The Myth Pilgrim

Wonder, delight, and magical kingdoms are more than just fun — they are spiritual signposts! In this episode, my good friend TJ Mills and I explore theologically what happens to the soul when it steps into a place like Disneyland!

How does hope blaze in the midst of darkness? Enter the Easter Triduum with "Radical Red", an original Easter story by Sr Angela and Br Lawrence MGL

Is progress always a good thing? Explore the timeless themes of hubris, the myth of progress, and the spiritual cost of resurrecting the past. Learn why this 1993 story is still roaring today! Score used this episode: Jurassic Park OST (John Williams)

Spider-Man tops every poll as everyone's favourite superhero. Why? Join guest speaker Jeremy Wijeyesekera, as we explore the virtues driving Peter Parker, unveiling the Christian ethos permeating his heroism 

Stuck in your comfort zone? Follow Marlin and Nemo on their underwater quest, and discover how the classical Hero's Journey parallels the spiritual journey! 

A single idea can define us - or destroy us. Rediscover the power of ideas, and how our dreams are powerful messengers from the subconscious! Be mentored by St Thomas Aquinas. 

Wicked is a wickedly relevant social commentary! Allow Catholic philosopher Rene Girard to explain the phenomena of mimetic desire and scapegoating in us all. Be prepared to be challenged!  Excerpt:  "In Wicked, another moment this mimetic desire is particularly on display is in the ballroom scene. Again, when Glinda mocked Elphaba's outrageous hat, everyone else mocked Elphaba, because everyone just wanted what Glinda wanted. But then Glinda suddenly has a change in her conscience and begins to feels sorry for Elphaba. She boldly steps out and reaches out to Elphaba on the dance floor, and begins to imitate her awkward dance moves. In that moment, Glinda herself wanted to imitate the courage of Elphaba, and Elphaba became the object of Glinda's mimesis. And then of course, suddenly everyone else changes their attitude towards Elphaba, not because they like her, but because now Glinda now likes her, and just like that, Elphaba's awkward, undesirable dancing style becomes desirable. Everyone is imitating everyone… except Elphaba, who is probably the most authentic character in the entire story!"   Links:Bishop Barron on Rene GirardJonathan Bi - Introduction to Mimetic Theory

In Nov 2024, I was a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, a journey which took over a month. This episode, I share a testimony of some of the key graces and moments on my mythic pilgrimage! 

A short heads up that I will be taking three months break from recording - because I'm going on pilgrimage myself! I am setting out to walk the full Santiago de Compostela across the south of France to the edge of Spain.

Hi friends, the classical Hero's Journey greatly parallels our spiritual journey.

This episode will continue on from the previous, exploring The Lamb's victory over the Dragon, Whore of Babylon and Antichrist. More importantly, we will dwell on the climactic finale of the entire bible: the Wedding feast of The Lamb! Prepare for a ride! Excerpt:   "... fact check first: unlike what is presented in popular culture, the antichrist is not actually mentioned in the book of Revelation at all, and flowing from that, there is also no explicit notion that the antichrist is even one particular person / or entity that'll appear at the end of time. While interpretations of these ideas could technically be drawn from scripture, they are to be held lightly. Let's begin by looking at where the term antichrist actually comes from – and for that we turn to the letters of St John. About the antichrist, two significant passages are written: "every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already." Then in his second letter John says "for many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist." These passages are very indicative of the true nature of the antichrist – the one who denies the incarnation of Jesus – and more especially, the one who denies that God came in the flesh. Pause to think about this - for this is actually quite bizarre. After all, you'd think the anti-Christ would be some great leader who persecutes Christians, deceives the world to sin or simply wages war against love and peace etc. But as it turns out the most damaging opposition to Christian message is the denial of Jesus' humanity – of his fleshliness. The antichrist then, can be understood as an idea, a false idea, a heretical idea, as much as it could be depicted as a singular person in time. St John Paul II's Theology of the Body goes to lengths to explain why denial of Christ's humanity is absolutely toxic to Christianity... "Soundtrack credits: The Battle (Harry Gregson-William, The Chronicles of Narnia), Sogno di Volare (Christopher Tin), Holy Forever Instrumental (Chris Tomlin and CeCe Winans)  Soundtrack credits: The Battle (Harry Gregson-William, The Chronicles of Narnia), Sogno di Volare (Christopher Tin), Holy Forever Instrumental (Chris Tomlin and CeCe Winans) 

