Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

Many are called but few are chosen. Gomer and Dave discuss the Parable of the Wedding Feast and invite us to reflect on these important questions: Am I in the kingdom? And if so, am I wearing the right garments? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Think your actions don’t matter? Don’t be fooled; the Gospel is made up of small acts with great faith. Gomer and Dave remind us that this world is not our home. Our aim should be Heaven and our hearts should always be set on the Lord. How are you living for Heaven today? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How can you lift your eyes towards God and soften your heart for your neighbor today? Gomer is back and tells his story of surgery and recovery! Continuing through the Parables, Gomer and Dave explore the importance of avoiding gossip, forgiving generously and loving our neighbor. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

“The abortion industry and the prochoice movement, so much of it is about destroying beauty.” Dave talks with artist, Caitlin Solan, who’s using her creative gifts to champion the pro-life cause. Caitlin shares about her miscarriage ministry and they reflect on the beauty of life, and the tragedy of abortion. Find out more about Cailtin Solan and her ministry: https://beholdyourchild.com/ We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you get flustered with personal attacks? Are you looking for ways to defend the faith with truth, love and maybe even humor? Dave talks with Marie Mazzanti, a Catholic mom of 5, about her media presence and mission to evangelize online. She reflects on her relationship with Christ, responding to haters with love and using humor to bring the Gospel to life. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How can I have tough conversations with my family during the holidays? Dave reminds us the importance of building trust and getting to know someone before you try to evangelize them; even your own family, can have wounds they are hiding. Listen to them, pray for them, fast for them, respond with love. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

“The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” Mike and Dave explore the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, reminding us that a humble heart is key to truly following the Lord. Pause and ask yourself: what fruit are you producing today? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

“But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Mike and Dave break down the Parable of the Good Samaritan, explain why this story is so important and expand on the radical love Jesus calls us to. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you struggle to humble yourself when you make a mistake? Mike and Dave discuss the parable of the Prodigal Son and explain the personal and Eucharistic themes found in this parable. They also share the importance of doing pro-life work in the midst of a pro-death culture. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are you blind to the needs of your neighbor? Mike and Dave unpack “The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus”, breaking down this story, line by line. They remind us that Jesus repeatedly warns us about the dangers of wealth and that service, worship of God and loving our neighbor is how we truly love God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we make sense of parables that seem confusing at first? What does Jesus mean when He says to “make friends with dishonest wealth”? Gomer unpacks The Parable of the Dishonest Steward and shows why it’s essential to consider the context - the time, place, and people - when we try to understand the deeper meaning of Christ’s parables. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do I make sense of the seed, soil, rocky ground, and thorns? Dave explains the Parable of the Sower and shares how it can be applied to our lives. He also gives advice as to how we can plant seeds on good soil and how we can bear fruit in our own lives. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why does Jesus conceal his teachings through parables rather than speaking straight forward? Mike and Dave kick off their new topic discussion on the parables and explain how the parables invite you into a mystery and teach you to slow down. Mike and Dave invite you to join them into the mystery of unpacking the parables and give tips to understand the parables better. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle conclude their series on Pope Leo XIV, exploring themes of idolatry, key Biblical lessons, and how his papacy compares with those of earlier popes. They also give a sneak peek into their upcoming season on the parables! We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you just read the Bible or do you let God speak to you through His word? Mike Gormley and Dave Vanvickle finish up their reflections on Pope Leo XIV’s general audiences and applaud the pope for his hyper focus on breaking down the Gospel. We’re reminded it’s not about just reading Scripture, but about slowing down and letting God transform our hearts and minds. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Is there an area of your life you want healed? Mike Gormley continues his reflection on Pope Leo’s general audiences and explains what to do with your sickness and brokeness. He reminds us that no matter what is paralyzing you, God can bring you out of any situation. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are you in need of healing? Are you retreating from reality? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle continue their reflections on Pope Leo’s general audiences while discussing the importance of facing what you’re afraid of, letting go of our egos and trusting in the Lord with all your heart. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike 'Gomer' Gormley and Dave 'The Perfect Weather' VanVickle dive deep into Pope Leo's reflection on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. They highlight the importance of responding to God's call without delay, generosity, and the profound question of finding meaning in life. Snippet from the Show We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley emphasizes the importance of hope, while meditating on Pope Leo’s reflections, praising his ability to speak on the human and spiritual level. Gormley also analyzes the Pope’s General Audiences as he dissects two popular parables, “The Parable of the Sower” and the “Good Samaritan”. Snippet from the Show “Look at your life, look at the daily circumstances, and ask yourself, ‘Okay, what situation right now is God using, is God leveraging, to reach me, to bring the grace, of His word into my life?’” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

In this Jubilee year, Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle explain the Biblical roots of the Jubilee year, the sabbath and explain what it means to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. They also discuss Pope Leo XIV’s message to bishops and share their hopes for all bishops. Snippet from the Show “Bishops have such an incredible task, but they cannot let the tasks remove them from their fatherhood.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave Vanvickle highlights the importance of helping the poor, loving the poor and even learning from them. In our poverty, we realize our reliance on the Lord. Let us never forget that the gravest form of poverty is to not know God. Snippet from the Show “The reason why poverty is so important as a theme for Christianity is because it reminds us we have nothing without God.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle breakdown Pope Leo XIV’s blessings, speeches, and writings thus far. They analyze the popes and saints the pope has quoted, the poetic nature of Pope Leo XIV and approach his words and actions with excitement and curiosity. Snippet from the Show “I know a lot of you had problems with Pope Francis. I know others of you had problems with Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II and Vatican II. Well I’m taking it all on because he was a valid successor of Pope Peter and now I am and so I’m standing in this tradition. Let’s go.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle share their thoughts on Pope Leo, unpack the meaning of “synodality” which the pope has mentioned various times, and address key differences and similarities between this papacy as opposed to previous ones. They also remind us that while the pope is important, we must not become hyper focused on every single detail of the papacy. Snippet from the Show “I’m super cautiously optimistic about everything with Pope Leo. Everything he’s written so far, I’ve been so excited about, the decisions that he’s made so far, I’ve been very happy with. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen here.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle answer questions from listeners, discuss the Biblical evidence behind purgatory and the best logical responses to support it. They also explain the acolyte and their role in the celebration of the Holy Mass. Snippet from the Show “What is Purgatory? It is the application of the merits of Jesus Christ to my soul so that even my desires are in union with God’s will for my life.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do you handle your own wounds or the wounds of others? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle open up about childhood pain, suffering, and the path to healing. Through personal stories and shared experiences, they explore the tools needed to move forward and the deep healing that comes when we bring our wounds to the Lord. Snippet from the Show “If you have a wound like that, and you don’t bring it to the healer, you don’t bring it to the Divine Physician, then it is going to infect.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why is the feast of Pentecost important? What place should the Holy Spirit have in our life? Dave VanVickle unpacks on the importance of the Holy Spirit and gives practical tips for how we can all increase our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Snippet from the Show “Every year we celebrate the mystery of pentecost, why? We celebrate it to renew the idea that we need the Holy Spirit in our life and to see the mystery of the Church being built throughout that time and we can have a stronger relationship with the Holy Spirit. We want that stronger relationship.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Dr. Mike Sirilla to explore the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. Together, they unpack heresies, clarify common misconceptions, and highlight key biblical and historical moments that reveal the true essence of God. Snippet from the Show “Who is Jesus? What is Jesus? He is the perfect union of Divinity and humanity.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How can the Church be renewed from within? How do we faithfully follow our conscience while acting with prudence? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle explore how saints, popes, and everyday men and women—including themselves—have embraced the real work of the Kingdom, responding to the failures of Church leadership not with bitterness, but with holiness and give tips on how you can too! Snippet from the Show “The fact of the matter is that no matter the office, no matter the charism, holiness has always trumped everything when it comes to authority in the Church and so what I’d say is like, if you are frustrated with Church leadership, be holy. Be a saint!” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle talk about reviving the diaconate. They discuss how deacons are not just “married priests” but that they have different yet important roles. They also talk about the origin of the diaconate, how the role has evolved through the ages, and share their raw thoughts on the diaconate. Snippet from the Show “I’m grateful for the diaconate because I’ve always seen it as a part of the way the Church has ministered over the centuries, the way the Apostolic Church saw a need to fulfill and I think also the purpose of the Cross of Jesus Christ is to keep us in mind that our job is to be a sacrifice for other people.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What does it mean to be a priest today? In this episode, Gomer and Dave reflect on the beauty and burden of the priesthood—its spiritual power, real-world challenges, and the call to bold, Christ-centered leadership. With insights and wisdom from Pope Benedict, we explore how priests can renew their role as shepherds—and how we, as laypeople, can support them in their mission. Snippet from the Show If you're a priest and you learn and communicate the Faith, your parish is going to grow. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss the importance of understanding priests; what their role is, how they should be set apart and how we should approach the priesthood. They also talk about the significance of sacrifice and the biblical roots of the priesthood. Snippet from the Show Jesus Christ is the high priest, he’s the unique mediator. There is no priesthood without Jesus Christ. When you are baptized into Christ, you enter into the role of priest, prophet and king. So the whole community, every Christian man and woman participates in the baptismal priesthood of Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by cannon lawyer, Fr. Brian Austin. Together they discuss the origins of canon law, the difference between church and secular legal law, papal primacy, and discuss the role of the Catholic Church through the chaos of history. Snippet from the Show If you believe that God wants you to be happy then how does that change what law is? Well it goes from being the arbitrary, tyrannical, imposition of an authority over me, right? And the scariest thing is not the tyrant, the scariest thing is its arbitrariness. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why does the Church need bishops? Dr. Michael Sirilla joins Mike Gormley and Dave Van Vickle to explore the role of bishops in the Church, referencing St. Thomas Aquinas' insights. They discuss the spiritual fatherhood, pastoral duties, and theological understanding of bishops. They also unpack the processes of selecting bishops and the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding the Church. Snippet from the Show "Bishops are more than administratros, they are spiritual fathers." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle unpack Church history, explain papal theology, highlight the importance of Rome, and the importance of St. Peter. They also explain papal infallibility, what it is and what it is not. Snippet from the Show "So the Pope is supposed to be this thing of unity amongst the communion of the bishops, but he is not supposed to be the CEO of a bunch of franchises and that is an ugly way to view the Church." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Have you ever wondered why Peter was the first pope? Do you question the idea of a pope or of papal infallibility? Where does priestly authority come from? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle continue their season of exploring church leadership through the examination of the Old Testament, the New Testament, the priesthood and the role of St. Peter. Snippet from the Show If Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament as the Davidic King, he has a right hand man as it were the chief steward of the house, he has what we would call today the Prime Minister, and that person, that Joseph, is Peter. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are you ready for a new season of Every Knee Shall Bow? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle kick off their new season by addressing the topics they’ll cover in upcoming episodes regarding church hierarchy, where it comes from, all the common problems people have and many other topics around church leadership. Snippet from the Show Even in the face of incredibly competent leaders, that aren’t priests, that aren’t bishops, that isn’t the pope, Christ ordained and established that rule. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Gomer and Dave will return next week with a new season on Church hierarchy. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do you deal with pastor changes, church updates, and closing parishes? Are you trying to serve the church, but keep hitting roadblocks? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle explore what to do when you feel stuck in an unfortunate church situation and how to handle the chaos of change. Snippet from the Show It’s important to let this be a reminder to us that we follow Jesus Christ and not a building or a certain pastor or something like that. We have to evangelize, we have to be a church that goes out and grows. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Does the idea of apologetics intimidate you? Do you feel inadequate defending the Catholic faith, but want to build confidence in evangelizing? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle explain the gift of evangelization and how God wants us to participate in the good work He started. Snippet from the Show The sacraments are not our work to please God, it is God’s work to save humanity. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is your plan for Lent? Is there anything you’ve been avoiding that the Lord is tugging at your heart to revisit? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle explain where our focus should be and how Lent is a time to become more disciplined, virtuous and free. Snippet from the Show “The purpose of Lent is a time of quickening, a time of intensity, it’s a time of renewed focus. It is a time where we don’t give up our sin… it’s a time where we renounce good things.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

When you’re facing suffering, it’s very natural to ask why. However, if we suspend that question and instead ask ‘God, how can I love the most at this moment?’, you’ll get more answers than if you were to actually get the answer to your question. Today, Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle give tips on how to suffer well and weather the storms of difficulties. Snippet from the Show Tips from Mike and Dave on How to Suffer Well: Remind yourself that everyone is fighting their own battle. Remembering that everyone is suffering in their own way can take your focus off yourself and shift your focus to others. Have a reason for your suffering. Offering up suffering keeps your focus strong and your faith big. Be bluntly honest with God. Bring your anger to the Lord and allow Him to change your heart. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (Colossians 1:24) And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10) Quote from C.S. Lewis God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. Quote from Fr. Jacques Philippe What really hurts is not so much suffering itself as the fear of suffering. If welcomed trustingly and peacefully, suffering makes us grow. It matures and trains us, purifies us, teaches us to love unselfishly, makes us poor in heart, humble, gentle, and compassionate toward our neighbor. Fear of suffering, on the other hand, hardens us in self-protective, defensive attitudes, and often leads us to make irrational choices with disastrous consequences. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How can there be pain and a loving God? Gomer and Dave explain how the Cross is the answer to the problem of pain and how we need to find our place in the crucified Christ. They also unpack the things that separate us from God in the midst of suffering. Snippet from the Show When you look at the Cross, you see the love of God, for you poured out. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Does our sin cause suffering? Yes and no. Gomer and Dave explore the complex relationship between sin and suffering. They discuss the nuances of attributing suffering to sin, the role of divine justice, and how miracles fit into God's greater plan. Snippet from the Show  We have to trust that in God's "no", there is something greater that is being done. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why do innocents suffer? Why does God allow me to suffer in ways that keep from accomplishing good things? There are many parts to suffering that are difficult to understand and can build resentment within us. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle address these questions and share how they help others let go of their resentment in suffering. Snippet from the Show God suffers for you for a purpose, but he also suffers with you in the darkness no matter how bad it gets. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How can a loving God allow suffering to exist? This question may be one of the most asked questions about Christianity. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle begin a new series on the Problem of Pain where they respond to this question. They begin by discussing why suffering exists, why God allows it to exist, and where God is at in our suffering. Snippet from the Show Suffering becomes transformed in the cross and resurrection. It becomes something that purifies and refines us so that we can draw closer to our Lord and grow our compassion and humility. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

New ventures, consecration to Mary, and struggles with productivity are just some of the topics that Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle touch on in this week’s episode. While somewhat random, Mike and Dave’s conversation offers encouragement and resources that will aid you in your discipleship journey. Snippet from the Show We all need to ask Mary to be a primary mover in our lives. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave VanVickle responds to some of your questions regarding spiritual warfare. The topics of these questions range from possession to scrupulosity to whether St. Michael is an archangel or not. Dave responds to each question with both wisdom and encouragement so that each of us can continue striving for greater union with God. Snippet from the Show The saints were people like you and I who responded generously to the call that God put on their life to be holy and follow him. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are horoscopes actually dangerous? What should I do if a family member or friend is exploring the occult? Why is the occult against Catholic teaching? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle share information on popular occult practices we should avoid and what to do if you or someone you know has been involved in the occult. Snippet from the Show There is only goodness and the distortion of goodness. There is only God, and God has no infinite opposite. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Did you know that temptation is one of the biggest battles of spiritual attack? How can we avoid temptations? What should we do when we give in to temptation? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss these questions and outline practical solutions for resisting temptation and repenting from temptation. Snippet from the Show We don't have to completely abandon society. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to challenge these things. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle reveal how the saints can help us in our battles of spiritual warfare. They share why honoring the saints does not detract from God and explain how you can draw closer to your patron saint. Dave also shares a personal story of how a saint saved his life. Snippet from the Show  Let the saints be the saints and do their saintly thing. They want to be our allies for a reason because we are in Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What’s the difference between a sacrament and a sacramental? How can we use the sacraments to fight evil? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle explain the incredible power of Baptism and Confession and how to use sacramentals to overthrow the powers of darkness. In this episode, they explore the history of the sacraments. Snippet from the Show Baptism is an absolute revolution in the life of the soul. You remove from it its current tyrannical leader, and you place it under the lordship of Jesus Christ, our merciful Savior. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The term “Apotropaic” means seeking Christ’s warrior presence. In this episode, Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss more weapons of warfare and how we can seek his warrior presence in spiritual warfare. They teach us how truth and love can be used to fight the devil and the best ways to live out the corporal works of mercy. Snippet from the Show Truth and love are probably the most exorcistic things on Earth. Those two things are incredibly powerful in warding off the devil. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

In this episode, Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle offer practical guidance on two of the most powerful spiritual weapons: prayer and fasting. They explain how you can fast from almost anything, offering it up to the Lord for any intention. They also explain how to pray in a way that focuses on your relationship with God. Finally, they finish off the episode with a 7-day challenge for you to obtain spiritual benefits. Snippet from the Show Penance is a powerful, powerful spiritual hammer that will break down strongholds. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why are the sins of the flesh the weakest? Do you have strategies for fighting the world, the flesh, and the devil? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle reveal how most people may not have strategies for fighting the world, discuss using intentionality when consuming media, and how to conquer the world instead of avoiding it. Snippet from the Show The devil is trying to create a symphony that will crescendo into a life of dissipation and despair. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What are the origins of spiritual warfare? Why don’t we get to live in the Garden of Eden when it was Adam and Eve who sinned? What’s one of the best practical tips for avoiding sin? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle wrestle with these questions and more in this episode of Every Knee Shall Bow as they explore the Fall in Genesis 3. Snippet from the Show You've been co-crucified with Christ and you have risen in Christ's Resurrection because of the sacrament of baptism…so that you can actually overcome. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Where did angels come from? Should you name your guardian angel? What can your guardian angel do for you? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle share teachings from St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas on the origins of angels, the angelic fall, and the nature of angels. They also share some practical tips on how you can enlist your guardian angel’s help in your own life. Snippet from the Show Bring the ministry of angels into your life, incorporate them into your prayer, and invoke them for their protection because that's why God gave you your angel. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

We are in a spiritual battle. Do you know how to fight? Drawing from Dave's years of experience assisting exorcists, Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle start off a new season of Every Knee Shall Bow by discussing how much weight Catholics should give to the topic of the devil and spiritual warfare. They discuss how temptation is one of our biggest battles and how we can fight back. Snippet from the Show The Catholic Church was given the grace of triumph and we can avail ourselves of that. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What sorts of movies and books do people like Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle enjoy? In this casual, but very entertaining, conversation, Mike and Dave share some of their favorite movies, television shows, and books. They also explain the impact some of them had on their lives. Snippet from the Show "I taped it off of the television and watched it so many times that it broke!" We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Have you ever wondered how Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle prepare their talks and teachings? Wonder no more! Mike and Dave discuss some of their suggestions for how to structure talks and keep an audience engaged from the start. They also share how they prefer to evangelize: one on one, in a classroom, or to a large group. Snippet from the Show There was a time where beauty could easily lead a person to God. However, now it is far more common that it is hurt and woundedness that leads someone to God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Is there a right way to study theology? In order to communicate the truths of our faith, it is essential to study it well. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle give their recommendations for how to approach theology so that you can help others know God better. They also share some of the books and writings they are currently reading. Snippet from the Show Knowledge is the first step of love. To love God, you need to know him. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are you ready to strengthen your devotion to Mary through the Rosary? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Mark Hartfiel to discuss the Mysteries of the Rosary Series from Paradisus Dei. They share about the creation of the series and its content. They also discuss the power of Marian devotion. Snippet from the Show Our Lady goes before us as an icon of hope. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

