Episodios

  • Rule of St. Benedict | Ep. 1 - Foundations of Monastic Life

    Rule of St. Benedict | Ep. 1 - Foundations of Monastic Life
    Apr 9 2025

    "And so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord. In founding it we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome. But if a certain strictness results… do not be at once dismayed and fly from the way of salvation, whose entrance cannot but be narrow."

    In this first of five episodes, we begin The Rule of St. Benedict, a foundational spiritual guide composed around 530 AD by St. Benedict of Nursia, the father of Western monasticism. In the Prologue, St. Benedict sets forth the Rule’s purpose, followed by Chapters 1–7, in which he outlines the kinds of monks, the qualities of an abbot, the Instruments of Good Works as a monk’s daily guide, and the Rule's core principles of obedience, silence, and humility.

    Episode 1: Ch. 1 - 7, with Prologue

    00:00 Intro

    00:38 Prologue 07:43 Chapter 1 - On the Kinds of Monks 09:51 Chapter 2 - What Kind of Man the Abbot Ought to Be 16:43 Chapter 3 - On Calling the Brethren for Counsel 18:37 Chapter 4 - What Are the Instruments of Good Works 23:44 Chapter 5 - On Obedience 26:18 Chapter 6 - On the Spirit of Silence 27:50 Chapter 7 - On Humility
    This work will be released in its entirety in episodic format.

    Links

    St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries full text: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/50040/pg50040-images.html#chapter-1

    SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268

    SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter

    DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.
    Más Menos
    40 m
  • St. Dionysius the Areopagite - On Minding One's Own Business

    St. Dionysius the Areopagite - On Minding One's Own Business
    Mar 20 2025

    "It is not for Demophilus to set these things straight. For if the Word of God commands us to pursue just things justly... this must be pursued by all justly, not beyond their own fitness."

    This letter—historically attributed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a 1st-century convert of Saint Paul from Acts, but now considered the work of an anonymous 5th-century author known as 'Pseudo-Dionysius'—delivers a stern yet compassionate rebuke to a monk named Demophilus. Dionysius challenges the monk's rash condemnation of a priest for absolving a repentant sinner, and urges mercy, humility and respect for the Church’s hierarchy. Adapted from an 1897 translation, this version retains the work's rhetorical and theological depth while rendering the language more accessible to contemporary listeners.

    Links

    Letter VIII: About minding one's own business, and kindness full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/areopagite_08_letters.htm#letter8

    SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268

    SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter

    DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.
    Más Menos
    29 m
  • St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 2. The Influence of Natural and Revealed Religion Respectively

    St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 2. The Influence of Natural and Revealed Religion Respectively
    Feb 20 2025

    "The philosopher aspires towards a divine principle; the Christian, towards a Divine Agent."

    St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were isntrumental in shaping the Oxford Movement, which sought to revive High Church traditions within the Church of England and ultimately led to many conversions to Catholicism.

    In addition to the profound influence these sermons had on both Anglican and Catholic theology, they also bore a personal significance for Newman’s own conversion to Catholicism years later.

    These fifteen sermons, though deeply interconnected in theme and insight, are not sequential in nature; rather, each stands on its own as a distinct and self-contained reflection on faith and reason. Newman lays the groundwork for themes developed in later works, such as Grammar of Assent and Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine.

    In this second sermon, Newman illustrates how the foundational awareness of God's existence ascertained by natural religion (human reason and observation of the world) is perfected and deepened by the personal knowledge of God offered by revealed religion (divine revelation, especially in the person of Christ).

    Links

    The Influence of Natural and Revealed Religion Respectively full text: https://newmanreader.org/works/oxford/sermon2.html

    SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268

    SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter

    DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.
    Más Menos
    37 m
  • St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 1. The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospels

    St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 1. The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospels
    Feb 7 2025

    "The philosopher might speculate, but the theologian must submit to learn."

