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Adam went out to the shop and heard birds. Which would be fine — except the shop has closed-cell spray foam insulation. Thick stuff. Solid. Apparently it doesn't matter, because the birds had been pecking through it anyway, six spots deep, living inside the walls like they owned the place. He grabbed a can of expanding foam, took his six-year-old Leo out to help seal the gaps, and watched Leo immediately stick his hand in the wet foam. It went everywhere. On Leo. On the shop doors. On a previous car that is now long gone. If you've ever tried to wipe expanding foam off anything, you know how the rest of that goes. He opened the show with that story. Then Jim Spencer showed up — back after a long hiatus, cowboy hat on, ready to weigh in — and they cracked a bottle of Kilchoman's 14th Edition, an Islay scotch that doesn't get the attention of a Laphroaig or Ardbeg but probably deserves it. A $110 bottle. Jim put it at a 3.91 on the yummy scale (it was a prime number recording day, so that's out of 7 — work it out yourself). They all agreed it was legitimately good. Before getting into the main topic, Dave gave an update on Baby Mary. She's been on a paralytic to help her grow, and they're trying to wean her off it. She tolerated the second attempt better than the first, but not well enough. They'll try again Monday or Tuesday. Pray for her blood pressure to stay stable when she comes off, and for her heart and lungs to stop fighting the ventilator. Dave said it directly and without dramatics, and that's the right way to hear it. The episode is about the dinner table. Not as a feel-good idea — as a liturgy. Adam had done a piece on this for his Substack: what makes a good day? Not an emotional high. A good day. He landed on three things: early morning prayer and reading, honing his craft in some way, and making it to the dinner table. They spent the hour unpacking why that third one carries so much weight. Dave brought in the biblical thread — Abraham hosting God and the angels, Moses eating with the elders on the mountain, the Passover meal, the Last Supper, Christ asking for fish in his glorified body just to show the disciples he wasn't a ghost, the Road to Emmaus where he revealed himself in the breaking of bread. The pattern is not subtle. God keeps showing up at tables. There might be something to that. Adam made the distinction between communication and communion. A lecture is communicative. The dinner table — done right — is a place of communion. The giving and the receiving. The statement and the response. That's not an accident. It's what the table is for. They got into the practical mechanics: one conversation at a time, husband and wife starting the conversation before the kids are brought in, ending dinner with prayer for the souls in purgatory, the escalating formality through the day (breakfast is just survival, lunch gets the flowers on the table, dinner gets the candles). Dave's daughters were wearing hoop skirts on the grass at the contra dance they hosted the night before. He mentioned a Clear Creek inspiration — the monks don't even sit at breakfast. He's pondering it. Adam is not. The story that landed hardest was from Alabama. He and Dave were on their way to EWTN — they recorded an episode in Mother Angelica's office, and Adam has video of Dave in makeup, which is apparently a treasure. They had dinner at the home of a man named Charlie Remore, a friend of a friend they'd never met. Large family. Long dinner table. Every child had a job, and they knew it cold. One managed silverware, one managed plates. When dinner ended, one stood up and cleared. Adam tried to stack the plates to help, and Charlie's kid corrected him — politely, but clearly. Don't stack the plates. We have to wash both sides. That's my job. That's disinterested service. The Catechism (CCC 2223) actually names it. Charlie's household had made it habitual. No one was waiting for a thank-you. The family is the mission. The picky eater section was, as promised, a hot take. Adam doesn't tolerate it. Eat what's served or it goes in the fridge and that's what you're eating next time. He said it, Dave agreed, and they both acknowledged it's hard — the chicken nuggets are right there, it's easier, you're tired — but the long-term cost of caving is worse than the short-term cost of holding the line. Your kid spreading butter with their fingers in your presence, knowing the rule, is an event that requires a response. Even when it happens to be this morning. After dinner prayer. Pray it. For the faithful departed. It's been jettisoned by most Catholic families, including strong ones, and it shouldn't be. You're feeding those who can no longer feed themselves. That's what it is. Raise your glass. TOPICS COVEREDBirds pecking through closed-cell spray foam — and why Leo is now microdosing industrial chemicalsKilkeman's 14th Edition Islay scotch: Jim Spencer's 3.91 on the yummy scale (out of 7 — prime number day)Baby Mary update: weaning off the paralytic, prayer request for blood pressure stabilityWhat makes a good day — Adam's three metrics: morning prayer, honing the craft, the dinner tableGod keeps showing up at tables: Abraham, Moses, Passover, Last Supper, Road to Emmaus, the glorified body asking for fishCommunication vs. communion — and why the dinner table is the latterDave's contra dance at Niles Ranch and Fecundity Farm — live violin, Jonathan and Jessica Hodge, Becca Niles, ~20 adults, a lot of kidsJonathan Hodge's classroom liturgy: "Why are we here? To learn from the great men and women who have come before us."Adam's daily school drop-off