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While we begin to wonder what our Post-COVID world may look like, now is a perfect time to acquire new and lasting habits for holiness. If you're not sure where to start making these habits, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR brings 800 years of the Franciscan tradition within the reach of laity. Today's episode of the CE Podcast discusses how we can take the first step to grow closer to sainthood in your daily life. Michael and Fr. Mark-Mary discuss the ways you can add a few minutes of prayer and contemplation each day and (more importantly) make those habits stick. Stream our conversation below or find Catholic Exchange on your favorite podcast app. Resources and topics we discuss todayHabits for Holiness: Small Steps for Making Big Spiritual Progress by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR is available through Ascension Press or your favorite bookseller. How the Franciscan 3x5 Examen can be enrich your spiritual life right now. The importance of intentionality and contentment in your daily spiritual life.How working with the poor and downtrodden can bring you closer to Christ. Why discipleship is best done with a community or family. Ways to show charity and love to those around you, even if you find yourself in social isolation. Finally, check out the Franciscan Friars for the Renewal to learn more about the Franciscan spiritual tradition. ✠Photo by Serge Le Strat on UnsplashSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

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Michael talks with Jason Shanks of the OSV Institute about OSV Innovation Talks and our approach to evangelizing our neighbors and, ultimately, our culture. We have a short but direct conversation about how we have (or haven't) approached the New Evangelization and what apostolates can do to bring more souls to the Church. To learn more about OSV Innovation Talks, go to OSVTalks.com.Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Check out our full show notes and resources here: https://catholicexchange.com/st-therese-of-lisieux-against-the-plague-suzie-andresIt's probably goes without saying that the past year has been difficult for most of us. We've had to endure a pandemic, rioting, a contentious election, and an economic crisis. Yet, we as Catholics have an incredible refuge and friend in one particular saint: St. Therese, or the Little Flower. CE contributor and prolific author Suzie Andres joins Michael Lichens today to discuss how we can turn to St. Therese of Lisieux in our unusual times and how her intercession can bring healing to mind and body. Other topics we discussed in this episode:How our angels and saints can bring relief to our suffering loved ones, even if we can’t be physically present.How saints like Charles Borromeo and Therese endured through a pandemic in faith.Learn about ancient Catholic practices of turning to God and His saints to turn away a plague.The importance of learning how to be “little” when we ask for graces and gifts.How St. Therese wanted her life to imitable to all who would follow her little wayThe role of gratitude in pouring graces upon your life.The beautiful writings and inspiring life of Servant of God Marcel Van, and how his example can inspire us today.The personal appearances and intercessions that St. Therese has made throughout the years. The miracles and inspiration of Servant of God Carlo Acutis.How the gaze of Mary can give us a sense of peace even in crisis.Articles & Resources We MentionedCheck out Mrs. Andres's website, SuzieAndres.com, where you can check out her latest (and free!) book Something New With St. Therese. Suzie Andres has also written, Being Catholic: What Every Catholic Should Know.Our previous interview with Suzie Andres, on Servant of God Marcel Van, can be found here on CE or on your favorite podcast app. Find the Padre Pio Prayer Group of Nashville online here.St. Conrad and the Wildfire by Maura Roan McKeegan.“Padre Pio & the Friendship of Guardian Angels in Times of Need” by Maura Roan McKeegan.✠Photo by DDP on UnsplashSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

When you think of spiritual warfare, you're likely thinking of the classic horror films. But spiritual warfare is something all of us are called to and that includes the whole family. Best-selling author and CE contributor Kathleen Beckman joins us an unusual but important topic.Kathleen Beckman's latest book, Family Guide to Spiritual Warfare: Strategies for Deliverance and Healing, explores how families can incorporate prayer, angels, and the saints into our daily family life and how such practices defend them against the darkness. As the family is ever under attack from the devil, this interview will surely help you through the bleak times today. Check out Kathleen's articles: Temptation: The Ordinary Ways the Devil Attacks UsThe Extraordinary Actions of the DevilHealing and Deliverance Through the RosaryHealing the Family: Rosary ReflectionsThe Rosary: A Prescription for HealingSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Today, Michael is joined by CE contributor R. Jared Staudt, whose work discusses the theological value of culture and beauty and how they can help evangelize the world. R. Jared Staudt, PhD is Associate Superintendent for Mission and Formation in the Archdiocese of Denver and Visiting Associate Professor for the Augustine Institute. He is author of Restoring Humanity: Essays on the Evangelization of Culture (Divine Providence Press) and The Beer Option (Angelico Press) and the editor of Renewing Catholic Schools: How to Regain a Catholic Vision in a Secular Age (Catholic Education Press). He and his wife Anne have six children and he is a Benedictine oblate. Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Beginning with a brief story from the life of 18th century English Bishop Richard Challoner, Michael begins a discussion about the long, treasured history of Catholic Catechisms. Today's guest Aaron Seng of Tradivox is undertaking the work of collecting, publishing, and finally digitizing catechisms that reach back to centuries, many by saints and celebrated figures of Catholic history. And many risked their lives to publish such simple, holy lessons. LinksFind out about the work of Tradivox and how you can support their ambitious mission at Tradivox.comThe Catholic Catechism Index is being collated and edited into lovely hardbacks by Tradivox and can be found through Sophia Institute Press at sophiainstitute.com/products/item/tradivox-subscriptionFind the Catholic Readers Bible, a version of Bishop Challoner's edition, at Sophia Institute Press: Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

