Feeding Fathers

Some of us wake up and grab the phone before we even know what day it is.
If the notifications aren’t cleared, the brain doesn’t feel settled.
And at a red light, 30 seconds of silence is suddenly too much.
The question underneath all of it isn’t “Am I efficient?” It’s the one Jesus asked Peter on the shore after breakfast: "Do you love me?"
We discuss how phone overuse affects attention, mental health, and spiritual life, starting with morning routines and rules.
We contrast modern sensory overload with older, simpler life rhythms and highlight how constant distraction can weaken silence, emotional processing, and genuine connection.
Fr. Simon also opens up about how he almost became a monk a couple years ago... like WOAH!
And we react to Joe Shmid's conversion to the Catholic Faith and what he believe's are atheists' number one argument against God.
Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Christopher Somo, Fr. Dany Shaba, Fr. Augustine Joseph
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00:00 Phone Habit Confessions 04:07 Dopamine Notification Fix 08:19 Coffee And Morning News 11:36 Tasks And Spiritual Health 14:43 Depression And Distraction 16:59 Information Overload And Love 19:28 Do You Love Me? 23:26 Silence and Overstimulation 25:34 Instant Gratification Culture 28:21 Doomscrolling Emptiness 29:32 Fr. Simon Almost Became a Monk?? 35:06 Acai Bowl Break 37:02 Reacting to Atheism Argument 39:33 Free Will and Animal Suffering
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Pope Leo just said something most of us aren’t ready to hear about beauty, aging, and the pressure to stay young forever.
In his homily on the feast of the Assumption, he talked about Mary’s body, the way icons always show her young, and what that has to do with the wrinkles, gray hair, and “signs of love” that show up on the rest of us.
We get into the cultural stuff nobody wants to say out loud: plastic surgery, Botox, Ozempic, balloon faces, filtered photos that make you hate your real face, and the quiet panic that hitting a certain age means you’ve become useless.
This isn’t a lecture. It’s us priests talking honestly about the fear of looking older, the difference between taking care of yourself and trying to outrun death, and why the people we actually want to be loved by aren’t the ones who only notice the surface.
If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt the pressure, or watched someone you love chase a version of beauty that doesn’t exist, this one’s for you.
Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Andrew Younan, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Roni Schamoun
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00:00 Nose Job 06:34 Plastic Surgery Culture 09:46 Honoring Old Age 12:13 Wisdom Tradition 20:46 Authenticity Over Image 23:47 Marriage Fear and Vanity 27:40 Stop Faking Love 31:34 Plastic Surgery Ethics 34:24 Filters and Fitness Lies 37:18 Beauty Across Life Stages 40:24 Bible Trivia Game
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The 2026 Chaldean-Assyrian Youth Convention in Sacramento left more than just trophies: Scorching turf that hit around 170 degrees, feet that still haven’t recovered, antibiotics, and a championship curse finally broken for St. John's.
The theme was "Mary As Our Model," so we reflect on why her obedience cuts against the grain of modern culture. We also react to a viral video claiming Catholics worship statues and invent a different Mary.
We reflect on the residual feeling that still hits after you leave an event like the convention that contains a sense of family, the hope of seeing youth actually love each other, and the reminder that we’re not meant to do this alone.
And then we end things with a wild game of "Saint or Movie Quote!"
Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Christopher Somo, Fr. Augustine Joseph, Fr. Tristan Farida
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00:00 Post Convention Injuries 01:26 Championship Wins Recap04:17 Shoutouts to Leaders 06:02 Hope And Community08:38 Mary Our Model Theme 14:42 Assumption And Marian Glory 19:40 "No Wine" Obedience Lesson 28:22 Modern Freedom Vs Obedience 31:42 Catholics Worship Mary? 34:08 Incarnation and Ark Objections 37:03 Saints as Mediators 45:08 Saint or Movie Quote
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We fear we’re forming a whole generation that can defend every dogma online… yet never actually tremble in front of God.
We reacted to a video that argues the point that a religion without mysticism is just philosophy. Then we got honest about the difference between knowing about God and actually encountering Him.
We look to St. John of the Cross, Thomas Aquinas, and the quiet old man who simply looked at Jesus and let Jesus look back. We also explain why some of the most “courageous” online defenders of the faith are just being jerks in the name of orthodoxy.
Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Andy Younan, Fr. Augustine Joseph, Fr. Ankido Sipo
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00:00 Mysticism vs. Intellect
01:53 Defining Mysticism
05:20 Aquinas And Holy Silence
10:13 Heaven and the Body
13:39 Encounter Depends On God
16:29 Feelings And Retreat Highs
25:47 Beauty That Creates Awe
32:22 Calling Out Heresy Online
36:25 Prodigal Son Lessons
39:56 Joyful Christianity
41:19 Road Trip Story
43:01 Pizza!
44:24 Amazon Price Game

You can be completely alone and feel peace. You can be surrounded by people and feel empty.
We get into solitude vs. loneliness, why your social battery dies as you get older, the quiet time parents with little kids desperately need (and how to actually get it), and the kind of loneliness Jesus felt in the Garden even though the disciples were right next to Him.
We talk about the people who scroll for hours while the lonely person is sitting in the next room, why cliques make the Church feel colder than it should, what to do if you’re the new one trying to break into a friend group without looking needy, and why the most Christian thing you can do is sometimes just walk up to the person sitting alone and start a conversation.
Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Andy Younan, Fr. Christopher Somo, Fr. Daniel Shaba
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We got back from Michigan a few days ago after witnessing two new priests, Fr. Brandon and Fr. Lucian, for the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas get ordained. The humidity was brutal, but the time with the Chaldean Sisters and our brother priests was very special.
This example of unity contrasts the recent SSPX news. We discuss what actually happened with the excommunications under Pope Leo, why consecrating bishops without the Holy See matters so much, and how the Church has always handled moments like this. We got into the difference between valid and illicit, why excommunication is meant to be temporary medicine instead of a final door slam, and what real obedience looks like when it costs something.
We also talked about organic development versus just breaking off when things get hard — and why staying in the Body, even when it’s hard, is the only way any of this actually holds together for the long haul.
We try some frozen yogurt from our friends at Yogurt Express and play the most chaotic game of describing Church stuff without saying the obvious words.
There always seems to be some tension between loving tradition and staying united, so tune in to learn how to process what’s happening in the Church right now.
Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Christopher Somo, Fr. Augustine Joseph, Fr. Roni Schamoun
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You know how something gets said in one corner of the community and somehow reaches the exact person it’s about in under two hours? Yeah… we’re that episode.
We get honest about why gossip moves so fast around here, how you literally can’t take words back once they’re out, and why “but it’s true though” still doesn’t get you off the hook.
We also talk about whether just being curious is a problem (Aquinas had some thoughts on that), the difference between venting to someone who will actually check you versus just spreading it, and why holding onto that grudge for three years might be hurting you more than the person you’re mad at.
It’s the conversation we’ve all kind of needed. And yes, we’re very aware of the irony of priests making an entire episode about gossip.
Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Andy Younan, Fr. Fadi Auro, Br. Sinan
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00:00 Travel Rumors and New Assignment 02:04 How Gossip Spreads 04:03 St Philip Neri Feather Lesson 07:59 Truth vs. Gossip vs. Slander 13:58 Gossip Can Ruin Lives 18:19 Forgiveness and Letting Go 26:59 Venting Is Still Gossip 30:41 Curiosity As A Vice 35:11 Wonder vs. Trivial Questions 37:48 Celebrity Knowledge Trap 42:33 Church Gossip And Family 43:27 Dream Dinner Draft
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What happens when most Chaldeans and Assyrians now live outside Iraq? Will our language disappear? How do we stop our culture from dissolving in the West without losing our Catholic Faith?
On this episode we talk about the Church itself as the glue holding our scattered people together — more than land, more than language — and why preserving our Eastern identity actually matters to the whole Catholic Church.
Fr. Simon and Fr. Tristan just got back from a pilgrimage in France where they visited St. Thomas Chaldean Church in Sarcelles and were blown away.
They describe the most beautiful Chaldean church they’ve ever seen, a packed Mass, and being welcomed with a massive lunch and full-on khigga dancing. They also met young French-born Chaldean priests who speak Sureth with a French twist and are fully living both worlds.
Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Tristan Farida, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Augustine Joseph
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This episode is all about the two most common objections that come up between Catholics and Protestants — Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide (Scripture Alone and Faith Alone).
We lay out why “Scripture alone” sounds straightforward until you ask the obvious follow-up questions: Who decided which books actually belong in the Bible? Why did the Church already have the faith, the liturgy, and the Eucharist long before the canon was settled? And what happens when the same text gets interpreted in completely different ways with no living authority to settle it? We point out that “Do this in memory of me” already assumes tradition and practice that go beyond the text itself.
On the salvation side, we take on the “faith alone” claim directly. We explain how baptism actually makes us new creations, how Christ lives and works in us, and why “I never knew you” is such a sobering warning. Intellectual agreement with the right facts isn’t enough if it never becomes real transformation and relationship.
We also squeezed in some World Cup banter, Zlatan quotes, celebrate someone's birthday, and play a game of "Holy Hot Takes" while we were at it.
If these two topics have ever left you with more questions than answers, this one’s worth your time.
Featuring: Fr. Christopher Somo, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Roni Schamoun
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00:00 Protestant Label
01:41 World Cup Tangent
06:07 Sola Scriptura Origins
14:41 Church and Canon
18:44 Interpretation and Authority
24:47 Sola Fide Explained
33:55 Faithfulness Not Belief
35:38 Ratzinger On Faith Alone
38:50 Saved By Love And Fruit
41:25 Birthday Cake!
42:45 Holy Hot Takes
44:57 Underrated Saints
47:03 Underrated Bible Books
48:36 Seminary Hot Takes
50:15 Viral Bible Characters
51:21 Popes With Podcasts
52:32 Prayers Not Prayed Enough
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You ever sit at a Chaldean/Assyrian funeral gathering and feel like something about it just doesn’t sit right, even though everybody’s there for a good reason?
We get into what actually happens in those halls — the way the room splits, the "hired" wailers doing their thing to get people crying, and how the men usually end up talking business or church stuff while the women are on the other side. We discuss the pressure that falls on the women especially, the black clothes, the 40 days, the skipping weddings and celebrations, and how that can turn into something heavier than anyone meant it to be.
We also call out the part that’s harder to say out loud: how mourning can quietly become a competition, or how family drama and judgment show up right when people are already hurting. And the question that keeps coming back is the one that matters most — where is Jesus in the middle of all of it?
If you’ve ever left one of these and felt like the traditions were running the show more than the actual grief or the faith, this conversation is gonna feel familiar.
Featuring: Fr. Christopher Somo, Fr. Andy Younan, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Daniel Shaba
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00:00 Wailing and Grief 08:36 Gender Split Dynamics 10:51 Black Clothing Pressure 14:37 Faith Over Formalities 17:56 Grieving With Structure 24:59 Hope Versus Despair 27:26 Praying for the Dead 28:46 Guardian Angel Myth 32:52 Legacy and Being Forgotten 36:08 Do Dogs Go Heaven 39:46 Mexican Food! 43:05 "30-Second Homily" Game
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▶️ Video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/lhLN-AP03Jw
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