Hi everyone. Welcome to this. Bonus episode of Daily Gospel exegesis. In this episode, I just want to go through some of the feedback that has come in recently. There's been a heap of new feedback from you guys as listeners expressing your appreciation for this ministry. And for me as the podcast creator, it's really quite overwhelming.
I set out to do this because I saw that there was kind of a gap in the Catholic media space where no one was really doing an exegesis of the literal sense of Scripture, and it's something that I was interested in. And it turns out that many of you are interested in the same thing, and often that's how it works. So I guess firstly, my encouragement to all of you listeners would be.
If you feel like. God is encouraging you to do something in the Catholic world, and you really feel that you're being drawn to do something. It may be because no one else is doing it and God wants you to step into that space, but many, many other people are going to benefit from it, and that's certainly been the case with this ministry. Thank you to all those who support this ministry in various ways, through prayer, through donations. It really does make a difference.
As I said, this episode is just going to be going through some of the positive comments that have come in. So you can see that even a small grassroots ministry can actually have a big impact for the Kingdom of God and can really help people grow deeper in their faith.
Recently in one of the episodes on the podcast, I encouraged US listeners to reach out and tell me a bit about themselves because most of the listeners of this, of this podcast are from the US and as a result, many, many people have written in. We can't possibly go through all of the comments this time, but we'll include a whole lot of them in this episode and we'll do some more in the future. So firstly, I just wanted to start with some reviews from Apple Podcasts.
So this person has called this a re enchantment with scripture. They said, I heard about this podcast almost offhandedly on an episode of Pints with Aquinas. And this person is referring to a comment that Matt Fred the the host of Pints with Aquinas, made towards the end of 2023, where Matt, Fred indicated that he's actually really benefiting from this particular podcast on Hello. And he encouraged his listeners to give it a go, which is quite an honour really.
And many listeners did hear about Daily Gospel exegesis through that one off comment from Matt Fred. So the reviewer goes on. This podcast is now an integral part of my life and encourages me to daily read scripture. For my part, I am grateful because I am able to engage the
Bible without fear. Many years before, during my undergraduate degree, several of my Biblical studies professors seemed to indicate that one could only understand the Bible after receiving a PhD. This left me with not a small sense of fear, but a book I had grown up loving was no longer accessible to me, at least beyond merely devotional literature. Now I am able to meditate and contemplate Scripture with both greater knowledge and
confidence. I highly recommend listening to this podcast and incorporating it into your daily walk of faith. Thank you so much for this wonderful review. And this is from Matt, and what you've said there about some people can give you the impression that only true biblical PhD scholars can understand scripture is very true.
I've found a lot of people use that kind of language, and they'll often say they'll often sort of make you feel like unless you've got a very special key that only they have, you can't understand scripture. And that's in this podcast. We want to show you that's not the case.
If you've got some decent commentaries at hand and you're willing to spend a bit of time going through the text as we help you do in this podcast, you will be able to understand at least our best guess at what the literal sense of the text might be. And hopefully there's going to be a bit of a turn around in Catholic scholarship that will enable more and more people to really dig into commentaries and learn the literal sense of scripture. A comment here from Anne, she says.
I think you are. Class. I love being able to follow along with the daily reading in line with our holy church. Often I would read the scriptures and think, what does that mean? Not anymore. Thanks to you. When I have understood the literal sense, Jesus then jumps off the page in this spiritual sense. Thank you so much for that comment. And Ann is from Ireland. And what she says there is very true. We have to have both the literal
sense and the spiritual sense. But we always, the Church says we always have to start with the literal sense of scripture before moving on to the spiritual sense of Scripture. And hopefully studying the literal sense of scripture will move you into a space where you can appreciate the spiritual sense of scripture even more. Many of you have written in with comments like that. Next I wanted to share some comments that have come in from Hello in particular.
