12/16/24 - Jesse Romero returns to discuss the dynamics of angels and demons, including the ways that the ongoing battle between the two plays a role in our spiritual lives and how we can best prepare ourselves for that battle.

12/13/24 - What does it mean to call ourselves "conservative," and how has the definition evolved over time? The protection of human dignity has remained a core principle of American conservatism from the days of our founding fathers; the belief that all men are created in the image and likeness of God. Can a value such as this continue to stand the test of time, even as so many outside forces continue to pressure conservatives to soften their stance on abortion, contraception, and other similar issues? How can Catholics and Christians help to restore conservative values that have come to feel like nothing more than a thing of the past?

12/12/24 - Monica Miller, Ph.D. is a nationally known pro-life leader, having been involved in the pro-life movement since 1976. She is the founder of Citizens for a Pro-life Society and author of several articles published on theological subjects and life-issues. Her work has appeared in This Rock, The National Catholic Register, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, The New Oxford Review, Fidelity Magazine, and Crisis Magazine.

The signature evils of our day—abortion, pornography, personal alienation, sex and gender confusion, breakdown of marriages and families, countless souls caught in the grip of the culture of death—have one crucial thing in common: humanity’s prideful rejection of God’s created order. To combat this modern folly, we need ancient wisdom; in fact, we need to go all the way back to creation’s very first days. In the Beginning takes you through a unique reading of the first three chapters of Genesis, unfolding the richness of the divinely revealed creation story and what it has to say about God, the world, and the destiny of mankind.

Get the book at https://shop.catholic.com/in-the-beginning/?srsltid=AfmBOooCPX-b9ljTJoKyKTvctqZKcqdF_03Rt2f-H_cn7Dp9G0dRa3RQ

12/11/24 - Born just nine years before Padre Pio, Saint Gemma Galgani was an Italian saint and mystic who received the stigmata (the wounds of our Lord). She suffered greatly in her short life, dying at the young age of 25 from tuberculosis. In her time on Earth, Gemma lived a life of heroic virtue, working against her own defects from childhood and seeking only to please Jesus and suffer in union with Him for the salvation of poor sinners. Her spiritual director once stated that "The number of souls snatched from the Devil by this humble child will be known only in eternity." She is affectionately known by many as the Flower of Lucca and the Daughter of Passion.

12/10/24 - Matthew Wiseman, Ph.D. (University of St. Andrews), is a teacher and an independent scholar living in San Antonio with his wife and three children. His research and writing focus on Biblical Poetry, St. John Henry Newman, Scripture, and the Development of Doctrine.

The Two Jerusalems is the story of a young man’s amazing journey to discover the roots of the Christian faith in the Ancient Near East, that led him from Protestantism through the Messianic Movement and into the Catholic Church. This journey took him to the rainforest of New Guinea, the Old Synagogue in Warsaw, the Judean Desert, and into the heart of Ancient and Medieval Jewish tradition: the Hebrew Bible. Along the way he meets a cast of odd and wonderful characters, false prophets, and saintly Catholics who teach him about God, Scripture, and Prayer. His steps are dogged throughout by God’s strange, providential provisions, despite his human blindness. At the heart of the ancient faith, much to his surprise, he discovered what a billion people across the world already knew and lived: the Catholic Faith.

Get the book at https://ignatius.com/two-jerusalems-tjp/

12/6/24 - As a Catholic, is there any room for compromise when it comes to abortion? We're taught from the beginning that murder is inherently evil, yet so many so-called Catholics and Christians miss the mark in this area. What does it mean to be an abolitionist? Why has it become a "hot take" to believe in the total outlawing of abortion in modern society? What can we do to become more involved in the ongoing fight while best representing ourselves and our Catholic faith?

12/5/24 - Joseph Pearce is the author of numerous literary studies, including Literary Converts, The Quest for Shakespeare, and Shakespeare on Love, as well as biographies on Oscar Wilde, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. He is the general editor of the Ignatius Press Critical Editions series.

It has been said, quite correctly, that we write as well as we read. It can also be said that we think as well as we read. Since reading well is so important, it is good to get into the habit of reading good books. The better the book, the better will be our ability to think well and write well. In Classic Literature Made Simple: Fifty Great Books in a Nutshell, literary expert Joseph Pearce takes the reader on a guided tour of fifty great works of literature. The author of over thirty books, Pearce uses his experience of teaching literature at the college level for over twenty years to show the reader the moral dimension of each work. He shows how each work presents a mystical mirror to the reader, offering insights into the meaning of life itself.

Get the book at https://ignatius.com/classic-literature-made-simple-clmsp/

Find more of Joseph Pearce's great work at https://jpearce.co/

12/4/24 - Today we dive into the inspiring and miraculous story of Our Lady of Pellevoisin, a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed to a French mystic, Estelle Faguet, in 1876. During this powerful apparition, Mary delivered messages of hope, prayer, and deep devotion to the faithful, leaving a lasting impact on the Church. We'll cover the story behind the apparitions of 1876, the messages Mary conveyed to Estelle Faguet and what they might mean, the miracles and spiritual fruits that flowed from these apparitions, and the devotion and ongoing veneration of Our Lady of Pellevoisin.

12/3/24 - Kevin Wells is a former Major League Baseball writer, award-winning journalist, and Catholic speaker. He is the author of Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz, The Priests We Need to Save the Church, and Burst. Kevin is an active evangelist, writer, and podcaster (One 2 One Podcast) who has presented at conferences and seminaries nationally and internationally.

In The Hermit, Kevin Wells pulls readers into the unforgettable story of a parish priest turned hermit, Father Martin Flum, who orchestrated the slow resurrection of his wife, Krista, from the nightmare of her deep wounds and addiction. Wells’ honest tale of inner crisis and hope-filled resurrection takes readers on a spiritual rollercoaster, offering a penetrating exploration of the sacramental grace of marriage and the mysterious movement of God in dry, lonely places. The Hermit is a true account of marital survival, a holy priest, redemption, and even the miraculous, where imprisoned shame and sin are transformed into the joy of freedom.

Get the book at https://ignatius.com/the-hermit-hermp/

12/2/24 - Fr. Jonathan Romanoski, FSSP is Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Providence, Rhode Island. He was ordained in 2008.

How does one practice the presence of God in a single act that does not end? The truth is, it is God who paints Himself in the depths of our soul; we must merely open our hearts to receive Him and His loving presence. We'll discuss practical ways to build our own awareness of the presence of God in our everyday worldly lives and the many benefits that doing so can bring to our spiritual lives.

Learn more about the FSSP at https://www.fssp.org/en/

Adult Catechesis - Practice of the Presence of God by Fr. Jonathan Romanoski, FSSP (YouTube)