Is Catholic Guilt Bad?
Have you ever made a mistake and then started thinking you are the mistake? In this episode of Ask A Priest, Father Tim breaks down the difference between good Catholic guilt and bad Catholic guilt. Good guilt says, “I did something wrong”, like a check-engine light that moves you toward mercy, healing, and confession. Bad guilt says, “I am wrong,” and that’s not guilt anymore, that’s shame. From Adam and Eve hiding in Genesis to the Father who always comes looking for us, this is a reminder that your identity is not your sin. Jesus is always running toward you. You just have to turn around and run back.
Eight Words To Reject Satan
Eight simple words can change everything: “In the name of Jesus, I reject temptation.”
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus confronts temptation directly, and rejects it with clarity and authority. We’re invited to do the same. Whether it’s lust, gossip, pride, anger, or any other struggle, we don’t fight alone. We dare to use His name.
As Pope Benedict XVI taught, Christianity isn’t just an idea, it’s an encounter with a Person. And nothing is more personal than calling on His name. This Lent, make it simple. Use the name of Jesus and reject whatever pulls you away from Him.
From Son to Orphan (Lent 2026)
How does a beloved son end up living like an orphan?
As Lent begins, the friars enter deeply into the parable of the Prodigal Son, not starting with the return, but with the rupture. What happens in a heart that makes someone walk away from home? What wounds, doubts, shame, or disappointments lead us to take our inheritance and try to live without the Father?
In this episode, they reflect on the subtle shift that happens long before the son leaves: the movement from trust to self-reliance, from intimacy to isolation, from sonship to an orphan spirit. They explore how sin and shame distort our vision of God’s goodness, and how easy it is to believe we’re better off on our own.
This conversation isn’t about condemnation, it’s about awareness. Because before we become “prodigal,” we often become wounded.
Join us as we begin Lent by asking the Lord to reveal where we’ve chosen distance and to restore us to the truth of being sons and daughters again.
Why Isn’t Ash Wednesday a Holy Day of Obligation?
If everyone goes to Mass on Ash Wednesday, why isn’t it a holy day of obligation? Ash Wednesday feels like it should be a holy day of obligation. Churches are packed, and everyone comes for ashes. But it isn’t, and the reason is simple: holy days of obligation are feast days. Ash Wednesday (like Good Friday) is a day of fasting, not feasting. In this episode of Ask A Priest, Father Tim explains how the Church has fast days and feast days and why the Church “obliges” us on days of celebration. Using examples like weddings and the 4th of July, he shows how Catholics worship first and then celebrate, because Jesus has already won.
No Side Hustles in Our Faith
Ride-sharing. Food delivery. Pet sitting. Side hustles are everywhere and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when it comes to faith, eternal life, and the meaning of life itself, there are no side hustles. In one of His most famous teachings, Jesus says He has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He is the fulfillment. He is the way to heaven. He is the meaning of life. Chase your goals and work hard but when it comes to what truly matters, there’s only one answer. It’s always been Jesus.
Signs of Hope
Is it still possible to hope when so much feels heavy, confusing, or broken?
In this episode, the friars take an honest look at the state of the Church and the world and refuse to stop at discouragement. They talk about suffering, darkness, and the temptation to despair, but also about the quiet, real ways God is at work bringing renewal, healing, and new life.
From families choosing faith in small, daily ways, to renewed hunger for prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments, this conversation names the concrete signs of hope that often go unnoticed. Not flashy movements or quick fixes, but steady, faithful people responding to grace where they are.
Join us as we learn to see with hope again and recognize the Holy Spirit already at work, even now.
Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) Be Priests?
Could artificial intelligence ever be ordained? Could the Church one day have AI priests? AI can optimize and simulate, but it cannot become flesh, cannot be changed at the level of being, and cannot offer its life in love. Priesthood isn’t about efficiency. It’s about self-gift. In this episode of Ask A Priest, Father Tim tackles a surprisingly serious question about technology, priesthood, and what it really means to act in the person of Christ. While AI can explain theology and imitate language, priesthood is not a function, it’s an incarnation. Priests have bodies. Priests undergo an ontological change. Priests suffer, sacrifice, and lay down their lives. Say a prayer for a priest today, because “This is my body, given up for you” is something only a human person can truly live.
Living Attractive Lives
Sometimes the Gospel spreads not through arguments, but through attraction. In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” We’re called to live our faith openly, not hidden, not forced, but visible through love and good works.
When we truly know that we are loved by Jesus, something changes. Our lives become compelling. That was the secret of the saints, people weren’t drawn to them because of charisma or cleverness, but because Christ was alive and active in them.
Live close to Jesus. Let Him work through you. An authentic, joy-filled faith is more attractive than we realize.