German philosopher Josef Pieper (1904 - 1997) was an incredibly influential 20th Century thinker, and he was nothing short of a prophet in many ways. Today I share some insights from Pieper's classic work Leisure: The Basis of Culture and his follow-up The Philosophical Act. These short works are a treasure trove of reflection on what's most important in our human experience and I can't recommend them more enthusiastically! You can get the single volume I mention in the podcast on Amazon or at Ignatius Press' website (click here)

You heard that right! It might be a made up word, but believe me, it's not a made up thing. If you're like me, prayer can be really tough. Sometimes it's tough because what we think prayer is isn't really prayer at all. Join me today as I share some insights with you that have begun to completely transform my own prayer life!

This is the second of my two-part series on the Holy Land pilgrimage my brother and I were fortunate enough to go on back in 2009. Join me as I zoom in on our travels through Israel and Egypt and share with you the indescribably powerful experiences we both shared over those life-changing days!

Way back in Ep. 12 I talked a little bit about the most incredible trip I ever took: a Holy Land pilgrimage with my brother Joe in 2009 in which we visited Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Egypt. Join me today for the first in a two episode series in which I unpack the first half of that pilgrimage in more detail and stay tuned for part 2!

Today I share with you some background on my experience in Catholic seminary as well as the three greatest lessons I learned during that incredible year. Check it out! To learn more about Mount Saint Mary's Seminary, click here. For more background and updates on Father Stanley Rother and his beatification, click here.

For as long as I can remember, I have been utterly captivated by the sea. There is no other setting where I find more clarity, peace, and focus. In this episode, recorded with the nearby Atlantic whispering in the background, I try to reflect a bit on why I think that's the case, drawing quite a bit from some incredible observations made by Boston College professor Dr. Peter Kreeft. For more on Dr. Kreeft's reflections that I reference throughout, click here for the article and click here for fascinating audio lecture.

I am beyond thrilled to introduce thegraciousguest.org to all of you, so check out the episode and hear a little bit more about the background and the purpose for the site. Also, please make sure you bookmark it and share it with friends, family, colleagues, and anyone else who you think might benefit from my blog posts, podcasts, or presentations. Take care!

Who doesn't know that famous saying, right? It kept jumping into my head recently as I was reading some books and watching some movies and, lo and behold, I decided to bring those thoughts to you in the form of the newest episode of the show. Enjoy!

Wonder. We all know the word and we use it somewhat regularly. But what does it really mean? Is it really universal for us? Why do we wonder, anyway? Where does this experience of wonder show up? Is there really more going on around us than meets the eye in life? These things and more in this episode of "The Gracious Guest Show"!

So I hustled over to the theater to see the newest installment of the "Pirates" franchise the other day. Check out my review and BEWARE!!! THAR BE SPYYYLERS! Sorry… I had to do that. "Bad Dad Joke" haters are face-palming all over the place as we speak!