This week, Brandon follows up with AJ about some of AJ's difficulties with St. Paul and others. How can we acknowledge not being drawn to, or even disagreeing with, certain Saints without dismissing them?
Episode 249 – Arguing With The Saints
Episode 247 – Difficulty With Saints
With Brandon out of commission, AJ does a little thinking out loud about how he sometimes struggles to incorporate the teachings of the Saints into his own life.
Do I Really Know What It Means To Seek Christ?
This leads to my identity crisis. I no longer want to cover my insecurities with good deeds. I no longer want to be like Lot's wife, running in the direction of the Angels looking over my shoulder and finding myself turned to salt because Christ knows my heart. I want to pursue just Christ.
Finding Our Own Righteous Pursuits
Firstly, we need to be lovers of Christ. If I'm being honest, that is really all we need to do. As our love for Christ grows, we will find that the love we have cultivated urges us to move. That urge is what most of us consider a "call."
Episode 146 – Saintly Intellectuals
As they continue looking at the examples of the Saints, AJ and Brandon take a look at a couple of the heavy hitters in terms of the development of Christian theology, Ss. Augustine and Aquinas. While their origins and backgrounds were very different, their goals, commitment, and hunger for the Lord were very much the same. While they made major strides in the understanding of God and creation, the work remains to us as we continue their legacies!
St. Athanasius: A Reluctant Champion
It is not uncommon in narratives that the greatest hero amongst us is the one most reluctant. I think of Aragorn, who was the rightful king, but chose the life of a ranger because he feared he would make the same mistake his forefathers did. Athanasius is much like that.
Episode 144 – St. Joseph
Continuing their discussion of Saints, this week AJ and Brandon discuss AJ's patron Saint, St. Joseph. They talk about the nature of our relationships with Saints as well as the example of St. Joseph's quiet, humble holiness.