Podcasts about pope pius vii

Full Text of ReadingsMonday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 317The Saint of the day is Saint Angela MericiSaint Angela Merici's story Angela Merici has the double distinction of founding the first of what are now called “secular institutes” and the first teaching order of women in the Church. Born in Desenzano, Italy, she was orphaned in her teens. As a young woman, with her heart centered on Christ, Angela joined the Third Order of St. Francis and embraced austerity. In a visionary experience, she felt called to found a “company” of women. Angela was invited to become a live-in companion for a widow in the nearby town of Brescia. There she became the spiritual advisor of a group of men and women with ideals of spiritual renewal and service to those in need. While on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1524, Angela was struck with blindness. She proceeded to visit the sacred shrines, seeing them with her spirit. On the way back while praying before a crucifix, Angela’s sight was restored. At age 60, Angela and 12 other women began the Company of St. Ursula, named for a patroness of medieval universities and venerated as a leader of women. This constituted a new way of life: single women consecrated to Christ and living in the world rather than in a monastery. With Angela as their “mother and mistress,” Company members did not live in community, wore no special clothing, and made no formal vows. Angela Merici died in Brescia, Italy, in 1540. Clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary, her body was interred in Brescia’s Church of Saint’ Afra. Four years later the Company’s Rule that Angela had composed, prescribing the practices of chastity, poverty and obedience, was approved by the pope. In the early 1600s, Companies that had expanded into France were re-organized into the religious Order of St. Ursula, to teach girls. Angela's words continue to inspire the Ursuline nuns' mission of education, a mission that spread worldwide. The Company of St. Ursula also continued to exist and is federated worldwide today with members in 30 countries. Angela Merici was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. Reflection As with so many saints, history is mostly concerned with their activities. But deep Christian faith and love sustain one whose courage lasts a lifetime, and who can take bold new steps when human need demands. Saint Angela Merici is a Patron Saint of: Educators/Teachers Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

       O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.    1. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of your tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by your heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the holy fear of God. Hail Mary…   2. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of your most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and your sojourn there. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the gift of piety. Hail Mary…   3. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried your troubled heart at the loss of your dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge. Hail Mary…  4. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of your heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude. Hail Mary…  5. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, by your afflicted heart obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel. Hail Mary…  6. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of your compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance before His Body was removed from the Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding. Hail Mary…    7. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched your most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom. Hail Mary… Let Us Pray: Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Your mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Your bitter Passion. Through You, O Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns world without end. Amen.Thank you for your support. God bless all of you.If you would like to support me monetarily here is the link to Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee.Support the show

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 322The Saint of the day is Saint Angela MericiSaint Angela Merici's story Angela Merici has the double distinction of founding the first of what are now called “secular institutes” and the first teaching order of women in the Church. Born in Desenzano, Italy, she was orphaned in her teens. As a young woman, with her heart centered on Christ, Angela joined the Third Order of St. Francis and embraced austerity. In a visionary experience, she felt called to found a “company” of women. Angela was invited to become a live-in companion for a widow in the nearby town of Brescia. There she became the spiritual advisor of a group of men and women with ideals of spiritual renewal and service to those in need. While on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1524, Angela was struck with blindness. She proceeded to visit the sacred shrines, seeing them with her spirit. On the way back while praying before a crucifix, Angela’s sight was restored. At age 60, Angela and 12 other women began the Company of St. Ursula, named for a patroness of medieval universities and venerated as a leader of women. This constituted a new way of life: single women consecrated to Christ and living in the world rather than in a monastery. With Angela as their “mother and mistress,” Company members did not live in community, wore no special clothing, and made no formal vows. Angela Merici died in Brescia, Italy, in 1540. Clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary, her body was interred in Brescia’s Church of Saint’ Afra. Four years later the Company’s Rule that Angela had composed, prescribing the practices of chastity, poverty and obedience, was approved by the pope. In the early 1600s, Companies that had expanded into France were re-organized into the religious Order of St. Ursula, to teach girls. Angela's words continue to inspire the Ursuline nuns' mission of education, a mission that spread worldwide. The Company of St. Ursula also continued to exist and is federated worldwide today with members in 30 countries. Angela Merici was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. Reflection As with so many saints, history is mostly concerned with their activities. But deep Christian faith and love sustain one whose courage lasts a lifetime, and who can take bold new steps when human need demands. Saint Angela Merici is a Patron Saint of: Educators/Teachers Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Walking with the Saints Podcast | Feast of St. Alphonsus De Liguori, Patron of Confessors and Moral Theologians| August 1   St. Alphonsus de Liguori, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or the Redemptorists.He was endowed with a well-rounded talents so much so that he was also a composer, musician, artist, poet, writer, lawyer, philosopher and theologian. St. Alphonsus was born, eldest of seven children, in Marianella, near Naples, Italy, of a noble lineage on September 27, 1696. His father sent him to study as a lawyer. Before entering the university he was taught by tutors. At 16, he graduated from the University of Naples with doctorates in civil and canon law. When he was 18, he joined the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy to assist in caring for the sick at the hospital. Meanwhile, he was also practicing law, which according to him was full of difficulties. After eight years of practice, losing for the first time an important case at age 27, he resolved to leave the legal profession. That was when he heard a voice saying: “Leave the world and give yourself to me.” Soon, he decided to become a priest and entered as a novice at the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, but his father allowed him as long as he would not become an Oratorian. He was ordained on December 21, 1726 at the age 30. He spent his first years as a priest with the homeless and marginalized youth of Naples. He became very popular due to his simple and down-to-earth preaching. He was heard saying: “I have never preached a sermon which the poorest old woman in the congregation could not understand.” That was why his sermons were very effective and they converted many who had gone away from the faith. He founded centers of prayer, preaching, community social activities and education for the youth. They called them Evening Chapels. There were thousands active members and participants. In 1729 Alphonsus left his family home and resided in the Chinese Institute in Naples and began missionary work in the interior regions of Naples. There, he found people who were much poorer and much more abandoned than those in his first missionary territory. In 1731, while ministering to earthquake victims in Foggia, Italy Alphonsus said he had a vision of the Virgin Mary who appeared as a girl of 14. This vision and his scruples about sin, led to a greater intimacy with God and an ardent desire to serve Him unreservedly. Thus, on November 9, 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. The charism of the congregation is to preach in the cities and the countryside, in the slums and other poor places. Besides preaching, the members of the newly founded congregation fought against Jansenism, the heresy that preached a very excessive and strict morality which did not consider forgiveness. The Redemptorists rightly believed that: “penitents must be treated as souls to be saved rather than as criminals to be punished.” The Redemptorists specialized in hearing Confession. In 1766, St. Alphonsus founded also the Redemptoristine nuns in St. Agatha. When St. Alphonsus was already sickly, he resigned his post as Bishop and he continued to live with the Redemptorist community in Pagani, Italy where he died. St. Alphonsus was beatified on September 15, 1816 by Pope Pius VII. He was canonized on May 26, 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI. He was named “Patron of Confessors and Moral Theologians” by Pope Piuys XII on April 26, 1950. His voluminous writings are still extant today and a famous Christmas song in Italian is still among the favorites: “Tu scendi dalle stelle” (From starry skies descending). In 1949, the Redemptorists founded the Alphonsian Academy for the advanced study of moral theology. St. Alphonsus is a Doctor of the Church and his greatest contribution were his writings on moral theology. The devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help was begun by his followers in 1923.      

The Divine Praises (Laudes Divinae) is an 18th-century prayer.  It is traditionally recited during Benediction - but can be used at other times, either in a group or individually. The prayer was written in Italian by Jesuit priest Luigi Felici SJ (1736–1818) in 1797. It is intended for making reparation after saying or hearing sacrilege or blasphemy / mis-use of the name of Jesus. It was expanded by Pope Pius VII in 1801, and at some point was translated into English, Latin (and likely various other languages) - the translator(s) are unknown.   The English version is sometimes just called "The Blessed be God". The prayer is traditionally said by having a leader say each line and for the congregation to repeat it - and in this manner,.no visual aids or printed text is necessary (except for the leader).  However other format can be used: the Divine Praises can by prayed individually, or used as the basis of group meditation supported by images and other aids - or in any other way.   DIVINE PRAISES Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart. Blessed be His Most Precious Blood. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy. Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception. Blessed be her Glorious Assumption. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen. LAUDES DIVINAE Benedictus Deus. Benedictum Nomen Sanctum eius. Benedictus Iesus Christus, verus Deus et verus homo. Benedictum Nomen Iesu. Benedictum Cor eius sacratissimum. Benedictus Sanguis eius pretiosissimus. Benedictus Iesus in sanctissimo altaris Sacramento. Benedictus Sanctus Spiritus, Paraclitus. Benedicta excelsa Mater Dei, Maria sanctissima. Benedicta sancta eius et immaculata Conceptio. Benedicta eius gloriosa Assumptio. Benedictum nomen Mariae, Virginis et Matris. Benedictus sanctus Ioseph, eius castissimus Sponsus. Benedictus Deus in Angelis suis, et in Sanctis suis. Amen.   The Latin Prayer Podcast is on Patreon -  for those of you who are able to financially support the podcast please Click Here (https://www.patreon.com/thelatinprayerpodcast). A huge thank you to my patrons! To Support FishEaters.com Click Here (https://www.patreon.com/fisheaters) Please check out our Resources, Gift Ideas & Affiliate Links page: https://dylandrego.podbean.com/p/resources-gift-ideas-affiliate-links Join me and others in praying the Holy Rosary every day; here are the Spotify quick links to the Rosary: Joyful Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yhnGJNSl67psg94j3si3s?si=7IjqIg2wQQaZTJTiDm-Dhw Sorrowful Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/3P0nIdaLuEjesHRMklwfoj?si=6qF7JBYpRiG0ylwuOohFwA Glorious Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/3t7lCF7nFQDR3py1jjTAE1?si=hBb_5Ne5Rwu-993nUUqHqg Luminous Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vlAjEGgWPCI79K7Eylh31?si=Hue9USzkTf-L3wrXrK79MQ 15 Decade Rosary https://open.spotify.com/episode/2q33PXMrinZi6fkaV6X7vn?si=Jy_d2xLlTVihD5qa4fSH9g To follow me on other platforms Click on my LinkTree below. linktr.ee/dylandrego If you have any prayers you'd like to request, or comments and/or suggestions - please email me at latinprayerpodcast@gmail.com. Know that if you are listening to this, I am praying for you. Please continue to pray with me and for me and my family. May everything you do be Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. God Love You! Valete (Goodbye) This podcast may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not always have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advanced the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church for the promulgation of religious education. We believe this constitutes a "fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US copyright law, and section 29, 29.1 & 29.2 of the Canadian copyright act.  

Today is the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, a feast that goes back to the early 19th century when Napoleon held Pope Pius VII captive for six years. In gratitude for his health and safety during his years of imprisonment Pope Pius VII instituted this feast day.

The Divine Praises (Laudes Divinae) is an 18th-century prayer.  It is traditionally recited during Benediction - but can be used at other times, either in a group or individually. The prayer was written in Italian by Jesuit priest Luigi Felici SJ (1736–1818) in 1797. It is intended for making reparation after saying or hearing sacrilege or blasphemy / mis-use of the name of Jesus. It was expanded by Pope Pius VII in 1801, and at some point was translated into English, Latin (and likely various other languages) - the translator(s) are unknown.   The English version is sometimes just called "The Blessed be God". The prayer is traditionally said by having a leader say each line and for the congregation to repeat it - and in this manner,.no visual aids or printed text is necessary (except for the leader).  However other format can be used: the Divine Praises can by prayed individually, or used as the basis of group meditation supported by images and other aids - or in any other way.   DIVINE PRAISES Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart. Blessed be His Most Precious Blood. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy. Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception. Blessed be her Glorious Assumption. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen. LAUDES DIVINAE Benedictus Deus. Benedictum Nomen Sanctum eius. Benedictus Iesus Christus, verus Deus et verus homo. Benedictum Nomen Iesu. Benedictum Cor eius sacratissimum. Benedictus Sanguis eius pretiosissimus. Benedictus Iesus in sanctissimo altaris Sacramento. Benedictus Sanctus Spiritus, Paraclitus. Benedicta excelsa Mater Dei, Maria sanctissima. Benedicta sancta eius et immaculata Conceptio. Benedicta eius gloriosa Assumptio. Benedictum nomen Mariae, Virginis et Matris. Benedictus sanctus Ioseph, eius castissimus Sponsus. Benedictus Deus in Angelis suis, et in Sanctis suis. Amen.   The Latin Prayer Podcast is on Patreon -  for those of you who are able to financially support the podcast please Click Here (https://www.patreon.com/thelatinprayerpodcast). A huge thank you to my patrons! To Support FishEaters.com Click Here (https://www.patreon.com/fisheaters) Please check out our Resources, Gift Ideas & Affiliate Links page: https://dylandrego.podbean.com/p/resources-gift-ideas-affiliate-links Join me and others in praying the Holy Rosary every day; here are the Spotify quick links to the Rosary: Joyful Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yhnGJNSl67psg94j3si3s?si=7IjqIg2wQQaZTJTiDm-Dhw Sorrowful Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/3P0nIdaLuEjesHRMklwfoj?si=6qF7JBYpRiG0ylwuOohFwA Glorious Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/3t7lCF7nFQDR3py1jjTAE1?si=hBb_5Ne5Rwu-993nUUqHqg Luminous Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vlAjEGgWPCI79K7Eylh31?si=Hue9USzkTf-L3wrXrK79MQ 15 Decade Rosary https://open.spotify.com/episode/2q33PXMrinZi6fkaV6X7vn?si=Jy_d2xLlTVihD5qa4fSH9g To follow me on other platforms Click on my LinkTree below. linktr.ee/dylandrego If you have any prayers you'd like to request, or comments and/or suggestions - please email me at latinprayerpodcast@gmail.com. Know that if you are listening to this, I am praying for you. Please continue to pray with me and for me and my family. May everything you do be Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. God Love You! Valete (Goodbye) This podcast may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not always have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advanced the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church for the promulgation of religious education. We believe this constitutes a "fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US copyright law, and section 29, 29.1 & 29.2 of the Canadian copyright act.  

The Prisoner Pope & Napoleon Bonaparte: Part 2 of the History of the Archdiocese of Louisville Today, Erik Huff and John Sohl discuss the second part of the rousing history of the Archdiocese of Louisville, this time focusing on the cultural context and historical turmoil facing the universal Church during the years Pope Pius VII established the Diocese of Bardstown with Bishop Flaget. Just by knowing this history and understanding the past, we too can find freedom from the shackles that have imprisoned us in a desert of emptiness, confusion, or isolation. Pope Pius VII, who was imprisoned by none other than Napoleon Bonaparte himself, played a key role in giving us hope in the midst of a deep imprisonment and a great many strongholds that have held us captive for so many decades. Pope Pius VII, pray for us! Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam---All for the greater Glory of God. Erik Huff hosts this episode with his co-host John Sohl. Isaac Fox was not able to join today. Look for Spirit & Spire on Google, Apple, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are found. Check out the teaser trailer and share this far and wide as more episodes are coming. www.SpiritandSpire.com Support Us | www.patreon.com/spiritandspire Please support our incredible sponsors! www.FamilyRenewalProject.com www.CathedraloftheAssumption.org If you would like a shoutout in an upcoming episode, contact us at spiritandspire@aol.com

Full Text of ReadingsFriday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time Lectionary: 321The Saint of the day is Saint Angela MericiSaint Angela Merici's story Angela Merici has the double distinction of founding the first of what are now called “secular institutes” and the first teaching order of women in the Church. Born in Desenzano, Italy, she was orphaned in her teens. As a young woman, with her heart centered on Christ, Angela joined the Third Order of St. Francis and embraced austerity. In a visionary experience, she felt called to found a “company” of women. Angela was invited to become a live-in companion for a widow in the nearby town of Brescia. There she became the spiritual advisor of a group of men and women with ideals of spiritual renewal and service to those in need. While on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1524, Angela was struck with blindness. She proceeded to visit the sacred shrines, seeing them with her spirit. On the way back while praying before a crucifix, Angela’s sight was restored. At age 60, Angela and 12 other women began the Company of St. Ursula, named for a patroness of medieval universities and venerated as a leader of women. This constituted a new way of life: single women consecrated to Christ and living in the world rather than in a monastery. With Angela as their “mother and mistress,” Company members did not live in community, wore no special clothing, and made no formal vows. Angela Merici died in Brescia, Italy, in 1540. Clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary, her body was interred in Brescia’s Church of Saint’ Afra. Four years later the Company’s Rule that Angela had composed, prescribing the practices of chastity, poverty and obedience, was approved by the pope. In the early 1600s, Companies that had expanded into France were re-organized into the religious Order of St. Ursula, to teach girls. Angela's words continue to inspire the Ursuline nuns' mission of education, a mission that spread worldwide. The Company of St. Ursula also continued to exist and is federated worldwide today with members in 30 countries. Angela Merici was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. Reflection As with so many saints, history is mostly concerned with their activities. But deep Christian faith and love sustain one whose courage lasts a lifetime, and who can take bold new steps when human need demands. Saint Angela Merici is a Patron Saint of: Educators/Teachers Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Walking with the Saints Podcast | Feast Day of St. Angela Merici, January 22 | Patron Saint Disabled and Physically Challenged People Today's saint is not very popular, but the Religious Order she founded must be known to many, especially the youth. She was an Italian religious educator who founded the Company of St. Ursula, in 1535. This group is known today as the Order of Ursulines. The Ursulines serve the Church through their schools and places of prayer throughout Europe, then worldwide, including the Philippines, and particularly in North America. Angela was born in 1474, in a small town near the shore of Lake Garda in Lombardy, Italy. At ten years of age, she, her only sister, and her brothers left orphans and they lived with their uncle. Unfortunately, her sister died also and she grieved very much her departure from this earth. Angela was a beautiful girl, and when people began to give her attention, she dyed her beautiful hair with soot. She joined the Third Order of St. Francis but when her uncle died she returned to her home and lived with her brothers. Being a very devout Christian. God was pleased to give her special graces, one of which was seeing visions of the future. One of these visions predicted that she was to found an association of virgins that were to devote their lives to religious training for young girls. Tradition also narrates that while traveling to Rome, she became blind, but she continued her journey so as to obtain the indulgences being offered by the Pope. Her sight was restored when she came back, right on the place where she got blind. On November 25, 1535, Angela gathered 12 young women, who, together with her committed themselves to teaching young girls. Consequently, they founded the Company of St. Ursula. Her goal was to improve family life through the Christian education of young girls who would later become wives and mothers of families. The Ursulines were said to be the first teaching order of women religious. After four years, the group had grown to 28 members. They lived in the world teaching the girls of their own neighborhood. They wore no special uniform and took no formal religious vows. Angela wrote the Rule of Life for the group which required the practice of celibacy, poverty, and obedience in their own homes. They opened orphanages and schools. On March 18, 1537, Angela was elected “Mother and Mistress” of the group. In 1544, four years after her death, the Rule was approved by Pope Paul III. Angela spent also much time in prayer. She often visited the tombs of Brescian martyrs to pray. The Company became popular and many young girls came under the direction of the sisters. Schools around the area were founded and many young members joined the company so much so that when Angela died in Brescia on January 27, 1540, there were 24 communities of the Company of St. Ursula. When Angela died, her body was interred in the Church of Sant 'Afra, Italy so as to be near the remains of other martyrs. She was dressed in the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis. Angela was beatified in Rome on April 30, 1768. She was canonized on May 24, 1807 by Pope Pius VII. The Company received formal recognition in 1546. Parishes and schools are dedicated to St. Angela Merici, especially in the United States and Canada. St. Angela Merici, please pray that we may always seek to serve and please God in everything we do and shun the vain things of this world.” Am I happy with my life now or do I desire more comforts and pleasures?

