A Once-in-a-Generation Moment: Jonathan Strate on the New Liturgy of the Hours

Jonathan Strate, President and CEO of Ascension, shares the personal yes that led him from aerospace engineering to leading one of Catholic media's most impactful organizations. He opens up about the projects now reshaping how Catholics encounter the faith, including the historic second edition of the Liturgy of the Hours and the new K–8 religious education curriculum, Pillars of Faith.

What We Talk About:

• How Jonathan went from aerospace engineer to CEO of Ascension—and what made him say yes
• What the Liturgy of the Hours is and how laypeople can weave it into daily life
• What's new in the long-awaited second edition, and when it arrives
• How Bible in a Year and the Liturgy of the Hours work together to form understanding and prayer
• Pillars of Faith: Ascension's new K–8 curriculum combining evangelization, catechesis, and Scripture

Chapters:

• 00:00: Introduction
• 01:34: Jonathan's Path to Ascension
• 06:08: What Is the Liturgy of the Hours?
• 08:28: How Laypeople Can Pray the Hours
• 10:01: What's New in the Second Edition
• 12:11: Bible in a Year and the Culture of Daily Prayer
• 13:37: Pre-Orders and Launch Timeline
• 15:16: Introducing Pillars of Faith
• 21:51: Evangelization and Catechesis in Practice
• 28:20: What Brings Jonathan Joy

Resources Mentioned:

• Liturgy of the Hours – Second Edition
• Pillars of Faith Curriculum
• The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz
• The Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz
• Ascension Press

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Thank you for joining us for Resounding Guests Podcast. Resounding Guest is the show center for Mary Speaker and reflects upon how we say guests before. We are podcast by Creative Agency. Visit FlomentFake.com to learn more about our Creative Agency and lots of engaging creative content, all for Catholic and artistic clients. Welcome back, friends. My Christina Savo, and today we are we welcome Jonathan Street. Jonathan is the president and CEO of Ascension. Under his leadership, Ascension was named Fortunate by Fortune as one of the top 10 small, best small business workplaces in the United States in 2024, and has launched three podcasts to hit number one on the Apple charts in all categories. The most prominent of these, The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz, has been the first or number one religion podcast in the world since 2021. And I believe today that I read that it hit one billion all-time downloads, which means that more than half a million people have listened to God's Word every day since its launch. Jonathan serves on the board of the Association of Catholic Publishers and the National Board of Young Catholic Professionals. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of the Immaculate. Jonathan received his bachelor's and masters from Penn State University, and he and his wife Kelly live in Pennsylvania with their seven children. So today we will speak with Jonathan about his personal yes and the newly announced second edition of the Liturgy of the Hours coming out in July of 2026, as well as Ascension's new K-8 religious education program entitled Pillars of Faith. So thank you for being on the show today, Jonathan. It's a true honor for us, and I look forward to speaking with you. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 1:46

I'm doing well. Thank you, Christina, for having me on.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Great, great. So before we begin, as always, uh let us pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Father in heaven, thank you for the gifts you give us every day. Help lead us to grow in our prayer lives. And also to continue to evangelize through every prayer, interaction, and conversation, humbly glorifying you. Help us to reject what is false, to resist what's harmful, and to truly cling to what is good, beautiful, and worthy of your glory. We thank you for this conversation, for Jonathan, his yes, for the work he does every day, bless his efforts, and may this conversation bear fruit, continue to form hearts that seek truth and beauty to follow your son more closely. We entrust all this to you through Christ our Lord and through the intercession of our blessed mother and our patron, St. John Paul II. Please pray for us in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. All right. Well, all right, Jonathan. So again, thank you for being here. I'd like to begin with your background and your yes that led you to where you are today. Can you share from your heart about your background and a moment in your life when you felt God asking something of you and you responded with your own resounding yes?

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Yeah, thank you. Uh so I've uh I've been doing ministry since I was in high school. I was a part of a youth group in college. I did college, college ministry. Uh, after college, I was uh involved and started a young adult group uh outside the Philly area where I'm at. Uh but you know, professionally, my undergraduate was in computer science, and I have a master's in software engineering. And for the first 10 years after college, I was in the aerospace industry. And so technology was was my focus. Uh it I knew people at Ascension just from doing ministry locally in the area, uh, and the opportunity came up to uh to come over here and lead the technology group at the time, which was a big change because I was going to go out of uh programming and in a lot of the technical skills that that I knew uh and into uh managing some initiatives. So that was a that was definitely a big a big moment of a a yes uh career-wise to come over to Ascension knowing that things would be just really different. And uh if it didn't work out, it'd be hard to get back into the aerospace industry after being out of it for for some time. Um But I am I'm glad that I did that because then uh a couple years later, um I had the opportunity to step into the CEO role, uh, which was uh a really different uh challenge for my skill set. Um and I was excited to do that because I just there were so many opportunities that I saw you know on the table, um, even to leverage technology uh and scale up the things that we were doing. Um and so you know, with the support of uh my wife, you know, who who was really important and me saying yes, you know, to to take on something you know that big, um uh I was able to step into that role. And you know, the past five years have been have been really great. You know, dimension five one year just hit a billion downloads, and now we we get to talk about liturgy hours and the curriculum, and and so we're just doing a lot of amazing things. And so I'm I'm grateful that I had the support at home to be able to say yes to some of these things because it it can be a uh I think when you're playing around with, you know, hey, the career could change, you know, how much you're bringing home could change. Um we've got you know now seven kids at home, you know, to support. Uh so you know, I I have to consider all the responsibilities because that comes first um before something that seems like you know a fun challenge. Um, but I'm glad I said yes to it.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

That's great to hear. So your children, you say you have seven. Um the oldest is how is how old?

SPEAKER_01 5:43

My oldest is 13. Okay. Uh the youngest uh is gonna turn one uh here in May.

SPEAKER_02 5:49

Oh wow, that's so amazing. That's so great. I have a four-year-old, so I've I've gotten over that one-year-old stage. We uh we have been blessed with one, and it's just I mean, and you would know best uh having um seven, but it's just it's such a world when it goes by so fast. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Yeah, yeah. Sometimes it uh a phrase somebody said to me was just the uh the uh uh the days are long but the years are short, you know. Yes, um it goes by so fast, um it seems, but in the moment you're like, oh man, you know, this is this plot.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

So yes, that is so very true. So, so true. So um to talk a little bit more about the liturgy of the hours. This is so fascinating to me. When I first received the press release, I was just I got goosebumps. I'm like, oh my gosh. And and you know, continuing to follow along and seeing what's to come and the beautiful art and everything that will be included is fantastic. Um so they just to share a little bit more, the the USDCB is the United States of uh Conference of Catholic Bishops, chose Ascension as one of the publishers for the second edition of the Liturgy of the Hours. Uh, from your announcement, Ascension's announcement, it states for centuries the church has sanctified every hour of the day with alms, hymns, readings, and the prayer we call the you know, the liturgy of the psalms, hymns, and readings of prayer we call the liturgy of the hours. So now after a century, the new English translation of the Liturgy of the Hours is almost here. And Ascension was selected, you know, as I said, by the USCB to be among the first to offer a beautiful new edition. This is more than a book. This is a once-in-a-generation moment to re-engage with the beautiful prayer of the church. So for those who aren't familiar with it, what is the Liturgy of the Hours?

SPEAKER_01 7:24

So Liturgy of the Hours is the official daily prayer of the church. If you are clergy and most religious have to pray it as part of their vocation. Um, but it's not, it's not just their prayer, it's it's the prayer of the whole church. Um, so it's something that the faithful are invited to participate in as well. Uh, and as part of Vatican II, they made a a particular call for the faithful to uh to try and and engage with it. Um so it's different from uh a uh devotional that you might see. So praying the rosary and and various uh devotions that are are you know just wonderful. Um uh but it it's just different. It's the official prayer of the church. So you're not just praying it on your own when you pray it, you're really praying with the whole church as you pray it.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

That's what I love about the Liturgy of the Hours and to think and reflect on that. Um, you know, when you say those prayers, you are truly, and you know, you feel that's that sense of community. You are praying with the church, which is uh such an amazing feeling. Um what do you feel the benefits of praying it are for lay people in particular? And how can lay people integrate it into daily prayer? And um what are some of the updates that this unit is? So we'll start with how can the lay people integrate it into daily prayer?

