Podcasts about Confessor

25 At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones.In illo tempore respondens Jesus dixit : Confiteor tibi, Pater, Domine caeli et terrae, quia abscondisti haec a sapientibus, et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis. 26 Yea, Father; for so hath it seemed good in thy sight.Ita Pater : quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te. 27 All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him.Omnia mihi tradita sunt a Patre meo. Et nemo novit Filium, nisi Pater : neque Patrem quis novit, nisi Filius, et cui voluerit Filius revelare. 28 Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos. 29 Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde : et invenietis requiem animabus vestris. 30 For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.Jugum enim meum suave est, et onus meum leve.The Seraphic Patriarch of Assisi was a man especially raised up by God in the Middle Ages with the mission to reconvert the world to Christ. Francis was born in a stable, and heralded into the world by angelic song; he commenced his work with twelve followers, whom he sent two by two to preach the Gospel. He espoused most high Poverty, and received in his own body the marks of the Sacred Passion on Mount Alvernia. Francis' message of charity, peace and justice was heard by men and women of every grade of society, and thousands in consequence desired to leave all and follow Francis in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Therefore he founded the Order of Friars Minor, the Second Order of the Poor Clares, and the Tertiaries or Third Order which bear his name. St Francis died about sunset on Saturday, 3rd Ocober 1226.

ChatGPT Should Not Be Your Confessor by Nick Espinosa, Chief Security Fanatic

14 For even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods;Sicut enim homo peregre proficiscens, vocavit servos suos, et tradidit illis bona sua. 15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey.Et uni dedit quinque talenta, alii autem duo, alii vero unum, unicuique secundum propriam virtutem : et profectus est statim. 16 And he that had received the five talents, went his way, and traded with the same, and gained other five.Abiit autem qui quinque talenta acceperat, et operatus est in eis, et lucratus est alia quinque. 17 And in like manner he that had received the two, gained other two.Similiter et qui duo acceperat, lucratus est alia duo. 18 But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord's money.Qui autem unum acceperat, abiens fodit in terram, et abscondit pecuniam domini sui. 19 But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them.Post multum vero temporis venit dominus servorum illorum, et posuit rationem cum eis. 20 And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above.Et accedens qui quinque talenta acceperat, obtulit alia quinque talenta, dicens : Domine, quinque talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia quinque superlucratus sum. 21 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.Ait illi dominus ejus : Euge serve bone, et fidelis : quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam; intra in gaudium domini tui. 22 And he also that had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have gained other two.Accessit autem et qui duo talenta acceperat, et ait : Domine, duo talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia duo lucratus sum. 23 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.Ait illi dominus ejus : Euge serve bone, et fidelis : quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam; intra in gaudium domini tui.St Remegius, Bishop of Rheims, in France, converted the Merovingian king Clovis and the Frankish nation. He died A.D. 534.

In this enchanting episode, Dr. Eleanor Janega dissolves the boundaries between history, folklore, and music to explore the haunting world of medieval ballads. Joined by author Amy Jeffs, illustrator Gwen Burns and composer/singer Natalie Brice, Eleanor uncovers the timeless stories sung around firesides and passed from voice to voice for centuries.From fairy queens and dragon-tenders to the chilling archetype of the “sinful woman”, these songs reveal how ordinary people in medieval Britain grappled with questions of morality, identity, and the supernatural.MOREEdward the Confessor & New Year SaintsSupernatural Medieval IrelandGone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scripture Reading: John 1: 6-8Speaker: Jim AngehrSeries: "The Gospel of John"      

 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men.Vos estis sal terrae. Quod si sal evanuerit, in quo salietur? ad nihilum valet ultra, nisi ut mittatur foras, et conculcetur ab hominibus. 14 You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid.Vos estis lux mundi. Non potest civitas abscondi supra montem posita, 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house.neque accedunt lucernam, et ponunt eam sub modio, sed super candelabrum, ut luceat omnibus qui in domo sunt. 16 So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus : ut videant opera vestra bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in caelis est. 17 Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.Nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem, aut prophetas : non veni solvere, sed adimplere. 18 For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled.Amen quippe dico vobis, donec transeat caelum et terra, jota unum aut unus apex non praeteribit a lege, donec omnia fiant. 19 He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.Qui ergo solverit unum de mandatis istis minimis, et docuerit sic homines, minimus vocabitur in regno caelorum : qui autem fecerit et docuerit, hic magnus vocabitur in regno caelorumSt Jerome, born in Dalmatia, educated at Rome, was soon led into the gravest disorders. Inspired by heaven, he was converted and become one of the greatest Doctors of the Latin Church, especially famous for his translation into Latin (the Vulgate) of the Holy Scriptures. He retired into a monastery at Bethlehem and died A.D. 420.

He was born in Iconium during the reign of Aurelian, and knew St Thecla. He was arrested, tortured and condemned to death for his Christian faith. But before his execution was carried out, the cruel Emperor Aurelian died, and Chariton was freed. He travelled to Jerusalem and took up the ascetical life in the Palestinian wilderness. Monks gathered around him, and in the course of his life he established three monastic communities in the Holy Land. He died in peace at a great age. According to the Prologue, the practice of tonsuring monks originated with St Chariton.

