What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith Video Trailer

One and a half minute trailer for the video study series from Ascension Press: What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith, by Marcellino D’Ambrosio (“Dr. Italy”) and Andrew and Sarah Swafford. Filmed on location in Rome, “The Eternal City,” this 10-part video series provides...

19 July, 2022 /

The Lord's Prayer, commonly known as the "Our Father," is known said so often that we can forget how extraordinary it is to call the Creator of the Universe "Abba." "Thy Kingdom Come" means that we pray for his will, not ours....

17 July, 2022 /

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,...

03 July, 2022 /

In this 14 minute podcast, Dr. Italy discusses with Anna Mitchell the various layers of meaning of the sign of the cross, one of the biblical treasures of the Catholic tradition. The sign of the cross is one of the hallmarks of Catholic life and prayer. ...

25 June, 2022 /

The theology of the Body of John Paul II has challenged a fundamental assumption about the Catholic faith - that it considers the body and bodily pleasures as unspiritual or even evil. This article helps to illumine what St. Paul means in Galatians 5:17 when...

19 June, 2022 /

In this 14 minute Podcast, Sonrise Morning Show host Anna Mitchell asks Dr. Italy why there is a need for confession (aka the sacrament of penance or reconciliation) when we can go straight to God and ask forgiveness for our sins....

14 June, 2022 /

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....

16 May, 2022 /

7 minute podcast excerpt from National Radio that helps us understand what the Sea of Galilee is like and puts into perspective the gospels stories of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm. In this episode from the Sonrise Morning Show, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Holy...

09 May, 2022 /

Dr. Italy discusses in this podcast how can we find tranquility in the midst of turbulent times of turmoil.  The value of the famous Serenity Prayer. 2020 was a time of exceptional turmoil and disruption throughout the world due to the COVID 19 pandemic.  America, in...

24 April, 2022 /

One of the great themes of Easter has always been New Creation - the death of our old selves which we leave buried in the tomb and a new beginning powered by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is undeniable that the darkness of...

06 April, 2022 /

Into Death and Beyond it is an inspiring short film  of the last days of St. Maximilian Kolbe and the prisoners with whom he was confined in the starvation bunker of Auschwitz. https://vimeo.com/262935794   Little is known for certain about what transpired in the starvation bunker at Auschwitz...

06 April, 2022 /

 6 min podcast by Dr. Italy discussing Bethany as a rest stop between Jericho and Jerusalem.  Describes the journey Jesus would have taken, his familiarity with a particular family of Bethany, and the help this provides in understanding the story of the raising of Lazarus. Jesus,...

04 April, 2022 /

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...

29 March, 2022 /

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. Dr. Italy and Anna Mitchell here...

22 March, 2022 /

14 minute podcast in which Dr. Italy tells the fuller story of St. Maximilian Kolbe, the Chaplain of Auschwitz.. Few know the extent of his heroic charity before he volunteered to die in the place of another, or the days after his fateful decision....

21 March, 2022 /

The key penitential practices of Lent-prayer, fasting, and almsgiving or mercy are here explained by one of the greatest preachers of the early Church. Saint Peter Chrysologus shows how Lenten prayer, mercy and fasting are one, and they give life to each other....

08 March, 2022 /

Mike Gormley, host of popular podcast "Every Knee Shall Bow," interviews Dr. Italy on his book, Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.  The focus is what history can tell us about Jesus. The four gospels provide us with a compelling picture of Jesus.  But...

19 February, 2022 /

[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']O[/dropcaps]besity Statistics: USA America's Five Fastest Growing Health Concerns 2001 1999 Obesity* 61.0% 56.4% Diabetes 18.3% 12.0% Depression 19.1% 14.8% Impotence 9.2% 7.4% Aging Related Problems 22.5% 19.2% *Obesity rates 27% in 1991. USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese • Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight • 78% of American's not...

12 February, 2022 /

[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']B[/dropcaps]eloved brethren, you have heard in the present reading how St Paul says I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord. For the salvation of our souls God in his goodness calls us to the joys of...

02 February, 2022 /

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. St. Thomas Aquinas . . . he is revered by many, but known by few. He is...

26 January, 2022 /

St. Vincent was a deacon of the Church of Saragossa, Spain in the first years of the fourth century. In the course of the brutal persecution of the emperor Diocletian, Vincent was apprehended and ordered to surrender the sacred books. When he refused, he was...

18 January, 2022 /

A 14 minute podcast.   Sonrise Morning show host Anna Mitchell interviews Dr. Italy about the meaning of the Solemnity of Sts Peter & Paul on June 29 .  Why the martyrdom of these two pre-eminent apostles in Rome gave special status to the Roman Church...

18 January, 2022 /

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. A world-wide pandemic causing...

12 January, 2022 /

[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]he Jews were absolutely unique in the Ancient world. Not only did their religion forbid them to worship gods other than the Lord, but their prophets actually taught that the gods of the nations were mere figments of the imagination. They did...

03 January, 2022 /

The Feast of the Epiphany occurs soon after Christmas.  Epiphany means revelation, appearance, or manifestation of a king.  In this case it refers to the visit of the wise men to the cradle of a baby who was revealed to them as the King of...

02 January, 2022 /

In this excerpt from a popular video Bible study, Dr. Italy and Jeff Cavins discuss the paradox of why the sinless Jesus of Nazareth had to be baptized by John the Baptist. The baptism of John was a baptism of repentance from sin.  Christian baptism is...

27 December, 2021 /

The Book of Blessings contains a short service to bless a Christmas tree which can be led by lay people in their homes. To make your Christmas tree more meaningful, use it this year and every Christmas!...

16 December, 2021 /

A ode to the Blessed Virgin by St. Anselm, read on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, December 8. The doctrine of the sinlessness of Mary from the moment of her conception was believed and taught in the church long before it...

07 December, 2021 /

St. Bernard of Clairvaux says there are three comings: Advent prepares not just for the first coming of Christ to Israel, or even the second at the end of time. There is a third coming between these two in which Jesus comes in spirit...

30 November, 2021 /

Podcast on how to Prepare the way of the Lord in our lives and world during the season of Advent featuring Dr. Italy discussing the issue on national radio. In this 14 minute podcast, Dr. Italy shares some insights into our predicament - we tend to...

27 November, 2021 /

[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]he Jesse Tree is a centuries-old family Advent devotion that has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in recent years.  It has particular value since it helps both kids and adults a like to locate Jesus, the Messiah, within the lineage...

27 November, 2021 /

Augustine contrasts the role of John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the wilderness, with that of his cousin, Jesus, the Word of God made flesh. The humility of John, who prepared the way of the Lord, is highlighted. His joy was complete to...

10 November, 2021 /

Liturgy and Sacraments Video #6. Dr. Italy that explains how the roots of the Church's liturgical year and cycle of feasts are to be found in the celebrations of ancient Israel as shown in the Old Testament Scriptures. To understand the liturgical cycle of the Catholic...

04 November, 2021 /

These words of Cyril of Alexandria on the mission of the 12 apostles are read on October 28, the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude. The name of Saint Simon usually appears 11th in the list of the Twelve. Nothing is known of him...

28 October, 2021 /

Liturgy and Sacraments Video #3. Dr. Italy explains what the term "liturgy" really means, what liturgy includes, and what happens when the Catholic church engages in it. One of the big differences between the Catholic church and many other Christian communities is that the Catholic church...

04 October, 2021 /

Francis of Assisi is one of the most well-known and widely loved Catholic saints of all time. He thought it often necessary to use words to preach the gospel, and what follows is the heart of his simple message based on humility and charity....

04 October, 2021 /

Liturgy and Sacraments Video #2. Dr. Italy explains that ritual and liturgy are required by the very nature of human beings for whom symbols and gestures are indispensable forms of communication. Many Christian believers since the 16th century Protestant Reformation have rejected rituals altogether as religion...

27 September, 2021 /

The first session of the 10-part study of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, is available here to view below for free.  It is an introduction to the series, focusing on the world into which Jesus came.  It is actually two very different...

20 September, 2021 /

Liturgy and Sacraments Video #1. Dr. Italy begins his course on Liturgy and Sacraments by pointing out the inseparable unity between Liturgy, Theology and Spirituality. This is the first session in Theology 552, Liturgy & Sacraments for the Catholic Distance University. In this first video of...

20 September, 2021 /

Robert Bellarmine, reflecting on Jesus' statement in Matthew 11:30 that "my yoke is easy, my burden light," explains it in terms of love of God and the joy and happiness that it produces, in this life, and eternally.  For September 17, his feast day....

15 September, 2021 /

John Chrysostom shows how the transformation of twelve weak and fearful disciples into world-conquering apostles is the surest proof that they indeed saw the risen Christ. Customarily read on the feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle, on August 24, this excerpt shows us how the...

24 August, 2021 /

Bernard here treats of one of his favorite themes, the love relationship between God as bridegroom and the individual soul as bride, according the Song of Songs (otherwise known as the Canticle of Canticles or Song of Solomon). This selection is so typical of...

16 August, 2021 /

Christians are called to be 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....

16 August, 2021 /

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]St. Lawrence (also rendered St. Laurence) was one of the seven deacons of the Church of Rome and was martyred under the Emperor Valerian on the 10th of August 258, four days after Pope Sixtus II and his...

10 August, 2021 /

Here Augustine reflects on hishat famous incident, recorded in Luke 10, when the Lord comes to the home of Martha and Mary.  Martha busies herself with the details of hospitality, anxious and troubled about many things. Martha represents the battle we all face against the...

21 July, 2021 /

Sonrise morning show host Anna Mitchell interviews Dr. Italy on the dramatic life and teaching of one of the most courageous bishops and amazing preachers of all time.  This 8 minute podcast on St. John Chrysostom, the bishop with a backbone, will encourage you and...

21 July, 2021 /

In this 8 minute podcast describing the majestic summit of Mount Tabor, the traditional site of the Transfiguration of Jesus.  Dr. Italy, who has visited Mt. Tabor nearly thirty times, explains the beauty of the place itself and the view of Galilee and Samaria from...

21 July, 2021 /

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. Rome has a multitude of Churches.  When people think "basilica," St. Peter's comes to mind.  Some also think...

14 July, 2021 /

Clement of Rome, writing about thirty years after the martyrdom of St. Paul, affirms the Pauline balance - we are justified by faith and yet it is God's will that we perform good works of love, in abundance. He illustrates his point by many...

12 July, 2021 /

In his homily at the canonization of St. Maria Goretti, a paragon of chastity and purity, Pope Pius XII notes how the example of her life and death is a call to all Christians to a persistent, even relentless pursuit of virtue and perfection....

05 July, 2021 /

Peter Kreeft on the topic of eternal life in heaven, the goal of our life's pilgrimage. Every heart longs for it. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']Q[/dropcaps]uo vadis? Where are you going? That's the most important question for a traveler. And we the living are all...

05 July, 2021 /

Video in which Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. discusses the how and why of Divine Revelation - God's purpose for revealing himself and the way he goes about it. God enters into human history and reveals himself for a purpose - and it not exclusively or even primarily...

05 July, 2021 /

St. Gregory the Great's commentary on the Apostle Thomas and his struggle with doubt. It makes for especially good reading for the Octave of Easter or the Feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle, which since the fourth century has been commemorated on July 3,...

03 July, 2021 /

The seven corporal & seven spiritual works of mercy, where they come from in Old and New Testaments, and why they must always be kept together following the example of Jesus in the gospels....

01 July, 2021 /
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