In the weekly office hours this week, I solicited questions and worries about the life of faith that I could answer through a Peasant’s point-of-view. I received two questions, the first in the video from Michael S. Atkinson and the second from Chantal LaFortune. These were great questions and adjacent to a lot of interesting aspects of our faith.

Michael’s question was, paraphrased, “How do I keep up with it all?”

Chantal’s question was, paraphrased, “How should we handle comments made by Pope Francis in his memoir?”

I tackled these questions as best as I could, so Michael and Chantal I hope you find something helpful in the above video.

Programming Notes:

This kind of stuff is what gives me a lot of joy in the Peasant ideation. I want to help you worry about the world less. I would like to make these livestreams a regular thing, where I can address the News of the Day through a peasant perspective, without making myself a news pundit. I want to help you worry less. If you find the above video helpful, please tell me. Tell me in a comment, with a like; tell me by sharing this with your friends; tell me by subscribing. Tell me what you’d like to hear addressed the next stream.

About this stream, also: I initially tried to stream and set it for Subscribers Only. I want to do peasant streams for you—but it wasn’t working. I ended that stream and tried again, and had a few more people join but I felt the need to explain that this is my Peasant publication and not my current “primary” publication, Gibberish. I chose an afternoon on a weekday, overlapping with America’s presidential inauguration, so I made a lot of bad choices.

I’m going to try this again, but I’ll make better choices. Let me know in the comments when you’d prefer to catch these streams!

Thanks are due to ⚡Thalia The Comedy Muse⚡ and A Catholic Pilgrim who joined the stream, among others, and helped me to know I was actually talking to people! We live and we learn, and we’ll try again later.

Thanks are also due to Chantal and Michael who asked great questions and to whom I hope I supplied equally great answers.

Thanks are finally due to you, reader, for supporting this publication. Thank you and God bless you! I’ll see you again soon!

AJPM

Sorry this podcast is late! This episode is a primer on the peasant life! If this is your first podcast at the Peasant Times-Dispatch, this is an introduction to the “peasant philosophy” I write and speak about here.

We’re calling this Season 2 of the Podcast because it is different. The Peasant’s Apprentice is a space for me to share life lessons I have learned that relate to living a peasantly life. It’s called the Peasant’s Apprentice because it’s advice that a Master might give an Apprentice who is trying to learn a trade. Not to suggest I am in any way a Master, but anyway you get the drift.

The concept is basically a rip-off of Dry Creek Wrangler School on YouTube, but I’m putting my own twist on it.

Mentioned in this episode:

* What kind of people should be a peasant (all of you)

* What a peasant is (and what they do)

* Why being a peasant is good (and three virtues that speak to the modern man)

Part of the model for the Peasant’s Apprentice is that once I post three episodes, the next oldest episode will go behind a paywall. This is episode 8! In case you’re new here, Episode 5, a wonderful interview with Walther Cantu, will go behind a paywall tomorrow, 5/12! If you would like to keep your access, kindly consider a paid subscription (discounted 20% until June 1 if you click this promo button!)

Thank you very much for listening. Did you get something out of this episode? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam

In this episode, I talk about God answering prayers, ways you can pray, I blub a bit about my 2 year substackiversary coming up on the 15th, and I make a cotton-eye-joe reference.

We’re calling this Season 2 of the Podcast because it is different. The Peasant’s Apprentice is a space for me to share life lessons I have learned that relate to living a peasantly life. It’s called the Peasant’s Apprentice because it’s advice that a Master might give an Apprentice who is trying to learn a trade. Not to suggest I am in any way a Master, but anyway you get the drift.

The concept is basically a rip-off of Dry Creek Wrangler School on YouTube, but I’m putting my own twist on it.

Mentioned in this episode:

* In Podcast Episode 5, Walther Cantu talked about Bl. Solanus Casey

* I talked about the “Exsultet” Chant from Easter Vigil. Chantal LaFortune talked about that recently in this article at Heavenly Chant

* I talk about the “Our Father” Prayer, which can be found in Matthew 6:6-13

* I challenge readers and listeners who do not think prayer works to tell me, so I can pray for you.

Part of the model for the Peasant’s Apprentice is that once I post three episodes, the next oldest episode will go behind a paywall. This is episode 7! In case you’re new here, Episode 4 will go behind a paywall later today! If you would like to keep your access, kindly consider a paid subscription (discounted 20% until June 1 if you click this promo button!)

Thank you very much for listening. Did you get something out of this episode? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam

Episode 6, in which I muse aloud about the Taoist tool for refusing to get outraged about circumstances we can’t control: The question “Is that so?”

