Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri

Bishop James Ruggieri turns to the second sacrament of healing: the anointing of the sick. He traces Jesus's tenderness toward the suffering throughout the Gospels, from the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law to Christ's compassion at the tomb of Lazarus. Drawing on paragraphs 1499 to 1532 of the Catechism, Bishop Ruggieri explains how illness fits within the Paschal Mystery and ho...

The sacrament of confession, also known as the sacrament of penance or reconciliation, is a vital part of Christian life. Bishop Ruggieri continues his journey through the Catechism with this episode about the sacrament of confession. He explains why baptism does not erase every weakness. Concupiscence still pulls the heart toward sin. He breaks down contrition, confession, and satisfaction. He ex...

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. Bishop James Ruggieri unpacks that claim carefully, drawing on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the documents of Vatican II. Bishop Ruggieri focuses on paragraphs 1322 to 1419 of the Catechism this week. He traces the Eucharist from the upper room to every altar in the world, explaining real presence, transubstantiation, and the...

Bishop James Ruggieri explores what the sacrament of confirmation truly is and how it completes and strengthens the grace received at baptism. Along the way, he addresses a common misconception: confirmation is not a coming-of-age ceremony or Catholic "graduation". It is an important sacrament of initiation. He also reflects on Maine's restored order of the sacraments of initiation,...

Baptism is not a naming ceremony or a family tradition. It is the beginning of new life in Christ. Bishop James Ruggieri continues his walk through the Catechism of the Catholic Church by discussing baptism, exploring its effects, its necessity, and the profound responsibility it places on parents and godparents. He also explains emergency baptisms, infant baptisms and the importance of welcoming...

This episode continues the series on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, diving deeper into Part Two: the Celebration of the Christian Mystery. Drawing from the Catechism and the Second Vatican Council's Sacrosanctum Concilium, Bishop Ruggeri explores four essential questions about the sacred liturgy: Who celebrates it? How is it celebrated? When is it celebrated? And where is it celebrated?...

Bishop James Ruggieri introduces Part Two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Celebration of the Christian Mystery . Exploring the vital link between belief and worship, he explains how the liturgy makes present the saving work of Christ through the sacraments. From the central role of the Paschal Mystery to the action of the Trinity in every liturgical celebration, this episode highlight...

Every week at Mass, we proclaim that we believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. We must not forget the depth of those claims. Even the word "amen" carries a deep profession of faith. In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri closely examines the "last things" in the first section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Listen to hear how Christ's resurrection...

We do not simply stop existing when our bodies die. The saints live on in heaven and remain in communion with the Church on Earth and in purgatory. In this weeks episode, Bishop Ruggieri explains how we know this and what that means for the Church as a whole. This episode focuses on paragraphs 976 through 981 of the Catechism. A full transcript can be found on our website: https://portlanddiocese....

How do bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and lay people all fit together in the Catholic Church? Bishop Ruggieri answers that question in this week's episode. He explains the Catechism's teachings on each role in detail. "Each vocation is distinct, but none, importantly, is isolated. Each is necessary. Each is ordered toward holiness and mission." - Bishop Ruggieri. You can r...

All Catholics are very familiar with the phrase "the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church." Yet, it is easy to forget that each of those four words has a distinct meaning in the life of the Church. In this week's episode, Bishop Ruggieri explains the deeper meanings behind the four "marks" of the Church as they are described in the Catechism. It's a longer episode,...

In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri explains what we mean when we say, “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church.” The Church is not a building or a group of priests, the Church is a whole people, the people of God. Bishop Ruggieri focuses on three important images of the Church: The Church as the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Each of these images help illuminat...

What do we really mean when we say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit?” This week, Bishop Ruggieri discusses the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. This episode draws from the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 683–747. "The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force, not merely an influence, not merely a symbol of divine energy, the Holy Spirit is God." A full transcript can...

What really happened when Jesus “descended into hell,” and what does His resurrection mean for our lives today? In this episode, Bishop James Ruggieri unpacks the Catechism’s teaching on Christ’s descent to the dead, His glorious rising, His ascension into heaven, and His promise to come again in judgment. With Scripture, tradition, and prayerful reflection, he shows how these mysteries reveal not...

In this episode of the Auspice Maria podcast, Bishop James Ruggieri continues his thematic walk through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, focusing on paragraphs 571–630 and the heart of the Paschal Mystery. The center of the Christian faith, he reminds us, is not first a moral code or a philosophy, but a proclamation: God loves you. Bishop Ruggieri reflects on how Christ reveals the Father’s l...

In this episode of Auspice Maria, Bishop James Ruggieri continues the Catechism series by reflecting on the heart of the Christian faith: the Paschal Mystery. He begins with a simple but profound question many carry in silence, "Does God really love me?" Drawing from the Catechism, Bishop Ruggieri walks through key moments in Christ’s public ministry, including His baptism, temptation in...

Join Bishop James Ruggieri as he unpacks the hidden parts of Christ's early life. In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri discusses Mary's Immaculate Conception, The role of Jesus' parents, and His 30 silent years in Nazareth. The quiet simplicity of our Lord's early life sanctifies daily life for all of us. As CCC 521 declares, "Christ enables us to live in Him all that He Himself l...

Why would God enter the world in a barn? Was Jesus human, God, or both? These are the questions at the heart of this week's episode. Bishop James Ruggeri explores the mystery of the Incarnation, the Word made flesh. He unpacks its wonders via Nativity scenes, the nuances of the liturgy, and Catechism teachings on salvation and divine love. A full transcript is available on our website at https...

In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri addresses the perennial question: Why is there sin? Drawing on Catechism paragraphs 385–412, he explains the goodness of creation, the misuse of human freedom, the reality of temptation, and the wound of concupiscence that affects every person. Yet despite our wounded state, there is hope. Listen to hear why God's grace and mercy will always prevail. A full tra...

Bishop Ruggieri uses a recent trip through Northern Maine to frame how we humans interact with God's other creations. He discusses how everything that exists, both seen and unseen, shares a common creator. "When I looked at Katahdin that day, I was not just looking at geology. I was looking at something sustained in existence by love." A full transcription of this episode is availabl...

Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on creation in a “state of journeying." Our world is not a finished product, but a story still unfolding under God’s providence. Drawing from the Catechism, he explores the Trinity as Creator, the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit, and the deeper questions every human heart asks: Where do we come from? Where are we going? He also takes on a timely topic: artif...

Bishop Ruggieri begins this episode with difficult questions that every believer must face at some point. Pulling directly from the Catechism, he asks, "Where do we come from? Where are we going? What is our origin? What is our end? Where does everything that exists come from and where is it going?" (CCC 282) After examining the catechism's answers to these questions, he addresses a...

In this fourth installment of his series on the Catechism, Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on the Catechism’s teaching on faith as a gift from God. "The Catechism reminds us that God continues to draw near through revelation, which is both mysterious and tangible. God reveals Himself gradually, patiently, through covenants, prophets, and ultimately in His Son. Revelation reaches its fullness n...

Bishop Ruggieri discusses paragraphs 101 to 184 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He explains how the Sacred Scriptures are essential to our faith and the life of the whole Church. The Bible is not a "dead letter" but the truly living Word of God. "The Church does not merely place a Bible in our hands. She proclaims it at mass, she explains it in preaching, she interprets it...

Continuing through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Bishop Ruggieri explores the deep restlessness of the human heart, our desire for God, and how God reveals Himself to us. This episode invites listeners to reflect on human dignity, God’s faithful pursuit of humanity, and the full deposit of faith found in Scripture, Tradition, and the teachings of the Church. A full transcript can be found...