Ask Father Josh (Your Catholic Question and Answer Podcast)
Fr. Josh helps you navigate the tricky times in life when our Catholic Faith doesn’t give you an easy, “fill-in-the blank” answer.
About the show
Ask Fr. Josh is the podcast where I hear you out and do my best to help you navigate the tricky times in life when our Catholic Faith doesn’t give you an easy “fill-in-the blank” answer. On this show, we’ll listen to one another, problem solve together, and ultimately entrust everything to our Lord. If this is your first time tuning in, here’s how the show goes: Each episode, I'll address three to four of your questions. I’ll cover everything from Catholic teaching to moral dilemmas to relationship advice. I'm not perfect, and I can’t guarantee that my advice is going to make things easy, but I'll do my best to share what I've learned during my time as a priest, pastor, and friend.
Send me your questions at ascensionpress.com/askfatherjosh
Episodes
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Can Catholic Moms Have Careers?
February 29th, 2024 | 27 mins 4 secs
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Can a woman be a mother and also work? It is the responsibility of all parents to discern what is best for their children, for their family. Part of this discernment typically involves deciding whether one parent stays home or both parents work. This decision is not always easy or straightforward. Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Deacon Michael Parker to talk about this decision and what proper discernment looks like.
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Is It Possible to Have a "Happy" Death?
February 22nd, 2024 | 17 mins 42 secs
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Death is often marked by sadness and loss. For many, death is something fearful. However, there is a way to have a happy death. Fr. Josh Johnson responds to the question, “How does a person die well?” He offers advice on dying well and an example of an individual who died well.
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Is There a "Right" Way to Educate Your Children?
February 15th, 2024 | 25 mins 3 secs
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How do parents decide what is best for their children when it comes to education? There are a number of different choices and it isn’t always easy to know which is the right one. Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Deacon Michael Parker to discuss some of the key factors to consider when making decisions about education.
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Responding to Sin in the Church
February 8th, 2024 | 23 mins 44 secs
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How can I defend the Catholic Church? There are people within the Church who have done horrible things and treated people badly. These people can make others question whether or not they should support and defend the Church. Fr. Josh Johnson responds to this question and shares why Christians should defend the Church.
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Preparing for Marriage: What You Need to Do
February 1st, 2024 | 39 mins 56 secs
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What should I focus on during engagement? As you prepare for your wedding day, you are also preparing for your marriage. Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Deacon Michael Parker to discuss some of the key priorities for engagement that will help you truly prepare for marriage.
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Can Women Be Deacons?
November 30th, 2023 | 25 mins 8 secs
ascension, ascension catholic, ascension catholic faith formation, ascension presents, ascension press, ask father josh, ask fr josh, ask fr. josh, catholic, catholic beliefs, catholic church, catholic faith, catholic faith formation, catholic podcast, catholic priest, catholic religion, catholic teachings, catholic theology, catholicism, catholics, christian, christianity, faith, father josh, father josh johnson, fr josh, fr josh johnson, fr. josh johnson, god, holiness, jesus, jesus christ, prayer, praying, priest, relationship with jesus, religion, roman catholic, saints, spirituality, theology
The conversations regarding women deacons has caused a lot of confusion amongst Catholics. Can women be deacons or not? Fr. Josh Johnson addresses this question by looking at the history of the Church and her teachings on the topic.
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Why Social Media Is a Lonely Place (with Sr. Josephine Garrett)
November 23rd, 2023 | 29 mins 5 secs
ascension, ascension catholic, ascension catholic faith formation, ascension presents, ascension press, ask father josh, ask fr josh, ask fr. josh, catholic, catholic beliefs, catholic church, catholic faith, catholic faith formation, catholic podcast, catholic priest, catholic religion, catholic teachings, catholic theology, catholicism, catholics, christian, christianity, faith, father josh, father josh johnson, fr josh, fr josh johnson, fr. josh johnson, god, holiness, jesus, jesus christ, prayer, praying, priest, relationship with jesus, religion, roman catholic, saints, spirituality, theology
Are you lonely? Although the world has never been more connected because of social media, texting, and other technology, it seems like many people are lonely. Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Sr. Josephine Garrett to discuss why social media is not fulfilling and can negatively impact us. They also share who it is that will satisfy the longing of our hearts to be known and loved.
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What Will You Do for Love?
