Mystagogy

By Barbara Nicolosi HarringtonReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Mystagogy episodes

October 11, 2022 God as 'That Tremendous Lover' in The Hound of Heaven
We begin our fall series with the work that G.K. Chesterton called, "the greatest poem ever written in modern English," namely, Francis Thompson's devastating piece, "The Hound of Heaven." J.R.R. Tolkien credited this work with having a significant influence on his masterpiece trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, noting that the poem is "one of the most profound expressions of mature spiritual experience." Dorothy Day was also strongly impacted by Thompson's poem writing: "It is one of those poems that awakens the soul, and recalls to it the fact that God is its destiny."

Here is a copy of the poem to read.
Or, you may prefer listening to it in audio version.
Also, here is a modern, animated adaptation that might help you into the work.

Slide presentation

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
1 hr 1 min
August 27, 2022 The Conversion of St. Augustine: Books 8 & 9 of The Confessions
We examine the conversion of Saint Augustine as he describes it in Books 8 and 9 of his Confessions.
You can find the text online by clicking here.

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
1 hr 1 min
August 23, 2022 Saint Augustine's Confessions: Books 5-7
We continue exploring the Confessions of Saint Augustine – "the Doctor of Grace" – by discussing Books 5, 6 and 7.
You can find the text online by clicking here.

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
1 hr 5 min
August 16, 2022 Saint Augustine's Confessions: Books 3 & 4
We continue exploring the Confessions of Saint Augustine – "the Doctor of Grace" – by discussing Books 3 and 4.

You can find the text online by clicking here.

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
57 min
August 09, 2022 Saint Augustine's Confessions
We conclude our summer spirituality series with the work that has arguably meant more to more people than any other written work in human history, except only the Scriptures. In his Confessions, St. Augustine – "the Doctor of Grace" – takes us intimately into his confidence, holding nothing back about all the ways that he fled from God until he finally surrendered to Divine Love and Providence.

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
1 hr 9 min
August 02, 2022 St. Thomas Aquinas on Suffering: A Call and Response
We will be considering Saint Thomas Aquinas’s teaching on suffering from his Literal Exposition of the Book of Job. All-but-forgotten today, this monumental text was considered the greatest work of biblical exegesis in its time. For 200 years, it was the definitive interpretation of Job’s story and a template for scholarly commentary on Scripture. We will discover that St. Thomas Aquinas believed a life story could tell us more about the meaning of suffering than a rational argument (as you would find in the Summa Theologica). He also believed (contrary to popular belief) that Job’s story is not about patience in suffering, but rather, about God’s teaching through His Divine Providence and Job’s response.

Tonight's presentation will be given by Dr. Cynthia Nicolosi, PhD. Here is a snip from her professional bio:
Dr. Nicolosi began her academic career with a bachelor’s degree in the Great Books from Magdalen College in New Hampshire. She went on to receive a master’s degree in philosophy from Boston College and then the PhD from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy. Dr. Nicolosi’s specialty in philosophy is the narrative quality of human experience: we tell stories because we live stories. In addition to her work in philosophy, Dr. Nicolosi holds a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from Holy Cross and a bachelor’s in biology from University of New Hampshire. She also has a master’s in forensic psychology from Southern New Hampshire University and graduate studies in both music and creative writing. Dr. Nicolosi has been teaching at the university level for thirty-seven years. In 2017, she received the Teaching Excellence Award from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a three-time recipient of the Catholic Press Award. Of the fifteen years she lived in Europe, eight were spent in Italy, five in France, and two in Ireland. Having made the move to Virginia in 2020 to help care for her parents, Dr. Nicolosi is now teaching at Regent University.

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
58 min
July 19, 2022 The Spirituality of the Mass (Part 2) and the Blessed Sacrament
We continue our spiritual tour through the Holy Mass and give particular emphasis to Jesus’ gift of Himself in the Blessed Sacrament.
Our primary text for discussion is a work by the wonderful 19th-century saint of the Eucharist, Saint Peter Julian Eymard. You can find the work here.
We also consider some ideas from Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist: Sacramentum Caritatis. Specifically, we cover Part III, “The Eucharist: a Mystery to Be Lived,” sections 70, 77, 84, 85, 89 and 90.

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
55 min
July 12, 2022 The Spirituality of the Mass and the Eucharist - Part 1
This talk is the first part of a two-part consideration of the spirituality of the Mass and Holy Eucharist. Our primary text for discussion of the Mass is the 20th century classic Meditations Before Mass by Father Romano Guardini, servant of God. Guardini is a favorite author of both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis, among many others. This talk focuses especially on the following sections:
2. I - Stillness
2.XVIII - The Congregation and the Church
3. XXIV - The Memorial of the New Covenant
3.XXVIII - Christ's Offering of Self
3.XXXI - The Mass of the New Covenant
By way of a catechetical refresher on the Mass, here is a video to watch: https://www.goodcatholic.com/catholic-mass-described-by-st-justin-martyr/

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
1 hr 8 min
June 30, 2022 The Stages of the Spiritual Life
This session provides a consideration of Catholic spirituality in the contemporary moment by discussing chapters 6, 7 and 8 of the book Spiritual Passages by Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR.

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
1 hr 4 min
June 14, 2022 The Third to Seventh Mansions in Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle
We complete our brief introduction to Saint Teresa of Avila's writings on prayer, picking up with the Third Mansion in The Interior Castle and continuing on to the Seventh Mansion.

The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Support the show
1 hr 8 min

About Mystagogy

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In a tradition that dates back to the first centuries of Christianity, many newly initiated Christians were prepared for lives of faith through a formation with spiritual, liturgical, and…