Podcasts about Holy Father

He was born in Sykeon in Galatia in Asia Minor. (The Great Horologion says that he was born out of wedlock; the Prologue that his mother, Maria, was a rich widow; in either case, he was reared by his mother alone). At the age of ten, Theodore took up a life of strict asceticism, devoting himself to prayer, fasting and vigils. His mother planned for him to enter the military; but St George appeared to her in a dream, telling her that Theodore was to serve the King of Heaven rather than any earthly king. After this, Saint George appeared to Theodore many times, sometimes instructing him, sometimes saving him from danger. After a trip to the Holy Land, Theodore became a monk in Galatia — we should say "officially became a monk," since he had been living as a monk from the age of ten. Once he had taken monastic vows, Theodore redoubled his ascetical labors, which exceeded those of any other monk of his time: for his asceticism, he was sometimes called the "Iron-eater." Around 584 was ordained Bishop of Anastasiopolis in Galatia, much against his will. He served his flock faithfully for ten years, then begged to be relieved of his episcopal duties so that he might return to his beloved monastic life. Even during his lifetime, he was famed for his miracles and his authority to cast out demons. He departed this life in peace in 613.

New York Post financial correspondent Lydia Moynihan joins Fox Across America With Jimmy Failla to shed light on how Harvard University has been treated more than fairly when it come to the amount of government funding the school has received. Jimmy reacts to the passing of Pope Francis, and reflects on his open experience nearly crossing paths with the late Holy Father when he visited New York City back in 2015. PLUS, host of “My View with Lara Trump” Lara Trump checks in to explain why she isn't buying the media's latest attack pieces about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. [00:00:00] Pope Francis passes away at the age of 88 [00:37:07] Media continues to go to bat for so-called “Maryland man” [00:55:36] Lydia Moynihan [01:14:07] Another hit piece about Pete Hegseth [01:32:20] Lara Trump Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we honor the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. --------------------------Jesus says to let the children come to him—here's why we should follow their example.Disclaimer: The ads shown before, during, or after this video have no affiliation with Morning Offering and are controlled by YouTubeEvery morning, join Father Brad as he begins the day with prayer and reflection. In a few short minutes, Father Brad guides you in prayer, shares a brief reflection grounding your day in the Church's rhythm of feast days and liturgy, and provides you with the encouragement necessary to go forward with peace and strength. Let us do as the saints urge and begin our days in prayer together so as a community of believers we may join the Psalmist in saying, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3-4)________________

Canon Stephen Sharpe, ICKSP serves as Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph Shrine in Detroit, Michigan. He was ordained in 2020. DESCRIPTION: In Today's Show: Why does the Church mourn for 9 days after a Pope dies? What advice can you give to Catholics who find themselves defending themselves against criticisms of Pope Francis? What is Catholic teaching on actors kissing someone who is not their spouse within the context of a movie? Are there any indulgences attached to those who spread awareness of the ICKSP through car stickers/decals? Why does the Master of Ceremonies server in the Institute fold his hands differently than the rest of the servers? ​​Is it valid to cover the Altar Crucifix with a picture of the Risen Christ?  Can the next Holy Father cancel or do away with the future synods? Does it matter what color veil married women wear to a Latin Mass? ​​Will Carlos Acutis' canonization be postponed until there is a new Pope? Can you explain why there are fewer nuns these days at my weekly Mass? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Thousands have been gathering at Saint Peter's Square all day to mourn the Holy Father's passing. President Trump spoke to Catholics, and US lawmakers and world leaders have been reacting to the news of the pope's death all day. All while, US Cardinals held a memorial for the late pope at the National Shrine.

May you see the face of God, and live, Holy Father. May the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in Peace.Thank you to our Patrons / Channel Members:Jason YaokamKate ElminiCarol JBrenda AllorAllan SmithKathryn BurksEmilio PereaFollow us @gladtradpodcast Video Episodes on Youtube

Dr. Matthew Bunson and Joan Lewis join for their insight into the happenings in Rome after the death of the Holy Father. Plus, Joseph Pearce gives understanding on how to embrace the sadness, suffering and goodness of the Catholic faith at this time...and Nate Wine of Corporate Travel advises travelers to Rome this week as events shift and hold after the death of Pope Frances

Pope Francis passed away this morning. He was 88 years old and had served as the Holy Father 12 years. We pray for the repose of his soul and for the transition the Church will undergo in the weeks ahead. Greg shares some thoughts about what might or might not happen, and how we should approach those possibilities. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com  

Dr. Matthew Bunson and Joan Lewis join for their insight into the happenings in Rome after the death of the Holy Father. Plus, Joseph Pearce gives understanding on how to embrace the sadness, suffering and goodness of the Catholic faith at this time...and Nate Wine of Corporate Travel advises travelers to Rome this week as events shift and hold after the death of Pope Frances

On today's show Jerry and Debbie take our listeners through a journey of reflexion on the Holy Father's passing and Easter. Join us for Take 2!

"From Thrace, his worldly name being Anastasios, he was a slave to some Turks, and they compelled him to embrace Islam in Smyrna. As a penitent, he was tonsured at the monastery of Esphigmenou on the Holy Mountain. Tormented by his conscience, he desired to wash his sins in his own blood, so he went to Smyrna, where he showed a Cross and an icon of Christ's Resurrection to the Turks. He was beheaded on April 19th, 1819, at the age of nineteen. He appeared to his spiritual father, Germanos, after his death." (Prologue)

He is also called 'Mark the Athenian' because he was born in Athens. When his parents died, he pondered the transience of all earthly things, gave his goods to the poor, and embarked on a plank in the sea, asking God to lead him wherever He desired. By God's providence, Mark was cast up on the shores of Libya, where he settled as a hermit on a mountain called Trache. (Some say it was in Ethiopia, but this seems less likely.) There he lived for ninety-five years, never seeing another human being.   Saint Serapion visited him before his death and recorded his life. Serapion asked Mark if there were any Christians whose faith was so great that they could say to a mountain 'Get up and cast yourself into the sea,' and it would be so. Immediately the mountain on which they stood began to move like a wave, but Mark raised his hand and stilled it.   On his deathbed, St Mark prayed for the salvation of all men and gave up his soul to God. Saint Serapion saw an angel carrying Mark's soul, and a hand extended from heaven to receive it. Saint Mark was about 130 years old when he reposed.

Very little is known of him. He took up the monastic life while still very young, and gave himself without reserve to the ascetical struggle, so much so that in the virtues of humility and obedience it was said that he exceeded 'not only the brethren, but all men.' In time, he became abbot of a monastery. During the iconoclast heresy, he stood unswervingly for the holy icons. Both in his own lifetime and after his death he was endowed with the gift of wonderworking. He reposed in peace sometime in the ninth century.

2 Corinthians 12:5-10….I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.When we look at our lives, they are full of victories and full of setbacks. In these verses, Paul clarifies the true source of strength. God's strength. He also speaks of ‘a thorn in the flesh', placed there to keep him from being conceited. It's interesting to reframe the challenges in our life, failures in our life, and seeing even those play a divine purpose in our lives. What area of your life feels weak right now? What is the difficulty in your life right now?"When I am weak, then I am strong."This message is countercultural to our society which preaches self-reliance. Can you admit your weakness to God right now?Ask for him to give you not only the strength to make it through but also the awareness that in your weakness, He is strong, Turning all things for your good and His gloryLet's pray: “Holy Father, thank you for your power that shines in my weakness. I confess my failings, I confess my weakness, and I acknowledge those areas of struggle and hardship in the very areas where are you are shining brightest through me.”

