Dr. Italy
In this brief video by Sherwood Fellows the key themes of Lent are explored - th...
In this 8 minute video, Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Ph.D. (Dr. Italy) shares so...
Saint Andrew of Crete on the nativity of Mary as a turning point between old and new covenant, the frontier where types and symbols give way to realit...
The parable of the merciless servant illustrates the meaning of "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," a petition i...
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 Or...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
Here Leo the Great comments on the fourth, fifth and sixth of the Beatitudes, explaining why those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed as well as the merciful and the pure of heart....
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."...
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...
This excerpt from a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne, read by the Church on August 22, Feast of the Queenship of Mary, extolls the virtue of the Blessed Virgin, the Queen of Peace. ...
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...
The Second Vatican Council was convened by Pope John XXIII in the Fall of 1962 and was concluded in December of that same year. While the Council was in recess, John XXIII died. The task of carrying on with the council fell to his successor,...
[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...
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...
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=''...
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....
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...
St. Anastasius of Sinai on the experience of Peter, James and John atop Mt. Tabor. Read on August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus. We too are called to behold his radiance and say "it is good for us...
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...
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....
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...
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....
St. Ambrose explains how the sacrament of baptism was prefigured in the story of the flood and Noah's Ark in the Book of Genesis. The wood of the Ark, the flood waters and the dove which returns with the olive branch all prefigure different...
Ambrose here addresses those who have just received the sacrament of baptism, showing them the many types or prefigurations of the waters of baptism to be found in the Old Testament Scriptures. This a wonderful meditation for those participating in RCIA....
St. Ambrose of Milan tells newly baptized Christians the meaning of the post-baptismal rites: the clothing with a white garment and the anointing with sacred chrism which we call the sacrament of confirmation or, in the Eastern churches, chrismation....
One of the greatest Fathers and Doctors of the early Church here explains how the descent of the Holy Spirit transforms us, making us sharers in the Divine Nature of the Word. The Holy Ghost changes us and empowers us to live a new...
This third in a series on Understanding the Mass focuses on the way the Lord Jesus is really present in his body, the church, as well as his real presence in the priest. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='65' color='' background_color='' border_color='']W[/dropcaps]hether they’re Catholic or not, whether they understand...
The Feast of Corpus Christi, the body and blood of Christ, was instituted during the lifetime of Thomas Aquinas as a proclamation of faith in the real presence (aka transubstantiation) of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament. This selection, read annually on...
While the word "transubstantiation" is not employed here, the substance of this doctrine of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist is evident in this passage from St. Ambrose's treatise On the Mysteries, dating to AD 380. This excerpt explains the power of the words of...
"The force be with you." No, God is far from an impersonal force. The doctrine of the Trinity shows us just how personal, even interpersonal, God really is....
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]his day, in which for the first time I may sit in the chair of the Bishop of Rome, as Successor of Peter, is the day in which the Church in Italy celebrates the feast of the Lord's Ascension. At...
Ambrose here treats of the Holy Spirit as the abundant river of grace that flows from Jesus, the Font of life, in the form of seven channels which are the seven gifts that overflow the banks of our minds leading us to supernatural knowledge of...
This sermon by Augustine, originally delivered on the Solemnity of the Ascension, notes that we, the members of Christ's body, ascended to heaven with the Lord through love....
6 minute podcast providing an overview of the strategic and spiritual importance of Jerusalem, and why it is called the city of David...
A collection of useful information on Coronavirus COVID-19 especially as it relates to pilgrimage travel with the Crossroads Initiative. What is the status of the upcoming pilgrimages sponsored by the Crossroads Initiative? From Dr. Italy, a veteran international traveler and pilgrimage tour leader. We encourage...
“It must be stated that Vatican II is upheld by the same authority as Vatican I and the Council of Trent, namely, the Pope and the College of Bishops in communion with him, and that also with regard to its contents, Vatican II is in...
Augustine on the divine love, known as charity, caritas, agape, that Jesus commanded us to have for one another in the last supper discourse of the Gospel of John. This sort of love is impossible for human beings without the help of grace -- it...
Written by St. Irenaeus about 185 AD, this excerpt makes clear the Church's realistic interpretation of the eucharist as the risen body of Christ which serves as the medicine of immortality, the pledge of our own future resurrection. The real presence of the body...
In this brief video, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. ("Dr. Italy") explains what Fundamental Theology is and why it is not just important, but pivotal and even decisive for determining what we believe about God, ourselves, and how we are to live. Christians and non-believers alike are often...
The Solemn Intercessions for the liturgy of Good Friday according to the Roman Rite....
In his Urbi et orbi blessing amidst the Coronavirus Crisis, Pope Francis shared a meditation on the calming of the storm from the Gospel of Mark. The prayer service over which he presided on the steps of St Peter's Basilica took place on Friday evening,...
The COVID-19 quarantine has left many of us with more time at home than usual. Here's a video challenge to fix your eyes on Jesus by reading one or more of the gospels from beginning to end. Start with the gospel of Mark. During COVID-19, we...
Amidst the storm of COVID-19, we need to keep our focus on the Lord, not the waves and wind. It was when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, looking at the problem, that he sank. The same mistake can sink us. In the midst of the...
Palm Sunday marks the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But he entered in humily, not in pomp and power. To humble ourselves and make our souls the garments that we spread before him, this is the greeting he desires says St. Andrew of...
Excerpts from two ancient Holy Week homilies followed by a special Holy Week thanksgiving prayer appropriate for either personal or corporate use. Super devotions for the sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday....
This post on the sufferings and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is focuses on Palm Sunday but makes for a great read anytime during the Lenten Season or Holy Week. Frequent meditation on the Passion of Christ is important because the Passion is...
