Purpose and Perseverance Podcast

The USDA put out a new food pyramid and dietary guidelines this week. This week's episode is my thoughts on the the idea food pyramids/dietary guidelines in general, along with some history, and politics behinds them. 

In this episode of Purpose and Perseverance , I reflect on the truth that we were never meant to do life alone. Drawing from Scripture, the Harvard longevity study, and the growing epidemic of loneliness, we explore how deep, meaningful relationships shape not only our spiritual lives but our mental and physical health as well. This conversation looks at why Christianity is fundamentally a relatio...

In this episode, I talk about personal evolution - the quiet, often uncomfortable work of becoming better over time. Not better than other people, but better than who we were yesterday. The idea of personal exceptionalism is not about ego, entitlement, or comparison, but responsibility: the responsibility to steward our bodies, minds, and souls and multiply the "talents" God has given us in each o...

As the New Year approaches, this episode is about exploring the difference between expectations and aspirations, and why confusing the two can quietly undermine our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Expectations outcomes, they're finite, and often fuel anxiety and discouragement when things don't go according to our will or life doesn't cooperate. Aspirations, by contrast are open ended, ho...

As we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent, these are some of my thoughts from the week on Joy, and especially gratefulness as a precedent for joy. Then I answer two questions from students - one on energy drinks, and the second on if we can reverse coronary artery (cardiovascular) disease. 

A question from a friend about weight loss, and some thoughts on maintaining cognitive health with age. 

For today's episode, I wanted to share my homily for this first Sunday in Advent on the theme of staying awake - which seems to fit perfectly with the overarching themes of this podcast - purpose and perseverance! 

Following up on last weeks Q&A episode, I wanted to continue talking about the disciplines of Advent as a means to prepare for not only the second coming of Christ, but renewals in mind, body, and soul as we get ready to take on resolutions for the New Year. 

Thanks to folks for sending in some great questions! What simple habit has had the greatest impact on your life this year? What is something people care about far too much, and what should they care about more? What is a piece of advice you heard as a child that turned out to be completely wrong? What are the pros and cons of taking creatine? What health myth do you hear repeated constantly? What...

I've come to realize that motivation is one of the most overrated words in our culture. We talk about it as if it's the fuel that drives everything, but really, it's just a feeling. It comes and goes. And if you rely on it, you'll be tempted to quit every time it fades. Motivation might get you started, but only purpose, perseverance, and discipline will carry you through. The Christian life is no...

In this episode, I unpack why eating well, moving with purpose, and resting deeply aren't forms of suffering - they're expressions of gratitude, reverence, and freedom. Our culture confuses pleasure with peace, but when we begin to order our lives through discipline, we discover the joy of self-mastery and the freedom of being who God created us to be and being good stewards of the bodies (and hea...

In this episode, I reflect on what it means to persevere when our bodies don't cooperate, pain lingers, limitations feel overwhelming, or life just seems to be going sideways. These are my thoughts on how embracing weakness, leaning on God, and finding grace in our struggles can transform moments of limitation into opportunities for growth. I tried to offer practical ways to care for body and soul...

If there was a weekend of readings that were all about what I'm all about, this is it! From Exodus, Moses persisting in prayer, from St. Paul's second letter to Timothy, "persist whethere it is convenient or inconvenient, and "The Persistent Widow from St. Luke. I was so happy that the priest at Mass preached all about PERSEVERANCE! So, of course, I can to talk about the readings in this episode a...

We have a health epidemic in America related to people being overweight or obese. Many will try to make changes to their lifestyle through highly restrictive diets - diets that they are not able to maintain for the rest of their lives. So, even if they lose weight in the near term, they eventually gain it all back and then some when they get off that extreme diet. This leads to mental health chall...

For that last week my mind has been thinking about how our optimal health is related to our vascular health, especially our smallest blood vessels. The more I thought about it, some of our worst health outcomes (cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, etc.) have as a component, worsening vascular health in and around our heart, organs, eyes, brain, skin, limbs, reproductive organs, and more.  Some th...

Decrepitude (noun): the state of being worn out, weakened, or in decline due to old age, illness, or long use. For most of my life, I believe the decrepitude was an inevitability of age like death and taxes. It wasn't until about 2019 that I learned it was not a foregone conclusion. Reality is that barring accidents, genetics, or disease, we can stave off the worst effects of time that are actuall...

Lot's going on in our world, much of it kind of heavy and negative. Maybe like you, I'm feeling an increasing need to disconnect and focus on the good things that matter. It was part of my reflection on today's Gospel. Am I trustworthy in small matters? Do I focus on the things that are in my control - what I allow my mind to dwell on, taking care of the gift that is my body and health, and especi...

We definitely seem to be living in a more stressful world. Or at least there seem to be more negative things happening in our world that can cause chronic stress. If you're like me, you have heard that stress is bad for you, especially your heart health, but no one ever took the time to explain the physiological mechanisms behind it. This episode is my attempt to try and explain it in the simplest...

After 25 years of prayer, my dear friend in heaven, Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati was finally raised to the full glory of the altar! So this podcast is a reflection back on the ways he became a part of my life, how our young lives were so different, and why so much of my adult life has been about work with young people and trying to point them to Jesus. This could have easily been a four hour episod...

A weave from Sunday's Gospel, to the tragedy in Minnneapolis, to the thing everyone should be concerned about - CAD - coronary artery disease - the number one cause of death worldwide. This episode highlights how stress, sleep, diet, and movement impact CAD. 

A Wednesday Word episode reflecting on the importance of people, especially young people, to gain the ability to anticipate the needs of others. 

It might just be me, but I think this is a good episode - and an important one.  A lot of negative outcomes in life are the result of ignorance (which does not mean lack of intelligence). This is why "Instruct the ignorant" is one of the spiritual works of mercy. It's also why wisdom and understanding are the antonyms to ignorance. What becomes important in this life is to recognize the areas in m...

Any great outcome in life is the result, at least in part, of discipline. Unfortunately, over the last 40-50 years that word has taken on a negative connotation for many people. As in, we're not supposed to tell people they need it or that they lack it. And folks are told they shouldn't feel bad if they lack discipline or self-control.  I don't want people to beat themselves up about it, but I sim...

This has been on my mind for a bit and I decided to think out loud about it on this episode. We have ministries for a lot of things in our churches and parishes, but very few offer anything to minister to the health and wellbeing of parishioners. Jesus is clear: "Heal the sick" and "Did you care for me when I was sick?" And yet, we offer little to nothing in the way of even educating the faithful...

When people struggle with anxiety and depression, one thing to look out for are NEGATIVE inputs in our lives that only make it worse. This is especially true for children, and in my professional experience, young women. But it can be a problem for adults as well. Whether its the fear mongering 24/7 news, social media, or a family member or friend that "vents" all the time about everything. We love...