Catholic Culture Audiobooks

"Surely the world is impregnated with the elements of preternatural evil, which ever and anon, in unhealthy seasons, give lowering and muttering tokens of the wrath to come!"

This is the second in a series of four lectures by Newman on The Patristical Idea of Antichrist, the first lecture of which we released back in January. Whereas the first lecture considered "The Times of Antichrist", this second lecture addresses the question of whether the Antichrist will profess any particular religion at all.

On the one hand, Antichrist will not only reject Christ — he will oppose all religion, all worship, and all that is called God. On the other hand, the Antichrist will be mistaken for the Christ. He will impersonate the Messiah, and therefore will have some connection to Jewish custom, ritual, and the Temple. Further, he will usher in a novel form of false worship, and will do so even as he restores the old Roman Empire.

Newman recalls some remarkable features of the French Revolution to illustrate that "there are ways of fulfilling sacred announcements that seem at first sight contradictory."

As with the first lecture, this present installment is an exhortation to take seriously the prophecies concerning the Antichrist, and to a renewed confidence in God's providence through history.

Links

The Religion of Antichrist Full text: https://www.newmanreader.org/works/arguments/antichrist/lecture2.html

The Times of Antichrist on Catholic Culture Audiobooks: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-john-henry-newman-patristical-idea-antichrist-pt-1-times-antichrist/

Way of the Fathers w/ Mike Aquilina, Ep. 32—Julian, the Apostate Who Aped the Church: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/32julian-apostate-who-aped-church/

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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.

"One that lives by other's breath, / Dieth also by his death."

This poem by the English Jesuit martyr St. Robert Southwell is a meditation upon Mary Magdalene at the foot of the Cross. As an eventual martyr himself, Southwell's reflections on death in the poem are prescient.

The poem is prefaced by a brief letter on the nature and purpose of poetry, written separately by Southwell to his cousin, who seems also to have been a poet. The letter played a large role in the significant influence Southwell had upon later writers of the English Renaissance, with even William Shakespeare seeming to have included a response to this letter in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In fact, some scholars have argued that the "cousin" to whom Southwell writes in this letter is none other than Shakespeare himself.

Learn more about St. Robert Southwell, his poetry, and the poetry of other English Martyrs, in episode 69 of the Catholic Culture Podcast.

Links

St. Robert Southwell—Love & Suffering: 3 Poems | Catholic Culture Audiobooks: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/love-suffering-3-poems-by-st-robert-southwell/

Ep. 69—Poetry of the English Martyrs—Benedict Whalen | Catholic Culture Podcast: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ep-69-poetry-english-martyrs-benedict-whalen/

"Mary Magdalene's Complaint at Christ's Death" full text: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalen%27s_Complaint_at_Christ%27s_Death

Lyra Martyrum: The Poetry of the English Martyrs https://www.clunymedia.com/product/lyra-martyrum/

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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.

"The axe of the Gospel must now be laid at the roots of the barren tree and the tree must be delivered to the flames with its unfruitful leaves, so that he who has never learned to speak might learn at length to hold his tongue."

Despite little training in eloquence or theology, Helvidius had gained some notoriety as an opponent of monasticism and of virginity as a way of life. This led Helvidius also to deny the perpetual virginity of Mary. Helvidius' book on the subject became a major source of scandal in Rome. And this St. Jerome could not abide.

In his response, Jerome maintains three propositions against Helvidius: that Joseph was considered the husband of Mary as he was considered the father of Jesus, more by repute than by biological fact; that the "brethren" of the Lord referenced in the Gospels were Jesus' cousins, not his brothers; and that virginity is indeed a higher state in life than the married state.

Links

Dogmatic and Polemical Works, by St. Jerome: https://verbum.com/product/120412/dogmatic-and-polemical-works

Against Helvidius full text at CatholicCulture.org: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2314

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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.

In this bonus episode originally from the Catholic Culture Podcast, CatholicCulture.org's director of podcasts, Thomas V. Mirus, interviews voice actor James T. Majewski (Catholic Culture Audiobooks) and author Mike Aquilina (Way of the Fathers) about how they make their shows and the effect reading and studying the Church Fathers has had on them personally.

