Catholic Response to the 2026 Midterms (Without the Doom)

🏡 Buying or selling a home? Find a real estate agent who shares your values at https://realestateforlife.org and let them know Ana Munley sent you.Welcome to Pop Culture, Baptized, my new Friday segment where I take what's trending and look at it through the eyes of the faith.The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County just dropped on Hulu, and one storyline is going to shape a lot of the women and teenage girls who binge it this weekend. A mom of three leaves her marriage for a relationship with a married couple, and when her friends who still practice their faith won't celebrate it, the show paints them as closed-minded and petty. In this video I talk about what that teaches viewers about conviction and acceptance, where Mormon teaching and Catholic teaching on God and marriage part ways, how fast throuples are being normalized in media and law, and why the Church has never measured right and wrong by consent alone.Then we turn to Call Her Daddy. Sofia Franklyn just released her memoir telling her side of the split with Alex Cooper, and Dave Portnoy's memoir from this summer includes a claim that most people skipped over: that a plan to allege sexual harassment was floated as a way out of their Barstool contracts. Cooper disputes his account. We'll look at what it would mean if it's true, and why false accusations hurt real victims most.Finally, we get to the part that matters most: what you watch forms your soul. Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body, and St. Augustine's story of his friend Alypius at the gladiator games shows how easily we become what we keep looking at.What trending story should I take on next Friday? Let me know in the comments.#PopCultureBaptized #MormonWivesOC #SecretLivesOfMormonWives #CallHerDaddy #Catholic #CatholicWomen #AfterMass

🏡 Buying or selling a home? Find a real estate agent who shares your values at https://realestateforlife.org and let them know Ana Munley sent you.If you’d rather be home than anywhere else, you’ve probably been called boring, antisocial, or a wet blanket. I have too. But Jesus spent thirty of His thirty-three years at home in Nazareth, and the Church calls your home a “domestic church.” That’s exactly why the enemy wants in, and he usually doesn’t break the door down. He slips in through doors we open ourselves.In this episode:• Why loving your home is a holy desire• Door 1: The anger we don’t let go of• Door 2: What we let in through our screens, shelves, and habits• Door 3: Distraction and discontentment• 6 ways to close the doors: house blessings, holy water, the St. Benedict medal, enthroning the Sacred Heart, family prayer, and blessing your kidsHouse blessing prayer:Visit, we beseech Thee, O Lord, this dwelling, and drive far from it all snares of the enemy. Let Thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace, and may Thy blessing be always upon us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.Referenced: Exodus 12, Ephesians 4 and 6, Philippians 4, 1 Peter 5, Acts 2, Joshua 24, Catechism of the Catholic Church 1656–1657 and 2116–2117.#Catholic #SpiritualWarfare #DomesticChurch #CatholicMom #AfterMass

I don’t usually make videos like this. Every so often, though, being inside the Catholic content world gives me a perspective I wish I didn’t have, and this time I needed to say it out loud.In this video I talk about what I’ve seen up close: people staging moments of prayer for photographs, creators handing down rulings on what’s sinful that the Church never made, the constant public correction of priests and bishops, apologetics built on humiliating people, and the monetizing of devotion. I also look at what Jesus said about praying to be seen, the spiritual pride St. John of the Cross warned beginners about, and how to choose the voices you let into your spiritual life, mine included.We’ve become very good at spotting heresy. I’m not sure we’re as good at spotting pride, especially in ourselves.The full Litany of Humility is below:O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,Hear me.From the desire of being esteemed,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being loved,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being extolled,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being honored,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being praised,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being preferred to others,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being consulted,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the desire of being approved,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being humiliated,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being despised,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of suffering rebukes,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being calumniated,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being forgotten,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being ridiculed,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being wronged,Deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being suspected,Deliver me, O Jesus.That others may be loved more than I,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be esteemed more than I,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be chosen and I set aside,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may be preferred to me in everything,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.CharityCharity is patient, is kind; charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth, bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:4-7).To have Charity is to love God above all things for Himself and be ready to renounce all created things rather than offend Him by serious sin. ( Matt. 22:36-40)

