Lighthouse Faith

You might call him the Billy Graham of the Catholic world. Fr. Patrick Peyton coined the phrase, "The family that prays together, stays together;" a dynamic message that energized Catholics and other Christians in the mid 20th Century. Fr. Peyton drew tens of thousands to his prayer crusades around the globe. Hollywood also, believe it or not, bowed to his calling. His radio show guest lineup was A listers of Tinsel Town's elite like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Joan Crawford. It's certainly not bad for a poor, uneducated Irish immigrant who began life in America working as a janitor at a Cathedral in Pennsylvania. Fr. Peyton experienced his own miraculous healing from Tuberculosis, through the power of prayer to the Lady of the Rosary. It ignited in him a passion for prayer and its power to heal the wounds of a person and a nation. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Fr. David Guffey will talk about this charismatic figure and the new documentary film he produced called, "Pray: The Story of Fr. Patrick Peyton."

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Halloween is one of the most fun childhood events; dressing up and trick-or-treating is a yearly ritual. But lost in the festivities is the possibility of real evil, real ghosts and yes, even real demon possession and infestations. Billy Hallowell takes a modern look at all three in his book, "Playing with Fire." On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Hallowell talks about the real-life demon possession of a teenage boy in 1949 that was the inspiration behind the 1973 movie "The Exorcist," as well as more recent accounts of possessions and exorcisms. While all of it is spine tingling and alarming, what should give us hope and strength is what the Bible has to say about spiritual evil and how it is to be dealt with. Hallowell says modern people may scoff at religion, but still believe in ghosts and the paranormal. And certainly, Hollywood is cashing in on our obsession with the occult. But the Scriptures never take such beliefs lightly and warns about assigning the devil too much power, or too little. In the end, the solution is to "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

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On November 11th, 1620 Christian Pilgrims from Europe landed on Plymouth Rock. They were fleeing religious persecution and the tyranny of "might is right." They believed in the hope of self-government and the freedom to worship as they saw fit. It was outlandish and without precedent. The DNA of the freedoms we enjoy in America today, was conceived by those 102 souls tired of political/religious wars where the victor dictated how the victimized would serve their God. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Historian William Federer charts the prequel of the Pilgrims voyage on the Mayflower; the Protestant Reformation, King Henry VIII decreeing himself head of the Christian Church in England, the conquests of Islam and the Ottoman Turks, and the treaties and alliances forged to gain economic control and/or thwart an invasion. All of these parts of history coalesced paving the way for those handful of settlers to seek new land; finding it and forging new friendships with the Natives that would help them survive the harsh conditions. Then as it is today, the choice for Christians was greed versus the Gospel. They fled greed and brought a more just understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the New World, where it flourishes. Whether or not it continues to flourish may depend on its citizens not forgetting the past.

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"Has America reached its expiration date?" That is a question Dr. Alex McFarland asks in his new book, "The Assault on America: How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late." It's an alarm, and it's coming from someone who normally isn't prone to sounding them. McFarland is a genteel Southerner; a theologian, historian, national speaker, Radio host, and founder of Truth for A New Generation. He's traveled the country extensively and sees disturbing trends assaulting America's foundational values, the first of which is belief in God and adherence to God's laws. McFarland is no prude. He came to faith after many years of youthful indulgence in booze and music, culminating in a drunken stupor and waking up in a dumpster. He speaks from whence he knows and lends his experiential knowledge to young people on campuses all over America, understanding the pressures they face and the indoctrination they have been subject to in public institutions. But now those students of liberalism are adults working in the world, voting, becoming elected officials, and America is changing because of it. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, McFarland talks about how life is a privilege, that the family is foundational to a strong America, and fealty to a loving God essential. He also talks about Article VI of the Constitution that says there should be no 'religious test' to hold office. Alex emphatically asserts that, "objective morality is not the same thing as religion." Because, "the founders of the country and the thinkers from which they drew believed in something called natural law." Self-evident truths that he says America has forgotten.

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This is the second of two podcasts on the Catholic Vote. The phrase "So goes the Catholic, so goes the election" has been tried and true for the last few decades. Since 1972 Catholics have picked the winner of the presidential election all but one time. The Catholic Vote Part I featured Brian Burch, President of Catholicvote.org, an organization working to re-elect Donald Trump. Part II's featured guest is John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University. Even though Carr is pro-life he is supporting the Democratic nominee and former Vice President, Joe Biden for reasons that are much more nuanced than most would expect. He expressed that view on a story I did about the Catholic Vote for Fox News Channel's Special Report that aired October 2nd. As a consequence, he was lambasted with hate mail and phone calls. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, we talk about the reaction to his views and how they are examples of the divisiveness rampant in the country today. You may not agree with Carr's view, but like Arthur Brooks said at this year's National Prayer Breakfast, I will defend his right to say it. The discussion about respectful debate and discourse dovetails nicely into Pope Francis' newest encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers). We are all part of the human race; we are all made in the image of God and as such deserve to be treated with dignity. This is a lesson for both sides of the political aisle. It's not a question of whether we're a Republican or Democrat, but whether we see God's hand at work in us all.

