Jesus Christ by his resurrection reversed the effects of the Fall and completes God's salvation plan. Moreover, resurrection is the core of Christian faith, reassuring us that death is not the end. Fountain of Grace takes you to the Holy Land to visit the sites where this glorious mystery took place over two thousand years ago.

Two thousand years ago, how did Jesus walk his last steps before his crucifixion? Fountain of Grace takes you to Jerusalem to experience the Way of the Cross.

Tim Schmalz, a devout Catholic, seeks to convey the truth, goodness and beauty originated from God through his Christian sculptures. Fountain of Grace invited him to share his creative ideas at his studio.

It's Part 2 of the Road from Emmaus "Why Catholicism?" two-episode mini-series! Last episode, Andrew and Jason tried to answer the questions of "Why do we even believe in religion at all?" And, "Of all the religions in the world, why Christianity?" This time around, they go one level deeper and talk about why they chose Catholicism. They start by sharing their journeys of being cradle Catholics, and then they discuss the importance of Holy Tradition within the Catholic Church. Like the Church, they don't believe in Sola Scriptura, and they talk about that a bit too, and highlight some differences between Protestants and Catholics. They wrap things up by sharing about what they might say to those of us who have friends who've turned away from the Catholic faith.

On today's episode, Andrew and Jason dig into the foundations and fundamentals of their faith life. Why are they Catholic? Before they can answer that question though, it's necessary to take a look at a couple of other questions: Why believe in religion at all? And of all the religions in the world, why Christianity? The first part of a two-episode mini-series, they touch on moral relativism, and how Christianity isn't just about being a good person or following a set of rules; it's being in a relationship with God. They also announce some exciting news off the top--you can now find the Road from Emmaus podcast on Fountain of Love and Life! 04:38 - Encountering the Fountain of Love and Life on the Road from Emmaus 09:10 - "Why religion?" and moral relativism 15:25 - Who are we to judge? What does it mean to have intellectual discourse? 22:49 - Religion provides a structure of consistent thinking 28:43 - Religion is often more than just having good ethics or morals 31:27 - "Why Christianity?": Christianity is more than just good morals 35:29 - God seeks to be in relationship with us 43:15 - C.S. Lewis's thoughts on how Jesus is God, and not just a moral teacher

It's a new year, and there's no better way to start it off than in the same way that the Church starts it off -- celebrating our Holy Mother Mary, Mother of God! There's so much richness and beauty to unpack when it comes to Mary and Marian theology; Andrew and Jason could barely stop talking over each other. Using the Joyful Mysteries to keep them on the right track, they try to dive into the story of Mary, and the reflections they each have on her holy "yes" to God, what it might have been like to be the mother of Jesus, and the pain that she had to carry. Praying that 2021 will get off to a blessed start for you!

It's been a whirlwind of a year, and looking back at 2020 is no simple task. Our day-to-day lives ground to a halt with the COVID pandemic, but that doesn't mean nothing happened during the year. Andrew and Jason take this last episode of 2020 to look back and do an examen of sorts on the year. What were some highlights from 2020? What did they learn? And above all, how did they bring Jesus into these things? They wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas (but not a "Happy Holidays"!) :)

A big part of being a Christian is understanding that a lot of our faith is relationship-based. God seeks to be in relationship with us, to know us, to be with us. It's a wonderful blessing to be able to recognize that Jesus is our friend. Sometimes, though, we fall into the trap of only thinking of Jesus as a buddy. We forget that He is also a King, that God is our Creator, and that, as much as Jesus walks alongside us, there's kind of still an "order" to the relationship we have with Him. Today, Andrew and Jason try to unpack what it means that Christ is our King.

Andrew and Jason talk about something called the primacy of grace. It's a fancy-sounding term that really just refers to how God, as our loving Father and Creator, seeks us. He yearns to be in relationship with us, and He has already done everything to make that happen. On our end, sometimes we think too much about what we need to do, or where we need to go on our journey of faith, when really, we just need to realize that God is already meeting us where we are. He just needs us to open the door to let Him in.

In the last couple weeks, Pope Francis made a few headlines as he talked about civil unions. A lot was said about whether or not the Church had changed her position on same-sex marriage as Catholics and non-Catholics had all kinds of reactions. What exactly did Pope Francis mean when he talked about "civil unions" and a "right to a family" for our homosexual brothers and sisters? What exactly does the Church teach on homosexuality? And how do we navigate these kinds of conversations? Andrew and Jason share about how they unpacked these questions to get some clarity for themselves. -- Articles referenced: Catholic News Agency article (https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/what-did-pope-francis-say-about-civil-unions-a-cna-explainer-57625) Patheos article by Fr. Matthew Schneider, LC (https://www.patheos.com/blogs/throughcatholiclenses/2020/10/pope-franciss-words-on-civil-unions-distorted-by-editing/)

Andrew and Jason share about the last few weeks and how they've been hit by a bit of spiritual dryness. They talk about what consolation and desolation is, and touch on how to navigate them using the rules of discernment. Jason also talks about... becoming a teacher? Homily referenced by Andrew: http://thejustmeasure.ca/2020/07/12/three-ways-to-receive-blessings/

Saint Joseph's Oratory, Canada's largest church, is located in Montreal. The Oratory is also the largest shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph in the world. Throughout his whole life, St. Brother Andre promoted devotion to St. Joseph. It was precisely through the intercession of St. Joseph that Brother Andre found strength in overcoming the trials of his life.

