Podcasts about Lent

“I'm thinking about the end of time in another way,” says Ann Garrido. “Because end can mean the conclusion, the finish, but it can also mean the purpose.” For 25 years, Ann has taught homiletics, pastoral theology and catechetics at Aquinas Institute of Theology, written 10 books and spoken at more than 350 gatherings. A longtime catechist in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd movement, Ann offers her reflection for a planned Advent reconciliation service at St. Thomas More Parish in Decatur, Ga. She begins with a conversation from the parish atrium about the end of time—children offering answers like “God will be all in all” and “there will be peace,” before one boy insists his paradise is “hamburgers.” From there, she moves into Isaiah's peaceable kingdom and the real work of reconciliation: making peace with those closest to us—whoever our ‘X' is, the sibling we fight with, the friend we've fallen out with, the neighbor who drives us crazy. Part of the “Preaching for the Sacraments” series, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., speaks with Ann about what distinguishes Advent reconciliation from Lent. Ann looks to the ancient roots of confession, where the early “confessors” proclaimed faith rather than only naming sin: “What we're really confessing is our belief in a God who can heal and work out things that we ourselves are not gonna be able to fix.” Ricardo echoes this reframing: “Perhaps it's helpful not to think of it only as a confession of sin, but really also a confession of faith that we go there to proclaim our faith in a God who heals the impossible.” Ann also reflects on a recent glioblastoma diagnosis and how it has sharpened her sense of call and taught her to preach from vulnerability—without making herself the hero of the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251201dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” Ezekiel 3:17 Watch and Warn We have all experienced those moments when we see danger approaching and feel an urgent need to warn others, “Watch out!” we shout. Perhaps a car backed up too quickly, or a child reached for something hot on the stove. In such situations, remaining silent would not just be wrong, but also unkind. This is the image God gave to the prophet Ezekiel. He was chosen to be a “watchman”—someone who remains vigilant and alerts people when trouble is near. However, the warning Ezekiel was to give was far more serious than damaged bumpers or burnt fingers. It concerned sin and its consequences. God called Ezekiel to deliver both hard truths and healing words. Although we are not prophets like Ezekiel, we share the same responsibility: to warn others and to bear witness. This calling can feel intimidating. Sometimes we keep silent because we are afraid of offending or uncertain about what to say. Thankfully, Jesus never chose silence. He spoke the hard truth to those who were proud and offered gentle words to those who were hurting. He warned about the reality of sin and called people to turn back to God. Even when people didn’t listen, Jesus did not walk away. He went to the cross. Jesus bore the punishment for sin so that we would not have to. He rose again to give us new life. Today, by his Word, the Spirit works in us to be loving and courageous watchmen for those around us. You do not need a loudspeaker or a pulpit to be a watchman. You just need the gospel—the good news of a Savior who came for sinners like us. This Advent, listen for the coming footsteps of Jesus and lovingly let others know that he is on his way. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking the truth in love and for taking my sin to the cross. Make me bold and gentle to speak your truth to those around me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jeremiah 32 (Listen) Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege 32:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. 3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; 4 Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. 5 And he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, declares the LORD. Though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed'?” 6 Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: 7 Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.' 8 Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. 9 “And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. 11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. 12 And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13 I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, 14 ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. 15 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.' Jeremiah Prays for Understanding 16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: 17 ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. 18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. 20 You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. 21 You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. 22 And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. 24 Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. 25 Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.'” 26 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? 28 Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. 29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD. 31 This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight 32 because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. 34 They set up their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. 35 They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. They Shall Be My People; I Will Be Their God 36 “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the h...

Most of us think Advent means calendars, chocolate, and switching on the Christmas playlist… But for our medieval and Tudor ancestors, Advent meant something completely different. Welcome to Day 1 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! Today we're stepping into the medieval and Tudor world to explore what Advent really meant, and how it prepared people for the true Christmas feast that didn't begin until 25 December. In this episode, I cover: - Why Advent was more like a mini-Lent — a season of fasting and restraint - Why Christmas Eve was the strictest fasting day of all - How the Church shaped December as a time of preparation, not celebration - The older midwinter traditions behind the season - Why a Tudor walking into our modern homes would think we'd started Christmas FAR too early - How Advent set the stage for the Twelve Days of Christmas, with all their feasting, revelry and topsy-turvy fun For the Tudors, Advent wasn't about treats, it was about waiting. Join me every day as we journey through Tudor Advent and Christmas, exploring St Nicholas and the Boy Bishop, Tudor food and drink, wassailing, mumming, the Lord of Misrule and much more. Do you mark Advent in any special way? Let me know in the comments! If you'd like to walk through a full Tudor Christmas with me, don't forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for tomorrow's instalment. #TudorHistory #TudorChristmas #Advent #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgway #MedievalChristmas #TwelveDaysOfChristmas #HistoryNerd #BritishHistory #TudorTok #ChristmasHistory

Necip Bahadir | Bülent Arınç'a itirazım var! | 30.11.2025 by Tr724

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251130dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:3-5 Peace That Comes from God In the United Nations Plaza in New York City, today’s Bible passage is quoted: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares . . .” All people desire peace, don’t they? Isn’t that why the United Nations was established in the first place? But it hasn’t worked so well, has it? Are Isaiah’s words just a fantasy? If you’re looking for a truly peaceful “United Nations,” you’re not going to find it in this sinful world. But that’s not what Isaiah was describing. Isaiah was describing peace that the world can’t give, find, or produce. Isaiah described peace that only comes from God. God brought peace to the hearts of people when he kept his promise to send his Son, Jesus, the Christ. Jesus came to bring peace to the earth by living and suffering and dying for a world full of sin and sinners, sinners like you and me. Because of Jesus’ perfect life, innocent death, and glorious resurrection, we have peace. We have the peace of knowing that there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves because Jesus has done everything. We have the peace of knowing that we don’t need to satisfy God’s wrath against our sins because Jesus has washed them away. We have peace because Jesus has set us free. That peace is yours and mine in Jesus! That peace is what moves us to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn his ways. That peace is what moves us to walk in the light of the Lord. Prayer: May the peace of God, which the world cannot give, which surpasses our understanding, guard and keep your heart and mind through faith in Christ Jesus! Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251129dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [God the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:13-17 Christ Is Superior Consumer Reports is a magazine you would look at for the best of a given product and the best deal for your wallet. In today’s Bible reading, Paul gives us the “consumer report” on Christ. He clearly explains why Christ is superior to anyone or anything else. He is God. He created all things. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He is the firstborn from among the dead, never to die again. He holds everything together. Each part of these verses lays out an objective fact about why Christ is superior. And each of these truths has important significance for our daily lives. Despite the times we see sin interrupt our lives, despite the horrors of wickedness we hear about in the news, and despite the atrocities human beings commit against one another, evil and wickedness are not in control. Even though they may appear to be running the world, they are not. No matter what evil or wickedness may throw at us, there is nothing they can do to wrest control away from Christ. Nor is there anything they can do to separate us from Christ. For Christ defeated sin and death through his death on the cross and declared his victory as he rose from the dead. This is the report we have on Christ. He is supreme. No one is greater. There is no one who can take control from him or can separate us from him. What confidence this gives us as we continue our pilgrimage on earth! Prayer: O Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, in your mercy you have brought me into your kingdom. Continue to rule over me, protecting me from the evil one until I join you in your heavenly kingdom. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Today,we are a re-releasing Episode #24 of Questions with Father, originally offered in 2019, which focuses on Advent. We have received several questions about the season, and Fr. Paul Robinson joined us to answer all of them in this one episode. We discuss why Advent is 4 weeks instead of 40 days, like Lent, go over suggestions for making Advent more advantageous for both children and the whole family, and then discover the origins of one of your favorite Christmas songs. We also try to settle the debate about when it is appropriate to start decorating for Christmas! See all the episodes: https://sspxpodcast.com/questions/ We'd love your feedback on this series! podcast@sspx.org – – – – – – View this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRD1sI5Y1Y4 – – – – – – – The Society of Saint Pius X offers this series and all of its content free of charge. If you are able to offer a one time or a small monthly recurring donation, it will assist us greatly in continuing to provide these videos for the good of the Church and Catholic Tradition. Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> – – – – – – – Explore more: Subscribe to this Podcast to receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channel for video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website: https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website: https://sspx.org/ – – – – – What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.  – – – – – – What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251128dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 Paradise We have to wait for heaven. That’s just true. And things aren’t always going to be easy while we are waiting. The apostle Paul and his fellow missionary Barnabas couldn’t have said it any more plainly than they did during their first missionary journey. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). So then, what a great deal Jesus was offering one of the men hanging on a cross next to him. The man had confessed his sin and placed his confidence in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation. He had boldly asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And how did our Savior answer? You’ll have to wait? No! “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “today you will be with me in paradise.” Skip the line! Have paradise today! The Bible does not tell us that the thief on the cross was transported, body and soul, to heaven that day, like the Old Testament believers Enoch and Elijah were. No, he died that day. His body was removed from the cross and presumably buried to await the day of resurrection. Yes, his believing soul went to dwell with God, but the reunion of his body and soul in heaven would have to wait until Jesus comes again. We’ll have to wait for heaven, too. But like the thief on the cross, we can be confident that paradise is ours because the heavy burden of our sin was left on the cross with our Savior. And, we have the promise from the Bible that, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Prayer: Jesus, thank you, for your sake I can be confident of my place in paradise. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251127dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Luke 23:42 The Best Thanksgiving Ever What was your best Thanksgiving ever? I admit that my Thanksgiving memories are fairly well mixed because what happens from year to year is so similar. It’s hard to distinguish one from another. That's part of what makes celebrating Thanksgiving so special for so many people: the fact that we repeat what we did last year and the years before that. After all, how would most react to the suggestion that this year we should eat burgers? We don’t normally think of Good Friday as a day of thanksgiving, even though it is called Good. It’s a somber day on which we recall the suffering and pain that our Savior, Jesus, endured to make perfect payment for the sins of the world. Good Friday is the day that Jesus cried out in terrible spiritual agony, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). It doesn’t seem appropriate to consider it a day of thanksgiving. And yet that’s what Good Friday was in heaven: Thanksgiving Day! And why? Because on that day, a sinner repented. It was one of the men hanging there with Jesus, to be exact. What did repentance mean? Not that this man covered his head with ashes and walked around with a burlap sack on. No, true repentance means rending our hearts, not our clothes. It means acknowledging our complete brokenness before God—and the sin that results from our nature—but then seeing that in Jesus we have perfect forgiveness and salvation for time and eternity. This man’s repentance was simply and beautifully expressed with a few words: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Lovely repentance. And what happened in heaven? Thanksgiving broke out, just as Jesus once promised, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7). At least for that one sinner, it was the best Thanksgiving ever because of what it meant that day and what it will mean for him for all eternity. It won’t be about memories and traditions that eventually fade. It means life everlasting! Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for suffering what you did on that Friday we call good. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Each week, Pastor Keith Foskey and his wife Jennifer answer email questions about ministry, the bible, and theology from all around the world as well as engaging with their live audience in the comments. Come join the fun! Questions and Timestamps:Wife writes in asking how to respect sinful husband 14:30Comfort In Infertility 33:14Must pastors have seminary and ordination? 45:10“What are the dangers of putting our pastors on a pedestal?” 55:55Is the term “Only Begotten” significant? 59:30What are your thoughts on Lent? 1:04:40What form of covenant theology do you hold to? 1:08:30Recommendations for studying the Gospel of Luke? 1:12:50How do you instruct children about internet safety? 1:17:29How Can Baptists Affirm the Nicene Creed? 1:26:20How Should I Feel About the ICE Raids? 1:42:57How do we apply “love not the world”? 1:49:40Should we call Israel “Palestine”? 1:56:48Is all deception sinful? 1:59:35Why is Paedobaptism the majority in the Reformed world? 2:07:15Questions About Church Constitution and Membership 2:10:30What does “by water and the blood” mean? 2:17:25How should I engage a professed Christian who believes falsehoods? 2:20:05Support the Show: http://www.buymeacoffee.com/Yourcalvinisthttps://www.TinyBibles.comYou can get the smallest Bible available on the market, which can be used for all kinds of purposes, by visiting TinyBibles.com and when you buy, use the coupon code KEITH for a discount.Love Coffee? Want the Best? Get a free bag of Squirrelly Joe's Coffee by clicking on this link: https://www.Squirrellyjoes.com/yourcalvinistor use coupon code "Keith" for 20% off anything in the storeDominion Wealth Strategies Visit them at https://www.dominionwealthstrategists.comhttp://www.Reformed.Moneyand let them know we sent you! https://www.HighCallingFitness.comHealth, training, and nutrition coaching all delivered to you online by confessionally reformed bodybuilders and strength athletes.Visit us at https://www.KeithFoskey.comIf you need a great website, check out https://www.fellowshipstudios.com

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251126dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Luke 23:39-41 Truer Words Were Never Spoken It’s one of the greatest conversion stories of all time. Of all people, one of the men who was hanging from a cross next to Jesus on this darkest of days defended him! We don’t know this man’s life history. We don’t even know his name. But what we can know for certain is that his punishment was just, as he himself confessed. But that’s not how things began. Earlier that day, he had joined the man hanging in agony on the other side of Jesus, mocking the featured attraction in the middle. Matthew’s Gospel records how the chief priests and teachers of the law ridiculed Jesus. “He saved others,” they said “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” And then Matthew adds, “In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him” (Matthew 27:42-44). But at some moment that afternoon, a miracle took place. That miserable man went from mocking Jesus to seeing him for who he is, the only Savior of the world. More than that, he confessed to his fellow convict and the world, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Truer words were never spoken. They were words inspired by Jesus’ cross, the distinctive symbol of God’s perfect justice and his perfect love. The cross inspired the thief to confess the truth about his sin and his Savior. May the cross do the same for you. Prayer: Jesus, help me see the depth of my sin and the certainty of my salvation in your cross. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251125dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Luke 23:38 Truer Words Were Never Written We can’t be entirely sure what Pontius Pilate’s motive was when he instructed his soldiers to affix a sign to Jesus’ cross that read: “This is the king of the Jews.” But we know for certain from John’s Gospel that the Jewish religious leaders weren’t happy with his statement. John tells us, “The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write “The King of the Jews,” but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews” (John 19:20-21). Pilate’s response to their objection was simple but equally ambiguous. “What I have written, I have written.” Some have suggested this was his coy way of warning others from making a similar claim, as if to say, “This is what happens to people who foment rebellion.” Others suggest it was part of his attempt to wash his hands of the situation, seeing it as nothing more than a religious dispute about which he had no opinion. Still others argue that his order was given under divine direction and that, in his heart of hearts, he believed Jesus was indeed who he claimed to be. In the end, we can't know for certain what was in his heart and mind. What we can know is that truer words were never written. Jesus was and is the King of the Jews. He is the Messiah, the Anointed and Chosen One. More than that, he is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the ruler of all nations, and the Savior of the world. This One hanging, dying, on a cross is the one long foretold, the Shepherd-King who laid down his life for all people, only to take it up again. What can you know for certain? If he did it for all people, he did it for you. Nothing could stop him; his love for you is too great. Believe it. It’s true. Prayer: Jesus, help me to see how true it is that you love me and that you are my Savior-King. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251124dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Luke 23:35-37 A Different Kind of King When people think of a king, most people immediately conjure up the image of a big, strapping man with a crown on his head, sitting on a majestic throne, and living in a palace. To say that a man has a kingly appearance does not suggest weakness; instead, it implies strength, power, and majesty. So, is it any wonder that the people standing near the cross of Jesus did what they did, knowing that Jesus and his disciples had openly claimed that he was the Messiah, the Chosen One, the King of all kings? They sneered and mocked him, and apparently for good reason. After all, they could see his beaten and bloodied body nailed to a cross. They could hear him gasping for his final breaths. They could hear him crying out in agony. To their physical eyes, there was nothing kingly in his appearance at all. But to the eyes of faith, Jesus’ appearance on that bloody cross makes perfect sense. After all, it’s exactly what the Lord had urged his faithful people to watch for as they waited eagerly for the Messiah, their Savior, to appear. Seven hundred years earlier, the prophet Isaiah had said of him, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” (Isaiah 53:2-3). If anyone has ever matched this description, it’s Jesus. This is a truly kingly appearance because Jesus is a different kind of King. What makes him different? He’s not interested in appearances. He’s interested in saving his people. He’s interested in saving you. And that’s what he’s done. Perfectly. On the cross. Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to see you as the powerful and gracious King of kings that you are. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jeremiah 30:1–3 (Listen) Restoration for Israel and Judah 30:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.” (ESV)Jeremiah 31:31–34 (Listen) The New Covenant 31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (ESV)Hebrews 8:7–9 (Listen) 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says:1   “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,    when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel    and with the house of Judah,9   not like the covenant that I made with their fathers    on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.  For they did not continue in my covenant,    and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. Footnotes [1] 8:8 Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them (ESV)

If you have ever wondered why the Church keeps an annual liturgical calendar of feasts and celebrations, you are not alone...Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Triduum, Easter, Ordinary Time. This cycle that seems to be on permanent repeat each and every year is actually a great gift that the Church bestows upon us.

Bro, I'm just gonna be real with you. Most Catholics have no idea what Advent actually is. We grow up hearing the word, seeing the wreath, lighting the candles, but no one ever tells us what the season is supposed to do to our soul. And honestly, that ignorance is killing a lot of people spiritually. share the stuff I wish someone told me years ago. Why Advent used to be a mini Lent, why the Church expects us to fight distraction during these weeks, and how the enemy wants us spiritually asleep while we are “celebrating.”And I give you some simple and real things you can start doing right now to live Advent the way Catholics are supposed to. Prayer, silence, small sacrifices, leading your family, and actually being intentional again.This is one of the most important seasons of the year and most of us miss it. Let's not stay ignorant. Let's get ready for Christ like men who actually mean it.New Episodes Every Sunday Join The Catholic Warrior Coaching Program Here: catholicwarrior.comSubscribe to Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@catholicwarriorpodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicwarriorpodcast/?hl=en

If you have ever wondered why the Church keeps an annual liturgical calendar of feasts and celebrations, you are not alone...Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Triduum, Easter, Ordinary Time. This cycle that seems to be on permanent repeat each and every year is actually a great gift that the Church bestows upon us.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251123dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Luke 23:36-37 Jesus Is a King Quick! What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the word “king”? Do you think of crowns and palaces? The finest clothes and the best food? Lots of servants doing whatever the king wants them to do? I would guess that “being crucified” wasn’t at the top of your list. And yet, that is what’s happening to Jesus in the Bible verse for today. Jesus is being crucified. The charge placed on the sign above him was: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Ironically, the charge is true. Jesus IS the King of the Jews. In fact, he’s King of all. Oh, Jesus doesn’t look much like a king as he’s hanging on the cross. But when we’re reminded of why he’s there, things become clear. Jesus is there because he wants to save us. He’s on the cross not to save himself but to save you and me. A good king will battle for his people. Well, Jesus fought the ultimate battle for you and me—the battle against sin, death, and the devil’s power. He fought that battle all the way to—and through—the cross. True, at his crucifixion, Jesus doesn’t look like a king to our eyes. But our eyes of faith see the most glorious King of all, the King who has saved us. It’s a nice way to begin Thanksgiving week, isn’t it? Prayer: Oh Jesus, what a gracious King you are! Remind me that you’ve battled for me, winning forgiveness for me, winning eternity for me, that I might live my life in the peace of knowing I’m part of your eternal kingdom. Fill me with thankfulness, O gracious King! Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Today we journey through the sweep of the Church Year to see one unbroken story: Christ the King revealing his saving work step by step. From the hope of Advent to the joy of Christmas, from the sacrifice of Lent to the victory of Easter, from the Spirit's fire at Pentecost to the final promise of his return—every season proclaims the same truth. Our King has come, our King reigns, and our King will bring us home in glory.Pastor Schroeder's sermon preached at Faith on November 23, 2025. Intro/Outro Music: “Depth of Field” by David Hilowitz

It is a phone call I will never forget...

