Podcasts about franciscan

EVEN MORE about this episode!Julie Ryan has remotely scanned patients during surgeries for more than 30 years—but says she had never seen anything like what appeared during her husband Tim's operation. As people around the world prayed for him, Julie perceived the operating-room ceiling completely filled with cherubs.After weeks away from The Ask Julie Ryan Show while Tim underwent surgery, Julie returns to share the extraordinary experience and what she believes may have connected it to prayers being offered by children at Dominican schools around the world, along with Franciscan sisters in Illinois.Then Julie takes calls from around the globe for medical intuitive scans, energetic healing, spirit communication, past-life exploration, and messages from deceased loved ones.Mary asks about treatment-resistant depression and ketamine, leading to a discussion of metabolic approaches to mental health. Deanne calls about recurring C. diff and colitis, and Julie performs an energetic scan and healing while discussing digestive health.Meg and her daughter Ella connect with Meg's deceased father, Mike, and beloved dog Ebony. Julie explains how she believes anyone can begin communicating with deceased loved ones and explores whether animals can participate in signs from Spirit.Nick calls from Thailand about his lifelong fear of animals. Julie explores what she perceives as a past life in 1912 Siberia involving sled dogs and a wolf attack—and discusses whether unresolved experiences from another lifetime could influence fears in this one.Julie also scans a caller's friend experiencing severe vision loss and later connects intuitively with Birdie, a dog diagnosed with an intestinal tumor.From cherubs in an operating room and the power of prayer to spirit communication, past lives, medical intuition, energetic healing, and beloved animals, this episode explores the possibility that there may be far more happening around us than we can physically see.Episode Chapters:(0:00:00) Julie Returns & Shares an Update on Tim (0:02:51) Cherubs Filled the Operating Room—What Did Julie See? (0:08:56) Ketamine, Keto & Treatment-Resistant Depression (0:13:09) Colitis, C. Diff & a Medical Intuitive Scan (0:24:35) Can Anyone Communicate With Deceased Loved Ones? (0:37:18) Can a Past Life Cause a Lifelong Phobia? (0:44:18) Severe Vision Loss: What Does Julie's Scan Reveal? (0:51:06) Medical Intuition Training Winner (0:54:59) Can Animals Tell Us What's Making Them Sick? (1:02:56) Closing Thoughts & Prayers for Tim➡️ Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan YouTube➡️ Julie's Intuitive Trainings✏️ Ask Julie a Question!

Fr Charles A M Robinson, FI and Dr. Joey Belleza join Fr. Dylan Schrader to discuss St. Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan theological tradition in honor of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis's death.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai to priests at Saint Augustine Seminary in Toronto on September 15, 2026.Today's feast of Our Lady of Sorrows has an ancient and layered liturgical background. It is said to have started with the ancient Franciscan spirituality that meditated on Mary's sorrows. We know that St. Francis himself suffered the stigmata, reflecting his closeness to Mary, who suffered a spiritual stigmata. The Great Rood crucifix in Westminster Cathedral is the perfect image to contemplate across these two consecutive feasts: yesterday's Exaltation of the Holy Cross and today's feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. 

Today’s Topics: Father Thomas Czeck, OFM Conv., joins Terry 1) Gospel – John 4:43-54 – At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When He came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him, since they had seen all He had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast. Then He returned to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when He came to Galilee from Judea. Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Terry and Father Thomas discuss Franciscan Spirituality and the hidden secrets of the Franciscan Order.

Full Text of Readings Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 437 The Saint of the day is Blessed Frédéric Ozanam Blessed Frédéric Ozanam's Story A man convinced of the inestimable worth of each human being, Frédéric served the poor of Paris well, and drew others into serving the poor of the world. Through the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, which he founded, his work continues to the present day. Frédéric Ozanam was the fifth of Jean and Marie Ozanam's 14 children, one of only three to reach adulthood. As a teenager he began having doubts about his religion. Reading and prayer did not seem to help, but long walking discussions with Father Noirot of the Lyons College clarified matters a great deal. Frédéric wanted to study literature, although his father, a doctor, wanted him to become a lawyer. Frédéric yielded to his father's wishes and in 1831, arrived in Paris to study law at the University of the Sorbonne. When certain professors there mocked Catholic teachings in their lectures, Frédéric defended the Church. A discussion club which Frédéric organized sparked the turning point in his life. In this club, Catholics, atheists, and agnostics debated the issues of the day. Once, after Frédéric spoke about Christianity's role in civilization, a club member said: “Let us be frank, Mr. Ozanam; let us also be very particular. What do you do besides talk to prove the faith you claim is in you?” Frédéric Ozanam was stung by the question. He soon decided that his words needed a grounding in action. He and a friend began visiting Paris tenements and offering assistance as best they could. Soon a group dedicated to helping individuals in need under the patronage of Saint Vincent de Paul formed around Frédéric. Feeling that the Catholic faith needed an excellent speaker to explain its teachings, Frédéric convinced the Archbishop of Paris to appoint Dominican Father Jean-Baptiste Lacordaire, the greatest preacher then in France, to preach a Lenten series in Notre Dame Cathedral. It was well-attended and became an annual tradition in Paris. After Frédéric Ozanam earned his law degree at the Sorbonne, he taught law at the University of Lyons. He also earned a doctorate in literature. Soon after marrying Amelie Soulacroix on June 23, 1841, he returned to the Sorbonne to teach literature. A well-respected lecturer, Frédéric worked to bring out the best in each student. Meanwhile, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society was growing throughout Europe. Paris alone counted 25 conferences. In 1846, Frédéric, Amelie, and their daughter Marie went to Italy; there he hoped to restore his poor health. They returned the next year. The revolution of 1848 left many Parisians in need of the services of the Saint Vincent de Paul conferences. The unemployed numbered 275,000. The government asked Frédéric and his coworkers to supervise the government aid to the poor. Vincentians throughout Europe came to the aid of Paris. Frédéric then started a newspaper, The New Era, dedicated to securing justice for the poor and the working classes. Fellow Catholics were often unhappy with what Frédéric wrote. Referring to the poor man as “the nation's priest,” Frédéric said that the hunger and sweat of the poor formed a sacrifice that could redeem the people's humanity. In 1852, poor health again forced Frédéric to return to Italy with his wife and daughter. He died on September 8, 1853. In his sermon at Frédéric's funeral, Fr. Lacordaire described his friend as “one of those privileged creatures who came direct from the hand of God in whom God joins tenderness to genius in order to enkindle the world.” Frédéric was beatified in 1997. Since Frédéric wrote an excellent book entitled Franciscan Poets of the Thirteenth Century, and since his sense of the dignity of each poor person was so close to the thinking of Saint Francis, it seemed appropriate to include him among Franciscan “greats.” His liturgical feast is celebrated on September 9. Reflection Frédéric Ozanam always respected the poor while offering whatever service he could. Each man, woman, and child was too precious to live in poverty. Serving the poor taught Frédéric something about God that he could not have learned elsewhere.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Father Sam Martin hosts Dr. Rick Trietley, president of Viterbo University, who shares his path from a first-generation student at St. Bonaventure and 22 years as an Army infantry officer to leadership in Catholic higher education, influenced by Sister Margaret Carney and a veterans' pilgrimage to Assisi with Father Conrad Targonski. Trietley reflects on St. […]

