Upon This Rock

About Upon This Rock

Adapted from a program that has helped countless spiritual seekers deepen their relationship with God, Upon This Rock was designed to navigate the vast landscape of the faith while providing a proven, structured roadmap to the spiritual wonders, beauty, and truth of Catholicism. Join me as I unpack Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition to establish foundational concepts, marvel at Eucharistic mysteries, reveal the depths of the liturgy, and ascend to the grand heights of Catholic theology. Come encounter a living God. Come see the world in a new light. Come build your faith upon the Rock!

Publisher

Mark Langer

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Sept 2026

Latest episode

23 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Oct 2026

   Ep 22. "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?" | Paschal Mystery, Pt. 4

   “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” For 2,000 years, these words have troubled Christians. If Jesus is God, how can God abandon God? And what kind of Father turns away from his Son? In Part 4 of our series on the Paschal Mystery, we go to the cross and discover that this cry may be one of the most hope-filled things Jesus ever said. We hear Psalm 22 the way the crowd at Calvary would have heard it. We also pick up the thread from last episode: the four cups of the Passover, the cup Jesus left undrunk in the upper room, and what he really meant when he said, “It is finished.” Scripture references The cry from the cross Matthew 27:46 (“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”) John 10:30 (“I and the Father are one”) Psalm 22 (The full psalm, from anguish to praise) Matthew 27:41–43 (The mockers echo the psalm) John 19:23–24 (Casting lots for the tunic) John 12:32 (“I, when I am lifted up… will draw all men to myself”) “I thirst” and the fourth cup John 19:28–30 (“I thirst”; “It is finished”) Romans 4:25 (Raised for our justification) Psalms 113–118 (The Hallel Psalms) Luke 22:18, 20 (The cup after supper; “I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine”) 1 Corinthians 10:16 (The cup of blessing) Matthew 26:30 (They sang a hymn and went out) Matthew 26:39 (“Let this cup pass from me”) Mark 15:23 (Wine mingled with myrrh refused) Exodus 12:8, 22 (Eating the lamb; hyssop and the blood on the doorposts) The moments around his death Mark 15:38–39 (The curtain torn; the centurion’s confession) Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:7 (The high priest and the Holy of Holies) John 19:31–37 (The spear, blood and water) Exodus 12:46 (Not a bone broken) Zechariah 12:10 (“They shall look on him whom they have pierced”) Ezekiel 47:1–12 (Water flowing from the temple) John 2:19–21 (His body as the temple) Genesis 2:21–22 (Eve formed from Adam’s side) Matthew 27:57–66 (The burial and the guard at the tomb) Coming next episode Matthew 12:39–40 (The sign of Jonah) Also cited: Scott Hahn, The Fourth Cup; the Mishnah (Pesachim 10) on the Passover order 00:00 “Why have you forsaken me?” 00:44 Welcome and where we’ve been 01:42 What it cost Jesus to speak from the cross 03:25 “Eli, Eli”: the cry and the problems it raises 04:50 Jesus is quoting Psalm 22 06:12 Hearing the whole psalm 08:50 The turn: “He has not hid his face” 10:22 A meal and the nations 12:27 Gentiles worshiping the God of Israel 13:06 “I thirst” and “It is finished” 14:27 The four cups of the Passover 16:42 Following the cup: Gethsemane to Golgotha 18:08 The hyssop branch 18:53 They had to eat the lamb 19:18 The torn curtain and the centurion 20:58 Blood and water from his side 22:30 The burial and the long Sabbath 22:50 Recap 23:56 Next time: did it really happen?

2. 

   22 Oct 2026

   Ep 21. The New Covenant: Two Words Israel Waited 500 Years to Hear | Paschal Mystery, Pt. 3

   There are two words Jesus spoke only once in the Gospels, on one night, in one room, over one cup. Israel had been waiting centuries to hear them. Many of us hear them at every Mass without noticing. In Part 3 of our series on the Paschal Mystery, we go to the upper room and hear the Last Supper the way a first-century Jew would have: a Passover meal, the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s promised new covenant, and the moment Jesus freely offers himself as the Lamb of God. Then we follow him to Gethsemane, before the high priest and Pilate, and toward Golgotha, crowned as a king and clothed as a priest. In this episode we discover how Jesus' sacrifice started on Holy Thursday, the night he laid his life down freely, when he instituted the New Passover and New Exodus at the Last Supper. But when does the New Passover end? And what are the implications for your faith? Scripture references The upper room and the new covenant Exodus 12 (The first Passover) Luke 22:7–8, 15, 20 (Preparing the Passover; “the new covenant in my blood”) Matthew 26:26–28 (The institution of the Eucharist) Jeremiah 31:31–34 (The promise of a new covenant) Ezekiel 34:23–25 (One shepherd, “my servant David,” a covenant of peace) Genesis 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:15; Daniel 9:25 (The promises Israel was waiting on) John 10:18 (I lay it down of my own accord) Exodus 24:8 (Moses and “the blood of the covenant”) The Last Discourse John 14:15–18 (The promise of the Spirit) 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19 (The temple of the Holy Spirit) John 16:7, 13 (“It is to your advantage that I go away”) John 16:32–33 (“I have overcome the world”) John 17:1, 11 (The High Priestly Prayer) The arrest and trials John 18:1–6 (The arrest in the garden) Mark 14:55–64 (Before the high priest) Daniel 7:13–14 (One like a Son of Man) John 18:37 (Before Pilate) John 19:1–3, 14–15 (Thorns, the robe, “We have no king but Caesar”) Matthew 27:28 (The scarlet cloak) Genesis 22:7–8, 13 (Abraham and Isaac on Moriah) Jesus the High Priest Leviticus 16 (The Day of Atonement) Hebrews 9:11–12 (Christ enters heaven with his own blood) Genesis 14:18–20 (Melchizedek) 2 Samuel 6:14 (David in the linen ephod) Psalm 110:4 (A priest forever) John 19:23–24 (The seamless tunic) Exodus 28:39 (The high priest’s linen tunic) Also cited: Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 3.7.4 Coming next episode Matthew 27:46; John 19:30 00:00 Two words that stop you in your tracks 00:42 Welcome and where we’ve been 02:16 The upper room: a Passover meal 04:28 Israel’s long wait: Jeremiah and Ezekiel 06:48 Said only once 08:56 When does Jesus’ sacrifice begin? 10:14 The blood of the covenant: Sinai and the upper room 11:14 When does the new Passover end? 12:26 The Spirit, peace, and the High Priestly Prayer 15:21 Gethsemane and the arrest 16:19 Before the high priest and Pilate 18:12 Crowned with thorns: Moriah and the royal robe 19:21 Yom Kippur and Jesus the High Priest 21:44 The seamless tunic 22:50 Recap and this week’s invitation 24:08 Next time: “My God, my God…”

3. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Ep 20. Lifted Up: Why the Cross Is the Glory of God

   Why would Jesus call the cross the hour of his glory? In this Part 2 of the Paschal Mystery series, we explore what John means when Jesus says, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself,” and why John pauses to tell us exactly which kind of death he meant. Last time, we looked at what the crucified Savior reveals about sin and divine love. This time, we follow John’s trail through the prophet Isaiah, where “lifted up” describes both the Lord enthroned in glory and the Suffering Servant led like a lamb to the slaughter. We then turn to Elijah on Mount Sinai and the still, small voice, and to the Upper Room, to see why the glory of God shows itself in love poured out rather than in force. By the end, you may never look at a crucifix the same way again. Scripture referenced in this episode: • John 12:23–41 (the “hour” and “lifted up”) • Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (the Suffering Servant) • Isaiah 6:1–4 (Isaiah’s vision of the Lord) • 1 Kings 19:11–13 (Elijah and the still, small voice) • Matthew 26:26–28 and Luke 22:19–20 (the words of institution) • Luke 23:34 (“Father, forgive them”) Further listening: This episode was inspired by a teaching from Dr. Scott Hahn on his podcast, The Road to Emmaus (https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-road-to-emmaus-with-scott-hahn/id1461247838). If you’re not familiar with Dr. Hahn’s work, I highly recommend it. Upon This Rock explores the biblical foundations of the Catholic Church, one step at a time. New to the series? Start with Episode 1 and follow along in order.

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