The Fountains of Carrots Podcast

Is it possible to think about personal style through a theological lens? Lillian Fallon thinks so. We love following Lillian’s Instagram account and writing on style and theology (and her outfits are fabulous, too). So we asked her to join us for a conversation about clothes, self-expression, and honoring the bodies God gave us. 

Lillian Fallon is a freelance writer (you’ve probably seen her work at places like Verily Magazine), a passionate supporter of ethical fashion, and author of a book in progress on the theology of style. In this episode we talked about the basics of developing a personal style, how style is different from fashion, and how it all relates to theology of the body. We also chat about the modesty discourse and whether paying attention to personal style is honoring the body or vanity and how to tell. 

So grab a cup of tea and enjoy the conversation!

Sponsor

Today’s episode is sponsored by Hallow, a Catholic audio-guided contemplative prayer, meditation, Bible study, and spiritual music app.

Hallow walks you through all of the different Catholic methods of contemplative prayer and meditation. You can meditate on the Daily Gospel or Rosary, take a minute to try one of the minute meditations, or close your day with Night Prayer or a Bible story. You can also listen to Father Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year Podcast on Hallow. 

It’s the #1 Catholic app in the US with 4.9 / 5.0-star rating & over 10,000 five star reviews. This is an awesome tool for all of us who want to pray more, but don’t quite know-how. You can set goals and add partners to keep yourself honest, choose between 5, 10, or 15 minutes, and reflect on each prayer with a journal.

It’s free to download and there is permanently free content, but you can upgrade to unlock all 1,000+ sessions with a subscription that is less than all other meditation apps.

For an extended free trial, you can go to hallow.com/fountainsofcarrots.

Ready to pray during Lent? Join the #Pray40 Challenge and starting on February 17th meditate on the virtues of St. Joseph. There will be a new type of prayer each day to build on the theme for the week including

* Prayers to grow in humility and obedience* The Seven Sorrows Rosary* Examinations of Conscience* The Litany of St. Joseph* New Hallow Music* The Stations of the Cross

Connect with Lillian:

* Instagram* Website

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you! AND we are gearing up for the first read for our 2021 listener book club and you can find all the details about what we’re reading this year here.

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us. We’ll be reading Dorothy Day’s The Reckless Way of Love and we’d love for you to pa...

For a couple of years, we’ve been fascinated by the story of Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk, a Lakota holy man and Catholic convert and catechist. We’ve wanted to learn more about this intriguing figure and we’re thrilled to have the chance to talk to Dr. Damian Costello about his incredible life and legacy.

Dr. Damian Costello received his PhD in theological studies from the University of Dayton and specializes in the intersection of Catholic theology, Indigenous spiritual traditions, and colonial history. He is an international expert on the life and legacy of Nicholas Black Elk and the author of Black Elk: Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism. Costello’s work is informed by five years of ethnographic work on the Navajo Nation. He served as an academic advisor, associate producer, and appeared in the documentary “Walking the Good Red Road: Nicholas Black Elk’s Journey to Sainthood,” which aired on ABC affiliates this spring. Costello is on the faculty of NAIITS, the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies, and is a founding member and the American co-chair of the Indigenous Catholic Research Fellowship (ICRF).

In this episode, Dr. Costello shares about the incredible life of Nicholas Black Elk, his cause for canonization, and the impact of his spiritual legacy. We talk about visions, the incredible mystical events surrounding this holy man’s death and burial, and so much more!

So grab a cup of coffee and enjoy learning about this amazing servant of God.

Things we talked about today:

(Amazon affiliate links)

Black Elk: Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism by Damian Costello

Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala by Michael F. Steltenkamp

Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt

Nicholas Black Elk: Medicine Man, Catechist, and Saint by Jon Sweeney

More Resources:

Nicholas Black Elk’s gift of sweetgrass

Indigenous peopless are filling in the gaps of our Catholic faith

Bishop Barron’s short YouTube video about Nicholas Black Elk and the importance of catechists

Sponsor

Today’s episode is sponsored by The St. Paul Center of Biblical Theology and their new release Where Is Jesus Hidden? by Maura Roan McKeegan

In Where is Jesus Hidden?, award-winning author Maura Roan McKeegan points to the many places and ways Jesus can...

