A Greater Gift
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Another great story from Acts 3 for our first reading today. We’ll talk about that in a moment. The Gospel reading from Luke 24 is one of the most interesting stories in the New Testament. It is the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. After spending time with Jesus and not […]
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
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On this Tuesday after Easter, Gus opens up the phone lines to “newly minted” Catholics; that is, those who were welcomed into the Church this past weekend on the Easter Vigil. Gus even hears from a caller who was so moved by the Easter Vigil mass he attended, that he’s seriously considering going into the […]
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
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On this Tuesday after Easter, Gus opens up the phone lines to “newly minted” Catholics; that is, those who were welcomed into the Church this past weekend on the Easter Vigil. Gus even hears from a caller who was so moved by the Easter Vigil mass he attended, that he’s seriously considering going into the […]
Our Daily Decisions
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Back we go to the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 today. When the people heard about salvation through Christ Jesus, they asked Peter and the other Apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading today, we’re in John 20, reading about St. John’s post-resurrection […]
Jesus’ Tomb: Empty!
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Happy Easter Monday! Liturgically, the Easter season will be around for quite some time. How appropriate! We have forty days of Lent, but fifty days of Easter. So up until Pentecost, we will be taking a trip through the Acts of the Apostles in our first readings. Acts is like a real-life adventure story, so […]
An Easter Prayer
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Well, we made it! All the way through Lent, through the cross and now onto the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord. Praise God! Every year on Easter one of my most fervent prayers is for the people who only go to church once or twice a year. As I have said before, I […]
An Easter Prayer
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Well, we made it! All the way through Lent, through the cross and now onto the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord. Praise God! Every year on Easter one of my most fervent prayers is for the people who only go to church once or twice a year. As I have said before, I […]
Newly Minted
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Another long Lenten journey has come to a close. Tonight we celebrate the great Easter Vigil. Over 100,000 people will be welcomed into the Catholic Church around America. Wow! What an exciting moment. I know it is one that will never be forgotten for the many catechumens and candidates who will be welcomed into full […]
You Were There
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Today is the one day of the year when there is no Mass celebrated. The commemoration of Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year. The readings for the Good Friday liturgy are so moving. In the first reading from Isaiah 52, we see prophesied that which Jesus would endure on this day. […]
Thursday, April 17, 2014
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It’s Holy Thursday on Seize the Day and the start of the Triduum. Gus welcomes Duncan Stroik, professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame, to talk about the unique responsibility Catholic architecture plays in our faith life. Also, author Stephen Mansfield joins Gus to talk about his book “Killing Jesus,” which provides an […]
A Life of Service
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Lent is over today. We begin tonight the Sacred Triduum. It is one long liturgical celebration that encompasses Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. I hope you will make it to church for all of the services. Tonight’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper is one of the most moving liturgies of the Church year. […]
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
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We’re halfway through Holy Week and on today’s Seize the Day Gus welcomes Ryan McLaughlin to the Conversion Corner. Ryan is a evangelical convert who talks with Gus at length about his conversion to the Catholic Church. You can learn more about him and his faith journey by checking out his blog here. Also, Jenny Kraska […]
Be Mindful of Me, Lord
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When we think of the brutality that Jesus suffered for us, we can see that this was all foretold in today’s first reading from Isaiah 50. “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” He did […]
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
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On this Tuesday in Holy Week, Gus speaks to David Adams, vice president for missions, Cross Catholic Outreach, to talk about the latest on the Shroud of Turin. In addition to all the carbon dating, which places the Shroud in first-century Jerusalem, the markings seen on the man in the cloth reveal those left by […]
Peter and Me
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Our first reading today is from Isaiah 49, more from the prophesies of the Servant of the Lord. “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Our Gospel reading is from John 13. Here we see Peter at his finest, just moments before […]
Monday, April 14, 2014
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It’s Monday in Holy Week and Gus asks what your Palm Sunday mass experience was like. Did you get palms before or after mass and did you make palm crosses? Also, Gus welcomes Fr. Joseph Espaillat, director of youth ministry in the archdiocese of New York, to talk about his vocation and energizing Catholic youth with […]
Monday, April 14, 2014
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It’s Monday in Holy Week and Gus asks what your Palm Sunday mass experience was like. Did you get palms before or after mass and did you make palm crosses? Also, Gus welcomes Fr. Joseph Espaillat, director of youth ministry in the archdiocese of New York, to talk about his vocation and energizing Catholic youth with […]
Dungeons and Prisons
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Monday of Holy Week. For the next few days, our first readings will be from Isaiah, the prophesies of the Servant of the Lord. We’ll talk about today’s reading in a moment. The Gospel reading today is from John 12. Jesus goes to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Mary anoints his feet with […]
Hosanna in the Highest!
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“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest!” What a week this must have been for Jesus. Of course, He knew what was about to happen in the coming days. But what if that were you or me riding on that donkey […]
One Will Die
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In the first reading today from Ezekiel 37, the LORD says through the prophet: “My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all.” This one shepherd is, of course, Jesus Christ. In the Gospel reading today from John 11, Caiaphas, the high priest, says to the Sanhedrin, […]
Friday, April 11, 2014
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Happy Friday from Seize the Day! Today, Gus kicks off the show with Prayer Time. Listeners call in and give Gus their special prayer intentions. Also, Gus talks about grandparents and the role they can play in our spiritual upbringing. Grandparents call in to talk about how they try to influence their grandchildren’s faith. Finally, […]
Doing the Father’s Works
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In today’s first reading from Jeremiah 20, we hear the people plotting against Jeremiah. But they will not be victorious; they will not have their way. Jeremiah says, “But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph…Praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of […]
Thursday, April 10, 2014
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It’s Ladies’ Morning on Seize the Day. Gus talks with some of his female listeners about whether they were a stay-at-home mom or a working mom and what that experience was like for them spiritually. Also, can you believe it’s been 10 years since Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ was released? Gus […]
Living Up to the Covenant
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There are only a very few instances of God changing someone’s name in the Scriptures. Today we see the first of these in Genesis 17. Abram gets a new name. “Your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations.” This is pretty groundbreaking stuff, as Abraham and […]
Out of the Fire
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In today’s first reading from Daniel 3, we see the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego getting thrown into the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had faith. Faith enough to know that when they got thrown into the furnace, God would set them free. In today’s Gospel from John 8, Jesus talks about being […]
Try the Up-Look
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Today’s first reading from Numbers 21 tells us the story of God sending saraph serpents among the people of Israel, who had become terrible whiners. God then commands Moses to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole. Whenever someone looked up at the serpent, they would be healed and live. In the […]
Monday, April 7, 2014
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Today Gus shared the story of his visit to Worcester, MA for the men’s conference this past weekend. Gus was reduced to tears when 1200 men all stood and prayed a Hail Mary for his sister, Nancy. Catholic evangelist Anthony Gentile joined Gus today to tell the story of his conversion. Anthony now speaks around […]
A New Beginning
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In today’s readings, we see the stories of two women who are about to be killed. In the first reading from Daniel, we see the story of Susanna. Two wicked men falsely accuse her of a crime punishable by death. But their falsehoods are revealed by Daniel. It really is a magnificent story, one that […]
The Glory of God
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Today’s Gospel reading from John 11 is probably the longest reading of the Church year outside the reading of the Passion. It is the story of Jesus raising His friend Lazarus from the dead. Jesus was good friends with Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. The sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was […]
Hearing Anew
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Another ominous reading for our first reading today, this time from Jeremiah 11. As we draw closer to Holy Week and Good Friday, we begin to see the readings get darker. In the Gospel reading from John 7, the people continue to conjecture from where the Christ would come. “The Christ will not come from […]
Psalm 34
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An eerie first reading today from Wisdom 2. It describes the things that Jesus went through to a tee. Be sure to read it and see if you don’t shake your head in amazement knowing that this was written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. The Gospel reading today is from John 7, […]
Thursday, April 3, 2014
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Gus talks about his experience going to the movies yesterday to watch Russell Crowe’s latest movie, Noah. The results? Well, is it possible to give it three thumbs down? Also, Gus talks about the Archbishop of Wilton Gregory’s apology to his parishioners for building a $2.2 million dollar mansion he built for himself. He is the […]
Thursday, April 3, 2014
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Gus talks about his experience going to the movies yesterday to watch Russell Crowe’s latest movie, Noah. The results? Well, is it possible to give it three thumbs down? Also, Gus talks about the Archbishop of Wilton Gregory’s apology to his parishioners for building a $2.2 million dollar mansion he built for himself. He is the […]
Seeking Praise
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In today’s first reading from Exodus 32, Moses has a little heart-to-heart with God, asking Him to relent from destroying His people. And God relented. A wonderful statement on the power of prayer. And in the Gospel reading from John 5, Jesus talks about accepting praise. He says, “I do not accept human praise.” And […]
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
