The idea of the afterlife is universal in human history, ancient Egyptians included. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli welcome famed Egyptologist Dr. Bob Brier to discuss what the ancient Egyptians believed, including it was similar and different from Judeo-Christian beliefs.
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This Episode is Brought to You By: Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.
Catechism Class, a dynamic weekly podcast journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Greg and Jennifer Willits. It’s the best book club, coffee talk, and faith study group, all rolled into one. Find it in any podcast directory.
Fiorvento Law, PLLC, specializing in adult guardianships and conservatorships, probate and estate planning matters. Accepting clients throughout Michigan. Taking into account your individual, healthcare, financial and religious needs. Visit FiorventoLaw.com
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“Let us #PrayTogether for Pope Emeritus Benedict who is supporting the Church in silence. Let us ask the Lord to console him and to sustain him in this witness of love for the Church, until the end.” @Pontifex, 28 December 2022
““Everything pertains to love” is the title of the Apostolic Letter to be published today to commemorate the fourth centenary of the death of Saint Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church. Apostolic Letter” @Pontifex, 28 December 2022
“The Love of God that was revealed in Bethlehem brings consolation to our hearts troubled by the drama of the war in #Ukraine and in other parts of the world. Let us remember that the last word in the history of humanity belongs to God because ”everything pertains to love“.” @Pontifex, 28 December 2022
“God loves us so much that He shares our humanity and our lives. He never leaves us alone either in joy or in sorrow because He is the Emmanuel, the God with us, the light that illuminates the darkness and the tender presence that accompanies us on our journey. #Christmas” @Pontifex, 29 December 2022
“The Baby Jesus, with his Mother Mary, and St Joseph, radiate the light of mercy and salvation for the human family and for individual families. This light encourages us to offer human warmth to those family living through difficult situations. #HolyFamily” @Pontifex, 30 December 2022
“To all men and women of good will, I express my desire that, as artisans of #peace, you may work, day by day, to make this a good year! May Mary Immaculate, Mother of Jesus and Queen of Peace, intercede for us and for the whole world.” @Pontifex, 1 January 2023
“Even when we feel plunged into a dark and difficult maelstrom of injustice and suffering, we are still called to keep our hearts open to hope, trusting in God who accompanies us with tenderness, sustains us, and guides us along our way. #Peace
yN Message” @Pontifex, 1 January 2023
“The divine motherhood of Mary reveals God’s utmost respect for our freedom. God could have come into the world in a thousand ways manifesting his power and, instead, willed to be conceived in full freedom in Mary’s womb.” @Pontifex, 1 January 2023
“Let us pray to our Mother in a special way for her children who are suffering and no longer have the strength to pray, and for our many brothers and sisters throughout the world who are victims of war, passing these holidays immersed in violence and indifference.” @Pontifex, 1 January 2023
“In celebrating the World Day of Peace, let us implore Mary Most Holy, the Mother of God, so that in this epoch, polluted by diffidence and indifference, she might make us capable of being compassionate and providing care.” @Pontifex, 1 January 2023
“At this time, let us invoke the intercession of Mary Most Holy for Pope emeritus Benedict XVI. Let us all join together, with one heart and one soul, in thanking God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church.” @Pontifex, 1 January 2023
“God does not love us in word but in deed; not from “on high”, from far away, but “up close”, from within our flesh, because in Mary, the Word was made flesh, because in Christ’s chest a heart of flesh continues to beat, it beats for each and every of us!” @Pontifex, 2 January 2023
“When we have strong feelings of doubt and fear, and we seem to be sinking, we must not be ashamed to cry out like Peter: “Lord, save me” (Mt 14:30). This is a beautiful prayer! And Jesus immediately stretches out his hand.” @Pontifex, 3 January 2023
Prodigy season 1 has ended and Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the season finale, where the next season might go, and their thoughts on Prodigy as a whole.
It’s the New Year, so Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live is asking Jimmy Akin weird questions from listeners, about topics like Capt. America; Johnny Cash; St. Patrick and snakes; did Mary have two spouses?; Jesus’ wounds; and baby Jesus’ umbilical cord.
Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?
