Notes for the next broadcast: Difference between revisions

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[[File:2010-10-15 012.JPG|thumb|300px|<div align="center">The bambino, Rocco, and St. Joseph</div>]]
== Sitz im leben ==
== Sitz im leben ==
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<div style="margin-left:4em"><h3><span style="color:green;"></html>Ordinary Time: Following Jesus<html></span></h3></div></html>
<div style="margin-left:4em"><h3><span style="color:green;"></html>A season of growth.<html></span></h3></div></html>
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* [[Liturgical year]].
::* [[Liturgical year]].
::* [[Year of Faith]].
__NOTOC__


== December 19 ==


::{|{{Prettytable}}
|-
|
* [X] Facebook.
* [X] Water.
* [[Joy]].
* ''148 days for Gina and Joseph.''
|-
!Prologue
|-
|
* Faith 'n' Reason Friday.
* Any topic OK.
* All callers welcome.
:; Last few days of Advent  —  St. John the Baptist, pray for us!


== 10 December ==
:; Luke 1:76


=== From e-mail and Facebook ===
:: You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
* Anonymous from Facebook: "I have friend suffering from level 4 lung cancer--and he never smoked! It is in times like this that the "helpless feeling is worse than anything" I wish the Lord would heal him. It is very difficult as i sit across the table in my department at work with a guy who has no belief in the Lord, and basically says "yeah where's your God in all of this" and then He basically says, well its sad about Art, but when you dead your dead. It ticks me off. Its hard not to have the feeling that the wrong person has the cancer, I know I shouldn't feel that way, but why does it seem that the bitter and self centered seem to live longer than the people who try to treat people fair?"
:: for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
* Tommy C. from Facebook: "If Bethlehem was where Joseph's family was from, couldn't they have stayed with family instead of trying to find an inn? Is there a cultural thing I'm missing?"
:: to give his people knowledge of salvation
:: by the forgiveness of their sins.
* [[Prayer to St. John the Baptist]]
|}


=== Last Week's Show ===
* From John on Facebook (''he may post this question on Facebook during the show''): Some of my friends argue that there is no need for a priesthood. In the Bible, the term is used only of the Old Testament priests who served in the Temple.  In the New Testament, the terms "episcopos" and "presbyter" are used, not "priest."  How can I answer this challenge to the Catholic understanding of priesthood?
* John from Cheektowaga: "I believe today is your patron saint's feast day… Can you elaborate a little on Saint Frances Xavier in today’s show."
* John B from e-mail: Can Fr. Marty briefly discuss a 'Faith & Reason' man of God whose feast day was celebrated a few weeks ago? St. Albert the Great.
* Jason from Ohio who lives in Orlando: "Is it good or bad to make children believe in Santa?"
* Scott from Rochester: How do the benefactor cards work?
* Nora from Williamsville: On this feast of St. Francis Xavier, praying for missionaries. Special prayers for my mom's cousin, who is my Godfather, a Jesuit and long time missionary, Fr. Bill Scanlon. Happy Feast Day!
* Rocco: I like to develop the mythos behind him - like Tolkien's Santa Letters to his kids.
* Bob from Boston: Wants to discuss the etymology of 'Santa Claus'
** [http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35 How St. Nicholas Became Santa Claus.]
* Jon E. from Amherst: Has a question about Acts of Penance during Advent.
* Chris from In his car in New Hampshire: Would like father to explain the Santos verse and has a question on Plenary indulgence.
* Carlos from Melrose, MA: Father, I'm considering attending a guided spiritual retreat early next year. The last retreat I attended was in high school over 20 years ago. What should I expect during a guided retreat (that has long periods of silence and solitude) and more importantly, what should I do to prepare for it?
* Barbara from Greece, NY: Wants to ask why St. Barbara (who's feast is tomorrow) is so ignored.
* John from Olean: The secular santa appears in the 1860's.  Harpers Weekly published a drawing of a santa dressed similar to what we know, distributing gifts to soldiers in the Union Army during the American Civil War.  In our house growing up santa was always portrayed as a bishop.  My parents even left chocolate "gold coins" in our stockings.
* POLCTROTICFBTB&B: "I was in Prague for St. Wenceslaus feast day - a national holiday!"
* Shawn from Buffalo: "Can you explain the special favor or whatever for having the Divine Mercy painting in your home?"
== 3 December ==
* Feast of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Xavier St. Francis Xavier, SJ.] Best friend of St. Ignatius Loyola, SJ, founder of the Society of Jesus.  "What does it profit a man to gain the wealth of the world but lose his own soul?"
* [http://www.buffalodiocese.org/News/Blogs/BlogID/5.aspx Bishop Kmiec's blog.]


=== From e-mail and Facebook ===
== Treasury of Unanswered Questions ==
* Jennifer from Facebook: Don't complain about what others are or are not doing.  "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
__TOC__


=== Previous Shows ===
=== May the priest skip the "Deliver us from evil" prayer? ===
==== Thursday 2 December ====
* Boston, Mass. At mass at our church, after the Our Father, the priest goes directly to "For the kingdom, the power, etc" and omits the prayer in between that says, "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil.."  This seems to be an important and beautiful part of the prayer. Is it allowed to be omitted?
* Justin from e-mail: I know that you also share a love for C.S. Lewis' writing and that you might have some light to shed on this subject. I've been reading his book, ''A Grief Observed'', and he brings up the idea of the dead feeling the pains of separation, as the living do, and that this might be one of their purgatorial sufferings. He explains that this bereavement is an integral part of our experience of love, and that death is just another phase, not a truncation, of that experience/process. Was wondering what you think about this? I was fascinated with his intellectual reasoning, as I usually am.
=== Destroying unused genetic material from IVF procedures? ===
* Ellen from Buffalo: The Memorare is attributed to St Bernard of Clairvaux.
* George. Bellingham, Mass. I was reading the catechism re: life issues. Regarding In Vitro Fertilization, if the sperm and egg are not viable, is it as morally unacceptable to destroy them as it would be if the sperm and egg are viable?
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorare Wikipedia says "no."]  15th century, 17th century, 19th century.
=== What is Jesus doing now? ===
** Eric, Rochester, NY::wanted to talk with Father about the Memorare: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub_tuum_praesidium sub tuum praesidium] from the 3rd century (!).
* Joe. Buffalo. What is Jesus doing in heaven now?
** MEMORARE, O piissima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia, esse derelictum. Ego tali animatus confidentia, ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, curro, ad te venio, coram te gemens peccator assisto. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere; sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen.[http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/BVM/Memorare.html]
=== Are we not required to love our parents? ===
* Jim from e-mail: Michael Alan Anderson, Assistant Professor of Music at the Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester) has discovered that the second half of the prayer—the sinner’s direct plea to Mary—dates considerably earlier than commonly thought by historians. According to Anderson, who specializes in medieval and Renaissance music history, it turns out that musical composers were experimenting with petitionary supplements to the Ave Maria as early as the late thirteenth century, at least 150 years before historians have recognized such additions to the "Ave Maria."[http://www.chantcafe.com/2010/12/origin-of-ave-maria.html]
:; Homework from last Friday
* Bob from Boston, NY: What did Thomas Aquinas mean by [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/nature_grace.ix.i.iv.iv.html "Lifeless Faith"?] (Nature and Grace ix.i.iv.iv).
:* Rebecca from St. Petersburg asked about Dennis Prager's view that children only need to honor their parents, not love them.
<div style="margin-left:4em">
::: Prager: "The bible understands that there will always be people who, for whatever reason, do not love a parent. Therefore, it does not demand what may be psychologically or emotionally impossible, but it does demand that we honor our parents."
We must therefore hold differently that living and lifeless faith are one and the same habit. The reason is that a habit is differentiated by that which directly pertains to that habit. Now since faith is a perfection of the intellect, that pertains directly to faith, which pertains to the intellect. Again, what pertains to the will, does not pertain directly to faith, so as to be able to differentiate the habit of faith. But the distinction of living from lifeless faith is in respect of something pertaining to the will, i.e. charity, and not in respect of something pertaining to the intellect. Therefore living and lifeless faith are not distinct habits.
::: Jesus: "What is impossible for you is possible for God. Love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you. Forgive seventy times seventy times!"
</div>
::: Yes, the parent-child relationsip is unique.
:*[[Dead faith]].
::: Yes, the family is the basic unit of society.
* Jason. Florida. A friend was defending the Church's teaching against artificial contraception against some Protestants who said it wasn't in Scripture. Is there a scriptural basis that can be used to support the... Church's teaching on this matter? How can we explain it to non-Catholic Christians who believe in sola scriptura?
::: Yes, honor of parental is the glue that holds the family and therefore society together.
** Ellen from Buffalo, says the artificial contraception is Sin of Onan in the Old Testament.  
::: Yes, it is wrong for parents to seek to be "loved" as if they were the buddies of their babies. Parents must assert authority and children must yield to their parents' authority. When push comes to shove, it is right for parents to say, "Because I say so."  This is often God's answer to our "why" questions, too.  There are some things we cannot see for ourselves until we have grown more.  Until that time, "because I say so" is the best answer.
** "Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother" [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/genesis/genesis38.htm (Gen. 38:9).]
=== Who is the greatest person "born of woman"? ===
* Anne from Buffalo: What is a Taizé Mass? She wasn't sure, a church is having it, but she never heard of it before and wanted to know about it.
* Shawn from Facebook: Jesus says in Matthew 11 that John the Baptist was the greatest person ever born of a woman. I thought CHRIST himself or Mary would be the greatest?
** Brother Roger Schutz was a Calvinist pastor who was [http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/206302?eng=y allowed to receive daily communion at the Catholic Mass in Taizé] and who also receied communion from Wojtyla (JP II) and Ratzinger (Benedict XVI).  He was assassinated at age 90 during a worship service at Taize.
=== How do I regularlize my marriage? ===
* Alice from Batavia: "Can Demons and spirits hear our thoughts?"
* Anonymous from e-mail: I have been married for 15 years to my current husband and would like to have the marriage recognized by the Church so that I can receive the sacraments. I was first married in the Catholic Church. I was divorced from that man, and he has since died. I married another man in a civil service, then divorced him. I married my third and current husband in a civil service. He has been married in civil services and has been divorced twice. He is not Catholic and is not baptized. He has a hard time understanding why he has to participate in my annulment process. How should I explain it to him?
 
=== Did Jesus want us to mutilate our bodies? ===
* Anonymous from Facebook: Anonymous from Facebook: Christ tells us not to lust after someone, because it is adultery. He also commands us to pluck out our eye and cut off our hands if they cause us to sin. Why is it that I never hear Catholic or Protestants discuss this passage?
 
=== How to be chaste in marital relations? ===
* Anonymous from Facebook:  In what way is it appropriate to desire union with my spouse?
:: [http://smile.amazon.com/Holy-Sex-Toe-Curling-Mind-Blowing-Infallible/dp/0824524713/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415994991&sr=8-1&keywords=Gregory+Popcak%2C+%27%27A+Catholic+Guide+to+Infallible+Loving. Gregory Popcak, ''A Catholic Guide to Infallible Loving.'']
:: [[Chastity in Marriage]].
 
=== Bl. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago ===
* Gina Marie M. from Facebook: Could you do a program on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Manuel_Rodr%C3%ADguez_Santiago Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Santiago?] He cures cancer.
:::  — [http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20010429_rodriguez-santiago_en.html Vatican News Service biography of Blessed Carlos Manuel.]
:::  —  "Vivimos para esa noche" — "We live for that night" == the night of the Easter Vigil, in which we recall Jesus passing from death to life on Easter Sunday.
:::  —  "Charlie’s Beatification Process was indeed a swift one! Initiated in 1992, the positio on heroic virtues, lead to his status as Venerable as of July 7, 1997. The miracle for his beatification (cure of non-Hodgkins malignant lymphoma back in 1981) was approved on December 20,1999 by HH John Paul II. Thus, a record-making eight-year span, a first for lay actors!"
 
=== Straight from Earth to Heaven? ===
 
* Shawn from Facebook:  In the second letter to the Corinthians, it says: "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor 5:8). Does that mean that there is no [[purgatory]]?  Do we just die and go straight to Heaven?
::: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil" [http://usccb.org/bible/2cor/5:10 (2 Cor 5:10).]
 
=== Can the Church change the canon? ===
 
* John from Facebook: Since it was the Catholic Church that decided the canon of the Bible, could the Catholic Church ever change the contents of the Bible by adding or removing books in the future?
::: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilegomena Antilegomena:] These antilegomena or "disputed writings" were widely read in the Early Church and included the Epistle of James, the Epistle of Jude, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, the Apocalypse of John, the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Apocalypse of Peter (unique in being the only book never accepted as canonical which was commentated upon by a Church Father), the Acts of Paul, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Epistle of Barnabas and the Didache.
 
=== How to start spiritual direction? ===
* Anonymous. Massachusetts. I have felt for a long time that I need some type of spiritual direction and grounding. However, I'm not sure how to seek it out.  Can you suggest a simple way to get started beyond my parish priest? Does it depend on how spiritually "developed" one is? Thank you.
 
=== Our Lady of the Americas? ===
* Bob. Boston, NY. Could you tell me the story of the appearances of "Our Lady of the Americas" that occured around 1956?
::: [[Marian_Theology#Apparitions_that_have_not_been_approved Apparitions that have not been approved.]]
 
=== Good book for 4-year old who loves to pray? ===
* Jessica. Can anyone recommend a kid friendly book, or guide to teaching young kids about Jesus' death and resurrection? My son who is 4 loves going to Adoration and going though the Stations of the Cross.
 
=== Love gives us free will ===
* David, Buffalo, NY. I wanted to add a comment about the conversation about free will that it is because we are beings that have the ability to love and also that God's love for us gives is free will.
 
=== Defending the faith in an irreligious world ===
* Shawn from Facebook:  "In a pre-scientific understanding of the world, people naturally believed things happened because of the action of God, Angels, Demons, and the like; but now we can explain everything through the laws of science. We can see throughout history that religion, morals, and culture have evolved. How can we defend the faith in a world that seems to have no need of religion?"
 
=== May a couple marry who cannot consummate the vows? ===
* Ann, Massachusetts. I heard on the radio that a Catholic woman and man should not get married if they cannot consummate their vows because of a medical condition.  I cannot believe this could be right.
::: [http://www.ewtn.com/library/Doctrine/IMPOSTER.HTM EWTN library.]
::::: impotence is indeed an impediment to marriage
 
=== Slavery approved in the Bible? ===
 
* Anonymous.  According to scriptures, slavery is not considered immoral, however there are specific instructions on how to beat slaves correctly. Why did neither God or Jesus teach that owning another human being is immoral?  Nowhere is this stated in the bible!  Mark Twain wrote: "In all the ages the Roman Church has owned slaves, bought and sold slaves, authorized and encouraged her children to trade in them. Long after some Christian peoples had freed their slaves the Church still held on to hers. If any could know, to absolute certainty, that all this was right, and according to God’s will and desire, surely it was she, since she was God’s specially appointed representative in the earth and sole authorized and infallible expounder of his Bible.  There were the texts; there was no mistaking their meaning; she was right, she was doing in this thing what the bible had mapped out for her to do. So unassailable was her position that in all the centuries she had no word to say against human slavery."
 
=== Consecration to Mary? ===
 
* Shawn from Facebook: How can Catholics consecrate themselves to Mary?  She is not God.  Isn't it a sin against the First Commandment to vow yourselves to her service?
 
=== Conflicting Scripture Passages ===
 
* John from Facebook: In a recent Sunday reading from 1 Kings, God said to Solomon, "I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you" [http://www.usccb.org/bible/1kings/3:12 (1 Kings 3:12).] But in Matthew, it says, "There is something greater than Solomon here" [http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12:42 (Matthew 12:42).] How do you reconcile the two passages?
:: Similar kind of conundrum: What did Jesus mean when He said that "Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" [http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11:11 (Mt 11:11)?]  Wasn't Mary greater than John the Baptist through her Immaculate Conception?
:: And, of course, "all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God" [http://www.usccb.org/bible/romans/3:23 (Rom 3:23)].  Doesn't that mean that Mary and Jesus were both sinners?
:: "No sign will be given this generation except the sign of Jonah, for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Mt 12:40).
 
==== Followup question from John ====
John from Facebook:
 
* If the church teaches us not to read passages literally, why does it not apply this to the teachings on the supper of The Lord or giving Peter the keys to the kingdom? How does the Church discern what should be taken literally and what isn't? My non Catholic friends say the Church chooses to take literally those passages that support her doctrinal position. '''''After all the churches authority comes from reading the passage on the keys given to Peter literally doesn't it?'''''
 
=== Can Mary bless us? ===
* Shawn from Facebook: I heard a priest say the rosary. He said, "May Mary bless you with her holy child." How can Mary bless us with anything? She has no power outside of Christ.
 
=== Boys will be boys? ===
* Anonymous from Facebook: Your 12-year old catches about 10 dragonflies, takes their wings off, and puts them in a cup “because he wants to see them fight.” Is that just boys being boys? Or do you tell him that it’s wrong to hurt animals for fun? He has Reactive Attachment Disorder which causes me additional concern.
 
=== Tips for Lay Evangelization? ===
; From the "Ask a Priest" page on [http://thestationofthecross.com TheStationOfTheCross.com:]
 
: Michael: The Pope has called lay people to evangelize. I very heatedly expressed my objections to a fictional TV show which portrayed a catholic priest in a very negative way.  A high school senior responded to my criticisms by expressing a desire for God, but he also expressed some reservations about God and showed a real lack of knowledge of the faith.  How about having a show where people call in to discuss their ideas for lay evangelization and talk about their successes or failures in bearing witness to the tremendous hidden treasures of our faith?
 
=== How many books of the Bible claim to be inspired by God? ===
:* How many books of the Bible claim to be inspired by God?  Maybe two make an explicit claim — Jeremiah and Revelation.
 
::: Jeremiah: "Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you about Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, until today" (36:2).
 
::; [http://www.catholic.com/tracts/proving-inspiration "Proving Inspiration."]
 
::: What about the Bible’s own claim to inspiration? There are not many places where such a claim is made even elliptically, and most books in the Old and New Testaments make no such claim at all. In fact, no New Testament writer explicitly claims that he himself is writing at the direct behest of God, with the exception of John, the author of Revelation.
 
=== Taped evidence — nursing home ===
* Luisa from "Ask a Priest" ''[today]'': My mother was in the nursing home up until she passed away. We placed a camera in her room because they kept dropping her.  Although the policy of the nursing home prohibits recording sound in the patients' bedrooms, by accident, some of our videos recorded the nurses abusing my mother verbally.  May I use these recordings in good faith to bring an action against the nursing home?
 
=== Why can't women preach in Church? ===
* From a pastor who listens to the show: When you answered Betsy's question on August 4th about how women can preach the gospel even though they are not allowed to read the gospel and preach homilies in the liturgy, you dodged the question of why women and laymen cannot read the gospel and preach homilies in the liturgy.  I may not be the smartest kid on the block, but I can tell when someone is ducking a tough question! :o) ''[Note well: this priest is a very good and orthodox priest, and he is a friend of mine.  This is a kind and well-meaning question, not a screed in favor of abandoning the Church's tradition!  I think it is a good question.]''
 
=== NFP for a pre-menopausal couple? ===
 
* Anonymous from [http://www.thestationofthecross.com/ "Ask a Priest"] on the Station of the Cross website — ''spend a little time explaining how to find and use this page on the website.  My impression is that it is right on the front page, down at the bottom.  That's how I see it, anyway, using a browser; I couldn't find it on the iCatholicRadio app.  "Submit your questions for a priest to answer live on Calling All Catholics, airing weekdays from 5-6 pm ET."''
:: I am concerned whether my husband and I are committing a mortal sin in our intimate relations. Because I am pre-menopausal, the signs of our fertile time are very uncertain, so I can't tell with much confidence when we are in a fertile time in our relationship. We used to use Natural Family Planning, but now we are not completing the marital act in a natural fashion.  My health is poor, and we do not want to become pregnant at this time in our marriage.  Are we committing a sin by not completing the marriage act normally?
:::: '''''BE POSITIVE.'''''  The Church upholds the natural act of love in marriage as the norm for judging what is right and wrong in our relationships.  Whenever a couple chooses the joy of union, their expression of love should be such that they do nothing to make it impossible for them to become pregnant through their union.  This norm rules out barrier methods, the use of artificial hormones that fool the woman's body into thinking that she is already pregnant, and any other actions that would keep the union of the couple from being fruitful.  If you and your husband feel sure that you cannot afford to become pregnant at this time in your life, you must abstain from union for a while until your health improves or you reach the point at which you can have greater confidence than you do now in identifying the fertile times in your cycle; you might want to ask for help from a certified Natural Family counselor to get help in understanding the signs at this time in your life.  Abstinence is hard, but not impossible.  It, too, is an act of love for each other and for our Creator.  Abstinence chosen out of love for one another for shorter or longer times has its own rewards, though they are, of course, more subtle and on a different level from the joy of expressing your love for each other directly through marital union.  We have been praying for you and your husband, Anonymous, since we received your e-mail.  We hope that you will find great joy in being faithful and true to each other as well as abiding by God's plan for your marriage.
::::: [http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/christopher_wests_ideas_on_sexuality_ignore_tremendous_dangers_alice_von_hildebrand_says/ "Christoper West's Ideas on Sexuality Ignore Tremendous Dangers — Alice von Hildebrand."]
 
=== Why is the Old Testament so vague about Trinity and the Eucharist? ===
* Sara from the Fund Drive:
# Why didn't God give more advance warning in the Old Testament of the doctrine of the Trinity?
# Why didn't God give more advance warning in the Old Testament of the doctrine of the Eucharist?
 
=== Is spiritual dryness a sin? ===
 
* Shawn from Facebook: Is having spiritual dryness a sin?
 
=== How should Catholics vote? ===
* Shawn from Facebook: Election season is upon us. The Catholic voter guide basically says "don't vote for abortion," and rightly so.  But, I have never supported GOP politics either, although they are the closest thing we have to a pro-life party. So how should I vote then?
:: [[USCCB Voting Guide for Catholics]].
 
=== Struggling with Marian prayers ===
 
Shawn from Facebook: I struggle with certain Marian prayers that ask her to save us, etc; I don't get that... Because she can't do anything without God's power. She is merely a creature, though the highest of all creation. I have trouble with the rosary too. Why not just pray the "Our Father"?
 
=== Chesterton Academy in England? ===
 
* Maria Bachelier from e-mail: Is there any Chesterton academy in England, where I live?
::: Not yet. There is one in Italy. Dale Ahlquist is in Europe right now.  More may be under development.
:::: Emily de Rotstein, Executive Director
:::: Chesterton Academy  —  [http://www.chestertonacademy.org/ www.chestertonacademy.org]
:::: info@chestertonacademy.org
 
=== Why does the Catechism calls us "gods"? ===
 
* John from Facebook: I have been reading the Catechism each night. I have a question regarding paragraph 460 which says, "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods." This passage uses the lower case letter g. In the Old Testament, this is how the pagan gods are referred to. What does lower case "gods" mean here?
:::: [[Divinization]].
 
=== Righteous anger vs. sinful anger ===
* John from Facebook:
# Could you explain righteous anger and sinful anger? Are there scriptural references to these two kinds of anger? Could you give some ideas how to counteract the sin of anger?  —  [[Christian Anger Management]].
# Also would you please pray for my niece, Marybeth, who suffers from a head injury she received in an accident some time ago.
 
=== Multiple sins in an invalid marriage ===
* Anonymous from Facebook: Suppose a person got married only in order to obtain a visa and did not intend the marriage to last.  Is that person sinning if they do not get an annulment? Is that person committing fornication when they have relations with their innocent spouse?
 
=== Uncharitable thoughts and feelings ===
* Anonymous from Facebook: I am a volunteer at my parish.  I arranged to switch volunteer nights with another parishioner.  I covered their night, but they did not cover mine.  I was called and asked to come fill in for them.  I felt annoyed at the prospect, but did eventually offer to fill the empty spot.  I feel that I was selfish and uncharitable.  Did I commit a sin by being annoyed or by waiting a while before I said yes?
 
=== Do same-sex marriages invalidate all marriages in the state or the denomination? ===
* Peter John from e-mail:
# If Christian denominations and many states are recognizing same-sex marriages, does that not mean that all of the marriages in those denominations or states are necessarily invalid in the eyes of the Church?  If so, wouldn't that simplify the annulment process for those who contracted marriage before a justice of the peace in those states or in those denominations?
# I am upset that I see people who are cohabiting receive the sacraments while those who are in post-divorce marriages cannot.  This especially troublesome when the divorced and remarried have no children from earlier marriages, have built a good family in their current marriages, and live devout lives otherwise.
 
=== Should we hold hands during the Our Father? ===
* Kevin from e-mail: [http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/holding_hands_at_mass.htm "Holding Hands at Mass."]
 
=== Why not do mandalas in our parish? ===
* NOT ON THE LINE. Liz from Rochester. Please speak about what Mandala is and why it shouldn’t be practiced at our parish.
:::: [http://www.mandalaproject.org/Index.html The Mandala Project.]
 
=== Blessed are those who murder babies? ===
* Kevin from e-mail: The last verse of Psalm 137 is really horrible.  It says, "Blessed is the man who seizes the children of Babylon and dashes their brains out against a rock."  Isn't God the father of Babylonian children, too?  How could murdering innocent children bring blessings to those who murder them?
 
=== Why was John the Baptist not freed from captivity? ===
* John from Facebook: The gospel of Luke says that Jesus came to set the captives free.  If so, then why didn't Jesus free John the Baptist from captivity?
 
=== When should we accept death for those whom we love? ===
 
* Katy from e-mail: Every day at Mass I hear the priest ask us to pray for life, "from its natural beginning to its natural end." I remain confused as to why keeping an infant (or anyone) with a terminal illness on life support, in this case mechanical ventilation, is celebrated. I don't understand why anyone would want to watch a loved one suffering with a tracheostomy when that loved one could be in paradise with Jesus.  Is this brave to keep them alive, or is it selfish?
 
::: [[Catholic Medical Ethics]]
 
 
=== U.S. Bishops dedicated to Marxism since 1979? ===
 
* Mary Kathryn from e-mail:
:::- I have an article from 1979 which says that U.S. bishops were dedicated to preaching Marxism instead of Christianity.  Is that claim true?
 
=== Positive outcomes from Vatican II ===
 
* Mary Kathryn from e-mail:
:::- Can you name three positive outcomes of Vatican II?
:::::- Recognition that we owe religious assent to the ordinary teachings of the Magisterium.  The Scriptures are the fruit of Tradition and are part of Tradition; they do not replace it.
:::::- ''Catechism of the Catholic Church.''
:::::- Discussion of marriage as a noble vocation, including praise of the nobility of the act of marital union, reaffirmation of the Church's traditional teaching on avoiding contraceptives, and a strong condemnation of abortion as an abominable crime.
 
=== Canon law and Catholic identity ===
 
* Melanie from Twitter:  Is it a violation of canon law to question someone's Catholic identity?
::: Can. 216: "Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority."
 
=== Calling God "Allah" ===
 
* Winna from Twitter: Do you know the Arabic word 'Allah'? Do you think it is inappropriate for Christians to use the Arabic word for God?
 
=== Thanks for help with Desolation ===
 
* Anonymous from Facebook: "Thank you for answering my questions about desolation in such a great detail in a show you did in the summer time. I feel very comforted after hearing from you on the show and I'm actually feeling relieved with the clarity especially after learning about desolation. I can't thank you enough for this. I feel that I'm suddenly pulled back in when I was almost falling off a steep cliff — thank you so much for the rescue!"
 
=== New forms of Catholicism? ===
Mark: What the "New Catholic Churches"?
::: [[Schismatic Catholics]].
 
=== Experimental Medical Treatments ===
* Dan from Facebook: Does the Church have any definitive position on the use of experimental medical treatments? A friend has stage 4 melanoma, and an experimental drug is his best (and apparently only) chance for survival. The problem is that it hasn't been approved by the FDA  —  the family wants it for "compassionate use" in the meantime. I just have to decide whether to sign the petition they are circulating.
 
=== Anathema sit! ===
 
* Debbie from Amherst: The Council of Trent says that anyone who objects to the doctrine of the Church is "[[anathema]]." What does that mean for our Protestant brothers and sisters who have left the Church?
 
=== Deification ===
 
* Andrew from e-mail: It appears that in Eastern Catholic Theology one can become closer to God after death through deification.  The Eastern Catholics claim that their saints move closer to God even in heaven. In Western theology this does not appear possible.  One gains merit/treasures in heaven while alive, and assuming one gets to heaven, that's it — no more!  You are as close to God as possible.  Not all saints are the same in glory.  There is no more change possible.  These Eastern and Western views are logically incompatible; both cannot be true.
::: [[Deification]]
 
=== Is God "static"? ===
Andrew from e-mail: In the 'eternal realm' there is no time.  How can we be dynamic yet God is static? He does not change with time only we do.  Is there a 'time' we live in in the eternal realm (the theory of 'days' in purgatory is popular but the concept was 'not up for debate' in the East because they did not see it as theologically worth pursing).  Are these concepts merely beyond human understanding and simple part of the 'mystery' that so permeates our sense of eternity?
 
=== Burning Man ===
* Kathleen from Facebook: I recently came across some information about "The Burning Man Experience" in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. It was quite disturbing and reminded me of pagan rituals. Can you shed more light on this?
 
=== Questions about questions ===
 
* Two different friends asked me recently, "What is the hardest question you have received?  Your favorite question?  Your least favorite question?"
 
=== How could Adam and Eve sin? ===
* Thomas from e-mail: If Adam and Eve did not have Original Sin, they did not have concupiscence, by which we mean the tendency of our disordered appetites to lead us to sin.  Why weren't they immune to temptation?
 
=== What do goats symbolize in the Bible? ===
* John from Facebook: I saw a Masonic website that linked goats to Babylonian mystery religions.  The author suggested that the goat was a symbol of the Temple and Temple builders.  Is this how the symbolism of goats works in the Scriptures?  Would this add an extra dimension to the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25?  Does the Church have a specific teaching on the meaning of goats in the Bible?
 
=== How to "Offer it up?" ===
* Sherry.  Arlington, Virginia. iCatholic.  I have a question about suffering and "offering it up". I am not a cradle Catholic, so I did not get the benefit of learning about this while growing up.  What I've done is simply a mental prayer like this:  "Dear God, I offer you this pain (or discomfort, or whatever suffering I am going through at the moment)".  Is this adequate?  Sometimes I add " to join in Christ's suffering on the cross in order to help redeem the world (or for some other purpose like to help a sick friend or family member)".  Is this an acceptable way to offer up suffering?  Thank you.  We love your radio show!
 
=== Theology of Global Warming? ===
* Marilyn.  Buffalo, New York.  I have another philosophical question.  From the standpoint of Genesis, is global warming man-made or part of God's plan? Why would God make us in His image and then give us the power to destroy his creation?  Would God really allow us to be such a problem?
 
=== Traces of the Trinity in the Old Testament ===
 
* Mike Denz from WLOF: A while back, you talked with a listener about Old Testament passages that foreshadhow the revelation of the Trinity in the New Testament.  Isn't there are a foreshadowing of John's Trinitarian theology of the Word made flesh in Genesis 1?  Genesis 1 portrays God as creating by speaking words of command such as "Let there be light — and there was light;" then John's gospel says that God created through the Word.
::: Speaker, breath, word — Father, Spirit, Son (the missions of the Trinity, not the eternal relationships between the Divine Persons).  The Spirit is not mentioned explicitly until 1:32; John testifies that he saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus and that Jesus would "baptize with the Holy Spirit."
::: Ruah in Genesis 1:1.
 
* Brian from Facebook: I have two questions.
:: '''Part I: In the case of a pastoral administrator charged with a parish assignment, where does the buck stop? With the pastoral administrator or a priest (sacramental minister) also assigned to the same parish?'''
:::: There is a separation of powers.
 
:::: A Parish Administrator (PA) is responsible for anything you can do with money, including collecting it.  The PA may also  define the parish schedule, organize non-sacramental ministries, and obtain services from priests or deacons as needed when the assigned Sacramental  Minister (SM) is unavailable.  I imagine that the PA would run the catechetical programs and would be the person who hires and fires other parish workers.  The PA would also keep all of the books — financial, sacramental records, school records, etc.
 
:::: The sacramental minister is responsible for seeing that the sacraments are offered correctly.
 
:::: Grey areas probably not defined by law but settled on a case-by-case basis: furnishings, music, "smells and bells."
 
:: '''Part II<nowiki>:</nowiki> What is your opinion of people calling a priest a "sacramental minister"?'''
 
:::: It's accurate, if not very poetic.  There are some men who, for one reason or another, should not act as pastors.  They can supply the sacraments for a parish, but do not have the gifts or virtues required for administration.  I think this causes great grief to the priests.
 
:::: One priest in our diocese was a "sacramental minister" after being a priest for at least 25 years, and was apparently despondent at being ordered to leave his parish so that another priest could become pastor, relieving a deacon and his wife of the job of P.A.  Not being promoted to pastor hurt the priest terribly, but the act of suicide suggests to me that it was not a bad decision not to promote him — he was not a well man (may he rest in peace).
 
:::: Better title?  "Parish priest" or "Parish father."
 
=== Destiny of the souls of those who die in abortion ===
 
* Matthew Paul via Facebook: Is there a definitive Church teaching on what happens to the souls of aborted children?  Are they martyrs through a "baptism of blood"?
:: [[Abortion#Afterlife_for_aborted_children|Afterlife for aborted children?]]
 
=== Did Jesuits tried to kill John Paul II? ===
 
* Alex from e-mail: A very devout Polish Catholic friend of mine believes that John Paul II was about to dissolve the Society of Jesus, also known as "the Jesuits," but was prevented from doing so by being shot by Ali Agca, who was acting on behalf of the Jesuits.  The only reference I could find about this was from Malachi Martin's book, ''The Jesuits.''


==== Wednesday 24 November ====
::: 1981: Arrupe's stroke; appointment of Vinny O'Keefe to be Acting General; replacement of O'Keefe by Paulo Dezza.
::: 1983: assassination attempt on 13 May; election of Fr. Kolvenbach on 13 September.


* Russel from email: I learned today that my brother-in-law Albert McCracken is in hospice care. Please say a pray for him.  Russell
=== Gay lobby on Catholic campuses ===
* Patricia from Niagara Falls: Fr. Could you please repeat what  Pope Benedict said. It sure doesn't sound good. Cannot understand how all this got so convoluted and misunderstood.
* Kevin from Buffalo:
* Jason from Orlando: Voting on the poll as B.  On the line.
:; Setup for the question
* Joyce from Buffalo: Wants to weigh in on the poll. Not sure what to say but does trust heartily in the Pope.  believes that his statements were completely misconstrued. On Line.
* Joe from Chili: He wants to talk about the news about the pope and his comments. It is a great time and maybe get people to talk about our faith as long as the true message  about what he meant gets out . On Line.
* Kate: "One should not do wrong for the sake of wrong."


==== Friday 19 November ====
:: [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/education/edlife/how-georgetown-became-a-gay-friendly-campus.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 A recent New York Times article] talked about how Georgetown has become a "gay-friendly institution." Mr. Lloyd, the pride group president, says he is often tempted to join the more tolerant Episcopal Church. But for many young Catholics, particularly of Irish or Italian descent, Catholicism is interchangeable with identity. “You stay Catholic because you have a love of the institution and you want to change it,” he said.


* Chris from e-mail: 1.) What are some good books to read about how to mature in your faith as a young adult? 2.) Is there any meaning behind a veil covering the tabernacle? I have seen veils covering tabernacles at parishes I have visited before.
:: With a prophetic air, campus crusaders for this new “21st century” “Catholic” identity make ''ex cathedra'' pronouncements like “Society is changing, and God is in that change.”
* Jason from Orland, listening on iCatholicRadio: Good afternoon, Father, Gina, and listeners. Can you please briefly define, compare, and contrast doctrine and dogma?
* Helen from Fremont, Ohio: Is worrying about things that she may not have confessed a long while ago
* Kevin from Stoughton, Mass. Looking for information on the discernment process.
* Steve. Boston. He belongs to a parish that seems more protestant than Catholic.  He's looking for suggestions on things he can do to fix it, and also looking for feedback from fellow WQOM listeners.
* From a friend in Amherst: "I don't feel comfortable going to the theatre to support Harry Potter."
* Jennifer. Hi Father and Gina, I am listening in Orange County, CA and I have to tell you that I really enjoy listening to this show. I am considering another masters degree in moral theology or bioethics. I want to work as a pro-life researcher/professor. Do you have any advice where I could get started and what Catholic Universities programs are the best? Thank you and God Bless you always.


== November 19 ==
:; The question:
* Worldwide [http://www.usccb.org/prolife/papalvigil/ Vigil for All Nascent Human Life:] The pope has asked the whole Church to keep vigil on Saturday, November 27, 2010.  That is the evening before the first Sunday of Advent or, if you prefer, the beginning of the First Sunday of Advent.


=== From e-mail and Facebook ===
:: What do you think about this approach to being Catholic?
* Sam from Buffalo: "Hi Father.  Earlier this week I heard someone talking briefly about Messianic Judaism and Hebrew Christianity.  I was wondering if you could tell me anything more about them, and where they 'fit in.'  Thanks so much!"
** [http://www.secondexodus.com/index.htm Second Exodus website]
** [[The Christian Deliteralization of the Old Testament]]
** [http://www.hebrewcatholic.org/ Association of Hebrew Catholics]
* Vicky from Getzville in e-mail: "I caught the end of your calling all Catholics program on Friday. I wanted to let you know that I attend the [http://www.cbstudies.org/ Catholic Biblical Studies] program at St Pius X parish in Getzville on Wed. mornings. They have many class times and locations throughout Western NY. Their phone is (716) 871-9180. The Catholic Biblical Studies office is in Kenmore located on the campus of Mount St. Mary's high school."
* [[Good books for God's children]]: '''"The one who captures the imagination conquers the whole mind."'''  Who do we think (imagine) we are?  Add ''Bella''.
* Kevin in Buffalo: "I know the question of lying has sometimes come up on the radio show.  What do you think of this post by philosopher Edward Feser about whether we may lie to [http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2010/11/murderer-at-door.html a murderer at the door?]
* Tommy Cone from Facebook: "Fr. Corapi's 58-hour series on [http://www.fathercorapi.com/Teaching-of-Jesus-Christ-Special-Conference-Editon-Almost-58-Hours-P606C86.aspx ''The Teaching of Jesus Christ''] is available for $99 for 10 or more sets.


=== Last Week's Show ===
=== Taking nephews to Communion ===
* John from Irvine, CA: To clarify for everyone.. Are Latin Rite Catholics allowed to pray to Eastern Rite Catholic Saints like one of my favorites.. St. Charbel.
* Laura from Facebook: My 11- and 12-year old sons periodically invite their cousins to sleep over on a Saturday night. On Sunday we all attend Mass together.  I know my nephews do not attend Mass regularly, and I doubt that they ever go to Confession.  Should I confront them about this?  What responsibilities do I have as their Aunt?
* Jason from FL: Father - It definitely was Fr. Rick.
* Jason from Orlando: Today's the feast of St. Josaphat.  He was reading about him online, and it says that he's venerated by the Romainian, Roman, and Ukrainian, but he was Ruthenian and isn't venerated by them or any other Catholics, and he wonders why.
* Dominic: Good afternoon, Father. I was wondering I was wondering how a priest goes into an order.  Do they go to special seminaries (like a Jesuit seminary, Franciscan seminary, etc?), or do they go into one after they're Ordained?  What happens after a priest joins an order? Does the order tell them where to go and what they'll be doing?  Thanks so much!
* Alice from Batavia: Jeff Cavins' [http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/ Bible Study for Catholics.]
* Tom Donovan's Facebook review.
* Jeanine from Wheatfield: She read the Passion of Fulton Sheen and every Fulton Sheen book she could get her hands on.  She recommends all Archbishop Sheen books for everyone.
* Carlos: This is another good Bible Study resource started by Dr. Scott Hahn. The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology: http://www.salvationhistory.com/
* Rocco from Amherst: J. K. Rowling is describing traditional English Christmases.  They took Jesus out of Christmas during the 1600s when Oliver Cromwell and Company overthrew the monarchy.


== November 12 ==
=== Jesuits in Upstate New York? ===
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08503b.htm St. Josaphat.] Martyred in 1623.  Basilian, Ruthenian (Ukrainian), Archbishop of Polotsk.
* John from Depew asked about [[How Catholics Should Read the Bible]].
** Alex then asked in e-mail: "As a follow up to one of your previous callers, is there a list of these scripture passages which have been definitively interpreted by Holy Mother Church?  Also, would you recommend a bible/study program to help those of us wanting to study scripture (“cover to cover”)?
=== From e-mail and Facebook ===
* Tom D. from Facebook:
:: Re: the need for Catholic-friendly family books, I would recommend Brian Jacques' Redwall (and the series which that book starts). Similar to LOTR, it's not about Catholics, per se, but it does celebrate the virtues that Catholics hold dear: love of good, family, sacrifice, work, vocation, responsible freedom, and the joy of living.  Similarly, the "patron" of Redwall Abbey (Martin the Warrior) comes to the characters in dreams and (in a sense) answers their prayers. They revere him in much the same way that a saint is revered, and they follow his guidance without question. Their trust in Martin (and their other deceased ancestors) is near-absolute. It's reminiscent of a religion focused on the Communion of Saints without any understanding of the personhood(s) of God.
::The characters are delightfully straight-forward; the protagonists tend not to have moral dilemmas of "good or evil", but more often "good or mischief" or "good or complacence." The evil characters are unapologetically selfish, cruel, and ambitious. Poetry, song, and beauty all play a role, and food (and drink!) plays a central role in the story. It's hard to get through a chapter without the characters talking about a sumptuous feast (or a delectable drink).
::If it weren't Christmastime I'd probably have a few more titles thought up, but I thought I'd write up this one while I was on my lunch break.
::A.M.D.G.!


=== Last Week's Show ===
* Parishioner of Peter Calabrese asked via e-mail: Have you ever heard in the “family lore” of Jesuits working in the Lewiston area very early on?
* John from Wilson: Has a question on Confession.  Recommendations for Confession advice for kids
* Jason from Orlando: Can Father give detail on using Desolation to discern God's Will
* Jack from Cellphone: Is it beneficial for relationship between Protestants and Catholics to not use the term Father?
* Mike from Waltham: Father has a great speaking voice and is asking for prayers
* Bill from Scituate, MA: Wants to ask about today's Gospel reading
* John from Depew, NY: I am 33 and just now starting to read the bible for the first time. I have a friend who is a non denominational Christian who tells me "Just read the Bible and you will find all the answers there". I am doing my best to maintain my Catholic faith but now I fell like I have a chip on my shoulder as I read. What state of mind should I be in as I read? I get in the car by 4:40 pm and I listen to your response live. Thanks!
* Anonymous: Dear Father, I go to a Catholic University that has a large LGBT Student organization that is funded by the university.  What is the rationale for why an organization that is so against  Catholic teaching is allowed and funded by a Catholic University? Is there something I should do about the situation?  Thank you!


== 8 November 2010 ==
=== Sex reassignment surgery ===  
* Alison. Please keep my cousin's 14 year old son in your prayers. He suffers from uncontrollable and life threatening seizures. His mother said they almost lost him last night from back to back seizures that took a toll on his heart and he is continuing to seize today. Thank you all and God Bless!
* Kathy, Rochester, New York.  At work, my Department Head announced at a staff meeting that an employee was going to be changing from a male to a female.  What is the church's teaching on that?
* Anonymous.  Please pray for Lisa and Jonathan who just had miscarriage Sunday a.m. (8 week old baby). 
* Eileen from Warren, MA: A friend advised me of your program...I live well beyond your station's reach. Please ask Fr. Illig for prayers for all the members of my family and my husband's family...  Spiritual & physical healing and conversion...
* Jason, Orlando. I'm excited! My first time listening LIVE via iCatholicRadio on my new Droid! Clearest signal I've ever had! =D
** For me and everyone else struggling to discern God's will for them, especially in difficult situations.
** That current friendships may be strengthened, and that we may reconnect with old friends.
** For the growth and effectiveness of Catholic radio everywhere, especially The Station of the Cross.
** For all priests.
* Bonnie, Springville.  For friend Jerry, eyesight and health; for father Keith, walking, back, balance; for stepmother evelyn, cancer; for brother Bob, going on a plane trip; and for herself, night vision and driving. 
* Anonymous, Amherst.  For a family member, Maureen having foot surgery on Thursday; for her daughter, who has a broken bone in her arm; and for Goddaughter Meeghan, has sserious seizure problem and severe allergies and for her family to heal brokenness, parents have died and there are things that need to be straightened out.
* Alice, Batavia.  To thank Father for his last prayer. 
* Michelle, Wheatfield.  For her cousin Jennifer, just had double mastectomy and is mother of 2 children. 
* Jennifer. Thank you so much Father for telling the listeners about the Android application. I just downloaded it and I am thrilled to have it on my phone. Father, can you please pray for me and my pro-life research and my discernment for God's plan for my life in terms of pro-life work. Also please pray for all of the Intercessors, Magnificat, and my entire family. Thank you.
* Kathy, Rochester.  For healing from anorexia. 
* Sue, Lancaster.  For her mother, her name is Flora, she is in ICU and is battling pneumonia and congestive heart failure and is not expected to live. 
* Ginny, Buffalo.  For herself, has a dental phobia and has to have some work, prays that it is not as bad as the situation seems to be. 
* Anonymous.  Prayers for health and that she find a job.
* Dorothy, Framingham, MA.  For her friend Ginny, recuperating from Cancer, Bridget who has mental health problems, cousin Eileen who has dementia.
* Kathryn, East Aurora.  Prayers for Frank, has pancreatic cancer; for Andy, for healing. 
* Sue, Rochester.  For 2 sons who are making their confirmation this evening at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester.  Both are adults, one is 30, one is 34. 
* Anonymous.  Prayers for health and that she find a job
* Kathryn, East Aurora.  Prayers for Frank, has pancreatic cancer; for Andy, for healing.


== 5 November ==
=== Confirmation Necessary for Marriage? ===
* We had a question on Tuesday about [[All Souls Day‎]]. I realized that we could look at the sacramentary to find out what the Church thinks the purpose of the feast is. "Lex orandi, lex credendi."
* After the show: anonymous woman, angry about my yoga answer, loves me anyway.


=== From e-mail and Facebook ===
* Dolores. Hamburg, New York.  If a Catholic is Baptized and received the first Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, but NOT Confirmed, can they be married in the Church?
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Ingalls_Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder]
* ''Old Yaller.'' (?)
* A book about a racoon (non-fiction) from my boyhood: ''Rascal.''
* Kevin from Buffalo: ''Come Rack, Come Rope'' by Robert Hugh Benson. It is a fictional account of the Catholic persecution during Elizabethan England. A great story with a cameo by St. Edmund Campion.
* Kevin from Buffalo: This was recently brought to my attention:  a recording of Flannery O'Connor reading her short story [ http://tumblr.manasto.info/audio/fiction/a_good_man.mp3 "A Good Man is Hard to Find."]  ''Not for young children?''
** [http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~surette/goodman.html the text of the story.]
* Anonymous from Buffalo: "I feel enraged by a remark someone made against adoption because my mother and her siblings were all adopted.  Is this a sin?"
** MXM: No. Cf. [[Christian anger management]]
* John Z. from Facebook: Regarding all hallows eve, Didn't the church basically take over a pagan holiday ? I can't remember where I read about this, but I thought it was much like Christmas, in that the church chose to place feast days near or on pagan holidays, to focus the culture on the Lord. As in Christmas, placed near the winter solstice to focus the world on that Jesus is the light that has come into a dark world as it says in scripture. As the culture celebrated these festivals the church taught its ok to celebrate, but this is what we should be celebrating. As in Halloween, is about death, but all saints is about life after death and those who have basically washed there robes in the blood of the lamb and lived a good life and believed in Jesus. It seems much like electricity, there must be a positive and a negative. It seems each holiday has this struggle, between the pagan side and the spiritual side. My point is that it seems society wants to distance itself from the religious, side. Perhaps radicals in religion don't help the cause, such as those who have distorted Islam. But I think all religions have had those distortions. There are many people I talk to that blame all wars and conflicts on religion, and I say no its mans distortion and misinterpretation of faith, and or Gods word.
** [[Resanctifying Halloween]]
* John Z. from Facebook: "I wondered if there will be a separation of church and state in heaven? Will there be church in heaven? Will there be state in heaven? If we are to spread the good news and teach all nations, in the perfect Kingdom would you say there wouldn't be a separation? It seems through out the churches history there has been trouble when the church and state were together. Yet in the perfect kingdom, as in heaven, wouldn't there be no need for either church or state?"
** "If the messages is to go out and teach all nations and baptize them, isn't the ultimate goal of the Gospel to teach all about Christ? So in our tolerance of other religions and faiths, we still try to teach Christ? Isn't the ultimate end, to have all believe in Jesus? I know it is only by God's doing that this would happen not by us. Yet in the Gospel Jesus commissions the disciples to do that. I guess its like on one hand are faith says go out teach people, but don't teach people out of respect for their beliefs . It is like relativism has found its way in. I understand that it is love to be tolerant, but even in our tolerance, deep down aren't we really trying to get others to see Jesus as Lord and savior?"
** "If we are, then are we really tolerant?"
* Anonymous from east of Buffalo: "I have a friend who is a recent convert and she wanted her husband to validate their marriage in the Catholic church and he refused (they were married in a Protestant church). How does the church view this marriage? Is their marriage still adulterous since her intention is good? I would think her role as a spouse is to bring him into the church. She is at the verge of divorce and this almost seems to be her justification for leaving, since their marriage was never valid in the Church anyways. Help! Thanks so much!"


=== 2 November: All Souls ===
=== "Queen of Creation" ===
* Jason from Orlando: What does it mean to vote Catholic?
* From a parishioner: I like to call Mary "Queen of Creation" when I am praying to her. Is that appropriate?
* Dave from Williamsville: In RCIA program. Wants to make sacrament of Reconciliation prior to designated date.
* Anonymous: Dear Fr., if my protestant Neice is marrying a Catholic man, and they are cohabitating already, and the wedding will NOT be a mass but a ceremony outdoors with no priest, would it be ok for me, my husband, and my children to attend it?
** http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=167154
* Jeff from Cheektowaga: why aren't the members of the Hierarchy holding the politicians accountable for their positions?
* 1.) Abortion 2.) Euthanasia 3.) Fetal Stem Cell Research 4.) Human Cloning 5.) Homosexual "Marriage"
* Dave from Williamsville: He is in the RCIA program. Wants to make sacrament of Reconciliation prior to designated date.
* Chris from Rochester. How do you best show other Catholics that the 5 non-negotiables have priority over issues such as gun control, environmental issues, health care, immigration, etc.?
* Bob from Cheektowaga: What is the chaplet of St. Michael?
* Meg from Rochester: Do you think it's a bad idea to deny grace to the politicians?
* Andrew from Niagara Falls: What is your opinion on Yoga as exercise?
* Holly from Tonawanda: Why do you think so many Catholics voted for the most pro-death president?
* Tim from Buffalo: What are the differences between between the Traditional Latin and the Mass we usually attend?
* Theresa from Norwood, MA: is today a day for praying for souls in purgatory or all souls?


== 30 October ==
=== Selling or renting property to same-sex couples ===
* Jerry Usher and Sherry Kennedy Brownrigg are ''Jesus Geeks''. 
* From a parishioner: Would I be [[Cooperation with evil|cooperating in evil]] if I sold or rented a house to a same-sex couple?
** Working with them is like getting a lift to the top of a mountain, above the storm clouds, where the sun is shining and the air is fresh. 
** They are like Moses and Elijah appearing in glory with Jesus in the Transfiguration. 
** Jerry, like Peter, is a ROCK.  Sherry, like Mary Magdalene, follows Jesus from town to town--where ever He leads.
** It's like a firestorm--the hotter the fire gets, the more it draws in fresh air to fan the flames.
* Gina, the Princess of Live Catholic Talk Radio on the I-90 Corridor from Buffalo to Boston and points east ("but you can call me Princess of the East"), did a GREAT job lining up the snippets on the theme of the Holy Family.  Lots of things to think about!


== 25 October 2010 ==
=== What would Jesus think of today's Church? ===
* Gina's miracle story.
* Bob from e-mail: If Christ returned to Earth tomorrow as a typically normal 21st Century Catholic, what do you think He would think of the Church that He created and the leadership it has? Would he approve of it and back it, unquestionably? Or, would he rail against it, or various aspects of it, as he did the moneychangers and merchants whose tables He dispersed from the synagogue when he was here 2000+ years ago?
* A listener in the Boston area asked for prayers for a man and his wife who have cancer. They’re only 45 years old--Rochelle & Brian. Brian is in hospice at this time.
* A friend of The Station of the Cross needs healing or else a kidney transplant.  He is on dialysis now.
* I was very touched by Dawn Curazzato's presentation at ''Theology on Tap'' last Tuesday.  [Note to Awesome Lawson, who prefers to live by faith rather than by slavish obedience to the laws of grammar and spelling: one 'R' and two 'Zs' in Dawn's name, not the other way around!]
** ''[http://www.powells.com/biblio/0972618309?&PID=33286 Memoir of a Miracle.]''
** [http://www.newdawnii.com/ New Dawn II.]
** [http://www.littleaudreysanto.org/ Little Audrey Santo.]
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Santo Wikipedia article on Audrey Santo.]


== 22 October ==
=== Promoting Women's Vocations to Religious Life ===
* Betty from Buffalo: Can you define Spiritual Sloth?  Can you give some examples and ways to overcome it?  Thanks!
* Patti from e-mail: [http://imaginesisters.org/ Imagine Sisters] wants to make Jesus loved by introducing the world to religious sisters in love with Christ through media and personal encounters. We want to encourage and inspire a culture of vocations to women’s religious life by fostering a deep desire for holiness through the witness of religious sisters.
* John from Buffalo: The Michelangelo sculpture ‘PIETA’ has our Blessed Mother holding her son across her lap as she sits on a rock. Presumably, Jesus’ lifeless body was put in her arms when he was first brought down from the cross and the sculpture captures an unimaginable moment of pain for Mary. My question is about the news of the local Buffalo family who may have an original Michelangelo oil painting titled “La Pieta.” The painting shows the lifeless body of Jesus that slipped through the leg of his mother to the ground, up to his arms (that are supported by angels); and that cross at her knees. Holy Mother has her hands in the air and is looking up to heaven with an expression on her face could say ‘enough, enough.’ Can you comment on the name PIETA (Latin or Italian and what does it mean), and your thoughts on the painting. Thanks.
* Question from anonymous: What is the best way to pray to the saints?
* John from Buffalo asks, 'Can you comment on the name PIETA (Latin or Italian and what does it mean), and your thoughts of the painting. Thanks.' 
* Jason from Orlando: My understanding of the decision of the Council of Jerusalem (described in Acts 15) is that it determined that under the New and Everlasting Covenant, non-Jewish Christians are not bound by Mosaic Law, regarding things like circumcision, dietary laws, and observance of the Sabbath.
** First, am I understanding correctly?
** Second, are Jews who become Christians bound by Mosaic Law regarding the aforementioned?
** Third, is this a legitimate defense for observing the Lord's Day (Sunday) as the primary day of worship, prayer, and rest, instead of the Sabbath/Seventh Day (Saturday)?
* Ed from Rochester: Wants to ask about Abraham.  Did he know that he would not be required to kill Isaac?
* Scott from Rochester: 1.) Yesterday's Gospel: What did Jesus mean by 'I did not come to bring peace but divison.'  2.) Can you go over today's readings?
* Marybeth from Buffalo: A friend of hers was confused about the relationship between the Church and the Society of Pius X and going to Mass at a Society Church, and which of their Sacraments are valid.


== October 25 ==
=== Who are the vultures? ===
* Marsha, Buffalo.  For her husband, he was just diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.  Treatment will be with medication on Roswell.  His name is Dennis. 
* Jason. Florida. Hi, Father Marty. I had a question for Fr. Mark, but perhaps you will can answer it for me. I have never been to a healing Mass. Can you please describe what one is like and how it differs from a regular Mass? Also, can you please pray for the following?
** God's guidance for my career and discerning my marriage partner.
** Christina, as she discerns a call to religious life, and her struggles with school and the elections.
** Jeff, Alex, and other friends needing prayer.
** Everyone participating with 40 Days for Life, the end of abortion.
** The elections next week, and the protection of life, family, and marriage around the world.
** All our priests.
** All non-believers, especially those who are fallen away Catholics.
** The growth of Catholic radio, especially The Station of the Cross during, with the fund drive later this week.
* Kathy, Rochester.  For Healing from anorexia nervosa. 
* Bonnie, Springville.  For friend Jerry, eyesight and health; for father Keith, walking, back and balance and diabetes; for stepmother Evelyn, cancer; for herself, night vision and driving. 
* Jack, Buffalo.  Calling re: Marsha's request - wants to offer prayers for Dennis' healing and others with that disease. Also to advise that at Roswell park there is a group called US Too, a group of prostate cancer survivors who give their time to coach other patients emotionally and spiritually.  They can ask for this group at Roswell.  He thinks this would be very helpful for Marsha and Dennis at this time.
* Lynn, Rochester.  For her mother who was murdered and died on May 14 of this year, her name is Elaine. 
* Rose, Lockport.  For her cousin Jean, she is currently in the hospital with a peforated bowl, has chrones disease, is also an alocholic.  Has two children who really need her. 
* Woman from Alden.  Prayers for a boy from their community who was in a car accident last Thursday, is on a breathing machine and in very serious condition.  His name is Andrew.  They are hoping for a miracle and praying for the family.  Andrew is 21 years old.


== October 22 ==
* From Awesome Lawson: I was told by a priest that the verse, "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" (Mt 24:28) refers to Eucharistic adoration.  Is that true?
* Followup questions from Rocco about [[Canon law|the Church's understanding of marriage]]:
** Does the Church's teaching about the murder of a spouse being an impediment to marrying the widow or widower of the murder victim apply to the case of Laertes and Gertrude in "Hamlet" or to David and Bathsheba in the Old Testament?
** Since the man and woman are the ministers of the sacrament of marriage, do they have to be present at their own wedding?


=== From e-mail and Facebook ===
=== Footwashing ===
* N.W. from e-mail: Could you please comment on the [http://www.gamaliel.org/ Gamaliel Foundation,] Liberation Theology, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Alinsky Saul Alinsky] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_for_Radicals "Rules for Radicals"] dedicated to Lucifer. [http://www.voice-buffalo.org/ Voice Buffalo] is a local, faith based community affiliate of the [http://www.gamaliel.org/ Gamaliel Foundation.] It seems at times that the Gamaliel Foundation and Voice Buffalo are in direct conflict with Church teaching. Please note that a Catholic Priest and a Catholic Charities Executive are in Voice Buffalo leadership positions.
** "Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history... the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom--Lucifer" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_for_Radicals ("Rules for Radicals").]
** Some reflections on [[Liberation Theology]].
** [http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubid.3521/pub_detail.asp Obama's radical roots] in ACORN and Gamaliel.


=== Last Week's Show ===
* Letitia: Footwashing is for everybody — everybody should do it to everybody.  She sent slippers, a towel, and foot cream to her nieces and nephews, and asked them to wash their mother's feet. Jesus said, "Do ''as'' I do.  Such love and humility. Jesus took the place of the last and the least. Usually done by the Gentile slave, by wives for their husbands, by children for their parents, and by disciples for their teachers.
* The promise of the Infant of Prague: "The more you honor me, the more I will bless you."
* Jason from Ohio now living in Florida and attracted to joining the Eastern rite, coming to us via podcasts and Facebook: How common is it for someone to be denied communion for publicly living in a way that removes them from a state of grace or for publicly dissenting from the teachings of the Church?
* Mary from Rochester: questions about marriage.
* Scott from Rochester: Would like a synopsis for today's 'regular' readings and advice on how to make a good confession.
* St. Teresa of Avila patronages: bodily ills; headaches; lacemakers; laceworkers; loss of parents; people in need of grace; people in religious orders; people ridiculed for their piety; Pozega, Croatia; sick people; sickness; Spain.
* Judy from Rochester: Is looking for a recommendation for a book that she and her husband can read regarding family rosaries.
* Barbara from Kenmore: Regarding Guardian Angels.
* Helen from Rochester: Just wanted to comment on Desolation.  She has been abandoned by her husband but is remaining faithful to her vows.


== October 15 ==
=== St. Malachy and the End of the World ===
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_of_Ávila St. Teresa of Ávila] (Teresa of Jesus). 
**"If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them!"
**"God and Teresa are nothing; God, Teresa, and three gold pieces can change the world!"
<div style="margin-left:4em">
Let nothing trouble you,<br />
let nothing make you afraid<br />
All things pass away.<br />
God never changes.<br />
Patience obtains everything.<br />
God alone is enough.
</div>
* If all goes well, '''The Station of the Cross''' will expand to Boston on [http://www.wqom.org/index.php WQOM (1060 AM)] on November 1st.  Then Gina will be The Princess of Live Catholic Talk Radio on the I-90 Corridor from Buffalo to Boston.
=== From e-mail and Facebook ===
* Zvoncica Z. from Facebook: "I wonder what to do in those moments of darkness when prayers don't help and everything goes wrong no matter how hard you try.  You feel separated from God as if He didn't care. You need Him and He doesn't reply. I'm so desperate ..."
** Notes on [[Consolation and Desolation]].
* Jack T. from e-mail: "Fr. Marty, I was reading the most recent TIME magazine last night, and there was a short article about some 'breakthrough success' in fertility. It is amazing how the language totally denies the humanity of embryos."
* Mary from Rochester ''(two weeks ago))'': Wants to know if a couple that's living together, contracepting, etc, then wind up getting married with no intention of ceasing the contraception have a valid marriage. Mary also wanted to share a marriage story.
* See [[Canon law]], especially [[Canon_law#1061|canon 1061]] and [[Canon_law#Exclusion_of_the_goods_of_marriage|canon 1101]].
* [[Porneia]] ''(two weeks ago))'': More research on Sam's question from last week about the "Matthean exception" to Jesus' prohibition of divorce.
* [[Transmitter antenna project]].
* Christopher J. asked about how to select good book for children to read.  I've started a page called [[Good books for God's children]] to start sorting things out.
* Awesome Lawson from Town of Tonawanda: As someone who works directly with College students, what advice could you give someone who is going to teach religion classes to high school students?  What areas of catechesis/evangelization do you see most lacking in college students that should be addressed in high school?


=== Last Week's Show ===
* [[St. Malachy and the End of the World]]
* Thanks to Strong, Silent Bill, the imp behind the engineering, for his help while the Princess of Live Catholic Talk Radio on the I-90 Corridor from Buffalo to Boston was on pilgrimage.  We managed not to have too much dead air.
* I have figured out how to prove that Pope Francis is [[St. Malachy and the End of the World|"Peter the Roman."]] That means the end of the world is near (again!). :-O
* Jason from Ohio who lives in Florida. Hi Father and Silent Bill. Earlier this week I read an article regarding Archbishop Nienstedt in Minneapolis-St. Paul denying Communion to college students wearing GLBT-Support buttons and to 'to stand in solidarity with GLBT' (as one student put it). He blessed them, but denied them Communion. What are your thoughts?  Thanks!
:: [http://catholicozarks.blogspot.com/2013/05/pope-francis-peter-roman-antichrist.html "Pope Francis = Peter The Roman = Antichrist ?"]
* Susie from Lancaster: Was wondering what Father would think about an experience she had with a relative who just past away.
:: "In the extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when they are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The end."
* Norah from Amherst: What event in Scripture does the 3rd Luminous Mystery (Proclamation of the Kingdom) refer to? What should someone meditate upon during this Mystery?
* Scott from Rochester: 1.) Where does INRI come? and 2.) Sometimes when he's praying the rosary, he'll add or subtract Hail Marys.  Is that OK?
* Laurie from Rochester: She says the Rosary at 3.30 and 7 along with WHIC.  It feels sometimes it feels like she doesn't get a lot out of it.
* Gabriel from East Amherst:  Has another Rosary-based question: where did the Rosary come from and what does the word "rosary" mean?
* John. Cheektowaga. Abraham is 900 years old.  Is that because there were lots of Abrahams (as in was this a title)?  Was this a stretch of the collective imagination?  Etc.?
* Christopher J. from Facebook. Fr. Marty, it seems that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find good books for young readers which foster virtue. My friend is looking for a website of good books lists for various age groups which are appropriate for young Catholics. Can you please offer a suggestion? His son is in 7th grade, I suggested "The Lion Witch and Wardrobe" and "Lord of the Rings". Do you have any suggestions of where to find good reading lists and what you would suggest for a 6th grader off the top of your head? My thought would be to stay with the classics such as Sherlock Holmes, Huck Fin, Moby Dick, Count of Monte Christo, etc. but finding classics for 6th graders might be difficult.


== October 8 ==
=== Seven Pilgrim Churches ===
* Jason is going have a question about [http://www.facebook.com/l/0208c_k_my9f8kAbnk_QFnpfR1w;networkedblogs.com/8KjZQ this article.]
* "For though the fig tree blossom not nor fruit be on the vines, though the yield of the olive fail and the terraces produce no nourishment, though the flocks disappear from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, Yet will I rejoice in the LORD and exult in my saving God. GOD, my Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet swift as those of hinds and enables me to go upon the heights" ([http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/habakkuk/habakkuk3.htm Habbakuk 3:17-19]).
=== Last Week's Show ===
* We are eagerly awaiting the return of the Pilgrim Princess.
* Dan from Leroy: Is frustrated about an article he read in the newspaper regarding the abuse scandal and they were saying that now the attorneys that sued the Church are victims, too.
* Sam from Buffalo: Has a question about spiritual adultery.
* Ed from Rochester: In the readings on Job, there's an audience with God, and among the crowd is Satan.  How did Satan get into heaven?
* Jason from Ohio who lives in Florida: Can you talk about the role of Godparents in the Catholic Church, and what it would mean for both the child(ren) and the Godparents if one or both of the child(ren)'s parents dies? Thanks and God bless!
* James from Schwarzville: Has a question about praying, and would like to make a prayer request for someone in a coma.


== October 1 ==
* [http://zephyrinus-zephyrinus.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-seven-pilgrim-churches-of-rome.html ''Wikipedia,'' "The Seven Pilgrim Churches Of Rome."]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se_of_Lisieux St. Thérèse of Lisieux] today.
* [http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p5.htm#328 Guardian Angels] tomorrow.
* Linda from Facebook [no time to answer last week]: Do you think the Catholic church should attempt to use the mainstream media as the Mormon church is doing with its new series of TV commercials that say " [I'm a regular person - enjoy surfing, enjoy skateboarding, etc.]....and I'm Mormon." I wonder how many people will take an interest in the Mormon church because they do this type of outreach? Would this work with the Catholic church?
* [http://www.idotaketwo.com/marriage-convalidation.html Convalidation] vs. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Validation_of_marriage sanatio in radice.]
=== Last Week's Show ===
* John from Facebook: Is there an authoritative list of Eucharist miracles that the Church recognizes? If so where? And of the ones that the Church has had scientifically investigated, is it an accurate statement that the blood type, when a blood type was found, has always been AB? The question is one I thought of this morning, as I was reading my daughter's account of a Baptist friend who appeared to want to downgrade Mary's role as Mother of God. This is in no way to imply that the Church's defense of Mary as the Mother of God, which is well supported by scripture is lacking in anyway. Just curious.
* Jason from Facebook: What languages did Jesus speak when He walked the Earth, and how much did He speak each. Thanks and God bless.
* Anonymous from e-mail: I am an aerobic instructor and I teach a dance-based aerobic class. There's nothing spiritual about it.  My question is, in some of her stretching, they use Pilates and yoga-based moves, and I just learned today that yoga positions give honor to a deity.  Am I doing bad things by instructing people in this way?
* Matt from Buffalo: Wants to know about canon law teaching, abortion, politicians, and excommunication.
* Steve from Kenmore: Explain the end of last week's Gospel about the Steward?  It seems like a confusing parable.
* Jen from Facebook: Buffalo. I have a friend who was recently "saved". She is very excited, and I'm glad she found faith in Christ. However, now she seems to be on a mission to "save" everyone. I've talked to her about the Catholic beliefs and why I believe what I believe. While she is accepting of my answers and beliefs, it gets draining to hear so much about those saved, how I can be saved too, etc. How can I balance her enthusiasm for her newfound faith and my catechesis about the catholic faith without either of us getting frustrated or feeling deflated?
* Anne from Buffalo: Supplemental to the 'Pro-Choice' Catholic Politicians and Excommunication: I would like to hear some sort of condemnation against politicians that are also anti-labour law / anti-poverty because those also against Catholic teaching. 
* Yasmin from Facebook: I have a comment // question on your reply to a question earlier about the gospel last sunday on finding what it is that we will do with our lives. Shouldn't the question be what is it that God is calling us for? And instead pray for that answer? Thank you.


== The Treasury of Extra Questions and Second Thoughts ==
=== Catholic Children's Bible ===
* For parents: [http://www.smp.org/series/81/The-Catholic-Childrens-Bible ''The Catholic Children's Bible''] by St. Mary's Press.


''We have had many questions that either come too late in the show or that need research to answer. We often say, "Tune in next week and we'll deal with that in more depth"--but we haven't always kept our promise. The purpose of this page is to make a list of those questions for future reference. If we run low on callers or current questions, we can always dip into this reservoir to keep the conversation going.''
=== Fr. Walter Ciszek, SJ ===
* Suellen Ann from Facebook: I just saw a beautiful documentary on EWTN about [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Ciszek Fr. Walter Ciszek,] a Jesuit who was held captive in Siberia for 15 years. Could you talk a little bit about his life and works?
::: [[Walter Ciszek, SJ]]


''I often think of better answers to questions after the show is over. This is called "l'esprit de l'escalier," (French: "the spirit of the staircase") because lawyers so often think of the best arguments to have made while walking down the staircase leading away from the courthouse.''
=== Catholic understanding of marriage ===
* Nicole from e-mail: I spoke w/a 20-something co-worker regarding male/female complementarity one day when she mentioned that people who don't accept "same-sex marriage" are bigots.  She listened to me kindly but  did not accept the idea that opposite genders go together because of procreation. Her immediate answer was, "well, the couple can use IVF." I find that many younger people have a utilitarian point of view - the end justifies the means. How can I present the Church's teaching on marriage and the natural law in the most effective fashion?


=== Dealing with a Teenage Daughter's Doubts ===
=== Evidence of Ordination of Women? ===
Sarajane from Facebook: "I am struggling with my children and their questions about our faith. My thirteen-year-old daughter is at an 'Mom doesn't know about nothing' stage and is even questioning God's existence. She says, 'Why should I believe what's in the bible when only men wrote it?' I am troubled and become frustrated in my responses. I am diving into my faith to learn learn learn so as to become stronger for my own sake and especially that of my children. Do you have any advice on materials, responses etc? Thank you! May God bless you and all the listeners! P.S. I listen daily."  Sarah.


=== No Room for Resentments ===
* Andrew from e-mail: Sylvia Poggioli did a piece on NPR recently entitled [http://www.npr.org/2013/04/01/175910981/with-new-pope-catholic-women-hope-to-regain-church-leadership-roles "With New Pope, Catholic Women Hope To Regain Church Leadership Roles."] What are we to make of the argument that ancient mosaics and epigrams talk about women priests (presbytera) and bishops (episcopa)?
[[File:Guardians at Gate 12.JPG|thumb|<div align="center">John Carlin, 1998. <br>Used by permission.</div>]]
;John from Cheektowaga
: John sent me a picture he painted of two of his dogs acting as guardians at the 12th gate of Heaven.  That got me thinking about who the real obstacles are to our entry into Heaven: [[Forgiveness_prayer|everyone whom we refuse to forgive.]]  The same issue came up in last Sunday's readings about the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Sons.


=== The New Atheists Go Overboard ===
=== Year of Faith Website ===
* David M. from Rochester: Here is the Vatican’s website for the year of faith: [http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html www.annusfidei.va.]


;Kevin from Buffalo
=== Common Bible includes "Apocrypha" ===
: I thought you might appreciate these articles by Brendan O'Neill, an atheist humanist and editor of ''[http://www.spiked-online.com Spiked]'':
* [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9495/ "Turning the pope into an Antichrist for atheists."]
* [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9548/ "How the New Atheists are abusing the truth."]