Full Text of Readings Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 435 The Saint of the day is Saint Rose of Viterbo Saint Rose of Viterbo's Story Even as a child, Rose had a great desire to pray and to aid the poor. While still very young, she began a life of penance in her parents' house. She was as generous to the poor as she was strict with herself. At the age of 10, she became a Secular Franciscan and soon began preaching in the streets about sin and the sufferings of Jesus. Viterbo, her native city, was then in revolt against the pope. When Saint Rose of Viterbo took the pope's side against the emperor, she and her family were exiled from the city. When the pope's side won in Viterbo, Rose was allowed to return. Her attempt at age 15 to found a religious community failed, and she returned to a life of prayer and penance in her father's home, where she died in 1251. Rose was canonized in 1457. Reflection The list of Franciscan saints seems to have quite a few men and women who accomplished nothing very extraordinary. Saint Rose of Viterbo is one of them. She did not influence popes and kings, did not multiply bread for the hungry, and never established the religious order of her dreams. But she made a place in her life for God's grace, and like Saint Francis before her, saw death as the gateway to new life.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Full Text of Readings Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 433 The Saint of the day is Blessed John Francis Burté and Companions Blessed John Francis Burté's and Companions' Stories These priests were victims of the French Revolution. Though their martyrdom spans a period of several years, they stand together in the Church's memory because they all gave their lives for the same principle. In 1791, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy required all priests to take an oath which amounted to a denial of the faith. Each of these men refused and was executed. John Francis Burté became a Franciscan at 16 and after ordination taught theology to the young friars. Later he was guardian of the large Conventual friary in Paris until he was arrested and held in the convent of the Carmelites. Appolinaris of Posat was born in 1739 in Switzerland. He joined the Capuchins and acquired a reputation as an excellent preacher, confessor, and instructor of clerics. Preparing for his assignment to the East as a missionary, he was in Paris studying Oriental languages when the French Revolution began. Refusing the oath, he was swiftly arrested and detained in the Carmelite convent. Severin Girault, a member of the Third Order Regular, was a chaplain for a group of sisters in Paris. Imprisoned with the others, he was the first to die in the slaughter at the convent. These three plus 182 others—including several bishops and many religious and diocesan priests—were massacred at the Carmelite house in Paris on September 2, 1792. They were beatified in 1926. Born in 1737, John Baptist Triquerie became a Conventual Franciscan. He was the chaplain and confessor of Poor Clare monasteries in three cities before he was arrested for refusing to take the oath. He and 13 diocesan priests were martyred in Laval on January 21, 1794. He was beatified in 1955. Reflection “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” was the motto of the French Revolution. If individuals have “inalienable rights,” as the Declaration of Independence states, these must come not from the agreement of society—which can be very fragile—but directly from God. Do we believe that? Do we act on it?Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Changing the numbering system to be more suggestive of a bracket. Sixtus is the third one seed, if you will. Image: Sandro Botticelli, 1480, Pope Sixtus II Popes names Sixtus (originally Xystus): St Sixtus I 117 or 119 to 126 or 128 Martyr St Sixtus II 257 to 258 Famous martyr, in the Roman Canon St Sixtus III 432 to 440 Sixtus IV 1471 to 1484 Sistine Chapel named for him Sixtus V 1585 to 1590 Great reformer of the Papal States and Curia   Sixtus or Xystus I: the earliest pope we have covered so far, in the very uncertain period of the second century, during the reign of Hadrian. The chronicles that look back to this time do not agree on the dates of his ministry and otherwise only record a few vague details. He is supposed to have placed the chanting of the Sanctus at its present place in the Mass, right after the Preface; he is also recorded to have been martyred, although nothing seems to be preserved about the event.   Sixtus / Xystus II: pope during the persecution of Valerian in the third century. His brief reign saw a reconciliation with St. Cyprian and churches in Africa and Asia Minor, which had been requiring heretics to be rebaptized. The persecution was stepped up in August 258 and Pope Xystus was beheaded with four deacons in a cemetery where he was celebrating Mass; two more deacons were executed the same day; the last and most famous deacon, Lawrence, survived a few days to be captured and according to legend roasted to death. Pope Sixtus to this day is mentioned in the full version of the Roman Canon of the Eucharistic Prayer.   Sixtus / Xystus III: prior to his election as pope, a correspondent with St. Augustine. Approved the acts of the Council of Ephesus and rededicated the restored basilica of St. Mary Major. This historical period included continued disputes with both Pelagians and Nestorians. Defended and maintained papal supremacy over Illyricum. Succeeded by Leo the Great.   Sixtus IV: pope of the late fifteenth century. Born of poor parents; became a Franciscan and a notable theologian. Unfortunately once pope he became a traditional nepotist and involved the Papal States in wars to put his nephews in charge of Florence and Ferrara, and wars of this nature continued to absorb papal attention through the beginning of the Reformation. He opposed and annulled the decrees of the Council of Constance and was successful in turning the Church away from conciliarism. He was a great builder and is said to have made Rome much more livable, helping continue its recovery from the Avignon period of the papacy. He reorganized and essentially refounded the Vatican Library and most famously built the Sistine Chapel.   Sixtus V: also of poor birth and Dalmatian ancestry, whose family had fled from Turkish expansion; supposedly a swineherd as a boy. Also became a Franciscan and rose to prominence in that order, also for a time appointed to the Inquisition in Venice. Accompanied the future Gregory XIII to Spain to investigate claims that the Archbishop of Toledo was a heretic, and the two did not get along. During Gregory XIII's long reign he was sidelined. Similarly to his time as an inquisitor, he proved to be an effective but severe and even brutal ruler of the Papal States. He had perhaps ten thousand to thirty thousand brigands to deal with and nearly exterminated them. He put the papal finances in order and built many useful and beautiful buildings, but seems to have taxed the economy into a stupor. Of particular significance, he created fifteen Congregations to organize the cardinals and created much of the current structure of the Curia. He caused editions of the Septuagint and the Vulgate to be printed, although his edition of the Vulgate is not considered to be of high quality, and even at the time was recalled and corrected in 1592 due to many errors already recognized. He was supposedly on the point of forcing the Jesuits to change their name from the "Society of Jesus" and change some of the rules of the order when he died. For a change he was actually notably non-nepotistic.   Why Sixtus VI: A cardinal would take this name in order to revive the memory of Sixtus II (and I), recognizing that the Church in so many parts of the world faces persecution on a massive scale. That by itself might be enough. The early modern era Popes Sixtus, especially Sixtus V, might contribute to the idea especially if 1) the cardinal is a Franciscan and 2) he plans to address the Vatican finances and the organization of the Curia at large.  

Trusting that God will provide, Ignatius begs and travels through Rome and Venice before finally reaching Jerusalem. He longs to remain in the Holy Land and help souls, but the Franciscan authorities order him to leave — forcing him to surrender even this deeply cherished desire. About the Series We are bringing you the entire text of “The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola” in podcast form. Over 12 episodes, join our pilgrimage guides Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ, and Cameron Bellm as we make our way through this spiritual classic. The series premiered on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, with episode 2 dropping Friday, July 31 — the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola. These first two episodes and the remaining 10 episodes (dropping on subsequent Fridays) will all appear here on the AMDG podcast feed. The series is edited by Frank Tuson, who also composed all the music you hear on the podcast. The podcast uses a translation of the “Autobiography” by Fr. Parmananda Divarkar, SJ. The text is read by Fr. George Drance, SJ. Produced by Mike Jordan Laskey. "The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius Loyola Podcast," a special-edition series of AMDG, is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

