164: Unlocking the Joy of Belief (Advent Series 3) | Dr. Tom Neal

Always Hope

For many of us, belief isn’t always easy. Life throws curveballs. Promises don’t pan out the way we thought they would. Secularism raises doubts in our minds. It’s hard to reconcile the joy we sing about this time of year with the struggles we face in our day-to-day lives. But belief doesn’t always start with clarity. Sometimes, it starts in the messiness of life, when everything feels out of alignment. That’s where Christ finds us. That’s the story of Christmas.

And that’s where this episode begins—by looking at faith not as a perfect, clean answer, but as a journey. A journey that’s deeply personal, sometimes hard, but always transformative. Today, I’m sitting down with Dr. Tom Neal, to discuss the origin story of his faith life. Tom is a brilliant mind, a loving soul, someone who has dedicated his life to teaching the gospel, but like all of us, has had a journey. Tom’s story—from questioning faith to experiencing a profound, life-changing encounter with Christ—reminds us that joy and belief can exist, even in the hardest moments.

This is a vulnerable and candid episode about how we encounter Christ and why we still believe amidst hardship. So, sit back and let this story unfold. Because as we reflect on this Advent season, this isn’t just about belief in theory—it’s about what happens when belief meets real life.

As always, please leave questions in the comments.

Full quote from Fr Carlo Carretto: https://nealobstat.wordpress.com/2021/08/19/the-church-broken-so-the-light-can-enter-in/

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:06:08 Tom's Upbringing and Family Life

00:15:53 Tom's Miraculous Encounter with Christ

00:22:03 The Aftermath and a Newfound Faith

00:31:07 Choosing Catholicism

00:38:51 Exploring Other Religions Through a Catholic Lens

00:49:45 Maintaining Belief Amidst Hardship

00:54:05 The Importance of Prayer

00:57:56 Am I a Bad Catholic?

01:02:04 Mario's Journey of Faith

01:13:05 The Intelligibility of the Catholic Faith

01:22:57 Tertullian's Paradox

01:27:33 Fr Carlo Carretto Quote on the Mystery of the Catholic Church

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