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Yeah, so one of the uh biggest benefits that it gives is that it gives structure to your day. So instead of prayer being something that you try to fit in, uh it's something that can help uh shape your time. Um one of the one of the I think misnomers people have about it is that uh it it seems complex, uh, you know, um and even the uh well yeah, you're you're uh you know, you are in marketing, so you can imagine that the names matter a lot. So when you say liturgy the hours, I think it sounds like it's gonna take hours to do, you know, um and way too much time that I can fit into my day as a lay person raising kids and you know with the kind of responsibilities that comes with that. Uh it it it does not take it does not take that. Um and we can say, you know, as as lay people, I mean we're invited to say uh as much of it as as as we can uh as fits you know into our day. Um in our family, uh I am able to pray uh night prayer with the kids pretty easily. Uh the whole thing can take five to seven minutes, right? So if you've never done it before, um you know there's booklets out there that you know you could try, and it's it's it's really easy, right? So um uh but with the structure, it gives you some guidance for um something that can shape your time, uh, which is really nice. Um so it's not as complicated as you might think, you know. And uh you said uh what were some of the updates in the new edition?

SPEAKER_02 10:09

Yeah, so I'd love to hear about the updates that this new edition will have, yeah, and share that with listeners.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

Yeah, so uh it was last updated in the early 70s. Uh so the the Vatican came out with a Latin edition, the USCCB, uh along with um uh it's called the International Commission on English in the liturgy, ISIL. They're the ones that do the translations for the liturgical works. Uh they did the translation back in the 70s, and uh it's been the same ever ever since. Um but the Latin doesn't change because you know it's it doesn't change its meaning over time, but the English language does. And so to do a new one was a big effort. Uh it's taken the USCCB uh an ISIL 13, 14, something years to to do this. It's like 8,000 pages of text. It's it's really something else. Um, so it's got new translations of the Psalms and Canicles, revised scripture readings. Uh it's got a whole lot of stuff. They've added a lot of hymns that were previously untranslated from the Latin edition. Uh so there's a lot of stuff that uh and the Vatican did update it in the 80s, but we never got that update. So now that's part of it too. So for anyone that's been praying it uh for some time, it's gonna feel it's gonna feel the same, but it's gonna feel fresh and new.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

That's incredible. That really is. Um I uh like I shared, I I really have enjoyed following along and re, you know, going through the their different releases and just um getting excited about it. And um again, what I I'm drawn to, and and that's probably just my visual um learning style or just um how much I love art. I just have it really enjoyed the and Ascension. You guys do such an amazing, beautiful job with this, is just the the displays of what the inside will you know will look like. Um and I can't wait to see it and feel it and hold it. It's gonna be so exciting. So um so through projects like Bible in a year and catechism in a year, the amazing um Father Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, who our team um has had we've had him on the show and we adore him, and many others have helped many Catholics rediscover daily prayer. How do you see the liturgy of the hours fitting into, and this kind of plays off of the previous question too, but how do you see the liturgy of the hours fitting into that growing culture um that we're in of daily prayer?

SPEAKER_01 12:23

So uh going back to Bible in a year, uh I think something that we we saw with it um was that people were okay with not just a um you know a one-time engagement, but uh a daily commitment. They they were okay with that, right? They were okay from moving from a one-time engagement to like a daily practice, you know. Um so you end up building up the habit of of showing up every day and you know getting these things uh piecemeal, you know, because they're they're kind of meant to be like that. I mean, the Bible is not uh you can't really read it in a day. It's a lot, you know. Um so it's it's pretty normal to uh take it in over time. Um and so if if scripture uh in the reading of scripture through Bible in the year is how we learn it, then the hours is is how we pray it. Liturgy of the hours is uh rooted and based in the Psalms and praying with Scripture. So uh going from something like Bible in a year, which really forms your understanding, something like Liturgy of the Hours is really going to form your your prayer again, based off of off of scripture. So they really they really fit together nicely. Um but yeah, they're they're meant to complement each other.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

