Podcasts about Catholic Encyclopedia

Luke the Evangelist is patron Saint of artists and painters and thought to have been Mary's portraitist. Books by Trent Horn available at https://amzn.to/3VAny1k Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World podcast available at https://amzn.to/3YJpTqZ Books by Jimmy Akin available at https://amzn.to/3shLkD8 Catholic Answers Live podcast available at https://amzn.to/47IB5Yk I feature Christianity’s most beautiful artworks on my social media accounts. Images for this episode are conveniently compiled for FREE at www.patreon.com/markvinet ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Mark's video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio Credit: Mysterious World with Jimmy Akin: 08mar2024 #301 @56m Did Luke paint the Virgin Mary?; Counsel of Trent podcast with Trent Horn (episodes: on Icons, 19jan2023 & Problems with Traditionalist Defenses of the Faith, 08jan2024); Catholic Encyclopedia (episode 01jan2012, Where the Evangelists Got Their Information by Jimmy Akin) Catholic Answers Live. Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The old Catholic Encyclopedia states that “we cannot in advance insure ourselves against the weakness or the malice of our free wills. This doctrine is in direct antagonism to the initial Protestant contention that we can and must be altogether certain of our salvation.” Deacon Harold explores this more as well as looking into Soulful Psalm 78

Joe and Grettelyn speak about the medieval "Festum Asinorum," the "Feast of Asses," which was celebrated on January 14th, and they discuss its very Chestertonian qualities. They also read Chesterton's great poem, "The Donkey," in honor of the Feast! To read the Catholic Encyclopedia article cited in the episode, visit https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01798b.htm.  Check out our whole Advent & Christmastide series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm8wkRUR11ar3uer8l1EJ0S9hgAR1Ddz1 FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChestertonSociety X: https://twitter.com/chestertonsoc SUPPORT Consider making a donation: https://www.chesterton.org/give/ Visit our Shop at https://www.chesterton.org/shop/

A discussion of a Reformed Two Kingdoms view, and the possibility of a distinctively Christian view of the believer's cultural activity according to an orthodox Neo-Calvinism, in contrast with a Scholastic view. Key points from episodes 4 and 19 are summarized, and the Two Kingdoms view being addressed is described. The use of the term Scholasticism is explained against an objection. And a key difference between Neo-Calvinism and a Scholasticized view is variously illustrated.https://reformedlibertarians.com/021Main Points of Discussion00:00 Introduction00:32 Episode description02:08 Key points from episode 4 on Christian cultural activity07:09 Key points from episode 19 on religious non-neutrality09:23 Reformed Two Kingdoms distinctions13:41 The views of David VanDrunen18:43 The term Scholasticism as modified Aristotelianism 24:04 Reiteration of key difference between Neo-Calvinist and Scholastic views25:58 More about VanDrunen's views27:52 Religious views of a saltshaker32:43 The question of logical norms34:54 Similar to interpreting Scripture36:20 Religious views of limited civil governance40:35 Conclusion  *Usually we catch these things, but Gregory didn't catch his mispronunciation of philological til later.Additional ResourcesEpisode 4: How Should Christians View Culture and What Are Some Mistaken Views?https://reformedlibertarians.com/004 Episode 19: The Myth Of Religious Neutralityhttps://reformedlibertarians.com/019 See David VanDrunen's more scholarly book Natural Law and the Two Kingdoms (2009)https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802864430/ and his more popular-level book Living in God's Two Kingdoms (2010)https://www.amazon.com/dp/1433514044/ “Five Versions Of Two Kingdoms and Foundations For Christian Cultural Activity” by Gregory Baushttps://reformedlibertarians.com/five-versions-of-two-kingdoms-and-foundations-for-christian-cultural-activity/ Info on Meredith G. Klinehttps://meredithkline.com/ Especially see Kline's book Kingdom Prologue (1993)https://www.amazon.com/dp/1597525642/ Michael Beck's book Covenant Lord and Cultic Boundary (2023)https://www.amazon.com/dp/1666737577/ The Catholic Encyclopedia (1912) entry on “Scholasticism”https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13548a.htm See the first two chapters (93 pages) of Herman Dooyeweerd's Reformation And Scholasticism In Philosophy, Volume 2 (1950) for historical background on the development of Neo-Calvinism and its criticism of Scholastic views.https://vcho.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Reformation-and-Scholasticism-in-Philosophy-A-Vol-5-2.pdf#page=25 For example of a non-Christian's view of limited civil governance from creational revelation, see Murray Rothbard's For A New Liberty (1973)https://mises.org/library/book/new-liberty-libertarian-manifestoand Ethics Of Liberty (1982) audio: https://mises.org/library/book/ethics-liberty text: https://cdn.mises.org/The%20Ethics%20of%20Liberty%2020191108.pdf  The Reformed Libertarians Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute: https://libertarianchristians.com and a member of the Christians for Liberty Network: https://christiansforliberty.net Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com

We now begin our Christmas Series for 2024. We will be using Revelation 21:1-8 as our bases texts, with verse three, “Behold, the tabernacle (dwelling place) of God is with man”, being the main point. The tabernacle of God that is spoken of here is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. On Wednesday nights, we will be looking at the promises of God that refer to the first coming of Jesus Christ. In prayerful consideration of our series this year, I read a phrase that caught my eye and pricked my heart. “Don't let Christmas distract you from Christ.” Bear in mind that the exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown. This much we do know. He was not born on December 25th. Sorry to inform you of that. There are a lot of different themes and traditions that are going on in our culture this time of year. The vast majority of them have nothing to do with the biblical account of Christ's birth and the purpose of His birth. For example, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the word Christmas originates from the phrase “Cristes Maesse”, first recorded in 1038, which means the mass of Christ. But the Incarnation of Jesus Christ isn't about going to mass. It isn't about Santa and Rudolph and mistletoes. Although the word “Christmas” is never used in scripture, (neither are the words Trinity or Rapture), Christmas is a time when Christians choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. But it is much more than celebrating the day of His birth. Why was Jesus born? According to Scripture, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, or Christmas if you like, is the proclamation of the gospel or good news about how the Father gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sin, that sinners, by Gods grace, by repentance and faith in Him would receive forgiveness of sin, and enter into a relationship with Him of love, hope and joy.  But Jesus spoke of the reason for His first coming for our sin, He actually said much more about the fact that He is coming again a second time in glory, majesty and power to usher in a new kingdom, wherein dwells righteousness. And for those who received Him as Lord and Saviour, this promise of God is stated at His second coming. Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God”. At His second coming, only those who have repented of their sin and received and followed Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will be with joined to and united with Him forever in glory. The beautiful tradition of giving gifts to one another at Christmas is meant to reflect Gods gracious gift of eternal for us. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Our prayer for you this year is that the real meaning of Christmas would be much more than a one day event that comes and goes, but a new birth that brings you into fellowship with God.  “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:3, 4). SELAH

When archeologists Philippe Le Bas and William Henry Waddington discovered the ruins of an ancient Christian church in Syria in the 1800's, not only did it contain the world's oldest carved inscription bearing the name of Jesus Christ - they unearthed an unstained memory that the Roman Empire and Judaizers tried to erase from history. Show Notes:  ⁠Philippe Le Bas⁠ and ⁠William Henry Waddington⁠, Greek Inscriptions grecques et latines recueillies en Grèce et en Asie Mineure (1870), volume 3, inscription 2558. Minor reference in ⁠Gerhard Kittel⁠, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, under Synagogue. Also referenced in the ⁠Catholic Encyclopedia⁠ article on Marcionites, using Le Bas and Waddington as a reference. Modeling the Antiquities Trade in Iraq and Syria (MANTIS) https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/projects/mantis Marcionite Christian Church https://www.marcionitechurch.org/ The Very First Bible https://www.theveryfirstbible.org/ Presbyter Chat https://pre-nicene.org/Presbyter-Chat.html

IMAGE Romanuspontifex, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Luis Gerardo CABRERA HERRERA on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcahe.html     Luis Gerardo CABRERA HERRERA on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/24679   2009 Vatican Biographical Summary of Luis Gerardo CABRERA HERRERA (Italian): https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2009/04/20/0256/00600.html  Ecuadorian Bishops' Conference bio of Luis Gerardo CABRERA HERRERA: https://www.conferenciaepiscopal.ec/directiva/mons-luis-gerardo-cabrera-herrera-ofm.html  1909 Catholic Encyclopedia article on the Order of Friars Minor (often called the Franciscans), “OFM”: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06281a.htm  NOTE: If I recall correctly (and it's possible I don't, this was done in stages), free Adobe Podcast AI was used to help clean up some of the audio on this episode, as my setup and voice were both struggling this recording session but the show must go on. https://podcast.adobe.com/enhance#  TRANSCRIPT Hello everyone, welcome to Cardinal Numbers, a rexypod reviewing and ranking all the Cardinals of the Catholic Church from the Catacombs to Kingdom Come. Today we're looking at our fourth bishop from the list of new Cardinals Pope Francis will be officially elevating on December 7th 2024. Luis Gerardo CABRERA HERRERA was born on October 11th, 1955 in Azogues, Ecuador, which is a bit southwest of the middle of the country, due west of the western terminus of the fascinatingly consistent curve of the southeast edge of the national border. I'm sure there's a story there, but it's not a story for us today. He is actually our first Ecuadorian Cardinal, so I'll take a moment to note that Catholicism in Ecuador has generally followed the mold of Catholicism in Latin America more broadly, with the Church being established with the cooperation of Spanish colonial authorities and becoming the official religion up till the very tail end of the 19th century, when in 1899 liberal reforms began that significantly impacted the relationship between the Ecuadorian state and Church. Today a strong majority of Ecuadorians still identify as Catholic, though a smaller percentage than in generations past, and it seems the numbers are continuing to decline, though we're still talking about three out of every four Ecuadorians identifying as Catholic, and I say about because I saw numbers ranging from 69% to 94%, perhaps the most impressive range yet. Anyways, Luis was drawn to the Franciscan Order early, studying at their minor seminaries first in Azogues and  then in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. He entered their novitiate while still a teenager, then got his philosophy and theology degrees from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, followed by a licentiate and then finally a doctorate in philosophy from the Antonianum, a Franciscan university in Rome named after Saint Anthony of Padua, an early Franciscan saint best known as the guy you pray to when you can't find your keys. Luis however was not lost, knowing where he was meant to be, and he took his final vows as a Franciscan in 1982 at the age of 26. The following year, he was ordained as a priest for the order, becoming Fr Cabrera. In the 80s, Fr. Cabrera served in several roles for the order including master of novices and member of the provincial council. The years 1990 to 1994 are listed on one source as “studies in Rome”, so it was probably then when he actually got his doctorate, given the normal timing of such things. Within a few years of his return to Ecuador, Fr. Cabrera was directing not one but two institutions for the Franciscan order, first the Franciscan Studies Center of Ecuador, and then simultaneously the “Cardenal Bernardino Echeverría” Philosophical-Theological Institute, named after a Cardinal who was, notably, still alive at that point. I'm not sure whether the seminary already had the name or added it later. Anyways, I can't get sidetracked with other Cardinals– Fr Cabrera also served as a professor at that institute, specifically professor of Franciscan Theology and Spirituality, and of course, more besides. In 2003, after serving as Provincial Minister of the Franciscans in Ecuador and the Executive Secretary of the Ecumenism Commission of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, he went to Rome to serve as General Councillor of the Order of Franciscan Friars Minor and Head of the Franciscan Provinces of Latin America and the Caribbean. By this point, his titles have gotten to the stage where you're probably not too surprised to hear his phone ringing. Specifically, his white phone. Ring ring, it's Pope Benedict, calling to make him Archbishop of Cuenca. That's right, straight to Archbishop for Fr Cabrera, or rather, for Archbishop Cabrera, once he received his episcopal consecration in July 2009. Cuenca probably felt like home to Cabrera, namely because it was home; he was born in the Diocese of Cuenca a couple years before it was promoted to an Archdiocese, and though he was very clearly running in Franciscan circles for his career up to this point, still, there's no place like home. Cuenca's Catholic population didn't exactly boom when he was there, and the number of priests dropped so precipitously from 2013 to 2016 I double checked to make sure the boundaries of the Archdiocese hadn't changed, but apparently none of that concerned Pope Francis enough to stop him from transferring Archbishop Cabrera to the nearby Archdiocese of Guayaquil, making him spiritual head of Ecuador's main port and largest city, and yes, Quito is not the largest city in Ecuador, though it is where most of Ecuador's Cardinals have historically served. But the fact that there has never been a Cardinal as Archbishop of Guayaquil didn't stop Pope Francis from adding Archbishop Cabrera to his list of new Cardinals last month. And yes, well-informed hypothetical pedant, Bernardino Echeverría–the one the institute was named after–was nearly an exception, but by the time of his elevation he was no longer Archbishop of Guayaquil. In any event, whether Pope Francis keeps Cardinal-Elect Cabrera in Guayaquil or moves him to Quito, or does something else entirely, remains to be seen. For now we do know for sure that Ecuador is expected to have a Cardinal-elector for the first time in over a decade, ending a fairly significant drought for a country with its profile and Catholic demographics. After he is officially elevated on December 7th, Luis Gerardo Cardinal CABRERA HERRERA will be eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2035. Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers, and there will be another one of the new Cardinals next week. Thank you for listening, God bless you all! Thanks, Joe!

IMAGE Vida Católica Mundial, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbokalic.html    Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/33395  2010 Vatican Biographical Summary of Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC (Italian)): https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2010/03/15/0147/00347.html  2010 Vincentian newsletter with Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC bio: https://cmglobal.org/en/files/2018/06/VT-2010-01-01-ENG-G.G.GAY_.pdf  1911 Catholic Encyclopedia article on the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (often called the Vincentians or Lazarites), “CM”: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10357a.htm 2024 Vincentian Family Office coverage of Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC's appointment as Primate of Argentina: https://famvin.org/en/2024/07/25/pope-francis-appoints-monsignor-bokalic-iglic-cm-as-primate-of-argentina/ NOTE: Free Adobe Podcast AI was used to help clean up some of the audio on this episode, as my setup and voice were both struggling this recording session but the show must go on. https://podcast.adobe.com/enhance# TRANSCRIPT   Hello everyone, welcome to Cardinal Numbers, a rexypod reviewing and ranking all the Cardinals of the Catholic Church from the Catacombs to Kingdom Come. Today we're looking at our third bishop from the list of new Cardinals Pope Francis will be officially elevating on December 7th 2024, and you probably heard my spiel ab out the date change last episode, so let's dive on in.   Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC was born on June 11th, 1952 in Lanús, Argentina, the city immediately south of Argentina's capital Buenos Aires, right across the Matanza River if my modest cartography has served me well.   In 1970, young Vicente signed up with the Congregation of the Mission, aka the Lazarites, also AKA the Vincentians. He's our first Vincentian here on the show, but he won't be the last, and honestly I've already written a bit of history for the Vincentians I've filed with the other gentlemen that I think I'll just leave in place there for future fun. If you happen to be a listener from the distant future and you happen to go listen to Cardinal Sauraphiel's episode next because you're a big fan of them and it's important to you that you hear my history of the Vincentians like now, but when you go there you hear something about how I had had a history of the Vicnentians in his episode but decided to skip it since Cardinal Bokalic Iglic wound up coming first and therefore the history is in his episode, well, that will give you some hints about how the sausage is made here–that is to say, badly,–and I will fix the error that came from me not double checking my own decisions. If that or anything else weird happens, just write in and I'll fix it.   While we're well clear of todays' real meat and potatoes, I might as well mention that young Vincente is going to be our *third* cardinal from Argentina, though you'd be forgiven for forgetting our first two because they're from the 2023 batch and that was a relative while ago at this point. But that fact does help underscore the reality that it would not be too wild to consider accusing Pope Francis of somewhat favoring his native land in his more recent consistories. Then again even with about a fifth of the new Cardinals coming from South America as a whole, the reality is even that larger than usual rate of representation comes shy of their share of the global Catholic population–if you're wondering, over one in four Catholics alive today live in South America.   Anyways let's get back to Vincente, who was ordained a priest–Father Bokalic–for the Vincentians in April of 1978, not long before his 26th birthday. He initially worked in a classic one-two combo post for young priests, directing youth ministry and vocations for the order. By 1981 he was Parochial Vicar of the parish of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, assuming I'm translating Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa correctly, or at least better than I pronounced it. I don't always name parishes, so just know I'm doing that for a reason here. Starting in 1983, he began to serve the local Vincentian Seminary, first as formator–more vocation coordinating–and bursar–moneyman–and then as its head starting in 1987. In 1991, ten years after his first start there, Fr. Bokaglic returned to minister at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal for a few years before recalling he belonged to a religious order with “Mission” in its name and apparently made a bit of an effort to travel beyond the neighborhoods of the capital, instead going to the outskirts of Argentina's *second* largest city, Cordoba. I'm sure it wasn't actually like he went from New York to LA even though I'm strongly implying that for comedic effect, either way for what it's worth his official title was “Missionary” at this point. By ‘97 he was doing another stint as the Superior of a Vincentian seminary, this time in San Miguel, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires, which may or may not be the same seminary he was running previously. Look, I'm working with what I have here.   From 2000 to 2003, he served as a missionary and a parish priest in the Diocese of Goya in the northeast of the country, but it was December 2003 when he really hit the medium leagues, becoming Provincial Superior for the Vincentians in Argentina. As a reminder, you can roughly think of a province as a given religious order's equivalent of a diocese, though provincial superior is not a specially consecrated role, unless I missed something, which is always possible. And frankly, generalities are dangerous in the world of religious orders, because while there are patterns, there are also differences from one order to next among the dozens of major religious orders worldwide. For example, the Vincentians describe Fr. Bokaglic's role here as “Visitor” rather than “Provincial Superior”, which is the term the Vatican used for the same stint.   In any event, in December 2009, Father Bokalic returned once again to the parish of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which is where he was when Pope Benedict dialed his white phone and named him Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires and Titular Bishop of Summa in Algeria. Naturally, the actual episcopal consecration was handled by the then-Archbishop of Buenos Aires, one Jorge Mario Bergoglio–the future Pope Francis.   A few years later, in his first year as Pope, Pope Francis transferred Bishop Bokalic to the Diocese of Santiago del Estero, which may have had some interest for nerds well versed in the ecclesiastical history of Argentina but not much beyond that until earlier this year, when it became apparent that Pope Francis or at least someone in his circle  a nerd well versed in the ecclesiastical history of Argentina because he promoted Santiago del Estero to an archdiocese and officially named now-Archbishop Bokalic Primate of Argentina. The history nerd connection here is that the primate of a country is traditionally the head of the oldest diocese in a country. In this case, yes, Santiago del Estero is at least arguably the oldest Diocese headquartered in Argentina, but that point is indeed arguable because it had ceased to exist for many years after its 1570 founding, vanishing from the late 17th century until its reconstitution apparently under a new name in 1910. That journey is definitely on the list of things I'll be exploring if Archbishop Bokalic makes it to the next round, along with the surprise of Pope Francis formally establishing a new primatial see in his native country, when, well, that's not something I would have expected Pope Francis to do, though he does like to surprise people. Of course with the promotion to Archbishop and new  Primatial title already in place by the time he was announced as a new Cardinal, the actual inclusion of Bokalic on the list of new Cardinals was significantly less surprising than it might otherwise have been.   One bit of flavor that came through several of my sources was Cardinal Bokalic's closeness to the poor. I didn't get the sort of specific examples I like to share, but it was a pretty consistent observation, so there's a bit of flavor for you.   Anyways, after he is officially elevated on December 7th, Vicente Cardinal BOKALIC IGLIC will be eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2032.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers, and there will be another one of the new Cardinals next week. Thank you for listening, God bless you all, and thanks, Joe!

What does the Catholic church teach about angels? How many angels are there? Can they read our minds or see the future? Can I give my guardian angel a name?In this episode we cover the church's teaching on the angels, and tell some stories of the relationship of the saints to their guardian angels.Donate via PayPalSupport us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:Vatican I, Dogmatic Constitution Dei Filius on the Catholic FaithFr Mike Schmitz, "How Guardian Angels Actually Work"Ascension, "All About Guardian Angels"Catholic Answers, "What Do Catholics Believe About Angels?""The Science of Angels""Proving that the Saints in Heaven Hear Our Prayers""Childish Guardian Angels""Can the Saints Hear Us?"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Angels""Fourth Lateran Council""Demoniacal Possession"The Catholic Leader, "Do Angels Know What We're Thinking?"Busted Halo, "How Do the Saints Hear Our Prayers?"The Thomistic Institute, "Angels and Demons"Godsplaining, "What Can Angels Do?"EWTN, "Padre Pio and the Guardian Angels"National Catholic Register, "Postulators Reflect on Humanity of John Paul II, John XXIII"The Catholic Weekly, "Fr John Flader Q&A: The hierarchy of the angels"St. Josemaria Institute, "St. Josemaria and the Guardian Angels"

Who were the apostles? What were their lives like? What do we know about them? In these episodes, we unpack the lives of the apostles (plus a couple of bonus extras). Today, we continue with Matthew and John.Donate via PayPalSupport us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:John 1The letter of JudePope Benedict XVI: Addresses on the ApostlesThe ApostlesThomas the TwinBartholomew Simon and JudeJudas Iscariot and MatthiasCatholic Answers: The Gospel of ThomasHow Doubting Thomas Proved Christ's DivinityWhy isn't the Gospel of Thomas in the Bible?The Catholic Encyclopedia, St. Thomas the ApostleSt. Simon the ApostleNathanael

So, on The Patrick Madrid Show, Jodi from Las Vegas calls in with a burning question about defending the papacy. She's been chatting with her Protestant friend, and he kept throwing objections about the Catholic Church, especially about the papacy. You know, the classic stuff like, "Peter wasn't really the rock," "The Catholic Church isn't the true Church," and so on. Jodi, trying to keep her cool, said something like, "If you're looking for the real Church that Jesus started, shouldn't it at least be 2,000 years old?" Nice!   So, Jodi asks Patrick, "Can we trace all the Popes back to St. Peter?" Patrick explains that there's a well-documented list of popes stretching all the way back to St. Peter. You could literally just hop on Wikipedia (or a more professional resource like the Catholic Encyclopedia) and check it out.    Patrick then briefly mentions some of the common objections about the papacy that Jodi's probably facing. Stuff like, "Oh, Peter was just a pebble, not the rock," or "What about those bad popes?" He's heard it all! Yet, he reassures her that these arguments are easy to refute, especially with facts from Scripture and history. He even wrote a whole book on it called Pope Fiction, which tackles 30 of the most common myths about the papacy.    Long story short, Patrick's advice to Jodi? Get the facts straight, whether from his book, online resources, or history, and the arguments will crumble. As Patrick says, if her friend really wants to know the truth, well, there's 2,000 years of Church history waiting for him to explore.

Who were the apostles? What were their lives like? What do we know about them? In these episodes, we unpack the lives of the apostles (plus a couple of bonus extras). Today, we continue with four apostles: Andrew, Philip, and the two Jameses.Donate via PayPalSupport us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:John Chapter 1John Chapter 6John Chapter 12Acts Chapter 12Luke Chapter 9Acts Chapter 15Pope Benedict XVI: Addresses on the ApostlesThe Apostles"Andrew, the Protoclete""Philip the Apostle""James the Greater""James, the Lesser"The Catholic Encyclopedia:"St. James the Greater""St. Philip the Apostle""St. Andrew""St. James the Less"Aleteia, "Why was St. James called a 'son of thunder'?"Catholic Answers, "Who was James the 'brother' of Jesus?""Was Mary the Aunt of James and John?""Who Are the Twelve Apostles, and What Happened to Them?"

Who were the apostles? What were their lives like? What do we know about them? In the next few episodes, we're going to unpack the lives of the apostles (plus a couple of bonus extras), beginning with this episode on Simon Peter. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:Pope Benedict XVI's Addresses on the ApostlesPope Benedict XVI. The ApostlesCatholic Answers, "What Was Up With Peter's Wife?"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Peter, Apostle, Saint"Scott Butler, Norman Dahlgren, David R. Hess. Jesus, Peter & the Keys: A Scriptural Handbook on the PapacyRod Bennet. These Twelve: The Gospel Through the Apostles' EyesMike Aquilina. The Apostles and Their TimesDom Mauro-Giuseppe Lepori, Simon Called Peter

Did Jesus always know that he was God, or did he acquire that knowledge at some point during his childhood or adolescence? Were there things that Jesus didn't know when he was on earth? Did he know what was going to happen in the future? Was Jesus ever tempted to sin, or to despair? In this episode, we discuss the incredible mystery of the hypostatic union: Jesus as fully God and fully human. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:Psalm 22Luke Chapter 2The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 456-483Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis ChristiPope Benedict, Jesus of NazarethSt. JPII, Redemptor HominisMichael Gorman, Aquinas on the Metaphysics of the Hypostatic UnionCatholic Answers: "Did Jesus Know He Was God as a Child?""Christ's Beatific Vision at His Conception""Why Have You Forsaken Me?""Is it true that Jesus didn't know what would happen to him?""How Much did Jesus Know?""Did Jesus Lose His Temper?""Could Jesus Have Sinned? Absolutely Not!"The Catholic Encyclopedia: "Knowledge of Jesus Christ""Temptation of Christ"St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Third Part.John O'Connell, "The Human Knowledge of Christ"Fr. William Most, The Consciousness of ChristSt. John of Damascus, An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (Book III)Pope St. Leo the Great "Sermon 21"Msgr. Charles Pope, "Did Jesus always know He was God?"Ascension Presents, "The Astounding Reason Jesus Cried Out “My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”"Fr. Thomas Joseph White: "What does the hypostatic union mean in Christ?"The Thomistic Institute "Jesus Christ: True God and True Man"

Join Joey and Gil as they navigate through the past and into the Inquisition years as delve into The Spanish Inquisition and the Grand Inquisitor of Spain Tomas De Torquemada. . . . Sources: Handbook: Thomas Torquemada: The Grand Inquisitor Years, the Board Ruled 1483-1498 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520657412?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Online Sources: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Tom%C3%A1s_de_Torquemada https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tomas-de-Torquemada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%C3%A1s_de_Torquemada https://allthatsinteresting.com/tomas-de-torquemada https://thosecatholicmen.com/articles/shedding-light-on-dark-legends-the-true-story-of-the-inquisition/ http://176.9.41.242/doc/history/2020-hassner.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_of_Jews_from_Spain#The_genesis_of_the_expulsion_decree https://poestories.com/read/pit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition#:~:text=During%20this%20period%2C%20the%20Inquisition,Inquisition%20and%20the%20Portuguese%20Inquisition. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-cat-report/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-cat-report/support

TRADCAST EXPRESS - Episode 189 Topics covered: How 'Cardinal' Gerhard Ludwig Müller denies the Bodily Resurrection of Christ as it was always understood by the Roman Catholic Church. Links: Pope Benedict XV, Encyclical Ad Beatissimi (Nov. 1, 1914) Donald Attwater, ed., A Catholic Dictionary (3rd edition, 1958) "Deniers of the Resurrection: Walter Kasper, Gerhard Ludwig Muller, Joseph Ratzinger", Novus Ordo Watch (Mar. 29, 2016) Pope Pius X, Encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis (Sep. 8, 1907) Fr. Joseph Clifford Fenton, We Stand with Christ (1942). Republished in 2016 as Laying the Foundation: A Handbook of Catholic Apologetics and Fundamental Theology. Novus Ordo Watch benefits from purchases made through this link. Catholic Encyclopedia (1911): "Resurrection of Jesus Christ" Sign up to be notified of new episode releases automatically at tradcast.org. Produced by NOVUSORDOWATCH.org Support us by making a tax-deductible contribution at NovusOrdoWatch.org/donate/

What's an indulgence? How do I obtain one? Is it true that the Catholic church sold indulgences in the past?In this episode, we wrap up our discussion on penance and contrition in the lead-up to Holy Week. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:Catechism of the Catholic Church, pts. 1471-79.Pope Paul VI, Indulgentiarum DoctrinaUSCCB, "Indulgences and our Spiritual Life"Catholic Encyclopedia, "Indulgences"Catholic Answers, "Myths about Indulgences""Understanding Indulgences in the Catholic Faith""How to Explain the Doctrine of Indulgences""What is Attachment to Sin?""Primer on Indulgences""What is the sin of Simony?"Ascenscion Presents, "Did the Church Ever Sell Indulgences?""Do Catholics Still Do Indulgences? (feat. Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.)""Absolution and Indulgences: Two Distinct Gifts from God""Giving the Gift of the Plenary Indulgence"The Catechism in a Year "Day 202: How Confession Heals""Day 203: The Purpose of Indulgences"The Catholic Weekly, "Q and A with Fr Flader: Conditions for indulgences"Catholic News Agency, "How to obtain a plenary indulgence during Holy Week 2024"

What are the origins of Lent? Do I have to give something up? Why is there no mass on Good Friday? How long does the Easter season last? (Hint: ages)In this episode, we discuss the Lenten and Easter Seasons.Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:Catholic Encyclopedia, "Lent""Easter""Altar of Repose""Abstinence"St. Alphonsus Ligouri, "Stations of the Cross"St. Faustina, "Stations of the Cross"St. Josemaria, "The Way of the Cross"Ascension, "Fr. Mike's Easter Special""How to Celebrate Easter Well""4 Reasons Catholics Must Give Alms This Lent"Catholic Answers,"What You Need to Know About Lent""Why is Christmas Day Fixed but Easter Moveable?""Does God See You?""When Does Lent Really End?""Do We Fast on Sundays in Lent?"Hallow, "What to Give Up For Lent in 2024: Practical Fasting Ideas for Lent""Easter Vigil 2024: Guide to Catholic Easter Vigil Mass, Readings and More""Easter 2024: The Complete Guide to the Catholic Season of Easter"Aleteia, "Can you stay one hour with me? The “Night Watch” of Holy Thursday""When should Catholics genuflect in a church?"

Introduction:The Catholic Church is about two thousand years old. Over those two millenia, different liturgical feasts have come and gone. There are two modern feast days in the Church today which are not well understood and which have an interesting history. That is what we will be looking at today! What is the Epiphany? And what is the Baptism of the Lord?What is the Epiphany?Epiphany comes to us from the Eastern Church where sources suggest that it is the same festival as Christmas (Christ's Nativity). Some in the Early Church celebrated Christmas on January 6, but most celebrated it on December 25. The celebration of the magi being led by a star was also in the mix. What is really interesting though is what Epiphany came to mean. As I mentioned, some celebrated the birth of Jesus and there are discrepancies about what it was called. Some sources call it the Theophany. That's a very interesting thing because St. Hippolytus writes about the eis ta hagia theophaneia (Greek: for the holy theophany) in reference to someone about to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Others still, on January 6, commemorate the miracle of Jesus changing the water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana. Others attributed the feast of the Theophany as marking the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. Still others marked it as a day to remember the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. Today, the East tends to focus on the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan on Epiphany and the West tends to concentrate on the mystery of the Magi. Another interesting link between the East and the West was the water blessed on this great feast. In the East (including Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism today), the service of Theophany includes the Great Blessing of Water. This inspired the blessing of Epiphany water in the West, which was adopted and included in the Roman Ritual in 1890. If you are interested in seeing the full text of this blessing, a parish of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest has a handy PDF. There is also a blessing of the home that can be done by lay people. It utilizes chalk that has been blessed by the priest at the parish and then taken home. If a priest can be present, this is preferred, but is not always logistically possible in a large parish. At any rate, each room of the house is blessed with holy water and then the exterior doorway is marked with the blessed chalk. The prayer is:“Blessed be this doorway. May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us as we welcome them with respect and kindness. May all our comings and goings be under the seal of God's loving care. May we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, Jesus, Who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.”Meanwhile, the door is inscribed with the chalk with the year and the letters C, M, and B, with crosses in between each part: 20 + C + M + B + 24The first and last numbers are the current year, marking the entire year for Christ. The letters have two meanings. First, the C, M, and B, stand for the traditional names of the magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. But it also stands for the Latin blessing: Christus Mansionem Benedicat (Latin: Christ, bless this house).These long held and beloved devotionals and sacramentals of the Epiphany chalk and water give us a sense of how ancient this celebration is. In so doing, our houses become sacramentals and we show our love for the Lord. Unlike the violent and despicable King Herod, we welcome the Christ child into our home with open arms. If you are really interested in the History of the feast and how it appears in various Missals and Sacramentaries, I would recommend the Catholic Encyclopedia article on New Advent entitled “Epiphany.”So, what is the Epiphany / Theophany? An epiphany, in terms of definition, is a sudden realization. The Greek phainein means to cause to appear or show. Theophany is the combination of the word epiphany with the Greek word theos meaning God. So, a theophany is a sudden realization, or a better word might be manifestation, of God in glory. Rather than attempting to figure out what exactly we ought to mark this Epiphany, I think it would be fruitful to walk through the various moments in the life of Christ that have historically been associated with the Epiphany, these various theophanies. Appearance of the MagiIn the Gospel of Matthew, we see the magi visiting the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem. Magi comes from the Greek word mangos which was associated with a priestly caste from Persia. These wise men were well versed in reading the meaning of the stars (astrology) and interpreting dreams. Astrology was something which all of the ancients paid attention to and while the stars do not influence the course of things as the ancients thought, God can still use them to signal major events. The position of the stars and planets coincided with the natural movements of the Earth and the seasons; so, reading the stars was a wealth of information for those who knew what they were looking at. The Magi from the East were wealthy and possibly royal Gentiles and came to request an audience with King Herod. They had seen signs in the stars associated with Jupiter - the king of the planets - and came to meet this new king. Herod was taken aback by this news of a new king, as he had not recently fathered a baby son. The magi likely consulted with the scribes and chief priests and were pointed towards Behtlehem. In Micah 5:2, there is a clear indication that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. This is where the Theophany comes in. The magi come before the newborn king: Jesus. They present him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold because He is a king. Frankincense because He is the priestly mediator between God and man. And myrrh because He would suffer and die for the sins of man. The magi reveals the glory of the Messiah, the God-man, who came into the world to save the Jews and the Gentiles alike. The presence of the Gentile dignitaries kneeling before the Christ child makes it clear that God is manifesting Himself to all the nations and not just the Jews. And the presents, the gifts, of these wise men manifest the reality of the God-man as priest, prophet, and king. For more on the magi and what may have led them from the East, I warmly recommend the “Mysteries of the Magi” article on JimmyAkin.com. Miracle at the Wedding Feast of CanaOn to the next Theophany: the Miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Jesus reveals who He is and shows the power of God by working His first public miracle. The second Chapter of John's Gospel recounts:“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.'Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.' So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.' This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”There is so much to say here! One thing that St. Augustine points out is that the Son, when He was with the Father, instituted marriage. And, yet, here He is coming to a wedding. (cf. Catena Aurea) What a gift that is, in and of itself. One of the curious parts of this manifestation of God's glory is when Jesus answers His mother saying: “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” Of course, Jesus is never disrespectful to the Blessed Mother. The Church Fathers saw Jesus calling Mary “Woman” as a reference to her role as the New Eve, the Mother of all the living. The “hour” to which Jesus is referring is His death. He knew that He still had yet to call the disciples, proclaim the Kingdom, do miracles, declare His divinity in word and deed, and then show the humility of God in undergoing the daily sufferings of humanity. In obedience to His mother, He nonetheless worked His first public miracle, thus beginning the time of His hour. But as St. Augustine points out, our Lord claims the reality later in John's Gospel that He has the power to lay His life down and the power to take it up again. (cf. Jn 10:18) So, it is not that His manifestation of divine power will start some sort of fated countdown - rather it was that He did not think it was expedient to show His power in this way.As St. John Chrysostom points out: “Although He had said, Mine hour is not yet come, He afterwards did what His mother told Him, in order to shew plainly, that He was not under subjection to the hour.” (Catena Aurea) Yet, He also showed honor to His mother in performing the miracle. At any rate, this miracle was not a mere manipulation. It was not a magic trick or an illusion. Instead, as Alcuin of York put it: “He was the King of glory, and changed the elements because He was their Lord.” (ibid.)There is much more that is revealed in this miracle. But this will suffice for now. Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth. He is the Son of God. And in His first public miracle, we see a true Theophany. What should our response be? None other than what our Blessed Mother says: “Do whatever He tells you.”Baptism of Jesus in the JordanThe next Theophany is the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. To prepare for the kingdom of Heaven, St. John the Baptist called people to repentance, to turn away from their sins. He did this by baptizing people in the Jordan River. This baptism was purely symbolic and not to be confused with the Sacrament of Baptism. People came from all Judea and all the region around the Jordan river to hear John preach. Even the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes came out to hear John preach, confess their sins, and be baptized. John's was a voice crying in the desert to prepare the way of the Lord. Of course, Jesus had no need of being baptized. He was sinless and is God. So, what is happening here? The Catechism does a beautiful job of explaining:“The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.' Already he is anticipating the ‘baptism' of his bloody death. Already he is coming to ‘fulfill all righteousness, ‘that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father's will: out of love he consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. The Father's voice responds to the Son's acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son. The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to ‘rest on him.' Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism ‘the heavens were opened' - the heavens that Adam's sin had closed - and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.” (CCC 536)Pope Benedict XVI, in his book Jesus of Nazareth, points out the symbolism as well of Jesus entering into the waters of the Jordan River as He would one day enter into death and the tomb. And His rising from the water was like His Resurrection to come. We still hold to this theological reality in our own Sacrament of Baptism: we die with Christ and we rise with Christ a new creation. Jesus' public life begins when He is baptized by John in the Jordan River. We say that this is a Theophany because Jesus is revealed to be the Lamb of God by John: the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God. But more than that, when the baptism happens, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and the voice of the Father from Heaven proclaims: “This is my beloved Son.” Here, then, we have a full Theophany of all three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Transfiguration of the LordThe final Theophany we will quickly review is the Transfiguration of the Lord. In St. Mark's Gospel, we hear:“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.' For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.' And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, ‘Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?' And he said to them, ‘Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.'” (Mk 9:2–13)He revealed Himself first in a stable in Bethlehem, in lowly stature. God Almighty condescended to share in our humanity, the model of perfect humility. He revealed Himself at a wedding party, who is Himself the Bridegroom of the Church. He revealed Himself in the waters of the Jordan; He sanctified the waters of the world - a clearly meaningful gesture considering how important water is to us as humans. Now, He reveals His glory on a lofty mountaintop. He did not transfigure His features because the Apostles still recognized Him but an ineffable brightness was added. He brings with Him two people: Moses and Elijah. Moses is the representative of the whole Law and Elijah represents all the Prophets. Jesus is the embodiment of the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. As in each Theophany, the mission of Jesus is revealed. He is the Incarnate Word who came to redeem our fallen humanity. His “hour” begins with His first public miracle - the hour of His passion, death, and resurrection. The Baptism in the Jordan River reveals His public ministry and that He is the Messiah. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us, too, that: “The mystery of the Transfiguration must not be separated from the context of the path Jesus is following. He is now decisively oriented to fulfilling his mission, knowing all too well that to arrive at the Resurrection he must pass through the Passion and death on the Cross. He had spoken openly of this to his disciples; but they did not understand, on the contrary they rejected this prospect because they were not reasoning in accordance with God, but in accordance with men (cf. Mt 16:23).” (Benedict XVI, Angelus, March 4, 2012)The “folly of the Cross” is coming and Jesus wants to prepare Peter, James, and John to make their way the forested thickness of the passion and death. The light showing forth from Jesus on the mountain was not added from without; as God, He had the divine light within Him already. He was further revealing Himself to His closest friends. Besides the light, we also hear the voice of the Father echo the words from the Jordan River: “This is my beloved Son.” But He adds: “Listen to Him.” What in the World is a Theophany?So, what is a Theophany? It is a sudden manifestation of God in His glory, power, humility, truth, and grace. God reveals Himself and the mission of the Son to us throughout the Gospels. We must seek to place ourselves in these moments. In the Sacred Liturgy, in particular, we can do this by God's grace. In the Mass, we step outside of space and time and the mundane in a mystical way. We enter into a foretaste of heavenly glory, but Jesus as our High Priest also makes present these past moments of majestic revelation afresh in the Holy Mass. At the Epiphany, we are celebrating the arrival of the magi to adore the Christ child, and standing astounded with the chief steward of the feast at the wedding in Cana, and standing by the waters of the Jordan River seeing the Holy Spirit descend and the voice of the Father resound, and standing dazzled by the transfiguration of the Lord. It can be overwhelming to hold so many things in our mind at once. But thankfully, Holy Mother Church has given space to do so over the years. In the Latin Rite, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord on January 6 or the closest Sunday in the United States - in 2024, for example, it is on Sunday, January 7. In 1955, Pope Pius XII separated out Baptism of the Lord as a distinct feast. This was celebrated on January 13 for some time but is now kept as the first Sunday after Epiphany or, if Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday in a particular country, then Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Monday after. The Wedding Feast at Cana comes up in the Gospel readings on January 7 for daily Mass and on the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year C. And the Transfiguration is celebrated on August 6, which allows us to remember the link to the other three theophanies half a year later. Please Consider DonatingIf you enjoy these episodes, if you've gotten anything out of Good Distinctions, if you enjoy the written articles that I put out and want to continue to see this channel grow, I need your help. It costs quite a bit of money to put this on. There's a lot of different software and equipment that it takes to make it happen well and properly. Please consider prayerfully donating. You can do so for as little as $5 a month or $50 for a yearly membership.Special thanks to the following monthly and yearly subscribers of Good Distinctions!* Carson S.* Jo-Anne J. * Ann G.If you'd like to support Good Distinctions and help it grow, please click the link below!Good Distinctions is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Good Distinctions at www.gooddistinctions.com/subscribe