What does it mean to live faithfully in an unfinished universe - one in which creation is still evolving and Christ is still drawing all things toward communion?In today's episode, Matt sits down with Dr. Ilia Delio, Franciscan sister, theologian, Josephine C. Connelly Endowed Chair in Theology at Villanova University, founder of the Center for Christogenesis, and author of more than twenty books, including "The Christian Mutation".Drawing from the work of Bonaventure, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Carl Jung, and modern physics, Dr. Delio explores what Christianity might look like if we took evolution, science, and the deeply relational nature of the universe seriously.Together, Matt and Dr. Delio discuss moving from original sin toward original love, why relationship may be at the very foundation of reality, and what it means to understand sin as a resistance to relationship. They also explore the decline of institutional religion, the questions younger generations are asking, artificial intelligence, the problem of evil, and whether Christianity itself must continue to evolve.At the center of the conversation is a provocative possibility: What if love isn't simply something we feel or something Christianity teaches, but something woven into the very fabric of existence? And if the universe is still becoming, what would it mean for the church to become with it?In this episode:- Teilhard de Chardin and the relationship between science and faith- Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, and two ways of understanding Christianity- Original sin versus original love- Physics, interconnectedness, and the relational nature of reality- Sin as a resistance to relationship- Why younger generations are leaving institutional religion- Whether Christianity is answering questions people are no longer asking- Artificial intelligence and the future of humanity- Love, evil, and human transformation- What the church might become if it took evolution seriously- Whether love can endure even if the universe itself eventually diesLearn more about Dr. Ilia Delio: https://wisrinstitute.org/about/ilia-delio/

What if the simplest way to open every door in front of you is to refuse to close any of them? In this episode, John Loyack, President of Rider University, shares how 40 years across corporate finance, energy, rail, and higher education led him to a model that turns struggling universities into engines of economic redevelopment for the cities they serve. He has now done it three times, in Wilkes-Barre, Reading, and Pottsville, and is starting again in Trenton. But John traces the whole approach back to two men: a colleague at a lighting company who taught him a leadership style, and a construction executive who handed him an entire political network he had no obligation to share. [00:04:48] What He Does and Who He Serves President of Rider University, a role he started in July His third time leading a higher education institution Came into higher ed as a first-generation student whose own college was struggling Knew nothing about higher education but a lot about restructuring businesses [00:06:44] The Model: Unleashing What a University Already Has Universities rarely start these projects with money, but they have bright, talented people Connects those resources to the community to accelerate local development Students get experiential learning while providing real free resources He has now done this in four cities, most recently Trenton [00:08:21] Why It Works Like Karma When you are in it for something bigger than you, partnerships become genuine He arrives with an asset to offer rather than an ask Resources then appear that he never would have had otherwise Partnerships fall out of it without him even trying [00:10:26] Do It Before You Have to Do It for Real Wants students doing the work many times before it counts Runs student-centered business incubators with graduate mentors and local entrepreneurs Rider is built to support first-generation students, which benefits everyone That experience almost always leads to a job [00:11:52] The Student as Customer Says students are customers and the value equation has to work An undergraduate degree means roughly another million dollars over a lifetime A graduate degree takes that to about a million and a half Higher education has to be the facilitator of that outcome [00:16:03] How He Got Here First-generation student who found his own way to King's College Started at Pricewaterhouse and became a CPA Realized he wanted finance and problem solving inside a real business Moved to Lutron Electronics and then eight years at Union Pacific [00:18:54] From CFO to College Turnaround Became chief accounting officer then CFO at PNM Resources The work connected him to Wall Street and bond deals Became CEO of the unregulated business after the company split Stepped in to save King's College and never left higher education [00:20:36] What the King's Turnaround Produced Arrived when an S&P rating would have been good luck Left after completing an $80 million bond deal at BBB plus Built new programs, new athletics, and downtown Wilkes-Barre redevelopment There were no road maps for running a university like a business at the time [00:22:00] Reading and the Poorest City in the Country Got a call telling him Reading needed what he had done in Wilkes-Barre Reading was Pennsylvania's fourth largest city and the poorest in the country Grew Alvernia from a master's institution to a professional doctoral one Converted half a million square feet of downtown into College Town [00:23:53] When Others Start Following You Developers who worked in Reading came to Pottsville only because Alvernia went there They followed the university into a market it had proven out He calls it the highest form of compliment when partners follow you [00:27:41] The First Relationship That Changed Everything: Mike Patino Worked with Mike at Lutron after leaving public accounting John was a public accountant suddenly standing on a production floor Mike did not have to engage at the level he did, but he did anyway Even when John failed, Mike made him feel good while teaching the lesson [00:29:15] The Leadership Style That Built Thousands of Partnerships Mike gave him the architecture for connected personal relationships in business Accountability and genuine care for each other can coexist John credits Mike for the skill set behind thousands of partnerships Mike has no idea, because they never had that conversation [00:31:02] Why It Matters More in Higher Education Business partnerships can be transactional and one-time A university is in its community forever with infrastructure it cannot move He is not leaving no matter how bad it gets That permanence makes relationship building the special sauce [00:32:54] The Multiplier Effect Good relationships mean you think of that partner for things beyond the original scope That leads to more opportunities and more ways to get things done With a difficult client you only think about how to get out The best partnerships produce things you could not have drawn on a whiteboard [00:34:01] The Second Relationship: Barry Schlauch Arrived in Reading knowing no one, unlike Wilkes-Barre where he grew up Walked downtown at sunset asking himself what he needed that he did not have The answer was access to the political machinery Barry, a construction executive, happened to attend his first president's dinner [00:36:29] Hijacking the Meeting Barry told a trustee to get John into a meeting on downtown redevelopment Reading had 25 years of fits and starts with nothing to show John brought his brochure and took over the entire meeting They talked about nothing but College Town and the building they planned to buy [00:37:00] The Network He Had No Obligation to Share Barry made his full political network available to John John joined every political event and they told the story together Every level of government showed up when the building opened Barry did not have to help; he saw the community impact and engaged [00:39:22] Why He Signs Up in Five to Six Year Chunks These turnarounds are five or six year processes Real value comes from bringing what you know to a business that does not know it Every institution is a new Rubik's cube and a new community to impact He says it feels like his first job all over again [00:41:05] The Vision for Rider Phase one is reshaping the institution to live within its cash flow Phase two is reprioritizing resources to build the engine for growth Phase three is community engagement and economic redevelopment in Trenton All three run at the same time and shift in weight as the years go on [00:46:03] Final Word: Start with Yes A rule he began at Alvernia, a Franciscan institution About 75% of the time starting with yes gets both parties where they want to go Another 20% ends somewhere unexpected but still creates a partnership Saying no means you never get anywhere at all   KEY QUOTES "To me, leadership at its best is when you're looking out for your community as a business leader and you're willing to put your capital at risk to make it happen, that's the best level of entrepreneurship." - John Loyack "We start every conversation with yes. Because if you say no, you don't ever get anywhere." - John Loyack CONNECT WITH JOHN LOYACK Website: https://www.rider.edu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-r-loyack-77999012 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.r.loyack.2025   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

