St. Anthony's Tongue

Catholic Zines: www.stanthonystongue.com/margins
Patreon: www.patreon.com/anthonystongue
St. Philip Neri may be one of the most punk rock saints in Catholic history.
Known as the Apostle of Rome and the Apostle of Joy, St. Philip Neri rebelled against religious gloom, spiritual ego, cold preaching, and closed-room Catholicism — not by rejecting the Church, but by making Catholic life joyful, human, embodied, and alive.
In this episode of Punk Rock Saints, we look at how Philip Neri’s devotion to the Holy Spirit set his heart on fire, how his humor and holy foolishness fought pride, and how the Oratory became a kind of sacred scene for the spiritually restless: prayer, music, confession, friendship, Scripture, saints, and laughter all in one room.
Philip Neri reminds us that holiness does not have to be grim, polished, or impressive.
Sometimes the most radical Catholic thing you can do is laugh, confess, open the doors, and let the Holy Spirit make your heart bigger.
St. Philip Neri, pray for us.

In this casual Ascension Sunday reflection, we sit with one of the strangest and most beautiful moments in the Christian story: Jesus rises from the dead, appears to His disciples, speaks with them, promises the Holy Spirit… and then ascends into heaven.
But the Ascension is not abandonment.
The disciples still have questions when Christ ascends. Mary receives Gabriel before she understands the whole road. Joseph follows dreams one step at a time. Moses sees the burning bush before he understands the Exodus. Again and again, Scripture shows us that God gives Himself before He gives the full map.
We’ll also talk about spiritual dryness, prayer, the indwelling of God, the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist, and why a changed form of God’s presence is not the same as His absence.
The Ascension reminds us: Jesus is not gone. Christ ascends with His wounds, brings our humanity into heaven, and prepares to send heaven into us at Pentecost.

What does God actually call you?
Not the names your shame gives you. Not the names your anxiety gives you. Not the names your failures, wounds, scruples, or self-hatred have taught you to answer to.
In this episode of St. Anthony’s Tongue, we linger with some of the strange and tender names God gives the soul throughout Scripture, especially in the Song of Songs: my dove, my darling, my sister, my perfect one, along with bride, friend, little flock, and temple.
This is not about cute religious nicknames. It is about Catholic mysticism, identity, prayer, and the healing of the soul. God does not flatter the soul. He tells the truth about it. And sometimes the truth is more merciful, more intimate, and more beautiful than we are prepared to receive.
We’ll explore the Song of Songs, the Farewell Discourse, the words of Christ in John 15, “fear not little flock” in Luke 12, and what it means to stop answering to names God never gave you.
God never called you failure.
God never called you disgusting.
God never called you a lost cause.
God never called you too much or not enough.
So what does He call you?
Let’s talk about the secret names God gives the soul.

Is Eastern Orthodoxy more mystical than Roman Catholicism? Or have Catholics simply forgotten the mystical heart of their own tradition?
In this episode, we explore Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic mysticism without turning it into a competition. Both East and West seek union with God. Both have deep theology, contemplative prayer, asceticism, sacramental life, and saints who burned with divine love.
But they often speak with different mystical accents.
Eastern Orthodoxy often foregrounds theosis, watchfulness, hesychasm, the Jesus Prayer, icons, Tabor, and the healing of the eye of the heart to behold divine light. Roman Catholic mysticism often foregrounds Eucharistic union, bridal mysticism, the Sacred Heart, the wounds of Christ, the dark night, contemplation, and the heart being wounded open by love.
This is not about choosing East or West. It is about recovering the mystical depth already present in the Catholic tradition.
Catholic mysticism is not missing.
It is Eucharistic.
It is bridal.
It is wounded.
It is contemplative.
It is incarnational.
And it is still burning.

This week’s Mass Prep reflects on John 14:15–21, where Jesus tells His disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments,” “I will not leave you orphans,” and “You are in me and I in you.”As we move closer to Ascension and Pentecost, this Gospel invites us to slow down and receive the promise of Christ’s nearness. Jesus prepares His disciples for His visible departure, but He does not abandon them. He promises the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who will dwell within them.In this episode, we reflect on love, obedience, spiritual dryness, the ache of feeling abandoned, the indwelling of God, and the promise that Christ still comes to us, even when He feels hidden.For everyone who has ever prayed through silence, dryness, fear, or the feeling that God is far away: you are not orphaned. He comes.