PODCAST · religion
Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri
by Diocese of Portland
Auspice Maria (meaning "under the protection of Mary") is Bishop James Ruggieri's weekly podcast. Listen along to hear answers to questions we all face every day. Each week, Bishop Ruggieri discuses an aspect of the Catholic faith and applies it to our current lives.This podcast is produced by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland's Office of Communications.
Episodes
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Prayer in the Christian Life (Catechism Series Part 40) - Auspice Maria Ep 70
We often mistake prayer for a way to call upon God as though He is not otherwise aware of us. The Catechism teaches that the opposite is true. God constantly reaches out to us and prayer allows us to engage with Him. Christian prayer is relationship. In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri discusses the...
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You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbor's Goods (Catechism Series Part 39) - Auspice Maria Ep 69
King David once saw a woman from his rooftop. Within days, an innocent man was dead. Bishop James Ruggieri opens the final two commandments with a story that shows how sin begins long before the act. It begins in the heart, with a desire that is welcomed, fed, and allowed to steer. The ninth and...
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You Shall Not Bear False Witness (Catechism Series Part 38) Auspice Maria Ep 68
Christ says that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Since Jesus is the Truth, our relationship with truth is deeply important for our faith. This is the core of this week's episode of Auspice Maria. Bishop James Ruggieri continues his Catechism series with a reflection on the Eighth...
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You Shall Not Steal (Catechism Series Part 37) - Auspice Maria Ep. 67
The commandment "you shall not steal" goes far deeper than avoiding theft and jealousy. The Catechism frames it's teachings on business ethics, labor, and economic policy within this commandment. Bishop Ruggieri explains all of this, as well as the Catholic Church's teachings on private property...
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You Shall Not Commit Adultery (Catechism Series Part 36) - Auspice Maria Ep. 66
Sexuality is sacred, not shameful. That is the starting point for Bishop James Ruggeri's look at the Sixth Commandment. He explains what chastity really means and why it is often misunderstood. He speaks with clarity and with mercy about lust, pornography, and same-sex attraction. From there, the...
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Thou Shall Not Kill (Catechism Series Part 35) - Auspice Maria Ep. 65
"Thou shall not kill" seems like a simple commandment on the surface. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church takes it much deeper than simply avoiding murder. Bishop Ruggieri discusses the depth within the fifth commandment in this episode. He touches on issues such as murder, violence…
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Honor Your Parents, Serve Your Children (Catechism Series Part 34) - Auspice Maria Ep. 64
Why should we listen to our parents? How does that relationship change over time? In this episode of Auspice Maria, Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on the Fourth Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother.” We learn love before we choose it. We are cared for before we can care. The family, he...
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The 2nd and 3rd Commandments (Catechism Series Part 33) - Auspice Maria Ep 63
Names are sacred; especially the name of the Lord. The Lord's Day, Sunday, is also sacred. Bishop Ruggieri opens up the Second and Third Commandments and shows how they shape something we rarely connect to faith: the way we speak and the way we rest. He explains why blasphemy cuts deeper than we...
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Worship Vs. Idolatry (Catechism Series Part 32) - Auspice Maria Ep 62
Every idol promises freedom and delivers slavery instead. Bishop James Ruggieri opens the Ten Commandments in this episode of Auspice Maria. The commandments begin only after God frees his people from Egypt, and that order matters. "God's first call and just demand is that man accept him and...
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Grace, Law, and the Human Community (Catechism Series Part 31) - Auspice Maria Ep. 61
Bishop James Ruggieri turns from the individual heart to the whole human family. Communion with God was never meant to stay private, he explains. It spills outward into justice, subsidiarity, and solidarity with the poor, shaping how we build families, workplaces, and neighborhoods. But good...
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Why Did God Make Us? (Catechism Series Part 30) - Auspice Maria Ep. 60
"The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes." - Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1733. This weeks episode focuses on the beginning of section 3 of the Catechism. Bishop Ruggieri compassionately discusses Christian morality, free will, and the reason God made us. "Our choices...
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The Traditions and Faith of Sacramentals and Funerals (Catechism Series Part 29) - Auspice Maria Ep 59
Bishop James Ruggieri closes out Part Two of the Catechism this week. The topic is sacramentals and Christian funerals. Holiness in life, hope in death. Why do Catholics carry blessed objects? Do rosaries, medals, holy water, or other blessings have some mystical power? Bishop Ruggieri explains…
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The Sacrament of Marriage (Catechism Series Part 28) - Auspice Maria Ep 58
Bishop James Ruggieri closes the Catechism's series on the seven sacraments with Holy Matrimony. He traces marriage from creation itself through Christ's presence at Cana, explaining how a man and woman become ministers of the sacrament through free consent. He unpacks conjugal love, the gift of...