call and response: "Today's a great day" / "To be a great saint"Charlie Remoure's table in Alabama: disinterested service in a large family done rightOne conversation at a time — why the loudest voices always win in a free-for-all, and why that's not the goalHusband and wife start the conversation before the kids — the table as marriage prep for your childrenEscalating formality: breakfast informal, lunch flowers, dinner candlesAfter dinner prayer for the souls in purgatory — and why it's been quietly dropped by most Catholic familiesPicky eaters: Adam's position, the fridge play, and why every picky eater somehow likes chicken nuggets REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODECharlie Remoure — dinner host, Alabama; friend of a mutual friend; large family with exceptional dinner table cultureJonathan Hodge — teacher, Tulsa Classical Academy; contra dance musician; Jonathan Hodge's classroom liturgyJessica Hodge — violinist, piano teacher to the Niles kidsBecca (Dave's sister) — violinistLittle House on the Prairie: The Long Winter — Laura Ingalls WilderEWTN — mentioned in passing (recording trip, Mother Angelica's office)The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 2223 — disinterested serviceDeuteronomy 6 — instruction of children "when you sit in your house"Clear Creek Monastery — mentioned re: standing breakfast, monastic orderFather Ketterer — shout-out listenerMatt — listener, North Dakota, protecting the northern borderGage — listener, home from deployment, birthday shout-out Sponsor: Select International Tours — selectinternationaltours.com Adam and Dave have used them. When they decided to lead their first pilgrimage and started asking around, Select was the name everyone gave them. Whether you want to lead a pilgrimage or join one, they're the real deal — go see what they've got.

Dave's cows got out again. The gate was shut. Just not latched. There's a difference — a difference Dave now knows in vivid detail, courtesy of the Broken Arrow Police Department and at least one very stressed heifer on the turnpike. Nobody died. The cows are back. The neighborhood is bonded. And apparently this is just a tradition they keep at Niles Ranch and Fecundity Farm. This week Adam and Dave sat down with a glass of Dancing Panda — a straight Kentucky bourbon, eight years, 100 proof, with an unexpected apple-cinnamon finish — and got into someone most Catholics have heard of but few have actually read: St. Bonaventure. Before you dive in: Adam's daughter Mary is in the hospital. Her lungs keep deflating. The situation is hour by hour. Please pray for her. St. Bonaventure is, in a word, underrated. He was the Franciscan answer to Aquinas — less systematic, more contemplative, every bit as deep. Best friends with Thomas Aquinas. Minister General of the Franciscan Order. Seraphic Doctor. Second founder of the Franciscans. The man who, when Aquinas read his contribution to the Mass reform aloud, said "That's perfect. There's no need for mine" — and meant it. The book on the table is Holiness of Life, published by Coriaceous Press. Written to a Poor Clare nun. Short — you can finish it in an afternoon. Dense — you'll carry it for a long time after. Bonaventure lays out a ladder. Self-knowledge first. Then humility. Then poverty. Then silence. Then prayer, the remembrance of Christ's passion, perfect love of God, and final perseverance. Adam and Dave cover the first four. Self-knowledge is not a journaling exercise. It's a brutal, honest accounting of where you actually are — seeing your dignity as an image of God and your misery as a sinner, both at the same time, clearly. Bonaventure names three root causes of sin: negligence, passion, and malice. He also gives you a mirror: are your interior promptings pulling toward pleasure, curiosity, or vanity? Most of us don't have to think long. Humility follows — because you can't see yourself honestly and still puff up. Bonaventure says humility is the guardian and foundation of all virtues. To excel in virtue without humility is to carry dust before the wind. If pride is the root of every sin, humility is the root of every virtue. And Adam drops the Aquinas line that's worth writing on a wall: A man is truly wealthy when he lacks nothing that he truly needs for salvation. Poverty, in Bonaventure's framing, isn't about being broke. It's about holy detachment. The unburdening of the soul so you can actually run toward Christ. We're not trying to anchor ourselves in this world. The more you sink your teeth into worldly things, the less you can sink your soul into heavenly ones. And then silence. Not just quiet in the house — interior silence. Bonaventure says poverty and silence are twins. Those appetites you feed don't just cost you. They're loud. They lie. They drown out everything you need to hear about who you actually are. Bonaventure wrote: "Silence has another advantage. It shows that man belongs to a better world. If a man lives in Germany and yet does not speak German, we naturally conclude that he is not German. So too, we rightly conclude that a man who does not give himself up to worldly conversation is not of the world, although he lives therein." That'll stay with you. Topics covered in this episode: Dave's cows, the Broken Arrow Police Department, and the difference between shut and latchedWho St. Bonaventure actually was — and why he's been undersold for centuriesWhy Bonaventure is called the Seraphic Doctor and the second founder of the FranciscansThe four-part structure of Holiness of Life: self-knowledge, humility, poverty, silenceThe three root causes of sin: negligence, passion, maliceWhy holiness