Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy: Recent Episodes
Marcellino D'Ambrosio
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Church historian, speaker, and author, delivers highly interesting and engaging reflections on Catholic tradition, teaching, and cultural heritage. Find out more about his ministry and discover countless free Catholic resources at www.dritaly.com.
In this third and final episode of Ascension Rountable's Podcast Series on the New Evangelization, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka Dr. Italy) provides further practical suggestions on a key feature of successful evangelization - hospitality. Whether we wish to evangelize as individuals, families or parishes, we need to understand that people only open up their hearts when we open up our own hearts, lives, homes and churches in a way that makes them feel comfortable, welcomed, and appreciated. Hospitality not only sets the stage for the gospel but reveals the gospel as Good News of God's loving acceptance and invitation to belong to the Church, the community of salvation.
In this 7 minute podcast, Dr. Italy paints a verbal picture of the site called Tabga, between the Sea of Galille shore and the Mt. of Beatitudes. Here Jesus multiplied loaves and fish.
The Christian, biblical approach to fraternal correction has nothing to do with the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees. Rather, it is all about humble & loving intervention. As Ezekiel was a watchman for the house of Israel, we are all called in love to watch out for each other.
No sooner does Jesus praise Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi and dub him "the Rock" than he rebukes him as the devil or Satan. Peter had confessed Jesus to be the Messiah. But his idea of what it meant to be the Christ left no room for suffering, sacrifice or the way of the cross as the cost of discipleship.
When we think about the Pope, we often think of the Vatican. But the roots of the Papacy are in the Old Testament as well as in the Gospel story of Jesus changing Simon’s name to Peter and giving him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
More Catholic than the Pope.” There is nothing more quintessentially Catholic than the Papacy. When we think “Catholic,” we think Rome, the Vatican, the dome of St. Peters.
5 minute podcast on the Mount of Beatitudes on the Northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, traditional site of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and where he spent solitary hours in prayer.
Jesus heals the daughter of the Canaanite woman because her faith was so great. He rebuked the disciples because their faith was too little. Matthew’s gospel here is teaching us something very important about the nature of the faith needed to move mountains.
The apostles thought she was a nuisance and asked Jesus to get rid of her. Jesus had gone to the region of Tyre and Sidon, modern-day Lebanon, and a local Canaanite woman approached him for a favor. This was pagan country, home turf of the infamous Jezebel. The inhabitants of these parts were fondly referred to as “dogs” by their Jewish neighbors, who viewed them as unclean.
The gospel story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter sinking has much to teach us about the difference between fear, little faith, and the kind of trust that endures waves and storms, trials and crisis.
One of the most famous stories of the New Testament is the one about Jesus walking on the water. If there is any gospel story we never tire of hearing, this is it.
How does the Kingdom of God relate to conservative versus liberal values? Should those seeking the pearl of great price look for it in realms that are more traditionalist and old or more progressive and new?
The parable of the wheat and the tares or weeds is Jesus’ response to those who want to cleanse the Christian community of the impure and imperfect. The Church, in this world, is more a hospital for sinners than a club for saints.
At one time or another, we’ve all dreamed of a perfect world. Imagine a company where everyone is productive, a government full of honest politicians, a church where all are saints.
The Parable of the Sower and the Seed needs to be viewed from two different perspectives in order to unlock its meaning – from that of the sower and that of the seed. Whether sowing or growing – the point is a plentiful harvest and much fruit.
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus makes the statement “my yoke is easy, my burden light.” For many of us who follow him, this does not seem to square with our experience. This post discusses the reasons for this. And also tells us why the key to rest involves discipleship – coming under the discipline of the Lord’s strong but gentle heart.
Jesus says to deny oneself, pick up the cross and follow him. But he also says to love your neighbor as yourself. Is self-love always wrong?
When “Self” Magazine made its debut a few decades ago, it certainly was a sign of the times. Ours is an age when it is socially acceptable to admit that life is all about me.
Holy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper aka the Lord's Supper, the institution of the Holy Eucharist -- why did Jesus do what he did and say what he said? What did he mean when he said "This is my body and this is my blood" and "Do this in Memory of Me"? And what does the Catholic Church mean by talking about transubstantiation and the body of Christ? All this is remembered & celebrated on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
The Trinity is the central dogma of the Catholic faith and is equally important to Orthodox and most Protestant Christians. Yet it is a mystery, something that we as limited human beings can never understand. So does that mean we can just believe it but basically forget about it and focus on more practical things, like morality?
Not at all, says Marcellino D'Ambrosio (Dr. Italy) on this episode of the SonRise Morning show. If we fail to make progress in understanding the Trinity, we will never understand ourselves or understand what love is all about. In this age in which marriages and families are falling apart, we need more than ever to understanding Trinity since this mystery of loving unity is the key to recovering unity, love and stability in our families.
In John 14:6, Jesus says “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Is this not narrow and close-minded?
How many times have you heard something like this: “As long as you believe in God and try to be a good person, your religion doesn’t matter.” “There are different paths up the same mountain, but they all lead to the peak.”
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio In this 7 minute podcast, Sonrise Morning Show Host Anna Mitchell interviews Marcellino D’Ambrosio about the groundbreaking study from Ascension Press: Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Dr. Italy spend most of 2019 writing and filming a ground-breaking Bible study on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life, published by Ascension Press. Carried out in collaboration with renowned Catholic bible teachers, Dr. Edward Sri and Jeff Cavins, the study is shot in the Holy Land and takes a conversational approach rich in content but easy to understand and apply to real life.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he leads us to green and verdant pastures where the food is ample and of the best quality. He wants us to thrive, not survive, so that the world might be able to see where abundant life is to be found.
6 minute Podcast by Dr. Italy showing the connection between Easter, the resurrection, and the Eucharist through an examination of the road to Emmaus story from Luke 24.
Divine Mercy Sunday or the Octave of Easter presents us with one of the most famous of gospel stories -- the story of Doubting Thomas. But it shows us how and when the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, aka "confession," was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ -- and why.
When people think of Lent, they most often associate it with what they are going to "give up." Though fasting is a pillar of Lenten penance, so is prayer and what is most often referred to as Almsgiving. But almsgiving strongly suggests giving money. Though lack of money is sometimes the cause of people's suffering, it is only part of the story. Mercy is love's response to suffering -- all types of suffering, including loneliness and rejection. In this podcast, Dr. Italy provides a few examples of works of mercy that all of can do, whether we have money to give or not.
Easter is not a day but a season of 50 days. The octave - eight days of high celebration beginning on Easter Sunday - is followed by 42 more days of rejoicing concluding on Pentecost. Here are some ideas for a fruitful celebration of the joy of Eastertide during this extraordinary time while Churches are closed due to COVID-19.
The Gospel of John tells us that, after the body of Jesus was taken from the cross, it was laid in a new tomb, close to the place where he was crucified. Yet, when people visit the Holy Land, they are surprised to find out that the tomb is only a stones throw away from the top of Golgotha. Dr. Italy shares what it is like to visit both places, both inside the same massive Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built in the 12th century by the Crusaders.
