On the Son Rise Morning Show, Matt Swaim welcomes back Father Jonathan Duncan of the Diocese of Charleston and co-host of the Bone Church Revival Podcast to reflect on the Mass readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Continuing from Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ in Matthew 16, the Gospel takes a dramatic turn as Jesus rebukes Peter for rejecting the Cross. Father Duncan explores the tension between Peter as the rock upon which Christ builds His Church and Peter as a stumbling block when he resists God's plan of salvation.

Father Duncan explains why the Cross is at the heart of Christian discipleship—and why the temptation to avoid suffering, sacrifice, and self-giving love ultimately comes from the enemy. Jesus' words, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,” reveal the paradox of the Christian life: we discover true fullness not by clinging to our lives, but by giving them away in love and service.

The conversation also looks at the witness of the martyrs and saints, the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and how Christians can resist the temptation toward self-centeredness by embracing a life of sacrifice for Christ and others.

A powerful reflection on the Cross, humility, sacrifice, sainthood, and what it really means to follow Jesus.

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On the Son Rise Morning Show, Matt Swaim speaks with Bobby Schindler of the Life & Hope Network about two important developments involving the protection of human life and medically vulnerable people.

First, Bobby provides an update on the legal battle in Illinois over assisted suicide, where Catholic health care providers and other plaintiffs are challenging provisions that could require them not only to participate in assisted suicide but also to facilitate it. Bobby explains the temporary court order and what comes next as the constitutional challenges move forward.

The conversation then turns to traumatic brain injuries, particularly among military personnel. Bobby discusses concerns about cuts to federal brain-injury research while highlighting promising new work focused on neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to develop new pathways around damaged areas and potentially restore lost function.

Matt and Bobby also discuss how this research could eventually benefit civilians, including athletes who suffer repeated head injuries in football, soccer, and other contact sports.

A conversation about defending human life, protecting the medically vulnerable, and the encouraging possibilities emerging from cutting-edge brain-injury research.

To learn more or connect with the Life & Hope Network, visit LifeAndHope.com.

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On the Son Rise Morning Show, Greg Willits joins us for the conclusion of our journey through St. Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom and Greg's book God Doesn't Hate Me After All: Discovering Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom.

As the book concludes with a beautiful prayer of consecration to Jesus through Mary, Greg explains what consecration really means. It is an intentional surrender of our lives, possessions, families, worries, and desires to Jesus, trusting that God's will is infinitely better than our own.

Greg shares how his own Marian consecration changed the direction of his life. Before making his consecration, he was working in the IT industry and had no experience in Catholic media. Yet, as he discovered, “Jesus and Mary are going to put you to work.” He reflects on how saying yes to Jesus through Mary ultimately led him into a life of service to the Church.

The conversation also explores the spirituality of abandonment and the freedom that comes from trusting Jesus rather than constantly worrying about the future. Greg shares a particularly moving practice: praying for your younger self during moments of past pain, loneliness, or suffering, trusting that God exists outside of time and can hear and answer those prayers.

A heartfelt conclusion to the series on St. Louis de Montfort, Marian consecration, surrendering our lives to Christ, and discovering how God can transform even the painful chapters of our past into opportunities for deeper relationship with Him.

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On the Son Rise Morning Show, Annie Mitchell welcomes back Father Hezekias Carnazzo of the Institute of Catholic Culture to reflect on the readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Beginning with the prophet Jeremiah's anguished words, “You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped,” Father Carnazzo explains the very human struggle of a prophet who faithfully speaks God's truth but finds himself mocked, rejected, and persecuted. Jeremiah's experience reminds us that following God does not mean avoiding suffering—and that God's word can become like a fire burning within us that we cannot silence.

Father Carnazzo then turns to the Gospel from Matthew 16, where Jesus tells His disciples that anyone who wishes to follow Him must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. What appears to be a paradox—that we save our lives by losing them—is actually at the heart of the Christian life.

The conversation explores how the Cross reveals that true life is found through self-giving love, service, sacrifice, and laying down our lives for others. Father Carnazzo connects this teaching with St. Paul's call in Romans to offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice” and challenges Catholics to see the Church not as a spiritual vending machine, but as the place where we learn to live the life of Christ.

The segment concludes with a look ahead to the Institute of Catholic Culture's upcoming program on the Eucharist and the renewal of civilization.

A powerful reflection on suffering, sacrifice, the Cross, and the mystery of discovering true life by giving ourselves away in love.

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On the Son Rise Morning Show, Matt Swaim talks with Andrew Petiprin about the passing of Dolly Parton and the remarkable cultural legacy she leaves behind.

Matt and Andrew reflect on Dolly Parton alongside figures such as Mr. Rogers and Johnny Cash—public figures whose Christian faith, compassion, generosity, and commitment to doing good became an important part of their public witness.

Why did these figures seem to have such broad cultural appeal, even among people who didn't share all of their beliefs? What can their examples teach us about goodness, beauty, and truth, and about the possibility of finding common ground in an increasingly divided culture?

The conversation also explores the way Christianity shaped the lives and work of people like Dolly Parton and Mr. Rogers, and why Catholics can learn from those who make goodness visible in the public square.

Listen to the Son Rise Morning Show for more conversations about faith, culture, and the Catholic life.

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On the Son Rise Morning Show, Matt Swaim welcomes back Dr. Benjamin Lewis, Director of Translation Services for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, for a special conversation about St. Augustine ahead of his feast day.

Dr. Lewis, whose doctoral dissertation focused on St. Augustine, discusses the medieval hymn “Shining in Heaven, Star Among the Doctors,” written by Benedictine abbot Eckbert of Schönau. The hymn celebrates Augustine as a brilliant bishop, defender of the faith, teacher, and important figure in the history of monasticism.

Matt and Dr. Lewis explore the hymn's beautiful imagery of light, reflecting on Augustine's intellectual brilliance and, above all, the light of Christ that transformed his life. They also discuss Augustine's role as a bishop and shepherd of souls and his lasting influence on monastic spirituality.

Dr. Lewis shares two of his favorite passages from Augustine's Confessions, including the famous words, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God,” and the beloved “Late have I loved you” passage from Book 10, with its powerful imagery of God's light breaking through human blindness.

A thoughtful reflection on St. Augustine's conversion, his search for truth, and his enduring witness to the transforming light of Christ.

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Happy feast of St. Augustine! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell talk to Mike Aquilina about the life and legacy of one of the most important thinkers in Christian history. Guests include Andrew Petiprin from the Spe Salvi Institute, Bobby Schindler from the Life and Hope Network, and Fr. Hezekias Carnazzo from the Institute of Catholic Culture and Fr. Jonathan Duncan from the Bone Church Revival podcast to preview the Sunday Mass readings. Plus news, weather, sports, and more…

*****

St. Augustine’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

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Full list of guests

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On the Son Rise Morning Show, Cy Kellett, host of Catholic Answers Live and author of Teacher of Strange Things, joins us to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing Christians today: how do we explain Jesus to a world that increasingly misunderstands or dismisses Him?

Cy identifies three common ways modern people tend to approach Jesus: the standard modern view, the New Age view, and the Christian understanding of Jesus. He explains how modern skepticism often accepts many things about Jesus while rejecting the central claims of Christianity—that Jesus is God and that He truly rose from the dead.

The conversation also examines the tendency of modern culture to assume that people in the ancient world were less intelligent or more gullible than we are today. Cy challenges that assumption, pointing out that the earliest Christians included people from a wide range of educational and social backgrounds who nevertheless consistently testified to what they believed they had experienced.

Cy and the hosts also discuss the historical reliability of the Gospels and the important role of archaeology and manuscript studies. Rather than undermining the New Testament, modern archaeological discoveries have repeatedly provided evidence consistent with the historical setting described in Scripture—from places mentioned in the Gospels to historical figures such as Pontius Pilate.

The conversation ultimately returns to a fundamental Christian claim: the Gospel is rooted in history. Jesus really lived, really died, and really rose from the dead. Understanding that historical foundation is essential when responding to the skepticism and competing explanations of Jesus found in the modern world.

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On the Son Rise Morning Show, Sheila Dumford, school counselor and school counseling supervisor for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Covington, and Jessica Gangwish, CARES coordinator and facilitator, join us to discuss how Catholic Charities is expanding mental health and emotional support for students in diocesan schools.

Sheila explains how the school-based counseling program provides counselors who work directly with students while also partnering with parents, teachers, and families. The goal is to offer a holistic approach to student well-being while keeping services free of cost whenever possible, removing financial barriers for families.

Jessica introduces CARES — the Catholic Approach to Resilience, Engagement, and Support. The program expands beyond one-on-one counseling by bringing resilience and life-skills education directly into classrooms, small groups, and individualized sessions. The program currently serves students in grades one through eight at eight diocesan schools.

One of the distinctive elements of CARES is its Catholic and spiritual foundation, allowing students to develop emotional and interpersonal skills within the context of their Catholic faith.

Sheila and Jessica also discuss why this expanded approach is so important. Counselors may only be present at some schools one or a few days each week, making it difficult to reach every student who could benefit from additional support. CARES helps fill that gap by providing another supportive presence within the school community and by helping identify students who may need additional assistance.

The program has already received encouraging feedback from teachers, parents, principals, and students, including examples of students showing significant growth after receiving both individualized support and classroom-based CARES lessons.

The conversation also highlights how listeners can support Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Covington and help ensure that students and families continue to have access to these important services.

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On the Son Rise Morning Show, Mike Aquilina of FathersoftheChurch.com joins us to reflect on the back-to-back feast days of St. Monica and St. Augustine, celebrated on August 27 and 28.

Mike recounts the complicated relationship between mother and son. Augustine was exceptionally gifted, but as a young man he rebelled against the faith Monica had taught him. He pursued worldly ambitions, became involved in an immoral relationship, fathered a child outside of marriage, and explored religious ideas that led him away from Christianity. For Monica, watching her son abandon the faith was heartbreaking.

Yet Monica never stopped praying.

Augustine would later immortalize his mother in his classic work Confessions, describing her influence on his life and even referring to himself as her disciple. Mike explains why Augustine's portrait of Monica is so remarkable: this brilliant philosopher and theologian recognized that much of what ultimately brought him back to God had been planted through his mother's faith, persistence, and prayers.

The conversation also explores Monica's remarkable journey to Italy, where she eventually found her way to Milan and encountered St. Ambrose, the bishop whose preaching and intellectual gifts helped Augustine overcome many of his objections to Christianity. Through Ambrose, Monica's prayers began to bear fruit in a way she could not have accomplished herself.

Mike also highlights the beauty of the final chapter of Monica and Augustine's relationship. After years of separation and struggle, mother and son were ultimately reunited in faith. Augustine came to recognize Monica not simply as his mother, but as one of his greatest teachers.

Their story is a powerful reminder for parents who are praying for children who have wandered from the faith: God can work through years of perseverance, prayer, and patient love—even when the answer seems impossibly far away.

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