The Good Catholic Life

Summary of today’s show: Four times as many people are leaving the Church as are entering and most of them are gone by the time they’re 23. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? How can we help them stay? Sherry Weddell joins Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams to talk about her new book about forming intentional disciples and show how parishes can help them cross the threshold to discipleship and learn that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is not only possible, but intensely desirable. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s guest(s): Sherry Weddell Links from today’s show: Catherine of Siena Institute “Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus” by Sherry Weddell Today’s topics: Sherry Weddell and Forming Intentional Disciples 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and said today’s guest is Sherry Weddell and her new book Forming Intentional Disciples is one of the top 5 books he’s read in the past two years. But first, he welcomed Fr. Matt Williams to the show. They discussed the Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults’s annual award dinner last night in which 75 youth, young adults, and parish leaders received awards. The photos are available at www.bostoncatholicphotos.com. Fr. Matt said he talked last night about the Scripture in which the Lord’s light has entered the world and the darkness has not overcome it. Yet the darkness is still there. He said the people there should be like stained glass windows, showing through Christ’s light into the world. Scot said Sherry Anne Weddell created the first charism discernment process specifically designed for Catholics in 1993. In 1997, she co-founded the Catherine of Siena Institute, an affiliated international ministry of the Western Dominican Province, and currently serves as Co-Director. Sherry has developed numerous unique formation resources that are used around the world and trained and helps lead an international team who have worked directly with over 85,000 ordained, religious, and lay Catholics in more than 100 dioceses on 5 continents. Scot said he’s heard a lot about Sherry’s book in the the last few months, particularly among those in the archdiocese working on the new pastoral planning process to help parishes with evangelization. He said there’s a lot of great wisdom in the book. He asked her to share a little of the information contained in her first chapters about the influx and outflow of the Catholic community. Sherry said most people think people are raised Catholic and stay Catholic. But in general about four times as many people are leaving the Church are entering. She said about 11 percent of people in church on Sunday are converts, but more are leaving, usually silently. Most leave and don’t practice religion or they become Protestant. People are looking for help in their spiritual growth but can’t find someone to help them in their parishes. Most people leave young, most before 18 and nearly all by 23. Religious change is a young adult thing, and this is true across religions. But our culture rewards faiths that evangelize intentionally and penalize faiths that rely on inherited religious identity. It’s become normal for young adults to decide for themselves as young adults. The difference in other faiths, like evangelical Protestants, is that they evangelize intentionally and have a lot more people entering. The Pew Forum reported that 10% of American adults are former Catholics. Scot said of those who left the faith to become Protestant, they said their spiritual needs weren’t being met. And they joined evangelical churches because they enjoyed the new faiths’ services and worship in a way that fed them spiritually. Our retention strategy for Catholics is 400 years old, based on our response to he Protestant Reformation. Sherry said in many ways the Church reinvented herself in response to the Reformation. The whole elementary school system was built to evangelize children, for instance. But the modern culture has changed so drastically. The old belief was that if you have a child until he is 7, you will make the man. Most of our practices presume all of our efforts go into children and the adults will just stay. But statistically at the moment all these practices don’t make much difference for where adults end up. She said less than half of Catholics told the Pew survey that you can have a personal relationship with God. Faith has to be personally meaningful. The encounter with Christ has always been at the center of the Christian faith. Fr. Matt said when we see that all these programs we’re doing aren’t working or aren’t making a difference, is this because the programs themselves are bad or that whatever happens in the next stage makes them lose whatever they gained? Sherry said there was a study in Canada last year that said four things happened for young adults who practice their faith: 1. They’d seen answered prayer, 2. They’d been able to ask their real questions within the Christian community, 3. They’d encountered the real Christian Gospel story, 4. They’d had other adults around them living this and modeling it for them. If these were ture, they were likely to be there and if they weren’t true, they were likely to be gone. The key is adult formation. So many of our children’s parents aren’t practicing. In New Zealand, 95% of parents of children in Catholic schools don’t practice. If adults are disciples, they will communicate it in a living way to their children. That which isn’t lived isn’t transmitted. Scot said we can’t outsource this from ourselves as parents to others. He said he’d never see someone say we’re on three spiritual journeys at the same time: A personal journey to be an intentional disciple; a journey of being initiated through the sacraments; a journey of active practice of the faith. Going through sacramental formation and attending church only fulfill the last two. Sherry said the first one is always treated as optional in Catholic circles and among Catholics there’s a spiral of silence about talking about your personal relationship with Christ. Sherry said people tell her that they feel like they’re betraying their Catholicism if they have a personal relationship with Christ and so they hide it from the rest of their parish. In the typical parish, when parish leaders are asked to estimate the percentage of intentional disciples, the answer comes back as 5%. What happens to this 5% is that they have pressure to conform. Our brains are wired to see standing out as being wrong. People respond by going underground or backtracking or leaving. She’s heard multiple stories of Catholics who had a spiritual awakening in their life and were thinking of leaving because they couldn’t find anyone to talk to about it. Sherry said when they talk to parishes, they tell them they have to break the silence so people know that it’s possible to talk about a personal relationship with God. We need to be talking with each other about the challenge of saying Yes or No to Jesus’ invitation to follow him. She said she challenges a parish based on their estimated percentage of intentional disciples to double it in five years. What would be the result in the parish, not because the numbers aren’t important but because each person is important. Scot said in the typical parish there are two tracks: the ordinary track and the saint track, which most people don’t feel worthy of. What we don’t have is the intentional disciple track where people are on a journey but aren’t saints yet. Sherry shared the story of someone she worked with who wanted to be on the intentional disciple track and people didn’t know what to do with him except say he should study for the priesthood. Sherry said we’re supposed to expect conversion and plan for it. We react as if we’re surprised by it. She said the young man in the story had a dramatic conversion, having been a meth addict and converting on Divine Mercy Sunday. He was on fire for Christ and the parish just didn’t know what to do with him. Disciples understand the journey of a disciple. You can’t only understand and facilitate someone else’s journey depending on how far you’ve journeyed. She said some of her collaborators are finding ways to let intentional disciples help form other disciples. This should be essential to post-RCIA, after retreats. Even after you become a disciple, so much of what the Church calls us to do is dependent on what we do developmentally, not on theological categories. It’s as much about our interior journey with God as it is with the sacraments we’ve checked out in order to release the graces in those sacraments. To go public with it requires a maturity as a disciple. Even the most basic witness is dependent on a level of growth. Fr. Matt said we can’t just assume that because people go to church that they’re disciples. Fr. Matt said that as a priest he has to remember there might be people in the pews who are on the verge of leaving or on the threshold of faith. He has begun thinking about he can help people move on to the next step toward intentional discipleship. Sherry said typically there is someone in our pews. About 2% of people in pews each Sunday are non-Catholics and 2% more are inactive Catholics. We need first to have a bridge of trust. That means that they have some positive association with the Church or Jesus or God or even just a particular Christian. Does a person have that trust in something? It doesn’t have to make sense. Some people trust the Virgin Mary, but not God or the Church, for example. If it doesn’t exist we have to build it. The second threshold is curiosity. For example, they can be interested in the possibility of having a personal relationship with God. We want to stir their curiosity about Jesus Christ. We want to avoid giving them factual answers to their questions. We want to rouse them to greater curiosity through new questions. The third threshold is openness. The person is acknowledging the possibility of a personal relationship. There is no commitment here. This can be very scary. We have to understand how scary the Church can be from the outside. The fourth threshold is seeking. This is serious wrestling. This isn’t casual anymore. They are considering a commitment to Jesus Christ and His Church. It can feel like a quest and there can be an urgency in it for the person who is seeking. They have moved from passive to active. The fifth threshold is intentional discipleship, making a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. This is just the beginning of the journey of discipleship. Scot asked Sherry what makes an intentional disciple. Sherry said when she was 21 living in New York City, what she said was “OK, Jesus” and what she meant was “I am saying Yes to following you now.” Because she didn’t know much about him, she set out to find out. So an intentional disciple should set out to get to know him. Start with a New Testament and read it. If she was seeking, she would pray to God with whatever faith she had now, without pretending, asking Him to show Himself to her. Offer yourself to him with the faith you have now and for what’s real and no substitutes. If he is a loving God and Jesus Christ is his son who lived among us and taught and healed and forgave and suffered on the Cross for us and was risen for us, if all that’s real, then say you want it and that you need God to lead you. Then find a Catholic parish and ask the possibility of taking part in RCIA, which isn’t a commitment but is designed for people who are seeking. But the first step is declaring your openness to God. Scot said the best part of the book is pages 207-217, which is about the great story of Jesus in nine acts. 2nd segment: This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Barbara Wojciechowski from Lynn She wins the book “Mothering: An Art of the Heart” If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $50 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program.

