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 […]
Passing On the Faith
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The observance of God’s laws was of paramount importance to the Israelite people. God gave his laws to Moses, who taught them to and enjoined them on the people. More on that in a moment. In our Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus gives the people the same message. “Do not think I have come […]
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
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It’s the Feast Day of the Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Gus honors it in two ways. First, he asks listeners to call in and describe any misnomers they’ve heard from friends and/or family about Catholics’ devotion to the Blessed Mother. Second, after stating that the announcement to Mary by St. […]
The Annunciation
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Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. It is exactly 9 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 […]
Monday, March 24, 2014
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This morning, Gus welcomes Becket Fund for Religious Liberty attorney Eric Baxter to discuss the Hobby Lobby/HHS Mandate case that’s being argued before the Supreme Court and the American Atheists trying to prevent the WTC Cross being kept out of the 9/11 Memorial Museum. To read more about that story, click here. Also, we’re almost […]
Not “One of Us”
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In today’s first reading from 2 Kings 5:1-15, we see the story of Naaman the Syrian. Naaman was a high ranking military official in Syria, but not an Israelite. He was also a leper. The prophet Elisha gave him instructions on how to cleanse himself of his leprosy. Reluctantly, he listened to the words of […]
Pope Francis’ Call
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Today at Mass, our RCIA candidates and catechumens will be undergoing their scrutinies. It’s always very moving. The Gospel reading is from John 4, the story of the woman at the well. Jesus meets up with a Samaritan woman at a well. Two unusual things automatically pop into mind here. First, the woman was a […]
Our Part in the Story
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Some beautiful imagery in today’s first reading from Micah 7. We see that God “delights in clemency…will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.” Then Psalm 103 reminds us that “The Lord is kind and merciful.” And speaking of kindness and mercy, our Gospel reading is from Luke 15, the story of […]
Kill the Messenger
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In the first reading today from Genesis 37, we see some of the story of Joseph. He was Israel’s favorite son, and his brothers didn’t like that so much. So they decided to kill him. In the end cooler heads prevailed they wound up “only” selling him into slavery. But the plot to kill the […]
Thursday, March 20, 2014
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Gus starts off the show with Bill Donaghy, speaker from the Theology of the Body Institute in Philadelphia. The institute is hosting a national congress featuring many of the nation’s top Theology of the Body educators this summer in Philadelphia. The theme for this year’s congress is “Love, Mercy & the New Evangelization”, focusing how the […]
Listening to the Church
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You trust God, right? Of course you do. But can you trust God more? Can you trust God in every area of your life? I believe that we probably don’t have to look too far to find areas of our lives where we don’t so much trust God. Ask Him to increase your trust in […]
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
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Today, it’s the Feast of St. Joseph, foster-father of Jesus, and Gus declares it an unofficial Father’s Day. He lets listeners call in to brag on their fathers. In keeping with the feast day, Gus welcome Fr. Gary Caster, author of Joseph, the Man Who Raised Jesus, to give us a little more insight on […]
A Dad Like No Other
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph. In our first reading from 2 Samuel, God says that his Son would spring from the line of David. “I will make his royal throne firm forever.” Joseph, though not Jesus’ biological father, was from the line of David. There are two options for a Gospel […]
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
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Lent is a major time of preparation for all Catholics in their spiritual lives and it’s also a big time of preparation for soon-to-be Catholics going through the Right of Christian Initiation of adults, or RCIA. Gus talks with listeners who went through the RCIA experience. Also, Greg & Lizzy Boudreaux join Gus to talk […]
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
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Lent is a major time of preparation for all Catholics in their spiritual lives and it’s also a big time of preparation for soon-to-be Catholics going through the Right of Christian Initiation of adults, or RCIA. Gus talks with listeners who went through the RCIA experience. Also, Greg & Lizzy Boudreaux join Gus to talk […]
Relationship
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I read an interesting survey once that found that 12% of Americans believe in a “higher power” but not a “personal God.” I’m guessing that these are the folks that would tell you that they are “spiritual but not religious.” What about this notion of a “personal God?” Our first reading today shows us just […]
Monday, March 17, 2014
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today, Gus welcomes Philip Freeman, author of the book St. Patrick of Ireland, to tell us more about St. Patrick, the man. Get the book by clicking below. Also, Gus joins Jason Workmaster into the Conversion Corner. Jason is an Evangelical convert to Catholicism and you can read more about his […]
St. Patrick’s Prayer
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m going to go a bit out of the normal today and not do a reflection on the daily readings. In honor of St. Patrick, I want to share with you the beautiful St. Patrick’s Breastplate. Many people may know a small part of this beautiful prayer (specifically the next-to-last stanza), […]
What We Will Become
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Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew’s version of the Transfiguration. This is when Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to the top of the mountain and reveals His heavenly glory. Moses and Elijah appear with him. And a voice comes from a cloud that says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; […]
Deserving?