Luke's HAARP Time Warp: Part 1 A cosmic catastrophe. Based on a post by somethin fishy, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 1. Luke MacDougall was stretching out in his tent after his hunting the Brooks Range in Alaska. He had been hunting moose earlier this week, He bagged a bull moose on his first day up north, and his work horse of a snow machine was vital to hauling the beast back to the truck. By the time he got back to his house in the outskirts of Anchorage, It was just after the evening rush hour. This was too easy. His neighbor's butcher shop was impressed when he drove up to drop off the field dressed carcass. “1022 pounds!” Mike told him when the winch scale steadied. “I didn't expect you til Friday!” Mike loves the outdoors and in addition to hunting, he also loves fishing and seeing the beauty that is Alaska. “I think I'll take my Polaris up the river to the east and see what's out there, before the melt floods out the pass.” I'm going to make the most of my week off! Luke said, But Mike was busy rolling the hoist rack over to the meat locker. Luke owned his own engineering firm that worked all over the world, mainly for the chemical industry. Luke had master's degrees in chemical and mechanical engineering plus a bachelors in metallurgy. He had been in the Marine corps, but a combat injury had forced him out. While in the corps he had been a combat engineer and he still did engineer consulting work for the Marines. He stood six foot eight and weighed two hundred and sixty pounds, and even though he did mostly desk work he was by no means out of shape. Not only was he very strong, but he was a hand-to-hand combat expert while in the corps, was one hell of a shot, and had gotten his black belt in martial arts after he had gotten out. He had thought about trying out to be a sniper, but figured that his size would give him away and therefore be a threat to his team mate, this he couldn't live with. He had light brown hair that was kept in a crew cut and piercing blue eyes. Although he looked to be very definition of a hard ass, he was actually extremely considerate to those around him and always took the extra second to consider how his actions would affect the people around him. While he didn't have a family, his older sister Mackenzie, did. Her husband, Dan, was one of Luke's oldest childhood friends and they had two kids. Luke always made sure to spoil them rotten. Since he didn't have anyone to spent money on, he had set up trust funds for both kids over his sister's objections. His sister still lived on the same ranch that they had grown up on in Wyoming. Their parents had been killed when Luke was sixteen and Mackenzie was eighteen. Mackenzie, without thinking about it; cancelled going to college and stayed on the ranch to take care of Luke so that he wasn't taken by the state. Luke's mom had been a geologist and his dad had been a part time jeweler and worked the ranch in his spare time. Tonight, Luke had another reason to be happy. He had gotten the jewelry done for his niece's birthday and had sent it to her the day before he left for his trip. Since he lived in Anchorage, Alaska it took some time to get there. He had made her a handmade necklace out of gold that he found in some of Alaska's streams. In the pendant he had a large sapphire set in it, her birth stone. He had gotten that while working on one of his overseas jobs and upon smuggling it into the U S, had cut it to maximize its beauty. It had been in rough form when he smuggled it in. Luke's jewelry making was a hobby of his to relax after a hard day in the office and actually knew how to cut and grind gemstones thanks to not only his dad but his mom as well. Going to sleep that night, he never in a million years would guess that his life was about to change completely. Luke's Spring trip up the Matanuska River to the glacial basin, before the dangerous spring thaw, and flow.; was going to be a 4-day run via snow machine. He made great time and decided to extend his trip northeastward past Lake Tazlana, and perhaps even Mount Sanford. Having made great time getting to the headwaters, he continued east toward the Gakon River. At Glenallen he stopped for fueling up at a trading post; and for updates on the Mount Sanford melt. The locals told him to Stay on the north side of the Gakon River and he'd be safe. Continuing northeast, Luke was now in unfamiliar territory, so he focused on landmarks and wildlife. He watched two Grizzlies kill a yearling moose. He finally pitched camp due northwest of Mount Sanford; Just east of Gakona, and on the north side of the flooding river that rushed down from the high mountain peaks. His chart showed he was near the research facility known as the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). Global rumors and conspiracy theories abounded, regarding the mega-high voltage compound, guarded by a very sophisticated security system and plain-clothes security people. The security protocols were strikingly identical to the Central Intelligence Agency's standard operating procedures. Luke had heard that tonight might be an amazing display of the Aurora Borealis; or northern Lights. What Luke didn't know was that he was closer to the security fence than he knew. Just one ridge of trees blocked his view of the high fencing. During the night, while Luke slept in blissful ignorance, a cosmic disaster struck. At one point Luke stirred a bit as a sound similar to a P A system having a feedback loop, was flaring. As it did, the waves and arcs of the northern lights danced radically across the sky. The sound and lights were clearly synchronized and getting brighter. But Luke uncharacteristically slept like a baby. This was a weird one, for the only known person immediately affected was Luke. Suddenly the sound was silent and the area was black. Pitch black. Again, Luke slept. And when the black hole sucked him, tent and all, Luke was sound asleep. This unexplained phenomena transported Luke across space and time. When Luke woke up the first time; he noticed was that it was a lot more humid and warmer than it had been when he had gone to bed. He then noticed that the bird sounds were different as well. ‘Okay this is weird' he thought. He stuck his head out of his little tent and his confusion deepened for around him was a wild forest of deciduous trees. When he went to bed, he had been surrounded by scrub land with stunted aspen trees. ‘I must be dreaming, and if this is a dream, damn.' “Well, I guess I better have a look around” he said to himself. He spent the rest of the morning looking around his “dream world” wondering when he was going to wake up. His Polaris Snow Machine was no longer parked next to the south end of the tent. It wasn't anywhere. Not that it would be all that helpful in this mild summer-like weather. He noticed that the sun was almost straight overhead and he had an idea. He would check the time on his phone and use that to figure out about where he was at. When he did it, he got an even bigger shock, his phone was nine hours behind. That combined with the tree species around him, put him in… ‘Hell, is this England?' The weather plus the state of the leaves on the trees likely put it in late spring. “Well fuck me!” exclaimed Luke. For the rest of the day, he stayed near his 2-man tent. He found a stream nearby to get water and fish from. Hopefully he would wake up from this nightmare soon. When he woke up the next morning, he was starting to realize that something was truly fucked up with his world. He was still in the same spot. Figuring out that he was fucked, he did an inventory of his gear. He had his tent, sleeping bag, backpack, and camo clothes. He had his 9mm sig and his .338 rifle that his had picked up while in the Marines, and he had plenty of ammo for both. In his backpack he had is laptop and solar powered charger, one M R E, plenty of survival straws, matches, his extra canteen, and extra fire starters. Of course, he had his travel rod, a selection of terminal tackle, and some lures. He had re-spooled the reel right before going to the Brooks Range. All in all, he was in good shape. What really bothered him was that he couldn't get any satellite lock or cell signal at all. After his inventory, he figured that he probably should get moving, so he packed everything up. While he was packing, he had water boiling over the fire to fill his canteens up. Checking his compass he decided to start moving East. He walked carefully through the woods for the rest of the day, stopping with about an hour of daylight left, at another stream, to make camp. First thing he did was get a fire going and got himself more water. He had managed to catch some fish and frogs for supper. Early the next morning he again topped off his canteens and started moving again, still heading East. The way he figured it, one of three things could be going on: one this was all some weird dream; two somehow, he had traveled through space and time; or three he was in an alternate universe. He was hoping that this was a dream. About midday he paused and rested for a bit for it was a warm, humid day. As he was getting up from a short nap, he heard shouting nearby. It sounded like English, well sort of. Now Luke was curious, for he had also heard metal on metal contact, so he headed toward it. Within a minute he came up to a dirt road. Looking North, Luke saw six men on horseback riding around a stopped carriage. On the ground were several dead men, all wearing armor. As Luke watched, two men burst out of the carriage and were quickly cut down there was nothing that Luke could do for them because he was too far away. The men on horseback now dismounted and approached the carriage. The next sound made Luke's blood chill for it was a female scream. Not one but two. Two young women were yanked from the carriage. One had golden blond and wore a blue dress, while the other one wore a green dress and had brown hair. The younger one looked to be about eighteen or nineteen while the other looked to be slightly older. Two men grabbed each woman and pulled them in front of what Luke assumed to be the commander. While the men were occupied, Luke quickly closed the distance. As he got to within thirty yards, he heard something about the men having some fun with the woman. That was enough for Luke, he slipped off his backpack. He was still in his camo clothing and had carefully modified it into a ghillie suit. He stepped out into the road, mad sure to have his handgun ready and yelled; “Halt, Drop Your Weapons!” Chapter 2. Marion of York was pissed to put it mildly. She hadn't wanted to come along, with her older sister, Cecilia, and father, Charles, to London. Normally she loved traveling to London, but this time it was for Cecilia's engagement and her fiancé, John of Sussex, gave Marion the creeps. They had spent almost a week in London getting the wedding contract ready. When they were married, John would become the lord of Charles's land and the land would then stay in the family. Marion would continue to live in the castle until she was married. Charles was making these arrangements to avoid a situation with his greedy neighbor who had been eyeing his land and daughters for years, and Charles knew that his health was failing and that he wouldn't be long for this world. After the contract had been signed, John decided to travel back with them, as much to check out his new land as to check out Marion and the other woman of his soon to be castle. They had been traveling for three days when they were ambushed. Their guards were cut down within minutes, because although these men were very experienced, loyal, and brave; they had been caught by surprise. Soon all six men were dead. Three were John's and three had been Charles's. They had managed to cut down four of their attackers though. Soon the remaining six attackers were circling the carriage. Marion recognized the colors that the men wore. They belonged to their greedy neighbor, Richard. One of them, Marion personally recognized as Richard's son, William. The same man that her father had kicked out of their castle when he had persuaded relations with Cecilia. This wasn't good. Soon her father and John decided that their only chance was to try and kill the men attacking them. They both knew that if they surrendered, they would be killed anyway. They burst out of the carriage and were quickly cut down without achieving anything. This left the ladies defenseless. William ordered them to be pulled from the carriage. They were brought before him where he then told them; “Well bitches, we're going to have some serious fun then you'll both have to die. However, I will give you a choice. If you cooperate your death will be quick and painless, if you don't well…” Both ladies started turning white for this was their worst nightmare come true. Both despised William, his father, and all the people loyal to them. As William was cutting the dress from Cecilia, they heard a booming male voice: “Halt, Drop Your Weapons!” The voice echoed through the forest and the trees even seemed to move at the sound of it. Although the words themselves were weird, the point was clear. The ladies looked up hopefully and the men spun around. There thirty paces in front of them was a massive humanoid creature. It was dressed with leaves and small branches and not a single patch of skin was visible. In one hand was a small black object, but it didn't have any armor or any weapons for that matter. Then William spoke up; “Says who? A stupid, unarmed swamp thing?” His men snickered. Apparently, the humanoid had understood him. “'Says who? I'll tell you; I am your worst nightmare come to life. A man that can kill you where you stand and you won't be able to do a thing about it. Now this is how things are going to be. I am going to count to five. If you fuckers are not out of here by then, or I will kill you all.” The humanoid made this threat in a way that seemed like it might have ordered food, not facing six heavily armed men. William snorted; this was going to be too easy. Looking at his men: “Lads, time for some more entertainment. Kill that thing.” The ladies knew the stranger was dead. Suddenly the humanoid couched slightly and brought the small black object up to a horizontal position. The next thing the ladies knew there was a sound like thunder, the small black object jumped around in the humanoid's hand, and a quick jet of flame shot out the end of the object. The men around them started falling with blood and meat exploding from their necks. Within seconds, only William was left and he was using a now nearly nude Cecilia as a shield. Cecilia was nearly nude because William had just finished cutting her dress when the humanoid interrupted. “So, I see mister tough guy in armor is actually just another coward that uses an innocent woman as a shield, how pathetic.” The humanoid stood very still for a short time as though he was debating something. “Get out of here, beast. Nothing here concerns you” commanded William. Marion thought this was a stupid move on William's part but then again, he wasn't known to be the sharpest tool in the shed. Her thoughts were confirmed within a second. “Beast is it now? Well tell you what is going to happen. You let that lady go and I'll put my weapon away. Then we can see who is the better in a real man's fight.” Luke knew this course was a bit dumb but one he didn't want to risk hurting the lady even though the chances of that were slim. The other reason that he did this was that he wanted a bit more fun from this engagement. “Deal” said William and he released Cecilia and Luke put away his gun. As he released her, her dress fell away but this was the least of her concerns at the moment. She ran to Marion and embraced her. Then Marion asked the stranger: “Where is your sword, kind stranger?” “Sword?” snorted the stranger “Never used one and won't be needing one.” ‘This man was more arrogant than most nobles. What kind of word is “won't”? He is doomed.' thought Marion. She had good reason to doubt the stranger would live for although William was an idiot, he was very noted swordsman. William made the first move toward the stranger. The stranger didn't move until William was almost upon him, then with absolutely amazing speed the stranger side-stepped William's attack and grabbed his right wrist. The stranger then took his other hand and struck William in the elbow snapping it and bending it completely the other way. William though, didn't have time to register the pain for the stranger then grabbed William's head and with a quick motion of his hands, snapped William's neck with a loud crack; snapping it just as easily as someone would snap kindling for a fire. The stranger then moved quickly to check on the other men. For those attacking, to make sure that they were dead and for the attacked to see if he could give any of them aid. All of them were dead. The entire time the ladies cautiously watched his, Cecilia not even realizing that she was naked. When the man finished, he walked up to the ladies with his hands stretched out and with his palms faced the ladies so they could see that he wasn't armed. As he passed the wagon, the man looked in a trunk and found another dress for Cecilia. He also removed the strange outer clothes that he was wearing. Luke was now dressing in a t-shirt and camo jeans. Finally arriving in front of the ladies, Luke handed the dress to Cecilia who quickly put it on. Marion was stuck by this act of kindness on the man's part, for he at first seemed to be utterly ruthless. Something else Marion noticed was just how damn handsome the stranger was. He was clean shaven, with a strong chin. His blue eyes were lit with the look of not only intelligence but also concern. His shoulders were broad and his bare arms had well defined muscles on them. Marion could almost imagine those arms wrapped around her and this thought caused her heart to flutter and for moisture to form in between her thighs. No other man she had ever met had caused her to have thoughts like this and she had even met the current king of England, Edward the Confessor. Walking up to the ladies, Luke was having a hard time deciding on which one was better looking. Cecilia, the older of the two, had long and almost Chestnut colored hair, her skin had a very light tan, few freckles on her face, and warm brown eyes. Of course, the rest of her body was really good too, with about C cup tits plus large pink nipples. Her stomach had a little bit of fat on it but not bad, Luke liked his ladies with a little meat on them. He hated when women were so skinny that their bones showed. The worst thing from his perspective about her was that her pussy was a jungle, in fact he had never seen a bush that thick. He had been to some of the world's most remote jungles and her pussy hair was thicker. The younger one though was stunning as well, although she wasn't naked so Luke couldn't make a direct comparison. She was slightly taller than the older one, probably about five foot ten or so. Her hair looked to be the color of twenty-four caret gold, and her eyes looked to be sapphires. Her skin, at least what Luke could see, was a pure white. To top things off she had nice full lips, a very cute nose and a perfectly oval face. “Good afternoon, ladies.” Seeing the fearful look on their faces, Luke continued: “You have nothing more to fear, for I will not harm you.” Cecilia was still in a state of shock, but Marion had recovered for the most part. “We thank you kind sir. I do not want to think what would have happened to us if you had not stepped in.” Luke gave her a slight nod “What be your name kind stranger?” “Luke. What be your name and the name of your companion here?” “I am Marion of York and this is my older sister Cecilia.” Marion was starting to relax a bit; however, Cecilia wasn't, but this was normal for them. Marion had always been faster to react to changes. “So, tell me, Marion, what happened here? Why were you attacked?” “The men that attacked us belonged to a neighboring earl, Richard. He was been lusting after my father's lands for years now.” Marion broke down a little, thinking about her father. “Sorry, Richard was furious when he heard that Cecilia here was to be married to John of Sussex. This would have kept our lands out of Richard's hands. His men were waiting in ambush for us, and they caught our guards by surprise. Our father and John were in the carriage with us. They decided to rush out and attack the remaining men, once the guards were slain. They were killed without achieving anything. William was Richard's son and the man you killed with your bare hands. He told us, once we had been pulled from the carriage that they were going to have fun with us and that we would be killed. How we died would have our choice, if we cooperated then death would have been quick and if we did not cooperate then we would have faced a long and painful death. William has killed many people before and he was addicted to killing, so I have no doubt that you saved us from a horrible death at William's hands.” Marion finished, and broke down in tears. Luke kneeled in front of her and put one his large hands on her cheek. He then pulled Marion in and held her tight. As he did, he whispered to her, “You have no need to worry further for I will now be protecting you, that is if you want me to.” She pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes with a hopeful look on her face. She then launched herself back into his arms: “Thank you, Luke. But are you sure, we have nothing of value for I am sure that Richard has taken over our home?” “If I was not sure of it, Marion, I would not have made the offer. You two will have to do something for me, though.” Both ladies instantly stiffened and gained hard looks on their faces. “You two will have to learn how to defend yourselves In case I am not nearby when you are attacked next. Because, I am sure of this; when Richard does not hear back from his men, he will send more men to look for them and by extension you two.” Both ladies relaxed a bit, but were a bit confused for this was the last thing they had expected. “But we are ladies, we cannot fight” stated Cecilia. She had finally gotten over her paralysis. Hearing this, Luke's face went from a concerned caring, to one of extreme anger. The ladies were completely taken back by this and instantly became fearful again. They didn't even realize what they had done to change his mood so suddenly. But they quickly learned. “Let Me Get Something Straight With You Two, Right Now!” growled Luke as the ladies shrank from his fury. “You both Will learn how to defend yourself, for I will teach both of you how. This is the price for me staying with you. If you are not willing to at least try to learn then I shall take my leave of you.” At this Luke spun around on his heel and started walking away. He was a firm believer in woman being capable, despite their physical differences. He wasn't however going to fight for his life to defend these ladies, if they were not at least willing to learn how to defend themselves. Sure, he would feel a bit guilty about leaving them but that was life. Luke figured that with the loot from the dead men around plus a couple of their horses, he could go anywhere. Luke hadn't taken more than three steps when Marion cried out: “Wait! God, please wait?” Luke stopped but didn't turn around. “If you are willing to teach us how to defend ourselves, then we would be deeply in your debt, kind sir.” “Never call me sir again, and you will not be in my debt. You're learning how to defend yourselves will be enough payment for not only rescuing you, but also further defending you” stated Luke. “Do we have a deal?” he asked still with his back to the ladies. The ladies looked at each other and then back to Luke, “We have a deal, Luke” They said together. Luke turned back around, wearing a soft, warm smile. “First thing we need to do is to collect all the weapons, armor, and anything else useful from the dead. Then they will need to be buried for the last thing we need is obvious evidence of what happened here. After all that is done, it will probably be about time to set up camp for the night. Tomorrow morning your lessons start.” The ladies looked at him with confused looks “What ladies, I don't want any arguments, get moving now” Luke snapped at them. Chapter 3. This got the ladies moving. Over the next few hours, they worked harder than they ever had in their lives, the dead were stripped of anything useful, even their clothes. All the loot was put in the carriage for transport. While the ladies were busy with the dead, Luke rounded up some of the horses. They had enough for each of them to ride their own horse and to have a spare apiece. On William they found a number of gold coins and some silver ones as well. This was added to the money that was being carried in the carriage. After Luke rounded up the horses, he began to dig a mass grave for the dead and place them in it. He had also policed his brass shell casings. He thought that with his knowledge that he might be able to make reloads, plus he wanted to leave as little evidence as possible. Finally, everything was finished and they still had about two hours before nightfall, so Luke set up camp away from the road, in a clearing next to a clear stream. As he began to set up, Cecilia and especially Marion were immensely curious. They had never seen gear like this before. Sure, they had seen satchels and tents before, but never made of this strange cloth. Luke got a fire going, and then started boiling water that he collected from the stream. Now the lady's curiosity overrode their lingering fear. “Why are you boiling the water, Luke?” asked Marion. “Just making it safe to drink. By boiling the water you kill off the microorganisms, in the water, that can make you sick.” “Microorganisms?” asked Cecilia “Yep, microorganisms are organisms that are too small to be seen by the naked eye, but make no mistake they are there and the wrong ones can kill you” explained Luke. “Sounds like you speak witchcraft or heresy” stated Cecilia. She was devotedly religious. “God alone decided who dies and who lives.” Through this Marion wasn't sure who to believe. Although the things that Luke said made absolutely no sense to her; what reason would he have of lying to them over something like this. Luke must have been in a good mood however for he wasn't offended by Cecilia's rebuttal. He actually looked amused. “Well, Cecilia go ahead and drink the water straight from that stream then, and when you do eventually get dysentery don't complain to me about it. As far as witchcraft is concerned, stop being insulting, for there is nothing magical about anything I do for I am an engineer.” “You're that confident that we would get sick from that water?” “Maybe not the water from that stream but why take the risk.” “I have a couple of questions for you Luke.” Marion continued when Luke nodded toward her “what does “don't” mean, and what is an engineer?” “Oh, sorry about that. It is a speech difference from my homeland. Sometimes we would take two words and make them one. Doing this makes