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Friday May 07, 2021
Friday May 07, 2021
What is death and what is brain death? How does this play a role in the sanctity of life? Let’s talk about it!
About our drink:
A triple distilled, single malt whiskey made with Irish grain and natural spring water. Patiently matured in bourbon casks, the whiskey exudes mild citrus (grapefruit), vanilla, sweet spices and brioche aromas. A smooth and balanced whiskey, the taste is one of malt, lingering sweetness, vanilla, butterscotch and citrus.
About our gear:
N/A
About the Topic:
Brain death (BD), the declaration of death by neurological criteria, is an established medicolegal practice in the USA and many countries worldwide. In 1968, the Harvard Medical School Ad Hoc Committee introduced BD by defining (in the opening paragraph of its report) “irreversible coma as a new criterion for death.” BD has been a controversial issue ever since. That brain-dead donors are the primary source of organ transplants has further intensified the controversy, as evidenced by the increasing number of lawsuits challenging the legitimacy of BD. A well-known example is the McMath case.
Read the full article here: https://www.hprweb.com/2021/03/brain-death-what-catholics-should-know/
Friday May 07, 2021
Friday May 07, 2021
Ever wondered how to get excommunicated? We discuss it this week.
About our drink:
Every last drop of this spectacular Scotch is triple distilled then matured for over twelve years. Our Lowland Single Malt Whisky has the tempting aroma of toasted almonds, caramelized toffee and the signature smooth delicate Auchentoshan taste.
An intriguing 12-year-old whisky that’s Distilled Different.
About our gear:
Walkie Talkie’s
Staying in touch with other people is essential, especially if you are going through a survival situation or traveling. The best walkie-talkies make it easier for you to communicate with your party, even in areas where your mobile phones cannot get reception. Walkie-talkies come in a minuscule size so you can take them anywhere with you. Apart from communication, these two-way radios also provide a wide range of features, including weather alerts and SOS signals…. Top Best Walkie Talkie’s in 2021
About the Topic:
Curious about what it takes to get excommunicated? Let’s talk about it in this week’s episode.
Friday Apr 30, 2021
Friday Apr 30, 2021
Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau joins us to talk about the Thomistic understanding of the virtue of Temperance.
About our drink:
Torabhaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Torabhaig is another of the traditional farm steading-turned distillery projects cropping up across Scotland in recent years, though its output is significantly larger than many of its peers.
Skye’s second distillery is configured to produce a traditional island-style malt whisky – medium-weight and medium-peated with a long fermentation in wooden washbacks and plenty of copper interaction providing a fruit-forward spirit.
Every drop of its spirit will be earmarked for bottling as a single malt to begin with, though expect to see some siphoned off for blending further down the line.
About our gear:
N/A
About the Topic:
[From the Summa] As stated above (I-II:55:3), it is essential to virtue to incline man to good. Now the good of man is to be in accordance with reason, as Dionysius states (Div. Nom. iv). Hence human virtue is that which inclines man to something in accordance with reason. Now temperance evidently inclines man to this, since its very name implies moderation or temperateness, which reason causes. Therefore temperance is a virtue.
About Our Guest:
A native of Louisiana, Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P., entered the Dominican Province of St. Joseph in 2005. After several years of pastoral work in New York City, Fr. Guilbeau began doctoral studies in moral theology at the University of Fribourg, where he completed a dissertation on St. Thomas Aquinas’s doctrine of the common good. In addition to his teaching, Fr. Guilbeau serves as senior editor of Aleteia.org (English edition). He is also the current prior of the Dominican House of Studies.
Friday Apr 16, 2021
Friday Apr 09, 2021
Friday Apr 09, 2021
Josef Pieper strikes again! We talk about his book, In Tune with the World, and what ingredients Pieper says are required to have a true festival.
About our drink:
Exposing the structural brilliance of our pure, unadulterated Octomore super heavily peated spirit, our 11.1 edition is powerful, understated and vibrant. Underpinned with a delicate balance of smoke and sweet vanilla from the ex-American oak casks, this single malt has spent just 5 years in contact with fresh first fill wood. The presence of peat on the palate is huge, and yet is incredibly balanced with clean fruit and floral notes. Distilled in 2014 from the 2013 harvest of 100% Scottish barley then filled into active ex-American oak, this high provenance, high peat single malt is a fitting embodiment of how quality ingredients demand less time to reach maturity.
About our gear:
In this stimulating and still-timely study, Josef Pieper takes up a theme of paramount importance to his thinking – that festivals belong by rights among the great topics of philosophical discussion. As he develops his theory of festivity, the modern age comes under close and painful scrutiny. It is obvious that we no longer know what festivity is, namely, the celebration of existence under various symbols
Pieper exposes the pseudo-festivals, in their harmless and their sinister forms: traditional feasts contaminated by commercialism; artificial holidays created in the interest of merchandisers; holidays by coercion, decreed by dictators the world over; festivals as military demonstrations; holidays empty of significance. And lastly we are given the apocalyptic vision of a nihilistic world which would seek its release not in festivities but in destruction.
Formulated with Pieper’s customary clarity and elegance, enhanced by brilliantly chosen quotations, this is an illuminating contribution to the understanding of traditional and contemporary experience.
About the Topic:
– Festivals can only arise from a working day (fast before the feast).
– It has to be leisurely – a realm of activity that is meaningful in itself.
– Ingredients of a festival:
– Play or leisurely
– Contemplation (“the simple intuition of reason. The mind’s eye resting on whatever manifests itself.”)
– Phenomenon of wealth (Existential richness – aka abundance)
– Affirmation – (Pieper says affirmation is the substance of festivity.) Festivals are impossible to the “naysayers”. The more money he has, and above all the more leisure, the more desperate is this impossibility to him.
– Joy (Joy is the response of a love receiving what he loves). A festival becomes a true festivity only when man affirms the goodness of his existence by offering a response of joy.
– In concrete form. In reality.
– Public in nature; affairs of the community
Monday Apr 05, 2021
Monday Apr 05, 2021
Talking to a former radical feminist, Sr. Helena Burns, on feminity and masculinity.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the show transcript
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About our drink:
Holy Week so we are without a drink this episode
About our gear:
We jumped right into the topic with Sr. Helena Burns
About the Topic:
What is radical femininity and why do we even have “toxic masculinity”? We chat with Sr. Helena Burns about this and more in this week’s episode.
Sister Helena Burns is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul, an international congregation founded to communicate God’s Word through the media. She has an M.A. in Media Literacy Education; a B.A. in theology and philosophy from St. John’s University, NYC; studied screenwriting at UCLA and Act One, Hollywood; and holds a Certificate in Pastoral Youth Ministry. Sr. Helena is also studying at the Theology of the Body Institute, PA.
She is a movie reviewer for Life Teen & The Catholic Channel–Sirius XM. She wrote and directed Media Apostle: The Father James Alberione Story, a documentary on the life of Blessed James Alberione, and is a co-producer on www.The40film.com a pro-life film documenting the 40 years since Roe v. Wade. She is the author of He Speaks to You, a book for young women published by Pauline Books & Media and developed a Theology of the Body curriculum for teens, young adults and adults, which she presents in a 40-hour course.
Check out her website: https://hellburns.blogspot.com/
Friday Mar 26, 2021
Friday Mar 26, 2021
What are some good practices for interviewing for a job and leaving a current job? Let’s discuss over a dram of Calumet 14
About our drink:
Calumet Farm Single Rack Black 14 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey represents both the prestigious nature and hard-earned quality of a premium Kentucky straight bourbon. It is painstakingly crafted from extremely small batches of 19 barrels. All barrels used are aged in a single, center cut rack from the ideal maturation location and conditions inside the rick house. This expression of the Calumet Farm Bourbon family is a true convergence of craftsmanship and flavor. It is Non-Chill Filtered for added depth of character and color.
