#Marcus Grodi

[noloveforned]

it's a holiday weekend here in the u.s.a. and i'm 'celebrating freedom' with my typical friday evening freeform radio on wlur. you can tune in from 8pm until midnight for the live fireworks. if you're celebrating elsewhere tonight you can always catch up with last week's show streaming on mixcloud.

no love for ned on wlur – june 28th, 2024 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label the double // dawn of the double (excerpt) // dawn of the double // in the red dom sensitive // r&d // leather trim // dinosaur city mope grooves // forever is a long time // box of dark roses // 12xu antietam // shively spleen // antietam // hoemstead surveillance // on my way // less than one, more than zero // celluloid lunch loose lips // here she comes // loose lips cassette // (self-released) laughing // easier said // because it's true // celluloid lunch hot tubs time machine // no thanks, google maps // fifty shades of marcus 7" // spoilsport moss lime // dreamboat // zoo du quebec ep // telephone explosion the pretenders // message of love // pretenders ii // sire birthday girl dc // house of cards // birthday girl ep // army brat oh, rose // that do now see // that do now see (remastered) cassette // antiquated future danny paul grody duo // hawk hill // arc of night // three lobed fuubutsushi // new flora // meridians // cached media kronos quartet and laraaji // daddy's gonna tell you no lie // outer spaceways incorporated- kronos quartet and friends meet sun ra // red hot organization yea big and tatsu aoki // the mind and the heart // the hand and the moon, pt. 1 // for practically everyone william parker, cooper-moore and hamid drake // processional // heart trio // aum fidelity joe henderson // afro-centric // power to the people // milestone rome streetz // what i'm used to // i been thru mad shit // bad influenyce previous industries // white hen // service merchandise // merge homeboy sandman // the place i want to be // rich ii // dirty looks maxo // same hoodie since '05 // smile ep // smile for me yaya bey // chrysanthemums // ten fold // big dada jimmie green // dance // eccentric soul- the shoestring label compilation // numero group the garment district // the island of stability // flowers telegraphed to all parts of the world // happy happy birthday to me advantage lucy // solaris // fanfare // eastworld smile too much // memorial park // ep two cassette // dandy boy lunchbox // heaven only knows // pop and circumstance // slumberland shonen knife // elephant pao pao // burning farm // oglio korea girl // under the sun // korea girl // asian man

[stevedonnellyfaith-blog]

Father Jerry on Television (Post 104) 9-2-15

                        We sat in a group up in the loft of my father’s house watching a familiar man on a big screen television that my father had long since abandoned as a luxury not worth the physical exertion of climbing the stairs to utilize.  Nicholas has been encamped in the loft these last several months, sleeping on one of the several sofas, not bothering to unfurl either hideaway sofa-beds, which might make his abode seem less of a bus stop.  Nicholas doesn’t feel moved to construct something each night that will only need to be stored away again anyway each morning.

Normally none of the other three of us living in my parent’s house disturb Nick’s abode.  On Monday night, though, Nicholas invited Natalie, Stephen and I to join him on the landing outside our bedrooms to watch Father Jerry be interviewed for the Coming Home Network of EWTN.  Three of us made a night of it, while Natalie scurried off after about half an hour thoroughly bewildered about all the talk of seminaries, sacraments and Protestant denominations.  She enjoyed seeing Father’s bearded visage again, though.  After more than a year she still remembers him fondly.  I think the Donnelly’s will always consider Father Jerry to be our family priest.  We know he loves us despite all our faults and we love him back even when he gets prickly.

I enjoyed watching Marcus Grodi’s astonishment as Father Jerry explained that he is a pastor of a parish in a town nobody has ever heard of with a membership of 5700 families.  It would have taken somebody really paying attention to notice that Father Jerry’s first Episcopalian parish also grew quite surprisingly during an era when Anglicanism was largely on the retreat throughout most of the former colonies and most certainly in the San Francisco area. To many Father Jerry remains an enigma wrapped in the Spirit.  The Coming Home Network is a landing strip for many conventionally unusual stories; Father Jerry’s biography is more of a curiously unusual tale, but it is also reads as a report oddly bereft of bling.

I watched hoping for some insight into a man that I came to know some during Pam’s illness, more during Stephen’s trials and even more throughout Nicholas’s cancer treatment.  Father Jerry visited our house, as did Father Jim and Father Fabio, but very few of our friends ever saw the inside of 387 Madera Street.  It was a house of illness, after all, so we didn’t entertain.  Still we were only one of 5700 families and all priests at IHM have much to do, so I have always remained curious to know more about Father Jerry.   For our family, Marcus Grodi’s show was helpful in providing a good overall plot summary that added context to the many individual specifics of Father Jerry’s life that he has provided in his homilies over the years.  

He painted in some details of his spiritual awakening and the growth of his vocation, but not of his hikes up Calvary.  That was not the purpose of the show.  He has shared much of his pain with the parish over the years and it always made me chuckle that he respected the incidences of pain that Jesus favored me with. That is like Buster Posey complementing the uppercut swing of a weekend softball palooka. I always wondered why Father Jerry volunteered for the AIDS ward before there was a cure for the disease; now I know it is because he admired Damian of Molokai.  It is a rare Protestant that emulates the life of an obscure Catholic saint, before he was ever canonized – not that that should matter to a Protestant.

Anyway we enjoyed watching Father Jerry; we haven’t done much as a group in the last several months. Much change is coming for the Donnellys as I close on a family house on Wednesday – never thought I would own another. Hopefully, it will be a good home for Natalie to grown into her young womanhood.  So we sat as a group in the loft on the cusp of a big change and quite a bit of work in the near term watching a man from our recent past for whom we continue to pray.  Because Father Jerry helped shepherd us through the dark valleys of the last several years, we are thankful for him and all the prayers of our IHM friends.

[traumacatholic]

Literature: Introduction To Catholicism

Liturgical Days and Advent:

A Coming Christ in Advent by Raymond E. Brown SS (1988)

A Crucified Christ in Holy Week: Essays on the Four Gospel Passion Narratives by Raymond E. Brown SS (1986)

Advent to Pentecost: Comparing the Seasons in the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite by Patrick Regan OSB (2012)

A Once-and-Coming Spirit at Pentecost: Essays on the Liturgical Readings Between Easter and Pentecost by Raymond E. Brown SS (1994)

A Risen Christ in Easter time: Essays on the Gospel Narratives of the Resurrection by Raymond E. Brown SS (1991)

Celebrating a Holy Catholic Easter: A Guide to the Customs and Devotions of Lent and the

Season of Christ’s Resurrection by Rev. William P. Saunders Ph.D. (2020)

Celebrating the Easter Vigil by Rupert Berger (1983)

Celebrating a Merry Catholic Christmas: A Guide to the Customs and Feast Days of Advent and Christmas by Rev. William P. Saunders Ph.D.

Lent and Easter Reflections (Catholic Daily Reflections Series) by John Paul Thomas (2016)

Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians by Scott Hahn PhD and Mike Aquilia (2003)

Our Father In Gethsemane: Thoughts for the Holy Hour by Francis P Donnelly SJ (2010)

Pentecost: This Story is Our Story by Robert Menzies (2013)

The Handy Little Guide to Lent by Michelle Schroeder (2020)

The Promise of Lent Devotional: A 40-day Journey toward the Miracle of Easter by Chris Tiegreen (2018)

The Wonder of Advent Devotional: Experiencing the Love and Glory of the Christmas Season by Chris Tiegreen (2017)

Mass and Introduction to the First Church:

A Beginner’s Guide to the Traditional Latin Mass by Derya Little and Chris Lewis (2019)

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass (Book): Understanding What We Say and Do In The Liturgy by Edward Sri (2011)

A Short History of the Roman Mass by Michael Davies (1997)

Latin Mass Companion (2020)

Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy by Scott Hahn PhD (2005)

Mass Matters: Reflections of a Parish Priest by William J. Bausch (2019)

Memorize the Mass! by Kevin Vost (2016)

The Beauty Of The Mass: Exploring The Central Act Of Catholic Worship by Charles S. Johnston (2018)

The Holy Mass. The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ by St Alphonsus de Liguori (2020)

The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You by Micheal Dubruiel (2007)

The Incredible Catholic Mass: An Explanation of the Catholic Mass by Martin Von Cochem (1997)

Questions and Answers: Why? What? Who?

A Christian’s Guide to Evidence for the Bible: 101 Proofs from History and Archaeology by J. Daniel Hays (2020)

A Lutheran’s Case for Roman Catholicism: Finding a Lost Path Home by Robert C. Koons (2020)

Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie (1996)

Catholic Traditions and Treasures: An Illustrated Encyclopedia by Helen Hoffner (2018)

Consuming the Word: The New Testament and The Eucharist in the Early Church by Scott Hahn (2013)

Deathbed Conversions: Finding Faith at the Finish Line by Karen Edmisten (2013)

Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell (2017)

Faith of Our Fathers: Why the Early Christians Still Matter and Always Will by Mike Aquilina (2012)

Forty Anti-Catholic Lies: A Mythbusting Apologist Sets the Record Straight by Gerard Verschuuren (2018)

God’s World and Our Place in It by Fulton J. Sheen (2003)

How Can You Still Be Catholic?: 50 Answers to a Good Question by Christopher Sparks (2017)

Journeys Home by Marcus Grodi (1997)

Making All Things New: An Invitation to the Spiritual Life by Henri J.M. Nouwen (2009)

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (2015)

My Life on the Rock: A Rebel Returns to the Catholic Faith by Jeff Cavins (2000)

No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy by Fr. Donald Calloway (2019)

Now What?: A Guide for New (and Not-So-New) Catholics by Patrick Madrid (2015)

Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism by Scott Hahn Ph.D. and Kimberly Hahn (1993)

Something Greater is Here by Kenneth Howell (2015)

Surprised By Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic by Patrick Madrid (2016)

Surprised by Truth 2: 15 Men and Women Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons For Becoming Catholic. (v. 2) by Patrick Madrid (2000)

Surprised by Truth 3: 10 More Converts Explain the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic (v. 3) by Patrick Madrid (2002)

The Big Hustle: A Boston Street Kid’s Story of Addiction and Redemption by Jim Wahlberg (2020)

The Case for Catholicism: Answers to Classic and Contemporary Protestant Objections by Trent Horn (2017)

The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus by Lee Strobel (2016)

The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger by Lee Strobel (2014)

The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God by Lee Strobel (2014)

The Case for Easter: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Resurrection by Lee Strobel (2018)

The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity by Lee Strobel (2014)

The Case for Grace: A Journalist Explores the Evidence of Transformed Lives by Lee Strobel (2016)

The Case for Hope: Looking Ahead With Confidence and Courage by Lee Strobel (2015)

The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural by Lee Strobel (2018)

The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ by Lee Strobel (2009)

The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina (2013)

The Miracles Answer Book (Answer Book Series) by Lee Strobel (2016)

The Protestant’s Dilemma: How the Reformation’s Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism by Devin Rose (2014)

The Shortest Leap: The Rational Underpinnings of Faith in Jesus by A.L. Van Den Herik (2020)

Waking Up Catholic: A Guide to Catholic Beliefs for Converts, Reverts, and Anyone Becoming Catholic by Chad R. Torgerson (2013)

What Catholics Really Believe–setting the Record Straight: 52 Answers to Common Misconceptions about the Catholic Faith by Karl Keating (1992)

What It Means to Be Catholic by Joseph M. Champlin (1986)

Why Be Catholic by Ken Geraci (2021)

Why I am a Catholic: An Exploration of Western Christianity by Edmond Ko (Kindle Edition) (2019)

Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love by Trent Horn (2017)

Without God: Science, Belief, Morality, and the Meaning of Life by Zachary Bloom (2019)

The History of Catholicism and the First Church:

Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History by Rodney Stark (2017)

Christus Vincit: Christ’s Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age by Bishop Athanasius Schneider and Diana Montagna (2019)

Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (2017)

Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers by Andrew Louth (1987)

Great Orders of the Catholic Church From the Benedictines to the Carmelites by Henry Schnitker (2020)

Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God by Scott Hahn (2001)

Holy Men and Women from The Middle Ages and Beyond: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of The Hours by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (2012)

I Will Build My Church: An Introduction to Ecclesiology (Formed in Christ) by Andrew Willard Jones (2019)

In the Beginning…’: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall (Ressourcement: Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought (RRRCT) by Pope Benedict XVI (1995)

Jesus, Peter & the Keys: A Scriptural Handbook on the Papacy by David R. Hess, Norman Dahlgren, and Scott Butler (1996)

Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (2015)

Scripture & the Mystery of the Mother of God (Catholic for a Reason) by Scott Hahn, Curtis A. Martin, Curtis J. Mitch, Tim Gray, Edward P. Sri, Leon J. Suprenant, Kimberly Hahn, Sean Innerst Jeff Cavins

The Apostolic Fathers: A New Translation (Lexham Classics) by Rick Brannan (2018)

The Beauty of Holiness and the Holiness of Beauty: Art, Sanctity, and the Truth of Catholicism by John Saward (1605)

The Catholic Faith: An Introduction to the Creeds Stephen Ray en Deacon Dennis Walters (2020)

The Complete Works of the Church Fathers: A total of 64 authors, and over 2,500 works of the Early Christian Church by The Church Fathers (2016)

The Confessions (The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century) by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustin (2002)

The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity (The Origins of Catholicism Book 1) by Taylor Marshall (2009)

The Eternal City: Rome & the Origins of Catholic Christianity by Taylor Marshall (2012)

The Glories Of Mary by St Alphonsus de Liguori (2000)

The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine (Penguin Classics) by Eusebius and Andrew Louth (1990)

The Spirit of the Liturgy: Commemorative Edition by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (2018)

The Story of the Church Textbook: From Pentecost to Modern Times by Philip Campbell (2020)

Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages: A Layman’s Quick Guide to Thomism by Taylor Marshall (2014)

An Introduction to Prayer:

A Layman’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours: How the Prayers of the Church Can Change Your Life by Fr. Timothy Gallagher (2019)

A Praying Life Discussion Guide: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Courtney Miller Sneed and Cyndi Anderson and Bob Allums (2017)

A School of Prayer: The Saints Show Us How to Pray by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (2016)

A Short Treatise On Prayer: The Great Means Of Obtaining From God Eternal Salvation And All The Graces Of Which We Stand In Need by St Alphonsus de Liguori (2010)

Beginning a Praying Life by Paul E. Miller (2017)

Catholic Prayers: Compiled from Traditional Sources by Thomas A. Nelson (2009)

54 Day Rosary Novena Prayer Journal: Includes the Rosary Mystery Tracker and the Novena Countdown by Novena Journals (2020)

How to Pray: A Practical Guide to the Spiritual Life by David Torkington (2021)

Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone by James Martin (2021)

Mysteries of the Rosary: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries by Catherine Anne Emmerich (2019)

Prayer For Beginners by Peter Kreeft (2000)

Prayer Primer: Igniting a Fire Within by Thomas DuBay (2002)

Station to Station: An Ignatian Journey through the Stations of the Cross by Gary Jansen (2017)

The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours by Daria Sockey (2013)

The God Of Jesus Christ: Meditations on the Triune God by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (2018)

The Miraculous 54 Day Rosary Novena To Our Lady: 54 Day Rosary Novena Prayer Guide by Christopher Hellenbeck (2019)

The Rosary in 50 Pages: The Layman’s Quick Guide to Mary’s Psalter by Taylor Marshall (2020)

Why we pray to God with Mary by William-Mariae Fonjun (C.M.A.)

