Practicing Catholic

A weekly podcast for everyday holiness featuring real conversations and practical wisdom to arm you in the ordinary pursuit of sanctification. Join the Augustine Institute’s Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Hefelfinger as they explore topics such as work, family life, prayer, and Catholic culture. Each episode encourages and equips you with timeless wisdom drawn from Scripture, the lives of the Saints, and the Tradition of the Church, offering practical ways to grow in holiness in the midst of daily life. Have a question or an idea for a future episode? We’d love to hear it! Click here: http://bit.ly/3IHWk5q

  1. vor 8 Std.

    Why We Love Archbishop Fulton Sheen

    This week on Practicing Catholic, Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Hefelfinger celebrate Archbishop Fulton Sheen just days before his beatification in St. Louis. Emily joins the conversation as the guys trace Sheen's remarkable life story and reflect on why his witness has meant so much to them personally. Taylor and Scott walk through Sheen's biography — born in 1895, ordained in 1919, and shaped for life by a daily Holy Hour he kept without fail. They cover his advanced studies at Louvain, the Sorbonne, and the Angelicum, his 23 years teaching at Catholic University of America, his wildly popular radio ministry, and the Emmy-winning television show "Life Is Worth Living," which drew 30 million weekly viewers at its height. They also discuss the painful falling-out with Cardinal Spellman that ended his TV career, and how Sheen's later years of relative obscurity became, in their view, a lesson in detachment and holy suffering. Scott shares how discovering Sheen's writings and talks — especially during a 500-mile walk on the Camino de Santiago — profoundly shaped his own faith, while Emily reflects on knowing surprisingly little about Sheen despite his beatification happening in her own city. The episode closes with some of the most memorable stories of Sheen's personal ministry, his famous meeting with Pope John Paul II two months before his death, and a look ahead to his beatification. Taylor and Scott each share a personal challenge inspired by Sheen's example — including committing to a Holy Hour of their own. Have a question or topic idea for future episodes? Submit them here: http://practicingcatholicpodcast.com Explore more Fulton Sheen content on Formed! https://app.formed.org/app/collections/1492054  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. 14. Sept.

    How to Cultivate Silence for a Better Prayer Life

    On this episode of Practicing Catholic, hosts Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Hefelfinger tackle a challenge almost every praying Catholic knows well: sitting down for prayer only to find that silence is anything but quiet inside. Drawing on a year of listener response to their episodes on prayer, Taylor and Scott turn to the question underneath it — why cultivating real silence is so difficult, and why it's essential to the spiritual life anyway. Scott opens with a passage from St. Teresa of Avila's The Interior Castle, where she urges the soul entering the "second dwelling places" to strip away unnecessary business and busyness, not just sin, in order to progress. From there, the conversation turns practical: Taylor and Scott talk through the real sources of "noise" in their own lives — social media, podcasts, audiobooks, even good and worthy commitments — and how easily these can crowd out the space prayer needs. They discuss concrete habits that have helped them, like resisting the urge to fill a commute with music or podcasts and instead letting the mind settle and process the day, and stress that true silence isn't an empty nothingness but space intentionally filled with communion with God. The episode closes with each host sharing a personal action item for the week ahead — including a nightly Examen practice with family and a commitment to a silent morning walk — as a practical starting point for anyone hoping to make more room for God in the noise of daily life. Have a question or topic idea for future episodes? Submit them here: http://practicingcatholicpodcast.com/ Watch Into Great Silence on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/videos/4103291 Sign up for an Augustine Institute Retreat! https://www.augustineinstitute.org/about-pages/retreats-and-conferences Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. 24. Aug.

    Why 4th Century St. Augustine Is More Relevant Than Ever Today

    What can St. Augustine teach us about living a holy life in the modern world? Taylor and Scott welcome Dr. Elizabeth Klein to explore the life, writings, and enduring influence of this great Father and Doctor of the Church. From his conversion and vocation to his love of Scripture, Augustine shows us how holiness grows through saying yes to God, loving the people closest to us, cultivating friendship, and being radically available to those around us.   The conversation also explores how Augustine’s thought continues to shape Catholic theology, what we can learn from his approach to Scripture, and how his example can help us resist the egocentrism and isolation of modern life. Plus, the hosts discuss practical ways to pray with Scripture through lectio divina, recommendations for getting started with Augustine’s writings, favorite Bible passages, and personal challenges inspired by the episode.   Have a question or topic idea for future episodes? Submit them here: http://practicingcatholicpodcast.com   Listen to the Catholic Saints Podcast: https://www.augustineinstitute.org/podcast/catholic-saints   Watch The Heart of Prayer with Bishop Cozzens on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/1473553     Watch Lectio: Prayer on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/115705     Watch an Overview of the Confessions with Dr. Klein and Dr. John Sehorn on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/765930     Take Dr. Klein’s short course on Augustine’s Confessions: https://courses.augustineinstitute.org/courses/the-confessions-of-st-augustine   Purchase Dr. Klein’s book, “What Every Catholic Should Know about God”: https://catholic.market/books/god-what-every-catholic-should-know/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Info

A weekly podcast for everyday holiness featuring real conversations and practical wisdom to arm you in the ordinary pursuit of sanctification. Join the Augustine Institute’s Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Hefelfinger as they explore topics such as work, family life, prayer, and Catholic culture. Each episode encourages and equips you with timeless wisdom drawn from Scripture, the lives of the Saints, and the Tradition of the Church, offering practical ways to grow in holiness in the midst of daily life. Have a question or an idea for a future episode? We’d love to hear it! Click here: http://bit.ly/3IHWk5q

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