Podcasts about fr paul

#catholic #sspx #sermonDoctors tell us that if we want our bodies to be healthy, we must exercise our bodies regularly. If our bodies are always at a state of rest, not moving, not straining, they will deteriorate over time.It is interesting to note that many exercises consist of pushing back against gravity. We have this force of gravity that is always being exercised upon us, which pulls us down. We find that, if we sometimes work against that force of gravity, if we strain our bodies against it, it is helpful for our bodies, rather than just letting gravity always pull us down.We can think about the exercises of pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and so on. There is a kettlebell exercise where you simply hold a weight above your head and walk with it.God has made our body in such a way that it needs periodic movement and strain in order for them to be in good health.Today, I want to speak to you about a spiritual exercise that is like the anti-gravity bodily exercises. It consists in pushing back against the weight of our fallen human nature that is always weighing down upon us.Our fallen nature works on our souls like the force of gravity works on our bodies. It is always pulling us down to earthly things. We can think of our souls as naturally being stooped over and always tending to look at ourselves, to want creature comforts, to be consumed with the things of this world.If we made a log of what we are always thinking about for one day, we might be surprised. We might find a lot of vanity, selfishness, and pride in our thoughts.Just as if we leave our bodies alone and do nothing with them, they fall apart, so too with our souls. If we let them live this way all the time, we will lose them. Our souls will be always consumed with the things of this earth and will end up falling into hell rather than rising up to Heaven.At the beginning of this season of Advent, we heard these words of Our Lord: “when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.”We have to be continually be lifting our souls up to heavenly things. This is the spiritual exercise I would like to talk about. It consists in lifting our souls up to God throughout the day.Sometimes, you will hear this referred to as the “practice of the presence of God”. In other places, you will hear it referred to as the practice of recollection.

4th Sunday of Advent - A - Sunday, December 21, 2025 (EPISODE-561 ) Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 1417111835 - FLORENCE, ITALY - JANUARY 11, 2019: Altarpiece of Saint Joseph the Worker, by Pietro Annigoni in the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy. Editorial Use Only.Photo Contributor - Zvonimir Atletic 4th Sunday of Advent - A - Sunday, December 21, 2025 (EPISODE-561 ) Readings for Sunday, December 21, 2025 - 4th Sunday of Advent - A FIRST READING: Isa 7:10-14 Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6. "Let the Lord enter, he is king of glory" SECOND READING: Rom 1:1-7 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Matt 1:23). Alleluia, alleluia! The virgin will give birth to a son; his name will be Emmanuel: God-is-with-us. Alleluia! GOSPEL: Matt 1:18-24 Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 1417111835 - FLORENCE, ITALY - JANUARY 11, 2019: Altarpiece of Saint Joseph the Worker, by Pietro Annigoni in the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy. Editorial Use Only.Photo Contributor - Zvonimir Atletic ++++ Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers, and homily), for the 4th Sunday of Advent - A - Sunday, December 21, 2025, by clicking this link here: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (EPISODE-561) +++++ Special Reflection by Seminarian Oliver Bajon: My name is Oliver Bajon, and this is the fourth Sunday of Advent homily. It is my great honour and privilege to be delivering this homily, as Father Paul has asked me to deliver it. I'm a first-year seminarian with the Holy Spirit Seminary in Banyo, and I'm currently on my pastoral placement here in Surfers Paradise. Make us ready to receive Emmanuel, so that Christ may dwell among us and within us. Amen. +++++ References: Seminarian Oliver Bajon Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 1417111835 - FLORENCE, ITALY - JANUARY 11, 2019: Altarpiece of Saint Joseph the Worker, by Pietro Annigoni in the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy. Editorial Use Only.Photo Contributor - Zvonimir Atletic Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com To listen to the weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: Subscribe to mailing list to keep up-to-date. Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog: "Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly "O Come. Lord. (Advent) HYMN" - In Memory of Paolo Mario (Paul) Giacomantonio (1968-2020). By Paul W. Kelly. Based on the Ancient church "O Antiphons" of Advent. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics, by Stefan Kelk, 2020. Quiet reflection music and hymn - Original musical composition by William John kelly (1942-2017) Lyrics based on the Song of Praise by the Three Young Men, The Book of Daniel 3:24-9. By Paul kelly. Arranged and sung, and with adapted lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2021 [ Production - KER - 2025] May God bless and keep you. Extra Text: unspoken for Advent: - Roman Missal, 3rd edition, 2010, (ICEL) Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. "The Psalms" by The Grail - 1963, 2009. Prayers of the Faithful - Robert Borg "Together we pray" - (1993) .+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

#catholic #sspx #ourladyThe Immaculate Conception of Our Lady was a unique privilege given to her alone by God. Of all of the people born into this world after the sin of Adam and Eve, only one was prevented from contracting Original Sin by the intervention of God.This is implied by Pope Pius IX when he defined the dogma in 1854: “We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God” (Ineffabilis Deus)At the beginning of the same document, the Pope says, “Above all creatures did God so love her that truly in her was the Father well pleased with singular delight. Therefore, far above all the angels and all the saints so wondrously did God endow her with the abundance of all heavenly gifts poured from the treasury of his divinity”.Our Lady saw fit to make it clear that the Immaculate Conception is her unique privilege in an extraordinary way just four years later, in her apparitions to St. Bernadette in 1858.St. Bernadette was given the mission by the parish priest to ask the lady who was appearing to her to say what her name was. It was uncertain that Our Lady was appearing.The Lady asked St. Bernadette to come for fifteen days in a row. St. Bernadette kept asking her name but the Lady never gave it, and the fifteen days ended on March 3.But St. Bernadette would sometimes get a strong urge to go to the grotto and this urge came to her on March 25. When Our Lady appeared to her, Bernadette was still quite focused on her mission. She asked the lady three times if she would not mind saying who she was and what was her name. Each time, the lady just smiled. She asked a fourth time and finally the lady became serious, lifted her eyes to heaven, and said those incredible words, “Lourdes: I AM the Immaculate Conception.”Bernadette was a simple girl who could not read and hardly knew her catechism, even though she was fourteen years old. She had no idea whatsoever what was meant by “Immaculate Conception”. Plus, her memory was bad so she just kept repeating the phrase to herself so she could faithfully tell it to the priest.If Our Lady chose to speak of herself in such an extraordinary way, it was to communicate to us an important fact about her immaculate conception: God gave the privilege only to her.

