Thinking Faith Catholic Podcast

TF | S4 E04| Is Halloween compatible with Catholic faith? Should Catholics participate in trick-or-treating, costumes, and spooky traditions, or should Christians avoid Halloween altogether?In this episode of Thinking Faith, Deacon Eric Gurash and guest host Brayden Kunz explore the Catholic roots of Halloween and its connection to All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. They discuss common concerns about Halloween, the difference between harmless fun and genuinely problematic occult practices, and why participating in neighbourhood traditions can be an opportunity for community, connection, and faith.Discover how Halloween can open the door to meaningful conversations about death, the communion of saints, prayer for the dead, and the Christian hope of resurrection. From traditional soul cakes and cemetery visits to saint costumes and Mexican sugar-skull traditions, Eric and Brayden share practical ways Catholic families can celebrate Halloween while keeping faith at the heart of the season.Whether you love Halloween or have questions about its place in Catholic life, this conversation offers a thoughtful, balanced approach to celebrating All Hallows’ Eve without fear or superstition.06:07 Can Catholics Celebrate07:13 Halloween Costume Memories11:08 Is Dressing Up Wrong13:24 Occult and Superstition18:24 Halloween Origins and All Saints20:57 Laughing at Death22:10 Kids Learn Through Play23:39 Sugar Skulls and Hope25:34 Saint Costumes and Spooky Saints27:29 Talking About Death29:20 Soul Cakes Tradition33:01 Funerals and Family Conversations35:55 Practical Faithful Ideas39:19 Home Traditions and Cemetery Prayer

TF | S4 E03 | Do Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims worship the same God? What can our favourite biblical figures teach us about faith? And what should Catholics make of dreams about loved ones who have died? In this episode of *Thinking Faith*, Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld tackle three fascinating questions about Catholic belief and spirituality. Drawing on Catholic teaching and *Nostra Aetate*, they explore what the Church teaches about Christianity, Islam, and our shared understanding of God, while acknowledging important differences in belief. They also share their favourite biblical figures, including Luke and Judith, before exploring dreams of deceased loved ones, the communion of saints, prayer for the dead, and how Catholics can approach these experiences with faith and discernment.Three questions, surprising answers, and, as always, thoughtful conversations about what Catholics really believe.00:00 Podcast Welcome02:55 Student Questions Setup03:25 Same God Question06:42 Vatican II On Islam09:53 Trinity Key Difference14:58 God Revealed In Cultures16:57 Favorite Bible Person17:03 Judith And Esther21:49 Luke The Narrator24:05 Luke’s Outsider Lens25:29 Roof Tiles Storytelling27:57 Acts and Church Identity29:05 Luke vs Hebrews Worlds31:49 Dreams and Discernment34:14 Pray for the Dead38:39 Symbols and Psychology42:43 Accept the Gift45:33 Closing Thanks and Prayer

|TF| S4 EP 2 | How can you know that you’re saved? And if you’ve received the Holy Spirit, should you be certain of your salvation? This week on Thinking Faith, Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld respond to a Miller High School student’s question about assurance of salvation and the Catholic understanding of hope. Along the way, they explore baptism, the Holy Spirit, Ignatian discernment, purgatory, and why Catholics and Protestants can approach the question of being “saved” so differently.When it comes to salvation, where should our confidence ultimately rest?02:14 Salvation Question Setup02:57 Mailbag From Students04:54 Assurance vs Hope05:47 Protestant Roots of Assurance08:58 Quicksand of Self-Doubt10:47 Sacraments and Agency13:39 Catholic Answer14:59 Hope and Salvation Anxiety15:40 Theological Virtue of Hope16:14 Feelings and the Holy Spirit17:24 Ignatius and Discernment Anchors19:55 Hoping Hell Is Empty21:06 Purgatory as Restorative Hope25:44 My Hope Is in Jesus26:43 Closing

