What Catholics Believe

Listen to or download the first 10 lessons in the Luke E. Hart Series. Topics in lessons 1-10 deal with matters like faith, God, Jesus Christ and the Resurrection of the body. Clicking on play or the play arrow icon delivers a streaming version of each podcast. PC users may save these podcasts to their computer by mousing over the Download link, right clicking their mouse, selecting “Save Target as” and saving to their desktop or a destination file. Mac users can right-click the Download link, select “Download Linked File” and save the file to anywhere on their hard drive. If not already installed on your system, you will need an MP3 player, such as Windows Media Player or iTunes.

Faith: Lesson 1 June 21, 2007 This is the first of 30 lessons based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, offered by the Catholic Information Service. Written by Peter Kreeft this first lesson, on Faith, gives a basic understanding of the relationship between faith and reason, faith and authority, and faith and the Church. If you want to put your faith in action, it’s a good idea to know what the Church teaches about faith. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

God: Lesson 2 June 28, 2007 Atheists deny God’s existence. Mystics experience God directly. Saints are called friends of God. But how much can we, finite human beings, really know about Him, the infinite, omnipotent God? Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

Creation: Lesson 3 July 6, 2007 The doctrine of creation is sometimes seen in the headlines as a controversy about what to teach our children in school. But news stories don’t report the depths and the beauty of this distinctive Christian doctrine. In this lesson on Creation, the evolution and creation controversies are addressed, and so are the fundamental distinctions between God and the world. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

The Human Person: Lesson 4 July 12, 2007 To learn the Catholic faith well, not only do we have to understand something about God, but we also need to understand something about our human need as men and women created by God. Our understanding of the human person will affect our understanding of the great questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? What is my purpose? What happens after I die? This lesson of the will provide an overview of the Catholic understanding of the human person. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

Jesus Christ: Lesson 5 July 19, 2007 Jesus is controversial. The Wikipedia article on Jesus is the fourth most revised article, which is evidence of the passionate debate that surrounds Him. Catholics believe that their Church is founded by Jesus, and faithfully preserves everything that Jesus taught. But there are some tough questions about Him: How can He be both God and Son of God? Why do Catholics have faith in His divinity? Why did God become man? Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

The Holy Spirit: Lesson 6 July 28, 2007 “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:17). Jesus’ words reveal the Third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit, also called the Counselor, inspired the authors of sacred Scripture, and He enlightens us when we read it. The Holy Spirit teaches the saints, and He can teach you, too. Find out why it is better that Jesus went away and that the Holy Spirit has come to us, as well as the difference that the Holy Spirit makes in your life, in this lesson. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

The Holy Catholic Church: Lesson 7 August 3, 2007 G. K. Chesterton once wrote, “It is impossible to be just to the Catholic Church. The moment men cease to pull against it they feel a tug towards it. The moment they cease to shout it down they begin to listen to it with pleasure. The moment they try to be fair to it they begin to be fond of it. But when that affection has passed a certain point it begins to take on the tragic and menacing grandeur of a great love affair.” This lesson focuses specifically on the Catholic Church, where it came from, what it is, and what is so unique about her. Learn about the infallibility of the Church, praying to saints, and why the Church is necessary for salvation. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing the music. Play OR Download

The Forgiveness of Sins: Lesson 8 August 16, 2007 There is nothing better than God. And sin separates us from God. Therefore, there is nothing worse than sin. But what exactly is sin? And how is sin forgiven? What is the difference between Catholic and Protestant teachings on this topic? Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

The Resurrection of the Body: Lesson 9 August 21, 2007 Developing a Christian understanding of death is more and more important today as we can rely on our culture less and less to transmit such an understanding to us. But we know that death is not the end. So let’s start with some basics: Why do we die? What happens at death? Is resurrection more than immortality? Why is resurrection part of God’s plan? And what does resurrection tell us about our bodies? Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing the music. Play OR Download

The Life Everlasting: Lesson 10 August 30, 2007 Many people express a basic desire to live forever. The lyrics to some songs, like that of the movie “Fame,” also reveal an assumed connection between reputation and living forever. But the Christian teaching about everlasting life is much different from the originally pagan idea of fame as immortality. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

How Catholics Worship

Listen to or download lessons in the Luke E. Hart Series. Topics in lessons 11-20 reflect upon matters like liturgy, sacraments, the Lord’s prayer and Mary. Clicking on play or the play arrow icon delivers a streaming version of each podcast. PC users may save these podcasts to their computer by mousing over the Download link, right clicking their mouse, selecting “Save Target as” and saving to their desktop or a destination file. Mac users can right-click the Download link, select “Download Linked File” and save the file to anywhere on their hard drive. If not already installed on your system, you will need an MP3 player, such as Windows Media Player or RealPlayer for Windows systems, or iTunes for Macintosh.

Introduction to Catholic Liturgy: Lesson 11 September 6, 2007 The sacred Liturgy is not just the Mass, but the Mass is the Liturgy with which most Catholics are familiar. Often, it is such a regular part of life that the simple and fundamental questions are overlooked. What exactly is a Liturgy? Why do we do it? We’ll survey the different answers that have been given to just what Liturgy is, learn the Church’s teaching, and develop our understanding of this basic activity of the Church. Our gratitude goes to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

Introduction to the Sacraments: Lesson 12 September 13, 2007 A sacrament is a sacred sign instituted by Christ to give grace. Each word in this concise definition is chosen with precision and bears a great deal of meaning. This lesson explains exactly what is meant by “sign,” what is meant by “grace” how sacraments “give” grace, and how sacraments are not life magic. The requirements for a valid sacrament, the proper minister of the sacraments, and sacramentals will also be discussed in this lesson. This week’s music is provided by the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir. Play OR Download

Baptism and Confirmation: Lesson 13 September 20, 2007 For many of us, Baptism and Confirmation were sacraments we received a long time ago. What did they do for us? Do you know how important they are? Sometimes Catholics are criticized for baptizing infants – find out why the Church encourages this practice. We’ll also discuss which is better, immersion or pouring, and what Noah has to do with this topic. The Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir provide this week’s music. Play OR Download

The Eucharist: Lesson 14 September 27, 2007 The source and summit of the Christian life, the sacramental center for Catholics, is the holy Eucharist. Like Christ, the holy Eucharist is controversial and divisive. When Jesus initially taught crowds of people about the holy Eucharist, many of them left (see the Gospel of John 6:60). Today, the question still comes to us: “will you also go away?” (John 6:67). Is the holy Eucharist actually a sacrifice? Should we worship the Eucharist? Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week's music. Play OR Download

Penance: Lesson 15 October 4, 2007 Christ invites us to respond to evil, first of all, with a serious examination of conscience and the commitment to purify our lives. In effect, people and societies that live without ever questioning themselves have ruin as their only final destination. Conversion, on the other hand, while not preserving one from problems and misfortunes, allows one to face them in a different ‘way.’” Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

Matrimony: Lesson 16 October 11, 2007 The vocation to Matrimony is given by God the Father which “unites man and woman in an unbreakable bond of love and peace.” The Church also teaches that marriage is an “outpouring of love in the new covenant of grace is symbolized in the marriage covenant that seals the love of husband and wife….” Professor Peter Kreeft explores the Catholic Church’s theology of marriage, the state of marriage today and the virtues of the married state. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

Holy Orders & Anointing of the Sick: Lesson 17 October 18, 2007 This podcast deals with two sacraments: Holy Orders and the Anointing of the Sick. All baptized people are called to contribute to the work of salvation. In the Church, priests of Jesus Christ are dedicated to the service of communion. So what is a priest? The letter of Saint James says that if someone is sick we are to call the priest so that they can pray over the sick person anointing him or her with oil in the name of the Lord. What do we believe about the sacrament of anointing? Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week's music. Play OR Download

Prayer: Lesson 18 Octover 25, 2007 What do you understand about the role of prayer in the Christian life? Pope Benedict XVI writes, “The Christian who prays seeks an encounter with the Father of Jesus Christ, asking God to be present with the consolation of the Spirit to him and his work.” The subject of prayer is discussed in this lesson, Prayer. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week's music. Play OR Download

The Lord's Prayer: Lesson 19 November 1, 2007 The Lord’s Prayer is “the summary of the whole gospel,” Tertullian said. And we dare to pray it regularly. The Catechism teaches us that “The Lord’s Prayer brings us into communion with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. At the same time it reveals us to ourselves. Praying to our Father should develop in us the will to become like him and foster in us a humble and trusting heart” (2799-2800). Essential to our Christian formation is the important fact: the Lord’s Prayer reveals us to ourselves. Indeed, Christ reveals us to ourselves. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week's music. Play OR Download

Mary: Lesson 20 November 8, 2007 Mary’s place in salvation history was made clear in Pope Benedict XVI's homily at the Canonization of Frey Antônio de Sant'Anna Galvão in Brazil on May 11, 2007: “Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, stands particularly close to us at this moment.... She, the Tota Pulchra, the Virgin Most Pure, who conceived in her womb the Redeemer of mankind and was preserved from all stain of original sin, wishes to be the definitive seal of our encounter with God our Savior. There is no fruit of grace in the history of salvation that does not have as its necessary instrument the mediation of Our Lady.” In this lesson we learn of Mary’s place in Catholic theology and her place in our lives. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week's music. Play OR Download

How Catholics Live

Listen to or download lessons in the Luke E. Hart Series. Lessons 21-30 explore topics like Catholic morality, human nature, virtue and vice, and the 10 Commandments. Clicking on play or the play arrow icon delivers a streaming version of each podcast. PC users may save these podcasts to their computer by mousing over the Download link, right clicking their mouse, selecting “Save Target as” and saving to their desktop or a destination file. Mac users can right-click the Download link, select “Download Linked File” and save the file to anywhere on their hard drive. If not already installed on your system, you will need an MP3 player, such as Windows Media Player or RealPlayer for Windows systems, or iTunes for Macintosh.

The Essence of Catholic Morality: Lesson 21 Nov. 15, 2007 Today, more than ever it seems, people ask questions about how to live. By nature we want to know the ethos of Christian life. In this part of the series we demonstrate how a Christian lives his or her life according to sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church. Professor Kreeft once again shows us that our decisions, in order to be faithful to our baptism, need to be made according to the perspective of Jesus Christ. But what does that mean? Our gratitude goes to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir for providing this week’s music. Play OR Download

Human Nature as the Basis of Morality: Lesson 22 Nov. 21, 2007 How a Christian lives in this world is an important question to study. Is truth a theory or a reality? If a Christian says he or she believes in Christ and has faith that His promises are in fact true and are fulfilled, and does not live according to the gospel, then how is that person (and others) to make sense of the practice of Christianity in the reality of life? Natural law, morality’s origin, conscience, free will and freedom are among the many topics explored here. This week's music is provided by the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir. Play OR Download

Some Fundamental Principles of Catholic Morality: Lesson 23 Nov. 29, 2007 Principles keep a person focused on a goal so that the opposite is true: the lack of principles in making decisions is like building a house on sand. Catholics believe that objective truth exists, that we can know what it is and that we ought to live according to objective truth. However, truth is not a thing, truth is a person: Jesus Christ. And Jesus is the principle by which our morals are built. Yes? Our gratitude goes to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir. Play OR Download

Virtues and Vices: Lesson 24 December 06, 2007 We all know that virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do good. Vice is the opposite of virtue as it darkens the conscience and removes us the experience of living in the likeness of God. Being virtuous is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of being strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Lest we forget, virtue is our rock in the hour of pain, not vice. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir. Play OR Download

The First Three Commandments: Lesson 25 December 13, 2007 The Ten Commandments, particularly the first three, are neither mere moral absolutes nor are they directives opposed to the longings of the human heart. We are taught that the Commandments constitute a covenant and therefore are “not so much about rules to be followed, but about the full meaning of life.” The first three Commandments point out the pathway to true human happiness and fulfillment. Do you believe it? Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir. Play OR Download

The Fourth Commandment: Lesson 26 December 20, 2007 The Fourth Commandment isn’t just about honoring your parents, it is also about the responsibilities we have for building a just society. But honoring one’s parents and ordering society justly are meaningless if we don’t understand that the Commandments are a part of God’s covenant with us. Thus, the Fourth Commandment is about the relationship we have with God that is manifested in the duties and responsibilities of human relations of family and neighbor oriented toward the good. TheSaint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir provided this week's music. Thanks. Play OR Download

The Fifth Commandment: Lesson 27 December 27, 2007 Matters of life and death are very important concerns. Frequently it is said that the health of a society is understood by the way it treats the vulnerable: the elderly, children, the ill or the unborn. This lesson explores the Christian approach to the Fifth Commandment and what it means for us to believe that God alone is the author of life and that it is not permissible to take a human life. Instead of reducing "Thou shall not kill" to convenient bromides, we learn what it means to be Christian and to have this commandment as a fundamental principle of Christian living. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir. Play OR Download

The Sixth & Ninth Commandments: Lesson 28 January 03, 2008 No doubt you will agree that we live in a sexually charged society. The advertising industry relies on sex to sell a product. In addition, there seems to be a lack of understanding that sexuality is a gift from God. Here we learn about the beauty of sexuality as taught by the Catholic Church. This lesson looks at reality and offers us some practical advice. The Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir provide the music this week. Play OR Download

The Seventh & Tenth Commandments: Lesson 29 January 10, 2008 Stealing and coveting the neighbor's goods are the only points of the 7th and 10th Commandments. People of conscience admit that there is a violation of these commandments which not only goes against the natural law and the rule of justice, but these violations threaten our personal security and peace. Moreover, violating these commandments is contrary to the will of God. One many questions to ask ourselves: Is justice tempered with love? Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir. Play OR Download

The Eighth Commandment: Lesson 30 January 17, 2008 The Church teaches that human truth consists in the conformity of things to the human intellect, which is necessarily relativistic, if not subjectivistic, since there are “many truths in many created intellects” because of the ways things are known. What gets twisted is the meaning of “relativism.” Avoiding a wrong notion of “relativism,” the Church teaches there is a divine intellect and argues that although there are many truths, all truths are ultimately expressions of the one Truth which, is God. So, there is objective truth as there is truth relative to the individual but in the end, the relative is corrected by the objective. Thanks to the Saint Gregory Society and The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Choir. Play OR Download