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Early this year, iTunes combined several of our podcast feeds.  We ask for your help so that we can sort things out over the coming months.  We will repeat this message every two weeks for awhile to make sure the everyone is informed of this important message.

This message is only being placed on the Catholic Classes Catechumenate podcast feed. Since you are receiving this message you are correctly subscribed to our Catechumenate podcast, which is an accessible dialogue on sound theology for people who are interested in knowing more about Catholicism.

However, if you are subscribed to enjoy our Liturgy of the Hours, which is daily liturgical scripture and prayer then please subscribe to the correct podcast feed, which you can find on iTunes by searching for Catholic Classes Liturgy of the Hours.

You will receive duplicates while we continue to publish Liturgy of the Hours on both feeds, but over the coming weeks we will begin to reduce the number of Liturgy of the Hours podcasts published on this feed and the duplicates will slowing decrease and then eventually stop.

While you’re subscribing to podcasts, we recommend that you also subscribe to Catholic Classes Pace.  PACE is the latin word for peace, but also stands for Parish Adult Continuing Education.  This is a podcast for adult Catholics seeking a vigorous faith life.  This dialogue intends to stimulate real world behavior towards the peace of the Lord, the peace of God’s will done on Earth as it is in heaven.

Like the liturgical calendar, these podcast series will change, increase or decrease from season to season.  Pace is beginning new sessions discussing Jesus Christ specifically and using as a reference, the Pope’s book, Jesus of Nazareth.

If you don’t subscribe directly through iTunes then please visit our web site at www.CatholicClasses.org to subscribe directly to our rss feeds.

www.CatholicClasses.org

 

 Standard Podcast [55:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Join us in this multi-part discussion about Jesus Christ. We use the book “Jesus of Nazareth” written by the Pope as our foundation. In this session we discuss the introduction to the book and to each other. We also discuss the baptism of our Lord. Please send your audio or written comments to us at catholic@catholicclasses.org or post your comments here.

Please purchase your copy using the link here. By doing so you will pay the normal price, but a small part of your purchase goes towards supporting our ministry.

 

 Standard Podcast [2:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Early this year, iTunes combined several of our podcast feeds.  We ask for your help so that we can sort things out over the coming months.  We will repeat this message every two weeks for awhile to make sure the everyone is informed of this important message.

This message is only being placed on the Catholic Classes Catechumenate podcast feed. Since you are receiving this message you are correctly subscribed to our Catechumenate podcast, which is an accessible dialogue on sound theology for people who are interested in knowing more about Catholicism.

However, if you are subscribed to enjoy our Liturgy of the Hours, which is daily liturgical scripture and prayer then please subscribe to the correct podcast feed, which you can find on iTunes by searching for Catholic Classes Liturgy of the Hours.

You will receive duplicates while we continue to publish Liturgy of the Hours on both feeds, but over the coming weeks we will begin to reduce the number of Liturgy of the Hours podcasts published on this feed and the duplicates will slowing decrease and then eventually stop.

While you’re subscribing to podcasts, we recommend that you also subscribe to Catholic Classes Pace.  PACE is the latin word for peace, but also stands for Parish Adult Continuing Education.  This is a podcast for adult Catholics seeking a vigorous faith life.  This dialogue intends to stimulate real world behavior towards the peace of the Lord, the peace of God’s will done on Earth as it is in heaven.

Like the liturgical calendar, these podcast series will change, increase or decrease from season to season.  Pace is beginning new sessions discussing Jesus Christ specifically and using as a reference, the Pope’s book, Jesus of Nazareth.

If you don’t subscribe directly through iTunes then please visit our web site at www.CatholicClasses.org to subscribe directly to our rss feeds.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-448beb0649600ccabd8e0d28bd365b96}

 

 Standard Podcast [48:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How we pray is who we believe ourselves to be. We profess our faith with the use of symbols, organization of time, and rites which make up liturgy. In this podcast, we explore some of the underlying ideas beneath these aspects of liturgy. Through these actions and words, something inexpressible is finally said: repent and believe, the reign of God is at hand.

