RCIA Foundations

Discussion of the nature and significance of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

Ransom recruits Lewis to aid him in his trip to Perelandra. Ransom arrives and finds a stunning world of oceans and floating islands. While there he meets a Green Lady who speaks Old Solar, the language of the unfallen Field of Arbol, what we call the Solar System.

Introduction to C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy and overview of major elements of the first book, Out of the Silent Planet.

Jesus had a remarkable way with people.  He spoke to their most intimate questions in their deep need for God—whether they knew them or not.  In Encounters with Jesus, we peer into a few of his most memorable encounters as described by St. John the Apostle in his Gospel.  An important religious leader, Nicodemus seeks out Jesus in the dead of night, fearful for what anyone spotting him might think!   But he is driven by a question that he does not ask but Jesus nevertheless answers.

Jesus had a remarkable way with people.  He spoke to their most intimate questions in their deep need for God—whether they knew them or not.  In Encounters with Jesus, we peer into a few of his most memorable encounters as described by St. John the Apostle in his Gospel. Other than the blessed Virgin, Pontius Pilate is the only mortal human being named directly in the Nicene Creed, and for good reason, as it is on his authority that Jesus Christ was crucified.  But during his interrogation of Jesus, Pilate finds him enigmatic and not a little frightening.  Who is this man?  What is he really up to?  But while Pilate worries about his reputation before the Emperor, Jesus offers Pilate what he really needs, salvation.

Jesus had a remarkable way with people.  He spoke to their most intimate questions in their deep need for God—whether they knew them or not.  In Encounters with Jesus, we peer into a few of his most memorable encounters as described by St. John the Apostle. Desperate to save their brother, Jesus’ dear friends, Mary and Martha write to him to come quickly to their home and heal Lazarus.  But Jesus delays leaving for two days, until he arrives to discover that Lazarus has already died.  Martha is frustrated with Jesus’s timing, while Mary is grievously heartbroken.  Overcome by their loss, Jesus joins them in their suffering before showing them a taste of what eternal life really is.

Jesus had a remarkable way with people.  He spoke to their most intimate questions in their deep need for God—whether they knew them or not.  In Encounters with Jesus, we peer into a few of his most memorable encounters as described by St. John the Apostle. Hungry from his journey through Samaria, in our first episode, Jesus stops by a well while his disciples head into town for food.  He encounters a woman from whom he asks a drink of water, but in exchange, he offers her the living water of eternal life.

Who is this Jesus? The ancient Christian arguments for Jesus' identity as fully God and fully man depend on the validity of the apostolic eyewitnesses who wrote their memoirs about him. But contemporary critics maintain that these documents, termed "Gospels" by the early Christians, are much more likely to have been written some 400 years after the events. And, further, that rival "gospels" that portray an otherworldly gnostic Jesus were dismissed by the Church based on arbitrary reasoning. Brant Pitre engages these criticisms decisively in his The Case for Jesus.

Our second and series finale class on St. Augustine's City of God!

This is the first of two episodes on St. Augustine from The City of God, Book XIX.

We move on to the Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, for this episode!

Aristotle, Class 3, the last half hour of the class on Aristotle's review of the best candidates for the best life (devoted to pleasure, honor, or contemplation) cut out. He opts for contemplation. We discussed the rationale for this, since his conception of God is more idea than person, since he couldn't figure out how to get perfection into imperfect personal pagan gods. Thus, the greatest activity is contemplation since the greatest thing is an idea.

Our St. Mary 2025 Summer Philosophical Readings Series, Aristotle Class Two

Our 2025 St. Mary Summer Philosophical Readings Series, Aristotle Class One

Fifth Class on Till We Have Faces

Till We Have Faces, Class Six, Final Class