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Kara and Andrew devote an entire episode to Titanic on the 25th anniversary of the film's long run in theaters, which happens to coincide with director James Cameron's new film, Avatar: The Way of Water. The aquatic adventure from 1997 has quite a bit more to offer for reflection on the call to love, however. As is unavoidable when talking about this movie, the conversation gets emotional. Episode Notes

We are kicking off the new year with a look at the Eucharistic Revival! Fr. Craig Vasek gives us the scoop on this growing movement to restore faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Then (27:35), Kara Bach joins to talk about Steven Spielberg's Oscar-contending autobiographical family drama, The Fabelmans. Episode Notes

We're ending the year by celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Muppet Christmas Carol! Kara and Andrew wax theological about this all-time classic, which builds in surprising ways on Charles Dickens's original 1843 novella. According to this version of Scrooge, love is the only thing sillier than a Merry Christmas. How's that working out for him?   Episode Notes

What did Aquinas say about marriage? How does he reveal the true nature of marriage as we live it out today? Did he get everything right, and if not, how do we approach it now? Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, joins to answer those questions and more! Then, Kara joins (22:30) to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Casablanca and how world events impact the call to love. Episode Notes

Kara and Andrew finally complete their quest to review season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power! Most of the story is not original to Tolkien and was produced by a company whose practices diverge considerably from the Gospel. So why does the show quote almost directly from scripture and the moral theology of Thomas Aquinas with strange regularity? Why is divine providence hinted at more heavily than in the Lord of the Rings films? What's going on here? Episode Notes

Canavox's Lucas Fennell joins to talk about what we can learn about friendship and its impact on fatherhood, drawing from his years of experience working with teenage boys and incarcerated men.  Then (25:10), Kara and Andrew finally start their coverage of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Now that season 1 is complete, we can finally talk about it, but will we fit everything into one episode? (No).   Episode Notes

We're celebrating 100 episodes by celebrating the movies! Deacon Steven Greydanus of Decent Films joins to offer some perspective on our approach to film, declining religious themes in Marvel movies like Thor: Love and Thunder, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, plus a plethora of recommendations! Episode Notes

Dr. Andrew Sodergren brings his psychological expertise to the podcast to help us tackle questions surrounding the development of men and women. This fascinating look includes Attachment Theory, questions about gender discordance and dysphoria, and how to treat people with those experiences compassionately and truthfully. Then (36:55), Kara joins to mark the onset of Fall as is commonly done: by talking about You've Got Mail. Episode Notes

Experts in medicine, psychology, philosophy, and theology recently collaborated on a  new book, which comprehensively outlines a coherent view of the human person. Dr. Paul Hruz, one of the medical contributors to Sexual Identity: The Harmony of Philosophy, Science, and Revelation, joins to talk about the book and what exactly are the factors of biological sex. Later (22:55) Kara joins to celebrate Hobbit Day, and put up with Andrew's effusive praise for JRR Tolkien's The Silmarillion, part of which overlaps with the new show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Episode Notes

Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira of WalletWin are back to offer more financial help, combining the vocation of Catholic families with money management wisdom. And we return to last episode's cliffhanger ending (16:40) to wrap up Before Midnight, but not before Andrew tries yet again to find a secret Catholic meaning, which Kara may or may not validate. Episode Notes

For as much stress as they can cause to marriages, finances don't usually get a lot of direct attention around here. Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira of WalletWin are here to help, combining the vocation of Catholic families with money management wisdom. Kara joins (16:40) to find Andrew debuting an exciting new podcast segment coinciding with the final film in the "Before trilogy", Before Midnight. Episode Notes

Fresh off their talk at the 2022 World Meeting of Families in Rome, Soren & Ever Johnson join to talk about discernment in family life, how it's oriented toward communion, and their ministry with Trinity House Community. Later (23:15) Kara joins to continue our trek through Richard Linklater's "Before trilogy" with its exciting midpoint, Before Sunset. Episode Notes

Before Sunrise came out 27 years ago. Its sequel, Before Sunset, came out 18 years ago. The finale in the trilogy, Before Midnight, came out 9 years ago. Today, Kara Bach joins to kick off our series on the trilogy, starting with Before Sunrise. It follows a couple meeting, falling in love, and asking the big questions about love, God, and the world… all in one day. Episode Notes

Friend of the podcast, Dr. Abigail Favale, returns to talk about her new book, The Genesis of Gender! We visit disparate sources like Plato, Stranger Things, and Simone de Beauvoir, but we promise you one thing: by the end we will arrive at stable definitions of “man” and “woman”. Later (29:40), Kara joins for even more Stranger Things! We wrap up season 4 and conclusively answer whether this is a secret Catholic show. Episode Notes

We're heading to Rome! The Tenth World Meeting of Families is happening and we are going to be there. That's great, but... what does that mean? The USCCB's own Julia Dezelski joins us to answer that question and more! Then (18:45), Stranger Things returns! Kara Bach joins to chat about the entire show up through Season 4, volume 1, with spoilers! Is Stranger Things secretly a Catholic show inspired by Lord of the Rings? Episode Notes

Abortion doesn’t have to tear the country apart. It doesn’t have to be the option women turn to in crisis. With the upcoming Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson likely overturning Roe v. Wade, we have to be part of a quantum leap in caring for mothers. We can do it, because Tiffany Farley and Dan Miller of Gabriel Network already have been doing it. They join us for the entire episode to provide insight and a wealth of opportunities to help save lives and make it easier for mothers to love their children. Episode Notes

Concluding our series of episodes on vocations, Fr. Dan Hanley (Associate Director of the USCCB's office for Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations) joins us to run the gamut of the various ways God calls us to love. For anyone who might be confused about the scope of vocational options, his insight goes a long way toward making sense of the whole. Then Kara Bach joins (30:20) to celebrate the 40th anniversary of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Few movies have ever offered a better reflection on family life and the sense of wonder. Episode Notes

What's the best way to love God? The answer can vary a bit from person to person, and impacts who we care for, what we do, where we live, and how we act. You know, minor stuff. Having formed priests for over a decade, Fr. Carter Griffin joins to provide insight on how to respond to God's call. Then (24:35), Kara jumps in to talk about The Children of Men, both the novel and the film based on it. We... had definite opinions on which was better. Episode Notes

Happy Easter, Christ is Risen! Fr. Timothy Gallagher is back for the second half of our interview, taking us deeper into the world of spiritual discernment. Then, Kara returns (15:55) to finish our chat about The Prince of Egypt. Topics covered include: finding a spiritual director, BattleCrocs, and the Eucharist as the new Passover.  Episode Notes

For decades, Fr. Timothy Gallagher has been spreading the spiritual wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola and his predecessors- wisdom that can help answer questions like "why am I here?" and "is this desire to follow a certain path from God?". We had a lot to talk about, so naturally we had too much to fit into one episode. Later (16:30), Kara joins to chat about The Prince of Egypt, a sensational and underrated movie, which Andrew claims is the greatest movie based on scripture. Regardless of whether it's the best or merely one of the best, it makes for a great preparation for Passover and Holy Week.  Episode Notes