If you are a lector at Mass, you will find James's comments on how he approaches reading the writings of the Saints inspiring and helpful.

Contents

[2:15] James's training in philosophy and acting as preparation for narrating the Fathers

[7:00] How Mike meandered into a career writing about the Fathers

[9:27] The original idea for audiobooks and podcasts at The Catholic Culture

[15:33] How Mike distills scholarship into an accessible and edifying presentation of early Church history

[21:20] The accessibility and affordability of creating a good-sounding podcast

[24:16] James's process for preparing nuanced readings of the Fathers at a rapid pace

[33:03] Mike's and James's recourse to the intercession of the holy authors they study

[37:38] St. John Henry Newman and the early Fathers as masters of media

[42:40] The mastery of the Fathers' work and its relevance today

[45:55] The spiritual effects of narrating the writings of saints

Links

Support CatholicCulture.org's podcasting efforts https://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

Catholic Culture Podcast https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/category/catholic-culture-podcast/

Way of the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/category/way-fathers/

James T. Majewski https://www.jamestmajewski.com/

Mike Aquilina https://fathersofthechurch.com/

“I ask you to ask yourself simply, very simply, this question: where is the honor which I am due as a father? Does it exist? Does it exist enough? Do I enforce it enough, these rights which I do not have the right to touch because they are the rights of divine fatherhood which I represent?”

Happy Father's Day! We’re continuing our series of works honoring St. Joseph throughout this year of St. Joseph, with this remarkable reflection on fatherhood.

The English translation of this work appeared in the Winter 2018 Issue of Dominicana Journal, a publication of student friars of the province of St. Joseph, in formation at the Dominican House of Studies. The focus of this particular issue was “Christian Manliness”, presenting a positive view of manly virtue and masculine perfection.

Pierre-Thomas Dehau, OP (1870-1956) was a priest of the Dominican Province of France. Blind from a young age, he was never able to write books. Instead, Fr. Dehau devoted himself to preaching and giving retreats. The works of his available to us today come from notes of his lectures, homilies, and conferences. This text is an excerpt from a series of conferences given by Fr. Dehau on the family, considering each member of the family - father, mother, and child - and reflecting upon their counterparts in the Holy Family.

Links

Dominicana Journal: https://www.dominicanajournal.org/

Follow this link to join the Online Great Books VIP waiting list and get 25% off your first 3 months: https://hj424.isrefer.com/go/ogbmemberships/tmirus/

Go to http://www.catholicculture.org/getaudio to register for FREE access to the full archive of audiobooks beyond the most recent 15 episodes.

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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.

"What is up to us is to plead without ceasing for discernment and love, for justice and patience—and for unshakable love for the Church. Because only the lover discerns. And what people who do not love her, maybe secretly hate her, tell us about her need not frighten us."

Born in 1901, Ida Friederike Görres was an historically significant figure in the early twentieth-century German Catholic Renewal movement. The eulogy at her funeral in 1971 was given by none other than a certain Fr. Joseph Ratzinger. Today, over fifty years after her death, there is renewed interest in her works.

A student of political science, history, church history, theology, and philosophy, Görres worked for the diocese of Dresden-Meissen as "Diocesan Secretary for Young Women's Ministry". After her marriage, Görres devoted herself increasingly to her work as a writer and theologian in service to the Church.

She published many lengthy works, as well as lectures and shorter writings on current issues in the Church. She lived through the Second Vatican Council, and though she welcomed the Council with joy, she tracked later developments within the Church with concern—as evidenced by this lecture given in 1970, only one year before her death.

Narrated by Karina Majewski.

Links

Learn more about Ida Friederike Görres: https://www.idagoerres.org/

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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.

"In your bread is hidden the Spirit which cannot be eaten. / In your wine dwells the fire that cannot be drunk. / Spirit in your bread, fire in your wine: / It is a distinct wonder that our lips have received!"

