A Catholic Life

This is Episode 142 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss developing a Lenten regiment built on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I also cover the importance of the 40 Hours Devotion at the beginning of Lent. As we prepare to enter into the holy season of Lent, we should prepare to observe a strict routine of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Below are 14 articles worth reading at this time:

1. The Importance o...

This is Episode 141 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. 

In today’s episode I discuss the sin of scandal. Among the many sins condemned by Sacred Scripture and the perennial teaching of the Church, few are treated with such gravity as the sin of scandal. This can be a source of inspiration as we prepare ourselves for Lent and begin the observance of Septuagesima today. 

For more on Septuagesima, see Episode 50.

I would like to thank Catec...

This is Episode 140 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I address the morning offering. Among the many traditional Catholic devotions that have quietly faded from daily practice, few are as powerful—or as neglected—as the Morning Offering. This brief prayer, once taught universally to Catholic children and faithfully practiced by clergy and laity alike, ordered the entire day toward God and united every action, joy, ...

This is Episode 139 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss Catholic etiquette in our churches and in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Restoring Catholic etiquette is not nostalgia – it is an act of fidelity. It protects faith, fosters devotion, and honors Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Every genuflection, silence, kneeling posture, and modest garment declares a single truth: God is here. If Catholics r...

This is Episode 138 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. 

In today’s episode I discuss the immemorial practice of Wednesday and Friday abstinence and how we can restore Wednesday abstinence to our lives while also keeping Friday abstinence which remains obligatory. See the following resources for more information:

·         The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence

·         The Fellowship of St. Nicholas

·         2026 Fastin...

This is Episode 137 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I address the importance of praying the Divine Office specifically Matins and Compline as a layperson. For the traditional breviary readings in multiple languages, see Divinum Officium.

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin convenient...

This is Episode 136 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I address Spanish, Hispanic, and Filipino Advent Traditions. Remarkably, while Advent’s traditional discipline weakened or disappeared in much of the West, it was preserved with striking fidelity in Spanish, Hispanic, and Filipino Catholic cultures. These traditions are not cultural curiosities. They are living witnesses to the Church’s historic understanding of...

In today’s episode, on the 1st Sunday of Advent, I address the following:

1. What is Advent?
2. Advent: The Beginning of the Liturgical Year & Source of Rich Meditations
3. Advent and Christmas Traditions
4. The Rorate Mass: A Dawn Mass Said Only By Candlelight

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin convenie...

This is Episode 132 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I address the timely observation this week of Thanksgiving – Let Advent be Advent. When we can start decorating for Christmas is an often-debated item. In a world where the Christmas Tree in secular or protestant homes is up around Thanksgiving, the Catholic world is seen as an outlier. So when should a traditional Catholic decorate for Christmas and how should ...

This is Episode 129 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss How to Prepare for and Live After Confirmation. It is a topic all of us should consider as confirmed Catholics or those preparing for Confirmation, especially as we grow closer to the end of the liturgical year and reflect on going forth as soldiers of Christ. 

This episode of A Catholic Life is brought to you by the Sanctifica app — your go-to tool for...

This is Episode 132 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss Extreme Unction as a Sacrament of Victory Over the Devil, a worthwhile topic as we draw closer to the end of the liturgical year and observe November as the month especially dedicated to praying for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.

This episode of A Catholic Life is sponsored by The Holy Quest: A Board Game for the Catholic Family! Looking for a beautiful, ...

This is Episode 131 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss Catholic Kingship and Monarchy as the Ideal Form of Government. Since last weekend was the Feast of Christ the King, this reflection is an appropriate extension of the 100th celebration of the Feast of Christ the King since it was established in 1925.

And of course, remember this week to gain the special indulgences for the Poor Souls.

This episode of A ...

This is Episode 130 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss Traditional Catholic Exorcisms: Preserving the Church’s Ancient Rite of Deliverance.

In the Gospels, Our Lord explicitly cast out demons and gave His apostles authority to do the same (cf. Mark 16:17). The Apostles use this power (cf. Mark 6:13), and in Acts, the Holy Ghost witnesses how St. Paul (16:18) and Philip the Deacon (8:7) continue this spiritu...

This is Episode 129 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss the value of spiritual reading before bed and mention practical tips on how to incorporate this in your routine as a Catholic.

Reading even a single page with devotion is better than many pages with distraction. Possible texts worth considering can be found at Traditional Catholic Book Recommendations.

This episode of A Catholic Life is brought to you by...

This is Episode 128 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss the legacy of Catholic art in teaching the Catholic Faith. And for more on how to celebrate Michaelmas this week, see Episode 86.

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin conveniently on the go. Practice your pronunciation with...

This is Episode 127 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss the theological importance of Marian titles and why the Church insists on invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary under a variety of titles. As we draw closer to October, the month of the Rosary, I also mention:

·        The Importance and Power of Praying the Rosary

·        The Prayer to St. Joseph Added to the Rosary in October

This episode of A Catholic Life...

In today’s episode for the A Catholic Life Podcast I discuss Total Consecration to Mary according to St. Louis de Montfort. Among the treasures of authentic Catholic spirituality, few devotions have borne more fruit than Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, as taught by St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673–1716). His classic work True Devotion to Mary has inspired saints, popes, and countless faithful to entrust themselv...

This is Episode 125 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today's episode I discuss the Evangelical Counsels - their historical context and continuing relevance to Catholics.

This episode of A Catholic Life is brought to you by the Sanctifica app — your go-to tool for living the richness of the liturgical year. From feast days and saints to traditional devotions, the rosary, and even now even with the Divine Office and an interact...

In today’s episode for the A Catholic Life Podcast I discuss one of the most significant proofs that the Catholic religion alone is from God – the raising of the dead to life. 

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin conveniently on the go. Practice your pronunciation with easy-to-follow English phonetic r...