It is the darkest period of World War II...

Verses 1-27 of Nehemiah 10 tell the names of those who signed the covenant. Verses 28-39 outline the responsibilities and obligations of the covenant. The first of the obligations was to not marry uncovenanted wives (i.e. those of different beliefs to those taught in His Law by the God of Israel).Responsibility 2 was to observe the Sabbath by preventing the buying and selling of goods. The third necessity was to pay their tithes and offerings for the house of God. And finally come together for the three principal feasts to rejoice in their God; and with those of like precious faith.Amos 2 commenced with judgments on Israel's neighbours for their sins and now from verses 6-16 the prophet states the sins for which Israel will be chastised. Firstly, those whose covetousness and callousness knows no limits; secondly, those whose uncontrolled sexual appetites were insatiable; thirdly, their boastfulness - the word Amorite comes from the Hebrew "amor" meaning mouth; fourthly, their corrupting of God's laws i.e. giving the Nazarites wine to drink. And so "as they had sown, so they would reap" and not be able to resist the severe coming judgment.1 Timothy 4 commences with signposts which mark out the coming departure from true teachings - 1) a belief in evil and deceitful spirits; 2) a celibate clergy forbidden marriage; 3) the refraining from eating certain foods e.g. meat on Fridays and during Lent leading up to Easter - all foods are for our eating as long as we have offered a prayer of thanksgiving before eating. In verses 6-10 we have the third faithful saying, "bodily exercise is of some value, but godliness (Greek "eusebia" - good, or well worship) is profitable in every way, benefiting present daily life, and offering the hope of eternal life in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ". It is essential that believers be reminded of the necessity to be pure in thought, word and action. Such diligence will save both the teacher and the hearer alike. In chapter 5 we are told the type of respect to be shown to elderly believers. Next follows instructions on the proper treatment of widows. It tells families to show their commitment and care for the widows before requesting aid from the ecclesia. However, widows whose faith and actions stand as a witness to their commitment to Christ Jesus and His Father should be supported in their needs. Older members of the flock of God who have diligently proclaimed the Word of God must be honoured (compare Hebrews 13verses7, 17). Those whose words and actions show a failure to continue in the beliefs and behaviour of the Truth are to be openly rebuked. Be careful in the choice of those commissioned to faithful service. Timothy should drink wine moderately for reasons of health. Sometimes the faithfulness of some believers is evident; and sometimes the wrongdoing of believers is seen. But not always. Beware of hypocrisy, but be assured it will be unmasked in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

With Advent upcoming, we can make the most of the liturgical season as a means to prepare for the celebrations of Christmas. In this episode of On Mission, Chris Pierno, Sarah Scalfaro, and Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. discuss how we can use Advent as a means to spiritually and practically prepare for Christmas.Christmas quickly approaches and with it Advent. With the fast-paced nature of the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Advent can simply pass by. But if we intentionally use the four weeks of Advent, we can find more spiritual fulfillment when Christmas arrives. Advent is often considered the little Lent. What Lent like practices can we incorporate into our Advent observances? For example, we can emphasize more charitable works within our communities, we can fast, and we can take up certain prayer practices to help us pave the way for the Lord. View our Advent Resources page Related On Mission episodes:Feasts of AdventAdvent ResourcesAdvent From the Ad Infinitum blog:A Light in DarknessBeyond a TwinkleMore posts about the Advent Check out the main Saints and Feast Days websiteDownload the App on the App Store or Google Play  Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify On Mission is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources and podcasts. Listen to Fr. Frank's weekly reflections and recent blogcasts.

A thousand facets sits for the season finale of season 3 with the truly talented Anthony Lent in his studio in Pennsylvania. They talked about his education in Germany, his years as a professor and how he creates his wonderful and whimsical jewelry. About: Anthony Lent has been handcrafting fine jewelry for women and men for almost fifty years. Our collections are based on the sculptural creations of master goldsmith and jewelry designer, Tony Lent. He has dedicated his life to the painstaking transformation of visionary images into intricate pieces of wearable art that are among the most detailed and conceptually profound works of jewelry being made today. Tony began his foray into the jewelry world while studying sculpture at the Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts). While there, he discovered that many of his favorite artists, such Celini and Dürer, were also goldsmiths. He also encountered the works of various renowned jewelers, including René Lalique, René Boivin, and Mario Buccellati, amongst others. In 1971, Tony left Philadelphia and moved to Germany to pursue his goldsmithing education at the Fachhochschule in Schwäbisch-Gmünd. In Germany, he immersed himself in the traditions and technologies of European jewelry design, acquiring the skills and knowledge that would become the foundation of his own work and teaching. On returning to the United States a few years later, he began his career as a jeweler in New York City, working for some of the industry's most prestigious and celebrated fine jewelry houses. During this time, he developed a unique line of bespoke jewelry which was exhibited at galleries and represented by private dealers throughout the world. He also served during this time as a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where he was chairman of the Jewelry Design department from 1990–2001.  Tony is joined by his sons, David and Max, who founded the Anthony Lent brand in 2013. Together, they are working to preserve their father's legacy for future generations of discerning collectors of the most beautiful and captivating jewelry in the world. At Anthony Lent, we strive to meet the highest standards of quality possible and treat attention to even the finest of details as the number one priority in everything we do. All of our jewelry is designed and manufactured with pride in the USA. You can follow Anthony on Instagram @anthonylentjewelry or his website https://anthonylent.com/ Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode. Music by @chris_keys__ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is a Catholic to do when one penitential season of Lent just doesn't provide enough fasting? They add a second one!For many centuries, Advent (previously called St Martin's Lent) was a penitential season observed similarly to Lent, marking a preparation for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek)Thank you for your support!

