Keep The Faith's Podcast

Father Robert Bishop, examines the role of the Theological Virtues in the restoration of Traditional Catholicism. The kind of god a culture has, determines the kind of culture they have. The battle for the restoration of traditional Catholic culture and liturgy is both a spiritual battle and a material battle. Patience gives a peaceful soul. Bitterness of heart must be avoided at all costs. Fortit...

Father James McLucas describes how priests living within, especially the ordinary diocesan structures, experience a disconnect between their faith and intellect, and the demands of "obedience" to the current ecclesial structures, practices and liturgy. A mass that is not stable and fixed leads to a morality that is the same. The internal conflict between what the faithful priest believes and what...

Father James McLucas reflects on the priest and the Sacrifice of the Mass. Father says in every Mass the priest is offered both Divine and human intimacy.

Father H. O. Pream reflects on the most Precious Gift of The Holy Eucharist, asking why has God revealed to us things we cannot understand with our own reason? This is a crucial question. This holy, holy priest provides the answer, from St. Thomas Aquinas. Learn what God has in store for us as Father H. O. Pream answers this question with the most moving, loving descriptions of God's love.

Laura Berquist, the founder of Mother of Divine Grace School, gives a comprehensive explanation of why Classical education and Catholic education are essentially the same thing, whether it be homeschooling or a more traditional Catholic school. Proper intellectual formation gives a person the ability to acquire, understand, and use information on any subject in a wise way. A classic liberal arts e...

Laura Berquist Describes the three pillars of a solid Classical Catholic Education - Reading, Latin and Math. Latin especially is valuable as it helps in mastery of all subject areas. She explains that students with a solid Catholic classical education have no problems getting into colleges and are not only well prepared for many different vocations and career paths. Homeschoolers are generally we...

Laura Berquist answers a variety of questions related to Catholic Classical Education and homeschooling. How can parents teach subjects they are not experts in and continue to learn themselves? What are good reading lists and what are some transformative books to read? What are some favorite elementary and high school texts and courses? How to homeschool within a large family with all ages of chil...

Dr. John Rao discusses the difficulties faced by the Empire from the time of the entry of the Goths in 376 A.D. onwards. Here one learns of the Gothic move westward, the eruption of the Vandal alliance into Gaul and Spain, the fragmentation of authority and the attempts by the emperor in Constantinople to control the situation through the expedition of Theodoric and Justinian's reconquest of Italy...

Dr. John Rao discusses the Church and the Theodosian Emperors. What was the situation of the Church under the Theodosian Emperors who supported Orthodoxy versus the Arian Heresy? Dr. John Rao discusses here the building of an orthodox Roman Christendom and the roles of the "Patriarchs" of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Constantinople.

Dr. John Rao discusses Christology and the Council of Ephesus. The first great threat to the new orthodox order of things came through the divergences over Christology emerging out of Antioch and Alexandria. These fought their first open battle at the Council of Ephesus over the ideas and work of Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople who was a representative of the "school" of Antioch.

Dr. John Rao discusses the collapse of the "Union" to the Council of Chalcedon. The highly confusing and divisive history of the Council of Ephesus seemed to reach a happy conclusion with the "Act of Union" signed by the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch after the end of that synod. Dr. John Rao discusses here the collapse of that hopeful (but temporary) end to the controversy.

Dr. John Rao discusses the reactions to Chalcedom and Monophysite Movement. This and the following two talks by Dr. John Rao cover the controversial Council of Chalcedon and reactions to it from those who could not accept Pope St. Leo's definition of Christ as possessing two natures united in one Divine Person--the so-called Monophysites.

Dr. John Rao discusses the reactions to Chalcedon and the Monophysite Movement. Monophysites were active in both Egypt and Syria. Eventually they developed a parallel hierarchy which split the Church in the Middle East into pro and anti-Chalcedon factions. Dr. John Rao explores the development of a "Monophysite Church" in this second talk.

Dr. John Rao discusses the reactions to Chalcedon and Monophysite Movement. The Emperor Justinian, himself pro-Chalcedon, tried a number of different approaches to resolve the dilemmas posed by two opposing Churches. These brought many problems of Caesaro-Papism, including fights with Rome, in their train.

Dr. John Rao discusses the Lombards, Persians, Moslems and Rome. The situation of the Empire was worsened due to invasions by the Lombards in Italy and the Persians and Arab Moslems in the East. These wreaked havoc with the still strong ancient urban character of the Greco-Roman world. During the all too short period of imperial revival under Heraclius a last attempt to resolve the Monophysite Her...

Dr. John Rao discusses Rome, the East and the Monothelite controversy. Highly gifted intellectual and spiritual exiles from the East, like St. Maximus the Confessor, stirred up the Papacy to a greater sense of its Primacy and its duty to fight Monothelitism. This lead to severe confrontations with the emperors in Constantinople, especially under the reign of Pope St. Martin.

Dr. John Rao discusses Gaul and the background of the Papal-Frankish alliance. Both papal pragmatism as well as frustration with a political/religious order under the authority of the emperors in Constantinople gradually led Rome to contemplate a break with the imperium. That break would bring with it a new alliance, one with the German tribes, especially that of the Franks in Gaul. Here, Dr. John...

Dr. John Rao discusses Gaul and the background of the Papal-Frankish Alliance. Dr. John Rao continues his discussion of Christianity in Merovingian Gaul. The Kingdom of the Franks under the descendants of Clovis experienced many difficulties dangerous to the Faith and conducive to the growth of another, ultimately more competent family: the Carolingians.

Dr. John Rao discusses the contribution of Britain and Ireland. In three talks, Dr. John Rao discusses the crucial role played in the growth of Christianity in Merovingian and Carolingian Gaul of influences coming from Britain and Ireland. In the first of these conferences, the horror of post-Roman British life is explained, as well as hopeful developments beginning with the work of St. Patrick an...

Dr. John Rao discusses the contribution of Britain and Ireland. Irish monasticism came to play an essential part in the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon Britain. But so did the influence coming from a different kind of monasticism, that of St. Benedict and the Benedictines. In this talk, by Dr. John Rao the distinctions between these two monastic "rules" are developed. 

Dr. John Rao discusses the contribution of Britain and Ireland. Ultimately, Anglo-Saxon Britain was Christianized by Benedictine and Irish monks who clashed but also complemented one another in important sections of what can now be called England; areas like Northumbria. Christian England's close ties with the Greco-Roman world are emphasized by Dr. John Rao.

Dr. John Rao discusses the Irish monks, the Merovingians and the Carolingians. Irish monasticism emphasized the need of going into exile for Christ's sake. They became great evangelists. One of these, St. Columbanus, was instrumental in stirring up tepid Christian belief in a Merovingian Gaul disturbed by civil wars. Much of the Frankish nobility, the Carolingian Family prominent among it, took Ir...

Dr. John Rao discusses the growth of Frankish power, the Carolingians and St. Boniface. The Kingdom of the Franks expanded eastward underneath the strongest of the Merovingians and the Carolingian "Mayors of the Palace". The German tribes they encountered were either still pagan or only slightly touched by Christianity. Irish monks and then "Benedictines" from Britain, like St. Boniface, would com...

Dr. John Rao discusses the growth of Frankish power, the Carolingians, and St. Boniface. St. Boniface realized that working with the Franks and the Carolingians was a necessary but tricky business. Dr. John Rao discusses some of the hopes and dangers of cooperating with Charles Martel and Pippin in this talk. 

Dr. John Rao discusses the iconoclast controversy. Before the popes could bring themselves to make a final break with subjection to the emperor in Constantinople one final blow was needed. This came with the Iconoclast Controversy, which brought with it not only a religious conflict but also a political one. Eastern exiles made Rome a center of opposition to an image smashing whose errors were dis...