Cracks in the Cloister (A St. Mary's Abbey Podcast)

In this episode Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius discuss a recent trip to the local AMC to watch The Menu. Spoilers do occur for the movie as they discuss the theme that actions have consequences.  Likewise, they discuss how sometimes, an action can cause a permanent consequence that you didn’t intend but nevertheless have to live with for the rest of your life.

In this episode Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius discuss the importance of free speech and widening your sources of information. 

In this week's episode Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius discuss random stories from their high school and college lives.  These stories revolve mainly around various concert experiences that they shared with their good friends.  Times they chose to live in the moment, enjoy time with the guys, and prioritize living rather than documenting what they are doing. And, Yes, some of the stories do indeed talk about watching a concert from the side of a stage with Avenged and ignoring a young Taylor Swift in order to go check out the county fair.

In this episode Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius discuss the need for personal responsibility and drive in life. The fact is that even if people have an equal opportunity that does not guarantee equal outcomes, either in the secular world or in the realm of religion.  Someone like Jonathan Yong Kim, MD; a retired US Navy Seal and Astronaut, came from a background that one would not suspect to dispose him to all his accomplishments, and yet he succeeded through effort, skill, and luck.  So to quote the wisdom of They Might Be Giants, at times, “life is unfair” but that doesn't mean you are locked into a certain lot in life.

In this episode Br. William and Fr. Demetrius discuss the dangers of listening to only people who agree with you.  They discuss how the subjectivization of truth, for example with the phrase “my truth”,  has led to a society that sees any challenge to one's way of thinking to be a challenge to themselves and not merely their ideas.  This echo chamber also seemed to be something pushed slowly by the technologies and their algorithms that we all take for granted. They ultimately decide about the importance of true dialog to discover objective truth.

In this episode Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius talk about the question of heaven and hell.  Generally what is and do you think most people will get there?

In this week’s episode Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius discuss life lessons learned on the Jui Jitsu mats. Learning how to deal with being uncomfortable and recognizing when you are and are not in real danger in tough situations prove to be lessons not only for the mats but for life.  Tied to this discussion is the virtue of humility and knowing that you are not the best, someone always has the potential to be better than you, and you are always called to show true respect and love toward those you encounter.

In this episode Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius are joined by Adam Dupre. Adam is a former Salesian of Don Bosco and a friend of Fr. Demetrius who currently works for the Archdiocese of Boston.  They discuss what led Adam to discern that he wanted to join the Salesians, what life was like for a Salesian, and importantly what led Br. Adam to decided to transition back into “regular” life.  It turned out to be a fun conversation interrupted by the occasional baby rattle and story of Fr. Demetrius’ escapades from his time as a student in seminary. 

In this week’s episode Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius discuss a variety of concepts related to people doing the various things that make them feel fulfilled. This includes talking about Shia Labeouf and his recent interviews about the “Latin Mass” and even some stories from their recent visit to the NY Renaissance Fair. Towards the end of the episode Fr. Demetrius reveals a podcast intro theme he has been experimenting with. Perhaps next week will start with a theme song?

In this episode, Br. Will and Fr. Demetrius discuss prayer and life. Especially of interest is that prayer has a much broader meaning than most people think of.  Jiu Jitsu, going for a walk, and talking to a close friend can all be things that are a type of prayer or can lead you to prayer. For more information on prayer please consider looking at the playlist of retreat talks given by Fr. Demetrius during the pandemic, links below. Also, if you feel so inclined, please consider supporting the monks with a tax-deductible gift, also linked below.

Talks on Prayer:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzxNhrwrYKApCvITwJrigVPVMZ_TdGkRk

Link to donate and support the monks:

https://saintmarysabbey.org/donate