"He was the son of Juliana, a Christian woman of Armenia. While still a child, he left his mother and ran off to the desert. He was utterly aflame with love for Christ the Lord. In the beginning he entrusted himself to the guidance of a spiritual father, Pharmutius, who was so pleasing to God that an angel brought him bread every day. John later left him and withdrew into solitude. He let himself down into a dry well and lived there for a full ten years in fasting, prayer and vigils. St Pharmutius used to bring him some of the angel's bread, for the angel of God did not wish to bring bread to the young John in person, lest he grow proud through this, so sent it through Pharmutius his spiritual father. After ten years of arduous asceticism in his well, St John went to the Lord and his relics revealed wonderworking power. He lived and was glorified by God and men in the 4th century." (Prologue)

» For the Neville Goddard listener: Get the 30-Day Unlock God Mode Program «  Unlock God Mode is a 30-day program designed to elevate your manifestation skills and and align you with your deepest desires. Join this tranformative course designed to help you connect deeply with life and achieve your goals with clarity and purpose. Claim the early bird sale (limited-time) at unlockgodmode.org ----------------------In this lecture, Neville Goddard explores the progressive revelation of God's name throughout the Bible, showing how humanity's understanding of the divine has evolved. He traces this journey from Enosh, when men first began calling upon the Lord, to Jacob, who wrestled with God but was denied His name, to Moses, who was finally given the name “I Am,” and finally to Jesus, who revealed the ultimate name of God as “Father.”Neville emphasizes that God's name is not external but is within each person, and that to misuse or misunderstand it is to blaspheme against oneself. He explains that many people fail in life because they unknowingly blaspheme by saying things like “I am sick,” “I am poor,” or “I am unwanted,” rather than using the power of "I Am" to affirm what they actually desire.Ultimately, Neville teaches that the highest revelation of God is not just “I Am” but “Father”—a realization that comes when one awakens spiritually and encounters the Son, David, who confirms that the individual is, in fact, God the Father.Key TakeawaysThe Bible Reveals God's Name in StagesFirst, Enosh begins to call upon the Lord.Then, Jacob wrestles with God but is denied the name.Next, Moses receives the name “I Am” as God's eternal identity.Finally, Jesus reveals God's ultimate name as “Father.”“I Am” is the Name of God and the Key to ManifestationEverything you affirm after “I Am” will externalize in your life.Misusing “I Am” (e.g., “I am sick” or “I am poor”) is blasphemy against God.To avoid this, you must consciously assume the state of being you desire.Blasphemy Against God's Name Brings “Stoning” (Limitation)In biblical terms, stoning represents the facts of life contradicting your desires.If you misuse “I Am,” reality will throw stones at you in the form of hardship.Example: A wealthy man who once used “I Am” to create riches but later forgot it and began saying, “I am sick,” thus manifesting illness.God's Final Revelation is That He is FatherJesus' ultimate teaching was: “Holy Father, keep them in thy name.”The moment of awakening comes when David appears and calls you Father.This is the final proof that you are God.You Must Trust in God's Name and Use It WiselyPsalm 9:10: “Those who know Thy name put their trust in Thee.”Your trust should not be in money, status, or others—but in the power of “I Am.”To apply this principle, assume your desired state as already real, and remain faithful to it.The “Ox” (Christ) Gores and Offends Those Who Reject This TruthJust as Jesus offended religious leaders by claiming “I Am God,” this teaching will offend some.Those who reject it will metaphorically “sell it for 30 pieces of silver” (a symbol of denying divine truth).The challenge is whether you will accept the name and power of God within you or reject it due to preconceived beliefs.Everything in Your Life Reflects How You Use God's NameYou cannot leave behind your “I Am”—it follows you wherever you go.If you are not living the life you want, it is because of how you are using “I Am.”Take control of your assumptions and use “I Am” consciously to create the life you desire.Neville's lecture ultimately serves as both a spiritual revelation and a practical guide to manifestation, reminding us that our own consciousness is God, and we shape our lives by how we use His name—“I Am.” ***Download the free Neville Goddard PDF Guide at manifestwithneville.com - Discover the transformative power of Neville Goddard's wisdom with this FREE 60-page guide on his 12 timeless principles of manifestation and reality creation.★ Follow the podcast for daily lectures from the mystic Neville Goddard ★FREE RESOURCES:• Join the FREE Neville Goddard newsletter• Join the FREE Telegram Channel• Feeling is the Secret • Full Audiobook* * *The James Xander Trip Podcast:• Listen on Spotify• Listen on Apple Podcasts• Listen on YouTubeDIVE DEEPER:• The Unlock God Mode Course• The Infinite Wealth Guided Meditation* * *ABOUT NEVILLE GODDARD:Neville Goddard (1905-1972), was an English writer, speaker and mystic. He grew up in Barbados and moved to the United States of America as a young adult. Neville Goddard was perhaps the last century's most intellectually substantive and charismatic purveyor of the philosophy generally called New Thought. He wrote more than ten books under the solitary pen name Neville, and was a popular speaker on metaphysical themes from the late 1930s until his death in 1972.Possessed of a self-educated and uncommonly sharp intellect, Neville espoused a spiritual vision that was bold and total: Everything you see and experience, including other people, is the result of your own thoughts and emotional states. Each of us dreams into existence an infinitude of realities and outcomes. When you realize this, Neville taught, you will discover yourself to be a slumbering branch of the Creator clothed in human form, and at the helm of limitless possibilities.Neville's thought system influenced a wide range of spiritual thinkers and writers, from bestselling author Dr. Joseph Murphy to Rhonda Byrne and Wayne Dyer.He has inspired and continues to inspire millions of readers around the world.* * *SOCIALS:• Neville Goddard Newsletter• Neville Goddard Telegram• Neville Goddard Instagram• Neville Goddard Threads• Neville Goddard Twitter• Neville Goddard YouTube* * *ABOUT THE COURSE

Life feels hopeless sometimes. But Jesus made us such a precious promise! We can know immediately that we'll be with God infinitely. All we have to do is acknowledge Jesus. Recognize that you are a sinner in need of saving, and the only One who can save you is the Lamb of God. Once we accept that gift, we need to tell others about God's promise! Let's live in the love of our Holy Father.

I realize when we have episodes like our last one on Job being humbled by God, and I stress the need to come to Him in humility (I realize it because I have been asked) that I assert over and over that prayer is talking to God., so why stress our humble demeanor in prayer?Today, I use my loving, gentle, earthly dad as an example. As a great and open relationship we had, I did not talk to my dad like I talked to my peers. Not at all!So as we consider our earthy respect, and our close as it is relationship with our Holy Father:"Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man."Hebrews 8:1-2"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire."Hebrews 12:28-29Our Devotional Meditation:Must be, Establish Thy word to Thy servant, As that which produces reverence for Thee."Psalm 119:38Approaching our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer with humble respect. Brethren, let's pray for one another."What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more." Robert Murray M'Cheynee Donation link:https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=G9JGGR5W97D64Or go to www.freerangepreacheronprayer.com and use the Donations tab.Assistant Editor: Seven Jefferson Gossard.www.freerangepreacheronprayer.comfreerangeprayer@gmail.comFacebook - Free Range Preacher MinistriesInstagram: freerangeministriesAll our Scripture quotes are drawn from the NASB 1977 edition.For access to the Voice Over services of Richard Durrington, please visit RichardDurrington.com or email him at Durringtonr@gmail.comOur podcast art was designed by @sammmmmmmmm23 InstagramSeason 007Episode 025

His birthplace and the place of his episcopate are unknown. He was a monk of the Studion monastery in Constantinople, and a disciple of St Theodore the Studite. As a bishop he was severely persecuted by the iconoclasts in the time of the Emperor Constantine Copronymus, enduring hunger, imprisonment and mocking, thus earning the title "Confessor." Saint Theodore wrote a homily in honor of him.

 On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge:  Updates on the Holy Father's continued healing from pneumonia, including his concelebration of Mass in the hospital's chapel    Explains how the diocesan-wide Light Is On initiative invites all to confession and why reconciliation is essential for deepening our faith   Celebrates 25 years of Theology on Tap – highlighting a quarter-century of faith-filled discussions, fellowship, and even a special anniversary beverage!   Emphasizes why stepping away from screens for a day can help us refocus on prayer, fasting, and meaningful connections though the Diocesan Day of Unplugging   Discusses how different dioceses choose varying ages for Confirmation and what it means for faith formation   Highlights the significance of consecrating a new altar at Bishop Ireton and its spiritual impact on students and the wider diocese   Answers listeners' question about where to find God during times of uncertainty and challenges   Tune in for insights, reflections, and updates from Bishop Burbidge and Tom!  What is the reason for your hope? Leave a voicemail for Bishop Burbidge. Some messages will be shared on an upcoming podcast: 703-778-9100  

Fr. Mike unpacks the signs of the kingdom of God that Christ performed while on Earth. These signs of the kingdom are a way for us to see that Jesus is not just “another prophet” but is, in fact, the Son of God. Fr. Mike reminds us that these miracles and signs can strengthen the faith, but they can also be opportunities for “offense.” We also examine the authority that Christ entrusts to St. Peter, and his unique role within the college of apostles, just like the unique role the Holy Father has within the Church today. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 547-553. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

3/18/25 - Bishop Joseph Strickland returns to the show to offer his thoughts on the recent appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy to the position of Archbishop of Washington. What level of concern should Catholics have about the message that this sends given McElroy's shady history, particularly as it pertains to survivors of clerical sexual abuse? What do those survivors, some of whom have remained in contact with Bishop Strickland, have to say about all of this? Bishop Strickland will also offer his thoughts on which Catholic leader he feels may serve as a potential fit to serve as our next Holy Father. Read Bishop Strickland's statement at https://bishopjosephstrickland.substack.com/p/statement-on-the-appointment-of-cardinal More of Bishop Strickland's writings: https://bishopstrickland.com/

Return of the Man-Child (2)  (audio)  David Eells – 3/12/25  I'm going to talk to you today about spearheading the Man-child ministry.  The Lord showed me many years ago that history repeats (Ecclesiastes 1:9) and the events in the Gospels and Book of Acts will be repeated in our day, except the cast of characters will be multiplied many times over, with corporate bodies replacing the individuals of Jesus' day. As time goes on, there is a geometric effect from people passing on to people, and everybody walks in the steps of someone. These are the people about whom we read in the Gospels. The corporate bodies of people in our day have walked in the steps of those New Testament individuals, whether it be Jesus or Judas.   Nations have become empires in our day from the same geometric effect. We recently discussed the lineage of Jesus Christ, which, for some strange reason, was given as the lineage of Joseph, even though we know that Joseph had no physical or genetic connection to Jesus Christ. But he did have a spiritual connection, which was the most important one in the New Testament. Joseph had a gift from God to impart words, actions and examples for the child Jesus to imitate as He was growing up. (Luk.2:52) And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. And He was filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32).  I'd like to point out a few more things from Matthew 1. We read, And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ (Mat.1:16). The lineage given is the family tree of Joseph, but the interesting thing is that “Jacob begat Joseph.” That sounds very familiar. This is referring to Joseph the husband of Mary, but we know that in the Old Testament Jacob also begat Joseph (Genesis 30:22-24). And Jacob was Israel (Genesis 32:28), now he is a corporate body of people. And it's very interesting that Israel brought forth Joseph, who was a Man-child of the Old Testament.   Jesus' earthly father, Joseph, was two things to Jesus: He was a “head” to Jesus, the head of his family, the father Jesus was to submit to while He grew up in that earthly body as a young child. But Joseph also represents the spiritual fathers of these days who are being used to raise up the Man-child. Again, it has nothing to do with bloodline; it has everything to do with the Word spoken and taught and the emphasis on walking the holy life, etc. Joseph also received the revelation from God of the coming Man-child.   He received that revelation from God when it was sent to him through an angel. (Mat.1:18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (19) And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. (20) But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins.   Joseph of the New Testament got this revelation of the coming Man-child and the Joseph of the Old Testament was a part of the Man-child. In fact, you might even say he was the head of the Man-child. Joseph in the New Testament is also the head of the Man-child. In a way, he is the head of Jesus, but he is also a spearhead of the Man-child. (Mat.1:22) Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, (23) Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. Jesus was “God with them” in the Gospels and the Book of Acts, and He is “God with us” today as well because He left an individual body in order to come back in a corporate body, that He might be “God with us” and in us. He was also the reformer of the Church in His day and today we desperately need the same thing.  The prophet Joel spoke about two times in history when there would be a great reformation. Those are in the “former rain” and the “latter rain” (Joel 2:23), in which God would restore all things that had been stolen from His people (Joel 2:25). Over the last 2000 years, by fake teachers, fake leaders and the devil himself, God's people have been robbed and plundered. So God is coming once again in a reformer ministry called the Man-child of Revelation 12.   (Mat.1:24) And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; (25) and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS. Jesus warned us what was going to happen when the events of Revelation 12 come to pass. He said that He would be again like a little baby born to a woman and that the “woman” was those disciples, His Church (John 16:21). Today the “woman” is His Church again. (Rev.12:1) And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.   The Church doesn't look much like this, but there is a body in the Church that we call the Bride. All through the Old Testament, the Bride was not the Church but was chosen from out of the Church. There were also the virgins, the friends of the Bridegroom and other attendees of the ceremony, and those who were invited to the ceremony, besides the Bride. She is not the whole Church, as you'll understand if you read the Book of Esther, Psalm 45 or the Song of Solomon.   The point is that this “woman” to whom He's referring is those who are manifesting the fruit of Christ, just like Mary represents in our Matthew text study. She was a virgin and a bride in the midst of a larger church. Joseph was the head of the Man-child, who was being raised up in the midst of the virgin bride, who was also in the midst of the larger church, and she will bring forth the Man-child. That's similar to King David's position in the midst of Jerusalem, which the Book of Revelation tells us is the Bride (Revelation 21:9-10), but Jerusalem was not all of Israel. It was just the part of Israel that was the leadership. So there's a hierarchy consisting of the Man-child, the Bride, and the people of God. Here we see the woman “arrayed with the sun,” having been clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ and the moon under her feet.   This shows her authority is over the moon, and the moon represents a reflection of the light of the Son. The 12 stars around her head, I believe, is the doctrine of the 12 Apostles in her mind, the renewed Mind of Christ. (Rev.12:2) And she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered. (3) And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. (4) And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child.   (5) And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. (6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (the Man-child) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days. This is the revelation that we're looking at as the type and sign. The letter always comes first; the Spirit comes afterwards. There is more than one fulfillment of prophecy. In Jesus was the letter-fulfillment of prophecy. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 7 that His birth to the virgin Mary was a sign, or an owth, which means “a sign of something to come,” which is what we read about in Revelation 12 and in our end-time, the corporate body fulfillment of what we are reading about in this text.  I'd like to point out something else to you, so that you understand how this is an end-time revelation. Jesus came in the body of the Son of David, as we have seen. That was because He was the offspring of David, naturally speaking. God used the DNA of Mary to bring forth the Son of David and the Son of God dwelt in the Son of Man, the Son of God being the spiritual man and the Son of Man being the human part of Jesus. But the Son of David is coming once again in our day. First, I'd like to prove that to you and then I want to share a revelation with you.   (Jer.30:4) And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. (5) For thus saith the Lord: We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. (6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child: wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins (The Man-child Jesus is being birthed in a company of men today to do this.), as a woman in travail (This is the woman Church in travail with the Man-child.), and all faces are turned into paleness? (Jer.30:7) Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. Most of you recognize “the time of Jacob's trouble” as an end-time revelation of Jacob entering into trouble in our day – Jacob being Israel and also representing, spiritually, the Church.   We remember Jacob's trouble, when he was in travail coming into the Promised Land and was being threatened by his brother Esau, who had already said that he would kill him (Genesis 27:41), and who was leading a beast army out to meet him (Genesis 32:6). And we remember how God preserved Jacob through that time of trouble, showing him favor and deliverance.  That's what is about to happen with the whole Church. (Jer.30:7) … It is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (8) And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck (meaning the Beast), and will burst thy bonds; and strangers shall no more make him their bondman (The words “no more” tell us that its fulfillment is very close to the end-time.); (Jer.30:9) but they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. This was a long time after David, so He's not talking about David, physically. This was about 440 years after David had died, so it's not referring to a past but to a future “David.” Nor is it talking about Jesus, Who was also a fulfillment of this as the Son of David; this is talking about David in the end-time, the “time of Jacob's trouble.”   (Jer.30:10) Therefore fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity … (20) Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me (As it was before, the Lord is once again raising up the Israel of God, as it is called in the New Testament. That is the Church; it's those who are circumcised in heart, not in flesh.); and I will punish all that oppress them. (Jer.30:21) And their prince shall be of themselves, and their ruler shall proceed from the midst of them (The Man-child is birthed out of the midst of the Bride.); and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is he that hath had boldness to approach unto me? saith the Lord. In other words, the Man-child is in the position of authority in the Church and over the enemies of the Church, like David was. David not only fought the battles of the Lord against the enemies of the Church, but he was the leadership of the Church. He was the leadership in the Bride, the Man-child in the midst of the Bride.  So we see that Mary had a Son. That Son was raised up to be her Head. He led her into the wilderness, where He multiplied the fishes and the loaves, and so it will be in the end times also, as we just read in Revelation 12. The Bride brought forth the Man-child, but the Man-child led her through the wilderness as a corporate body. (Jer.30:22) And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. (23) Behold, the tempest of the Lord, [even his] wrath, is gone forth, a sweeping tempest (Yes, and a great storm is about to be raised upon the earth. You will want to have true leadership and the true anointing of the Holy Spirit, even the Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit.): it shall burst upon the head of the wicked. (Jer.30:24) The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it. This is an understanding that has been given to us for the latter days. (Jer.31:1) At that time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. That's all the families, from the Old Testament to the New Testament.  Who is Israel in the New Testament? In the New Testament, if you are not born again, you are not Israel. You have been broken off the olive tree. The Church was grafted into the olive tree which, as God said in Romans 11:26, was all Israel. God will be the God of all the families of Israel, which can only be fulfilled in the end times. (Jer.31:2) Thus saith the Lord, The people that were left of the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. That's what God has planned for in the wilderness, to cause His people to enter into His rest, trusting in His promises.   In the New Testament, this rest is called sabbatismos. (Heb.4:9) There remaineth therefore a sabbath (Greek: sabbatismos) rest for the people of God. That word means “a continual rest,” not one day a week. The only thing that remains in the New Testament of the Sabbath rest is that continual rest. The apostles went into the synagogues on the Sabbath as evangelists to teach the Jews what Jesus had brought in the New Testament. The New Testament Sabbath rest is every day of the week, all the time, because you believe the promises of God. You cease from your works; you enter into His rest. The Man-child is going to bring the revelation of the true Gospel and the true Sabbath rest of God to God's people.  I said all that to say this: I want to share with you a revelation that was given to us. Now you don't base anything on modern-day revelations, dreams, visions or prophecies; you base everything on what the Scripture says. But these things do come to confirm what is written in the Word and sometimes to explain so that you are able to put verses together to explain what is happening. There's a revelation on our website called Spearheading the Manchild Ministry. I'm going to share part of it with you here because I feel that it's very important concerning what we've discovered about a type in the Bible. You might call it a snapshot in the midst of a panoramic view, a snapshot of Joseph being the head of the Man-child as someone who spearheaded the Man-child's ministry by raising-up Jesus and bringing Him into this position as an earthly guide to His humanity. Jesus also had the Father and the Holy Spirit, Who were guiding Him to receive wonderful revelations of Who He really was in this earth and Whom He manifested. He was growing both as the Son of God and the Son of Man.  The Man-child that we know is coming upon the scene now is also both son of man and son of God. The members of the Man-child have a body and therefore must be submissive to parents and authority, but they also each have a spiritual man who is taught of the Lord. We noticed that between the time of the conception of Jesus and His ministry in Matthew 1 and 2, many dreams came forth. I guarantee that's a sign for our day that the same thing is going to happen. The dream and the prophecy I am sharing with you now is a fulfillment of that. It's saying that the same thing is going to happen in our day between the time of the conception of the Man-child and when He starts His earthly ministry. There were five dreams in Matthew 1 and 2 that were to fulfill guidance and protection, and wisdom and provision to the Lord. We know that God is building the Man-child ministry to spread His truths to multitudes of babies about to come looking for answers when this nation is brought into severe chastening.   I share this revelation for your edification and preparation, not to give any credit to myself. The Lord did not choose the wise and the noble and the mighty (1 Corinthians 2:26) because He wanted His power to be made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). I have always told people that's the reason I'm qualified, not because I'm a great speaker (I'm not) or very intelligent (I'm not), or that I went to Bible school (I didn't) or anything, but only because God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong (1Co.2:27).  Some of these things appear to be glorifying me, but I tell you that God is only using me as a type and shadow of a larger body of people. He's using me because my name is David, because I believe in the Man-child ministry and because I have faith that I will, by the grace of God, have a part in this ministry. There's nothing to brag about; it's not us, it is Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).   The Jesus about Whom Matthew speaks is coming again. (Hos.6:2) After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. (3) And let us know, let us follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. Jesus is coming on the morning of the third day, as the latter rain anointing that comes, first of all, upon the Man-child, so that Jesus would live in this Man-child and do His works to be a reformer to the Church. The Lord is coming to shepherd His flock. Most people don't know that. The following is a prophecy given to me by a prophet named Philip, who shared this vision with me. My comments are in parentheses.  The Phoenix Vision: I have prayed for three days now for the holy Father's will in this matter of sharing the vision that I received during a meeting with David as the speaker in Phoenix. (I've often thought about why Phoenix was chosen for this vision. Well, the Phoenix bird as a legend, which I think was a very spiritual thing, aside from its pagan background, is a type of resurrection life. The Phoenix, after its life cycle, flies to Heliopolis, which means “city of the sun,” or to me, “city of the Son,” and creates a nest. Sitting on the nest, it bursts into flames and burns up, leaving nothing but ashes and an egg, which hatches a new bird out of the ashes as a type of resurrection life. So, Phoenix is the place of resurrection life and it was no accident that the prophecy he sent forth occurred in Phoenix.)  I am permitted to share the following: As I prayed with David at the start of the meeting (I led everyone in a prayer before the teaching and Philip was among the people there), I saw the room change into a stadium filled with people and David was at the podium shouting through a microphone that was in the shape of a shofar. He wore a silver yarmulke that glowed as he spoke and from above came a white-golden light pouring down from the sky as a beam of glory, growing brighter with each outpouring. From David's clothing came the same glory, lights pouring through the tzit-tzit on his garment, flowing like fingers through the people. The lights touched the forehead and were grabbed by the right hand of people who became pregnant and began shouting as they were covered in glory. This is the vision that I had at the meeting. The holy Father says that David would know its meaning, if not now, very soon.   Months after that meeting, Philip contacted me again and after he received this: The Holy Father is forming this ministry into His image to spearhead the Man-child ministry birthing and delivery to the world. Amen! He has given this to me in a mighty vision that ran in succession for three nights, along with some other things that I can't say just yet.  Here is the interpretation of the dream. What he's describing here is the corporate body of the spearhead of the Man-child Ministry. It's not just referring to me. He just used me because my name is David. It's not to glorify me; it's to tell you what is about to happen here, that God is raising up a spearhead like He did Joseph in bringing the Man-child ministry to fruition. The full interpretation is given on our website. I had already received a previous prophecy that I would be teaching in stadiums. I thought this might be spiritual because of the rows of people and how a stadium is built. The Word is passed on from person-to-person as each tier speaks to greater and greater circles of people in a geometric progression, like a stadium is built.   In other words, you speak from the middle, and it goes out and reaches the first circle, then the next circle in ever-increasing numbers, and this is how our ministry has been. I speak to a certain circle of people, and they go and speak to a certain circle of people, and I hear back from their children, their relatives, etc. It's just radiating out. Praise God! I've been contacted by many who have told us that they are using our broadcasts, MP3 audios or videos for their home Bible study groups. Also, multitudes are copying our materials and passing them out, so it just enters a larger and larger circle. This has been happening for some time now, but not to the degree that it's about to happen. It will soon happen in a much greater way, as the Lord has shown us.  My microphone resembling a shofar is significant because a shofar turns inaudible breath, which is the same Hebrew word for “spirit,” into the audible voice of the Spirit or the Word, which warns God's people and destroys the enemy, as in Gideon's battle. We are all called to this ministry of being a vessel through whom the pure Word of the Spirit will flow. The people being touched on the forehead by the light from Heaven are those who humbly receive the Word and so receive the renewed mind of Christ. These are grabbing the light with the right hand, which represents those who act on the Word and so have the renewed works of Christ.   The left hand represents the works of the flesh, and the mark of the beast in the forehead represents having the mind of the Beast, which is the opposite of those. So these people became pregnant with the seed of Christ through the Word, which is what recreates in us the life of Christ. Jesus was the Sower who sowed the seed and the seed that He sowed was the Word of God. It went into hearts and brought forth fruit 30-, 60- and 100-fold. Jesus told us, For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother (Mat.12:50). When this seed bears fruit in the womb of the heart and mind, and is eventually birthed to the world, they will be seen as the image of Christ.  What about the tzitzit? We're told, But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings (The “wings” are the same as the tzitzit, the fringe on our garment.); and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall (Mal.4:2). (3) And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith the Lord of hosts. The Man-child Ministry is coming to bring not only judgment upon the wicked but resurrection life to the saved people of God. (Mal.4:4) Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances. (5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. Notice, this speaks of Moses and Elijah, which the Man-child brings into fruition. The Man-child raises up the corporate body of the Two Witnesses.   The disciples were Jesus' witnesses and they went forth two-by-two. They're a type of the corporate body of Two Witnesses, as Moses and Elijah symbolize. Before the Day of the Lord, the Man-child will raise up the Two Witnesses. (Mal.4:6) And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. The Jews believed that the “sun of righteousness” would be the Messiah, Who would have the power to heal whoever touched the tzitzit, or fringes, of His garment. They did not know that this would be repeated in the end-time through Christ in the Man-child company. A light from Heaven poured through the tzitzit of Jesus' tallit (prayer shawl) to heal the sick, just as it will spiritually through the end-time Man-child. Praise God!   The fulfillment of the Phoenix vision is the spearheading of the Man-child ministry. If we're talking about the physical Man-child Jesus, He was born in a physical body of the virgin Mary. But I believe that the Man-child is going to be born over a period of time because we're talking about a very large body of people being born out of the virgin Church. It could happen over a period of time, with the spearhead being born first. Just like Joseph was a type of the Man-child who was born to Israel, Jesus was a type of the end-time Man-child who was born to the virgin Mary of Israel.  Here's another confirmation. The following revelation I'm sharing with you concerning the Man-child's “head” coming forth first is to bring the Word to the world. I'm convinced that in these days, there's a Joseph, or a spearhead, of the Man-child that's coming forth first to bring the revelation of the Man-child to the Man-child Company, and this whole body, including the head, will have this end-time ministry. That's what I have been trying to explain to you through Matthew 1 and I hope we've been somewhat successful. This revelation was given through Leisa Miller in May of 2007. I will interpret (in parentheses) as we go along.   I dreamed that a lot of people and I were on top of a mountain. (I believe that the mountain represents the Kingdom of God, His people, His Church, worldwide.) I could see that some of us were looking at a small but active version of the mountain. Looking at this smaller version, I could see the whole shape of the mountain. (Why see a large mountain and then a smaller version of it? They were seeing a local microcosm, meaning in Greek, “small world.” In other words, we see the Church locally, but there is a Church that's worldwide. She was only seeing in her experience a small part, a small representation or scaled-down version of the Kingdom of God worldwide, the portion of the body of Christ that she was familiar with as part of the worldwide body. Leisa is part of UBM, which will have a part in this movement.)   There was an image in the mountain. The whole of the mountain had the shape of a woman who was pregnant. I could see that she was birthing her child. The mountain would shake and we could feel it. On the smaller version, we could see rocks give way to form the new development of the child being born. It was very detailed. (She saw the microcosm as the woman Church in her fellowship experience began to bring forth the first-fruits Man-child company at the same time as it happened worldwide.) The head and shoulders were out but the water had only begun to break. (This is the head of the Man-child body being born. Could this have been happening for some time? I believe so. It won't be finished until it is finished, but it could have been happening for some time. The head or spearhead of the Man-child ministry will be born first in the microcosm seen by Leisa, as well as in other microcosms.)   Suddenly there was a very hard shaking. (Who knows what this could be. But we have had this revelation given to us many times before, that when the Man-child begins His ministry, something catastrophic is going to happen in the world.) We could see on the little version, water began to flow out. (In the beginning of the coming time of judgment, the head will bring forth the water of the Word. We noticed that Joseph's words were the only seed that brought forth Jesus, the Son of God, the spiritual man, the true Man-child. It had nothing to do with any physical seed because he was not Jesus' physical father, but he did have something to do with that spiritual seed, which the Bible tells us is the Word of God. So Joseph raised Him up as a father would.) The detail of the child became more distinct, and we could hear the water rushing all around us, until it carried us away from the spot where we were standing. (Could this be akin to bringing the Church into the wilderness? It could be.) But each of us could still see one another and somehow we could also see that the whole world was flooding with this water. (Why? Because all she saw was the microcosm. The same thing was happening simultaneously all over the world. The head being born was breaking the water and the water was going forth.)  (What the Man-child lives on in the womb is the water, the Word of God. We have to be born of water and of Spirit, don't we? The Bible tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Mat.2:5) And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet, (6) And thou, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah, For out of thee shall come forth a governor, Who shall be shepherd of my people Israel. And “Bethlehem” means “House of bread,” or “House of food.” Jesus is born in, and is a product of, the Word of God. He is, as John said, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), and “Moses” means “drawn from the waters.” Moses was the man-child in his day. He was a product of the waters of the washing of the Word of God. So the head comes first and it teaches the body. With the breaking-forth of the head of the first-fruits in the microcosm, a great flood of the Word will go forth over the whole earth. This Word is being prepared by books, radio, television, video, Internet, etc. The Lord will use every available method to get this Word out.)   (This move of the Spirit will also carry disciples with the message all over the world. Notice that when the water broke, it carried them all away, just as it was in Jesus' day when He was the Man-child. He sent disciples with the same Word, the same anointing, the same mantle that He had, and they went all over the world. They were called “Christians” because they walked in the power and the anointing of Jesus Christ. This is about to happen once again in our day. A great reformer movement will go forth, but not necessarily a popular one. It will be popular with the people who love God and know Him, but it won't be popular with the status quo or the Pharisees and Sadducees, as we will see shortly.)   We were under the water, but we could breathe. (Abiding in the Word is natural for those who live by the Spirit, which in Hebrew is also the word “breath.”) We saw others caught in this water who could not breathe and were dying. (The Word brings death to the carnal man and his spirit, or breath.) But the water was so abundant that I could not tell which way was up unless I was near an object on the ground that could identify direction. (Beholding the reward of the wicked, as in Psalm 91:8, and the corruption of the earth lets us know what is under our feet and what is the way to Heaven. The earthly will swallow the flood going forth from the dragon's mouth, as in Revelation 12:15, and the heavenly will swallow the flood that goes forth from the Man-child, as Revelation 12:14 says.)   Some of us found ourselves inside a large building under the water. It seemed to be a large farm building where tools, farm equipment, and seed were kept. (For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry (Greek: “tilled land”), God's building (1Co.3:9). It's interesting that this farm and building were under the water. It's a part of God's work, God's building. You are God's husbandry, His tilled land. (1Co.3:10) According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. (11) For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus in the Man-child is about to lay the foundation of God's building and once again plant the seed of the Word over the world. It's a very spiritual revelation that Leisa had there.)   We knew that there were people who were now above the water and were angry at us and wanted to kill us. (The righteous lived beneath the waters. They were baptized in the Word of God which had put to death their flesh. They could no longer die because the spiritual man received life and sustenance from the water of the Word of God. It is a product of the Word of God. But to the carnal man the Word of God is death, so for those to whom the water is death, they will hate the righteous even more because of the increase of truth and fruit in them. Abiding in the water of the Word is a place of protection to them.)  Amen! I believe that both of these revelations have to do with what we're looking at here in the Book of Matthew.  Let's return to where we left off in (Mat.2:1) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise-men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, (2) Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (3) And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Remember those from Leisa's vision who were above the water, not dwelling in the water, not baptized in the water of the Word of God? They are troubled. We can see why Herod might be troubled, but “all Jerusalem with him”? Today, religious people are enjoying their life in the world, their leaders are enjoying their life in the world, and they really don't want the Messiah to come and upset their apple cart.   If you don't believe that, just read the Bible. What kind of a reception did Jesus get? The overwhelming majority of people were anti-Christ. Their leaders were anti-Christ. They had already set up their stage of playing church through their religion and didn't need Jesus to come along and upset them. They were already set in their ways and wanted no reformation whatsoever. Jesus was a reformer and that's what He came for, so we can understand why “all Jerusalem” was troubled. (Mat.2:4) And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. (5) And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet … Why would they tell Herod, whom they knew was anti-Christ, where Jesus would be born? It seems as if they were on the side of the Beast here and throughout the New Testament we see that.   The leadership of the natural people of God, the status quo, was always on the side of the Beast, all the way through the Scriptures. Herod, representing the Beast kingdom, had ambitions to be the king and did not want any competition from this new upstart King coming on the scene. However, Jesus' Kingdom was not of this world (Joh.18:36). He came to be the King over the spiritual, born-again man and to lead God's people to the ways of righteousness and restoration. But Herod and the priests did not want anything to change and so it will be in our day. We have a wonderful reformation ministry coming that will spread over the whole world, bringing the true Word of God and the true Gospel to the whole world, yet it will be fiercely resisted by these people and they will attempt to quash it.   Throughout history, it has been that when God raised up a Man-child or a reformer or a prophet, they were fiercely resisted and hated by the religious leaders and people who wanted to live in the flesh. A person is comfortable living in the flesh and does not want the spirit man to be the ruler and the leader and the guide in their life. They will fight against it as they have throughout history. Nothing is going to change. (Ecc.1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. The Lord is continuing to repeat history.   What we're reading in the Book of Matthew will be fulfilled on a much larger scale, meaning the cast of characters has been multiplied. Herod represents a much bigger body of people in authority over God's people, a worldly body of people that is a Beast kingdom over God's people. Jesus also represents a much larger body of people, the Man-child ministry. The Pharisees and the Sadducees – the Sanhedrin, if you will – represent a larger corporate body called the False Prophet. The Sanhedrin was the False Prophet in Jesus' day; they were the ones who crucified the Christ, the ones who sided with the Beast against God's people, the ones who sided with the Beast against the disciples of Christ; and they were the ones who sided with the Beast against the Two Witnesses, etc. So history is about to repeat on a much larger scale, as it has throughout the Bible, and we're fortunate enough to read Matthew as not only history, but a very accurate prophecy.   All of the Gospels and the Book of Acts, even though they recount history, are speaking a prophecy because the Bible says, “That which hath been is that which shall be.” Anything that happens today has already happened earlier, but on a smaller scale. Praise be to God! He is opening our eyes here to understand this and to have much prophecy opened to us in these latter days. I've shared with you how the Gospels, which were Jesus' 3½- year ministry, represent the first 3½ years of the Tribulation and how the Book of Acts represents the second 3½ years and the 40 years between Jesus' ministry and the 70 A.D. destruction of the Harlot by the Beast. 40 is the number of tribulation, as can be seen in type when Moses took the children of Israel through 40 years in the wilderness. 

“Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are” ( Jn 17:11). 

In this powerful episode, Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN, author of Wilderness Within, invites us to see Lent as more than a checklist of holy practices. Instead, it's a season to step into the wilderness of our hearts, where God is ready to work, heal, and lead us to deeper hope in him. Discover how reevaluating relationships, paying attention to God's movement in our lives, and embracing the unknown can transform your Lenten journey. Don't fear the wilderness—enter it with faith. A Word from Sr. Josephine: I am pleased also to share that we have been granted by the Holy Father the special grace of a Jubilee indulgence for the entire year (from the First Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2024 until November 30, 2025). This plenary indulgence is both for all our Sisters who will pray in the private chapels of our communities, as well as for all those who, during this period, will join us in devotional and liturgical celebrations, particularly in the chapels of our convents, as well as through the recitation of the Prayer to the Holy Family: O Holy Family, bless and protect all the families of the world. Safeguard their unity, fidelity, integrity and dignity. Enable them to live according to God's law that they may fulfill their sublime vocation. May their lives be a reflection of yours and may they enjoy your presence forever in heaven. Amen. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

This gave me a chuckle.

March 4th, 2025 - We welcome Ken Ogorek to talk Breaking the Bread. Then we're joined again by Michael Haynes with reports from Rome on the Holy Father's health and new Marko Rupnik developments. TheStationOfTheCross.com/ACT  

The Holy Father has proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee year, and pilgrims are already flocking to Rome to cross the thresholds of the major basilicas, and to visit the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul. Original host of the Way of the Fathers podcast, Mike Aquilina, and current host of the podcast, James L. Papandrea, talk about jubilee and pilgrimage, and introduce listeners to the first (of hopefully many) Way of the Fathers pilgrimage. If you're interested in going on pilgrimage to Sicily, December 1-11, 2025, with Mike, and Jim, and Fr. Kevin Barrett, you can find more information at this link:    https://www.206tours.com/cms/stpaulcenter/aquilina/   Why Sicily?    “Sicily,” said Goethe, “is the key to everything.” It was the site where Plato imagined his perfect republic. Sicily gave Rome its first taste of Empire. Homer set much of his Odyssey in Sicily: Scylla and Charybdis, the forge of Hephaestus … It's the land of the Cyclops, the place where Icarus hit the ground when his wings began to melt. St. Paul spent three days there. For St. Augustine it was a land of wonders — a mountain that burned always and was not consumed. For St. Basil it was a synonym for luxury. Sicily was the definition of Hellenic. It was profoundly Latin. It was the land that gave the Church its Greek popes. It was the land that gave the Church its virgin-martyrs, Agatha and Lucy. For those who suffer ailments of the eye or breast, it is a pilgrim destination. It's Byzantine. It's Roman. It's Phoenician and African. It's stubbornly Christian through years of Muslim rule. It's Norman. It's Spanish. It's stunningly beautiful. The food is amazing. It's where the Godfather movies were filmed. In December it will be warm there and offer unusual wares and delights for Christmas shoppers. Consider joining Catholic author Mike Aquilina, historian James L. Papandrea, and Fr. Kevin Barrett on a unique pilgrimage, co-sponsored by the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, 206 Tours, and the Apostolate for Family Consecration. (This pilgrimage is not run by CatholicCulture.org.)   SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

Jesus gives vital instruction his disciples (and us) for the operation of the Kingdom of God through revelation and communication with the Spirit of God. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11***108: Jesus At The Last SupperMatthew 26:14-30; Mark 14:10-26; Luke 22:3-39; John 13:1-17:26Jesus Prays For His Disciples Then Jesus lifted up his eyes Heavenward and said: “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee, as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou has given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am come to thee.Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name; those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Then Jesus and the disciples went out to the Mount of Olives.

We welcome back Fr. Gerald Murray to discuss recent pronouncements from the Vatican about immigration, in light of canon law and the tradition of the Church.  Show Notes Letter of the Holy Father to the Bishops of the United States of America (10 February 2025) | Francis Vatican Thinks 'Charity' Means Championing Democrat Causes Catholic Charities: Insurrection As Charity » Maureen Mullarkey Pastor Doug Wilson — Christians and Immigration Trump Should End Medicaid for Illegal Immigrants This Lent, compare your life to a migrant's, pope says | USCCB iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

SCRIPTURE- Luke 8: 48REFLECTOR- Sr. KaraMUSIC- I Praise You by "Songs in His Presence"- Holy, Holy, Holy InstrumentalPRAYERTo You, do I belong O GodInto Your hands I surrender my life.Pour out Your Spirit upon methat I may love You perfectly,and serve You faithfullyuntil my soul rests in You.NOTES- Check our app blog for a brief overview of the Holy Father's Jubilee Year of Hope that Sr. Kara refers to in her reflection.

With the Holy Father still in the hospital, countless Catholics across the globe have been praying for him including cardinals gathering every evening in Rome to pray the Rosary. "And as the Holy Father desperately needs our prayers and is begging for our prayers," as Msgr. Roger Landry tells us, we discuss all the ways Catholics pray for the Vicar of Christ at every Mass, in every Rosary, and especially in these hours of need. We also chat with the former chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth of England all about his powerful conversion story wrought on by an encounter with the devil which left him clinging to the Marian prayer. As Ashenden says, "Evil subsided and went away--the Rosary worked." With the White House going all-in on IVF, Dr. Marguerite Duane also joins to share why "infertility is not a disease" and why naprotechnology fixes the underlying issues while IVF just ignores them. Catch the show every Saturday at 7amET/5pmET on EWTN radio!

The Best Picture Showcase rolls on with Edward Berger's CONCLAVE, a drama about the election of a new Pope after the sudden death of the old Holy Father. Left with the responsibilities of wrangling every cardinal from 'round the world, along with their egos and ideologies, is a soon-to-be-exhausted Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). As the days and rounds of voting wear on, Lawrence fears, especially after the muckraking dredges up personal and professional drama, a wealth of spiritual doubts and a fear of what kind of person will spearhead the next few decades of Catholicism, that the right candidate, the one truly best equipped to be an ambassador of God's word, may be lost to the squabbles and pettiness of imperfect men.This is a chess game, political theater on the world's stage. In some ways, CONCLAVE is brutally honest about the state of the world and its leaders. In others, I find an idealism that Frank Capra may grin at, god rest him. It's this balance between recognizing who we are and where we'd like to be that CONCLAVE dances with the most. How do we bridge the gulf and who's best equipped to lead us there?If you play enough chess, you'll be able to see the winning route from a good distance and this movie is no exception. But Berger always has a good eye and the score sufficiently ramps up the tension. It's not my favorite nominee but I'm glad I saw it.---Please rate, review and subscribe to The Movies wherever you listen to podcasts!Follow The Movies on Bluesky & Instagram: linktr.ee/themovies_pod

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell continue to update the Holy Father's health and offer prayers for him and the whole Church. Guests include canon lawyer Fr. Philip-Michael Tangorra from the Diocese of Paterson, and Gary Zimak from Following the Truth. Plus news, weather, sports and more...

