The Inner Life

Father Tom Wilson joins Patrick to discuss Palm Sunday and Holy Week

• How does Palm Sunday get relate with the Passion?
• (14:48) why does Jesus ride in on a donkey?
• Nick - Palm branches, signification of victory and what is going to happen after the turnaround.

(22:35) Break 1

• Sana - Can you talk about the difference between Palm Sunday celebrations in other churches and in the Catholic Church?
• (27:14) Dean - Talking about unmet expectations, The Chosen: When Jesus doesn’t raised Thomas' girlfriend from the death. And other good comments about his best Holy Week.

(34:21) Break 2

• What can we do to make the Triduum more sacred?
• (40:02) Father shares a question about Judas’ betrayal of Jesus?
• (44:06) Patrick - Comment, 7 years ago I went to Easter Vigil and thought that was fantastic and have been going ever since.
• How can we make this Holy Week be the best one yet?

Father Kris Stubna joins Patrick to discuss the Stations of the Cross

• What is the origin of the Stations of the Cross?
• (11:13) Nicholas - Striped of his garments - my favorite station
• (15:12) Mary - we united the stations to a family member when they were dying from cancer

(19:16) Break 1

• Jill - Does the origin of stations of cross come from Mary and St. Catherine Emmerich visions?
• (24:07) Frank - Mary's Way of the Cross - has Jesus' mother's thoughts of his journey
• (30:18) Mark - favorite station - Mary meets his mother
• Tim – favorite station - how I grew to love Mary meets Jesus and the stations

(36:29) Break 2

• Mary - favorite station – crucifixion
• (44:05) Email from Gale about how she finds peace in the stations of the Cross

Check out this Encore show from March 26, 2025

Father John Paul Erickson joins Patrick to discuss Spiritual Movies

• (4:06) what are the dangers of movies the spiritual life
• Father shares a movie which he really enjoys
• (13:52) Sean - The Adventures of Robinhood from 1938. It's a very Catholic movie. Had a good impression on my life. Saw it when I was 6.
• Greg – Nefarious outstanding movie. Certain groups played it off as a horror film. It's good vs. evil. Some have avoided it because it deals with evil. The guy who did it also did God is Not Dead. One priest said every priest should see it for giving advice for confession.
• Mark - Calvary...Irish Film. 10 years old. About a priest who really lays down life for his flock.

(22:47) Break 1

• John - Of Gods and Men...French film. About monks serving souls in north Africa. Based on a true story.
• Barb - The Shack...about what it's like to be God and sacrifice your son. It shows God sacrificed his son as this guy sacrificed his daughter. Bring your tissues.
• (29:50) Nels - The Last Supper....newly released film.  Emphasis on Judas in that movie.
• Miriam - 7th Heaven...1930's.  Star5ring Jimmy Stewart. Unlikely love story ever told. Mention of God in the movie. He's an atheist and then things happen. My favorite movie.

(35:43) Break 2

• Roland - Journey to Bethlehem....nativity story.  Silence...the story of the Japanese Martyrs. Ignition Martyrs
• (39:16) Matt - Beckett, and the Cardinal.  Excommunication scene in Beckett is most powerful scene.  The Cardinal being more recent. Pope Benedict was advisor for this movie. Came out when V2 was written.
• Patrick shares some movie recommendation from listeners who write in.
• Roxanne - The Most Reluctant Convert...untold story of CS Lewis.  Very good.
• (43:02) Jean - King of Kings...1925. It's a silent movie and beautiful.
• Eric - The Scarlet and the Black. Based off the Scarlet Pimpernel. Hides thousands of Jews during WWII. I think it's a must see.

Resources - Spiritual Movies:

• Babette’s Feast (1987)
• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
• Nefarious (2023)
• Of Gods and Men (2010)
• The Mission (1986)
• Arrival (2016)
• The Blue Kite (Chinese) (1993)
• The Shack (2017)
• The Last Supper (2025)
• The Chosen (series) (2017 – present)
• Seventh Heaven (1937)
• A Hidden Life (2019)
• A Man for All Seasons (1966)
• All That Remains: Dr. Takashi Nagai (2016)
• Journey to Bethlehem (Christmas) (
• Nativity Story (Christmas)
• Silence (2023)
• Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
• The Ten Commandments (1956)
• Ben Hur (1959)
• The Robe (1953)
• Becket (1964)
• The Cardinal (1963)
• Gattaca (1997)
• The Most Reluctant Convert: the Untold Story of C.S. Lewis (2021)
• The King of Kings (1927)
• The Scarlet and the Black (1983)
• The Sound of Metal (2019)
• Life is Beautiful (1997)
• The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
• The Lord of the Rings (2001-03)
• Groundhog Day (1993)
• A River Runs Through It (1992)

