Catching Foxes

CF Merch! The sad death of Bob Saget, a birthday quote from then-Pope Benedict, Gomer's back pain and his sedentary life, best WW2 movies that a 12 year old can watch, and Wendell Barry's "The World Ending Fire".

TOPICS COVERED Christmas stuff (Luke's tired, Gomer napped), Eucharistic Desecration with Masks, Old Man Problems, Gomer's new YouTube Religion and Luke's flawless diagnosis of his religious pursuits, Exodus90 and liturgical life Feasting and Fasting and why we need both, the Original Fairy Tale stories, Books Gomer is reading, which leads to... Liturgy and Pop Culture, Spider-Man and all things superhero. Finally, Nostalgia Porn and reboots (Matrix Resurrection)

The Great Resignation is leading to over 9 million US jobs unfilled. People are opting out of the workforce right now for a host of reasons- money, unsustainable workloads, pandemic fears- and others are opting out of the very idea of a career. Luke and Gomer chat about the reality of work/life balance when the whole economy is built upon workaholism-as-virtue. Thanks to Catholic Match, Betterhelp.com, and Monk Manual!

We talk about Gomer's general (not specific) malaise in ChurchWork and his fears of "getting out." Let me remind you, this is not about Gomer complaining about work per se, but the general feeling of impending doom and his inability to get the hell out of Dodge into a non-churchy job. We talk about "Senlin Ascends", which is Book 1 of 4 in the Tower of Babel Series by Josiah Bancroft. Then we pivot to the show "Heroes" and how it failed us all in season 2. Gomer uses the Theme. NBC all rights reserved.

Guest: Nathan Smith, Director of Ecumenism for Glenmary Home Missioners and the Field Representative for USCCB on Ecumenism Podcast: Glenmary Unity: “Interviews and discussions from Christian ministers and theologians on ecumenical efforts between Catholics and Evangelical and Pentecostal groups.” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/glenmary-unity/id1561579846 *How Luke introduced us via email: * “Nathan, meet Gomer. Gomer, meeting Nathan. Nathan is now a Catholic that works for Glenmary doing ecumenical work. He was a Protestant pastor, loves Benedict and Balthasar and dresses very well. Nathan, one time Gomer and I spent 8 hours in rural Mingo Junction eating $0.25 wings and drinking $5 pitchers until it closed. It was awesome. Gomer, Nathan has to endure standing next to during the US - Mexico game after I'd been drinking since 2:30 pm. I lead an awesome life. -Luke” *Topics range from: * Seeker-sensitive church movements and creating a Sunday service for the unchurched and not for the churches. The pros and cons of this movement within protestant Christianity and now how it's being adopted whole cloth into Catholicism The process of how Nathan became Catholic Deconstruction within evangelicalism and is that coming to Catholicism? Is it the same thing? What are the differences you see? You had the unfortunate experience of being next to Luke in the US men's national team soccer game against Mexico where they won 2-0. How much therapy are you receiving via Betterhelp.com/foxes? Ecumenism doesn't have to be watered down or fake. Ecumenism can actually mutually enrich both sides if both sides keep truth as the central aim.

Interesting Nonprofit updates at Luke's Notre Dame ongoing studies. We talk about a fascinating thing: contract failure and market failure. Gomer rethought his Libertarism due to the realization that corporations have more money than many governments. Anarcho-capitalism sounds nice (if you have money). Thanksgiving plans for the boys. Luke goes to the Cabin in the Woods. Gomer invites The Woodlands. Epic failures in Proposals for both Luke and Gomer. Shannon likes to tell this story. And we close with comments on Fr. James Jackson's arrest for child porn. This was Gomer's confirmation sponsor. Gomer knew him really well when he was in high school but hasn't maintained contact in 20 years, so there's that. Real talk: I was utterly and completely shocked at this accusation. I hope he's innocent but it doesn't look good.

Surprised by Joy! AppleTV show, Invasion 20th Anniversary of Band of Brothers Fiction/Reading as a conduit to understanding Vinyl Records as Japanese Tea Ceremony, Integrity, and Slowness Gomer’s Anima Technica Vacua experience at Life Night Friday Morning at 11am, say a prayer for the Gormley family

Use chapters to skip around the show: *Marvel/Disney Topic: * The Three Worst Marvel Movies Meta: Lithuania loves Catching Foxes Also, we chat about US nearly going to Nuclear War. Gomer's chapter-in-a-real-book: Wisdom and Wonder is now on sale! Which leads us into The Book Saga of Luke. *Main Topic: Anima Technica Vacua. * What it is, how it's got ahold of Elon Musk, why it's Grace vs. Nature, and how Media Strips us of Legacy. ENOUGH! We end with Discord Questions from our Patreon supporters.