It’s that time again! Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle take the time in this episode to answer some of your questions! These questions range in topic from Heaven and Hell to the occult to Međugorje. Snippet from the Show We forget that for Saint Paul, the end game of Christianity is the resurrection of the dead, the resurrection of our bodies. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The Church presents the Annunciation as the model for all transmission of faith. As Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle dive into this topic, they also take a step back and discuss the work each person needs to do with God before they can go out and effectively proclaim the Gospel. They emphasize the transformative power of suffering and darkness. Snippet from the Show Faith in the darkest moments of life is when Christianity becomes relevant and transformative. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The family is under attack. There is so much in the world today that is in opposition to the family. How do we combat this? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle take up the topic of the Holy Family and how essential they are as both examples and intercessors. They also talk particularly about the role of St. Joseph and the role of fathers today. Snippet from the Show The family is under attack and we need the Holy Family to protect us. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

An apparition of Mary is a big deal no matter what, but are you aware of the particular significance tied to Our Lady of Lourdes? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle go through the details of this apparition and the life of St. Bernadette. They also discuss why this apparition was so significant for the time and place in which it occurred. Snippet from the Show “I do not promise you happiness in this world, but in the next.” -Our Lady of Lourdes We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What do you know about Our Lady of Fatima? You may know some things, but maybe not as much as Dave VanVickle. Join Mike Gormley as he learns from Dave all about the apparitions and what was revealed to the children of Fatima. Mike and Dave also discuss some of the common criticisms and how to respond to them. Snippet from the Show “Jesus wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. I promise salvation to those who embrace it; and these souls will be beloved of God like flowers arranged by me to adorn His throne.” -Our Lady of Fatima We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What exactly are Marian apparitions? What category of revelation do they fall into? How are they verified? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle dive into the topic of Marian apparitions and provide explanations for how they are verified and what purpose they serve in the Church. They also share some of the details surrounding the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Snippet from the Show Our Marian devotion is always meant to lead us deeper into the mystery of Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mary is incredible. She plays a massive role in salvation. She is good and loving. However, is there a chance that we could show her too much devotion or love her too much? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle take up this question as they discuss consecration to Mary. They explain what consecration to Mary means and what it could do for your life. Snippet from the Show Mary’s whole life radiates Christ. So, to be consecrated to Mary means that we are also consecrated to Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mary is victorious over the devil. She overcomes all evil. How is this possible? In what ways should we look to Mary in our own battle with sin? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss the answers to these questions and highlight the victory over sin and death that was granted to Mary by her Son. Snippet from the Show Mary shows up to win spiritual battles. She wants to join you in your fight to overcome sin. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mary does not say much in Scripture. There is a lot of her life that remains unknown. However, there are nods to Mary from the very beginning of the Bible all the way to the end. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle share and explain some of the typology of Mary that can be found throughout the Bible. Snippet from the Show Mary is the Ark of the Covenant. She crushes the enemy under our feet and plays a major role in the defeat of evil and in the future of the world. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The Rosary, the Miraculous Medal, the Brown Scapular - these are some of the most well-known Marian Devotions. But what is their origin? What is their purpose? How are they different from charms or magic? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss these Marian Devotions and respond to common questions about them. They share their experiences with Marian Devotions and how they have impacted their lives. Snippet from the Show Our chances of dying in a state of grace can be greatly heightened due to the prayers of Mary interceding for us. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mary just plays the role that pagans had for female goddesses. Jesus only appeared to be human so Mary didn’t really conceive him or give birth to him. These are two common heresies that oppose the Church’s teachings on Mary. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle explain the origins of these heresies and offer instruction on how to respond to them. Snippet from the Show If you are a discipleship of Jesus Christ, you need to bring Mary into your home at this very hour. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do Catholics worship Mary? Was Mary always a virgin? All of the Marian dogmas solicit a myriad of rebuttals and some can be difficult to respond to. In this episode, Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle address some of the common arguments against Mary’s perpetual virginity and devotion to Mary. They respond to these arguments by citing both Scripture and Tradition. Snippet from the Show When you look at our Lady, you see the masterpiece that God has painted with her life. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why is Mary so important? How is Mary meant to be a part of our lives? Perhaps, you are someone who has struggled in your devotion to Mary or maybe you have a deep relationship with her. Wherever you fall, you are sure to enjoy and gain so much from this series on Mary from Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle. Learn, be inspired, and grow in your love for Mary. Snippet from the Show “From Mary, we learn to love Christ, her Son and Son of God.” -St. John Paul II We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you know what Catholics actually believe about Mary? There can be a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to the Catholic Church's teachings on Mary. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle go through the Marian dogmas and explain each one so as to better equip you in your evangelization. Snippet from the Show Mary represents what the fullness of grace can do in the life of a creature. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

There is a significant de-emphasis in American Christianity on the sacramental life. Instead, many Christians are more focused on their personal faith. What are the dangers of this? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle take up these questions as a conclusion to this series on Mystagogy. Snippet from the Show All of the sacraments are material, visible, sensible signs that communicate the invisible, the hidden power of God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Priests were not first introduced in the New Testament. In fact, priesthood existed right at the beginning of the Old Testament. So, how can we understand the priesthood in the economy of salvation? How do we distinguish the Old Testament priesthood from the new? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle answer these questions and more. Snippet from the Show “In the whole history of humanity, there is only one man who is both priest and victim. That is Jesus Christ.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the purpose of a Catholic priest and what is it not? The Catholic priesthood can spark a lot of confusion. Are they a symbolic leader or a CEO? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle answer many of the common questions associated with the priesthood and emphasize why it is such an essential part of the Catholic faith. Snippet from the Show “The priest is not a priest for himself. He does not give himself absolution, he does not administer the sacraments to himself. He is not for himself. He is for you.” -St. John Vianney We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the best thing you can do for your marriage? In their final episode on marriage, Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle address the topic of marital spirituality. They share their own experiences of developing a prayer life with their spouse and the challenges they faced. Together, they encourage every person to prioritize prayer in their marriage. Snippet from the Show Choosing to love and choosing to build a marriage includes the decision to live a marital spirituality. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What does a truly Christian marriage look like? Continuing their discussion on the sacrament of marriage, Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss the characteristics and traits of a truly Christian marriage. They also discuss what sort of impact a Christian marriage ought to have on those who have received the sacrament. Snippet from the Show You should remind yourself every day of the vows you made on your wedding day. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Have you ever thought of marriage as a sacrament of communion? The heart of marriage is not emotional support within a domestic relationship, but rather the mutual giving of two entire lives. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle compare and contrast how society and the Church view marriage and remind those partaking in and preparing for the sacrament that, when you serve your spouse and your children, you are truly serving Jesus Himself. Snippet from the Show Marriage is truly a crucible in the service of the people that you love. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you know what happens after you die? What does the Church tell us about what will occur after our death? Dave VanVickle and Michael Gormley take up these questions and explain the Church’s teachings. They explain how judgment works and why it is so important for those on earth to do penance for the dead. Snippet from the Show “Death proves also that life has meaning, because it reveals that the virtues and goodness practiced within time do not find their completion except in eternity.” -Ven. Fulton Sheen We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is Anointing of the Sick? This sacrament can receive a lot of misunderstanding and confusion. Who can receive it? Is it for spiritual or physical ailment? What does it actually do? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle respond to these questions and offer their personal experiences of witnessing the sacrament. Snippet from the Show The Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and resurrection of Christ just as Baptism began it. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do you make a good confession? How do you cope with a bad confession? Going to confession is a very vulnerable thing. It can be a great experience, but occasionally, it can be a negative one. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss some of the common reasons why people may have a negative experience in confession. They offer advice on how to respond and how to potentially avoid them all together. Snippet from the Show "The priest is not a priest for himself; he does not give himself absolution; he does not administer the Sacraments to himself. He is not for himself. He is for you." -St. John Vianney We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Confession can feel uncomfortable, intimidating, and even burdensome. However, the sacrament of confession is one of the greatest gifts from God. How can we understand that better? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle explain the joy and goodness of confession. They share their own feelings about the sacrament and how they have worked to overcome sin in their own lives. Snippet from the Show If you truly understand confession, you will realize how freeing it is. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why is the Eucharistic theme so central to the Catholic life? Perhaps, you have heard the term “Eucharistic people” and wondered what it means and what that might look like. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss the impact of the Eucharist on our lives. They also offer advice on how to prepare well for receiving the Eucharist. Snippet from the Show Remember that you are encountering the living God. There is no reason that you should walk away the same. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the high point in life? Where ought everything to lead? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle continue their conversation around mystagogy as they discuss the Eucharist. They explain its importance and why everything ought to point to the Eucharist. Snippet from the Show Every bit of our life ought to be oriented towards encounter with Jesus Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Is Confirmation really important? What does it do that Baptism doesn’t already do? For many, Confirmation can seem like an afterthought or some rite of passage. However, Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle share why it is so much more than that. They explain its incredible significance and why it is essential for someone striving for salvation. Snippet from the Show The most underplayed sacrament of the life of the Church is one of the most important. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Is there anything pointing to Baptism in the Old Testament? Are there shadows of it that come into the light in the New Testament? Mike Gormley is here with a bonus episode to dive into this very topic. Enjoy this bonus content looking at typology of the Old Testament and Baptism. Snippet from the Show The sacramental life of the Church communicates the life of Christ to us. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Baptism is not just something to check off on the “To Do” list of the Christian life. So, what is it and what does it do? How can we understand the mystery of Baptism? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle tackle these questions and encourage believers to share the truth about Baptism. Snippet from the Show Baptism is salvific because it communicates the very life of God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How important are the sacraments? Are they just steps in the Christian life or do they bear a lot more weight in our journey towards salvation? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle continue their series on Mystagogy by addressing the importance of the sacraments. They discuss the mystery of the sacraments and why they are truly a matter of life and death. Snippet from the Show The sacraments are a matter of life and death: eternal life and eternal death. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Every Knee Shall Bow is back for another season! Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle are addressing the topic of Mystagogy. In this episode, they explain what Mystagogy is and why it is such an important part of the Christian life. Snippet from the Show The Lord wants to give you a deeper hunger for the divine life. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is happiness and how do you get it? This question has been at the forefront of humanity since the beginning of time. Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Dr. Jennifer Frey to discuss happiness and the role virtue plays in attaining it. Snippet from the Show The reason why sin must be avoided at all costs is because it prevents you from being totally fulfilled with God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

There are a lot of opinions on liturgy in the Catholic Church. So, it is understandable to wonder, “Is there a right way to do liturgy?”. Mike Gormley is joined by Fr. David Hust to discuss the purpose and goodness of liturgy. They explain why it is so important to understand liturgy and all the ways that the faithful can participate in the liturgies of the Church. Snippet from the Show If we’re meant to be the light to the nations, we better get liturgy right. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How much do you know about Venerable Fulton Sheen? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Bonnie Engstrom to talk about this incredible man. Not only does Bonnie offer a wealth of knowledge on his life, but she also shares her experience of an incredible miracle through his intercession. Her story will leave you speechless. Snippet from the Show “For six months I had been asking Bishop Sheen to pray for my son on a daily basis, and in that moment that is who I called on.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you believe that prayer makes a difference? Is it obvious what kind of difference prayer makes? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Dr. Edward Sri to discuss the importance of prayer. They observe the importance prayer has in our relationship with God and how it affects every other part of our spiritual lives. Snippet from the Show Our daily prayer cannot simply consist of reciting prayers or reading spiritual books. It must involve meditation and opening our hearts and minds to God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is a woman? It is a simple question. However, the answer to this question has become a topic for debate in the culture today. Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined once again by Dr. Abigail Favale in order to discuss the different sides of the debate and to answer the question “What is a woman?”. Snippet from the Show If I don’t speak the truth in love, am I participating in other people’s destruction? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Gender, feminism, equality, etc. are all prevalent topics in the culture today. However, it can sometimes feel difficult to gain a thorough understanding of these issues and engage in conversation about them. Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by professor and author Dr. Abigail Favale to discuss some of these issues. Snippet from the Show “Whoever controls the narrative, who controls language, they decide what is real, what is knowable, what is good, what is bad.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What does it mean to think Christologically? How do you put Christ at the center of all thought? Intimacy with Christ is a goal in the Christian life, but the how and why for this goal are not easily understood. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. to discuss the difference between thinking about Christ and thinking with Christ. Snippet from the Show In all things, seek the face of God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The cross of infertility is one that many people bear. Many of these people suffer in silence and are unsure what to do in the face of their infertility. Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Emily Chapman to discuss her own challenges with infertility and how it affected her on a deeper level. Together, they address what people can do in the face of infertility and why the Church does not permit IVF, surrogacy, or contraception. Snippet from the Show "We are all called to trust God with our fertility. This is true for people who can have babies and this is true for people who can’t." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What does pro-women healthcare look like? In the culture today, women’s healthcare fails too often to address the actual needs of a woman’s body. There is a lack of understanding and respect when it comes to hormonal health and true fertility care. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Teresa Kenney to discuss why this is the state of women’s healthcare and what pro-women healthcare should look like. Snippet from the Show The reality of the human body is amazing. It is such a beautiful design when it is working well. And when it isn’t working well, we need to be attentive to those signs. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Here’s where it gets sticky: contraception. Contraception may be one of the most talked about and most difficult topics when it comes to evangelization. It is personal, it is polarizing and it can be difficult to understand. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss the origins of contraceptives, the Church’s teachings on them, the harm they cause and how you can talk about it with others. Snippet from the Show Contraception limits the gift of one person to another. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Welcome to a special bonus episode with Michael Gormley…on a different podcast! Enjoy this conversation between Gomer and Ryan O’Hara, the host of the Better Preach podcast. Together they discuss how to teach and preach so as to actually make disciples. Snippet from the Show You can’t make a disciple if you’re not a disciple. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Moving in together is a common “step” that many couples see as necessary and normal in a relationship. Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss why cohabitation can have such negative effects on a relationship. They also share how to talk with a couple who is cohabitating and how to encourage them towards something different. Snippet from the Show Couples who do not live together prior to marriage are more likely to have happy marriages. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Transgenderism, or gender dysphoria, is a very relevant topic in our world today. So, what is it? And more importantly, how are we supposed to respond to it? Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle are joined by Jason Evert to discuss transgenderism, gender dysphoria, gender stereotypes, and more. Together, they share how we can respond to all of it with Christ-like love. Snippet from the Show Try to listen to gender dysphoria with reverent curiosity. A person’s story is often a roadmap to their healing. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Theology of the Body teaches the positive and beautiful message of sexuality within the context of human and divine love. How do we communicate this good news to our children? How do we reject and avoid the pornographic culture while not instilling fear of sexuality or hatred of the body? And what is chastity, really? Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle answer these questions and more. Snippet from the Show Protecting our children’s innocence is not the same as keeping them naive. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What does it mean to fall in love? How do we stay in love? St. John Paul II addresses this in his great “ethical analysis of love” chapter in Love and Responsibility. Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle address some of the chapter’s key topics: sexual urge, love as attraction, love as desire, love as benevolence, and reciprocity. Snippet from the Show “You have to possess yourself in order to give yourself.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Men and women are the same! Men are from Mars and women are from Venus! We hear contradictory messages about men and women all the time. “They are the same.” “They are radically different.” Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle address these contradictions by looking at Scripture and sharing the wisdom of the Church. Snippet from the Show Fatherhood and motherhood are the perfection of masculinity and femininity. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Every Knee Shall Bow is back with a brand new season! Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle are returning to explore the great work of St. John Paul II: The Theology of the Body. Using St. John Paul II’s wisdom, Mike and Dave will be discussing many of the challenges we face today and how we can grow in greater love with God, one another, and ourselves. Snippet from the Show The simplest easiest way to end Satan’s kingdom is marriage. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Guess who’s back?! Mike “Gomer” Gormley is joined by Dave VanVickle for a special bonus episode to wrap up this season of Every Knee Shall Bow. Dave shares a bit about his life from the past three months. And together, Dave and Mike wrap up this season of Every Knee Shall Bow on the essential elements of discipleship. Snippet from the Show The only gift greater than knowing Jesus is to love him. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What are the essential elements of Catholic Discipleship? Mike "Gomer" Gormely has been answering this question for the last few weeks and today he puts it all together. Mike outlines the traps a disciple can fall into. He also shares how we can continue to grow in intimacy with Christ. Snippet from the Show At the end of the day, each day, you are only one act of honest repentance away from undoing the works of Satan, exposing his works to the light of Christ, and returning home. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you know what it means to be restored by Christ? Christ is always offering us a newness of life. However, what does that look like? Mike “Gomer” Gormley continues his discussion on the essential elements of Catholic Discipleship moving from the Purgative Way to the Illuminative Way. Snippet from the Show “If the soul is to make progress, there must be a gradual reclothing of her with the graces in which Christ desires to see her.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What happens when we become disillusioned with Christ? In today's show, Gomer walks through the different stages of friendship with Christ. He addresses why a disciple might become disillusioned with Christ and where one ought to go from there. Snippet from the Show “The object of religion is that the soul should serve God, not that God should serve the soul." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What does it mean to repent and convert? As disciples, it is our desire to live in conformity with Christ. Mike “Gomer” Gormley shares how in order to be in conformity with Christ, we must repent and we must convert. It is repentance and conversion that lie at the heart of ongoing growth in Christ. Snippet from the Show It takes courage to admit when you are lost and are in need of God’s grace and mercy. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the cost of being a disciple? Jesus makes it very clear that carrying our crosses is a condition of being a disciple. Mike “Gomer” Gormley examines the importance of suffering and explains why the cross is essential to discipleship. Snippet from the Show You cannot follow Christ without denying yourself and embracing suffering. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you need miracles in order to have faith? Using the story of the Woman at the Well, Mike “Gomer” Gormley helps deepen our understanding of what should be the foundation of our faith and how essential it is that we allow Christ into our hearts. Snippet from the Show Miracles do not guarantee faith. Belief and acceptance of Christ’s word does. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why does Jesus seem to aggressively confront the Pharisees throughout the Gospels? In this episode, Mike Gormley explains why Jesus appears to goad the Pharisees by what he says and does. Mike shares what this reveals about Christ’s mission and how Christians are meant to live today. Snippet from the Show Conversion might mean leaving behind old sins, but it is principally the getting of a new heart. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are the beatitudes a big deal or are they just nice life advice? Last episode, Mike “Gomer” Gormley shared the importance of aligning our values with Christ’s values. But what are Christ’s values? Today, Mike explains how the Beatitudes are the truest representation of Christ’s values and how they are essential to the life of a disciple. Snippet from the Show If my values or priorities do not match up with Jesus’, then I am the one who needs to change, not Jesus and not the Gospel. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Our world today is noisy and there is a lot that clamors for our attention. How do we break free of this? We need to align our priorities with the priorities of Christ. But what are Christ’s priorities? Mike “Gomer” Gormley dives into answering that question in today’s show. Snippet from the Show If you are trying to determine what to value and what to prioritize, look to Christ. He is the standard. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How did Jesus himself pray and how did he teach his disciples to pray? In this episode, Mike “Gomer” Gormley cuts through the confusion of Christian prayer and focuses on how Jesus prayed and how he taught others to pray so that each of us can form a strong prayer life that brings us into greater intimacy with God. Snippet from the Show Our relationship with God is only as strong as our prayer life. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are you aware of Christ’s presence? As disciples, it is essential that we have a connection to Christ. We must always be aware of his presence. So, what makes that difficult? What are problems in the modern world that make it difficult to see the reality of Christ? Mike “Gomer” Gormley tackles these questions and more in today’s episode. Snippet from the Show The world obscures our vision of the Church and of Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do we really understand what discipleship is? Just how important is it? Today, Mike Gormley begins a brand new series on discipleship and many of the themes found within discipleship. Join Mike to go beyond apologetics and evangelization so as to become a disciple of Christ. Snippet from the Show We have the conversion of so many people in the world today because of the missionary spirit of the Church. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What do we believe as Catholics? That is a big question and it can feel overwhelming to try and answer it. Today, Mike and Dave are joined by Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio to talk about his new study titled What We Believe. They talk about the new study and also the process of becoming disciples and learning the faith. Snippet from the Show Being a Catholic doesn’t mean just fulfilling the requirements. The whole point is to become a saint. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are women religious just nice to have around or are they essential to the Church and to the world? Mike and Dave are joined by special guest Fr. John Burns to discuss the status of women’s vocations to the consecrated life and why it is a major crisis. They offer reasons for why it is so important to have women religious and how we can introduce more people to their way of life. Snippet from the Show The consecrated woman reminds the Church what it means to be espoused to Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