| TF | S4 E01 | What if the Book of Revelation isn’t really about predicting the end of the world, but about learning to see what’s happening right now?This week on Thinking Faith, Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld take up a student question about one of Scripture’s strangest and most misunderstood books. Together, they explore Revelation as an “unveiling” that helps Christians living through fear, persecution, and uncertainty see the deeper reality of what God is doing. From the seven letters to the churches to the proclamation of the Word to the wedding feast of the Lamb, this first episode of a new season asks whether the Book of Revelation offers a secret code for calculating the end times or a vision of worship that reshapes how Christians understand the world.01:47 Podcast Intro and Student Questions04:03 Why Revelation Feels Weird06:43 Apocalypse and Unveiling09:45 Prophecy Not Fortune Telling12:06 Persecution and Coded Language17:21 Beasts, Barcodes, and Misreads19:18 666 Solomon and Apostasy21:31 Heavenly Liturgy in Revelation23:02 Parousia Wedding Feast Eucharist25:55 Revelation’s Big Questions26:37 Two-Part Structure28:09 Mass in Revelation30:03 Seven Letters Repentance31:07 Exodus Plagues Pattern32:18 Eden to New Jerusalem34:29 The Woman, the Dragon, and the Church37:13 Throne Room and Prayer39:55 Parousia at Mass40:51 End Times Readiness42:25 Midnight Mass Illustration44:54 Against Code-Breaking Fear47:21 Freedom Beyond Power50:25 Worship Forms Imagination52:36 Go to Mass

| S03 E22 | On the cusp of the 10th anniversary of MAiD in Canada, and as our country prepares to expand Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) to cases where mental illness is the sole underlying condition, important questions remain about safeguards, mental health care, physician conscience rights, and the protection of vulnerable people. In this final episode of Season 3, Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld welcome Larry Worthen of the Christian Medical and Dental Association of Canada for a conversation about the future of MAID, the challenges facing patients and physicians, and the Christian call to accompany those who suffer with dignity, compassion, and hope.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:02 Tour Stories02:40 MAID Expansion Explained05:26 Legal Origins and Slippery Slope09:03 Burden and Human Dignity11:00 From Burden to Infanticide15:08 Conscience Rights and Doctor Duties17:24 MAID as "Treatment"18:30 Real Cases and Warnings20:09 Safeguards Always Fail22:09 Normalize Suicide Agenda23:34 Doctor Shopping Loopholes24:51 Keanu Case Explained26:57 Care Wait Times Crisis28:24 Palliative Care Underserved30:13 Suicide Line After Expansion33:54 Church Response39:11 Dying Well42:40 Final Blessing Farewell

TF S03 E21 | As we head into Laudato Si' Week (May 17-24) Dr. Brett Salkeld speaks with Comboni Missionary priest, Fr. Dario Bossi, about the Church’s vision of integral ecology, the human and environmental impacts of mining in the Amazon, and the work of Justiça nos Trilhos (Justice Along the Rails) supporting communities affected by industrial development. Together they explore faith, solidarity, Catholic social teaching, and the connection between the cry of the poor and the cry of the Earth.00:00 Welcome to Thinking Faith00:46 Meet Father Dario02:25 Missionary Journey04:38 Why the Amazon Matters06:27 Integral Ecology Explained10:07 Mining and Its Impacts13:11 Economy Versus Ecology22:25 Community Alternatives26:48 Churches and Mining Network28:04 Option for the Poor32:50 Justice on the Rails35:38 How to Learn More37:35 Catholic Solidarity38:19 Closing

TF | S03 E20 | In this episode of Thinking Faith, Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld respond to a question from Grade 9–10 students at Miller High School: Do miracles still happen—and why can’t science prove them?Exploring Scripture, theology, and real-world examples, they unpack the relationship between miracles, faith, and scientific evidence. The conversation highlights why miracles in the Bible—and today—are not “proofs” that force belief, but signs that invite a personal response and deeper relationship with God.They also examine how the Church evaluates miracles, the limits of science in explaining the supernatural, and why openness—rather than certainty—shapes how we interpret extraordinary events. This episode offers a thoughtful and accessible look at how faith and reason work together, and why miracles ultimately point beyond themselves to hope, conversion, and God’s presence in the world.00:00 Miracles Question00:52 Why We Love Q and A01:55 Framing Modern Skepticism03:27 New Testament Not Naive05:08 Miracles Need Interpretation07:39 Miracles Don't Force Faith09:20 Science Limits and Saints12:09 Canonization Beyond Evidence13:53 Shroud of Turin Cautions16:49 Historical Case for Resurrection19:01 Historical Evidence Limits20:32 Hume and Miracle Bias21:23 Modern Miracles and Lourdes23:05 Why Miracles Leave Scars24:42 Signs That Build Hope29:44 Choosing Good Over Despair32:04 Prayer and Shared Responsibility35:44 Atheists' Prayer for a Sign37:13 Incremental Faith and Unbelief38:51 Wrap Up and Blessing