Summary of today’s show: Continuing their conversation from a few weeks, Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor discuss the next Sacrament of Initiation: First Communion: What is the Eucharist? How is it the source and summit of the Christian life? Why do we have so many names for it? What is transubstantiation? Why does the way we come to receive communion matters so much? But first, Scot, Fr. Chris, and Fr. Wayne Belschner discuss the very funny story of Fr. Chris’s disastrous dinner Saturday night that left the rectory kitchen a smoking ruin and called out six Boston Fire Department trucks. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O’Connor Today’s topics: The Sacraments of Initiation, Part II: Eucharist 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Chris O’Connor to the show and asked him about his weekend. Fr. Chris told Scot the story about cooking dinner at Sacred Heart Parish in East Boston for 15 seminarians. He and Fr. Scorzello from St. John Seminary were cooking pasta and prime rib. They had a little fire in the stove and they ignored it. Ten minutes later they had a blazing inferno in the stove. They opened the stove and it blazed like a dragon. They called the fire department which sent not one, but 6 fire engines. As the firefighters approached they saw the seminarians hanging out the third floor window and smoke billowing from the house so they started to run up the ladders. The prime rib was a loss, but Fr. Scorzello’s arrabiatta sauce was saved. Fr. Chris said he maintains it was the dirty oven, while Fr. Wayne Belschner, the pastor, says the aluminum pans had a hole in the pan. Scot said Fr. Wayne has a very different spin to the story, but Fr. Chris said a jury of his peers would never convict him. Fr. Chris said there was another event this past weekend. He said the Cheverus Cup, the softball trophy up for grabs between St. John Seminary and Blessed John XXIII seminary, has come back to St. John’s after two years. He said they play one game per year in April. St. John’s had a great victory over Blessed John seminarians, men who are older and have a second vocation, who call their team the Relics. Fr. Chris said his team is called Victory, singular like Miami Heat. He reveled in the huge hollow role in the trophy case over at Blessed John XXIII seminary today. He said his own role is to stand on the sidelines and make sarcastic comments. They play at the softball field at Regis College. He said what the Ring is to Gollum in the Lord of the Rings, the trophy is to Fr. Chris. Fr. Wayne joined on the phone to give his side of the story, speaking from the charred remains of his rectory kitchen. He said cooking a prime rib at 500 degrees has been said to be a bad idea and then doing that in a tin foil pan that has had a hole punched in it. Fr. Chris said you use 500 degrees to sear the meat. Fr. Wayne agreed that the meat is certainly seared now. Fr. Chris said the deacon’s wife gave him the recipe and Fr. Wayne said the last time she cooked meat for them she burned it so why would you follow her recipe. He then said he had video of Fr. Chris running for his life. Fr. Chris said Fr. Wayne keeps a dirty house and Fr. Wayne said he’s glad he said that on air for the housekeeper to hear it. He noted that when the housekeeper, who knew Fr. Chris from a previous rectory, heard Fr. Chris was cooking she said it was a bad idea. Fr. Chris then admitted that when he was 14 years old, he accidentally lit the kitchen at St. Margaret’s in Dorchester on fire. He burned all the hair off his head. Fr. Wayne added that Fr. Chris’s sister also won’t let him cook at her house. Fr. Wayne then related Fr. Chris’s previous cooking disasters. Fr. Chris kept returning to his defense that the oven was filthy. The moral of the story is Fr. Wayne has no oven or microwave and is left eating beans from a can. Happily there was no structural damage to the rectory. Fr. Chris said on Sunday the kitchen was covered in yellow caution tape and Fr. Wayne said he didn’t want to let him near the kitchen again. Nevertheless, they eventually sat down to a delicious dinner of pasta arrabiatta and chicken parm from a nearby restaurant. Fr. Wayne pointed out that the next day they discovered the bottle of wine and bottles of beer that had been put in the freezer to chill before the fire and had subsequently exploded. Fr. Wayne did say that the story entered into his homily on Sunday in which he gave thanks for Fr. Chris’s priesthood because he never would have made it as a chef. 2nd segment: Scot said today we’re continuing the conversation started a few weeks ago on the sacraments of initiation, moving on the sacrament of the Eucharist. Fr. Chris said in May typically we have many First Communions as part of the Easter season. Scot said the Catechism says it completes initiation even though it comes before confirmation. Fr. Chris said when an adult comes into the Church, they receive baptism, confirmation and then communion. He said it’s typically the age of reason, about 7 or 8, that the young person can recognize the beauty and dignity of what they’re receiving. Many adults have lost their imagination, but the children can accept so many images that show the reality. He said he starts with the multiplication of loaves and fishes. The image reminds us that at the Eucharist every single person is invited to come, believe in him, and be nourished. As he thinks about the need for wicker baskets to collect the extra, it’s a reminder of the overabundance of God’s love. As the Lamb of God, the sinless one becomes an offering for our sins and we can offer him our lives. Fr. Chris said as the Lamb of God, Christ was taking the place of the lambs sacrificed in the temple. Christ becomes atonement for our sins. No longer is the Eucharist is a bloody sacrifice for us. We recall the great sacrifice of the Crucifixion and it is made present for us. Scot asked why God required a sacrifice of animals. Fr. Chris said it is justice that something needs to be restored. When we sin, there has to be restoration. When someone commits a crime, there has to be restitution and punishment. Sin goes against divine justice. Christ became both the justice and mercy in order that we might be saved. Scot said we hear that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. He asked what it means. Fr. Chris said we can talk about the source by referring to the Vietnamese cardinal Van Thuan who talked about his Communist guard who smuggled in bread and a drop of wine so he could celebrate Mass in the palm of his hand in his cell. He received the living God in that pice of bread and drop of wine. He said that lights run on electricity. Cars run on gasoline. The Christian runs on the Eucharist. In encountering the Eucharist, we encounter Jesus Christ. Mass comes from the word Missa, meaning “sent”. Having receive the Eucharist we are sent into the world. There isn’t dallying when we receive Communion in Mass. The Eucharist is the source of our life. Pope Benedict said the most important word coming out of Vatican II was Communion. We commune with God and we commune with our brothers and sisters. As a summit, we think of the mountain. The Eucharist is the apex of our prayer. It is God’s abiding presence in the world. Fr. Chris said after Communion, a priest he knows says, “We have received. We have been received.” God takes us into his life and into relationship. Scot asked about all the names we have for the sacrament. Fr. Chris said we have the names because of the mystery of the Eucharist and we can never fully describe it or comprehend it. The different names for the Eucharist mean there’s such a great mystery that we can’t capture fully what’s going on. Eucharist means thanksgiving and reminds us that when we come to Mass, it is important to take a moment to reflect on how God has blessed us and how we are thankful. When someone loves you, the only choice is to return that love and be thankful for it. When we come to the Mass, we see how great God’s love is for us. Scot said sometimes we forget to thank God for some of the biggest things God gives us to us: our life, our faith, our Church. Fr. Chris said if we are up and taking nourishment, thank God. God redeemed us and offers to us the gift of heaven. Scot asked how every Mass is the re-presentation of the Sacrifice of the Cross, the same event happening in front of us. Fr. Chris it is because Christ willed it to be so. Scot said those dealing with the greatest physical sufferings are often those who are most thankful when coming to church. He said one of the great mysteries is how a good and loving God can permit suffering. He said often suffering helps people to turn to God in prayer. Fr. Chris said when we see evil in the world we come to the recognition that we’re never fully complete on our own. At the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit comes down and transform bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Scot asked about the word transubstantiation. Fr. Chris said the substance changes. While it appears to be bread and wife, there is a change in substance or what it really is. This is why we do certain things, like look toward the tabernacle and the votive lamp to genuflect in reverence. When we receive the Eucharist, we give a bow to the Body and Blood. In the sacraments, all of them, it is God acting, even if he uses a minister. There is nothing magical about the sacraments. This is the gift of Christ himself sending the Holy Spirit, his Body, his Blood offered up for us. We need to have eyes of faith to see Jesus Christ, whether in the poor or in bread and wine. Scot said in Scripture, Jesus tells us we are to gnaw on his flesh to have eternal life. Through his mercy he gives us what appears to be bread and wine. The substance if God, but the accidents—what we see, hear, feel, smell—appears to be regular food. God uses what normal in our lives to show us something supernatural, holy, and divine. Bread and wine is in the poorest of homes throughout the world in both rich and poor homes. Something so basic, yet so profound. At the same time, God is transforming us into the Body of Christ as well. The priest is in persona Christi when celebrating the Eucharist. Scot asked what that means. Fr. Chris said it never gets boring. When you pray the prayers, wherever you are in your prayer life, something hits you as the priest. He said Missionaries of Charity have a sign in their chapel telling priests to celebrate as if it was their first Mass, their last Mass, their only Mass. Fr. Chris remembers one time praying the Eucharistic Prayer and one phrase so caught him and captured him that he needed to be prodded to continue. It was a profound moment of being reminded of what a great gift this is. Priesthood and Eucharist go hand in hand. You don’t have one without the other. when the priest speaks Christ’s words “this is my body” and “this is my blood” it’s also a reminder to the priest that he too needs to make an offering of himself to the Church. Speaking of First Communions, Scot said they are special moments, but every time we go to communion, we should come with the same fervor and passion. If it’s not there, then ask God to put it there. He said he also believes that the lack of understanding of the Eucharist among most Catholics comes from the way we go up to Communion. He often sees people going through the motions. One of his children once said to him that the people in the Communion line didn’t look like or act as if they were going to receive Jesus. How we receive Communion influences how others believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. Fr. Chris said it’s a great reminder to us. When we give thanks, there should be joy. There is nothing greater than receiving the living God. We also receive him in the Word of God and we should prepare for that as well by reading the readings beforehand. Fr. Chris said it’s a joy to see the First Communion children come up with joy and pride, purity and innocence to receive Jesus Christ. We need to instill in them that this is not their only communion, but they should come every week. Scot said we should also instill in them the need to come forward in the right manner with the right posture and attitude to receive.