That's that's amazing. Uh so anyone listening, um, where can they learn more to sign up to be the first to know when they are available and when when will the copies be available?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Yeah, so you can go to essentialpress.com slash L O T H uh to learn more about Literature Hours. We have a whole page for it. You can sign up and join the wait list. Uh we the pre-orders are going to start on July 1st of this year. Uh it's going to start shipping in, I believe, January of next year, just in time for uh the rollout, uh, which the first use date from the USCCB is February 10th, which is Ash Wednesday, uh start of Lent next year. So that'll start with volume two of Liturgy the Hours. Uh but there's a lot, we're we're starting to release little snippets of of things over time here. Like you mentioned, the artwork. We just did uh a whole piece on that. It's really cool, original, beautiful artwork. Um so if you keep watching, we got a lot more to say.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

I encourage everyone to sign up. It's uh it's been really a beautiful journey to experience and um and and it really is, you know, a mark in really what I believe history and is the second edition that's coming out. So that's um it's been really, like I said, really interesting and and um such a such a pleasure to follow along. Um and we will include all of those uh links in our show notes as well for listeners. You can easily click over there and find it. So I'd love to shift a bit and talk about the pillar pillars of faith, the new K-8 curriculum from Ascension. Um Catholic education comes up from um from our agency's work promoting in various ways. Our we have a partnership with Institute of Catholic Liberal Education and our passion really to share the beauty of the faith with our with young hearts. So it means a lot to me and it means a lot to you know a lot of people who listen to our show as well. For those hearing about it for the first time, what exactly is this curriculum and why is it so important do you feel today?

SPEAKER_01 15:28

So uh it's uh it's a new curriculum. We have not done curriculum before at Ascension. All of the work that we've done has been either in uh sacramental prep or um uh supplemental uh programs, you know, for uh for kids and teens. Uh you know, this one uh it we we didn't want to do something in unless we felt that we had something really really different to do, you know. Um and a big shift in uh well I guess just to back up, um the Vatican has something that they call the directory of catechesis, which came out in in the 70s, and that was like their directives basically for how they could see catechesis uh being done. And that got updated in 2020. And they basically said that the thing that they want to address right now uh is that you know, when a lot of times when we're talking about the faith, even in in Catholic schools, uh you can't necessarily assume that it's always going to be reinforced like back at home. You know, so you can in the in the past there might have been an assumption by you know educators um and uh you know from publishers writing these materials that uh children are going to go home and the parents are going to kind of play the role of being evangelists and and and getting the heart moving for children. Um and so they could make sure that the children learned the catechesis and the facts in school, that would be reinforced at home. That assumption is not there anymore, you know. Um and you know, we just heard from a school yesterday that said about 30% of their students uh are coming from families that are not Catholic, but they're sending their kids to Catholic school, you know, and why are they doing that? Because they want a good moral education, is why, right? So there is such a good uh uh um invitation opportunity to make sure that uh children are uh evangelized and invited into the faith, right? Even you know, saying saying simple things like, you know, God loves you and has a plan for your life, you know, two kids, reinforced to the parents too, can give these things more meaning before they start getting into the catechesis and the stories. You know, uh that way it there is something that uh it can feel more meaningful and personal to them. So, you know, that's that's what the the Vatican came out with in 2020 uh and and challenged uh the conferences to you know adopt that in their own curriculum. So the USCCB, of course, you know, is is is behind that. And they issued new guidance for curriculum, uh, I want to say like a year and a half ago, something like that. Um and the new guidance does combined combine evangelization and catechesis. So they're they're wanting these things to be integrated. They're saying that it's not just that the curriculum shouldn't be wrong and should conform to uh you know the catechism, um, but that it it also needs to have that invitation opportunity. So at Ascension, what we wanted to do uh was reinforce that with our curriculum, uh, but also to imitate how adults learn the faith too, which is that they have a Bible and they they have a catechism and they they they use the two together. But you don't see that at the children's level uh as much. You usually see them with a workbook. And we didn't want to treat it like a workbook. The Bible's something special. It's not just uh an extra science book or extra math book, like it's it's something special. Uh so we think that there's something special about children opening up the Bible to read a story, as opposed to having it be uh uh abridged and and put into a workbook. So the curriculum hinges upon uh a what we're calling a guided reading edition of the Bible. Basically, the text is 20% actual scripture quotes. It's organized like a real Bible, and the rest of the text is written for children uh in Bible language and terms uh to bridge the scripture text from one to the other. So, because what you usually see with children's Bibles is either a compendium of stories or the full Bible, but you know, it's just too old for them and they're not gonna look at it, you know. So this tries to combine the best of the two of them and allow them to actually open it up and read along with parents because there's another assumption too, with well, maybe the uh faith can't be reinforced at home, and it's that, well, at some level you end up having to catechize the parents too. So you have a super big challenge uh ahead of you, you know, as a publisher. Um but we think that uh what we have developed here is gonna be just really compelling.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