“We should not be discerning our vocations just by ourselves. We need the help of other people who love us and have the best in mind for us.” Fr. Paul Graney joins Fr. Craig Giera and Fr. Drew Mabee to share his journey to the priesthood. He describes the “light-switch moment” in his college dorm that sparked his discernment and reflects on the importance of mentors, community, and the desire to belong to something bigger than yourself. His story highlights how God uses every part of our lives—even hockey and pickup trucks—to draw us toward our vocation.(0:25) Fr. Craig and Fr. Drew open the episode, recorded on the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, by welcoming their guest, Fr. Paul Graney. The trio catch up on recent events in their lives and joke about the fact that Fr. Paul and Fr. Craig are often mistaken for each other. The conversation turns to Fr. Paul's modified F-150 and love of playing hockey.(08:30) Fr. Paul recalls growing up in Oxford, playing backyard hockey on the rink his dad built, and the joy of his high school varsity team's first big win. He then shares how skiing trips with friends led him to a non-denominational youth ministry that he increasingly attended throughout high school. (18:11) Fr. Paul explains how his Protestant youth minister encouraged him to consider ministry, something he initially rejected due to a fear of public speaking. While attending Oakland University, he experiences a sudden interior prompting: “Do you want to be a pastor?” (27:40) Fr. Paul attends a small evangelical Bible program, learning Scripture, learning to preach, and serving in soup kitchens. He eventually moved to New York City and got a job at the Starbucks at Rockefeller Center, across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral. This led to an impromptu meeting with the priest and a return to the Sacrament of Confession and the Catholic faith.(50:03) Fr. Paul attended a discernment weekend at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, where Fr. Tim Birney, the vocations director, encouraged him to live the Catholic faith for a few years while continuing to discern the priesthood. Once he finally entered the seminary, his biblical background helped him navigate the shift from a Protestant to Catholic understanding of Scripture.(56:03) Fr. Paul recounts how his godfather and parents responded to his return to the Church, and how his renewed faith eventually drew them back to regular Mass attendance. (58:24) Fr. Paul offers advice to men discerning the priesthood: stay close to the sacraments, listen, seek mentors, and immerse yourself in parish life. He concludes by reflecting on the gift of belonging to the “team” of Jesus Christ and the fraternity of the priesthood. He then closes the episode with a prayer for all discerning men and for the Church's priests.

#advent #catholic #sspxAdvent is a holy season of waiting. We learn how to wait for God.Waiting well is an important spiritual skill, because God often moves slowly. When we look at the history of the world and of the human race, we see that God is never in a hurry.God is outside of time. All of time is like a single moment for Him. He sees all of human history from the highest perspective.When we interact with God, we have to be willing for Him to act slowly. We have to be willing to wait. “Show, O Lord, thy ways to me. Teach me thy paths”, we say in today's Introit. His ways are slow.Abraham: God first appears to him when he is 75 years old, and promises that he will make a great nation of him. But his wife is not able to have any children. After 25 years, God appears to Abraham, when he is 100 years old, and promises that he will have a child by Sara, who is 90 years old. She has Isaac and the whole race of the Chosen People comes from him.Moses: the Israelites are being oppressed by the Pharaoh. He is telling the midwives to put their male children to death. Moses is saved from the water and raised by Pharaoh's daughter in the Egyptian court. When he is 40 years old, he flees to the desert. Only after 40 years more does God appear to Moses and ask him to go back to Egypt to deliver the Israelite people. They had been in slavery for 80 years at that point.Coming of Our Lord: God waits a number of centuries after Adam. When Our Lord comes onto this earth, He is not rushed. Rather, He spends 30 years living a hidden and unknown life. Only then does He come out into the public.Bottom line: God often waits a long time before acting. (same will be true of end of world!)We find this characteristic of our God difficult because we are naturally impatient as human beings. We are willful and we want control. We want things to happen when we want them to happen. We find it humbling to be forced to wait.

We look at the hidden emotional and spiritual challenges of infertility and how Springs in the Desert accompanies couples carrying this cross. The guests share the ministry's origins, the grief and identity struggles many couples face, the different ways men and women process infertility, and the need for compassionate pastoral care. They also explain how community, faith, and a focus on Christ—not just conception—help couples find hope, healing, and a sense of fruitfulness in their marriages. Ann M. Koshute, MTS, is co-founder and Executive Director of Springs in the Desert, a Catholic ministry offering spiritual and emotional support to women and couples carrying the cross of infertility and loss. A graduate of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, she and her husband Keith are Byzantine Catholics living in Central Pennsylvania. Ann speaks at conferences and retreats, contributes regularly to Eastern Catholic Life, and has written for Ascension Press's Catechism in a Year Companion and daily Scripture reflections; in 2021 she was appointed to the USCCB's Advisory Council. Fr. Paul Varchola West, Spiritual Father for Springs in the Desert, was ordained a Byzantine Catholic priest in 2020 and serves as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Levittown, Pennsylvania. A columnist for Eastern Catholic Life, he was appointed Director of Deacons for the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic in 2025. He and his wife Alissa, married in 2009, enjoy music, the outdoors, and life with their two children—blessings that came after many years of prayers and infertility treatments. http://www.springsinthedesert.org Facebook: @Springs in the Desert Instagram: @springsinthedesert_ ​The Springs in the Desert Podcast: https://springsinthedesert.org/podcast/  00:00 Introduction to Springs in the Desert 05:24 The Journey of Infertility and Founding the Ministry 08:33 Understanding Byzantine Catholicism and Spiritual Leadership 11:22 The Role of Spiritual Support in Infertility 14:11 Navigating Medical and Spiritual Aspects of Infertility 17:16 The Emotional Landscape of Infertility 20:23 Programs and Resources Offered by Springs in the Desert 23:25 The Importance of Community and Shared Experiences 26:30 Addressing Grief and Loss in Infertility 29:19 The Unique Perspectives of Men and Women in Infertility 32:46 Navigating Emotional Responses in Marriage 38:56 The Role of the Church in Supporting Infertility 49:51 Addressing Pregnancy Loss and Grief 54:24 Understanding Identity Beyond Infertility 01:02:01 The Temptation of Objectification in Relationships 01:04:54 The Struggle with Self-Absorption and Spirituality 01:08:37 The Urgency of Infertility Ministry Today 01:11:53 Changing the Conversation Around Infertility 01:16:33 Normalizing Infertility in Young Education 01:21:58 The Importance of Connection and Community 01:25:18 Action Items for Supporting Couples Facing Infertility 01:35:23 Real Estate Commercial  Subscribe to our newsletter to get this amazing report: Refuting the Top 5 Gay Myths https://ruthinstitute.org/refute-the-top-five-myths/ Have a question or a comment? Leave it in the comments, and we'll get back to you! Watch the full episode, uncensored, on Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/Theruthinstitute Subscribe to our YouTube playlist:  @RuthInstitute   Follow us on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/theruthinstitute https://twitter.com/RuthInstitute https://www.facebook.com/TheRuthInstitute/ https://theruthinstitute.locals.com/newsfeed Press: NC Register: https://www.ncregister.com/author/jennifer-roback-morse Catholic Answers: https://www.catholic.com/profile/jennifer-roback-morse The Stream: https://stream.org/author/jennifer-roback-morse/ Crisis Magazine: https://crisismagazine.com/author/jennifer-roeback-morse Father Sullins' Reports on Clergy Sexual Abuse: https://ruthinstitute.org/resource-centers/father-sullins-research/ Buy Dr. Morse's Books: The Sexual State: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/the-sexual-state-2/ Love and Economics: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/love-and-economics-it-takes-a-family-to-raise-a-village/ Smart Sex: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/smart-sex-finding-life-long-love-in-a-hook-up-world/ 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/101-tips-for-a-happier-marriage/ 101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/101-tips-for-marrying-the-right-person/ Listen to our podcast:  Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ruth-institute-podcast/id309797947 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1t7mWLRHjrCqNjsbH7zXv1 Subscribe to our newsletter to get this amazing report: Refuting the Top 5 Gay Myths https://ruthinstitute.org/refute-the-top-five-myths/ Get the full interview by joining us for exclusive, uncensored content on Locals: https://theruthinstitute.locals.com/support

#endtimes #catholic #ourladyToday is the last Sunday of the liturgical year and it represents the end of time. That is why the Church gives us a Gospel passage of Our Lord speaking about the Last Judgment.Whenever Our Lord speaks of the Last Judgment, He wants to give us certain means by which we may identify it, while at the same time He does not want to tell us when it will happen. Rather, He wants us to always watch and be ready for His coming.Today, I would like to speak about some other general information about the Last Judgment and the End Times. We do not have this information from the Gospels but from a saint.This information comes from St. Louis de Montfort and it concerns the role of Our Lady in the End Times.We have to understand St. Louis' perspective on the Providence of God. It is that God the Trinity desired to make use of Our Lady in every aspect of the work of the Redemption and salvation of mankind.This was a free choice on the part of God because of the fact that He is almighty and does not need anyone. It is not that He needs to make use of Our Lady; it is that He wills to do so out of His goodness.Think of a situation in the home where the father is fixing a door. He is the most capable member of the family to do it and he does not need anyone's help. But he chooses to ask his daughter to help him, for her sake. He wants to spend time with her, he wants her to learn, and he wants her to be a part of the upkeep of the house.Something similar goes on with our salvation. It's like the door into Heaven was broken and could not be used any more. The heavenly Father is going to fix it. He does not need anyone to help Him to do so. But He chooses to ask one of the members of the human race, the ones who broke the door, to help Him in fixing the door.He asks Our Lady for her help and she consents. By her consent, one of the members of the human race that is being redeemed and saved participates in the work to save us.We all know what this meant for Our Lady during her lifetime. She consented to become the Mother of Our Lord. She took care of Him during His hidden life. She requested Him to perform His first miracle. She accompanied Him during His public life and was with Him at the foot of the Cross.During the first centuries of the Church, Marian devotion was present but was not very strong. As the centuries go by, Our Lady becomes more and more known. She becomes more honored. Catholics understand better the role that God gave her. They start to make more use of devotions to her, like the Office of Our Lady and the Rosary that she revealed to St. Dominic.Our Lady herself begins to reveal herself more through apparitions: her apparitions to St. Dominic, St. Simon Stock, the founders of the Servite Order—all these in the Middle Ages.Then, the more modern apparitions to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, to St. Catherine Laboure in Paris, and to the three children of Fatima.St. Louis de Montfort notices these two things and he applies them to the end times: a) God wants to make use of Our Lady in the whole of the work of our Redemption and salvation; b) God wants Our Lady to become more and more known over time.From the realization of this plan of divine Providence, he draws a conclusion: “It was through Mary that the salvation of the world was begun, and it is through Mary that it must be consummated… In the second coming of Jesus Christ, Mary has to be made known and revealed by the Holy Ghost in order that, through her, Jesus Christ may be known, loved and served… God wishes to reveal and make known Mary, the masterpiece of His hands, in these latter times” (True Devotion, par. 49-50).

