catholic podcast Archives

BBFA5 – Deacon James Keating – Baptism: Born from Above Episode 5

Episode 5 -Baptism: Born from Above– The renunciation of Satan on the part of parents and godparents and their profession of faith…what does this mean? What are we called to actually do?

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Deacon James Keating, PhD, the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Deacon Keating takes a careful look at the Baptismal Rite and offers prayerful reflection and insight to help us live out the faith and nurture the domestic church.

From the Baptismal Rite for Children:

From the earliest times, the Church, to which the mission of preaching the Gospel and of baptizing was entrusted, has baptized not only adults but children as well. Our Lord said:

‘Unless a man is reborn in water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.’ The Church has always understood these words to mean that children should not
be deprived of baptism, because they are baptized in the faith of the Church, a faith proclaimedfor them by their parents and godparents, who represent both the local Church and the whole society of saints and believers: ‘The whole Church is the mother of all and the mother of each.’

To fulfill the true meaning of the sacrament, children must later be formed in the faith in
which they have been baptized. The foundation of this formation will be the sacrament
itself that they have already received. Christian formation, which is their due, seeks to lead them gradually to learn God’s plan in Christ, so that they may ultimately accept for themselvesthe faith in which they have been baptized.

How can this be accomplished? What is the role of the parents, the godparents, the minister of baptism, the Church? These and other questions are reflected upon in “Baptism: Born from Above with Deacon James Keating”.

For more information on the “Institute of Priestly Formation” and for oth er material available by Deacon Keating, just click here

Don’t forget to pickup a copy of “Communion with Christ” , it is on e of the best audio sets on prayer…ever!

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

BBFA6 – Deacon James Keating – Baptism: Born from Above Episode 6

Episode 6 -Baptism: Born from Above– The child is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…what does this mean? The anointing with Sacred Chrism, the clothing with the baptismal garment, the baptismal candle…all what is the significance of these signs? The need for discernment. The blessings of the mother, and the father, and the baptized child.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:00 — 25.6MB) | Embed

Deacon James Keating, PhD, the director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Deacon Keating takes a careful look at the Baptismal Rite and offers prayerful reflection and insight to help us live out the faith and nurture the domestic church.

From the Baptismal Rite for Children:

From the earliest times, the Church, to which the mission of preaching the Gospel and of baptizing was entrusted, has baptized not only adults but children as well. Our Lord said:

‘Unless a man is reborn in water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.’ The Church has always understood these words to mean that children should not
be deprived of baptism, because they are baptized in the faith of the Church, a faith proclaimedfor them by their parents and godparents, who represent both the local Church and the whole society of saints and believers: ‘The whole Church is the mother of all and the mother of each.’

To fulfill the true meaning of the sacrament, children must later be formed in the faith in
which they have been baptized. The foundation of this formation will be the sacrament
itself that they have already received. Christian formation, which is their due, seeks to lead them gradually to learn God’s plan in Christ, so that they may ultimately accept for themselvesthe faith in which they have been baptized.

For more information on the “Institute of Priestly Formation” and for oth er material available by Deacon Keating, just click here

Don’t forget to pickup a copy of “Communion with Christ” , it is on e of the best audio sets on prayer…ever!

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

IP#111 – Anthony Esolen – 10 Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child on Inside the Pages

No one writes quite like Anthony Esolen. He never, ever, fails to provoke thought and reflection; he verifies what we know in our hearts to be true…we just didn’t know how to express it. In “10 Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child” he holds a magnifying glass up to our hearts and minds and says to us all “Do really you see what we are doing?” Anthony points how we are extinguishing the minds (and souls) of our children in ten easy steps.

Play dates, soccer practice, day care, political correctness, drudgery without facts, television, video games, constant supervision, endless distractions: these and other insidious trends in child rearing and education are now the hallmarks of childhood. As author Anthony Esolen demonstrates in this elegantly written, often wickedly funny book, almost everything we are doing to children now constricts their imaginations, usually to serve the ulterior motives of the constrictors.

Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child confronts contemporary trends in parenting and schooling by reclaiming lost traditions. This practical, insightful book is essential reading for any parent who cares about the paltry thing that childhood has become, and who wants to give a child something beyond the dull drone of today’s culture.

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Learn more about this book here

Faith Check 19 – Contraception vs. Natural Family Planning (NFP)

Contraception vs. Natural Family Planning (NFP)

The question is often asked why the Church is against birth control if it allows natural family planning to avoid pregnancy?

The Catholic teaching that it is a sin to use contraception is nothing new but is the perennial teaching of Judeo-Christian morality. Only in the 1930s did any Christians begin teaching that contraception could be morally acceptable.¹

The sexual union between husband and wife is a renewal of the wedding vows, which say that “I love you, freely, totally, faithfully, and fruitfully.” To come together sexually while deliberately sterilizing the act goes against the intrinsic meaning of intercourse. It says, “I love you, but not your fertility.”

When a couple has discerned that there are serious reasons to avoid a pregnancy, there is nothing sinful about periodic abstinence during the fertile times of the month. Intercourse remains a renewal of the marriage vows, a total gift of self that is open to the authentic, life-giving meaning of sex.

Divorce rates among couples using natural family planning are almost non-existent because they grow in self-control and respect for one another’s bodies, which leads to healthier relationships and even more passionate intimacy.

1 – Protestant acceptance of contraception first began at the Church of England’s Lambeth Conference in 1930.