That's so exciting, and what you said is so true. I agree about um well, in many ways, about the you know, those that are non-Catholics attending a Catholic school and then the the thirst for just forming, just as you said, the whole person and that's why and and the morals that are involved. Um, and that's a huge moment to just um truly to show those that have never been exposed to the faith what the Catholic faith means and being universal and um evangelizing in that way. Um so and I and also love what you said about the children's Bibles, which is actually funny enough, we had this conversation with my son yesterday for um and he said, Mommy, I want I you know, they and they teach it in in this his go he goes to a Catholic school, uh they teach it in school, but um he said, Mommy, I want to read my Bible at home. I'm like, you know, as a parent, that's just like your uh oh yay, like, aha moment. This is great that he's actually wanting to. But then in you know in picking up his children's Bible, just as what you said. It's um it's it's a beautiful Bible and I love it. Um it's like a you know, heirloom quality Bible. But when you go into the stories, you have to, there's it it's not meant for a child, truly, although it is called a children's Bible. So um I'm excited to to explore this some more just personally and professionally. It's just um it's going to be an amazing resource for so many people. Um and you my next question is it's just um diving a little bit further into what you've already said. So their curriculum, as you said, is uh described, which I love, as combining evangelization and catechesis. Um furthermore, what does that look like or mean in practical terms for teachers? And students?

SPEAKER_01 22:02

So it's it's not just a transfer of information, right? You know, you're trying to you're trying to form disciples, you know. Um, and I mean those that's words that educators like to hear, and um, you know, it it's hard because that's that's that's a choice, you know. Um you can't you can't just it's easy for it to be a transfer of information because you can assess a transfer of information, right? You can you can easily say, you know, you got 90% of it, you know, and and here's the grade. Um when it comes to uh you know creating discipleship, um, I mean, I guess you can do inventories and see if people, you know, have have progressed. Like there's kind of ways to assess it, but you just have to be like cognizant that it's it's you you can't treat it the same way as was the information transferred successfully, you know. Um but what you can put in is making sure that children do receive that invite, you know, and uh just like I said, even even telling children, you know, God loves you and has a plan for your life, you know, like even reinforcing things like that, uh that's that's actually really meaningful, you know. Um and they remember things like that. So when you can tie what they're learning, you know, back into a personal uh invite and and a response and and you know, leading them in prayer reflection and and just letting them know these are like these are parts of it, right? This isn't just a we're gonna you know study the definition of prayer and move on, you know, like you can you can do it with kids, you know, and you don't have to be uh uh an expert, you know, to to do that, which I think is an another worry uh in the Catholic schools, uh and something that the um you know principals and and superintendents worry about is oh, you know, if the catechist or the teacher, uh uh how much of a disciple are they themselves? Because if they're not, how are they supposed to like pass that on? You know? And I think it's it's we're trying to say that it's it's okay, everybody's gonna be in you know different places. Um uh, but we can we can give you the script, you know, we can tell you what to do, right? Uh and again, even saying something like God loves you and has a plan for your life, well, that's scriptural. So even if you know you're unsure about those words and if you know you've really, really fully grasped them, you're still speaking scripture and there's power in scripture when it's spoken.

