Bonus Points

The Rosary is a powerful spiritual sword, wielded by the Church since it was given to St. Dominic by Our Lady in 1208. It has been recommended by saints, popes, and millions of ordinary Catholics, but is often misunderstood. In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll talk about the history of the Rosary, why I personally came to love this devotion, and how to pray it well. Website: https://www. BonusP...

Many people mistakenly think that the saints are boring. They imagine the saints as a uniformly dull group of "nice" people. In reality, the saints represent the vibrancy and diversity of humanity itself. A stunning example of this is St. Olga of Kiev. She may have brought Christianity to the Kievan Rus, but nobody would have ever called her "nice." Find out more about this warrior woman of a sain...

Anna Camacho knew that she wanted to work with her hands, but had no idea where to go from there. She asked St. Joseph, the patron of workers, to intercede for her, and CORDA Candles was born. Today, Anna creates handcrafted candles with scents inspired by saints and the faith. In today's guest speaker episode of Bonus Points, we talk about devotion to Saint Joseph, starting a candle company, and...

Many Christians are hesitant to celebrate Halloween because of its supposedly pagan origins. But in reality, Halloween is a Catholic holiday! In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll talk about Halloween's origin as "All Hallow's Eve," the vigil of All Saints' Day. We'll also talk about how Halloween came to be associated with death and all things spooky, where various Halloween traditions come from...

Since its release in 1999, The Matrix has become an icon of the science fiction genre. It brought talking about "the Matrix" into the common vocabulary, and raised questions about society, technology, and the nature of reality itself. The movie is dense with Catholic themes, and we try to unpack some of them in this week's episode of Bonus Points. Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com

There is great spiritual value in being able to live in the present moment. Nevertheless, we all have various tendencies that get us stuck in the past or the future, and prevent us from living fully in the here and now. In this week's episode of Bonus Points, we're taking a Catholic approach to encountering God in the present moment. Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com

Did Jesus get pimples? Can the Pope own stocks? This week on Bonus Points, I'm taking questions from my seventh-period juniors. They're a creative bunch, and their questions are anything but boring. It's time for more Question & Astle! On this episode, we discuss: Whether extraterrestrials need Baptism Why the headquarters of the Church is Rome, not Jerusalem How to summon demons (but definite...

For many people, the only contribution that their faith life makes to their dating life is a set of rules. Does faith have more to say about dating than a set of "thou shalt nots"? On this Guest Speaker episode of Bonus Points, I'm joined by Catholic author and speaker Steve Pokorny as we discuss the joy of living a Christ-centered relationship. We talk about practical tips for intentional dating...

Curiosity killed the cat...can it also kill your soul? St. Thomas Aquinas calls curiositas a vice that is opposed to the virtue of studiositas , or studiousness. In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll see what Aquinas says about curiosity and why it is a vice. More importantly, we'll talk about how to cultivate the virtue of studiousness. Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com

St. Teresa of Avila famously prayed, "from sour-faced saints, Lord, deliver us!" St. Thomas Aquinas not only called mirth a virtue, but said that a lack of mirth is a sin. In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll consider humor and jokes from a theological perspective. We'll see what Aquinas says about the virtue of humor, and look at some examples of Jesus' sense of humor. Finally, we'll ask a few...

God doesn't just want us to rest, he commands us to rest. But rest is a challenge for many of us. Genuine recreation can be difficult, especially when it is far more tempting to turn off our brains in front of a screen. In today's episode of Bonus Points, we'll talk about the biblical command to rest and how we can live it out in our own lives. Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com

Like it or not, work is a necessary part of life. But is it all bad? In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll compare common attitudes toward work with the Catholic Christian worldview. In the biblical understanding, work is neither an evil to be avoided nor the source of your worth. Rather, it is a way of being a co-creator with God, and a way of sanctifying the everyday. Website: https://www. Bonu...

Sometimes, we think of the saints as superheroes: they live among us mere mortals for a time, but they're not really like us. It's easy to forget that the saints were people too, and they didn't always get it right. Today on Bonus Points, we're looking at four saints and blesseds who strayed very far from the life of virtue before experiencing a conversion. Remember: being a saint is about where y...

The world of Catholic liturgy can get complicated, especially when there are all sorts of unique objects with strange names. Today, we're talking about some of the most unique and the strangest. You probably won't see these at Mass on Sunday (but you might). In this episode of Bonus Points, learn about: The maniple, a forgotten armband vestment The crotalus, a liturgical noisemaker The fistula, th...

The Book of Psalms, also called the Psalter, is one of the most important collections in human history. For centuries, it has been the prayer book of Israel and the Church. At 150 psalm-chapters, it is the longest book of the Bible. It also appears in the Mass more than any other, with nearly every Mass containing most or all of a psalm. In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll talk about how to inc...

I love the start of the school year, and it's so exciting to be back in the classroom with my students. I also get the chance to meet some new ones and welcome them to our community. On this bonus episode of Bonus Points, I'll share a little bit about what's new in my professional life this year. This episode is also a great introduction for new listeners, because I talk about what this podcast is...

It is likely that, at this very moment, somebody in the world is praying the Liturgy of the Hours. This ancient prayer forms the backbone of daily life in a monastery and is prayed by priests, religious, and many laypeople. In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll talk about where the Liturgy of the Hours (or Divine Office) comes from, how it works, and why you should consider adding it to your pray...

This week on Bonus Points, it's time for more questions from you, the listener. We'll talk about conspiracy theories in general, as well as a few Catholic ones. I wasn't trying to make an episode with mostly conspiracy theories, it just happened that way. Maybe it was a conspiracy. Questions: What do you think of conspiracy theories, and do you believe any of them? What's in the Vatican Secret Arc...

Every summer, thousands of young people attend a Steubenville Youth Conference and encounter the Lord in a powerful way. On this episode of Bonus Points, Mrs. Astle joins me to talk about our experience at one of the main campus conferences earlier this summer. Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com

All statistics indicate that anxiety disorders are more prevalent now than ever before. In this episode of Bonus Points, occupational therapist Valerie Allard joins us to talk about a Catholic Christian approach to generalized anxiety disorder. Whether you experience anxiety or interact with those who do, you won't want to miss this one! Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com

For hundreds of years, the Pope has been protected by an elite Swiss military unit known as the Swiss Guards. In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll talk about how "the world's smallest army" was formed, the famous Last Stand of the Swiss Guard, and how guardsmen are trained today. Trust me, they're more than just the funny uniform. Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com

When studying any piece of literature, one of the first questions you have to ask is "What's the genre?" After all, a history book and a fairy tale should be read very differently. This applies to the Gospels, too. Are they meant to be read as legends? Nuggets of wisdom framed on a (mostly unimportant) story? In this first-ever "Guest Speaker" episode of Bonus Points, I'm joined by Jonathan Allard...

It seems like no matter where you're from or what you do for a living, there is some saint in heaven who is especially looking out for you. We call them patron saints, and there seems to be one for just about everything, from lost items and lawyers to whales and Wales. In this episode of Bonus Points, we'll talk about where the Catholic custom of naming patron saints originated and how a saint is...

Let's face it, the Bible is not always easy to understand. Even a passage that seems straightforward on the surface often has many layers of deeper meaning. How can we go deeper with our reading of Scripture, and how do we know whether an interpretation is good? That's what we're talking about on this episode of Bonus Points Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com

Lectio Divina ("Sacred Reading") is an ancient way of praying with the Bible. In today's episode of Bonus Points, we're going through the steps of Lectio Divina and talking about how to prayerfully hear and respond to God's Word. Website: https://www. BonusPointsPodcast.com