Father Bobby Blood joins Patrick to discuss Charitable Chastisement

• How do you discern when to offer correction to someone?
• (14:14) Judy - I wish somebody had loved me enough to chastise me. I walked away from faith, husband, etc. Nobody said Judy...you can't do this. I think it's important that we love enough to do that. I've come back to God and I know how much he loves me. It took a long time to accept the fact that he forgave me.
• (17:57) Thomas - I do sales for a living. When you have the truth and a way to convey it...chastisement, etc. tonality and all are everything. One of the ways to chastise is to site another source. Another way is the tonality...like... raising the voice. Coming from a place of love.

(22:16) Break 1

• What are things we can say to help build a relationship?
• (25:11) Mary - My sister was seriously ill. Didn't realize it was terminal. I told her she had to get it together because she was very ill. I talked to a priest and he went to see her and everything was taken care of.
• Patty – I have been wanting to control my husband who is living in sin and the Lord told me what to do in talking with him and it worked out great!

(37:36) Break 2

• Isabelle - My dad wasn't a Catholic. He was sick...92...and I used to go to church every day. I asked a lady from church if she could take a priest to see him. He went to confession and received the Eucharist. 9 days later...he died.
•  (41:36) Candy - How do I talk to a 3 and 8-year-old about accepting correction or even correct them? I'm a mother of 3. I don't know how to better handle it.

Father Patrick Hyde joins Patrick to discuss Joy in Lent

• (4:17) why do we talk about joy during Lent?
• What is joy?
• How important are circumstances in finding joy?
• (17:18) Danny - I find it's becoming hard to find joy in lent. In today's age, you don't see it. You tell people it's Lent, and then it's like...and then what?

(21:36) Break 1

• Susan - I've been going to daily Mass. Hoping to grow faith. I'm proud that I'm hauling myself out of bed every morning. Joy, getting closer to God...no. What more can I do?
• (31:00) How do you find joy in Lent if it has been a real struggle?

(35:57) Break 2

• Alfredo - I have found joy in the 7 charisms of the Holy spirit. Try to focus on that every day. Don't always get to all of them, but try. Enjoying Lent so far.
• (42:10) Maryann - 84 years old. Having trouble finding Joy in Lent because of my inability to participate because I'm home bound.
• (44:54) Annie - I had a pastor who made a point that joy and happiness are different. Happiness is fleeting...joy is forever...it's lasting. Jesus Others Yourself.

Resources:

• 5 Loaves and 2 Fish
  • https://paulinestore.com/5-loaves-2-fishes-43739-115997.html
• Five Loaves & Two Fish
  • https://www.amazon.com/Loaves-Francis-Xavier-Nguyen-Thuan/dp/0819826766
• He Leadeth Me
  • https://ignatius.com/he-leadeth-me-hlm2p/?searchid=2061706

Father Alan Hoffa joins Patrick to discuss the Gospel for the 5th Sunday of Lent

• (4:56) Jesus Wants to remind us of our personhood

• (8:14) What is Jesus doing with and for this woman 

• (9:41) Father Reads the Gospel. 

• (18:57) Break 1

• (23:26) John  - What struck me was Go and sin no more...that's a hard thing to do. At least for me.

• (29:03) – Pharisees keep people from coming back to the Sacraments and the Church. When people put on that exterior persona, people think that they are not perfect like those people so why bother.

• (3:32) Break 2 

• (41:12) – When we encounter Jesus our lives become different. My life is different now. Let your word transform my heart in the way that I need it now. That disposition allows the word of God to penetrate our hearts and transform us.

• (45:27) – Carolyn - I feel like one of the Pharisees, when it comes to judging. My husband was an adulterer, and I'm working on forgiving and more so forgiving the woman.