This Bourbon is carefully distilled at Western Spirits Beverage Company distillery, United States.
About our gear:
What are the things you like most in your office?
About the Topic:
The topic is focused from the lens of Prudence:
Prudence is the first cardinal virtue for a reason; it is the virtue that teaches us knowledge of reality. From prudence, we gain the ability to discern what is good in every circumstance and to choose the right actions. St. Thomas Aquinas quotes Aristotle that “prudence is right reason applied to action”
Foresight, a sub-virtue of prudence, is the ability to see into the future and direct actions toward an end. Foresight allows us to rightly order present actions to a good end, knowing that we can never fully predict the future.
Shrewdness, another sub-virtue of prudence. It means to be able to form both a correct and a quick opinion. This is done by developing the mental insight to read between the lines or finding the middle term in a demonstration. The Latin is solertia, which means to have a clear-sighted objectivity, even a dispassionate observance of situations. The one who is shrewd is agile and quick-witted, able to put the pieces together, both from memory and from learning, into the big picture.
When Looking for a Job:
– There are only certain things you can control:
– Be praying for your potential boss. Be praying for your current boss and your coworkers.
– Ask your Guardian Angel for guidance and assistance
– The way you dress
– Your online presence
– Research the employer
– Think of ways that would set you apart from other candidates
– Understand that the interview begins the moment you set foot on the premise
– Keep answers brief and concise
– Be prepared for questions: “Tell us something about yourself”
– Thank the interviewer for their time
Telling your boss you are leaving:
– Have a good transition plan
– Be prepared for a counteroffer
– Be prepared to be walked out of the building right then
– Don’t make the announcement on social media too early
– Make sure to thank your boss and coworkers
Don’t let the norms of others dictate your values and behavior.
Friday Mar 19, 2021
Friday Mar 19, 2021
God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it. What does that mean for God’s name?
About our drink:
Jester King Brewery – Das Wunderkind Blend 25
Mature beer, refermented in oak barrels with wild yeast and souring bacteria is blended with fresh, dry-hopped beer prior to bottle-conditioning. Dry and lightly tart, with notes of citrus, barnyard, and tropical fruit.
About our gear:
Raised flower beds
After our conversation with Michael Guidice, we’ve been thinking about our gardens a lot more!
About the Topic:
-There is power in a name. Moses received the name of God which gave him the authority to perform miracles.
-“Our Father, who art in Heaven, Your name is Holy”
2nd commandment – Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain (CCC 2142-2167)
2142 The second commandment prescribes respect for the Lord’s name. Like the first commandment, it belongs to the virtue of religion and more particularly it governs our use of speech in sacred matters.
2143 Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed name of God. God confides his name to those who believe in him; he reveals himself to them in his personal mystery. The gift of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy. “The Lord’s name is holy.” For this reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it.74
2146 The second commandment forbids the abuse of God’s name, i.e., every improper use of the names of God, Jesus Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary and all the saints.
2147 Promises made to others in God’s name engage the divine honor, fidelity, truthfulness, and authority. They must be respected in justice. To be unfaithful to them is to misuse God’s name and in some way to make God out to be a liar.77
2148 Blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God – inwardly or outwardly – words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one’s speech; in misusing God’s name. St. James condemns those “who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called.”78 The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ’s Church, the saints, and sacred things. It is also blasphemous to make use of God’s name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. The misuse of God’s name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate religion.
2150 The second commandment forbids false oaths. Taking an oath or swearing is to take God as witness to what one affirms. It is to invoke the divine truthfulness as a pledge of one’s own truthfulness. An oath engages the Lord’s name. “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name.”
2808 In the decisive moments of his economy God reveals his name, but he does so by accomplishing his work. This work, then, is realized for us and in us only if his name is hallowed by us and in us.
