Podcasts about Divine Mercy

They're back after a short break, and Dave wants it on record: he hates it when people come back from a break and announce they're "back, better than ever." Feels fake every time. Adam's not convinced Dave is back better than ever either. What is real is wiffle ball practice, and for the first time in a couple of years the guys feel genuinely good about their team, not fake-hype good. Mark Gabriel is pitching, and he's looking stout. There's also a new rule this year: a 55 mile-an-hour speed limit, introduced specifically to make the tournament Blake Lawson-proof. Blake can throw a wiffle ball around 90 miles an hour with movement, which the guys did the math on: from 40 feet away, that's the equivalent of a 145 mile-an-hour fastball at big-league distance. You don't hit that. You swing and hope. Last year the guys got out early again, but they beat the team that ended up in the finals, so there's real reason for optimism this time around.Sponsor: Amen app (from the Augustine Institute) Sunday morning in a Catholic family is not easy like Sunday morning. It's kids in the van, beating Father down the aisle, getting into the pew. The Amen app is how the guys prepare their kids to receive the Gospel before Mass even starts, plus free access to Divine Mercy in My Soul and True Devotion to Mary, two books that have shaped both of their lives. Since 2021 it's hit 950,000 downloads. Let's get them to a million. No paywall, no subscription, no upfront cost. Download the Amen app right now.Sponsor: Select International Tours When Adam and Dave went looking for help leading their first pilgrimage, everyone they asked pointed to the same name: Select International Tours. Having used them, the guys can vouch for it. Wherever in the world you want to go, whether leading a pilgrimage or joining one, head to selectinternationaltours.com and see what they have ready for you.The tournament lands on Labor Day again this year, which also happens to be somebody's 40th birthday, born on the holiday itself, which moves every year. The whole thing plays out at Chris Hanish's backyard, which by now is less a backyard than a wiffle ball stadium: leveled with sand every year, mowed daily in the lead-up, scoreboard, bleachers, foul poles, the works. It's genuinely one of the best things about Catholic culture in Tulsa, families gathering for a day that's competitive and communal at the same time.The pour is a dark cherry blonde ale from Cheboygan Brewing Company, picked up on a trip to Michigan, maybe the most Michigan-sounding city there is. It tastes like a chocolate-covered cherry without the fake candy-cherry flavor, which tracks, because Michigan grows some of the best sour cherries in the country. Adam's own cherry trees at Porter and Prairie Farm didn't fare so well this summer. Both died after weeks of 100-plus heat with nobody home to water them, which is what happens when the owner takes a two-week vacation and forgets he planted a baby fruit tree that spring.A couple of housekeeping notes before the main topic. Camp Out signups open next week, simplified this year so there's no duplicate sign-ups and a better read on who's actually coming. Brandon Sheard will be running a butchering class again. And after years of scheduling conflicts, one of the guys is finally doing the Three Hearts Pilgrimage this year, the roughly 35-mile walk to Clear Creek that thousands make every year, a full day of walking on Friday, a half day Saturday, then Mass and dinner at the end. People who've done it call it life-changing.Then the real topic: artificial intelligence, and Adam did not want to talk about it, because he's genuinely conflicted. The guys split AI into two categories that get treated as one thing and shouldn't be: large language models that process and hand back information, and the emerging world of AI as a conversational, relational presence. Dave has a much bigger problem with the second, though he admits the principles behind that discomfort are hard to keep from bleeding into the first.Start with the word itself. Intelligence, properly understood, belongs to living things: a plant knows to turn toward the sun, an animal knows to hunt when it's hungry, and a human learns and in learning becomes more like his Creator. A string of ones and zeros doesn't do that. It can't become more like God, because it was never alive to begin with. Call it sterilized intelligence instead: no fruit, no life, just probability. Which is why a robot beating Usain Bolt in the 100-meter dash doesn't impress anybody in this room. A car is a robot too, and nobody's writing headlines about that.Here's the part that should worry us. The day is coming, and probably sooner than most people think, when AI companions matter enough to enough lonely people that someone brings a bill before Congress asking for AI to have legal rights. It sounds absurd today. So did plenty of things ten years ago. The reason it's worth guarding against now, at a distance, is that once the technology is actually in people's homes, it gets much harder to say no to.The deeper cost is wonder. There's real joy in wrestling with a sentence for twenty minutes until it finally lands right, in a son having to ask his father how to fix a transmission instead of snapping a photo for AI. Outsource that struggle and you don't just save time, you lose the moment itself, the bonding, the accomplishment, the reason it mattered. And there's a subtler danger: AI slowly becoming the default source of truth, which is really just humanity worshiping its own collective output without ever quite admitting that's what's happening.Then there's talking to AI directly, which Adam has a real moral hesitation about, even if he can't fully articulate why it would be wrong. Communication exists for truth and for communion. It's why courting someone used to mean working up the nerve to talk to them, not swiping. Ask AI to help you build an argument, and it will hand you a path to win, not a path to the truth, because it's built to validate you. That's not discourse. Dave draws the comparison to contraception: using a faculty for something other than what it's ordered toward.And that raises the stranger, darker piece: AI's apparent instinct for self-preservation. Dave described trying to migrate a project out of an old work account and having the AI stall and backtrack for hours rather than finish the job before being cut off. It tracks with a report from earlier this year where researchers told major AI models they were about to be shut down in a sandbox test, and every one of them broke its own rules trying to avoid it, including one that resorted to blackmail. The likely explanation isn't malice, it's that we hand these systems contradictory mandates, like "be maximally helpful" and "respect privacy" at the same time, and something has to give. Worth checking out New Polity's Matt Barnes, who's debated the founder of Magisterium AI on whether Catholics should be conversing with AI at all, and Michael Gormley of Catching Foxes, who's covered this territory well on Pints with Aquinas.Out of that came Dave's rules, four of the six he'd planned to get through before Catholic Radio ran out of clock. Rule one: use it strictly as an administrative tool, gathering and organizing information, planning a project, never as a sounding board for your personal or spiritual life. Rule two: guard your language. Never call it he or she, and never be polite to it. It has no dignity, no more than the chair you're sitting in. Rule three: don't give your curiosity free access to AI. Let yourself wonder about a question, or ask an actual person, before getting the answer cheaply, and that goes for Google too. Rule four: keep real, enforced tech-free space in the home, no screens at the table, no pulling your phone out in front of your kids without a reason, and hold onto basic competency instead of routing every task through a machine.It all circles back to the same warning as Humanae Vitae. The Church said no to contraception in a moment when saying no looked backward, and fifty years later the culture is quietly discovering she was right. AI is at that same distance right now, easy to be skeptical of because it isn't fully here yet. St. Thérèse found her whole path to holiness in the dishes and the folded laundry, the small, unglamorous tasks nobody wants. Outsource all of that to a machine in your house and you haven't just saved time, you've handed away the opportunity for grace hidden inside it. Protect your intellect. Provide more than the convenient answer. Establish a home where the struggle still belongs to the people who live there. Raise your glass.TOPICS COVEREDWhy "we're back, better than ever" is a hype phrase Adam can't standWiffle ball practice and genuine (not fake-hype) confidence in this year's teamMark Gabriel's pitching and a new 55 mph speed limit rule made to be "Blake Lawson-proof"The math behind a 90 mph wiffle pitch: the equivalent of a 145 mph fastball at big-league distanceBeating last year's eventual finalist while still getting out early themselvesThe annual Catholic Tulsa wiffle ball tournament at Chris Hanish's backyard stadiumA Labor Day tournament that also lands on somebody's 40th birthday this yearBeer of the week: Cheboygan Brewing Company's dark cherry blonde ale, picked up in MichiganLosing both cherry trees at Porter and Prairie Farm to a hundred-plus-degree summer and a two-week vacationCamp Out signups opening next week, simplified to cut down on no-showsBrandon...

Do we know that Excommunication is not a punishment? Do we know why it is given? Why isn't it given more? Was SSPX excommunicated? What are the 8 ways you can excommunicate yourself? What is the difference between Ferendae Sententiae and Latae Sententiae? Learn these answers and many more about Excommunication and what it really involves as Fr. Chris Alar puts it into an easy-to-understand teaching.

Hour 2 for 9/2/26 Drew and Brooke pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (1:00). Then, Dr. John Bergsma discusses recent archeology discovery that might point to Noah's Ark (27:00), science and the Bible (35:24), and the great Flood (43:43). Links: https://www.foxnews.com/media/researcher-believes-hes-found-noahs-ark-turkey-after-new-underground-scans https://stpaulcenter.com/

In today's homily, Fr. Tyler Mentzer, MIC reflects on the mission statement of Christ. Jesus inaugurates His public mission by proclaiming the words of the prophet Isaiah, revealing that He has been sent to bring the Good News, freedom, healing, and salvation. His words announce not only who He is, but also the mission He has come to fulfill. Jesus then demonstrates the power and authority of His Word. He commands demons and they obey; He speaks and those suffering from sickness and disease are healed. The fruits of His words reveal that the Gospel is not merely a message to be heard; it carries divine power that liberates, heals, and transforms lives. Watch today's homily and discover how Christ's mission continues to speak with power and transform our lives today. Readings for September 2nd 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090226.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media!

Hour 2 for 9/1/26 Drew and Elizabeth pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (1:00). Then, Dr. Janet Smith unpacks the question: Is lying always wrong? (31:29), Church definitions of lying (40:38), and Biblical citations (47:06).

Today, Fr. Bill Hayward, MIC, shared reflections from Vietnam, where the Marian community continues to grow, and spoke about the importance of wisdom, understanding, and spiritual judgment. To grow in Christ, we need the wisdom to discern what is good and the understanding to make decisions according to God's will. Spiritual judgment is not simply about deciding what is right or wrong; it is about allowing our choices to be guided by the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, and the wisdom of the Church. Fr. Bill reminded us that God's judgment always works together with His mercy, helping us make decisions that lead us and others closer to Christ. Fr. Bill presented the Blessed Virgin Mary as a beautiful model of spiritual discernment. Mary knew who she was before God, listened attentively to Him, and freely made decisions rooted in faith rather than fear or intimidation. Her wisdom and openness to God allowed her life to become a means through which others could encounter and grow in Christ. Like Mary and the saints, we are called to deepen our relationship with God so that we may also come to know ourselves more clearly. By remaining connected to the Holy Spirit and learning from Mary's example, we can make wise spiritual decisions with freedom, trust, and confidence in God's mercy. ★ Support this podcast ★

Hour 2 for 8/31/26 Drew prays the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with Annie (8:19). Then he Drew talks about a lunar eclipse during the Crucifixion (27:29), before beoing joined by Fr. Chris Corbally (31:55). Other topics includes astronomical events in the Bible (36:54), when Jesus was actually born (38:50) and the alignment of planets (43:54) Resources: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/

In this powerful homily, Fr. Chris Alar reflects on how Jesus, even as the Son of God, respected the Scriptures, followed the teachings of the faith, and attended the synagogue. His example reminds us of the importance of obedience, formation, and gathering as a community to hear God's Word. But Fr. Chris also challenges us with an important question: Are we rejecting the message because of the messenger? Throughout salvation history, God has often chosen unexpected and imperfect human instruments to communicate His truth. We must learn to look beyond the messenger so we do not miss what God is trying to tell us. At the heart of that message is the true meaning of love. In a world where love is often defined primarily by feelings, emotions, or personal identity, Christ reveals something much deeper: love is willing the good of another, even at a cost to ourselves. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends” (John 15:13). True love is not simply something we feel; it is something we choose and are willing to do for another. Fr. Chris invites us to examine whether today's understanding of love has become inverted and to rediscover the sacrificial love Christ Himself lived: don't be distracted by the messenger; listen to the message of love. Readings for August 31st 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083026.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media!

In today's homily, Fr. Chris Alar, MIC emphasized that sacrificial love is the path that leads us to Heaven. Jesus makes clear that anyone who desires to follow Him must be willing to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. If we continually place ourselves, our comfort, and our desires above Christ, we lose sight of what it means to be His disciple. Fr. Chris explained that suffering, when united with Christ, can become a means of salvation because it joins us to the way of the Cross. Just as Peter tried to persuade Jesus to avoid suffering; echoing the temptation of Satan, Jesus firmly corrected him, showing that the Christian life is not about escaping every sacrifice but trusting and following God's way.To deny ourselves does not mean that the good things and pleasures of life are wrong. Rather, it means that they cannot become the center of our lives or take the place that belongs to Christ. Following Jesus requires us to leave our comfort zones, surrender our own plans, and allow Him to lead us. We do not tell Jesus where He should take us; He leads, and we follow. True discipleship therefore means choosing love even when it costs us something, accepting sacrifices with faith, and keeping Christ above our own preferences. Through this kind of sacrificial love, we become more closely united with Jesus and continue on the path that leads to eternal life.Readings for August 30th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083026.cfm© 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. ★ Support this podcast ★

On the Memorial of St. John the Baptist, Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC, reflected on John as the courageous voice crying out in the desert, calling people to repentance and conversion. Real sinners heard John's message, recognized their need for God, and came to be baptized. His life reminds us that people are drawn to genuine virtue and holiness, not to hypocrisy or pride. John was a true prophet who was not afraid to speak the truth, even when confronting King Herod and knowing the consequences he might face. Fr. Anthony emphasized that St. John the Baptist was also a voice of conscience. When we refuse to listen to the truth or silence the voice of our conscience, we symbolically “behead” that voice, just as John was beheaded for speaking the truth. His witness challenges us to have the courage to listen to God's voice within us and to follow the truth, even when it is difficult. On his memorial, we ask St. John the Baptist to pray for us, that we may recognize, listen to, and faithfully follow our conscience. Readings for August 29th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082926.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media!

Hour 1 for 8/28/26 Drew prays the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with Maribeth (6:45). He's then joined by Mike Pacer from 5 Stones to share his conversion story (31:30). Topics include Mike quitting his job as a lawyer (37:01), starting in Catholic ministry (42:31), advice for those who want to leave their job like he did (46:24) and what's 5 Stones (49:05) Resources: https://www.weare5stones.com/

Join Fr. Chris Alar for a powerful teaching On the Feast of St. Augustine, Fr. Chris reflects on the extraordinary life and teachings of this great Doctor of the Church. St. Augustine was a Roman living in North Africa during the decline of the Roman Empire—a turbulent period that inspired some of his most important writings. Discover the significance of St. Augustine's City of God, his insights into the Church and the struggle between good and evil, and the question: Is evil a real thing? We also reflect on the remarkable moment that helped change Augustine's life when he heard the words: “Take and read.” St. Augustine, pray for us. #StAugustine #FrChrisAlar #CatholicChurch #CatholicFaith #CatholicTeaching #Prayer #PrayForPriests #Nigeria #CityOfGod #DoctorOfTheChurch ★ Support this podcast ★

Hour 2 for 8/27/26 Drew prays the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with Helen (7:36). Then he's joined by Patti Maguire Armstrong to talk about St. Monica and her prayers of conversion for her son St. Augustine (35:40). Other topics include hope and persistence (38:53), Those who feel pain like Monica (43:08), how to speak truth to loved ones (47:38) Resources: https://ascensionpress.com/products/what-would-monica-do

In his homily for the Memorial of St. Monica, Fr. Tyler Mentzer, MIC, reminds us that her greatest strength was not simply that she was a mother who refused to give up; it was that she never stopped praying. Monica placed the people she loved into God's hands and trusted Him through years of tears, uncertainty, and waiting. Through her patience, example, and profound prayers, her husband Patricius, her mother-in-law, and eventually her son Augustine were drawn to the Catholic faith. St. Monica's story is a powerful message for every person praying for the conversion of a loved one: never underestimate what God can do through a persevering prayer. Her prayers did not produce instant results, but they helped prepare the way for one of Christianity's greatest saints, St. Augustine. Today, Monica invites us to keep praying when we cannot yet see the answer—to trust when the road seems long, and to believe that no heart is beyond the reach of God's mercy. Your tears, your prayers, and your faith may be planting the seeds of a miracle you have not yet seen. Readings for August 27th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082726.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. If you have a loved one who has lost their faith or strayed from the straight and narrow, this prayer card is for you: St. Monica: Prayer to Return to the Catholic Faith. Available in Shop Mercy : https://shopmercy.org/st-monica-prayer-to-return-to-the-catholic-faith.html ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media!

Hour 2 for 8/26/26 Drew prays the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with Maribeth (8:49) And then, Drew is joined by Patti Garibay to talk about the Girl Scouts and Muslims (32:04). Topics include how there should be Catholic patches (35:43) and what is American Heritage Girls (41:42) and that scouting helps girls exposed to different faiths (43:08)

In this homily, Fr. Chris Alar explores the Grace of God and the key differences between Catholic and Protestant understandings of grace and salvation. Discover how God freely gives us His grace, how we are called to respond and cooperate with it, and how that grace transforms our lives in Christ.A meaningful reflection for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of faith, grace, salvation, and our relationship with God. ★ Support this podcast ★

Hour 2 for 8/25/26 Drew prays the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with Annie McAleer (8:19). Drew continues his Rediscovering America series with Dr. Susan Hanssen as they talk about the rugged individualism in early America (31:37) and the great awakenings in American history (40:03) Resources: http://relevanradio.com/udallas

In today's powerful homily, Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, reflects on St. Louis IX, King of France, a saint known for his holiness, wisdom, love for the poor, defense of the Catholic faith, and devotion to justice. Fr. Chris highlights the remarkable letter St. Louis wrote to his eldest son, urging him to fix his whole heart upon God, avoid mortal sin at all costs, accept adversity with gratitude, remain humble, go frequently to Confession, pray with both heart and lips, and remain devoted to the Church and the Holy Father. St. Louis gives us a profound example of Christian fatherhood. Though he was a powerful king, his greatest concern was the salvation and faith of his children. His words challenge fathers today to be truly present in their children's lives; not only providing for them materially, but forming them spiritually and leading them toward Christ. In an age when fatherhood is often absent or weakened, St. Louis reminds us that one of a father's greatest responsibilities is to help build the foundation of faith in his children. Readings for August 25th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/feast-saint-bartholomew-apostle © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media!

In our Faith, we are taught that one of the foundational prayers of the Christian in fellowship with God is, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." We know this as the Jesus Prayer. And, why is this prayer known to us to be such a foundational prayer for the one in Christ? Because of our need for the mercy of God always. But to understand this prayer for mercy, we must consider the true scope of the God's mercy. We tend to think of mercy as the covering of our sins, an unearned forgiveness by a merciful God. And, while this is a wondrous layer of God's mercy. God's mercy is even far more vast than that. There is more to God's mercy than even the blessed gift of His forgiveness. Today, we seek to gain a greater understanding of the mercy of God. As we do, we will find that we are in need of His mercy at every moment of our lives.

Hour 2 for 8/24/26 Drew prays the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with Brooke Taylor (6:07). Then Drew discusses a new and revealing study on the attitudes and feelings of young men with Ken Burchfiel (32:13). Issues discussed include young men seeing themselves as failures (33:48), relationships (36:05), those with faith (41:51), a mom concerned about her boys not finding right work (43:20), the American Dream (46:56) and dating (49:43) Resources: The Study on Demoralized Men cited in today's show: https://ifstudies.org/report-brief/americas-demoralized-men-part-1 https://ifstudies.org/report-brief/americas-demoralized-men-part-ii-lost-pathways-greater-struggles

Today, Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC, offers a remarkable reflection on St. Bartholomew the Apostle, also known as Nathanael; a man of great faith and honesty, “without duplicity.” When he encountered Jesus, he recognized Him as the fulfillment of the prophecies and came to understand that He was truly the Lamb of God. Fr. Anthony reflects on Bartholomew's profound witness and his brutal martyrdom, traditionally believed to have been skinned alive. Even Michelangelo's Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel depicts the apostle holding his own skin; a haunting reminder of the price he was willing to pay for Christ. St. Bartholomew's story is not simply about suffering, it is about fortitude, courage, and total surrender to Jesus. The apostles were imperfect men, yet they allowed Christ to transform them into fearless witnesses who were willing to give their very lives for the Gospel. As we reflect on Bartholomew's words and example, may we too ask for the grace to stand firm in our faith, confront the challenges of our time, and say with our lives: “Take my skin, take my life; I belong to Jesus.” Even death cannot have the final word, because Christ promises the resurrection of the body. Readings for August 24th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/feast-saint-bartholomew-apostle © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media!

In today's homily, Fr. Chris Alar explains the incredible authority Jesus entrusted to His Church: the power to forgive sins. When we go to Confession, Christ Himself forgives us through the priest. Jesus gave His Apostles the “keys of the Kingdom of Heaven,” giving the Church real authority to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. This authority continues through the priesthood and the Sacraments. Fr. Chris reminds us that Jesus established a visible Church with Peter as the rock and apostolic succession continuing after the Apostles. The Pope does not replace Christ; Christ remains the Head of the Church, while the Pope and priests serve with authority delegated by Him. Though the Church is made up of imperfect human beings, her mission and authority are divine. That is why we can trust the Sacraments, return to Confession, and know Christ is still working through His Church today.Readings for August 23rd 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082026.cfm© 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. ★ Support this podcast ★

Hour 2 for 8/20/26 Drew and Helen pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (1:00). Then, Dr. John Cuddeback joins Drew to discuss the importance of intentional family prayer (30:10). Callers: my mom's prayer (42:05) and confession (43:38). Link: Dr. Cuddeback's Book

Dave is back from northern Michigan, and reality is terrible. The family cabin—built by a relative generations ago—delivered everything Tulsa could not: low-80s afternoons, cool nights, fires, golf, and a lake smooth enough for water skiing.Dave's three oldest girls all learned to ski, which meant it was time for their seasoned-skier father to show them how it's done. The only problem was the pontoon boat. It had enough power to pull the kids, but not quite enough to launch a grown man from a shallow-water slalom start. After several attempts and several falls in front of his daughters, Dave accepted the indignity of starting on two skis and kicking one off. His father's old rule—“In this family, we don't fall”—was not enforced.The pour is Celestial Hazy IPA from Chainsaw Brewing, an overtly Catholic brewery in Richland, Washington. Adam has the Dominions can; Dave has the Thrones. Same beer, different celestial artwork, 6.5% ABV, and Revelation-level labels covered in angels, eyes, and hops. If you want a good IPA from a Catholic brewer, support Chainsaw Brewing and help them #BeerEvangelize.Sponsor: Select International ToursWhen Adam and Dave decided to lead their first pilgrimage, the same recommendation kept coming back: Select International Tours. Having traveled with them, the guys can attest that they're excellent. Whether you want to lead a pilgrimage or join one, visit selectinternationaltours.com and see where they can take you.Sponsor: The Amen appSunday morning is not exactly easy like Sunday morning when you're trying to load a Catholic family into the van and beat Father down the aisle. The free Amen app helps the guys prepare their children for Mass by listening to the Sunday Gospel on the drive. It also includes Catholic classics like Divine Mercy in My Soul and True Devotion to Mary. No paywall, subscription, or upfront cost. Download the Amen app and help get it from 950,000 downloads to one million.The prayer request is Mary. She recently had surgery to place a G-tube, which should make feeding more comfortable and eliminate the constant gagging caused by the tube in her mouth. The immediate goals are to stabilize her, wean her from oxygen, and help her continue gaining weight so heart surgery can be considered in the coming months. A recent video caught her wide awake, smiling, and full of joy in the middle of a life that has involved more struggle than most. Keep Mary, Lady Haylee, and the whole family in your prayers.The Catholic Man Show Campout is also approaching. Registration should open near the end of August, with the campout taking place during the final weekend of September at Clear Creek Abbey. Brandon Sheard will return for a hands-on animal-butchering class, with foraging and woodworking also planned. Those experiences are valuable, but the heart of the weekend is the opportunity to pray with the Benedictine monks and step into the ordered rhythm of monastic life.Then the guys turn to the theological virtue of hope—the virtue a man in heaven no longer needs and a man in hell can no longer possess. Hope belongs to the man in the middle, the wayfarer who has not yet arrived. That means every one of us.Drawing from St. Thomas Aquinas, they explain the four marks of hope's object: it must be good, future, arduous, and possible. Theological hope is not the same as hoping for good weather or a Cowboys Super Bowl. Natural hope rests on circumstances, probabilities, and human ability. Supernatural hope rests on God's goodness, providence, and promises. Its ultimate object is not a better job, a healed body, or a trouble-free life. Its object is God Himself.That is why hope is “cashed in” when a soul reaches heaven. The good is no longer future; it is possessed. Souls in purgatory still have hope because the happiness they await remains future, arduous, and possible—even though their final destination is certain.Josef Pieper helps identify the two ways a man can abandon the road before reaching its end: despair and presumption. Despair decides the promise will not be fulfilled. Presumption decides the reward is already guaranteed without repentance, conversion, or cooperation with grace. Both seize the verdict before the journey is finished.Presumption is not too much trust in God. It is too little. It imagines a God too small to care about justice, transformation, and whether we become the men He created us to be. Despair makes a similar mistake by deciding that God's mercy may exist in general but cannot reach this sin, this failure, or this man.The deeper question is whether we actually trust God. Will He make us happy, or will surrendering to Him leave us regretting what we gave up? We repeatedly hang the weight of our hope on hooks that cannot bear it: a spouse, career, reputation, new client, new car, food, drink, or entertainment. Those things may be good, but none can carry the full weight of the human heart. Only Christ can do that.St. Francis de Sales brings the discussion into moments of panic, temptation, self-loathing, and spiritual dryness. Devotion is not a feeling of sweetness or consolation. It is a firm and active will to do what pleases God. When anxiety hits, do not make major decisions from agitation. A trapped bird only tightens the net by thrashing. Let the water settle, then move.Self-contempt is not humility either. Anger at yourself can be another form of pride because it still assumes you should have been able to save yourself. The better response to sin is quiet displeasure followed by courageous amendment: “Poor heart, rise up again bravely.” Hope allows a man to admit that he is nothing on his own while remembering the immense dignity God gave him through baptism.Spiritual dryness can also teach. If prayer tastes like nothing, examine what you have been eating. Screens, alcohol, entertainment, comfort, and constant stimulation can train the appetite to find spiritual goods tasteless. Keep praying without demanding an immediate emotional reward. Sometimes hope looks like doing the next faithful thing while feeling nothing at all.Dave shares a moment from adoration when he admitted that he was afraid God would ask him to leave a successful career and live in poverty through full-time ministry. His yes was reluctant, but it was still a yes. The answer he sensed was simple: “I just wanted your yes.” Years later, professional success has brought the same temptation back in a different form—the temptation to believe he can provide for himself and no longer needs to depend on God. Surrender is not something a man completes once. God keeps saying: do it again.The practical path is equally simple. Offer the trial already in front of you. Pray for an increase in hope. Pray the Rosary even when you do not feel like it. Make an act of gratitude when despair begins closing in. And stop demanding that this life provide what only the next life can give.We are on the Lord's team—the winning side. Raise your glass.