POPULARITY
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: By Pufui Pc Pifpef I - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31309211 via Wikipedia LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_burke_rl.html Raymond Leo BURKE on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2010.htm#Burke Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/2334 Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bburke.html Apostolic Signatura on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d13.htm Apostolic Signatura on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dbgch.html 2003 Catholic News Agency bio of Archbishop Burke: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/286/pope-appoints-bishop-raymond-burke-as-new-archbishop-of-st-louis Merriam-Webster, “Defender of the Bond”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender%20of%20the%20bond#:~:text=The%20meaning%20of%20DEFENDER%20OF%20THE%20BOND,the%20marriage%20bond%20in%20suits%20for%20annulment Dead Theologians Society: https://deadtheologianssociety.com/about/ Catholic Herald analysis of Cardinal Burke's 2014 reassignment: https://web.archive.org/web/20160701214308/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/11/10/thousands-sign-petition-thanking-cardinal-burke/ 2013 National Catholic Reporter commentary- “I want a mess” -Pope Francis: https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/pope-i-want-mess 2014 CruxNow “Soap Opera” Synod on the Family coverage: https://web.archive.org/web/20141017055135/http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/10/16/synod-is-more-and-more-like-a-soap-opera/ Amoris Laetitia: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia.html 2017 Knights of Malta reshuffle: https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-names-archbishop-becciu-as-personal-delegate-to-order-of-malta/ 2018 National Catholic Register editorial Reflection on Amoris Laetitia controversy https://www.ncregister.com/news/francis-fifth-a-pontificate-of-footnotes 2016 National Catholic Register coverage of the Dubia: https://www.ncregister.com/news/four-cardinals-formally-ask-pope-for-clarity-on-amoris-laetitia Traditionis custodes: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html Cardinal Burke's Statement on Traditionis Custodes: https://www.cardinalburke.com/presentations/traditionis-custodes The 2023 Dubia (w/Pope Francis' responses): https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-10/pope-francis-responds-to-dubia-of-five-cardinals.html National Catholic Reporter coverage of removal of Cardinal Burke's Vatican apartment and salary: https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/pope-francis-remove-cardinal-burkes-vatican-apartment-and-salary-sources-say Anonymous “Cardinal Burke is my enemy” report: https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-calls-cardinal-burke-his-enemy-and-threatens-to-strip-him-of-privileges-reports-claim/ Where Peter Is coverage of Cardinal Burke's 2024 private meeting with Pope Francis https://wherepeteris.com/cardinal-burkes-meeting-withĥhh-pope-francis/ Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold! TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights. Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript. Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes. The youngest of six, Raymond Leo Burke was born on June 30, 1948, in Richland Center, a small town in sparsely populated Richland County, Wisconsin. Not too much later, the family moved north to tiny Stratford, Wisconsin, where he grew up. We've had a *lot*, of midwestern Cardinals, in fact all but one of our 8 American Cardinals so far has been born in the midwest, a percentage I would probably consider shocking if I didn't identify as a midwesterner myself, though technically I'm about as much of a northern southerner as you can get, considering my parents basically moved to Virginia to have their kids and immediately moved back to Ohio once that was accomplished. But enough about me, this is about Raymond Leo Burke, who signed up for Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse in 1962. Later he went to The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where he wound up with a masters in philosophy in 1971. After that he was sent to Rome for his theology studies, getting a second masters, this time from the Gregorian. He was ordained by Pope Paul VI–yes, *before* JPII, crazy I know, in 1975 on June 29th, which longtime listeners will probably clock as the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and more importantly the Popeular History podcasts' official anniversary date. Returning to Wisconsin as a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse, Father Burke served as an associate rector for the cathedral, then as a religion teacher at Aquinas High School in town. Making his way back to Rome, Father Burke returned to the Gregorian to study Canon Law, by 1984 he had a doctorate in the topic with a specialization in jurisprudence. He came back stateside long enough to pick up a couple diocesan roles back in La Crosse, but soon enough he went back to the Gregorian for a third time, this time not as a student but as a teacher, namely as a Visiting professor of Canonical Jurisprudence, a post which he held for nearly a decade from ‘85 to ‘94. He wound up becoming the first American to hold the position of Defender of the Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, as a reminder that's basically the Vatican's Supreme Court. As for what being a Defender of the Bond entails, it's basically the guy in charge of proving the validity of a disputed marriage, typically–I'd imagine--oversomeone's objections, or else, you know, the case wouldn't have wound up in court. In 1994, his white phone rang, and it was Pope John Paul II, calling to make him bishop of his home Diocese of La Crosse. Father Burke was personally consecrated by His Holiness in the Vatican. In ‘97, Bishop Burke became a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, ranking as a Knight Commander with Star automatically by virtue of his being a bishop. The Order traces its origins to the First Crusade, making it one of the oldest chivalric Orders in the world–and it's not the only such order Bishop Burke will get involved in. In 2000, bishop Burke became National Director of the Marian Catechist Apostolate, something which certainly seems near to his heart considering he's still in the role. Well, international director now, as things have grown. In 2002, Bishop Burke invited a fairly new apostolate named the Dead Theologians Society to the diocese, which isn't something I'd normally include, but I wanted to make sure it got a shoutout because it started at my parish. Oriented towards high school and college students, they study the lives of the saints, and Cardinal Burke is a fan, saying: “I am happy to commend the Dead Theologians Society to individual families and to parishes, as a most effective form of Catholic youth ministry.” In 2003, Bishop Burke became Archbishop Burke when he was transferred to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis, where he served until 2008, when he was called up to Rome, to serve as prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, there's that Vatican Supreme Court again, and this time he's running it. And if you're making assumptions based on that appointment, yes, he's absolutely considered one of the foremost experts on canon law worldwide, having published numerous books and articles. In 2010, Pope Benedict raised Archbishop Burke to the rank of Cardinal Deacon and assigned him the deaconry of S. Agata de 'Goti. Naturally he participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, where I am prepared to guess he was in the minority given subsequent events. The next year, so 2014, Cardinal Burke was transferred from his top judicial spot to serve as the patron of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Knights of Malta, a reassignment that was generally interpreted as a demotion, given he was going from his dream job for canon law geek that made him the highest ranking American in the Vatican at the time to a largely ceremonial post that was, well, not that. [All that is nothing against the Knights of Malta, which these