Prayer of St. Patrick
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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), […]
Monday, March 16, 2015
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Today Gus and his listeners talked a lot about their children. Reflecting on today’s Gospel reading from John 4 where Jesus healed the son of a royal official, Gus asked for stories of miracles involving children. As always, there were some amazing and moving tales. On today’s edition of “Tell Me Something Good,” Gus asked […]
Your Son Will Live
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“Lo, I am about to create a new heavens and a new earth…there shall be rejoicing and happiness in what I create.” These are words of the LORD from today’s first reading from Isaiah 65. Jesus came to bring about this “new heavens and new earth.” Have you been made new during your Lenten journey […]
So We Might See
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Many parishes will use the readings from Year A today. The Gospel reading is the story of the man born blind from John 9. Jesus heals a man who was born blind. It is one of the longest readings of the Church year. When the man born blind returns to Jesus to thank Him for […]
The Trap of Pride
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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 13, 2015
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Today is the second anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. Gus celebrates by asking listeners to call in and rate the job he’s done so far. He also speaks with Ashley McGuire, senior fellow at the Catholic Association, about the pontificate of Pope Francis and recollects the day he was elected. Ashley just so […]
Love God, Love Neighbor
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Today’s first reading from Hosea 14 contains some of the most beautiful imagery in Scripture. It shows us God’s loving heart for his people. Even though they had turned away, He will welcome them back, if they just ask for His forgiveness. “I will heal their defection, says the Lord, I will love them freely.” […]
Thursday, March 12, 2015
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Gus starts off by announcing the newest addition to his family! Little Wyatt was born yesterday. He’s Gus and Michelle’s second grandchild! Go to Gus’ Facebook page to see pictures! Also, Fr. Dwight Longenecker joins us again; this time to talk about the threats made by ISIS against the pope and Rome. To read Fr. […]
Armed for Battle
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In the first reading today from Jeremiah 7, we read the story of a nation that has abandoned God. God says, “Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned […]
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
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Seize the Day is loaded with great guests today, but we start off with Cardinal Dolan’s homily from yesterday’s funeral mass of the late Cardinal Emeritus Edward Egan, former cardinal archbishop of New York and the founder of the Catholic Channel. Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May […]
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
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Gus starts off talking with listeners about praying with strangers. Have you ever had the occasion to pray with a stranger and what was that like for you? And, we need to clear out our prize closet so Gus plays a few spirited rounds of Catholic Quiz to test his listeners’ Catholic knowledge. We also […]
Monday, March 9, 2015
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Monday means Tell Me Something Good on Seize the Day where Gus shares his recent good news and blessings and encourages listeners to call in with theirs. Also, Deacon Keith Fournier calls in to talk about Catholics being pushed out of commerce in the wake of recent same-sex marriage court decisions and the current political […]
Obey and Teach
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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 […]
Forgive, Forgive, Forgive, Forgive…
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Today’s first reading contains one of the most beautiful prayers in all of Scripture. It is the prayer of Azariah from Daniel 3. Azariah and his two companions had been thrown into the fiery furnace by the king, because they prayed to the one true God. While in the furnace, this is the prayer that […]
Be a Prophet!
