True Wealth
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Today in our first reading from Ephesians 2, St. Paul speaks about being saved. And how does he say we are saved? “By grace you have been saved.” and “For by grace you have been saved through faith…it is the gift of God.” Our salvation is only through the grace of God. We have done, […]
It’s All God’s
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus is asked by some Pharisees and Herodians about paying taxes. They try to trip Him up by asking, “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? ” Jesus’ reply is quite well known to most people. “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar […]
St. Luke the Evangelist
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. St. Luke is the author of two books of the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. In fact, Acts may be considered a “sequel” to Luke’s Gospel, as that story picks up right where Luke ends. St. Luke is […]
Friday, October 17, 2014
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It’s Friday on Seize the Day, so Gus urges his listeners to call in for Prayer Time in an effort to offer up all their unique intentions in one communal prayer. Gus also talks about the big news of the day, which is Cardinal Walter Kasper’s disparaging remarks concerning the voice of the African bishops in the […]
What You’re Worth
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The old existential question persists – Why are we here? Actually, St. Paul gives the answer to that question in our first reading from Ephesians 1. “…so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.” Got it? You are here to praise God!! In the Gospel reading […]
Thursday, October 16, 2014
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Gus is still weighing in on the relatio that was released earlier this week. It came out yesterday that an “incorrect translation” created the immense reaction. To read more about that, click here. Also, Catholic author Jon M. Sweeney calls in to talk about his new book “When Saint Francis Saved the Church,” which Gus […]
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
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Gus is back from vacation and all the talk is about the Synod of the Family mid-term report called the “relatio.” It’s certainly getting big reactions from all sides of the spectrum. Click here to read the latest. To help sift through all the mixed reports on exactly what is going on at the Synod, […]
Redemption, Forgiveness, Grace
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The scribes and Pharisees were, for the most part, no fans of Jesus. Small wonder after the tongue-lashing they got from Him. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 11, we see that they “began to act with hostility to him.” It reminds me that when the world shows hostility to us, we should never despair. […]
A Checklist for Life
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Jesus was never one to mince words. We see this again today in the Gospel reading from Luke 11, where He is pronouncing woes on the Pharisees. When a scholar of the law hears this, he tells Jesus that they (the scholars of the law) feel insulted, too. So, just to even things up, Jesus […]
Matching the Inside with the Outside
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God doesn’t care about anyone’s background. You don’t have to have any kind of “pedigree” to give your life to Christ. St. Paul puts it like this in today’s first reading: “For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 11, […]
Freedom
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus says, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Hmm…seems the more things change the more they stay the same. So many today are seeking a sign. They won’t believe until they see […]
Properly Dressed
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus tells a parable about a king who gives a wedding feast for his son. When the servants went out to summon the invited guests, they refused to come. Some even beat and killed the servants. So the king has servants go out and invite people off the […]
Being Blessed
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We hear more about justification and faith in today’s first reading from Galatians 3. “For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.” Good news, no? Lord, strengthen our faith this day. We have a very short Gospel passage today, only two short verses from Luke 11. A woman cries out to […]
The Gift of Faith
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Today in Galatians 3, St. Paul has strong things to say about faith and “works of the law.” More on that in a moment. In our Gospel reading from Luke 11, we see Jesus being accused of casting out demons “by the power of Beelzebul.” Jesus responds by asking how that could be. If that […]
October 6th to October 14th
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Enjoy some of the greatest moments from the summer of Seize the Day and Gus Lloyd takes some vacation time! We talk to listeners about annulments, angelic encounters, the sign of peace and much more. He’s also joined by several guests including Catholic bloggers Kevin Cotter and Joshua Bowman and Fr. Jerry Byrd, John Lillis […]
Ask for the Spirit