What should we do during Advent? Have we always celebrated Christmas on the 25th December? What are the origins of the Christmas tree and the nativity scene? In this episode, we discuss one of the most beautiful and important times in the Catholic calendar. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:The Catechism of the Catholic Church, pt. 524-526. The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Christmas", "Advent", "Gaudete Sunday"Catholic Answers, "Why is Christmas on December 25?"; "Advent: What Are We Preparing For?"; "How to Make Advent Useful"Catholic Straight Answers, "What is the origin of the Christmas Tree?"Aleteia, "The profound symbolism of violet and rose in Advent"; "Why does Advent have 4 Sundays?"Fr Michael de Stoop, "Why you should prepare for Christmas by making a good confession"Hallow, "Christmas 2023"; "Advent Candles and Advent Wreaths"Guides for confession:Fr John A. Kane. How to Make a Good Confession. St Josemaria Institute. A Short Guide to Confession. Fr Mark-Mary, Ascenscion Presents. A Guided Examination of Conscience.Examination of Conscience for AdultsExamination of Conscience for TeensExamination of Conscience for ChildrenGuides for prayer:Meditations in Manhattan: "Live Advent Well"Fr Mark Toups, Rejoice!Sr. Miriam James Heidland, BeholdWord on Fire, The Word Became Flesh

In this episode, I ask listeners if they know if any of the early strongmen of the 1900s through 1950s were Masons. If you know something let me know at Masonicmuscle357@gmail.com I then read a small portion of the Catholic Encyclopedia on Freemasonry to share what it says. Although it is from 1910, this article was very well written according to the available documentation of the times. Univeral Manual of Freemasonry by Hanbach. Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry Henry Coils Encyclopedia of Freemasonry Follow me on Instagram @masonicmuscle write to me at masonicmuscle357@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cesar-rubio5/support

Where did the rosary come from? How do you pray it? Is praying to Mary a form of idolatry?In this episode, we discuss one of the most beautiful and powerful prayers of the Catholic church. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:How to pray the rosary:How to Pray the Rosary v1How to Pray the Rosary  v2Rosary commentaries:Praying the Holy Rosary with St Josemaria EscrivaAscension Press, "Quick Meditations on Every Mystery of the Rosary"University of Dayton, "Rosary: Mystery Reflections"Recordings of the rosary:The Rosary with Bishop Robert BarronAscension Press, "Pray the Rosary With Us"More on the rosary:Catholic Answers, "The Rosary""Encountering Jesus Through the Rosary""One Mediator Between God and Men""Why do Catholics Pray the Rosary?""Giving Sacramentals a Proper Farewell"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "The Rosary""Hail Mary""Use of Beads at Prayers"Image: ancient sculpture of women holding prayer beadsPope Leo XIII,  Augustissimae Virginis Mariae Ascension Press, "The Power of Praying the Rosary""How to Pray a Better Rosary""Should I Pray a Daily Rosary?"Bishop Barron, "Why Pray the Rosary?"Fr John Flader, "The Rosary"

St. Mark Ji Tianxiang was a doctor who lived in the late 1800s, who was martyred for his faith during the Boxer Rebellion. He was also an opium addict who struggled with his addiction for 30 years, and was a drug addict at the time of his death. St. Mark Ji is an example to anyone struggling with addiction, disorders, or mental illness. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:An image of the statue of St. Mark Ji Tianxiang can be found hereBrian Fraga, "The life of St. Mark Ji Tianxiang: Persevering in faith despite addiction"Meg Hunter-Kilmer, "St. Mark Ji Tianxiang (1834-1900)"Aleteia, "He was an opium addict who couldn't receive the sacraments. But he's a martyr and a saint"Catholic Answers, "Addict, Martyr, and Saint"the Catholic Encyclopedia, "Martyr"the Vatican, "Pope John Paul II's teaching on the Martyrs of our Century"Catholic Answers, "Grace: What it Is and What it Does"Fr. Richard Conlin, "St. Mark Ji Tianxiang"Pints with Aquinas, "The Opium-Addicted Saint"

The Catholic Encyclopedia (and much more public domain Catholic content) is available online at: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the massive time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!

Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos on Catholic-Hierarchy: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/balvlag.html  Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/46441  Diocese of Matagalpa on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dmatg.html      Diocese of Matagalpa on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/mata1.htm?tab=info Saint John Fisher on Catholic Encyclopedia: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08462b.htm  Bishop Álvarez May 2022 interview on police monitoring/pressure: https://acninternational.org/police-harassment-nicaraguan-bishop/  Bishop Álvarez sentencing update: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/10/1156260758/nicaragua-sentence-cathollic-bishop-prison  Pope Francis calls Orgeta's government a "Gross Dictatorship" (Spanish): https://youtu.be/EVepc8ztlD4?si=S9YSyXGEnLW0hXPW  IMAGE CRED: Ramírez 22 nic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons This episode's image is from Wikipedia since they're pretty chill about image-sharing as long as I credit them and I don't have time to go creating a new image-permission request every day, I've got stuff to talk about. Also, yes, I, a degreed librarian, consult Wikipedia during my research as they are generally a solid aggregator of resources. You have my permission to consult Wikipedia as well, just remember they are not a source in their own right or else citogenesis may occur (P.S. Randall Munroe is a treasure: https://xkcd.com/978/). THANKS AND SUCH: Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the massive time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!

Acts 15:1-31 Vatican write-up on the Council of Jerusalem: https://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/en/san_paolo/concilio.htm  Catholic Encyclopedia on "Judaizers"l: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08537a.htm 

IntroductionWelcome back to Good Distinctions! Before we begin, I want to invite you to consider contributing financially to Good Distinctions. Good distinctions are the spice of life, and Teresa and I are enjoying producing content, finding good distinctions, igniting conversation, and inviting you all to do likewise! In order to continue, we need your help. Consider becoming a paid subscriber and show your support for as little as $5/month by clicking subscribe at gooddistinctions.comIn today's episode, we will take a quick walk through the Nicene Creed to examine what Catholics believe! Of course, the Catechism of the Catholic Church does a much better job than I will do here. And there are books that provide an even deeper dive. My goal here is to provide a 30,000 foot view of the Nicene Creed, the Symbol of Faith. The Creed has been referred to from ancient times as a Symbolon. The Greek word Symbolon means to “throw together” - the Creeds, as Symbols of Faith - draw the followers of Christ together in like belief. Scott Hahn, in his book on the Creed, refers to the recitation of the Nicene Creed at Holy Mass during the Liturgy of the Word as analogous to receiving Holy Communion during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In our public recitation of belief, we identify ourselves boldly as Christians in union with those around us and all those who have come before. The Niceno-Constantinopolitan CreedThe Nicene Creed, technically called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, is professed every Sunday at Mass in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. In the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church and in our separated Orthodox brethren, this same Creed is professed in its original formulation.The only difference between the Creed of the East and West is the later addition of the phrase “and the Son” to the paragraph on the procession of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, this disagreement has caused great difficulty and division between Eastern and Western Christianity.The Nicene Creed arose from the first two ecumenical councils of the Church. The first ecumenical council is the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. and the second is the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. This Creed is ancient and it has preserved the faithful from a variety of heresies for over 1,600 years. To understand it is to understand what we believe as Catholics.Walking through the CreedLet's take a quick walk through the Creed and try to understand it a bit more in depth. Of course, each word in the phrase is packed with meaning and endless depth. Truly, the reality of our Faith is that we are diving into the mysteries of an infinite God. So, there is always more to learn.Paragraph 1 – God the FatherI believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.We believe in one God in three Persons. We do not believe in three gods. Our one God is not only our king and Lord, He is our Heavenly Father. We are His adopted son or daughter through Baptism. He created everything that we can see, but He also created all the things that we cannot see. For example, we believe in the angels, in our own souls, and in demons. God is Lord over all of it and has all might. Even though He is tremendously powerful, our God and Father draws us into a relationship with Him and invites us to share eternal blessedness in another invisible reality: Heaven.Paragraph 2 – The Lord JesusI believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the Word of God, the Son of God. This Word of God, Jesus Christ, proceeds from the Father. He was “born” and “begotten” but not made. This is a mystery that is very difficult to understand. Much ink has been spilled in theology on how Jesus can be both God and man. In other words, Jesus is fully God and He is eternal, just as the Father is eternal. This paragraph emphasizes that there is one God but the Father is nonetheless distinct as a Person from the Person of the Son. Though distinct Persons, these Persons share in the one metaphysical “substance” of the Godhead. This is what the word “consubstantial” means - the Son being of one substance with the Father. In others, the Person of the Son and the Person of the Father share in the one, same Divine Nature. The Council Fathers went to great lengths to combat the Arian heresy which claimed that Jesus was created and was not truly God. We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man. As the Word of God, He has existed forever and will always exist. He proceeds from the Father as God from God and Light from Light, true God from true God. I will go into more detail on this in the fifth paragraph on the Holy Spirit.There is also the realization that it is through the Word of God that all things were made. God reveals to us in Genesis God speaks in order to create. He says, “Let there be light.” And there was light. Jesus Christ, the Word of God, was sent on a mission by the Father to come down from heaven in order to redeem humanity and offer us salvation.Paragraph 3 – The Incarnation and The Virgin Maryand by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.By the free choice of Mary, our Mother, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God took on flesh. Jesus Christ, the uncreated Word through which all things were made, condescended to share in our humanity. The almighty God emptied Himself and took on the form of a slave, to use the language of St. Paul.In the Latin Rite, there is a tradition of bowing during this paragraph in honor of the Incarnation. During the Liturgies for Christmas and the Feast of the Annunciation, we kneel down during this phrase when we recite the Creed. In the Roman Missal of 1962 and before, this practice of kneeling happens at every single Mass during the Last Gospel when the phrase “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” from John chapter 1 is uttered. If you have attended the Latin Mass, then you will be familiar with hearing the words “et Verbum caro factum est” and genuflecting.  The Incarnation is literally the “enfleshment” of Jesus; it is what we celebrate at Christmas. This paragraph marks one of the most important moments in human history. Our God became one of us.Paragraph 4 – The Paschal MysteryFor our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven  and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.This paragraph is directly connected to the previous. Jesus became man in order to accomplish the work of our salvation. It was for each of us that Jesus was crucified. The Council Fathers include “under Pontius Pilate” to show that this was an historical reality. It really happened. So too, Jesus truly rose from the dead on the third day after being buried.Forty days after rising from the dead, He lifted Himself up into Heaven in a mysterious fashion and He now reigns in Heaven as King at the right hand of the Father. We believe that He will come again in glory. This is what we call the Second Coming. At the second coming of Christ, we will all be judged; everything we have done will be laid bare and true justice will be accomplished. This second coming will result in the passing away of the old Heaven and the old Earth and the establishing of Jesus' everlasting kingdom.Paragraph 5 – The Holy SpiritI believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.We believe in one God in three Persons. The third Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, who we also rightly call Lord and the giver of life. God breathed life into the first man, after all. This holy breath of God is the Spirit which gives life and sustains life. He is glorified and loved as God, along with the Father and the Son. We believe that the Holy Spirit, before the Incarnation as well as after, inspired the prophets.The Trinity is the mystery of God, as He is. It is difficult to wrap our minds around this mystery in any meaningful way. Our metaphors are usually material, like a three-leaf clover or the states of water as ice, liquid, or vapor, and because they are material, they always fall short. God is spiritual, not material. The best explanation I have heard of the Blessed Trinity is from St. Augustine's Analogy of the Mind. I will try my best to offer a simplified version. Though, it is far from simple. And remember, this is an analogy. In our own minds, we have intellect and will. We know things and act freely. When we learn or know things, we have a procession of the intellect. When we act freely upon ourselves or the world, we have a procession of the will. If we analogously apply this understanding to the “mind of God,” we see a procession of the intellect and a procession of the will. God is perfect and so these processions must be infinite and perfect. The procession of the intellect, within the mind of God, is God the Father's perfect knowledge of Himself. This perfect image of Himself is the Son. The Son, in return, perfectly loves the Father. God is love. Therefore, the procession of His will is perfect love which proceeds as the love shared between the Father and the Son. This is the Holy Spirit. However, we must understand that He does not proceed in time, as He is as eternal as the Father and the Son. Paragraph 6 – The ChurchI believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.The Church of Jesus Christ is His Mystical Body. Before being an institution of human beings, the Church is divinely constituted. In other words, the Church was begun by the action of the Holy Trinity, is sustained by the Holy Trinity, and is ordered towards the Holy Trinity. Therefore the Church is holy, even if the human beings who compromise it are not always holy. The Church is one because Christ is one. She is also one in her teaching, preaching, governance, and means of sanctification. The Church is catholic because the Church is “universal.” Catholic means universal - the Greek is kata holon which means “according to the whole.” And the Church is apostolic because Christ founded it upon the Apostles and apostolic teaching and continued in governance and preaching by their successors. We enter into this Church through the one Baptism of Christ, by which we are cleansed of original sin, are grafted into Christ, and become adopted sons and daughters of God.We believe that when Christ comes again, we will be reunited with our bodies in a glorified way, similar to Christ's resurrected Body. We do not know exactly what this will look like. And we look forward to the life of the world to come which is eternal blessedness in the company of the angels and the saints in constant praise and love of God. We will want for nothing and all suffering will be no more.Paragraph 7 - AmenAmen.And finally… amen! Amen means “yes,” “so be it,” and “I believe.” It is the only ending to the Creed that we can offer as human beings. God has revealed all He is and all that He has done for us, and our confident and faithful “Amen” is the response of our heart. We should also keep in mind that the Creed does not exist apart from the Sacred Liturgy. The entire Liturgy of the Word, and especially the Creed, is preparing us for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In the Second Century, St. Justin Martyr writes in his Apologia that after the prayers of thanksgiving and consecration were finished by the priest, all responded by saying “Amen.” This is not simply a word found at the end of a conversation. It is not like saying, “Ok. Goodbye, God,” after a prayer is finished. St. Paul writes, “Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?” So, it would seem that the word Amen packs a punch. But what does it mean?Amen is a Hebrew word which means “so be it.” St. Augustine translated it as “it is true (Latin: verum est).” In  a tract explaining the Mass from the Middle Ages, we read, “Amen is a ratification by the people of what has been spoken, and it may be interpreted in our language as if they all said: May it so be done as the priest has prayed (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907).”It is custom in most of the Rites of the Catholic Church, both East and West, to say “Amen” after receiving Holy Communion. In the Missale Romanum of 1962, the priest says, “Corpus Domini Nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam, Amen (May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen).” So, even though the communicant does not say “Amen” like in the Missale Romanum of 1970, the priest has said “Amen” for them. The language of “Amen” seems to be like a contract. When two people enter into an agreement with one another, they may mark it with a handshake and say, “so be it” or “I agree.” Is that what is happening at Mass? Certainly, what we are entering into at Mass is far more important, meaningful, lasting, and beautiful. Perhaps more than a contract, the “Amen” shows us that the language of the Mass is that of a covenant. A contract can be broken. A covenant cannot be broken.When we approach our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we are approaching the Bridegroom as the Bride. We are uttering our wedding vows to the King of Heaven each time we receive Holy Communion. We are saying, “I do” when we say “Amen.” The meaning of the word is very close to this understanding. We are using the language of marriage to show that we are accepting the Bridegroom into our body and soul to remain with us always. As husband and wife become one flesh in marriage, the communicant and our Lord become one in the Eucharist. “Communion” means “one with.” We are becoming more closely joined to the Lord in reception of Holy Communion. Every time we say “Amen” we should clearly state what we are doing. We are giving our assent of Faith. We are not saying “Okay” or “Sure”, we are saying “so be it.” Do we know what we are saying “yes” to? Do we know what we are entering into? Our “yes” to God cannot be half-hearted or wishy-washy. It must be sure and resolute, by His grace. Our Lord Jesus is a strong proponent of authenticity and resolution. We hear in the Book of Revelation: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Rev. 3:16).” And in the Gospel of St. Matthew: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes' or ‘No'; anything more than this comes from evil (Mt. 5:37).” Let our Amen mean Amen. ConclusionI hope this brief reflection has been a help to you. Ideally, we will all continue to grow in our knowledge, love, and service of the Lord until the glorious day when we will see Him face to face in Paradise, God willing. Having the right belief on matters of doctrine is not a matter of triumphalism that we should lord over others. In humility and gratitude, we should accept this ancient formulation and symbolon and allow Jesus to enter us ever more fully into the heart and mind of the Church. If you have enjoyed this episode and feel that it has been a help to you, please share it on your own personal social media. And more importantly than that, please consider sharing Good Distinctions with 2-3 people at church or at work in person this week. The sort of topics that we are dealing with are universally applicable and should be of benefit to anyone and everyone. Also, if you are listening to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please follow the show and leave a rating and review, that tells the algorithm that more people should listen to Good Distinctions. On YouTube, the best thing you can do is subscribe to the channel, like the episode, and leave a comment. If you are listening natively on Substack and you use Notes, please consider restacking this episode, liking it, or sharing it on your social media. Just a note on Substack - if you have not subscribed at gooddistinctions.com, please consider doing so. Besides the weekly video and audio episodes, we will be releasing quite a bit more written content (short Scripture reflections, commentaries on current events, or little reflections on various topics). You won't want to miss out on that. And as I said at the top of the show, if you believe in what Teresa and I are doing here at Good Distinctions, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for as little as $5/month to support our mission. We believe that good distinctions are the spice of life, of course. But our mission is this: to seek out the best distinctions, to reignite good conversations, and inspire others to do the same. Thanks for listening, reading, and watching. Good Distinctions are the Spice of Life! To end today, please join me in praying through the Nicene Creed. The Nicene CreedI believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Get full access to Good Distinctions at www.gooddistinctions.com/subscribe

