Layman's Terms

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A podcast by seminarian Alex Shannon and college missionary Trevor Barreca where we talk about living out our Catholic faith as young adults.

Alex Shannon


    • Dec 15, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 48m AVG DURATION
    • 44 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Layman's Terms

    Announcement

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2020 2:45


    Announcement

    Why take your faith seriously?: The Prodigal Church (Faith and Culture)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2020 67:41


    This week deals with the culture we live in and why it's important to be thoroughly Catholic and not just to surround yourself with Catholic things. We also hit on reasons that faith is not merely part of a well balanced life as well as the classic criticism of when someone calls you "too Catholic."

    Why Take Your Faith Seriously?: Reasons to Leave

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2020 60:00


    email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Why Take Your Faith Seriously?: Morality

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2020 58:36


    email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Why Take Your Faith Seriously?: What questions is God the answer to?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2020 54:14


    The beginning of our next series on: why take your faith seriously?

    Discipleship: Mission Oriented or Catechetical

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2020 45:57


    This one finishes our series on Discipleship

    Practicals and Tips of Discipleship

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2020 57:38


    email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Suffering in Discipleship

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2020 54:12


    email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    What is Discipleship

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2020 44:05


    We temporarily changed the intro music to a song written by Riley Hirshey! Look for him on instagram @rileyhirsheymusic he'll be dropping an EP soon.

    Creativity in Evangelization

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2020 39:25


    email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 33: Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2020 50:24


    A bit of a shaky start to the episode but things get better once we get going. I think that after about 25 minutes there's some really important stuff about the importance of stories

    Episode 32: Anima Technica Vacua

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2020 57:52


    Resources: A bit vulgar but here's a good video explaining this topic from a non-religious point of view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpHyLG-sc4g email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 31: Conversion is a Continual Process

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2020 46:31


    email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 30: Point People to God, Not to Yourself

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2020 48:35


    email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 29: It is good to Exist

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2020 65:50


    Existing is no longer considered good in and of itself. We talk about why we think that's the case, why we think it shouldn't be the case, and why it is pertinent to us. In the second half of the episode the topic really shifts to existing when its not fun, i.e. unmediated silence. Resources: catching foxes- https://www.catchingfoxes.fm/252 I think CSYSK - https://catholicstuffpodcast.com/podcast/2020/07/09/addicted-to-mediocrity.html email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 28: Less Talking, More Doing

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2020 43:13


    Honestly, I don't know how to describe this topic. Just listen, it's a good one. Resources: Video by Fr. Mike Schmitz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y2S58hTLqA email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 27: Hospitality

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2020 60:37


    Sorry about the delay in releasing this episode. This episode is loosely related to hospitality. So yeah, we'll say that's the topic. Resources: Interesting podcast about the importance of socializing (with data): https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=CAD2651513246 Book Alex keeps referencing: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Benedict-Option-Gathering-Together/dp/1621642178 email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Bonus Episode #1

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2020 18:43


    So, we haven't finished our episode for the week yet due to our severe inability to plan ahead. In the meantime, here's some banter from episode 25 that was originally cut but I thought it was pretty cool. I didn't cut anything out of the clip though, not even when Trevor's audio cut out. We will have a full episode up in the next few days.

    Episode 26: Discipleship

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2020 61:13


    Trevor and Alex talk about the term discipleship which is often used in parishes and ministries today. email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 25: Human Formation Revisited

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2020 45:40


    I think that human formation is one of the most important topics in the Church right now. This week we revisit this topic and add more insight. email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 24: Marian Devotion

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2020 58:25


    Sorry for the long banter! I decided to leave it all in because there was a lot of genuinely good conversation sprinkled in. Also, the tortellini soup was really good! email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Resources: - interview with Ennie Hickman on hospitality: https://youtu.be/NF6cTqRBGEA?t=8275 - Pints with aquinas: Tim staples on the 4 Marian Doctrines https://youtu.be/8u3bHk_FJmQ - Pints w/ Aquinas: Marian devotion w/ Father Gregory Pine: https://pintswithaquinas.com/marian-devotion-w-fr-gregory-pine/ - 10 Minute bible hour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-NFHXQMlJ4

    Episode 23: Work

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2020 45:37


    email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 22: Marriage Amidst a Pandemic w/ Bob and Robbyn Schoonover

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2020 64:23


    This week, we talk with our good friends Bob and Robbyn Schoonover about a variety of topics from preparing for marriage amidst a pandemic to Robbyn's conversion to Catholicism. email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    Episode 21: Docility

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2020 51:24


    This week, we talk about the meaning of docility and the interplay with prudence. email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    Humility, Hot Takes, and Is Obedience a Virtue?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2020 51:51


    This week, we jump all over the place. The overall topic is humility, especially in regards to disagreement with others. email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends! Resources: Homily on humility from the Pope's preacher: https://zenit.org/articles/father-cantalamessa-on-francis-of-assisi-s-humility/ Catholic encyclopedia Humility: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07543b.htm

    episode 19: Trust in the Love of the Father

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2020 38:35


    This week we talk about our need to trust that God loves us and that this love is not something we need to earn but rather something that we are invited to participate in. email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    episode 18: Identity

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2020 45:02


    This week we talk about how we need to stay focused on why we are doing the ministry we are doing. email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends! Resources: Book: - Soul of the Apostolate : https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Apostolate-Jean-Baptiste-Chautard-C-S/dp/0895550318

