This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

(01:37) The episode begins with Rakhi wishing Nicole and her husband Russ a happy anniversary and they look to this Sunday’s celebration, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. They talk about the mysterious, life-giving nature of the Trinity. 

(06:48) They discuss the call we have as domestic churches to communicate the grace of the Trinity — the life shared between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They talk about the impulse we have as parents to find a simple formula or process to ensure our children remain faithful, but emphasize the importance of having fruitful conversations with them. They highlight the value in building a strong foundation of trust for our kids.

(09:16) They share how, as parents, we have to surrender our fears when it comes to raising children and how important it is to find a balance between spirituality and setting healthy, basic human boundaries with our children. They talk about how we need to express those boundaries, but also show our children that nothing they do will cause us to stop loving them; they also note how we can help our children understand that they don’t need to perform to earn our love.

(11:37) They direct listeners to Compass, a resource for Catholic parents, providing helpful information on a variety of topics parents will come across. They share practical advice on how to most effectively have challenging conversations about sensitive topics with our kids, emphasizing the importance of asking questions, employing active listening, being in a comfortable space, etc. 

(20:43) They also note that we can say when we don’t have the answer and/or reach out to other members of our community to weigh in on something. They offer some advice on how to best follow up on these kinds of conversations. 

(24:43) Nicole shares a time when she first asked her kids to share their thoughts on the Trinity and how meaningful their responses were. They discuss the importance of entertaining these conversations when  we are ready and in a good place mentally/emotionally to respond, and encourage listeners to find loving ways to postpone them, should they arise when they can’t effectively respond. 

(26:47) They remind listeners that they can invite other trusted adults to...]]>In this episode, Nicole and Rakhi unpack how to address challenging, sensitive, or just plain mysterious topics with our kids by having fruitful conversations. They offer listeners an abundance of practical tips on how to effectively initiate and hold these conversations, in a way that will build a foundation of trust between us, as parents, and our kids. They also highlight the online tool, Compass, that parents can use to prepare for and support those kinds of conversations.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

(01:37) The episode begins with Rakhi wishing Nicole and her husband Russ a happy anniversary and they look to this Sunday’s celebration, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. They talk about the mysterious, life-giving nature of the Trinity. 

(06:48) They discuss the call we have as domestic churches to communicate the grace of the Trinity — the life shared between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They talk about the impulse we have as parents to find a simple formula or process to ensure our children remain faithful, but emphasize the importance of having fruitful conversations with them. They highlight the value in building a strong foundation of trust for our kids.

(09:16) They share how, as parents, we have to surrender our fears when it comes to raising children and how important it is to find a balance between spirituality and setting healthy, basic human boundaries with our children. They talk about how we need to express those boundaries, but also show our children that nothing they do will cause us to stop loving them; they also note how we can help our children understand that they don’t need to perform to earn our love.

(11:37) They direct listeners to Compass, a resource for Catholic parents, providing helpful information on a variety of topics parents will come across. They share practical advice on how to most effectively have challenging conversations about sensitive topics with our kids, emphasizing the importance of asking questions, employing active listening, being in a comfortable space, etc. 

(20:43) They also note that we can say when we don’t have the answer and/or reach out to other members of our community to weigh in on something. They offer some advice on how to best follow up on these kinds of conversations. 

(24:43) Nicole shares a time when she first asked her kids to share their thoughts on the Trinity and how meaningful their responses were. They discuss the importance of entertaining these conversations when  we are ready and in a good place mentally/emotionally to respond, and encourage listeners to find loving ways to postpone them, should they arise when they can’t effectively respond. 

(26:47) They remind listeners that they can invite other trusted adults to guide these conversations if their input would add value. They close the episode inviting listeners to use Compass as a tool to support and prepare for these conversations. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

(01:23) Our cohosts open up this episode discussing what superpower they would want if they could have any. They transition into the reality that Pentecost is coming up and introduce the topic of discussing the Holy Spirit with our children. They talk about Confirmation and their own experiences of being sealed with the gifts of the Spirit though the sacrament. 

(08:45) Rakhi and Nicole discuss how the Holy Spirit has impacted their prayer and their lives, sharing how opening themselves up to the Spirit has led them into mystical moments. They share that introducing the Spirit to our kids can be challenging, but that keeping things simple can be effective. They share how they talk about the Trinity with their little ones. 

(12:08) They talk about how introducing the Holy Spirit to their kids as a sort of “superpower” can be helpful. They share how this can help their kids understand how different people relate and respond to the Holy Spirit in different ways. 

(15:06) Rakhi shares how her prayer with the Spirit has changed in different seasons of her life. She also shares a prayer of St. Augustine to the Holy Spirit that she likes to pray regularly, in order to invite the Holy Spirit into every aspect of her life. 

(19:32) They talk about how inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives can be a habit that we begin when we’re young, in order to develop that “muscle memory” of responding to the Spirit’s prompting in our lives, especially during adolescence. Nicole shares how she saw this play out when she spoke with a group of eighth graders preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

(23:48) They discuss how the Holy Spirit acting in our lives doesn’t depend on our abilities, but only on our posture of being present to the Spirit. They encourage listeners to ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their families and invite them to pray the prayer of the Holy Spirit found in this week’s 52 Sundays resource. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at In anticipation of the Feast of Pentecost, Rakhi and Nicole spend this episode discussing the ways they have encountered the Holy Spirit and invited their children to live a life with the Spirit, as well. They highlight language they use when discussing the Spirit with their children, and age appropriate ways they expect them to grow in relationship with him. They also offer encouragement to families to invite the Holy Spirit into their lives.  

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

(01:23) Our cohosts open up this episode discussing what superpower they would want if they could have any. They transition into the reality that Pentecost is coming up and introduce the topic of discussing the Holy Spirit with our children. They talk about Confirmation and their own experiences of being sealed with the gifts of the Spirit though the sacrament. 

(08:45) Rakhi and Nicole discuss how the Holy Spirit has impacted their prayer and their lives, sharing how opening themselves up to the Spirit has led them into mystical moments. They share that introducing the Spirit to our kids can be challenging, but that keeping things simple can be effective. They share how they talk about the Trinity with their little ones. 

(12:08) They talk about how introducing the Holy Spirit to their kids as a sort of “superpower” can be helpful. They share how this can help their kids understand how different people relate and respond to the Holy Spirit in different ways. 

(15:06) Rakhi shares how her prayer with the Spirit has changed in different seasons of her life. She also shares a prayer of St. Augustine to the Holy Spirit that she likes to pray regularly, in order to invite the Holy Spirit into every aspect of her life. 

(19:32) They talk about how inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives can be a habit that we begin when we’re young, in order to develop that “muscle memory” of responding to the Spirit’s prompting in our lives, especially during adolescence. Nicole shares how she saw this play out when she spoke with a group of eighth graders preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

(23:48) They discuss how the Holy Spirit acting in our lives doesn’t depend on our abilities, but only on our posture of being present to the Spirit. They encourage listeners to ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their families and invite them to pray the prayer of the Holy Spirit found in this week’s 52 Sundays resource. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

(06:46) They talk about how the idea of a family mission can feel out of reach in the midst of the demands of parenthood. They define mission as being a family’s foundation, at the heart of what they do. They distinguish this type of mission from the call to a life of missionary service, but note how both are a response to doing what God has asked.

(11:27) Nicole cites a Guidepost 7 of Unleash the Gospel in which Archbishop Vigneron encourages families to invite others into their imperfect family life. She highlights where he invites families to reclaim Sunday and intentionally live out the Sabbath. 

(14:13) They talk about the different ways that families can communicate God’s love to the world in their own unique ways. 

(16:44) They dive into what it means to “reclaim Sunday” and make it feel different from the other days of the week. They talk about the power of food in liturgical life, limiting screen time, and trying to get chores done before Sunday. They also mention how they pray with their families on Sundays, in addition to attending Mass. They share the struggle but also the importance of creating boundaries around Sunday and faith formation opportunities for their children. 

(21:45) They talk about how their family mission creates their family culture. They talk about the intentionality required to build a strong family culture. They discuss what it means to be set apart and how living a family mission can set a family apart from the rest of the culture in a way that communicates God’s love. 

(25:02) They recommend that listeners seek out a saint to intercede for their family and lean on them to pray for them as they live out their mission. They remind listeners to use 52 Sundays to find practical tools to reclaim Sunday and unleash the Gospel as a family. They encourage listeners to look at the 7 challenges in Action Step 1.3 offered to families by Archbishop Vigneron in Unleash the Gospel, and to consider how they can incorporate them into their lives. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

(06:33) They share about their mothers and grandmothers, highlighting especially the role of grandmothers and older women. They emphasize the importance of an intergenerational presence in their kids’ lives. Nicole offers a word of thanks and encouragement to all grandparents listening. They also offer a word of encouragement to those parents whose adult children no longer practice the faith. 

(10:52) They discuss how grandparents, in addition to parents, display an image of God to their grandchildren, especially if they are sharing the faith with them. They describe their personal experiences with this. They thank the grandparents who have been helpful, loving, and supportive to families who bring their little ones to Mass. 

(16:28) They talk about the impact of people who live out the faith, highlighting the fact that faith isn’t always shared intellectually, but requires personal witness. 

(17:24) They return to the Gospel message for the weekend, emphasizing that Jesus won’t leave us alone or leave us orphaned. They share how consoling this message can be, especially when the journey of parenthood begins to feel lonely. They discuss the importance of traditions for their families and the link between family traditions and rituals and the sacramental life. 

(20:26) They offer a challenge to families listening to take a moment to thank a grandmother or important women in their lives, pray for a grandmother who has died, or ask for the prayers of a deceased grandmother.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

(07:01)  Rakhi shares a bit about her own personal devotion to Mary. Nicole shares how her relationship with Our Lady developed when she was pregnant with her oldest son. They discuss how they can identify with the human, maternal feelings that Mary must have experienced. 

(13:21) They identify three ways that people connect with Mary — Scripture and meditation, the rosary, and a Marian consecration — and begin to unpack each of them for families and parents.

(14:15) They talk about reflecting on Mary’s experience as a family, by inviting their children to think about how the holy family lived life day-to-day. They also share about leading their older children through lectio divinia with different Marian Scripture passages. 

(18:53) They talk about how the various Marian apparitions that have taken place reveal Mary as a mother to the whole world. 

(20:50) Nicole shares about her experience of praying the rosary with her family during Lent and offers some practical tips on how to introduce this practice to a family with little ones. 

(24:53) They talk about the consecration to Our Lady and share why some might have reservations about taking this jump. They highlight the Marian Consecration for Families by Colleen Pressprich as a great resource to use for those families feeling called to a Marian consecration.

(28:05) They offer encouragement to listeners to try a new Marian devotion during the month of May. They invite them to pray with their families in a way that honors Mary, whether it’s using Scripture and meditation, the rosary, or a Marian consecration. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships. 

(06:31) They share some of their experiences as moms, how they have seen how their voices affect their children. They talk about how the voice of God is life-giving and convicting, not condemning and highlight how parents are the first image — or voice — of God that our children will experience. They share how this impacts the way they speak to their children, and share how words they heard as children still affect them. 

(11:54) They talk about anger and some of its nuances, especially when it comes to anger in parenting. They highlight how it should be a tool to bring us to light, not a reason to lash out. They also share how they try to help their children discern what they hear in the world. They note how God’s voice speaks truth, and talk about what song Jesus sings over their children. 

(16:59) They discuss how aligning our voices to God’s in how we speak to our children doesn’t mean we have to abandon our personalities, but simply allow God to funnel his message through us. 

(18:34) They highlight how important it is to try to speak in union with their spouse, when dealing with something challenging with our children, in order to avoid giving conflicting messages.

(21:24) Rakhi and Nicole also share how they return to God’s word when it’s difficult to hear his voice. They encourage listeners to take time this week to do an exercise in hearing God’s voice and inviting their children to do the same, in a way that is accessible to them.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics. Help your little ones spend meaningful time before Jesus in the Eucharist with this book featuring a multitude of prayers, hymns, meditations, and ways to pray before the Eucharist, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this Eucharistic resource.

(05:38) Rakhi emphasizes how powerful it is that Jesus so gently engages with the people on the road, who had lost all hope, not realizing the resurrection had taken place. She highlights how, as parents, we can follow his example when we see our children going in an unfavorable direction. Nicole notes the balance of our obligation as parents to raise our children in the faith, and how complicated their questions and challenges can become as they grow. She shares a story of how a dad she knows handled this balance with his toddler son who lied in an attempt to avoid going to Mass. 

(08:52) They talk about how they need to find ways to help their children know they can be honest about their struggles, while fighting the impulse to hold the posture of “I told you so.” Rakhi highlights the many opportunities to grow in patience and the humanity of our kids. The two discuss how important it is to lead authentically with our kids, being honest about when we’re struggling to do the right things, but choosing to work through the struggle. 

(13:43) They discuss the reality of being tempted to take our kids’ questions or resistance to the faith personally, when in reality, oftentimes they’re rooted in feelings or experiences that they don’t have language for. Nicole offers some practical advice on how to navigate this challenging aspect of parenting. 

(16:47) Rakhi notes how it can be helpful to have some alternative ideas in mind when our kids are resisting something like Mass (i.e., some different Mass times, liturgy styles, etc.) in order to better respond to what they need. They discuss how important it is to be aware of what other messages and ideas our kids might come across that lead to bigger faith-related questions and help our children discern truth, goodness, and beauty. They highlight the importance of a strong community in order to help influence their children, in ways that parents can’t.

(21:52) They note the end goal is to express unconditional love and to ensure that our children know they will be loved no matter what, even as tough conversations arise. They talk about how Jesus, especially on the road to Emmaus is such a strong model for this type of loving and parenting. They talk about how Jesus never stops pursuing our children.  

(26:18) They invite listeners to pray for good weather in Michigan and some of their experiences of going  on walks with their children. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics. Help your little ones spend meaningful time before Jesus in the Eucharist with this book featuring a multitude of prayers, hymns, meditations, and ways to pray before the Eucharist, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this Eucharistic resource.

(03:33) They offer a brief history of Divine Mercy Sunday and highlight its origins in St. Faustina’s revelations. They talk about their desires for mercy and how difficult it can be, at times, to trust in Jesus. 

