Off The Shelf

 This week on Off the Shelf I welcomed Jessica Thornton, Content Manager for Catholic Ventures and their great new resource the Lion & Lamb Book Club. We dive into what the book club offers, the age groups it's aimed at, and how Jessica goes about finding quality books to include in each monthly box. You can find out more here: https://catholic.store/products/lion-lamb-book-club

 This week on Off the Shelf we welcome back Adam Blai. Adam is a lay expert on the topic of exorcisms and has first hand experience in multiple cases. He recently wrote a fascinating book about a number of the cases he has been a part of called The Exorcism Files: True Stories of Demonic Possession. Grab your copy here.

 After a summer hiatus I am back! This week my guest is none other than Raymond Arroyo. We talk about his newest book for young readers and families,The Wise Men Who Found Christmas.    This fantastic and gorgeous book sheds new light on the AUTHENTIC story of the three wise men. Be sure to tune in and then grab your copy here. 

 This week on Off the Shelf we are taking a look at a hidden devotion that is essential for our times. With elitists pushing  aNew World Order devotion to the Holy Face is much needed and the perfect weapon to combat their agenda. Grab your copy of The Secret of the Holy Face: The Devotion Destined to Save Society here. 

 This week on Off the Shelf, Gary Zimak returns to discuss the root cause of worry......fear. Grab Gary's latest Let Go of Your Fear: Choosing to Trust Jesus in Life's Stormy Times here.

 This week of Off the Shelf Father Jeffrey Kirby joins us to discuss some of the hot button issues of our day. If you have any interest in how to wade through life in our divided culture then you'll want to listen in on the conversation. Get your copy of Sanctify Them in Truth: How the Church's Social Doctrine Addresses the Issues of Our Time here.

 This week on Off the Shelf we are traveling back in time to the early days of the Church. Join Catholic apologist and fellow convert Rod Bennett and I as we discuss the importance of the twelve apostles. Grab your copy of his book These Twelve: The Gospel Through the Apostles' Eyes HERE.

 Some of us think books make the world turn round. And in actuality they do. Reading can open entire new worlds, experiences, and opportunities to broaden our skills. Join me this week as I discuss book clubs with Marcie Stokman and how they can change your life. Get your copy of Marcie's book The Well-Read Mom. Read More. Read Well here.

 The woke media doesn't want you to know about this book but I do. Join John Grabowski and I as we unravel the truth about gender identity and how the schools, society, and mass media are dangerously misleading our youth. Be sure 'to grab a copy of his book Unraveling Gender: The Battle Over Sexual Difference here.

 Understanding Scripture can be a challenge but it doesn't have to be. All we have to do is take a look at how the Early Church read the Bible and we can learn a LOT! Join Mike Aquilina and I as we discuss his latest book How the Fathers Read the Bible: Scripture, Liturgy, and the Early Church.

 This week we take a look at the role of women in society and even more so in the family. We know society tells women what is best for them but what is reality? Leila Marie Lawler joins me to discuss her impressive 3 volume set The Summa Domestica: Order and Wonder in Family Life. Get your copy here.

 Suffering....it's something nearly all of us have faced at some point in our earthly journeys. bWhether that suffering comes from natural disasters or more physical suffering has many have dealt with during this pandemic. Father Jeffrey Kirby joins me this week to discuss suffering and how we can overcome it and move past it. Check out Father's great new book Manual for Suffering here. 

 If you're fed up with effeminate males and society's attempt to diminish the role of males in general then this episode is for you! Kennedy Hall joins me this week to discuss how men can reclaim their role in today's world by breaking the shackles that bind us. Check out Kennedy's book Terror of Demons: Reclaiming Traditional Catholic Masculinity here.

 This week Joe Heschmeyer joins me to discuss one of my favorite topics, the early church. Listen in as we peel back the layers of time and take a look at the significance of what the Early Church had to say about the faith. Grab a copy of Joe's book The Early Church was the Cathiolic Church here. 

 Oftentimes we look at the saints and think, 'I could never be like them...I'm simply not that good'. I know I do, and if you admit it, you do too. However, that line of thought is so far from the truth. Meg Hunter-Kilmer joins me this week to discuss extraordinarily ordinary saints and how their struggles can help us deal with our own. Get her book Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness here.

