Man, Woman, Marriage
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Did you know that there are two creation accounts in Genesis? We saw the first part of the second story of creation yesterday. Today we see the more complete version of God making a partner for the man. “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone.’ ” He then […]
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
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Gus starts off today talking about the upcoming feature film “50 Shades of Gray” with syndicated Catholic radio host and author Teresa Tomeo and just how it glamorizes dysfunctional sexual relationships and objectifies women. Teresa has addressed that subject in her book “Extreme Makeover.” You can order the book and learn more about Teresa by clicking here. […]
Don’t!
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Today’s Gospel reading from Mark 7 has had a profound effect on me. Jesus tells the disciples that it’s not what one puts into the mouth that defiles (thus declaring all foods clean), but it is what comes out of us that defiles. Read the list and see if any of these things ever come […]
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
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With NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams still in the news for “misremembering” his helicopter being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Gus asks listeners their thoughts. Is this a big deal or not? Should Brian Williams be forgiven and be allowed back in the anchor seat? Gus also talks […]
The Lips and The Heart
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In the first reading today from Genesis 1 and 2, we read the rest of the creation account, days five through seven, including the first account of God creating man. “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” In today’s Gospel reading from Mark […]
Monday, February 9, 2015
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Lino Rulli, the Catholic Guy, stopped by Gus’ studio in Tampa, affectionately referred to as “the Bunker” by Lino, and spent a whole hour talking and gabbing with Gus about all things Catholic, including why Lino has such a hard time getting to mass all the time. And, Sister Briege McKenna calls in to Seize the Day […]
In the Beginning
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Today for our first reading, we begin at the beginning. Genesis 1. “In the beginning…” We’ll be in the book of Genesis for the next couple of weeks. Today we read about days 1-4 in the creation story. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 6, we see Jesus once again healing. […]
Time for Prayer
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Jesus was a busy guy. It seems He was always on the go – preaching, teaching, healing, feeding. Yet we see that He always took time for prayer. In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus spends all night healing people and casting out demons. One might guess that He got very little sleep. After […]
A Sacrifice of Praise
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Today we finish up the Letter to the Hebrews. I don’t know about you, but I think it has been a great time of learning during our time in Hebrews. Today the sacred author tells us to “continually offer God a sacrifice of praise…” More on that in a moment. In our Gospel reading from […]
Friday, February 6, 2015
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Inspired by today’s first reading (Heb 13: 1-8), which says, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels,” Gus asks listeners to call in if they ever had an “angelic encounter.” Also, in today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the imprisonment and beheading of St. John the […]
Thursday, February 5, 2015
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Gus talks about distractions at mass today. It’s something he always deals with and he asks listeners to call in who struggle with the same thing and offer what they do to overcome them. Also, we welcome a couple priests onto the show. First, we’ve talked about healing a lot on Seize the Day this […]
Entertaining Angels
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Today’s Gospel reading from Mark 6 is the story of the beheading of John the Baptist. Sad and tragic, yes, but a great story for us about standing up for truth no matter the consequences. There’s a very interesting line in today’s first reading from Hebrews 13. “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some […]
FROG
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Invisible realities can be tough to comprehend. We tend to only focus on the concrete – that which we can see and hear and touch. But there is so much more. We get a hint of that in today’s first reading from Hebrews 12. This passage often reminds me of Mass. If we could see […]
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
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Gus welcomed Martin Pistorius to the Catholic Channel studios in New York City today for a one-on-one interview about his harrowing ordeal. Martin contracted meningitis as a young boy, which left him in a paralytic, vegetative state for 12 years, completely aware of his surroundings but unable to communicate. Eventually, Martin’s aromatherapist discovered his cognitive abilities […]
Discipline
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Today we’re going to talk about discipline. Not a fun topic, I know. If you clicked over to another web site right now, I wouldn’t blame you! But in today’s first reading from Hebrews 12, discipline is a main theme. So talk about it we must. In the Gospel reading from Mark 6, Jesus is […]
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
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Inspired by today’s Gospel reading (Mark 5: 21-43), which recounts the story of Jesus’ healing of the synagogue leader Jairus’ daughter, Gus talks about miracle healings and asks listeners what role illness and healing has played in their respective spiritual journeys. Also, Lorraine and Chris Wallace stop by the Catholic Channel studios to talk about her […]
Faith and Healing
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In today’s first reading from Hebrews 12, the Sacred Author tells us “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” A wonderful reminder that we are never alone. The angels and saints are constantly interceding for us. Take comfort in that, my friend! In the Gospel reading today from Mark 5, we see […]
Monday, February 2, 2015
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Gus talks Super Bowl commercials today! He asks listeners to call in and tell how they felt about this year’s batch. Gus’ favorite, by the way, was the Snickers ad with Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi. Watch it by clicking here. We also hear from John Michael Talbot, prolific Catholic musician and founder of the Brothers […]
Friday, January 30, 2015
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Saturday is the feast of St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesian order, and Fr. Mike Mendl, communications director of the Salesian Society, calls in to talk about their founder. You can learn more about the Salesians by clicking here. Gus also talks about the Super Bowl, coming up this Sunday, and he takes predictions; […]
Monday, January 26, 2015
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Gus recaps the March for Life and is joined by Maureen Ferguson, senior policy adviser at the Catholic Association to talk about some pro-life legislation that passed in the House of Representatives and some that didn’t.
