Christian saint
POPULARITY
Friends of the Rosary,Today, amid the Lent's austerity, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the most sublime moment in the history of time, when the Second Person of the Holy Trinity assumed human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary.At midnight, when the most holy Virgin was alone and absorbed in prayer, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before her and asked her to consent to become the Mother of God in the name of the blessed Trinity.Saint Irenaeus, a holy bishop and martyr of the second century, showed us that Nazareth was the counterpart of Eden.The angel of darkness, the serpent, tricked Eve, who longed for the forbidden fruit and was impatient to enjoy independence. She ate the fruit, and death took possession of her: death of the soul, for sin extinguishes the light of life; and death of the body, which, being separated from the source of immortality, became an object of shame and horror and finally crumbled into dust.Meanwhile, the spirit of light in Nazareth respectfully bowed before her, speaking heavenly language: “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women!”Mary heard the angel's explanation of the mystery, and the will of heaven was made known to her. She, the humble maid of Nazareth, experienced the ineffable happiness of becoming the Mother of God. Mary told the divine messenger, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word.”The obedience of the second Eve repaired the disobedience of the first. The eternal Son of God became present in the chaste womb of Mary, and He began His human life. A Virgin is the Mother of God, and, consenting to the divine will, conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost.The Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception, would become the Queen of all creation.This is Solemnity Day, “Lady Day” or Annunciation, when our Lenten penance obligations are lifted. We should celebrate with some special food or dinner. This feast day forecasts the event of Christmas.The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Dismas, the Good Thief, and St. Margaret Clitherow (1556-1586), wife and mother, one of the English martyrs.March 21, 2025, marked the fifth year since we started praying the Holy Rosary of Mary daily within this community. We are grateful and rejoice in the Holy Virgin as we have found favor in her Rosary — a special grace given to us!-Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!+ Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York• March 25, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ETEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play
He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping. Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius' vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza. Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city's Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans' violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city's main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint. After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.
Frankie is on the road with C. M. Ewan, author of One Wrong Turn, to learn about his journey from becoming a Good Thief to a thriller writer, the horror of confined spaces and which book inspired him to become a crime writer. You can follow Chris on Instagram at @c.m.ewan or visit his website at www.chrisewan.com. Want to talk books? Email us at readandburiedpodcast@gmail.comFollow us on Instagram and Threads: @readandburiedpodcastFollow us on Bluesky: @readandburiedpod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We leave Our Lord's words to speak for themselves in our podcast today, looking closer at the spiritual implication of his message rather than digging into scholarly insights on the text. The former exercise proves deeply important for our interior life, especially in periods of suffering. Understanding that the role James and John wish to possess is actually filled by two thieves leads us to recognize that heavenly success often masquerades as earthly failure and that even when we find it difficult to imagine fruits from our sufferings we can still hold fast to the conviction that heaven knows and honors our faithfulness.
From the culture of nhậu and eating frog legs to save the environment, to cocktails that tell a story and drinking "collagen juice," it's a packed show chatting with co-owner Amelie Nguyen and beverage director Ben Kingstone of Good Thief.
This week's theme is Art. Bob & Robb choose six movies about paintings and stuff. Bob: Great Expectations (18:58), The Art of the Steal (2009) (35:55), The Good Thief (56:48) Robb: My Kid Could Paint That (5:39), Glass Onion (28:02), Blow-Up (48:17) Follow —> Rewind Video: https://rewindvideopod.substack.com/p/follow-rewind-video Bob: https://letterboxd.com/rgdjr Robb: http://robbwitmer.info
In this week's episode, I feature Johnny Fox's Irish Pub on Main Street. I feature Good Thief recently opened in Mount Pleasant. I feature Pasta Polo in Coquitlam. I talk about some Upcoming Food Events that include our Dumpling Fest on September 4, Vietnamese Cooking Class with Chef Cherry Pham on September 9, North Vancouver Tasting Tour on September 11, Tasting Plates Commercial Drive on September 18 and Tasting Plates Westend on September 25. I talk about the Vancouver Folk Music Festival I feature my interview with Zar Electrik Follow me on Instagram, TikTok and X @Vanfoodster as well to visit VancouverFoodster.com for everything food in Vancouver and beyond.
Listen to the Show Right Click to Save Guests Filigree Theatre Above The FoldHyde Park Theatre The Good ThiefWhat We Talked About
Everything outside of planet earth we call “space” or “outer space.” This inversion is about reclaiming wonder for “the heavens,” which has been lost during the onslaught of “The Enlightenment,” for which a better name would be “The Great Flattening,” “The Vanilla-ing,” or perhaps “The Vacuuming” since we have undergone three centuries of sucking the enchantment out of life, making heaven and all spiritual things prohibited from the public square. Instead of lying in the grass or on rooftops looking up in awe at the incredible depth of the heavens, we now are face down looking at Webb telescope pictures of space on our phones. What a buzzkill. The pictures are amazing, but the wonder is gone if we just see the pics as the images of a mechanical automation spun off by an absentee creator. Even the word space tastes like a saltine cracker compared to the triple-fudge sundae of the word heavens. Perhaps you noticed that the word is plural in some translations of the opening line of Genesis. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth.” In some translations, heaven is singular, but most use the plural form. This requires some inspection because we tend to only think of heaven as where God is, but the bible uses this word to mean the sky, the stars, and where the angels and saints live. Before going too far in this inversion, let's set a stake in the ground as a marker. Whether we say “heavens” or “heaven” matters little in the end. What matters is enchantment. When you are re-enchanted to say “heavens” instead of “space,” heaven becomes larger and more inclusive than what the engineers and physicists have taught us to believe. Seeing the “heavens” opens creation back up to link the immaterial with the material. Much like the composite of our body and soul, so are the heavens of the angels and the stars and the saints and the sky. All of God's creation brings the believer a collective wonder. So how many heavens are there? Or how many levels? Dante had ten. But according to St. Paul, there are three. Let's stick with St. Paul. He said, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven.” In the days of creation, we can also read of the three heavens: * Atmosphere or air, the place of birds and clouds.* The starry heaven, what we now call by more dull names, like space or the universe.* Highest heaven. The third heaven. The heaven closest to God. The unseen, invisible realm, is best described in the book of Revelation. Also known as paradise. We still use terms like this today when speaking of the heavens, but we mean different things when talking about heaven at a funeral versus talking about the heavens in astronomy class. The first answer everyone wishes to know is: what is this third heaven? Is it a place? Is it a dimension? We often use metaphors of mountains or clouds with our imaginations, but imagination is a bit dangerous. Popular ideas about heaven imagined by artists suggest that it's all harps and pearly gates. Seems kind of weak. This is likely why many people would rather rock out at a music festival than pursue heaven. Harps and golden gates lack appeal. Did it ever appeal to anyone? I think not. Please set those old artistic images aside and think of them no longer, because Jesus doesn't elaborate when he tells the apostles that he will go to make a place for them, making no mention of harps or gates. He only speaks of “dwelling places”:In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. (Jn 14:2-3)So it is a place, but a place we cannot fully know yet. It's a house of some kind. A good spiritual reading on heavenly places is The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila. Now there is a mystic that needs to be read by modern people. She embraced the mystery of the heavens and had the gift of articulation for this place that can never be fully articulated in human words. Mystics like Teresa of Avila can lead us toward God without giving us a formulaic answer. This is frustrating for us in the age of data because we want to know all the details, but Jesus says if we know him, we will know the way to this house - and that is sufficient for our salvation. We want all the data, but one of the most important steps toward humility before God is accepting that we cannot know all