The Myth Pilgrim

Robin Hood famously ‘robbed from the rich to give to the poor’ ... but so did Jesus of Nazareth! And he still does so today. How? Journey with these two infamous outlaws, and have any ‘meek and mild’ notions of Jesus challenged! 

Excerpt from episode: "Because the reality is, we dear listeners, the church-going, educated, well off ones who listen to awesome Catholic podcasts … we may well be the rich that Christ gives a message of warning. It is we from whom he may well ‘steal’ away our superficial sense of blessedness, to give to the poor. Not that there’s anything wrong of course from us attending Mass and being educated having some measure of financial stability. But if we start to think we deserve this, that God owes this sort of blessing to us, well, the Gospels and Robin Hood… have a warning to give us."

A misunderstood notion of “I can just follow my conscience” has been topical lately, even amongst the Catholic faithful. Using the timeless story of Pinocchio (and Jiminy cricket), this episode seeks to clarify what conscience is and isn’t, drawing from the rich teaching of the church. Be inspired and challenged!

Key quotes from this episode:

“Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1778).

“Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1783)

“Conscience is man’s most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths” (Gaudium et Spes n. 16).

Additional Resource for "What if I disagree with church teaching" (Breaking the Habit)

St Padre Pio called the rosary "the weapon of these times." Discover how the legendary Excalibur, Lightsabre and the Elder Wand have nothing on the rosary. Discover this ancient weapon again, and with the intercession of Mary, defeat the Enemy in your life! 

Talk: The Rosary: Invincible Weapon - Fr. Bill Casey

Talk: The Rosary: Spiritual Sword of Our Lady - Fr Don Calloway

Intro to the Rosary: Bishop Barron on Word on Fire

“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered.” There are two stories that can rule our lives: the Me story (Ego-drama) and the God story (Theo-drama). The drama of Christianity is moving from one to the other, and this perilous! Journey with the hobbits as they leave the Shire and learn what it takes to enter the Great Story.

Excerpt from episode
"...I feel the drama of ‘entering the Great Story’ is the chief reason The Lord of the Rings speaks to our culture, and why we return to story again and again. It is really a story of how characters move away from a life centred around themselves, their own ego and will, and into a life fully given for others, surrendered for others. A life where they abandon their own will to surrender to a bigger will. Lord of the Rings is a story of moving from what Hans Ur Von Balthasar calls the Ego Drama of the self, into the Theo Drama of God’s story, pivoted around God and his purposes. We see this profoundly through the journey of the hobbits Frodo and Sam, Pippin and Merry. In the beginning, its all about the Shire, comforts, my will, the next party, the next pipe. It’s well and good as that’s where we start out life. By end of story, by end of trilogy, they are willing to give their lives for the bigger story, the bigger drama ay work that permeates all of Middle Earth and the history of Middle Earth..."

St Ignatius Prayer of Surrender (Suspice):
You can download a copy of the prayer used at the end here.

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All soundtracks used this episode are from New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings OST (Composed by Howard Shore): The Shire, The Rohirrim, Rivendell, The Tales that really Matter, Arwen and Aragorn

Delight is the stuff of holiness!! And given our present circumstances, we could all do with a helping of Maria's delight and faith. Expand your horizons again, as I testify why Sound of Music is one my favourite movies of all time!

Blurb: "We need Maria’s faith, her outlook that carries us with wings to be fully alive again, and to see the problems of life in their proper light. The movie is full of hope, a sort of hope that doesn’t belittle our problems, but helps us look at them with a fresh perspective, helping us notice once again how good life actually is. I often equate watching Sound of Music to looking at a big sunflower when you’re feeling blue, where you’re just reminded of the beauty and joy and innocence that’s still in the world, and the God who’s presence is everywhere! You just can’t help watching this film without feeling uplifted, for it very much is a story that celebrates the human spirit..."

Here's the final "Climb Every Mountain" scene from the movie

All background music used this episode are covers from the Sound of Music OST (composed by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein). 

Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle have long made their mark on Catholic theology ... but what about Confucius and Lao Tzu? Journey through Kung Fu Panda, and discover how Daoist and Confucian principles illuminate Catholic truths! (special thanks to my dad for his input for this episode too!)

Excerpt from episode: "As I begin to explore these Taoist principals, can you see how they might shed light upon Christianity? Firstly, at the heart of our faith also lies great paradoxes. After all, we profess Jesus who is both God and man, one who is both mercy and justice. We profess a kingdom that is here, but not yet. Our own symbol, the cross, professes that out of sin comes grace, and that out of death, comes life. And we profess a church that is both institutional and charismatic, both human and divine. Dear friends … have you ever considered your own faith in this way? A faith that moves away from either-or thinking, and instead embraces both/and thinking? If you haven’t, I hardly blame you, because since the Enlightenment, we’ve tried to eliminate paradox ... and instead give nice clear answers and methods and programs for everything. We have become far too ‘Yang’, for lack of a better word, in our approach to the spiritual life. We have become a church that values doing, rather than being … and tend to prefer noise rather than silence, speaking rather than listening, asking rather than receiving." 

Official soundtracks used this episode:

• Oogway Ascends (Hans Zimmer, from Kung Fu Panda OST)
• Endless Love instrumental cover (Choi Joon Young, The Myth OST)

❄️How does my vocation journey lead to my sainthood? Relive the two Frozen films as Queen Elsa unravels the mystery of who she is, and how she is being called. Baptise your favourite songs 'Let it Go', 'Into the Unknown' and 'Show Yourself' through God's call in your own life! ❄️

Excerpt from episode: "...she then slams the palace door shut. Now, at this point, I must apologize if I’m about to break a few hearts a little … because I’m going to suggest that while the song ‘Let it Go’ has some positive elements to it, it is actually quite a sad song. This is because it actually traps Queen Elsa in an unhealthy relationship with her gifts … and locks her into an inverted understanding of her vocation. But before you all write in and complain I’ve trashed your childhood let’s first look at those positive dimensions of the song first. If Elsa’s magical abilities could be likened to the unique gifts and talents God gives us, then it should be celebrated when she finally has an avenue to use them. For it would be tragic if fear prevented us from using our spiritual gifts – or charisms – that God has given us..."

Show Yourself song from Frozen II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrZxwPwmgrw

Soundtracks used in this episode

Show Yourself (Composed by and Kristen and Robert Lopez, from Frozen OST)
All is Found - cover by 캣올린CatOlin (From Frozen II OST)
Do you want to build a snowman - cover by Disney Peaceful Piano (From Frozen OST)
Let it Go (slow version) - cover by Stellatsu (From Frozen OST)
Into the Unknown - cover by Sam Yung (From Frozen II OST)
Show Yourself - cover by Sam Yung (From Frozen II OST)

If we're honest, the Beatitudes are secretly ignored! After all, how can happiness come from being persecuted, poor, mourning and meek? Allow Harry, who embodies all these traits, to shed light on these enigmatic text!

Excerpt from episode: "To recognise that poverty is the native state of every soul is the foundation of building a flourishing life. When we first meet Harry Potter in book one he already knows he has nothing, and to the world, is nothing. he possessed nothing of his own, had no family, friends, or status, and not even a place to call his own… living under a Dursley staircase. He had no idea who his parents were, what his own giftings were or the incredible destiny that awaited him in the Magical world. He was, in JK Rowling’s world, poor of spirit. While part of us feel sorry for the poor chap with his glasses held together with duct tape, I bet, there’s something deep within us that is also quite envious to be in young Harry’s position. For something in our spirit recognises…Harry is actually me"

Link to the The Chosen Season 2, Episode 8
Full episode https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen/watch?vid=S2:E8
Beatitudes scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbYgmhzkJTc

Link to Moses Exile scene in Ten Commandments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8NpmpJt6Og

Soundtracks used in this episode

• Esaoveja - composed by my friend Matthew Ward. Check out his Spotify channel!
• A window to the Past - composed by John Williams (cover by Michael Last MGL)
• O filii et filiae (Gregorian Chant) 

Do you doubt that the 'simple' love between family can contain the cosmic love of God? Sr Katherine Stone MGL unpacks how the classic tale of Little Women reveals St Therese of Lisieux's Little Way. Journey alongside Jo March and discover truly heroic love!

Practical Pilgrim exercise: 
Little Women Chapter 42, Part 2: All Alone

All background music used this episode is from the Little Women (1994) OST, by Thomas Newman.

What if life cripples you, plunges you into darkness and renders you unable to rise? Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is brilliant on this account. For not only does it follow Bruce Wayne's repeated death and rebirth, it offers profound symbolism for Christian resurrection. 

Excerpt: "Let’s zoom right out and have a macro view of the pattern of Nolan's Batman trilogy. It is very much the pattern of the birth, death and resurrection or Batman - or in biblical terms, the creation, fall and redemption of Batman. The first movie in the trilogy, batman begins – is very much the genesis story of how batman comes to be, and how the ordinary figure of Bruce Wayne rises up to take on the mask. Bruce’s mission as the Batman continues smoothly right throughout the second movie – the Dark Knight… until, he meets foes and circumstances that overwhelm him and he becomes crippled. He goes into self imposed exile, and is figuratively ‘dead’ until the beginning of the third movie, Dark Knight rises. Even then, his resurrection movement isn’t a smooth one… for when he demonstrates resolve to fight for Gotham city again, he is grossly outmatched by Bane, and is thrown into “the prison Pit” … the closest thing to hell on earth. From there, he must find the spiritual means to rise out of the pit, and truly resurrect as the saviour of Gotham City. 

Backing soundtrack used this episode is from the Dark Knight trilogy's OST (composed by Hans Zimmer). Tracks used were: "A watchful guardian," "Why do we Fall," & "Rise".