The Inner Life

Fr. Cater Griffin joins Patrick to discuss Gluttony. 

(4:03) What actually is gluttony? 

(6:15) Why are so easily sucked into overindulging? 

(9:11) Ed – I was going to fast and all of a sudden I was eating 4 donuts.  

(11:15) How did we get to such a gluttonous society? 

(13:14) How do we know if our relationship to food is disordered? 

(16:08) Andrew – Is it a sin of gluttony to be rich or hoard money? 

(20:18) Break 1 

(21:46) Email Can fasting help with gluttony?  

(23:06) Rich - During the Lenten season, we try to eat sparingly, fast, and no meat. So many times we see people go out and embellish and have lobster dinners, and that's not the intent of the season at all. 

(27:05) Mary- I struggle with shopping too much in a way that is not healthy. What can I do? 

(30:18) Thomas - How can it be a sin in modern times?  A mortal sin has to be completely known and deliberate. I have a hard time imagining eating an extra burger can be a sin? 

(35:27) Iris - I'm giving up eating too much for Lent. How do I fall back after Lent is over? 

(39:37) Break 2 

(40:33) Email – I have always struggled with gluttony and want to try a drug that can help but then will I be trading that for vanity? 

(42:42) Lena - There's a 12 step program for people that can't stop eating; Overeaters Anonymous. It saved my life. It's God who does the work. 

(45:50) Amy - When it comes to fasting, is it about how much we eat vs what we eat? Can you take too much of the Eucharist?  

Fr. Joseph Illo joins Patrick to discuss Lenten Spiritual Reading 

(3:29) Why can reading bring about growth in the spirit? 

(6:56) What types of books should we be looking for during Lent to help us grow? 

(9:09) What is Lectio Divina? 

(12:44) Rebecca –This is a great book:  He Leadeth Me - Fr. Walter Cizeck. 

(14:31) Julie – Is it okay to read Freidrich Nitzche “The Anti Christ”, “Back to Virtue”, Peter Kreeft or “Lift Up Your Hearts” Fulton Sheen? 

(16:42) Charles –Best book to read I the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  

(20) Break 1 

(22:11) Fr. Illo book suggestions – Bible, Augustine’s Confessions, Story of a Soul. St. Therese Lisieux, “Imitation of Christ” Thomas A Kempis, “Finding and maintaining peace” or “Time for God” Jacques Philippe, “The Way or “The Forge” St. Josemaria Escriva, “Lenten Journey with Mother Mary” Fr. Ed Looney, “33 Days of Morning Glory” Fr. Michel Gaitley. 

(26:31) Michael –My book suggestions:  The Dogma of Hell, The Battle of the Virtue and Vices, and Vibrant Paradoxes. Bishop Robert Barron. 

(28:08) Kyle – My suggestion St. Gregory of Nisus...Life of Moses. Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch 

Emailer – Lent is a time to read books by Thomas Merton or Leo Tolstoy. 

(36:51) Break 2 

(37:55) Anything in particular we should be mindful to stay away from? 

(41:21) Tom -Suggestion: “7 Story Mountain” Thomas Merton, Sherry Weddell “Fruitful Disciple” 

(44:45) Fr. Bill - Suggestion:  St. Maria Faustina's Diary on Divine Mercy 

Suggestions for Lenten spiritual reading

Please note that some of these were suggested by callers. Content of all books suggested has not been reviewed and may contain errors.

• Sacred Scripture (The Bible)
• Catechism of the Catholic Church (also, Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, YouCat: Catechism for Youth)
• Fr. Walter Ciszek, He Leadeth Me
• Peter Kreeft, Back to Virtue
• Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Lift Up Your Hearts: Guide to Spiritual Peace
• St. Augustine, Confessions
• Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ
• St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul
• Fr. Jacques Phillippe – any of his little books (Finding and Maintaining Peace, Time for God, Searching for and Maintaining Peace, etc.)
• St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, Furrow, The Forge
• Fr. Ed Looney, Lenten Journey with Mother Mary
• Fr. Gaitley – any of his books (devotional)
• Fr. Calloway, Consecration to St. Joseph
• Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island, Seven Story Mountain
• Sherry Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples, Fruitful Discipleship
• Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
• Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime & Punishment
• F. X. Schouppe S.J., The Dogma of Hell
• Pope Saint Leo IX, The Battle of the Virtues and Vices
• Fr. Bishop Barron, Vibrant Paradoxes
• St. Gregory of Nyssa, Life of Moses
• Thomas Merton, Seven Story Mountain, No Man is an Island
• Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment
• Fiction of Charles Dickens, Willa Cather, Flannery O’Connor
• Pope Benedict XVI, Introduction to Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth series
• Dr. Thomas McGovern, What Christ Suffered
• St. Faustina’s Diary
• Corrie Tenboom, The Hiding Place
• Sr. Marianne Mayard, Make Friends with the Angels
• Scott Hahn, Rome Sweet Home
• Bl. Columba Marmion, Christ, The Life of the Soul
• Franck Sheed, Theology and Sanity
• St. Athanasius, Life of St. Anthony

• ·         Classics: Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ; Therese of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul; St. Augustine, Confessions.

