons instead of disappearing when things feel uncertain.
- Build a reputation for reliability until your consistency speaks louder than your words.
Connect With Me
Search for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
- Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode DescriptionHow many great ideas, dreams, and opportunities are sitting on the shelf because you're waiting for the perfect moment? The truth is, most people aren't stuck because they lack talent. They're stuck because they never move.
In this episode, I explore the power of execution and why action creates confidence far more often than confidence creates action. We talk about momentum, overthinking, personal growth, and the hidden cost of standing still.
If you've been delaying a conversation, a goal, a trip, or a new chapter in life, this episode is your reminder that clarity often follows movement. Press play and let's start making it happen.
Featured StoryI was watching a basketball game when a simple moment jumped off the screen. A player caught the ball completely open and had a clean shot. For just a split second, he hesitated. That tiny pause gave the defender enough time to recover, and the opportunity disappeared.
It struck me how much life works the same way. I've had seasons where I spent more time preparing than actually doing. I'd tweak plans, rework details, and convince myself I was making progress because I was thinking about the goal. Meanwhile, life kept moving. The lesson hit hard: movement teaches lessons that overthinking never will, and hesitation often costs more than failure.
Important Points* Confidence rarely arrives before action. Movement creates proof that you're capable of more than you think. * Overthinking feels productive, but six months of planning can't replace one uncomfortable step forward. * The longer you ignore what matters most, the more disconnected you become from the life you want.
Memorable Quotes* "Confidence doesn't usually show up before action. Most of the time, it arrives because of action." * "Movement teaches lessons that thinking, planning, and worrying will never teach you." * "Every small action gives your mind proof that forward progress is actually possible."
Dave's Three-Step Approach* Step 1: Identify the goal you've been carrying around and stop waiting for perfect conditions to appear. * Step 2: Take one imperfect action today, even if it feels uncomfortable, messy, or incomplete. * Step 3: Build momentum from that first step and create evidence that growth is possible.
Connect With MeSearch for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
- Email: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode Description
Stress has a sneaky way of becoming normal.
You work longer hours. Sleep less. Carry pressure everywhere. Then one day you realize your mind never shuts off, your patience disappears faster, and peace feels like something other people get to enjoy.
In this episode, I talk about protecting your peace before stress starts running your entire life. We get into healthier habits, unresolved problems, relationships, overwork, and why constantly rushing through life eventually catches up with you.
Because calm isn’t weakness. It’s maintenance for the life you actually want to enjoy.
Featured Story
I had a moment recently where I realized I wasn’t fully present anywhere.
I was answering emails while eating dinner. Thinking about work while trying to relax. Scrolling my phone while somebody I cared about was talking to me. Physically there. Mentally somewhere else completely.
That bothered me more than I expected.
Because I think a lot of successful people slowly drift into that lifestyle without noticing it. Busy becomes the identity. Pressure becomes normal. Meanwhile your nervous system is quietly getting crushed behind the scenes.
Reducing stress isn’t about escaping responsibility. It’s learning what deserves your energy and what never should’ve had access to it in the first place.
Important Points
Stress grows when I keep carrying unresolved situations that should’ve been handled months ago.
Peace usually starts when I stop reacting to every distraction demanding access to my attention.
Healthy habits feel small daily, but they quietly determine how heavy life eventually becomes.
Memorable Quotes
Busy became a personality trait while our nervous systems quietly begged us for a break.
Peace doesn’t come from perfect circumstances. It comes from protecting your energy daily.
Sometimes your soul doesn’t need more productivity. It needs something enjoyable again.
- Dave's Three-Step Approach
First, remove unnecessary noise that keeps your mind overloaded from morning until night.
Then, create breathing room through healthier habits, rest, and protected private time daily.
Finally, handle unresolved problems before they quietly become permanent emotional pressure.
Connect With Me
Search for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode Description
Most people think growth comes from doing more.
More effort. More structure. More discipline.
I’ve gone down that road too. And it works… until it doesn’t.
This episode is about what happens when your life looks full on paper but feels off in real life. Not because anything is broken—but because too much of it no longer fits.
If you’ve been pushing harder but feeling less aligned, this one will hit. It’s time to stop adding and start removing what’s quietly holding you back.
Important Points
- We don’t need more discipline. We need to remove what’s draining energy we don’t get back.
- When we outgrow something but keep it anyway, it quietly creates friction in everything else.
- Adding more only works when the foundation has space. Most of us skipped that part.
Memorable Quotes
- Less isn’t lazy. It’s what happens when we finally get honest about what actually matters now.
- More effort won’t fix misalignment. It just buries it under things that look productive.
- The real upgrade shows up when we stop carrying things that no longer fit who we are.
Dave's Three-Step Approach
Step 1: I look at where my time and energy feel forced instead of natural or aligned.
Step 2: I get real with myself about what I’ve outgrown but keep out of habit or expectation.
Step 3: I remove one thing at a time and create space for what actually fits now.
Connect With Me
Search for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Episode Description
You don’t build a personal brand when you feel ready. You build it every day—whether you’re paying attention or not.
I talk through what people are actually picking up from you, and why consistency matters more than talent.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing a lot but not getting traction, this one will land. Take a look at your patterns and decide what you actually want to be known for.
Featured Story
I was sitting across from someone, coffee in hand, listening to them talk about needing the right opportunity.
They were sharp. Driven. You could see the upside immediately.
But I’d already heard their name come up elsewhere—and the feedback wasn’t about talent. It was about inconsistency. Showing flashes, then disappearing. Saying yes, then following halfway through.
I remember thinking how frustrating that gap is.
Because I’ve been there too.
Important Points
Your brand is built from your patterns, not your potential, and people notice consistency faster than talent.
People form opinions quickly based on how you show up, follow through, and handle pressure daily.
If your actions send mixed signals, people create their own story—and it usually limits your opportunities.
Memorable Quotes
Your personal brand is the pattern people experience from you, not the version you think you’re presenting.
Inconsistency doesn’t ruin your reputation overnight, but it slowly makes people stop betting on you.
When your actions align long enough, people start describing you before you ever have to explain yourself.
Dave's Three-Step Approach
Get clear on one trait you want to be known for so your actions stop pulling in different directions.
Define what that looks like on an average day and cut the habits that conflict with that identity.
Put together consistent days until your reputation starts working for you instead of against you.
Connect With Me
Search for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
PersonalBranding #Reputation #Consistency #Growth #OutsideTheWalls #SelfAwareness #ProfessionalGrowth #Mindset
You don’t drift into a better life—you grow into it. And most of that growth? It’s tied to who you’re around every single day.
In this episode, I break down something we don’t talk about enough: your circle. The people in your life are shaping your standards, your mindset, and what you believe is possible—whether you’re intentional about it or not.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, plateaued, or just not pushed… this might be the wake-up call you need. It’s time to look at your environment differently—and upgrade it on purpose.
Featured Story
A while back, I found myself in two completely different rooms in the same week. Same version of me—but completely different environments.
One felt easy. Comfortable. A lot of talk, a lot of ideas… but not much action. And I didn’t feel bad there—but I didn’t feel better either.
Then I stepped into another room. And you could feel it immediately. People were building, fixing, growing. No fluff. No pretending. Just real conversations and real accountability.
I remember walking out thinking, “Alright… I’ve got some work to do.”
That’s when it hit me—your environment doesn’t just influence you… it reveals you.
Important Points
- You don’t rise in isolation—your environment quietly sets your standards and shapes what you accept as normal.
- Comfort can feel like connection, but it often trades away growth without you even realizing it.
- The right circle won’t just support you—they’ll challenge you to show up at a higher level consistently.
Memorable Quotes
- Your circle doesn’t just influence your life—it defines the standards you live by every single day.
- Comfort feels good in the moment, but it quietly keeps you stuck longer than you’d like to admit.
- Real growth starts when you get around people who expect more from you—and won’t let you hide.
Dave's Three-Step Approach
- Take an honest look at your circle and recognize who’s pushing you forward versus keeping you comfortable.
- Get intentional about the rooms you enter and the people you spend consistent time around each week.
- Show up as someone who contributes, raises standards, and becomes the kind of person others grow from.
Connect With Me
Search for Outside the Walls on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
- Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/outside_the_walls_22
I used to think I was one habit away from everything clicking. One better system. One cleaner routine. Turns out, that thinking was the problem.
Most of us aren’t stuck because we lack knowledge. We’re stuck because we keep searching instead of executing.
This episode dives into the trap of productive procrastination and why chasing optimization is quietly killing your progress. If you’ve been bouncing between routines and still feel stuck, this one will hit home. It’s time to simplify, commit, and actually move forward.
Important Points
• I kept switching systems and resetting progress instead of pushing through boredom where real growth happens.
• Planning feels productive, but it often replaces the actual work that creates meaningful results in life.
• Most people lose because they chase new ideas instead of staying consistent with what already works.
________________________________________
Memorable Quotes
• I wasn’t working, I was just getting better at preparing to maybe work someday.
• The moment things get boring is usually the moment they start working.
• I didn’t need a better system, I needed to stop quitting the one I had.
________________________________________
Dave’s Three-Step Approach
• Pick three actions that actually move your life forward and cut everything else out completely.
• Commit to those actions daily without adding new systems, tools, or unnecessary complexity.
• Eliminate input for a week and replace it with execution until progress becomes visible.
• Email: outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheWallswithDaveGast
Most people don’t have a motivation problem—they have a thinking problem. In this episode of Outside the Walls, we unpack a simple but uncomfortable truth: you can’t create a different life using the same patterns that got you stuck.
Through the lens of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, this episode challenges you to question what you’ve inherited, look beyond surface-level “busyness,” and actually align your actions with what’s real for you.
This isn’t about overhauling your life overnight—it’s about making one shift that moves you forward.
3 Key Takeaways:
- Unquestioned beliefs quietly run your life – Much of what you chase or value may not actually be yours; it’s inherited.
- Busyness can mask misalignment – Just because you’re productive doesn’t mean you’re pursuing what truly matters.
- Change happens through aligned action, not just insight – Thinking differently only matters if it leads to doing differently.
OutsideTheWalls #MindsetShift #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #PhilosophyInAction #Socrates #Plato #Aristotle #ThinkDifferent #IntentionalLiving #GrowthMindset #HabitsThatMatter
In this episode of Outside the Walls, Dave Gast reflects on a simple early-morning walk that revealed a powerful truth: success isn’t about having the perfect goal—it’s about making a real commitment and showing up consistently. Too often, we confuse interest with commitment, waiting for motivation to carry us forward. But motivation fades. Commitment doesn’t.
Drawing on Stoic wisdom and everyday life, Dave challenges listeners to stop negotiating with themselves and start deciding. Because the gap between where you are and where you want to be isn’t talent or timing—it’s the willingness to show up, especially when it’s hard.
Walls don’t come down all at once. They come down one committed morning at a time.
- Interest isn’t enough—commitment is the line that changes everything.
Wanting something and deciding to pursue it are not the same. - Consistency proves your commitment.
It’s not what you do when you feel motivated—it’s what you do when you don’t. - Decide, then show up again tomorrow.
Progress isn’t dramatic—it’s built through small, repeated actions over time.
What if the life you really want is waiting on the other side of the walls you've built?
Outside the Walls is a podcast about breaking the limiting beliefs that keep most people stuck — and building a life that's actually yours. Host Dave Gast spent over 40 years learning what it really takes to create freedom, meaning, and control over your own schedule. Now he's bringing those lessons to you, so you don't have to wait as long as he did.
Each episode explores the mindset shifts, purposeful habits, and honest conversations that help you step beyond comfort and into the life you actually want — doing what you want, when you want, where you want, and with who you want.
No gimmicks. No life hacks. Just the fundamentals, done consistently, with what Dave calls Uncommon Discipline.
If you're ready to stop looking for the next big breakthrough and start doing ordinary things extraordinarily well, this is your show.
Let's step outside the walls.
outsidethewalls22@gmail.com
Ansel Augustine, D. Min, is a minister, speaker, and advocate for social justice with over twenty-five years of experience serving marginalized communities. Dr. Augustine has integrated his faith and his expertise on Catholic social teaching with an unstoppable passion for justice by casting the service net wide to BlackCatholics, youth, young adults, campus students, and prisoners.
Dr. Augustine serves as the Assistant Director of African American Affairs at the USCCB Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church.
He joins us today to talk about his book, Praying with Our Feet: Encountering God in the Margins, available at Loyola Press.
Fr. Matthew Mary Bartow, a priest with the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word and an Assistant Chaplain at EWTN in Alabama joins us to reflect on the election of Pope Leo XIV, and talk about a proper disposition toward the pope. He shares with us his own journey with Pope Francis, and we talk a bit about how to handle all the media fervor surrounding any new pope.
Sonja Corbitt is the “Bible Study Evangelista” and creator of “the best modernization of lectio" divina: the LOVE the Word® Bible study method and journal. She is a best-selling author and Telly Award winning broadcaster whose weekly show Evangelista Bible Study and other high-impact, multi-media Bible study resources create space for busy Christians to hear and experience God through the Scriptures. Sonja’s work appears on CatholicTV, Catholic radio, and podcast. Learn more at SonjaCorbitt.com.
Today we’re talking about her book Love Heals, a study of the Great Commandment, published by Ave Maria Press.
Mark Hart is the chief innovation officer at Life Teen International. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Hart is a blogger, podcaster, and international speaker. He is a research fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.
He is an award-winning producer of Bible study DVDs and the author of more than twenty books, including the topic of our conversation today One Sunday at a Time: Preparing Your Heart for Weekly Massfor cycles A, B, and C published with Ave Maria Press.
Dr. Matthew J. Ramage is Professor of Theology at Benedictine College where he is co-director of its Center for Integral Ecology. His research and writing concentrates especially on the theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI, the wedding of ancient and modern methods of biblical interpretation, the dialogue between faith and science, and stewardship of creation.
In addition to his other scholarly and outreach endeavors, Dr. Ramage is author, co-author, or translator of over fifteen books, including Dark Passages of the Bible (CUA Press, 2013), Jesus, Interpreted (CUA Press, 2017), The Experiment of Faith (CUA Press, 2020), From the Dust of the Earth: Benedict XVI, the Bible, and the Theory of Evolution (CUA Press, 2022).
His most recent book, The Essential Guide to Ratzinger: The Man and his Message is available through Our Sunday Visitor.
For more information on Dr. Ramage’s work, visit his website, www.matthewramage.com.
Today's show was sponsored in part by SockReligious.
Dawn Eden Goldstein, JCL, SThD, is the author of The Sacred Heart: A Love for All Times available on LoyolaPress.com
Born in New York City, Dr. Goldstein began her working life as a rock-and-roll historian. She went on to editorial positions at the New York Post and the Daily News before publishing her first book in 2006. She is one of only a few women to hold both a doctorate in theology licensed by the Holy See and a licentiate in canon law. Dr. Goldstein’s books have been translated into ten languages. She lives in Washington, DC, and has taught at universities and seminaries in the United States, England, and India.
We discuss the development and practice of the devotion to the Sacred Heart historically, and how the practice, in turn, develops us into mature disciples of Jesus.
An extra segment is available on our Patreon page.
Gloria Purvis is an author, commentator, public scholar, and the host and executive producer of The Gloria Purvis Podcast.
Through her media presence, she has been a strong Catholic voice for life issues, religious liberty, and racial justice. She was Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic of the Year for 2020.
She presented a powerful video series entitled Racism, Human Dignity and The Catholic Church through the Word on Fire Institute.
She was part of a groundbreaking, exclusive interview with Pope Francis with a delegation from America Media.
Most recently, she delivered one of the keynote speeches at the historic National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana.
She is the Inaugural Pastoral Fellow at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame University and recently received Honorary Doctorates in Humane Letters from the University of Portland in Oregon and Salve Regina University in Rhode Island. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities USA.
We talked today about our Christian responsibility not only to avoid acting unjustly, but also to actively oppose injustice.
Listen to an extra segment on our Patreon page.
Frederick C. Bauerschmidt is Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland and a deacon of the Archdiocese of Baltimore; He is the award-winning author of The Love that is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith on Eerdmans press. He has written extensively on St. Thomas Aquinas, and you can find his most recent book Thinking Through Aquinas, through Word on Fire Academic.
Maureen A. Sweeney is Law School Professor and founding director of the Chacón Center for Immigrant Justice at Maryland Carey School of Law.
They join us to talk about their recent Church Life Journal article, Ordo Amoris: Wisely Extending Love.
Dr. Thérèse Scarpelli Cory is the Director of the Jacques Maritain Center and its associated History of Philosophy Forum. Her work is on medieval theories of mind, cognition, and personhood, with special focus on the thought of Thomas Aquinas and his thirteenth-century interlocutors.
She is the John and Jean Oesterle Associate Professor of Thomistic Studies at the University of Notre Dame and is a member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Today we’re talking about a piece she published in January of 2024 in the Church Life Journal from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame entitled Migrants and the Unborn: A Culture of Life Versus a Culture of Deterrence.
Dr. Thérèse Scarpelli Cory is the Director of the Jacques Maritain Center and its associated History of Philosophy Forum. Her work is on medieval theories of mind, cognition, and personhood, with special focus on the thought of Thomas Aquinas and his thirteenth-century interlocutors.
She is the John and Jean Oesterle Associate Professor of Thomistic Studies at the University of Notre Dame and is a member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Today we’re talking about a piece she published in January of 2024 in the Church Life Journal from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame entitled Migrants and the Unborn: A Culture of Life Versus a Culture of Deterrence.
Colleen Vermeulen is cofounder of CatholicBiblicalSchool.org and a teacher and director with the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an Adult Faith Formation Ministry.
She is a contributing writer to the Living the Word Catholic Women’s Bible, and has written a daily guide to reading the bible called Simply Scripture for Lent and Easter which uses daily readings of the Gospel Mark and the Acts of the Apostles over the course of the two liturgical seasons to help foster good Bible Study tools and establish a habit of daily scipture reading.
Fr. George Smiga is on the Faculty of St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology. He writes regularly at buildingontheword.org/ A resource for Scripture, Culture, and Faith. He has written books with Paul’s Press and with Liturgical Press’ Little Rock Scripture Study. Today we’re discussing his book on The Holy Spirit in the Bible.
To go through this study on your own, or with others from your parish, visit LittleRockScripture.org
Amy Ekeh, Director of Little Rock Scripture Study at Liturgical Press, faculty at the New England Catholic Biblical School, and adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University, joins us to talk about her new book Stretch Out Your Hand: Reflections on the Healing Ministry of Jesus which is now available from Liturgical Press. (litpress.org)
John Michael serves as a Regional Director for the South Area for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS.org). He joins me to talk about the work of FOCUS on university campuses, his own initial encounter with FOCUS missionaries bringing him to a deeper understanding and commitment to his faith, and the amazing annual SEEK conference hosted by FOCUS.
While SEEK is sold out in all three locations this year, you can catch a livestream of the evening sessions on EWTN, or stream more from the app. Learn more at https://seek.focus.org.
Jill Simons is the Executive Director of Many Parts Ministries which seeks to equip the lay faithful to discern their charism, given by the Holy Spirit at their baptism, to fully engage in sanctifying the world through their lives.
She joins me today to talk about her book, The Essential Handbook on Living Your Charisms: A Practical Guide for Catholics, and to explore how our Living our Charisms contributes to the Common Good.
For more information about Charisms, read CCC 799-802, and the Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici, particularly paragraph 24.
Jason Kidd serves as the National Director of Alpha in the Catholic Context. He previously served the Marriage and Family Life Office for the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. He yearns to share the radical gospel of Jesus and help build His Kingdom. He joins us to talk about how Alpha equips Catholics to be able to effectively proclaim the Gospel of Christ in a post-Christian context.
To learn more, or to bring Alpha to your parish, visit alphausa.org
Heather Khym is the cohost of the internationally popular Abiding Together Podcast. She and her husband, Jake, are the co-founders of Life Restoration Ministries, where she serves as director of vision and ministry of the British Columbia-based apostolate. She has more than twenty-five years of experience as a speaker and retreat leader, offering workshops and conferences in the United States and Canada. She attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, studying theology and catechetics. Heather is passionate about evangelization, discipleship, and creating an environment for people to have a personal encounter with God.
Today we talk about her book Encountering Emmanuel: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation available with small group guides and videos through Ave Maria Press.
Today's show was sponsored in part by SockReligious; Check out their amazing offerings for Advent and Christmas, they make the perfect stocking stuffer.
Jason Simon is the president of the Evangelical Catholic, which strives to equip Catholic lay leaders to fulfill the Great Commission.
Today we’re talking about his book “Mission-Ready Friendship: A Blueprint for Deeper Relationships and Life-Changing Faith” Published by Ave Maria Press.
Today's show was sponsored by SockReligious, one of my favorite ways to instigate conversations about the Faith.
Kenny Burchard serves as the Director of Development at The Coming Home Network, and is a co-host on the podcast ON THE JOURNEY with Matt, Ken, and Kenny
Out of a passion to help Catholics answer the often-asked question, "Where's That in the Bible?" he launched the growing Catholic Bible highlights video series on YouTube in August of 2024 which has grown to nearly 12,000 subscribers in three months. (https://www.youtube.com/@KennyBurchard)
Today we talk about the Catholic perspective on Scripture, and discuss methods for engaging with Bible Study.
Dr. Colin Miller is the Director of the Center for Catholic Social Thought in St. Paul, MN, and lives at the Maurin House Catholic Worker in Minneapolis.
We talk about book We are Only Saved together: Living the revolutionary Vision of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement published by Ave Maria Press.
This book is not a call to become a strange, marginal, or fringe Catholic; it is a call to become fully Catholic by embracing the essential traditions that have always been at the heart of the Church and finding Christ in the places he promised to meet us: in worship, in community, in the poor. Following the little way of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (one of Dorothy Day’s favorite saints), Miller shares practical ideas to consider when seeking to encounter Christ in these places, such as
- exploring the power of shared meals and feasts;
- reframing our encounters with people in poverty through a surprising look at the Good Samaritan parable;
- ideas on how to live close to the land;
- discerning the qualities that bring dignity to our work; and
- steps to embrace voluntary simplicity.
Steffani Aquila is a Catholic wife, national speaker, upcoming author, theologian, educator, and expert in the field of liturgical life and Catholic culture. For the past 15 years, she has dedicated her work to Catholic parishes, schools, and institutions, taking on roles in both ministerial and administrative capacities.
She invites families and parish communities into a vibrant celebration of the liturgical year through her website https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/
Today we talk about her book, Festive Faith, available on Ave Maria Press. Festive Faith is a treasury of more than seventy festive traditions celebrated in various cultural groups during specific seasons or on particular days of our liturgical year. For each one Steffani shares a brief history, a description of what the custom involves, and practical adaptations for celebrating it today.
Bo Bonner is the Mission Officer at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, IA and the Co-host of the UnCommon Good.
He recently reposted a brief statement on strengthening the will, which began, "When it comes to the will and the spiritual life, much emphasis is placed on immediately turning away from temptation with a decisive act of will. Indeed, asceticism is rooted in this hope, that saying 'no' to things, even good ones, will make our wills no longer weak but, with the grace of God, able to withstandthe onslaughts of the tempter in every day life. But in some ways in contemporary spirituality discussions this has been hi-jacked..."
We talk through his post and explore ideas about avoiding extremes when it comes to forming the will, and land on some practical, achievable ways of growing in holiness.
Fr. Daniel J. Mahan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, is the first director of the USCCB’s Institute on the Catechism. He holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm.
He joins today to discuss his book A Journey through the Catechism: Unveiling the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of the Catholic Faith Published by Ave Maria Press. There are corresponding videos and curriculum aids available.
This political season is the perfect time to engage more deeply with the Church's theological and magisterial documents on how best to order society toward the pursuit of the common good.
Today we talk with Dr. Taylor Patrick O'Neill and Dr. Matthew Kuhner about an upcoming class "Political Engagement as a Catholic: Principles, Sources, and Historical Engagements" which seeks to unfold the Church’s vision of political authority, the nature and demands of the political community, and the responsibility of the Catholic vis-à-vis political action. The class meets online every other Tuesday, and the registration deadline is September 6.
TJ Bogan is the founder of FindMyCamino.com. He shares with us his experiences as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, and the work he does to facilitate pilgrimages for others.
This week, the "socials" have been abuzz in response to a provocative scene in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. There were hot takes by those offended, and hotter takes ridiculing those offended. In this week's conversation, we won't spend much time looking at the inciting events, We won't definitely answer the question of whether blasphemy occurred or not. Rather, I want to take a step back and discern what a holy, and helpful response to Blasphemy and offense might be.
I'm joined by Joe Heschmeyer, a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, a frequent guest of this show, and someone I consider a friend. Joe has a proven track record of approaching prickly topics with thoughtfulness and grace.
It is my hope that you will find this discussion both edifying and enlightening. Listen and Share.
Julianne Stanz is a Storyteller, author, and encourager, an internationally known speaker and retreat leader. She is the Director of Outreach for Discipleship and Evangelization for Loyola Press and a consultant to the USCCB. Julianne is the author of five books, including the award-winning Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace.
Her new book, The Catholic Parent Survival Guide: How to Answer Your Children’s Toughest Questions, is published by Loyola Press. She is married to Wayne, and they have three children.
She was a member of the Executive team for the National Eucharistic Congress and participated in a panel discussion “Rooted in the Eucharist: Living the Mission of the Eucharistic Revival" at the National Eucharistic Revival Congress.
We spoke about the things we saw at the National Eucharistic Congress and opined about what Revival looks like after the Congress.
Mike Aquilina, Co-Founder of The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is a widely recognized Catholic author and lecturer, and popular Church Historian.
He is the host of seasons 1-3 of The Way of the Fathers Podcast at CatholicCulture.org
Together with Adam Lucas, Mike is the co-author of Feasts of our Fathers : Praying the Church Year with the Early Christians published by Catholic Answers. You can learn more about it at Catholic.com.
Chris Padgett is a popular speaker, musician, and author who has traveled around the world doing ministry. He and his wife, Linda, have been married over thirty years and have nine children.
He joins us to talk about his varied experiences in ministry and the opportunities he's been given, simply by making himself available to the Holy Spirit. We talk about how God uses each of us when we just show up.
To learn more about Chris's parish missions and all things ministry, visit ChrisPadgett.com
To learn more about Chris and Linda's marriage ministry, visit
ChrisandLindaPadgett.com.
Dr. Andrew Whitmore, Associate Professor of Theology and academic dean at Christendom College., is the author of Saintly Habits: Aquinas’ 7 Simple Strategies You Can Use to Grow in Virtue, available through Ascension Press.He joins us to talk about what Virtue is, why it's important, and how we can grow in Virtue.
Dr. Timothy P. O’Malley is the Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. He teaches and researches at Notre Dame in the areas of liturgical-sacramental theology, catechesis, and aesthetics.
Today we talked about his new book on Ave Maria Press, Behold Believe Become: Meeting the Hidden Christ in Things We See, Say and Do at Mass. There are also free video resources available to help facility the use of this book in Adult Faith Formation and small group studies.
Joel Stepanek serves as the Vice President of Programming and Administration for the National Eucharistic Congress which will take place from July 17th - 21st in Indianapolis, Indiana. (EucharisticCongress.org)
He has served in a variety of ministry and leadership roles, including as a parish youth minister, RCIA team member, and Vice President of Parish Services at Life Teen. Joel is an author and speaker who is passionate about helping people encounter Jesus Christ and sending them out on mission.
We talk about the Congress, about the opportunities available to attendees, and about the place of the Eucharist in our lives.
Listen and share, then get your tickets and plan to see me in the exhibit hall at the congress!
Fr. Tim Anastos is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the assistant chaplain at the St. John Paul II Newman Center at the University of Illinois–Chicago. He serves as a eucharistic preacher for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
He joins us to talk about his book Jesus, Make Me Fully Alive: 30 Holy Hour Meditations available on Ave Maria Press.
Constance T. Hull joins us to discuss her recent piece at Catholic Exchange "Is it 'Just' War?" where she shares her experience rethinking her own opinions on the wars we wage through the lens of Just War Theory.
Constance is a wife, mother, homeschooler, Navy Veteran, and a graduate with an M.A. in Theology with an emphasis in philosophy. She is published at Catholic Exchange, The Federalist, Public Discourse, and blogs frequently at constancethull.substack.com.
Amy Ekeh is the Director of Little Rock Scripture Study at Liturgical Press. Originally from Texas, she grew up in an Episcopal parish that was deeply committed to liturgy, community, and learning. During her teen years, some members of my parish, including two of our priests, became Catholic.
She serves on the faculty of the New England Catholic Biblical School and is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University. Her published work can be found in a variety of Catholic publications, including Give Us This Day and The Bible Today.
Her latest book is a new version of the Stations of the Cross. She published three volumes in Little Rock Scripture Study's Alive in the Wordseries (Lent, Advent, and Finding Peace).
She has a forthcoming book—Stretch Out Your Hand: Reflections on the Healing Ministry of Jesus (Liturgical Press)—will be published in January 2025.
We talk about the benefits of studying scripture together.
Michael Grasinski is the Assistant Director of Admissions at Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS.edu). He joins us to talk about the Philosophy of Personalism and its influence on the landscape of Catholic Theology.
Dr. Matthew Breuninger is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Franciscan University of Stuebenville, and the Director of Teaching Excellence. He has research interests in the role of religion in one’s psychological well-being • Attachment to God—the experiences of felt security with God • Understanding the overlap between psychological habits and theological virtues • Virtue formation.
Dr. Breuninger is the author of Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life’s Hurts published by Emmaus Road Publishing, and the Co-founder of KNOWN: Embraced by the Heart of the Father.We talk today about how our own experience of Fatherhood shapes our understanding of who God is as Father, and the accompanying challenges brought on by negative or incomplete experiences of belovedness as a child of our father, coupled with the importance of handing on a good experience of attachment and belovedness to our own children.
Chenele Shaw, is one of the project leads for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which consists of four routes from the four corners of the US converging on Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. The events take place across the country from May 17th through July 16th. You can find a listing of those events at EucharisticPilgrimage.org.
She also serves as the Co-Director of the Before Gethsemane Initiative, host of the podcast Ave Spotlight with Ave Maria Press, Secretary for The Human Condition Community, and a contributing writer to various Catholic publications, including Grotto Network, The Catholic Woman, and Our Sunday Visitor.
Today we talk all about Pilgrimages and what spiritual benefit you can expect from the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.
In our Patreon segment we talk all about the Human Condition Community! Learn more at Patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
(Photo by Chupich Photography)
Dr. James B. Prothro is an associate professor of Theology and Sacred Scripture and the director of the MA Biblical Studies program at the Augustine Institute just outside of Denver Colorado. Today, we’re talking about his book The Bible and Reconciliation: Confession, Repentance, and Restoration, part of the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments series from Baker Academic.
He is also the author of:
- A Pauline Theology of Justification: Forgiveness, Friendship, and Life in Christ (Published by Cascade Books)
- The Apostle Paul and His Letters: An Introduction (Part of the Verbum Domino series on CUA PRESS)
- The Future of Catholic Biblical Interpretation: Marie-Joseph Lagrange and Beyond (Published by Eerdmans)
Dr. Kevin Clarke, Dean of the Institute for Lay Ministry and Associate Professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, joins us to talk about his 2018 book “The Seven Deadly Sins” from the “Sayings of the Father’s of the Church” series from Catholic University of America Press, and a free, online course on the same topic at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. https://explore.shms.edu/seven-deadly-sins
Dr. Pia de Solenni is the Senior Director of Corporate Engagement at IWP Capital. She is a Theologian, ethicist, and cultural analyst. In addition to various policy and academic roles, Pia was a principal founder of the Global Institute of Church Management. Previously, she served as chancellor and theological advisor to the Bishop of Orange in California.
