Episode Details

A meditation for the Feast of Pope Saint Callixtus I, from Dom Guéranger’s “The Liturgical Year”, Volume V of the Time after Pentecost.Pope St. Callixtus I (c. 155–222) was Pope from approximately 217 to 222, during a period of persecution and doctrinal controversy in the early Church. Before his election, he had endured hardship and imprisonment, and he later served as a deacon under Pope St. Zephyrinus, overseeing the Christian burial grounds along the Appian Way that became associated with his name as the Catacombs of St. Callixtus. As Pope, he defended the unity of the Church and exercised pastoral mercy toward sinners, allowing those who had committed grave sins to be reconciled after suitable penance, a policy that brought him into conflict with the rigorist priest Hippolytus. Callixtus also upheld the Church's authority in matters of discipline and is traditionally associated with the development of the discipline surrounding Christian marriage. According to ancient tradition, he died a martyr during an uprising against Christians. Honored as a saint and martyr, Pope St. Callixtus I is remembered for his defense of ecclesiastical authority, his concern for the salvation of sinners, and his witness to the faith in the early Roman Church.Please note that Servant of God Dom Prosper Guéranger went to his eternal reward in 1875; at this point, Volumes I-IX (Advent to Pentecost Saturday) had been completed, but Volumes X-XV (Trinity Sunday to Advent) had not yet been completed. Thus, the remaining readings of the Liturgical Year (including this reading), from Trinity Sunday until Advent, were not directly authored by Dom Prosper, but were the work of his disciple Dom Lucien Fromage. Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering the entire cycle of seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Time after Pentecost—as well as feast days of saints. Guéranger’s work, rooted in a deep contemplative spirit, aims to immerse the faithful in the Church’s prayerful life, emphasizing the unity of faith through the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief"), and remains a cherished resource for Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. Link to the Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year playlist (updated daily): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZKdyYnV_bkh7rH6piW0ShgsdcefFoOvJIf you would like to support this channel:  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/InprincipioPodcast PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U5EZ9X2CE2V7W Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/InPrincipioPodcast Zelle: inprincipiopodcast@gmail.com; or search for Zelle tag “inprincipiopodcast”  Checks may be written out to ‘InPrincipio Podcast’ and mailed to: P.O. Box 117 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924Sincere thanks to all who are able to contribute, by your prayers, your patronage, or otherwise. Your support sustains this work and helps make these readings available to others.Artwork: Fresco of Pope St. Callixtus I, created c. 450 AD, originally located in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the WallsMusic: “Ave Maria” (Gregorian chant), from Vesperae de Confessore non Pontifice in honor of Saint Vincent PallottiPerformed by Schola Gregoriana, Pallottine Seminary (Ołtarzew, Poland) | Conductor: Fr. Dariusz SmolarekLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Changes: noneExcept where otherwise noted, original content © InPrincipio Podcast.