Father Fessio in Five (by Ignatius Press)

Father Fessio in Five (by Ignatius Press)

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Five-minute Christian wisdom—or in Latin, “disjecta membra”—from Ignatius Press’ founder, editor, and priest, Father Joseph Fessio, S.J.

Ignatius Press


    • May 30, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 4m AVG DURATION
    • 105 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Father Fessio in Five (by Ignatius Press)

    106: Pretraining—The First Step of Making A.I.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 7:40


    Our recently elected Pope Leo XIV has already made several comments about the dangers of artificial intelligence. So if you want to learn more about A.I., join Fr. Fessio explains the first of four steps of artificial intelligence—pretraining—which requires data to be collected and tokenization.

    105: Computers Do NOT Know ANYTHING

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 8:34


    Continuing with his connected thoughts on artificial intelligence, Fr. Fessio explains how a computer that stores A.I. is like a library that knows nothing.

    104: Making Artificial Intelligence Simple

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 8:55


    Want to know more about AI? Then join Fr. Fessio as he begins a series of episodes on artificial intelligence. Today, Father discusses how AI is dependent on a computer.

    103: What is “Opus Dei”?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 3:10


    The famous Latin expression “Opus Dei” has connections to several orders. Fr. Fessio explains these associations and the Latin meaning behind it.

    102: How Does God Dwell in Us?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 3:59


    Fr. Fessio explains St. Augustine's famous words describing how God is more deeply in us than we are to ourselves.

    101: Life is Like a Greek Race

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 3:53


    In Hebrews 12, St. Paul talks about running a race sounded by a cloud of witnesses with Christ as our model. Father Fessio beautifully explains this metaphor by pointing out details that only the Greek words reveal.

    100: Unpacking St. Ignatius' Suscipe Prayer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 4:01


    In this special 100th episode of Father Fessio in Five, Father explains part of St. Ignatius' Suscipe prayer where we ask the Lord to “Take our memory, intellect, and all my will.” This episode will help you pray this beautiful prayer more deeply!

    99: A Jesuit Speaks About Gender

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 3:10


    Fr. Fessio talks about gender and claims that there are three genders?! But listen closely . . . he's not saying what you may think . . .

    98: Did Jesus Have Faith?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 4:09


    It seems like Jesus would not have faith because he is God. But Father Fessio reflections on Hebrews 12:1–4 where Jesus is said to be a “pioneer and perfector of our faith.”

    97: What is Our “Daily Bread”?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 2:20


    When we ask God to give us our “daily bread,” are we asking God simply for enough food to eat each day? Father Fessio explains. . .

    96: Forgive Our "Debts" or "Trespasses"?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 3:29


    Binge Father Fessio in Five! You may have noticed a flurry of episodes in the past day and that is because we are bringing Father Fessio in Five to YouTube. We updated our equipment so that you can now watch Fr. Fessio on YouTube as well as listen to him here on the audio apps. In this episode, we pray the Our Father every day, but do we always fully understand, and what we are saying? Father Fessio breaks down two phrases in the Our Father so that you can pray it more intentionally and fervently.

    95: Inspiration of Scripture

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 3:59


    Fr. Fessio explains how the Catholic understanding of “inspired writings” is very different than that of Islam or Mormonism.

    94: C.S. Lewis and the Historical Critical Method

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 4:27


    Fr. Fessio reads a passage from Miracles by C.S. Lewis to explain the proper use of the historical critical method.

    93: The Historical Critical Method

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 6:37


    How can the historical critical method enhance our understanding of Scripture without detracting from it? Find out in this episode!

    92: God With Us

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 6:58


    In this two-part episode, Father Fessio examines the yearning of Isaiah to see the face of God.

    91: The Great Mystery

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 5:01


    Father Fessio reflects on great mystery which according to St. Paul is “Christ in us” and the hope of glory.

    90: Lead Us Not Into Temptation

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 5:19


    Why do we ask God to “lead us not into temptation” in the Our Father? Father Fessio explains that this statement has its roots in the Old Testament and that “temptation” actually refers to a place. . .

    89: From Faith to Agape

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 6:15


    Looking at the Greek words, Father Fessio explains the progression of thoughts in 2 Peter 1:5–7 where St. Peter says that we should make every effort “to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly love, and finally brotherly love with love.”

    88: Why Reread Things?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 3:45


    Father Fessio highlights why it is so important for us to reread profound, perennial, and permanent things, most especially the Scriptures.

    87: Imperfect Offerings

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 4:55


    When we go to Mass, we offer our whole selves to God, even our weaknesses and faults. Father Fessio reflects on the beauty of the Mass and highlights the many places where we ask God for His mercy.