Catholic Encyclopedia on  Apostolic Succession: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01641a.htm IMAGE CREDIT: Wolfgang Sauber | CC BY-SA 3.0 Anonymous, ~1180 St Peter Consecrating St Hermagoras as Bishop of Aquileia in Presence of St Mark Fresco from the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta Via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aquileia_Basilica_-_Krypta_Fresco_Bischofsweihe_Hermagoras.jpg 

TOPIC-SPECIFIC LINKS (BY ROUGH ORDER OF MENTION): "Dogmatic Theology", The Catholic Encyclopedia: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14580a.htm  "Relativism", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/  "Objectivity", Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy https://iep.utm.edu/objectiv/#:~:text=1.,do%20persons%20having%20subjective%20states.  Bakhita Radio report on Bishop Ameyu's elevation as Bishop of Torit (slideshow): https://fb.watch/l-f9z53yFk/?mibextid=Nif5oz  Humanae Vitae https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html  Vatican press release on Bishop Mulla's elevation as Bishop of Torit: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/01/03/190103b.html  Current situation in Sudan: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/may/sudan-christians-burhan-rsf-civil-war-khartoum-churches.html  Coverage of opposition to Bishop Ameyu's appointment:  https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/43209/controversy-continues-regarding-south-sudan-archbishop-appointment  More coverage of opposition to Bishop Ameyu's appointment:  https://sudantribune.com/article67243/  Eye Radio report on Bishop Ameyu's elevation to Cardinal: https://www.eyeradio.org/pope-francis-promotes-archbishop-stephen-ameyu-to-cardinal/?amp  Cardinal-Elect Ameyu's reaction: https://www.ncronline.org/news/cardinal-designate-south-sudan-seen-peacemaker-ethnic-conflicts  Crux write-up of the three new African Cardinals, including Cardinal-Elect Ameyu. https://cruxnow.com/church-in-africa/2023/07/meet-pope-franciss-new-african-cardinals  THE USUAL LINKS: Cardinal-Elect Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bamm.html  Cardinal-Elect Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/47068  See of Juba on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/juba0.htm?tab=info  See of Juba on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/djuba.html  Aletia bios of new Cardinals from the Americas, including Cardinal-Elect Grzegorz Ryś: https://aleteia.org/2023/07/12/6-prelates-from-the-americas-to-join-the-sacred-college/  The same Vatican press statement with bio information I keep linking (Italian): https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2023/07/09/0503/01120.html  IMAGE CRED: Radio Bakhita  THANKS AND SUCH: Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with me and for helping me out or for being polite when declining. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare, spreading the word is worth more than gold!  

The Mass is incredible. Mindblowing. Beautiful. In this episode we step through the mass from beginning to end, and explain what happens and why. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/Timestamps:1:24: The Introductory Rites7:23: The Liturgy of the Word11:42: The Creed14:29: The Liturgy of the Eucharist20:57: The Eucharistic Prayer26:48: The Communion Rite33:22: The Concluding RitesReferences and further reading/listening/viewing:Isaiah 6:3Matthew 18:20Order of MassMissal App (USA)Missal App (Australia)Dr. Edward Sri. A Biblical Walk Through The Mass. Fr Mike Schmitz, "The Hour That Will Change Your Life"Ascension. “How to Understand the Cycle of Readings at Mass”. Catholic Answers, "Is the Mass a Sacrifice?"The Catholic Weekly, "Fr Flader Q@A: The Mass, the sacrifice of Jesus"Aleteia, "The sign of peace: The ancient roots of the greeting we make at Mass""Why do Catholics respond “And with your spirit” at Mass?""Why do we present gifts during mass?"Catholic Encyclopedia, "Gloria""Sign of the Cross" "Confiteor""The Blessed Eucharist as a Sacrament""Sacrifice of the Mass""The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist""Eucharist""Canon of the Mass""Offertory"

What is Mass? Who can go to Mass? Why all the sitting and standing and kneeling? What's the difference between the Latin Mass and the novus ordo mass?In this episode, we cover some common questions about the Mass. Support us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/Timestamps:2:25: What is Mass?4:48: Who can go to Mass?5:41: Missals/Order of Mass6:52: Standing, sitting, kneeling.11:01: Bells and incense13:54: Eastern and Western rites16:10: Latin Mass vs novus ordo19:04: How late is too late?22:25: Fasting before communionReferences and further reading/listening/viewing:Aleteia. “Why are bells sometimes used during Mass?” Aleteia. “An easy guide to standing, sitting, and kneeling during Mass”. Aleteia. “What's the difference between ‘the Latin Mass' and ‘Mass in Latin'?”Ascension. “The Other 23 Catholic Churches and Why They Exist”. Ascension. “How to Understand the Cycle of Readings at Mass”. General Instruction of the Roman Missal. Bishop Robert Barron. “What Is Your Opinion on the Traditional Latin Mass? — Bishop Barron on Vatican II”. Catholic Answers, “Here's Why You Should Go to Mass”. Catholic Answers. “What is the "Extraordinary Form" of the Mass?”. Catholic Answers. “What Can You Tell Me about the Byzantine Rite of the Catholic Church?” Catholic Answers. “How Late Is Too Late for Mass?” The Catholic Encyclopedia. “Bells” The Catholic Encyclopedia. “Incense” Canon Law Made Easy. “How Has Canon Law Changed on Fasting before Communion?” Catholic-Link.org “Latin Mass vs Novus Ordo || What is Different Between the Extraordinary & Ordinary Forms of the Mass” Catholic Straight Answers. “Should we fast before receiving Holy Communion?” Dr. Edward Sri. A Biblical Walk Through The Mass. Fr Mike Schmitz, "The Hour That Will Change Your Life"

The apostle John calls the final vision of evil he sees, "Mystery, Babylon the Great: Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth." (Revelation 17:5) This title speaks to the true wickedness of who this Mystery Babylon represents and her incomparable influence over mankind. She is the source of all the abominations of the Earth, as well as the "Mother" of harlots. We know that throughout the bible women are used figuratively to speak of the body of believers - a virgin always represented the pure and faithful group of believers, while a prostitute signified an apostate group of believers. With this in mind we have plenty of very specific clues as to who this Mystery Babylon is, and today we will expose her clearly so that there is absolutely no doubt about who and what she is. Stay connected at: www.danceoflife.com RESOURCES: End Times Prophetic Timeline https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vRiMza0rWIbxv3wQ8mM9w8Kdw_eRgN6TeeMj1iHZYhrEqHsS8OOFBoT9T2aSUE_Nwt9-nEzKToeSovv/pubhtml Catholic Encyclopedia, Sacrifice of the Mass https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10006a.htm Pope Enthroned Between Cherubim, Showing himself that he is God. http://www.biblelightinfo.com/pope-throne.htm "The power to change the law belongs to the vicar of Christ" Pope Gregory IX Decretals, Book 1, Chapter III https://web.archive.org/web/20160514212543/http://freespace.virgin.net/angus.graham/GregDecr.htm Dominum Deum Nostrum Papam - "Our Lord God the Pope" http://www.biblelightinfo.com/Extravagantes.htm Does the Pope Claim to be God? Mysterious Quote Regarding Pope Found! http://www.biblelightinfo.com/Barclay.html Hand of Terrorism, by George J Church, p. 6 of 14 https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,924742-6,00.html Crossing the Threshold of Hope, John Paul II, p. 7, "Have no fear when people call me Holy Father" https://cdn.preterhuman.net/texts/religion.occult.new_age/occult.conspiracy.and.related/Pope%20John%20Paul%20II%20-%20Crossing%20the%20Threshold%20of%20Hope.pdf "The pope represents Jesus Christ Himself" https://bibleask.org/1895-quote-the-catholic-national/ “We hold upon this earth the place of Almighty God” Pope Leo XIII Encyclical Letter of June 20,1894 https://www.papalencyclicals.net/leo13/l13praec.htm Vicarius Filii Dei and 666 http://www.biblelightinfo.com/666.htm#OFFICIAL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicarius_Filii_Dei Pope Francis gives all priests permission to forgive the sin of abortion https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/11/21/pope-francis-gives-all-priests-permission-to-forgive-the-sin-of-abortion/ The AP Interview: Pope says homosexuality not a crime https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-gay-rights-ap-interview-1359756ae22f27f87c1d4d6b9c8ce212 Pope to LGBT Catholics: 'God is Father who does not disown any of his children' https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2022-05/pope-letter-fr-martin-lgtb-outreach-questions.html Pope says we shouldn't try to convert others to Christianity https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2023/01/18/pope-francis-urges-christians-not-to-try-to-convert-nonbelievers/ Jesuits and Other Catholic Leaders Voice Support for LGBTQ Community in New Video https://www.jesuits.org/stories/jesuits-and-other-catholic-leaders-voice-support-for-lgbtq-community-in-new-video/ "The serpent that kills and the serpent that saves" MORNING MEDITATION IN THE CHAPEL OF THE DOMUS SANCTAE MARTHAE https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/cotidie/2016/documents/papa-francesco-cotidie_20160315_the-serpent-that-kills-and-the-one-that-saves.html Attalus III gives title to Roman Emperor 133 BC https://www.britannica.com/biography/Attalus-III-Philometor-Euergetes Pontifex history in Rome https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pontifex_Maximus San Franciso Chronicle Feb 11 1929 The Lateran Treaty - The Healing of the Deadly Wound? https://decodingsatan.blogspot.com/2020/11/san-franciso-chronicle-feb-11-1929.html jewish leaders meet pope francis, commemorate decree repudiating jews killed jesus https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/2017-08-31/ty-article/jewish-leaders-meet-pope-50-years-on-from-nostra-aetate/0000017f-dbb2-db5a-a57f-dbfa4d940000 Pope says Evolution and Big Bang Prove God Exists https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-29799534 Intermarriage, European failure to unite again https://amazingdiscoveries.org/S-deception_end-time_Antichrist_Daniel_kingdoms Mary is Necessary https://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/mary18b.htm Dignity of the priesthood, p.32-33, p.34 https://archive.org/details/alphonsusworks12liguuoft/page/n39/mode/2up The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII, p. 304 https://archive.org/details/greatencyclicall00cath/page/304/mode/2up Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Newman, p. 372 https://www.newmanreader.org/works/development/chapter8.html Paul IV audience hall https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/428/079/b4f.jpg The Resurrection by Fazzini https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Resurrection_(Fazzini)#/media/File:Hires_130116-D-BW835-051c.jpg The Vatican Obelisk https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/vatican-obelisk The Papal Tiara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_tiara Pope helped lift the iron curtain https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/apr/03/pope-helped-lift-iron-curtain/ Thirteenth Session of the Council of Trent (Eucharist) https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/thirteenth-session-of-the-council-of-trent-1479 Pope to grant Plenary Indulgences on World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-06/plenary-indulgences-apostolic-penitentiary-world-day-grandparent.html Stanley Morrison, author of Times New Roman https://www.tipometar.org/kolumne/TipoPoezija/iFramesEng/StenliM.html http://www.identifont.com/show?18B

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.Note: If you are not familiar with the early Christian doctrine of the intermediate state of the dead, please listen to the podcast "What Happens After We Die?" This podcast assumes some familiarity with the biblical teaching that the dead proceed to Hades, a sort of waiting place before the second coming, the general resurrection, and the Judgment Day.The Evolution of PurgatoryDoctrine of purgatory gradually evolved from the third century to the fifth. Although the idea was current among some Jews even in the time of Christ, it was slow to gain acceptance.By the 3rd century the church was already on the way to a doctrine of purgatory. Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215) and Origen (185-254) elaborated further. In the late 4th century, Gregory of Nyssa even spoke of universal salvation through purgatory: in the end all creatures will suffer temporarily, not (infinitely) forever -- until all things return to God (Life of Moses II, 82-84). By the 5th century -- as far as I can tell -- purgatory was a widespread belief in the Roman Catholic Church.As the centuries dragged on, the church began to slip into worldliness. By the 4th century, when church membership was standard in the Roman Empire, the majority were not living holy lives. How would their sin be dealt with? The necessary purging must take place in the afterlife, or so it was thought.Officially affirmed in the Second Council of Lyon (1274), the Council of Florence (1438–1445), and the Counter-Reformation Council of Trent (1545–63).In medieval church, it was thought baptism and penance pardon sins in this life; purgatory deals with sins in the next life -- a distinction seeming to find justification in Matthew 12:31.Dante Alighieri, who wrote more about purgatory than any other medieval writer, portrayed it as not only a state of suffering, but also as a state of joyous anticipation. Though painful, this "antechamber of heaven" enabled us to be transformed, to reach a state of holiness so that we would be prepared for the presence of God.From the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2005):What is purgatory? Purgatory is the state of those who die in God's friendship, assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven.How can we help the souls being purified in purgatory? Because of the communion of saints, the faithful who are still pilgrims on earth are able to help the souls in purgatory by offering prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice. They also help them by almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance. Note: indulgences were the flash point for Protestant Reformation (1500s).Is there any biblical justification?Adam still had to pay for his sin – sweat of his brow. Moses forgiven but excluded from promised land. David was forgiven but still paid severe penalties for the incident with Uriah and Bathsheba. But of course all of these were consequences of sin in this life…In fact, if anything, the Bible teaches purgatory is now, not after we die, for it is in this life that we face fiery trials (1 Peter 4:12).Moreover, motives will come to light and be judged only after judgment day begins (1 Corinthians 4:5)--not before!There is one verse in the O.T. Apocrypha that seems to justify prayers for the dead.This implies that they may be suffering in purgatory -- and that is 2 Maccabees 12:42-46.Yet according to Catholic theology, mortal sins, like the idolatry in which these persons had engaged, cannot be forgiven through third-party prayer. (Only with confession and penance.) Thus this proof-text backfires.The verse commonly cited in support of purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:13-15.Yet the context of 1 Corinthians 3:5-15 (the entire passage) is church building (church planting and ministry).The Catholic Encyclopedia admits "this passage presents considerable difficulty...", and several authors I've read who support purgatory admit that there is little if any biblical justification. The grounds for purgatory are thus more philosophical than biblical.There is nothing in this passage about the afterlife, and certainly no hint of a purgatory.What is burning is not the not-yet-holy sinner, but his sub-standard church building!ConclusionPurgatory is a man-made doctrine.It has a certain rationale -- that is, those who believe in it aren't necessarily selfish or stupid! -- yet there is no scriptural support.Jesus' death was enough to completely forgive our sins. We do not need to pay or them in the afterlife!This life is the time to strive for holiness, not the next!

