Avoiding Babylon

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!What if the greatest danger to your soul isn’t failure but the pride that follows success? We open Jeremiah 17 and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus to trace a stark contrast: dryness for those who trust in themselves and living water for those who root their hope in God. From there, we step into a Carmelite meditation on humility that reframes discouragement, showing how self-reliance quietly breeds despair while confidence in mercy restores peace, joy, and strength.We read the Gospel with fresh eyes: the rich man’s downfall isn’t luxury itself but a heart that overlooks Lazarus at his gate. Abraham’s reply cuts to the core—God has already spoken through Moses and the prophets; the invitation to conversion stands. That same invitation reaches into our daily patterns. It asks us to notice where we assign credit. Many of us can own our failures, yet we cling to our wins as self-made. True humility does both: it admits fault without despair and returns every success to the Giver. This shift not only guards our hearts from hidden pride but also frees us to serve with generosity.Along the way, we hold up two paths after a fall: Judas’s despair and Peter’s tears. Both men failed; only one trusted love enough to come back. That trust becomes our Lenten practice—confess quickly, ask boldly, and let grace carry what effort cannot. We close with practical steps for the week, from fasting on Friday to small acts of mercy that keep our roots in living water. If this reflection moves you, share it with a friend, subscribe for the journey through Lent, and leave a review with one way you’re practicing humility today.Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!We discuss the new war in Iran, specifically how Evangelical Dispensationalist theology seems to be purposefully driving us deeper into war.Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!When the urge to fix everything by ourselves runs hot, the Scriptures offer a better way. We open with Esther’s desperate prayer, where trust replaces leverage, and follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem as he overturns our ideas of power: greatness is service, honor is sacrifice, and confidence is born from dependence on the Father.We bring those threads into real life with a candid look at self-reliance. Many of us were taught to power through, and that mindset often sneaks into prayer and penance. Drawing on Divine Intimacy, we explore why God allows our best-laid plans to fail when they rest on our own strength, and how humility—far from shrinking us—actually frees us to act with courage. You’ll hear how childlike trust does not cancel responsibility; it reshapes it. Repentance becomes lighter, service becomes joyful, and leadership becomes a quiet descent into love.Along the way, we challenge cultural scripts that idolize going it alone and consider a saner middle: take ownership of your choices while leaning hard on grace. Expect practical takeaways you can use today—short prayers of surrender, small acts of hidden service, and a fresh lens for setbacks that turns them into invitations. By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of how to walk Lent with confidence that does not come from you, but from the One who calls you.If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s carrying too much, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!What if your spiritual life looks busy on the outside but runs on empty within? Today we walk through Elijah and the widow, where a last handful of meal turns into daily bread, and we sit with Jesus’ words in Matthew 23 that challenge our craving for status, titles, and the appearance of holiness. The throughline is humility: the quiet reordering that places God first, neighbors next, and our image in last place.We dig into the naming differences between the Douay-Rheims and most modern Bibles to ground the reading, but the heart of the conversation lives in Divine Intimacy’s claim that without Christ we can do nothing—not even a small, supernatural act. Actual grace is not optional equipment for saints; it is the power that lets any of us love well, repent honestly, and serve without fanfare. That levels the field between scholar and laborer and exposes a trap many of us know too well: mistaking knowledge about faith for friendship with God.I share a personal confession about choosing footnotes over prayer and how Lent is nudging me back to first things: praying with my family, embracing my vocation as a husband and father, and letting study serve love rather than replace it. We talk about practical choices that nudge the soul into honesty—making a careful sign of the cross, praying before reading, serving before speaking—and the freedom that comes when we stop performing and start depending. If your jar feels nearly empty, take heart; humility makes space for grace, and grace is what fills the jar.If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a gentle reset, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find it. What’s one small practice you’ll trade for prayer this week?Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!We read Daniel 9 and John 8, then sit with a demanding truth from Divine Intimacy: humility is not a mood or a vibe; it’s the foundation that lets charity stand. If love is the house, humility is the bedrock—and without it, even our best intentions warp into self-reliance.We talk honestly about what that looks like in modern life. Creating content that serves people can collide with the drive for views and metrics, and the heart tug-of-war is real. Do we want reach or refinement? Platform or poverty of spirit? We name the tension and offer a different aim: fidelity over visibility, hiddenness when needed, and results left in God’s hands. Along the way, Jesus’ words—“You are from below; I am from above”—reframe our origin and our end. Belief is not mere assent; it’s surrender into a life taught and sustained by the Father.Lent gives us a laboratory to practice the descent. We map out simple steps that loosen pride’s grip: trim social media, choose quiet over constant input, make hidden acts of charity, and turn failed penances into occasions for trust rather than tougher vows. Saints Teresa and Thérèse remind us that grace fills what we empty, and God stoops to the lowly. The invitation is steady and specific: dig deeper foundations, let God build the house, and judge progress by obedience and love. If you’re hungry for less noise and more substance, this conversation offers Scripture, prayer, and practical moves to make humility livable.If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage for the descent, and leave a review telling us how you’re reshaping your Lent. Your stories help others choose the quieter road.Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!A bright cloud, a trembling heart, and a voice that still calls us by name: the Second Sunday of Lent leads us up Tabor to glimpse what grace intends to complete. We read the traditional Mass texts and sit with the Transfiguration, then follow the thread back into ordinary life where sanctification looks like chastity, fairness, and fidelity when no one applauds. The light isn’t a detour from the cross; it’s the courage to carry it.We unpack why Moses and Elijah speak with Jesus about the Passion, and what that means for our own desire to build tents around fleeting consolations. The Father’s command—“Listen to him”—reframes our Lenten work: prayer to anchor our identity, fasting to train desire, and almsgiving to heal our neighbor’s wounds. We talk about how sin disfigures, how grace refigures, and why God sometimes withdraws felt support so love can grow sturdy. “Jesus alone” becomes a practical rule for dry seasons, disappointments, and the quiet heroism of keeping our promises.If you’ve wondered how to hold on to hope when comfort lifts, or how to turn daily frustrations into fuel for holiness, this conversation gives you a clear path. Expect real talk on suffering, a sober word about purgatory, and a tender reminder that Tabor’s glory is not lost in the valley—it goes hidden within you. Join us, pray with the readings, and step into a Lent that actually changes your heart. If this speaks to you, subscribe, share with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review so more people find their way to the light.Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!A hard headline at dawn and a holy invitation at hand: we step into Ember Saturday with fasting, prayer, and a clear-eyed look at how grace meets a restless world. We keep the focus tight—covenant fidelity in Deuteronomy, the lived texture of Christian charity in First Thessalonians, and the mountain light of Matthew’s Transfiguration—then move into a grounded guide on confession that trades clichés for clarity.We talk about why frequent confession should never become just a routine, how absolution is Christ acting in the soul, and why naming motives behind venial patterns exposes the roots of anger, pride, and acedia. You’ll hear practical steps for a better examen, what to share when you’re not confessing mortal sin, and when to book an appointment so those in crisis aren’t left waiting. Along the way, we hold together two anchors of Lent: intimacy with God through honest repentance and solidarity with others through fasting and intercession.The thread tying it all together is simple and demanding: hear him. The Father’s command on the mountain becomes the plan for the week—listen to Christ in Scripture, in conscience, and in the quiet of the confessional. Let the Precious Blood wash the past and brace the future. Make space for family, keep Ember Saturday with abstinence, and pray for peace, priests, and vocations while the world trembles. If you’re ready for a Lent that actually reshapes your habits and steadies your heart, this conversation will give you both vision and tools.If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so others can find the show. What one practice will you keep today to ground your heart in Christ?Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!Ready for a reset that goes deeper than giving up dessert? We take Ember Friday as a clarifying lens on Lent: why the season spans 46 calendar days, how abstinence and fasting work today, and why these practices still matter for real conversion. Then we open Ezekiel 18 and John 5 to trace a through line from personal responsibility to healing grace, where God’s mercy moves first and then asks us to walk in it with resolve.We walk through Ezekiel’s stark promise and warning—turn and live, turn away and lose what you had—not to spark argument, but to recover urgency. At the pool of Bethesda we meet a man frozen for thirty-eight years until Jesus cuts through the inertia with a question and a command. That moment becomes a template: receive the gift, carry it forward, and “sin no more.” From there we turn practical with the daily examination of conscience, not as a guilt checklist but as a skillful search for motives and the dominant fault—pride, sloth, or self-love—that powers many small falls. We show how to fight roots with opposite virtues, how to teach the examen to kids in simple steps, and how small, steady course corrections build perseverance.Along the way we unpack the differences between the traditional and new liturgical calendars, why Ember Days focus prayer on priests and vocations, and the U.S. history behind partial abstinence on Ember Saturday. The thread that binds it all: grace is a gift meant to be walked with. If you’ve been looking for a concrete way to align desire, habit, and hope, this episode offers a map you can start using tonight.If this helped you see Lent with fresh eyes, follow the show, share it with a friend who could use a nudge, and leave a quick review with your biggest takeaway. Your notes help others rise and walk too.Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!What if the one obstacle to holiness isn’t scandalous sin but quiet hesitation—the elegant excuses that slip between intention and action? We open Scripture with Ezekiel’s hard clarity on personal responsibility and the Gospel scene where a marginalized mother refuses to let go until mercy answers. Those readings set a challenge: justice must be lived, and faith must persist, even when it’s uncomfortable.From there, we dive into Divine Intimacy’s piercing take on imperfections. These aren’t headline-grabbing failures; they are the habitual refusals of “the better act” that charity quietly suggests. We talk candidly about how self-love disguises itself as prudence, how good reasons can become polished delays, and why a life of minimums keeps the soul heavy. Temperament enters the picture too: some of us process before we move, which creates a tiny window where excuses multiply. Rather than shame that wiring, we train it—just like learning fast, safe responses in emergencies.You’ll hear practical, field-tested ways to make generosity easier and overthinking harder. We share simple pre-commitments that reduce friction—like keeping a set amount of cash for almsgiving, deciding in advance when not to give, and otherwise choosing the more charitable assumption. These small designs of the will help us act before hesitation talks us out of love. Along the way, the Canaanite woman’s grit inspires our own: stay, ask, trust.If you’re ready to use Lent as a training block for the will, this conversation offers a clear path forward—Scripture for vision, spiritual tradition for diagnosis, and concrete habits for change. Listen, reflect, and then try one pre-commitment this week. If it helps, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who overthinks generosity, and leave a short review to tell us what habit you’re testing next.Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!Ant and Rob react to your reactions from the last video. Is this pointless? Probably. Will it still be peak content? Absolutely.Support the showNeed seafood for Lent? Check out https://shoplobster.com/ and use code AB10 to get 10% from Maine's ONLY Catholic lobster company.Check out our new sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise:  https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps:  https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss