Crash Course Catholicism

07/06/2026

An encyclical is a letter, and letters are personal. Magnifica Humanitas isn’t just something to read about, it’s something to read. We don’t have to rush through it; we can read it slowly and prayerfully, listening for what God might want to say to us through it.

06/06/2026

In this practical, humorous and incredibly joyful Lecture, Dr Caitl...

04/06/2026

Top tip: Always remember that every person you meet has a virtue that you haven’t yet acquired, or that you are still growing in.

As Catholics, we are so lucky. We have the sacraments, the Bible, and 2000 years of Truth preserved and handed on through Sacred Tradition. That makes the path to holiness clearer and smoother, and it's a gift that we should be eager to share with the whole world. But none of that makes us better than anyone else.

We are all sinners, and even someone who has never set foot in a church may have patience, generosity, humility, courage, or trust in God that surpasses our own. Every person we encounter has something to teach us.

Let's be grateful for the gifts we've been given, do our best to share them with others, but also be ready to learn from everyone we meet.

03/06/2026

It was an absolute joy to deliver the Marian Lecture for The Guild of our Lady of Ransom on Friday. The recording is available now, search Living the Faith Out Loud on YouTube.

30/05/2026

"Faith" is possibly one of the most misunderstood terms in religion.

In this video, we unpack the true meaning of one of the most fundamental concepts of Christianity.

"Faith" is possibly one of the most misunderstood terms in religion. In this video, we unpack the true meaning of one of the most fundamental concepts of Chr...

28/05/2026

Confession doesn’t need to be complicated.

Remember the 4 Cs:

Clear: state the sin plainly, and indicate how many times you have committed it since your last confession.
Concrete: avoid vague language
Concise: no long stories/unnecessary contextualisation
Complete: confess all mortal sins you remember

God already knows your heart. Confession is about honesty, humility, and receiving His mercy.

“Then I acknowledged my sin to You… and You forgave the guilt of my sin.” - Psalm 32:5

26/05/2026

Often, when we pray the rosary, we meditate on specific scenes from the Gospels. However, we can also meditate on the *words* themselves.

One way that we can say the rosary is by picking one word from the Hail Mary, and emphasising it each time we say it. This encourages us to enter more deeply into prayer from the heart, rather than just mindlessly rattling off the words.

Let's try to say the rosary with more love and devotion in these last days of the month of May!

24/05/2026

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to every baptised Christian. They are:

Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Fortitude
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord.

If you have been baptised, you have these gifts! You can ask for an increase of them by praying the prayer: "come, Holy Spirit"

Happy Pentecost Sunday!

24/05/2026

Pentecost Sunday is a day when the church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit.

In his letter to the Galatians, St Paul names 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit: these are signs of the Holy Spirit active in a soul:

Charity
Joy
Patience
Peace
Kindness
Generosity
Goodness
Gentleness
Faithfulness
Modesty
Self control
Chastity

One simple prayer that we can say to grow in the fruits of the Spirit:

"Come, Holy Spirit"

20/05/2026

Inspired by Pope Leo, here are five random book recommendations for Catholics:

1. Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset
2. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
3. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte (obvs, classic)
4. North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell
5. The Jeeves series, by P.G. Wodehouse