Podcasts about bridgewater state college

Welcome to the Personal Development Trailblazers Podcast! In today's episode, we're talking all about saving hours of worry and overwhelm—so you can focus on achieving your dreams.Cindi Frechette is a mindset coach that empowers her clients to break through limiting beliefs and achieve their personal and professional goals. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) by trade, Cindi has over 15 years of experience providing therapy in a variety of settings with youth, families, and adults. She received her BA in social work from Bridgewater State College and her MSW from Simmons College. In 2022, she started Elevate You, LLC to better connect with her clients by providing concierge coaching and therapy services. She specializes in mindset transformation, stress management, and personal empowerment. Cindi believes that true growth comes from shifting the way we think about ourselves and the world around us, and that everyone has the potential to create lasting, positive change in their lives.Connect with Cindi Here: www.instagram.com/cinfree23/https://www.facebook.com/cjlawless/https://elevateyoumindset.comGrab the freebie here: DM Cindi the word TRIAD on Instagram to get her FREE THOUGHT TRIAD Worksheet so you can change your thoughts, feelings, and actions!===================================If you enjoyed this episode, remember to hit the like button and subscribe. Then share this episode with your friends.Thanks for watching the Personal Development Trailblazers Podcast. This podcast is part of the Digital Trailblazer family of podcasts. To learn more about Digital Trailblazer and what we do to help entrepreneurs, go to DigitalTrailblazer.com.Are you a coach, consultant, expert, or online course creator? Then we'd love to invite you to our FREE Facebook Group where you can learn the best strategies to land more high-ticket clients and customers. QUICK LINKS: APPLY TO BE FEATURED: https://app.digitaltrailblazer.com/podcast-guest-applicationDIGITAL TRAILBLAZER: https://digitaltrailblazer.com/

Send us a text Coach Kolody is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. He is also the owner ofAdvantage Performance Training, where Coach Kolody specializes in Strength and Conditioning, Speed, Agility, Stability, Mobility, and flexibility to help in Sport preparedness and injury mitigation. Prior to Hunterdon Central Kolody was the Manager of Sports Performance & Rehabilitation Manager of Somerset Medical Center. He also served as a GA for Bridgewater State College . Coach Kolody has a master's degree in Exercise Science from Bridgewater State and a bachelor's degree in athletic training from Pfeiffer University. Along with all his other pursuits Kolody is active in the NHSSCA and has hosted the New Jersey State Clinic, He also Co-Hosts the New Jersey High School Strength Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/coachkolody?igsh=MW12a3U0ZjV1bDFoMQ==https://x.com/coachkolody?s=21Pkolody@hcrhs.orghttps://youtube.com/@platesandpancakes4593https://instagram.com/voodoo4power?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=https://voodoo4ranch.com/To possibly be a guest or support the show email Voodoo4ranch@gmail.comhttps://www.paypal.com/paypalme/voodoo4ranch

Michael Raimondi has accumulated extensive work experience in various roles and industries. At the time of this interview Michael currently served as the Vice President of HR Operations at The Hollister Group, where they collaborate with executive leadership to define the organization's long-term mission and goals. Michael is responsible for talent management, attraction, onboarding, training, and implementing technology solutions. Additionally, Raimondi manages the HR team and ensures compliance with employment laws and regulations.Prior to their current role, Raimondi held positions of increasing responsibility at The Hollister Group. Michael served as the Vice President of Administrative & HR Staffing, where they developed and executed talent acquisition and hiring processes for the entire organization. Michael also oversaw EEO compliance training. Before that, Raimondi was the Division Director of Administrative & HR Staffing, responsible for leading a team and managing the division's recruitment, hiring, and performance management processes.Raimondi's earlier experience includes serving as a Recruiting Director for Administrative & HR Staffing, where they provided efficient customer service, oversaw job postings and recruiting strategies, and ensured a diverse candidate pool. Michael also worked as a Higher Education Recruiter, responsible for full-cycle recruitment for various positions at colleges and universities.Prior to their tenure at The Hollister Group, Raimondi worked as an Admissions Representative at Le Cordon Bleu College, where they led a team of recruiters and guided prospective students in choosing the right educational program. Michael also worked as a General Manager at West Elm Variety, overseeing day-to-day operations, customer service, purchasing, and budget analysis. Raimondi started their career in customer service as a part-time employee at Ellsworth Supply.Overall, Michael Raimondi has a diverse and well-rounded background in HR, staffing, recruitment, and operations management.Michael Raimondi pursued their education in the field of Business Administration and Management. Michael first obtained an Associate's degree in Business Administration and Management from Quincy College, where they studied from 2001 to 2004. Michael then pursued a Bachelor's degree in the same field from Bridgewater State College, completing their studies from 2004 to 2006. Making further progress in their educational journey, Michael earned a Master's degree in Business Administration and Management from Eastern Nazarene College, studying from 2011 to 2012. In addition to their formal education, Michael Raimondi also obtained a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from HRCI in March 2021.

