Light of the Faith: Catholic Formation for Classical Educators

Light of the Faith: Catholic Formation for Classical Educators

di Mother of Divine Grace School
EducazioneCristianità
Stagione 6
Laying the Foundation: Raising Children Who Believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, & Apostolic Church
MODG founder Laura Berquist discusses our high school religion program and its focus on the motives of credibility for the truth of the Catholic faith. Listen to hear how the MODG Religion Program is designed to provide the foundation for our children to eventually enjoy the fullness of Sacred Theology, which is key to the Catholic intellectual tradition. 3:13 Introduction 7:28 Laura begins. Why do our children need to be able to know the argument for the reasonable of the Catholic faith? We have ordered our curriculum towards this. 11:00 An overview of the religion program in the early years, as these are ordered to the later years 11:18 K-5th overview 20:10 - 6th-8th overview 28:35 - High School overview. The goal for all students in our high school program is to be able to demonstrate the preambles of faith. How philosophy supports this endeavor. 32:34 Laura makes the argument that she wants students to be able to make. 59:52 Q&A with Laura Berquist and Chris Sebastian “Faith is always seeking understanding…what we can know by reason, we want to know by reason. And that understanding that is achieved supports the truth of the Faith.” ~Laura Berquist (56:41) ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S6 · E5
14 apr 2026
1:16:32
Public Speaking: An MODG Grad's Journey from Homeschool Debates to the UN
MODG Alum Paul Habsburg (Class of 2020) joins the MODG community to discuss his journey in public speaking. Paul Habsburg has utilized his MODG skills in a variety of ways, including as a diplomatic trainee with the Order of Malta. This Order is a Catholic organization founded in the twelfth century which is dedicated to upholding human dignity through helping those in need, especially those in the midst of war or natural disaster. 7:28 How MODG prepped Paul for public debate. 15:30 The appeal of a clean logical system, exemplified by both MODG and TAC 19:54 Paul’s experience in the United Nations and the Order of Malta 28:45 On gaining the ability to problem solve, and how MODG classes helped 37:07 Q&A hosted by Laura Berquist and Chris Sebastian "I have made the right choice, doing Mother of Divine Grace School and Thomas Aquinas College...if I were given the choice a thousand times over, it would be very easy all those thousand times to make the same choice." - Paul Habsburg (36:24) ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S6 · E4
19 mar 2026
59:33
Proper Citizenship: Helping Students Understand Law
MODG founder Laura Berquist discusses our history program and its focus on leading students to a deep understanding of the nature of government. Listen to hear Laura give an overview of the entire MODG history progression, which culminates in our students gaining an understanding of St. Thomas Aquinas’ definition of Law! ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S6 · E1
29 giu 2026
1:15:09
Stagione 2
SMART Families: How to Build Habits Ordered to Holiness in Your Household
With Christopher Sebastian, MODG Director of Advancement and teacher of the Learning Support Literary Analysis for many years. 4:33 How families can use measurable goals to grow in all areas of their lives. These are tools to help fulfill our vocations. 14:58 The secret to consistency - be specific 20:09 S.M.A.R.T. Goals 33:38 Thinking about the structure of your day 46:12 Finding your family identity 1:00:54 Examples of applying SMART Goals to your life 1:21:17 Q&A hosted by Laura Berquist and Veronica Jost “What we find…is that the negative environment trumps the positive habit. So we have to, when setting up our habits, think about the environment that we as parents and our children are being in.” -Chris Sebastian (45:54) ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S2 · E2
13 ago 2026
1:39:44
St. Joseph and Family Life
With Fr. Sebastian Walshe, Norbertine priest and former member of the MODG Board of Governors. 8:31 The role of St. Joseph in our devotion to Christ 13:26 Why does God normally prefer to communicate His greatest gifts of grace and salvation through created persons? 20:05 Who is St. Joseph and what role does he play in the economy of salvation? 25:00 What do we mean by a ‘type’? How do we recognizes a type in Scripture? 31:44 St. Joseph as the patron and protector of the Universal Church 46:11 Evidence that St.Joseph was bodily assumed into heaven “The purpose of St. Joseph, of devotion to St. Joseph I mean, is to draw us closer to Jesus…and we notice this, that in the Scriptures, when someone has little respect for St. Joseph, that turns into a lack of respect for Jesus.” - Fr. Sebastian (10:05) You can buy Fr. Sebastian's book here! --> St. Joseph, The Man Closest to Christ ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S2 · E1
11 ago 2026
54:38
Stagione 1
End of Life Issues from a Catholic Perspective
With Dr. Ron McCann, M.D., Chief of Staff elect at White River Medical Center and member of the National Catholic Bioethics Center and the Catholic Medical Association. 5:45 Explanation of the principle of double effect. 12:21 Hospice and palliative care. Various papal teachings on end of life care. Benefits of hospice/various concerns. 24:04 Determining ordinary vs. extraordinary medical care 30:30 Advanced Directives 39:31 Organ donation 48:46 Q&A hosted by Laura Berquist and Chris Sebastian “Next time you see your doctor, ask them their view of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, because if they have the wrong answer, you need a new doctor.” - Dr. McCann (22:51) ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S1 · E8
6 ago 2026
1:15:13
The Wisdom of Sirach: Internalizing and Living the Faith
With Dr. Andrew Montanaro, professor at the Christendom Graduate School. 6:05 Background on the book of Sirach and why it is also called Ecclesiasticus. 9:55 Wisdom Literature in Scripture. (Sirach, Proverbs, Job, etc.). Sirach focuses significantly on friendship. 20:42 On the Fear of the Lord 28:00 The Role of the Sage 40:43 The historical context of the Book of Sirach; the relationship between the Greeks and the Jewish people 45:04 Sirach’s goal - preserving the Jewish faith. How this relates to classical education and homeschooling. 51:22 Q&A hosted by Chris Sebastian “The primary goal of ancient education - and it’s true of education today, good education anyway - was to implant in another heart what was in one’s own.” -Dr. Montanaro (34:40) ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S1 · E7
4 ago 2026
1:13:36
The Order of the Philosophical Sciences
Richard Berquist earned his PhD in Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, and his dissertation was on “Contact in Aristotle’s Natural Philosophy.” 5:38 The overall theme is order, and ultimately how we are ordered towards Truth Himself. 14:05 Three different kinds of philosophy: rational, practical, and speculative. These three are aimed at different ends and thus are ordered accordingly. 24:02 Different kinds of order displayed by the different kinds of philosophy 31:03 A further division of the three kinds of philosophy 46:10 On the principles of immateriality and immobility - these aid us in our understanding of speculative philosophy 1:04:45 Q&A hosted by Laura Berquist and Chris Sebastian “Studying philosophy is in some way primarily a mode of imitating God, so we’re trying to know as much as possible, ultimately, about God, so that we can be as like God as we can, and this is true even on a natural level…We’re trying to know as much as possible about all things because this is a way of approaching God.” - Dr. Berquist (1:15:41) ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S1 · E6
30 lug 2026
1:18:02
On Truth and Lying
Dr. John Nieto is a Professor at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA. 0:01 Intro 4:19 Various virtues related to truth. We are speaking about honesty in particular. Are all lies sins, even if the good to be brought out of one seems larger than the evil of the sin? 13:31 Three aspects of our speech being true 36:31 Every lie is a sin. Distinction between venial & mortal sin. 44:36 How Christ Himself is the Truth 47:44 Q&A with Laura Berquist and Chris Sebastian “Christ Himself is the Word, Christ is eternally the Word of the Father. The Second Person of the Trinity is the Word proceeding from the Father, and in that sense He is like the truth of our mind within God. He comes forth in God…as expressing the truth of God. And then in the Incarnation He becomes sensible, a sensible expression of that Person, just as our words are sensible expressions of our thoughts.” -Dr. Nieto (44:36) ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S1 · E5
28 lug 2026
1:22:16
Natural Law & the Common Good
James Berquist, whose doctoral dissertation in Philosophy is about Natural Law, talks about Natural Law and the Common Good, and current applications of these. 0:03 Intro from Chris and Laura 6:32 James begins. Proper understanding of the natural law is today’s goal. Good is to be done and evil is to be avoided. We’ll talk about the meaning of the word ‘good’. 18:48 What do we mean when we say ‘good’? Some examples. 26:46 Errors when we confuse the meaning of ‘good’ 46:54 The good actually exists in things, in reality 1:02:40 Q&A hosted by Laura Berquist and Chris Sebastian We desire the virtues for the sake of being able to contemplate God. You want to be temperate, you want to have fortitude, you want to have courage, you want to have wisdom, so that you can contemplate God to the best of your ability. -James Berquist (37:41) ________________________________ MODG exists to help Catholic families raise their children in a living Catholic culture in their homes, mentoring them in using the MODG Catholic classical curriculum to lead their children to good judgment concerning the good, true and beautiful. Visit our Virtual Open House and learn how we can help you build a Catholic culture in your home, too! https://modg.org/virtualopenhouse
S1 · E4
23 lug 2026
1:27:30
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