The SundayMonday Show

Join Erica and I for our annual word of the year announcement for 2025!! This is my favorite annual episode, I hope you enjoy! Links for things we mentioned: Pope Francis' book On Hope "Why your story makes it hard to hope" podcast Pope Francis "C'est la Confiance: St. Therese of Lisieux"

Popping on to share a quick (holiday themed) story I heard about discernment! I hope you have a blessed Advent and very Merry Christmas! To catch up on the weekly newsletters from the SundayMonday, head to our website at www.thesundaymonday.co

Inspired by a tough season at work, I've been thinking a lot about how our call to be set apart as Christians impacts our lives and relationships. The Lord calls us to be salt and light – but how can we do that even when we're feeling overwhelmed and frustrated at work? Today I'm sharing a little bit about what I've been walking through at work and what the Lord has been showing me through it!

It's been a hot minute, friends, and I'm popping back in with a little "what the Lord is teaching me lately" episode! I always love asking people this question, because I love to hear about and learn from what's working for them. So here are five things that I've been loving lately. If you'd like to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, you can do so here: thesundaymonday.co/subscribe Resources from this podcast: Leisure, The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper God wants you to rest

My girly is back and we are here with all of the updates on our words of the year, and just a little chit-chat about how 2024 is going so far. We talk about how the Lord is always working – especially in the quiet seasons, and share some little joys and stories from the year so far! Enjoy :)

One of the trickiest feelings to face is overwhelm, and it's so tempting to grasp for control and quick fixes to organize our lives in a way that feels easy and manageable. But what if there's another way? This week, I'm so excited to have Andy Hickman, founder of Hēl, on the podcast! We talk all about true freedom, what organization really looks like, and the importance of play. Enjoy! https://hel.co/

Summer is here!! And this year, I've been completely captivated by Psalm 23 and what it says about rest, trust, and God's nearness. This week, let's pray and reflect on Psalm 23 together!

One of the marks of adulthood is having to make decisions - and often, they're hard ones! So much of the stress behind making these decisions is the fear that we're going to make the wrong choice – but what if we didn't have to worry about that? In this episode, I'm sharing five lessons I've learned about making hard decisions (some of them right, some of them wrong) and what God has taught me about His providence and love.

Let's do it: it's time to talk about the elephant in the room. What's the deal with Catholic influencers? Is there such a thing? And who should we really let influence us? In today's episode I share some of my thoughts on influencing and faith and how I respond to wild things that are said by others in the media and beyond.

Holy guacamole... 100 episodes!! I cannot believe it.

This week's episode is all about the saints! In 99 episodes, I can't believe I haven't dedicated an episode to the saints yet (whoops). We'll talk a bit about why Catholics have the saints, what our relationships with them can look like, and then I'll share the stories of three of my favorite saints and how they came into my life! Here are some of the resources I mentioned in this episode: Story of a Soul - St. Therese I Believe in Love - by Fr. Jean D'Elbee, also about St. Therese C'est la Confiance - by Pope Francis, about St. Therese Joan of Arc - Mark Twain St. Jude Novena

We are blessed with three-peat guest, Katie Mittel, to talk about one of our very favorite people: St. Joseph! And what better day to have this conversation than on his feast day, March 19. Katie and I both have devotions to St. Joseph, and in this episode we share how he has interceded in our lives, and how his incredible virtue and holiness inspires us to grow in our faith, hope, and charity. Also, we reference Fr. Calloway's "Consecration to St. Joseph" quite a few times throughout, and couldn't recommend it more! You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Consecration-St-Joseph-Wonders-Spiritual/dp/1596144319

This is the Lent of the Surrender Novena, and we love to see it! Why is it so popular? My hypothesis is it's because many of us struggle with three major enemies to surrender: perfectionism, activism, and control. For each of these stumbling blocks, we'll discuss the temptation, jump into scripture, and pray one day of the surrender novena corresponding to the struggle. The best way to fight temptations against surrender is to name the vice, and I hope this episode helps us recognize our own struggles with surrender so we can experience the love, joy, peace, and confidence God desires for us!  Surrender novena linked here St. Therese Story of a Soul Poco a Poco episode on Confidence

We're back for a new season, and since we're almost to 100 episodes, I wanted to take the opportunity to share what the SundayMonday looks like: both back when it began in 2021 and how it looks today! I share behind the scenes of the podcast, newsletter, website, and answer all your burning questions about my feelings on Instagram. Enjoy!

My girly Erica is back and we're reflecting on 2023 (and our words "abundance" and "providence") as well as sharing our words for 2024!!