Friends of the Rosary,Today, August 27, the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Monica (333-387), who, through prayer and tears, gave the great Augustine to the Church of God.We also celebrate today the feast of the Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Franciscan, and the feast of Mary, Health of the Sick.St. Monica prayed, endured, hoped, and trusted God for years, especially for the conversion of her son, Saint Augustine, one of her three children, as well as for Navigius and Perpetua, who later became a nun.At about the age of sixteen, Augustine fell in with bad companions and took a concubine. Monica greatly desired that her son become a Christian, and for this she labored long—praying, pleading, weeping.To her joy, Augustine was baptized in Milan by Saint Ambrose at the age of thirty-two. She died in Ostia in 387. Augustine praised God for his mother: “Graciously you heard her, and you did not despise her tears when they flowed down from her eyes and watered the earth beneath, in whatsoever place she prayed.”St Monica was born in Tagaste, northern Africa, and died in Ostia, near Rome. Monica was a Christian, but her husband Patricius was a pagan and a man of loose morals. Monica's virtues and prayers, however, converted him, and he was baptized a year before his death. When her son, Augustine, joined the Manichean sect and went astray in faith and morals, Monica's tears and prayers for her son were incessant. She followed him to Milan, where Augustine went to teach, and there continued to storm heaven with her prayers for her son.In today's readings from the Gospel, Saint Paul reminds the Corinthians that God has enriched them with grace and will keep them firm to the end. In parallel, Jesus tells His disciples to stay awake and be ready, like faithful servants waiting for their master. Ultimately, God asks us to stay awake in love, keep doing what is right, and trust His timing.We ask Lord Jesus to give us the patient faith of Saint Monica, helping us to stay awake in prayer, faithful in our duties, and steady in hope while we wait for His grace to bear fruit.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play

Chez Filippini continues the series on Saint Francis by talking with J. Frank Pate, OFS from Tallahassee about his journey from Catholicism through evangelical and Anglican ministry back to the Catholic Church, and into life as a Secular Franciscan. Frank shares how the Franciscan rule, love for the Eucharist, and a vocation to simplicity, fraternity, and chastity shape his daily life and service to the poor.

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Brendan Case to discuss his new book, Doubting Thomas (UND Press), which covers a host of debates between St. Thomas Aquinas and his Franciscan counterparts, especially St. Bonaventure. In this discussion, Dr. Case shares a few instances where he thinks Bonaventure got the better of Thomas. Moreover, he shares why these debates matter and how they might better help us understand the place of Thomas in modern theology. Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9Get access to my book club, one-on-one office hours, show notes, and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicityMake a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicityBook a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austinRead my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.comAbout the Guest: Brendan W. Case, Th.D., serves as the Associate Director for Research at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program. A Christian theologian by training, Case's work brings theology and philosophy into conversation with the empirical social sciences to understand the nature, distribution, and determinants of a good life. Dr. Case is the author or co-author of five books: The Gentleness of Wisdom: A Christian Ethics of Charity, Anger, and Enmity (Routledge, 2026); Doubting Thomas: Early Franciscan Disputes with Aquinas (University of Notre Dame Press, 2026); The Justification of the Sinless: Supralapsarian Christology and the Goodness of the Incarnation (Baker Academic, 2026); The Accountable Animal: Justice, Justification, and Judgment (T&T Clark, 2021), and (with William Glass) Least of the Apostles: Paul and His Legacies in Earliest Christianity (Pickwick Press, 2022). Guest Links: Read the book: https://amzn.to/3UnrxQQThe Justification of the Sinless: https://amzn.to/4ccbZFPLearn more: https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/team/brendan-caseChapters00:00 The Place of St. Thomas in Theology04:46 St. Bonaventure's Approach10:01 Reception of Thomas in his time20:04 The Trinity and divine relations25:12 The Ontological Argument30:07 Implications of different theological emphases35:05 Bonaventure today39:55 Beyond the Summa45:13 Mystical theology in Bonaventure49:48 Historical and contemporary views on Thomas and Bonaventure54:57 The future of theological studySupport the show

On the feasts of Saints Monica and Augustine, Grettelyn Darkey and Joe Grabowski trace G.K. Chesterton's long road into the Catholic Church, beginning with his 1903 newspaper battle with Blatchford and McCabe and ending at the sacramental hesitation that held him back until 1922. They show why Chesterton refused to hang his belief on one or two arguments, and why a man for whom every daisy was already a miracle found it hardest to meet God in one particular priest. The takeaway is a habit any reader can practice: reading the world for connections, on the saints' feasts and on every other day of the year. In This Episode: Why Chesterton fits no single school. He is Augustinian, Thomistic, Franciscan, and Scotistic at once What Chesterton actually told McCabe about the "two great pegs" his conversion supposedly hung on Why fear, not doubt, marked Chesterton's final approach—and how it echoes Augustine's "not yet" The sacramental hurdle for a man who already found God in sunshine and daisies A Chestertonian habit to practice: connecting the unlikely and reading everything for truth Resources Mentioned: The Catholic Church and Conversion Orthodoxy The Man Who Was Thursday The City of God (St. Augustine) Episode art image credit: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Chapters: 00:00: Introduction 00:33: Welcome and Today's Topic 01:48: Why Chesterton Resists Every Label 05:30: The First Conversion and the Blatchford Controversy 10:38: Reading from The Catholic Church and Conversion 12:29: Fear, Not Doubt 14:52: The Sacraments as the Last Step 17:34: Free Will and the Marriage Metaphor 19:39: Augustine's Search and the Grace Behind It 23:09: Restlessness and the Search for Peace 27:07: The Policeman, the Anarchist, and the Fence 33:35: How to Become Chestertonian FOLLOW US: Instagram Facebook X SUPPORT: Donate Shop Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Full Text of Readings Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Lectionary: 424 The Saint of the day is Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Story of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But the Blessed Virgin Mary's queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary's Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary's life, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus' kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court. In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary's litany celebrate her queenship. The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption, and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus' redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because of her intercessory power. Reflection As Saint Paul suggests in Romans 8:28–30, God has predestined human beings from all eternity to share the image of his Son. All the more was Mary predestined to be the mother of Jesus. As Jesus was to be king of all creation, Mary, in dependence on Jesus, was to be queen. All other titles to queenship derive from this eternal intention of God. As Jesus exercised his kingship on earth by serving his Father and his fellow human beings, so did Mary exercise her queenship. As the glorified Jesus remains with us as our king till the end of time (Matthew 28:20), so does Mary, who was assumed into heaven and crowned queen of heaven and earth.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Ever wondered what life is like for a Franciscan Friar? Mary Jane Fox welcomes Fr. Alex Kratz, OFM, who shares his unique journey, the significance of the Franciscan habit, and his experiences in the Holy Land. In this episode, you will: Hear Fr. Alex's journey from a young boy discovering St. Francis to becoming a friar Learn about a Marian Shrine in Pontiac, Michigan, which Fr. Alex helped establish Reflect on the 800th Jubilee of St. Francis Continue Your Journey: Visit the official episode page and explore guest information. Jewel for the Journey: "At all times and seasons, in every country and place, every day and all day, we must have a true and humble faith." St. Francis of Assisi Do you like what you hear? Become a Missionary of Hope by sponsoring a week of Journeys of Hope. Click here to get started.  Learn more at https://pilgrimcenterofhope.org/media-and-resources/all-media-series/journeys-of-hope.html Help us spread hope! https://pilgrimcenterofhope.org/support