speaking more efficient. Don't is actually do not. When this is done it's called a contraction. It's; is actually it is.” “Wow that is more efficient.” “And an engineer is someone who designs things to be made, or figures out why something failed, or figured out how to make things easier, mechanically” “Interesting, I have never heard of an engineer. So, another question for you, where is your homeland?” Marion was determined to learn everything that she could about Luke. “Well, originally I came from an area called Wyoming, but now I live, well lived in an area called Alaska.” “I have never heard of either of those places.” “That doesn't surprise me for they are very far away. Across the western sea. The Viking raiders know of it. It is past Iceland and Greenland. ” “Father may have known about those lands, but it's not something he felt women should bother with.” Marion wasn't sure of what to ask next. She wanted to know everything about this man but she could sense that he was hesitant to talk about himself. She sat next to him by the fire and like him just stared into the flames. Cecilia had started her evening prayers by now. “Are you going to say your evening prayers, Luke?” asked Marion. Luke gave her a weak smile. “Sorry, I don't pray.” “You don't believe in God?” “Nice use of a contraction, Marion, and to tell you the truth, no I don't. I never have for I have seen more destruction and suffering caused by differing religious beliefs then you could ever imagine. I do believe that you have the right to believe what you want and you have the right to peacefully practice your beliefs without interference. But I could never take moral guidance from folks that allow innocent children to be tortured and killed of no reason at all, or that preaches that half the human population are inferior because they were born as a woman.” “Maybe their torture was all God's plan for them; and woman are inferior to man. After all, Eve was created from Adam and it was Eve that got them kicked out of the garden.” “Ya sure, “God's plan”. I've been hearing that all my life and every time someone says that, it is usually to cover up for either them not caring or they were the guilty party. Problem with the Adam and Eve theory is that there is absolutely no proof that it happened and I find it ironic that the “first people” had European names. Plus, this sounds just what it is, a story that men use to keep woman subservient to them, makes me sick.” By now Luke had a faraway look in his eye. Marion realized that is his mind, he was somewhere else entirely; and he was. Luke's mind had traveled back to his time spend in Iraq and the death he had seen firsthand that was caused by people's differing beliefs, and these weren't even beliefs in different gods, just different ways of worship. In his mind's eye he also saw women that had been burned with acid or hot oil because they did something to “offend” their family. He saw what happened when men used their position to “marry” young girls and the horror inflicted on the girls. Eventually Cecilia got done with her prayers and came back over. Luke shared some of his food with her. He had lost his appetite. Anything he thought about his time in Iraq he lost his appetite. “Something bothering you?” asked Cecilia “You barely ate anything.” “It's Just some very bad memories of a place that I was in for a time; nothing for you two to be worried about.” Eventually Luke stood up and stretched, Marion and Cecilia were almost asleep sitting by the fire. “Well ladies, you two should get some sleep. You two can sleep in my tent and I will sleep against that tree so I can keep watch.” “But we cannot sleep were you sleep. You need the sleep as well” protested Marion. Luke just gave a look and told her “Shut up and get in the tent, both of you. Make sure to take your dresses off before you lay down so that you don't damage the bedding.” Both Marion and Cecilia knew that they wouldn't win this argument so they did as Luke told them. They were amazed by how soft and comfortable Luke's bedding was. It was simply the most luxurious thing that they had ever laid on. Within minutes both had passed out. Luke sat outside and kept watch all night. He would doze off for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. He would then wake up, look around and then doze off again. Chapter 4. Marion was the first of the ladies to wake up the next morning, Cecilia was really not a morning person. So, Marion carefully got up as to not wake Cecilia, she grabbed her dress, and stepped out of the tent. Luke was up and had the fire going. He had some fresh fish cooking, but he hadn't realized that Marion was up yet. So, she stood quietly and watched him still holding her dress in her hand. The sun was just about to rise as Marion watched Luke cook the fish and boil water for drinking. Finally, she got the courage to walk over to him. As she did, she carefully laid her dress down. Now naked with nothing to hide her body, she walked up behind Luke. “Good morning, Luke. I trust that you slept well last night.” “Good morning, Marion. I slept decent actually. How about you?” “That was the best that I have ever slept. Your bedding is by far the best I have ever felt.” “Thank you, Marion. Breakfast will be ready in a bit. Can you wake Cecilia up?” “Can we talk for a bit first, please. Cecilia actually hates mornings.” “Very well then.” Luke turned around and his jaw almost fell off. Marion was the very definition of a goddess. Her skin was pure white. She had about the same size tits as Cecilia, but Marion's tits were a bit firmer with smaller pink nipples. The flip side was that her nipples were much harder than Cecilia's. Luke's eyes traveled down to her stomach. It was flat, firm, and toned but not thin enough to show any bones. Traveling further south, Luke noticed that Marion's pussy was covered in sparse light blond hair. He could see her pussy lips sticking out slightly and the there was a small gap between her legs, caused by Marion's hips flaring out nicely. Her legs were long and strong, and her feet were even beautiful and Luke wasn't a foot guy. Traveling back up north, Luke also noticed that Marion had a graceful neck that seemed to be screaming for him to nibble on. “Well how do I look?” “Are you sure your name isn't Aphrodite? You are by far the most beautiful woman that I have ever met, and I have met some very beautiful woman before.” Marion smiled. From the sudden heat in her cheeks, she was sure that she was blushing crimson and she felt a sticky wetness forming between her legs again. Suddenly she was moving like another person. She walked straight up to Luke, reached up to hold his cheek and pull him down so she could kiss him. Kissing him was by far the best thing that Marion had ever felt. Her whole body felt tingly and she actually wondered if she might pass out from the pleasure. This increased when Luke carefully picked her up. Marion then wrapped her strong legs around Luke's body. She could feel his cock getting hard and this only further drove Marion's lust. She might have gone even further, but through her lust-induced trance, she heard the unmistakable sounds of Cecilia starting to get up. Marion and Luke let go of each other and Marion ran over to put her dress on. She got it on in record time and by the time Cecilia came out of the tent Marion was starting to eat on one of the fish that Luke had been preparing. Cecilia was clueless as to what Marion and Luke had been doing, for she just assumed that Luke would want to be with her because she was the oldest and she though the smartest. What she didn't know was that Luke was deeply attracted to intelligence and Marion had her beat badly in this department. As the three of them ate their breakfast, Marion asked about the plans for today. “Well first we need to check out those clothes we got yesterday to see if you two can wear any of it. One; having pants on makes it easier to fight, and two; when we start traveling it will be much easier for you two to hide the fact that you are women.” Marion immediately could see the wisdom in Luke's thinking; by hiding the fact that Marion and Cecilia were in fact women, even if it was only from a distance, then they wouldn't attract as much attention to themselves. It was like Luke's hunting clothes, in the woods, that she learned were colored in a pattern called camouflage. It would make them harder to spot. Cecilia of course was against the idea. She was a lady not some cross dresser, thank you very much, but when it was clear that even her sister supported Luke, Cecilia didn't have much choice. They both found men's clothes that fit them and Luke found some clothes that even fit him. He wanted to be dressed in the same clothes as everyone else so he didn't stand out as much. Plus, by not wearing his modern clothes, he could save them for special occasions. After the three got changed, Luke started going over the ultra-basics of self-defense. Marion threw herself into learning and she learnt fast. She had been almost raped once and she wasn't going to let that happen again if she could help it. Cecilia wasn't really that interested. The way she looked at it, it was Luke's job to protect her, not for her to protect herself. After a couple of hours all three were hungry and tired. Luke got the fire going again and started fixing the last of the food that had been in the carriage. As they ate, Marion sat as close as she could to Luke while not crowding him. Eventually Cecilia excused herself to relieve herself. “Marion, I have a question for you. Now before I ask, know this; know that the question will at first sound very stupid but once I explain I promise that it will make sense. And furthermore, I must insist that you never, ever tell anyone what we are about to talk about. If my secret falls into the wrong hands and used incorrectly the destruction that will fall on the world will cast the Battle of Armageddon in the shade.” Marion nodded nervously, “Okay, what year is this?” “Why this is the year of our lord 1065. Why, and why must it remain a secret” Luke closed his eyes, took a deep breath, held it for a second and slowly let it out. Marion was growing more concerned, she knew that Luke didn't lack anything in the bravery department and yet here he was more nervous than she had ever seen him, and she had seen him take out half a dozen thugs without breaking a sweat. Slowly opening his eyes, Luke looked directly into Marion's eyes and said flatly: “Where I came from it was the year 2021 A D.” “What?” “That's right, Marion. I not only come from a different place but also from a different time. And since I have a decent understanding of my history, I know what the major events that are going to happen for the next almost thousand years and if the wrong people get hold of this then they might try to make short sighted decisions that would spell disaster for them and their people.” Marion was speechless and absolutely stunned after all she had been falling in love with this man and know she felt that she didn't know him at all. Suddenly she stood up. “Marion!” “Get Away From Me You Bloody Devil! I never want to be near you again!” Luke bowed his head, accepting his fate. As Marion ran away, she didn't see that Luke was starting to cry. He had just lost the only woman that he had ever truly loved romantically and this came on top of him losing his entire family and all of his friends. He hadn't cried since he was five, but now he was crying now. Slowly he stood up and started to gather his gear up. Looking up he saw Cecilia coming back. ‘Just fucking great' he thought. “Where's Marion?” Cecilia asked. Knowing that not telling her would turn out badly, Luke decided on telling Cecilia a half-truth; he didn't trust Cecilia. “I told her something about myself that upset her deeply.” “What, are you actually married?” Luke smiled slightly “If it was only that small of a secret, but no, my secret can change the world forever and if it gets used wrong then the horror that would be unleashed is far beyond anything you could ever imagine.” “Then why did you tell Marion, but not me?” Now Cecilia was getting pissed for she didn't like the fact that that Luke trusted her bratty little sister and not her. “Why, because I am finding myself falling in love with her and the last thing, I wanted was to keep my biggest secret from her. Marion, in the meantime was stomping off. She didn't even know where she was going, for she was furious. Eventually she found herself standing in front of her father's grave. Luke had given her father his own grave and had even took the time to make a marker for him. She collapsed in front of the grave and began to weep. She was crying harder than she had ever cried before, the man that she had fallen in love with wasn't even close to the man that she had thought that he was. Finally, she stopped crying and just stared at the marker that Luke had made for her father. Luke had taken her father's sword and broke it in half. He then carved Charles's name on it and had written something else. Then he drove the handle part into the soil at her father's head. It took Marion a while to read the instruction. For one, it was written in an unfamiliar tongue and two her reading was just good enough to be able to slowly make her way through the bible. But eventually she was able to make sense of the writing and once again began to cry for Luke had written: “Here lies a proud, brave man that gave his life so that his family might live. If I, the man who buried his earthly remains, could be even a quarter of the man that this man was then I would be able to die a happy man. Go in peace now Charles of York. I promise that I will do everything in my power to continue to protect your family.” Marion knew what she had to do and she knew what she had done. She was so pissed with herself, for turning her back on Luke, that she could barely stand herself. After all, here was a man that had saved her from being raped and murdered, that had started to train her in self-defense so that if something like that ever happened again, she would be able to defend herself, and most of all here was a man that believed that women are at the very least equal to men. Sure, men are usually stronger and faster, but in mental abilities, where Luke seemed to be most interested in her, he had already stated multiple times that men and women are at least equals and, in some areas, women are for the most part far superior to men. She also knew that Luke would never hurt her and would die to protect her. Finally, she was able to stand up, she wiped her face off, turned around, and ran off to find Luke before he took off. She could only hope and pray that she wasn't too late. Of course, he might turn his back on her and she wouldn't blame him if he did, after all she had already turned her back on him once. Chapter 5. As fast as Marion ran through the woods, her mind was running faster. Would she be able to find Luke and Cecilia again? Would Luke even talk to her if she could find them? And perhaps the most disturbing thought, would Cecilia try to ensnare Luke? This last one was the worst for Marion because Cecilia could never stand to see Marion happy and always went out of her way to make Marion's life as miserable as possible. Now that Marion had for all appearances rejected Luke, would Cecilia try and take Luke before Marion could come to her senses. Is water wet? With this in the front of her mind, Marion pushed herself to run even faster. The brush and branches that slapped her in the face and the thorns that caught her clothes couldn't slow her down for her just had to find Luke before it was too late. Finally, she got to the clearing that they had camped in. Luke and Cecilia were gone. Looking around desperately, Marion found the tracks leading out toward the road. She also found a note written on some strange material. The fact that it was written was enough to prove that it was from Luke, Cecilia couldn't read or write, but Marion would have known it was from him anyway because she recognized his writing style: Marion, “I am deeply sorry that I have angered you. I truly wish that the circumstances were different for I have truly fallen in love with you. I would not blame you if you never talk to me again for, I have realized that I completely overwhelmed you. I am sorry that I have hurt you. I have left, with Cecilia, to get her back home. After that I will be leaving England. I truly hope that you find the happiness and love, in life, that an outstanding woman like yourself deserves. Goodbye, Luke Marion was cursing herself too much to bother crying at the moment. She had turned her back on Luke when he tried to tell her the most important thing about himself. It should have been obvious to Marion, at the time, that Luke didn't like to keep secrets from her, but then again, she had never known anyone that would tell her the simple truth without wanting something in return. Just to make herself feel even better, the one and only time that someone told her the truth without wanting anything in return, she ran away. Now Luke had taken reasonability for angering her, admitted to her that he had fallen in love with her, and told her where he was going. She had to catch him before he left England, at all cost. She knew that with the carriage that Luke would be slowed down a bit. Problem is that she didn't have a horse or any other gear with her, but she didn't care. As Marion began to follow the tracks, she heard a familiar sound coming from the brush. When she looked, she found a horse there with all the gear she would need. In the saddlebags, she found money and food. All this stuff she had seen very recently. It was gear that the three of them had collected from the dead after Luke had saved them. This could only mean one thing; Luke hade left it without Cecilia's knowledge, for if she had known then she would have done everything she could have to prevent Luke from leaving anything for Marion. With the horse and the knowledge of where Luke and her sister were headed, and that Luke wanted her to rejoin him, Marion took off to find them. Once Luke had explained to Cecilia what had happened, leaving out the part about him being from the future, Cecilia pretty much demanded that Luke finish escorting her home. Luke was too broken hearted to care so he finished packing the gear and set off with Cecilia. As they left, Cecilia started pouring on her charm. Despite her many flaws from his point of view, Luke had to at least admit that Cecilia was beautiful and charming. With him being hurt so bad by Marion, Cecilia figured that it would be easy to get her hands on Luke. Still Luke maintained at least some of his wits about him. He wouldn't show Cecilia his computer or rifle, and she wouldn't be able to secretly look at them for Luke had them both locked in their cases, and the locks were highly advanced combination locks. Luke guarding his secrets so closely pissed Cecilia off to no end, but she couldn't let it show, yet. She figured that it would take a few days but she would wear down Luke's resistance to her. After all, she wanted the knowledge that Luke surely possessed for herself. Cecilia and Luke made pretty good time, after they broke camp, traveling until they had to stop and set up camp. Luke still wouldn't take the chance on getting a room at an inn. Cecilia of course wasn't happy about this, but since she had set herself a mission, she wasn't about to complain about it. After Luke got the campsite set up, Cecilia was too much of a lady to help, he went to get some food. While he was gone Cecilia went through his gear and found many clues as to who Luke really was. At least she would have if she could read that is. She decided that when they got home, she would have Luke arrested for something and then take his gear to a monk that she trusted and knew loved to read. Seeing Luke coming back with food, Cecilia continued to pour on the charm. “See unlike my stupid sister, I would never leave you, Luke. She never did care about anyone but herself and you deserve a woman who knows how to pleasure and care for a man. That woman is me.” Cecilia curled up to Luke and began to caress him softly. Luke barely reacted to her, but she had expected that. He had been badly damaged, by her sister, and Cecilia knew from long experience with men that it might take her a little bit longer to get what she wanted from Luke. That evening, Luke again set up the tent. This time, Cecilia insisted that she was terrified of nightmares and was afraid to sleep alone. “It was fine before Marion ran off because there was someone there with me. With her now gone I am terribly afraid that I will start having nightmares.” “Sorry, Cecilia but someone needs to keep watch during the night. If you get nightmares, I will be right out here for you.” Finally, wondering at how Luke could still have the ability to reject her, Cecilia went to bed. Luke sat around for a while and just thought about everything; Him losing his parents, getting a medical discharge from the Marines because of a roadside bomb, losing the rest of everyone he had every known because of some fucking cosmic freak job, killing those men to protect two women who he didn't know Then losing Marion because he had told her the truth, and finally Cecilia's rather obvious and frankly annoying attempts to seduce him. Thing was that the harder Cecilia tried, the more she drove Luke away. She didn't know this of course and Luke wasn't about to tell her. He had promised to get her home and he would. As soon as he did, he would get to a port as fast as possible and get a boat to the continent. Finally, he fell into a fitful slumber. Marion drove her mount as hard as she could to make up some time. As she went, she would ask people coming from the other direction if they had seen a carriage with more horses then would normally be around and was headed in the same direction she was. A few people had and she had learned that she was about a half day behind. If she got what she thought was truthful information, she would pay the person who had given her the info. As it got dark, Marion continued to travel until she couldn't see anything anymore. When at last she had to stop, she took care of her horse for without it she wouldn't have a chance to catch Luke, then she ate some of the food that Luke had left her, and finally dozed off to sleep. Before she went to sleep though, her mind drifted back to when she had been naked and had been picked up by Luke. This memory made her wet between her legs and it felt like she was on fire with the fire being centered in her cunt. It didn't take long for her to start rubbing herself with one hand rubbing across her tits and sensitive nipples and the other rubbing between her legs. Since she had never done this before, it took her a few minutes to figure out what felt good. Eventually she found a small bump that when rubbed sent shock waves through her body. The more she rubbed that spot the better it felt, until she started to thrash around and nearly blacked out. As she recovered, she felt several emotions running through her. One was guilt, what she had just done had been preached against as a mortal sin for as long as she could remember and, now she figured that she was going to hell because of it. The second emotion though took some of the guilty edge off for she felt an amazing calm descend on her. She just didn't give a fuck what those priest and nuns said. This feeling was new to her but didn't take her long to figure out that Luke had led her to this feeling and the more she thought about it the more that she realized that Luke had been right. This was after all Her body and what she did with it was Her business. One side effect that she didn't expect was that making herself feel good like that, also helped her get to sleep easily. The next morning, Marion was up before the sun and felt more rested than she had in years. One other affect that Luke had on her was that she just didn't feel any need to pray and definitely didn't feel any need to visit a priest to ask for forgiveness. Quickly she ate a bit and got the horse ready. She knew that Cecilia wasn't a morning person so she figured that she could make some serious ground up. Marion had her dress packed away in a saddlebag and was wearing some of the clothes that they had gotten off the dead guys. At first, she felt bad about this, but seeing the reactions of the people that she met on the road, made her fully realize Luke's wisdom for nobody realized that she was in fact a woman. She had been traveling for a couple of hours when she came upon a campsite that had been recently abandoned. Checking it out, she found a small pouch with some money, a short note, and some food. Again, she recognized the pouch and the writing. This time the note informed Marion that her sister was up to no good. She estimated that she had only missed them by about an hour or so, judging by how much heat was in the embers. She easily got the fire going again and boiled some water. She remembered the warning that Luke had given her about contaminated water. After boiling enough water to refill her canteen and making sure that her horse had gotten enough water and grass to eat, she set out again. Again, she traveled to nightfall, but this time when she stopped, she could see a small campfire in the distance. Now she began to plan what she was going to do when she caught up with Luke and Cecilia. With her sister's two-faced nature, Marion would have a hard time of it just showing back up in camp, but she also really wanted to meet up with Luke and apologize for turning her back on him and running off. Finally, Marion had a plan and she started to rub herself again. This time, she was able to start with what felt the best and within minutes had cum so hard that she saw stars and passed out. The next morning, Marion got up as the sun was coming up and got underway extra quick. Sure enough, the fire that she had seen the night before was from Luke and Cecilia. When Marion came to the edge of the camp, she dismounted and quietly began to investigate. Luke wasn't there, but Cecilia was and was still sleeping. Marion then retreated to a good hiding spot near her horse to watch for Luke. After an hour, Marion began to get worried. There was evidence in the camp to say that Luke was still with Cecilia but Marion hadn't seen Luke anywhere. She was watching so intensely that she didn't hear someone come up behind her. Suddenly a strong hand was across her mouth, and Marion reacted in the way that Luke had taught her, but whoever was behind her was very strong. Marion was now fighting for her life and felt like she was stronger now then she had ever been. Finally, she was able to face who had attacked her and was surprised to be looking into a giant's chest. She glanced up and was astonished to see the person, who had attacked her, was none other than Luke. Without thinking about it, she slapped him hard across his face and then jumped up and grabbed hold of him, and started kissing him fiercely. To be continued in part 2, Based on a post by somethin fishy, for Sex Stories.

