The Cross
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Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the first reading today from Numbers 21, we see a bit of typology. God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole. Whenever someone looked at it, they would be healed of their bite from a serpent. This […]
Faith or Works?
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Today’s second reading from St. James is a treatise on faith and works. St. James says “faith without works is dead.” More on that in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 8, Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” That reading ends with Jesus saying that we must take […]
Good and Rotten
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You probably think you’re a pretty big sinner. I know I do. I mean, I think I’m a pretty big sinner, not you! St. Paul knew that he was a big sinner. But he also knew that, through his conversion to Christ, he was an example of God’s goodness. In our Gospel reading from Luke […]
Ignorant No More
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus talks about removing the beam from your own eye before addressing the splinter in your brother’s eye. For our first reading, we begin St. Paul’s first Letter to Timothy. “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated […]
Thursday, September 10, 2015
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Austen Ivereigh is Gus’ guest today and he talks about the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe and the pope’s appeal to parishes throughout the continent to take in a family seeking asylum. Read Austen’s article here. And, since Gus is off tomorrow, he offers Prayer Time today to his listeners. Also, Bob Dunning joins Gus […]
Put On
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The Gospel of Christ can be tough to live by. I would say impossible without God’s grace. Take today’s Gospel reading, for example. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” These are things that run counter to our nature, […]
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
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In the wake of the Vatican’s announcement yesterday that Pope Francis has reformed the marriage annulment process, Gus talks with Canon Lawyer Michael Ritty, of Canon Law Professionals, LLC, about the annulment process and how Pope Francis’ reform will affect it moving forward. Gus resumes the discussion with listeners who’ve been through the annulment process and […]
The Other Side of the Coin
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I’m a believer that we become what we think about. Apparently so is St. Paul. In today’s first reading from Colossians 3, he says, “…seek what is above” and “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” Sound advice. In the Gospel today from Luke 6, we begin the Sermon on the […]
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
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Gus continues a Monday tradition (even though it’s Tuesday) of Tell Me Something Good, where listeners share their blessings. Gus talked about how he and Michelle went to see the movie War Room over the holiday weekend. He gave it three out of four stars. Watch the trailer here. Fr. Jonathan Morris joined Gus to […]
Happy Birthday, Mother Mary!
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary…Mary’s birthday! Now, we don’t really know the exact day, date or year that Mary was born. We really don’t even know where she was born. In fact, we have no certainty at all about the details of Mary’s life before the […]
On Labor
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Happy Labor Day! I hope you are taking a day of R&R today. There are plenty of options for readings today. The link that I will provide is actually for Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time. But if you attend Mass today, you may hear different readings for Labor Day. The Gospel reading […]
Selective Hearing
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 7, a deaf man with a speech impediment is brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus restored his hearing and immediately his speech impediment was removed. Just as when Jesus restores the sight of blind people they represent us and our blindness, so too does this man represent us and […]
In It for the Long Haul
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Did you know that the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath? Of course you do. But the people of Jesus’ time had to be told that. We hear those words come from the mouth of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. In the first reading from Colossians 1, St. Paul reminds the people that […]
Friday, September 4, 2015
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Gus starts off talking about the arrest of Rowan, Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis for contempt of court for not issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples and gets listener reaction. Also, Fr. Thomas Haan calls in to the program. He was a star high school quarterback in Indiana in the early-2000s who played, for […]
Thursday, September 3, 2015
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Gus talks more on Pope Francis’ pastoral letter for the Year of Mercy, which allows priests to absolve women who have had abortion (previously, in some dioceses, only a bishop could absolve this sin) and he invites women and men to call in who’ve had an abortion experience. Also, Gus talks surveys and asks people to […]
A Good Bridge to Burn
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In today’s first reading from Colossians 1, we get a great dose of Christology – a message about who Christ truly is. In the Gospel reading from Luke 5, Jesus talks about the old and the new, patching an old cloak with new fabric, and putting new wine into old wineskins. In many places, the […]
I’m in Deep
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Today’s first reading is a beautiful prayer from Colossians 1. St. Paul reminds us that “He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” In the Gospel today from Luke 5, Jesus gives Peter and the boys, […]
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