So this is feedback that Hello listeners, people who use the Hello app have sent in to Hello about the Daily Gospel Exegesis Podcast. I just want to say how much I. Really appreciate. The Daily Exegesis Episodes This daily Catholic Bible study on the app is rich and deep. Ever since these episodes have started, I've learned something that affects my life directly and another user here says I just noticed the daily exegesis and want to say thank you.
I've been so badly wanting a simple fact based explanation of the Daily Gospel. So thank you. Also to Hello who's been very generous in partnering with the ministry here and hosting the Daily Gospel Exegesis episodes on their own app. And certainly I would absolutely encourage you to get the Hello app. They have some amazing audio resources on there that help you go deeper in your faith. This is a comment from Robert. Who's a Patreon supporter? And he's been a big help to the
ministry. So thank you so much for your support, Robert, he says. I found your podcast via Hello a few months ago, and it has been important part of my daily prayer life since. Understanding the literal sense of Scripture was something I was seeking in many other places because I had not found the Catholic approach in audio video form other than occasional exegesis on Catholic Answers or Word on Fire or sometimes on Formed.
I would do my own deep dive exegesis using the Verbum software with way too many resources and rabbit holes. I listened or read Daily Reflections, but no one else looks at the literal meaning and context like this. And he goes on to share about how he's shared it with his kids, who always want to know the why behind everything. And he even uses it in some of his confirmation classes.
And actually Robert goes on to make a really interesting point here, which is that often kids, particularly younger primary school children, can often get the literal sense better than the spiritual sense. Often we over complicate scripture and try and put in these fancy spiritual interpretations and younger kids don't really buy that, they just want to know what does what does it mean.
And so actually, this podcast, although it's not primarily for children, can actually be quite helpful for those of you who are involved in teaching children, getting them ready for the sacraments, getting them to do a deep dive into the literal sense of scripture, perhaps the parables or some of the teachings of Jesus, perhaps this podcast can help you in that endeavour. And thank you so much for your support. Robert Dale says thank you so
much for making this podcast. I'm most thankful for the increased confidence I have now when I'm reading the scriptures in seeing the text more as the inspired word of God. So that is a great point. And thank you for writing in Dale. Often we might be afraid that if we do a bit more of an academic study of scripture, it might lead us to deny the inspired character of the word of God.
But I have found myself, and I know many of you as as listeners have found that when you're willing to sit down and do a proper, serious study of the text of Scripture, it actually boosts your faith and makes you more confident that it is the word of God. It's also great to hear from many of you who have been Protestants in the past and either have become Catholic recently and have benefited from this approach to Scripture because it's so rooted in the
Bible, which Protestant churches are great at doing. And sometimes when you come to the Catholic Church after being a Protestant or an Evangelical, you kind of miss the focus on Scripture. So it's great to hear many of you kind of recovering your love of Scripture through this. And also many people are considering, I know many listeners are actually taking another look at Catholicism because of this podcast, which to me is really amazing.
That is incredible that God can use this small grassroots ministry to bring people closer to the Catholic Church. So Leonard here is one of these people. He says. I was born in 1948 into a faithful evangelical Protestant family in the US and went to a conservative Christian Bible college. But I have learned more on your podcast than in all the preaching and teaching I was exposed to for the first half of my life. I've now been a Catholic for 35
years. So isn't that incredible that when we're just willing to sit down, take the time to study verse by verse, get into Scripture, we can really understand the Bible in a much richer way?
Thank you so much for your comments, Leonard, one of our Patreon supporters, God First has written in and he's been a big supporter of the ministry and he says this podcast has played a big role in his conversion from Protestantism to Catholicism. And thank you for your ongoing support and great questions that you often send in. God first. I pray that this podcast continues to bless you. Another review on Apple podcast says. This podcast has become part of
my daily routine. It is pitched at a good level that is easy to. Grasp your reviews. The Catholic daily liturgy from a literal perspective. No need to be a Catholic to get a lot from it. Another Apple podcast review here from Silly Billy who says I became interested to learn specifically the words that Jesus spoke. I came across this podcast accidentally and it was exactly what I was looking for and more. No drama and no. Fluff the words.
