Council of Catholic Men: Catechism and Bible Study of the Catholic Church

Council of Catholic Men Catechism and Bible Study 2026 A.D. October 7
74
The Apocalypse of Saint John the Apostle Chapter 11 "He is ordered to measure the temple: the two witnesses"
Hope; Our Father; "Deliver us from evil"
October 11 Feast of the martyrs Saints Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus, martyred in Cilicia.


In this episode, we opened with prayer and continued our study of Saint John’s Apocalypse by reading chapter 11, reflecting on the measuring of the temple, the mission and martyrdom of the two witnesses, and the sounding of the seventh trumpet as heaven proclaims the reign of Christ. We also noted the traditional footnote identifying the two witnesses with Enoch and Elias, then turned to the final petition of the Our Father—“deliver us from evil”—through the Catechism of St. Peter Canisius, drawing together its teaching on prayer, confidence in God, and the need to ask according to His will with supporting passages from Scripture.

To close, we read from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Victories of the Martyrs, focusing on the witness of Saints Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus ahead of their October feast. Their steadfast endurance under torture became a meditation on courage, fidelity, and the grace God gives to those who suffer for Christ. We ended, as always, in prayer, asking for perseverance, purity of heart, and trust in God’s mercy.

Council of Catholic Men Catechism and Bible Study 2026 A.D. September 30
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The Apocalypse of Saint John the Apostle Chapter 10 "The cry of a mighty angel: he gives John a book to eat."
Hope; Our Father; "Lead us not into temptation"
September 30 feast of Saint Jerome


In this episode, we continue our Bible study through chapter 10 of the Apocalypse of Saint John, focusing on the mighty angel, the little book, and the striking image of John being told to eat the book. We reflect on how the sweetness in the mouth and bitterness in the belly points to the way we are meant to receive the word of God deeply, allowing it to enter the interior life through prayer, meditation, and faithful obedience. We also follow the chapter’s footnotes and cross-references into Daniel and Ezekiel to see how Scripture interprets Scripture and how God prepares His servants to prophesy with both consolation and suffering.

From there, we turn to the section on hope and the sixth petition of the Our Father, “Lead us not into temptation,” drawing on the catechetical teaching attributed to Saint Peter Canisius and a wide range of scriptural references on temptation, perseverance, spiritual warfare, and victory through Christ. To close, we read from The Golden Legend for the feast of Saint Jerome, reflecting on his love of Sacred Scripture, his ascetic life, his translation work, and the enduring witness of a saint who gave himself entirely to the word of God.

Council of Catholic Men Catechism and Bible Study 2026 September 23
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Apocalypse Chapter 9 "Locusts come forth from the bottomless pit: the vision of the army of horsemen."
Hope; Our Father; "Forgive us our trespasses"
September 26 feast of the martyrdom of Saints Cyprian, magician; and Justina, virgin


In this episode, we continue our Wednesday catechism and Bible study by walking through Revelation chapter 9, reflecting on the trumpet judgments, the locusts from the bottomless pit, the army of horsemen, and the hard truth that many still refuse repentance even in the face of divine chastisement. We also read from the chapter footnotes and scriptural cross-references, drawing out how the Church has understood these difficult apocalyptic images and how they point us back to fidelity, penance, and the danger of idolatry and error.

We then move into the Large Catechism of Saint Peter Canisius on the fifth petition of the Our Father, “forgive us our trespasses,” and spend time on the Christian duty to forgive from the heart, even when we have been deeply wronged. To close, we read from Saint Alphonsus de Liguori’s Victories of the Martyrs, covering the story of Saints Cyprian and Justina as a striking witness to conversion, purity, steadfast faith, and the triumph of God’s mercy over sin and the powers of darkness.

Council of Catholic Men Catechism and Bible Study 2026 September 16
71
Apocalypse Chapter 8 "The seventh seal is opened, the angels with the seven trumpets."
Hope; Our Father; "Give us this day our daily bread."
September 19 Feast of the martyrdom of St. Januarius "The miracle of his blood." and companions. 


In this episode, we open in prayer and continue our Bible study in Revelation chapter 8, reflecting on the opening of the seventh seal, the silence in heaven, and the first four trumpet judgments. We then turn to St. Peter Canisius’s large catechism and meditate on the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread,” considering both our material dependence on God and, even more importantly, the spiritual nourishment he gives through his word, wisdom, and the Blessed Sacrament. Along the way, we read through a wide range of Scripture passages—from Matthew, Amos, Sirach, Proverbs, John, James, the Psalms, Deuteronomy, Genesis, and 1 Timothy—to deepen the meaning of daily bread as the sustenance of both body and soul.

To close, we read from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Victories of the Martyrs and consider the witness of St. Januarius and his companions ahead of his September 19 feast. We reflect on martyrdom, fidelity under persecution, and the long tradition of devotion surrounding St. Januarius in Naples, including the well-known account of his blood liquefying. We end by praying the Our Father together and asking God to keep us faithful, nourished, and steadfast in hope.

In this episode, we open with prayer and lead our Council of Catholic Men Bible study through the whole of Revelation chapter 7, reflecting on the sealing of the servants of God, the great multitude clothed in white robes, and the promise that the Lamb will shepherd His people and wipe away every tear from their eyes. We trace the chapter’s scriptural echoes in Isaiah 49, Isaiah 25, and Revelation 21, highlighting how these passages deepen the Church’s hope in salvation, perseverance through tribulation, and eternal consolation in God’s presence.

We then continue our catechism study on the third petition of the Our Father, “Thy will be done,” using scriptural references to meditate on obedience, humility, and surrender to God’s will in both prosperity and suffering. To close, we read from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Victories of the Martyrs, recounting the witness of Saints Peter, Dorotheus, and Gorgonius under Diocletian, and end as we began in prayer, looking ahead to next week’s study of Revelation chapter 8.

In this episode, we led our prayerful study through Revelation 6, reading the opening of the first six seals and reflecting on the white, red, black, and pale horses, the cry of the martyrs beneath the altar, and the terror of those who try to hide from the wrath of the Lamb. We also followed the footnotes into Isaiah 2, Hosea 10, and Luke 23 to see how the Apocalypse is illuminated by earlier Scripture and how Christ’s kingship and judgment give this chapter its full meaning.

From there, we continued our catechism study on the second petition of the Our Father, “Thy kingdom come,” drawing on St. Peter Canisius and a wide range of biblical references to frame earthly life as pilgrimage, struggle, and preparation for the kingdom of glory. We closed with a reading from Jacobus de Voragine’s The Golden Legend on St. Giles, highlighting his renunciation, miracles, humility, and holiness, and previewed next week’s reflection on Revelation 7 and the petition, “Thy will be done.”

In this episode, we opened with prayer and Psalm 23 before continuing our study of Revelation with chapter 5, where the Lamb alone is found worthy to open the sealed book and receives the worship of heaven and earth. We reflected especially on Revelation 5:8 and the image of the saints in heaven presenting the prayers of the faithful, drawing out its importance for Catholic teaching on the intercession of the saints. We also followed the chapter’s endnote back to Isaiah 6, reading the prophet’s temple vision and connecting its heavenly worship to the vision given to Saint John.

We then turned to the Lord’s Prayer through the catechetical teaching attributed in the episode to Saint Peter Canisius, focusing on the petition “Hallowed be thy name” and the call to glorify God through holy living, good example, and works done for His honor. From there, we closed with readings from Saint Alphonsus Liguori’s Victories of the Martyrs, recounting the conversion and martyrdom of Saint Genesius and the witness of Saint Seraphia and Saint Sabina, before ending the study with the Our Father and a final blessing.

In this week’s Council of Catholic Men, we opened with prayer and then continued our Bible study in the Apocalypse of Saint John, reading chapter 4 and reflecting on the heavenly throne room: the majesty of God, the twenty-four ancients, the four living creatures, and the unending hymn of “Holy, holy, holy.” We also followed the chapter’s endnote into Isaiah 6, drawing out the connection between John’s vision and Isaiah’s temple vision, where the prophet is purified and sent by the Lord.

From there, we turned to Saint Peter Canisius’s Large Catechism and began the section on the Lord’s Prayer within the virtue of hope, focusing on its seven petitions and especially the opening words, “Our Father,” as a reminder of our adoption in Christ and our confidence in prayer. We closed with a reading from Saint Alphonsus Liguori’s Victories of the Martyrs on Saints Bonosus and Maximilian, whose steadfast witness under persecution served as a final meditation on courage, fidelity, and the triumph of faith.

In this Bible study, we continued our walk through Revelation by opening chapter 3 and reflecting on Christ’s messages to Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. We spent time on the warnings to stay watchful, avoid spiritual lukewarmness, and do penance, while also taking heart in the promises made to those who persevere. We also followed the cross-references tied to the chapter—especially the call to readiness, the image of the key of David, and the Lord’s loving discipline—so we could see how Scripture interprets Scripture and how these passages point us toward fidelity, repentance, and hope in the kingdom of heaven.

We then connected those themes to hope through the catechetical reading attributed to St. Peter Canisius, focusing on the good things Christians are called to hope for: eternal life, God’s grace for this life, and the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. From there, we read through Matthew 6 and Luke 11 to reflect on trusting the Father, seeking first the kingdom, and praying with confidence. We closed with a martyr story from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s The Victories of the Martyrs, reading the witness of St. Euplius, whose steadfast confession under persecution offered a powerful example of courage, love of Scripture, and faithfulness unto death.

In this August 5, 2026 episode of Council of Catholic Men, we open in prayer and continued our reading of Revelation chapter 2, reflecting on Christ’s words to the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira. We worked through the warnings against losing our first charity, tolerating false doctrine, and falling into presumption, while also dwelling on the promises given to those who persevere: the tree of life, the crown of life, hidden manna, and the morning star. We also read through several scriptural footnotes and cross-references to show how the Church has long understood these passages in light of repentance, judgment, perseverance, and the reward of the saints.

From there, we returned to the catechism of St. Peter Canisius on the virtue of hope, focusing on how hope is strengthened by prayer, meditation on God’s goodness, purity of conscience, good works, and patience in adversity. To close, we read from St. Alphonsus de Liguori’s Victories of the Martyrs with the story of St. Afra, whose conversion, penance, and martyrdom offer a powerful witness to God’s mercy toward repentant sinners. We ended by looking ahead to Revelation chapter 3 and the next catechism question on the good things a Christian ought to hope for.