How did a former slave and accused embezzler become the Bishop of Rome, build the most famous catacombs in Christian history, and champion divine mercy against fierce theological opposition? On The Son Rise Morning Show, host Matt Swaim welcomes back Church Fathers expert and author Mike Aquilina from FathersOfTheChurch.com to explore the astonishing life of Pope St. Callistus I.

Aquilina details Callistus’s dramatic early years—from financial mismanagement and exile to the lethal mines of Sardinia, to his miraculous release and commissioning as a deacon in charge of Rome’s Christian burial grounds (the Catacombs of St. Callistus). He unpacks Callistus’s controversial papacy, during which he clashed with rigorists like Tertullian and Anti-Pope Hippolytus over his lenient penitential discipline and pastoral accommodation for forbidden Christian marriages. Plus, Aquilina shares a original poem reflecting on Callistus’s legacy of forgiveness. Stream now to listen!

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Happy feast of St. Teresa of Avila! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Dr. Benjamin Lewis to unpack the collect from Mass today that makes references to several aspects of St. Teresa’s life. Other guests include Rita Heikenfeld with Bible Foods, Gary Michuta on the Messianic prophecy of Psalm 118, and Dr. John Bergsma on God’s promises to Abraham. Plus news, weather, sports, and more… listen live!

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Collect for the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila

O God, who through your Spirit raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus to show the Church the way to seek perfection, grant that we may always be nourished by the food of her heavenly teaching and fired with longing for true holiness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

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RECIPES FROM RITA: APPLE DUMP CAKE

Ingredients
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
⅛ teaspoon cloves OR 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
2 cans (21 ounce) apple pie filling
1 tablespoon lemon juice (opt)
1 Granny Smith or favorite apple (not Red Delicious) peeled and diced (opt)
1 box (15.25-ounce) butter golden cake mix or yellow cake mix
1 cup butter melted1
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (opt)

Instructions
Preheat to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Spoon pie filling into a sprayed 9×13-inch pan.
Stir in lemon juice and chopped apples.
Sprinkle with half of the mixed spices.
Sprinkle with the dry cake mix.
Drizzle with melted butter trying to cover as much of the top as possible. Sprinkle with remaining mixed spices and top with chopped pecans.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly on the edges.
If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

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Full list of guests

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How can local parishes answer Pope Leo’s call to establish mental health ministries that offer real hope, practical support, and compassionate accompaniment? On The Son Rise Morning Show, host Matt Swaim welcomes back licensed pastoral counselor Kevin Pendergast to explore how the Church can effectively address mental health needs within parish communities.

Pendergast outlines key elements of successful parish outreach, including educational programming, special liturgies, support groups, and building strong referral networks with trusted mental health professionals. Drawing on recent pastoral letters from Catholic bishops, he distinguishes between everyday human struggles—such as grief, stress, and relationship friction—and clinical mental health disorders that require professional psychotherapy. Pendergast also emphasizes the importance of pairing lay accompaniment with evidence-based practices and scientific research to ensure parish ministries genuinely help those in need. Stream now to listen!

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Can great fiction serve as a mirror for our own struggles, jolting us into reality and opening pathways toward healing and truth? On The Son Rise Morning Show, host Anna Mitchell welcomes back Dr. Ken Craycraft, host of Driving Home the Faith and seminary professor, to discuss his new book, Staying Sober, One Story at a Time: Seeking Sobriety Through the Lens of Literature.

Dr. Craycraft reflects on his personal 20-year journey of recovery from alcoholism and explains how intertwining his testimony with four classic novels—The Lost Weekend by Charles Jackson, Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, and The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor—offers a powerful framework for self-understanding. He examines how serious fiction makes authentic truth claims about the human condition, inviting readers to encounter grace, repentance, and sobriety through the power of narrative. Stream now to listen!

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