Matthew Leonard is joined by author and professor John Mark Miravalle to discuss what beauty is - and why it matters.

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Given the joyful peal of St. Peter's bells still echoing around the world marking the election of our new Holy Father, it's the perfect time to talk about beauty.

After all, beauty is at the heart of everything Catholic.

God is beautiful.

Our Lady is beautiful.

Our Church is beautiful.

I could go on...

But what is beauty? How can we define it? Do you know it when you see it? Is it even necessary for something to be beautiful if it is Catholic? Where does beauty fit into the everyday?

These are important questions deserving great answers...and we've got them in this episode of the Art of Catholic podcast.

Join Matthew and John Mark Miravalle, Professor at Mount St. Mary's Seminary and author of Beauty: What It Is and Why It Matters, as they discuss:

• Why beauty is essential to truth
• The crucial role of surprise in beauty
• The difference between beauty and manipulation
• Why beauty must be “felt”
• The moral DUTY of beauty for Christians
• Why “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is wrong
• And much more!

Matthew Leonard is joined by Father Wayne Sattler, who lived the contemplative life as a hermit for years and has great wisdom to share on the spiritual life.

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If I say "hermit", what's the first thing that comes to mind?

An ancient Desert Father wearing a burlap sack, nappy beard, living a life of self-denial in a remote cave?

Or maybe a medieval nun, enclosed in a cell attached to a church wall, only receiving food through a small window?

What would one look like in the 21st century?

They're kind of hard to picture because that's pretty much all we have of hermits these days - pictures.

Not anymore. I've got one for you on the Art of Catholic podcast...and he's got some spiritual pearls to share with you.

After all, there's a deep knowledge and inexpressible sweetness in a life lived solely for God - and a deep wisdom that comes from being immersed in the Divine, all day every day.

But instead of having to go into the desert or monastery to hear their wisdom, you just have listen to this episode.

My guest on the Art of Catholic, Father Wayne Sattler, lived as a diocesan hermit for several years in a secluded one-room cabin in North Dakota. While there, his relationship with God deepened dramatically - and his insights into God's profound love for all of us are breathtakingly beautiful.

Tune in to our conversation as we discuss: - How to distinguish the beginnings of contemplation from other forms of prayer

• What is the "suspension of the senses" in prayer (and how to distinguish it from sleep:)
• The role of silence and self-denial in developing a deeper relationship with God
• Why we shouldn't fear what St. John of the Cross calls the Dark Night
• How understanding the body-soul connection can enhance our spiritual life
• And much more!

Now, if you're thinking to yourself, Wait a minute! If he's a hermit, how is he being interviewed on a podcast... ...that's a great question - and as you'll discover from our conversation, after calling him to spend years as a hermit, God has a new mission for Father Sattler now - and it's one that you'll definitely want to hear about.

God bless!

Matthew

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Episode Description

When one of your closest friends dedicates 20 years of his life to a project, it's going to come up from time to time in conversation.

And when that project relates to something that you're passionate about too, then you know those conversations are going to be powerful.

AND when that good friend just happens to be Curtis Mitch, Co-Editor of the new Ignatius Press Study Bible, and that conversation takes place on the Art of Catholic podcast...

...it makes for an episode you're definitely not going to want to miss!

In today's podcast, Curtis and I dive into one of the most mysterious, misunderstood, and controversial books in the Bible - the Book of Revelation.

With the same brilliance you'll find in his commentary for the new Ignatius Press Study Bible, Curtis explains how we as Catholics are to interpret the image of the Woman Clothed with the Sun - and you might just be surprised at his take on it.

Our conversation also explores topics such as:

• The Vision of the Woman Clothed with the Sun
• The Multi-layered identity of the Woman in Revelation 12
• The very first prophecy about Our Lady
• The significance of the 12 stars crowning Mary in Revelation
• How Revelation describes the "rebirth" of Christ's humanity in heaven
• And much more!

After 20 years of eating, sleeping, and breathing God's Word, Curtis has a depth of insight on these topics that is unrivaled.

Enjoy the episode and God bless,

Matthew

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