Vol. 2, Ep. 4 "Justice and Mercy"

The gang's all here for this weekend's upcoming Vatican You! All four co-hosts are back together for this edition of Vatican You, rounding our the last paragraphs of Pope Francis' writings setting this Holy Year of Mercy in motion.  In this episode, building on Fr. Chris' 2-Minute Drill, we explore the relationship between justice and mercy, and how that is cause for great joy.

• Catch up with Fr. Shaun back from his newsworthy and globetrotting adventures.
• Find out why its important to go right to the source with Pope Francis, and not rely on the quick headline.
• Explore how justice and mercy are really in harmony when we understand them correctly, and how the "rules" that God gives us are born from both justice and mercy.
• Discover what all this has to do with "indulgences" - and see how truly indulgent the Father is with His mercy.
• A patron saint...for plumbers? You bet! Find out on this week's Patron Saint Roulette.

All this - plus how to apply this in everyday life, on this week's Vatican You!

Vol. 2, Ep. 3 "Making Room for Mercy"

Continuing our look at Pope Francis' "papal bull" which inaugurated this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, episode 3 considers paragraphs 11-19, with a focus on our need to make room for mercy in our lives and journey of discipleship.  Discover what the holy doors and "pilgrimage" have to do with conversion and 'making room' for mercy, and:

• Fr. Alan's 2-Minute Drill summarizes the invitations Pope Francis makes in this holy year for a world that seems to have 'forgotten the Father's mercy.'
• We discuss Pope Francis' wisdom in not giving us a sound-byte definition of mercy - and how what he does give us is the perfect invitation to encountering mercy in a new way (with a BIG shout out to Fr. Harry Hagan, OSB from St. Meinrad).
• Fr. Chris spins the "Patron Saint Roulette" wheel - who is the patron saint of 
• Fr. Chris and Fr. Jerry tout the 'perfect solution' for Fr. Shaun when he's stranded in a snowstorm for more than 24 hours on the Pennsylvania Turnpike - "pocket coffee".
• Fr. Jerry gets this week's last, last word.

Listen right from this page!  And be sure to subscribe to Vatican You's podcast on iTunes.

Vol 2, Ep 3 "Making Room for Mercy"

The virtues of "pocket coffee", why its helpful that Pope Francis doesn't give us the soundbyte definition of mercy in his writing on the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, and the relationship between pilgrimage, holy doors, and the importance for us all to make room for conversion are all part of our walk through par. 11-19 of Misericordiae Vultus this week. See what all that has to do with "making room for mercy," along with Fr. Alan's 2 Minute Drill, Fr. Chris spinning the Patron Saint Roulette wheel, and Fr. Jerry's last, last word. Enjoy!

Vol. 2, Ep. 2 "The Never Ending Story"

This week we get into the meat of Pope Francis' teachings in Misericordiae Vultus - that is, of course, after Fr. Alan fires his laser to get that worked out of his system.  Fr. Chris takes this week's 2-Minute Drill pointing out that if there's anything never-ending about the human story, it is God's infinite and patient mercy.

• Hear Fr. Shaun's famous 'creative Latin' and let it give you a fun chuckle.
• Discover how God's mercy (and patience) is rooted in His divine nature.
• Fr. Jerry takes this weeks "Pop Quiz Hotshot" question - "What is an indulgence?"
• Hear the absolutely certainly not to ever be used in any capacity Vatican You "pitch" for a new Breadbox Media jingle.
• Reflect on the ways that we're called to show mercy because God has shown His mercy toward us; and the obligation we create for ourselves to be merciful every time we pray the "Our Father"

In other news, our iTunes "explicit" rating has been rescinded, so that's good news!  Check out this episode.

Vol 2, Ep 2 "The Never Ending Story"

Jump right into the meat of what Pope Francis' has to say about God's mercy in this episode (after Fr. Alan fires off his laser to get that out of his system). Fr. Chris' 2-Minute Drill points out that if there's anything never-ending about the human story, it's God's mercy. Fr. Shaun's famous 'creative Latin' will give you a chuckle. We explore how God's infinite mercy is rooted in His divine nature, and how our need to show mercy is rooted in God's mercy toward us. And Fr. Jerry takes this week's Pop Quiz Hotshot question, "What is an indulgence?" Enjoy!

