Podcast
Catholic Classics
Hosted by Ascension · EN
Welcome to Catholic Classics from Ascension! Each season we'll read through a great Catholic spiritual writing providing insightful commentary and practical guidance along the way. Informative and enriching, these 20-30 mins episodes will allow you to learn from the Catholic Church’s most revered saints and teachers as you seek to cultivate your spiritual life. In season three of Catholic Classics, join Fr. Jacob Bertrand and Fr. Michael-Joseph Paris as they read and explain Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In her “Little Way,” St. Thérèse shows us that, despite our weakness, (or perhaps because of it) God can make us saints through unbounded confidence in his love. Find out more about the Catholic Classics podcast at ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics.
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Episodes
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Day 19: The Solid Soul
1w ago00:13:10Tap to summarizeAs Brother Lawrence approaches the end of his life, we encounter one of the most striking marks of authentic holiness: stability. Fr. Gregory Pine and Rebecca Dougherty explore how God's grace anchors us and gives us the strength to navigate life confidently. Today, we are reading Part 4: The Ways of Brother Lawrence, pages 130-132. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 18: Forgetting Ourselves
1w ago00:15:06Tap to summarizeDo you think about yourself too much? Brother Lawrence emphasizes that the closer we draw to God, the less preoccupied we become with ourselves. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca challenge us to let go of our tendency to constantly self-analyze so that we can focus on God's presence and action in our lives. Today, we are reading Part 4: The Ways of Brother Lawrence, pages 127-130. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 17: Beyond the Checklist
1w ago00:15:19Tap to summarizeJesus is a person to be loved, not a box to be checked off on a list. Fr. Gregory Pine and Rebecca remind us that while discipline, practices, and spiritual "checklists" are important, they are meant to lead us into a simple, loving friendship with God. Today, we are reading Part 4: The Ways of Brother Lawrence, pages 125-127. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 16: Joyful Freedom
1w ago00:15:43Tap to summarizeBrother Lawrence's holiness was marked not by severity, but by a joyful freedom rooted in faith. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca explore how the practice of God's presence frees us from anxiety, self-importance, and the temptation to overcomplicate the spiritual life. Today, we are reading Part 4: The Ways of Brother Lawrence, pages 123-125. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 15: Living Towards Heaven
2w ago00:14:33Tap to summarizeHeaven is more than a future destination—it is a reality that begins to shape our lives today. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca offer practical wisdom for navigating discouragement, suffering, and those moments when life feels anything but heavenly. Through friendship, gratitude, rest, and a renewed awareness of God's presence, we can learn to see beyond the valley and keep our eyes fixed on heaven. Today, we are reading Part 4: In Praise of Brother Lawrence, pages 119-121. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 14: The Eternal Perspective
2w ago00:21:27Tap to summarizeIn light of eternity, what really matters in our lives? Fr. Gregory and Rebecca discuss how keeping our eyes fixed on the Lord helps us see our struggles, failures, and daily concerns in their proper light. As God's presence becomes more real to us, our problems lose their power to overwhelm. Today, we are reading Part 4: In Praise of Brother Lawrence, pages 115-119. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 13: Holding On To Hope
2w ago00:22:22Tap to summarizeWhen our spiritual life feels dry, uncertain, or stripped of the consolations we expect, God may be doing some of His deepest work. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca discuss Brother Lawrence’s life and witness through the lens of hope and detachment, reminding us that in trials God doesn't invite us to be tough but rather to trust him more deeply. Today, we are reading Part 4: In Praise of Brother Lawrence, pages 111- 115. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 12: How to Make Space for God
2w ago00:19:46Tap to summarizeGrowing in God’s presence requires both fidelity and surrender. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca reflect on mortification, creating space for God in our daily lives, and letting go of whatever keeps us from deep union with Him. Today, we are reading Part 3: Means to Acquire the Presence of God and The Benefits of the Presence of God. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 11: The Secret to Union with God
2w ago00:19:12Tap to summarizeBrother Lawrence describes the practice of God’s presence as a simple attentiveness to the Lord that soon becomes the soul’s place of rest. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca reflect on union with God, holy habits, and learning to live in quiet conversation with Him. Today, we are reading Part 3: On the Union of the Soul with God and On the Presence of God. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Transcribe →Day 10: Identity Begins with God
2w ago00:19:15Tap to summarizeWhat does it mean to know who we are in light of who God is? Fr. Gregory and Rebecca begin our entry into the Spiritual Maxims by exploring identity, baptism, adoration, and the spiritual battle at the heart of the Christian life. Today, we read Part 3: Intro to Spiritual Maxims, Necessary Practices for Acquiring the Spiritual Life, and How We Must Adore God in Spirit and in Truth. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
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