Podcasts about Prefect

"This Martyr was the daughter of most distinguished and noble parents named Philip and Claudia. Philip, a Prefect of Rome, moved to Alexandria with his family. In Alexandria, Eugenia had the occasion to learn the Christian Faith, in particular when she encountered the Epistles of Saint Paul, the reading of which filled her with compunction and showed her clearly the vanity of the world. Secretly taking two of her servants, Protas and Hyacinth, she departed from Alexandria by night. Disguised as a man, she called herself Eugene [Eugenios -ed.] while pretending to be a eunuch, and departed with her servants and took up the monastic life in a monastery of men. Her parents mourned for her, but could not find her. After Saint Eugenia had laboured for some time in the monastic life, a certain woman named Melanthia, thinking Eugene to be a monk, conceived lust and constrained Eugenia to comply with her desire; when Eugenia refused, Melanthia slandered Eugenia to the Prefect as having done insult to her honour. Eugenia was brought before the Prefect, her own father Philip, and revealed to him both that she was innocent of the accusations, and that she was his own daughter. Through this, Philip became a Christian; he was afterwards beheaded at Alexandria. Eugenia was taken back to Rome with Protas and Hyacinth. All three of them ended their life in martyrdom in the years of Commodus, who reigned from 180 to 192." (Great Horologion)

She was the daughter of a prominent family in Nicomedia during the reign of the persecutor Maximian (286-305). Her parents betrothed her to a nobleman named Eleusius, but without his knowledge, or that of her parents, she had already committed her life to Christ, and consecrated her virginity to him. To put off her suitor, she told him that she would not marry him until he became Prefect. Eleusius went to work using his fortune to bribe and influence those in power, and succeeded in being appointed Prefect of Nicomedia. When he went to Juliana to claim her as his wife, she was forced to confess herself a Christian, saying that she would never marry him unless he gave up the worship of idols and embraced the faith of Christ. For her confession, she was arrested and taken before the Prefect: Eleusius, her once-ardent suitor. He was now filled with an ardent rage toward her and, when she would not renounce her faith, had her subjected to the most sadistic tortures imaginable. Miraculously, she endured these without harm. Witnessing this wonder, 500 men and 130 women from among the pagans confessed Christ. The enraged Prefect had all of them beheaded immediately, followed by Juliana herself. She was eighteen years old when she won the Martyr's crown.

He grew up in Milan and became an army officer, where he distinguished himself so well that the Emperor Diocletian made him captain of the Praetorian Guard not suspecting that Sebastian was a Christian. In Rome, while fulfilling the duties of a courtier, he used his position to comfort and encourage his imprisoned fellow-Christians. By his labors and example he brought many to faith in Christ, including Chromatius, the Prefect in charge of persecuting the Roman Christians.   Sebastian had upheld two brothers, Mark and Marcellinus, who were awaiting execution for their faith. When the day of execution came, their father Tranquillinus, who had been a pagan but through Sebastian's example had converted, presented himself to Chromatius and announced that he too was a Christian. His testimony was so powerful that the hard heart of the Prefect was melted, and he himself resolved to become a Christian.   Caius, Bishop of Rome, gathered the new brethren (both men and women — not all of Sebastian's converts have been mentioned here) to embrace them and baptize them, but also to warn them of their coming Martyrdom. He instructed some to flee the city and others, headed by Sebastian, to remain in Rome, devoting their days to fasting, prayer and thanksgiving as they awaited their death. As the "company of Martyrs" did this, many came to them and were healed of ailments, and many joined them in confessing Christ.   When the time of martyrdom came, each member of the company was subjected to imaginatively cruel tortures before his execution. Sebastian himself was made to witness the deaths of all his companions, then to endure his own trial. He serenely confessed his unshaken faith before Diocletian himself before being taken to the place of execution. There he was tied to a post and made the target of a band of archers until his body bristled with arrows like the quills of a porcupine. He was left for dead, but when Irene, widow of St Castulus, came to bury him, she found him alive and tended his wounds. Amazingly, he recovered, and presented himself once again to the Emperor. Astonished and outraged, the tyrant ordered that Sebastian be beaten to death with clubs and thrown into the city's sewer. That evening, a pious Christian woman was told in a vision to retrieve his body and bury it in the catacombs. After St Constantine brought peace to the Church, Pope Damasus built a church over the site in the Saint's honor. For hundreds of years, many miracles were worked there through St Sebastian's intercessions.

The Perfect Time for Prefect Gifts | Galatians 4.4-7 by Christ Church Presbyterian

More lurid writings by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), have been discovered by the Argentine Catholic website El Wanderer. These obscene texts come from the cardinal's books: Heal Me with Your Mouth: The Art of Kissing and Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The timing of this news is critical. Pope Leo XIV is reportedly deciding the future of the Roman Curia and key positions therein, including the position of Prefect for the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, the post Cardinal Fernandez currently holds.Sources:https://www.returntotradition.orgorhttps://substack.com/@returntotradition1Contact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+#popeleoXIV #catholicism #catholicchurch #catholicprophecy#infiltration

The timing of this news is critical. Pope Leo XIV is reportedly deciding the future of the Roman Curia and key positions therein, including the position of Prefect for the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, the post Cardinal Fernandez currently holds.Sources:https://www.returntotradition.orgorhttps://substack.com/@returntotradition1Contact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+#popeleoXIV #catholicism #catholicchurch #catholicprophecy#infiltration

José Tolentino de Mendonça is a theologian, university professor, and one of the most original voices in modern Portuguese. Born in the island of Madeira in 1965, today he is Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, an administrative unit of the Roman Curia. He is Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Institute for Christian Archaeology and a Bishop since 2018. From 2018 to 2022 he was Librarian of the Holy Roman Church. He was made a Cardinal in October 2019. "The common thread running through my story is the importance of attention to culture, dialogue, and the power of knowledge and science." "This is a time when the desire for peace, the stubborn search for a path of peace, should be the primary concern of contemporary culture and society." "My vision as a man of the church, as a believer, as a Christian, is ultimately a poetic vision and ends up being my way of inhabiting reality."

Did Pope Benedict XVI believe the Magisterium can err—or that it has erred in the past? In this video, we explore his views across different stages of his life: his early reflections as a young theologian at Vatican II, his role as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and finally, his […]

Marc Cardinal Ouellet was the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Are has written " Word, Sacrament, Charism", an ecclesiological key for a better understanding and practice of a Synodal Church. Word, Sacrament, Charism Download the Veritas mobile app Joe & Joe on X Joe & Joe on YouTube  

"Saint Romanus was a deacon and exorcist in the Church of Caesarea in Palestine. He happened to be at Antioch in 303 when the Emperor Diocletian's edicts for the general persecution of Christians were published. He could not bear to see so many Christian men, women and children denying their faith in the true God for fear of suffering. As they went to sacrifice to the idols, he ran up, consumed with zeal for righteousness, crying shame on them with a loud voice. He was immediately arrested and brought before the city Prefect. He faced interrogation boldly and to prove the stupidity of the pagan cult, he asked for a child to be brought in, taken at random from the crowd in the public square. Romanus enquired of the lad whether it was more sensible to worship the one and only God and Creator of the world, or the many gods of the pagans. Showing himself wiser than the pagans, the child unhesitatingly decided for the God of the Christians. The Prefect flew into a rage at being made to look ridiculous and ordered the young confessor to be put to the torture straight away in the presence of his mother. The child endured the torments without flinching but told his mother he was thirsty and wanted a drink. '0 my dear son', the admirable woman answered, 'do not drink corruptible and temporal water, but keep up your courage so as to drink living and eternal water in the Kingdom of God!' The child was beheaded, and Saint Romanus was condemned to be burnt to death. He welcomed the sentence joyfully, and with a shining face was led unresistingly to the stake. Since the Emperor was in the city, the executioners awaited his decision before lighting the fire and the valiant Martyr exclaimed at the delay, 'Where is the fire that is prepared for me?' But the execution was stayed so that he could be brought before the Emperor in person. Aware that Christians rejoice over the death of a Martyr as the entrance to everlasting life, the tyrant wanted to increase the suffering of Christ's athlete by delaying the moment of deliverance. He ordered the executioners to tear out his tongue, which Romanus freely offered, and he miraculously went on praising God and encouraging the faithful after it was cut away. After this torment, he was imprisoned for a long time in chains until the Emperor's birthday. This was celebrated all over the Empire and a general release of prisoners was customary. But Romanus was not freed; with his feet crushed in the stocks, he was secretly strangled in his dungeon and thus received the adornment of martyrdom, as he had desired."(Synaxarion)

"Saint Romanus was a deacon and exorcist in the Church of Caesarea in Palestine. He happened to be at Antioch in 303 when the Emperor Diocletian's edicts for the general persecution of Christians were published. He could not bear to see so many Christian men, women and children denying their faith in the true God for fear of suffering. As they went to sacrifice to the idols, he ran up, consumed with zeal for righteousness, crying shame on them with a loud voice. He was immediately arrested and brought before the city Prefect. He faced interrogation boldly and to prove the stupidity of the pagan cult, he asked for a child to be brought in, taken at random from the crowd in the public square. Romanus enquired of the lad whether it was more sensible to worship the one and only God and Creator of the world, or the many gods of the pagans. Showing himself wiser than the pagans, the child unhesitatingly decided for the God of the Christians. The Prefect flew into a rage at being made to look ridiculous and ordered the young confessor to be put to the torture straight away in the presence of his mother. The child endured the torments without flinching but told his mother he was thirsty and wanted a drink. '0 my dear son', the admirable woman answered, 'do not drink corruptible and temporal water, but keep up your courage so as to drink living and eternal water in the Kingdom of God!' The child was beheaded, and Saint Romanus was condemned to be burnt to death. He welcomed the sentence joyfully, and with a shining face was led unresistingly to the stake. Since the Emperor was in the city, the executioners awaited his decision before lighting the fire and the valiant Martyr exclaimed at the delay, 'Where is the fire that is prepared for me?' But the execution was stayed so that he could be brought before the Emperor in person. Aware that Christians rejoice over the death of a Martyr as the entrance to everlasting life, the tyrant wanted to increase the suffering of Christ's athlete by delaying the moment of deliverance. He ordered the executioners to tear out his tongue, which Romanus freely offered, and he miraculously went on praising God and encouraging the faithful after it was cut away. After this torment, he was imprisoned for a long time in chains until the Emperor's birthday. This was celebrated all over the Empire and a general release of prisoners was customary. But Romanus was not freed; with his feet crushed in the stocks, he was secretly strangled in his dungeon and thus received the adornment of martyrdom, as he had desired."(Synaxarion)