Are we living in the end times? While mythical images of fiery lakes, dragons, and the Antichrist can be captivating, what are the true spiritual insights offered by this often-misunderstood book? Soundtrack credits: Sogno di Volare (Christopher Tin), Holy Forever Instrumental (Chris Tomlin and CeCe Winans), Bethsheba, (from David, composed by Gabriel Wilson) 

This episode is a spiritual and psychological exploration of trauma. Guided by the insights of Dr. Gabor Mate, we use the redemption storylines of Twister (and it's sequel) to explore how trauma can be a hidden path to holiness. Excerpt from episode: "So now I'm going to dive deeper into how the Twister movies are trauma redemption stories. There's a line in Twisters that I want to begin with. Recall that Kate is initially hesitant to get back into tornado chasing because when she was a doctorate student, she had underestimated a tornado's power and as a result, had gotten her three friends killed. This affected her life immensely, and she gave up her passion for taming tornados and instead, stayed safely boxed up as a meteorologist behind the scenes. She hated living this way, but at least it was safe – how many of us can relate with Kate? Halfway through the movies however, when Tyler is speaking with Kate, he reminds her that the Fujita system of rating tornados is actually not based on its size or windspeed, but rather, how much damage it inflicts. This is a wonderful metaphor for understanding trauma. Trauma is not measured so much by what happens to us, but how much damage it does within us. In other words, the same incident happening to two different people can have incredibly different effects. For example, the same car accident can affect a parent passenger very differently to a child, with the parent being merely bothered by insurance, while for a 5 year old, it could result in a lifelong paranoia of getting into a car. Similarly, a divorce can detrimentally affect one child far more than the other. One of the world's leading writers on trauma currently is Dr Gabor Mate… who says that “trauma is not what happens to you, it's what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” However, he also says that the fact that trauma is measured by the wound it inflicts, and not by the incident itself, is actually good news. This is because there is now a separation of a past event from our present experience of it… we are not helpless victims of something in the past. Wounds after all, can be healed… even if the healing needs to happen slowly. If our trauma was merely measure by an incident in the past, we would forever be a slave to it - a victim, or at best a survivor. But through healing, we can be so much more than that.This is what Tyler was trying to help Kate see. Tragic though her past mistake was, it could not and should not change her present moment. In the barn house scene, he actually believes that her sodium polyacrylate theory could actually save countless lives, but Kate was too wounded to see it… and was hence blinded to the opportunity of her present moment. This is what trauma does to us… it keeps us locked in the past, and unable to function freely in the present or see its opportunities."

To celebrate 100 episodes, today is a little ‘behind the scenes' of the Myth Pilgrim, where I allow MYSELF to get interviewed by a friend Gerard William. It's my honour to share what inspires the episodes, how I make decisions and what myth and fairytale have meant for me growing up. 

The four cardinal virtues (Prudence, Temperence, Fortitude and Justice) are as important as they are forgotten. Follow Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Hermione and Snape as they illustrate each virtue in the Harry Potter saga. 