It's election day! The citizens of the United States will cast their ballots today after a long, strange, and frustrating election season. While many websites and channels will be covering the breaking news with analysis and predictions, Michael and returning guest Derek Rotty want to look to how we live our faith post 2020, no matter who wins the election. Derek discusses important Catholic values such as solidarity and conscience and how they help us to form bonds with our neighbors and truly seek their good, even if we find their political beliefs to be entirely wrong. We also talk about Pope Francis's latest encyclical and how it might help craft our public response and the ways we live our faith each day. Check out Derek's website at derekrotty.com and be sure to check out his Catholic Faith & Public Life series on YouTube or here: https://derekrotty.com/publiclife/Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Note from Michael: I apologize for the audio quality on my part. It's an issue we're working on. But, Simone has some great things to share and her audio quality is great. So, enjoy and we'll have cleaner audio next week. (Cheers, MJL)Chances are, you didn't get to experience Lent or Easter in any kind of community. Many churches were closed during the Church's holiest year amidst the growing COVID-19 pandemic. In this time of uncertainty and isolation, how can we grow in spiritual friendship with Christ while also finding fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ?Today, Michael talks with theologian and teacher Simone Rizkallah about the ways we can pray and read to grow in our spiritual lives while also using modern technology to connect with fellow Catholics across the world. You can connect with Simone at culturalgypsy.com and learn more about her work with Endow Groups at their website or on facebook and Instagram.Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on UnsplashSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Holy Week means accompanying Christ through His Passion. This has become an even greater challenge while many of us are sheltering in place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. But the promise of redemption through Christ's resurrection still call to us. Today, we are joined by liturgist and Liturgy Guys podcast host Christopher Carstens to discuss how we can get through Holy Week in the midst of a pandemic. To get deeper into the subject of the Easter Mysteries, check Mr. Carstens's latest books, A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery, which is available from Sophia Institute Press. (bit.ly/CarstensPod).You can get read a free excerpt of the book at Catholic Exchange under the article The Saints & Angels Are With Us As We Accompany Jesus in Holy Week (https://catholicexchange.com/the-saints-angels-are-with-us-as-we-accompany-jesus-in-holy-week).Some art we talked about: The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb by Hans Holbein the Younger: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holbeindeadchrist.jpgHarrowing of Hell (Anastasis), a Late Byzantine ikon from Chora that depicts Christ's liberation of souls after the resurrection, seen in many churches this week:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anastasis_at_Chora.jpgThe Pieta by Michelangelo, a standard Good Friday icon: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michelangelo%27s_Pieta_5450_cut_out_black.jpgSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

The Christian life is rough, even in the best of times. During a pandemic, it can be especially difficult to enter that narrow way. Long-time teacher and spiritual director Dan Burke joins us to discuss this and other themes of his book, Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits (https://bit.ly/3dC1hZ2). Mr. Burke is the author of numerous books and courses, many of which you can find at SpiritualDirection.com. He is also the president and founder of the Avila Institute. If you would like to receive a free course, text “Warfare” to 38470.Other resources we've mentioned today:Into the Deep and The Contemplative Rosary, two books by Dan BurkeCheck out Dan's previous CE interview on praying a contemplative rosary here: https://catholicexchange.com/praying-contemplative-rosary-interview-dan-burkeCheck out Dan's podcast, Divine Intimacy Radio, at this link or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://spiritualdirection.com/divine-intimacy-radio-podcastPhoto by Cosmin Gurau on UnsplashSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

If you need to figure out how to be truly happy, you can't get a better guide than St. Thomas Aquinas. In today's episode, Michael welcomes Dr. Kevin vost to discuss what the Angelic Doctor taught about the good life and what we can do to live more at peace (hint: it involves Jesus). Check out our links below:12 Life Lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas is Dr. Vost's latest book, which covers much more than we could. http://bit.ly/VostPodCheck out Dr. Vost's website at http://drvost.com/Dr. Vost is a long-time friend of Catholic Exchange. You can find his articles at podcasts here: https://catholicexchange.com/author/kevin-vostSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