    St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were instrumental in shaping the Oxford Movement, which sought to revive High Church traditions within the Church of England.

    In this collection of fifteen sermons, Newman especially explores the relationship between faith and reason, and lays the groundwork for themes he would later develop in works like his Grammar of Assent and Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. In addition to the profound influence these sermons had on both Anglican and Catholic theology, they also bore a personal significance for Newman’s own conversion to Catholicism years later.

    In this first sermon, Newman argues that it was Christianity which first promoted a properly philosophical disposition, by encouraging a mindset and instilling the virtues essential for a truly scientific approach to the pursuit of truth.

    Links

    The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospel full text: https://newmanreader.org/works/oxford/sermon1.html

    SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268

    SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter

    DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.
    Más Menos
    23 m
  • St. Vincent Ferrer - On the Purification of Mary

    St. Vincent Ferrer - On the Purification of Mary
    Feb 1 2025

    “This present feast is one of the greater of the whole year... Because there are three grades of sanctity which we celebrate in this feast.”

    St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) was a Spanish Dominican friar, theologian, and renowned preacher known for his fiery sermons and missionary work across Europe. He was deeply devoted to calling people to repentance, emphasizing the urgency of salvation and often preaching about the Last Judgment. This earned him the moniker "Angel of the Judgment."

    In this Candlemas sermon, St. Vincent reflects on the three significant events which this great feast commemorates: the Meeting with Simeon, the Presentation of Christ, and the Purification of Mary.

    Links:

    Full text: https://www.svfsermons.org/C117_Purification%20of%20the%20BVM.htm

    SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268

    SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter

    DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.
    Más Menos
    38 m
  • St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Full