    Episode 17: Community

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2020 57:40


    This week we talk about the benefits and pitfalls of a Catholic community email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends! Resources: Podcasts: https://player.fm/series/bridgetown-audio-podcast-2359928/jesus-call-to-community

    Episode 16: Scripture

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2020 50:57


    This week we talk about the importance of sacred scripture email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends! Resources: Videos: Praying with Scripture w/ Fr. Mike Schmitz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fthhy59rxWo The First Video in a series on salvation history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=borQMYbomvM Video form of Pints with Aquinas w/ Matt Fradd and Dr. Andrew Swafford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ATF_WuHLZw also available in podcast form on your respective podcast app I've seen a few video from this channel that I have really liked https://www.youtube.com/user/jointhebibleproject Apps: IBreviary on google play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netguru.ibreviary&hl=en_US On apple store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ibreviary-ts-plus/id422601705 Articles: https://bustedhalo.com/ministry-resources/lectio-divina-beginners-guide Books: Meditation and Contemplation by Fr. Timothy Gallagher https://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Contemplation-Ignatian-Scripture-Crossroad/dp/0824524888

    Episode 15: We don't need to be the Shepherd

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2020 41:03


    Trevor and I talk about a bunch of random stuff that can be summed up as, maybe we don't have to work ourselves up so much and we should just let ourselves be led by Jesus. email Alex at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    Episode 14: The People Who Have Influenced Us

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020 38:55


    This week we talk about people who have been an influence in our life. We were going to talk about both people who have been personally involved in our lives and people we don't know personally but we were only able to get through the latter. Hopefully, in a future episode we can revisit this. Unfortunately Trevor's audio stops working towards the end but you should get the gist of what we're saying. Trevor said something really good about how we need to seek out ways to grow in our faith by means of looking for these influences because something something something. I don't know, bummer it didn't record. email me at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    Episode 13: Love is a Self Gift

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2020 44:17


    Send us feedback, it will help us a lot! email me at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    Episode 12: Pastoral Formation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2020 65:31


    Trevor and Alex bring us to this exciting close on the four part trilogy of "Pastores Dabo Vobis" will the document apply to the average layperson? Will we be able to make disciples of 'all' nations? Is that clicking noise coming from Trevor? Find out all of this in this week's episode. (except for the clicking question, the answer is yes) email me at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    Episode 11: Intellectual Formation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2020 49:50


    This week we talk about the importance of intellectual formation and seeking answers to our questions. Here are some resources: This is something I was trying to get at in the podcast. If you don't understand the terms of philosophy you can completely misunderstand what someone is trying to say to you because terms mean almost something else entirely when you are talking in philosophical terms. This is a good podcast that explains a few common terms that get misunderstood in philosophy: https://pintswithaquinas.com/19-metaphysical-terms-you-should-know-w-fr-gregory-pine this is also a good source for answers to other questions about the faith. Faith and Reason: https://soundcloud.com/thomisticinstitute/the-illusion-of-conflict-a-catholic-understanding-of-faith-reason-and-empirical-science Other resources: https://thomisticinstitute.org/tracks https://pintswithaquinas.com/ Fr. Mike Schmitz email me at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    Episode 10: Human Formation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2020 42:05


    Trevor and Alex talk about the importance of being a good human, often referred to in Catholic circles as human formation. email me at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow! If you find this podcast helpful for the sake of growing in the spiritual life please send it to your friends!

    Episode 9: The Call to Holiness

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 57:35


    Trevor and I talk about what it means to be called to be holy and explain why it's possible for everyone. Once again towards the end we start to talk over each other because the audio get's mismatched. We also mess up our math right out of the gate. Do us a favor and give us some feedback! email me at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org Sending in feedback and leaving a five star review are the best ways to help our podcast grow!

    Episode 8: Prayer

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2020 52:03


    In this episode Trevor and Alex talk about the importance of prayer and some practical advice on how to pray. The audio got a little bit mismatched at some point so Trevor and I might sound like we're talking over each other so I apologize for that. I also apologize for how much I say like and um. I vow to maybe try to do that less if I think about it, you have my word. email me at alexshannon96@gmail.com email Trevor at Trevor.Barreca@focus.org

    Episode 7: the Force Awakens

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2020 48:53


    Trevor and Alex are back. In this episode we'll update you on our lives and break down some of the lessons we've learned over the last year.

    Episode 6: Mentorship

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2019 46:19


    This week Alex & Trev talk about their experiences with Mentorship, and the importance it carries in today's world.

    Episode 5: Leadership

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2019 46:04


    This week on Alex & Trevor talk about the pitfalls of poor leadership, like gossip, and how it can affect the community around us.

    Episode 4: Spring-Break Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2019 47:39


    This week we delve deep into spring break stories as Alex breaks down his mission trip to India and Trevor updates us on his relationship status..!

    Episode 3: Godly Friendships

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2019 38:14


    This week Alex & Trevor cover the beauty of Godly Friendships, how it has affected their lives and how to find these types of friends.

    Episode 2: Aristotle's Friendships

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2019 43:23


    Alex & Trevor delve deep into the types of friendships in this week's episode !

    Episode 1: the Kerygma

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2019 33:39


    Alex & Trevor breakdown the Kerygma in the pilot episode of their new series, "Layman's Terms."

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