Meditation & Mental Prayer: Catholics Talking To God.

Even today all Vatican documents are in Latin.  From Latin they are translated into the many world languages  In this podcast we listen to a  sermon by an Irish Franciscan priest Rev Father Richard Hayes who died in 1824. Father Hayes  answers a Protestant challenge about Latin in the Mass and shows how a common sacred language protects unity and meaning.  We then use the first three words of of 23 through the Latin words “Dominus Regit Me,” to use them to move from wordless attention to a focused, Scripture-shaped meditation. LEARNING LATIN: Dwane Thomas      https://dwanethomas.com/  I would like to recommend an excellent teacher.His name is Mr. Dwane Thomas, and his website is https://dwanethomas.comMr Thomas teaches Latin using Lingua Latina and the Henle Latin course, offering live online classes as well as recordings of those classes, which you can access and watch whenever it suits you.  There are 3.000 of them!And I can tell you from personal experience that Mr Thomas is quite simply the best Latin teacher I have come across.One particularly important feature of his teaching is that he uses Ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation. This is the pronunciation traditionally used by the Catholic Church, and it is especially important if your interest is in following the Mass, singing Gregorian chant, or reading the Bible in Latin.So whether you are a complete beginner, someone wishing to improve their Latin, or a parent looking for excellent educational resources for your children, particularly if you homeschool, I would strongly encourage you to take a look.His classes are also very reasonably priced, and Latin isn't the only language he teaches. There are other language-learning opportunities available through his website too.So, once again, that's dwanethomas.com.Send us Fan Mail

For Meditation & Mental Prayer Journal go to Amason:Catholic Journal Meditation & Mental Prayer: Acquiring the Sanctity Necessary for Salvation https://www.amazon.com/dp/0956009697Also:https://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Mental-Prayer-Following-Calvary/dp/0956009670/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&s=books&sr=1-1Our Website address:Meditation journals.comhttps://meditationjournals.com/Description:Prayer can feel like sunlight when life is bright, but what happens when the lights go out and nothing in you wants to speak? From a rainy West Coast February to the first daffodil leaves pushing up through cold ground, we use the seasons to name something many Catholics feel but rarely say out loud: mental prayer can turn dry, heavy, and silent, even when your faith is real.  We wrestle with spiritual dryness and the dark night of the soul through St. John of the Cross, who insists this is not God’s punishment or abandonment. He calls it purification, a transition away from chasing feelings and images toward a quieter, sturdier relationship with God. When consolation disappears, the temptation is to assume something has gone wrong. We explore another possibility: God may be doing His most intimate work precisely when He seems absent, and the silence may be invitation rather than indifference.  The conversation turns personal as we share grief after the death of a spouse, the fear of praying without emotion, and the shock of realizing how easily we avoid prayer when it feels like penance. We end with one simple practice for Catholic prayer life and contemplative prayer: stay. Keep showing up, even if all you can offer is will. If this spoke to you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels stuck, and leave a review so more people can find it. What does “staying” look like in your prayer right now?Send us Fan Mail

Send us Fan Mail

Deliberately this episode is only a few minutes long as you listen you will understand why as you witness the profound vulnerability of an aging Peter when he recalls one of the most painful moments of his walk with Jesus—when he rebuked his Master for predicting His death, only to be sharply corrected in return. This deeply moving narrative brings us behind the scenes of Gospel writing, as Matthew captures Peter's tearful recollections of his well-intentioned but misguided attempt to protect Jesus from suffering.The poignancy of this moment lies in Peter's hard-earned wisdom. Now an old man, he understands what he couldn't grasp in his younger years: that his resistance to Jesus' crucifixion journey wasn't faithfulness but failure. "If only he had listened that day," we read as Peter weeps, recognizing that his denial of Christ began long before the courtyard and rooster's crow—it started with his unwillingness to accept the necessity of the cross.What makes this account particularly moving is Peter's determination to share his failure despite how poorly it reflects on him. His tearstained realization becomes our instruction: following Christ means embracing self-denial and taking up our own crosses. The words of Jesus that once seemed harsh—"Go behind me, Satan"—now read as a profound invitation to align ourselves with divine purposes rather than human comfort. Through Peter's hindsight, we gain foresight for our own discipleship journey, learning that sometimes the most loving thing we can do is accept the necessary suffering that comes with following God's path.Send us Fan Mail

What if the key to unlocking true peace lies in our ability to forgive? In this episode, we promise to guide you through a transformative meditation that reveals the profound power of forgiveness and unconditional love. Drawing inspiration from the parable of the Wicked Servant in Matthew 18, we journey to the very gates of heaven, where the overwhelming light of God's presence calls us to reflect on our own struggles with forgiveness. We'll explore how embracing the concept of "seventy times seven" can reshape our spiritual paths, allowing us to embody the boundless compassion and mercy that mirrors divine justice.Join us as we unpack the essence of our spiritual journey and the role forgiveness plays in aligning us with God's immense love. Through a meditative narrative, we'll confront the magnitude of our own sins and the necessary mercy needed to transcend them. By forgiving those who have wronged us, we're not only clearing our own path to heaven but also manifesting the kingdom of heaven here on earth. Experience how a heart transformed by forgiveness can create a space for divine love and justice in everyday life, reminding us that true peace and spiritual fulfillment are within reach when we open ourselves to God's endless mercy.Send us Fan Mail

This episode delves into the essence of virtues like Magnanimity and Fortitude, and how they can reshape not only our spiritual endeavors but also our mundane challenges. To answer the call of Christ, "Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect",  We seek the Virtues that will transform us.    Alongside inspiring figures like Father Willie Doyle and guided by the reflective practices of saints such as Anthony Mary Claret and Ignatius Loyola, we examine our own lives through the lens of virtue and learn how even small sacrifices, like giving up fizzy drinks for Lent, can yield profound growth.In this episode our meditation and prayer reaches out to Our Blessed Lady begging Her to help us in our quest for virtue  and the answer to Her Son's command.  teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, we confront the challenge of transcending mediocrity in our faith. This episode invites listeners to engage with the spiritual discipline of asking, seeking, and knocking, thereby unlocking the doors to a more devout and virtuous life. Through this heartfelt discussion, emerge equipped and inspired to don the full armor of Christian virtues, cultivating a patience that weathers trials and a dedication to the path of righteousness. Join us for this soul-stirring conversation, as we reflect on scripture and welcome the transformative power of living a life graced by virtue.Send us Fan Mail

Imagine standing before the throne of God, held accountable for every idle word spoken. This episode journeys through the teachings of Jesus, emphasizing the weight of our words and inviting you to reflect on your own speech. We walk you through the scenes of biblical narratives, pausing to let the poem by Father John O'Brien, 'Trimmings on the Rosary', wash over you, prompting contemplation on family, prayer, and the power of intercession. Let's open our hearts to the profound wisdom embedded in these narratives and poetry, and allow them to nurture our faith.Send us Fan Mail

 'But thou, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret, and thy Father who seest in secret will repay thee.'in this episode we follow Jesus when He went alone to pray on the mountain.Send us Fan Mail

Send us Fan Mail

Send us Fan Mail