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Real Living

Real Living

Mary Lou Nemecek and Lavinia Spirito 130 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

Real Living is a Catholic podcast and radio program hosted by Mary Lou Nemecek and Lavinia Spirito. It grew out of nearly twenty years of weekly scripture study and a companion radio show. The hosts encourage listeners to bring Catholic mindfulness and awareness into their everyday lives. Each episode challenges and supports people in living out their faith in ordinary circumstances. The show blends scripture reflection with practical encouragement for daily Christian living.

Episodes

The Beatitudes
The Beatitudes Oct 13, 2026 0:31:24 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek discuss Jesus’ Beatitudes, focusing on Matthew 5 and contrasting it with Luke’s blessings and woes, emphasizing that the Beatitudes are meant to challenge comfortable assumptions and serve as a roadmap for holiness. They explain “makarios” (blessed/happy/fulfilled) and describe the Beatitudes as a rhetorical teaching device pointing to God’s unearned grace. Key
2026 Pilgrimage To Florence Part 2
2026 Pilgrimage To Florence Part 2 Sep 29, 2026 0:17:29 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek continue previewing their November 2026 Catholic pilgrimage to Florence and Rome, expanding beyond the first days in Florence (Duomo, Baptistry, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce, leather school) to include a day trip to Lucca to visit the shrines of Saints Elena Guerra and Gemma Galgani, with discussion of Guerra’s influence on Leo XIII’s 1900 consecration to t
2026 Pilgrimage To Florence
2026 Pilgrimage To Florence Sep 22, 2026 0:22:03 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek preview the sold-out November 2026 Italy pilgrimage (itinerary available at cwbs.org) and focus on the Florence portion, explaining pilgrimage as deepening encounters with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through daily Mass and visiting historic Church sites. They discuss Florence’s walkable layout, safety, food, and religious art, then outline plans to visit t
Intro To Scripture Part 4
Intro To Scripture Part 4 Sep 15, 2026 0:21:01 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek continue an introduction to Sacred Scripture by emphasizing the unity of the New Testament and the Catholic “three-legged” deposit of faith: Scripture, oral Sacred Tradition, and Magisterial teaching, including the fourth-century councils that affirmed the canon. They explain how Gospel authorship was preserved through tradition, and define “gospel” from the Gr
Intro To Scripture Part 3
Intro To Scripture Part 3 Sep 8, 2026 0:18:14 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek continue their introduction to scripture by explaining what the Bible is and how its canon was formed. After reading a Gideon Bible introduction describing scripture’s purpose and authority, they discuss the meaning of “Word of God” as writings inspired by the Holy Spirit for human flourishing. The episode focuses on how the New Testament developed from early l
Intro To Scripture Part 2
Intro To Scripture Part 2 Sep 1, 2026 0:21:27 On Real Living, Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek encourage listeners to join a Bible study, such as Catholic Way Bible Study (CWBS.org), in person when possible or via Zoom, and stress that engaging Scripture can change one’s life and even inspire new “daughter” studies. They explain Scripture as God’s written revelation within a broader progressive revelation: first known through nature, then
Intro To Scripture Part 1
Intro To Scripture Part 1 Aug 24, 2026 0:19:35 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek introduce an overview of what Scripture is and is not as their Bible study begins (including a Gospel of Matthew study at Christ the King in Lexington, Kentucky). They explain Scripture as the “Word of God” through the Greek concept of logos—word, reason, and a Person in Jesus—emphasizing that God speaks, heals, guides, and loves through it. Citing Hebrews, the
Sober Intoxication Of The Spirit: Part Four
Sober Intoxication Of The Spirit: Part Four Jul 7, 2026 0:20:07 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek continue discussing Cardinal Cantalamessa’s Sober Intoxication of the Spirit, focusing on the requirements to receive and operate in the Holy Spirit. After previously addressing personal holiness, they emphasize humility as surrendering control to God, drawing on Revelation 2:7, Ash Wednesday’s “to dust,” and C.S. Lewis’ definition of humility as thinking less
Sober Intoxication Of The Spirit: Part Three
Sober Intoxication Of The Spirit: Part Three Jun 30, 2026 0:19:22 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek continue discussing Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa’s book "Sober Intoxication of the Spirit: Filled With the Fullness of God," highlighting his Vatican influence and emphasis on the real, powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in daily life. They revisit three requirements for cooperating with grace: personal holiness, humility, and living Christianity in communit
Sober Intoxication Of The Spirit: Part Two
Sober Intoxication Of The Spirit: Part Two Jun 16, 2026 0:24:13 Lavinia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemacheck continue discussing Raniero Cantalamessa’s book The Sober Intoxication of the Spirit: Filled with the Fullness of God, emphasizing a Spirit-filled Catholic life marked by humility, joy, prayer, and service rather than “hysteria.” They describe praying in the Holy Spirit for the sick, the reality of healing (including “ultimate healing” in death), and how sain
Sober Intoxication Of The Spirit
Sober Intoxication Of The Spirit Jun 9, 2026 0:19:30 fter a hiatus, Real Living returns to discuss Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa’s book The Sober Intoxication of the Spirit, which inspired a Lexington, Kentucky Pentecost novena program at the Cathedral of Christ the King called Nine Days of Power. The hosts explain the original Pentecost novena, emphasize that the Holy Spirit comes whenever welcomed, and highlight the book’s theme—drawn from St. Amb
Who Are We To Judge?
Who Are We To Judge? Jan 27, 2026 0:20:57 In this episode of Real Living, hosts Lavenia Spirito and Mary Lou Nemecek delve into the complex topic of judgment and non-judgmentalism within society and Christianity. They discuss the often misconstrued statements of past popes, the balance between calling out sin and practicing love, and the scriptural guidance on making moral judgments. The conversation also touches on the cultural shift tow

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