A Promise Kept
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Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Also known as Candlemas, this is the day when candles will be blessed. There will be three readings today. In the first reading from Malachi 3, God says through the prophet, “And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and […]
Knowing Jesus
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We see a very interesting story in our Gospel reading today from Mark 1. Jesus drives an unclean spirit out of a man. When Jesus confronts the spirit, it cries out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy […]
Faith?
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Faith is a theme that runs through the readings today. In the first reading from Hebrews 11, we read the definition of faith. Are you familiar with it? Read it! The sacred author talks about Abraham and others who died in faith. In the Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus is asleep in a boat […]
Enduring Our Sufferings
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus tells a couple of parables, both of an agrarian nature. In the first He talks about how a seed grows, yet we know not how. Why? It is the mystery of life, and that God alone is the giver and taker of life. The second is a […]
Thursday, January 29, 2015
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Gus continued his celebration of Catholic Schools Week by taking a walk down memory lane and having listeners share their experiences with Catholic education. Jennifer Fulwiler visited for a few minutes today to talk about The Jennifer Fulwiler Show on The Catholic Channel. While her show airs Thursdays at 1 p.m. eastern time, next week […]
Invitation
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I love today’s reading from Hebrews 10. The Sacred Author gives us some great advice. More on that in a moment. We get some scary words from Jesus today in our Gospel reading from Mark 4. “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” Yowza! You mean that we will be […]
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
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To celebrate the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Gus talked with Dr. Kevin Vost, author of The One-Minute Aquinas. He gave a brief history of the Angelic Doctor and shared some of his wisdom. If you’d like to get the book, click below. Gus got an update from Jeff Gardner, who called from Iraq. He […]
Accepting the Word
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Christ’s death on Calvary is called the final sacrifice. In the first reading from Hebrews 10, we read about how “this one [Christ] offered one sacrifice for sins.” The reading today ends with this: “Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.” As Jesus said from the cross, “It is […]
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
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Today Gus recounted a recent “divine appointment” that he had on his flight home from Washington, DC. He sat next to Esther, who was struggling with her faith after losing her father. Esther said that God must have sent Gus to sit next to her and encourage her. Gus’ listeners then recalled divine appointments in […]
I Come to do Your Will
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“I come to do your will.” This is a line that we hear over and over again in the liturgy today. It appears twice in the first reading from Hebrews 10, and it is part of the response in today’s Responsorial Psalm from Psalm 40. This theme continues in the Gospel reading from Mark 3. […]
Thursday, January 22, 2015
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Gus was live today at the 2015 March for Life on the National Mall in Washington D.C. where he was joined by pro-life activists from all over the country including Lila Rose from Live Action, Joe Baker from Save the Storks, Peggy Hartshorn of Heartbeat International, singer-songwriter Marie Miller, Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church […]
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
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Today, Gus was joined by Catholic News Agency writer Alan Holdren to talk about Pope Francis’ recent comments on birth control and on Catholics who “breed like rabbits.” We also get a call from Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, who talks about the Supreme Court’s impending decision on national same-sex marriage. […]
Stir Into Flame
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. It is a special day for my parish, as I attend St. Timothy Parish. Because it is a shared feast day, we have an option of two first readings, one from 2 Timothy and one from Titus. I’d like to concentrate today on the […]
Following Jesus
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 1, we read about the call of the first disciples. Jesus sees Simon and Andrew and says to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” The Scripture tells us, “they abandoned their nets and followed him.” Shortly after the same thing happens with James […]
Out of His Mind
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The blood of animals was very important in the old covenant. But the New Covenant is sealed with the Blood of Christ. In today’s first reading from Hebrews 9, the sacred author talks about the power in the Blood. Today’s Gospel reading from Mark 3 is just two verses. Here it is: Jesus came with […]
The Twelve