days are a solid humanitarian resource and quasi-state trivia machine I'll give their own episode at some point.] The tension between Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis has been fairly clear from the start. They have fundamentally different approaches and styles, and frankly different goals. Cardinal Burke is dedicated to maintaining tradition as the safest route, while Pope Francis has famously called for shaking things up, for example saying: “What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses!” That's Pope Francis, of course. Just before his transfer out of his top spot at the Vatican's court, Cardinal Burke noted that many Catholics, quote: “feel a bit of seasickness, because it seems to them that the ship of the Church has lost its compass.” End quote. To his credit, Cardinal Burke took the move in stride, which matches up well with his general view that authority should be respected and that, as a canonist, the Pope is the ultimate authority. Deference to such authority in the context of the Catholic Church is known as Clericalism, and being pro or anti Clericalism is another point of disagreement between Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis, who said “I want to get rid of clericalism” in the same early interview I mentioned before. Part of what Cardinal Burke was responding to with his “lost compass” quote was the first stages of the Synod on the Family, which veteran Vatican reporter John Allen Jr described as like a “soap opera”, with working notes that were released to the public speaking positively about things like same-sex unions and other relationships the Vatican tends to describe as “irregular”. After the Synod on the Family wrapped up, in 2016 Pope Francis produced a post-synodal apostolic exhortation called Amoris Laetitia, or “The Joy of Love”, which I saw one of my sources described the longest document in the history of the Papacy, a hell of a claim I am not immediately able to refute because it sure *is* a long one, which is primarily known for the controversy of just one of its footnotes, footnote 351. I'm still making *some* effort to make these first round episodes be brief, but it's important to keep things in context, so let's go ahead and look at the sentence the footnote is attached to, which is in paragraph 305, and Then the footnote itself. If you want even more context, the entirety of Amoris Laetitia is, of course, linked in the show notes. Here we go: “Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin – which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living in God's grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church's help to this end.” And yes, that is one sentence. Popes are almost as bad about sentence length as I am. Without the footnote, this probably would have gone relatively unnoticed, the Church accompanying sinners is not a fundamentally revolutionary idea. But the footnote in question gets specific and brings in the Sacraments, which is where things get touchy: “In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments. Hence, “I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord's mercy” I would also point out that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak”. For one thing, just to get this out of the way, some of that is in quotation marks with citations. In a document like this that's pretty normal, showing how your argument is based on precedent and authority. Except in this case the precedent and the authority being cited is literally Pope Francis himself. To be clear, this is a normal Pope thing, I found multiple examples of JPII and Pope Benedict doing the same thing, it just amuses me. Anyways, the idea of people in objectively sinful states receiving communion is hyper-controversial. After all, even as far back as Saint Paul, receiving Communion “unworthily” is an awful thing. Of course, questions have long followed about how anyone can be truly worthy of the Eucharist, with the basic answer there being “with God's help”, but yeah, it's tricky. We can have an educated guess how Cardinal Burke felt about all this, because he and three other Cardinals--it'll be a while before we get to any of the others–anyways Cardinal Burke and three other Cardinals asked Pope Francis some fairly pointed questions about this in a format called a dubia, traditionally a yes/no format where the Holy Father affirms or denies potential implications drawn from one of their teachings to clarify areas of doubt. In this case, there were five questions submitted, with the first and I daresay the most sincerely debated being the question of whether footnote 351 means divorced and subsequently remarried Catholics can receive communion. There's lots of subtext here, but as a reminder this is actually the *short* version of this episode, so pardon the abbreviation. The next four questions are, to put it snarkily, variations on the obviously very sincere question of “does the truth matter anymore?” Pope Francis decided not to answer these dubia, which the Cardinals took as an invitation to make them–and his lack of a response–public. Not as a way of outing him after his refusal to answer gotcha questions with a yes/no, not by any means, but because clearly that's what not getting an answer meant Pope Francis wanted them to do. Now, there's something of an issue here, because we're nearing record word count for Cardinal Numbers, and that's without any real long diversions about the history of Catholicism in Cardinal Burke's area or his interactions with the local secular ruler. It's all been Church stuff. And we're nowhere near the end. The reality is that I'm painfully aware my own discipline is the only thing that keeps me from going longer on these episodes when appropriate, and the major driving force for keeping them short was to keep things manageable. But now that I'm no longer committed to a daily format, “manageable” has very different implications. And even my secondary driver, a general sense of fairness, not making one Cardinal's episode too much longer than the others, well, the other Cardinals in this batch have had longer episodes too, so it's not as much of a lopsided battle for the First Judgment, and it's not like longer automatically means more interesting. In the end, with those inhibitions gone, and a sense that this stuff is important and it would be a shame to skip big chunks of it if Cardinal Burke *doesn't* make it to the next round, I'm going to go ahead and keep walking through this so it gets said, and let it take what time it takes. My best guess is we're about halfway through. That way there's no special pressure to make Cardinal Burke advance just to cover anything I felt was too rushed. Don't worry, there's still plenty being left out. Fair? Fair or not, Let's resume. In 2015, so after his relegation to the Knights of Malta but before Amoris Laetitia and the Dubia, Cardinal Burke was added to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which is still one of his roles though like other Vatican offices it has since been rebranded as a Dicastery. In 2017, Burke's posting as Patron of the Knights of Malta, the one I described as largely ceremonial, threatened to become interesting when Pope Francis forced the head of the order to resign over, well, condoms, basically. But as soon as things started looking interesting Pope Francis helicoptered in an archbishop to serve as his “special delegate” and more importantly his “exclusive spokesman” to the Order, which effectively sidelined Burke from a gig he had been sidelined *to* a few years earlier. Nevertheless, 2017 also actually saw Burke start to bounce back some. I want to re emphasize this is notably *after* the Dubia, when later in the year Pope Francis picked Cardinal Burke as the judge in the case of an Archbishop who had been accused of sexully abusing his altar servers. The Archbishop was found guilty and deposed, and by the end of the year, having gotten his feet wet again, Cardinal Burke was back on as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, though, notably, not as its head anymore. The next major flashpoint came In 2021, when Pope Francis published Traditionis Custodes, a document that severely restricted the celebration of the old Latin Mass. Long story short, what's colloquially called Latin Mass is the version of Mass that was the main liturgy for Latin rite Catholics for hundreds of years until the Second Vatican Council kicked off serious updates in the 1960s, the most obvious of which is the general shift from Latin to the use of local aka vernacular languages, and the second most obvious is the direction the priest is facing for the majority of the liturgy. There's obviously more detail available on everything I just said, and people have *opinions*, I'll tell you that for sure. Cardinal Burke's fundamental opinion was and is that the Latin Mass is great and should be maintained and that, in short, Pope Francis may even be overstepping his bounds in restricting it as much as he is with Traditionis Custodes, which is a strong claim given the whole, you know, general idea of the Papacy. A few weeks after the Traditionis Custodes stuff went down, Cardinal Burke was on a ventilator fighting for his life. We're only doing living Cardinals at this time, so no suspense there for us, but his bout with COVID was touch-and-go for a while there. In June 2023, notably a few weeks before his 75th birthday and that customary retirement age, Pope Francis replaced Cardinal Burke as the Patron of the Knights of Malta with an 80 year old Jesuit Cardinal. If you're noticing that Burke was relaced by someone who was themselves a fair bit older and also well past retirement age, yeah, you're not alone in noticing that, and you wouldn't be alone in thinking that some kind of point was being made here. Just a few weeks after that retirement, Cardinal Burke attached his name to another dubia document, this one covering a larger variety of topics and appearing and in the context of the ongoing Synod on Synodality. Cardinal Burke was again joined by one of his fellow signers of the first dubia, the other two having passed away in 2017, may they rest in peace. They were also joined by three Cardinals who had not cosigned the previous Dubia, though all of those are over 80 and so we won't be covering them for a while. In any event, this second set of dubia covered a wider range of topics in its five questions, including two particularly hot-button issues, namely the question of blessings for same sex unions, which is something I will refer you to my Fiducia Supplicans anniversary coverage (oops, didn't get that out yet) on for fuller detail, and notion of women serving as deacons, which is still an open question at the time of this writing: as we've discussed previously, ordination has been pretty firmly ruled out, but there may be room for an unordained diaconate. After all, Saint Paul entrusted the letter to the Romans to a woman he described as a deacon. Pope Francis actually responded to this second dubia the day after the dubious Cardinals submitted it, giving lengthy and detailed answers to all of their questions. Naturally this seems to have annoyed Cardinal Burke and his compatriots, because remember, traditionally answers to Dubia have been yes or no, and so they reframed their questions and asked Pope Francis to respond just with “yes” or “no”. When it was evident His Holiness was not going to reply further, the Cardinals once again took the lack of an answer- or rather the lack of yes/no format answers- as encouragement to publish everything, which was an interesting move since that seems to have essentially set Fiducia Supplicans in motion, as Pope Francis indicated an openness to informal blessings for homosexuals in one of his dubia responses. All of that is in the show notes. Later in 2023, Pope Francis stripped Cardinal Burke of his Vatican apartment and retirement salary, which I have been tempted to call a pension but everyone I've seen calls it a retirement salary so it's probably safest to follow suit. Officially no reason was given, but I mean, you've listened to this episode, take your pick of tension points and believe it or not I've skipped several chapters of drama real or alleged. Speaking of alleged, this is the Vatican, so anonymous sources are happy to weigh in, including alleging that Pope Francis straight up said “Cardinal Burke is my enemy”. I don't think I buy that he was so plain about it, but I also don't expect Cardinal Burke is Pope Francis' favorite guy. On December 29, 2023, Cardinal Burke had a private audience with Pope Francis for the first time in over seven years. Cardinal Burke's last private audience with Pope Francis had been back in 2016, four days before the first dubia was made public. The idea of the two having a little chat grabbed media attention more than any other meeting between a Cardinal and a Pope that I can recall. As is typical for such one-on-ones, no official reason or agenda was given, and it's not likely we'll ever know what exactly was said, but I've got to hand it to Cardinal Burke for his response when Reuters asked him about it: ‘Well, I'm still alive.'” Raymond Leo Cardinal BURKE is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2028. “AM I THE DRAMA”? Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers, and there will be more Cardinal Numbers next week. Thank you for listening; God bless you all!
Fr. Michael Copenhagen is a Melkite (Eastern Catholic) priest, husband, and father, at St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Melkite Catholic Church in Gates, New York. He holds a Bachelors of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. DESCRIPTION: In Today's Show: Why don't more priests offer continuous Catechism classes? If the Blessed Mother was protected from sin, why not the rest of humanity? Is it allowable to listen to an Orthodox Divine Liturgy since they are not in union with the Holy Catholic Church? How binding are abstinence rules put forth by the parents of a household during Lent? In the Eastern Rite, are Thursdays dedicated to Saints Peter, Paul and St. Nicholas? Or all the apostles and St. Nicholas? Is there any hope that the eastern Catholic Churches will grow in number? Did Christ descend into Hell? Can Eastern Catholics become pope? What is the Byzantine Catholic teaching on Thomism? What is the Eastern Rite's solution to getting rid of spite, resentment and anger? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!
In this week's episode Aaron and Kevin sit down with Austin Krautheim. Austin is a farming father of four girls who loves his little hobby farm when he's not working as the facilities manager at Saints Peter and Paul. Oh, and he's got a rockin' beard. This conversation is a dive into the joys of living on this side of Easter. As always our goal is that you'll hear something in this conversation that will inspire you to go start another spiritual conversation with someone else. We hope you enjoy it!
Fr. Jacob Hsieh is a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula who teaches at Saints Peter and Paul Elementary school and resides at the parish, in Wilmington Ca. In this episode, Father shares the story of Chinese bishop Cardinal Kung, who was imprisoned by the communist Chinese government for 30 years.Listen live weekdays at 6am and 11am Pacific Time at spiritfilledradio.org or get the App for Spirit Filled Radio for your smart phone or tablet devices.Consider Donating and sponsoring our radio and podcast programming at spiritfilledradio.org #catholicradio #spiritfilledhearts #norbertinefathers #saintmichaelabbey #FrJacobHsieh #saintspeterandpaul #catholic #latinmass #epiphany
In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin are joined by guest Alex Dewald. Alex has been a member of Saints Peter and Paul Lutheran Church in Houghton, MI for basically his entire life from the time he was adopted at age 3 from Russia. Alex shares his story of growing up in the church, but how he fell away from active engagement with his church community and his faith, replacing that with a pursuit of the things in this world. He had a moment where he sensed God calling out to him to return, and from there, he followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and got involved in a discipleship relationship with Pastor Kevin which has drastically changed his life and walk with Jesus. As always, this is a faith-filled conversation which we hope will inspire you to go and start another conversation about Jesus with someone else. We hope you enjoy it!
