Best Thomas V Mirus Podcasts (2025)

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5.9 St. Anselm of Canterbury: Father of Scholasticism 28:50

2d ago28:50

28:50

St. Anselm (1033 - 1109 AD) was Abbot of the monastery of Bec, and later, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was the first of the medieval scholastics, and the first real systematic theologian. His treatise, Cur Deus Homo brought together biblical and patristic themes related to salvation and the atonement to provide the Church with a comprehensive (up t…

1
Rule of St. Benedict | Ep. 1 - Foundations of Monastic Life 40:02

14d ago40:02

40:02

"And so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord. In founding it we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome. But if a certain strictness results… do not be at once dismayed and fly from the way of salvation, whose entrance cannot but be narrow." In this first of five episodes, we begin The Rule of St. Benedict, a foundat…

1
5.8 St. Anselm of Canterbury: Doctor of the Atonement 17:50

14d ago17:50

17:50

St. Anselm (1033 - 1109 AD) was Abbot of the monastery of Bec, and later, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was the first of the medieval scholastics, and the first real systematic theologian. In many ways, St. Anselm is the bridge between St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Links To read Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo online: https://www.sacred-texts.com/chr…

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Crucifixion darkness: Barabbas (1961) 56:05

15d ago56:05

56:05

Barabbas is an unusual specimen of the midcentury Hollywood Biblical epic, more spiritually searching (and edgier) than its peers. Starring Anthony Quinn as the criminal released by Pilate in place of Christ, Barabbas is based on a 1950 novel by Nobel winner Pär Lagerkvist (recently listed by Anthony Esolen among the greatest religious novels of th…

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5.7 St. Peter Damian: Monitor of the Popes 31:51

28d ago31:51

31:51

St. Peter Damian (1007 - 1072 AD) was an advisor to, and sometimes corrector of, Popes, Emperors, and Kings. Through his writings he was a reformer of the clergy, and the monasteries, especially calling out and confronting immorality among the clergy. He was a member of the first college of cardinals as we know it today, and took part in wrestling …

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St. Dionysius the Areopagite - On Minding One's Own Business 29:09

1M ago29:09

29:09

"It is not for Demophilus to set these things straight. For if the Word of God commands us to pursue just things justly... this must be pursued by all justly, not beyond their own fitness." This letter—historically attributed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a 1st-century convert of Saint Paul from Acts, but now considered the work of an anonymous …

1
A holy fool: The Island (2006) 55:30

1M ago55:30

55:30

James and Thomas discuss a minor classic of religious cinema, the spiritually edifying (and humorous!) Russian film The Island, about a fictional Orthodox monk and “holy fool” who has special spiritual gifts, but remains racked with guilt over a terrible crime he committed in his youth. The Island can be viewed on YouTube (the subtitles are a diffe…

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5.6 St. Peter Damian: The Medieval Jerome 23:10

1M ago23:10

23:10

St. Peter Damian (1007 - 1072 AD) is another one of our lesser-known Doctors of the Church, and yet he was, in his time, a man who could give advice to the Popes, and call for reform in the clergy and in the monasteries. Known as a Catholic reformer (long before the Protestant Reformation), he confronted clergy immorality, simony and lay investitur…

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Terrence Malick and the Knights of Columbus: Voyage of Time (2016) 1:28:52

2M ago1:28:52

1:28:52

The Criteria crew continues its series on the films of Terrence Malick, jumping ahead to the experimental documentary Voyage of Time, which was co-produced by the Knights of Columbus! Voyage of Time portrays the history of the cosmos, the Earth, and the living creatures on it from the beginning of the universe to its end. The main point of the film…

1
Sicilian Pilgrimage with Mike Aquilina and Jim Papandrea 30:13

2M ago30:13

30:13

The Holy Father has proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee year, and pilgrims are already flocking to Rome to cross the thresholds of the major basilicas, and to visit the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul. Original host of the Way of the Fathers podcast, Mike Aquilina, and current host of the podcast, James L. Papandrea, talk about jubilee and pilgrimage, and in…

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5.5 St. Gregory of Narek: Doctor of Mercy 26:24

2M ago26:24

26:24

St. Gregory of Narek (c. 945-1003), was an Armenian saint: a monk, scholar, poet, and hymn writer. Praised as a saint by Pope St. John Paul II, who called by him the “great Marian doctor of the Armenian Church,” St. Gregory of Narek was officially proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2015–one of the most recent additions to the list…

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St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 2. The Influence of Natural and Revealed Religion Respectively 36:47

2M ago36:47

36:47

"The philosopher aspires towards a divine principle; the Christian, towards a Divine Agent." St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were isntrumental in shaping the Oxford Movement, which sought to revive High Church traditions within the Church of England and ultimatel…

1
The Marx Brothers w/ James Matthew Wilson 1:17:37

2M ago1:17:37

1:17:37

Poet and philosopher James Matthew Wilson joins the podcast to discuss two films by the Marx Brothers (Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera). Wilson also reads one of his poems featuring allusions to the Marx Brothers, and talks about the letters written between Groucho Marx and T.S. Eliot. James Matthew Wilson, The Strangeness of the Good https://angel…

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5.4 St. Gregory of Narek: Patron Saint of Armenia 12:29

2M ago12:29

12:29

In the first episode on St. Gregory of Narek (c. 945-1003), Dr. Papandrea introduces one of the newest additions to the list of Doctors of the Church. Gregory was an Armenian monk, scholar, poet, and saint, who was praised by Pope St. John Paul II. Links Listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Christianity in Armenia - The Way of the Fathers episode 3…

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St. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 1. The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospels 22:50

3M ago22:50

22:50

"The philosopher might speculate, but the theologian must submit to learn." St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were instrumental in shaping the Oxford Movement, which sought to revive High Church traditions within the Church of England. In this collection of fifteen…

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"I am a human being": The Elephant Man (1980), w/ Andrew Petiprin 1:15:46

3M ago1:15:46

1:15:46

On the latest episode of Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast, Andrew Petiprin joins James and Thomas to discuss the late David Lynch's most uplifting film, The Elephant Man. The film is based on the real Victorian-era life of Joseph Merrick, a man who suffered terrible abuse because of his extreme deformities, yet whose human dignity was ultimately…

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St. Vincent Ferrer - On the Purification of Mary 38:15

3M ago38:15

38:15

“This present feast is one of the greater of the whole year... Because there are three grades of sanctity which we celebrate in this feast.” St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) was a Spanish Dominican friar, theologian, and renowned preacher known for his fiery sermons and missionary work across Europe. He was deeply devoted to calling people to repenta…

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5.3 St. Bede: The Father of English History 21:06

3M ago21:06

21:06

In this second episode on St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735 AD), Dr. Papandrea talks about the literary legacy of this Doctor of the Church. Bede is not only considered the “father of English history,” but also the “father of English education.” Although he is now most famous for his Ecclesiastical History of England, his contribution to the Churc…

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St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Full 9:28:30

3M ago9:28:30

9:28:30

"Be sure that wherever our lot is cast we may and must aim at the perfect life." Written over 400 years ago, Introduction to the Devout Life is still one of the most popular books for those pursuing holiness. St. Francis de Sales explains how to turn that desire for sanctity into resolutions that yield grace-filled results. Themes include: Pursuing…

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In a Lonely Place (1950) 46:05

3M ago46:05

46:05

James and Thomas discuss Nicholas Ray's thrilling 1950 film noir In a Lonely Place. In an outstanding, nuanced performance, Humphrey Bogart plays quick-tempered screenwriter Dixon Steele, who enters into a fast-moving relationship with Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame) just as he is under suspicion for the murder of another young woman. The investigatio…

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Pope Benedict XVI - Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) | Part 2 55:38

3M ago55:38

55:38

“Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practice it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world—this is the invita…

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5.2 St. Bede the Venerable: Monk and Scholar 15:08

3M ago15:08

15:08

In this episode, the first in our series on the Doctors of the Church, Dr. Papandrea introduces you to St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735 AD). He lived in a Benedictine monastery from the age of seven, and he wrote the first scholarly history of England and its conversion to Christianity. He is considered the “Father of English History” and the pat…

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5.1 The Doctors of the Church–Introduction 15:14

4M ago15:14

15:14

With this episode, we begin our new series on the Doctors of the Church. What is a Doctor of the Church? Are all Doctors also saints? What makes a person a Doctor of the Church? All these questions, and more, will be answered, as well as some hints at what you can expect from this series. Get ready to sample the fruit of some of the greatest minds …

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New birth for humanity: Children of Men (2006) w/ Timothy Reckart 1:22:16

4M ago1:22:16

1:22:16

Oscar-nominated writer and director Timothy Reckart rejoins the podcast to discuss a movie that has a marked resonance with the Nativity story, Alfonso Cuaron’s brilliantly crafted dystopian thriller Children of Men. Set in 2027, it depicts a world that has fallen into despair and chaos because of a worldwide infertility crisis: no one has been abl…

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St. John Henry Newman - Reverence, a Belief in God's Presence 30:54

4M ago30:54

30:54

"They are the class of feelings we should have—yes, have in an intense degree—if we literally had the sight of Almighty God; therefore they are the class of feelings which we shall have, if we realize His presence." This sermon appears among a collection of sermons originally written and preached by St. John Henry Newman before his conversion to Ca…

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St. Boethius: Church Father and Medieval Scholar 18:44

4M ago18:44

18:44

St. Severinus Boethius was a man with one foot in the ancient world and one foot in the middle ages. He is another one of our lesser-known fathers who were anything but forgotten among the medieval scholastics. In this episode, Dr. Papandrea introduces another enigmatic but highly influential Church father. This is the last episode of our interim s…

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St. Henry Walpole - Upon the Death of M. Edmund Campion 12:16

5M ago12:16

12:16

"You thought perhaps when learned Campion dies, His pen must cease, his sugared tongue be still; But you forgot how loud his death it cries How far beyond the sound of tongue and quill." In 1581, a young Englishman named Henry Walpole attended the execution of the Jesuit Edmund Campion. As Campion was hung, drawn and quartered, Walpole stood close …

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Who Was Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite? 17:29

5M ago17:29

17:29

Whenever you see “Pseudo-“ in front of a name like this, it means we don’t really know who the person was. This Church father wrote under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, a convert of St. Paul mentioned in the book of Acts. But the documents attributed to him were written hundreds of years later. Nevertheless, this unknown pseudonymous author …

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Job and St. Augustine in one film: The Tree of Life (2011) 1:42:59

5M ago1:42:59

1:42:59

The Tree of Life may well be the greatest movie ever made. Heavily inspired by the book of Job and St. Augustine's Confessions (and even including some lines about nature and grace seemingly derived from The Imitation of Christ), director Terrence Malick gives profound spiritual and cosmic scope to the story of an ordinary family in 1950s Texas. Th…

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Egeria the Pilgrim and the Stations of the Cross 15:32

5M ago15:32

15:32

Egeria (or Etheria) was a woman who embarked on a three-year pilgrimage to the Holy Land, in the late fourth century. From her “pilgrimage diary” (actually fragments from her letters to her “sisters” back in Spain) we learn much about liturgy in Jerusalem. There we can see the beginnings of the lectionary, and the seeds of the Stations of the Cross…

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Pope Benedict XVI - Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) | Part 1 48:17

5M ago48:17

48:17

“This is love in its most radical form. By contemplating the pierced side of Christ, we can understand the starting-point of this Encyclical Letter: “God is love”. It is there that this truth can be contemplated. It is from there that our definition of love must begin. In this contemplation the Christian discovers the path along which his life and …

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G.E.M. Anscombe - Contraception and Chastity 1:03:45

6M ago1:03:45

1:03:45

"For we don't invent marriage... any more than we invent human language. It is part of the creation of humanity and if we're lucky we find it available to us and can enter into it. If we are very unlucky, we may live in a society that has wrecked or deformed this human thing." Elizabeth Anscombe was a prominent 20th-century British philosopher, kno…

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Rufinus of Aquileia and the Apostles’ Creed 21:45

6M ago21:45

21:45

Rufinus is mostly known as the translator of Origen, and the opponent of St. Jerome in the controversy over Origen. But he also wrote an important commentary on the Apostles’ Creed, which is on Dr. Papandrea’s list of “state of the art documents,” patristic works that succinctly showcase the state of the development of doctrine at the time they wer…

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Freedom in vocation: The Sound of Music (1965) 51:23

6M ago51:23

51:23

The Sound of Music is rightly beloved by Catholics. James and Thomas discuss the movie's all-around excellence, break down Julie Andrews's virtuosic performance, and explore what the film says about the freedom and openness necessary to discern and pursue one's vocation in life. DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/a…

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Pope St. Stephen and the Sacraments 20:16

7M ago20:16

20:16

After the controversies in the mid-third century, in the aftermath of the persecution of the emperor Decius and the schism of Novatian, Pope St. Stephen was instrumental in clarifying the Church’s theology of the sacraments of Baptism and Penance and Reconciliation. What is required for a valid baptism? What is the solution for falling away into mo…

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St. John Henry Newman - Three Poems on the Angels 6:04

7M ago6:04

6:04

My oldest friend, mine from the hour When first I drew my breath; My faithful friend, that shall be mine, Unfailing, till my death... "St. Michael" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/st-michael "Angelic Guidance" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/angelic-guidance "Guardian Angel" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/guardian-…

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St. John Henry Newman - The Self-Wise Inquirer 26:34

7M ago26:34

26:34

"In proportion as we lean to our own understanding, we are driven to do so for want of a better guide. Our first true guide, the light of innocence, is gradually withdrawn from us; and nothing is left for us but to 'grope and stumble in the desolate places,' by the dim, uncertain light of reason." This sermon appears among a collection of sermons o…

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