On Good Friday, Christians remember the passion of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. This podcast is the second in a three part interview of Dr. Italy, theologian, historian and Holy Land pilgrimage leader, on the events of Holy Week. This segment focuses on the events of Good Friday, when Jesus is dragged from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium of Pontius Pilate, most likely the Fortress Antonia located at the Northeast corner of the Temple. Dr. Italy shares what it is like to descend below street level to Gabbatha, the stone pavement, which made up the courtyard of the Fortress and where Pilate condemned Jesus to death. He then shares the experience of walking through the narrow streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, carrying the cross and witnessing to the passersby. Finally, he discusses the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over both Golgotha and the tomb of Christ, and what it is like to touch the spot at the top of the hill where the world's salvation was won.
In this podcast from the Sonrise Morning Show, host Anna Mitchell begins by observing that virtually half the Gospel of Luke is taken up by Jesus and disciples journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. Holy Land Pilgrimage host and theologian Marcellino D'Ambrosio (Dr. Italy) describes what this journey would have been like for the Lord and his followers and what Jerusalem would have been like in the days before the Passover. He goes on to explain the distinctive location of the Last Supper high in the Essene Quarter of Jerusalem and the strenuous downhill walk of Jesus and the Twelve from the Cenacle to the Kidron valley, and then up to the Garden of Gethsemane a third the way up the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Jesus capture is described as well as "the sacred Pit," the maximum security cell in Caiaphas' palace complex where Jesus most probably spent the last night of his earthly life.
Jesus, like all Jewish men, was obliged to travel to Jerusalem at least three times a year, and probably often went more often. The most popular route led through Perea, on the east bank of the Jordan river, across to Jericho, and then 18 miles uphill through the Judean Desert.
The gospel story of the raising of Lazarus found in John 11 shows us why Jesus can love some friends and disciples more than others, why death is not natural and beautiful, the difference between resurrection and resuscitation, and the deeper meaning of Jesus' miracles or "signs" as they are called in the John's gospel.
The gospel story of the healing of the man born blind is notable for the method Jesus used to work this miracle - he made mud with spittle and clay and rubbed it on the man's eyes. This is a figure of the sacraments in which the Lion of Judah communicates his healing power through earthy realities like water, oil, wine and bread.
In them, we recognize ourselves. For many of us, then, Lent is time for the spiritual equivalent of New Year’s resolutions. We set aside forty days to work on ourselves so we don’t end up wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years. We do things to burn off the excess fat that’s weighing us down, try to improve our spiritual diet, and do some meaningful spiritual exercises to strengthen the spiritual muscles we call “virtues.”
Fasting is what most people first think of when they think about penance in general and Lent in particular. But surprisingly, fasting, as valuable as it is, is probably the least important of the three main groups of Lenten Spiritual Exercises: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving (or mercy). In this podcast, Dr. Italy points out that the real value of fasting is when it is combined with either prayer or almsgiving into a sort of one-two punch at sin and spiritual lethargy. Some practical examples and tips are offered in the course of the discussion.
What is the Catholic Church all about? Do you know what it means to be Catholic? What do Catholics actually believe?
The Catholic Church is extraordinary. Founded by Christ himself, the Catholic Church is where we encounter God in his Word, his sacraments, and his saints. The Church faithfully proclaims the fullness of faith, leaving no truth out. It proclaims the fullness of life, leaving no person out. It calls all to repent and to believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the source of all life and salvation.
Imagine: you are ten years past customary retirement age. It’s time finally to kick back and relax. You live in a great city where everything is at your fingertips – shopping opportunities, cultural events, all your relatives and lifelong friends. Suddenly an unknown God appears and tells you to pack up, uproot your life, and march into an uncivilized wilderness.
The Temptation of Jesus in the Desert is the gospel of the first Sunday of Lent. The purple color of Lent symbolizes penance, but also royalty. As we remember how the first Adam was tempted and failed his test, we rejoice that Christ the King, the New Adam, triumphed over the tempter. We celebrate that we, sons and daughters of the same heavenly King, can also win the battle against temptation. A reflection on the scripture readings for the First (1st) Sunday of Lent, Jesus' temptation in the desert, liturgical cycle A (Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Psalm 51, Romans 5:12-19; and Matthew 4:1-11).
In this 5 minute interview on the Sonrise Morning show, Dr. Italy discusses the amazing life and talents of St. Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval Benedictine abbess renowned for her visions, compositions, and prolific body of written work. Pilgrims on Dr. Italy’s 2023 Rhine Cruise will be visiting her relics and some of her monasteries.
You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, proclaims Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. This seems to indicate that there is an essential role for passion, excitement and fire in the Christian life.
The Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes challenge us all. When Jesus calls blessed the poor in spirit and those hungry for righteousness, he is also condemning the self-satisfaction that leads to sloth, a deadly disease that's risen to epidemic proportions in the Western world.
February 2 is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord Jesus in the Temple. It commemorates Simeon's famous prophecy that Jesus would be a "light of revelation to the Gentiles." It is also known as Candlemas since it is the day that candles are blessed for use throughout the Church year.
In this 15 minute podcast, Dr. Italy discusses the meaning of the ancient feast of the Presentation of the Lord Jesus in the temple by Joseph and Mary. The righteous Israelite, Simeon, being advanced in years, rejoices to see the child he recognizes to be the one to bring the light of truth & salvation to all people.
When people today hear "St. Anthony," they usually think of the 13th century miracle-working Franciscan who is best known for finding lost objects. But a thousand years earlier, there lived the first St. Anthony who was also a miracle worker in a most remarkable way. This Anthony, an Egyptian, was a leader in the movement called monasticism. Giving away property and privilege to follow Jesus into poverty, Anthony left the comfort of civilization to go alone into the desert to battle the devil in imitation of Jesus Christ. Anthony prayed, healed, and fought many battles, not only against demons, but against the Arian heretics who denied the divinity of Christ. In this podcast you will learn about his impact upon the entire Roman world through the book written about him by another famous figure of that era, the great Athanasius.
In this 7 minute podcast, excerpted from a national radio interview, Dr. Italy describes what the town of Nazareth was like in the time of Jesus and what it is like to visit it today on pilgrimage.
Saint Joseph always appears in Manger scenes during Advent and Christmas time and even has a special Solemnity or Feast in his honor, St. Joseph's Day, March 19. But he is so often neglected that St. John Paul II decided to write a special teaching about his role as foster-father of Jesus. This essay makes a case that St. Joseph teaches us some crucial things about the nature of faith that we can't afford to forget.
In this 13 minute podcast, Sonrise Morning Show host Anna Mitchell Interviews Dr. Italy on Advent as a season of Hope. What precisely is Scripture talking about when it tells us that hope is one of the most important things a Christian needs? And what does hope have to do with Advent?
In this 14 minute podcast, Dr. Italy shares some insights into our predicament - we tend to be lulled to sleep spiritually through the constant motion of modern life. This is especially true in Advent, which is perhaps the busiest time of the year due to how our society prepares for Christmas. Yet the Lord calls us in Advent to wake up to his presence and to move aside the obstacles that block his path into our lives. Pride is the chief obstacle, followed by the noise that makes it impossible to hear the still, small voice of the Lord. The mountains of pride and distractions needs to be made low.
Dr. Italy continues his "virtual tour" of sites on his upcoming Rhine pilgrimage, exploring the city of Speyer, Germany, in this 7 min. radio interview. Speyer has its beginnings in a Roman settlement, but in the early Middle Ages, it became an important center and imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. Speyer's cathedral is one of the earliest and most magnificent examples of the architectural style know as Romanesque.
