The Meaning of Catholic

The Meaning of Catholic
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The Meaning of Catholic is a collaborative lay apostolate dedicated to uniting Catholics against the enemies of holy Church through the domestic church, catechetics, and the public promotion of truth and charity. meaningofcatholic.com Join the Guild to support our work and access the online community, free books, and exclusive content: meaningofcatholic.com/register meaningofcath.substack.com

  1. 2h ago

    The Mystery of Marriage in the Bible with Dr. John Bergsma

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit meaningofcath.substack.com

  2. 3d ago

    How to Pray all the Psalms: a Guide for Laity

    Choose a Plan to Pray the Psalter Audio Psalter * The entire Psalter, Challoner-DR version, is contained in the iPieta app. This is helpful because you can play the Psalter on audio using your phone while doing chores, etc., which helps get through the Psalter. That can be utilised for any of the following plans. * There is also a Byzantine Psalter on Spotify which is read in the East Roman custom. Beginner: Twice Annual Psalter Begin with Psalm 1 and pray each psalm daily as a preparation for reading the Holy Scriptures with the intention of worshipping God and gaining wisdom. You can easily break up longer ones too, especially Psalm 118 (119). * The advantage of this method is that it is easily doable and reads through the whole Psalter twice per year. * The downside is it’s disconnected from any liturgical consideration. Intermediate: Monthly Psalter If you pray the modern Liturgy of the Hours, you pray a four week Psalter. * The advantages are that this is both doable for laity and liturgical. It takes about 30 minutes per day between all the sevens offices of the day and night. You can also skip hours that repeat Psalms, like Terce, Sext and None. * The disadvantage is that the four week Psalter does not include all the Psalms, and some verses are “censored” due to being “too violent.” This is an unfortunate misunderstanding of the spirituality of the Psalter, which is a militant prayer against the world, the flesh and devil. Alternatively, the Ordinariate publishes the Divine Worship Breviary which does not take out any Psalm verses. Advanced: Weekly Psalter This plan follows one of the traditional versions of the divine office which prays the entire Psalter every week. This is modified for weeks with feast days, which include different Psalms. * The advantage is that praying the weekly Psalter introduces you to the whole spirituality of the Psalter and allows the maximum spiritual benefit from these prayers of Christ. It is also completely liturgical and includes all the traditional feasts and seasons. * The disadvantage is it is much more complicated and difficult for a layman. The whole eight hours of night and day take somewhere between 60 to 90 minutes for the entire day, with the morning offices taking up the bulk at 40 to 50 minutes: Morning * 20-25 min. Matins * 15 min Lauds * 10 min Prime Daytime * 5 min Terce * 5 min Sext * 5 min None Evening * 10-15 min Vespers * 5 min Compline It will also take longer for those starting out. To get the proper texts for this, you need to decide between the Roman and Monastic/Benedictine breviary. The Roman is slightly shorter, and also more common among Traditional Catholics, so that is slightly easier. You can try both by going to divinumofficium.com and using “Rubrics 1960” (Roman) or “Monastic” (Benedictine) version. Once you decide that, you can purchase a hard copy of the Roman from Baronius Press, or try to find one used. You see the disadvantage of the Roman immediately because it is rather expensive. If you want to go Monastic, you can purchase the St. Michael’s Abbey version of the Monastic Diurnal. The downside with this is that is excludes Matins (“Diurnal” refers to the offices of the day, from Lauds to Compline), so you have to access that through the aforementioned website or buy a hard copy new or used. Another downside to this version is that it is the Monastic rubrics of 1963, which removes feasts from the 1955 reform and also reduces commemorations from Vespers. The best hard copy version of the Monastic Breviary, in my opinion, is the Lancelot Andrewes version (Diurnal and Matins). The plus here is that it has all the old rubrics and old feasts. The downside is it has no Latin, and the Psalter is the Coverdale translation, which can lose some Christological references, such as in Psalm 109 (110). The Byzantine Psalter Another alternative for the weekly Psalter is to use the Byzantine version. This is the easiest form of the weekly Psalter, because it doesn’t change any week. The Psalter is divided into 20 “kathismata” or sections, which are then divided between morning and evening prayer. The version I have used which is good is the one translated by Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Old Calendarist Orthodox) which has a pocket version but is also available online. In the back of this text it shows the arrangement for the hours of the weeks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaningofcath.substack.com/subscribe

  3. 4d ago

    Octave of All Saints, Slavery Saints + Trent/Vatican II Saint

    Above: early portrait of Ss. John Macías and Saint Martin of Porres (c. 17th century) cleaned up by the robot. Original image in a Lima museum. XXIII Sunday after Pentecost XXXI Sunday Tempus per Annum (aka “Ordinary Time”) All Saints, East and West * Roman Rite All Saints (new and old): November 1st. * East Roman Rite All Saints: 1st Sunday after Pentecost (“Trinity Sunday” in the Roman rite) MONDAY November 2 – All Souls – Octave of all Saints until November 8 – easy plenary indulgence for the Poor Souls! · “The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. On this day the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Today Holy Church, their common Mother, after having with due praise celebrated all those her children who now rejoice in heaven, at once zealously sets about helping by her powerful intercession with Christ, her Lord and Spouse, all those who are suffering in Purgatory, that with all speed they may be able to reach the company of the citizens of heaven” (Roman Martyrology). TUESDAY November 3 – III Day in Octave of All Saints · St. Martín de Porres Velázquez OP (9 December 1579 – 3 November 1639) was a Peruvian lay brother of the Dominican Order who was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and canonized in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. He is the patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, public health workers, all those seeking racial harmony, and animals. · St. Pierre-François Néron (1818-1860), a martyr in Vietnam. Born in Bornay, in the Jura region of France, in 1818, he joined the Foreign Mission of Paris and was ordained a priest in 1848. Sent first to Hong Kong, he went to Vietnam and served as the director of the main seminary in the kingdom until he was arrested and beheaded by authorities in 1869. WEDNESDAY November 4 – IV Day in the Octave of All Saints · St. Charles Borromeo * “Vatican II Saint” – inspired Pope St. John XXIII when he called Synod of Rome and Vatican II.[1] · “At Bologna, SS. Vitalis and Agricola, Martyrs, the former of whom was previously the slave of the latter, but afterwards his companion and fellow in martyrdom. The persecutors used all kinds of torments against him, so that in all his body there was no place unwounded; but he bore them with constancy to the end, and gave up his spirit to God in prayer. They slew Agricola by fixing him with many nails to a cross. St Ambrose was present at their translation and relates how he gathered up the nails of the martyr, his glorious blood and the wood of his cross, and buried them under the sacred altars” (Roman Martyrology). · “In the monastery of Cerfroid in the district of Meaux, St Felix of Valois, founder of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives, whose feast, by a decree of Innocent XI, is celebrated on November 20” (Roman Martyrology). THURSDAY November 5 – V Day Octave of All Saints · Beginning of the 33 Day Consecration to Mary (if being done on Immaculate Conception) · Ss. Zachary & Elisabeth, parents of St. John the Baptist · Feast of Relics in the Churches of the Diocese · All Jesuit Saints · “Guy Fawkes Day” FRIDAY November 6 – VI Day Octave of All Saints · St. Paul the Confessor, Archbishop of New Rome (+340) (East Roman) · All Irish Saints · “At Limoges in Aquitaine, St Leonard, Confessor, a disciple of blessed Remi, Bishop. Of noble birth, he chose a solitary life and was famous for holiness and miracles. His power was especially manifested in the liberation of captives” (Roman Martyrology). SATURDAY November 7 – VI Day Octave of All Saints · 33 Holy Martyrs of Melitene (East Roman) · St. Willibrord, Evangeliser of the Dutch SUNDAY November 8 · Octave Day of All Saints (Roman) · All English Saints · Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers (East Roman) * “The Synaxis of the Chief of the Heavenly Hosts, Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers: Archangels Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jehudiel, Barachiel, and Jeremiel was established at the beginning of the fourth century at the Council of Laodicea, which met several years before the First Ecumenical Council. The 35th Canon of the Council of Laodicea condemned and denounced as heretical the worship of angels as gods and rulers of the world, but affirmed their proper veneration. A Feastday was established in November, the ninth month after March (with which the year began in ancient times) since there are Nine Ranks of Angels. The eighth day of the month was chosen for the Synaxis of all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven since the Day of the Dread Last Judgment is called the Eighth Day by the holy Fathers.” [1] Jared Wicks, Investigating Vatican II (Washington, DC: Cua Press, 2018), 15, 17. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaningofcath.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Oct 26