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If you’re attuned to following Catholic news, you may have seen a few articles talking about the astounding number of conversions that are expected this Easter in the Church. The archdiocese of Washington D.C. alone is expecting the conversion of over 1,300 adults, children and teenagers. Gus asks listeners to call in who are currently going […]
I Will Never Forget You
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In the Gospel reading today from John 5, Jesus begins to reveal more clearly who He truly is. He says, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” By calling God his own father, He made Himself equal with God. This didn’t sit well with some folks. In the first reading […]
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
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Gus starts the show off today with a heavy heart as his sister, who has cancer, is placed in hospice. He assures everyone that there is hope his sister could get better and may be able to move back into the Lloyd household. Like any good Catholic brother would, Gus made sure his sister met […]
A Simple Question
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Water is a theme that runs through our two readings today. In the first reading from Ezekiel 47, the Angel of the Lord shows Ezekiel a trickle of water flowing out from the temple. The farther they get from the temple, the greater the flow, until the water becomes a large river, teeming with abundant […]
Monday, March 31, 2014
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Gus had a “random encounter” this past weekend on a flight to speak in Long Island, New York with a practicing Catholic who blessed herself with holy water. When Gus asked for some, a conversation ensued that lasted the entire flight. Gus asks his listeners if they’ve ever experienced any “random encounters” like that. Gus […]
Monday, March 31, 2014
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Gus had a “random encounter” this past weekend on a flight to speak in Long Island, New York with a practicing Catholic who blessed herself with holy water. When Gus asked for some, a conversation ensued that lasted the entire flight. Gus asks his listeners if they’ve ever experienced any “random encounters” like that. Gus […]
Interceding in Faith
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Ever wonder what things would be like after Jesus returns. That is, after all, a basic tenet of our faith – that Christ will come again. Well, wonder no more! The prophet Isaiah gives us a beautiful picture of “the new heavens and the new earth.” Check it out…”There shall always be rejoicing and happiness…No […]
Blindness and Sight
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Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The Gospel reading today is from John 9. It is the story of a man blind from birth who received his sight from Jesus. The man goes before the Pharisees and they question him about Jesus. When proclaims that the healing is from God, the Pharisees become indignant […]
A Deadly Trap
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Another beautiful reading from Hosea today for our first reading. Through the prophet, the Lord says, “For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” In our Gospel reading from Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable with two very interesting characters; one a Pharisee and the other […]
Friday, March 28, 2014
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Gus welcomes National Catholic Register Rome Correspondent Edward Pentin today to explain some of the reaction to Cardinal Walter Kasper’s keynote address on marriage and the family at the Feb. 21-22 extraordinary consistory on the family. Cardinal Kasper is seeking to find some resolution between divorced/remarried Catholics and the sacraments. To view Edward’s article on the […]
Repentance and Healing
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus is asked which is the first of all the commandments. Jesus answers to love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. When a scribe echoed this back to Jesus, He said to the scribe, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” We see some beautiful […]
Thursday, March 27, 2014
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President Obama visited Pope Francis today at the Vatican and, to get an insider’s perspective on what they may be discussing, former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney who recently had an Op-Ed piece on that very subject published in the USA Today. To read it, click here. Following Ambassador Rooney’s appearance, Gus […]
Thursday, March 27, 2014
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President Obama visited Pope Francis today at the Vatican and, to get an insider’s perspective on what they may be discussing, former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney who recently had an Op-Ed piece on that very subject published in the USA Today. To read it, click here. Following Ambassador Rooney’s appearance, Gus […]
The Nation That Does Not Listen
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 11 Jesus is accused by some people of driving out demons by the prince of demons. Jesus talks about what a ridiculous notion that is. He says, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.” He then goes on to say, […]
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
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Gus is joined today by Catholic speaker and writer Chris Stefanick to discuss his new confirmation program, “Chosen,” which aims to transform Catholic youth. To learn more about “Chosen,” click here. After Chris’ appearance, Gus asks listeners if they remember their confirmation and what saint’s name they took and the bishop who confirmed them. Also, Gus asks […]
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
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Gus is joined today by Catholic speaker and writer Chris Stefanick to discuss his new confirmation program, “Chosen,” which aims to transform Catholic youth. To learn more about “Chosen,” click here. After Chris’ appearance, Gus asks listeners if they remember their confirmation and what saint’s name they took and the bishop who confirmed them. Also, Gus asks […]