Full Text of Readings Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 420 The Saint of the day is Saint Louis of Toulouse Saint Louis of Toulouse's Story When he died at the age of 23, Louis was already a Franciscan, a bishop, and a saint! Louis's parents were Charles II of Naples and Sicily, and Mary, daughter of the King of Hungary. Louis was related to Saint Louis IX on his father's side and to Elizabeth of Hungary on his mother's side. Louis of Toulouse of Toulouse showed early signs of attachment to prayer and to the corporal works of mercy. As a child he used to take food from the castle to feed the poor. When he was 14, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as hostages to the king of Aragon's court as part of a political deal involving Louis's father. At the court, Louis was tutored by Franciscan friars under whom he made great progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like Saint Francis he developed a special love for those afflicted with leprosy. While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to renounce his royal title and become a priest. When he was 20, he was allowed to leave the king of Aragon's court. He renounced his title in favor of his brother Robert and was ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed bishop of Toulouse, but the pope agreed to Louis's request to become a Franciscan first. The Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. “Jesus Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me,” Louis kept repeating. Even as a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. He assigned a friar to offer him correction—in public if necessary—and the friar did his job. Louis of Toulouse's service to the Diocese of Toulouse was richly blessed. In no time he was considered a saint. Louis set aside 75 percent of his income as bishop to feed the poor and maintain churches. Each day he fed 25 poor people at his table. Louis of Toulouse was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of his former teachers. His liturgical feast is celebrated on August 19. Reflection When Cardinal Hugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, suggested to Francis that some of the friars would make fine bishops, Francis protested that they might lose some of their humility and simplicity if appointed to those positions. Those two virtues are needed everywhere in the Church, and Louis shows us how they can be lived out by bishops.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Clare of Montefalco, 1268-1308; born in Montefalco, Italy; as a young woman, she joined a convent of Franciscan tertiaries; her sister Joan was the abbess, and when she died, Clare succeeded her; she led an austere life, devoted to the Passion of Christ, and His Cross; when she died, an image of the cross was found imprinted on her heart, and her body remained incorrupt Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/17/26 Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22

Friends of the Rosary,Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, "a martyr of love," as St. Pope Paul VI described him, whooffered his life in exchange for the life of a husband and father of two sons, on August 14, at the German Nazi concentration and death camp of Auschwitz in Poland. The Polish 47-year-old Franciscan Conventual priest was killed by the Nazis with a lethal injection on August 14, 80 years ago.St. Kolbe, the founder of the worldwide evangelization movement, Militia Immaculatae, and a missionary in Japan in the 1930s, faithfully followed the path of Christ's sacrifice and His words in John's Gospel: “No one has a greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends” –that we read today.The priest was arrested in February 1941 on charges of aiding Jews and the Polish underground and was imprisoned in Warsaw. He was deported to the death camp of Auschwitz, Poland, where he was stripped of his Franciscan habit and assigned prisoner number 16670. He was forced to do the most humiliating jobs, such as carrying dead bodies to the crematorium. Nevertheless, he continued his charity and priestly ministry, for which he was subjected to violent beatings by the guards.At the end of July 1941, when a prisoner escaped from Auschwitz, in retaliation, the deputy camp commander picked up 10 men to be starved to death in an underground bunker to deter further escape attempts. When one of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, "My wife! My children!", Kolbe volunteered to die in his place, arguing he was a Catholic priest and older than Gajowniczek, 41. The deputy commander accepted the offer.The Polish priest and others were thus locked up in the "starvation bunker" without food and water. There, Kolbe led the prisoners in prayer. Prison guards found him standing or kneeling in the cell and looking calmly at those who entered. After they had been starved and deprived of water for two weeks, only Kolbe remained alive.The prison authorities administered him a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Kolbe is said to have raised his left arm and calmly waited for the injection. Before dying, he pronounced the two words, “Ave Maria”, the final pledge of a life entrusted to the Immaculate Conception. His remains were cremated on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption of Mary.During his visit to Poland in 2016, Pope Francis visited the " starvation bunker " on July 29, where Kolbe breathed his last in Auschwitz. After a moment of silence and reflection, he left, signing the visitors' book with a brief prayer: “Lord, have mercy on your people, Lord, forgive us for so much cruelty”.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠August 14, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Known as the Chapel of Bones, this haunting space was created by Franciscan monks in the 16th century, when Évora's growing cemeteries were running out of room. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who is the St. Francis of Assisi? Was he a hippie Jesus lover? Why is it that his life, still today, carries such a significant meaning in the Christian life? We host 3rd order Franciscan and Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Birmingham, AL to walk us through his devotion and knowledge of St. Francis.

Today the Church celebrates Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest whose life reveals what it truly means to belong completely to Christ.

Full Text of Readings Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr Lectionary: 417 The Saint of the day is Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe's Story “I don't know what's going to become of you!” How many parents have said that? Maximilian Mary Kolbe's reaction was, “I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell me what would happen to me. She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red. She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom. I said, ‘I choose both.' She smiled and disappeared.” After that he was not the same. He entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in Lvív–then Poland, now Ukraine—near his birthplace, and at 16 became a novice. Though Maximilian later achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in science, even drawing plans for rocket ships. Ordained at 24, Maximilian Mary Kolbe saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the day. His mission was to combat it. He had already founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work, and suffering. He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the Immaculata, a religious magazine under Mary's protection to preach the Good News to all nations. For the work of publication he established a “City of the Immaculata”—Niepokalanow—which housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers. He later founded another one in Nagasaki, Japan. Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one-million mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily filtered through devotion to Mary. In 1939, the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed. Niepokalanow was severely bombed. Kolbe and his friars were arrested, then released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. In 1941, Maximilian Mary Kolbe was arrested again. The Nazis' purpose was to liquidate the select ones, the leaders. The end came quickly, three months later in Auschwitz, after terrible beatings and humiliations. A prisoner had escaped. The commandant announced that 10 men would die. He relished walking along the ranks. “This one. That one.” As they were being marched away to the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the line. “I would like to take that man's place. He has a wife and children.”“Who are you?”“A priest.” No name, no mention of fame. Silence. The commandant, dumbfounded, perhaps with a fleeting thought of history, kicked Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered Fr. Kolbe to go with the nine. In the “block of death” they were ordered to strip naked, and their slow starvation began in darkness. But there was no screaming—the prisoners sang. By the eve of the Assumption, four were left alive. The jailer came to finish Kolbe off as he sat in a corner praying. He lifted his fleshless arm to receive the bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbolic acid. They burned his body with all the others. Maximilian Mary Kolbe was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982. Reflection Maximilian Mary Kolbe's death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata was his inspiration. May we mirror his bravery and his unblemished love for God as we navigate our own faith journeys.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

St. Francis of Assisi—one of the most influential saints of the last millennium—is introduced in this first of a two-part series, as Bishop Wack explores the historical context of his life, his conversion from wealthy merchant's son to penniless disciple, and the early growth of the Franciscan movement. He also highlights Francis's love for the Church and the Eucharist, his call to reform through poverty and humility, and the enduring impact that led to his rapid canonization and an 800-year legacy of inspiration.

Bruce and Kris McGregor speak with Sr. Joan Mueller about St. Clare of Assisi and the radical Franciscan gift of poverty. This special In Conversation episode explores Clare's courage, her partnership with St. Francis, her care for the poor, and her lifelong struggle to preserve the “privilege of poverty.” The post St. Clare of Assisi – In Conversation with Sr. Joan Mueller – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Bruce and Kris McGregor speak with Sr. Joan Mueller about St. Clare of Assisi and the radical Franciscan gift of poverty. This special In Conversation episode explores Clare's courage, her partnership with St. Francis, her care for the poor, and her lifelong struggle to preserve the “privilege of poverty.” The post St. Clare of Assisi – In Conversation with Sr. Joan Mueller – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Today’s Topics: Father Thomas Czeck, OFM Conv., joins Terry 1) Gospel – Luke 6:36-38 – Jesus said to His disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Terry and Father Thomas discuss the Marian Foundations of Franciscan Spirituality and Saint Maximilian Kolbe

The Franciscan Church in Bratislava is the city's oldest preserved church that has remained in continuous use to this day. Its history is inseparably linked with the history of Bratislava and the former Kingdom of Hungary. In this programme, we explore its rich past, the major historical events associated with it, and the life of the Franciscan community, which has been present here for nearly eight centuries. As part of our economic series Young Money, produced in cooperation with the National Bank of Slovakia, this episode explores the future of euro banknotes. Why is the European Central Bank redesigning them after more than twenty years? What themes are being considered, how can the public take part in the selection process, and what will the new banknotes mean for Europeans? We discuss the reasons behind the redesign, the role of security features, and the future of cash in an increasingly digital world.

Fr Peter George Flynn is joined by Sister Colette, a Poor Clare from his own native Galway, to mark St Clare's feast. She tells the story behind her convent's supposed emergency bell, what it meant that Clare wrote the first religious rule ever composed by a woman, and how a deathbed visit from the Pope […] L'articolo The Franciscan Hour – The First Rule Written by a Woman – Fr Peter George Flynn OFMConv and Sr Colette OSC proviene da Radio Maria.

As humans increasingly turn to AI for moral guidance and answers to life's biggest questions, the lines between technology and religion are blurring—even leading some in Silicon Valley to wonder if AI might have a spiritual life of its own or be destined to change the world's religious landscape. What does the impulse to see a god in the machine reveal about our enduring hunger for meaning, belonging, and spiritual growth?Dave explores these questions and more with psychologist Paul Bloom, author Elizabeth Oldfield, and theologian Paolo Benanti in a discussion recorded live at the 2026 Aspen Ideas Festival.Paul Bloom is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University. He's also the author of seven books, including his latest “Psych: The Story of the Human Mind.” Elizabeth Oldfield hosts “The Sacred” podcast, dedicated to conversations about being human, finding wisdom, building a more tolerant society, and what spirituality and religion might offer in answer to those questions. She is also the author of Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times.Paolo Benanti is a professor of moral philosophy at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome and a professor of technology ethics at Seattle University. A Franciscan priest and leading global voice on AI ethics, he advises the Vatican on emerging technologies and the rise of generative AI and chatbots.

Ready to rediscover Colorado's statehood story? To commemorate the state's 150th anniversary on August 1, 2026, Lost Highways hit the road for an all-new, three-part series asking what happens to our sense of our state when we rethink its starting points. We're kicking things off with "Expedition 1776," tracking the epic journey of two Franciscan priests through what became Colorado. While the thirteen colonies were busy declaring independence in the East, these two men were leading an expedition through treacherous canyons, surviving on porcupine meat, and relying on Ute guidance to map the rugged American West. They were searching for a shortcut to California, but their journey offers something much bigger: a look at an alternate Western history playing out on a the other side of the continent. Join us in welcoming back hosts Noel Black and Tyler Hill as we explore the empires, the maps, and the "what-ifs" of our statehood story.

This special episode initially ran early in 2025 but I wanted to bump it up for those of you who missed it and also because I honestly think Richard Rohr is worthy of a re-listen. If you're not already familiar with Richard Rohr, he's a wonderful Franciscan friar, the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, and one of my most profound teachers. I really loved and highly recommend his book The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage. In this conversation, he helps us to make sense of disorder, evil, anger, and grief—while also helping us to truly grow. For the show notes, head to eliseloehnen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode picks up right where Part 1 left off, as Jennifer continues her conversation with her friend and longtime travel companion Kirsten Dickerson in her home in London. Kirsten opens up about what came after Raven + Lily - the quiet grief of walking away from something she had built her identity around, and the winding season that followed: a global nonprofit, a string of retreat centers renovated by hand, a painting practice she never expected to fall back in love with, and a handful of countries that eventually led her to a feature-length documentary. It's a conversation about what it looks like to keep saying yes even when the next step isn't clear, and about the people that have been along for the ride the whole way.

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) William discusses the great Franciscan, Saint Bonaventure (Giovanni di Fidanza), Doctor of the Church.  The Seraphim (Burning Ones), are the highest order of Angels before the throne of God.  Saint Bonaventure is called the “Seraphic Doctor” because of his burning love for God

Friends of the Rosary,Today, July 15, is the Memorial Day of Saint and mystic Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (1221-1274), a thirteenth-century Italian saint, known as the Seraphic Doctor.As the General of the Franciscan Order, he consolidated the institution and was even considered a second founder.Teacher and preacher, he was a unique personality, beloved by God and men alike, who attracted everyone who saw him.Unsurpassed in sanctity, wisdom, and eloquence, he was gifted, as with a skill of accomplishing things. St. Bonaventure had not only a winning disposition, but a heart full of love, pious, charitable, and rich in virtue and wisdom.His contemporaries are said to have believed that no one was "more handsome, more holy, or more learned" than he.In philosophy, he was the principal leader of the Platonic-Augustinian school of Franciscan thought; as such, he stood opposed to the Aristotelianism that was making its way into the schools of the time (represented by Thomas Aquinas).Bonaventure's Life of St. Francis was a favorite book of the Middle Ages.Dante had already included him among the inhabitants of his "Paradise."Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠June 15, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

In today's homily, Fr. Tyler Mentzer, MIC, explores the timeless wisdom of St. Bonaventure, who teaches that Christian perfection comes not through knowledge alone, but through the burning love of Jesus Christ. Discover the Franciscan path of prayer, humility, grace, and total union with God.Fr. Tyler Mentzer reminds us that holiness is not reserved for theologians or mystics. Every Christian is invited to this same journey. The path to perfection is simple, though demanding: reject sin, cultivate humility, live a holy life, pray fervently, meditate on Christ's Passion, and allow God's grace to inflame your heart. As St. Bonaventure teaches, the goal is not merely to know about God, but to become so united with Him that love itself transforms us.Readings for July 15th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071526.cfm ★ Support this podcast ★

Full Text of Readings Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Lectionary: 391 The Saint of the day is Saint Bonaventure Saint Bonaventure's Story Perhaps not a household name for most people, Saint Bonaventure, nevertheless, played an important role in both the medieval Church and the history of the Franciscan Order. A senior faculty member at the University of Paris, Saint Bonaventure certainly captured the hearts of his students through his academic skills and insights. But more importantly, he captured their hearts through his Franciscan love for Jesus and the Church. Like his model, Saint Francis, Jesus was the center of everything—his teaching, his administration, his writing, and his life. So much so, that he was given the title “Seraphic Doctor.” Born in Bagnoregio in 1221, Saint Bonaventure was baptized John, but received the name Bonaventure when he became a Franciscan at the age of 22. Little is known about his childhood, but we do know that his parents were Giovanni di Fidanza and Maria Ritell. It seems that his father was a physician and a man of means. While Saint Francis died about five years after the saint's birth, he is credited with healing Bonaventure as a boy of a serious illness. Saint Bonaventure's teaching career came to a halt when the Friars elected him to serve as their General Minister. His 17 years of service were not easy as the Order was embroiled in conflicts over the interpretation of poverty. Some friars even ended up in heresy saying that Saint Francis and his community were inaugurating the era of the Holy Spirit which was to replace Jesus, the Church, and Scripture. But because he was a man of prayer and a good administrator, Saint Bonaventure managed to structure the Order through effective legislation. But more importantly, he offered the Friars an organized spirituality based on the vision and insights of Saint Francis. Always a Franciscan at heart and a mystical writer, Bonaventure managed to unite the pastoral, practical aspects of life with the doctrines of the Church. Thus, there is a noticeable warmth to his teachings and writings that make him very appealing. Shortly before he ended his service as General Minister, Pope Gregory X created him a Cardinal and appointed him bishop of Albano. But a little over a year later, while participating in the Second Council of Lyon, Saint Bonaventure died suddenly on July 15, 1274. There is a theory that he was poisoned. Saint Bonaventure left behind a structured and renewed Franciscan Order and a body of work all of which glorifies his major love—Jesus. Reflection Bonaventure so united holiness and theological knowledge that he rose to the heights of mysticism while remaining a very active preacher and teacher, one beloved by all who met him. To know him was to love him; to read him is still for us today to meet a true Franciscan and a gentleman.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