The context is so valuable and then the possible explanations, but no hard sell or push to get you to see it in a certain way. The words, context and possibilities are laid out for you to make your own discovery. So thank you so much for leaving this review Silly Billy, and I'm glad that this is meeting the need you're looking for. And indeed that's the approach I try and take where there's a difference of opinion about how
to interpret a verse. And that's often the case because the Church has not dogmatically defined most verses of of Scripture. So we're free as Catholics to come to our own conclusions and I want to try and present you with different views where there are quite different views
amongst scholars. Another user has left a review saying I was introduced to this podcast via the Halo app and was immediately drawn to it. It has been challenging for me to fully understand what I was reading when it came to the Bible, and this podcast has truly made my Bible reading relatable, understandable and more profound. Thank you for this. Thank you so much for the person who left this review and all of those who are leaving reviews on Apple. Podcasts.
It really. Does make a difference if you're willing to leave a positive review on the platform that you're listing on, Catherine on Patreon says. I've always been so sceptical about Bible study because people say the strangest things that go against church teaching.
Your podcast is so logical. So thank you for that comment, Catherine. Yeah, unfortunately, particularly in recent decades, a lot of the common Catholic Bible teachers of the type that will come into parishes and diocese and give seminars on things, Often they're just progressive scholars or ones that aren't even faithful to the teachings of the Church, and they'll just present their opinions without any regard for the teaching of the Church.
And as Catholics, we always have to start within with what the Church says as the guidelines and work within those guidelines, fully believing what the Church says and then being willing to explore the Scripture within that perspective. Next, I wanted to share this feedback that's coming from Doctor. Jean. And it's a bit longer, but she manages to pack in a whole lot about her own spiritual journey and how our podcast has helped
with that. I grew up a faithful Lutheran, hearing all these Bible stories over and over and loving Jesus. I married a Catholic and joined the Church after my first child was born. We were always a faithful, mass going family participating in our parish life. However, I started watching The Chosen in January 2023 and I felt. The Holy Spirit pulling me into a. Deep well of love for our Lord. I started listening to Jonathan Rumi's Instagram prayer sessions
and he talked about hello. I joined hello. Oh my goodness. I stopped listening to anything else in the car and faithfully followed my. New hello routine every day. Then in August 2023, on a solo vacation, I discovered your exegesis on Hello. It moved me to find a daily mass where I was and I went that
afternoon. I have not missed one of your daily exegesis since I finally joined Patreon today, and I just want you to know how much you have added to my relationship with Jesus. After listening to the Daily Gospel exegesis, I usually spend time in contemplative prayer. Your work puts me right there. Ready to talk with? Jesus, it's amazing how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Thank you so much for sharing that personal story, Doctor Jan and I agree. It's amazing.
The way the Holy Spirit leads us and arranges these little circumstances, helps us find new resources that really get us into a deeper relationship with our Lord. And the Holy Spirit works like that behind the scenes, often but always prompting us to to go in the direction that will lead us closer to God some. Feedback here from Nikki via e-mail. She says I found you through the Hello app and have recently started making your podcast part of my daily prayers. I wanted to delve deeper into
Bible study. And your podcast. Is really helping me to do that. I appreciate your links to the Catechism to connect my thinking and I know it will help my role as a catechist in my local church. And she says I'm in England and love your accent by the way. It's really clear and easy to understand for me. I'm glad to hear that. I've had quite a few comments saying, particularly from listeners in the. US that they actually. Appreciate hearing an Australian accent. Other parts of the.