Catechism: Biblical Study and Understanding

A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament by Brant James Pitre (2018)

Always Have an Answer Ready: A Question-and-Answer Catechism to Help You Live Your Faith by Fr. Jeffrey Kirby STD (2019)

Annulment: A Guide for RCIA Candidates, Ministers, and Others by Kevin E. McKenna (2015)

Any Friend of God’s Is a Friend of Mine: A Biblical and Historical Explanation of the Catholic Doctrine of the Communion of Saints by Patrick Madrid (1996)

Catechism of the Catholic Church: Trent Edition by The Roman Catholic Church (2003)

Catholic Bible Study Journal for Men by Drawn to Faith by Catholic Art Publishers (2018)

Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism of Catholic Church Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Peter Kreeft (2001)

Catholic Notetaking Bible by Our Sunday Visitor (2019)

Catholic Reader’s Bible: The Epistles and Revelation by Sophia Institute Press (2020)

Catholic Reader’s Bible: The Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles by Sophia Institute Press (2020)

Catholic Faith Overview by Frank Figliomeni (2016)

Believe Celebrate Live Pray: A Weekly Walk with the Catechism by Ph. D. Jem Sullivan (2020)

Bible Basics for Catholics: A New Picture of Salvation History by John Bergsma and Scott Hahn (2015)

General Principles of Sacramental Theology by Roger W. Nutt (2017)

In the Beginning…’: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall (Ressourcement: Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought (RRRCT) by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and Boniface Ramsey (1995)

Introduction to the Bible: A Catholic Guide to Studying Scripture by Stephen J. Binz (2007)

Introduction to the Holy Bible for Traditional Catholics: A Beginner’s Guide to Reading the Scriptures for Spiritual Profit by Timothy S. Flanders (2019)

Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations (4 Volumes) by Anne Catherine Emmerich (2001)

My Personal Catholic Handbook by Frank Figliomeni (2021)

New Testament Basics for Catholics by John Bergsma (2015)

Psalm Basics for Catholics: Seeing Salvation History in a New Way (Bible Basics) by John Bergsma (2018)

That You Might Have Life: An Introduction to the Paschal Mystery of Christ (Formed in Christ) by Louis St. Hilaire (2019)

The Aquinas Catechism: A Simple Explanation of the Catholic Faith by the Church’s Greatest Theologian by Thomas Aquinas (2000)

The Augustine Catechism: The Enchiridion on Faith Hope and Charity (The Augustine Series) by Saint Augustine (2008)

The Bible Compass: A Catholic’s Guide to Navigating the Scriptures by Edward Sri (2009)

The Catholic Study Bible by Donald Senior (2016)

The Catholic Journaling Bible by Our Sunday Visitor (2020)

The Holy Bible RSV Catholic Edition – Burgundy by RSV-CE (2005)

The New City Catechism Devotional: God’s Truth for Our Hearts and Minds (The Gospel Coalition) by Collin Hansen (2017)

The New City Catechism: 52 Questions and Answers for Our Hearts and Minds (The Gospel Coalition) by Kathy Heller (2017)

The Seven Sacraments (Treasures of the Church) by Bob Lord and Penny Lord (2011)

The Trinity: An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God (Thomistic Ressourcement) by Giles Emery (2011)

This Is the Faith: A Complete Explanation of the Catholic Faith by Canon Francis Ripley (1999)

Understanding Catholicism: Explanations of the Catholic Church for Non-Catholic Christians and Fallen Away Catholics by Hugh Murray (2018)

[Source: https://globalcatholicresourcecenter.com/literature-introduction-to-catholicism/]

[francesderwent]

It’s about seeing through prayer, through contemplation, through meditation, through the reading of Scripture, a greater perception of yourself as you truly are. A greater and greater perception of yourself through the eyes of God. And this is a grace and a gift that God does give to consciences, if one perseveres in that prayer: the gift of brutal honesty with yourself, to look at yourself in that mirror and say, “This is not a Christian I am looking at right here.” I looked at myself and I said “You say all the right words, Chapp. Oh, you got the book stuff down, you’ve got all the doctrine stuff down, your got the big highfalutin German metaphysical gobbledegook down. But do you have Christ in your heart?”

I’m not trying to encourage viewers to be “uuuggggh I’m so awful, I’m so miserable, this is terrible, I’m a wretch!” That’s not it. It’s that desire—it’s actually a positive thing. Holiness is our ultimate happiness. And we should desire that holiness for the sake of that deeper happiness. And I was looking at my life and saying “I’m kind of miserable most of the time. I’m kind of not happy most of the time, despite all of these outward trappings of academic success. And why is that?” Because there was a disconnect between what I was saying and what was in my heart. One of the great things that Catholics can learn from our Protestant brothers and sisters, especially our Evangelical Protestant brothers and sisters, is that at the end of the day, if you don’t have some kind of a relationship with Christ, you don’t have anything.

