Super Saints Podcast

How Saint Gregory Of Narek Guides Us From Suffering To Hope

Send a textA tenth‑century monk from the shores of Lake Van might be the mentor your spiritual life has been missing. We open the doors of Narek Monastery and step into the luminous world of Saint Gregory of Narek—poet, mystic, and Doctor of the Church—whose fierce honesty about sin and blazing love for Christ forged a path from lament to hope. His ninety‑five “conversations with God,” known as the Book of Lamentations, reveal how confession can heal, how adoration can inflame desire for holiness, and how the Eucharist becomes both medicine and banquet for tired souls.We share Gregory’s story from his early formation under Abbot Anania to the quiet miracle of global recognition in 2015, when Pope Francis named him a Doctor. Along the way, we unpack the core themes that make his witness timeless: suffering that does not collapse into despair, mercy encountered as a living presence in Jesus Christ, and hope that rises from the wounds of the Savior. You’ll hear how his Marian devotion—calling Our Lady Mother of Light and refuge of sinners—deepens his Eucharistic gaze, and why his image of the Church as a healing hospital speaks powerfully to anyone who has ever felt unworthy to pray.For listeners hungry for practical steps, we offer ways to weave Gregory’s lines into the Liturgy of the Hours, moments of silence before Communion, and personal prayer. We also trace resonances with Western Carmelite spirituality, showing how Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross share Gregory’s summons to interior surrender and bold intimacy with God. Whether you’re planning a pilgrimage to historic Narekavank or seeking renewal at a local chapel, this journey maps a clear route: humility, honest lament, Eucharistic trust, and a steady walk toward the Sacred Heart.If this conversation stirs your hunger for deeper communion, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find their way to Gregory’s healing wisdom.Saint Gregory of Narek's writingsOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showView all of our blog posts here https://journeysoffaith.com/blogs/eucharist-mary-saints Download Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-app Journeys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here...

From Smyrna To Sainthood: The Courage, Teachings, And Martyrdom Of Saint Polycarp

Send a textWe tell the story of Saint Polycarp as a living link to the apostles and a fearless defender of the Eucharist whose courage in controversy and martyrdom still shapes how we believe, worship, and stay united. We invite you to deepen devotion, guard truth with charity, and let his witness steady your steps.• Early life in Smyrna and formation under Saint John• Defense of apostolic teaching against heresies• Eucharistic realism as the heart of his ministry• Meeting Pope Anicetus and modeling unity without compromise• Eyewitness details from the martyrdom letter• Links with Saints Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus• Quotes that call for steadfast love and courage• Practical invitation to pursue holiness and communityBe sure to click the link in the description for special news itemAnd since there is more to this article, finish reading and check out the special offerVisit journeysoffaith.com website todayOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showView all of our blog posts here https://journeysoffaith.com/blogs/eucharist-mary-saints Download Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-app Journeys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here...

How Francisco And Jacinta Turned Ordinary Days Into A Roadmap To Heaven

Send a textA lady brighter than the sun spoke to three children in a quiet Portuguese pasture—and the world has been echoing ever since. We revisit the lives of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto, tracing how two humble shepherds turned ordinary chores, whispered prayers, and hidden sacrifices into a clear path toward peace and holiness. Their story is not a legend wrapped in nostalgia; it is a practical map for anyone who wants to love God more and help heal a restless world.We walk through the 1917 Fatima apparitions, the Angel of Peace’s school of adoration, and Mary’s urgent plea to pray the rosary every day. Along the way, we highlight Francisco’s mission to console the “hidden Jesus” in the Eucharist and Jacinta’s fierce desire to save souls through penance and prayer. Their courage under ridicule, interrogations, and illness reveals the heart of Christian discipleship: take up your cross daily, offer it with love, and trust that grace transforms even the smallest act. From village mockery to hospital solitude, their fidelity shows how redemptive suffering becomes intercession for many.You’ll also hear practical ways to live the Fatima message now: set a daily rosary, make intentional small sacrifices, spend time in Eucharistic adoration, and anchor your day in Scripture. For seekers, parents, catechists, and anyone craving a simple, sturdy rule of life, this conversation offers a Eucharistic, Marian, and Gospel-centered framework. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find the show—then tell us: which practice will you start today?Open by Steve Bailey Support the showView all of our blog posts here https://journeysoffaith.com/blogs/eucharist-mary-saints Download Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-app Journeys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here...

