The Melancholic Monk Podcast: Musings in Mercy & Meaning

Are you getting worried about our political situation?  Need a little spiritual encouragement?  This episode is meant to be an Advent reflection on the readings of the 4th Sunday of Advent, 2020 A.D.  It can be listened to without reference to the readings.

In this episode we conclude our reading and commentary on Pope Saint John Paul II's Letter to Artists, where we tackle topics like the relationship between art and religion, the true meaning of art and the understanding of our sacred calling as artists dedicated to work with the Holy Spirit for the salvation of a despairing world.

This is the second installment of my reading and commentary on Pope Saint John Paul's Letter to Artists, promulgated on April 4, 1999.  In this middle section (par. 5-9), we hear about the inspiration and history of Catholic art, and some suggestions on how modern artists might engage the culture war today.

In this episode, we hear PART ONE (of three) where I both read the full text and comment on a lesser-known official letter of Pope Saint John Paul II -- his LETTER TO ARTISTS.  Did you ever want to know what it truly means to be an artist, or what the Pope meant by the "culture of death" and how to defeat it?  Give this a listen!

War is coming.  Indeed, the red horse of Revelation already rides among us.  The Holy Spirit leads us to contemplate the popular passage about the "armor of God" in Ephesians, Chapter 6.

Introducing MELANCHOLIC MONK MINUTES!  A short insight in ten minutes or less.  St. Paul writes in Colossians 3:17:  "Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  What does it mean to do EVERYTHING "in the Lord's name"?

Jesus has a very interesting teaching in Luke 11 that when a demonic spirit leaves a person and that same person is not careful, seven WORSE spirits than the former can come and possess that person.  In this podcast I deal with one of those seven -- REGRET.

Sometimes in order to be spared the melancholy and anxiety that can wreck our spiritual journey, we must see with new eyes.  St. Benedict recommends "Keeping death daily before your eyes" as a way we can change our spiritual vision.

There are certain feelings that can keep us in depression and very much block us from freedom in Christ.  The feeling of being a failure or "not good enough" is certainly one of the awful princes of those feelings.  In this podcast we examine this problem.

There are certain feelings that can keep us in depression and very much block us from freedom in Christ.  The feeling of being a failure or "not good enough" is certainly one of the awful princes of those feelings.  In this podcast we examine this problem.