Swimming Upstream

Swimming Upstream

Swimming Upstream is a podcast about life, liberty, and the pursuit of holiness. Hosted by Eric Sammons.

Episodes

100: All Good Things Must Come to an End

May 10, 2019 • 58 mins
In the 100th episode of this podcast, I make a special announcement, plus I also share a talk I recently gave on the Four Last Things.
Mark as Played

99: Sanctification Through Work

April 26, 2019 • 35 mins
I recently gave a talk to a women's group on the topic of "Sanctification Through Work." We spend most of our lives working, whether it's paid or not, and so we need to make sure work draws us closer to—rather than farther away from—God. I'm sharing the recording of the talk on this episode of Swimming Upstream.
Mark as Played

98: The Purpose of Marriage

April 12, 2019
I recently taught a class for my parish and the topic was marriage. I covered a number of areas related to the sacrament, but in particular I focused on the three purposes of marriage, and their corresponding importance. Topics covered: Origin of marriage Marriage defined Purpose of marriage Essential elements of marriage Christ elevates marriage […]
Mark as Played

97: Fielding a Big “Team Catholic”

April 5, 2019
There’s a lot of in-fighting in the Catholic world, among traditional Catholics, among conservative Catholics, and particularly between traditional and conservative Catholics. In this episode, I go full Rodney King and ask, “Can we all just get along?” Topics covered: A desire to “Unite the Clans” “He that is not against us is for us.” […]
Mark as Played

96: What Kind of Catholic Are You?

March 22, 2019
In today's Church, there are many different kinds of Catholics, with three main categories: liberal, conservative, and traditional. I take a look at these labels and what they mean in this episode of "Swimming Upstream".
Mark as Played

95: The State of the Cryptocurrency Industry

March 8, 2019
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have left the public spotlight since their highs in late 2017. What is going on in the cryptocurrency industry these days? Is the promise of blockchain technology still possible? Or was it all hype?
Mark as Played

94: Fasting and Lent

March 1, 2019
With Lent approaching, it's time to re-look at a traditional Christian practice that has been sadly forgotten: fasting.
Mark as Played

93: What is the Church?

February 22, 2019 • 61 mins
An examination of the Church and its role in salvation.
Mark as Played

92: Soon-To-Be-Saint John Henry Newman and His Most Important Teaching

February 15, 2019
This week it was announced that the Vatican approved a 2nd miracle attributed to Bl. John Henry Newman, which clears the way for him to be canonized a Saint of the Catholic Church. I have a devotion to this great man, and so I use this announcement as an opportunity to talk about his life […]
Mark as Played

91: Why I’m Not Donating to My Diocesan Appeal

February 8, 2019 • 27 mins
I've finally said "enough is enough" and won't be giving to my diocese's annual appeal this year.
Mark as Played

90: Is Time Travel Possible?

February 1, 2019 • 27 mins
Shows like Doctor Who and Star Trek have made time travel a staple of science fiction. And we all dream about time travel as well: can I go back and pick the winning lottery numbers? Can I go forward to see how my life turns out? But is time travel even possible, not just scientifically, but philosophically?
Mark as Played

89: Creation and Origin

January 29, 2019 • 60 mins
In this episode, I present a lecture I recently gave at my parish on the creation and origin of man. It's obviously a controversial subject, and I tried to present what the Church allows and doesn't allow to be believed, while focusing on how to interpret the Biblical account from Genesis 1.
Mark as Played

88: The Government Shutdown: Is Government Itself Non-Essential?

January 25, 2019 • 29 mins
The Government Shutdown continues, which means that all "non-essential" personnel are currently furloughed. But this raises the question: what functions of government are essential? In this episode, I take a closer look at anarcho-capitalism, which would answer: no government functions are essential.
Mark as Played

87: How the Pro-Life Movement Made Me Catholic

January 18, 2019 • 32 mins
Today is the March for Life and next week is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Although legalized abortion has been a tragedy beyond comprehension, God has brought good out of the pro-life movement, including my conversion to Catholicism.
Mark as Played

86: When Scandal Hits Closer to Home

January 11, 2019 • 30 mins
This week two institutions I admire—Opus Dei and the Franciscan University of Steubenville—were hit with separate scandals. This has led me to think about how we typically react to scandal and what our proper reaction should be.
Mark as Played

85: We Must Help the Poor. But How?

January 8, 2019 • 36 mins
Helping the poor has in modern times become a "liberal" issue. But if you are a Christian, no matter your political leanings, you are obligated to help the poor. But what are the best ways to do that?
Mark as Played

84: Toward a Simpler 2019

December 28, 2018 • 31 mins
t's the end of the year, which means it's time for New Year's Resolutions. In this episode, I discuss my own resolution to live a simpler 2019, which is something Pope Francis also called for in his recent Christmas Eve homily.
Mark as Played

83: What Must I Do To Be Saved?

December 21, 2018
In a recent interview, Ben Shapiro asked Bishop Robert Barron, "I’m a Jew. I follow the Law. Can I go to Heaven?" Bishop Barron's response has led to a vigorous debate as to what is necessary for salvation. I tackle this issue in this episode, outlining my main practical and theological criticisms of Bishop Barron's answer. 
Mark as Played

82: Gender Distinctions and the Liturgy

December 18, 2018
Today we face massive gender confusion in our culture. Men and women are said to be the exact same, and men can claim to be women, and women can claim to be men. I would argue that one of the best ways to combat this confusion can be found in how we celebrate the Mass.
Mark as Played

81: The Five Meanings of Faith

December 14, 2018
Recently my pastor asked me to sub for him in our adult catechism class at our parish. The topic to be covered was "faith." I decided to use the class to distinguish between the five different meanings of the word "faith". 
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

    My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

    My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

    The Breakfast Club

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

    New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

    Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.