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?St. Thomas Aquinas when answering the question of whether God exists brings forward two objections. The second objection says that everything we see in the natural world can be explained by nature or by human reason; therefore, we do not need to suppose God's existence. To this objection, St. Thomas says that we can trace back what is done in nature back to the first cause, which must be an immovable and self-necessary first principle, which we call God. He then references his Five Ways which are converging and convincing arguments to demonstrate God's existence. For the remainder of today, I would like to focus on the first objection that St. Thomas raises to God's existence. If you are unfamiliar with the disputed question format used by St. Thomas in the Summa and in many other scholastic works, it goes like this. There are objections posed, then a section where a brief response is given beginning with “on the contrary.” Then the main teaching is delivered in the “I answer that” section and is followed by the specific responses given for the objection posed at the beginning of the article.  For the first objection to God's existence, St. Thomas puts it this way:“It seems that God does not exist; because if one of two contraries be infinite, the other would be altogether destroyed. But the word ‘God' means that He is infinite goodness. If, therefore, God existed, there would be no evil discoverable; but there is evil in the world. Therefore God does not exist (ST I, q.2, a.3).”Of course, this is an argument, not a slam dunk. God does exist and He is goodness itself. But can you feel the weight of the argument? If God is infinitely good, then why is there evil? In other words, why do bad things happen to good people?Here on Earth, there is no sufficient answer to this argument. How can there be, really? We see evil happen and sometimes the human suffering which results is so extreme that no justice seems to ever come to fruition. Or perhaps it is not moral evil but physical evil. Why do children develop horrifically painful diseases? Why do mothers and fathers lose their children to miscarriage and stillbirth? In the goodness of creation, why are there devastating natural disasters that cause widespread death, destruction, and catastrophe? The Problem of EvilThis so-called “Problem of Evil” has plagued philosophers, theologians, and ethicists for millennia. The presence of evil and suffering in the world is the strongest argument against an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient God. The logical formulation of the problem of evil is laid out in Aquinas' objection, and we will get to the response to this objection a bit later on. The evidential formulation, on the other hand, is the one that packs the biggest punch because we can see gratuitous evil, pain, suffering, and misery. No one needs proof that evil exists; we need look no further than our own sins or the sins of those around us to show its existence. The reason that the evidence of evil is so powerful is not based on its logical intricacies but because of emotion. The natural human response to suffering, pain, blatant evil, and injustice is repulsion. We have a visceral, subconscious reaction to the evil that we encounter. And we wonder: how could God allow this? I imagine that if you have never asked this question, “how could God allow this?” then you are fortunate enough to have not suffered a real trauma. I want to share a time of suffering in my own life to begin to show how we can handle inevitable sufferings when they come. My wife and I suffered a miscarriage a few years ago, and I did not know how to process it. I did not allow myself to recognize and feel my feelings. And after a few months, I realized that I was very angry with God and was depressed and despairing. How could He do this to me and to my wife? What did I do wrong? It was horrendous. I still have a profoundly vivid memory of lowering my son Gabriel's little casket into a hole in the ground. It was truly awful and unnatural. I know that my wife and I desired Baptism for him and I believe firmly that he is in Heaven interceding for us. But I wanted to hold him. I wanted to get to know him here on Earth and watch him grow like my other boys. Yet, it was not to be. Since then, we suffered another miscarriage but this time I felt my feelings a bit more intentionally. I talked about the experience with friends and my priest. I grieved. I wept. I prayed. But I did not despair this time. What was different? Most recently, I experienced the same emotions but I recognized and gave them over to Jesus, as best as I could muster. I aimed to unite my suffering with His Cross in a more profound way than a few years ago. The suffering was imminently present, but by grace I was able to abandon myself more to Providence, I suppose. My response of faith and abandonment to Divine Providence was not perfect but I am positive that I grew over these last years. So, when suffering, pain, and evil come, and they will, and we ask “how could God allow this?”, what is our response? Before we get more into the response to the problem of evil, I want to look at what evil actually is. That way, we can better recognize it and even avoid it, to some extent. What is Evil? The Catholic Encyclopedia teaches that there are three kinds of evil: physical, moral, and metaphysical. Physical evil arises from nature and includes sickness, accident, death, anxiety, disappointment, disabilities, and imperfections in regards to the full development of human powers. Moral evil is the “deviation of human volition from the prescriptions of the moral order and the action which results from that deviation (Catholic Encyclopedia).” These are intentional acts which transgress against the precepts of the Catholic religion or of the nature of the human person, generally. Metaphysical evil is the mutual limitation of various parts of the natural world. The climate and natural causes adversely affect plants and animals. Predators rely on the destruction of life to remain alive themselves. The constituent parts of nature also have a system of perpetual decay and renewal. This type of “evil” is really more a relative perfection rather than an imperfection because creation was designed, as it is, by God.In all cases, evil is negative, not positive. Evil consists in the loss or deprivation of something necessary for perfection. Pain has a disturbing effect on the sufferer and is, thus, a physical evil. Moral evil is evil because we are using reason improperly to choose a lesser good or neglect a higher good.Some argue that evil does not actually exist. Instead it is merely a “lesser good” in place of a higher good that ought to be. It is an imperfection where perfection ought to be. It is a hole where there ought to be a whole. But our human experience points to a more complicated reality. What we can be sure of, though, is that God did not create evil nor does he cause evil. Nothing is evil in itself, but is evil in relation to other things or persons. The same fire which burns and destroys gives life-giving light and heat. The same water which drowns gives life and nourishment. The same free will which chooses evil has the capacity to choose good. Perfect vs. Permissive Will of GodGod is perfect. He does not suffer any defect of weakness or change. He does not change His mind. If He could change, then He would simply not be God. In His wisdom, He created all things visible and invisible with the Divine foreknowledge that His creatures, namely humanity and some of the angels, would spurn Him. This is a mystery. He had no need to create anything, but He did so to manifest His goodness, wisdom, power, and love.One of the important distinctions to draw at this juncture is the difference between God's permissive will and His perfect will. Simply put: God has a perfect will. Another, admittedly imperfect, way to phrase this would be His “original plan.” The perfect will of God for humanity consisted of a desire for Adam and Eve to follow his indicative will. The indicative will of God is what He wants and how He wants it, perfectly. We see this indicative will for Adam and Eve in Genesis. He told them not to “eat the fruit of ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' (Gen. 2:17).” When Adam and Eve disobeyed sin, entered the world, along with the consequences of sin: suffering, pain, and death. Human suffering was not part of God's original plan. In giving humanity free will, God permitted, or allowed, evil to enter the world. His free creatures, made in His image and likeness, rebel against His indicative and perfect will and commit evils. These are not within the perfect will of God; they belong tacitly to the permissive will of God. And He alone has the long-view. Only He knows the end of the story. And He assures us that His justice will come to full fruition in the end.What is the Response to the Problem?We should recall the great diversity of metaphysical evil which comes together to embody the universe as a whole. Stars explode and go supernova. Matter is sometimes transformed in violent and destructive ways. Predators eat other animals. Herbivores eat, and therefore destroy, plants. These relative perfections are not imperfections. Then, we stop to think about physical evils which befall mankind: sickness, plague, death, anxiety, and the like. And we know that human suffering often comes from true moral evil. The world and its inhabitants seem far from what might approximate perfection.Frankly, this is where human reason hits an insurmountable roadblock. No ideology, school of thought, or religion can sufficiently speculate about the order of nature. Though we cannot know with human intelligence the full understanding of this mystery, we can be assured that God is completely justified. We can experience suffering and pain and wonder why it is happening while simultaneously acknowledging that God, in His perfect goodness, knowledge, and power, does know. Not only does He know, but He also fully cares. The response to the Problem of Evil is not logically satisfying because it is a mystery with no earthly solution. But as St. Thomas More said, “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.” The Catholic Faith as a whole gives the only satisfactory response to the Problem of Evil, even if it is not emotionally satisfying when we are in the thick of it. And this response is not an “easy answer.” It is not a quick response which puts the problem to rest. Instead, the response to the problem of evil bears fruit in prolonged contemplation, the practice of trust, faith, hope, love, prayer, study, and only with God's grace. Let us return to St. Thomas Aquinas' exploration of the objection to the existence of God based on the problem of evil. He responds this way, quoting St. Augustine:“As Augustine says (Enchiridion xi): ‘Since God is the highest good, He would not allow any evil to exist in His works, unless His omnipotence and goodness were such as to bring good even out of evil.' This is part of the infinite goodness of God, that He should allow evil to exist, and out of it produce good (ST I, q.2, a.3).”Like I said, it is not an emotionally satisfying answer. We long for justice and peace. And we want it now. In our fallen world, it can be easy to give in to despair. But we are called to trust in the infinite goodness of God. If He allows evil to exist, then He will produce a good out of it, though we may not see it in this lifetime. If He allows evil to exist, then His justice will be made perfect in the end. As St. Paul teaches us:“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).”Redemptive SufferingAnd as I have already mentioned: God not only knows of our suffering but He also fully cares. We can see this on full display in the apparent triumph of evil, pain, and suffering on Good Friday. On the Cross, the Son of God died for love of you and me. If we were there on Calvary's hill, we would be justified to some extent to question God's wisdom or His omnipotence. For the Apostles, this dark day seemed like the end. How could a good possibly come from all this suffering, misery, and death? Even the demons thought that they had won a great victory. But the story did not end on Friday. On Easter Sunday, Jesus Christ burst forth from the tomb, the one who died who dies no more. Our God knows the way through suffering and death to eternal life.As the Catechism puts it: “By his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive passion (CCC 1505).” In moments of affliction, suffering, and pain, we can offer these experiences as prayers when we unite them to the perfect Cross of Christ. Our sufferings then are transformed into grace for ourselves and others. We can “offer up” our sufferings for others, and it can even bring us spiritual healing and peace. Taking the Long PerspectiveHuman suffering is real and persistent. We all suffer. In this valley of the shadow of death, we do not see the full picture. In our limited human perspective, we do not even always see the good that God works in spite of evil. Nonetheless, the merits of Christ on the Cross continue to flow as grace to us through the Sacraments. And so, we hold fast to the truth of the Catholic Faith. We trust in God, especially in the darkest times. Through consistent prayer and cooperation with grace, we intentionally unite our sufferings to the Cross and conform ourselves to the Savior. We rely on the intercession of the sorrowful and immaculate Heart of Mary who was pierced by accompanying her holy Son on the way of His Passion.May we contemplate and, by God's grace, eventually adopt the perspective of the great St. Teresa of Avila who said that:“In light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel.” This does not downplay the real pain of human suffering. But it helps us enter into the eternal viewpoint of Almighty Good, who knows and cares. Will Wright Catholic Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

AcknowledgementThank you to my colleague, Mr. Sean Maddigan, M.Ed., for his assistance in the research and formulation of many of the finer points of the atonement of Christ in this episode. Thanks, Sean!Perception of Serious Problems - Selling Indulgences?If you say the word “indulgences” to most people today, they would bring up Martin Luther. However, indulgences have been explicitly preached in Catholic theology since the 11th Century, and there have been reductions of penalties since at least the 9th Century. So, where and when does Martin Luther enter the scene?On October 31, 1517, Fr. Martin Luther an Augustinian monk and lecturer at the University in Wittenberg, Germany, issued his propositions for debate concerning the question of indulgences. The proposed debate was intended to be with Fr. Johann Tetzel, a German Dominican friar and preacher. Fr. Tetzel was an appointed papel commissioner for indulgences and was sent to his native Germany to make money to help build St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.From 1503 to 1510, Tetzel preached on indulgences and was effective in doing so. There are countless modern sources which say that Pope Julius II authorized the sale of indulgences, and that, likewise, Pope Leo X sold indulgences too and used the money to build the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. However, the claim that indulgences, as such, were sold seems to be a myth. At one time, one of the spiritual acts that you could receive an indulgence for is contributing to a charitable cause, such as the building of a church. Charitable organizations offer incentives today to increase donations. In the 16th Century, the building fund of St. Peter's Basilica did increase as the result of Tetzel preaching indulgences. There were absolutely abuses in the practice of indulgences, to be sure! But it is important to understand what they actually are. One of the main contributing factors to knowledge of the controversy was Martin Luther's “95 Theses.” In Luther's time, and especially now, there is no end to the horribly wrong interpretations of the Catholic teaching on indulgences. I have also had a few friends ask if I'd be willing to do an episode on indulgences. So, here you go, gents!Catholic Understanding of AtonementAfter the Fall of Adam and Eve, it was fitting that the atonement or reconciliation of mankind be made by a man. However, what mere man could stand in place of all of humanity? When Jesus Christ died on the Cross, He did so as fully God and fully man. Thus, His death and resurrection were offered in our place, in His humanity, and offered perfectly, in His divinity. In the sixth Session of the Council of Trent, chapter ii, we hear:“Whence it came to pass, that the Heavenly Father, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1, 3), when that blessed fullness of the time was come (Galatians 4:4) sent unto men Jesus Christ, His own Son who had been, both before the Law and during the time of the Law, to many of the holy fathers announced and promised, that He might both redeem the Jews, who were under the Law and that the Gentiles who followed not after justice might attain to justice and that all men might receive the adoption of sons. Him God had proposed as a propitiator, through faith in His blood (Romans 3:25), for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world (I John ii, 2).”There are a lot of things to unpack here. God the Father sent His Son, who was foretold, to redeem the Jews and the Gentiles. This redemption brought with it adoption of each of us by God the Father, in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The reconciliation or atonement (literally meaning to become “at one” with), comes through the propitiation of sins merited by Jesus' death on the Cross. The just wrath of God earned by our sin was turned away by the self-offering (the sacrifice and oblation) of our Lord Jesus on the Cross. By His wounds, we are healed, quoting the Prophet Isaiah. The Nicene Creed we profess each Sunday at Mass reminds us of this reality:“who for us men and for our salvation, came down, took flesh, was made man; and suffered…”Jesus did not come for Himself, He came to give His life as a ransom for many. We say “many” because not everyone will accept this gift, sad to say. However, this does not diminish that the gift of Christ's atonement was won for all mankind, without exception. But what is this ransom? Who was holding the souls of the fallen men? It is the Enemy, Satan.In his commentary on Psalm 95, St. Augustine puts it this way:“Men were held captive under the devil and served the demons, but they were redeemed from captivity. For they could sell themselves. The Redeemer came, and gave the price; He poured forth his blood and bought the whole world. Do you ask what He bought? See what He gave, and find what He bought. The blood of Christ is the price. How much is it worth? What but the whole world? What but all nations? (Enarration on Psalm 95, no. 5).”He goes on to explain, in a figure of speech that the Cross was like a trap for the Enemy:"The Redeemer came and the deceiver was overcome. What did our Redeemer do to our Captor? In payment for us He set the trap, His Cross, with His blood for bait. He [Satan] could indeed shed that blood; but he deserved not to drink it. By shedding the blood of One who was not his debtor, he was forced to release his debtors (Serm. cxxx, part 2).”The debt owed to Divine Justice was paid in full by Jesus Christ. Divine Justice was satisfied. But not everyone agreed with St. Augustine's reasoning. St. Anselm and Peter Abelard, for example, rejected the notion that Satan had some sort of right over man. St. Anselm held that an equal satisfaction for sin was necessary to pay the debt to Divine Justice. Abelard, though, did not hold to this strict notion of satisfaction and he argued that God could have pardoned us without requiring satisfaction. So, the Incarnation and the death of Chirst was the pure love of God. And Abelard was condemned by St. Bernard for this view because he argued the effect of the atonement was only moral influence and not any objective payment of a debt.St. Thomas Aquinas, later, agreed with Abelard in rejecting the notion that full satisfaction was necessary. He agrees with Abelard in so far as the atonement was the greatest demonstration of love, but still holds that under God's economy of salvation, the sacrifice of Christ objectively paid the debt of justice (which Abelard denied). Restoring mankind to grace was a work of God's mercy and goodness. It was fitting that Christ should die on the Cross to show the depths of God's love for us, but not absolutely necessary. Along the ages, Blessed Duns Scotus and St. Bernard of Clairvaux had differing opinions than Abelard and Aquinas.Though there is disagreement among theologians throughout the ages, what is shared among them is this. The Atonement is essentially a sacrifice and an act of love. The outward Sacrifice is the sacrament of the invisible sacrifice which comes from the heart of God. As the Catholic Encyclopedia puts it so well:“It was by this inward sacrifice of obedience unto death, by this perfect love with which He laid down his life for His friends, that Christ paid the debt to justice, and taught us by His example, and drew all things to Himself; it was by this that He wrought our Atonement and Reconciliation with God, ‘making peace through the blood of His Cross.'”Imperfect in the Old, Perfect in the NewIn the Old Covenants, the Jewish people would offer “sin-offerings” in which a cereal offering or animal was immolated, offered to God in worship, and then consumed by the priest. Likewise, we get the word scapegoat from the ancient practice of placing, so to speak, all of the sins of the town onto a goat and then releasing the goat to wander into the wilderness, presumably to die. This ancient notion of atonement was no clearer than on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is centered upon repentance, fasting, asceticism, and the confession of sins. However, the annual nature of this event shows that it is an incomplete and imperfect atonement. Atonement is made perfect in Jesus Christ, who died once for the sins of man and then rose from the dead, to die no more. In the Holy Mass, Christ does not die again. Instead, the Cross of Christ, a propitiatory Sacrifice is renewed daily in a bloodless manner on the altar. What Is An Indulgence?What does any of this have to do with indulgences? Well, everything, really. An indulgence is classically the remission of a debt. In Roman law, it meant to be release from imprisonment or punishment. The Catholic Encyclopedia defines an indulgence as “a remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, the guilt of which has been forgiven.”So, an indulgence is not permission to sin, it is not stockpiling forgiveness for a future action, nor does it forgive sin or the guilt of sin. An indulgence presumes that God has already forgiven the person receiving it! What is being remitted is the temporal punishment due to sin.Our sins affect us, our relationship with God, and our relationship with others. Particularly egregious sins, like rape and murder, have lasting effects which cannot be put right this side of Heaven. And putting things right is in the nature of justice. God will always set things right, one way or another, though we might not see it until the end of things. Nonetheless, once someone experiences contrition, there is a deep desire, rooted in justice, to make restitution. Imagine that you are a kid playing baseball in the street. Of course, this is a bad idea. Mistakes will happen. You know this, and, yet, you wrongly believe that you are special. So, nothing bad will happen. You will hit the ball perfectly and everything will be just fine. Then… you hit the ball and it goes sailing through Mrs. Johnson's bay window. Immediately, you feel terrible about it. You did not mean for anything to be broken. You experience contrition for the wrong you have done. You knew, of course, that you should not be playing baseball in the street. What did you expect to happen?! Now, you have a choice: run away and hide or go and fess up to what you have done. You decide to go and ask for forgiveness. You ring the doorbell and Mrs. Johnson answers. You immediately apologize for breaking the window and tell her that you are truly sorry. And she forgives you! … That's it, right? That's the end of the story?... No way! You still have to make restitution. You have to pay for the window. In this example, we can see analogously, how we can be forgiven for something, but justice still demands restitution, satisfaction, and even punishment. This distinction between forgiveness and the temporal punishment due to sin seems to have gone by the wayside in Protestant theology over the last five hundred years. Really, if we look at it with fresh eyes, hopefully we can see that it is basic common sense that a wrong done demands restitution. So, why can Protestants not go there? The answer really has to do with Martin Luther. In Luther's view, we can do nothing to merit our salvation and Catholics agree we cannot merit the gift of initial justification; it is completely a gratuitous gift from God whereby we are covered by Jesus Christ. Nothing in the Lutheran view demands cooperation with grace or even the internal change brought about by Baptism, which Catholicism has always held. How, Theologically, Does an Indulgence Work?But with Baptism there is a true change, right down to the core of our being. And grace is given, but our free cooperation is necessary. God's love does not force itself upon us. This means that our good actions, united with Christ, are meritorious. Our sinful actions require restitution. The Atonement won by Jesus Christ on the Cross is superabundantly meritorious, to use the language of the Church. When we unite our actions with the Cross, they do not add to the merits of Jesus Christ, but they come into communion with them. Likewise, the forgiveness of sins is a communion with the Cross of Jesus Christ! But, in justice, our bad actions still require temporal punishment and restitution. As the 14th Session of the Council of Trent puts it:“Add to these things, that, whilst we thus, by making satisfaction, suffer for our sins, we are made conformable to Jesus Christ, who satisfied for our sins, from whom all our sufficiency is; having also thereby a most sure pledge, that if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him. But neither is this satisfaction, which we discharge for our sins, so our own, as not to be through Jesus Christ. For we who can do nothing of ourselves, as of ourselves, can do all things, He cooperating, who strengthens us. Thus, man has not wherein to glory, but all our glorying is in Christ: in whom we live; in whom we merit; in whom we satisfy; bringing forth fruits worthy of penance, which from him have their efficacy; by him are offered to the Father; and through him are accepted by the Father (The Council of Trent: On the necessity and on the fruit of Satisfaction).”Some Protestants hold to the erroneous view of “penal substitution” which is a theory of the atonement that holds that God punished Jesus on the Cross. But there is one glaringly huge problem: an innocent person cannot be justly punished. Jesus took upon Himself the sufferings and death that were due to our sins, but He did not take on the just punishment for our sins.Understanding How Christ Took on Our Punishment (And What That Means)Jesus Christ took our punishment upon Himself. As St. Thomas teaches:“Now by Christ's Passion we have been delivered not only from the common sin of the whole human race, both as to its guilt and as to the debt of punishment, for which He paid the penalty on our behalf (ST III, q. 49, a. 5, co.).”When discussing the fittingness of the death of Christ, St. Thomas also mentions:“... in this way Christ by His death brought us back to life, when by His death He destroyed our death; just as he who bears another's punishment takes such punishment away (ST III, q. 50, a. 1, ad. 3).”Satisfaction means taking up a penalty voluntarily in order to restore justice. St. Thomas Aquinas speaks of taking up this voluntary penalty as someone experiencing something against the will out of charity. In the case of sin and justice, in charity this action makes up for sin because sin is voluntarily doing one's own will at the expense of charity. In other words, satisfaction derives its power from the strength of the charity of the one offering it. There is no need for Jesus to suffer the pains of Hell to save us because even one drop of His Precious Blood could have satisfied the wrath of God. The payment of Jesus, who is sinless and perfect in charity, merits not only release from punishment. By the Cross, He merits for us eternal life!When a debt is to be paid, the punishment is measured. In merit, the root of charity is measured. When one merits for another, he merits more for himself. Yet, when one satisfies for another, he does not also satisfy for himself, because the measure of punishment still covers both him and the one on whose behalf he is satisfying. In the case of Jesus, who is without sin, He has no debt to pay. He is satisfying for sinful men out of perfect charity. The punishment He bore made satisfaction for the sins of all mankind and merited more than any man is capable of: eternal life!Back to IndulgencesTemporal punishment acknowledges that the eternal punishment for sin has been taken away on the Cross, but the temporal consequences of sin still remain. These temporal effects of sin require restitution, to the ability that we are able. We ought to make amends for wrongs done. Expiation, satisfaction, amends, and reparation all mean the same thing when referring to the temporal consequences and punishment due to sin.Going back to this notion of the superabundant merits of Christ on the Cross, we can also add all of the meritorious actions of the Baptized faithful through the ages, most notably the saints. The Treasury of Merit, as it is called, is the collection of the perfect, infinite, and superabundant merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, the expansive merits of our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, and the merits of all the just. Our Lord gave to St. Peter, and to the Apostles and their successors, the authority to apply the fruits of these merits at their discretion when He said: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mt. 16:18-19).”Likewise, in St. John's Gospel, Jesus says to the Apostles, and their successors by extension:“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld (Jn. 20:22-24).”When a confessor gives absolution to a penitent in the Sacrament of Penance, he is applying this forgiveness of sins which comes from God alone, through the instrument of the priest and the Church. Our guilt for sin and eternal punishment for sin are absolved, but the temporal punishment for sin remains. An indulgence is outside of the sacraments and it does not forgive sins. Instead, it applies the satisfaction of the Treasury of Merit to an individual thereby remitting their temporal punishment due to sin. In other words, by the merits of Christ and the saints, the debt of temporal restitution has been paid in full. The superabundant merits belong to God's mercy and justice, not to the Church absolutely. So, these concessions or diminishments of punishment are administered by the Church but they come from God as a free gift. There is value in what Christ has done for us. But there is also value in what Christ does through us. Either way, the primary action is God. But with our cooperation, we unite ourselves with the Sacred Action of Jesus. As St. Paul said:"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church (Col. 1:24).”What could possibly be lacking in the sufferings of Christ, except for our cooperation with His grace and our own meritorious actions? Not only do our good actions possess the value or merit, they also certainly possess the value of satisfaction.Luther Had a Couple Good Points, But a Lot of ErrorsIt must be said that Martin Luther had some great points in his 95 Theses. In fact, only 41 propositions of Luther's from the 95 Theses and his other writings up to that point, were rejected as heretical, scandalous, erroneous, seductive of simple minds, in opposition to Catholic truth, or offensive to pious ears by Pope Leo X in 1520. Let us look at the first three of the 95 Theses:* “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent'' (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.* This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.* Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh.”All three of these are true. Interior repentance is a reorienting of one's entire life, not just a momentary “I'll try a bit harder.” This call of our Lord to repentance does not refer to the Sacrament of Penance because it is a call which is first addressed to those who do not yet know Christ and the Gospel. And finally, interior conversion should find expression in visible signs, gestures, and penitential actions. It does seem, though, that Luther is presupposing that indulgences were being sold, with official authorization. This myth is prevalent today and it appears it was in Luther's day as well. Indulgences are drawn from the Treasury of Merit and applied freely when those seeking them fulfill the requirements with proper disposition. Luther's 95 Theses presents many theological errors in this regard. These errors are still being repeated today. For example, this 2009 article from “The New York Times” which gets it wrong from the title (the content of the article only goes from wrong to worse, by the way): “For Catholics, a Door to Absolution is Reopened.”By the way, to show just how seriously the Church took these abuses, Pope St. Pius V, in 1567, issued a decree which canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions.Seeking an IndulgenceMany Catholics think that indulgences, per se, were an abuse. They are not. And though it was a focal point in the Protestant Reformation, indulgences did not go anywhere. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church stated in the 1990s:"An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins… to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity" (CCC 1478).Everything that I have presented about indulgences belongs to the infallible teachings of the Church. We are not at liberty to dismiss them, diminish them, or disbelieve in them. The Council of Trent's anathema makes this clear:The Council of Trent "condemns with anathema those who say that indulgences are useless or that the Church does not have the power to grant them."The Church does not remit temporal punishment due to sin with magic or the wave of a pen. The person who suffers those temporal punishments must be disposed to repentance and faith. As Pope St. Paul VI said:"Indulgences cannot be gained without a sincere conversion of outlook and unity with God (Indulgentarium Doctrina, 11).”Before the Second Vatican Council, indulgences were said to remove a certain number of “days” from punishment. Instead, this was to show that indulgences have two types: plenary and partial. Plenary, meaning full, means that all temporal punishment due to sin that a person owed is being remitted. Whereas, a partial indulgence remits part of the temporal punishment due to sin. In order to make this clearer, Pope St. Paul VI revised the handbook of indulgences (called the Enchiridion).As we have covered, satisfaction and temporal punishment for sin are ordered towards justice on the one hand and purification on the other hand. So, the actions for which one might receive an indulgence should likewise be ordered to justice, charity, and purification. Because the justice of God has been satisfied through the merits of Christ and the saints, applied to our lives, then the “time,” so to speak, needed for purification in charity after death has been lessened. Just as a checkpoint or reminder: indulgences remit the temporal punishment due to sin, not eternal punishment. Eternal punishment is remitted fully by the Cross of Jesus Christ, the merits of which we receive in the Sacrament of Baptism. Knowing rightly what an indulgence is, how can we receive this great gift? Please forgive the following lengthy quotation, but Jimmy Akin put it concisely and excellently in his Primer on Indulgences for EWTN:“To gain any indulgence you must be a Catholic in a state of grace. You must be a Catholic in order to be under the Church's jurisdiction, and you must be in a state of grace because apart from God's grace none of your actions are fundamentally pleasing to God (meritorious). You also must have at least the habitual intention of gaining an indulgence by the act performed.To gain a partial indulgence, you must perform with a contrite heart the act to which the indulgence is attached.To gain a plenary indulgence you must perform the act with a contrite heart plus you must go to confession (one confession may suffice for several plenary indulgences), receive Holy Communion, and pray for the pope's intentions. (An Our Father and a Hail Mary said for the pope's intentions are sufficient, although you are free to substitute other prayers of your own choosing.) The final condition is that you must be free from all attachment to sin, including venial sin.Because of the extreme difficulty in meeting the final condition, plenary indulgences are rarely obtained. If you attempt to receive a plenary indulgence, but are unable to meet the last condition, a partial indulgence is received instead.”The Church offers us special indulgences, both plenary and partial, for all sorts of things. But there are a couple of partial indulgences worth mentioning here. Partial indulgences are given by the Church for: * Devoutly spending time in mental prayer, * Reading Sacred Scripture with veneration as a form of spiritual reading (this one is plenary if done for at least 30 minutes), * Devoutly signing oneself with the Sign of the Cross and saying the customary formula: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”ConclusionIndulgences are not magic. They are a part of the infallible teaching of the Church. And they are for our spiritual well-being. We should not be wary of officially promulgated indulgences. We should be grateful to God for His superabundant mercy and His justice. Recognizing that we are sinners in need of His grace, we approach the Sacrament of Penance. Then, we do penance to seek temporal satisfaction and restitution for the consequences of our sins. All the while, we ought to seek out indulgences, because they are nothing more than being union and communion with Almighty God and striving to be more in love with Him who loved us first.Will Wright Catholic Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

