![Father Wade Menezes teaches men to ‘stand firm, be strong’ in new EWTN daily podcast - #Catholic - A new podcast called “Stand Firm and Be Strong” with Father of Mercy Wade Menezes launched Aug. 3 on EWTN+. The new podcast is aimed at, and intended for, men. Menezes is especially inviting them to learn how to live and strengthen their Catholic faith, one day at a time. Menezes is already familiar to EWTN audiences from his many appearances on various shows across the network. The numerous televised and online series he has produced and hosted include “The Gospel of Life vs. the Culture of Death” and “The Ten Commandments of Catholic Family Life.”He is also familiar to EWTN audiences as a guest on various episodes of EWTN’s “Mother Angelica Live” and “Life on the Rock,” during which he discussed such topics as the sanctification of marriage and family life, vocations, and the sacred liturgy. He is the current host of EWTN Global Catholic Radio’s “Open Line Tuesday.”Menezes has also served as the chaplain-in-residence at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama.On the print side, he is the author of four books, including: “Stand Firm, Be Strong: A Men’s Catholic Daily Devotional of Scripture and Saints” — the inspiration for the new podcast.Prior to the launch, and while inviting listeners, Menezes spoke about the podcast with the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News.Register: Father Menezes, please tell us how your “Stand Firm, Be Strong” audio podcast came to be.Menezes: This 200-day audio-only podcast grew out of the popularity of my men’s daily devotional book of the same title that was published in 2024. The book is a six-month spiritual manual for men. Each day has a different spiritual or temporal (secular) topic that is followed by three components: a Scripture quote, a saint quote, and a short meditation written by me. Both the book and podcast titles are based on 1 Corinthians 16:13, wherein we read: “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.”Will the podcast follow the same daily devotional format?The “Stand Firm, Be Strong” daily audio podcast is related closely to the book’s own format. For example, each of the 200 days’ prerecorded short audio podcasts correspond directly — and in proper order — with each of the book’s own 200 days’ topics. But whereas the book is designed to be a five- to 10-minute exercise each morning for men as they begin their day, each podcast episode is itself under five minutes in length and highlights the most pertinent points of the book’s topic for that same day.
What does it mean to be a man of God? | Credit: EWTN Studios
Why did you decide on a daily podcast?EWTN pitched the idea to me to do a “Stand Firm, Be Strong” daily audio podcast precisely because the book has done so well with male readers. The book has proven to hold men’s attention as a committed daily exercise to strengthen their spiritual and temporal lives. I hope that a podcast will likewise strike at the male heart and spark the male intellect to help men live their vocations more fully and committedly — whether single, married, widowed, or as a consecrated brother, deacon, priest, or bishop.Please share a highlight or two that listeners will hear about in opening episodes.The timely wisdom offered by the “Stand Firm, Be Strong” podcast will help prepare men to put on the armor of God for their daily struggles and help them withstand trials at home and at work. It will also help them to kindle their prayer life, better utilize their talents, and order their priorities in daily life. It will also help guide men in imitating Christ in guarding their senses and responding to temptation — all important factors when navigating life in this third millennium.Please share or give a hint of what will be a few topics or themes you will be dealing with that are certainly relevant.During the course of the first 20 [days] … for example, episodes will cover the following topics [titled]: “The Committed Man of God,” “Strength and Fortitude,” “Having No Duplicity or Guile,” “Shunning Sin and Vice,” “Fraternity and Brotherhood,” “The Demands of Virtue and Aiming Toward Salvation,” “The Virtue of Diligence,” “The Truth,” “The Need for Humility Amid Trials and Successes,” “Accountability,” “Confidence,” and “The Athlete of God.” Other podcast episodes include such topics as the “Importance of Eucharistic Adoration,” “Sanctifying Grace,” “Filial Fear of God vs. Servile Fear of God,” and the “Importance of Fostering Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.”Why are these topics essential for today?Navigating third-millennium society and culture can be challenging. These various topics are essential today because we live in a day and age that tragically downplays authentic masculinity and what that means. Whether it’s the prevalence of television commercials that frequently make the husband or man look like a buffoon to the misguided direction being offered by various movements within the so-called “manosphere,” what it means to “be a man” in the authentic Christian sense is greatly attacked today.But as Dr. Tim Gray of the Augustine Institute reminds us: “The virtues give us a blueprint for being a man. Indeed, the very term ‘virtue’ comes from the Latin word for man, ‘vir.’ For the ancients, to be manly was to be virtuous. The term ‘virtue’ in Latin (‘virtus’) signifies power, strength, and ability. Thus, the virtues are habits that give us the power to act in a manly way, with strength sufficient to do what is right. Without virtues we will neither be godly nor real men. Virtues are the building blocks of character, and without them our moral lives will eventually collapse under the pressures of the world.”Will your podcast appeal to, and be relevant to, men of any age?Just like the book, the podcast is designed to appeal to any male that is 14 years of age and older. In other words, if a guy is a high school freshman or older and is serious about living his faith authentically and well in the midst of the modern world, he will benefit from hearing this podcast. This fact, in turn, will hopefully inspire him to “go deeper” with the “Stand Firm, Be Strong” book as a daily devotional that he commits himself to for a six-month period.Will men learn to live a balanced life through your podcast?Yes, listeners of the “Stand Firm, Be Strong” podcast (as well as those readers of the book) will learn to live a balanced life — both spiritually and temporally. For example, a main theme peppered throughout the podcast and book is “faithfulness to daily duty” and what this means and why it is a main ingredient needed when a man strives for sanctification and advancement in the spiritual life according to his particular vocation and state in life. In short, a man is called to fulfill his duties with diligence and balance — all the while serving God and others.What is the ultimate goal and hope for this podcast?To help men of all vocations and states in life realize that they are called to become saints “right where they are.”Both the podcast and book are designed to help jump-start and strengthen a man’s spiritual life over the course of six months. The podcast’s daily topics and accompanying meditations are power-packed, offering achievable resolutions and prudent advice to help a man attain his spiritual and temporal goals in everyday living.Will it improve their families, too, in any way?Yes. Just as there is crisis in today’s culture regarding authentic masculinity and what that means, the same can be said regarding the sanctification of marriages and family life. The “Stand Firm, Be Strong” podcast can help a married man become a better husband and father. For single men, it can help them to become a better brother, brother-in-law, co-worker, etc. This same goes for married men and those men in the consecrated religious state, of course. Themes in the podcast call upon all men to provide, protect, and lead — again, according to each one’s particular vocation and state in life.Based on the popularity of your book, do you think the podcast will have a similar appeal?I believe the podcast will appeal to listeners because it will help the individual man to grow in knowledge of his faith and gain strength for the spiritual battle. These, in turn, will help the individual male listener to become more fully the man he was created and meant to be in God’s plan for him.Is there anything else you would like to say or add about the podcast?The “Stand Firm, Be Strong” podcast launched Aug. 3 and is posting a new episode daily over the course of 200 days. It is available from EWTN+, a free, ad-free digital streaming platform by the Eternal Word Television Network that offers on-demand Catholic podcasts, movies, live TV and radio, and original series. Also, for those listeners of the “Stand Firm, Be Strong” podcast and/or readers of the book who are so interested, there are three additional “Stand Firm, Be Strong” merchandise items available from EWTN Religious Catalogue (EWTNRC.com). These include a “Stand Firm, Be Strong” T-shirt, travel mug, and 12-in-1 pocket knife. Along with the podcast and book, these items make great gifts for men who are striving to increase their faith and grow in holiness.I would encourage all women — such women could include, of course, a wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law, friend, or girlfriend — who may stumble across the podcast, book, or three items of merchandise to think about sharing these with the men in their lives so as to encourage them to “stand firm [and] be strong.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/father-wade-menezes-teaches-men-to-stand-firm-be-strong-in-new-ewtn-daily-podcast-catholic-a-new-podcast-called-stand-firm-and-be-strong-with-father-of-mercy.webp)
The new podcast “Stand Firm and Be Strong” with Father of Mercy Wade Menezes has launched on EWTN+.
