Podcasts about holy communion

Holy Communion is God's covenant provision for releasing His abundant life and blessing into every believer who partakes in faith.

In this life, we find ourselves at a midway point between earth and Heaven. We are some years away from the first moment of our existence and we are likewise some years away from our eternal home.As Catholics, we know that, while we are on the journey of this life, we must live it, in some way, like the life to come. Our life on earth now must resemble what our life in Heaven will be for us to be able to enter into Heaven when we die. “As the tree casts its shadow, so does it fall”The essence of what Heaven will be is that we will delight in God. We will be filled with immense joy and happiness by being in the presence of God.Thus, it would seem to mean that we are meant to possess a certain joy and happiness, through God, on this earth. We know that this is one of the characteristics of the lives of the saints. Though they suffered much, they yet possessed in their souls a continual joy.In the Hail Holy Queen, we call this earth a “valley of tears”. We call ourselves “banished children of Eve”. We say that we come to Our Lady “sinful and sorrowful”. We say that we send up our sighs to her “mourning and weeping”.The trials of this life are very real. But they must be also be accompanied by a real joy.I want to consider what I believe is the main problem we face in striving to have supernatural joy, as well as the resources that we have, as Catholics, to maintain that joy, so that our joy on earth may be a preparation for our joy in Heaven.St. Thomas says that joy is caused by love: either by us being in the presence of the thing that we love or because the thing that we love is in good shape.This shows us that any joy in our life has to come from us loving the things that we have. Do we have blessings in our lives that are able to provide us a constant joy? Yes, we do. If we are not joyful, it is because we do not love them sufficiently.Just to take some examples. We believe that, when we receive Holy Communion, we receive Our Lord Himself into our souls. This is an incredible gift and blessing. Some souls are comforted and strengthened when receiving Our Lord; they delight in dwelling with Him. This is what the Communion verse of today's Mass tells us: “Taste and see how good the Lord is; happy the man who takes refuge in Him.” Others receive Our Lord and it has little or no impact on them.Or think about the fact that we have a Father in Heaven who dwells in happiness and loves us and bestows all manner of goodness upon us. We know this gives great joy to the Church because she expresses it in the Mass, especially at the Gloria: “We praise Thee. We bless Thee. We adore Thee. We glorify Thee. We give Thee thanks for Thy great glory.” What sort of joy does the existence of God give us on a regular basis?Sometimes, traditional Catholics allow the situation in the Church to put a damper on their joy. This is especially true when we are receiving these terrible condemnations from Rome.But there have always been crises in the Church and we must not let the current crisis be an obstacle from us drawing joy from our faith. When I talk to people who are new traditional Catholics, I always tell them: “make sure you do not become obsessed with the crisis. Rather, profit from the traditional Mass and the traditional devotions that you have found. Make them the center of your life, not these Church controversies”.

Ruth 1:6-18, Holy Communion with (outdoor) Baptism, Leader & President: Revd Ian Tomkins, Preacher: Revd Juliet Dellow. (Sorry about the helicopter circling overhead)

Every Divine Liturgy we know that we gather as the Body of Christ to participate in the Mystical Supper and to receive Holy Communion.Did you know though that there is a second feeding that happens though in the Liturgy prior to Holy Communion?Want to know that it is?Listen...

We conclude our special series on the Prayer Book's Civil Prayers in honor of the 250th anniversary of our Nation's founding. Today we talk about the civil prayers in the Great Litany and Holy Communion. We also talk about the two Civil Holidays in the 1928 BCP: Thanksgiving Day and Independence Day. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the frequency of Holy Communion.