Vol. 2, Ep. 1, "God's Mercy is No Bull"

That's right friends, Vatican You is back. And to get things started off right, we're spending a couple of shows delving into Pope Francis' "papal bull" inaugurating this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Misericordiae Vultus ('The Face of Mercy'.)  But as we all know, "God's Mercy is No Bull"!  In addition to encountering the Holy Father's intentional connection between this Year of Mercy and Vatican II, we look for answers to these questions:

• Why is it called a "papal bull"?
• What's the deal with these "holy doors" anyway?
• What does it mean to encounter "the face of mercy"?
• How is God's mercy a bright light, a place of peace and protection, and an amazing invitation - all at the same time?

What are your questions about the Year of Mercy?  Share them in the comments below, or find us on Facebook on the Vatican You Show page.  And don't forget, you can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

Vol 2, Ep 1 "God's Mercy is No Bull"

Vatican You is back in the New Year, and to get things started off right, we're spending a couple of shows delving into Pope Francis' "papal bull" inaugurating this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy). But as we all know, God's mercy is no bull! In addition to encountering the intentional connection between the Year of Mercy and Vatican II, we explore why the document is called a "papal bull," what it means to encounter the "face of mercy", and what the big deal is with these holy doors we keep hearing about. Share your questions on our Facebook page; search for Vatican You Show.

Vatican You Vol. 1, Ep. 17 "The Vatican You Awakens"

Five months, 17 episodes, more than 5,000 podcast streams, all leading up to this moment; Vatican You wraps its stroll through the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy this week.  What a great adventure it's been - but not to fret, there's more to come!  Along with lots of other fun, this week's show includes the big reveal on where Vatican You turns next.

• Discover which host is missing from this week's show due to an unexpected (and hard to envision) liturgical device malfunction right after his recent hilarious priestly wardrobe malfunction.
• Catholic News Desk Live covers the amazing relationship between the Star Wars Universe and the Catholic Church (you don't want to miss this!)
• Our hosts consider how this five month journey through Sacrosanctum Concilium can lead to some concrete "real life" actions for all of us, and we share our thoughts on the most overlooked teachings of this conciliar document.
• And consider our last words on this document of Vatican II.

If you haven't done it yet, consider subscribing to the Vatican You podcast in iTunes and leave a review.

Vol 1, Ep 17 "The Vatican You Awakens"

5 months, 17 episodes, 5,000+ podcast streams - all leading to our first "wrap show" where your hosts conclude our stroll through Vatican II's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium). But not to fret! This episode includes the "big reveal" on where Vatican You will turn in the New Year (you don't wanna miss that!) Hear about the liturgical device malfunction that prevents one of our hosts from joining us (in the same week he experienced a hilarious priestly wardrobe malfunction), and explore how the Star Wars Universe collides with Catholicism in Catholic News Desk Live. Our hosts give their "last words" on this document and offer some suggestions for translating all this information into "real life." Join us!

Vatican You Vol. 1, Ep. 16 "Supernatural Reality" Edition

Vatican You is beginning to wind up its episodes on Sacrosanctum Concilium with this "Supernatural Reality" edition brought to you by St. Joseph Shop in Batesville, IN considering the last two chapters on sacred music, art, and furnishings.

• Hear our hosts' favorite "Elf on the Shelf" disasters...and listen as they try to trip of Fr. Alan's 4 minute long '2 Minute Drill' by sending him messages as he gets started.
• The difference between "singing at Mass" vs. "singing the Mass" and the 'pride of place' given to liturgical music in the sacred liturgy is discussed, and how all this ties together into achieving that 'full, conscious, and active participation' the Council speaks of throughout the document.  
• On our first "Two Sides of the Same Coin" segment, our hosts discuss the liturgical year and Advent in particular from the perspective of 'cradle Catholics' (Fr. Shaun & Fr. Chris) and 'converts' (Fr. Jerry & Fr. Alan).
• And - yes - discover how these things that seem focused only on what happens 'at Church' really do have "Real Life" applications for all of us.
• Explore how everything about the liturgy is designed to sharpen our vision to help all of us see and experience the "supernatural realities" that make ordinary life an extraordinary journey.  

Stay tuned for our Sacrosanctum Concilium "wrap" show coming next, where we'll hear our hosts last words (at least for now) on this document and announce where our weekly walk through the teachings of the Church will take us next.