2020 is the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX declaring St. Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church.” Many saints and laity have indeed found a friend in St. Joseph, including editor and host, Michael. To take a deeper dive into St. Joseph, friend of the show Fr. Donald Calloway is back to discuss his latest book, Consecration to St. Joseph. Some links:Learn more about the Consecration to St. Joseph: https://www.consecrationtostjoseph.org/Fr. Calloway's website: https://www.fathercalloway.com/books-and-giftsYou can find our show notes and other links here: https://catholicexchange.com/category/channels/cepodcastimage: From a Photo by Josh Applegate on UnsplashSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

If you have any memories of St. Valentine's Day, it's typically for the cards, candy, and big pink hearts everywhere. But who was St. Valentine and why is he so mysterious while his holiday is such a big deal? To celebrate this day of romantic love, Michael invites his wife Sophie on to tell her the story of St. Valentine and where his relics have ended up. From a flower-crowned skull in Rome to a wax effigy concealing St. Valentine's bones in an old Missouri mission, the bones of St. Valentine have been the site of pilgrimage and healing even as we know so little about the third-century martyr. The relics of St. Valentine reveal a beloved saint whose work has continued to be inspire devotion and love among those who find them. Even after over 1700 years after his death, we see a church that still asks St. Valentine to intercede in the lives of many couples and single people. We hope you enjoy this bonus episode, but we'll happily hear comments. Email editor@catholicexchange.com and let us know if you'd like to hear more about relics and the forgotten saints of the past. If you want to learn more about the fascinating history of relics, we highly recommend the classic by J. Charles Wall, Relics of the Crucifixion: Where They Went and How They Got There (http://bit.ly/39CZCj5). You can find a couple free excerpts on Catholic Exchange, How the Crown of Thorns Arrived at Paris (http://bit.ly/2u2nm17)The Origin of the Wood of the Cross (http://bit.ly/2HsZ838)image: The Flower-Crowned Skull of St. Valentine in S. Maria in Cosmedin in Rome by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. / Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

The saintly bishop Fulton J. Sheen was often approached by numerous people who had a simple request: “Teach us how to pray.” While he reached millions of souls via radio and TV, the bishop also penned dozens of pamphlets and short books address varying topics of prayer. However, many of those writings were forgotten later on. Thanks to the work of Allan Smith, Director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Mission Society of Canada and editor of Bishop Sheen Today, the many works of Bishop Sheen are now collected in a single volume. Allan Smith joins Michael on the CE Podcast today to share the lessons Fulton Sheen taught him while compiling his latest book, Lord, Teach Us To Pray: A Fulton Sheen Anthology. From Sheen's prolific writing, we learn how to call to St. Joseph and Mary to learn how they taught Jesus and countless other children to pray. With Lent just around the corner, today's episode will teach you some of Fulton J. Sheen's techniques and insights for a deeper, more efficacious prayer life. We especially focus on developing a devout and prayerful Holy Hour and the Stations of the Cross. Other things we discuss:The transformative power of a Holy Hour.How to work through distractions during prayer.The role of Mary in teaching us how to pray.How we can learn to console Mary's sorrows.How St. Joseph taught Jesus to pray, and how he can help you too. Fulton J. Sheen's methods for working through distraction during prayer.Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