Matthias speaks with Fr. Paul Thornton, parish priest of Cabra West and long-time chaplain to the Dublin Diocesan Lourdes Student Helpers. Fr. Paul shares how he first became involved with the schools' pilgrimage, the transformative impact the experience has on Leaving Cert students, and the profound encounters they have through the service and prayer, the […] L'articolo Lourdes Schools Chaplain Fr. Paul Thornton on how Our Lady transforms students proviene da Radio Maria.

Why is it important for us to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas? How can we experience the “fullness of time” of this season as we prepare for the incarnate Lord to come into the world?In this episode, Ann speaks with Fr. Paul about the Psalms as we get ready to pray the Psalter together this Advent as a community. They'll discuss:The origin of the Psalms and their spiritual importance.How the Psalms can be both personal and communal prayers.Why praying the Psalter can be so good for us on the path of infertility and loss.Psalter Links:Fr. Paul's pick: The Psalter (Pocket Edition)Alissa's pick: A Psalter for PrayerAnn's pick: Songs of Praise: A Psalter Devotional for Orthodox Women

Fr. Paul Sheller, a monk of Conception Abbey, joins us to share some stories from seminary with Fr. Chad, including a garage sale phase and the rods in Fr. Paul's back from surgery for scoliosis. Finally, Fr. Paul shares his vocation story as well as a few opportunities for anyone to deepen their spiritual life through Benedictine spirituality. 

On July 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared for the second time to the three children of Fatima. She promised to work a miracle on October 13, so that everyone would believe. Then, she asked the children to sacrifice themselves for sinners and to pray the following prayer when doing so: “O Jesus, it is for love of you, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”These three young children were already familiar with the conception of praying and making sacrifices in order to make up for sin.God had sent an angel to them the year before, to prepare them for the apparitions of Our Lady. This guardian angel of Portugal taught the children about their mission: it was for them to do prayer and penance for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for sin, to stop sin from being committed in the future and to repair for sin already committed in the past.Later, Our Lady came to ask for the practice of the five first Saturdays devotion. This is a devotion of reparation for the offenses committed against Our Lady's Immaculate Heart. There are five first Saturdays because there are five types of blasphemies that are committed against Our Lady.The fourth type is the “blasphemies of those who seek openly to foster in the hearts of children indifference or contempt for this Immaculate Mother.”These facts about the message of Fatima show us that Heaven takes very seriously the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady would not come down on earth, speak to the three children, and work incredible miracles for no reason.Another thing that we learn is that the work of reparation is very important. Every sin is a crime against God, an injustice. Every sin deserves a punishment to make up for the injustice.There are many sins being committed around the world all the time. God looks for souls who are willing to pay for the sins of mankind. Our Lord and Our Lady, of course, paid a great price for the sins of the world, enough to wipe them all away.However, God did not want to leave us with nothing to do in the supernatural order. Rather, God asks that we unite with the work of Our Lord and Our Lady to do something to pay for sin ourselves. He asks for the work of “reparation”, making up for sin by prayer and sacrifice.This is what the Sacred Heart asked of St. Margaret Mary and us. This is what the Immaculate Heart asked of the three children of Fatima and us.Doing this work is part of living a Catholic life.The most important sins for us to make reparation for are sins of blasphemy. St. Thomas says that blasphemy is “the disparagement of some surpassing goodness, especially that of God”.What Fr. Pagliarani and Fr. Fullerton are asking us to do is to make reparation for a sort of blasphemy against the Mother of God in the form of the document Mater Populi Fidelis of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith.This document disparages a surpassing goodness, namely, the roles of Our Lady as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces.

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: If the theory of evolution is correct, then when did we receive our souls? Are Gregorian masses only for souls who have just died? Is deportation an intrinsic evil? Is it acceptable to break a driving ban to go to Mass? How can a finite crime be applicable for infinite punishment? Do we still believe in limbo for the souls of unbaptized babies? Should we consume religious media that takes creative liberties? How do priests cope with burnout and loneliness? Questions from our YouTube Chat and more! Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Robert Brennan on the movie Nuremberg, Dr Ray Guerendi on his new book, and Fr. Paul Zoghby on the Sunday Gospel Reflection.

