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Category Archives: Spirituality

#264 – Alexamenos Worships God

November 12, 2011 – 12:53 am

The graffito blasfemo graphically represents the type of persecution that Christians faced in the Roman Empire. Scandalous at the time it was made, it now stands as a powerful testimony to the Christian faith.

Links:
Article on the Alexamenos graffito
An interesting and informative talk on the image of the crucifixion in art

Sources:
Green, Bernard. Christianity in Ancient Rome: The First Three Centuries. New York: T & T Clark, 2010
Lampe, Peter. From Paul to Valentinus: Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003
Sheckler, Allyson Everingham. “The Crucifixion Conundrum and the Santa Sabina Doors”. Harvard Theological Review 103, no. 1 (2010): 67-88

A clearer image of the Alexamenos graffito and the Staurogram

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podcasticon #264 – Alexamenos Worships God

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Early Church History, Podcast | Comments (1)

#259 – The Saint of Urakami Part II

October 8, 2011 – 12:53 am

In the second of a two part episode, Takashi Nagai uses his faith to find meaning his suffering after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and uses that faith to inspire hope for others.

Links:
All That Remains – a movie that is being made about the life of Takashi Nagai
All That Remains Facebook page
Information on the life of Takashi Nagai covered in this episode can be found here and here and here.
Radio interview with Takashi Nagai – in Japanese
Takashi Nagai’s Funeral Address of November 23, 1945
Takashi Nagai’s report on the effects of the atomic bomb
Youtube video of an interview with Takashi Nagai’s daughter Kayano
Youtube video of “The Bells of Nagasaki”

Above photo of the Cathedral of Urukami in Nagasaki, Japan after the atomic bombing of August 9, 1945.

Sources:
Paul Glynn, A Song for Nagasaki, (San Francisco: Ignatius Press), 2009.
Takashi Nagai, The Bells of Nagasaki, (New York: Kodansha International), 1994.

Here are some photos taken from the museum of Takashi Nagai in Nagasaki showing the rosary of Nagai’s wife, Midori.

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podcasticon #259 – The Saint of Urakami Part II

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Japanese History, Podcast, Science | Comments (5)

#258 – The Saint of Urakami Part I

October 1, 2011 – 3:10 am

In the first part of a two part episode, we are introduced to Takashi Nagai and follow his journey from atheism and materialism into Catholicism as he seeks answers to the deepest questions of his heart.

Links:
Pensées of Pascal
Earlier CUTH episode on the Kirishitan Christians of Japan
Information on the life of Takashi Nagai covered in this episode can be found here and here.

Sources:
Paul Glynn, A Song for Nagasaki, (San Francisco: Ignatius Press), 2009.

Photo of the Cathedral of Urukami in Nagasaki, Japan

Check out the other great podcasts at the Starquest Production Network

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To listen, just click on the link below:

podcasticon #258 – The Saint of Urakami Part I

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Japanese History, Podcast, Science | Comments (1)

#252 – Holy Cards

August 13, 2011 – 3:04 am

Holy Cards have played an important part of the Catholic faith for centuries. Whether serving as a source of inspiration or consolation, these images of the saints have helped many grow in the love of God and one another.

Links:
Saints Unlimited
Images of old Holy Cards
More images of old Holy Cards
Chant Art – laminated copies of old Holy Cards
Holy Card Heaven – Blog with different holy cards each day
Pierluigi Stradella’s collection of Holy Cards

CNMC – Catholic New Media Celebration

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podcasticon #252 – Holy Cards

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Podcast | Comments (1)

#246 – The Bride of Christ

July 2, 2011 – 4:00 pm

Saint Kassia, rejected by Emperor Theophilos, but proclaimed by the Eastern Church was one of the most important hymnographers in medieval Christianity. Her writings and work attracted the attention of the people of God of her time and continue to inspire Christians today.

Links:
The Hymn of Kassia/Kassiani sung by the choir of Saint Mary Orthodox Church
Other examples of the writings and hymns of Saint Kassia
VocaMe has produced a CD with the hymns of Saint Kassa in the original Greek and samples of her hymns can be found here

Later image of Theophilos choosing his bride.