The Catechism has spent considerable time unpacking Holy Communion—the “sacrament of sacraments”—with us, and now she summarizes the most essential truths that we must internalize and move forward with. Fr. Mike takes this “nugget day” to tell us that God desires to feed us. He has given us his Son so that we might be filled with him and made whole again, in unity with him for all of eternity. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1406-1419. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Worship _ Making the most of Holy Communion_ Eleanor Jeans_ 1Corinthians11_17-34. 2026-07-12-am by St Paul's Leamington Spa

The Catechism wraps up its overview of the Eucharist by reminding us that the sacrament of Holy Communion is a foretaste of what is to come in heaven. Fr. Mike exhorts us to prepare our hearts here on earth so that they might be conformed to God, ready to unite with him forever in heaven. The Eucharist is a most excellent path to such unity. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1402-1405. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Fr. Chris Alar,  reflects on the Parable of the Sower by emphasizing that the focus is not only on the seed, the Word of God; but even more on the condition of the soil, which represents our hearts. Good soil is cultivated not only through reading Scripture and prayer, but also through regular Confession, frequent Holy Communion, acts of charity, and a faithful sacramental life. When our hearts are properly formed, the Word of God produces visible fruits of love, holiness, and transformation.At the same time, Jesus' parable is one of encouragement. We should not become discouraged when we do not immediately see results from sharing the faith. Seeds often remain hidden for a long time before they sprout. Our task is to continue planting the seeds of God's Word with patience, trusting that He will bring about the harvest in His time.  ★ Support this podcast ★

Join us this Sunday for worship as we welcome the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Yehiel Curry, and his wife, LaShonda. They will be joined by Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee of the Northwest Washington Synod. Join us for a word of hope and encouragement, uplifting music, Holy Communion and joyful praise.

The sacrament of Holy Communion unites the faithful together in a most profound, visible way. It also makes disunity in the Church all the more painful and apparent. The Catechism reveals the Church's teachings regarding the Eucharist and Christian churches who are not in full communion with the Catholic Church. Fr. Mike addresses a most common and difficult question: “If a non-Catholic believes that the Eucharist is truly Jesus, why can they not receive him in the sacrament?” Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1396-1401. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

As the popular adage goes, “you are what you eat.” The Catechism tells us that, as food nourishes the body, so Jesus present in Holy Communion nourishes the soul. It especially highlights the Eucharist's role in separating us from sin. Fr. Mike reminds us we must be open to change if Jesus is going to change us in the reception of Holy Communion. If—to use Fr. Mike's analogy—Holy Communion is a “shower” of graces, we must ensure that we're not wearing a raincoat. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1391-1395. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

The Catechism goes over the prerequisites to receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, as well as how often the faithful can and should receive him. Fr. Mike ensures that we understand the gravity of our obligation to go to the sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving Communion. As St. Paul said, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1384-1390. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

How do people actually receive Holy Communion once it has been consecrated? Support us on Patreon for Member access to our special podcast series where we go in depth on books of the Bible. Ongoing season: Hebrews. You will also gain access to the entire archive of Season 1: The Gospel of John and Season 2: The Book of Exodus Apply for Saint Paul's House of Formation Email us Music by Richard Proulx and the Cathedral Singers from Sublime Chant. Copyright GIA Publications Word & Table Episode Index