Did you know that baptism transforms you into a Priest, Prophet and King? Baptism is a share in these very 'offices' of Christ. Through the transformations of Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn, learn how these roles look, and be inspired to activate them! Excerpt from episode:  "The final office is that of king. While we tend to think we know what we mean by king—namely someone that rules others or is in leadership—the kingly office of Christ is so much more than that. It is primarily about responsibility and accountability, two words many of us in the modern world shirk at. It's a common trope that a kingdom rises and falls with the integrity of it's king—this was certainly true of the OT kings, and it is also true of Christ the king. This is where Aragorn comes in as the exemplar model of Christ kingship. When the world of men had a bad king – namely Isildur – the honour of men came crashing down, which in turn led to the cowardice betrayal of the Dunharrow army. But when a good king arose, Aragorn, he once more restored the dignity to men, and united Gondor and Rahan and all the men of the west once again. Everything rises, and falls with the king. So it goes with you and I today, dear kings of Christ. Where are you called to be responsible for the realm entrusted to you? Your realm could be your workplace, your circle of friends, your online contacts, your local council, your country and of course your family, your marriage. Whatever it is … know that you are responsible for that realm, and that one, day you will be held to account for the way you've governed that realm under Christ's authority. Have you protected it, sanctified it and sought the flourishing of everyone in your kingdom? Or have you allowed it to be divided, conquered, letting your secret sins defile it and corrupt it? The choice is yours, but the power is Christ. Fight the good fight till the very end, dear friends, and be responsible for all that is entrusted to you. Become Aragorn and say "I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail." This is the office of king."Soundtrack for this episode: The Lord of the Rings OST (Howard Shore), Jirandai, Diablo IV OST (Ted Reedy)

Blurb: Charming fairytale, or divine truth? How we sit with the Genesis creation stories shapes how we approach life's biggest questions: on life's meaning, love, the nature of reality, gender, marriage and human suffering. Excerpt from episode: "...where Adam under the first Tree stood passively while his beloved was ambushed by the serpent, Christ the new Adam, puts his body on the line to protect his beloved from the serpent. You may be interested to know that the translation of the word serpent ‘nachash' is sometimes translated as dragon. Was it a dragon then, in Eden? It would go to show why men are so obsessed with slaying dragons in world mythology, because that was precisely what Adam didn't do. Instead of using his masculine strength to fight and defend, he stood by passively … which is the opposite of slaying the dragon. Christ however, restores this masculine genius for men. And for women, Mary's fiat restores the feminine genius that was lost when Eve failed as the nurturing mother of all living. Through Mary, we learn once again that, “a woman's soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold” – that's from St Edith Stein. While many woman will be called to biological motherhood, all women are first called to spiritual motherhood… in the same way that all men are first called to spiritual fatherhood (and not merely grown-up boyhood). Jesus and Mary, pray for us, that we may see in you the redemption of our masculinity and femininity, Amen."Suggested further content: Dr John Lennox - Confidence in Genesis Dr Jordan Peterson - Biblical Series II: Genesis 1: Chaos & Order Soundtrack credits: Background music used episode is from, or covers of , the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim OST (Jeremy Soule)

St John Paul II said that “The message of Fatima is more relevant now than ever in the history of mankind.” Hear the amazing story behind Mary's appearance in 1917, and learn how prophecy, seers and cosmic battles play out across the real pages of history. 

Learn how 10 million Aztecs discovered Christ from within their own mythology, culture and history. What can Our Lady of Guadalupe teach us about inculturation of the gospel message? 

Recount the Titan who stole fire from heaven and willingly sacrificed himself for humanity. How does this classical Greek myth have incredible resonace with the mission and passion of Jesus Christ? 

How does the devil tempt us, and how gullible are we to his tactics? C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters is a creative exploration of the subtle art of temptation. This episode, learn the arsenal the devil uses against newly converted Christians! (Letter II from the book)

Plunge into the Easter Triduum this year with a lonely queen! This original story of mine illustrates how death and resurrection forms the rhythm of Christian life, and how St Therese of Lisieux's spirituality can inspire us this Easter! 

This episode is a meditation on gratitude. The much acclaimed Star Wars: Rogue One offers us an opportunity to reflect upon all the thankless people in our lives, people who have sacrificed to make you, you! What impact will your sacrifices make, upon generations to come?

