Council of Catholic Men: Catechism and Bible Study of the Catholic Church

<p>In this episode, I begin and end with a prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, noting the July 7–15 novena, and then lead our Bible study through the Second Epistle of Saint John. We reflect on St. John’s exhortation to walk in truth, remain in charity, and guard the faith against false teachers. I also connect 2 John to Christ’s commandment of love in the Gospel of John, especially the call to love one another as He has loved us.<br /><br />I then turn to St. Peter Canisius’s large catechism and meditate on the final article of the Creed, life everlasting, drawing on Scripture from Corinthians, John, Matthew, Romans, Titus, Timothy, Peter, and the Apocalypse to show the Christian hope of eternal life and final reward. To close, I read a moving account from Jacobus de Voragine’s Golden Legend on Saint Felicity and her seven sons, whose feast is approaching, as a witness of perseverance, courage, and steadfast love for Christ.<ul><li>Council of Catholic Men: Catechism and Bible Study of the Catholic Church (Apple Podcasts): <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/council-of-catholic-men-catechism-and-bible/id1896641707" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/council-of-catholic-men-catechism-and-bible/id1896641707</a></li><li>Douay-Rheims Bible Online: <a href="https://drbo.org/" target="_blank">https://drbo.org/</a></li><li>Saint Peter Canisius (Vatican, General Audience of February 9, 2011): <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110209.html" target="_blank">https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110209.html</a></li><li>Victories of the Martyrs by St. Alphonsus Liguori (Open Library): <a href="https://openlibrary.org/books/OL25789148M/Victories_of_the_martyrs" target="_blank">https://openlibrary.org/books/OL25789148M/Victories_of_the_martyrs</a></li><li>The Golden Legend / Legenda Aurea by Jacobus de Voragine (New Advent): <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08262b.htm" target="_blank">https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08262b.htm</a></li><li>Saint Felicitas and Her Seven Sons (New Advent): <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06028a.htm" target="_blank">https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06028a.htm</a></li><li>Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena / Solemnity Resource (Carmelite Sisters): <a href="https://www.carmelitesisters.com/carmelite-events/solemnity-of-our-lady-of-mount-carmel" target="_blank">https://www.carmelitesisters.com/carmelite-events/solemnity-of-our-lady-of-mount-carmel</a></li></ul></p>

<p>This episode continued our Bible study through 1 John 5 using the Douay-Rheims translation and its footnotes, reflecting on faith that works through charity, obedience to God’s commandments, the witness of the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and the difficult passage on sin “unto death.” The Church understands repentance, prayer according to God’s will, and the danger of final impenitence and idolatry, with supporting references from Galatians, Ezekiel, Job, and the Gospel of John. Joe joined live to help us reflect on the feast of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, the heretical idea of assurance, sacramental confession, and why Catholic teaching keeps repentance and perseverance at the center of the Christian life.<br /><br />The catechism portion turned to St. Peter Canisius on the resurrection of the body and the final judgment, drawing out the hope and discipline that flow from believing our bodies will be raised and conformed to Christ. We worked through scriptural references from Job, Colossians, Corinthians, Romans, Thessalonians, the Gospels, and Philippians, then closed with a reading from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Victories of the Martyrs on St. Potamiena, her mother Marcella, and Basilides. The episode ends with prayer and an invitation for more listeners to join future live call-ins.<ul><li>Council of Catholic Men: Catechism and Bible Study of the Catholic Church (podcast listing): <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/council-of-catholic-men-catechism-and-bible/id1896641707" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/council-of-catholic-men-catechism-and-bible/id1896641707</a></li><li>Douay-Rheims Bible Online: <a href="https://drbo.org/" target="_blank">https://drbo.org/</a></li><li>1 John 5 (Douay-Rheims + Latin Vulgate): <a href="https://www.drbo.org/drl/chapter/69005.htm" target="_blank">https://www.drbo.org/drl/chapter/69005.htm</a></li><li>Galatians 5 (Douay-Rheims): <a href="https://www.drbo.org/chapter/55005.htm" target="_blank">https://www.drbo.org/chapter/55005.htm</a></li><li>Ezekiel 33 (Douay-Rheims): <a href="https://www.drbo.org/chapter/31033.htm" target="_blank">https://www.drbo.org/chapter/31033.htm</a></li><li>Job 19 (Douay-Rheims): <a href="https://www.drbo.org/chapter/20019.htm" target="_blank">https://www.drbo.org/chapter/20019.htm</a></li><li>Saint Peter Canisius (Vatican): <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110209.html" target="_blank">https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110209.html</a></li><li>Saint Junipero Serra (Vatican): <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150923_usa-omelia-washington-dc.html" target="_blank">https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150923_usa-omelia-washington-dc.html</a></li><li>Pope Pius IX (Vatican biography): <a href="https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20000903_pius-ix_en.html" target="_blank">https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20000903_pius-ix_en.html</a></li><li>The Most Precious Blood of Jesus (Vatican): <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/2000/jul-sep/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20000701_sanguis-christi.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/2000/jul-sep/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20000701_sanguis-christi.pdf</a></li><li>Corpus Christi / Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Vatican): <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/angelus/2025/documents/20250622-angelus.html" target="_blank">https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/angelus/2025/documents/20250622-angelus.html</a></li><li>Second Vatican Council documents (Vatican archive): <a href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/index_it.htm" target="_blank">https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/index_it.htm</a></li><li>Saint Alphonsus Liguori (Vatican): <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110330.html" target="_blank">https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110330.html</a></li><li>St. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXII (New Advent): <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120122.htm" target="_blank">https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120122.htm</a></li></ul></p>