September 20: Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, MartyrsNineteenth centuryMemorial; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saints of KoreaTheir martyrdom for a new faith caused the Christian sun to rise in KoreaCatholicism was not originally brought to the isolated Korean Peninsula by celibate missionaries who trekked over its remote borders or who landed on its far shores from the outside. Instead, native Korean intellectuals had heard interesting ideas and had read intriguing books imported from nearby China about a new faith. These diplomats, professors and poets went in search of the Church. They crossed their own borders to speak with Jesuit priests in Beijing. The Koreans dialogued with the Jesuits, read their works, witnessed the celebration of the sacraments, and saw the Chinese Church in action. One of these Korean scholars, a man named Yi-Sung-hun, was baptized as Peter in Beijing in 1784 by a French missionary. Newly minted in Christ, with a convert's fervor, Peter filled his baggage with catechisms, crucifixes, statues, rosaries, and images of the Virgin Mary and headed back to Korea excited to unpack the new faith for all to see. Peter baptized some of his friends and together they formed the first community of Catholics in Korea. They met in a house where sits, today, the Cathedral of Myeongdong.The evangelization of Korea dawned as a thoroughly lay initiative. And once the Catholic seed was planted in Korean soil, it first grew slowly among scholars but then more steadily among the larger populace over time. Today's feast commemorates the official persecution that burned hot, then cold, then hot, for decades as those first Christian seeds germinated. As the Church grew like a plant, it protruded too high over the land and was repeatedly cut down in the bloody harvest commemorated today. Hundreds of martyrs, mostly lay men and women, but some French missionary bishops and priests as well, were murdered by successive Korean governments throughout the last decade of the eighteenth century and throughout the nineteenth for the crime of being baptized Catholics. They posed no other threat.Paul Chŏng Ha-sang was a nobleman whose father and brother were martyred. Sacrifice was in his genes. Paul traveled to Beijing nine times, pleading for the Chinese Church to send priests to the lay-led Korean Church. Along with others, he sent a letter to Pope Pius VII describing the plight of the Korean faithful. Once clandestine priests began to arrive regularly in the 1830s, Paul would go to the Korean border to escort them to the communities of the faithful and lodge them in his own home. Paul was executed in 1839. His mother and sister were killed shortly after him.Father Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn was the very first native-born Korean priest. He departed Korea in 1837 for the Portuguese settlement of Macau to complete his seminary studies. He was ordained by a French missionary bishop in Shanghai in August 1845. He then guided back to Korea the same bishop and a French priest. His priestly ministry would be to die. He was arrested less than a year after his ordination. The authorities were so impressed with his personal bearing, education, and linguistic abilities that they agonized over whether he should be executed. They wrestled with their consciences, but their consciences, in the end, lost. Father Andrew was beheaded at the age of twenty-six in September 1846.The struggle to establish an organized Church structure in Korea was brutal. Today's martyrs, whose names are all known and about whom basic facts are verified, stand in the fore. Yet behind them stand, faceless and nameless, thousands of other martyrs known to God alone. They perished by the sword, by crucifixion, in prison, or of starvation, rather than renounce their Christian faith when faced with certain torture and death. The Catholic Church in South Korea today is immense and vibrant, fully Korean and fully Catholic. The Church in North Korea does not effectively exist, and martyrs may still be dying there today, squeezed to death in the iron grip of its dictators. The story of the Korean Church is one of daring, one of steely courage, but one of tears. Only in 1886 did the century of persecution end, with a French-Korean treaty. Pope Saint John Paul II canonized Father Andrew Kim, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and 101 other Korean martyrs on May 6, 1984, at a Mass in Seoul, South Korea. It was, at that time, the largest gathering of humanity in the history of the Korean peninsula. The martyrs' blood was fertile.Holy Korean martyrs, known and unknown, we implore your powerful intercession in heaven. Give us half your courage, a quarter of your daring, and just one percent of your faith. With that we can emulate you in the easy circumstances of today, where we suffer metaphorically, but rarely in our bodies.

Napoleon gifted a beautiful papal tiara to Pope Pius VII - but it was too small for the pope to wear? Read about papal power, intimidation of the Church and God's mercy in this edition of Oro Valley Catholic. Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091122.cfm Music: William Byrd - Civitas Sancti Tui by The Tudor Consort is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 International License. COMPOSER: William Byrd

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops Lectionary: 520/319All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Angela Mericiclass="content"> Jan 27, 2021 Franciscan Media Image: Vitrail de l'église Saint-Pierre de Retiers | Saint Angela Merici | photo by GO69 Saint of the Day for January 27 (March 21, 1474 – January 27, 1540) Audio file Saint Angela Merici's story Angela Merici has the double distinction of founding the first of what are now called “secular institutes” and the first teaching order of women in the Church. Born in Desenzano, Italy, she was orphaned in her teens. As  a young woman, with her heart centered on Christ, Angela joined the Third Order of St. Francis and embraced austerity. In a visionary experience, she felt called to found a “company” of women. Angela was invited to become a live-in companion for a widow in the nearby town of Brescia. There she became the spiritual advisor of a group of men and women with ideals of spiritual renewal and service to those in need. While on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1524, Angela was struck with blindness. She proceeded to visit the sacred shrines, seeing them with her spirit. On the way back while praying before a crucifix, Angela's sight was restored. At age 60, Angela and 12 other women began the Company of St. Ursula, named for a patroness of medieval universities and venerated as a leader of women. This constituted a new way of life: single women consecrated to Christ and living in the world rather than in a monastery. With Angela as their "mother and mistress," Company members did not live in community, wore no special clothing, and made no formal vows. Angela Merici died in Brescia, Italy, in 1540. Clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary, her body was interred in Brescia's Church of Saint' Afra. Four years later the Company's Rule that Angela had composed, prescribing the practices of chastity, poverty and obedience, was approved by the pope. In the early 1600s, Companies that had expanded into France were re-organized into the religious Order of St. Ursula, to teach girls. Angela's words continue to inspire the Ursuline nuns' mission of education, a mission that spread worldwide. The Company of St. Ursula also continued to exist and is federated worldwide today with members in 30 countries. Angela Merici was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. Reflection As with so many saints, history is mostly concerned with their activities. But deep Christian faith and love sustain one whose courage lasts a lifetime, and who can take bold new steps when human need demands. Saint Angela Merici is a Patron Saint of: Educators/Teachers Saint of the DayCopyright Franciscan Media

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 320All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Angela Mericiclass="content"> Jan 27, 2021 Franciscan Media Image: Vitrail de l'église Saint-Pierre de Retiers | Saint Angela Merici | photo by GO69 Saint of the Day for January 27 (March 21, 1474 – January 27, 1540) Audio file Saint Angela Merici's story Angela Merici has the double distinction of founding the first of what are now called “secular institutes” and the first teaching order of women in the Church. Born in Desenzano, Italy, she was orphaned in her teens. As  a young woman, with her heart centered on Christ, Angela joined the Third Order of St. Francis and embraced austerity. In a visionary experience, she felt called to found a “company” of women. Angela was invited to become a live-in companion for a widow in the nearby town of Brescia. There she became the spiritual advisor of a group of men and women with ideals of spiritual renewal and service to those in need. While on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1524, Angela was struck with blindness. She proceeded to visit the sacred shrines, seeing them with her spirit. On the way back while praying before a crucifix, Angela's sight was restored. At age 60, Angela and 12 other women began the Company of St. Ursula, named for a patroness of medieval universities and venerated as a leader of women. This constituted a new way of life: single women consecrated to Christ and living in the world rather than in a monastery. With Angela as their "mother and mistress," Company members did not live in community, wore no special clothing, and made no formal vows. Angela Merici died in Brescia, Italy, in 1540. Clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary, her body was interred in Brescia's Church of Saint' Afra. Four years later the Company's Rule that Angela had composed, prescribing the practices of chastity, poverty and obedience, was approved by the pope. In the early 1600s, Companies that had expanded into France were re-organized into the religious Order of St. Ursula, to teach girls. Angela's words continue to inspire the Ursuline nuns' mission of education, a mission that spread worldwide. The Company of St. Ursula also continued to exist and is federated worldwide today with members in 30 countries. Angela Merici was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. Reflection As with so many saints, history is mostly concerned with their activities. But deep Christian faith and love sustain one whose courage lasts a lifetime, and who can take bold new steps when human need demands. Saint Angela Merici is a Patron Saint of: Educators/Teachers Saint of the DayCopyright Franciscan Media

