Catholic Latte

Fr. Eric reflects on how God calls us to get in the habit of renouncing not just evil things but even all manner of competiting goods to obtain the peace that He wishes to give to us. Reflecting upon Mk 9:30-37, in the context of which Christ urges His disciples to abandon their worldly ambitions in favour of adopting the mindset of a little child, Fr. Eric suggests that the Lord's exhortation is basically to conserve one's limited spiritual energies to serve God's particular purposes for his or her life.

Fr. Eric refers to the Vatican II document, "Gaudium et Spes" (Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World): https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html. As key example, Fr. Eric cites a May 17, 2018 talk that Bishop Robert Barron gave at the headquarters of Google: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enDhX49F3XI.

Fr. Eric references also the conversion story of a Harvard professor named Roy Schoeman, as documented by Shalom World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWDevlijGUI.

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Fr. Eric reflects on the etymology of the word "deny," especially in the context of the Lord's invitation to deny oneself to follow Him as a prerequisite to authentic discipleship (Mk 8:27-35).

Topics include the importance of understanding key terms as a preliminary step towards effective evangelization; the primacy of dying to oneself and having the courage to be reborn in Christ, as opposed to engaging simply in various penitential practices; and the practice of living out of a habitual stance of sacrificial love to become an effective witness to the Catholic faith.

As a key example, Fr. Eric reflects upon how the film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2010) was instrumental in helping him discern a vocation to the holy priesthood.

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Reflecting on the Ephphetha ritual in the Rite of Baptism, which hearkens back to how Christ healed the deaf and enabled them to speak clearly (Mk 7:31-37), Fr. Eric speaks about the connection between this Gospel event and the corresponding prophecy by Isaiah (35:4-7) about the ushering in of a new era of joy coinciding with the coming of the Messiah.

Expounding upon the iconic Gospel story of the rich young man (Mt 19:16-30; Mk 10:17-31 and Lk 18:18-30), Fr. Eric explains further how the call to follow Christ with integrity and sincerity of heart is a necessary prequisite to finding the joy that aligns with the deepest desire of the human heart.

Fr. Eric speaks also about the Biblical practices of tithing (Gen 14:20-29, 28:20-22; Lev 27:30-34; Num 18:21, 26) and offering up the first fruits of one's labour (Deut 12:5-6; 2 Chron 31:4-5; Neh 10:35-37; Prov 3:9-10) as tangible examples of living our faith with integrity.

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Reflecting on the Gospel story of how the scribes and Pharisees are critical of Jesus' disciples for not washing their hands before eating (Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23), Fr. Eric speaks about how we are called to pass on the faith while being mindful of the three constituent elements of beauty in the classical mindset: integrity, harmony and radiance.

Topics include the need to avoid overemphasizing one aspect of the faith to the detriment of another, the catechesis of young children, and the need to avoid scandalizing others by insisting upon an external expression of one's faith that is not actually required by God and His Church.

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Reflecting on Ephesians 5:21-32, Fr. Eric shares some Biblical wisdom on the subject of marriage. Topics include difficult passages in the Bible, the need for mutual self-gift in the context of marriage, and the reality of Christ's love for His Church as reflected in the institution of marriage.

The content of this podcast was based largely on Fr. John Riccardo's commentary on Ephesians 5. Check out this link to hear his talk on the subject: https://stanastasia.libsyn.com/the-biblical-vision-of-marriage-session-2.

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Fr. Eric gives a spoiler filled review of the action comedy "Free Guy" (2021) starring Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer. Topics include the primacy of love; the ability of love to awaken the human spirit; and traces of the Creator God in the good, true and beautiful things contained in this world.

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Fr. Eric speaks about how the mystery of the Visitation (Lk 1:39–56) isn't simply an exhortation to be charitable; but instead reveals a deeper understanding of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant, the new Queen Mother and the culmination of a whole line of warrior women from the Old Testament.

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Reflecting on the film "Jerry Maguire" (1996) starring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger, Fr. Eric speaks about Christ's tender love, mercy and compassion when we come to Him repentant in the aftermath of our sins. Reflection contains major spoilers!

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Reflecting on how Christ speaks of Himself as being "the bread of life" (Jn 6:24-35), Fr. Eric speaks about how the peace, rest and joy that we seek are not to be found so much in an ideal set of material circumstances; but rather, in being in a stance of right relationship with God.

Topics include the reality of one's convictions about Christ being revealed through what one does, as opposed to what one merely says; and the enduring value of the Sacrament of Confession in bringing us back into a stance of right relationship with God.

Watch Catholic Latte on YouTube and Facebook. An audio version of the podcast is available also on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher and Podbean.