Manly Catholic: Igniting Men to Light the World on Fire

WE ARE BACK! After too much Advent to handle, James and Father Dom have decided to get off their butts and back to the podcast. We are so excited to continue Part 2 on our series on Rites of Passages and why they matter so much in society today. In this episode, James and Father Dom discuss: 1. St. Agnes and how she defeats hedonism 2. Why Exodus 90 might be right for you 3. Jesus' rite of passage...

Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year! Father Dom and James are taking a little bit of a break to ring in Christmas and 2022. But, rest assured, they will be up and running again in January of 2022. If you have not already, make sure you catch up on all The Manly Catholic episodes before they resume again in 2022.  God bless and Merry Christmas! Send us a text Support the show Please prayerfully con...

Rites of passage are things we know of instinctively. Graduation, weddings, obtaining a driver's license, or your first job are easy things to think of. But, when does a boy become a man? No, getting some peach fuzz when you are in junior high doesn't make you a man.  In Western society, too many boys don't have the male figure to show them what it means to be a man. Sadly, these same boys are rev...

Fasting is one of the most underrated and underappreciated weapons in our arsenal. Unfortunately, too many of us do not use this tool enough to fight off Satan and his demons. Hey, it may even help you get a 6-pack too! Pretty cool, huh? The Bible and the Catechism tells us fasting, almsgiving, and penance are three main players to increase our spiritual life. If it's good enough to be in the Bibl...

Two of the most controversial topics in one episode....yes please! So many questions to answer, so little time. If you ever had a question about indulgences or purgatory, this is the episode for you. As Father Dom and I wrap up our 3-part series on confession, listen to find out what an indulgence is, why they are given, what purgatory is, and what the Bible has to say about it.  James' challenge:...

I know you all loved the Usher reference in the title...no? Don't know who Usher is? Oh boy...moving on! In Part II on Confession we discuss penance...you can't complete the sacrament of Reconciliation without doing your penance. What is penance? Why is it important? What's the purpose of it? Can priests give physical penances? Are they too easy nowadays? Keep listening on for answers to all these...

Confession...another hot button issue that a lot of people simply don't understand. "Why can't I just confess my sins to God?" Or "why do I have to tell my sins to an old priest?" Confession is a gift God has graciously given us yet most of us, even amongst Catholics, don't fully understand or embrace. Confession is for healing. Confession restores our place with God. Confession saves our souls. G...

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. We have heard this commandment countless times throughout our life; so much so it has probably lost its meaning and significance. What if we were to tell you one of the greatest critics of the Church believed that if you abolished the Sabbath then Christianity will fall?  Join Father Dom (finally!) and James as they discuss the 3rd commandment in the 10 co...

Trusting in God. We hear this statement countless times throughout our life. Oftentimes, we hear it so much it can, unfortunately, fall on deaf ears. We are all guilty of this. No matter how we are progressing in this life the struggle to take life by the horns and do it all our way is constantly lingering in the back of our minds. But, how often does that actually work? If you think about it, whe...

Father Mark Murphy is the lead pastor at St. Jude Catholic Church in Cedar Springs, IA. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran. Thank you for your service! Alan Keyes is a  political conservative and activist, former U.N. Ambassador under the Ronald Reagan administration, and multiple-time candidate for the U.S. Presidency. Mary is like the moon. You can stare at the moon all day and not have to worry abo...

Father John Riccardo, executive director of Acts XXIX and former pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, MI, gives a memorable and needed homily on marriage. He brings humor and the powerful example of his father's life on how spouses need to fully embrace their role in a sacramental marriage. KEY TAKEAWAYS- 1. You must have a vision for your marriage. If you don't come up with one, someon...

To be great, you must become little.  The Manly Catholic is switching things up a bit this week and bringing you an amazing speech by Jim Caviezel, the man dubbed by Mel Gibson to play Jesus in the incredible movie "The Passion of the Christ." James flies solo again this week to bring you an encouraging and uplifting speech from this incredible man. Want to hear more great speeches? Let us know! E...

