Tuesday, April 18, 2017
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Catholic speaker/author Christopher West calls in to talk about his new free eBook “Theology of the Body at the Movies,” where he reviews 26 secular movies that have deeper spiritual meanings than most of us realize. Afterwards, Gus talks with listeners about what movie had a deep spiritual impact on them. Also, Gus talks about the […]
Decisions, 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 […]
Monday, April 17, 2017
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It’s two days after the Saturday Easter Vigil, where Catholics going through RCIA are confirmed (and baptized in some cases), so Gus invites newly-minted Catholics to call in and share their experience. And, Steve Baker of Baker Architects calls in to talk about Catholic architecture and why it’s important for our edification and why modern churches […]
Thursday, April 13, 2017
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It’s Holy Thursday and Lent is over, but not necessarily for us. For our final Lenten 40/40/40, Leslie Tardoff, executive director of Save a Family Plan, joins us to talk about their mission, which is a commitment to poverty reduction in India through sustainable development and the overall strengthening of families and communities. Also, Dr. […]
Do Not Be Afraid!
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Happy Easter! I know, I know…Easter was yesterday. That is so old news. But it isn’t! The Church celebrates Easter for fifty days! Wish someone a Happy Easter today. See what kind of look you get, then explain to them that the celebration didn’t end yesterday. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 28, we read […]
Happy Easter!!
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Jesus Christ is risen today! Alleluia! Our triumphant Holy Day! Alleluia! Today we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. This is the greatest day of the Church year. The day that sin and death were defeated, put in their place. Even death could not hold the Son of God. And this is what the Good […]
Now We Wait
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Today is Holy Saturday. There is no Mass until tonight’s Easter Vigil. The link provided below is for the Easter Vigil readings. Jesus was dead. In the tomb. For His disciples, this had to be a terrible day. He said He would rise from the dead, but how could they really know? This day must […]
A Day to Remember
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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. […]
The Importance of Holy Thursday
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Lent is over today. Now, that doesn’t mean that you stop with your Lenten penances and practices. Those should continue into Saturday evening. Tonight 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 […]
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
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Gus talks about two bishops who gave conflicting statement on churches being sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. Manchester, New Hampshire Bishop Peter Libasci said his diocese will not allow illegal immigrants to take refuge by living in its churches and suffer criminal prosecution and fines for harboring those not in this country legally. Conversely, Bishop Robert […]
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
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We’re almost to the end of Lent and Gus talks about what his has been like and gives himself a letter grade. Afterwards, he invites listeners to call in and give their Lenten letter grades. And, for our Lenten 40/40/40 Project, Sister Constance Veit of the Little Sisters of the Poor calls in to talk about […]
The Kiss of Judas
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Want to know what Jesus is all about and what he did for you? Check out today’s first reading from Isaiah 50. It really says it all. On Wednesday of Holy Week, we think about Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 26, we see Judas cutting a deal […]
Monday, April 10, 2017
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Gus talks about the Passion Narrative from the Gospel of Matthew at yesterday’s mass. Usually the priest, two readers, and the crowd at mass read it, but at Gus’s church, only the deacon read everything. He asks listeners what their experience yesterday was like. Also, Carla Dobrovits, director of Reece’s Rainbow, calls in to participate in our […]
I Will Lay Down My Life for You!
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Our first reading today is from Isaiah 49, the second oracle 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 we would […]
Of Reeds and Wicks
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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 […]
Passion Sunday
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Today is one of the most well-attended Mass days of the year. Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday. Outside of Christmas and Easter (and perhaps Ash Wednesday), more people come to Palm Sunday Mass than any other. Why? Because the Church is giving something away! Free palms for all! I hope that if we see people […]
One Dies for Many
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As we approach Palm Sunday, the story of the final week of Jesus’ life unfolds. In the first reading from Ezekiel 37, the prophet speaks of the return of the Davidic Kingdom. Of course, Jesus came to fulfill the Davidic Kingdom in a perfect way. In the Gospel reading from John 11, Caiaphas, the high […]
Friday, April 7, 2017
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For our Lenten 40/40/40 Project today, Gus talks with Jon Radulovic, vice president of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, talks about hospice and how our listeners can contribute to them or to their local hospice care in a variety of ways. To contribute to the NHPCO, click here. Afterward, Gus talks with listeners who’ve had experience […]
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 6, 2017
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Pam Moffitt, president and founder of Tree of Hope Foundation, calls in for our Lenten 40/40/40 Project, which specializes in post-partum depression awareness. To help support Tree of Hope Foundation, click here. Also, Gus talks about Sunday homilies and what people think of the ones they hear on a weekly basis and whether or not […]
Covenant with God
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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 […]
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
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Tom Basile joins Gus in studio. Tom talks about his new book “Tough Sell: Fighting the Media War in Iraq,” which talks about his time in Iraq, during President George W. Bush’s administration, helping implement a free society and the criticism they encountered from the American media. Afterwards, Tom stays for our Lenten 40/40/40 and tells our listeners about a […]
Into the Fire
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In today’s Gospel reading from John 8, we hear Jesus tell the Jews who believed in Him, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” That statement is always true. Lies and falsehood and deception keep us imprisoned. The truth does, indeed, set us free. This statement plays into our first […]
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
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Gus talks about Fr. Tony Flannery’s comments that people are leaving the Catholic Church because of its teachings on the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception. He feels they no longer make sense. Fr. Flannery (pictured below) has been suspended by the Vatican since 2013. Gus gets listener reaction. And, as […]
The Antidote for Sin
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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 3, 2017
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Gus talks about the furor over the realization the Vice President Mike Pence never dines alone with a female or goes near alcohol without his wife present. Several people, mostly on the left, criticized the VP’s practice, calling it sexist, misogynistic and chauvinistic. Gus gives his take on it, which is supportive of the VP’s stance, […]
