The Radio Immaculata Show

In this second episode of "Philosophy for All," we analyse what a sign is and its difference from a symbol. Both sign and symbol point us to a reality beyond themselves. The sign and the symbol, without which we cannot live, are not the reality they point us to. Paul Ricœur (1913–2005), a French Philosopher, tells us that idolatry occurs when a symbol is mistaken for the reality. Idolatry, we can add, can also occur when the reality is mistaken for the symbol and everything becomes merely symbolic.Every first Sunday of the month, at 2pm, in St Jospeh's Hall - Tangier Road - Portsmouth (UK), we meet in person for a lecture on Philosophy open to and made easy for all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With this first episode, we start a series on "Philosophy for All," investigating what Metaphysics is. In this first lesson we focus on the perception of reality with the help of Plato's Allegory of the Cave. How do we know what is real? How do we know that the reality we perceive is the final reality and not a mere appearance? What is real and what is apparent? Man is made for what is real and lasting: the ultimate reality.Every first Sunday of the month, at 2pm, in St Jospeh's Hall - Tangier Road - Portsmouth (UK), we meet in person for a lecture on Philosophy open to and made easy for all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

St Joseph's heart is the mystery to contemplate at this Holy Christmas to welcome with it God's greatest gifts: Our Lady and Jesus, our Saviour. Joseph was espoused to Mary in a very unique and holy way - a virginal one. Through her, he embraced Our Lord and became His virginal father. St Joseph's heart was the very place where these two mysteries were laid, prefiguring also the cave of Bethlehem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 1930s saw a frequent objection made to Christianity: since salvation is personal, Christianity would easily pave the way for individualism, where every Christian looks for his own happiness, forgetting all others. Henri de Lubac wrote "Catholicism" (1937) to reply to this objection by making the point of "social Catholicism." However, few years later, this concept, though well grounded in the Church Fathers, became ideologically ridden, so as to affirm that Faith and its celebration were merely social. What about today? Whilst it seems very odd to preach about saving one's soul, a 'communal salvation' has led to prioritise social issues, such as building up a more human society and ecology (detached from Christ). A strong Marxist component is now facing the Church from within. What is then salvation? The unity and the trinity of the Triune God should be reflected in this discorse. Saving souls is still the supreme law of the Church. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this homily given on Christmas Day, Fr Serafino reflects on the mystery of the Word made flesh. The very difference between any philosophy, any natural religion, and Christianity is that the Word spoke and is made flesh. Incarnation is a gift not a right, as grace is a gift and never a right. Yet, in today's Church, as in the society, grace seems to be a right. Even blessings have become a human right. Christmas celebrated with faith and love is the way to regain the concept of 'gratuitous love,' by which we are mad creatures and Christians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.