Not So Secular Podcast with Mon Reyes
Episodes
"Use words if necessary"? They often ARE
02 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"Preach the Gospel at all times; use words if necessary." St. Francis of Assisi said that! Or did he?Apparently not.(This episode comes with video on ...
The Bible Wasn't Always This Accessible (+ a gift from Feast Books)
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
(video available on Youtube)The idea of having your own personal Bible is a relatively recent phenomenon in Church history. For most Christians, Scrip...
Your Emotions Aren't Your Enemy, But They're Not Your God Either
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard to have a rocky relationship with your own feelings.Get our newest book!It's Time To Feel Better: How Befriending Your Emotions Can ...
What Difference Does Marriage ACTUALLY Make?
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is marriage and what does it do?You'd think we'd know how to answer such a basic question but apparently not all of us do. So let's t...
I am no longer a youth missionary
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Major life update and some thoughts on New Evangelization.Redemptoris Missio (John Paul II): https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclical...
We Went to Kidapawan (Mindanao) to Talk About the Bible
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I went to Kidapawan City last week with the Bible Nerds to lead a day-and-a-half long program all about how to read Scripture, highlighting it is a wo...
Jesus Is The "Way" And The "Where" (live talk)
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is an encouragement for someone who needs it. Jesus is both our path and our destination.Originally preached and recorded at Feast Bellev...
Why Babies Are Born Helpless (live talk)
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Compared to newborn horses, newborn babies are helpless. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing! In this episode's live talk, recorded from C...
Our Sense Of Identity In The Family (live talk)
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do we foster our individuality without losing the unity of our family? How do we foster the unity of our family without losing our individuality? ...
What Does My Health Have To Do With My Faith? w/ Jpaul Hernandez
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do I have to take care of my body as a Christian?Jpaul Hernandez: https://www.instagram.com/jpaulhernandez/, https://www.facebook.com/jpaulhernand...
The Thing In Common Between Loss And Betrayal
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Part of how we discover our identity is through our roles and our bonds. What happens then when those roles and bonds are threatened? Well, we grieve....
Do I Have To Be A Conservative To Be A Good Catholic? w/ Jay Aruga
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Protecting the Filipino family from woke ideology." This is Jay's tagline for both his show and his newly published book. In this episo...
Dating Is A Process Of Discernment (For Single Christians)
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There's a difference between dating with the intention of marriage and dating with the intention of discerning marriage. It's not just about f...
Temptations Are Distortions
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we delve into the profound story of Jesus' testing in the wilderness. Each of the three temptations he faced was a direct attack ...
Serving In The Midst Of Grief (Feeding The 5000)
07 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever gone through a heartbreak or a terrible loss but had to power through it because you knew you had responsibilities? Have you ever had to...
You Can't Get Quality Without Quantity
09 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Numbers aren't everything but it does mean something. The amount we put in means something for our work, our body, our relationships, and our fait...
Free And Yet Costly
31 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just because something is free, that doesn't mean it came with no cost. Let's explore what that means here in our short Easter episode.Romans ...
Not Everything Has To Be Practical
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Giving flowers for your loved one is not practical. But does that make it bad though?Matthew 26:6-13Music by Kayel MarceloFind all of Mon's links ...
Can I Fast From Things Other Than Food This Lent?
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can I fast from social media instead? What about shopping, or movies, or gossip?CCC 1434Joel 2:12-14Music by Kayel MarceloFind all of Mon's links ...
Only The Strong Can Be Gentle
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The world has a distorted idea of both strength and gentleness. In reality, one cannot even be an option without the other.Matthew 11:28-30 – Jesus ...
But Even If He Does Not
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon talks about when God chooses not to do something. We know that he can do great things for us, but what if he doesn't? Will we...
What If I’m The Bad Guy?
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon gets personal and talks about pride and parables.Luke 15 – Parable of the Prodigal SonMatthew 20:1-16 – Parable of the worker...
Jesus Is Not John The Baptist, Is He?
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're connecting together the many appearances and references to John the Baptist in the Gospel of Mark.Mark 6:14-28 – Herod is troubled about J...
Responsible Dating And Singlehood w/ Marianne Mencias
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marianne Mencias is the author of several books on dating, self-worth, and purpose. She is a motivational speaker and a Gallup-certified Strengths coa...
How St. Paul Shows Us That Good Intentions Aren’t Enough
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the first 2/3rds of this episode, Mon talks about the story of St. Paul and how we might view his change of heart in a different way. In the last 1...
David And That Other Giant (Hint: It’s Not Goliath)
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is about the dangers of conformity, and how what God values is often different from what the world values.1 Samuel 16:1-13, David is anoi...
Finding Faith And Love w/ Nico & Carissa Magbiray
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Magbirays are a young and faithful Catholic couple whose love story intertwines with their faith story. Nico once left Catholicism in order to joi...
A Simple Fact About Brokenness
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about brokenness, healing, and ripped jeans.Mark 10:46-52, Blind BartimaeusJohn 5, the Man at BethesdaJohn 4:1-41, the Samaritan W...
Being A Catholic Creator And Homeschooling w/ Jewelle Villarisco of Jewie's Art Space
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jewelle Villarisco is a Catholic content creator, an illustrator, a homeschool mentor, a youth leader, and the artist behind Jewie's Art Space. In...
Love In The Little Things | a talk about being faithful in the small
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was recorded live from Feast Bellevue PM. It was a message dedicated for one of the Sundays in between the regular preaching series.Mark ...
The Bible Is Meant To Be Read Together In Community
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Having your personal Bible time is important, but what if the way we read our Bibles now, in solitude and in book form, is not how most Christians in ...
What If I Don’t Like Change?
11 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us think of being open to change as a good thing, and it can be! But what do we make of those who are just more resistant to it rather than op...
What Does The Bible Say About Fasting?
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. And every Lent, one of the things we do and talk about in the church is fasting. What is fasting?...
Can A Christian Get Into Debates?
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Words and deeds. Both matter. Both can powerfully express our convictions and principles. But what do we do when we come across someone who behaves an...
Listener Qs: How To Prepare For Marriage (while still single) & How To Discern God’s Voice
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon answers your questions:Wala pa ako jowa but how to prepare for marriage?What is the voice of God? How do you know that it's H...
Seeing Patterns When Reading The Bible
07 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon talks about one way we can read the Bible better: by identifying design patterns. As people in the modern day reading an ancient ...
Joseph Was No Accident | ft. Aikel Fortaleza
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon and Aikel talk about the most overlooked and under appreciated member of the Christmas story: Saint Joseph. Even the three kings ...
What Does It Mean To Say Christ Is King?
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Three days ago was Christ the King Sunday, so let's talk about it!Solemnity of Christ the King, article by Simply Catholic: https://www.simplycath...
Are Spontaneous Prayers Better Than Memorized Prayers?
05 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Isn't it more sincere when you use your own words instead of repeating somebody else's? In this episode, Mon talks about spontaneous prayers a...
What Good Is Courting Someone If You’re Only Putting Your Best Foot Forward?
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon takes on three (3) questions on the topic of love life and dating:What is the difference between courtship and dating?What good i...
Joy And Lament
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Because of who Jesus is and what he has done, we can be assured that we have good reason to rejoice regardless of our circumstances. However, we do ac...
Arrogance And Insecurity
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Arrogance and insecurity may seem like they're on opposite poles but they might not be as far from each other as we often think. The two might be ...
It Means No Worries?
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mon shares about a talk he has recently written, his peculiar take on The Lion King's Hakuna Matata, and what JPII refers to as an "adequate ...
How To Correct Someone Without Being A Jerk
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We like calling people out. But we don't like being called out, don't we? In this episode, Mon talks about the story of King David and the pro...
Your Private Life Matters
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We post a lot, don't we? We post about where we go, whom we're with, what we eat, and even what we think. Through the internet and social medi...
Is It A Sin To Be Privileged?
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been called privileged? Would you want to? It seems like more and more nowadays, people have been using the term "privileged" ...
Listener Questions On Prayer Time, Politics, And Love Languages
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon responds to your questions!Question 1, from Jona (01:01): Hi, kuya Mon! How do you do your devotions daily?Buy Companion, Didache...
More On The Meaning Of Marriage
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon goes straight to the point and elaborates more on what the Catholic Church has to say about marriage and why it's important t...
What Do I Do With These Feelings?
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elections Day just happened in the Philippines and social media is full of... feelings. Some are "good" and some are "bad." In thi...
It’s Good To Baptize, But We Have To Disciple Too
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episodes, Mon reads and comments on an excerpt from an article published by CBCP News recently on how Philippines led in the world's most ...
Disney, Conservative Values, And Marriage | ft. Jay Aruga
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What comes to mind when you hear the word, "conservative"? Does it have something to do with what a person wears or how a person dates? Does...
Who Was Barabbas? Was He A Robber?
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
During the Holy Week, you might have seen a meme or two on social media mentioning how during the time of Jesus, the people chose Barabbas the thief o...
Holy Week Episode: You’re Still On Mute | a talk on listening to God’s voice in our lives
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mon shares a talk he gave at Youth Home Taft during Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. As of the time this is published, we find o...
When Healing Hurts Too
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Healing and hurt. These two experiences might be more connected than you think. Of course, we know that we wouldn't need to heal if we weren't...
Why "Online Church" Just Isn’t Enough For Catholics
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Face-to-face classes, face-to-face work, face-to-face outings, these are some of the things we have been preparing for as the cases are going down and...
"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread..." | The Lord’s Prayer Part 4
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bread, forgiveness, and temptation. These are the things that Jesus brings up in the latter half of the prayer he taught us. What do we mean when we s...
"May Your Kingdom Come..." | The Lord’s Prayer Part 3
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kingdom, kingdom, kingdom... If you pay close attention to Jesus' teachings in the Bible, you'll notice that he mentions this word A LOT. Arou...
"Our Father..." | The Lord’s Prayer Part 2
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is Jesus' favorite way of referring to God? Answer: He calls him Father. And he invites us to do the same! In this episode, Mon talks about t...