In order to fully comprehend what Christ did for us, it is essential that we also understand the Old Testament. Today, Mike is joined by Dr. Andrew Swafford to discuss the importance of studying the Old Testament in order to deepen our knowledge of Christ and become more effective in evangelization. Snippet from the Show You’ll never fully appreciate Jesus until you see him as bringing about the fulfillment and culmination of this great story that has gone on since the beginning of time. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike Gormley and Dave VanVickle are back for a brand new season of the podcast. This episode, they welcome Sherry Weddell, the best-selling author of Forming Intentional Disciples. Sherry shares her extensive knowledge of evangelization and discipleship. She encourages everyone to discern what gifts they have been given in order to build the Kingdom of God. Snippet from the Show You’re not fully a disciple until you are also an evangelist. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do you make sacramental prep effective both in preparing individuals for the sacraments and in forming them into disciples? Mike and Dave respond to a listener’s question regarding Baptism prep and discuss sacramental prep as a whole. They share common challenges and primary goals for sacramental prep. Snippet from the Show In order to make disciples, you must catechize and evangelize. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you have questions about evangelization and sacramental prep? Dave and Mike answer questions on evangelizing to atheists and what sort of parameters exist for requirements in sacramental prep. Snippet from the Show We need to constantly interject the Kerygma into all of our evangelization. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

It can be difficult to see the point of our suffering. Sometimes, it can be an even greater struggle to help someone else through their suffering. Mike and Dave are joined by Jeff Cavins to discuss evangelization, but especially, how to share a message of hope when it comes to suffering. Snippet from the Show To be comforted is to experience Jesus Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What are some of the keys in doing women’s ministry successfully? To help answer this question, Mike and Dave are joined by Jenna Guizar and Beth Davis from Blessed Is She. Jenna and Beth share about the ministry of Blessed Is She as well as some of the wisdom they have learned in their work. Snippet from the Show "We don’t want the Lord, the Church, or her teachings to feel out of reach for anyone." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

We cannot underestimate the spiritual depth that youth are capable of. In this episode, Mike is joined by Mark Hart to discuss the importance of bringing youth to the very heart of God. They also discuss Mark’s new study series for high school students: Venture. Snippet from the Show We have a God who loves us so much that he would rather die than spend Eternity without us. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we overcome some of the primary obstacles in discipleship? Dave and Mike are joined by Annie Grandell from YDisciple to discuss some of the obstacles in discipling young people and how to overcome them. Snippet from the Show Programs do not make disciples. People make disciples. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How important is the domestic church? Do we really understand what it is meant to be? Dave VanVickle is joined by guests David Niles and Adam Minihan to discuss these questions as well as their new book Living Beyond Sunday: Making Your Home a Holy Place. Snippet from the Show Faith ought to be experienced primarily in the home. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the purpose of freedom? What is the relationship between conscience and truth? In this episode, Mike and Dave discuss these questions as they wrap up their examination of St. John Paul II’s Splendor of Truth. What we can learn from this encyclical can make us better missionaries for Christ. Snippet from the Show We are called solely to live for the glory of God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you struggle to address the moral teachings of the Church in evangelization? The Church’s moral teachings can be the hardest for people to accept. Dave and Mike explain, with the assistance of St. John Paul II, why it is necessary to accept the Church’s moral teachings in order to achieve union with Christ. Snippet from the Show “The moral life is a response to the love that God has already shown us.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Maybe you know what a missionary should be like, but is that how you live your life? In this episode, Dave and Mike explain what St. John Paul II teaches about missionary activity and spirituality. It isn’t enough to know how mission works. You must actually live it. Snippet from the Show Christ loves the Church and gave himself up for her, so why don’t we? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are you prepared to proclaim the Gospel with words? In this episode, Dave and Mike share why it is essential that in evangelization, we actually verbalize our witness. They also explain how the Holy Spirit is the primary mover of evangelization. Snippet from the Show If you love Jesus, you are going to share Jesus. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Did you know that you are called to be a missionary? In this episode, Mike and Dave begin their examination of the document Mission of the Redeemer. They explain the call of every Christian to be a missionary and what that might look like for each of us. Snippet from the Show Every Christian, everyone who has been baptized, is called to be a missionary. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

In this special bonus episode, Dave and Mike talk with authors of the new book Solemnities: Celebrating a Tapestry of Divine Beauty. Denis McNamara, Chris Carstens, and Alexis Kutarna share about their new book and how we can more fully celebrate all seventeen solemnities in the Church. Snippet from the Show Intentionally participating in the solemnities can help us to open ourselves up more fully to the graces available. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

We are not called to just teach the faith. We must profess and live it! Mike and Dave explain how to make evangelization more than just teaching apologetics. They explain how to help people actually find themselves in Christ. Snippet from the Show After helping individuals find themselves in Christ, we need to help society become Christo-centric. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Mike and Dave continue their deep dive into John Paul II’s encyclical Redeemer of Man. How can we help someone know who they are? How essential is evangelization? What has replaced virtue? Find the answers to these and other questions in this week’s episode. Snippet from the Show Anytime you try to change the world without evangelization, it is not going to work. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Welcome back! In this season, Mike and Dave are taking us through a masterclass from a master evangelist: St. John Paul II. In this episode, they dive into his encyclical Redeemer of Man. Learn why the Incarnation matters, why evangelism is all about Jesus Christ and why we can’t get caught up in programs and events. Snippet from the Show We should be in awe of what we are in Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How should people in ministry spend their summers? Dave and Mike share ideas on how to structure your summer to best benefit your ministry and your well-being. Snippet from the Show Investing time in your spiritual development is one of the greatest ways to benefit your ministry. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Who can receive Anointing of the Sick? What does Anointing of the Sick do? Dave and Mike are joined by Dr. Roger Nutt to discuss the purpose and effects of this important sacrament. Dr. Nutt also shares about his new book on this very topic. Snippet from the Show The sacramental life of the Church is meant to prepare us to receive Christ for all Eternity. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

In this episode, Mike and Dave answer your questions! Some of the questions involve searching for good apologetics resources, looking for clarification on Mary's reaction to the Resurrection, understanding how to evangelize the socially uninformed, and more. Snippet from the Show Human formation really excellerates the adoption of spiritual practices. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we pursue unity with people of every nation, race, and tongue? Mike and Dave are joined by Fr. Josh Johnson to talk about how we are called to pursue unity with all people through discipleship and what we can do to accomplish this. Snippet from the Show We are called to pursue unity with all nations through discipleship. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do you define prudence? Better yet, how does prudence work in your life? Mike is joined by Fr. Gregory Pine to discuss the virtue of prudence and its importance in the moral life. Snippet from the Show By the grace of God, prudence is the virtue that allows you to be the protagonist of your own life. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the state of young people and religion today? A big step in reaching youth today is to understand where they are at. Dr. Josh Packard joins Mike and Dave to share the research around this very question. Snippet from the Show Trust is rebuilt through relationship. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the Catholic moral life? In this episode, Mike continues the conversation with guest Dr. Matthew Minerd on all things Catholic morality. Snippet from the Show Humility is seeing your absolute dependence on God without whom you can do nothing. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do you explain Catholic morality? In this episode, Dave and Mike welcome guest Dr. Matthew Minerd to discuss Dr. Minerd’s new book Made by God, Made for God: Catholic Morality Explained. Snippet from the Show The truths of the faith are truths we live. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is practical universalism? Dave and Mike explain what practical universalism is and its negative effects on Christianity and the world. With personal experiences and practical steps, they give instruction on how to combat it. Snippet from the Show Practical universalism can only be overcome when we take sin and salvation seriously. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What are men seeking in their faith? Mike and Dave discuss different ways to approach men's ministry and what men need in ministry. Offering practical advice and some of their own experience, Mike and Dave leave you with some clear steps forward for men's ministry. Snippet from the Show "We are all one act of repentance away from being restored fully to God." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How did our youth culture become what it is today? In this episode, Mike "Gomer" Gormley walks through the many prevalent points in history that have affected youth, culture and the family to make it what it is today. Snippet from the Show If we want to evangelize our youth today, we have to understand who they are. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the feminine genius? Why is it important for women to be active in their parishes? Dave and Mike with guest Lisa Cotter discuss the questions and much more on today’s show. Lisa also shares about her new book Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius. Snippet from the Show "The world doesn't need what women have, it needs what women are." -St. Edith Stein We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Giving testimony is one of the most important parts of the Christian life, but putting your conversion story into words can be a daunting task. We should always be prepared to give testimony to what God has done in our lives. In this throwback episode, Mike and Dave talk about why Christian testimony is important, and practical tips on how to actually do it. Grab your Bible, a pen, and a piece of paper and get ready to write. Snippet from the Show Your testimony is your journey with God, your lived relationship with Jesus, and how it all started. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are you ready for Lent? How do you explain the importance of correct form in Baptism? How do you make allowances for economic situations in regards to liturgy? Dave and Mike discuss these questions and more in today’s episode. Snippet from the Show Because the Gospel is anti-sin, it is always counter cultural. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are our churches still sacred places? Dave and Mike discuss the idea of restoring the sacred, helping our churches be places where the presence of God is encountered and known. They also give some ideas on how to communicate this message to your parish. Snippet from the Show The sacred is meant to make God’s presence known. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you ever pause to evaluate your spiritual life? As evangelists, it is easy to get caught up in all the urgent matters that we fail to take time for our own spiritual recollection. In this episode, Mike Gormley discusses the importance of taking stock of our spiritual lives and maintaining the goal of eternity with God. Snippet from the Show We spend a lot of time on things that are urgent and often neglect those things that are not urgent but still important. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave VanVickle answers listeners' emails regarding how to evangelize and make disciples of parish staff as well as how to collaborate with co-workers in the mission of evangelization. Listen to the entire episode for practical tips for your mission in evangelization. Snippet from the Show We are called to faithfulness, not success. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave “the Soul of the New Media” VanVickle and Mike Gormley complete their discussion of the church document “The Reciprocity Between Faith and Sacraments.” This discussion is primarily concerned with the nature of faith. What is faith? What are the different aspects of faith? Snippet from the Show “When we talk about the dogmas, we are revealing the full face of Christ. We are revealing who he is. He is the Truth.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave "The Ariana Grande of Sacramental Evangelization" VanVickle and I continue with the fifth part of our series on the relationship between faith and the sacraments by discussing the role of the Church in God's plan of salvation. We explain why the Church is the universal sacrament of salvation, and why it is called to always be on mission. Snippet from the Show The visible Church is not an “add-on”, it’s fundamental to how Christ wants to change the world. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave "Not the KFC one" VanVickle and I answer your questions about our series on faith and the sacraments. Snippet from the Show As Catholics we are called to both uphold the dignity of the sacraments and evangelize all souls who to come us. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Our modern world sees symbols with skepticism because it only values what can be empirically demonstrated. However, symbols are a key part of any culture, including Catholicism, because they communicate truth. Today, I summarize the significance of the document we’ve been reading in our series on faith and the sacraments. I explain how the sacraments are outward symbols that communicate the inward grace and power of God, and why we are called to preserve the symbols of our faith rather than manipulate them. Snippet from the Show "The Church is the living body of Christ that communicates the dying the rising of our Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. Its sacraments are outward symbols that communicate the inward power and grace of God." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Why did God create? Today we continue with the third part of our series on the relationship between faith and the sacraments by unpacking the sacramentality of creation. We discuss why creation is sacramental, what makes human beings particularly unique within creation, and why the humanity of Jesus is the reason we have a sacramental Church. Snippet from the Show The words and deeds of Jesus sanctified creation, time and human history. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave "The Dialogical Nature of the Sacramental Economy" VanVickle and I continue our discussion about the relationship between faith and the sacraments, diving into how the Trinity reveals itself to us sacramentally and how that embodied revelation requires a tangible response from us. Snippet from the Show "The angels don't use the senses in order to come to knowledge but we human beings need the senses. When God reveals himself, he always does it in a mode we can receive him. Therefore, the gateway to heaven is that humanity the Christ assumed." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave "The Turkey" VanVickle and I share a brief Thanksgiving message and express our gratitude for all of our listeners! We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Personal faith cannot be separated from the sacramental life of the faith. Today, Dave "The Baptizer" VanVickle and I begin our series on the relationship between faith and sacraments. We break down the first few sections of the Vatican document, The Reciprocity between Faith and Sacraments, and explain how salvation is given through the inter-relationship between faith and sacraments. Snippet from the Show "The Catholic Church uses the story of the hemorrhaging woman as a paradigm to explain what the sacraments can do in the Body of Christ." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave "The Crisis of Reciprocity" VanVickle and I get real about the struggles we are facing in our parishes as we learn how to navigate sacramental and faith formation programs in a culture impacted by the pandemic. We discuss the relationship between renewal and reform in the Church, and explain how in the next couple of episodes we'll be diving into an important recent Vatican document- The Reciprocity between Faith and Sacraments. Snippet from the Show "The Holy Spirit does the renewal in the Church, and people docile to the Holy Spirit then reform the Church." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave "The Pew Sitter" VanVickle and I answer more of your questions today. We talk about the rise in popularity of the Latin Mass, how to discern the charism of evangelization in a parish setting, and how to teach your little ones to behave at Mass. This episode was sponsored by Chews Life (https://chewslife.com/?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=podcast-eksb&utm_campaign=chewlife). Chews Life’s mission is to equip all Catholics with Rosaries for life. Snippet from the Show "The Mass is first and foremost the prayer of the Son of the Father, and we get to enter into it by the power of the Holy Spirit." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Baptism is the epic beginning of our participation in the Paschal Mystery of Christ. Today, I share an example of a Baptism class I recently gave which explains the biblical context behind the sacrament of Baptism, and how this powerful sacrament prepares us to live Christ's mission incarnationally. This episode was sponsored by Chews Life. Chews Life's mission is to equip all Catholics with Rosaries for life. Snippet from the Show The sacraments are the Church’s ministry of the incarnation throughout time and place, and tangible means through which we live the Paschal Mystery of Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

There are often many obstacles to evangelization and discipleship. Today, we answer some listener questions about balancing discipleship and parish programs, how to draw someone into the Church if the liturgy at your home parish isn't done well, and how to make Catholicism less intimidating for those hesitant to learn more. Snippet from the Show "Very few times in the Christian life is prayer always consoling or emotional. It is our dedication to God, and him above all, that sanctifies us and draws us into deeper communion with him." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave VanVickle shares with us ten powerful books that will shape our intellects and help us survive the philosophical and spiritual chaos in our culture, hold onto the truth of Christ, and conquer the world with the Gospel. Snippet from the Show "The Theology of the Body will show you what is wrong with the culture that we are living in, what the path forward is, and how Jesus Christ is the answer to the biggest questions that our world is asking right now." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Asking questions about God, suffering, and love, has been part of the human condition since the beginning of time. Dr. Michael Dauphinais joins me to talk about about how his new book shows us that the Bible answers many of the perennial questions that have led countless Catholics away from the faith in recent decades. Michael Dauphinais, Ph.D., serves as the Fr. Matthew Lamb Professor of Catholic Theology at Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Florida and holds degrees from Duke University and the University of Notre Dame. Snippet from the Show "What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him?" - Psalm 8:5 We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

True discipleship is not just about believing in Christ, it's about following Christ in a concrete way. Dave "The Coach" VanVickle and I walk you through the four phases of training every disciple of Christ must go through in order to consistently be a witness of Christ. Snippet from the Show The Cross is at the heart of the Christian life, suffering is the rule not the exception of a true disciple of Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What is the role of parents in the faith formation of their kids? Dave " I Am the Weapon" VanVickle and I share five critical questions parents must answer when it comes to forming their kids them into lifelong disciples of Christ. Snippet from the Show Do you personally model the type of Catholic you want your child to be? Don't just tell them about God, show them what it looks like to follow Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we feed disciples in the parish and also make new disciples? Dave VanVickle explains how to foster deeper relationships with current disciples in the parish while also running programs that can draw new disciples into the parish no matter where they are in their faith. Snippet from the Show Remember that trust strengthens the path of discipleship, and trust is built slowly and intentionally. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Many of us know what the Catholic Church teaches but we don't understand the Church's reasoning behind its teachings. Today we conclude our series evangelizing your loved ones by sharing a final parish talk about how to answer the most common objections to the Catholic faith. Snippet from the Show “Most of us hear conclusions of what the Church teaches but we don’t understand the reasoning process behind it.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Today we break down the apostolic exhortation from Pope Francis, Christus Vivit, or “Christ is Alive”. This 9-part document addresses the Pope’s response to the 2018 synod on the topic of youth group and young adults and can be grouped into three parts: 1.) Putting Christ at the Center 2.) Applying a Christocentric Worldview to Youth Group 3.) Discernment and Vocation We each share our number one practical takeaway from the document, and discuss the need for youth ministers to be mentors, brothers, and teachers—not friends. Snippet from the Show “Satan’s youth group is so much bigger than ours” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Have you ever wanted to talk about the faith with someone, but didn't know where to start? Today, we continue our series on evangelizing your loved ones based on my recent live parish talks. I discuss how to start and navigate conversations about the faith in a way that softens the hearts of people and helps them receive the Gospel in a fruitful way. Snippet from the Show Asking intentional questions is they key to unlocking a hardened heart to the Gospel. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Today, I share an important update about what's been going on in my life and in Dave's life recently. Thank you for your patience and support during these difficult times for our families. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

If you cry out to God day and night, God will not turn his face away from you. I continue to share another parish talk I recently gave as part of a series on evangelizing your loved ones. Today I share about the power of persistent prayer and the different types of prayer the Catholic faith offers us to intercede for our loved ones. Snippet from the Show St. Monica persistently prayed and waited for God to move in her son’s life. When God finally moved, Augustine converted. We don’t always perceive the mystery of God’s will and working, but we need to surrender to his time table and trust that he is always on time. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Without empathy for the outsider, we can’t get very far in evangelization. Today, I share part three of a talk I recently gave at my parish about bringing your loved ones back to Christ. I talk about five mistakes that will keep them away, and five ways to lovingly draw them back. Snippet from the Show "The most important part of evangelization is radical, unbending charity. Your child, spouse, friend, sibling, neighbor, or other loved one needs to be listened to and treated with respect." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What are the common reasons Catholics are leaving the Church? Today, I share part two of a talk I recently gave at my parish about bringing your loved ones back to Christ. I discuss the main reasons people are leaving the Catholic Church according to a new survey, and what we can do in response to this crisis in the Church. Snippet from the Show When Christianity is reduced to simply a moral system, we forget that good people don't go to heaven, forgiven people go to heaven. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Catholicism is one of the most rapidly declining faiths in the United States. Today, I share part one of a talk I recently gave at my parish about the six main types of fallen away Catholics so we can better understand why people are leaving the Catholic Church, and how to bring them home. Snippet from the Show If you ache for the salvation of your loved ones’ souls, remember that the grace of Jesus Christ is bigger than your plans and more powerful than your words. Place your loved ones in his hands, and he will call them home. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave "The Conversationalist" VanVickle and I answer your listener questions today! We answer questions about HR practices in parishes, how to have a fruitful and successful career in ministry, and what to do when you're a Catholic in a non-denominational Bible study. Snippet from the Show Working in ministry is not just about serving the Church, it's about engaging in battle for the salvation of souls. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Guiding others through the path of inner healing is an essential part of the journey of discipleship and evangelization. Today, Dave VanVickle explains why as evangelists it’s important to help others recognize the wounds that are limiting their freedom to respond to God’s love. He provides us practical ways to help navigate others on their path of inner healing towards freedom and wholeness in Christ. Snippet from the Show "Lord Jesus, you know my burdens. I lay them all on your Good Shepherd’s Heart. I beseech you, by the merits of the great, open wound in your heart, to heal the small wounds that are in mine." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