🏡 Buying or selling a home? Find a real estate agent who shares your values at https://realestateforlife.orgElisha's servant saw an army surrounding the town. Then God opened his eyes, and he saw the hills full of angels and chariots of fire. Your guardian angel sees what you can't: the face of God, the spiritual battle around you, the dangers you never knew about, and every day of your life since birth. In this episode, I go through what Scripture, the saints, and St. Thomas Aquinas teach about what your guardian angel sees, the one thing it can't see, and simple ways to start talking to it every day.Angel of God, my guardian dear,to whom God's love commits me here,ever this day be at my side,to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.Referenced: 2 Kings 6, Matthew 18:10, Psalm 91, Ephesians 6, Catechism of the Catholic Church 336, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Padre Pio, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Josemaría Escrivá, St. Faustina, St. Francis de Sales.#Catholic #GuardianAngel #Angels #CatholicPrayer #AfterMass

It's my birthday! I'm turning 38, so here are 38 things every Catholic should know before they turn 40: the sacraments, the prayers to know by heart, practices that will change your spiritual life, sacramentals and your home, family life, and what the Church teaches about death and what comes after. How many did you already know?📋 THE LISTYou can go to confession at any parishThe Saturday vigil counts for SundayThe holy days of obligationThe one-hour Eucharistic fastAnointing of the Sick isn't only for the deathbedPerfect contritionThe Apostolic Pardon at deathThe five precepts of the ChurchAn Act of ContritionThe St. Michael PrayerThe MemorareA Morning OfferingA Spiritual CommunionThe Eternal Rest prayerThe daily examenEveryday plenary indulgencesFridays are penance days all yearFasting agesFind an adoration chapelThe Liturgy of the HoursGet a spiritual directorRead the CatechismRead the Bible in a yearGet your house blessed (and Epiphany chalk)Keep holy water at homeBless and properly dispose of sacramentalsCelebrate your baptism dayKnow your patron saints and name dayHave Masses offered for the livingGodparent requirementsWhat an annulment really isNatural Family PlanningThe works of mercyThe two judgmentsThe Church's rules on cremationPlan your Catholic funeralPray for the forgotten soulsMeditate on the Four Last ThingsSt. Leonard of Noblac, pray for us.#Catholic #CatholicFaith #CatholicTips #AfterMass

Democrats swept the House and Senate, and voters in Virginia and Nevada put abortion into their state constitutions. If you're a Catholic who woke up Wednesday feeling discouraged, this one's for you. I don't usually talk politics, but in this episode I break down what actually happened and why, what the results mean for the pro-life movement, why Catholics don't belong to any political party, and five reasons for real hope that go deeper than "just pray about it."Our Lady, Patroness of the United States, pray for us.Scripture referenced: Psalm 146, 1 Timothy 2.#Catholic #Midterms2026 #ProLife #CatholicSocialTeaching #AfterMass

🌹 Rosaries, Catholic apparel, and gifts from our sponsor Abundantly Yours: https://abundantlyyours.org/aftermassThe same company that makes Candy Land sells a board for talking to the dead. Exorcists warn that Ouija boards, tarot cards, horoscopes, “healing” crystals, and WitchTok are some of the most common doors into demonic trouble, and most people think they’re harmless. In this episode we look at the surprising history behind each one (including the hoax that started Spiritualism and the made-up origin of tarot), what the Catechism actually teaches about divination and magic, what exorcists say happens when these doors get opened, and exactly what to do if you’ve already used them.St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.Scripture referenced: Deuteronomy 18, 1 Samuel 28, Acts 16, Acts 19.#Exorcist #SpiritualWarfare #Ouija #Tarot #WitchTok #Catholic #AfterMass

🌹 Rosaries, Catholic apparel, and gifts from our sponsor Abundantly Yours: https://abundantlyyours.org/aftermassWhy do we keep confessing the same sins over and over? Neuroscience has discovered that the brain physically changes based on what we repeatedly do, and St. Augustine described the exact same experience 1,600 years ago. In this episode we look at the famous study of London taxi drivers’ brains, how habit loops, cues, and dopamine work, why your phone is designed to be hard to put down, and what the Church has always taught about vice, virtue, and grace.You’ll learn why “21 days to form a habit” is a myth, what a real study found instead, what researchers saw in the brains of praying nuns, and a practical five-step plan for breaking a sin habit, including St. Ignatius’s particular examen.Your brain was made to be renewed.Scripture referenced: Romans 7 and 12.#Catholic #Sin #Neuroscience #Habits #Confession #AfterMass

Rosaries, Catholic apparel and gifts from our sponsor Abundantly Yours: abundantlyyours.org/aftermassMost of the rosaries you see behind me come from Abundantly Yours, and they have beautiful Catholic apparel and gifts if you’re starting to think about Christmas. Shop at abundantlyyours.org/aftermassPeter and Judas both betrayed Jesus on the same night, and both were crushed with guilt. One ended in despair, and the other became the rock the Church was built on. What made the difference was where their guilt drove them.In this episode:• The difference between the Holy Spirit’s conviction and the enemy’s condemnation• Why Satan is called “the accuser,” and how his voice sounds before and after we sin• St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for discerning which voice you’re hearing• Four ways to tell conviction from condemnation in the moment• Scrupulosity, and what the Church actually teaches about mortal sin• King David, Psalm 51, and what real repentance sounds like• St. Francis de Sales on being gentle with yourself after you fall• Three questions to ask the next time guilt hitsScripture referenced:Matthew 27:3–5 (Judas’s remorse)Luke 22:54–62 (Peter’s denial)John 18:18 (the charcoal fire)John 16:8 (the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin)Revelation 12:10 (the accuser of our brethren)2 Corinthians 7:10 (godly sorrow vs. worldly sorrow)Genesis 3:8–10 (Adam and Eve hide)2 Samuel 12:1–13 (Nathan and David)Psalm 51 (David’s prayer of repentance)Romans 7:15–19 (I do what I hate)Romans 8:1 (no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus)John 21:7, 15–17 (Peter restored on the shore)Follow along: @anamunley on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok#Catholic #Confession #SpiritualWarfare #Scrupulosity #AfterMass

Rosaries, Catholic apparel and gifts from our sponsor Abundantly Yours: abundantlyyours.org/aftermass - Most of the rosaries you see behind me come from Abundantly Yours. If there was ever a week to pick up a rosary and pray for a priest, it’s this one. Shop at abundantlyyours.org/aftermassOn October 19, the Archdiocese of Denver announced that Archbishop James Golka asked Fr. Chad Ripperger to take a one-year “fast” from public speaking and interviews, and that Fr. Ripperger readily agreed. I think the world of this priest, and I’m upset about it. In this bonus episode I go through what’s been confirmed, how people are reacting online, a few possible reasons this may have happened, the enormous good his ministry has done, and why I’m choosing to follow his example of obedience, even though it’s one of the hardest things to do.Please pray for Fr. Ripperger, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, and Archbishop Golka.Articles & sources mentioned in this video:Archdiocese of Denver official statementhttps://archden.org/archdiocese-of-denver-statement-on-fr-ripperger/National Catholic Register: Fr. Ripperger agrees to one-year “fast” from public speakinghttps://www.ncregister.com/news/golka-ripperger-public-speakingLifeSiteNews: Fr. Ripperger “silenced” for a yearhttps://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-fr-chad-ripperger-silenced-by-his-bishop-for-a-yearLifeSiteNews: Fr. Ripperger briefly listed as “retired” on archdiocesan websitehttps://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-fr-ripperger-listed-as-retired-on-archdiocesan-websiteDaily Caller: Fr. Ripperger’s podcast appearances (Tucker Carlson, Shawn Ryan)https://dailycaller.com/2026/10/19/catholic-exorcist-chad-ripperger-ordered-stop-speaking-interviews-joe-rogan-tucker-carlson-sean-ryan/InfoVaticana: Fr. Ripperger’s March 2026 comments on the hierarchyhttps://infovaticana.com/en/2026/03/08/chad-ripperger-denounces-a-compromised-hierarchy-and-speaks-of-dark-practices-in-the-vatican-upper-echelons/Eric Sammons on Xhttps://x.com/EricRSammons/status/2112284781048422754Archdiocese of Washington statement on Msgr. Stephen Rossetti (June 2026)https://adw.org/?p=69012Follow along: @anamunley on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok#FrRipperger #Catholic #SpiritualWarfare #Obedience #AfterMass