#sspx #catholic #catholicchurchWe have a special feast day today, the dedication of the archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. It is interesting that the Church makes this a second class feast, while the feast of the dedication of St. Peter's Basilica, which will take place next Tuesday, is only a third-class feast.The main reason for the special honor given to St. John Lateran is that it was the first official church of the Catholic Church. When you visit St. John Lateran in Rome, you see an inscription written on it: “the mother and head of all the churches in the world”.You know that Catholics were persecuted by the Roman Empire as soon as the Church was founded. Sts. Peter and Paul themselves were martyred in Rome.The persecutions continued for an extremely long time, for close to 300 years! Some Roman emperors were more aggressive than others in their attempt to destroy the Catholic Church but the fact is that the Catholic religion was more or less illegal for these 300 years.Imagine what it was like for the faithful during these difficult times. They knew that Our Lord was God; they knew that they belonged to the true faith. At the same time, they had a heavy price to pay for the practice of their faith.They could not use public buildings to practice their religion or build their own temples. They rather had to meet in secret, in their homes and in the catacombs. They had to be careful who they talked to. They had to be very discreet in telling people that they were Catholic.Think about how weary they must have been with this situation, when it continued decade after decade. The persecutions made it difficult to convert people to the faith, because everyone knew that the Empire did not like Catholicism. Everyone knew that they could be executed if they became a Catholic.Think of all the prayers that the Catholics of the first centuries lifted up to Heaven, to ask Our Lord to send them an emperor who would at least allow them to practice their Catholic faith in peace.Our Lord did not want to intervene right away to help these first Catholics. On the contrary, He wanted the first Catholics to be strong and sacrificial. He wanted them to have their life on the line at all times.For that reason, He waited! He waited not for 100 or 200 years, but for over 250 years. This is how we have the examples of all those martyr saints from the first centuries of the Church. This is why we have so many great saints to honor from those centuries.In due time, however, Our Lord decided that He would make His Church triumph. He decided that He would answer all of that blood that was shed and all of those prayers that were offered.He gave to the Catholics of the empire something they were always dreaming about but had never been given: an emperor who converted to the Catholic faith.

#catholic #sspx #christthekingIf we look at all the of the problems in the world and in the Catholic Church today, they all really boil down to one problem. It is a first commandment problem. The first commandment is hardly being honored and practiced today.Now, it may seem that the first commandment is the easiest one of all to practice. “I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.” We can understand this commandment too simplistically, thinking it just commands us not to worship false gods, not to be an idolater.In the Gospel, however, Our Lord shows us, as it were, the other side of this commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind”. Our Lord tells us that the whole of the law and prophets rests on this one law.This commandment might be referred to as a declaration of the rights of God. God is our Creator, our Redeemer, and our final end. As such, He has a right to demand our love. He has a right to make a law for every single one of us that we love Him above everything else.The biggest question for each one of us in our lives is whether or not we will respect the rights of God over us, whether we will love Him above all things or not. If we do, then we will spend all eternity with our heavenly Father in a state of perfect happiness. If we do not, we will go to Hell, because we had a first commandment problem. We could not follow that commandment.As I say, this is precisely the problem with the world and the Church today: the first commandment is not being followed. The rights of Christ the King are not being respected.Who is the idol that has been put in the place of God and is being loved more than God? The idol is man. Man today is worshipping himself.

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: What do we say to those who believe there is no God? How can we as parishioners better understand the Mass? Can you live in true faith if Christ is not the center of your life? Why does Saint Thomas suggest life begins at birth in his writing? Is Harry Potter and Percy Jackson Demonic? Can you repair rosary beads? Does the Church teach against gambling? Should we put any trust in Protestant Bibles?  Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

By the design of God, the first second of our existence passes in a dark place, the womb of our mother. We remain in the darkness for three quarters of a year, growing, making the transition from an embryo to a fetus to an infant.Finally, the day comes when we emerge into this world and we get to see for the first time what sort of world we are born into. Our vision is at first very blurry and is limited to a range of about half a foot.The infant's perception of reality, of the world that he has newly entered, in his narrow range of sight, is dominated by one figure: his mother. She is the one whom his feeble sight is most often able to perceive. She is the one who always seems to be around when he is awake: the one who feeding him, the one clothing him, the one speaking to him, the one holding and kissing him.This is how God designed things for His human beings: that, coming out of the well of nothingness, we should spend nine months in the womb of our mothers; and then, coming into the world, our whole perception of that world should be dominated by the face and contact of our mother.God made it to be that way for us. And He made us to need it to be that way.If such is the way it is in the natural world and with our natural life, it should not be surprising to us that God should want something similar to be true for the supernatural world and our supernatural life.God wants us to have a mother. At the moment of our baptism, the first moment that our souls lives a supernatural life, the first moment it exists in the supernatural order, we receive the Church as our mother (we become members of the Church) and we receive Our Lady as our Mother.We go to our Mother the Church to receive our supernatural life. We get the sacraments from her, which nourish our soul. Especially confession and Communion.But God also gives Our Lady, His own Mother, to be our mother. She is a human being like us, but she is a human being who has been given a crucial role for the human race, the role of being the New Eve, the new Mother of all the living.And just as we saw with the natural order, so too must we say of the supernatural order: God made it to be that way for us. God has made us a supernatural world where we have Holy Mother Church and we have a human mother, the Mother of God, to be our mother.God made it to be that way for us. And He made us to need it to be that way.

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: What would we do if Satan infiltrated the church? Are AI videos of the deceased a first commandment problem? What books should I read to gain spiritual progress? Can homilies be aimed at those who are single? Is Homeopathy permissible for Catholics? Does the Old Testament accurately reflect God's divine will? Is it okay to go on a ghost tour? How do I overcome envy?  Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

In this episode Fr. Paul talks to Christian a seminarian from Slovenia about his journey to the seminary and St Therese and St Rose. L'articolo E56 | Catechesis – Fr Paul Glennon & Christian – St Therese proviene da Radio Maria.