The belief second and final coming of Jesus as sovereign Lord and judge of the world is common to all Christians, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. It is commemorated each November in the Roman Catholic Feast of Christ the King, a celebration that inspires both hope and a salutary fear.
If you’re not praying, you’re not going to get very far in understanding your faith or being able to help others grow in theirs. Historical theologian Dr. Italy (Marcellino D’Ambrosio) explains three prayers of the Church to help you deepen your own prayer life and help others deepen their prayer lives as well. Listen and come away with a better grasp of the Church’s teaching on prayer, as well as several very practical ways to incorporate these three specific prayers into your own life and ministry.
Our Rhine pilgrimage has been nicknamed "the pilgrimage of the hidden gems.” Many of the sites and saints we'll be considering are not necessarily household words in the USA of the 21st century. But what precious discoveries await those who will be coming!
A thorough understanding of the world Jesus lived in is vital to a thorough understanding of Jesus himself.
Mike talking to Marcellino D’Ambrosio, a.k.a. “Dr. Italy” founder of Crossroads Initiative and co-author of Jesus: The Way, The Truth, and The Life about the historical context of the Old Testament, the world in which Jesus began his ministry.
Our Rhine Cruise Pilgrimage in 2023 takes off from the breath-takingly beautiful city of Zurich, Switzerland. In this 6 minute radio interview with Anna Mitchell, host of the Son Rise Morning Show, Dr. Italy discusses the ancient history of this city and some of the incredible churches there that will be stops on the pilgrimage.
In this 7 minute radio interview on the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy highlights a destination on his upcoming 2023 Rhine pilgrimage that is known for it's spectacular beauty - the city of Lucerne, Switzerland. But more than just the majestic setting of Alpine mountains and lakes, the city offers a long and rich Catholic history to explore. What many today don't realize is that the city has its roots in a monastery of the early Middle Ages, and unlike most of its neighbors, Lucerne stood firm in its Catholic faith during the tumultuous years of the Protestant Reformation.
In this episode of Ascension Rountable's Podcast, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka Dr. Italy) puts the New Evangelization into the context of Catholic history from the days of the Church of the Catacombs down to the present time. The early Christians grew from a group of 120 at Pentecost to ten percent of the Roman empire in about 300 years. How did they do it? Dr. Italy discusses this and other key times in Church history, explaining what's so New about the New Evangelization and what about it is not so new after all.
The ancient city of Strasbourg, sitting on the border of France and Germany, is a blend of cultures influences, with roots that go back to the Celts and Romans. In this 8 min. interview from Catholic radio, Dr. Italy discusses the fascinating history of this town known today as the "Capital of Christmas". But the heart of the town is its stunning cathedral, Notre Dame de Strasbourg, which took four centuries to complete. This will be one of the first sites visited on the 2023 Rhine Cruise pilgrimage.
In this 7 minute podcast from the Sonrise Morning show on Catholic radio, Dr. Italy continues his discussion of the amazing saints and shrines of the Rhine River area - this time focusing on St. Meinrad and the beautiful Abbey of Our Lady of Einsiedeln, located near Zurich, Switzerland. During the time of Charlemagne, Meinrad, a Benedictine monk, journeyed to the hinterlands of Switzerland and Germany, seeking the solitude of the wilderness to live as a hermit. He carried with him a miraculous statue of Mary, which would later become known as the Black Madonna. St. Meinrad, a martyr of hospitality, has been the inspiration for the founding of many other monasteries, including the Archabbey of St. Meinrad in Indiana.
In this 7 minute radio interview on the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy continues a discussion on our Catholic heritage inspired by his upcoming pilgrimage cruise along the Rhine River. The featured site explored in this interview is the amazing Cologne (or Köln, in German) Cathedral and its fascinating history and significance.
Podcast in which Dr. Italy identifies spiritual warfare as underlying the current malaise in the world and America. A spiritual battle can only be fought effectively with spiritual weapons, first and foremost being the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
In this 6 minute radio interview with Anna Mitchell of the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy begins a discussion on the vast topic of how the Catholic Church built Western civilization. Starting with the indomitable missionary monks of Ireland, he illustrates how they not only saved but helped build Western civilization by preserving and spreading literacy and literature across Europe. He also discusses how his upcoming Rhine pilgrimage will focus on this theme, and how many of the sites to be visited are crucial examples of it.
7 minute podcast segment in which Dr. Italy is interviewed about the dynamics of discipleship and the paradox of freedom and rest through discipline.
The term discipleship has been heard a lot in the past few years. Many parishes are writing mission statements these days calling their church a community of missionary disciples.
As the civilization in the West was dissolving into the Dark Ages, a man named Gregory was elected to fill the chair of St. Peter. First prefect or mayor of Rome, then monk, then the Pope's ambassador to Constantinople, then finally bishop of Rome, Gregory rocked the church and the civilized world. He was a man who could walk with kings and yet with whom the poor of Rome felt right at home. In this 20 minute podcast, Dr. Italy discusses just a few of Gregory's strengths as diplomat, disciple, preacher, teacher of bishops and master story-teller. The impact of Gregory's writings and example upon the Western Church in the Middles Ages is hard to overestimate.
In this 8 minute radio interview with Anna Mitchell from the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy discusses his new study series, What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith, published by Ascension Press. This study aims to help people come to a greater insight and understanding of all aspects of the Catholic faith, but also to help them live the faith and follow Jesus in a more exuberant way. Our faith is not just a belief system or code of ethics, it’s a dynamic relationship with God, and this study focuses on both head and heart.
John the Baptist has two feast days -- his earthly birthday on June 24, sixth months before the birthday of his cousin, and August 29th, his birthday into eternal life, the day he was executed by Herod at the request of Salome to who he'd promised anything she asked for. Apparently, Herod was fascinated by John, even though John condemned his adultery with his half-brother's wife. Why did John have to die? And why do people so often persecute and kill the prophets God sends to help them? As those who share in the prophetic anointing of Christ, what can we expect and how can we be effective and faithful in sharing God's sometimes troubling word with the world?
In this 7 minute excerpt from a national radio interview, Dr. Italy describes his recent journey to Poland, Austria and Bavaria. He then goes on to describe his upcoming Rhine pilgrimage Cruise focusing on the River of the Catholic Tradition and the extraordinary saints whose stories will be told along the way.
5 min podcast discussing Terence Malick’s film, A Hidden Life, which tells the story of World War II martyr of conscience, Blessed Franz Jagerstatter and his equally heroic wife Fani.
Terence Malick recently directed a film about a simple Austrian farming couple whose alpine paradise was shattered by the trauma of World War II. A Hidden Life tells the story of Franz and Fani Jägerstätter who were both persecuted mercilessly for Franz’s refusal to take the oath required of every soldier, a promise of personal loyalty to Adolf Hitler.
In this 14 minute podcast recorded on the occasion of the Feast of St. Benedict on July 11, host Sonrise Morning show host Anna Mitchell interviews Dr. Italy about the significance that Benedict and the Benedictine way of life holds for Christians today.
7 minute Podcast describing the town of Cana in Galilee, site of the wedding feast of Cana. A famous place of pilgrimage that celebrates marriage provides a memorable opportunity for the renewal of wedding vows.
7 minute podcast by Dr. Italy focusing on the true meaning of the Sacred Heart of Jesus based on the chief scriptural text connected with this feast and devotion.
Father's Day brings up a very good question -- in this post-feminist era, why should we stick to calling God "Father"?? Isn't this just a relic from a bygone, patriarchal culture. After all, if God is spirit, he is neither male nor female. Sonrise Morning show host, Anna Mitchell asks such questions of Dr. Italy who shares from the bible, the Tradition, and the teaching of the Catholic Church just what it means when we say God is Father as well as what we don't mean. You'll love his insights into the fatherhood of God communicated with energy and conciseness in this ten minute podcast.
7 Minute Podcast in which Dr. Italy vividly describes Israel's coastal jewel, Caesarea Maritima or Caesar's town by the sea. A place made famous by its builder, Herod the Great along with Pontius Pilate, St. Paul and early Church fathers Origen and Eusebius.
In this episode from the Sonrise Morning Show, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Holy Land tour leader, describes what it is like to sail on the Sea of Galilee and to look down upon it from the mountains and hills upon which Jesus prayed. Surprising details about this body of water, also known as the Lake of Genessaret, that explain how sudden and violent storms can often arise that can catch even experienced mariners like Peter and the apostles off guard.
A 16 minute podcast in which Sonrise Morning show host Matt Swaim asks Dr. Italy some insightful questions about the rosary, Mary, the misteries, and the power of praying the rosary.
The Rosary has been the most honored and best known devotional prayer in the Roman Catholic tradition for the last five hundred years. Yet few, even those very devoted to it, understand its meaning and unlock its full power. We know that it is a Marian prayer, and associate it with the simplest and best known Marian prayer, the Hail Mary.
2020 was a time of exceptional turmoil and disruption throughout the world due to the COVID 19 pandemic. America, in addition, experienced extraordinary political and social unrest with a contested election and riots in the streets and even in the US Capitol. Both the pandemic and political turbulence continues today.
6 minute podcast in which on the journey of Jesus and his disciples from Bethany, over the top of the Mount of Olives to Bethphage, & down the Palm Sunday Road from there into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey amidst cries of hosanna.
In this brief excerpt from the Sonrise Morning Show, Dr. Italy introduces listeners to the fascinating story of Edith Stein, born into an observant German Jewish family who abandoned religion as a young girl only to end her life as a Carmelite nun and a Christian martyr at Auschwitz.
The adulterous woman to whom Jesus said "neither do I condemn you" was the recipient of the free gift of a grace that was costly, not cheap. She was called to leave behind the sin of adultery. And the pardon of the adulteress cost Jesus his life. For the 5th Sunday of Lent, cycle C.
7 minute interview of Dr. Italy by Anna Mitchell of the Sonrise Morning Show, on St. Polycarp, one of the most fascinating of the Apostolic Fathers, those who pass on to us what they heard from the apostles of Jesus.
The parable of the Prodigal or wasteful Son is more about the loving Father. God is not a raging tyrant who must be appeased through the suffering of his Son. Rather it's the extravagant love of Jesus, son of the extravagant Father, that makes atonement for our sins - the sacrifice of a spotless Passover Lamb. For the 4th Sunday of Lent, cycle C.
The Solemnity or Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord is celebrated on March 25. Here, in his typically lyrical language, Leo the Great ponders the unfathomable mystery of God becoming man in the womb of a Virgin, at the moment of conception. Through the Father's love and Mary's faith, the divine Word became flesh and dwelt among us, assuming a full human nature.
Is Lent about fasting or feasting? Maybe the two are related, says this commentary on the story of the barren fig tree from the gospel of Luke chapter 13. Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving. Three inter-related fertilizers which help barren fig trees bear fruit. For the 3rd Sunday of Lent, cycle C.
This 18 minute Lenten podcast from the Catholic Connection addresses the forty days of Lent and the hidden symbolism behind the number 40 which reappears in so many places throughout the Sacred Scriptures. Show host Elena Rodriguez, pinch hitting for Teresa Tomeo, asks Dr. Italy to uncover the mystery of why Lent has 40 days and what this tells us about how we are to approach the season.
In this brief segment which aired on national Catholic radio, Marcellino D'Ambrosio shares his impressions of one of the most dramatic peaks in the Holy Land, Mount Tabor.
This mountain is directly across the valley from Nazareth, so would have been a landmark Jesus grew up seeing on the horizon. Anyone traveling from Nazareth to the holy city of Jerusalem would have to walk by Mt. Tabor. People going to Jerusalem from Capernaum and the other vilaages around the Sea of Galilee would have also seen Tabor on their journey.
This Sunday reading examines the relationship between the transfiguration and the passion of Christ, between Mount Tabor and Calvary. It examines the question of whether God ever abandoned Jesus and makes for helpful reading either for the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6 or during Lent and Holy Week. For the 2nd Sunday of Lent, cycle C.
In this Lenten podcast, Matt Swaim asks Dr. Italy about his new book, 40 Days, 40 Ways, A New Look at Lent (Servant Books). In response, Marcellino D’Ambrosio explains the book’s aim to help people break out of "same old" stale Lenten patterns. The book does this by offering forty fresh ideas of how to combine prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The goal is to make us new people by the end of the season.
Lent is supposed to be a season of a successful journey through the desert of penance to a new land and a new, deeper, intimacy with God. But often, we find ourselves going back to the same old Lenten pathways of past years and end up getting nowhere. My aim here is to put into your hands some fresh Lenten ideas to help you approach the season in a new way so Lent can become for you the experience of lasting change that it is intended to be.
The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's gospel includes such tough commands as love your enemies, turn the other cheek, and judge not. How are we to understand such things and put them into practice? The examples of Jesus & St. Thomas More provide us with insight here.
Podcast excerpted from radio interview in which Dr. Italy offers some reflections on the apparitions of Mary to lowly shepherd girls in Lourdes in 1858.
The Beatitudes appear in the gospels of Matthew and Luke as part of the Sermon on the Mount. But what actually is the nature of true happiness? Must we be miserable in this world to be happy in the next? Faith and hope bring the lasting joy that is the essence of true blessedness. For the 6th Sunday in Ordinary time, Cycle C.
Discipleship is about a call to embark upon an epic adventure, not about preserving the safe, comfortable and predictable mediocrity of business as usual. The disciples left behind everything to follow Jesus, embarking upon a road that would lead them through danger to glory. For the 5th Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle C.
In this 7 minute podcast, Dr. Italy discusses St. Thomas Aquinas and what he teaches us about the roles of faith and reason. For his feast day on January 28.
7 minute Podcast on why the Church celebrates the Conversion of Saul of Tarsus, aka St. Paul, with a special feast. Dr. Italy on the Sonrise Morning Show of EWTN.
The prophets of the Old and New Testaments show us that sometimes love demand that we speak truth that people don't want to hear. Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern; Jesus was run out of Nazareth. This shows us that God's messengers shouldn't expect honor, respect, and popularity. For the 4th Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle C.
Bible study and prayer with Scripture is absolutely necessary for Catholics. As St. Jerome said, ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. For the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle C.
Everyone knows the story of the first of the Lord's "signs" -- how Jesus changed water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana at the request of Mary, his mother. But there is more to the story than at first meets the eye.
