Holy Chaos on Tap A Catholic Dad Podcast

Surviving Mass with Toddlers: A Catholic Dad Perspective

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:55:00 -0500

Taking toddlers to Mass can feel less like quiet prayer and more like managing chaos in a pew. Snacks fall, whisper-yelling happens, and sometimes the only prayer you manage is asking God to help you make it through the homily.

In this episode of Holy Chaos on Tap, Nick talks honestly about what it’s like to bring young kids to church and why the effort matters even when it feels messy.

Through a relatable dad fail, a pop culture reflection, and the Gospel reminder from Matthew 19:14 “Let the children come to me”, this episode encourages Catholic dads and parents not to give up when Mass with toddlers feels exhausting.

Because every Sunday you show up with your kids, even when it’s loud, you’re planting seeds of faith that will grow over time.

Inside this episode:

🍼 The toddler meltdown every Catholic parent has experienced

🎬 A pop culture look at family chaos and why it’s normal

📖 Scripture encouragement for parents bringing kids to church

🧉 Barstool theology on why children belong at Mass

🙏 A closing prayer for parents trying to raise kids in faith

If you’re a Catholic dad or parent trying to raise faithful kids in the middle of everyday chaos, this episode is for you.

🍻 Raising kids. Raising glasses. Raising faith.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #CatholicDadPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #KidsatMass

Becoming an Above Average Catholic Dad

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:10:00 -0500

Season 2 of Holy Chaos on Tap begins with a simple reality: Catholic fatherhood is messy.

Between work, parenting, noise, and exhaustion, most dads are just trying to survive and hold it together. In this episode, Nick shares what it means to be an “average Catholic dad trying to become slightly above average” not through perfection, but through perseverance, humility, and showing up again tomorrow.

This season of Holy Chaos on Tap continues exploring faith, fatherhood, and spiritual growth through everyday life, pop culture, and honest Catholic reflection.

Inside this episode:

🍼 Real talk about the chaos of parenting - Three sick kids all at the same time while single parenting for the weekend!

📖 Catholic wisdom for spiritual growth by embracing the ordinary dad life

🧉 Barstool theology for ordinary family life

🙏 Encouragement for fathers trying to raise kids in faith

If you're a Catholic dad trying to raise good kids, grow in holiness, and find God in the middle of the mess, this show is for you.

🍻 Raising kids. Raising glasses. Raising faith.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #CatholicDadPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #Frozen

What Catholic Dads Can Learn from Frozen | Letting Go of Control

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:00:00 -0500

Fear has a way of disguising itself as responsibility.

In Frozen, Elsa believes that control will protect everyone. If she can manage her power, suppress her emotions, and isolate herself from risk, no one will get hurt.

But control doesn’t create safety.

It creates distance.

In this episode of Holy Chaos on Tap, we explore how fear shows up in fatherhood, often hidden behind productivity, protection, and emotional restraint and how love, not control, is what truly thaws a frozen heart.

Inside this episode:

❄️ Dad Fail Confessional — Nick talks about his struggles with having control and how difficult it is to give up control to God.
🎬 Pop Culture Dive — conceal, don’t feel, and the cost of isolation in Frozen
📖 Scripture Moment (NABRE) — “Do not fear: I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10 )
🧉 Barstool Theology — why control feels safe but trust is what sets us free
🙏 A closing prayer for dads learning to loosen their grip and lead with love

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to hold everything together and to manage every outcome, protect every emotion, and keep fear buried this episode is for you.

Because freedom doesn’t come from tighter control.

It comes from trusting the God who is already present in the chaos.

🍻 Raising kids. Raising glasses. Raising faith.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #CatholicDadPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #Frozen

What Catholic Dads Can Learn from Cars | Humility and God’s Detour Plan

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 21:17:00 -0500

We all make plans and then fatherhood, career shifts, and responsibility change the route.

In Cars, Lightning McQueen believes speed and success define his worth. One unexpected detour lands him in Radiator Springs, where slowing down becomes the very thing that forms his heart.

In this episode of Holy Chaos on Tap, we explore how God uses detours to teach humility, presence, and a deeper understanding of vocation, especially for dads.