We can't understand Jesus as the Savior if we don't acknowledge that we have something to be saved from- our sin. Dave “Prideful Self-Exaltation” VanVickle and I discuss why we need to face the reality of sin if we truly want to live in the freedom of Christ. Snippet from the Show "Every offering of grace is a promise that your sin does not define you eternally." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The call to evangelization and discipleship starts with the way you onboard and train the new hires at your parish, apostolate, or non-profit organization. Today, Dave "Digital Shabbat" VanVickle and I continue our discussion about hiring and training mission driven employees who will change the world. We provide you with more concrete advice so you can successfully onboard your new hires. Snippet from the Show The call to evangelization and discipleship starts with the way you onboard and disciple the new hires at your parish, apostolate, or non-profit organization. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Parishes need employees ready for mission and eager to change the world. Today, Dave “The HR-Man” VanVickle shares his expertise and tips hiring successful and reliable parish employees that will transform your parish. Snippet from the Show Working for the Church is not just a job, it’s calling to a mission rooted in prayer and discipleship. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you feel like you are getting comfortable in your faith? There is no plateau in the Christian life, for it is an ongoing pilgrimage of constant learning and conversion. Today, Dave "The Saint" VanVickle and I guide you through the five pillars of metanoia or lifelong conversion, to help you keep running towards Christ. Snippet from the Show The saints show us the marvelous things God is capable of doing through us when we run towards Christ, knowing we can only stop when we have crossed the finish line into his glorious heavenly Kingdom. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we evangelize our young children? Dave “The Ransom Is Paid” VanVickle and I share our experience raising young kids in the faith and give you practical ways to share Christ with them so they grow up with a strong faith. Snippet from the Show “Don’t isolate your children from the world out of fear. Teach them to be the salt and light of the world, not to escape the world.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we properly understand Jesus’ death and sacrifice on the Cross? Today I am joined by Dr. Edward Sri to continue our discussion of Catholic atonement theology. Dr. Edward Sri explains why Jesus’ sacrifice was ultimately a gift of love offered to the Father, and how that gift is made present to us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Snippet from the Show "The Father never turned his face away from Jesus. Even in his death, Jesus still saw the beatific vision." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Your child or grandchild has fallen away from the faith, what should you do? Today, Dave "The Man" VanVickle and I are joined by Brandon Vogt from Word on Fire to discuss his approach rescuing fallen away family members. He discusses the cultural roadblocks in evangelization we face today, and gives us practical ways to engage in conversations with our loved ones who have turned away from Christ. Snippet from the Show "You cannot diminish the power of a parents persistent prayer." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Are we searching for eternal things in a temporary world? Today, Dave “The Original Man” VanVickle and I continue our discussion on atonement, specifically talking about the hold death has on us, and our longing for the eternal. We also talk briefly about obstacles to our sanctity, and how to respond to them. Snippet from the Show “The only real immortal thing is our soul, and that’s what we need to focus on.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How did Jesus actually accomplish our salvation? Dave "The Mercy Seat" VanVickle and I talk about atonement theology, a fundamental topic that is often overlooked in evangelization. We dive into the complexity of atonement theology, and look at how Christ's life as a whole is salvific. Snippet from the Show The entire life of Christ communicates the saving love of the Father for humanity. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

We live in a society that defines the goodness of life by the experience of pleasure and the absence of pain. However, we all know it’s impossible to avoid suffering, pain, and tragedy on this side of heaven. So how do we suffer well? Today, Dave “The Mystery of Redemption” VanVickle and I discuss the mystery of suffering from a Christian perspective and what we’ve learned in our own trials. We provide you with practical guidelines to help you navigate your sufferings with the hope of Christ. Snippet from the Show While we cannot avoid suffering, we don’t have to be corrupted by it, for Christ's story did not end with the crucifixion. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Life has been pretty crazy for Dave and I, but I'm here to share a quick update, and remind you about the evangelization boot camp coming up! We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

A quick announcement on behalf of Mike and Dave--we'll be back with a regular episode in two weeks! We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we come back to our parishes after a year of so much chaos and change? Today, I share a recent talk I gave to young adults about returning to a new normal, where the laity is no longer passive, but rather on fire with the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel and transform society. Snippet from the Show It's time to stop walking towards our salvation and start running towards Christ with our whole hearts like never before. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Part of being an evangelist is learning from your mistakes. Today, Dave “Carry Your Cross After Me” VanVickle and I share our top 5 mistakes we have made over years in evangelization. These mistakes remind us that we are limited and God is ultimately in control. Snippet from the Show Dont' take the place of God in a person's life, there is only one Savior. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The devil wants the evangelist to forget about the salvation of his own soul because he is so preoccupied with the salvation of other souls. Dave “Almost the Strongest Man in Pittsburgh” VanVickle and I answer a listener’s question about struggling with grave sin while being in a position of leadership in the faith. We discuss the spiritual battle all evangelists face and how to find freedom from sin and shame. This episode contains adult themes that are not suitable for children - parental discretion is advised. Snippet from the Show Before we help others fight their spiritual battles, we must first face the battles in our own soul. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The concept of Divine filiation is at the heart of the Christian mystery. Dave “The Power” VanVickle and I, explain the powerful reality that in Christ, we are sons and daughters of the Father. We provide you with a thorough understanding of this theological concept that harmonizes all the doctrines of the Catholic faith, and reminds us of the goal of all our practices. Snippet from the Show "Heaven does not begin when we die, it begins the moment we are baptized in Christ and brought back home to the Father as his adopted children." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Do you want to evangelize but don’t know where to start? No matter where we are in life, we can all share the power of the Kerygma. Today, Dave “Drill Instructor” VanVickle and I, talk about our new evangelization boot camp coming up that will equip you to be a confident evangelist in today’s world. Snippet from the Show No matter what our vocation, we can all cry out from our hearts the Good News- that powerful reality that Jesus saves. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Biblical knowledge is key when it comes to understanding morality. Today, Dave “Brave New” VanVickle and I discuss why depriving young people of Biblical stories negatively affects their moral reasoning skills as they grow up. We brainstorm ways we can revive Biblical morality in a culture that has disconnected morality from the Bible, and reduced it to pure emotions. Ascension is proud to partner with authentically Catholic institutions and organizations committed to spreading the Gospel. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode, Ave Maria University. (https://tinyurl.com/y7jgf8wj) Snippet from the Show “We need to revive Biblical morality in a culture that has disconnected morality from the Bible and reduced it to pure emotions." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

In these times of pandemic, how do we prevent others from falling into a state of indifference to the sacraments? Today, Dave VanVickle and I answer a listener’s question about drifting away from the faith in these difficult times. We have a honest conversation about the urgency of returning to Church, and provide some concrete steps to overcoming the growing indifference to the sacraments. Ascension is proud to partner with authentically Catholic institutions and organizations committed to spreading the Gospel. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode, Ave Maria University. (https://tinyurl.com/y7jgf8wj) Snippet from the Show "Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, without him we will wither away." We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we fraternally correct people within and outside the Church who are preaching ideas contrary to Church teaching, or spreading theological errors? Dave “Tactical Pants” VanVickle and I, tackle this difficult issue many evangelists encounter today. We give you practical advice so you are prepared to navigate these confusing situations and defend the truth in a humble and charitable way. Ascension is proud to partner with authentically Catholic institutions and organizations committed to spreading the Gospel. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode, Ave Maria University. (https://tinyurl.com/y7jgf8wj) Snippet from the Show “We have a fundamental justice to our creator, and when God gives us a moral command we cannot soften the command because it offends us.”c We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do we communicate God’s love to those we meet? Today, Dave VanVickle gives practical tips for spreading the love of Christ. Snippet from the Show “One of the most important things for an evangelist to understand is how to communicate God’s love for humanity.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

It’s not about bringing more people to mass, it’s about bringing more people the love of Christ. Today, Gomer and Dave “Teacher of Teachers” VanVickle explain why our parishes need disruptors in order to grow in evangelization. Snippet from the Show “Everything worth having takes effort to keep it going.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

You don’t have to be a FOCUS missionary to spread the Gospel. Today, Gomer talks to Anthony, a FOCUS Team Director about his work evangelizing the college campus through personal relationships. FOCUS is a Catholic collegiate outreach whose mission is to share the hope and joy of the gospel with college and university students. Snippet from the Show “We can talk strategies, but it’s really the Lord that does the heavy lifting. He’s the first mover, and so much of what I get to do is work alongside him, and see him working.” - Anthony We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Numbers don’t reform a parish, prayer does. Today, Gomer responds to a listener's email on building community in diverse parishes. Snippet from the Show “Pray for renewal, work for reform.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Our culture needs an evangelization that finds light in sinful situations, without glorifying them. Today, Gomer and Dave “Unquestionably Non-Schismatic” VanVickle continue their thoughts from last episode, focusing on finding light in dark places. Snippet from the Show “Every person has a duty to continually evaluate what God is calling them to.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Instead of deciding whether to talk about Jesus or culture, why not discuss both? Today, Gomer and Dave “No Friends, No Fear” VanVickle discuss how we can integrate evangelization with heavy cultural topics, instead of pitting them against each other. Snippet from the Show “Calling people to evangelization is not calling people to a warm and fuzzy feeling. The evangelist must be prepared to be crucified.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How do you evangelize your family during Christmas? Today, Gomer and Dave “Pinball Wizard” VanVickle talk about their Christmas traditions and answer a listener’s question about balancing parish responsibilities. Snippet from the Show “To me, the sweep of salvation history is my favorite way to enjoy this season.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The sacrifice of Christ should be seen everywhere in our faith, especially in our parishes! Today, Gomer and Dave “Dead-Lifting the Devil” VanVickle answer a listener’s email about evangelizing through the true cross of Christ. Snippet from the Show “Preach the true cross, and watch people be resurrected.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Rural communities have Catholic parishes too, and they should be celebrated! Today, Gomer shares a talk he gave to Omaha Archdiocesan "Rural Lead" program to help parishes become missional communities. Snippet from the Show “We worship God through the sacraments, so we wanna make sure people understand what it means to worship God at the mass. It doesn’t mean you sing really loudly, it means you worship from ever greater depths of the core of your being.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

New year, new role, new opportunities for evangelization. Today, Gomer and Dave “the taxman“ VanVickle talk about practical ways to kickstart evangelization at your parish in the new year. Snippet from the Show “Having solid relationships just means that the tasks and mission of the Church is going to flow that much easier. You’re investing in the people around you, so that they can be invested in the mission.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Thanksgiving is here, are you ready to navigate faith conversations with your family? Today, Dave “The Turkey”and I give you some quick evangelization pointers so you can navigate faith conversations smoothly and lovingly with your relatives. Snippet from the Show “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”- Mark 12:31 We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Reaching out to adults looking to convert to Catholicism and guiding them through RCIA is a key part of parish ministry. Today, Dave “Not a Mouth Breather” VanVickle and I discuss different ways to run an RCIA program at a parish and offer helpful tips in preparing adults to enter the Catholic Church. Snippet from the Show Converting to Catholicism is a journey that must accompanied by the lives of the saints, community life, prayer and theology. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

There are ripe evangelization opportunities everywhere, we just have to be willing to notice them and bring Christ into them. Today, Dave VanVickle answers listener questions and offers us practical tools when it comes to evangelizing at bars, in schools, and at work. Snippet from the Show To transform society, we must first reach those souls in our local spheres of influence. There are ripe evangelization opportunities everywhere, we just have to be willing to notice them and bring Christ into them. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The New Age movement is on the rise in our culture and we have to understand how to reach those being drawn to its spirituality. Dave “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” VanVickle and I answer a listener’s question about how to reach those involved in the New Age movement. We discuss the reasons behind the popularity of this spirituality today, and offer practical tools to evangelize those involved in this increasingly widespread spirituality. Snippet from the Show The attempt in the New Age movement to get in touch with a power that is non-personal and non-rational does not succeed in satisfying our spiritual hunger because we were made for a personal God. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Navigating Confirmation preparation with teenagers in today’s times is not easy. Today, Colin MacIver and I discuss his newest book ,The Catechists Field Guide to Confirmation, how to reach the hearts of teenagers, and how to implement practical tools to create the best confirmation experience for candidates. Snippet from the Show The main goal of Confirmation is not to check off a box in Sacramental preparation, it’s to reach the hearts of candidates and form them into lifelong disciples of Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

There are two fundamental doctrines every Catholic needs to understand; the Trinity and the Incarnation. Today, I share a fun RCIA talk that I recently gave to help you understand the very identity of God. I delve into salvation history in Scripture to demonstrate how the incarnation shows us the eternal self-giving love of the Trinity. Snippet from the Show The mystery of the Incarnation points us to the eternal self-giving love of the Trinity. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave “I’m the Hurricane” VanVickle and I answer a listener’s question about practically guiding someone in the midst of a conversion, and also speak on the importance of leaving room for the dynamism of the Holy Spirit when we approach spiritual multiplication. Snippet from the Show Evangelization cannot be reduced to merely mechanics or processes, it must always leave room for the dynamism of the Holy Spirit. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Discipleship with Jesus truly flourishes when we are faithful to a few basic disciplines. Today, Dave VanVickle dives into four disciplines that are key in the life of a new disciple in order to live a fruitful Christian life. Snippet from the Show Discipleship with the Lord must eventually turn outward. Once our thirst for Christ is quenched, he will lead us into deserts where we can share his living water. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave “Well Prepared” VanVickle and I chat about returning to Mass, the craziness in our lives, and continuing to evangelize and reach the faithful creatively during these uncertain and challenging times. Snippet from the Show In times of isolation and uncertainty, we have the gift of the crucifix to gaze at and identify with. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

It is easy to get worn out when you work for the Kingdom of God. Today, Dave VanVickle shares a word of encouragement for all who feel weary and tired laboring for the Lord. Dave gives us practical advice to find rest when evangelization gets hard and tiring. Snippet from the Show When you feel overwhelmed by the weight of sin in the world, root yourself deeply in the peace of Christ and let him give you rest. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Storytelling is essential in evangelization. Today, Dave VanVickle and I discuss the importance of narrative and contextualizing Church doctrine with powerful stories when we share the Gospel. Snippet from the Show The Gospel is an adventure story that we must not only live, but also share and pass down through generations like all great stories. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Life is messy, but we are sanctified through it. Today, Dave "How are you" VanVickle and I catch up on a bunch of random topics and the chaos in our lives. We chat about Dave's wife's cancer treatment, suffering at the parish, embracing the cross, and ideas for a discipleship think tank! Snippet from the Show When life gets messy, there is incredible grace in not asking “why?” and just letting God carry you. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

The intercession of the saints and angels is life-changing in our work of evangelization. This time it’s just me, Dave VanVickle, and today I share how to engage these incredible groups of persons in your apostolate! Snippet from the Show The angels and the saints want to be involved in our work of evangelization, they are experts in loving Jesus. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave “The Body” VanVickle and I reunite to discuss mission beyond the parish and the responsibility of being on mission that every disciple of Christ has. The laity must not be afraid to step out of their comfort zone and go beyond the parish to share Jesus Christ with others. Snippet from the Show We desperately need a movement of lay evangelists who understand the urgency of mission, and aren’t afraid to bring Jesus into the world. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

How exactly does the death and resurrection of Jesus bring us salvation? Today, I’m not joined by Dave “Double Portion of the Spirit” VanVickle unfortunately, so this episode is a little shorter. In this episode, I dive into the art of sharing the Gospel and offer you the tools and resources you need so you can effectively share the powerful reality that Jesus saves! Snippet from the Show We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Is our hope in ourselves or is it in Christ? Dave “I’ll lift weights in your living room” VanVickle and I discuss the importance of the theological virtue of hope as we journey towards Christ and help others encounter him as well. Snippet from the Show We are pilgrims on earth and citizens of heaven, our ultimate hope is eternal life in Jesus Christ. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Today, Dave and I brainstorm ideas and share opinions on how to approach catechesis and faith formation during this upcoming year, when groups can’t meet in person or at parishes. As you, dear listeners, know, Dave and I have lots of thoughts, and sometimes they’re pretty controversial ones--this episode might contain more of those than normal. If nothing else, our major message is this--we both agree that the way forward is to strengthen the domestic church and focus on forming adults, so that they can in turn hand on the faith to their children. This will be an ongoing conversation, so please email us with your ideas, strategies for addressing this at your parish, and feedback. Snippet from the Show “ The faith cannot be given in a disembodied manner.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave “The Icon” VanVickle is back with me to continue our series on sin. Today, Dave shares his comprehensive devotional model as a tool to help us overcome sin in our lives. Inspired by the lives of the saints, this model offers us a practical routine and structure to concretely drive out sin in our lives. Snippet from the Show “You can’t have a new heart if you insist on returning to the same sin.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Sin is deadly, it reproduces and reinforces itself in our lives. In this episode, I continue our discussion of sin by delving into the deadly nature of sin. By understanding the way sin wounds our nature, and how we can combat temptation, we can experience true freedom and healing in Christ. Snippet from the Show “Christ doesn’t just want to get you to stop sinning, he wants to go to the root of the sin and bring healing.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Sin destroys the life of charity between us and God, but how do we talk about it? Dave “The Hope is Real” VanVickle and I discuss sin in our walk with Christ, and share helpful ways to talk about habitual sin in discipleship. Snippet from the Show “It’s in the confrontation with sin that the fullest flowering of mercy is made manifest.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave “Living Large”' VanVickle and I address a question sent in by one of our listeners, Dante, on the Catholic Church’s struggle to engage men. We discuss the importance of community for men, and share tactics on how to transform men’s ministry in your parish. Snippet from the Show “Every man wants a battle to fight, a beauty to rescue, and an adventure to live”- John Eldredge We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Dave “Do you even lift bro?”' VanVickle and I answer a question from a listener about how to guide your family in the Catholic faith without overdoing it. Snippet from the Show “It’s time to be a saint.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments and don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Today, Dave “The Navy Seal of Sitting”' VanVickle and I sit down with a question from listener, Father Timothy, about how to make disciples and not social workers, focusing on works of mercy. Snippet From the Show “Christ wants to give us full and complete liberation that starts with feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the imprisoned and the sick. But it culminates in bringing your heart in silence before the throne of God.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments and don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Today, Dave “It’s-not-delivery-it’s-Dave'' VanVickle and I talk about how we can bring people to the faith with beauty, from classic Christian films, to Lord of the Rings, to marriage prep. Snippet From the Show Beauty pulls us up out of ourselves, up into the realm of the transcendental. Eventually you will see what truly makes us beautiful, and that is God who is wild beauty. Throw yourself into excellence. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments and don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Today, Mike “I-drive-a-little-too-fast-but-I-like-it'' Gormley and I talk about what role the papacy and the kerygma play in our lives. Thanks to our listeners for inspiring this topic! Snippet From the Show > When preaching the kerygma around people (Evangelicals) who have spent their whole lives dedicated to preaching the gospel, I show them the Catholic Church is the home of the kerygma. The papacy safeguards the basic gospel message. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments and don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Today, Dave “Slippery Slope'' Vanvickle and I address a listener’s email about teaching the faith to teens and heroic virtue. Snippet from the Show “Just as Dave said to unleash the saints, unleash Jesus.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments and don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

Today, Dave “Homefool” Vanvickle and I are answering questions from you! This week, we talk about how we can pass on the faith to our kids without forcing it on them, tithing, and how to do youth ministry during quarantine. Snippet from the Show “People don’t just want to belong, they want to contribute. Belonging makes people feel welcome, but contributing brings them into the mission.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments and don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe!

