Polycarp's Paradigm

The last episode (for now) of Polycarp's Paradigm! The mission has been fulfilled and it is time to retire the podcast. In this episode Eric parts ways with final thoughts and advice for his listeners. Enjoy! 

Pat Flynn and Eric Robinson have teamed up on 72 episodes. Join them as they reflect on some of their favorite episodes and grill one another with tough questions one last time.

Katie is my beloved bride to be. It is time to introduce her to you all. In this episode you get to hear some of her faith journey and the story of how we first met. Enjoy! 

Pat and Eric finished their commentary on all 21 chapters of the Gospel of John and it is time to summarize the key themes: Jesus is God, Mary's Role as Intercessor and Mother, and the sacramental life of the Church (Baptism & Eucharist), among other themes.

Arland Nichols is the Founder and President of the St. John Paul II Foundation. "Together in Holiness" is one of their initiatives that provides marriage enrichment to couples. Arland not only speaks to this program, but being a husband and a father of nine children, he gives Eric some great marriage and parenting advice in this episode. https://forlifeandfamily.org/

Jesus restores Peter to shepherd His Church as the Gospel of John concludes.

Dr. Michael Dauphinais, Professor and Chair of Theology at Ave Maria University, helps unpack biblical answers to ten pressing questions about Catholicism. He co-authored a book with Dr. Matthew Levering, "The Wisdom of the Word." Check it out at https://www.wordonfire.org/wisdom/.

Christ is risen! 

Salvation is a process. The sacraments and our cooperation with the grace God gives us through them is integral to our salvation. In this episode, we will explore some of the rich Scriptures in the New Testament that underscore Catholic teaching. 

Jesus carries his cross, gives us his Mother, and dies for our sins as the Lamb of God. 

Jesus speaks about the Church, her sacramental life, and the necessity of following his commands. In this episode we explore different Bible verses from the Gospels that every Catholic should know when in dialogue with others. 

The suffering of Christ begins in this chapter with the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is struck by soldiers, denied by Peter, and condemned as a heretic. 

There are specific Bible verses I believe every Catholic should know when speaking with non-Catholics. Going over these verses allows us to see the Scriptural roots of our faith. We begin in this episode with the Old Testament. 

If you only believe in that which you can see, taste, touch, smell, or test under a microscope, then how do you begin to grapple with invisible realities like concepts, math, abstractions, etc. If these dimensions are real, then what is their cause? There must be a Prime Thinker, namely God.

Ought all Christians to become Catholic? Most Christians think of Christian unity as a good thing, but oftentimes due to having a differing view of the nature of the Church, they have conflicting views as to what unity looks like. In this episode we explore my essay from "Essays in the Deep" on the necessity for all Christians to be visibly unified in the Catholic Church.

On the eve of Christ's Passion, Jesus prayed to the Heavenly Father for his disciples, “that they may all be one… so that the world may believe that you have sent me”(Jn 17:21 RSV-2CE). What kind of unity is Jesus praying for and why? Is this unity only an invisible bond between believers, or is it something more, something both invisible and visible?

This is my favorite essay from my new book, "Essays in the Deep," which can be found on Amazon.com. In it we discover what true reform is and why the Protestant Reformation was really a revolt against the Church Christ established, the Catholic Church. 

Jesus consoles his disciples by reassuring them that it is better for him to leave so the Spirit can come to them who will guide them into all truth. Oftentimes we think of this individually, rather than collectively for the Church. Pat and I unpack this passage and much more in John 16.

Christ is clearly portrayed as divine in the latest written Gospel, the Gospel of John, but what about the earlier Gospels? Did the early Christians just have hallucinations of a bodily resurrection and then make the man Jesus into a divine being? Or did the resurrection actually happen and Christ was shown to be divine from the beginning?  Eric's new book: "Essays in the Deep"

We must abide in Christ as a branch remains on the vine, or else we will not bear fruit and be cut off. How do we abide in Christ? 