William of Ockham is best known today for the model of problem solving known as Ockham's (or Occam's) Razor. But the event that defined his life was an argument with Pope John XXII. Research: Lieberich, Heinz. "Louis IV". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-IV-Holy-Roman-emperor Kilcullen, John. “Ockham's Political Writings.” “The Cambridge Companion to Ockham. Cambridge University Press. 1999. Republished online: http://publications.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/pubs/dialogus/polth.html Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Peter Lombard". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Lombard Gál, Gedeon, O.F.M. "William of Ockham Died "impenitent" in April 1347." Franciscan Studies, vol. 42, 1982, p. 90-95. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/frc.1982.0011 Lambert, M. D. “THE FRANCISCAN CRISIS UNDER JOHN XXII.” Franciscan Studies, vol. 32, 1972, pp. 123–43. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44000287 Donovan, Stephen M. “Bonagratia of Bergamo.” Catholic Encyclopedia. https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/bonagratia-of-bergamo Nold, Patrick. “Pope John XXII's Annotations on the Franciscan Rule: Content and Contexts.” Franciscan Studies, vol. 65, 2007, pp. 295–324. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41975430 Knysh, George. “BIOGRAPHICAL RECTIFICATIONS CONCERNING OCKHAM'S AVIGNON PERIOD.” Franciscan Studies, vol. 46, 1986, pp. 61–91. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41975065 Spade, Paul Vincent. “William of Ockham.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. March 5, 2019. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ockham/ Vignaux, Paul D.. "William of Ockham". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-of-Ockham See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IntroductionWelcome back to the fifth and final session of Praying the Mass! If you have not yet read parts 1 - 4 of this series, I highly recommend starting there!The Fourth CupI want to pick up from last week's conversation on the Liturgy of the Eucharist with a discussion of the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, particularly the Passover. On the night before He was to suffer, our Lord Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His Apostles. He chose this time and meal to establish the New and everlasting Covenant in His Blood. At the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are not re-enacting the Last Supper. One of the major differences between the Mass and the Last Supper is that the Last Supper anticipated the Sacrifice of Jesus and the Mass makes this saving reality present once again.In fact, we cannot understand the Mass as the Last Supper only. The Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ spans His entire saving Action, from the entrance into Jerusalem until His glorious Ascension into Heaven forty days after His Resurrection. It is impossible to separate the suffering of Christ from the Last Supper. The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross was once and for all. God is outside of time. Therefore, the Holy Eucharist was established, along with Holy Orders, in the Upper Room before Jesus suffered and died. However, this is precisely because Jesus was making the Cross present in His Body and Blood offered in the first Eucharist.The key to understanding the unity of the Last Supper and the Cross is understanding the Jewish Passover meal. In the Passover, the father of the family would use the first-person perspective when recounting the narrative of the Exodus. The blessings are read by the father of the house and the first cup of wine is consumed: the cup of blessing.At the Passover meal, each adult at the dinner drinks four cups of wine. The four cups mark the journey of the Hebrew people. The four cups mark that 1) God will save His People from harsh labor, which He accomplished by the plagues 2) God will save His People from servitude to the Egyptians, 3) God will redeem His People, which the Jews saw in the crossing of the Red Sea, and finally 4) that God will take His People as a Nation, which happened at Sinai.In Jesus Christ, these four cups reveal their fulfillment. The first cup is fulfilled in various ways by Christ, and in the Book of Revelation, as the full manifestation of God to man. The ten plagues inflicted on Egypt were directed against the various false Egyptian gods. Jesus reveals to us everything that God wished to reveal about Himself and frees us from harsh labor or toiling without purpose in matters of Faith. The second cup is fulfilled by the Incarnation. By the God-man entering into our humanity, we are freed from the slavery of sin, in order to share in His divinity. The third cup is clearly fulfilled in Baptism, which is the definitive escape from the power of evil through the Red Sea.The fourth cup of the Passover meal marks the establishment of the People of God as a nation at Mount Sinai. As a nation, the Exodus from Egypt out of slavery was brought to completion. The New Exodus is the deliverance of men and women from the slavery of sin. The New Moses is our Lord Jesus Christ. In Him is the fullness of redemption. His Perfect Sacrifice on the Cross is begun at the Last Supper. Dr. Scott Hahn goes into exquisite detail about the relationship of the fourth cup, the Last Supper, and the Cross in his 2018 book “The Fourth Cup: Unveiling the Mystery of the Last Supper and the Cross.” I would highly recommend purchasing this book for a deeper dive. The main theological point that is drawn is incredibly important: the fourth cup is absent from the Last Supper!The absence of the fourth cup from the Passover Meal would have been noticed by the Apostles. Certainly, they would have been wondering why Jesus left the Passover meal incomplete when He went out to the Garden of Olives to pray. Where then is the fourth cup consumed? It is on the Cross! The fourth cup in Passover marks the establishment of the People of God as a nation at Mount Sinai. In the New Passover, the fourth cup is consumed on the Cross when Jesus drinks wine mixed with gall and gives up His spirit saying, “It is finished (cf. Jn 19:30, Mk 15:37).” In Latin, the phrase is “consummatum est.” The fourth cup is called the cup of consummation.On the Cross, Jesus establishes the new and everlasting Covenant in His Blood. The Church is borne from the Cross. The People of God become such by entering into the death of Christ and thereby sharing in His Resurrection. All of this is possible because of the outpouring of Jesus to the Father. What we need to remember is that Mass is not a reenactment of the Last Supper. It is a coming present once again of the saving Mysteries of Jesus' Last Supper, Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.After Supper Was EndedLet us resume our walk through the Mass. The bread has been consecrated. Now, in a similar way, our Lord took the chalice in His holy and venerable hands. He gave thanks to the Father, blessed it, and shared the cup with His disciples. Why did our Lord do this? He could have consecrated the bread and wine together and given that model to the Apostles.As we have explored earlier, the Last Supper is not merely a symbolic meal, it is a real participation in the events to come of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord. God is the master of space and time, so this is not outside of the possibilities for Him. When Jesus says, “This is my body which will be given up for you,” we can hear that it is anticipating a future action. The mystery comes when we realize that even though He is talking about an action in the future, He is saying that the bread in His hands is His actual body. The Church has never believed these words to be metaphorical. That heresy did not appear until the second millennium.We know that the Holy Mass is a sacrificial meal. So too was the Last Supper a sacrificial meal, inseparable from the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is the logic to the double consecration: the consecration of bread and wine separately. Jesus was making the Cross present at the Last Supper in a real, sacramental way, and, in so doing, made the Mass a memorial of the whole of the Paschal Mystery. When He took the chalice and said the words of consecration: “For this is the chalice of my blood...” He was essentially separating His Body and His Blood. The result of the catastrophic separation of Body from Blood is death.At every single Mass, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ are separately made present under what looks like bread and what looks like wine. The Cross becomes present. The Death of our Lord Jesus Christ comes present. At the Last Supper, this was in an anticipatory sense because the events of the Passion and Death of Jesus had not yet happened. And at the Holy Mass, these events become present once more.Of course, we know that the Death of Jesus Christ is not the end. Our God knows the way out of death's decay. On the third day, He rose from the dead. His glorious Resurrection becomes present at each and every single Mass in a sacramental way during the Fraction Rite. Later on in the Mass, we sing the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). However, just before this, the Priest breaks a piece of the Host over the paten and places it in the Chalice saying, “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.”Mysterium FideiAfter the bread and wine have been consecrated, the priest says the “mystery of faith” or mysterium fidei (in Latin), which is new to the 1970 Missal. Previously, the phrase mysterium fidei did not exist as an acclamation; rather, it was part of the formula of consecration spoken inaudibly by the priest. It was included just after “the new and everlasting covenant (novi et aeterni testamenti)” and just before “which will be poured out for you and for many... (qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur...).” However, it was only those two Latin words: mysterium fidei.Originally, the use of the term mysterium fidei referred to the mysterious goodness of the material of Christ's Blood being poured out. An early heretical sect, the Manicheans, held that the material order was bad and only the spiritual was good. So, adding the “mystery of faith” into the Canon further showed how important the Flesh and Blood of Christ was and is, His material humanity joined to His divinity.The 1970 addition to the Missal of “we proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again” seems to be more akin to the traditions of the Eastern liturgies. The Liturgy of St. James, a Byzantine form of liturgy, says, “This do in remembrance of me; for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lord's death, and confess His resurrection, till He comes.” This shows that the memorial acclamation may be new to the Roman Rite of the Church but it has been used for ages in the Eastern Catholic Churches.We are recognizing that the Mass is an anamnetic reality. By way of a quick review from last week, anamnesis in Greek literally means “bring to mind.” We could also translate it as a deliberate recollection. Anamnesis in the context of liturgy is more than just a memory or a calling to the mind in some abstract way. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the mediation of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, the One Sacrifice becomes present once again in an unbloody manner. The word anamnesis is what Jesus says in the words of consecration when He says, “Do this in remembrance of me.”So, the Mass is not a representation, it is a RE-presentation. It is the presenting once more the one and only Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His suffering, death, and resurrection. Anamnetically, we become present in these sacred events, outside of space and time. Through our prayers and intention, we take part in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We enter into the saving Action of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.Borne By the Hands of Your Holy AngelThe priest is not only offering the Sacrifice of the Holy Victim, he is presenting an oblation or an offering. In the First Eucharistic Prayer, the ancient Roman Canon, the part which makes this explicit goes this way:“In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God: command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high in the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us who through this participation at the altar receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.”As we mentioned last week, we recognize the Sacrifice of the Mass as the re-presentation of Jesus' suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. We acknowledge that He Himself is the Sacred Victim offered on our behalf. And now, we recognize the link between Heaven and Earth in the Holy Mass.What is offered here is not a request that the Body of Christ be locally transferred from the altar to Heaven. Jesus Christ is in Heaven already. Therefore, the meaning of this oblation is mystical. It is not a prayer invoking the power of God, like the epiclesis which calls down the power of the Holy Spirit on the gifts. Interestingly, the word used in the official Latin text for “these gifts” is more literally translated as “these Things.” God sees the gifts, He has commanded the Mass be offered in this way, and they are priceless and pleasing to Him.The word Angel that is used comes from the Greek word “angelos” which means “messenger.” Certainly all of the angels and saints are worshiping at the throne of God and are taking part in the Sacred and Divine Liturgy of the Mass. So, who is this Angel?St. Ambrose taught that an angel assists at Mass when Christ is sacrificed on the altar. From the text of the Roman Canon, there is little information as to the identity of this Angel. Is it the guardian angel of the Church? Is it St. Michael the Archangel, the guardian angel of the Eucharist? Is it Jesus Christ Himself, used in a metaphorical sense? Does the word Angel stand in for each and every angel and saint who takes part in the Mystical Supper of the Lamb?It seems clear to me that what is asked here is not possible to any angel or creature. Truly, what created being can accomplish what God has asked and what the Church presents once again here? Besides being a messenger, the Angel is the “One Sent” by the Father. So, it seems that the Angel is the Son of God, Jesus Christ: the One Sent by the Father. In fact, Jesus is the “Angel of Great Counsel” referenced in Isaiah 9:6. We also see the Word of God (albeit before the incarnation) active in creation in Genesis 1-2. We see the Word of the Lord coming to Noah (Genesis 5-6). There is also the mysterious passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus says that Abraham had seen Him (cf. Jn. 8:56).The point of this mystical prayer is to show that the Sacrifice of Heaven is the Sacrifice of Earth. The altar on high in the sight of the His divine majesty is the altar on which the Sacrifice of the Mass is being offered once more. Heaven and Earth meet by the power of the Holy Spirit and the mediation of the Angel of Great Counsel, our Lord Jesus Christ. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus... (1 Tim. 2:5).” So, the Holy Angel of the Mass's words is Jesus.The End of the Eucharistic PrayerThe priest ends the Eucharistic Prayer with a Final Doxology, a liturgical formula of praise to God, saying:“Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.”This entire Action, and truly the whole of the Holy Mass, is the action of God. The chief mover in the Liturgy is our High Priest, Jesus Christ. This final phrase given to us by the Church to close the Eucharistic Prayer might seem like a simple declaration of praise, but it is the key to understanding Catholic worship. “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.” Do we go to Mass to receive the gifts that God wants to bestow upon us? This is the view that many within the Church hold. We go to Mass to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Of course, if we are in a state of grace, we have the honor and profound privilege of receiving our Lord in the Eucharist. But why do we go to Mass? Is it to receive or to give?The key is this: “all glory and honor is yours.” We recognize that we have come to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass with our full, conscious, and actual participation for one primary purpose: to give glory and honor to the Father. And through this cooperation with grace, God makes us holy. Almighty God does not need our worship, but He delights in it. We have freedom and the free self-gift of His son or daughter is His delight. If we come to Mass primarily to receive, we are not coming for the right reasons. If we say, “I did not get anything out of Mass today,” then we have a wrong understanding of the Sacred Liturgy. We should not say, “I did not get...” We should instead say, “Did I give my all to my Heavenly Father?”The Communion RiteFollowing the Eucharistic Prayer, we stand and pray the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us: the “Our Father.” This perfect prayer, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, contains all five excellent qualities required for prayer. It is confident, ordered, suitable, devout, and humble. It is also clear here the priest is leading this prayer in the Person of Christ, Head of His Body, because his hands are in the orans posture of offering.Next, the priest offers the peace of Christ to us, just as Christ offered His peace to the Apostles on the day of the Resurrection. “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld (Jn. 20:19-20).”Then, it is optional for the deacon or priest to invite the gathered faithful to turn to those in their immediate vicinity and offer the peace of Christ. This is the action of one Member of the Body of Christ to another Member of the Body of Christ. So, we do not say the other person's name, give them a secret handshake, or anything like that. We remember that Christ is now present on the altar and we offer the peace of Christ, which the world cannot give, to those around us. We are also reminded here of the words of our Lord: “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Mt. 5:23-24).”The Fraction RiteAs I mentioned last week, the priest then takes a piece of the Sacred Host and breaks it. Then, he puts that piece into the Chalice, which makes the Resurrection of Jesus present in a powerful way. Body and Blood are reunited, never to be parted again! We, and the priest, do not receive dead flesh; we receive the whole Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity into our own bodies. Interesting to note here, as well, that our posture changed after the Final Doxology. Instead of kneeling in penitence and adoration at the foot of the Cross, we are standing in the joy and power of the Resurrection! Meanwhile, the priest is saying quietly: “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.”Then, quietly, he prays directly to Jesus in one of two ways:“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, by the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit, through your Death gave life to the world, free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood, from all my sins and from every evil; keep me always faithful to your commandments, and never let me be parted from you.”Or: “May the receiving of your Body and Blood, Lord Jesus Christ, not bring me to judgment and condemnation, but through your loving mercy be for me protection in mind and body and a healing remedy.”Next, while facing the people, the priest raises the host and chalice echoing the words of St. John the Baptist,“Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”The people and the priest then respond with the words of the centurion to Jesus who believed that He could save the centurion's daughter, despite being a Gentile pagan:“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”At this point, the priest then receives Holy Communion and then distributes our Blessed Lord, under the veil of a Sacrament, to the faithful gathered who are in a state of grace. Who Do We Say Amen?I think it is worth investigating: Why do we say Amen after receiving Holy Communion?In the Second Century, St. Justin Martyr writes in his Apologia that after the prayers of thanksgiving and consecration were finished by the priest, all responded by saying “Amen.” This is not simply a word found at the end of a conversation. It is not like saying, “Ok. Goodbye, God,” after a prayer is finished. St. Paul writes, “Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?” So, it would seem that the word Amen packs a punch. But what does it mean?Amen is a Hebrew word which means “so be it.” St. Augustine translated it as “it is true (Latin: verum est).” In a tract explaining the Mass from the Middle Ages, we read, “Amen is a ratification by the people of what has been spoken, and it may be interpreted in our language as if they all said: May it so be done as the priest has prayed (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907).”It is custom in most of the Rites of the Catholic Church, both East and West, to say “Amen” after receiving Holy Communion. In the 1962 Missale Romanum, the priest says, “Corpus Domini Nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam, Amen (May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen).” So, even though the communicant does not say “Amen” like in the Ordinary Form of the Mass, the priest has said “Amen” for them.The language of “Amen” seems to be like a contract. When two people enter into an agreement with one another, they may mark it with a handshake and say, “so be it” or “I agree.” Is that what is happening at Mass? Certainly, what we are entering into at Mass is far more important, meaningful, lasting, and beautiful. Perhaps more than a contract, the “Amen” shows us that the language of the Mass is that of a covenant. A contract can be broken. A covenant cannot be broken.When we approach our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we are approaching the Bridegroom as the Bride. We are uttering our wedding vows to the King of Heaven each time we receive Holy Communion. We are saying, “I do” when we say “Amen.” The meaning of the word is very close to this understanding. We are using the language of marriage to show that we are accepting the Bridegroom into our body and soul to remain with us always. As husband and wife become one flesh in marriage, the communicant and our Lord become one in the Eucharist. “Communion” means “one with.” We are becoming more closely joined to the Lord in reception of Holy Communion.Every time we say “Amen” we should call to mind clearly what we are doing. We are giving our assent of Faith. We are not saying “Okay” or “Sure”, we are saying “so be it.” Do we know what we are saying “yes” to? Do we know what we entering into? Our “yes” to God cannot be half-hearted or wishy-washy. It must be sure and resolute, by His grace. Our Lord Jesus is a strong proponent of authenticity and resolution. We hear in the Book of Revelation: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Rev. 3:16).” And in the Gospel of St. Matthew: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes' or ‘No'; anything more than this comes from evil (Mt. 5:37).” Let our Amen mean Amen. Then, after Holy Communion, the priest or deacon purifies the Sacred Vessels, which is something only they can do. They quietly say:“What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity.”Next, the priest invites the people to pray and says the Prayer after Communion. This is a special prayer given for each liturgical day, like the Collect, which ends the Communion Rite and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, more broadly. Will Wright Catholic Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Concluding RitesGreeting, Blessing, and DismissalWe have just taken part in the Liturgy of the Eucharist in which Jesus Christ became substantially, truly, and really present.  Having just received Him in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist, the faithful are living tabernacles.  The word Eucharist actually means thanksgiving in Greek, and this is what we are doing during the Concluding Rites.Out of deep gratitude for what our good God has done, we spend some time in silence following the Communion Rite, reflecting on the gift of the Most Holy Eucharist.  Then, the priest blesses the people assembled.  There is great power in this blessing. The priest, acting in the Person of Christ the Head, is blessing the people.  In other words, it is Christ Himself who blesses us at the end of Mass.  During Mass, where the priest is, there is Christ.The priest, acting in the Person of Christ, blesses those gathered with the power and might of the Most Holy Trinity: “May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”  By making the sign of the Cross and invoking the Trinity, the priest is sealing us with God's presence.  We have been shown mercy in the Introductory Rites and we glorified God.  We were fed with His adorable Word in the Liturgy of the Word.  And we received Jesus Christ Himself in the Holy Eucharist in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  This one, single act of worship began with the sign of the Cross and it ends with the sign of the Cross.Following the final blessing, the dismissal is given by the priest or deacon.  This is, in fact, where the word Mass comes from.  The words in Latin “Ite, missa est” literally means “Go, she (meaning, the Church) – has been sent”.  This word is related to our English word “mission.”  Fed by the Word and the Eucharist, Jesus fills us with Himself and we are strengthened to go out and share Him with the world. The Church exists to evangelize, and we are the hands and feet of Christ. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, in the Great Commission, Jesus says to the Apostles:“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Mt. 28:18-20).”Likewise, the deacon or priest is acting in the Person of Christ, telling us to “Go” as well! The dismissal makes the Ascension anamnetically present to us, because that is exactly what happened after the Great Commission.Then, the priest, still acting in the Person of Christ the Head, then processes down the center aisle towards the narthex as a recessional hymn is sung.  Technically speaking, the one, single act of worship – the Mass – ends with the dismissal.  Practically speaking, our celebration of the Sacred Mysteries ends when the priest reaches the narthex of the Church. This practice of waiting until the priest reaches the narthex highlights the reality that Christ is the presider at Mass, acting through the priest.ConclusionI hope that this series has been a blessing to you. I hope that we all will continue in our pursuit of the glory of God and the sanctification of man. I hope that the Mass comes alive to your senses in a powerful way. Thanks be to God for such a great gift!Thank you for reading Will Wright Catholic Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

