Are Parents Raising Atheists? Is Harry Potter Evil? Pray Less, Do More? [Ep. 99]

We hit 100 episodes. Wow. We have to thank YOU, the listener, for making this possible. We wouldn't be here without you. Last week’s episode set people off with five seconds about Harry Potter, the gluttony comments, the usual... So, in appreciation of our amazing audience, we are celebrating 100 episodes by answering YOUR questions! And you asked us EVERYTHING.   Some questions you can look forward to: Should you ask God for something if His will is already set? Why is Fr. Andy mad? What do you tell a little kid when the lights go out and she wants to know why God did it? Are we starting a Twitch channel? What does becoming holy mean in the Chaldean tradition? We got way too much food, there’s cake, and we might even sing you a song. If you’ve watched every episode, you already know how this goes. If you only showed up because last week made you mad, start here and enjoy the ride.   Fr. Andy Blog on Why We Pray for Stuff: https://younan.blog/2020/10/12/why-pray-for-stuff/ Purchase "The Book of Before and After" Liturgy of the Hours of the Church of the East: https://a.co/d/08k5ft4c   Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Andy Younan, Fr. Tristan Farida, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Chris Somo ––– 00:00 100th Episode 02:34 Gluttony Backlash 06:20 Favorite Movies 08:32 Do We Watch Anime? 10:12 Should We Start a Twitch Channel? 11:54 God in the Storm 20:22 Andrew Finally On Camera 21:36 Would You Rather 22:33 Mental Health Stigma 25:20 Priesthood Surprises 28:57 Chaldean Rite Reading List 31:04 Fulton Sheen 34:45 Books That Build Faith 37:24 Praying With Confidence 41:27 Why Is Father Andy Mad? 42:34 Chai Chat Throwback 45:13 100 Episodes Reflection –––    

What do you do when prayer starts feeling like homework? When you’ve said every novena, every rosary, and your kid still won’t talk to you? When church is packed but the way people treat their families doesn’t match the words? When you don’t know the “right” form of prayer, so you just… don’t start? We get into the prayers that sound impressive and go nowhere, the tiny honest ones that actually do something, the difference between inviting God in and asking Him to do your job for you, and why jumping straight to a holy hour can backfire. We react to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman’s comments on daily prayer and peace, and emphasize prayer as an authentic reaching beyond oneself toward God, whether through formal prayers like the Our Father or a simple cry for help. We also settle a very serious question involving Harry Potter, sandwiches, and whether you should panic about every witch in a story. Next week is episode 100! Drop a question, a favorite moment, or something you’ve always wanted to ask the fathers. Very good chance we’ll read them on the show! "Chai Chat" on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkQq1cQqNPTDNyXv4JxzflbItqFiDWzID&si=RLsqkle6ZMkFfun4 Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Andy Younan, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Augustine Joseph ––– 00:00 Throwback Content 00:58 Huberman On Prayer 04:02 Authentic Prayer Matters 06:50 Pharisee Vs Tax Collector 09:30 Prayer And Responsibility 14:18 God Initiates Friendship 18:17 Grace Through Practice 21:02 Practical Prayer Tips 24:15 Daily Sacrifices As Prayer 26:42 Guilt And Prayer Burden 28:43 Aquinas On Prayer Time 30:24 Make Prayer Interesting 33:45 Harry Potter Panic 40:36 Start Small Family Prayer 41:03 Episode 100 –––  

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 ––– 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 –––

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 ––– 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 –––

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 ––– 00:00 Post Convention Injuries 01:26 Championship Wins Recap 04:17 Shoutouts to Leaders 06:02 Hope And Community 08:38 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 –––

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 ––– 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 –––

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 –––

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 ––– 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 –––

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 –––