Summary of today’s show: Boston’s elite college, Harvard, for the first time this year had four college-age missionaries from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) on campus, which was already on 74 other college campuses around the country. Scot Landry talked to the four member team and campus minister Fr. Matt Westcott about the value that the missionaries add to campus life through the existing Catholic campus ministry and how they are forming genuine friendships and encouraging students to intentional discipleship in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr Matt Westcott, Michael Selenski, Tricia Lester, Elizabeth Hofer, Jennifer Stenzel, Daniel Paris Links from today’s show: Harvard Catholic Center Fellowship of Catholic University Students Today’s topics: FOCUS missionaries at Harvard 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show. On today’s broadcast, for the first year at Harvard there are five FOCUS missionaries working with Fr. Matt Westcott. Fr. Matt is in his second-year in campus ministry there. He said he is seeing a real difference in the students through this outreach in a new and unique way. Young people abotu the same age as missionaries can go places and say things a priest might not be able to. FOCUS is the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. Daniel Paris said being a missionary is a calling. They move across the country, they fundraise their own salaries. They go on a dating fast for a year. It’s not just a normal post-college job. Daniel said he went on a FOCUS conference a year after graduation. He felt a call at that time for further study so he went to grad school in Denver for two years. Scot asked him about the Augustine Institute where he studied. Daniel compared it to the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization in Boston. It’s vision is to form lay leaders for evangelization and many will end up working for the Church in various pastoral ministries. Daniel said his year has been a challenge and fruitful. The students keep him on his toes. Tricia Lester attended Mount St. Mary’s in Maryland and is from Philadelphia. She’s a second-year FOCUS missionary. She was at University of Connecticut last year. She has committed to a third year because she loves it so much. She said she is always asked why she does this and what difference it makes. She said it improves her relationship with Jesus grow because she’s asked to share it every day. Tricia said every missionary’s week is different, but she leads a couple of Bible studies each week, has mentorships with a few students who lead their own Bible studies, meets with students who are curious wherever they are. Tricia said she has about 15 students total in her Bible studies. She has three students in discipleship she’s praying with and then there’s 10 to 15 more students she’s meeting with regularly to see if they’re interested in getting involved. Daniel said discipleship is the next step after a Bible study. It’s an intentional friendship where they are striding side-by-side toward Christ and the missionary i a mentor. They help them cultivate sobriety, chastity, and excellence, the big three virtues. Scot asked Tricia what an intentional friendship is. She said all friendships should be intentional, oriented toward getting toward heaven. She went to a girl’s rugby game this past weekend to show her she supports her in all she’s doing. Those interactions help build trust so the girl can come to her when she has questions. Scot asked about the three virtues Daniel mentioned. He asked if they are the only group on campus preaching sobriety and excellence. Daniel said there’s a hug drinking culture on campuses across the US. They model responsible drinking by going out with students who are of age and having only a couple of drinks. Tricia said excellence is interesting at Harvard. It’s about where you want to have your success? It’s about using your God-given gifts to the fullest. Daniel talked about the fundraising aspects in which the missionaries get together with people one on one, tell them why they are doing this with their life, share the mission of FOCUS, and invite them to join the mission. Daniel said he got into a conversation with his dentist who was filling his cavity. She said she was a nominal Catholic and as she talked to him, she talked herself into going back to church and going to confession. Daniel felt called to get her the book “Rediscover Catholicism” by Matthew Kelly. She was so moved that she chose to help him. Daniel said it’s so cool being the first missionaries at Harvard. He had one student he met whose sister won a gold medal at the Olympics. And they also get to lay the ground work for all future missionaries at Harvard. Tricia compared being at UConn, where she inherited the work others had started, where at Harvard they were starting from scratch. Fr. Matt said the people of the Archdiocese should be glad not just that the missionaries are Harvard, BU, and MIT, but that the quality of the missionaries are so high. The students on these campuses are thirty for what they have to offer. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Michael Selenski, who leads the FOCUS team. He said he studied business entrepreneurship in college and this opportunity to start a new mission at Harvard is a great challenge. He is a third-year missionary and was at Drake in Iowa previously. He noted that there are 74 different campuses where FOCUS works and he was one of the team directors. He had expressed interest in going East and so he was sent to Harvard. Michael said he never expected there to be as many Catholics on campus as there are and he was shocked by the numbers of students at Mass on Sunday. He said the big challenge is to draw them into a deeper relationship with Christ. Michael said he renewed his commitment to FOCUS because he just can’t walk away, even though he’s thinking about grad school and misses his family in Minnesota. Every time he asks God where he wants him to be, he just can’t walk away. He feels like he’s become a new man over the past three years. Scot welcomed ELizabeth Hofer, who’s from South Dakota and is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She’s a first-year missionary. Scot asked her what the adjustment has been like for her. She said she was scared to go to Cambridge because she misses the Black Hills of South Dakota, but her heart was well prepared. When asked what she loved best about Harvard and she thought of how the students thirst for Christ, and felt put to shame by them. Scot asked her to explain what’s so great about the Black Hills. She said it’s so beautiful and it’s unique. It’s not majestic like the Rockies, but it’s home and welcoming. Mount Rushmore is within the Black Hills. ELizabeth said last year at this time she wouldn’t even consider being a FOCUS missionary. She thought they were great but it was the last thing she wanted to do. She was planning on going to law school. Then she went to a holy hour, she found she could say yes to applying to become a missionary. She never thought she’d be hired. Then she was terrified they would. Even after she was hired, she kind of hoped her spiritual director would say she shouldn’t. But the greatest joy for her was seeing how Christ cares for us and loves us. It’s been a difficult year, but there’s such a joy and a peace. She said, Be careful. If you give Christ your heart, he’ll take advantage of it. She said you’ll set the world on fire and you’ll know Christians by the terror in their eyes. Being transformed and sanctified is terrifying and amazing. Scot welcomed Jennifer Stenzel to the show. She joined the missionary team at mid-year. She’s a first-year missionary. She had some unique challenges in that everyone else had already established themselves and their ministries, but she also had four people to look up to see what they were doing. She said that at the end of her freshman year at George Mason University, she thought about being a missionary. She’d come to college very far from her faith, but the missionaries reached out to her and helped her faith grow. So by the end of her junior year she was sure because of the beautiful and genuine relationships. She talked about mentoring other girls and leading Bible studies while an undergraduate. Michael said the traditional or standard FOCUS team is four people and a handful of schools have a larger program. Scot said a parish evangelization best practice is forming small groups. He asked Michael what he’s learned about leading small groups and faith-sharing groups that says they’re a wonderful way to build faith. Michael said there’s a lack of genuine brotherhood among men, especially on college campuses. He said so many students have drinking buddies, video game buddies, sports buddies, but they don’t have people in their lives asking them how they’re praying, what they’re living for, how they’re becoming stronger men of God. In the context of a small-group Bible study exploring Scripture together is transformational. He said after two years at Drake many of the men would say that he was their best friend. It’s so easy to wear a mask and act like everything’s ok, but in a small group they open up and are genuine with each other. Michael said the ideal small group is anywhere from 6 to 8 for a small-group Bible study. Over ten people loses the sense of openness and trust and people can hide in the crowd. Six to eight helps long-lasting friendships grow. Scot asked Elizabeth about the structure of the Bible studies. She said FOCUS provides many resources that are available at focusequip.org. They also sell many Bible studies as well. But on other occasions, they just study the Scripture of the day like on Ash Wednesday, perhaps through the lectio divina method. Scot said he thinks most Catholics have never opened the Bible other than Mass readings. He asked how difficult is it to get Catholics to join the Bible study? Elizabeth said she once advertised her Bible study without saying it was a Bible study, but an opportunity to pray and talk about Christ in their lives and some who said they couldn’t make a Bible study said they wanted to come. Scot asked Jennifer about the training they receive. She said they have five weeks during the study. It’s one third boot camp, one third retreat, and one third grad school. From 8am to 10pm is structured every day with Mass and holy hours, and then classes in speaking, apologetics, fundraising and more. Plus opportunities for fellowship. They also have many resources online for continued study throughout the year. Michael said time and again he’s reminded of how important prayer is to their work. He said with the challenges of Harvard he’s often reminded of how important prayer is, not just by them, but from others supporting them in prayer. He added that they all fundraise their own salaries and need financial support to take students out for coffee or dinner, to throw parties, and even to go on missionary trips outside the country. If anyone is interested in learning more email [email protected]

Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell discussed some of the top news of the day, including reports that Pope-emeritus Benedict soon will be moving back to Rome from Castelgandolfo, taking up residence in a renovated monastery at the Vatican as planned and that Pope Francis is preparing his first encyclical which is said to incorporate the work already done by Benedict on the last encyclical he was writing on the topic of faith. Fr. Mark then told us of the three places in Holy Land that he said made the most impact on him and described how he’s been changed. Also, the Spring fund drive for WQOM has started this week. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s topics: Benedict moves back to Rome; Can’t miss sights in the Holy Land; Pope Francis’ first encyclical coming 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Mark O’Connell to the show and they noted that yesterday was the Feast of St. Mark. They discussed the Italian tradition of celebrating your name day. Scot said he celebrated the feast of St. Landry in June. He was a French bishop of Paris in the 600s. Scot said the news from Rome yesterday is that Pope-emeritus Benedict will be moving from Castelgandolfo back to the Vatican, where it was planned he would live in a former monastery. Fr. Mark said it’s a good idea because Castelgandolfo is a good retreat for the current Holy Father and he should have that available. Scot said Benedict moved to Castelgandolfo only for a short time while renovations were done at the monastery. Meanwhile Pope Francis continues to live at the Domus Santa Martae. Fr. Mark said even though we will have two popes living in the Vatican, we probably won’t see them together much. Benedict has said what aims to do is to pray for all those who needs prayers, and to take time to prepare at the end of his life in preparation to meet the Lord. Scot said some Catholics in Rome miss being able to look up to the windows of the apostolic palace in St. Peter’s Square and see the lights on and know the pope is there. Fr. Mark talked about being in the library of the apostolic palace once, having accompanied Cardinal Law on his ad limina visit to Pope John Paul II. Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. 2nd segment: Scot said for the rest of the time he will know Fr. Mark he will think of how joyous Fr. Mark was calling into the radio show from Jerusalem and how joyous he’s been. Fr. Mark said you don’t need to travel to the Holy Land with the archbishop of Boston, even though it helps. He said the Holy Spirit is still strong in the Holy Land. The trip with his 39 brother priests was a real spiritual retreat. Scot asked how Fr. Mark is different now as a priest and a judicial vicar. Fr. Mark said the Bible is now illustrated for him. There are images of the places to accompany what he has always heard and read in the Scriptures. He said unfortunately many of the readings since they’ve come back don’t take place where they went, but even now seeing the word “Jerusalem” in the Psalms makes it a different experience. Fr. Mark said in Galilee, people should go to Bethlehem. Go early or in the evening or you’re going to be stuck in big crowds. He had more peace in the Shepherds’ Fields, which is mountainous and places with caves and groves. He visualizes the shepherds hearing the angels there. The other place he will look at differently is Caesarea Phillipi. Jesus tells Peter that on this rock I will build my Church. And he said that in front of a huge rock, which was a temple to the pagan god Pan, from which the Jordan River springs. Right after that verse, Jesus heads toward Jerusalem. It’s literally at the peak of his journey and also geographically at its peak. Fr. Mark said they also had an extraordinary experience in the Upper Room, which was the place of the Last Supper, doubting Thomas, and Pentecost. To be in the room where all this happened, it’s the place of the Holy Spirit. He said Cardinal Seán talked about all those things and being faithful to them and feeling the Spirit. Fr. Mark said he was emotionally filled in that room. Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. 3rd segment: Scot said other news coming out of the Vatican today is that Pope Francis’ first encyclical will come out in the next few months on evangelization for the Year of Faith. Fr. Mark said the article said it’s probably the one begun by Pope Benedict and will be finished by Pope Francis. He said Deus Caritas Est was started by Pope John Paul II and was finished by Pope Benedict. Scot said Pope Benedict’s encyclicals were on love and then on hope and he was preparing one on faith for the Year of Faith. He said he had been disappointed that he wasn’t going to finish the encyclical and now it appears that Pope Francis will finish it with his own style, bridging the experience of Pope Benedict’s academic intellect with that of Pope Francis as pastor in the streets. He believes that we will be called to bring the Gospel out from our buildings and into the streets. Fr. Mark said he’s been reading Pope Francis’s homilies and really enjoys everything he keeps saying. He said the important line is that he wants the shepherds to have the smell of the sheep. It means the priest has to be very close to his people. Fr. Mark talked about how when he travels and wears his collar, so many people come up to him and approach him to talk. It’s a personal choice each day to put on the garb and to make himself available for evangelization. We all have that choice to go out and make ourselves available. In the Upper Room, the apostles had the Spirit in that room, but they left the room to spread the Spirit and they never returned. Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge.

Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry and Susan Abbott discussed the news headlines of the week, including the ordination of a former Anglican priest to the Catholic priesthood in Beverly; progress reported on the causes of canonization for Blessed John Paul II and Archbishop Oscar Romero; and the appointment of a new principal for Lawrence Catholic Academy. Also, the Spring fund drive for WQOM has started this week. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Links from today’s show: The Anchor The Pilot Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot’s and The Anchor’s websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today’s topics: Ordination of former Anglican priest; progress on canonizations; new principal for Lawrence Catholic school 1st segment: Scot Landry Welcomed everyone to the show and noted that producer Rick Heil has a birthday today but we can’t celebrate with him with cake because he is in Buffalo for the Station of the Cross’s spring fund drive. They said the size of Rick’s cake will depend on how much people give to the fund drive this hour. Scot said in the Pilot this week is the story of a new priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, Fr. Jurgen Liias, who was an Anglican priest for 40 years and this past Saturday he was ordained by Cardinal Seán a Roman Catholic priest in the Anglican rite. Program #0341 for Monday, July 16, 2012: Fr. Jurgen Liias and the Anglican Ordinariate Susan Abbott said in her own parish they have Fr. Richard Bradford who was an Episcopal priest who was ordained for the Church in the late 1970s, and served in her parish. Scot quoted Cardinal Seán at the seminary: “Jurgen, we thank God for your generous response to this second calling and commend you to the loving care of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd, so that your ministry as a Catholic priest will draw people closer to the Lord and to one another, as we strive for the unity that Christ prayed for at the Last Supper, and so that we will experience the fellowship of those first disciples who were of one mind and one heart,” he said. Scot quoted Fr. Jurgen and then Fr. Jurgen’s wife. She noted he retired for about five minutes from the Episcopal church and then felt God tell him that the time was right for his conversion. “He is a bundle of energy and vision. He is a wonderful preacher. He is a great pastor, and I am excited for him. He retired for about five minutes, from the Episcopal Church and thought he might garden, and travel, and hike, but then he thought that this is something he has been wanting to do. God told him the time was right,” she said. Scot said Fr. David Barnes and the people of the Catholic parishes in Beverly were eager to welcome Fr. Jurgen to the priesthood. Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. 2nd segment: Scot said two stories this week are about two causes for canonization, including Bl. John Paul II. Earlier this week, it was reported that some Vatican doctors concluded that a healing attributed to his intercession had no natural explanation, meaning it’s a miracle and if this report is true, it clears the way for him to be canonized as St. John Paul II. Susan talked about all the talk at the time of his funeral in 2005 of his sanctity. While the Church usually moves slowly in such causes, this process has moved rapidly. There is some hope to have the ceremony during the Year of Faith and in October, which is the 35th anniversary of his election to the papacy. Scot said he feels a little like the Year of Faith has lost a little attention because of all the other events, like the election of Pope Francis. He thinks a canonization would bring the attention back to it. “Italian media report progress in Blessed John Paul’s sainthood cause”, Catholic News Service, 4/23/13 Also, related to canonization, the cause for Archbishop Oscar Romero was “unblocked”. The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints had to determine if he was martyred or not, given that he was assassinated by a government death squad in the cathedral in El Salvador. Scot said in his opinion that the question is ridiculous. He also thinks that the fact that Pope Francis is from Latin America and is himself a fan of the archbishop might have had something to do with it. Susan recommended the movie “Romero” as an introduction to the archbishop. “Vatican official says Archbishop Romero’s sainthood cause ‘unblocked’”, Catholic News Service, 4/22/13 Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. 3rd segment: Scot said a big appointment was made this week. Jorge Hernandez, one of the assistant superintendents in the Catholic Schools Office, was hired as the new principal of Lawrence Catholic Academy. Susan said in the article in the Pilot, Fr. Paul O’Brien, pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish, said Jorge will be respected by the people in the area because he is one of them. Scot said he wishes he could clone Jorge because of his talents that will be missed in the Pastoral Center and will serve him well in Lawrence. Susan said Jorge was previously a dean of admissions at Merrimac College. Scot noted that the students at Lawrence Catholic Academy do very well in school compared to their public school counterparts and one of the reasons is that the Catholic schools can care for the whole person. Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge.

Summary of today’s show: The Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults is entering a busy time in the Archdiocese of Boston and Fr. Mat Williams and Scot Landry discuss their big initiatives, including this past weekend’s Eucharistic Congress that came at a particularly appropriate time after last week’s Marathon bombings; the upcoming World Youth in Rio in July that is shaping up to be a massive and inspirational event; and the annual Awards Banquet that honors those around the archdiocese, youth, young adults, and parish leaders, who witness to Christ in their lives through youth and young adult ministry experiences. Also, the Spring fund drive for WQOM has started this week. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today’s topics: The Work of the Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Matt Williams to the show and they discussed last weekend’s Eucharistic Congress for Young Adults and College Students. He said it was a beautiful opportunity to gather in prayer following the marathon bombings last Monday. Scot noted that Friday night’s events didn’t go off as planned because of the city’s lockdown. He said Msgr. James Moroney had been scheduled to speak, but they had to cancel it. On Saturday, usually they’d be doing service projects from noon to four. One of the goals of the congress is to show the link between worship in the Mass and serving our neighbor, but because they weren’t able to use Friday to sign up attendees for the projects they had to forgo them. So they started at 5pm at St. Leonard’s with Cardinal Seán and the speaker on Saturday night was Susan Conroy, who we’ve had on the show recently talking about the life of Mother Teresa. Fr. Matt also talked about Cardinal Seán’s keynote, in which he reflected on his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but also how he related it to the events of the past week in Boston. He also noted how during the Eucharistic procession through the North End’s streets was so impactful that people who were just passing by joined them in the walk. Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Matt discussed the upcoming World Youth Day in Rio. Scot said a few months ago, there were two million expected to go, but that was before the first Latin American Pope was elected and it’s going to be much bigger. Fr. Matt said his office is organizing the archdiocesan trip and now more than 3 million young people are expected to descend upon World Youth Day this summer. Fr. Matt has been to five World Youth Days before and Scot said he went to World Youth Day in Denver in 1993. Fr. Matt said he keeps going back each time because it creates the perfect environment to inspire and evangelize young people to greatness in Christ. Many seminarians have a World Youth Day experience as part of their resume. He said there are many reason it inspires young people, but most of all they see others who are living it. These witnesses are seeking to become the people God created them to be and this is inspiring to the young people. They are priests and lay leaders in their own groups and from around the world. It’s also the Holy Father, in this case, Pope Francis, who young people respond to. These men speak truth and call them to greatness. Fr. Matt said they could squeeze a few more in for the trip in late July. Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge. 3rd segment: Scot and Fr. Matt discussed the annual awards banquet for youth and youth leaders throughout the Archdiocese of Boston. Next Tuesday evening, they will be at Lombardo’s in Randolph. He believes it started as an annual CYO sports awards banquet many years ago and it has expanded greatly over the years. Scot said what really touches him is when he hears someone talk about how they wouldn’t even be practicing their faith if not for one of these people who are nominated for recognition. Fr. Matt said in many parishes there are people who seek to make a gift of themselves, and the faith wouldn’t be transmitted forward if not for them. He said they recently honored one man who had been a catechist for more than 50 years. Scot said we’re all the face of the Church when we’re giving back to God. For many people, we may be the only Catholic they know who goes to church and everyone time we make a gift of love, we are the positive face of the Church. Fr. Matt said today at Mass Fr. Mark O’Connell talked about how the apostles went from the Upper Room out to proclaim the Good News even into Gentile areas, which would have been unheard of among Jews of that period. He related the story of a man who was extremely involved in the life of the parish, yet at work the people know nothing about that. We should always be sharing the gift of our faith and asking people to join us. We may be the only Gospel that someone reads in their life. Break for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with your gift or pledge.

