Stuff I Love to Listen to

I know I may be a little "late to the party" but sometime this past spring I started listening to podcasts, and it kinda became "my new thing." I don't listen to the radio too much (really...I still don't get who Keke is) outside of a few favorite Sirius XM stations in the car, and when I'm in the office, I usually prefer to listen to podcasts. And plus, my coworkers don't seem to appreciate my love for Taylor Swift...how rude! Instead, I usually subject them to podcasts, or I slip on some earbuds while I work...or when I'm getting ready for work.

Here are some of my favorites:

1. The Liturgy Guys: Okay, I have to admit I may have a little bit of an emotional attachment to this one because it's the first podcast I started listening to religiously (lol), and it is also the only one I support on Patreon. My priest casually mentioned it during conversation one time, and trusting his media recommendations I went and listened to the first episode as one of the hosts said "When I was a kid, the priest said that heaven will be just like Mass." As a youth minister, I know that that is something you have to say with caution to young people, so I listened on...and on...and on. I eagerly await for new episodes (seriously, what kind of nerdy am I?) about church architecture, mystagogy, and liturgical theologians. If you're looking for a podcast that makes you think about why Mass is such a big deal woven in with humor and lighthearted stories, this is it. While you're at it, check out Christopher Carstens book A Devotional Journey into the Mass and Dr. Denis McNamara's How to Read Churches A Crash Course in Ecclesiastical Architecture. They will blow your mind! Meanwhile, I'll wait for Jesse Weiler to write a book titled "Stuff My Kids Say at Mass and How My Friends Kid Stuff them into Big Words."

2. A friend of mine sent me an episode of Renovo with Doug Tooke about monks in the desert, and not long after that I went to a workshop with Doug Tooke on middle school youth ministry. I have to admit that I wrote him off as just another typical youth minister who happened to have a platform because he was a national speaker. When I started to really listen to Renovo, my opinion about him changed. I would say his specialty is highlighting feast days and tackling tough issues head on without diminishing Church teachings. Best of all, he does it in a way that is relatable to modern minds and really simple and easy to understand.

3. The first two podcasts I references are from men, so it makes sense to balance this out a bit with some feminine genius. I don't use that term lightly because I love St. JP II the Great and I think that the word "feminist" is thrown around way to casually without considering women's truly unique gifts and God-given ability to change the world. Abiding Together is co-hosted by three women (Heather Khym, Michelle Bensinger and Sr. Miriam James). They share experiences about what it's like being a Catholic women in the vocations as wife, mother and religious, but ultimately they find that through their shared experiences they are all beloved daughters of God who need the supportive community of other women. One of my favorite things about this podcast is how they take the time at the end of each episode to share their "one thing" for the week. The "one thing" segment is always listed in the show notes, and can be anything from a favorite recipe, poem, song, quote or YouTube video. If you're short on time and just want a quick snippet, just take a peek at the show notes!

4. I found about The Lanky Guys when they did an episode with those other guys who are on the top of this list. My friend who has a 14 month old baby summed up why The Lanky Guys are so great. The team consists of a priest and a layman who talk about the Mass readings for the upcoming Sunday. They usually release the episode on Thursdays, giving you time to listen and prepare yourself for the Mass. If you're a distracted parent chasing after a toddler (or non-parent who just has a hard time focusing sometimes), The Lanky Guys provide great commentary about the Scripture readings while also going deeper into the history behind the Scripture and why it still matters today in the 21st century.

5. Who doesn't love the cooking priest? I think Fr. Leo Patalinghug is the first priest who I started to follow on any kind of social media. I'll be honest and say that one of the reasons why I took a liking to him is because of his famous showdown with Bobby Flay where his mother was also had a Rosary in each hand. She reminded me of my own Filipino mom who can throw down in the kitchen with the best of them and sleeps with a Rosary under her pillow! In Shoot the Shiitake, Fr. Leo invites unexpected guests to sit down with him for a meal discussing everything from homosexuality to being an ex-convict. He has civil conversations with the emphasis on showing compassion to everyone without compromising faith teachings.

6. I'm not quite prepared yet to say that Clerically Speaking is an absolute favorite because as a new podcast, there are only two episodes available so far. I started following both of these priests on Twitter not too long ago. Fr. Harrison is from western Canada, and Fr. Anthony is from Pennsylvania, and this podcast is definitely one to watch out for. They address what's going on in pop culture with an unapologetically Catholic viewpoint. Do they always agree on everything? No. But I think that's what makes for such an exciting and interesting listen. Aside from that, they throw in some humor and show listeners what it means to have a healthy priestly brotherhood. And don't we need that right now?

Of course, there are others that I like, but with the episodes coming out only sporadically I can't say I follow them as closely as I do the ones I have listed above. Among those favorites are Leah Darrow's Do Something Beautiful podcast. I have enjoyed all of the guests she has had on, and as I listen to her, I can't help but remember her testimony and conversion story! Ultimately, I think I love hearing from her because her love for Jesus comes through in every episode whether she's talking about what it means to be a faithful wife and mother or if she's diving deeper into her devotion to Mother Teresa. She is a beautiful example of what it means to be a modern woman who is living in this world but not of this world! Also, I can't end this post without also putting in a good word for Archbishop Robert Barron and Fr. Mike Schmitz who I consider to be some of the standard bearers for the new evangelization with the way they use media to bring others closer to Christ. But...I feel like a lot of people are already super familiar with them, and I wanted to make sure I touched on some of the other great people of God who are out there building up the kingdom!

And oh, if you ever get tired of listening to podcasts and are itching for some good music, I have had Dave Matthews Band's Come Tomorrow album on REPEAT. So different from the podcasts, but also so good!