Phil Klotzbach, Research Scientist at Colorado State, shares his thoughts regarding the frequency and intensity of hurricanes. Specifically historical trends and what that means for the 2021 season and beyond. We welcome your review of Closing the Gap on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about Westfield's independent agency partners.   Phil Klotzbach is a Research Scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.  He received his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from CSU in 2007.  Klotzbach has worked in the Department of Atmospheric Science for the past twenty years and was co-author on the Atlantic basin hurricane forecasts with Dr. William Gray through 2005.   He became first author on the seasonal hurricane forecasts in 2006.  Klotzbach developed the two-week forecasts currently being issued during the peak months of the hurricane season between August-October.  He has authored over 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Climate and Weather and Forecasting.  Klotzbach graduated from Bridgewater State College with a BS degree in Geography in 1999.  After receiving his Masters degree from CSU in 2002, Klotzbach thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine (2100+ miles).  He has also climbed all 54 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado, and has completed nine marathons and six ultra-marathons. 

April is stress awareness month, and for that reason, I wanted to talk with someone about the presence of stress in the workplace, the role of stress in and out of work, and most importantly, how organizations can get in the right mindset and make a difference when it comes to mental health in general. I am pleased to have with us Leigh-Ann Larson, Founder and CEO of Eleveate Counseling (https://www.elevate-counseling.com/). Leigh-Ann graduated from Bridgewater State College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education, with a double minor in Health Promotion and Psychology. She took this foundation and in 2005 with a Masters Degree in Education, specializing in Mental Health Counseling, also from Bridgewater State College, designed a Holistic Model of Healing combining the tenants of Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well being as the foundation in which she has built her clinical meaning-making and personal life practice. Remember you can always follow us on Twitter at @HRWorksPodcast (https://bit.ly/3l0dzP3), and we are also now available on Spotify (http://spoti.fi/3t8of13) and Audible (http://adbl.co/30uhdaq).

"I love novenas - partly because I'm drawn to the idea of community. I love getting together with my family. Praying a novena is a time with the community of saints." Judy Henry McMullan is a high school theology teacher and the chair of the Theology Department at Archbishop Williams High School in Boston, Massachusetts. Judy was born and raised in Boston with her 4 sisters. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bridgewater State College and a Masters of Divinity from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Judy's experience in ministry includes volunteering for a year in Guatemala, working as a spiritual life minister in a Catholic nursing facility, and serving as the associate director of Campus Ministry at Stonehill College. Judy is also the mother of a 13 year old son.

Maria is the Massachussetts AHPERD Executive Director. She holds a BS in Physical Education from Bridgewater State College (1978-1983) and a Masters in Educational Leadership-Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship (1990-1993). Join us for this candid conversation with a true servant leader!

Interview with Cindy Gilman on the Melissa Billie Clark Show. Ms. Cindy Gilman is an internationally known radio talk show host and nationally recognized professional Psychic Medium and healer. She attended Emerson College, New England Conservatory of Music and Bridgewater State College. She is a certified Hypnosis Counselor and Meditation Instructor. As an intuitive her expertise was called upon to work with children in cooperation with Dr. J. B. Rhine (who coined the phrase “ESP”) in the mid 1970’s and 1980’s. She has lectured at colleges and Organizations throughout the country and has been featured in numerous newspaper articles. Cindy Gilman has been doing spiritual and healing work for over 30 years and synthesizes her intuitive and mediumship abilities with her healing abilities, hypnosis, and mediation skills as well as Reiki training to assist in the healing process. She hosted Discover Your Potential on IDS Radio Network, an internet Radio Talk Show. She hosted the Cindy Gilman Show on WHJJ Radio for 13 years. She is featured in the book, 41 signs of Hope by Dave Kane and 41 The Movie. For appointments contact: 401.885.4115 Email: cindy@cindygilman.com www.melissaclarkshow.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cindy-gilman/support

Tap into your Spirituality Part Two Ms. Cindy Gilman is an internationally known radio talk show host and nationally recognized professional Psychic Medium and healer. She attended Emerson College, New England Conservatory of Music and Bridgewater State College. She is a certified Hypnosis Counselor and Meditation Instructor. As an intuitive her expertise was called upon to work with children in cooperation with Dr. J. B. Rhine (who coined the phrase “ESP”) in the mid 1970's and 1980's. She has lectured at colleges and Organizations throughout the country and has been featured in numerous newspaper articles. Cindy Gilman has been doing spiritual and healing work for over 30 years and synthesizes her intuitive and mediumship abilities with her healing abilities, hypnosis, and mediation skills as well as Reiki training to assist in the healing process. She hosted Discover Your Potential on IDS Radio Network, an internet Radio Talk Show. She hosted the Cindy Gilman Show on WHJJ Radio for 13 years. She is featured in the book, 41 signs of Hope by Dave Kane and 41 The Movie. For appointments contact: 401.885.4115 Email: cindy@cindygilman.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/melissabillieclark/support

On this episode your co-hosts Azaria and Martheya talk with the founder of the Women in Dance Leadership Conference, Sandra Parks. Originally from Taiwan, Sandra danced as a soloist with Four Seasons Ballet and Wu-I Dance Company in Taipei. She toured nationally and internationally with a Broadway production of the King And I. While directing her own production, she danced and choreographed over 80 live concerts. After moving to Boston, she danced with Bosoma Dance Company, Dance Collective, and Impulse Dance Company. Sandra was a member of the faculties at Boston University, Bridgewater State College, Colleges of Fenway, Kennesaw State University, Regis College, Smith College, National Taiwan University of Arts, the Head of Dance Program and assistant professor at Louisiana State University, and is currently on the faculty at Drexel University in Philadelphia. In 2013, Sandra founded Women in Dance L.L.C. to celebrate and promote female leadership in dance, and she is the director of the international conference: Women in Dance Leadership Conference. On this episode, we go behind the screen of  the Women In Dance Leadership conference. We unpack Sandra Parks career path. We discuss her strategies for supporting female voices in the dance world across many platforms and redefining equality. She offers what to consider when curating a conference to create a space for all voices of dance in mediums of film, live performances, workshops, presentations, and more. Sandra offers transparency on the financial realities of creating a conference, how to ask for help, and her visions for the future of Women In Dance.  Detailed shownotes: http://www.knowboxdance.com/podcast.html

Anne Fensie is a college instructor, instructional designer, and doctoral student focusing on nontraditional learners in distance education. She sees technology as a tool that can facilitate equitable access to learning and social mobility. Her years of experience in the classroom, working with at-risk adult learners, and parenting children with special needs has taught her that learning is about personal transformation not just adding content to memory, and critical pedagogy can help to empower students to manage their own learning. Anne is passionate about using the learning sciences to improve teaching and learning and believes this is the key to equitable access to education. She teaches in person and at a distance in graduate, undergraduate, and adult education. Anne has a Bachelor of Music Education from Ithaca College, a Master of Education in Instructional Technology from Bridgewater State College, and is a doctoral student in higher education at the University of Maine.

Author and educator, Jennifer Beland has 20 years of experience as a teacher and administrator of children with disabilities and within the mental health field. She holds a Masters of Education from Cambridge College and a B.S. in Psychology from Bridgewater State College. She has worked in both a school setting with students with disabilities, as well as within a private hospital setting.  She has also served as Fellow to the College of Education Teacher Preparation Advisory Board at University of Massachusetts, Lowell.  Buster, the Delicate Doodle is the first of a picture book series to be used by counselors, parents, and teachers within a whole-classroom setting grades 2-5. Additional lessons are designed to integrate social emotional learning with Common Core ELA reading and writing standards. On her website, Jennifer has links to articles and also tips on self-awareness, recognizing strengths and identifying emotions. Visit her website at selwithbuster.com/ To read my review of Buster the Delicate Poodle and learn about social emotional learning, visit my website here.

John Crye and Eric LeMay were both freshman at Emerson College ca. 1990 (Eric went to Bridgewater State College his first semester). This is just a complete outtake of when John was helping Eric learn how to capture sound over the phone when he first got his fancy new recorder. It's rough and not edited. Its just two Emersonians remembering "those days" in the Back Bay. 

Join us as we discuss the Hurricane Season 2018 with Dr. Philip Klotzbach, who is one of the leading scientists of Atmospheric Sciences and Tropical Meteorology. Phil Klotzbach is a Research Scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. He received his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from CSU in 2007. Klotzbach has been employed in the Department of Atmospheric Science for the past seventeen years and was co-author on the Atlantic basin hurricane forecasts with Dr. William Gray through 2005. He became first author on the seasonal hurricane forecasts in 2006. Klotzbach developed the two-week forecasts currently being issued during the peak months of the hurricane season between August-October. He has published over two dozen articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Climate and Weather and Forecasting. Klotzbach graduated from Bridgewater State College with a BS degree in Geography in 1999. He then attended Colorado State University where he received his Masters degree in Atmospheric Science in 2002. After receiving his Masters degree, Klotzbach thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine (2100+ miles). He has also climbed all 54 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado, and has completed nine marathons and five ultra-marathons.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolinaweather/message

Summary of today's show: There aren't many priests in the Archdiocese of Boston who can say they felt the call to the priesthood in Blessed John Paul's native Poland and none as young as Fr. Adrian Milik. Born in Poland, but raised in the United States from eight years old, Fr. Milik was studying in Krakow when John Paul II died and it was then that the Holy Spirit called him to become a priest in Boston. Fr. Milik joins Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor to talk about his first three weeks as a priest, the whirlwind that he's been in since the Ordination Mass, and the experience of bring the sacraments to the people for the first time. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor Today's guest(s): Fr. Adrian Milik Today's topics: New Priest Profile: Fr. Adrian Milik 1st segment: Scot and Fr. Chris caught up on their time off last week for the Independence Day holiday and their plans for the summer. Today's guest is Fr. Adrian Milik, newly ordained just last month by Cardinal Seán. Fr. Chris noted that Fr. Adrian has a Polish background like himself. Scot said he's been assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Bridgewater. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Adrian to the show. He asked Fr. Adrian how his first few weeks have been. Fr. Adrian said he moved in to the parish the week after the ordination, met the pastor and parish, and still had many family and friends in town for the ordination. Fr. Chris walked through all the various elements of the busy week surrounding ordination from the rehearsal on Thursday before to reporting to the parish the following Thursday. Fr. Adrian said what stood out for him was the moment his hands were anointed by Cardinal Seán and being told that they have been set aside for sacred things. It means everything you do know is different. They talked about the custom of giving the cloth used to wipe the oil on the priests' hands to their mothers for them to be buried with as a sign that they gave birth not just to a son, but also gave to the Church a priest. Fr. Adrian said it's part of the symbolism that the priest conveys something of God to the people. Fr. Chris said priests also give their first confessional stole to their fathers. Fr. Adrian said he gave these items to his parents before they went back to Poland. Fr. Adrian said he really felt God's presence during the Mass, even when trying to make sure he had the right response for his part. He felt like he was being led, like God was in control. Scot another elements that stands out is the number of hugs given by all the priests in the cathedral at the sign of peace, the laying on of hands, and after the Mass. Fr. Adrian said he was surprised by the manner in which each priest lays hands on the heads was so different from one to another priest and reflected their personality. The same way with the sign of peace. Fr. Adrian said the moment when the cardinal receives the blessing and kisses his hands was odd at first, but very moving and an indicator of the change of reality in him. Scot asked about his first two Masses, concelebrating the rest of the ordination Mass and then his first Mass the next day. Fr. Adrian say when praying the Mass for the first time as a priest and surrounded by other priests, he felt their support for him. It was a powerful experience that didn't sink in at the time. His first Mass was at St. Eulalia in Winchester, which was his parents' parish for many years. They started the Mass with incense and he also decided to use the sprinkling rite for the beginning of Mass. While he was going through the church with the water, the thurible was in the sacristy with a very low ceiling and that caused the fire alarms to go off. The pastor made an announcement to ask everyone to evacuate until after the firefighters cleared the building. They were able to get back in the church after a few minutes. They didn't use incense the rest of the Mass. Fortunately, it eased some of the tension he'd been feeling. On Friday before the ordination, he received his first assignment from Cardinal Seán at a dinner for ordinandi. Fr. Adrian said each man met with the cardinal in his office after dinner. They went in one by one and received the envelope with their assignment. He said he spoke to the cardinal about the assignment, that he'd heard a lot of good things about the parish and they discussed the presence of Bridgewater State College. He encouraged Fr. Adrian. Fr. Chris asked his sense of the parish. Fr. Adrian said it's a very warm parish and the people have been generous in welcoming him and inviting him and the pastor and the seminarian there for the summer into their homes. Fr. Chris asked if his expectations of priesthood were different from the reality. Fr. Adrian said he's surprised by how natural it feels. He's not nervous in celebrating Mass nor is he nervous in being in a new place. He's had an opportunity to celebrate Mass in a number of places in that first week after ordination, so it's been an opportunity to learn and grow. Scot asked if he feels pressure to learn all the names. Fr. Adrian said he's not particularly good at learning names, so he's trying to do his best. He's been grateful that they've been so understanding. Fr. Chris said one of the first Masses for the newly ordained is at Regina Cleri, the home for retired priests and those in physical or other rehabilitation. He was happy to be with these men who have given so much and are examples of faithful service to the people of Boston. There's something great about being in a full chapel with everyone who is concelebrating the Mass together. They also had lunch with them after and they talked about the changes they've seen in their lives and the accumulated wisdom they've gathered. Fr. Adrian said his father is a quiet person, but his mother is more demonstrative and both showed how proud they are of him. His mother had a lot of good advice for him and his father said a lot through a couple of words and a hug. His mother was very glad to be able to be there and not just speak to him about the priesthood, but also to say goodbye to Boston and to give him to Boston. 3rd segment: Scot asked Fr. Adrian when he first had a sense he had calling. When he was 8, his dad got a job in San Diego and they were parishioners at Our Mother of Confidence Parish. He was a regular Mass-goer but he hadn't yet owned his own faith. When he was in the confirmation program, the youth minister conducted a retreat. Fr. Adrian was saying some prayers and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in him that immobilized him. He talked to God and felt God's presence in him. He felt peace and direction in his heart. That was a life changing moment in which he realized God wasn't a concept, but is a Person. His faith came alive after that. His prayer was no longer a series of negotiations, but a real conversation. When he was in college, he was invited to a Come-and-See Day for the Diocese of San Diego at the seminary. It felt right, but he wasn't quite ready at that point. After he graduated college, he went back to Poland to do his Master's degree at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, where Pope John Paul II was a college student before World War II. Fr. Chris talked about the depth of the expression of Catholic faith in Krakow and how the presence of John Paul II is felt there. Fr. Adrian said he was in Krakow when John Paul died in 2005. The university cancelled classes for the week. The street in front of the archbishop's house was completely covered in candles. They talked about other ways t he love for John Paul expressed itself, including soccer hooligans who would normally be at each others' throats, standing arm in arm. Fr. Adrian said his experience there at the time was definitely an influence in pushing him forward on the way to the priesthood. He said when he was in San Diego, he wasn't in a particularly Catholic environment, which made it difficult to hear his call as he was distracted by his surroundings. Meanwhile, in Krakow most of his friends were involved in Catholic student groups and it was a very different environment that was very much shaped by John Paul II. He recalls that the Sunday Masses at the church would be filled 15 minutes before it began and people would be lined up outside the door. Meanwhile, his parents had moved to Boston for work. So he started to pray about what to do when he finished his Master's degree. At the time in Krakow he went to see a French monk speak about being open to the Holy Spirit. He shared his experience of the truth of the Holy Spirit he knew, so Fr. Adrian prayed about where God was calling him to experience the truth in his life. At the time he was thinking about going for a PhD in history or looking for a job in the US. Those options left him unease and anxiety, but he prayed about applying to seminary, there was just peace. He spoke to both San Diego and Boston dioceses, and felt God calling him to Boston. Fr. Chris said every priest preaches one homily, just in different ways. He asked Fr. Adrian what is his one homily. Fr. Adrian said he tends to go back to God's love and mercy and the importance of the sacraments, especially Confession. In Krakow, he regularly visited the Divine Mercy shrine and that Divine Mercy has been present throughout his life. We need to remember that God loves and forgives us so much. He's already been able to hear confessions at his new parish. Fr. Adrian said St. Thomas has Masses at 7am and 9am during the week; on Saturday at 4pm; and on Sunday, 7:45, 10am, and noon Mass. Also St. Basil Chapel at 10am at Bridgewater State college. The noon Mass is the Life Teen Mass. During the school year, there is an evening Mass at St. Basil's.

