The survey of key papal teachings in the modern era continues with an overview of “The Splendor of Truth” (Veritatis Splendor) by St. John Paul II.  Dr. Cynthia Nicolosi provides insight into this document on the moral life, which takes up the themes of man’s ability to discern good from evil, the nature of evil, the role of human freedom and conscience, and the authority of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church in guiding persons who are seeking truth in these areas.   Support the show

In this session, we consider the extraordinary role that the Christian family plays in the sanctification of the world.  Written in 1981, The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World was the second Apostolic Exhortation written by this great pope, and it continues to have much to say about the nature and vocation of those united in family life. 

In this episode, Barbara considers one of the two dogmatic documents issued by Vatican II.  A statement of profound mercy, Lumen Gentium (“The Light to the Nations”) considers the question of universal holiness and salvation. Questions addressed in this key text include:  “What is necessary for salvation?”  “Who can be saved?” and “What does holiness look like for the different members of the Church?” 

We continue our survey of key papal teachings of the 20th century by considering Pope St. Pius 10th brilliant encyclical On the Doctrine of the Modernists.  Our guest presenter for the evening is Dr. Cynthia Nicolosi.  Dr. Nicolosi has a Masters in philosophy from Boston College and her doctorate in Philosophy from Santa Croce University in Rome.  Her doctoral studies focused on the work of St. Thomas Aquinas.  Dr. Nicolosi also has a Masters in theology from Santa Croce, and a Masters in...

We continue our survey of key magisterial teachings for the modern era by breaking open The Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (“Apostolicam Actuositatem“) of Vatican II.  Born in the heart and writing of Pope Pius XI, the Council Fathers issued a formal  call to holiness for all lay men and women, and proposed a new authority for the laity in all things related to the temporal sphere.  We will consider a little history of the development of the decree, and then discuss its main...

We begin the summer with the brief but seminal encyclical by Pope St. Paul VI, Of Human Life (Humanae Vitae).  Promulgated in July 1968, the work has proven to be prophetic in so many realms as to modernity’s assault on the family and the true nature of sexuality.  We will discuss why the work shook the Church and the world  and explore the amazing “why” behind the most ignored and vilified, yet central Catholic Church teaching for our time. We will also consider keynotes of Pope St. John...

In this episode, we complete The Paradiso, and then have time for a bit of a debrief and discussion about our individual take-aways from the whole journey through hell, purgatory, and heaven. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

Mystagogy finally makes it to heaven! And it’s literally out of this world. Our consideration of the last of the three parts of Dante’s epic poem covers Cantos I-VIII. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

Our consideration of Dante’s Purgatorio concludes with his remedies for the sins of the flesh, and then moves onto the ascent into the earthly paradise which kicks off the greatest parade in the history of, well, history. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

A reflection on our Lenten day of recollection covered Dante's Purgatorio, Cantos X-XII, examining the sin of pride and proposing remedies to do battle with this devastating sin. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

In this session, we cover Cantos XIII, XV, XIII, XX, and XXI of The Purgatorio.  (Please note that we will skip the sin of pride in Cantos  X-XII as we will be covering that in another session). These cantos will consider healing remedies for the sins of envy, anger, sloth, and greed. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

We enter the second phase of our journey through the afterlife as we begin Dante’s Purgatorio.  This book is the heart of The Divine Comedy in fact and in spirit as it offers real and profound suggestions for reordering our spiritual lives.   To begin we will be considering Cantos I-VII of The Purgatorio, much of which is dedicated to considering those souls who just make it to salvation, whom Dante calls “the Late-Repentant.”  If you want a little help following the text, there is a very...

This episode is a discussion of the three temptations of Christ through the lens of the Grand Inquisitor in The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

In this session, we complete our journey through Dante's Inferno, looking specifically at Cantos XVIII, XX, and XXIII-XXVIII.  Imagining the darkest paces in hell, Dante will compel us to consider sins of deceit, disloyalty, betrayal, deceit, and treachery. Our journey concludes with the encounter with Lucifer himself in the deepest circle of hell. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith...

We continue our tour through Dante’s Inferno  by examining the levels of hell reserved to sins of violence. Specifically, we discuss Cantos IX-XV.  To supplement your reading, there are a myriad of dramatic versions of the Inferno online.  If you would like to hear the actual text of Canto X in the original Italian with some great Medieval graphics, click here.  There is also a very helpful presentation on Canto X with English subheadings here. The music in the introduction and close of this...

This episode is a whirlwind tour through Dante’s whirlwind of the sins of the flesh. We’ll meet the Hoarders and the Wasters, the Gluttons, the Wrathful and the Sullen, and, of course, poor, pathetic, lustful Francesca and Paolo.  If you are reading along, we’ll be considering Cantos V through VIII.   Here is the version of the text we are using for this course:  The Divine Comedy Also, I found a nice animated treatment of The Inferno that you might want to watch.  Check it out here. The...

We begin the third part in our five part series: a ten-week tour through Dante’s epic spiritual poem, The Divine Comedy. An imaginative vision of hell, purgatory, and heaven, this ranks with the greatest narrative works ever written. Barbara will break open Dante's Divine Comedy in order to explore the themes of sin, suffering, virtue and holiness. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith...

In this episode, special guest presenter Dr. Michael Goodrich breaks open G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, a book that many pastors and scholars consider the greatest work of modern apologetics. You can find an on-line copy of the text here. You may also listen to the book in an audio version. Dr. Michael S. Goodrich is a staff scientist in the Experimental Physics Computational group at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.  He holds B.S., M.S. degrees in Physics and a Ph.D. in...

In this episode, Barbara Nicolosi Harrington reflects on He Leadeth Me, the spiritual autobiography of Father Walter Ciszek, SJ. This book is one of the most vital and powerful Catholic testimonies of the 20th century. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Today's episode is a presentation on Polyphony as a development from the tradition of Gregorian chant. Our guest presenter is Dr. Cynthia Nicolosi.  Dr. Nicolosi has a PhD in philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy. She studied music composition for two years at the Claremont Graduate School in California and completed the certificate program in Gregorian Chant at Catholic University in Washington, DC.  After directing the college choir at Magdalen College...

Gregorian Chant has been called "one of the richest and most subtle art forms in music - indeed in the music of any culture." (Catholiceducation.org)  Pope Francis has exhorted the People of God, "Together, devote yourselves better to song as an integral part of the Liturgy, with Gregorian chant inspiring you as the first model." (Address to Society of St. Cecilia, 9/28/2019) This Mystagogy session provides an in-depth consideration of the history and nature of this ancient but defining...

We will be breaking open the classic Academy Award-winning film, Babette's Feast.  The National Catholic Register wrote that the film is "a quiet celebration of the divine grace that meets us at every turn, and even redeems our ways not taken, our sacrifices and losses." You also may want to read the original short story on which the film is based. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith...

In this session, we continue our tour through Evelyn Waugh's stunning literary classic, Brideshead Revisited, making our way through the cast of characters by considering Julia, Cordelia, Bridey, and Charles. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

We will be reading and discussing together the classic work that National Review called, "The greatest 20th century work on time and grace."  Brideshead Revisited is that rare novel that marries style and substance powerfully.  The prose is engaging and loaded with memorable lines and phrases.  All this is in service to a serious attempt to lay out in a narrative all the ways that the Sacramental life "ruins" a person for mere worldliness. The music in the introduction and close of this...