 14 For even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods;Sicut enim homo peregre proficiscens, vocavit servos suos, et tradidit illis bona sua. 15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey.Et uni dedit quinque talenta, alii autem duo, alii vero unum, unicuique secundum propriam virtutem : et profectus est statim. 16 And he that had received the five talents, went his way, and traded with the same, and gained other five.Abiit autem qui quinque talenta acceperat, et operatus est in eis, et lucratus est alia quinque. 17 And in like manner he that had received the two, gained other two.Similiter et qui duo acceperat, lucratus est alia duo. 18 But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord's money.Qui autem unum acceperat, abiens fodit in terram, et abscondit pecuniam domini sui. 19 But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them.Post multum vero temporis venit dominus servorum illorum, et posuit rationem cum eis. 20 And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above.Et accedens qui quinque talenta acceperat, obtulit alia quinque talenta, dicens : Domine, quinque talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia quinque superlucratus sum. 21 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.Ait illi dominus ejus : Euge serve bone, et fidelis : quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam; intra in gaudium domini tui. 22 And he also that had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have gained other two.Accessit autem et qui duo talenta acceperat, et ait : Domine, duo talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia duo lucratus sum. 23 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.Ait illi dominus ejus : Euge serve bone, et fidelis : quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam; intra in gaudium domini tuiSt Thomas, born in Spain, religious of the Order of Hermits of St Augustine, Archbishop of Valencia, died having given away to the poor all he possessed A.D. 1555.

