Catholic Culture Audiobooks
Voice actor James T. Majewski narrates classic Catholic works, with emphasis on St. John Henry Newman and the Church Fathers. The collection includes over 100 recordings such as sermons, encyclicals, letters, poems, and full books like St. Augustine's De Doctrina Christiana and St. Athanasius's Life of St. Anthony. This is a production of CatholicCulture.org.
Episodes
Soul of the Apostolate | Ep. 6 - Principles and Hints for the Interior Life
"Even if I have long neglected it, Jesus calls me tenderly to mental prayer, and offers me special help in speaking this language of faith, hope, and love... Am I going to resist this appeal of a Father Who calls even the prodigal to come and listen to His word, to talk to Him as a son; to open his heart to Him and to listen to the beatings of His own?" Part Five of the classic work by the French
St. John Henry Newman - Mysteries in Religion: On the Ascension
"I will attempt to suggest to you on the present Festival some of the incentives to wonder and awe, humility, implicit faith, and adoration, supplied by the Ascension of Christ." A powerful Ascension sermon from St. John Henry Newman's Anglican period. Links Mysteries in Religion full text: https://newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume2/sermon18.html SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks http
St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 6. On Justice, as a Principle of Divine Governance
"If, then, the infinite benevolence of God wins our love, certainly His justice commands it; and were we able, as the Saints made perfect are able, to combine the notion of both in their separate perfections, as displayed in the same acts, doubtless our awe and admiration of the glorious vision would be immeasurably increased." St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as a
The Dream of the Rood
"Come—I sing of a splendid dream, a mighty marvel, that came at midnight when the tongues of men are silent. A strange tree—most wondrous strange!— stretched forth branches in a blast of light." The Dream of the Rood is an ancient Anglo-Saxon poem, composed as early as the 8th century. It takes the form of a dream-vision in which the narrator sees the Cross on which Christ was crucified, and most
New Lives of the Popes podcast
Lives of the Popes on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lives-of-the-popes/id1885968422 Lives of the Popes on CatholicCulture.org: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/category/lives-of-popes-podcast/
St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 5. Personal Influence, the Means of Propagating the Truth
"... we shall find it difficult to estimate the moral power which a single individual, trained to practice what he teaches, may acquire in his own circle, in the course of years. While the Scriptures are thrown upon the world, as if the common property of any who choose to appropriate them, he is, in fact, the legitimate interpreter of them, and none other; the Inspired Word being but a dead lette
Soul of the Apostolate | Ep. 5 - Interior Life Secures Deep and Lasting Results
"No work takes deep root, or has real stability, or will perpetuate itself, unless the apostle has begotten the interior life in other souls. Naturally, he cannot do this unless he himself is strong in the inner life." This episode concludes Part Four of the classic work by the French Trappist monk, Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858-1935). Among other things, there is featured an illuminating descr
Soul of the Apostolate | Ep. 4 - Action Made Fruitful by the Interior Life
"Am I really one of those who depend upon their mental prayer, their visits to the Blessed Sacrament, above all upon their Mass or their Communion, to put real moving power into their preaching? If I am not, I may perhaps be a loudly 'tinkling cymbal,' or even give forth the more pompous din of 'sounding brass,' but I am not communicating to others any love, that love which makes the eloquence of
St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 4. The Usurpations of Reason
"Human philosophy was beaten from its usurped province, but not by any counter-philosophy; and unlearned Faith, establishing itself by its own inherent strength, ruled the Reason as far as its own interests were concerned, and from that time has employed it in the Church, first as a captive, then as a servant; not as an equal, and in nowise (far from it) as a patron." St. John Henry Newman's Oxfor
Elizabeth Anscombe - War and Murder
