I sure wish I'd known this 18 years ago. I'd probably have become Catholic a lot faster. In this episode of The Art of Catholic, I've got one of my favorite people, Mike Aquilina, ready to lay down some serious Early Church knowledge. But we're not just interested in history. We're going to dig into what the Early Church believed and practiced with regard to the Virgin Mary. Adding to the already legendary stack of books he's written is "Keeping Mary Close: Devotion To Our Lady Through The Ages"...
Feb 03, 2016•33 min
Admit it. Just like everybody else, your 2016 New Year's resolutions are already in the toidy. (That's a technical term.) And for most of us, those resolutions dealt with habits we've acquired and want to get rid of like smoking, drinking, or Jazzercise. Then there are those virtuous habits we want to acquire. Virtuous habits will get their own podcast at a later date. Since most of us remain in the "I've got to stop this or it's going to kill me!" or "I'm tired of confessing this same thing ove...
Jan 27, 2016•26 min
I've made no bones about the fact that Mary was easily the most difficult issue I faced in becoming Catholic. This show is about the scriptural argument that got me over the hump. In the last two episodes (23 & 24), we dealt with the Immaculate Conception. This time, we're going to fill in some background on the Ark of the Covenant from the Old Testament, and then explore the stunning parallels laid out by the Gospel of Luke between that original Ark and the Virgin Mary. Like I said, the dots I'...
Dec 22, 2015•30 min
The more you understand it, the more you realize the Immaculate Conception is a fundamental part of the Gospel message. And, yes, it's in the Bible...big time. This is part 2 of what I started in Episode 23. This episode is going to focus on the Angel Gabriel's encounter with Mary in the Annunciation scene from Luke chapter 1. Far more than just a classic scene in every school's Christmas play, it's a necessary scene in the drama of salvation. And it demonstrates the fact that Mary was conceived...
Dec 17, 2015•31 min
You may love Mary, but can you explain the Immaculate Conception? Better yet, can you explain it from the pages of the Bible? The dogma that Mary was preserved from the moment of her conception from the effects of Original Sin is one of the most important, yet misunderstood Catholic teachings. Many Catholics, not to mention Protestants, don't realize the vital role played by this dogma, much less understand that the roots of the Immaculate Conception are deep in Sacred Scripture. It's totally in...
Dec 07, 2015•31 min
It's not just because we want to look cool or think bigger is better. Catholic Bibles are simply bigger than Protestant Bibles. (And I don't mean they're printed in a larger font. I mean ours have more books than theirs.) The question is "Why?" It's a huge issue...one of, dare I say, biblical proportions. One of the fundamental principles of Protestantism is the doctrine of sola scriptura - the Bible alone. In other words, it teaches that the only sure authority upon which we can base our lives ...
Dec 03, 2015•48 min
This one may be better than the first (which is saying something). In Episode 020 of The Art of Catholic, I began an interview with Dr. Andrew Jones about the very different world of the High Middle Ages. (By different, I'm not only referring to their penchant for body armor and ale.) In particular we talked about the huge impact of the Fourth Lateran Council, and started to dabble in how medievals viewed the 4 Senses of Scripture as a way of life, not just how to approach a book. (If you're thi...
Nov 24, 2015•44 min
Okay. I'm about to ask you a question. Be honest...Raise your hand if you've ever heard of the Fourth Lateran Council. Okay...How about Pope Innocent III? For those of you with your hands still up, how many of you can give me any details on either?...Anyone? Bueller? (That never gets old.) Believe it or not, not knowing is a giant hole in our education. Everyone should know something about both because they played a pivotal role in the history of the Church. Lateran Four is every bit as big as N...
Nov 17, 2015•50 min
The entire Catholic faith boils down to one thing - be like Christ. That's the point of prayer and the purpose of the sacraments. It's the whole enchilada. And if you want to know what it means to be like Christ, look no further than Philippians 2. The opening verses of St. Paul's letter to the Church at Philippi are the key to unlocking his inner life; the self-sacrificial, self-emptying, life-giving love of of Jesus Christ. Of course, St. Paul wasn't alone in his discussion of the incredible, ...
Nov 11, 2015•21 min
Do you believe in the Trinity? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is both all God and all man at the same time - consubstantial with the Father? Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God? Most of you are nodding your internal head, saying "Yes, Matt, of course we do." These are issues most Christians take for granted. We believe them because they are fundamental to our faith. We believe them because they are what have been taught to us, handed down from generation to generation. But why? The qui...
Nov 03, 2015•28 min
We all want to know where we come from. What are our biological roots? Who are we related to? People spend a lot of money every year tracing their family tree (hoping it forks!). As Christians, we should desire to know our family tree, too. Like in our natural families, we should want to know who has gone before us in the Faith and what they believed. We should want to know our history. Now's our chance. In this Art of Catholic episode, I'm featuring the first half of Lesson One of The Bible and...
Oct 27, 2015•38 min
Are you concerned about your children and grandchildren? Do you worry whether or not they'll stay in the faith? Have they already left? Allow me to introduce you to someone who has devoted his life to doing everything he can to help them stay, or bring them back. His name is Mark Hart, and he's the Executive Vice President of Content and Identity at Life Teen, one of the leaders in evangelizing young Catholics. Join us as we discuss the current state and future of our youth...the future of our C...
Oct 21, 2015•57 min
You can have all the money in the world, but you can't buy suffering insurance. Doesn't matter if you're Catholic, Protestant, Pagan or Martian. Everybody experiences it. And when Jesus offered himself back to the Father for our sake, he didn’t merely deal with the consequences of sin. Rather, he struck at the root of suffering - Original Sin - the sin of Adam. But he did it in a way that seems crazy in the eyes of the world. He took the very consequences of sin - suffering and death - experienc...
Oct 14, 2015•1 hr 2 min
Question: What do adoption, 80s singer El DeBarge, and the spiritual life have in common? Answer: Bob Rice. Any man who plays the accordion (and has an album starring said instrument titled "The Gospel Accordion to Bob Rice") is just a little on the unusual side. But if by "usual" you mean boring and predictable, I'll take unusual any day. And trust me when I say this show was anything but boring and predictable. It goes in a lot of crazy directions, all of which point up to Christ. In addition ...
Oct 07, 2015•54 min
"Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy. Amen" We say that "Fatima prayer" at the end of every decade in the rosary. But what exactly are we begging deliverance from? This is probably the deepest podcast I've done to date. How could it not be when dealing with the scariest topic in the world...hell. Nobody wants to think about eternal damnation, but many of us have questions like: Does hell actually e...
Sep 30, 2015•57 min
Question: What do you get when you take a Canadian Presbyterian pastor’s kid and send him to an orthodox American Catholic university where he has to take a Natural Family Planning class with a pretty girl? Answer: A convert with eight kids! That's what. But unlike a lot of Catholic converts in the public eye, Kevin Lowry is a businessman. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t do the normal convert stuff. His conversion story, which we’re going to hear a good bit of, is in Surprised by Truth 2. He’s also...
Sep 23, 2015•53 min
Paul got knocked off his high horse (maybe). Augustine heard a voice say "take and read." David Currie got a catalog. The Lord moves us to conversion in mysterious ways. If you're thinking "a catalog doesn't seem like the most interesting of manners in which to convert", you're wrong. I love this conversion story. I mean, how many convert stories have you heard where a guy who really, really wants to become Catholic is refused entry? And David Currie is not only the author of some very popular b...
Sep 16, 2015•43 min
Do you consider yourself an evangelist? Can you easily share the Catholic faith with others? Does the phrase "New Evangelization" conjure up images of people knocking on your door? Even if your answers were "No." "No." "Yes.", you can relax...but not too much! My guest on this edition is Terry Barber, founder and President of St. Joseph Communications, and founder and chairman of Lighthouse Catholic Media. Many regard him to be the godfather of Catholic apologetics and evangelization in the Unit...
Sep 09, 2015•56 min
Lots of people have stories. Few of them are as exceptional and inspirational as this one. Shak Hill is a former Air Force fighter pilot pilot who flew classified Top Secret missions, including combat in Desert Storm. He finished off his military career serving as a flight commander in the presidential wing at Andrews AF Base, MD, providing congressional and VIP support. He made a run at the US Senate in 2014 in the state of Virginia. He’s authored two books and is a public speaker, as well. Tha...
Sep 02, 2015•56 min
Lots of saints make strong statements about prayer. St. Alphonsus Ligouri is probably the scariest. Referencing St. Teresa of Avila, he once stated that "He who neglects mental prayer needs no devil to carry him to hell. He brings himself there with his own hands." Yikes! Lucky for you (and me), we're not talking prayer with him today. Instead, Mr. Dan Burke is the featured guest in this episode of The Art of Catholic podcast. While not a saint (yet), Dan is definitely a sage when it comes to th...
Aug 26, 2015•50 min
Everybody comes from some kind of family. Some are good. Some are bad. Most are crazy in some way or another. Regardless, family is the building block of all society because our families image the family of God. And as we all know, families are under attack. In fact, one of the biggest problems men face in today’s society is that we’re constantly being fed this ludicrous idea that men are idiots. Family life, particularly the role of father, needs to be reclaimed. Join Matthew this week on The A...
Aug 19, 2015•51 min
This is a great conversion story. Dr. Taylor Marshall is the president and founder of the New St. Thomas Institute. But in a previous life he was an Episcopalian priest who found the Lord through a chance encounter with a baseball card. You heard me right...a baseball card. Give it listen and don't forget to please leave the show a rating! God bless! Matt “All who have been lost were lost because they did not pray.” St. Alphonsus Liguori. Don't be lost! Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to d...
Aug 05, 2015•59 min
Did you know that check you just wrote to your favorite charity may actually be hurting the very people you're trying to help? It's true! How is that possible? In quite a few ways, actually. In fact, certain kinds of aid can actually devastate them. In the 4th episode of The Art of Catholic podcast, I interview Michael Matheson Miller from the Acton Institute about the harm that can actually come from some of the forms of charity with which we've grown familiar. Odds are this episode will totall...
Jul 28, 2015•52 min
Can you think of anyone better? I don't think so. Teresa of Avila is one of greatest spiritual theologians in the history of the Church. In fact, this 16th century Spanish mystic is the "Doctor of Prayer". Join me in discussion with Dr. Anthony Lilles about the spiritual legacy of this dynamite Carmelite nun on her 500th anniversary. But this episode isn't all history. Not even close. The spiritual life is meant to be practiced! And nobody is more practical than St. Teresa of Avila. So listen up...
Jul 16, 2015•52 min
Remember that old Beatles lyric: "You say you want a revolution?" There are a lot of people feeling that way these days. And today I interview the incredibly prolific, Mike Aquilina. Mike has written more than 50 books and co-hosted more than a dozen EWTN specials with Dr. Scott Hahn. He knows the Fathers of the Church and early Church history like no other. Along with Jim Papandrea, Mike wrote a book called Seven Revolutions: How Christianity Changed the World and Can Change It Again. As you ca...
Jul 08, 2015•56 min
On the first edition of The Art of Catholic, Matthew interviews John Henry Crosby, founder of the Hildebrand Project. The discussion is about the incredible life and beliefs of Nazi fighter and Catholic philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand. It's a pretty incredible story and, given recent cultural and political events, contains a warning for our present circumstances. Pope Benedict XVI thought von Hildebrand to be one of the most important voices of the 20th century. I think you'll agree. God ble...
Jul 07, 2015•54 min