She is an expert in issues relating to Catholicism, Culture, Ethics, the new Feminism, and Church governance, and is a consultant member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
She joins us today near International Women’s Day to talk about what Pope St. John Paul II called “The Feminine Genius” and the importance of elevating the voices of Women in the Church.
Sr. Nancy is the Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Culver City, California. She is a Media Literacy Education Specialist, theologian, international speaker, film/TV reviewer, and author of an award-winning theology of popular culture called, A Sacred Look: Becoming Cultural Mystics. Sr Nancy is a Doctoral Candidate in Ministry at Catholic University of America in the area of Liturgical Catechesis and holds degrees in Communications Arts and a Masters in Theology and the Arts from Fuller Theological Seminary, along with certificates in Catechetics and Media Literacy Education. Sr Nancy has extensive experience in the creative aspects of social media, print media, radio and video production as well as in marketing, advertising, retail management and administration.
She joins us to talk about her free Zoom-based, Lenten retreat, iFaith: What's God Have to do With My Media?
Bo Bonner is the Director of the Center for Human Flourishing, and Senior Advisor for Mission Initiatives at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, IA. He joins us in a discussion to reframe our concept of Lent and Pennance to one of Joy and anticipation. What if we thought of our Lenten preparation the same way we thought about preparing for Date Night with our Beloved.
Dr. Elizabeth Klein is an Associate Professor of Theology At the Augustine Institute, a contributor to Formed, and the author of Augustine’s Theology of Angels and God: What Every Catholic Should Know, which is the topic of our patreon segment this week. She specializes in patristic theology, particularly the writings of St. Augustine.
She is the director of the Augustine Institute’s Short Course Program. Klein earned a doctor of philosophy degree in historical theology at the University of Notre Dame, where she also served as a post-doctoral scholar, course instructor, and graduate assistant.
She joins us today to talk about her book Angels and Saints: Who They Are and Why They Matter, published by Ave Maria Press in partnership with the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Mark Giszczak, who received his Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America, is a professor of Sacred Scripture at the Augustine Institute just outside Denver, Colorado.
He is the author of “Bible Translation and the Making of the ESV Catholic Edition (Augustine Institute), ”Light on the Dark Passages of Scripture (OSV), What Every Catholic Should Know about Suffering (Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press), and He is one of the Series editors for Baker Academic’s Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. He has written the first Old Testament volume for that series on the Wisdom of Solomon.
He joins us today to talk about the new commentary volume and the benefit of using biblical commentaries in your own spiritual reading.
The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture is available on Verbum.
Dr. John W. Martens is professor of theology and director of the Centre for Christian Engagement at St. Mark's College at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. For four years he wrote the Scripture column "The Word" at America Magazine. He has also written extensively on children in early Christianity, including ‘Let the Little Children Come to Me’: Children and Childhood in Early Christianity (2009), and Children and Methods: Listening To and Learning From Children in the Biblical World (2020).
He is an Editor of the amazing new Liturgy and Life Bible from Liturgical Press.
He joins us today to talk about Pope Francis use of Scripture around the theme of Mercy, and why Mercy often makes us uncomfortable.
Fr. Patrick Gilger, S.J. is assistant professor of sociology at Loyola University Chicago and contributing editor for culture at America Media. Fr. Gilger’s research lies at the intersection of the sociology of religion, political theory, and the study of the secular.
Fr. Gilger is an award-winning author and frequent public speaker. His writing has appeared in publications such as Vox, Church Life Journal, La Civiltà Cattolica, America, and Public Seminar.
We talk today about what it looks like to live out our faith in the secular world.
Dr. Joseph Vukov is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at Loyola University Chicago. He is also Associate Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola, and an Affiliate Faculty Member in Catholic Studies and Psychology. Nationally, Vukov also serves as the Vice President of Philosophers in Jesuit Education. His research explores questions at the intersection of ethics, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind, and at the intersection of science and religion.
He is a prolific author of articles and monographs including Navigating Faith and Science, and the topic of today’s conversation The Perils of Perfection: On the Limits and Possibilities of Human Enhancement, Part of the Magenta Series at New City Press.
This week found me severely under the weather instead of enjoying SEEK 2024. Unable to record a new show, I opted to revisit my conversation from this time last year with Fr. Sean Hagerty, SJ.
Fr. Hagerty is the vocation promoter for the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus. That means that Fr. Hagerty is responsible for accompanying men who are discerning a life in the Society of Jesus. He joined the Jesuits in 2012, after having served in the U.S. army. He has ministered in prisons, campus ministries, and hospitals, and conducted research into just war, moral injury, and the reintegration of soldiers into the Catholic community. He was just ordained a priest in 2022.
We spoke with him about the process of discernment live from St. Louis at SEEK23 put on by FOCUS.
Ann has been a catechist of the Good Shepherd since 1996. She is a member of the faculty at Aquinas Institute of Theology where she founded the MAPS-CGS program, a pastoral studies degree program with a concentration in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She now serves as spiritual formation director for the program. Ann is a member of the formation committee of the U.S. national association of CGS and offers formation courses at all three levels. She is the author of Mustard Seed Preaching (LTP, 2004), A Year with Sofia Cavalletti (LTP, 2017), and Preaching with Children (LTP, 2022).
She joins us to talk about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as a way to form our Children in the Faith.
Katie McGrady is a speaker, author, podcast host, and host of The Katie McGrady Show on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM 129 that talks about pop culture, current events, Catholic news, and how to live a life of abundant joy. She is a frequent guest on CNN whenever there is a big story on a Catholic topic.
She joins me to help unpack the recent Vatican document from the DDF, Fiducia Supplicans. We examine the document and provide context for text, and hopefully alleviate some consternation.
Joe Heschmeyer is a Staff Apologist at Catholic Answers. When not on-air, he is writing exceptionally thorough apologetic treatises, books, or hosting the Shameless Popery Podcast.
We reflected on the line from Silent Night, "All is Calm, All is Bright," as a means of focusing our Advent preparations.
In the Patreon segment, we talked about Elf on a Shelf, Santa, and Christmas Myth.
Dcn. Fritz C. Bauerschmidt Is professor of theology at Loyola University Maryland and a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, assigned to the Cathedral of Mary our Queen. He is a prolific author with over a dozen books on multiple publishers.
He joins me to talk about his 2020 book The Love that is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith on Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing in light of the Incarnation we are preparing to celebrate.
Greg Metzger is the Associate Publisher at New City Press, part of Focalare Media, the communications arm of the Focolare movement. He's written for a variety of publications, including Christianity Today, Commonweal, and Christian Century. He lives with his wife in Pasadena, CA. He joins us to talk about the new book of Pope Francis's meditations on the Nativity entitled Christmas at the Nativity available from New City Press.
We also spoke about the Focolare Movement's way of corporate formation for Christian Living, and their charism of pursuing unity.
In this rerun from 2020, Deacon Charles Beard, from St. Pius X in Tulsa and the Blessed Stanley Rother Catholic Worker, joins us to talk about the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. We often imagine this Cosmic Kingship with the implication of his rule over the nations; today we explore the implications of his rule on a personal level.
In the Patreon segment, I discuss my recent airplane conversation with a Buddhist. Learn more at patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
It seems like only yesterday that Outside the Walls launched on St. Michael radio in Broken Arrow, but here we are nine years in and still going strong. It seemed fitting to take this week and look back over the past nine years and reflect.
My wife Kristin joins me to talk about our experiences with the show, and to discuss the idea of looking back as a means to prepare for moving forward. This idea is borne out in scripture, in liturgy, and in sacrament and gives us a method for preparing for our own futures.
Dr. Holly Taylor Coolman teaches theology at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. Her areas of specialty include Christian accounts of Judaism, as well as the family, especially adoption. She and her husband are parents to five children, ages 25 to 15.
We discuss her forthcoming book on Baker Academic Press, Parenting: The Complex and Beautiful Vocation of Raising Children.
My wife, Kristin, and I recently spent a week in Rome, Italy. We talk about our experiences and reflect on the Communion of Saints.
Father Jeffrey Kirby, STD, is a Papal Missionary of Mercy, the Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Indian Land, South Carolina, and an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Belmont Abbey College. Father Kirby is a Senior Contributor to the Crux news site, the Host of the daily devotional, The Morning Offering with Father Kirby, and the Host of the podcast, Truth Be Bold.
Father Kirby has authored several books, including Understanding the Bible: A Catholic Guide to Applying God's Word to Your Life Today on OSV.
More information on Father Kirby can be found at frkirby.com. He can be followed on X @fatherkirby
I'm in Rome this week, so we're revising a conversation we had in June of 2022 with Fr. Josh Johnson.
Be sure to visit patreon.com/outsidethewalls to see highlights from Rome!
What picture pops into your head when you envision "the Church?" Whose faces are situated next to yours in the family portrait above God's mantle? The answer to this question has implications on how we live out our faith, practice evangelization, and make disciples. It's the fundamental question of "Who Belongs?"
Fr. Josh Johnson joins us to discuss his new book, On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Restoring God’s Vision for Race and Discipleship.
This book follows Fr. Josh’s journey of serving as the only Black priest in the diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fr. Josh draws from the riches of Scripture, personal experience as a Catholic of color, his priestly ministry, and the wisdom of the Church to encourage Catholics to understand more deeply the call of Christ to make disciples of “all peoples and nations (Matt. 28:19).”
I'm in Rome this week, so we're revisting a conversation from last April with Dr. Ann Garrido, an associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, where she previously directed the school’s Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching program.
Dr. Garrido has served as the Marten Faculty Fellow in Homiletics at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning Redeeming Administration, Redeeming Conflict, and Let’s Talk About Truth. She travels nationally and internationally helping communities discuss the topics they find toughest to talk about—conversations that always involve questions of truth.
Make sure to visit patreon.com/outsidethewalls to see highlights from Rome.
Pia de Solenni, S.Th.D., is a moral theologian, ethicist, and cultural analyst. She can be contacted through social media and at her website MoralTheologian.com.
We discuss what to expect from a synod, what is different about this synod compared to others, and what would be an appropriate response toward the synod from Catholics at home.
This past week she has written to salient and wise responses to the synod in America Magazine and the National Catholic Register.
Fr. Casey Cole, OFM graduated from Furman University in 2011 with a degree in Religious Studies and a minor in Poverty Studies. He entered the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) in August of 2011, made solemn profession in August of 2017, and was ordained to the priesthood in June of 2019. Fr. Casey has published three books, Called: What Happens After Saying Yes to God, Let Go: Seven Stumbling Blocks to Christian Discipleship, and The Way of Beatitude: Living with Radical Home in a World of Division and Despair. He is the creator of two YouTube channels, and regularly gives talks throughout the country on evangelization and vocations. He currently lives in Macon, GA, where he serves as chaplain to Mount de Sales Academy, St. Peter Claver School, and Mercer University.
Learn more about his work at breakinginthehabit.org.
We talked today about a recent video he produced: They're Not Coming Back (but we can do something).
Not every family is the perfect model of Catholic family life. Some of us approach parenting still wounded by childhood experiences that were less than ideal. When we start our own families, at best we feel a bit unprepared, and at worst we feel paralyzed with fear that we will repeat our parents dysfunctional, abusive behaviors.
In All Things New, Erin McCole Cupp draws on her own and others experiences to discuss how to develop a joyful family life when our own experience of being parented was damaging. Erin wrote this book for moms and dads who want to parent better than they themselves were parented.
Drawing on the Holy Family as the model of family life, and distilling practical lessons from the Two Greatest Commandments and the Beatitudes, All Things New shows readers that, while change isn't easy, God has given us all the ingredients we need to create a holy, joyful family.
Erin and I discuss recognizing and overcoming toxic cycles, setting boundaries, and moving toward sanctity.
Dr. David Russell Mosley is an author and poet with a PhD in theology from the University of Nottingham who currently teaches literature, theology, and philosophy at a Catholic, classical high school in the Inland Northwest.
David has authored books on theology, (Liturgical Entalnglements, and Being Deified: Poetry and Fantasy on the Path to God), fiction (On the Edges of Elfland: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups) and poetry (The Green Man).
Our discussion today centers around his book The Love that Moves the Sun and Other Stars, a poetic reflection and commentary on Dante's Divine Comedy published by Wipf and Stock.
Kelly Wahlquist is the founder of WINE: Women In the New Evangelization, a women’s ministry that invigorates Catholic parishes through inspiring, supporting, and nurturing women in the faith and by equipping and mobilizing women as intentional disciples of Christ.
She is the Director of the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute, a popular school that serves Catholic adults in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in Minnesota.
She is the author of several books, including the conversation of today's conversation Gaze upon Jesus: Experiencing Christ’s Childhood through the Eyes of Women, published by Ave Maria Press.
We talk today about a multifaceted approach to Bible Study, including Ignatius imaginative prayer and contemplation.
Randy Petrides retired after practicing law for 40 years. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Notre Dame Law School and has a Master’s in theology from Franciscan University in Steubenville.
He is the author of How the Saints Shaped History, available on Our Sunday Visitor. We talk together about the influence sanctity has on the movement of cultures throughout history.
Dr. Marylynn Wesson Has served for over 20 years in roles related to Faith Formation and Evangelization. She received her Doctor of Ministry in Evangelization from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.
She is the author of Building a Firm Foundation: An Invitation to Parents of Children Preparing for Sacraments, an eight-week evangelization and formation program for parents and guardians whose children are preparing for their first sacraments. It is available on Our Sunday Visitor (OSV.com).
Fr. Daniel G. Dozier, Pastor of St. George Byzantine Catholic Church - Olympia, and Adjunct Professor of Sacred Scripture at Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius, joins us to talk about the similarities and differences between the Church of the East and of the West.
The plan was to talk about the Feast of the Assumption/Dormition, but we ended up spending the whole first segment laying the groundwork for that more specific topic. (We do get to the Dormition in the second segment).
If you are curious about Byzantine Catholicism, you can learn more at God With Us Online or Becoming Byzantine.
The saints' abandonment to Divine providence, and deep desire to cling to the hope of Christ, even (and especially) in the midst of hardship, provides a path for us to emulate. Terry Polakavic focuses on the lives of the four "Women of Hope." These four saints and doctors of the Church are extraordinary exemplars of living out the Christian life in Hope.
Terry Polakovic is cofounder of Endow (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) (endowgroups.org) and served as president of the organization from 2003 to 2015. She worked in nonprofit leadership for more than 30 years and is now retired.
In 2010, she received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross award (“For the Church and Pontiff”) from Pope Benedict XVI. In 2011, Terry was recognized as an “Outstanding Catholic Leader” by the Catholic Leadership Institute.
Terry's book Women of Hope: Doctors of the Church is available from Our Sunday Visitor.
Father Jeffrey Kirby, STD, is a Papal Missionary of Mercy, the Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Indian Land, South Carolina, and an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Belmont Abbey College. Father Kirby is a Senior Contributor to the Crux news site, the Host of the daily devotional, The Morning Offering with Father Kirby, and the Host of the podcast, Truth Be Bold.
Father Kirby has authored several books, including Be Not Troubled: A 6-day personal retreat with Fr. Jean-Pierre de Cascade on Ave Maria Press.
We talk about God's Providence, and our response to difficult situations in life.
More information on Father Kirby can be found at frkirby.com. He can be followed on Twitter @fatherkirby.
Marcia Lane-McGee is the cohost of the Plaid Skirts and Basic Black podcast and co-author of Fat Luther, Slim Pickin's: a Black Catholic Celebration of Faith, Tradition, and Diversity on Ave Maria Press. She is a founding member, executive board member, and secretary of Catholics United for Black Lives.
We talk about Black Catholics, Equity vs Equality, and the Lay Apostolate.
Today we revisit and expand on a 2018 conversation I had with Dr. Lawrence Feingold. There is approximately 15 minutes of extra, previously unbroadcast, content.
Dr. Lawrence Feingold is an Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy and Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.
He is the author of Faith Comes by What is Heard: An Introduction to Fundamental Theology, Touched by Christ: The Sacramental Economy, and the topic of today's discussion, The Eucharist: Mystery of Presence, Sacrifice, and Communion all published by Emmaus Academic (emmausacademic.com) and available on Verbum (https://verbum.com/product/231407/lawrence-feingold-fundamental-and-sacramental-theology-collection)
Joe Heschmeyer, staff apologist at Catholic Answers (catholic.com) and host of the Shameless Popery Podcast (shamelessjoe.com / Youtube.com/@shamelesspopery), joins us to talk about his new book The Eucharist is Really Jesus: How Christ's Body and Blood are the Key to Everything We Believe available at shop.catholic.com/the-eucharist-is-really-jesus/.
Carolyn Pirtle is the Program Director at the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy in the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. She earned her master's degrees in theology and sacred music at Notre Dame, and also a master’s degree in music at Kansas State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in music. She is the author of Ten Ways to Pray: A Catholic Guide for Drawing Closer to God, part of the Engaging Catholicism Series published by Ave Maria Press.
Dr. Margaret Turek is Academic Dean and Professor of Dogmatics at St Patrick Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California.
Her book, Atonement: Soundings in Biblical, Trinitarian, and Spiritual Theology, presents the chief insights concerning the mystery of atonement in the works of four theological guides: John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Norbert Hoffmann.
The book's central aim is to deepen our understanding of the biblical claim that God shows himself to be love precisely by sending his Son as atonement. "In this is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins" (1 Jn 4:10).
The book develops a compelling vision of atonement as a process that originates from and is engendered by God's own power to love. This vision not only takes account of the gravity of sin and its consequences, but also provides a clear illumination of the wholly gratuitous, radically forgiving, passionate and powerful nature of God's redeeming love for mankind. Distinct from the majority of theological accounts of atonement, which focus almost exclusively on the role of Christ, this book highlights the role of God the Father in the atoning mission of the Son.
Fr. Isaac Morales, O.P. is an Associate Professor in the School of Theology at Providence College, with an academic focus on the New Testament, Paul, Baptism, and the Theological Interpretation of Scripture. He is the author of The Bible and Baptism: The Fountain of Salvation which is part of the “Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments” series from Baker Academic.
We talk about the book to get a more complete understanding of the Church's teaching around the sacrament of Baptism.
Dr. John Bergsma is a professor of theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001 while pursuing a doctorate specializing in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls from the University of Notre Dame. His most recent book, Love Basics for Catholics: Illustrating God’s Love for Us throughout the Bible is part of the Basics for Catholics series on Ave Maria Press.
Fr. R. Aaron Wessman is vicar general and director of formation for the Glenmary Home Missioners (glenmary.org). He has a PhD from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium in systematic theology and is a guest lecturer at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.
His recent book The Church's Mission in a Polarized World,part of the New City Press Magenta series, is the subject of our conversation.
Kim is the author of Rooting Your Teen in the Faith: A Field Guide for Catholic Parents (Our Sunday Visitor) and Discipleship Parenting: Planting Seeds of Faith (Our Sunday Visitor).
She hosts the Gentle Catholic Parenting Podcast and blogs at Intentional Catholic Parenting.
Dr. Shaun Blanchard is a Senior Research Fellow at National Institute for Newman Studies, and Lecturer in Theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia. He is the author of several books in the area of theological history, including a Global Anthology of the Catholic Enlightenment on CUA Press which he co-edited with Dr. Ulrich Lehner, and our topic today, a volume of Oxford’s “Very Short Introduction” series on Vatican II which he coauthored with Dr. Steven Bullivant.
Dawn Eden Goldstein, SThD, is the award-winning author of the biography of Edward Dowling, S.J., Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.'s Spiritual Sponsor (Orbis Books), as well as Sunday Will Never Be the Same and (under the pen name Dawn Eden) The Thrill of the Chaste, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints, and Remembering God's Mercy. Together her books have been translated into ten languages.
Born in New York City, Dr. Goldstein began her working life as a rock-and-roll historian. She went on to editorial positions at the New York Post and the Daily News before publishing her first book in 2006. In 2016, she became the first woman to earn a doctorate in sacred theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. Her book Father Ed won a 2023 Christopher Award, and Remembering God's Mercy won a 2017 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers (First Place, Inspirational Category). She lives in Washington, DC, and has taught at universities and seminaries in the United States, England, and India. Follow her on Twitter @dawnofmercy.
We talk about the life of Fr. Ed, and his example of relational evangelization.
Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa is the Founder and President of New Wave Feminists. She’s written for America Magazine, The Berkley Forum at Georgetown University, and a raucous series of Improbable Hagiographies for the Catholic Herald.
She joins is to talk about the work of New Wave Feminists, and particularly about their Stellar Shelter on the US/Mexico border.
Dr. Ann Garrido is associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, where she previously directed the school’s Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching program. Dr. Garrido has served as the Marten Faculty Fellow in Homiletics at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning Redeeming Administration, Redeeming Conflict, and Let’s Talk About Truth. She travels nationally and internationally helping communities discuss the topics they find toughest to talk about—conversations that always involve questions of truth.
Fr. Joe Laramie SJ is the national director of the Pope's Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) -- a 175-year-old ministry uniting hearts to the Sacred Heart. He lives in Milwaukee and travels widely for his ministry. He was ordained in 2011. He is also a National Eucharistic Preacher for the Eucharistic Revival. He taught at two all-boys high schools and served as a college campus minister. He also served at Mayan villages in Belize. He has been featured on the Hallow app, EWTN, Busted Halo, and America magazine.
Today we talked about his book Love Him Ever More: a 9-Day Personal Retreat with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyolapublished by Ave Maria Press.
Mike Aquilina, Executive Vice President of The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is a widely recognized Catholic author and lecturer, and popular Church Historian. He hosts The Way of the Fathers Podcast.
Our conversation today was prompted by his book Africa and the Early Church: The Almost-Forgotten Roots of Catholic Christianity, released byEmmaus Road Publishing. We spoke about how understanding the diversity in our history can give us a broader understanding of our place in the Kingdom of God, and our deep connection, appreciation, and need for those who don't look like us.
Paul Fahey is a retreat leader and writer. He is a co-founder of Where Peter Is, wherepeteris.com, the founder and co-host of the Pope Francis Generation podcast, popefrancisgeneration.com, and a co-founder of Practical Kerygma, practicalkerygma.com.
For the past eight years, he has worked as a professional catechist and is currently working toward a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling. His long-term goal is to provide pastoral counseling for Catholics who have been spiritually abused.
You can join him in mid-April for an upcoming workshop on Desiderio Desideravi.
The workshop will help you understand and participate in the Mass as a life-giving encounter with God's relentless desire for you.
By prayerfully reading and discussing what the Church actually teaches about the Mass, you will not only grow in your own love for the Eucharist but you will be more prepared to share that devotion with others. Along with myself and a small community of learners, you will come to see the Mass as the privileged place to encounter Jesus, experience his healing love, and be divinized, that is, as St. Augustine said, “become Christ himself.”
This workshop is for anyone who wants to deepen their faith, including catechists, ministers, and clergy who want to enhance their ministry and connect with a supportive community of learners. Whether you're looking to renew your love for Jesus, find a deeper sense of belonging, or grow in your relationship with God, the Desiderio Desideravi workshop is the perfect opportunity for you. In this workshop, you will have:
- the freedom to participate as you want
- the opportunity to learn and grow within a small group
- a non-judgemental space that proclaims and invites, never imposes
- the skills to read and understand papal documents
- the chance to ask and discuss any questions that you have
These workshops are open to everyone, but members of Father's Heart Academy will have access to them for half the price! In addition to studying Desiderio Desideravi in April, there will also be workshops on Pope Francis' life changing teaching about holiness, Gaudete et Exsultate this summer and the Church’s newest social encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, this fall.
Fr. Sebastian Walshe is a Norbertine Canon of the Abbey of St. Michael in the Diocese of Orange, California, where he is a professor of philosophy for the seminary program.
We discuss his new book published by Catholic Answers Press, Heart of the Gospel: How the Beatitudes Show Us God's Plan for Happiness,and how understanding and practicing the beatitudes lead us to true happiness.
Santonio Hill was working in ministry in Philadelphia. As that was coming to an end he began applying and preparing for nursing school during quarantine. After the death of George Floyd, Santonio was inspired to be a boots-on-the-ground missionary making a difference, even if only in one teen’s life that has to live in the shadows of America. Santonio wanted to put an end to the idea of merely surviving, and felt called to teach teens how to thrive.
He is the assistant director of recruitment for Vagabond Missions, which has 13 missions across eight states. Vagabond Missions understands that inner-city teens confront a cycle of neglect, violence, and broken family life. Vagabond Missions introduces them to Jesus and a loving community by mobilizing missionaries. Through outreach, every inner-city teen can be known, loved, and experience hope for their lives.
Learn more at vagabondmissions.com
Donald Wallenfang, OCDS, PhD, Emmanuel Mary of the Cross, is a Secular Discalced Carmelite, Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, and founder of myinteriorcastle.com a website featuring online mini-courses about Catholic theology, philosophy, and spirituality that you can take from home at your own pace!
Wallenfang specializes in Catholic theology and philosophy, Carmelite spirituality, phenomenology and metaphysics. He teaches courses in philosophy, theology, lay ecclesial ministry, evangelization, and Catholic spirituality.
We talk about the importance of diverse formation in the life of a disciple; forming not only the intellect, but the spiritual life as well.
Ryan O'Hara is the host of Better Preach, a podcast for anyone who gives talks (Youth Ministers, Catechists, Priests and Deacons, Volunteers for Religious Ed, Missionaries on College Campuses) to Catholic audiences and wants to communicate more effectively. He also servers as the Marketing Strategist for Saint Paul’s Outreach an organization dedicated to building Catholic missional community, transforming a generation, on college campuses and beyond.
We talk about communication, evangelization, and best practices.
Timothy P. O’Malley is the Director of Education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life, where he also serves as Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. He teaches and researches at Notre Dame in the areas of liturgical-sacramental theology, catechesis, and aesthetics.
He is a member of the executive planning team for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Eucharistic Revival.
His new book, ‘Becoming Eucharistic People: The Hope and Promise of Parish Life’, is published by Ave Maria Press as part of the Engaging Catholicism series from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University Notre Dame.
Simone Rizkallah is currently the Director of Program Growth for Endow Groups. She is also an Institute of Catholic Theology Fellow, a Witherspoon/John Jay Institute Fellow and an Acton Institute Fellow. She has led local chapters of the ecclesial movement of Communion and Liberation in Virginia and Arizona and the Washington, D.C. based non-profit organization In Defense of Christians. She is also a member of Women Speak For Themselves. As the daughter of immigrants from the Armenian Diaspora in Cairo, Egypt, she has a particular interest in matters of religious freedom and culture. In her free time she enjoys teaching RCIA, speaking and writing. She has been published in ChurchPOP, Aleteia, Verily, CatholicU, and Ethika Politika and was featured as a Guest Contributor in the book Road Signs for Catholic Teens published by Our Sunday Visitor. She blogs at www.culturalgypsy.com.We talk today about the Catholic Intellectual Life, the Feminine Genius, and the importance of community.
Jordan Daniel Wood is a Catholic theologian and stay-at-home dad of four young daughters. He holds a PhD in Historical Theology from Boston College. His first book was published in 2022, The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor (University of Notre Dame Press).
He is currently translating Maximus’s Lettersfor Catholic University of America Press, and is co-translating F. W. J. Schelling’s Original Lectures on the Philosophy of Revelation, a project that recently received an NEH grant. He’s also at work on a book for Wipf and Stock’s Cascade imprint entitled A Shadow of Things to Come: Christian Life with St. Maximus Confessor. He has taught in university, seminary, and high school settings.
Fr. Sean Hagerty, SJ, is the vocation promoter for the UEA Province. That means that Fr. Hagerty is responsible for accompanying men who are discerning a life in the Society of Jesus. He joined the Jesuits in 2012, after having served in the U.S. army. He has ministered in prisons, campus ministries and hospitals, and conducted research into just war, moral injury and the reintegration of soldiers into the Catholic community. He was just ordained a priest in 2022.
We spoke with him about the process of discernment live from St. Louis at SEEK23 put on by FOCUS.
Michael Lofton, host of the youtube channel Reason and Theology, joins us to continue our focus on the incarnation, providing us with an Eastern Catholic perspective.
Listen and share!
Derek Rotty (derekrotty.com), joins us to talk about a recent series of pieces using art to meditate on the Incarnation. You can find The Art of Advent series at https://catholicexchange.com/author/derekrotty/.
Listen and share.
Joe Heschmeyer, staff apologist at Catholic Answers, joins us to talk about the mystery of the Incarnation.
Dr. Timothy Muldoon, pastoral theologian at Boston College and author of a number of books on Ignatian spirituality, the theology of the laity, and marriage and family, joins us to talk about his new book published through Orbis Books entitled How to Remake the World Neighborhood by Neighborhood. The book tells how Community Renewal International built a movement to heal racial tensions, create bonds of friendship, and cure the loneliness and depression that blights our communities in cities across the United States and Africa.
Allison Gingras joins us to talk about her new book on Ave Maria Press, Signs of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints, and the Abundant Grace of God.
Dr. Leonard DeLorenzo, from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, joins us to talk about his new book Our Faithful Departed: Where They Are and Why It Matters available on Ave Maria Press.
This book explores the Communion of Saints rooted in Catholic anthropology and incarnated through personal experiences. We talk about how to wrap our minds around this mystical communion and how to strengthen that communion through communal practices.
Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio (“Dr. Italy”), Co-founder and Director of The Crossroads Initiative, is the author of five books and hundreds of articles. In 2019, Dr. D’Ambrosio published the groundbreaking Bible study on the life of Jesus Christ filmed in the Holy Land, Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life, presenting alongside Jeff Cavins and Dr. Edward Sri. In 2022, he became the co-author and co-presenter of What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith, together with Dr. Andrew Swafford and Sarah Swafford. Dr. D’Ambrosio is currently a Professor of Theology at the Catholic Distance University.
Matthew Benfield has had an eventful year. He was confirmed in the Catholic Church, completing a 10-year journey of faith, completed a consecration to the Sacred Heart, to Jesus through Mary, and runs a popular TikTok account (TheologiaViatorum). We talk about his conversion, the importance of living compassionately, and communicating the Gospel effectively.
In Living Beyond Sunday: Making Your Home a Holy Place, married couples Adam and Haylee Minihan and David and Pamela Niles share what has helped them make their homes a place of encounter with God–a place where saints are being made.
This book goes beyond the aesthetic or surface-level attributes of a Catholic home. Beyond that, it shares how to foster holiness in all the little moments in Catholic family life.
Dr. Mark Giszczak, Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture at the Augustine Institute, recently wrote the book “Bible Translation and the Making of the ESV Catholic Edition.”
In this book, He covers the conversations that preceded the ESV project and the promulgation of the Vatican document on translation, Liturgiam authenticam (2001). The meeting of the minds represented by the ESV translation philosophy and the Vatican’s own translation norms is remarkable.
Dr. Mark Giszczak specializes in Old Testament Wisdom Literature as well as biblical theology and Catholic biblical interpretation.
He blogs at https://catholicbiblestudent.com/
JonMarc Grodi, Executive Director of the Coming Home Network and Host of The Journey Home on EWTN, joins us to talk about the continual call to conversion that leads us to a life of Virtue.
Patrons can access extra segments - Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/72900101.
Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP was recently named the editor of Our Sunday Visitor, the weekly national Catholic newspaper found at OSVNEWS.COM.
Father Patrick comes to OSV from the English edition of Aleteia.org, the global Catholic news and spirituality website, where he served as editor-in-chief.
This spring, Father Patrick was nominated to serve as a Eucharistic Preacher, a work he has undertaken to support the USCCB-led National Eucharistic Revival, and along with his Dominican brothers, he hosts the podcast Godsplaining, and he co-authored the book Saint Dominic’s Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God (OSV Books).
Paul Fahey, co-founder of Where Peter Is, has recently written a necessary and helpful article on recognizing and preventing spiritual abuse in the Catholic Church called "The Place Where you Stand is Holy Ground."
This type of abuse is not often talked about, but leaves lasting scars, and is a major contributor to the "rise of the nones."
