Mountains Made Low

This week, Christine and a rather agitated Dennis return to the coffee talk format you love! Up for discussion: Should Catholic Churches have coffee shops? Who should be on a Mt. Rushmore of saints? What is a positive way to invite fallen away Catholics back to Mass?  All that and more!

In this episode of Mountains Made Low, we explore the heart of Divine Mercy — the boundless love of Christ revealed through His compassion for sinners and His invitation to trust completely in His grace. We also share how our participation in this powerful devotion through God's grace allows us to actively participate in the salvation of souls. 

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet with Mountains Made Low Hosts, Christine and Dennis. A copy of the text used can be found here. 

In this episode, we reflect on the historic Artemis II mission, humanity’s return to the Moon, and what it reveals about the grandeur of creation. The vastness of space, the beauty of the Earth from afar, and the precision of the cosmos all echo the glory of God, the Creator of all things. Join us as we connect faith and discovery, and rediscover awe in the heavens that “declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19).  

Every man is called to reflect the Fatherhood of God. And in a world confused about masculinity, leadership, and holiness, this truth must be reclaimed. Your children don’t need a perfect father. Your parish doesn’t need a flawless leader. Your friends don’t need a superhero. They need a man who is present; a man of prayer and humility who keeps getting up for love of them. 

In a world that never slows down, this episode invites listeners to rediscover the sacred rhythm of rest. Listen as we explore the meaning and beauty of the Sabbath — not as a restriction, but as a divine gift that restores peace amid the chaos of modern life. Through Scripture, reflection, and practical insight, we’ll uncover how keeping the Lord’s Day holy can transform our hearts, homes, and habits, reminding us that serenity isn’t found in escape, but in presence!

In a culture marked by isolation and loneliness, the Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. In this episode, we explore the beauty and necessity of virtuous friendship—friendships rooted in Christ that help lead us to heaven. Inspired by the words of Jesus, "I call you friends," and the reflections of Aristotle, we reflect on how authentic friendships strengthen virtue, challenge us to grow, and remind us that we are not alone on the journey to become saints.

Our modern culture often speaks of “dying with dignity,” framing euthanasia as an act of compassion or control. But the Catholic Church offers a radically different vision, one grounded in the truth that God alone is the Author of Life. Every moment of our existence, even in weakness, carries profound dignity and purpose. This episode invites you to rediscover true dignity at the beinning and the end of life and how we're called to accompany our loved ones and surrender to the God who holds every breath.  

In this episode, we explore the spiritual practice of discernment—what it truly means and what it doesn’t. Discernment isn’t just about making good choices or following gut instincts; it’s about cultivating a deeper awareness of God’s presence and guidance in the midst of mental noise and emotional stirrings. Whether you're facing a major decision or seeking daily spiritual clarity, this conversation offers practical insights and gentle encouragement to help you walk in wisdom and faith.

In this week's episode, Dennis and Christine examine more challenging teachings of Jesus and interpret them in light of the first century culture in which they were spoken. 

Join Christine and Dennis as they delve into the life of the first American saint and her role in establishing Catholic education in the United States.

In this episode Christine and Dennis delve into one of the most profound mysteries of our faith: grace. What is it? How does it work? Why is it necessary? And why is it central to the Christian life? 

In their first remotely recorded episode (and you'll definitely be able to tell!) Dennis and Christine once again dug into the Catholic subreddits and answer questions which all deal with Catholic and Protestant relations. Check it out!

Lent is often seen as a time of sacrifice, a time when we give up coffee and chocolate and try to do extra good deeds, but it’s so much more.  At its core, it’s really about transformation. In this episode, Dennis and Christine explore this sacred season and how it truly is a journey of returning to God with all our heart.

In this episode, Dennis and Christine explore five forgotten sins that many of us often engage in completely oblivious to their grave and sinful nature.  (It only took Dennis 101 episodes to write a single sentence episode description!)

For their 100th episode, Christine and Dennis delve into Isaiah 40, the Scriptural inspiration for this podcast, and help listeners understand how God not only moves the mountains in our lives, but comes down to lift us up. 

The internet and social media shape how we think, speak, and relate—but how should a Catholic evangelize in the digital world? In this episode, we turn to the wisdom of the popes—St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis—to explore how the Church understands the internet as a new mission field. We acknowledge the many dangers of social media and reflect on what it means to proclaim the Gospel online with truth, charity, and humility--why presence matters more than popularity, and how digital evangelization must always lead toward real encounter with Christ and His Church.

Dennis and Christine dive into the most famous of Jesus’ parables: The Prodigal Son. This story is one everyone claims they know, but much of it’s details are lost in translation. Listen to hear what God is teaching us about his relentless mercy and boundless love for his children.