World have written in to say that sometimes the Australian accent. Is actually hard to. Understand. And then a few other people have been confused because they thought that it was an English accent. So. Yes, I am in Australia and I'm glad to hear that for most of you the accent is is not putting you off too much. And Nikki, thank you for your. Role as a catechist to keep up the. Great work, Jenny from Canada
said. I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for the new routine for 2024 in the Halo app. We've previously done the Bible in a year and Catechism in a year, and now we're really enjoying this. Exegesis of the text. So thank you Jenny for that comment. And indeed, I do think this. Approach to the daily. Readings is a great way to complement. Your previous. Studies in the Bible in a year.
If you've already done those, we have a very grateful e-mail here from Mary. Who says the daily exegesis has? Changed my spiritual life by bringing the events in Jesus. Christ's life alive. Previously. The Bible verses were. Theoretical and abstract, making it vague. I previously didn't know what the. Exegesis was, but I liked your. Voice and I love the way you explain Jesus life to make sense. I've grown. Closer to Jesus because. You've made the events real.
Please know that your ministry is invaluable. I've been wanting something like this all my life. Thank you so much Mary. And that is amazing, the number one thing we want to do in any Catholic. Podcast, particularly a Biblical. Podcast is we want to bring you. Closer to Jesus. And if this podcast is helping you do that, then that is fantastic. All the glory goes to God. Anne, who's also from the United. States says. I just discovered your podcast on the Halo app. I love it.
This is exactly what. I've been looking. For a better literal. Understanding of the scriptures. Thank you so much for writing in and I'm glad this podcast is helping you. We've had a few other people write in from the. USA expressing. Their thanks for the ministry, but also wanting to know a bit more about the ministry, particularly in terms of the lectionary readings and. Why the ones? In the podcast are sometimes different from the ones in the
USA. That's. Because the USA uses. A slightly different calendar on some face days compared to the general Roman lectionary. So in our podcast we use the universal lectionary which is called the General Roman lectionary. But some countries do occasionally have variations, which means what you hear in the US or maybe other countries might sometimes be different. To what's on the podcast? Also a few. People wanting to know more about myself and the background of the Ministry.
You can get access to information about that through the Patreon page. If you're willing to support the Ministry even a small amount, you can get access to A and bonus recording where we talk about the history of the Ministry. A bit about myself. And my background, So if that's something that interests you, the link for that is in the episode description. There's a great e-mail here from Kelly. She says this podcast. Has been an absolute gift to me.
As although I'm. Basically a lifelong nominal Catholic. I've never read the Bible before. I've only had my own personal encounter. With Jesus about a year ago. On the razor's. Edge of 40 years old. So hearing what Jesus did in the context. Of the world he. Lived In has been vital to my understanding of his life and how he wants us to live. I'll say it again, this podcast is an absolute. Gift. Especially in a world that reads what it wants from the Bible in whatever context proves the
point they want to make. Thank you so much for that honest, open e-mail. Kelly And I particularly agree with your last point there, where it is very easy in any denomination to just take a verse out of context and use it to make whatever point we want to make. But if we want to be serious about it and do it properly, we have to read verses in context. And that's one of the things. This podcast wants to. Help you do. Kathy has written in and she says it's so refreshing to have
a daily. Exegesis of the. Gospel that is in line with the Catholic Church. I've been to many different studies that always stumbled over things like. Jesus brothers, the literal. Interpretation is so enlightening. Especially as you put. The readings in the context of what happened. Before how the? Jews would have understood what Jesus is saying. I start my morning everyday listening to you and recommend the podcast to everyone. And I love the accent.
Thank you so much for writing in Kathy and for your support of the Ministry. Chris has sent through a wonderful e-mail about how they're using this podcast in the family. Thank you for your podcast and your understanding and interpretation of the. Gospel The biggest take away. That, I have learned, is that I'd love to hear the gospel and make it of routine in my life.
The breaking down of line by line helps to clarify the intent of the gospel because we know that it can be pretty hard to interpret if it's just said one time and that was it. I listened to the exegesis on my way to drop my 14 year old son to school at dinner. We talk as a family when we can about the gospel or when we were reading daily during Advent. My son was able to explain the gospel to the family my younger.