Vol 1, Ep 16 "Supernatural Reality"

We being to wind our reflections on Sacrosanctum Concilium with this "Supernatural Reality" edition considering the last two chapters on sacred music, art, and furnishings. Hear our hosts' favorite "Elf on the Shelf" disasters...and listen as they try to trip up Fr. Alan's 4 minute long '2 Minute Drill.' The difference between "singing at Mass" vs. "singing the Mass" and the 'pride of place' given to liturgical music in the sacred liturgy is discussed, and how all this ties together into achieving that 'full, conscious, and active participation' the Council speaks of throughout the document. On our first "Two Sides of the Same Coin" segment, our hosts discuss the liturgical year and Advent from the perspective of 'cradles' and 'converts.' And - yes - discover how these things that seem focused only on what happens 'at Church' really do have "Real Life" applications for all of us. Explore how everything about the liturgy is designed to sharpen our vision to help all of us see and experience the "supernatural realities" that make ordinary life an extraordinary journey.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Fr. Chris, Fr. Shaun, Fr. Jerry and Fr. Alan wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  We have so much to be thankful for, including the opportunity we have to explore the great riches of the teachings of the Catholic Church with you.  Our "cup runneth over" and our turkey is in the oven, so while we're traveling over the river and through the woods we encourage you to check out a Vatican You Show you've missed - or enjoy your favorite episode again.  Just click "Listen Now" from the menu on the right at the bottom, or click the iTunes button below to browse our iTunes podcast episodes.



Happy Thanksgiving!

Vatican You Vol. 1, Ep. 15 "Seasons of Grace" Edition

This episode of Vatican You is brought to you by St. Joseph's Shop in Batesville, IN.  Find them on Facebook, and learn more on our Sponsors page.  Thanks to the folks at St. Joseph's Shop for their support of Vatican You!

After they get their mute buttons figured out, our hosts consider the seasons of the Church year (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time) as well as the cycle of feasts of Saints in this week's edition covering Sacrosanctum Concilium Chapter V (par. 102-111).

• Your hosts consider pitching a new TV show called "Seasons of Grace" - you won't want to miss the premise they're dreaming up...
• Explore why the Council Fathers refer to Sundays as the "Eighth Day" - and the significance of that understanding on how we live the Christian life and some (perhaps often unnoticed) aspects of Church architecture.
• The hosts discuss the goal of living the whole cycle of seasons every year and how that whole cycle is celebrated each week and again each day like a "nesting doll".
• On this week's Pop Quiz Hotshot segment, we look forward to the coming Year of Mercy and learn what Fr. Chris' sandwiches have to do with the festivities.
• Our hosts discuss some practical ways to engage the seasons in this week's Real Life segment, including practical ideas for the coming Advent season.

Vatican You streams on BreadboxMedia.com Saturdays @ 11am EST and Sundays @ 4pm EST.  Or, subscribe to our podcast (click the button below) to catch this and all our episodes when they're released.  Have a great weekend!




You can also listen right from this page - just click the play button below.

Vol 1, Ep 15 "Seasons of Grace"

The liturgical year is this week's topic (Sacrosanctum Concilium, par 102-111), thou the hosts consider pitching "Seasons of Grace" as a new hit TV series...you've got to hear their concept. Explore why the Council Fathers refer to Sundays as the "eighth day" and its significance on living the Christian life (and some often unnoticed aspects of Church architecture). Discuss how the liturgical year, each week, and even each day is somewhat of a "nesting doll" of the Christian mystery, and the purpose behind that cyclic repetition. This weeks' "Pop Quiz Hotshot" considers what Fr. Chris' sandwiches have to do with the coming Year of Mercy. And consider some practical ways to embrace the liturgical seasons in our Real Life segment. Enjoy!

Vatican You Vol. 1, Ep. 14 "(Divine) Office Space" Edition

Fr. Chris helps Fr. Shaun get his pop-culture references straightened and Fr. Alan hides an "Easter Egg" for UK Newman Center students as we kick off this edition of Vatican You considering the Council's reflections and changes to the "Divine Office"; a/k/a Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, etc.) prayed by religious, priests, deacons, and many members of the faithful. (Chapter IV of Sacrosanctum Concilium). Explore the way the Divine Office helps us 'pray without ceasing' and do our best to focus the days, seasons, years, and chapters of our lives on God.  Along the way, we also take a look at:

• one way of understanding the relationship of the Liturgy of the Hours (and Eucharistic Adoration) to the Mass
• ways to start small and consistent in developing a routine of prayer throughout the day
• various forms of the Liturgy of the Hours that might be good starting points for anyone
• the Patron Saint for your next "Whack-A-Mole" adventure on Patron Saint Roulette
• some practical suggestions for the work left to do in realizing the Council's vision for incorporating the Liturgy of the Hours into the life of the parish community

Vol 1, Ep 14 "(Divine) Office Space"

Fr. Chris helps Fr. Shaun get his pop-culture references straightened out and Fr. Alan hides an "Easter Egg" for UK Newman Center students right at the beginning of this episode discussing the Council's vision of the Liturgy of the Hours ("The Divine Office") in Ch. 4 of Sacrosanctum Concilium. Fr. Chris connects the Liturgy of the Hours (and Eucharistic Adoration) to the Mass, we offer practical suggestions for getting started with prayer that focuses the movement of our days, weeks, years, and seasons on God, and we discover the patron saint who can help in your next "Whack-A-Mole" adventure in this week's Patron Saint Roulette.