SPEAKER_02 24:31

That's beautiful. Um thinking about the you know, forming the whole person from the start they from the beginning when they start in school up until um eighth grade um and beyond. Um, when you imagine that time with students growing up with this curriculum from that time from K through eight, what kind of Catholic formation do you hope that they receive?

SPEAKER_01 24:51

So I hope that they um there there's a there's a few things that we're trying to do, you know, uh with a children's Bible that is uh has all 73 books and all you know 20% scripture in there, that the like the next levels up just end up with more and more until you have a full Bible, right? Um on the catechism side, uh it is uh questions and answers. It's like the same questions for uh each level, uh, with bigger and more, you know, deeper expanded answers, you know, as they go through. But it also follows the pedagogy of the catechism of the Catholic Church, right? So we're hoping that with a literacy in how those things are structured, they can recognize that there is a coherence to the faith. And so they're not just learning like piles of facts that seem disorganized or disconnected from each other or so connected that they they can't form in their mind, you know, where it's at. Um with the by but the Bible telling the story of uh salvation, um we can go through that. That's that's what we did in Bible in a year and in our Bible timeline. Uh, and with the catechism to walk you through how it is organized, uh, because there's a very logical structure to it. Um, we're hoping that they will know that foundation so well um that it's easy for them to uh feel comfortable to turn to it as they grow up, right? And with the invitation, um we're hoping that they don't just don't just know the random facts, but they they they know more about how to live it, you know, and they're comfortable turning to prayer uh in their daily lives. Um and that that's something that they can they can take with them.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

That's that's amazing. And Ascension does such an amazing job with um, such a beautiful job with the resources. So what my excitement with this is that this, you know, as you're explaining, this resource you know combines catechesis and the Bible and understanding both both together for not just for children, but for um adults as well. And then that you have all of these resources like Bible in a year, catechism in a year, that um I love the uh Great Adventure Bible and the Bible timeline. I have those um sitting behind me. Um so many resources that adults can use to be better, you know, catechists, whether it's you know in the domestic church or in the school setting as well. So that's fantastic. Um so on that note, for any parents, educators, catechists, or pastors, when will schools and parishes begin to see the curriculum roll out?

SPEAKER_01 27:26

So we're starting to talk about it now. There's a few teaser pages up on our website. Um you can reach out to us with any questions about adapting it, and we're we're happy to talk. Uh grades uh K through two are coming out for this fall, so the 2026-2027 school year. Uh so we are just about to start sending out sample materials and and things of that nature. Um and then grades you know three and beyond are gonna come out in subsequent years uh after that. But we're starting as soon as this fall. So that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

All right, so that means when this episode comes out, if you're listening, you need to get on it and follow along so that we can um yeah, continue to help promote this. It's been yeah, it's so wonderful. So um, all right, my last question is always one that I look forward to because it's always a fun one. So, in the rhythm of your daily work and vocation, what brings you the most joy? It's a two-part question. So I'll I'll if we'll we'll do the first part first, but then I'll tell you the whole question. So, what brings you the most joy in your daily work vocation? And the second part is is there a saint you often ask to walk alongside you in the work you do at Ascension?