Dave VanVickle is joined today by Franciscan University President, Fr. Dave Pivonka. Together they share their thoughts on forming intentional disciples, including Father's decision to offer free tuition to incoming freshmen next year.

Dave “Gym Shorts Only” Vanvickle and I give some recommendations and tips for picking up evangelization with limited resources after COVID-19 and the difficulties of a digital church. _Snippet of the Show “Your role in the kingdom of Heaven is to advance the Gospel in the world, and maybe this quarantine can reemphasize the power of the laity.”_

Today's show, is from a talk I gave at the Fullness of Truth Conference last year. It was a weekend long conference on Mary from an apologetics standpoint. My talk was on Mary and the spiritual warfare. Typically someone like Dave VanVickle would give this talk. In fact, Dave sorta did give this talk because in my preparation for this, while driving from Houston to San Antonio, I listened to Dave's Ten Principles of Spiritual Warfare in Every Knee Shall Bow and it helped me formulate my thoughts. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com and don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe!​ You can also go to AscensionPress.com (media.ascensionpress.com) full shownotes.

Dave “the Luddite” VanVickle and I are eating meat and answering emails (not at the same time). We answer questions about the importance of signs, wonders, prophecy, and miracles when it comes to evangelization. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com and don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe!

If we could re-do our parish ministries knowing everything we know now, what would we do? Dave and I zero in on the number one thing we would focus on if we could go back in time. This is a good exercise for parishes to do every year, to help focus in on the things that will have the biggest impact, and also a good idea to do right now, as many parishes will have to streamline programs in the coming year. Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe and get the shownotes.

Dave “The Vengeance” VanVickle and I are geeking out today, because we’re talking to Dr. Scott Hahn—yes, that Dr. Scott Hahn. Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe and get the shownotes!

Dave “Can’t Spare a Square” VanVickle joins me today, as well as our illustrious producer, Marisa Beyer, to talk about life as a Catholic during these crazy COVID-19 times. We reflect on the Catholic response we’re seeing so far, share ideas for making your home the domestic church, and round things out with a special Coronavirus edition of the 5 Practical Takeaways. Check out the shownotes at AscensionPress.com or text EKSB to 33-777.

Today I’m speaking with Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., the Assistant Director for Campus Outreach at the Thomistic Institute. We mix apologetics, intellectual formation, campus ministry, and morality, and sprinkle a healthy dose of Aquinas on top. Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe or email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com Snippet from the Show “What we’re experiencing in the last five years as concerns same sex attraction and transgenderism has a lot of people afraid. We’re nervous that if we were to treat those issues, we would be genuinely persecuted.”

Dave “He Must Increase, I Must Decrease” VanVickle is not joining me (Mike “Gomer” Gormley) today, but we’ve still got a great show. First, I talk about the poverty of the Cross, how Jesus was stripped of everything, and suffered like no one else ever has or ever will and how that needs to be at the absolute center of everything we do. Next, I read some glory stories from our audience (someone from Ireland wrote in, so we’re bonafide international now). It’s amazing to hear about the good things happening in parishes, since we’re constantly inundated with negative news. Finally, I answer a couple questions about how to make meetings more Christocentric, and how to include the kerygma in training efforts. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com and be sure to check out the shownotes at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow or text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe!

A thorough understanding of the world Jesus lived in is vital to a thorough understanding of Jesus himself. I’m talking to Marcellino D’Ambrosio, aka “Dr. Italy” founder of Crossroads Initiative (https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/) and co-author of Jesus: The Way, The Truth, and The Life (https://ascensionpress.com/collections/jesus-way-truth-and-life?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=jesus&utm_content=eksb) about the historical context of the Old Testament, the world in which Jesus began his ministry.

Dave “The Kangaroo” VanVickle and I are bouncing around (see what I did there?) answering your questions about spiritual direction, Church scandals, and bringing Jesus into secular work environments, like the medical field and academia.

Snippet from the Show

“Every Catholic needs spiritual direction, but you don’t necessarily need a regular spiritual director.” 

---

SHOWNOTES

*Please continue to pray for Dave’s wife and family during this difficult battle with cancer.

Janet’s Email (7:57) - Using the Kerygma in the Medical Field

Jen’s Email (11:26) - Are Spiritual Directors Necessary? 

Matthew’s Email (21:04) - How to Encourage Parishioners Not to Leave after Scandal

Kiara’s Email Pt. 1 (28:22) - Prayer Request

Kiara’s Email Pt. 2 (33:39) - How to Call Our Colleagues to a Life with Jesus

5 Practical Takeaways

1. Pray for the plenary council mentioned in Kiara’s email
2. Pray for Janet and her group of nurses in Cincinnati 
3. Pray for Matthew’s parish, that God sends them healing and great leaders
4. Pray for Kiara’s PhD thesis 
5. Pray that God sends more spiritual directors to those who need them

Resources

• Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com 
• Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe and get added to Gomer and Dave’s email list!
• Previous Episode: Prison Stories with Gomer
• Catching Foxes Podcast with Gomer and Luke
• Learn more about Opus Dei and Regnum Christi
• The Activated Disciple: Taking Your Faith to the Next Level by Jeff Cavins
• Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life 

Dave “The Meateater” VanVickle and I talk about the trap of thinking we need to earn God’s love. This idea is what leads us to that “holier-than-thou” attitude where we congratulate ourselves for not sinning, and then look down on those who are struggling with sin. The reality is that God is a loving father who will give us what we need to serve and love him (aka grace). It’s not through our own efforts that we earn God’s love, it is a free gift that we can respond to … or not.

Today, I’m talking to the one and only Brandon Vogt, Content Director at Word on Fire, and expert in all things online evangelization. We talk about Bishop Barron, debating with atheists, proving the existence of God, and how to read more books. Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe and get added to Gomer and Dave’s email list!

Dave “The Exception for Every Rule” Van Vickle is back with me, Mike “Gomer” Gormley, as we talk about the ups and downs of prison ministry.

5 Practical Tips for Prison Ministry

1. Connect with a corrections ministry in your diocese so you don’t reinvent the wheel or cause any missteps that could get you in trouble.
2. If you have a relative in prison, put money in their commissary account and call them or write to them.
3. Donate Bibles, Catechisms, and apologetics books to your local unit, including ones in Spanish.
4. Pray a Rosary this week for the incarcerated and for the correction officers.
5. Check out the Romans Bible study by Ascension Press.

Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com or text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe and get the shownotes!

First off, I want to thank you all for your pouring of prayers, concern, and even money to the VanVickle family as his wife battles cancer. He wanted me to tell you that he has been uniquely blessed by your love and support and he is praying for you all. Today we are pulling an episode from the archives about spiritual warfare, becuase it's a hugely important topic. Quite literally, spiritual warfare is a struggle between two kingdoms—a battle between man and that which draws man away from God. This fighting and resisting evil is a common experience, yet many don’t believe they are at war. Therefore they come unprepared to fight the battle. We discuss the Church Fathers’ understanding of spiritual warfare, the context behind the Church’s teachings on the subject, and practical ways you can resist evil and equip yourself with the best possible resources.

Dave “Brother from the Blessed Mother” VanVickle is unfortunately not with us today. Just before Christmas, Dave’s wife was diagnosed with stage four cancer, so please storm heaven with your prayers for Amber VanVickle and their family! Today is a short episode about the meaning of generosity in the Christian life. We don’t usually hear about generosity until tithing time, but generosity extends far beyond dollars. We need to practice generosity at all times, especially when it comes to our prayers and participation in the Church. Snippet from the Show Generosity is not God asking too much of us, it is God asking for a fraction of what he has already done for us. SHOWNOTES 2 Corinthians 8:9 - For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. Philippians 2: 5-8 - Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. GoFundMe for the VanVickle family (https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-vanvickle-family)

Happy New Year! We’ve got five resolutions for Catholics who want to continue to spread the Good News in 2020. 5 Resolutions for Catholic Evangelizers 1. Read a Gospel a week. 2. Read The Soul of the Apostolate by Jean-Baptiste Chautard. 3. Begin the practice of mental prayer. 4. Look for one chance each day to evangelize by listening first, and then maybe speaking. 5. Pray the Memorare each day asking Mary to bring people to you, so you can introduce them to her Son. We want to hear from you! Text ESKB to 33-777 to subscribe and email us at eksb@acensionpress.com with your comments and questions—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave.

On this glorious Christmas day, I, Gomer, give an abbreviated recap of King Herod’s dark, violent, and corrupt history. It was in the face of this proud ruler who did anything to secure his worldly power and wealth that God sent the most humble Christ-child. This Christmas, remember that no matter how small and insignificant you might feel, your “yes” to God will allow Christ to be born into this proud and haughty world in which we live. As a practical takeaway, meditate on this reality while praying the words of Mary’s Magnificat: “My soul magnifies the Lord And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid; For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; Because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name; And His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him. He has shown might with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” *Snippet from the Show *God always works through the hidden, the small, and even the despised things of this world. Resources Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get on our email list! Daniel 9: Daniel’s Prayer for the People 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees

Dave “The Wolf of Main Street” VanVickle and I wrap up our Advent series on repentance. We talk about interior repentance and how that shows up through things like fasting, keeping Fridays a day of penance, forgiving others, serving the poor, and constantly reorienting our lives towards Christ. We can’t buy heaven with these acts, (the cross of Christ is our salvation) but true repentance will always show up in our words and deeds. Snippet from the Show “Penance is not about paying for sin, it’s about being more free to surrender to what God is doing in your life.” Get the shownotes! Text ESKB to 33-777 to subscribe or email us at eksb@acensionpress.com

I, (Dave VanVickle), have no nickname today, because sadly Gomer isn’t here. (He’s OK, he’s just been sick.) So I’m continuing our conversation about repentance solo. I want to talk about what repentance looks like in Scripture, especially Zacchaeus’ repentence in Luke 19, and how we can incorporate continual repentance and conversion in our day-to-day lives. _Snippet from the Show “God is not just calling us away from sin, but also to accept this beautiful new life in the kingdom; to see the world, the poor, and our brothers and sisters through the eyes of Jesus Christ.” _ Get the shownotes! Text EKSB to 33-777 to subscribe!

Dave “The Giraffe” Van Vickle and I (Mike “Gomer” Gormley) start off nice and easy by talking about the darkness in the Church right now … and then we ease into our main topic for this Advent season—repentance. The repentance aspect of Advent is highly neglected but extremely important. Most people like to focus on the love of God made man (which is huge, don’t get me wrong) but what is the proper response to this great love? Repentance. So, how do we repent, why do we repent, why is Advent a season of repentance? Snippet from the Show Our entire Theology revolves around repentance because it’s not Jesus overlooking our sins, it’s him dying for us so that we may be transformed. Text ESKB to 33-777 to subscribe and get added to Gomer and Dave’s email list!

You’ve probably heard people say that evangelization is proclaiming the gospel and using words when necessary. Well, Dave “Roaring Lion” VanVickle and myself (Mike “Gomer” Gormley) have a problem with this phrase—it only covers one aspect of evangelization. There’s a whole other big part of evangelization where you use words. A big reason we reduce evangelization to the interior life is because there is fear involved with proclaiming the Gospel and talking about Jesus. We’re afraid of saying the wrong thing, of being rejected, so we just say, “well as long as you’re living like a disciple, you’re good.” But we’re not. Introducing people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ takes many, many different forms. You don’t have to do all of them all the time, but we’re pretty sure both words and actions will be involved. Snippet from the Show “There were all kinds of people who were not apostles who followed Jesus. We’re called to encounter Christ in others” SHOWNOTES Saint Francis of Assisi - “There’s no use walking somewhere to preach unless your walking is also your preaching.” Evangelii Gaudium, 165 - “We must not think that in catechesis the kerygma gives way to a supposedly more “solid” formation. Nothing is more solid, profound, secure, meaningful and wisdom-filled than that initial proclamation. All Christian formation consists of entering more deeply into the kerygma, which is reflected in and constantly illumines, the work of catechesis, thereby enabling us to understand more fully the significance of every subject which the latter treats.” Frank Sheed - “It’s the union of man with God and Christ Jesus.” Jesus Visits Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) - “Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” Saint Mother Teresa - “Do you want to change the world? Go home and love your families.” Five Practical Takeaways 1. Talkie-talkie: Pick a person and tell them about a change Christ has made in your life. 2. Walkie-walkie: Don’t gossip this week. At all. Literally. 3. Talkie-talkie: Invite a co-worker or acquaintance to grab a coffee and get to know them better. 4. Walkie-walkie: Fast for one day and donate the money to charity or your parish. 5. Talkie-talkie: Ask a person what Christ has done in their lives.

Dave “The Perpetual Penitent” VanVickle and I (Mike “Gomer” Gormley) are talking about something we all know, but few people truly understand—God’s love. We’ve heard, “God loves you” just enough to make us content with the thought of it, and totally unfamiliar with the radial depth of that reality. By looking at some passages in the Bible (the woman at the well, the Good Samaritan, the conversion of Zacchae′us the tax collector) we discover the beautiful truth of God’s love: that he knows us through and through, and loves us more deeply than we can comprehend in this life. (Something to look forward to in death, am I right?) _Snippet from the Show What we desire most of all is to be known, and loved. Because if you are loved, but not known, that’s superficial and weak. If you’re known, but not loved, that’s our greatest nightmare. _ Get the shownotes! Text ESKB to 33-777 or email us at eksb@acensionpress.com

Dave “The Dandy” VanVickle and I are talking about a different approach to evangelization: philosophy. A lot of people respond to the kerygma alone, but some really need a rational argument to understand the reason for belief in God. So today we dig into natural happiness. To be brief, the idea is that nothing in the world can completely satisfy us, because we were made for something eternal, which is God. We also talk a bit about parish bureaucracy and the hierarchy of the Church. Let’s just say you should pray for your parish. What do you think about philosophical approaches to evangelization? Do they work? Are they helpful? Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “Your spouse is not sufficient to make you happy. They are a human person and your heart has an infinite longing that only an infinite God can fulfill. So if you demand your husband or wife to complete you, you are asking them to be God for you. That’s unrealistic.”

Dave “He Stole My Eggo” VanVickle and I are coming up with answers faster than the dusty magic 8-ball that’s probably still in your attic somewhere. We’re addressing your quick questions about parish life and evangelization including: What’s the deal with stewardship parishes (parishes where your salary is on record so they’re sure you’re tithing fully)? How can I make discipleship tracks in my parish? How can I talk about Jesus when talking in general is hard enough? ... (I'm an introvert) And how can I be a good witness when the first contact I have with someone is about sexual morality? Snippet from the Show “It’s easier to give money than it is to give your whole life.” Five Practical Takeaways 1. Look for ways to bring the Holy Spirit into your daily job or hobby. 2. Look at local events and go to one of each: Kerygma, Catechesis, and Conquer. * Kerygma event - retreat or a speaker at your parish * Catechesis event - Bible study or other learning opportunity * Conquer event - outreach event at your parish, or volunteering opportunities 3. Five Minute Exercise: Go on YouTube and find videos that fall into the Kerygma, Catechesis, and Conquer categories above and maybe send them out. Ascension Presents has some good ones for you! 4. Intercessory Prayer: Prayers for Catholics involved in OBGYN and family medicine. 5. Introverted ways to evangelize: Do it online! Head over to Brandon Vogt’s Strange Notions and read up, or consume “Classical Theism Podcast” and share it out there on your social feeds. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave.

Dave "Skull Crusher" VanVickle and I talk about seven common pitfalls of evangelization that we see at parishes around the country. Recognize any?

Dave “The Dutch Shnauzer” VanVickle and I (Michael “Gomer” Gormley), tell you how to start catalyzing parish evangelization and how not to make the kinds of mistakes we made when we were but young, eager, parish evangelization greenhorns. Snippet from the Show This is not the time for good priests, good bishops, and good Catholics; it is a time for heroic priests, heroic bishops, and heroic Catholics. Shownotes Listener Feedback from Amanda Last week I met with a local parish priest to talk about the possibility of creating an evangelization position at his parish. I'm a former campus missionary (Brew City Catholic, I think Gomer spoke at one of our annual conferences!) and Father wanted to invite me to help him convince his parish and finance councils that creating a dedicated Director of Evangelization position would benefit the parish. In order to do this, he asked if I'd be able to develop something like a 5 year plan. As soon as I left that meeting I searched "Parish evangelization podcasts" which is how I came across the two of you! In the past week, you've become my favorite podcast. I love the practicals! My question for you is this: where should I start? Do you have any resources that I could explore as I begin to develop this plan? My "Step One" as it were is simply to start an intercessory prayer group, but I'm rather intimidated by what is a very daunting task. If we succeed in convincing the council that this position is worth it, I would in fact be the only full time person on staff. Our religious education program is through a different parish. It would be the pastor and I starting almost essentially from scratch. This is a vague request, but I appreciate any wisdom you can share! 8 Things to Consider When Developing a Parish Evangelization Plan ADULTS NEED CONVERSION: Most Catholic parish employees and volunteers do not think adult Catholics need evangelization, but they desperately do. Evangelicals convert adults. They target adults and they get them. We don’t because we just make assumptions about faith and conversion. STUDY OF EVANGELIZATION: Your parish council and finance council needs to understand the Church’s vision of evangelization and Catholic discipleship. You need to study the heck out of this so it becomes second-nature to you and you can educate the staff, the councils, and any key stakeholders. START AT THE END OF CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP: List the qualities of a Catholic disciple in your parish. What are the different aspects of following Christ that matter most. Then ask yourself, “What do we currently offer and what new things need to come into being that will lead people to this end goal of discipleship?” THE PITCH NEEDS A TIMELINE: Your councils want practicals. Your case becomes stronger when you offer a timeline and your strategic initiatives to them to consider. SOW THE SEEDLINGS YOUR FIRST YEAR: Councils want to see the sizzle, “What are you offering us now?” They want to see where the money goes quickly, but you need the time to build up discipleship. So, create seedling programs that are short and sweet that will perhaps later be developed into full-blown ministries or processes. This demonstrates your are building something and you take away their anxiety. THE FORMALIZED GOAL OF ONE-ON-ONE MINISTRY: Part of my job is meeting one-on-one with people and working with them. Start with the classes and funnel them down to the small group. From the small group, try to connect with them one-on-one. Also, the people in the office and the pastor and the councils and any other stakeholders need to see that meeting one-on-one is an essential part of your ministry. Others will gossip incessantly that you aren’t doing your job because you aren’t in your office. But meeting with people is your job. PARTNER WITH ALREADY EXISTING MINISTRIES: The lowest hanging fruit is partnering with the ministries and groups that already exist at your parish. Your job will be to change the culture toward evangelization, constantly holding evangelization up to them and showing them how central it is to the Catholic life. Offer retreats, days of reflection, brief talks, testimonies, whatever it takes to these groups to spread the gospel. TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE PARISH’S CULTURE: Do not, for the love of Christ, try to put a round peg in a square hole. Understand your parish’s culture and specific ministries’ cultures before you start imposing your approach onto them. Realize culture is expressed through things like schedules and priorities at the parish. Do your best to work within the culture to change the culture, but don’t think you'll be successful if you blindly start throwing things around. Nothing will stick. Nothing will change, unless you’re patient! Five Practical Takeaways 1. Pray for the Councils who will make these decisions. And listeners, let’s all pray a Hail Mary right now for Amanda, her pastor, and her parish. 2. Meet regularly with a group of like-minded people in the parish to pray and discuss the missionary nature of the Church and the parish. 3. Come up with your top three essential tasks of a director of evangelization and email them to us. We will figure out what to do with them. 4. List five things besides going to Mass that makes someone a practicing Catholic. Do something daring for the gospel. Resources Steubenville Discipleship Quad Models of the Church by Cardinal Avery Dulles The 99: An Evangelization Mission Series Pocket Guide to the Rosary by Matt Fradd

