Watch the lego timelapse: https://youtube.com/shorts/Uz3ti-DNqeE?feature=share

Griffin the dog clearly knows the Hail Mary clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/MW-0pxNBLNU?feature=share

No matter how much importance you give to the idea of a space race, you have to admit that exploration has always been a very Catholic thing. Whether it be Columbus’ voyage blessed by many miracles from God or St. Brendan setting forth in a leather boat to find the Isle of Saints.

In the 1960s, America's Cold War with Russia and its communist satellites was afoot. We had been threatened with destruction during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Nuclear War was looming on the horizon and the Soviet Union had already launched a man into space successfully. It seemed that the Soviets would dominate the sky - a frightening thought for an American populace already troubled by nuclear annihilation. We needed to step up our game.

All that being considered, space missions from that era had an undeniable anti-communist spark to them. Obviously there can be obsessions with outer space and being first at everything, but when Nuclear War is at hand, I wholeheartedly believe that victory in the space race was very important for the safety of free countries everywhere. Which leads me to the incredible story of Apollo 13, but the space race isn’t actually why I'm interested in this story. I'm interested, because it shows how real men handle problems. What brought it to mind was that one of my subscribers sent me this Lego spaceship and asked me to talk about the three men who escaped death through a series of spine chilling decisions on Apollo 13 — a mission that never reached the Moon… but showed the world what real problem solving looks like. It's a testament to cool thinking, ingenuity and even trust in God and I think it says something about America's calling as a nation, which is important to discern, because patriotism is a virtue.

Check out the YouTube channel, if you want: https://www.youtube.com/@catholicmenspodcast