    Another American Beatification

    Above: "Before Martyrdom" (2026) by artist Clorinda Galdos Bell. (OSV News photo/courtesy Clorinda Galdos Bell) Photo credit. XXII Sunday after Pentecost XXX Sunday Tempus per Annuam (aka “Ordinary Time”) The Culture of Romanitas * Old Roman Rite: also known as the “Latin Mass,” “Tridentine Mass,” “Mass of St. Pius V,” or the “Ancient Roman Rite” * New Roman Rite: also known as the “English Mass,” “Novus Ordo Missae,” “Mass of St. Paul VI,” or the “New Mass.” * East Roman Rite: also known as the Byzantine Rite, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / St. Basil, or the Greek or Slavic rite.[1] An important thing to note here is that both old and new Roman rites contain ancient and modern elements. * The old Roman rite contains ancient things, like the pre-Lenten Sundays, but also modern feasts, like the Feast of the Precious Blood. * The new Roman rite restores ancient things, like lectio continua (the Biblical mind of the Church Fathers), or the spirituality of the Paschal Mystery and salvific efficacy of the Resurrection. But it also contains modern things like the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church. MONDAY October 26 · St. Demetrios the Great Martyr, Myrrh-gusher (East) TUESDAY October 27 – Vigil of Ss. Simon & Jude (Holy Day of Opportunity) · Servant of God Camilla Nikolaevna Kruszelnicka – shot by Soviets on this day in 1937. WEDNESDAY October 28 – Apostles Ss. Simon & Jude · “In Persia, the birthday of the blessed Apostles Simon the Canaanite and Thaddeus, who is also called Jude; Simon preached the Gospel in Egypt and Thaddeus in Mesopotamia, and then they both entered Persia and suffered martyrdom there, after having made subject an innumerable multitude of that people to the yoke of Christ” (Roman Martyrology) THURSDAY October 29 · Blessed Chiara Badano (1971-1990) – Italian young woman died of painful bone cancer and lived in abandonment to divine providence. Beatified by Pope Benedict FRIDAY October 30 · St. Marcellus the Centurion · St. Alphonsus Rodriguez (1617) – widower, lay brother (birthday into eternity Halloween) SATURDAY October 31 – the Halloween Triduum · The Beatification of the Georgian Martyrs * Franciscans evangelising up the coast from Spanish Florida (St. Augustine) * Martyred in odium fidei in September 1597 * Primary issue was polygamy and divorce/remarriage * Approved under Pope Francis January of 2025 [1] The term “Byzantine” was originally a pejorative term when it began to be used by western Christians in the 16th centuries. The “Greeks” who lived in New Rome (Constantinople) and its surrounding regions called themselves “Romans” and their emperor was called the “Roman Emperor” for centuries. Nowadays, the term “Byzantine” is used by most Catholics without any pejorative meaning. Nevertheless the term feels foreign to many. Moreover, it is important to the liturgical controversies of our time to emphasize the Roman character of this rite, since the new Roman rite borrows from this rite in many significant ways (for example, the custom of standing for Holy Communion, or the formula for Confirmation). This is a subject for another book, but this is the term that will be used in this book for the purposes already stated. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaningofcath.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Oct 23

    The East Roman Rite with Fr. Jason Charron

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit meaningofcath.substack.com Visit the “other holy land” with Fr. Jason and Matt Fradd: Support Fr. Jason on Patreon. Fr. Jason’s YouTube:

  6. Oct 19

    The Marriage of the Holy Emperor & Empress + Pope St. John Paul II “The Great”

    Above: Titian, The Archangel Raphael and Tobias (c. 1512−1514) XXI Week after Pentecost XXIX Week Tempus per annum (aka “Ordinary Time”) MONDAY October 19 · Holy Prophet St. Joel (East Roman) · North American Martyrs (USA and General new Roman rite calendar) · St. Peter of Alcantara, one of the spiritual directors of St. Teresa of Avila TUESDAY October 20 · St. Paul of the Cross (new Roman rite) · St. John Cantius (old Roman rite) WEDNESDAY October 21 · Marriage of Blessed Emperor Karl & Servant of God Empress Zita THURSDAY October 22 · Pope St. John Paul II FRIDAY October 23 · St. James, Brother of the Lord (East Roman) · St. Anthony Mary Claret, bishop of Cuba & founder of the Claretians (old Roman, birthday into eternity: 10/24) SATURDAY October 24 · Archangel St. Raphael (old Roman) · St. Anthony Mary Claret, bishop of Cuba & founder of the Claretians (new Roman) SUNDAY October 25 - CHRIST THE KING OF THE NATIONS (old Roman, yet modern feast) · 40 Martyrs of England and Wales This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaningofcath.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Oct 15

    St. Teresa: Doctor of Vatican II, Trent

    Painting above: Santa Teresa de Jesús (1868) by Benet Mercadé. * The new Complete Works edition of St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) from CUA Press. The first volume published is a new translation of St. Teresa Benedicta’s metaphysical magnum opus: * Edith Stein, Finite and Eternal Being An Attempt to Ascend to the Meaning of Being, new translation by Walter Redmond * Edith Stein encountered St. Teresa of Jesus and was immediately converted.[1] * St. Teresa of Jesus, “Doctor of the Council of Trent”[2] * Against the false spirit of Trent, which is an excessive militarism against Protestantism * The true spirit of the Church Militant and of Trent is St. Teresa of Jesus * This is the same spirit which animated Pope St. John XXIII (who was inspired by Tridentine saints) and thus the true spirit of Vatican II, following the Tridentine saints like St. Francis de Sales, St. Philip Neri, St. Peter Canisius * Vatican II: St. Teresa of Jesus was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1970 * Lumen Gentium sided with the Dominicans on the dubium regarding the interior life for the laity[3] * Every saint practiced the “Three Ages of the Interior Life” * But the Carmelites systematised this and explained it more than any other tradition within the Church * The new Roman rite Collect for St. Teresa is more strict than the old Roman rite (aka the Latin Mass) * St. Edith Stein says that St. Teresa of Jesus “says what is unsayable” about the interior life, creating a “coherent work of art.”[4] * Not even St. Thomas Aquinas could speak about his own mystical life as St. Teresa did * “Is there any tradition more important than the Latin Mass? Yes. And it’s the ‘One Thing Necessary’” * The Avila Institute & Apostoli Viae has changed my life * This institute and confraternity pass down the Christian mystical tradition under the patronage of St. Teresa of Jesus [1] Teresia Renata Posselt, Edith Stein: the Life of a Philosopher and Carmelite (Washington, DC: ICS Publications, 2005), 63. [2] Edith Stein, The Hidden Life: Essays, Meditations and Spiritual Texts (Washington, DC: ICS Publications, 2014), 13-15. [3] Taylor Patrick O’Neill, “Vatican II and the Lasting Influence of Garrigou-Lagrange’s Mystical Theology,” Church Life Journal (January 31, 2022). [4] Edith Stein, Finite and Eternal Being: an Attempt to Ascend to the Meaning of Being, trans. Walter Redmond (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2023), 471. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaningofcath.substack.com/subscribe

    St. Teresa: Doctor of Vatican II, Trent

  8. Oct 12

    Thanksgiving for Columbus Day, Russian Orthodox Fatima Day + Romanitas and the Roman Rite(s)

    XXVIII Week Tempus per Annum (aka “Ordinary Time”) XX Week after Pentecost Romanitas - a new framework for Meaning of Catholic * Romanitas is a note of the Church * The east Roman rite * Against the term “Byzantine” * The old Roman rite is the tradition of Romanitas of the city of Rome * Due to the false spirit of Trent, the entire Latin tradition was suppressed de facto and replaced by the old Roman rite = against Romanitas * The new Roman rite has been judged Roman by six Roman Pontiffs to be the Roman rite celebrated by the city of Rome but this should not mean that the old Roman rite should be suppressed but rather cherished, preserved, promoted and spread more and more among Latin bishops. * The new Roman rite restores Romanitas in relation to the local rites and customs if it is grounded in Tradition, especially the old Roman rite, as envisioned by Pope St. Paul VI. * The new Roman rite (in the context of Lumen Gentium and St. Teresa of Jesus) answers the most pressing dubium of modernity, which is the debate between the OPs and SJs about holiness. * The Collect for St. Teresa of Jesus - compare with the old Roman rite * Doctor of the Church in 1970 MONDAY October 12 · Our Lady of the Pillar * Thanksgiving for Columbus Day (“Why Columbus Day Matters to the Blessed Virgin Mary”) TUESDAY October 13 · Miracle of the Sun Day * Fatima Day in Russian Orthodoxy (Pokrov) · St. Edward the Confessor – King and Patron of England WEDNESDAY October 14 · Pope St. Callistus (222) THURSDAY October 15 · St. Teresa of Jesus (Teresa of Avila) – Doctor of the Church FRIDAY October 16 · “At Paray-le-Monial, in the diocese of Autun, St Margaret Mary Alacoque, a professed nun in the Order of the Visitation of Blessed Mary the Virgin. She won renown for her great merits in spreading devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and in furthering its public veneration. She was by Pope Benedict XV added to the list of holy virgins” (Roman Martyrology). – Birthday into eternity October 17 (this is the old Roman feast) · St. Hedwig – widow and noblewoman of Poland and Silesia. Patron of orphans. SATURDAY October 17 · St. Ignatius of Antioch (new Roman) · Prophet St. Hosea (East Roman) · New Confessor of the Faith Bishop Pie Eugène Neveu (1877 – 1946) – secretly consecrated bishop by authority of Pius XI at the French Embassy in the USSR in 1926. Was able to work on setting up Catholic hierarchy against the Soviets, due to his French citizenship at the church in Moscow owned by the French government. But the Soviets arrested all his clergy that they could. But in 1936 he was forced to go to France for medical treatment and Soviets were able to keep him exiled until his death on this day in 1946. SUNDAY October 18 · St. Luke the Evangelist – the Immaculate Heart of Mary This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaningofcath.substack.com/subscribe

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The Meaning of Catholic is a collaborative lay apostolate dedicated to uniting Catholics against the enemies of holy Church through the domestic church, catechetics, and the public promotion of truth and charity. meaningofcatholic.com Join the Guild to support our work and access the online community, free books, and exclusive content: meaningofcatholic.com/register meaningofcath.substack.com

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  • Creator
    The Meaning of Catholic
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    701
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    © The Meaning of Catholic
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    The Meaning of Catholic

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