costs everything — and there's no negotiating a discountHumility as the guardian and foundation of all virtueThe Aquinas line on what real wealth actually isPoverty as holy detachment — practical application for married men with mortgagesWhy poverty and silence are twins — how attachment to things creates interior noiseThe German analogy for silence: belonging to a better worldStoic meditation vs. Christian prayer — why entering into yourself is not the same thingSelf-knowledge as an ongoing relationship with our Lord, not a box to checkFulton Sheen's Emmy speech and Mother Teresa — what God actually usesFinal perseverance — and why Adam wants it more than anything else Referenced in this episode: Holiness of Life — St. Bonaventure St. Thomas Aquinas — the Mass reform story and the quote on true wealthSt. Bernard — on humility and exact self-knowledgeSt. Francis of Assisi — and why he deserves a better reputationFulton Sheen, Mother Teresa — as examples of God using the truly humbleCor Jesu Press Sponsor: Select International Tours — selectinternationaltours.com Whether you want to lead a pilgrimage or join one, Select is who you call. Adam and Dave have used them. The real deal. Patreon note: Catholic Glencairn glasses are still available for $10/month supporters — but not for much longer. Jim Spencer needs a break. If you want one, now is the time.

Most Catholic dads are working hard in their home. The problem? They’re not working on it. There’s a difference between a household that runs because you’re there holding it together — and one that’s been designed to form your wife and children for heaven even when you’re not in the room. In this episode, Dave and Adam get into John Cuddeback’s framework for the domestic church, pull from their book Living Beyond Sunday, and share the 3 telltale signs your home is running on willpower instead of design. Plus: what to do about it, how morning chaos is actually a design problem, and why the living room might be the most important room in your house. In This EpisodeWhy Holy Week is the lens through which this entire conversation happensThe Deacon’s homily: “You are a thought of God made flesh” — and what that means at your most broken momentsAdam’s son Luke wins concert tickets — then realizes it’s Good Friday. What happened next.Adam announces M6 Marketing and The Grounded Builder SubstackThe body-soul composite of the home: daily life vs. moral and spiritual formationWorking IN your family vs. working ON your family (the entrepreneur analogy every dad needs)3 signs your home runs on willpower, not design:The same corrections keep happening to the same kids — it’s not a motivation problem, it’s a design problemMorning chaos — nothing was built right the night before to make it smoothYour presence is the only thing holding it together — when you’re gone, the wheels fall off3 diagnostic questions to ask when something keeps breaking in your homeThe Great Silence: Dave’s family morning prayer rule (and why it’s formed him more than his kids)Why bells beat yelling — and the sacramental case for ringing a blessed bell in your homeGiving kids real work with real consequences: why sweeping the floor doesn’t cut itThe dinner table as non-negotiable — and why screens are the enemy of family formationThe one room in your house not ordered toward a biological need — and why it matters mostWhy designing the household is a man’s domain and responsibility — ordered entirely in love Timestamps00:00 — The manliness warning. Yes, they played it twice.01:30 — Blessed Holy Week + Deacon’s homily: “You are a thought of God”07:00 — Luke wins concert tickets. It’s Good Friday. What he said.09:30 — Mary’s procedure + prayer request11:00 — Adam announces M6 Marketing + The Grounded Builder Substack15:30 — White Lightning: the 1989 Chevy, the gas station, and the woman whose dad owned it22:00 — The topic: designing your home as the domestic church25:00 — Cuddeback’s 4 things a home must do + the body-soul composite of household life30:00 — Working IN the family vs. ON the family (business owner analogy)34:00 — The 3 signs your home runs on willpower, not design40:00 — The 3 diagnostic questions when something keeps breaking45:00 — Rules for the day, the Great Silence, and preparing kids to hear God’s voice53:00 — The case for blessed bells (and why yelling kills the spirit of what you’re doing)58:00 — Giving kids real work with real consequences1:02:00 — The dinner table: the most attacked and most essential daily ritual1:07:00 — The living room: the only room not ordered toward a biological need1:12:00 — Why this is a man’s job — and what authority granted in love looks like Resources MentionedThe American Catholic Land Movement — edited by Jason Craig and Jared Stout (TAN Books)Living Beyond Sunday: Making Your Home a Holy Place — by Dave Niles and Adam MinihanJohn Cuddeback, Ph.D. — philosopher, professor, and homesteader. Find him at LifeCraft.orgThe Grounded Builder — Adam’s Substack on virtue, business, fatherhood, and homesteading. Published every Thursday.Select International Tours — selectinternationaltours.com — The Catholic pilgrimage company Dave and Adam trust.Divine Mercy Chaplet — pray it daily at 3:00 PM, the Hour of MercyThe Great Silence — a monastic morning practice you can adapt for your home. Start with Psalm 51. Enjoyed This Episode?Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it’s the single best thing you can do to help other Catholic men find the show. Takes 90 seconds. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. New episodes weekly. Follow the show at thecatholicmanshow.com and find Dave and Adam on social media.