Meta Podcast Time -"meta" is good enough for Facebook! -Audio not loud enough, so now Gomer researched LUFS -Dan Benjamin and Merlin Mann’s Back to Work means a lot to us Scared Shitless -Gomer's two greatest fears now -Luke's Newest Fear -High School: what was your biggest fear? -Fears Gomer has learned to overcome? So I have a book! -Gomer is now a published author! -but it is just one chapter in a book *So, Halloween! * -What did you do? Anything weird or annoying happen? Hope’s 401K Question -She now qualifies for 401K and wants to know how to be ethical! The Mouth of Sauron -Why did you send this to me? because it is funny Gomer Consumes AppleTV with his wife -Ted Lasso, on Season 2 episode 5: “Rom Communism” -Foundations, caught up to live Luke Looks for Suggested Reading -Luke is 7 more hours left of his Eisenhower biography, so he wants a History/Biography break. -Luke has a six-cycle book thing: 1. Novel 2. God book 3. History 4. Non-Fiction 5. Biography 6. Classical Literature

What's new with Pints with Aquinas? How much can one man hate technology? Fradd will show you the way. Also, he's got a new book! Plot twist: it's on St. Thomas Aquinas. Post retwist: it's about Aquinas' prescription on how to be happy. Special Guest: Matt Fradd.

Catholics in History: WW2 and the French vs. Americans, World History is Paved in blood, *How do we move on after sin, violence, war, tragedy? * Hahn's "The Decline and Fall of Sacred Scripture" The Human Condition is not erased because we are Catholic (Original Sin still undoes humanity), Modernity's Mindsets, Then: Movies! which leads us to THE BATMAN Trailer, Finally: Live Show in Houston (maybe), and Thank you Patrons!

Things are getting dark for Luke.

Managing Decline?: 2% drop in Mass attendance per parish, per year. Average Sunday Mass is 1/3 full. This has been getting worse - and it's be tracked and known - for 20 years, but no one has done anything. They got used to the decline. They got used to the emergencies without the urgency that crises can motivate. Beacons of Light, criticized by Rod Dreher as trying to put a nice spin on dire circumstances, is also evangelization and discipleship centered. *What are the Families? * 208 parishes under 109 pastors, common pastors but not coming together. Some of the 109 pastors are over 70 and some even over 75 (post-retirement) Final set of 60 families will be announced this year Spring, priests will be announced as pastors - 49 of them will not be pastors, some will finally be able to retire. We want Father to lead his new Family- are we ready to lead the New Evangelization? Archbishop Schnurr sees the needs as hyper local, so he’s supportive but leaving the pastors to decide for their own communities… _Luke's Money Quote: _I don’t think people get how bad it actually is! The Emergencies are everywhere. The Catholic Church is an afterthought!

We chatted with Jonathan Blevins as he takes the plunge from full-time parish Director of Evangelization to full-time Twitch Streamer. We talk about online culture, the dangers of VR, the importance of Catholics being in this space, and what's it like being Ninja's brother, the most famous esports gamer in the world.

Topics include: What do you do if you're afraid of sex? How do you cultivate the right kind of knowledge of your partner before marriage? "Noone could be a man unless his father has died. "- Freud

First: We got an update for Gomer's family and Luke's return to grad school work. Also: "Fundraising is a Grind" and Parish Development. Baby Boomers got 70% of the wealth, but are the most generous. Gen Xers set the culture and Millennials drive Pop Culture. Then: Erin, Luke's wife, ruins their car out of stubbornness, Gomer spent hundreds on his latest YouTube hobby (lighting), and we discuss the Disney Movie Renaissance. Finally: We talk about the passing of Norm MacDonald.

Four parts: Gomer's latest YouTube obsession, but it's more altruistic. Then 3 practical, yet sexy questions from Patreon supporter Moira. Luke discusses an awful picture of an employee and posits: "being miserable is not a personality." Finally, we conclude with Woodstock 99.