Questions covered (times are approximate):
3:26 – Can you explain the Biblical references in the Johnny Cash song “when the man comes to town” and is it biblically accurate? I’d love to be able to share Jimmy’s thoughts on this on social media.
13:12 – I understand that in devotional language the Blessed Mother is “The Spouse of the Holy Spirit”. But it’s confusing to hear in the same prayer that the Blessed Mother is also the spouse of Joseph. (Did Mary have two spouses?) Also, I once said that Joseph was the “husband of Mary” and was corrected that he was the “spouse of Mary” and that made a big difference. She explained the marriage of Joseph and Mary was only “for show” and the “real” marriage was to the Holy Spirit. So what’s the right way to explain this gently – without having to disturb the pious fictions that people have lived with for a long time?
17:40 – I am reading a book “The Rod of an Almond Tree in God’s Master Plan.” Basically, the theory is that God gave Adam a rod from the Tree of Life when He expelled Adam and Eve from Eden. The miraculous rod makes its way from Adam to Enoch, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David. David thrusts it into the ground while fleeing Jerusalem from his son Absalom. The miraculous rod grows into the tree that Christ was crucified upon to atone for our sins. Have you heard of this theory before? What do you think? Potential topic for “Mysterious World?”
21:32 – Is it possible the person of the Holy Spirit made brief appearances in the Bible? When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the tomb (John 20:14-18), and to the two followers on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and to the seven disciples fishing (John 21:1-14), is it possible that their eyes did not see Him because they were not seeing God the Son at first, but God the Holy Spirit for a brief time?
27:39 – In the Winter Soldier movie, Captain America meets his old love interest from before he travelled into the future and finds out that she married and grew old with someone else after she thought Captain America had died back in the 1940s. In the latest Avengers film, Captain America travels back in time to before Peggy Carter married this other man and marries her instead, thereby pre-empting the unnamed other man from ever marrying Peggy Carter. While Captain America was traveling back in time like this, would it have been adultery for him to have desire for and even make the move to pursue and marry a girl who he knew was married in his own future time but not in the time he was currently traveling to? Seems like this might be adultery for him, but not for her. What do you think?
32:26 – What’s the deal with St. Patrick and the snakes on the “plain”? I can’t find anything definitive out there.
36:34 – Why does the glorified Jesus not have the wounds of the Scourging at the Pillar or Crown of Thorns while keeping the nail marks and side wounds?
38:07 – Jesus’ nails were in his wrists (according to the Shroud of Turin), why do stigmatic saints have the wounds on their hands?
42:28 – How can genetic mutations cause evolution?
49:14 – Did Jesus bi-locate or multi-locate in the New Testament?
50:14 – Who would have cut Jesus’ umbilical cord? Or did the Virginal Birth not require this to happen?
You can also leave a voice message on the Mysterious Feedback Line at (619) 738-4515
This Episode is Brought to You By: Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.
Catechism Class, a dynamic weekly podcast journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Greg and Jennifer Willits. It’s the best book club, coffee talk, and faith study group, all rolled into one. Find it in any podcast directory.
Fiorvento Law, PLLC, specializing in adult guardianships and conservatorships, probate and estate planning matters. Accepting clients throughout Michigan. Taking into account your individual, healthcare, financial and religious needs. Visit FiorventoLaw.com
Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.
In a new Christmas tradition, Jimmy Akin welcomed everyone, especially those who might alone, to join him for a livestream festive gathering on Christmas day where he answered many questions.
Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?
You can also leave a voice message on the Mysterious Feedback Line at (619) 738-4515
This Episode is Brought to You By: Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Deliver Contacts, offering honest pricing and reliable service for all your contact lens needs. See the difference at delivercontacts.com.
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It’s another bonus episode, this time of Jimmy Akin’s recent guest appearance on The Catholic Talk Show to discuss the Book of Revelation, how to interpret, and what most people get wrong about it. Check out The Catholic Talk Show podcast.
Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?
