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PODCAST

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Mike and Alicia Hernon : Catholic Marriage Parent and Family

Parenting is not a clean-cut, simple process for those who like to follow the rules. Family life is messy and unpredictable, but it is the greatest adventure you will ever have. We are Mike and Alicia Hernon, parents of 10 children with a growing number of grandchildren, and we would like to invite you into some of the conversations we have had with each other about marriage, parenting, and Catholic family life. Our hope is that our conversation sparks a dialogue between you and your spouse that

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

52:30

MFP 344: From Control to Connection: Disciplining...

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/08/04

Summary Parenting teens can feel like navigating a storm. Emotions run high and mistakes are inevitable. In this updated reflection on our original 2017 episode, we dive into the art of disciplining teenagers not just to manage behavior, but to raise mature disciples of Christ. We share what we've learned from parenting our ten kids, what it means to move from control to connection, and how to maintain strong relationships during the most challenging years. Whether you're in the thick of adolescence

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01:09:16

MFP 343: How to Love Your Family

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/07/28

“The two great commandments name the three loves – loving God, loving neighbor, and loving yourself. All three loves are necessary and central to our Faith. All three.” - Dr. Peter Malinowski Summary How can I learn to truly love my family? The reality is that the degree to which you love yourself will be the maximum that you can love your family. Ordered self-love is not an optional thing – it’s essential. This is especially true for spouses and parents because their love is tied intimately

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01:01:01

MFP 342: Guidance on Tricky Topics

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/07/21

Summary: Listen in as we respond to Catholic parents seeking guidance on navigating sensitive family issues through faith. One parent is concerned about supporting her 11-year-old daughter who expressed same-sex attraction after speaking with her bisexual sister. Another couple is figuring out how to explain same-sex relationships to their young children with both compassion and clarity about Church teaching. A mother balancing part-time parish work and parenting feels overwhelmed by her toddler’s

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01:25:40

MFP 341: Unleash the Holy Spirit in Your Family w/...

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/07/14

“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 Summary 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

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01:22:02

MFP 340: Providence Over Panic

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/07/07

“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 Summary 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

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01:07:52

MFP 339: Movies, kids, and imagination

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/06/30

"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 Summary 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

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01:03:50

MFP 338: Sharing the “Mental Load”?

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/06/23

Motherhood changes you because it literally alters a woman’s brain—structurally, functionally, and in many ways, irreversibly. - Louann Brizendine, The Female Brain Summary Women are gifted in a way that men are not. Women can hold many different tasks in their mind at the same time, see the needs of others, and know the needs of the household and balance them all. Sometimes this can feel empowering, but sometimes it's overwhelming, especially in times of great stress. In some circles, there is

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48:21

MFP 337: The Invincible Family

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/06/16

“True power is not dependent upon the invented honors of earth. True power is that which guides, shapes, carves, and claims the souls of men. And the souls of men are most often won and lost at the feet of mothers.” - Kimberly Ells Summary Does it feel like its harder to be a parent today than ever before? There are powers arrayed against the family - powers in secular philosophies, modern politics, and even our education system. The roots of these forces are deep and have been growing for

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58:42

MFP 336: What Would You Say to Your Younger Self? An...

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/06/09

God has selected you uniquely to be the mother for these children. He will equip you for the work He wants you to do! Summary No one feels prepared to be a parent. Even if you were one of the oldest of 10 kids in a Catholic family (like Alicia or Katie) or a family of 7 (like Suzanne) you can never really be ready! The key to surviving, and even thriving, is stepping fully into your identity as a daughter of God. All the love that we have for our spouse and children needs to come from a deep

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01:22:28

MFP 335: Safety-ism

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/06/02

'Cause I love you more than you could know And your heart, it grows every time it breaks I know that it might sound strange But I wish you pain - “Wish You Pain” by Andy Grammar Summary Every parent wants to keep their kids safe, but is it possible to keep them “too safe”? In this podcast episode we dive into the overwhelming cult of safety-ism, which makes keeping your child from all pain and suffering an idol. Children are really “antifragile” - meaning that they need to have an appropriate

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58:48

MFP 334: An Addiction, a Marriage, and a Priest

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/05/26

Our vows are for life, and we need overwhelming grace to live them out - Kevin Wells Summary If you ever thought your marriage was in such bad shape that you simply did not know what to do, this podcast is for you. We were so blessed to be able to talk to Kevin Wells, the author of The Hermit: The Priest Who Saved a Soul, a Marriage, and a Family. This interview is deep because Kevin and his wife Krista have been through the fire together and it is only by the grace of God that they both

