Theology discussions
As the second installation on Fr. John's new book "Illuminate," Fr. Jacob and Fr. John unpack some of the deeper contours of the opening verses of the Gospel of St. John. Focused on the themes of Word and Light, the podcast is meant to aid the reading of the book, as well as help anyone to discover the deeper mystery of Christ as we await his coming at Christmas. For more on the book, cf. www.avemariapress.com/pages/illuminate
Father Sean and Father Jacob are joined by Wyatt O'Rourke to talk about what the morality of the monetary system and how Bitcoin plays a role in that. They dive into what money is, the morality of money from a Catholic perspective, and how Bitcoin is a solution to that immorality.
Father Jacob and Father John discuss the recent document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding Mary, exploring her roles as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix. They delve into the theological implications of these titles, the understanding of Mary's mediation, and her role in the Church. Their conversation emphasizes the need for a nuanced approach to Mariology.
Only a few weeks from Advent, Fr. John and Fr. Sean offer an introduction to Fr. John’s latest book, “Illuminate: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation.” As they discuss how the work came to be, its structure and form, they offer practical tips for preparing for the coming liturgical season. For more on the journal, visit https://www.avemariapress.com/products/illuminate?srsltid=AfmBOooQ4QVlETqSrUNAR-azm7icXadlVb2QyvChwD372LhMFCiKQke7.
A Day after St. John Paul II's feast day, Fr. Jacob and Fr. John riff on JPII's philosophical ideas of the human person as they try to come to a greater understanding of healthy self-determination tied to proper self-governance in light of truth. They discuss how man is in a way a "maker of himself" through his agency, and how man can make himself good or evil through his own will. But it is not all doom and gloom, through the perspective of gift and participation the ideas of JPII can help us retrieve proper agency toward virtuous living.
The whole crew gathers for Fr. Mike's last episode as he leads us on one more adventure discussing his new idea for a devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Fr. Jacob and Fr. Sean discuss Fr. Jacob's latest hobby, gardening, and the spiritual analogies he's gleaned from his successes and failures striving to be a green thumb.
In Fr. Mike's penultimate episode, Frs. John and Mike explore the distinctive anthropological phenomenon of the face - why we look for it and how it constitutes the fundamental experience of human life. Viewed from the lens of Dante's love of Beatrice, the face (or antlitz for Balthasar) expresses not only the fullness of the person, but truly the inner life of God. With an "homage" to Fr. John's mom, this podcast concludes with a glimpse into the Marian heart of the Church.
Hosted by Fr. Mike and Fr. John, this episode—inspired by Matthew Walther’s article “What Is a Parish”—dives into the history of parish life, the rise of parish shopping, and where the future of parish communities may be headed.
Fr. Mike confesses to Fr. Jacob that he's discovered a new vice to add to his list of favorites...but then the Christian twist! In his weakness, Jesus will be proved stronger.
Join Fr. John and Fr. Sean for the final episode of their podcast series on Fr. John's new book, To Heights and Unto Depths: Letters from the Colorado Trail. In this episode, they delve into several chapters of the book, touching on manhood and Mary's fiat.
In this week’s episode, "Yes Mother", Fr. Jacob is joined by Fr. Mike. Inspired by John Henry Newman’s A Grammar of Assent, they discuss the importance of assenting to truth while maintaining a thoughtful and open mind.
In this episode, Fr. John and Fr. Sean revisit Fr. John's transformative experience along the Colorado Trail. Fr. John shares how his encounter with creation opened a deeper connection to God, allowing him to more fully participate in God's being.
In this week's episode, Father Sean and Father John continue their discussion of Fr. John's new book, To Heights and Unto Depths, with Father Sean sharing more about his personal experience on the trail.
To celebrate 15 years of "Catholic Stuff You Should Know," the four hosts reunite for a special episode answering questions submitted by you, the listeners! Join them as they dive into your burning questions about the faith.
It’s episode #666 and instead of skipping over it, Fr. Jacob and Fr. Mike dive into the scriptural meaning of the number 666 and the mark of the beast exploring various interpretations: historical, scriptural and even some of Fr. Mike's personal theories.
Fr. Sean is joined by former host, Fr. Michael O'Loughlin, for a special conversation about their upcoming pilgrimage to Rome, along with a discussion on the Incarnation.
In this week's episode, Fr. John and Fr. Jacob dive into the insights of Ferdinand Ulrich's essay "Prayer as the Fundamental Act of the Creature." Together, they explore the idea that prayer is not just an activity, but the most essential and foundational aspect of our existence.
Join Fr. John and Fr. Jacob, along with special guest Fr. David Hall, in this week’s episode as they discuss "Man and Woman He Created Them" more commonly known as Theology of the Body. They’ll focus on the spousal meaning of the body and the profound gift of self.
Join Fr. Mike and Fr. Sean as they inspire us to adopt a different perspective from the world around us. Rather than striving for faster, higher, and stronger, they invite us to embrace a lifestyle that's slower, lower and weaker.
