Fr. Burke Masters is a priest of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, and the chaplain for the Chicago Cubs. In this episode, he speaks with Bishop Wall about his conversion to Catholicism and his vocation as a priest - all of which started with his childhood love of baseball.

For some, the holidays are a time of joy and cheer, while for others, a feeling of isolation or loneliness can set in. But Advent - a season of anticipation - provides an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the birth of Christ and look forward to His second coming.

You don't have to travel halfway across the world or spend a lot of money to make a pilgrimage. Bishop James Wall gives advice on how to undertake one - whether in your own home or to a famous site like Lourdes.

Confirmation is a familiar rite of passage for most young adult Catholics - but why is it such an important sacrament? Bishop Wall explains the significance.

Holy Week - the week leading up to Easter, is one of the high points of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church. We hear names like Spy Wednesday and Good Friday - but what do they mean, and why are they important? In this episode, Bishop Wall gives a breakdown of the significance of each day of Holy Week.

We're back! In our new episode, Bishop Wall gives advice for Lent: how best to prepare; recommendations for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; and his favorite spiritual readings.

Originally recorded in July 2021, but the topic is relevant year-round! Along with freedom of speech, assembly, and other guaranteed American rights, freedom of religion is a right inherent to human beings, and not one that should be bestowed or revoked by any government or ruler. For Catholics, for whom the Eucharist is the "source and summit" of our spiritual lives, the freedom to teach and follow the Gospel is crucial, and a message of hope in a fallen world.

It's easy to find ourselves waffling between two extremes: procrastination on the one hand, or toxic productivity on the other. Hard work, properly ordered, is good, but not when it's focused on chasing material goods or wealth which will never bring true happiness. Rather, like St. Joseph, we should work for the support of our family, the betterment of our community, and the good of our soul.

When a priest or bishop makes the decision to publicly or privately deny the Eucharist to a Catholic, it is not a gesture motivated by politics. Rather, it is an act of charity which keeps the person from falling into deeper sin, a call to repentance, and an effort to preserve the sanctity of the Eucharist.

A good shepherd is one who seeks to bring each strayed member back to the fold, who concerns himself with each sheep's wellbeing, and who would lay down his life for the good of his flock.

A good shepherd is not simply a hired hand, watchful for only a certain period - rather, a good shepherd's love is all-encompassing and never ends.

Homilist: Bishop James S. Wall