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Father William Burton has written an approachable book on Scripture Study entitled Abba Isn’t Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises: What Catholics Really Need to Know about Scripture Study.  Join us as we look at some misconceptions and hidden treasures withun Scripture that you many not have known about. As Father Burton states, “Studying the Bible is itself a fun and entertaining endeavor.”  

There are about a million stumbling blocks that society throws in front of young men today. These include confusion as to what a man's role is and the proper behavior for men today. Let's get intentional with how we prepare young men today. Ray Haywood has written Tools to the Ready the Journey: A Father's Guide to a Faith-Filled Family. Listen on as Ray and I discuss how to tackle this troublesome trend in society today.

Struggling with regret? Are you caught in it's clutches and thinking of yourself as a failure? Throw those regrets aside and reclaim them for good.....and God. Sister Kathryn J. Hermes joins me to discuss the freedom God offers each one of us through prayer, meditation and reflection as outlined in her book Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life's Disappointments.

Tired of living the rat race and not making enough time for prayer? Think squeezing time into your busy schedule for just 15 minutes of quiet time is impossible? Well Deacon Greg Kandra and I are here to tell it ain't so! Listen in as we talk about how to incorporate prayer into our busy lives as we discuss his book The Busy Person's Guide to Prayer.

Don't know much about the Cristero War? There's a book for that! Join Msgr. James T. Murphy and I as we discuss his book Saints and Sinners in the Cristero War: Stories of Martyrdom from Mexico. This is a fascinating book that brings to the fore front this internal struggle in Mexico that up to only recently has been for the most part little-known. Join us and learn about some of the figures that were part of this modern persecution of the Church in Mexico. 

Mark McCann returns this week to discuss the second book of his four book series To the Ends of the Earth. On Episode 115 we talked about Character, this time around we are discussing Action. When it comes to action most guys want to be known for jumping in to help, to save, to win! Being a Catholic man of action means so much more. Listen in as Mark and I discuss how we can draw our strength from the Sacraments so that we can be active followers of Christ who set out to evangelize the world.  This week's title To the Ends of the Earth: Action can be found here. https://amzn.to/2YkD29i

 

Another conversion story coming at you this week. Listen in as Mark McNeil and I discuss his journey to the Catholic faith after spending years in the Oneness Pentecostal movement. Mark grew up Baptist, became deeply involved in Oneness Pentecostalism as a young man, and then the Holy Spirit got involved. With an inquisitive mind and deep study, Mark found himself joining the Catholic Church. We follow his journey and discuss his book All in the Name: How the Bible Led Me to Faith in the Trinity and the Catholic Church.

Like most converts Dawn Eden Goldstein's journey to the Catholic faith is an interesting one. On this week's episode Dawn shares the long and winding road she traveled from Judaism to rock n' roll journalist and one that eventually led her to the doorstep of the Catholic Church.  Hers is a fascinating story of trauma, healing, and faith that you won't want to miss. 

 

Catholic social teaching confuse you? Not certain what it is or what the Church really teaches on the subject? Public debate often circles around such hot-button topics as immigration, abortion, health care, racism, religious freedom and capital punishment. It's helpful to allow the Church to guide us on these matters. Father Kevin McKenna joins me this week to help cut through the confusion and discuss his book A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching: Third Edition.

This week on Off the Shelf Gary Jansen returns to discuss a recently released book from Image Books that is likely familiar to many of us. Your Life is Worth Living: 50 Lessons to Deepen Your Faith by Fulton Sheen has been brought back to print by Image and as Gary tells us it's one he knew he had to bring back. Listen in as we explore some of the timeless wisdom Bishop Sheen has for all of us. 

The history of the Catholic Church is one word...FASCINATING. It''s a 2000 year history full of drama, intrigue, promise, love, hope, and heartache. The Church has been filled with fascinating heroes, devious villains, and a myriad of people in between. Steve Weidenkopf has written one of the most approachable books I have ever read on this history. Join us as we discuss the very real and exciting history of the Church and Steve's book Timeless: A History of the Catholic Church.  

Everyone at some point in their is searching. They are after the truth so as to obtain happiness. Some are still searching in frustration today as nothing they attempt to use to fill that emptiness is working. Steve Hemler and I discuss this and how one can find true happiness as described in his book Search No More: The Keys to Truth and Happiness. The answer is a personal relationship with God. Strugglling or no someone who is.....have a listen!

Leading a holy life doesn't have to be difficult. Simply put we just need to persevere. The market is filled with books on life hacks but what about our faith life? Patti Macguire Armstrong joins us to discuss her book Holy Hacks: Everyday Ways to Live Your Faith and Get to Heaven. We discuss simple hacks to build your prayer life, ward off the devil, and everything in between. Institute a few of the nearly 500 holy hacks in this book and you'll lead a more engaging faith life in no time! 

 

We are constantly inundated with what people THINK the Church teaches but do we really know what the Church ACTUALLY teaches? Jimmy Akin joins me this week to cut through the chaos and provide real answers as we discuss his book Teaching with Authority: How to Cut Through Doctrinal Confusion & Understand What the Church Really Says.

I recently stumbled upon an AWESOME four book series for men that has the potential to change men into true men of faith. This week on Off the Shelf my guest is author Mark McCann and we discuss the first in the series To the Ends of the Earth: Character. We walk through the book which is setup as a 10 week devotional. What will you learn? To be a man of Catholic character is to imitate Christ!

Conversion stories are a powerful witness to the fact that we have a loving God intent upon a one on one relationship with each of us...no matter where we are. Christine Watkins joins me on this week's show to discuss the lives of six men and how Mary played a significant role in their journey to the faith. These stories are so powerful they may just change yours!

 

Each Lent we are encouraged to give something up as a sacrifice during the penitential season. Most often we pick things we can put our fingers on like sweets or coffee. What if we tried something different. In his book Give up Worry for Lent Gary Zimak tells readers how we can give worry up and lead stringer faith filled lives. Listen in as we cover the book and discuss the pitfalls worry can have on our lives.

This week on Off the Shelf we have something a little different. David Williams is the developer behind the new game Saint Cards. Its a card game where the Saints and history are presented in fun and engaging games for ages 4-104. Cards are available in base sets and expansions that add to the challenge and fun. Listen in as David and I discuss how to play the game and what each of the multiple expansions contain. 

 

This week Rob Kenney and I discuss an incredible resource that Sophia Institute Press has breathed new life into. Around the Year with the Von Trapp family is back in print and sure to serve as a timeless classic to new generations of families looking to incorporate the Catholic faith into their daily lives. Written by the beloved Maria Von Trapp formatted as a coffee table type book this is one you will want to add to your home library. 

 

In the internet age we can find ourselves getting caught up in the quick reaction sound bites spread across social media like wildfire. Information is literally at our fingers within seconds of events happening and often people fire off their armchair evaluation within seconds giving little thought to who they may offend or harm. Join Shaun and I as we discuss a proper path forward when it comes to social media use as outlined in his book Social Media Magisterium: A No-Nonsense Guide to the Proper Use of Media.