Prayer of St. Hilary of Poitiers

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This prayer is an excerpt from a sermon On the Trinity by Saint Hilary of Poitiers, a bishop and early Church Father of the fourth century who struggled valiantly against the Arian heresy, defending the divinity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity....

13 January, 2021 /

This podcast takes off from St. Jerome’s famous saying “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” It discusses the role of the Bible in the Catholic liturgy and, more broadly, in the daily lives of Catholic Christians.  Dr. Italy shows the Catholic Church to be...

12 January, 2021 /

[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]hat Jesus should come and be baptized by John is surely cause for amazement. To think of the infinite river that gladdens the city of God being bathed in a poor little stream of the eternal, the unfathomable fountainhead that...

06 January, 2021 /

Fugentius of Ruspe on Christ as the high priest, the priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.  The priesthood of Jesus is a function of the Incarnation and illustrates an important principle on the liturgy as implicitly containing doctrine....

04 January, 2021 /

"Epiphany" means revelation or appearance.  On this feast, the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as King, messiah, Lord, and God to the Gentiles, to all nations, represented by the Magi from the East. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]he loving providence of God determined that...

04 January, 2021 /

Here Gregory Nazianzen points out that Christ was baptized not for his sake but for ours. Sanctifying the waters of baptism for all generations to come, he manifested the the Trinity through the Spirit who comes to rest on him in the form of...

03 January, 2021 /

St. Thomas Becket gave his life rather than allow his king to trample the rights of God and his church.   Here he exhorts fellow Christian leaders to the courage and initiative that he exemplified.  Without real effort he writes, no one wins the crown.  His...

29 December, 2020 /

This excerpt from Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, affirms the sanctity of marriage and the family....

28 December, 2020 /

Saint Leo says the genealogy of Jesus given us in Luke and Matthew's gospels shows that Jesus was truly one of us, possessing a complete human nature. He did not merely appear in human form, as in the biblical types and scriptural symbols of the...

21 December, 2020 /

Irenaeus, ca. AD 185, here writes of the incarnation, the Word of God born for us as Emmanuel, Jesus Christ, Son of Man, the sign of our salvation.  He comes to restore God's likeness in us and lead us to glory. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color=''...

17 December, 2020 /

Thomas a Kempis, in The Imitation of Christ, here treats of the difference between the world's empty promises and the promises of God. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='65' color='' background_color='' border_color='']M[/dropcaps]y son, says the Lord, listen to my words, the most delightful of all words, surpassing all the...

12 December, 2020 /

In his famous classic The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis urges the reader to flee the world and enter into the sanctuary of the heart where the Lord Jesus dwells and gives peace and rest. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]urn to the Lord with...

09 December, 2020 /

This reflection on the meaning of the Season of Advent, the time of preparation for the Coming of Jesus Christ, is an excerpt of a Pastoral Letter written by St. Charles Borromeo, bishop of Milan, Italy, in the 16th Century....

02 December, 2020 /

St. Francis Xavier, Patron Saint of Foreign Missions, was clearly one of the greatest missionaries and evangelists of all time. Though not all of us are called to foreign missions, the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI, and Pope John Paul II remind us forcefully...

01 December, 2020 /

Getting More out of the Mass - practical tips on entering more deeply into the Eucharist and unlocking its spiritual power in our lives. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']E[/dropcaps]veryone knows that the Catholic Church believes in “real presence” of Christ in the Eucharist.  The bread and...

10 November, 2020 /

Cyril of Jerusalem on two dimensions of faith, as taught by the Bible. There is the faith necessary for salvation which is a gift offered to all. Then there is the extraordinary grace of mustard seed faith....

04 November, 2020 /

Ambrose reflects on Paul's statement in Philippians 1:21 "to live is Christ, to die is gain." He sees dying as a road to life since through the death of Christ, we are redeemed. This passage is read annually on All Souls Day, November...