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What a fascinating story we see in our first reading from 2 Kings 5. Naaman the Syrian, a respected military man, was a leper. He asks the king of Israel to heal him, but he can’t. So the prophet Elisha volunteers to heal him. Naaman doesn’t like what Elisha tells him, but does it anyway, […]
Break Down Those Barriers
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At my parish, we use the readings for Year A at today’s 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 […]
A Brother, A Son, A Father
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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 […]
Friday, March 6, 2015
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Seize the Day returned live today as Gus paid tribute to Cardinal Emeritus Edward Egan, former cardinal archbishop of New York and founder of the Catholic Channel. We were joined by several guests, including two of the late cardinal’s brother bishops; Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of the archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky and current president of the […]
Fruit for the Kingdom
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Today’s first reading from Genesis 37 is the story of Joseph being sold out by his brothers. The brothers were jealous of him because he was the favored son of Israel, their father. Originally the plan was to kill him. But one of the brothers had a fit of conscience and nixed that plan. So […]
Where Riches Can Lead
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus tells the Pharisees a story about a beggar named Lazarus and a rich man. Both of them die and wind up in opposite places. More on that in a moment. In our first reading from Jeremiah 17, the Lord curses the man who trusts in human beings, […]
The Cost
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Despite what you may have heard, Jeremiah was not a bullfrog. He was a prophet. And because of that, people turned against him. In today’s first reading, we see that. Even though Jeremiah stood in the gap to plead for the people, they plotted against him to kill him. In the Gospel reading from Matthew […]
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
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Gus begins with confession today. He didn’t make one, because there wasn’t a priest around, but he did ask listeners what the longest they went without going to confession. We also hear from Catholic filmmaker and director Sean Bloomfield and his new Medjugorje video contest where Sean will select five individuals to visit Medjugorje, a village in […]
Let Us Set Things Right
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I don’t know about you, but I find that, more often than not, something is not quite right in my relationship with God. It is always my fault, this I know. But I also know that God is always ready and willing to patch things up. Our first reading today from Isaiah 1 speaks to […]
Lenten Transfiguration
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Today’s Gospel reading is Mark’s version of the Transfiguration. This is when Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to the top of the mountain (the very same mountain that we read about in the first reading) and reveals His heavenly glory. Moses and Elijah appear with him. And a voice comes from a cloud […]
Perfectly Merciful
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I’m always struck by one of the verses in today’s first reading from Deuteronomy 26. “And today the Lord is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own.” I love that phrase, “peculiarly his own.” Have you ever thought of yourself that way? As “peculiarly his own?” If not, […]
Friday, February 27, 2015
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It’s Friday so that means it’s time to pray. Gus offers an extended Prayer Time for his listeners. And, Dr. Ian Murphy sits down with Gus in the Conversion Corner. Dr. Murphy is a former Baptist minister who converted to the Catholic faith in 2004. Watch Dr. Murphy’s appearance on the Coming Home Network by […]
Reconciliation Before Worship
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Have you ever had a child say to you, “That’s not fair!” We hear a similar refrain coming from the people in today’s first reading from Ezekiel 18. Phrased as a question, it might sound like this: What do mean we have to repent? God then tells them the benefits of repentance. In our Gospel […]
Thursday, February 26, 2015
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The restaurant chain Red Robin has an open invitation for Pope Francis to come to the U.S. and try one of their Wild Pacific Crab Cake Burgers. The company said “If His Holiness accepts and visits any U.S. location between February 18th and April 2nd, they will offer the Wild Pacific Crab Cake Burger to […]
Asking for Help
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It’s common knowledge that men don’t like to ask for directions. I guess in the age of the GPS, that problem has been all but eliminated. Asking for help, for men or women, is often a very difficult thing to do. We fancy ourselves strong and independent. I can handle it! In the first reading today […]
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
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Gus talks homilies this morning on Seize the Day; in particular, have you ever heard one that changed you? Did it seem like the priest or deacon was talking directly to you? Also, Catholic columnist Melinda Selmys calls in to talk about mass as nourishment rather than only as an obligation. You can read Melinda’s column […]
A Simple Message
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We have two interesting readings today that complement each other. Our first reading is from Johah 3. Jonah stops running from the Lord and finally sets out for the great city of Nineveh. He goes and preaches repentence. The people heed the words of the prophet. The king proclaims a fast, and God relents from […]
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
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Gus recounts a story he heard from a woman at a parish mission the other day who told him that her mother left the Church 35 years ago because she was treated very poorly by a priest. It prompted Gus to ask listeners to call in who left the Church and tell him why. We got several […]
The Word of God
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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, February 23, 2015
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Every Monday Gus does his “Tell Me Something Good” segment. As always, people shared stories of God’s goodness and grace today. Gus welcomed Greg and Lizzy Boudreaux back to the show to talk about the release of their new EP, Now That I Have Love. Gus played some tracks from the EP. If you’d like […]
Sheep or Goat?
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In the first reading today from Leviticus 19, Moses gives the people instructions from God on how to conduct their lives. It sounds very similar to the Ten Commandments. It ends with the great commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In the Gospel reading from Matthew 25, we see a familiar story from […]
Temptations of the Devil
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Today is the First Sunday of Lent. Our Gospel reading is from Mark 1. St. Mark recounts the forty days that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert before He began His public ministry. While He was in the desert, Satan came to tempt and test him. St. Mark’s version is very short, but […]
Seeing the Doctor
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We hear more today about things that are pleasing to God in our first reading from Isaiah 58. The Lord also talks about how we should conduct ourselves on the sabbath. “If you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice – Then you shall delight in the […]
Friday, February 20, 2015
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Fr. Burke Masters calls in to the program to talk about his conversion and vocation story. Fr. Burke is the vocations director in the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois and a Catholic speaker. He and Gus will be speaking at the Man Up Conference in Pembroke Pines, Florida on Friday, February 27th. You can learn more […]
A Pleasing Fast
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We often think of fasting as abstaining from food. Make no mistake about it, this is a good thing – IF we are doing it with the right intentions for the right reasons. But in our first reading today from Isaiah 58, we read about true fasting. More on that in a moment. In the […]
Thursday, February 19, 2015
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Gus gets off to a cold start today! Looking at the cold temperatures throughout the nation, Gus asks listeners to call in and tell him how cold it is in their “neck of the woods,” to quote famous Today Show weatherman Al Roker. Next, Gus is joined by former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and his […]
The Choices We Make
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In our first reading today from Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people what they must do in order to enter the promised land. Obey the commandments of the Lord, love Him, walk in his ways. “Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding […]
Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2015
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Happy Ash Wednesday! Today Gus talked about all things Ash Wednesday and Lent, including the rules for fasting for Catholics. Gus also read Pope Francis’ Lenten Message for 2015. If you’d like to read this beautiful message, click here. Gus welcomed Fr. Mike Van Sloun, pastor of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Wayzata, MN to talk […]
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
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Gus is helping everybody get ready for the start of Lent. He asks listeners what they’ve given up or taken on in Lents past, that were particularly fruitful, in an attempt to inspire other listeners who may be struggling with what sacrifice they’re going to make for 2015. Also, in the spirit of the season, […]
Return to Me
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Is it just me, or does Lent seem to creep up on you each year? It’s Ash Wednesday already! If you haven’t yet figured out what to do this Lenten season, today would be a good time to pray about that. Some great ideas come right from Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. Almsgiving, prayer and […]
Understanding Jesus
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We see some tough questions from Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. More in a moment. For our first reading, we’re in Genesis 6 and 7, reading about Noah. Everyone else on earth was evil, so God decided to start over again with Noah and his family. When Jesus tells the disciples, “Watch out, guard against […]
My Brother’s Keeper?
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We have a very short Gospel reading today from Mark 8. The Pharisees are looking for a sign from Jesus. But Jesus tells them that “no sign will be given this generation.” What they failed to realize is that the sign was standing right in front of them. A good lesson for us to remember: […]
We are Lepers
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In the first reading today from Leviticus 13, we read about what will be done with lepers. He “shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.” In the Gospel reading from Mark 1, […]
Not My Fault!
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 8, we read about a miracle. Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few fish. And after everyone had eaten their fill, they picked up the fragments left over and got seven baskets full. Now that’s love! In the first reading today from Genesis 3, God […]
The Deceiver
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Satan is really good at one thing: deception. More on that in a moment. Ancient prophesies said that the Messiah would come and make the deaf hear and the mute speak. Guess what Jesus does in today’s Gospel reading from Mark 7. For the first reading today from Genesis 3, we’re back in the Garden […]
Thursday, February 12, 2015
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Gus continues his celebration of National Marriage Week by asking listeners how they met their spouse and whether or not faith played any role. Also, Father Joshua Johnson, aka the Rapping Priest, calls in to the show to tell his fascinating vocation story. Father Joshua is one of the two priests featured in Ascension Press‘ […]