Fr. Jacob Hsieh is a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula who teaches at Saints Peter and Paul Elementary school and resides at the parish, in Wilmington Ca. In this episode, Father offers some reflections on the penitential time of Lent.Listen live weekdays at 6am and 11am Pacific Time at spiritfilledradio.org or get the App for Spirit Filled Radio for your smart phone or tablet devices.Consider Donating and sponsoring our radio and podcast programming at spiritfilledradio.org #catholicradio #spiritfilledhearts #norbertinefathers #saintmichaelabbey #FrJacobHsieh #saintspeterandpaul #catholic #latinmass #epiphany
For the past 8 weeks, Saints Peter & Paul has been working through 1 Corinthians 10-14, discovering their "Spiritual Giftedness" - as Paul once shared with that Corinthian congregation.But, this was no mere reality for the Christians in Corinth. As the rest of the New Testament makes evident (Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:11-16, and 1 Peter 4:10-11) - these gifts are for ALL Christians at ALL times and ALL places!So...how are you "gifted for good"?In this conversation, Pastor Kevin and Marcus Huff discuss their own journeys to discovering their gifts, and encourage the listener to explore their gifts in community.Are you a member of Saints Peter & Paul? Listen and consider what opportunities you might be gifted for! That we all might share in the joy of connecting our God-given talents, to a God-given purpose.We hope you enjoy it!
Mystical Christianity & Kriya Yoga What is mystical Christianity, and can one blend Christianity and yoga? Isha Das has been integrating Christianity and yoga for several decades. In this episode of the Spirit Led podcast, Isha Das (Craig Bullock) shares how Kriya Yoga helped him stay grounded while pursuing transcendental states and spiritual growth. Key Themes --Mystical Christianity and Yoga do not contradict each other; they share many core truths (examples - St. Francis of Assisi and Theresa of Avila) --Kriya yoga (especially Roy Eugene Davis's practical approach) provided a strong foundation for spiritual growth --Spiritual brotherhood with Swami Nirvanananda --Healing with Kriya Yoga Retreat at Center for Spiritual Awareness July 21-25, 2025. About Craig Bullock (Isha Das) Isha Das means “servant of Jesus." He is a teacher, writer, lecturer, practicing psychotherapist, and spiritual director of The Assisi Institute in Rochester, New York. Isha Das is a former pastoral administrator at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Rochester. He has graduate degrees in Religious Studies from the University of Notre Dame and Clinical Psychology from the University of Duquesne. Mentored by Richard Rohr, he has conducted extensive study in psychology, spirituality, mysticism, world religions, and yoga. He was ordained a minister and official Kriya Yoga teacher by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. His latest book is Open Wider The Door: The Integration of Kriya Yoga And Mystical Christianity. Calls to Action If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it to help others discover the power of spiritual guidance. Connect with Us for Retreats, Guided Meditations, and Kriya Yoga classes Center for Spiritual Awareness Find Spirit Led on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Assisi Institute in Rochester NY #meditation #isha #spiritled #yogapodcast #yogameditation #christianyoga #mystic #kriya #yogaretreat #yogasutras #kriyayoga #kriya #yoga #SpiritualGrowth #paramahansayogananda #yogananda #centerforspiritualawareness #meditationpodcast #SpiritualPodcast #YogaAndAyurveda #KriyaYogaWisdom #RoyEugeneDavis #SpiritualBalance #saintfrancisofassisi #theresaofavila
In 597, a party of forty missionary monks, led by St Augustine of Canterbury (May 28), was sent to Britain by the holy Pope Gregory the Great, to bring the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ to the English people. Aethelberht, who had been King of Kent for thirty-six years, received the monks favorably, allowed them to preach in his kingdom, and invited them to establish their headquarters in Canterbury, his capital city, which already contained a small, ruined church dedicated to St Martin of Tours in Roman times. The king himself was converted and received holy Baptism at the hands of St Augustine; a crowd of his subjects followed his example. When St Augustine was consecrated bishop, Aethelberht allowed him to be made Archbishop of Canterbury and gave his own palace to serve as a monastery. The king worked steadily for the conversion of the neighboring kindoms, and in 604 established an episcopal see in London. Unlike some Christian rulers, he refused to see anyone converted forcibly. Saint Aethelberht reposed in peace in 616, after reigning for fifty-six years. He was buried in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, which he had established. Many miracles were worked at his tomb, where a lamp was kept lit perpetually until the monastery was disbanded by the Protestants in 1538.
In this profound conversation, Orthodox Christian coach Thaddeus Patrick explores how Trinitarian theology informs authentic male relationships and community building. He discusses the path from transactional thinking to genuine love, drawing insights from Orthodox spirituality and modern men's struggles. Topics include the meaning of non-transactional relationships, finding healing in community, and practical approaches to spiritual growth in today's world. Key topics: • Orthodox understanding of human relationships • The crisis of male isolation and community • Healing from transactional thinking • Marriage as a path to spiritual growth • The role of authentic male friendships • Practical approaches to building meaningful connections Thaddeus' work is under the blessing of his spiritual father, Fr Paul Truebenbach of Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Christian Church. Follow Thaddeus: https://thaddeusthought.com
He came from a noble Northumbrian family in Britain, and was tonsured a monk in 653 at Lerins in Gaul. In 669 he was made Abbot of the Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul in Canterbury. He traveled to Rome in 671 to be instructed in monastic practice according to the Rule of Saint Benedict (of Nursia). Returning to Northumbria he established two new monasteries, the first to follow St Benedict's Rule in the British Isles. He went to Rome once again in 678-679, this time bringing back the archcantor of St Peter's, who taught the monks of St Benedict's monasteries the chant and liturgical practices used in Rome. Under the holy abbot's guidance, these monasteries became flourishing centers of Christian worship, scholarship and art. The Venerable Bede (May 26) was one of his disciples. Saint Benedict reposed in peace in 689 or 690, having greatly strengthened the Church and the Christian faith in Britain.
Full Text of ReadingsThursday after Epiphany Lectionary: 215The Saint of the day is Saint Adrian of CanterburySaint Adrian of Canterbury's Story Though Saint Adrian turned down a papal request to become Archbishop of Canterbury, England, Pope Saint Vitalian accepted the rejection on the condition that Adrian serve as the Holy Father's assistant and adviser. Adrian accepted, but ended up spending most of his life and doing most of his work in Canterbury. Born in Africa, Adrian was serving as an abbot in Italy when the new Archbishop of Canterbury appointed him abbot of the monastery of Saints Peter and Paul in Canterbury. Thanks to his leadership skills, the facility became one of the most important centers of learning. The school attracted many outstanding scholars from far and wide and produced numerous future bishops and archbishops. Students reportedly learned Greek and Latin and spoke Latin as well as their own native languages. Adrian taught at the school for 40 years. He died there, probably in the year 710, and was buried in the monastery. Several hundred years later, when reconstruction was being done, Adrian's body was discovered in an incorrupt state. As word spread, people flocked to his tomb, which became famous for miracles. Rumor had it that young schoolboys in trouble with their masters made regular visits there. Reflection Saint Adrian spent most of his time in Canterbury not as bishop, but as abbot and teacher. Often the Lord has plans for us that are obvious only on hindsight. How often have we said no to something or someone only to end up in much the same place anyway. The Lord knows what's good for us. Can we trust him? Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
Thursday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Adrian the Abbot, 637-710; born in Africa, and became abbot of the monastery at Nerida, near Naples; turned down an appointment to become Archbishop of Canterbury, but accompanied St. Theodore when he was appointed to the post; Theodore appointed Adrian abbot of Saints Peter and Paul Monastery (later known as St. Augustine's) in Canterbury; under his rule, the monastery became known as a center of learning; Adrian died in Canterbury Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/25 Gospel: Luke 4:14-22
Xin grew up in Beijing China in a religiously secular home. In her pursuit of science and engineering, she came to the United States for continuing education. It was upon her arrival to the US that she was introduced to Christianity. At the time, this was not a positive experience for her, and she continued to keep distance from Christian people. Eventually, she and her husband were looking for childcare in the Copper Country for their daughters. A place they had hoped to attend rejected them, and by the grace of God led them to the Early Learning Center at Saints Peter and Paul. It was here, then, that conversations about Christianity started happening again, and everything began changing. Listen to Xin eloquently tell her story of life and journey to follow Jesus.