Summary of today's show: Rebecca Hofmann made a decision to put her faith into action by becoming a missionary of chastity. As a member of Generation Life, Rebecca is one of a team of five that travels about the country talking to middle school and high school teens about the beauty of God's plan for love and sexuality, and for many of them it's the first time they've ever heard about chastity. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams talk to Rebecca about how she came to this ministry, some of the results she's seen in the kids she's talked to, how the missionaries depend completely on God's Providence to complete their work, and how she's come to this as her life's work. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today's guest(s): Rebecca Hofmann Links from today's show: Generation Life Today's topics: Generation Life bringing God's plan for chastity to teens across the US 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show. He said today's topic is on chastity education to prevent many of the ills related to the sexual revolution. He welcomed Fr. Matt Williams to the show who said Cardinal Seán has made it a priority to teach students even as young as middle school on chastity and respect for human life and dignity. Scot said God created us with a purpose to love each within the norms established by our loving God and many of us haven't had that presented to us in its fullness. He mentioned that some parents may want to use discretion when listening to the show when their children are present. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Rebecca Hofmann of Generation Life to the show. She grew up in Stow, Mass., as a nominal Catholic. She went to college and forgot about her faith. She came back to Boston with a teaching job and got into her faith through young adult ministry. She saw a joy, peace, and happiness in the young adults she met which was everything she'd been looking for and she really enjoyed hanging out with them. Scot noted that Rebecca was involved with the young adult ministry at St. Clement's Eucharistic Shrine in Boston. She checked out anything she was invited to, including bible studies, Theology on Tap, and Pure in Heart. Rebecca said the lack of a personal relationship with Christ and others who follow Christ laid the foundation for lack of religious practice in college. Fr. Matt said rules without relationship mean rebellion. Rebecca said the Jesus in the North End event was her first encounter with Adoration, but she was invited and went anyway. Scot said her first invitation came from her older sister. He said it's a wonderful gift for a family member to extend. Scot asked how she got involved in chastity education. She'd heard about a Pure in Heart meeting and started going. She'd never really heard about chastity and the opportunity so much about chastity and her sexuality. She started becoming a speaker for Pure in Heart on nights and weekends. Rebecca said the obvious meaning of chastity is saving sex for marriage, but it's much more than that. It's about pursuing authentic love and holding on to your self-respect and dignity. Scot said today we're bombarded with the exact opposite. He said it's much tougher to practice a chaste life as a teen today. Rebecca said she and her five members of her missionary team of Generation Life are witness to being able to live this lifestyle and be happy. Fr. Matt said it's important for teens to be told it's OK not to have sex because they have so much pressure otherwise. Fr. Matt said chastity is ordering your sexuality according to your state in life. How we express our love is going o be expressed uniquely according to our state in life. This isn't just about physical love. Even celibate priests need to be chaste. He said husbands are called to see their wives not as objects, but as a unique unrepeatable gift of God. It's not just about saying No, but about a profound Yes to life and love and the beautiful plan God has in store for all of us. Rebecca said the responses from youth are very positive because they're searching for truth. They are in awe and receptive. They get emails from the teens later expressing profound appreciation. Rebecca said in their presentations they talk about examples of love versus lust and even defining what love actually is, more than just warm feelings, but a total self-sacrifice for the greater good of someone else. They sometimes use examples of pop music with different messages. They give a media talk and help them discern the different messages. She said they separate the groups into boys and girls and adapt the talks to the audiences. Boys hear more about pornography for example while the girls hear more about dressing modestly in order to receive more respect from guys and to hear the effect it has on boys. 3rd segment: Rebecca said she had originally made a decision between NET and Generation Life. NET is more about general educating about God's love. She did that for a year but when she came back to Boston she realized she had it on her heart to continue as a missionary for chastity for another year. She said Generation Life missionaries fundraise their own salaries from friends, families, and others. She had been scared of fundraising but has been overwhelmed by the generosity of those who have given and their moral support because they believe in her mission. Rebecca said they were in Florida for the month of February and it was up to her to find housing for them. At first they stayed in hostels for a few days but then a retreat center came through with an offer to stay for three weeks. They were completely relying on Jesus to provide. She said she encourages people to get this message to young people as young as possible. Generation Life starts with 7th graders, but they have parent talks first before they give their first talk in a school. she said the message is often brand new to the parents they talk to as well. One of their messages is that it's never too late to start over. God's mercy is abundant and He's a God of forgiveness. They give the teens commitment cards to fill out as well. Once Generation Life leaves, they hope that parishes and schools will have ongoing support meetings. The missionaries also treat the beauty of life from the moment of conception until natural death, not just anti-abortion, but respect for all life at all ages and stages. They empower them with steps they can make to take action and be empowered. Rebecca discussed the common questions they receive, which with girls is usually about dating, but she said she hasn't been stumped or surprised by any. Fr. Matt asked Rebecca about what they do in June. The missionaries stay on the Jersey Shore and they go out on the boardwalk and engage strangers in talking about chastity. This is a big "spring break" for teens. For many of these high school teens, parents rented apartments for them and left them unsupervised. Rebecca said many missionaries come back for a second or third year after their first year commitment. They accept recent college grads and they're not asked to be experts on chastity, just a desire to be share the message. Rebecca said this year she started in Nebraska, all three dioceses; a few weeks off for Christmas; New York and DC for the March for Life; February in Florida, March on Long Island; and they're heading out soon to Kansas City.

