The Catholic Experience
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Catholics turning "followship" into fellowship and helping each other to learn and grow in holiness. Catholicism is an adventure, but we weren't meant to live it in isolation. Holiness is the goal, and the human experience is the vehicle. Community is essential to that experience.
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Priest Blesses Same-Sex 'Spouses". Here's my reaction

Don't worry, it's 'not in any way a marriage, a wedding, or anything like that.' Riiiight! Here is my analysis and reaction to a story from Catholic News Agency about a Chicago priest who used Fiducia Supplicans to justify blessing a same-sex couple. I also talk about the importance of treating/correcting matters of Love with tenderness and care, whether between gay people, straight people, and even if the love is wrongly ordered. Pretty good substance in this episode, which I'm sure you'll enjoy and learn from.
NOTE: I've also posted a Free Preview of a premium podcast on Aquinas' Five Ways (proof of God's existence) and, of course, the full episode itself. Check the timeline on my Locals, or click the "Content" tab in the sidebar to find those. Thanks for being a member!!!

Priest Blesses Same-Sex 'Spouses". Here's my reaction
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Something Hot is Coming Soon

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I'd be working on an experimental new podcast that hits a little harder, to be tested exclusively on Locals. Here's a teaser. It says more than what appears.

00:00:25
Slow down and force yourself to pause.

We should take advantage of the Beautiful, allowing it to remind us and inspire us to slow down, to pause, to be on pace with God.

00:01:34
Reaction and Response to Pope's Comments about Conservatives

The Holy Father recently made some surprising comments about conservatives in his recent 60 Minutes interview.
"Conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude."
There is a thread of truth to these words, but in its broad stroke, characterizing all conservatives, the Holy Father errs. Here's what I think is true and false about his comments.
UPDATE: Sorry, this was supposed to be a video but Locals limits my uploads per-month and I have run out of storage. I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy the audio anyway.

Reaction and Response to Pope's Comments about Conservatives
Reaction Video (Update and Clip)

I posted a short video podcast today, reacting and responding to a pro-choice ad. If you're a free member, here is an audio clip for you. If you're a paid member, you'll find the link to the full video below (or just go to the Locals app or website). I'm not sure if Locals emailed you guys about the post today, so I'm taking this opportunity to inform you now. Thanks for being a member!
Link to Full Video: https://catholicexperience.locals.com/post/5625313/reaction-to-a-pro-choice-ad
Audio Preview (2 minutes) is embedded in this post.

Reaction Video (Update and Clip)
Argument from Motion FREEVIEW

A two-minute snippet of today's premium episode, "Argument from Motion - Aquinas' Five Ways #2"
Become a paid member, support your favorite podcaster and his family, and get exclusive content.

Argument from Motion FREEVIEW
Pope's Comments About Conservatives

Hi there, Locals members! I have made my recent podcast available on all Locals members, whether free or paid. I originally wanted to provide the video to paid members, but apparently I've reached my upload limit on Locals. So I decided to just make the audio available to everybody on Locals. Thanks for being a member! Here's the link to the post/episode.
https://catholicexperience.locals.com/post/5651607/reaction-and-response-to-popes-comments-about-conservatives

We have both kinds…

When a true classic meets an ancient classic…

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Secret to Serenity

This is clever and true! Would you guys be interested in a guided meditation through the rosary? Respond in a comment or in the poll below (or both, if you like). I’d probably do it live, one or two decades per session.

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Updates Galore

Hey fans! I'm slowly working on a new podcast episode, and a new experimental podcast, too. As I work on that I've also brought some existing exclusive content here to Locals. Some of it is for all members, and some is only for paid members. F

-Video Podcasts: At a point I'll do podcasts on camera rather than just behind a microphone. They'll include video reactions, and supplemental visuals (it's not all about my face!) Those will be for paid members only. 
-After-Shows: I'll produce after-show episodes to the free/public podcast. These will be for paid members only, but I'll provide "Minicasts" of the after-show to free members as well.

Content

Most paid content will have free previews for free members. Currently the podcasts that I'm bringing over from my website do not have free previews, but they will in the future. Articles will always have free previews.


-PODCAST  Disecting Trump's Accusations of a Biden-Era Catholic Crackdown. - Available to all members of my Locals community. Get it here

-ARTICLE: Rejection of God and Fatherhood, Part 2 (PAID MEMBERS) - Available for paid members. Read it now

-PODCAST  The Church is Not the Point (So what is?) - Paid members only. Listen Now

Thanks for being a member of my Locals community. I'm really humbled and grateful that you've signed up. More to come. God be with you all.

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Rejection of God and Fatherhood (Part 2)
Rejecting Fatherhood Starts with Rejecting God as Our Father. Where Did That Start, How Did it Happen, and How is it Related to What We See Today?

In Part-1 of this series, I examined the roots of the modern culture’s assault on and rejection of fatherhood. As Cultural Marxism began to take root in mid-twentieth century America, books and magazines employing the Marxist strategy of critical theory challenged and attempted to discredit (by casting doubt, not actually by building arguments) traditional beliefs of fatherhood and manhood. Over time, the culture developed a tendency to view male roles in society and the family with disdain, leading to the emergence of misguided attitudes and opinions about men.

But as Cardinal Sarah noted in his interview with Catholic Herald, rejection of fatherhood does not happen on its own but results primarily from rejection of God. The culture’s rejection of God and fatherhood, both so apparent today, are not independent of each other. Rejection of God was the precursor and predicate for rejecting fatherhood today, and for the consequent assault on manhood so prevalent in modern culture.

When and how did we reject God?

Rejection of God has become a cultural norm. It’s likely not unfamiliar to the reader’s own observations of society and cultural trends today. But it’s not uniquely a modern phenomenon. We can see this societal rejection of God across history, starting from biblical times. However there was a particular point in history that more directly laid the groundwork for the rejection of fatherhood and manhood we observe today. Let’s go through that history, starting with scripture and observe the domino effect that starts with rejecting our identity, proceeds to rejection of God, and culminates to rejection of fatherhood.

Rejection of Identity—>Rejection of God—>Rejection of Fatherhood

Rejection of Identity

What initially pries us away from the Heavenly Father is, as Cardinal Sarah mentions, a rejection of our identity as sons and daughters and replacing it with an ego-driven identity of self-reliance and agency separated from God, the creator, and provider of life and being (In Him we live, and move and have our being” Acts 17:28). When the Hebrews worshipped the golden calf (Exodus 32), choosing an idol in place of the true God, they rejected the true God for a false one. Pointing to the golden calf they cried out “This is our god…” (Exodus 32:4). In doing so, they were saying, “We are not children of the True God, but are children of an inanimate object—a ‘nothing.’ We inherit no identity from this ‘nothing,’ and so we take license to manufacture one for ourselves.”

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God is our Hiding Place (Music)
A beautiful song by John Michael Talbot comes straight from scripture
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