Currently, there is a movement going on in the Catholic Church regarding authentic renewal of the liturgy. Adam Bartlett, founder of Source & Summit, shares with Eric and Pat his personal journey with the liturgy and explains what this authentic liturgical renewal looks like, the role of music in the liturgy, and why it is essential for the new evangelization. The liturgy is the source and summit of the Christian life. In the liturgy we get to participate in the heavenly liturgy, give perfect worship to God through the prayer and action of Jesus Christ, and even receive his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. God transforms us further and further into the likeness of Christ in the liturgy. http://www.sourceandsummit.com

Protestants sometimes accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary, but perhaps the problem is that there is a misunderstanding of what true worship really is. Worship involves sacrifice, the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross made present to us in the Eucharist. So, perhaps the problem is not that Catholics worship Mary, because they don't, but that Protestants do not worship God is the fullest sense of that word since they lack the sacrifice of the Mass. 

Jared grew up Baptist, considered Eastern Orthodoxy, then became Catholic. This is his story.

In John 14 we hear Jesus say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me." What does this mean? Is Jesus being exclusive? Jesus then promises the gift of the Holy Spirit while commanding us to love as he loves. The Holy Trinity will come and make a home in our hearts.

What is the root problem of contraception? How has contraception led to the great evil of abortion? What is the undercurrent of the transgender movement? These are some of the questions I explore in this episode through my new book, "Essays in the Deep."

Jesus washes our feet; Satan enters Judas; John has his head on the heart of Jesus; and Peter is prophesied to deny his Lord. John 13... here we go! 

There are no contradictions between faith, philosophy, and science. A false dichotomy, a false war between faith and reason, has been raging through the modern era. Yet, the classical thinkers never saw this dichotomy since God is the source of all truth. There is a beautiful unity between theology, philosophy, and natural science.  Check out Eric's new book: "Essays in the Deep: Faith & Reason, Meaning & Morality, Protestantism & Catholic Thought"

Mary was my biggest stumbling block in coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. Now I have a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. How did this transformation happen? That's what Pat and I explore in this episode. 

My new book is now available on Amazon! It is called "Essays in the Deep: Faith & Reason, Meaning & Morality, Protestantism & Catholic Thought." Lots of fun topics worth exploring!   https://www.amazon.com/Essays-Deep-Morality-Protestantism-Catholic/dp/B0939XCPLS/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=essays+in+the+deep&qid=1619705579&sr=8-1

Judas condemns Mary for anointing the feet of Jesus with expensive ointment. Jesus rebukes Judas and sets the tone for his upcoming death and Resurrection. Jesus says that all men will be drawn to him when he is lifted high on the cross and tells us we must follow him to the cross.

St. Joseph is the Glory of Domestic Life and Model of Workmen. On May 1st, the Church throughout the world celebrates the memorial of St. Joseph, the Worker. Let us reflect on Christ redeeming work through his work with St. Joseph.  My work: https://www.sourceandsummit.com/ My book coming out: "Essays in the Deep"

John 11 displays the dramatic truth that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. God's Divine Providence is mysterious in that sometimes things seem rough in the short-term, but in the long-term everything redounds to the glory of God and the good of man. In the meantime, Jesus weeps with us, suffers with us, and does not abandon us.

Reflecting on the seven joys and sorrows of St. Joseph is a profound devotion. Today, I go over a reflection with each sorrow and joy and we meditate together. 

Round two of Divine Simplicity uncovers more depths into the nature of God and an inescapably metaphysics for all who want to plumb the depths of reality. 

God is merciful and just. How do these seemingly contradictory attributes of God work together? In this episode I explore the connection between God's mercy and justice and try to show how they are both rooted in God's love. 

God is simple. There is no potency in God. He is pure act. His essence is his existence. What does all this mean? 

Jesus gave the chaplet (prayer method) of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina in the 1930's and told her to spread this devotion to the ends of the earth. Jesus promised special graces to those who would pray the chaplet as a novena (9-day prayer) from Good Friday to Divine Mercy Sunday (Sunday after Easter Sunday). In this episode I will teach you about this novena and chaplet and pray the chaplet with you. 

