We all know the traditions surrounding Christmas, but how can we celebrate other solemnities throughout the year? The show welcomes Alexis Kutarna who co-authored a new book, “Solemnities: Celebrating a Tapestry of Divine Beauty.”

People often have difficulty interpreting the Bible, and Fr. Dave welcomes back Dr. Jim Papandrea to give insights from his new book, “Reading Scripture Like the Early Church: Seven Insights From the Church Fathers to Help You Understand the Bible.”

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Father Dave discusses the amazing events surrounding today’s feast day, and the image imprinted on Juan Diego’s tilma. The saint sees Mary as his mother, and Father Dave explains how we are called to recognize her in that same way today. Preached at St. Paul the Apostle Church, New York City on 12-12-22

3rd Sunday of Advent. Father Dave discusses his recent experience at a college football game where the fans rushed the field after a surprising win. Today’s readings on Gaudete Sunday explain how joy can still be present, even while happiness is fleeting. Preached at St. Paul the Apostle Church, New York City on 12-11-22

Feast of St. Andrew. Father Dave reflects on today’s readings where Simon Peter and Andrew left their old lives and immediately followed Jesus. We’re challenged to be a little crazy like the apostles and bring the good news to others. Preached at St. Paul the Apostle Church, New York City on 11-30-22

Feast of Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. While on Pilgrimage in Italy, Father Dave discusses this feast day dedicated to a church. Beautiful churches are monuments to God’s grace, but he explains that we are also God’s dwelling place. Preached at Santa Maria in Trastevere, Italy on 11-09-22

As Brett continues to study for his Masters degree in Social Work, he and Father Dave discuss his experience with hands-on training through internships. Brett is completing different levels of supervised hours for this career path, and wonders what experiences are similar for seminarians as they study to become a priest.

As we continue through Advent, a listener asks about the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this liturgical season. Nick wonders, “Is Confession obligatory as it is in Lent? Or are holiday season penance services just making it seem like mandatory Confession is a seasonal thing?”

Polarization is a growing issue in our Church and world, and friend of the show Dr. Charles Camosy offers ways to heal divisions in his new book, “One Church: How to Rekindle Trust, Negotiate Difference, and Reclaim Catholic Unity.”

As we prepare our hearts for Christ’s birth, Father Dave welcomes Raymond Arroyo back to the show to discuss his new Christmas book for families, “The Wise Men Who Found Christmas.”

St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians, and Team Busted Halo celebrated her feast day last week with a live performance from Catholic composer and singer-songwriter Francesca LaRosa.

As we prepare our hearts for Advent, Team Busted Halo welcomes back Sister Miriam James Heidland to the show to discuss her new journal, “Behold: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation.” Sister Miriam belongs to the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, as well as a popular Catholic speaker and podcast host.

Even when we know how God is calling us, there is often anxiety in the early days of any vocation. After Krista shares her fears as a new mother, Brett expresses similar nervousness as he pursues a Masters degree in Social Work. Krista then asks Father Dave if he was also anxious in his early days as a priest, especially celebrating Mass for the first time.

The Catholic Church continues to evolve in the United States, and Sebastian Gomes of America Magazine traveled across the country to assess the state of the Church. His findings are chronicled in a new documentary called, “People of God: How Catholic Parish Life is Changing in the United States.”

Many in our communities and families face the devastating impacts of addiction. Scott Weeman, the founder and executive director of Catholic in Recovery, joins the show to discuss a new resource called “The Catholic In Recovery Workbook: A Guide to the 12 Steps.”

When reading scripture, there are sometimes stories or verses that can bristle our modern ears. Father Dave takes a deep dive into one of those readings, specifically Ephesians 5:21-33.

As we remember those who have died this week through All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Leonard DeLorenzo joins the show to discuss his new book, “Our Faithful Departed: Where They Are and Why It Matters.”

A listener named Stephanie emails the show to ask about a common part of a priest’s wardrobe. She asks, “When do priests have to wear the collar outside of celebrating Mass? Is it only when representing themselves as part of the Church? Do they have to wear it to the bank, grocery store, [or] movie theater?”

While Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida nearly a month ago, the storm’s effects are far from over. Katie Oldaker of Catholic Charities USA joins the show to discuss the recovery process and how long it often takes.

Most marriages start out harmoniously, but friends of the show and married couple Dr. Edward and Beth Sri join Father Dave to discuss what happens when the honeymoon phase wears off. After decades of involvement in ministry and evangelization, they are now the authors of the new book, “The Good, the Messy, and the Beautiful: The Joys and Struggles of Real Married Life.”

A new Netflix series about Jeffrey Dahmer has garnered attention from viewers as well as criticism from victims’ families. A listener asks Father Dave about if the serial killer could gain eternal life. Kim asks, “I saw in an old interview where [Dahmer] admitted he got baptized in a Christian church while in prison. He also stated that he believed Jesus Christ took away all his sins, and that he would be forgiven and go to heaven. Can this be true, even if he was genuinely remorseful?”

October 10 is World Mental Health Day, and Deacon Ed Shoener joins the show to help bring awareness and provide support to those in the Church with mental health issues. He is the president of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, and the co-author of two books with Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix, called “When a Loved One Dies by Suicide” and “Responding to Suicide: A Pastoral Handbook for Catholic Leaders.”

Best friend of the show Rabbi Brad Hirschfield joins Father Dave to discuss two of the most important days in the Jewish calendar: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. 

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the divisions in our world, especially with issues regarding race. Friends of the Busted Halo Show Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith and Lori Stanley Roeleveld help Christians start to heal these wounds in our communities with their new book, “Colorful Connections: 12 Questions About Race That Open Healthy Conversations.”

