InPrincipio Podcast

Saint Thomas Aquinas' teaching on the virtue of humility, from the Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part, question 161. For St. Thomas Aquinas, humility is the virtue that restrains the soul from reaching beyond its proper measure, keeping one grounded in truth about oneself in relation to God and others. In the Summa Theologica (II–II, q.161), he teaches that humility moderates the...

Saint Joseph Calasanz (1557–1648) was a Spanish priest and educator who dedicated his life to the service of poor and abandoned children. Born in Aragón, he studied law and theology before being ordained, eventually moving to Rome where he was struck by the lack of education available to the city’s poorest youth. In 1597, he opened the first free public school in Europe, laying the foundation for...

Pope Saint Zephyrinus (c. 198–217) served as Bishop of Rome during a time of great turbulence for the early Church, both from external persecution and internal theological conflict. A man of limited education, he relied heavily on his deacon and successor, Callixtus, to administer Church affairs, while he himself emphasized unity and pastoral care. His pontificate was marked by struggles against h...

Saint Louis IX (1214–1270), King of France, reigned from 1226 until his death and is remembered as one of the most just and pious monarchs of the Middle Ages. Crowned at the age of twelve, he matured into a ruler devoted to strengthening the French crown, administering fair justice, and fostering peace within his realm. Renowned for his personal holiness, he was deeply committed to charity, foundi...

Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering...

The Century of Columbus by James Joseph Walsh offers a comprehensive exploration of the late 15th to early 16th century, emphasizing the pivotal role of Catholic faith and culture in shaping the era’s intellectual, artistic, and exploratory achievements. Walsh, a Catholic historian, portrays the period as a golden age of Catholic civilization, highlighting figures like Christopher Columbus, whose...

St. Philip Benizi (1233–1285) was an Italian priest and one of the great figures of the Servite Order, remembered for his humility, holiness, and peacemaking spirit. Born in Florence, he studied medicine and theology before joining the newly founded Servite community, where he embraced a life of poverty and service. Though chosen as superior general of the order, he resisted honors and once even f...

The Feast of the Assumption, joyfully celebrated on August 15, is a cherished solemnity in the Catholic Church, honoring the glorious moment when our Blessed Mother, Mary, was taken up body and soul into the splendor of heaven at the close of her earthly life. Proclaimed as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950, this sacred feast illuminates Mary’s singular privilege as the Immaculate Mother of God, unit...

St. Jane Frances de Chantal (1572–1641) was a French noblewoman, wife, mother, widow, and later foundress of a major religious order. Born in Dijon to an influential family, she married Baron Christophe de Chantal and devoted herself to her household and charitable works, but was widowed at 28 after her husband’s sudden death in a hunting accident. Left with four children, she endured deep grief y...

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) was a French abbot, mystic, and leading figure in the Cistercian reform movement. Born into a noble family in Burgundy, he entered the monastery of Cîteaux around 1112 (age 22), bringing with him some thirty companions, including several of his brothers. In 1115, he was sent to found a new monastery at Clairvaux, where his spiritual leadership, eloquence, and s...

This sermon by St. Basil the Great is taken from the Patrologia Graeca, Volume 31Saint Basil the Great (c. 330–379), born into a wealthy Christian family in Caesarea of Cappadocia, was a pivotal figure in early Christianity, renowned for his theological writings, ascetic vision, and charitable works. Educated in Athens alongside his close friend Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil pursued the monastic lif...

The Feast of the Assumption, joyfully celebrated on August 15, is a cherished solemnity in the Catholic Church, honoring the glorious moment when our Blessed Mother, Mary, was taken up body and soul into the splendor of heaven at the close of her earthly life. Proclaimed as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950, this sacred feast illuminates Mary’s singular privilege as the Immaculate Mother of God, unit...

St. Bernard of Clairvaux outlines the "Twelve Degrees of Humility and Pride" in this treatise, describing a spiritual ladder where humility ascends toward holiness and pride descends toward sin. The degrees of humility begin with constant self-examination and obedience to God, progressing through submission to others, patience in suffering, and ultimately, a profound love for God above s...

A reading from the Rule of Saint Benedict: Chapter 7 - Of Humility

The Feast of the Assumption, joyfully celebrated on August 15, is a cherished solemnity in the Catholic Church, honoring the glorious moment when our Blessed Mother, Mary, was taken up body and soul into the splendor of heaven at the close of her earthly life. Proclaimed as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950, this sacred feast illuminates Mary’s singular privilege as the Immaculate Mother of God, unit...

Reading from Dom Prosper Guéranger's Liturgical Year for the Tenth Sunday after PentecostDom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily m...

Reading from Dom Prosper Guéranger's Liturgical Year for August 16: Saint Joachim, father of the Blessed Virgin MaryDom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century,...

The Feast of the Assumption, joyfully celebrated on August 15, is a cherished solemnity in the Catholic Church, honoring the glorious moment when our Blessed Mother, Mary, was taken up body and soul into the splendor of heaven at the close of her earthly life. Proclaimed as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950, this sacred feast illuminates Mary’s singular privilege as the Immaculate Mother of God, unit...

Reading from Dom Prosper Guéranger's Liturgical Year for August 14: Vigil fo the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading from Dom Prosper Guéranger's Liturgical Year for August 13: Saint Radegund, Queen of the Franks

Chapter 1 of historian James Joseph Walsh's 'The Century of Columbus' : Raphael

Audiobook Preface and Introduction to historian James Joseph Walsh's 'The Century of Columbus'

Reading from Dom Prosper Guéranger's Liturgical Year for August 12: Saint Clare, Virgin

Reading from Dom Prosper Guéranger's Liturgical Year for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Reading from Dom Prosper Guéranger's Liturgical Year for August 11: Saints Tibertius and Susanna, Martyrs