 Ever wonder what's up with Vatican II? Don't worry you are not alone However, what you may have been told is a gross misinterpretation of the beauty and truth of the Council. Father Blake Britton joins me this week to share some insight on what Vatican II was meant to be and how it was in a sense hijacked. Get your copy of Father Blake's book Reclaiming Vatican II: What It (Really) Said, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church here.

 This week on Off the Shelf we're tackling the hot button topic of our day, the pandemic, and how to handle it. Join Dr. Stella Immanuel and I as we discuss our path forward and the backlash she endured for speaking the truth. Learn more in her book Let America Live here.

 Has the Catholic Faith changed? Has the Church changed her teachings? These are two questions you may be tasked with from non-Catholics challenging your faith.  The answer is a resounding NO. Dr. Christopher Malloy joins me this week to take a look at the new modernism that plagues our age. We'll discuss a few of the heresies he covers in his latest book False Mercy: Recent Heresies Distorting Catholic Truth. The resounding message....don't lose hope! Get your copy here. 

 Have you ever gotten into one of those conversations discussing the faith with a non-Catholic and felt beaten down with a relentless onslaught of Scripture quotes? Has this left you disheartened and afraid to share the joy of your Catholic Faith? John Martignoni has the book for you! Join John and I this week as we discuss a number of topics on the faith and how to approach sharing them with non-Catholics.  Grab your copy of Blue Collar Apologetics: How to Explain and Defend Catholic Teaching Using Common Sense, Simple Logic, and the Bible here.

 As we head into Advent we will soon see the signs of the current war on Christmas raising it's ugly head once again. What can we do? Raymond Arroyo joins me this week to give some helpful advice. We also take a look at his book for the young and the young at heart, The Spider Who Saved Christmas. Get your copy here.

 We live in an age where one's opinion and fantasies are readily accepted as truth. This is leading to an evident decline in culture. This week Gary Michuta joins me to discuss five "revolts" through history and seven "battlegrounds" they were fought on. Bottom line - as bad as things might look now the key is...we WIN! Get your copy of Gary's latest Revolt Against Reality: Fighting the Foes of Sanity and Truth- from the Serpent to the State here. 

 You think we have it bad ....you ain't seen nothing yet! This week on Off the Shelf we take a look at times in Church history where the Church faced seemingly insurmountable odds and came out stronger than imagined. Steve Weidenkopf joins me to discuss his book Light From Darkness:Nine Times the Catholic Church Was in Turmoil and Came Out Stronger Than Before.  What you quickly learn is that there is always hope. Grab your copy here.

 This week I'm joined by my good friend Mike Aquilina to talk about...friendship. Mike has an excellent book out that addresses our twenty-first century crisis of lack of friendship with the third-century example of the Church Fathers. Listen in as we discuss his latest Friendship and the Fathers: How the Early Church Evangelized. Grab  your copy at CatholicBooksDirect.com here.

 This week I am joined by fellow podcaster Terry Modica. She has a fantastic new 5-part study guide on the Church Document Ecclesia de Eucharistia (The Church of the Eucharist). The book, My Soul Shall be Healed, is great for group or individual study and leads readers into a deeper love and understanding of the Eucharist. Get your copy here. 

 After a brief hiatus for high school tennis I am back! This week Adam Blai joins me again this time to discuss The World of Marian Apparitions: Mary's Appearances and Messages from Fatima to Today by Polish author Wincenty Laszewski. Adam and I take a look at the importance of some of the nearly 500 apparitions included in this gorgeous hardcover volume. We discuss how to discern apparitions and how to follow them in a positive manner. Get your copy here. 

 This week on Off the Shelf we hear a fantastic story from an ordinary guy just like you and me. David Wooton's chance encounter with a homeless man led him on an unexpected journey in faith. It's a story you won't want to miss. You can find David's book Meeting Homeless Jesus: A Journey From Believing to Knowing here. 

 This week on  Off the Shelf Rhonda Gruenewald returns and we discuss her apostolate Vocation Ministry. We particularly focus on how to nurture vocations in youth through the education system. Check out her new book The Harvest: A Guide to Vocation Ministry in Education here. 