A reflection on the writings of Gregory of Nyssa and Maximus the Confessor.

“22:1. And Jesus answering, spoke again in parables to them, saying:22:2. The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king who made a marriagefor his son.22:3. And he sent his servants to call them that were invited to themarriage: and they would not come.22:4. Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that wereinvited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my beeves and fatlings arekilled, and all things are ready. Come ye to the marriage.22:5. But they neglected and went their ways, one to his farm andanother to his merchandise.22:6. And the rest laid hands on his servants and, having treated themcontumeliously, put them to death.22:7. But when the king had heard of it, he was angry: and sending hisarmies, he destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.22:8. Then he saith to his servants: The marriage indeed is ready; butthey that were invited were not worthy.22:9. Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find,call to the marriage.22:10. And his servants going forth into the ways, gathered togetherall that they found, both bad and good: and the marriage was filledwith guests.22:11. And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a manwho had not on a wedding garment.“22:12. And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither nothaving on a wedding garment? But he was silent.22:13. Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands and feet, andcast him into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping andgnashing of teeth.22:14. For many are called, but few are chosen.”St Joseph, a humble Franciscan friar of Cupertino Italy, who could acquire but little of book knowledge and needed divine help to qualify for the priesthood, was favored by his crucified God with a marvelous grace of contemplation, and with the remarkable, power of miracles. He died at Orsino A.D. 1663.

32 Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.Nolite timere pusillus grex, quia complacuit Patri vestro dare vobis regnum. 33 Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth.Vendite quae possidetis, et date eleemosynam. Facite vobis sacculos, qui non veterascunt, thesaurum non deficientem in caelis : quo fur non appropriat, neque tinea corrumpit. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.Ubi enim thesaurus vester est, ibi et cor vestrum erit.From his childhood St Nicholas was a model of virtue and innocence. He entered the Order of St Augustine and became a famous preacher. He died A.D. 1310.

We're continuing the series of Monday episodes on the topic of prophets. This week, we discuss the philosophical aspect of prophecy as it relates to the imagination and judgment.  -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

This week, we discuss what it takes to be a follower of Christ, as it relates to eschatological wisdom, detachment, and carrying your cross.  The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090725.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

“25:14. For even as a man going into a far country called his servantsand delivered to them his goods;25:15. And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and toanother one, to every one according to his proper ability: andimmediately he took his journey.25:16. And he that had received the five talents went his way andtraded with the same and gained other five.25:17. And in like manner he that had received the two gained othertwo.25:18. But he that had received the one, going his way, digged into theearth and hid his lord's money.25:19. But after a long time the lord of those servants came andreckoned with them.25:20. And he that had received the five talents coming, brought otherfive talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents.Behold I have gained other five over and above.25:21. His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant,because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place theeover many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.25:22. And he also that had received the two talents came and said:Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me. Behold I have gained othertwo.25:23. His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant:because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place theeover many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”Excerpt fromThe Bible, Douay-Rheims, CompleteAnonymoushttps://books.apple.com/us/book/the-bible-douay-rheims-complete/id955129088

 15 When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.Cum ergo prandissent, dicit Simoni Petro Jesus : Simon Joannis, diligis me plus his? Dicit ei : Etiam Domine, tu scis quia amo te. Dicit ei : Pasce agnos meos. 16 He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.Dicit ei iterum : Simon Joannis, diligis me? Ait illi : Etiam Domine, tu scis quia amo te. Dicit ei : Pasce agnos meos. 17 He said to him the third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. He said to him: Feed my sheep.Dicit ei tertio : Simon Joannis, amas me? Contristatus est Petrus, quia dixit ei tertio : Amas me? et dixit ei : Domine, tu omnia nosti, tu scis quia amo te. Dixit ei : Pasce oves meas.Joseph Sarto was born at Riese in Venetia on June 2, 1835. He was successively curate, parish priest, bishop of Mantua, patriarch of Venice. He was elected Pope on August 4, 1903. As chief pastor of the church he realised to the full value of the liturgy as the prayer of the Church and spared no effort to propagate the practice of frequent and daily Communion. He died on August 20, 1914 and was canonised on May 29, 1954.

12 He said therefore: A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.Dixit ergo : Homo quidam nobilis abiit in regionem longinquam accipere sibi regnum, et reverti. 13 And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them: Trade till I come.Vocatis autem decem servis suis, dedit eis decem mnas, et ait ad illos : Negotiamini dum venio. 14 But his citizens hated him: and they sent an embassage after him, saying: We will not have this man to reign over us.Cives autem ejus oderant eum : et miserunt legationem post illum, dicentes : Nolumus hunc regnare super nos. 15 And it came to pass, that he returned, having received the kingdom: and he commanded his servants to be called, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.Et factum est ut rediret accepto regno : et jussit vocari servos, quibus dedit pecuniam, ut sciret quantum quisque negotiatus esset. 16 And the first came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.Venit autem primus dicens : Domine, mna tua decem mnas acquisivit. 17 And he said to him: Well done, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a little, thou shalt have power over ten cities.Et ait illi : Euge bone serve, quia in modico fuisti fidelis, eris potestatem habens super decem civitates. 18 And the second came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.Et alter venit, dicens : Domine, mna tua fecit quinque mnas. 19 And he said to him: Be thou also over five cities.Et huic ait : Et tu esto super quinque civitates. 20 And another came, saying: Lord, behold here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin;Et alter venit, dicens : Domine, ecce mna tua, quam habui repositam in sudario : 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and thou reapest that which thou didst not sow.timui enim te, quia homo austerus es : tollis quod non posuisti, et metis quod non seminasti. 22 He saith to him: Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow:Dicit ei : De ore tuo te judico, serve nequam. Sciebas quod ego homo austerus sum, tollens quod non posui, et metens quod non seminavi : 23 And why then didst thou not give my money into the bank, that at my coming, I might have exacted it with usury?et quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam, ut ego veniens cum usuris utique exegissem illam? 24 And he said to them that stood by: Take the pound away from him, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.Et astantibus dixit : Auferte ab illo mnam, et date illi qui decem mnas habet. 25 And they said to him: Lord, he hath ten pounds.Et dixerunt ei : Domine, habet decem mnas. 26 But I say to you, that to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: and from him that hath not, even that which he hath, shall be taken from him.Dico autem vobis, quia omni habenti dabitur, et abundabit : ab eo autem qui non habet, et quod habet auferetur ab eoSt Stephen consecrated his kingdom, Hugary, to our Blessed Lady. This apostolic king won over his enemies and converted his people to Christianity. He died famous for his justice and his boundless charity A.D. 1038.

We're starting a series of Monday episodes on the topic of Prophets, as seen through various lenses; biblical, theological, philosophical, psychological and mystical.  This week, we discuss the role of prophets in both the Old and New Testament.  -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

This week, we discuss what it means when Christ says "take the lowest place", as it relates to humility, magnanimity and pride.  The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083125.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men.Vos estis sal terrae. Quod si sal evanuerit, in quo salietur? ad nihilum valet ultra, nisi ut mittatur foras, et conculcetur ab hominibus. 14 You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid.Vos estis lux mundi. Non potest civitas abscondi supra montem posita, 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house.neque accedunt lucernam, et ponunt eam sub modio, sed super candelabrum, ut luceat omnibus qui in domo sunt. 16 So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus : ut videant opera vestra bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in caelis est. 17 Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.Nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem, aut prophetas : non veni solvere, sed adimplere. 18 For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled.Amen quippe dico vobis, donec transeat caelum et terra, jota unum aut unus apex non praeteribit a lege, donec omnia fiant. 19 He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.Qui ergo solverit unum de mandatis istis minimis, et docuerit sic homines, minimus vocabitur in regno caelorum : qui autem fecerit et docuerit, hic magnus vocabitur in regno caelorumAugustine, born at Tagaste (Africa) in 354, was the son of St Monica and of a pagan father, Patricus. His mind was ensnared by errors and his soul and his body corrupted by debauchery and impurity. Converted by the prayers of his mother, he became one of the most famous Doctors of the West and a Father of the Church. He died after an episcopate of 36 years at Hippo (Africa) A.D. 430.