God has created a law for the natural order such that what goes up must come down. God has made there to be the same law for the supernatural order: what goes up must come down, and what goes down must come up.If you are prideful in this life, if you make yourself out to be something greater than you are, if you despise others and are selfish, you will go down to hell after this life is over. If on the other hand, you are humble during this life, if you willingly accept corrections and humiliations, if you think well of others and poorly of yourself, if you are unselfish and sacrificial, then you will go up to Heaven after this life is over.This is the law of Divine Providence that Our Lord teaches us in today's Gospel, and also in other places of the Gospel: “everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”If we want to save our souls, we have to be humble. There is no other way. There are only prideful souls in hell and only humble souls in heaven.There is no one who has understood this plan of God better than the saints. For the saints, there are only two places: the first place and the last place. But the first place is already taken; it is occupied by God. Thus, the only other place available is the last place, and that is my place.The saints thought of Our Lord as speaking to them in today's Gospel when He says, “Take the last place.”

Robert Brennan on his piece on Charlie Kirk, Woodene Koenig Bricker on her book "Praying with the Saints," and Fr. Paul Zoghby has our Sunday Gospel Reflection.

#sspx #catholic #catholicism #priesthoodFr. James Chipperfield is a strange man. He is only 26 years old and he is already a priest. That is a strange and rare thing in today's world. It is what we call the young vocation.The average age of a newly ordained priest in the USA today is 34 years old, but Fr. Chipperfield was ordained when he was still 25 years old. The other Australian who was ordained with him was also 25 and the priests ordained for the SSPX are usually in their 20s.These young vocations are a consolation and a blessing because it means that young person has found his path early in life and been willing to commit himself to it. We know how Our Lord tells us in the Gospel that those who hear the call of God should answer right away, that they should drop everything to follow Him.His words even seem shocking. Here is the vocational direction He gave to someone approaching Him: “I will follow thee, Lord; but let me first take my leave of them that are at my house. Jesus said to him: No man putting his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Lk. 9:61-62)For those who become His priests, Our Lord wants generous hearts. He wants young men who are willing to leave behind a career in the world, leave behind a family, and offer all of their youth and talents to Him unreservedly.When they do that, when they become priests at a young age, it typically means that they will be able to minister to the salvation of souls for a long time.It also provides a powerful example to the world, for the world, which is so enamored with youth and is trying to remain forever young, to see a young man who has turned his back on the world.

#sspx #suffering #cross #catholic“The two persons in the world whom God loved best were Jesus and Mary, and the advantages which they possessed over all creatures on account of their virtue were that they suffered more than all. No two persons were ever so tried as they. Let us console ourselves then in sorrow, for the more of it we have, the more like shall we be to Jesus and to His Blessed Mother.”By this quotation from a saint, the Jesuit brother St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, we are taught the Catholic spirit in the face of suffering: suffering is the greatest and best way for us to imitate God and His holy Mother.Does this mean that we have to be unhappy our entire lives, if we want to live as good Catholics and become saints? No!The word “suffering” is different from the word “unhappiness”. We have many words to indicate unhappiness, such as “sadness”, “sorrow”, and “depression”, but none of these means the same thing as suffering. What this means is that while suffering can cause unhappiness, it can also be borne without unhappiness. You can suffer and be happy at the same time.You know that each person has a different measure of suffering in his life, but nobody is without suffering in this life. Everyone has suffering but suffering is not a condemnation to unhappiness.What our Catholic faith offers us is the possibility of enduring the sufferings of our life while at the same time being happy. How is this the case?

Fr. Paul Clark from Jefferson City and Fr. Scott Schilmoeller from Omaha join Fr. Garett to discuss their adventures in New York during the vocation directors conference as well as Fr. Paul's choreography expertise getting put to good use for seminary musicals. Then, Fr. Paul shares the story of his vocation, including how encounters with the saints inspired him to follow them in giving everything to the Lord. 

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: Do we need to know of Jesus to accept him?  For financial reasons, can people live with their fiancé before marriage? What is baptism of desire/blood? Why was the Anointing of the Sick originally named "Extreme Unction" Unleavened Bread Vs. Leavened Bread Did Jesus travel to Persia?  Is K-Pop Demon Hunters and Theology of the Body appropriate for school children? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: Concern about demonic influence from violent video games. Befriending a Freemason to guide him into the Church. Requesting a later Mass time for working people. Favorite Catholic feast day foods. Why women stopped wearing head coverings at Mass. Can I put a picture of a love one on a rosary instead of a medallion? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Fr. Paul Seil on his message Sunday after the shootings in Minneapolis full 317 Fri, 29 Aug 2025 07:36:00 +0000 jARx3uHOw9NOurB5EFU3bG4FrZVNuVCj news & politics,news WBEN Extras news & politics,news Fr. Paul Seil on his message Sunday after the shootings in Minneapolis Archive of various reports and news events 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. News & Politics News False https://player.amperwa

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: Recapping some big show-related announcements What is Father's opinion on healing ministries? What is Father's favorite apparition of Mary? What are Jordan's and Father's favorite memories of the show over the past two years? When is my guardian angel's birthday: when I was conceived, the day I was born, or the day I was baptized? How did Father Born meet Father Brancich and become friends? Did Father Born ever consider joining the FSSP? Why are we here on this planet, or what is the "point" of human existence? Since the Bible describes heaven as a wedding feast, does that mean we'll actually eat in heaven? If so, what do you think will be on the menu? Do you think heaven sounds more like Gregorian chant, angelic choirs, or something we can't even imagine? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

