Catholic Stuff You Should Know

This week Fr. Jacob and Fr. Sean reflect on the questions asked during the rites of marriage and ordination as a means to explore what it is we promise when we freely enter into marriage or holy orders. They explore these missional vocations and reflect on the missions we promise to carry out by entering them.

In this week's episode, Frs. Sean and John take a deep dive into two theological topics often untreated (and rarely ever in common) - sin and beauty. The reality of sin, itself a privation, offers a kind of "photographic negative" of the meaning of the beautiful. In a condensed form, Fr. John presents his research on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and Hans Urs von Balthasar, as well as arguing for the complementarity of their theological visions.

While searching for his notes, Fr. Jacob quizzes Fr. John on Augustine's Trinitarian Theology, and then he leads us through the writings of St. John the Apostle, his Letters, his Gospel, and The Book of Revelation with an eye toward the Trinitarian Theology in John. As they ponder the Trinity, Fr. Jacob and Fr. John close the episode by reflecting on the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus found in the Gospel of John, chapter 17.

This week Fr. Sean and Fr. John welcome friend and Sigrid Undset aficionada Danielle Coon to the podcast. Our conversation covers the life of the great Norwegian convert, a survey of her greatest works, and most importantly, an attempt to delve deeply into the genius of her literary witness to the Incarnation. For more from Danielle, check out https://daniellecoon.substack.com.

Fr. Sean and Fr. Jacob discuss the different prayer postures that happen during the liturgy. Understanding prayer postures will then help us to better understand what we believe and how we live.

This week Fr. Jacob and Fr. John take up the question of what makes a teacher truly excellent in the classroom. Taking up the theme "Authenticity is the universal language of resonance" (from a friend Weston), they work to source it in the thought of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas.

Fr. Sean and Fr. John talk about how to discern vocation in todays world. They discuss the importance of charisms, discernment, the councils, and more. Tune in to understand how to best discern a consecrated call.

Fr. Jacob and Fr. Sean discuss the representation of priests in film, especially the priests in the new film from Rian Johnson, Wake Up Dead Man. They then discuss various themes that the film wrestles with.

On the heels of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Fr. Jacob and Fr. John discuss the symbolism of the Baptismal and Easter Candle and how we pass on faith from one generation to the next as we receive the light of Christ. They further discuss the role of anointing before public ministry and how sin mars our baptismal garment and dampens our flame, yet God is always working to restore even a smoldering wick.

This week Fr. Sean and Fr. John hash through the difficult challenges that face parents in selecting a high school. Distilling down the four basic motives, they hope to offer a deeper engagement of the question, one that offers salient and helpful suggestions for the cultivation of faith and the impartation of a worldview.

As the new year begins, Fr. Sean and Fr. Jacob reflect on why most resolutions fail and propose a more Christian approach: ordering our lives around love rather than self-improvement. They explore practical ways to love God more through attention and silence, to love the Church with fidelity rather than critique, and to love priests with prayer and charity.

Father Sean, Father John, and Father Jacob wish you all a Merry Christmas and share a few graces from the year. Merry Christmas and thanks for listening to CSYSK!

In the final days of Advent, Fr. Sean and Fr. John talk about the ancient O Antiphons, names for Christ drawn from Isaiah, that express Israel’s longing for a Savior. Hidden within these prayers is God’s reply, "tomorrow, I will come” revealing Christmas as the fulfillment of centuries of hope.

Using the film and literature adage of "Show, don't tell," Fr. Jacob leads Fr. Sean down a reflection of Catholic life using the analogies of light and perspective. How can priests and all the faithful show their faith rather than merely tell about it, and how can we all shift our perspective, or change the lighting, so that we can see our faith anew with wonder and awe?

As the second installation on Fr. John's new book "Illuminate," Fr. Jacob and Fr. John unpack some of the deeper contours of the opening verses of the Gospel of St. John. Focused on the themes of Word and Light, the podcast is meant to aid the reading of the book, as well as help anyone to discover the deeper mystery of Christ as we await his coming at Christmas. For more on the book, cf. www.avemariapress.com/pages/illuminate

Fittingly published on Thanksgiving Day, Fr. Sean and Fr. John delve into the modern culture of health and well-being. Starting from the perspective of the natural good, they then assess the secular and ideological character of the health and wellness culture, before offering ideas around the Christian vision of it. And don’t miss the spicy excursus on botox!

Father Sean and Father Jacob are joined by Wyatt O'Rourke to talk about what the morality of the monetary system and how Bitcoin plays a role in that. They dive into what money is, the morality of money from a Catholic perspective, and how Bitcoin is a solution to that immorality.

Father Jacob and Father John discuss the recent document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding Mary, exploring her roles as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix. They delve into the theological implications of these titles, the understanding of Mary's mediation, and her role in the Church. Their conversation emphasizes the need for a nuanced approach to Mariology.

Only a few weeks from Advent, Fr. John and Fr. Sean offer an introduction to Fr. John’s latest book, “Illuminate: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation.” As they discuss how the work came to be, its structure and form, they offer practical tips for preparing for the coming liturgical season. For more on the journal, visit https://www.avemariapress.com/products/illuminate?srsltid=AfmBOooQ4QVlETqSrUNAR-azm7icXadlVb2QyvChwD372LhMFCiKQke7.

Fr. John and Fr. Sean welcome their friend and author Dominic Polito for a discussion on his book Fathering Sons. In it they explore the need to rescue and restore authentic paternity in our cultural moment, and offer concrete ideas for a modern rite of initiation. As a firefighter of 20 years and father of five, Dominic brings an honest and inspiring example of how a lived and intentional fatherhood can transform our familial landscape. Learn more at https://fatheringsons.com.