What do we talk about when talk about empathy & remorse in regards to Mack's role as DOS master and recruiter in NXIVM? How is remorse expressed in Allison Mack's new podcast about her time in and life after Keith Raniere's destructive cult? Where's Mack's empathy for those that she victimized? What does the podcast tell us about Mack's view of her role in NXIVM. What does the future hold for Mack?Get access to exclusive content & support the podcast by a Patron today! https://patreon.com/robertaglasstruecrimereportThrow a tip in the tip jar! https://buymeacoffee.com/robertaglassSupport Roberta by sending a donation via Venmo. https://venmo.com/robertaglassBecome a channnel member for custom Emojis, first looks and exclusive streams here: https://youtube.com/@robertaglass/joinThank you Patrons!Beth, Shelley Safford, Carol Mumumeci, Therese Tunks, JC, Lizzy D, Elizabeth Drake, Texas Mimi, Barb, Deborah Shults, Debra Ratliff, Stephanie Lamberson, Maryellen Sudol, Mona, Karen Pacini, Jen Buell, Marie Horton, ER, Rosie Grace, B. Rabbit, Sally Merrick, Amanda D, Mary B, Mrs Jones, Amy Gill, Eileen, Wesley Loves Octoberfest, Erin (Kitties1993), Anna Quint, Cici Guteriez, Sandra Loves GatsbyHannna, Christy, Jen Buell, Elle Solari, Carol Cardella, Jennifer Harmon, DoxieMama65, Carol Holderman, Joan Mahon, Marcie Denton, Rosanne Aponte, Johnny Jay, Jude Barnes, JenTheRN, Victoria Devenish, Jeri Falk, Kimberly Lovelace, Penni Miller, Jil, Janet Gardner, Jayne Wallace (JaynesWhirled), Pat Brooks, Jennifer Klearman, Judy Brown, Linda Lazzaro, Suzanne Kniffin, Susan Hicks, Jeff Meadors, D Samlam, Pat Brooks, Cythnia, Bonnie Schoeneman-Dilley, Diane Larsen, Mary, Kimberly Philipson, Cat Stewart, Cindy Pochesci, Kevin Crecy, Renee Chavez, Melba Pourteau, Julie K Thomas, Mia Wallace, Stark Stuff, Kayce Taylor, Alice, Dean, GiGi5, Jennifer Crum, Dana Natale, Bewildered Beauty, Pepper, Joan Chakonas, Blythe, Pat Dell, Lorraine Reid, T.B., Melissa, Victoria Gray Bross, Toni Woodland, Danbrit, Kenny Haines and Toni Natalie.

We all have moments that didn’t go the way we wanted opportunities that slipped through our fingers or dreams that never happened. For Producer Thato, it was not becoming a Prefect at school. All the effort, the speeches, the late nights preparing… and still, he didn’t make it. Even now, it stings a little when he thinks back. Now we want to hear from you: what’s the biggest thing that fell through in your life and still pains you? Whether it’s something big or small, serious or funny, we want your real stories. Hang out with Anele and The Club on 947 every weekday morning. Popular radio hosts Anele Mdoda, Frankie du Toit, Thembekile Mrototo, and Cindy Poluta take fun to the next level with the biggest guests, hottest conversations, feel-good vibes, and the best music to get you going! Kick-start your day with the most enjoyable way to wake up in Joburg. Connect with Anele and The Club on 947 via WhatsApp at 084 000 0947 or call the studio on 011 88 38 947Thank you for listening to the Anele and the Club podcast..Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 to 09:00 to Anele and the Club broadcast on 947 https://buff.ly/y34dh8Y For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/gyWKIkl or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/K59GRzu Subscribe to the 947s Weekly Newsletter https://buff.ly/hf9IuR9 Follow us on social media:947 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/947Joburg/ 947 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@947joburg947 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/947joburg947 on X: www.x.com/947 947 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@947JoburgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, reflects on his vocation, his friendship with Pope Benedict XVI, and the challenges facing the Church today—from artificial intelligence to cultural confusion. Speaking with Abbot Placid Solari, the Cardinal offers a profound vision of faith and reason in harmony, the dignity of the human person, and the universal mission of the Church in the modern world.

Jeremiah Lowin, founder of Prefect , returns to the show to discuss the seismic shift in the data and AI landscape since our last conversation a few years ago. He shares the wild origin story of FastMCP, a project he started to create a more "Pythonic" wrapper for Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP).Jeremiah explains how this side project was incorporated into Anthropic's official SDK and then exploded to over a million downloads a day after MCP gained support from OpenAI and Google.He clarifies why this is an complementary expansion for Prefect, not a pivot , and provides a simple analogy for MCP as the "USB-C for AI agents". Most surprisingly, Jeremiah reveals that the primary adoption of MCP isn't for external products, but internally by data teams who are using it to finally fulfill the promise of the self-serve semantic layer and create a governable, "LLM-free zone" for AI tools.

Friends of the Rosary,Today, October 22, is the feast of St. John Paul II (1920-2005).Born in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland, and elected pope in 1978, Karol Jozef Wojtyla demonstrated exceptional apostolic zeal throughout his earthly life, particularly for families, young people, and the sick, and exhibited an intensified pastoral commitment with heroic generosity.He promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church and for the Eastern Churches, and the Luminous Mysteries.Pope John Paul II made 146 pastoral visits in Italy and 104 international apostolic journeys. He produced 14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions, and 45 Apostolic Letters.He also wrote five books: Crossing the Threshold of Hope (October 1994); Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination (November 1996); Roman Triptych, meditations in poetry (March 2003); Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way (May 2004), and Memory and Identity (February 2005).Pope John Paul II celebrated 147 beatifications, during which he proclaimed 1,338 blesseds, and 51 canonizations, for a total of 482 saints.On May 13, 1981, an attempt was made on Pope John Paul II's life in Saint Peter's Square. Saved by the maternal hand of the Mother of God, following a lengthy stay in the hospital, he forgave the attempted assassin.John Paul II was beatified on May 1, 2011, by Pope Benedict XVI, his immediate successor and, for many years, his valued collaborator as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He was canonized by Pope Francis on April 17, 2014.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠October 22, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Pope Leo made a surprise appointment to fill the position he left behind as Prefect for the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops, the office that vets and recommends candidates to lead dioceses around the world. The man he chose, Archbishop Filippo Iannone, age 67, is an Italian bishop and member of the Carmelite Order. He was not, per Vatican correspondent Gerard O'Connell, among the names circulated before the appointment was made. In this short episode of “Inside the Vatican”—abbreviated because of a forthcoming deep dive episode—Colleen and Gerry discuss Archbishop Iannone's background and what he may bring to this influential Vatican role. Links from the show: Pope Leo makes a surprise pick for his first major Vatican appointment Deep Dive: Inside the top secret process of appointing a Catholic bishop King Charles III to make delayed state visit to Vatican 6 months after death of Pope Francis NYC choir performs at the Vatican for Pope Leo—in his own words Credits: Producer: Ricardo da Silva, SJ Audio engineering and video editing: Kevin Christopher Robles Executive producer: Sebastian Gomes Inside the Vatican is a production of America Media. Support Inside the Vatican by subscribing to America Magazine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textIn this episode, I am joined by His Eminence, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, former Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and author of Word, Sacrament, Charism: The Risks and Opportunities of a Synodal Church.Drawing on decades of leadership within the Church—including his roles in seminary formation, global episcopal appointments, and multiple synods—Cardinal Ouellet brings a deeply theological and pastoral lens to one of the most debated processes in the modern Church: synodality.In This Episode, You'll Hear:The theological and spiritual roots of the Synod on SynodalityCardinal Ouellet's reflections on why synodality must begin in faith, not functionThe risks of reducing the Church to NGO logicHow Mary, Mother of the Church, is the true archetype of synodalityThe need for both hierarchical leadership and charismatic creativityWhat lay people can do to live out the Church's mission with fidelity and joyThis Episode is For You If You've Ever Asked:What exactly is synodality—and why is the Church talking so much about it?How do we walk together without compromising truth?What role do lay people play in a “synodal” Church?How can we discern the Holy Spirit in communal dialogue?Resources Mentioned:Word, Sacrament, Charism: The Risks and Opportunities of a Synodal Church — Available at Ignatius PressFollow Gotta Be Saints:Instagram: @gottabesaintsWebsite: gottabesaints.comSubscribe, rate, and leave a review to help others discover the call to holiness through the voices of the Church.Sponsored by TruthlyThis episode is brought to you by Truthly — the world's first Catholic action app helping you reflect and share your faith confidently. Start your free trial at truthly.ai and use code gottabesaints for a special listener offer. Support the show