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Holy Orders: A Sacrament of Service (Catechism Series Part 27) - Auspice Maria Ep 57
Bishop James Ruggieri turns to the sacrament of Holy Orders, opening a new chapter of the Catechism on the sacraments at the service of communion. He traces how Christ continues his apostolic mission through bishops, priests, and deacons, and explains the three degrees of ordained ministry and…
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The Anointing of the Sick (Catechism Series Part 26) Auspice Maria Ep 56
Bishop James Ruggieri turns to the second sacrament of healing: the anointing of the sick. He traces Jesus's tenderness toward the suffering throughout the Gospels, from the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law to Christ's compassion at the tomb of Lazarus. Drawing on paragraphs 1499 to 1532 of...
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The Healing Power of Confession (Catechism Series Part 25) Auspice Maria Ep 55
The sacrament of confession, also known as the sacrament of penance or reconciliation, is a vital part of Christian life. Bishop Ruggieri continues his journey through the Catechism with this episode about the sacrament of confession. He explains why baptism does not erase every weakness....
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The Miraculous Nature of the Eucharist (Catechism Series Part 24) - Auspice Maria Ep. 54
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. Bishop James Ruggieri unpacks that claim carefully, drawing on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the documents of Vatican II. Bishop Ruggieri focuses on paragraphs 1322 to 1419 of the Catechism this week. He traces the Eucharist...
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Why Catholics Get Confirmed (Catechism Series Part 23) - Auspice Maria Ep. 53
Bishop James Ruggieri explores what the sacrament of confirmation truly is and how it completes and strengthens the grace received at baptism. Along the way, he addresses a common misconception: confirmation is not a coming-of-age ceremony or Catholic "graduation". It is an important sacrament of...
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The Gift of Baptism (Catechism Series Part 22) - Auspice Maria Ep 52
Baptism is not a naming ceremony or a family tradition. It is the beginning of new life in Christ. Bishop James Ruggieri continues his walk through the Catechism of the Catholic Church by discussing baptism, exploring its effects, its necessity, and the profound responsibility it places on…
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Liturgy, the Work of Christ and the Church (Catechism Series Part 21) - Auspice Maria Ep 51
This episode continues the series on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, diving deeper into Part Two: the Celebration of the Christian Mystery. Drawing from the Catechism and the Second Vatican Council's Sacrosanctum Concilium, Bishop Ruggeri explores four essential questions about the sacred...
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The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Catechism Series Part 20) - Auspice Maria Ep. 50
Bishop James Ruggieri introduces Part Two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Celebration of the Christian Mystery. Exploring the vital link between belief and worship, he explains how the liturgy makes present the saving work of Christ through the sacraments. From the central role of…
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The Resurrection, Life Everlasting, and the Word “Amen” (Catechism Series Part 19) Auspice Maria 49
Every week at Mass, we proclaim that we believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. We must not forget the depth of those claims. Even the word "amen" carries a deep profession of faith. In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri closely examines the "last things" in the first section of...
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The Communion of Saints and the Forgiveness of Sins (Catechism Series Part 18) - Auspice Maria ep 48
We do not simply stop existing when our bodies die. The saints live on in heaven and remain in communion with the Church on Earth and in purgatory. In this weeks episode, Bishop Ruggieri explains how we know this and what that means for the Church as a whole. This episode focuses on paragraphs…
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Christ's Faithful: Hierarchy, Laity, and Consecrated Life (Catechism Series Part 17) Auspice Maria Ep 47
How do bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and lay people all fit together in the Catholic Church? Bishop Ruggieri answers that question in this week's episode. He explains the Catechism's teachings on each role in detail. "Each vocation is distinct, but none, importantly, is isolated. Each is...
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One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic (Catechism Series Part 16) Auspice Maria Ep 46
All Catholics are very familiar with the phrase "the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church." Yet, it is easy to forget that each of those four words has a distinct meaning in the life of the Church. In this week's episode, Bishop Ruggieri explains the deeper meanings behind the four "marks"…
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The Church, the Bride of Christ (Catechism Series Part 15) - Auspice Maria Ep. 45
In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri explains what we mean when we say, “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church.” The Church is not a building or a group of priests, the Church is a whole people, the people of God. Bishop Ruggieri focuses on three important images of the Church: The Church as the Body...
