Today, Andrew and Jason just spend an episode catching up with each other on Lent. They talk about how they prepared for Lent (if they prepared at all), and their thought process behind what they're giving up. Lent isn't just about fasting, though, so they also talk about prayer and almsgiving. Finally, Andrew reflects on how he's taken his faith almost a little too seriously lately, and our need sometimes to recenter our faith on finding joy.

It's Part 2 of the Road from Emmaus "Why Catholicism?" two-episode mini-series! Last episode, Andrew and Jason tried to answer the questions of "Why do we even believe in religion at all?" And, "Of all the religions in the world, why Christianity?" This time around, they go one level deeper and talk about why they chose Catholicism. They start by sharing their journeys of being cradle Catholics, and then they discuss the importance of Holy Tradition within the Catholic Church. Like the Church, they don't believe in Sola Scriptura, and they talk about that a bit too, and highlight some differences between Protestants and Catholics. They wrap things up by sharing about what they might say to those of us who have friends who've turned away from the Catholic faith.

On today's episode, Andrew and Jason dig into the foundations and fundamentals of their faith life. Why are they Catholic? Before they can answer that question though, it's necessary to take a look at a couple of other questions: Why believe in religion at all? And of all the religions in the world, why Christianity? The first part of a two-episode mini-series, they touch on moral relativism, and how Christianity isn't just about being a good person or following a set of rules; it's being in a relationship with God. They also announce some exciting news off the top--you can now find the Road from Emmaus podcast on Fountain of Love and Life!

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(04:38) Encountering the Fountain of Love and Life on the Road from Emmaus

 

(09:10) "Why religion?" and moral relativism

(15:25) Who are we to judge? What does it mean to have intellectual discourse?

(22:49) Religion provides a structure of consistent thinking

(28:43) Religion is often more than just having good ethics or morals

 

(31:27) "Why Christianity?": Christianity is more than just good morals

(35:29) God seeks to be in relationship with us

(43:15) C.S. Lewis's thoughts on how Jesus is God, and not just a moral teacher

 

Fountain of Love and Life: https://fll.cc/en/

It's a new year, and there's no better way to start it off than in the same way that the Church starts it off -- celebrating our Holy Mother Mary, Mother of God! There's so much richness and beauty to unpack when it comes to Mary and Marian theology; Andrew and Jason could barely stop talking over each other. Using the Joyful Mysteries to keep them on the right track, they try to dive into the story of Mary, and the reflections they each have on her holy "yes" to God, what it might have been like to be the mother of Jesus, and the pain that she had to carry. Praying that 2021 will get off to a blessed start for you!

It's been a whirlwind of a year, and looking back at 2020 is no simple task. Our day-to-day lives ground to a halt with the COVID pandemic, but that doesn't mean nothing happened during the year. Andrew and Jason take this last episode of 2020 to look back and do an examen of sorts on the year. What were some highlights from 2020? What did they learn? And above all, how did they bring Jesus into these things? They wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas (but not a "Happy Holidays"!) :)

A big part of being a Christian is understanding that a lot of our faith is relationship-based. God seeks to be in relationship with us, to know us, to be with us. It's a wonderful blessing to be able to recognize that Jesus is our friend. Sometimes, though, we fall into the trap of only thinking of Jesus as a buddy. We forget that He is also a King, that God is our Creator, and that, as much as Jesus walks alongside us, there's kind of still an "order" to the relationship we have with Him. Today, Andrew and Jason try to unpack what it means that Christ is our King.

Andrew and Jason talk about something called the primacy of grace. It's a fancy-sounding term that really just refers to how God, as our loving Father and Creator, seeks us. He yearns to be in relationship with us, and He has already done everything to make that happen. On our end, sometimes we think too much about what we need to do, or where we need to go on our journey of faith, when really, we just need to realize that God is already meeting us where we are. He just needs us to open the door to let Him in.

In the last couple weeks, Pope Francis made a few headlines as he talked about civil unions. A lot was said about whether or not the Church had changed her position on same-sex marriage as Catholics and non-Catholics had all kinds of reactions. What exactly did Pope Francis mean when he talked about "civil unions" and a "right to a family" for our homosexual brothers and sisters? What exactly does the Church teach on homosexuality? And how do we navigate these kinds of conversations? Andrew and Jason share about how they unpacked these questions to get some clarity for themselves. 

--Articles referenced:

Catholic News Agency article (https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/what-did-pope-francis-say-about-civil-unions-a-cna-explainer-57625)

Patheos article by Fr. Matthew Schneider, LC (https://www.patheos.com/blogs/throughcatholiclenses/2020/10/pope-franciss-words-on-civil-unions-distorted-by-editing/)

Andrew and Jason share about the last few weeks and how they've been hit by a bit of spiritual dryness. They talk about what consolation and desolation is, and touch on how to navigate them using the rules of discernment. Jason also talks about... becoming a teacher?

Homily referenced by Andrew: http://thejustmeasure.ca/2020/07/12/three-ways-to-receive-blessings/

Sometimes it's easy to fall into the trap of becoming too attached to the things of this world. That might be material possessions like a TV, or it could be your professional career. It could even be the relationships that you have with your loved ones. On this episode, Andrew and Jason talk about how being called to a relationship with Christ means that all these worldly attachments fall away--not because we're forced to give them up, but because we see that there's nothing better to cling onto than Jesus Himself.