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★★★★★

4.9

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1181 reviews

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Welcome to Catholic Classics from Ascension! Each season we'll read through a great Catholic spiritual writing providing insightful commentary and practical guidance along the way. Informative and enriching, these 20-30 mins episodes will allow you to learn from the Catholic Church’s most revered saints and teachers as you seek to cultivate your spiritual life. In season three of Catholic Classics, join Fr. Jacob Bertrand and Fr. Michael-Joseph Paris as they read and explain Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In her “Little Way,” St. Thérèse shows us that, despite our weakness, (or perhaps because of it) God can make us saints through unbounded confidence in his love. Find out more about the Catholic Classics podcast at ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics.

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Day 20: The Whole Task of Life

2026/06/27

What do you want your life to be about when it's all said and done? As we reach the final episode of The Practice of the Presence of God, Fr. Gregory and Rebecca highlight Brother Lawrence's final days and discover the remarkable simplicity that defined both his life and his death. Facing eternity, he was not consumed by fear, regret, or uncertainty. Instead, his heart remained fixed on one thing: loving and adoring God. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 19: The Solid Soul

2026/06/26

As Brother Lawrence approaches the end of his life, we encounter one of the most striking marks of authentic holiness: stability. Fr. Gregory Pine and Rebecca Dougherty explore how God's grace anchors us and gives us the strength to navigate life confidently. Today, we are reading Part 4: The Ways of Brother Lawrence, pages 130-132. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 18: Forgetting Ourselves

2026/06/25

Do you think about yourself too much? Brother Lawrence emphasizes that the closer we draw to God, the less preoccupied we become with ourselves. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca challenge us to let go of our tendency to constantly self-analyze so that we can focus on God's presence and action in our lives. Today, we are reading Part 4: The Ways of Brother Lawrence, pages 127-130. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 17: Beyond the Checklist

2026/06/24

Jesus is a person to be loved, not a box to be checked off on a list. Fr. Gregory Pine and Rebecca remind us that while discipline, practices, and spiritual "checklists" are important, they are meant to lead us into a simple, loving friendship with God. Today, we are reading Part 4: The Ways of Brother Lawrence, pages 125-127. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 16: Joyful Freedom

2026/06/23

Brother Lawrence's holiness was marked not by severity, but by a joyful freedom rooted in faith. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca explore how the practice of God's presence frees us from anxiety, self-importance, and the temptation to overcomplicate the spiritual life. Today, we are reading Part 4: The Ways of Brother Lawrence, pages 123-125. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 15: Living Towards Heaven

2026/06/22

Heaven is more than a future destination—it is a reality that begins to shape our lives today. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca offer practical wisdom for navigating discouragement, suffering, and those moments when life feels anything but heavenly. Through friendship, gratitude, rest, and a renewed awareness of God's presence, we can learn to see beyond the valley and keep our eyes fixed on heaven. Today, we are reading Part 4: In Praise of Brother Lawrence, pages 119-121. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 14: The Eternal Perspective

2026/06/21

In light of eternity, what really matters in our lives? Fr. Gregory and Rebecca discuss how keeping our eyes fixed on the Lord helps us see our struggles, failures, and daily concerns in their proper light. As God's presence becomes more real to us, our problems lose their power to overwhelm. Today, we are reading Part 4: In Praise of Brother Lawrence, pages 115-119. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 13: Holding On To Hope

2026/06/20

When our spiritual life feels dry, uncertain, or stripped of the consolations we expect, God may be doing some of His deepest work. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca discuss Brother Lawrence’s life and witness through the lens of hope and detachment, reminding us that in trials God doesn't invite us to be tough but rather to trust him more deeply. Today, we are reading Part 4: In Praise of Brother Lawrence, pages 111- 115. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 12: How to Make Space for God

2026/06/19

Growing in God’s presence requires both fidelity and surrender. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca reflect on mortification, creating space for God in our daily lives, and letting go of whatever keeps us from deep union with Him. Today, we are reading Part 3: Means to Acquire the Presence of God and The Benefits of the Presence of God. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 11: The Secret to Union with God