In vitro fertilization destroys countless lives. With compassion for couples struggling with infertility, this episode brings to light the immorality of the IVF process. Dennis and Christine address the Catholic responsibility to uphold both the sanctity of life and the integrity of marriage while pointing toward ethical and life-affirming alternatives.

In a world that encourages control and certainty, Mary shows us a different way: trustful cooperation with God. In this episode, we address the FOMO (fear of missing out) epidemic and reflect on Mary’s fiat—her courageous “yes” at the Annunciation—and how it teaches us to listen, surrender, and respond to God’s grace in our own lives. Drawing from Scripture, the witness of the saints, and the Church’s spiritual tradition, we explore how Mary not only models cooperation with God but actively helps us say yes through her maternal intercession. This episode invites listeners to discover how a humble, faithful response can allow Christ to take deeper root in the heart.

This week on Mountains Made Low, we’re unwrapping the biblical story of Christmas in a way you’ve never heard before—through a fun, trivia format, that'll put your knowledge of the Christmas story to the test! From shepherds in the fields to wise men following a star, we’ll test your knowledge of the nativity story with questions that spark curiosity and wonder. Did Mary really ride a donkey to Bethlehem? How many Magi were there? And what’s the surprising meaning behind the name Bethlehem? Whether you’re a Bible scholar or just love Christmas traditions, this episode is packed with cool facts, spiritual messaging, and a few trick questions to keep you on your toes. Gather your friends, grab some hot cocoa, and see how well you know the greatest story ever told.

In this episode, we dive into the Catholic understanding of conscience—what it is, what it is not, and why it matters so much for the moral life. Conscience is not a feeling or a personal preference, but the inner voice where the human person encounters God’s law. Whether you’re wrestling with moral decisions or simply want a deeper grasp of Catholic moral teaching, this episode offers a clear and practical guide to listening to the voice that calls us to truth, freedom, and holiness.

In this episode, we explore the deeply human journey of St. Augustine of Hippo—from his youthful search for pleasure and meaning, to his powerful conversion, and finally to his life as a bishop. Discover with Dennis and Christine how Augustine’s honesty about his weakness and his pursuit of truth continue to guide those seeking God today.

Join Dennis and Christine as they answer questions on things like purgatory, limbo, watching Mass on TV, and more in this episode of Coffee Talk - real questions from real people on the Catholic faith.

In this episode, Dennis and Christine examine St. John of the Cross' theology of the Dark Night of the Soul and how God uses such an experience to purify our souls and prepare us for heaven. There is HOPE in the darkness. He is our light well all others go out.

In this episode, we journey into St. Paul’s powerful exhortation in Ephesians 6:10–18, where he calls believers to “put on the whole armor of God.”  We’ll explore each piece of the armor—truth, righteousness, the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God—and reflect on how each of these armor pieces help us standing firm in our discipleship so that we can resist temptation, sin, and the powers that seek to draw us away from Christ.

Discover the transformative power of gratitude! In this episode, we explore how cultivating a thankful heart not only deepen our relationship with God, but shapes us into holy people. Drawing from Scripture and the saints, we explore how gratitude opens us to grace, strengthens virtue, and helps us see God‘s presence in all areas of life.

The Bible is a love story between God and his people. So what about when the words of Jesus seem unloving, bewildering, or just plain harsh. Is that love, too? This week, Dennis and Christine unpack 5 seemingly harsh and often misunderstood sayings of Jesus from the Gospels so you can see the love shine forth.

Christine and Dennis delve into questions posed by users of Catholic subreddits on the social discussion site, Reddit.  Judgement Day, Contraception, Remarriage, it's all on the table in this episode.

Are you living an abundant life? Are you deliberate and do you savor the time you spend with Jesus at Mass on Sunday? This week, we're talking about the true joy of the Christian life. It's joy that builds us up, sustains us in our suffering, and sends us out on our mission. It's Jesus.

In what ends up being the first episode in an unending series on masculinity and femininity, Dennis and Christine talk about what it means to be male and female and made in God's Divine Image and get really into that "wives be submissive to your husbands" scripture that gets everyone in a tizzy!

In this soul-stirring episode, we explore the profound role of faith in the Catholic tradition—not as blind belief, but as a living, breathing relationship with God that anchors the human heart. From Scripture to the Catechism, we unpack how faith serves as the bedrock upon which hope is built and love is made possible. Whether you're wrestling with doubt or seeking deeper spiritual roots, this conversation invites you to reflect on how faith empowers us to see beyond suffering, embrace divine purpose, and live with courageous compassion. Tune in for insights, reflections, and a renewed sense of what it means to truly have faith.

As Christine fearlessly battles through the common cold, she and Dennis talk about the humanity of the pope, why it's a gift to have a Holy Father to lead the family of the Church, and how his office reminds us to always rely on God's grace.

In this episode, we explore the heart of Catholic evangelization—and the major problem we have with evangelization as a Church.

In this episode, we boldly go...wait--wrong franchise! We’re diving into a galaxy far, far away—and bringing our Catholic faith with us. We’re nerding out on where Star Wars intersects with Catholicism and where it's too far on the Outer Rim. 

In the episode, Dennis and Christine talk about their experiences with doubt in the spiritual life and how it's not a failure of faith, but an invitation to deepen faith in our relationship with Jesus.

In this episode of Mountains Made Low, we explore what it means to love our pets—not just with affection, but with proper reverence rooted in Catholic tradition. From St. Francis of Assisi’s kinship with animals and it's connection to human dignity to the Church’s teachings on how we should love and care for animals, we reflect on how our love of pets is good and holy when it's rightly ordered and how it can lead to diminishment of the dignity of the human person and true parenthood when it's not.

In a world of constant noise and endless motion, silence can feel like a luxury—or even a threat. But within the Catholic tradition, silence is not emptiness; it is presence. In this episode, we explore the spiritual importance of silence as a sacred space where God speaks, heals, and transforms. We reflect on how silence invites us into deeper communion with God and uncover how silence is not passive, but profoundly active—a space where grace flows freely. Whether you're navigating a noisy season of life or yearning for deeper intimacy with Christ, this episode offers practical insights and spiritual encouragement to embrace silence as a holy practice. Come, rest in the quiet—and discover the voice of God waiting there.

In a caffeine fueled episode for Christine, our co-hosts talk about what would define someone as a practicing Catholic. The words "relationship" and "perspective" are used a record-setting number of times, Christine takes issue with the opinion "marriage is hard," and Dennis complains his biceps are too big. This episode builds folks! Get ready!

Join Dennis and Christine as they welcome Deacon Paul Fisher, from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, to the show to delve into the life of St. Thérèse and how her Little Way can help each of us deepen our relationship with God.  

New Coffee Talk Conversation! This week, Dennis and Christine discuss their favorite Catholic movies, how they feel about the term LGBT Catholic, and whether or not Catholic guilt is a real thing. Grab your favorite beverage of choice and join in!

In this episode Dennis and Christine delve into the life-transforming power and efficacy of the sacrament of Confirmation and how God uses this sacrament to conform us into the image of his Son in his effort to help us attain the salvation won for us.  We break open the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit to help listeners understand how these gifts enable us to live in Christ's image and become the saints God has called each of us to be.  Listeners will come away with a deeper and more profound understanding of the life-transforming power and efficacy of the sacrament.

In a continuation from last week's episode, Dennis and Christine discuss Venerable Fulton Sheen's insights concerning demonic activity in the world and the weapons we have at our side to fight the evil one.

This week, Christine and Dennis begin to talk about signs of demonic activity in the world using the spiritual insights of Venerable Fulton Sheen.

This week, Dennis and Christine are talking about different generational attitudes toward money and about we're called to treat money as a tool and not our master.

Join Christine and Dennis this week as they dive into the Spiritual Exercises and talk about how to grow in our understanding and experience of God's love. What can we learn from the Gospel of Matthew's teaching on the birds of the air and the wildflowers? How can we deepen our dependance on God in all things?    First Principle and Foundation of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises: The goal of our life is to live with God forever.  God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God’s life to flow into us without limit. All things in this world are gifts from God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily.  As a result, we approach and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us to develop as loving persons.  But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth towards our goal. In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation.  We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one.  For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God. Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening his life in me.  

Tom Kuchler, Director of Music for St. Albert the Great Parish in Huntingdon Valley, PA, returns to the pod for a candid discussion on the role of music in sacred liturgy and worship.  Christine is imbued with a sense of worried optimism, as memories of our Trivia Face-Off episode remain fresh in her mind. Dennis continues to play to role of contrarian because he's "that guy."

In their first episode with a content advisory, Dennis and Christine address the darkness of pornography and respond to the common myth that it's harmless. Our hypersexualized culture has desensitized us, not only to the harm of pornography, but to the very nature of sex itself. But God wants to restore what the devil seeks to destroy and so this episode concludes with a deliverance prayer against the work of the enemy. Content Advisory: Not suitable for children

Can priests marry?  Is a married priesthood the solution to the "vocation crisis?"  Why is the discipline of priestly celibacy even practiced in the Catholic Church?  Join Christine and Dennis as they examine these questions and more concerning the practice of celibacy in the Catholic Church.

Join Dennis and Christine for this latest Coffee Talk episode where they delve into the topics of being saved, attending Catholic weddings outside of the Church, and if there are occasions when missing Mass is permissible.