-Movie Rule: Train yourself against humor which violates the 2nd commandment
Friday Mar 12, 2021
Friday Mar 12, 2021
Blessed Humbert of Romans is a lesser-known medieval Dominican priest who wrote on prayer, St. Augustine, and solidified the Dominican Liturgical Rite. We discuss in this week’s episode what he says on prayer.
About our drink:
Elk Valley Latte Nemisis Imperial Stout
An imperial stout made from fine English roasted barley and aged on locally roasted coffee beans, vanilla beans, and lactose for a full, delicious flavor. 9% ABV / 40 IBU
About our gear:
The Chill-N-Reel lets you go fishing without putting your drink down! It’s a hand-line fishing reel on the side of an insulated drink holder, and was invented by Jake Rutledge, an Oklahoma firefighter, while on vacation.
About the Topic:
Bl. Humbert of Romans in his book De Oratione discusses the importance of location, community, and different aspects of prayer.
On the holiness that must be found in prayer:
1. Intention of the mind
2. Frequency of assiduity
3. Holy purity
“Know, then, that in order to have holiness in prayer, one must take heed that the praying tongue be not infected by sin.”
The Theological and Cardinal virtues associated with Prayer:
Faith: so that our requests may be made in faith
Hope: so that the one praying does not doubt
Charity: Moves on etc holy desires, which our Lord will grant more willingly
Prudence: so that not harmful things be sought, but helpful ones
Justice: Giving God what He is due. Our love and admiration
Fortitude: Which is part of courage, in order that one may persevere in knocking.
Abstinence: which is a part of temperance. For this is a characteristic of holy men, that they join fasting to their prayers.
On being thankful when a prayer is answered.
3 evils result from ingratitude
1. The first is being deprived of the good that one has received. Chrysostom, “thanksgiving is a kind of tax which our Lord levies upon whatever goods He bestows; and so, just as one who does not pay his property tax may be legally deprived of the property on which it was due, so is it with the ungrateful man and the good things he has received.
2. The second evil resulting from ingratitude is that it hinders future benefits. For it is neither usual nor reasonable that a man who is ungrateful for what he has already received should be granted other things.
3. The third evil is punishment, even in this life. For our Lord is not content only to take away from the ungrateful what He had given them, and to bestow nothing else, but sometimes He also adds some temporal penalty.
3 good things result from thanksgiving
1. Preservation of those goods which have already been received
2. The multiplication of good things
3. That one obtains greater things in the next life.
3 things that particularly hinder prayer from having its effect:
1. The first is the awareness of some serious sin
2. The second is unmercifulness
3. The third thing is cruelty toward another
Friday Mar 05, 2021
Friday Mar 05, 2021
We have our good friend, Pat Flynn, back on the show to discuss the virtues and vices associated with the fitness world.
About our drink:
Cooperstown Distillery – Beanball Bourbon
A hand-crafted blend that adds a degree of softness on the palette while creating layers of depth and complexity. Our distiller decided to bump this up slightly in proof in order to accentuate the finish notes on this thoroughly enjoyable spirit.
About our gear:
Pat Flynn’s, “Introduction to Kettlebells: A Minimalist’s Guide to Blasting Fat and Boosting Muscle”
You never outgrow the fundamentals. You simply move more deeply into them. For anyone – the kettlebell novice to the 15-year veteran – this short (read: just 30 page) ebook provides the perfect foundation or refresher of the fundamental kettlebell techniques, including the kettlebell swing, goblet squat, snatch, Turkish get up, clean, and military press. Each movement has detailed instructions plus step-by-step photos to help the reader understand the movements as well as safely and effectively execute them.
After we discuss the how's of each of the basic movements, we move into applying what we’ve learned with a simple, straightforward kettlebell program for strength, muscle, mobility, conditioning, and (for those who want it) weight loss. This 7-day program can be run through just once as a refresher or for up to six weeks as a standalone program.
About the Topic:
Friday Feb 26, 2021
Friday Feb 26, 2021
What is the Kerygma? Why is it important? Are we, as Catholics, aware of our mission? Let’s discuss.
About our drink:
Infused with a complex yet delicate spice blend inspired by the Creole baking traditions Louisiana is famous for.
Bayou Rum is rested for up to 30 days with a special blend of creole baking spices, which imparts both flavor and an amber color.
About our gear:
Hiking boots. Hiking boots are critical to your comfort and performance on the trail, but you don’t want heavy clunky boots that will weigh you down. It’s important to find the right hiking boots. Here’s a list of the top 10 for 2021 (As if they could even know this *Napolean Dynamite’s voice*)
About the Topic:
Kerygma – Greek word meaning “proclamation” and is used 9 times in the Books of the New Testament
Four Elements:
- God loves you and has a plan for your life.
- Our sin has ruined our relationship with God.
- Jesus (who is God and man) came to heal that relationship, through sacrificing his life, rising again, and giving us the Church.
- We have the opportunity to respond, by choosing to have Jesus be our Lord and Savior.
Seven Elements of the Kerygma:
- God loves you and has plan for your life.
- Sin will destroy you.
- Christ Jesus died to save you.
- Repent and believe the Gospel.
- Be Baptized and receive the Holy Spirit.
- Abide in Christ and his body the Church.
- Go make disciples.
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Friday Feb 19, 2021
MICHAEL GUIDICE JOINS US TO DISCUSS CIDER, HOMESTEADING, AND FARMING
About our drink:
Clyde Mays Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Aged 4 to 5 years in new 53-gallon oak barrels and is non-chill filtered. You get dried orchard fruits on the nose and spice on the palate. A full and smooth choice, best either on the rocks or in a May’s Manhattan.
About our gear:
We discuss feasting and fasting instead of having a gear.
About the Topic:
Michael Guidice (Twitter handle: @MichaelTG09) is a father of four and owner of Brickhouse Farm & Orchard in Sharon Springs, NY. He is a farmer and homesteader and today we discuss the life of living on the land and making cider.
The Catholic Woodworker:
Check out The Catholic Woodworker’s home altars. USE PROMO CODE “TCMS” for 10% off and so they know we sent you!
Volume Discounts (15% off 3, 20% off 5, 30% off 10)
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Friday Feb 19, 2021
BONUS CONTENT: A PAPAL ENCYCLICAL ON THE SPIRITUAL ADVANTAGES OF FASTING.
Lent is just around the corner so we thought we would share with you a short audiobook of the papal encyclical from Pope Clement XIII on the spiritual advantages of fasting.
If you prefer to read along, the script is below.
If you like this, consider supporting us on patreon! On top of receiving cool thank you gifts like a glencairn glass and/or a beer glass, you will have instant access to the following:
Become a Patron!https://c6.patreon.com/becomePatronButton.bundle.js
Material:
Identifying your root sins: https://www.patreon.com/posts/24341146
Brochure on how to start a men’s group by TCMS: https://www.patreon.com/posts/30862167
How to: Praying the Liturgy of the Hours from the late Deacon John Donnelly: https://www.patreon.com/posts/32679064
Ten part series on the Domestic Church written by Adam, Haylee, David, and Pamela: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43827270
Friday Feb 12, 2021
Friday Feb 12, 2021
Special Edition of The Catholic Man Show this week. We did a live recording at Seek21 with special guests, Sam Guzman from The Catholic Gentleman, and Thaddeus Romansky from Red-C Radio.
About our drink:
No Drink this week.
About our gear:
No Gear this week.
About the Topic:
This week we discuss 3 different topics and how one leads into the other. We talk about holy leisure, holy friendships, and holy marriage. In between segments, we take some great questions from the audience as well!
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Friday Feb 05, 2021
It’s been a while since we have talked about gratitude. It’s easy to forget how much we have to be thankful for. Let’s discuss.
About our drink:
The Christian Brothers Brandy is made from the finest grape varietals and incorporates the same time-honored copper pot still production method perfected over 75 years ago . This process, similar to that of fine Cognacs, creates a rich flavor and full body, enhanced by slow aging in hand-selected Bourbon barrels for a minimum of two years. During aging, the oak barrels imbue the Brandy with layers of well-balanced fruit flavors and a warm, lingering finish.
About our gear:
Not necessarily a gear this week. More of a thought on how we should be thinking about keeping our kids safe in regards to technology.
About the Topic:
Gratitude orients our thoughts toward reality
3 things from Fr. Romano Guardini – the Catholic Thing
• You can only express gratitude toward another person
• Gratitude can only be had in the realm of freedom
• We do not thank the sun for rising (not a person and the sun doesn’t have freedom)
• We do not give thanks for something to which we have a rightful claim
• Gratitude vs politeness
• Gratitude can also be polluted by the giver
• Giving out of a sense of superiority, power, or indifference does not merit the same level of gratitude
Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.” – St. John Paul II
Would that I could exhaust myself in acts of thanksgiving and gratitude towards this Divine Heart, for the great favor He shows us.” – St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Get used to lifting your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because he gives you this and that. Because you have been despised. Because you haven’t what you need or because you have. Thank him for everything, because everything is good.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” – Saint Mary Euphrasia
Friday Jan 29, 2021
Friday Jan 29, 2021
This week we take a look at what Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP says about venial sin
About our drink:
To ensure that no other Bourbon in the world tastes like Belle Meade Bourbon, we created a proprietary blend using different high-rye content mash bills and complementary yeast strains. Each batch of our well-aged proprietary blend creates the signature flavor profile that makes Belle Meade Bourbon the award-winning Bourbon of choice for the discerning whiskey drinker.
The high-rye blend of Belle Meade was designed to make it a versatile Bourbon. It shines whether served neat, with a splash, or on the rocks but it’s also outstanding in a well-made cocktail. The high rye content and 90.4 bottling proof helps Belle Meade Bourbon to stand up to mixers that often mask other Bourbons, thus making it the perfect Bourbon for your favorite classic or craft cocktail creation.
About our gear:
The Meateater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival
For anyone planning to spend time outside, The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival is the perfect antidote to the sensationalism of the modern survival genre. Informed by the real-life experiences of renowned outdoorsman Steven Rinella, its pages are packed with tried-and-true tips, techniques, and gear recommendations.
Among other skills, readers will learn about old-school navigation and essential satellite tools, how to build a basic first-aid kit and apply tourniquets, and how to effectively purify water using everything from ancient methods to cutting-edge technologies. This essential guide delivers hard-won insights and know-how garnered from Rinella’s own experiences and mistakes and from his trusted crew of expert hunters, anglers, emergency-room doctors, climbers, paddlers, and wilderness guides—with the goal of making any reader feel comfortable and competent while out in the wild.
About the Topic:
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Blessed are the Peacemakers. This week we talk about how to be peacemakers in a divided world.
About our drink:
A traditional bourbon, from an untraditional place.
Our original, flagship, and defining product, the award-winning Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey.
About our gear:
Card games/board games with your family. What’s your favorite card or board game to play with your family?
About the Topic:
Friday Jan 15, 2021
Friday Jan 15, 2021
Picking back up from last week’s conversation on Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher’s book, The Discernment of Spirits.
About our drink:
Belgian top-fermented reddish-brown ale, a blend of 8 and 18 months old beers following the careful maturation in oak casks.
About our gear:
N/A
About the Topic:
Eighth Rule
Let one who is in desolation work to be in patience, which is contrary to the vexations which come to him, and let him think that he will soon be consoled, diligently using the means against such desolation, as is said in the sixth rule.
Ninth Rule
There are three principal causes for which we find ourselves desolate. The first is because we are tepid, slothful, or negligent in our spiritual exercises, and so through our faults spiritual consolation withdraws from us. The second, to try us and see how much we are and how much we extend ourselves in his service and praise without so much payment of consolations and increased graces. The third, to give us true recognition and understanding so that we may interiorly feel that it is not ours to attain or maintain increased devotion, intense love, tears or any other spiritual consolation, but that all is the gift and grace of God our Lord, and so that we may not build a nest in something belonging to another, raising our mind in some pride or vainglory, attributing to ourselves the devotion or the other parts of the spiritual consolation.
Tenth Rule
Let the one who is in consolation think how he will conduct himself in the desolation which will come after, taking new strength for that time.
Eleventh Rule
Let one who is consoled seek to humble himself and lower himself as much as he can, thinking of how little he is capable in the time of desolation without such grace or consolation. On the contrary, let one who is in desolation think that he can do much with God’s sufficient grace to resist all his enemies, taking strength in his Creator and Lord.
Twelfth Rule
The enemy acts like a woman in being weak when faced with strength and strong when faced with weakness. For, as it is proper to a woman, when she is fighting with some man, to lose heart and to flee when the man confronts her firmly, and, on the contrary, if the man begins to flee, losing heart, the anger, vengeance and ferocity of the woman grow greatly and know no bounds, in the same way, it is proper to the enemy to weaken and lose heart, fleeing and ceasing his temptations when the person who is exercising himself in spiritual things confronts the temptations of the enemy firmly, doing what is diametrically opposed to them; and, on the contrary, if the person who is exercising himself begins to be afraid and lose heart in suffering the temptations, there is no beast so fierce on the face of the earth as the enemy of human nature in following out his damnable intention with such growing malice.
Thirteenth Rule
Likewise he conducts himself as a false lover in wishing to remain secret and not be revealed. For a dissolute man who, speaking with evil intention, makes dishonorable advances to a daughter of a good father or to a wife of a good husband, wishes his words and persuasions to be secret, and the contrary displeases him very much, when the daughter reveals to her father or the wife to her husband his false words and depraved intention, because he easily perceives that he will not be able to succeed with the undertaking begun. In the same way, when the enemy of human nature brings his wiles and persuasions to the just soul, he wishes and desires that they be received and kept in secret; but when one reveals them to one’s good confessor or to another spiritual person, who knows his deceits and malicious designs, it weighs on him very much, because he perceives that he will not be able to succeed with the malicious undertaking he has begun, since his manifest deceits have been revealed.
Fourteenth Rule
Likewise he conducts himself as a leader, intent upon conquering and robbing what he desires. For, just as a captain and leader of an army in the field, pitching his camp and exploring the fortifications and defenses of a stronghold, attacks it at the weakest point, in the same way the enemy of human nature, roving about, looks in turn at all our theological, cardinal, and moral virtues; and where he finds us weakest and most in need for our eternal salvation, there he attacks us and attempts to take us.
Friday Jan 08, 2021
Friday Jan 08, 2021
This week we pull from Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher, The Discernment of Spirits, to discuss spiritual peaks and valleys and when to make decisions and when not to.
About our drink:
Subtle nose of golden delicious apple-meat and honey. Sweet floral verbena, fresh cut grass, saddle leather, cinnamon and honey. Springtime flavors of honeysuckle and orange candy, yellow pound cake, baking spices, lemon gumdrops, and sugar cookies. Long and engrossing finish. Complex. Smoky county fair caramel apple sprinkled with walnuts and cinnamon.
We found this bourbon to be complex and delicious. Worth the price point.
About our gear:
The book: The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living
St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, is one of the most influential spiritual leaders of all time, yet many readers find his Rules for Discernment hard to understand. What can Ignatius teach us about the discernment of spirits that lies at the very heart of Christian life? In The Discernment of Spirits, Fr. Timothy Gallagher, a talented teacher, retreat leader, and scholar, helps us understand the Rules and how their insights are essential for our spiritual growth today. By integrating the Rules and the experience of contemporary people, Gallagher shows the precision, clarity, and insight of Ignatius’s Rules, as well as the relevance of his thought for spiritual life today. When we learn to read Ignatius correctly, we discover in his remarkable words our own struggles, joys, and triumphs. This book is for all who desire greater awareness of God’s action in their daily spiritual lives, and is essential reading for retreat directors, spiritual directors, priests, and counselors.
About the Topic:
First Rule
In persons who are going from mortal sin to mortal sin, the enemy is ordinarily accustomed to propose apparent pleasures to them, leading them to imagine sensual delights and pleasures in order to hold them more and make them grow in their vices and sins. In these persons the good spirit uses a contrary method, stinging and biting their consciences through their rational power of moral judgment.
Second Rule
In persons who are going on intensely purifying their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord, the method is contrary to that in the first rule. For then it is proper to the evil spirit to bite, sadden, and place obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, so that the person may not go forward. And it is proper to the good spirit to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations, and quiet, easing and taking away all obstacles, so that the person may go forward in doing good.
Third Rule
The third is of spiritual consolation. I call it consolation when some interior movement is caused in the soul, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its creator and Lord, and, consequently when it can love no created thing on the face of the earth in itself, but only in the Creator of them all. Likewise when it sheds tears that move to love of its Lord, whether out of sorrow for one’s sins, or for the passion of Christ our Lord, or because of other things directly ordered to His service and praise. Finally, I call consolation every increase of hope, faith, and charity, and all interior joy that calls and attracts to heavenly things and to the salvation of one’s soul, quieting it and giving it peace in its Creator and Lord.
Fourth Rule
The fourth rule is of spiritual desolation. I call desolation all the contrary of the third rule, such as darkness of soul, disturbance in it, movement to low and earthly things, disquiet from various agitations and temptations, moving to lack of confidence, without hope, without love, finding oneself totally slothful, tepid, sad and, as if separated from one’s Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is contrary to desolation, in the same way the thoughts that come from consolation are contrary to the thoughts that come from desolation.
Fifth Rule
In time of desolation never make a change, but be firm and constant in the proposals and determinations in which one was the day preceding such desolation, or in the determination in which one was in the preceding consolation. Because, as in consolation the good spirit guides and counsels us more, so in desolation the bad spirit, with whose counsels we cannot find the way to a right decision.
Sixth Rule
Although in desolation we should not change our first proposals, it is very advantageous to change ourselves intensely against the desolation itself, as by insisting more upon prayer, meditation, upon much examination, and upon extending ourselves in some suitable way of doing penance.
Seventh Rule
Let one who is in desolation consider how the Lord has left him in trial in his natural powers, so that he may resist the various agitations and temptations of the enemy; since he can resist with the divine help which always remains with him, though he does not clearly feel it; for the Lord has taken away from him his great fervor, abundant love, and intense grace, leaving him, however, sufficient grace for eternal salvation.
Friday Jan 01, 2021
Friday Jan 01, 2021
Chatting with Angelo Libutti on the new Eucharistic Miracles he is directing
About our drink:
2020 Niles Krupnik
Krupnik is a traditional sweet alcoholic drink similar to a liqueur, based on grain spirit and honey, popular in Poland, Belarus and Lithuania. Each year the Niles men get together to make their own batch.
About our gear:
A pyx (Latin: pyxis, transliteration of Greek: πυξίς, boxwood receptacle, from πύξος, box tree) is a small round container used in the Catholic, Old Catholic and Anglican Churches to carry the consecrated host (Eucharist), to the sick or those who are otherwise unable to come to a church in order to receive Holy Communion. The term can also be used in archaeology and art history to describe small, round lidded boxes designed for any purpose from antiquity or the Middle Ages, such as those used to hold coins for the Trial of the Pyx in England.
About the Topic:
Eucharistic Miracles happen every day yet we don’t take the chance to talk about them to others. This week we talk to Angelo Libutti who is directing a movie about Eucharistic Miracles. Learn more about the project here.