Snogwarts graduates become Students of Briarwood, then compete for Sex Goddess.by jane700bond. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Preface:While boarding school did a reasonable job of separating guys and gals, The Briarwood College of Incanting Arts could not stop us being normal horny teens and experimenting. They had separate single sex boarding houses, but this generally meant that, at night, gals would experiment with gals and guys would experiment with guys. Then they would experiment with the opposite sex in small forgotten rooms and outbuildings and in the woods and fields that surrounded the college.Ariella, a British gal aged 18, when this story starts, might appear to have more experience than would be otherwise expected. She is no virgin! This higher education academy further develops the craft of wizardry in areas of seduction and behavioral manipulation.The heroine is taught in the story, by the young teacher, Gabriella Peacock “The Sex Goddess awakens desires in others and lets them fulfill their own fantasies through her own vast appetite for sex. She does not enslave! She gives and takes pleasure and fun.”This adaptation is based on the script posted by Jane700bond.Part 1.The Briarwood College of Incanting Arts was the premier post-secondary college of wizardry in the world and it was seven years after Ariella Divine and her other 11-year-old contemporaries had first arrived at the enormous Snogwarts castle in the far north of Scotland. Now 18, they had started their first year and are to take their Advanced Level Wizarding exams. Being 18 gave them some privileges the younger students back at Snogwarts don't have. For example, she only had to share a room with one other dorm mate instead of five; and  like herself, all college students had their own set of bathrooms and showers. She had looked forward to coming back to Scotland after the long summer holiday and catching up with old friends and lovers. There were twelve pupils in the top year in Slither-in House that had survived the earlier years and advanced to The Briarwood College of Incanting Arts, six each of guys and galsAriella was universally acknowledged to have grown up to be beautiful. She was slim with black hair, stunning turquoise blue eyes and pale skin inherited from her Irish grandmother. As so often happens, she had grown during the long summer holidays. At 5 foot 7, she now stood a good bit taller, was rather more curvaceous and her breasts had filled out nicely.This latter bit of growing made her very happy as she had been rather flat chested until then, not really even an A cup and she hadn't worn bras. However, during this summer she was sure she could tell that her breasts had grown more each night of the holiday and she would experiment with them in front of the mirror before breakfast. Finally, in late August she achieved an ambition, to be able to play with her nipples with her own tongue. Soon, she thought, she would be able to suck her own teats!She deliberately dressed in a short-cut tee-shirt that was straining at the front as she wanted to show off her new weapons of sexual mass destruction. She appreciated the admiring glances from the people she passed in the street and in one or two cases, where she fancied the looker, returned the glance with a mischievous smile before she moved on. She had also noticed, the more her tits filled out, the more randy she was becoming!One adventurous day, late in the holiday, she had decided to go and look for some new bras that would fit her fast maturing body. This was to be her first proper bra fitting and Ariella was a little nervous about what was involved. Walking into the lingerie shop she noticed a rather stern woman behind the till and a much younger assistant with a nice face who Ariella thought was rather lovely. Choosing to ignore the matron and talk to the gal instead, together they discussed potential styles and colours and then, finding the gal ever more attractive, Ariella shyly asked if she could have a proper fitting. Ariella was so glad it was the young woman and not the foreboding manager who was to help her in such a personal manner. Cheerily the gal called out to the manager what she had been asked to do and led Ariella to the back of the shop.They squeezed themselves together into a small fitting room and both gals seemed to appreciate the closeness that this entailed. Currently Ariella was braless and she was aware that her now rather prominent and hard nipples protruded through the cotton of her top. Rather nervously Ariella stripped off her tee-shirt to reveal her newly blossomed breasts and the gal stood for a moment apparently admiring them, but maybe “just sizing her up professionally”, Ariella thought.The young gal's tongue was peeking through her lips as she concentrated. The sight of it began to make Ariella feel a little horny, but she had a first got a real buzz of excitement when the clerk passed the tape measure around her back and then under her breasts, gently lifting them slightly with warm hands to get the tape underneath and to measure her chest properly. It was the first time anyone else had touched these new larger and rounder mounds and she was surprised at how sensitive they were.Then the clerk had really made her gasp as she lifted her breasts again and then moved the tape up and tightened it over Ariella's nipples, the shop clerk's face showed a knowing impish grin. They were alone together in the small fitting room close enough to hug and Ariella was certain the gal would love to play a much more dangerous game in the curtained square if she had dared. The clerk's tongue was sticking out through her lips again as, with great absorption, she put her nose an inch from Ariella's chest and then read out the measurement with a surprising huskiness in her voice: “34-inch C-cup, I think. Shall I go and get some for you to try on?”The gal rather slowly pulled the tape from Ariella's chest, brushing as if accidentally the aureoles and hardened nipples - there was so little room, and it was such an intimate role she played, it could have been and accident - not! Ariella felt a heat between her legs as the clerk swished through the curtain and disappeared leaving her standing alone, half naked. She wondered about how horny she had become over the last couple of months as new hormones cruised her body. She seemed to think about sex more and more every day, her mind imagining a whole Karma Sutra of different possibilities with both guys and gals.Humping her large teddy bear had been the first surprise, the coldness of its glass nose on her clit and the bears soft fur between her legs made her appreciate the old stuffed toy in a very different way than when she had been a child. Then there was the head of the power-shower - wow what did that do when she sprayed between her legs and soaped herself? Then she had experimented in the kitchen when her parents were out. Olive oil was good, but coconut oil was better, especially when used to lubricate the banana with which she tested the tightness of her love canal by slowly parting her cunt lips with the black tip and gently pushing it in. The thing really to avoid, she discovered to her cost, was chilli oil. She had had to sit crying in a cold bath for half an hour after trying that on her clit and was not going to forget the heat of that exceedingly hot burning and painful orgasm.Even though it was a warm late August day, Ariella felt goose-pimples rising on her bare skin, especially around her exposed nipples and she shivered. The gal was about Ariella's age, a little shorter, with her blonde hair tied tidily up in a ponytail. She had golden-brown eyes which seemed to look through Ariella and know her deepest desires.Ariella could tell the clerk was experienced in dealing with bras as her chest was front heavy and needed good support. It would have had a challenge getting that pair of whoppers through adolescence without a substantial investment in fitting sessions. She must have had a lot of fans at school! Now, in a low-cut white top the deep tight valley of her cleavage exuded sex-appeal and invited an investigation into the warm hidden depths of its crevasse. Ariella wondered at her size, “34D or, more probably, Double D?” she thought, but did not know the answer.The young woman's lips were full like Ariella's and she was wearing a fashionable scarlet lip-gloss. As she had turned to leave Ariella, could not help but clock her beautiful pert backside in tight-fitting leggings. Nice, she thought, and imagined for a moment cupping that ass, whilst grinding herself into the gal as they kissed deeply, fiery hot nipples rubbing together. The heat and moisture between Ariella's legs became more noticeable and she felt the blood rise to her cheeks.After a few minutes, the clerk came back with a pile of boxes. “Shall I help you try them on?” She asked innocently.Ariella nodded, being her first time at a bra fitting, she barely dared to think what helping might involve; just having the gal measuring her had been arousing enough!The first bra was rear fastening and she put her hands out in front of her, hovering inches above the tempting cleavage, as the clerk threaded the straps up over her arms and then carefully and gently lifted Ariella's breasts into the cups to make them comfortable. Ariella shuddered with a little gasp of pleasure as the hands slowly moulded her flesh into the right position. The gal then leaned forward putting her head over Ariella's shoulder so she could see to fasten the bra at the back. The movement forward pushed the gal's own breasts into Ariella's hands. As Ariella hastily moved her arms to the side, the gal lent further forward and her own young covered bosom created a firm contact with Ariella's increasingly hard and aroused exposed peaks. The clerk expertly did up the bra and held the embrace for a few moments longer than necessary before moving her chin slowly back over Ariella's shoulder. Very deliberately, she kept her chin in firm contact with Ariella's skin as she moved her head down over Ariella's chest. Finally, the gal stopped with her nose rested on the link between the two cups of Ariella's cleavage. Ariella stood there quietly, so close to the clerk that she could smell the sweetness of the gal's breath. In a sudden a state of anticipation and rising desire, Ariella's heart began to race.“I better test the tightness.” The clerk said with a gulp, moving back slightly and leaving a gap of air between their heaving bosoms. With an air of expert concentration, she inserted a finger of each hand under the left and right straps and tested the tension. Then she moved her fingers around to the front inside the bra's material. She stopped, rather unprofessionally, with a finger on each nipple, then slowly inserting her thumbs up inside the cups, she pinched the teats gently making Ariella even more aroused. “A bit tight.” She said loudly, as if to an audience beyond the curtain. “Shall we try the next cup size up?” Reluctantly, Ariella thought, the clerk removed one of her hands and put her finger to her lips whilst miming a warning at the curtain with her eyes.There was a rustle outside and an authoritative female voice asked “How are things going Emelia?”“OK Miss Havisham,” the newly named Emelia replied “we'll find the right fitting in a minute or two.”“Fine”, came the response “I'll be by the till if you need me.” Again a rustle and footsteps moved away.“I'm sorry,” whispered Emelia to Ariella, “but I'm going to have to behave!” As if to contradict herself, she hovered her mouth directly over Ariella's breasts as she seductively reached around and neatly undid the bra. As the breasts came free her sweet lips were apart and a drop of saliva escaped and slowly dropped onto Ariella's newly unconstrained left breast. The clerk stared at the glistening drop for a moment and then quickly darted forward and took Ariella's nipple in her mouth, at the same time she passionately began to play with the other nipple with her hand, rubbing the teat between her fingers. Ariella gasped and grasped Emelia 's ass, cheeks and ground her hot crotch into the hottie, hoping their now engorged clits would connect somehow through their thin summer clothes. Half-naked, Ariella had never felt so hot.After a little while and some heavy breathing, aloud Emelia said, as normally as she could, “Have you tried a front-fastening bra?” With which she pulled her own top downward and unfastened her own bra as if demonstrating how it worked. Ariella gazed with amazement at the grapefruit sized tits and dived forward to take one of Emelia 's amazing large brown nipples in her own mouth. In sudden desperation for sexual satisfaction, she thrust her hand down the front of Emelia 's leggings and with urgency found her way through the flimsy panties to Emelia 's hot, hot cunt lips and started massaging her sex.Another rustle outside and Ariella smiled mischievously at Emelia as she said loudly “I think front-fastening is much more convenient, but can I try the next size up?”“Yes of course, Miss.” Said Emelia and with Ariella's hand still rubbing hard inside her panties and desperately trying not to gasp or moan, she started rummaging loudly through the boxes. “Here we are! Try this one. This one is a Tee-Shirt bra, just great for what you're wearing.”With the looming presence outside, Emelia shrugged and grinning naughtily, carefully removed Ariella's hand from her damp cunt and putting it to her mouth, and briefly licked her own sex juices from the other gal's fingers. After one last desperate deep honey-flavoured kiss, Emelia straightened her clothes, handing Ariella the new bra and showed her how it fastened by demonstrating with her own. “That's perfect,” called Ariella, in a business-like voice, “I'll keep this one on and take those please.”Checking in the mirror she looked decent, Emelia turned to go through the curtain. Ariella, had a last feel of her new friend's backside, slipping her hand between her legs and feeling the dampness there for a few moments. Using her thumb, she found Emelia's hot cunt lips through the material, making Emelia gasp before she moved off through the curtain. A moment later a woman thrust her head through and asked if everything was satisfactory.