(07:20) They talk about the temptation to control every aspect of life — especially when it comes to parenting — to uphold a “put together” outward image and how Jesus doesn’t want to encounter us in a polished image, but in our authentic selves. 

(11:43) They talk about how it can be tempting to project our human experiences onto our relationships with God, which can make it difficult to trust him. They highlight how we have to allow our inward selves to be transformed in order to surrender to true trust. They then highlight how our outward movements will come from our internal reality, which is why  we need to bring our innermost selves to Jesus.

(14:45) They talk about areas they’ve seen this play out in their own lives and even in their children. They then guide listeners through an imaginative exercise in which they can bring the weight they’ve been carrying in their lives and give it over to Jesus. They emphasize that this act of surrender requires the Holy Spirit, that it’s not something we can do on our own. 

(20:54) They describe how when we name our fears and surrender things to  Jesus, little by little, what we were once afraid of can be brought to the light and transformed. 

(23:40) They share a prayer of surrender by Servant of God Dolindo Ruotolo that is the center of the Surrender Novena. They encourage listeners to pray this novena, seeking deliverance from worry, spiritual attack, fears, etc. They talk about how Jesus comes to us in a posture of giving, that he wants to pour out mercy, but that in order to receive this mercy, we have to be open to receiving this gift. 

(26:26) They encourage listeners to seek a disposition of surrender through the Surrender Novena and by bringing the heavy parts of life to Jesus, and entrusting them to him. They also encourage them to invite their children into this practice of surrender, as well. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics. Help your little ones spend meaningful time before Jesus in the Eucharist with this book featuring a multitude of prayers, hymns, meditations, and ways to pray before the Eucharist, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this Eucharistic resource.

(05:13) They discuss the reality of how the resurrection is an invitation to be open to joy no matter how we feel. They talk about letting go of the emotion of joy and embracing the motion of joy by allowing the resurrection to affect the way they see the world. 

(07:59) Nicole shares a recent experience where her son was comparing himself to others and feeling a little down during a busy season of fun and exciting experiences, and how she helped him get out of that slump.

(12:01) They draw a comparison between that type of experience and the spiritual life: we can have highs and lows, and sometimes we compare ourselves to others and lose our joy. They highlight the need to not always look for what they want, but to live in gratitude for what we have. Nicole shares how she cultivates gratitude within her family and among her children. They also share how sometimes sorrow and joy commingle, and the need to practice gratitude even in difficult times. 

(16:04) They discuss how living with a sense of God’s abundance can be transformative and how they help their children find joy, even in the crosses that we bear. They discuss the ways we can model sacrificial love with joy for our children, just as Jesus endured the cross joyfully, out of love for us. 

(19:40) They note how our culture convinces us we should avoid discomfort at all costs, but how there is a grace and a growth that can come from being uncomfortable. They share how important it is to help our kids know that discomfort is okay, and we can still be joyful in the midst of discomfort. 

(20:19) They encourage listeners to enter into Easter with their families by sharing gratitude with one another and intentionally practicing gratitude.   

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics. Help your little ones spend meaningful time before Jesus in the Eucharist with this book featuring a multitude of prayers, hymns, meditations, and ways to pray before the Eucharist, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this Eucharistic resource.

(07:55) They discuss Holy week and the desire to make it tangible and real for their children, highlighting the sacramental nature of life in the Church, and the reality that we can encounter God through our senses. They discuss how our families, as domestic Churches, can create traditions and rituals to help enter into the celebration of Holy Week.

(10:36) They begin to offer suggestions on how to enter into Holy Week by talking first about the Palm Sunday liturgy, and then about making time to go to confession and adoration. They highlight that in Detroit, there are I AM HERE holy hours hosted throughout the season of Lent and the Solanus Casey Center offers confession all day Monday - Saturday.  

(13:04) Nicole shares her family’s tradition of “Spy Wednesday” during Holy Week, as a way to remember Judas’ decision to betray Jesus. 

(14:39) They share their love for Holy Thursday, remembering the institution of the Eucharist, and the washing of the feet. They share different ways they have entered into the celebration at home and at  Mass and what they’ve heard other families do.

(17:29) Moving into Good Friday, they share which experiences might be more advanced and require kids to be a bit older, but offer encouragement to families with little ones. They encourage families to do their best to emphasize the significance of what we celebrate. They describe how incorporating tactile experiences for our kids can be helpful. 

(20:23) Nicole shares how her family enters into Holy Saturday through quiet and preparation. 

(22:17) They discuss the Easter Vigil. Rakhi shares her experience of entering the Church at the Vigil, and Nicole shares her experience of her husband entering the Church at the Vigil. They highlight the sensory experience of the liturgy and how to plan to attend it with little ones, given how late it can run.

(25:48) They close the episode by challenging listeners to find a way to make Holy Week truly experiential and meaningful for their whole family. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics. Help your little ones spend meaningful time before Jesus in the Eucharist with this book featuring a multitude of prayers, hymns, meditations, and ways to pray before the Eucharist, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this Eucharistic resource.

(04:19) They introduce this week’s topic of grief and loss, based on the Gospel reading about the raising of Lazarus and the reality that Jesus wept. They highlight how the pandemic has brought about a lot of loss, but also has led many to bury their grief and not fully experience it. They discuss recent experiences of grief and loss felt in their communities. 

(08:04) Focusing on the Gospel story, they emphasize how Jesus took time to grieve, even knowing that he would be able to bring Lazarus (or anyone) back to life. They highlight the responses of Martha and  Mary in their anger in the wake of the loss of their brother. 

(09:28) Nicole shares her familiarity with loss, opening up about the three miscarriages she and her husband have experienced. She describes resisting bringing God into her grief. 

(13:03) Rakhi shares that there can be a power in letting our children see us grieve. They discuss how grief can be isolating, but how it is meant to be communal, and can be shared with our children in appropriate ways. 

(18:14) They discuss the power of redemptive suffering and how enduring loss can be redemptive. They highlight how Jesus models this for us and meets us in our grief. They offer encouragement to anyone listening who might be grieving in isolation to reach out to someone, to their community, for support. They share how they’ve seen communities show up for people in grief and how powerful that can be. 

(23:57) They encourage listeners to seek guidance, counseling, therapy, etc. if needed, highlighting the fact that God wants us to have life in abundance and that it’s not a lack of faith to seek professional help. They also encourage listeners to pray for the souls of loved ones they’ve lost and the souls of Purgatory with their families.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. Lead your family to Jesus through Mary, with this book by Detroit local, Colleen Pressprich, and grow in your devotion to Our Lady. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this beautiful Marian resource.

(05:51) Rakhi describes her craft area and draws a connection between the messiness of that to the spiritual life, full of snippets and soundbites of prayer, in the midst of the busyness of day-to-day life. 

(06:41) They discuss the reality of looking ahead to different things: spring break, summer camp, repairs that can’t happen in the winter, summer in general, and the Lenten reality of looking forward to Easter. With that in mind they highlight how we can enter into the penitential season of Lent that does remain through prayer, fasting, and giving alms. 

(10:24) They highlight, as they have previously, that we can be praying or entering into penance in the midst of daily tasks and it still be meaningful. They share why they appreciate visual reminders to guide them into prayer throughout their day. 

(14:40) They talk about the power of going to Confession during Lent. They share some of their experiences of asking for forgiveness from their children when necessary, and how that reconciliation with their children can model the beauty of going to the Lord with sins and asking for his mercy and help. 

(16:24) They discuss this Sunday’s Gospel reading about the man born blind and how his story can inspire us to go to Jesus with our own brokenness and let him meet us in it. They talk about being honest about our own brokenness and need for Jesus, and how doing so can bring God glory, as Jesus steps into it to make us whole. They share from their own experiences of doing this in their own lives. 

(20:25) They highlight how Unleash the Gospel calls all of us to bear witness to Christ’s goodness in our lives, by sharing what he has done in our lives. They share how transformation in Christ allows us and others to be made new and leave behind our old selves and highlight how this transformation theme remains throughout Lent. 

(23:13) They close this episode by encouraging listeners to take a moment to ask God where he wants their focus to be this week. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. Lead your family to Jesus through Mary, with this book by Detroit local, Colleen Pressprich, and grow in your devotion to Our Lady. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this beautiful Marian resource.

(08:37) They share from their own experiences some favorite moments with their children during Lent. Nicole shares an experience when a parishioner seemed to disapprove of her bringing her children to a Good Friday service. They discuss the importance and the responsibility parents have to bring our children to church.

(16:48) Our hosts discuss the impulse to protect our children from the harder truths of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, but highlight the reality that children will know the reality of suffering and how the Lenten season can help them understand what to do with that suffering. 

(17:11) They unpack different ways they can bring their children, at various ages, into practically entering into Lent through things like fasting from dessert or video games, participating in Operation Rice Bowl with Catholic Relief Services, or learning new prayers as a family. They share different resources they use including 52 Sundays, Saints Around the World by Meg Hunter-Kilmer, and the OSV Kids Stations of the Cross by Colleen Presprich.

(22:57) Nicole and Rakhi share how they cultivate fasting and almsgiving among their little ones, sharing what’s worked for them and their children. 

(25:26) They encourage listeners to identify what they want to try this Lent with their little ones, and live Lent right now, authentically. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. Lead your family to Jesus through Mary, with this book by Detroit local, Colleen Pressprich, and grow in your devotion to Our Lady. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this beautiful Marian resource.

(06:39) Nicole proposes the topic for this week as finding times to pray and enter into Lent as busy parents. They discuss the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, the Transfiguration, and begin to discuss how they are spiritually fed in the midst of their lives as busy moms. 

(09:42) They highlight how, like Peter at the Transfiguration, they have had “mountaintop” experiences where they want to stay and soak in the goodness of the Lord. They share how coming down from those moments can be very difficult, but how motherhood, in a sense, forces a return from the mountain — a snapping out of those intimate moments with the Lord. 

(11:47) They discuss the reality of feeling parental guilt when parents decide to do something for themselves, even for something as important as prayer or retreat. They share how they distinguish between the voice of God and lies when it comes to that feeling of guilt, and how the example of prioritizing their own faith can be a good way to cultivate faith among their children. 

(15:24) They share how they fit moments of prayer in the midst of their day-to-day, especially in the mornings. They highlight the importance of ongoing dialogue with the Lord throughout their day. 

(21:33) Both Nicole and Rakhi describe their own experiences of how they do this in their lives, highlighting God’s own desire to spend time with each of us, trusting him as the author of time, and  expressing our desire for intimacy with him to him in our prayer. 

(23:06) They challenge listeners to think about how to take mountaintop moments of encounter with Jesus and come down and live, listening to Jesus throughout their days.  

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. Lead your family to Jesus through Mary, with this book by Detroit local, Colleen Pressprich, and grow in your devotion to Our Lady. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this beautiful Marian resource!

(08:04) They talk about entering into Lent with humility and authenticity, and avoiding treating Lenten sacrifices like New Year’s resolutions, by inviting God into their own imperfection. 

(09:22) Rakhi breaks open the topic of this weekend’s Gospel, the temptation of Jesus in the desert, and highlights how the Devil can use half-truths to try to deceive us and lead us to doubt who we were created to be. She emphasizes how God is with us in our “deserts” — those places where the Devil tries to lead us to believe lies. 

(11:43) Nicole shares how important it is to invite Jesus into our doubts, wounds, and baggage, rather  than live out of a defensive place, in order to receive the transformation and healing he offers. She goes on to illustrate how important it is to claim truth for our children, who are growing up in a world filled with half-truths and lies. 

(15:15) Nicole describes how these half-truths can lead parents to a place of self-doubt or despair when we give into the temptation to compare ourselves to what we see other parents doing, especially on social media. Rakhi comments on the reality that holiness doesn’t involve immediate gratification or silver bullet solutions, but rather, requires staying rooted and committing to the long game, clinging to the fullness of truth. 

(18:47) The two challenge listeners to consider what’s behind the half-truths they may be believing and, especially during Lent, to sit in discomfort with God, and seek to live in the full truth. They go on to share how half-truths and a desire for immediate gratification can lead us to seek control, even of our children, and discuss the challenge of letting go of that desire to control. 

(23:18) They emphasize the hope that we have in the resurrection and that we can still cling to that truth, when we’re stuck in the deserts of “half-truths.” They challenge listeners to view these desert places as a path to the resurrection, just as Lent is a path to Easter. They close their discussion by encouraging parents to pray the Litany of Trust and offering encouragement. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. Lead your family to Jesus through Mary, with this book by Detroit local, Colleen Pressprich, and grow in your devotion to Our Lady. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this beautiful Marian resource!

(05:44) Rakhi comments on how Ash Wednesday might be a sign of connection with the faith, even for fallen away Catholics. She also poses the question, do you leave your ashes on or wipe them off? Nicole and Rakhi discuss their responses to the question and how they talk about wearing ashes to their kids. 

(10:42) Nicole highlights the penitential themes of Lent and the invitation to better love people we don’t like. Rakhi shares how the Lord has been calling her to better love people that she doesn’t agree with and unpacks the reality that we don’t have to agree with people to love them. She also notes that there’s a distinction between being aggravated by a person’s behavior, versus the person themself. She and Nicole discuss distinguishing between a person’s actions and their identity — as a beloved daughter of son of God — when it comes to choosing to love others.

(14:22) Rakhi shares an anecdote about a mother who radically responded to the call to love her enemies, after her son was tragically kidnapped and murdered. They discuss good and natural reactions to injustice, like anger, and how to love authentically through anger and difficulties, especially in their approaches to raising their children. 

(20:45) Nicole and Rakhi share firsthand experiences of how they have been able to love their children in and through difficult moments.

(25:00) They discuss the closeness of God and acknowledging the love that he has for every person, even the people who have hurt us the most. They highlight how there are some relationships which will never be fully restored, but that we can release ourselves from resentment, as Jesus did by praying for his enemies from the cross. 

(26:56) They close the episode by encouraging families to intentionally pray for those who have hurt or offended them. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. Lead your family to Jesus through Mary, with this book by Detroit local, Colleen Pressprich, and grow in your devotion to Our Lady. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this beautiful Marian resource!

(06:14) They discuss the ways married couples are called to die to themselves and share their own experiences of how they have experienced this in their own marriages.