Advent is here - our very own liturgical season of waiting. So what better time to talk about how we can grow in trust of God while we wait? Life is full of waiting seasons, and we often just flow from one into the next, so it's good to grow in the muscle of trust. In this episode, I share three things I've done that have helped me SO much in growing in trust!

I am SO excited to share this episode, a conversation with my new friend Adele who is such a beacon of beauty, joy, light, and holiness! Adele and her husband Ben have eight kids, ranging in age from 2 months to 16 years old, and her insights on womanhood, motherhood, friendship and prayer are so good. I can't wait for you to be as inspired by her as I am! Some of the things we referenced: Adele's Instagram: @simplelifemusings The Art of Living by Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander Abandonment to Divine Providence by Fr. Jean-Pierre de Causade Essays on Women by St. Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross)

Join me in a little guided meditation this week! This is one of my favorite ways to pray when I'm struggling to settle down into prayer, and I know that with Thanksgiving this week we'll all be moving around a lot, so hopefully this is helpful for you too!

As we prepare to embark on the beauty and busyness of the holiday season, I wanted to pause to reflect on our common belief that our time is our own. Every moment of our lives is a gift freely given by God who is wild about us and wants our good! Are you being a good steward of that time? In this episode, I share reflections from St. Therese, St. Francis de Sales, and C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, with the hope that we can all make a little more space to be available to God over these next busy months (and always!)

I've officially been back in DC for a little over two months and wanted to share some of what I've been learning in this time of transition! I share some of what God has been teaching me about making friends, surrendering my plans for His, and giving myself grace in a time of unknowns. Subscribe to the SundayMonday Tuesday Newsletter at www.thesundaymonday.co/subscribe

In faith and life, one of the toughest struggles we face is our desire to be in control. It sometimes feels like we just can't help it – we grasp and fight and do everything we can to get what we want, or to make things happen. But God has so much more for us, and He wants to free us from this exhausting (and fruitless) fight. This week, I'm sharing three things that have helped me loosen my grip, trust God, and surrender control. Surrender Novena

This one has been in the cooker for a while, and I was so glad to have my bff Erica Carnohan join me for a wide-ranging conversation about surviving a breakup. We covered all sorts of topics, including how you know when it's time to end a relationship, how to choose virtue and lean on God in healing, getting "through" and not "over" the breakup, and finding great joy in the midst of a pretty un-fun time. If you're going through it at the moment, please know of our prayers, and also know that God has SO much more for you ahead! We hope that this episode gives you a bit of encouragement! Resources we referred to: Jackie Angel's Article "The Devil wants you to settle in your relationships" Caroline Winkler's Video "What no one tells you about your breakup"

I can't believe we're wrapping up our Fruit of the Spirit series! This has been so much fun for me – and I hope for you too. I can't think of anyone better to close us out. My dear friend Kendra Diaz is here today, and she's giving us all the secrets to living a life of strength and gentleness. Enjoy!

Courtney Taylor is here and today we're talking all about love!! What is love? How do we define it and live it, especially in a world that seems to distort the meaning and purpose of true, self-giving love? Courtney shares so much wisdom and encouragement for all of us who desire to love others and God well!

I am over the moon to bring you my dear friend Emily Peters today! Emily and I attended college together, and she's now raising two super cute children and living life with her husband Ryan in Santa Barbara! We talked all about peace – cultivating it, living it, and protecting it in our crazy world. She shares so much wisdom and I know this is an episode I will return to often! Enjoy :)

I'm so excited for you to meet our queen of "goodness," Emily (St. Paul) Frederick! Emily and I went to college together and I've been so blessed by her witness of faith in my life! She strives so beautifully for virtue and the fruit of goodness is abundant in her life. We do our very best to define goodness and share how we hope to live it in our daily lives!

This was such a beautiful conversation with one of the most truly joyful people I have ever met, my dear friend Mad! We talk a lot about how the world defines joy, our own struggles to pursue and live joy in the midst of our own desires and suffering, and so much more.

This week's fruit of the spirit? Kindness! And I couldn't think of anyone better to have on than my dear friend, Katie Mittel! In this episode we talk all about the fruit of kindness: what is it, where does it come from, and how can we live it well in our fast-paced and sometimes hectic lives? You won't want to miss the pearls of wisdom Katie drops this week!

My girl Bridget is back on the podcast and we're talking about everyone's favorite fruit: self-control! We discuss sobriety, friendship, discipline, freedom, vulnerability, avoiding "perception management" living and so much more. Enjoy this next episode in our Fruit of the Spirit Series!

Welcome to another episode in our Fruit of the Spirit series! Today we're talking faithfulness with my beloved friend, Claire Dwyer. Claire shares such practical wisdom and advice for being faithful in things both big and small. We talk about the challenge of finding time for prayer and growing in virtue in the busyness of our world, and choosing faithfulness even when we don't always perceive God at work in our lives – because He is always there!

What a gift to welcome my friend Schyler back to the podcast, this time to talk about patience! Schyler is the incredible mom to three kids earthside and a baby in heaven, and her patience inspires me truly every single day. I've seen it bear fruit throughout her life – from when I knew her as a single woman, into marriage and now motherhood! We talk all about patience and take a nice tangent into social media, which Schyler exited this year. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it!! 

Inspired by my recent trip to Yosemite with some friends, I wanted to talk a bit about the value of choosing the "bigger" life. It's tempting to get comfortable and not want to challenge ourselves to do new things and step outside our comfort zones, but it's always worth it. 

From time to time, we all find ourselves feeling a little down and distracted – so what are we to do about it? In this episode (recorded on one of my very long road trips this summer), I share four strategies for lifting ourselves (and letting Jesus lift us) out of those moments of discouragement and frustration.

This week, E and I sat down to talk about our words of the year (“providence” and “abundance” respectfully) and how they're going now that we're officially halfway through the year! If you missed our first episode on this topic introducing our words, head to episode 66 to hear the full stories on why we chose these words and our initial plans for them. We'd love to hear how your words are going! Email me at janekennedy@thesundaymonday.co :)

This summer, I'm striving to be intentional and thoughtful about how I spend my time, so I can prepare to re-enter the working world in August! Today, I'm sharing one of my favorite ways to audit my life: the 80/20 rule! Tune in to hear how I use this principle to streamline my decisions, be intentional about how and where I spend my time, and audit my priorities! 

Jacey was one of my very first NYC friends (we actually went to college together!) and we both happen to be moving away from the city around the same time this summer, so we sat down to talk about the good, the bad, the wild, and the amazing moments we had here. Jace is a fount of wisdom and I'm so blessed by her friendship - and I know you will be blessed by her perspective, courage, openness, and joy as well!

We hear so often to remember and rest in the promises of God… but what exactly are those promises? In today's episode, I'm sharing seven promises of God for us all to receive into our hearts. He is good, His plans are good, and He will never be outdone in generosity! He promises to help us carry our burdens: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11 He promises to work all things for our good. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT) He promises to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. 1 Peter 5:10 He promises to show us his goodness in this life.  I remain confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord,    in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13 He promises to hear us in prayer. So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father,* I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” John 11:41-42 He promises to take care of everything: “This is why I tell you: Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don't sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they?” Matthew 6 He promises us salvation. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God [1] ; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." John 14:1-4

I am SO stoked to have the incredible Molly Franzonello on the podcast this week talking all things women's health. Molly is currently in midwifery school and she has so much wisdom to share with us about how incredible our bodies are as women. She also shares quite a few resources, which I've linked below. Enjoy! Molly's Article: Fertility Awareness: It's about more than babies FACTS about Fertility

Every single one of us has a creative identity that's trying to get out - but it can be so daunting to accept and embrace this part of us that desires to co-create with God (who is the ultimate creator). Marissa joins us this week to share her path to becoming a designer at the Washington Post, and how God has continued to invite her into co-creation with Him at work and beyond. We also talk about the intersections between faith and work and faith and art, and how beauty and truth point ourselves and others to Jesus. Enjoy!

As we enter more deeply into Lent, let's reflect on our idols together. One way to do this is to ask ourselves: Jesus + _____ = happiness What is it, beyond Jesus, that I look to for my fulfillment, my satisfaction, and my happiness? In this episode, I'll talk a bit about our shallow and deep idols, and how we can invite God in to help us release those in order to love Him more fully. - Resources: Psalm 16 Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller The Woman at the Well, John 4 The SundayMonday Tuesday Newsletter!

Today I have the incredible Clara Johsens on the show! We talk about the story behind her handmade jewelry business (truly the most beautiful earrings ever!) and how she pursues her creative passion on top of a full-time job. We also talk about the diagnosis she received about a year ago, and how to best support people as they walk through suffering and tough situations. It's always a delight to chat with Clara and I'm so excited to share this conversation with you! You can find Clara's earrings here: Instagram @clara__joh

One of the hardest parts of living and loving other people is trying to understand what our true responsibility is when it comes to loving and serving them. I'm a little bit of a fixer, which means I often find myself getting involved and passionate about situations in the lives of people I love - but is that what God calls us to? And if He does call us to get involved with the issues in other peoples' lives, how can we do that with maximum peace and joy? In this episode I share the four questions I try to ask myself before taking action in situations that might not be what God is asking me to get involved with.