Have we been conditioned to act on our gut instinct, our first impression, or do we take the time to look beyond our primary instinct and to our second thought?
So often Jesus saw beyond the immediately obvious and into underlying motivations. As scripture says, "man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart."
Kristin Putnam and I discuss what it might look like to reconsider our polarized impulses and ponder situations and circumstances more deeply.
Rachel Bulman is a regular contributor to the Word on Fire blog, an author with two forthcoming books, and co-hosts the Youtube show “Meet the Bulmans” with her husband, Dcn Jason Bulman, who was recently ordained to the Diocese of Orlando.
They join us on-air to talk about their practice of hospitality and their expression of vulnerability as a part of a lifestyle of evangelization.
Dr. Ann M. Garrido (https://www.anngarrido.com/) is associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, (https://www.ai.edu/) where she previously directed the school’s Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching program. Garrido has served as the Marten Faculty Fellow in Homiletics at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of multiple books, including the award-winning Redeeming Administration, Redeeming Conflict, Let’s Talk About Truth, and the topic of today's conversation, Rules of Engagement: 8 Christian Habits for Being Good and Doing Good Online (https://www.avemariapress.com/products/rules-of-engagement).
Sr. Alicia Torres, F.E. is on the Executive Team for the USCCB's National Eucharistic Revival. She joins us to talk about the initiative, and her own experience with Christ in the Eucharist.
Brett Salkeld is Archdiocesan Theologian for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina in Saskatchewan and is the co-host of the Thinking Faith podcast. His latest book, Transubstantiation: Theology, History, and Christian Unity, is available on Baker Academic Press.
Today we talk about his Church Life Journal piece, Guilt, Responsibility, and Purgatory: How Traditional Catholic Teaching Can Help Us Think About Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations.
Matt Regner is the Director of Liturgy and Evangelization at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Madison, Wisconsin. He recently wrote a thoughtful essay Parishioners Don't Belong at the Parish published in the Church Life Journal. We talked over several points from the article about the end goals of evangelization.
Patreon supporters get an extra 19 minutes of conversation. Learn More.
Casey Phillips is the director of Evangelization at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington, KY, and the co-host of the podcast The BaptiCatholic Show. He joins us to talk about Evangelization in a Catholic context.
What picture pops into your head when you envision "the Church?" Whose faces are situated next to yours in the family portrait above God's mantle? The answer to this question has implications on how we live out our faith, practice evangelization, and make disciples. It's the fundamental question of "Who Belongs?"
Fr. Josh Johnson joins us to discuss his new book, On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Restoring God’s Vision for Race and Discipleship.
This book follows Fr. Josh’s journey of serving as the only Black priest in the diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fr. Josh draws from the riches of Scripture, personal experience as a Catholic of color, his priestly ministry, and the wisdom of the Church to encourage Catholics to understand more deeply the call of Christ to make disciples of “all peoples and nations (Matt. 28:19).”
Michael Grasinski, President of Ruah Woods Institute, and Rob Stamper, Curriculum and Education Specialist, join us to talk about the Institute and their TOB Curriculum for Catholic Schools. We also discuss the nature of the TOB as a Christian Anthropology and key element of a Worldview that emphasizes the dignity of the human person.
Patreon supporters get an extra 9 minutes of conversation as Michael and Rob share their initial encounter with the Theology of the Body. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/68244799.
Deacon Charles Beard joins us to talk about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, how we experience his love, and how that love urges us to live compassionately.
Pentecost is the antidote to Babel. Through Pentecost, God breaks down division and creates the opportunity for reconciliation. We, as ministers of reconciliation, are called to live our lives attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit who was given to the Church at Pentecost, and given to us at baptism and confirmation.
Fr. Casey Cole, OFM and Fr. Tito Serrano, OFM are off on a pilgrimage like no other. In just 11 weeks, they plan to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, meeting people where they are, to invite them to return home. Home to Jesus and his Church.
They join us to talk about the tour, and about Fr. Casey's new book The Way of Beatitude: Living Radical Hope in a World of Division and Despair.
They talk more about the tour in a Patreon exclusive segment. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/67015971.
Dr. Charlie Camosy is a Professor in the Medical Humanities Department at Creighton University Health Sciences in Phoenix AZ and a Fellow in Moral Theology at St. Joseph Seminary in New York. He has a focus on bioethics and has written numerous books on our response and responsibility to the dignity of the human person.
Dr. Camosy is the author of numerous books including:
- Beyond the Abortion Wars (Eerdmans)
- Resisting Throwaway Culture: How a Consistent Life Ethic Can Unite a Fractured People (New City Press)
- Losing our Dignity: How Secularized medicine is Undermining Fundamental Human Equality (New City Press)
He is also the Series Editor of the Magenta Project at New City Press.
He joins me on-air to talk about a healthy response to the news of the SCOTUS leak.
We revisit a conversation we had with Joe Heschmeyer back in June of 2019. For the next few weeks, we're going to be talking about approaching difficult topics and conversations with an eye toward evangelization.
This replay includes the content originally reserved for Patreon supporters.
In his new book published by Ave Maria Press, A Catholic Pilgrimage through American History, Dr. Kevin Schmiesing takes you to more than two-dozen sites and events that symbolize and embody America’s rich and sometimes tumultuous Catholic past, including the Santa Fe Trail, Gettysburg, and the Bourbon Trail.
We talk about the Catholic thread running through the tapestry of American History and talk about some of his favorite stories.
Dr. Lawrence Feingold's new book, Touched by Christ: The Sacramental Economy available on Emmaus Academic Press, is a masterwork explaining the mysteries of the sacramental economy.
Today we discuss why we need the sacraments, and how the sacraments are able to bestow God's grace to us.
In our Patreon extra segment, (available to everyone this week) we discussed the 2020 Responsum by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ruling that the formula "We Baptize" was not merely illicit, but also invalid. Since that time there have been at least a few instances of priests and deacons who used this form exclusively for decades and at least one instance of a young Priest having to validly receive his baptism and other sacraments when it was determined that he had been invalidly baptized as an infant.
Many of the lay faithful were left wondering, "Does a pronoun really make that much of a difference?" Dr. Feingold explains.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/65820254
In the Easter Season, we contemplate our participation in the Paschal Mystery. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ not only reconcile us to the Father but also give us a sure hope of the resurrection ourselves. This hope of resurrection allows us to view death through the lens of eternity.
Noreen Madden McInnis, Director of Liturgy & Spirituality for the Diocese of San Diego, has written a new book on New City Press entitled Keep at it Riley: Accompanying my Father through Death into Life in which she shares the story of her own journey accompanying her Father in the final days of his life.
She shares with us the practical and spiritual insights she gained from her role as caregiver.
Nick De La Torre, founder of the Awaken Catholic (awakencatholic.org), joins us to share his journey and the Holy Saturday moments along the way.
Fr. Daniel G. Dozier is the Pastor of St. George Byzantine Catholic Church in Olympia, Washington. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Sacred Scripture Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius, is one of the Founders and hosts of Becoming Byzantine, a free webinar series on the light of the Byzantine East.
He joins us to talk about the Lenten Pillar of Fasting.
This week's extra patreon segment is available to everyone at https://www.patreon.com/posts/64914788.
Mark Redmond, executive director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services in Burlington, Vermont, has worked in the field of caring for homeless and at-risk youth for over 40 years. His new book, Called: A Memoir details Mark’s journey from working on Madison Avenue to hearing and answering the call of God to work with vulnerable communities.
Together we reflect on his experiences and what we can all learn about Almsgiving, justice, and care for the Common Good in this season of Lent that will help us all to grow in holiness.
Patreon supporters get an extra 11 minutes of conversation! Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/64634327.
Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He is the Director for Spiritual Formation for Saint Vincent Seminary, Director of the Institute for Ministry Formation and has offered numerous courses on the spiritual life.
Together with Fr. Thomas Acklin, OSB he co-authored Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father’s Love available on Emmaus Road Press.
Mike Aquilina is executive vice-president of the St. Paul Center and a contributing editor for Angelus News. He is the author of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church and The Eucharist Foretold.
We talked today about his new book on Emmaus Road Press called How the Fathers Read the Bible: Scripture, Liturgy, and the Early Church.
Bo Bonner, Director of the Center for Human Flourishing at Mercy College, joins us to explain what our penitential fasting has to do with our inherent appetite for the infinite. As we discussed the idea, we ended up on the topic of silence.
Our Patreon supporters get extra segments! Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/63721208.
Kristin and I reflect on the three pillars of Lent (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving) and the importance of keeping them in balance.
Dr. Leonard J. DeLorenzo (leonardjdelorenzo.com) from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame joins us to talk about Small Group catechesis for Sacramental Preparation, based on his own experience in helping prepare his oldest child for the sacrament of confirmation. His insights and framework are compiled in the book "Turn to the Lord: Forming Disciples for Lifelong Conversion" available on Liturgical Press.
Karianna Frey is the author "We are Beloved: 30 Days with Thea Bowman," available on Ave Maria Press.
We Are Beloved offers you a personal, thirty-day retreat based on the prophetic words of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, a renowned Black Catholic evangelizer, teacher, writer, and singer. We Are Beloved offers selections from four decades of Bowman’s writings, reflections, presentations, and interviews.
Learn more at https://www.kariannafrey.com/
Regina Boyd is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a private practice in Lake Mary, Florida. (https://www.reginaboyd.com/) She is a regular podcast guest on the topics of mental health and marriage, and she hosts the podcast “Connecting Out Loud.”
Dr. Daniel Boyd is the Secretary for Laity, Family, and Life in the Diocese of Orlando, and co-hosts the podcast "Being and Making Disciples: A Catholic podcast about fruitful ministry."
We talk about National Marriage Week, including tips and tricks to strengthen your marriage and discuss the effects of personal and generational trauma on relationships.
Patreon supporters get an extra 15 minute segment - learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/daniel-and-boyd-62476987.
Patrick Sullivan, president of Evango and author of the new book The 3 Languages of Evangelization, shares a simple idea that has dramatic implications for the way we share our faith.
Dr. James Merrick is the director of Emmaus Academic press joins us to talk about a new volume by Dr. John Boyle, The Order and Division of Divine Truth. We talk about the approaches through which the Fathers and Doctors of the Church — the Early and Medieval Church — read Sacred Scripture, and what we can learn from those methods today.
To read more on the Catholic Church's approach to Biblical Study, start with the Catechism paragraphs 101–141.
Verbum Catholic Study Software currently has Catholic Bibles priced at $0.99, and a number of other resources to help you "Read the Scripture within 'the living Tradition of the whole Church'."
Father Harrison Ayre is a priest of the Diocese of Victoria in British Columbia and the author of a new book "Mysterion: The Revelatory Power of the Sacramental Worldview" published by Pauline Books & Media.
We discuss worldviews and how to consciously shape the lens through which we see the world.
Patreon supporters get an extra 14 minutes of conversation. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/61207861.
Traditionally at Ephiphany, we celebrate 3 mysteries through which Christ was revealed in Sacred Scripture - The Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the Wedding at Cana. We look at these three mysteries and contemplate the circumstances surrounding those mysteries to get a clearer idea of how Christ chooses to reveal himself today.
Every January 1st the Church celebrates the 8th day of Christmas, the Octave of Christmas, and the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
This celebration is embedded in the midst of our focus on the mystery of the Incarnation because it centers around our understanding of who Christ is.
Joe Heschmeyer joins us to discuss what Mary's role reveals about the incarnation.
What does the Bible really say about the birth of Jesus? How did the celebration of Christmas become associated with things like Santa Claus and decorated trees? In The True Meaning of Christmas: The Birth of Jesus and the Origins of the Season, biblical scholar Michael Patrick Barber offers an inspiring look at the Bible’s accounts of Jesus’ birth and the development of the Christmas season.
You can purchase the book at: https://catholic.market/books/the-true-meaning-of-christmas-the-birth-of-jesus-and-the-origins-of-the-season-michael-barber
In several of his letters, Paul posits that we are the Body of Christ. We spend some time looking at this idea in light of the Incarnation, and what it means for us to participate in the Incarnation.
During Advent, we remember Christ's incarnation and anticipate his second coming. In this episode, Deacon Charles Beard and I explore what it means for us to "Prepare the Way of the Lord" in relation to the second coming of Christ.
Chris Padgett joins us to talk about Saint Summit 2021 a free opportunity on December 10th-12th to learn more about 25 saints from some of the most sought-after speakers.
We talk about how the witness of the saints helps us to grow in holiness and grow closer to God. Listen to the end to hear about an opportunity to grow closer to your spouse this Advent season with a little CPR.
Hear the extra segment with Chris on our Patreon page.
Meg Hunter-Kilmer has written an extraordinary book about the saints for kids. "Saints Around the World" should be on your Christmas list for your children, grandchildren, god-children, nieces, nephews, and random strangers on the corner. This beautiful book introduces children to 100 saints from all corners of the world and all walks of life. Your kids will meet Saints who look like them and can encourage their own spiritual growth. We talk about the saints, and much more!
Drawn from the contemplative Catholic tradition and Evans's own parenting experience, Rewilding Motherhood helps women deepen their connection to God through practices inherent to the life they're living now. Topics include work-life balance, identity, solitude, patience, household work, and mission for the common good. Throughout, Evans encourages women to see motherhood as an opportunity to discover a vibrant feminine spirituality and a deeper knowledge of God and self. Rewilding Motherhood is available on Brazos Press.
The Most Rev. William A. Wack, CSC, Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee recently released a beautiful pastoral letter entitled Sharing the Gift (https://ptdiocese.org/pastoral-letter). He joins me to talk over the letter, to dispel misconceptions about evangelization, and to look with hope and joy at this task set before us all.
Fr. Jacob Boddicker, SJ joins us to talk about upholding and advocating for the Dignity of the Human Person and embracing the diversity of Catholicism, and shares his experiences serving on Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota with the Lakota Sioux tribe.
Dr. Charles C. Camosy, associate professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University, joins us to talk about the importance of defending and promoting fundamental human dignity in the realm of Medical Ethics, particularly resisting dehumanizing models of 'care' when serving an aging population.
Catholics are Pro-Life! This is a consistent tenet of the faith. Her pro-life position, however, doesn't begin and end with the unborn. Rather, our advocacy for the unborn flows out of our belief in the Dignity of the Human Person made in the image and likeness of God.
Kristin and I explore the implications of this belief in this week's episode.
Krista Corbello, founder of Even This Way, had been involved in Pro-Life advocacy for years before she learned that she had a sibling who was lost to abortion. Krista shares with us how this revelation impacted her and eventually pushed her to embrace a consistent life ethic, and to create a space for sibling survivors of abortion to find healing and community.
Joe Heschmeyer joins me as we unpack a question posed by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa to the US Bishops, a follow-up question by one of those Bishops to the attendees of the Catholic Answers conference, and a follow-up question we have based on the previous two. All three questions stem from the distinction between knowing a Person and knowing a Personality.
Poet, David Russell Mosley, joins us to talk about Dante in light of the Pope's recent Apostolic Letter that we all read Dante this year, and the popular 100daysofdante.com reading group. We talk about the place of poetry in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and discuss how an individual may benefit from both the reading and writing of poetry.
Sr. Sydney Moss and Sr. Bernadette Mota from the Salesian Sisters of St. John Boscoe join us to talk about the Fiat Project, a recent finalist in the OSV Innovation Challenge.
The Fiat Project is a formation program for young adult women in their 20's and 30's who have a relationship with God but are ready to dive deeper. The program is designed to help you discover God’s will for you and discern your role in the church, no matter what your life vocation is.
Learn more at https://salesiansisterswest.org/fiat-project
Dr. Jared Ortiz, Executive Director & Co-Founder of the Saint Benedict Institute, joins us to talk about their work and the importance of growing in both the intellectual life and the sacramental life.
Dr. Ryan J Brady is a founding member of the Sacra Doctrina Project (https://www.sacradoctrinaproject.org) and joins us to talk about their Online Certificate Program in Thomistic Ethics and Spirituality. It's an amazing opportunity to grow in your faith. The registration deadline is September 12th, so don't delay.