And this good news isn’t a matter of private redemption. Rather, something for all humanity, once for all. This reality contributes to the Church’s insistence that liturgical prayer is not private because it is always a celebration of the church. It is the whole Body of Christ who prays each time any of us does. This is especially true of Mass, all of the sacraments, and all liturgical prayer.

While personal and private prayer is a necessary aspect of all authentic Christian life, the individual Christian’s participation in the public prayer of the community is even more important. The public prayer of the church is powerful precisely in the reality that the people gathered for prayer (liturgy) are not the only ones present. In any liturgical prayer, the whole Mystical Body of Christ is present as well as all the choirs of angels. The church at prayer –liturgy, in a word, is indeed a celebration of the whole Heavenly Jerusalem!

The mystery of Christ is so unfathomably rich, that it cannot be exhausted in any single liturgical tradition. Even though the liturgy we pray around the world is one and the same, it is always set in a cultural context. In this way Christ reaches out to all people, while maintaining unity in love and charity. We are not isolated or alone, but united in love in the liturgy, always and everywhere!

Liturgy is a primary place where we humans meet God the Creator, we experience in Christ the love of God reveled, and we are given the Spirit of God’s love in which to live eternally. While liturgy is a foretaste of encounter with God –holy communion, we will only truly begin to understand the significance of the liturgy when we are participating in the heavenly liturgy –an experience that will bring us true joy and fulfillment.

 

 Our True Home (Holy Trinity) [26:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As the gospel according to John suggests in chapter 14, we can grow to think of ourselves as a dwelling for the Trinity; God making a divine home in us. This podcast explores the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. It considers how the Trinity was revealed by God to us, how the Church received and expressed the revelation, and how we understand the words and deeds of God undertaken by  (more…)

 

 The Greatest Gift. Holy Spirit Session (MP3) [38:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Holy Spirit is not a power or energy — not to be confused with the “force” (though, perhaps understandable as a metaphor for the influence of the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit is a real person “the identity of the love cited in 1 John 4:8, “God is love.” Though the world neither sees nor (more…)

 

 God Saves! Jesus Christ session (MP3) [58:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The idea of the Incarnation has been at the center of the last few discussions  starting with the session on Advent themes. In the podcasts on Mary, her special role in the way of salvation is established for the incarnation of God in Christ Jesus.  This conversation covers some other aspects of Incarnation revolving around Jesus’ birth.  Following the nativity story, we get to explore various dimensions and meanings of the names and titles ascribed for Jesus as we look at the one who grew in wisdom and knowledge.The most basic belief (more…)

 

 What, Me?! The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part 2 - MP3) [31:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

:vote:In this second discussion on Mary, we explore her perpetual virginity, the annunciation of her role in the Christ’s incarnation, and her assumption into heaven. As stated in the first, what the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illuminates in turn its faith in Christ. Five key doctrines, rooted explicitly or implicitly in the Bible, that reveal the truth of who Mary is. This discussion continues through these truths.At the Council of Ephesus in 431 CE, (more…)

 

 What, Me?! The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part 1 - Enhanced) [27:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 What, Me?! (Enhanced): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Join us in our discussion about the Blessed Virgin Mary as we acknowledge her role in salvation.  St. Augustine asserts that while Eve is the called the mother of the human race, Mary is called “Mother of salvation.” St. Jerome claims, “death through Eve, life through Mary.” These ideas illustrate the importance of Mary’s role in Christ’s redemption.  In this the first of two discussions about Mary, we explore the “Immaculate Conception” of Mary and how she is the Church’s model of faith.At the start of this discussion, it must be clear that what the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illuminates in turn its faith in Christ. Doctrines concerning Mary are part of the Word of God that consists of both Scripture and Tradition.  Like Mary, the Church is the faithful handmaid of God’s Word. There are five key doctrines, rooted explicitly or implicitly in the Bible, that reveal the truth of who Mary is.The Catholic Church does not teach that Mary is divine. (more…)