We are kicking off the 2021 season of the podcast with our friend and yours, Hallie Lord! Hallie is a speaker, co-founder of The Edel Gathering, a devoted Sephora fan, author of upcoming book Falling Home: Creating a Life That Catches You When You Fall, beloved radio show host, and mom of 8. She’s also the co-host of The Beatbox Gospel podcast.

In this episode, Hallie shares the wild ride of getting this new book to print and what she’s learned about building a life with the support we all need to survive life’s curveballs. Whether through community, therapy, or spiritual growth–we all should be cultivating a framework that will help us through hard times. We talk about the pain of going through a divorce, the way the Church can walk alongside single parents, and how we can prepare ourselves for when life doesn’t look like we expect. Hallie share so vulnerably about not only dark times, but also the graces, consolations, support, and joy to be found on the other side.

Whether you’re currently experiencing a deep personal grief like a divorce, or just the grief of living through Unprecedented Times, this is going to be a balm for your soul.

Grab a cozy beverage and enjoy the first episode of 2020!

Things we talked about today:

(Amazon affiliate link)

Falling Home by Hallie Lord

Our interview with Laura Fanucci about the birth and death of her twin daughters

To find Hallie:

* Instagram* podcast

Today’s episode is sponsored by Made for Greatness

Made For Greatness is a company that provides life coaching tools for Catholic moms and is run by life coaches Sterling Jay and Lorissa Horn. They help women lose weight, overcome social anxiety, be more confident in parenting, start a business, improve their marriage…really they help Catholic moms get unstuck.

Their weight loss program is based on managing your mindset around food so you can finally have freedom from emotional eating. This is exactly how Sterling lost 70 pounds in 2020. They just launched their new program called the No Goals Goals Program. Most moms don’t like setting goals or don’t feel confident that their plans will actually happen. The mission of this program is to simply teach moms to love their daily lives.

You can listen to their podcast called Made For Greatness on any podcast app or check out their programs at www.madeforgreatness.co

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you! AND we are gearing up for the first read for our 2021 listener book club.

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to ...

We’re chatting with Gina Dalfonzo today about the friendship between two of our favorite literary figures, Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis. Because Sayers wasn’t officially part of the Inklings–the literary group of friends that included Lewis, Tolkien, and Charles Williams–her friendship with Lewis isn’t as celebrated as it should be. But their mutual respect, loyal friendship, and encouragement developed into the fascinating friendship explored in Gina Dalfonzo’s new book Dorothy and Jack.

In addition to Dorothy and Jack, Gina is the author of One by One: Welcoming the Singles in Your Church, and the editor of The Gospel in Dickens. She is also a columnist at Christ & Pop Culture, and founder and editor of Dickensblog. Her writing has been published in The Atlantic, Christianity Today, First Things, The Weekly Standard, Guideposts, The Englewood Review of Books, and Sehnsucht: The C.S. Lewis Journal, among others.

In this episode, we talk about how Sayers helped Lewis, who had very few close female relationship in his life, develop his view towards women and prepare him for his marriage with Joy Davidman. We discuss the importance of friendship in the Christian life and this wonderful example of a dear and beloved friendship between a man and a woman completely lacking a romantic element. Christy shares her Tolkien hot takes and we have a blast exploring these colorful literary figures.

Enjoy a seasonal beverage and this great conversation!

Things we talked about today:

(Amazon affiliate link)

Dorothy & Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis

The Gospel in Dickens

Dickens blog

To find Gina:

* Facebook* Twitter

Today’s episode is sponsored by Veritas Current Events

Veritas offers a weekly curriculum of current events, focusing onthe major issues of our time, and teaching students to link, interpret and understand those events in the light of the constant teachings of the Church, helping them to apply their faith to those issues. Veritas helps students deepen and knit together their understanding of these different areas by highlighting their context and meaning through current events.