01 November, 2020 /

St. Catherine of Siena on the immeasurable love of God demonstrated in the incarnation of the Word, when, moved by love, God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='65' color='' background_color='' border_color='']M[/dropcaps]y sweet Lord, look with mercy upon your people and especially...

31 October, 2020 /

[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']A[/dropcaps]n integral part of the rosary, indeed, the most essential part, is the meditation on the mysteries of the incarnation (joyful mysteries) and the redemption (the sorrowful and glorious mysteries). Yet there are different ways to meditate on the mysteries. One...

23 October, 2020 /

Augustine here comments on the meaning of each of the petitions of the Our Father. If we do not use the exact words of the Lord's Prayer when we pray, all that we do say ought to be inspired by its spirit....

23 October, 2020 /

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. The most famous wedding feast of all time occurred in a...

16 October, 2020 /

Mother Teresa is best known for her dedication to serving the poorest of the poor as a witness to the Gospel of Mercy. Yet that did not prevent her from speaking out about abortion, an issue that some believe is a political or religious...

14 October, 2020 /

Collection of Quotes from Saint Teresa of Avila, Spanish mystic and Doctor of the Catholic Church. Quotes on humility, courage, pain, trials, prayer, knowing ourselves, God's Will and other topics. ...

14 October, 2020 /

A 17 minute podcast in which Sonrise Morning show host Anna Mitchell asks Dr. Italy questions about the amazing 2nd Century bishop and martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, the subject of one of the chapters of his book When the Church Was Young: Voices of the...

13 October, 2020 /

Mother Teresa was invited to address the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development on September 9, 1994.  What follows is the text of her remarks which centered on the violence of abortion and an appeal to accept the humanity and the precious gift of...

02 October, 2020 /

Jesus did not arrive on the scene to patch up an old system.  He is the bridegroom who turns water into wine and makes all things new....

01 October, 2020 /

Jerome insists that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. A strong exhortation from a Father and Doctor of the Catholic Church urging all Christians to recognize that serious Bible study is a necessity, not an optional luxury. Read on Jerome's feast September...

28 September, 2020 /

This essay opens up the depth of the teaching of Saint Therese on the "little way"!  Hans Urs von Balthsar shows just how radical, innovative this little saint is, and yet how traditional and how rooted in the Catholic vision.  This book on Therese, just...

26 September, 2020 /

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. Marcellino D'Ambrosio here discusses the implications of the Incarnation. ...

21 September, 2020 /

Leo the Great here comments on the right use of earthly treasure to store up heavenly riches.  True wealth consists in the possession of God, the source of all delight.  We store it up through mercy and compassion. ...

15 September, 2020 /

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....

14 September, 2020 /

An excerpt from St. Augustine's sermon 46 on the rigorous accountability required of pastors.  However, it is a moving reflection on the nature of Christian leadership that is also relevant for anyone entrusted with the care and development of others including Christian parents, teachers, and...

12 September, 2020 /

September 11th 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...

10 September, 2020 /

This is a homily given by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger a month prior to his election as Pope Benedict XVI (March 18, 2005) at St. Peter's Basilica.  It address the meaning and importance of Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the...

08 September, 2020 /

Leo the Great on the seventh of the Beatitudes, "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Those who have inner peace due to submission to the will of God are the ones who can create true harmony in the...

05 September, 2020 /

Leo's exegesis of these important verses of St. Matthew's Gospel is one of the most important patristic commentaries on the Beatitudes. Christ, the New Moses chooses to give his Sermon on a Mount to show that he is the new Moses, teaching the newRegarding...

05 September, 2020 /

Augustine shows that even if some pastors are wicked, seeking their own interests rather than Christ's, the Catholic Church herself is Mother and Shepherd who seeks out the straying sheep, cares for the sick and strengthens the weak. She is also like a vine which...

02 September, 2020 /

Augustine, in his sermon 46 to Pastors, reflects upon the mandate from the Lord, found in Ezekiel, for shepherds to seek out the lost sheep, even if those sheep seem to want to be lost....

02 September, 2020 /

The Filioque: A Church Dividing Issue?  An Agreed Statement by the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation 2003 that uncovers a misunderstanding that is thought by many to lie at the root of the schism between the Orthodox east and the Roman Catholic West commonly thought...

31 August, 2020 /

Gregory the Great here notes the obligation of a pastor to preach with courage, boldness, and fortitude warning his people when they are on the wrong path and need to repent. To fail to speak out and reproach people for their faults is cowardice...

31 August, 2020 /

St. Peter Claver was a Spanish Jesuit who came to the New World in the early 17th century and dedicated his life as an evangelist and pastor to black slaves and worked at the same time as a tireless advocate on their behalf. His...

31 August, 2020 /

Gregory the Great comments on the famous passage in Ezekiel 33 in which God calls the prophet to be a watchman for the house of Israel. Saint Gregory reflects on how this applies to himself as bishop of Rome and protests his inadequacy for the...

31 August, 2020 /

9 min video episode of EWTN's Early Church Fathers series on the dramatic story of the conversion of Augustine, from Marcellino D'Ambrosio, "Dr. Italy."...

25 August, 2020 /

An account of the death of St. Monica, mother of Augustine, written about 10 years afterwards, in her son's famous book The Confessions.  Read on August 27, feast day of Monica, model of Christian Motherhood. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']B[/dropcaps]ecause the day when she was...

24 August, 2020 /

Who are the Cardinals of the Catholic Church?  Where does the word and idea of Cardinal come from, and what role do they play as electors of the Pope in the papal conclave where the election takes place? [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]he  Pope, like...

16 August, 2020 /

[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']I[/dropcaps] n July 2005, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, stirred a controversy by writing an Op-Ed article for the New York Times entitled, "Finding Design in Nature" (New York Times, July 7, 2005). His article, submitted to the...

12 August, 2020 /

The veneration of saints is a feature o Catholic and Orthodox Christianity that fascinates some and bewilders others.  In this article, Dr. Italy explains the process of the Making of a canonized Saint or Canonization in the Catholic Church: How it works, what it means...

12 August, 2020 /

A brief overview of what happens from the time of the death or resignation of a pope to the public announcement of his successor, elected by the cardinals.  The papal election takes place in a secret conclave held in the Sistine chapel. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color=''...

10 August, 2020 /

Development of Doctrine - Vincent of Lerins, a church father of the 5th century, distinguishes the legitimate growth in understanding of divine revelation from the false alteration of religion and Catholic orthodox dogma in the Church of Jesus Christ....

10 August, 2020 /

Commenting on the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mt. Tabor, Leo contrasts the law, symbolized by Moses, with the grace of the gospel brought by Jesus Christ. He notes how this glimpse of the glory of his divinity and risen humanity was given to...

31 July, 2020 /

Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, presided over the 3rd great Ecumenical Council of the Church which met in 431 AD in Ephesus and which proclaimed Mary as the Theotokos ("God-bearer" or "Mother of God"). Following this proclamation, many churches were dedicated to the Blessed...

28 July, 2020 /

Mary Magdalene has been universally honored as a saint from the earliest days, as shown by this excerpt from Gregory the Great on Mary's encounter with Christ at the tomb. The feast of this "apostle to the apostles" is July 22....

22 July, 2020 /

Leo the Great on Mary, the Royal Virgin of the house of David, mother of the Messiah and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.   Mount Carmel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, was associated with the Virgin Mary since Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus would have crossed...

16 July, 2020 /

Addressed to those who have just received the sacrament of baptism, this sermon by St. Ambrose of Milan explains to them that that they've not simply been baptized in ordinary water, but in the sacred waters that transmit the invisible fire of the Holy Spirit....

14 July, 2020 /
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