=== Mary and the Gospel of John ===
* John W. from e-mail: I was very surprised this afternoon when you quoted [http://usccb.org/bible/tobit/4:6 Tobit 4:8] on giving. You said, "The Protestants don’t have Tobit in their Bible." Here in Canada, or at least Toronto, we DO! We also have Judith, Wisdom, Baruch, 1&2 Maccabees, and the other Deuterocanonical Books in the pew Bibles of at least our local Anglican and Presbyterian churches, and probably in the local United Church too. The pew Bibles are the “New Revised Standard Version (with Apocrypha).” These are logical developments based on Vatican II, which began fifty years ago, and the first Anglican-Roman Catholic Common Declaration and the establishment of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission forty-six years ago. Most Protestant churches are also using the Revised Common Lectionary. Is this just a Canadian thing?
::- [[Canon_of_the_Old_Testament#.22Apocryphal.22_Books_included_in_the_Common_Bible | Apocrypha in Common Bible.]]


; Dennis from Facebook
=== Psychology and Catholicism ===
: Dennis noted how [[Four gospels|the four gospels]] are different from each other and wondered whether there might be a Marian influence in the gospel of John.
* John from Facebook: At the school I work, they are doing workshops on motivation and learning. They presented a workshop on [http://www.wglasser.com/ William Glasser's "choice theory,"] which seems to me to advocate faith but no God. When the Church provides counsel through Catholic Charities or even through a priest, how does it merge [[psychology and faith]]?


=== Eastern Churches and the Filioque ===
=== Godly Gynecology; Pregnancy Support Services ===
;Jason from Ohio living in Orlando
* Melissa from Kenmore, New York: "A friend of a friend of mine was told for decades that she had a thyroid problem that would prevent her from becoming pregnant.  The doctors were wrong.  When she began to gain weight because of a pregnancy, her doctor just adjusted her medication, thinking that her weight gain was due to thyroid problems, not a pregnancy.  This was a devastating situation for her, as she ended up having an abortion.  Many women who opt for abortion are not FOR abortion in and of itself. Many just do not have the support of the father or their family, and do not know who would help them cope with an unplanned child at the time of birth. Could you list some [[Pregnancy Support Services|resources women in such a situation can turn to?]]"
:"I'm kicking myself right now, because I totally meant to submit this comment to contribute to the show, but I didn't get a chance.  Since I could not listen live, I don't know how Father answered Mario.  For all I know, he said everything I will say, but, I figured I'd paste it in here now, in case somebody might actually find it interesting or informative.  Mario, hope it's helpful: 
:"Also, a comment about last week's discussion on the Filioque.  At the Byzantine Catholic church that I attend, when we chant the Symbol of Faith (i.e. the Creed), we exclude the Filioque clause.  I believe this is common in Eastern Catholic Churches.  In fact, when the Pope celebrates with the Eastern Churches, he omits the Filioque.  I am in no way an expert on the subject, but here is my understanding, based on my research of Eastern Catholicism, Eastern Christianity, and the Schism.  The Eastern Churches do not view the omission of the Filioque as a rejection of the concept.  It just isn't expressed explicitly when you omit the Filioque.  The problem the Eastern Churches had with the Filioque is that it was proclaimed at the Council of Toledo (I believe Father said the 3rd one), a council at which no Eastern leaders were present, at a time before the Schism occurred.  They believe that it is wrong to include the Filioque because it was not truly an Ecumenical Council, since the entire Church was not represented.  The Western Church responded by saying that although the Eastern Churches were not represented, it is still binding over the whole Church, because it carried the authority of the Pope of Rome.  The Eastern Churches disagreed with this, believing that the Pope of Rome, like Peter, was first among equals, but did not have authority over the other Patriarchs (or Peter over the other Apostles) and the Eastern Churches - that Peter had most seniority, but was not boss over the Apostles, as the Orthodox Churches still believe today.  Although the Eastern Catholic Churches, in reuniting in Communion with Rome have accepted the authority of Rome.  It was the idea that the Filioque was inserted without their consent that caused them to reject it, and along with other issues, eventually led to the mutual excommunications, separating the Eastern Churches and the Western Church from one another."
:Also, on a mostly unrelated note, I'd like to point out that one of my biggest pet peeves is when people say "Orthodox" when they really mean Eastern Christian, including the Eastern Catholic Churches, or when people associate East with Orthodox and West with Catholic, completely ignoring the Eastern Catholic Churches (or for that matter, the Western Orthodox Churches). Mario, I'm not saying that's where you're coming from.  I really don't know.  But I do try to make people more aware that their are Catholics who are Latin Catholics who worship according to the Roman Rite, and there are Eastern Christians who are Catholic and part of various Eastern Catholic Churches, and worship according to the Byzantine or Syriac or a few other Rites."


=== Priestly Celibacy ===
=== Pacifism required? ===
* Dawn from e-mail: Our family went to a Mass on Sunday in which the priest gave his personal opinion from the pulpit regarding celibacy, "The Church needs to change!"...he charged.


=== Eucharistic Desecration Videos ===
* Anonymous: Why do some candidates who are pro life still support violence via wars, detainment, and the like? Why can't being pro life mean being more vigilant in ending wars through diplomatic talks rather than continuing what seems an endless fight in another country? Our military wants to come home. Does war ever make any sense?"
* Kevin from Buffalo: I thought you might be interested in this [https://www.americaneedsfatima.net/campaigns/E0171/e0171protest.html?utm_campaign=1405&utm_content=E0171&utm_medium=email&utm_source=E0171&utm_term=E0171 petition to ask YouTube to remove eucharist desecration videos.]
::- [[Just War Theory]].


=== Exegesis ===
=== Feeling guilty after Confession ===
* What do you think of the claim that [http://hprweb.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=244&Itemid=63 dogma is more certain than Scripture study?]
** [[Exegesis]]


=== Purgatory ===
* Anonymous: "I have a hard time forgiving myself, even after I confess a sin in confession. Is that also a sin?"
* [[Purgatory]]
::: [[Feeling guilty after Confession]].


=== Children of lesbians in Catholic school? ===
=== Interceding for Sinners ===
* Peter from Buffalo: How do you feel about the [http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/archdiocese-reacts-school-enrollment-denied-child-lesbians Catholic school that allowed the child of two lesbians to enroll in it?]


=== Pitch for the Magnificat ===
* Anonymous: "What is the consequence if someone who is not Catholic receives the Eucharist in ignorance. Besides educating them, is there a penance one can do for them?"
* Matt from Colorado (e-mail): I love the show on podcast and also the ''Magnificat''. I got a subscription to it and go through the Mass readings and prayers within it daily.  I love it and hope you can pass along all about it to your listeners.  If I won the lottery, I would buy a subscription for everyone I know and donate more subscriptions to churches everywhere.  I first picked it up in the Adoration Chapel at my Church.  It was laying there and I was really knocked off my feet by it.  I ran home and subscribed immediately.  I can totally tell the difference in my spirituality and closeness to God.  I feel myself really craving getting to the Eucharist as often as I can.  Great, great reading and very interesting too.  I love the integration of the lives/stories of the Saints and Blesseds.  I bought my Mom a subscription too.
::: [[What should I do when I see others sin?]]
::: [[Forgiveness Prayer]].


=== The meaning of fiction ===
=== Spiritual Warfare ===
Matt from Colorado asked about (e-mail about ''[[The Shack]]'').  Second thoughts: [[interpreting fiction]].


=== What about the prophecies about the Antichrist? ===
* John Z. from Facebook re: [[spiritual warfare]].  
* John from Cheektowaga: "I wished I had stayed on the phone the other day to do a follow-up (I did not want to hog all the air-time). I wasn’t looking for a speculation of WHEN the end time will be – I know our Lord Jesus said that not even the angels or saints know, but only the Father knows the day and the hour."
:::* Can people be used by demons to try and fight and create turmoil and strife?
** MXM: The advantage of staying on the phone is that you get to rephrase your question as we go along.  If we think you're hogging the air, we'll thank you for your call and hang up on you.  :-O
:::* Are there angels and demons duking it out fighting for our souls?
* I was just looking for comment on how really interwoven all of history is (past, present & future); all events detailed in prophesy. I thought that the little book “History of Antichrist” was extremely well presented. It listed each important prophet as indicated in Sacred Scripture, what various interpretations can their words possibly mean, which church fathers, saints, doctorens, traditions, commentators through to the med 1800’s (when the book was written), etc., to include conjectures as to meanings of their statements, and, how it relates to the antichrist. The book is not bad news, but it does say, when the antichrist does come it is going to be a terrible 3 ½ years before Jesus comes and put a stop to his deceit. Many will be swayed – think of the Jews who are still looking for the coming of the Messiah (all part of God’s grand mysterious plan).
:::* Also, I saw on a blog where a guy said to look in the Old Testament as to how many people Satan killed vs God. He claims that Satan only killed ten and God killed thousands. So, in his view, the whole Christian idea of God is false, and Satan got a raw deal.
** MXM: The Church is completely agnostic about the sequence of events at the end of the world. 
: The book of Revelation and other apocalyptic passages were written to comfort people who were suffering for the sake of Jesus.  The message is, "Hang on.  Your sufferings will be rewarded.  You will reign with Jesus in glory."  That message was valid in the first century and in every age since wherever disciples suffer for Jesus.
: In other words, the material is about the present, NOT the future.
* The world will be tricked unless one's faith is strong.
** MXM: We don't need "strong" faith.  Putting faith in the strength of our faith is a huge mistake. No act of faith is greater than the size of a mustard seed when compared to the glory of the one in whom we place our trust.
==== Johnny Cash and the End of the World ====
Kevin in Buffalo: What do you think of the Johnny Cash song, [http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnnycash/themancomesaround.html "The Man Comes Around"]?


=== Evolution ===
=== Genocide in the Old Testament? ===
==== Monogenism ====
* Kevin from e-mail: Why did God order the Israelites to massacre whole villages when they conquered them? Today we would call that "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing." The Church teaches that it is intrinscially evil to target whole populations in warfare. How could God command His people to do evil?
Kevin from Buffalo: What are your thoughts on [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703846604575447493644515142.html this article], particularly the points about monogenism?
* It dogmatizes science and relativizes dogma:
: "Subsequent research into genomics, however, has settled this question against Pius. It's not that scientists cannot trace human ancestry back far enough to an Adam and Eve; it's that in principle, the level of genetic variation present in the species today rules out a founding population with fewer than several thousand individuals."
Where did that "founding population" come from? A miracle of mass mutation?


=== Coping with wayward family members ===
=== Successors of the other apostles? ===
Cindy from Facebook: One of her daughters has become a Lutheran; the other daughter, who is Catholic, has decided to cut off communication with her Lutheran sister.  What can Cindy do to bring her Lutheran daughter back to the Church?
* Rich from e-mail: Most Catholics know that the Pope is the successor to Peter. Has the "lineage" from the other apostles been preserved just as carefully? Would the holders of some of those Sees be the Latin [[Patriarchs]]? There are not twelve of this class, so who are the direct successors of all of the original apostles and Paul? (I include him because of his unique status).


* I've had a lot of experience with the 12-step programs.  The first step tells us that we are powerless over other people (see 2 Cor 12:10): "When [I know that] I am weak, then I am strong."  Your children have a God and a Savior, and it's not you.  You are of course correct that Lutheranism is a sadly diminished form of Catholicism, but if you could nag your daughter into coming home, you would not be talking to me--she would be back already.
=== Patriarchs and Cardinals ===
* Let go and let God.
* Rich from e-mail: I think that a fairly recent canonical change required that all [[patriarchs]] be made cardinals, although they've always actually outranked cardinals in the hierarchy.  Is that correct?
* Say the Serenity Prayer.
* Pray to St. Monica (today's saint).
* Pray in reparation for your own sins, then pray in reparation for the sins of your family.   
* Pray the Infallible Prayer, "Thy will, not mine, be done."
* Recognize that "unsolicited advice is criticism."  If we could nag people into good behavior, we wouldn't need a Savior.
* Pray that God will place someone else in their lives to convert them.  Don't doubt God's power to save them, despite the deficiencies of the Lutheran tradition.  We are not saved by our Church membership but by the love of God poured into our hearts through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  He died to save them; He knows how to save them.  Pray with St. Faustina, "Jesus, I trust in you."

Latest revision as of 12:18, 10 December 2022

Sitz im leben

A season of growth.

   


December 19

  • [X] Facebook.
  • [X] Water.
  • Joy.
  • 148 days for Gina and Joseph.
Prologue
  • Faith 'n' Reason Friday.
  • Any topic OK.
  • All callers welcome.
Last few days of Advent — St. John the Baptist, pray for us!
Luke 1
76
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
  • From John on Facebook (he may post this question on Facebook during the show): Some of my friends argue that there is no need for a priesthood. In the Bible, the term is used only of the Old Testament priests who served in the Temple. In the New Testament, the terms "episcopos" and "presbyter" are used, not "priest." How can I answer this challenge to the Catholic understanding of priesthood?

Treasury of Unanswered Questions

May the priest skip the "Deliver us from evil" prayer?

  • Boston, Mass. At mass at our church, after the Our Father, the priest goes directly to "For the kingdom, the power, etc" and omits the prayer in between that says, "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil.." This seems to be an important and beautiful part of the prayer. Is it allowed to be omitted?

Destroying unused genetic material from IVF procedures?

  • George. Bellingham, Mass. I was reading the catechism re: life issues. Regarding In Vitro Fertilization, if the sperm and egg are not viable, is it as morally unacceptable to destroy them as it would be if the sperm and egg are viable?

What is Jesus doing now?

  • Joe. Buffalo. What is Jesus doing in heaven now?

Are we not required to love our parents?

Homework from last Friday
  • Rebecca from St. Petersburg asked about Dennis Prager's view that children only need to honor their parents, not love them.
Prager: "The bible understands that there will always be people who, for whatever reason, do not love a parent. Therefore, it does not demand what may be psychologically or emotionally impossible, but it does demand that we honor our parents."
Jesus: "What is impossible for you is possible for God. Love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you. Forgive seventy times seventy times!"
Yes, the parent-child relationsip is unique.
Yes, the family is the basic unit of society.
Yes, honor of parental is the glue that holds the family and therefore society together.
Yes, it is wrong for parents to seek to be "loved" as if they were the buddies of their babies. Parents must assert authority and children must yield to their parents' authority. When push comes to shove, it is right for parents to say, "Because I say so." This is often God's answer to our "why" questions, too. There are some things we cannot see for ourselves until we have grown more. Until that time, "because I say so" is the best answer.

Who is the greatest person "born of woman"?