Blurb: The four cardinal virtues (Prudence, Temperence, Fortitude and Justice) are as important as they are forgotten. Follow St Thomas Aquinas and Aragorn as they offer examples of each virtue from The Lord of the Rings.Excerpt from episode: "An example of Aragorn's prudence takes place shortly after Gandalf the grey is apparently slain by the Balrog inside the mines of Moria. Naturally, the fellowship are in grief and shock, unable to think rationally. After Gandalf's fall, they are immediately ambushed by orcs and are in immediate peril. Checking his own emotions, Aragorn realises that he must now take on the role of leader and to lead the fellowship onwards. While the pastoral thing to do would be to give the fellowship time to grieve and process the loss of their mentor, the prudent thing to do would be to get up and flee the orcs while they still could. Here is the relevant scene that captures this in the movie adaptation."All soundtracks from this episode are covers from the OST of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (composed by Howard Shore) 

Tangled presents us a chance to explore St John Paul II's Theology of the Body! Explore his profound teaching on love, lust and eros alongside Rapunzel, Mother Gothel & Flynn. Let's follow the light!Excerpt from episode: "I love the fact that the floating lanterns are released every year on Rapunzel's birthday, because the church actually recognises that baptism is our true birthday, for on that day we are born into the kingdom of God. So there's a big baptism detail already.  Then there's the thousands of light floating off and illuminating the night! Recall that baptisms traditionally take place at the Easter vigil, a ceremony which begins in pure darkness, until the first light is lit by the priest – the pascal candle, from which other candles are lit one by one, slowly spreading until the entire church is filled with light. This is totally like the lantern scene – which are lit by the king and queen first, which becomes the cue for others to light theirs and release into the night. Like the candles at the vigil, these lanterns are ultimately a sign of hope, hope that one day their lost princess would return home. In the same way, the Easter vigil candles symbolises the hope won by Christ on the cross, that we too, if we follow the light, may one day come home ... "Soundtrack credits: artistic covers from the Tangled OST (Alan Menken): I see the Light (SamYungOfficial), Kingdom Dance Tavern version (Colm R. McGuinness). 

We can only access our inner worlds symbolically, and our myths and fairytales have always helped us do this. Explore how Atreyu's journey mirrors Bastian's real-world experiences, revealing how the real hero's journey lies within.Soundtrack credits: tracks are borrowed from the OST of The Neverending Story (by Klaus Doldinger)

Do you sometimes feel invisible and insignificant? Join Sr Angela Uybaretta MGL as she narrates her original story "Glow". Follow this slow and dim star as she travels across the galaxy, to find the One True Light! "... Quietly tucked away in the heavenly sky called Stardom, lived a simple, cheerful, preciously ordinary star named Glow. She was born the tiniest star and with a hole in her heart. This birth mark was like no other for each star gave off light from their hearts. Unlike other stars who were fast and bright, Glow was slow-moving, and her light was faint and duller. Without the right amount of brightness, how could a slow dim star proclaim the work of God's hands ... ?"

Among many things, The Last Samurai exhibits the beauty of a disciplined life and spirit. Follow the traumatised Captain Algren as he is recieved into the Samurai village and undergoes spiritual awakening. Practical Pilgrim ExerciseVideo - Atomic Habits Summary (by James Clear)

We are all orphans in the spiritual life, and Annie offers us an image of our yearning. Journey with Annie and Mr Warbucks, as paediatric occupational therapist Karen Luzan spotlights the Catholic vocation of family!  

Learn how love leads Dante through the depths of Hell, up mount Purgatory and into the highest Heavens! Discover why The Divine Comedy is one of the most theologically significant Catholic works of all time, and one of it's greatest love stories. Excerpt from episode: "Dear friends, how many stories do you know dare to traverse the pits of hell while also ascending to the highest heavens? In the 1200s, an exiled Italian poet wrote a very profound love story, one that is now known as The Divine Comedy. This part fiction, part autobiographical tale of a man who journeys through the many rings of hell, up the mountain of purgatory, and into the highest spheres of heaven ... is one of the most theologically and visually engaging works ever produced. In terms of its masterpiece-ness, T.S. Eliot famously wrote, "the literary world is divided between Shakespeare and Dante, there is no third." Since Dante, countless stories and movies and art and video games and romances have been inspired by his imagery – so much so dear listener, that I guarantee you've come across Dante even if you think you haven't … especially in the way you visually think of hell and heaven..."Sountrack credits The main theme used this episode is Chaveliers de Sangrael (Hans Zimmer), with covers by Matthew Ward and the  Vienna Symphony Orchestra 

St John of the Cross' 'Dark Night of the Soul' is as much bewildering as it is misunderstood. Drawing from my own testimony, I share an original story, "The Fallen Knight" to explain the key features of the Dark Night, and why it is an indispensable gift for our spiritual growth.Further recommended reading: The Impact of God (Fr Iain Matthew): An excellent general introduction to St John of the Cross's spirituality, and his concept of Night Dark Nights of the Soul (Thomas Moore): A brilliant read from an author who is both theologian and psychologist. De-mystifies The Dark Night, and presents it as gift.

A healthy masculine journey progesses through the stages of Warrior, King and Sage ... or so our great myths tell us! Yet, all three expressions are in crisis in the West, and the consequences are far reaching. Join Daniel-san and Mr Miyagi, re-learning the key stages of masculine initiation.  Recommended reading on Masculine Spirituality Healing the Masculine Soul – Gordon DalbeyWild at Heart – John EldredgeAdam's Return – Richard Rohr

More Aslan wisdom! Spiritual maturity is as much about remembering as it is about growing. Allow this famous passage from the Silver Chair, to shed light on the forgotten significance of remembrance throughout the bible.  Excerpt from episode: "Today I feel drawn to only hone in on one feature, remembering, and the importance of remembering in the spiritual life. By remembering here I do not merely refer to the recollection of information, but rather, to make present a promise of God, or an act of God. You'll recall that Aslan tells Jill to remember the four signs he gives her, and gets her to repeat them over and over until they've become part of her, precisely because, when she is leaves her literal mountain top experience and goes down to Narnia, she will become clouded by the world. The precise words Aslan uses are “say the signs to yourself when you wake in the morning, and when you lie down at night and when you wake in the middle of the night”. Keen biblical readers will recall this is very much what God commanded the Israelites to do regarding the great Shema instructions... "

This most classic of fairytales is not only profoundly Christian in it's story and symbols, it offers us a reflection on jealousy, and a way out of it. Excerpt from episode: ... "Snow White represents a type of Eve, who is lowly and yet incredibly beautiful in the eyes of God – woman as depicted in Genesis is the pinnacle of God's creation, and its crowning beauty. Amen! Like Eve, Snow White is the mother of all living things (which is what the name Eve means), and has a close connection with all the animals in her kingdom. Satan, however, is jealous of all this privilege, and so sets out to destroy Eve and her offspring once and for all. But he doesn't really succeed. In the tale, this is like the queen, whose plans with the hunter and poison apple don't really succeed in destroying Snow White. But the queen does drive her out of her original home, as Satan did with Eve where she and Adam were exiled and had to fend, toil and work off the land. This is where the symbols of the dwarves come in. These little men work in the mines, toiling and hacking away at the land through the sweat of their brow. Significantly dwarves are also small and humble and honest, living close to the earth, a detail we'll touch on later ... "

A new 'Chinese philosophy and holiness' episode! Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon offers not only a expose of Confucian and Taoist philosophies, it also offers Christians reflection on the balance between order and chaos in our lives. Both are vital dimensions of a flourishing spirituality, but are they both welcome?  Excerpt from episode:"Dear friends, this is the fourth episode on the Myth Pilgrim that follows the theme of Chinese philosophy and holiness. Today, I present before you Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, a cultural icon not only in Asia, but also in the West. Winning the Oscar for best foreign language film in 2001, this great myth of Taiwanese cinema cannot easily be classified or categorised. The title Crouching Tiger, is a Chinese idiom that means there is much more than meets the eye. While heralded for bringing wuxia martial arts into western consciousness, the film is also a sweeping love story, socio-political commentary and an exploration of Chinese philosophy. Particularly this episode, I will explore the relationship between order and chaos, presenting in the second half of this episode why both order and chaos have their place in the Christian life. To do this with crouching Tiger, I will first be exploring the innate tension between Taoism and Confucianism, the two philosophies that have most shaped Chinese culture."