Fr. Pat Driscoll joins the show to discuss the dark side of the holidays, and Brad Miner talks about the painting "Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew."
Fr. Jacob Hsieh is a Nobertine priest of St. Michael's Abbey and a teacher of Latin, religion and chant. He resides in Wilmington, California at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. In this episode, Fr. Jacob speaks of the ending of one liturgical year and the beginning of another. Beauty of Our Catholic Heritage airs live weekdays at 6:00am and 11am Pacific Time go to spiritfilledevents.com website or download our Spirit Filled Radio App for Android or Apple Devices.Archives of shows from Spirit Filled Radio are available on podcast at spiritfilledevents.com
The Greek word "Apocalypse" is the name of the last book of the Bible. Sometimes when we hear that word - Apocalypse - we think of catastrophe and destruction and chaos. But the word actually means what it's translated into in our Bibles: "Revelation" or "revealing."In this week's episode, Pastor Kevin sits down with Nancy Smith - a long time member of Saints Peter & Paul. Nancy "reveals" stories of her life, and how the Gospel - and the grace that it teaches - shaped her marriage, her family relationships, and her life.Through her sharing you might notice the courage she has to share her life stories. Because, as Nancy knows, she is not defined by the "Old Adam" (the sinful flesh that manifests in our lives), but by the "New Adam" (the new creation that she is - as one fundamentally defined by Christ and His grace).Blessings to you as you hear Nancy's stories, and consider the story God is writing in your life - and how His grace changes it all.As always, we hope you enjoy it!
Full Text of ReadingsMonday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 497The Saint of the day is Dedication of Churches of Saints Peter and PaulThe Story of the Dedication of the Churches of Saints Peter and Paul St. Peter's is probably the most famous church in Christendom. Massive in scale and a veritable museum of art and architecture, it began on a much humbler scale. Vatican Hill was a simple cemetery where believers gathered at Saint Peter's tomb to pray. In 319, Constantine built a basilica on the site that stood for more than a thousand years until, despite numerous restorations, it threatened to collapse. In 1506, Pope Julius II ordered it razed and reconstructed, but the new basilica was not completed and dedicated for more than two centuries. St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls stands near the Abaazia delle Tre Fontane, where Saint Paul is believed to have been beheaded. The largest church in Rome until St. Peter's was rebuilt, the basilica also rises over the traditional site of its namesake's grave. The most recent edifice was constructed after a fire in 1823. The first basilica was also Constantine's doing. Constantine's building projects enticed the first of a centuries-long parade of pilgrims to Rome. From the time the basilicas were first built until the empire crumbled under “barbarian” invasions, the two churches, although miles apart, were linked by a roofed colonnade of marble columns. Reflection Peter, the rough fisherman whom Jesus named the rock on which the Church is built, and the educated Paul, reformed persecutor of Christians, Roman citizen, and missionary to the gentiles, are the original odd couple. The major similarity in their faith-journeys is the journey's end: both, according to tradition, died a martyr's death in Rome—Peter on a cross and Paul beneath the sword. Their combined gifts shaped the early Church and believers have prayed at their tombs from the earliest days. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
Dedication of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul (Optional Memorial)
Join Father Kevin Drew as he preaches on this Memorial of Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles. Today's readings First Reading: Acts 28:11-16, 30-31 Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6 Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33 Catholic Radio Network
Fr. Jacob Hsieh is a Nobertine priest of St. Michael's Abbey and a teacher of Latin, religion and chant he is resides in Wilmington, Ca at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church . In this episode, Father discusses the Church's celebration of the Feast of Christ the King.Beauty of Our Catholic Heritage airs live weekdays at 6:00am and 11am Pacific Time go to spiritfilledevents.com website or download our Spirit Filled Radio App for Android or Apple Devices.Archives of shows from Spirit Filled Radio are available on podcast at spiritfilledevents.com
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles - A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart... The post The Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles - A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart - Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over” Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart... The post The Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Halloween was less than a week away, and the decorative ghouls and witches, grinning pumpkins and scythe-wielding zombies that stalked the shadows of Lewiston's imagination wilted as the sun rose higher behind the eight majestic spires of the iconic Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church on Bartlett Street. If those 170-foot-high spires were to ever disappear, Lewiston would be as unrecognizable as Paris without the Eiffel Tower.Two miles north at Just-In-Time Recreation Center on Mollison Way, the close-knit staff would be making sure the pinsetter machines on each of its 34 bowling lanes were working properly, food was prepped and beer kegs primed for the influx of league participants later in the day, and rental shoes and bowling balls were cleaned and ready to go.Four miles south of them, the equally tight-knit staff at Schemengees Bar & Grille on Lincoln St. would be setting up for the lunchtime crowd, and readying the pool tables and cornhole lanes for a busy night of league play. It's not an easy name to pronounce, but that didn't matter to its many dedicated regulars who gathered there after work for a fun time out with friends.No one could know during that ordinary October day that the pulse of daily life in Lewiston and the area would be on life support just an hour after sunset that very evening. No one, that is, except the man who would be responsible for making sure of that.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/houseofmysteryradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Craig Bullock (Isha Das) is an accomplished teacher, writer, lecturer, practicing psychotherapist, and spiritual director of The Assisi Institute in Rochester, New York.A former pastoral administrator at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Rochester, Isha Das earned graduate degrees in Religious Studies from the University of Notre Dame and Clinical Psychology from the University of Duquesne. His education includes extensive study in psychology, spirituality, mysticism, world religions, and yoga. He counts Richard Rohr among his life-long friends and mentors. Isha Das was made a minister and official Kriya Yoga teacher by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. His latest book is Open Wider the Door: The Integration of Kriya Yoga And Mystical Christianity.assisi-institute.orgOpen Wider the Door: The Intersection of Kriya Yoga and Mystical Christianity: Bullock, Craig: 9781986821414: Amazon.com: BooksExtravagant Love: Reflections of a Catholic Yogi: Bullock, Craig: 9781493520121: Amazon.com:BooksLiving Grace: A Daily Companion for Meditation and Contemplation: Bullock, Mr Craig: 9781539769774: Amazon.com: BooksOur Hosts:Linda and John (Jack) Mazur founded a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Emilee which provides peer support, social connection, and education for adults with eating disorders and for their family members. For more information or to contact them go to: www.theemileeconnection.comLinda and John (Jack) Mazur wrote, Emilee: The Story of a Girl and Her Family Hijacked by Anorexia, to honor their daughter's wish, to raise awareness, evoke compassion, and foster change in how eating disorders are viewed and treated.Paperback: and Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/170092012XAudiobook:https://www.amazon.com/Emilee-Story-Family-Hijacked-Anorexia/dp/B08R6LRPDSLinda and Jack can also be reached through the book website: https://emileethestoryofagirl.com or at Linda.john.mazur@gmail.comEllen Bennett is the director of KMB for Answers, a non-profit charity providing educational and financial support for mental health professionals as well as assistance for families in search of resources. For more information about Ellen Bennett and the foundation founded in memory of her daughter Katlyn, go to: www.Kmbforanswers.com
Faith is Made to Be Shared In today's reading the Church honors Saints Peter and Paul. When a child is born in Africa, they are often given two names. The first name depicts the situation into which the child was born. It is a message for future generations. The second name is often associated with the saints. Hear more within the Homily. Saint Peters and Saint Paul are the most common saint names given to boys in Africa. On the day we celebrate the vigil of Saint Peter and Paul, we hear how their virtues are the models for young boys. Christians, in general, admire these two great saints. We admire their faith, their commitment, and their total giving of themselves into the service of the Lord. We all are aware that St. Peter was a fisherman when he received his calling from the Lord to follow Him. He responded by leaving everything behind, to follow the Lord. When we read scripture, we learn that St. Peter was present during the Transfiguration. He affirmed to the Lord and to the other disciples that the Lord is the Christ. Hear more about these two saints. Hear why and how these two saints complement each other in what they did. Our Prayers Are Powerful In the first reading we hear that St. Peter is in prison, and the faithful are praying for him. Through the prayers of the faithful, St. Peter is ultimately released from prison. There is a lesson in scripture for us today. Prayer through the community . . . when we meet together . . . is powerful. The question may be asked, isn't prayer powerful when I pray alone? Of course, the answer is yes. But Our Lord tells us when two or three (or more) come together to pray … there will I be. Faith is made to be shared. Listen to this Meditation Media. Listen to: Faith is Made to Be Shared ---------------------------------- Image: Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue: St. Patrick's Parish: Upstate: Victor, NY ---------------------------------- Fr. Bernard previously gave a Homily on When God Speaks to Us Through Prayer. Listen to it by following the link on the website. ---------------------------------- Gospel Reading: John: 21: 15-19 First Reading: Acts 3: 1-10
Archbishop Hebda joins producer Kayla Mayer to reflect on the two great saints we celebrate on June 29, Saints Peter and Paul, and what they have meant in his life and ministry. Like what you're hearing? Leave us a review, subscribe, and follow us on social media @practicingcatholicshow! Direct social media links: Instagram Facebook YouTube
Father Hudgins' homily: Saints Peter and Paul
Pastoral Reflections Finding God In Ourselves by Msgr. Don Fischer
Gospel Matthew 16:13-19 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Reflection Jesus is making clear that he's given authority to his church. The church must be founded on truth so that the Kingdom of God can take place one day here on this earth. Closing Prayer Father, help us to acknowledge the authority in the truths that we find in our religion. All religions. We pray that churches will proclaim consistently your wisdom, your truth. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Full Text of ReadingsSolemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles Lectionary: 590, 591The Saint of the day is Saints Peter and PaulSaints Peter and Paul's Story Peter (d. 64?) Saint Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding, and the opposition of many to Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter's life, beginning with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men for Jesus. The New Testament clearly shows Peter as the leader of the apostles, chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. With James and John he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of a dead child to life, and the agony in Gethsemane. His mother-in-law was cured by Jesus. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus' death. His name is first on every list of apostles. And to Peter only did Jesus say, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:17b-19). But the Gospels prove their own trustworthiness by the unflattering details they include about Peter. He clearly had no public relations person. It is a great comfort for ordinary mortals to know that Peter also has his human weakness, even in the presence of Jesus. He generously gave up all things, yet he can ask in childish self-regard, “What are we going to get for all this?” (see Matthew 19:27). He receives the full force of Christ's anger when he objects to the idea of a suffering Messiah: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23b). Peter is willing to accept Jesus' doctrine of forgiveness, but suggests a limit of seven times. He walks on the water in faith, but sinks in doubt. He refuses to let Jesus wash his feet, then wants his whole body cleansed. He swears at the Last Supper that he will never deny Jesus, and then swears to a servant maid that he has never known the man. He loyally resists the first attempt to arrest Jesus by cutting off Malchus' ear, but in the end he runs away with the others. In the depth of his sorrow, Jesus looks on him and forgives him, and he goes out and sheds bitter tears. The Risen Jesus told Peter to feed his lambs and his sheep (John 21:15-17). Paul (d. 64?) If the most well-known preacher today suddenly began preaching that the United States should adopt Marxism and not rely on the Constitution, the angry reaction would help us understand Paul's life when he started preaching that Christ alone can save us. He had been the most pharisaic of Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate. Paul's central conviction was simple and absolute: Only God can save humanity. No human effort—even the most scrupulous observance of law—can create a human good which we can bring to God as reparation for sin and payment for grace. To be saved from itself, from sin, from the devil, and from death, humanity must open itself completely to the saving power of Jesus. Paul never lost his love for his Jewish family, though he carried on a lifelong debate with them about the uselessness of the Law without Christ. He reminded the Gentiles that they were grafted on the parent stock of the Jews, who were still God's chosen people, the children of the promise. Reflection We would probably go to confession to Peter sooner than to any of the other apostles. He is perhaps a more striking example of the simple fact of holiness. Jesus says to us as he said, in effect, to Peter: “It is not you who have chosen me, but I who have chosen you. Peter, it is not human wisdom that makes it possible for you to believe, but my Father's revelation. I, not you, build my Church.” Paul's experience of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus was the driving force that made him one of the most zealous, dynamic, and courageous ambassadors of Christ the Church has ever had. But persecution, humiliation, and weakness became his day-by-day carrying of the cross, material for further transformation. The dying Christ was in him; the living Christ was his life. Saint Paul is the Patron Saint of: Greece Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
Join Fr. Kirby as he delves into the lives of Saints Peter and Paul, revered as the princes of Rome. Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us!—Morning Offering with Fr. Kirby, June 29, 2024—————————Every morning, join Father Jeffrey Kirby as he begins the day with prayer and reflection. In a few short minutes, Father Kirby guides you in prayer, shares a brief reflection grounding your day in the Church's rhythm of feast days and liturgy, and provides you with the encouragement necessary to go forward with peace and strength. Let us do as the saints urge and begin our days in prayer together so as a community of believers we may join the Psalmist in saying, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3-4)
Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (Solemnity)
Action Item: Ask God for the grace to finish running the race. Sign up at FORMED Daily to receive these daily reflections directly to your inbox.You can listen to this series and other great Catholic content at FORMED.org.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of FORMED.org.Help support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle.