In today's episode we are going to continue covering Easter with part 2 customs and beliefs, from Good Friday to Ash Wednesday let's get right into what the word say! Sources: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/good-Friday The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury: Grolier, 1981, p.41 http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/ashwed.php Facts, Myths & Maybes (Everything You Think You Know About Catholicism But Perhaps Don't), by John Deedy, copyright 1993, published by Thomas More Press, page 235 http://biblelight.net/lent.htm Marguerite Ickis, The Book of Religious Holidays and Celebrations, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966, p.114 The Two Babylons (Or The Papal Worship), Alexander Hislop, 1916, Neptune, NJ, LoizeauxBrothers, Inc., p.104 John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Corinthians, Chicago: Moody, 1984 Simrock, Mythologie, 551)." (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol.5, article: Easter http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-henes/celebrate-an-eggsceptiona_b_2885069.html Julian Fox, Easter, Vero Beach: Rourke Enterprises, 1989, p.11 Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol 7. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1955, p.859 Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol.5, article: Easter Funk & Wagnalls' Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend, Volume 1, pg.335 Greg Dues, Catholic Customs and Traditions, 1992, p.101 New Age Encyclopedia.,Vol 6. China: Lexicon Publications, 1973, p.190 Funk and Wagnall's Encyclopedia, article: Easter Marguerite Ickis, The Book of Religious Holidays and Celebrations, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966, p.134 The Two Babylons (Or The Papal Worship), Alexander Hislop, 1916, Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., p.108 The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury: Grolier, 1991, p.44 Priscilla Sawyer and Daniel J. Foley, Easter the World Over, Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1971, p.103 A. J. Dager, Facts and Fallacies of the Resurrection, p.5 Priscilla Sawyer and Daniel J. Foley, Easter the World Over, Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1971, p.134 Marguerite Ickis, The Book of Religious Holidays and Celebrations, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966, p.133

"You shall not covet your neighbour's goods"Is it bad to desire material things? Is envy always a sin? How can I avoid being jealous?In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of Part Three of the Catechism (!)This episode covers Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article Ten of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pts 2534-2557).Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/....References and further reading/listening/viewing:Luke Chapter 12Wisdom 2:24St Josmaria Escriva, The Forge, "Point 422"Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, "The Open Road"C. S. Lewis, "Screwtape Proposes a Toast"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Gnosticism"Roman Catechism, III, 37.Bishop Barron, "The Key to Happiness"

This series probes what the Bible, the Catechism, Church Fathers, St. Thomas Aquinas, and contemporary exorcists reveal about angels, their relationship to God, one another, and the human race. Episode 1 explores what it means to say angels are "spiritual and incorporeal beings" and the extraordinary powers and abilities they employ in their tasks.   Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Laura H; Alisa K; Robin N; Deborah B; Robin D; Carrie JH; Joanna C*; Silvia F; Dorothy G; Clara G; Jane M; Kim R; Christine Y; Genevieve M; Jamie R*; Marcie C; Jean A; MJO; Monica M; Gabriela M; Jill S; Kate H; Mary W; Michele Van W; and Norma C, for loving and lifting me! *A special “thank you” for your generosity! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and monthly meet-ups with Sonja in our Bible study on the Book of Romans! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja's method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)   O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Have you ever experienced angelic visitation or intervention? How do you know? If you've never said "hello" to your guardian angel, do so now, since he is with you this very moment. What more do you want to know about angels? You might ask the Holy Spirit, directly, to teach you what you want to know throughout this series.   V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Holy Archangels, pray for us. All you Holy Angels, pray for us. Angel of God, guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. + It's Time for You to Be Healed Connect Join me in the Sacred Healing community  for healing prayer live streams, Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes John of Damascus, An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book II Chapters 3-4 Catholic Encyclopedia, Angels Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 –  The Catechism and Catholic Encyclopedia as the structural context for our exploration of angels; what the Catechism says about angels Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Biblical languages and their nuances for the word "angel;" messengers of God; when the angels were created; Genesis 1 Minutes 24:01-36:00 – John of Damascus on angels  Minutes 36:01-48:00 – St. Thomas Aquinas on the angels' nature; what it means that they are "spiritual" and "incorporeal," or bodiless  Transcript Click here for a transcript of the show. 

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."Is it ever okay to lie? Can gossip be a mortal sin? Is it okay to publicly call someone out for doing the wrong thing? In this episode we continue our discussion of the eighth commandment. This episode covers Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article Eight of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pts 2475-2491).Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/....References and further reading/listening/viewing:John Chapter 8Jimmy Akin, "Psst! . . . Did You Hear?"St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 22.Catholic Answers, "Is Lying Ever Right?"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Detraction""Calumny""Perjury""Lying"St Augustine, On LyingMarilynne Robinson, HomePints With Aquinas, "Morality, The Lord of the Rings, and Awkward Jokes w/ Dr Peter Kreeft"Jon Ronson, So You've Been Publicly Shamed.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."Is there such thing as objective truth? Is it ALWAYS better to tell the truth? Are there situations where it's better to lie? (Pls excuse the the background cicadas #straya)This episode covers Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article Eight of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pts 2464-2474).Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/.... References and further reading/listening/viewing:John Chapter 8The Acts of the ApostlesPope St. John Paul II, Fides et RatioFulton Sheen, "Revealed Truth", YouTube.Fulton Sheen, "Freedom", YouTube.Opus Dei: "'In Spirit and Truth': Creating Unity of Life (I)""'Where God Wants us': Creating Unity of Life (II)"Thomas A. Kempis, The Imitation of ChristJacques Philippe, Interior FreedomArchbishop Anthony Fisher OP: "Conference on Newman the Prophet: A Saint for Our Times""Conscience, Relativism and Truth: the Witness of Newman" (video)Bishop Conley, "Blessed John Henry Newman and the Search for Truth in the Post-Relativist University"Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, Memoirs of a Happy FailureC.S. Lewis, The Abolition of ManBishop Robert Barron, "Breaking Out of the Prison of Self-Invention", YouTube.Ascenscion Presents, "Why We Should Stop Saying 'My Truth'", YouTube.Catholic Encyclopedia, "Truth"Trent Horn, "Truth and Ice Cream", Catholic Answers."Biography of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter"Erna Putz, Franz Jägerstätter, Letters and Writings from Prisondir. Terence Malick, A Hidden Lifedir. Fred Zinnemann, A Man for All Seasons.

"You shall not steal."What does a just economic system look like? Is work necessary? Do wealthy nations have an obligation to help poorer ones?This episode covers Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article Seven of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pts 2419-2463).Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/.....References and further reading/listening/viewing:Pope Leo XIII Rerum NovarumJohn Paul II, Laborem Exercens.John Paul II, Centesimus AnnusBenedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate.Pope Francis, Laudato Si'.St Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By, "Point 47"Word on Fire, "“Evangelization Is Colonialism”: Are We Sure About That?""Who we are: Human uniqueness and the African spirit of Ubuntu. Desmond Tutu, Templeton Prize 2013", YouTube.Catholic Relief Services, "Catholic Social Teaching", YouTube.Trocaire, "Catholic Social Teaching in 3 Minutes", YouTube.Word on Fire, "Pope Francis, 'Fratelli Tutti,' and the Universal Destination of Goods"Bishop Robert Barron, "Bishop Barron on Pope Francis and Our Responsibility for the Common Good"Australian Catholic University, "The Principles of Catholic Social Thought and The Common Good."Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, "Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life"Vatican News, "'Fratelli tutti': short summary of Pope Francis's Social Encyclical"ABC News, "The architecture of peace: Pope Francis on social friendship and the hope for universal fraternity"Catholic News Agency, "Bishop Barron defends Junipero Serra: Evangelization is not ‘cultural aggression'"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy"Elizabeth Gaskell, North and SouthE.M. Forster, Howards End