11 Oscar winner Titanic is both a mythical love story and a dire warning against hubris (arrogance towards the gods). Learn how divine love conquers hubris, and how Jack and Rose reveals Christ's love upon the cross! Excerpt: ..."substitute Rose and Jack with us and God, and you'll realise that an experience of divine love is akin to flying, it expands our horizons, sets us free and gives us a future full of hope. Partnering with God it's a bit like sailing into a sunset – there's enough light to allure us, but mystery enough to seduce us. Notice that Jack as Rose's saviour figure lifts her hands in a way that is quite literally cruciform, like Christ on the cross. Her open arms are at once the wings of a bird as they are a gesture of surrender and an act of trust. And Jack could lead Rose to do this because he himself had done it first, before she arrived… and as she closes her eyes with arms open, he places his hands in hers and joins her arms in cruciform fashion, literally backing her up in the act of total surrender. So you get where this is going? Now you have lover and beloved, united upon the cross, where they exchange their first kiss. Isn't this a profound way to look at the cross? Not as an instrument of condemnation, but the place of consummation …between Christ and his beloved, and the place where we the beloved most profoundly encounter the love of Christ himself. We too are inspired to offer up our lives, because Jesus himself had done so on the cross. I'm not sure James Cameron had all this in mind consciously as he write this scene, but in some ways it doesn't matter. We human beings absorb information on multiple levels, consciously and subconsciously, and perhaps during this scene, something of the Christ archetype was always speaking to us … perhaps with a language only the soul knows..."

The 1959 Ben Hur is epic not only in scale, but also in spiritual depth. Follow the exile and redemption of Judah Ben Hur, and feel the tension between faithfulness and idolatry, vengeance and forgiveness.

Braveheart has always captured the hearts of men, but how does it capture the heart of Christ? Br James Price explores how William Wallace's passionate heart reveals Jesus' heart for his bride. Rediscover Christ as the archetype of manhood!

Comedic crudeness aside, why do the Shrek movies have such heart? Learn how the Scottish ogre can help us navigate an era of cancel culture, hyper-romanticism and decline in platonic friendships.  Excerpt from episode: ... "This is where Donkey's character is so profound. If there was one word I could use to describe Donkey's virtue it would be the word ‘inoffendable' if that's even a word. It means that he is able to withstand the barrage of Shrek's ugliness and rudeness and have these insults roll off like water off a duck's back, not taking it personally and remaining strong in his character. Donkey had the same heart that allowed Christ to see past the exteriors of the leper, the bleeding woman, the criminal outcast, traitorous apostles and even a violent demoniacs. As the famous Shrek analogy goes, we are like onions, we all have layers. This means that all of us are complex and mysterious … even to ourselves. The fact of our onion-ness flies in the face of cancel culture and the toxic character assassinations on social media, that loves to create ogres out of people and rally the masses to get out their pitchforks and rocks. This is so immature, and sad, for even the very worst of us are still layered like an onion, complex and mysterious. How can we not be? If we truly are made in the image and likeness of God, and God himself is part mystery, then each person too, will always be part mystery... "

For 37 years, the Legend of Zelda franchise has allowed millions to 'live out' a mythical story. Why is this series so universally popular? What desires is it tapping into? Learn the ways Link and Princess Zelda can unveil the call of the spiritual journey! For those of you who are interested, I have transcribed my academic paper on "A Pastoral Response to Video Game Addiction in Teenagers" here. 

Why did so many ancient civilisations offer sacrifice? How did Jesus' sacrifice overthrow the the Jewish Temple? Discover the parallels between Katniss Everdeen overthrowing the Hunger Games, and the mission of Christ!  Excerpt from episode: "... And so, for 73 years, countless young tributes were sacrificed for this false sense of order. Then, comes Katniss Everdeen, who through love of her sister and friends, breaks the whole system and exposes the inhumane sham of the sacrificial ritual. When Katniss refused to play by the game-makers rules, and threatened to leave the Hunger Games without a winner, the effect upon the Capitol was the equivalent to Jesus cleansing the temple… and the ripple effect of the scandal was about the same too. As you remember, the Capitol's response was swift - Snow pretty much sentences his game maker to death, peacekeepers turn into stormtroopers, hospitals are firebombed and district 12 is obliterated. Why such a harsh reaction though? Why such a drastic, over the top response? We know today that the single event that most enraged the Jewish authorities to want to kill Jesus wasn't his healing on the sabbath, his forgiveness of sins, or his eating with tax collectors. It was Jesus' storming of the Temple that enraged the authorities most … for this was a direct defiance upon the sacrificial ritual of the Jews..."Soundtrack used this episode were taken from The Hunger Games OST (James Newton Howard) & Beautiful Israel & Music (John Farr) 