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The first reading today from Hebrews 8 talks about covenant. Jesus came to earth to usher in the New Covenant. A covenant is an exchange of persons. It requires total self-donation. As Christ died for us (total self-donation), are we willing to totally donate ourselves to Him? In the Gospel reading from Mark 3, we […]
Defending Life
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Today in the United States is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. It falls on the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in America – a sad day, indeed. It is also the annual March for Life in Washington, DC. Some people wonder why […]
A Priest Forever
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The author of Hebrews was big on Melchizedek, and his “relationship” to Jesus. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 3, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the sabbath. Once again the Pharisees, itching for a reason to come against him, well…come against him. The question has […]
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
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Gus saw American Sniper over the weekend and was so moved by the film that he went and saw it again. He devotes much of the show to discussion about the movie and gets caller reviews. We hear from a lot of military veterans. Also, Pope Francis made some more headlines on the plane ride […]
Friday, January 16, 2015
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Inspired by today’s reading (Mark 2: 1-12), where four men lowered their paralytic friend down through the ceiling so Jesus could heal him, Gus asks his listeners to call in and talk about their faith-filled friends who they either led back to Church or who led them back. Also, Emiliy Zender calls in to talk […]
Spiritual Sluggishness
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus says something very telling to the Pharisees. “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” In a way, Jesus was revealing to them that He is the one who makes the […]
Our Great High Priest
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Today in Hebrews 5, we see a theme that we touched on last week; that Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered. The author of Hebrews was big on this concept. In the Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus says, “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh […]
Looking?
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All of today’s readings bear great contemplation. In the first reading from 1 Samuel 3, we hear Samuel saying, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Words to live by. In the second reading from 1 Corinthians 6, St. Paul reminds us that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel reading […]
Knowing God’s Word
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In our first reading from Hebrews 4, the author of Hebrews tells us about the word of God. More on that in a moment. The Gospel reading from Mark 2 is about the call of Levi, also known as Matthew. Levi was a tax collector. In those days, tax collectors were considered traitors. They were […]
Thursday, January 15, 2015
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Gus started out talking about Hebrews 3:13 from today’s reading, which we often sing at mass during a Responsorial Psalm, “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” It caused him to ask the question, do you have a go-to prayer? Also, Chuck Jansen, president and founder of Faith for the Journey, calls […]
Faith-filled Friends
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The first reading today from Hebrews 4 talks about entering into God’s rest. How do we enter into that rest? By being steadfast in faith, and obedient to God. In the Gospel reading today from Mark 2, we read the story of four guys who have a friend who is paralyzed. They want to try to […]
While It is Still “Today”
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Today’s Gospel story is from Mark 1, about a leper that comes to Jesus seeking to be healed. We heard Luke’s version of the same story a few days ago. Today’s first reading from Hebrews 3 is one that is very close to my heart. It contains a passage that means so much to me. […]
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
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Gus returns live, following his day-long celebration of the Ohio State Buckeyes triumphant win over the Oregon Ducks in the National Championship Game, with a big show! First, we speak to Fr. Leo Patalinghug live from the Philippines in advance of Pope Francis’ visit to the country. Fr. Leo is Filipino and tells Gus first-hand […]
Been There, Done That
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Back in Hebrews 2 today, we see more about the suffering of Jesus and how that plays to our advantage. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 1, we see Jesus healing. He heals Simon’s mother-in-law, then many others who were sick or possessed by demons. He heals them all, then moves […]
Monday, January 12, 2015
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Based on this weekend’s reading (Mark 1: 7-11), which celebrated the baptism of the Lord, Gus does a godparent theme with the listeners. First, he has a contest to find out who the most recent godparent is. The winner gets a free copy of A Minute in the Church, Vol. II. Also, Gus asks listeners how […]