Dr. Italy

The parable of the vineyard and the wicked tenants or husbandmen is a warning to peoples and nations that no wall will protect a society that is abundantly blessed yet continues to bear bad fruit and sour grapes, refusing to give God his due.  Security and the peace that passes understanding are the rewards only of those who return thanks in response to God’s blessings.

A 16 minute podcast in which Sonrise Morning show host Matt Swaim asks Dr. Italy some insightful questions about the rosary, Mary, the misteries, and the power of praying the rosary. The Rosary has been the most honored and best known devotional prayer in the Roman Catholic tradition for the last five hundred years.   Yet few, even those very devoted to it, understand its meaning and unlock its full power.  We know that it is a Marian prayer, and associate it with the simplest and best known Marian prayer, the Hail Mary.

St. Francis of Assisi happens to be one of the most popular of all saints, honored by non-Catholics as well as Catholics, Buddhists and Hindus as well as Christians.  But are the words popularly attributed to him true?  "Preach the Gospel always; when necessary, use words? How about that saying?  Is it his?   What can Francis's famous encounter with the Muslim Sultan teach us about faith and how to approach the followers of Islam?  All these questions and more are discussed in this 15 minute podcast.

So what is meant by "fortresses" of faith? Much like the castles of medieval times, the saints serve as very visible guideposts, help us orient ourselves, and can even offer refuge in times of trouble. In this 7 minute podcast from the Sonrise Morning Show with host Anna Mitchell, Dr. Italy discusses the essential place of Mary and the saints in the Church and in our lives. He details how this pilgrimage down the Rhine river and the unique places that will be visited can bring bring us a deeper understanding and connection to some of our amazing brothers and sisters in heaven.

The parable of the two Sons makes clear that saying yes to Jesus Christ is much more a matter of deeds and actions than words and promises.  Talk is cheap but body language never lies. There will never be a shortage of words. Words are plentiful because talk is cheap. It’s easy to make a promise. Keeping a promise is an entirely different matter, as the parable of the two sons in Matthew’s Gospel makes abundantly clear.

14 minute podcast in which Sonrise Morning show guest host Ryan Lopez quizzes Dr. Italy about the life and impact of Jerome, bible scholar, father and Doctor of the Church and warrior for Christ.  On the occasion of his feast day, September 30.

The parable of the workers in the vineyard is a shock to our sensibilities – some laborers work longer than others but at the end of the day, all get the same pay from their generous employer.  Jesus is teaching us something about justice and generosity and why the last are usually first in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Dr. Italy discusses the Capuchin friar Padre Pio who in his lifetime was first famous in Italy and then the whole world for his stigmata and miracles worked through his intercession.

The parable of the merciless servant illustrates the meaning of  “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” a petition included in the Lord’s Prayer.  Anger can be righteous, but when we let it harden into resentment it becomes a poison that blocks the grace of God from flowing into us and through us. Forgiveness removes the block.

Many contemporary bishops have been criticized for taking half-measures instead of speaking and acting boldly and decisively.  The same could never be said of the ancient bishop who was a Father of the Church, St. John Chrysostom.  His preaching was so eloquent and powerful that he acquired the nickname of "Chrysostom" or "golden-tongue."  Gold as it may have been, his tongue was often sharp at times as he called out corruption among laity, clergy, even the Emperor.  His unrelenting honesty earned him the emnity of Imperial family and brutal exile that resulted in his untimely death.  In this brief, 8 minute podcast tells his story.

September 11 is the anniversary of one of most brutal acts of terrorism of all time.  Three days later, on September 14, the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation and triumph of the cross of Jesus Christ. This podcast brings out the link between 9/11 and the victory of the cross and helps us understand why the cross, an instrument of torture in the hands of brutes, becomes a tree of life in the hands of the Savior.

The Christian, biblical approach to fraternal correction has nothing to do with the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees. Rather, it is all about humble & loving intervention.  As Ezekiel was a watchman for the house of Israel, we are all called in love to watch out for each other.

7 minute podcast segment in which Dr. Italy is interviewed about the dynamics of discipleship and the paradox of freedom and rest through discipline. The term discipleship has been heard a lot in the past few years.  Many parishes are writing mission statements these days calling their church a community of missionary disciples.

No sooner does Jesus praise Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi and dub him "the Rock" than he rebukes him as the devil or Satan.  Peter had confessed Jesus to be the Messiah.  But his idea of what it meant to be the Christ left no room for suffering, sacrifice or the way of the cross as the cost of discipleship.

As the civilization in the West was dissolving into the Dark Ages, a man named Gregory was elected to fill the chair of St. Peter.  First prefect or mayor of Rome, then monk, then the Pope's ambassador to Constantinople, then finally bishop of Rome, Gregory rocked the church and the civilized world.  He was a man who could walk with kings and yet with whom the poor of Rome felt right at home.  In this 20 minute podcast, Dr. Italy discusses just a few of Gregory's strengths as diplomat, disciple, preacher, teacher of bishops and master story-teller.  The impact of Gregory's writings and example upon the Western Church in the Middles Ages is hard to overestimate.

John the Baptist has two feast days -- his earthly birthday on June 24, sixth months before the birthday of his cousin, and August 29th, his birthday into eternal life, the day he was executed by Herod at the request of Salome to who he'd promised anything she asked for.  Apparently, Herod was fascinated by John, even though John condemned his adultery with his half-brother's wife.  Why did John have to die? And why do people so often persecute and kill the prophets God sends to help them?  As those who share in the prophetic anointing of Christ, what can we expect and how can we be effective and faithful in sharing God's sometimes troubling word with the world?

When we think about the Pope, we often think of the Vatican.  But the roots of the Papacy are in the Old Testament as well as in the Gospel story of Jesus changing Simon’s name to Peter and giving him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. More Catholic than the Pope.” There is nothing more quintessentially Catholic than the Papacy. When we think “Catholic,” we think Rome, the Vatican, the dome of St. Peters.

5 minute podcast on the Mount of Beatitudes on the Northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, traditional site of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and where he spent solitary hours in prayer.

Jesus heals the daughter of the Canaanite woman because her faith was so great. He rebuked the disciples because their faith was too little. Matthew’s gospel here is teaching us something very important about the nature of the faith needed to move mountains. The apostles thought she was a nuisance and asked Jesus to get rid of her. Jesus had gone to the region of Tyre and Sidon, modern-day Lebanon, and a local Canaanite woman approached him for a favor. This was pagan country, home turf of the infamous Jezebel. The inhabitants of these parts were fondly referred to as “dogs” by their Jewish neighbors, who viewed them as unclean.

In this 15 minute podcast, Anna Mitchell, host of the Sonrise Morning show, asks Marcellino D'Ambrosio (aka "Dr. Italy") about the origins and meaning of the dogma and feast of the Assumption of Mary, celebrated on August 15th.