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The phrase "So goes the Catholic, so goes the election" has been tried and true for the last few decades. Since 1976 Catholics have picked the winner of the presidential election all but one time. But this election has been hard to read. Experts will tell you, Catholics are not a monolithic. They are White, Hispanic, Black and Brown; Poor, wealthy, and middle class; all ages and sizes; and various intensities of beliefs in the faith's core values. Also, Catholics are not prone to voting for a Catholic just because he or she is Catholic. That could be bad news for Joe Biden. But Catholics are also very concerned about racism, care for the poor and the immigrant, and the perceived character of their leaders. That could be bad for Donald Trump. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Brian Burch, founder of CatholicVote.org will explain why he's campaigning to make sure President Trump gets a second term, and why he sees a Biden presidency as an existential threat to all that is dear to people of faith but particularly Catholics. This is Part One of a two-part podcast. Next week Part Two will continue with a pro-Biden Catholic.

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The new accord recently signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain is a glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel toward peace in the Middle East. Since the partition in 1948 which created the modern Jewish state, Israel has been in bloody conflict with its Muslim majority neighbors. But the irony of this new relationship between these more moderate Muslim countries, is that it comes at a time when Israel is seeing increased conflict within its borders, between Ultra-Orthodox Jews and secular or non-orthodox Jews. In this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Journalist and author Paul Alster expands on his Op-ed in Foxnews.com, which puts the new "peace deal" in perspective, seeing the odd reality that the country is fragile, not because of the forces from outside but from within. Religious freedom is always a delicate balance between personal autonomy and offensive actions, as the forces of human nature and sin often direct it towards unintended goals. There are those calling for the Jewish State to adopt a U.S. Constitution separating Church and State. But the forces against are gaining in numbers for the sheer mathematical fact that they -Ultra-Orthodox- beget more children, as many as ten children per family is not uncommon. Alster says by 2050 Israel's population is expected to grow by 66 percent. This fact provides the backdrop and the jumping off point for his novel, "Kin and Country," which predicts a possible outcome of the current clash, and how it could culminate in 2048 as Israel celebrates its centenary.

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Believing in the power of prayer means believing that America can be saved from the many sins that plague her and divide her; past, present, and future. The Pilgrims who first stepped onto the soil of the New World 400 years ago were faithful that God had brought them safe from England across treacherous waters and their only task was to glorify Him as they journeyed forth seeking the freedom to worship and live out their faith. Such is the spiritual roots of America. But many today, like Times Square Church Pastor Carter Conlon, believe America has drifted far from her original purpose, as well as her fealty to an Almighty that has blessed this land with abundance. So, Pastor Conlon is returning to Plymouth, Massachusetts, to where those pilgrims first prayed for guidance, to offer prayers once again to God, to have mercy on us and heal our wounded and divided land. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast Pastor Conlon talks about the Divine revelation that lead him to call for this Worldwide Prayer Meeting on October 6, 2020, and why he believes the coincidence that brought him first to Plymouth was nothing short of a miracle.

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In this nineteenth year since terrorists attacked America, the nation is reeling from another form of evil called the Coronavirus. Christina Stanton is a living, breathing embodiment of surviving both. She survived the yellow dust that engulfed her and her husband while running from the collapsing twin towers, and in the process grew in faith and learned to trust in God. She built a foundation on which she would face yet another evil, COVID-19, and more than two weeks in the ICU. Nearly a generation separates the two catastrophes, but Stanton sees her pain and suffering as a gift. Yes, a gift. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Stanton, an author and speaker, reflects on the faith that came about only because of 9/11, and how it confirms to her that God will make good come out of whatever evil comes our way. Now with lingering health issues from both events, Stanton writes of God in an op-ed saying, "...through these experiences, I discovered that while we can’t escape suffering, there is comfort and hope in his presence in the midst of pain, God can use suffering to accomplish good, and we can trust in our sovereign God."

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In 1917 three children from the village of Fatima in Portugal, witnessed what they said was a visitation of the Virgin Mary. The story of nine-year-old Lucia and her two younger cousins, Francisco, 7, and Jacinta, 6, has been the subject of intense investigations by the Catholic Church, faith-driven historians, and curious skeptics. The children were believed to have had the visitation once a month for several months culminating in the Miracle of the Sun witnessed by thousands in October of 1917. But before that, the apparition prophesied to the children about the coming end of World War I, of future wars and events, and even perhaps the attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II. The 1952 movie, The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, came out just a few years after Pope Pius XII venerated the image enshrined at the chapel of the Apparitions of Fatima. Just last week, a new film version was released. It's called simply, Fatima. Rose Ganguzza, of Rose Pictures, is the film's producer. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Ganguzza, a veteran filmmaker, explains how this film is made for 21st Century audiences; ones who have the perspective of hindsight, unlike the earlier version. The film begins with a scholarly figure played by Harvey Keitel, who goes to the cloistered order where an elderly Sister Lucia lives. He questions her about the actual events to see if she still believes in the veracity of what she saw as a child. The film then is a series of flashbacks to 1917 to Lucia as a child, the challenges to religious believers who face a crossroad between a comfortable faith, and one that demands sacrifice. Listen to Ganguzza talk about the actors who played the parts, why she made the film, and why this new version leaves out documented traumatic events the children encountered.

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