Have you ever wondered how to go about training Catholic lectors or how to inspire teens as they begin preparing for confirmation? In this special episode of_ Every Knee Shall Bow,_ hear two practical applications where Michael Gormley preaches first to Confirmation teens and then to lectors at his parish. Snippet from the Show "We shall not approach the text of the Word of God so casually when we are in the midst of the Liturgy. This is not a performance. This is a proclamation." Shownotes Inspiring Teens Who Are Preparing for Confirmation In this first talk, Michael "Gomer" Gormley uses humor and personal testimony to relate to teens as they embark on their journey towards Confirmation. During his presentation, he holds up one of the Church's newly canonized saints, St. Cardinal Henry Newman, as a model for Catholics who question and seek: * St. Cardinal Henry Newman - “A thousand questions does not a single doubt make.” Training Catholic Lectors In this second talk given to Catholic lectors in training, Michael "Gomer" Gormley explains the gravity and beauty of proclaiming God's word. Listen to how he connects a lector's role with personal spirituality and the goal of conversion. Here are the quotes he references during this presentation: * Dei Verbum - “The Holy Spirit is the principle divine author of sacred scripture” Read the rest here * Pope St. John Paul II - “I use the word communion not community because I don’t want people thinking the Church is a sociological reality, it is first a theological reality.” * Romans 5:14 - “Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.” Read the rest here * Romans 6:3-4 - “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Read the rest here * St. Teresa of Avila - “If you want to hear God talk to you, read scripture. If you want to see a miracle, go to Mass.” * Francis Chan - “Imagine someone told you, ‘I want you to go to the nearest cemetery, and I want you to pray fervently to raise one person from the dead. Not the whole cemetery just one person.’ Who would you take with you?... I’ll tell ya who I’d take: I’d take that person who's known for always coming into the presence of God. Because to raise the dead is a miracle. And isn’t that what conversion is?” Resources 1 Corinthians 15 Romans Bible Study The Bible Timeline Chart Ephesians 1

Dave “The Angelic Doctor” VanVickle (he’s really uncomfortable with that one) and I break down ten things you need to know to go out into the world right now and start evangelizing your family, friends, coworkers, and the random people you meet on the street. We’ve made all the evangelization mistakes through our years of talking to people about Jesus and the Church so that you don’t have to. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “Real evangelization takes place within a trusting relationship. That means listening to the story they want to tell so that you actually understand where they’re coming from. Only then can you truly offer a response to the yearning of their soul.” Five Practical Takeaways 1. Read Mark’s account of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. 2. Go back to your conversion story and review everything, asking God to reveal new parts of your story. 3. Intercede for the healing of someone you know. 4. Go to the internet and search for conversion stories, studying the way the Holy Spirit moves in people’s lives. 5. Google the JPII Healing Center and research what healing looks like.

The phrase “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” has become so synonymous with Protestant spirituality that many Catholics seem to think it’s not that important. This is a huge problem. Dave “The Cheddar” VanVickle and I talk about why having a personal relationship with Jesus is absolutely vital for Catholics. It’s not about just having an emotional reaction, it’s about knowing the God we claim to love and allowing that intimacy to draw us ever deeper into the sacraments and mysteries of the Catholic Faith. Snippet from the Show “Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ ignites and amplifies the sacramental reception of him.” SHOWNOTES Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2558 - "Great is the mystery of the faith!" The Church professes this mystery in the Apostles' Creed (Part One) and celebrates it in the sacramental liturgy (Part Two), so that the life of the faithful may be conformed to Christ in the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Part Three). This mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer. THE SOUL OF THE APOSTOLATE - If I do not believe the active presence of Jesus is within me, and if I did not try to make this presence within me a vital reality, I would be depriving my interior life of Jesus. . When Jesus, in this manner, becomes my light, my ideal, my counsel, my support, my refuge, my strength, my healer, my consolation, my joy, my love, in a word, my life, I shall acquire all the virtues. On Spiritual Perfection - The measure of a man’s love for God depends upon how deeply aware he is of God’s love for him. St. Theresa of Avila - “Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” Pope St. John Paul II - “Conversion means accepting, by a personal decision, the saving sovereignty of Christ and becoming his disciple.” Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 - “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” St. John Paul II, speech to bishops of Southern Germany, Dec. 4, 1992 - “It is necessary to awaken again in believers a full relationship with Christ, mankind’s only Savior. Only from a personal relationship with Jesus can an effective evangelization develop.” Pope Benedict, Deus Caritas Est 1 - "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction." Pope Benedict XVI, May 2004 - "Many people perceive Christianity as something institutional -- rather than as an encounter with Christ -- which explains why they don't see it as a source of joy." John 15:15 - “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” Marriage Analogy: If a couple has a great friendship, but refuses intimacy. If a couple has intimacy, but refuses to have a close friendship. Catholics are the latter, Protestants are the former. Neither is healthy! Five Practical Takeaways 1. Read: A book about the life of a saint (St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Augustine, etc.) 2. Intercession: Pray for someone whose love for Christ or his Church has grown cold. 3. Read: Read the Song of Songs 4. Community: Host a dinner, but not a potluck. Provide everything for them and ask nothing from them in return. 5. Reflection: Examination of a relationship you have Resources The 99 - now shipping! Romans: The Gospel of Salvation

I’m your host, Mike "Gomer" Gormley but I am not joined by my illustrious co-host, Dave “The Bearded Fox” Van Vickle because of life. Yes, life. For two weeks we kept trying to record a show together, but my daughter ended up in the hospital (she’s home now) for a few days and threw everything off. Prayers appreciated! Dave was flying all over the country talking about Catholic spiritual warfare (like a gentleman ought) so instead I’m bringing you another example from my own ministry of how I preach the gospel. This talk was given to the men's group at my parish (even though some people don’t like those cough Dave cough) and focuses on the message of salvation through Genesis up to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and points to the responsibility this puts on Christians to spread the good news. We will be back with a regular show next week so you can hear the wonderful vibrato of “The Bearded Fox” himself. Snippet from the Show “The very spirit of Christ is breathed out upon us, giving us the ability to overcome sin, death, and darkness in our own lives. The Holy Spirit is the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ unleashed into the human heart.” SHOWNOTES Matthew 28:16-20 - “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.’” Dr. Scott Hahn - “The moment I’m more outraged at another person’s sin than my own is the day I need a reality check, because their sins don’t send me to hell the last time I checked.” Genesis 3:15 - “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” GK Chesterton on Original Sin - “The only doctrine of the church that’s empirically verifiable” St. Paul - “I do the very thing I don’t want to do, and I don’t do the very thing I want to do. Who will deliver me from this wretched body?” Two questions to ask yourself 1. Why is it so difficult for you to evangelize? 2. How has the resurrection of Jesus changed your life? Resources * Frank Sheed, Theology and Sanity * Pope St. John Paul II, Theology of the Body (http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/catholic-teaching/theology-of-the-body.cfm)

There’s a lot more to being a Catholic speaker than what you see. Dave “Extreme Narcissist” VanVickle and I discuss the little-known problems and behind-the-scenes difficulties of people who talk about the Faith for a living. From bringing kids to RCIA to feeling guilty about a paycheck, we talk about balancing family life, parish life, full-time jobs, and time on the road. Snippet from the Show “The life of a professional traveling speaker is not what most people think it is.” SHOWNOTES Money and Guilt * Charging for a talk isn’t about making money off the gospel, it’s about providing for time spent away from family. Family Values * Being on the road makes your spouse temporarily a single parent. It’s a huge strain on the family and the spouses are the ones who really have it hard. Missional Continuity * What is the mission with the audience? The speaker is there to continue the work that is already happening, not to have a singular affect that probably won’t stick. Five Practical Takeaways 1. Pray for your favorite Catholic speaker. 2. Read Marcel’s article, “Why You Probably Don't Want To Be A Catholic Speaker!” 3. Evaluate your most recent event and ask yourself about the impact it had weeks later. 4. Critically examine your money and fame motives. 5. Community: try to learn something new about someone already in your life. Try Patrick Lencioni’s opening question: what life event from your childhood affected you the most?

Welcome to EKSB, your weekly Catholic podcast on evangelization. I’m your host, Mike “Gomer” Gormley, and I’m joined, as always, by my co-host, Dave “The Masked Pamphleteer” Van Vickle. Today we’re answering questions and handing out sweet sweet nicknames. We talk about how to make men’s groups less painful, what to do if your parish has little to no money, our essential reading list for people who want to evangelize, resources for introducing kids to Adoration, and the Pew Research study on the True Presence in the Eucharist. Snippet from the Show “If you can teach what the Church actually believes about the True Presence, and then set up an encounter in Adoration, you will bring people to Jesus in droves.” SHOWNOTES Chaz The Man writes: Hey guys! Love the podcast. I have been asked to start/lead a men’s group at our parish. We have a mini retreat this weekend and I spoke to the guy leading about what were we going to do following the retreat to keep and engage the men coming. In turn he said great idea.....so now I have the reins on it which I’m pumped about but I don’t want it to be your typical old guys drinking coffee and talking about surface topics. My idea was to first give my testimony to show them how God can polish a turd:) Then I was thinking about something light to build trust and something that doesn’t require much from them except to show up! I was thinking just reading the Gospel for the coming Sunday in the same small groups every week and talking about it. How it applies to our life, what we take from etc. Then maybe do a book study. Thoughts? Luke the Seminarian writes: Dear Gomer and Dave ‘too hot to handle, too cold to hold’ VanVickle, I’m an English Seminarian preparing for ordination to the diaconate this coming year and I just wanted to say thank you for the great work your doing on the podcast and to ask a question. In the UK we face a lot of the same problems as you do in the states, our people generally aren’t well formed and we struggle for volunteers; but on top of that our weekly collections tend to be so low that paid employees aren’t typically realistic for most parishes. We can’t afford to pay a director of religious education or evangelisation and these things tend to fall (along with everything else) on the Priest. So I suppose my question is, what would you guys suggest as the absolute basics to start building from for a priest to get in place that he can manage reasonably alongside all of his other duties? I realise that it’s a big question, sometimes it seems a little overwhelming! I’ve read a lot of the books, Divine Renovation etc, but a lot of the time their starting position is so radically different from our average parishes that it’s difficult to think how you would even start to implement them. Please be assured of my prayers and keep up the great work. Aaron the Book Nerd writes: Hey fellas, love the podcast. Can't get enough. Was hoping you could help me out with a few things. First off, you make a ton of books recommendations on the podcast, but was hoping you could narrow it down a bit for me. I am a cradle Catholic who recently went through sort of a conversion experience where I feel I am being called to evangelize and bring the Gospel to people to advance the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth; however, I am extremely knew to evangelization and so was looking for one or two key books that you believe every evangelist should read. Secondly, our Parish asked for anyone interested in prison ministry to reach out to them. This is another area where I feel I am being called, but it seems like I may be the only at my Parish called to do so, as I seem to be the one now leading the charge to start the prison ministry at my Parish while getting advice from another Parish with an already established prison ministry. So my question is ....any advice? God Bless. Aaron the Adorer writes: Hello, Michael Gormley and Dave “Milk and honey” Van Vickle! First off, thank you. I have been listening to your podcast since day one and, while I haven’t always been faithful to the 5 practical tips each week, they have stretched me in ways I was afraid of in the past. In fact, the tips stretched me enough to take up a position in July at a local parish collaborative (2 parishes sharing resources) up here in Massachusetts as the Director of Lifelong Faith Formation. Your insights, challenge and resources (especially Sherry Weddell’s book) has been transformative for me and my family. I cannot thank God enough for the ways your podcast has prepared me for a deeper commitment as a disciple. The other reason I am e-mailing you is in reference to something Dave mentioned in one of the recent podcasts: guiding kids through an experience of Adoration. After the most recent Pew poll that just came out on Catholics and their understanding (or lack-there-of) of the Eucharist, I am wanting to focus the efforts of our religious ed and faith formation on the Real Presence and Adoration. I am hoping to have each grade level have an experience of one hour of Adoration over the course of the year. Do you have any resources that you have used that would help make this a success for the various age groups? You mentioned just doing this with 4, 5 and 6 year olds. Do you avoid adoration with the older kids? If so, why? Do you have any other ideas of how to ignite the older kids’ hearts for love of the Eucharist? Also, better yet, I am wondering if, in light of the recent Pew research poll on Catholics and belief in the Eucharist, you were planning on focusing in on the Eucharist as a jumping off point for evangelization? It seems to be something people struggle with accepting nowadays (though I suppose one could say people have always struggled to accept this teaching, as they did in Jesus’ own earthly ministry!). It is easy for the modern relativistic-thinking Catholic to pick and choose themselves away from this HARD teaching of Jesus. It seems like an area that needs some doubling-down on in our Church here in the US. In any case, know of my gratitude and prayers. Five Practical Takeaways 1. Research weekly lectionary devotionals, like The Word Among Us 2. Pray for Luke the Seminarian! 3. Read The Way of the Disciple by Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis (https://amzn.to/34vqTCf) 4. Go to adoration or take your kids to 10 minutes of Adoration. 5. Share this podcast with at least one person! Resources and Events * Dave's website (thesinnersguide.com (http://www.thesinnersguide.com/)) * Dedication and Leadership by Douglas Hyde * Leaving Boyhood Behind by Jason Craig * Exodus 90 * The Way of the Disciple by Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis * Jesus Shock by Peter Kreeft * Children of Hope * Children of Hope Leader’s Guide

Dave “Wolfsbane” VanVickle is … not here today. It’s just me, Gomer, with a special episode where I recorded a talk I gave to my catechists about how to become excellent teachers of our Faith. This talk is the past two episodes of EKSB put into practice. If you are a catechist, thinking about becoming a catechist, or work with catechists in any way, this episode will be extremely helpful. Snippet from the Show What is catechesis? It’s about giving growth to a faith that already exists because of evangelization that has already happened. But if evengalization hasn’t happened, what are we maturing? 5 Practical Takeaways 1. Read and pray with Ephesians 4:1-16 2. Memorize Catechesi Tradendae paragraph five. 3. Handwrite every student’s name and pray for them for 1 min every day. 4. Write one sentence per lesson that ties it to the person of Jesus Christ. 5. Come up with one example from your life per lesson.

CALLING ALL DIRECTORS OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND CATECHISTS! This one’s for you. Dave “Cucumber Melon” VanVickle and I talk about the qualities that make for bad catechists vs. great catechists and how to find the right people for your program. This is a huge issue for religious education that is so important because the immortal souls of kids depends on it. We also have storytime with Dave on why Kenny Baldwin is A MONSTER (just kidding) and extend an extra-special welcome to long-time listener Ralph “The Party” VanVickle! We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. SHOWNOTES What makes a good catechist? * You have a mature spiritual life with daily prayer and a mentality of fides quaerens intellectum or "faith seeking understanding". * You have an answer to this question: “Can you tell me about your daily lived relationship with the Lord?” * You prioritize the truths of the Faith and always tie them to the Person of Christ. * In the classroom, you make sure any craft or art project is truly effective and relevant to the lesson. * You understand that you are making a difference to the immortal souls of your students. * You have a DRE who is responsible for ongoing formation of catechists. What makes a bad catechist? * Unprepared, you haven’t read it or prayed about it. * You don’t know your kids’ names. * You never pray for them. * You don’t quote the Bible. * You never share your story of God’s movement in your life. * You don’t think about conversion, only communicating the doctrine. * You don’t see the whole and how it is all interrelated to Christ and the Trinity. * Prayer is nothing but a bookend to your class. How to find good catechists * Start a Bible study or adult faith formation event (or go to one that already exists) and see who shows up consistently and is serious about growing in their faith. * Invite specific people to be catechists. Don’t advertise to the whole church. You’re looking for people who are called, not guilted into it. * Do a ministry fair where people can come and see what ministries your parish has. * Pray and ask God for good catechists. * Be comfortable letting people go. 5 PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS 1. Personal Prayer Time: Ephesians 4:1-16 2. Memorize Catechesi Tradendae center of paragraph five. 3. Handwrite each kids’ name and pray for one minute for each kid in your class this week. 4. Prepare a lesson plan for one lesson on one topic and, keeping in mind good/bad catechist, write one sentence that ties it to Christ. 5. Come up with one example from your life per lesson plan. RESOURCES AND EVENTS * Dave’s School of Spiritual Warfare (https://www.petersshadow.org/events) event in Akron, OH * Catechesi Tradendae (http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_16101979_catechesi-tradendae.html) * Chosen Confirmation Prep Program (https://ascensionpress.com/pages/chosen-your-journey-toward-confirmation?utm_source=website&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=chosen&utm_content=eksb)

Dave “Biker for Christ” VanVickle and I are talking about Catholic schools again (because that worked out so well last time.) We received a lot of feedback from our episode on making Catholic schools evangelizing powerhouses, so we wanted to talk more about what teachers can actually do to be powerful witnesses for Christ. First we talk about hitchhiking for Christ (because that’s a thing) and then we get into some ways teachers can talk to students about the Faith and infuse it into everything they do in and out of the classroom. Snippet from the Show “One of the most powerful things we can offer kids is to replace the false labels that our culture imposes on them.” SHOWNOTES Tips to Evangelize Students 1. Listen - Students want to be heard and tell their story. Show you’re willing to listen to their point of view and after you get to know them you can start asking the big questions about topics like eternity, purpose in life, spirituality, and Jesus. 2. Affirm their true identity - Sarcasm is everywhere in high school, and the labels we affix to young students tend to become their identity. One of the most powerful things we can do is affirm their true identity as sons and daughters of God. 3. Teach to convert, not just inform - Frame the lesson plans to form hearts as well as minds by making it Christocentric and tying everything back to the life of Jesus Christ. 4. Give opportunities for encounter - There are opportunities in every subject for God to enter in through Goodness, Truth, and Beauty. 5. Build community among teachers - What could be a more powerful witness than a group of teachers who actually love one another the way Christ loves them? 5 Practical Takeaways 1. Read Catechesi Tradendae, paragraphs 1-5 2. Meditate on Jesus as teacher while looking at your favorite image of Jesus. 3. Pick a Bible study (https://ascensionpress.com/pages/bible-studies) and invite teachers to join with you. 4. Think of a young person in your life and listen to their story. 5. Intercede for Catholic school teachers as this school year begins. RESOURCES * Gomer's FREE program, Don't Walk Alone (https://ascensionpress.com/products/dont-walk-alone?_pos=2&_sid=c491edc4f&_ss=r) * Ascension's Bible studies (https://ascensionpress.com/pages/bible-studies)

Dave “Velvet Fog” Van Vickle and I dive into history, culture, and politics (oh my!). We talk about three types of culture—pre-Christian, Christian, and post-Christian—and what Catholics can do to navigate the current political climate and evangelize in the culture without getting swept up in it. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “When you get rid of religion, all you have left is politics, and so politics becomes religion.” SHOWNOTES Mark Sayer, evangelical pastor and social commentator - “Post-Christianity is one where the Christian project is continued, but forgetting its sources, a Kingdom without a King.” Sherry Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples - “God has no grandchildren” Mark Sayer - “Every generation can forget God and every generation can remember Him.” St. Pope John Paul II, Memory and Identity: Conversations at the Dawn of a Millennium - “One of the most important tasks that we all share is to remember what happened to the 20th century.” 5 Practical Tips 1. Go people watching. 2. Reflect upon this question in adoration: how has the culture colonized my mind/heart? 3. Read an article or a news story from the Progressive Left to understand their point of view better. 4. Look for “obvious signs of transformation” in your life or ministry. 5. Pray for the conversion of our political candidates. Resources: Evangelii Nuntiandi

Dave “Milk and Honey” VanVickle and I are talking about Catholic education, and the opportunities we have to evangelize in and out of the classroom. We love Catholic schools, but so many students who attend leave without any inclination to practice the Faith. Dave and I attempt to identify the root of this problem and talk about what leaders, teachers, and parents can do to evangelize their students and create lifelong disciples. Snippet from the Show “The greatest tendency of our Catholic schools is to teach faith like history—just another liberal arts thing to memorize facts, figures, and dates to get a good grade on the test.” Check out this episode and the shownotes (including the 5 Practical Tips and instructions on how to get Gomer's FREE program) at media.ascensionpress.com

So you’ve got the kerygma down … now what? Dave “I’m Kind of a Big Deal” VanVickle and I talk about how to mature in your faith after an initial proclamation of the gospel. The kerygma is not the end of evangelization, it’s just the beginning. It’s how someone takes the first step to becoming a disciple of Jesus, but we can’t stop there, we have to make sure that we’re preaching, but also teaching. Snippet from the Show “An initial proclamation of the kerygma is not enough. It is the doorway to faith, but once you cross that threshold, you are in the house of faith, and now you must conform your life to Christ.” SHOWNOTES Catechism of the Catholic Church, 89 - “There is an organic connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas. Dogmas are lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and make it secure. Conversely, if our life is upright, our intellect and heart will be open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of faith.” Pope St. John Paul II in Catechesi Tradendae - “The Church has always considered catechesis as one of her primary tasks … very soon the name of catechesis was given to the whole of the efforts within the Church to make disciples, to help people to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, so that believing they might have life in His name, and to educate and instruct them in this life and thus build up the Body of Christ.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 89 - “The mutual connections between dogmas, and their coherence, can be found in the whole of the Revelation of the mystery of Christ. ‘In Catholic doctrine there exists an order or hierarchy of truths, since they vary in their relation to the foundation of the Christian faith.’ St. Teresa of Avila - “If you want to hear God speak to you, read scripture. If you want to see a miracle, receive the Eucharist.” St. John the Baptist - “Bear fruit that befits repentance” (Matthew 3:8). 5 Practical Tips 1. Read the Catechism, paragraphs 74-95. 2. Pick a dogma to enter into more deeply. 3. Connect dogma to the kerygma. 4. For your spiritual life, ask Jesus to be Lord of your life, ask where you need him to assert his lordship over you, and conform. 5. Pray for the USCCB.