1 At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who thinkest thou is the greater in the kingdom of heaven?In illa hora accesserunt discipuli ad Jesum, dicentes : Quis, putas, major est in regno caelorum? 2 And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them,Et advocans Jesus parvulum, statuit eum in medio eorum, 3 And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.et dixit : Amen dico vobis, nisi conversi fueritis, et efficiamini sicut parvuli, non intrabitis in regnum caelorum. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.Quicumque ergo humiliaverit se sicut parvulus iste, hic est major in regno caelorum. 5 And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.Et qui susceperit unum parvulum talem in nomine meo, me suscipit :St Joseph Calasanctius, a Spaniard of noble family, famous for his charity towards children, founded the Piarists of the Order of Clerks Regular of the Poor Schools of the Mother of God for the education of youth. He died at the age of 92 A.D. 1648.

Edward the Confessor, England's penultimate Anglo-Saxon king, has long been remembered as a saintly, pious monarch – but was he really the weak ruler whose indecision paved the way for the Norman Conquest that some historical sources would have us think? And if not, how should we understand him? Emily Briffett spoke to historian Tom Licence to explore the life of this medieval monarch – from his early years in exile and his ambitions for the crown to the subsequent political challenges he faced that ultimately shaped the fate of England. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're bringing back the "Monday Muses" episodes, where we'll dive into a variety of topics of culture, theology, psychology, and philosophy. This week, we discuss Robert Sokolowski's “theology of disclosure”, and its critical role in today's culture.  -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

12 He said therefore: A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.Dixit ergo : Homo quidam nobilis abiit in regionem longinquam accipere sibi regnum, et reverti. 13 And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them: Trade till I come.Vocatis autem decem servis suis, dedit eis decem mnas, et ait ad illos : Negotiamini dum venio. 14 But his citizens hated him: and they sent an embassage after him, saying: We will not have this man to reign over us.Cives autem ejus oderant eum : et miserunt legationem post illum, dicentes : Nolumus hunc regnare super nos. 15 And it came to pass, that he returned, having received the kingdom: and he commanded his servants to be called, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.Et factum est ut rediret accepto regno : et jussit vocari servos, quibus dedit pecuniam, ut sciret quantum quisque negotiatus esset. 16 And the first came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.Venit autem primus dicens : Domine, mna tua decem mnas acquisivit. 17 And he said to him: Well done, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a little, thou shalt have power over ten cities.Et ait illi : Euge bone serve, quia in modico fuisti fidelis, eris potestatem habens super decem civitates. 18 And the second came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.Et alter venit, dicens : Domine, mna tua fecit quinque mnas. 19 And he said to him: Be thou also over five cities.Et huic ait : Et tu esto super quinque civitates. 20 And another came, saying: Lord, behold here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin;Et alter venit, dicens : Domine, ecce mna tua, quam habui repositam in sudario : 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and thou reapest that which thou didst not sow.timui enim te, quia homo austerus es : tollis quod non posuisti, et metis quod non seminasti. 22 He saith to him: Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow:Dicit ei : De ore tuo te judico, serve nequam. Sciebas quod ego homo austerus sum, tollens quod non posui, et metens quod non seminavi : 23 And why then didst thou not give my money into the bank, that at my coming, I might have exacted it with usury?et quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam, ut ego veniens cum usuris utique exegissem illam? 24 And he said to them that stood by: Take the pound away from him, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.Et astantibus dixit : Auferte ab illo mnam, et date illi qui decem mnas habet. 25 And they said to him: Lord, he hath ten pounds.Et dixerunt ei : Domine, habet decem mnas. 26 But I say to you, that to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: and from him that hath not, even that which he hath, shall be taken from him.Dico autem vobis, quia omni habenti dabitur, et abundabit : ab eo autem qui non habet, et quod habet auferetur ab eo.The pious queen of France, Blanche, educated her son Louis IX to be a model for all kings in his faith, courage and love of justice . He undertook two crusades to reconquer the Holy Land. The plague, which decimated his army in Africa, struck him down and he died at Tunis. This most Christian king reigned from 1226 to 1270.

32 Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.Nolite timere pusillus grex, quia complacuit Patri vestro dare vobis regnum. 33 Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth.Vendite quae possidetis, et date eleemosynam. Facite vobis sacculos, qui non veterascunt, thesaurum non deficientem in caelis : quo fur non appropriat, neque tinea corrumpit. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.Ubi enim thesaurus vester est, ibi et cor vestrum erit.St Philip was born at Florence of the noble family of Benizi. He entered the Order of the Servites as a lay brother. Ordained a priest, he was made General of his Order.

This week, we discuss what it means when Christ says "I do not know where you are from", as it relates to alienation, attention, and Gabriel Marcel's idea of availability.  The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082425.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

Nick has been reading his way through Anthony Powell's twelve volume Dance to the Music of Time because Rowling mentioned it in a 2017 tweet and he thought there were interesting connections between that Roman Fleuve and Rowling-Galbraith's series-writing. And it turns out he was right! Rowling tweeted about her favorite book in Dance and her favorite character in the epic (see links below).Two weeks ago, Rowling tweeted at some length about her ‘Lake and Shed' writing process. Nick and John dive into those messages that muddied the water considerably about what exactly she means by her ‘Lake' and the possible meanings of ‘Universal Psyche,' a phrase new to Rowling's descriptions of her writing process, not to mention of her core beliefs. Jung? Coleridge? Anaxagoras? St Maximos the Confessor? Again, see the links below.Nick and John then share their reading lists for the short time remaining before the publication of Hallmarked Man and talk about three options for how we will read the book here at Hogwarts Professor. Those options in thumbnail sketches are:* Read It Like Everybody Else — Straight Through — and Write a Review* Read It As If It Were a Dickens Novel Release, One Part at a Time* Read It Straight Through and then Read It As If It Were a Dickens NovelNick and John discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each and decide to post a poll inside this post for readers to voice their preference (please share your thinking in the comment boxes and place your vote in the poll below!).Next time out, we'll be (1) trying headsets to improve the audio quality, (2) discussing the results of the poll with comments as well as our tentative plans for the release, and (3) the most important tools to have in hand (in mind?) when reading a Rowling-Galbraith novel for the first time.Until then, thank you for listening and for your support! Links To Subjects Discussed Above:Rowling's 15 August Tweet about Anthony Powell's Dance to the Music of Time* Rowling 2017 tweet about Dance (‘Rowling's Admitted Literary Influences')* A Dance to the Music of Time (Wikipedia)* ‘Roman-fleuve' (Wikipedia)* Anthony Powell (Wikipedia)* Casanova's Chinese Restaurant (Wikipedia)* ‘Hugh Moreland' aka Constant Lambert (Wikipedia)* ‘Dr Trelawney' aka Aleister Crowley (Wikipedia)* S. J. Perelman (Wikipedia), The Most of S. J. Perelman, 1957 (Amazon)* Fred Tremallo (‘Exeter Unafraid')Rowling's 7 August ‘Lake and Shed' Tweets* Writing Characters is “a doubly subconscious process,” Lake as “subconscious part of my process”* The Lake as “mysterious source of inspiration, ability to tap into something in the universal psyche that animates the best stories”“Universal Psyche”?* Rowling belief in “permanent soul” (El Pais, 2008)Q: You said that you saw your soul as something undeniable.A: Yes, that's true. But I also have said that I have many doubts regarding religion. I feel very attracted by religion, but at the same time I feel a lot of uncertainty. I live in a state of spiritual flux. I believe in a permanent soul. And that is reflected in the last book....* Rowling belief in “indestructible soul” (Leaky Cauldron, 2007)Do you see death as the end of everything?No. I lead an intensely spiritual life, and even though I don't have a terribly clear and structured idea about it, I do believe that after you die some part of you stays alive some way or other. I belief (sic) in something as the indestructible soul. But for that subject we should reserve about six hours: It's something I struggle with a lot.* Universal Mind (Wikipedia)* Panpsychism (Wikipedia)* Anima Mundi (Wikipedia)* Jungian Archetypes and the Universal Patterns of the Psyche (Psychologs)* Coleridge's Philosophy: The Logos as Unifying Principle, Perkins, 1994 (Amazon)* St Maximus the Confessor on Essence, Energies, and Logoi (Jean-Claude Larchet)Louise Freeman Davis about ‘John Oxenham' Sark Novels* First Epigraph posted: John Oxenham* A Maid of the Silver Sea* Carette of Sark, Part One and Part Two* Oxenham and HoffmanElsie Oxenham ‘Abbey Girls' Novels* The Thirty Eight Books in the Series (Fantastic Fiction)* Elsie J. Oxenham (Wikipedia)* Abbey Series (Wikipedia)* Elsie Oxenham Appreciation Societies (Wikipedia)Cormoran Strike Ten Book Series Structure Ideas* Why the Cormoran Strike Novels are a Ten Book Series: Mythological Clues and Tetractys Parallelism with a Touch of Tarot (Evan Willis, July 2023)* Is Tetractys Theory the Best Explanation of Why the Cormoran Strike Series is Ten Books in Length? (July 2023)* The Double Wedding Band Model (Louise Freeman Davis, October 2023)* The First Seven Strike Novels as a Closed Ring Composition (November 2023)* Rowling's Parallel Series Swan and Heart Structure: Happy Valentine's Day! (February 2025) Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