Everyone has heard of the river Jordan, where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. But few know much about it or can visualize it.
Dr. Italy has taught on the banks of the Jordan upwards of thirty times over the past twenty years. Here he paints a visual picture of the Jordan emerging in far North Israel from the base of the snow-capped Mt. Hermon, and flowing downhill to the Sea of Galilee at the location of the ancient town of Bethsaida and just a short distance from Capernaum.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan closes the Christmas Season. This reflection on the scripture readings for the feast also provide us insight into the sacraments of baptism and Confirmation and give us food for meditation as we say the first luminous mystery of the rosary.
The Solemn feast of the Epiphany of the Lord traditionally occurs on January 6 following the twelve days of Christmas. Epiphany commemorates three scriptural events: the visit of the Magi to the stable of Bethlehem following the nativity of Jesus, Christ's Baptism in the Jordan, and his first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana. This article focuses on the significance of the Magi or three wise men from the pagan east who follow the star in search of the King.
This commentary on the Feast of the Epiphany uncovers the meaning of the term epiphany and explains why the Magi -- Caspar, Balthasar, Melchior, the three kings of Orient riding camels and carrying gold, frankincense, and myrrh -- are found, complete with crowns and camels, in every nativity scene.
January 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. Not because it is New Year's day, but because it is the octave (8th day) of Christmas. This feast of Mary, the Mother of God, brings home the reality of the incarnation. In Jesus, the Creator truly became man. And that man had, and still has, a mother. So affirmed the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in AD 431.
12 minute podcast that describes the lifestyle of the Holy Family in Nazareth during the “hidden years” before Jesus launched his public ministry.
The four gospels tells us very little about the life of Jesus between his birth and his baptism besides his presentation forty days after his birth, the flight to Egypt and return to Nazareth, and his pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his family at age 12.
The Feast of the Holy Family challenges us to grow in the virtues of piety, honor, patience, and forbearance. And to learn to laugh together.
14 minute podcast in which Dr. Italy describes the town of Bethlehem and the field of the Shepherds at the time of the birth of Christ. Helps bring the Christmas story alive as we read of the little town that was the city of David.
At Christmas we sing “O little town of Bethlehem.” But what was this town like at the time of Jesus? And how likely is it that the Church of the Nativity, on Manger Square, is built over the actual birth site of Jesus. What is it like to enter and explore that church and to descend into the cave that is traditionally regarded as the place where Mary gave birth to Christ?
We all know the elements of the Christmas story: Caesar's census and Herod, shepherds and Magi, ox , swaddling clothes & manger, a stable and not room in the inn, Bethlehem and the Prince of Peace. But underneath each of these people, places, and things, there is deeper meaning that often goes unnoticed.
John the Baptist is often thought of as a stern, grim figure. But as a matter of fact, he could be the patron saint of joy! Maybe that’s why is is the focal point of the gospel for Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday, the third (3rd) Sunday of Advent. Joy comes only through humility and repentance.
On the third Sunday of Advent, the penitential purple of the season changes to rose and we celebrate “Gaudete” or “Rejoice!” Sunday. “Shout for joy, daughter of Sion” says Zephaniah. “Draw water joyfully from the font of salvation,” says Isaiah. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” says St. Paul. “Do penance for the judge is coming,” says John the Baptist.
For the past 500 years, devotion to Mary has been a bone of contention between Catholics and Protestants. But the meaning of the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 highlights some amazing common ground between these two groups. Would you believe that on this feast, Catholics actually honor Mary as the perfect example of the greatest Protestant virtue? To understand why true Marian devotion actually should bring us together, listen to this podcast.
The Gospel of Luke presents Mary, mother of Jesus, as the model of faith, showing us what faith must include to be authentic and effective. And imitating Mary's virtue is key to an authentic Marian devotion and an adequate understanding of the deepest meaning of the Immaculate Conception -- that it's all about grace.
Advent is a season of joy & hope. Paul says to rejoice in hope. But what is hope, anyway? How does this theological virtue differ from faith and what does it have to do with rejoicing?
The Season of Advent provides us a rich selection of Scriptures from both New and Old Testaments. One recurring theme of many of these readings is that it is now time to rouse ourselves from sleep and become much more spiritually awake and alert.
Have you ever had one of those days when you just wish God would show up, snap his figures and work miracles? The people of Israel had about 500 years worth days like that, groaning under the oppression of one tyrant after another. The book of Isaiah gives voice to these sentiments: “O that you would rip open the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you!
In the midst of the tragic Civil War that caused so much death and destruction in America, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed two special days: the last Thursday of April 1863 as a National Day of Prayer and Fasting, and the last Thursday of November as a national Day of Thanksgiving to God. Here is the text of his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, which established an annual holiday not of "Turkey Day," but of Thanksgiving to God.
Before thanksgiving was an American holiday, it was a hallmark of the Judeo-Christian tradition. All ancient peoples gave thanks for creation; only Jews and Christians believe that God acted decisively in history to secure our liberation from slavery. Eucharist simply means thanksgiving -- and it is the supreme act of worship and thanks for the sacrifice that won our ultimate liberation.
The Bible stories of Naaman the Syrian and Jesus' healing of the 10 lepers shows us that gratitude is an obligation of justice. To remember the source of our blessings and to give thanks is exactly why some countries, like the USA and Canada, dedicate a national Thanksgiving holiday. And why Catholics have a "Sunday obligation" to attend the Eucharist.
A reflection on the Solemnity of All Souls, November 2, touching on the mystery of death and the afterlife including heaven, hell, and purgatory, and the validity of prayers for the dead.
Each November 1st Catholics are obliged to attend Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. This feast is more than a dutiful remembrance of the various saints that don't make it into the Roman calendar of feast days. It is celebrates us - the fact that all of us are destined to attain the heights of holiness, that all of us are called and equipped to become saints, and will do so if we don't get in the way of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Italy discusses where the feast comes from and why some consider it to be even greater than Easter in a curious way.
Hear O Israel! Most have heard of the Great Commandment - to love God with your whole heart and your neighbor as yourself. But if God is just and salvation depends upon perfect obedience to this command, who can be saved? For the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
In this podcast, historical theologian Marcellino D'Ambrosio ("Dr. Italy") clears up misunderstandings about the holiday that are nearly universally believe by Christians, neo-pagans and secularists a like. It will be of great help to grandparents and parents trying to decide how to approach this celebration.
The story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who met Jesus on the road to Jericho, is a dramatic event from the Gospel of Mark that illustrates something very important about the true nature of Christian faith. For the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
Belief that God exists is not quite what Scripture means by faith. The faith spoken of by Jesus, Paul, and John is a gift that is like a spiritual muscle - to be strong, it must be exercised.
Ignatius of Antioch, whom the Church remembers on October 17, is one of the most important of the apostolic fathers, the Fathers of the Church who lives overlapped the lives of the last of the apostles. Ignatius was, in fact, only the second successor of Peter, Paul, and Barnabas in the important city of Antioch, where the followers of Jesus were called Christians for the first time. He is, therefore, a crucial link between us and the generation of the apostles who preceded him, a witness to the apostolic tradition. Ignatius was apprehended by the Roman authorities and sentenced to die in the arena in Rome. He was chained to a squad of brutal soldiers and marched overland from Antioch to the Northwest coast of Turkey. Along the way, local Christian churches sent delegations to meet with him. Ignatius afterwards wrote seven short letters to these various churches in which he gives us a window into the soul of an early Christian martyr on his way to execution. In this podcast we talk about the kinds of things he thought it was important to say as his "parting shot" to the Christians of Asia and Rome. His comments touch on matters such as the divinity and humanity of Christ, Christian Unity, the eucharist, heresy, the structure of the local church, the meaning of martyrdom and much more.