Dave “Thunderclap” VanVickle and I are talking to the one and only Mark Hart—author, speaker, and Executive Vice President of Life Teen. We talk about the struggles parishes have to organize a movement of evangelization and the difficulty of training and empowering individuals to spread the gospel. Instead of just telling people to evangelize, Mark is on a mission to teach people to evangelize with a new program—The 99. Featuring Fr. Mike Schmitz, Fr. Josh Johnson, Leah Darrow, Sr. Miriam James Heidland, and more, the program will help parishes start a movement of evangelization in their communities. See more at evangelization.com. Snippet from the Show - “The Church is an organized religion, but we’re painfully disorganized on a parish level.” SHOWNOTES Quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi - “Preach the gospel at all times, when necessary, use words.” Mark’s 4 Practical Tips 1. As part of your morning prayer, ask the Lord for greater awareness of the people he’s putting in your path that day. 2. Pray an examination of conscience at the end of the day (consider using Romans 12). 3. Put your phone down more often to be present to those around you. 4. Instead of texting someone, call them and leave a voicemail if you have to. One last tip from Gomer and Dave: Buy The 99 (https://ascensionpress.com/pages/the-99-coming-soon)!

Dave “Too Hot to Handle, Too Cold to Hold” VanVickle and I are focusing on the role of the laity in the Church when it comes to explicit word and deed evangelization. The Church needs the voice of the laity to speak up! Priests can’t go into your office and nuns can’t go into your friend’s house (probably). We are the ones that must carry the Gospel into our homes, schools, jobs, and public places. Snippet from the Show “Catholics were attempting to be modest and self-critical instead of being triumphant … We went from being triumphant and engaging in apologetics to just being apologetic.” Check out the shownotes for today's episode at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow

Dave “Don’t Fear the Reaper” Van Vickle and I are talking about how to keep Jesus at the heart of your ministry and your life. Today’s totally made up middle name for Dave is brought to you by listener Lina., who also asks the questions that we are answering in this show - thank you Lina! We’re talking about the vine, the branches, and the backyard … (Dave bought a new house). We start with how to open your home to engage the culture and build community and then get to a question from Lina who asks, “What are the practical steps to stay grafted onto the vine when you’ve been sent to work out in the vineyard?” In other words, how do we keep Jesus as the defining characteristic of our life when we feel called to go off and do great things on our own or within our parish? Snippet from the Show “The presence of suffering and persecution is the way that God makes you better, stronger, and woven even tighter with Christ the vine.” Check out the shownotes for today's episode at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow

We want people to convert to the Catholic Church not because it’s a popular thing to do, but because they have a genuine experience of God’s love and truth through the Church. This means we can’t water down the gospel. Dave “Lay Assistant to Exorcists” VanVickle and I talk about this vital aspect of winning hearts for Christ, as well as the importance of repentance. On a practical note, we also talk about how to start intercessory prayer groups. Check out today's shownotes at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow (https://media.ascensionpress.com/category/ascension-podcasts/every-knee-shall-bow/)

Dave VanVickle (that’s right, no nickname today) and I are waking the dead! We’re talking about how to really reach people through evangelization. Not just a short moment of emotional connection that fades the next day, but a true conversion where a person reorients their life to God. Snippet from the Show “Taking someone’s heart of stone to a heart of flesh is a supernatural act. You are making them alive in Christ Jesus. That is a bigger miracle than resurrecting a deceased corpse to natural life.” Check out the shownotes at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow (https://media.ascensionpress.com/podcast/waking-the-dead-transforming-a-heart-of-stone/)

Public speaking to teens: a favorite pastime of … no one. But somebody has to do it, and with some prayer and preparation, your talk can be a great opportunity to change hearts and minds—just look at the fruits that come from Steubenville Conferences. Dave “Father of Wildlings” VanVickle and I go over how to prepare a talk for high school students that will bring the house down. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “Christ is the one who destroys the walls of hostility that we keep building up. Every new barrier we put up, Christ is the one who tears them down. God is pursuing us.” SHOWNOTES How to prepare a talk for high schoolers * Select a piece of Scripture: The Word of God is the only thing that gives real clarity in the world. * Be yourself: teens appreciate authenticity * Speak to their experience. 5 Practical Tips 1. Find three narratives where Jesus pursues (or talks about) going after someone outside and brings them in. Write down your thoughts and observations. 2. Take a half page and try to write a tract that you think would be compelling to bring someone to the Lord. 3. Ask someone in your life to pray for you and your call to evangelize. 4. Reach out to someone in your life and compliment them on some part of their life. 5. Pray for the RCIA team and the adults to be baptized in your parish. Resources from the Show The Great Adventure Bible (https://ascensionpress.com/collections/collection-book/products/the-great-adventure-catholic-bible) Broken and Blessed: An Invitation to My Generation (https://ascensionpress.com/collections/collection-book/products/broken-and-blessed-an-invitation-to-my-generation) - Fr Josh Johnson Ascension’s soon-to-be-released program for evangelization, The 99, at evangelization.com (https://ascensionpress.com/pages/the-99-coming-soon)

It’s difficult to spread the gospel if you haven’t read it. Dave “Too Hot to Handle, Too Cold to Hold” VanVickle and I talk about why it’s vital to regularly read Scripture and how to immerse yourself in the Word. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “The most effective evangelists are those who are steeped in the Word. Evangelization is the fruit of encounter, meditation, and study of Sacred Scripture. It’s an overflow of what’s in your heart because of your total commitment to the Word of God.” SHOWNOTES If using Scripture to prepare a talk: * Take the theme and look for the scriptural narrative around it. * Let the Scripture narrative guide the talk, don’t use the Scriptures just to prove your point. * It is important to be regularly reading, studying, and praying the Scriptures in order to feel comfortable with them. If worried about misrepresenting Scripture or using it the wrong way: * Look for outside resources to explain Scripture. * Look to Navarre Bible commentary, the Fathers of the Church and Barclay’s commentary on the Bible for help. * Read through the Scriptures every day, even if just a small amount. 5 Practical Tips 1. Find an image of Catholic artwork and meditate upon it. 2. Get the book A Father Who Keeps His Promises by Scott Hahn, or Walking with God: A Journey through the Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins to read through and get the big picture of the Bible. 3. Pray for the priests in Africa who are being murdered. 4. Discuss with someone the chapters in the books mentioned in the second tip. 5. Memorize John 1:1-5. Resources from the Show * A Father Who Keeps His Promises (https://www.amazon.com/Father-Who-Keeps-His-Promises/dp/0892838299/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI87v3yqfi4gIVVFgNCh1_jAFxEAAYASAAEgIRS_D_BwE&hvadid=241653502730&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9007422&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7459730070926500698&hvtargid=kwd-354883475&hydadcr=8292_10376008&keywords=a+father+who+keeps+his+promises&qid=1560286348&s=gateway&sr=8-1) - Scott Hahn * Walking with God: A Journey through the Bible (https://ascensionpress.com/products/walking-with-god-a-journey-through-the-bible-1) by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins * GENERAL AUDIENCE St Peter's Square (http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20071114.html) Wednesday, 14 November 2007 - Benedict XVI * Benedict XVI Promotes Biblical Meditation (https://zenit.org/articles/benedict-xvi-promotes-biblical-meditation/) * SPIRITUS PARACLITUS (http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xv/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xv_enc_15091920_spiritus-paraclitus.html)- Pope Benedict XV Check out this podcast at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow to browse the shownotes for every episode!

It’s hard to start proclaiming the kerygma, “God loves you and has a plan for your life”, when someone doesn’t believe in God. Dave “All Thriller No Filler” VanVickle and I wade into the world of apologetics as we address a listener's question about how to evangelize an atheist. Our faith is rational. Don’t fear questions about what we believe, because at some point over the past two thousand years, that question has already been asked and answered. We just have to find it. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “Catholic students need to understand that faith is not irrational. We don’t leave our minds at the door. That’s the Catholic tradition, it’s OK to question.” SHOWNOTES Christianity has reasons for its beliefs. Start with Jesus as a man, his birth and resurrection. Pray and ask others to pray with you for conversion. Ask: What is your moral absolute? What do you base your morality on? Look into metaphysics. Teaching even a little bit of it helps people look into things and start thinking. Keep the conversation about their relationship with God, but also learn about apologetics. Have material around that they can “stumble on.” Make sure they understand we welcome and encourage questions about our faith. 5 Practical Tips 1. Think about how you would change your testimony if you knew there was an atheist in the audience. 2. Memorize names and facts about your community members to show that you care about them. 3. Pray with us for the conversion of the boys at this high school. 4. Build a database of online answers to atheism. 5. Practice reverse mentoring. Ask someone younger than you to teach you something. Resources from the Show The Handbook of Christian Apologetics (https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Christian-Apologetics-Peter-Kreeft/dp/0830817743) - Peter Kreeft The Handbook of Catholic Apologetics (https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Catholic-Apologetics-Reasoned-Questions/dp/1586172794/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Handbook+of+Catholic+Apologetics&qid=1559741011&s=books&sr=1-1) - Peter Kreeft, Ronald Tacelli Fundamentals of the Faith (https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Faith-Peter-Kreeft-ebook/dp/B002UZ5K0S/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Fundamentals+of+the+Faith&qid=1559739775&s=books&sr=1-5) - Peter Kreeft More than a Carpenter (https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-A-Carpenter/dp/B003265M98/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=More+than+a+Carpenter&qid=1559739891&s=books&sr=1-2) - Josh McDowell Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine (https://www.amazon.com/Apologetics-Catholic-Doctrine-Cardinal-Sheehan/dp/1905574665/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Apologetics+and+Catholic+Doctrine&qid=1559739941&s=books&sr=1-1) - Archbishop Michael Sheehan Mere Christianity (https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Mere+Christianity&qid=1559740984&s=books&sr=1-2)- C.S. Lewis The Reason for God (https://www.amazon.com/Reason-God-Belief-Age-Skepticism/dp/1594483493/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=The+Reason+for+God&qid=1559740895&s=books&sr=1-2) - Timothy Keller Making Sense of God (https://www.amazon.com/Making-Sense-God-Invitation-Skeptical/dp/0525954155) - Timothy Keller Memorare Prayer (https://ascensionpress.com/pages/memorare) Magis Center website (https://www.magiscenter.com/)- Fr. Robert Spitzer

There’s good news and bad news. Bad news: Gomer is out today, so no fun nicknames. Good news: this episode is all about equipping you for spiritual warfare and fighting the kingdom of evil. Spiritual warfare and evangelization go hand-in-hand. Turns out the devil doesn’t like it when you try to win souls for Christ. Acknowledging the reality of spiritual warfare is an important first step. Once we realize that we’re fighting battles everyday, we can use these principles to guide the way. Snippet from the Show “Spiritual warfare is more than a metaphor for the spiritual life, it’s a reality ... We’re all at war with the world, the flesh, and the devil.” 10 Practical Principles of Spiritual Warfare 1. By his passion and death, Christ won a definitive victory over Satan and the kingdom of darkness and any personal victory we have is a participation in the victory Jesus won and gave to his church. 2. The devil and the fallen angels play a mysterious role in the drama of salvation. The battle that they wage against us is a test of God’s elect. 3. While powerful, the devil is only a creature and if we stay close to Jesus Christ and his Church we should not fear the actions of evil. 4. The way we participate in the victory of Jesus Christ is through personal faith, moral living, and prayer. 5. The devil should not be given too much attention but his actions should not be ignored. 6. The Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Michael, and all the saints and angels are our allies in this battle. 7. Any spiritual warfare you conduct for others is first won in the battle for your own heart. 8. Humble submission to God and the Church is a powerful weapon against evil. 9. True holiness as witnessed in the lives of the saints is what destroys the kingdom of darkness. 10. The devil despises: A sure knowledge of the sonship that comes from baptism, knowledge of the abundant mercy of God, authentic Christian community, and a clear knowledge of, and courage to speak out about, what is good and evil. 1 Practical Tip If you’ve never thought of yourself as a spiritual warrior, take some time to see how you have entered into the spiritual battle. See more at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave.

Today Dave “Open Book, Closed Heart” VanVickle and I talk about extraordinary and ordinary means of fighting the devil, which leads (naturally) into a conversation on evangelization and how to lead when you’re not in charge. Snippet from the Show “One person can bring about dramatic change at a parish.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. SHOWNOTES How do you lead when you are not in a leadership position? * Try to be close friends with the current staff on evangelization teams. * Try to win the front of “what is the truth” and make sure everyone is on the same page on what they believe. * Give talks on what the life of catechists and parish workers should look like. * Encourage the use of Scripture and the new Catechism for formation. * Give talks on how to have a personal relationship with Jesus in the context of the Catholic Church. * Offer a talk on the history of the Catholic Church in America since Vatican II. * Pray for the leaders and with them. * Work with your priest to prioritize and organize an annual staff retreat. * Have a “ministry leader summit.” * If people are refusing or rejecting evangelization, work with your pastor to make sure the appropriate people are in the right positions. * Go in trying to win souls for Christ, not fight them. * Remember to always be praying for these people. * When confrontation has to occur do not do it out of hate for people but in service to people who are missing out on the gospel. * You need to have the courage to stand up for the truth and gospel when needed. 5 Practical Tips 1. Go to NewAdvent.org and search the name of a church father (St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Athanasius … ) 2. Pray for the CCD staff (or another staff group) and their openness to the gospel. 3. Listen to Mike’s talks on the kerygma at Soundcloud.com/AMDGomer. 4. Meet once a week with your pastor and discuss the kerygma. 5. Send this podcast to your CCD Staff. Check out the resources from this episode at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow

We need leaders in the Church. If you want ministries at your parish, that aren’t happening (or aren’t going very well) this may be your que to step up as a leader in evangelization. In this episode, we talk about how priests, lay employees, and volunteers can be leaders in their own right, and you don’t have to wait for someone to formally empower you to lead others. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “The word ‘leader’ can be intimidating, but the Holy Spirit is the primary agent of evangelization. You’re just the lead follower of the Holy Spirit.” SHOWNOTES Priests * The homily needs to be kerygmatic. * Give a call to action every homily. * Win your staff. * Make sure your staff is on board with the mission. * The parish priests need to be available to the people, especially for sacraments. * Try to imitate St. John Vianney. Lay Employees * It is poor form to give a class or workshop on something you are not willing to do. * Model what you are teaching. * Set up regular meetings with your parish priest. * Witness to your fellow employees the same as your parishioners. * Don’t view working at the church as a chance to make money. Volunteers * Continually discern how God is calling you to lead in your parish. * Don’t grow comfortable with someone as a leader just because they have been doing a good job. * Help onboard new leaders before they are needed. * Be a good disciple outside of your volunteer position. 5 Practical Tips 1. Priests: Ask yourselves honestly, and ask others “how is your leadership holding back the parish?” 2. Kerygma: Explicitly share the gospel with someone. 3. Employees: Are you waiting for empowerment or permission to serve the gospel? Identify areas where you can be more active in the kerygma and come up with an action plan to start implementing this. 4. Prayer: Prayerfully read Acts 14 and read the kerygma from Paul and Barnabbas. 5. Volunteers: Spend more time praying for those people God has placed in your ministry. Resources from the Show * Douglas Hyde (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=douglas+hyde+communism&rh=n%3A12290&ref=nb_sb_noss)

Dave “Thunderdome” Van Vickle and I are talking about the importance of digital evangelization. If we are trying to meet people where they are, we need to be online. We cover best practices for parishes and individuals to spread the Word on the web, as well as examples of things we’ve seen work really well (like this podcast). We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Check out the shownotes and resources at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow

We have a great show today. Not that we don’t usually, but today is especially good. We start with a question from a parish leader about intercessory prayer groups (Dave’s group is #goals). Then we cover what individuals and parishes can do for the newly converted and what tools we have for someone after their initial “yes” to Jesus. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “Walking alone is the greatest way for the devil to destroy your newfound faith.” SHOWNOTES Questions from our listeners: How do you start an intercessory prayer group? What resources are there? 1. Start by finding the people who are already praying. 2. Give each intercessor a job description (example: one Memorare a week, holy hour a month). 3. Add fasting and prayer days with sign-ups (daily, weekly, monthly). 4. Plan a monthly holy hour where we pray for the parish. 5. Boost prayer life through monthly conferences. What Happens After They Say “Yes” to Jesus? 1. Teach them to communicate with God. * Devotional Prayers * Mental Prayer * Meditative Prayer 2. Create a community outreach to interact with new parishioners. 3. Introduce them to reading Scripture. 4. Moral and intellectual formation - there is a huge difference between knowing your faith and living it. For our 5 Practical Tips, as well as a list of resources from this episode, check out the shownotes at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow

Hallelujah! It's the Easter Octave and I for one am glad Christ rose from the dead. This week it's just me, Mike "Gomer" Gormley, your humble co-host of EKSB. I wanted to offer you fine folks an Easter message on discipleship and the Resurrection. Our regular show will return next week! Happy Easter!

