The Inner Life

Father Bobby Blood joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Keeping the Faith in Dry Seasons

• What is Spiritual Dryness
• (7:59) Importance of routines in our spiritual life
• Why would God let us go through dry times in our life?
• (12:16) Elias - If I feel like I am doing well in prayer life, how do I best prepare for when the dry season comes?
• Juan - I am enduring a heavy cross, and how to carry it.

(17:49) Break 1

• (19:15) Wade - A few months after Lent I lose my spiritual drive. Why is this a consistency every year? What can I do to alleviate this?
• (24:45) How are the Sacraments important or times of Dryness?
• What do you do when you aren’t getting anything out Mass?
• (30:59) Email from Dylan – I have been dealing with dryness for years now and I don’t know what to do.
• Email from Rose – How do you deal with the accusing voice of the Devil?
• (34:44) Teresa - I get very melancholic for no reason, accusing myself of sloth, and I am wondering if it is because God is trying to prepare me for a blessing?

(37:40) Break 2

• Email from Adrian – How does dryness relate to how we perceive God?
• (41:36) Maria - Spiritual Dryness:  There are moments, I say, 'is there all there is to it?'  What will happen?
• (44:03) Bonnie - Shame, regarding your life situation and shame as opposed to guilt and not feeling close to God b/c of shame.
• (47:54) Gianna - One thing that could help refresh the faith is something new, something different

Father Michael-Joseph Paris joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Carmelite Spirituality

• (7:25) origins of the Brown Scapular.
• Giacomo - I was in Israel a few years ago at Mt Carmel at an Equestrian event. Home parish was Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Melrose park. Bishop asked me to read one day. I was moved to be in the real Our Lady of Mt Carmel that day.
• (16:51) Rose - Wanted to know if Father believes that just by wearing the scapular when you pass, the virgin of Mt Carmel would take you out of purgatory the following Saturday. Is that true?

(20:19) Break 1

• (25:16) Sarah - I had fallen away from church. Hadn't worn a scapular for years. My mom came to see me and brought me a scapular. Threw it on the counter. Months later, put it on a cabinet and went to bed. Sunday, I heard, 'Get up and go to church.' Heard it twice. Put pillow over my head, but heard again. Finally got up and heard 'put the scapular on.' Burned around my neck. Went to church. During benediction, heard St. Michael prayer. Landlord met with me, dog bit me at his house, doctor said scapular saved me from the bite (jugular).
• (33:09) Paulin - Sabbatine privilege. I believe you have to be invested in the scapular, is that correct?
•  Shirley - I was enrolled with the scapular by a priest and I consecrate myself to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel daily. Just want to share that.

(37:22) Break 2

• Elements of Carmelite Spirituality.
• Great saints of the Carmelite order.
• Third order Carmelites.
• (47:24) Carmel - My mom called me Carmel because I was born July 16th. She couldn't have children and was devoted to our lady of mt Carmel. Always wore scapular. Finally expecting a baby and it was me. I was Christened on St. Ann day. After hearing this program, I was thinking...wow, maybe I should start wearing it again.

Resources:

• Flos Carmeli: A Guide to Marian Consecration Through the Brown Scapular
  • https://www.icspublications.org/products/flos-carmeli-a-guide-to-marian-consecration-through-the-brown-scapular

IL – Father John Paul Erickson joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Why We Laugh

• (5:43) How is laughter a uniquely human trait?
• (20:09) Nick - Appropriate laughter and why we laugh. Altar server trying to light a candle. All of a sudden, people were laughing after he tried so many times. It has to be tempered with the appropriateness of the situation.

(24:38) Break 1

• Did Jesus have a sense of Humor?
• (30:58) Rose - Humor. I'm 87. Humor has helped me in my last stages to continue without having to complain so much.

(38:04) Break 2

• Pauline - Joke: Pastor and bus driver. Both die at the same time. Bus driver gets ticketed first. Pastor waits and finally to gates. I thought I'd be the first in line. St. Peter said why was I first? When you preached everyone slept, when he preached, everyone prayed.
• (43:47) Joe - Joke: Jesus and Moses on a golf course. At this dog leg of a hole. Jesus says, 'I'm going to get above par on this. Jesus hits the ball, goes into water. He walks on water to get the ball. Asked Moses if it's Jesus, and said no, it's Jack Nicholas.
• (47:04) Carol - When I think about laughter, I think why it's important to have a merry heart. It does good like medicine. Laughter is the best medicine you can have.
• Juanita - Years ago, God showed me his sense of humor when I was upset over my grandson's mom keeping us from seeing him. I unexpectedly received a gift of a small meat cleaver. It just made me laugh. It keeps us grounded in our sense of humor.

Father Rob Kroll joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Making Good Decisions

• What is free will?
• (15:01) Email – Can God work with mistakes in our major decisions?
• (17:58) Thomas - I'm confused how everyone is being assisted by God in making decisions. What communications are being made with callers and receiving messages from God? I don't know how God is communicating with them.

(23:26) Break 1

• Does God care about every decision we make?
• (29:53) Carol - Does the holy spirit ever allow you to make a bad decision to teach a lesson?
• (34:53) Ethel - Someone gave me 20 thousand dollars for helping them remedy a situation (sell a property). Sold it, and I received the $ and now the person wants it back. should I give it back? They made a report that I stole the $.

(38:55) Break 2

• (40:14) Veronica - Decision on whether to get married or not. We were engaged and going through the process. Asked friends to pray for me to discern God's will. That weekend, we found that the Lord put it on our hearts that, no, we weren't meant to marry. I ended up years later entering the convent.
• Importance of prudence in making good decisions.
• (47:12) Anna - I want to know why people make bad choices. If they know something is bad, why do they still choose it and those horrible decisions?

• Father Lawrence Harlow joins to talk about the Charismatic Renewal

• St. Elena Guerra wrote about the Church being in need of renewal by the Holy Spirit

• Mark - I've always felt a connection with the Holy Spirit.

• Miles – I became part of the Charismatic Renewal in 1976. How do I know or have the gift of interpretation?

• Break 1

• Steven - Interested in the renewal. 

• Anita - I've had a personal experience. The Holy Spirit used me so profoundly and helped bring a man back to God. God and Mary have something special for us.

• Break 2

• James - What is the relationship between the baptism of the holy spirit and the sacrament of confirmation?
  • A sacrament is always greater than any charismatic prayer

Father John Eckert joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Why you Want to Avoid Hell

• (7:17) Joseph - For Catholics who don't confess and go to the priest to get their sins absolved, is it in the church's norms to proclaim they are in hell?
• (15:32) Margaret - I think people don't understand the definition is love. When you cut off from God, you're cutting off eternally.

(25:05) Break 1

• Fatima’s vision of hell.
• (34:24) Prescott - Fires of Hell...spirits...how does that affect us?
• (37:46) Email - Is the Fire of God’s love the same as the fire of Hell?

 (41:32) Break 2

• (43:16) Tessa - Thinking about hell...wondering if it's a fair thing to talk to somebody who is walking away and telling them they're choosing to walk away and out of a state of grace.
• (48:15) How to be aware of hell without falling into despair?

Fr. Joseph Illo of Star of The Sea Parish in San Francisco joins to talk about Eucharistic Adoration and blessings you can receive from making adoration a frequent part of your life.

• (5:28) What is Eucharistic Adoration? 
  • Go to adoration and you will find out wat God wants you to do (11:17)

• Break 1

• (19:04) John - Most who go to adoration have something to ask. I'm reminded about the scriptures saying that you have not because you ask not. The reason they don't get it is because they're not asking. 
  • Prayer is 98% consistency. Every prayer is answered.

• (31:59) I find that silence is difficult to maintain during adoration, how do I overcome distractions?

• (35:50) Carlos - I had colon cancer 8 years ago. In adoration and had my conversion. I'm still here!

• Break 2

• (42:05) Angie - I am an adorer that has a late-night/overnight adoration shift. I have never felt worried at all.  I wanted to talk about why it's so important in my life.

• (45:27) Olivia - I'm a cradle catholic, but new to adoration. I haven't experienced anything very emotional when going or 'aha' moment. Am I doing something wrong?

Check out this show from June 9, 2026

Father Robert Ryan joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss the Mystical Body of Christ

• (3:50) Why is the Church known as the mystical body of Christ?
• (11:42) What is Paul talking about when he mentions the body of Christ?
•  (20:01) Herb - when Jesus asked Paul, 'why are you persecuting me,' was he talking about him specifically or the Church?

(25:20) Break 1

• (27:51) Jesus’ prayer for unity in the Church.
• (38:14) Tom - How does the family have a role in the broader Church? How can clergy better form the family?

(43:27) Break 2

• (46:10) Missionary work as a Body of Christ.

Father Tom Wilson joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Confession

• Why is Confession Important.
• (6:08) What is the process of confession?
• (17:00) How do priests feel about people coming to confession?

(20:14) Break 1

• (21:40) Denise - Sometimes hard to confess. I feel the more I go, the easier it gets to confess the sins. Just being vulnerable and saying the sins...just feel better like a weight has been lifted. Really encourage all to go to confession. I don't want to be in mortal sin.
• (35:12) Diane - I suffer from scrupulosity. 2 years ago I came back to the church after being away for 30 years. How do you determine difference between temptation and actual sin? Something in the news recently aroused me and I don't know if it was temptation or sin. It wasn't pornography.

(38:50) Break 2

• (39:55) Patrick - How does Father feel about receiving communion when you are aware of a minor sin, not a major sin?
• Email – What is the relationship between venial sins and confession?
• (44:50) Marie - How do I clarify for a friend that confession is about confessing sins and not a counseling appointment? Also, I have some very protestant relatives and couldn't understand the value of confession. How do I answer that question?

Father John LoCoco joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Purity: Lessons from St. Maria Goretti

• Story of St Maria Goretti.
• (5:44) Why is St Maria Goretti so important to our lives today?
• (13:25) Jerry - I am an attorney. Had a young lady come to me asking for a name change so she could no longer be tailed by the guy who was violating her. The name she chose was Maria Goretti. We got her name change 6 years ago on the feast of Maria Goretti. Thought it would be interesting given what you're talking about today.
• Difference between Purity and Chastity

(21:01) Break 1

• (22:40) Donna - When Maria Goretti was murdered. Locals were mad at him. When Maria appeared to him in prison, he eventually repented. He took care of her mother. He would have probably been in hell, but repented and was forgiven. Important to keep in mind with capital punishment.
• (32:23) Email from LJ – How can we bring back our daughter to come back to the faith?
• (35:18) email from Connie – I find that having more time alone was really helpful to bring my husband and I together first.

(38:17) Break 2

• How does Lust lead to anger?
• (45:56) Sonya Maria - How do you convince a mother-in-law that pornography...just looking at it...is wrong?
• (48:17) Custody of the eyes.

Resources:

• Painting of Maria Goretti
  • saint-maria-goretti-artwork-shrine-our-lady-guadalupe-church-la-crosse-wisconsin.jpg (400×948)