  ·         How to pray: little books by Fr. Jacques Philippe, esp Time for God;

  ·         Testimonials: Sohrab Ahmari, From Fire By Water; Scott Hahn, Rome Sweet Home; Robert Cardinal Sarah, The Day is Now Far Spent

  ·         Devotionals: St. JoseMaria Escriva, The Way, Furrow, The Forge.

  ·         Novena books (staged): Fr. Ed Looney, A Lenten Journey with Mother Mary; Fr.  Michael Gaitley’s books, esp 33 Days to Merciful Love; Fr. Donald Calloway, Consecration to St. Joseph,

  ·         Catechisms: Joseph Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity; The Compendium of the CCC

  ·         Just published: Fr. John Nepil, To Heights unto Depths; Dr. Thomas McGovern, What Christ Suffered

   

  • Our Lady: Andrew Apostoli, Fatima for Today; Fulton Sheen, The World's First Love

Enjoy this awesome encore show from March 6, 2025

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

• How was the cross understood by the early Christians?
• (8:13) How do we understand when Jesus says take up your cross and follow me?
• (14:00) Nick - I had an incident in 2016, where I was bleeding profusely and had to get into emergency surgery. Thought I was going to die. Prayed about it and got the inspiration to embrace my cross. We all have these incidents in our life and need to recognize the Lord in them.
• Should we just let suffering happen?

(20:14) Break 1

• What does it mean to
• (25:35) Dean - In my conversion, it was great to be able to go before a Catholic crucifix because Christ was there. The Passion of the Christ movie...the cross. Christ is there to help us carry the cross. His and ours.
• (30:37) Raul - 22-year-old special needs daughter. in laws also live with me. We've never had peace. Extreme stress. Only God has been able to help us get through that.

(36:21) Break 2

• How does our relationship with Jesus play a crucial role in taking up your Cross?
• (39:35) how is the Cross an expression of love?
• (44:24) Lucine - If sometimes a cross is not a cross but what Jesus says, the devil comes to kill steal and destroy. Starting to think of this because of a friend who has dementia. Is it a cross or something stolen from her from the evil one?

Father Rob Kroll joins Patrick to discuss Mortification

• Where does the word mortification come from?
• (5:21) what does mortification include?
• How do we find the happy medium in mortification?
• (19:03) Laurie - A long time ago, my kids were going away from the faith. Stopped putting sugar in coffee.  Would it be efficacious to cut out the cream too? Is it better to intensify it?

(23:12) Break 1

• Deb - Question about if a person has struggles when trying to do mortification and trouble with self-denial. Any advice?
• What are ways we can do mortification?
• (32:55) Chris - To what extent does trying to define holiness differ from by what you deny yourself instead of what you do for others?  Is there a risk of denying yourself vs. becoming more active in our faith?

(39:15) Break 2

• What are dangers of Mortification?
• (45:15) How to discern what to do for mortification?

Father Bobby Blood joins Patrick to discuss Simplicity in the Spiritual Life

• What is simplicity?
• (7:58) What are traps that interfere with our relationship with Jesus?
• How do we know if we are needing to change something in our prayer life?
• Albert - We go through life with battles and also the spirit world. Our Lord gives us gifts on his children.  That's the mystery. Our spiritual life is uniting each and every one of us to the Lord.

(20:06) Break 1

• (21:48) Jonathan - When my conversion happened in 2016, had a spiritual director. Had a lot of zeal. My advisor suggested 1 or 2 devotions and try them for 6 months. if fruitful, continue, if not, try something else. Doing liturgy of the hours and the Jesus prayer. I have a lot of devotions if I need to make a change.
• What is the difference between reciting prayers and praying?
• What is contemplation and why does it matter?

(36:17) Break 2

• Shelly - I have some devotions including divine mercy, Rosary. God's will...what devotion do I do to get closer to God's will?
• (41:25) Walt - When I walk into church for Mass, I switch from seeing Him to listening. Then, I can live the words. This should be emphasized to all of us. You can't get a lot without listening.
• George - Cradle Catholic. I wanted to become a priest when I was young. Retired now. Now, I have a set of prayers I do every morning. Go to daily Mass. They always speak to me, doesn't have to be the same prayer. I always get something from them and hear God speak to me. Study scripture throughout the day and journal.

Father Matthew Spencer joins Patrick for a Sunday's Bible Study

• (1:55) what is the context of Sunday’s Gospel?
• What should we listen for in today’s readings?
• What attitude should we have when we read the words of God?
• Father reads Sunday’s Gospel according to Luke.

(20:55) Break 1

• Maureen - It struck me that in there it says Jesus was there for 40 days and it said he was hungry. Thought it was because he was away from God and was hungry for God and not just for bread.
• (26:24) Dan - How did the devil give all the power. They're saying I can give you all of this. How did he get so powerful?

(38:16) Break 2

• Mira - Why do we say lead us not into temptation when we say the prayer?  You were talking about temptation and we use that in our prayer.
• (42:39) Beth - Where does the evil one get his power...my thought was can we not blame ourselves for giving power to the devil?
• (45:16) What is the connection with Jesus’ temptations in the desert and Israel’s wondering in the desert?

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

• How was the cross understood by the early Christians?
• (8:13) How do we understand when Jesus says take up your cross and follow me?
• (14:00) Nick - I had an incident in 2016, where I was bleeding profusely and had to get into emergency surgery. Thought I was going to die. Prayed about it and got the inspiration to embrace my cross. We all have these incidents in our life and need to recognize the Lord in them.
• Should we just let suffering happen?

(20:14) Break 1

• What does it mean to
• (25:35) Dean - In my conversion, it was great to be able to go before a Catholic crucifix because Christ was there. The Passion of the Christ movie...the cross. Christ is there to help us carry the cross. His and ours.
• (30:37) Raul - 22-year-old special needs daughter. in laws also live with me. We've never had peace. Extreme stress. Only God has been able to help us get through that.

(36:21) Break 2

• How does our relationship with Jesus play a crucial role in taking up your Cross?
• (39:35) how is the Cross an expression of love?
• (44:24) Lucine - If sometimes a cross is not a cross but what Jesus says, the devil comes to kill steal and destroy. Starting to think of this because of a friend who has dementia. Is it a cross or something stolen from her from the evil one?

Check out this encore show from February 15, 2024!

Father Patrick Hyde, OP joined Patrick for a conversation about the penitential season. Topics included: the pillars of Lent (2:54), detachment (9:46), caller: can I fast in a different way (12:54), caller: I am going to give more time to God this Lent (20:41), prayer routines (23:22), caller: Lent is about finishing strong! (26:40), email: are there different fasting rules for those with special needs? (34:05), caller: I tried to make the beginning of Lent special needs for my family and friends (35:31), caller: I ate one small meal and came to Mass yesterday (39:23), and caller: God knows your heart during Lent (45:45). 

Father Allen Hoffa joins guest host Brooke Taylor to discuss The Role of Repentance in the Spiritual Life

• (6:00) How can repentance be a lasting change in our lives?
• (10:17) Betty - Repentance: I feel remorse about wishing someone's death who died. How do I get over that?

(17:39) Break 1

• How do we foster repentance in our own communities?
• How does God work with us towards repentance?
• (33:52) how does confession help us repent?

(37:13) Break 2

• (40:01) - What is the importance of the daily examination of conscience?
• (45:17) Tom - I can't through to my wife about going to confession. How do I help her?
• Joe - Peter in Acts 3: Repent that you may have times of refreshing.

Father Marc Lenneman joins Guest Host Brooke Taylor to discuss the Goodness of the Body

• What is Gnosticism and how does it relate to the transgender movement?
• Why are we so susceptible to sin through our bodies?
• How do we train our bodies to fight sin?

(20:49) Break 1

• How can we affirm the goodness of the body
• What can you do to prepare for Lent in a personal way?
• (32:27) Lauren - RR helped me discern to have another baby, through God's will for my body.

(38:01) Break 2

• (39:35) Dean - For a long time in the Catholic church, the paradigm was penance; mortification or dying early. There's been a shift and now more focus on caring for our bodies. Could father talk about that shift?
• (44:52) Nicole - I'm going through a process where I'm trying to prepare for Lent. Two struggles:  Physical appearance and health. Quit drinking. Going to Catholics in Recovery. Trying not to turn my addictions into working out. Struggle with fasting. I want to better prepare myself in a healthy way. Can I focus on exercise without obsessing over it?