Mystery of Parenthood

093 Why Observe and Celebrate the Liturgical Year of the Church?

On Tuesday, June 25, host Trey Cashion talked about why observing and celebrating the Liturgical Year of the Church in the family can make a huge difference in conveying the faith and making it tangible. How can we as parents and families take what the liturgy gives us and live it out? Have you ever thought about the significance of Ordinary Time and the multiple meanings of it? We as Catholics recognize seasons throughout the entire year - and that should be celebrated! Listen in to learn more about why marking the Liturgical Year of the Church will help you on your faith journey! Enjoy the episode and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you! 

092 Invisible Realities

On Tuesday, June 4, Trey opened with the sacraments and how they are visible signs of invisible realities, or "mysteries". The memory verse that comes to mind for the topic is Heb. 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." In its fullness, faith requires us to not have seen and, yet, still believe. A good example of this is heaven and the spiritual realm. As finite beings, we can't see heaven or experience it on earth in our physical nature, but we still believe in it. Trey talked about the book Imagine Heaven by John Burke in which there are 100 stories of people's near-death experiences, where they encounter heaven or, on the contrary, hell. Fr. Robert Spitzer's analysis of the book asks why God allows these experiences to happen. He suggests that perhaps it is God trying to get people to not only understand that heaven is real, but that it is so much more magnificent than we could ever imagine. The experiences are so surreal and unthinkable that the people who encounter them have a difficult time explaining them to others. The reality of the invisible realm, or heaven, is actually more realistic than our earthly lives. Trey uses the analogy of humans living in a picture hanging on a wall in a room. When we are in the picture, we only have a finite view of our lives; we can look forward out of the picture frame to a small extent, but we are missing an entirely different reality, the room that the picture is in. It's only when we step out of the picture frame that we encounter the fullness of the room and everything it entails. Enjoy the episode and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!

091 Dr. Sarah Bartel: The Eucharist, Holy Matrimony, & the Link Between the Two

On Tuesday, May 28, 2019, Trey and Stephanie bring back long-time guest Dr. Sarah Bartel to talk about the Eucharist and Holy Matrimony, the link between the two, and how we can use those to help teach our children about the sacredness of both. Dr. Bartel and the Cashions talk about how when we approach the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we should be cleansed of any mortal sin, lest we bring condemnation upon ourselves as St. Paul says; and as a parllel, when approaching the Sacrament of Marriage, both spouses should be virgins. This is what God intends for us as humans. Similar to how parents ask their children to "wash up" before supper, this is how the Eucharist and Holy Matrimony should be approached; they are special events that we should be prepared and "cleaned up" for, bringing our best selves to the table for Jesus. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!
 
 

090 Adam Arehart: Having a Rule of Life in the Family

On Tuesday, May 21, 2019, Trey Cashion brought back Mystery of Parenthood Show veteran, Adam Arehart to talk about why a rule of life for family should be considered. The last time Adam was on the show he talked about using Third Orders as models for family life. This time, he draws on the notion of a monastic rule of life to guide the family. St. Augustine said "a rule of life is a measure or standard by which we live a life in common with others so that we may all be intent upon God and oneness of mind and heart." A rule of life allows you to accept diversity without eliminating unity. The family should be a place that is united in its forms of leisure, rest and entertainment. The rule of leisure can help us learn to spend our time in good ways that help us grow in holiness. Adam says if our families aren't in a place where they value good things together, with an attitude of gratitude toward God, they can become divided against themselves. Trey and Adam talk about integrating your faith into your daily life no matter what you're doing, whether it's working, doing the dishes, having a discussion, etc. This might require families to take a hard look at how they use their time together. Ultimately, Jesus is the truth, and truth brings unity to our lives. We should allow our faith to permeate all that we do and all that we are by letting God into every moment of our lives. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!

