Inside the Pages Archives

IP#320 Fr. Wade Menezes C.F.M. – The Four Last Things on Inside the Pages

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:16 — 33.8MB) | Embed

With the incredible Fr. Wade Menezes we discuss “The Four Last Things: A Catechetical Guide to Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.”

You can find the book here
From the Inside Flap

Few things in this earthly life are absolutely certain, but the most undebatable of these is death. Every person, even the atheist, will admit that death is certain. Death, however, is not the last event in this life of ours. Immediately after death, we shall be judged and then again on the Day of Judgment when all humanity will know us for what we are.

Too often the reality of Heaven and salvation are highlighted at the expense of the Church’s teachings on Death, Judgment, Purgatory, and Hell. Yet, these important doctrines of the Church hold the truths of salvation — truths that can lead us to Heaven or can pull us away from it.

In these pages, Fr. Wade Menezes, EWTN television host and Assistant General of the Fathers of Mercy, shows us that God has not called us to His wrath, but to salvation. He shows us that Heaven and Hell, salvation and damnation, eternal life and eternal punishment are all complementary doctrines. They need each other to be complete and we must understand the Church’s teachings on all of these doctrines in order to have a balanced view of the world.

Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell these are the Four Last Things toward which we are moving each hour of the day and night. Read this book, and you’ll have a firm grasp of one of the most important doctrines of Holy Mother Church that holds the truths of Heaven and our own salvation.

IP#100 Fr. Andrew Apostoli – Fatima For Today on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:00 — 26.5MB) | Embed

Fr. Andrew Apostoli does a tremendous job covering all the varied aspects of the events of Fatima and the call of Our Lady of Fatima. He conveys the “immaculate” heart of the message, as well as tackling the “controversies” that have plagued the events over the years. Because of the prophetic nature of her messages, Our Lady of Fatima has been the subject of much controversy and speculation. In this book, Father Andrew Apostoli carefully analyzes the events that took place in Fatima and clears up lingering questions and doubts about their meaning. He also challenges the reader to hear anew the call of Our Lady to prayer and sacrifice, for the world is ever in need of generous hearts willing to make reparation for those in danger of losing their way to God.

Check out the book here

“As was so dramatically obvious during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Fatima in May, 2010, Our Lady’s apparitions in 1917 remain powerfully compelling for us today. There she was an evangelist, calling us to prayer, conversion of heart, and penance, pointing to Jesus and repeating her words at Cana, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ This book brings it all home.”
-Most Reverend Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York
“For us, Fatima is a sign of the presence of faith, of the fact that it is precisely from the little ones that faith gains new strength, one which is not limited to the little ones but has a message for the entire world and touches history here and now, and sheds light on this history . . . Even now there is tribulation, in every conceivable form, and power threatens to trample down faith. Even now, then, there is a need for the answer about which the Mother of God spoke to the children at Fatima.”
-Pope Benedict XVI

IP#1 Kimberly Hahn – “Beloved and Blessed” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:30 — 19.6MB) | Embed

What a blessing to have my first “Inside the Pages” show be with Kimberly Hahn! She is an inspiration on

so many levels. The entire “Life-Nurturing Love” series is wonderful (book and DVD). When you read Kimberly Hahn, you can’t help but feel you are receiving the best advice from a wise and cherished friend. With good humor and joy, Kimberly offers Christ-centered teaching from the heart of the Church in her unique maternal-nurturing way. Beloved and Blessed is one of the most important witnesses in recent times on how to truly live out God’s design for marriage.

Click here to purchase Kimberly’s book online at www.servantbooks.org

The third in a series of Bible studies based on Proverbs 31, Beloved and Blessed offers tools to help you strengthen your marriage and raise your children, creating a civilization of love in your home. Applying Sacred Scripture, Church teaching, and pastoral wisdom, Kimberly Hahn helps you explore:

Marital intimacy
Responsible parenthood
Facing the financial future without fear
Strategies for disciplining and instructing children
Trusting God when parenting hurts

Discussion questions help you apply the material to your own life and make the book a valuable resource for small group discussion.

