Ask Father Josh (Your Catholic Question and Answer Podcast)

Be My Guest: Andy Lesnefsky on Catholic Community, Tattoos, Fitting in, and Avoiding Burnout

January 7th, 2020  |  39 mins 28 secs

andy lesnefsky, catholic community, tattoos

Andy Lesnefsky from Vagabond Ministries joins Father Josh to discuss how to find/build Catholic community, why you shouldn’t worry about fitting a perfect Catholic mold, and how to avoid burnout when you’re always serving others.

Today’s podcast was recorded live last week in Phoenix Arizona at the FOCUS Student Leadership SLS conference...thank you for all your prayers for this incredible conference and all the young Catholics who attended!

A New Years Prayer from Father Josh

December 31st, 2019  |  2 mins 5 secs

focus, sls20

Happy New Years Y'all! I'm taking one more week off from my regular recording schedule, but tune in next week when we kick off 2020 with the first ever LIVE recording of Ask Father Josh!

This week I'm in Phoenix, Arizona for the FOCUS SLS conference, so if you're at the conference too, come say hi and see me podcast LIVE on Tuesday at 4:15 in the Media Feed (check the FOCUS app for the location).

A Christmas Prayer from Father Josh

December 24th, 2019  |  5 mins 12 secs

christmas prayer

Father Josh prays for grace and peace to fill your soul as you approach this Christmas season.

Be My Guest: Favorite Things with Sister Miriam James

December 17th, 2019  |  28 mins 20 secs

In today’s special episode, Sister Miriam James Heidland joins Father Josh to talk favorite childhood Christmas memories, YouTube videos, books, saints, and more.

Corrupt Church History, Saints Reading Minds, and "Mary Did You Know?"

December 10th, 2019  |  26 mins 40 secs

Father Josh answers questions about how to talk about corruption in the Church’s history, whether the saints know our thoughts, and whether Mary knew that Jesus was God.

All About Advent: Christmas Music, Prayer, and the Liturgical Calendar

December 3rd, 2019  |  26 mins 58 secs

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Father Josh answers questions about how to live Advent in a meaningful way, whether Catholics should listen to Christmas music during Advent, and what the “Christmas season” is according to the liturgical calendar.

Happy Thanksgiving, and Send Me Advent-Related Questions!

November 26th, 2019  |  7 mins 29 secs

Father Josh shares four things he’s grateful for and wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving! He also encourages you to send all your Advent and Christmas related questions to him at [email protected] for a special themed episode in the coming weeks.

Feminism, Devotionals Guaranteeing Salvation, and Kanye West

November 19th, 2019  |  27 mins 25 secs

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Can Catholics support feminism? Why do some people believe women shouldn’t work outside the home? How do the promises of devotional prayers work—can they guarantee salvation? Should we be embracing the current interest in Christianity due to Kanye West and his album, Jesus is King? Fr. Josh answers this and more in today’s episode.

Anxiety, Parish Involvement, and Can Catholics Be Masons

November 12th, 2019  |  31 mins 44 secs

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Father Josh answers questions about how to find healing in the midst of anxiety or depression, how to get involved in your parish, and whether or not Catholics can be Freemasons.

Catholic Voting and Celebrating Halloween

November 5th, 2019  |  29 mins 16 secs

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Fr. Josh goes in depth on two questions: What principles should Catholics turn to when it comes to voting for a political candidate? And is celebrating Halloween morally acceptable?

Wearing Rosaries, Taize Prayer, and Spiritual Direction

October 29th, 2019  |  27 mins 36 secs

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Is it sacrilegious to wear a rosary? Is a rosary without a crucifix still a rosary? Should Catholics engage in Taize prayer, or is Taize prayer a new age practice? Lastly, what’s the difference between spiritual direction and pastoral counseling?

Non Catholics Receiving Communion, Essential Oils, and St. Paul on Salvation

October 22nd, 2019  |  30 mins 4 secs

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Fr. Josh answers questions about non-Catholics receiving Communion in the Catholic Church, whether using essential oils is spiritually dangerous, and what St. Paul teaches about salvation and grace.

Guardian Angels, Explicit Lyrics, and Christian Denominations

October 15th, 2019  |  30 mins 16 secs

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Fr. Josh answers questions about what happens to our guardian angels after we die, whether it’s OK to listen to explicit lyrics if you only pay attention to the music, and how to respond to someone who says all you have to do is love Jesus to get to heaven.

Unanswered Prayers, Unplanned Pregnancy Before Marriage, and Bible Translations

October 8th, 2019  |  26 mins 10 secs

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Fr. Josh answers questions about what to do when you feel angry at God because of unanswered prayers to alleviate the suffering of a loved one, if cohabitation is a good solution to handle an unexpected pregnancy before marriage, and which translation of the Bible is the best to get started with.

Ministering to Coworkers, Ember Days, and Revering Saint Relics

October 1st, 2019  |  29 mins 59 secs

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Fr. Josh answers questions about how to minister to a coworker who looks at horoscopes and practices “white” witchcraft, what’s the deal with ember days (periods of fasting for vocations throughout the year), and why Catholics venerate saint relics and images.

Dropping Hosts, Not Kneeling at Mass, and the Devil in Our Thoughts

September 24th, 2019  |  31 mins 29 secs

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Fr. Josh answers questions about what to do when a consecrated Host is dropped during Communion, if the devil and demons can read our thoughts when we’re tempted, and what to do about a congregation that doesn’t kneel during Mass.