“12:35. Let your loins be girt and lamps burning in your hands. “12:36. And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when heshall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, theymay open to him immediately.12:37. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shallfind watching. Amen I say to you that he will gird himself and makethem sit down to meat and passing will minister unto them.12:38. And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the thirdwatch and find them so, blessed are those servants.12:39. But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hourthe thief would come, he would surely watch and would not suffer hishouse to be broken open.12:40. Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not the Sonof man will come.”Excerpt fromThe Bible, Douay-Rheims, CompleteAnonymoushttps://books.apple.com/us/book/the-bible-douay-rheims-complete/id955129088This material may be protected by copyright.John Eudes was a zealous preacher, of missions in French towns and villages, and was equally zealous in the confessional. In 1643, he founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, called the Eudists, an institute combining the work of parochial missions, with that of training and reform of the clergy; and a year later the Congregation of Sisters of the Good Shepard. In his widely read writings, he was first to urge public devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:Liber generationis Jesu Christi filii David, filii Abraham. 2 Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren.Abraham genuit Isaac. Isaac autem genuit Jacob. Jacob autem genuit Judam, et fratres ejus. 3 And Judas begot Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot Aram.Judas autem genuit Phares, et Zaram de Thamar. Phares autem genuit Esron. Esron autem genuit Aram. 4 And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. And Naasson begot Salmon.Aram autem genuit Aminadab. Aminadab autem genuit Naasson. Naasson autem genuit Salmon. 5 And Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of Ruth. And Obed begot Jesse.Salmon autem genuit Booz de Rahab. Booz autem genuit Obed ex Ruth. Obed autem genuit Jesse. Jesse autem genuit David regem. 6 And Jesse begot David the king. And David the king begot Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias.David autem rex genuit Salomonem ex ea quae fuit Uriae. 7 And Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa.Salomon autem genuit Roboam. Roboam autem genuit Abiam. Abias autem genuit Asa. 8 And Asa begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias.Asa autem genuit Josophat. Josophat autem genuit Joram. Joram autem genuit Oziam. 9 And Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot Ezechias.Ozias autem genuit Joatham. Joatham autem genuit Achaz. Achaz autem genuit Ezechiam. 10 And Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manasses begot Amon. And Amon begot Josias.Ezechias autem genuit Manassen. Manasses autem genuit Amon. Amon autem genuit Josiam. 11 And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon.Josias autem genuit Jechoniam, et fratres ejus in transmigratione Babylonis. 12 And after the transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel.Et post transmigrationem Babylonis : Jechonias genuit Salathiel. Salathiel autem genuit Zorobabel. 13 And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor.Zorobabel autem genuit Abiud. Abiud autem genuit Eliacim. Eliacim autem genuit Azor. 14 And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud.Azor autem genuit Sadoc. Sadoc autem genuit Achim. Achim autem genuit Eliud. 15 And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob.Eliud autem genuit Eleazar. Eleazar autem genuit Mathan. Mathan autem genuit Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.Jacob autem genuit Joseph virum Mariae, de qua natus est Jesus, qui vocatur Christus.The holy Patriarch Joachim was the husband of St Anne, and the father of our Lady. This feast, originally kept on March 20, was transferred to the day following the Assumption, in order to associate the Blessed daughter and her holy father in triumph.

This week, we discuss the role of the prophet, and what Christ means when He says "I did not come to bring peace" The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081725.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

I sit down with my old friend from the Paul VanderKlay discord days, Dave W., to discuss the upcoming South Estuary conference and dive deep into the differences between "Light Woo" and "Dark Woo." We explore the nature of evil as a parasitic force and contrast the path of self-empowerment with the Christian concept of Theosis.Register for Dave's conference, Southestuary, here: https://www.southeastuary.com/Midwestuary : https://www.midwestuary.com/Dave's convo with PVK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnxGugpTJZg&t=1744sPeople MentionedPaul VanderKlay (  @PaulVanderKlay  ) , Jordan Hall, Jordan Daniel Wood, JD Lionheart, Michael Martin, Nate Hile (  @grailcountry  ) , Shari, Yoseph Razin, Chris Green, St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Isaac the Syrian, Origen, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. John Chrysostom, Rod Dreher, Vin Armani, John Vervaeke (  @johnvervaeke  ) , Ashley Lande, Scott Adams, Augustine, Plotinus.

This week, we discuss the nature of faith, and what it means for the Christian life.  The Sunday readings discussed can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081025.cfm -- Follow Us: https://linktr.ee/basicallyrelated   Basically Related is a Catholic podcast hosted by L.A.Benson and Matt Hylom, discussing scripture, culture, psychology, religion, and philosophy.  New episodes are released every Monday and Friday.     L.A.Benson is an OCDS Carmelite with an MTS in Theology Matt Hylom is an artist, singer-songwriter, and music producer    A few names frequent our discussion, with saints such as Bonaventure, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, John of the Cross, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.  Other thinkers (philosophers, theologians, psychologists, artists, etc.) discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dante, Josef Pieper, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Carl Jung, Victor Frankl, Fr. Victor White, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, John Vervaeke, Ian McGilchrist, and Bishop Barron.  

35 Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands.36 And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.37 Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them.38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.39 But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open.40 Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come.The Cur d'Ars was born at Dardilly, near Lyons, in 1786. The sanctity of St John Vianney gives to the obscure village Ars a universal fame. As parish priest he converted sinners and directed souls, not only those of his own flock, but people of all nations and conditions who came to consult this Spiritual Director. He died on August 4, A.D. 1859, and was canonized A.D. 1925.

24 No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.Nemo potest duobus dominis servire : aut enim unum odio habebit, et alterum diliget : aut unum sustinebit, et alterum contemnet. Non potestis Deo servire et mammonae. 25 Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than the meat: and the body more than the raiment?Ideo dico vobis, ne solliciti sitis animae vestrae quid manducetis, neque corpori vestro quid induamini. Nonne anima plus est quam esca, et corpus plus quam vestimentum? 26 Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they?Respicite volatilia caeli, quoniam non serunt, neque metunt, neque congregant in horrea : et Pater vester caelestis pascit illa. Nonne vos magis pluris estis illis? 27 And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit?Quis autem vestrum cogitans potest adjicere ad staturam suam cubitum unum? 28 And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin.Et de vestimento quid solliciti estis? Considerate lilia agri quomodo crescunt : non laborant, neque nent. 29 But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.Dico autem vobis, quoniam nec Salomon in omni gloria sua coopertus est sicut unum ex istis. 30 And if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith?Si autem foenum agri, quod hodie est, et cras in clibanum mittitur, Deus sic vestit, quanto magis vos modicae fidei? 31 Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed?Nolite ergo solliciti esse, dicentes : Quid manducabimus, aut quid bibemus, aut quo operiemur? 32 For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things.haec enim omnia gentes inquirunt. Scit enim Pater vester, quia his omnibus indigetis. 33 Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.Quaerite ergo primum regnum Dei, et justitiam ejus : et haec omnia adjicientur vobis.St Cajetan founded the Order of Theatines, who endeavoured to imitate the Apostles in absolute poverty, trusting alone in the divine Providence. The "Hunter of souls" as he was called, died A.D. 1547, after a life of extraordinary austerity and mystical experiences.

 35 Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands.Sint lumbi vestri praecincti, et lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris, 36 And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.et vos similes hominibus exspectantibus dominum suum quando revertatur a nuptiis : ut, cum venerit et pulsaverit, confestim aperiant ei. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them.Beati servi illi quos, cum venerit dominus, invenerit vigilantes : amen dico vobis, quod praecinget se, et faciet illos discumbere, et transiens ministrabit illis. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.Et si venerit in secunda vigilia, et si in tertia vigilia venerit, et ita invenerit, beati sunt servi illi. 39 But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open.Hoc autem scitote, quoniam si sciret paterfamilias, qua hora fur veniret, vigilaret utique, et non sineret perfodi domum suam. 40 Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come.Et vos estote parati : quia qua hora non putatis, Filius hominis veniet.Dominic Guzman, born in Spain, opposed the errors of the Albigenses. He founded the Order of the Friars Preachers, contributing to devotion to the Rosary, saving the Wester Church from heresy and anarchy. He died A.D. 1221.

 1 And after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come.Post haec autem designavit Dominus et alios septuaginta duos : et misit illos binos ante faciem suam in omnem civitatem et locum, quo erat ipse venturus. 2 And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest.Et dicebat illis : Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci. Rogate ergo dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem suam. 3 Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves.Ite : ecce ego mitto vos sicut agnos inter lupos. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way.Nolite portare sacculum, neque peram, neque calceamenta, et neminem per viam salutaveritis. 5 Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.In quamcumque domum intraveritis, primum dicite : Pax huic domui : 6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.et si ibi fuerit filius pacis, requiescet super illum pax vestra : sin autem, ad vos revertetur. 7 And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house.In eadem autem domo manete, edentes et bibentes quae apud illos sunt : dignus est enim operarius mercede sua. Nolite transire de domo in domum. 8 And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.Et in quamcumque civitatem intraveritis, et susceperint vos, manducate quae apponuntur vobis :9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.et curate infirmos, qui in illa sunt, et dicite illis : Appropinquavit in vos regnum Dei.This Neopolitan nobleman renounced all earthly things. He established the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) to preach the Gospel to the poor. Illustrious by his preaching and writings, he was made to accept the bisopric of St Agatha in Southern Italy. He returned to his congregation and died A.D. 1787.

1 And after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come.Post haec autem designavit Dominus et alios septuaginta duos : et misit illos binos ante faciem suam in omnem civitatem et locum, quo erat ipse venturus. 2 And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest.Et dicebat illis : Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci. Rogate ergo dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem suam. 3 Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves.Ite : ecce ego mitto vos sicut agnos inter lupos. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way.Nolite portare sacculum, neque peram, neque calceamenta, et neminem per viam salutaveritis. 5 Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.In quamcumque domum intraveritis, primum dicite : Pax huic domui : 6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.et si ibi fuerit filius pacis, requiescet super illum pax vestra : sin autem, ad vos revertetur. 7 And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house.In eadem autem domo manete, edentes et bibentes quae apud illos sunt : dignus est enim operarius mercede sua. Nolite transire de domo in domum. 8 And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.Et in quamcumque civitatem intraveritis, et susceperint vos, manducate quae apponuntur vobis : 9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.et curate infirmos, qui in illa sunt, et dicite illis : Appropinquavit in vos regnum Dei.Ignatius, courtier and knight, was wounded at the siege of Pamplona. During his long convalescence his reading of the lives of the Saints revealed to him that the Church militant needed an army of glorious soldiers to fight the forces combined against it; Pagans, Mohammedans, Protestants, etc. He founded the Society of Jesus and as first General of this new spiritual chivalry he moved to the attack under the motto: "Ad majorem Dei gloriam--To the greater glory of God!" He died with the Holy Name of Jesus on his lips A.D. 1556.

Romans 4, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, Matthew 10:34-42

Not too long ago, we did a series called "Rethinking Hell", and it turned out to be our most popular series ever.But so much more needs to be said. So welcome to part 2 of that series! Jordan Wood, whose controversial book on Maximus the Confessor has recently been making waves, has argued that everyone, even the most vile and wretched among us, will be saved. His position, called universalism, has gained steam in recent years, and it shows no shortage of slowing down. But can it be biblically defended? Let's find out.

 9 And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified: these things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet presently.Cum autem audieritis praelia et seditiones, nolite terreri : oportet primum haec fieri, sed nondum statim finis. 10 Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.Tunc dicebat illis : Surget gens contra gentem, et regnum adversus regnum. 11 And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences, and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be great signs.Et terraemotus magni erunt per loca, et pestilentiae, et fames, terroresque de caelo, et signa magna erunt. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name's sake.Sed ante haec omnia injicient vobis manus suas, et persequentur tradentes in synagogas et custodias, trahentes ad reges et praesides propter nomen meum : 13 And it shall happen unto you for a testimony.continget autem vobis in testimonium. 14 Lay it up therefore into your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer:Ponite ergo in cordibus vestris non praemeditari quemadmodum respondeatis : 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.ego enim dabo vobis os et sapientiam, cui non poterunt resistere et contradicere omnes adversarii vestri. 16 And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and some of you they will put to death.Trademini autem a parentibus, et fratribus, et cognatis, et amicis, et morte afficient ex vobis : 17 And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake.et eritis odio omnibus propter nomen meum : 18 But a hair of your head shall not perish.et capillus de capite vestro non peribit. 19 In your patience you shall possess your souls.In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras.Nazarius and his disciple Celsus are two Milanese martyrs. They were beheaded A.D. 67. St Victor, successor of St Eleutherius, was martyred under Septimus Serverus A.D. 199.Having, like his contemporaries St Jerome and St Augustine, fought with his pen and his elegance for the teaching of Christ, St Innocent, the successor of St Anastasius, died A.D. 417.