 August 6th we observed the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Dominic so it seemed appropriate to have as my guest this week Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczy. We discuss the life of Saint Dominic and how he can serve as an example for us during these challenging times. Check out Fr. Jacob's book Saint Dominic's Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God here.

 This week on Off the Shelf we're talking about the liturgical year. Kendra Tierney is back to discuss her follow up to The Catholic All Year Compendium. This time around she has compiled an AWESOME resource for prayer that includes monthly prayer suggestions including simple prayers, novenas, litanies, and everything in between. This will quickly become your go to prayer companion. Find out how Kendra has integrated prayer into her own family life and how you can too! Grab your copy of The Catholic All Year Prayer Companion: The Liturgical Year in Practice here.

 This week on Off the Shelf Christine Wohar, founder of FrassatiUSA, shares some insight with us on her favorite soon to be saint (hopefully) Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Join us as we discuss why this virtuous man who died way too young at 24 is a stellar example of how we should live. Check out Christine's new book Finding Frassati and Following His Path to Holiness here.

 This week on Off the Shelf we peel back the layers of wokeness. Our country and our world are  in serious trouble. The woke ideology has placed God on the backburner, ignited rage among individuals, and coerced people to blindly follow the crowd. Noelle Mering joins me this week to break down how wokeness has latched onto society and what we need  to do to fix it. Check Noelle's latest book Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology here. 

 This week on Off the Shelf we take a unique look into the very real world of the demonic. My guest Father Stephen Rosetti is quite familiar with this subject as he himself is an exorcist. Join us as we discuss his book Diary of an American Exorcist: Demons, Possession, and the modern-day Battle Against Evil. get your copy here. 

 This week on Off the Shelf Father Sebastain Walshe joins me to discuss the rising issue of young adults leaving the Catholic faith. Listen in as we cover some of the reasons why this is happening and what parents can do to bring their kids back. Hint...don't smother them to start! Check out Father's book Always a Catholic - How to Keep Your Kids in the Faith for Life- and Bring Them Back If They Have Strayed here.

 Just in time for the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Father Thomas Dailey joins me to discuss this great feast. Learn about the history of the Sacred Heart and why it's such an important devotion. We also cover his fantastic book Behold This Heart. In all my years as a book reviewer his book is the BEST resource on the Sacred Heart. Get your copy here. 

 This week on Off the Shelf it's all about miracles. God still speaks to us today through miracles we just need to be careful we do obsess over them before they are proven legitimate. Adam Blai returns to discuss the various forms miracles present themselves in and how we should carefully discern their authenticity. Get Adams' latest book The Catholic Guide to Miracles: Separating the Authentic from the Counterfeit here. 

 The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. Through  the centuries many have written of its importance and now a fantastic new book has come out that compiles 365 of them. Mystery of the Altar: Daily Meditations on the Eucharist is a must for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the Eucharist. Join Kenneth Howell and I as we discuss why the Eucharist should be the central focus point of our faith. Get your copy here.

 We are full swing into the year of Saint Joseph as declared by Pope Francis. This week I welcome Father Boniface Hicks to discuss his fantastic new book on Saint Joseph, Through the Heart of Saint Joseph. We take a look at various aspects of Saint Joseph and how we can apply them to our lives. Get your copy here.  

 Many people seem to have a personal notion of who they THINK Jesus is but it's not exactly what history and scripture says Jesus was. Cy Kellett has an amazing new book that tackles this issue called A Teacher of Strange Things- Who Jesus Was, What He Taught, and Why People Still Follow Him. Join us this week as we discuss the real Jesus and where society has steered wrong in their interpretation of Him. 

 The world tries to tell us we will never be happy unless we accumulate more stuff, that we will never be good enough so why try, and that our success is measured by the size of our bank accounts. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the bad guidance it doles out! Following this path leads to a life of misery and frustration. We need to turn away from what the world tells us and lead a life filled with purpose. But how? Kaiser Johnson joins me this week to discuss what he has discovered in his own life and how we can change ours for the better as well. Get a copy of Kasier's latest  How to Be Miserable and Alone: (Or Discover a Life That Truly Matters) here. 