"Two attitudes are possible: one, that the world is an absolute jungle and that the exercise of coercive power by rulers is only a manifestation of this; and the other, that it is both necessary and right that there should be this exercise of power, that through it the world is much less of a jungle than it could possibly be without it, so that one should in principle be glad of the existence of s
Christian Raab, OSB - In Search of the Masculine Genius
"When attention to the theological meaning of femininity is not accompanied by reflection on masculinity, men are left without a sense of the existential and sacramental significance of their own sex." A reading of a fascinating essay originally published in the journal Logos, about the work of Walter Ong, SJ. In the wake of an emphasis on the "feminine genius" as delineated by Pope St. John Paul
Soul of the Apostolate | Ep. 3 - Without Interior Life, Active Life Full of Danger
"These falls can be MOST CERTAINLY avoided when one knows how to use the precious balancing pole of the interior life. It is only the abandonment of this INFALLIBLE instrument that brings dizziness and the fatal false step into space." Part Three of this classic work by the French Trappist monk, Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858-1935), warns of the spiritual perils of an active life divorced from a
St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 3. Evangelical Sanctity the Completion of Natural Virtue
"The true light of the world offends more men than it attracts; and its divine origin is shown, not in its marked effects on the mass of mankind, but in its surprising power of elevating the moral character where it is received in spirit and in truth." St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were instrumental in shaping
Soul of the Apostolate | Ep. 2 - Union of Active & Interior Life
"The life of action ought to flow from the contemplative life, to interpret and extend it, outside oneself, though at the same time being detached from it as little as possible." Part Two of this classic work by the French Trappist monk, Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858-1935), further explores the inseparable interdependence of the active and the interior lives—each depends upon, presupposes, and
Soul of the Apostolate | Ep. 1 - Active Works & the Interior Life
"If God calls me to apply my activity not only to my own sanctification, but also to good works, I must establish this firm conviction, before everything else, in my mind: Jesus has got to be, and wishes to be, the life of these works. My efforts, by themselves, are nothing, absolutely nothing." Part One of this classic work by the French Trappist monk, Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858-1935), exam
St. John Henry Newman - The Indwelling Spirit
"The Comforter who has come instead of Christ, must have vouchsafed to come in the same sense in which Christ came; I mean, that He has come, not merely in the way of gifts, or of influences, or of operations, as He came to the Prophets, for then Christ's going away would be a loss, and not a gain, and the Spirit's presence would be a mere pledge, not an earnest; but He comes to us as Christ came,
Rule of St. Benedict | Ep. 3 - Work, Governance, and Conclusion
"Prefer nothing whatever to Christ. And may He bring us all together to life everlasting!" The Rule of St. Benedict is a foundational spiritual guide composed by St. Benedict of Nursia, the father of Western monasticism, around 530 AD. In this third episode, covering Chapters 39–73, Benedict details daily routines like meals and work, outlines hospitality and simplicity in possessions, and establi
Rule of St. Benedict | Ep. 2 - Prayer and Community Life
"We believe that the divine presence is everywhere... But we should believe this especially without any doubt when we are assisting at the Work of God." The Rule of St. Benedict is a foundational spiritual guide composed by St. Benedict of Nursia, the father of Western monasticism, around 530 AD. In the chapters comprising this second episode, Benedict details the structure of the Divine Office, e
Rule of St. Benedict | Ep. 1 - Foundations of Monastic Life
"And so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord. In founding it we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome. But if a certain strictness results… do not be at once dismayed and fly from the way of salvation, whose entrance cannot but be narrow." In this first of five episodes, we begin The Rule of St. Benedict, a foundational spiritual guide composed around 530 AD by St
St. Dionysius the Areopagite - On Minding One's Own Business
"It is not for Demophilus to set these things straight. For if the Word of God commands us to pursue just things justly... this must be pursued by all justly, not beyond their own fitness." This letter—historically attributed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a 1st-century convert of Saint Paul from Acts, but now considered the work of an anonymous 5th-century author known as 'Pseudo-Dionysius'—del
St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 2. The Influence of Natural and Revealed Religion Respectively
"The philosopher aspires towards a divine principle; the Christian, towards a Divine Agent." St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were isntrumental in shaping the Oxford Movement, which sought to revive High Church traditions within the Church of England and ultimately led to many conversions to Catholicism. In addit
St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 1. The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospels
"The philosopher might speculate, but the theologian must submit to learn." St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were instrumental in shaping the Oxford Movement, which sought to revive High Church traditions within the Church of England. In this collection of fifteen sermons, Newman especially explores the relations
St. Vincent Ferrer - On the Purification of Mary
"This present feast is one of the greater of the whole year... Because there are three grades of sanctity which we celebrate in this feast." St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) was a Spanish Dominican friar, theologian, and renowned preacher known for his fiery sermons and missionary work across Europe. He was deeply devoted to calling people to repentance, emphasizing the urgency of salvation
St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Full
"Be sure that wherever our lot is cast we may and must aim at the perfect life." Written over 400 years ago, Introduction to the Devout Life is still one of the most popular books for those pursuing holiness. St. Francis de Sales explains how to turn that desire for sanctity into resolutions that yield grace-filled results. Themes include: Pursuing a devout life whole-heartedly Incorporating pray
Pope Benedict XVI - Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) | Part 2
"Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practice it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world—this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Ency
St. John Henry Newman - Reverence, a Belief in God's Presence
"They are the class of feelings we should have—yes, have in an intense degree—if we literally had the sight of Almighty God; therefore they are the class of feelings which we shall have, if we realize His presence." This sermon appears among a collection of sermons originally written and preached by St. John Henry Newman before his conversion to Catholicism. In it, Newman emphasizes that true reve
St. Henry Walpole - Upon the Death of M. Edmund Campion
"You thought perhaps when learned Campion dies, His pen must cease, his sugared tongue be still; But you forgot how loud his death it cries How far beyond the sound of tongue and quill." In 1581, a young Englishman named Henry Walpole attended the execution of the Jesuit Edmund Campion. As Campion was hung, drawn and quartered, Walpole stood close enough to be spattered with his holy blood. Though
Pope Benedict XVI - Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) | Part 1
"This is love in its most radical form. By contemplating the pierced side of Christ, we can understand the starting-point of this Encyclical Letter: "God is love". It is there that this truth can be contemplated. It is from there that our definition of love must begin. In this contemplation the Christian discovers the path along which his life and love must move." Deus Caritas Est, or "God
G.E.M. Anscombe - Contraception and Chastity
"For we don't invent marriage... any more than we invent human language. It is part of the creation of humanity and if we're lucky we find it available to us and can enter into it. If we are very unlucky, we may live in a society that has wrecked or deformed this human thing." Elizabeth Anscombe was a prominent 20th-century British philosopher, known for her influential work in ethics and her deep
St. John Henry Newman - Three Poems on the Angels
My oldest friend, mine from the hour When first I drew my breath; My faithful friend, that shall be mine, Unfailing, till my death... "St. Michael" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/st-michael "Angelic Guidance" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/angelic-guidance "Guardian Angel" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/guardian-angel-2 Happy feast of
St. John Henry Newman - The Self-Wise Inquirer
"In proportion as we lean to our own understanding, we are driven to do so for want of a better guide. Our first true guide, the light of innocence, is gradually withdrawn from us; and nothing is left for us but to 'grope and stumble in the desolate places,' by the dim, uncertain light of reason." This sermon appears among a collection of sermons originally written and preached by St. John Henry N
Pope St. Paul VI - Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life)
"But to experience the gift of married love while respecting the laws of conception is to acknowledge that one is not the master of the sources of life but rather the minister of the design established by the Creator. Just as man does not have unlimited dominion over his body in general, so also, and with more particular reason, he has no such dominion over his specifically sexual faculties, for t
Pope St. Gelasius I - Famuli Vestrae Pietatis: On the Two Swords
"For there are two, O emperor Augustus, by which the world is principally ruled: the sacred authority of pontiffs and the royal power." Pope St. Gelasius I reigned as pope from 492 to 496 AD and is best known for articulating the doctrine of "the two swords." This doctrine explains that man is subject to two powers: the temporal and the spiritual. Whereas the temporal power wields natural authorit
St. John Damascene - Sermon on the Assumption
"And just as the all-holy body of God's Son, which was taken from her, rose from the dead on the third day, it followed that she should be snatched from the tomb, that the mother should be united to her Son; and as He had come down to her, so she should be raised up to Him." John of Damascus, also known as St. John Damascene, was an influential monk and theologian of the 8th century. He is conside
St. John Henry Newman - Appearance of the Cross in the Sky to Constantine
"Constantine's submission of his power to the Church has been a pattern for all Christian monarchs since, and the commencement of her state establishment to this day; and, on the other hand, the fortunes of the Roman empire are in prophecy apparently connected with her in a very intimate manner, which we are not yet able fully to comprehend. If any event might be said to call for a miracle, it was
St. Aphrahat - On Penitents
"So the man whom Satan has smitten ought not to be ashamed to confess his sin, and depart from it, and entreat for himself the medicine of penitence. For gangrene comes to the wound of him who is ashamed to show it, and harm comes to his whole body; and he who is not ashamed has his wound healed, and again returns to go down into the conflict." St. Aphrahat is known in the tradition as "the Persia
St. John Henry Newman - Many Called, Few Chosen
"Your very perplexity in reconciling the surface of things with our Lord's announcements, the very temptation you lie under to explain away the plain words of Scripture, shows you that your standard of good and evil, and the standard of all around you, must be very different from God's standard." In this sermon from his Anglican period, Newman reflects upon the challenging truth proclaimed uniform
The Shepherd of Hermas | Pt. 4 (Parables 9-10)
"Keep his commandments, and you will have a cure for sin." The Shepherd of Hermas is an apocryphal text written in Rome in the 2nd century. It belongs to the category of "apocalyptic" literature, as it relates a series of revelations given to its titular character, Hermas, who may or may not also have been the work's author. The Shepherd of Hermas was widely read and respected in the early Church,
St. John Henry Newman - The Work of the Christian
"It cannot be said, then, because we have not to bear the burden and the heat of the day, that therefore we have returned to paradise. It is not that our work is lighter, but our strength is greater." This sermon from Newman's Anglican period was originally preached on Septuagesima Sunday. In it, Newman addresses the misconception that grace exempts Christians from work, and he exhorts Christians
The Shepherd of Hermas | Pt. 3 (Parables 1-8)
"These mandates are advantageous for those who intend to repent. For, if they do not walk in them, their repentance is worthless. You who repent must cast off the wickedness of this world which wears you down; if you put on every excellence of justice, you can observe these mandates and keep from committing any additional sins." The Shepherd of Hermas is an apocryphal text written in Rome in the 2
The Shepherd of Hermas | Pt. 2 (Mandates)
"Put the Lord in your hearts, then, you who are empty and fickle in the faith. You will then know that nothing is easier, sweeter, or more gentle than these mandates. Be converted, you who walk in the commandments of the Devil, commandments that are hard, bitter, cruel, and foul. And do not fear the Devil either, because he has no power against you. I, the Angel of Repentance, who have overcome th
The Shepherd of Hermas | Pt. 1 (Visions)
"So I wrote the commands and parables as he bade me. If you hear them and keep them, and walk in them, and fulfill them in a pure heart, you will receive from the Lord what He promised you. But if you hear them and do not repent, or even add to your sins, you will receive the contrary from the Lord." The Shepherd of Hermas is an apocryphal text written in Rome in the 2nd century. It belongs to the
St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Pt. 5 & Conclusion
"Consider the love with which our dear Lord Jesus Christ bore so much in this world, especially in the Garden of Olives and on Mount Calvary; that love bore you in mind, and through all those pains and toils he obtained your good resolutions for you, as also all that is necessary to maintain, foster, strengthen and consummate those resolutions. "How precious must the resolutions be that are the fr
St. Basil the Great - On the Right Use of Greek Literature
"... it is incumbent upon us, for the present, to trace, as it were, the silhouette of virtue in the pagan authors. For those who carefully gather the useful from each book are wont, like mighty rivers, to gain accessions on every hand." Drawing from his deep understanding of both classical Greek literature and Sacred Scripture, St. Basil the Great—a towering figure of the early Church—advocates f
St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Pt. 4
"If anyone strives to be delivered from his troubles out of love of God, he will strive patiently, gently, humbly and calmly, looking for deliverance rather to God's goodness and providence than to his own industry or efforts; but if self-love is the prevailing object, he will grow hot and eager in seeking relief, as though all depended more upon himself than upon God." Part 4 (00:45) Chapter 1—We
St. John Henry Newman - The Idea of a University | Duties of the Church towards Knowledge
"If the Catholic Faith is true, a University cannot exist externally to the Catholic pale, for it cannot teach Universal Knowledge if it does not teach Catholic theology. This is certain; but still, though it had ever so many theological Chairs, that would not suffice to make it a Catholic University... a direct and active jurisdiction of the Church over it and in it is necessary, lest it should b
St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Pt. 3 (Ch.36-41)
"No indeed, I would not even have people wish for more wit or better judgment, for such desires are frivolous, and take the place of the wish everyone ought to possess of improving what he has. We ought not to desire ways of serving God that He does not open to us, but rather desire to use what we have rightly." Part 3 (00:38) Chapter 36—A Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind (04:48) Chapter 37—Wishes (
St. John Henry Newman - The Idea of a University | Knowledge Viewed in Relation to Religion
"True Religion is slow in growth, and, when once planted, is difficult of dislodgement; but its intellectual counterfeit has no root in itself: it springs up suddenly, it suddenly withers. It appeals to what is in nature, and it falls under the dominion of the old Adam. Then, like dethroned princes, it keeps up a state and majesty, when it has lost the real power. Deformity is its abhorrence; acco
St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Pt. 3 (Ch.23-35)
"Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily... If you do all in God's name, all you do will be well done." Part 3 (00:38) Chapter 23—The Practice of Bodily Mortification (11:15) Chapter 24—Society and Solitude (16:40) Chapter 25—Modesty in Dress (20:36) Chapter 26—Conversation: First, How to Speak of God (23:08) Chapter 27—Unseemly Words and the Respect Due to O
St. Philip Howard - A Fourfold Meditation: On the Four Last Things
"Thou findest here what thou wilt wish at last, And that account which none can ever shun; Then frame thy life before thy time be past, As thou wilt wish that thou in time hadst done: Lest thou in vain doth wail thy wretched state, When time is past and wailing comes too late." A poem by Philip Howard, 13th Earl of Arundel (1557-1595), an English nobleman, translator, and one of the Forty Martyr
St. John Henry Newman - The Idea of a University | Knowledge Viewed in Relation to Professional Skill
"If then the intellect is so excellent a portion of us, and its cultivation so excellent, it is not only beautiful, perfect, admirable, and noble in itself, but in a true and high sense it must be useful to the possessor and to all around him; not useful in any low, mechanical, mercantile sense, but as diffusing good, or as a blessing, or a gift, or power, or a treasure, first to the owner, then t
St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Pt. 3 (Ch.11-22)
"In the world those who aim at a devout life require to be united one with another by a holy friendship, which excites, stimulates, and encourages them in well-doing." Part 3 (00:39) Chapter 11 - Obedience (06:04) Chapter 12 - Purity (09:26) Chapter 13 - How to Maintain Purity (13:09) Chapter 14 - Poverty of Spirit amid Riches (18:49) Chapter 15 - How to Exercise Real Poverty although Actually Ri
Pope St. John Paul II - Veritatis Splendor: Regarding Certain Fundamental Questions of the Church's Moral Teaching | Chapter III
"While exchanges and conflicts of opinion may constitute normal expressions of public life in a representative democracy, moral teaching certainly cannot depend simply upon respect for a process: indeed, it is in no way established by following the rules and deliberative procedures typical of a democracy... Opposition to the teaching of the Church's Pastors cannot be seen as a legitimate expressi
Pope St. John Paul II - Veritatis Splendor: Regarding Certain Fundamental Questions of the Church's Moral Teaching | Chapter II
"If acts are intrinsically evil, a good intention or particular circumstances can diminish their evil, but they cannot remove it. They remain irremediably evil acts; per se and in themselves they are not capable of being ordered to God and to the good of the person... Consequently, circumstances or intentions can never transform an act intrinsically evil by virtue of its object into an act subjec
Pope St. John Paul II - Veritatis Splendor: Regarding Certain Fundamental Questions of the Church's Moral Teaching | Chapter I
"No damage must be done to the harmony between faith and life: the unity of the Church is damaged not only by Christians who reject or distort the truths of faith but also by those who disregard the moral obligations to which they are called by the Gospel." Veritatis Splendor, or "The Splendor of Truth", was a papal encyclical promulgated by Pope St. John Paul II on August 6, 1993. The encyclica
The So-Called Letter of Barnabas
"The helpers of our faith are fear and patience; our allies are long-suffering and self-control." The so-called Letter of Barnabas is neither a letter nor by St. Barnabas. Written by an anonymous author sometime between the years 70 and 150 AD, it is a work of allegorical scriptural interpretation chiefly notable for its early date. Having been composed well before collection of the New Testament
St. John Henry Newman - The Idea of a University | Knowledge Viewed in Relation to Learning
"I say, a University, taken in its bare idea, and before we view it as an instrument of the Church, has this object and this mission; it contemplates neither moral impression nor mechanical production; it professes to exercise the mind neither in art nor in duty; its function is intellectual culture... It educates the intellect to reason well in all matters, to reach out towards truth, and to gras
St. Thomas More - Poems from the Tower of London
"Give me thy grace, good Lord, To set the world at naught;" The 16th and 17th centuries produced a number of men whose courageous faith was accompanied by prodigious learning and literary talent. Among these was St. Thomas More, who wrote poems while languishing in the Tower of London, 1534-1535. Read here are "Lewis the Lost Lover" and "Davey the Dicer", titled after the popular tunes of the day
St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Pt. 3 (Ch.1-10)
"Anyone who will calmly consider what he has done without God, cannot fail to realize that what he does with God is no merit of his own; and so we may rejoice in that which is good in us, and take pleasure in the fact, but we shall give all the glory to God alone, who alone is its author." Part 3 Chapter 1 - How to Select That Which We Should Chiefly Practice (00:00:38) Chapter 2 - The Same Subjec
When artists feel lonely in the Church - w/ James Majewski and Thomas Mirus
In this livestream, James Majewski and Thomas Mirus we discussed errors artists can fall into in pushing back against a moralistic approach to art found within the Church. Rather than reacting away from rigidity to excessive openness, the mature Catholic artist has to get over himself and be a servant. Also discussed: The relation between order and surprise in beauty, morality and culture. Note: t
Mike Aquilina Q&A on the Church Fathers
We thought Catholic Culture Audiobooks listeners might be interested in this discussion with Mike Aquilina, host of Way of the Fathers, also on the Catholic Culture Podcast Network. For those who missed the YouTube livestream Q&A with Mike Aquilina on May 8th, 2023, here is the audio. It was a lively conversation where Mike fielded viewer questions about important cities of the early Church, early
Livestream promo
We'll be doing YouTube livestreams on the next 3 Monday evenings, as part of CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. In these freewheeling conversations, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions and prompt discussion in the live chat box! 5/8, 8pm ET - Mike Aquilina (host, Way of the Fathers podcast) 5/15, 8pm ET - Thomas Mirus & James Majewski (hosts,Catholic Culture Podcast, Catholic
St. Cyril of Jerusalem - Mystagogical Lectures on the Eucharist
"When the Master himself has explicitly said of the bread, 'This is my body,' will anyone still dare to doubt? When He is Himself our warranty, saying, "This is my blood," who will ever waver and say it is not His Blood?" These the two final catechetical lectures given by Cyril to catechumens around 349 A.D are termed the Mystagogical Lectures. In them, Cyril instructs the newly baptized on the my
St. Ignatius of Antioch - Letter to the Magnesians
"It is not enough to be Christians in name. It behooves us to be such in fact. [...] So let us become His disciples. Let us learn to live the life that Christianity calls for. No one with any other name than this can belong to God." St. Ignatius was the third bishop of Antioch. The only extant writings by St. Ignatius are the seven letters he wrote as a prisoner on his way to Rome to face martyrdo
St. Melito of Sardis - On the Passover
"For the one who was born as Son, and led to slaughter as a lamb, and sacrificed as a sheep, and buried as a man, rose up from the dead as God." A vernacular version of the earliest surviving Easter vigil homily by a second-century bishop about whom little is known. Full text: https://www.kerux.com/doc/0401A1.asp Alternate translation: https://sachurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/On-Pascha-Meli
Pope St. Leo the Great - Three Lenten Sermons
"People are shown to be not particularly spiritual at other times if they do not prove themselves to be more spiritual in these days." St. Leo the Great's pontificate was described by Pope Benedict XVI as "undoubtedly one of the most important in Church history". His 96 extant sermons, given during the period 440-461, reveal his great desire for the unity of the Church and his strong belief in the
St. Patrick - Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus
"I don't know which is the cause of the greatest grief for me: whether those who were slain, or those who were captured, or those whom the devil so deeply ensnared." St. Patrick's Letter to Coroticus is one of two extant works from the fifth century bishop who would come to be known as the "Apostle of Ireland." Written several years into St. Patrick's missionary work in Ireland, this letter offers
J.R.R. Tolkien - On Fairy-Stories
"God is the Lord, of angels, and of men—and of elves." In this 1939 essay, J.R.R. Tolkien expounds upon his personal theory of fantasy. Considered by many to be his most influential scholarly work, the essay is remarkable both as an analysis of a literary form by one of its most important pioneers and as a key to understanding Tolkien's own legendarium. This reading is unabridged, with the excepti
St. John Henry Newman - The Idea of a University | Knowledge Its Own End
"The artist puts before him beauty of feature and form; the poet, beauty of mind; the preacher, the beauty of grace: then intellect too, I repeat, has its beauty, and it has those who aim at it." In 1854, Newman was invited to Dublin by the Catholic Bishops of Ireland to serve as rector for the newly established Catholic University of Ireland, now University College, Dublin. Though he retired afte
St. Francis de Sales—Introduction to the Devout Life | Pt. 2 (Ch.16-21)
"Therefore, my child, communicate frequently, as often as you can, subject to the advice of your spiritual Father... and by reason of adoring and feeding upon beauty, goodness, and purity itself in this most divine Sacrament you too will become lovely, holy, pure." St. Francis de Sales continues his instruction in the devout life with these eminently practical chapters on how the saints are united
Pope Benedict XVI - Regensburg Address: Faith, Reason and the University
"The courage to engage the whole breadth of reason, and not the denial of its grandeur—this is the programme with which a theology grounded in Biblical faith enters into the debates of our time." Pope Benedict XVI delivered this address to scientists at the University of Regensburg on September 12, 2006, where he was a professor and vice rector from 1969 to 1971. The Pope praised the university's
St. Francis de Sales—Introduction to the Devout Life | Pt. 2 (Ch.10-15)
"Now, in the practice of this spiritual retreat and of these brief prayers the great work of devotion lies: it can supply all other deficiencies, but there is hardly any means of making up where this is lacking." In this installment, St. Francis De Sales delves further into his discussion of prayer, focusing his chapters on such subjects as Morning & Evening Prayer, how to receive Holy Communion,
New Year's "From the Archive" Special: The Lapse of Time, by St. John Henry Newman
"We are now entering on a fresh stage of our life's journey; we know well how it will end, and we see where we shall stop in the evening, though we do not see the road." Ring in the New Year with this New Year's Day sermon by St. John Henry Newman, first released on this podcast in January 2020. Full text: http://www.newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume7/sermon1.html DONATE at http://www.cathol
Urban Hannon - The Politics of Hell
Originally delivered at the Pro Civitate Dei summer school in La Londe-les-Maures, France on June 12, 2022, The Politics of Hell is an in-depth examination of St. Thomas Aquinas' doctrine concerning the social order among angels and demons—and a commentary on the human governmental arrangements to which each most closely corresponds. Links: The Politics of Hell full text at The Josias: https://the
John Dryden - Two Poems in Honor of St. Cecilia's Day
But bright Cecilia rais'd the wonder high'r; When to her organ, vocal breath was giv'n, An angel heard, and straight appear'd Mistaking earth for Heav'n. "A Song for St. Cecilia's Day" full text: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44185/a-song-for-st-cecilias-day-1687 "Alexander's Feast; or, the Power of Music" full text: https://poets.org/poem/alexanders-feast-or-p
From the Archive: Pope Pius XI - Casti Connubii: On Christian Marriage | Full
"Matrimony was not instituted or restored by man but by God; not by man were the laws made to strengthen and confirm and elevate it but by God, the Author of nature, and by Christ Our Lord by Whom nature was redeemed..." Casti Connubii, or "of chaste wedlock", was a papal encyclical promulgated by Pope Pius XI on December 21, 1930, in response to the approval by the Anglican Communion's seventh
St. John Henry Newman - The Idea of a University | Bearing of Other Branches of Knowledge on Theology
"If you drop any science out of the circle of knowledge, you cannot keep its place vacant for it; that science is forgotten; the other sciences close up, or, in other words, they exceed their proper bounds, and intrude where they have no right... no science whatever, however comprehensive it may be, but will fall largely into error, if it be constituted the sole exponent of all things in heaven an
Richard Crashaw - A Hymn to the Name and Honour of the Admirable Saint Teresa
"Blest powers forbid thy tender life Should bleed upon a barbarous knife; Or some base hand have power to rase Thy breast's chaste cabinet, and uncase A soul kept there so sweet; oh no, Wise Heav'n will never have it so; Thou art Love's victim, and must die A death more mystical and high; Into Love's arms thou shalt let fall A still-surviving funeral." Richard Crashaw was a 17th-century English po
St. John Henry Newman - The Idea of a University | Bearing of Theology on Other Branches of Knowledge
"In a word, Religious Truth is not only a portion, but a condition of general knowledge. To blot it out is nothing short, if I may so speak, of unravelling the web of University Teaching." In 1854, Newman was invited to Dublin by the Catholic Bishops of Ireland to serve as rector for the newly established Catholic University of Ireland, now University College, Dublin. Though he retired after only
St. John Henry Newman - The Idea of a University | Theology a Branch of Knowledge
" Religious doctrine is knowledge, in as full a sense as Newton's doctrine is knowledge. University Teaching without Theology is simply unphilosophical." In 1854, Newman was invited to Dublin by the Catholic Bishops of Ireland to serve as rector for the newly established Catholic University of Ireland, now University College, Dublin. Though he retired after only four years, during this time he com
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