Category Archives: Meditation

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060: Advent-Christmas Typology Minicast

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A little bit of knowledge goes a long way…especially when it comes to prayer and Scripture.

In fact, you don’t need to have any hardcore theological training or lots of letters after your name to get a lot out of prayer. That said, actually studying the Bible – what Pope Benedict XVI calls the “soul of theology” – will put your prayer life on steroids (which is still legal).

And a key to understanding Scripture is known as typology. (“Ty-what?”) Typology is a 25 cent word that shows how the people, places and events of the Old Testament point forward to the people, places, and events of the New Testament.

It shows connections.

In this episode of The Art of Catholic, I share a personal experience from my meditations the other day in my parish’s adoration chapel. I thought it a good example of how making connections (i.e. typology) in Scripture can really juice up your time with Our Lord.

In this mini-cast, I’ll focus in on the 5th Joyful Mystery (The Finding of Jesus in the Temple) and discuss:

  • Parallels between Jesus and Solomon
  • The importance of the theme of wisdom
  • Connections between Our Lady and the Queen of Sheba
  • The different levels of meaning of Temple and why Jesus went there as a 12 year old
  • Why the Magi brought Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh

Happy Advent! Merry (Almost) Christmas! Happy (Almost) New Year!

Matthew

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Want to go deeper into prayer.  If you really want to understand the ins-and-outs of deep prayer: what it is, how to do it, the 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life, vocal, meditative, & contemplative prayer in the Catholic tradition – this is the book for you!

“Matthew Leonard, in an engaging style, shows how ancient Catholic prayer traditions still meet the needs of today’s Catholics.”—His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington

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8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life Cover ImageGrab 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!

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031: Part 2 of Soul Surfing with a Man Named “Bear”

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catholic_FINAL_150What does the spiritual life of a ninja blackbelt surfer look like? The answer might surprise you. (The dude quotes Aquinas, for crying out loud.)

Join me for the conclusion of my conversation with adventurer and EWTN radio host Bear Woznick. We’re getting deeper into the practicalities of meditative prayer and the overall trajectory of the spiritual path for Catholics. But that’s not all.

A big part of the discussion centers around what it means to csa-hero-Bear-Woznickactually “let go and let God,” and what happens when you do. (You’ll even hear how in the world I ended up on a mountain in Guatemala three months after leaving the corporate world.)

We’ll also dissect something a lot of Catholics have never heard of, called penal substitution. It’s the theory of salvation that Bear and I used to hold as Protestants, but makes no sense of the Cross or human suffering.

God bless and enjoy!

Matt

P.S. Don’t let Lent just slide by. Grab it by the horns! Click the linkBeer (1) to get a free, short chapter from my book Louder Than Words. It’s called Beer, Chocolate & Value-Added Suffering and it will transform your perspective on Lent and the whole spiritual life!

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003: 30 Days With Teresa of Avila

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catholic_FINAL_150Can you think of anyone better? I don’t think so.

Teresa of Avila is one of greatest spiritual theologians in the history of the Church. In fact, this 16th century Spanish mystic is the “Doctor of Prayer”.

Join me in discussion with Dr. Anthony Lilles about the spiritual legacy of this dynamite Carmelite nun on her 500th anniversary.

But this episode isn’t all history. Not even close. The spiritual life is meant to be practiced! And nobody is more practical than St. Teresa of Avila. So listen up and be transformed!GetImage

God bless!

Matthew

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8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life Cover Image“All who have been lost were lost because they did not pray.” St. Alphonsus Liguori.

Don’t be lost! 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 summary of the spiritual giants of the Church designed to help you rocket to God!

 

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