St. Anthony's Tongue

Advent shouldn't be a time to "do more stuff" but rather, to go more deeply into the things we're already doing. Here are 5 ways to increase your prayerfulness this advent, in the lineage of the Catholic mystics. These are designed not to overwhelm you, but invigorate you!🔥Additional St. Anthony's Tongue Resources:Enter the Stable: Advent with the Mystics:A 90 Minute Online Retreat, here on YouTube!https://youtu.be/exFRYGPGNHs?si=1Hl3xMUtx0iAuLLzAdvent Devotional Guide (also available on ALL Patreon tiers): Weekly reflections, prayers and more! https://www.stanthonystongue.com/products/p/pdf-advent-devotional-guidePatreon: Over 400 pieces of bonus videos, articles, and for Advent - near daily content reflections and more! www.patreon.com/anthonystongue The Violence of Marian Joy - A reflection on the joyful mysteries, including the nativityhttps://youtu.be/POGPjUCux4c?si=sPtsvk5azRbbwRPq ----🔥 Lectio Divina ResourceLectio Divina Video Episode: https://youtu.be/ibLtCzBlXZs?si=KiSMFADQwCjCs7cF-----🔥 Liturgy of the Hours/Chant Resources: Chanting the Hours Resource: Sing the Hourshttps://www.youtube.com/c/SingtheHours Psalm Tones: Chants and RantsThis is Sing the Hours' "vlog" channel. He has about 70 of the psalms sung, but it has most of the major psalm tones listed. I highly recommend using this playlist as a basis when learning a tone.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTznj9fyCSlDWxCmrBpOfEkXwIeWIe3I0 The Mundelein Psalter (This is available on Amazon as well) https://ltp.org/products/details/HMPSAL/mundelein-psalterThe Universalis App (Highly Recommend!!) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/universalis/id284942719The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary (You can find many versions, but this one is highly recommended) https://www.baronius.com/little-office-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary.html

Into the Stable: Advent With the Mystics is a 90-minute mystical retreat for the aching, the tired, the spiritually hungry, and anyone longing to experience Advent beyond sentimentality. This episode invites you into the stable of your own heart. The place where God chooses to draw near with tenderness, poverty, and quiet glory.Across this longform journey, we walk with the great mystics and saints: St. John of the Cross, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, St. Bernard, Thérèse of Lisieux, and more to explore the deeper meaning of Advent as a season of longing, divine hiddenness, and sacred poverty.This is not a countdown to Christmas. It is an invitation to encounter God in the very places you feel unprepared, unfinished, or overwhelmed.If you want to go deeper, I’ve created an Advent devotional guide that follows the same themes: longing, tenderness, hiddenness, and the stable of the heart. It offers daily Scripture, reflections, and practices designed to draw you into a more contemplative, interior Advent.Available Here: https://www.stanthonystongue.com/products/p/pdf-advent-devotional-guideAlso available on Patreon with over 400 pieces of bonus content and more! http://www.patreon.com/anthonystongue

What did it actually feel like when the saints encountered God? For St. Philip Neri, it was a globe of fire bursting in his chest. For St. Teresa of Ávila, it was a burning spear of love that pierced her heart. For others, it was light, fragrance, peace, or the trembling stillness that fills the soul when heaven draws near. In this episode, we explore the sensory mystics of the Church, the saints who felt God in their bodies, and what their experiences reveal about prayer, love, and the incarnational way God reaches us.We’ll look at the Church’s teaching on consolations and mystical experience, and walk through vivid testimonies from saints like Teresa of Ávila, John of the Cross, Philip Neri, Catherine of Siena, Columba Marmion, Gemma Galgani, and more. Their stories remind us that God is not distant; He moves through every sense, every ache, every silence.If you’ve ever wondered what it means to “feel God,” or whether that moment of warmth, ache, or peace in prayer was real, this episode is for you. Mentioned Videos My “Mystical” Reversion Experience:
https://youtu.be/LM8rudQFBukThe Transverberation of the Heart:
https://youtu.be/2U20bnJ7LN4 When God Veils:https://youtu.be/9_SaZRkhsA8 The Violence of Marian Joy: https://youtu.be/POGPjUCux4c My Other Channels/Support Patreon (400+ bonus articles, videos, prayer guides & more): 
https://www.patreon.com/anthonystongue Substack (weekly essays on Catholic mysticism): 
https://stanthonystongue.substack.com/Personal Substack: 
https://substack.com/@stanthonystongue Instagram (daily reels and reflections): 
http://www.instagram.com/stanthonystongue

Purgatory is not punishment. It’s purification. In this episode, we explore the mystical heart of the Church’s teaching on purgatory through the lens of love, unveiling, and divine transformation. Drawing on the Catechism, the early Fathers, and the voices of the mystics: St. Catherine of Genoa, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Julian of Norwich, and others—this reflection looks beyond fire and fear to reveal purgatory as the soul’s unveiling before God.We’ll uncover what the Catholic Church actually teaches about purgatory, what belongs to private revelation and opinion, and how the saints understood purification as the fire of divine love rather than punishment. Through this lens, purgatory becomes the final movement of theosis, the soul’s slow adaptation to eternal light—the moment the veil begins to fall.

Why do we fear those who drink blood when our own faith commands us to do the same? In this final chapter of A Catholic’s Guide to Monsters, we turn our attention to the vampire: not merely a monster, but a mirror of our deepest spiritual longings.Join us as we trace the vampire’s roots from the blood-drinking spirits of antiquity (the Mesopotamian ekimmu, Greek lamia, Roman strigae) to the medieval saints of the The Golden Legend whose dead rose to confess rather than devour.Then we follow the chilling case of Arnold Paole (1722 Serbia), a village, an exhumation, and a corpse that would not lie still — and how this horror led the Benedictine scholar Dom Augustin Calmet to ask: what happens when truth becomes terror?

What happens when holiness meets horror?In this special Halloween episode, we draw horror villains from a pumpkin bowl, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Leatherface, even Pennywise, and match them with Catholic saints who could spiritually defeat them.It’s part theology, part comedy, and completely Catholic horror fun.Discover how St. Thérèse disarms rage with humility, why St. Francis might call Leatherface “brother,” and what the Eucharist says to a vampire’s hunger.If you love saints, spooky season, and a little mysticism, this one’s for you.

This Sunday’s Gospel isn’t just about miracles, rather, it’s about union. Nine walked away cleansed, but one turned back, fell to the ground, and met God.That’s the difference between healing and salvation, between proximity and intimacy.Gratitude isn’t manners — it’s mysticism.To thank Him is to recognize Him. To return is to love Him.And maybe the real miracle isn’t the skin made clean, but the soul that finally sees who touched it.In this week’s Mass Prep for the Mystic Heart, we walk the road between Galilee and Samaria, where grace still passes quietly by, waiting for one soul to turn back.

What does the Catholic Church have to do with werewolves?In this eerie episode, we explore the forgotten Catholic werewolf legends — from the cursed monks of Ossory and Gerald of Wales’ Eucharistic wolves, to St. Francis of Assisi and the Wolf of Gubbio, and even St. Christopher the dog-headed saint.These haunting tales aren’t about silver bullets — they’re about mercy. They show how the Church saw wolves not only as monsters, but as symbols of sin, hunger, and exile… and how grace dares to feed the beast.We’ll talk about:The Irish werewolves who received Communion in the woodsHow St. Francis tamed a killer wolf through compassionThe dog-headed St. Christopher, sanctified rather than destroyedJohn 10 and Matthew 7, wolves in Scripture, and the theology of demonic hungerWhy the Eucharist is the true cure for the curseSink your teeth into this one — folklore meets theology, and the result is strangely beautiful.

This Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 17:5–10) is not about more faith — it’s about less self. The apostles beg Jesus: “Increase our faith.” But He points to a mustard seed. Small. Hidden. Explosive.In this Mass Prep for the Mystic Heart, we dive into:-Why the Bride of Christ always begins with ache and longing.-The mystics’ path of littleness and nada — St. Thérèse, John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila.-What Jesus means when He calls us “unprofitable servants” — love doesn’t send invoices.-St. Francis of Assisi as the fool who emptied himself until only Christ remained.-The reversal: the Master who stoops to serve His servants, the Bridegroom who kneels before the Bride.This is mustard seed mysticism: God doesn’t need your performance, your devotions tallied up like receipts. He wants your presence. He wants your emptiness. He wants the tiny seed of faith that, surrendered, can move mountains.Prepare your heart for Sunday’s Mass with this reflection on faith, littleness, and the love that stoops.

👻 Yes… Catholics believe in ghosts.For over 2,000 years, the Church has spoken of things visible and invisible. In this long-form episode, we dive deep into what the Catholic tradition really teaches about ghosts, hauntings, and the paranormal.From St. Thomas Aquinas on souls visiting the living, to saints encountering spirits in purgatory, to gothic stories of hauntings, relics, and the economy of grace — this episode unpacks the mystery of what walks among us.We’ll explore:Do Catholics really believe in ghosts?The difference between heavenly apparitions, purgatorial souls, and the damned.Saints who saw spirits — Padre Pio, St. Gregory, and others.Why holy places feel different (the “relics of prayer”).What the Church says about hauntings, demons, and residual energy.How all this ties back to Christ, the Bridegroom, and the communion of saints.If you’ve ever wondered how Catholicism understands the paranormal, or why ghost stories have haunted the faithful for centuries, this is your guide.Peace be with you — and with your spirit.

Francis of Assisi is often remembered as a gentle lover of animals or a simple garden statue with birds perched on his shoulders. But the real Francis was far more radical. He was a mystic whose entire life mirrored Jesus Christ. His spirituality was not just about prayer or visions but about recognizing God in creation, in poverty, in the Eucharist, and in people.In this video, I explore the radical mysticism of St. Francis of Assisi: his union with Christ crucified, his vision of creation as cosmic praise, his embrace of Lady Poverty, his burning devotion to the Eucharist, and his recognition of Christ in the poor and the leper. This is not the birdbath Francis of popular imagination — this is Francis the mystic, Francis the mirror of Christ.To go deeper, I have created a nine-day novena and prayer guide leading up to the Feast of St. Francis on October 4th. You can purchase the PDF guide on its own, or join me on Patreon to receive the guide along with daily video reflections as we pray the novena together, plus additional Franciscan content leading into his feast day.PDF Guide: https://www.stanthonystongue.com/products/p/pdf-st-francis-of-assisi-novena-prayer-guidePatreon: http://www.patreon.com/anthonystongue

When tragedy strikes, the devil’s greatest victory isn’t the bullet or the blood—it’s when Christians start to look more like demons than disciples.In the aftermath of the Catholic school shooting and the murder of Charlie Kirk, the world has been flooded with rage, venom, and dehumanization. Some celebrated death. Others called for vengeance. Both responses mirror the serpent, not the Savior.This video offers a Catholic response to tragedy, rage, and division. How do we resist the Enemy’s oldest trick—dehumanization? How do we avoid becoming demonized ourselves, even in righteous anger? And how can we choose the way of the Cross, the way of the Bridegroom, when everything in us wants to hate?

Fear-based talk about demons and spiritual warfare often leads to scrupulosity, anxiety, or even despair. But the mystics of the Catholiv Church saw warfare differently. In the Song of Songs, the Bridegroom warns: “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”In this video, I explore how the foxes reveal the reality of spiritual warfare — not as Hollywood spectacle, but as the subtle work of sin, distraction, and even demons that creep into the vineyard of the soul. And how, through Christ the Gardener, we learn to guard intimacy rather than fight in fear.

Some Catholic exorcists online are fueling fear and scrupulosity. Their words paint a trickster God — a God who sets traps, honors demonic “contracts,” or sends demons against you for something as simple as laying hands in prayer. This is not Catholicism. This is pop demonology — and at times, undercover paganism.In this video, I walk through popular exorcist claims (from “bloodline curses” to the so-called “blast radius” of the St. Michael prayer) and show how they conflict with the Catechism, the Fathers, and the saints. I’ll contrast pop theology of fear with the traditional Catholic vision of God as Bridegroom — the God who runs to us, restores His image in us, and whose mercy always outweighs the power of demons.If your spirituality makes you fear demons more than you trust God… it’s not Catholicism. It’s not the Gospel.

Why does God hide Himself? Why does Scripture show Him veiled in clouds, curtains, flesh, and bread? In this episode we explore one of the most overlooked themes in Catholic spirituality: the veil.From Eden to the Eucharist, from Moses’ shining face to the veil of the Temple torn at the Cross, veiling runs through the entire story of salvation. The Catholic mystics teach us that veils are not barriers but acts of mercy — God concealing Himself so that we may gradually be unveiled and transformed into His likeness.We’ll explore:The Biblical meaning of veils (Genesis, Exodus, Song of Songs, Revelation)Why God veils Himself in mercy, mystery, and preparationHow we veil ourselves through sin and fearThe Eucharist as God’s veil under bread and wineTheosis: unveiling as transformation into God’s image (2 Corinthians 3:18)Purgatory as the final veil before union with GodVoices of the mystics: Catherine of Siena, Bernard of Clairvaux, John of the Cross, Gertrude the Great

Catholicism was never meant to be a brand. It was meant to burn.This video digs into Catholic consumerism and influencer culture. How it often trades the Cross for comfort, mysticism for marketing, and fire for aesthetics.The mystics didn’t curate vibes; they ached, bled, and burned for God. What happens when Catholicism gets packaged as a lifestyle brand instead of a living fire? That’s what we’re talking about.If your faith never costs, never wounds, never bleeds — it’s not the Cross. It’s a hobby.

Mary is not just the Mother of Christ. She is the Bride who bled at the Cross.In this episode, we journey into the heart of Our Lady of Sorrows, exploring why she bears so many titles, the deep meaning of her Seven Sorrows, and why this devotion matters for Catholics today. From Scripture to the saints, we see how her pierced heart teaches us to love Christ in suffering and to remain at the foot of the Cross, even when the world turns away.You’ll learn:The history and meaning of the title “Our Lady of Sorrows”The Seven Sorrows of Mary and their biblical rootsHow this devotion shapes our spiritual life todayWhy Mary’s suffering is not weakness, but nuptial courageWhether you are discovering this devotion for the first time or deepening your love for Mary, this reflection will draw you closer to her Son through her tears, her wounds, and her unwavering “yes.”

In this episode, we uncover the dark side of St. Francis: the prisoner of war with possible PTSD, the mystic who bled with Christ, the man whose body rotted from illness and sacrifice while his brothers betrayed him. This isn’t the birdbath saint. This is the saint of wounds, blindness, rot, and song.

Catholic mysticism isn’t just for monks or cloistered nuns—it’s the everyday spiritual life lived deeply. In this video, we explore how to live Catholic mysticism through a daily rhythm of receiving and offering. Drawing from the wisdom of the saints and the rich contemplative tradition of the Church, this episode offers a practical and accessible guide to mystical Catholic prayer, the cosmic priesthood, redemptive suffering, and how to turn your daily life into a living liturgy. Whether you’re new to contemplative prayer or simply longing for deeper intimacy with God, this is your invitation into the mystical heart of Catholicism.Additional Resources: An Introduction to Lectio Divina: https://youtu.be/ibLtCzBlXZs?si=6SdzNMmQ49vZAmBtModern vs. Mystic Catholicism: https://youtu.be/DJ2baL_H_Ac?si=_WTnAInpJ1GF6V0q Bridal Theology Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R8gQjhc-lQ&list=PL-LgJgO0-ntyhsOv6-TPPTCsxCWdHf2VK

Most people in Scripture tremble when they see angels. But not Mary Magdalene.In this episode, we explore why Magdalene wept past angels at the tomb, mistook God for a gardener, and recognized the Risen Christ not by sight—but by the sound of her name. Drawing from the Song of Songs and the writings of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, we reflect on bridal longing, holy ache, and the bold love that doesn’t settle for anything less than Jesus.This isn’t just a story about the Resurrection. It’s a meditation on how to seek Christ when He feels absent—and how He calls to each of us in the garden of our soul.Because it was the ache that made her holy.