“Excuse me,” said Ariella haughtily “but I'm dressing, do you mind!” The head withdrew with embarrassed rapidity and for a moment Ariella sat down with a sigh, her hand undoing the button and then going down into her shorts to find her firm, stiff clit crying out for satisfaction. After a moment or two she stood and started to pull on her tee-shirt, but her hand went down into the tight darkness again for a few more moments of pleasure. She was still playing with herself and had her back to the curtain when Emelia came in. The buxom woman stood pressing herself hard against Ariella's back and licked her ear as she breathed deeply. Ariella could only just cope with the hot breath and tickling tongue, but when Emilia's hand thrust down the front of her shorts to join her own, she nearly came. Emelia said aloud “Your bras miss.”She kissed Ariella on the back of the neck and passed over a piece of paper with her number on it. “Fancy a drink tonight?” She asked quietly and then slipped away. Ariella adjusted herself, then incredibly aware of the dampness between her legs and the smell of sex on her hand, she marched out past the manager into the sunlight.That night had been a great way to end the holiday. Emelia may have been a muggle, but she was a very sexy muggle and great fun to be with. After a short drink it was obvious that they couldn't wait to get back to exploring each other's bare barely adult bodies, so with sex hormones going wild in their 18-year-old brains they almost ran from the pub to Emelia's small flat and were soon tearing each other's clothes off to try and cool their heated naked skin.It was wonderful for Ariella to bury her head in Emelia's large beautiful breasts and suckle her until Emelia groaned with longing. They were the biggest pair Ariella had ever played with and she loved the soft bouncing flesh and dark firm nipples. Ariella thought it so good to have her cunt licked and her clit teased by a gal who seemed to have much more experience than her school friend paramours. Ariella loved Emelia sitting on her face whist she probed the gal's deep dark love tunnel with her tongue and gently nipping with her teeth.Sitting there, with Ariella's tongue licking deep inside her, Emelia then brought her clit to orgasm and let Ariella drink an eruption of honey juices when she came. Ariella had no idea that a gal could cum like that, but lapped up the nectar as Emelia bucked and shuddered in climax.Ariella's face was now soaking wet with Emelia's cum juices and this made her own need to cum even more urgent. Emelia's hot lubricated cunt slid easily over Ariella's breasts and stomach, leaving a snail-trail of sex juices and then Emelia turned around to kneel between Ariella's now spread-eagled legs. Emelia sucked Ariella's nipples while she fucked her with two fingers, ever enlarging her hot pink wet hole. Then finding the magic g-spot, and at the same time using her thumb on Ariella's clit, Emelia was able to bring Ariella to a simultaneous climax. Ariella screamed in pleasure as the orgasms made her entire body shudder and tingle; it was the best sex she had ever had … to date.The two gals spent the night together sometimes snoozing until one or the other, with exploring fingers, would arouse the other and they would start their love-making again discovering new delights. Finally, the dawn found them wrapped naked around each other in exhausted sleep.Now Ariella was at The Briarwood College of Incanting Arts, and a year of intrigue, magic and adventure was ahead of her and in Briarwood there was more chance of interesting sex than in any of the others. After her adventure with Emelia, Ariella thought if might be fun trying to win the role of Briarwood Sex Goddess and bring the poor reputation of Slither-in alumnae to new depths of depravity. Whilst an honour not recognised by the college officially, Sex Goddess was a title given to one of the babes of Briarwood each year and, in celebration of her newly awakened sex drive, Ariella thought of the excitement to be had on the way to be crowned.Slither-in was the naughty house at Snogwarts, where the virtuous and the boring where not welcome. Slither-in students were specially chosen by the Sorting Hat that magically recognised that they would grow up to be as randy as hell; the guys were filled with testosterone and the gals, nymphomaniacs. What could possibly go wrong in a boarding school house where the final year students where all full of new found magical powers and ready to experiment?Ariella had left the express train late in the afternoon and entered the Briarwood womens' dorm, an ancient edifice of towers and dungeons. She went immediately to the house notice board. Firstly, there was a notice about uniforms.·         “Because of the current warm weather, and to maintain a healthy well-ventilated body, kilts and cotton shirts or blouses are the order of the day until the weather cools. In true Scots fashion kilts will be worn commando style by students. By order: Snake, the new Dean of Students”.Because the college was also in the north of Scotland, both sexes had a kilt as part of their uniform. The guys wore a more heavily pleated style, whilst the gals were lighter and shorter. The order to wear kilts was quite usual in warm weather, but the order for commando style was normally just for the guys. Ariella was intrigued and thought the coolness it provided would be a welcome change from wearing knickers all the time. But uniforms weren't needed until the next day when lessons started.Ariella then looked to see who was sharing rooms with whom and was surprised to discover the name of her roommate was unknown to her. It was unusual for a new pupil to join in the final year. She went to the Dean of Students to ask who Lucille l'Astique was and where had she come from.Dr. Snake, who just joined the college faculty this fall semester, had come from the Slither-in House at Snogwarts. He already knew several of the college students from their younger days. He was also Master of Defense Against The Dark Arts (or DADA for short) and, as suited the position, was a tall dark saturnine figure, about thirty-five years old. He often frightened the pupils of the other houses with his dark humour and ferocious tongue, but he has a soft spot for his own students and after seven years Ariella was on good terms with him. She knocked and went into his office where Snake lounged in his office chair, feet up on the large red leather desk. He looked up as she came in and stared at Ariella with surprise, seeming to slowly take in how she had flowered over the summer, his eyes roving deliberately from her shapely legs, her firm bare midriff and then he her clocked her expanded bosom, straining in its tight short tee-shirt. After lingering thoughtfully for a moment his eyes finally came to rest on the stunning beauty of her face.Then slowly lifting himself languorously from his chair he approached with a wide smile. “Why Ariella,” he said, “you have grown both taller and considerably more beautiful over the holiday.” His six-foot three height always made her feel like the little girl she had been when she had first met him. Now he looked down on her with satisfaction as he took in her new shape, examining the newly formed breasts that pressed against the tight cotton of her top. The look he gave may have been entirely appropriate for the supposedly evil DADA Snake, Dean of Students, but was probably inappropriate for your average teacher.His hands motioned in front of her and for a moment Ariella, heart thudding a little faster, thought he was going to grab her breasts and try them for size. But instead, as if by magic a badge saying “Prefect” appeared in one hand and with extreme delicacy, he pinned it over her heart, being careful not to let the sharp pin prick her skin. Ariella grinned with excitement at the honour - Prefect! She was so overwhelmed it did not occur to her that Dr. Snake was extraordinarily close. His hands continued to hover near her top as if he was wondering if he could dare lift it up and expose the secret delights it hid.He smiled again, “Umm,” he muttered “your lips have filled out beautifully as well. Gosh, it is nice to have such a sexy and beautiful damsel in my care. I like to make the beautiful ones my Prefects so I can get to know them better. Maybe in your case the badge should say “Perfect” instead of “Prefect” you look so good. Damsels are much more attractive to have around … and more tempting … than those horrible randy guys, I always think. I never make them prefects. You must come and have tea with me one day“ He finished abruptly.Snake had never spoken to Ariella like this before and she felt flushed and a little delighted to have caught the attention of the older wizard. "Sexy and beautiful!” she thought, “I like that description.”“Who is this Lucille l'Astique I am to share with?” she asked looking into his dark smiling eyes.“Ah, Lucille!” he said. “She is a French dame, daughter of the infamous wizard the Marquis l'Astique le Grand. She has had to escape to Britain as her father was recently arrested for using black magic! I hope you will welcome her and make friends… I know you like to be friendly with gals.” He winked and Ariella wondered quite what he knew exactly about her being friendly with gals.“She is probably feeling lonely and scared.” He continued, “So I thought of lovely you as the perfect companion. Please show her the ropes and mentor her through the complexities of Snogwart's life.”Ariella smiled and agreed to go and find the new gal and introduce her to the dormatory and the college. As she turned, Snake's hand patted her bottom and Ariella, instinctively, brushed the hand away with her own which then came in hard contact with a very hard snake in Snake's trousers. The doctor gasped and Ariella went brightly on her way thinking “Sex-goddess, I won't even have to try!”Up the spiral staircase to the women's study-bedrooms went Ariella, wondering what Lucille would be like. Her own French was reasonable, but she hoped the dame spoke English. Her bedroom was at the top of a tower with two staircases, which was split down the middle to divide the gals' and the guys' wings. As she walked in, she saw an elfish-looking figure wearing a light muslin shift leaning out of the window taking in the scenery. The sun shining on the dame made the shift almost see-through and Ariella stood transfixed for the moment looking at the golden figure, her youthful curves mere shadows under the material. Lucille straightened up and turned, the sun now illuminating the dame's strawberry-blonde hair in a halo of brightness. She turned and smiled at Ariella and Ariella's heart nearly stopped at the beauty of the dame before her. Ideas of herself as Sex Goddess disappeared as surely this was a real goddess revealed to her is all her power. “My goodness,” she whispered “you are beautiful!” and more loudly “Vous êtes très belle mademoiselle.”“Et tu!” said the stranger in a soft sexy voice.The young ladies were both beautiful. Ariella, long black braided hair with pale white skin from her Celtic ancestors, Lucille strawberry-blonde hair like rose-gold in an elf-bob, with honey-gold skin, toned by a more southern sun. Ariella, eyes turquoise blue like a Caribbean Sea and Lucille's green like emeralds. Both their bodies were at the point of maturity where the gawkiness of childhood is replaced by the perfect blossoming of young womanhood. Both with perfect breasts and hips and long and shapely legs. Ariella a fine round face with and sexy cupid-bow lips and Lucille with the high-cheek bones of an aristocrat and wide lip formed into a superior smile. It was as if Lucille was a goddess of the sun and Ariella goddess of the moon.They stood and stared at each other for a long moment then realising her tongue was licking her lips and a blush was extending up her neck, Ariella first broke contact. She said with a voice she later thought must have sounded like the excited gabbling of a 1950's gym mistress “Gosh Hello, I'm Ariella Divine, you must be Lucille l'Astique, fantastic to meet you, gosh! We're to share this room, so jolly - I'm so very happy to meet you! Welcome to Student Dorm House.” I came from Slither-in House, at Snogwarts. She stopped realising she was babbling nonsense.“Slither-in? Slither … in?” repeated Lucille slowly with a hint of a grin, the words rolling around her mouth, “Is that what a guy's cock does when he fucks you? Merde, it sounds like it!”Ariella was shocked, which was actually something she could hardly believe, given her life to date. Shocked not so much by the vulgarity that had just come out the mouth of this golden goddess, but by the sudden thought of a guy's cock slithering between her legs. Looking at the expression on Ariella's face Lucille smiled broadly and broke into a beautiful tinkle of laughter. She walked forward, put her arms on Ariella's shoulders and kissed her on each cheek in the continental style. “I am sorry,” she said, “but I had not realised; you are an innocent. So cute!”“Innocent?” gasped Ariella in indignation, “Me? Cute? I tell you mademoiselle; I'm going to be voted the Sex Goddess of Briarwood this year. You just took me by surprise - I had just never thought of the word Slither-in that way before. Quite an exciting concept really.”The blonde dame stepped forward and looked deep into Ariella's sea blue eyes “Is Sex Goddess a position in this place? Like Head dame? Wow! I thought you British didn't like sex.”Ariella, stared back and said a little quietly “Yes, we enjoy sex and Sex Goddess is a title you can win in. The idea is to make all the other pupils want to slave, to meet your every wish!”Lucille stepped closer still so that the two goddesses now touched each other, nipple to nipple. “Let's have a competition.” she said, huskily, the words spoken so close to Ariella's lips she could feel the breath of them. Ariella brushed her lips against those of the other dame, then she nervously pushed out her tongue and slowly parted Lucille's lips. Lucille responded and soon the gals were kissing passionately. Without letting go, Ariella led Lucille to one of the beds and there they lay together limbs tangled and breathing harder and harder as their bodies were turned on by the exploring hands of the other.To be continued..by jane700b

