You’re not a “Real” Catholic

You’re not a “Real” Catholic

What does it actually mean to be a “real” Catholic? In this episode, I unpack a moment that caught me off guard: being told I wasn’t one. And honestly, it revealed something deeper about the way we sometimes live our faith. Because if we’re being real, the question isn’t whether we fit a certain mold. The question is whether we’re actually living the Gospel or just reinforcing the stereotypes people already have about the Church. This isn’t a critique of the Church. It’s a call to actually live what she teaches. We talk about what “Catholic” really means: universal. And how easily we can shrink that into something small, safe, familiar, and comfortable. The Catholic bubble is real. It can surround us with people who think like us, believe like us, and make our faith feel secure, but not necessarily missional. But when you look at Jesus, that model falls apart. He moves toward the outsider. The misunderstood. The one who didn’t “fit.” He doesn’t begin with correction. He begins with encounter. He leads with love, and within that love, He reveals truth fully and without compromise. So the question becomes: why don’t we? Because if our Catholicism only works inside Catholic spaces, we’ve misunderstood it entirely. I love the Church. I believe in her deeply. But if that love doesn’t extend beyond the pew into real relationships with people who believe differently, then it’s incomplete. Maybe being told you’re “not a real Catholic” isn’t an insult. Maybe it’s an invitation.

This is My Body...

“This is my body, given for you.” We hear those words all the time… but what if they completely changed the way you see your own body? In this episode of The Prodigal’s Purpose, we step into a conversation most people avoid. Body image, identity, and the quiet lies we start to believe about our worth. Because in a world that constantly tells you to fix, shrink, or perfect yourself, it’s easy to believe your body is the problem. But what if it’s not? Jesus didn’t hide His wounds. He revealed them, and called them a gift. “This is my body, given for you.” In that, He completely redefines what a body is for. Not something to obsess over, control, or prove, but something to offer. Something already marked with dignity. If you’ve ever felt like your body isn’t enough, this isn’t just encouragement, it’s a confrontation with the lie. Because your worth was never meant to be measured by a number, a mirror, or anyone else’s approval. The Cross has already spoken your worth… you don’t have to prove it.

Worth Going After: God’s Relentless Pursuit

In today’s episode, we’re diving into Luke 15:1–7, the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and why it’s one of the most personal and hope-filled stories Jesus ever told. This short little parable holds a massive truth: God’s love is relentless, personal, and wildly intentional. We’ll take a moment to unpack what shepherds were really like in Jesus’ time—why this role was far from glamorous, why it would have felt so radical to the people hearing the parable, and why Jesus so intentionally uses shepherd imagery when He calls Himself the Good Shepherd. This context reveals just how personally He knows us and how far He’s willing to go to bring us home. From there, we explore the different roles in the story and how they show up in our own lives—the lost sheep who drifted slowly without realizing how far they’d gone, the black sheep who isn’t wandering but feels like they don’t belong, the shepherd searching tirelessly for someone they love, and the 99 who are close… but may be taking Jesus’ presence for granted. We also talk about why it’s more dangerous to go silent than to feel desperate, why Heaven rejoices over the one who returns, and why the lost sheep is not a story about earning love—it’s about being found.

Where It All Began: Returning to Lourdes

What happens when a prayer I whispered at 15 isn’t answered until 15 years later? In this episode of The Prodigal’s Purpose Podcast, I take you to Lourdes, the sacred hillside where Saint Bernadette encountered Our Lady of Lourdes—and where God quietly began a work in my own heart long before I understood what faith would eventually ask of me. I share the extraordinary story of a poor, sickly, uneducated girl chosen by heaven and ridiculed by the world, alongside my own journey of visiting Lourdes as a naïve teenager and returning years later after seasons of loss, deep wrestling, and conversion. It was only then that I began to recognize how God answers prayers not instantly, but intentionally—through time, surrender, and trust. This episode is for anyone who has prayed for healing, struggled to trust God’s timing, or wondered if their ordinary, broken story could ever be used for something holy. Lourdes reminds me that God sees us where we are, chooses us in our weakness, and heals us in ways deeper than we ever thought to ask for.

Want Eternity? Don’t Skip the Encounter

We say we want heaven. We say we want God. But then Sunday comes… and suddenly sleeping in, brunch, or “I’ll pray later” feels easier than going to Mass. In this episode, I get real about a struggle many of us have had (me included): intentionally skipping Mass. If Jesus gave everything for us, what does it mean when we won’t give Him one hour a week? We talk about how Mass isn’t a show or entertainment—it’s a sacrifice. It’s where we come not to get something, but to give something: our praise, our gratitude, our intentions, and our presence. When we skip, we’re not just missing a homily—we’re missing an encounter with the living God. This episode isn’t about shame; it’s about honesty. If we truly desire eternity with God, our choices now should reflect that. And the Mass—this weekly moment where heaven touches earth—is a gift we can’t afford to ignore. If you’ve been drifting or inconsistent, I hope this gently challenges you and reminds you what (and who) you’re missing. Because if we want eternity, we can’t skip the encounter.