Electric Prayer

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August sounds as if it ought to be a quiet time, but it has had some glorious feasts in it. The greatest ones have been the Transfiguration of the Lord on the 6th and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 15th: a much-needed midsummer public holiday in many countries.

September is going to bring its own treasures, including a long anticipated multiple canonisation on Sunday the 7th; and of course it ends with a bang with St Michael and the archangels.

The weekly podcasts

Here are the episodes which have come out since the last newsletter. You can listen by clicking on the link. Each is around 20 minutes long.

20 July: Saints Anna and Joachim. Saint Mary Magdalen. Saint James. Saint Bridget of Sweden.

27 July: An “ordinary spirituality” for the slow river of Ordinary Time. Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Answering the grumpy friar who complained of “too many saints.” Saint Olaf Haraldson, King of Norway. India, and Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu. Blessed Justin de Jacobis in Abyssinia.

3 August: Abraham’s Auction revisited. Why we need so many saints. The Curé of Ars. Saint Cajetan. How can bankers be saved?

10 August: The Assumption: what exactly it means. The birth of a doctrine and its development. The Old Testament roots of Marian belief.

17 August: Our Lady, Mother and Queen. The Rosary, Scripture verses, and new Danish and Latin texts. Southwark Cathedral and its catechists. We are all catechists of a kind: here’s how Universalis and The Creed in Slow Motion can help.

24 August: The end of the world and the Day of the Lord. Zephaniah and how to read a prophet. ‘Whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth.’ Saint Louis. St John Chrysostom. Saints Monica and Augustine. Our Lady of Częstochowa (and Hilaire Belloc).

Some people tell me they listen to the Universalis podcast while driving: one even takes a longer route in weeks when the podcast is longer. Others use it as an opportunity to have their whole family gather and listen together, and talk about God afterwards. For the podcaster, that is pretty humbling! Whatever it is that God is doing through the podcast, may he continue to do it.

If you haven’t listened yet, do. If you have, and you like it, tell all your friends.

• Here is a link to the Podcasts page. You will find all the podcasts listed there. There are almost 80 of them by now.
• If you don’t want to have to send your friends a link, tell them to go to the home page at universalis.com and they’ll find a Podcasts button at the top right.
• And apart from all that, all the Universalis apps and programs will show an alert in the About Today page whenever a new podcast is ready.

New podcast episodes come out on Friday or Saturday each week.

Universalis for groups

I have been asked by the Archdiocese of Southwark, here in London, to give a keynote address to their “Day for Catechists” on 20 September. This is a bit of an honour and a bit of a challenge, but I have to assume they know what they are doing! If I can and if they let me, I will try to record it.

The question of catechesis reminds me to remind you that everyone learning about the faith ought to have Universalis, not just for the current liturgy but as a treasured resource and possession for the whole of life.

Why not sponsor a group? It could be a Confirmation class, for each young person being prepared for the sacrament. Or it could be a children’s First Communion class, for the parents, to help them build a properly supportive spiritual atmosphere in the home, to back up what their children are learning.

Several people are already giving this kind of support – because they know it is needed, and because it is to people they know. Perhaps it is time you thought of doing the same. If sponsoring a class year after year seems too much for you, why not try doing it one year, and then inspire someone else to follow your example?

We give substantial discounts to people who sponsor groups, so you can bring light into people’s lives without bringing clouds into your own.

If you are at all interested, write to us and we can tell you more.

Thank you all for using Universalis. If you have trouble or questions, or suggestions, do write to us at universalis@universalis.com or use the Contact Us button in one of the apps. Let us all keep one another in our prayers, as always.