The Inadequate Catholic Podcast

With Holy Week quickly approaching, I wanted to make sure everyone had a simple guide to the Divine Mercy Novena for the plenary indulgence offered this time each year! New episodes coming soon!https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-13366In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."Day 1: All mankind, especially sinnersDay 2: The souls of priests and religiousDay 3: All devout and faithful soulsDay 4: Those who do not believe in God and those who do not yet know JesusDay 5: The souls who have separated themselves from the ChurchDay 6: The meek and humble souls and the souls of little childrenDay 7:  The souls who especially venerate and glorify His mercyDay 8: The souls detained in purgatoryDay 9: The souls who have become lukewarm

Welcome to a brand new segment of the podcast where we chat about the happenings in our Western culture. First up... Sam Smith & the Grammy Awards. 

This week, I sat down with Kiera Miller to discuss her experience with gender dysphoria, bi-sexual attraction, catfishing & so much more! You can hear Kiera's episode of "Unlock Your Freedom" here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7RBUdNcY98&t=3s

Are you ready for what's on the agenda today?! It's our newest series on the podcast! In  the Love on the Brain series, we're going to talk all things relationships: sex & love, gender vs. sex, gender identity, same sex attraction, marriage, dating... All of it! I've lined up some incredible conversations in the coming weeks, but for now, let's lay the ground work... First up, a simple chat about the differences & complementarities between men & women! 

With a background in digital product development, business analysis, quantitative economics & strategy consulting, Olivia's brother, Hank, joins the conversation with a unique perspective on the lost art of conversation, hot topics in social justice and his journey in finding his way back to the Catholic Faith.

Join me in my conversation with Zach Esters, a Nashville-based cinematographer, producer & day trader as we talk about the value of life... and his close call with losing his. Zach's Facebook Post: "Mama loves to tell me me this story of how her story being pregnant with me was a mirror experience to the woman in Nick Cannon's music video “Can I Live”, where she faced pressures around her to “abort”. Legit everyone advised her to get rid of me; her family, her significant other, some of her friends even. She was driven to the only clinic in the state 2 hours away. At the last minute before being put to sleep, she got up off of the abortion table and ran like the wind. In other words, “I almost didn't make it”. Didn't know what that meant until I was a lot older, but I was a hair away from not existing period and not getting to partake in this wonderful experience that we call “life” with all of you. So many memories made, so many smiles created, lives changed, and so much more change coming to the planet — all because of this woman who birthed me at 18 and raised me; her first son. Today I'm reflecting back on what this world would've looked like if I alternatively didn't exist, and if my footprint wasn't here. How that would've impacted my family, siblings, friends, colleagues…. and workplace environments that I otherwise would not have been a part of. It is absolutely a drastically different reality, and I'm so grateful to get to be here with all of my family — and by family, I mean all of you… all humans, period. Also gotta add that aside from inspiring, she's just dope and funny af! Happy Mother's Day to the greatest. Period. #mothersday #canilive #happymothersday #smiles #life"Keep up with all of Zach's latest adventures on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/iamzflo/

The overturning of Roe v. Wade? Let's talk. "I'm not pro-murdering babies.I'm pro-Becky who found out at her 20-week anatomy scan that the infant she had been so excited to bring into this world had developed without life sustaining organs.I'm pro-Susan who was sexually assaulted on her way home from work, only to come to the horrific realization that her assailant planted his seed in her when she got a positive pregnancy test result a month later.I'm pro-Theresa who hemorrhaged due to a placental abruption, causing her parents, spouse, and children to have to make the impossible decision on whether to save her or her unborn child.I'm pro-little Cathy who had her innocence ripped away from her by someone she should have been able to trust and her 11-year-old body isn't mature enough to bear the consequence of that betrayal.I'm pro-Melissa who's working two jobs just to make ends meet and has to choose between bringing another child into poverty or feeding the children she already has because her spouse walked out on her.I'm pro-Brittany who realizes that she is in no way financially, emotionally, or physically able to raise a child.I'm pro-Emily who went through IVF, ending up with SIX viable implanted eggs requiring selective reduction to ensure the safety of her and a SAFE number of fetuses.I'm pro-Jessica who is FINALLY getting the strength to get away from her physically abusive spouse only to find out that she is carrying the monster's child.I'm pro-Vanessa who went into her confirmation appointment after YEARS of trying to conceive only to hear silence where there should be a heartbeat.I'm pro-Lindsay who lost her virginity in her sophomore year with a broken condom and now has to choose whether to be a teenage mom or just a teenager.I'm pro-Courtney who just found out she's already 13 weeks along, but the egg never made it out of her fallopian tube so either she terminates the pregnancy or risks dying from internal bleeding.You can argue and say that I'm pro-choice all you want, but the truth is:I'm pro-life.Their lives.Women's lives.You don't get to pick and choose which scenarios should be accepted. It's not about which stories you don't agree with. It's about fighting for the women in the stories that you do agree with and the CHOICE that was made.Women's rights are meant to protect ALL women, regardless of their situation!Overturning Roe does not stop abortions, it stops SAFE abortions! Abortion is healthcare."The Pivot of Civilization by Margaret Sanger: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1689/1689-h/1689-h.htmSanger's Letter to Dr. Gamble (1939): https://libex.smith.edu/omeka/items/show/495

Have you ever had that week from Hell? You know... the one where everything went so wrong for so many consecutive days that you feel like you have nothing left? Well.. let's chat about that! Have you ever thought that suffering is actually.... good for us? 

When you're facing battles in your life, the way you respond is often times the result of your lowest level of training. So when your greatest battle is feeling desolate from God, how do you get back on track?

In another "sisters" episode,  Lily & Olivia discuss one more element that's causing a stir in Catholic circles... Veiling.

Olivia sits down with her sister, Lily, to discuss the Pope's new rules, regulations & restrictions on the practice of the Latin Mass & the effects they're having on the Universal Church. What are your thoughts on the Tridentine Mass?

With the New Year approaching, naturally, we begin to think about all of the things that we need to change... our bodies, our jobs, relationship status, etc. But, often times, we tend the forget that it's just as important to make sure that the people closest to us have re-earned their spot in our lives! When's the last time you checked your circle? 

In this Advent episode, Olivia talks about repentance & preparation and the way this season prepares us to become lights in the darkness! 

During the holiday season, we often find ourselves around people that we  may not necessarily look forward to spending time with... and how do we manage that?

When your time comes to stand and speak, will you have the courage to do it?

When life requires you to make sacrifices that you don't want to make, how do you respond? 

Let's talk about the way Catholics & Christians show up in the world & the impressions we leave on those who don't have a relationship with God. Is there room for improvement in the way we live our Faith?