because we are not God. This concept of the “place” of heaven where the saints exist is a mystery, and the greatness of the act of faith, from the Trinity, to the Incarnation, to the Eucharist at Mass is enmeshing our whole minds, hearts, bodies, and souls into these mysteries in humble prayer. This “place” of heaven is yet another wonderful mystery, which is why meditating on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary every Wednesday and Sunday is a great way to spend a holy hour. But like many mysteries, Jesus gives clues. “I go to make a place for you,” tells the apostles there would be a place for them to be after earthly death. The third heaven is that place. In other words, what we usually think of as heaven means the third heaven that St. Paul speaks of when his friend in Christ was “caught up” to the third heaven. This is powerful language. St. Paul, like his friend in Christ, is a saint, which means his soul is in the third heaven, even though the bodily resurrection has not yet happened. A few people have been “taken up” body and soul to heaven already. We know that Jesus' resurrected body and soul went to heaven on his own power, in the mystery of the Ascension. The only other human we know for certain was taken up body and soul into heaven is the Mother of God, Mary. She was assumed into heaven, as in pulled up body and soul. As for us regular humans who experienced the effects of the Fall, we know of three specific people in the bible who seem to have been pulled up to the third heaven. * Enoch in Genesis 5: “walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.” * Elijah goes up to the third heaven in a fiery chariot. * Moses' resting place is unknown and it is a traditional pious belief that he was taken up to heaven. This brings us to one of the strangest events in the Gospels, which is why you should pause on this mystery every Thursday during the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. I'm talking about the Transfiguration, which has much to do with heaven. Jesus takes three apostles to a mountaintop. Jesus turns into pure light. “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.” Now, the light aspect of this event requires a whole chapter of its own, but for now, just consider who appears with Jesus. Moses and Elijah, two spiritual heavyweights, flank Jesus. Notably, these two men are believed to have gone straight up to heaven. Could it be a preview of the third heaven for the apostles? Could it be that Jesus is showing a glimpse of the unseen, invisible heaven? Yes. Of course it is. What are Moses and Elijah doing? They are talking with Jesus. Understand, please, that this is heaven. They are face-to-face and talking to God. To paraphrase another quote from St. Paul, he says that here on earth we see through a glass darkly but in heaven we will be face to face with God. What is happening at the Transfiguration? We see in heaven Moses and Elijah are face to face, speaking with God. That's what heaven is. No harp is needed. Consider the sixth Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Those who have been purified live in rest, in peace, with God, face to face.No wonder Peter is stunned and stammers some nonsense. He hasn't been purified yet for heaven. James and John also fall to the ground when God speaks. And what mere human wouldn't fall to his knees and stammer at this sight? That is actually the correct response. They see their infinite unequalness to God's glory. Seeing Jesus turn blindingly bright and talking to the long-deceased Moses and Elijah - that alone would bring jaw-dropping wonder. Enter in the booming, thunderous voice of God. Then add the glory cloud of the Holy Spirit. Peter, James, and John are alive in space and time, yet somehow amid the Holy Trinity and two of God's most holy chosen people who bore crosses for God to the end, who endured and gained their eternal souls. This would be enough to make us all fall to the ground. But that is the point. That is how we should experience the Trinity. After all, fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and wisdom comes from humility before God. Peter repeatedly learns that God is not his equal or just some extra thing in his life, but that God is infinitely higher and utterly central to his life. Best of all, his preview of heaven in the Transfiguration was recorded by the apostle John so that we can all go there, to the mountain, again and again, and see the preview that Jesus offered. Contemplative prayer done on the mountain of Transfiguration is where the intellect, will, and even the dangerous imagination can seek a glimpse of heaven. We can see the sky and the stars, but we cannot see the third heaven without the help of scripture and prayer. The invisible realm is beyond reason and requires the submission of our intellect and will to see. Another example of a clue about heaven is when Jesus is dying on the cross. He tells St. Dismas, the Good Thief, that “today you will be with me in paradise.” He's not talking about Hawaii. He's talking about the third heaven. It is the place of everlasting worship of God, where everyone lives in obedience to God. And what is paradise? It's not likely what you think. Basically, paradise is where everyone just lives out the Ten Commandments. That is what heaven is: people living in joyous obedience to God and singing together, without trying to win or one-up God or each other. That is what the music of the birds and clouds and stars and planets and angels and saints is. Paradise is kind of like the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas where all the Whos in Whoville sing together out of joy even after all their consumer stuff is stolen. In fact, the Good Thief in his humiliation on the cross is being purged and purified for paradise right alongside God incarnate. He has a change, a repentance, a turning to Jesus. Obedience to God comes late to him, but the only thing that matters is this: it comes. It happens. Yes, perhaps he only labored in the field for an hour, but Jesus is generous and gives him the full day's wages. He's already singing God's praise while being tortured to death. St. Dismas now desires to be obedient, not out of fear, not for the promise of heaven, but out of the joy that comes from the forgiveness of a loving Father. He wants to follow the Commandments and live in harmony with God's will. And what happens when his turn is pure and true? He is granted entry into paradise by Christ. Jesus says that heaven is paradise. Again, no harps. In the end, the third heaven isn't that hard to understand, because it's just people living the commandments and embracing God's love by giving up their will and ego. What St. Dismas discovers in his last hours is what many of us never will, because our own will is in the way of God's will. Regarding this mysterious third heaven, the question of time arises. I spent a lot of time discussing the nature of time in the first inversion. But here we must consider the nature of time once more. This falls into mystery territory as well. Jesus is like a best friend who won't tell all the spoilers, he only tells us what we need to know to have ultimate enjoyment, or what is known as the beatific vision - pure happiness - upon reaching heaven. If we are talking about heaven as the sky and stars, then time certainly exists, as we can track asteroids and land rockets on Mars. We measure wind in terms of miles per hour. But if we mean the third heaven, empyrean - the highest heaven of the angels and saints - then I'm afraid that knowing the nature of time is beyond my pay grade. God is eternal, outside of time, because he created time. The Maker, the Prime Mover, the First Cause is most certainly outside of time, but can also be present in time, as the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the Incarnation of Christ prove. However, what of time in the heavens of the angels and saints? There is an idea from St. Thomas Aquinas and others called aeviternity, which is not quite the same as eternity. This is not much spoken of today, but I wish it were. Time may be different in St. Paul's “third heaven,” where the saints are. Does time exist in the highest heaven? What do we need to know about it, if anything? Jimmy Akin's “Hitchhiker's Guide to Heaven” can help us here. Connected with the question of whether heaven is a particular place is the issue of whether time exists in it.A popular conception is that it does not. The logic is fairly simple: God exists outside of time. God dwells in heaven. Therefore, there is no time in heaven.That's true enough when heaven is conceived of exclusively as the dwelling place of God, but it is not true when it is conceived of as a place that is occupied by angels and by humans after their deaths. In that case, a different sense of the word time is involved.The First Vatican Council taught that God “from the beginning of time brought into being from nothing the twofold created order, that is the spiritual and the bodily, the angelic and the earthly, and thereafter the human which is, in a way, common to both since it is composed of spirit and body.”This indicates that the spiritual realm is created and subject to time. Thus John Paul II taught that eternity, in the sense of being beyond time, “is here the element which essentially distinguishes God from the world. While the latter is subject to change and passes away, God remains beyond the passing of the world” (General Audience, Sept. 4, 1985). In short, time may exist in the highest heaven, or some form that we don't fully understand. But the good news - great news - is that if we partake in the Sacraments and die in a state of grace, we will learn the answer. As far as salvation goes, we need not know the details about the place Jesus prepares. This is difficult, but this is where the mysteries of the faith can be great sources of meditation and humility. God is first. The heavens are mentioned as his initial step in creation. Earth comes