It's the Feast of
Ascension of Our Lord,
1st Class, with the color of
White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Triumphal Ascent", today's news from the Church: "Education and the Problem of Human Respect", a preview of the Sermon: "He Who Prays Will Be Saved", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows?
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Sources Used Today:
- "The Triumphal Ascent" — Eastertide Day by Day
- "Education and the Problem of Human Respect" (FSSPX.news)
- "He Who Prays Will Be Saved" (SSPX Sermons)
- The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook!
Saint Hallvard Vebjørnsson is remembered as the patron saint of Oslo and a martyr of justice, a young man who gave his life defending the innocent. He lived in eleventh-century Norway during a period when Christianity was still becoming firmly established in the region. Born into a noble and respected family around the year 1020, Hallvard was raised in the Christian faith and became known for his honesty, courage, and generosity.
According to tradition, Hallvard’s martyrdom began with an act of compassion. A woman accused of theft sought refuge and pleaded for protection, insisting that she was innocent. Hallvard believed her and attempted to help her escape across the fjord by boat. Before they could get away, the men pursuing her caught up to them. They killed the woman and then turned on Hallvard for trying to defend her.
Even after his death, the attackers feared that Hallvard’s innocence and holiness would become known. They tied a millstone to his body and cast it into the water to hide the crime. Yet according to tradition, the stone miraculously floated, revealing that God Himself vindicated the young martyr. This sign quickly spread through the region, and Hallvard began to be honored as a saint by the local faithful.
The Church remembers Saint Hallvard not as a preacher or bishop, but as a layman who chose justice and mercy over self-preservation. His witness reflects the Christian duty to defend the vulnerable, even at personal cost. In this way, he became a powerful symbol of integrity and courage in Scandinavian Christianity.
Devotion to Saint Hallvard became deeply connected to the city of Oslo, where he was adopted as patron. Medieval seals and artwork often depict him holding arrows, representing his martyrdom, along with the millstone that tradition associates with his death. Churches were dedicated in his honor, and his memory became woven into the identity of the city itself.
His feast day on May 15 has traditionally been observed in Norway with prayers for justice, civic peace, and moral courage. Though less known outside Scandinavia, Saint Hallvard remains an enduring example of Christian charity lived in action.
His life reminds the faithful that sanctity is often revealed not in grand achievements, but in the willingness to stand beside the innocent when it matters most.
Saint Hallvard Vebjørnsson, defender of the innocent and faithful servant of Christ, pray for us.
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What is the SSPX Podcast?
The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.
What is the SSPX?
The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.
Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.
Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it.
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