The Artist plays with symbols without necessarily knowing fully what they mean. And when Art is bent to tell a moral and not a story, it becomes Propaganda.

We start the show talking about the recent Provincial Assembly (thanks for the invite, Fr. Roberts and Fr. Cahill!) and then stuff about Church life and not giving a crap about a bunch of Church stuff. Then Luke brings up some documentary on the Traditional Latin Mass (that's not anti-Vatican 2) and Luke goes off on a rage about those who seem to think that the TLM is magic and will fix everything when the FREAKIN' NAZIS HAD THE LATIN MASS AND THOSE FREAKS COMMITTED GENOCIDE! Finally a chat about daughters dating and what it was like hanging out with parents.

Milli Vanilli, The Darkest Timeline, Millennial Analogies; Bishops and their Gomer; Classical Theism Podcast (this monday with gomer); Gomer's Intimidation by Luke; Peak Gomer Peak Luke A Redemptive Story from that night Luke wears Grandpa's pants (and Grandma's blouse) Forgotten Ruin book series and Gomer's Daughter talking about "suppressive fire" Patreon Question: How do you get over a very serious relationship breakup Gomer's Theology: How the ancient catholic church viewed "Church" differently than we tend to do in today's Americanized, Protestantized Christianity, especially in evangelization.

Luke and Gomer talk money and the Church (not the Vatican, but fundraising). Then Gomer updates everyone about Shannon and what's next there (minute 40ish). Finally, as Luke tries to hang up, Gomer demands Luke tells him all about the new audiobook Luke's listening to about the Late Night wars between Leno and Conan.

Sponsored By:Catholic Match: Faith-focused Dating: the largest Catholic dating site in the world—where thousands of Catholics find their spouse. Promo Code: FOXESBetterHelp.com: This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and Catching Foxes listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/FOXES Support Catching FoxesLinks:Quote by Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man wh...” — “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Invictus by William Ernest Henley | Poetry Foundation — It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.If— by Rudyard Kipling | Poetry Foundation — If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!Sufjan Stevens – No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross — There’s blood on that blade Fuck me, I'm falling apart My assassin Like Casper the ghost There’s no shade in the shadow of the crossJoe Esposito – You're the Best — Try to be best 'cause you're only a man And a man's gotta learn to take it Try to believe though the going gets rough That you gonna hang tough to make itEverything Sad Will Come Untrue — “Is everything sad going to come untrue?” —Sam Gamgee to Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings (chapter 4, Book Six) “[Some mortals] say of some temporal suffering, “No future bliss can make up for it,” not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.” —C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, chapter 9.

Kevin Heider is the best and we owe him a TREMENDOUS amount of gratitude.

"U.S.S. Gloria, this is Mission Control, do you copy?" "Houston, this is the U.S.S. Gloria, good to hear your voice We are coming out of the eclipse now I see the sunlight, it's beautiful The sunlight is beautiful" Jesus Christ, light of the world, You never did forget me. And when I bled in darkness, You held me, still held me. When desperate nights I cursed You, You loved me, still loved me. Jesus Christ, You dry the tears, You break my heart of stone. Your words are life cut marrow through the darkness to the bone A heart of flesh You gave me; Only You can save me. Savior! Daylight! I am coming home!

Saturday: Last full day of school, if Luke can get his paper done today. Tension in a program like this that is executive, and nature of time crunch, you are constantly forced to prioritize how much time and attention to give each individual task. Tension in Luke’s cohort: Luke loves intensity of the schedule- Meeting after meeting, decision after decision, restraint after restraint- but the others are upset that it’s too intense and things are getting lost in the shuffle. But that’s the point. You’re becoming a better non-profit executive, not an expert, researcher, or professor. You just need the ground under your feet. Gomer bought a minivan for cash after telling his wife “We aren’t getting a minivan today.” He didn’t even pull out of the parking lot yet before he made the decision. It checked the boxes and was inexpensive enough. Gomer likes talking shit about people. Why? You are called to be a tiny god, but you aren’t acting like it, so you stomp on others to fake elevate yourself. A micro-dose of divinity. Sin as false-theosis, self-divinization is always pulling God down to our level, whereas divine filiation is God lifting us up to His level, as it were. The goal is to feel more than human, but I cannot do that for myself, so I have to bring down other humans. Yet, to be “more than human” in reality is to be humble, realizing that you can’t make yourself more than human on your own, you need God to do that. But why work? Why asceticism and mortification? If I have free will, where does God’s grace come in? The hypostatic union is the only answer! Also, the woman who cut my hair was flawless. She was dead quiet. Never small talked with me once other than “do you want what you got last time.” And that was it. Once she hummed along with the song for like 15 seconds but that was more pleasant than disruptive.