2026/06/18

Brother Lawrence describes the practice of God’s presence as a simple attentiveness to the Lord that soon becomes the soul’s place of rest. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca reflect on union with God, holy habits, and learning to live in quiet conversation with Him. Today, we are reading Part 3: On the Union of the Soul with God and On the Presence of God. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 10: Identity Begins with God

2026/06/17

What does it mean to know who we are in light of who God is? Fr. Gregory and Rebecca begin our entry into the Spiritual Maxims by exploring identity, baptism, adoration, and the spiritual battle at the heart of the Christian life. Today, we read Part 3: Intro to Spiritual Maxims, Necessary Practices for Acquiring the Spiritual Life, and How We Must Adore God in Spirit and in Truth. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 9: Take Courage and Persevere

2026/06/16

How do we remain faithful when prayer feels repetitive, life feels exhausting, or suffering lingers longer than we expected? Fr. Gregory and Rebecca explore how steadfast conversation with God gives us the courage to persevere in the spiritual life. Today, we read Part 2: Thirteenth Letter, Fourteenth Letter, Fifteenth Letter, and Sixteenth Letter. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 8: God Is Near in Our Suffering

2026/06/15

The Christian life is not about escaping suffering but discovering God within it. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca reflect on the powerful reality that God is near to us even in our sufferings. They encourage us to continue trusting God through illness, distraction, and uncertainty while learning to desire Him above every consolation. Today, we read Part 2: Tenth Letter, Eleventh Letter, and Twelfth Letter. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 7: Staying Faithful in the Waiting

2026/06/14

We should not rush the work of grace, but rather trust in God's care of our souls. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca reflect on the virtues of patience and perseverance, and teach us how to wait on the Lord with confidence and peace. Today, we are reading Part 2: Seventh Letter, Eighth Letter, and Ninth Letter. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Day 6: Peace Through Holy Conversation

2026/06/13

Brother Lawrence reminds us that holiness is not found in extraordinary experiences, but in simple and consistent attentiveness to God's presence. Fr. Gregory and Rebecca reflect on the gift of holy conversation, the role of Christian friendship in the spiritual life, and the peace that comes from surrendering ourselves completely to God. Today, we read Part 2: Fifth Letter and Sixth Letter. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics or text "SOUL" to 33-777.

Podcast reviews

Read Catholic Classics podcast reviews

4.9 out of 5

1181 reviews

★★★★☆

happy alaskan customer 2026/07/24

From a grateful listener

Before I listened to this podcast, I actually read a different version of Practice of the Presence of God and found it difficult to get through. so I ...

★★★★★

JasmineE41 2026/06/10

Stick with it!

I really enjoy this podcast. Like really really. I will say that season 3 was rough with the funky, almost AI, voice they used, but season 5 has more ...

★☆☆☆☆

Fruga1 2025/12/06

What happened to the 4th season?

I previously enjoyed this podcast. The 4th season was announced but it was never made available! Where is it?

★☆☆☆☆

SojournerInExile 2025/09/17

Incredibly Disappointing

The first three seasons were great! Now, for Season 4, they release one episode here on Apple Podcasts to say you can’t listen to this on Apple anymor...

★★★☆☆

Your bluesmama 2025/08/02

Confessions

I am having a very hard time navigating to the correct episode of the Confessions podcast. The content is wonderful, but I spend more time locating th...

★★★★★

santiago07 2025/04/27

Such a fruitful podcast

I love reading these and the commentary is so helpful. Blessed by this podcast!

★★★★★

Yes my hands are full 2025/02/18

Excellent!

I sort of stumbled upon this podcast looking for some kind of spiritual enrichment while I do my daily work. I feel as though I’ve come upon a hidden ...

★★★★★

Francoise-SWMHS 2025/01/26

story of a soul and and St. Augustine's autobiography

I listened to both books after they had all been posted, so I usually listened to several episodes at once. They give you a brief intro, the reading ...

★★★★★

Dauntlessss 2025/01/04

One of My Favorite Podcasts

I’ve listened to both The Confessions by St. Augustine, and Story of a Soul, and they are great! IMHO, The Confessions was sort of dry to read on its ...

★★★★☆

San Bruno 2024/11/02

French narrator hard to understand

Great podcast except for the French narrator. Her accent is overwhelmingly distracting. She simply has too strong an accent and it is unpleasant to li...

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