 

 First Step (The Rite of Acceptance) [42:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

First Step (Rite of Acceptance) - Once the inquirers have experienced an initial conversion to Jesus Christ, they celebrate the first major liturgical ritual of the initiation process. This first ritual is the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. During this rite of acceptance, which is usually celebrated during Sunday Mass, the candidates for initiation are publicly welcomed for the first time. They “declare their intention to the Church and the Church in turn…accepts them as persons who intend to become its members” (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, no. 41).The Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens completes the first stage, a First Step, of the initiation process and opens the door to the second period of the process, the period of the catechumenate.

 

 Standard Podcast [49:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is the forth Catechism Reflection. We discuss “The Mass”, Chapter 17 from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.This podcast is a conversation reflecting on sections of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults which addresses some of the topics from the Parish Session.Hear a small group, informal reflection with verbal references to the page numbers of the USCCA under consideration.If you would like to participate then send your emails or audio comments to Catholic at CatholicClasses.orgPlease leave us a review on iTunes!!! Go to iTunes and search for “Catholic Classes”and you will find our podcast series. We have several of them, please leave reviews on all of them. We love reviews and you could win an iPod shuffle if you leave a review on our “Liturgy of the Hours Morning Prayer” podcast series and increase your chances by leaving reviews on all Catholic Classes podcast series.

 

 Standard Podcast [41:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Guide to : Download

iPod shuffle give away!!! Listen to this podcast for details on winning one of three iPod shuffles we will give away over coming weeks.For Catholics, Mass is a heavenly event –a wondrous heavenly banquet. It is a real experience– if only a first taste, of what we believe heaven, or as we profess, –the life of the world to come– to be all about. It is a real experience of the kingdom of God on Earth. This vital profession of faith is the topic of this podcast. It expands on the “Mass Session,” held last Tuesday when inquirers were first introduced to the Mass as part of the Period of Inquiry of the Catechumenate at St. Vincent de Paul parish in Holladay, Utah, for this year.The conversation begins by referring back to an idea voiced at the session. Since Mass is both the beginning, the source, and the end, the summit, celebrated now, it makes sense that in the early stages of the Catechumenate journey we introduce Mass as THE destination of our journey. In terms quoted from Church documents, Mass is the fountain and summit of a Catholic person’s life. That is to say, that at one and the same time, mass is the fountain from which our life flows, the source, AND the summit of where our life is going, the destination. Not just from Sunday into the week and to the next Sunday; also, from baptism to eternal life. As well as the summit of our Catechumenate journey at Easter with first communion for adults celebrating the Easter sacraments, and even more importantly, as THE destination of the journey of creation itself, which is eternal life with God, or in a word, heaven! (more…)

 

 Very Real [46:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Guide to : Download

This conversation considers the interplay between the word church used for the building as well as the people. We look at two very real aspects of what we mean when we say “church”. First we talk about church as the “people of God” and then, second, we talk about “the mystery of the church.” This discussion extends the “Church Tour” session of the Catechumenate at St. Vincent de Paul parish in Holladay, Utah, for this year.

We spent Tuesday night on a “scavenger hunt” of sorts. Each of the (more…)

 

 Standard Podcast [50:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is the second Catechism Reflection. This podcast is a conversation reflecting on sections of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults which addresses some of the topics from the Parish Session. Hear a small group, informal reflection with verbal references to the page numbers of the USCCA under consideration. These sessions are tagged with CCCR (Catholic Classes Catechism Reflection) and a sequence number.