In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and Pope Pius VII shared a common goal: to reconcile the Catholic church with the French state. But while they were able to work together initially, formalizing a Concordat in 1801, relations between them rapidly deteriorated. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the Pope's arrest. Dr. Ambrogio Caiani, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Kent, in his book, To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII (Yale University Press, 2021), provides a pioneering account of the tempestuous relationship between the emperor and his most unyielding opponent. Drawing on original source materials in the Vatican and other European archives, Dr. Caiani uncovers the nature of Catholic resistance against Napoleon's empire; charts Napoleon's approach to Papal power; and reveals how the Emperor attempted to subjugate the church to his vision of modernity. Gripping and vivid, this splendid book shows the struggle for supremacy between two great individuals—and sheds new light on the conflict that would shape relations between the Catholic church and the modern state for centuries to come. Charles Coutinho Ph. D. of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and Pope Pius VII shared a common goal: to reconcile the Catholic church with the French state. But while they were able to work together initially, formalizing a Concordat in 1801, relations between them rapidly deteriorated. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the Pope's arrest. Dr. Ambrogio Caiani, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Kent, in his book, To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII (Yale University Press, 2021), provides a pioneering account of the tempestuous relationship between the emperor and his most unyielding opponent. Drawing on original source materials in the Vatican and other European archives, Dr. Caiani uncovers the nature of Catholic resistance against Napoleon's empire; charts Napoleon's approach to Papal power; and reveals how the Emperor attempted to subjugate the church to his vision of modernity. Gripping and vivid, this splendid book shows the struggle for supremacy between two great individuals—and sheds new light on the conflict that would shape relations between the Catholic church and the modern state for centuries to come. Charles Coutinho Ph. D. of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and Pope Pius VII shared a common goal: to reconcile the Catholic church with the French state. But while they were able to work together initially, formalizing a Concordat in 1801, relations between them rapidly deteriorated. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the Pope's arrest. Dr. Ambrogio Caiani, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Kent, in his book, To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII (Yale University Press, 2021), provides a pioneering account of the tempestuous relationship between the emperor and his most unyielding opponent. Drawing on original source materials in the Vatican and other European archives, Dr. Caiani uncovers the nature of Catholic resistance against Napoleon's empire; charts Napoleon's approach to Papal power; and reveals how the Emperor attempted to subjugate the church to his vision of modernity. Gripping and vivid, this splendid book shows the struggle for supremacy between two great individuals—and sheds new light on the conflict that would shape relations between the Catholic church and the modern state for centuries to come. Charles Coutinho Ph. D. of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies

In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and Pope Pius VII shared a common goal: to reconcile the Catholic church with the French state. But while they were able to work together initially, formalizing a Concordat in 1801, relations between them rapidly deteriorated. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the Pope's arrest. Dr. Ambrogio Caiani, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Kent, in his book, To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII (Yale University Press, 2021), provides a pioneering account of the tempestuous relationship between the emperor and his most unyielding opponent. Drawing on original source materials in the Vatican and other European archives, Dr. Caiani uncovers the nature of Catholic resistance against Napoleon's empire; charts Napoleon's approach to Papal power; and reveals how the Emperor attempted to subjugate the church to his vision of modernity. Gripping and vivid, this splendid book shows the struggle for supremacy between two great individuals—and sheds new light on the conflict that would shape relations between the Catholic church and the modern state for centuries to come. Charles Coutinho Ph. D. of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/italian-studies

In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and Pope Pius VII shared a common goal: to reconcile the Catholic church with the French state. But while they were able to work together initially, formalizing a Concordat in 1801, relations between them rapidly deteriorated. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the Pope's arrest. Dr. Ambrogio Caiani, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Kent, in his book, To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII (Yale University Press, 2021), provides a pioneering account of the tempestuous relationship between the emperor and his most unyielding opponent. Drawing on original source materials in the Vatican and other European archives, Dr. Caiani uncovers the nature of Catholic resistance against Napoleon's empire; charts Napoleon's approach to Papal power; and reveals how the Emperor attempted to subjugate the church to his vision of modernity. Gripping and vivid, this splendid book shows the struggle for supremacy between two great individuals—and sheds new light on the conflict that would shape relations between the Catholic church and the modern state for centuries to come. Charles Coutinho Ph. D. of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and Pope Pius VII shared a common goal: to reconcile the Catholic church with the French state. But while they were able to work together initially, formalizing a Concordat in 1801, relations between them rapidly deteriorated. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the Pope's arrest. Dr. Ambrogio Caiani, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Kent, in his book, To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII (Yale University Press, 2021), provides a pioneering account of the tempestuous relationship between the emperor and his most unyielding opponent. Drawing on original source materials in the Vatican and other European archives, Dr. Caiani uncovers the nature of Catholic resistance against Napoleon's empire; charts Napoleon's approach to Papal power; and reveals how the Emperor attempted to subjugate the church to his vision of modernity. Gripping and vivid, this splendid book shows the struggle for supremacy between two great individuals—and sheds new light on the conflict that would shape relations between the Catholic church and the modern state for centuries to come. Charles Coutinho Ph. D. of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and Pope Pius VII shared a common goal: to reconcile the Catholic church with the French state. But while they were able to work together initially, formalizing a Concordat in 1801, relations between them rapidly deteriorated. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the Pope's arrest. Dr. Ambrogio Caiani, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Kent, in his book, To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII (Yale University Press, 2021), provides a pioneering account of the tempestuous relationship between the emperor and his most unyielding opponent. Drawing on original source materials in the Vatican and other European archives, Dr. Caiani uncovers the nature of Catholic resistance against Napoleon's empire; charts Napoleon's approach to Papal power; and reveals how the Emperor attempted to subjugate the church to his vision of modernity. Gripping and vivid, this splendid book shows the struggle for supremacy between two great individuals—and sheds new light on the conflict that would shape relations between the Catholic church and the modern state for centuries to come. Charles Coutinho Ph. D. of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and Pope Pius VII shared a common goal: to reconcile the Catholic church with the French state. But while they were able to work together initially, formalizing a Concordat in 1801, relations between them rapidly deteriorated. In 1809, Napoleon ordered the Pope's arrest. Dr. Ambrogio Caiani, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Kent, in his book, To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII (Yale University Press, 2021), provides a pioneering account of the tempestuous relationship between the emperor and his most unyielding opponent. Drawing on original source materials in the Vatican and other European archives, Dr. Caiani uncovers the nature of Catholic resistance against Napoleon's empire; charts Napoleon's approach to Papal power; and reveals how the Emperor attempted to subjugate the church to his vision of modernity. Gripping and vivid, this splendid book shows the struggle for supremacy between two great individuals—and sheds new light on the conflict that would shape relations between the Catholic church and the modern state for centuries to come. Charles Coutinho Ph. D. of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode the bearded banter about our hopes and dreams for our future studio and tattoos #cholos. They then move on to talk about the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, the seven promises to those who meditate on it and the prayers from Pope Pius VII that you can use to meditate on these. Our Lady of Sorrows, ora pro nobis!Our Sponsor for this Episode:Catholic jewelry from Telos Art is filled with meaning and is intended to inspire us towards our ultimate purpose.Why do we wear Catholic jewelry? Beauty is an evangelization tool, not just for others, but for ourselves as well. When we wear a Crucifix, a Miraculous medal, or an image of a patron saint, we are reminded that we are made for a greater reality. A higher end.When jewelry is given as a gift to others, it is a reminder that the recipient is seen as worthy. It is a timeless gift, one that can be both functional and sentimental. Jewelry can mark a special occasion and then be a reminder of that event down the road; through jewelry we can tell our own story and tell others about our faith. Listeners of the podcast can use code BARBATUS for 20% off any purchasewww.telosartshop.com

