Jesuitical

Picture a painting or icon of your favorite Catholic saint. He or she probably has a pretty serious expression, is most likely white and is on the older side. Those images have been wonderful objects of prayer and devotion for Catholics down through the centuries. But do they speak to young people of faith today? To you?

The icons created by today’s guest, Gracie Morbitzer, seek to do just that. Gracie has created over 100 icons of saints that reflect the modern church: They are young, diverse, sometimes tattooed—and no less holy because of it. We ask what inspired this artistic endeavor and how creating icons has changed her relationship to the saints.

And in Signs of the Times, we speak with our colleague Kevin Clarke about CatholicVote’s lawsuit against Catholic Charities over their humanitarian work at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Links from the show

What’s on tap?

The Archangel: 2 1/4oz gin, 3/4 Aperol, 2 cucumber slices and a lemon twist.

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A wedding is a day, a marriage is a lifetime. That’s what Paul and Maureen Moses like to tell couples (including Zac and his wife) that they prepare for matrimony. Paul and Maureen are coordinators of Catholic Engaged Encounter in Brooklyn and Queens, and have been married for 45 years. They run a weekend retreat that fulfills the infamous “marriage prep” part of getting married in the Catholic Church (though they’ve found that many non-Catholics get a lot out of it, too). Zac and Ashley talk to them about what they’ve learned about marriage in their vocation and how the church can better accompany couples.

The hosts are also joined by James Martin, S.J., to talk about how to discern whether the voice you heard during prayer was God or just your ego talking. 

Links from the show: 

Come to Italy with us!

5 signs you are hearing God’s voice (and not your ego) in prayer by James Martin, S.J.

Catholic Engaged Encounter

Catholic Engaged Encounter Brooklyn-Queens

Learning to Pray

What’s on tap: 

Rock Red blend from the Waltz family vineyard 

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Behind (almost) every tattoo is a story, and this week’s guest thinks the church should start listening to those stories. Gustavo Morello, S.J., an associate professor of sociology at Boston College, has studied the religious significance of tattoos and found that even tattoos that don’t seem particularly religious can have a deep spiritual meaning for those who have them. We ask Gustavo about religious hang-ups around tattoos, their rising popularity and what they can teach us about the faith lives of young people.

In Signs of the Times, we’re talking about the pope’s monthly prayer intention encouraging nuns to fight back when they’re treated unfairly by men of the church and we remember a Catholic music icon.

Links from the show:

LIMITED TIME ONLY: $350 our pilgrimage to Italy

Pope Francis tells nuns: Fight back when you are treated unfairly ‘by men of the church.’

Catholic sister whose rock version of Our Father topped charts dies at 84

For many, a tattoo isn’t just ink. It’s a religious experience.

What’s on tap?

Malbec from Argentina

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We're having a conversation with Kerry Weber, author of a new essay in America titled "You will never regret going to the funeral." 

Read the article here and listen to the full conversation at: https://www.patreon.com/americamedia

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And just like that, with a papal decree last week, St. Irenaeus of Lyon became the 37th “doctor of the church.” Who was Irenaeus? What was the church like when he lived, sometime during the second century? And how did interpret and defend Scripture and Christian theology in a time before the Bible as we know it and the Creed even existed? To find out, we brought on Scott Moringiello, an associate professor in the Catholic studies department at DePaul University and an expert on Irenaeus and the history of biblical exegesis. We also get into what it’s like to teach undergraduates theology, often against their will.

During Signs of the Times, we discuss the report on sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich, where Pope Emeritus Benedict served as bishop for four years, and Gonzaga University’s decision to revoke alumnus John Stockton’s basketball seasons tickets. Finally, we discuss the role of literature in our faith lives.

Links from the show: 

Register to come with Jesuitical to Italy in September!

Pope Francis declares St. Irenaeus a doctor of the church

Explainer: Pope Francis is naming St. Irenaeus a ‘Doctor of the Church.’ What does that mean?

“The Rhetoric of Faith: Irenaeus and the Structure of the Adversus Haereses”

Podcast: What you need to know about Pope Benedict’s record on sexual abuse

Gonzaga revokes John Stockton’s season tickets over his refusal to wear masks.