Brothers John and James, the sons of Zebedee, had ambition. When they make their famous request for places of honor & privilege in Mark's gospel, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them that leadership & true greatness consists in loving and serving, even to the point of sharing with Christ the cup of suffering.
In this podcast Dr. Italy describes the great Carmelite mystic, Teresa of Avila, pointing out how she combined practical wisdom, mysticism and a sense of humor in an extraordinary way.
Some do the minimum in order to survive. But we are called to seize every opportunity so we can truly thrive. Proverbs says Wisdom has set a table for us. Christ, Divine Wisdom incarnate, actually feeds us with two abundant tables - the feast of the Word and the Sacrament. For the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
Angelo Roncalli, better known as Pope St. John XXIII, was a simple peasant boy who never quite lost his country simplicity even as he moved up through the Church’s hierarchy to occupy the chair of St. Peter. His election to the Papacy in 1958 surprised everyone, as did his announcement that he had decided to convene an ecumenical council to meet at the Vatican. We learn in this podcast why this Pope was canonized as a saint and why the council he convened cannot really be understood without understanding him.
Both the Rich Young Man in Mark's Gospel and King Solomon had a very difficult choice to make. In a similar moment of decision, what would be the desire of your heart? Wisdom and adventure, or comfort and convenience? Where do true riches...and security...lie? For the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
St. Francis of Assisi happens to be one of the most popular of all saints, honored by non-Catholics as well as Catholics, Buddhists and Hindus as well as Christians. But are the words popularly attributed to him true? "Preach the Gospel always; when necessary, use words? How about that saying? Is it his? What can Francis's famous encounter with the Muslim Sultan teach us about faith and how to approach the followers of Islam? All these questions and more are discussed in this 15 minute podcast.
14 minute podcast in which Sonrise Morning show guest host Ryan Lopez quizzes Dr. Italy about the life and impact of Jerome, bible scholar, father and Doctor of the Church and warrior for Christ. On the occasion of his feast day, September 30.
Is annulment just a Catholic Divorce? This article explains the controversial Roman Catholic position on love, marriage, marital intimacy, divorce, remarriage and celibacy.
Dr. Italy discusses the Capuchin friar Padre Pio who in his lifetime was first famous in Italy and then the whole world for his stigmata and miracles worked through his intercession.
We so often condemn the Pharisees that we totally miss a sneaky way that we are often like them. The hard saying of Jesus "if you hand causes you to sin, cut it off" is a kind of shock therapy to wake us up to the way we are hard on other's faults yet quite soft on our own. It's time to take aggressive action against evil and say "no thanks" to the near occasion of sin! For the 26th Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle B.
Envy, one of the seven deadly sins, is different from mere jealousy - it is darker and much more dangerous. Yet its cunning can be - and has been - defeated. For the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
September 11 is the anniversary of one of most brutal acts of terrorism of all time. Three days later, on September 14, the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation, and triumph of the cross of Jesus Christ. This reflection brings out the link between 9/11 and the victory of the cross and helps us understand why the cross, an instrument of torture in the hands of brutes, becomes a tree of life in the hands of the Savior.
Many contemporary bishops have been criticized for taking half-measures instead of speaking and acting boldly and decisively. The same could never be said of the ancient bishop who was a Father of the Church, St. John Chrysostom. His preaching was so eloquent and powerful that he acquired the nickname of "Chrysostom" or "golden-tongue." Gold as it may have been, his tongue was often sharp at times as he called out corruption among laity, clergy, even the Emperor. His unrelenting honesty earned him the emnity of Imperial family and brutal exile that resulted in his untimely death. In this brief, 8 minute podcast tells his story.
September 11 is the anniversary of one of most brutal acts of terrorism of all time. Three days later, on September 14, the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation and triumph of the cross of Jesus Christ. This podcast brings out the link between 9/11 and the victory of the cross and helps us understand why the cross, an instrument of torture in the hands of brutes, becomes a tree of life in the hands of the Savior.
The word amen is familiar to all. But few know its origins and its true meaning, which actually strikes at the very essence of what it means to believe and have rock-solid faith.
"Ephphatha!" The miracles of Jesus, particularly the story of Jesus' healing of the deaf - mute in the Gospel of Mark, raise a big questions -- did Jesus Christ truly work miracles and if so, was his motivation compassion or glory? For the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B.
What does the term Tradition really mean? Is it opposed to the Bible? The sola scriptura principle of the Protestant Reformation assumed it was -- here we examine this assumption in the light of a few key scriptures. For the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
Christians are called to be not just believers, but intentional disciples who make a conscious decision to follow Jesus and him alone. But discipleship can't be a one-time decision. As in a marriage, the commitment must be renewed daily. For the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary (called the Dormition in the Christian East) has been celebrated as a solemn feast on August 15 since ancient times. What is the meaning and basis of the dogma and the Solemnity?
I once asked a college theology class if anyone could explain the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. A student replied, “yeah, that’s the teaching whereby the Catholic Church ‘assumes’ that Mary is in heaven.”
In this 15 minute podcast, Anna Mitchell, host of the Sonrise Morning show, asks Marcellino D'Ambrosio (aka "Dr. Italy") about the origins and meaning of the dogma and feast of the Assumption of Mary, celebrated on August 15th.
In this podcast, other aspects of Kolbe’s life are also discussed which are little known. Kolbe founded a new monastery near Warsaw that grew into a veritable city, with over 1,000 Franciscan Friars living a live of prayer and apostolic activity. This monastery was so large that, in the early days of World War II, before it was shut down by the Nazis, it harbored close to 2,000 Jewish refugees, hiding them from the Germans. Before the war, St. Maximilian saw the importance of using modern media for evangelization, and so began publishing a weekly magazine, and then a daily newspaper which had, on weekends, a circulation of 250,000! The monastery he founded near Warsaw was the base for the creation and distribution of these publications, and it also launched a radio station to utilize the newest media of the day (the 1930’s), radio.
But St. Claire deserves more than a footnote appearing in a life of another saint. Unlike Francis, she was a noblewoman, being groomed to marry a wealthy knight or even duke, but she forsook a life of privilege to live in the same abject poverty as St. Francis and his earliest disciples, founding a woman’s branch of the Franciscan Order. Despite her austerities and constant poor health, she nursed Francis in his final days of suffering and blindness and outlived him, going on to become an adviser to bishops and Popes
Since the days of Judas, there have always been bad apples among the clergy. In the days of St. Francis and Clare, clerical corruption was particularly bad since being a bishop or Cardinal meant ownership of lands and considerable streams of income, not to mention the prestige of belonging to the nobility. Some bishops were obviously in the ministry for the wrong reason.
Clare, on the other hand, lived up to her name, which means "clear," pure and light. She and her mentor, St. Francis, encountered plenty of unworthy clergy in their day. Their way of dealing with this problem is instructive for us today.
