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When it comes to politics, discussion can be difficult.  Many of us are bound in our own leanings and, when we are presented with a dissenting opinion, we can become quite hostile.  In this environment, building bridges can seem impossible.  But building bridges is exactly what we are called to do in our faith.  Part of the way we do this is by engaging in the political process with great thought...

It is often the case that young Catholics struggle in finding a community of peers.  It is a busy time of life, when responsibilities and other priorities might get in the way of fostering faith.  There are other distractions that often provide temptations that draw us away from our walk with Christ.  It is very important to develop ministries that offer spaces for the faith of young people to gro...

Since the beginning of creation, water has been a part of our world.  It is one of God’s greatest gifts for us.  In this episode, Nicholas and Fr. Mark Hoelsken SJ reflect on the Holy Father's September prayer intention for the care of water.  Pope Leo XIV’s prayer for this month reminds us that water is “a right beyond borders”, and that it “quenches thirst, nourishes the earth, and heals wo...

What does it mean to fear God, and why does God allow suffering?  How do we reconcile the fear and awe we feel when we experience God’s power?  How do we trust God when life is difficult?  Lydia Schmidt joins Nicholas to explore the biblical meaning of the fear of God and the holy awe that draws us closer to Him, even amid suffering and uncertainty.  Through reflection on faith, trust, humility, a...

Who is Jesus Christ?  What does the Church mean when it calls Him true God and true Man?  Christology asks one of Christianity’s most important questions: Who is Jesus Christ?  Nicholas and Father Pat Conroy SJ explore the person, nature, identity, and mission of Jesus through Scripture and the theological tradition of the Catholic Church.  Together, we explore the Incarnation, the divinity and hu...

The world puts no small amount of pressure on marriages.  We have jobs and careers, kids and social lives, housework and more.  Even the most dedicated of couples still have to balance the closeness they share with the demands of modern life.  It is easy to grow apart and just settle into a steady routine.   It doesn't have to be this way.  We can remember the sacramental vocation that our ma...

So many young people fall into the trap set for them by social media.  It is easy to get swept along with each new fad and, with all of the content creators vying for our clicks, become confused in all the noise.  In the world of Gen Z, truth is often mixed in with falsehoods, and it can be difficult to keep true to oneself.  But it's not impossible. To show us the way in staying true to ones...

Who is the Holy Spirit, and what does the Holy Spirit mean for our lives as Catholics? In this episode, Nicholas and Fr. Pat Conroy, SJ explore the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian life and how God’s presence transforms us through faith, prayer, and the sacraments and leads us to a deeper spiritual life. Together, we discover how the Holy Spirit guides the Church, strengthens us in our daily l...

Can Catholics use artificial intelligence responsibly? What does the Church teach about AI, human creativity, and moral responsibility? This week, Nicholas talks to John Neuman about today’s most pressing questions about artificial intelligence from a Catholic perspective: the ethical use of AI, the importance of protecting human dignity, and how faith can guide us through one of the most signific...

As Catholics, our funerals serve two different but equally important functions.  The first is to offer a chance for a community to share in their grief and support one another.  It is a sad time and we often find ourselves in need of comfort. The second is that we get to celebrate the victory of Christ.  Through His death and resurrection we are saved and risen in Him.  It is this victory we see i...

Attending a camp is the highlight of many a child's summer break.  They offer a chance to get away from the chaos of daily life and the stresses of school.  Lifelong friendships, personal discoveries, and an appreciation for life are often found under the canopy of nurturing care.  In many ways, Legendary Lodge is much like other camps in these experiences.  But Legendary Lodge holds a specia...

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for July of 2026 is for respect for human life. In a video describing his hope for Catholics’ spiritual growth worldwide, the Pope prays "Give us a new heart, always ready to choose life”. In this episode, Fr. Mark Hoelsken SJ joins Nicholas to reflect on the Pope’s Prayer Intention for July and how it can help us deepen our Catholic prayer and prayer life. The...