afterward. Worth noting here is that the heavens are created, as God created “out of nothing.” That is to say, the heavens did not exist before or concurrently with God. Like time, it was also created. Like the stars and the sky, the highest heaven is also created. The thrones, dominions, powers, and principalities - all are created by God who created all out of nothing. In this order of introduction regarding creation, heaven gets top billing over earth. This doesn't belittle earth, it simply makes an argument that the spiritual realm existed before matter. This is why spirit is higher than matter. This is why we should realize that our soul has a body, too, as the spirit gives life to the material realm. This order also places us in the proper posture of humility before God, because there is an order to creation and even beings within creation.Interestingly, this ordering fits with modern science, but I don't think that's the main point, since the sacred writer was making a point about religious truth, not modern physics. Genesis is not a math book or science book, but a book of higher truths. But still, it makes me pause to notice the accuracy: according to the Big Bang theory, the heavens were created first, if by the word “heavens” we mean the parts needed for making stars. Truly, heavens is a term worth much contemplation, because it can mean the stars and the sky, or it can mean the spiritual realm - or it can mean both - and it does. Just as we have both souls and bodies, so do the heavens. There is the spiritual heaven and the starry heaven. As it turns out, astrology is mostly nonsense, but they are correct about a couple of things: the position of Saturn and Jupiter and Alpha Centauri do matter to us, because like the planets and stars, we also have matter and all of these bodies have a gravitational effect on each other. But the effect of the stars and planets is not focused on us. That's the mistake of astrology. The music of the spheres in the heavens has the purpose of glorifying God, and that's all. Indeed, these heavenly bodies matter to us, because like all of creation, they matter to God. But they do not dictate our moods or beliefs, because all things created by God that didn't experience the Fall are still rightly aimed at God in their purpose. The birds and clouds in the nearest heaven are good, just as the harmonic motion of the starry night is good, but best of all is the highest heaven, where the angels continually sing God's praises. However, the angels are just doing what the stars and birds are, which is glorifying God. Like the birds, we should live our lives as a small humming in the great song of creation. Just as birds sing, we should make our own song of praise. Birds are fruitful and they multiply, working and singing, and so should we. The stars are in motion, dancing and giving light, and so should we. The saints give witness to the lights that we too can become through the humble offering of ourselves for the glory of God. No bird or star competes with God, rather, they are in concert with God. No bird or star attempts to make a name for itself, rather, they make a name for God. The birds, stars, and angels give us the same lesson that Christ did. The education of Christ surrounds us in the heavens, if only we would forget about ourselves to partake in the great play of creation. The goal of life is to reach heaven, yet as Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is among us.” “Repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Forget honor and wealth; look upward to the heavens, as the birds and stars and angels do. The point here is to be inverted in your understanding of the heavens: all of creation glorifies God, from the birds to the stars to the seraphim. This is why the “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus” is sung right before the Eucharistic prayer at Mass. The “Hosts” of this song are the seraphim, the cherubim, and the angels, in the highest heaven, the third heaven. Like any concert, there are lights raised in the audience, moving in unison, and to partake in the divine nature, we raise our light to play a part in this amazing show, so that while we are just one little light, we can see that we are part of a whole. Every anonymous star adds to the majesty of the night sky, despite getting no name or notice. Our little light of faith is part of the whole, and we can share in the joy because of the certainty that God is at the center of all things, not us. Next time at Mass, when you sing the following words, know that you are part of a choir that includes all of creation, from us on earth and upward to all three heavens. This is why the Mass is more than just an obligation, it is a gift: Holy, holy, holyLord God of Hosts.Heaven and earth are full of your glory.Hosanna in the highest.Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest.Further reading:How many heavens are there?The Hitchhikers' Guide to HeavenHow not to think about heaven - Bishop BarronBlasting Holes Through the Buffered Self - Bishop BarronRe-Enchanting the Secular - Matthew Petrusek. Secularism is the predominate worldview in the West. However, it does not answer the deepest longing of the human heart. Did God Create Heaven?Is heaven a place or only a state of mind? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whydidpetersink.substack.com
He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping. Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius' vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza. Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city's Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans' violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city's main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint. After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.
He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping. Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius' vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza. Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city's Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans' violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city's main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint. After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.
Patrick discusses the timeless power of prayer, confront controversial educational content, and explore the difficulties of religious conversations. He tackles hard-hitting issues like heresy, religious prejudice, and evaluating classroom influences on our children's innocence. Patrick empowers parents to be vigilant and proactive in their children's education, and helps unfold the rich traditions of our Catholic faith. At a hearing in NH, State Rep Glenn Cordelli attempted to read from inappropriate books in school libraries. He gets shut down because it's too graphic. The Democrats freak out and then all vote to not let him continue speaking. Too graphic for a room of adults representing citizens but totally cool for middle schoolers! Video and audio from Libs of TikTok. Jim - I have noticed a lot of catholic prejudice. The KKK hated Catholics and other groups hated Catholics too. Karina (15-years-old) - What is the Churches stance on us being able to sin in our thoughts? (16:05) Matt - I am a public school teacher and I recently removed a book that was offensive. There are people fighting the good fight. Homer - There is a famous black protestant minister who goes around to school boards and reads bad things from books to kids. Sig - How did the tradition of saying the 'Hail Mary' 'Our Father' and 'Glory Be' together come to be? Also, since it has been a while since the protestant protest, why don't Catholics start calling them heretics? (24:57) Emmanuel - How do I explain to someone why we pray for people in purgatory in regards to the Good Thief? Did he go to purgatory? Alice - The books in the class room are also coming through online digital learning.
What have Habakkuk, Job and the Good Thief (who was crucified with Christ) have in common? They are all amazing examples of the supernatural virtue of Hope. Today, following their example, together with the example of the Seven Maccabean brothers, I address the meaning of the theological Virtue of Hope. I also suggest great ways in which you can practice it in your daily life. - The topics discussed can be found in the Catechism, numbers 1817-1821. - You should definitely read the Encyclical “Spe Salvi” (Saved in Hope) by Pope Benedict XVI. It's amazingly enlightening. You will not regret having read it!! - Fr. Patrick Wainwright is a priest of Miles Christi, a Catholic Religious Order. - Visit the Miles Christi Religious Order website: https://www.mileschristi.org - This Podcast's Website: https://www.forcollegecatholics.org - To learn about the Spiritual Exercises (silent weekend retreat) preached by the Priests of Miles Christi, visit: https://www.mileschristi.org/spiritual-exercises/ - Recorded at our Family Center in South Lyon, Michigan. - Planning, recording, editing, and publishing by Fr. Patrick Wainwright, MC. - Gear: Shure MV7 USB dynamic microphone. - Intro music from pond5.com
On this episode of Mother Miriam Live, Mother Miriam reads more on the History of Advent from Dom Gueranger. Plus, Mother receives a beautiful email from a Mexican trucker, and what exactly happened with the Good Thief on the cross?To help keep this and other programs on the air, please donate: https://give.lifesitenews.com/sustainlife?utm_source=mml_120723You can tune in daily at 10 am EST/7 am PST on our Facebook Page: http://FB.com/mothermiriamliveSubscribe to Mother Miriam Live at: http://bit.ly/submml Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mother Miriam Live - December 7, 2023 More on the History of Advent from Dom Gueranger A beautiful email from a Mexican trucker Dealing with older rebellious children Given names and confirmation names What exactly happened with the Good Thief on the cross?
If Purgatory is true, how do we make sense of the Good Thief on the Cross? And what about Isaiah’s experience with the burning coal in Isaiah 6? And in any case, didn’t Christ do it all on the Cross? It turns out, there are good biblical answers to each of these Protestant objections. Speaker 1: You are listening to Shameless Popery with Joe Heschmeyer, a production of Catholic Answers. Joe Heschmeyer: Welcome back to Shameless Popery. I’m Joe Heschmeyer. I want to continue the theme of purgatory. At three weeks ago, I think it was, I did a video on the “Subject is …
We've all been raised on heroes and politicians and athletes that feign perfection. But in the Old Testament, the characters are all flawed. They are also all limited, because they are human, not divine. Some do awful things. In fact, they are just like real people. Thus, we all have our limitations, in that the specs of our design cannot exceed various parameters. We may feel ten feet tall but no one has ever been near that height. We may feel bulletproof but every king who has ever lived has passed away into death. This is going to take me a while to get to it, but we are like NASCAR, in that we have predictable speeds and power. We all seek power, but because of our limited dimensions and parameters, dictators and bullies end up like stock cars passing by, with the same engines and spoilers, but with different decals on the exterior to pretend they are unique. Each car is different, while each is the same. This is a both/and scenario. You can see this positively or negatively, but the end goal of each makes all the difference. What are you racing toward? That is the only question that matters in the end. If it's not toward the highest good, then even if you finish in first place, you lose. The Bible also shows our limitations as a group, such as the scapegoating mechanism and tribalism. Biblical characters would be cancelled today in our unforgiving modern era (depending on what party they belonged to). We live in a similar time of scapegoating as the Israelites did. This is because the law of Moses actually understood the problem with scapegoats and had a day of Atonement for sin management. You could call this an SMS - a Sin Management System, to use modern IT language. But today…we just have sin. We don't manage it, because we don't believe in it. We sweep it under the rug and pretend it isn't there. Sin is old-fashioned, so we think. To follow the stock car analogy, this is like ignoring wires showing on tires, where a blowout is imminent. But to use a different metaphor for a moment: sin is best likened to a disease like cancer, where our past unconfessed sins remain with us and grow to enormous proportions. When we read a medical article about someone who had a fifty pound tumor, we all say, “How could someone not know they had a fifty pound tumor?” The articles usually have a picture of the person with the glaringly obvious medical problem. It's baffling to us how someone would not realize something was awry. But most of us walk around carrying fifty pound spiritual tumors, from sins never repented. The sins from one-night stands, burned bridges, anger, hatred, and self-loathing all continue to grow on our souls, and will continue to do so, until the disease is loosed in confession. If only we could see each other's souls. Interestingly, others usually can see our sins better than ourselves, as it's so easy to know why someone else is spiritually ill, but we cannot see our own spiritual tumors. And so much of our sin is about power, or gaining an edge over someone, or protecting our little grove that we consider the self to be the king of. We all have a grove, even if it's only our social media profile, where we feel like the king. But we're not the king. I'm not the king, and realizing that is the greatest relief I've ever had. Knowing I'm a sinner allows me to stop pretending, stop fighting, stop squabbling over the scraps. There is a king, and it's not me, and surrendering to the loving, living God is like having the massive tumor cut away, and all that ugly growth from many years of power-seeking behavior can be put aside. This is why I like the Old Testament. We can see the diseased state of sinful lives. It's so obvious. The supernatural reading of the Old Testament changes everything. (Michael Heiser, who recently passed away, has a documentary for helping you get started in this. Unless you believe in God, and the devil, you will read the Bible like a 21st century American and miss the whole point.) Whenever someone points out the shortcomings of the Old Testament patriarchs or prophets, I want to remind them that, yes, exactly, you are catching on: sin is narrated in the Old Testament for a reason, and that reason is that these people were not the incarnation of God, like Jesus was, but were struggling in the world to work toward his grace, but failing and often choosing sin. The Old Testament, unlike other mythology systems, shows the ugly side of humanity, and if you disagree, go read about Samson again in Judges and see if you still think he was a model for living. If you think of Samson as a saint, please stop and re-read his story. St. Augustine famously said, “It is narrated, not praised,” to help us understand a guy like Samson. But rest assured, Samson is in there for a reason. In fact, the Good Thief who repents on the Cross next to Jesus in his last minute is in there for a reason, a very good reason. His name is St. Dismas, and wouldn't we all be so lucky to turn and see Christ in our last hour, in our last breath? (St. Dismas, pray for us.)There is much to learn from the story of Samson, it's just not that he was a good guy who could do whatever he wanted because God said so. If you read the Bible in that way, such that anyone under the banner of the Chosen people is flawless, then you have spiritually drawn the Monopoly card that reads: “Return to Go, do not collect $200.” You need to start again. If you read about Samson and say, “Well, clearly he was predestined and chosen, so he could do whatever he want.” Just stop. Think about what you are saying. Does it make any sense at all? Samson was supposed to be a monk consecrated to God (a Nazirite) who doesn't sleep around, drink, touch dead things, or cut his hair. And what is his story? It's doing all of those things, and even when he destroys the Philistines, he's not doing it for the glory of God, he literally asks for strength to get revenge. If anything, Samson proves the old adage of “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” and the reason the story of Samson is important is because we see the strangeness of history, of sin, of leaders, of salvation history. When you go to read the Old Testament with “Chosen People” blinders on, you miss the richness of the narrative. As I said, the “white hat/black hat” Cowboy story that Americans want to find - it ain't in the Old Testament. But perhaps Samson did repent in his last hour. Perhaps God used him in ways radically beyond our finite minds. God takes care of the particular judgement for each person, not us. Sacred scripture illustrates lives and the arc of salvation history, and we are like ants catching a glimpse of something so far beyond our understanding, like a rocket, or a surgery, that we must stand in awe of creation and continue on in our faith and work without full knowledge. And that is the mystery of faith - though we can never know all things, we can know some things, and catch glimpses of God's glory and learn the repeated lessons of redemptive suffering, with the Crucifix showing us over and over, that there is no way to heaven but through the Cross. And even Samson can show us that story. Trent Horn wrote, “The Bible is not a sterile collection of perfect people who always follow God's will. It is instead a drama about how God redeemed imperfect people and used them, in spite of their flaws, to accomplish his sovereign and holy will for mankind.”And thank God for that, because a story of perfect robots is not a human story, and is not interesting unless you are under ten years old. The Great Story of Israel has much more going on than Wyatt Earp's showdown. There is indeed a good guy and a bad guy, with God reclaiming the world from the fallen angels, but that is what we forget while we zero in on the individual character or verse. Not only are there fallen angels, there are fallen people, but here's the point: those people are redeemable. Arguably, even the Pharaoh of Exodus is redeemable. Thus, when people get fired up over the violence in Joshua, or 2 Peter calling Lot “righteous” after he offers up his daughters for rape, they are reading it in a way that we don't read or watch anything else. Why are we so dense at reading the Old Testament when we can follow intricate narratives in a ten-season TV shows that shows the depth and nuance of individual characters in a slow-burning plot? Why do we choose to read it like children? It's simple. Most of us haven't really read it. If we have, we have not since we were children, so we got the white hat/black hat version of it, which is fine…until you are no longer a child. We haven't even had a tour of the adult version, which is a much more serious and dark version. The flood story alone goes