ST7- Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – “Born of Water and the Spirit”, John Chapter 3

Episode 7 – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran, hosted by Bruce McGregor. Ep 7 – “Born of Water and the Spirit”, John Chapter 3

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Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your every day life.

Episode 7 – John Chapter 3 Sharon and Bruce discuss what it means to be “born again”. The importance of being born in water and in the Spirit.

“Seeking Truth” is an in depth Catholic Bible Study, commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more go to: www.seekingtruth.net

St. John Eudes….It’s all about the heart!!!!!

St. John Eudes, the great disciple of the two hearts of Jesus and Mary….it is ALL about the heart!

He believed in the unity of the hearts of Jesus and Mary and wrote:”You must never separate what God has so perfectly united. So closely are Jesus and Mary bound up with each other that whoever beholds Jesus sees Mary; whoever loves Jesus, loves Mary; whoever has devotion to Jesus, has devotion to Mary.”

We “heart” St. John Eudes!
May this great lover of the two hearts, pray for us!

IP#110 Thomas Craughwell – Saints Preserved on Inside the Pages

What is a relic? What are the categories? Why is this an important part of our rich Catholic tradition? But more than the clinic response to these questions, Thomas Craughwell once again points us to the power of grace found in the lives of the saints whose relics we venerate. I love his Tom’s work and talking with him about these extraordinary aspects of our tradition.

“Long before there were cameras and videos to record for posterity, relics had become the visible reminder of great, heroic and holy lives—remembrances of heroes of the faith. Saints Preserved: An Encyclopedia of Relics gives an account of the lives of those heroes and provides renewed inspiration for Christians everywhere who face many of the challenges that were a part of the lives of the saints.” —Cardinal Donald Wuerl, co-author of The Mass and author of The Catholic Way

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Find out more about the book here

The Sacrament of Reconciliation – the gift of the healing that flows from the confessional – Discerning Hearts

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Msgr. Esseff discusses the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What is a “core wound”? What prevents us from being Christ in the world today? Who do we encounter in the confessional? What is the role of the Cross in the confessional? What does Jesus see from the Cross? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing the “core wound”?

visit Msgr. Esseff’s website “Building A Kingdom of Love”

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

IP#14 – Fr. Paul Hamans – Edith Stein and Companions on the Way to Auschwitz on Inside the Pages

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Fr. Paul Hamans – Edith Stein and Companions on the Way to Auschwitz on Inside the Pages

In this episode of “Inside the Pages”, Fr. Paul Hamans discusses with Kris McGregor his book Edith Stein and Companions on the Way to Auschwitz, which chronicles the lives of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) and 113 other Catholic Jews who were martyred by the Nazis in retaliation for a pastoral letter written by Dutch bishops protesting the Nazi regime.

Fr. Hamans, a Church history professor in the Netherlands, reminds listeners of the importance of remembering these martyrs, whose sacrifices were both an act of faith and a stand against Nazi atrocities. He highlights the deep spiritual significance of these lives, their willingness to suffer for their faith, and the ongoing legacy of their witness. In addition, he addresses the impact of the Dutch bishops’ resistance, the persecution faced by Jewish converts to Catholicism, and the profound example set by Edith Stein and others who embraced their crosses in service to God and the Church.

You can buy a copy of the book here.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

Sacrifice and Faith: How do the sacrifices of Edith Stein and her companions inspire you to deepen your own faith and commitment to Christ?
Witness of Martyrdom: What lessons can you draw from the courage of the Catholic martyrs in standing against injustice, even at the cost of their lives?
Legacy of Resistance: How does the Dutch bishops’ resistance to Nazi atrocities challenge you to speak out against modern-day injustices?
Spiritual Resilience: In what ways can you embrace and carry your own crosses in your daily life, following the example of these martyrs?
Hope in Eternal Life: How does the focus on eternal life, as emphasized by Fr. Hamans, influence your perspective on the challenges and sufferings you face?

From the Book’s Description:

“On the same summer day in 1942, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) and hundreds of other Catholic Jews were arrested in Holland by the occupying Nazis. One hundred thirteen of those taken into custody, several of them priests and nuns, perished at Auschwitz and other concentration camps. They were murdered in retaliation for the anti-Nazi pastoral letter written by the Dutch Catholic bishops.

While Saint Teresa Benedicta is the most famous member of this group, having been canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1998, all of them deserve the title of martyr, for they were killed not only because they were Jews but also because of the faith of the Church, which had compelled the Dutch bishops to protest the Nazi regime.

Through extensive research in both original and secondary sources, P.W.F.M. Hamans has compiled these martyrs’ biographies, several of them detailed and accompanied by photographs. Included in this volume are some remarkable conversion stories, including that of Edith Stein, the German philosopher who had entered the Church in 1922 and later became a Carmelite nun, taking the name Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

Several of the witnesses chronicled here had already suffered for their faith in Christ before falling victim to Hitler’s “Final Solution”, enduring both rejection by their own people, including family members, and persecution by the so-called Christian society in which they lived. Among these were those who, also like Sister Teresa Benedicta, perceived the cross they were being asked to bear and accepted it willingly for the salvation of the world.”

About the Author

Fr. Paul Hamans is a diocesan priest in Roermond, Netherlands, where he teaches Church history at the seminary there. He has a doctorate in history from the University of Augsburg, Germany, and is an expert on the Dutch martyrs of the twentieth century. His other publications include History of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands.