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Thoughtful Catholic

Thoughtful Catholic

By Chuck White

The Thoughtful Catholic Podcast is a short form podcast that vigorously seeks the True, the Good and the Beautiful, making full use the two wings of the human spirit - faith and reason, and gifts drawn from the treasure house of the patrimony of the Catholic Church, including, but are not limited to, the Sacred Scriptures, the teachings of the Church Fathers, and examples from the Lives of the Saints.
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038: The Battle is the Lord's

Thoughtful CatholicJul 23, 2022

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05:42
038: The Battle is the Lord's

038: The Battle is the Lord's

Gideon, Jonathan and David had a profound sense of God's providence, especially when confronted with Israel's enemies.  What could this have to do with us?  Stay tuned.

Jul 23, 202205:42
037: Ruth, Boaz, and the Coming of the King

037: Ruth, Boaz, and the Coming of the King

We’re back to our march through the Old Testament and in this episode we’ll linger at the oasis that is the Book of Ruth and see how it points to the coming of the King.

Jul 09, 202207:40
036: What is the Common Good?

036: What is the Common Good?

During the pandemic we often heard talk of actions taken for “the common good.”  Just what is this “common good?”  How does the Church define it?

Jun 16, 202210:16
035: The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

035: The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

On this Feast of Pentecost, it’s appropriate to talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Let’s do that.

May 30, 202210:38
034: Jephthah's Tragic Vow

034: Jephthah's Tragic Vow

In this episode we’ll continue our discussion of the flawed heroes of the Book of Judges by relating the troubling story of Jephthah and his daughter.

May 24, 202207:49
033: Gideon's Sword

033: Gideon's Sword

This episode will begin a series on several of the heroes of the Book of Judges.  We’ll start with Gideon.

May 07, 202209:44
032: The Victory of Truth

032: The Victory of Truth

Why should all men, Christian or not, be subject to a final judgment at the end of the world and upon being resurrected if they were already judged once before?

Apr 24, 202204:54
031: On the Resurrected Body

031: On the Resurrected Body

Happy Easter!  What will our resurrected bodies be like?  In this episode we’ll get some insight into this from St. Paul and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Apr 17, 202209:21
030: A Jealous God

030: A Jealous God

Is the God revealed by Jesus Christ jealous?  Listen to this episode to find out.

Apr 07, 202211:02
029: The gods of Canaan

029: The gods of Canaan

In this episode we’ll learn about five of the false gods of Israel’s neighbors in the Promised Land and what they might mean for us.  Spoiler alert: it’s time to repent!

Mar 24, 202211:43
028: Forty Days

028: Forty Days

The holy season of Lent is well underway, and in this episode we’ll review several instances of 40-day periods in the Bible and see what insights they may give us.

Mar 13, 202205:56
027: The Six Days of Creation

027: The Six Days of Creation

In this episode we’ll hear about St. Thomas Aquinas’s intriguing interpretation of the six days of creation described in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis.

Mar 08, 202207:41
026: Science and the Old Testament

026: Science and the Old Testament

Is the Bible a science book?  How should we react when we read things in the Bible that seem to contradict well established scientific facts?  In this episode we’ll hear what St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas had to say about the matter.

Feb 28, 202207:32
025: Achan's Plunder and Blunder

025: Achan's Plunder and Blunder

In this episode I’ll relate a disturbing story from the Book of Joshua that’s reminiscent of the story of Annanias and Saphira in the Book of Acts of the Apostles.  It’s a story of a Israelite soldier named Achan who made a terrible mistake.  What I say may not make the story any less disturbing, we will hear a great spiritual lesson related to it from St. John of the Cross.

Feb 21, 202207:60
024: Rahab, Spies, and Lies

024: Rahab, Spies, and Lies

In this episode we’ll relate the story of the biblical heroine Rahab and discuss a certain moral dilemma it presents.
Feb 13, 202208:17
023: On the Conquest of Canaan and Violence in the Bible

023: On the Conquest of Canaan and Violence in the Bible

In this episode we’ll discuss four helpful perspectives on the violence involved in the Israelite’s conquest of Canaan, violence which is often cited by those who attack the validity of the Scriptures.
Feb 06, 202212:19
022: To the Banks of the Jordan

022: To the Banks of the Jordan

Hear the reflections St. Peter Damian, a Doctor of the Church, who made a seemingly boring passage of the Old Testament come alive by applying to it one of the spiritual senses of scripture that we discussed in the last episode.
Jan 30, 202206:45
021: The Four Senses of Scripture

021: The Four Senses of Scripture

In this episode we’ll open up the Church’s treasury and bring out the four senses of Sacred Scripture that are four ways to appropriate the spiritual gifts of the Scriptures to our lives.

Jan 23, 202208:26
020: "Before Abraham came to be, I AM"

020: "Before Abraham came to be, I AM"

In this episode we’ll discuss the startling implications of Jesus’s use of the phrase “I AM” in the Gospel of John.

Jan 17, 202209:29
019: The Daughters of Zelophehad

019: The Daughters of Zelophehad

In this episode we’ll see how three provisions of the Mosaic law prefigure or are an allegory for a key principle of the Church’s Social Teaching, the Universal Destination of Goods.
Jan 09, 202209:36
018: "We have seen his star at its rising."

018: "We have seen his star at its rising."

In this episode we’ll talk about the Magi and the Star of Bethlehem and an ancient prophecy that circulated among the gentiles long before Jesus was born.
Jan 03, 202209:43
017: The Hilasterion

017: The Hilasterion

The Hilasterion (hil-ah-STAY-ree-on), or Mercy Seat. In this episode I'll share an example of how study of the worship and sacrifice of the Old Testament can enrich our understanding of Jesus Christ and our redemption.
Dec 27, 202110:07
016: The Bridegroom (Why celibacy for priests? Part II)

016: The Bridegroom (Why celibacy for priests? Part II)

In this episode I’ll continue the discussion from the last episode and present a few thoughts to ponder from Robert Cardinal Sarah on priestly celibacy from the book he co-authored with Pope Benedict entitled, “From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church”.
This will not in any way be an exhaustive treatment of Cardinal Sarah’s words on the subject, but rather just some food for thought.
Dec 20, 202108:14
015: Into the Holy of Holies (Why celibacy for priests? Part I)

015: Into the Holy of Holies (Why celibacy for priests? Part I)

Why does the Catholic Church require most of its priests to live a celibate life? In this episode I’ll present a few thoughts to ponder from Pope Benedict on this subject from the book “From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church” by Pope Benedict and Robert Cardinal Sarah. Another episode will reflect on Cardinal Sarah's reflection on the same topic.
Dec 13, 202108:22
014: Miriam the Prophetess

014: Miriam the Prophetess

In this episode we will take a look at the story of Miriam the Prophetess, the sister of Moses, and discover who she might prefigure.

Dec 06, 202108:57
013: The Song of the Ark

013: The Song of the Ark

In this episode we’ll talk about the Song of the Ark, the song sung by Moses and the Israelites when they broke or pitched camp in the wilderness.  The Church Fathers had a startling insight into it, an insight that has everything to do with the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Advent season we are just beginning.

Nov 29, 202110:38
012: The Priestly Blessing

012: The Priestly Blessing

In this episode we’ll continue to linger in the Sinai desert, just as the Israelites did, and consider one of the oldest blessings in the Bible, one which we still use today.

Nov 22, 202108:59
011: The Tent of Meeting

011: The Tent of Meeting

In this episode we’ll return to the scene of the last episode, at the base of Mt. Sinai with Israelites during their journey in the desert, and hear God say something even more startling than last time.

Nov 15, 202109:54
010: A Kingdom of Priests

010: A Kingdom of Priests

As God was leading the Israelites through the desert, He stopped them at the base of Mount Sinai and made a few startling promises.  What might these promises mean for us?

Nov 08, 202109:03
009: Unto the Third and Fourth Generation

009: Unto the Third and Fourth Generation

At least four passages of the Old Testament talk about God punishing the descendants of evil men down to the third and fourth generation. How could a loving God do this?
Nov 01, 202106:18
008: The Bible Alone? Part II

008: The Bible Alone? Part II

I argued against the notion of Sola Scriptura in the last episode. In this episode, I’ll discuss apostolic tradition a bit more and discover St. Paul’s perspective on it.
Oct 25, 202107:10
007: The Bible Alone? Part I

007: The Bible Alone? Part I

Did God intend the Bible to be our only rule of faith? In this episode, we’ll begin a discussion on the Protestant notion on “Sola Scriptura”, or "the Bible Alone".
Oct 17, 202105:56
006: A Boring List of Old Testament Names...or Is It?

006: A Boring List of Old Testament Names...or Is It?

In this episode we’ll unpack that long list of biblical names found in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.  They seem so boring, but are they? And what could those boring names possibly mean for us?

Oct 11, 202115:32
005: Reflections on the Book of Job

005: Reflections on the Book of Job

In the last episode, I briefly  broached the problem of suffering.  In this episode we’ll dig a bit into the biblical Book of Job and look at some of its insights into this topic.

Oct 04, 202107:52
004: Why does God allow suffering?

004: Why does God allow suffering?

If God is good, why does He allow us to suffer?  In this episode we’ll start what I hope turns out to be a continuing discussion on this topic.

Sep 27, 202104:35
003: On the Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart

003: On the Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart

In this episode we’ll consider Pharaoh’s hardened heart in the Book of Exodus.  Did God harden Pharaoh's heart in such a way that he didn’t really have free will?  Does this mean that Pharaoh was predestined to be evil?

Sep 20, 202104:38
002: The Terror of Isaac

002: The Terror of Isaac

In this episode we’ll investigate an intriguing, but infrequently used Old Testament title for God, "the Terror of Isaac."  What could it possibly mean for us?

Sep 13, 202104:15
Trailer

Trailer

A brief introduction to the Thoughtful Catholic Podcast.

Sep 07, 202100:54
001: The Song of the Sword

001: The Song of the Sword

The Song of the Sword.  In this episode, we’ll meet the Bible’s first polygamist, and hear the song he sang to his wives.  What on earth could this have to do with us?

Sep 06, 202104:59