Off The Shelf

One of the oldest drinks known to man...next to water of course..is alcohol. Brewed out of necessity for health purposes in England the beloved beer has become a of staple of our culture. But were you aware that there is a spiritual aspect to beer as well? Jared Staudt joins me this week to discuss this and how Catholic monks perfected the art of brewing and spread it throughout the world. Learn about the rise, fall, and return of beer brewing on this episode.

If you are one who loves studying Scripture than this episode is for you. Dr. John Bergsma joins me to talk about the EXCELLENT new volume on the Old Testament he co-wrote with Brant Pitre called A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament. This book is packed with charts, graphs, history behind each book of the Old Testament and much, much more within it's 1060 pages. Learn about the book, a little Bible history, and the process John and Brant went through over a span of 10 years to write the book. We even touch upon when we can expect to see the companion New Testament volume. 

Many feel Thomas Aquinas is hard to read. Have you ever considered thinking like him? On the episode I am joined by Dr. Kevin Vost who tells us just how to accomplish. It may take some time but well worth it. Listen in as we take a look at his recent book How to Think Like Aquinas:The Sure Way to Perfect Your Mental Powers.

Occasionally a book makes it’s way to me that gives me pause. A book that looks at the faith in a manner that addresses the current divided culture we live in and it brings hope. Join Marge Fenelon and I as we discuss her book 10 Promises of Jesus: Stories and Scripture Reflections about Suffering and Joy. In a world grown cold we need a little joy this year. Marge has chronicled stories that will give you hope!

We wrap 2018 up with my favorite saint, Padre Pio. Join author Bernard Ruffin and I as we discuss the life of this beloved saint and Bernard's recently released 3rd edition of his book Padre Pio: The True Story.  In 528 pages Bernard takes a deep look into the life, mystery, and miracles of Padre Pio. This book is perhaps the most complete biography of Padre Pio available and this third edition is newly updated with more details and 16 pages of photos! Saint Padre Pio pray for us!

This week on Off the Shelf as we anticipate the birth of Jesus we take a look at some of the many names of Jesus in Scripture. Paul Thigpen joins me to discuss his book The Biblical Names of Jesus: Beautiful. Powerful Portraits of Jesus. From Lion of Judah to King of kings and everything in between, Paul covers many of the 100's of names used to describe the Messiah on Scripture. Learn about the history to a few of them on this weeks episode. 

I've recently gotten my hands on one of the most well-crafted rosaries I have ever owned. Actually it is a set of four called The Mysteries of the Rosary set by Ghirelli Rosaries. Family-owned Ghirelli Rosaries has been in the business for a long time and produce some of the most gorgeous rosaries you will ever find craftedin and imported from from Italy. Listen in as Dino Piccinini from Ghirelli and I discuss the rosary design process, how they are made, and Ghirelli's custom- made line of rosaries. PLUS exclusive to Breadbox Media listeners  now through Dec. 31 visit https://www.ghirelli.com/ and enter code BREAD15 at checkout. You will receive a 15% exclusive discount through the end of the year on ALL Items including sale and clearance, plus Free Shipping on orders over $75.  

We are in full Advent prep mode and I have a great book to share with you to help us take a focused look at the season leading up to Christmas. Celebrating a Merry Catholic Christmas: A Guide to the Customs and Feast Days of Advent and Christmas by Father William P. Saunders is the perfect resource for learning about and making Advent a prosperous season filled with faith. Join us as we discuss the numerous feast days observed in the season, objects that have become part of our celebrations, and stories behind some of the more well-known Christmas carols of the season. 

Kendra Tierney made a concerted effort to bring the feasts and events of the liturgical calendar into her family life and has reaped the benefits of doing so.Now she shares the many simple ways she has found to do so in her book The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life. On this episode, we focus on the season of Advent and how we can stop the hustle and bustle of the secular world and come to a true appreciation for the reason for the season. 

This week we celebrate the 100th episode of Off the Shelf. To do so we have guest Mike Aquilina who was my first written author interview in 2013. We chat about his most recent book Villains of the Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians. Sound ominous doesn't it? Trust me, its  a great read and we will cover some of these characters from Judas to the no-so-obvious Origen.