Between husband and wife, close friends, or any friendship, there is a strange occurrence at play. One becomes like the other, does things the other does, likes things the other likes (even sometimes things they disliked beforehand!).  The same happens in our friendship with Christ and participation in the life of the Trinity. Wait! What? We participate in the life of the Trinity? Listen up, and discover with Catholic Bytes just how so…

Further Resources:

1. Online: Bishop Barron’s homilies on the Trinity:
   1. The Fruits of the Spirit
   2. The Three Personnel God
   3. Our God Is a Community of Love
   4. Why the Trinity Matters
   5. The Trinity as a Call to Action
2. Book: William McDonough’s The Divine Family
3. Audio: Scott Hahn’s God’s Family and Ours: The Church and the Trinity

Can you imagine reading a book and your life changing drastically?  For St. Jerome, from Ciceronian to a Christian, from Rome bureaucracy to desert asceticism, St. Athanasius’ book on St. Anthony did just that.  What did not change for St. Jerome, however, was his gift for languages, a gift we still benefit from today. Discover with Catholic Bytes just why we have to thank this 4th century language master.

Further Resources:

1. Online: New Advent’s page on St. Jerome
2. Online: Word on Fire: Fr. Steve Grunow’s Homily on St. Jerome
3. Book: Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines
4. Book: Hubertus Drobner, The Fathers of the Church
5. Book: Stefan Rebenich, Jerome

Not only is prudence not caution, at times it can act contrary to it. For instance, would you consider choosing to die a cautious decision? Probably not. It can, however, be prudent depending on certain criteria.  Find out in this episode just what that criteria is, and ways to cultivate prudence in daily life.

Further Resources:

1. Online: Catechism of the Catholic Church
2. Online: Catholic Encyclopedia Article on Prudence
3. Online Audio: Bishop Barron’s Homily On Wisdom and Prudence
4. Book: Josef Pieper’s Four Cardinal Virtues

The preparation for confirmation is sometimes less than enjoyable, but this is due to a misunderstanding of the sacrament. Confirmation is not about what we do, but what Christ desires to do in us. Discover the beauty of the sacrament and the strength it provides for the Christian life in this episode with Fr. Richard Hinkley.

Further Resources:

1. Online: Catechism of the Catholic Church on Confirmation
2. Online: Catholic Answer’s article on Confirmation
3. Online: Catholic Encyclopedia’s article on Confirmation
4. Online Video: Bishop Barron’s Reflections on the Sacrament of Confirmation
5. Online Audio: Fr. Michael Schmitz’s We Must Go Out: the Sacrament of Confirmation
6. Confirmation Program: Dynamic Catholic’s Decision Point

Is the family in crisis? The Synod on the Family discusses exactly that. From hot topic issues to the pastoral role of the Church in caring for families, this Catholic Bytes episode puts the extraordinary synod of 2014 and the ordinary synod of 2015 into perspective and dives into the first few days of this universal encounter taking place in Rome.

Further Resources:

1. Online: Catholic News Agency
2. Online: Rome Reports
3. Online: National Catholic Register
4. Twitter: @HolySeePress

Exploring the Church’s understanding of politics, law, and principles of government.

Further Resources:

1. Book:  Cardinal Donald Wuerl.  Seek First the Kingdom: Challenging the Culture by Living Our Faith, 2011.  
2. Book:  Benestad, J. Brian.  Church, State, and Society: An Introduction to Catholic Social Doctrine (Catholic Moral Thought), 2011.

It seems paradoxical, almost impossible, to achieve greatness in littleness, the extraordinary in ordinary.  St. Therese of Lisieux, however, succeeded doing just that during her short life span.  Discover her secret of success, and more on this ‘little’ saint.

If you think Christ saved us solely through the crucifixion, you are one of many, though you are not entirely right. Christ did not simply come and save humanity by one act, but transformed it through various; in fact, through his entire life.  Discover a little nugget of gold in this episode, and how we can participate in the new life through Christ.

Further Resources:

1. Book: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 512-521
2. Book: Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Our Savior and His Love for Us
3. Book: Fulton Sheen, Life of Christ.

As we continue to make our way through history, the struggle for both spiritual and secular power increases. As the modern state emerges from the feudal system the State wanted to restrict the secular power of the Church, while the Church was reluctant to give up such influence.  As time progressed and the Church lost more territory, it began to realize its true strength never truly laid political power, but in spiritual power.

Why confession? Not only does it seem unnecessary, but also rather uncomfortable. Can’t we just confess our sins in private directly to God? What about, hey, I just don’t want to tell anyone I’ve messed up? These common queries and questions are tackled by Fr. Seith, providing insight from the “other side” of the confessional.