When we find ourselves in a spiritually dry place, in an emotional wasteland, in a deserted place, we often pray and bargain and beg for God to rescue us from the Desert. In Sonja Corbitt's new book, (Just Rest: Receiving God's Renewing Presence in the Deserts of Your Life), she suggests that the desert isn't a place to be rescued from, but rather the mechanism of God's action in our lives, a vehicle to teach us reliance on God's providence, the classroom where we learn the necessity of Rest.
Get the book today at https://www.avemariapress.com/products/just-rest.
Deacon Kevin Tulipana, D.O. shares with us the nuances of Medical Ethics, including the principle of double effect, and the factors that go into the passive remote material cooperation with evil. As a deacon and a doctor, he shares his perspective on the question of the COVID Vaccine through the lens of Catholic Medical Ethics. For more information visit the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBCenter.org)
Bo Bonner joins me to talk about the Just War Theory, it's development, and the need to promote the dignity of the human person in the midst of conflict.
My darling bride joined me on air to talk about the power and importance of making a definitive choice. This is true in marriage, and resolutions, and in holiness.
This week's extra segment for Patreon supporters is a video segment. Watch and learn more at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/hey-its-extra-54904285.
Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, Editor-in-Chief of Aleteia and co-author of the new OSV book St. Dominic's Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God, joins us to discuss the life of St. Dominic, and what we can learn from it.
Patreon supporters get an extra 12 minutes of conversation. Learn more and Listen: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54635046
Allison Ciraulo, mother of 3, wrote a beautiful reflection on Motherhood for the Church Life Journal. She joins us to talk about Motherhood as a path to sainthood.
Patreon supporters get 10 minutes of extra conversation. Learn more and Listen: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54350437.
Ken Hallenius, from the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, joins us to talk about the link between Ethics and Culture.
Patreon supporters get 14 minutes of extra content. Learn more and listen: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54132780
Sam Rocha joins us today to talk about phenomenology, and more broadly philosophy, as an important tool to understand the world around us. He promotes a "folk phenomenology," an idea about which he has written a book, and produced a podcast.
After the episode we talked for an additional 20 minutes. That segment is available to our Patreon support community. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/53797805.
Lately, I've taken to encouraging my children to "Make other people's lives easier" in an effort to help them think through how their actions affect others, and to help them identify and root out selfishness in their lives. As I've meditated on it more and more, I see the usefulness and necessity of this idea in the mature spiritual life, and in effective evangelism in an increasingly non-religious society.
Tony Vasinda (https://catholicbalm.co) joins me to explore the idea.
Patreon supporters get extra content. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/53533647.
Sherry Weddell, co-founder and executive director of the Catherine of Siena Institute (siena.org), joins us on the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle to talk about the difference made by a personal encounter with the risen Christ.
Patreon supporters get an extra 10 minutes of conversation. Learn more and listen: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53273261
Haley Stewart, a Fellow at the Word on Fire Institute, joins us to talk about the Institute, and how the pandemic pause left room for reflection and the re-prioritization of life.
Patreon supporters get extra content, learn more at patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
I just learned about the GIVEN Institute (giveninstitute.com) and I had the pleasure of talking with their Executive Director, Rachel Ullman. We talk about the work of the Institute! Listen and Share.
Sr. Helena Burns, FSP (www.hellburns.com) joins us to talk about her Online Summer Theology of the Body Certificate Course hosted by Sacred Heart College in Ontario.
Derek Rotty joined me to talk about the centrality of the Eucharist in his own conversion, and in the life of the Church as we explore the mystery and celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
Patreon supporters get an extra segment. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/52145052
My Social feed has been flooded with anniversary pictures - wedding anniversaries, and ordination anniversaries. But there has also been quite a hubbub around the priestly promise of obedience to their bishop. While there is a specific cause of the talk this time around out of the Diocese of LaCrosse, it is by no means an isolated issue. Every few years this pops into the public consciousness, and it is worth taking the time to talk about it.
Fr. Colin Parrish joins us to help us understand it.
We just celebrated a Confirmation in this house, and Deacon Charles Beard was the sponsor. We took the opportunity to record face to face and to explore the connection between Confirmation and Pentecost.
Patrons get nearly 15 minutes of extra conversation. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/51565584
Andrew Casad, the Steward of Christian Initiation and Matrimony at St. Michael Parish in Olympia Washington, talks about Pope Francis' new motu proprio, "Antiquum Ministerium" and the institution of the Ministry of Catechist.
Show Supporters get an extra 14 minutes of conversation about the Catechuminate and the RCIA. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/51293464.
Dr. Leonard J. Delorenzo, from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, joins us to talk about his new book on prayer, "Into the Heart of the Father: Learning From and Giving Yourself Through Christ in Prayer." In both the book and the conversation, he suggests simple perspective shifts that have profound implications in our practice and experience of prayer.
Patreon supporters get an extra 18 minutes of conversation. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/51020954.
Fr. Casey Cole, OFM produces videos for the popular Youtube Channels Breaking in the Habit and Upon Friar Review. He joins us today to talk about living a life of evangelization.
Patreon supporters get an extra 15 minutes of conversation. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/50727656.
Paul Fahey, a Co-founder of WherePeterIs.com, joins us to talk about our responsibility to preserve unity with the Church, and we discuss the importance of Humility and Docility when wrestling with confusion or misunderstanding with our priests, bishops, and the pope.
Patreon supporters get an extra 24 minutes of conversation exploring how the Church can and should respond to the loss of respect, the loss of institutions, and the loss of credibility we face today? listen and learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/50388786.
On March 27th 2020, the eyes of the world were fixed on St. Peter's Square. There in the darkness, Pope Francis stood before an empty square and offered the whole world the hope of Christ. Whatever storms we find ourselves living through, the words, prayers, and events of that night can provide direction, encouragement, and hope.
Jaymie Stuart Wolfe has compiled a beautiful book to explain the significance of the evening, and provide a tool for walking through these prayers again and again.
Our Patreon supporters get an extra 15 minutes of conversation. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/50147596.
Fr. Edward Looney joins us to talk about his new book "Meditations After Holy Communion," available on Sophia Institute Press.
An extra 12 minutes of conversation is available to all those who support the show on Patreon. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/49874610.
Hen Hensley joins us to talk about the work of the Coming Home Network (chnetwork.org), and we discuss how to support converts once RCIA and the Easter Vigil are over.
Patreon supporters get over 13 minutes of extra conversation. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/49584585.
Rocio Hermes (graceandmercyblog.com) joins us to talk about her favorite topic — the Love of God! We talk about how the Love of God should underpin our own Lenten Observance, and how it is exemplified in the Paschal Mystery.
Patreon supporters get an extra 15 minutes of conversation at https://www.patreon.com/posts/49274761.
Anna Carter, President and Co-founder of Eden Invitation (www.edeninvitation.com), joins us to unpack the response to "the Responsum" from the CDF about the Church's inability to bless Same-sex unions.
We look at the difference in communication style between Catechesis and Evangelization, and take the time to explore the various interior responses to the CDF document.
Dr. Timothy P. O'Malley, from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame (https://mcgrath.nd.edu/), joins us to talk about his new book "Real Presence: What Does It Mean, and Why Does It Matter?" (Available on Ave Maria Press).
Our Patreon supporters get an additional 17 minutes of conversation. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/48706865.
Louis Damani Jones joins us to talk about what we are owed, and what we owe to each other. Separate from Almsgiving, Justice is accepting the responsibility to meet someone else's rights due to their being made in the Image and Likeness of God.
We explore the distinction and dig into the difference.
Patreon supporters get an extra 12 minutes of conversation. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/48415216.
Joe Heschmeyer (www.shamelesspopery.com) joins to talk about the role of the Wilderness/Desert/Desolation in the Spiritual life of a disciple.
Win a copy of "When Christ Suffered: A Doctor's Journey Through the Passion" by Thomas W. McGovern, MD by sharing a recent story on our Facebook or Twitter of how God subverted your expectations and what it taught you about God and about yourself.
Patrons get an extra 22 minutes of conversation. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/48086870.
Karianna Frey (kariannafrey.com), author of Serviam Non Serviam: A Daily Examination of Conscience Journal, joins us to talk about the hard work of discerning our hidden faults.
Patron's get nearly 20 minutes of extra conversation about Kids, Confession, and Cultural Expression. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/karianna-frey-47794479
Dr. Maria C. Morrow joins us to talk about her new book "A Meaningful Parent's Guide for a Meaningful Lent."
Patreon supporters get extra content! Learn more and Listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/47500165.
The OSV Innovation Challenge is back! I talk with Dr. Matt Smith, the Director of Strategic Alliances at the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation about the place of Innovation in the life of a missionary disciple, about Saints who are known for innovation, and the work OSV is doing to foster innovation today.
Patreon supporters get an extra segment. Learn more and listen at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/47207242.
Jennifer Fitz (www.jenniferfitz.com) joins us to talk about the importance of fostering positive discourse, and how to avoid misunderstandings as we seek to share the Gospel.
Patreon supporters get an extra segment! Learn more, and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/46871933
Dr. Mark Giszczak, from the Augustine Institute, joins us to talk about the importance of Sacred Scripture in our lives and talks to us about the new ESV-CE translation of the Bible distributed by the Augustine Institute.
Patreon supporters get extra segments! Learn more and Listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/46577068.
Verbum has a big sale on Bibles this week (including the ESV-CE), visit https://verbum.com/sunday-of-the-word-of-god.
St. Paul told the people of Corinth that "The love of Christ impels us!" As we grow closer to Christ and experience His love, we grow in an unexpected and unquenchable desire to make him known. St. Paul Street Evangelization (streetevangelization.com) has proven non-confrontational methods to help you learn the process of evangelization.
Adam Janke, the COO of St. Paul Street Evangelization, shares stories and insights from his own experiences.
This week's extra segment is available to all listeners. Learn more about our Patreon community and listen to the rest of our conversation at https://www.patreon.com/posts/46290524
Reflecting on the events of national significance from this past week, Dcn. Charles Beard and I look at how the Baptism of the Lord - and our own baptisms - should impact our outlook and our actions to such unsettling moments in history.
Our Patreon supporters get an extra 17 minutes of conversation exploring the Church's stance toward partisanship, and our obligation as the Baptized to prophetically proclaim the Kingdom of God. Learn more and Listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/46008488
Dr. Leonard DeLorenzo (leonardjdelorenzo.com) from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame joins us to talk about the free course "Praying with the Saints" to help you create new habits of prayer in the new year.
Patreon Supporters get an extra 16 minutes of conversation. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/45728012.
Dr. R. Jared Staudt (http://buildingcatholicculture.com/) joins us to talk about his new book, Restoring Humanity: Essays on the Evangelization of Culture available on Divine Providence Press. We explore the idea that What and How we Celebrate informs our identity and helps us understand our place in the world around us. We discuss some practical ideas to celebrate Christmas to the fullest.
Patrons get an extra segment discussing Classical Education and the Great Books. Learn more and listen here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/45489002
Jeannie Ewing (www.jeannieewing.com) joins us to talk about Spiritual Discernment in times of waiting; whether that waiting is for a liturgical season, or a season of grief or uncertainty.
Patrons get an extra segment! Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/45221658.
Joe Heschmeyer, who blogs at www.shamelesspopery.com, talks about the Year of St. Joseph recently declared by Pope Francis.
We got a little sidetracked and also began talking about the role of Language in shaping our perspectives. We saved the majority of that conversation for our Patreon extra segment. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/44963955.
Dr. Ryan J. (Bud) Marr, author of "Seeking God with Saint John Henry Newman" from Our Sunday Visitor, joins us to talk about seeking God during this season of Advent.
Our Patreon supporters get an extra segment. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/44704092.
JonMarc and Teresa Grodi, of the Elevate Ordinary podcast, join us to talk about Advent.
Patreon supporters get an extra 15 minutes of conversation: Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/44425499
Deacon Charles Beard, from St. Mary's in Tulsa and the Blessed Stanley Rother Catholic Worker, joins us to talk about the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. We often imagine this Cosmic Kingship with the implication of his rule over the nations; today we explore the implications of his rule on a personal level.
Patreon supporters get 11 extra minutes of conversation. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/44153885
Fr. John P. Cush, the academic dean at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, joins us to talk about his new book The How-To Book of Catholic Theology available now on OSV.com.
Patreon Supporters get an extra 14 minutes of conversation. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/fr-john-p-cush-43897703
Mark Brumley, Preisdent of Ignatius Press (https://www.ignatius.com/), joins us to talk about the new Ignatius Press Journaling and Note-Taking Bible.
He shares his own experience with the benefits of journaling with Scripture.
In these last few days before the election, it is important to remember our citizenship and our fellow citizens. Of course, I'm speaking of our Heavenly citizenship and the witness of the Saints.
Sr. Danielle Victoria, FSP of The Daughters of St. Paul illustrated this beautiful new book highlighting 365 Saints (many of them newer or lesser-known). The Pauline sisters have worked on this volume for 10 years, and their care and expertise shine through every page.
"All You Holy Men and Women of God: Pray for us."
Anna and Shannon from Eden Invitation join us to talk about Eden Invitation, which recently won the OSV Innovation Challenge. They share from their personal experience and talk about the importance of seeing and valuing the whole person.
Eden Invitation is a movement for young adult Catholics experiencing same-sex desires or gender discordance, seeking to follow Christ in His Church. Through in-person events and online community, Eden Invitation creates space to receive the whole person, grow systems of mutual support, and empower for creative discipleship.
Download a free extra segment at https://www.patreon.com/posts/eden-invitation-43108535
Tommy Tighe (www.twitter.com/theghissilent) joins us to talk about his new book #BlessedMother: How to Follow, Share, and Defend Mary in the World of Social Media (available on www.OSV.com). We talk a bit about how the weirdness of Catholicism can be an odd, but effective means of evangelization.
Our Patreon supporters get an extra 10 minutes of conversation about Tommy's Podcast, St. Dympnha's Playbook, which endeavors to destigmatize mental health issues, and give Catholics tools and support to face difficulties. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/42856971.
Damon Owens, Executive Director of JoyToB.org and founder of JoyfulEverAfter.com, join us to talk about unjust structures, systemic racism, and handling conflict with grace.
This is one of the most important, and one of the most enjoyable conversations I've had on the show.
We also touch on the new Encyclical Fratelli Tutti and its relation to our topic of the day.
Father Andy Davy, MIC joins us to talk about his youtube videos for the children of his parish school (Father Andy's Virtual Neighborhood - https://youtu.be/xr6d-vtupDg). We talk about the benefit of approaching the world like a child.
Patreon supporters get an extra segment in which Fr. Davy talks about his vocation story and more. Learn more and listen here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/fr-andy-davy-mic-42312776.
Daniel and Bethany developed the Life-giving Wounds retreat (www.lifegivingwounds.org) from their personal and professional experience and extensive study. It is a much-needed program helping identify and heal the wounds experienced by the adult children of divorce or separation. Listen and share this episode with all who may need it.
If you are experiencing difficulty in your marriage, consider a retrouvaille retreat (www.helpourmarriage.com). To grow in your marriage, visit www.foryourmarriage.com.
To hear more from this conversation, consider becoming a supporter of the show. Visit https://www.patreon.com/posts/42035510 to learn more.
Jennifer Fitz (www.jenniferfitz.com) joins us to talk about my favorite topic, Evangelization. She's written a very practical tutorial on the topic, and we pick a few high-points to discuss; particularly the interior component of evangelization and the proper place for apologetics.
This is a great discussion and a fantastic book!
Patreon supporters get an extra segment each week. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/41783978.
Allison Gingras (https://reconciledtoyou.com/) joins us to talk about her new Catholic journaling book Seeking Peace: A Journey from Worry to Trust.
Patreon supporters get an extra 17 minutes of conversation. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41530302
Mark P. Shea and I explore the four pillars of Catholic Social Teaching (The Dignity of the Human Person, The Common Good, Subsidiarity, and Solidarity) and talk about his new book on New City Press, "The Church's Best Kept Secret: A Primer on Catholic Social Teaching."
We recollect our own first encounters as converts with the Church's Social Teaching, and the struggle we experienced in coming to appropriate it.