![U.S. bishops ask for ‘intense prayers’ for Hamas-Israel peace amid Gaza’s ‘disastrous’ conditions – #Catholic – In response to President Donald Trump’s announcement last week of a deal between the U.S.-led Board of Peace, Israel, and Hamas, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called for “intense prayers” for the deal’s success as Gaza faces a worsening humanitarian crisis.In an Aug. 3 statement, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, said he is “heartened by news of an agreement which aims at the disarmament of Hamas and Israel’s military withdrawal from the [Gaza] Strip,” calling for “intense prayers for the success of these negotiations.”“As I previously articulated, as ‘people of faith who deeply care for all our brothers and sisters who live in the land of Christ’s life, death, and glorious resurrection, we cannot lose this opportunity for peace,’” Zaidan continued, calling on the U.S., Israel, and the international community “to facilitate greater amounts of humanitarian and development assistance to the Strip.”U.S. President Donald Trump announced on July 30 that his Board of Peace had reached a deal for Hamas to fully disarm after nearly three years of war. “The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” Trump indicated. “As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors.”Though a Hamas official confirmed the disarmament pact the next day, according to the Associated Press, significant hurdles remain, leaving the deal’s implementation uncertain despite U.S. optimism. Israel has not publicly endorsed the agreement and has continued airstrikes, killing at least 17 people, including children, in Gaza Sunday night.‘People are living with nothing’“Alleviating the suffering of the Gazan people is not only a vital moral imperative but is also necessary for the consolidation of peace in the Holy Land and the entire region,” Zaidan declared. “This should include restoring educational opportunities for children and youths, jobs, and clean water.”In an interview last week with Vatican Media, Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Church in Gaza, begged for humanitarian aid for the region, emphasizing that “when people say the situation here is disastrous, believe me: It really is disastrous — if anything, it calls for an even stronger word.”“People are living with nothing,” Romanelli said. “Reconstruction is certainly essential, but so too are all the basic necessities of everyday life.”Former U.S. ambassador and EWTN contributor on Middle East issues Alberto Fernandez told EWTN News that while the deal is “extraordinarily shaky from both sides,” he is hopeful because “the situation of the civilian public in Gaza is so dire,” Fernandez said. “Gaza is destroyed, people are traumatized, there’s no economy.”‘Deeply conflicting agendas’ “The agreement on paper is a positive, concrete step in the right direction,” Fernández said, pointing out that the issue of which side will act first “is a small part of a bigger problem. There is no trust between the two sides, and deeply conflicting agendas.”In Zaidan’s statement, the bishop wrote that the “agreement’s successful implementation, as its principles statement says, has the potential of finally providing the Palestinian people with a ‘credible political path that achieves self-determination and Statehood.’ This would be a major milestone.”Hamas said Friday that it would give up its heavy weapons, including rockets, contingent on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the creation of a Palestinian state, the latter condition one Netanyahu’s government strongly rejects.“The two-state solution among the Israeli public is moribund,” the ambassador continued. “We’re not there at all in a situation where they will compromise. They’ve become more intransigent. That’s a reality.”“It’s not time for celebration, but time to recognize there is small progress being made, and huge obstacles remain,” Fernandez said.‘Serious security concerns’Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told the AP on Aug. 2 that Israel has “serious security concerns” surrounding the deal. Spielman said Israel believes Hamas is still committed to building up its military, not demilitarizing, and said Israel would not withdraw from the Gaza Strip, where it controls more than half the territory, before Hamas disarms.“Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less,” he said.“Our assessment is that if we redeploy before Hamas is truly disarmed, it will quickly expand its presence throughout Gaza, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure, once again threaten Israeli communities, and seek to carry out another Oct. 7-style attack,” Spielman told the AP.Zaidan concluded his statement acknowledging the “extreme challenges inherent in this ongoing peace process” but called on all to “entrust the hearts and minds of the negotiators to the maternal care of Our Lady of Wisdom, that she may illumine and enliven their efforts to finally achieve peace in those sacred lands.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/u-s-bishops-ask-for-intense-prayers-for-hamas-israel-peace-amid-gazas-disastrous-conditions-catholic-in-response-to-president-donald-trumps.jpg "U.S. bishops ask for ‘intense prayers’ for Hamas-Israel peace amid Gaza’s ‘disastrous’ conditions – #Catholic – In response to President Donald Trump’s announcement last week of a deal between the U.S.-led Board of Peace, Israel, and Hamas, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called for “intense prayers” for the deal’s success as Gaza faces a worsening humanitarian crisis.In an Aug. 3 statement, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, said he is “heartened by news of an agreement which aims at the disarmament of Hamas and Israel’s military withdrawal from the [Gaza] Strip,” calling for “intense prayers for the success of these negotiations.”