November 16th, 2023 | 17 mins 12 secs
ascension, ascension catholic, ascension catholic faith formation, ascension presents, ascension press, ask father josh, ask fr josh, ask fr. josh, catholic, catholic beliefs, catholic church, catholic faith, catholic faith formation, catholic podcast, catholic priest, catholic religion, catholic teachings, catholic theology, catholicism, catholics, christian, christianity, faith, father josh, father josh johnson, fr josh, fr josh johnson, fr. josh johnson, god, holiness, jesus, jesus christ, prayer, praying, priest, relationship with jesus, religion, roman catholic, saints, spirituality, theology
What are you willing to do for someone you love? Very often, love requires us to make sacrifices and experience difficulties. Such is the case with prayer so often. In order to have time with God in prayer, we may need to make sacrifices. Fr. Josh shares what these sacrifices may look like and why it is so worth it.
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Can Christians Complain? (with Sr. Josephine Garrett)
November 9th, 2023 | 31 mins 34 secs
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Life gets tough. There is suffering, discomfort, and heartbreak. It seems like there is always something to complain about. So, is it ok to complain? Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Sr. Josephine Garrett to discuss whether or not Christians can complain. Is there a holy way to complain?
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How Can I Be Happy in This World?
November 2nd, 2023 | 23 mins 53 secs
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Violence and war are just some of the evils that are present in our world today. If you watch the news or scroll on social media, it can seem like there is nothing but bad in the world. So, how can you be happy in such a place? Is it possible or even right to be happy? Fr. Josh addresses this question and offers advice on how to find happiness even in the storms of life.
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How to Make Good Friends
October 26th, 2023 | 32 mins 53 secs
ascension, ascension catholic, ascension catholic faith formation, ascension presents, ascension press, ask father josh, ask fr josh, ask fr. josh, catholic, catholic beliefs, catholic church, catholic faith, catholic faith formation, catholic podcast, catholic priest, catholic religion, catholic teachings, catholic theology, catholicism, catholics, christian, christianity, faith, father josh, father josh johnson, fr josh, fr josh johnson, fr. josh johnson, god, holiness, jesus, jesus christ, prayer, praying, priest, relationship with jesus, religion, roman catholic, saints, spirituality, theology
Friendship is incredibly important, but how do you make good friends and maintain those friendships? Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Sr. Josephine Garrett to discuss the importance of deep friendships and how we can find them. They share their thoughts and what to avoid in friendships and what to value.
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How Do I Bring My Children Back to the Church?
October 19th, 2023 | 25 mins 19 secs
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This may be the #1 question that Fr. Josh gets asked: “How do I bring my children back to the Church?” This is a question that lies in the hearts of so many parents in the Church today. This desire is good and a sign of true love for their children. Fr. Josh explains how to help bring children back to Church and love them well in the process.
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Why Intimacy in Marriage Is So Important (with Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN)
October 12th, 2023 | 37 mins 46 secs
ascension, ascension catholic, ascension catholic faith formation, ascension presents, ascension press, ask father josh, ask fr josh, ask fr. josh, catholic, catholic beliefs, catholic church, catholic faith, catholic faith formation, catholic podcast, catholic priest, catholic religion, catholic teachings, catholic theology, catholicism, catholics, christian, christianity, faith, father josh, father josh johnson, fr josh, fr josh johnson, fr. josh johnson, god, holiness, jesus, jesus christ, prayer, praying, priest, relationship with jesus, religion, roman catholic, saints, spirituality, theology
What do two celibates have to say about intimacy in marriage? Quite a bit! Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Sr. Josephine Garrett to discuss the importance of intimacy in marriage. Together, they share the abundant knowledge they have gained by counseling couples and individuals over many years.
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The Eucharist and My Imperfection
October 5th, 2023 | 21 mins 13 secs
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Does the Eucharist feel approachable? Do you believe that the Eucharist is personal? Sometimes, it can seem unclear how we are meant to interact and approach the Eucharist. How “put together” do I need to be in order to participate in Communion? Fr. Josh Johnson takes on these questions and offers encouragement for how we can make the Eucharist more central in our lives.
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Why Is Death Scary? (with Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN)
September 28th, 2023 | 32 mins 56 secs
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Death is part of life, but so many of us live with a fear of death. Why? What is it about death that instills fear in so many people? Fr. Josh Johnson is joined by Sr. Josephine Garrett to respond to this question and offer stories from their own lives to show how death can be a good.
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Navigating Conflict with Friends
September 21st, 2023 | 27 mins 10 secs
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Friendships can be difficult and tumultuous but can also bring so much goodness to our lives. So, how do you strive for good friendship? How do you handle conflict or talking through difficult topics with friends? Fr. Josh offers his insight and advice for navigating the challenges in friendship.