When 18-year-old Clare fled her family to become the world's first Franciscan nun, she committed to a lifetime of poverty, austerity, and caring for the poor. So when a powerful man tried to rewrite all the rules, Clare was faced with an impossible choice - defy the Pope or deny her own conscience. Then when Princess-turned-Abbess Agnes of Bohemia learned of Clare's struggle, she too joined the fray - two nuns against the patriarchy in the fight of their lives. Our guest is Kathleen Brady, award-winning author of Francis and Clare: The Struggles of the Saints of Assisi. Music featured in this episode provided by Elthin, Schola Gregoriana Pragensis, Anonymous III, and Farya Faraji & World Musicians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) William discusses Blessed John Duns Scotus, (ca 1265 – 1308), born in Scotland, brilliant Franciscan theologian, Mariologist, and defender of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Jennifer sits down with her friend and travel companion Kirsten Dickerson, founder of Artist & Nomad, in Kirsten's garden flat in London. Kirsten opens up about the moments that quietly rearranged her life: a family that lost nearly everything, a mother she wasn't sure she could hold onto, and a faith that kept nudging her toward the next unlikely yes - from the sorority halls of Baylor University to the bustling streets of Calcutta. What emerges is the origin story behind the life Kirsten has built. “Noticing leads to wonder. Wonder leads to gratitude.” - Kirsten Dickerson

“Jesus doesn't put burdens on us,” says Jean-Pierre Ducharme, O.F.M. “Jesus invites us into a relationship where we are graced and blessed by God.” Continuing our series on Preaching for Missionary Discipleship, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J. welcomes Jean-Pierre Ducharme, O.F.M., Minister Provincial of the Holy Spirit Province, Canada. He makes the case for homilies that center the relationship Jesus invites us into — one of freedom and joy — rather than dwelling on sin and placing undue burdens on the congregation. Timecodes: 0:00 Preaching shouldn't burden people 4:05 A synodal style of preaching 7:31 Reading: Matthew 13: 21-43; Jesus' parables of the kingdom of heaven 9:26 Jean-Pierre's homily 17:32  A sermon vs. a homily 20:21 All preachers must talk about grace 22:03 Focusing on mission in our preaching 27:45 Homilies should only make one point --- Support this podcast by becoming a subscriber. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠americamagazine.org/subscribe⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Full Text of Readings Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 384 The Saint of the day is Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions' Story Not much is known of the early life of Emmanuel Ruiz, but details of his heroic death in defense of the faith have come down to us. Born of humble parents in Santander, Spain, he became a Franciscan priest and served as a missionary in Damascus. This was at a time when anti-Christian riots shook Syria and thousands lost their lives in just a short time. Among these were Emmanuel Ruiz, superior of the Franciscan convent, seven other friars, and three laymen. When a menacing crowd came looking for the men, they refused to renounce their faith and become Muslims. The men were subjected to horrible tortures before their martyrdom. Emmanuel Ruiz, his brother Franciscans and the three Maronite laymen were beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1926. Reflection The Church in Syria has known persecution throughout its history. Yet it has produced saints whose blood was shed for the faith. Let us pray for the Church in Syria.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Full Text of Readings Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 382 The Saint of the day is Saint Elizabeth of Portugal Saint Elizabeth of Portugal's Story Elizabeth of Portugal is usually depicted in royal garb with a dove or an olive branch. At her birth in 1271, her father Pedro III, future king of Aragon, was reconciled with his father James, the reigning monarch. This proved to be a portent of things to come. Under the healthful influences surrounding her early years, she quickly learned self-discipline and acquired a taste for spirituality. Thus fortunately prepared, Elizabeth was able to meet the challenge when at the age of 12, she was given in marriage to Denis, king of Portugal. She was able to establish for herself a pattern of life conducive to growth in God's love, not merely through her exercises of piety, including daily Mass, but also through her exercise of charity, by which she was able to befriend and help pilgrims, strangers, the sick, the poor—in a word, all those whose need came to her notice. At the same time she remained devoted to her husband, whose infidelity to her was a scandal to the kingdom. Denis, too, was the object of many of her peace endeavors. Elizabeth of Portugal long sought peace for him with God, and was finally rewarded when he gave up his life of sin. She repeatedly sought and effected peace between the king and their rebellious son Alfonso, who thought that he was passed over to favor the king's illegitimate children. She acted as peacemaker in the struggle between Ferdinand, king of Aragon, and his cousin James, who claimed the crown. And finally from Coimbra, where she had retired as a Franciscan tertiary to the monastery of the Poor Clares after the death of her husband, Elizabeth set out and was able to bring about a lasting peace between her son Alfonso, now king of Portugal, and his son-in-law, the king of Castile. Reflection The work of promoting peace is anything but a calm and quiet endeavor. It takes a clear mind, a steady spirit and a brave soul to intervene between people whose emotions are so aroused that they are ready to destroy one another. This is all the more true of a woman in the early 14th century. But Elizabeth had a deep and sincere love and sympathy for humankind, an almost total lack of concern for herself, and an abiding confidence in God. These were the tools of her success.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Kara talks to Father Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan friar, theologian and AI ethics adviser to the Vatican, about why AI has become a central concern for the Catholic Church. They discuss Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on AI, the Church's role in shaping a more human-centered debate and why Benanti sees today's AI race as a question of power, democracy, belief and human dignity. Kara presses him on Silicon Valley's influence, Peter Thiel's views on the Antichrist and whether the Vatican can serve as a public square for global AI debate. Plus: can the Church help unite countries around shared global safeguards? Come see Kara live in DC. She is sitting down with Former Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on July 16 at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, and you can be in the room. ⁠Register now⁠. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the supernatural seeps into our world, it doesn't just leave behind fear—it can also leave sickness. From shadowy visitors to ominous dreams, some eerie paranormal encounters suggest that the price of witnessing the unknown may be paid in flesh and blood.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/SupernaturalSicknessREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/hp3ua63cFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: When the supernatural intrudes into our lives, it's not just our minds that are affected. We'll delve into a few bizarre cases where individuals fell gravely ill after brushes with the paranormal. Is it coincidence? Or something more sinister? And could these illnesses be due to the paranormal literally draining us of life? (Supernaturally Sick, Paranormally Poisoned) *** Helen Duncan made a living from conducting séances—until her uncanny knowledge of classified World War II tragedies spooked British authorities. (Britain's Last Witch) *** Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher whose ideas about mortality and utility extended beyond death. Bentham's wish for his body to be preserved and displayed as an "auto-icon" – so it could be seen publicly by all. And while his wishes were granted, it came with a few hiccups along the way… mostly with his poor head. (The Strange Story of Mr. Bentham's Corpse) *** Annie Dorman was discovered lifeless with a gunshot wound, sending shockwaves through her tight-knit community. Suicide seemed improbable, leaving detectives baffled and family perplexed. Was it a crime of passion, an accident, murder… or truly suicide? In a similar case, just a few years later, in the serene countryside of Greenwich, New York, the lifeless form of Maggie Hourigan is found, floating in a tranquil pool, speculation runs rampant. Were these cases suicide, as hastily concluded, horrible accidents… or sinister murders? (The Mysterious Deaths of Annie Dorman and Maggie Hourigan) *** AND MORE!CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:02:11.442 = Show Open00:04:40.830 = Supernaturally Sick, Paranormally Poisoned00:21:39.741 = The Mysterious Deaths of Annie Dorman and Maggie Hourigan ***00:34:55.265 = Britain's Last Witch ***00:43:19.651 = The Strange Story of Mr. Bentham's Corpse00:54:21.727 = Eccentric Habits of History's Elite ***01:04:25.454 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Supernaturally Sick, Paranormally Poisoned” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/6bu93dju“The Mysterious Deaths of Annie Dorman and Maggie Hourigan” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/meu37k4m; https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4y9mn9a4“The Strange Story of Mr. Bentham's Corpse” by Melissa Sartore for Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yt6uetju“Britain's Last Witch” by Parissa Djangi for National Geographic: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8by87t“Eccentric Habits of History's Elite” by John Munoz for ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdh2dw3x(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: April 17, 2024Weird Darkness gathers five accounts in this episode: people who fell gravely ill within days of a paranormal encounter, two unsolved deaths of young women in the late nineteenth century, a wartime medium jailed for witchcraft, a philosopher who arranged to have his own corpse put on permanent display, and the private oddities of history's most famous figures.It opens with the argument that anemia and anorexia-like wasting can follow a paranormal encounter within hours or days. The Franciscan monk Joseph McCabe, who died in 1955, catalogued dozens of people who developed anemia soon after nighttime visits he blamed on the Mesopotamian demons Lilu and Lilitu. Albert Bender, the Bridgeport, Connecticut man who launched the Men in Black mystery in the early 1950s, endured migraines, stomach pain, memory lapses, and sharp weight loss after three phantom figures ordered him to drop his UFO research, then recovered, married, and lived to 94. In 1982, a fourteen-year-old named Robbie watched a flat black shadow crawl across his bedroom ceiling in Beckenham, Kent, was hospitalized with meningitis, and months later collapsed from acute anemia. Jim Harpur opened his door to two black-eyed children outside Orlando, Florida in March 2008 and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three weeks afterward. In Nova Scotia, Michelle came down with severe ulcerative colitis two days after a vivid Slenderman dream in January 2017. The longest case belongs to Alison, a seventeen-year-old in Texas who shed roughly twenty pounds in six weeks in 1998 while a tall, pale Woman in Black appeared at her bedside each night, starting days after she and two friends used a Ouija board; sea salt and sage spread through the house ended the visits, and she recovered.From there, the episode turns to two deaths that juries could not explain. Maggie Hourigan, a 19-year-old servant in Greenwich, New York, was found floating face-down in a roadside pool on October 20, 1889; a first autopsy by Dr. S. Walter Scott ruled drowning and suicide, but a second team found a head wound inflicted before she entered the water, and Dr. Scott later sued the New York Sun for libel over its coverage and won a $6,000 settlement. Eight years later and a state away, 18-year-old Annie Dorman was found shot dead in her half-brother John Dorman's farmhouse near Cobb's Creek, Philadelphia, on September 1, 1897; the rusty pistol that killed her sat unused on a high shelf the five-foot-tall victim could not reach without standing on furniture that had not been moved, it had been fired five times, and the coroner ruled she was shot by a person unknown.Next comes Helen Duncan, the Scottish medium nicknamed Hellish Nell, who produced ectoplasm and channeled spirit guides named Peggy and Albert at séances across wartime Britain. In May 1941 she announced the loss of the H.M.S. Hood before the public knew, and that November she described the sinking of the H.M.S. Barham, which the government withheld until January 1942. Authorities arrested her at a Portsmouth sitting and tried her at London's Old Bailey beginning March 23, 1944 under the 1735 Witchcraft Act; a jury convicted her on April 3, and she became the last person imprisoned under that law, serving her sentence at Holloway Prison while Winston Churchill dismissed the case as obsolete tomfoolery.After that, the episode examines Jeremy Bentham, the English philosopher born in 1748 who asked that his body be dissected, preserved, and displayed as what he called an auto-icon. Dr. Thomas Southwood Smith carried out the dissection three days after Bentham died on June 6, 1832, but his attempt to preserve the head with sulfuric acid and an air pump left it leathery and discolored, so a wax replacement by the French artist Jacques Talrich was fitted to the seated skeleton. The figure went on display at University College London, where students stole the real, shriveled head in 1975 and returned it after the university paid £10 against their £100 charity demand; the head later served as a soccer ball before being moved to a climate-controlled storeroom in 2002.The episode closes with ten eccentric routines of the wealthy and famous. Howard Hughes wore tissue boxes over his feet and wrote a manual instructing employees how to prepare and serve a can of peaches; Nikola Tesla fed pigeons in New York parks and called one white pigeon his muse; Salvador Dalí napped in a chair holding a key over a metal plate so its clatter would wake him; Marlon Brando dropped ice into hot coffee to drink it at once; Queen Elizabeth I whitened her skin with a mix of white lead and vinegar; Andy Warhol ate McDonald's nearly every day for two decades; Benjamin Franklin sat naked by open windows for what he called air baths; Michael Jackson traveled with a pet elephant named Gypsy on his Bad tour; Charles Dickens walked miles through London at night to feed his writing; and Albert Einstein gave up socks because his shoes already covered his feet.