In this episode of The Catholic Man Show, Adam and David crack open a rare Teeling whiskey from Ireland and dive into a topic most men never examine: avarice. Often reduced to “greed,” avarice is far more subtle—and far more dangerous. Drawing from St. John Cassian, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the spiritual tradition of the Church, the guys explore how a disordered attachment to material things can quietly shape our lives, distort our priorities, and even blind us spiritually. They discuss how modern “grind culture” can normalize avarice, why money itself is uniquely deceptive among the vices, and how this sin can creep in unnoticed—even among faithful men striving for holiness. The conversation also tackles: Why avarice is different from other sinsThe “seven daughters” of greed according to AquinasHow avarice leads to restlessness, anxiety, and spiritual blindnessThe connection between avarice and a lack of trust in GodThe surprising concept of spiritual avaricePractical strategies to root it out, including manual labor, generosity, and community If you’ve never considered avarice in your examination of conscience, this episode will challenge you to take a deeper look—and give you a path forward.

What is time for? In this episode, Adam and David reflect on the gift of time through the lens of Catholic theology, fatherhood, prayer, suffering, work, and even Nick Saban’s famous process-driven mindset. The conversation begins with updates on baby Mary and a moving reflection on the fragile beauty of life, suffering, healing, and hope. From there, the discussion turns toward a deeper meditation on time itself: how easily we waste it, how often we rush through it, and how every moment is a gift given by God. Drawing from St. Augustine, St. Teresa of Avila, the Psalms, leisure, memory, mortality, and the demands of vocation, Adam and David explore what it means to live well in the present moment. They also connect this to Nick Saban’s practical framework of focusing on the now, controlling the controllables, and trusting the process over the outcome. This episode is a call for Catholic men to stop drifting through life, stop living in regret or anxiety, and start receiving time as the arena in which God prepares us for eternity. In this episode:An update on baby Mary and the power of prayerWhy suffering, life, and death sharpen our awareness of timeSt. Augustine on the mystery of past, present, and futureWhy Catholic men must stop wasting the present momentFatherhood, busyness, and the fear of missing what matters mostLeisure as the wise use of timeSt. Teresa of Avila on growth in prayerHow to stop rushing through lifeNick Saban’s “focus on the now” mindset through a Catholic lensControl the controllables and trust the processTime, judgment, memory, and eternity Key takeaway:You cannot control the future. You cannot relive the past. But you can receive the present moment as a gift from God and use it for holiness.

David and Adam are back in the groove for Lent. They open with a timely conversation about Pope Leo's call for priests to stop using AI to write homilies, and why that warning matters far beyond the pulpit. The guys explore how AI threatens the muscles of human creativity, the irreplaceable nature of human-to-human proclamation of the Gospel, and where men should draw their own lines before the technology draws them for you. Then it's deep dive time into Dante's Divine Comedy — specifically the Dantinian ordering of sin, love, and the moral life across the Inferno and Purgatorio. David and Adam unpack: Why lust is the first (mildest) circle of Hell — and why that's actually a message of hope, not a free passWhy fraud and treason sit at the bottom — and what it means to so disfigure your soul that evil looks like goodThe mirror structure of Purgatory — pride at the base, lust at the summit, and why the climb starts nowMisdirected love, deficient love, and excessive love — how Dante's ladder maps directly onto your daily examination of conscienceWhy Hell is isolation and Purgatory is communion — and what that says about Christian hopeAcedia (sloth) redefined — it's not laziness, it's spiritual sluggishness, and it may be the most dangerous sin of the comfortableCato's charge at the gate of Purgatory: Run. Don't wait a second. The guys also taste a rare bottle of Angel's Envy Rye finished in Anejo Tequila barrels (104 proof, surprisingly mellow), give a shout-out to their upcoming 10-year anniversary, and share a sneak peek at the Catholic Man Show Campout short film dropping soon on Patreon. Resources mentioned: The Divine Comedy by Dante AlighieriAscend the Great Books podcast with Deacon GarlickPatreon.com/TheCatholicManShowSelectInternationalTours.com