(09:25) They start to unpack the way the world presents marriage, in contrast with what marriage is, in reality: more than a feeling, a call to self-sacrifice, and a means of sanctification. They confront the reality of broken marriage, as well. They discuss the importance of strong married couples to witness to others within community and how isolation can be dangerous for married couples.

(13:53) Rakhi shares how she sees real love portrayed in the movie Beauty and the Beast. Nicole ties their discussion into last week’s episode, emphasizing the importance of understanding ourselves and our spouses’ unique gifts and love languages and modeling for our children how to love each other intentionally, according to those differences. 

(18:28) They discuss the importance of ongoing discernment and adapting in love according to family members’ needs and life circumstances. They also address the reality that human love is imperfect, but that Jesus provides grace to transform our love to make it what our families’ need. 

(20:20) Listeners are left with the encouragement to ask God for guidance and strength in loving the people that are in their lives and some creative ideas to express love intentionally on Valentine’s Day.

(05:29) They move on to discuss the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel reading, in which Jesus calls his disciples the salt of the Earth. They discuss what it means to follow Jesus to bring life to the world, and  how they seek to help the members of their families recognize their own gifts and how to use them for the glory of God. They discuss seeing and adapting to the different personalities their children have as unique individuals.

(11:18) Nicole asks how we can help our children uncover their gifts, without forcing those gifts on them as a label. Rakhi highlights the need to emphasize that our only identity is a beloved child of God, while the other things are characteristics.

(13:56) Rakhi mentions the impact of encouraging new experiences for our children, to help them discover for themselves their own giftedness and charisms. She mentions the Called and Gifted workshop and Sherry Weddell’s “Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory.” They share the gifts they see in their own children, and discuss the charisms in general.

(17:44) They discuss the importance of using the charisms and trying them out, to be more in tune with one’s gifts. They also highlight the importance of recognizing and affirming the gifts we see in others. 

(19:59) Rakhi mentions the Catherine of Siena Institute as a great resource to use to better understand the charisms and the Temperament That God Gave Your Kids as a book to use to better understand our children’s unique personalities. She also mentions the Love Languages and how those can help us better understand God’s voice and our children.

(25:19) Nicole highlights the family prayer section and the featured saint for this Sunday in 52 Sundays as action items moving into the week, approaching the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by SaintSprouts. SaintSprouts creates fun, engaging illustrations to inspire children of all ages to encounter Jesus and the beauty of the Catholic faith! Learn more and shop at saintsprouts.com.

(07:20) Nicole shares how she came to understand the importance of validating the feelings of our children, even when what they’re experiencing doesn’t seem to be a very big deal from our perspectives. She also shares how she tries to encourage her children to recognize that the hard things they face won’t always seem as challenging as they do in the moment. 

(09:57) They discuss the many influences that exist and the importance of helping their children to learn to identify the true, good, and beautiful and push back on ideas that are false. They go on to discuss how they aim to cultivate discipleship among their children in a developmentally appropriate way, by seeking answers to big questions about life, giving them spaces to make their own, and respecting that their children’s prayer may look different from their own. 

(16:32) Nicole and Rakhhi discuss the reality that teens and tweens may resist a life of faith, simply because of their developmental stage, and encourage listeners to trust in God and in his desire for a relationship with them. 

(19:49) Nicole highlights Compass, a new project of the Office of Family Ministry in the Archdiocese of Detroit, which points parents to dozens of helpful articles, videos, books, and blogs to help parents navigate some of the more challenging realities of raising teens and tweens in 2023. 

(22:23) Rakhi shares a bit about St. John Bosco, whose feast day is coming up, and shares why he is a great model and intercessor for parents of teens and tweens. She invites listeners to participate in the upcoming Bosco Prayer Initiative, a dedicated time to pray for young people and those who minister to them.

(27:15) Rakhi challenges parents to consider creative ways to invite their kids to pray, by leaning into the things their children already enjoy doing and playing with. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by SaintSprouts. SaintSprouts creates fun, engaging illustrations to inspire children of all ages to encounter Jesus and the beauty of the Catholic faith! Learn more and shop at saintsprouts.com.

(02:50) Nicole shares why Pope Francis dedicated the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time to the Word of God. Rakhi shares her experience of reading the Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz and Nicole shares her experience of reading through Meg Hunter Killmer’s A Year in the Word Catholic Bible Journal, and the Unleash the Gospel Scripture Challenge. The two discuss the increased focus on Scripture among Catholics in recent years.

(07:33) Nicole and Rakhi talk candidly about how they can realistically incorporate reading Scripture in their homes. Rakhi shares how she would incorporate a Scripture focus for the week for her family by using 52 Sundays. They talk about the power of stories and making Scripture stories accessible to their kids.  