 This week I am joined by Dan LeRoy, author of the fantastic new book Liberty’s Lions:The Catholic Revolutionaries Who Established America. We pull the veil back on time and take a look at the contributions of Catholics during the Revolutionary years. Often suppressed by history due to the general poor perception of Catholics in the colonies, there's a lot to learn here and you'll grow in greater appreciation of their many contributions. Get your copy of Liberty's Lions here. 

 This week on Off the Shelf Steve Hemler returns to discuss the third book in his apologetics trilogy, Catholic Stories of Faith and Hope: How God Brings Good Out of Suffering. If there has ever been a time when we needed to understand this concept those times are now. 

 We live in a pretty messed up world and the only thing that will fix is to refocus on God. But how do we know if we are doing religion right? Father Kirby returns this week to discuss his book Real Religion: How to Avoid False Faith and Worship God in Spirit and Truth. Get your copy here. 

One of the hardest things we can endure is when a loved one leaves the Catholic faith. Our minds are often filled with questions, blame, and doubt in ourselves. Father Jeffrey Kirby has written a wonderful devotional to help bring those loved ones back home. Way of the Cross for Loved Ones Who Have Left the Faith is a fantastic way to pray your loved ones back to the Church and....surprise....it's not just for Lent! Get your copy here.

 It's pretty obvious to most of us that we have gone through twelve months like no other in our lives. Hopefully the end of the tunnel is near! Many of us have struggled emotionally and physically through this pandemic. Many of us have dealt with a large dose of worry. Gary Zimak joins me this week to discuss worry, how we can overcome it, and what good may have come from the pandemic. Get a copy of his latest book Give Up Worry for Good!: 8 Weeks to Hopeful Living and Lasting Peace here.

 In April 2019 I had the privilege to connect with Father Ubald Rugirangoga to discuss his recently released book  Forgiveness Makes You Free. It was a wide ranging interview  that covered a lot of ground and really pulled the layers back on how simple forgiveness can be. I shelved that episode for quite some time as the audio wasn't the best. Father's connection was via cellphone and with his accent some of what he said was a bit hard to hear. Earlier this year on  the evening of January 7,  Father Ubald passed away of complications from Covid-19. On that day we lost a great priest. Many whom I know who had the great blessing of knowing Father and interacting with him lost a dear friend.  I cannot keep this audio shelved any longer. Here is the raw audio for you to hear the words of Father Ubald one more time. May it serve as a testament to the great love Father had for Jesus Christ. 

 This week Susan Tassone returns to the show. We discuss her fantastic new book for Lent, Praying with Jesus and Faustina during Lent and in Times of Suffering. As the title suggests this book is not just a Lent book. It's a devotional you will return to often when suffering strikes. Get your copy here.

 This week I welcome back my dear friend Dr. Scott Hahn to the show. We tackle the hot topic of the day.......politics and what we need to concern ourselves with as Catholics. How do we get involved and what is our role in our cities, states and country as a whole? We answer these questions and more so tune in. Get your copy of Scott's latest book It Is Right and Just: Why the Future of Civilization Depends on True Religion from the St. Paul Center here. 

 After a much needed break over the holidays I am BACK. This week I welcome my friend Karlo Broussard. We take a deep dive look at the often confusing topic of Purgatory. Yes folks, Purgatory is real and Karlo's fantastic book Purgatory Is For Real : Good News About the Afterlife for Those Who Aren't Perfect Yet lays out all the truths. Get your copy here.

 This week on Off the Shelf we take a deep dive look at the history of feminism. My friend Kimberly Cook joins me to discuss how the feminism movement impacted her and our country at large. Grab a copy of her book Motherhood Redeemed: How Radical Feminism Betrayed Maternal Love here.

I'm celebrating episode 200 in a BIG way with a very special guest this week. Bishop Joseph Strickland and I take a look at the state of our nation and the church and how each of us can contribute to fixing both. You don't want to miss this episode. Get your copy of Bishop Strickland's book  Light and Leaven: The Challenge of the Laity in the Twenty-First Century here. 

 If there's one thing for certain in 2020...many of us have dealt with or are dealing with anger and stress. Enter my friend Gary Zimak! Join us this week as we discuss a battle plan for defeating anger and stress by utilizing the best soldier of all....the Holy Spirit. Get your copy of Gary's book  Let Go of Anger and Stress!: Be Transformed by the Fruits of the Spirit here.