SPEAKER_01 28:31

Um, that's what yeah, that is a fun one. So uh it's it's hard to it's hard to focus on one thing. Um I mean, it's always very motivating for me to hear, you know, how somebody's life is is actually being changed by something. Um, you know, that is a lot of fun. Uh, you know, I think what brings me the most joy is when they say that combined with something that um we did that we thought was uh was innovative, you know, um, and a different use of what's out there because even prior to Bible in a year, um you know, people would say, well, I wish I you know knew scripture better, et cetera, et cetera. Right. And you know, as a publisher, uh, I mean, just you know, look up uh what books will teach me about the Bible out there. I mean, there's there's there's so many, right? And so it's it's kind of like, well, wait a second, you know how many resources there are like already for how to learn the Bible? You know, how how come there's so many resources and people are saying, I wish I knew how to do that better, you know? Um it seems like there's a disconnect, right? And but those we one of the things with Bible in ear uh that made it so popular was we said, well, okay, well, we'll just read it to you. We'll just read it to you, you know, just to backpress play and we will take care of it, right? And you can join us on the journey rather than to say, like, well, here's a reading plan, like you go do it, you know, um, or there's long books you can read. Um, you know, uh, I think it's helped that we introduced it as a habitual thing that you can do, you know, um, a bite-sized habitual thing. Uh, and so many people tuned into it and was like, I've been going to church for so many years, you know, and I never knew it. And I was kind of embarrassed to even say that I didn't really know it, you know, didn't know where to start. Every resource just seemed like I'm it's not cohesive, you know, or if it is, it's so much I don't know where to, I again, it's just so it seems overwhelming. So I think we were just able to find a innovative way uh to make it easy. Um, and so that's that's what gets me um, that's what really gets me the most excited.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

That's great. That's great. Okay, and then um, is there a saint that you often call upon or um that you often ask to walk alongside you in your work at Ascension?

SPEAKER_01 30:54

Yeah, so uh I do have a devotion to Saint Joseph. I I love Saint Joseph, um, as well as John Paul II. You know, I know you said that that you've entrusted your work to him uh as well. Um Saint Joseph, just because he was entrusted with so much uh uh humility um and had to lead with trust uh in there. Uh John Paul II, because um, I mean that was you know Pope, the Pope that I grew up with, um, you know, and uh he was the one that um, you know, he he he commissioned the catechism of the Catholic Church to get put together, you know, and there was so much that he I know wanted to to do and to start. And I think something I'm appreciating in my role at ascension is just how long it takes some of these things to, you know, come to fruition. Um and uh, you know, so to go back and and see um what uh what he was hoping was gonna happen and how we can influence that now um is is something that uh you know um I pray about as well.

SPEAKER_02 31:55

That's great. Well, thank you so much, Jonathan. It was such a pleasure spending time with you today and hearing about your yes and learning more about all the amazing work Ascension continues to do in our lives. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

Thank you, Christina.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

You're welcome. If you'd like to learn more about Jonathan and Ascension, you can click the link in our show notes or visit ascensionpress.com. We encourage you to sign up to receive updates on the release of the second edition of the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as more information on pillars of faith. You can also click in the show notes to subscribe to Ascension's amazing series of podcasts and resources. My favorite being, as we said, Bible in a year and catechism a year, or by searching on your favorite listening platforms. As we close the episode today, we especially encourage you to spend time with your friend who knows you best on Jesus. Go to adoration, daily mass, and talk or sit with him, even if it's just 10 minutes and go for a walk outside, meditate on sacred art, pray the liturgy of the hours, or tune into a podcast, or simply venture to sit with him among God's gifts and nature and pray. I challenge you to go out into the world and add more prayer into your day today. You'll be amazed at how your heart will sing. Know of our team's prayers, and we will conclude this episode silently praying for all of your intentions you hold in your hearts. I invite you to do so as well. Let us also pray for those who may be in need of God's mercy, or maybe on the peripheries needing guidance back to the church. May we all seek the light of Christ in all of our things, all of our work and things, walking with him hand in hand through the great adventure of life. And may our words, our choices, and our actions reflect that light so clearly that others are drawn toward him through us. So thank you so much again, Jonathan, from all of us that are resounding yes. We pray that all listeners have a joyful day and make a head full of miracles. We ask that you please prayerfully share these episodes with family, friends, your community, and parish to continue to spread Christ's light to the world. I'd like to mention that following us is easy and free. Just click follow on your favorite listening platform to receive alerts when we publish new episodes, or you can subscribe to us at Paloma and Fake through our email bulletins at paloma and fake.com for even more faith-built content and creative evangelization of the faith. Thank you for your continued support as we cannot do this without each of you and your prayers. God bless.