from being a happy pack of animals on a ship to an utterly terrifying world-ending mayhem. Another possibility is that we received a dumbed-down fundamentalist reading of it, which is great for becoming familiar, but not for depth and nuance. And when I say fundamentalist, I mean both the Fundamentalists and the New Atheists, because both read the Bible in a way that gets little or nothing out of it. I can't stress this enough: reading the Bible using the four senses of scripture is how it opens up into a four-dimensional trip. So many people charge in and say, “I'm going to read the Bible in a year” and they get to Leviticus or Numbers and stop because it's boring and appears to be unrelated to the modern world, when in reality, all of it is central to the experience we are living in right now. If you are going to read the Bible in a year, follow the Bible in a Year tour guide, Father Mike Schmitz, and it will go far, far better than doing it on your own. But the main reason why adults read the Bible like cowboy stories is this:We read the Old Testament like ten year old pro-wrestling fans because we don't understand that we are living in a spiritual war. In our modern assumptions about the world, we forget that ghosts are real. We use the word soul but laugh at the idea of ghosts. But the word is the same. We just have a cartoon version of “ghost” now due to TV shows like Scooby-Doo and Caspar, but we still know that we have souls in the quiet places of our hearts and minds. Our adult, data-driven minds forget that there is more types of knowledge than what can be graphed or measured. We don't accept that there is more than just matter, but also spirit. Admitting that angels and demons are real does not often come from college educated lips. Why? Because we think we know better. Frankly, we don't read the Bible believing that God is real. Thus, we don't understand the overarching story that leads to Christ's defeat of the devil, and thereby miss the entire point of the entire library known as the Bible. If you don't believe in the devil, then you probably don't believe in God. If you don't believe in God, you probably don't believe in souls. If you don't believe in souls, you don't believe that you could spend eternity in either heaven or hell. But you can. And you will. This is the root problem for many of our social and mental maladies as well. We have numbed the part of our brain that allows for belief in the supernatural. We have flattened God into “all religions are the same” when they are anything but the same. This is why whenever I read about an academic paper that suggests “all prehistoric peoples were egalitarian” I know immediately that I am reading modern propaganda, because not only do we not know that, but the authors of such things also have an agenda and bias, usually one that matches either liberalism, utilitarianism, postmodernism, post-colonialism, or (most often) socialism and communism. In short, an anti-Christian bias. And if you don't think that is true, enroll in a modern University and test this hypothesis. Attend any class in the departments of anthropology, history, English, or really any of the humanities, and listen for commentary on organized religion or belief in the supernatural. Anything that poses as science denies the supernatural, as it should. But, many things that pose as science are not actually science. There is an ideology creeping in everywhere, and the goal of any ideology is power. Universities have a spiritual nature, too, but the spirit is not from God. And in denying God, they fear language that speaks of God. A bias against Christianity is dogma today in nearly every school, public or private. The only lens you as a student can choose is the tinted goggles of modern scholarship. The creeds of modernism demand a denial of the supernatural, which is odd, because in the end, the supernatural will deny the modern man and woman who doesn't cooperate with the free offer of grace. If a history professor in his hiring interview suggested that Israel was a chosen people by God selected to bring about the Savior of souls, it's difficult to imagine a callback happening for a second interview. That alone would be immediate cause for moving on to the next candidate to find someone who assented to the belief that all cultures were equally un-chosen. In higher education, the era of Christendom is treated like a child, one that never matured, but now we know better. It almost seems like the academic world has tried to put Catholicism into a group home for the elderly, so that it could be ignored. But the primary reason it's not talked about is not that Catholicism isn't true, it's that Catholicism is a constant thorn in the side of the polite power grab, and power requires its enemies to be silent. The creed of today is more aligned with the religion of humanism or socialism than Catholicism, but it is every bit as religious in nature. Because of this, universities have become a self-congratulating, backslapping loops of nonbelievers, where the jockeys in the horse race for tenure require adhering to specific speech codes, and shutting out all comers. We are in the Grove. The nonbelievers have a standing army, and whoever comes to slay the slayer will be the next priest-king. But the thing about power is that it's all the same. Meet the new boss; same as the old boss. It's like NASCAR (back to the main metaphor). Every power seeker is ultimately the same. It is only the king who is the Suffering Servant that is different. Every single other power-seeker preaches the opposite of the Beatitudes. Like race cars, ideology that seeks power is trying to win a race. What is the race for power? It's the idea that there is a solution to all the world's ills through a set of ideas, rather than through God. In NASCAR, cars must be built a certain way. Mechanics and engineers can only massage and tweak the strict engine and chassis requirements so much before the speed tops out, as by physics there is a limit to what can be done. There's a blocker on what can be done with these cars. It's the same with ideology, because like stock cars, ideas cannot exceed their worldly dimensions. Materialism, in all its forms, can only use the things of this world. Thus liberalism, capitalism, socialism, scientism, techno-utopia, postmodernism, utilitarianism, and the rest all have “the solution” to win the race, to stave off pain, to bring worldly victory, to bring heaven to earth. But if there is one thing Jesus showed us is that suffering is part of our lives here. Even he who cured diseases and cast out illnesses still had to suffer, and suffer greatly because of sin in the world. The cause of all suffering is personal sin, not external enemies, and until everyone realizes that we will indeed have oppression and suffering. The remedy is to follow both Commandments, to love God first, and then to love others as Jesus loved us. This is the lesson: that we must first seek the kingdom of God, and accept what suffering may come. When God is ready he will bring heaven to earth, and not before. The stock cars of auto racing are like the stock beliefs of ideology that block the supernatural from our lives. I do believe that there is half of us that love God (or think we do) and another half that loves others (or pretend we do), and both are firing on only three cylinders instead of all six. You must put God's love and love of others together to exceed the restrictions of this world's physics, and yet - and yet, like NASCAR, there are still rules to follow while doing it, called the Commandments, and the way to do so is spelled out in detail in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.But our modern gods of culture is limited by the constraints of unbelief. Unbelief in corporations, academia, and the media means we must assent to belief that we are alone, that God is not alive. So obviously, our efforts try to solve all suffering with ideas, and to break the physical and spiritual laws using ideology, which always ends up breaking all rules because it turns into a religion. This is why we can all laugh (and cry) at the line: “In capitalism, man oppresses man. In communism, it's just the opposite.” Power that defers to no Higher Power cannot accomplish what it sets out to do, which is to create heaven on earth. All of the kings of this world are the same people. What Democrats and Republicans in America often do not understand is that they are the same people, just as the Nazis and Communists were. It's like any NASCAR feud. Take the skirmishes between Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick at Bristol, for instance. Two drivers nearly duked it out over a race, while the crowd cheered it on. What are the drivers after? The Cup. The championship. The power. What does the mob want? They want whichever car they cheer for to get power, so by proxy they can feel powerful. That's what fandom is, just like world politics. We only wave flags because we want our side to win, because our side, we believe, has the ideology that deserves to win. But whoever wins the power only matters in how they wield the power and to whom they give glory toward. To follow this through a bit more: both drivers are pretty much interchangeable, just like the cars they drive. They have both been blessed to be in racing families and God-given talent and surely a convenient sets of fortunate happenings to get them into the elite and small field of NASCAR racing. They have, in a sense, hit the lottery of gifts in terms of auto racing. Now, if Kevin Harvick's soul was swapped into Chase Elliott and vice versa, it's likely the drama would be the same, because they would still be driven to win the Cup. But it would also make a good Freaky Friday style of movie, as after the swap, Kevin Harvick would realize that Chase Elliott and his mechanics are probably decent guys in the same pursuit of the Cup. Perhaps he might return to his own body full of love for his enemy and a new appreciation of the sport of racing. Better yet, a terrific ending would be when both resume racing for the greater glory of God, like the dude in Chariots of Fire, who ran for love of the game, not the trophy, as his angry opponent did). The reason Jesus is so interesting to every generation is because he's obviously different from every other power seeker in human history. Why is he so different? Because he's not seeking power. He already has it. All of it. And so he's giving it all away, all the time, and serving us all, who really don't deserve it. He's like the lowest guy in the Pit Crew who hands the lead mechanic the wrench and gets yelled at for doing it too slow, and then doesn't object or complain despite being the inventor of the automobile and greatest mechanic in the universe, the Creator of all things. Thus, reading the Bible in the light of power is illuminating, because we are living in a time where the West, that has been under the power of classical liberalism and humanism, is turning toward atheism and strange brands of Gnosticism, and quite literally every heresy since the Resurrection. For those who win power on earth, they will have their prize. They will gain the “Commanding Heights” of economies and governments - for awhile. Then when we tire of that driver, another stock car will come along, with a new ideology and flag, and will replace it. And whoever wins the Cup, inherits the fear of losing it. The shame and honor culture is ballooning now, and will continue to do so, and when power is lost, or perceived to be threatened, the scapegoats will be trotted out, as usual. Power games are so predictable that it looks no different than the Daytona 500, except the Daytona 500 brings more joy to people, because the winner of a car race doesn't promise heaven. As soon as the winners in society get what they want, and believe they have saved the world (if only everyone would fall into line with their plan), they begin to oppress the world in a new way. Some winners are better than others, and those are the ones that - at least nominally, like Thomas Jefferson - tip the hat to God for what they have been given here on earth. But the tip-o-the-hat to God can be used as a smokescreen for blatant power grabs, too. All ideas and movements that promise to bring heaven on earth are false. Because only God will do that, and he will do that in the last day, when Jesus returns. (Also, pro-tip: the “Rapture” as you may understand it was invented some 1800 years after Jesus. As I advise friends out of love, stop reading fiction by Dan Brown, and do the same for Tim LaHaye.) When the Bible is read as it is not intended to be read, it becomes a dead letter. When it is read through the lens of NASCAR, you can easily see what the Assyrians, Babylonians, Herodians, and even what the Israelites are doing. But the lesson is this: no power is given here on earth except what has come from God above. This is what Jesus tells Pontius Pilate, who thinks his hard work and pluck has made him governor of Judea. This is incorrect, according to Jesus. This also explains the violence in the Old Testament, and how a tiny army could overrun Canaan, or how Abraham with three hundred men could overrun the Five Kings who capture Lot. Just as the nation of Israel gets its power from God, it is also taken away by God, through other people. Other nations appear to “take” the power, but God's plan is somehow always working within this world, especially when we cannot understand it. In many ways, we are like a dog staring at a stock car race, having no idea why cars are going in a circle. All power here in this world is given by God, and we should serve in humble gratitude if it comes to us, as we have free-will to reject or cooperate with God's grace. He gives us all sufficient grace to use our intellect and will to realize that we need a savior, and no one in the end can say, “I didn't have enough evidence to believe,” as Bertrand Russell famously imagined he would tell God after he died. Any political power or NASCAR champion must understand: the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. And the answer in both cases, winning or losing, is to become humble before God and to keep his Commandments. When Israel conquers Canaan, people fail to understand that God is granting power to Israel, and when the nation later sins terribly, and repeatedly, God takes away what was given. This is not Prosperity Gospel interpretation, this is Humility Gospel. In the book of Job, after he loses his family and wealth, his buddies say, “Perhaps you just weren't holy enough, and that's why all this suffering has come your way.” That's the Prosperity Gospel in one line. “You just weren't holy enough to be rich.” To which I would say: who is more holy than Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate? And what happened to him? He suffered. Even if you serve God, you may suffer in this life, and still the answer, as Jesus showed us, is to pray and bless the name of the LORD. Even in his agony, Jesus cried out to God, quoting the 22nd Psalm, which many people are confused about. I was confused. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'” As a child I thought, “How could Jesus seem to think God left him if he is God?” The problem was that I had no idea that he was quoting the first line of a Psalm, which is a beautiful prayer for times of suffering. He was praying from the Cross, and even in his final words, he offered his spirit to God, and when he appears most defeated, most powerless, he is about to show what real power is on the third day when the women come to the empty tomb. Jesus doesn't need power over the Romans, because he has power over what the Romans fear most, which is death. Seriously, I urge you: get a good study Bible and read using the four senses of scripture. If we only read it as “Bible as Literature” or as breadcrumbs for cultural or archaeological or historical events (and we now define “history” much different than the sacred authors did), then it's no wonder that confusion around the truth is making such a comeback. At least the fantasy of Norse gods addresses a need for the supernatural in people. People need religion, one that transcends this world. And if they don't follow a religion, they will find one or invent one, and what it leads to is ideology, and always in the end, the will to power. This is exactly what Jesus came to destroy. Because that kind of “power based” thinking is from the accuser, the divider, the father of lies. If we see the world as a power struggle, then we cannot yet say, “I was blind, but now I see.” The Christian way of seeing the world is not the same as Nietzsche or Marx or or Hitler or Stalin or Foucault or Kendi. You must put on the mind of Christ to step out of the circular “head that eats the tail” model of the world. If you forget this, and think power is the narrow gate to heaven, you won't see the big picture. You will forget that God exists. To forget this is folly. To forget God is the same as rejecting God. Because you will lose the context, and perhaps much else. If you are looking for single verses to mock, you may become more focused on the body than the soul, and though the body is important, it is not the only thing to be concerned with. When you lose awe, wonder, and reverence for the real power that created all things, you may forget the most important thing, which is the Creator. The danger then is to think that this world and your body is all that there is. Once that happens, you will be distracted, which is what the devil prefers. Jesus gave us clear instructions. He said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” If you think Jesus was just some nice guy, some dude who came to permit everything, you might want to re-read the Gospels carefully. We are not meant to be the king or the judge, we are asked to follow, in servant mode, as Jesus did. He is the one who can give us the rest and peace that we are really looking for, rather than the false power we imagine will bring us happiness. Don't waste your life chasing the little kingdoms and title belts of this world, unless you are doing it for the greater glory of God, and even then, should you somehow be granted power, of any kind, remember gratitude to the real power. Because it didn't come from you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whydidpetersink.substack.com
Pod Crashing Episode 265 Miles Gray From The Good Thief Vassilis Palaikostas, aka "Greece's Robin Hood" has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart.
