What if you could design your work and family life around the rhythms of the Church? Catholic author, attorney, and dad of six Scott L. Smith, Jr. joins Jim and Meghan to talk about “Catholic Dad Lifestyle Design” an intentional, faith-filled approach to building a domestic monastery at home. From homeschooling to creative work, Scott shares how a deeply rooted Catholic worldview shapes everything from daily routines to global pilgrimages.
What’s in this episode:
- What "Catholic Dad Lifestyle Design" looks like in real life
- How Scott structured his work to be more present at home
- Adapting ideas from the Four Hour Workweek with a Catholic lens
- Why homeschooling became essential for their large family
- Creating a domestic monastery: prayer, liturgy, and family rhythms
- How the liturgy of the hours shapes their daily life
- Making Catholic education a community-wide investment
- A powerful vision for bringing the world to your children through homeschool
- Launching the Catholic Nerds podcast and what drives his creative work
- A family pilgrimage to Girlstown and the legacy of Fr. Al Schwartz
- One resource every Catholic family should know: The Liturgy of the Hours
- Book he’s currently reading: A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
- Favorite book: Priest and Beggar by Kevin Wells
- Advice to his younger self: Persistence is the superpower just keep showing up
- Final wisdom for listeners: Lose yourself in the liturgy and find your true self
Resources Mentioned:
Consecration to St. Joseph for Children and Families – Book by Scott L. Smith, Jr.
A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken – A moving memoir with letters from C.S. Lewis
Priest and Beggar by Kevin Wells – Biography of Fr. Al Schwartz, founder of World Villages
Catholic Nerds Podcast – Scott’s faith-filled show blending theology and fun
The Scott Smith Blog – Scott’s hub for books, blogs, and resources
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