Summary of today's show: The Theology of the Body was the foundation of Pope John Paul II's pontificate and an answer to the depersonalization and objectification of the human person in society in recent decades. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams are joined by Damon Owens of the Theology of the Body Institute for an introduction to this teaching and discussion of a definition of love that moves beyond mere feelings to an act of the will and desire to make a complete self-gift of oneself. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today's guest(s): Damon Owens, executive director of the Theology of the Body Institute Links from today's show: Today's topics: Theology of the Body 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Matt to the show and wished him Happy Easter. They noted that Easter takes place over 8 days. Fr. Matt said on Holy Thursday he concelebrated Mass at St. Joseph in Holbrook and then on Good Friday he took part in the Hunger for Justice retreat in Nahant. He then concelebrated the Easter Vigil at St. Mary's in Lynn with many of the teens from the Hunger for Justice retreat. On Sunday, he was back at St. Joseph and then celebrated Mass in the chapel at Bridgewater State College. Fr. Matt said the Hunger for Justice retreat was wonderful. He said the receptivity of the teens and reverence and respect were powerful. He said the retreat began on Short Beach in Nahant with a lesson that salvation is impossible on our own and that God comes to save us. They then walked in a procession with the Cross to St. Thomas Aquinas Church. He said lots of people were drawn to what the hundreds of teens were doing. He said their actions proclaimed Jesus. Scot said he saw many of the photos from the beach at Today's topic is Theology of the Body. Fr. Matt said Pope John Paul II began to write and reflect upon the Theology of the Body at the beginning of the sexual revolution. He believes this is a profound gift from God to speak to the hearts of all people, especially the young, to help them realize our lives are intended to be a gift given to another, and that gift is inscribed in our bodies. It speaks to the hook-up culture many of our young people are saturated in today. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Damon Owens to the show. Scot asked him how Pope John Paul developed the Theology of the Body. Damon said like many of the major teachings in the Church, this developed out of a crisis. He said it takes time to delve into it. It responds to some of the worst degradation of humanity in history during the 20th century and it tell us what it means to be a human being. Scot said Pope John Paul put these teachings forward in a series of 129 Wednesday general audiences over 5 years ending in 1984. He thought it was so central in our understanding of the human person and how we relate to each other. Damon said it is the culmination of his priesthood from his time as a pastor to theology professor to bishop and cardinal and then pope. It laid the foundation for the entire 25-year pontificate. Each encyclical shows how he unveils it and applies it to every facet of the world. Scot asked Damon to define what is Theology of the Body. Damon said it is a body of teaching that is the fruit and implementation of the Second Vatican Council. It doesn't replace the body of faith, but makes it accessible. It's not a new teaching, but draws from our teachings to help us understand who Christ is and learn what hit means to be made in the image and likeness of God. The first part of the 129 audiences ask and answer the question of who we are, what is our identity. It starts with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eve. Scot asked what are some misconceptions about what it means to be a human person debunked by John Paul. Damon said there is an overspiritualization and an overly materialistic view. John Paul said physical and spiritual are not working against each other, but they work together to bring us to the deepest truth about our identity. It's a both/and not either/or. Damon said they always begin with morality. Everyone asks the fundamental questions of morality, who can they love, how do they know if it's true love. What they don't realize is that they're asking questions of identity more than morality. Questions of the moral law build on top of our identity. If we know who we are, we will know how to act. Many have absorbed a false identity, but they offer the dignity of masculinity and felinity, which have no parallel in our culture. John Paul said love is an act of the will. We make of ourselves a self-gift, which Christ on the cross is the prime example. In marriage, we make a gift of ourselves as a state of life, where we literally learn how to love and become love by the acts we choose to make and pledge of our being to another. We need to be on our knees asking God how to love with his love. Fr. Matt said we've been called to live our lives as gift, which comes from John Paul's philosophy of personalism. Damon warned that many of these ideas are deep and profound and hearing them the first time can be intimidating. But we have to recognize the full depth of what John Paul is calling. We are mde in the image and likeness of God, male and female. God created masculinity and femininity out of