Pod Crashing Episode 265 Miles Gray From The Good Thief Vassilis Palaikostas, aka "Greece's Robin Hood" has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart.
A mysterious manuscript gives us an inside look at Vassilis's first prison escape, and explains how his moral code took shape. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka “Greece's Robin Hood” has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka “Greece's Robin Hood” has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka "Greece's Robin Hood" has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka “Greece's Robin Hood” has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka “Greece's Robin Hood” has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka “Greece's Robin Hood” has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka “Greece's Robin Hood” has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka “Greece's Robin Hood” has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Patrick continues his conversation with Lawrence from the end of the last hour. Patrick explains what an Apostolic Pardon is. Barbara - If the Good Thief did not have to go to confession, and Jesus gave him a free pass to Heaven, does it contradict the theology and all the hoops we have to go through as Catholics to go to Heaven? Victoria - Worried about sister who is married with two kids, but not married in the Catholic Church. I don't see her husband being helpful with the kids. He emotionally abuses her. Because my sister is Catholic, can she still divorce him? Is it advisable to divorce? Jacinto - Is God's real name Jehovah? Will – What is the age of reason for communion or confirmation? Mary - How one goes about changing the Roman Missal? What would it take to say “body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ” when distributing communion in order to increase the number of Catholics who believe in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Vassilis Palaikostas, aka “Greece's Robin Hood” has been on the lam for 14 years. In his absence, legends of his generosity have grown. But no one knows where he is, or if the stories are even true. Here's what we do know: there's a million Euro bounty out for Vassilis, and a 24-hour task force trying to track him down. When he robs banks, he shares the money with the poor. When he kidnaps industrialists-- and he only kidnaps those who are known for unfair labor practices-- they give baffling interviews showing how he opened their minds. And when he escapes heavily reinforced prisons, as he's done ... by helicopter ... twice, he does it without harming a guard. Join host Miles Gray and our team of Greek reporters as we follow Vassilis' trail from Athens to tiny islands to remote mountain hideouts. Along the way, we'll meet Vassilis's inner circle, chat with police chiefs and prime ministers, and work to understand how this thief managed to steal the country's heart. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Miles and the team learn how Vassilis and his gang pulled off the biggest bank robbery in Greek history without firing a single shot. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Miles and the team learn how Vassilis and his gang pulled off the biggest bank robbery in Greek history without firing a single shot. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Miles and the team learn how Vassilis and his gang pulled off the biggest bank robbery in Greek history without firing a single shot. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Miles and the team learn how Vassilis and his gang pulled off the biggest bank robbery in Greek history without firing a single shot. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Miles and the team learn how Vassilis and his gang pulled off the biggest bank robbery in Greek history without firing a single shot. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing the first season of OUTLAWS: The Good Thief. We're on the trail of Vassilis Paleokostas, Greece's most-wanted man—a real-life Robin Hood known for stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Fourteen years ago, after pulling off a string of unbelievable heists, Vassilis disappeared. Where is he now? And why does his legend still have such a hold on people? Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
#176 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, How To Blow Up A Pipeline, The Good Thief Welcome to the week of entirely fun movies. James Gunn's final Marvel film also marks as the finale of a fun-filled and exciting trilogy of misfits in space. A wholly unique in visuals-and-style movie, Volume 3 provides a hardcore PG-13 rating and emotional payload. How does blowing up a pipeline work for our current political state? That and the procedural and motivational elements of people willing to commit such destruction is what drives How To Blow Up A Pipeline. Lastly, this year is the 20th anniversary of Neil Jordan's The Good Thief; a savvy and gritty but good0natured heist film. Filled with charisma and a little bit of luck, this film is always golden to watch. Next Time: Fast X, Still, Better Luck Tomorrow Recent Discoveries: Luke: Ralf: Sisu Oscar: Sisu, Ambulance, Free Solo Show Notes 00:00:00 INTRO 00:11:39 Recent Discoveries 00:21:51 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 00:39:01 spoilers 00:55:56 How To Blow Up A Pipeline 01:14:14 spoilers 01:34:47 The Good Thief 02:02:47 EXIT
Patrick answers listener questions about if it's fair that the Good Thief went to Heaven, did Adam and Eve have guardian angels, and is it wrong to hold hands a Mass Melatonin overdoses in children are on the rise. Patrick shares what parents need to know Email – How is it fair the Good Thief get to go to Heaven? Kayha 8-years-old - Did Adam and Eve have guardian angels like we do? She just turned 8 on Wednesday. Richard – is it wrong to hold hands with my family during the Our Father prayer? Liz - Melatonin is actually something you don't want to take long term and consistently. Carlos - He has two siblings that are not married in the church but they do have kids. What can I do as an older brother to convince them do the right thing? Jessica - She is on her way to a widows retreat. While listening to the kids' question about the guardian angel prayer, she remembers her husband used to say that prayer and she's taking it as a sign from her husband that she will be okay on this retreat. Flo - She has a new friend who is growing in her faith since she lost her husband. Her daughter-in-law is challenging her saying how she believes it all?