Many Catholics want to have a deeper understanding of the Bible, but are intimidated to just dive in. Father Dave welcomes back friend of the show Meg Hunter-Kilmer to discuss her method of reading the Bible in her new book, “A Year in the Word: Catholic Bible Journal.”

We all try to avoid sin, but sometimes it is hard to determine wrongdoing from healthy behavior.  A listener named Fred asks Father Dave, “I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the sin of pride…is [the sin] all pride or just too much pride?” Fred expresses his pride in his work and family, and wonders if that could be considered sinful.

Some listeners of a certain age may still best know Kirk Cameron as the charming Mike Seaver from the 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains.” But since then, he has invested his time and energy into faith and family-focused films, television shows, and live events. He joins the Busted Halo Show to discuss his latest movie called “Lifemark,” which centers on adoption. Cameron is an executive producer and plays the adoptive father in the film.

A listener named Ray has a question for Father Dave about a recent experience he had during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He asks, “Lately when I go to Confession, the priest does not ask me to say the act of contrition. Is this new?” 

While Father Dave normally interviews guests every night on the Busted Halo Show, guest co-host Kathryn Whitaker turns the tables! Kathryn is a Catholic speaker, author, and friend of the show, and Father Dave answers her questions along with ones she crowdsourced from social media.

As we send kids back to school this fall, Heather Avis joins the show to help us share kindness with all those we encounter. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Different - A Great Thing to Be!” as well as the founder of The Lucky Few, a social awareness brand on a mission to make a more inclusive and loving world, with an emphasis on shifting the Down syndrome narrative. Her latest children’s book, also focused on these themes, is called “Everyone Belongs.”

Friend of the show Father Greg Boyle, S.J. shares stories and reflections on forgiveness in his new book, “Forgive Everyone Everything.” He has seen radical examples of mercy as the founder of Homeboy Industries, where he walks with ex-gang members looking to rebuild their lives.

After a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Father Dave and Lino Rulli from SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel recently led a pilgrimage of 85 listeners to Oberammergau, Germany.

Catholic families are always looking for ways to connect their kids to faith. Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak are ready to help with their recently-launched app CatholicHÔM, which stands for Households on Mission. It’s a comprehensive digital platform dedicated to helping Catholic families encounter Christ in their homes.

A listener named Robert asks a question about two words we might use interchangeably: homily and sermon. He wonders, “Why do we call the homily a homily? Other denominations call it a sermon, just curious if there’s a difference.”

When one hears of personal development programs, different stereotypes of self-help may come to mind. Leah Darrow joins the show to bring a Christian perspective to personal development through her new program called Power Made Perfect. She is a former model and current entrepreneur, Catholic speaker, author, and podcaster.

Sometimes questions of faith arise from simply walking into a church. A listener named Laura asks, “I'd like to learn about those candles that people light. Why do we have those little areas with racks of candles?” She continues that she knows they are for prayer intentions, but would like more information.

A Protestant listener named Sean asks Father Dave for some clarification about saints in the Catholic Church. “As I read the Epistles, Paul always mentions saints as living, breathing followers of Christ that are right there with him, and [Catholics] tend to talk about saints as first you have to die and then meet a couple other requirements…I’m hoping you can help me reconcile [that],” he asks.

As the American Church embarks on a three-year Eucharistic Revival, Dr. Timothy O’Malley joins the Busted Halo Show to discuss his new book “Becoming Eucharistic People: The Hope and Promise of Parish Life.” O’Malley is a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ executive planning team for the Revival, as well as director of education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life and academic director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy.

Pope Francis is visiting Canada this week, and Father Dave explains the significance of this particular trip on the Busted Halo Show as well as CNN and NewsNation.

A listener named Tim asks about a common phrase you may hear at Mass: Brothers and Sisters. After 40 years as a lector, he wonders why some readings from the epistles (or Paul’s letters) begin with this phrase. He also has noticed it more after 2010’s changes to the translation of the Roman Missal.

As we encounter division in our culture and communities, Father Dave welcomes award-winning author and Christian Pastor Rich Villodas for a timely conversation about his new book “Good and Beautiful and Kind: Becoming Whole in a Fractured World.”

This year is the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, the civil rights law that gave countless women and girls equal access to sports and education. Samantha Kelley joins the Busted Halo Show to discuss this milestone and her organization FIERCE Athlete.

Since the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, you may have heard your church mention something about a national Eucharistic Revival. But what exactly is it and what does it entail?

A listener named Nicki asks why we say, “I’m sorry for these sins and all of the sins of my past life” during Confession.

Jason Jones, Executive Director of the movie “Bella” and Founder of The Vulnerable People Project, chats with Father Dave about his work helping the most vulnerable, especially those currently fleeing Ukraine.

Friend of the show, Dr. Scott Hahn chats about his new book, “The Lenten Cookbook,” which features 75 recipes for the penitential season of Lent.

Best-selling author Mitch Albom (“Tuesdays With Morrie”) chats about his new book, “The Stranger in the Lifeboat.”

Jesuit priest Father Jim Martin joins Team Busted Halo for a catch-up!

Dr. Brant Pitre chats with Father Dave about his new book, “Introduction to the Spiritual Life: Walking the Path of Prayer with Jesus.”

A listener named Michael asks Father Dave if John the Baptist was immaculately conceived like Mary. He wonders if this is the case because Elizabeth was older and past childbearing years, and the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist.

A listener named Jack asks Father Dave if it is possible for him to become a priest after having his marriage annulled. Jack explains that he had thoughts of becoming a priest before getting married, and now that his marriage is annulled, those thoughts have returned. He also shares that he has a son under the age of 18, and wonders if the Church would allow him to pursue priesthood at this time.