Inside this episode:

🛣️ Dad Fail Confessional — Nick talks about getting married, his mom passing before the wedding and being impatient at bedtime with kids
🎬 Pop Culture Dive — ambition, identity, and humility in Cars
📖 Scripture Moment (NABRE) — how God directs our steps through unexpected roads
🧉 Barstool Theology — why detours aren’t punishments, but formation
🙏 A closing prayer for dads learning to slow down and redefine success

If you’re a dad navigating a slowdown you didn’t choose; parenting, career, or life, this episode offers encouragement, perspective, and faith-centered wisdom.

🍻 Raising kids. Raising glasses. Raising faith.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #CarsPixar

What Catholic Dads Can Learn from Encanto | Healing the Family You’ve Been Given

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 20:20:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 109 – Encanto: Healing the Family You’ve Been Given,

Nick unpacks a truth Catholic dads feel deeply: healing doesn’t start by fixing your family, it starts by loving the family you already have. From generational pressure to unspoken expectations, Encanto gives us a surprisingly honest look at how families break… and how they begin to heal.

Nick talks about what it means to carry burdens you didn’t choose, why performance isn’t the same as purpose, and how grace works quietly through ordinary faithfulness, especially in imperfect homes.

Inside this episode:

🏠 Dad Fail Confessional — The kids at the holiday break and the twins are out of control at mass

🎬 Pop Culture Dive — generational wounds, gifts, and grace in Encanto

📖 Scripture Moment — healing that begins with love, not control

🧉 Barstool Theology — why God works through the family you didn’t design

🙏 A closing prayer for dads trying to lead with patience, mercy, and courage

You don’t need a perfect family to raise saints.

You need grace, humility, and the courage to heal what you’ve been handed.

🍻 Raising kids. Raising glasses. Raising faith.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #Encanto

Festivus Faith: When Ritual Loses the Heart

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:52:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 108 - Festivus Faith: When Ritual Loses the Heart, takes a quick detour as we close out the year with a final episode around Nick's favorite show! Not really a show he watches with the kids...yet.

In this "short" episode, we dive into Seinfeld’s “The Strike” and unpack what Festivus accidentally reveals about modern spirituality: we don’t reject faith because it has rituals, we drift when rituals lose their soul.

From the Airing of Grievances to the Feats of Strength, Festivus becomes a mirror for performance-based religion, burnout, and the pressure to “get it right.” But Catholic faith offers something radically different — not empty motion, but real encounter.

Inside this episode:

🎄 Dad Fail Confessional — when faith becomes just another task

🎬 Pop Culture Dive — Festivus vs. sacramental life

📖 Scripture Moment (Matthew 15:8–9, NABRE) — honoring God with more than words

🧉 Barstool Theology — why Catholics don’t perform faith, we receive it

🙏 A closing prayer for dads hungry for meaning, not motion

If faith has ever felt dry, forced, or performative… you’re not broken.

You’re hungry.

And God feeds hungry fathers.

🍻 Raising kids. Raising glasses. Raising faith.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #Festivus

Elf: Rediscovering Joy in the Family Routine

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 23:14:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 107 - Elf: Rediscovering Joy in the Family Routine.

In this episode, we dive into Elf and explore why Buddy’s childlike joy isn’t naïve — it’s holy. He reminds us that delight is a spiritual discipline, that laughter can be a form of charity, and that renewing joy in our homes is part of our vocation as fathers.

Inside the episode you’ll hear:

🍼 Dad Fail Confessional — Feeling down on not exercising and the monotony of the dad life

🎄 Pop Culture Dive — What Buddy teaches us about presence, play, and living with open hearts

📖 Scripture Moment (NABRE) — “The joy of the Lord is your strength” in real dad life

🧉 Barstool Theology — Why joy isn’t optional for Christian fathers

🙏 Closing Prayer for dads rediscovering joy in the ordinary

Because holiness isn’t just about getting through the season —

it’s about letting God restore wonder in the moments we usually rush past.

🍻 Raising kids. Raising glasses. Raising faith.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #Elf

Home Alone: God’s Providence in the Panic

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 13:30:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 106 - Home Alone: God’s Providence in the Panic.

Every parent has had that one moment where everything goes wrong at the same time… but at least we’ve never accidentally left a kid at home!

In this episode, we dive into Home Alone and uncover a surprisingly Catholic truth: God’s providence doesn’t disappear when our plans fall apart — it shows up right in the middle of the panic.

We’ll explore how Kevin’s unexpected adventure becomes a lesson in courage, identity, and strangely enough divine protection. And we unpack why the McCallisters’ disaster reveals something all Catholic parents need to hear:

You’re not a bad parent because you’re overwhelmed. You’re a human parent God still guides.

Featuring:

🧹 Dad (parents) Fail Confessional (holiday edition) - Arriving at a holiday mass late

🎬 Pop Culture Dive — Home Alone & divine providence

📖 Scripture Moment — The Holy Family left without Jesus!

🧉 Barstool Theology — why God works through detours

🙏 A closing prayer for every overwhelmed mom and dad

Because sometimes the holiest part of Christmas is trusting that God is still working…even when everything feels a little “home alone.”

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #HomeAlone

The Grinch: The Gift of a Changed Heart

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 23:06:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 105 - The Grinch: The Gift of a Changed Heart

In this episode, we dive into Illumination’s The Grinch and uncover what might be the most underrated Christmas lesson for Catholic dads: grace can transform even the most guarded heart.

We explore how the Grinch isn’t just a grouchy green villain, he’s all of us on the days when exhaustion, resentment, loneliness, or old wounds make us pull back from the people who need us most. From his childhood backstory to his rooftop change of heart, the Grinch gives us a surprisingly theological picture of what it means to be loved into wholeness.

You’ll hear:

🎄 Car Ride Terror — Nick talks about their recent car ride vacation trip to kick off the holiday season!

💚 Pop-Culture Dive — how the Grinch mirrors spiritual burnout

📖 Scripture Moment — God’s ability to give us “a new heart”

🍺 Barstool Theology — Instagram Christmas is not reality

🙏 A closing prayer for dads who want to create a home filled with joy, mercy, and second chances

Christmas isn’t about perfection, it’s about transformation.

And sometimes the greatest gift you can give your family is a heart a little more open than yesterday.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor #TheGrinch

What Catholic Dads Can Learn from Luca | Courage, Friendship & Faith

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 22:43:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 104 - Luca: Friendship, Freedom & Finding Courage.

In this Episode Nick discusses an under the radar Pixar movie and how friendship changes us, especially the kind that calls us to grow, be brave, and step out of hiding.

Nick dives into what Luca and Alberto reveal about becoming the men God calls us to be — scales, fears, insecurities, and all. We’ll talk about why real friendship sharpens virtue, why courage requires vulnerability, and why letting your kids grow beyond your comfort zone might be one of the holiest things a dad can do.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor

What Catholic Dads Can Learn from Moana | Trusting God’s Call

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:40:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 102: Homer's Theology of Fatherhood

Moana didn’t set sail because she stopped being afraid — she set sail because she trusted the call was real.

In this episode, we dive into Moana as a story of vocation, courage, and faith beyond the comfort zone. Moana’s calling along with her Dad's fear somehow is the perfect metaphor for Catholic fatherhood — learning to let go, trust God, and move when He says “Go.”

Join me for some dad confessions, a pop culture deep dive, a Scripture reflection, and a little “barstool theology” about what it really means to be called beyond the shore.

Because sometimes the holiest thing a dad can do… is just get in the boat.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor

What Catholic Dads Can Learn from Homer Simpsons

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 10:01:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 102: Homer's Theology of Fatherhood

If you look at Homer Simpson, the first thing you think of is probably not how holy he is, or what a great role model. However, if you look deeper, there are signs of grace among the imperfection and chaos of family life. Nick discusses the one episode he remembers as a kid that stayed with him all his life about what it means to be a dad.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor

Bluey: Greener Grass and Saintly Perseverance

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:37:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. Episode 101: Bluey - Greener Grass and Saintly Perseverance

Segment 1 of the show Nick discusses the Bluey Episode "Hammerbarn", how he relates Bandit's quest to his own by looking to have a cool "Dad" ride like other dads and how Nick is humbled once he bought the car. Segment 2 discusses the Bluey Episode "Cricket" and the perseverance it takes to be a great dad and spiritually strong.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor

Holy Chaos On Tap - Raising Little Saints with TV Screens

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:37:00 -0500

This season, "Raising Little Saints with TV Screens", dives into what it means to find God in the shows we watch with our kids. It's a season of relatable, funny, faith-filled conversations about finding Gods message in Bluey, Moana and everything in between.

#catholic #catholicdad #FamilyandFaith #CatholicPodcast #ChristianPodcast #holychaosontap #catholichumor