Catholic Handshake

On today's episode of Catholic Handshake , Sarah and Fr. Joe discuss holy water. You see it at the entrance of every Catholic church, but why do we use it? And is it superstitious to use it? Your hosts cover the everything from baptism to Good Friday practices to biblical understandings of water, all in an effort to understand the beauties of this wonderful sacramental. 

On this episode of Catholic Handshake , Sarah and Father Joe dive into the history and significance of the pallium, a liturgical vestment worn by the pope and bishops. Come for the symbolism, stay for the cute lambs.

Today on Catholic Handshake , Sarah and Father Joe discuss the ancient tradition of the 'O Antiphons,' a set of verses now found incorporated in the liturgy during the last few days leading up to Christmas. If you enjoy riddles, acrostics, and beautiful symbols, you'll find all of them and more in this week's episode. 

Sarah and Father Joe, on today's edition of Catholic Handshake , discuss the concept of the liturgical Hodie--which might have something to do with the dating of Christmas, but you'll have to listen in to find out. And if you want to know how the birthday of John the Baptist factors into all of this, you've come to the right place. 

On today's edition of Catholic Handshake , Sarah and Father Joe discuss the origins of processions in church history, and Father points out all the places in the Mass where processions take place--tune in to see if you can guess them all!

This week's Catholic Handshake explores the intricacies of the sacred vessels used at Mass, from the paten to the chalice to everything in between. Join Sarah and Fr. Joe as they look into the meaning behind the names, use, and cleansing of these precious items. 

On today's edition of Catholic Handshake , Sarah and Fr. Joe are taking a tour of the sanctuary. Regardless of how your church's sanctuary is set up, most all of them contain the same basic elements, and Fr. Joe gives us some helpful names and definitions. And it wouldn't be a CH episode without a few definitions and distinctions!

"It's not pink, it's rose!" Every Gaudete Sunday and Laetare Sunday, priests the world over will wear some form of pink (or rose) vestments. If you've ever wondered why, you're in the right place. Join Sarah and Fr. Joe as they discuss this popular question, and dive deep into the symbolism behind other vestment colors. But there's more to a priest's garb than just the colorful outer part. Listen...

We see them all over the place in church and years ago they were often as a primary light source, but since we have electric lights today, why do we still use candles at Mass? Answering Sarah's burning (literally) questions is, as always, Fr. Joe Brodeur, and they touch on everything from sanctuary lamps to unbleached candles.   

If you've ever attended an Easter Vigil Mass, or wondered what your deacon was chanting on Epiphany, you're not the only one. Join Sarah and Fr. Joe as they discuss the three proclamations you might hear throughout the liturgical year.

Veiling can be a much-discussed topic in Catholic circles, but it often only focuses on the use, purpose, and symbolism of chapel veils. Join Sarah and Fr. Joe as they look at other types of veiling we often see in church and consider the beautiful reasoning behind this practice. 

On this week's edition of Catholic Handshake , Sarah and Father Joe take a look at adoration--what it is, where this practice came from, and even some tips for best participating in this rich part of our Catholic faith. 

On this inaugural episode of Catholic Handshake , Sarah and Fr. Joe discuss incense, and Sarah learns that there's a lot more than meets the eye (and nose) when it comes to this fascinating element of our faith.