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Welcome to Godsplaining: a podcast featuring contemplative preachers and their contemporary age. Considering topics philosophical, theological, cultural, and beyond, Godsplaining presents ideas from the Church’s tradition and brings them to bear on our lives’ most urgent questions. Each week, join the Dominican friars as they muse on all things Catholic.
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The purpose of our lives is to come to know God, yet on account of sin the eyes of our hearts have grown blind to the presence of God. Just as Jesus healed the blind men in the Gospels, so God is now at work to heal the eyes of our hearts by the light of his grace. Contemplata is a podcast for those seeking to grow in contemplative prayer—the loving awareness of the presence of God. Fr. James Dominic Brent, O.P. is a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph.
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St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
30:38
30:38
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30:38
Fr. Bonaventure and Fr. Gregory chat all about philosopher and Catholic-convert turned Carmelite nun Edith Stein, otherwise known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. The friars take us through her early life, her beliefs in metaphysics, phenomenology, womanhood, to her end at a Nazi concentration camp. St. Michael's Lent & EXODUS90 https://exodus…
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Contemplata Episode 34 | How to Live in the Presence of God | Fr. James Brent, O.P.
8:23
8:23
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8:23
How do we interact with the indwelling Trinity and live in this presence of God? In this episode, Fr. James tells us there are three things we need to do. First, we need to guard our hearts, and not be pulled away from God by distractions and sin. Second, we need to enter our hearts by finding times of silence and recollection. And, third, we need …
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Sacrifice, Suffering & Mary as Our Mother w/ Fr. Donald Haggerty
34:48
34:48
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Fr. Donald Haggerty joins Fr. Joseph-Anthony on this episode of Guestsplaining to reflect on the state of the Church and the spiritual trials facing Catholics today. Drawing from his book "The Hour of Testing," Fr. Haggerty emphasizes the need for prayer, sacrifice, and dependence on the Blessed Mother, who stands as our model of strength, surrende…
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Catholics are no doubt involved in politics - take JD Vance for example. What is the relationship between church and state like? Should Christians obey the state? What does the historical context look like? On this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Patrick and Fr. Bonaventure break down everything we as Christians need to know about church and state. St…
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In this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Gregory and Fr. Joseph-Anthony tackle the challenging question: Can Christians kill? They explore the proper interpretation of the Fifth Commandment—“Thou shalt not kill”—and clarify the Catholic beliefs regarding this demand. What about Catholics in the military? IS there a difference, to God, when it comes to …
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Contemplata Episode 33 | How God is Present to You | Fr. James Brent, O.P.
8:24
8:24
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8:24
God is commonly present to all things, but in our baptism, God comes to be present in our souls in a new way, in a special mode. So how can we understand this special mode of the presence of God that we call the indwelling Trinity? In this episode, Fr. James explains that this mode of God’s presence in our souls is something really distinct. It's a…
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Catholicism in Australia w/ Archbishop Anthony Fisher, O.P.
32:42
32:42
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32:42
Fr. Gregory and Fr. Patrick welcome Archbishop Anthony Fisher, O.P. of Sydney. What's it like being a Catholic in Australia? What trends are bringing secular Australians to the Church? The three friars talk Gen Z, (dis)trust in authority, the importance of reason, unification, and what the Archbishop hopes to bring to the people of God. For more on…
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Fr. Patrick and Fr. Bonaventure are back at it—this time unpacking all things papacy and the American Pope. From the Scriptural roots to the role of the modern Pope as theologian-in-chief and global shepherd, the friars introduce the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. What's his deal? Where’d he come from, and what might his papacy mean for the Church and…
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The Inescapable Weirdness of the Christian Life
35:57
35:57
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35:57
Christian life can be weird, especially for a Catholic. We certainly stand out from the crowd when you think of how we worship, have intangible relationships, and our belief of immortality. Are Christians superstitious? Is being a 'weird' Christian simply inescapable? Should we embrace our weirdness? Join the friars this summer in Providence, Rhode…
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Contemplata Episode 32 | The Indwelling Trinity | Fr. James Brent, O.P.
6:53
6:53
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Through our baptism, and so long as we are living in a state of grace, each of us has the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit living and dwelling in the depths of our hearts. In this episode, Fr. James explains the mystery of the indwelling Trinity, which is so important because this particular mystery describes the point of contact between the highest my…
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Mountaineering, Masculinity & Modern Technology w/ Fr. John Nepil
25:56
25:56
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In this episode of Guestsplaining, Fr. Patrick sits down with Fr. John Nepil to explore the themes of his new book, "To Heights and Unto Depths: Letters from the Colorado Trail." They dive into the spiritual lessons of wilderness, the rediscovery of authentic masculinity through shared hardship, and how stepping away from modern technology opens sp…
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In this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Gregory and Fr. Joseph-Anthony explore the nuanced question: Can someone miss their vocation? They dive into how God’s providence, human freedom, and discernment work together in the journey toward one’s vocation—whether to marriage, religious life, priesthood, or consecrated singlehood. How should we discern? H…
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In this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Patrick and Fr. Bonaventure explore the enduring relevance of Plato's philosophical works, emphasizing their significance in contemporary Catholic thought. Throughout the episode, the friars emphasize the importance of revisiting classical philosophical works like Plato's dialogues to enhance one's understanding…
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Contemplata Episode 31 | 5th Paraclete Promise | Fr. James Brent, O.P.