Despite popular opinion, Sleeping Beauty is NOT about a helpless female waiting for the strong man to rescue her. Rather, this classical tale reaches into the reality of the Fall and the subsequent redemption of Christ. Allow Sr Rosie Drum to baptise this tale into the heart of the Gospel! Excerpt from episode:  "... from that perspective, all of us are Snow White, or Briar Rose, or Sleeping Beauty. All of us are incapable of moving beyond sin and evil that has trapped us into a coma. And those of us that are awake to the human struggle ... we know how hard it is to shake off particular sinful habits we've gotten into, or what trauma has done to us. In all of this, we can experience a helplessness, or powerlessness to be able to save ourselves. Which is right at the very crux of what Christianity is about: humanity can't save ourselves, we cannot saves ourselves, we need a saviour, a human saviour... "  

This Holy Week, allow me to share an original fairytale I wrote, one inspired by Jesus' passion and resurrection. If you're drawn to adventure, romance, mystery and the hero's journey, this is the tale for you! Blurb: "A young apothecary who has a bright future in his kingdom. In a single moment however, his vocation is shattered and the apothecary sets out on a remarkable quest. Journey with him through failure and glory, death and life, heartbreak and love." The illustrated picture book is available now via Amazon!

The game of chess can teach us much about life, especially the spiritual life! Dive into the spiritual principals behind (1) controlling the centre of the board (2) knowing your enemy (3) valuing the smallest piece, and (4) strategizing with the final objective in mind.Excerpt from episode: "... It is pretty clear from looking at chess that it is a war game, with two sides lined up on opposing side of the board, with complete opposite colours. As such, we should approach the game of chess with the general's hat on, rather than just going about things haphazardly and randomly. No military general rushes into battle without knowing both his own army and his enemy's. But what about the spiritual life? Whether we recognise it or not, we are all of us caught up in spiritual warfare everyday, and the devil on the opposite side of the board is very intelligent, cunning and shrewd … much more than us. We may sincerely want to ignore him and just strategize on how to grow in virtue and holiness, on our own terms. This of course is important, but the moment we lose sight of what the enemy might be trying to do, you will soon find your own efforts thwarted, you may soon find yourself GG… checkmated by the devil and his minions..."Soundtrack credits for this episode: Scarborough Fair (London Pops Orchestra), Tetris theme (Harzy1HourMusic), Tension (Pink Zebra), The Imitation Game (Imitation Game, James Horner)

J.K. Rowling herself cited how Christianity shaped not only Harry Potter's finale, but the saga as a whole. Walk through Harry's passion, death and resurrection, and learn why Lily and James' tombstone says “The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:26). Excerpt: "... Okay, so how is the ending so Christian? Today, we'll hone in on three details. First, we'll explore the significance of beheading the serpent Nagini, and specifically, the Mary-like role that Lily Potter plays in aiding her son's defeat over evil! Secondly will be Harry's passion and death in the Forbidden Forest, facing off to Voldermort. And thirdly of course will be his resurrection, and how like Christ, it was his wielding of mercy and love that ultimately defeats evil."Soundtrack credits: all tracks taken from the Harry Potter motion picture OST: A window to the past, Lily's theme, Harry's love, The Battle of Hogwarts

What does beauty do to the soul? Why are artists called to be champions of the new evangelisation? In this special episode, I interview Damien Walker, Catholic artist and art restorer, whose message for the church is prophetic! Check out Damien's Art Studio: The Studio of St Philomena Here is the image and details on Our Lady of New Zealand: Te Ara a Maria A link also to St John Paul II's Letter to Artists 

