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Today, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday with a powerful Gospel story.

To read this week's readings, go to: usccb.org

Jimmy takes weird and wacky questions, answering from a Catholic perspective.

Questions Covered:

 

03:20 - How would someone participate in the Resurrection at the Second Coming if they were to have fallen into a black hole or gone near enough to one that time stopped for them, relative to everyone else? It has been my impression that the Resurrection is supposed to happen for everyone simultaneously (maybe I am wrong), but how can this be given that time is relative? 

11:24 - What would have happened if Adam and Eve had children before they fell? 

14:25 - In the season finale of a popular TV show, a philosophical paradox known as “The Ship of Theseus” was alluded to. Having never heard of this, I did a web search. From what I can gather, it goes something like this: If you take the ship of Theseus and you begin replacing its parts, piece by piece, wooden board by wooden board, by the time you’ve replaced the entire ship, is it still the same ship? Is there a particular way the well-formed Catholic would approach this question with our understanding of form, nature, and the soul? I understand that our physical bodies undergo a similar, ongoing process. Shedding and recycling out old, dead cells and replacing them with new and better cells, yet I’m still me. 

20:10 - I’ve been pondering a question and I suspect only you are equipped to answer in a way I can understand. Recently, on an episode, you explained Olbers’ paradox. Since I first read about this idea several years ago in one of Stephen Hawking’s books, I cannot help but think that it is in error. Mr. Akin, please tell me where I’ve gone wrong. It would seem to me that if the universe was of infinite size, and had no beginning, and the concentration of light sources throughout the universe is the same as we observe in our visible universe, then the night sky would look the same or very similar to what we see now. This would be due to the fact that, as more and more stars exist, further and further away from us, the light from those distant stars is increasingly dim. Ultimately, the light reaching us from those stars becomes infinitesimally small and imperceivable to the human eye. The rate of light reaching us on a nightly basis would be only marginally changed from what we see now, as distant stars could have rates of light sent to the earth at 1 photon/year, decade, century, etc. I have trouble believing that I’m right about this and that you, Steven Hawking, and Heinrich Olbers are wrong about this. I also don’t believe we live in an infinite physical universe with no beginning, I just don’t see how Olbers’ paradox lends any support to that belief. 

29:04 - Not being an expert on Thomas Aquinas this one caught me off guard. I was asked if Thomas views God as being “outside of time” and therefore if there is time in heaven. I wasn’t quite sure where to find the answer, but the question is basically if the conclusion of Thomas’ belief about motion, meant that heaven would be an eternal moment, so I guess everyone would be sitting around in front of God frozen like statues. Is this anywhere close to what can reasonably be understood from his writings? Also, if there’s no time (or movement) in heaven, how can the saints hear our prayers or intercede for us. Is this just a big misunderstanding? 

39:35 - If I discovered that someone has an object that can be spiritually dangerous to someone would it be a sin to secretly take it and dispose of it without that someone’s consent, if it can be done without his notice and if it can be presumed that he wouldn’t give that object up if informed about its danger. I’m talking primarily about objects that don’t have much morally acceptable uses. For example, let’s say my friend got a bunch of old books and magazines and asked for help in sorting them. In doing that, I found pornographic material and, because I know my friend, I know it may be dangerous for him to have and he may be unwilling to give it up if informed. Would it the be sin of theft if I took the dangerous material and destroyed it without informing the owner? What can be morally done in that kind of situation? 

46:59 - Would or could Lazarus have had a NDE (near death experience)? 

50:55 - If Jesus had children, would his children be demigods or just normal humans?

Fr. Tad helps callers to navigate the ethics of medicine and the dignity of life.

Questions Covered:

 

14:15 - I disagree that people don’t have the right to take their own life. You can’t know what a person is suffering. I think every person is entitled to their own reality.  

28:35 - What is the Catholic stance on ending ectopic pregnancies? 

31:33 - What is the morality of the covid19 vaccine? I feel like we are being forced to take it and I really don’t want to participate in aborted fetal cell research. 

40:05 - Is anxiety medicine approved by the Catholic Church? 

45:32 - I am concerned about donating my brain and spinal cord after death. I think the Catholic Church teaches that the body should not be separated or disrupted after death, but I have multiple sclerosis and really want to give my body to science so they can find a cure. What should I do? 

48:35 - What would happen with abortion if we were able to remove embryos from women who want abortions and successfully implant them in women who want to carry them? Would that solve the abortion problem and would it be ethical?

In this episode, we welcome Jessica Connolly, owner of Telos Art Shop (which Lindsay is borderline obsessed with).

Her quote comes from The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis:

“We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words—to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.”

We’re so grateful to share these thoughts on beauty as we celebrate the Easter season.

Visit Jessica’s shop at www.telosartshop.com and use code QUOTEME for $5 off any order over $40. Code never expires. 

Follow Jessica on Instagram and Facebook, too (@telosart).

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review wherever you find your podcasts, and tell a friend.

Until next time, God bless you!

Bill Snyder talks about the Feast of Divine Mercy on this episode of Young Catholics Respond. 

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David Skuban joins me for today's program. He is a lifelong Catholic who lives with his family in the Edmonton area. We discuss his faith and how it has been an anchor in his life. He discussed the necessity for us to live in a state of grace and to frequent the sacraments. He is also the host of a great podcast titled "The Catholic Canuck Podcast" where his mission is to encourage Catholics and all people of good will to be in the world, but not of the world.

With Divine Mercy Sunday being this weekend, Richaél Lucero explores the message of Divine Mercy that Jesus gave to St. Faustina in the 1930’s. This episode is jam packed! Learn the “ABC’s” of the Divine Mercy message, the necessity for trust, and the true understanding of mercy and how it embodies our relationship with God. Plus, how to receive the graces promised on the feast of Divine Mercy Sunday (even under social distancing restrictions.)

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The President and Executive Director of the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association for more than 20 years, AND he is the President of the Association of Catholic Coaches and Athletes, which he formed ten years ago. He played, coached, and umpired baseball at the collegiate level and at one point even traveled to England, Germany, Brazil, and Nicaragua as a Major League Baseball International Envoy (Diplomat) Coach to teach and promote baseball. During this interview he also mentions having a brother who is a priest.

Living with The Spirit means we can ask The Holy Spirit to Ignit my Heart on Fire! Let's ask that specifically today!