Summary of today’s show: In his new book “Jacob’s Ladder: Ten Steps to Truth,” Dr. Peter Kreeft sets forth a narrative with which most Americans can relate, talking to a young skeptic about truth, absolute truth, the meaning of life and where that ultimately leads: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Scot Landry talks with Dr. Kreeft, walking quickly through many steps on the ladder from the need for a passion for the truth to why love is the meaning of life and how that truth leads to acknowledging the existence of God and to acknowledging that we accept that either Jesus is God or he is a madman, with no alternative possibility. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Dr. Peter Kreeft Links from today’s show: Peter Kreeft’s website “Jacob’s Ladder: Ten Steps to Truth” by Peter Kreeft Today’s topics: Dr. Peter Kreeft’s new book “Jacob’s Ladder: Ten Steps to Truth” 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and introduced today’s guest, Dr. Peter Kreeft, and his new book “Jacob’s Ladder: Ten Steps to the Truth.” He’s written more than 70 books. Dr. Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College and continues to teach there. Scot noted that Dr. Kreeft has written a wide variety of books, including books on surfing, theology, philosophy. Scot said Jacob’s Ladder is a book of philosophy written around a fictional narrative of two people from Nahant discussing the important questions of life. These questions are the ladder and going up the ladder gets more and more specific to higher and higher truths. Dr. Kreeft said the two characters are taken from his novel “An Ocean Full of Angels” which is situated in Nahant, one of his favorite places in the world. He said these characters have occurred in some of this other books as well. One of them is Mother Kirk, a large, benevolent, multi-racial women who is clever and has all the answers and represents Mother Church and the other is called Seeker. He said dialogue is the best way to learn philosophy as Plato discovered. Each of us talks to ourselves in our minds in dialogue. We can all identify in ourselves the believer and non-believer, optimist and pessimist and so on. Scot said the character of Libby is in her mid-20s, a college graduate who worked in social work, but recently left her job because she was disillusioned. He asked f Libby represents the kind of students he’s met a Boston College. Dr. Kreeft said Libby is a sympathetic character. She’s skeptical, but has reason to be skeptical. You need a skeptical character to keep things moving. The idea of ten logical steps isn’t original. One question comes before another logically. Scot said he never thought another entry point for the pursuit of the truth was to ask whether someone has a passion in pursuit of truth. He said plenty of guys he knows can have instant recall of the minute stats of their favorite athletes and can spend hours on fantasy sports leagues. Yet it’s rare to know someone who has a passion to know the most important things in life. Dr. Kreeft said he uses a long quote from Paschal who says if you don’t have a passion in knowing what happens after death, then you aren’t living, you’re a wet noodle. You need passion to understand anything. Passion comes from the heart and that drives the head. The main reason people don’t find the truth is because they don’t have much passion for it. He said he finds that less brilliant students to find the truth because they care more than the brilliant ones. Scot said you don’t have to be Christian to care about what happens after death. Dr. Kreeft said you have to overcome relativism to come to the understanding that there is an absolute truth. Dr. Kreeft said everyone wants to know life’s ultimate meaning. Science and the scientific method gives you provable answers and we want to do that with the big questions, but you can’t; not because the answers aren’t there, but because the method doesn’t work. Science starts with skepticism, but that doesn’t work with everything. On the perception of the heart, it can know things that can’t be proven, like the fact that love is better than hate. He said the meaning of life is an easy question to answer: It’s love. But when asked to prove it, you can’t do it very easily or well. So skeptics have to suppress that perception. Scot said the next part of the book shows that when you think deeply about, people can agree that love is the meaning of life, but not everyone would define love as willing the good of another person. Dr. Kreeft said that too we intuitively know. We know you can’t run your life on feelings. Love has to be a work, it has to do something. It has to change people. If you know that, does it follow that God exists? Most people argue from the other direction. arguing for the existence of God and then saying God is love. Dr. Kreeft argues that love is the ultimate meaning and if that is so, how far up the ladder does it go? Does it go all the way up to God? Scot noted that the book shows that philosophy as a science, just different from other sciences. Dr. Kreeft said art and science are different in that art is something we create. We create our own truth in art. In science, we discover the truth. The ancient meaning of science isn’t what moderns call it. Science is an ordered body of knowledge that seeks the truth by reason. He said it’s a natural result of the success of the hard sciences in understanding and conquering nature and controlling time and space. Compared to the soft sciences, we say the latter must be weaker. But just because you don’t come to agreement doesn’t mean there isn’t truth. Philosophy is the science of life. You don’t want to get A’s in all your subjects and flunk life. The final exam of life is how did we love and we don’t want to flunk the exam. Dr. Kreeft said when we understand the true nature of love, we are much less comfortable with our lives because we realize that it’s work, not just a feeling. Your fundamental attitude toward another human being if based on feelings is going to be unreliable and based on the whims of our feelings. It has to be based on something fundamental like a choice to value a person because they are fundamentally valuable. You use objects and you don’t worship objects. You have to adore God and nothing else. You use objects and nothing else. You love and don’t use people because they aren’t God and aren’t objects. Love says to another I love that you exist. The world is a beautiful place because you are in it. The world is a wonderful place because you are in it, which is a quote from an Elton John song. He asked how we come to the understanding that love is the purpose and meaning of our life. Dr. Kreeft said most things we know not from proof or philosophical experiment, but from experience. If we live a day without love, then everything falls apart. If you live a life of love for a day, you say you didn’t know how happy you could be before. Prove that love is the meaning of life by living it. He said you’d rather be poor and in love in Detroit, rather than wealthy and alone in Hawaii. Scot said the book also looks into how we know good laws from bad laws. We need good laws that allow love to flourish. Some of the reasons for conflict because there are bad laws that hurt the exchange of love. Dr. Kreeft said laws and love go together. People usually think love and laws are opposites. Without principles, then love can’t flourish. Laws are the skeleton of the body. Laws of human nature are always in favor of love, while manmade laws sometimes aren’t. Natural laws aren’t arbitrary. They’re based on human nature. Scot said many people think of the Church as a system of rules and they think of rules as cold and inhuman. Dr. Kreeft said rules don’t have to be cold. A skeleton is cold because it has no flesh around it. Scot said the Ten Commandments were written for love. You could read it by putting love in each one. “Love doesn’t bear false witness. Love doesn’t kill.” Dr. Kreeft said it’s impressive that the religions of the world pretty much agree on morality. They differ on theology, but not on morality. 2nd segment: Scot said the second half of the book begins by asking the question How can we know how God exists. Dr. Kreeft said we can ask from the outside: “How did the universe begin? Is there a mind behind the intelligence of the universe?” Or from the inside, our own experience: “How can I love? Why am I bind to my conscience?” If you’re open-minded, you can find the answers from the clues. But it’s not guaranteed that you can find them. You have to seek them. Once you understand how authoritative love is, you want it to go up to the ultimate reality. you don’t want love to die when the human race is dead and gone. God is a real presence in our lives. Not just like the moon, cold in the sky, but like the sun, which touches the earth and warms it. Libby says in the book that if I invite God in, I lose control and thus being scared of the unknown creeps in. How much does being scared of that prevent people from asking the key question because we’re not able to take the leap. Dr. Kreeft said the ultimate sin is pride, which means playing God, always wanting to be in control. That’s deadly. Handing over the reins to God takes trust and love. If you know God as true love, you want to trust him. Jesus is the definitive revelation of God. The Father isn’t different from Jesus. There is no more to reveal. If you know Jesus you know the Father. Before that point in the book, Mother Kirk leads Libby through the ladder of religions and talks to her about Judaism. Scot noted that he never knew that religion means relationship. He said Judaism is a different relationship with God than any religion that came before. Dr. Kreeft said Judaism is different because it’s historical. There is a universal search for God in the human heart, but in Judaism, God comes down in search of us. Most religion searches for God, like those airport paperbacks. Judaism on the other claims to be the one road down the mountain, unlike all the others that go up. You can learn good stuff on the roads up, but if God says this one road is the best way, you can’t ignore that. And Jesus was a Jew. That’s a historical fact. The character of Mother Kirk explains how Jesus came from that faith and how we can’t get to Christ without understanding God’s revelation. Dr. Kreeft said we can understand a lot why people resist converting to Christianity by looking at why people are anti-Semitic. The attitude toward the concrete, historical claim of the Jews is similar to the attitude toward the concrete, historical claim of Jesus. You can’t relativize him. You can’t just say Jesus is a good man. Either he is who he says he is or he’s one of the biggest liars of all time. Either Jesus is who he says he is or he is not. Christians believe Jesus is God. If Jesus isn’t God, he’s a blaspheming insane liar who wants you to trust him and put your life in his hands.

Summary of today’s show: On a day with so much tension in the City of Boston and environs, Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell briefly discussed the state of emergency surrounding the Marathon bombing suspects on the loose, but then decided to offer listeners a respite from the news by returning to the Holy Land to discuss their incredible experiences in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, on the Mount of Olives, at the Western Wall, along the Via Dolorosa and in the Upper Room, but above all Fr. Mark riding a camel. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell Today’s guest(s): Fr. Paul Soper Links from today’s show: Read the blog posts from the Holy Land at TheGoodCatholicLife.com Photos from the Holy Land pilgrimage Videos from the Holy Land pilgrimage Today’s topics: Fr. Mark’s reflections on the Holy Land 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone on a day that no one in the Boston area will ever forget. He said tonight’s events for the Eucharist Congress due to take place in the North End tonight have been cancelled. More information about Saturday’s event will be posted at their website at http://www.one4boston.org Scot said he learned about the events overnight in Cambridge and Watertown when woke up this morning. The area in Watertown of the shooting was along Scot’s regular commuter route when the chancery was located in Brighton a few years ago. Fr. Mark O’Connell said he was scheduled for the TV Mass at CatholicTV, but they’re in Watertown which is in lockdown and so they had to replay a previous Mass. Scot welcomed Fr. Paul Soper to the show. He said he hopes we never have another day like this. Fr. Paul said it’s been a horrible day for the people most closely affected, including the family of the MIT police officer who was killed. Fr. Paul said he had some visitors up from Baltimore today to talk about pastoral planning, but apart from that he’s had a hard time doing any work today. Scot said he had to decided whether to go into work or stay at home in Belmont which is under lockdown so he sent his family to spend the day with his parents in Lowell while he came in. He said he’s had tremendous respect today for the people in media who have to report live on air all day long, but he too has had a hard time concentrating probably like people all over the area. Fr. Mark said the two men were so young and led such a normal life and this young man on the run is kind of of every man and that’s creepy. Scot said he’s heard four or five of his friends interviewed who were very surprised by all of this. Several said their first