Adam Minihan and Dave Niles open this episode with a story about two broken-down vehicles, a newborn daughter named Mary, and a prayer over a dying engine that — Amen — actually worked. From there they settle in with some Basil Hayden bourbon and turn to a piece of Dante most people have never read: the Convivio, his unfinished philosophical treatise written during his exile from Florence. The main topic: wonder. What it is, why Dante considered it the most critical virtue to cultivate in adolescence, and what we lose when we crush it in our kids... often without realizing it. Dante divides life into four stages: adolescence (birth to 25), youth (25 to 45), old age (45 to 70), and extreme old age (70 and beyond). Each stage has its own virtues and tasks. But it's adolescence — the age of obedience, wonder, and ordering loves — that Dante treats with the most urgency. Because wonder, once crushed, is very hard to resurrect. Adam and Dave unpack why screens flatten the imagination, why GK Chesterton's wonder at green grass wasn't eccentricity but sanity, and why Dante's most devastating line about education still applies today: if you raise kids without wonder, you may make them competent... but not wise. Also in this episode: the connection between Dante and Aquinas, the KU Integrated Humanities Program and David Dean, a monk at Clear Creek who hadn't read his prior's book and why that was one of the wisest things Dave has ever seen, and the difference between knowledge and wisdom in the age of AI. Deacon Harrison Garlick's Ascend the Great Books podcast is working through the Purgatorio right now. If you're not following along, this episode is a good reason to start. This episode brought to you in partnership with Select International Tours — selectinternationaltours.com. Topics covered in this episode: Adam's van saga, a dying alternator, and what happens when you pray like Jeff CavinsDante's exile from Florence and why Pope Boniface VIII ended up in the eighth circle of hellThe four stages of life from the Convivio — adolescence, youth, old age, and extreme old age — and the virtues and tasks for eachWhy Dante places the pinnacle of life at age 33 (and why that's not a coincidence)Wonder vs. ignorance — Dante's distinction and why it matters for how we raise kidsScreens and the flattening of wonder — Dave's strong opinion, delivered with characteristic convictionGK Chesterton and the green grass"You cannot love that which you have never wondered at" — Dante's most profound parenting insightThe connection between leisure and wonder — why you can't have one without the otherWhy the goal is heaven, not Harvard Referenced in this episode: The Convivio (The Banquet) — Dante AlighieriThe Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio) — Dante AlighieriIris Exiled: A Synoptic History of Wonder — Dennis QuinnAscend the Great Books Podcast — Deacon Harrison GarlickDavid Dean — humanities professor, student of John Senior's program at KUJeff Cavins

We’re back, and life got realIt has been the lightest recording stretch the show has had in almost ten years. Adam owns the delay and explains why. Since the last episode, baby Mary arrived very early at around 27 weeks and about two pounds. She was baptized immediately, and there is a question about whether she was also confirmed due to the use of holy oils and the circumstances. A few days after birth, Mary underwent an intense and invasive surgery that lasted more than six hours. The surgeon later said it was the hardest operation he had ever performed. The procedure connected her esophagus to her stomach, and the family is now living the day to day reality of the NICU: small adjustments, constant monitoring, and a careful balance with oxygen, blood pressure, heart rate, and long term risks. The charity that is hard to receiveA theme that keeps surfacing is gratitude, and how hard it can be to receive help when you want to be in control. Adam and David thank listeners for prayers, meals, transportation help, and the quiet generosity that shows up when you least expect it. They give a major shoutout to the Ronald McDonald House, which provided a place for the family to stay near the hospital, along with meals and support that would have been financially impossible otherwise. Adam also mentions friends and patrons who opened their homes and brought food. It is a reminder that “village” is not a cliché when your world turns upside down. Also, in the middle of all this, Adam’s son Leo drops a classic kid moment at Mass: during a serious homily he leans over and asks when he will get to meet J.B. Mooney, the professional bull rider. Fatherhood keeps you humble. What they’re drinkingDavid brings a bottle from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society featuring Royal Brackla. The tasting notes are ridiculous in the best way, described like “dessert in the workshop,” with custard, toffee chunks, marshmallow, and an unexpected “carpenter’s shop” vibe. It even has a hint of iodine that makes David think of Islay, without the heavy peat and smoke. A relic in the hotel roomA priest from the diocese drops off a first class relic of St. Gemma, telling Adam to keep it while the family walks through this trial. Adam and David talk about the reality of having the body of a saint in the room with you, and the comfort that brings, especially when the road ahead is long. Lent and temperance: not a “no,” but a “yes”The episode’s main topic is temperance, framed as the Lenten virtue that touches everything. The simple kid definition they love is: temperance is having a healthy amount of everything. Not perfect, but memorable. They push back against the idea that temperance is just restriction. Temperance is not merely refusing the extra piece of cake. It is also the positive ordering of your life so you can say yes to the right things at the right