IL:

Father Sam Martin joins Patrick to discuss Patience

(2:58) Patience is a fruit of the Spirit and a key part of the spiritual life

(6:37) Holiness is humility and accepting help. Sometimes it is more blessed to receive than to give 

(13:10) Patience does coincide with slowing down, solitude and time in prayer 

(13:38) Contemplative life is one of the best ways we can spend our life in this planet – 

(20:21) Break 1

(22:03) Mark - Patience in prayer. I see signs that say keep praying. Isn't there a point where the answer is no and you should go on, or should you go on? How do you know when it's no? 

(28:50) Prayer is friendship and relationship and not just to make sure I am still “in the will”

(30:40) Carlo - Could you describe the difference between patience and self-control? – 

(36:02) Break 2

(37:35) Is there something we can do in the moment to stave of impatience and foster patience in our minds? 

(45:13) Mary Lou I take care of my elderly mother. Patience is always on the tip of my tongue and heart. She moves really slow and bringing God into those moments where I want to rush her and God is helping me to stop and be present with her.

Resources:

Humility Rules by Fr. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B.

Father Michael Hurley joins Patrick to discuss Intellect and faith

• When it comes to Jesus, we must care and we must mind (2:53)

• What does the intellect teach us about the life of faith? The intellect is a human faculty that is a direct reflection of God. (4:04)

• Faith should be accessible to us all (11:27)

• Our capacity to love is finite. Do you want to grow in love? The only way to expand your love is to expand your mind? (14:48)

• Break 1 (22:28)

• The difference between the intellect, the will, and the passions? (23:51)

• Dean - As we talk about reason and faith, we need to think about how can we make it accessible to all people? The illumination of God is so important. (27:35)

• Email – Bob – Is supernatural faith necessary for salvation and are people who lack faith culpable for that lack of faith? (31:10)

• Glen - There is a difference about learning about Jesus, and knowing Jesus. (33:43)

• Break 2 (36:45)

• Addressing the objection, “I just believe” or “I kind of know the faith already and you can’t teach me anything new about the Church”. (37:38)

• Regina - What does Jesus mean when he says: 'unless you become like little children, you cannot enter into the kingdom'. (41:33)

• Resources: 
  • Angelic Warfare Confraternity

Father Marcel Taillon joins Patrick to discuss lying.

• (3:15) Lying is not a joke, Christ never lied. We all need to tell the truth and know the truth that is Christ   
• (3:41) April Fool's Day done in the right sense is good thing, we just don’t want to scare or hurt someone by lying.
• (5:39) Peter denied Christ and lied. What might tempt us to not tell the truth. 
• (5:58) St. Thomas Moore remained silent during his trial and so did Jesus. Thomas Moore did not deny his love for the Church or his live for the king. Silence can be a way of not denying the truth and avoiding being overly defensive. 
• (10:54) Part of avoiding lying is to avoid over emphasizing our opinion of someone online and on social media even if it is true (11:15) Social media raises the potential to hurt and confuse people so we must be on guard.
• (13:06) Lying puts up roadblocks to true reconciliation 
• (19:46) the Antibiotic of lying is mercy
• (22:17) Break 1
• (24:00) Henry - I have a problem with lying. Compulsive lying. I will take stuff and stretch the excuse. My mom always finds out. 
• (28:40) Jim Gaffigan 
• (31:46) Tonya -  My husband has a gambling problem. He says everybody lies and everybody tries to con everybody. Is everybody really that way? I don't believe that.
• (39:01) Break 2 
• (40:31) Scott - My brother and I were in a feud. I read 1 John 4-20 and that turned it all around for me. We're doing great now and are reconciled. 
• (46:32) Al - My husband and lying. I can't trust him anymore. I ask him if he's lying, but I know he is. It's coming so easy and it's breaking my heart. 

Father Eric Nielsen joins Patrick to discuss Almsgiving.

• (1:19) How do we give as Jesus would have us give? 
• (8:29) Love of Money is the root of all evils 
• (11:08) What is it about wealth that drives people to have a shriveled and shrunken heart? 
• Break 1 
• (28:15) Megan - There's a proverb...The righteous person leaves an inheritance for their children's children. How do we interpret that if we give everything away?
• Break 2
• (39:26) Who should we give money to, how much and how do we prioritize?
• (47:00) Jesus's goal is to teach us to love God and other people