Grab a coffee and sit down with us for this jovial conversation.
Patreon supporters get an extra 15 minutes of conversation. Learn more and join the support community here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/mark-p-shea-with-41277884
We have entered into another contentious election cycle, and Catholics are left with no candidates that we can wholeheartedly get behind. Our fractured political system has left us in a situation where no political party fully encompasses both the moral and social teaching of the magisterium.
This is compounded by many well-meaning Catholic influencers on both sides of the spectrum trying to simplify the difficult process of discernment by claiming that the choice is clear. How do we vote in a way that the integrity of our belief is upheld, while still seeking to achieve the best outcome for our nation? Deacon Steven Greydanus seeks to help us unpack the difficult work of forming our consciences as we prepare to cast our ballot.
Joe Heschmeyer joins us again to talk about his new book 'Pope Peter: Defending the Church's Most Distinctive Doctrine in a time of Crisis' (available at https://shop.catholic.com/pope-peter-defending-the-churchs-most-distinctive-doctrine-in-a-time-of-crisis/)
Show supporters get an extra segment with our guest each week. Learn more and listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/40741860.
Mike Aquilina joins us to talk about Patristics and Poetry, and how Reimagining a Post-Quarantine Church requires understanding the Historical Church. Sometimes you have to look back to move forward.
This week's supporter's segment is free for everyone! Patreon supporters get extra content like this (https://www.patreon.com/posts/40487394) every week!
Kevin Cotter, Executive Director of Amazing Parish, joins us to re-imagine a post-quarantine Church and gives us 3 key cultures that characterize thriving parishes.
Patreon supporters get an extra 15 minutes where we talk about the importance of consistently approaching scripture. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40243181.
Cathy Lins is a national trainer and speaker. She is also a Lay Dominican with the Dominican Order’s Central Province of the U.S. In 2017-2018, she provided training for bishops, priests, diocesan staff and parish staff for the Catholic Leadership Institute, using her English and Spanish language skills to engage participants for the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds Program, the Next Generation Parish effort, and Pastoral Planning efforts. Since 1995, she has worked with health and human service agencies and government agencies throughout the United States and several other countries to address community needs and quality care for mental health, substance abuse issues, family violence issues, HIV/AIDS, and national service efforts. She has spoken on trauma and care for NAMI, a State Mental Health Conference, and other state and regional conferences. She is currently working with a reporter for the National Catholic Register, a national Catholic newspaper, on a series of articles regarding trauma and the role of the Catholic Church.
Patreon supporters get an extra segment, learn more and listen here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39955624
Will things return to normal? Should they? Tony Vasinda and I spend some time exploring the possibilities of a Post-Quarantine Church.
Patreon supporters get an extra 14 minutes of conversation. Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39706043
I'm joined this week by my bride, Kristin Putnam, cofounder of NFPAware.com and Representative to the United Nations for WOOMB Intl.
You've heard people dispel popular myths about NFP before. You've heard folks debunk the idea that NFP doesn't work, or that it is the same as the Rhythm Method. But are there NFP Myths that Catholics still believe?
We tackle the myths of:
- "NFP Lowers the divorce rate"
- "NFP can be used with a contraceptive mindset"
- "NFP is primarily used by white-suburban-middle-class couples"
- and more.
Patreon supporters get an additional 18 minutes of extra conversation. Learn more and listen here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39458549
Bo Bonner joins us to talk about St. Benedict's life; on Benedict's lasting impact on the Church, and on Bo's personal experience with being a Benedictine Oblate.
Patreon supporters get an extra 11 minutes of conversation, learn more and listen here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39215539
Dr. Sam Rocha (samrocha.com) joins us to reflect on the differences between Patriotism and Nationalism, Americanism and Catholicism.
Dr. Tim Muldoon joins us to talk about Reclaiming Family Time.
Patreon supporters get an extra segment! Listen in here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38715626 *Sorry for the lateness of the episode; we've been packing our house into a moving van.
Emily Jaminet (emilyjaminet.com) joins us to talk about the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (welcomehisheart.com), and how she came to rediscover it in her own life. She shares the power of the devotion, and shares her personal experience with Enthronement of the Sacred Heart and the healing it has brought into her home.
Patrons get Eleven extra minutes of conversation! Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/emily-jaminet-on-38427564
Charles Beard, soon-to-be-ordained permanent deacon for the Diocese of Tulsa, joins us to talk about the feast of Corpus Christi, and we discuss recognizing the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, in the Church, and in the Poor.
Hear an extra 10 minutes of conversation over at https://www.patreon.com/posts/38197459.
Fr. Robert Boxie, III, a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, joins us to talk about his personal experience as a Black man, a Black Catholic, and a priest, and then we explore the steps we can take to pursue racial reconciliation in light of our belief in the inviolable Dignity of the Human Person, and in our dependence upon one another as members of the Body of Christ.
Get 16 minutes of extra conversation with Fr. Boxie about the importance of hearing someone else's story, and we learn more about Venerable Augustus Tolton by becoming a Patreon supporter. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/37945539.
Dr. Matthew Levering joins us to talk about Pentecost and the Person of the Holy Spirit.
Patron's get an extra segment with Dr. Levering where he talks about our current generation of seminarians, about his personal encounters with the Holy Spirit, and about the topics that are currently capturing his attention! https://www.patreon.com/posts/37705605
We're joined by Marcel LeJeune, President and Founder of www.CatholicMissionaryDisciples.com and author of the new book the Contagious Catholic: The Art of Practical Evangelization available on Ascension press. We talk about Evangelization in light of the Ascension and the Great Commission.
Joe Heschmeyer joins me again to talk about his new book "Who am I, Lord? Finding Your Identity in Christ" available soon on Our Sunday Visitor (www.osv.com).
Patreon supporters get an extra 17 minutes of conversation! Join the patreon community today! https://www.patreon.com/posts/37193085
Sam Jennings of the Servi Institute, (serviOKC.org / twitter @serviOKC), joins us to talk about their Urban Garden project in North Tulsa, and how it can be one component of a spiritual revitalization in our families and neighborhood.
My darling bride joins me to talk about a new endeavor we're starting - Our Litany of Saints! Join us for an entertaining, and sometimes meandering conversation about parenting in quarantine and beyond.
An exclusive unbroadcast segment is available to all our Patreon supporters: https://www.patreon.com/posts/36664652.
David Dawson is the Director of Marriage and Family Life for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He and his wife are one of five presenting couples who are putting on a free Marriage Enrichment Date-Night series for us while we're in Quarantine. Find out more at www.witnesstolove.org/belight. Sign up today and start tomorrow night!
Patreon supporters get an exclusive unbroadcast segment with David where we talk about how to order our family prayer life during this time. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/36394796
You might say Fr. Paul Henry, a retired priest from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, stumbled into Divine Mercy. He was cajoled into leading a pilgrimage the result of which was the final miracle needed for the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska. He shares that story and gives some personal insights into Divine Mercy.
Patreon supporters get an exclusive unbroadcast segment with another miraculous story and the connection between Divine Mercy and the sacrament of Confession. Find out more here https://www.patreon.com/posts/36133837
Haley Stewart, who podcasts at https://fountainsofcarrots.com and blogs at https://www.carrotsformichaelmas.com joins me to talk about how we can Celebrate Easter in a fitting way even in quarantine.
Like what you hear? Our Patreon supporters get an exclusive unbroadcast segment. Learn more here https://www.patreon.com/posts/haley-stewart-of-35886960.
Dr. Timothy P. O'Malley from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, joins us to talk about how we can celebrate Holy Week while quarantined.
Our Patreon Supporters get an exclusive unbroadcast segment. Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/join/outsidethewalls
Caitlin Marchand, author and stay-at-home mom of six, shares with us the challenges of living Sunday well when the Mass is not available, and talks about the positive conversations and practices her family has implemented in this time of uncertainty.
Dr. Taylor Patrick O'Neill joins us to examine the response to the Novel COVID virus and to determine if our quarantine is a fitting response. We discuss his recent article on the Right Spiritual Decision for the Faithful.
In our Patreon Exclusive Segment we ask the question, "Can COVID create choice conditions for communicating Christ?" as we look at the Evangelistic landscape in which we currently find ourselves.
Fr. Joe Krupp (twitter @JoeinBlack) has #TalkedtotheBoss and he wants to help you do the same. I was thrilled to sit down with Fr. Joe and talk about orienting our lives to Christ!
Fr. Simeon Spitz is a Monk and Priest from St. Gregory Abbey in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He joins us to illuminate our Lenten journey in light of the Exodus of God's Chosen People. Through Exodus we learn who God is and how he operates, which helps us to understand our relationship with him.
Patreon Supporters always get an extra segment. This week, you'll hear a mind-blowing* allusion in the book of Revelation to the Genesis Covenant. Join the Patreon Support Community to hear it - https://www.patreon.com/posts/fr-simeon-spitz-34675218.
*At least, it blew my mind.
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio joins us to talk about the new Ascension Press Series, Jesus: the Way the Truth and the Life.
Patreon supporters get extra content each week! By supporting the show, you help me support my family, keep the show on the air, and get awesome content like this https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-marcellino-34436697! Click the link and be a part of our support community!
Christopher Carstens, Director of the Office for Sacred Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, joins us to talk about making the most of our Lenten journey.
Patreon Supporters get an extra segment each week! Find out more and get more of this conversation at https://www.patreon.com/posts/big-news-and-and-34248258
Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, from Ave Maria Press, talks about this incredible newly discovered work of then-Archbishop Karol Wojtyla (Pope St. John Paul II) on Paul's Sermon at the Areopagus. We talk about his profound insights into evangelization, and you'll hear an excerpt from the book.
Patreon supporters get an extra 17 minutes of content! Join today for as little as $5 and get all the extra segments! https://www.patreon.com/posts/jaymie-stuart-on-34046611
Fr. Harrison Ayre, co-host of the wildly popular podcast Clerically Speaking joins us to talk about the Series Finale of NBC's "The Good Place." We look at what they got right, what they got wrong, and why it's good they ask deep questions on primetime television.
Fr. Brad Doyle, host of the Quizzical Papist Podcast, joins me as we reflect on the recent death of a young priest. We talk about the importance of supporting our priests, and explore ways that we can offer encouragement to our priests.
Patreon Supporters get an extra segment wherein Fr. Brad talks about Community, Fraternity, and Vulnerability here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/fr-brad-doyle-k-33632045
Craig St. Clair, project manager of Verbum, joins us to talk about the Sunday of the Word of God recently declared by Pope Francis.
Patreon supporters get an extra segment each week. Join their numbers here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/craig-st-clair-33447983
Kim Cameron-Smith, author of "Discipleship Parenting: Planting the Seeds of Faith" on Our Sunday Visitor Press, and host of the Gentle Catholic Parenting Podcast, joins us to talk about how to raise our kids to be Disciples of Jesus Christ!
Patreon supporters get 15 extra minutes of conversation about her reversion to the Faith, and how she endeavors to bo beyond catechesis to give her kids an encounter with Christ. Listen at https://www.patreon.com/posts/kim-cameron-on-33245479
Bo Bonner, Host of the Uncommon Good and Executive Vice President of the Newman Idea, joins us to talk about what baptism means for us, the benefits and the obligations that proceed from our baptisms.
Show Supporters get extra segments! Hear more from my conversation with Bo at https://www.patreon.com/posts/bo-bonner-and-33065568
On the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, my bride and I share a story of how through our experience of suffering God revealed something important about His character.
An extra segment is available to all our Patreon supporters here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/my-darling-bride-32857259
Join the support community today!
Derek Rotty (www.derekrotty.com), author of "A Life of Conversion" on OSV.com joins us to talk about his recent piece on CatholicExchange.com talking about the good gifts that God gives us.
Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT joins us to talk about being interrupted by the Incarnation and coming to more fully understand what it means for Jesus to be "Emmanuel" (God is With Us).
An extra segment is available to all those who support the show through patreon. Get access to that segement here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sr-miriam-james-32525130
Dr. John Cavadini, of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame joins us to talk about the role and responsibility of the laity in the leadership of the Church.
Register now to take part in the Called and Co-Responsible conference taking place in March in South Bend, IN.
Patreon Supporters get an extra segment! For as little as $5 a month, you'll get weekly extra segments. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-john-cavadini-32340474
Constance T. Hull joins us to talk about her recent article on Catholic Exchange (https://catholicexchange.com/come-christmas-will-christ-find-room-in-our-souls) preparing our hearts for Christmas this Advent.
Patreon supporters get more conversation at https://www.patreon.com/posts/constance-hull-32173133. Join the Patreon community today!
Joe Heschmeyer, [http://www.shamelesspopery.com / http://www.cathpod.com] joins us to talk about Advent and the Eschaton (the end times). We explore Advent's call to us to focus on preparing our hearts for the second coming of Christ.
I'm joined by one of my favorite priests, Fr. Brian O'Brien as he shares with us about the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, and we explore what it means practically for us to be subject to the Rule and Reign of Christ.
There's more the conversation available to our Patreon supporters. Click the link below to get access to the extra segment, and find out what Fr. O'Brien really thinks of you. https://www.patreon.com/posts/fr-brian-obrien-31799814
Shaun McAfee, founder and editor of EpicPew.com, and author of the new book "I'm Catholic, Now What" available soon on OSV.com, joins us to talk about the Universal Call to Holiness and the call to continual conversion.
Get 19 extra minutes of conversation right here (https://www.patreon.com/posts/shaun-mcafee-and-31606607) by becoming a Patreon supporter today!
Tim Glemkowski, president and founder of laltocatholic.com and co-founder of reviveparishes.com joins us to talk about his new book on osv.com, Made for Mission; and his new project Revive Parishes which is focused on equipping clergy, staff, and volunteers of parishes to be fruitful in their ministries.
Join Patreon to get an extra segment where Tim shares "The Good Stuff" in a "Moment of Vulnerability." Join today at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tim-glemkowski-31445813
Fr. Quang Tran, S.J. (twitter @LeMeTellUSumtin), joins us to talk about All Souls Day, Purgatory, and Indulgences.
An Extra segment is available to all our Patreon supporters at https://www.patreon.com/posts/fr-quang-d-tran-31256593. Join their numbers and get extra content weekly.
Dr. Charles C. Camosy (www.charlescamosy.com) joins us to talk about his book "Resisting Throwaway Culture: How a Consistent Life Ethic can Unite a Fractured People," available on https://www.newcitypress.com/.
An extra segment is available to all listeners on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-charles-c-31061988
Charles Beard is an installed Acolyte and Deacon Candidate with the Diocese of Tulsa. He is also a member of the Bl. Stanley Rother Catholic Worker Community (www.srcw.org). He joins us today to talk about the Dignity of the Human Person.
Patreon supporters get extra content. We continued talking after the episode about the importance and place of Liturgy in the Catholic Worker Community. https://www.patreon.com/posts/charles-beard-on-30885039
My Darling bride joins us to talk about fostering sanctity in the home, and how we work to get the whole family to heaven!
An extra segment is available to our Patreon supporters here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/kristin-and-baby-30709984
Dr. Leonard DeLorenzo (www.leonardjdelorenzo.com), from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame (McGrath.ND.edu), joins us to talk about his forthcoming book, A God Who Questions, available on Our Sunday Visitor (www.osv.com).
Pre-order for a chance to win the Gospels and Acts volume of the St. John's Illuminated Bible.
An extra segment is available for our Patreon supporters. Listen today at https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-leonard-30525842.
Dr. Bud Marr, Director of the National Institute for Newman Studies, joins us to talk about the upcoming canonization of Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman.
Kevin O'Neill is just your average Dad of seven kids. And one thing dads end up doing a lot of? Playing with Legos. Kevin and his wife Mary saw the opportunity to use Legos to build more than spaceships. They worked with their whole family for two years to use their creativity to build the faith of Children! This Catechism is fantastic, a must-have for every Catholic Family.
Order yours today from www.StoryTel.org. Listen to the episode to learn how you can get free shipping and a discounted price!
Dr. Pia de Solenni, former chancellor of the Diocese of Orange, joins us to talk about St. Pope John Paul II's understanding of the Feminine Genius and explores how this manifests in the workplace.