time in the right way: exercise, prayer, rest, work, family presence, joy, celebration. The key theme: virtue is always a yes. The “no” exists to protect the “yes.” St. John Cassian and the “bread” of SodomOne of the most interesting turns comes from St. John Cassian’s Institutes. Cassian argues that Sodom’s first sin was not the obvious sin people associate with Sodom and Gomorrah. He points to Ezekiel and emphasizes surplus, abundance, and gluttony. Cassian’s logic is that the disorder starts low and spreads upward: feed the appetite, then the passions grow louder, the will weakens, and eventually the mind rationalizes what it should never have chosen. They connect this to the common sense link between food appetites and sexual appetites. If you cannot curb the basic, you will struggle to curb the higher. A line that lands: If you can’t say no, your yes means nothing. Pleasure, pain, and spiritual clarityAdam shares a sharp thought: pleasure clouds judgment faster than pain. Suffering, especially voluntary suffering, tends to focus the mind. It wakes you up and forces clarity. That is why fasting can sharpen spiritual vision. It reveals attachments you thought you did not have. They bring in Father Anselm Stolz’s point: ascetic practices are not the end. The end is contemplation, union with God, and becoming more like Christ. The danger for men is turning Lent into an achievement badge, turning penance into pride, and making the self the center. Temperance orders the whole manThey outline a hierarchy: God, reason, will, passions, body. Temperance helps keep the order intact, so the higher rules the lower and the lower serves the higher. When the passions take the driver’s seat, the will becomes a servant, reason gets distorted, and you can rationalize sin quickly or slowly over years. They also emphasize something many men miss: the temperate man feasts. Feasting well matters. If you do not fast, you will not feast well. If you cannot feast temperately, your fasting might be more about control than freedom. Practical takeaways for dadsOne of the best “take this home” moments is teaching kids delayed gratification. The classic M&M test becomes a simple, memorable way to form a child in temperance. Kids have wildly different reactions, and that is the point. You are building the muscle of waiting for the greater good. They also offer a gut check for adults: a good test of temperance is how you feast, not only how you fast. If Sundays turn into chaos, bingeing, and excuses, something is off. The goal is freedom. Closing thoughtLent is a season of no so you can say yes. Mastery before glory. The Christian life is not an empty handed life. It is abundance in the right order.

What does it actually mean to persevere? In this episode, Adam and David unpack the Catholic understanding of perseverance—not as white-knuckled suffering, but as faithfully enduring in the pursuit of the good over time. Using insights from St. Thomas Aquinas, they explain why perseverance is less about dramatic hardship and more about showing up day after day in prayer, marriage, fatherhood, and work—even when there is no immediate payoff. From the slow labor of a sow giving birth, to the monotony of daily prayer, to the demands of being present as a father, this episode reframes perseverance as one of the most essential virtues for the modern man. Topics include: St. Thomas Aquinas’ definition of perseveranceThe difference between perseverance and constancyWhy perseverance is about duration, not difficultyWhy there is no “excess” of perseveranceFinal perseverance as a gift from GodWhy motivation fades but discipline remainsPractical ways to grow in perseverance as a man

In this episode of The Catholic Man Show, Adam and David discuss the essential role of fathers in catechizing their children... not just by teaching information, but by forming habits, traditions, and a lived love for the Catholic faith. Adam shares a personal update about his family and the power of prayer and community during a time of serious medical uncertainty. From there, the conversation turns to what real catechesis looks like in the home: modeling prayer, creating a culture of beauty, building liturgical traditions, and making the Eucharist the center of family life. The guys explore why passing on the faith is less about producing kids who can pass a religion test, and more about raising children who know God is real and worth ordering their entire life around. Topics include: Why fathers are primarily responsible for catechesisThe difference between knowing the faith and loving the faithTeaching children how to pray by exampleUsing beauty, art, and the home to form soulsWhy habits and traditions matter more than programsMaking the Eucharist the source and summit of family life Support The Catholic Man Show: www.patreon.com/thecatholicmanshow Thank you to our sponsor: Select International Tours