—Dr. Larry Chapp, in conversation with Marcus Grodi

[citylifeorg]

The Public Theater Extends World Premiere Musical Suffs Through Sunday, May 1

The Public Theater Extends World Premiere Musical Suffs Through Sunday, May 1

The company of Suffs in rehearsal for the world premiere musical, with book, music, and lyrics by Shaina Taub, music direction and music supervision by Andrea Grody, choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, and direction by Leigh Silverman at The Public Theater. Photo credit: Joan Marcus Book, Music, and Lyrics by Shaina TaubMusic Direction and Music Supervision by Andrea GrodyChoreography by Raja…

[theologyforthelayman]

Six Books Every Catholic Should Read There are so many books out there about the faith. Some are excellent, and others...well, not so much.

[liberty1776]

Simon the Sorcerer - Deep in History Ep. 4

Marcus Grodi and Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson continue their study of "Against Heresies," they look at St. Irenaeus' treatment of the legacy of Simon Magus, a sorcerer who tried to bribe the apostles to teach him how to do miracles in Acts 8.

[miki-agrawal]

16 Nifty Sanitization Things to Make Everything in Your Life Less Gross

Get your clean on with these sanitization products that will de-grossify everything from your phone to the air!

Originally Posted On eonline.com By Von Carly Milne, Emily Spain On Feb 07, 2021

We independently selected these products because we love them, and we hope you do too. Shop with E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Items are sold by the retailer, not E!.

Guck. Grime. Germs. Ew! Even if you’re not phobic about such things, it helps to do a deep clean every once in a while and get your stuff (or your home) in spotless shape.

But sometimes you’re not sure where to start, or you’re not sure what else exists beyond bleach to help you get your life de-gunked. Fret not! We scoped out some interesting, fascinating and downright magical goodies that will help you sanitize your world and make it more livable. For example? You’ll definitely want something to sanitize your phone, which is a known germ farm. There’s some cool kitchen goodies that can clean and deodorize. And if you really want to go hardcore, you can purify the air and eliminate the germs floating around your home. (Again we say: ew!)

Our favorite? The TUSHY Spa 3.0 bidet attachment for your toilet that has over 7,500 5-star reviews!

So grab some of the goodies below and join us on a quest to rid the world of icky stuff. Because it’s never too early to start spring cleaning.

Cleanse My Sole Sanitizing Shoe Door Mat

Prevent the spread of dirt and germs before walking in the door! Just step on to the sponge mat, rub the soles of your shoes back and forth to clean and disinfect. Then the microfiber mat side will absorb any excess moisture on your shoes.

$40

Amazon

PhoneSoap Smartphone Sanitizer

Surely you know that your phone is a breeding ground for bacteria. Zap those germs before they infect your life, and charge your phone at the same time, with this awesome phone sanitizer. Just plunk it inside and plug it into the charger, close the lid, and let your peace of mind take over while ultra-violet light gets rid of all the ickies your phone picks up over the course of a day. And if you can’t wait for it to finish its decontamination process, the sanitizer features an amplifier so you can listen to music while it de-grossifies. Also? It made the cut on Shark Tank! Now you can buy one and get another for 50% off.

$80

PhoneSoap

Plink Garbage Disposer Cleaner and Deodorizer

It’s unsurprising garbage disposals are gross, given what we put them through. But what is surprising is how easy they are to clean when you use Plink. Just drop one of these magic pearls into your disposal, and its fizzy enzymatic formula will not only clean your drain, deodorize it and remove foul odors, but it’ll also make your kitchen smell yummy thanks to a tart lemon scent. Plus, it’s biodegradable and doesn’t contain phosphates.

$11

Amazon

Larq Self-Cleaning Water Bottle

Yes, you read that right: this water bottle cleans itself! How? The bottle activates every two hours to bask the water and inner surface of the bottle in purifying UV-C LED light, which eliminates up to 99.9999% of bio-contaminants. That means your water bottle remains stink-free, germ free, and odor-causing bacteria free. And you don’t need replacement filters or batteries to keep it that way! One charge via USB lasts from one to two months.

$95

Revolve

$95

Neiman Marcus

Vie Oli UV-C Sanitizing Toothbrush Holder

We’re all guilty of leaving our bathroom counters a mess which means our toothbrushes are often exposed to all kinds of stuff! However, this nifty toothbrush holder is designed to disinfect your toothbrush from 99.9% of bacteria.

$20

Anthropologie

Bottle Bright Natural Cleaning Tablets

But if you prefer the analog format of water bottle, or you’re just forgetful about cleaning ’em, then you’re definitely going to need these. In addition to being biodegradable, chlorine free and environmentally safe, they’ll remove stubborn stains and odors with ease. Just fill your bottle with hot water, drop in a tablet, let it fizz for 15 to 30 minutes, then pour it out. And voila! You have a spotless, non-grody drinking vessel for your favorite beverage.

$8

Amazon

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner

Even if you’re not wearing your finest gems while you’re working up a sweat at the gym, just the usual daily wear infused them with the grit and grime of day to day life. Zap the junk off your jewelry, watches, and even your eyeglasses with this jewelry cleaner, which uses tap water and 42,000 Hz of ultrasonic sound waves to get rid of any gunk that may be living in or on your baubles and trinkets. There’s an internal basket that keeps your goodies safe, and five preset cleaning cycles with an auto shut off in case you forget about them.

$45

Amazon

Skonyon UV Lighter Sanitizer Mini Handheld Sanitizer Travel Wand UV Light

You can use this magical wand to kill 99.9% of bacteria in your home, car, workplace and more. Plus, it easily folds up and is travel-friendly!

