We continue our consideration of the wonderful spiritual poem and testimony by Francis Thompson, "The Hound of Heaven." Here is a copy of the poem to read. Or, you may prefer listening to it in audio version. Also, here is a modern, animated adaptation that might help you into the work. Slide presentation 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...

We begin our fall series with the work that G.K. Chesterton called, "the greatest poem ever written in modern English," namely, Francis Thompson's devastating piece, "The Hound of Heaven."  J.R.R. Tolkien credited this work with having a significant influence on his masterpiece trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, noting that the poem is "one of the most profound expressions of mature spiritual experience."  Dorothy Day was also strongly impacted by Thompson's poem writing: "It is one of those...

We examine the conversion of Saint Augustine as he describes it in Books 8 and 9 of his Confessions. You can find the text online by clicking here.  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 continue exploring the Confessions of Saint Augustine – "the Doctor of Grace" – by discussing Books 5, 6 and 7.  You can find the text online by clicking here.   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 continue exploring the Confessions of Saint Augustine – "the Doctor of Grace" – by discussing Books 3 and 4. You can find the text online by clicking here. 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 conclude our summer spirituality series with the work that has arguably meant more to more people than any other written work in human history, except only the Scriptures.  In his Confessions, St. Augustine – "the Doctor of Grace" –  takes us intimately into his confidence, holding nothing back about all the ways that he fled from God until he finally surrendered to Divine Love and Providence. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This...

We will be considering Saint Thomas Aquinas’s teaching on suffering from his Literal Exposition of the Book of Job. All-but-forgotten today, this monumental text was considered the greatest work of biblical exegesis in its time. For 200 years, it was the definitive interpretation of Job’s story and a template for scholarly commentary on Scripture. We will discover that St. Thomas Aquinas believed a life story could tell us more about the meaning of suffering than a rational argument (as you...

We continue our spiritual tour through the Holy Mass and give particular emphasis to Jesus’ gift of Himself in the Blessed Sacrament.  Our primary text for discussion is a work by the wonderful 19th-century saint of the Eucharist, Saint Peter Julian Eymard.  You can find the work here.  We also consider some ideas from Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist: Sacramentum Caritatis. Specifically, we cover Part III, “The Eucharist: a Mystery to Be Lived,” sections 70, 77, 84,...

This talk is the first part of a two-part consideration of the spirituality of the Mass and Holy Eucharist.  Our primary text for discussion of the Mass is the 20th century classic Meditations Before Mass by Father Romano Guardini, servant of God.  Guardini is a favorite author of both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis, among many others.  This talk focuses especially on the following sections: 2. I - Stillness 2.XVIII - The Congregation and the Church 3. XXIV - The Memorial of the New...

This session provides a consideration of Catholic spirituality in the contemporary moment by discussing chapters 6, 7 and 8 of the book Spiritual Passages by Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR. 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 complete our brief introduction to Saint Teresa of Avila's writings on prayer, picking up with the Third Mansion in The Interior Castle and continuing on to the Seventh Mansion. The Interior Castle  by St. Teresa of Avila 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 continue our consideration of the spiritual metaphors of Saint Teresa of Avila, the Church’s Doctor of Prayer.  We turn to her most famous spiritual work, The Interior Castle, and discuss the levels of prayer.  In this session, we look at the first three rooms of the castle. 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.

This week we launch a month in the company of the Church’s great Doctor of Prayer, St. Teresa of Avila.  We will begin by reading the famous metaphor of the soul as a garden from her autobiography. With Don Quixote, The Book of Her Life is still considered to be the greatest work of Spanish letters. You can prepare for the discussion by reading Chapters 11-15 of her autobiography. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah. This program of...

This week, we consider the nature and elements of Catholic prayer from The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), and also a short passage on the four ways to God from the book Psychology and Spirituality by Fr Benedict Groeschel, OFM. The readings are: CCC #31-35,  #2623-2643 and #2697-2719 Psychology and Spirituality, pages 6-11 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...

To kick off our summer series, we will reflect on some writings that go way back to the third century of Christendom.  While the Church was suffering under the Roman persecutions, hundreds of thousands of Christians fled into the desert first to survive, but then to encounter the Lord in simplicity, silence, Scripture, and prayer.  What they learned in the desert became the foundation for Christian spiritual practice, and the keynotes of the Desert Fathers are still very much the essence of...