“What do we feel is the first and last need of the Church? …the Spirit, the Holy Spirit…. He is her divine breath, the wind in her sails, the principle of her unity, the inner source of her light and strength.” - St. Paul VI

We can’t wait for you to hear this podcast! The week before Pentecost, we did a webinar with Dr. Sean and Nicole Tobin, a Catholic couple passionate about helping families live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sean is a clinical psychologist, worship leader, and co-founder of the Divine Mercy Clinic and Nicole holds a master’s in Theology and co-founded the Los Angeles campus of the Encounter School of Ministry with Sean. Together, they speak and minister nationally, helping families become more fully alive in the Spirit through healing, activation, and practical faith formation. They came and spoke to our people about how the Holy Spirit can help us be the parents God wants us to be and the parents our children need. None of us can raise our kids alone! Not only do we need our spouses, but we also need God present in our lives every day through His Holy Spirit. Listen in to get some amazing wisdom and to learn how God wants to empower our parenting in a new way.

• Desperation with expectation is an invitation to the Holy Spirit.

• Virtue does not come from us just “trying harder”, it comes as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

• “What do we feel is the first and last need of this blessed and beloved Church of ours? We must say it, almost trembling and praying, because as you know well, this is the Church’s mystery and life: the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. He it is who animates and sanctifies the Church. He is her divine breath, the wind in her sails, the principle of her unity, the inner source of her light and strength.” Pope St Paul VI

• Heaven has been invading earth since Pentecost… it continues the mission of Christ in us.

• The biggest hindrance in our home is our busyness. We have to notice and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Tune in and listen.

• Children thrive in structure and routine, so teach them to give God the first and your best. Have them read scripture first thing, then pause and have them listen and journal each and every day.

• Healing is an easy first step - pray for this.
  

• What’s one way we can invite the Holy Spirit more deeply into our home?

• Is there something we need to surrender or ask God to heal in our family?

“We need to give God room to show up. Often we try to fix and solve everything without waiting for God to act” - Jonathan and Amanda Texiera

The number one conflict in marriages, statistically, is money. How we spend our money reflects our values, but also our belief in the providence of God. Do we truly believe that God cares about all of our life, including our financial needs? How much are we truly trusting in Him and His provision and not just giving in to panic and fear? In this podcast, we invited our friends Jonathan and Amanda Texiera of Wallet Win to give us some encouragement to give our entire lives over to God and believe that He cares for us completely. They give spiritual principles, but also practical advice for families to reject fear and embrace trust.

• Remind yourselves of what God has done in your lives and invite God into your money, he wants to be part of your life

• Give God room to show up - we try to fix and solve everything without waiting for God to act

• Create financial oneness in our marriage

• Live as financial disciples - play the long game

• Look at the fruits of panic and trusting providence. How have you experienced these?

• List the ways that God has provided for you. Where can you trust him more?

https://walletwin.com/

"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed." - G.K. Chesterton

Movies shape more than behavior — they form the imagination, the moral compass, and the heart. Catholic parents are not merely protecting innocence; they are cultivating virtue and wonder. In this episode, we explore how stories shape our children, how to choose wisely, and how to use movies as part of a rich Catholic family culture. Jesus used stories to teach. So do we.

Here are four filters that parents can use to decide what movies to watch with their children:

1. Content – Surface-level: language, nudity, violence, disrespect.

   • Different for every family.

   • Talk about this with spouse

   • May change as the kids get older
     
     

2. Context / Theme–

   • Does it glorify sin, or does it show redemption?

   • Does this movie affirm the dignity of the human person?

   • What’s the movie saying about truth, identity, family, and faith?

   • Does it honor the sacrificial nature of love?

   • Does it support the family or undermine it?

   • Is faith treated with reverence, or ridicule?
     
     

3. Beauty

   • Is it ugly?is does it nourish the soul and imagination?

   • Is this edifying? Does it educate, challenge, or cause me to grow and bear good fruit?

4. Character Arc – Are the heroes virtuous? Are sinners redeemed?
   
   

5. Remember: It's not enough to avoid what is harmful. We must actively seek what is holy, good, and true.

🧰 Trusted Tools for Parents:

• IMDB parents guide - use this to search by adding your movie title
  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26743210/parentalguide/
  
  

• Common Sense Media — secular, but useful for content breakdowns.
  
  

• MovieGuide — faith-based reviews of current films.
  
  

• Catholic News Service Movie Reviews — Catholic perspective with theological commentary.
  
  

• Your Own Conscience — Don’t ignore the check in your spirit as a parent.