Veritas provides weekly lesson plans, backgrounders and teachers’ guides suitable for middle & high school. You can find examples and sign up at veritascurrentevents.com; and with the coupon code “Fountains” you’ll get your first month free, with no further obligation or follow Veritas on Facebook or Twitter.

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

A blessed Advent to you and yours! We are talking about a very Advent-y subject: Our Lady’s Magnificat in this episode. We’re joined by the wonderful Sonja Corbitt to discuss her new book, Exalted.

Sonja is the Bible Study Evangelista and creator of “the best modernization of lectio,” the LOVE the Word® Bible study method and journal. She’s a Catholic Scripture teacher, best-selling author, and Telly Award winning broadcaster and you can find her at  biblestudyevangelista.com, where you can also catch her newest study series on the O Antiphons for Advent. 

Sonja has such a gift of sharing Scripture and you’re going to love this conversation about Mary. We talk about developing a relationship with Mary, understanding Mary’s love for God’s Word, and the incredible complexity and beauty of her Magnificat.

This is the perfect episode for an Advent day so grab a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy!

Things we talked about today:

(Amazon affiliate link)

Exalted: How the Power of the Magnificat Can Transform Us

To find Sonja:

* facebook* her website* Instagram* Twitter

Today’s episode is sponsored by HomeschoolConnections.com

HomeschoolConnections.com is an authentically Catholic resource for home educating families. Their mission is educating the heart, mind, and soul in the Catholic tradition with online classes for 3rd grade and above. They offer live interactive classes as well as unlimited access to recorded courses that are available 24/7/365 with top quality teachers.

If you’re a brand new homeschooler or a seasoned homeschooler, head over to HomeschoolConnections.com to see the great resource they can be for your student!

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us.

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,800+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below.

* The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group)* Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and 

How do we order our lives? How do we find order when living in tumultuous times? Is that even possible? Today we’re chatting with the lovely Tsh Oxenreider about what it means to live intentionally in 2020.

Tsh lives with her husband Kyle and three kids in central Texas. Her blog and her first podcast were followed religiously by both of us in the early days of blogging and podcasting. Since then she continues to amaze us. Tsh is constantly creating, reflecting, and growing. She’s now a bestselling author with several books to her name and her current podcasting endeavor is The Good List (a must listen!) Her newest book is Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent.

In this episode we talk about the concept of crafting a rule of life. Inspired by the ancient Rule of St. Benedict, creating your own rule of life helps you live with intention and prioritize what is truly important to you. It can prevent getting swept away into all the noise and demands that surround us! But what would a rule of life look like in chaotic and, dare we say, unprecedented 2020? We have thoughts on that, too!

It’s a great conversation so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Things we talked about today:

Tsh’s Create Your Rule of Life ecourse

Tsh’s Advent book: Shadow and Light

Confessions of St. Augustine

Leisure: the Basis of Culture of Josef Pieper

Evangelical Exodus ed. by Douglas Beaumont

Inspector Gamache series by Louis Penny

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Come Rack! Come Rope! by Robert Hugh Benson

Seasons on Harris by David Yeadon

To find Tsh:

* Twitter* Instagram* Podcast

Today’s episode is sponsored by Amanda Zurface: Spiritual Director and Canon Lawyer 

Amanda is available to help you learn from this season of life, give you the tools to live each day generously, and to the fullest. She will help you show up with a strong Catholic faith that spreads joy, creativity, life, and most of all love!

We all know life can be hard. What a consolation it is to know we have one another, including Spiritual Directors like Amanda who are available to accompany us, and that God truly desires our good! 