Calling all DREs, catechists, youth ministers, and parish volunteers! Have we got a show for you. (Yes, that was a VeggieTales reference.) We start off today answering some tough questions about the kerygma, and then pivot to ways you can infuse evangelization into programs your parish already has like baptism prep, marriage prep, and religious education. Our advice isn’t the only way to do it, but it is a (pretty darn good) way to do it. How do you evangelize at your parish? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show “People aren’t going to surrender their life to Christ if we’re hitting them over the head with moral issues and their failure … but there is no gospel without repentance.” Check out this episode at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow (https://media.ascensionpress.com/category/everykneeshallbow/) for shownotes and resources from the show.

You’ve got frequently asked questions, we’ve got infrequently given answers. We tackle questions about what to do when you encounter someone purchasing the Plan B pill, what to do when people (especially family members) give dumb reasons for why they don’t go to church, the role of Mary in evangelization, and talking to family members about having a sacramental wedding when they’re angry with the Church and you’re long distance. (Whew.) We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. _Snippet from the Show “We so desire the conversion of our friends and relatives and neighbors that we feel disappointed when the outcomes haven’t happened. But the success is in the evangelizing. The conversion is up to Jesus. One sows the seed, the other waters, God alone gives the growth.”_ Check out the show on ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow to browse the resources from the show.

We’re talking to the one and only Jeff Cavins, Catholic speaker and author of the new book, The Activated Disciple. We’re pumped to interview him about discipleship and sharing the Faith (and so are our moms). Jeff’s book really gets to the heart of discipleship. It gives us a practical roadmap to a path of discipleship and explains what it actually means to be a disciple. We also get Jeff to give us his practical tips for evangelization. You can get Jeff's book at ascensionpress.com. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. _Snippet from the Show “There’s a difference between having a branch named Jesus on your vine vs. realizing that you are a branch on the true vine that is Christ.”_

The New Evangelization invites baptized Catholics to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church (according to the USCCB). Started by Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, it’s a call for the Church (aka, you and me) to reach out to fallen away Catholics and bring them back to the sacraments. We want to talk about how to bring this movement to your parish and community. Starting with Carole Brown’s Gems for the New Evangelization: Shamelessly Pilfered from Various Treasuries of Church Teaching, we then add some additional points that we’ve discovered along the way. There are a lot of different things you can do, but the important thing is to start. Snippet from the Show “My favorite thing is to take every part of the Catechism and tie it back to the Cross and resurrection, because you can do it with everything.” We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. SHOWNOTES The Five Points for the New Evangelization * Recover the importance of kerygmatic proclamation. * Build explicitly Christ-centered witness testimony into everything. * Talk in the explicitly evangelical language of the New Evangelization popes. * Saturate yourself in the world of God (Bible studies, lectio divina training…) * Establish a permanent discipleship track in the parish. Dave and Mike’s added points for parish evangelization * Establish a formalized intercessory prayer group to bring about conversions. * You can’t do it alone. * Start with the programs that people must attend, to draw in people who might not be involved otherwise. * Start trying to meet everyone at your parish and learn their names. The Five Practical Takeaways * Read paragraphs 1- 21 of the Catechesi Tradendae by Pope John Paul II. * Consider joining or starting a Bible study at your parish. * Begin a conversation with the pastor, DRE, or director of religious evangelization about evangelization at the parish. * Look for touchstone moments (baptism class, marriage prep class) and how you can be a volunteer in those ministries. * Buy a Catholic Bible for someone who doesn’t have one in your life. Resources Mentioned in the Show * Michael Gormley – Radical Communities (https://shop.ascensionpress.com/products/dont-walk-alone) * Bible Studies (https://shop.ascensionpress.com/pages/bible-studies) from Ascension Press * The Great Adventure Timeline Catholic Bible (https://shop.ascensionpress.com/collections/collection-book/products/the-great-adventure-catholic-bible)

We tackle the biggest, most complicated, stickiest moral issues–contraception and same-sex attraction. How is a Catholic evangelist to approach such a minefield when proclaiming the gospel? In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” So we know that we have to tell people about moral issues, but we need to make sure we’re doing it in a way that actually helps. We talk about when, how, and why to bring these issues up, and examples of times these strategies have actually worked (we promise we’re not using you as guinea pigs). We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment–or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. Snippet from the Show Holiness and happiness are coterminous in God. Me seeking my own happiness is what God made holiness to be–seeking union with him forever in Christ Jesus.

Mike and Dave give practical advice about how to get over that awkward feeling and share the Faith BOLDLY. Telling someone the good news about Jesus isn’t hard ... if you really, truly believe it. You’re not imposing your arbitrary morality and spirituality on someone, you are proposing to them the truth of God’s love for them and their elevated status as creatures made in the image and likeness of God. Like Mike says, “If you discovered the cure to cancer, and you kept it to yourself–you would be a monster ...We have even greater news, but so often we keep it quiet.” Mike also gives solid advice to a listener who asks about how to talk to her husband, who is a Muslim, about Christianity. Check out the shownotes at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow to see practical tips on how to be BOLD when you share the Faith.

Mike and Dave answer your questions about how to get programs going at your parish, how to share the gospel with fallen-away family members, and how to invest in Catholic evangelism as well as catechesis when funds are short. Snippet from the Show “You have a mission as a layperson ... To not proclaim Jesus Christ and just wait for a priest to do it is a fundamental corruption to your baptismal dignity. Christ is inviting you on this mission. You don’t need anyone else’s permission.” Listener Questions: 1. “My priest isn’t into evangelization, what do I do?” 2. “I have three children, none are truly evangelized, except my oldest daughter who is now evangelical, but ‘at least she has Jesus.’” 3. “I am a DRE who got caught up in the catechesis game. I now want to invest in evangelism, but am at a poor parish.” Resources mentioned: * Christifideles Laici, Chapter 3 * The Great Adventure Bible Studies * No Greater Love by Edward Sri * The Life of Christ by Rev. Fulton Sheen * To Know Christ Jesus by Frank Sheed * Radical Communities by Michael Gormley * Redeemer of Man by Pope St. John Paul II * Catechesi Tradendae, 19-20 5 Practical Tips: 1. Kerygma: Refresh yourself on what the kerygma is and isn’t. 2. Community: Meet up for Eucharistic Adoration and drinks. 3. Reading: Jesus Shock by Peter Kreeft. 4. Intercession: Pray a decade of the Rosary every day for clergy who need conversion. 5. Lent: Don’t let Lent pass you by, be intentional! Prayerfully consider what God wants from you this Lent. Take an hour and figure it out.

What does it mean to be in the world but not of the world and how does this affect evangelization? Many people assume there are two ways to approach this notion. On one side is the thought of Christ against culture—that to be loyal to Jesus or the Church I need to run completely away from the world. On the other side is the Christ of culture—that Jesus is the peak and pinnacle of all culture’s greatest desires, aspirations, and hopes. Which one is right? What balance should we strike? Today, Mike and Dave take these two basic concepts and break them down into practical, real life situations. They explain what we should do in regards to the world around us and stress the importance of finding the distinctive Christ element that sets your life apart. We walk a delicate line being in the world and not of it, but Mike and Dave make this line a bit easier to see. Snippet from the Show: “We as Christians have to present some difference from the culture at large, the culture of the world. There has to be something different about our life.” 5 Practical Tips: 1) Spiritual Practice: Do an examination of conscience of a secularist mindset. What parts of your life have you brought in from the culture that you really should not have? 2) Read: Jeremiah 29 (the whole chapter). 3) Go Fishing: Do small pious acts in public. 4) Community: Become a regular at one restaurant. 5) Intercessory Prayer: Pray for the conversion of your favorite secular artist. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Christ and Culture (https://www.amazon.com/Christ-Culture-Torchbooks-Richard-Niebuhr/dp/0061300039) a book by Richard Niebuhr

Spiritual warfare is more than just an analogy. It is a reality. Quite literally, it is a struggle between two kingdoms—a battle between man and that which draws man away from God. This fighting and resisting evil is a common experience, yet many don’t believe they are at war. Therefore they come unprepared to fight the battle. Today Mike and Dave approach this topic from the viewpoint of evangelists. They discuss the Church Fathers’ understanding of spiritual warfare, the context behind the Church’s teachings on the subject, and practical ways you can resist evil and equip yourself with the best possible resources. Snippet from the Show “This is a battle. This isn’t an analogy, it’s not an allegory … We are actually at war.” Two mistakes we assume about spiritual warfare: 1) Looking at it as a personal faith issue, that the victory comes from you. 2) That this is just a small part of the Faith. Resources mentioned in the show Gaudium et Spes 1 Peter 8 Anima Christi 5 Practical Tips: 1) Pray the St. Michael the Archangel prayer 2) Rekindle your relationship with your guardian angel 3) Read about St. Joseph terror of demons 4) Read Colossians 1-2 5) Do a Marian consecration. There are many different forms.

Do you want to evangelize in a post-Christian society? There are a few things you need to know. We all proclaim the same gospel, but we all need to use different methods. The methods that St. Paul used in Athens or Rome and the approach of a missionary in India, Southeast Asia, or parts of Africa will be different than someone who lives in a post-Christian society. There are, however, universal principles that stand the test of time. Today, Mike and David go through three ages of evangelization, explain how to overcome four hurdles in evangelizing, and also three different types of evangelizing. Snippet from the Show: “No matter how opposed someone is to Christianity, you have to understand that deep down, it is what they want. It is what they most desire. It is the answer to all their questions.” SHOWNOTES: *5 Practical Takeaways: * 1) Read Evangelii Nuntiandi 2) Fast for someone at your parish 3) Pray and reflect on St. Augustine’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit 4) Read 2 Timothy 4 5) Write down and reflect on this quote “She exists in order to evangelize.” What parts of your life exemplify this? What parts do not? Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Gaudium et spes Evangelii nuntiandi (Paragraph 9 and 80) Redemptoris Missio Podcast, This Cultural Moment Introduction to Philosophy by Daniel Sullivan

Church teaching is an important part of our Catholic Faith. Today, Mike and Dave are going to show you how to incorporate the church into the kerygma. They explain how fellowship is not socializing and why the Church comes before the individual in the plan of God. “Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith.” (CCC 166) Snippet from the Show: You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. (CCC 166) 5 Practical Tips 1) Meet someone at your parish that you have never met before. It can be as simple as introducing yourself. 2) Read 2Timothy 2. 3) Read CCC 176-184. 4) Pray for the staff of your parish all week long. 5) Look at the four steps of the kerygma below and compare them to your personal testimony. (You can also go to the shownotes on at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow.) Pencil in what parts of your testimony line up with the kerygma. This will help you make the kerygma center stage of your testimony and not your personal story. 4 Steps of the Kerygma: 1) God has a plan for your life. 2) Sin interrupts that plan and separates you from God. 3) Jesus Christ died and rose so that you could be forgiven of these sins and be united to God in heaven. 4) Through faith and his Church, you can be united to God forever. Recommendations 1) Fr. Spitzer’s book New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy 2) Rev. Timothy Keller’s book The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism 3) C.S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity 4) Dr. Peter Kreeft’s book Fundamentals of the Faith: Essays in Christian Apologetics CCC #166

When evangelizing, there comes a moment in time when you will invite someone to completely give their life over to Christ and begin living a Christian life. How do you know what moment is right? What does the invitation look like? Why is an invitation to Christian life so important? Using Scripture, contemporary faith formation tools, and personal experience, Mike and Dave explain the sometimes subtle art of inviting someone to live a fully authentic Christian life. For more information visit ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow (https://media.ascensionpress.com/category/ascension-podcasts/everykneeshallbow/) Snippet from the Show: “If you read the Gospels, you are going to see constantly that the one man who could have demanded, is constantly instead inviting.” Tips on Invitation: 1) Invitation should be gradual 2) Invitation should be compelling but not forceful 3) Invitation should be loving and gentle 5 Practical Tips: 1) Create one gathering of friends doing some activity. Invite someone who is on the “outside” of your group to take part. 2) Acts 10:34/43 Peter is preaching the Kerygma. Take it line by line and pray through it. 3) Meet one of your neighbors that you haven’t met yet. 4) Start your own group of intercessors. Ask one person to specifically pray for the people you will encounter and that you and others be open to the Lord’s words. 5) Go to Adoration for thirty minutes and pray for those specific people you will encounter and evangelize. Resources Mentioned: The Calling of Saint Matthew (http://www.caravaggio.org/the-calling-of-saint-mathew.jsp) painting by Caravaggio Ananias Training (https://siena.org/ananias) from the Catherine of Siena Institute

Mike and Dave, the hosts of Every Knee Shall Bow, take time to answer your questions and respond to your reviews. They also provide resource recommendations such as Alpha, Sherry Weddell, SEEK, and more! At the end of the podcast, they also provide five easy ways to observe effective evangelization in action! Snippet from the Show: The beautiful thing about our Catholic faith is that when you conform yourself to a celebrity...you lose yourself. But what Christ wants in conforming to him, instead of losing yourself, you actually gain yourself back, and become who you truly are called to be. Resources Mentioned on this Show: 1) Alpha the Catholic Program 2) Sherry Weddell and the Catherine of Siena Institute 3) Divine Renovation a book by Fr. Mallon and Ron Huntley 4) SEEK 2019 5) Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling a book by Andy Crouch 6) The Rubin Report: “A Bishop and a Rabbi Discuss Religion”, a YouTube video 5 Practical Tips 1) Open up your computer and see what churches or movements in your area are doing well with evangelization. 2) Read Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch 3) Pray for a specific priest that they might be able to communicate the gospel well 4) Watch “A Bishop and a Rabbi Discuss Religion” from the Rubin Report on YouTube. 5) Start an evangelization journal. Get a notebook dedicated for growing as an evangelist. Write about who you are praying for, mistakes you made, things you want to try, talks you have given, basically anything to do with evangelization. Write our practical tips and how well you did. This will help you grow as an evangelist.

The phrase “Physician heal thyself” (Luke 4:23) references the often forgotten truth that one must solve their own problems before attempting to fix the problems of others. Becoming a true Catholic evangelist requires more than just knowledge of the Faith, a certain style, or even success. Your life must reflect the fact that Jesus Christ is active, makes a difference, and has healed your heart. As an evangelist, you are held to a higher standard and your personal life needs to be a fitting witness to your evangelization. How can you do this? The answer is simple: prayer. Prayer creates a true Catholic evangelist because the Holy Spirit is the cause of conversion. Today Michael and David share ways you can incorporate prayer into your daily life and how that prayer will make you a true Catholic evangelist.

Kerygma is a Greek word that means proclamation. We, as Catholic Christians, are called to share the gospel message as we evangelize: God loves you, has a plan for your life, but because of sin we have been separated from him, and the only one who can save us is Jesus Christ. Through our repentance and turning toward him we come back to life with him. This is the context in which all of our Catholic faith can be understood. In this episode, Michael and David provide a brief history behind the Kerygma, expound upon this basic gospel message, and give you five tips on how you can start proclaiming the gospel. Snippet from the Show For most of us Catholics, we think repentance is the thing you do in the confessional. We don’t realize that in the Catechism, it is repentance, the interior sorrow, that sends us to the confessional. 4 Steps of the Kerygma: God has a plan for your life. Sin interrupts that plan and separates you from God. Jesus Christ died and rose so that you could be forgiven of these sins and be united to God in heaven. Through faith and his Church, you can be united to God forever. Five Practical Tips to Help you Enter Into the Kerygma and Start Proclaiming it: If you do not have a vital relationship with Christ, start with Mark’s Gospel. Read it as straight through as you possibly can. Ask yourself as you are going through it: “What do the words and deeds of Jesus reveal to me about God the Father’s heart?” In the book of Acts there are eight different kerygmatic sermons that the apostles give. Prayerfully take one of them (we suggest Acts 2:14-36) and meditate on it. Write down in your own words the basic gospel message. Intentionally go and ask someone if they have some need in their life that you can pray for. Start to build a relationship with a non-believer by inviting them to do something that is mutually enjoyable.

Merry Christmas from Every Knee Shall Bow!

What does it look like to help others move from placing a basic faith in Jesus Christ to having him as their Lord, the center of their life? Every religious conversion is unique. There is no step-by-step guide because, ultimately, it is God who changes their life. However, by listening to other evangelists’ stories, failures, and tips, you can better equip yourself to be an instrument in revealing God to others. Snippet from the Show: What we are getting into now is an era of time where people are totally comfortable with their children and grandchildren not being evangelized in any way whatsoever. 5 Practical Takeaways: 1) Evangelization is much more than a hobby, but just like a hobby, you need to invest in it. Take time to invest in yourself and read the book Forming Intentional Disciples. 2) Read “Man’s Response to God” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraphs 142-175). It only takes 10 min. This is the best and most wonderful understanding of faith, as it lays out the individual and ecclesial dimensions of faith. 3) We want to be comfortable with the basic Gospel message, so read Acts 4:8-12. 4) To continually prepare your heart and engage in spiritual evangelization, go to your church, walk the whole perimeter, and pray the rosary for religious conversion. 5) It’s important to know what we don’t know about our Faith. Take the Apostles’ Creed and prayerfully meditate on it. Work through the different tenets of the Creed.

Giving testimony is one of the most important parts of the Christian life, but putting your conversion story into words can be a daunting task. We should always be prepared to give testimony to what God has done in our lives. So today, Mike and Dave talk about the central importance of testimony, why it's important, and practical tips on how to actually do it. Grab your Bible, a pen, and a piece of paper and get ready to write your testimony. Snippet from the Show: Your testimony is your journey with God, your lived relationship with Jesus, and how it all started. 4 Basic Principles of Writing Your Testimony: 1) Remember your testimony is not actually yours. You do not own it, it is God’s story of what he has done in your life. 2) Being specific about the amount or gravity of sin, does not usually add to your testimony. Be careful not to glorify the sin, it robs the limelight from God. 3) Your testimony is about God’s pursuit, and your cooperation and surrender. Remember, he plays the primary role and you play the secondary role. We should try to showcase what God has done rather than on what we did to follow him. 4) Writing a testimony can be a bit like writing an examination of conscience. There may be a part of writing it that calls you to repentance. Practical Steps to Prepare Your Testimony: 1) When you begin writing, start broad and then get specific. Write about everything from the first moment of your life up until the present day. Use words or sentences that would describe you before you became an intentional disciple of Jesus. Here are some questions you could ask yourself: Did you have a life philosophy that you lived by? What were the basic principles you used to govern your life? Did you have an unsatisfied inner need? 2) Describe your identity before you became a serious disciple of Jesus. This gets to the end goal of your conversion—be broad. Who did you want to become? 3) Focus on what made that conversion possible. What made you serious about following Jesus? Again, be broad. 4) Then focus on how you would describe yourself immediately after the conversion. 5) Then describe how you are different now. Write down five to ten sentences or words that describe who you are now as opposed to then. 6) Then write down any Scriptures, quotes, or stories that had particular meaning to you during your conversion process or that mean something to you now. This can sum up your story. 7) Then put it all together in a twenty-minute testimony. Only after you master the long testimony should you cut it down to a shorter version. Remember: Don’t lie or exaggerate. 5 Practical Takeaways: 1) Read Acts 26 - Listen to the Apostle Paul giving his testimony. 2-5) Take a few days to write your twenty minute testimony using the four basic principles listed above.

Do you find making a good first impression to be awkward? Have you ever tried to say something inspiring but ended up saying the wrong things? Is the mere thought of evangelization too nerve-racking to even contemplate? Welcome to the Every Knee Shall Bow podcast where hosts Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss ways you can bring God’s kingdom to earth, so his will may be done as it is in heaven. Every week they will answer questions, explain Catholic teachings, and give you five practical takeaways, all centering around bringing people to Jesus Christ. Today, Mike and Dave explain what Season One is all about—being unashamed of the gospel. The world desperately needs the love of God, and who else will bring it to them except you?

Michael Gormley announces a new Ascension podcast that will help you share your Catholic faith with your family, friends, co-workers, and even total strangers.