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Gus welcomes Chris White to the program. Chris is the associate director of Catholic Voices USA and he talks with Gus about the negative effects of a contraception-minded society. You can read about it in his latest article. In light of that, Gus asks listeners to call in who, at one point in their life, […]
Sharing Jesus
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Yet another treat in store for us! Today we begin a trip through St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians. As in many of his letters, St. Paul begins with an affirmation. He tells them of his prayers for them, and applauds them for their love and faithfulness. I can only hope that, if St. Paul […]
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
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Gus’ new book “A Minute in the Church: The Mass” drops today and he welcomes the author….Gus Lloyd…..to Seize the Day! Listen to the entire interview here. We also welcome Dr. Scott M. Sullivan to the Conversion Corner. Dr. Sullivan grew up in a non-denominational evangelical Christian household. To watch his recent appearance on the […]
Children of Light
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We hear more about Jesus’ return in our first reading today from 1 Thessalonians 5. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Luke 4, we see Jesus casting out a demon from a man. The people are amazed and say, “For with authority and power he commands unclean spirits, and they come out.” […]
Now Available – A Minute in the Church: The Mass
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For most Catholics, the Mass is so familiar. We’re often very comfortable in the routine. We know when to sit, stand and kneel. We know the responses and the rituals. Many Catholics take great comfort in this. After all, we know all about the Mass. Or do we? When I reverted to Catholicism, I was […]
Monday, August 31, 2015
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Gus kicks off the week with Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser who talks about Planned Parenthood’s reaction to the Center for Medical Progress’ videos and how they’re planning to counter them. You can read more about it by clicking here. Also, Gus’ new book “A Minute in the Church: The Mass” drops tomorrow […]
He’s Coming Back
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Last week we heard numerous readings from near the end of Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus exhorted His disciples to stay awake. In today’s first reading from 1 Thessalonians 4, St. Paul explains why. In the Gospel reading today, we begin a journey through the Gospel of Luke. We pick up in chapter 4 where Jesus […]
Inside Out
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 7, Jesus talks about what makes a person unclean, or defiled. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus declares all foods clean. He says, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Jesus goes on, “from within […]
Passion of St. John the Baptist
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Today the Church celebrates the Martyrdom of John the Baptist. In the past it has been called the beheading of and the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. The Gospel reading is from Mark 6, the account of why and how John the Baptist was beheaded. It is a sad and grisly story, but one […]
Friday, August 28, 2015
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Today is the Feast of St. Augustine. Gus revives a long-standing tradition on Seize the Day of sharing the wisdom of St. Augustine. Gus had listeners call in and give him a date, where he turned to in his book, Augustine Day by Day, and read the reflection and prayer from that day. You can […]
God’s Will: Your Holiness
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable about ten virgins who are awaiting a wedding feast. Five of them were foolish, five of them were wise. The foolish ones did not bring enough oil for their lamps and when the bridegroom was delayed, they ran out of oil and did […]
Thursday, August 27, 2015
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Gus started the day recounting the events of yesterday morning when TV reporter Alison Parker and her cameraman Adam Ward were killed while live on the air. Gus told about how it was personal since his oldest son is in TV news. He then asked listeners who have lost a child to call and share […]
Like a Thief in the Night
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Today is the feast of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. St. Monica spent years praying for her pagan son to come to faith. Those prayers paid off, as Augustine became one of the greatest thinkers and saints in history. In the first reading today from 1 Thessalonians 3, St. Paul talks about praying […]
The Word at Work
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We’re back in 1 Thessalonians today for the first reading. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mathew 23, we continue to hear Jesus give it to the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites again and again. St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians, “We too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving […]
How We Speak
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In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus has some not-so-nice things to say to the scribes and Pharisees. He refers to them as hypocrites, blind guides and blind Pharisees. All this while warning them about hypocrisy. In the first reading today we’re in 1 Thessalonians 2. St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians about how he and his companions […]
Rid of Duplicity
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Bartholomew. Bartholomew is listed among the Twelve. He was brought to Jesus by the Apostle Philip. Tradition tells us that he preached the Gospel in India, where he was rewarded with the crown of martyrdom. The first reading today is from Revelation 21, where we get a […]
Bring Back the Awe!
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Most everywhere I speak, I ask for a show of hands from people who have someone in their lives who no longer goes to church or practices the faith. Every time I ask, it’s nearly unanimous. Almost every hand in the room goes up. It’s truly heartbreaking. Baptisms are down, marriages are down, Mass attendance […]
Do You Also Want to Leave?