    St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Full
    Jan 24 2025
    "Be sure that wherever our lot is cast we may and must aim at the perfect life." Written over 400 years ago, Introduction to the Devout Life is still one of the most popular books for those pursuing holiness. St. Francis de Sales explains how to turn that desire for sanctity into resolutions that yield grace-filled results. Themes include: Pursuing a devout life whole-heartedlyIncorporating prayer and sacraments into a busy scheduleGrowing in virtueBattling wisely against temptationMaking spiritual progress through daily, monthly, and yearly exercises Whether you are just beginning your spiritual journey or are more advanced in the spiritual life, you’ll be able to apply this timeless wisdom immediately. Let St. Francis de Sales illumine the path to holiness and strengthen your desire to walk that road with the Lord. St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622) was the Bishop of Geneva and a renowned spiritual director. Preaching during the Counter-Reformation, he is estimated to have converted 70,000 Calvinists in his lifetime. He was a fervent proponent of the universal call to holiness and spent much of his time guiding lay people on the road to sanctity. Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877, St. Francis is still helping to form saints through his many writings, of which Introduction to the Devout Life is the most famous. —description from the publisher Introduction to the Devout Life full text: https://watch.formed.org/introduction-to-the-devout-life-by-st-francis-de-sales SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268 SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved. Timestamps 00:38 Preface 12:26 Part 1 – Counsels and Exercises for the Guidance of the Soul from Its First Desire After a Devout Life unto a Full Resolution of Pursuing the Same 12:38 True Devotion Explained 18:19 The Nature and Excellence of Devotion 23:17 Devotion is Suitable to Every Vocation and Profession 27:26 The Need of a Guide for those who would Enter Upon and Advance in the Devout Life 33:35 The First Step: Purifying the Soul 38:22 The First Purification: From Mortal Sin 40:56 The Second Purification: From All Sinful Affections 44:17 How to Affect This Second Purification 46:56 First Meditation, On Creation 53:26 Second Meditation, On the End for Which We Were Created 59:26 Third Meditation, On the Gifts of God 1:05:20 Fourth Meditation, On Sin 1:11:39 Fifth Meditation, On Death 1:19:00 Sixth Meditation, On Judgment 1:24:59 Seventh Meditation, On Hell 1:29:02 Eighth Meditation, On Paradise 1:34:05 Ninth Meditation, On the Choice Open to You Between Heaven and Hell 1:39:26 Tenth Meditation, On How the Soul Chooses the Devout Life 1:46:40How to Make a General Confession 1:49:23 A Sincere Protest Made with the Object of Confirming the Soul’s Resolution to Serve God as a Cojnclusion to its Acts of Penitence 1:53:58 Conclusion of This First Purification 1:55:53 The Necessity of Purging Away All Tendency to Venial Sins 2:00:35 It Is Necessary to Put Away All Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things 2:03:14 All Evil Inclinations Must Be Purged Away 02:05:29 Part 2 – Counsels as to Uplifting the Soul to God in Prayer and the Use of the Sacraments 2:05:38 The Necessity of Prayer 2:11:30 A Short Method of Meditation in the Presence of God: The First Point of Preparation 2:17:05 Invocation: The Second Point of Preparation 2:18:38 Representing the Mystery to Be Meditated to Your Imagination: The Third Point of Preparation 2:20:49 Considerations: The Second Part of Meditation 2:22:16 Affections and Resolutions: The Third Part of Meditation 2:24:01 The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet 2:25:44 Some Useful Hints on Meditation 2:30:40 Concerning Dryness in Meditation 2:33:15 Morning Prayer 2:36:05 Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience 2:38:03 Spiritual Refreshment 2:42:42 Aspirations, Brief Prayer, and Holy Thoughts 2:53:34 Holy Communion, and How to Receive It 2:58:17 The Other Public Offices of the Church 3:00:13 How the Saints Are United to Us 3:02:58 How to Hear and Read God’s Word 3:05:05 How to Receive Inspirations 3:10:31 Confession 3:17:35 Frequent Communion 3:23:09 How to Communicate 03:28:01 Part 3 – Counsels Concerning the Practice of Virtue 03:28:08 How to Select That Which We Should Chiefly Practice 03:36:56 The Same Subject Continued 03:43:55 Patience 03:53:08 Greater Humility 03:59:02 Interior Humility 04:08:28 Humility Makes Us Rejoice in Our Own Abjection 04:15:11 How to Combine Due Care for a Good Reputation with Humility 04:22:40 Gentleness Towards Others and Remedies Against Anger 04:31:05 Gentleness Towards Ourselves 04:35:35 We Must Attend to the ...
    Más Menos
    9 h y 29 m
  • Pope Benedict XVI - Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) | Part 2

    Pope Benedict XVI - Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) | Part 2
    Jan 17 2025

    “Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practice it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world—this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Encyclical.”

    Deus Caritas Est, or “God is Love,” was the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, released on December 25, 2005. This letter focuses on the nature of Christian love, particularly examining the relationship between God’s love for humanity and the love Christians are called to show others. Benedict grounds his reflections in Scripture and tradition, aiming to clarify misunderstandings about Christian love in a contemporary world marked by both cynicism and sentimentality.

    This episode comprises the second part, titled “Caritas: The Practice of Love by the Church as a Community of Love,” and the encyclical's conclusion.

    Links:

    Full text: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est.html

    SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268

    SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter

    DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.
    Más Menos
    56 m
  • St. John Henry Newman - Reverence, a Belief in God's Presence

    St. John Henry Newman - Reverence, a Belief in God's Presence
    Dec 18 2024

    "They are the class of feelings we should have—yes, have in an intense degree—if we literally had the sight of Almighty God; therefore they are the class of feelings which we shall have, if we realize His presence."

    This sermon appears among a collection of sermons originally written and preached by St. John Henry Newman before his conversion to Catholicism. In it, Newman emphasizes that true reverence arises from a deep, abiding awareness of God's presence.

    Links

    Reverence, a Belief in God's Presence full text: https://newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume5/sermon2.html

    SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268

    SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter

    DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.
    Más Menos
    31 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro768_stickypopup