Glad You Asked

It's no secret that Catholics aren't always delighted with the homilies they hear at Mass. Catholics on Reddit have complained about hearing homilies ranging from the silly (comparing the Trinity to parts of a car) to the theologically inaccurate (saying a dead person's spirit lingers around the earth for forty days, then ascends to heaven like Jesus) to the genuinely false and harmful (saying that it's a sin for married couples to have sex if it doesn't lead to pregnancy). Aside from concerns about content, people complain about homilies being too long, too boring, or just plain irrelevant.
 
What makes a homily good, though? Why do so many Catholic homilies miss the mark, and what can preachers do, to make them better? And what can parishioners do when they feel they're being subjected to bad preaching on a regular basis? 
 
On this episode of the Glad You Asked podcast, hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss talk with preaching expert Father Maurice J. Nutt, a Roman Catholic priest in the Redemptorist Congregation. Nutt holds a doctorate of ministry degree in preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology where he is an adjunct professor of preaching and evangelization. He is a revival, mission, and retreat preacher, and the author of multiple books, including Down Deep in My Soul: An African American Catholic Theology of Preaching (Orbis Books). 
 
Learn more about this topic and read some of Nutt's writing using these links. 
 
"Rev. Dr. Maurice Nutt Preaches Antiracism at Mariandale," by Gina Ciliberto
 
"After a bad homily, this is what I told my kids," by Shannon Wimp Schmidt
 
"To empower women in the church, allow lay preaching," By Rhonda Miska
 
"The Catholic women teaching priests how to preach," by Kelly Sankowski
 
"Humor can evangelize. Why don't priests use it well?" by Judith Valente
 
What do you do if you don't like your pastor? | Paul Jarzembowski
 
Father Maurice J. Nutt

A study released by University of California, Irvine in May 2026 found that more than a third of Americans reported having lost a relationship with a friend, family member, romantic partner, or coworker over political differences. These "political breakups," as researchers call them, were more likely to happen in friendships than between family members or romantic partners. 
 
Meanwhile, across the nation, many people struggle to figure out how to deal with enduring relationships that have been soured by serious political disagreement. Is it morally OK to stay close with someone whose values you find problematic? What if you have no choice but to stay close with someone even though you disagree on serious social issues? How do we challenge beliefs we find harmful while still recognizing the humanity of the person who holds them?
 
On this episode of Glad You Asked, hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss talk with scholar Nichole M. Flores about what it means to love someone when you hate their politics. 
 
Flores is an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia who researches the relationship between religion, aesthetics, and democracy with an emphasis on the Catholic and Latine theological and ethical traditions. She is the author of The Aesthetics of Solidarity: Our Lady of Guadalupe and American Democracy (Georgetown University Press).
 
Learn more about this topic in these links.
 
"Love your neighbor—even if you don't love their politics," by Kathleen Bonnette
 
"Jesus says love everyone—not just your inner circle," by David Cloutier
 
"Fighting fascism is an act of love, says this activist." A U.S. Catholic interview
 
"What if you don't have to forgive your enemies?" A U.S. Catholic interview

Many Christians are familiar with the idea that we are supposed to "offer up" our sufferings to God. Whether it's a mild inconvenience like bad traffic, a major hardship like a layoff, or a tragic and devastating loss, there's a pretty good chance that someone at some point will tell you to offer up your pain. Maybe the person telling you to do this will even be yourself. 
 
For some people, the idea that we can offer up our sufferings is helpful and meaningful. But others might hear "offer it up" as an instruction to stay quiet and stop pestering people with their complaints. Or they may feel that their obligation to offer up their hardships means they're not allowed to ask for help or try to change things. 
 
What does that advice to "offer it up" even mean? Where did the idea come from, is it rooted in good theology, and is it really the best way for Christians to address suffering?  
 
On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to religion scholar Emilie Townes. Townes is professor of religion and Black studies at Boston University and an American Baptist clergywoman. She has taught at multiple schools, including Chicago Theological Seminary, DePaul University, Saint Paul School of Theology, Union Theological Seminary in New York, Yale Divinity School, and Boston University School of Theology. She is the author of Breaking the Fine Rain of Death: African American Health and a Womanist Ethic of Care (Wipf and Stock) and Womanist Ethics and the Cultural Production of Evil (Orbis Books).
 
