As the old expression goes, “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.” In this episode, Martin takes the listener back to when he was seven years old and preparing for his First Communion at Holy Trinity in Dayton, Ohio. Through the eyes of a child, he revisits that early encounter with the mystery of faith, as he and his classmates struggled to comprehend the wonderous and sometimes bewildering lessons of the catechism – from the astonishing idea of Jesus entering the tiny Communion wafer to the weighty question of what constituted a moral sin and how one might make a good confession.

What emerges is an endearing and often humorous glimpse into Martin’s childhood and his first attempt to make sense of faith, morality, and an ever-changing world around him.

The episode then closes with a brief poem by William Blake, whose words awaken a poignant sense of wonder at the beauty and mystery in the world.

A complete list of the writers and poets from Episode 10 Once a Catholic

The story “Mystery” by Ramon Gerard AKA Martin Sheen is included in this podcast by granted copyright permission of the author.

Consider This William Blake “To see a world in a grain of sand…”

“Where the Mind is Without Fear” Rabindranath Tagore

For more information about the writers and poets in this episode please visit us at: themartinsheenpodcast.com

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In this truly momentous episode Martin is joined at the mic by two very dear friends and West Wing series alum Melissa FitzGerald and Mary McCormack to talk all things West Wing with their best-selling book “What’s Next?”

Both Mary and Melissa share their journey in the creation of their book. With over a hundred interviews of the cast, crew, writers and producers, it’s an amazing account of how the historic TV series the West Wing evolved from the very start to the final day of filming and beyond. Their chat with Martin really captures the cultural phenomenon the beloved show has become.

The series may have ended in 2006 but 27 years later the West Wing family of cast members still have a strong bond of friendship as is clearly evident in this heartfelt conversation.

A complete list of the writers and poets from Episode 8 What’s Next?

Consider This President Harry S. Truman “It’s amazing what you can accomplish…”

“Where the Mind is Without Fear” Rabindranath Tagore

For more information about the writers and poets in this episode please visit us at: themartinsheenpodcast.com

If you would like to support us and get each episode ad-free please subscribe at Patreon.
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