Of the millions of victims of the Black Death, one was a teenager named Joseph ben Meir Abulafia, who died of the plague in Toledo in 1349 alongside his new wife. His tombstone was inscribed as a conversation with the dead: "I am the man who has seen desolation and destruction, blood and pestilence. The days of my youth were cut short suddenly, in the prime of my life." His unnamed mother survived, left alone and childless, her days filled with "bitter weeping." That inscription is one of seventy-six medieval tombstones from Toledo's Jewish cemetery that preserve the most personal voices of history's deadliest pandemic, a catastrophe that killed an estimated 100 million people in six years and whose aftershocks lasted for centuries. Today's guest is Thomas Asbridge, author of The Black Death: A Global History of Humanity's Most Devastating Pandemic. We discuss how a minor Venetian merchant's business papers, preserved by his widow in a convent, reveal that the medieval trade networks which kept cities fed were also purpose-built to spread epidemic disease across thousands of miles. We look at why the Byzantine emperor wrote about his fourteen-year-old son's death with clinical detachment, how a Franciscan intellectual who had questioned whether other worlds existed died carrying holy water through plague-ravaged Messina, and why the only European king killed by the Black Death was besieging Gibraltar with dreams of marching to Jerusalem when the plague found his camp. The pandemic's most devastating long-term consequences were felt not in Europe but in the Muslim world, where the once-invincible Mamluk Empire was broken by recurrent outbreaks and eventually conquered by the Ottomans, and that this forgotten collapse may have been the true hinge point that set the West on its path to global dominance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode originally aired February 8, 2015. Contemporary theologian and author Father Richard Rohr discusses how we can reconnect to our true self by overcoming the many ways in which our ego blocks our path. A Franciscan priest for more than 40 years and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Father Richard has firsthand understanding of how silence and meditation, deeper spiritual intuition and the inherent experience of love can lead to transformational discoveries within oneself. According to Father Richard, within each of us lies the true self and the false self. The true self, he says, is what religion often calls the soul—your eternal essence. The false self is the persona you create for yourself. Father Richard believes your goal in life is to find and manifest your true self. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.