Ask Father Josh (Your Catholic Question and Answer Podcast)

The Church and Contraception (with Dr. Sarah Denny Lorio)

October 10th, 2024  |  29 mins 38 secs

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What is the Church’s stance on contraception? Fr. Josh Johnson and Dr. Sarah Denny Lorio answer questions about contraception and abortion. They break down the historic Christian stance on contraception, contraception within marriage, and different types of sexual education. While the world continues to change and shift, the Church has remained steadfast in its teachings on this subject. We can benefit from continuing to learn and wrestle with these teachings in order to better understand for ourselves and future generations.

Am I Worthy to Walk with Jesus?

October 3rd, 2024  |  23 mins 3 secs

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Am I enough? Do my past mistakes prevent me from living a life for Jesus? These are questions we may ask ourselves as we examine our conscience. Fr. Josh Jonson addresses these fears and emphasizes that we cannot let shame or past sin stand in our way of being with Jesus. Throughout Church history we hear about disciples and saints falling to sin but finding redemption. Jesus wants you. He is calling each one of us to follow Him.

Is It Ever OK to Use Contraception? (with Dr. Sarah Denny Lorio)

September 26th, 2024  |  31 mins 57 secs

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Do you ever wonder about the church’s teachings regarding contraception? Fr. Josh Johnson and Dr. Sarah Denny Lorio address this topic from both a moral reasoning and medical application standpoint. They also look at the broader picture of holistic understanding of fertility, fertility awareness methods and restorative reproductive medicine. Dr. Sarah advocates for improved education about these topics and acknowledges that it is valid to still be learning, growing, and wrestling with this complex area as long as we maintain our trust in the Lord.

Can a Baptism Be Invalid?

September 19th, 2024  |  22 mins 18 secs

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Is baptism the only way to enter the Kingdom of God? What is the difference between valid and invalid baptism? How do we baptize? Are we living our baptism? Baptism is the foundational and necessary sacrament in which all other sacraments build. Fr. Josh Johnson dives into all things baptism and explains the responsibility of this gift.

Waiting vs. Searching for a Spouse: What’s Right? (with Dr. Sarah Denny Lorio)

September 12th, 2024  |  30 mins 53 secs

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What is the right way to find your future spouse? As Catholics, it can feel like a battle between waiting/trusting in God’s plan and taking action. This battle often comes up in the search for a spouse. Do I simply pray for my future spouse and wait for them to come to me? Or, do I need to join every dating site and find him myself? Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Dr. Sarah Denny Lorio to discuss whether or not there is a “right” way to find your future spouse.

What Is a Charism and Do I Have Any?

September 5th, 2024  |  25 mins 24 secs

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To start off a brand new season of Ask Fr. Josh, Fr. Josh Johnson addresses the topic of charisms. Whether or not you have heard about charisms beforet, you may not have a clear understanding of what they are. Or perhaps, you know what they are, but you are not sure how to discover your own charisms. Fr. Josh explains what charisms are, their purpose, and tools for discovering your unique charisms.

Struggling with Infertility

August 29th, 2024  |  13 mins 33 secs

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Hello Father Josh I enjoy your podcast very much and it has help me in picking up the bible and attending adoration I am forever grateful. My husband and I recently started our fertility journey because we have been unsuccessful for two years. I find myself discourage, sadness and alone sometimes because this process is not easy however, I do understand that God is not giving me something I can not handle. I was wondering if you have a prayer, scripture, or Saint in mind to help me through this process? I understand I have to be very patient in my fertility journey. It just seems so hard when everyone is trying to give you advice or say you are doing the wrong thing. I feel that if God did not want me to take this step he would hold hurdles but I do not feel that from Him. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this message. May God continue to bless you and provide you health so you can continue to guide us through this world.

-Cristina

Is Cremation Allowed in the Catholic Church?

August 22nd, 2024  |  7 mins 12 secs

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My aunt always says that when she dies she would like her ashes to be turned into a tree or put to sea to become a reef (something she read about), but my mom is always telling her her ashes have to be buried. Why is this the case? What does the bible and/or the catechism have to say on the matter?

-Frankie

Can I Read/Watch Harry Potter?

August 15th, 2024  |  7 mins 55 secs

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What is the Catholic view on the Harry Potter series?

-Yara

What Is Emotional Chastity and Who Needs It?