Main Topic: discussion around Dr. Tracey Rowland's "What did Dostoyevsky mean when he said ‘Beauty will save the world’?" Opening Banter: Luke's test on non-profit boards led Gomer to ask about a FICTIONAL Catholic non-profit.

Luke's "one that got away" who dumped him because he failed college. Gomer misses his podcast wife. Take Gomer to the Woodshed Gomer's sad moment in Father's Day was a homily that went nowhere for 40 minutes, but everything else was fantastic. Luke has an "A" right now for grad school, worth 5 points, but it still counts! Then Luke goes on and on about how much he loves his cohort and the school and the basilica and yadda, yadda, yadda. Also, "Hi, Paul!"

"Ask Michael's Wife Anything" And our Patreon superheroes did ask her anything. We got 25 questions in about 15 minutes at 9:00 PM on Thursday night. Join our Patreon page and get access to early releases, bonus content, and our new and very lively Discord Server of Doom. *We talk: * NASCAR- why she likes it, how she got into it, and why it's important to her; Homeschooling and our Classical approach, and then a ton of questions about being married to an idiot like me.

Luke's at Notre Dame! (And he forgot his microphone!) FOLLOW-UP First: Six Types of Working Genius in Gomer's home and with a co-worker. Second: Season 2 non-spoiler review of "For All Mankind". Question: How do you handle screen time with your kids? Question: How do you have a sucessful long-distance relationship? Question: If I were the pastor, these are the Top Three Things I would do Luke's at Notre Dame! Ads - BETTERHELP, Redacted Coffee, Tilma Parish, Equipt

The Working Genius Podcast by Patrick Lencioni. IDEATION Wonder Invention ACTIVATION Discernment Galvanizing IMPLEMENTATION Enablement Tenacity Notes -Luke killed a mouse, Gomer’s wife killed a scorpion, while Gomer was naked -Take Gomer to the Woodshed: Nonviolence and the violence in protests follow-up Gomer D.I.S.C. profile for staff, majority of which were “Stability” but the YM were “Innovative.” The YM is where you find the creatives and the envelope-pushers, but the rest of staff had the Stable personality, and so they hate change as a part of their personality. So you have a real reason why no one paints the walls or puts up beautiful artwork or challenges the status quo. Luke's experience of the “Catholic Creatives” working group where the culture screamed: New things are respected (and expected)! Remember, each of the six types of working genius are verbs, it’s who you are and what you do. This idea of the verb really opened Luke to the process of the Working Genius as a process. Looking at these different approaches, however, really helped Luke see where he was strongest and weakest, where my strengths were, and also how Catching Foxes came together. Also, we both suck at Tenacity! (thanks for keeping us alive, Kate.) A few examples: **Discernment: **Sometimes the hyper-spiritualizing of “all things” leads to false action. We think “God put this on my heart” but that doesn’t mean we don’t think through the problems, or MAYBE that's just our way of smuggling in our ideas in a religious context. I mean, who's going to question God's will for your ministry?! Galvanizing: We forget that we aren’t just speaking to the people in the pews, but to the staff! We need to galvanize the staff, inspire them, and move them. We need to minister to their needs in a way that gets them involved in a mission. Enablement: No more victims of unvoiced expectations, or worse, shifting unvoiced expectations! Enablement is not the same as letting someone do their job description, but training, working with, feedback, coaching, etc. Help them do the right thing- connect and cooperate. -Luke and I both suck at Tenacity! Support the Sponsors: June 4 - Pints with Jack podcast, BETTERHELP, Tilma Parish, Redacted Coffee

We start talking about Sacred Architecture and crappy churches, which moves the conversation to Sacred Artwork and how we advance them without getting lost in the lameness of the fad or the trendy. Then halfway we hit on the topic of arguing with your spouse. We end with a "Keeping up with the Kardashians" moment of "Take Luke out to the Woodshed".

Luke and Gomer talk about goodness and why people always want to be right in the Church, even when we damn our adversaries needlessly.