This week the Patreon Segment is available to the public at https://www.patreon.com/posts/29961150
Jill Simons, foundress of Pink Salt Riot and Kindred Forest, joins us to talk about Entrepreneurship, the Feminine Genius, mom's working outside the home, and much more in this wide-ranging discussion.
Listen to the exclusive online segment on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/posts/29789991.
It's back to School time! Lives get busy, schedules fill up, and it's easy for faith to get lost in the mix. Taylor Schroll, host of the Forte Catholic podcast talks to us about engaging our kids, and especially our teens, in the faith!
Dr. Michael Barber, of the Augustine Institute, joins us to talk about the importance of reading scripture in its literary and historical contexts, and discusses his new books Paul, a New Covenant Jew and Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know.
An extra 14 minute segment is available to all our Patreon supporters at https://www.patreon.com/posts/29417229.
Dave Orsborn, of St. Gabriel Radio, shares with us his practice taking the needs of others with him into Eucharistic Adoration, and interceding for them.
Get an extra segment at www.patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
A recent Pew Research Center survey concluded that many Catholics do not believe in the doctrine of Transubstantiation. Katie Prejean McGrady joins me to talk about the tricky and insufficient nature of survey questions, and also talks solutions for increasing the faithful's understanding of this central tenet of the faith.
Get an additional 10 minutes of conversation with Katie over on our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/posts/29064626. Katie talks with us about her life on the road, and the particular spirituality which strengthens her practice of the Catholic Faith.
Ben Wilson, Director of the Summer Service Learning Program at Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns, discusses his recent Church Life Journal article "Jesus Reveals God in Hiddenness" in light of the Transfiguration.
An extra 14-minute segment with Ben is available to all who are in our Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/28891310. Join their number's today!
What do we owe to each other? Joe Heschmeyer joins us to explore the demands of Charity and Humility on us in our conversations with others – especially our disagreements.
Tony Vasinda, Founder of Catholic Beard Balm (www.catholicbalm.co), joins us to talk about Relational Evangelism.
Patrick Conley, who works with the Catherine of Siena Institute (siena.org), joins us to talk about discipleship and the importance of the Charisms (gifts of the Holy Spirit) in the life of the disciples and for the life of the Church.
Dr. Tamra Fromm, director of discipleship at the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan (CBSMich.org), joins us to talk about Pre-Evangelization and the New Evangelization.
An extra segment with Dr. Tamra Fromm is available to all our patreon supporters here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/28179783.
Do you struggle with perfectionism? You're not alone! Colleen Carroll Campbell writes about her own struggle with perfectionism and how the saints helped her trade out her idea of perfection for God's.
Get extra segments and other perks at patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
Dr. Sarah Bartel (drsarahbartel.com) joins us to talk about her new book "A Catechism for Family Life," and her new endeavor "Canafeast.com" that serves as marriage enrichment and community for those in their first 15 years of marriage.
Get a free chapter from her Catechism for Family Life by signing up for email updates from Canafeast.com, and responding to the welcome email with a request for chapter 1.
Get an additional segment of my conversation with Dr. Bartel at www.patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
Jonathan F. Sullivan, the director of parish ministries, services, and catechesis for the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, joins us to talk about the importance of discipleship in the home, and talks about his 5 part free webinar found at buildingabetterdisciple.tumblr.com.
Get extra segments and other perks at patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
Jenna Guizar, Founder and Creative Director of Blessed is She (www.blessedisshe.net), joins us to talk about the Blessed is She network, the new Virtue focused devotional for Kids, Rise Up: Shining with Virtue, and the way we pass on the faith to our kids.
Go to CCEOK.org to donate to the relief efforts of Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma.
Deacon Kevin Sartorius is the CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma
MaryLynn Lufkin is the Director of Eastern Oklahoma Outreach and of Disaster Relief at Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma.
Visit www.patreon.com/outsidethewalls for a free extra segment.
Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Seattle, joins us to unpack the Sacrament of Confirmation and to dispel some misconceptions about this sacrament of initiation.
Shannon K. Evans has a new book available for preorder on Our Sunday Visitor (osv.com) called Embracing Weakness: The Unlikely Secret to Changing the World. You can read the first chapter at her website www.shannonkevans.com.
To hear more of my conversation with Shannon, visit www.patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
Constance T. Hull, who blogs at www.swimmingthedepths.com, joins us to talk about a new piece on Catholic Exchange called "Becoming a Saint is the Most Radical Call of All."
Tony Vasinda (of www.projectym.com, www.catholicbalm.co, the new BrandStanding game, and more) joins us to talk about living out Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in our lives.
Bo Bonner joins us again, this time to talk about his piece on Ethika Politica which asks the question, are we bad at prayer?
Join our community of supporters and get extra segments, live-streams, and more. Visit www.patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
We speak with Dr. Tim Muldoon, Director of Mission Education at Catholic Extension, about the Notre Dame fire, and what it teaches us about sacred space, and the importance of building the Church.
Father Augustine Wetta, OSB of the St. Louis Abbey, joins us to talk about Humility as the aim of Lent. How our fasts, and penance, and almsgiving, and prayers lead us to proper humility so we can more fully celebrate the resurrected Christ.
Find his book "Humility Rules" on Ignatius Press (www.Ignatius.com).
Fr. Colin Parrish, a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle, joins us to talk about the Sacrament of Reconciliation from both sides of the screen. He shares a couple of experiences receiving the sacrament and gives insight about administering it.
An extra segment where we talk about the unexpected connection between Scrupulosity and Laxity is available to show supporters at https://www.patreon.com/outsidethewalls.
Katie Prejean McGrady joins us to talk about her new Lenten Devotional for Teens* (Full disclosure, this book will work for pre-teen through young-ish adult), available through Ave Maria Press.
In our Patreon segment, we tackle the important questions - what is the best kind of ice cream?! Find it at outsidethewalls.com/p/support-the-show-patreon/
We're accustomed to talking about the Lenten Fast, but the Church pulls a fast one on us during this season of penitence by giving us certain solemn celebrations. We talk about the Lenten solemnities in general and the Solemnity of the Annunciation in specific on this week's episode.
Father Sebastian Walshe, O. Praem. joins us to talk about digging deeper into scripture by exploring the four senses of scripture.
Dr. John Bergsma joins us to talk about "A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament", a new book he co-authored with Dr. Brant Pitre, available on Ignatius Press. We talk about how to read the Old Testament with the mind of the Church.
Andrew Casad joins us to talk about our journey, which mirrors the catechumen's journey, through Lent.
I had the great pleasure of sitting down face-to-face with JonMarc Grodi at the Zaneville, OH offices and studio of the Coming Home Network (chnetwork.org), where we talked about their new social media network (chnetwork.mn.co) for converts. We talk about the ongoing and developing work of the Coming Home Network, and talk about the continual call to conversion that goes out to all who follow Christ.
Tim Glemkowsi, founder of L'Alto Catholic Insititute (www.laltocatholic.com), talks with us about the importance and primacy of prayer in spiritual renewal, whether parish or personal.
Our world makes it easy to react and respond without thinking. Joe and Anna Heschmeyer talk to us about the importance of letting prayer shape us, and inform our reactions.
Fr. Michael White of Church of the Nativity (of the book "Rebuilt" fame) wrote a blog post about why his parish doesn't encourage small children to attend mass, opting instead to have them attend an age-specific program coinciding with mass. This set off a social media firestorm, with bloggers, tweeters, youtubers, philosophers, canon lawyers, and much more to weigh in with their disputations. I am joined by Kate Wicker to discuss the matter on-air.
Kendra Tierney, author of "The Catholic All Year Compendium" available on Ignatius Press, joins us to talk about incorporating the Liturgical Year into your family's lifestyle. Visit her blog www.catholicallyear.com for more resources.
Dr. Douglas Beaumont (douglasbeaumont.com), like catechetical leaders around the country, has been spending a lot of time in thought about how to stem the tide of young people who are leaving the Church. We talk about the concept of Family Catechesis and explore how it might provide success where other methods have not.
Bo Bonner, host of the Uncommon Good on Iowa Catholic Radio and director of the Zita Institute, joins us to talk about his article in the Church Life Journal on the topic of Baptism.
Andrew Casad joins us to discuss how, by meditating on the ways in which God chose to reveal Jesus Christ to the world through the central mysteries we celebrate on Epiphany, we might gain a fuller understanding of how we are called to reveal Jesus Christ to the world today through evangelization.
Does Santa Subtly Subvert the Sacred Story?!?!? Dr. Leonard DeLorenzo of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame joins us to discuss his article from OSV Newsweekly.
Constance T. Hull (who blogs at swimmingthedepths.com) joins us to talk about making the most of what's left of Advent by making time to encounter God in silence, and letting that silence and stillness confront and heal our brokenness.
Mary Jo Gerd of www.lateforchurch.blog shares her Advent Life Hacks to Help your Family Grow in Holiness.
Joe Heschmeyer joins us to talk about the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We talked about how fitting it is that Mary would be saved from even the stain of original sin for the sake of Christ. And we reflect on how we can gain a deeper understanding of both Advent and the Immaculate Conception by taking them both together.
Laura Kelly Fanucci and Franco David Fanucci join us to talk about their new book "Grieving Together: A Couple's Journey Through Miscarriage." This is a must-hear interview. Whether you know it or not, your life has been touched by miscarriage. This book is deeply touching and profoundly helpful. If you've experienced miscarriage this book will be a consolation. If you have not experienced miscarriage, this book will help you be a consolation to those who have.
Father George Elliott joins us to talk about his new book "Discernment Do's and Don'ts" available on www.tanbooks.com. We look at discernment in light of Christ the King Sunday, and how acknowledging the sovereignty of God can help us humbly seek his will.
Dr. Leonard DeLorenzo, from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame (icl.nd.edu) joins us to talk about the Communion of the Saints, and we celebrate 4 years of broadcasting Outside the Walls!
Jen McLane is a Foster parent in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She shares the story of how she came to foster, and the importance of fostering and adoption. Listen, and let your soul be warmed and your heart inspired!
Fr. Bill Watson, S.J. of the Sacred Story Institute (Sacredstory.net) joins us to talk about the Ignatian Examen, and how 15 minutes a day can change your life.
James Breakwell, Twitter Superstar and comedy writer behind @XplodingUnicorn, joins us to talk about his new book, "Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child."
Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP (twitter.com/pursuedbytruth - pursuedbytruth.com) joins us to talk about her new Memento Mori Journal and Devotional, and how her life has been changed by taking time each day to contemplate her death.
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Haley Stewart, of CarrotsForMichaelmas.com, shares about her family journey to satisfaction in simplicity which led to the new book "The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture" available now on www.avemariapress.com
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Fr. Edward Looney (www.edwardlooney.com) talks about his book A Rosary Litany, recently published by Our Sunday Visitor (osv.com), and shares his most meaningful experience praying the Rosary.
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Sr. Margaret Gibbons, FSGM talks to us about the charism of her order - "Making the Merciful Love of Christ Visible" - and the various ways her community lives out that charism. She also shares about their nomination for the Lumen Christi Award from Catholic Extension.
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Katie Prejean McGrady joins us to talk about how a simple word of kindness can be the catalyst for evangelization. She shares two specific examples from her personal experience. Follow her on twitter, @katieprejean
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Tony Vasinda joins us to talk about ProjectYM.com, which provides resources and training for youth ministers to go beyond stereotypical youth group into making life-long disciples. He extends the opportunity for you to be involved through www.SupportProjectYM.com, their first (and, he hopes, only) crowdfunding campaign.
Patreon Supporters get an extra 15-minute segment. Visit www.patreon.com/outsidethewalls for details.
Sr. Anne Flanagan, FSP talks about their guide for a Holy Hour in Reparation of the Clergy Abuse Scandal. She also shares Blessed James Alberione's approach to making a Holy Hour and gives practical steps to structuring your hour of adoration.
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Kendra Tierney, of "CatholicAllYear.com" shares the story behind the #SackclothAndAshes online movement to pray, fast, and do penance in reparation for the Clergy Abuse Scandal. Find out more information at www.catholicallyear.com.
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They reigned as Catholic new media royalty on Youtube and Twitter, now their conquering old media with their new program on CatholicTV. Steven Lewis (@stevemissionary) and Tommy Tighe (@theghissilent) talk about their new show 'Repent and Submit.'
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This is the final interview conducted at the #CelebrateHV50 in July 2018. Fr. Luke Dysinger sat down with us to talk about reading Amoris Laetitia with a Hermeneutic of Continuity.
In the intervening month since we conducted the interview, the PA Grand Jury report hit the news. In the 1st and 4th segments, I take a little time to reflect on it.
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Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco joins us to talk about the 50 years since Humanae Vitae, and where we go from here.
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Fr. Paul Check joins us from the Humanae Vitae 50th Anniversary Conference (www.CelebrateHV50.com) to talk about Chastity, Sexuality, Identity, and Humanae Vitae.
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Dr. Janet Smith, foremost expert on Humanae Vitae, joins us to reflect on the 50th anniversary of the encyclical.
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Dr. Tom Curran, host of Sound Insight on Sacred Heart Radio in Washington joins us for a mutual interview. Two shows, one stone. We talk about living the Catholic faith in balance.
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Craig St Clair, Product Manager of Verbum.com, talks to us about his conversion, how his early experience with monasticism and St. Benedict profoundly impacted his life, and how Verbum can help us engage with Scripture and Tradition.
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Sheila St John, organizer of the "Faithful to God's Design" conference celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae joins us to tell us about the conference, and how we can get involved in marking the anniversary. Visit www.celebratehv50.com for more info.
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Karlo Broussard is coming to Christ the King Catholic Church in Tulsa, OK, July 9th through 11th. We catch up with him to talk about Apologetics, Answering the right question, and Cajun seasoning.
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Dr. Sarah Bartel (www.drsarahbartel.com) joins us to talk about a few practical ways to give our children a foundation in moral theology and ethics to counter the utilitarian and relativistic narratives they hear from the culture.
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Rickard Newman and his wife Alana both experienced the emptiness and bankruptcy of the Sexual Revolution in their own way. They came to the Catholic Church because of the beauty and fullness of the Church's teaching on human sexuality. Together they have created a musical documentary on the outcome of the free-love experiment of the last century set against the backdrop of Paul VI's groundbreaking encyclical about love, sex, and marriage. View the trailer at www.sexualrevolutionmovie.com.
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Dr. Joseph D. White, of sharingcatholicfaith.com, joins us to talk about how parents can confidently take up their role as the primary and principal educators of their children in the faith.
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Father Michael Dodds, OP joins us to talk about the Trinity. He clears up some common misconceptions and heresies about the Trinity and helps us avoid some pitfalls as we contemplate this great mystery.
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Joe Heschmeyer, of Holy Family School of Faith (schooloffaith.com), talks with us about how one goes about making disciples and pursuing their own continued discipleship.
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Dr. Lawrence Feingold, from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, joins us to talk about the reasons Christ instituted the Eucharist and the way in which his Presence comes to us in the Eucharist. He covers these topics and more in his new book "The Eucharist: Mystery of Presence, Sacrifice, and Communion" available on EmmausAcademic.com.
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Tim Glemkowski, founder and president of the L'Alto Catholic Institute, talks with us about the Eucharist as the engine that drives our mission and the destination our mission is headed toward.
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Dr. Timothy P. O'Malley, Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy in the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame, talks with us about the mass, and his book Bored Again Catholic available at www.osv.com.
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Tony Vasinda, of www.ProjectYM.com, www.Catholicbalm.co, and www.thresholdpodcast.fm, talks about the Eucharist in the life of a disciple.
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Mark Shea talks with us about the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6. Find his book on the Real Presence over at www.mark-shea.com/books.html.
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Christopher Carstens unpacks his new book "A Devotional Journey into the Mass" availble on Sophia Institute Press (www.sophiainstitute.com).
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K. Albert Little, who blogs at "The Cordial Catholic" on Patheos joins us to talk about his conversion, and his perspective on the importance of the liturgy of the Mass.
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