Somehow, we can all relate to the discouragement and exhaustion of Elijah. So we need to learn from the solution proposed by God to revitalize and energize him for the long journey he needed to make and the important work he was going to do. The bread God provided is a figure of a more wondrous bread that is available to us, the Eucharist. For the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, B.
Podcast discussing the beauty of Mount Tabor and the glory and meaning of the Transfiguration, a pivotal event in the life of Jesus that Catholics celebrate every August 6. 14 minute interview of Dr. Italy by Sonrise Morning Show radio host Anna Mitchell.
The Transfiguration was indeed a pivotal event in the life of Jesus and his three closest disciples, Peter, James and John. Right after Peter confesses him to be the Messiah and Jesus makes clear that he would be a suffering messiah, they ascend a mountain to pray (luke 9). Neither Luke nor the other evangelists who tell the story note the name of the mountain, but the early Christians of Galilee preserved the memory of the place. Origen, a great theologian from the early 3rd century, is our earliest written witness to this tradition.
7 minute podcast by Dr. Italy discussing the two churches rebuilt by St. Francis that still stand in Assisi, his home town. To be visited on his upcoming pilgrimage to Italy.
The famous miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes calls us to trust that when we offer the Lord our ordinary and scanty resources, he will work a wonder of transformation, just like he transforms the bread and wine of the Eucharist.
One of the most famous miracles of Jesus is the only one recorded in all four gospels–the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
The story of the visit of Jesus to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany raises questions about hospitality, service, prayer, action and contemplation. First of all, does Jesus love some people, like Mary, Mary, and Lazarus, more than others? If so, how is this fair? Secondly, why would Jesus apparently praise Mary sitting on her behind while Martha slaves in the kitchen? In this 20 minute podcast, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, aka Dr. Italy, discusses these issues with Anna Mitchell of the Sonrise Morning show. When you listen, you'll be surprised at what they come up with!
On July 26, the Latin rite of the Catholic Church honors the Grandparents of Jesus, parents of the Virgin Mary, Saints Joachim and Anne. Matt Swaim asks Dr. Italy (Marcellino D'Ambrosio) just how we know about them, given that their names are not mentioned in the New Testament. After discussing the second century document, the Protoevangelium of St. James which is our source for Joachim and Anne, Dr. Italy talks about how Joachim and Ann were the ones to form Mary in the faith of the people of Israel and most probably had a role in the life of the messiah as well. He also points out that there is an ancient and beautiful church in Jerusalem built over the home of Joachim and Ann, which was the birth place of Mary. This spot happens to be the very first stop on every pilgrimage that Dr. Italy lieads to the Holy Land.
The multiplication of the loaves and fishes is the only miracle of Jesus recorded in all four gospels. John calls it a sign, a symbolic event with many hidden meanings. It points beyond itself back to Old Testament persons and events and forward to the Eucharist. For the 17th Sunday in Ordinary time cycle B.
In this 14 minute podcast, Dr. Italy discusses with Anna Mitchell the various misconceptions people have about Mary Magdalene, and corrects them based on the gospels. He also looks at her in the wider context of Jesus’ remarkable ministry to women, and especially the women disciples who Luke and John most especially brings to our attention
The story of the feeding of the 5,000 teaches us much about leadership in the Kingdom of God. The King is a shepherd who puts the sheep's needs before his own, and feeds them with truth, the nourishment they need most. For the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
In the Northwestern part of what is now the state of Israel is a long ridge known as Mount Carmel. This twenty four mile ridge separates the interior of the Holy Land from the Mediterranean sea. A magnificent view of the Mediterranean is afforded by several places along the top of the ridge, especially from the northwestern tip or head of the ridge. In this podcast, Dr. Italy, who has visited this spot thirty times in the last twenty years, describes the beauty of this garden spot in the Holy Land.
Podcast discussing the amazing Roman basilica that goes all the way back to the new testament period, San Clemente, dedicated to Clement of Rome, third successor of Peter.
Christianity is about receiving a free gift of salvation -- that's true. But it is also about passing it forward. But don't you need a degree and extensive training first? God doesn't so much call the equipped; he equips the called. We quickly move from disciples to apostles & prophets to share in the mission of the Church & the lay apostolate. For the 15th Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle B.
The bread and wine of the Eucharist actually become what they symbolize and transmit what they contain, the body and blood of Christ, for our transformation. The Mass is both sacrifice and meal at the same time.
The story about Jesus' disappointing reception in his hometown of Nazareth addresses a question asked by many - if God is omnipotent, can it be said that there are some miracles that he cannot perform? The surprising answer tells us a lot about unbelief, faith, and the nature of God. For the 14th Sunday in Ordinary time, cycle B.
This fourth installment in a five part series on Understanding the Mass explains Christ’s real presence in the Word of God and in the sacrament of his body and blood.
As we have seen, the Lord Jesus is really and truly present in the Eucharist in at least four distinct ways. In our last article, we discussed His presence in the people and in the person of the priest. Now it is time to examine the third way He is present in the Mass, in the word of God. It’s a caricature to depict the Protestant church as the church of the word and the Catholic Church as the church of the sacraments. This is certainly not the case.
Peter and Paul died in the persecution of the emperor Nero. Peter was crucified and buried on Vatican hill – the present St. Peter’s basilica was erected over his tomb. Paul was beheaded and buried outside the walls of the city. The basilica of St. Paul’s outside the walls covers Paul’s tomb. The tombs of these two apostles in Rome made Rome the pre-eminent site of Christian pilgrimage from the 4th century to the present, second only to Jerusalem in importance.
Dr. Italy and Matt Swaim in this podcast point out that anyone who is interested in the Bible or Christianity needs to know about the early Christian bishop remembered on June 28 by the Catholic Church. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons is actually honored also by the Orthdox Churches, the Anglican Church and many Protestant communities and scholars. Listen to this podcast and find out what Irenaeus haw to do with naming the four gospels, helping us know what books were regarded as Scripture by the early Christians, and identifying Rome as the Church founded by the apostles Peter and Paul.
This third in a series on Understanding the Mass focuses on the way the Lord Jesus is really present in his body, the church, as well as his real presence in the priest.
Whether they’re Catholic or not, whether they understand it or not, most people have heard the term, “the real presence,” and know it has something to do with what Catholics believe about the Mass. Indeed, the Church teaches that Christ is really present in the Eucharist — and present in at least four different ways. Today we will look at two of them.
On June 24, the Church observes a solemn feast in honor of the birth or nativity of John the Baptist. No other saint's birthday is celebrated with such solemnity. The unique role of the Forerunner, the Voice crying out in the Wilderness, in the history of salvation is part of the reason. But also the Church wants to draw our attention to the witness of John's character. It teaches us much about the path to holiness and the Kingdom of God.
Did Jesus really raise the daughter of Jairus and perform other miracles? The Deists, including several American founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson, said no, and their Enlightenment skepticism still influences us today. For the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B.
In the Roman liturgical calendar, St. Thomas More shares his feast of June 22 with St. Paulinus of Nola and St. John Fisher. Often, he is overlooked or forgotten. But he is one of the most inspiring models for fathers, husbands, and statesmen, indeed for just about anyone living in a society that finds the teaching of Jesus inconvenient and annoying. Listen to this podcast and find out how this man managed to carry on an amazing spiritual and family life in the midst of the most crushing of worldly responsibilities as King Henry VIII's right hand man, the second most important figure in the government of England from 1529 till his execution in 1535.
