Greetings, subscribers of Catholic Firebrand. Here’s a treat for you!
The Fathers Know best is a channel at my Discord community where I quote a Church father’s work related to a theme, and then offer my own reflection, applying it to modern life. Recently I decided to turn that into a podcast segment (11 minutes), which I’m sharing with you here. I’m also including the written text itself—what I post to Discord. It’s part of the experience as subscribers to Catholic Firebrand, and I hope you enjoy it!
Let's start with some TruthBombs from St. Augustine of Hippo
“Believe that you may understand; do not seek to understand that you may believe.”
— Sermon 43
“If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”
— Contra Faustum, Book 32
Reflection
Augustine is saying that when preference takes the lead and Truth is put in the background, the result isn’t understanding, it’s self-confirmation. It's a rejection of Truth, and of reality. Ideologues are famous for this—whether political or religious
In politics:
We don’t ask, Is this true? We ask, Who said it? If it came from “our side,” it’s believed without scrutiny. If it came from the other side, it’s dismissed before being considered. Facts don’t change minds, tribal alignment does.
In Catholic life:
Certain doctrines get put on trial. Teachings on sexuality, marriage, judgment, repentance, are treated like suggestions/opinions rather than Truth. Scripture is quoted when it comforts, and tossed away when it confronts.
In media consumption:
We're devoted to outlets that tell us what we already believe, and we reward them with our trust. Not because they’re necessarily trustworthy , but because they’re emotionally validating.
This is exactly Augustine’s warning in action. Once preference becomes the standard, belief turns into curation. We don’t receive Truth—we cherry pick it. We choose preference over Truth. And we do so to our own peril, because Truth will not be ignored for long. Reality hits back—and hard.
"People hate the truth for the sake of whatever it is that they love more than the truth. They love truth when it smiles warmly on them, and hate it when it rebukes them."