We discuss “What or Who is the Church” (Eclesiology). Pages 111-123, 507, 128-130, 177, 44, 146, 167, 226, 505, 452

If you would like to participate then send your emails or audio comments to Catholic at CatholicClasses.org

Please leave us a review on iTunes!!! Go to iTunes and search for “Catholic Classes” and you will find our podcast series. We have several of them, please leave reviews on all of them. We love reviews

 

 Standard Podcast [24:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This week’s Parish Session we tour St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and then follow our tour with an excellent lecture about the Church.

 

 Hear This (Enhanced with slides) [32:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Guide to : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If ever there was a message to hear, the message of the Good News of Jesus that the reign of God is at hand and already in our midst is one you really want to share with everyone and proclaim to one and all, hear this! This conversation takes up the wondrous message about the reign of God, which is another way to say kingdom of heaven, and then how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection started it all. This was the topic at the Orientation Session of the Catechumenate for this liturgical year at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, in Holladay, Utah, from which this podcast derives. At that session we spent a lot of time exploring the structures and experiences that are unique to each of the four various periods of the whole Catechumenate. The message that the structures and experiences of the whole Catechumenate raise-up is Jesus — he proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is at hand. His life, death and resurrection invite us to hear this message. (more…)

 

 Pass It On [32:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Guide to "Pass It On", which includes references, prayers, and reflections: Download

On Tuesday night we talked with people who are interested in knowing more about Catholicism. They were oriented to what happens during the Catechumenate. This podcast corresponds with that Orientation Session of the Catechumenate for this liturgical year at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, in Holladay, Utah. We discuss why we need the Church to initiate faith “how the Church needs the Catechumenate and the Catechumenate needs the Church, to pass it on. As we renew our faith, we pass it on to the catechumens. Their witness to faith renews us. They pass it on, back to church, to us, the faithful.

It is the good news that our heart’s desire for bliss is fulfilled with our free acceptance of God’s love. Who is Jesus. The Church must preach “it” to everyone as the source of all saving truth. During the Catechumenate, we enjoy the gift of God’s love — who is Jesus, and share it with others. Thus, there is a connection between Jesus and the Church.

The Catechumenate leads us through death to life by providing an example of people who embrace, with their all, Jesus’ way. The opportunity to do this in memory of Jesus on the behalf of others, renews and revitalizes the faith of Jesus followers, the Church — the mystical body of Christ. This example leads others to initiation in the faith — in the mystical body, and this initiation is seen in their reception of the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, and culminates with the Eucharist.

The sharing of this gift of unity happens in a special way during the Catechumenate. We pass it on during this journey together toward salvation. It renews and revitalizes the Church even as it initiates new members of the Body of Christ, the People of God, the Church. These three different names “the Church”, the “People of God” and the “Mystical Body of Christ”, each has a unique emphasis in passing on God’s Word, especially the fullness of divine revelation who is Jesus. God’s Word as Christ’s real presence, passed on in the Church throughout the centuries, is what we call Scripture and Tradition.

God’s gift of love, who is Jesus, who is God’s forgiveness and self donation — in a word “death”, and so too, God’s generosity and joy, in another word, resurrection, is God’s self-communication made through his Word in the Holy Spirit and remains present and active in the Church! This active and real presence is one way to understand Catechumenate. This is our faith!

Musical Interlude was “With Jesus There’s a Way” by Roland Gervais.

Recommended Reading:

Catholic customs & traditions: A popular guide

 

 Great Expectations [34:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Guide to "Great Expectations", which includes references, prayers, and reflections: Download

The Good News about human destiny can fill us with great expectations all of the days of our lives — lives which are God-created, or seeded for eternity, using the phrase from our last conversation. This podcast is the second in a series of three which correspond with the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, in Holladay, Utah. People who are interested in knowing more about Catholicism were welcomed recently at the parish and this conversation addresses two aspects of human destiny implied during that Welcome Session; first, human happiness, and then, second, its vital link with human freedom. (more…)

 

 Standard Podcast [24:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This Parish Session welcomes inquirers and provides an overview of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) with a discussion of the Pre-Catechumenate, Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightement, and Mystagogy.