Trump said this… Pope Leo said that… Vice President Vance said…

If you’re looking for a hot take, this isn’t it.

There is zero discussion about AI generated images, what current politician or figure in the Church said what, or what anyone posted on social media.

Instead, Mike talks a little Thomas Jefferson, a little JFK, and quotes a whole lot of saints.

So if you’re wondering what’s the right road to take for saints in progress—as well as a look at how we got into this mess in the first place and the dangers of continuing to do what we’re doing—then be sure to listen.

Bonus Links

• Address of Senator John F. Kennedy to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, September 12, 1960

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He is risen! Indeed, he is risen!

This week, Mike gets into the topic of apologetics, in particular when someone comes to you with an honest question… or an attack. He addresses how to handle the situation if:

• You are well-informed

• You aren’t well-informed

• You get the answer wrong

• Your response normally starts with, “Well, actually…”

Covering the importance of humility and docility to the Holy Spirit, he also includes tips on how to keep the conversation going, as well as the most important apologetic tool you can use.

Episode Links

• Divine Mercy Sunday is this Sunday, April 12. Here’s everything you need to know: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/mercysunday/ewtn

• Great books for your apologetics library:

  • Forty Anti-Catholic Lies: A Mythbusting Apologist Sets the Record Straight

  • Seven Lies About Catholic History: Infamous Myths about the Church’s Past and How to Answer Them

  • Where We Got the Bible... Our Debt to the Catholic Church

  • The Bible Is a Catholic Book

Fully understanding the Passion of our Lord can be daunting, and we also run the risk of allowing it to become less-than-special. However, if we meditate on Our Sorrowful Mother, she will constantly invite us to understand the effects of our sins in a new and powerful light. In this episode, meditate on the image above while listening to a meditation by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer OFM.

The image above is by French painter, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and can be downloaded in high-resolution from Wikimedia Commons.

The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows as given to St. Bridget of Sweden, which carries with it a promise of seven graces for those who practice the devotion, can be found here: https://carmelitesistersocd.com/devotion-to-our-lady-of-sorrows/

This week, Mike goes on a purposeful ramble. Join him as he talks about:

• The Pearson Integrated Humanities Program at the University of Kansas

• St. Patrick

• Listening for God’s voice (and why most of us aren’t)

For fun, he even throws in a snippet from this comedy bit by Fr. Guido Sarducci. (Yes, Mike is that old.)

Note: Just after recording this episode, the power went out in the Treehouse. You’ll realize how appropriate that is after you listen to the episode.

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A conversation over a lunch of cheese coneys turned to the topic of Baptism, and—believe it or not—Mike didn’t know that many mainline Protestant denominations teach that Baptism is not necessary for salvation.

By Divine Providence, Joe Heschmeyer’s recent Shameless Popery podcast provided some starting points for this episode’s discussion on the Sacrament of Baptism, who does the “work” of the sacraments, and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

For Further Information

• Joe Heschmeyer, Shameless Popery Episode #254 “No, Catholics Aren't Pharisees”

• On Baptism by Tertullian (Church Father, early 3rd Century)

• St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Lecture 3—On Baptism (Church Father, 4th Century)

For Fun

Many Protestants cite the “good thief”—St. Dismas—as not being baptized in water, but still meriting heaven through his faith. A dogma of the Catholic Church teaches that one can also be baptized through blood (martyrdom) or through desire, and it would seem that St. Dismas would fit the bill for “baptism by desire” as in “he desired to be with Christ, but would die before a baptism is possible.” But there’s an old legend that is worth noting that implies a water baptism...

In Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s The Seven Last Words, the second chapter is entitled “This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise,” and it shares this:

There is a legend to the effect that when, to escape the wrath of Herod, Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin were fleeing into Egypt with the Divine Child, they stopped at a desert inn. The Blessed Mother asked the lady of the inn for water in which to bathe the Babe. The lady then asked if she might not bathe her own child, who was suffering with leprosy, in the same waters in which the Divine Child had been immersed. Immediately upon touching those waters baptized with the Divine Presence, the child became whole. Her child advanced in age and grew to be a thief. He is Dismas, now hanging on the Cross by the side of Christ!

Whether the memory of the story his mother told him now came back to the thief and made him look kindly on Christ, we know not. It might have been that this first meeting with the Savior was on the day when his heart was filled with compunction on hearing the story of a certain man that went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers. Perhaps, too, his first intimation that he suffering with the Redeemer came to him as he turned his torture head and read an inscription which bore His name, “Jesus”; His city, “Nazareth”; His crime, “King of the Jews.”

At any rate, enough dry fuel of the right kind gathered on the altar of his soul, and now a spark from the central Cross falls upon it, creating in it a glorious illumination of faith. He sees a Cross and adores a throne; he sees a condemned Man, and invokes a King: “Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy Kingdom.”

…

It was the thief’s last prayer, perhaps also his first. He knocked once, sought once, asked once, dared everything and found everything. When our spirits stand with John on Patmos, we can see the white-stoled army in Heaven riding after the conquering Christ; when we stand with Luke on Calvary, we see the one who rode first in that procession. Christ, Who was poor, died rich. His hands were nailed to a Cross and yet He unlocked the keys of Paradise and won a soul. His escort into Heaven was a thief. May we not say that the thief died a thief, for he stole Paradise?

The story can also be found in The Life of Mary As Seen by The Mystics, by Raphael Brown.

Revised for 2026! Buy Now

• Almsgiving: where to give, and where to avoid

• Prayer: lifetime devotions often start during Lent

• Fasting: St. Basil the Great returns to give us encouragement for the benefits of a good fast

Resources

The Lepanto Institute charity reports

Find out why Fr. John Riccardo says, “Please read this and give it to every married man you know!” Get your copy of Honor Thy Wife today!

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Fr. Anthony Gerber had a beautiful post on Substack entitled, “Why Your Kids Don’t Go to Confession,” and it is definitely worth the read.

Mike read it, read it again, then made the mistake of wading into the comments where someone with a rather anonymous account name said a few things that Mike found… rather offensive. Trying not to be like St. Jerome (a.k.a. “The Great Name Caller”) Mike restrained his reply, took some time to cool off, then recorded this episode.

He then put together an examination of conscience based on the Theological and Cardinal virtues that is a combination of several different examines, and he has made it available for free as a PDF to all subscribers on Substack or at www.catholictreehouse.com. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up and get the download link.

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Revised and Updated for 2026!

A backed up drain leads to some thoughts about the American DIY mindset, and why it’s largely incompatible with growth in the spiritual life. Whether it’s plumbing or weighty spiritual topics, sometimes you need to call in an expert.

Despite the unpredictable day-to-day nature of the weather, the cycle of the seasons has never stopped. Our spiritual lives go through seasons as well, and in this first episode of 2026, Mike discusses the nature of these spiritual seasons, and why it’s necessary—and good—when we have a spiritual winter, and why the harshest winters produce the most fruit-filled harvests.

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A defining moment. A simple question. A lifetime of answers.

Everyone who serves in the public square is faced with a unique set of challenges. Confronting these trials through the lens of faith presents unique challenges of its own, as well as reasoned solutions.

Part memoir, part reflection, this retrospective by author Michael Heyeck chronicles—with honesty and conviction—his own personal journey from a prayerful youth in New Jersey, to being the longest-serving member and chair in the 168-year history of the City of Westerville, Ohio.

This is not a partisan manifesto, nor a simple memoir. Rather, What Are We Looking For? is a faith-informed examination of public service, written by a man who refused to separate conscience from responsibility.

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On the opposite side of the equator, spring comes in August and September. And the monsoon rains in the mountains bring a flood of water down the Nile to Egypt. As we all learned in grade school, the desert stretches for hundreds of miles in every direction, but the banks of the Nile are lush and fertile. These annual floods churn up the silt in the Nile, and when the flood waters recede the land is renewed. Without these annual floods, the water would be still, and the silt would settle on the bottom of the river. There would be no farming, no agriculture, no life.

Admittedly, it’s hard to think of things in the context of spring with frigid temperatures and snow and ice encrusting our cars. There’s no green anywhere except pine trees dotting the landscape here and there, like an oasis in a desert of white and brown. But after we’re done ringing in the New Year, our thoughts for what we’re going to do with it come rushing like an unstoppable flood. Every January, people’s minds usually turn to thoughts of renewal. What new projects am I going to undertake this year? What goals am I going to set? What did I not get to last year that I am definitely going to get to this year? It’s like a mental springtime.

And when we’re done, we feel assured and confident, don’t we? “I have a plan! I’m going to get some things done!” We look at our plan and can picture what’s to come. We know we’re going to get muddy and dirty, sweaty, covered with paint and sawdust, but we also know that at the end of it we can crack open a beverage and look at what we’ve done with pride. “Look at the room I remodeled! Look at the deck I built! Look at the landscaping I did!” It’s always rewarding to build things, to make something out of nothing, and—let’s be honest—it’s always satisfying to use power tools.

But there are other things we can build, other things we can do, other things that need to be on our to-do list.

The Holy Spirit in our souls is like the silt in the river: If we let it sit, it will settle and we will cease to be fruitful for God. We need to shake up the waters of our souls and churn up the Holy Spirit within us so that we are overflowing. Yes, we are going to get muddy. We are going to get dirty. But that’s the point.

If we’re willing to work up a sweat doing things for ourselves, we need to be willing to work up a sweat doing things for the Lord. If we’re willing to set aside time to accomplish things around our house, we need to set aside time to accomplish things at God’s house. While our thoughts of to-do lists generally revolve around family, home, and friends, we need to ask ourselves: what major to-do items are we going to do for God this year? What is he asking us to do for him? What did he ask you to do last year that you didn’t get to? Who did you turn away from helping last year because you were afraid of getting too dirty?

So often we turn away from doing the most difficult things that God needs us to do because we know it’s going to get us a little dirty in our social circle. How often do we turn away from helping certain people, or even talking to them, because we deem them to be worse sinners than us and we’re afraid of guilt by association? We don’t want to get ourselves dirty with the social stigma of keeping company with the very people God is asking us to help.

Yet this didn’t stop Jesus from going into the home of tax collectors and eating with sinners so that he could point them to the road of salvation. And when Jesus came upon a man blind from birth—which the Jews believed was a sign that he had inherited his father’s sin—what did Jesus do? He spit in the dirt and made mud, got his hands dirty, and restored the man’s sight. If we’re willing to get dirty doing the hard work that is important in our lives, we need to be willing to get our hands dirty doing God’s work in other people’s lives. Remember that God needs us to get dirty so that we can open their eyes so that they may see the path home to the Father’s house.

God is calling us all to get a little muddy in service to him. The work isn’t always easy, and sure, there will be times you don’t even want to do it. But at the end of the day when you stand there admiring the fruits of your labor, exhausted and sweaty and covered in the glorious life-giving mud of the Holy Spirit, just think of how great that frosty beverage will taste.

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All frustrated because you can’t see the big picture and figure out the next steps in your life? In this final episode of 2025, Mike shares some advice his spiritual director gave him a long time ago that is valuable to everyone today.

A podcast of Mike’s radio appearance from this morning can be found at: https://stgabrielradio.com/cafe

What do you do when you kid’s school emails and asks you be the substitute St. Nicholas? Well, what would Mary do? She would say “yes” and so did Mike.

This week, Mike’s experience playing the part of the beloved bishop of Myra has him reflecting on Matthew 18:1-6 and 19:13-14, and asking the question: “How can we enter the kingdom of heaven when we have doubts about the very thing that is the source and summit of our faith?”

• Mike recommends: Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

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This time of year as we prepare to celebrate the coming of our Lord, a common Advent theme is one of waiting. This week Mike avoids talking about the Israelites waiting for the messiah, and instead looks at the growing impatience that we all suffer, and why we need to embrace waiting.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by being always busy, and still feeling like you’re not working hard enough? You’re not alone. You’re living a broken work ethic that dates back to the mid 1500’s. (Gee, what happened around then?)

