Matt Fradd
Spirituality/Belief • Books • Writing
This PWA community exists to facilitate an online community of PWA listeners and all lovers of philosophy and theology.
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I'm trying very hard to be patient and keep myself occupied with getting my current home decluttered and packed for our move.

We're in a sort of limbo right now waiting for application approval for the park and waiting for the loan to get ready to close. It can be hard waiting because we are at the mercy of the owner of the land and the bank. (We will own the house but rent the land it is on.)

But, a beautiful thing is that everyone close to me that I have told about the move has said the same thing: They think this will be what I need to help my body heal! I hope so!

But what a great lesson to place myself at the mercy of God.

As I've said before I grew up first world "poor" in an evangelical family that believed in preparing for the End Times during an era of materialism. That essentially meant a level of hoarding and being "preppers." Always be ready. Always think of every possible outcome. Always make sure you have enough, do enough, and can survive. Save every scrap of fabric so God doesn't punish you for not being prepared to make clothes for your family when the poo hits the fan. Save every scrap of paper so you have paper if the poo hits the fan. Save every card, every ribbon, every gift bag so God doesn't punish you for being wasteful and not a good steward. Save your kids old toys so God doesn't punish you for being wasteful for giving them away and having to buy new toys for your grandkids. Save every memory because nostalgia is the drug of choice for my era and you'll hate yourself for not giving you kids physical memories.....

Yeah, it was a really toxic mindset, but I find myself still drifting back to it as I let go of things and really try to embrace simplicity.

The house we are buying is small and the woman who currently owns it lives very minimally. When I stepped in to tour the home I loved it. I loved the space, the air, the cleanliness, the ability to breathe and focus. I want to stay inspired by that and continue. And I want it to give me the margin I desire to be able to curate a Catholic lifestyle, my faith walk in every day life.

Anyhow, please pray that the applications go through and we are able to get this house for real and hold the keys in our hands. We have a March 30th deadline, but earlier would be better.

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Thank God for the Crusades (Dr. Thomas Madden) | Ep. 568

Dr. Thomas Madden, Professor of Medieval History and Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University, sits down to set the record straight on the Crusades. Demystifying one of history's most misunderstood chapters. Dr. Madden draws on 30 years of scholarship and archival work to trace the full arc of the Crusades from their origins in centuries of Muslim expansion to the catastrophic Fourth Crusade's sack of Constantinople. Whether you think the Crusades were an act of aggression, piety, or geopolitical chaos, this conversation will challenge what you thought you knew.

Ep. 568

02:02:10
February 19, 2026
What I Wish I Knew When I Converted | Ft. Dr. Scott Hahn

In this episode of Last Call, Matt shares his personal journey from agnostic teenager to committed Catholic, and answers your questions on the topic of conversion. Then, Matt sits down with renowned Catholic theologian, Dr. Scott Hahn, who reflects candidly on what advice he would give his 1986 self upon converting to Catholicism, including the mistakes he made with friends, family, and within his own marriage in his early zeal.

Pints: Last Call Ep. 3

00:55:01
February 17, 2026
Why Mormonism Denies God's Existence (Joe Heschmeyer) | Ep. 567

Catholic apologist Joe Heschmeyer stops by to discuss his debate with LDS apologist and the theological problems with LDS beliefs. Later on they discuss the toxic culture of online apologetics, dating advice and practical tips for breaking phone addiction.

Ep. 567

02:31:45
Simple NEW Lofi Song

Working on an entire album of lofi music. Here's one of those songs. Album should drop next week. THEN, a couple of weeks after that we hope to have our 24/7 stream up and running.

Simple NEW Lofi Song
December 01, 2022
Day 5 of Advent

THE ERROR OF ARIUS ABOUT THE INCARNATION

In their eagerness to proclaim the unity of God and man in Christ, some heretics went to the opposite extreme and taught that not only was there one person, but also a single nature, in God and man. This error took its rise from Arius. To defend his position that those scriptural passages where Christ is represented as being inferior to the Father, must refer to the Son of God Himself, regarded in His assuming nature, Arius taught that in Christ there is no other soul than the Word of God who, he maintained, took the place of the soul in Christ’s body. Thus when Christ says, in John 14:28, “The Father is greater than I,” or when He is introduced as praying or as being sad, such matters are to be referred to the very nature of the Son of God. If this were so, the union of God’s Son with man would be effected not only in the person, but also in the nature. For, as we know, the unity of human nature arises from the union of soul and body.

The...

Day 5 of Advent
November 27, 2022
Day 1 of Advent

RESTORATION OF MAN BY GOD THROUGH THE INCARNATION

We indicated above that the reparation of human nature could not be effected either by Adam or by any other purely human being. For no individual man ever occupied a position of pre-eminence over the whole of nature; nor can any mere man be the cause of grace. The same reasoning shows that not even an angel could be the author of man’s restoration. An angel cannot be the cause of grace, just as he cannot be man’s recompense with regard to the ultimate perfection of beatitude, to which man was to be recalled. In this matter of beatitude angels and men are on a footing of equality. Nothing remains, therefore, but that such restoration could be effected by God alone.

But if God had decided to restore man solely by an act of His will and power, the order of divine justice would not have been observed. justice demands satisfaction for sin. But God cannot render satisfaction, just as He cannot merit. Such a service pertains to one who ...

Day 1 of Advent
February 12, 2026
10-Day Pilgrimage to the Seven Churches of Revelation with Fr. Jason Charron and Matt & Cameron Fradd

Join Father Jason Charron, my wife Cameron, and me for a pilgrimage through Asia Minor as we explore the Seven Churches of Revelation and the cradle of early Christianity.

We will journey through modern-day Turkey, visiting the great cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Laodicea, Philadelphia, and Hierapolis, as well as Constantinople, walking in places shaped by over 3,000 years of history.

Stand among the ruins of Ephesus, marvel at the white terraces of Pamukkale, and explore the ancient city of Hierapolis and its magnificent necropolis.

This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Space is limited and this pilgrimage will sell out quickly, so reserve your spot today.

https://www.signaturetours.com/JCharron26

Not available quite yet, but here is my author page and book cover reveal! 😁

https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/whisperinghope/

Quote of the Day
"Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?"
St. Gerard

Today's Meditation
“God wishes us to be meek even toward ourselves. When a person commits a fault, God certainly wishes him to humble himself, to be sorry for his sin, and to purpose never to fall into it again; but he does not wish him to be indignant with himself, and give way to trouble and agitation of mind; for, while the soul is agitated, a man is incapable of doing good.”
—St. Alphonsus De Liguori, p. 259

Daily Verse
"Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison ...

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December 16, 2025
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6 Month Daily Wire+ Membership (FREE!)

Hello dear Locals member!

I want to thank you again for your support. And I'm not talking about your hard earned money (though I'm grateful for that!). I'm thankful for you for trusting me during this transition. And more than that, some of you have even come to my defense when haters online have accused me of selling out to those nefarious Jews!

Here's a comment we just got on my interview with Scott Hahn:

"What an absolute delight. I hope that everyone who was throwing shade and casting judgement on the new PWA/DW relationship takes a deep listen to this first post-collaboration episode. Seriously! I feel that having Hahn on speaks volumes to the integrity of PWA and the respect DW has for that integrity." - @arealdonut

Okay ... with that out of the way, I'm happy to annoucne that:

  • Locals members (whether monthly or annual members) will get 6 months of DailyWire+ for free!
  • Existing Daily Wire subscribers will get a 6 month extension on their account. No action needed.
  • If you’re not yet subscribed to DailyWire+, you’ll be sent an email the week of January 5 containing a unique code for 6 months of DailyWire+ for free.
  • If you’re not subscribed to our emails, be sure to go to pintswithaquinas.com/subscribe, scroll to the bottom where it says “sign up to get the Latest”, enter your name and email and click sign up now.

God bless you guys, and thanks again.

Matt

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October 23, 2025
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It's finally here! Jesus Our Refuge 🙌

It’s finally here! 

I’ve been pouring my heart into what I truly believe is an important book—Jesus Our Refuge (get here). It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever written, and my hope is that it helps you find peace and refuge in the heart of Jesus. 

Please consider getting a copy here and reviewing!

P.S. I don’t earn anything from this book. When I wrote it, I knew it had to reach far and wide, so I partnered with a publisher who believes in that mission. Every bit of the royalties I’d have received goes into a fund to give away one million copies for free.

 

 

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What St. Thomas Means by "Curiosity"

In today's livestream I spoke about the sin of curiosity. In this article, I thought I'd sum it up for you in case I didn't do it well in the livestream.

You can read Thomas' own words here, btw. 

For Aquinas, “curiosity” is not simply the healthy desire to know the truth. He distinguishes between the virtue of studiositas—the ordered pursuit of knowledge—and the vice of curiositas, which is the disordered pursuit of knowledge.

Curiosity becomes a vice when we seek knowledge in the wrong way or for the wrong reasons: for pride, idle speculation, gossip, or knowledge that leads us away from God rather than toward Him. For example, indulging in occult practices, probing into sinful matters for fascination, or prying into things that are none of our business (all of social media, or just most?) are all ways that curiosity corrupts the good of knowledge. In other words, knowledge itself is good, but the way we desire, seek, and use it can be distorted.

Aquinas says that curiosity can show itself in several ways: when someone prefers trivial knowledge over what would truly benefit their soul (c'mon ... this is how many people live their lives), when one seeks knowledge to boast or to sin, when one is distracted by an endless hunger for new information at the expense of wisdom, or when one turns to forbidden sources of knowledge.

By contrast, the virtue of studiousness disciplines the intellect so that we seek truth for its own sake, for God’s glory, and for the service of others. Thus, Aquinas sees curiosity not as the love of learning itself, but as the disorder of that love—an appetite for knowing that forgets the proper end of knowledge, which is to lead us to truth and ultimately to God.

So here's a challenge for you and me: What is one practical way that we can avoid curiosity and grow in studiousness?

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