Catholic Audiobook in a Month Podcast

Chapter 59: That a man shall not take ensample at the bodily ascension of Christ, for to strain his imagination upwards bodily in the time of prayer: and that time, place, and body, these three should be forgotten in all ghostly working. Chapter 60: That the high and the next way to heaven is run by desires, and not by paces of feet. Chapter 61: That all bodily thing is subject unto ghostly thing,...

This Week... Chapter 44: How a soul shall dispose it on its own part, for to destroy all witting and feeling of its own being. Chapter 45: A good declaring of some certain deceits that may befall in this work. Chapter 46: A good teaching how a man shall flee these deceits, and work more with a listiness of spirit than with any boisterousness of body. Chapter 47: A slight teaching of this work in p...

Chapter 21: The true exposition of this gospel word, 'Mary hath chosen the best part'. Chapter 22: Of the wonderful love that Christ had to man in person of all sinners truly turned and called to the grace of contemplation Chapter 23: How God will answer and purvey for them in spirit, that for business about His love list not answer nor purvey for themselves Chapter 24: What charity is in itself,...

This week's chapters... Chapter 5: That in the time of this work all the creatures that ever have been, be now, or ever shall be, and all the works of those same creatures, should be hid under the cloud of forgetting. Chapter 6: A short conceit of the work of this book, treated by question. Chapter 7: How a man shall have him in this work against all thoughts, and specially against all those that...

Welcome to Week One of The Cloud of Unknowing. Our program features an extended interview with John Polhamus, the narrator of this new recording. He offers insight into his interpretive approach, the historical and spiritual texture of the text, and the enduring relevance of its teachings. Following the conversation, Mr. Polhamus delivers a reading of Chapters 1 through 4, in which the anonymous a...

In today’s episode we hear… A wrap up and review of our book!

In today’s episode we hear… How we should prepare our meditations the night before What to do if you awake during the night How to place yourself in the presence of God How to position one’s body in prayer Not to pass too quickly to new points in meditation How to examine one’s prayer

In today’s episode we hear… How your own reflections are more valuable than hearing others In Affections we should show respect to God We must be generous and courageous in prayer seeking union of love with God If neither consolation nor desolation occur, serious examination is a must It is important not to cut short prayer time, especially when experiencing desolation If you are attracted to some...

In today’s episode we hear… How to use the five sense in prayer About the “Second Method” of prayer: weighing the meaning of each word in prayer About the “Third Method” of prayer: breathing between each word in vocal prayer

In today’s episode we hear… How Contemplation is a visit to our Lord in one of the Mysteries of His life About the Use of 3 Preludes About the Use of 3 Points How to include the prepatory prayer and colloquy

In today’s episode we hear… About Active Contemplation That it’s a type of meditation That it is based on peace, adoration, and love That it’s focus is on stirring up love for God

In today’s episode we hear about not being able to follow a course of reasoning because… A person has limited mental capacity Ill health A person is naturally given to warm affections That person is actually in Affective Prayer

In today’s episode we hear… When we feel weary in prayer we should remember that we do not pray for “Spiritual Delights” When we feel discouraged we should remember that the Holy Spirit sometimes delays before visiting the soul in prayer, and how we need to be patient If we struggle with meditation, a book or a Spiritual Director can be helpful.

In today’s episode we hear… How we shouldn’t be surprised by distractions That usually we just need to return to the subject of the meditation That when distractions are especially severe we can make acts of faith, hope, charity, adoration, petition, etc. How dryness can be caused by lack of vigor or as a trial That there are two kinds of dryness: intermittent and continuous Suggestions from St. I...

In today’s episode we hear… How ordinary prayer must have acts of the intellect and will, or at least the will, to be fruitful About raising one’s heart to God throughout the day Tips on dryness for prayer throughout the day

In today’s episode we hear… About the 4 advantages of Affective Prayer: Abundant Spiritual Consolation It gives us a high idea of the perfection of God It leads to union of our will to God’s It gives fervor for all things connected with God’s service About 4 precautions about using Affective Prayer before we receive the grace to do so: Our faults are still corrected with difficulty Solid virtue ha...

In today’s episode we hear… That Affective Prayer comes after the practice of Meditation How it has an emphasis on the will How it greatly shortens the time spent in consideration That acts of adoration, praise, oblation, etc. come easily in Affective Prayer How in it, resolutions form spontaneously as opposed to as a result of reflection How it is a grace That the soul in Affective Prayer still e...

In today’s episode we hear… How the entire surrender of ourselves to God is the perfection towards which we ought to strive during life Of two motives for oblation: justice and love About Affections: giving thanks for our meditation, offering our resolutions, and asking for the grace to fulfill them About making a reflection on our prayer, which includes an examination and recapitulation What are...

In today’s episode we hear about 4 ways of praying: Asking God for particular graces Prayer to God in a general manner Offering God motives to hear our prayer Making No Request Also the circumstances when petition is fitting: When urged by the Holy Spirit to ask for a particular grace With Spiritual Consolation With Spiritual Desolation When about to do something “important for God”

In today’s episode we hear… How prayer must be humble, confident, and persistent How prayer for temporal favors is good but not infallible

In today’s episode we hear… How to give thanks in both joy and suffering About Prayer properly so-called or “petition” About A.C.T.S - Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication

In today’s episode we hear… How we should make acts of pure love, benevolence, and friendship Jesus The difference between love and benevolence About the sorrowing love of Contrition

In today’s episode we hear how God is our best friend and also the best of fathers… His pleasure is our own We take more pleasure in him than anything we own We console Him We have confidence in Him

In today’s episode we hear… Of how all our surroundings speak of God’s love and invite us to return that love How we can show this love especially in suffering On considering the title of “Creator and Sovereign Lord”

In today’s episode we hear… How charity is a friendship with God, that takes the form of mutual love How we must love God above all things Of the three levels of love of God: Not wanting to commit Mortal Sin, Venial Sin, and Semi-Deliberate Venial Sin About Affective vs Effective Love of God