St. Anthony's Tongue

Mass Prep: The Mysticism of Being Little 03.07.2026 27mnt

In this week’s Mass Prep, we sit with Matthew 11:25–30 and explore the mysticism of being little, the meek and humble heart of Jesus, and what it really means when Christ says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

The Gospel of Being Misunderstood 01.07.2026 16mnt

What do we do when we are misunderstood?In this video, I talk about the ache of being misread, the temptation to become false, and the strange mercy of learning to be seen by God instead of constantly seeking the approval of every room.The Gospel does not promise that everyone will understand your heart.It promises that God already does.Support My Patreon!Buy a Zine!

What Is Catholic Mysticism? The Church’s Hidden Fire 29.06.2026 30mnt

Support the Patreon!Buy a Zine!A new series exploring Catholic mysticism through the words and phrases that show up again and again in the mystical tradition: union with God, the dark night, meditation, contemplation, the wound of love, and more.But before we can talk about any of those, we have to start with the most obvious and maybe most misunderstood word of all:Mysticism.In this episode, we talk about what Catholic mysticism is, what it is not, why it is not just spiritual fireworks, and how the mystical life is really about being transformed by God’s presence into deeper love of God and neighbor.

Mass Prep | Lose Your Life Like You Mean It (Matthew 10:37–42) 26.06.2026 17mnt

In this Mass Prep for Matthew 10:37–42, we reflect on what it means to put Christ first, take up the cross, and trust that even the smallest hidden act of love is seen by God.Jesus is not calling us to love less, but to love in the right order. He is not asking for empty suffering, but for the cross that leads to freedom. And He reminds us that even a cup of cold water given in love will not be forgotten.

The Heart Against the Machine: From The Margins Issue III 25.06.2026 20mnt

Grab a copy here: stanthonystongue.com/margins In this episode, I walk through Issue III of The Margins, my Catholic zine on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.This issue is about the Heart against the machine: Christ’s burning love against cold religion, mechanical faith, spiritual numbness, and bloodless Catholicism.We also talk about Emmaus, Christ’s wounds, adoration, Scripture, saints, mystical heartache, and why the Sacred Heart is not just something to admire, but something we are called to imitate.Physical copies are available now:stanthonystongue.com/margins

God or My Mind? How to Discern Spiritual Experiences 22.06.2026 27mnt

Support my Patreon!Buy a Zine!How do you know if something is from God, your own mind, or even the devil? In this episode, we talk about spiritual discernment through the wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola, especially when it comes to dreams, consolations, inner words, coincidences, and strange little moments in prayer.Catholic discernment is not about overthinking every grace or becoming spiritually paranoid. It is about receiving what leads us toward God, testing the fruit, and staying rooted in Christ, the sacraments, and the wisdom of the Church.We’ll discuss Ignatian discernment, consolation and desolation, spiritual experiences, and how to avoid both rationalizing grace away and clinging too tightly to spiritual feelings.

Mass Prep | FEAR NO ONE | Matthew 10:26-33 19.06.2026 16mnt

In this Mass Prep, we sit with Jesus’ words: “Fear no one.”Matthew 10 reminds us that Christian courage does not come from pretending life is easy, but from remembering that the Father sees us, knows us, and holds us. Not even a sparrow falls without His care — and we are worth more than many sparrows.A simple reflection on fear, courage, trust, and acknowledging Christ before the world.

The Mysticism of Ordinary Time 17.06.2026 20mnt

Ordinary Time is not filler.In this episode, we explore the mysticism of Ordinary Time and why this long green season of the Church year teaches us how to live the mysteries of Christ in everyday life. After Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, Ordinary Time asks: now what does it mean to follow Jesus?We’ll look at Matthew 9:36, the moved Heart of Christ, discipleship, the hidden Kingdom of God, the mission of mercy, and how Catholic mysticism is found not only in ecstasies and visions, but in ordinary life, daily prayer, mercy, work, fatigue, and small acts of love.Ordinary Time is where the mystery becomes livable.

Mysticism of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 09.06.2026 34mnt

Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/anthonystongueGet The Margins Catholic zine: stanthonystongue.com/marginsWhy did Catholics become so obsessed with the Heart of Jesus?In this episode, we explore the forgotten mysticism of the Sacred Heart—from St. Augustine and the restless heart, to medieval devotion to Christ's wounds, to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the Sacred Heart revelations. Along the way, we'll look at how the Sacred Heart challenges a cold, purely intellectual faith and calls us into a deeper life of love, mercy, and transformation.The Sacred Heart is more than a devotion. It is a vision of the Christian life itself.

Mass Prep | Eating God: The Eucharist Is Union 06.06.2026 14mnt

In this Mass Prep for the Mystic Heart, we reflect on John 6:51-58, where Jesus tells us that His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink.Catholics often talk about the Eucharist in terms of truth, doctrine, and the Real Presence — and we should. But in this Gospel, Jesus also reveals the Eucharist as union. He does not merely want to be admired from a distance. He wants to be received.So this week, we look at three spiritual fruits from John 6:Come hungry.Let yourself be joined to Christ.Become what you receive.The Eucharist is not only something we defend. It is the mystery that slowly turns us into love.

[Mass Prep] The Trinity is Not a Math Problem 29.05.2026 17mnt

Trinity Sunday can feel intimidating, but the Gospel begins somewhere simple:“God so loved the world.”

The Problem with Catholic AI 27.05.2026 50mnt

Catholic AI is here. But Catholic AI companies need to answer some serious questions.In this episode, I respond to Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical on artificial intelligence and ask what Catholic AI companies owe the faithful in terms of transparency, accountability, data privacy, theological review, environmental impact, and moral responsibility.What model powers your Catholic AI? Is it using OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or another major LLM? Where do user prompts go? Who reviews the theology? What happens when someone asks about mortal sin, confession, scrupulosity, sexuality, grief, or despair? And if a company markets itself as a Catholic alternative to “secular AI,” shouldn’t Catholics know what is actually under the hood?This episode is a call for greater transparency. And to stop treating the faith like a religious answer machine, and start living it as an incarnational encounter with the living Christ.Support my work: Patreon.com/AnthonysTongueBuy a Zine: stanthonystongue.com/margins

Pentecost is Weird: And Why That Rocks, Actually. 24.05.2026 24mnt

Pentecost is weirder than we usually let it be.In this episode, we’re keeping it simple and talking through three mystical and slightly strange things about Pentecost: the Holy Spirit as holy possession, the Holy Spirit as contagious joy, and Pentecost as the reversal of the Tower of Babel.This is not a giant theology lecture. Just a coffee-sipping reflection on fire, joy, language, and the strange beauty of the Holy Spirit dwelling within the Church.Come, Holy Spirit.

Joy Against the Machine: From the Margins Issue II 22.05.2026 27mnt

Grab Issue II of The Margins: Joy Against the Machine here:https://www.stanthonystongue.com/marginsSupport St. Anthony’s Tongue on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/AnthonysTongueJoy is not denial. Joy is not pretending everything is fine. Joy is not ignoring suffering, grief, anger, doubt, or the very real darkness of the world.But joy is resistance.In this episode of From the Margins, I’m talking about why so many Catholics mistake misery for zeal, why self-hatred is not humility, and why Christ does not want us tense, bitter, and spiritually exhausted all the time.We’ll look at joy as spiritual warfare, joy as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, joy as something deeply human and incarnational, and why the devil seems to hate a soul that can still laugh, sing, feast, and hope in God.This episode also serves as a deeper look at the theme behind Issue II of The Margins, my Catholic zine: Joy Against the Machine. This is not simply me telling you to buy a zine. It’s a chance to explore what inspired the issue and to bring a few of its pages into video form.Because in a world of rage bait, doomscrolling, division, anxiety, and spiritual heaviness, joy may be one of the most rebellious things left to us.

Punk Rock Saints! St. Philip Neri | The Apostle of Joy 19.05.2026 25mnt

Catholic Zines: www.stanthonystongue.com/marginsPatreon: www.patreon.com/anthonystongue St. Philip Neri may be one of the most punk rock saints in Catholic history.Known as the Apostle of Rome and the Apostle of Joy, St. Philip Neri rebelled against religious gloom, spiritual ego, cold preaching, and closed-room Catholicism — not by rejecting the Church, but by making Catholic life joyful, human, embodied, and alive.In this episode of Punk Rock Saints, we look at how Philip Neri’s devotion to the Holy Spirit set his heart on fire, how his humor and holy foolishness fought pride, and how the Oratory became a kind of sacred scene for the spiritually restless: prayer, music, confession, friendship, Scripture, saints, and laughter all in one room.Philip Neri reminds us that holiness does not have to be grim, polished, or impressive. Sometimes the most radical Catholic thing you can do is laugh, confess, open the doors, and let the Holy Spirit make your heart bigger.St. Philip Neri, pray for us.

Mass Prep | Why Did Jesus Leave? A Casual Reflection on the Ascension 16.05.2026 13mnt

In this casual Ascension Sunday reflection, we sit with one of the strangest and most beautiful moments in the Christian story: Jesus rises from the dead, appears to His disciples, speaks with them, promises the Holy Spirit… and then ascends into heaven.But the Ascension is not abandonment.The disciples still have questions when Christ ascends. Mary receives Gabriel before she understands the whole road. Joseph follows dreams one step at a time. Moses sees the burning bush before he understands the Exodus. Again and again, Scripture shows us that God gives Himself before He gives the full map.We’ll also talk about spiritual dryness, prayer, the indwelling of God, the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist, and why a changed form of God’s presence is not the same as His absence.The Ascension reminds us: Jesus is not gone. Christ ascends with His wounds, brings our humanity into heaven, and prepares to send heaven into us at Pentecost.

The Secret Names God Gives the Soul 14.05.2026 29mnt

What does God actually call you?Not the names your shame gives you. Not the names your anxiety gives you. Not the names your failures, wounds, scruples, or self-hatred have taught you to answer to.In this episode of St. Anthony’s Tongue, we linger with some of the strange and tender names God gives the soul throughout Scripture, especially in the Song of Songs: my dove, my darling, my sister, my perfect one, along with bride, friend, little flock, and temple.This is not about cute religious nicknames. It is about Catholic mysticism, identity, prayer, and the healing of the soul. God does not flatter the soul. He tells the truth about it. And sometimes the truth is more merciful, more intimate, and more beautiful than we are prepared to receive.We’ll explore the Song of Songs, the Farewell Discourse, the words of Christ in John 15, “fear not little flock” in Luke 12, and what it means to stop answering to names God never gave you.God never called you failure.God never called you disgusting.God never called you a lost cause.God never called you too much or not enough.So what does He call you?Let’s talk about the secret names God gives the soul.

EO vs. RC Mysticism: Two Paths Into Union 12.05.2026 40mnt

Is Eastern Orthodoxy more mystical than Roman Catholicism? Or have Catholics simply forgotten the mystical heart of their own tradition?In this episode, we explore Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic mysticism without turning it into a competition. Both East and West seek union with God. Both have deep theology, contemplative prayer, asceticism, sacramental life, and saints who burned with divine love.But they often speak with different mystical accents.Eastern Orthodoxy often foregrounds theosis, watchfulness, hesychasm, the Jesus Prayer, icons, Tabor, and the healing of the eye of the heart to behold divine light. Roman Catholic mysticism often foregrounds Eucharistic union, bridal mysticism, the Sacred Heart, the wounds of Christ, the dark night, contemplation, and the heart being wounded open by love.This is not about choosing East or West. It is about recovering the mystical depth already present in the Catholic tradition.Catholic mysticism is not missing.It is Eucharistic.It is bridal.It is wounded.It is contemplative.It is incarnational.And it is still burning.

Mass Prep: “I Will Come to You” | John 14:15–21 08.05.2026 14mnt

This week’s Mass Prep reflects on John 14:15–21, where Jesus tells His disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments,” “I will not leave you orphans,” and “You are in me and I in you.”As we move closer to Ascension and Pentecost, this Gospel invites us to slow down and receive the promise of Christ’s nearness. Jesus prepares His disciples for His visible departure, but He does not abandon them. He promises the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who will dwell within them.In this episode, we reflect on love, obedience, spiritual dryness, the ache of feeling abandoned, the indwelling of God, and the promise that Christ still comes to us, even when He feels hidden.For everyone who has ever prayed through silence, dryness, fear, or the feeling that God is far away: you are not orphaned. He comes.

Punk Rock Saints: Francis de Sales 07.05.2026 29mnt

Check out The Margins: ⁠stanthonystongue.com/margins⁠St. Francis de Sales might not look like the obvious choice for a “punk rock saint,” but his life was a quiet rebellion against fear, cruelty, spiritual elitism, and religious rage.In this episode of Punk Rock Saints, we look at why St. Francis de Sales was so radical: his mission to Geneva and the Chablais, his use of written pamphlets to reach people who would not hear him preach, his gentle but courageous evangelization, and his deeply accessible approach to Catholic mysticism.Francis de Sales reminds us that gentleness is not weakness. Holiness is not only for monks, nuns, or spiritual elites. And maybe one of the most punk rock things a Catholic can do today is refuse to become cruel.We also talk briefly about my Catholic zine, The Margins: A Catholic Paper, and the first issue on Lazarus.In this episode:Who was St. Francis de Sales?Why is St. Francis de Sales the patron saint of writers and journalists?What does Catholic “punk rock” mean?How did Francis de Sales make mysticism accessible?Why gentleness can be a radical actCatholic media, rage farming, and refusing cruelty