Join Fr. Jacob and Fr. John in this episode as they dive into the themes of the article "Mother Church: Can Receptivity Be Squared With Resistance?" They explore the dangers of a resistance first mindset, but also wrestle to discover the proper methods of disagreement, while emphasizing the importance and respect for hierarchy and tradition within the Church.
In this week's episode, Fr. John and Fr. Jacob explore the depth of relationships with others and God, discussing privacy and intimacy inspired by Kenneth Schmitz's essay "The Geography of the Human Person."
Join Fr. Mike and Fr. John this week as they explore C.S. Lewis' "The Weight of Glory" and the corporal works of mercy.
In this week's episode, Father Mike and Father John take up the concept of self-reliance, one that has made its way into the Catholic spiritual lexicon but not found in the tradition. To do so, they will bring the Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, who champions the term, into conversation with the Catholic novelist Sigrid Undset. As a male companion to "Kristin's Resentment" (episode #288, May 2017), their hope is to draw out the deeper meaning of self-reliance in Undset's Olav Audunssøn without spoiling the plot!
Join Fr. John and Fr. Mike in a thought-provoking discussion on wealth and riches, exploring the Gospel's teachings on material possessions and the responsibilities that come with them.
Join Fr. Mike & Fr. John as they dissect Huxley's "Brave New World," focusing on the absence of the Church and the loss of motherhood.
Fr. Mike's inspiration for this week's topic was T.S. Eliot's poem, The Waste Land. Join him and Fr. John as they discuss the chaos of the wasteland and the hope we should have in knowing God will restore the world back to paradise.
Fr. John & Fr. Sean are joined by special guest and author Megan Nix. Megan is the author of "Remedies for Sorrow: An Extraordinary Child, a Secret Kept from Pregnant Women, and a Mother's Pursuit of the Truth", a memoir about her deeply personal experience with congenital CMV. Join Megan as she shares a little bit about her journey and her hopes to spread awareness to other expecting mothers.
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Remedies-Sorrow-Extraordinary-Pregnant-Mothers/dp/0385548591
Episode #625 is inspired by Walker Percy's essay, "Bourbon, Neat". Fr. John and Fr. Sean talk about how eating and drinking is a form of giving glory to God. Fr. John fears that the current generation is losing the aesthetic of bourbon drinking, therefore missing out on the opportunity for conversation and community.”
Fr. Sean & Fr. John touch on the different stages of evangelization and discuss the importance and necessity of the first stage, pre-evangelization.
In this thought-provoking podcast, Fr. John proposes the question, "Am I living my Catholic faith in the world as a utopian or an eschatological thinker?". Tune in as he and Fr. Sean discuss the damaging effects of trying to build a utopia within a society and how the real utopia is not of this world.
Join Fr. John & Fr. Sean as they discuss the true essence of chastity and the denial needed to achieve it.
This episode is a follow-up to the episode “The Quiet Parts." Tune in as Fr. Mike and Dcn. Jacob pick up where they left off last time, discussing the quiet prayers a priest prays during the mass.
In this episode Fr. John and Fr. Sean break down the new book by the University of Mary entitled, The Religion of the Day. Seeking to understanding the deeper meaning beneath the phenomenon of the "none," we realize that though secular, they are in fact religious - and that a new form of evangelization is now required.
In this banter heavy episode all four hosts gather to ring in the new year and look back at the last year of the podcast and their lives. It was full of mountains and Marian devotion. There is also a bit of looking ahead to the year to come. It's been a great year and the hosts have loved sharing it with listener land. Listen along to hear some of the lessons they've learned and hopes they have for the future.
In this episode Fr. Mike teaches Dcn. Jake the history of Rome's frustrated hopes as they expected an eternal empire full of peace and prosperity that never quite panned out. The hosts invite all of us to wish big and pray for big world changing things because Jesus has come into the world and he is King of the Universe.
In light of recent events and requests on the topic, Fr. John and Fr. Sean offer rules for thinking about Pope Francis, which they also call a "primer for unsettled laymen".
In this episode, Fr. John and Dcn. Jacob discuss the latest box office hit "Barbie" and the themes and lessons found in the movie.
Fr. Mike and Fr. Sean's conversation is inspired by 1 Thessalonians 2:7-19. Fr. Mike talks about viewing the church as our Mother and the virtues and similarities shared between the two.
In episode 604, Dcn. Jacob and Fr. Sean talk about St. Thomas' remedies to cope with sadness and sorrow and how to interpret it.
In this week's episode, Fr. John tells Dcn. Jacob about a very interesting conversation he had on an airplane and how it led him to ponder three big questions that we should all be thinking about.
Fr. John provides an outline of what to expect from his new book, "A Bride Adorned". Fr. Sean joins him as they discuss the term perichoresis and how Mary and the Church cannot be understood apart from each other.
This week Fr. Mike and Fr. John welcome their priest friend Fr. Joe McGill from Scotland for a conversation on the Catholic vision expressed in Cervantes' Don Quixote - as well as Fr. Mike's tattoo.