TF | S03 E19 | In this episode of Thinking Faith, Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld respond to a powerful question from Grade 9–10 students at Miller High School: If God is always helping us, why is there so much suffering in the world?Drawing on Christian theology, Scripture, and real-life experience, they explore the problem of evil, distinguishing between natural suffering and moral evil, and examining how faith understands both. The conversation highlights how God does not cause suffering—but works through it, bringing grace, growth, and hope even in the most difficult moments.Through insights from the Psalms, the Cross, and everyday life, this episode offers a deeply honest and hopeful look at suffering—encouraging listeners to seek the full truth of their lives, practice gratitude, and trust that evil does not have the final word.01:14 Student Questions02:23 Why God Allows Pain03:19 Natural vs Moral Evil05:24 Death and Sin10:07 Grace Changes Perspective12:41 Holy Indifference Ignatius14:47 Evil Feels Like Winning17:57 Hope Through Suffering18:59 God Doesn't Waste Pain20:18 Remembering Past Grace20:56 When You Would Trade It23:04 Trust Beyond Answers24:17 Christ in Gethsemane25:08 Despair After the Cross27:11 John the Baptist Doubts29:30 Guilt Over Graces30:15 Why Me to Why Not32:10 Evil Defeats Itself33:08 Problem of the Good35:30 Gratitude in Hard Times40:24 Truth Not Denial42:04 Wrap Up and Thanks

TF S03 | E18| In this episode of Thinking Faith, Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld respond to a thoughtful question from Grade 9–10 students at Miller High School: How can I know when God is talking to me?Drawing on the spiritual wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the conversation explores Christian discernment through self-awareness, honesty, and paying attention to the movements of the heart over time. They explain the difference between spiritual consolation and desolation, clarifying that these are not simply good or bad feelings, but experiences related to freedom, clarity, hope, and closeness to God.The episode offers practical guidance on creating space to hear God’s voice through silence, prayer, spiritual reading, Mass, confession, adoration, and the daily Examen, while cautioning against making major decisions during times of desolation. Listeners are encouraged to trust that God’s voice often sounds like truth spoken within, to remain grounded in Church teaching, and to grow patiently in freedom and faith as God continues to shape their spiritual lives.00:19 Podcast Welcome03:22 Question God Speaking03:46 Ignatius Discernment Basics05:05 Silence and Self Awareness05:58 Ignatius Story and Boredom08:21 Consolation vs Dopamine Crash10:40 Examen and Honest Reflection12:02 True Voice vs False Voice15:59 Church and Moral Guardrails18:31 Crime and Punishment Example20:52 Everyday Choices and Consolation21:45 Fruits Of The Spirit22:32 Consolation Versus Desolation23:53 Do Not Decide Desolate24:35 Dad Story And Space27:58 Lies Reduce Your Options29:03 Temporary States And Clarity31:44 Many Good Choices33:42 Discernment In Sacraments36:13 Garden Conditions For Growth38:05 God Changes Our Minds38:44 Closing Thanks And Blessing

TF | S03 E17 | In this episode of Thinking Faith, Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld explore key questions in Catholic theology and Scripture, beginning with Eucharistic theology, Eucharistic miracles, and why belief in the Real Presence does not depend on miracles alone.Drawing on questions from Grade 9 and 10 students at Miller High School in Regina, the conversation also includes Adam and Eve, and what these teachings reveal about the unity of the human family as well as a discussion on images of Jesus in art, examining historical accuracy, cultural expression, and how enculturated imagery helps communicate the Gospel across time and place.00:00 Intro01:13 The Plaid Episode02:05 Questions from Miller High School03:25 Addressing the Population Question05:46 Theological Interpretations and Science18:04 Scriptural Narrative and Loose Ends21:53 The Importance of Originality in Interpretation22:53 Science and Faith: Complementary Tools23:31 What Did Jesus Look Like?28:11 Cultural Representations of Jesus in Art33:47 The Theology of Icons and Art in Christianity40:10 Conclusion and Reflections