The Art of Catholic with Matthew Leonard

I’m tired of people asking, “Where have all the good men gone?” It’s not really all that hard to figure out. They’ve gone where they’ve been told to…out. Men are meant to play a God-given, pivotal role in the family, in the Church, and in culture at large. It’s a role that’s too often abandoned or belittled…to dire effect. We lack children. We lack vocations. We lack men. We are in a crisis that is simply not being addressed by enough people. And if we don’t change things quickly, the extensive damage will only get worse. This is not a “let’s beat our chests and be men” episode of the Art of Catholic. Nor is it  a “let’s hammer on men” episode. This is an episode centered around an epidemic that desperately needs attention from both sides of the gender aisle (and yes, there are only two). It’s a topic crucial to the vitality of the Church. To help address the issue I brought in Bear Woznick, a giant of a man who just completed the second season of a new EWTN show called “Long Ride Home.” In this episode we’ll tackle: * The incredible statistics that show why kids stop going to Mass (It will blow your mind...) * Why most men don’t sing at Mass * Part of the truth behind the priest shortage * Why Catholic women should be applauded…loudly * How women can help – need to help – men be men * How the liturgy plays a role in the crisis (and its solution) We need to stop asking “Where have all the good men gone?” We know where they are. Now let’s go get them. God bless! Matthew If you don’t have a real life of prayer, you’re fooling yourself spiritually. Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life!  It’s an easy step-by-step summary of the spiritual giants of the Church designed to help you rocket to God!   Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!    Walk in the footsteps of Jesus! Check out the new video about my Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in March 2018!  It’s the trip of a lifetime! Click here for trip details.

Ever wonder how we got into the mess we’re in? Why is the modern world so opposed to the Christian faith? What went wrong and how do we get back on track? These are pretty tough questions, which is fine because I’ve got a pretty smart guest. Today on the Art of Catholic I brought in Dr. Andrew Jones. He’s got a PhD in Medieval History and is an expert on the Church in the High Middle Ages. He’s also the Executive Director at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Some of you will remember him from Episode 51 when he spoke about the Crusades. But as big a topic as that was, this is even bigger. Dr. Jones is going to use his deep knowledge of Catholic history to drop a bomb on the modern world. Namely, he’ll expose some of the underlying reasons things are the way they are (a fat mess), and give some direction as to the solution. He spells it all out in his new, fat book titled “Before Church & State” that took 10 years to write. (Yes, 10 years.) Here’s the thing I love about Andrew. He’s a contrarian. Not just because he likes to argue, but because he loves the truth. Andrew lives to totally destroy the anti-Catholic paradigms and false narratives with which we were all taught to believe…stuff we didn’t realize was anti-Catholic! Among other things, we’ll discuss: * Why the modern categories of Church and State are totally anti-Catholic * The lie of “public” and “private” in the realm of faith * How the modern world has re-defined religion and boxed us in * Why modernism wants everyone to be the same (even while preaching “individualism”) * Why the term “religion” is code for “things that don’t really matter” to the modern world * How 13th century France points to a better structure founded on charity * Why Catholics must forcefully reject modernity’s definition of Christianity * Why the term “religious liberty” is a hoax * Why all Catholics should understand the notion of “Sovereignty” I’m sure you’ve noticed this is a big list. Well this is a big episode…a very important episode. I’m guessing you’re going to walk away from this one thinking, “Whoa…I might need to re-think some things.” God bless! Matthew Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life!  It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God!   Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!     Check out the new video about my pilgrimage to the Holy Land!  It’s the trip of a lifetime!