Friends of the Rosary, Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (d. 64-67).We venerate the two great Apostles and Martyrs, the solid rock on which the Church of Christ is built. God's providential guidance led them to Rome, the capital of the Empire at that time, and today, the center of the Christian world from where the Gospel is radiated. St. Peter was buried on the hill of the Vatican, on the site of the Basilica of St. Peter's. St. Paul was beheaded in the Via Ostia, where now stands the basilica bearing his name.Millions of Christians have gone on pilgrimage to the tombs of these Apostles down the centuries. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Sts. Peter and Paul, Pray for Us! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York
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The complementary charisms of Peter and Paul - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today's readings. Why do you think Jesus decided to endow the Church with these different charisms and promises? In what ways has the Church illumined and sustained you in your faith journey? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lucas-laborde/message
Today is the Solemnty of Saints Peter and Paul. Father Kubicki shares some words from Pope Francis about the role of the Pope in the life of the Church. Both Saint Paul and Saint Peter worked tirelessly to spread the faith.
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/29/24 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19
ROSARY - JOYFUL MYSTERIES today. DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET for Saturday.
Two giants in the church: Peter and Paul --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john6345/message
Start your day with God's Word by listening to the Catholic Mass readings. Sign up at FORMED Daily to receive these daily reflections directly to your inbox.You can listen to this series and other great Catholic content at FORMED.org.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of FORMED.org.Help support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle.
TRANSCRIPT Good evening, Happy Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and welcome back to Popeular History! That's right, we're officially off hiatus, starting next week you can expect a short Cardinal Numbers episode every Saturday and a longer Popeular History worldbuilding episode every month. As I continue to get a feel for the rhythms of family life that seems like a doable schedule, especially since most of the work for the remainder of the year is already done. Alleluia! I also have some special stuff for you today. First off, I want to wish a very happy birthday to Cardinal Seán O'Malley of Boston. This birthday is bittersweet, because the next conclave is officially losing a real one as Cardinal O'Malley is 80 today and is therefore automatically no longer a Cardinal Elector. This brings the total number of current Cardinal Electors to 125, and for what it's worth I am fully expecting another consistory for the creation of new Cardinals to be announced later in the year once that's in danger of dropping below 120. When I call Cardinal O'Malley “a real one”, naturally that's partially a reference to the fact that he's a Buckeye, partially a reference to the fact that he's one of the few bearded churchmen in the Latin Rite, partially because of the amazing nature of being able to see him mowing the lawn in his habit, and partially because he was the fixer brought in to bring Boston out of the mess it was in scandal wise after the troubled tenure of Cardinal Law. One day I will get to covering Cardinal O'Malley and the other older Cardinals in Cardinal Numbers, but for now my focus for that show is on covering the younger cardinals who will participate in the next conclave when the time comes. By the way, Cardinal Numbers now somewhat accidentally has its own feed again. I wasn't financially prepared to have two podcast feeds active, but I forgot to cancel the subscription, so might as well roll with it! All my content will be posted right here on the Popeular History Feed of course, but Cardinal Numbers specific content will also be posted on the Cardinal Numbers feed so that can also develop as a standalone rexypod, which was the original intent. There is also officially a bit of Paton-exclusive content now! But don't worry, I'm not paywalling knowledge, that goes against my principles as a librarian. We'll see some early access situations, sure, but there is never going to be something for you to learn that's only going to be on my Patreon feed. Instead, it's going to be more pure fun extension stuff like the episode I just posted where Fry from Pontifacts kindly agreed to be subjected to my look at Cardinal Burke and give her live reactions! She also managed to get me talking a little more loosely than I normally would. It was a great time and I'm looking forward to making more content for my Patreon Patrons, if I ever get any of those to make more content for! Hint hint. Patreon.com/popular, go check it out! Finally, I've decided that I've been sitting on the Habemus Pointsam recordings Bry and I have already made for too long, in part because I always worry files will just disappear. So the rest of today's show will be the draft pilot for that mini rexypod. Get ready for some foolishness and categories in 3…, 2…, 1… HABEMUS POINTSAM RECORDING
Read Online“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17–19Saints Peter and Paul are often referred to as two of the great “Pillars of the Church.” They each played an incredibly essential role in the establishment of the early Church. And though each of their roles was essential and foundational, their roles were as different as they were different as persons.Peter was a family man, a local fisherman, uneducated and quite ordinary. From what we know about him prior to being called by Jesus, there was nothing that made him uniquely qualified to become one of the pillars of the new Church to be established by the Son of God. Jesus simply called him, and he responded. Jesus got into Peter's boat, ordered him to lower the nets, and produced a huge catch of fish. When Peter saw this miracle, he fell down at Jesus' feet and acknowledged that he was “a sinful man” who was unworthy of being in Jesus' presence (See Luke 5:8). But Jesus informed Peter that he would from now on be catching men. Peter immediately left everything behind and followed Jesus.Paul describes himself as “a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili′cia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama′li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day” (Acts 22:3). Paul was well educated in the strictest interpretation of the Jewish law, understood philosophy and was quite zealous as a young man. Recall, also, that prior to becoming a convert to Christianity, he “persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13). In many ways, Paul would have been seen as the most unlikely person to be chosen to be a pillar of the Church, because he so vigorously opposed it at first. He even supported the killing of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.Though each of these men would have been considered by many as very unlikely founders of the Christian Church, this is exactly what they became. Paul, after his conversion, traveled far and wide to preach the Gospel, founding several new Churches throughout Asia Minor and Europe. Eventually he was arrested in Jerusalem, brought to Rome for trial and was beheaded. Over half of the New Testament books are attributed to Paul and half of the Acts of the Apostles detail Paul's missionary journeys. Paul is especially known for his missionary activity to the Gentiles, those who were not Jews.Peter's role was truly a unique one. His name was changed from “Simon” to “Peter” by Jesus. Recall Jesus saying, “And I tell you, you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church…(Matthew 16:18). “Peter” in Greek is Petros, meaning a single stone that is movable. However, the Greek word petra means a rock as a solid formation that is fixed, immovable, and enduring. Therefore, Jesus chose to make Peter, this single stone, into a solid foundation of immovable rock on which the Church was to be built.You, too, have been called by our Lord to a unique mission within the Church that has not been entrusted to another. In your own way, God wants to use you to reach certain people with the Gospel as He did with Saint Paul. And like Saint Peter, God wants to continue to establish His Church upon you and your faith.Reflect, today, upon these two holy and unique pillars of our Church. As you do, ponder how God may want to use you to continue their mission in this world. Though Saints Peter and Paul are among the greatest and most consequential Christians within our world, their mission must continue, and you are among the instruments that God wants to use. Commit yourself to this mission so that the preaching of the Gospel and the rock foundation of our Church will remain strong within our day and age just as it was of old.Saint Peter, you were uniquely chosen to be a rock foundation of faith upon which the Church was established. Saint Paul, you went forth to preach this faith far and wide, establishing many new communities of faith. Please use me, dear Lord, to continue the mission of Your Church so that the faith may be firmly planted in the minds and hearts of all Your people throughout the world. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Saint Peter and Saint Paul By Jusepe de Ribera, via Wikimedia Commons
For 29 June 2024, Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, based on Matthew 16:13–19
Learn about the life and ministry of Sts. Peter and Paul, without whom we wouldn't have a Church, and get inspired by the dignity affirming healthcare from Emmaus Health Partners.