Firstly, we are now well into the season of “Laus tibi Domine, Rex aeterne gloriae.” Happy Septuagesima!A keen reader found a very old typo in my Little Office Compline PDFs - somehow, long ago, I had typed up “Lumen et revelationem gentium” instead of “Lumen ad revelationem gentium”. That has been fixed in the files at littleoffice.brandt.id.au/#booklets Refreshing the files at Gumroad and Udemy will take a little longer.Looking back at last month's update, I did manage to accomplish one of the three goals, that of running through the explanation of rubrics in the Benziger Brothers 1914 Little Office book. It took two videos. Unfortunately they are recorded in fairly low resolution as my usual video device was being used elsewhere, so I used an old iPad which I had previously set to low resolution video, as sometimes a small person fills up the hard drive… anyway here they are:And the second installment looking more into the ceremonial aspects:The other two goals were a bit more ambitious - to explain how to sing psalms and make a course on singing Roman Compline.The real answer to the question “how does one psing psalms?” is that one can psing them in any way one desires. Of course, coming from a background in singing psalms in the western chant tradition in Latin, that's going to be the way I will gravitate towards, but there are many different ways to sing. I've been singing with many different people with many different styles and realising that singing in itself is a valuable skill to cultivate. Our culture seems to push people away from singing into being passive consumers of mass produced noise. Any sort of singing is better than nothing.The photo above captures my current list of ideas for Youtube videos. I'm always open to suggestions. Someone asked me how I would recite the Chaplet of the Holy Face in English and I started drawing diagrams describing my interpretation of the description in the 1789 Holy Face Manual, but co-ordinating all the elements of making videos seems to be more difficult than I remember.Also, this particular substack is devoted to the Little Office of Our Lady and sometimes I go outside that area. I have another podcast called the Latin Mass Homeschool Family, which is hosted with Spotify. Unfortunately Spotify has a policy of only hosting podcast episodes which are predominantly spoken. They recently deleted 32 episodes from my Latin Mass Family podcast without warning. I tried contacting them about getting back up copies, but turned out their system was not set up to cater for that service. The episodes were all from the 100 days of Chant challenge which I set myself a few years ago. Fortunately they are all still on Youtube. The recordings I was most concerned about were the family recordings of singing Compline, which would have been very difficult to recreate, and are all linked into a little blog at compline.brandt.id.au. Fortunately all those recordings passed Spotify's test for being mostly spoken.That gives me yet another goal, to migrate the Latin Mass Homeschool Podcast to a more music-friendly host. I'll put that job alongside updating the wowchemy themes on my webpages to hugo blocks.But all this pales in comparison with what seem to be our Holy Father the Pope's last days on earth. Let us pray for the Pope.Ave María. Grátia plena. Dóminus tecum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta María Mater Dei. Ora pro nobis peccatóribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell continue to share information about and prayers for the Holy Father. Guests include Kris McGregor from Discerning Hearts to reflect on the Office of Readings, and Fr. Boniface Hicks with more thoughts on personal prayer from the saints. Plus news, weather, sports, and more...

Message for 02/23/2025 "The Joy of Others" by Justin McTeer. *All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted* Philippians 1:4 - Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, Philippians 1:18b - the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. Philippians 2:17-18 - But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. Philippians 3:1 - Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. Acts 16:13-15 - On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. Acts 16:16-18 - One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” 18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. Acts 16:25-28 - Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!” Philippians 1:1-8 - This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God's holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-4 - Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy Philippians 2:3-4 - Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. John 17:1-26 - After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. 6 “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. 9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. 13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do.17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! 25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” Matthew 22:34-40 - But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question:36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

The path forward has to be clear. My life is more than begging the VA for help, it's been 15 years of asking for help. Yet… I will show my children the way  by being the man God Created me to be!Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, lives in our hearts, our Holy Father loves us all, the Holy Spirit guides us!Listen, like, and share! The community needs you! Never Give Up! Never Waiver!

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 338The Saint of the day is Saints Jacinta and Francisco MartoSaints Jacinta and Francisco Marto's Story Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese shepherd children from Aljustrel, received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fátima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. At that time, Europe was involved in an extremely bloody war. Portugal itself was in political turmoil, having overthrown its monarchy in 1910; the government disbanded religious organizations soon after. At the first appearance, Mary asked the children to return to that spot on the thirteenth of each month for the next six months. She also asked them to learn to read and write and to pray the rosary “to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” They were to pray for sinners and for the conversion of Russia, which had recently overthrown Czar Nicholas II and was soon to fall under communism. Up to 90,000 people gathered for Mary's final apparition on October 13, 1917. Less than two years later, Francisco died of influenza in his family home. He was buried in the parish cemetery and then re-buried in the Fátima basilica in 1952. Jacinta died of influenza in Lisbon in 1920, offering her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world, and the Holy Father. She was re-buried in the Fátima basilica in 1951. Their cousin Lúcia dos Santos, became a Carmelite nun and was still living when Jacinta and Francisco were beatified in 2000; she died five years later. Pope Francis canonized the younger children on his visit to Fátima to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first apparition–May 13, 2017. The shrine of Our Lady of Fátima is visited by up to 20 million people a year. Reflection The Church is always very cautious about endorsing alleged apparitions, but it has seen benefits from people changing their lives because of the message of Our Lady of Fátima. Prayer for sinners, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and praying the rosary—all these reinforce the Good News Jesus came to preach. Click here for more on Our Lady of Fatima! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto; in 1917 three Portuguese children received apparitions of Our Lady near Fatima, Portugal; Mary asked them to learn to read and write, and to pray the rosary for peace and for the end of the war; they were also to pray for sinners and for the conversion of Russia; less than two years later, Francisco died of influenza; Jacinta died of influenza in 1920, offering her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world, and for the Holy Father; their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, became a Carmelite nun, and died in 2005 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/20/25 Gospel: Mark 8:27-33

February 18th, 2025 - We welcome back Michael Haynes with updates from Rome on the Pope's health situation. Then we're joined again by Bishop Joseph Strickland to discuss praying for the Holy Father...even when you disagree with him. TheStationOfTheCross.com/ACT  

Send us a textSPONSOR:   Briefcase MarketingThe episode addresses the health concerns surrounding Pope Francis and emphasizes the importance of prayer for him during this challenging time. We delve into topics such as the nature of his illness, memories of previous popes, the significance of the conclave, and the implications of loving one's enemies within the Gospel context. • Discussion on Pope Francis's respiratory tract infection. • Importance of praying for the Holy Father. • Reflection on the historical context of Popes dealing with illness.SPONSOR:   Briefcase MarketingAt Briefcase Marketing, we create marketing that inspires action and delivers results.  We will:Clarify your message to attract the right audience.Streamline your website to convert more visitors into customers, donors or volunteers.Create consistency to build trust and deepen relationships across every marketing platform (Emails, Ads, Social Media, Etc).Check out just two of their recent successful clients who we know well.Theology of the Body CLESt. John Cantius ParishBriefcase Marketing • The Ignite Conference is this Saturday!• Exploration of loving one's enemies as guided in this week's Sunday Gospel. • Conclusion encouraging ongoing prayers and support for Pope Francis.SPONSOR:   Briefcase Marketing

The Holy Father sends a French Jesuit from the midwestern United States to minister to the people of New Mexico. Though this mission is anointed by God, sinister forces are at work in this part of the continent. Join us in this episode of the #BecomeFire Podcast as we introduce the acclaimed novel, "Death Comes for the Archbishop" by Willa Cather.