It’s one of the most overlooked miracles in Scripture. All too often we focus so much on the Passion, death and Resurrection of Our Lord that we breeze right over a pivotal event in our eternal pilgrimage – the Ascension. That would be a huge mistake. Not long ago I picked up one of my many books by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Not a good idea if you have a lot of items on your “to-do” list. He’s so incredibly brilliant that I just couldn’t stop reading. Benedict’s focus was on the importance of the Ascension and how it leads to Pentecost and beyond. It was a real eye-opener. I learned a lot and I can’t wait to share it with you. Among other things, in this episode I’ll cover: * Why the Apostles were strangely “full of joy” after Christ disappeared * Where I would’ve loved to have been a fly on the wall before the Ascension * How the Ascension points to our divine destiny * Why Jesus rose on a cloud (and not something else) * Why the people in Lystra weren’t totally wrong about Paul and Barnabas…and what that says about us * How the tongues of fire at Pentecost should burn us now This was not a planned episode. It just happened…perhaps through the Holy Spirit. I think he’s trying to tell us something. Give a listen and God bless! Matthew Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life!  It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God! Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!     Check out the new video about my pilgrimage to the Holy Land!  It’s the trip of a lifetime! Click here for more details.    

Holy Week is upon us. Hasn’t Lent flown by? It seems like Ash Wednesday was just a couple weeks ago. And oftentimes we get to this point thinking we could have done a lot more…So let’s do something about it. In this episode of the Art of Catholic, we’re not going to just talk about theology. We’re going to enter into it. How? By meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary as a kind of progression or maturation in the spiritual life. What do I mean by that? Well, it seems to me that the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are a kind of parallel to the 3 stages of the Spiritual Life: the Purgative, the Illuminative, and the Unitive Ways spoken about by spiritual giants like John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and many others. And if you’ve never heard of those stages, no worries. I give  a brief overview of them in this episode. I found some Scripture passages that evoke some of the spiritual fruit of the Sorrowful Mysteries and wrote short meditations about how the Mysteries relate to the spiritual life. The aim of this episode is simply to help you enter into the beautiful mystery of Holy Week in a more powerful way. We’re going to let the reality of what Jesus has done seep into our very souls. We may be near the end of Lent, but there’s still time to prepare for a powerful encounter with the Passion, death, and resurrection of our Savior and Lord. Let’s do it! God bless and you and have a wonderful Holy Week! Matthew Want to go deeper into prayer?  If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville   Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life!  It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God! Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!       Pilgrimage to the Holy Land! Join Matthew on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Mt. Tabor, and so many more incredible holy sites! Walk in the footsteps of our Lord! It’s the trip of a lifetime! Click here for more details.    

It might seem a bit odd to discuss beauty at the beginning of Lent. Actually, I find it totally appropriate. After all, this is a season of stripping away the outer layers of this world and conforming ourselves to Him who is beauty. If God is the Beatific Vision, then beauty matters all the time…perhaps especially in Lent. The topic of beauty is something I’ve wanted to address for a long time because it’s all too often ignored. I would go so far as to say that it is crucial for Catholics to reacquire a true understanding and appreciation for beauty. Its lacking is not only a major contributor to massive cultural decline in the Western world, but also for the decline of people practicing Christianity. We’ve forgotten how to make the faith beautiful. And I don’t mean just sprucing it up. I mean the essence of our faith. My guest is John Henry Crosby, a cultural entrepreneur and founder of the Hildebrand Project. Promoting a renewed aesthetic is in his blood. After this show, it will be in yours, too. Among other things, we discuss: * The vital role of beauty in salvation * The difference between beauty and luxury * Why beauty is the foundation of love * How utilitarianism crushes the soul * Why sin keeps us from recognizing beauty * How to start a life of beauty Any program dealing with the Catholic faith is important. A show dealing with one of the most powerful, yet forgotten elements of our faith is doubly important. I pray we all take it to heart. God bless! Matthew Want to go deeper into prayer?  If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville   Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life!  It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God!   Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!     Pilgrimage to the Holy Land! Join Matthew on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Mt. Tabor, and so many more incredible holy sites! Walk in the footsteps of our Lord! It’s the trip of a lifetime! Click here for more details.

Make no mistake, this episode is going to challenge you. But it can also dramatically transform your relationships with other people…and God. It’s full of deep and practical wisdom that you can start to practice immediately. Our topic is kindness – real kindness – the kindness identified by St. Paul in Galatians. In other words, this is way beyond the “be nice to one another” stuff we learned in pre-school. It’s the virtue that radically re-arranges our priorities and changes the world. My guest is Charlie McKinney, the President of Sophia Institute Press. He’s on the show to discuss an extremely powerful book titled The Hidden Power of Kindness by an amazing 20th century priest named Fr. Laurence Lovasik. Fr. Lovasik is one of these priests who is so full of wisdom that it seems to radiate out of every statement he makes. He wrote more than 30 books and spoke around the globe for decades, helping people draw closer to the Lord. I’ve read some of his other works before turning to The Hidden Power of Kindness. Don’t know why it took me so long. After perusing The Hidden Power of Kindness, I knew I had to promote Fr. Lovasik on The Art of Catholic. I’m positive you’re going to love it as much as I do. Here’s a sampling of the material Charlie and I discuss: * What is true kindness (perhaps not what you think) * The 3 simple “do’s” and “don’ts” of the Fraternity of Kindness * The one essential characteristic of all kindness * The helpful distinction between  greed and God-given love of self * How to overcome unexplainable dislike for another person * How to overcome anger with meekness * How to be more considerate of one another * What is necessary for correction to be kind and effective at the same time This is easily one of the most practical and transformative episodes I’ve ever recorded. If you heed the advice in this podcast, it will transform your life…guaranteed! God bless! Matthew Want to go deeper into prayer?  If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville   Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! 

It sounds like a wild exaggeration. But according to best-selling author Mike Aquilina (a generally trustworthy source), it was music that saved the ancient world from its descent into despair. My first thought was “Seriously?” Yep. He’s not kidding.  It’s all in his book “How the Choir Converted the Word: Through Hymns, With Hymns, And In Hymns” from Emmaus Road Publishing. (The book is worth a look for the subtitle alone.) Given the state of some current liturgical music, I was skeptical to say the least. (I probably should have told the publisher that before I agreed to blurb the book.) But since everything else I ever read by Mike is pure gold, I agreed. I wasn’t disappointed. This book rocks. Music really did save world. But it wasn’t without conflict. Music isn’t always used for holy purposes. (Ever been to a Def Leppard concert? Yeah…me neither.) That’s as true today as it was in the ancient world. In case you haven’t noticed, music continues as a battlefront in modern culture. And it’s a battle we have to win. So today on the Art of Catholic, we’ll look at how the Church used music to convert the world, as well as how it can happen again. “If we did it once,” says Mike Aquilina, “we can do it again.” So let’s get to it! In this 2017 kickoff episode, Mike and I discuss: * The deep relationship between music and beauty * Why trumpets were the electric guitars of the biblical club scene (and even used as weapons) * Why the Israelites made the best music in the ancient world * The reason early Christians were strangely ambivalent, sometimes even hostile, about music * How music brought down one of the most powerful heresies in the history of the Church All that and much, much more in this incredibly noteworthy episode of the Art of Catholic. God bless! Matthew Want to go deeper into prayer?  If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville   Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life!  It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God!  

A little bit of knowledge goes a long way…especially when it comes to prayer and Scripture. In fact, you don’t need to have any hardcore theological training or lots of letters after your name to get a lot out of prayer. That said, actually studying the Bible – what Pope Benedict XVI calls the “soul of theology” – will put your prayer life on steroids (which is still legal). And a key to understanding Scripture is known as typology. (“Ty-what?”) Typology is a 25 cent word that shows how the people, places and events of the Old Testament point forward to the people, places, and events of the New Testament. It shows connections. In this episode of The Art of Catholic, I share a personal experience from my meditations the other day in my parish’s adoration chapel. I thought it a good example of how making connections (i.e. typology) in Scripture can really juice up your time with Our Lord. In this mini-cast, I’ll focus in on the 5th Joyful Mystery (The Finding of Jesus in the Temple) and discuss: * Parallels between Jesus and Solomon * The importance of the theme of wisdom * Connections between Our Lady and the Queen of Sheba * The different levels of meaning of Temple and why Jesus went there as a 12 year old * Why the Magi brought Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh Happy Advent! Merry (Almost) Christmas! Happy (Almost) New Year! Matthew Want to go deeper into prayer.  If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God! ————————————————————————————————— Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!  Love the show and want more people to hear the Catholic faith? Leave a review by clicking here and then the “View in iTunes” button under my picture. This pushes the show up the rankings and puts it in front of more people. Android user? You can listen to The Art of Catholic on the 

In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re at war. We need a weapon. A powerful one. One feared by the Devil. Most of us already have one. It’s called the rosary. And if wielded properly it cuts through the darkness like a light saber (especially if it’s glow-in-the-dark:). In this special episode of The Art of Catholic, I interview Fr. Donald Calloway, author, speaker, and Vicar Provincial of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. He knows the rosary. In fact, he wrote a great book on it titled Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon. So I brought him in to give us all a greater appreciation for the history, beauty, and power of the “Bible on Beads.” Among other things, we discuss: * The miraculous origin of the rosary through St. Dominic * The history of the Marian Psalter (which predated the rosary) * How the horrific Black Plague shaped the rosary * The epic defeat of the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Lepanto (because of the rosary!) * Why you should know a guy named Alan de la Roche * The crucial role of England in preserving the rosary * The indulgences associated with the praying the “Bible on Beads” All that and more in this jam-packed episode of The Art of Catholic. It’s a show you don’t want to miss. So grab your rosary (and your coffee) and join us! Hail Mary! God bless! Matthew What is an authentic Catholic life? Louder Than Words: The Art of Living as a Catholic covers topics like evangelization, redemptive suffering, what we can know about heaven, Sacred Scripture, prayer, the Eucharist, and more. But it also illuminates the final end toward which it’s all ordered – divinity – real participation in God’s divine nature! This book is a clarion call for spiritual growth proclaiming the transforming power of an authentic Catholic life. “A theological thrill ride that will leave you breathless and exhilarated by God’s love. Matthew Leonard knows the Catholic faith and, even more impressively, he knows how to articulate it in a way few others can. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and get this book.” Mark Hart, author, speaker, & Executive Vice President of Life Teen International “Full of biblical wisdom and practical insight, readers will be inspired and challenged to grow, and then motivated and empowered to go forth.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, & Professor, Franciscan University of Steubenville Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 

I’ve heard it. You’ve heard it. I used to even say it! “The Catholic priesthood isn’t biblical.”…Wrong! If you were to boil the (so-called) Protestant  Reformation down to its essence, it basically did away with the priesthood. Most Protestants have no sacramental life because there are no priests to give them the sacraments. (Most don’t believe in the sacraments at all.) They believe (and I realize I’m painting with a broad brush here) in something called “the priesthood of all believers.” After all, 1 Peter 2:5 says, “and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Our Separated Brethren take this to mean that every Christian has equal potential to minister for God, thus there is no need for a separate ministerial priesthood. But that’s not what the Bible says. In this episode of the Art of Catholic I interview Fr. Tommy Lane, a Professor of Sacred Scripture at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, who wrote a tremendous book called “The Catholic Priesthood: Biblical Foundations“. And in this episode we discuss: * The two kinds of priesthood in the New Covenant of Christ * Old Testament history of priesthood (including the original priesthood of fathers and sons and that mysterious guy Melchizedek) * How we know Christ established a new priesthood even though he never used the word “priest” (a common Protestant argument) * Why we view the Last Supper as the moment of the Apostles’ ordination * Why the author of Hebrews emphasizes the humanity of Christ as the new high priest (while asserting his divinity, of course) We couldn’t hope to cover every aspect of the scriptural foundations of the Catholic priesthood in one episode, but we covered a lot. Enjoy! God bless! Matthew Priests are required to pray every day…and so are we! If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God! ————————————————————————————&...