If one wants to spend 30 minutes or an hour meditating on the Blessed Virgin Mary, is it possible? Yes! During the first day of the traditional Pentecost Octave, our minds naturally turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Francis of Assisi called her the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. There never was a moment in Our Lady's existence that she did not have the Holy Spirit in her heart. She was conceived with the grace of the Holy Spirit in her soul. She never sinned or lost that grace. She and the Holy Spirit cooperated in the conception of Christ Jesus in time. Like spouses, she and the Holy Spirit are distinct, but inseparable. They continue to work together. Our Lady is able to be called the countenance of the Holy Spirit. St Maximilian Kolbe called her “a quasi incarnation of the Holy Spirit”! In other words, she and the Holy Spirit are so close that it is as if (quasi) she and the Holy Spirit are one person. I tell you all this because it can be hard to relate the Holy Spirit. But being devoted to Mary gives one a visible face to aid us. As St Joseph was a visible image of God the Father for Jesus, the Son, on earth, so Mary was a visible image of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Family in Nazareth (Joseph, Jesus, Mary) is an image of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Church especially dedicates the Monday after Pentecost to Mary as Mother of the Church. The Feast of Mary, Help of Christians, May 24th, was established by Pope Pius VII. And so it is fitting in the Providence of the eternal Father that this episode's reading is about Mary. In this episode Fr. Scupoli offers us a meditation method based on the three things: God the Father's eternal love for Mary. God the Son's love for His mother who bore Him in her womb and never stopped assisting Him. Our Lady's own role in our salvation. In the previous episode, we pondered a short method of meditation based on two principles: The merits of Christ's sufferings - what kind of justice he earned by his patient suffering. The satisfaction and glory given to the Father by Christ's obedience. Let us recall that this method of meditating is meant to help us acquire a virtue like patience. What did Christ's patience merit? What was owed him as a just REWARD? His own glorification (resurrection/ascension) and our salvation (sending us the Holy Spirit). By Christ's patience, God brought forth the greatest good (the RESURRECTION), snatching victory from the greatest evil, killing the Son of God. What then can we merit, through Christ, by our own patience? We should ponder that our patience motivated by love unites us to Jesus? Satisfaction and Glory: His obedience, patiently borne, also made satisfaction for all the disobedience of humanity. Christ makes satisfaction because He offers his Father, Aquinas teaches, “something he loves more than he hates the offence.” God the Father loves the obedience of the Son made man more than he is displeased with all our sinful disobedience. To make satisfaction is to make up for, to atone for, to counterbalance. How might my patience help make up for my own sins or the effects of my sins? How should I encourage others? Christ's love, his preferring His Father's will over all the pain and suffering and rejection gave more glory to His Father than all our disobedience and selfishness diminishes God's glory. God's will is a greater good than anything this world can offer! What Glory can I give God my patiently embracing the sadness he allows me to undergo? Can I proclaim the greatness of God in this trial?

Pope Pius VII lived under the shadow of Napoleon Bonaparte, which led to him being crowned with a papier-mache papal tiara. Today we look at the story. 

RtT's offical Sponsor: https://gloryandshine.com/ Sources: https://www.returntotradition.org Contact Me: Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.com Support My Work: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStine SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-tradition Physical Mail: Anthony Stine PO Box 3048 Shawnee, OK 74802 Follow me on the following social media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbgdypwXSo0GzWSVTaiMPJg https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/ https://twitter.com/pontificatormax https://www.minds.com/PiusXIII https://gloria.tv/Return%20To%20Tradition mewe.com/i/anthonystine Back Up https://www.bitchute.com/channel/9wK5iFcen7Wt/ anchonr.fm/anthony-stine +JMJ+ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/anthony-stine/support

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Charleston by Pope Pius VII. This makes it the seventh oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States. At that time, the diocese comprised the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In spite of a ban on Catholicism in the Colonial era, it arrived in Carolina much earlier than 1820 via both colonists and enslaved persons.

I know the abuse scandal was a huge obstacle in my faith. I felt as though I couldn't trust the Church or the pastors who were supposed to shepherd me. It was a betrayal. Despite all this, I found a way to separate the sins of shepherds from the mission they pursue. Letter to a Suffering Church is a great, short book that can be very comforting to anyone who's angry about this. The reason for this book review is that Bishop Robert Barron's work here really impacted my thoughts and feelings on this subject. Because of that, I think this book review will help Catholics and non-Catholics understand this crisis and dispel myths. So, get your copy of Letter to a Suffering Church or listen to my review for more. The secular culture we live in is not only anti-religion, but also often overly sexualized. In this book, you'll find all the problems that stem from the culture and its influence on the church. Bishop Barron doesn't make excuses, but owns up to the abuses. He calls out those who are guilty and calls people to account. However, he does show how this didn't come from thin air, but arose in a certain context. “The Emperor Napoleon is said to have confronted Cardinal Consalvi, the secretary of state to Pope Pius VII, saying that he, Napoleon, would destroy the Church—to which the Cardinal deftly responded, “Oh my little man, you think you're going to succeed in accomplishing what centuries of priests and bishops have tried and failed to do?” -Bishop Robert Barron Grab your copy of Letter to a Suffering Church here. The reason I'm bringing this out now is there are a lot of people who enjoy being critical of the Church. And, many of these people make money from their critical lens. Not to mention, lots of these people are in the Church or leaving it due to these. Lastly, I like this book because it offers solutions. It diagnoses the problems, offers context, and then shows what people can do to make things right. And, with the Conversation of Our Generation's goal of solving problems of today with the wisdom of the past, this resonated with me. So, I want to share it with you here. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/conofourgen/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/conofourgen/support

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Charleston by Pope Pius VII. This makes it the seventh oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States. At that time, the diocese comprised the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In spite of a ban on Catholicism in the Colonial era, it arrived in Carolina much earlier than 1820 via both colonists and enslaved persons.

Overview In Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned Napoleon I, the first Frenchman to hold the title of emperor in a thousand years. Pope Pius VII handed Napoleon the crown that the 35-year-old conqueror of Europe placed on his own head. The Corsican-born Napoleon, one of the greatest military strategists in history, rapidly rose in the ranks of the French Revolutionary Army during the late 1790s. By 1799, France was at war with most of Europe, and Napoleon returned home from his Egyptian campaign to take over the reigns of the French government and save his nation from collapse. After becoming first consul in February 1800, he reorganized his armies and defeated Austria. In 1802, he established the Napoleonic Code, a new system of French law, and in 1804 he established the French empire. By 1807, Napoleon's empire stretched from the River Elbe in the north, down through Italy in the south, and from the Pyrenees to the Dalmatian coast. Beginning in 1812, Napoleon began to encounter the first significant defeats of his military career, suffering through a disastrous invasion of Russia, losing Spain to the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula War, and enduring total defeat against an allied force by 1814. Exiled to the island of Elba, he escaped to France in early 1815 and raised a new Grand Army that enjoyed temporary success before its crushing defeat at Waterloo against an allied force under Wellington on June 18, 1815. Napoleon was subsequently exiled to the island of Saint Helena off the coast of Africa, where he lived under house arrest with a few followers. In May 1821, he died, most likely of stomach cancer. He was only 51 years old. In 1840, his body was returned to Paris, and a magnificent funeral was held. Napoleon's body was conveyed through the Arc de Triomphe and entombed under the dome of the Invalides. The French Civil Code The French Civil Code was enacted on March 21, 1804. The Code represents a comprehensive reformation and codification of the French civil law and was considered by Napoleon himself to be one of his most significant achievements. Nowadays it remains a strong legal, sociological and cultural landmark for the French nation. And in spite of some revisions that were introduced later, the Napoleonic code is still very applicable in the French Republic and Law today. Was Napoleon a force for good, or evil? Napoleon had a vision for Europe and he succeeded in making that vision a reality, at least for a while. Whether he was a saviour of the people or a war-mad megalomaniac might simply be down to the loudest propaganda. Whatever else, he was an enigma, and someone who will continue to fascinate, inspire and disgust down the generations.

This week's episode of Catholic Lives recalls the life of Barnaba Chiaramonti (1742-1823), known to history as Pope Pius VII (1800-1823), the pope who dealt with the aftermath of the French Revolution in Europe, including the general and statesman Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he excommunicated in 1809. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/controversies-in-church-history/support

The pope we're talking about today was mild-mannered and monkish on the outside, but tough as nails on the inside. He's went toe to toe with the tiny tyrant for 10 years, and was imprisoned for 6 of them. Never one to let the Church be bullied, he returned the papacy to the respect it deserved, after decades of being drug through the proverbial mud. One of my personal favorites, Pope Pius VII.   BECOME A PATRON: patreon.com/mattsewell   FURTHER READING: The Popecast on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook – @thepopecast Diu Satis (On a Return to Gospel Principles) (Letter of Pius VII to the world's bishops) Pope Pius VII (Catholic Encyclopedia) Servant of God, Pope Pius VII (Popes in a Year - Flocknote)

Rebroadcast of the long-running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour," a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org St. Angela Merici was born on March 21, 1474 in Desenzano, Italy. At just 10-years-old, Angela and her older sister were orphaned and went to live with their uncle in Saló. There they led a quiet and devout Catholic Christian life. After the untimely death of her sister, Angela was saddened by the fact that she had not had the opportunity to receive her last Sacraments and was concerned for her sister's eternal salvation. Angela was inspired by the Holy Spirit to dedicate herself to the Lord and to give her life in service to the Church to help everyone grow closer to the Lord. In a vision, Angela saw her sister in the company of the saints in Heaven. She became increasingly more devout and joined the secular Third Order of St. Francis. When Angela was 20-years-old, she returned to her hometown of Desenzano. She found there were many young girls who had no education at all, and her heart was moved to find a way to help them. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Angela founded the Ursulines, a religious community of women with a teaching ministry. The Ursulines opened schools and orphanages and in 1537, Angela was elected "Mother and Mistress" of the group. St. Angela Merici died on January 27, 1540 and was canonized on May 24, 1807 by Pope Pius VII. Her feast day is celebrated on January 27.