thought on seeing the photos of the FBI not that it could be him but that he should be worried about mistaken identity because it just seemed so impossible. And seeing heavily armed police walking through your neighborhood for the people in Cambridge and Watertown must be worrisome for the people huddled in their houses. Fr. Paul said in Boston we’re accustomed to getting storms so bad that we shut down the roads or we’re asked to stay indoors, but even on 9/11 we did not shut down this much. Scot said if people are listening to us today, they’re not looking for live news updates, so we’re going to return to the Holy Land to talk once again with Fr. Mark and Fr. Paul about their experiences on pilgrimage there last week. 2nd segment: Scot told Fr. Mark that we got a lot of emails when he joined us from Jerusalem last week, but said he had so many more experiences after. He asked what else he did. Fr. Mark said he’s seen a lot of pictures of Jerusalem in his life, but he’d had not concept of Jerusalem before he went. It’s hard to take a picture of Jerusalem that does it justice. It’s a large bowl-shaped valley. There are two ridges that come together, and on one is the Temple and the other is the Mount of Olives. In between is the Pool of Siloam, which is where Jesus cured the blind man. It’s the reason for the placement of Jerusalem, because it makes Jerusalem a fertile place. It’s in the bottom of the valley and is next to Gehenna way down the bottom and is where Jesus’ body would have been thrown to the jackals if Joseph of Arimathea had no asked for his body. When the Bible says Jesus went down through the Kidron Valley and entered the gate of the city, that would be way down in the valley. It’s so steep that you have to walk sideways. Then up to the gate is the cemetery where people want to be buried, an ancient cemetery that dates back to before Jesus, through the Golden Gate or Messiah Gate, which is now blocked up. That’s the one Jesus came through on Palm Sunday. Fr. Paul had thought the Kidron Valley would be a low place that one would have to cross, and was associated with death, but had no idea of the topography. Fr. Mark said it’s not within the walled city, but the distances are very short. All the distances were shorter than expected. The distance between the place of the crucifixion and the tomb was about 30 yards. The Via Dolorosa, the way of the Cross, was about an hour, but because they had to stop. Some scholars say the route that is traditional is wrong because the place where they thought Jesus was crucified was wrong. However, the location of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, is well known and attested. It is inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is clearly the place where you would put someone so that the whole city could see him. It’s called the place of the skull, because it looked like a skull. On the level of the tomb, which is lower down, there’s a window into the bottom of the rock which shows evidence of an earthquake and St. Matthew recorded an earthquake at the moment of the death of Jesus. St. John said they placed Jesus in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb because it was close at hand. Fr. Mark said it’s inspiring because it’s where Jesus was crucified and buried. But it’s also dark and dirty and there’s lot of tensions among the maintainers of the building. Fr. Dan Hennessey and some of the others spent the night in the tomb in a vigil for vocations, but they got kicked out at a point by the Greek Orthodox. Similarly, they celebrated Mass in the tomb and then had to get out. There’s always a tussle over these places among people trying to get in. It’s because there’s tension among the different factions in the city between Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, and Muslims. There’s a standstill and status quo because no one can agree on changing anything. For example, there’s a tomb and an altar in the church that is falling apart, because no one can wants to upset the status quo. Scot said its sad that Jesus prayed that all would be one, but these sorts of divisions still take place in these holiest places. Fr. Mark said that contrast is very powerful there. The power of placing your hand on the place where the Resurrection occurred and where Jesus’ body was laid is something he’ll never forget. Fr. Paul said he loves the way all the tensions show that Jesus entirely healed everything in the world. The world was messy before and it’s messy afterward because that’s not what happened to human nature. The brokenness of the Church is reflected in what’s going on in the church at the foot of the Cross. We know on the Day of the Coming of the Lord all that brokenness will be healed. Scot asked about the Western Wall in Jerusalem and what it meant for them to pray there. Fr. Mark said the Western Wall is the closest the Jews can get to the Temple Mount, which is now the location of an Islamic mosque. Fr. Mark noted that its part of the original wall and is only the top part. The wall reaches down 50 feet below the current level of the ground and would have towered high in the air. The wall would have surrounded the the Temple courtyard. For the Jews, the Temple contained the holy of holies where the presence of God dwelt among the people and so they go to the wall to mourn the lack of the temple. He described the different groups of Jews, some of whom pray quietly and others who do a more energetic movement because it was a Friday at the beginning of the Sabbath. Fr. Mark prayed at this wall but wasn’t particularly moved by it. Fr. Paul said it was moving for him and he doesn’t know why. He only knows that when he leaned against the wall and prayed, he didn’t want to leave. He entered a place of prayer where there is peace and a sense of rightness. Usually for him prayer is a chore, but on rare occasions he is drawn into it. Three times while they were there he had to go back and touch the wall to pray. Away from the wall, he had set prayers he prayed, but at the wall he didn’t have any words of prayer. Fr. Mark said at the Sea of Galilee on the Mount of the Beatitudes, there is a 2,300-year-old tree and he had a time of prayer there that was very moving because the tree was there at the time of Jesus. Fr. Paul said the Via Dolorosa was also moving but Fr. Mark said it really hit him too. Scot asked whether there was a particular image or station that affected him. Fr. Mark said the Via Dolorosa is a business district and a regular street and the station is a plaque on the wall. So visually, the reflection is that people would have been doing business as Jesus carried his cross. It was the Sabbath so there would have been many sheep heading to the Temple to be slaughtered for the Passover and Jesus would have been ignored by many people. It was a similar atmosphere. Fr. Mark said it’s a fairly flat walk now with stairs, but Jerusalem is built on a mountain so there’s a lot of up and down. But he said their prayer experience in the Cenacle was the peak experience for their group. In the Upper Room, there was a point where they were signing an Alleluia and there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t belting out the song. How can you not have that in the place of the Last Supper and Pentecost? It was a beautiful experience. Fr. Paul said Cardinal Seán’s talk there was better there than any other homily he’s ever heard from him anywhere else. Scot said this was the end of a retreat experience for Cardinal Seán too and Scot hears his brother Fr. Roger say he loves leading retreats because it’s so uplifting. Fr. Mark said if he gave a homily or talk in that room, he’s sure it would be the best he’s ever given too because the Spirit moves in that room. But also on that day, the Cardinal started by celebrating Mass literally in the Lord’s tomb, got appointed to a special panel by the Pope, and then had this experience in the Upper Room on the same day. That appointment is a big deal. Fr. Paul said we can’t leave without asking about Fr. Mark and the camel. Scot said he’s not sure how he would rank Fr. Steven Zukas’ camel experience versus Fr. Mark’s. He said it’s the best $3 he’s ever spent. He was shocked by how the camel got up, with its back feet first so he was looking straight at the ground. Almost every person in the Pastoral Center has asked him about the camel and it’s neat everybody was following this trip. Fr. Paul thanked Scot for sending George Martell to come along to record the experience in a way that no one else could. Scot said a lot of people have told him that now they can’t wait to go. Fr. Mark said the best way to go is with the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, the Franciscan papabile. Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. 1st Reading for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Acts 13:14, 43-52 Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God. On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.” The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, John 10:27-30 Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” Scot said Jesus is telling us a little about the Trinity. He gives a sense of consolation that Jesus is always with us. Fr. Paul said our love relationship with Jesus is as certain as His love relationship with the Father. Every other kind of love we can experience is tenuous in comparison. In the first reading, the Jewish Christians question whether the Gentiles can be Christ followers. Fr. Mark said the First Council of Jerusalem addressed this very question. He noted that all throughout the hills of Jerusalem are caves where the apostles would have met. At the Sea of Galilee, Jesus gave to Peter His sheep to protect us.

Summary of today’s show: An interfaith prayer service for the City of Boston, especially those injured and killed in the bombings at the Boston Marathon was held in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross today and Scot Landry, Fr. Roger Landry, and Susan Abbott discussed the remarks by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Gov. Deval Patrick, and President Barack Obama, all of which referenced the role of faith in recovering and responding to the violent acts we witnessed. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today’s guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River Links from today’s show: The Anchor The Pilot Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot’s and The Anchor’s websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today’s topics: Interfaith Prayer Service for Boston 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and noted that Gregory Tracy is out today to attend the funeral of his grandmother and asked for prayers for him and his family. Scot noted that today an interfaith prayer service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross was attended by many faith leaders as well as Mayor Tom Menino, Gov. Deval Patrick, and President Obama. Susan said it was a beautifully done service without showboating or grandstanding. She said it’s a sign of hope. Fr. Roger Landry said it’s highly significant that we embraced the world in a cathedral dedicated to a cross we call holy. This holy week started with a day we’d call Good Monday, when so many suffered. But we remember the cross is not just a symbol of pain and suffering, but love that make suffering bearable. He thinks the president did a good job in trying to describe the resilience we talk about. He said it’s good that it was there. The motto of the Church could be “Here comes everybody.” To everyone who think the president shouldn’t be there should get over it. What’s important is that we at least pray together. To welcome them into our home was an opportunity for us to be together as we look to God how to carry this cross. Scot said we are a nation that is increasingly secular, but we all came together to pray as a society and that we are able to facilitate that prayer is an honor. We must also differentiate between the office of the President or mayor or governor and the politician who holds office and be able to stand behind that office. We must also welcome people. Some of the greatest saints are those who most persecuted Christians and we must be open to the working of the Holy Spirit. We now heard Cardinal Seán’s remarks at the service: My dear brothers, sisters and friends. On behalf of our Catholic community, I wish to welcome all of you here to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. It is an honor to have our President, the Governor, and our Mayor here with us this morning. We are grateful to Governor Patrick for initiating this ecumenical and interfaith prayer service. We are delighted that Metropolitan Methodius and so many leaders from the various churches and faith communities could join us here today. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has asked me to communicate to you his sentiments of love and support. The Holy Father invokes God’s peace upon our dead, consolation upon the suffering and God’s strength upon all those engaged in the continuing work of relief and response. The Holy Father prays that we will be united in the resolve not to be overcome by evil, but to combat evil with good, working together to build an ever more just, free and secure society for generations to come. This year’s Patriots’ Day celebrations were marred by an act of senseless violence that has caused all of us great shock and pain. It made us relive the horror of the September 11th terrorist attack and is a stark reminder of the darkness that can lurk in the human heart and produce such evil. And yet the same tragedy brought us together as a community like nothing else ever could. The generous and courageous response of so many assures us that there resides in people’s hearts a goodness that is incredibly selfless. We saw that when summoned by great events we can be remarkably committed to the well-being of others, even total strangers. We become a stronger people, a more courageous people, and a more noble people. The police, emergency workers and even bystanders and passers-by did not hesitate to put themselves in harm’s way to help the injured and the frightened. Our presence here is an act of solidarity with those who lost their lives or were injured in the explosions and an expression of our desire to support them and their families and loved ones. This Patriots’ Day shakes us out of our complacency and indifference and calls us to focus on the task of building a civilization that is based on love, justice, truth and service. We do not want to risk losing the legacy of those first patriots who were willing to lay down their lives for the common good. We must overcome the culture of death by promoting a culture of life, a profound respect for each and every human being made in the image and likeness of God, and we must cultivate a desire to give our lives in the service of others. Last week, I was in Galilee on the Mount of the Beatitudes with 30 priests from Boston. There we prayed together and listened to the very Gospel that was read for us here this morning. The Sermon on the Mount is a description of the life of the people gathered by and around the Lord. Often in the Gospels, we can see the contrast between the crowd and the community. The crowd is made up of self-absorbed individuals, each one focused on his or her own interests in competition with the conflicting projects of others. A community is where people come to value each other, and find their own identity in being part of something bigger than themselves, working together for the common good. The Sermon on the Mount, in many ways, is the Constitution of the people called to live a new life. Jesus gives us a new way to deal with offenses, by reconciliation. Jesus gives us a new way to deal with violence, by nonviolence. He gives us a new way to deal with money, by sharing and providing for those in need. Jesus gives us a new way to deal with leadership, by drawing upon the gift of every person, each one a child of God. In the face of the present tragedy, we must ask ourselves what kind of a community do we want to be, what are the ideals that we want to pass on to the next generation. It cannot be violence, hatred and fear. The Jewish people speak of Tikkun Olam, “repairing the world.” God has entrusted us with precisely that task, to repair our broken world. We cannot do it as a collection of individuals; we can only do it together, as a community, as a family. Like every tragedy, Monday’s events are a challenge and an opportunity for us to work together with a renewed spirit of determination and solidarity and with the firm conviction that love is stronger than death. May ours be the sentiments of St. Francis of Assisi, who prayed: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen. Scot asked Susan for her favorite part of Cardinal Seán’s remarks. Susan said seeing our Cardinal in his Franciscan robes ending with this prayer to St. Francis was powerful. On Patriots Day, she thought how she takes things for granted and how everything is gift. On the need for the community to repair the world, she was reminded of John Donne who said no man is an island unto himself. Sure, we have differences, but we have to find the common good in service of that. Scot said Cardinal Seán said we should respond to this event in love. We learn from it and repair what needs to be repaired in the world. Fr. Roger said it was a tremendous talk on a day in which we heard tremendous rhetoric. Cardinal Seán went beyond eloquent and went to the root causes of what happened on Monday. Then he described a program that we can continue the work that was begun after the bombs exploded. The root causes are in the human heart, what happened with Adam and Eve. The response, like the first patriots, we must overcome a culture of death by promoting a culture of life. In a culture where some people can choose which other people can die, whether through euthanasia, capital punishment or abortion, then we’re going to have people with homemade bombs killing the innocent. A profound respect for every human being created in the image and likeness of God is where we begin. Then he talked about a far more important constitution than the US Constitution, which was the Sermon on the Mount. “Pope offers prayers for victims, first responders in Boston”, Catholic News Service, 4/16/13 “Boston cardinal says all feel ‘deep sorrow’ for victims of explosions”, CNS/The Boston Pilot, 4/16/13 2nd segment: Scot noted he was at the cathedral about 6:45am and the church ended up being extremely packed. He said from about 7:15 to about 10:30 is like any gathering of people, talking among themselves. About 10:30, Fr. O’Leary, the rector, asked people to take their seats and then it was extremely quiet and reflective, which was striking to Scot. It was prayerful. Scot there was a blend of music from various church choirs along with the cathedral festival choir. Then Rev. Liz Walker, the former WBZ news anchor, welcomed everyone and one by the one the presenters came up. Scot said Mayor Tom Menino had told an aide that he was going to deliver his address standing even if it killed him. He is in a wheelchair after having broken his leg recently. Susan said it was quite an act of determination. Scot said Menino gave a very impassioned speech and this might be one of the best talks he’s ever given. He thinks in his 20 years as Boston mayor, today’s speech will be listed as one of his best. Scot thought Menino was going to break down as he said he’s never been prouder of the city of Boston. Susan noted that a lot has been happening in Menino’s life, including medical issues and announcing he won’t be running for re-election. Transcript of Mayor Menino’s remarks Transcript of Gov. Patrick’s remarks Scot listed the other religious speakers and then said Gov. Deval Patrick spoke of all the things he is thankful for this week. Patrick also said Massachusetts invented America: Massachusetts invented America. And America is not organized the way countries are usually organized. We are not organized around a common language or religion or even culture. We are organized around a handful of civic ideals. And we have defined those ideals, through time and through struggle, as equality, opportunity, freedom and fair play. Scot and Susan discussed whether this was an overstatement. Fr. Roger thought it was hyperbole. He remarked on the opening of his talk in which he said Scripture tells us to give thanks and in every Mass we ask God to help us in all things to give thanks. In my faith tradition, scripture teaches: “In every thing give thanks.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) That isn’t always easy to do. On Monday afternoon, I wasn’t feeling it. What I felt, what so many of us felt then, was shock and confusion and anger. But the nature of faith, I think, is learning to return to the lessons even when they don’t make sense, when they defy logic. And as I returned to those lessons this week, I found a few things to be thankful for. Scot said even in this week there is so much to give God thanks for, the acts of heroism, bravery, and perseverance. Susan said that’s the tension and balance of marking something so sad, but realizing we are called to give thanks and there is a reason to give thanks, which is that Jesus Christ died for us and saved us from sin. She added that evangelization is hearing an elected official talk about he takes comfort in his faith. Transcript of President Obama’s remarks Then President Obama talked about the Scripture passage of running the race with endurance. Then he also said: I’m here today on behalf of the American people with a simple message: Every one of us has been touched by this attack on your beloved city. Every one of us stands with you. Because, after all, it’s our beloved city, too. Boston may be your hometown, but we claim it, too. It’s one of America’s iconic cities. It’s one of the world’s great cities. And one of the reasons the world knows Boston so well is that Boston opens its heart to the world. He talked about welcoming immigrants, students, talents in the arts and sciences and all the people who come to the Marathon each April. Scot said it meant a lot to him to hear the president saying that. Susan said author Dennis Lehane wrote this week that they picked the wrong city, which wasn’t pugnacious bluster, but a measure of our resilience. Obama continued: Like you, Michelle and I have walked these streets. Like you, we know these neighborhoods. And like you, in this moment of grief, we join you in saying — “Boston, you’re my home.” For millions of us, what happened on Monday is personal. It’s personal. Fr. Roger talked about how Bostonians can have a reputation for provincialism or for being smug about our sports teams, but at this time all that set is set aside. He said he’s heard on sports radio that The Standells’ “Dirty Water” which Obama referenced is classic because it takes a criticism of Boston and makes it something to be proud of. That’s why a bomb can’t beat us. That’s why we don’t hunker down. That’s why we don’t cower in fear. We carry on. We race. We strive. We build, and we work, and we love — and we raise our kids to do the same. And we come together to celebrate life, and to walk our cities, and to cheer for our teams. When the Sox and Celtics and Patriots or Bruins are champions again — to the chagrin of New York and Chicago fans — (laughter) — the crowds will gather and watch a parade go down Boylston Street. (Applause.) Scot said it resonated with him, even though he thinks of himself as mature than identifying so deeply with our sports teams. He thinks he connected with Bostonians on an emotional level. Susan said that image of a sports champion team going down Boylston Street in Duck Boats is an iconic image. Scripture teaches us, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” And that’s the spirit you’ve displayed in recent days. When doctors and nurses, police and firefighters and EMTs and Guardsmen run towards explosions to treat the wounded — that’s discipline. When exhausted runners, including our troops and veterans — who never expected to see such carnage on the streets back home — become first responders themselves, tending to the injured — that’s real power. When Bostonians carry victims in their arms, deliver water and blankets, line up to give blood, open their homes to total strangers, give them rides back to reunite with their families — that’s love. Scot said in four sentences Obama weaved four moving visual images together. Susan said it was beautifully balanced. Fr. Roger said the real beauty goes beyond the eloquence to the fact that it’s true. The greatest eloquence is bringing the beauty of what everyone has observed and putting it in words. That’s why we have poet laureates to highlight beauty. The most touching part for Scot was when Obama talked about Krystle Campbell. Today our prayers are with the Campbell family of Medford. They’re here today. Their daughter, Krystle, was always smiling. Those who knew her said that with her red hair and her freckles and her ever-eager willingness to speak her mind, she was beautiful, sometimes she could be a little noisy, and everybody loved her for it. She would have turned 30 next month. As her mother said through her tears, “This doesn’t make any sense.” Scot said that hearing the President of the United States eulogizing their daughter before the world must have meant a lot to her family. Susan said when a family goes through a loss, they look for comfort and these words can help a family find some solace. Scot said the president also spoke about the other two deceased victims as well. Fr. Roger said it was implicit in the remarks that every life is valuable. In this situation we’re able to realize that every life is valuable. The fact that the president eulogized these three in his remarks because of what it teaches us. Our Father in heaven also loves his children and offers each one something far greater than a presidential eulogy. And this time next year, on the third Monday in April, the world will return to this great American city to run harder than ever, and to cheer even louder, for the 118th Boston Marathon. (Applause.) Bet on it. (Applause.) Scot said this remark too connected with him both rationally and emotionally. It was important that this be said in this week, that we respond to terrorism by saying the next marathon will be the best ever. Fr. Roger said bigger than the marathon is the race we need to run with endurance. There is an urgency to the race of creating a culture of love, life and justice. That’s far greater than the most populous Boston Marathon in history. Scot said it was the largest interfaith prayer service he’s ever been part of, certainly with as many people from so many different faiths, which is encouraging in our increasingly secular culture. Fr. Roger said our first response should always be to pray and we have the tremendous example of president and governor. We were at our best today in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.