Banter: Dr. Dre seems to have suffered from insecurity due to the lack of success around the Aftermath album. Main Topic: Luke's prayer life sucks. Gomer gives amazing advice. Life Lesson: Do NOT, under any circumstances, forget about Dre.

Gomer and Luke start out with some banter, then follow-up. The topic for today is contrasting "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" with "For All Mankind" in the areas where they treat social issues. Gomer bashes the crap out of Marvel for their inability in this show to not be on the nose and praises the writers and actors of "For All Mankind" so creating such compelling characters that you actually think they are, you know, human. Just when you think the villains are pure villains, they aren't. Just when you think the one-dimensional man is a bigot, he's not. Just when you think the mission will finally succeed, it doesn't. Or does it? Cap demand we "do better" but AppleTV actually does! Two Follow-Ups, Main Topic, followed by complaining about Restrictions.

We each brought a topic, but I sidetracked the Hell out of us both. Topic One: Gomer's critique of the bloody Marxist critique of corporations stealing our future, and Luke's reasoned response involving Catholic Creatives and art stuff. Topic Two: GOMER CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT ATONEMENT THEOLOGY, but today's twist is how Gomer discovered via YouTube how much the Orthodox hate Catholics and how the Taylor Marshall of American Orthodoxy is an old woman.

Special thank you to all of the Patrons and fans of the show that have prayed for the Gormley family! *Topic One (about 20 minutes): * We are healing and still hurting a lot, too. I have read every email, comment, and text from you all and even read them to my wife before her D&C surgery. Topic Two (about 40 minutes): Gomer has been doing a lot of reading and research into Atonement theology, especially as it revolves around St. Paul's enigmatic phrase, "Works of the Law". There's a great podcast and interview with Dr. Matthew Thomas on John DeRosa's "The Classical Theism Podcast". They discuss the Second Century Fathers and their concepts of what "works of the law" means (spoiler: it doesn't mean what Martin Luther said). Also applicable is the Dr. Bergsma book Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls where the second to last chapter goes through the Essene theology of the very phrase "Works of the Law". In fact, it is the title of one of the scrolls they found! (Spoiler: it isn't at all what Martin Luther said it was). Topic Three (About 15 minutes): Wokism, BLM, MeToo, LGBT+ Activism and Luke's theory that the Christian underpinnings of the culture are preventing it from getting more violent. Gomer disagrees a bit, but not entirely. Topic Four (About 15 minutes): Luke teaches Gomer about the Super League, its origin story and its rapid demise. Gomer responds with the philosophy of Aladair MacIntyre's notion of Internal and External Goods to a Practice. And Gomer finds a way to yet again quote Alexis de Touqville's "Democracy in America" and the concept of homo solus.

Luke and I banter for 20 minutes about grad school, Gomer redoing his office, etc. Then we introduce the subject and Gomer cries a lot. The name of the wood is called "Purpleheart" and it is a South American hardwood that is super dense. The wood will turn brown over time after it is milled, so the use of sealants is a must to keep that intensely beautiful purple shade from fading. Also, its density makes it notoriously hard to deal with, as the sap will gum up your table saw blade very quickly, resulting in a lot of burn marks from the blade onto the wood. But no worries, for purpleheart sands down incredibly well. Eternal Rest Eternal rest, grant unto her O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Have you ever had a debate with a famous person about Jesus entirely in your head? This is Gomer's failed tale of reaching Joe Rogan. Living in a 2 Suns galactic neighborhood Biological evolution through the common ancestor Mimetic Knowledge, Language, and Culture "In the Beginning was the Word" The lack of culture in apes after 7 million years The Hero Myth (knower, the known, the unknown, curiosity, courage, boons for one's companions) Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Hero, He's not a Myth, and his crucifixion was written into the fabric of creation What if evolution towards reason can only occur if Mimesis is applied to the Hero Myth?

We love SEEK, so we made a very Catching Foxes podcast for the virtual SEEK21 conference this year and it was ...not allowed. Well, it's Good Friday and I don't want to record a new episode, so here it is, with a FRESH new introduction! Happy Birthday, Lee!

Don't let the Wedding Industry ruin your Marriage. We discuss the extremes of idiots who miss the glorious communal celebration that is Holy Matrimony. Then we talk about rap-as-scapegoat in our culture. Finally, Moira asks about whether sexual incompatibility is a secular thing or a Catholic thing, too.