<p>In this episode, we continue our Bible study through 1 John 4, focusing on how to test the spirits, remain faithful to the true confession of Jesus Christ, and live the commandment of charity. We reflect on St. John’s teaching that God is love, that perfect charity casts out fear, and that love of God must be proven by love of neighbor. We also walk through the footnotes and cross-references tied to the chapter, including passages from the Gospel of John, Philippians, and 1 Timothy, to show how the Church understands discernment, truth, and the life of grace.<br /><br />We then move into a catechetical reflection on the resurrection of the flesh and the final judgment, drawing from the creed and scriptural references in 2 Corinthians, Romans, John, Matthew, and Ephesians. To close, we read from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s account of St. Gallicanus and the martyrs John and Paul, highlighting their courage, conversion, and witness under persecution. The episode ends by looking ahead to 1 John 5 next week and by encouraging us to remain steadfast in love, faith, and hope as we work out our salvation before God.</p>

<p>In today’s Council of Catholic Men we begin bible study with 1 John 3, reflecting on God’s fatherly love that makes us His children, the call to holiness, and the stark contrast between the children of God and the children of the devil. We dwell on the command to love one another in deed and in truth, explore how abiding in Christ transforms our lives, and consider the confidence we gain before God when we keep His commandments. We read through cross-references across Scripture—from Genesis, Isaiah, the Gospels, and Paul’s letters—to clarify tough verses on sin, grace, and perseverance, emphasizing authentic charity and obedience rooted in faith.<br /><br />We then turn to St. Peter Canisius’s Large Catechism on the Tenth Article of the Creed—“the forgiveness of sins”—to consider Christ’s gift of the keys, the authority to bind and loose, and the commission to forgive sins given to the apostles, especially St. Peter and his successors. We read Matthew 16 and John 21 to see Peter’s primacy, and conclude with a moving reading from St. Alphonsus de Liguori on the martyrdom of Saints Nicander and Marcian (June 17), whose steadfast witness—and the courageous faith of their families—call us to persevere in love and fidelity to Christ. Next week, we’ll begin 1 John 4.</p>

<p>In today’s Council of Catholic Men Catechism and Bible Study, we continued through Scripture with a reading of 1 John chapter 2, reflecting on Christ as our advocate, the call to keep His commandments, and the primacy of fraternal charity. We explored the warnings against loving the world and being misled by new teachers, the meaning of having unction of the Holy Spirit’s anointing, and the assurance of eternal life promised to those who follow the commandments of the Son and the Father. From the Douay-Rheims Bible english translation footnotes, we unpacked key verses on walking in the light, the identity of Antichrist as being a denier of Christ, and the Church’s guardianship of truth. We then connected these themes to the Gospel of John (13 and 15), highlighting the new commandment of love, the reality of persecution for the sake of the name of Jesus, and the promised testimony of the Paraclete. We transitioned to the Catechism by St. Peter Canisius, reflecting on the tenth article of the Apostles’ Creed—“the forgiveness of sins”—which means the necessity of Baptism, sorrow for sin, repentance, and ongoing penance. Scripture references from Acts, Mark 16, John 3, Matthew 28, John 20, and Revelation 2 grounded the discussion in the Church’s sacramental life, apostolic authority, and the call to conversion. We concluded with the inspiring martyrdom of St. Julitta and her three year old son St. Quiricus (June 16), their steadfast confession of Christ amid persecution, and the enduring veneration of their relics—encouraging us to persevere in love, fidelity to the Church, and confidence in Christ’s mercy. Next week, we’ll continue with 1 John chapter 3 and the final parts of the tenth article on the remission of sins.</p>