Amanda is available to setup a FREE call to pray and talk about what Spiritual Direction entails. Topics often include:o Vocation Discernmento Healing and Freedomo Introduction to Prayero Cultivating Gratitudeo Obtaining Joyo Searching for and Maintaining Peaceo Receiving God’s Love

Visit  https://amandazurface.

A few months ago we saw a powerful video about the legacy of faith of Black Catholics in New Orleans featuring Dr. Ansel Augustine. Ever since we’ve wanted a chance to interview Dr. Augustine and dive a little deeper in the rich history of Black Catholic faith and culture. This year has highlighted the injustice present in our society. What is the way forward for Catholics and for the Church? Today’s guest has so much wisdom to share.

Dr. Ansel Augustine is the Executive Director of Cultural Diversity and Outreach for the Archdiocese of Washington. He is the former Director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministries for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He is also on the Faculty of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana.  He began his career in ministry over 20 years ago when he became the youth minister at his home parish of St. Peter Claver in the Treme area of New Orleans, which he helped to rebuild following hurricane Katrina. Dr. Augustine has worked in prison ministry for over 25 years in various capacities. He is also a member of the Wild Tchoupitoulas (Black Masking) Mardi Gras Indians (and if you don’t know the history behind this, get ready! It’s fascinating).

In this episode we talk about how the Church (and especially Catholics of color) can find hope in the heroic faithfulness of Black Catholic saints and Catholic ancestors, the history of New Orleans that makes it such a Catholic city, and what the Church can do to serve, support, and include Catholics who have been pushed to the margins by society (and even other Catholics). Dr. Augustine also shares about the connections between indigenous people in Louisiana and enslaved people that were the origins of traditions still celebrated today–some amazing history that may be unfamiliar to folks outside of Louisiana.

It’s a great conversation so grab a cup of coffee (and since we’re talking about NOLA, maybe a beignet?) and enjoy!

Things we talked about today:

Black Faith Matters: A video about New Orleans and Black Catholic faith

Catholic Speakers of Color

To find Dr. Augustine:

* Facebook

Today’s episode is sponsored by Ye Olde Goat Cart

Ye Olde Goat Cart is a small, Catholic, family run business specializing inhandcrafted goat milk soaps and lotions. Nestled among the hills of rural Upstate New York with eight goats and four young boys, owners Drew and Maria have developed carefully crafted recipes that make nourishing, skin-loving soap.

Recently, they have begun adding Catholic themed soaps, such as Auspice Maria, and more are planned. Try their beautiful Frankincense and Myrrh soap, one of the many other varieties, or go for a gift set! There is something for everyone, even bath soaks and beard oils, and their products would make great Christmas gifts.

Use coupon code CARROTS for 10% off your total order, and shipping isalways a flat $4. So head right over to Ye Olde Goat Cart!

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support t...

Well, friends, we’ve been delighted by conversations with the lovely Sarah Clarkson and the lovely Sally Clarkson and today, at long last, we’re chatting with the youngest Clarkson gal, Joy Clarkson!

Joy is a PhD candidate in theology at St. Andrews University and we’re so glad that she finished writing her dissertation and is back on Twitter because she’s one of our all-time favorite follows. She is also the voice behind a beautiful podcast called Speaking with Joy.

When we heard that Joy had just read one of our favorite books, Mansfield Park, for the first time, we knew we had to have her on the podcast to share all of her thoughts! In this episode, we defend our girl, Fanny Price, from the haters. We also talk about the themes of charm and respectability vs. authentic virtue. And we judge Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram’s parenting. By the end of the episode, we hope that you will be inspired to read Mansfield Park for the first time or pick it up for a re-read if you’re already familiar!

So grab a cup of tea and enjoy!

Things we talked about today:

(Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links)

Mansfield Park

To find Joy:

* her podcast: Speaking with Joy* her website: JoyClarkson.com* Instagram* Twitter

Today’s episode is sponsored by HomeschoolConnections.com

HomeschoolConnections.com is an authentically Catholic resource for home educating families. Their mission is educating the heart, mind, and soul in the Catholic tradition with online classes for 3rd grade and above. They offer live interactive classes as well as unlimited access to recorded courses that are available 24/7/365 with top quality teachers.

