On the final episode of Hark! this season, prepare yourselves for a wee bit of scandal because we’re looking at a tune that began as a bawdy love song and has long been associated with an evil monarch, but which, over the course of three centuries, finds its redemption as a Christmas carol. This is the story behind, “What Child Is This?”
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Posted inFaith, Podcasts
‘What Child is This?’ brings us closer to Christ and the mystery of His birth
While “What Child Is This?” is an explicitly Christmas song, the tune speaks to the mystery of identity and purpose—questions that transcend religious boundaries and appeal to the human experience.
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How a modern-day shepherd found God on his Irish family farm
On this week’s episode of “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley interview bestselling Irish author John Connell on how embracing the farm life preserved by his family for generations brought him closer to God and greater inner peace.
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Podcast: Pope Francis creates 21 cardinals, calls for an end to U.S. death penalty
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell take a closer look at Pope Francis’ latest consistory, which created 21 new cardinals on Saturday, Dec. 7.
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An unexpected focus for Gaudete Sunday: A homily on sin
This week on “Preach,” the Rev. Justin Lopina joins host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., to discuss how John the Baptist’s call to repentance in the Gospel for Gaudete Sunday leads to joy more than simply moral obligations.
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How a 4th-century poem combating heresies became a Christmas carol
Discover how a 4th-century poem by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius to respond to Christian heresies evolved into “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” by the 19th century.
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The Catholic women bringing veiling back to Mass
On this week’s episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac are joined by Madeleine Kearns, an associate editor at The Free Press, and the author of a recently reported article, “The Young Catholic Women Bringing Back Veils.”
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Pope Francis explains magisterial weight of synod final document
On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell investigate Pope Francis’ new letter on the final synod document.
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What parents want in a homily for their children (and themselves)
This special “Preach” episode features a panel discussion on how preachers can deliver a homily that captures the hopes of younger audiences—from toddlers to teens—while keeping the entire congregation engaged.
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The little drummer boy is never mentioned in the Bible. Where did the Christmas carol story come from?
On this episode of “Hark!”, we follow a figure the Bible never mentions, but whose bold gift leads us straight to the heart of Christmas. This is the story of “The Little Drummer Boy.”