Martyrs Podcast

The O’ Antiphons

Fr. Wahlmeier preaches on the well-known advent hymn "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and the O Antiphons it contains from Scripture and which direct our minds to the beauty of Christ. 

13.2 Human Dignity, Health Care, and End of Life Care

Opening with a question about IVF and addressing other questions throughout this part of the class, Fr. Hall continues unpacking what the Church teaches about human dignity and how it bears upon issues such as health care and end of life care. 

13.1 Human Dignity

In this class, Fr. Hall unpacks what the Church teaches about the dignity of the human person. Regardless what sins one commits or what faults one has, he or she still has great dignity. Fr. Hall explains how this sheds light on pro-life issues, healthcare, end of life care, and other contemporary issues. 

#1 What Is Good?

Two priests. Two personalities. Two perspectives. In the first episode of this new series, Fr. Nathan Hall (Tin Man) and Fr. Ryan Kaup (Scarecrow) sit down to chat about what's good. 

Waiting for God

Advent is all about preparing for Jesus to come. And this waiting can at times be hard. Fr. Hall reflects on Matthew 11:1-15 where John the Baptist sends some people to ask Jesus, "Are you the messiah or should we look for another?" John is in prison and wants Jesus to come rescue him. But Jesus draws John's attention to something greater that Jesus is doing. Fr. Hall then draws out from this a message for us today about waiting for God. 

12.2 Marian Devotions

Mary brings us to Jesus through our devotions to her. In this second part of the class, Mark finishes with the last of the Church's main beliefs about Mary (that she's mother of all Christians) and then explains how Marian apparitions, prayers and consecrations to Mary, as well as the scapular and miraculous medal all serve to bring us to Jesus. 

12.1 Marian Beliefs

Everything the Church believes about Mary leads us closer to Jesus. In this first part of the class, Mark explains how this is true of the Church's four principal beliefs about Mary: her perpetual virginity, divine maternity, immaculate conception, and assumption. 

The Good News of Wrath, Fire, and Axes

When we think of Advent, we don't usually think of John the Baptist and his fiery speech about God's wrath, unquenchable fire, and axes. Yet, the Church assigns this reading as the Good News for the second Sunday of Advent. How are these things good news? Fr. Asitha helps us understand by drawing an analogy between God and our parents and by associating God's wrath with his loving desire for our good.

I Can’t Climb That

The Christian life is often presented like this: Get your act together, get up that proverbial mountain, so that you can be good enough for God. Fr. Hall explains what's wrong with this picture. We don't first climb the mountain. Rather, God takes the initiative to come to us. He then invites us to evaluate our lives and take the steps we need to take with God in order to grow close to him. 

11.2 The Our Father Explained

Having situated the Our Father within the big story of salvation, Ryan now walks us through each line of the prayer and helps us mine the deep wells of meaning they contain.