Beyond Sunday

(00:15) Nicole shares that she is feeling the sorrow of moving past Christmas time. And Rakhi mentions the transition of going back to school and returning to work for her family. Nicole shares the poem The Work of Christmas Begins: A Poem by Howard Thurman. Rakhi explains, “The work of Christmas is to continue to proclaim Jesus in the dark corners of humanity, in the darkness of our own homes, everywhere in need of redemption even. And maybe especially in our own hearts.” They talk about how Christmastime should propel our families into ordinary time with new graces and joy. 

(08:42) Addressing issues of injustice with our children: Nicole shares a story of her son facing racism in his school and how she as a mother walked with her son through that experience. Together, the two mothers discuss the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how they feel his life can help their children understand justice. 

(17:12) As we approach MLK day, the hosts address the question “What are some practical ways we can celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?” Practical advice, and a prayerful posture are mentioned, with some personal experiences shared as well. Prayer, small acts of service, knowing your neighborhood, and other ideas are discussed. 

(24:11) “What is it that you can do to start serving justice? To start being justice and witnesses to the justice God calls us to?” Rakhi shares, “I think it's okay to be uncomfortable. Yes. Because that’s the Spirit. The Spirit is working in that discomfort in stretching us and growing us.” They talk about the work of justice drawing us into the mystery of the Gospel and is valuable for our children. 

(00:39) Rakhi introduces the Epiphany as the topic for this week’s episode and shares her love for the Epiphany house blessing tradition. They talk about the liturgical meaning behind the Epiphany, share how their families and their parishes hold onto the Christmas spirit throughout the entire Christmas season.

(04:31) Rakhi shares her love for the “wonder” of the Epiphany and how her children receive spiritual gifts (medals, books, etc.) to commemorate the bringing of gifts to Jesus. They share what spiritual gifts they’ll offer back to Jesus throughout the new year. The two discuss other ways to enter into the celebration and encounter Jesus authentically in it.

(06:53) Rakhi shares a favorite song of hers that reminds her of Jesus’ desire for us to be close to him in his vulnerability. Nicole shares her love for adoration and how she and her family started making a weekly holy hour during Advent. She talks about how we can find ways to help our kids enter in, and embrace the imperfections of a holy hour or a brief visit to the chapel with little ones. She and Rakhi share tips on how to do this as a family.

(16:26) With adoration in mind, Rakhi encourages families to not be afraid to be present in the Church. They talk about how it can be difficult to feel like your kids are drawing attention in church or during prayer, but that our parishes are meant to be the community that embraces that reality — that families come with children.

(19:06) Nicole shares an experience she had of encouraging another mom who was too stressed to bring her kids to church and inviting her and her little ones to worship with her family. Rakhi highlights that Jesus doesn’t expect us to be perfect when we go to him, but he wants us to go to him.

(20:15) They discuss the reality of encountering Jesus in one another and the beauty of becoming living tabernacles when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. They discuss the power of Jesus’ presence and the beauty of taking his presence beyond the walls of the Church; they share ideas of how families can practically do that — bring Christ to others.

(23:48) Rakhi and Nicole offer encouragement to listeners and encourage listeners within the Archdiocese of Detroit to find adoration opportunities at adorationfinder.org.

(00:03) Our hosts, Nicole Joyce and Rakhi McCormick both introduce themselves, and, with the new year planning in mind, share some fun facts about new year's resolutions and planners. They share some of their own experiences in balancing their families’ schedules, keeping track of the liturgical seasons, and finding time for silence. 

(06:30) Nicole and Rakhi acknowledge the January 1 Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God and talk about plans for the season that didn’t come to fruition. They discuss the post-holiday letdown, that also gets mixed with anticipation for the new year. 

(10:11) Rakhi shares a story about briefly losing track of one of her kids while doing some back to school shopping. She reflects on her gratitude for the story of Mary and Joseph losing track of Jesus and finding him in the Temple, because the realness and humanity of Mary displayed in that anecdote. 

(13:05) Nicole highlights how, like Mary, we have to surrender to God’s plan, while knowing that his plan might not play out the way we want it to. They discuss how difficult it can be to surrender when we want to plan and control our lives, and how difficult it can be to acknowledge that God has a unique plan for each of our children. 

(15:38) They discuss the human realities of parenting and how our worth as parents isn’t reflected by our kids' successes or failures. They talk about how social media can add pressure to parenting, especially as a Catholic mom yet, how when we show up and give what we have, we can trust that God will use that. 

(19:44) Rakhi highlights how at every stage of life and parenting, we will struggle and looks to Mary as a source of consolation in that struggle. They discuss how important community is and how we don’t have to figure everything out on our own; we can look to others for guidance and support. 

(21:25) Nicole leaves the final thought and encouragement to listeners to consider what God might be asking their Fiat or Magnificat to be in the new year. She and Rakhi discuss how this might look like being more flexible with plans or committing to less activity and being more intentional. 

(23:12) Rakhi thanks listeners for joining and offers listeners encouragement. 

Welcome to Beyond Sunday: A podcast for Catholic parents striving to weave the Sunday experience into the everyday moments of the week. Join us each week as we talk, laugh (and sometimes cry) about our experiences in living our faith in the everyday moments of our family life. Subscribe today!