You can learn more about this topic using these links.
 
"Can the church venerate child saints without celebrating suffering?" by Ellyn Sanna
 
"Lament and Hope: Defying this Hot Mess," by Emilie Townes
 
"No one can avoid suffering, but Jesus points a way to healing," by Kevin Considine
 
"Good pain widens possibilities. Bad pain just hurts." by Alice Camille

For Catholics seeking accurate information about the church's teachings on sex ethics, the internet can be a perilous place. One might get plenty of opinions from influencers, and far more personal information about people's sex lives than one bargained for—but not so much accurate source-based content on Catholic teaching. Some influencers have even told women that the church says they have to have sex with their husbands whenever their husbands want it, regardless of their own feelings. Clearly, this is a coercive and dangerous approach to sex and relationships. 
 
Yet the Catholic Church does view sex as important in marriage. Canon law even states that a marriage isn't valid without consummation. But does that mean sex is, in some sense, obligatory? What about if one partner doesn't want it? What do we make of the marriage of Mary and Joseph? And what makes sex so important anyway?
 
On this episode of Glad You Asked, guest Kate Ott talks about the role of sex in a Catholic marriage, and what goes into a healthy sex ethic. Ott is a professor of Christian Ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary outside of Chicago, as well as an author and religious education curriculum designer. Her books include Sex + Faith: Talking with your Child from Birth to Adolescence (Westminster John Knox Press) and Sex, Tech and Faith: Ethics for a Digital Age (Eerdmanns).
 
Learn more about this topic using these links.
 
Sex + Faith: Talking with Your Child from Birth to Adolescence, by Kate Ott
 
"Does Catholic rhetoric about sex line up with reality?" by Don Clemmer
 
"It's time to wrestle with church teaching on sex. Here's how." by Don Clemmer
 
"The harmful myth of the 'marriage debt'," by Mindy Robinson
 
"Marriage prep programs are failing some Catholic couples," by Jenn Morson
 
"Canon law on marriage and annulments needs updating," by H. L. Norwich

On October 7, 2023, militant pro-Palestinian groups carried out a series of attacks on Jewish Israelis, during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza, which has escalated into a humanitarian disaster that the United Nations and other organizations are terming a genocide. 
Almost three years later, as violence continues in Palestine and Israel, many people want to understand the conflict but aren't sure where to begin. Some Catholics worry they'll say the wrong thing or don't know enough to contribute meaningfully. Others wonder what responsibility they have to pay attention to a conflict happening half a world away.
This episode of Glad You Asked offers historical context and explores why Catholics have a moral stake in what is happening. The hosts speak with scholars Jordan Denari Duffner and Julie Schumacher Cohen about the history of Israel-Palestine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and how Catholics can approach this moment understanding both the historical context and the demands of Catholic social teaching.
Denari Duffner is a Catholic theologian, author, and professor whose work centers on Muslim-Christian relations, interreligious dialogue, Islamophobia, and Israel-Palestine. Schumacher Cohen is a doctoral PhD candidate in political science at Temple University, who focuses on religion and politics, and has long been involved in Israel-Palestine peacebuilding and advocacy. They are co-authors of the book, Palestine, Israel, and Catholic Social Teaching, forthcoming from Orbis Books in fall 2026.
Learn more about this topic in these links. 
"Our Catholic faith demands that we confront Islamophobia," a U.S. Catholic interview
"Christian antisemitism is not a thing of the past," by Megan Clark
"Reflections on human dignity in Israel and Palestine," by Joseph Antoniello
"The Voice of Hind Rajab calls us to confront reality in Gaza," by Julie Schumacher Cohen
"The fate of a soccer field points to the reality of life on the West Bank," by Kevin Clarke
 
This episode is sponsored by Catholic Relief Services. In Gaza and beyond, Catholic Relief Services works with the local Church and trusted partners—serving communities of all faiths with compassion and care. Learn more at crs.org.