In Part 1 of Understanding the Mass, we examined how the Mass relates to the Sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In this, part 2 of the series, we ask in what way the Eucharist can be said to be our sacrifice, the self-offering of the Church with its head. The New Testament calls Christians “priests” and priests are those who offer sacrifice of praise & thanksgiving.
The Fatherhood of God has come under fire with the rise of feminism. If we know that God is pure spirit who transcends male and female, masculine and feminine, why preserve what some believe to be the antiquated, patriarchal practice of referring to the divinity as “Father”? This article uses the occasion of the American observance of Father’s Day to examine what it means to call God “father.”
This first post of a 5 part series on understanding the mass focuses on what way the Eucharist is a sacrifice, how it is a re-presentation of the once and for all sacrifice of Christ on the Cross at Calvary as well as an experience of the resurrection and the Pentecost experience of the Holy Spirit.
One of the most famous bible stories of all time is Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Mark, the evangelist, uses the story to ask the reader a question that elicits a clear answer on the identity of Christ. This approach is often called the Socratic method. Reflection on the gospel for the 12th Sunday in ordinary time, cycle B.
One of the Parables of the Kingdom of God is that of the tiny mustard seed that grows into the largest of shrubs. What can this parable mean for growth in our church today which appears to be contracting, not growing, at least in the Western World?
Podcast by Dr. Italy on Florence, the Renaissance city, and what the art of Michelangelo teaches us about Catholic Culture and life. With images of sites and churches of Florence that he will visit on his upcoming Italy pilgrimage.
In this 7 minute podcast, Anna Mitchell of the Sonrise Morning show interviews Dr. Italy on the profound meaning of the Magnificat, Mary's canticle uttered on the occasion of the Visitation, and how it manifests her as the Queen of Humility and the Queen of Praise. Also discussed is the beautiful place where this event took place, Ein Karem and the Church built there to commemorate this blessed event.
The famous American author and humorist, Mark Twain, is best known for his best-selling, classic novels Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. But of all his books, Twain most loved the historical novel he wrote on St. Joan of Arc. Though he was himself not a Catholic, he saw Joan to be one of the most amazing and inspiring figures of human history. From her fifteenth year to her death at age 19, she was a living, walking miracle, and her remarkable deeds are not a matter of pious legend, knowable by faith, but are a matter of indisputable public record, meticulously documented by testimony given under oath at three separate inquiries, two during her lifetime and one after her death. An illiterate country girl, with no military experience, demanded and was given complete control of the French army and turned around a hundred years of military losses if not overnight, in the space of about a week. She demonstrated a supernatural ability to lead, inspire, and strategize that left everyone, French and English, shaking their heads. It all began when, at age 13, she heard the “voices” of St. Michael, St. Catherine (of Alexandria) and St. Margaret bringing messages from God that were almost as unbelievable as the message brought by Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. She responded with a similar faith and said, echoing her Blessed Mother’s words, “let it be.” She acted on the revelation she had received with confidence and determination, giving us a model of what faith is and what God can do when we respond to him with faith.
Athanasius here describes the orthodox and Catholic teaching on God as Trinity, three persons in one divine nature, a wholly creative and energizing reality. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are an inseparable unity, always acting together.
It will not be out of place to consider the ancient tradition, teaching and faith of the Catholic Church, which was revealed by the Lord, proclaimed by the apostles and guarded by the fathers. For upon this faith the Church is built, and if anyone were to lapse from it, he would no longer be a Christian either in fact or in name.
Trinity Sunday celebrates the Church’s faith in the triune God, one God in three persons. This doctrine has baffled people for 2,000 years. Given that it is so hard to accept, why bother with it? What difference does the trinitarian dogma really make to how we live our Christian lives?
Without the Pentecost, the gospel is not really "Good News." Many people actually experience Christianity as bad news. The Ten Commandments were impossible for even King David to keep. Though Christians are justified by grace through faith and receive friendship with God as a pure gift, they are still called to live the gospel lifestyle, as portrayed by the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount. Trying to do this on will-power alone is a pure recipe for guilt and frustration.
Without Pentecost, the Gospel is not truly Good News. For the seven gifts and Pentecostal charisms given by the Holy Spirit on this birthday celebration of the Church Catholic are essential for the success of our mission and indispensable for a joyful, victorious Christian life.
Without Pentecost, the Gospel is not truly Good News. For the seven gifts and Pentecostal charisms given by the Holy Spirit on this birthday celebration of the Church Catholic are essential for the success of our mission and indispensable for a joyful, victorious Christian life.
6 minute podcast in which Dr. Italy explains why Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Promise of the Father” and how God’s promises are fulfilled in the gift of Pentecost which is repeated in every baptism and confirmation.
6 minute podcast on the Ascension of Jesus Christ as the illustration of Jesus' words - he who exalts himself shall be humbled and he who humbles himself shall be exalted. Featuring Dr. Italy and Sonrise Morning show hostess Anna Mitchell.
The Solemnity of the Ascension celebrates many things, among them the Great Commission to preach the gospel to all nations. Thus, it is a fitting time to ponder the call of Pope John Paul II to a “new evangelization.”
In this 7 minute podcast, Dr. Italy tells why no visit to Assisi is complete without a visit to the secred hideout of Francis and the friars, the Carceri hermitage. To visit the Carceri, it is actually necessary to leave the town of Assisi, which is located about 1/3 of the way up the slope of Mt. Subasio, and ascend much higher, away from the hustle and bustle of the town, to a place where all one can hear is the leaves rustling in the leaves and the songs of Francis's friends, the birds.
Some view the Catholic Church as multi-national corporation. If so, its DBA should be love unlimited. In contrast to ever natural love, the love that should categorize the life of the church is charity, agape, God's love which is, like God, universal, infinite, without limits or boundaries. This is illustrated by the story of the centurion Cornelius, a reading for the 6th Sunday of Easter B.
Assisi, though only a small, hillside town, boasts a plethora of beautiful churches and picturesque chapels. Two major basilicas tower over all of them and embrace Assisi like two strong arms. We speak of the basilicas of San Francesco (St. Francis) and Santa Chiara (St. Clare).
Saul of Tarsus the Pharisee to Paul, the apostle - both life and fruit were transformed when he met the Risen Lord . His story tells us where the sour grapes of egoism and violence comes from, and how it can be changed into the fruit of the Spirit.
The image of Jesus as the Good shepherd is a comforting one in the minds of many. But some of those who first heard Jesus describe himself in this way were deeply disturbed. For it seems that Jesus is setting himself up as the only true Shepherd and savior. People still find this claim disturbing. "What about other religions?," they ask. For the 4th Sunday of Easter, cycle B.
On the first Easter, the Risen Lord makes clear to his frightened disciples he not a ghost or specter and in so doing shows why the gnostic gospels are bogus and did not make it into the Bible.
Eight days after Easter, Doubting Thomas has an encounter with the Risen Christ that makes him a believer and even more, an apostle or ambassador who will bring the gospel to an unbelieving world. That should give us hope that he will do the same with us.