Mystagogy

In a tradition that dates back to the first centuries of Christianity, many newly initiated Christians were prepared for lives of faith through a formation with spiritual, liturgical, and communitarian dimensions. This period of formation was called mystagogy, a word which, in Greek, means "leading through the mysteries." Our program of mystagogy will have four primary goals: 1) To break open Magisterial teaching on the lay state (selections from Vatican II as well as letters/encyclicals from recent popes) as well as classic spiritual texts to build a thoughtful, practical devotional life; 2) To introduce the various spiritual charisms in the Church (i.e. Dominican, Carmelite, Franciscan, Salesian, etc.) so that they may develop a personal program of spirituality rooted in the uniquely Catholic legacy; 3) To deepen the prayer life through study, communal prayer, the practice of meditation, Mass, and the Liturgy of the Hours; and 4) To establish a fully Catholic life and mission, including a formation in the art of the Church, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and the commitment to a specific personal work of service.

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Mystagogy

Sayings of the Desert Fathers

May 05, 2022 • Barbara Nicolosi Harrington • Season 1 • Episode 1

0:00 | 1:06:33

To kick off our summer series, we will reflect on some writings that go way back to the third century of Christendom. While the Church was suffering under the Roman persecutions, hundreds of thousands of Christians fled into the desert first to survive, but then to encounter the Lord in simplicity, silence, Scripture, and prayer. What they learned in the desert became the foundation for Christian spiritual practice, and the keynotes of the Desert Fathers are still very much the essence of what it means to grow in holiness as a Catholic.

Program syllabus

Sayings of the Desert Fathers

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

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Intro:

Hello and welcome to the Mystagogy podcast.

In a tradition going back to the earliest centuries of Christianity, many newly initiated Christians were prepared for lives of faith through a formation designed to deepen their spiritual, liturgical and community life. This period of formation was called mystagogy, a word which, in Greek, means "leading through the mysteries."

This program of mystagogy is being developed and taught by Barbara Nicolosi Harrington, a university professor of screenwriting, cinema, Great Books and theology. The program is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, VA.

While mystagogy is intended for fully initiated Catholic Christians, we hope that all of our listeners will find the podcast to be a source of inspiration.

Our program begins with a series of thirteen episodes on prayer as the fundamental underpinning of the life of a Catholic disciple.

In this first episode, Barbara provides an introduction to the spirituality of the Desert Fathers.

Outro:

Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Mystagogy podcast.

The music for this podcast is provided by George Sarah. You can learn more about his music over at GeorgeSarahMusic.com or by following the link in the show notes for this podcast.

Until next time, be well and God bless.

Barbara Nicolosi Harrington

Host