“And if we truly want to celebrate #Christmas, let us rediscover awe before a God who becomes little, who is not born in splendour, but in the poverty of a stable. To meet Him, we must go where He is. We must lower ourselves, make ourselves little.” @Pontifex, 24 December 2022
“Tonight, God draws near to you because you are important to him. From the manger, as food for your life, He tells you: “If you feel consumed by events, if you are devoured by a sense of guilt and inadequacy, if you hunger for justice, I am with you. #Christmas” @Pontifex, 24 December 2022
“Jesus asks us to go to the bare reality of things, to lay down all our excuses, our justifications and our hypocrisies at the feet of the manger. He whom Mary tenderly wrapped in swaddling wants us to be clothed in love. #Christmas” @Pontifex, 24 December 2022
“In Jesus, God makes us His children and nourishes us with His tenderness. He comes to touch our hearts and to tell us that love is the only force that changes the course of history. #Christmas https://t.co/sylnCelAaf Event” @Pontifex, 24 December 2022
“Bethlehem shows us God’s simplicity, who reveals himself to those with pure and open hearts. Let’s allow ourselves to be moved by God’s love who became man for our salvation. Let’s follow Jesus who stripped himself of his glory so we could share in his fullness. Merry Christmas!” @Pontifex, 25 December 2022
“If we want it to be #Christmas, the Birth of Jesus and of peace, let us look at the face of the Child who is born for us! And in that small, innocent face, let us recognize the faces of all those children who long for #peace in every part of the world. sijXbyhS Event” @Pontifex, 25 December 2022
“Let us see the faces of our brothers and sisters in #Ukraine who are experiencing this #Christmas in the dark and cold, far from their own homes, because of the war. May the Lord enlighten the minds of those who have the power to put an immediate end to this senseless war!” @Pontifex, 25 December 2022
“In these times people are living through conflicts in Syria, the Holy Land, Lebanon, the Sahel, Yemen… May the Lord lead these regions toward #peace and bring reconciliation to the American continent, to Myanmar and to Iran so that all bloodshed might cease.” @Pontifex, 25 December 2022
“Today as then, Jesus comes into a world that does not welcome him (cf. Jn 1:11), that rather rejects or ignores him, as we do so often with foreigners and with the poor. Let’s not forget the refugees, the marginalized, people who are alone, orphans and the elderly, prisoners.” @Pontifex, 25 December 2022
“Let us ask the newborn Jesus for the newness of a heart capable of forgiveness: the strength to pray for those who have hurt us and to take steps of openness and reconciliation. #Christmas” @Pontifex, 26 December 2022
“I reiterate my wish for #peace: peace in families, peace in parish and religious communities, peace in movements and associations, peace for those peoples tormented by war, peace for the dear and embattled Ukraine.” @Pontifex, 26 December 2022
“#Prayer is the best way to say thank you to Jesus who wamts to enter into our homes and into our hearts. #Christmas” @Pontifex, 27 December 2022
With the penultimate episode of Prodigy’s first season, Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the story’s willingness to leave no easy way out for the heroes and appreciate the deep cuts from Trek lore.
“#Advent reminds us of a basic Christian attitude – vigilance. Let us wait for the Lord’s coming by being attentive to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters who knock on the door of our hearts. Let us ask the Lord to keep us watchful in humility and availability.” @Pontifex, 14 December 2022
“Let’s renew our closeness to the battered people of #Ukraine, persevering in fervent #prayer for our brothers and sisters who are suffering so much. Let us celebrate #Christmas in a humbler way, with simpler gifts, and let us send what we save to the Ukrainian people who need it.” @Pontifex, 14 December 2022
“At times we find ourselves incapable of recognizeing the newness of the Lord, with the presumption that we already know so much about Him. #Advent, then, is the season to overturn our perspective, to allow ourselves to marvel at the greatness of God’s mercy.” @Pontifex, 15 December 2022
“The time is right to evaluate ourselves, to learn, to grow and to allow ourselves to be transformed, both as individuals and as communities. This is a privileged moment to prepare ourselves for “the day of the Lord”. #Peace
yN Message” @Pontifex, 16 December 2022
“God is faithful to His promises and guides our steps in the way of #peace. He guides the steps of those who journey on Earth with their gaze turned toward Heaven.” @Pontifex, 16 December 2022
“May Our Lady take us by the hand in these days of preparation for #Christmas. And in the littleness of her Child, may she help us recognize the greatness of the God who comes. #Advent” @Pontifex, 17 December 2022
