Mining The Mysteries: A Catechetical Podcast

For this week's special episode, we welcome Father Wes Walker, co-founder of "The Sacramentalist" podcast, to discuss anxiety, melancholy, and spiritual distress. We define these terms and explore how our physical bodies and rational souls interact during times of mental darkness.

Our conversation addresses common questions, such as whether these disorders are rooted in personal sin and how to discern the difference between psychological struggles and demonic influence. We also examine the alarming rise in teen anxiety, discussing the impact of smartphones, social media, and a performance-driven culture. Finally, we share practical ways the Church and medical professionals can help us navigate these heavy burdens, highlighting the importance of the sacraments, cognitive behavioral therapy, and coming to God with honest prayer.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

• The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius

• Knowing Darkness by Addison Hodges Hart

We continue our series on the vices and virtues by examining humility as the antidote to pride. We discuss how humility requires deliberate effort and active servitude to curb our natural selfishness. Our conversation explores Abigail's intervention to save her household in 1 Samuel 25 alongside St. Mary the Virgin's faithful obedience in the Magnificat. We also discuss the servitude of Jesus Christ detailed in Philippians 2 and His warning to the disciples about seeking earthly authority. We present practical questions for self-examination to identify our hidden entitlement and evaluate our willingness to serve others without recognition.

Welcome to Season 5 of Mining The Mysteries!

Fr. Miller and Dcn. Stu kick off this new season with a 14-week series exploring the seven deadly sins (vices) and their corresponding virtues. In this first episode, we discuss the sin of Pride and some modern cultural trends that promote it.

Featured Books

• Introduction to the SpiritualLife by Brant Pitre

•   A Pocket Guide to Overcoming theSeven Deadly Sins by Father Josh Johnson

• The Practice of Religion byArchibald Knowles

• A Serious Call to a Devout andHoly Life by William Law

• Holy Living and Holy Dyingby Jeremy Taylor

In this season finale, we conclude our journey through the Ten Commandments by examining the 10th and final Commandment. Unlike earlier commandments that address outward actions, the 10th Commandment focuses on internal desires. We define coveting, explore its devastating effects through the story of Achan, and discuss ways to cultivate contentment in a world designed to keep us wanting more.

Inside This Episode

• Defining the 10th Commandment: Understanding coveting as the "conception point" for other sins.

• The Interior Life: Why this commandment is unique among the ten for its focus on the heart and mind.

• The Sin of Achan (Joshua 7): How one person's hidden covetousness can bring a "curse" upon an entire community.

• Modern "Covetous Machines": A discussion of social media and the "GQ Pastor" culture as breeding grounds for envy.

• Radical Amputation: Applying Colossians 3:1–5 to "put to death" earthly desires.

• Learning Contentment: Insights from St. Paul’s imprisonment in Philippians and the call to prioritize the eternal over the temporal.

***The book we reference is “What the Church Fathers Say: Insightful Sayings of the Church Fathers on Various Subjects” by George Grube. It appears to be out of print and no longer on Amazon, but it can still be found on sites like eBay and ABE Books. 



Key Scripture & References

• Exodus 20:17: The 10th Commandment.

• Joshua 7: The defeat at Ai and the judgment of Achan.

• Colossians 3:1–5: Setting minds on things above and mortifying covetousness.

• Philippians 4:11–12: St. Paul on the secret of being content.

• 1 Timothy 6:6–10: The warning that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

• 1928 Book of Common Prayer: The Offices of Instruction (pages 287–289).

Coming This Fall

We are taking a break for the summer! When we return for our new season, we will shift from the "What" to the "How." Topics will include:• Practical Living: How to live out the Catechesis in daily life.• Deep Dives into Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer and an exploration of the Book of Common Prayer.• Developing a Rule of Life: Tools for spiritual discipline.• Mental & Spiritual Health: Navigating anxiety, melancholy, and spiritual distress.• The Deuterocanon: Understanding the Apocrypha with special guests.

Connect With Us

Even while we are on hiatus, we want to hear from you. Send your questions or topics you would like us to cover!

"A person who does not do what God has commanded shows that he really does not believe God." — St. Clement of Rome

Welcome back! After a busy Holy Week and Easter season at the parish, we are back behind the microphone to continue our deep dive into the Decalogue. In this episode, we tackle the Ninth Commandment: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

While often overshadowed by what many consider "the big sins," we discuss why the sins of the tongue, such as gossip, slander, and backbiting, are often more destructive to parish life than almost anything else. We explore why the Lord considers sowing discord among the brethren to be such a grave matter, using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the Offices of Instruction as our guide.

• Exodus 20:16 – The Commandment.

• Numbers 12:1–13—The complaint of Miriam and Aaron.

• Proverbs 6:16–19 – The seven things that the Lord hates.

• Philippians 4:4–9 – Meditating on what is true and noble.

• Ephesians 5:15–21 – Walking circumspectly and redeeming the time.

Next Week: We hope you will join us for our final episode before our summer break as we conclude our series on the Ten Commandments.

Have a question or comment? Reach out to us at [email protected] or [email protected].

In this episode, we discuss the 8th Commandment: Thou shalt not steal. Stealing is not just taking what belongs to another; it is also withholding what is due to our neighbor. We look at the book of Amos and the judgment against those who tread down the poor. Jesus warns us against hoarding goods for ourselves, as the rich man did with his barns. St. Paul tells us to work with our hands so that we have something to give to those in need. We also talk about tithes, alms, and the duty to be cheerful givers.

In this second episode of The Seventh Commandment, we move from definitions to the messy, practical realities of life in a fallen world. We discuss the difficult questions of divorce and remarriage through the lens of Matthew 19, emphasizing that while divorce may be a concession to sin, reconciliation remains the heart of the Gospel.

The conversation provides a roadmap for guarding the "temple of the Holy Spirit," touching on everything from the desert fathers’ warnings against idleness to the modern necessity of digital accountability. By reframing purity not as a series of "don'ts" but as a progression toward holiness, this episode offers hopeful advice for living as "children of light" in a hyper-sexualized age.

In the first of a two-part series, we explore the Seventh Commandment: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Shifting the focus from mere prohibition to the positive duty of “temperance, soberness, and chastity,” the discussion grounds human sexuality in the created order of Genesis 2. By examining the “one-flesh” union, the sacramental nature of marriage, and St. Paul’s teaching on the body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit, we address how the Fall disordered our desires. This episode tackles the internal battle of the heart, the pervasive challenge of pornography, and the necessity of radical accountability—moving away from a culture of shame toward a life of transparency and union with Christ.

• Theology of the Body (TOB) Institute: https://tobinstitute.org/ – A liberating vision of human identity, love, and union based on the teachings of St. John Paul II.
• Common Prayer Online: https://commonprayeronline.com – Access the 1928 Book of Common Prayer daily offices, including Family Prayers and the Offices of Instruction.

In this episode, Father Miller and Stu examine the Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not Murder," looking past the outward act to the interior state of the soul. By exploring the narratives of Cain, Lamech, and King David, they discuss how envy and selfishness serve as the root of violence. The conversation centers on the fulfillment of the law in Christ, who calls us to move beyond mere legalism toward a life of reconciliation, tenderheartedness, and the pastoral care of our neighbors.

For further study on the historical witness of the Church regarding the sanctity of life, please see this resource: https://www.ncregister.com/news/abortion-contraception-and-the-church-fathers

Today's episode is a Q&A. Also, Fr. Randall has a special announcement at the end of the show about some exciting changes in his ministry.