Confession...sigh...argh...meh. Admit it, confession is one of those things you know you should do, but may not truly see the importance of it. If nothing else helps you see how important it is maybe this episode will help you. Confession is one of those medicines that you may not like going down but you sure are happy you took it once you're through it. It's like that grape cough syrup you took a...

The thrill of victory...the agony of defeat. Men, these next two weeks James and Fr. Dom talk about the battle we face each and every day. We may not always be cognizant of this battle, but we better believe it is going on constantly around us. The spiritual battle is one anyone hardly talks about but it is the battle we men must be ready and willing to fight for our souls and the souls of our fam...

On this week's episode, James flies solo! The communion of saints is something we, as Catholics, state we believe every time we recite the Apostles' Creed. But, what does that even mean? Who are the saints? What does communion with them have to do with our Catholic faith? Listen to this week's episode to find out! Thank you to our partners at Hallow! Hallow is the #1 Catholic app that helps deepen...

Well, gentlemen...here we go. We all like a good controversy! In all seriousness, being clear in our faith and understanding what is going on in our beloved Church can help shape and form us. We must always remember that every person out there, no matter how evil we perceive them to be is a soul that needs to be prayed for to get to heaven. The power of prayer can never be underestimated! Continue...

Transubstantiation is defined in the Catechism "by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation."  Men...transubstantiation is a do...

The Eucharist ...the source and summit of our faith. Men, if you don't know the Eucharist, this episode is for you! The Eucharist and the cross are the two elements of our Catholic faith that caused most of Jesus's followers to leave Him. Think about that men...we know how the Resurrection changed the world. Yet how many people still doubt? The Eucharist is the other major pillar of our faith that...

Blessings in disguise certainly apply to this week's episode, gentlemen. Our mistake on forgetting a crucial part of the 'Our Father' prayer on last week's episode turned into an episode jam-packed full of gems this week.  It seems that James' sleepless nights are starting to catch up with him! In this episode, discover how profound the disciples' question to Jesus on how to pray the 'Our Father,'...

Welcome to Part 2 on Prayer! Prayer is indeed your greatest spiritual weapon against Satan and the evil one. Listen to find out what specific prayer will help you against the wickedness and snares of the devil (I tease, I know, but it is not the St. Michael prayer.) In this episode, learn the different types of prayers, how St. Paul is a little crazy but also extremely manly, how the Mass is the u...

"This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!" Psalm 118:24 I am so excited to announce a partnership with the #1 Catholic app, Hallow! This is an amazing opportunity for you, our listeners, to explore the app more deeply with the extended 30-day free trial of their premium content just for our listeners! Follow the link here to sign up and start praying!  Not sold? No probl...

"A family that prays together stays together." How often have we heard this saying? How often do we roll our eyes and think to ourselves, "oh gosh, here we go again!" Don't be ashamed men, I used to think the same thing. The fact is the healthy do not need a doctor, but the sick. And men, unfortunately, we are all sick. Thankfully, Jesus, the Great Physician, gives us an antidote to our illness......

THE SLAYER OF DEMONS! ...okay, that may not be a title given to St. Joseph, but it was a slip of the tongue by James and just maybe it will be added to his litany one day. For those of you who do not know, this is the year of St. Joseph as declared by Pope Francis!  This day and age is especially trying for families and most glaringly men. Turn to St. Joseph, the patron saint of our beautiful Chur...

Often it is said that history repeats itself. If fatherhood has changed history before, why not again? Why not you? We are ALL called to be fathers in one way or another. Whether you are a biological father, spiritual father, foster father, or simply mentoring young men, never underestimate the importance of your impact on people's lives. Listen now to discover James' personal testimony on his rel...

Fatherhood changes history. Hyperbole? At first glance, maybe. But when you think about it and especially after you listen to this episode, you realize it is not hyperbolic at all.  When fathers are present, active, and putting their families first, our culture thrives. Lately, fathers have become lazy and allowed the culture to dictate to them how to run their lives. Men, enough is enough. Listen...