Friends of the Rosary, The month of June is full of riches, graces, and celebrations. It's the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose feast day we will celebrate this Friday, June 7. Through the Devotion to the Sacred Heart, given to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, Christ Himself puts an immense amount of faith in us by calling us to venerate his most adorable Heart. On the day after, Saturday, June 8, we will honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Then, on June 24, we will celebrate the nativity day of John the Baptist, meaning that Christ's own birthday is six months away. Finally, at the end of the month, we will have the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • June 1, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” John 14:12–14How is it that we are called to do greater works than the works that Jesus Himself did? Of course, it's true. This is our calling. We know that, because this is what our Lord promised us. This truth should fill us with gratitude for being used so powerfully by God.Among the “greater” works of which Jesus speaks is, first and foremost, the sharing of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As Jesus walked the earth, His mission was primarily to the people of Israel. But when He ascended to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church, He also empowered all who would receive the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Thus, the conversion of hearts is the greatest work that we can cooperate with.Do you want to do great things? Most children dream of doing so because this desire is written upon our human nature. We want to make a difference. We want to be great. But too often we become confused about true greatness. We attempt to fulfill that innate desire through acts of worldly and passing greatness. We seek recognition, wealth, and other passing rewards that stem from selfish ambitions. None of these ultimately fulfill us, even if we were to achieve them to the greatest extent. For example, imagine if you won the Nobel Peace Prize, or became the leader of a nation, or became the wealthiest person alive. Would the attainment of one of these goals fulfill you? Only if it were the will of God. If not, it would be an empty and meaningless act.Begin by looking within. Do you see the desire within you to do great things? Hopefully you do. From there, remind yourself that the greatest thing you can do, so as to fulfill the desire within you, is to do that which is the will of God for your life. Jesus says, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” Asking in Jesus' name means asking for the fulfillment of His will. It means asking that God use you to bring His saving grace to others any way He chooses. If you ask our Lord for this grace, He will grant it.This form of prayer requires humility and a complete detachment from our own will. It requires that we ask the Father only for that which the Son asks the Father for us. But the reward of such a humble prayer is that God will bestow His grace and mercy on others through us. This is His perfect will.Reflect, today, upon this high calling. Do so by looking at the desire within your own soul for greatness and then unite that desire with God's will as the only thing that can fulfill you. Pray for this gift every day with humility and detachment and you will become an instrument of acts that give eternal glory to God. In Heaven, this will be your eternal joy. Providential Lord, Your will is perfect and glorious. Please help me to humble myself before You, every day, so that I will understand Your will for my life and choose it always. May I be an instrument of Your saving grace to all whom You wish to touch through me. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured images above: Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man By Nicolas Poussin, via Wikimedia Commons
In 597, a party of forty missionary monks, led by St Augustine of Canterbury (May 28), was sent to Britain by the holy Pope Gregory the Great, to bring the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ to the English people. Aethelberht, who had been King of Kent for thirty-six years, received the monks favorably, allowed them to preach in his kingdom, and invited them to establish their headquarters in Canterbury, his capital city, which already contained a small, ruined church dedicated to St Martin of Tours in Roman times. The king himself was converted and received holy Baptism at the hands of St Augustine; a crowd of his subjects followed his example. When St Augustine was consecrated bishop, Aethelberht allowed him to be made Archbishop of Canterbury and gave his own palace to serve as a monastery. The king worked steadily for the conversion of the neighboring kindoms, and in 604 established an episcopal see in London. Unlike some Christian rulers, he refused to see anyone converted forcibly. Saint Aethelberht reposed in peace in 616, after reigning for fifty-six years. He was buried in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, which he had established. Many miracles were worked at his tomb, where a lamp was kept lit perpetually until the monastery was disbanded by the Protestants in 1538.
In 597, a party of forty missionary monks, led by St Augustine of Canterbury (May 28), was sent to Britain by the holy Pope Gregory the Great, to bring the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ to the English people. Aethelberht, who had been King of Kent for thirty-six years, received the monks favorably, allowed them to preach in his kingdom, and invited them to establish their headquarters in Canterbury, his capital city, which already contained a small, ruined church dedicated to St Martin of Tours in Roman times. The king himself was converted and received holy Baptism at the hands of St Augustine; a crowd of his subjects followed his example. When St Augustine was consecrated bishop, Aethelberht allowed him to be made Archbishop of Canterbury and gave his own palace to serve as a monastery. The king worked steadily for the conversion of the neighboring kindoms, and in 604 established an episcopal see in London. Unlike some Christian rulers, he refused to see anyone converted forcibly. Saint Aethelberht reposed in peace in 616, after reigning for fifty-six years. He was buried in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, which he had established. Many miracles were worked at his tomb, where a lamp was kept lit perpetually until the monastery was disbanded by the Protestants in 1538.