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"I believe in the Holy Spirit" (Catechism Series Part 14) - Episode 44
What do we really mean when we say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit?” This week, Bishop Ruggieri discusses the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. This episode draws from the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 683–747. "The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force, not merely an...
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Christ's Descent into Hell (Catechism Series Part 13) - Auspice Maria Ep. 43
What really happened when Jesus “descended into hell,” and what does His resurrection mean for our lives today? In this episode, Bishop James Ruggieri unpacks the Catechism’s teaching on Christ’s descent to the dead, His glorious rising, His ascension into heaven, and His promise to come again in...
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The Paschal Mystery, Part 2 (Catechism Series Part 12) - Auspice Maria Ep. 42
In this episode of the Auspice Maria podcast, Bishop James Ruggieri continues his thematic walk through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, focusing on paragraphs 571–630 and the heart of the Paschal Mystery. The center of the Christian faith, he reminds us, is not first a moral code or a...
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The Paschal Mystery, Part 1 (Catechism Series #11) - Auspice Maria Ep. 41
In this episode of Auspice Maria, Bishop James Ruggieri continues the Catechism series by reflecting on the heart of the Christian faith: the Paschal Mystery. He begins with a simple but profound question many carry in silence, "Does God really love me?" Drawing from the Catechism, Bishop…
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Entering the Life of Christ (Catechism Series Part 10) - Auspice Maria Ep 40
Join Bishop James Ruggieri as he unpacks the hidden parts of Christ's early life. In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri discusses Mary's Immaculate Conception, The role of Jesus' parents, and His 30 silent years in Nazareth. The quiet simplicity of our Lord's early life sanctifies daily life for all…
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The Word Made Flesh (Catechism Series Part 9) - Auspice Maria ep 39
Why would God enter the world in a barn? Was Jesus human, God, or both? These are the questions at the heart of this week's episode. Bishop James Ruggeri explores the mystery of the Incarnation, the Word made flesh. He unpacks its wonders via Nativity scenes, the nuances of the liturgy, and...
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Why Is There Sin? Why Is There Hope? (Catechism Series Part 8) - Auspice Maria Ep 38
In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri addresses the perennial question: Why is there sin? Drawing on Catechism paragraphs 385–412, he explains the goodness of creation, the misuse of human freedom, the reality of temptation, and the wound of concupiscence that affects every person. Yet despite our...
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Creation, Angels, and Humanity (Catechism Series Part 7) - Auspice Maria Ep 37 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Bishop Ruggieri uses a recent trip through Northern Maine to frame how we humans interact with God's other creations. He discusses how everything that exists, both seen and unseen, shares a common creator. "When I looked at Katahdin that day, I was not just looking at geology. I was looking at...
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Our Role in Creation (Catechism Series Part 6) - Auspice Maria Ep 36 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on creation in a “state of journeying." Our world is not a finished product, but a story still unfolding under God’s providence. Drawing from the Catechism, he explores the Trinity as Creator, the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit, and the deeper questions every...
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From Wonder to Communion (Catechism Series Part 5) - Auspice Maria Episode 35 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Bishop Ruggieri begins this episode with difficult questions that every believer must face at some point. Pulling directly from the Catechism, he asks, "Where do we come from? Where are we going? What is our origin? What is our end? Where does everything that exists come from and where is it...
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Faith: God’s Gift, Our Response, and the Creed We Profess (Catechism series part 4) - Auspice Maria Episode 34 with Bishop James Ruggieri
In this fourth installment of his series on the Catechism, Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on the Catechism’s teaching on faith as a gift from God. "The Catechism reminds us that God continues to draw near through revelation, which is both mysterious and tangible. God reveals Himself gradually,...
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When God Speaks, the Church Listens (Catechism Series Part 3) - Auspice Maria Ep. 33 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Bishop Ruggieri discusses paragraphs 101 to 184 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He explains how the Sacred Scriptures are essential to our faith and the life of the whole Church. The Bible is not a "dead letter" but the truly living Word of God. "The Church does not merely place a Bible…
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God Satisfies Our Longing (Catechism Series Part 2) - Auspice Maria Ep 32 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Continuing through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Bishop Ruggieri explores the deep restlessness of the human heart, our desire for God, and how God reveals Himself to us. This episode invites listeners to reflect on human dignity, God’s faithful pursuit of humanity, and the full deposit…
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The Origin of the Catechism (Catechism Series Part 1) - Auspice Maria Ep. 31 with Bishop James Ruggieri
This episode marks the beginning of a series of episodes focused on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Bishop Ruggieri explains the historical context of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and gives an introduction to what it contains. Bishop Ruggieri emphasizes a key message from the...