Why do Catholics exalt Mary? I don’t mean in general. I mean specifically. The answer may surprise you. Is it because she’s perfect? Kind of. But there’s a deeper reason. I just got back from my pilgrimage to Fatima and Lourdes, so I have Mary on the brain (and in the heart). I can’t get enough of her. So in this “brief” episode (it’s still more than half and hour so not to worry), I’ll dig in a little to the underlying, foundational reason we venerate Our Lady. In this episode we’ll discuss: * Why the Immaculate Conception is demanded by Mary’s divine maternity * The vital role of the Council of Ephesus in 431AD in Marian doctrine * Why St. Thomas declared Mary was predestined to be the Mother of God * How Mary is intimately united to the hypostatic union * The definition and distinction of hyperdulia (and why people who say Catholics worship Mary are nuts) All that and more in this episode of the Art of Catholic! God bless! Matthew If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God! ————————————————————————————————— Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!  Love the show and want more people to hear the Catholic faith? Leave a review by clicking here and then the “View in iTunes” button under my picture. This pushes the show up the rankings and puts it in front of more people. Android user? You can listen to The Art of Catholic on the Beyond Pod app from the Google Play Store.

A lot of passages in Scripture make me uncomfortable. But this one scares the dickens out of me. In Matthew 12:36, Jesus declares “I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter.” Uhhh…”every careless word”? (Insert teeth chattering.) Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve said some pretty ridiculous things in my life…things for which I would love to take the eternal Etch A Sketch, turn it upside down, and shake. (By the way, did I ever tell you I was in a 1970s Etch A Sketch commercial with my brothers and sisters? Story for another time…) And I’m betting there are plenty of people reading this that are just as terrified of that verse as I am. Well, fear not! In this special episode of the Art of Catholic, I’m actually the one being interviewed by none other than Marcus Grodi about this very difficult verse. Perhaps you’ve seen Marcus on his EWTN show The Journey Home. (I was on that show once, too…a long time after the Etch A Sketch commercial.) Marcus is a wonderful man and in this show we’ll discuss things like: * How words are more powerful than we realize * The vital role of silence * Why what’s in your heart is the key to your speech * How St. Paul provides help in gaining control over your thoughts * The secret to maintaining “silence” even when speaking (this one rule is worth listening to the whole show…not that the rest isn’t great, too:) So unless you don’t have a tongue (or you’re a professional mime), this very special episode is for you! Matthew It’s got a whole chapter on silence and controlling your tongue! If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God!   ————————————————————————————————— Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!  Love the show and want more people to hear the Catholic faith? Leave a review by

They’re the most talked about “secrets” in the world. In July, 1917, Our Lady appeared to three children and revealed to them several amazing visions and prophecies that all came true. They’ve become known as the 3 Secrets of Fatima. And while we know what they are, they’re not just part of the past. They’re relevant now…more than ever. There’s no doubt that truly understanding and applying the message of Mary at Fatima can change the world! So in celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (Oct 7th), this episode of the Art of Catholic will dive into these secrets including: * How Mary foretold World War II * What Mary showed the children and how it affects us today * How Our Lady can change the course of history * Why Mary showed the children a terrifying vision of hell * The role of Russia in world events and conversion of the world * How the assassination attempt on St. John Paul II in 1981 relates to the 3rd Secret * Cardinal Ratzinger’s (Pope Benedict) interpretation of the 3rd Secret While they’re the most talked about secrets in the world, they’re often the most misunderstood. We’re going to put that to rest on this episode of The Art of Catholic! God bless! Matthew The heart of Mary’s message at Fatima revolves around prayer. If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you! “Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington “We all need help to grow spiritually…Matt Leonard shows us the way.” – Dr. Scott Hahn, author, speaker, and Professor of Scripture and Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God!     ————————————————————————————————— Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!  Love the show and want more people to hear the Catholic faith? Leave a review by clicking here and then the “View in iTunes” button under my picture. This pushes the show up the rankings and puts it in front of more people. Android user? You can listen to The Art of Catholic on the 