This episode moves from a lighthearted family practice of setting “New Year’s disciplines” into a serious, practical conversation on Josef Pieper’s The Concept of Sin. Adam and David argue that modern culture often avoids the word “sin” not because sin disappeared, but because the concept of sin has been replaced with softer language: mistakes, weakness, psychological explanations, or vague “bad choices.” Pieper’s central claim, they explain, is that sin is not merely a moral misstep but a rejection of reality itself. The conversation ties sin directly to freedom. Only a truly free person can sin, because sin requires knowledge, responsibility, and the willful refusal of the good. Drawing on the Catechism, they frame sin as an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience, as well as a failure in love caused by disordered attachment to lesser goods. Sin is not “missing the mark” in the sense of trying hard and falling short; it is a refusal, a “no” to what is. They also explore how every sin involves untruthfulness and self-deception. To commit sin, a person constructs a false account of reality that makes the act seem reasonable. This helps explain why rationalization demands constant outside validation and why modern life often tries to remove guilt without removing sin. Against that, the hosts emphasize that forgiveness presupposes guilt, and sin can only be understood alongside grace. Practical takeaways include building a daily examination of conscience, paying attention to patterns and triggers, naming both sins of commission and omission, and running to confession with regularity. The episode closes with a fatherly focus: how to speak about sin with children truthfully without crushing them, holding together mercy and clarity so that kids learn both the seriousness of sin and the permanence of love. Key topics covered A family approach to New Year’s disciplines: spiritual, virtue-driven, and “free choice” goalsWhy “the concept of sin” has faded while sin itself has notPieper’s claim: before sin is a moral issue, it is a metaphysical issueSin, freedom, and responsibility: why only the free can sinWhy sin is more than “missing the mark”: refusal vs. mistakeSin as rejection of reality and the link to truth and the transcendentalsThe role of self-deception and rationalization in every sinful actGrace and forgiveness: why forgiveness presupposes guiltVice vs. sin and how habitual patterns can erode clarity and hopeExamination of conscience, confession, and spiritual “trench warfare”Parenting: naming sin without demoralizing children, holding truth with mercy Notable references mentioned Josef Pieper, The Concept of SinCatechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1849 (definition of sin)St. Paul on grace abounding where sin increasesDiscussion invitation: patrons reading Romano Guardini, Letters from Lake Como (relationship to technology)A practical tip for readers: keeping quotes and notes in a phone note app Practical takeaways Do a daily examination of conscience: where you fell, where grace was present, and what you failed to do.Identify the “script” behind recurring sins: time of day, moods, environments, triggers, and predictable pathways.Treat confession as a regular cadence, not only an emergency response.Pay attention to sins of omission: failure to act, speak, defend, or choose the harder good.When talking with children: name sin clearly, offer mercy quickly, and keep the relationship intact. Sponsors, community, and announcements Patron discussion announcement: Romano Guardini, Letters from Lake Como, with guest Brandon Sheard (Farmstead Meatsmith)Whiskey mentioned: Cream of Kentucky, small batch bourbon; “yummy scale” rating joke lands at 4.2

Opening: Joy evangelizes (and kids teach us)The “joyful demeanor” that opens doors to talking about Jesus (without getting weird).A godfather breakfast on a baptism anniversary becomes a living lesson in evangelization.“Five seconds” theology: most of our daily encounters are brief—so what do we do with them? The Thomistic pivot: Why life feels like a blurTime accelerates as you age; “someday” becomes a trap.Many men feel stuck for 10–15 years—spiritually, vocationally, relationally, and in work.The antidote isn’t bigger ambition—it’s better order. Aquinas on happiness: What won’t satisfyAquinas method: name the end (happiness), then rule out false ends. Wealth: money is a means, not a final end.Honor / reputation: depends on others; happiness must be stable and interior.Power: instrumental, addictive, and easily disguised as “leadership.”Pleasure: real and good, but cannot be the end—pleasure perfects an act, it doesn’t define the goal. The positive claim: What happiness actually isPerfect happiness is the vision of God (beatific vision).We can’t fully attain it in this life, but we can live an imperfect happiness by ordering our lives toward it.Key shift: beatitude, not optimization. Hierarchy of goods (practical framework for 2026)Three filters for any resolution: Is it ordered toward the highest good? (God, truth, contemplation)Does it support your vocation? (husband/father, priest, etc.)Does it treat lesser goods as means? (money, status, comfort serve the mission) Concrete resolutions (small, durable, lifelong)“Not huge shifts—small profitable habits that stick.”Guarding silence and adding a few more minutes of contemplative prayer.A reminder: you can “succeed” without prayer, but not in the way a Christian wants to succeed. The closing medicine: Gratitude slows timeGratitude grounds you in the present and breaks the “always next” mindset.Hard to stay bitter when you’re truly thankful.Cheers to Jesus—and to living the winning side like you mean it.