He was of Persian origin, born in Syria. As a young man, he distinguished himself as a member of the court of the Emperor Theodosius the Younger. Seeing the vanity of the world's honors and pleasures, he became a monk in Constantinople; but when the people began to praise his holiness, he fled to Mount Oxeia near Chalcedon, which later became known as Auxentius' Mountain. There he built a small hut and lived in reclusion; but in time he was discovered by some shepherds, and the faithful began to come in increasing numbers for his teaching, blessing, prayers and healing. He performed countless miracles, but such was his humility that he always sought to avoid their being attributed to him. When he was asked to pray for someone's healing, he would try to refuse, saying "I too am a sinful man." But, when he was prevailed on by the pleas of the people, he would call on all of them to pray together for the healing; or he would remind them that God would give according to their faith; or he would say to the sick person "The Lord Jesus Christ heals you." When the Emperor Marcian summoned the Fourth Ecumenical Council to Chalcedon, he ordered that the hermit join the assembly of holy Fathers. Auxentius refused, saying that doctrinal teaching was the province of bishops, not monks. The Emperor's envoys took him by force. He was greeted with honor by the Emperor, and affirmed all the decisions of the Council.   He never returned to Mount Oxeia, but settled in an even wilder and more remote spot on Mount Skopa, which later came to be called Mount St Auxentius. His disciples built him a tiny wooden hut with one small window through which he could converse with his steady stream of visitors. He reposed in peace in 470. A great crowd gathered for his funeral, and his holy relics were taken into the care of a women's monastery whose spiritual Father he had been.   Mount St Auxentius soon became a center of hesychastic life, with seven monasteries.

We welcome back Matt Archbold of Creative Minority Report to discuss DOGE, grift, and restoring sanity to women's sports. What are we to make of the response of those in government who prefer to both work and spend in secret? Father finishes with Timely Thoughts.   Show Notes DOGE vs. FEMA Is Here How American Educators Are Conning Kids - by Frannie Block Trump mass-fires military academies' 'boards of visitors' in purge of 'woke leftist ideologues'  Media Should Investigate Federal Waste Instead Of The People Uncovering It  House Democrats denied entry into Education Department - POLITICO Letter of the Holy Father to the Bishops of the United States of America (10 February 2025) | Francis Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Allen Vigneron of the Archdiocese of Detroit; Appoints Bishop Edward Weisenburger as Successor | USCCB Catholic bishops rebuke Trump's asylum changes, suggest ‘canonical penalties' iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

He was from the pagan Persian aristocracy, but came to faith in Christ and left his home for the Christian city of Edessa, where he was baptized. He later moved to Antioch, where he lived in prayer and asceticism a short distance from the city. He ate nothing but a small amount of bread until he was extremely old, when he added some greens to his diet. Though he knew very little Greek, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to win many converts to Christ and to confound the learned Arian heretics who were disturbing the Church in Antioch.   When Aphrahat learned that the Arian Emperor Valens was persecuting Christ's Church, he moved to the city to support the true Faith. One day the Emperor himself met Aphrahat in the city square and asked him why he had left his solitude and come to Antioch. The Saint answered 'Tell me this: if I were a maiden at home in my secluded apartment and saw someone setting fire to my father's house, would you not advise me to put out the blaze as soon as possible? That is what I am doing now, because the Church, the heavenly Father's house, is burning down inthe fire that you have set!' One of the Emperor's attendants threatened Aphrahat with death for this impertinence; but the attendant himself later perished, drowned as he was heating water for the Emperor's bath. This made the Emperor afraid to persecute the holy one, who continued to preach the true Faith and to perform many miracles. He reposed in peace.

He was born early in the seventh century in the East. His birthplace is unclear: the Great Horologion says that he was born in eastern Arabia (present-day Qatar); the Synaxarion that he was born in Kurdistan. While still young he entered the Lavra of St Matthew with his brother, but after a few years of monastic life, having advanced far in obedience and the practice of prayer, he withdrew into the desert. His reputation for holiness reached the city of Nineveh, where the people prevailed on the hierarchy to consecrate him as their bishop in 670. Reluctantly but obediently, St Isaac took up the duties of shepherd of his flock in Nineveh. After a few months, he was called on to settle a dispute between two of the faithful, but they rejected his counsel and said 'Leave your Gospel out of this matter!' The holy bishop said, 'If they are not prepared to obey Our Lord's commandments, what need have they of me?', and retired to live as a hermit in the mountains of Kurdistan. Later, he settled in the monastery of Raban Shapur, where he wrote his Ascetical Homilies and other jewel-like works on the spiritual life. There he reposed in peace.   The fame of St Isaac' Homilies spread, and about one hundred years after their writing they were translated from Syriac into Greek by two monks in Palestine. In this form they spread throughout the monastic world, becoming a treasured guide to those who seek the fullness of the life of prayer. The Synaxarion says, "The book of Saint Isaac is, with the Ladder of Saint John Climacus, the indispensible guide for every Orthdox soul to journey safely toward God. Hence, not many years ago, a holy spiritual father, Jerome of Egina (d. 1966), recommended begging, if necessary, in order to be able to purchase a copy." We are blessed to have a good translation of the Ascetical Homilies available in English.   Saint Isaac is a very unusual case of an Orthodox Saint who lived outside the canonical boundaries of the Church: he was a bishop of the "Nestorian" communion, now sometimes called the "Oriental Orthodox." The purity of his own Orthodox faith is so clearly evident in his writings that the Church has nonetheless recognized his sanctity.

He lived in asceticism in the wild hills outside Antioch. For forty-five years he had no tent or house of any kind, but wandered from place to place, living in caves or in clefts. In his old age, his disciples finally prevailed on him to build a small hut. Altogether he spent seventy years living in solitary ascesis.   Once a hunter met the recluse and asked him what he did in the mountains. The Saint answered 'Like you, I have come to the mountain to hunt. I am hunting for God, whom I long to see. I ardently desire to catch Him and will never tire of so excellent a chase!'   Once the people of Antioch rioted and tore down a pair of statues of the Emperor Theodosius and his wife. Two generals came from Constantinople, planning to inflict a bloody punishment on the people. Saint Macedonian, learning of this, came to the city and sought out the generals, asking them to take a message to the Emperor: that he, being human and subject to weakness like all men, should not be immoderately angry with other men; and that he should not, in return for the destruction of lifeless images, destroy those who are the very image of God.   During his lifetime Saint Macedonian was granted the gifts of spiritual insight and wonderworking, by which he worked many miracles of healing for the people of Antioch and its surroundings. He reposed in peace around 430, and was buried with honor in Antioch.

He was born Michael Tivolis in 1470. In his early youth he traveled to Italy, where many scholars had fled to preserve Hellenic culture despite the fall of Constantinople. After completing his studies in Florence, he went to the Holy Mountain in 1507 and entered Vatopedi Monastery, where he received the name of Maximos. Ten years later he was sent to Russia in answer to a request of Grand Prince Basil Ivanovich, who sought someone to translate works of the Holy Fathers on the Psalter, as well as other Church books, into Slavonic. Maximos completed this work with such success that he was made to stay in Russia to correct the existing translations (from Greek to Slavonic) of the Scriptures and liturgical books, and to preach. His work aroused the jealousy of some native monks, and Maximos was falsely accused of plotting against the Prince. In 1525 he was condemned as a heretic by a church court and banished to the Monastery of Volokolamsk, where he lived as a prisoner, not only suffering cold and extreme physical privation but being denied Holy Communion and the use of books.   One day an angel appeared to him and said 'Have patience: You will be delivered from eternal torment by sufferings here below.' In thanks for this divine comfort, St Maximus wrote a canon to the Holy Spirit on the walls of his cell in charcoal, since he was denied the use of paper and pen. (This canon is sung on Pentecost Monday in some Russian and Serbian Monasteries). Six years later he was tried again and condemned to indefinite imprisonment in chains at a monastery in Tver. Happily, the Bishop of Tver supported him, and he was able to continue his theological work and carry on a large correspondence despite his confinement. He endured these grim conditions for twenty years. Toward the end of his life, he was finally freed by the Tsar in response to pleas on his behalf by the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria and the intervention of pious Russian nobles. He was received with honor in Moscow, and allowed to carry on his theological work at the Lavra. The Tsar Ivan IV came to honor him highly, partly because the Saint had foretold the death of the Tsar's son. When the Tsar called a Church Council to fight the doctrines of some who had brought the Calvinist heresy into Russia, he asked St Maximos to attend. Too old and weak to travel, the Saint sent a brilliant refutation of the heresy to the Council; this was his last written work. He reposed in peace in 1556, aged eighty-six. Not long after his death, he was glorified by the Church in Greece as a Holy Confessor and 'Enlightener of Russia.' In 1988 (!) he was added to the calendar of Saints by the Moscow Patriarchate.