John 10 sheds light on the identity of Christ as the Good Shepherd, the Son of God, and the only door through which men can be saved.

Fr. Nicholas Cachia from Malta recently released a devotional book, "33 Days with St. Joseph," and in this great year of St. Joseph Fr. Nick unpacks for us the beauty and simplicity of the interior life of St. Joseph. https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/33days/

Jesus heals a blind man. The blind man is put on trial. By the end of it, the blind man realizes Jesus is not a mere man, nor a prophet, but the promised Messiah: God in the flesh.

Trent Horn, Staff Apologist from Catholic Answers, joins the show to share his conversion story. He also gives advice on marriage and answers some tough questions I had for him.  Trent's website: https://www.trenthorn.com/ Counsel of Trent podcast: http://www.trenthorn.com/podcast/

St. Joseph, the earthly virginal father of Jesus, is a shadow of the Heavenly Father. He was appointed by the Heavenly Father to form the human development of Christ. Pope Francis' apostolic letter, Patris Corde, dives deep into the life of St. Joseph and his resplendent fatherhood.  http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco-lettera-ap_20201208_patris-corde.html

Love is in the air. Eric is engaged to Katie and shares how it happened. Pat shares his story of marrying Christine and imparts some wisdom. Pat and Eric reflect on St. Joseph as a model of a husband and father. 

A woman caught in adultery. Jesus calling the Pharisees sons of the devil and saying he existed before the ancient patriarch Abraham. What is true mercy? True freedom? John 8 is full of fascinating stories, dialogue, and concepts. 

Steve Ray, author of "Crossing the Tiber," grew up Baptist and never thought he would become Catholic, let alone dedicate his life to spreading the Catholic Faith. He shares his journey with me on this episode.  Steve Ray website: https://catholicconvert.com/

Lie, deny, distract. The political and media complex of the Left has an effective strategy in getting the masses be convinced of a certain claim that months later will be shown to be erroneous. Unfortunately, when the truth comes out, the damage has been done and nobody seems to care. Being aware of this strategy will help us discern when future claims are made. Covington - https://www.chroniclesofstrength.com/the-curious-case-of-covington-high-or-why-you-should-never-trust-the-media-again/ Hydroxychloroquine - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7534595/ Covid Lockdowns - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eci.13484 Also: https://www.chroniclesofstrength.com/lockdowns-are-not-the-solution-and-gyms-are-not-the-problems/ Gay Gene - https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02585-6 Transgender surgery - https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.1778correction

There are around 450 English Bible translations, a few of which have been approved by the Catholic Church for the Catholic Faithful. The ESV Catholic Edition is the newest approved edition now available. The story behind this version and the history of Bible translation in general is quite fascinating. Dr. Mark Giszczak, Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture from the Augustine Institute, help us unpack this tale. Bible: https://www.catholicbible.org/ Dr. G website: https://catholicbiblestudent.com/

In John 7, we discover why the world hates Jesus, what judging others is all about, and the evil of religious hypocrisy.

Today, February 23, is the feast of St. Polycarp. He was a huge influence on the Church and a big influence on my conversion to Catholicism. Hear more about this inspiring martyr and Bishop of the Church. 

The famous "Bread of Life" discourse of John 6 is perhaps the most explicit teaching of Jesus about the Eucharist. To understand the Eucharist, we must understand the radical claims Jesus makes about himself; namely, that he is God in the flesh. 

Redemptive Suffering and Divinization are two keys of the Gospel that make us fearless and hopeful. When your goal is intimacy with God through Jesus Christ you have nothing to fear! Your suffering and death can be offered up in union with Christ as a means of intimacy with God and for the salvation of the world. When you realize that God's ultimate plan for you is to share in his innermost life of Love, then you have immense hope to endure all things for the prize of Heaven.