Today's saint was born in Rome and studied law before entering into public service as a Prefect. Two years later he became a monk. Who was this great saint who eventually become a Pope? Find out on today's reflection from Fr. Kubicki.

The Catholic Church celebrated the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' election. Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Promoting Integral Human Development, reflected on Pope Francis' vision for the Church. This year, on March 19, many dioceses in the United States will observe the traditional Lenten practice of almsgiving by participating in The Catholic Relief Services Collection. Funds from this collection support the work of Catholic organizations that aid victims of war and natural disaster, provide pastoral care to migrant workers, and help welcome refugees fleeing violence and persecution. Bishop Seitz spoke about the role that this collection plays in vital Catholic programs that share in the Catholic mission of promoting the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person. Read the CRS Collection annual report. https://usccb.cld.bz/crs-2021-annual-report

On July 9, Pope Francis named twenty-one new cardinals, including two with deep ties to the United States: U.S.-born Archbishop Robert Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. The cardinals-designate will be installed during a consistory in Rome on September 30. The Vatican has released names of several hundred participants in the upcoming Synod on Synodality in October. Along with bishops and cardinals from around the world, the Holy Father personally appointed other participants, including some non-bishop voting members. Catholic Current spoke with Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle, one of delegates appointed by Pope Francis.

"This Saint, who was born in Spain, was the Archdeacon of the Church of Rome, caring for the sacred vessels of the Church and distributing money to the needy. About the year 257, a harsh persecution was raised up against the Christians by Valerian. Pope Sixtus, who was from Athens, was commanded to worship the idols, and refused; before his martyrdom by beheading, he committed to Laurence all the sacred vessels of the Church. When Laurence was arrested and brought before the Prefect, he was questioned concerning the treasures of the Church; he asked for three days' time to prepare them. He then proceeded to gather all the poor and needy, and presented them to the Prefect and said, "Behold the treasures of the Church." The Prefect became enraged at this and gave command that Laurence be racked, then scourged with scorpions (a whip furnished with sharp iron points — compare II Chron. 10:11), then stretched out on a red-hot iron grill. But the courageous athlete of Christ endured without groaning. After he had been burned on one side, he said, "My body is done on one side; turn me over on the other." And when this had taken place, the Martyr said to the tyrants, "My flesh is now well done, you may taste of it." And when he had said this, and had prayed for his slayers in imitation of Christ, he gave up his spirit on August 10, 258." (Great Horologion). His icon shows him stretched on the grill.

"This Saint, who was born in Spain, was the Archdeacon of the Church of Rome, caring for the sacred vessels of the Church and distributing money to the needy. About the year 257, a harsh persecution was raised up against the Christians by Valerian. Pope Sixtus, who was from Athens, was commanded to worship the idols, and refused; before his martyrdom by beheading, he committed to Laurence all the sacred vessels of the Church. When Laurence was arrested and brought before the Prefect, he was questioned concerning the treasures of the Church; he asked for three days' time to prepare them. He then proceeded to gather all the poor and needy, and presented them to the Prefect and said, "Behold the treasures of the Church." The Prefect became enraged at this and gave command that Laurence be racked, then scourged with scorpions (a whip furnished with sharp iron points — compare II Chron. 10:11), then stretched out on a red-hot iron grill. But the courageous athlete of Christ endured without groaning. After he had been burned on one side, he said, "My body is done on one side; turn me over on the other." And when this had taken place, the Martyr said to the tyrants, "My flesh is now well done, you may taste of it." And when he had said this, and had prayed for his slayers in imitation of Christ, he gave up his spirit on August 10, 258." (Great Horologion). His icon shows him stretched on the grill.

I. Core Concepts of God's Nature God as "Abba Father": Meaning of "Abba": A Hebrew word meaning "daddy," signifying an intimate and close relationship. Biblical Basis: Romans 8:14-16 and Galatians. Implications for Relationship: God does not withhold good things or do evil against His children. It implies full adoption rights, including the same inheritance as Jesus (co-heirs with Christ). Contrast with Human Perspective: The concept challenges traditional views of God as distant or formal. God is Love (Agape): Definition of Agape Love: Unconditional, independent of human actions, unmerited, and undeserved. Biblical Basis: 1 John 4:16 ("God is love"), John 3:16 ("For God so loved the world..."). Intensity of God's Love: Emphasized by the word "so" in John 3:16, leading to the ultimate sacrifice of His only begotten Son. "World" in John 3:16: Refers to the people of the world, not just the planet. Eternal Life (Zoe): Defined in John 17 as knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ. It is a person, not just a concept or a place. God's Love in the Old Testament vs. New Testament: Old Testament Context: Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5): "O Israel, the Lord our God is one." The word "one" (echad) is a "uni-plural" word, implying a unified plurality (like "group" or "herd"), which the Jewish people often misunderstood as a strict singular, creating an obstacle to seeing Jesus as Son of God. Greatest Commandment: Love the Lord with all heart, soul, and strength. No one could perfectly keep this, highlighting the need for a Savior. Purpose of the Law: To make people conscious of sin and point them to a Savior (Romans 3:20, Law as a schoolmaster). Perception of God: Portrayed with anger and wrath (e.g., Flood, Sodom & Gomorrah, deaths under the Law). New Testament Context: New Commandment (John 13): Love one another as Jesus loved us (demonstrated through servant leadership like foot-washing). This supersedes the Old Testament law. Love as an Action Word: Not merely a feeling, but something demonstrated and done (e.g., Timothy caring for others in Philippians 2:20-21). Impact of Love: Fulfills the law (Romans 13:8), covers/obliterates a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8), and drives out fear (1 John 4:18). The Finished Work of Christ: Jesus absorbed all God's wrath and judgment on the cross (John 12, Isaiah 53-54). God promises never to be angry with His people again (Isaiah 54). God's Provision: Everything needed for life and godliness is already provided (2 Peter 1). Faith receives what God has already provided, it doesn't move God. God's Nature in the New Covenant: God does not cause sickness, disease, or natural disasters; these are not "acts of God" in the sense of divine judgment against His children. He is for us, not against us (Romans 8). II. The Power and Practicality of God's Love Love Fulfills the Law and Covers Sin: Romans 13:8: Love fulfills the law, meaning there is no law against one who lives in love. 1 Peter 4:8: Love covers/obliterates a multitude of sins – God "remembers your sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12). God's Perception of Believers: Sees them as perfect, complete, lacking nothing through Christ. Love Drives Out Fear: 1 John 4:18: "Perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment." Receiving God's Perfect Love: As we receive His love, fear and anxiety are dispelled. Overcoming Fear: Through active participation (singing songs of deliverance, asking in faith). Perspective on Demons: They are powerless "maggots" that can deceive but not defeat. Our Identity and Acceptance in Christ: Accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6): The Greek word "charito" (highly favored/blessed) is applied to believers, just as it was to Mary. We are "the Beloved." Ephesians' Emphasis: Shows our identity, how we are blessed, forgiven, redeemed, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and seated with Christ in heavenly places. Knowing God's Love: It surpasses knowledge; it's an experience in the heart, not just a mental concept. Love Compels Our Actions: 2 Corinthians 5: The love of Christ compels us; our lives are no longer our own. Motives for Action: Not for personal gain, financial benefit, or praise of men, but out of care for others (like Timothy). Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15): A profound picture of the Father's unconditional love, compassion, eagerness to forgive, and restoration. The father ran, embraced (epipto – a bear hug), kissed (continuously), restored (ring, robe, sandals), and celebrated. He would not let the son even finish his repentant speech. Love is Preeminent: 1 John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us." God initiated the relationship. God's Foreknowledge and Orchestration: God knows who will choose Him and orchestrates their lives from the womb (Psalm 139). Goal: Discipleship: God's goal is to make disciples who can operate in His love and bless others (like the good ground in the parable of the sower). Remembering God's Interventions: Keep a "book of remembrance" of how God has supernaturally intersected your life. The Greatest of These is Love: While faith and hope are important, love is eternal and central to God's defining characteristic. How Love is Expressed (Fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22-23): Joy in the Lord, Peace, Longsuffering (Patience), Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control. Gentleness: A gentle answer turns away wrath. Self-Control: Speaking life, controlling appetites. Love Surpasses Understanding: Ephesians 3: God's love has immeasurable width, length, depth, and height, surpassing all knowledge. It is infinite in all directions, as is His forgiveness. Being Filled with the Fullness of God: Living out of our spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit within us to flow out in supernatural ways (healing, deliverance). Our Perfection in Christ: Our spirit is perfected the moment we are born again; sin cannot penetrate it (Hebrews 10:14, 1 John 3:9). This perfection is our witness to the world. God as Our Daddy: 1 John 3:1: "Behold what manner of love the Father (Abba) has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God." Receiving His Love: It is a gift to be received. II. Quiz What is the significance of the word "Abba" in understanding our relationship with God, and where in Scripture is it primarily found? Explain the concept of "agape" love as described in the source material. How does it differ from a conditional or earned love? How does the speaker differentiate the meaning of the word "world" in John 3:16, and what does he say eternal life (Zoe) truly means according to John 17? According to the source, what was the primary obstacle for Jewish people in the Old Testament to recognizing Jesus as the Son of God, related to their understanding of the Shema? What was the ultimate purpose of the Old Testament Law, and how did it demonstrate humanity's need for a Savior? Describe how Jesus's "new commandment" in John 13 supersedes the Old Testament law, and what specific action did Jesus perform to demonstrate this new commandment? How does the "finished work of Christ" change the perception of God's wrath and anger, particularly in relation to natural disasters? Explain the concept of "faith" as receiving what God has already provided. How does this differ from the idea of "moving God" through prayer or other actions? According to the source, how does God perceive believers after they accept Christ, and what happens to their past sins? Describe at least three actions of the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son that illustrate God's unconditional love and forgiveness. III. Quiz Answer Key "Abba" is a Hebrew word meaning "daddy," signifying an intimate and close relationship with God. It is primarily found in Romans 8:14-16 and Galatians, emphasizing that we have received a spirit of adoption, allowing us to cry out "Abba, Father." "Agape" love is described as unconditional, independent of human actions, unmerited, and undeserved favor of God. It means that we don't have to do anything to receive it; it is freely given once we become His child. The speaker states that the word "world" in John 3:16 refers to the people of the world, not just the planet. Eternal life (Zoe) is defined in John 17 as a person: knowing God the Father and Jesus whom He sent. The primary obstacle was their misunderstanding of the Hebrew word "echad" (one) in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4). While a singular word, it has a plural meaning (like "group" or "herd"), but they interpreted it as strictly singular, preventing them from seeing Jesus as the Son of God. The Old Testament Law's purpose was to make people conscious of their sin (Romans 3:20) and to point them to a Savior. Its impossible standards, such as being perfect as God is perfect, demonstrated that no one could keep it, highlighting the universal need for a redeemer. Jesus's "new commandment" in John 13, "love one another as I have loved you," supersedes the Old Testament law, including the Ten Commandments. He demonstrated this by washing His disciples' feet, showing what it meant to be a servant and to love others through action. The "finished work of Christ" means that Jesus absorbed all God's wrath, anger, and judgment on the cross once and for all time. Therefore, God is no longer angry with His people and does not cause sickness, disease, or natural disasters as a form of judgment. Faith, in this context, is described as simply receiving what God has already provided for us through the finished work of Christ. It differs from "moving God" because God has already moved and provided everything; faith is our act of reaching out and taking hold of what is already available. God perceives believers as perfect, complete, and lacking nothing, through Christ. Their past sins are not remembered by God; they are "covered by the blood of Christ" and "obliterated," as if God has no recollection of them. Three actions of the father in the Prodigal Son parable illustrating God's love are: (1) He saw his son "still a great way off" and had compassion, running to meet him; (2) He "fell on his neck" (gave him a bear hug) and began continuously kissing him, not allowing him to complete his repentant speech; and (3) He immediately restored his son with a ring, cloak, and sandals, and celebrated his return, refusing to treat him as a servant. IV. Essay Format Questions Discuss the speaker's emphasis on God's love being "multifaceted" and "like a mosaic." How does this perspective challenge a "one-dimensional" understanding of God, and what are the practical implications for believers? Compare and contrast the Old Testament and New Testament portrayals of God, focusing specifically on the concept of God's wrath and judgment versus His unconditional love. How does the "finished work of Christ" serve as the turning point in this theological understanding? Analyze the role of "love as an action word" in the Christian life, drawing on examples from the source material such as Timothy's character and Jesus's "new commandment." How does this active love relate to fulfilling the law and addressing sin and fear? The speaker states that God's love "surpasses knowledge" and is an experience of the heart. Explain what this means in terms of intellectual understanding versus spiritual reception. How does this concept connect with the idea of being "accepted in the beloved" and filled with the "fullness of God"? Examine the speaker's discussion on the nature of faith as "receiving what God has already provided." How does this understanding impact a believer's approach to prayer, healing, and general reliance on God, and what common misconceptions about God's responsiveness does it challenge? V. Glossary of Key Terms Abba: A Hebrew word meaning "daddy" or "father," used to denote an intimate, affectionate, and close relationship with God. Agape: A Greek word for unconditional, selfless, and benevolent love, often used to describe God's love for humanity. Charito (Accepted in the Beloved): A Greek word meaning "highly favored" or "blessed," used in Ephesians 1:6 to describe believers' status in Christ and also used by Gabriel to Mary. Discipleship: The process of becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, mimicking His character and putting faith into action, going beyond simply being a "believer." Echad: A Hebrew word for "one," which in the context of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) implies a "uni-plural" unity (like a group or herd), rather than a strict singular, which the speaker argues was misunderstood by some Jewish people. Epipto: A Greek word meaning "fell on" or "embraced," used in the parable of the Prodigal Son to describe the father's bear hug and in Acts to describe the Holy Spirit "falling upon" believers. Finished Work of Christ: Refers to the complete and perfect salvation achieved by Jesus Christ's death and resurrection on the cross, through which all of God's wrath and judgment for sin were absorbed. Law (Old Testament): The Mosaic Law given to Israel, which, according to the speaker, served to make people conscious of sin and point them to a Savior, rather than being a means of salvation itself. New Commandment: Jesus's command to "love one another as I have loved you" (John 13), presented as superseding and fulfilling the Old Testament Law. Perfect Love: Refers to God's flawless and complete love, which, when received by believers, has the power to drive out all fear. Portrait of God: The speaker's method of presenting God's multifaceted nature, similar to assembling pieces of a mosaic, to provide a comprehensive understanding beyond simple definitions. Prodigal Son: A parable from Luke 15 used by the speaker to illustrate the Father's unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, and restoration towards those who return to Him. Royal Law of Love: A New Testament principle emphasizing love as the guiding law for believers, fulfilling all other laws. Zoe (Eternal Life): A Greek word for eternal life, which John 17 defines not as a concept or a place, but as a person: knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ.