August 8th, 2024  |  7 mins 9 secs

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What exactly is emotional chastity and can men and women partake in close friendships? Over my life I have developed a lot of beautiful and fruitful friendships with men that have never become more than friendship nor have I ever intended them to, however, recently I was accused of breaking emotional chastity within these friendships. It’s a concept that I have never heard of before. I’ve asked around and it seems like something fairly controversial as some people don’t even believe in it. I know that God delights in all friendships, but perhaps friendships of the opposite sex need more boundaries?
-Delaney

Facing Loneliness in Your Faith Journey

August 1st, 2024  |  6 mins 16 secs

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Dear Fr. Josh,

I am a 37 year old cradle Catholic from the Netherlands and the proud mom of a wonderful baby boy.
Over the last ten years (yeah I know) I’ve been slowly finding my way back to the church. I am now attending mass regularly, have made prayer a part of my daily life and am working up the courage to go to confession for the first time in my life. The journey has brought me closer to God and I am experiencing a profound feeling of peace, because I know God is with me always.

But this is also a very lonely journey. It is extremely difficult to find a practicing Catholic amongst my peers, my family and partner are not religious and a lot of people are downright hostile when they find out about my beliefs, or just think there is something wrong with me. This is very common in my country.
On top of that my fellow churchgoers are all senior citizens and the fellowship I’ve been craving is nowhere to be found.

I listen to some podcasts and follow a couple of YouTube channels to fill that void, but it’s a poor substitute.
My only friends who do believe in God are protestants, as most of the Netherlands is Protestant. I have even thought about converting. Not because I think their way is is the true way to God, but just to not feel so alone in my faith. I just want to share my joy. I could do with some advice. Keep on singing, I love it!
-Anke

How to Grieve Well

July 25th, 2024  |  6 mins 41 secs

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Could you talk about how to navigate anticipatory grief from a Catholic perspective? My grandma’s health is declining. I’m coping with grieving the person she once was and the grief I know I will be experiencing in the future.

-Anonymous

Should I Bring My Kids to Adoration?

July 18th, 2024  |  5 mins 22 secs

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Hey Fr. Josh,

Congrats on your podcast, thank you for your vocation and your ministry, my daughters and I listen to you every chance we get. I’m not if you have addressed this topic before. I’m a mother of 6 beautiful kids, ranging from 22 years old to 10 months. We attend Church every Sunday but choose not to attend holy hour due to our boys’ behavior who are seven and four. When we do go and try to instill in them good behavior and silence it becomes a struggle that we feel disturbs others and definitely distracts the rest of us. We’ve tried so many tactics to get them to behave, but nothing seems to work and I’m afraid they won’t know the beauty of having this opportunity to pray in the presence of Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament, while they are still in their formative years. Should we continue to bring them each week, despite their behavior? How much should we Conner ourselves with how others around us feel versus Jesus saying bring the children to me despite of their reactions of those around him.

Thanks,

–Anonymous

How to Pray a Holy Hour

July 11th, 2024  |  6 mins 19 secs

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Hey Fr Josh, I love the podcast. It has helped me learn so much about my faith and grow greatly in it. I go to a holy hour every Tuesday and it’s an amazing thing sitting with Jesus christ in the eucharistic. But sometimes I find myself distracted or not fully there with Jesus and I don’t make a great holy hour. Sometimes there is music, other times I will either pray a rosary or litany or maybe read. Nothing stands out as what’s best for me. Do you have any advice on how I can make a better holy hour and become closer to Jesus in the eucharistic.

-Anonymous

Is the Eucharist Really Jesus?

July 4th, 2024  |  6 mins 48 secs

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Why must we believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist?

-Teresa

Why Is God Referred to as a "He"?

June 27th, 2024  |  7 mins 46 secs

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Hi Father Josh! I was introduced to your podcast a few months ago and I love everything that you do! Your spontaneous singing makes me laugh out loud and your straightforward, digestible answers to Catholic questions have helped me grow very much in my faith. I apologize if this question has been asked before since I’ve only heard a few episodes, but it’s something that’s been a stumbling block for me in the past. I was wondering what the Church’s teaching is on God always having a male pronoun and being described/depicted as an (often old, white) man. I know it is very complicated and tied up with the human understanding of divinity, biblical phrasing, and so much more, but maybe you can clarify a bit on how God is always described as a man. I was also wondering if and how a Catholic should respond when people, jokingly or not, call God a woman or change His supposed gender in some way. Thanks so much and love the work you’re doing!

-Anonymous