IntroductionToday, we are diving deeper into the miracle of the Incarnation. What were the effects of the Incarnation on Christ and on us? How did the world fundamentally shift 2,000 years ago?! If you have not yet listened to part 1 of this two-parter, I highly recommend beginning there. I went over some fairly deep theology of what the Incarnation means and what the Hypostatic Union of the divine and human natures of Christ in one Divine Person is.The Fittingness of the Incarnation According to AquinasSt. Thomas Aquinas asks a series of really cool questions about the Incarnation in question 1 of the third part of the Summa. In this section, he focuses entirely on what he calls the “fittingness” of the Incarnation. When Aquinas speaks of fittingness, he is juxtaposing this term with necessity. In other words, is an event or action in theology strictly necessary or simply fitting? In the first two questions, he explores this query..Is it fitting for God to become incarnate?First, Aquinas asks: “Is it fitting for God to become incarnate?” We know that God is good; this is one the realities of His essence. God exists and He is the truth, the good, the beautiful, and the ground of being itself. Aquinas argues that because of His great and perfect goodness, He desired to share His goodness in the highest manner possible to His creature. So, St. Thomas concludes that it is “manifest that it was fitting that God should become incarnate (ST III, q. 1, a. 1, co.)” Was it necessary for the restoration of the human race?Even though it is a tremendous mystery that God would condescend to become one of us, it was fitting because of His great goodness. But what about necessary? “Was it necessary for the restoration of the human race?” asks Aquinas. He answers that:“What frees the human race from perdition is necessary for the salvation of man. But the mystery of Incarnation is such; according to John 3:16: ‘God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.' Therefore it was necessary for man's salvation that God should become incarnate (ST III, q. 1, a. 2, s.c.).”So, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, it was necessary that God should become incarnate. As God, He can reconcile us to Himself; as Man, He can do so on our behalf!If there had been no sin, would God have become incarnate?This leads to St. Thomas' next question: “If there had been no sin, would God have become incarnate?” This question is one of my favorites to contemplate. It was actually the topic of a great conversation for me and my coworkers at lunch a couple weeks ago. In Romans, St. Paul shows us that all men were made sinners through the disobedience of Adam and it was through the one Man, Jesus Christ, that many will be made righteous. In the first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul says: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22).” Jesus Christ is, thus, the “new Adam” or the “second Adam.” As St. John Henry Newman wrote in his hymn “Praise to the Holiest in the height”:“O loving wisdom of our God!When all was sin and shame,A second Adam to the fightAnd to the rescue came.”It is clear that Scripture teaches that the reason for the Incarnation is the sin of Adam. So, how does Aquinas answer this question: “If there had been no sin, would God have become incarnate?” He says,“... the word of Incarnation was ordained by God as a remedy for sin; so that, had sin had not existed, Incarnation would not have been. And yet the power of God is not limited to this; even had sin not existed, God could have become incarnate (ST III, q. 1, a. 3, co.).”Whether God became incarnate in order to take away actual sin, rather than to take away original sin?God could have become incarnate, even in the absence of human sin. But, as it is, Adam did sin and the incarnation allowed for the stain of original sin to be washed away. But what about personal sin, or as the Church calls it: “actual sin.” St. Thomas asks: “Whether God became incarnate in order to take away actual sin, rather than to take away original sin?”He answers directly that the principle reason for the incarnation was to take away original sin. But he adds:“It is certain that Christ came into this world not only to take away that sin which is handed on originally to posterity, but also in order to take away all sins subsequently added to it; not that all are taken away (ST III, q. 1, a. 4, co.).”Whether it was fitting that God should become incarnate in the beginning of the human race?On the next question: “Whether it was fitting that God should become incarnate in the beginning of the human race?” Aquinas has a lot to say, but we can summarize it thusly:“... God became incarnate at the most fitting time; and it was not fitting that God should become incarnate at the beginning of the human race (ST III, q. 1, a. 5, s.c.).” Whether Incarnation ought to have been put off till the end of the world?In God's timing, the incarnation was unfitting to happen right after the sin of Adam and Eve, but St. Thomas asks “Whether Incarnation ought to have been put off till the end of the world?” He answers:“It is written (Habakkuk 3:2): ‘In the midst of the years Thou shalt make it known.' Therefore the mystery of Incarnation which was made known to the world ought not to have been put off till the end of the world (ST III, q. 1, a. 6, s.c.).”Put simply: the incarnation happened exactly when and where was best, in God's Providence and with His perfect knowledge and planning.The Effects of the Incarnation on Christ HimselfThe Incarnation of Christ was fitting and necessary for the salvation of man. But what were the effects on Christ Himself? First, we can think of our own body and soul. We are limited and finite. We have inclinations to sin and imperfections. We are sinful and sorrowful. We are intrinsically good and capable of wonderful things, by God's grace. But we are also capable of great evil. As we discussed last time, the human nature of Jesus Christ is perfect and perfectly subordinate to His Divinity. He is incapable of sin and acts in the perfection for which mankind was originally made. What does that look like? Perfection. Living in accord with the Will of the Father, perfectly. What is possible? The great St. Athanasius, discussing the Incarnation, says this: “And, in a word, the achievements of the Saviour, resulting from His becoming man, are of such kind and number, that if one should wish to enumerate them, he may be compared to men who gaze at the expanse of the sea and wish to count its waves. For as one cannot take in the whole of the waves with his eyes, for those which are coming on baffle the sense of him that attempts it; so for him that would take in all the achievements of Christ in the body, it is impossible to take in the whole, even by reckoning them up, as those which go beyond his thought are more than those he thinks he has taken in. Better is it, then, not to aim at speaking of the whole, where one cannot do justice even to a part, but, after mentioning one more, to leave the whole for you to marvel at. For all alike are marvelous, and wherever a man turns his glance, he may behold on that side the divinity of the Word, and be struck with exceeding great awe (Athanasius, On the Incarnation, 54.4-5).” The Incarnation is a Miracle and our Blessed Lord is the perfect Man. He shows us what God intended from the beginning for mankind. So, let us take a moment to zoom in: what effects did the Incarnation have on the human body and human soul of Christ?On the Body of ChristJesus Christ had a human body, as we do. He knows our human limitations and is like us. In Hebrews 4:15, we hear: “We have not a high priest, who cannot have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.” Before His Resurrection from the dead, the Body of Christ was subject to all the bodily weaknesses caused by original sin, which we are all subject: He experienced hunger, thirst, pain, fatigue, and death. These are all natural results of human nature which He assumed. There are a couple of things in the body, however, which Christ did not necessarily experience. It is possible that He had no bodily deformities (until His Passion) and never got sick. St. Athanasius persuasively argues this by saying that it would be “unbecoming that He should heal others who was Himself not healed (P.G., XX, 133).”On the Human Soul of ChristWhen speaking of the human soul of Christ, there are a few areas worth mentioning: His intellect, will, sanctity, and likes and dislikes. In the WillJesus was entirely sinless. Thomists following after St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as Francisco Suarez, and the Society of Jesus all argue that sin is incompatible with the Hypostatic Union. It is safe to assume that this is the case simply on the merits of Dominicans and Jesuits being in agreement (just a joke). Those following the teaching of Duns Scotus say that the sinlessness of Christ is not due to the Hypostatic Union but due to a special Divine Providence similar to the way that it is impossible for the blessed in Heaven to sin.No matter which theological avenue you take, it is an article of faith, to be held definitively, taught at the Council of Ephesus, that Christ never sinned. Jesus Christ is a Divine Person and God cannot turn away from Himself.We also want to take great care to acknowledge the total liberty of Christ, in His human will. After the Incarnation, the will of Christ remained. If this were not the case, then in the matter of death, Christ could not have merited nor satisfied the justice of God for us. St. Thomas Aquinas not only believed in the total liberty of the human will of Christ, but he also provided seventeen different explanations for why this is true!In the IntellectLet us now turn to the human intellect of Christ. Every time the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord comes around, I brace for the incredibly ridiculous homilies in which the deacon or priest (or God, help us, bishops) explain that it was at this moment that Christ realized His mission. They hold that it was at the Baptism of the Lord, when the Spirit descends like a dove, that Christ receives His anointing, grace, and His mission. I want to say unequivocally that this is heretical and nonsensical garbage. The soul of Christ was endowed with the Beatific Vision from the beginning of its existence. For the first moment in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when the Hypostatic Union came into being, the human soul of Christ beheld the Godhead in its fullness.Like Adam and Eve, Christ had infused knowledge. God the Father revealed many things to Jesus in His humanity all at once, as needed. He also acquired human knowledge through His senses and imagination. The human soul of Christ had a beginning and is not, therefore, infinite as God is infinite. But by the grace of union, His human soul (intellect and will) was most perfect and embraced the widest range possible. Sanctity of Christ From the first moment, in the Hypostatic Union, Jesus Christ enjoyed the grace of union. As St. Augustine teaches:“When the Word was made Flesh then, indeed, He sanctified Himself in Himself, that is, Himself as Man in Himself as Word; for that Christ is One Person, both Word and Man, and renders His human nature holy in the holiness of the Divine nature (Augustine, In Johan. tract. 108, n. 5, in P.L., XXXV, 1916).”St. John also tells us in the prologue of His Gospel that the Word was “full of grace (Jn. 1:14).” And, so, in the human soul of Christ, there was a fullness of sanctifying grace. This is the same grace of the sacraments that we receive at our Baptism and in each of the seven sacraments. Likes and Dislikes In the Hypostatic Union, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. This glorious union, however, does not deprive the human soul of Christ of the human reality of likes and dislikes. There were certain foods that Jesus preferred. He likely had a favorite game or sport, a favorite joke or turn of phrase, a favorite way to recline at a table that He found most comfortable, and the list goes on. We see in the Gospels that Christ was angry, fearful, sad, happy, and experienced the sensible affections of hope, desire, and joy. After all, He is like us in all things but sin. His likes and dislikes, however, were under complete control by His human will subordinated perfectly to His divine will. The God-Man and the “Communication of Idioms”How we speak about Christ matters, if we are to avoid error. Our words will never fully penetrate the deep mysteries of the Person of Jesus Christ, but there are certain ways of phrasing things that are just plain wrong. In the last part of this two-parter, we discussed a few different Christological heresies that can serve as an illustration of this.How then can we speak about the interaction of deity and humanity in the Divine Person of Jesus Christ? The Church gives us the concept of the communicatio idiomatum (Latin: communication of properties or communication of idioms). There are difficulties that require such a convention. What properties belong to Jesus in His human nature? What properties belong to His divine nature? Is it possible that these properties are shared or mingled between the two natures?Jesus did many things physically which are attributed to His divine power. For example, He healed the sick, forgave sins, walked on water, changed water into wine, and rose from the dead. Though Jesus Christ, the God-man did all of these things, because of the communicatio idiomatum, we can safely say that God did all these things. God healed the sick. God walked on water. God changed water into wine. We are not saying that the properties of Christ's divinity become the properties of His humanity, or vice versa; they are already deeply united by grace. But we rightly say these things because Jesus Christ, even in His humanity, is a Divine Person. So, whatever is affirmed of the Divine Person, the Son of God, the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ, after the incarnation, in His human or divine natures is attributed to the one Person. This is why St. Ignatius of Antioch referred to the “blood of God” and the “suffering of God.” God the Father has no blood nor did God the Spirit suffer, but the Eternal Word of God, God the Son, assumed Flesh. This is why we can rightly say that Mary is the Theotokos (the God-bearer) rather than merely the Christotokos (the Christ-bearer).There is an excellent summary of the “rules” of the communicatio idiomatum on encyclopedia.com, of all places. You can check that our here, if you are interested in reading further.  The Adoration of the Humanity of ChristThe Greek word dulia refers to veneration. This is the type of respect that is due to the saints and angels on account of their holiness and closeness to God. The next step up is hyperdulia; this is the preeminent veneration and devotion due to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven. Finally, we arrive at true worship and adoration, in Greek: latria. Latria is due to God alone. In fact, giving latria to anyone other than God would be the grave sin of blasphemy. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains:“The human nature of Christ, united hypostatically with the Divine nature, is adored with the same worship as the Divine nature. We adore the Word when we adore Christ the Man; but the Word is God. The human nature of Christ is not at all the reason of our adoration of Him; that reason is only the Divine nature (CE).”We do not worship the human nature of Jesus Christ. Yet, we affirm that because of the Hypostatic Union, the divinity and humanity of Christ cannot be separated. And, most importantly, there is only one Person in Jesus Christ, which is the Divine Word of God. So, according to the whole Person rather than the parts, we truly adore Jesus Christ, the God-man, with all the devotion, love, and worship due to Almighty God! Effects of the Incarnation on UsFinally, we come to the big question, for us: why did the Word of God become Flesh? How did the Incarnation affect us? In Order to Save UsFirst, as we acclaim in the Nicene Creed: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he came incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.” The Word became Flesh for us “in order to save us by reconciling us with God (CCC 456).” Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of the world, both original and personal, though He Himself was without sin. He did this in our place as the Son of Man and He did this perfectly as the Son of God.St. Gregory of Nyssa, one of the Eastern Church Fathers, explains:“Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Savior; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator. Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state (St. Gregory of Nyssa, Orat. catech 15: PG 45, 48B.)?”That We Might Know God's LoveSecond, the Son of God incarnated that we might know God's love. As St. Thomas Aquinas taught, it was fitting that God should become man in order to show us the depths of His love and the heights of His goodness. The Incarnation is a tremendous miracle and mystery. The fact that Almighty God, containing all things and yet uncontained Himself, became a baby. He depended on the love and care of His Holy Mother and St. Joseph. In His unfathomable humility, the Lord shows us the lengths God was willing to go to in order to bring us back from sin and death. Of course, we see His loving action on full display, bearing the Cross for our sakes. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).”To Be Our Model for HolinessThird, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, shows us the model for holiness. By His holy example, we can follow Him in all things, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is an old blessing that speaks of discipleship: “May you be covered in the dust of the Master.” By following so near to Jesus, we are covered in the dust which His holy feet kick up as He leads us. If we listen to His holy words and holy example, we will be beckoned closer to sharing eternal life with Him in Heaven. To Make Us Partakers of the Divine NatureSt. Peter begins his second letter in this way:“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire (2 Peter 1:3-4).”The chief of the Apostles reveals to us another reason why the Word became Flesh. He came to make us “partakers of the divine nature.” As St. Irenaeus said,“For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God (St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 3, 19, 1: PG 7/1, 939.).”The great St. Athanasius put it even more succinctly: “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God (St. Athanasius, De inc. 54, 3: PG 25, 192B.).” And lest we think that this notion is peculiar to the first millennium, St. Thomas Aquinas said, “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods (St. Thomas Aquinas, Opusc. 57, 1-4.).”Receiving Sanctifying GraceThe primary means of receiving sanctifying grace in our soul and sharing in the divine nature is through the Sacrament of Baptism. We enter the sacramental life through the door of Baptism and God comes to dwell within us as in a Temple. We receive an infusion of the divine life and have the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity operative in our soul. This initiation, begun in Baptism, is perfected and strengthened in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Our initiation is complete when we receive the Lord's own Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of sacraments. The same Flesh born of Mary, the Word of God Incarnate, comes to us under the veil of a sacrament at Holy Mass in what looks like bread and looks like wine. But this is no ordinary food. It is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ who desires to make Himself our supersubstantial bread and come into intimate communion with us. This foretaste of Heaven leads us as a pledge of future glory to our eternal home. The Incarnation goes beyond the cave in Bethlehem, beyond the home in Nazareth, beyond the Temple in Jerusalem, beyond the wood of the Cross, and beyond the empty grave. In the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, the Incarnation is extended. Just as we are body and soul, the Lord commanded that His Church should be visible and invisible. Our invisible God has taken on visible Flesh. So too, the Church celebrates in sensible signs the invisible wonders of God's overwhelming grace. The most amazing part of all of this is that He invites us to respond and take part in these saving mysteries and realities. Praise be to God for such a gift!I will end with the words of Pope St. Leo the Great:Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God's own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God's kingdom.If you have enjoyed this post in the slightest, please consider sharing it with your friends and family on social media, text, or email! Thank you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willwrightcatholic.substack.com

"You shall not steal."What actually constitutes stealing? Is anything absolutely my own? How much should I give to others?In this episode, we begin our discussion of the seventh Commandment.This episode covers Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article Seven of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pts 2401-2418).Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/.....References and further reading/listening/viewing:Matthew 5:40Luke 19:1-10Peter Kreeft, Catholic Christianity. Pope Leo XIII, Rerum NovarumChris Lilley, "Jaime King, We Can Be Heroes", YouTube.Victor Hugo, Les Miserables.  Les, Miserables, Tenth Anniversary Concert. YouTube.  dir. Tom Hooper, Les Miserables. Ascension Press, "The Virtue of Justice Explained", YouTube.The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Justice"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Theft"Miranda Hart, Peggy and Me.Thomas Aquinas, "Justice",   Summa Theologiae, II.ii, Question 58Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 3.Gerard Manly Hopkins "As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame"https://goodonyou.eco/

"Thou shalt not commit adultery."What is the point of marriage? Is divorce a sin? What about contraception, or IVF? In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of the sixth Commandment.This episode covers Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article Six of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pts 2337-2359).Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/.....References and further reading/listening/viewing:Matthew 5:27Christopher West, "Contraception vs. Natural Family Planning: What's the difference?"Christopher West, Good New About Sex and MarriageFr Mike Schmitz "Catholic Teaching on IVF and Contraception Explained"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Adultery"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Divorce"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Incest"Catholic Answers, "The Hardest Teaching of Them All"  Catholic Answers, "What does adultery encompass?"Catholic Answers, "Birth Control"Catholic Answers, "What are the grounds for annulment?"Jason Evert, "Contraceptive Mentality vs NFP"Jason Evert, "Debunking Myths about NFP"EWTN, "Church Teaching on Birth Control"Pope Francis, "Amoris Laetitia"Life Teen, "You Don't Need to Test Drive Sex to Know if it's True Love"Emily Wilson, "50 MUST-ASK Questions Before Marriage"Peter Kreeft, "Catholic Christianity"Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio.Pope John Paul II,  homily at Mass on the Washington Mall October 7, 1979.J.R.R. Tolkien, "On marriage and relations between the sexes"

Many ideas that seem peculiarly modern actually have deep Christian roots. This is true of much of the terminology of addiction and recovery. Today we look for the roots of “intervention” in the Gospel and the works of the Fathers—and find applications for ordinarily life, even beyond the orbit of addiction. LINKS Joseph Carola, S.J., Augustine of Hippo: The Role of the Laity in Ecclesial Reconciliation https://www.amazon.com/Augustine-Hippo-Ecclesial-Reconciliation-Gregoriana/dp/8878390232/ “Fraternal Correction,” Catholic Encyclopedia https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04394a.htm Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/ Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org

"You shall not kill."Is abortion ever morally permissible? What about euthanasia? What does the Church teach about people who have committed suicide?In this episode we continue our discussion of the fifth Commandment. This episode covers Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article Five of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pts 2258-2330). Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/.....References and further reading/listening/viewing:The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Logic".The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Suicide".Catholic Answers, 20 Questions: Abortion.Ethics Finder. (there are SO MANY great resources on this website) C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain. Gaudium et SpesPope Francis, "Misericordia et misera"THIS ARTICLE IS SO GOOD AND CLEAR: Michael Egnor, "If a Fetus Isn't a Human Being, What Is It?"Colin B. Donovan, STL "End of Life Decisions: Ordinary versus Extraordinary Means"Among the Lilies, "Healing after an abortion"Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, O.P., "When Does Human Life Begin? The Scientific Evidence", YouTube.Maureen L. Condic, "When Does Human Life Begin? The Scientific Evidence"Bishop Robert Barron "Bishop Barron on Atheism and Assisted Suicide"Fr Mike Schmitz, "Talking About Suicide"Fr Mike Schmitz, "Hope in the Face of Suicide" Ascension Presents, "God's Mercy and Suicide"Ellie Egan, "Testimony of Hope"Stephanie Sugiaman, "It's not too much pain but too little love that makes people ask for euthanasia"Death and Donuts "The Agony & Ecstasy Of A Life After Death"

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.”What does it mean to love and serve God? What counts as 'other gods'? Are images of Jesus, Mary, and the saints graven images? In this episode we discuss the first of the Ten Commandments. This episode covers Part Three, Section Two, Chapter One, Article One of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pts 2056 -2141).Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/.....References and further reading/listening/viewing:Matthew Chapter 22Matthew 4:10Deuteronomy, 5:6-9Roman Catechism 2, 3, 4.Tim Staples, "Are Statues in Catholic Churches 'Graven Images?'" Catholic Answers.The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Simony" The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Superstition"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Sacrilege" Arthur Conan Doyle, A Scandal in BohemiaCatholic Answers, "Stipends and Simony" YouTube.This song was in my head the whole time I was working on this episode.

Unity, permanence, holiness, reverence, glory: "For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church" (Eph 5:29-32). This is where I get to tell you some wonderful news from here on the home front about the Catholic Evangelista apostolate. The next series, Somata, on physical healing begins September 12! Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Norma C; Natalie C; and Chris G, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and monthly meet-ups with Sonja: We're studying the Book of Romans! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja's method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Has the Holy Spirit brought to mind a way you are thankful for your spouse or community? What can you do to show them your appreciation and gratitude? What do you want to say to Him about that? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Tell Him everything in your heart right now.  Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Enkindle in them the fire of Your love, and there shall be a new creation, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Amen. + Connect Take the next step in your healing journey. Join me in Sacred Healing, where I'm offering healing prayer livestreams, Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:12:00 – Catholic Encyclopedia on Ephesians 5:22-33 Minutes 12:01-24:00 – final thoughts on cherishing one another in marriage and other vocations Minutes 24:01-36:00 – next series is on physical healing Minutes 36:01-48:00 – news from home and ministry Transcript Click here for a transcript of the show.