Fra Angelico: Dominican Art As Living Prayer

Send a textBeauty can preach. From the first words, we invite you into the luminous world of Fra Angelico—Dominican friar, master painter, and blessed soul—whose brush turned prayer into color and gold into theology. Guided by chant, silence, and Eucharistic devotion, his vocation formed at Fiesole and blossomed in Florence’s San Marco, where frescoes still teach monks and pilgrims to adore in quiet. We explore how his Annunciations and Crucifixions do more than depict events; they create space where doctrine meets wonder and the heart learns to kneel.Our journey moves through Renaissance Florence to the Vatican, where Pope Nicholas V recognized a saintly hand capable of renewing Rome’s sacred imagination. Inside the Nicoline Chapel, we look closely at the lives of Stephen and Lawrence as rendered by a painter who treated every wall as an altar. We unpack his materials—crushed lapis, azurite, and gold leaf—and his choices—measured perspective, compassionate faces, and halos that glow with lived faith—to show how technique bows to purpose: to lead souls to Christ present in the Eucharist.We then turn to iconography and influence. Mary’s royal blue, the angelic hosts’ living flame, and the quiet resolve of saints like Dominic and Thomas form a visual catechism that shaped Fra Bartolomeo, Perugino, early Raphael, and even touched Michelangelo and Leonardo. Along the way, we trace a theology of light—Lumen Christi—that makes his work feel both intimate and immense, a gentle summons to contemplation and mission. By the end, you’ll see why Fra Angelico remains a guide for artists, pastors, teachers, and anyone longing for sacred beauty that heals and convinces.If this resonates, journey with us: explore pilgrimages, devotional resources, and ways to bring sacred art into your prayer. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves the Renaissance, and leave a review telling us which work of Fra Angelico opened your heart today.Fra Angelico Collection at Journeys of FaithOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showView all of our blog posts here https://journeysoffaith.com/blogs/eucharist-mary-saints Download Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-app Journeys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here...

A Lenten Reading Guide For Deeper Faith

Send a textForty days can feel long when zeal fades by week three, yet Lent is meant to be a path of real change, not a test of willpower. We open a clear way forward: a Lenten reading plan that anchors daily prayer, teaches the heart to listen, and turns routine into renewal. From the first ash to the final Alleluia, we walk through practices and resources that help you stay grounded, attentive, and alive to grace.We start with the why: choosing the right spiritual reading keeps the heart centered when distractions swell. Then we move into the how with a simple, life‑giving walkthrough of Lectio Divina—reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation—so scripture shifts from information to transformation. Along the way, we draw from the Desert Fathers and Mothers, whose spare wisdom cuts through noise; Augustine’s aching honesty in Confessions; Aquinas’ clear vision of penance as liberation; and Francis de Sales’ gentle road map for holiness in ordinary life. Together, these guides shape a Lenten plan that is practical, compassionate, and deeply Catholic.We also rekindle awe through Eucharistic miracles that reorient fasting and adoration around the living presence of Christ. Fridays receive special focus with the Stations of the Cross, using classic and contemporary texts to enter the Passion with courage and tenderness. For busy days, we share audiobook and podcast options that turn commutes, kitchens, and quiet corners into places of prayer, so your practice stays steady when the schedule will not. By the end, you’ll have a toolkit—books, devotions, and audio companions—to help you pray with intention, fast with purpose, and adore with wonder.Ready to make these forty days truly fruitful? Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs a fresh start, and leave a review telling us the one resource you’ll begin with today.Lenten Reading RecommendationsOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showView all of our blog posts here https://journeysoffaith.com/blogs/eucharist-mary-saints Download Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-app Journeys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here...