On The Road To Perfection

Our Favorite Scripture may seem a bit-self-serving, but this episode is actually the first one for us to offer you to directly participate in On The Road To Perfection!

Priming the pump with our individual favorite scripture passages, we end by encouraging you to send us your favorites, in a short video.

After an impromptu musical interlude, we each provide three of our favorite scripture verses.

We have lots of scripture passages we like, but we whittle it down so we stick to the twenty minutes.

Kristofer kicks it off with his favorite and most consequential verse: an obscure verse from Jeremiah...

Why do we go on retreat?

Is it really just to get away from people we do not want to be around>

Well...

Elijah, Moses, Jesus - these guys went on retreat, so why not us?

In fact, they went on retreat more than once.

All the time, it seems!

We often say to ourselves we should go on retreat, which is a great indication that God is telling us that very thing.

In this episode, we talk about all that, from the Prodigal Son to the Apostles, "retreat" is everywhere in the Bible.

We break it down for you, giving you the reasons God is calling you to retreat, and the fortitude you need to put your foot down and do it.

And, we do all that while looking at flowers and singing songs.

You can skip that part...

The doctrine of Just War is a difficult thing to comprehend, let alone explain.

We all question every armed conflict, and support or decry it based on our own perceptions of the situation.

Is that right?

How does the Church view the conflict in Ukraine?

How does the Church view its own armed conflicts, and those warriors who fought and killed in the name of Jesus and Mother Church?

Where does following orders fall into this doctrine?

For more than 1600 years, The Church has reconciled turning the other cheek with a natural right to self-defense.

In this episode, we tackle the doctrine of Just War, giving the four tests as laid out in the Catechism, and attempt to share the idea in a way that can be shared with children to help them understand - which means Kristofer understands, too!

Indulgences are controversial because they are confusing, and confusing because they are controversial.

What gives!?

You got questions? We got answers...but not all of them!

But certainly, the big ones to help you understand indulgences, and even answer a few questions others might have.

In this episode, we tackle indulgences at the request of a listener.

After reading the request, we dive in, starting with Beth blindsiding Kristofer with the task of defining indulgences.

Then it becomes a journey of theology, Biblical studies, and an exploration of the Church's command and responsibility received from Jesus Christ Himself.

We look at everything from the First Crusade to Purgatory to Confession, Divine Mercy to Suffering, and even rock throwing and Jimmy Carter!

Faith and Reason do not conflict - in fact, they MUST co-mingle in and infuse our daily lives.

This week Beth and Kristofer discuss a topic on which they should be called experts.

For many years they have catechized us, adults, elementary, middle-school, high school, and college youth on this topic that some of the greatest minds have never been able to wrap their heads around.

Beth and Kristofer give us the Church's response to Nietzsche, Hawking, Russell, and many other's in their down-to-earth well-reasoned manner, that will help you declare and be confident in your reasoned and reasonable faith!

As Kristofer says, the resurrection happened.

It's a reality LOTS of people saw.

It takes reason to explain it.

Faith and Reason go hand-in-hand, and this episode laser-focuses on that reality.

Beth and Kristofer answer the question and right from the beginning explain where we can find the answer about the Truth of Church Teachings.

Kristofer explains his own revelation that God gave him, and they discuss the Magisterial infallibility and when it is infallible.

They give us some ways to defend our faith and what we're to do if we disagree with something the Church teaches.

And after a long absence, their neighbor Larry rides by and says hello.

A segue from last week's episode, Beth and Kristofer discuss this emotional topic they have struggled with, to help us all (including themselves!) lead better prayer lives!

After Kristofer defines the difference between making time for prayer and praying out of love for our creator, they dive into why we need to, as Beth puts it, "Make an appointment with God."

Creating a Prayer life is difficult, but if we work towards the goal of creating a life of prayer we will have abundant joy and calm in our life; maybe someday we will all be able to say "I'm always close to God."

Kristofer and Beth did not want to do this emotionally packed episode, as evidenced by the pregnant pause at the beginning and the tears that follow.

They share the difficulties of knowing how to listen to God and not being able to do it; the busy-ness of life getting in the way when you crave to just hear The LORD.

With example and self-admonishment, they open up their own admission of preaching what they find difficult to practice, though they both admit to being really good at doing it - when they do it!

Spurred on by nothing but their wit and experience, Beth and Kristofer bring forth a topic in need of much discussion:

Language!

Or more specifically, foul language.

Many use it in their day-to-day and don't even think about it; others are highly offended by it, and some don't care one way or the other.

In this episode, Beth and Kristofer remind us of the importance of the use of proper language. 

They discuss the sanctity of some words, and the decorum and what we are expressing when we use it.

But don't worry!

Beth and Kristofer refrain from using any words (although "Hell" is spoken as part of the question they are answering) so this episode remains family-friendly!

You have to believe in the resurrection to be a Catholic.

But what does that mean?

In this episode, we get into this specifically, invoking Pope Benedict, and our own pastors, Father Brian Eilers and Father Will Rooney in the process.

We dive right in on this topic that Beth sprung on me...but I put her on the spot to pick a topic.

It was Easter Sunday when we recorded this, and we accidentally reveal Pope Benedict's D&D level.

Having some fun while we wait for our potatoes to marinate and our ham to cook, we hope you enjoy the faith formation in-between my distractions.

If you stick around, you'll hear us talk about the resurrection of Holy Owned and Operated. - Kristofer