Saint In Progress

Over a century ago, Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, a Franciscan priest, put together a series of novenas for Marian feasts. They are both catechetical and spiritually moving. Take a few minutes to listen and pray along with the podcast in preparation for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary where we ponder her blessed death, bodily assumption, and glorious crowning as Queen of Heaven.

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

Background music courtesy Corpus Christi Watershed and used under the Creative Commons license. Support them with a donation or the purchase of a hand missal or hymnal.

Over a century ago, Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, a Franciscan priest, put together a series of novenas for Marian feasts. They are both catechetical and spiritually moving. Take a few minutes to listen and pray along with the podcast in preparation for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary where we ponder her blessed death, bodily assumption, and glorious crowning as Queen of Heaven.

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

Background music courtesy Corpus Christi Watershed and used under the Creative Commons license. Support them with a donation or the purchase of a hand missal or hymnal.

Over a century ago, Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, a Franciscan priest, put together a series of novenas for Marian feasts. They are both catechetical and spiritually moving. Take a few minutes to listen and pray along with the podcast in preparation for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary where we ponder her blessed death, bodily assumption, and glorious crowning as Queen of Heaven.

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

Background music courtesy Corpus Christi Watershed and used under the Creative Commons license. Support them with a donation or the purchase of a hand missal or hymnal.

Over a century ago, Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, a Franciscan priest, put together a series of novenas for Marian feasts. They are both catechetical and spiritually moving. Take a few minutes to listen and pray along with the podcast in preparation for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary where we ponder her blessed death, bodily assumption, and glorious crowning as Queen of Heaven.

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

Background music courtesy Corpus Christi Watershed and used under the Creative Commons license. Support them with a donation or the purchase of a hand missal or hymnal.

Over a century ago, Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, a Franciscan priest, put together a series of novenas for Marian feasts. They are both catechetical and spiritually moving. Take a few minutes to listen and pray along with the podcast in preparation for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary where we ponder her blessed death, bodily assumption, and glorious crowning as Queen of Heaven.

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

Background music courtesy Corpus Christi Watershed and used under the Creative Commons license. Support them with a donation or the purchase of a hand missal or hymnal.

Over a century ago, Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, a Franciscan priest, put together a series of novenas for Marian feasts. They are both catechetical and spiritually moving. Take a few minutes to listen and pray along with the podcast in preparation for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary where we ponder her blessed death, bodily assumption, and glorious crowning as Queen of Heaven.

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

Background music courtesy Corpus Christi Watershed and used under the Creative Commons license. Support them with a donation or the purchase of a hand missal or hymnal.

Originally recorded in 2023 as bonus material for The Saint Challenge, take a few minutes to listen to a bit more about the life and miracles of the Evangelical Doctor of the Church.

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

In this last episode before a summer break, find out how Catholic Treehouse got its name from the life of St. Anthony (and how Catholic Treehouse got started). Then listen to some lessons we can learn from the heart of St. Anthony, and how we can use those lessons in our daily lives as we live out our faith and the Great Commission.

Show Resources

Apologetics books

* How to Share Your Faith with Anyone: A Practical Manual for Catholic Evangelization by Terry Barber

* Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, And Defend the Catholic Faith by Scott Hahn

* Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots by Scott Hahn

* Forty Anti-Catholic Lies: A Mythbusting Apologist Sets the Record Straight by Gerard Verschuuren

* Seven Lies About Catholic History: Infamous Myths about the Church's Past and How to Answer Them by Diane Moczar

* Evangelical Is Not Enough: Worship of God in Liturgy and Sacrament by Thomas Howard

* The Saint Challenge: A Year of Interesting People, Amazing Stories, and Challenges to Motivate You to Sainthood by Michael LaMorte

Miraculous Medals

* 25 Miniature Miraculous Medals for $7.50

* 50 Pack Necklace Chains Bulk Silver Plated Necklace Chain for $13.88

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The podcast episode, “St. Anthony of Padua’s life and miracles” was originally recorded as bonus content for The Saint Challenge, and released in 2023.

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

Pulling from St. Thérèse of Lisieux and the Rule of St. Benedict, (and partially inspired by Pope Leo XIII,) Mike tackles a question from a long-time listener about feeling overwhelmed with work.

Recommended Reading

* The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century by Joan Chittister, OSB

* The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

* The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

Click here for Sacred Heart merch (t-shirts, flags, stickers, and more)

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.

This week Mike talks about getting the balance right between physical fitness and spiritual fitness. With a focus on “immediate family” as the first neighbors we need to love, he pulls in St. Benedict to help us understand how best to love God and neighbor… and issues a challenge for all saints in progress. Finally, he explains the difference between “free gifts of self” and “payments for services rendered,” and explores the dangers and pitfalls of a living with a transactional mindset.

Loving God and Neighbor

Adapted from “The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Living”

What does “loving God” look like?

* In the first place, to love the Lord God with all one’s heart, all one’s soul and all one’s strength.

* Deny oneself, in order to follow Christ.

* Chastise the body. Do not seek soft living. Love fasting.

* Avoid worldly conduct.

* Prefer nothing to the love of Christ.

* Put one’s hope in God.

* Attribute to God, and not to self, whatever good one sees in oneself. But to recognize always that the evil is one’s own doing, and to impute it to oneself.

* Keep death always before one’s eyes. Fear the day of judgement. Dread Hell.

* Know for certain that God sees one everywhere, and so keep constant guard over the actions of one’s life.

* Desire eternal life with all spiritual longing.

* When evil thoughts come into one’s heart, to dash them at once on the rock of Christ and to manifest them to one’s spiritual advisor, or confessor.

* Do not be proud. Do not love to speak, or speak vain words. Shun boastfulness.

* Listen gladly to holy reading.

* Apply oneself frequently to prayer.

* Daily in one’s prayer, with tears and signs, examine one’s conscience, and mend those sins for the future.

* Do not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

* Hate one’s own will, instead be obedient to those over you.

* To be holy for the sake of being holy, not to be seen as being holy.

* Love chastity.

* Do not be jealous. Do not give way to envy.

* Never despair of God’s mercy.

What does “loving your neighbor” look like?

* Love one’s neighbor as oneself.

* Do not do to another what one would not have done to oneself.

* Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not covet.

* Honor all men. (In the context of marriage, husbands honor your wives, and wives, honor your husbands.)

* Love one’s enemies. Do not render evil for evil. Do not render cursing for cursing, but rather blessing. Pray for one’s enemies in the love of Christ.

* Patiently bear wrongs done to oneself. Bear persecution for justice sake.

* Make peace with one’s adversary before sundown

* Relieve the poor. Clothe the naked. Visit the sick.

* Bury the dead. Help the afflicted. Console the sorrowing.

* Hate no man. Do not yield to anger. Do not nurse a grudge. Do not hold guile in one’s heart.

* Do not make a false show of peace. Do not forsake charity.

* Do no wrong to anyone. Utter truth from heart and mouth.

* Do not be a habitual drinker or a glutton.

* Do not be lethargic or slothful.

* Do not be a grumbler, a detractor, or a slanderer.

* Keep one’s mouth from evil and depraved talk.

* Do not love conflict.

* Reverence the old. Love the young.

Recommended Links

* Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux

* Honor Thy Wife by Kevin Lowry

* Sacred Heart Book of Devotions

* Sacred Heart merch (t-shirts, flags, stickers, and more)

Our work here on Substack is made available at no charge, but that doesn’t mean that it’s free to make. Your generous support keeps the lights on in the treehouse, and helps us deliver our content to thousands of people every day. Support our work with an annual or monthly subscription.