IP#278 Mark Brumley – Han Urs von Balthasar’s “Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:27 — 19.5MB) | Embed

A big “THANK YOU” to Ignatius Press for this excellent 2nd edition of the classic “Dare We Hope That All Men Be

Saved?: With a Short Discourse on Hell” by Catholic theologian Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar. The newer edition contains an outstanding forward by Fr. Robert Barron. The conversation with Mark Brumley sheds even greater light on why this is such an important work. Mark also corrects the misrepresentations that have been put forward about it’s contents in recent years, including the false characterization of von Balthasar as an advocate of “universalism”. An exceptional work! Once again, a great discussion with Mark Brumley.

You find the book here

“Truly deep theological questions can rarely be answered with a simple yes or no. Rather, they are approached by the careful theologian, who circles around them, making distinctions, bringing essential aspects to light. The issue of who and how many will be saved is surely one of the thorniest theological puzzles in the Catholic tradition, and I don’t know any theologian-classical or contemporary-who performs the nimble task of bringing out the complexity and profiles of this issue better than Hans Urs von Balthasar. In this short but rich text, you will hear of grace, punishment, mercy, the awful self-absorption of sin-but above all of hope.”
– Bishop Robert Barron, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

IP#209 Dr. Peter Kreeft – Jacob’s Ladder on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:11 — 18.7MB) | Embed

What a glorious opportunity to discuss “Truth” with the one and only Dr. Peter Kreeft. I have to admit; one must be on their toes when discussing any topic with the good doctor, he is one of the great intellects and authors of our time, period. He is always patient, kind and just downright fascinating in this conversation; Dr. Kreeft engages the imagination and guides us deeper into the reality of Divine Revelation. “Jacob’s Ladder: 10 Steps to Truth” is an absolutely splendid voyage to undertake; put on your thinking caps, dive in to the ocean of your heart, and be prepared to be awed and delighted. A must have book for anyone who is seeking Truth.

You can find the book here

From the book description:

Among the topics, or “steps”, that Kreeft’s characters delve into include:

Do you have the passion to know?
Does truth exist?
What is the meaning of life?
What is love, and why is it so important for our lives?
If there is a God, what proof is there for his existence?
Has God revealed himself to us in a personal way?

IP#269 Tim Staples – Behold Your Mother on Inside the Page with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:31 — 21.0MB) | Embed

“Behold Your Mother – A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines”, by Catholic apologist Tim Staples, is outstanding! For those who are unfamiliar or even unsure what the Church teaches about the Mother of God, this is a tremendous entry point for your study. For all who have a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, this is the book to have in order to help articulate the truths of Marian Dogma clearly to others! Director of Apologetics and Evangelization for Catholic Answers, Tim Staples, has authored a work that is easy to navigate and filled with solid biblical and historical reasons for what we as Catholics believe about Mary. A must for the Catholic library in every parish and home! A GREAT book for Advent reflection and study, as well as a gift for family and friends!

Tim Staples respectfully but clearly answers every conceivable Protestant objection to Mary, the Mother of God. With the street cred of one who has been there, Tim backs up his words with Scripture every time. His answers are exhaustive but not exhausting! An invaluable book for thoughtful, truth-seeking Christians. —-Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., EWTN host and author of Mary: Virgin, Mother, and Queen

The greatest doctrinal obstacle to my return to the Catholic Church was fear that Catholics had no basis for or boundaries on the Marian dogmas. If only Tim Staples had written Behold Your Mother then! His presentation is fearless, precise, biblically wise, historically rooted, and popular in expression. He addresses objections I haven t seen addressed elsewhere. I can t think of a more insightful, comprehensive single volume that persuades so thoroughly. Great, truly great, piece of apologetics. — Al Kresta, president, Ave Maria Communications and host of Kresta in the Afternoon

Tim Staples presents a remarkable defense of the six major Marian doctrines, including a veritable compendium of source material from the Bible, Fathers, and Church documents. He gives clear presentations of the controversial issues surrounding each doctrine, makes careful definitions and distinctions, and thinks his way through each issue as if he were having a conversation with the reader. Even well-informed readers will benefit from this engaging book. – –Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., president, Magis Center of Reason and Faith

IP#316 Rod Dreher – The Benedict Option on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:27 — 23.7MB) | Embed

We could not be more enthusiastic about bringing forward any book this year than we are with Rod Dreher’s ” The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation”! Relying on the wisdom of St. Benedict of Nursia, Rod suggests that the answer to the moral chaos that has affected our culture is to embrace the principles of order, hospitality, stability, and prayer. These core attributes can become solid foundations of all Christians—Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox—and can transform our lives, families and the culture that surrounds us. “Neither false optimism nor fatalistic despair will do” as so well stated in the book description “Only faith, hope, and love, embodied in a renewed church, can sustain believers in the dark age that have overtaken us. These are the days for building strong arks for the long journey across a sea of night.” Highly recommended!

You can find the book here

“A terrific book: provocative in its content, shrewd in its insights, vivid and engaging in its style. The strength of The Benedict Option is not just its analysis of our culture’s developing problems but its outline of practical ways Christians can survive and thrive in a dramatically different America. This is an invaluable tool for understanding our times and acting as faithful believers.”
—Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia

“The Experience of Theology” – In Conversation with Mark Brumley and Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16:38 — 52.6MB) | Embed

Why is theology important? Why should it be a part of every believer’s life? Mark Brumley helps us to understand why we are called to think well as believers and to grow in our understanding of God so we can begin to see God working in our lives in ways we haven’t seen before. We base our conversation on the axiom put forward by St. Anslem which basically refers to theology as “faith seeking understanding”. It’s not necessarily about obtaining a doctorate in theology, or reading the Summa, but coming to know in a fuller way our relationship with God and what that might mean in witnessing our faith to the world and living it authentically. Always brilliant in his insight and relatable in his teaching, don’t miss this far reaching and engaging discussion with Mark!

Find more areas to explore various aspects of theology by visiting ignatius.com

IP#246 Devin Schadt – “Joseph’s Way” on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:26 — 25.1MB) | Embed

Devin Schadt offers a tremendous work proclaiming St. Joseph as a model for the authentic expression of manhood and fatherhood. In ” Joseph’s Way: The Call to Fatherly Greatness: Part I: Prayer of Faith”, he shares his compelling personal witness to the great saint’s role in his life. He also uses Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and many other outstanding resources, to fashion a study that helps to deepen the faith of those who walk with good St. Joseph through the perils men, as well as their families, face in our world today.

You can find the book here

From the book description:

Among the most serious crises facing our nation and the world is the crisis of fatherhood. Indeed, if the world is to be converted, the Church must be renewed. If the macro-Church is to be renewed, the micro church of the family must be restored. And if the family is to be restored and re-vitalized, the man who is both husband and father must become who God has created him to be – a father on earth like the Father in heaven. Joseph’s Way: The Call to Fatherly Greatness, Part I: Prayer of Faith is the first in a four book series that comprises an in-depth vision of the human father as seen through the lens of St. Joseph and the patriarchs. By comparing Abraham the ‘Father in Faith’, with St. Joseph the just father who lived by faith fathers will discover the power of their vocation and their essential role in rebuilding society. Joseph’s Way: The Call to Fatherly Greatness, Part I: Prayer of Faith helps men become great fathers by re-discovering the hidden greatness of fatherhood.

Divine Mercy…In Conversation with Vinny Flynn

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:39 — 29.9MB) | Embed

Bruce and I were delighted to talk with Vinny Flynn about the origin of the Divine Mercy message and devotion.

Vinny Flynn is a popular speaker at Catholic conferences around the world, and is the best-selling author of 7 Secrets of the Eucharist, 21 Ways to Worship, 7 Secrets of Confession, and Mercy’s Gaze. Vinny has helped train many of the people writing and speaking about Divine Mercy today. He also has been singing the original “Chaplet of Divine Mercy” on EWTN with some of his children for over 20 years.