“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 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, with some Church Fathers (such as Irenaeus and Origen) even considering it part of canonical scripture.  The text is divided into three main sections: Visions, Mandates, and Parables. Taken together, they serve as an exhortation to repentance. Part 1: Visions 00:00 Intro 00:42 First Vision 09:23 Second Vision 15:57 Third Vision 43:30 Fourth Vision 50:44 Fifth Vision This work was released in its entirety in episodic format. Links The Shepherd of Hermas full text: https://www.hfsbooks.com/books/the-apostolic-fathers-walsh-grimm-grimm/ SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268 SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.