Cy Kellett, host of Catholic Answers Live, joins the Catholic Man Show for a wide-ranging and surprisingly practical conversation on evangelization. If the idea of “sharing your faith” makes you uncomfortable, intimidated, or quietly guilty, this episode is for you. The guys talk about why evangelization feels scary for normal Catholics in the pews, why it is not optional, and why God never asked you to be effective. He only asked you to be faithful. Cy explains why pressure to “get results” is misplaced, how discouragement is the devil’s favorite weapon against evangelists, and why introverts might actually be better at sharing the Gospel than extroverts. They also dig into what the Gospel actually is, why “God loves you” is true but incomplete, and how the full Christian story speaks directly to the modern world’s confusion about meaning, identity, and purpose. From street evangelization to talking with adult children who have drifted from the faith, Cy offers clarity, encouragement, and concrete advice rooted in real experience. This is an episode about integrity, prayer, the sacraments, and learning how to talk about Jesus in a way that is honest, human, and real. In this episode: Why evangelization feels intimidating for ordinary CatholicsWhy you are not called to be effective, only faithfulHow discouragement shuts down evangelizationThe difference between proclamation and debateWhy introverts can be excellent evangelistsWhat the Gospel actually is, beyond “God loves you”How modern culture misunderstands science and human dignityWhy evangelization always includes words, not just exampleThe role of prayer and the Eucharist in sustaining evangelistsWhy the goal is winning souls, not argumentsCy’s new book, How to Talk About Jesus with Anybody Guest: Cy Kellett, host of Catholic Answers Live and co-author of How to Talk About Jesus with Anybody Book mentioned: How to Talk About Jesus with Anybody by Steve Dawson with Cy Kellett

Ever wake up with that “today is the day” feeling, like you are ready to conquer the world? The guys start there, take a hard left into Pinky and the Brain, and somehow end up pondering what it was like when Christ rose from the dead. From there, it turns into a practical, tradition-packed episode on celebrating Christmas well. Not the Hallmark version, and not the American “Christmas ends on December 26” version either. The kind that actually follows the liturgical calendar, keeps Advent as Advent, and treats Christmas as a season, not a day. Along the way, they review a Taiwanese whiskey from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, talk family customs that make the day feel grounded, and make a strong case for grandfathers and fathers to be the custodians of tradition. One of the best parts is a simple, doable challenge: take the 12 Days of Christmas seriously and mark the feast days with small, intentional practices your family will actually remember. In this episode: The “wake up and conquer the world” mood vs the day Christ resurrectedAdvent vs Christmas, and why our culture gets it backwardsWhy “Merry” used to mean more like blessed than happyMidnight Mass, caroling, real Christmas trees, and reading Luke before presentsA great grandfather tradition: gather the family and speak from the heartGifts for kids: fewer and meaningful vs abundance as a sign of the Father’s generosityThe 12 Days of Christmas, and the feast days that stack up fastSt. John’s Blessing of Wine and why you should do itA practical idea for the Holy Innocents: dads blessing their children out loudEpiphany water and why you should plan ahead to get it blessed Whiskey for the episode: Taiwanese whiskey (Scotch Malt Whisky Society pick), “Dunker’s Delight” style notes, 107 proof, with flavors like caramel and apple pie crust. Challenge for the week: Pick two feast days during the 12 Days of Christmas and do something small but real. Bless your kids, bless wine, invite someone over, go to Mass, or start a tradition worth keeping.

In this episode, Adam and David welcome back longtime friend and mentor Matthew Christoff of EveryCatholicMan.com to talk about what it really means to become a happier Catholic man. Matthew shares the story behind his new devotional, “Becoming a Happier Catholic Man 2026,” and why he believes every man can be happier by drawing closer to Jesus, embracing suffering, and living a zealous Catholic life. Topics discussed: Why God actually wills our true and lasting happinessThe difference between fleeting pleasure and beatitudePracticing the presence of God in ordinary daily lifeUsing “triggers” like sirens, cemeteries, and churches to turn the mind to GodHow technology, curiosity, and pornography are devastating modern manhoodHomeostasis of the soul: breaking habits and building new spiritual baselinesWhy pornography and AI-generated lust are a major assault on men and womenConfession, near occasions of sin, and forming a real battle planThe need for a “penance revival” to accompany the Eucharistic RevivalWhy evangelizing men is decisive for families, parishes, and cultureHow awe of Jesus, not just information about him, is the foundation of conversionThe structure of the book: weekly Gospel commentary, awe-of-Jesus focus, maxims, and prayersUsing the devotional as a couple and in the domestic church Resources mentioned: Becoming a Happier Catholic Man 2026 – devotional for Sundays and feast days of the liturgical yearEveryCatholicMan.com – Matthew Christoff’s apostolate and resources for menBrother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of GodThe Catechism of the Catholic Church (references used throughout the book) Learn more and get the book: Visit EveryCatholicMan.com or search “Becoming a Happier Catholic Man 2026” on Amazon. Support The Catholic Man Show and get access to extra content and community at: TheCatholicManShow.com