8-25-25: Diocesan Vocations – Fr. Paul Sullivan by

In a relay race, there are typically four runners who have the job of passing a baton to one another until they get to the finish line. If any one of the runners drops the baton, his team is disqualified.The first runner begins the race with the baton; he does not receive the baton, but owns it. The other runners do not start the race with the baton. Rather, their job is to receive it from the runner behind them and then pass it on to the runner in front of them.This is exactly how it works with the Catholic faith. The human race is, as it were, running towards the end of time, which is the finishing of human history. That is when each of the runners will receive their reward through the resurrection of their bodies, which will rise in either a glorious state or a damned state.The baton that has to be passed on is the Catholic faith. The baton contains the beliefs of the Catholic faith, but it also contains the practices that enshrine and protect those beliefs.The first runner in the faith is Our Lord Jesus Christ. He owns the baton and puts in it all that we need to save our souls, that is, to reach the finish line and win the race. His role was only to give the faith, not to receive it. Our role is to both receive and give. We receive the faith from those who have gone before us and we give it to those who come after us.Already, in the first generation of Christianity, St. Paul is talking about this process of receiving and handing on. He tells the Corinthians that he received the faith from Our Lord and he handed that same faith on to them. He says, “I delivered to you a faith. You received it and are standing in it and it is saving you. I also received that same faith.”This is the very nature of our faith. We are traditional Catholics because our faith is a traditional faith. It is a handed-on faith, a received faith. Our faith works by way of a relay, a receiving from one and a handing on to another.

The Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven was the effect of the way that she lived her life and, particularly, three moments of her life: the moment of Our Lady's conception, the moment she became Mother of God, and the moment of her Son's death.Immaculate ConceptionThe moment of her conception is important because it is the first moment of her existence, the time of the creation of her soul and the making of her body. It was the first moment of the existence of the body that would one day rise from the dead and be taken up to Heaven.We know that the most important aspect of this moment is that God preserved her entire person from sin. Her body was taken from two souls afflicted by original sin, Joachim and Anna, but God prevented her soul from contracting any sin. As a result, we can speak of her body as being sinless as well, as having no contact with sin.You know that sin is the thing that causes death. And death is the thing that causes the corruption and destruction of our body. But God prevented this cause of death from touching Our Lady, at the first moment of her existence.Mother of GodThis blessed creature, who was conceived without any sin, began to grow up. She maintained the purity of body and soul that God had given to her. She was perfectly faithful to her gifts. She did not commit any sin. She lived in humble submission to God.This behavior, this holiness prepared her to become God's mother. It prepared her to receive into her body God Himself. And of course, that was what happened on the day of the Annunciation. Her body changed. God both came inside of her and gave her the power to form His body from her body.Her pure body became the source of the body of God.Co-RedemptrixOur Lord was born and she named Him Jesus or Savior, because He was to save the world from its sins by an act of Redemption.

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: Do you recommend praying traditional prayers like the Pater Noster or Hail Mary in Latin for personal devotion? I've heard the joke that priests run on coffee and the Holy Spirit. Do you think that's true? What's your go-to beverage before morning Mass? How should I respond to a friend who wants to pursue medical assistance in dying (assisted suicide)? I am in the process of retuning to the church. Can I attend a mission trip with loose Protestant themes? Can a Catholic attend a Hindu "Mehndi" party? Pope Leo XIII and labor unions Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Tom McDonald covers the Fantastic 4, Dawn Beutner has our Saints of the Month for August, and Fr. Paul Zoghby has our Sunday Gospel Reflection.

On the day of our baptism, we came to the church alive with physical life but dead in supernatural life. It was because of this fact that our soul was dead with sin that we, or our godparents, had come to ask for eternal life.Then, we went through the ritual of the baptismal ceremony during which we underwent a symbolic death. The pouring of the water on our heads was like a burial in water from which we then rose again to a new life. The ceremony was a symbolic dying with Christ and a symbolic rising with Christ to a new life.What was not symbolic was that, when the water was poured upon our heads, the death of sin was driven from our souls and a new life started to dwell there, a supernatural life.This is what St. Paul means in today's epistle when he says, “we were buried with Him by means of Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ has arisen from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life.”What this means is that, before Baptism, our soul was not capable of doing anything in the supernatural order. It could not move in the supernatural realm and was dead to that realm.We know that an animal is dead when it does not move, when it does not have self-movement. We go up to a dog that we are not sure whether it is sleeping or dead. We move it with our foot and nothing happens. Because the dog does not move, we conclude it does not have physical life.Our soul before Baptism was like that in the supernatural order. We were not able to make any supernatural movement.After Baptism, our soul becomes alive with a new type of life, a supernatural life. That life does not get rid of our physical life or lay on top of our physical life; rather, it goes inside of it.The life of God goes inside of our spiritual soul and gives it new capabilities.It goes inside of our mind and gives our mind the ability to believe the mysteries of the faith.It goes inside of our will and gives it the ability to choose a supernatural good, to love God above all things, to seek the salvation of our soul above all things.St. Paul focuses particularly on one new ability that the new life of Christ in our soul gives us the ability to do: it gives us the capacity to be dead to sin.