If you’re a brand new homeschooler or a seasoned homeschooler, head over to HomeschoolConnections.com to see the great resource they can be for your student!

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us.

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,800+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below.

* The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group)* Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter,

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for awhile, you know how much we love to talk about literature and the Catholic imagination. However, we find that we’re often coming back to the same handful of Catholic novelists and we wanted to talk to our friend Sergio Bermudez about expanding the Catholic literary canon and thinking about other writers who are influenced by the Catholic imagination.

Sergio is a proud uncle and writer from California who loves Latin American literature. In this episode we talk about how writers influenced by a sacramental worldview end up participating in the Catholic imagination even when they are no longer practicing Catholics, what Latin American magical realism and medieval literature have in common, and how storytelling can wrestle with faith and communicate something that’s ultimately hopeful. We also talk about fighting against the tendency to canonize our favorite writers instead of being willing to wrestle with their art.

We talk about a lot of writers and artists in this episode so grab a pencil so you can add to your reading list and enjoy the episode!

J.R.R. Tolkien

Graham Greene

Flannery O’Connor

Evelyn Waugh

Franz Kafka

Bruno Shulz

Romulo Gallegos

Gabriel Garciz Marquez

Guillermo del Toro

Ernest Hemingway

Shusaku Endo

Mike Mignola

Juan Rulfo

To find Sergio:

* Twitter

Today’s episode is sponsored by Catholic Homeschool Conference‘s Life After High School

Homeschooling parents often need a little help and direction in preparing children for life after high school. With this in mind the same team that put together the Catholic Homeschool Conference this past June with over 9000 Catholic families, and folks from 20+ countries have put together a FREE 3 DAY LIVE event on October 15-17th!

Topics include:

* College Prep* Career exploration* Military and Skilled Trade Programs* Vocation Discernment * And Gap Year options.

With 30+ Catholic speakers, dozens of colleges, ministries and Catholic resources you and your teens will find direction, be inspired, and get the support you desire. And Haley will be sharing a talk for teens about how to become a writer so don’t miss it!

Visit catholichomeschoolconference.com today for details!

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs (new one starting up in mid-September reading Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon!) and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us.

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,800+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group?

How do you know when you’ve made an idol of something? Why are we prone to creating idols and how do they interfere with our relationship with God? That’s what we’re talking about today with the wonderful Elizabeth Scalia!

Elizabeth has been one of our favorite Catholic writers for over a decade. She’s a Benedictine Oblate and the author of Strange Gods and Little Sins Mean a Lot. She’s the Editor at Large over at the Word on Fire blog and you can find her at her site The Anchoress.

Idols are certainly a timely topic as we watch politics become an idol to so many during this election year. But there are other things we can turn into idols. In fact, humans are great at turning anything into an idol–even good things!

We’re diving in to some of these pitfalls and what to do when we recognize idols in our lives, so grab a cup of something seasonally appropriate for the fall weather and enjoy the episode!

(Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links)

Elizabeth’s books

Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday LIfe

Little Sins Mean a Lot: Kicking Our Bad Habits Before They Kick Us

To find Elizabeth:

* her blog* Twitter

Today’s episode is sponsored by Annunciation Designs

Annunciation Designs is a Catholic shop focusing on ethically made practical products including apparel, gifts, kitchen goods, and more. Their goal is helping your family call to mind the Sacred in the midst of the ordinary.

Head over to www.annunciationdesigns.com/foc for special coupon codes exclusive to FoC listeners! And be sure to check out the kids activity options like their reusable water brush reveal book (is your toddler obsessed with water brush books? Haley’s is!)

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs (new one starting up in mid-September reading Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon!) and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us.

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,800+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below.

* The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group)* Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and