God's first instruction to us in the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt have no other gods before me".  Idols in the Bible may seem obvious to us, but modern idols are far more complex, and living a God-centered life is not just about professing Christian faith.  The world contains many distractions and temptations, and it can be difficult to know what matters in building a Catholic fa...

The world often paints faith and reason as opposing forces.  Yet throughout Christian history, the Catholic Church has been at the forefront of scientific development and exploration, and the intellectual traditions of the Catholic faith have encouraged believers to pursue new ideas and greater depths of inquiry. This week, Nicholas speaks to Fr. Joseph Fortier SJ, who shares the insights he has g...

The papal prayer intention for June 2026 is for the value of sports.  In a video describing his hopes for the fruits this month's prayers will bear, Pope Leo XIV said that “In times of war and extreme polarization, sport is one of the few things that bring us closer together. (...) Let us pray this June that sport may be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and natio...

Within the Psalms, we find the full expression of the human experience.  Whether it be gladness and joy or despair and anger, anything one might feel we can find in the Psalms.  One of the main themes in this portion of scripture is that of lament.  When we find ourselves in times of lament, this isn't necessarily a bad thing.  As Catholics, we understand that God meets us in our suffering an...

Whether due to biology or personal experience, we can feel challenged by the way we process our own thoughts and how they inform our views on how we interact with the world around us.  We must constantly contend with societal and personal expectations and alarm about the future, and our understanding of God's love for us can become fragile.   In this latest installment of our conversations fr...

When we build a responsible, responsive world that follows Christ's teachings, how do we ensure that the people He most sought to lift up - the poor, the prisoner, the stranger - have a place and voice in society?  For those who fall through the cracks or find themselves in difficult situations, it can be hard to feel the presence of God or know where to turn.  We hear messages of charity and...

As Catholics we trust in our priests, bishops, cardinals, and Holy Father to act as our shepherds.  We look to them for guidance when faced with the questions of the world.  How do we live a life based in the Gospel?  In what ways can we, as the children of God, seek to sanctify our lives?  Many of those answers can be found in Holy Scripture, the words of the saints, and the dictums laid out in o...

In these trying times, there is some confusion as to the role of the Pope in the world.  He is both the leader of the Roman Catholic faithful and the ambassador of Christ to the world.  He has the monumental task of teaching the Gospel to people's of all nations.  Although his words have drawn recent criticism in his country of origin, they are often filtered through the lens of individual bi...

Whenever there is a significant change in the world, the Church responds.  It is one of the jobs of our leaders to guide us through uncharted waters.  Today we find ourselves in need of direction when it comes to artificial intelligence.  This tool has the potential to reshape every aspect of life at every level of society.  How do we proceed forward using this tool to better the world?  Joining u...

All of us are called to be active in our faith when it comes to dealing with the world.  This world we live it can often be hostile to our beliefs and we might find ourselves needing to explain our doctrine.  There are also those who might be curious about the Church and have a desire for a deeper understanding.  In order to better communicate the message of Christ, we must go beyond the surface,...

When we have publicly dedicated ourselves to Christ, we become His ambassadors.  We are given a great opportunity to show the love and patience of Jesus as we go about our virtual lives.  However, there are dangers to this.  Social media can contain prejudice and hatred that we must deal with because of our faith.  Misinformation can lead us down false paths.  The constant bombardment of informati...

Few things are as central to Catholic belief as the holy presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  Every day, at Masses held all over the world, the faithful come to honor the imperative given to us by our Savior: to take His real self into our own beings, allowing it to effuse us and change us for the better.  Eucharistic Congresses serve as events of awakening, to enlighten the minds of Catholics con...

Everyone who can be called a Catholic has been confirmed in the eyes of the Church.  This is a sacred and joyful ritual in which the community celebrates those who are completing their process.  For converts, this happens at the culmination of the OCIA program.  Learning how to be a practicing Catholic can seem a little daunting at first, but these worries quickly melt away in the warmth of suppor...