“What happens if someone confesses to murder?” This episode explores the complexities of confession and forgiveness, alongside questions about processing unconfessed sins and the requirements for receiving a plenary indulgence during a visit to Rome. Join us as we delve into these important topics and more in this thought-provoking discussion. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:41 – What happens if someone confesses to murder? 15:36 – How do I process unconfessed sins that I haven't thought of? 20:42 – What do I have to do to receive a plenary indulgence for my visit to Rome? 23:35 – Was Jesus ordaining the disciples at the washing of the feet? 30:22 – If God doesn’t weigh our deeds, what’s the point of Jesus weighing our deeds at the last judgement? 35:46 – Is it ok to publicly use a rite or celebrate a mass of a defunct rite? 38:04 – If a person has dementia, would that person still remember the people they met after dying while in purgatory? 43:02 – Regarding last Sunday's readings? Who were the 3 men Abraham met outside his tent? 47:01 – Why do we not read about gentiles believing in God until Jesus? Did the Jews not allow them to follow God? 50:18 – What happens at death? Do we sleep until the resurrection or do our souls move to either heaven or purgatory? 53:25 – Can people in purgatory pray for us?

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Please enjoy this special pre-recorded mailbag episode of "Ask A Priest Live" with guest host Greg Vanhorn. In today's show: Why doesn't God appear to me? Are the Jews still considered God's chosen people? If Purgatory is so important, why didn't Jesus speak directly about it? Can you help me convince my grandfather to receive the sacrament of the sick, and that it doesn't necessarily mean that he will die? Can I still get an annulment of my first marriage even after many years have passed? My husband never received the Sacrament of Confirmation as a youth.  How can I convince him it is still worth doing? You can get your question in for future shows with Fr. Born (or one of our other wonderful priests) by emailing us at priests@thestationofthecross.com, or by using our webform at https://thestationofthecross.com/askapriest

Today, we have one of the vocation stories in the Gospels. These are some of the most beautiful stories we read about in the Gospels, and we find them in all four Gospels.They all consist in three things: a meeting, an invitation, and a following.These stories are beautiful and powerful for us because they are a representation of our own life.Of course, they are particularly a representation of the life of a priest, a monk or a nun, those people who have given their lives for the service of Our Lord Jesus Christ.But they are also a representation of the lives of the Catholic faithful. All of the faithful are called by Our Lord to be holy, to follow Him, to love Him and serve Him in their lives.The vocation story in today's Gospel helps us understand what we need to do to answer the call of Our Lord. It is interesting that Our Lord was not content with preaching from the boats of these fishermen whom He was going to turn into fishers of men.He could have just stopped preaching and said, “Come, follow Me”. But, instead, He wanted to work a miracle before issuing the call. Why did He do this?Because great reverence is needed to follow the call of Our Lord. It is not enough that we see Him as a great preacher; we have to see Him as God.Our Lord works this miracle of a great catch of fish, so great that there are more fish than can be contained in one boat. Both boats were even sinking when they were filled with the fish. When St. Peter sees this, he has an immediate realization: this man is holy. I don't think St. Peter knew yet that Our Lord was God. But he knew that He was holy: only a holy man could work such a miracle.When St. Peter sees the miracle, a great reverence for Our Lord awakens in his heart. He casts himself on his knees, in an attitude of respect, submission, and petition. He realizes how sinful he is in comparison to Our Lord and tells Our Lord that he is not worthy to be in His presence.But, in fact, the truth is the contrary: the reverence of St. Peter for Our Lord is what is going to enable him to answer the call of Our Lord and fulfill his great vocation of being the first Pope.The same is true with answering the call to holiness. Our Lord calls all of us to a greater union with Him. It is reverence that will enable us to answer that call. Reverence will make us want to pray, will make us fervent in our prayer, will make us fear sin and keep a close watch over ourselves.Reverence is often what leads Catholics to traditional Catholicism. They start to realize the respect that is owed to God, that that respect is not given in the New Mass, and that the TLM treats God with the respect that He deserves.

Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: Can we believe in the multiverse and is it possible that there is a reality in which Adam and Eve did not eat the apple? If so, would that be another place with live people or would it just be heaven? Is there any reason why marrying or not marrying someone can be a sin if both are licitly available for marriage? Is it proper to have a funeral mass for a baptized Catholic that has walked away from the church? Would Father Born share his vocation story? So grateful for this show and the priests and team behind it! Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Fr. Paul Keller joins us to tackle a wide range of questions from Catholics seeking clarity and guidance. Can saints in Heaven and souls in purgatory communicate with us on earth? What can someone do to help a loved one return to the Catholic faith? For those new to the Church, Fr. Keller explains what to expect during Eucharistic adoration and how to participate with reverence. We also explore whether assurance of salvation is possible, especially during life's trials. What does it mean that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son”? How can one support a vocation to the priesthood? Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 09:19 – What are the spiritual capabilities of the saints in Heaven and the souls in purgatory when it comes to communicating with people on earth? 20:31 – What guidance can be given to someone who wants to support a loved one in returning to active participation in the Catholic faith? 28:55 – What should someone new to the Church know about Eucharistic adoration—what to do during it, and any particular postures or gestures to observe? 34:13 – Can a person have any assurance of salvation, especially when facing life’s hardships and uncertainties? 42:49 – What does the phrase “proceeds from the Father and the Son” mean in the context of the Holy Spirit as stated in the Nicene Creed? 48:55 – How can someone support and encourage a family member who is discerning a vocation to the priesthood? 52:19 – What is meant by the term “Catholic guilt,” and how should it be understood within the context of the faith?