In this episode of Personally Speaking Msgr. Jim Lisante is joined by Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada. Cardinal Ouellet was Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops. His latest book is titled, “Word, Sacrament, Charism” in which he elevates the often overlooked charismatic dimension of the Church, the Holy Spirit and the gifts He imparts.Support the show

Cardinal Ouellet explains what “synodality” is and what the risks and opportunities are for a synodal Church. Get Your Copy of His Book “Word, Sacrament, Charism” here: https://ignatius.com/word-sacrament-charism-wscp/?searchid=2543554&search_query=ouellet   Among Catholics, there has been a lot of talk about “synodality” and a “synodal Church” over the past few years. Pope Francis even called a synod on synodality. But what is synodality, and why is it important to the Church? Is it even relevant for Catholics in the pews? Does it undermine the Church's mission or past teachings? Today, Cardinal Ouellet joins Mark Brumley to explain what synodality is, why it is important, and what are its inherent risks and opportunities. We are grateful for the opportunity to speak with his Eminence because he was involved in the most recent synod on synodality as well as the four previous synods. He also worked with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis and served as the Prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops for ten years. Therefore, today's episode and his recently released book “Word, Sacrament, Charism: The Risks and Opportunities of a Synodal Church” provide valuable insight into synodality and into the mind of the Church as she chooses to promote greater synodality.   SUBSCRIBE to our channel and never miss an episode of the Ignatius Press Podcast. You can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Follow us on social media: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPress Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ignatiuspress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ignatius_press/

12 core reasons why you can trust that the Bible is God'sWord to us. Do you know these 12? Memorize these because you can use them toshare the gospel with unbelievers and doubters. Reason #8 of 12.Here are bullet points on why it's powerful that there are over 20,000 archaeological discoveries supporting the Bible:Confirms historical accuracy: Archaeology verifies names, places, and events recorded in Scripture.Silences critics: Many who claimed the Bible was myth have been proven wrong by these finds.Validates real people and places: From ancient kings to everyday towns, archaeology supports their existence as described in the Bible.Supports eyewitness reliability: Shows that biblical authors were recording real history, not legends.Strengthens trust: Physical evidence backs up what the Bible has said all along, reinforcing its truth and reliability.Here are two powerful archaeological examples that silenced skeptics:The HittitesSkeptics once claimed the Hittites mentioned in the Old Testament were fictional, because there was no evidence they ever existed.In the early 1900s, archaeologists uncovered Hittite capital cities and thousands of Hittite records in modern-day Turkey, fully confirming their existence and advanced civilization — exactly as the Bible described.Pontius Pilate inscriptionSome scholars doubted whether Pontius Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to death, was a real historical figure.In 1961, archaeologists found a stone in Caesarea Maritima with an inscription naming Pontius Pilate as “Prefect of Judea,” confirming his historical existence just as recorded in the Gospels.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/miccheckwaifuwaifu   Episodes of the week: To Be Hero X, Evil Lord of a Galactic Empire   Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai   Old Country Bumpkin   Lazarus/Once Upon a Witches Death   The Brilliant Healers New Life in the Shadows   Unaware Atelier Meister   Can this boy-girl relationship survive   WindBreakers Season 2   Shoshimin Season 2   Get to Know MCWW? Favorite anime director?   Review of The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiance and Sold to Another Kingdom https://anilist.co/anime/183275/The-TooPerfect-Saint-Tossed-Aside-by-My-Fianc-and-Sold-to-Another-Kingdom/   Animation: Polow - 7 Telliano: 7.5 Sound Design: Polow - 8 Telliano - 8 Pacing: Polow - 9.5 Telliano - 8.5 Plot: Polow - 9.5 Telliano - 10 Characters: Polow - 9.5 Telliano - 9.5   Too-Perfect Saint Spoilers  

Overnight a story emerged from Rome from credible sources: That Pope Leo XIV had kept Fernandez on as Prefect for the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith. Then the story got very strange.Sources:https://www.returntotradition.orgSponsored by Pray Latinhttps://praylatin.comContact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+

Overnight a story emerged from Rome from credible sources: That Pope Leo XIV had kept Fernandez on as Prefect for the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith. Then the story got very strange.Sources:https://www.returntotradition.orgSponsored by Pray Latinhttps://praylatin.comContact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+

Still waiting for your prefect badge like it’s a refund? Same. You dressed the part, smiled at teachers, even helped carry chairs — and they still picked someone who once got detention for chewing gum. Here’s the plot twist: leadership doesn’t come with a badge. Sometimes, it comes with petty rage and unmatched emotional growth. No badge? No problem. You’re still running things — just without the tie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Lost Roman Heroes for Part 2 of our Honorable Mentions series, and meet some of the most remarkable Romans you never heard of: Pope Leo I (stood up to Attila), Anthemius the Prefect (built the Theodosian Walls), Constantine III (Britannia's last hope), Flavius Constantius (one of the West's last magister militums), and our favorite, Marcellinus (THE LAST JEDI)!  

A Spirit of Mercy by Rev. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem. ('94) Prefect of Studies, St. Michael's Abbey Baccalaureate Mass of the Holy Spirit Commencement 2025 Thomas Aquinas College, California

It was an election that seems to have been faster than that of his predecessor, or at least as fast, since Francis had been elected in the sixth round on the second day. It once again took two days and five or six votes to elect the 267th Pope in history, and the first American Pope. At 6:08 p.m., white smoke rose above the roof of the Sistine Chapel, announcing to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square that the Church had a new Pope. But it wasn't until 7:12 p.m. that Cardinal Dominique Mamberti appeared on the Loggia and proclaimed the expected formula: "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam" (I announce to you a great joy, we have a (new) pope), Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV. The new Roman Pontiff then stepped forward to pronounce his first Urbi et Orbi blessing. He began with a short speech in which he expressed his desire to promote a synodal Church. Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, he is 69 years old and an American citizen. He entered the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and made his perpetual profession in 1981. He was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982. He served as Prior General of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013. He was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014, a position he would hold until 2023. Since January 30, 2023, he has been Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. On September 30, 2023, he was created Cardinal Deacon of Santa Monica, before being elevated to the title of Cardinal Bishop of Albano on February 6, 2025. The question that arises, for those who wish to move beyond the emotion of the moment, is, "What will be the future of the Church in the Pontificate that is just beginning?" In 2013, only a small number of clergymen and Vaticanists who knew Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina expressed any serious apprehension about his election. Thanks to the website "Cardinium Collegii recensio," it is possible to find out what each cardinal has said or written on sensitive issues such as the ordination of women to the diaconate, the blessing of same-sex couples, the option of priestly celibacy, the restriction of the traditional Mass, the agreement between China and the Vatican, and the promotion of a synodal Church. Regarding the new Pope, he declared that "the clericalization of women" would not solve the problems of the Catholic Church. He insisted, stating that "the apostolic tradition is something that has been very clearly stated, especially when we are talking about the issue of the ordination of women to the priesthood." However, he pointed out that Pope Francis recently appointed Sister Simona Brambilla Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. He commented: "I think it will continue to be recognized that women can contribute a great deal to the life of the Church at various levels." Regarding the blessing of same-sex couples, he presented somewhat ambiguous formulations. However, he appears to be a fervent supporter of the synodal Church. As reported above, he expressed his support for this idea from the loggia. The speed of the election suggests that it was a compromise election. There were so many divisions among the cardinals who entered the conclave that it may have been necessary to consider promoting a compromise cardinal. On the other hand, the choice of Leo XIV as a name may reflect a desire to move beyond the period that began with John XXIII. But ultimately, more about this new Pope will be discovered when he is at work, beginning with the appointments to head the various Roman dicasteries. Let us pray for the new Sovereign...

