May 2016 - Page 2 of 2 - Matthew Leonard

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The Holy Spirit didn’t just fall out of the sky at Pentecost. Well, I mean, he did, but all those tongues of fire, heavy winds and such weren’t a random occurrence. Nothing God does ever is.

There’s a backstory. And once you know it, everything makes more sense.

In this episode of The Art of Catholic, we dive into the events of the Old Testament that set up the birth of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem at Pentecost. Earth(quakes), Wind & Fire wasn’t just a nominally successful 70s band. These elements often accompany theophanies, appearances of God.

We’re going to see why the crazy events at Pentecost unfolded as they did, looking at parallels to another very similar, very important event in the book of Exodus. Among other things we’ll discuss:

The ancient origin of Pentecost as a Jewish feast
Why the Holy Spirit descended in tongues of fire in Acts 2
Why the Disciples started speaking in other languages
What the voice of God actually sounds like (gulp!)
Why the number of converts at Pentecost (i.e. 3,000) is really significant

All that and more in this special Pentecost episode of The Art of Catholic!

God bless you all!

Matt

P.S. Want to help Matthew increase his production of more Art of Catholic podcasts? You can do that (and get some free books and such) at Patreon.com/MatthewLeonard.

If you’ve ever scratched your head after hearing or reading Hebrews (or even if you just scratch your head), this episode is for you.

Unless you’re Catholic, it’s pretty difficult to make heads or tails of the book of Hebrews. And even if you are Catholic it can seem a bit odd at times. But once you view it through the right lens, the teachings of Catholicism jump off the page like a 3D IMAX movie.

In fact, it’s a mini Catechism.

This is the conclusion of my great conversation with author Shane Kapler who beautifully lays out the Seven Core Beliefs of Catholics in the Epistle to the Hebrews. (His book is great!)

Among other things we’ll discuss:

How Hebrews lays out the Catholic “plan of salvation” in 7 verses (how
appropriate)
The grittiness of Jesus’ humanity and how he learned obedience through suffering
What the famous faith “Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11 teaches us about heaven and the communion of saints
Why critics of Catholicism who say there’s no mention of the Eucharist in Hebrews (“so it can’t be a Catholic book”) are dead wrong

All that and more in episode 40 of the Art of Catholic. God bless and enjoy!

Matt

P.S. Don’t forget to grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you rocket to God!