The Calling to Reorient the Self How can the sacred be recovered in a world fractured by autonomy and fragmentation? In this deeply personal episode of Kainos on The Lectern, recorded during a session hosted by Alexander Beiner on Kainos, John Vervaeke shares reflections from his recent pilgrimage across Europe—what he calls the Philosophical Silk Road. Weaving through sacred conversations and historic locations, he explores profound ideas like theosis, theoria, and voluntary necessity, inviting listeners into a lived philosophy of sacred participation. From Istanbul to Rome to Amsterdam, each location becomes a catalyst for insight and inner transformation. Vervaeke challenges the Enlightenment's idolization of autonomy and points toward a new possibility: a spirituality of finite transcendence, rooted in embodied knowing and dialogical belonging. This episode offers a raw and unfiltered account of mystical experience, intellectual shift, and spiritual disorientation—all in service of rediscovering what it means to be in contact with reality, in its fullest, most sacred form. Find more of Alexander Beiner's work at https://beiner.substack.com/ and https://www.studiokainos.com/. If you would like to donate purely out of goodwill to support John's work, please consider joining our Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke  The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to advancing the scientific pursuit of wisdom and creating a significant impact on the world. https://vervaekefoundation.org/  If you would like to learn and engage regularly in practices that are informed, developed and endorsed by John and his work, visit Awaken to Meaning's calendar to explore practices that enhance your virtues and foster deeper connections with reality and relationships. https://awakentomeaning.com/join-practice/    John Vervaeke:  https://johnvervaeke.com/ https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john  https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke   Notes: (00:00) The Philosophical Silk Road: Opening Reflections (03:00)  "You can go through not an argument, but a passage…and it causes you to fundamentally change how you're seeing and being in the world." – John Vervaeke (03:00) (3:30)  Reclaiming Theoria: Pilgrimage, Contemplation, and the Sacred (06:00) Encountering Maximus the Confessor in Istanbul (07:00) Sufism and Neoplatonism in Spain with Thomas Cheetham (08:00) Athens, Plato, and Embodied Practice (09:30) Rome, Bishop Maximus, and Descending into Mystery (11:00) Amsterdam, Spinoza, and the Liminal Threshold (12:00) Theosis as Transformation through Participation (16:30) From Autonomy to Theo-Agency: Voluntary Necessity (21:00) Dialogical Contact vs. Individual Expression (28:00) Toward a Shared Sense of Sacredness: Pluralism and Depth (32:00) Holding Finitude and Transcendence Together (36:30) Final Thoughts: Who Am I Now?   Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in This Episode Maximus the Confessor Ibn Arabi Clement of Alexandria Gregory of Nyssa Jonathan Pageau Thomas Cheetham Charles Stang Bishop Maximus Jason Vervaeke Spinoza Plotinus Pierre Hadot William Desmond Samantha Harvey, Orbital Capobianco Julian Jaynes Drew A. Hyland Neoplatonism Theoria, Theophany, Kenosis, Henosis “Absolute Zero” Practice The Dialogical Self Agency and Communion Finite Transcendence     Attribution This conversation was recorded during a session hosted by Alexander Beiner for Kainos. Learn more at https://beiner.substack.com/ and https://www.studiokainos.com/.  

If God is the one who forgives our sins, why do we need priests as confessors? The Catechism teaches us today about the role of the priest as the minister of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We learn that priests ought to be "servants" of God's mercy rather than "masters" of God's mercy. Fr. Mike invites us to pray for all priests' hearts, encouraging gentle, loving, and truthful confessors. Lastly, Fr. Mike clarifies the purpose of excommunication and the sacramental seal. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1461-1467. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

 1 And after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come.Post haec autem designavit Dominus et alios septuaginta duos : et misit illos binos ante faciem suam in omnem civitatem et locum, quo erat ipse venturus. 2 And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest.Et dicebat illis : Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci. Rogate ergo dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem suam. 3 Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves.Ite : ecce ego mitto vos sicut agnos inter lupos. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way.Nolite portare sacculum, neque peram, neque calceamenta, et neminem per viam salutaveritis. 5 Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.In quamcumque domum intraveritis, primum dicite : Pax huic domui : 6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.et si ibi fuerit filius pacis, requiescet super illum pax vestra : sin autem, ad vos revertetur. 7 And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house.In eadem autem domo manete, edentes et bibentes quae apud illos sunt : dignus est enim operarius mercede sua. Nolite transire de domo in domum. 8 And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.Et in quamcumque civitatem intraveritis, et susceperint vos, manducate quae apponuntur vobis : 9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.et curate infirmos, qui in illa sunt, et dicite illis : Appropinquavit in vos regnum Dei.Leo XIII proclaimed St Vincent the patron of all charitable associations. He was the founder of the Lazarists, or the Priests of the Mission, and of the Sisters of Charity. He died A.D. 1660.

The Calocaerus Revolt (334 CE) was an uprising led by a certain Calocaerus, the Magister Pecoris Camelorum (Master of the Flock and Camels) in Cyprus, who declared himself emperor. The revolt was short lived and ruthlessly suppressed in the same year by Flavius Dalmatius, half brother to Emperor Constantine I. We know of the events from historians such as St. Jerome (Jerome of Stridon), St. Theophanes the Confessor and (our earliest source) from Sextus Aurelius Victor in his work De Caesaribus. Written in the 4th century, it provides a concise summary of the lives and reigns of Roman emperors from Augustus to Constantius II, and it draws heavily from the Enmannsche Kaisergeschichte, a lost source that served as a common framework for several late Roman historical accounts. This short (but important) source springboards us to next month's episode: the little known and enigmatic Calocaerus Revolt with Maria Castello!

Dr. Jenkins continues his discussion on the history of the Filioque by looking at the responses of the Latin west to the accusation leveled against it by St. Photios. What emerges are two responses, with one marking the future of Western theology, and the other a road pointed to by St. Maximos the Confessor, but untraveled. https://tinyurl.com/Doxamoot2025 https://tinyurl.com/OrthEd2025

Q: Did St. Maximus anticipate Internal Family Systems thinking by 13 centuries?  A: In a word, Yes.  Maximus, writing in the seventh century, described in detail the unity and distinctions within the human person, and how each of us is a mediator that connects the spiritual and natural realms, and microcosm that contains within us the entire cosmos.  Mind-blowing ideas.  He also believes that each of us is a macrocosm, being able to influence the whole world in ways that matter.  Maximus was a sophisticated systems thinker.  He believed we already have certain virtues within us that can and should be released to flower.  And love was at the very center of his message.  Join Dr. Gerry Crete, Dr. Christian Amalu, and Dr. Peter Malinoski as they explore Catholic parts work and St. Maximus to your imagination break free. 

This was an unplanned conversation about an unplanned, unexpected, shocking event in our lives. It's just Hunter and I talking about a dear friend that recently passed, one of our own leaving earthly bonds. And in our reveries and remembrances we left out so much: Tom Hailey was the beer/wine buyer at the Raleigh Whole Foods and held that position for many years there, beloved by the entire staff. He had a college radio metal show where he adopted the persona of The Unholy One and spoke to (no, COMMANDED!) his audience in a John Tardy-like roar. We also failed to mention the time Hunter and I, in 2019, listened to Voivod's Nothingface with Tom, all of us air drumming, air guitaring, air bassing and singing every bit of it, all the way through……these and many more memories only scratch the surface of our friend Tom and why we're going to miss him so damn much. Note I: CLOVER CAT RESCUE donation link: https://tinyurl.com/donate-CCR Please note "In Memory of Tom Hailey" when you give or VENMO @clovercatrescue Note II: We think Tom would be amused by the gaff of a gaff Hunter makes when talking about post-Confessor bands. He said he called Fly Wheel Fly Leaf, when that band was actually named Fly Machine. Hunter knows a lot, and we can't fault him for not knowing the specifics of post-Confessor tree branches. Note III: The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast Note IV: All past Radical Research episodes can be found here, where you can also find Jeff's Peter Steele and Fates Warning books, Hunter's Deserts of Hex Volume 2…and more to come soon! Radicalresearch.org Music cited in order of appearance: Die Kreuzen, “Elizabeth” (Century Days, 1988) Forbidden, “Forbidden Evil” (Forbidden Evil, 1988) Confessor, “Condemned” (Condemned, 1991) Carcass, “Feast on Dismembered Carnage” (Reek of Putrefaction, 1988) The Champs, “Andres Segovia Interests Me” (III, 1997) The Chameleons, “A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days” (Script of the Bridge, 1983) Everything Everything, “Pizza Boy” (Raw Data Feel, 2022) Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.

This was an unplanned conversation about an unplanned, unexpected, shocking event in our lives. It's just Hunter and I talking about a dear friend that recently passed, one of our own leaving earthly bonds. And in our reveries and remembrances we left out so much: Tom Hailey was the beer/wine buyer at the Raleigh Whole Foods and held that position for many years there, beloved by the entire staff. He had a college radio metal show where he adopted the persona of The Unholy One and spoke to (no, COMMANDED!) his audience in a John Tardy-like roar. We also failed to mention the time Hunter and I, in 2019, listened to Voivod's Nothingface with Tom, all of us air drumming, air guitaring, air bassing and singing every bit of it, all the way through……these and many more memories only scratch the surface of our friend Tom and why we're going to miss him so damn much. Note I: CLOVER CAT RESCUE donation link: https://tinyurl.com/donate-CCR Please note "In Memory of Tom Hailey" when you give or VENMO @clovercatrescue Note II: We think Tom would be amused by the gaff of a gaff Hunter makes when talking about post-Confessor bands. He said he called Fly Wheel Fly Leaf, when that band was actually named Fly Machine. Hunter knows a lot, and we can't fault him for not knowing the specifics of post-Confessor tree branches. Note III: The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast Note IV: All past Radical Research episodes can be found here, where you can also find Jeff's Peter Steele and Fates Warning books, Hunter's Deserts of Hex Volume 2…and more to come soon! Radicalresearch.org Music cited in order of appearance: Die Kreuzen, “Elizabeth” (Century Days, 1988) Forbidden, “Forbidden Evil” (Forbidden Evil, 1988) Confessor, “Condemned” (Condemned, 1991) Carcass, “Feast on Dismembered Carnage” (Reek of Putrefaction, 1988) The Champs, “Andres Segovia Interests Me” (III, 1997) The Chameleons, “A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days” (Script of the Bridge, 1983) Everything Everything, “Pizza Boy” (Raw Data Feel, 2022) Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.

Ever worn a St. Christopher medallion and wondered about the man carrying the Christ child across a river? Or heard of St. Uncumber, the bearded female saint invoked by women desperate to escape unwanted marriages? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis is once again joined by historian and storyteller Amy Jeffs, this time to uncover the fascinating stories of medieval saints connected to the summer months. From the legendary Seven Sleepers of Ephesus—precursors to fairy tales like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty—to England's own warm-weather holy figures, these stories are as strange as they are sacred.More: Edward the Confessor & New Year Saints >St. George & Springtime Saints >Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. The narrator was Sophie Gee. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on