Guest: Lisa Popcak — author of 20+ books on parenting, marriage, and mental well-being; co-host of More to Life on EWTN Radio; VP of CatholicCounselors.com

In 2019, Lisa and her husband Greg hosted a symposium at Notre Dame with the McGrath Institute, gathering 50+ theologians and Catholic thinkers to study what makes Catholic families thrive across generations. The result: a study of families where all children grew into faithful Catholic adults — and the 12 habits they all shared.

🏠 Relationships (the foundation — "the wood")

1. Schedule family time first — before signing up for activities, protect time together. Aim for at least 3 meals together per week.
2. Generous affection & affirmation — light up when your kids walk in the room; name the virtues you see in them.
3. Attending to each other's needs — mutual self-donation; the whole family serves one another, not just mom.
4. Discipleship discipline — rooted in St. John Bosco; teach and practice skills rather than simply punish.

🕯️ Family Rituals ("the spark")

1. Work together — bring kids alongside chores; make it connective, not just efficient.
2. Play together — don't outsource all fun. Even 15 minutes of play daily builds connection and teaches kids how Christians have fun.
3. Talk together — try "thorns and roses": best and hardest part of the day. Go deeper than homework check-ins.
4. Pray together — formal prayers matter, but so does spontaneous prayer. Help kids see God in their everyday moments and talk to Him like a friend.

🌍 Reaching Out ("the fire")

9. Serve each other at home — home is where virtue is first practiced, not just performed in public.
10. Be mindful of others while at home — practice hospitality, care for your belongings to pass on to others, look for ways to bless neighbors, and discuss charitable giving as a family.
11. Be a godly family in the world — eye contact, kindness, holding doors, praying before meals. Simple witness wherever you go.
12. Serve in your community together — find ways to serve as a family unit rather than fragmenting into separate groups.

• Faith should be the source of warmth in your home, not just an addition to it.
• It's NEVER too late — these habits can be applied at any age or stage.
• You don't need to add hours to your day; these habits can flow through your existing rhythms.

• 📱 Catholic HOM App (Households on Mission) — catholicHOM.com — monthly resources, Q&A with Greg & Lisa, podcasts
• 💬 CatholicCounselors.com — faithful Catholic telecounseling, available anywhere
• 📻 More2Life — EWTN Radio, Monday–Friday, 10am ET; also available as a podcast

"The faith was the source of the warmth in their home."

Annie Muller and Hailey Skinner tackle one of the loudest conversations in the cultural zeitgeist right now: health maxing, longevity obsession, and optimal health trends — and ask what a faithful Catholic response actually looks like. From sleep trackers to sourdough guilt, from perimenopause to postpartum, they explore how moms in every season of life can care for themselves without losing themselves in the process. Grounded in Scripture, St. Augustine, St. John Paul II, and hard-won personal experience, this episode is your permission slip to tune out the noise and tune in to what actually matters.

What We Cover

• The "health maxxing" and longevity trend — where it comes from, what it gets right, and where it goes wrong
• St. John Paul II's concept of the "cult of the body" and why women are especially vulnerable to it
• The difference between selfishness and self-care — and why that distinction matters for moms
• Hailey's morning routine that changed everything (and how she got there)
• Why Annie became a certified health coach — and the statistic about healthy parents raising healthy kids
• The Church's feasting and fasting seasons as the antidote to both gluttony and restriction
• Why "guilty pleasures" is a phrase that needs to go — and what the Psalms say instead

Timestamps

• 0:00 — Welcome & intro to the health maxing conversation
• 5:22 — Hailey's experience with social media comparison & why she deleted Instagram
• 10:00 — The cult of the body, fear of death, and the desire for control
• 15:11 — Reframing self-care as stewardship, not selfishness
• 17:00 — Hailey's morning routine: the one change that transformed her days
• 20:00 — Annie's health coach background & modeling health for your children
• 27:00 — Sleep: a hot commodity, a gift, and an offering
• 35:10 — Is there more to life than optimal health? Health as means, not end
• 41:00 — The Church's rhythm of feasting and fasting as a countercultural gift
• 42:01 — Hailey's theology of bread and wine (and the Eucharist)
• 45:00 — Self-knowledge, "guilty pleasures," and the goodness of creation
• 50:29 — Practical self-care: what Annie and Hailey actually do

Mighty Is Her Call Prayer Requests

Reach out to Annie - annie@mightyishercall.com

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Discover the profound lessons from the Feast of the Visitation, reflecting on Mary's humility, Elizabeth's reception of grace, and how we can embody these virtues in our motherhood and daily lives.

In this episode:

• How St. John Paul II describes Mary's faith and interior attitude during the Visitation
• The parallel between Mary and the Ark of the Covenant, based on Scott Hahn's insights
• Elizabeth's recognition of Christ's presence as a first Pentecost, emphasizing God's Holy Spirit at work
• The importance of community, service, and receptivity in motherhood, inspired by Mary's and Elizabeth's example
• Practical tips for embodying humility, gratitude, and trust in God's plan amidst life's challenges

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Feast of the Visitation and its significance 00:44 St. John Paul II's insights on Mary's faith and interior life 01:29 Mary's role as the Ark of the Covenant, parallels drawn by Scott Hahn 02:45 The humility and service exemplified in the Visitation 05:10 The gift of community and mutual service in motherhood 06:28 Mary's haste to serve and her response of praise and gratitude 07:52 The Holy Spirit's role in Mary's and Elizabeth's encounters 09:37 The importance of trusting God's timing and embracing life's seasons 11:26 Overcoming feelings of unworthiness through grace 13:41 Practical ways to serve in everyday motherhood 15:17 The significance of gratitude and praise in faith 18:34 Elizabeth’s recognition of Christ and the role of the Holy Spirit 21:15 Living as a “tabernacle” and embracing God’s presence in motherhood 24:45 The hope in waiting and trusting in God's perfect timing 26:33 Insights about waiting and trusting, even amid suffering 30:08 The scene as a prelude to Pentecost, highlighting God's ongoing work 31:23 Practical ways to live out the Visitation in daily motherhood 32:37 The importance of community, service, and receptivity 34:49 Trusting God's plan and timing, embracing surprises and unplanned blessings 36:04 Recognizing that God's ways are above ours, even in crisis 40:42 Embracing the miracle of life and community in our faith journey

Resources & Links:

• Scott Hahn on Mary as the Ark of the Covenant https://angelusnews.com/voices/mary-ark-covenant/
• Pope St. John Paul II Visitation is Prelude to Jesus’ Mission https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/visitation-is-prelude-to-jesus-mission-8820
• Fulton Sheen The World’s First Love https://ignatius.com/the-worlds-first-love-2nd-edition-digital-wfl2e/

Mighty Is Her Call Prayer Requests https://mightyishercall.com/prayer-request/

Reach out to Annie - annie@mightyishercall.com

Support our podcast! https://mightyishercall.com/podcast-support/