Outside the Walls

In his new book published by Ave Maria Press , A Catholic Pilgrimage through American History , Dr. Kevin Schmiesing takes you to more than two-dozen sites and events that symbolize and embody America’s rich and sometimes tumultuous Catholic past, including the Santa Fe Trail, Gettysburg, and the Bourbon Trail. We talk about the Catholic thread running through the tapestry of American History and...

Dr. Lawrence Feingold's new book, Touched by Christ: The Sacramental Economy available on Emmaus Academic Press , is a masterwork explaining the mysteries of the sacramental economy.  Today we discuss why we need the sacraments, and how the sacraments are able to bestow God's grace to us. In our Patreon extra segment , (available to everyone this week) we discussed the 2020 Responsum by the Congre...

In the Easter Season, we contemplate our participation in the Paschal Mystery. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ not only reconcile us to the Father but also give us a sure hope of the resurrection ourselves. This hope of resurrection allows us to view death through the lens of eternity. Noreen Madden McInnis, Director of Liturgy & Spirituality for the Diocese of San Diego, has writte...

Nick De La Torre, founder of the Awaken Catholic (awakencatholic.org), joins us to share his journey and the Holy Saturday moments along the way.

Fr. Daniel G. Dozier is the Pastor of St. George Byzantine Catholic Church in Olympia, Washington. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Sacred Scripture Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius, is one of the Founders and hosts of Becoming Byzantine , a free webinar series on the light of the Byzantine East. He joins us to talk about the Lenten Pillar of Fasting.  This week's extr...

Mark Redmond, executive director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services in Burlington, Vermont, has worked in the field of caring for homeless and at-risk youth for over 40 years. His new book,  Called: A Memoir details Mark’s journey from working on Madison Avenue to hearing and answering the call of God to work with vulnerable communities.  Together we reflect on his experiences and what we can all...

Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He is the Director for Spiritual Formation for Saint Vincent Seminary, Director of the Institute for Ministry Formation and has offered numerous courses on the spiritual life. Together with Fr. Thomas Acklin, OSB he co-authored Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father’s Love available on Em...

Mike Aquilina is executive vice-president of the St. Paul Center and a contributing editor for Angelus News. He is the author of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church  and  The Eucharist Foretold .  We talked today about his new book on Emmaus Road Press called How the Fathers Read the Bible: Scripture, Liturgy, and the Early Church. 

Bo Bonner, Director of the Center for Human Flourishing at Mercy College , joins us to explain what our penitential fasting has to do with our inherent appetite for the infinite. As we discussed the idea, we ended up on the topic of silence.  Our Patreon supporters get extra segments! Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/63721208.  

Kristin and I reflect on the three pillars of Lent (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving) and the importance of keeping them in balance.

Dr. Leonard J. DeLorenzo ( leonardjdelorenzo.com ) from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame joins us to talk about Small Group catechesis for Sacramental Preparation, based on his own experience in helping prepare his oldest child for the sacrament of confirmation. His insights and framework are compiled in the book "Turn to the Lord: Forming Disciples for Lifelon...

Karianna Frey is the author "We are Beloved: 30 Days with Thea Bowman," available on Ave Maria Press. We Are Beloved  offers you a personal, thirty-day retreat based on the prophetic words of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, a renowned Black Catholic evangelizer, teacher, writer, and singer. We Are Beloved  offers selections from four decades of Bowman’s writings, reflections, presentations, and in...

Regina Boyd is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a private practice in Lake Mary, Florida. ( https://www.reginaboyd.com/ ) She is a regular podcast guest on the topics of mental health and marriage, and she hosts the podcast “ Connecting Out Loud .” Dr. Daniel Boyd is the Secretary for Laity, Family, and Life in the Diocese of Orlando, and co-hosts the podcast " Being and Making Disciples :...

Patrick Sullivan, president of Evango and author of the new book The 3 Languages of Evangelization , shares a simple idea that has dramatic implications for the way we share our faith.

Dr. James Merrick is the director of Emmaus Academic press joins us to talk about a new volume by Dr. John Boyle, The Order and Division of Divine Truth .  We talk about the approaches through which the Fathers and Doctors of the Church — the Early and Medieval Church — read Sacred Scripture, and what we can learn from those methods today. To read more on the Catholic Church's approach to Biblical...

Father Harrison Ayre is a priest of the Diocese of Victoria in British Columbia and the author of a new book " Mysterion: The Revelatory Power of the Sacramental Worldview " published by Pauline Books & Media . We discuss worldviews and how to consciously shape the lens through which we see the world. Patreon supporters get an extra 14 minutes of conversation. Learn more at  https://www.patreon.co...

Traditionally at Ephiphany, we celebrate 3 mysteries through which Christ was revealed in Sacred Scripture - The Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the Wedding at Cana. We look at these three mysteries and contemplate the circumstances surrounding those mysteries to get a clearer idea of how Christ chooses to reveal himself today.

Every January 1st the Church celebrates the 8th day of Christmas, the Octave of Christmas, and the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.  This celebration is embedded in the midst of our focus on the mystery of the Incarnation because it centers around our understanding of who Christ is. Joe Heschmeyer joins us to discuss what Mary's role reveals about the incarnation.

What does the Bible really say about the birth of Jesus? How did the celebration of Christmas become associated with things like Santa Claus and decorated trees? In  The True Meaning of Christmas:  The Birth of Jesus and the Origins of the Season , biblical scholar Michael Patrick Barber offers an inspiring look at the Bible’s accounts of Jesus’ birth and the development of the Christmas season. ...

In several of his letters, Paul posits that we are the Body of Christ. We spend some time looking at this idea in light of the Incarnation, and what it means for us to participate in the Incarnation.

During Advent, we remember Christ's incarnation and anticipate his second coming. In this episode, Deacon Charles Beard and I explore what it means for us to "Prepare the Way of the Lord" in relation to the second coming of Christ.

Chris Padgett joins us to talk about Saint Summit 2021 a free opportunity on December 10th-12th to learn more about 25 saints from some of the most sought-after speakers.  We talk about how the witness of the saints helps us to grow in holiness and grow closer to God. Listen to the end to hear about an opportunity to grow closer to your spouse this Advent season with a little CPR . Hear the extra...

Meg Hunter-Kilmer has written an extraordinary book about the saints for kids. "Saints Around the World" should be on your Christmas list for your children, grandchildren, god-children, nieces, nephews, and random strangers on the corner. This beautiful book introduces children to 100 saints from all corners of the world and all walks of life. Your kids will meet Saints who look like them and can...

Drawn from the contemplative Catholic tradition and Evans's own parenting experience, Rewilding Motherhood helps women deepen their connection to God through practices inherent to the life they're living now. Topics include work-life balance, identity, solitude, patience, household work, and mission for the common good. Throughout, Evans encourages women to see motherhood as an opportunity to disc...

The Most Rev. William A. Wack, CSC, Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee recently released a beautiful pastoral letter entitled Sharing the Gift ( https://ptdiocese.org/pastoral-letter ). He joins me to talk over the letter, to dispel misconceptions about evangelization, and to look with hope and joy at this task set before us all.