Vatican You Vol. 1, Ep. 13 "Rites 2.0" Edition

Fr. Chris' dancing monkey gets this Rites 2.0 edition of the Vatican You show off to a great start.  We hear about the tactical preparations Fr. Alan made to survive the recent Halloween festivities, and the hosts share their favorite Halloween costumes from years past.  (Just wait until you hear Fr. Shaun's favorite childhood costume - it's AWESOME!)  Fr. Jerry summarizes the Council's revisions to rites of ordination, marriage, sacramental blessings, consecration of virgins, religious professions, and the funeral liturgies.

• Explore the amazing story of St. Denis, who was martyred in Paris
• The Council's revisions are seen once again to be rooted in their desire to assure that the graces of the sacraments are more readily recognizable to all the faithful.
• The connection between the "Ite" (the "Go Forth") that is a common part of our rites and rituals and the revisions made by the Council is explored.
• The hosts consider specifically the changes to the Rite of Marriage - and the good reasons for the way it had been done and the way the Council re-envisions it are discussed; the hosts point out the importance of seeing the rites in continuity (embracing what is highlighted in both the pre-conciliar and post-conciliar forms).
• In this week's "Mail Bag" segment, the hosts ponder the Church's position on Halloween festivities.
• Fr. Chris has this week's last "Last Word" after some practical suggestions for all our listeners on doing something concrete with these words from the Council in our Real Life Segment.

We hope you enjoy this "Rites 2.0" edition of Vatican You.

Vol 1, Ep 13 "Rites 2.0"

Fr. Chris' dancing monkey gets us started on this week's "Rites 2.0" edition covering the Council's revisions to ordination, marriage, and funeral rites (among others). Looking back at Halloween, the hosts share their favorite costumes, and Fr. Alan describes the preparations he made to survive the festivities on a large college campus. Fr. Shaun offers some important perspectives on how the pre-conciliar marriage and funeral rites can continue to inform our celebrations today. Fr. Jerry helps us get our story straight on the martyrdom of St. Denis. And our hosts explore the Church's position on Halloween in this week's "Mail Bag" segment.

Vatican You Vol. 1, Ep. 12 "Water, Oil and Dirt" Edition

After a week's hiatus at our Super Secret Vatican You Research Labs, the hosts are back to continue our journey through Sacrosanctum Concilium (par. ) considering the changes the Council Fathers sought in the sacraments that mark the great movements and moments of our lives.  Explore the relationship between water, oil and dirt (that goes beyond Fr. Alan's typical laundry concerns.)

• Fr. Chris burns Fr. Alan within the first 2 minutes of this week's show - burns him so badly that Fr. Chris even thinks our listeners should send Fr. Alan some cookies to help heal his wounded ego.
• Fr. Shaun did such a great job with our last '2-Minute Drill' that he takes this episode as well.
• Find out why Fr. Alan is concerned that this episode might get all of the hosts invited to their bishops' offices.
• Our hosts unfold the "journey" the Council Fathers highlighted in some of the changes they outlined in the sacraments of initiation.
• This week on Catholic News Desk Live, we hear what the Vatican and Star Wars/Star Trek have in common.

Check out the Water, Oil and Dirt edition now - just click the "play" button below.

Vol 1, Ep 12 "Water, Oil, and Dirt"

After a week's hiatus at the Super Secret Vatican You Research Labs, the hosts are back to continue our journey through Sacrosanctum Concilium (par. 75-82) considering the changes the Council Fathers sought in the sacraments that mark the great movements and moments of our lives. Explore the relationship between water, oil and dirt (that goes beyond Fr. Alan's typical laundry concerns.) Fr. Chris burns Fr. Alan so bad within the first 2 minutes that Fr. Chris thinks our listeners should send Fr. Alan some cookies to heal his wounded ego. Fr. Shaun takes the 2-Minute Drill, and we reflect on the "journey" the Council highlighted in the changes to the Sacraments of Initiation. Catholic News Desk Life considers the relationship between the Vatican and Star Wars/Star Trek, and we get a perfect example of Fr. Chris' fine-tuned sarcasm.