What is it like to be Christian in Iraq? Is social media the best vehicle for evangelization? In this episode I sit down with Father Simon Esshaki, known for his viral TikTok content and a priest in the Chaldean Rite of the Church, a branch of the Church that has been present since the time of Jesus. We discuss the burgeoning of Father's faith life and call to God's service, his biggest struggles and joys in ministry, the plight of Christians in the Middle East, and the origin story of his brilliant content on TikTok.
Check out Fr Simon: https://www.tiktok.com/@father.simon?lang=en
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0:00:00 - Intro
0:01:45 - Who are the Chaldean Catholics?
0:07:48 - The Christian Struggle in the Middle East
0:12:10 - Crowd Health
0:14:03 - Chaldean Martyrs Continue to Inspire
0:17:16 - Fr. Simon's Path to the Priesthood
21:35 Learning the importance of prayer
0:23:30 - The Structure of the Chaldean Catholic Church
0:32:26 - The Importance of Catholic
0:37:37 - Good Ranchers
0:38:33 - Catholic Outreach On TikTok
0:43:25 - Helping the Youth Embrace the Faith
0:48:00 - Seven Weeks Coffee
0:49:58 - The Most Surprising Aspect of the Priesthood
0:52:05 - How to Properly Discern Your Vocation
1:03:25 - Fr. Simon's Advice for Young Catholics
1:06:00 - The Beauty of Priestly Celibacy
1:09:16 - Where to Find Fr. Simon's Work
1:10:40 - Thank You EWTN