"Not one stone will be left on another."...

Relief is big business...

Hello everyone, I'm not a huge fan of these sort of admin episodes, but there's enough going on I figure it'll be worth it. So here's an update on three fronts: first, the upcoming consistory, which may be on your radar already since you listen to my show, second, what's been going on at the USCCB this past week, and third, some show updates, including something I've put together to feel a bit better about having these admin updates periodically. So first, CONSISTORY Those of you already familiar with the word will know why it grabbed my attention earlier in the month, when various sources announced that Pope Leo was calling the Cardinals together for a consistory in January of next year. You see, it was a consistory that threw a wrench onto my daily show plans in 2023, and in 2024 it was another consistory that sent me back into a hiatus I'm still recovering from.   For those not in the know already, a consistory is a meeting of the Cardinals of the Catholic Church, a group so particular they have multiple terms even for their administrative meetings, the other being a conclave, and which, well, if you're listening to this, I'm just going to assume you're already familiar with the idea of a conclave, if only because that's what I spent most of my air time covering the first half of this year. So enough about conclaves. Those are different from consistories.   The type of consistory that gets me scrambling when I see the word is a consistory for the creation of new cardinals. The consistory that showed up on our radars earlier this month shows no particular signs of being one of those, though stranger things have happened and I'm fully expecting Pope Leo to hand out some red hats and titles sometime in 2026. I just don't think it'll be at this promised January 8th meeting, since that's usually included in the description—often with names—right from the start when we've got that on the docket.   Don't be disappointed though—we can still expect this to be an extraordinary consistory, and not least because “extraordinary consistory” is the technical term for this specific type of consistory and I enjoy punning with ya'll. You see, an “extraordinary” consistory is when the Pope calls together all the Catholic Cardinals around the world for a meet-up in Rome, as opposed to an ordinary consistory, which is typically just a meeting of the Cardinals resident in the Eternal City, which are generally unremarkable enough that they don't get reported on, unless he's creating new Cardinals. Oh, and by the way, I kind of had a hunch about this but this research is where I first confirmed Cardinals are actually *required*  to live in Rome unless they're serving out and about as a diocesan bishop somewhere. Which makes sense given their role as an advisory body for the Pope. It's clear there are exceptions—the Argentine Capuchin priest Cardinal Dri, may he rest in peace, died in Buenos Aires a few months ago. He's the one Pope Francis elevated at the age of 96 in 2023, we did an episode about him. Nor are such exceptions particularly new–Saint John Henry Newman, who Pope Leo recently proclaimed as a Doctor of the Church, became a Cardinal late in life and travelled to the Eternal City for the occasion but continued to reside in England. All right, enough about what older Cardinals get up to. How common are these extraordinary consistories? Well, these meetings are unusual, but not unheard of. According to the incredible Gabriel Chow of GCatholic.org, Pope Saint John Paul II held seven of them, all but one within a few months of him creating a batch of new Cardinals, something he tended to do every three years. It seems like he got Cardinals on his mind and liked to both create new ones and catch up with the old ones as a group in the same general stretch. Cardinal season, if you will. A lot of the reporting on this upcoming consistory notes that Pope Benedict, JPII's successor, never held an extraordinary consistory, and that might technically be true if we're only counting things officially declared “extraordinary consistories”, but GCatholic disagrees, counting the meetings of cardinals held the night before his first creations of new Cardinals as extraordinary consistories. I'm not sold on that interpretation, as from what I've seen those gatherings were not as well attended as a typical extraordinary consistory would be, since again, those are mandatory. But they did seem to be private affairs of the Cardinals, which is one of the hallmarks of extraordinary consistories and another factor that distinguishes them from ordinary consistories, at least as far as the Code of Canon Law is concerned. Put a pin in that.Also, even though, yeah, it was officially a pretty minor meeting, the consistory where Pope Benedict announced that he was going to be resigning the Papacy–yeah– I mean–wasn't officially an “extraordinary consistory”, but it was an *extraordinary* consistory.   As for Pope Francis, most of the coverage agreed he held two extraordinary consistories: one in 2014, with the topic of the family, which was part of the ramp up to Amoris Laetitia where communion for divorced Catholics was the apparent hot-button subtext. He also held one in 2022, where they discussed the new Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium. If that's not ringing a bell, that's the one where pretty much every Vatican department got renamed to a Dicastery. If it's still not ringing a bell, don't worry about it. For what it's worth, both of these were either right before or right after new batches of Cardinals were made. I think if I got made a Cardinal the day *after* a two-day closed-door meeting of all the Cardinals I'd feel a little bit left out. Though maybe the Cardinals who formally joined the body just in time to hear two days of explanations of that new Constitution changing all the department names would have preferred to have been left out of that one. Either way, GCatholic counts a third Extraordinary Consistory for Pope Francis, a two-day affair right before he made a batch of new Cardinals in 2015. But like the ones GCatholic reported as happening in Pope Benedict's pontificate, this gathering didn't have all the Cardinals–or at least it didn't have enough Cardinals around that it had a “mandatory for everyone” vibe like an extraordinary consistory is supposed to. According to Catholic News Agency, 148 cardinals made an appearance, and because I'm the sort of nerd I am, I can tell you that that was out of a full college of 212 at the time, and yes that includes disgraced Cardinal Keith O'Brien, because he never renounced the Cardinalate itself, only renouncing the rights and privileges associated with it, and it also incidentally includes Mr. Theodore McCarrick, who would go on to renounce the Cardinalate in later years and would wind up deservedly laicized, but who was still a Cardinal at this stage.You probably didn't need me to mention all that, but just in case, there you have it. It's worth noting that one of the reported topics during the 2025 conclave, at least during the meetings in the leadup to the conclave, was frustration from the Cardinals over a general lack of consultation of the Pope with the College of Cardinals as a whole, i.e. they wanted more extraordinary consistories. I wouldn't be too shocked if we saw such gatherings in say, January and June, fit in between the end of Christmas and the beginning of Lent and around the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, respectively, become a regular thing, if Pope Leo does want to lean into these big extraordinary consistories being a regular thing.   Now, it's fun and all to hear reports that the expected meeting is a response to popular demand by the Cardinals, but what will it actually be about? Why is Pope Leo apparently calling a closed-door meeting of all the Cardinals of the Catholic Church? Well, first off, despite all my talk, and despite a lot of other people's talk, no such meeting has actually been called yet. What we have at this stage is a letter that went out from the Secretariat of State stating that “Holy Father Leo XIV has in mind to convene an Extraordinary Consistory for the days of January 7 and 8, 2026.” Which, admittedly, is pretty straightforward, and is coming from an official source. But Pope Leo having that “in mind” is not the same as actually announcing it, which matters because the letter goes on to state that “In due course, the Dean of the College of Cardinals will send to Your Eminence the relevant letter with further details”. In other words, watch this space. And yes, it's entirely possible that “further details” could still include noting that by the way while everyone is in town Pope Leo's going to create some more new Cardinals too. I don't expect that since my read on him is he's going to want to be more respectful of the official 120-elector cap than his predecessor was, but it wouldn't be the first time they've covered multiple items while the Cardinals were gathered. It's probably more efficient from a travel cost perspective, anyhow. By the way, if they DO create more new Cardinals, it won't be right after the Extraordinary Consistory On An Unknown Topic, because Pope Leo is already booked for the next day, when he is due for his annual meeting with diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, followed by him meeting with all the ambassadors from the 184 states that have full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. With that context–while recognizing those are regular annual meetings so it could be a coincidence–I am tempted to think there *will* be something big Pope Leo hopes to talk about with all the Cardinals and then all the diplomats. Maybe something going back to my hope–and the hope of many–on Catholic-Orthodox relations, some fruit of Pope Leo's visit to Turkey to mark the 1700th anniversary of Nicea later this month, a council which Catholics and Orthodox agree on, and which helped set the date of Easter. To speculate one step yet further, if they were looking at something relating to the dating of Easter, the timing would be pretty good, a few months out.   ***To complicate matters further, *** the day *before* the expected Extraordinary Consistory, Pope Leo will be closing the Holy Doors to finish out the Holy Year. So yeah, that date's booked too, unless he wants to multitask, which given all he's got going on, he doesn't seem opposed to doing.    *** IN THE END, it's likely the bulk of the discussion will be the fruit of the “study groups” that came out of the Synod on Synodality, which are meant to reach some form of consensus on a number of active topics discussed over the course of the synod during the last few years. The study groups are so idiosyncratic and generally wonkish that even I, who love listing off obscure stuff at you, refuse to go through them in detail, but they contain are hot button issues  such as women deacons and polygamy alongside, uh, cold-button topics such as canon law and the role of nuncios, although I suppose it depends on what you're into.   Anyways, it's worth noting that—following what has proven to be a pattern for the Synod on Synodality with extension after extension—the end-of-the-year “deadline” for the study groups doesn't seem to be a hard deadline and at least some of the study group discussions may well still be ongoing past the time of the Extraordinary Consistory, so really, who knows? Again, time will tell.***   Ok, time for the second promised topic: the USCCB, that is, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They had one of their Plenary or General assemblies this week–I believe they use the word interchangeably–-which, now that you're hip to consistory talk you can think of Plenary Assemblies as the US Catholic Bishops' version of an extraordinary consistory with everyone gathered to chat about whatever. In this case, a major order of business was the election of new leadership, especially a new USCCB President and Vice-President. When it comes to the USCCB, often the Vice-Presidency is the real election to watch, since unless they've hit retirement age the Vice President usually gets elected the President after putting in their three-year term as VP. But in this case, both President and Vice President were retiring, so this was one of the more open election years, with ten candidates nominated by their peers, including Bishop Barron of the Word on Fire media empire which will be printing breviaries for Americans in the coming years–more on that lucrative endeavor some other time. In the end, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City was elected USSB President, and will serve in that capacity until 2028 when, if tradition holds, he will be succeeded by the man who was runner-up this time around, Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas. We'll see if tradition does hold, as it's not really a secret that US politics is deeply divided and the shift would be from a perceived conservative to a perceived liberal if that's the way it goes, although yes, both are Catholic bishops so there's a lot of agreement between the two. One bishop who was not particularly agreeing with the rest of the body present was  the emeritus bishop of Tyler, Texas, one Joseph Strickland. I've discussed Bishop Strickland here and there, and he seems interested in continuing to pop up, despite his removal from his see a couple years ago after publicly endorsing a video calling Pope Francis a “diabolically disordered clown”. In any case, he is apparently still part of the USCCB–which makes sense as he's still a bishop, though I'm not going to act like I expected him there. From what I can tell, since he's officially an emeritus bishop, he does not get to vote. But he did have some floor time, and used it to try to add condemning Fr James Martin's outreach to LGBT folks to the docket, a plea which went unanswered. There's video of this online if you want to find it, and sure, a link in the notes for your convenience. Don't get the wrong idea though, the bishops actually have been pretty active since the new USCCB President took up his role, on the one hand banning gender-affirming care for transgender patients at Catholic hospitals, something which I honestly was  surprised wasn't already done, and on the other hand speaking up pretty loudly about all the deporting going on around here. It's the latter topic I'm going to focus on for today, no offense to my friends who might love a word on the former, but I'm trying to stay positive, you know? Plus there's more meat on the immigration side of the discussion, specifically my favorite thing: a statement short enough to read in its entirety for ya'll.Yes, for the first time in over a decade–since their Special Message on the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act–the Bishops overwhelmingly voted in support of releasing the following Special Message, and by overwhelmingly I mean 216-5 with three abstentions. Without further ado: “As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones.  Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity. Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation's immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together. We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks. The Church's teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). As pastors, we look to Sacred Scripture and the example of the Lord Himself, where we find the wisdom of God's compassion. The priority of the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger (Zechariah 7:10). In the Lord Jesus, we see the One who became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), we see the Good Samaritan who lifts us from the dust (Luke 10:30–37), and we see the One who is found in the least of these (Matthew 25). The Church's concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord's command to love as He has loved us (John 13:34). To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:26). You are not alone! We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts.  We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform.  As disciples of the Lord, we remain men and women of hope, and hope does not disappoint! (cf. Romans 5:5) May the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe enfold us all in her maternal and loving care and draw us ever closer to the heart of Christ.” Alright, now for the final topic, PODCAST ADMIN. Assuming you've been around for a minute, you've probably noticed that Popeular History is approximately eight projects in a trenchcoat. You might think that sounds like an exaggeration, but I did wind up with 8 tabs when I organized all my episodes i  nto a spreadsheet I plan to use as a roadmap for the show. The Cardinal Numbers tab even has info about the Cardinals in question from my cardinals database. Not all the Cardinals, mind you, for now it's focused on the current cardinals since that's where the show is focused. Eventually the full database will be made public-facing in some form, minus perhaps some embarrassing scribbled notes like instructions on how to pronounce names that will only make sense to me since I'm bad at phonetic alphabet stuff. Oh, and the Worldbuilding section has the epitomes next to links to the episodes they're summarizing! Cool stuff like that, and as an added bonus I'll even be putting things like when I expect to get to the next episode or two of a particular series, that way if you want an answer it's there without relying on me randomly mentioning on the show at some point. I'm even including notes about things like when I have something recorded and am just working on editing it. So that's all exciting! Check it out!–I'm putting that link at the tail end of the show notes for your convenience. It should be publicly accessible, let me know via email to popeularhistory@gmail.com if you hit any snags. Also, jubilation! Popeularhistory.com is back up, and I have no idea how that happened. My ability to make changes to it directly went away about a year ago, hence all but the RSS feeds being frozen, zombie mode, but now it's back. I didn't even have to log in to anything. I think St Carlo Acutis just did another miracle (miracles effect from Pontifacts). So that's an unexpected plus that literally only came up when I googled up the name of my old host as part of an explanation that the spreadsheet I just described was going to replace the website moving forward. I guess it isn't? We'll see–I am very confused, I was already prepared to move on–but I'm not mad about it. Finally, one more last-minute thing has popped up. Our hero, Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, will be visiting Detroit December 4th through 7th, raising funds for the struggling Christian remnant in the Holy Land. Detroit is a manageable trip from my home base in Ohio (go Bucks) and I'd love to meet Pierbattista Pizzaballa. But I don't plan to crash Pierbattista Pizzaballa's fundraising trip emptyhanded. And so, I've created a gofundme to raise money so I can give Pierbattista Pizzaballa a real check for a grand in addition to a comedically oversized check made by my children, which I'm sure Pierbattista Pizzaballa will really truly appreciate as a Franciscan friar. Obviously December 4th through 7th is soon, so act now via the link in the show notes if you'd like to contribute to what is already my most successful fundraiser to date. And don't worry if you miss the deadline, I still intend to forward funds to him and his cause as appropriate, whatever way I can. Full disclosure: I'm setting aside $200 of the funds for travel expenses for me getting there, and giant check. Thank you in advance and remember: prayer support is just as welcome and is even more important than financial support. Alright, that's all for tonight! November's Habemus Pointsam is coming out soon, I just need to edit it! Of course, you already knew that, because you saw it on the database, right? Thank you for listening, God bless you all! Thanks, Joe! LINKS: Early reporting on upcoming extraordinary consistory: https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2025/11/08/pope-leo-to-call-college-of-cardinals-to-rome-for-a-two-day-january-meeting/ https://thecatholicherald.com/article/pope-leo-to-call-cardinals-to-rome-for-extraordinary-consistory-amid-speculation-of-first-encyclical https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-leo-xiv-to-convene-extraordinary-consistory-of-cardinals-in-january-report/?utm_source=lsncathfb&fbclid=IwY2xjawN_jjJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR7SwHBdI9sPFNkrmLzutgXvu6eUyuUQPNbHpBxEEej8S63RLNA83qCYOPDyqQ_aem_kfnzrdO3vyL7EE2rqlgcWg https://www.ncregister.com/news/pope-leo-calls-january-2026-consistory Gcatholic.org consistory notes: https://gcatholic.org/documents/tag/consistory CNA Reporting on 2015 consistory: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/31501/a-reform-to-promote-harmony-%E2%80%93-pope-francis-opens-a-much-debated-consistory Bishop Strickland at the USCCB: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OU0i97XFTlw USCCB Special Message: https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/us-bishops-issue-special-message-immigration-plenary-assembly-baltimore Popeular History Episode Spreadsheet link (feel free to share, this should give public access) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17NFWcln6CA8yjH96-bORP2G3HA2ct331E6Zi880BewU/edit?usp=sharing Pizzaballa Trip Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-gregg-bring-pierbattista-pizzaballa-a-giant-check?fbclid=IwY2xjawOKzAVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR4IokJTnLt5tbazv1IuHqeQowX8-horhHZ0HRkHo5beXwCliQi3avOZ4LXDaA_aem_Lsc6fiO4LRUoTq6WizJ3fQ

How many wounds do you carry?...

Nüfus giderek yaşlanıyor. Zatürreyse ileri yaştakiler için büyük bir tehdit. İklim değişikliği ve hava kirliliğinin artması ileri yaşlardakilerin akciğerlerini daha hassas hale getiriyor. Ve tedavi gecikirse sorun içinden çıkılmaz bir hal alıyor. Peki yaşlılar zatürre gibi bir hastalıktan neden bu kadar etkileniyor? Yaş ilerledikçe akciğer sağlığı bozuluyor mu? Yalnızca zatürre aşısı korumada ne kadar etkili? Bebeklikte olunan aşıyla, erişkinken olunan aşı aynı etkide mi? Zatürreye dair merak ettiklerimizi Göğüs Hastalıkları Uzmanı Prof. Dr. Bülent Tutluoğlu'na sorduk.

Lamentations 3:1–33 (Listen) Great Is Your Faithfulness 3:1   I am the man who has seen affliction    under the rod of his wrath;2   he has driven and brought me    into darkness without any light;3   surely against me he turns his hand    again and again the whole day long. 4   He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;    he has broken my bones;5   he has besieged and enveloped me    with bitterness and tribulation;6   he has made me dwell in darkness    like the dead of long ago. 7   He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;    he has made my chains heavy;8   though I call and cry for help,    he shuts out my prayer;9   he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones;    he has made my paths crooked. 10   He is a bear lying in wait for me,    a lion in hiding;11   he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces;    he has made me desolate;12   he bent his bow and set me    as a target for his arrow. 13   He drove into my kidneys    the arrows of his quiver;14   I have become the laughingstock of all my people,1    the object of their taunts all day long.15   He has filled me with bitterness;    he has sated me with wormwood. 16   He has made my teeth grind on gravel,    and made me cower in ashes;17   my soul is bereft of peace;    I have forgotten what happiness2 is;18   so I say, “My endurance has perished;    so has my hope from the LORD.” 19   Remember my affliction and my wanderings,    the wormwood and the gall!20   My soul continually remembers it    and is bowed down within me.21   But this I call to mind,    and therefore I have hope: 22   The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;3    his mercies never come to an end;23   they are new every morning;    great is your faithfulness.24   “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,    “therefore I will hope in him.”

Envision this furnace working at full capacity...

God's greatest gift to us is the gift of spiritual life...

God provides the assurance needed to know that we will live with him forever...

durée : 00:03:23 - La Chronique du Grand Continent - par : Gilles Gressani - Aujourd'hui, en faisant mon nœud de cravate, j'ai pensé à Elon Musk et Mark Zuckerberg.

Is it possible to get lost anymore? With GPS...

We're roadtripping through Acadiana--exploring Louisiana's Cajun heartland, where French-Acadian roots, gumbo and bayou rhythms simmer together into one of America's most distinctive cultures.  And as we learn today, Po'boys aren't just lunch. They're like love letters to Louisiana itself. At the Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette--where we enjoyed the hands-down very best oyster po'boy I've ever had--Ross Murphree shares his family's story. From purchasing the beloved corner grocery in 1982 to today's over-a-thousand-sandwiches daily rushes during Lent, we explore how a humble sandwich captures the flavors, faith and rhythms of Acadian life. From roast beef drippings to fried crawfish best-sellers, Ross reflects on feeding generations and preserving a culture--one perfect po'boy sandwich at a time.       Visit the Legendary Brands That Make MOJO's Duck Season Somewhere Podcast Possible: MOJO Outdoors  Alberta Professional Outfitters Society Benelli Shotguns Bow and Arrow Outdoors Ducks Unlimited  Flash Back Decoys GetDucks.com Inukshuk Professional Dog Food  Migra Ammunitions onX Maps  Use code GetDucks25 to save 25% Sitka Gear SoundGear Use code GetDucks20 to save 25% Tom Beckbe USHuntList.com   Like what you heard? Let us know! • Tap Subscribe so you never miss an episode. • Drop a rating—it's like a high-five in the duck blind. • Leave a quick comment: What hit home? What made you laugh? What hunt did it remind you of? • Share this episode with a buddy who lives for duck season.   Want to partner? Have or know a story to share? Contact: Ramsey Russell ramsey@getducks.com  

On November 12, our church family gathered to hear from Christopher Watkin, author of Biblical Critical Theory. Over the course of the evening, Dr. Watkin helped us rethink one of culture's most persistent questions: Who am I? Drawing on everything from Star Wars to Viktor Frankl to the biblical narrative itself, he showed us why the stories we live in shape us far more than we realize, and why the gospel offers a truer, richer, and more hope-filled story than any we could possibly write for ourselves.ABOUT CHRISTOPHER WATKINChristopher joined us from Melbourne, Australia, where he is a Senior Lecturer in French Studies at Monash University. He is a Fellow of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, a leading voice at the intersection of philosophy, theology, and cultural critique, and recently authored Biblical Critical Theory. His writing traces how individuals and societies make sense of the world—especially when confronted with contrasting beliefs and ideas. As a Christian thinker and teacher, Dr. Watkin brings deep intellectual rigor to bear on questions of meaning, culture, and faith in contemporary life.

Are you ready? If Jesus decides that today is the day...

Zacchaeus was not a popular guy...

'Sploosh.' I remember that sound as if it was yesterday...

Welcome back to the Cornelius Seed Podcast! In this episode,we have a special guest Ralph Lents, Chair of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, on to explore unexpected markets for corn demand including China, India, and Southeast Asia. We delve into the evolving ethanol market, innovative uses likeethanol-powered ships and tractors, and the potential for carbon pipelines to impact corn prices in Iowa. Tune in for an insightful discussion on global trade, government policies, and how initiatives from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board are paving the way for the future of corn farming.  Chapters 01:29 Meet Ralph Lents: Iowa Corn Promotion BoardChair 02:11 Global Trade and Tariffs: Impact on Corn and Soybeans08:50 Ethanol and New Markets: India and Southeast Asia 10:54 Pipeline Controversies and Ethanol's Future 18:45 Innovations in Corn Usage: From Clothing to MaritimeFuel 21:30 Getting Involved: Iowa Corn Promotion BoardInitiatives 26:50 Advice for Young Farmers and Closing Thoughts

What is God like?...

Aujourd'hui, Barbara Lefebvre, prof d'histoire-géo, Laura Warton Martinez, sophrologue, et Charles Consigny, avocat, débattent de l'actualité autour d'Alain Marschall et Olivier Truchot.

Jeremiah 24:4–7 (Listen) 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. (ESV)Jeremiah 29:1–14 (Listen) Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles 29:1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,1 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD. 10 “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare2 and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Footnotes [1] 29:8 Hebrew your dreams, which you cause to dream [2] 29:11 Or peace (ESV)

Jeremiah 24:4–7 (Listen) 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. (ESV)Jeremiah 29:1–14 (Listen) Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles 29:1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,1 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD. 10 “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare2 and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Footnotes [1] 29:8 Hebrew your dreams, which you cause to dream [2] 29:11 Or peace (ESV)

Jesus is stronger than the devil...

Episode 270 - Franciscan Lent After a season of Jubilee rest, the friars return with fresh hearts and a new invitation: to enter the "Franciscan Lent", a hidden season of simplicity, detachment, and joyful expectation. Drawing from the life of St. Francis and the Beatitudes, they explore what it really means to become small, to depend completely on God, and to let Him provide what we cannot. This episode isn't about doing more, it's about letting go, trusting deeply, and rediscovering the joy that comes from poverty of spirit. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!

Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Josh Bossé talk about the capital vice known as sloth—or rather, acedia.David Hume's Moral Philosophy: The Natural Virtues — Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyMaking All Things New by Henri NouwenInside Out 2 (2024 film)Glittering Vices by Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoungAcedia & Me by Kathleen NorrisThe Message in the Bottle by Walker PercyBEMA 2: Knowing When to Say “Enough”1 Corinthians 3 — Reed Dent, Campus Christian FellowshipBEMA 400: Talmudic Matthew — SaltBEMA 401: Talmudic Matthew — LightBEMA 402: Talmudic Matthew — Lightly SaltedMark 11 (aroma reference) — Reed Dent, Campus Christian FellowshipWhere the Wild Things Are by Maurice SendakBEMA 136: Each OneThe Book of Delights by Ross Gay“Patient Trust” by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin“Followers, Not Admirers” by Søren Kierkegaard in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and EasterPrayer of St. Teresa of Avila — Catholic Health Association of the United StatesLost in the Cosmos by Walker PercyThe Sabbath by Abraham Joshua HeschelThe Screwtape Letters by C. S. LewisCalorie — WikipediaCanada Geese and Diet Dr. Pepper — The Anthropocene Reviewed