You can find our show notes and resources at https://catholicexchange.com/how-we-can-walk-with-mary-in-lent-feat-fr-edward-looney (http://bit.ly/2GQBEEX).It's hard to believe, but the beginning of Lent is quickly approaching. In hopes that we can make this Lent bear great spiritual fruits, long-time CE author Fr. Edward Looney joins Michael to discuss how Mary can help us through our Lenten journey. By examining the life of Mary and the words she has given us at her apparitions, Fr. Looney shares how we can walk with Mary and have intercede for us in Lent and beyond. You'll also discover that Mary truly seeks to heal us and bring us to her Son, our Lord. You can stream this episode below or find us wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. Among some other subjects that we touch on:The prayers Mary requested us to make at seven apparitions.How Mary's prayers can convert sinners (check out Fr. Looney's article on this subject here on Catholic Exchange)Mary's help in overcoming entrenched sins.Why we ask Mary to pray for us now.Why we should pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary during Lent.How Jesus heals Mary's broken heart (and how He can do the same for you).How to pray to hear God's voice.How St. Faustina and Mother Mary can guide us in putting more of our trust in God.The apparition of Mary in Champion, Wisconsin.Why Lent is a special time to ask Mary to help you pray for your departed loved ones.Some resources we mentioned:"An Unexpected Miracle at Lourdes" by Sheila Beirne."Lessons I Learned From Scripture After My Mom Passed Away" by Fr. Edward Looney.The Mother Cabrini Shrine on Lookout Mountain in Colorado.Find Fr. Looney's Previous interviews in our archives, "Seeking a Marian Heart" and "Learning to Love the Rosary."You can also read Fr. Looney's previous articles on Catholic Exchange.You can also find Fr. Looney on Facebook, Twitter, and his website, EdwardLooney.com.Fr. Looney's latest book, A Lenten Journey with Mother Mary, is available through Sophia Institute Press.Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Catholics have produced some of the finest novels ever written, but you wouldn't always know that from today's selections. Some of the faithful have certainly noticed and have started to bring their experience and creativity into the fictional realm in hopes of shaping the broader culture and to re-introduce the Catholic voice to fiction. Today's guest, W. L. Patenaude, is one such author. Patenaude's debut novel, A Printer's Choice, is the rooted his work in ecology and theology, as well as his life-long love of great science fiction. While his novel has received mainstream praise, he knows that writing a novel isn't easy. While reflecting on his first novel as he plans his follow-up works, the scholar and novelist joins us to talk about how his own faith and conversion inspired him to write a sci-fi novel to teach, show, and evangelize using stories. Patenaude also takes us through the creative process and how he took the first steps to creating his novel. Join us today for the second episode in our occasional series exploring how the Catholic faith can inspire new and beautiful works of creativity. Check out last week's episode here: http://bit.ly/37hkRGwResources we mentioned include...A Printer's Choice, Bill Patenaude's debut novel can be found through your favorite bookstore or APrintersChoice.com.Check out Publishers Weekly's review of A Printer's Choice at http://bit.ly/2uimmFMPatenaude's writings can also be found at CatholicEcology.net.Check "The Catholic Faith Can Shape Science Fiction" by Bill Patenaude at Catholic Exchange: http://bit.ly/30BP2psFor further reflections on the Catholic Faith, check out the book From Star Wars to Superman: Christ Figures in Science Fiction (http://bit.ly/30EPxPk) and Superhero Films by Dr. James Papandrea.Also see Dr. Papandrea's article, "Examining the Christian Imagery of Star Wars," (http://bit.ly/2RcqUGL) on Catholic Exchange. Our Star Wars interview, The CE Star Wars Special, with Dr. Papandrea can also be found on CE (http://bit.ly/2tsoGtZ). Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Canadian sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz has made public art like the Canadian Veterans' Memorial and Golden Leaves, the hometown memorial statue to Gordon Lightfoot. Recently he has become more well-known for his religious art, such as his Homeless Jesus statues that can be found all across the world. Today, Michael kicks off a small series exploring the art and work of Schmalz while focusing on how our spiritual lives can lead to abundant creative lives. If you are an aspiring Catholic artist in any medium, join us to talk about the practical (notebooks) and spiritual (prayer) aspects of creating art. Check out the art of Timothy P. Schmalz at https://www.sculpturebytps.com, and you can also find him on Facebook and Instagram to check out his latest work that we discussed. Finally, check out our previous interview with Timothy P. Schmalz that explores the themes of his art a little deeper. For readers, there's also the fantastic review of his work by K.V. Turley called, "The Homeless Jesus Statue, the Year of Mercy and the New Evangelisation." You can find all of these on CatholicExchange.com, clicking here: http://bit.ly/37hkRGwSupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Today we welcome Susan Johnson, an author, teacher, and advocate to talk about faith and mental health. In her latest book, Some Dreams Are Worth Keeping, Susan discusses the role her own faith has had in bringing a sense of hope and healing, even when the weight of mental anguish is pressing down. Today's episode is full of hope and even some great joy. It's also tackling some dark topics and showing how the light of Christ can pierce through the darkness that can surround us. Check out Susan Johnson at her website: http://www.sjohnsonauthor.com/Also find her book at Barnes & Noble or your favorite bookstore: http://bit.ly/2kCvksSIt is also available through Amazon and Kindle: https://amzn.to/3197DbESupport the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)

Masculinity is a question that comes up a lot in our culture. Even more so if you're as hopelessly online as Michael. Across podcasts, long YouTube videos, and countless websites, you can find an assortment of gurus and teachers who proclaim they have the instructions on how to be a real man. With the Catholic Church facing one crisis after another, how can reclaiming masculinity help our Church and her many children? To tackle these questions and begin pointing to a solution, pastoral counselor Dave McClow joins the CE Podcast. Along with his background in psychology, Dave is also a writer and speaker who has aimed to help Catholic men find healing while they deepen their faith. In short, Dave is here to help you take the first steps to being real Catholic men. You can learn more about Dave and his mission at AbbaChallenge.com Support the show (https://catholicexchange.com/donate)