089 Continuing the Call to Holiness

How do you sell a faith that calls for suffering? What is this life for? Why am I here? On Tuesday May 14, Trey and Thaddeus continued about holiness and how to become saints. The life that Jesus came to give us is a life of belief and suffering. We must have meaning in life with that suffering. As a parent, that union with Jesus Christ is essential. We have to trust that God will provide and give us grace. As parents, Trey says that we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses. Colossians 1:24 says " Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church." This is the defining verse of suffering. We need to be able to say yes to the smaller sufferings in order to handle the bigger ones. The universal call to holiness is represented by living our lives in accordance with God’s Will. Holiness is going to make us happy, even when we have to suffer. In order to be holy, we have to take up our crosses and unite ourselves with God. Whatever your state of life is, give these gifts to the Lord. Our crosses might not be things we don’t want to do, but we have to embrace them and live them. Most of these are small, but others can be bigger crosses. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!

088 What Does Holiness Look Like in Everyday Life?

On Tuesday, May 7, 2019 Trey and Thaddeus discussed the universal call to holiness for every human being. Creating a union with God is the only source of holiness, which happens when we go to mass. The Catechism even states that we are all called to holiness in an intimate union with God. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. As part of holiness, we are all called to suffer; it helps us to grow in our faith. As part of holiness we are also called to carry our crosses. Trey used to be a football coach, but God was calling him to do something greater. He says when you are doing something that doesn’t feel right, always look to the cross. Sometimes, the most mundane tasks can be a cross for you to carry.  Ultimately, we must unite our sufferings and crosses with God to experience true holiness. For a good read on holiness, check out Matthew Kelly's book The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!

087 Authoritative Parenting

On Tuesday, April 30, 2019, Trey and Thaddeus talked about parenting styles, stemming from an article titled Why Being an Authoritative Parent is the Best Approach. Trey started with the Catechism's teachings on the duties of parents and children then moved on to go through the 4 styles of parenting: authoritarian, permissive, un-involved, and authoritative. He made the point that limits are fundamental to mathematics and physics—laws—and if they did not exist and interact as they do, there could not be life. Authoritarian parenting shows that the family exists for the parents; permissive parenting models that the family is for the pleasure and enjoyment of the child. Un-involved parenting is the worst of four because it tells the child they matter not at all and they rob the child of even a warped version of love. The best solution is the authoritative parenting style which is closest to the purposeful parenting that Trey and Stephanie advocate. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!

086 Monica Ashour - Theology of the Body and the Resurrection

On Tuesday, April 23, 2019, Trey talked with guest Monica Ashour about the theology of the body and the resurrection. We need to start realizing that the body is a gift—from God, and to God, and to others—and that the Incarnated Second Person of the Trinity (Jesus) made himself a gift for us to save us from our sins. At Mass, we put ourselves, our bodies, all those deceased souls, on the altar and we ask Our Lord to transform them alongside the Eucharist. The power of the Resurrection goes backward and forward to the Old Testament saints and to us here and now. The spiritualization of the body begins now by making love be a part of every action that we do with our bodies and choosing holiness instead of concupiscence. It's the power of the Resurrection that forgives us of our sins, thanks be to God! Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!

085 Dr. Sarah Bartel - Why Marriage is NOT Obsolete

On Tuesday, April 16, 2019, Trey talked with Dr. Sarah Bartel about an article from New York magazine titled Is Marriage Obsolete, a sardonic essay on the difficulties and "absurdities" of marriage that are part of the conventional wisdom about the institution today. Dr. Bartel contrasts this with the teachings of the magisterium about the spiritual, sacramental nature of marriage. But the article, however, ends with a surprisingly Catholic conclusion that "some of the peak moments of a marriage are when you share in your anxieties, your fears, your longing, and even your horrors. That commitment, the one that can withstand and even revel in the darkest corridors of a life, grows and evolves and eventually transcends a contract or a ceremony the way an ocean overflows and subsumes a thimble of water." We hope you enjoy another conversation with Dr. Bartel, and remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!

084 Adam Arehart: Third Orders

On Tuesday, April 9, Trey and Thaddeus talked with Adam Arehart, former Campus Minister of St. Mary's in College Station, and now Director of Evangelization at a parish in Arlington, Virginia. Adam suggests that Catholic families find out about the charisms and spirituality of the third orders--the lay, secular membership of the Church's historic religious congregations--in order to enrich their prayer and devotional life. He gives us a brief overview and then focuses on the character of the Franciscans, the Dominicans, and the Carmelites. Enjoy the episode, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And remember to pray, parent with a purpose, and prepare for God to amaze you!