Jesus is teaching beside the Sea of Galilee when the crush of the crowds prompts him to climb aboard St. Peter’s boat and request the soon-to-be-apostle to shove off from shore. Little does Peter know that this is only Our Lord’s first request. We’ll spend our episode exploring the ins and outs of fishing on the Sea of Galilee and we’ll get our hands dirty in the original Greek so as to immerse ourselves into the full emotion of the exchange. Finally, we’ll round out our discussion by diving int...
Feb 04, 2025•52 min•Season 5Ep. 11
When Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the Temple, they fulfill the Law of Moses, yet what unfolds goes far beyond legal obligation. In Simeon’s words, we find echoes of the watchmen of Israel, standing vigil for the Lord’s arrival and Anna, with her years of prayer, embodies widowed Israel longing for redemption. At the heart of the story is the go’el, the kinsman-redeemer tasked by the Book of Leviticus with restoring family and land. Coming suddenly to his Temple as our first reading predicts, J...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 10
In the synagogue of his hometown, Jesus delivers a message that begins with amazement and ends in rejection. Drawing from the full arc of the story, we explore the depth of his proclamation, the Greek Old Testament text, and the broader context of Isaiah’s prophecy. Together, these elements reveal the profound challenge of a mission extending mercy beyond Israel and they also uncover why Our Lord's words ignited such a powerful reaction, one his own neighbors were unwilling to accept. (Mass Read...
Jan 21, 2025•55 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Join Katie on pilgrimage in Rome & Assisi for the Jubilee: kptz.io/rome / / / In this episode, we explore the Wedding Feast at Cana, where Jesus performs His first public miracle—turning water into wine. We’ll uncover the Old Testament echoes in this moment, the significance of Christ as the divine Bridegroom, and Mary’s pivotal role in the unfolding of His mission. How does this event foreshadow the New Covenant, and what does it reveal about God’s abundant grace? Tune in to find out! (Mass...
Jan 14, 2025•58 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Join me this December on a Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome & Assisi: kptz.io/rome /// Jesus begins his public ministry at a location rich with history for the Jewish people. The site of the famed Promised Land crossing, the Jordan River is a symbol of homecoming and covenant faithfulness. Exploring our Gospel within the context of the lectionary, we see Jesus’ Baptism as not simply the fulfillment of Jewish hopes, but a hope for Gentiles as well. In this one act, Jesus recalls creation, the ...
Jan 07, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 7
We journey with the Magi to Bethlehem in our Gospel today, unraveling the ancient prophecy from the Book of Numbers that sent shockwaves through Herod’s court. Who were these mysterious visitors and what does their presence reveal about Salvation History? We’ll also dig into historical and astronomical insights into the Star of Bethlehem and unpack the profound symbolism behind the threefold gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Finally, we’ll explore the subtle allusions to Solomon in our tex...
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Join Katie's Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi // Jesus is lost and found in today's Gospel. In it, the evangelist describes Jesus as having "understanding", an Old Testament characteristic of the Davidic kings. Luke also clearly links Our Lord with the prophet Samuel and by this connection we discover Jesus as the firstborn consecrated to God and the prophet who will speak condemnation on the corrupt Jerusalem priests. We end our episode exploring the interi...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 5
Join Katie's Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi // Exploring the story of the Visitation we discover a text bursting with Old Testament allusions. We see the evangelist subtly comparing Jesus and John the Baptist to Jacob and Esau and Our Lady herself finds parallel in two Old Testament women, Jael and Judith, women who found fame crushing the heads of their enemies. An overarching theme comes to prominence, however, that of the Ark of the Covenant. Just as th...
Dec 17, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 4
We turn our attention once more to our Gospel reading and to the figure of John the Baptist. People from all walks of life are coming to him, repenting, and asking for spiritual advice. John exhorts people not to a life of intense asceticism and separation but rather to lives of holiness in the midst of worldly endeavors, a radical idea for the time period. Exploring further John the Baptist's background we discover a man deeply committed to evangelization and a figure who is arguably the first ...
Dec 10, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 3
This week we continue in the spirit of Jeremiah with our first reading from Baruch, the man who served as Jeremiah's scribe. In it we find many parallels with the Old Testament and contemporary prophetic literature, specifically the Book of Isaiah. We explore the three covenant types of Ancient Near Eastern culture and link Baruch to Genesis 22 in which God himself is the covenant guarantor. Lastly, we explore the New Exodus theme implicit in our first reading and its clear link to our Gospel an...
Dec 03, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 2
As Advent begins, the Church invites us to reflect on prophetic texts that illuminate the season's profound themes of hope and expectation. This week, we delve into the prophet Jeremiah, focusing on his ministry during the late 600s BC under King Josiah's reign. By exploring the historical backdrop of Jerusalem's turmoil and exile, we uncover the depth of Jeremiah's prophecy about a "righteous branch" springing from David's line. In the Gospel, the Church continues the apocalyptic theme, drawing...
Nov 26, 2024•57 min•Season 5Ep. 1
The Church points us to the Gospel of John for our feast today, looking specifically at the exchange between Pontius Pilate and Our Lord at the latter's trial. The question at hand is kingship: is Jesus a king and, if so, where is his kingdom? Looking at the literal translation of the Greek we discover how emphatic Our Lord's answers are. He reigns indeed but his reign does not flow from human authority. In fact, all human authority flows from him and one day will be subject to him. We'll also l...
Nov 19, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Our Lord leaves the Temple for the last time. On the way out his disciples comment on the Temple's beauty and Jesus takes the opportunity to direct their hearts from an earthly worldview to a heavenly one, foretelling the destruction of that beautiful structure. Our Gospel picks up toward the end of this exchange and in it we find an abundance of allusions to a new creation, the ingathering of the nations, and the cosmic battle between good and evil. Though filled with images of suffering, read ...
Nov 14, 2024•43 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Jesus takes aim at the scribes in our Gospel today, calling them out for their love of fine things and special treatment. In contrast, Our Lord offers the example of the widow at the Temple. While the opulent monetary contributions of the rich ring out for others to hear, the widow's quiet offering does not go unnoticed by God. Jesus explains that, contrary to appearances, this woman has offered more than all the others. Exploring further the idea of poverty in the spiritual life, we find an apt...
Nov 05, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Join me on pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi for the Jubilee Year and get $200 off if you register before the end of October! Details here: https://bit.ly/rome_assisi A scribe, emboldened by Jesus’ compelling answer to the debated topic of resurrection presents another question before the Lord, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Exploring Our Lord’s answer we discover a response oozing with Scripture, one that impressively sums up both the 600+ laws of the Torah and the heart of the Ten Commandmen...
Oct 30, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Jesus makes his final stop before reaching Jerusalem, passing through the ancient town of Jericho. On his way out of town the cries of a blind man reach his ears, compelling him to stop. Our Lord's encounter with and subsequent healing of the blind man are full of Old Testament resonances. In our Gospel we see the fulfillment of many prophecies announcing the arrival of the Messiah, we find fascinating parallels between Joshua's entry into Jericho and our Gospel, and we discover a unique echo of...
Oct 22, 2024•41 min•Season 4Ep. 41
We leave Our Lord's words to speak for themselves in our podcast today, looking closer at the spiritual implication of his message rather than digging into scholarly insights on the text. The former exercise proves deeply important for our interior life, especially in periods of suffering. Understanding that the role James and John wish to possess is actually filled by two thieves leads us to recognize that heavenly success often masquerades as earthly failure and that even when we find it diffi...
Oct 15, 2024•33 min•Season 4Ep. 40
We hear two of Jesus' favorite words in our Gospel today: Follow me! Where in the past these words were met with tremendous faith by the apostles, today they are met with sadness and rejection. We're talking about the rich young man who's unfulfilled longings bring him to the feet of Jesus. Diagnosing his restlessness, Our Lord calls him to leave behind his possessions, a cure that proves too burdensome to be carried out. Exploring the spiritual theme of detachment as well as the theological ide...
Oct 08, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Jesus travels to Judea where he is not always well received and is immediately confronted by Pharisees as regards his view on marriage and divorce. Referencing Deuteronomy, the Pharisees make the case that Moses allowed for divorce but Jesus moves earlier in the Biblical account to make his argument, citing two verses of Genesis. From Our Lord's words we glean a radical view of marriage, one that excludes divorce but that also affirms the image of the Trinity and the tremendous dignity of marrie...
Oct 01, 2024•58 min•Season 4Ep. 38
The apostles encounter a man performing exorcisms in Jesus' name though they do not know who he is. When asked his opinion, Our Lord's response points us to the outpouring of the spirit of God in the Old Testament and the prophetic words of Moses who longs for all of God's people to perform miraculous works. Continuing on in our Gospel we hear Jesus speak intensely about "stumbling blocks." Exploring the original Greek as well as the Church's teaching we uncover the true meaning of scandal and i...
Sep 24, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 37
Jesus redefines greatness in His second prediction of the Passion. After His transfiguration, He pulls the Twelve aside to teach them an unexpected truth—true greatness comes through humility and the cross. Diving deep into our Gospel, we’ll explore the loaded Greek word "paradidomi," which reveals Jesus' active rather than passive choice to give Himself up. We’ll take a closer look at the first century background and symbolism of Our Lord’s gentle gesture towards children and we’ll uncover the ...
Sep 17, 2024•50 min•Season 4Ep. 36
Set against the historical backdrop of Caesarea Philippi, a location steeped in ancient ties to the Greek god Pan, our Gospel is grounded in real-world settings. In addition to the geography, we’ll examine the pivotal interaction between Jesus and Peter, a moment that transitions the Gospel of Mark from revealing Jesus's identity to uncovering his salvific destiny. Finally, examination of a single Greek word will reveal the unavoidable necessity of God's plan while offering solace that, even in ...
Sep 10, 2024•59 min•Season 4Ep. 35
Having cleansed foods and thereby abolished many of the ritual purity laws that served to separate Jew and Gentile, Jesus intentionally travels into Gentile territory. He performs several miracles like the one recounted in our Gospel. Exploring the healing of the deaf man we discover an explicit link with the prophecies of Isaiah that allude to an ingathering of the Gentiles and mincing Jesus' words and actions we uncover both Sacramental and New Creation themes, themes that point back to the be...
Sep 04, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 34
We head back into Mark in our Gospel today and into the thick of Pharisaic criticism. Jesus is asked why his disciples do not wash their hands before eating. To fully understand the Pharisees' charge we take a step back and explore the heart and history of the Pharisaic school of thought. What we find in the Pharisees are Jews zealous for the law of God but fixated on ancillary things, things that inevitably distort their judgment, corrupt their heart, and prevent them from seeing that which the...
Aug 27, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Provided with two sets of first readings, the Church beckons us to look both backward and forward to understand our Gospel and the feast of the Assumption at hand. Diving into Luke as well as our Old Testament first reading we see the evangelist draw clear parallels between David's reception of the Ark of the Covenant at Jerusalem and Elizabeth's reception of the new Ark just outside Jerusalem. Then looking forward to our reading from Revelation we realize that just as Mary went up to Jerusalem ...
Aug 13, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 32
Further exploring our multi-week look at John 6, this week's episode is a recording of the talk that Katie gave onsite at the Church of the Multiplication on the shore of the Sea of Galilee during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land in January 2023. Enjoy!
Jul 30, 2024•14 min•Season 4Ep. 31
Over the next several weeks the Church breaks from Mark’s Gospel, pivoting instead to John 6. Encountering the people’s hunger, Our Lord feeds them with the miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish. The Scriptures then recount a fascinating response to the miracle: the people want to make Jesus king. Delving into the history of the Old Testament manna as well as the Jewish tradition surrounding it, we explore an explanation for the people’s desire to place Our Lord upon the throne, one in wh...
Jul 23, 2024•58 min•Season 4Ep. 30
The Twelve return from their initial missionary outreach, their success evidenced by the continually growing crowds. Unable to find time even to eat, Jesus invites the disciples to follow him to a place of solitude. The people, however, are undeterred and follow on foot, beating Jesus to his destination. What Our Lord does next shows the tenderness of his heart. Moved with compassion he provides for their needs and in so doing he continues echoing a new Exodus theme while taking upon himself the...
Jul 16, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 29
Jesus called the Twelve to himself in the beginning of Mark's Gospel. Now he sends them out two-by-two to do the very works that he has done. Exploring Our Lord's pre-departure instructions we discover several connections to not only the Old Testament but also first century culture. Through these connections we see Jesus distinguishing his followers from some (like itinerant Greek philosophers) but also associating them with others (like the Old Testament people of God). Through our Gospel we'll...
Jul 09, 2024•54 min•Season 4Ep. 28
Jesus travels home to Nazareth in our Gospel today but the reception he receives is far from warm. Comparing and contrasting our episode with an earlier synagogue encounter in Capernaum we realize that those who reject God often have the same evidence for belief as those who accept him. At the end of the day we have to decide - with the same evidence that the people of Israel had - is this man who he says he is?
Jul 02, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 27