Sometimes it's easy to fall into the trap of becoming too attached to the things of this world. That might be material possessions like a TV, or it could be your professional career. It could even be the relationships that you have with your loved ones. On this episode, Andrew and Jason talk about how being called to a relationship with Christ means that all these worldly attachments fall away--not because we're forced to give them up, but because we see that there's nothing better to cling onto than Jesus Himself.

Andrew and Jason spend this episode talking about this year's GT, an annual Labour Day Weekend retreat that has been going on since 1977. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the retreat was held online for the first time in its 43-year history. Andrew and Jason share about their weekend experience, and about the lessons learned over their years of attending the retreat. In the end, things always work out--according to God's plan!

On this episode, Andrew and Jason talk about the importance of the Sacrament of Marriage within the Catholic Church, and tackle a couple common questions about the Church's teachings on what marriage is about. Then they zoom out a bit and talk about discipleship, and how that often means giving up the things that we want to do for ourselves. Also, Andrew can't do basic addition while the cat wreaks havoc on the camera.

Andrew and Jason break some exciting news to kick off their first episode! They talk about vocations, discernment, and how they've tried to pursue the calling that God has set out for each of them.

Andrew Chau and Jason Lo introduce their podcast, Road from Emmaus. They talk about why they've decided to start a podcast about their Catholic faith journeys, what the podcast will sound like, and the structure it will follow--the tripod method. Please keep them in your prayers, and they hope you'll come along for the ride!

In many metropolitan cities, rising property prices has become a serious problem. Many people simply cannot afford to own a home. The poor in the Dominican Republic faces an even more pressing need for safe homes. Fountain of Grace takes a look at how the Samaritan Foundation helps provide homes for the poor in the Dominican Republic.

Someone has once said: "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members". In the Dominican Republic, the lives of the vulnerable groups are especially tough. Fountain of Grace takes a look at how some kindhearted heroes serve the weak selflessly.

Most people who go for Caribbean vacations spend most of their time enjoying the sun and beaches. They might not be exposed to the living conditions of the locals. Missionaries of St. Joseph the Worker Parish had the opportunity to take a close look at the living conditions of the poor in the Dominican Republic. What kind of impact will this experience have on them?

St. Joseph the Worker Parish has organized mission trips to the Dominican Republic for several years. These trips have attracted many participants, among them are young people and families with young children. What benefits do these trips bring to the participants and the communities in the Dominican Republic? Fountain of Grace takes you to this mission trip in a 4-part series.

In terms of the scope of work, a scientist is completely different from a priest. Yet when a person is both a priest and a scientist, what kind of experiences would his dual-identity bring about? Fr. John McCarthy, SJ is a Catholic priest who is also a scientist that has a great love in lichen, a symbiotic species. He would take us to the forest and his laboratory to get to know lichens, as well as to share with us reflections on his faith that he got from scientific research.

In recent years, the public has become increasingly concerned about the hazards of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and genetically modified foods. Some people have started to grow their own produce for health reasons, and some Catholic religious also promote organic gardening. How is organic gardening related to our faith?

Lay Catholics don’t get to see their bishop very often but I remember when I was growing up, I had always admired my bishop like a familiar father figure but simultaneously felt like he was high above my level. This episode is the fifth of my vocational series, where I ask my guests to pick a song relating to their vocational discernment and to answer these seven simple questions: 1. Please introduce yourself and how we got to know each other. 2. Explain your song of choice and how it relates to your discernment. 3. Please explain your vocation in general and what it means to you. 4. How did you discern your vocation in general? Were there any challenges? 5. Why did you pursue your vocation with this diocese/order/person in particular? 6. How has your faith changed since entering this vocation? 7. If you could advise your 18-year-old self about your vocation, what would you say? One day, I emailed the Archdiocese of Toronto and was absolutely delighted when I got to interview the only bishop I ever remembered having … Thomas Cardinal Collins! Cardinal Collins is a man of deep faith and wisdom and has always felt a strong connection with his priests and bishops. From his high school teacher Fr. John Newstead to the bishops of his home Diocese of Hamilton—Bishop Lloyd Ryan, Bishop Paul Reding, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Tonnos—and his bishop in London, John Sherlock. Cardinal Collins was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Hamilton before being appointed rector of the seminary in London (Ontario), consecrated Bishop of St. Paul (Alberta), Bishop of Edmonton, and finally Archbishop of Toronto. I was surprised by how Cardinal Collins discerned his call to the priesthood and found his assessment of the times and his term as bishop to be very insightful. During COVID-19, the Archdiocese is live-streaming daily and Sunday Masses. You can find their website at https://www.archtoronto.org/. The song you heard in the intro was “Wayfaring Stranger”, by The Quebe Sisters and the song Cardinal Collins chose was the “O God Beyond All Praising”, as performed here by the Villanova Pastoral Musicians. If you have any friends and family that you think would like this podcast, please share wherever you listen to your podcasts! You can drop a comment or question for me to answer in a future episode at theholycatholicbrew@gmail.com.