$20

Walmart

Drill Brush Attachment Set

Get down to the nitty gritty with this brush set, which easily attaches to your power drill to give you the scrubbing power you never knew you wanted, but definitely needed. There’s an attachment that will work for everything, from scrubbing your bathroom floor, everything in the kitchen, even your car, carpet and upholstery. Scour large surfaces, hard to reach spots, and everything in between thanks to a variety of attachments that make it easy to scrub away pretty much anything that may be tipping off your inner clean freak. Your home will be hospital-level clean in no time.

$9

Amazon

Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Your bathroom might only be bested by your phone for being a germ factory, especially when it comes to the toilet. But what do you do when you want to get it ridiculously clean without harming the environment? This toilet bowl cleaner from Seventh Generation is the answer. Not only does it tackle stubborn stains, but it leaves your bowl (and surrounding area) spotless without using chlorine, synthetic fragrances, dyes or ammonia. You also might want to think about….

$27

$24

Amazon

Tushy Spa 3.0

Okay, hear us out on this one. We know that the concept of a bidet squicks a lot of people out, but you’ll be missing out on one of the great joys in life: a spotless tushy, no matter what kind of bathroom shenanigans you may have endured. And the good news is, you don’t have to buy an entirely new unit for your bathroom to experience this joy. The Tushy Spa easily attaches to your existing toilet system, dousing your butt in cool or warm water (you’ll need the unit to be close to your tap to get the warm). There’s pressure and targeting controls to ensure you get clean where you want, and the nozzle is self-cleaning. Trust us. You’ll thank us later.

$149

$119

Tushy

PetSafe ScoopFree Automatic Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box

And while we’re on the subject, have you ever thought about your cat’s litter box situation? Let’s face it: it’s not pleasant for either of you, but this little gadget may change that. It’s a litter box that scoops away the dirty business your cat leaves behind, and stashes it into a disposable tray that helps eliminate odors. Once the tray is full, toss it, replace it, and then lather, rinse, repeat. You won’t have to scoop, your cat won’t have to dodge its own presents as it waits for you to scoop, your home will never smell of used litter, and all that adds up to a more sanitary experience for all.

$140

Amazon

Buncha Farmers Stain Remover Stick

Swipe a little of this on any stains you might be struggling with, and you’ll think there’s some kind of magic going on. Because how on earth could a biodegradable, environmentally-friendly product remove stains ranging from grass to grease, including red wine, ketchup, ink, blood and more… and do all that with minimal effort? You won’t know until you try it, so give it a shot and see the magic for yourself.

$5

Amazon

Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier

Yeah, dusting will do a little bit of good, but when you really want to wipe the junk out of your home, go for a solid air purifier. This one reduces harmful germs, dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and other allergens as small as .3 microns from the air. Plus, it reduces 99.7% of harmful germs thanks to UV C light, which helps kill airborne viruses including influenza, staph and rhinovirus, and works with Titanium Dioxide to reduce volatile organic compounds. Yes please. Also? It was one of our Amazon best sellers from 2019.

$85

Amazon

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Peppermint Hand Sanitizer

Love hand sanitizers, but hate the way they feel like they’re stripping the skin off your hands? Then you want this spray from Dr. Bronner. It’s chemical-free but still insanely effective, thanks to the antiseptic properties of organic ethyl alcohol and glycerin. And though it comes in several scents, we love the peppermint for a little aromatherapy kick that will brighten your day. Just spray it on your hands, rub them together, and you’re good to go!

$4

Thrive Market

UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer Bag

Need something to sanitize on the go! This sanitizing bag eliminates 99.9% of bacteria from the surface of personal items in just one minute.

$100

Anthropologie

For more must-have items you didn’t know you needed in your life, check out 10 Things to Help Rest Your Eyes From Too Much Screen Time!

Tushy is a bidet startup which aims to replace toilet paper, Tushy was founded by Miki Agrawal.

[piouscatholic]

#StPaul’sAdvice to Two Converts: #Timothy and #Titus

Marcus Grodi December 3, 2012

#SoundDoctrine

The entirety of Saint Paul’s Letters to #Titus and #Timothy are worthy of this study, but here are a few pertinent texts and reflections:

But as for you, teach what befits sound doctrine. (Titus 1:2)

A big struggle for new converts is that they are chomping at the bit to get quickly into service, not merely because they need a source of income, but because they still have the desire to serve.

Yet, it is crucial to recognize how blind we might be to the theological baggage we bring with us and how long it takes to become fully Catholic: it involves far more than learning and memorizing facts; it’s a #lifestyle aiming at #holiness that often means a #completeoverhaul of all that we are from the ground up.

And if we plan to teach, even small group Bible studies, which we may have been doing for years, we patiently need to learn “what befits sounds doctrine.”

Show yourself in all respects a #modelofgooddeeds, and in your teaching show #integrity, #gravity, and #soundspeech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. (Titus 2:7-8)

Again this reminds converts how much we need to imitate and practice good, faithful #Catholicmodelsofdevotionandpiety so that we ourselves can become faithful models and teachers, especially to our children who may not have been “cradle Catholics.”

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any #honestwork, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men.

(Titus 3:1-2)

Admittedly, many converts report that “the Church they find” at the local parish, the diocesan office, or the church nationwide may not line up with what they read on paper or with what they expected. However, as the old saying goes, “If ya’ think the church is bad, it just got worse when you and I become members!”

Seriously, though, it is important that converts understand and respect the authority of the apostolic, God-ordained Magisterium of the Church.

It’s always easy to point out flaws, but especially today it’s important that we model #obedienttrust in the leaders God has placed over us.

#EndTimes?

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to #deceitfulspirits and #doctrinesofdemons, through the pretensions of #liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and enjoin abstinence from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

(1 Tim 4:1-3)

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of #stress.

For men will be lovers of #self, lovers of #money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it.

#Avoidsuchpeople.

(2 Tim 3:1-5)

We are indeed living in difficult times, with all the signs that this is the End!

But is it?

There are many opinions out there: many we brought with us, and many we encountered as we met Catholics with dire apocalyptic views of the future—many of which they learned from non-Catholic sources!

For these reasons, it is important that we #listen to the #Church, before we unwittingly fan the flames of unwarranted apocalyptic fear.

We are #called by Jesus to always be ready, in holiness, to stand before Him without embarrassment at His coming.

Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Tim 4:16)

Patiently making sure that #howwelive and #whatweteach are faithful is eternally important both for ourselves as well as for our audience.

#StsTimothyandTitus-pray for us🙏

#FeastDay🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

#TheComingHomeNetwork

#Pinterest

[leradny]

i was wondering why marcus as a character archetype seemed so familiar and then it hit me: end-of-series john constantine from hellblazer. right down to the low-brow accent and hyper-protectiveness of children. awwwwwwwwwww rats now i’m even more attached to this grody old priest.

[thewahookid]

One of the more commonly shared experiences of Protestant converts to the Catholic Church is the discovery of verses “we never saw.” Even after years of studying, preaching, and teaching the Bible, sometimes from cover to cover, all of a sudden a verse “we never saw” appears as if by magic and becomes an “Aha!” mind-opening, life- altering messenger of spiritual “doom”! Sometimes it’s just recognizing an alternate, clearer meaning of a familiar verse, but often, as with some of the verses mentioned below, it literally seems as if some Catholic had snuck in during the night and somehow put that verse there in the text!

The list of these surprise verses is endless, depending especially on a convert’s former religious tradition, but the following are a few key verses that turned my heart toward home.

[catholiccom-blog]

Guiding Your Friends into the Catholic Church

I would have loved to have had Jimmy Akin as my wingman in discussions with Protestants about Catholicism more times than I can count, but he is usually busy and, last I checked, hadn’t mastered the art of bilocation.

I was sitting at lunch one day with friends: one Catholic, two Protestants, and we were having a series of in-depth discussions about whether Catholicism was true or Protestantism was better. The debate ranged all over: justification, the canon of Scripture, sola scriptura, Bible interpretation, authority, perspicuity, Church Fathers, sacraments, and more.

My Catholic friend, George, asked me after each discussion how I decided to choose one topic over another, or use one argument to rebut a point versus a different one. We were able to talk one on one and I was able to mentor him in apologetics—not just the arguments but also the soft skills, the psychology, and how to connect one topic to another.

The discussion with our Protestant friends continued for months. Each time we gave them something to chew on. Eventually, one became Catholic!

I could sit next to George each week and do this but I couldn't sit with all the other Catholics who have ever been in a discussion with Protestant friends and family, feeling stumped or confused or scared because the arguments their friends were making sounded so strong. So I decided to write a book that would help do that, and Navigating the Tiber was born.

Connecting the dots

This is the book I would give to any Catholic needing help in understanding Protestantism and helping their Protestant friends fairly consider the Catholic Church. It’s a guidebook that connects all the dots for you so that you can take the helm and confidently lead your Protestant friend into the Church’s arms. It takes you from defending your Faith to going on the offense and leading Protestants into Catholicism.

The Tiber River flows through Rome and has been something of an unruly watercourse in its history with the city. To “cross the Tiber” means to become Catholic.

This metaphor became the book’s overall narrative image. I am helping you navigate the waters of the Tiber with your friend so that they can cross over. There are swift currents, dangerous shoals, hidden rocks, sea serpents, enemy ships, and many more obstacles that they (and you) will face. The book guides you through it all.

How to fish

But a guidebook that simply gives you a fish is of limited usefulness, so instead, the book teaches you how to fish. Take a topic that comes up in Catholic-Protestant discussion like the Crusades. It would take an entire book to cover the Crusades in any depth. In fact, such books exist, and a recent one by historian Steve Weidenkopf is one of the best: The Glory of the Crusades.

So my chapter on handling the Crusades in dialogue with your Protestant friend focuses on the core points you need to know, summarized in just a few pages, while pointing you to Weidenkopf's book in case you need to go deeper.

Sola scriptura—“the Bible alone”—is a central difference between Protestants and Catholics. I take apart the sola and the scriptura part in a few chapters but then direct you to Dave Armstrong's handy tome, 100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura, if you need more ammunition or the discussion gets into greater depth.

Several times in the book I give you an answer but then tell you how to search for that answer yourself—what sites to go to, which phrases to Google—in order to find answers to more questions that I don’t cover.

Going deeper

Navigating the Tiber covers the wide spectrum of topics that come up in discussion with Protestants, so for each one I give you a way to go deeper into the waters if need be:

Justification: The Drama of Salvation by Jimmy Akin

Perspicuity of the Scriptures: The Catholic Controversy by St. Francis de Sales

The Church Fathers and Early Church: Handed Down by James Papandrea

Conversion and Interesting Protestants: Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid

The Pope Problem: The Eternal City by Taylor Marshall

Marian discussion: Behold Your Mother by Tim Staples

The liturgy/Mass: A Biblical Walk Through the Mass by Ed Sri

Eternal security/losing salvation: What Must I Do to Be Saved by Marcus Grodi

Protestants and Apostasy Theories: The Apostasy That Wasn’t by Rod Bennett

The final steps of conversion and afterward: Filling Our Father’s House by Shaun McAfee

I recommend these and several other books throughout the guide, helping you to know when you need to avail yourself of more information, depending on the particular Protestant you are speaking with and where the discussion is going.

I wrote Navigating the Tiber because I always wanted a book that I could hand to a fellow Catholic who is in dialogue with a Protestant, confident it would give him all that he needed to help his friend cross the Tiber. Now that it is out, I encourage you to put out into the deep for a catch! I’m excited to see how you use it in your discussions with your Protestant friends.

[m1serere-n0bis]

Cradle Catholic over here, too, but I might have some more resources to add. It sounds like anon might be interested in doing some digging on the Church Fathers aka the generation after the original apostles. The Fathers by Pope Benedict XVI might be of interest but Papa Bene is a deep thinker and a flowery writer so the content may be interesting but dense! I would also recommend Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, which while not explicitly "Catholic," definitely leads you down that path from an atheist/agnostic POV.

The How-to-Book of the Mass is an amazing resource not just for converts or curious inquirers but any Catholic, too, tbh. It walks through every step of the Mass and explains the Biblical and/or Traditional context, often linking directly back to some of the earliest accounts of a Eucharistic celebration from St. Stephen.

If you're interested in reading other people's conversion stories to kind of see how they wound up in the Catholic Church, I would recommend Why I'm Catholic and/or the Journey Home. The website archives stories of converts from all sorts of backgrounds. The Journey Home is a TV show that is also broadcast on many Catholic radio stations, and it's also available in podcast form. Basically the Journey Home network was founded by Marcus Grodi, a convert to Catholicism who was actually a Protestant pastor before his conversion. Basically the network's primary function is to help converts who may have relied on their religion for income transition to their new faith without becoming utterly destitute. The show invites all kinds of converts and reverts to tell their stories and a lot of them sound like anon: people who dug deeper into the history of the Church and wound up bumping into the Church Fathers. My top three most powerfully moving/crazy intense conversion stories are that of Fr. Donald Calloway (his book No Turning Back is honestly the wildest ride I have ever been on), the Hahns (Scott and Kimberly), and Jennifer Fulwiler.

If you start getting interested in the theological aspects of Catholicism Fr. Mike Schmitz on YouTube is very accessible for people just starting to think seriously about Catholicism. He does campus ministry at a college in Minnesota, so most of what he talks about is aimed at cradle Catholics staring at the fork in the road we all face about taking ownership of the faith as our own or walking the other way. Bishop Barron also does a lot of YouTube stuff and has a couple of weekly podcasts. He does a lot of sports analogies and again the information he covers can be fairly dense. I do highly, HIGHLY recommend his Catholicism video series if you can get your hands on it. The content is so, so good, inviting to anyone curious about Catholicism, and the cinematography is beautifully done. Pints with Aquinas hosted by Matt Fradd and Catholic Stuff You Should Know are both almost Theology on Tap in the style of podcasts.

This post ended up being waaaaaay longer than I thought it would be but hopefully something in there is helpful. :)

Do you have any advice for someone thinking of converting to Catholicism from Methodist Christianity? I have previously described myself as atheist or agnostic, but I have felt a strong calling for the past year to return to my faith and the faith of my ancestors. I have no idea where to begin. Attend mass at a handful of churches in my city to see what feels right? Are there any books or resources you would suggest?

I would definitely start attending Mass! Just remember that you can’t receive the Eucharist until you’ve completed that particular sacrament. I’d also look into basic books regarding Catholic theology. Depending on your preferred reading style, there is so much to choose from: My dad had one of those Catholicism for Dummies books (he wasn’t confirmed until later in life), while I personally really liked books like The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. You might also consider reading books like Augustine’s Confessions or the modern-day equivalent The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton, both of which are conversion stories. I’ve also heard that On Being Catholic is a great place to start (and a great place to learn… its on my to-read list!) Both attending Mass and reading Catholic literature will help you better understand the particulars of the faith and whether or not you want to begin RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). And of course - pray about it!

Please take all of this with a grain of salt as I never really was a convert. I was raised Catholic and, later in life, decided to fully embrace my religion and faith. If others have had a conversion experience and have other resources that helped them, please feel free to comment for our anon! Also, I am sorry it took so long for me to respond; I wanted to be able to answer this properly and didn’t have the tech or the time to do so while I was in Spain. 

[sharijanenapatangmillangue-blog]

"The Journey Home" with Marcus Grodi, a show on converts and reverts to the Catholic faith, on EWTN.COM right now. #Catholic