Thanksgiving is upon us, and with it, all those reminders to be grateful. But what is gratitude, and how can we practice it throughout the year? Sister Geralyn Schmidt joins us today to unpack this virtue with tangible tips to practice it.

We will never have all the information. We aren’t meant to. That’s why we have faith. Martin Luther King Jr. is famously quoted as saying “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

To wrap up Vocations Awareness week, we have the honor of speaking with Fr Josh Weaver, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Harrisburg to help us fill in the gaps of what a vocation is, how to know if we’re called to one, and most importantly, how to actually take that first step.

Vocations - Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg (hbgdiocese.org)

Father Weaver's book recommendations:

“To Save a Thousand Souls” by Fr. Brett Brannen

“Discerning your Vocation” by the Community of the Beatitudes

www.DiocesanPriest.com and www.VocationNetwork.org

The end of this election won’t come with sunshine and rainbows and everyone skipping hand and hand into the sunset. What matters isn’t what’s on the news today—it’s what we choose to do about it, and the effect that choice has on our eternal souls.

Today’s episode is a repeat with Executive Director of the PA Catholic Conference and regular guest on our show, Eric Failing. Normally we don’t air repeat episodes so close to their original air date, but Eric brings a terrific sense of humor, heart and humble faith to the often-overwhelming topic of politics and it is absolutely vital that we exercise our right and our responsibility as Catholics, show up to the polls and vote.

It’s no secret we Catholics can be a little macabre – we pray in front of bones and send them on little tours, we dig people up to check out their body sometimes before canonizing them, we believe in the reality of demons, angels and the dearly departed, we also really love reminding people they will die one day.

So why do we do it?

Father Jonathan Sawicki, pastor at Saint Theresa’s Parish in New Cumberland to continues his conversation with us from Sunday as we dive into the details of each of these uniquely Catholic traditions to get you in the spooky spirit for today’s Halloween festivities.

Halloween, unfortunately has been long associated with spirituality and the occult. Christians and non-Christians alike are convinced of Halloween’s pagan origins, and with the abundance of violence, gore, sensuality, occultism, and demonic aspects now associated with Halloween, it’s hard not to. But is Halloween a pagan holiday or is it a hijacked holy day? How does the Catholic church feel about it? And since we’re talking about ghosts, are they even real and is believing in them in accordance with our Catholic faith?

Today we're excited to welcome back to the program Father Jonathan Sawicki, pastor at Saint Theresa’s Parish in New Cumberland to talk through the history of this fascinating holiday and find out if it’s all, in fact, just a bunch of "hocus pocus."

On previous episodes we’ve talked about our wellness, our whole selves, as being spiritual, physical and mental. If you forsake one for another, inevitably, you will still suffer. How we nurture or nourish each of these areas directly impacts the other, which in turn impacts our whole self and how we show up in the world, how we make the real presence of Christ visible through us.

So how can we show up as God calls us to if it feels like we’re missing something? Where do we find that missing piece of the puzzle?

Over the last several months, we’ve talked to experts in wellness, specifically nutrition and movement, as to how we address our whole selves, to truly care for the gift God has given us. Today, I’m excited to tackle the topic of spiritual nourishment with spiritual director, Chris Wood, on how we can grow in our faith and effectively manage our time for spiritual wellness, just like we would with physical wellness.

For more info on spiritual director formation or finding a spiritual director for yourself, contact Melissa Maleski at [email protected].

Well friends, love it or hate it, election season is here. If you’re anything like me, you may already be confused, concerned and maybe even a bit frustrated right now, and there’s only a few weeks left to make a decision at the polls.

Today, we're very excited to welcome back Executive Director of the PA Catholic Conference and regular guest on our show, Eric Failing. Eric brings a terrific sense of humor, heart and humble faith to the often overwhelming topic of politics and today is no different as we discuss whether or not our votes actually count, educating ourselves as Catholics on how we are called to participate in politics, and tactful ways to navigate differences of opinion during these divided times.

Voting Resources: https://www.hbgdiocese.org/voter-resources/

That saying old habits die hard is a saying because it’s true.

But why is that?

Is it that we lack willpower or conviction? Are we waiting for all the conditions are perfect before getting started, like waiting until Monday or waiting until the new year? What hope is there when we’re surrounded by triggers and temptations to slip back into our old ways? Does God expect us to be perfect?

Today we're honored to welcome back Erin McCole Cupp, an author and certified trauma recovery coach, to talk about this idea of willpower from a Catholic perspective and discover what we might be missing in this journey to freedom.

September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness month, and today I’m honored to welcome back Irma Do, a former therapist who specialized in crisis intervention and recently presented on this topic to Catholic Leadership.

** If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, please talk with someone you trust or dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Being an adult is hard. It’s just hard. There is no path. There’s no map, and we’re all just flying by the seat of our pants, which makes it easy for us to get stuck on this hamster wheel of going through the motions not knowing where we belong - we all battle this pressure to have it all: the house with the white picket fence, the dream job, the perfect family, a real Leave it to Beaver type of image we try to hold on to.

But is it where we’re called to be? Are we meant to sacrifice our dreams and aspirations in pursuit of this “perfect life?” Can we, in fact, have it all or does something have to give?

Today I’m chatting with Samantha Povlock, founder, CEO and Editor in Chief of FemCatholic, as we explore this idea that we actually CAN have it all, it just may look different and how to live in that.

FemCatholic • For Women. For the Church.

Comedian | Jen Fulwiler (jenniferfulwiler.com)