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For the past three Sundays, we have been reading from John 6, the Bread of Life discourse. John 6 begins with Jesus feeding the multitude. Then it moves to Capernaum, where Jesus speaks again and again about eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood. After Jesus talked about eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood, […]
Lead by Example
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Even though she was not a daughter of Israel, Ruth is one of a few women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. We see how she wound up in the line of the Messiah in today’s first reading. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 23, Jesus warns the disciples not to be like the scribes […]
Ruth’s Example
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The Book of Ruth is one of the shorter books in the Bible. In today’s first reading, we meet Ruth. Ruth was King David’s great-grandmother. But the story of how that came to be is fascinating, and we see the beginning of it today. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus is asked which […]
Thursday, August 20, 2015
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As Gus will be off the air for the next few days, Seize the Day begins today with prayer time. Gus asked the listeners to pray for him, as he will be preaching at the Wyoming Catholic Men’s Retreat. Pray also for all the men attending! Gus shared some audio clips from the most recently […]
Being Properly Dressed
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Today’s first reading from Judges 11 may be hard for us to understand, and even harder for us to accept. Jephthah makes a vow to the Lord. If the Lord gave him victory in battle, Jephthah promises to give as a burnt offering to the Lord whoever came out of the door to his house […]
Time to Seize the Day!
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There are plenty of shifty characters in the Scriptures. We see one of them today in the person of Abimelech, in our first reading from Judges 9. He killed all of his brothers, save one, so that he would be made king. The one brother who manages to escape, Jotham, goes to the top of […]
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
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Gus starts off the day talking about homilies. He heard a great homily this past Sunday at Mass and asked listeners to rate the homilies at their church, and talk about what makes a great, or not-so-great, homily. Matthew James Christoff, the founder of The New Emangelization spoke with Gus today about evangelizing men, and […]
What’s Possible
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In the first reading today, we meet Gideon. Be honest now…you thought he was just a guy who dropped Bibles off in hotel rooms, right? Actually, Gideon is one of the mightiest warrior/champions in all of Scripture. Today Gideon meets up with the angel of the Lord. He asks for a sign, and recieves one. […]
A Dangerous Question
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In the first reading from Judges 2, we see that the people turned away from God. The consequences were not pleasant. “[God] allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies…Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them…” The Gospel reading is one that I hope is familiar from Matthew 19. Jesus […]
True Food and True Drink
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Today’s Gospel reading is John 6:51-58. While much of the Bread of Life discourse up to now has sounded somewhat metaphoric, Jesus gets to the meat of the matter today. (Pun intended.) “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh […]
Assumed into Heaven
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since it falls on a Saturday this year, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation. This is one of those days that is greatly misunderstood by many. So let’s talk about it, and hopefully clear up some misconceptions that some […]
Christ on Marriage
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In today’s first reading from Joshua 24, Joshua addresses the people, speaking for the Lord God. He reminds them of all the things that Lord had done for them and for their ancestors; mighty deeds that they could not take credit for. God was reminding them that it was He who had given them everything […]
Thursday, August 13, 2015
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Gus tries a little different twist on Bible Roulette this morning as he plays Proverbs Roulette. Listeners called in and randomly got a verse from the Book of Proverbs. Gus shared excerpts from the latest video released by the Center for Medical Progress. This video shows an interview with Holly O’Donnell, who used to go […]
Forgiving From the Heart
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Joshua was Moses’ successor. He was chosen to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. That’s what we see in today’s first reading from Joshua 3. Included is a miracle almost as big as the parting of the Red Sea. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus how many times […]
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
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Gus talked with listeners today about answered prayers. Has God ever answered a prayer of your almost instantaneously or, conversely, was there one that took years but was ultimately answered? And, we spoke with Carissa Mulder, Leonine Fellow at the Catholic Information Center and a Catholic Voices USA associate, about the effects the Center for Medical […]
Of Binding, Loosing and Praying
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Today we read about the death of Moses. It has been fascinating reading about his life and times. As I’ve mentioned many times, no one had a relationship with God quite like Moses. And today’s passage from Deuteronomy 34 reminds us of that. “Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the […]