    86: Creating a Network of Reliable Information

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 3:49


    There is a lot of unreliable information in this day and age. To combat this problem, Father encourages us to form your own NRI (Network of Reliable Information).

    85: Fake It Till You Make It

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 2:34


    While this motto is often used to encourage people to lie, Father Fessio argues that this a noble way to “fake it until you make it.”

    84: Are You Thankful for Neologisms?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 4:04


    We take many things for granted, and in this episode, Father Fessio reflects on neologisms or new words as a way of appreciating language and those who have shaped it in the past.

    83: The Significance of the Cross

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 4:25


    Fr. Fessio explains why the symbol of the cross embodies the essential message of Christianity. With this episode, Fr. Fessio has recorded an episode for every year of his life. Also stay tuned because when we return next week for “Father Fessio in Five,” we will have a new look and new recording equipment!

    82: Why God Wanted Us to Discover Wine

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 4:14


    Fr. Fessio continues his discussion wine making and argues that God wanted us to discover wine.

    81: Fr. Fessio Explains Wine Making

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 4:29


    As an example of God's beautiful design in creation, Fr. Fessio details the science of wine making.

    80: God in the Atomic World

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 4:18


    The more we study creation and the microscopic world, the more we find God.

    79: Is Jesus Present in Every Molecule of the Eucharist?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 4:45


    Fr. Fessio encourages Eucharistic reverence while avoiding scrupulosity.

    78: Can We Call Somebody a Fool?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 3:27


    Jesus calls the Scribes and Pharisees “blind fools,” but in the same Gospel He says that those who calls their brother “a fool” are subject to the fires of Gehenna. So how are we to reconcile these two passages?

    77: His Mercy is on Those Who Fear Him

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 3:57


    Fr. Fessio examines Mary's longest discourse, the Magnificat, to explain what kind of mercy God offers to those who fear Him.

    Faith in God

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2025 4:43


    Drawing on the Fathers of the Church, Fr. Fessio outlines what it means to have “faith in God.”

    75: Thrown Into The Fire

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 6:54


    At the end of the age, will all people be thrown into the fire?

    74: Hope in a Chaotic World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 5:51


    The Prophet Jeremiah laments the corruption of the next generation but finds his hope in God.

    73: Have I Fought the Good Fight?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2024 4:32


    Saint Paul says we must fight not just well, but BEAUTIFULLY.

    72: Notes from the Underworld

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024 6:17


    Who is going to hell? Most, a few, all, none? Stop asking the wrong question. 

    69: What Happened to the Old Hebrew Law?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 6:24


    Jesus said that "not one jot or tittle" of the Law would change. . . Am I sinning by trimming by beard? 

    68: WHY?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 4:08


    We need to go back to the most basic question:  Why does anything exist at all?

    67: Fine, We Share the Divine Nature—So What?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 4:41


    What difference does divinization make if we still have to go to the DMV like everyone else? 

    66: Simon Peter Says: God Makes Us Divine

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 5:01


    Jesus brings heaven down to us, right here on the ground, among the commoners—if we accept him.

    65: Quantum Physics Point to God [Science and Love, pt. 3]

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 6:37


    Physicists agree: There is no way to understand electrons. But Christians add: "Except God."

    64: Astrophysics Point to God [Science and Love, pt. 2]

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 9:39


    "Dark energy" is a scientific fact, but nobody is talking about what it proves: there is something beyond this universe—something very, very powerful indeed.

    63: Microbiology Points to God [Science and Love, pt 1]

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 7:05


    Evolution's real, but it isn't everything. Biology brings us to the Lord, and I'll prove it—with cholesterol. STAY TUNED NEXT EPISODE FOR MORE ON SCIENCE.

    62: Just Follow YOUR Call

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 5:22


    God gives EACH of us—laymen, priests, nuns, monks, bums—our own gifts. If only we'd accept them!

    61: Don't Just "Be Good," But GO

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2024 5:45


    For Saint Paul, Christianity requires motion. 

    60: Don't Fear the Reaper

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 3:47


    With Jesus, you have ALREADY died—and LIFE has already won out.

    59: God Makes Himself Small

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 3:36


    He does it in order to make us—in a way—divine. 

    58: At Meribah and Massah [The Best Part of Waking Up, pt. 2]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 4:42


    Father, lead us not into complaining.

    57: The Best Part of Waking Up

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 4:38


    ... is ringing out our joy to the God who saves us. In other words, the Invitatory.

    god waking up invitatory
    56: Peace: Why We Need the Church

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2024 5:01


    "Peace be to you," Jesus says. But do we really know Christ's peace?

    55: The Art of Moving On

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 2:55


    Don't let sin stop you from praising Jesus. Saint Peter DENIED GOD and lived to preach about it.  

    54: No Time to Pray?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 5:22


    Too busy to pray? Then you've got your life backwards.

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