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podcasticon #246 – The Bride of Christ

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Byzantine History, Music, Podcast, Women's History | Comments (4)

#245 – Praise God At All Times

September 13, 2010 – 12:09 pm

From the earliest days of the Catholic Church, hymns sung in worship expressed the faith of Christians. Two of the earliest hymns the Phos Hilaron and the Oxyrhynchus Hymn show clearly the obligation that Christians had to offer praise to God and to express their thanksgiving in song.

Links:
Youtube video of the Phos Hilaron in Greek
Youtube video of the Oxyrhynchus Hymn
Photo of the Oxyrhychus Hymn fragment

Photo by J. Samuel Burner

Be sure to check out the CUTH blog for more on the history of the Catholic Church

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podcasticon #245 – Praise God At All Times

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Early Church History, Podcast | Comments (0)

#239 – The Family That Prays Together

July 7, 2010 – 4:05 pm

Fr. Patrick Peyton dedicated his life to promoting family prayer and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout the world. The Rosary Priest attracted huge crowds and the attention of Popes and the CIA.

Links:
Family Rosary – Continues Fr. Peyton’s mission to spread devotion to the Rosary throughout the world and includes some of the Radio Theater programs produced by Fr. Peyton.
Family Theater Productions – the radio and television organization established by Fr. Peyton to promote religious programs.
The OTR Network Library has several of the Family Theater radio programs available [requires Real Player]
Hill Number One – a Family Theatre television program produced by Fr. Peyton and contains an early appearance of actor James Dean
Information on the cause of Fr. Peyton

Sources
Hugh Wilford. The Mighty Wurlitzer. How The CIA Played America. 2008
Richard Gribble, CSC. American Apostle of the Family Rosary 2005.
Richard Gribble, CSC. “Anti-Communism, Patrick Peyton, CSC and the C.I.A.” Journal of Church and State No. 3 2003

Be sure to check out the CUTH blog for more on the history of the Catholic Church

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podcasticon #239 – The Family That Prays Together

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Podcast, US History | Comments (1)

#238 – Dancing Mania

June 27, 2010 – 8:06 am

Throughout the Middle Ages, Catholics saw friends and neighbors afflicted with what they believed was the irresistible desire to dance. The cure for this strange ailment, they believed, was to be found in the intercession of the saints…and more dancing.

Links:

An article on the Dancing Plague from the Discovery Channel

“Rethinking the Dancing Mania” by Robert E. Bartholomew in Skeptical Inquirer Volume 24.4, July / August 2000 – the author explains the dancing mania as an expression of prohibited heretical/pagan beliefs

“A forgotten plague: making sense of dancing mania” by John Waller in The Lancet, Volume 373, Issue 9664, Pages 624 – 625, 21 February 2009 – the author finds an explanation for dancing mania in mass psychosis – for a fuller treatment see his The Dancing Plague. The Strange, True story of an Extraordinary Illness.

“The Dancing Plague: a public health conundrum” by LJ Donaldson, J Cavanagh, and J Rankin in Public Health 1997 Issue 4, p201-204 – the authors suggest a variety of causes for the dancing mania

The painting is The Pilgrimage of the Epileptics to the Church at Molenbeeck: Three groups of Epileptics going to the left by Pieter Breughel the Elder

SQPN’s Catholic New Media Celebration

Be sure to check out the CUTH blog for more on the history of the Catholic Church

Send e-mail questions and comments to catholicunderthehood@gmail.com or leave voice mail at 1 740 936 4354

To listen, just click on the link below:

podcasticon #238 – Dancing Mania

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Medieval History, Podcast, Women's History | Comments (0)

Catholic History In Other Podcasts – Book of Kells

March 24, 2010 – 3:09 am

The most recent episode of Stuff You Missed In History Class discusses the history of The Book of Kells – a 9th century illuminated manuscript of the Gospels considered one of the treasures of Ireland.

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Catholic History in Other Podcasts, Irish History | Comments (0)

#226 – Where Peace Reigns

March 21, 2010 – 10:56 am

Maria Gaetana Agnesi was one of the brightest mathematicians of the 18th century who just as she had been given a position at the Bologna Academy of Sciences gave it all up to serve the poor. Also in this episode a few words on Kyriopascha and Palmbuschen.

Links:
Massimo Mazzotti has written a recent book on Maria Agnesi called “The World of Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Mathematician of God”
Here’s a good website with information about Maria Agnesi
Here’s a good website explaining “The Witch of Agnesi”

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To listen, just click on the link below:

podcasticon #226 – Where Peace Reigns