A Second Chance
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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 Purpose of Suffering
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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 […]
Prejudging
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Jesus was a very controversial figure. Still is to many. In today’s Gospel reading from John 7, we see some of that controversy. Some people believed Jesus to be the Prophet. Others said He was the Christ. But some doubted because of where He was from. “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? […]
Friday, March 31, 2017
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Bill LeMire, of the Laboure Society, calls in for today’s Lenten 40/40/40 Project. The Laboure Society specializes in assists men and women seeking the religious life eliminate their student debt so they can enter the seminary or convent. Gus also talks with listeners about Lenten family traditions and prayers they doing each season and it’s […]
God’s Timing
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In today’s first reading from Wisdom 2, we see Jesus. Not mentioned by name, of course, but the prophesy spells out in great detail the circumstances surrounding the passion and death of Jesus Christ. In our Gospel reading from John 7, the Jews continue in their plot to have Jesus killed. “So they tried to […]
Thursday, March 30, 2017
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Gus talks with Fr. Bismark Chou, pastor of St. John’s Parish in Newark, NJ. Fr. Chou also runs St. John’s Soup Kitchen (pictured below) and, for our Lenten 40/40/40 Project, he talks with Gus about the work they do, who they help and how they can assist them or their local soup kitchen. To donate to […]
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, March 29, 2017
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We honor our non-Catholic listeners today when Gus invites those who aren’t Catholic to talk about their current faith denomination, if any, and why they listen to the Catholic Channel. Also, Gus talks about night two at the St. Timothy Parish Mission, including an attendee who approached him and asked him if God would forgive […]
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
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Ed Clancy of Aid to the Church in Need joins Gus for our Lenten 40/40/40 Project. Aid to the Church in Need is an international Catholic charity under the guidance of the Holy Father whose mission is to help suffering and persecuted faithful worldwide. To give to Aid to the Church in Need, click here. […]
Seeking the Father’s Will
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“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” This is a question we see in our first reading today from Isaiah 49. It would seem a ridiculous question. The bond between mother and child is strong. But not nearly as strong as the bond between you and God. […]
Sickness or Health?
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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 27, 2017
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Mercy Ships is our Lenten 40/40/40 Project today. We’re joined by Captain John and Angie Fadely, of the global charity Mercy Ships, which is a coalition of hospital ships that travel to poor parts of the world to provide medical care where it’s either rare or non-existent. To support Mercy Ships, click here. Also, Gus […]
Healing of Our Sons and Daughters
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I hear so often from people whose children no longer go to church or practice the faith. I know it is heartbreaking. More in a moment. In today’s first reading from Isaiah 65, we get a beautiful vision of the future. Check it out! A royal official comes to Jesus asking Jesus to heal his […]
Blindness and Sight
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Today’s Gospel reading from John 9 is the story of the healing of the man born blind. It is a story of darkness and light. (St. John was big on the theme of darkness and light.) Jesus and His disciples come upon a man who was born blind. Jesus says, “I am the light of […]
Merry Christmas…Nine Months Early!
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Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. It is exactly nine months before Christmas. Let me be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas this year! In the first reading, we see the prophesy from Isaiah: “The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, […]
Friday, March 24, 2017
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For our Lenten 40/40/40 Project, we talk with Lauren Musyka, executive director of Sidewalk Advocates for Life, which trains, equips, and supports local communities across the United States and the world in “sidewalk advocacy” outside abortion clinics. Afterwards, Gus talks with listeners who’ve been engaged in sidewalk advocacy or any other part of the pro-life movement. Later, Gus […]
Do You Get It?
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I know a lot of people who have workaholic tendencies. While the reasons are many, I think for some, the “work of their hands” can become their god. In other words, they put work above everything else in their lives, including family and God. See what God has to say about this in today’s first […]
Being Fully Armed
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus is accused of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul. He then talks about a house divided. I want to concentrate today on something else Jesus says in this passage. “When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one […]
Our Christian Duties
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The family is the first school for children. Even if we send them off to a school at some age, we as parents are called to be the primary teachers of our children, especially when it comes to the faith. This is job that never ends. How important do you think this is? See what […]
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
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Gus continues his broadcast on location at the White Mule Winery in Owensville, Missouri where he’s conducting a parish mission at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. He speaks to the winery’s proprietor, Charles Schlottach, who served in the Missouri State Senate from 2002 to 2010. And, for our Lenten 40/40/40 Project, Gus talks with Adrian Kerrigan and […]
The Importance of the “Unless”
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In the first reading today from Daniel 3, we hear the heartfelt and beautiful prayer of Azariah. He, along with his two companions, is in a fiery furnace offering a prayer to God. Spoiler alert: he walks out of that furnace. The Gospel reading from Matthew 18 is a familiar story about Jesus telling Peter […]
Monday, March 20, 2017
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Gus is broadcasting remotely this week from the site of a parish mission in Owensville, Missouri. Today, he talks about the feast of St. Joseph, which is today and invites listeners to call in and brag on their dads. Also, Jossalyn Larson, professor at Missouri University of Science & Technology, joins Gus today, on site, for Conversion […]
Friday, March 17, 2017
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For today’s Lenten 40/40/40 Project, Gus is joined by Gordy DeMarais, president of St. Paul’s Outreach, which reaches these students around the country, bringing them back to Christ and the fullness of the Catholic faith. We build evangelistic communities that provide a unique quality and depth of formation in the Catholic faith and life. Afterwards, we […]
A Dad-ly Example
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph. Normally the feast is March 19, but since this year that was a Sunday, the feast is moved to today, because of its importance. In our first reading from 2 Samuel, God says that his Son would spring from the line of David. “I will make […]