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In today’s first reading from Deuteronomy 26, agreements are made. The people make an agreement with God, to walk in his ways, obey his commandments and hearken to his voice. And God makes an agreement with the people, that they will be “peculiarly his own.” In the Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus says, “But […]
Friday, March 14, 2014
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Today, Gus is joined by L. Martin Nussbaum, the attorney representing the 200 Catholic employers involved in class-action suit against the Obama administration and the HHS Mandate. To read more about the lawsuit, click here. Also, if you’re interested in learning more about Catholic health benefits, click here. Also, Lent is a time of spiritual renewal […]
It’s Not Fair!
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I just love the first reading today from Ezekiel 18. The Lord God says, “You say, ‘The Lord’s way is not fair!’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?” In our Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus raises the bar on our behavior […]
Thursday, March 13, 2014
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Today is the first year anniversary of Pope Francis’ election and he’s the main subject of today’s Seize the Day broadcast. Fr. Mark Morozowich joins Gus in the first hour. He’s the Dean and Associate Professor of Liturgical Studies and Sacramental Theology at Catholic University of America and he gives his summation of the pope’s first year. […]
Living the Golden Rule
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The first reading today is from the Book of Esther. It is a fascinating story and one that I recommend you read. (The whole book is just a few pages long.) In today’s reading, we hear the beautiful prayer of Queen Esther before she is to go and plead that the king will spare her […]
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
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Today, Gus again asks the listeners if they’ve ever caught any backlash from people in their family, community or workplace because of their Catholic faith. Also, Gus talks about Paula Deen. The embattled former Food Network star is speaking at a Catholic fundraiser at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Madison, Kentucky and the pastor, Fr. […]
The Power of Positive Actions
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Today’s readings are about Jonah. Most people know the story from when they were kids. Or at least part of the story. If you were to ask 100 people about the story of Jonah, my guess is that the vast majority would only know one fact. He was the guy that got swallowed up by […]
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
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Gus gets personal and asks the listeners if they’ve ever felt persecuted because of their Catholic faith; be it at work, in their community or even among their own family. Also, Gus is joined by Monsignor Stanley Deptula, Vice Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria and Head of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, and talks […]
God’s Blueprint
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What a beautiful reading today from Isaiah 55. We’ll talk about it in a moment. Our Gospel reading today from Matthew 6 is where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. He teaches them the “Our Father.” But that’s not the end of the story. Immediately after the prayer, Jesus tells them, “If you forgive men […]
Monday, March 10, 2014
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It’s Monday so Gus asks his listeners to Tell Me Something Good. Listeners call in and share their good news and experiences. Also, Fr. David Convertino, executive director of development for the Franciscan Friars, calls in to talk about their new smart phone app called “Lent in My Pocket.” For each day of Lent and Holy […]
I Was Hungry
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“The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.” That is the first line in today’s Responsorial Psalm from Psalm 19. In the first reading from Leviticus, we hear some of these “laws of the LORD.” This reading hearkens us back to the ten commandments. Our Gospel reading today is one that should be […]