The four hosts join together for a discussion on Larry Chapp's Confessions of a Catholic Worker: Our Moment of Christian Witness - the focus of this year's Companion's Summer Conference.
Fr. John uses a classic piece of literature, "The Odyssey", to give future dating advice to his new goddaughter, Penelope. Fr. John and Dcn. Jacob discuss the restlessness of the human heart found within all of us but specifically found in men.
Fr. Sean and Fr. John discuss the importance of having friendships in our lives and with the Trinity. The conversation is structured around Aristotle's three degrees of friendship.
Dcn. Jacob has been hard at work preparing to lead the discussion on this week's topic: Artificial Intelligence. Tune in to hear Dcn. Jacob, Fr. John, and Fr. Sean discuss their opinions and thoughts on AI and its impressive yet alarming capabilities.
In this episode, Fr. Mike and Fr. Sean discuss the Tetragrammaton, the four letter name of God in Hebrew. They remind us of the reverence and importance that lies within His name and to be cognizant of when and how we use Jesus' name.
Inspired by David Attenborough's animal documentaries, Fr. Mike muses with Dcn. Jacob about how cultures, nations, and families use animals to represent their core ideals. Ultimately they discuss how the Lamb is a symbol of the Christian.
This week's episode is inspired by Fr. John's recent feat of completing the Grand Traverse. Fr. John uses J.R.R Tolkien's essay, Leaf by Niggle, to share a beautiful reflection with Fr. Sean on his experience of the Grand Traverse.
This week's topic is inspired by the writings of political philosopher, Augusto Del Noce. Fr. John & Dcn. Jacob discuss the dangers and consequences that are a result of living in a culture that has mistaken authority for power.
In wake of the recent death of Fr. Mike's grandmother, Fr. Mike and Fr. Sean discuss grieving the passing of our loved ones.
Fr. Mike & Deacon Jacob talk about life lessons learned on their annual hut trip, putting trust in God, and the necessity of perseverance in the life of a Christian.
Fr. John & Deacon Jaacob discuss three of Christopher Nolan's films, Inception, Interstellar and Tenet and present the good that can be gleaned from secular art viewed from a Christian perspective.
Fr. Sean is joined by recently ordained Deacon Jacob in this week's podcast. The two discuss how to enter into lent and the scripture readings that we will read throughout the liturgical season of lent.
Fr. John and Fr. Mike are joined by The Most Reverend Bishop Andrew Cozzens, the Bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota. Bishop Cozzens also serves as the chairman of the National Eucharistic Revival. Our special guest and the hosts discuss the three-year initiative and the mission of renewing the Church's encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist.
For more information on the National Eucharistic Revival visit: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org
This week's topic is inspired by Pope Francis' Motu Proprio, "APERUIT ILLIS" from 2019. Fr. Mike and Fr. Sean discuss how to make the Bible a part of your life and the importance of finding a love for scripture.
In this episode, Fr. Sean and Jacob discuss a parent's important role in creating a religious environment and culture at home to foster their child's desire to live out the Christian life, ultimately leading them toward their vocation.
In this week's discussion, Fr. Mike and Jacob discuss Mary, Mother of God and the recent passing of Pope Benedict and striving for virtue in this upcoming year.
A virgin without stain or blemish, what does that actually look like? Tune in to this week's episode to listen to Fr. Sean and Fr. Mike's deep dive on the Immaculate Mary.
Fr. John & Fr. Mike discuss examples throughout history where goodness triumphs over evil.
Fr. Mike & Jacob discuss the penitential season of Advent and practicing gratitude throughout the liturgical season.
Fr. Sean and Fr. John welcome their friend Fr. Eric Gilbaugh from Helena, Montana in an extended discussion on the purpose of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the "big five" issues in liturgy today, and lastly, propose a vision of the liturgical ideal of the Church today.
In this episode, Jacob and Fr. John discuss the topic of the personal narrative of our lives, in light of God's greater story.
In episode #551, Fr. Mike & Fr. Sean discuss the history and theology of tithing.
In this week's episode, Fr. Mike & Jacob take a deep dive into the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
In this episode, Father Sean and Jacob discuss that a pilgrimage isn't so much about the destination, rather about the transformation along the way.
This week's episode, features all four of the CSYSK hosts and special guest, Fr. Timothy Danaher, aka “the most interesting man in the world” or “the man behind the curtain”.
In this week's episode, Fr. John & Fr. Sean discuss Luigi Giussani's addresses, "To Give One's Life for the Work of Another" and his idea of the "Five Withouts".
What was the topic anyway?
Fr. Mike & Jacob discuss ecumenism, Mother Theresa and the Bible.
In this week’s episode, Father John & Jacob discuss the paradox of living a life hidden in Christ while living in the world as a Christian.
How many Popes can fit in a nursing home?
Fr. Sean & Fr. Mike discuss the question, “Does the Pope ever phase out of fulfilling the role of Pope?”.
Don't be Mod
Special Episode: Catholic Marriage & everything you don't want to talk about
Dante's Purgatorio
It's more than just bearing fruit.
Taking time to praise & reflect.
