With Lent only 2 weeks away, Mike brings in a tour guide from the 4th Century—St. Basil the Great, bishop and Doctor of the Church—to help us in our preparation for this penitential season.

Resources

De Spiritu Sancto by St. Basil the Great (the excerpt in the show comes from Chapter 15, paragraph

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This week Mike goes back to something written by a Catholic priest in the 1800’s to help us understand why our faith life can sometimes seem like Phil Conners in Groundhog Day. The bad news: piety is monotonous. The good news: there’s something to do about it.

This Week’s Resources & Recommended Reading

* The Spiritual Conferences of Frederick William Faber

* The Mass in Sacred Scripture by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers

* Why Do Catholics Do That?: A Guide to the Teachings and Practices of the Catholic Church by Kevin Orlin Johnson

* Catholic Customs & Traditions: A Popular Guide by Greg Dues

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

* The Latin Mass Explained by George J. Moorman and R. Michael Schmitz

* Treasure and Tradition: The Ultimate Guide to the Latin Mass by Lisa Bergman

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In this wide-ranging episode, Mike discusses:

* The responsibility we have to spouses and children

* Spiritual warfare

* The direction of society towards occultism

* Blessed Karl of Austria, Blessed Elisabetta Canori Mora, and Blessed Bishop von Galen

* The cult and the code of the household

This episode, Mike talks about a men’s faith group before getting into the practical aspects of how to use the virtue of Prudence in everyday life. Go beyond the cold and clinical definitions (with apologies to the beloved Dominicans) and come learn about an easy-to-remember method from St. Augustine that is powerful in its simplicity.

NOTE: This post has the corrected audio. The last post (with the same title) linked to last week’s podcast. Sorry for the mix-up!

Grab your road snacks and a beverage!

After talking a bit about the polar vortex and the football national championships, Mike begins to diverge from the format a bit and get more conversational, which will be the direction for future episodes. He reminisces a bit about mix tapes, recounts a story of running with a 1st Generation iPod and wired headphones, talks about distractions in prayer (and at Mass), and ties it all back to Eucharistic adoration.

Paid subscribers can get the bonus material, including a link to the article mentioned in the show, saint quotes, book recommendations, and an excerpt from St. Theresa of Avila’s Way of Perfection here:

Back after a break for the Christmas Octave and New Year’s, St. Augustine’s City of God is the starting point for the next leg of our journey. Mike quotes a lot from St. Augustine and once again talks about the importance of virtues, especially humility. Then he invites two other tour guides—Bl. Abbot Columba Marmion OSB and St. Catherine of Siena—to help light the way home.

In this last episode before Christmas break, Mike talks about the evolution of maps, and what the most accurate map is for our spiritual journey. He also talks about the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt, and gets into the importance of tour guides (and their spiritual equivalent), the crazy way Pittsburghers give directions, and the Pez museum.

Need a last-minute Christmas gift? Give them a Catholic Treehouse gift card!

Is it a plane? Is it a bird? No, it’s the cardinal virtues!

This week Mike channels his inner Dominican nature and talks about the cardinal virtues. (They’re also called the moral virtues, but Mike likes “cardinal virtues” better.) What are they? Why are they important? What role do they play in our journey home? And how can we begin to discern how to “grow in virtue”? Listen in to find out!

This week Mike takes a look at some obvious—and some not-so-obvious—violations of the 1st Commandment. You might be surprised what is weighing you down on your spiritual journey!

Also a quick talk about the proper use of sacramentals, and the importance of a good examination of conscience.

For 500 years, baptism has been a topic of controversy. There are many questions about it, many misunderstandings, and many people who just baptize their children to keep grandma happy. How important is it, really? And where does it come from?

Mike went digging into a stack of resources, and gets very excited about the Jewish roots of baptism as he shares what he found. He also covers:

* covenant versus contract

* the Old Covenant, circumcision, and the New Covenant

* why we baptize

* what baptism signifies

* the effects of baptism

We also meet an unlikely saint from the year 303 named Genesius and hear his baptism story, and learn a prayer to renew your baptismal vows.

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