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01:03:51

MFP 333: The Family Meeting

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/05/19

What is the rhythm of leadership in your family? Summary Every relationship relies on communication, but when you operate as a family with many members, communication can become difficult! Kids can get lost in the chaos, plans get forgotten, chores undone, and mom and dad are constantly putting out fires. In comes the miracle of the Family Meeting! Well, let’s rephrase that… A family meeting will not solve ALL your problems but it is a great step forward in leading your family and living life

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48:35

MFP 332: The Seven Marks of Christian Forgiveness

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/05/12

If forgiveness isn’t hard, you aren’t doing it right - Dan Meola Summary Many parents struggle with their children--not because of the kids, but because of the wounds they are carrying from their own parents. The only path for healing those wounds is forgiveness. But how do we forgive, especially when the hurts are deep and real? In this podcast we sat down with Dan Meola, the founder of Life Giving Wounds, a ministry for adult children of divorce. We talked about the importance of

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58:17

MFP 331: Let’s Talk About Husbands! Listener...

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/05/05

“If we accept that God’s love is unconditional, that the Father’s love cannot be bought or sold, then we will become capable of showing boundless love and forgiving others even if they have wronged us” - Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia Summary: Becoming a husband and father is the biggest change a man goes through in his life. There is simply no better “life-coaching” than family life! But when men find their vocation difficult, it is usually their wives that they turn to or who observe this

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54:00

MFP 330: What Will Your Children Remember?

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/04/28

“You’re not just parenting your children… you are parenting your grandchildren” Summary Have you ever walked through a thousand-year-old castle or along a wall built by Romans nearly a millennium ago? On a recent trip to the UK, we were struck by the longevity of these structures—and the intentionality behind them. They weren’t built to last a season, but centuries. In this episode, we challenge you to think the same way about your family culture. Are you parenting just for today… or are you

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57:42

MFP 329: Who is “God the Father”?

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/04/21

“Unleashing the heart of the Father is a power the world does not know.” Summary God wants us to know Him as a father. We as parents are to prepare the hearts of our children to know the father by acting like him. So when our children wonder what God is like, we should be able to say to them, “God loves you as I love you, but so much better”. For us to do that, we need to know what God is like, so we can act as him. In this podcast we break open the Word of God to share with you how God

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56:55

MPF 328: Let Your Life Be a Witness, An interview...

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/04/14

"Never be embarrassed to love your wife." – Chris McMahon Summary What does it take to build a thriving business and a strong marriage at the same time? In this episode, Mike sits down with longtime friends Chris and Molly McMahon—financial advisors, founders, parents of five, and marriage warriors. Together, they unpack the real story behind balancing ambition with family, building a faith-filled home without a perfect blueprint, and making decisions that prioritize your marriage even when the

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44:31

MPF 327: Five Steps to Give You More Time

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/04/07

The only way to not live constantly in the Urgent is to manage those things that are Important. Summary “How are you?” “BUSY!” Isn't that the response so many of us give when asked this question? How did we all get so busy and how do we get off the crazy train? Parents have as much time as anyone else (even though it doesn’t feel like it!) but they need to be more conscious than anyone else regarding how they spend the precious time they have. In this podcast, we give five steps that parents

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01:26:54

MPF 326: The Art of Raising Humans

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/03/24

"God gives us our children to heal and transform us." - Kyle Wester Summary In many ways, being a parent is less about our kids and more about our own formation! When we lean into the vocation of parenthood, God can use every experience with our children to show us His love and to form us into the person He has created us to be. In this podcast, we talk to Kyle and Sara Wester, counselors and hosts of the podcast The Art of Raising Humans. During our conversation, they explained four different

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01:15:48

MPF 325: Let’s Get Intimate…

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on... ·

2025/03/17

“Lovemaking puts flesh on the vows that we exchange in marriage” - Byron and Francine Pirola Summary A few years ago in Australia, we met an amazing couple who we immediately wanted to share with our listeners. Byron and Francine Piroloa from Smart Loving, are on a mission to make marriages stronger all over the world and they are willing to talk about that subject that few couples will tackle - physical intimacy. We aired this podcast five years ago and it got such a great response that we

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363 results

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