It’s not a pretty topic. But it has to be addressed. The extreme violence in Sacred Scripture (particularly the Old Testament) understandably causes a lot of people problems. After all, how are we supposed to reconcile this kind of bloodshed with a loving, merciful God? Why did He command it? How could He command it? Didn’t Jesus say to love your neighbor and pray for your enemies? Sometimes what we read just doesn’t seem to square with who we know Him to be. And you can’t, as some do, simply gloss over or ignore this material. We’re not. In fact, we’re going to tackle it head on with my guest, Curtis Mitch. Among his other illustrious achievements, Curtis is the main guy behind the commentary in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. He’s been living, eating, and breathing Scripture for the last 18 years on that project. It’s his full-time job. In other words, he knows the Bible like few others. So in this episode of the Art of Catholic, Curtis and I will discuss: * The historical context of perhaps the darkest passage of Scripture * Why God commanded the killing of the Canaanites…all the Canaanites in the land * The insidious role of idolatry (both then and now) * Why you can’t call the Conquest of Canaan genocide (it’s anything but) * The beauty and logic of what scholars call “divine accommodation” * The hidden mercy of God in all of this (it’s there…trust me!) This episode will transform the way you understand God’s dealing with people in ancient times, and how He deals with us today. God bless! Matthew P.S. Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God! ————————————————————————————————— Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!  Love the show and want more people to hear the Catholic faith? Leave a review by clicking here and then the “View in iTunes” button under my picture. This pushes the show up the rankings and puts it in front of more people. Android user? You can listen to The Art of Catholic on the Beyond Pod app from the Google Play Store. Want to tour Catholic Europe’s most beautiful holy sites? Join Matthew on a  St. Paul Center pilgrimage to Fatima, Spain, Lourdes, and other amazing holy sites this October 23rd to November 1st. Click here for details.

It’s no surprise. Mother Teresa is the newest saint of the Catholic Church. I became Catholic the year after she died. I hadn’t paid her much attention. And yet along with the rest of the world, I knew she was holy. Sure, there were detractors. There always are. They’re nuts. While most people loved and respected Mother Teresa, she also made them uneasy. Let’s be honest, she made a lot of Catholics uneasy! Hers might have been the “little way” of her namesake St. Therese of Lisieux, but it wasn’t an easy way. Sainthood never is. In this episode I brought in phenomenal author David Scott. He’s been a powerhouse in the Catholic universe for more than 30 years, publishing all over world and holding top editorial positions at the largest Catholic newspaper (Our Sunday Visitor) and Catholic News Service. He’s currently the Vice Chancellor of Communications in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He’s hands down one of the best Catholic writers around. And he’s written a gorgeous little book about Mother Teresa that’s unlike any other. His is beyond biography. David’s book The Love That Made Mother Teresa is a spiritual exegesis of a life well-lived that will challenge and inspire you to ascend the spiritual ladder. In this amazing interview we’ll discuss: * What made a little Albanian nun so special * How she practiced something called the “The Law of the Conservation of Charity” * The response of Mother Teresa to those who derided her work and accused her of ignoring the “causes” of poverty * The deep connection between the apparitions at Fatima and those of Mother Teresa * The providential placement of her first home for the dying next to the temple of a terrifying Hindu goddess * The intense spiritual struggle that tortured her for fifty years Prepare to be transformed by St. Teresa of Kolkata. God bless! Matthew P.S. Don’t just listen to us talk about it. Do it! Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God! ————————————————————————————————— Don’t miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking “View in iTunes” under the picture and then “Subscribe”!  Love the show and want more people to hear the Catholic faith? Leave a review by clicking here and then the “View in iTunes” button under my picture.