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In the first reading today from Galatians 3, St. Paul talks about faith vs. works of the law. He asks a question about “the one who supplies the Spirit to you.” More about the Spirit comes in the Gospel. In the Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus tells a story about persistence. He then goes […]
Speaking Truth to Power
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What was the first prayer you learned as a child? Chances are good that it was the Our Father. Jesus teaches it to His disciples in today’s first reading from Luke 11. In today’s first reading from Galatians 2, we see the story of an interesting confrontation. St. Paul was a very outspoken guy. He […]
The Turnaround
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St. Paul was a pretty bad guy early on. We hear about it in our first reading today from Galatians 1. More in a moment. In our Gospel reading from Luke 10, we see the story of Martha and Mary. “You heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church […]
Your Good Samaritan
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For the first reading today, we begin a trip through St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. St. Paul made it very clear that any “gospel” that conflicted with his preaching was a false gospel. Our Gospel reading for today is from Luke 10, the story of the Good Samaritan. We’re all familiar with this story, […]
The Importance of Bearing Fruit
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner. The landowner sends numerous servants to look after a vineyard that he had leased to some tenants. The tenants abuse and kill them all. So the landowner sends his son. And they kill him. Jesus then says to the chief priests and […]
St. Francis
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Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. So, rather than comment on the Scriptures, I’m going to go a bit out of format for today. If you’re not familiar with the Prayer of St. Francis, then today would be a good day to familiarize yourself with it. And if you already know […]
Friday, October 3, 2014
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It’s a power-packed Friday on Seize the Day as Gus prepares to take a week plus off. We kick everything off with Prayer Time and then Gus gets into a heavy discussion with listeners about Bishop Ronald Gainer of the diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s decision to not allow the male wrestlers in Catholic schools in […]
Two Rules
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 10, we hear more of Jesus’ words to the seventy-two as He sends them out. “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” We must always remember that Jesus’ authority lies in the Church […]
Thursday, October 2, 2014
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Today is the Feast of the Guardian Angels and Gus invites listeners to call in again and share their “angelic encounter” stories. Earlier this week, we had the Feast of the Archangels so it’s been a very angelic week on Seize the Day. Also, it’s Thursday and that means our college football expert Bob Dunning […]
My Guardian Dear
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels. In the optional first reading for the feast day from Exodus, we see God telling the people that he is sending an angel before them to lead and guide them. He says that He has given this angel His authority; they must listen to him. In […]
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
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In reflecting upon today’s Gospel (Luke 9: 57-62), when Jesus says, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God,” Gus admits the first thing that always comes to mind is addiction whenever he hears that passage. After all, we’re all addicts to […]
Forward in Faith
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Do you converse with God? I hope so – and regularly. Have you ever questioned God? Job ponders that in today’s first reading from Job 9. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 9:57-62, we hear what can be a rather disconcerting saying of Jesus. A guy says he will follow Jesus, but first he wants to […]
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
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Gus admits to “binge-watching” the TV show Under the Dome so he asks his listeners if they’ve ever binge-watched a program and which one was it? Also, Dr. Peter Kleponis calls in to the program to talk about his new book “Integrity Restored: Helping Catholic Families Win the Battle Against Pornography.” Dr. Kleponis is one of […]
Fire from Heaven
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If Job were around today, he certainly would have been diagnosed with serious depression. In today’s first reading, he rues the very day that he was born. He knows that anything would be better than all the stuff he was suffering through. Yet through it all, he never curses God for his plight. In the […]
Monday, September 29, 2014
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Gus kicks the show off with Tell Me Something Good. Callers share their blessings to try and push back the Monday blahs. Also, Patrick Archbold, National Catholic Register columnist and founder of the Creative Minority Report, calls in to talk about the upcoming Synod of the Family in Rome and how the possible “streamlining” of […]
This is War!
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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – the Archangels. We truly celebrate all of the Holy Angels. Our readings reflect that. We have two options for the first reading. The first, from Daniel 7, contains a vision of heaven. Here we see “myriads upon myriads” attending to the Ancient One. […]
More Than Words
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus tells a story of two sons, each of whom was told by their father to go out and work in the vineyard. The first son says, “I will not,” but then changes his mind and goes out to work. The second son says, “Yes, sir,” but then doesn’t […]
The Joy of Youth
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Jesus said many things that His disciples did not understand. We see this in today’s Gospel reading from Luke 9. Jesus tells them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” They didn’t understand, and were afraid to question Him further about this. In the first reading today from Ecclesiastes 11 and […]
Seasons of Life
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Today’s first reading is from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every thing under the heavens.” If you’re a baby boomer like me, you can’t read that Scripture without hearing “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds in your head. Not a bad ear worm to have! As a […]
Thursday, September 25, 2014
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Gus reminds everybody this morning that we’re only three months away from Christmas. In honor, he gives away copies of his books “A Minute in the Church” and “A Minute in the Church, Vol. 2” to callers who get on the air with him and promise to give it to their priest or pastor as a […]
A Greater Purpose
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In the first reading today, we begin the book of Ecclesiastes. The book is something of a study in the futility of life here on earth. More in a moment. In the Gospel from Luke 9, we see Herod wondering about this Jesus character. He had heard much about him and was obviously very curious. […]
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
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Gus starts off by sounding off on the recent NFL epidemic of spousal/child abuse and lays the problem at the feet of the disintegrating families, particularly the diminished role of the father. Then, Fr. Robert McTeigue, instructor at Ava Maria University, calls in to talk about the religious sisterhood and why exactly some women choose […]
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
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Gus began the day talking about what he believes are some the root causes of the spate of domestic violence cases today. The breakdown of the family and the large number of fatherless households are a great start. Gus took opinions from many listeners in a lively discussion. Former US Senator Rick Santorum joined Gus […]
Two Things I Ask
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If you could ask God for just two things, what would they be? Solomon does just that today in our first reading from Proverbs 30. And in the Gospel from Luke 9, Jesus sends out the Twelve, telling them to take just the bare necessities to get by. The two readings really go hand in […]
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
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Gus is inspired by today’s Gospel reading (Luke 8: 19-21) in which Jesus, upon hearing that his mother and brothers are standing outside and they wish to see Him, says to the crowd, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” He asks his listeners about […]
Jesus’ Family
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So many of the Proverbs talk about our actions – how we respond to God’s call. That is certainly the case with today reading from Proverbs 21. “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. In the Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus’ mother and brothers come to […]
Monday, September 22, 2014
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Gus talks panhandling this morning. His hometown of Tampa passed an ordinance recently prohibiting panhandling downtown and near banks. Gus, like most people, feels conflicted about giving to panhandlers and asks his listeners how they feel about banning that activity and if they have rules on giving to people who panhandle. Also, Dr. Frank Hermann sits […]
Prayer and Generosity
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n the first reading today, we begin a few days in the book of Proverbs, a book that is full of short verses that contain the wisdom of the ages. Much of the book is attributed to Solomon, the wisest man ever to live. In the Gospel reading from Luke 8 Jesus tells us that, […]
Always a Good Time
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who goes into town to hire workers for his vineyard. He hires some at the beginning of the day, others late in the morning, others in the afternoon, and some very late in the day. At the end of the […]
Knowledge of the Mysteries of the Kingdom
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We continue in 1 Corinthians 15 for our first reading today, where St. Paul continues his treatment on the resurrection of the body. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” The Gospel reading is Luke’s telling of the parable of sower. After telling the parable, but before explaining it, Jesus […]
Friday, September 19, 2014
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Gus kicks the show off with Prayer Time and gets all the prayer intentions of his 7:30 listeners and offers them all up in one communal prayer. Also, Gus talks about Bishop Thomas Tobin’s recent comments about the Church’s approach to reconciling divorced-and-remarried Catholics, while not changing Church teaching, and opens it up to the […]
A Greater Hope
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Women were a very important part of the Church from the very beginning. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 8, St. Luke lists some women who accompanied Jesus and the Twelve and “provided for them out of their resources.” In the first reading from 1 Corinthians 15, St. Paul continues to talk about the resurrection […]
Thursday, September 18, 2014
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Gus gets things rolling today with Jeff Gardner, co-founder and CEO of Catholic Media International, who joins us live in Iraq as he follows the plight of the persecuted Christians at the hands of ISIS. Jeff describes vividly the atrocities that have been inflicted upon them and how they’re getting through it. To hear the interview […]
Forgiveness and Love
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Popeye used to say, “I yam what I yam.” I wonder if he got that from St. Paul. He could have. In our first reading today from 1 Corinthians 15, St. Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am…” Who knew that Popeye quoted the Scriptures? In the Gospel reading […]
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
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Gus plays a couple clips from yesterday’s edition of Conversation with Cardinal Dolan where his eminence spoke at length about the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen beatification delay and the St. Patrick’s Day parade controversy where, for the first time, a gay group will much under a banner. Cardinal Dolan, incidentally, was named Grand Marshall. To […]