“As I previously articulated, as ‘people of faith who deeply care for all our brothers and sisters who live in the land of Christ’s life, death, and glorious resurrection, we cannot lose this opportunity for peace,’” Zaidan continued, calling on the U.S., Israel, and the international community “to facilitate greater amounts of humanitarian and development assistance to the Strip.”U.S. President Donald Trump announced on July 30 that his Board of Peace had reached a deal for Hamas to fully disarm after nearly three years of war. “The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” Trump indicated. “As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors.”Though a Hamas official confirmed the disarmament pact the next day, according to the Associated Press, significant hurdles remain, leaving the deal’s implementation uncertain despite U.S. optimism. Israel has not publicly endorsed the agreement and has continued airstrikes, killing at least 17 people, including children, in Gaza Sunday night.‘People are living with nothing’“Alleviating the suffering of the Gazan people is not only a vital moral imperative but is also necessary for the consolidation of peace in the Holy Land and the entire region,” Zaidan declared. “This should include restoring educational opportunities for children and youths, jobs, and clean water.”In an interview last week with Vatican Media, Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Church in Gaza, begged for humanitarian aid for the region, emphasizing that “when people say the situation here is disastrous, believe me: It really is disastrous — if anything, it calls for an even stronger word.”“People are living with nothing,” Romanelli said. “Reconstruction is certainly essential, but so too are all the basic necessities of everyday life.”Former U.S. ambassador and EWTN contributor on Middle East issues Alberto Fernandez told EWTN News that while the deal is “extraordinarily shaky from both sides,” he is hopeful because “the situation of the civilian public in Gaza is so dire,” Fernandez said. “Gaza is destroyed, people are traumatized, there’s no economy.”‘Deeply conflicting agendas’ “The agreement on paper is a positive, concrete step in the right direction,” Fernández said, pointing out that the issue of which side will act first “is a small part of a bigger problem. There is no trust between the two sides, and deeply conflicting agendas.”In Zaidan’s statement, the bishop wrote that the “agreement’s successful implementation, as its principles statement says, has the potential of finally providing the Palestinian people with a ‘credible political path that achieves self-determination and Statehood.’ This would be a major milestone.”Hamas said Friday that it would give up its heavy weapons, including rockets, contingent on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the creation of a Palestinian state, the latter condition one Netanyahu’s government strongly rejects.“The two-state solution among the Israeli public is moribund,” the ambassador continued. “We’re not there at all in a situation where they will compromise. They’ve become more intransigent. That’s a reality.”“It’s not time for celebration, but time to recognize there is small progress being made, and huge obstacles remain,” Fernandez said.‘Serious security concerns’Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told the AP on Aug. 2 that Israel has “serious security concerns” surrounding the deal. Spielman said Israel believes Hamas is still committed to building up its military, not demilitarizing, and said Israel would not withdraw from the Gaza Strip, where it controls more than half the territory, before Hamas disarms.“Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less,” he said.“Our assessment is that if we redeploy before Hamas is truly disarmed, it will quickly expand its presence throughout Gaza, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure, once again threaten Israeli communities, and seek to carry out another Oct. 7-style attack,” Spielman told the AP.Zaidan concluded his statement acknowledging the “extreme challenges inherent in this ongoing peace process” but called on all to “entrust the hearts and minds of the negotiators to the maternal care of Our Lady of Wisdom, that she may illumine and enliven their efforts to finally achieve peace in those sacred lands.”")
Israel has not publicly endorsed the agreement and has continued airstrikes, killing at least 17 people, including children, in Gaza Sunday night.
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Magnus Cort in the French Alps on Tour de France 2024. Tour de France will finish today on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
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Abelardo de la Espriella reaffirmed his conviction that “to build a great nation, one must place God at the center of every decision.”
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. August 3: A solar system trio Rising around sunset and standing highest around midnight, asteroid 324 Bamberga is visible in a small scope this evening, moving against the background stars of Capricornus. Look for it in the south around local midnight, aboutContinue reading “The Sky Today on Tuesday, August 4: Asteroid Bamberga on the move”
The post The Sky Today on Tuesday, August 4: Asteroid Bamberga on the move appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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