that image, when God is neither male nor female. God is a communion of divine persons and being made in the image and likeness of God, he has given us the capacity to love as he loves. The language of our bodies shows what we are called to as male and female is a call to communion. We are not meant for solitude. When we love like God, we become what we love like, we become God. Damon said John Paul said overcoming the dominance of sin, the temptation to concupiscence is the beginning of the accessibility of eternal life won by Jesus Christ. The challenge is to live purity of the heart. We have to dig deep to things that move our heart. We have to seek, will, and do the good. We have to have a singularity of learning how to love. Purity is not simply following rules or avoiding some things. It is the singularity of our posture toward God, serving him our of love, not out of a sense of obligation. Fr. Matt posed a hypothetical about what to say to someone we know who is having sex outside of marriage. Damon said there should be a necessary affirmation of the longing for love and desire that it shown in relationships, even these ones. What they're seeking is good and true and beautiful. But there has to be an acknowledgment that they will never find it if they don't follow the calling to the greater dignity of love. Scot said wherever you are in life is an opportunity to begin again with God. Damon said marriage is a major theme in the Theology of the Body because it conjures up the lived encounter. It's a universal natural institution in every human community. As Christian,s we see God placed it there from the beginning. It gives us a spiritual truth about how we live our lives. Marriage is beautiful and gives us a union in which a full human person can come into being. Scot said statistics show that about half of all marriages end in divorce. Theology of the Body tells us that our vocation in life is lived out through our state in life and the truth is that the heart of marriage is self-gift, not selfishness. When he hears about divorce, it's often a story of one or both of the spouses living selfishly. Damon said society says love s what we feel and it places us at the center of the universe as the measure of what's good and worth fighting for inasmuch as it benefits me. But Theology of the Body speaks of willing, not wishing, the good of another. This describes all different aspects of self-giving love. Not just giving something of self, but giving totality of self. The beauty of an act is measured by the depth of self-giving. We cannot love if we don't suffer. We don't look for it, it comes to us anyway. But we see that suffering is not evil in itself. Love embraces suffering. Fr. Matt said when he meets with engaged couples, he asks them what they mean when they say, “I love you.” They usually respond with how the other makes them feel. But that won't sustain them long term in marriage. He said young people are influenced by Hollywood's vision of love. Damon said Titanic is a good example. On the one hand, he gave his life for her. On the other hand,we recognize that there isn't a sexual maturity or mature sexual love. The sign of that is that it moves from how the other person makes me feel to who the other person is. It moves from affection to identity. That attraction and affection isn't bad, but we are called to grow beyond that immature state. The second great vocation of living our masculinity and femininity is celibacy for the sake of the kingdom. John Paul says some who live the state in life isa fulfillment of masculinity and femininity. We have to see their supernatural origin. Loving as self-gift. Priest, religious, bishop have full possession of their masculinity and femininity that the signs of marriage are still there, but lived in a deeper reality. Priests are spiritual fathers, not as a Plan B. Spiritual fatherhood and motherhood is the Plan A for humanity, and some are also called to biological parenthood. They discussed the resources available of the Theology of the Body, which was formed to teach everyone this body of teaching. They have weeklong Head and Heart immersion courses with world-class faculty. On April 27 & 28, Damon will also be a speaker at the Eucharistic Congress for College Students & Young Adults.

Born to parents of modest means but middle-class values and aspirations, Jerald Walker spent his early years in a Chicago housing project. Drawn to the streets like so many African American boys, he dropped out of school and by his early teens was well on the road to self-destruction. And then came the blast of gunfire that changed everything: his coke dealer friend Greg was shot to death, less than an hour after Walker had scored a gram from him. Walker tells the story of his descent and rebirth in alternating time frames. It is a classic coming-of-age story and an eloquent account of how the past shadows, but need not determine, the present.Jerald Walker is an associate professor of English at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts. He attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he was a teaching/writing fellow and James A. Michener Fellow. His work has appeared in Mother Jones, Best African American Essays: 2009, and Brothers: 26 Stories of Love and Rivalry. Recorded On: Sunday, February 28, 2010