The horror genre of fiction is extremely popular in today’s world. Some of the horror stories that are being pushed in library reading programs today are many times gory or outright satanic.

Question: is there a place for scary works of literature in a Catholic’s library?

Well many ghost stories are probably already there, like a Christmas Carol. In Charles Dickens’ time, every big fictional author had to write at least one ghost story in order to be popular.

Grimms Fairy tales are full of terrifying stories.

Every time people get around a campfire, they talk about creepy things that may or may not have happened to them.

Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a grizzly story, so long as the moral of it is clear, it uplifts you and doesn’t bring to mind devilish things or despair.

Again the story has to be uplifting and ideally adventurous. This is how you can captivate a young reader’s imagination, especially young boy readers, who are totally misunderstood by modern people. Particularly liberal modern people.

I’m going to read a story for you today that I think is a fantastic addition to any young Gentleman’s library, written by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: the perfect author replacement for Stephen King. This tale is more grounded in reality and when you finish it, you’ll feel like it was time well spent.

I give you, “The Terror of Blue John Gap.”

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Attributions: Colorless Aura by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400008 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Comfortable Mystery 4 - Film Noire by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100535 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Dreamlike by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Episode 37: How to Take Suffering

This is a Sermon by St. John Vianney on how to suffer. It’s amazing advice for people in our modern world, because I know that the filth around today is much greater than back when St. John Vianney lived. Today, the good are so much more persecuted and it seems like everything is against us.

But this sermon teaches us how to suffer like champions and the best part of it all was that his sermons were always no longer than ten minutes.

So take heart and listen to his calming words.

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What happens when we don’t live up to our expectations? What happens when everything goes south in our lives and we’re left seemingly abandoned?

It’s at times like these that we have to maintain our confidence in God, which is for me, one of the hardest virtues to practice.

That’s why my favorite religious book of all time is The Book of Confidence by Father Thomas de Saint-Laurent and I think he had a special grace to write the way he did.

If you’d like to buy the book, then follow this link: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Confidence-Father-Thomas-Saint-Laurent/dp/1877905461

It so happens that I have permission to let y'all hear the first chapter of The Book of Confidence audiobook done by America Needs Fatima and narrated by the great Richard Fatherly. So if you’re going through bumpy times, just listen to this show and I know you’ll benefit from its calming words.

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Attributions: J. S. Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze - BWV 208 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Artist: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/KevinMacLeod/ Source: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/KevinMacLeod/ClassicalSampler/SheepMaySafelyGraze-BWV_208

I’m only gonna be reading what is for me, the best part of the book, which is when Marley visits Scrooge. If you want to see what happens in the end, you should read the rest for yourself. This story is a classic that every young man should read anyway, especially around Christmas time.

Charles Dickens was a writer genius. He makes a scene about a ghost, something that should be pretty scary, into a witty exchange. At the same time, his description of Scrooge’s vices are so vivid that it makes everyone examine their own consciences for the times in their life when they were a little humbug. Because we all can have a little bit Scrooge in us sometimes, right?

Before we start the tale, Charles Dickens would like to let everyone know that Marley was dead to begin with. Dead as a coffin nail.

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Attributions:

Ghost Processional by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100219 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Did you ever wonder where the west got their Christmas traditions like having a Christmas Tree in the living room, putting up a nativity scene in the front lawn, or singing Silent Night?

Well, they’re all Catholic traditions and in this episode I explain how they came about.

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Attributions: Carol Of The Bells by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Angels We Have Heard - Christmas by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?collection=004&page=1 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Check out our podcasting host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free, no credit card required, forever. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a8b100 for 40% off for 4 months, and support The Catholic Men's Podcast.

Here are the other podcasts I do:

Echo of Fidelity Podcast: https://tfpsa.podbean.com/

The Return to Order Moment Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/rto_podcast

Believe it or not, this one is just my hobby: not professionally done at all.

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“Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.” - Quote from Saint Augustine

I would categorize today’s tale as “stories that every young man should know about history.

Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin is an excellent book about counterfeiters, the secret service, and a weird plot to steal a certain American President’s body.

It’s a really immersive story that I know you'll enjoy.

My website: https://catholic-mens-podcast.pinecast.co/

Email me at: michaelsword7@gmail.com

Attributions: 1. Slow Line Stomp by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) Source: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/UnionHall/SlowLineStomp Artist: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/ 2. High Tension by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/ 3. Comfortable Mystery 2 - Film Noire by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100537 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 4. Setting Pace by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) Source: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/DuckLake/SettingPace Artist: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/ 5. Action - Scoring Action by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100338 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 6. Stately Shadows by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) Source: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/DuckLake/StatelyShadows Artist: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/ 7. Fig Leaf Rag - distressed by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100702 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 8. Long Note One by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100418 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 9. Our Digital Compass by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) Source: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/Resolute/OurDigitalCompass Artist: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/ 10. Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100783 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 11. Emmit Sprak by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) Source: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/CloudCover/EmmitSprak Artist: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/ 12. Waltz Opus Posthume by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) Source: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDotSessions/TheMazurka/WaltzOpusPosthume Artist: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BlueDot_Sessions/

I believe that every Catholic is called to be militant, whether it’s fighting vice or fighting an enemy foe for your country.

I think you'll agree when you hear stories of the two patron saints of soldiers: St. Sebastian and St. Martin of Tours.

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This is something I wrote for the boarding school that I graduated from: St. Louis de Montfort Academy. I’m only doing my own story because someone requested it, otherwise I really wouldn't do it.

It's about the Hungarian Freedom Fighters who resisted the brutal Communist takeover and covers the attempts to rescue Cardinal Mindzenty from prison where he was being cruelly tortured to support the USSR.

I hope you enjoy it.

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A short time ago I was reading about some Eucharistic miracles that blew my mind and wanted to share them with you.

We'll learn how to sit calmly in the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and tell him about all of our problems. We'll also learn, that if people don't respect his presence, there may be something rather unpleasant coming for us- lightning, rabid dogs, or maybe just simply going blind.

Here's the booklet I mention: https://www.americaneedsfatima.org/Books/meditation-booklet-be-still-and-know-that-i-am-god.html

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Attributions: Jesu Decus Angelicum by Alvaro Zapata daedalus by Kai Engel is licensed under a Attribution License. Ervira by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. Fantastic Dim Bar by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100231 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Classic Horror - Madness Paranoia by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100471 Artist: http://incompetech.com/