Angels, guardian angels & fallen angels (demons) are truths upheld by the Catholic faith. Strangely today, its our myths and fairytales that proclaim their reality more than most churches. This episode uses these stories to rediscover the friends and foes in the spiritual realm. Excerpt from episode: "See, our myths and fairytales remind us what the Celtic Christians used to say: the world is porous and thin, and permeable by the spiritual realm. Whether we personally feel at peace or in conflict, there is a spiritual battle taking place which draws in the whole of creation. This certain enchantedness of creation is not only accepted within Catholicism but celebrated… we who have the most developed teachings of angelology as well as demonology, drawing from the accounts found in the scriptures, but also developed from theologians and the experience of the saints. I'll divide up today's episode into two sections then – beginning fist with angels, then moving onto fallen angels, before finally offering some reflections on their significance on this pilgrimage here on earth"

How does virtue carry a man through hellish injustice? Not only is Gladiator a profound spiritual allegory, Maximus' hero's journey illuminates the path we all must take as Christians. Excerpt from episode: "What makes Gladiator mythical is that the Maximus returning from exile wasn't the same Maximus as the one pre-fall but one infinitely greater, and that it was precisely through his suffering and death, that his true greatness was accomplished. Think about it: in the beginning when all was going well for Maximus, he served Rome well, was loved by his solders and helped extend Rome's borders into Germania. But by the end of the movie, the returning Maximus doesn't just serve Rome, he recreates Rome, by winning the hearts of the Romans and ensuring the end of its dictator, paving the way for the republic to be established. The dream of Marcus Arellius couldn't be actualised when Maximus was simply being a mighty general, but when he was a lowly gladiator, it was accomplished." Soundtrack: tracks used this episode from the Gladiator OST (Hans Zimmer): Now we are Free, Elysium, The Barbarian Horde, Victory theme, Earth theme 

The story behind the writing of 'O Holy Night' is as inspiring as the carol itself. God always uses the most unlikely of sources and circumstances for his glory! This Advent, reflect upon how "modern man cannot find God because he won't look low enough."  Excerpt from episode: "However, when Cappeau officially walked away from the faith and became part of the French socialist movement, and church leaders discovered that Adam was a Jew, the Catholic church enforced a sudden ban upon the song. O Holy Night was officially blacklisted, for how could a hymn coming from such unholy origins be any good." Music credits: 'O Holy Night' vocal cover (Petronella and Paul Hoare)Night Garden Waltz (Rebecca E. Tripp)'O Holy Night' (performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra)

Despite it's sci-fi trappings, Nolan's Interstellar is one of the greatest love stories ever told. Unpack how black holes, gravity and time travel illuminate the story of human salvation, and how the love of the Resurrection "transcends the dimensions of time and space.""Stripped to its bare bones, Interstellar is a story about human salvation. Or more accurately a story about the desperate rescue mission to save humanity from extinction. As such, if I could summarise the story of Interstellar in one sentence, it is this: “how the faithful love between a father and his daughter, could overcome any physical force in the universe, so much so that this love saves the whole of humanity.” It always impresses me how this sci fi giant reveals a deeply human story about a father to his daughter, whose love remains the same even across the stars. Nothing separates the love between Cooper and his daughter, and as such, the great paradox of this sci fi epic is that it is one of the most human stories told in recent years. For Christians of course, the salvific love between father and child lies at the heart of our salvation story, one that involves God the Father, and us his precious children. Just as Cooper once made a promise to Murph “I love you, I love you forever, you hear me? And I'm coming back,” God the Father made the same promise to us his children that his love was forever. Unlike human love, which is so prone to become distracted and distorted and weakened over time, God's love remains faithful forever, because it is a covenant love... "

Who is the greatest warrior against Sauron? Guest Danny Davis explores how two forgotten characters—Tom Bombadil and Goldberry—teaches us about the weapons of innocence and humour.Danny's Book "Guests, Hosts and the Holy Ghost: Who Tolkien's Tom Bombadil and Goldberry are and why it really matters"Here is an Amazon link to the book, with a foreword from Joseph Pearce!