Gomer's New Bi-Weekly Obession: Home Gyms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1CA2dFKnYc The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations by James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner Five Leadership Principles ### Model the Way Inspire a Shared Vision Challenge the Process Enable Others to Act Encourage the Heart (Live, Laugh, Love)

WORK CULTURE. Lukey got a new job. I asked, "How'd ya know it's time to move on?" This is a show about figuring out your place, your role, your job, your career, and your culture. It's about when you know to say "YES" to a new opportunity and when to say "NO", too. Culture, especially in Church Work, can be never tricksy!

Three Main Topics: Gomer talks with two youths who experience the lack of reciprocity between faith and the sacraments, Luke explores the Marxist critique of music culture as future-canceling, and Gomer buys a gun, which sets off Luke's red flags. Paragraph 5. Secondly, scientific and technological knowledge, which is so prestigious today, tends to impose itself as a single model in all fields of knowledge and for all kinds of objects. Its radical orientation towards certainty of an empirical and naturalistic type is opposed not only to metaphysical knowledge, but also to knowledge of a symbolic nature. While scientific knowledge emphasizes the capacity of human reason, it does not exhaust all dimensions of reason or knowledge, nor does it cover all cognitive needs for a full human life. Symbolic thinking, with its richness and plasticity, on the one hand, collects and elaborates reflectively the ethical and affective dimensions of experience; and, on the other, touches and transforms the spiritual and cognitive structure of the subject. For this reason, together with all the religious traditions of humanity, the transmission of revelation, with its concomitant cognitive content, is situated in the symbolic sphere, not in the empirical and naturalistic sphere. The sacramental reality of participation in the mystery of grace can only be understood in the unity of this double dimension of the symbolic experience: cognitive and performative. Where the scientistic paradigm reigns, which is blind to symbolic thought, sacramental thought is obstructed.

Luke recounts his last two weeks of COVID exhaustion. Gomer smiles and nods, until in the empty youth room at 10:30 at night a woman whispers into Gomer's ear, "Hmmm hello". Then, Patron's topics for five minutes. Good questions! Question 1: What should dating intimacy look like? Question 2: What should/shouldn't we do with a new puppy? Question 3: Who would you want to convert to Catholicism and why? Question 4: How to deal with a desk/computer job? Question 5: Any tips from a season Homeschool family? "Lightning" Round Questions What do we do with St Gregory's "two outfits are robbing from the poor?" Favor obscure Bible book? What do you like most about your job? What's the best joke that you know? What should I do with my life? Would you rather: no electricity or no water? Gomer: how did you come to the decision to let your kids watch PG-13 movies? Thoughts about a Catching Foxes Dating Game? Books on teaching that you highly recommend? What's on your food bucket list? Wandavision update?

Luke has COVID and is exhausted, so pray for his recovery and that of his wife, too! I interview Matt Fradd, friend of the show and host of Pints with Aquinas. I ask him questions from our Patrons and we talk about his big move up to Steubenville. Special Guest: Matt Fradd.

ADHD creates a funny side-effect of distraction that can lead to hilarious places and regrettable obsessions. Gomer and Luke share theirs. Then Luke brings up the main topic of our latest critical review and the absence of civility today.

Gomer intervened again, but this time it seems to have been very costly. There is chaos where there used to be safety. After the 30-minute story time, we go into our interview with Fr. Dave Pivonka and Prof. Bob Rice of the Franciscan University of Steubenville!

Luke asked for topics. Maybe five or so. We got about 57! So we run through a bunch of good, deep, light, and hilarious questions in this episode. But first! Luke talks** GameStonk!! **

Ssssymbolism conversation continues! And it's Luke's fault, not Gomer's! Luke brings up the meaning behind a King's crown and how society knew where it stood in relation to it. This expands to a whole fascinating look at modern clothing and how hyper-abundance shifts our priorities in how we look, actually making the wearing of formal attire less important. We discuss how symbols in society end up impoverishing that society. Luke then asks, _What came first: the destruction of the symbolic meaning or the loss of personal dignity? _

Luke and I do some quick check-ins regarding the news in DC, why Gomer doesn't watch the news, and how that can be healthy. Then we take a brief detour and talk Project 86, WandaVision, and such, then dive into Symbolic Representation, Mythology, and why the Sacraments just seem like bizarre add-ons to an otherwise rational faith.