Kids ages 8/6. Four and Two were able to understand the message from your exegesis, relayed by my son. Everyone has a sphere of influence and you reached out to me. I passed it on to my son and he passed it on to his siblings all the way from Australia to the United States east and coast. Now thank you so much for riding in, Chris, and that really is incredible when you put it that way. And again, I want to encourage.
Each of you if. You think you've got a gift in a particular area, the media world. Allows you to get. Thoughts and ideas out? There. That really do inspire people and then they share it with other. People So. If you've always wanted to get a podcast. Or some sort of. Video channel going where you feel like there's a gap in the Catholic or Christian media world.
Just give it a go and you'll be surprised at how much influence you have and how much impact that can have for the Kingdom of God. We have a message sent through from Alice Ann, she said. This podcast is the. Highlight of my day after I read the scripture from the day's Mass, I listen to your comments. In my youth we didn't read the Bible much, just the epistle and gospel of Mass. I have spent the last few years trying to catch up between listening to you and re watching the Chosen.
Christ's ministry is made very real and very personal. When I first started listening, I would see the length of the show and be a. Bit put off, however. Now I rejoice when I see a longer program. I'm very grateful for your wonderful. Podcast it has greatly. Enriched my spiritual life. Thank you for that, Alice Ann. And yeah, I understand your comment there about the length of each episode.
Most audio resources on Halo are about 10 minutes long, whereas a standard episode in our podcast is about 20 minutes long. But I'm glad you've come around to enjoying longer. Episodes as well. Andy sent. Through this wonderful. Personal message, he said. I've been enjoying your podcast through the Halo app, and I'm grateful that it brings new depth to my thinking about the daily verses. I grew up.
Protestant and never really had any true understanding of the Bible. My pastor pulled individual verses from the Bible and preached on what he thought it meant without any context from the time or. Culture the verse. Comes from or in context of the verses surrounding it. Learning what was going on and what the cultural norms were has made all the difference in seeing what God and His Word has to tell me about my own faith journey. I adore the Catholic.
Faith that it has truths, discipline and boundaries concerning understanding the mysteries and what they mean to us. Individually and as a church, I love that. I finally understand that God wants us to trust Him and conform ourselves to His vision for us, not make up a God in our head that. Agrees with all our bad. Attitudes and ideas I have family finally found peace and joy, and your efforts continue to fortify that in me. I'm grateful for the.
Gifts that our God. Has given you and that you were gracious enough to share them. Thank you so much for that wonderful personal message. Andy. I'm. So glad this. Podcast is helping you reclaim a good way of interpreting the Bible rather than picking things out of context, and that is helping you see the whole beauty of the Catholic faith in its guidance to us, Mary. Who assists with? Giving our communion to those who are unable to attend Mass, says. Because of your podcast.
My remarks after reading the day's Gospel at communion services in assistant assisted living facilities are richer, more interesting, and useful for the residents who come to. Receive the Eucharist. The incredible amount of work and dedication you devote. To this. Podcast is evident and admirable. I've grown very fond of listening to your explanations and clarifications. I listen every day whether I take communion to. Others or not?
Thank you so much for those kind words, Mary, and I'm glad that this podcast is helping you in that. Under appreciated. But really important Ministry of bringing the word of God and communion to people who can't attend Mass. Melody also sent through a message about her own background and how this. Podcast has helped her. Within that message. She said there are. So many things I.
Like about your podcasts? The most important being that you are obviously knowledgeable about the subject you are teaching, and by the way, just on that point. A lot of people. Do think that what I'm saying is it comes from my own knowledge, but I. Do want to stress that a lot of what I. Learn comes through the preparation I do for each episode in reading what. Other scholars have said. About the literal sense of scripture, there's some great commentaries out there and really.
What this podcast is. Doing is popularizing the great. Catholic faithful scholarship that's already out there. She says. The second thing I like is that you aren't afraid of the. Hard stuff. During the homily so many of our priests are afraid to. Tackle the difficult passages. And to show. What the text is? Clearly saying the first. Time, I heard you say that faith requires that we put. God ahead of everything, including our family if
necessary. I rejoice because no one has been saying this for a long time. We can't get. Life. Life, right? If we don't have the basics in the right order, thank you so much for your e-mail there and telling us a bit about your history. Melody, I'm glad this podcast is helping. You grapple. With some of the harder teachings in the Gospels, indeed in this podcast, we don't want to shy away from the harder teachings of Jesus and she goes on to say this is. Obviously what you were.
Put on the planet to do well, I don't know about that, but I I think I would certainly say. I felt God's. Leading to do something like this and I've tried to cooperate with God and then he has taken the. Results of this work. And multiplied it for the good of his Kingdom, which? Is how God works if we're faithful to. Him He will take our small efforts and do something great with them. She also asks. Whether there's future plans to do more books of the Bible. Particularly the old.
Testament, which is a question that. We do get pretty regularly. And the answer is, hopefully in the long term we can get to that point, but for now we're just focusing on the Gospels. Carol has. Written in to say how she's using the podcast in a prayer group that she started, an online pro group where people pray for each other and study the Gospels together. And this podcast has been really helpful.
Thank you so much for starting a group like that, Carol, and hopefully this podcast continues to be helpful. Rebecca has written in to say your podcast has been such a blessing in my life and I'm so grateful for your explanations. Each day you've become a favorite part of my daily routine and an integral part of my faith journey. I'm learning so much, and God is using your words to lead me further into contemplating and living out the Gospels.
Thank you so much, Rebecca. I'm glad to hear that it's helping you in your walk. Of faith, that is. The goal of this podcast, ultimately, Stephanie, who is a Catholic author from Canada, said. I just wanted to encourage you and express my gratitude. What you were doing is very important for many. You're helping to connect a lot of dots for me. I have especially appreciated learning about why some of the.
Gospel stories are. Different from one another, which was always a mystery to me, as well as who they were writing for, etcetera. Thank you so much, Stephanie. I'm glad we could. Provide a bit of. Clarity on that. There's always going to be a bit of a mystery there about. Why the Gospel Authors? Each chose to include certain stories we can. Have educated guesses. But doing an. Exegesis of the literal. Sense can certainly help us get at maybe. What the author was.
Attempting to communicate by including a certain story. About Jesus. And the very last bit of feedback I want to share today from Susan, she says. It is hard to. Express how important your work has been in my life. I'm in the process of converting to Catholic after a long time as a Protestant. Through your podcast, I feel that I. Have come to know the real Jesus, and my relationship with
him has deepened as a result. It is extremely helpful to hear how the readings relate to the Catechism since I'm in the process of learning the Catholic faith in tradition. Even if I were not being called to the Catholic Church, I would find the podcast. Just as valuable. I wish more of my Protestant friends would TuneIn, but sadly they have been indoctrinated with anti Catholic rhetoric, something that I think would change if they would only listen. So thank you for that.
Heartfelt. Comment. Susan, I'm so glad that this is helping you in your conversion of Catholicism. I've had a similar story to you and the Bible. Actually played a key. Role in my own conversion of Catholicism. So I'm glad that through this podcast I'm able to help other people do the same thing. Thank you for sticking with this bonus episode where we listen to some positive feedback that's come in. There has been quite a lot that's come in lately, which is why I wanted to do this bonus
episode. There's been many, many more comments that have been sent in than what I can read out today. Many of. You have shared quite. Personal. Stories about how the podcast has helped you. And a bit about your own lives and backgrounds. Can't possibly cover. All of them in an episode like this, but please know that I do. Read all of that. Feedback that comes in and all of your prayer and support for this ministry. Is so appreciated. Thank you once again for tuning
into. The Daily Gospel Exegesis. Podcast and we'll continue with a normal episode next time.