  • Shawn from Facebook: Jesus says in Matthew 11 that John the Baptist was the greatest person ever born of a woman. I thought CHRIST himself or Mary would be the greatest?

How do I regularlize my marriage?

  • Anonymous from e-mail: I have been married for 15 years to my current husband and would like to have the marriage recognized by the Church so that I can receive the sacraments. I was first married in the Catholic Church. I was divorced from that man, and he has since died. I married another man in a civil service, then divorced him. I married my third and current husband in a civil service. He has been married in civil services and has been divorced twice. He is not Catholic and is not baptized. He has a hard time understanding why he has to participate in my annulment process. How should I explain it to him?

Did Jesus want us to mutilate our bodies?

  • Anonymous from Facebook: Anonymous from Facebook: Christ tells us not to lust after someone, because it is adultery. He also commands us to pluck out our eye and cut off our hands if they cause us to sin. Why is it that I never hear Catholic or Protestants discuss this passage?

How to be chaste in marital relations?

  • Anonymous from Facebook: In what way is it appropriate to desire union with my spouse?
Gregory Popcak, A Catholic Guide to Infallible Loving.
Chastity in Marriage.

Bl. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago

— Vatican News Service biography of Blessed Carlos Manuel.
— "Vivimos para esa noche" — "We live for that night" == the night of the Easter Vigil, in which we recall Jesus passing from death to life on Easter Sunday.
— "Charlie’s Beatification Process was indeed a swift one! Initiated in 1992, the positio on heroic virtues, lead to his status as Venerable as of July 7, 1997. The miracle for his beatification (cure of non-Hodgkins malignant lymphoma back in 1981) was approved on December 20,1999 by HH John Paul II. Thus, a record-making eight-year span, a first for lay actors!"

Straight from Earth to Heaven?

  • Shawn from Facebook: In the second letter to the Corinthians, it says: "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor 5:8). Does that mean that there is no purgatory? Do we just die and go straight to Heaven?
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Cor 5:10).

Can the Church change the canon?

  • John from Facebook: Since it was the Catholic Church that decided the canon of the Bible, could the Catholic Church ever change the contents of the Bible by adding or removing books in the future?
Antilegomena: These antilegomena or "disputed writings" were widely read in the Early Church and included the Epistle of James, the Epistle of Jude, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, the Apocalypse of John, the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Apocalypse of Peter (unique in being the only book never accepted as canonical which was commentated upon by a Church Father), the Acts of Paul, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Epistle of Barnabas and the Didache.

How to start spiritual direction?

  • Anonymous. Massachusetts. I have felt for a long time that I need some type of spiritual direction and grounding. However, I'm not sure how to seek it out. Can you suggest a simple way to get started beyond my parish priest? Does it depend on how spiritually "developed" one is? Thank you.

Our Lady of the Americas?

  • Bob. Boston, NY. Could you tell me the story of the appearances of "Our Lady of the Americas" that occured around 1956?
Marian_Theology#Apparitions_that_have_not_been_approved Apparitions that have not been approved.

Good book for 4-year old who loves to pray?

  • Jessica. Can anyone recommend a kid friendly book, or guide to teaching young kids about Jesus' death and resurrection? My son who is 4 loves going to Adoration and going though the Stations of the Cross.

Love gives us free will

  • David, Buffalo, NY. I wanted to add a comment about the conversation about free will that it is because we are beings that have the ability to love and also that God's love for us gives is free will.

Defending the faith in an irreligious world

  • Shawn from Facebook: "In a pre-scientific understanding of the world, people naturally believed things happened because of the action of God, Angels, Demons, and the like; but now we can explain everything through the laws of science. We can see throughout history that religion, morals, and culture have evolved. How can we defend the faith in a world that seems to have no need of religion?"

May a couple marry who cannot consummate the vows?

  • Ann, Massachusetts. I heard on the radio that a Catholic woman and man should not get married if they cannot consummate their vows because of a medical condition. I cannot believe this could be right.
EWTN library.
impotence is indeed an impediment to marriage

Slavery approved in the Bible?

  • Anonymous. According to scriptures, slavery is not considered immoral, however there are specific instructions on how to beat slaves correctly. Why did neither God or Jesus teach that owning another human being is immoral? Nowhere is this stated in the bible! Mark Twain wrote: "In all the ages the Roman Church has owned slaves, bought and sold slaves, authorized and encouraged her children to trade in them. Long after some Christian peoples had freed their slaves the Church still held on to hers. If any could know, to absolute certainty, that all this was right, and according to God’s will and desire, surely it was she, since she was God’s specially appointed representative in the earth and sole authorized and infallible expounder of his Bible. There were the texts; there was no mistaking their meaning; she was right, she was doing in this thing what the bible had mapped out for her to do. So unassailable was her position that in all the centuries she had no word to say against human slavery."

Consecration to Mary?

  • Shawn from Facebook: How can Catholics consecrate themselves to Mary? She is not God. Isn't it a sin against the First Commandment to vow yourselves to her service?

Conflicting Scripture Passages

  • John from Facebook: In a recent Sunday reading from 1 Kings, God said to Solomon, "I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you" (1 Kings 3:12). But in Matthew, it says, "There is something greater than Solomon here" (Matthew 12:42). How do you reconcile the two passages?
Similar kind of conundrum: What did Jesus mean when He said that "Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Mt 11:11)? Wasn't Mary greater than John the Baptist through her Immaculate Conception?
And, of course, "all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). Doesn't that mean that Mary and Jesus were both sinners?
"No sign will be given this generation except the sign of Jonah, for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Mt 12:40).

Followup question from John

John from Facebook:

  • If the church teaches us not to read passages literally, why does it not apply this to the teachings on the supper of The Lord or giving Peter the keys to the kingdom? How does the Church discern what should be taken literally and what isn't? My non Catholic friends say the Church chooses to take literally those passages that support her doctrinal position. After all the churches authority comes from reading the passage on the keys given to Peter literally doesn't it?

Can Mary bless us?

  • Shawn from Facebook: I heard a priest say the rosary. He said, "May Mary bless you with her holy child." How can Mary bless us with anything? She has no power outside of Christ.

Boys will be boys?

  • Anonymous from Facebook: Your 12-year old catches about 10 dragonflies, takes their wings off, and puts them in a cup “because he wants to see them fight.” Is that just boys being boys? Or do you tell him that it’s wrong to hurt animals for fun? He has Reactive Attachment Disorder which causes me additional concern.

Tips for Lay Evangelization?

From the "Ask a Priest" page on TheStationOfTheCross.com:
Michael: The Pope has called lay people to evangelize. I very heatedly expressed my objections to a fictional TV show which portrayed a catholic priest in a very negative way. A high school senior responded to my criticisms by expressing a desire for God, but he also expressed some reservations about God and showed a real lack of knowledge of the faith. How about having a show where people call in to discuss their ideas for lay evangelization and talk about their successes or failures in bearing witness to the tremendous hidden treasures of our faith?

How many books of the Bible claim to be inspired by God?

  • How many books of the Bible claim to be inspired by God? Maybe two make an explicit claim — Jeremiah and Revelation.
Jeremiah: "Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you about Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, until today" (36:2).
"Proving Inspiration."
What about the Bible’s own claim to inspiration? There are not many places where such a claim is made even elliptically, and most books in the Old and New Testaments make no such claim at all. In fact, no New Testament writer explicitly claims that he himself is writing at the direct behest of God, with the exception of John, the author of Revelation.

Taped evidence — nursing home

  • Luisa from "Ask a Priest" [today]: My mother was in the nursing home up until she passed away. We placed a camera in her room because they kept dropping her. Although the policy of the nursing home prohibits recording sound in the patients' bedrooms, by accident, some of our videos recorded the nurses abusing my mother verbally. May I use these recordings in good faith to bring an action against the nursing home?

Why can't women preach in Church?

  • From a pastor who listens to the show: When you answered Betsy's question on August 4th about how women can preach the gospel even though they are not allowed to read the gospel and preach homilies in the liturgy, you dodged the question of why women and laymen cannot read the gospel and preach homilies in the liturgy. I may not be the smartest kid on the block, but I can tell when someone is ducking a tough question! :o) [Note well: this priest is a very good and orthodox priest, and he is a friend of mine. This is a kind and well-meaning question, not a screed in favor of abandoning the Church's tradition! I think it is a good question.]

NFP for a pre-menopausal couple?

  • Anonymous from "Ask a Priest" on the Station of the Cross website — spend a little time explaining how to find and use this page on the website. My impression is that it is right on the front page, down at the bottom. That's how I see it, anyway, using a browser; I couldn't find it on the iCatholicRadio app. "Submit your questions for a priest to answer live on Calling All Catholics, airing weekdays from 5-6 pm ET."
I am concerned whether my husband and I are committing a mortal sin in our intimate relations. Because I am pre-menopausal, the signs of our fertile time are very uncertain, so I can't tell with much confidence when we are in a fertile time in our relationship. We used to use Natural Family Planning, but now we are not completing the marital act in a natural fashion. My health is poor, and we do not want to become pregnant at this time in our marriage. Are we committing a sin by not completing the marriage act normally?
BE POSITIVE. The Church upholds the natural act of love in marriage as the norm for judging what is right and wrong in our relationships. Whenever a couple chooses the joy of union, their expression of love should be such that they do nothing to make it impossible for them to become pregnant through their union. This norm rules out barrier methods, the use of artificial hormones that fool the woman's body into thinking that she is already pregnant, and any other actions that would keep the union of the couple from being fruitful. If you and your husband feel sure that you cannot afford to become pregnant at this time in your life, you must abstain from union for a while until your health improves or you reach the point at which you can have greater confidence than you do now in identifying the fertile times in your cycle; you might want to ask for help from a certified Natural Family counselor to get help in understanding the signs at this time in your life. Abstinence is hard, but not impossible. It, too, is an act of love for each other and for our Creator. Abstinence chosen out of love for one another for shorter or longer times has its own rewards, though they are, of course, more subtle and on a different level from the joy of expressing your love for each other directly through marital union. We have been praying for you and your husband, Anonymous, since we received your e-mail. We hope that you will find great joy in being faithful and true to each other as well as abiding by God's plan for your marriage.
"Christoper West's Ideas on Sexuality Ignore Tremendous Dangers — Alice von Hildebrand."

Why is the Old Testament so vague about Trinity and the Eucharist?

  • Sara from the Fund Drive:
  1. Why didn't God give more advance warning in the Old Testament of the doctrine of the Trinity?
  2. Why didn't God give more advance warning in the Old Testament of the doctrine of the Eucharist?

Is spiritual dryness a sin?

  • Shawn from Facebook: Is having spiritual dryness a sin?

How should Catholics vote?

  • Shawn from Facebook: Election season is upon us. The Catholic voter guide basically says "don't vote for abortion," and rightly so. But, I have never supported GOP politics either, although they are the closest thing we have to a pro-life party. So how should I vote then?
USCCB Voting Guide for Catholics.

Struggling with Marian prayers

Shawn from Facebook: I struggle with certain Marian prayers that ask her to save us, etc; I don't get that... Because she can't do anything without God's power. She is merely a creature, though the highest of all creation. I have trouble with the rosary too. Why not just pray the "Our Father"?

Chesterton Academy in England?

  • Maria Bachelier from e-mail: Is there any Chesterton academy in England, where I live?
Not yet. There is one in Italy. Dale Ahlquist is in Europe right now. More may be under development.
Emily de Rotstein, Executive Director
Chesterton Academy — www.chestertonacademy.org
info@chestertonacademy.org

Why does the Catechism calls us "gods"?

  • John from Facebook: I have been reading the Catechism each night. I have a question regarding paragraph 460 which says, "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods." This passage uses the lower case letter g. In the Old Testament, this is how the pagan gods are referred to. What does lower case "gods" mean here?
Divinization.

Righteous anger vs. sinful anger

  • John from Facebook:
  1. Could you explain righteous anger and sinful anger? Are there scriptural references to these two kinds of anger? Could you give some ideas how to counteract the sin of anger? — Christian Anger Management.
  2. Also would you please pray for my niece, Marybeth, who suffers from a head injury she received in an accident some time ago.

Multiple sins in an invalid marriage

  • Anonymous from Facebook: Suppose a person got married only in order to obtain a visa and did not intend the marriage to last. Is that person sinning if they do not get an annulment? Is that person committing fornication when they have relations with their innocent spouse?

Uncharitable thoughts and feelings

  • Anonymous from Facebook: I am a volunteer at my parish. I arranged to switch volunteer nights with another parishioner. I covered their night, but they did not cover mine. I was called and asked to come fill in for them. I felt annoyed at the prospect, but did eventually offer to fill the empty spot. I feel that I was selfish and uncharitable. Did I commit a sin by being annoyed or by waiting a while before I said yes?

Do same-sex marriages invalidate all marriages in the state or the denomination?

  • Peter John from e-mail:
  1. If Christian denominations and many states are recognizing same-sex marriages, does that not mean that all of the marriages in those denominations or states are necessarily invalid in the eyes of the Church? If so, wouldn't that simplify the annulment process for those who contracted marriage before a justice of the peace in those states or in those denominations?
  2. I am upset that I see people who are cohabiting receive the sacraments while those who are in post-divorce marriages cannot. This especially troublesome when the divorced and remarried have no children from earlier marriages, have built a good family in their current marriages, and live devout lives otherwise.

Should we hold hands during the Our Father?

Why not do mandalas in our parish?

  • NOT ON THE LINE. Liz from Rochester. Please speak about what Mandala is and why it shouldn’t be practiced at our parish.
The Mandala Project.

Blessed are those who murder babies?

  • Kevin from e-mail: The last verse of Psalm 137 is really horrible. It says, "Blessed is the man who seizes the children of Babylon and dashes their brains out against a rock." Isn't God the father of Babylonian children, too? How could murdering innocent children bring blessings to those who murder them?

Why was John the Baptist not freed from captivity?

  • John from Facebook: The gospel of Luke says that Jesus came to set the captives free. If so, then why didn't Jesus free John the Baptist from captivity?

When should we accept death for those whom we love?

  • Katy from e-mail: Every day at Mass I hear the priest ask us to pray for life, "from its natural beginning to its natural end." I remain confused as to why keeping an infant (or anyone) with a terminal illness on life support, in this case mechanical ventilation, is celebrated. I don't understand why anyone would want to watch a loved one suffering with a tracheostomy when that loved one could be in paradise with Jesus. Is this brave to keep them alive, or is it selfish?
Catholic Medical Ethics


U.S. Bishops dedicated to Marxism since 1979?

  • Mary Kathryn from e-mail:
- I have an article from 1979 which says that U.S. bishops were dedicated to preaching Marxism instead of Christianity. Is that claim true?