The Lord’s Prayer (an introduction)
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The "Our Father." Majority of Filipinos (especially those who come from Catholic schools) have heard and recited this prayer countless of ti...
Politics And Pharisees
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Pharisees are often painted as the villains in Jesus' story, but this oversimplification and lack of understanding could lead us to serious er...
The Book Of Jonah Is Funny And Deep | a brief Bible study
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first episode of the year... in February. Mon is back and he's here to talk about the story of Jonah. You might know him as the guy...
Special Christmas Episode: The Tale Of Two Kings
19 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two kings? Weren't there three? Yes, you read that right. In this episode, we will talk about the two kings—not the three who gave the gifts to ...
Self-Esteem, Confidence, And Dignity
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you perceive yourself now? How could you perceive yourself better? Is self-esteem any different from confidence? Where does human dignity fit i...
There Could Be More To You (Than You) | a talk on repentance and new life
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A common go-to response of people trying to encourage someone goes along the lines of, "you are enough," and "you just have to believe ...
From Catholic To Protestant And Back | ft. Bernz Caasi (of Unboxing Catholicism)
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lean in and listen to the story of Bernz Caasi. He is someone who was raised Catholic, then he decided to covert to Protestantism, then decided to con...
3 Things To Consider To Read The Bible Better
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever tried to read the Bible? Did you ever finish? This text has influenced Christians and non-Christians all over the world, over the centur...
If God Knows Everything, Then Why Do I Have To Pray?
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why do I have to tell God something he already knows? The thing about prayer is that it can be so easy to misunderstand and difficult to actually do o...
The Government Is Not My Lord And Savior
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Politics! It's not always easy (or fun) to talk about but if it matters to people, then it is worth discussing. This is something that might have ...
Science And Faith, Fish Crackers And Seeking Questions | ft. Jerome Si
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Joining us in this episode is Jerome Si from Fishcracker Faith. Here, he and Mon talk about how some of our difficult questions can lead to deeper fai...
Do You Know How To Say No?
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Virtue is just as much about saying No as it is about saying Yes. If you want to fully give your Yes to the right thing, then you have to learn how (a...
Reading From My Old New Bible: Acts Chapter 2
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Acts 2 tells the story of the Holy Spirit's descent during Pentecost. The apostles were waiting in expectation after Jesus had just resurrected fr...
Misunderstanding Jesus, And The Messianic Secret
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things you might observe in the Gospels is that in early parts of Jesus' ministry, he would admonish the people he healed and those who...
What Forgiveness Is And What It Isn‘t
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mon picks up from last week and continues the conversation on forgiveness. He reads the passage of the parable of the unforgiving servant told by Jesu...
What Changes People | a talk on forgiveness and accountability
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Mon shares a recent talk he gave at Youth Home Taft. He takes on certain themes such as forgiveness and accountability, God's jus...
The Body Is Not Bad
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode Mon shares his reflections on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He takes this time to discuss what it is and why it's imp...
The Story Of Onesimus, The Slave Turned Brother
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we'll tackle a small story from the New Testament within the bigger story of the Bible. This is Paul's letter to a guy named Philemon ab...
Well, What Do You Have?
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a question worth pondering on for all those who are worried about not having enough before getting started. This week's episode is shorter...
The Freedom Of Limits And The Limits Of Freedom
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Limits and freedom. Are these two really at odds? Mon explores this here on this episode. He also talks about the role discipline and responsibility p...
Confused About Love?
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Mon talk about love—Eros and Agape in particular. Here we'll see how our problem with love is not just a matter of intention bu...
The God Who Is Moved | a talk on the story of Jesus and the bleeding woman
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Mon shares with us a message that he gave at Youth Home Taft last year. Here he discusses how we see God and why that matters. Music by Kayel ...
Good News: God Doesn't Need You
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Mon addresses a false idea we may have of God as an insecure bully who demands attention OR ELSE. This discussion branches toward und...
If God Is Good, Then Why Do Bad Things Happen?
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Mon talks about the problem of evil. It can be a challenging topic for several reasons, some of which are obvious, but it is importan...
Who Is My Neighbor? | a talk on the Parable of the Good Samaritan
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Come listen as Mon shares a talk that he gave at Youth Home Taft from last year. This old story has a lot to teach us about the way we relate with one...
Understanding Worship Music | ft. Mike Viñas & Bene Sanchez
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Mon, Mike and Bene talk about "praise and worship." Why do we gather in large rooms or halls with friends and strangers to ...
Zacchaeus & The Rich Young Man | Where Does Your Worth Come From? Part 2
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bring out your Bibles 'cause we're doing some reading!Today, Mon reads and shares about the stories of two rich men and their encounter with J...
Where Does Your Worth Come From?
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Turns out the mic didn't pick up the construction noises, which is a good thing!In this episode, Mon talks about worth and worship. What is that w...
Serving God Through... Business And Career? | ft. Jpaul Hernandez
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, you get to sit and listen in on a conversation between Mon and Jpaul Hernandez. They talk about how we can serve God through our busi...
When God Does Something
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What comes into your mind when you think of how God acts and does something in this world? In this episode, Mon talks about how God partners with peop...