5 min video on Building spiritual muscle fighting coronavirus. Growing prudence in justice by battling the storm together. Muscles are only developed through resistance. The fight against Coronavirus can be an occasion for developing spiritual muscle! Holiness is measured by the strength of the three spiritual...
A 5 min video from Dr. Italy to help give you inspiration in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. There is an opportunity in the midst of every crisis - practical tips on how to make the most of it. The COVID-19 coronavirus is unprecedented...
Hold fast to God, our one true good, counsels Ambrose. In the following words, he explains the essence of the great commandment of Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Loving God with your whole heart, soul, and strength means holding on to him, seeking him and pursuing him with...
\[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']D[/dropcaps]ear friends, If any of you have told many friends and family that you are going to the Holy Land, you probably have been told "you've got to be crazy!" For those following TV news over the years, this reaction is quite...
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']S[/dropcaps]ome people give in when confronted with temptation in their lives. Some just do the best they can. In this week’s Gospel reading [the first Sunday in Lent] we have an inside look at how Jesus overcame temptation with God’s...
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) here makes clear that Satan, aka the devil, cannot be reduced to a mere symbol of evil. He is a personal being, a fallen angel, who is at the same time not an evil god, but a creature...
While preaching on the occasion of the Dedication of a Church, St. Caesarius of Arles points out that baptism makes of us temples of God, sanctuaries of the Holy Spirit....
This excerpt from a catechetical instruction by St. Cyril of Jerusalem dates from the mid 4th Century, just a generation after the Council of Nicaea. At that time, the bishop of Jerusalem himself instructed the catechumens before baptism (today's RCIA), and this is a record...
7 minute podcast discussing Capernaum, the central town in the Galilean ministry of Jesus and the disciples. Home of Andrew and Peter, Capernaum was the site of some of the most powerful stories in the four gospels....
In this 7 minute podcast, Sonrise Morning Show Host Anna Mitchell interviews Marcellino D'Ambrosio about the groundbreaking study from Ascension Press: Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Dr. Italy spend most of 2019 writing and filming a ground-breaking Bible study on the life and...
2 minute trailer for the new video Bible Study series from Ascension Press, Jesus: the Way, the Truth and the Life, by Jeff Cavins, Marcellino D'Ambrosio ("Dr. Italy"). A virtual tour of the Holy Land that will help you make Jesus more the center of...
John Chrysostom here comments on the famous lines in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus calls his disciples the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World (Matt. 5: 15-16). [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']Y[/dropcaps]ou are the salt of the earth....
In this 20 minute podcast from Ascension Roundtable, Dr Italy and Marisa D'Ambrosio discuss three very important tools of prayer that you may not know about . . . but should! Why you need to know about these tools to enrich and empower your spiritual...
The New Evangelization is all about testimony. Each is called to be a witness in both deed and word says Pope John Paul II and Vatican II....
Christians don't leave home to "go to Church" - the family, says Vatican II, St. John Paul II, and Pope Francis, is the "domestic church," the smallest pastoral unit of the Church where much of the life of the church takes place....
The list of the titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the most comprehensive that we've seen. We hope you find it helpful. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']A[/dropcaps]m I the only one who wants to have in one handy location all the titles ascribed to...
An excerpt from the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII Munificentissimus Deus defining the Assumption of Mary, long taught by the ordinary magisterium of the Church, as a dogma of faith....
The publication of The Da Vinci Code in 2003 and the New Age movement both rekindled interest in an ancient religious movement known as Gnosticism. A second century bishop named Irenaeus wrote a massive rebuttal of the claims of the gnostics which we do well...
Where did December 25 come from as the celebration of Christmas, the birthday of Jesus? What are the origins of the feast of Christ's Navity?...
The Second Vatican Council is often called a pastoral council since it issued so many practical directives for the renewal of the day to day life of the church. Many of the objectives of the council fathers have been implemented since Vatican II's close in...
People often think of the Catholic Church primarily in terms of being an institution. While the Church does have an institutional dimension, it is entirely at the service of proclaiming the word of God. It is a prophetic institution....
The Marian devotion of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, is beautifully manifest in his previously articulated "six reasons for not forgetting" Mary. In a 1984 interview with Vittorio Messori, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, identified Our...
Advent reminds us to be vigilant and awake. We should be watchful, longing and yearning for the coming of Christ says St. Ephrem the Syrian....
This Advent reading on the two comings of Christ is an excerpt from Cyril of Jerusalem's famous catechetical instruction of adults getting ready for baptism around AD 360. Cyril contrasts Christ's first coming in humility with Jesus' second coming in glory....
In 1969, then Fr. Josef Ratzinger, theologian and peritus (theological advisor to the bishops) at the Second Vatican Council, predicted that the Church of the future would be much smaller than it was in the sixties, at least in the western, developed world. But, the...
Augustine, commenting on the psalms command to sing to God songs of joy, notes that the jubilation in our hearts sometimes overflows the capacity of all words, yet we cannot remain silent. The Church recalls such songs of joy on the feast of St....
This excerpt from an Eastertide sermon by Saint Augustine was addressed to the newly baptized, who Augustine considers as the chosen, holy seed who have been born again in Jesus Christ through the Sacrament of baptism. These new men and women are now sharers...
Is the method of interpreting scripture used by the Fathers of the Church and the Medieval monks now obsolete because of the coming of scientific, historical-critical exegesis? Henri de Lubac, following the teaching of Pope Leo XIII through Pius XII and the Second Vatican...
Augustine comments on the Last Judgment scene found in Matthew 25 and speaks about the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and how to be properly prepared for it by showing the same mercy to others by which we wish to be...