6:48
6:48
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What's in the future? We are weak in our faith and we tend to conceive of the future as if God is not going to be there. In this episode of Contemplata, Fr. James explains that in the fifth paraclete promise assures us there is no future without God in it. In fact, the future belongs to the Father. We don’t know the future or what the circumstances…
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Unlocking Scripture: How to Use the Catholic Study Bible w/ Curtis Mitch
34:39
34:39
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In this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Bonaventure Chapman is joined by Biblical scholar Curtis Mitch, co-editor of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. Together, they explore how Catholics can fruitfully read Scripture with the aid of historical context, commentary, and Church Tradition. Key Topics: What makes a Catholic Study Bible unique How histori…
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In this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Gregory and Fr. Joseph-Anthony delve into the theological concept of Divine Simplicity and a fundamental doctrine in classical theism, particularly within the Thomistic tradition. What IS God? What are His limitations? What is He made of? Key Points: Divine Simplicity Explained Theological Implications Philosoph…
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Humans make mistakes...humans composed the Bible...so does the Bible have mistakes? On this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Joseph-Anthony and Fr. Bonaventure discuss the differences in the Gospels, intention of the writers, the Catholic approach to Scripture, and help us really understand Divine Inspiration. Subscribe to our channel https://www.youtu…
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Contemplata Episode 30 | 4th Paraclete Promise | Fr. James Brent, O.P.
10:27
10:27
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The Lord promises to send the Holy Spirit to penetrate the hearts and minds of people who are listening to the proclamation of the gospel. And he promises that when the Spirit comes, he will convince them of sin and of righteousness and of judgment—so the fourth paraclete promise could be called the promise of convincing concerning sin. But what do…
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Converting to Catholicism and The Year of Jubilee w/ Dr. John Bergsma
35:43
35:43
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What leads a Calvinist pastor to become a Catholic theologian? In this episode, Dr. John Bergsma joins Fr. Gregory to share his powerful conversion story—from a deep love of Scripture in the Reformed tradition to finding its fulfillment in the Catholic Church. They also explore the Biblical concept of the Year of Jubilee—a time of mercy, restoratio…
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Why Does Bad Stuff Happen to Good People?
29:59
29:59
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29:59
On this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Joseph-Anthony and Fr. Patrick lead us into understanding suffering and evil, the benevolence of God, free will, harmony, and goodness. Does God cause the evil to test us or to eventually bring about the good? Are good and evil two forces against each other? What are the saints' view on the topic? Jesus, I Trust…
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BONUS: Meditating on the Passion of Christ
23:13
23:13
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Fr. Patrick and Fr. Joseph-Anthony take us to the Day of Recollection in Dallas, Texas to discuss meditation and devotions they recommend to the Passion of Christ in this bonus episode of Godsplaining. Fr. Patrick's book entitled, "Given for You", can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Given-You-Eucharistic-Stations-Cross/dp/1639663134#:~:text=B…
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Freedom. Perception. Spontaneity. Interior vs Exterior. Free Will. Intellect. On this week's episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Gregory and Fr. Bonaventure Fr. Gregory and Fr. Bonaventure delve into how God's all-encompassing knowledge coexists with our ability to make genuine choices. Can we actually choose what we do? Does God cause EVERYTHING? Do we h…
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Faith, Freedom & the Future w/ Connor Boyack
34:08
34:08
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34:08
In this special guest episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Gregory engages in a compelling conversation with Connor Boyack—author, speaker, and president of the Libertas Institute. They delve into the intersection of Catholic social teaching and classical liberal values, exploring how faith informs our understanding of freedom and the role of education in …
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This bonus episode of Godsplaining takes us to Dallas, Texas, to hear Fr. Gregory and Fr. Bonaventure talk all things related to the merit of the Cross of Christ. Why was the instrument of the Cross specifically necessary? Where does Love come into play? Why was the Passion necessary? Subscribe to our channel https://www.youtube.com/c/Godsplaining …
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Romp through history with Fr. Gregory and Fr. Patrick. Why an episode on Catholic social teaching? Is it just silly? Is the Catholic Church political? What role does Pope Leo XIII have in the Catholic social teaching realm? On this week's episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Gregory and Fr. Patrick talk human dignity, the American tradition, Papal encyclic…
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Contemplata Episode 29 | 3rd Paraclete Promise | Fr. James Brent, O.P.
8:21
8:21
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Why would we expect anyone today to come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to come to believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and to come to practice the Catholic faith? The reason we expect that is because in the third Paraclete Promise the Lord promised to send us the Spirit of Truth to bear witness along with us to these trut…
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Comparison: the thief of joy. Should we compare ourselves to anyone? Is it healthy? What are negative aspects of comparison? What virtues should we instead cultivate? On this week's episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Gregory and Fr. Joseph-Anthony delve into comparison. Is it good? Is it bad? Join the friars in Providence, Rhode Island for the All Comer'…
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Cardinal George Pell's Legacy w/ Tess Livingstone
29:36
29:36
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Australian journalist and author Tess Livingstone joins Fr. Patrick and Fr. Joseph-Anthony to discuss Cardinal George Pell, his wrongful imprisonment, his life in Australia before becoming a cardinal, the immense reform he brought to his home country and his achievements and legacy. Tess' biography of Cardinal Pell can be found here: https://ignati…
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