The question comes from an anecdote Hambone shared with me from a book whose name I forgot while recording, but which is called “The cicada and the bird” by Chuang Tzu.

We’re calling this Season 2 of the Podcast because it is different. The Peasant’s Apprentice is a space for me to share life lessons I have learned that relate to living a peasantly life. It’s called the Peasant’s Apprentice because it’s advice that a Master might give an Apprentice who is trying to learn a trade. Not to suggest I am in any way a Master, but anyway you get the drift.

The concept is basically a rip-off of Dry Creek Wrangler School on YouTube, but I’m putting my own twist on it.

Programming note: Spotify switched their editing tool to Riverside.FM, which took away their library of background music. It’s the end of an era! But also: Is that so? If anyone has tips for putting background music in their podcasts, I’d love to hear them.

Part of the model for the Peasant’s Apprentice is that once I post three episodes, the next oldest episode will go behind a paywall. This is episode 6! In case you’re new here, Episode 3 will go behind a paywall later today! If you would like to keep your access, kindly consider a paid subscription!

Thank you very much for listening. Did you get something out of this episode? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam

Episode 5 is here, with a very special guest— Walther Cantu, author of Peregrino!

Walther reached out with an idea inspired by a conversation with Hambone, about the tv show ALONE, where contestants are scattered around the world with nothing but ten items they can use to keep themselves alive. We took a twist on this scenario—what are five items (not books!) that we would use to help sustain our faith.

Also, Walther is no stranger to being a guest for the Peasant Times-Dispatch, as he has previously written a guest-post called The Practice of the Presence of God.

Just a quick note—I was on the tail end of a cold, so forgive my audio. And because it’s an interview I couldn’t use my usual microphone, so the audio quality is a little…different. Walther’s audio is great, so that’s the important thing! Thank you for listening!

We’re calling this Season 2 of the Podcast because it is different. The Peasant’s Apprentice is a space for me to share life lessons I have learned that relate to living a peasantly life. It’s called the Peasant’s Apprentice because it’s advice that a Master might give an Apprentice who is trying to learn a trade. Not to suggest I am in any way a Master, but anyway you get the drift.

The concept is basically a rip-off of Dry Creek Wrangler School on YouTube, but I’m putting my own twist on it.

Today’s episode we talk about lists of 5 items we would use to help keep our faith alive. Here’s the list!

* Crucifix

* Rosary

* Brown Scapular

* Walther: Icons; Scoot: Marian Image/Statue

* Walther: Relics; Scoot: Saint Cards

What 5 items would you bring? Do you have anything different than these?

Here are some resources Walther wanted to share that came up during our conversation!

* Walther’s Wife, Diana Cantu, authors the newsletter The Joyful Dwelling

* Barbatus Podcast (a previous project Walther was involved in) Interview with Iconographer Vivian Imbruglia

* Barbatus Podcast Interview with Fr. Ed Foley about Bl. Solanus Casey

* The (future) Saint Samaurai, Bl. Justo Takayama

* The famous Icon, Christ Pantocrator

Part of the model for the Peasant’s Apprentice is that once I post three episodes, the next oldest episode will go behind a paywall. This is episode 5! In case you’re new here, Episode 2 will go behind a paywall tomorrow the 11th at noon EST! You have one day left to listen for free, and if you would like to keep your access, kindly consider a paid subscription!

Thank you very much for listening. Did you get something out of this episode? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam

Episode 4 is here! Where I talk about how a peasant can handle the challenges of coexisting with modernity.

We’re calling this Season 2 of the Podcast because it is different. The Peasant’s Apprentice is a space for me to share life lessons I have learned that relate to living a peasantly life. It’s called the Peasant’s Apprentice because it’s advice that a Master might give an Apprentice who is trying to learn a trade. Not to suggest I am in any way a Master, but anyway you get the drift.

The concept is basically a rip-off of Dry Creek Wrangler School on YouTube, but I’m putting my own twist on it.

Today’s episode is about setting down the imaginary burdens we take upon ourselves. Modernity has so much information freely accessible, and it can make remote problems feel closer than they really truly are. This episode is about recognizing them, thinking about them, and surrendering them to Christ.

Part of the model for the Peasant’s Apprentice is that once I post three episodes, the next oldest episode will go behind a paywall. This is episode 4! In case you’re new here, Episode 1 will go behind a paywall on the 12th. You have two days left to listen for free, and if you would like to keep your access, kindly consider a paid subscription!