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He was born in Rome to a wealthy senatorial family. He received a good education in secular and spiritual learning, and became Prefect of Rome. While still in the world, he used his great wealth mostly for the good of the Church, building six monasteries in Sicily and another in Rome itself. At this monastery, dedicated to the Apostle Andrew, Gregory was tonsured a monk. He was appointed Archdeacon of Rome, then, in 579, Papal legate to Constantinople, where he lived for nearly seven years. He returned to Rome in 585 and was elected Pope in 590.   He is famed for his many writings, his generous charity (he gave almost all his income to the poor, and often invited the poor to share his table), and for initiating missionary work among the Anglo-Saxon peoples. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, celebrated on Wednesday and Friday evenings during Great Lent, was compiled by him. St Gregory introduced elements of the chanting that he had heard in Constantinople into Western Church chant: The Gregorian Chant which beautified the Western churches for many years is named for him. Its system of modes is related to the eight tones of the Eastern church. He is called 'the Dialogist' after his book The Dialogues, an account of the lives and miracles of Italian saints.   Saint Gregory reposed in peace in 604.

He was born in Rome to a wealthy senatorial family. He received a good education in secular and spiritual learning, and became Prefect of Rome. While still in the world, he used his great wealth mostly for the good of the Church, building six monasteries in Sicily and another in Rome itself. At this monastery, dedicated to the Apostle Andrew, Gregory was tonsured a monk. He was appointed Archdeacon of Rome, then, in 579, Papal legate to Constantinople, where he lived for nearly seven years. He returned to Rome in 585 and was elected Pope in 590.   He is famed for his many writings, his generous charity (he gave almost all his income to the poor, and often invited the poor to share his table), and for initiating missionary work among the Anglo-Saxon peoples. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, celebrated on Wednesday and Friday evenings during Great Lent, was compiled by him. St Gregory introduced elements of the chanting that he had heard in Constantinople into Western Church chant: The Gregorian Chant which beautified the Western churches for many years is named for him. Its system of modes is related to the eight tones of the Eastern church. He is called 'the Dialogist' after his book The Dialogues, an account of the lives and miracles of Italian saints.   Saint Gregory reposed in peace in 604.

In this podcast episode, we talked with Adrian Brudaru about ​the past, present and future of data engineering.About the speaker:Adrian Brudaru studied economics in Romania but soon got bored with how creative the industry was, and chose to go instead for the more factual side. He ended up in Berlin at the age of 25 and started a role as a business analyst. At the age of 30, he had enough of startups and decided to join a corporation, but quickly found out that it did not provide the challenge he wanted.As going back to startups was not a desirable option either, he decided to postpone his decision by taking freelance work and has never looked back since. Five years later, he co-founded a company in the data space to try new things. This company is also looking to release open source tools to help democratize data engineering.0:00 Introduction to DataTalks.Club1:05 Discussing trends in data engineering with Adrian2:03 Adrian's background and journey into data engineering5:04 Growth and updates on Adrian's company, DLT Hub9:05 Challenges and specialization in data engineering today13:00 Opportunities for data engineers entering the field15:00 The "Modern Data Stack" and its evolution17:25 Emerging trends: AI integration and Iceberg technology27:40 DuckDB and the emergence of portable, cost-effective data stacks32:14 The rise and impact of dbt in data engineering34:08 Alternatives to dbt: SQLMesh and others35:25 Workflow orchestration tools: Airflow, Dagster, Prefect, and GitHub Actions37:20 Audience questions: Career focus in data roles and AI engineering overlaps39:00 The role of semantics in data and AI workflows41:11 Focusing on learning concepts over tools when entering the field 45:15 Transitioning from backend to data engineering: challenges and opportunities 47:48 Current state of the data engineering job market in Europe and beyond 49:05 Introduction to Apache Iceberg, Delta, and Hudi file formats 50:40 Suitability of these formats for batch and streaming workloads 52:29 Tools for streaming: Kafka, SQS, and related trends 58:07 Building AI agents and enabling intelligent data applications 59:09Closing discussion on the place of tools like DBT in the ecosystem

He was born sometime in the mid-fourth century on an island in the Aegean. For a time he lived successfully in the world, receiving a good education in Constantinople, then serving for a time for the Prefect of the Praetorium. But, becoming aware of the vanity of worldly things, he answered Christ's call, gave away all his goods to the poor and entered a monastery in Syria. After four years in obedience, he came to feel that the security of monastic life was inconsistent with the Gospel command to take no thought for the morrow; so he withdrew to the desert, taking with him only his garment and the Book of the Gospel. There he lived alone for seven years.   At the end of this period he set out on an apostolic mission to Mesopotamia, where he brought many to Christ: the city prefect Rabbula was converted after Alexander brought down fire from heaven, and a band of brigands who accosted the Saint on the road were transformed into a monastic community. He finally fled the city when the Christians there rose up demanding that he be made bishop. He once again took up a solitary life in the desert beyond the Euphrates, spending the day in prayer and part of the night sheltered in a barrel. There he remained for forty years. His holiness gradually attracted more than four hundred disciples, whom Alexander organized into a monastic community. Each disciple owned only one tunic, and was required to give away anything that they did not need for that day. Despite this threadbare life, the monastery was able to set up and run a hospice for the poor!   Alexander was perplexed as to how the admonition Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) could be fulfilled by frail human flesh, but after three years of fasting and prayer, God showed him a method. He organized his monks into four groups according to whether their native language was Greek, Latin, Syriac or Coptic, and the groups prayed in shifts throughout the day and night. Twenty-four divine services were appointed each day, and the monks would chant from the Psalter between services. The community henceforth came to be known as the Akoimetoi, the Unsleeping Ones. (Similar communities later sprang up in the West, practicing what was there called Laus Perennis; St Columban founded many of these.)   Always desiring to spread the holy Gospel, Saint Alexander sent companies of missionaries to the pagans of southern Egypt. He and a company of 150 disciples set out as a kind of traveling monastery, living entirely on the charity of the villages they visited. Eventually they settled in some abandoned baths in Antioch, setting up a there a monastery dedicated to the unceasing praise of God; but a jealous bishop drove them from the city. Making his way to Constantinople, he settled there with four monks. In a few days, more than four hundred monks had left their monasteries to join his community. The Saint organized them into three companies — Greeks, Latins and Syrians — and restored the program of unsleeping prayer that his community had practiced in Mesopotamia. Not surprisingly, his success aroused the envy and anger of the abbots whose monasteries had been nearly emptied; they managed to have him condemned as a Messalian at a council held in 426. (The Messalians were an over-spiritualizing sect who believed that the Christian life consisted exclusively of prayer.) Alexander was sent back to Syria, and most of his monks were imprisoned; but as soon as they were released, most fled the city to join him again. The Saint spent his last years traveling from place to place, founding monasteries, often persecuted, until he reposed in 430, 'to join the Angelic choirs which he had so well imitated on earth.' (Synaxarion)   The practice of unceasing praise, established by St Alexander, spread throughout the Empire. The Monastery of the Akoimetoi, founded by a St Marcellus, a successor of Alexander, was established in Constantinople and became a beacon to the Christian world. 'Even though it has not been retained in today's practice, the unceasing praise established by Saint Alexander was influential in the formation of the daily cycle of liturgical offices in the East and even more so in the West.' (Synaxarion)

He was born sometime in the mid-fourth century on an island in the Aegean. For a time he lived successfully in the world, receiving a good education in Constantinople, then serving for a time for the Prefect of the Praetorium. But, becoming aware of the vanity of worldly things, he answered Christ's call, gave away all his goods to the poor and entered a monastery in Syria. After four years in obedience, he came to feel that the security of monastic life was inconsistent with the Gospel command to take no thought for the morrow; so he withdrew to the desert, taking with him only his garment and the Book of the Gospel. There he lived alone for seven years.   At the end of this period he set out on an apostolic mission to Mesopotamia, where he brought many to Christ: the city prefect Rabbula was converted after Alexander brought down fire from heaven, and a band of brigands who accosted the Saint on the road were transformed into a monastic community. He finally fled the city when the Christians there rose up demanding that he be made bishop. He once again took up a solitary life in the desert beyond the Euphrates, spending the day in prayer and part of the night sheltered in a barrel. There he remained for forty years. His holiness gradually attracted more than four hundred disciples, whom Alexander organized into a monastic community. Each disciple owned only one tunic, and was required to give away anything that they did not need for that day. Despite this threadbare life, the monastery was able to set up and run a hospice for the poor!   Alexander was perplexed as to how the admonition Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) could be fulfilled by frail human flesh, but after three years of fasting and prayer, God showed him a method. He organized his monks into four groups according to whether their native language was Greek, Latin, Syriac or Coptic, and the groups prayed in shifts throughout the day and night. Twenty-four divine services were appointed each day, and the monks would chant from the Psalter between services. The community henceforth came to be known as the Akoimetoi, the Unsleeping Ones. (Similar communities later sprang up in the West, practicing what was there called Laus Perennis; St Columban founded many of these.)   Always desiring to spread the holy Gospel, Saint Alexander sent companies of missionaries to the pagans of southern Egypt. He and a company of 150 disciples set out as a kind of traveling monastery, living entirely on the charity of the villages they visited. Eventually they settled in some abandoned baths in Antioch, setting up a there a monastery dedicated to the unceasing praise of God; but a jealous bishop drove them from the city. Making his way to Constantinople, he settled there with four monks. In a few days, more than four hundred monks had left their monasteries to join his community. The Saint organized them into three companies — Greeks, Latins and Syrians — and restored the program of unsleeping prayer that his community had practiced in Mesopotamia. Not surprisingly, his success aroused the envy and anger of the abbots whose monasteries had been nearly emptied; they managed to have him condemned as a Messalian at a council held in 426. (The Messalians were an over-spiritualizing sect who believed that the Christian life consisted exclusively of prayer.) Alexander was sent back to Syria, and most of his monks were imprisoned; but as soon as they were released, most fled the city to join him again. The Saint spent his last years traveling from place to place, founding monasteries, often persecuted, until he reposed in 430, 'to join the Angelic choirs which he had so well imitated on earth.' (Synaxarion)   The practice of unceasing praise, established by St Alexander, spread throughout the Empire. The Monastery of the Akoimetoi, founded by a St Marcellus, a successor of Alexander, was established in Constantinople and became a beacon to the Christian world. 'Even though it has not been retained in today's practice, the unceasing praise established by Saint Alexander was influential in the formation of the daily cycle of liturgical offices in the East and even more so in the West.' (Synaxarion)

LA's playoff push starts with a hometown stumble. With the game on the line - should it be Lebron.. or Luka? PLUS to Q-B... or NOT Q-B... That's the question facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, AGAI! Is Aaron Rodgers the answer to Mike Tomlin's prayers? After Team USA's Statement win, the north remembers. Can lightning Strike twice for American Hockey's golden generation. All that and More as we Get Up with you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ask Me Anything and takeaways of the day featuring Andy, Randy, Beau, and Abe.

The Greek Tyron means "conscript." This holy Martyr of Christ came from Pontus and was a Roman legionary during Maximian's persecution (~303). Though he had been a Christian since childhood, he kept his faith secret while in the army. While his cohort was stationed near a town called Euchaita, he learned that the people there were being terrorized by a dragon which lived in the neighboring forest. He set off to face the dragon, praying to God that the outcome of the contest would be a sign to him of whether the time had come to offer himself for martyrdom. He found the fire-spitting monster and, arming himself with the sign of the Cross, drove his spear through its head and killed it.   His success convinced him that, having vanquished this fleshly dragon, he was ready to vanquish the spiritual dragon, the Devil. When the commander of his camp next ordered a sacrifice to the Gods, Theodore boldly refused, saying "I am a Christian!" Further, he encouraged the other Christians in his company to do the same. That night he went to a nearby pagan temple of Rhea, mother of the gods, and burned it down. He was seen by the caretaker of the temple and was brought unresisting to the governor Publius. Theodore was thrown into a solitary dungeon cell; there he refused bread and water, saying that Christ had promised him food from heaven. He spent his time there chanting hymns with the angels, so that the guards were convinced that other Christians had somehow joined him in his cell.   When all argument, cajolery, bribery and threat had failed to turn the soldier from Christ, the governor resorted to torture, subjecting the Saint to terrible mutilations; but when Theodore endured them calmly and resolutely, the governor began to fear that his example would encourage other Christians, and ordered that he be burned. Taken to the stake, the Martyr walked freely into the flames, where he gave back his soul to God. When his body was ransomed and taken from the ashes by a pious Christian, it was found to be untouched. A church was built in Euchaita in honor of the Martyr; many pilgrims came there for the healing of soul and body.   In 361, the Emperor Julian the Apostate ordered the Prefect of Constantinople to have all foods in the marketplaces sprinkled with blood of animals sacrificed to the pagan gods during the first week of Lent, so that Christians would be unable to escape contact with idolatry. But St Theodore appeared in a vision to Patriarch Eudoxius (360-364), warned him of the plan and told him to instruct his flock not to buy any food in the marketplace, but to eat kolyva made from boiled wheat grains. So, through the Saint's intervention, the people were preserved from the stain of idolatry. Ever since, the Church has commemorated the miracle on the first Saturday of Great Lent. Since that time kolyva has come to be offered also in honor of the Saints and in memory of the departed. The whole grain represents the body, sown corruptible, which will be raised incorruptible (2 Cor. 15:37); it is usually sweetened with honey to signify the delights of Paradise.

The Greek Tyron means "conscript." This holy Martyr of Christ came from Pontus and was a Roman legionary during Maximian's persecution (~303). Though he had been a Christian since childhood, he kept his faith secret while in the army. While his cohort was stationed near a town called Euchaita, he learned that the people there were being terrorized by a dragon which lived in the neighboring forest. He set off to face the dragon, praying to God that the outcome of the contest would be a sign to him of whether the time had come to offer himself for martyrdom. He found the fire-spitting monster and, arming himself with the sign of the Cross, drove his spear through its head and killed it.   His success convinced him that, having vanquished this fleshly dragon, he was ready to vanquish the spiritual dragon, the Devil. When the commander of his camp next ordered a sacrifice to the Gods, Theodore boldly refused, saying "I am a Christian!" Further, he encouraged the other Christians in his company to do the same. That night he went to a nearby pagan temple of Rhea, mother of the gods, and burned it down. He was seen by the caretaker of the temple and was brought unresisting to the governor Publius. Theodore was thrown into a solitary dungeon cell; there he refused bread and water, saying that Christ had promised him food from heaven. He spent his time there chanting hymns with the angels, so that the guards were convinced that other Christians had somehow joined him in his cell.   When all argument, cajolery, bribery and threat had failed to turn the soldier from Christ, the governor resorted to torture, subjecting the Saint to terrible mutilations; but when Theodore endured them calmly and resolutely, the governor began to fear that his example would encourage other Christians, and ordered that he be burned. Taken to the stake, the Martyr walked freely into the flames, where he gave back his soul to God. When his body was ransomed and taken from the ashes by a pious Christian, it was found to be untouched. A church was built in Euchaita in honor of the Martyr; many pilgrims came there for the healing of soul and body.   In 361, the Emperor Julian the Apostate ordered the Prefect of Constantinople to have all foods in the marketplaces sprinkled with blood of animals sacrificed to the pagan gods during the first week of Lent, so that Christians would be unable to escape contact with idolatry. But St Theodore appeared in a vision to Patriarch Eudoxius (360-364), warned him of the plan and told him to instruct his flock not to buy any food in the marketplace, but to eat kolyva made from boiled wheat grains. So, through the Saint's intervention, the people were preserved from the stain of idolatry. Ever since, the Church has commemorated the miracle on the first Saturday of Great Lent. Since that time kolyva has come to be offered also in honor of the Saints and in memory of the departed. The whole grain represents the body, sown corruptible, which will be raised incorruptible (2 Cor. 15:37); it is usually sweetened with honey to signify the delights of Paradise.

Meet Stilicho, the half Vandal, half Roman soldier who joins Emperor Theodosius' bodyguard in his late teens, catches the eye of the emperor's niece, marries into the imperial family, and rises to the highest military ranks in the Empire!  A devoutly loyal and honest man, Stilicho makes a plethora of enemies along the way, but never loses sight of his loyalties, to Emperor and nation.  Amongst those enemies are Rufinus the Prefect, Eutropius the Eunuch, and a young Goth warlord who would be king someday, Alaric.  This is the origin story of two of the most consequential, and mysterious men in the final chapters of the West.

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"This Martyr was the daughter of most distinguished and noble parents named Philip and Claudia. Philip, a Prefect of Rome, moved to Alexandria with his family. In Alexandria, Eugenia had the occasion to learn the Christian Faith, in particular when she encountered the Epistles of Saint Paul, the reading of which filled her with compunction and showed her clearly the vanity of the world. Secretly taking two of her servants, Protas and Hyacinth, she departed from Alexandria by night. Disguised as a man, she called herself Eugene [Eugenios -ed.] while pretending to be a eunuch, and departed with her servants and took up the monastic life in a monastery of men. Her parents mourned for her, but could not find her. After Saint Eugenia had laboured for some time in the monastic life, a certain woman named Melanthia, thinking Eugene to be a monk, conceived lust and constrained Eugenia to comply with her desire; when Eugenia refused, Melanthia slandered Eugenia to the Prefect as having done insult to her honour. Eugenia was brought before the Prefect, her own father Philip, and revealed to him both that she was innocent of the accusations, and that she was his own daughter. Through this, Philip became a Christian; he was afterwards beheaded at Alexandria. Eugenia was taken back to Rome with Protas and Hyacinth. All three of them ended their life in martyrdom in the years of Commodus, who reigned from 180 to 192." (Great Horologion)

Harry has been cleared of all charges! Ron and Hermione have been made Prefects! We're throwing a banger of a party at Grimmauld Place! Come join us as we discuss The Woes of Mrs. Weasley, just leave the boggart at home, please! Welcome, Slug Club Member Rex!  It's the holiday season and the MuggleCast Merch Store is open for all your gifting needs! Grab brand-new, original MuggleCast designs. We have t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, hats, and more! And don't forget, you can now gift a Patreon subscription! Mark your calendars! A special holiday edition of Quizzitch Live is headed your way Sunday, December 15 at 12 PM ET. Stay tuned for more details! We discuss some exciting Harry Potter TV Show news: Papa Essiedou is rumoured as the favorite for Snape, while we get confirmation that filming is set for Summer 2025. David Holmes, the stuntman for Daniel Radcliffe, who was injured on the set of Deathly Hallows: Part 1 has released a new book called The Boy Who Lived. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 9: The Woes of Mrs. Weasley. Our Time Turner segment has us spinning some old recordings from past discussions! Be sure to check out Episode 443 and Episode 241 for prior Chapter 9 analysis! Why was Dumbledore in such a rush to exit the trial chamber? And why didn't he bother to give Arthur the good news about Harry? What was Lucius Malfoy doing down on Level 9? How does he know enough about Harry's situation to call him "Patronus Potter"? We analyze his level of (financial) influence over Ministry officials. What does it say about Fudge that despite being surrounded by Death Eaters, Dumbledore believes he's acting of his own free will? Arthur explains Muggle Baiting to Harry. Do Fred and George's actions from last summer with ton-tongue toffee fall into this category? Why doesn't Sirius seem to be happy for Harry? When is he going to grow up? Are we surprised that everyone was surprised that Ron was made Prefect? Who would have made a better choice? Neville? Dean? Seamus? What are the pros and cons if Dumbledore had made Harry a Prefect? Molly's Greatest Fear and the many lessons it teaches us as readers What would each of our boggarts be (within the context of Grimmauld Place)? Lynx Line: Should Dumbledore have made Harry a Prefect instead of Ron? Why or why not? Quizzitch: What fountain gets the most money thrown into it per year, in the real world? Don't forget you can support the show over at Patreon.com/MuggleCast! You'll get great benefits such as Bonus MuggleCast, live streams, yearly stickers, Lynx Line participation, a physical gift, a video message from one of the four of us made just for you, our private Facebook and Discord groups where you can hang out with fellow Potter fans, and so much more! On this week's Bonus MuggleCast, we debate whether or not the Harry Potter Movies are Christmas movies? Visit MuggleCast.com for episode transcripts, social media links, our full episode archive, our favorite episodes, and to contact us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices