Feeding Fathers

You know how something gets said in one corner of the community and somehow reaches the exact person it’s about in under two hours? Yeah… we’re that episode.

We get honest about why gossip moves so fast around here, how you literally can’t take words back once they’re out, and why “but it’s true though” still doesn’t get you off the hook.

We also talk about whether just being curious is a problem (Aquinas had some thoughts on that), the difference between venting to someone who will actually check you versus just spreading it, and why holding onto that grudge for three years might be hurting you more than the person you’re mad at.

It’s the conversation we’ve all kind of needed. And yes, we’re very aware of the irony of priests making an entire episode about gossip.

Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Andy Younan, Fr. Fadi Auro, Br. Sinan

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00:00 Travel Rumors and New Assignment
02:04 How Gossip Spreads
04:03 St Philip Neri Feather Lesson
07:59 Truth vs. Gossip vs. Slander
13:58 Gossip Can Ruin Lives
18:19 Forgiveness and Letting Go
26:59 Venting Is Still Gossip
30:41 Curiosity As A Vice
35:11 Wonder vs. Trivial Questions
37:48 Celebrity Knowledge Trap
42:33 Church Gossip And Family
43:27 Dream Dinner Draft

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What happens when most Chaldeans and Assyrians now live outside Iraq? Will our language disappear? How do we stop our culture from dissolving in the West without losing our Catholic Faith?

On this episode we talk about the Church itself as the glue holding our scattered people together — more than land, more than language — and why preserving our Eastern identity actually matters to the whole Catholic Church.

Fr. Simon and Fr. Tristan just got back from a pilgrimage in France where they visited St. Thomas Chaldean Church in Sarcelles and were blown away.

They describe the most beautiful Chaldean church they’ve ever seen, a packed Mass, and being welcomed with a massive lunch and full-on khigga dancing. They also met young French-born Chaldean priests who speak Sureth with a French twist and are fully living both worlds.

Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Tristan Farida, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Augustine Joseph

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This episode is all about the two most common objections that come up between Catholics and Protestants — Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide (Scripture Alone and Faith Alone).

We lay out why “Scripture alone” sounds straightforward until you ask the obvious follow-up questions: Who decided which books actually belong in the Bible? Why did the Church already have the faith, the liturgy, and the Eucharist long before the canon was settled? And what happens when the same text gets interpreted in completely different ways with no living authority to settle it? We point out that “Do this in memory of me” already assumes tradition and practice that go beyond the text itself.

On the salvation side, we take on the “faith alone” claim directly. We explain how baptism actually makes us new creations, how Christ lives and works in us, and why “I never knew you” is such a sobering warning. Intellectual agreement with the right facts isn’t enough if it never becomes real transformation and relationship.

We also squeezed in some World Cup banter, Zlatan quotes, celebrate someone's birthday, and play a game of "Holy Hot Takes" while we were at it.

If these two topics have ever left you with more questions than answers, this one’s worth your time.

Featuring: Fr. Christopher Somo, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Roni Schamoun

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00:00 Protestant Label

01:41 World Cup Tangent

06:07 Sola Scriptura Origins

14:41 Church and Canon

18:44 Interpretation and Authority

24:47 Sola Fide Explained

33:55 Faithfulness Not Belief

35:38 Ratzinger On Faith Alone

38:50 Saved By Love And Fruit

41:25 Birthday Cake!

42:45 Holy Hot Takes

44:57 Underrated Saints

47:03 Underrated Bible Books

48:36 Seminary Hot Takes

50:15 Viral Bible Characters

51:21 Popes With Podcasts

52:32 Prayers Not Prayed Enough

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You ever sit at a Chaldean/Assyrian funeral gathering and feel like something about it just doesn’t sit right, even though everybody’s there for a good reason?

We get into what actually happens in those halls — the way the room splits, the "hired" wailers doing their thing to get people crying, and how the men usually end up talking business or church stuff while the women are on the other side. We discuss the pressure that falls on the women especially, the black clothes, the 40 days, the skipping weddings and celebrations, and how that can turn into something heavier than anyone meant it to be.

We also call out the part that’s harder to say out loud: how mourning can quietly become a competition, or how family drama and judgment show up right when people are already hurting. And the question that keeps coming back is the one that matters most — where is Jesus in the middle of all of it?

If you’ve ever left one of these and felt like the traditions were running the show more than the actual grief or the faith, this conversation is gonna feel familiar.

Featuring: Fr. Christopher Somo, Fr. Andy Younan, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Daniel Shaba

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00:00 Wailing and Grief
08:36 Gender Split Dynamics
10:51 Black Clothing Pressure
14:37 Faith Over Formalities
17:56 Grieving With Structure
24:59 Hope Versus Despair
27:26 Praying for the Dead
28:46 Guardian Angel Myth
32:52 Legacy and Being Forgotten
36:08 Do Dogs Go Heaven
39:46 Mexican Food!
43:05 "30-Second Homily" Game

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▶️ Video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/lhLN-AP03Jw

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Coming off the heals of the latest "Emmaus Retreat," Fr. Augustine shares how he converted through this retreat years ago when he was barely showing up to Church. Now he leads them.

That part is strong on its own. But what we really got into is what happens after a retreat for most people. You come home on fire, then real life shows up. The feeling starts to fade. Your family looks at you like they don’t quite recognize you. And you catch yourself wondering how much of it was even real once you’re back in your normal routine.

We talked about the honest parts that usually don’t get said out loud. Why chasing the good feeling can actually pull you in the wrong direction. What it costs when you try to go back to your old life after something real happened inside you. And whether you even have to be “ready” before you sign up for a retreat in the first place.

If you’ve ever left a retreat or any kind of spiritual experience feeling close to God and then watched it slip away once you got home, you’ll probably recognize a lot of what we said.

For the young Chaldean Catholic adults in our diocese, the youth convention is coming up: https://spyouthconvention.org

Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Augustine Joseph, Fr. Christoper Somo, Fr. Fadi Auro

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00:00 Back from Emmaus
03:16 Emmaus Passage Walkthrough
08:48 Why Retreats Matter
13:03 Retreat Versus Vacation
18:51 After The Spiritual High
23:07 Consolation And Desolation
34:16 Am I Ready For a Retreat
40:53 Perpetual Conversion
47:07 Youth Convention Preview
49:16 Burrito "Draft Day" & Kanafa
53:22 Leo Elects First Female Prefect

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