(12:12) Nicole shares how her family collects and leaves Bible stories for kids around the house and describes a moment when she saw her son learn from these stories, without her explicitly teaching him. Rakhi shares how the example of her husband has inspired a love for Scripture among her children. They talk about various age-appropriate Bible resources and translations.

(17:37) Rakhi shares how Scripture is transformative because it is an encounter with Jesus.

(18:57) Nicole offers encouragement to families who are not sure where to start incorporating Scripture into their lives. She invites them to use 52 Sundays as a free weekly resource to easily access and share the Sunday Mass readings with their families. She shares how she and her family prepare for Mass by reading the readings in advance.

(20:39) Rakhi shares how she uses 52 Sundays, and also mentions how the series, The Chosen, has brought Scripture to life for her family. She also discusses various ways to access Scripture besides reading, including journaling and drawing. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by SaintSprouts. SaintSprouts creates fun, engaging illustrations to inspire children of all ages to encounter Jesus and the beauty of the Catholic faith! Learn more and shop at saintsprouts.com.

(08:42) Addressing issues of injustice with our children: Nicole shares a story of her son facing racism in his school and how she as a mother walked with her son through that experience. Together, the two mothers discuss the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how they feel his life can help their children understand justice. 

(17:12) As we approach MLK day, the hosts address the question “What are some practical ways we can celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?” Practical advice, and a prayerful posture are mentioned, with some personal experiences shared as well. Prayer, small acts of service, knowing your neighborhood, and other ideas are discussed. 

(24:11) “What is it that you can do to start serving justice? To start being justice and witnesses to the justice God calls us to?” Rakhi shares, “I think it's okay to be uncomfortable. Yes. Because that’s the Spirit. The Spirit is working in that discomfort in stretching us and growing us.” They talk about the work of justice drawing us into the mystery of the Gospel and is valuable for our children. 

(04:31) Rakhi shares her love for the “wonder” of the Epiphany and how her children receive spiritual gifts (medals, books, etc.) to commemorate the bringing of gifts to Jesus. They share what spiritual gifts they’ll offer back to Jesus throughout the new year. The two discuss other ways to enter into the celebration and encounter Jesus authentically in it.

(06:53) Rakhi shares a favorite song of hers that reminds her of Jesus’ desire for us to be close to him in his vulnerability. Nicole shares her love for adoration and how she and her family started making a weekly holy hour during Advent. She talks about how we can find ways to help our kids enter in, and embrace the imperfections of a holy hour or a brief visit to the chapel with little ones. She and Rakhi share tips on how to do this as a family.

(16:26) With adoration in mind, Rakhi encourages families to not be afraid to be present in the Church. They talk about how it can be difficult to feel like your kids are drawing attention in church or during prayer, but that our parishes are meant to be the community that embraces that reality — that families come with children.

(19:06) Nicole shares an experience she had of encouraging another mom who was too stressed to bring her kids to church and inviting her and her little ones to worship with her family. Rakhi highlights that Jesus doesn’t expect us to be perfect when we go to him, but he wants us to go to him.

(20:15) They discuss the reality of encountering Jesus in one another and the beauty of becoming living tabernacles when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. They discuss the power of Jesus’ presence and the beauty of taking his presence beyond the walls of the Church; they share ideas of how families can practically do that — bring Christ to others.

(23:48) Rakhi and Nicole offer encouragement to listeners and encourage listeners within the Archdiocese of Detroit to find adoration opportunities at adorationfinder.org.

(06:30) Nicole and Rakhi acknowledge the January 1 Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God and talk about plans for the season that didn’t come to fruition. They discuss the post-holiday letdown, that also gets mixed with anticipation for the new year. 

(10:11) Rakhi shares a story about briefly losing track of one of her kids while doing some back to school shopping. She reflects on her gratitude for the story of Mary and Joseph losing track of Jesus and finding him in the Temple, because the realness and humanity of Mary displayed in that anecdote. 

(13:05) Nicole highlights how, like Mary, we have to surrender to God’s plan, while knowing that his plan might not play out the way we want it to. They discuss how difficult it can be to surrender when we want to plan and control our lives, and how difficult it can be to acknowledge that God has a unique plan for each of our children. 

(15:38) They discuss the human realities of parenting and how our worth as parents isn’t reflected by our kids' successes or failures. They talk about how social media can add pressure to parenting, especially as a Catholic mom yet, how when we show up and give what we have, we can trust that God will use that. 

(19:44) Rakhi highlights how at every stage of life and parenting, we will struggle and looks to Mary as a source of consolation in that struggle. They discuss how important community is and how we don’t have to figure everything out on our own; we can look to others for guidance and support. 

(21:25) Nicole leaves the final thought and encouragement to listeners to consider what God might be asking their Fiat or Magnificat to be in the new year. She and Rakhi discuss how this might look like being more flexible with plans or committing to less activity and being more intentional. 

(23:12) Rakhi thanks listeners for joining and offers listeners encouragement.