about four o'clock

This is a rerelease of our very first podcast. We will be back next week with new content.

This could also be called the Christmas episode. No Christmas music played, but better: lectio divina with the Christmas Proclamation.

In Advent season it is natural to turn some of our attention to the Blessed Mother. So too with discernment. The three priests explore the role Mary has played in their discernment and priestly lives.

Many people do not think of the priesthood as a life of intimacy. The three priests would say otherwise. And they do. In this episode, they discuss their experiences of intimacy with God, the challenges, the satisfaction, the personal and how it has changed over the years.

Is there a difference between the World's peace and God's peace? Unfortunately, the two can often be confused in discernment. It is not always easy to untangle where this peace is coming from. In this episode, the three priest try to give some clarity to what type of peace we are looking for.

We are going to the mailbag. A listener writes: 'Please go over ways to come to know and love God, to actually form a deep and meaningful relationship with Him. I feel I only know about God.' Plus a heated debate over Christmas music.

Holy Obedience is a revered subject among the saints, though decidedly unpopular in our current culture. The three priests discuss where they have felt the discomfort of obedience while also recognizing the gift it has been in their life. They also discuss what obedience really looks like for a man in discernment.

A man does not enter seminary in a vacuum. His decision is sure to elicit a response from family, especially parents. Is there a right way to respond? Many parents have questions, concerns and may even feel guilty about how they feel when their sons tell them they are entering seminary. This week the priests discuss what they have seen and their own parents' response to when they told them they were entering seminary.

A listener asks: what if I am certain God is calling me, but I don't want to go?

We have never before named an episode after a topic in the banter portion of the show. However, in this case, Fr. Chad nearly fell out of his chair with the absurdity of the suggestion. If he disappears from the podcast momentarily, it is only because he was trying to catch his breath. The real subject of this episode is the mutual discernment between and man and the Church on whether he enters seminary or not. That means sometimes, a man is not accepted into seminary. Give it a listen.