Respect Life Radio

Dr. Christopher Reed: Sacred Conversations

"We know that 93% of what is communicated in a conversation is non-verbal. That's a combination of our body language - Are we leaning in? Have we established eye contact? Have we put down our phone to signal to the other person that we're attentive? - so we have to be mindful of that as we prepare for sacred conversation," says Dr. Christopher Reed, author of the new book "Sacred Conversations: How God Wants Us to Communicate."

Dr. Reed is a Christian, a husband and a human communication teacher, consultant and coach. Christopher says that the Holy Spirit led him to the work of Sacred Conversations. He began studying human communication in 1998 at Western Michigan University and completed his doctorate degree and gained postdoctoral experience as a consultant in the University of Michigan's Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. Today, his interest in human communication, relationships, organizational engagement and helping people discover and use their God-given talents is stronger than ever. His Sacred Conversations ministry is not just helping leaders, but everyone struggling to connect on a deeper level.

This captivating new book reveals how everyday interactions can lead to spiritual growth, deeper connections and meaningful impact. Learn more about Dr. Reed's work and new book at https://oursacredconversations.com

Michael Toscano: The False Idol of Technology

"It's a beautiful life that we could be living in each moment, but what many of us decide to do is to drown ourselves in false electronic contentment," said Michael Toscano, executive director of the Institute for Family Studies. In his new First Things article "Recovering our Memory" Michael writes, "It became quickly apparent to me that smartphones and social media were beginning to subject the people around me—smart, disciplined, hard-working people—to a profound change. They were more hunched over, prone to glancing at the device during conversations, and scrolling. Always scrolling." 

Michael is a leader in efforts nationwide to adopt laws to make technology safer for kids. He has written on family policy, tech policy, the uses of technology to reshape work, and the effect of technological change on America's republican form of government. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The New York Post, First Things, Compact, The American Conservative, National Review, and elsewhere. Under his leadership, IFS has more than doubled its annual budget and quadrupled its research output. He is co-author with Peter Wood of "What Does Bowdoin Teach? How a Liberal Arts College Shapes Students" (2013).

Follow Michael and his work at the Institute for Family Studies at https://ifstudies.org

Anthony DeStefano: The First Easter Bunny

"You have to tune your antenna for what God wants you to do," said Anthony DeStefano, author of the new book "The Story of the First Easter Bunny," on how he decides what topics to write. Anthony is an American author, television host and activist. He has written five bestselling Christian books for adults, including: A Travel Guide to Heaven and Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To. He has also written eight bestselling books for children, including: The Donkey That No One Could Ride and Little Star.

In his most recent book, "The Story of the First Easter Bunny," Anthony delves into the story of the Easter Bunny. At a time when the profound significance of Easter is often overshadowed by commercialism, The Story of the First Easter Bunny is a refreshing and heartwarming reminder of the true meaning of this most holy of Christian holidays. The story focuses on a pint-size bunny with enormous ears who seeks healing for his sick mother by searching for Jesus and listening to His words. The bunny shows courage and compassion on his selfless journey. When all seems dark and he is afraid, the bunny remembers Christ’s words and takes refuge in God’s promise by calmly waiting for the light.

To learn more about Anthony, visit www.anthonydesefano.com and find his new book at https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-story-of-the-first-easter-bunny/

Dr. Peter Howard: the wisdom of Fulton Sheen helping through the turmoil of our time

"His audience was 60% non-Catholic and so he prepared his message in such a way that people didn't know he was referring to St. Thomas Aquinas or (other Catholic documents.) He simply wanted to start with something that was common to everybody and, from there, lead them to divine truths," said Dr. Peter Howard of the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen. Dr. Howard holds a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Angelicum in Rome and his passion IS Venerable Fulton J. Sheen -- the man and the mission. "For today, we have a world that is so wounded and psychologically twisted because of all the confusion and lies, here's a man who dedicated every moment of his life to understand what the world was thinking, what the errors are and how to provide the solution."

Dr. Howard is a leading expert on the teachings of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen. He is the author of The Woman: Mary as Mediatrix in the Teaching of Fulton J. Sheen -- the authoritative book on Sheen's Mariology -- and has traveled internationally, helping others discover this future saint. Peter has been featured on Catholic television and radio programs such as EWTN, Catholic Answers Live, the Patrick Madrid Show, CatholicTV, Shalom World, Radio Maria, and Relevant Radio. Peter is married to Catholic life and leaership coach, Chantal Howard, and they have six children. Dr. Howard and his wife Chantal are also the founders of Heroic Families.

Learn more about the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Institute at https://www.fultonsheen.institute

James Valois: Our Lady of Good Success of the Purification

When Servant of God Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres received her famous apparitions from Our Lady — known as the Quito apparitions — she was so appalled that she died. A doctor confirmed her shocking death. But thankfully, when her sisters prayed, she was raised to life again. This remarkable story is part of James Valois' new book "Our Lady's Prophecies." In it, James masterfully recounts the stunning prophecies of Our Lady of Good Success of the Purification. The relevance of many of these prophecies to today’s events, spoken, as they were, about what would begin in the twentieth century and spill over to today. Their gripping messages foretell the radical changes in customs and the disturbing state of our modern world that we are facing today. 