Thank you very much for listening. Did you get something out of this episode? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam

Take 3! I was much happier with this episode because I knew better what I was trying to say. Let me know if you notice a difference in the audio—I bought a basic-tier microphone and have been testing it out. It’s hard for me to tell how different it is, so hopefully you all notice the difference.

We’re calling this Season 2 of the Podcast because it is different. The Peasant’s Apprentice is a space for me to share life lessons I have learned that relate to living a peasantly life. It’s called the Peasant’s Apprentice because it’s advice that a Master might give an Apprentice who is trying to learn a trade. Not to suggest I am in any way a Master, but anyway you get the drift.

The concept is basically a rip-off of Dry Creek Wrangler School on YouTube, but I’m putting my own twist on it.

Today’s episode is about setting boundaries. Boundaries are helpful for warning you when something is going on you don’t want to be involved in. Having good boundaries can help you live a good, virtuous, and well-lived life. It can also help people around you, in your community. These boundaries I learned after going through some challenges in life, and I hope these boundaries can help you navigate or avoid similar challenges.

Here’s the list:

* Don’t sin

* Be willing to walk away

* Be honest always

* Don’t apologize if you’ve done nothing wrong

* Apologize sincerely and once only if you have done something wrong

Part of the model for the Peasant’s Apprentice is that once I post three episodes, the next oldest episode will go behind a paywall. This is episode 3! You have one more month of free access to Episode 1—if you would like to keep your access, kindly consider a paid subscription!

Thank you very much for listening. Did you get something out of this episode? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam

Lightning can strike twice! Here is Episode 2 of the Peasant’s Apprentice. Still trying to figure this things out. There’s some odd background noises—you might hear my chair creakin’ and my computer yell at me for a moment. I’ve got the lowest budget podcast setup—recording on my phone!

We’re calling this Season 2 of the Podcast because it is different. The Peasant’s Apprentice is a space for me to share life lessons I have learned that relate to living a peasantly life. It’s called the Peasant’s Apprentice because it’s advice that a Master might give an Apprentice who is trying to learn a trade. Not to suggest I am in any way a Master, but anyway you get the drift.

The concept is basically a rip-off of Dry Creek Wrangler School on YouTube, but I’m putting my own twist on it.

Today’s episode is about getting comfortable not winning any earthly victories. Doing the right thing is about God more than it is about winning anything here on earth. So many earthly struggles are because everyone wants to win. If we just do the right thing—if we do right by God—we don’t need to worry about the outcome. We can be satisfied that we did the right thing.

Part of the model for the Peasant’s Apprentice is that once I post three episodes, the next oldest episode will go behind a paywall. So you get three months of free access and then in the fourth month it’s going behind a paywall!

Thank you very much for listening—my stories are a little rambly and winding but I like to think I get there eventually. Did you get something out of this episode? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam

This is a different thing! We’re calling this Season 2 of the Podcast because it is so different. The Peasant’s Apprentice is a space for me to share life lessons I have learned that relate to living a peasantly life. It’s called the Peasant’s Apprentice because it’s advice that a Master might give an Apprentice who is trying to learn a trade. Not to suggest I am in any way a Master, but anyway you get the drift.

The concept is basically a rip-off of Dry Creek Wrangler School on YouTube, but I’m putting my own twist on it.

Today’s episode is about something of a mantra that I have been using, and that you might see me in my comments to other people—it’s the idea that if you can just keep going, you are strong.

Part of the model for the Peasant’s Apprentice is that once I post three episodes, the next oldest episode will go behind a paywall. So you get three months of free access and then in the fourth month it’s going behind a paywall!

PS - I know for some the music in the background might be distracting, but it helps fill up all the pauses and honestly I can’t stand the sound of my voice without something else going on there. Even though I was talking to an empty room I don’t want it to FEEL that way. So you get music. I hope you like it!

Thank you very much for listening—my stories are a little rambly and winding but I like to think I get there eventually. Did you get something out of this episode? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam

Hello everyone! I haven’t posted a podcast since February, but I more than make up for it with this almost hour long special! In this episode…

* I introduce Hambone, who is a real person!

* Hambone and I talk about Dirt Christianity and multiple and sundry aspects of that.

* We eventually circle around to Brother Lawrence and Walther Cantu’s Guest Post!

* I admonish all you listeners to besiege John Ward with a DDOS attack so he acknowledges Scoot and Hambone are different people.

* Oh god I say “Like” so many times.

Did you like this? Would you listen to more of these? Let us know!

Thank you for listening, God bless you all!

Ad Jesum Per Mariam