Born in the year 306, Ephrem lived in Nisibis (in modern-day Turkey), at what was then the border between the Roman and Persian empires.

Ephrem was a deacon and a prolific writer. To this day, he remains among the most notable hymnographers in Eastern Christianity. He has been called, in fact, the lyre of the Holy Spirit, and in 1920 he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XV.

This short hymn is one of Ephrem's Eucharistic hymns, also containing some resonance with Pentecost.

Links

St. Ephrem, Hymns on Faith: https://verbum.com/product/169347/the-hymns-on-faith

Ep. 28—Ephrem, Symbolist—Way of the Fathers with Mike Aquilina: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/27ephrem-symbolist/

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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.

"Like the new mother, burdened with milk for the child, so the poet with the word within him, addressed to others."

Paul Claudel was born in 1868 in rural northeastern France. He absorbed the poetry of Walt Whitman and Arthur Rimbaud while in his teens, and experienced a religious epiphany at Notre Dame cathedral during Christmas 1886. Claudel was productive in many literary genres. Besides the Odes, his masterpieces include the dramas The Break of Noon, The Tidings Brought to Mary, and The Satin Slipper. The poet served throughout the world in the French diplomatic corps, and died in 1955.

Claudel's Five Great Odes constitutes one of the great twentieth-century achievements in lyric poetry. The third Ode, "Magnificat", recalls his conversion, which occurred at Christmas vespers, where the Magnificat was sung, in Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

Links

Buy Five Great Odes, from Angelico Press: https://www.angelicopress.org/five-great-odes-claudel

Ep. 92—Claudel's Cosmic Vision—Jonathan Geltner | Catholic Culture Podcast: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/92-tom-bombadilleau-claudels-cosmic-vision-jonathan-geltner/

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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.

"True, we should esteem the things that make for the glory of God, but we should show the greatest esteem for those that concern the will of God."

This week, we conclude our series of readings from St. Alphonsus's Uniformity with God's Will.

In these final chapters, St. Alphonsus turns his attention to times of spiritual desolation, when submission to the will of God can sometimes be the most difficult.

Alphonsus includes in his considerations: the sudden loss of others, particularly those by whom we are spiritually edified; dryness and difficulty in prayer; unrelenting temptation; as well as the circumstances of our own death.

"We should consider everything happening to us in the present," Alphonsus writes, "and everything that will happen to us in the future, as coming from the hands of God."

To hearken back to the very first chapter of this work, uniformity with God's will means something more than simply obeying God in this or that circumstance — it means, as St. Alphonsus puts it, "that we make one will of God's will and ours… that God's will alone, is our will."

Links

Uniformity with God's Will Full text: http://www.catholictreasury.info/books/uniformity_with_Gods_will/un3.php

Go to http://www.catholicculture.org/getaudio to register for FREE access to the full archive of audiobooks beyond the most recent 15 episodes.

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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.

"...at the moment of Joseph's own 'annunciation' he said nothing; instead he simply 'did as the angel of the Lord commanded him'. And this first 'doing' became the beginning of 'Joseph's way'. The Gospels do not record any word ever spoken by Joseph along that way. But the silence of Joseph has its own special eloquence..."

On August 15th, 1889, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the encyclical letter Quamquam Pluries on devotion to St. Joseph. 100 years later, on August 15th, 1989—and only two years after the release of his great Marian encyclical, Redemptoris Mater, "Mother of the Redeemer"—Pope St. John Paul II gave his apostolic exhortation Redemptoris Custos, "Guardian of the Redeemer", on the person and mission of St. Joseph in the life of Christ and of the Church.

"It is my heartfelt wish," St. John Paul writes, "that these reflections on the person of St. Joseph will renew in us the prayerful devotion which my Predecessor called for a century ago. Our prayers and the very person of Joseph have renewed significance for the Church in our day."

St. Joseph the Worker, Guardian of the Redeemer — pray for us!

Links

Redemptoris Custos Full text: http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_15081989_redemptoris-custos.html

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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.