Roar Like The Lamb

Today we're talking about reaching parishioners and the challenges attendant therein. It is very important to communicate well, and good tools like Flocknote are tremendous aids for parishes. At the same time, we need healthy staffing for our parishes (both clergy and lay staff), and a healthy engagement of lay people in the life and ministry of parishes. This was a fun conversation to have, and even though we haven't figured out all the answers, it's a blessing to be able to try to figure it out together! SHOW NOTES Catholic Young Adults in Fairfield County Word on Fire podcast - Why Parishes Fail to Engage 93% of Parishioners "Why They Follow" - by Matthew Warner Roar Like the Lamb is produced by Chris McHugh - McQ Marketing Group

We're ranging a bit in this episode as we talk about a whole slew of different things. All of it comes back, as usual, to our tremendous need to listen to the Lord. Check out the show notes for links to some of the things we reference! Show Notes ReCon podcast "Poustinia" by Catherine Doherty "Luv is a Verb" - DC Talk official music video List of Catholic podcasts (since recording, we seem to have fallen a bit in the ratings, which is good for our humility) Paola & Fr. Sam are working through the Catholic Psych certification; learn more here "All the People Said Amen" - Matt Maher

First, we would like to apologize for the long delay since we last released an episode. There have been lots of schedule issues throughout the spring and into the summer, so we've been behind on our production plan! In this episode, we talk about representation and how it works, or doesn't work, why it matters, or doesn't, and how we can navigate what can be a tricky area with charity. As summer progresses, we'll try to be regular with episodes, but may continue to experience delays. We appreciate your patience, and that you stick with us!

We've been after him for a long time to make an appearance, and it finally happened! Our producer Chris McHugh is with us! We're talking about Fr. Sam's homily on Divine Mercy Sunday, physician assisted suicide, and the tremendous gift of human life. If you'd like to hear Fr. Sam's homily, here it is - the Gospel starts around 17:20

Imagine you, like Roar Like the Lamb, are a small Catholic podcast. One day, an email comes from EWTN, asking if one of their hosts (The Catholic Sphere) can join you for an episode to talk about a super important book (The Prayer Book for Tired Parents: Practical Ways to Grow in Love of God and Get Your Family to Heaven). We were blown away and super excited, then we met Debbie Cowden, and it got even better! Debbie and her husband Dave have produced a powerful book to help parents, let them know they are seen and supported, and offer practical tips for building up a strong foundation for family life. We're happy to call her a friend and fan of the show!

We're bringing you a special talk given by Paola to the St. Pius X Walking With Purpose group. With Edith Stein (St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross) as her guide, Paola opens up a philosophical and biblical understanding of woman, the feminine genius, and how all of us (male or female) are called into relation with God.

On a very special episode of Roar Like the Lamb, Paola is drinking Bailey's and you better believe it's hilarious. But the real point this week is to talk about the power of having our Catholic faith really imbue everything we do. Catholic culture is real and how beautiful when we allow our faith to have space in every facet of our lives. What God Is Not Podcast with Mother Natalia The Being Human Podcast with Dr. Greg Bottaro

Regretting that we have't recorded together in a few weeks, but excited about some recent interviews Fr. Sam had for The Tangent on Veritas Catholic Network, we start talking about those, before getting back to Ash Wednesday, Lent, and prayerful discernment. It's important to pay attention to the desires in our hearts, to speak those desires to the Lord, and to allow God to form, purify, and confirm the graces He offers. Lenten video resource from Dr. Scott Hahn and the St. Paul Center Women Made New has some great stuff for Lent from Crystalina Evert Some of you sharp-eared listeners may notice a shift in our audio about 16 minutes in. That's because we had some technical issues and we're sorry, but assure you that they were not intentional. If you don't notice an audio change, then this was all a dream...

Starting with a new word Paola learned from a FOCUS missionary, we move into a conversation about 1 Thessalonians 2:8, comparing English translations of the Bible, parsing some of the words, and overall discussing the great gift of love and friendship in the context of ministry and mission. Check out C.S. Lewis’ The Four Loves. Crinkle. Or Krinkle. Whatever. Crush it. The Four Loves The Fellowship of Catholic University Students

Just talking about the joys and challenges of leading in ministry, knowing when to step forward, when to stay back in support, and when to know the difference.

Long-time listeners already know...Paola's name is hard for some people to pronounce, and Fr. Sam loves a good chocolate chip cookie. In this episode, we talk about both. Oh, and we also read Pope Benedict XVI's Spiritual Testimony and talk about his incredible theological output and papal legacy.

It's not quite a Christmas episode, but we were hoping it would be ready in time for our Lord's Nativity, and here it is on St. Stephen's Day (or Boxing Day for our British and Canadian listeners)! The reason it's not a Christmas episode is that we ended up talking about another, non-holiday-related topic: marriage. Sometimes it seems like the Church has a lot of rules about weddings and marriage, but we're taking a peek behind the rules to better understand how the truth and beauty of marriage is made apparent through the processes and rules supporting the sacramental celebration of matrimony. All in all, we think marriage is a pretty great thing, and so does the Catholic Church!

This week, we're talking about the importance of the language we use and why we shouldn't be afraid to define our terms, use even the words that seem most challenging, and think more seriously about the the full meaning of the way we speak. Think deeply about the words you use and hear, and you will be amazed at what is being communicated! SHOW NOTES For more on the importance of language, check out "Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power" by Josef Pieper Need a good, Catholic Christmas gift? Check out the Building Blocks of Faith Series by Kevin and Mary O'Neill. 

We actually don't say much about Thanksgiving, but we do talk quite a bit about Advent and some thoughts as we start this amazing season. As we so often do, we're happy to talk about Hallow and the Pray 25 Advent Challenge. Happy Thanksgiving!

In this short episode, we talk about being good even when we don't see the benefit, doing what is right because there is an intrinsic value to virtuous living, and not getting too caught up in what other people seem to have in spite of not always following the rules. St. Martin de Porres figures large in the conversation, so why not ask for his intercession today?

Advent is coming and somehow feels sneaky, even though we know exactly when it's coming. Not only is Advent almost here, it's four full weeks! So what's the excuse for not preparing now?

Choosing between good things is not always easy. As much as we might see lots of good opportunity in front of us, and recognize that God is generous in giving us so many good things, we also have to understand our own limitations, and discern which of the goods God truly desires for us. That's what we're talking about today! SHOW NOTES I teased Paola a fair bit about retelling a story incorrectly. Now, I didn't know anything about the story, had never heard it before. I'm still fairly confident she didn't quite get the story right. HOWEVER, Paola's story was an attempt at communicating some things said by Jackie Francois-Angel in a talk at a Steubenville Youth Conference. The talk is fantastic and full of other stories, which will make you forget Paola's story. Totally worth the time, and I'm grateful to Paola for tolerating me every day. Also, over on the Tangent, I talked about discernment in an episode, and if you want to listen to that, I won't argue with you.

Separate studios for us today so Fr. Sam's cold doesn't infect Paola! We'll hear all about Paola's recent retreat with the Sisters of Life, talk about God's abundant gifts to us, and more! SHOW NOTES Sisters of Life You can watch "The Chosen" over at formed.org - make your free account today! That re-baptism controversy we were talking about? Going back to St. Cyprian of Carthage (martyr) and Pope Stephen in the 200s, and continuing to the Donatist heresy in the fourth and fifth centuries, it was a big deal. But from this controversy, the Church was able to articulate the theological idea of ex opere operato, that the grace of the sacraments do not depend on the worthiness of the one administering the sacraments, as well as highlight the enduring grace of baptism even when marred by sin!

Paola and Fr. Sam went on retreat! In this episode, they're talking about some of the fruits of that retreat, dreaming with the Lord, and what those dreams look like currently, might look like in the future, and just plain old rediscovering the capacity to dream. SHOW NOTES Check out "Searching For and Maintaining Peace" by Fr. Jacques Philippe The Tangent on Veritas Catholic Network And even though we're not sponsored by anyone, we love to plug the Hallow app! The Community of the Lamb

With the feast of the Archangels just passed, and the feast of the Guardian Angels to come (sort of...Sunday takes precedence this year), we're looking at angels both arch and guardian. Plus some fun discussions on Genesis, creation, and how God's love for us is reflected back to us.  SHOW NOTES Check out the men's retreat that the Sisters of Life are hosting next week. And just in general, check out their retreat offerings!