Positive outcomes from Vatican II

  • Mary Kathryn from e-mail:
- Can you name three positive outcomes of Vatican II?
- Recognition that we owe religious assent to the ordinary teachings of the Magisterium. The Scriptures are the fruit of Tradition and are part of Tradition; they do not replace it.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- Discussion of marriage as a noble vocation, including praise of the nobility of the act of marital union, reaffirmation of the Church's traditional teaching on avoiding contraceptives, and a strong condemnation of abortion as an abominable crime.

Canon law and Catholic identity

  • Melanie from Twitter: Is it a violation of canon law to question someone's Catholic identity?
Can. 216: "Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority."

Calling God "Allah"

  • Winna from Twitter: Do you know the Arabic word 'Allah'? Do you think it is inappropriate for Christians to use the Arabic word for God?

Thanks for help with Desolation

  • Anonymous from Facebook: "Thank you for answering my questions about desolation in such a great detail in a show you did in the summer time. I feel very comforted after hearing from you on the show and I'm actually feeling relieved with the clarity especially after learning about desolation. I can't thank you enough for this. I feel that I'm suddenly pulled back in when I was almost falling off a steep cliff — thank you so much for the rescue!"

New forms of Catholicism?

Mark: What the "New Catholic Churches"?

Schismatic Catholics.

Experimental Medical Treatments

  • Dan from Facebook: Does the Church have any definitive position on the use of experimental medical treatments? A friend has stage 4 melanoma, and an experimental drug is his best (and apparently only) chance for survival. The problem is that it hasn't been approved by the FDA — the family wants it for "compassionate use" in the meantime. I just have to decide whether to sign the petition they are circulating.

Anathema sit!

  • Debbie from Amherst: The Council of Trent says that anyone who objects to the doctrine of the Church is "anathema." What does that mean for our Protestant brothers and sisters who have left the Church?

Deification

  • Andrew from e-mail: It appears that in Eastern Catholic Theology one can become closer to God after death through deification. The Eastern Catholics claim that their saints move closer to God even in heaven. In Western theology this does not appear possible. One gains merit/treasures in heaven while alive, and assuming one gets to heaven, that's it — no more! You are as close to God as possible. Not all saints are the same in glory. There is no more change possible. These Eastern and Western views are logically incompatible; both cannot be true.
Deification

Is God "static"?

Andrew from e-mail: In the 'eternal realm' there is no time. How can we be dynamic yet God is static? He does not change with time only we do. Is there a 'time' we live in in the eternal realm (the theory of 'days' in purgatory is popular but the concept was 'not up for debate' in the East because they did not see it as theologically worth pursing). Are these concepts merely beyond human understanding and simple part of the 'mystery' that so permeates our sense of eternity?

Burning Man

  • Kathleen from Facebook: I recently came across some information about "The Burning Man Experience" in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. It was quite disturbing and reminded me of pagan rituals. Can you shed more light on this?

Questions about questions

  • Two different friends asked me recently, "What is the hardest question you have received? Your favorite question? Your least favorite question?"

How could Adam and Eve sin?

  • Thomas from e-mail: If Adam and Eve did not have Original Sin, they did not have concupiscence, by which we mean the tendency of our disordered appetites to lead us to sin. Why weren't they immune to temptation?

What do goats symbolize in the Bible?

  • John from Facebook: I saw a Masonic website that linked goats to Babylonian mystery religions. The author suggested that the goat was a symbol of the Temple and Temple builders. Is this how the symbolism of goats works in the Scriptures? Would this add an extra dimension to the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25? Does the Church have a specific teaching on the meaning of goats in the Bible?

How to "Offer it up?"

  • Sherry. Arlington, Virginia. iCatholic. I have a question about suffering and "offering it up". I am not a cradle Catholic, so I did not get the benefit of learning about this while growing up. What I've done is simply a mental prayer like this: "Dear God, I offer you this pain (or discomfort, or whatever suffering I am going through at the moment)". Is this adequate? Sometimes I add " to join in Christ's suffering on the cross in order to help redeem the world (or for some other purpose like to help a sick friend or family member)". Is this an acceptable way to offer up suffering? Thank you. We love your radio show!

Theology of Global Warming?

  • Marilyn. Buffalo, New York. I have another philosophical question. From the standpoint of Genesis, is global warming man-made or part of God's plan? Why would God make us in His image and then give us the power to destroy his creation? Would God really allow us to be such a problem?

Traces of the Trinity in the Old Testament

  • Mike Denz from WLOF: A while back, you talked with a listener about Old Testament passages that foreshadhow the revelation of the Trinity in the New Testament. Isn't there are a foreshadowing of John's Trinitarian theology of the Word made flesh in Genesis 1? Genesis 1 portrays God as creating by speaking words of command such as "Let there be light — and there was light;" then John's gospel says that God created through the Word.
Speaker, breath, word — Father, Spirit, Son (the missions of the Trinity, not the eternal relationships between the Divine Persons). The Spirit is not mentioned explicitly until 1:32; John testifies that he saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus and that Jesus would "baptize with the Holy Spirit."
Ruah in Genesis 1:1.
  • Brian from Facebook: I have two questions.
Part I: In the case of a pastoral administrator charged with a parish assignment, where does the buck stop? With the pastoral administrator or a priest (sacramental minister) also assigned to the same parish?
There is a separation of powers.
A Parish Administrator (PA) is responsible for anything you can do with money, including collecting it. The PA may also define the parish schedule, organize non-sacramental ministries, and obtain services from priests or deacons as needed when the assigned Sacramental Minister (SM) is unavailable. I imagine that the PA would run the catechetical programs and would be the person who hires and fires other parish workers. The PA would also keep all of the books — financial, sacramental records, school records, etc.
The sacramental minister is responsible for seeing that the sacraments are offered correctly.
Grey areas probably not defined by law but settled on a case-by-case basis: furnishings, music, "smells and bells."
Part II: What is your opinion of people calling a priest a "sacramental minister"?
It's accurate, if not very poetic. There are some men who, for one reason or another, should not act as pastors. They can supply the sacraments for a parish, but do not have the gifts or virtues required for administration. I think this causes great grief to the priests.
One priest in our diocese was a "sacramental minister" after being a priest for at least 25 years, and was apparently despondent at being ordered to leave his parish so that another priest could become pastor, relieving a deacon and his wife of the job of P.A. Not being promoted to pastor hurt the priest terribly, but the act of suicide suggests to me that it was not a bad decision not to promote him — he was not a well man (may he rest in peace).
Better title? "Parish priest" or "Parish father."

Destiny of the souls of those who die in abortion

  • Matthew Paul via Facebook: Is there a definitive Church teaching on what happens to the souls of aborted children? Are they martyrs through a "baptism of blood"?
Afterlife for aborted children?

Did Jesuits tried to kill John Paul II?

  • Alex from e-mail: A very devout Polish Catholic friend of mine believes that John Paul II was about to dissolve the Society of Jesus, also known as "the Jesuits," but was prevented from doing so by being shot by Ali Agca, who was acting on behalf of the Jesuits. The only reference I could find about this was from Malachi Martin's book, The Jesuits.
1981: Arrupe's stroke; appointment of Vinny O'Keefe to be Acting General; replacement of O'Keefe by Paulo Dezza.
1983: assassination attempt on 13 May; election of Fr. Kolvenbach on 13 September.

Gay lobby on Catholic campuses

  • Kevin from Buffalo:
Setup for the question
A recent New York Times article talked about how Georgetown has become a "gay-friendly institution." Mr. Lloyd, the pride group president, says he is often tempted to join the more tolerant Episcopal Church. But for many young Catholics, particularly of Irish or Italian descent, Catholicism is interchangeable with identity. “You stay Catholic because you have a love of the institution and you want to change it,” he said.
With a prophetic air, campus crusaders for this new “21st century” “Catholic” identity make ex cathedra pronouncements like “Society is changing, and God is in that change.”
The question
What do you think about this approach to being Catholic?

Taking nephews to Communion

  • Laura from Facebook: My 11- and 12-year old sons periodically invite their cousins to sleep over on a Saturday night. On Sunday we all attend Mass together. I know my nephews do not attend Mass regularly, and I doubt that they ever go to Confession. Should I confront them about this? What responsibilities do I have as their Aunt?

Jesuits in Upstate New York?

  • Parishioner of Peter Calabrese asked via e-mail: Have you ever heard in the “family lore” of Jesuits working in the Lewiston area very early on?

Sex reassignment surgery

  • Kathy, Rochester, New York. At work, my Department Head announced at a staff meeting that an employee was going to be changing from a male to a female. What is the church's teaching on that?

Confirmation Necessary for Marriage?

  • Dolores. Hamburg, New York. If a Catholic is Baptized and received the first Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, but NOT Confirmed, can they be married in the Church?

"Queen of Creation"

  • From a parishioner: I like to call Mary "Queen of Creation" when I am praying to her. Is that appropriate?

Selling or renting property to same-sex couples

  • From a parishioner: Would I be cooperating in evil if I sold or rented a house to a same-sex couple?

What would Jesus think of today's Church?

  • Bob from e-mail: If Christ returned to Earth tomorrow as a typically normal 21st Century Catholic, what do you think He would think of the Church that He created and the leadership it has? Would he approve of it and back it, unquestionably? Or, would he rail against it, or various aspects of it, as he did the moneychangers and merchants whose tables He dispersed from the synagogue when he was here 2000+ years ago?

Promoting Women's Vocations to Religious Life

  • Patti from e-mail: Imagine Sisters wants to make Jesus loved by introducing the world to religious sisters in love with Christ through media and personal encounters. We want to encourage and inspire a culture of vocations to women’s religious life by fostering a deep desire for holiness through the witness of religious sisters.

Who are the vultures?

  • From Awesome Lawson: I was told by a priest that the verse, "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" (Mt 24:28) refers to Eucharistic adoration. Is that true?

Footwashing

  • Letitia: Footwashing is for everybody — everybody should do it to everybody. She sent slippers, a towel, and foot cream to her nieces and nephews, and asked them to wash their mother's feet. Jesus said, "Do as I do. Such love and humility. Jesus took the place of the last and the least. Usually done by the Gentile slave, by wives for their husbands, by children for their parents, and by disciples for their teachers.

St. Malachy and the End of the World

"Pope Francis = Peter The Roman = Antichrist ?"
"In the extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when they are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The end."

Seven Pilgrim Churches

Catholic Children's Bible

Fr. Walter Ciszek, SJ

  • Suellen Ann from Facebook: I just saw a beautiful documentary on EWTN about Fr. Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit who was held captive in Siberia for 15 years. Could you talk a little bit about his life and works?
Walter Ciszek, SJ

Catholic understanding of marriage

  • Nicole from e-mail: I spoke w/a 20-something co-worker regarding male/female complementarity one day when she mentioned that people who don't accept "same-sex marriage" are bigots. She listened to me kindly but did not accept the idea that opposite genders go together because of procreation. Her immediate answer was, "well, the couple can use IVF." I find that many younger people have a utilitarian point of view - the end justifies the means. How can I present the Church's teaching on marriage and the natural law in the most effective fashion?

Evidence of Ordination of Women?

Year of Faith Website

  • David M. from Rochester: Here is the Vatican’s website for the year of faith: www.annusfidei.va.

Common Bible includes "Apocrypha"

  • John W. from e-mail: I was very surprised this afternoon when you quoted Tobit 4:8 on giving. You said, "The Protestants don’t have Tobit in their Bible." Here in Canada, or at least Toronto, we DO! We also have Judith, Wisdom, Baruch, 1&2 Maccabees, and the other Deuterocanonical Books in the pew Bibles of at least our local Anglican and Presbyterian churches, and probably in the local United Church too. The pew Bibles are the “New Revised Standard Version (with Apocrypha).” These are logical developments based on Vatican II, which began fifty years ago, and the first Anglican-Roman Catholic Common Declaration and the establishment of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission forty-six years ago. Most Protestant churches are also using the Revised Common Lectionary. Is this just a Canadian thing?
- Apocrypha in Common Bible.

Psychology and Catholicism

  • John from Facebook: At the school I work, they are doing workshops on motivation and learning. They presented a workshop on William Glasser's "choice theory," which seems to me to advocate faith but no God. When the Church provides counsel through Catholic Charities or even through a priest, how does it merge psychology and faith?

Godly Gynecology; Pregnancy Support Services

  • Melissa from Kenmore, New York: "A friend of a friend of mine was told for decades that she had a thyroid problem that would prevent her from becoming pregnant. The doctors were wrong. When she began to gain weight because of a pregnancy, her doctor just adjusted her medication, thinking that her weight gain was due to thyroid problems, not a pregnancy. This was a devastating situation for her, as she ended up having an abortion. Many women who opt for abortion are not FOR abortion in and of itself. Many just do not have the support of the father or their family, and do not know who would help them cope with an unplanned child at the time of birth. Could you list some resources women in such a situation can turn to?"

Pacifism required?

  • Anonymous: Why do some candidates who are pro life still support violence via wars, detainment, and the like? Why can't being pro life mean being more vigilant in ending wars through diplomatic talks rather than continuing what seems an endless fight in another country? Our military wants to come home. Does war ever make any sense?"
- Just War Theory.

Feeling guilty after Confession

  • Anonymous: "I have a hard time forgiving myself, even after I confess a sin in confession. Is that also a sin?"
Feeling guilty after Confession.

Interceding for Sinners

  • Anonymous: "What is the consequence if someone who is not Catholic receives the Eucharist in ignorance. Besides educating them, is there a penance one can do for them?"
What should I do when I see others sin?
Forgiveness Prayer.

Spiritual Warfare

  • Can people be used by demons to try and fight and create turmoil and strife?
  • Are there angels and demons duking it out fighting for our souls?
  • Also, I saw on a blog where a guy said to look in the Old Testament as to how many people Satan killed vs God. He claims that Satan only killed ten and God killed thousands. So, in his view, the whole Christian idea of God is false, and Satan got a raw deal.

Genocide in the Old Testament?

  • Kevin from e-mail: Why did God order the Israelites to massacre whole villages when they conquered them? Today we would call that "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing." The Church teaches that it is intrinscially evil to target whole populations in warfare. How could God command His people to do evil?

Successors of the other apostles?

  • Rich from e-mail: Most Catholics know that the Pope is the successor to Peter. Has the "lineage" from the other apostles been preserved just as carefully? Would the holders of some of those Sees be the Latin Patriarchs? There are not twelve of this class, so who are the direct successors of all of the original apostles and Paul? (I include him because of his unique status).

Patriarchs and Cardinals

  • Rich from e-mail: I think that a fairly recent canonical change required that all patriarchs be made cardinals, although they've always actually outranked cardinals in the hierarchy. Is that correct?
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