How do you react when your plans go awry? As an avid planner myself, I've long struggled to make and hold my plans with "open hands." But God invites us to trust in Him, and that includes trusting in Him when our plans get #wrecked. The key to this trust? Moving forward, one step at a time. In today's episode, I share three practical ways I strive to take one step at a time, especially in seasons of uncertainty! Book Recommendation: Interior Freedom by Fr. Jacques Philippe Podcast reference: Episode 33: Dreaming a new dream in the midst of heartbreak

It's the end of the year and Erica is back as we reveal our words for 2023 and reflect on our words/years of 2022! I can't believe the year is already over... and wow has it been a time. E and I talk all about what we've learned this year, how we've grown, and our hopes and dreams for 2023. Once you're done, email me at janekennedy@thesundaymonday.co and let me know your word of the year!

One of my very favorite people is on this week and I'm SO excited to share her and her wisdom with you! Alison is the founder of Elevate Etiquette, and she loves sharing tips and tricks to help everyone feel more confident, polished, and gracious. In this episode, we talk about the common pitfalls of heading home for the holidays, how to be gracious and kind while maintaining boundaries, how to answer those tricky (sometimes painful!) questions about our state in life, and so much more! She also offers fabulous advice about becoming a better host (and she's the best party planner I know!) I'm so excited for you to hear from her today. You can learn more about Alison and Elevate Etiquette on their website here and through Instagram here.

I am SO stoked about this conversation, and to share Veronica and her joy with you! We talk all about Veronica's company, the Catholic clothing line Litany, and her journey to becoming a successful fashion designer. The origin story of Litany is fascinating (Veronica's co-founder is now a Dominican sister!) and I loved hearing about how intentional the design and development process is. We also talked about sustainable fashion, buying "better and less," and how we can share our faith through our wardrobe. It's a great conversation and I hope you enjoy! Check Litany out here: https://www.litanynyc.com/

The lovely Raquel Davis is on the line and we're talking all about work and motherhood! Raquel has been writing for www.thesundaymonday.co since almost its inception, and I'm so excited to finally share one of our life-giving conversations with you. Raquel shares her journey into the world of public health, her experience as a working mother for the past couple of years, and her encouragement to women who feel called to careers and motherhood. It's an awesome episode, and I hope you enjoy! Raquel holds an MPH from the Yale School of Public Health, and she enjoys running and spending time with her husband and son, Joseph!

"No season is wrong, they're just different." To kick off season 3 (!!) I'm speaking with my dear friend, Danielle, about her journey from diagnosis through today with OCD and generalized anxiety disorder. These are conversations that I'm honored to be having, and I'm so grateful for her vulnerability and openness on this topic. I hope that this episode encourages you or gives you a new perspective on how our Church wants our holistic wellness - mind, body, and soul. Stay tuned this season for more chats with incredible Catholic women who are embracing all that God calls them to be!

Hey friends! This is our first ever episode devoted to dating - mostly because it's not really a topic we typically cover on the SundayMonday BUT I have been having so many conversations with galpals recently that I knew it was time. My hope is that this episode encourages you and gives you hope, no matter where you are on your vocational path! Would love to hear your thoughts, DM me @thesundaymonday_ on Instagram if you have anything to add, or if I can pray for you!

It's our SIXTIETH episode... what?! I'm so grateful for this community and all of your support over the past 60 episodes. Today, I'm doing a little Q&A with questions from our Instagram and email. Tune in to hear my thoughts on the following: I remember you talking about your virtue of the month challenge. What does that look like? How are you doing? What's the biggest adjustment between full-time school and full-time work? How to recover from a massive mistake at work? I want to find a new job, but my current team is so judgmental and I know they'll say awful things after I go. What do I do? I just moved to a new city and want to join a young adult group, but can't decide which one. What do your 30 minutes of prayer look like?

Many of us have heard the phrase "sanctify your work" a million times - but what does that even mean? How are we supposed to live our faith through our work, especially if we're not working in a direct-mission organization? We are called to pursue holiness in the here and now, and for many of us, the here and now includes a whole lot of work. Whether you're in the corporate world, a student, raising kids, or working for the church, we all need a little encouragement to truly work for God and not for man. In this episode, I'll explore the true meaning of sanctifying our work and share five super tactical ways that we can all grow in holiness together, no matter the work God is calling us to today. If you enjoyed this episode, I highly recommend checking out The Work/Life Bible Study, which explores these ideas in detail during a six-week study. Grab some friends, or purchase for yourself, and dive in! You can get 50% off using code WORKLIFE. I also highly recommend our book, "Now What?! The Young Catholic Adult's Guide to Being Bold in Faith, Work, and Life in the 'Real World'". This book includes 21 chapters all about how to be bold in faith, work, and life, including entire chapters on sanctification at work, tithing, quitting, and more.