Find more about James Valois and his new book at https://sophiainstitute.com/product/our-ladys-prophecies/

Matthew Plese: Recapturing the Lost Tradition of the Church

"Lent is an ideal time to make resolutions and go further. As scripture says - now is the beginning, now is the day of salvation," said Matthew Plese, author of Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom. In this informative book, Matthew Plese, who has devoted himself to studying and living the traditional calendar, takes us step by step through some of the most important ‘lost customs of Christendom.’ Restoring them, here and there, one by one, we restore ourselves and our families to all that Catholic life can be. "We want to be part of the heavenly liturgy." 

Matthew is a Third Order Dominican who lives in Chicago. He's a practicing Certified Public Accountant and Catechist. He is the President of CatechismClass.com, an online based organization whose mission is to make the best in Catholic religious education and Sacramental preparation available for those who need it. Matthew writes a monthly piece on apologetics and catechesis for Catholic Family News and a weekly column for the Fatima Center.  He is also the author of a number of books including Catholic Book Summaries: 54 Traditional and Contemporary Classics; Eschatology: The Catholic Study of the Four Last Things; Understanding the Precepts of the Church, and The Roman Catechism Explained for the Modern World as well as The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting & Abstinence. He also blogs at A Catholic Life.

Patrick O'Hearn: Our Lady of Sorrows

"She's able to see our pain," said Patrick O'Hearn of Our Lady. Patrick is a devout Catholic, husband and father. He is an author, literary consultant, speaker and a freelance editor. He spent close to three years in a Benedictine Monastery before discerning the call to marriage. He graduated with a master's in education from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a bachelor's in marketing from St. Ambrose University. In his new book, "Our Lady of Sorrows, Patrick helps his young readers enter into the mystery of sorrows. 

Imagine if you were privileged enough to sit beside Our Lady and hear from her very lips the story of Jesus’ birth and suffering. In these short, moving reflections, told from the perspective of the Blessed Mother to a child, readers young and old will experience a depth of love for God and closeness to Mary’s tender heart such as they have never felt before. This book contains a collection of traditional prayers in both English and Latin as well as four original prayers by Fr. Chad Ripperger that children can pray daily in gratitude to grow closer to Our Lady and for their vocation and protection.

Follow Patrick at https://patrickrohearn.com

Anthony Stine: Return to Catholic Tradition

"A lot of people don't want to accept that there's a lack of clarity within the Church today," said Anthony Stine, a Catholic convert from agnosticism whose conversion was influenced by G.K. Chesterton, Fulton Sheen, Hilaire Belloc, and St. Philomena. Anthony received a Ph.D. in Public Affairs and Policy in December 2020 and is Political Scientist in methodological approach. He is a married father of two (so far) and presently resides in central Oklahoma. He is the creator of “Return to Tradition” which covers the crisis in the Catholic Church and its connection to the ongoing degradation of society and preserving the Tradition of the Church. Return to Tradition also dives into current news and history. "There are people that believe morality changes with the time. They're being led astray."

Follow Anthony at https://returntotradition.org/author/returntotradition527909108/

Claire Aalerud: Beauty & Tradition of the Chapel Veil

"To grow stronger in your faith, it first starts with prayer, the most Holy Rosary, goes into meditation and a deep intimacy with Mary and Jesus. The love of knowing God more, of knowing Mary more, will propel you to learn more about the faith, to spread the faith," said Claire Aalerud, a youth minister in Sugarland, Texas.

She has her own YouTube channel called Catholic Rose, has a great devotion to the Virgin Mary and focuses on the beauty of the Mass and chapel veils. "If you're at the post office, you're at the grocery store, you can't help but smile with joy and want to share that love with others. If you give God a little bit of your heart, He will transform it and He will help you become a saint."

Dr. Ray Guarendi: Great Teens in a Troubled Culture

"The culture assaults good parents and essentially says you're out of touch. Your kid needs to think this way," said Dr. Ray Guarendi, author of the new book "Standing Strong - Good Discipline Makes Great Teens. "The kids look around them and see what their peers are allowed to do and they see all the opportunities they want that mom and dad won't let them have and that brings resentment and resistance that the "experts" say is natural. I don't think it's natural at all.

With wit and wisdom, Dr. Ray Guarendi gives parents the tools they need not only to navigate the teen years but also to enjoy them. Teens are "full of life, enthusiasm, energy, and laughter," Dr. Ray asserts, in defiance of a culture that conditions us to expect a far gloomier reality. Too often, the world tells parents to be content with mediocrity instead of the prospect of raising respectful and responsible children with strong character. This book is wise, perceptive, and laugh-out-loud funny. Dr. Ray uses his trademark humor-with-a-dash-of-sarcasm to give those parents who are barely treading water some good, sound, logical advice to change the tone and tenor of their households for the better.

Find Dr. Guarendi's new book at https://www.amazon.com/Standing-Strong-Discipline-Makes-Great/dp/1682782654 and follow all of his work at drray.com.