“When we find ourselves in crisis, we should not make decisions quickly or instinctively, but, like Saint Joseph “consider everything”, and base ourselves on the underlying certainty of God’s mercy. #GospeloftheDay (Mt 1:18–24)” @Pontifex, 18 December 2022
“Let us ask the Virgin Mary to touch the hearts of those who can stop the war in Ukraine. Let us not forget the suffering of those people, especially of the babies, the elderly, the people who are sick. Let us #PrayTogether.” @Pontifex, 18 December 2022
“It’s important to safeguard the roots of life and faith. Thus, the apostle Paul reminds us of the foundation in which to root our lives to remain firm: remain “rooted in Jesus Christ” (Col 2:7) he says. This is what the #Christmas tree reminds us of: being rooted in Jesus Christ.” @Pontifex, 19 December 2022
“In these difficult times we are living, let us respond in faith to the appeals the Holy Spirit is directing to us, that we might give the proof of our #solidarity to the people we meet and who count on our fraternal support.” @Pontifex, 20 December 2022
“The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to recognize God’s fatherhood. We have a tender, affectionate Father who loves us, who has always loved us. When we experience this, our hearts melt, and doubts and fears dissolve. Nothing can resist this love.” @Pontifex, 21 December 2022
“On the Feast when God became a child, let‘s think of the Ukrainian children suffering so much because of this war. Let‘s think of the Ukrainian people deprived of the basics to survive, and let us #PrayTogether to the Lord that He might bring them #peace as soon as possible.” @Pontifex, 21 December 2022
“God became a Child and then let himself be nailed on a cross. In that weakness, God’s omnipotence is manifested. In forgiveness, God’s omnipotence is always at work. Thus, may our gifts this #Christmas be gratitude, conversion and peace. Speech” @Pontifex, 22 December 2022
“Let us ask Mary, the Virgin of Sweet Expectation, to teach us how to ”watch and pray“ so we do not get distracted in our following of her Son, and to discover His saving presence in the events of our daily lives. #Advent” @Pontifex, 23 December 2022
It’s Christmas, so Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live is asking Jimmy Akin Christmas weird questions from listeners, including was the Star of Bethlehem a UFO?; What’s the deal with Krampus?; What is the morality of Santa Claus?; and more.
Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?
Questions for this episode:
01:55 – Is it possible that the Star of Bethlehem was a UFO?
10:15 – Is the absence of any reference in the Infancy narratives to time travelers asking to hold Baby Jesus evidence against the eventual invention of time travel? I can’t be the only one who wants to hold Him.
16:23 – What’s the deal with Krampus?
18:45 – Would it be morally wrong to invent a fictional character who delivers gifts on Christmas, then convince one’s children that this fictional character exists?
21:02 – Does encouraging belief in Santa make children doubt their faith when they learn the truth?
24:28 – If you live on one of Jupiter’s moons, how do you know which Earth time zone to observe in order to know when to hold midnight Mass on Christmas Eve?
28:47 – Since Jesus inherited no DNA from a human father, why is he not a clone of Mary?
32:51 – Would Jesus already know where Joseph and Mary hid his presents?
36:18 – If a time-traveler were to discover that the Nativity really occurred in 6 BC or 4 BC, would we adjust our calendar system to reflect that?
38:23 – As a Greek speaking Bishop, would St. Nicholas follow the Julian or the Gregorian calendar for his celebration of Christmas?
42:29 – Could the baby Jesus have developed colic? If Jesus was like us in all things but sin, does that mean he got sick?
51:29 – What will they use for Christmas Trees on Mars?
52:16 – Should the church be making a bigger deal about the Feast of the Annunciation rather than the Nativity in order to emphasize that Christ was incarnate on Earth 9 months before he was technically born
You can also leave a voice message on the Mysterious Feedback Line at (619) 738-4515
This Episode is Brought to You By: Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.
Catechism Class, a dynamic weekly podcast journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Greg and Jennifer Willits. It’s the best book club, coffee talk, and faith study group, all rolled into one. Find it in any podcast directory.
Fiorvento Law, PLLC, specializing in adult guardianships and conservatorships, probate and estate planning matters. Accepting clients throughout Michigan. Taking into account your individual, healthcare, financial and religious needs. Visit FiorventoLaw.com
Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.
