The Burrowshire Podcast

It’s hard to stay joyful today. We’ve all noticed a rise of anxiety, anger, and bitterness, whether in ourselves or among friends. Our cultural climate is toxic, to say the least. Yet, we are called to be missionaries of joy, who spread the evangelium gaudium (joy of the Gospel). How do we do this? How do we develop and protect our joy? In this episode, Fr. Blake and Brandon explain how to root our joy in Christ, how to recognize the enemies of joy, and Chesterton’s and Tolkien’s advice on maintaining “joy without a cause.”

LINKS

• “The Ballad of the White Horse” by G.K. Chesterton

Woohoo!! The big day is finally here! Today marks the release of Fr. Blake’s new book titled Reclaiming Vatican II: What It (Really) Said, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church.  Brandon and Fr. Blake discuss the book and why so many people misunderstand the Second Vatican Council. They also explore the Council’s four major documents and how to reclaim and (properly) implement them today. 

Reclaiming Vatican II: https://www.wordonfire.org/reclaim

Word on Fire Vatican II Collection: https://wordonfire.org/vatican2

How do we preserve our state of grace in such a volatile and hostile environment as social media? Digital tools allow for a lot of good. We have seen that especially during this pandemic, when people are able to connect with one another across the globe. But, as we well know, there are also significant dangers. Fr. Blake and Brandon discuss how to navigate them and maintain our holiness.

Links: https://burrowshirepodcast.com/holiness-digital-age

We all experience shame. But what should we do with it? According to John Damascene and Gregory of Nyssa, “Shame is fear of doing a disgraceful deed or of a disgraceful deed done.” In this episode, we explore shame in the spiritual life, dealing with both its positive and negative components. We also examine today's prevalent culture of shame, discussing how the internet fuels it and how to respond spiritually and practically.

LINKS: https://burrowshirepodcast.com/dealing-with-shame

We are both from Orlando and grew up around Disney. It is part of our culture, as it is for many Millennials who grew up watching classic Disney films. Today we discuss the The Disney Renaissance (aka The Disney Decade), lasting from 1989-1999, and examine the religious themes of four Disney films: Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Books and Resources

• Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler

We have received several requests to do an episode on the sacred liturgy. We know it's always a hot-button topic in the Church, and for good reason. The sacred liturgy is incredibly important. So, in this episode we discuss what the liturgy is, how Vatican II reformed the liturgy, and why it's time to move past the liturgy wars. We also unpack many of today's liturgical debates concerning the Traditional Latin Mass, ad orientem, and more. Finally, we explore the role of liturgy in family life and how to cultivate a liturgical rhythm and environment in your home.

Books and Resources

• The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life by Kendra Tierney
• Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family by Maria Von Trapp
• “Carrots for Michaelmas” Blog by Haley Stewart

Survey after survey shows that young people, especially Millennials and Generation Z, are rejecting the faith in huge numbers. Whether they grew up going to church, few attend now. So, how can we reach them? How can we present the Gospel in a compelling way? Fr. Blake and Brandon, fellow Millennials, share some practical strategies including cultivating holiness, reading the signs of the times, learning the (true) art of accompaniment, knowing your stuff, and the way of beauty.

Brandon and Fr. Blake, both native Floridians, are proud of their home state, especially the sacred ground of St. Augustine. Founded in 1565, it's not only the oldest city in the United States but the site of the country's first recorded Catholic Mass. Even more, the so-called "sacred acre," home to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, also served as the place of martyrdom for several of the Florida Martyrs, whose cause for canonization has recently begun. Listen as Fr. Blake and Brandon share some of these incredible stories and why this great city of St. Augustine, bathed in Catholic history, is worth a visit.

Books + Resources

• Books
  The Cross in the Sand: The Early Catholic Church in Florida, 1513-1870 by Michael Gannon
  The Florida Martyrs: Compelled by Compassion by Eric Olson
  The Martyrs of La Florida: A Heroic Story of Catholic Faith (graphic novel)
  
• Resources
  “The Martyrs of Florida” - Fr. Blake Britton (Word on Fire)
  “Antonio Cuipa and Companions” - Fr. Blake Britton (Word on Fire)
  The Martyrs of La Florida Missions
  “They Might Be Saints” (EWTN Documentary)
  

This month we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19), but that’s not the only reason St. Joseph is on our minds. A few months ago, Pope Francis released a beautiful apostolic exhortation on St. Joseph titled Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart), recalling the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021.

There’s never been a better time to grow closer to St. Joseph, and that’s what Brandon and Fr. Blake help you do through this episode.

Books + Resources: https://burrowshirepodcast.com/st-joseph-fatherhood

On this Ash Wednesday, Brandon and Fr. Blake reflect on the holy season of Lent and offer advice on how to sanctify your Lenten season through spiritual reading, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Books

• Frank Sheed – To Know Christ Jesus
• Fulton Sheen – Life of Christ
• Romano Guardini – The Lord
• Pope Benedict XVI - Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week
• Dom Jean-Charles Nault, OSB - The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times
• Fr. Benedict Baur - Frequent Confession: Its Place in the Spiritual Life
• Church Fathers
  St. Vladimir Seminary Press “Popular Patristics” series
  St. Basil the Great - On Fasting and Feasts

Links

• Word on Fire - “St. Basil the Great on Fasting” by Fr. Blake
• Burrowshire Podcast - How to Start a Good Catholic Library
• PDF - "How to Have a Holy Lent" by Fr. Blake Britton
• PDF - "The Sacred Triduum: A Home Guide for Families" by Fr. Blake Britton

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings ranks near the top of almost every “favorite book” or “book of the century” list. Yet few readers know that Tolkien was a devout Catholic who infused his Middle-earth stories with Catholic themes and symbolism. In fact, the author stated, “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.”

In this episode, Fr. Blake and Brandon discuss these Catholic features, including Providence, the sacramentality of Middle-earth, three Christ figures, the Marian dimension, the philosophy of evil, and the eventual victory of goodness and beauty.

LINKS

• Book Recommendations
  Frodo’s Journey: Discover The Hidden Meaning of The Lord of the Rings by Joseph Pearce
  The Power of the Ring: The Spiritual Vision Behind the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by Stratford Caldecott
  The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind the Lord of the Rings by Peter Kreeft
  J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth by Bradley Birzer
  The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien’s Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings by Fleming Rutledge
  Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages by Holly Ordway
  
• Other Links
  Brandon Vogt – “8 Books on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Catholicism”
  Frederic Heidemann – “I Was an Atheist Until I Read “The Lord of the Rings”
  Steven Greydanus – “Faith and fantasy: Tolkien the Catholic, The Lord of the Rings, and Peter Jackson’s film trilogy”

Let us give you fair warning ahead of time, because this is going to be quite the episode as we discuss two of our greatest heroes, G.K. Chesterton and Pope Benedict XVI. Prophets of their age who spoke truth with wisdom and clarity, these two holy men radiate a rare innocence and purity to all who read them. Discover why we love them so much and our recommendations on where to get started with each thinker. 

Links + Books >> https://burrowshirepodcast.com/chesterton-pope-bxvi

We often hear about our vocation to become a saint. But what is a saint? And why does the Church honor saints?

In this episode, Fr. Blake and Brandon discuss the theology of saints, how that theology is rooted in the Incarnation, and, most importantly, how we can become saints ourselves.

We’re in a period of deep confusion about the priesthood. Some people wonder why the priesthood exists, others wonder why women can’t be priests. The abuse crisis and examples of bad priests have added to that confusion, causing people to misunderstand this vocation established by Christ.

In this episode, Fr. Blake and Brandon discuss the origin of the priesthood, why it exists, and its significance today. They also discuss how laypeople can help priests become better priests and what qualities define a great priest.

In his classic book Leisure: The Basis of Culture, philosopher Josef Pieper observed that “the original meaning of the concept of ‘leisure’ has practically been forgotten in today’s leisure-less culture of ‘total work.’” For many of us, work is the primary task, and leisure is what we do to recuperate so we can work some more. Therefore, leisure usually means relaxation, refreshment, killing time, or binging on Netflix shows.

But for Pieper, this is not leisure as it was meant to be. Leisure is not a secondary activity, but a main one. And it’s not a passive “doing nothing,” but an active participation in practices that generate calm, silence, and contemplation, activities that are pursued for their own sakes and not as means to some higher goal.

In this episode, Fr. Blake and Brandon discuss how different cultures have understood leisure, how our modern culture has prioritized work over leisure, and some specific ways we can practice authentic leisure.

With the upcoming general election, it's good for us to reflect on the role of Catholics in the political sphere. Fr. Blake and Brandon discuss a Catholic approach to politics, why Christians should care about the common good, and how to react if your preferred candidate doesn't win in November.

Links

• Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (USCCB)
• AllSides.com

It seems like each week, another scandal emerges in the Church: sexual abuse, cover up, financial impropriety, poor leadership, heretical teaching, or lack of faithfulness. At the same time, many Catholics have experienced increased doubt and confusion, whether about something they heard from the Pope or bishops, about the Second Vatican Council, or about questions concerning liturgy, theology, or morality. How should faithful Catholics respond to occasions of scandal and doubt? That's what Fr. Blake and Brandon discuss in this episode of “The Burrowshire Podcast.”

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a troubling figure for many Protestant Christians, but this is a relatively new phenomenon. In the early Church, Marian devotion was hardly debated and even the major Protestant reformers themselves, such as Martin Luther and King Henry VIII, wrote treatises defending Marian doctrines. In this episode, Brandon and Fr. Blake explore some of the key beliefs about Mary, her pivotal role in salvation history, and the revival of Marian theology during the last two centuries.

Links

• Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah by Brant Pitre
• Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God  by Scott Hahn
• The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God  by Fulton Sheen
• Daughter Zion: Meditations on the Church's Marian Belief by Joseph Ratzinger
• Mary: The Church at the Source by Joseph Ratzinger and Hans Urs von Balthasar
• Wider Than Heaven: Eighth-century Homilies on the Mother of God by Eastern Church Fathers (St. Vladimir Press)
• The Handmaid of the Lord by Adrienne von Speyr
• 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration by Fr. Michael Gaitley
• The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander
• Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines by Tim Staples

Christians are often divided on questions about movies, television, and video games. Where do we draw the line between good entertainment, worthy of our attention, and bad media we should avoid? What about movies or shows with excessive violence or sexuality? How do we discern which video games to play (or allow our kids to play)? Brandon and Fr. Blake offer several general principles while also discussing specific films, TV shows, books, games, and more.

Links

• The Monsters and the Critics: And Other Essays by J.R.R. Tolkien

Our culture is experiencing a crisis of masculinity. We're confused about what it means to be a man and because of that, we struggle to initiate boys into authentic masculinity. In this episode, Fr. Blake and Brandon discuss how to father boys and help them to encounter God, sharing plenty of practical tips.

Episode Notes >> https://burrowshirepodcast.com/raise-boys-to-follow-god

Links

• Wild at Heart: Discovering The Secret of a Man's Soul by John Eldredge
• The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for the Masculine Journey by John Eldredge