This week Mike takes a look at:

• The work ethic that the Puritans brought over that drives America today

• The modern secular always-at-work mindset

• The concept of “re-homing”

• Rerum Novarum, an encyclical by Pope Leo XIII

• Enthronement to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

• The one thing we should all do, starting this Advent, to “re-home”

A postcard of Michelangelo’s Pietà and a discussion of sacred art is the jumping off point for this week’s episode. Listen in as he covers:

• Michelangelo’s unfinished “The Prisoners”

• A profound quote from Michelangelo

• The Martyrs of Constantinople (circa 730 AD)

• Exodus, Deuteronomy, the Ten Commandments, and “graven images”

• How God works as the Divine Sculptor

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Many devout Catholics who have a strong Marian devotion are up in arms about the latest document Mater Populi Fidelis (“The Mother of the Faithful People of God”) which they claim is de-throning the Mother of God by saying that we are not to use the title “Co-Redemptrix.”

Many Protestants who see Marian devotion as “Mary worship” see the document as the Catholic Church finally realizing the truth and changing its teaching.

In this episode, Mike uses Mater Populi Fidelis to look a litter closer at the nature of Magisterial teachings: what they are and a few of the reasons they’re issued, with a closer look at why this latest one was issued, and provide some clarity. Some highlights:

• Mark 2:23-28 as an example of Jesus’ correction of inaccurate teachings

• Some of the crazy Jewish Sabbath laws, including one involving a radish

• The role of the Church as steward of the faith

• The epistles… the first Magisterial teachings?

• The prayer, “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.”

• An incredible conversion story from the life of St. Gemma Galgani that explains the proper understanding of Mary’s role in salvation better than anything else

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Mike has a devotion to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, so in this “deep dive” episode, he covers it all:

• What’s a triduum?

• When did the Christian practice of celebrating saints begin?

• Did All Saints’ Day begin with a pagan festival called Samhain?

• How to respond when someone says, “You can’t find the word Purgatory in the Bible! Purgatory is a thing made up by the Catholic Church just to sell indulgences!”

• The scriptural basis that proves Purgatory… that also disproves the “rapture.”

• What are the two kinds of sin, and the two consequences of sin?

• Why is Purgatory necessary for some people?

• What is the history of praying for the dead? Is it something Catholics made up?

• What are indulgences? Are they just “permission slips to sin?”

• Did the Catholic Church ever sell indulgences? What’s the history behind that?

• Where is Purgatory? What is it like?

• How can you get indulgences for the faithful departed?

Resources

• Mozart: The Requiem in D minor, K. 626

• English Translation of Mozart’s Requiem

Following up from last week’s episode about crosses in the spiritual life, this week Mike takes a deeper look at quote from St. Philip Neri and gives you some ways to determine if a cross you’re carrying might be a cross of your own construction.

A challenging episode that’s not to be missed!

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The spiritual life can be a hot mess sometimes. Maybe it’s just distractions, maybe it’s a period of discouragement, maybe it’s something deeper and more difficult. This week Mike takes a look at:

• Temptations to take a shortcut (or abandon the journey)

• Spiritual desolation and consolation and St. Ignatius of Loyola

• The dark night of the soul and St. John of the Cross

• The three ages of the interior life

• What to do when you’re on a patch of “rough road” in the spiritual life

Episode Resources

• Our birth defect, Saint in Progress Episode #2

• Our handicapped life, Saint in Progress Episode #3

• Getting to the root of it all, Saint in Progress Episode #4

• Obstacles to truth, Saint in Progress Episode #44

• The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living

• Dark Night of the Soul

Buy the Saint Challenge today

A story from the trenches of parenthood was the inspiration for this week’s episode, where Mike talks about:

• Re-watching the John Hughes 1984 classic 16 Candles (but only the first half hour)

• The rise of Christendom… and the influence of the Enlightenment in its decline

• The inversion of vice and virtue

• How our moral compasses are “programmed”

• How to begin to re-program your moral compass this Advent

Other Resources

• Calibrating your compass — Saint In Progress Episode 7

• For a deeper look at how the Enlightenment (and other factors and people) have contributed to the decline of our society and the attack on marriage, be sure to check out the book Rebellion.