Transcript: https://bit.ly/40qXsx9 Proofread
JESUS PROMISES HIS KINGDOM TO THE REPENTANT THIEF – Jesus Walking in the Way of the Cross (VIDEO LYRICS TO MUSIC: There next to him two unrighteous men Who'd wasted their lives on taste for their sins One spoke with no worry through his dying breaths With mocking he cried out to Jesus ‘Are you not the Christ are you not the king Are you not the man that you claim to be Climb down from this tree kill the men at your feet And save yourself' The other said ‘Have you no fear this is God whom you speak The one of us three who hangs underserving For our sins paint us black by our sins we were cast Can't you see this man is white as driven snow ‘Lord remember me When you come into your kingdom'… ‘Truly I tell you this very day You will be with me in my holy place In paradise in paradise forever' MESSAGE SUMMARY: In 1854, Frederick William Faber wrote a poem entitled ‘Souls of Men, Why Will Ye Scatter?' It was soon after fit with a tune, and sung as a congregational hymn both under its original name and the now more common title, ‘There's A Wideness in God's Mercy.' Though it is difficult to differentiate between Faber's original work and later additions, some versions contain up to thirteen stanzas. But the message of each is the same: how vast and great and wide is God's love and mercy. Three of those thirteen stanzas follow: There's a wideness in God's mercy, Like the wideness of the sea; There's a kindness in his justice, Which is more than liberty. There is welcome for the sinner, And more graces for the good; There is mercy with the Saviour, There is healing in his blood. Pining souls, come nearer Jesus, And O come not doubting thus; But with faith that trusts more bravely, His great tenderness for us. We see this immense wideness in God's mercy as Jesus hangs on the cross between two thieves. These two men, who admit their own guilt (Luke 23:41), call out to Jesus in very different ways. One gives him recognition as the Christ, the other as King. The same titles given as formal charges against Jesus in his trial before Pilate and the Jews. The first criminal cries out for his own life and freedom, and asks Jesus to save them all. But the second criminal rebukes the first. The second criminal knows that Jesus has done nothing wrong. It is as though he somehow comprehends the power and glory of this particular King, despite the group's present circumstances. This criminal most certainly understands that his punishment is deserved. Simultaneously, he knows that Jesus holds the verdict concerning his everlasting sentence. It is from this place that the man asks subtly for something he may not have fully understood in that moment. He makes one simple request, “…remember me…” And Jesus' answer must have been ever-sweet to his ears. “In truth I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (v.43). How deep and wide and vast is God's mercy! How overwhelming is his grace! This man, this thief, did nothing to deserve paradise. In fact, at his own confession, his brutal and cruel sentence of crucifixion was justified. Yet Jesus delivers him reprieve like no other. He welcomes the criminal into everlasting glory at his word. History has routinely called this man the ‘Good Thief,' though in truth he did nothing ‘good' at all. However, he understood the person of the man next to him. He knew that Jesus was Christ and King, and in doing so, was allowed to taste the sweetness of God's mercy that is offered to all. In that moment, this criminal was freed from his cross, because Christ's mercy is wider than the sea. He is freed because Jesus' kindness carries freedom, and in his blood there is full restoration. There on the cross this thief became a powerful example of Faber's words. That we could simply ‘trust more bravely his great tenderness for us.' Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper. TODAY'S PRAYER: The faith of this criminal reminds us that there is nothing we bring to salvation. It is truly a gift. Meditate on this fact. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Fear. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Faithfulness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 23:39-43: “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren't you the Messiah Save yourself and us!'. But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don't you fear God,' he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'.” Further Reading: : Matthew 27:38-44; Revelation 2:7. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Contemplating the Mighty Acts – Palm Sunday and Holy Week”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Latte and Laundry: A home for Catholic women, moms, and hearts
Hours before his death, the Good Thief took a radical course of action and confidently cried out for Christ's mercy: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" - Luke 23: 42. Through an incredible moment of confidence in God's goodness, a man who once lived a life of crime became our first known saint. The thief who stole heaven! How often does the enemy lock up our hearts in fear and shame? We walk around with a massive wall, built brick by brick with our own hands, that tragically becomes a barrier between Christ and us. What if we aren't meant to end our stories as Judas, but rather as Peter? What if Christ desires to display his ceaseless mercy in and through us? If this episode blessed you, I would be so honored if you shared it with a friend, rated it, or left us a review! I always love to connect :suzanne @latteandlaundry.com
Join us for week 3 of our Lenten Mini Series as we go Behind the Scenes of The Passion of Christ through the eyes of the supporting cast. Fr. Nick Ware & Fr. Kyle White guide us on this Lenten journey as we learn more about the hidden figures who walked with Jesus to Calvary.Week three of Lent, we dive into the story of Dismas. Dismas was the “Good Thief” that was crucified at the right hand side of Jesus. He asked Jesus to remember him, and Jesus told him that he would be in Paradise with him that very day. ✝️ Reflections:-The repentance of this Good Thief shows us the importance of the necessary steps we must take to arrive at salvation through Christ. How are we living like Dismas? Can you see yourself in him? -People have Calvary experiences every day. Are you noticing how meticulous that Lord has connected the dots of your life?
Share this link to share the podcast: www.anchor.fm/hieromonk-seraphim-rose
Aaron and James talk about becoming storytellers -- and survivors.Marie Howe's poem “Gretel, From a Sudden Clearing” was first published in Agni 1987, then in her first book, The Good Thief, selected by Margaret Atwood as a winner in the 1987 Open Competition of the National Poetry Series (Persea, 1988). The other poem that Aaron mentions from the book is "Isaac."Watch a reading and conversation with Marie Howe here (~30 min). Poet Sandra Beasley hosts the conversation, which is sponsored by the Howard County (MD) Poetry & Literature Society. Aaron's poem "After My Mother Apologized for My Childhood, We Went to Brunch" can be read here.You can pre-order Aaron's book here or directly through the publisher.You can watch one of the most terrific scenes in Steel Magnolias here. Truvey Jones says, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion" at the 8:30 mark. Watch the cast of Steel Magnolias interviewed on the Donahue show in 1989 here (~40 min)You can listen to Ani DiFranco's fabulous recording of her song "Angry Anymore" here. Watch the official music video for Debbie Gibson's “Lost in Your Eyes” official music video here.
Patrick continues the conversation about confession from the first hour and he answers listener questions about where in the bible it says we should confess our sins to a priest, if we should be looking for spiritual direction while in a confessional, and he responds to an email that says this show is all “doom and gloom” (00:19) Where in the bible does it say we are supposed to confess to a priest? Lynn - Is confession the appropriate time to look for spiritual direction or should we be considerate of others in line for the sacrament? Jude - Confessing our sins to each other and a lot of people confess their sins to a bartender. Cynthia - My protestant friend has a dead person's ashes but really wants the urn that the ashes are in. How do I explain to him that he shouldn't just dump out the ashes? Patrick shares news of a new book of prayers for laypeople ministering to the sick will be out soon Sam - Is it okay to pray to someone who is not an official Saint declared by the Church? Chris - Is someone falls into mortal sin, do the good things they did before falling into sin matter anymore (assuming they repent of their sin)? Patrick responds to an email that describes him as all “doom and gloom” Steve - How do I defend the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist to a protestant friend of mine? Tim - Why does it say two thieves reviled Jesus in Matthew and Mark, but in Luke there was a Good Thief?
You would think, if you're the most wanted person in Britain, you would probably want to lie low for a little while and think that the all-too-happy-to-get-kidnapped abbot with the big bags of gold strolling through Sherwood forest might be an obvious trap. The creature is why you don't want to eat a big meal and then go into battle. -- Links! Scoundrel! Check out the story of Sarah Wilson: https://myths.link/scoundrel Our membership! It still exists! https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership -- Sponsors: June's Journey: Get that Sherlock feeling. Download June's Journey today in the Apple App Store or Google Play. Chime: Don't wait, apply for a free account at http://chime.com/myths Grove: Go to http://grove.com/legends and get a free gift set worth up to $50 with your first order! Shopify: Go to http://shopify.com/legends for a free 14-day trial, and get full access to Shopify's entire suite of features! -- Music: "Access Road" by Blue Dot Sessions "Babble Babble Brook" by Blue Dot Sessions "Ballade" by Blue Dot Sessions "Cold Summers" by Blue Dot Sessions "Slow Dial" by Blue Dot Sessions "Tionesta" by Blue Dot Sessions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cliff - In the St. Michael Prayer I see a lot of "safeguard" instead of "defense" and "cast" instead of "thrust." I find this disturbing. I'm supposed to blame Vatican II right? Is that how it works? The latest Quinnipiac poll finds Joe Biden with a 26% approval rating among Hispanics — lower than his rating among whites. Being bilingual slows down brain aging Bill - Is Purgatory mentioned in the bible? The Four Types of Pride and How to Root Them Out Joseph - My Baptist friend says that the Good Thief story proves that there is no purgatory. How would you respond to that? Tracy - How can I address the “once saved always saved” question from Protestants?