What’s on Tap: 

Bourbon (for some French influence to honor Irenaeus) 

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You have probably heard that in order for someone to be declared a saint they (usually) need to have two miracles attributed to their intercession. But how does the Catholic Church decide what’s a miracle and what is just a rare healing—or a hoax?

To find out, we spoke with Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Seattle who has served as the “devil’s advocate” in the canonization process. The devil’s advocate (today formally known as the “promoter of the faith”) is appointed by the church to make the case against a candidate’s sainthood. We ask Bishop Elizondo what kinds of questions the devil’s advocate asks, how modern science has changed the church’s understanding of miracles and why most miracles today involve healing—as opposed to, say, water and wine or loaves and fishes.

In Signs of the Times, we preview the Jan. 22 beatification of Rutilio Grande, a Jesuit priest and martyr from El Salvador, and discuss an advice column about Catholic weddings that raises interesting questions about the role of parents in the sacrament. 

Links from the show:

What’s on tap?

Last night’s leftover wine

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For every A-list celebrity, there are thousands of people working behind the scenes and in supporting roles. They hustle from gig to gig, stitching jobs and roles together to make a living. They’re people like Marianne Muellerleile. Marianne is a distinguished actor who has appeared in hundreds of films, TV series and commercials. We talk to Marianne about what it’s like being Catholic in Hollywood, and what makes for a funny commercial (she’s been in quite a few, including Geico’s “Aunt Infestation”).

On Signs of the Times, we talk about the ethics of a Catholic school running up the score in a basketball game and discuss some new research about the true identity of Mary Magdalene. 

Links from the show: 

Come to Italy with Jesuitical!

A School Won 92-4 in Basketball. Then the Coach Was Suspended.

Was Mary Magdalene really from Magdala? Two scholars examine the evidence

Join our Patreon community!

What’s on tap?

Tea and decaf instant coffee, for a “Dry Second Wednesday in January”

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A charismatic demagogue with millions of devoted followers. A novel means of communication with little government regulation and few guardrails. The threat of violence in the streets and a country in crisis.

No, we’re not talking about the 45th president but America’s first radio priest, Father Charles Coughlin. On “Radioactive,” a new podcast series from Tablet Studios, Andrew Lapin takes listeners through the history of Father Coughlin, who through a mixture of Catholic piety, anti-Semitism and raw political ambition became the most popular voice on the U.S. airwaves during the Great Depression and the lead up to World War II.

We ask Andrew what Father Coughlin’s story can tell us about the connection between religious demagoguery and authoritarianism; the Wild West of new media platforms; and the failure of the church to reign in Catholics who exploit these toxic forces.

In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley share some Pope Francis-inspired New Year’s resolutions and give their predictions for Catholic stories coming in 2022.

Links from the show:

What’s on tap?

Bringing in the New Year with some Bubbly

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We're unpacking the pope's controversial comments about having children or pets.

To listen to the full conversation, go to https://www.patreon.com/americamedia

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Why was Jesus always feasting, eating and drinking? What makes the table a place of sacred encounter? And how are you supposed to learn how to cook on a budget? 

Lidia Bastianich is a best-selling cookbook author, an Emmy award-winning public television host, restaurateur and the owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. She’s also someone who has overcome extraordinary odds in her life. Born in the Istrian peninsula, her family fell behind the Iron Curtain when it became Yugoslavia. Her family crossed the border into Italy, living in a refugee camp in Trieste before being relocated permanently in the United States by Catholic Charities. 

In her new PBS special, “Lidia Celebrates America: Overcoming the Odds,” she tells the stories—and shares the table with—other resilient Americans with inspiring stories. 

Links from the show:

“Lidia Celebrates America: Overcoming The Odds.”

Come to Italy with Jesuitical!

Italian Bishop Gives Children Harsh News: There Is No Santa Claus

Wine at Communion, the sign of peace, holy water fonts: Will these parts of the Mass ever come back?

What’s on Tap?

2016 Bastianich Plus White Wine

Tequila for Kevin, our studio manager’s, birthday

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