By 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was already the head of government in France, and had been for five years. Yet he wanted to elevate his status in the nation, as being the First Consul for Life in the French Republic did not confer the power he sought. Napoleon rose to power by being the best general in the Revolutionary French Army, then helping out a coup in 1799 to overthrow the Diretcory, and the taking control of the three person French Consulate. Still, he took a larger step. First, a referendum was placed before the French people, asking if they wished to have Napoleon as Emperor of the French, a brand new office. His coronation ceremony showed both how much Napoleon was seeking to continue revolutionary ideals, while also emphasizing the traditional aspects of monarchy. He was crowned in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in the presence of Pope Pius VII; French Kings were traditionally crowned by the Archbishop of Reims in Reims Cathedral. Napoleon emphasized the role of religion and his fealty to the Catholic Church, but made a point to place his crown (a brand new creation he called "The Crown of Charlemagne") on his own head. Most importantly, Napoleon created a new office for himself that had all the trappings of traditional authority.

Rebroadcast of the long running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour", a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org Redemptorist preacher and reformer. He was born on December 26,1751, at Taswitz, Moravia, the ninth child of a butcher and his wife and was baptized John. His family name was originally Dvorak, but was changed to the German Hofbauer. He was apprenticed as a baker in his youth, and later became a hermit near Bruck, Austria. As part of his so-called Josephinist policies, Austrian Emperor Jo­seph II abolished hermitages, and Clement went to Vienna, where he and a friend, Peter Kunzmann, received permission from Bishop Chiaramonti of Tivoli, Italy, to live in a hermitage. Bishop Chiaramonti later became Pope Pius VII. After studying at the university of Vienna, Austria, and in Rome, Clement and another friend, Thaddeus HubI, entered the Redemptorist Order and were ordained in 1785. They were stationed in Vienna, but Emperor Joseph II closed religious foundations, so they were sent to Courtland. Peter Kunzmann joined Clement as a lay brother, and the three were sent to St. Benno's Church in Warsaw, Poland, to begin two decades of missionary labors. Clement preached, built orphanages and schools, and established a vast Redemptorist presence in the city. Napoleon suppressed all religious institutions, and Clement and the Redemptorists were imprisoned in 1808, each one then exiled to his own native land. Clement went to Vienna, where he became the chaplain of the Ursulines and pastor of the adjoining parish. He became known for his holiness and zeal. Clement died in Vienna on March 15. He was canonized in 1909.

PRAYER: Mary, beloved Mother, who showed your precious Patronage in the triumph of Pope Pius VII, extend your holy mantle over Holy Mother Church, especially over her august head, against the assaults of so many enemies; deliver him from temporal sufferings and assist him always that he may securely

In the early 1820's most of Italy was still ruled by the same men who had squared off against Napoleon - Grand Duke Ferdinand in Tuscany, King Ferdinand in Naples, and Pope Pius VII in the Papal States. King Victor Emmanuel I had abdicated in 1821 and his brother Charles Felix was now king, but they were men cut from the same cloth, so Piedmont still had a decidedly pre-Napoleonic mindset. There will be a changing of the guard, and by 1831 all of these men will be dead and gone, replaced with new rulers who will be some of the key players in the Italian Unification. We're also going to see another wave of revolutions in that break out in 1831, and which will meet much the same fate as those in 1820 and 21.

Recorded 03/09/13 for release on 03/21/13 INTRO THIS DAY IN HISTORY, March 21st 1800 – Pope Pius VII was crowned with a papier-mâché tiara 1980 – Wesley, your not so humble host is born 1980 – Carter tells U.S. athletes of Olympic boycott 1989 – Sports Illustrated reports allegations tying baseball player Pete Rose to … Continue reading »

I. Introduction In December 2nd 1804, a short balding man from Corsica stood before Pope Pius VII in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte. That day was to be the day of his coronation as Emperor over all of France. He had come to this point through sheer military brilliance, perhaps unlike the world had ever seen up to that point, and also through an ability to manipulate his political enemies either into self-destruction or terrified silence. Because of these skills the French Senate acclaimed him unanimously to be Emperor and he invited, or should I say commanded the Pope, to come and crown him Emperor over France. Napoleon was the pinnacle of the French Revolution. He was the picture of humanity and all of its capability, all of its intellect, its will, its sheer desire to dominate. Through all of these powers, and his natural leadership capabilities, he was able to dominate others and get to this position. He came for his coronation dressed in shimmering robes, the robes of an emperor, befitting an emperor, and at the supreme moment where he was to be crowned as Emperor, Pope Pius VII reached for the crown and Napoleon arrogantly waved him off. He grabbed the crown himself, turned his back to the Pope, and put the crown on his own head. He was holding a sword in his left hand and the crown in his right and there was an artist there painting this picture. Napoleon later thought better of it and the official state painting that was represented, was of him crowning Josephine, an act of a little bit more befitting humility perhaps, but there was nothing humble about Napoleon at all. Such was the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor over France. II. The Baptism of Jesus On a muddy riverbank in Palestine an unknown man stood in front of John the Baptist surrounded by penitent sinners. There was nothing unusual about people coming to John the Baptist to be baptized as they demonstrated repentance and forgiveness of sins, nothing unusual at all. As a matter of fact, thousands of people were going out to see John, but there was something unusual that day because John the Baptist looked up to this man and seemed stunned that he was there. He interrupted his baptisms and looked up. It was obvious that that man was there to be baptized and John the Baptist said to Him, "I need to be baptized by You. And do You come to me?" None of the crowds had ever heard John speak this way before. John was full of the fire of the Holy Spirit in his preaching. But this man was Jesus Christ. And though the people who stood around him at that moment didn't realize it, this also was to be the coronation of Jesus Christ as king over Israel. Now it shouldn't trouble you that I used the words coronation. Jesus actually is crowned many times, as we sing in the hymn 'Crown Him with Many Crowns, the Lamb upon His throne’. They'll be another coronation at the end of the universe when He takes His rightful place, but this was a coronation. And how different it was from Napoleon's. Jesus said in John 8:50, "I am not seeking glory for Myself,; but but there is One who seeks it," said Jesus and that was His heavenly Father. And so at the baptism of Jesus we're going to see how the Heavenly Father testifies to the glory of Jesus Christ and how Jesus shows Himself to be the King of glory by His humility, not by His arrogance. It's fitting for a king not only to be crowned, but to ride forth, and to fight the battles of the people he reigns. Napoleon in his left hand had a sword, representative of his military prowess. It was that which had earned him the throne of France. And Jesus also would ride forth to fight a battle but it was a different battle — it was a battle of temptation. A struggle that each one of us wrestles with every day, or we're not a Christian. We wrestle and we fight with temptation and Jesus our King shows us how. He rides forth victoriously, conquering to give us that victory. Baptism of the Son So let's consider the baptism and the temptation of Jesus as His coronation and testing of His kingship. Listen now to Matthew 3:13 through 4:11. "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John, but John tried to deter Him saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?' Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love. With Him I am well pleased.' Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, 'If you're the Son of God tell these stones to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written, 'Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down from here, for it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning you and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' Jesus answered him, 'It is also written, do not put the Lord your God to the test.' Again the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'If you'll fall down and worship me.' Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan, for it is written, worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.' Then the devil left Him and angels came and attended Him." Let's look first at the baptism of Jesus, the coronation of the King. We see here, marvelously at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, the Trinity, Father, Son and Spirit, identifying Jesus as the Messiah. We see the baptism of the Son. "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John." We see the purpose of Jesus in making that journey. Everything Jesus did was for a purpose. He always had a purpose. Everything was for a reason even though those who loved Him and His disciples did not always understand what that purpose might be. And it says that even John the Baptist tried to deter or stop Him. Actually, the Greek gives the implication that he tried over a long period of time, continuing to try to stop Jesus from being baptized. Now, remember that John's baptism was a baptism for repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Pharisees and Sadducees came to John for baptism, but John did not want to baptize them. Why? Because they saw no need for their own baptism. The saw no reason for repentance for the forgiveness of their sins. But John not wanting to baptize Jesus is different because he sees no need for Jesus' baptism. And indeed ,Jesus had no need for repentance for He was sinless and pure and holy. So we see John's perceptiveness, his spiritual perception. In John's Gospel, he said, "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." The lamb of God had to be sinless, spotless. John sees that Jesus has nothing from which to repent. Actually, we see the humility of John. He says, "I need to be baptized by You. And do You come to me?" The humility and spiritual perception of John the Baptist becomes a problem because just like Peter would do later several times, John the Baptist tries to stop Jesus from doing something Jesus wants to do. Jesus knows what He's doing. Even if you are the prophet of God, don't stop Jesus from doing what He wants to do. Everything Jesus does is right, even though you don't understand it. We know that later in Matthew 11, John under the the weakness of the flesh, arrested, about to die, began to question whether Jesus really was the Messiah. And Jesus sent messengers to assure John and to strengthen him in his time of weakness. We see that John was not always on the same page with God - even at this moment, he tries to stop Jesus from being baptized. But Jesus replies forcefully. He said, "Let it be so now. It is proper for us to do this, to fulfill all righteousness." What a beautiful scene that is. The yearning of the Holy Son of God to be righteous. That that is the foundation of Jesus' throne. It says so in that beautiful coronation Psalm- Psalm 45 which is a coronation psalm written for a king. The writer of Hebrews, in Hebrews 1, picks up on this also. "Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness is the scepter of your Kingdom." The scepter is a symbol of the Kingdom and righteousness is the scepter of Jesus' Kingdom. "He loves righteousness and hates wickedness," it says. "Therefore, God, His God, sets Him above His companions by anointing Him with the oil of joy." Don't you see the pouring out of the joy of the Father at the baptism of Jesus? "This is My beloved Son. I'm well pleased with Him." The joy that just flows out from the Father onto the Son. And why does the Father love the Son? It's because the Son loves righteousness and that is the foundation of the throne of God. “Let it be so now, we must fulfill all righteousness.” What is righteousness? It's a love for what God says is right. It's a desire to do what God says to do. It's totally in conformity with the holiness and the purity of God's character. It's a desire to do everything God says. "We must fulfill all righteousness," says Jesus. But also there's a sense of identification, Jesus, with us sinners, isn't there? Jesus is numbered with the transgressors in Isaiah 53:12. That was the prophecy. He was numbered with the transgressors. He is going to be included with them as though He were one of them. If anyone had come and seen Him, they would have seen Him to be just another sinner to be baptized and in doing so, He was identifying Himself with us. This is absolutely essential for our salvation, isn't it? There's no other way for us to be saved other than that Jesus, sinless and pure, identifies Himself with us in our sinfulness. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God. Do you see the exchange there? He takes on our filth, our sin, all the wretchedness. And He gives us His holiness and His righteousness. We must have that — the identification. Jesus' baptism is also a symbol of His death. Luke 12:50 He says, "I have a baptism to undergo and how distressed I am until I undergo it." Obviously likening His death to a baptism. Now, what is baptism? A total immersion in something. Jesus said ”I’m going to be immersed in death. But I'm going to do it for your righteousness, for your salvation." It's a symbol of His death. Also, Jesus is modeling for us righteousness, isn't He? Because later Jesus will command His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations and do what to them? Baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And so in the same way that Jesus submitted to baptism, He calls on His disciples as a first step of obedience to submit to the waters of baptism as well. Jesus did this for righteousness, for identification, for symbolism, and for modeling. John the Baptist consented. Though he did not, I'm sure, understand all these levels, he said, "Okay," and he baptized Jesus. Anointing of the Spirit Now we see the anointing of the Spirit, Matt. 3:16, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water, at that moment, heaven was opened.” Actually in Mark's gospel, it said that the heavens were torn open. There was a rend, a rip, in the curtain that separated the material world from the spiritual world. We're surrounded by a spiritual world which actually predates the material world. The spiritual world will still be here when this material world is gone. Reach out and touch the pew, or touch the cushions, touch the fabric of your coat. Look over at your loved one and your friend. Realize that all these physical things are temporary, created by God. Someday they'll be wiped away. Isaiah 65:17 says, “I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered.” The spiritual world is around us all the time and it's more real than the physical world, but God has created a barrier, a veil. We can't see it,. And at that moment, He created a small tear in that, according to Mark's gospel, and out came a dove. The Holy Spirit, descending like a dove, circling down perhaps and landing, lighting, it says, on Jesus, remaining on Him. In John's gospel it says John the Baptist knew at that moment that Jesus was the Son of God. That's what convinced him, when the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and remained on Him. Now I tell you why I think this is a coronation. Back in the old days, in Israel's time, when a man was going to become king of Israel, or Judah, he would be anointed with oil, a prophet would come and take a horn of oil and pour it on his head, and it would cascade down his hair and his face. It would symbolize his authority to rule, of course, but there was something deeper than that. The first king who was anointed was Saul, and right after he was anointed, the prophet Samuel said this about the anointing, "The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power and you will be changed into a different person." So the oil symbolized the coming of the Spirit for King Saul. Later the same thing happened even more powerfully with David, 1 Samuel 16:13, "Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power." Do you see the identification between the oil and the Holy Spirit? The king was anointed with oil, and that showed that the Spirit was resting on him to give wisdom and guidance to rule the people of God. Jesus was not anointed with actual oil, was He? Now, 'Anointed one', is Messiah, or Christ. It's all the same. The anointing of the Jesus was going to be with the actual presence of the Holy Spirit, not symbolized, but the real Holy Spirit coming. But, of course, we can't see the Spirit, so He comes in the form of a dove and remains on Jesus the anointed. This is a coronation that the Jews would have understood, 'crowning with the Holy Spirit'. Jesus totally identified with the Spirit. Isaiah 11:1, it says, "A shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse. From his roots a branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of power. The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and he will delight in the fear of the Lord." Isn't that Jesus? The seven-fold spirit saturating Jesus. Everything Jesus did was saturated in the Holy Spirit. So when He began His preaching ministry in Nazareth He gets a scroll and rolls it up and finds a certain place in Isaiah where it says, in Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord" has what? "Anointed me." Do you see the identification? "The Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor." Spirit saturated everything Jesus did. Always moved by the Spirit, moved with compassion, moved with power, moved to push Satan's kingdom back by the power of the Spirit. But the heavens were open first. Isaiah 64:1: "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down." Isn't that powerful? On the day of Jesus' baptism that's just what God did. He rent the heavens and He came down on Jesus. The anointing of the King. But Jesus didn't just come to receive that anointing, He came to give it to you and to me. Remember what John said. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Have you been baptized, saturated, totally immersed in the Holy Spirit? If you're a Christian you have, because Jesus came to give you that gift. The King of Israel came to give you that incredible gift. Declaration of the Father Now we have the proclamation of the Father. Matt. 3: 17: "And a voice from heaven said, "This is My Son whom I love. With Him I am well pleased." Isn't that beautiful? The expression of joy, the joy of the Father in the Son. Do you know that the Father and the Son had been enjoying face to face fellowship with each other from eternity past? The Father loves the Son and shows Him all the things He does, said Jesus. Face to face fellowship. The Father has gazed into the sunlight of His own Son's glory and radiance, and He loves it. The love of the Father for the Son is the foundation of your salvation. It's the security of your salvation. Because you're united with Christ in baptism and through faith, and therefore the Father loves you, too. The gazing of the Father and the Son, it just flows out and He proclaims Him to be His Son. "This is My Son." And He proclaims His love. "My Son whom I love, and I'm well pleased with Him, everything He does pleases Me." Everything He does. The power of that moment. This was a mountain-top experience. III. The Temptation of Jesus But at that very moment, after that mountain-top experience, much like us, Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil. We will never last long on the mountain-top, not in this world—there's too much sin around us, too much trouble. There's work to be done. Napoleon had in his left hand a sword. And he went out with that to slaughter people, and he did slaughter people. Jesus also went out to do battle force, didn't He? Did He carry a sword? Yes, He did. But what sword did Jesus bring for His battle? The sword of the Spirit which is what? The Word of God. And He went out with the Word of God to do battle for us, to do battle with temptation. Do you struggle with temptation? Temptation is common to us, isn't it? “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man.” We're all tempted; we all wrestle with sin. We feel that pull to evil. Jesus was sent to be tempted. Actually, Matthew is somewhat tame in the language compared to what Luke and Mark say. Mark says the the Holy Spirit drove Him out into the desert to be tempted. There's a sense of pushing, not that Jesus was reluctant, but a sense of urgency to get out and be tempted. We have to ask "why?" Why was Jesus tempted? Why did He have to submit to this? Hebrews puts this in a perspective, it says, "For this reason, He had to be made like His brothers in every way that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. He knows what's it like to be tempted.” Jesus knows temptation better than any of you. Why do I say that? I can say it for myself too. It's because we cave in. We give in. We've never felt the full temptation. We felt 80% of the temptation, haven't we? And then we give up. Jesus felt 100% of every temptation that came His way. Felt it all and defeated it, extinguished it, took it and extinguished it in His own purity and holiness, until it sizzled out. That's what Jesus did with temptation. He is the most tempted man that's ever lived. More tempted than you and me. Hebrews says, "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with us in our weakness, but we have one who has been" what? "Tempted in every way just as we are, yet was without sin." The purity of Jesus extinguishs those temptations. I love the way that Luke puts the bookends. I call it Luke's bookends: Luke 4:1, Luke 4:14. "Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." Full of the Holy Spirit. And then it says in Luke 4:14, "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit." Isn't that great? The bookends. He enters the desert filled with the Holy Spirit, He leaves the desert filled with the Holy Spirit. Do you enter your temptation filled with the Holy Spirit and leave your temptation filled with the Holy Spirit? You can. This is the power that God has given by the Spirit over temptation. We don't have to give in. What a model Jesus is for us in this. Now, what is the word used here? Is it temptation or is it testing? That's a difficulty for a translator. The Greek word could be taken either way. What's the difference between temptation and testing? Temptation I think is a gravitational or magnetic pull to evil. It's a pull to do something evil in the sight of God. God has nothing to do with that, does He? For it says in James 1:13-14 “When tempted no one should say, God is tempting me, for God cannot be tempted by evil nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is dragged away and enticed.” That's temptation. What is testing? Does God test us? Yes, He does. Genesis 22:1: ”Sometime later God said to Abraham, 'Abraham, take your son, your only son whom you love and sacrifice him on the mountain that I will show you.'" That is a test, for it says, "God tested Abraham." What's the difference? A test is a revelation of character as when God tells Satan: "Have you considered my servant Job?" So what does this testing reveal of Jesus’ character? Jesus was attesting as well as being attemped. There was no pulling to evil because Jesus' character is pure. There was nothing inside Him to respond to the temptation but rather like a magnetic attraction on a piece of wood. But we have these iron filings inside us, don't we? Habits of sin. And we respond to that magnetic pull. The more iron filings we have the more that temptation pulls in us. What are iron filings? It's the last time you gave in to the temptation. Put another filing in there. Every time you give in you pour more, and the next temptation's harder to refuse. Every time you say no to a temptation you take out some of that iron and the temptation has less force on you. So in the desert we see a revelation of the purity of Jesus' character. We see Jesus' meekness and His willingness to submit to the will of God in being tempted. We also see the viciousness of Satan. Do you realize how vicious your enemy is? Your enemy is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour; he's prowling around looking for you. Is he going to come at you in a time of strength? No. He comes at you when you're weak. Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights. During Ramadan Muslims fast for 30 days. That's not bad, but they don't fast for 30 nights. More food is consumed in Ramadan than any other month of the year. That's called the hypocritical fast.They feast during Ramadan because they actually hungry from the daytime fast. But Jesus wasn't that way. He fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and He was hungry, and the tempter came when He was at His lowest. Does he come when you're at your lowest? Yes he does because he wants to destroy you. He's visicous. And he wants to ruin your life. He doesn't play fair. He wants to destroy you. The most powerful, destructive force in the world is temptation and sin, and that's the most destructive force in your world, in your life. If you don't fight it, it will ruin you. The Puritan theologian, John Owen said, "No one begins a quarrel with a viper and does not proceed to kill the viper or else he wishes he'd never begun the argument." You're in a fight with a viper. And you have to kill it or it will kill you. Do you understand that? And that's what Jesus came to do, to give you the power to put sin to death. Because Jesus knows how and you don't. Satan comes in his viciousness and in his time when he attacks Jesus with his schemes. These are the temptations. In verse 3 and 4, Jesus is tempted to turn the stones into bread; in verses 5-7, He's tempted to fall from the temple and give a spectacular display, and in verses 8-10, to worship the devil. I have renamed these temptations. Verses 3 and 4: “Serve your stomach and rule over God's power" ; verses 5-7: ”Serve sensationalism and rule over God's plan” and verses 8-10: "Serve the devil and rule the world." Serve your stomach and rule over God's power. Satan comes and says, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. You have the power to do it. Do it. Use your power, use the power of God to meet your own physical need." And that's the essence of Satan's kingdom, isn't it? Feed yourself. Think of yourself. “Oh God can't ask this of you, it's been 40 days. He's not going to ask this of you. Take care of your own needs. Serve yourself. Meet your earthly needs”, says Satan. Sounds a little bit familiar to something later said to Jesus. Remember this? Matthew 27:40, "If you're the Son of God come down off that cross and save yourself." You see if Jesus gives in here, He's going to give in there. "No," said Jesus, "absolutely not." Paul spoke of people like this, they're people who live as enemies to the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction. Their God is what? Their stomach. What does it mean to have your stomach as your God? It means that your earthly passions and appetites are what rule your life. You live for them. Jesus wouldn't live that way. And Jesus said, "Man does not live... "It is written, man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Now I see this phrase 'man does not live on bread alone' used as advertisements for expensive ice cream. That's totally missing the point. It's not a matter of man does not live on bread alone but on delicacies like ice cream and cake. That's got nothing to do with it. “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God “ talks about how we should be moment by moment dependent on the word of God for everything. This comes from Deuteronomy when the Israelites were being led through the desert, and moment by moment they depended on God for their manna. You're coming to God all the time, every moment. The Greek here is man does not live on bread alone but on every word that is continually proceeding from the mouth of God. There's a sense of immediacy. When you pick up this book, you are listening to God speaking to you directly. That was Jesus' attitude about Scripture. "It is written, Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. That's where I get my sustenance from." "My food," said Jesus, "is not to do the will of him, it's to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work, that's what I get nourishment from. To do God's will moment by moment." So He dispensed with that temptation. Then the devil took Him to the Holy City, [Jerusalem] and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. The historian Josephus said that the highest point of the temple overlooked a ravine called the Kidron Valley, it was 450 feet down. 450 feet,— that's a 45 story building. How spectacular would it have been if Jesus had just fallen down at that moment? He would have forced God's hand. The Son of God did not come into the world to die tragically falling from the highest point of the temple, did He? If so, God would be forced to respond to the Son by sending the angels. And so Satan quotes Scripture, "He will send His angels concerning you and they'll lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Satan is fully capable of quoting Scripture. He knows how to cite Scripture, but does he interpret it properly? Jesus said no stating that it is also written, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." “I’m not going to force God's hand. I'm going to listen to God and do what He tells me to do. I'm going to submit to the leadership of God. I'm not going to rule over God's plan. I'm going to be ruled by God's plan ,and I'm going to do what He tells me to do.” Second temptation dispensed with. So then the devil takes Jesus to a very high mountain and in an instant, perhaps, shows Him all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor. How does Satan do that? It's not very much different than what you get in satellite TV, DSS and all that 260 channels, just images flowing of all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor. Satan's good at images, isn't he? Just flowing through our minds all the time; it just keeps coming and coming, those images. And Satan said, "You can have all this, Jesus, if you'll just fall down and worship me. You'll just have it. It's yours. I'll give it to you. It's mine to give and I'll give it." But Jesus, you see, He looks deeper, doesn't He? Man looks at outward appearance, the splendor, the beauty. Jesus looks in at the people who make up those kingdoms. There are people there that are going to be eternally lost, if He doesn't die on the cross for them. He sees the people. He sees the glory that Satan can't understand and the glory and the beauty of God's salvation plan. And He wants those people, but He wants them in His way. He doesn't care a hoot about the shiny molecules of gold and platinum and shimmery robes Satan puts in front of His face. It doesn't mean a thing. There's a light, a glory that Satan can't understand, and that's what He's going for. But actually there's something deeper than that. There's a revulsion, a hatred I think, that comes from within Jesus' character at this moment. And the idea of worshipping anyone but God wells up into this statement, "Away from me, Satan, for it is written 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'" We are made to serve. You are going to serve something. You can't get away from it. You're going to serve your flesh or your appetites or your career. You're going to serve something, you're going to serve God. We are created to serve the eternal God. That's what we were made for, and Jesus shows the way. It's interesting what these temptations all have in common, they all point to this world, don't they? All are “this-worldly.” They all have to do with this order because that's all Satan has to offer. He has no claim on the future, no claim on eternity. Actually, Revelation says that the devil knows that his time is short. He doesn't have much time, all he can offer you is some temporary pleasure; that's all he can give to you. That's it. God can give you eternal joy and pleasure at His right hand. That's what Jesus wants and it's what He wants for you as well. And so He thoroughly destroy Satan. "Do not love the world," said John, "Or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the boastful pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world." Listen to this, "The world and its desires pass away but the man who does the will of God lives forever." Jesus destroyed Satan that day, and He'll destroy Satan on your behalf too if you'll fight the way He taught you to fight. "Then the Devil left Him," it says, "and angels came and attended Him." It's interesting how Jesus got immediately the very thing that He was tempted, God sent his angels to take care of Him. But in God's time, not in Satan's time. And ultimately Jesus will receive the Kingdoms of the world. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Satan has nothing to offer you that God can't give you 100 times better if you just be patient and do it in His way. IV. Application What are my applications? First, when it comes to the baptism of Jesus, ask yourself if have you been baptized as a believer in Jesus Christ. Have you given your life to Jesus and then been baptized as He has commanded? It's the first step of obedience - have you done it? If not, you need to obey Him and follow Him. But Paul in Romans 6 links your baptism to your holiness. He challenges you to live up to your baptismal vows. If you've been united with Christ in His death, you'll surely also be united with Him in His new life. You'll walk in newness of life. Are you walking in newness of life? Are you resisting the devil and seeing him flee from you? Are you entering your deserts of temptation filled with the Spirit and then leaving the desert filled with the Spirit? Or are you caving in left and right? Jesus has given you the power to say no - to stand firm and He's given you the way. The way, my friends, is the Bible - it's the Scripture. Saturate your minds in its message and you will be given the will and the strength to resist. Memorize it and you're given specific refutations to each temptation that comes your way. It's both a world view and a specific weapon that the Scripture gives you. It will give you the determination to fight and to be holy and to resist. Today we've seen the coronation and the testing of the King. I don't really have any idea where you at spiritually,. I can't see into your hearts, but if you've never given yourself to Jesus Christ, let today be the day of salvation for you. Give yourself to Him fully that He may save you from your sins and give you eternal life. If on the other hand you're already a Christian, you've been baptized, but you're struggling with sin, rededicate yourself to standing firm, to knowing the Scripture and to fighting the way that Jesus did and not giving in. Let Him fight your battles for you. Say, "Jesus, I'm being tempted, fight in me." And He will. Give yourself fully to Him.