IP#312 Dr. Kevin Starr – Continental Ambitions on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

For the Audio only:

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What a delight to speak with Dr. Kevin Starr about “Continental Ambitions: Roman Catholics in North America: the Colonial Experience”! This volume is a beautifully massive work of “historical art”; so thorough and engaging, I couldn’t stop turning the pages! Dr. Starr is a master storyteller. It’s as though he has you on a high precipice overlooking a grand vista, and with the broad swipe of his arm, he points out all the personalities and movements shaping an ever changing view. And during our conversation, it was an absolute joy to hear the enthusiasm and love he has for history and for this particular subject. I simply cannot recommend this book more highly!

You can find the book here

“These accounts of a human drama heroic and villainous, saintly and sanguineous, are a feast for the historian and, more importantly, food for our generation starved of the story of its own past. The romantic whose knowledge is airbrushed and the cynic whose knowledge is cobbled together with clichés will jointly be challenged. For everyone, reading this book could be a transforming experience, and a delight as well.”
Fr. George Rutler, Author, He Spoke to Us: Discerning God in People and Events

“To see in one book the history of Catholics in the New World, its glories and its tragedies, is almost like reading a secret history of a lost tribe. Kevin Starr s magisterial narration of European Catholic presence in North America the Norse, the Spanish, the French, the English, plus a few others is a contribution of the first order to our understanding of the whole foundation of this land of the free.”
James V. Schall, S.J. Professor Emeritus, Georgetown University

ROF#8 – Roots of the Faith with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Episode 8 – The Papacy: The Apostolic Throne

Roots of the Faith – From the Church Fathers to You with Mike Aquilina, makes clear that just as an acorn grows into a tree and yet remains the same plant, so the Catholic Church is a living organism that has grown from the faith of the earliest Christians into the body of Christ we know today. Hosted by Kris McGregor

Pick up a copy of Mke’s book. You’ll find so much more and invaluable references and resources as well

Also visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts” page for more audio downloads and information!

ROF#6 – Purgatory: Love Stronger than Death – Roots of the Faith with Mike Aquilina

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Episode 6 – Purgatory: Love Stronger than Death

Pick up a copy of Mke’s book. You’ll find so much more and invaluable references and resources, as well

Also, visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts” page for more audio downloads and information!

ROF#4 – From the Scriptures to the Bible – Roots of the Faith with Mike Aquilina

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Episode 4 – From the Scriptures to the Bible

Pick up a copy of Mke’s book. You’ll find so much more and invaluable references and resources, as well

Also, visit Mike’s “Discerning Hearts” page for more audio downloads and information!

CW5 All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) – The Great Cloud of Witnesses: Guides for Prayer with Fr. Mark Cyza – Discerning Hearts

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Fr. Mark Cyza discusses the origins of All Hallow’s Eve and it’s development into the secular celebration known as “Halloween”. How should celebrate this time and what should our prayer reflect?

IP#278 Mark Brumley – Han Urs von Balthasar’s “Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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A big “THANK YOU” to Ignatius Press for this excellent 2nd edition of the classic “Dare We Hope That All Men Be

Saved?: With a Short Discourse on Hell” by Catholic theologian Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar. The newer edition contains an outstanding forward by Fr. Robert Barron. The conversation with Mark Brumley sheds even greater light on why this is such an important work. Mark also corrects the misrepresentations that have been put forward about it’s contents in recent years, including the false characterization of von Balthasar as an advocate of “universalism”. An exceptional work! Once again, a great discussion with Mark Brumley.

You find the book here

“Truly deep theological questions can rarely be answered with a simple yes or no. Rather, they are approached by the careful theologian, who circles around them, making distinctions, bringing essential aspects to light. The issue of who and how many will be saved is surely one of the thorniest theological puzzles in the Catholic tradition, and I don’t know any theologian-classical or contemporary-who performs the nimble task of bringing out the complexity and profiles of this issue better than Hans Urs von Balthasar. In this short but rich text, you will hear of grace, punishment, mercy, the awful self-absorption of sin-but above all of hope.”
– Bishop Robert Barron, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

IP#209 Dr. Peter Kreeft – Jacob’s Ladder on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor podcast

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What a glorious opportunity to discuss “Truth” with the one and only Dr. Peter Kreeft. I have to admit; one must be on their toes when discussing any topic with the good doctor, he is one of the great intellects and authors of our time, period. He is always patient, kind and just downright fascinating in this conversation; Dr. Kreeft engages the imagination and guides us deeper into the reality of Divine Revelation. “Jacob’s Ladder: 10 Steps to Truth” is an absolutely splendid voyage to undertake; put on your thinking caps, dive in to the ocean of your heart, and be prepared to be awed and delighted. A must have book for anyone who is seeking Truth.

You can find the book here

From the book description:

Among the topics, or “steps”, that Kreeft’s characters delve into include:

Do you have the passion to know?
Does truth exist?
What is the meaning of life?
What is love, and why is it so important for our lives?
If there is a God, what proof is there for his existence?
Has God revealed himself to us in a personal way?

IP#279 Fr. Michael Gaitley MIC – “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

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I LOVE this book! “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told: Now is the Time of Mercy” is outstanding! Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC is able to once again provide just the right amount of insight, depth, and practical application to an important aspect of our collective spiritual experience! He brings forward to us the “School of Trust” whose curriculum is the continuing story of our salvation revealed to us over the last 2000 years and lived out and taught to us through the lives of the saints. Fr. Gaitley’s storytelling is thoroughly engaging. This a page turner you truly will not want to set aside. Filled with so many “ah-ha” moments you’ll be saying to yourself over and over again “Oh, I knew that, but I didn’t know I knew that” or “Ok, wow, now I see the connection!” This is also a book that you’ll want to give to others…follow through with that impulse, they will be glad you did! HIGHLY recommended!

You can find the book here

From the book description:

In The Second Greatest Story Ever Told bestselling author Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, reveals St. John Paul II’s witness for our time. Building on the prophetic voices of Margaret Mary Alacoque, Thérèse of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe, and Faustina Kowalska, The Second Greatest Story Ever Told is more than a historical account of the Great Mercy Pope. This book expounds on the profound connection between Divine Mercy and Marian consecration. It serves as an inspiration for all those who desire to bear witness to the mercy of God, focused on Christ and formed by Mary. Now is the time of mercy. Now is the time to make John Paul’s story your own.

IP#255 Mark Brumley – To Know Jesus as the Christ on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor with Kris McGregor

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Why is it essential for the Christian to truly “know” Jesus as the “Christ”? Why is a relationship with Jesus Christ paramount for the spiritual life? What is it be an authentic disciple of Christ? These questions are just a few that are answered by master apologist and president of Ignatius Press, Mark Brumley as we discuss the phenomenal book by Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the Archbishop of Vienna. Class A catechesis and rich source of spiritual reading, not only for Catholics, but for the entire Body of Christ. Highly Recommended!

You can find the book here

From the book description:

An inspiring and practical work by a great churchman about the eternal importance of the Christian faith, and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how it is crucial for our everyday life.

“Catechesis is something different from a theological discourse. Catechesis is actually a way, and we are invited to set out on such a catechetical way. For catechesis is very closely connected with the mission of Jesus himself. It is actually the direct translation of his mission, which he gave to the apostles at the end of his life: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.’ “

IP#114 Michael Novak – Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Michael Novak is a shining witness of what occurs in the soul when the head makes the journey to the heart. What a gift he is to all of us and what a profound sage of wisdom…when he so gently speaks, I listen….we all should! In “Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation,” Michael, along with his co-author William E. Simon, Jr, establishes, in Part 1, of the book, the need for the lay vocation in the Church today. They chronicle that need with a national and global perspective. They also present how “living the call” looks in the lives of nine committed lay faithful working in parish life today.

Part 2 is worth its weight in gold! It outlines the absolute necessity of growth in the interior life of the laity. How essential it is to deepen the spiritual life. They give voice to the need to appreciate the desert experiences of our lives as opportunities for greater unity with Christ; such periods provide the fonts of grace which nurtures the work in ministry. For anyone who severs in a ministry of any kind, either as an employee or as a volunteer, if you pass this indispensable book by, you do so at your peril!

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Michael Novak’s website can be found here

You can find “Living the Call” here

“This is the book that countless Catholic laypeople have been waiting for as they ponder how to respond to Vatican II’s challenge to take more active roles in the life of the Church and to bring Christian principles to life in the secular world. It’s a gem of a book that speaks to laypeople in all walks of life and at all stages of their earthly journeys.”

Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard University