Resistance Podcast #265: Three Cheers for Joy | Embrace the Suck

About this sermon

Stop making excuses. Start pursuing holiness. In this Catholic men’s talk, Steve Cunningham of Sensus Fidelium challenges us to embrace the Cross, replace constant complaining with prayer, and live our faith with courage and joy. Beginning with the Apostles’ immediate response to Christ’s call, Steve explores what it means to follow Our Lord in everyday life: making time for prayer, going to confession, attending Mass with reverence, practicing charity, and accepting the duties before us. Drawing on the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, the Carthusian martyrs, St. Alphonsus Liguori, and the Desert Fathers, this conversation asks a searching question: Do we bring the same dedication to our souls that we bring to sports, work, and entertainment? The challenge includes learning to rest wisely. Through the story of St. Anthony and the bow, Steve explains why healthy recreation belongs alongside spiritual discipline. In this talk: • Following Christ without unnecessary delay • Overcoming excuses and fear of others’ opinions • Learning courage from the martyrs • Choosing Christian joy over habitual complaining • Trusting God through trials and disappointments • Taking responsibility for prayer and Eucharistic adoration • Living in the world without adopting its values • Balancing discipline with wholesome rest • Practicing virtue every day • Beginning evangelization in your home and neighborhood “Embrace the Cross” means meeting hardship with faith and taking responsibility for the good we can do. Renewal begins with our own conversion—and grows through our families, parishes, and local communities. 00:00 Opening 00:46 Gospel reflections across the Catholic rites 01:09 The Apostles followed Christ immediately 02:13 The centurion’s faith 02:30 Scripture and questions about Jesus’ “brothers” 03:30 Stop postponing Mass, confession, and prayer 04:36 Excuses and responding to God’s call 06:09 Fear, human respect, and beginning the apostolate 07:10 The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste 10:49 Complaining, online outrage, and Christian joy 11:49 The joyful witness of the Carthusian martyrs 12:34 God’s gifts—and our temptation to complain 13:20 “Three Cheers for Joy” 14:17 St. Alphonsus and conformity to God’s will 16:06 Job, surrender, and responding to adversity 17:15 Trials as a spiritual wake-up call 18:27 Preparing for Lent and practicing penance 19:18 Men, nighttime prayer, and Eucharistic adoration 21:07 Being a stranger in the city 22:09 Reverence and dressing for Mass 23:21 Charity and joy in everyday encounters 24:43 St. Anthony’s bow: Why we need rest 26:37 Sports enthusiasm versus zeal for God 29:44 Citizens of Heaven: Willing our sanctification 30:10 There is no day off from virtue 31:42 Training for holiness: Asceticism and exercise 33:19 Making salvation our highest priority 33:53 Fasting must be joined to charity 34:38 Discussion and a personal lesson in humility 36:26 Perseverance and the danger of complacency 38:11 Working out our salvation with fear and trembling 38:39 Discussion: Facing hardship as Catholic men 40:03 Personal responsibility instead of endless complaints 41:26 More prayer, less outrage 43:10 Begin with your family and neighborhood 44:03 Parish life and local evangelization 44:33 The cost of living your faith openly 45:12 Embrace the Cross you have been given What is one excuse you need to leave behind—and one concrete step you can take toward holiness this week? Share your reflection below. Subscribe to Sensus Fidelium for Catholic talks, sermons, saints’ lives, and practical spiritual formation. Explore the Sensus Fidelium app: https://sensusfidelium.tv #Catholic #CatholicMen #TraditionalLatinMass #ByzantineRite #Gospel #FaithInAction #Penance #Fasting #Prayer #Eucharist #Martyrs #Joy #Virtue #MensMinistry #Apologetics #StAlphonsus #TheophaneVenard #JohnClimacus #NoExcuses #EmbraceTheCross 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴

Topics

• Joy