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Our Lord's Imperfect Ancestors - Auspice Maria Episode 30 With Bishop James Ruggieri
The genealogy of Jesus is more than a list of names at the beginning of Mathew's Gospel. It's a brief summary of a deep story of salvation. Some of Jesus's ancestors were holy people, but most were imperfect at best. Bishop Ruggieri explains how the genealogy of Jesus shows God’s faithfulness...
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St. Joseph's Example of Trust - Auspice Maria Episode 29 with Bishop James Ruggieri
In this episode, Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on the quiet strength and faithful obedience of St. Joseph. Through a close reading of Matthew’s Gospel, he explores Joseph’s righteousness, reverential fear, and trust in God amid mystery. This meditation invites listeners to consider how God often...
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How Mary Teaches us to Love Without Fear - Auspice Maria episode 28 with Bishop James Ruggieri
What would it mean to truly love without fear? One woman, through her Immaculate Conception, shows us exactly this. This episode focuses on Mary, the Mother of God, and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Bishop Ruggieri explains how Mary was able to love God truly and without fear. He also discusses the...
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Trusting God and Answering His Call - Auspice Maria Ep. 27 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Where is the Lord asking you to trust him more deeply? In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri examines the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, a book with many readings in Advent. Bishop Ruggieri highlights the importance of trusting God over anything else. "When worship is strong, justice is strong. When...
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An American Mom's Faithful Witness and Cause for Sainthood - Auspice Maria Ep. 26 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Is holiness possible for regular people? Yes. Servant of God Ruth Pakaluk proved this by doing ordinary things with extraordinary love and faithfulness. Ruth was a wife and mother who converted to Catholicism in 1980. In this episode, Bishop Ruggieri examines Ruth's life and explains how her...
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A Reflection on Immigration - Auspice Maria Ep 25 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Bishop Ruggieri offers a reflection on immigration issues in the United States. He speaks as a shepherd of souls to explain the recent Special Message released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops about immigration. He uses the story of an ICE raid in Ohio and it's ripple effect on...
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The Vocation to Holiness - Auspice Maria Ep. 24 with Bishop James Ruggieri
What should a person do after hearing God's call? And is sainthood really achievable for people like us? Bishop Ruggieri answers these questions by detailing the discernment process and unpacking the universal call to a vocation to holiness. "The call to holiness is not an abstraction. It's not...
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Building a Culture of Life with Suzanne Lafreniere
To close out Respect Life Month, Suzanne Lafreniere, Director of Public Affairs and Pro-Life Liaison for the Diocese of Portland, discussed the work she does to support pro-life efforts in Maine. Suzanne offers practical, actionable advice for Catholic Mainers who want to help build a culture of...
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The March for Life, and The Mother Cabrini Maine Catholic Education Initiative - Auspice Maria Ep. 23 with Bishop James Ruggieri
Bishop Ruggieri encourages listeners to get involved with the March for Life and the Maine Catholic Education Initiative. He discusses how both serve the mission of the Church, building a culture of life and building the kingdom of God here on earth. Resources mentioned in this episode: Info…
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The Thread That Unravels - Auspice Maria Ep 22 with Bishop James Ruggieri
In this episode of the Auspice Maria podcast, Bishop James Ruggieri reflects on why the right to be born must be foundational in building a culture of life. It is the vulnerable thread in the seamless garment of our morality. If that thread is pulled, the rest begins to unravel. A full…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Auspice Maria (meaning "under the protection of Mary") is Bishop James Ruggieri's weekly podcast. Listen along to hear answers to questions we all face every day. Each week, Bishop Ruggieri discuses an aspect of the Catholic faith and applies it to our current lives.This podcast is produced by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland's Office of Communications.
HOSTED BY
Diocese of Portland
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri have?
Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri currently has 73 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri about?
Auspice Maria (meaning "under the protection of Mary") is Bishop James Ruggieri's weekly podcast. Listen along to hear answers to questions we all face every day. Each week, Bishop Ruggieri discuses an aspect of the Catholic faith and applies it to our current lives.This podcast is produced by the...
How often does Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri release new episodes?
Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri has 73 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri?
You can listen to Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri?
Auspice Maria with Bishop James Ruggieri is created and hosted by Diocese of Portland.
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