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC, June 28, 2026, fifth Sunday after Pentecost. “We Know Who We Are” series. ​​​ Texts: Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:28-35​​​​   Humans are storytelling creatures. Our stories help us understand who we are and how life works. They teach us how people have lived and thought and loved and struggled through the ages. They give us a framework for how to be in relationship. Humans are also ritual-making creatures. Just as the stories we tell shape our sense of identity and reality, so too rituals shape our actions and the way we embody our values. Every culture has stories that shape human imagination and understanding. Every culture has rituals that shape human desires and loyalties. While powerful, formative, and often positive, we know stories can be told in ways that distort truth and do harm. And rituals can include habits that are unhealthy or destructive to persons or communities. Consumerism tells a certain story and has its rituals. White Christian Nationalism tells a certain story and has its rituals. Political tribes tell their own stories and have their rituals. Social media…well… All these things and more tell us who we are and what matters most. Christians also tell a story and practice rituals—it's a story of God's grace, mercy, and liberating love. And the rituals? Water. Bread. Cup. A few weeks ago, as we began focusing on the United Methodist way of living the Christian story, we thought together about the means of grace and the practices that shape us. We reflected on how we are all being formed by something. The question is: What is forming us? What stories, rituals, and practices are shaping our imagination, our desires, and our values? The sacraments are among the primary ways God shapes us into the people we are called to be. And because these rituals are so familiar, it is easy to participate in them without ever stopping to ask what they mean. Why do we call themsacraments? What do United Methodists actually believe is happening when we baptize someone or come to the Lord's Table? These are important questions to ask. Because if we are going to know who we are, then we need to understand the practices that have formed Christians for centuries and the theology that stands behind them. Let's begin with the word sacrament itself. United Methodists define a sacrament as “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” In other words, sacraments are the places where the invisible grace of God takes visible form. I could reasonably argue that, with that definition, every act of beauty, love, tenderness, and justice are sacramental acts. But the two liturgical sacraments recognized by our tradition are those Jesus specifically commanded his followers to practice in the stories recorded in scripture: baptism and communion. Here again, our rituals are embedded in our stories and our stories are embedded in our rituals. Stories and rituals belong together. In many cultures, stories are not merely told. They are enacted. Danced. Sung. The story becomes part of the people through repeated actions that connect memory to the body. Christians do something similar. We do not merely tell the story of God's grace.We enact it. We embody it. In baptism, we tell not just one story, but many: the story of dying and rising with Christ, of being washed by grace and mercy, and of being claimed and named as God's beloved and part of the Body of Christ. The beauty of sacrament is that it can hold multiple meanings at once. And we don't simply talk about those things. We pour water. We listen for the sound of the flow. We feel the water on our skin. In communion, we tell the stories of Christ's sacrificial, self-giving love, of God's provision and faithfulness; we reaffirm the story of God's mercy—of forgiveness, reconciliation, and belonging. But we do not simply describe those things. We break bread. We share the cup. The story is embedded in these rituals. The rituals carry the story. And over time, the story carried by the ritual shapes the people who practice it. One United Methodist resource describes the sacraments as God's “show and tell.” I love that image. If you've ever watched a child during show and tell, you know that simply describing something isn't the same as holding it in your hands. God doesn't simply tell us that grace is real. God shows us. Think about it: God showed us by drawing near in flesh, in Jesus of Nazareth. Andthat is just the most extraordinary way God has revealed a willingness to work through physical things. The God who came to us in a body still meets us through tangible signs: Water. Bread. Cup. So let's linger with some of the stories our sacraments tell. First, baptism tells the story of grace that comes before our response. In many churches, baptism is understood primarily as a public declaration of faith—as a person's decision to accept God's love and to follow Christ. There is truth in that. But United Methodists begin somewhere else. We begin with God's action. Before we choose God, God chooses us. Before we respond to grace, grace is already at work in our lives. Before we seek God, God is seeking us. That conviction lies behind one of the practices that often raises questions: infant baptism. Why do we baptize babies who cannot yet profess faith for themselves?Because baptism is first and foremost a story about God's grace, not our achievement. It is a visible reminder that grace comes first. Before a child can speak a word, God has already spoken a word over them: Beloved. Of course, each person must eventually respond to God's grace for themselves. But regardless of age, baptism reminds us that the first move always belongs to God. Baptism also tells the story of belonging—to God and to one another. In baptism, God claims me. And God joins us. When we baptize someone, we are not simply celebrating an individual spiritual experience or handing someone a ticket to heaven. We are welcoming a new member into the Body of Christ. That is why the congregation makes promises. We promise to nurture, encourage, teach, pray, and journey alongside one another. Baptism tells us who we are—beloved children of God. And baptism tells us who we are together—a people, a community, a body, a family bound together by grace and by a shared story. Baptism also tells the stories of forgiveness and liberation. The waters are a sign of God's mercy and cleansing, assuring us that nothing we have done or will do lies beyond God's capacity to forgive, that we are not bound to the worst things in our past or present, but freed for better things in our future. And the waters tell yet another story. Paul tells us in Romans that in baptism we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. We die to an old way of being.We are raised into new life. Baptism is not simply about where we have been. It is about who we are becoming. It's about claiming the freedom and power God gives us to live a new kind of life. So baptism is the sacrament that initiates us into the Christian life both as persons and community. And Communion is the sacrament that nourishes us along the wayand continually reconnects us to Christ, to one another, and to our neighbors. We call it the Lord's Supper because Christ is the host. We call it Holy Communion because we are united with God and one another. We call it Eucharist (from the Greek word for thanksgiving) because it is an act of thanksgiving. But perhaps the most important thing to understand is that communion is more than remembering a dead prophet. It is being present with a living Christ. Certainly, we remember Jesus at the table. But United Methodists believe something more is happening—that communion is more than merely symbolic. We believe Christ is truly present. We call it a holy mystery precisely because we don't claim to fully understand how. But we trust that Christ meets us here and offers grace through the sacramental meal. Once again, as with Baptism, the sacrament is both personal and communal. At thetable Christ invites, forgives, and nourishes me. At the table Christ forms, nourishes, and sends us. Personally, we come seeking grace, forgiveness, strength, comfort, courage, and renewal. But communion is never merely about “me and Jesus.” Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10 that because there is one bread, we who are many are one body. At the table we practice belonging to one another. We remember that our lives are bound together. We learn gratitude, humility, reconciliation, and love. The table does not simply feed individuals. It forms a community. This conviction also helps explain why United Methodists practice an open table.You do not have to be a member of this church, or a United Methodist, or to have everything figured out, or even to be baptized. The invitation belongs to Christ our host. And because grace comes before worthiness, Christ's table remains open. I will never forget the moment when a committed atheist who had been attendingthe congregation I served with her fiancé for more than a year, presented herself in line to receive the elements saying, “I have no idea why I am here, but I just felt that I needed to come.” People might encounter Christ for the first time in the midst of the gathered Body of Christ around the Table. Because sometimes people are moved to respond before they have language for what is happening. Sometimes grace reaches us before we understand it. John Wesley strongly encouraged frequent communion because he believed it was one of God's most powerful means of grace. Early American Methodists often received communion only quarterly because circuit-riding preachers and ordained elders were scarce. What began as necessity became habit. The church I grew up in still practiced quarterly communion! But in recent decades we have reclaimed Wesley's conviction that we need all the sacramental grace we can get! And so we return again and again to water, bread, and cup. Simple, ordinary things.Yet through them the story of God's grace is told, embodied, and practiced.Through them God reminds us who we are. Through them God reminds us whose we are. And through them God continues to shape us—both as individuals and as a community—into the likeness of Christ. Because over time, the stories embodied in our rituals become the lives we learn to lead. Thanks be to God. Thanks be to God.

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we resume reading from Bk4: Jesus' arrival at Nazareth.Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Miracles. Catholic Christian Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church. Holy Communion. Healing. Suffering Sacrifice. New Testament. Bible. Parables. Teaching.

Full Text of Readings Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 383 The Saint of the day is Saint Maria Goretti Saint Maria Goretti's Story One of the largest crowds ever assembled for a canonization—250,000—symbolized the reaction of millions touched by the simple story of Maria Goretti. She was the daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer, had no chance to go to school, never learned to read or write. When Maria made her First Communion not long before her death, she was one of the larger and somewhat backward members of the class. On a hot afternoon in July, Maria Goretti was sitting at the top of the stairs of her house, mending a shirt. She was not quite 12 years old, but physically mature. A cart stopped outside, and a neighbor, 18-year-old Alessandro, ran up the stairs. He seized her and pulled her into a bedroom. She struggled and tried to call for help. “No, God does not wish it,” she cried out. “It is a sin. You would go to hell for it.” Alessandro began striking at her blindly with a long dagger. Maria Goretti was taken to a hospital. Her last hours were marked by the usual simple compassion of the good—concern about where her mother would sleep, forgiveness of her murderer (she had been in fear of him, but did not say anything lest she cause trouble to his family), and her devout welcoming of Viaticum, her last Holy Communion. She died about 24 hours after the attack. A Prayer for Maria Goretti Alessandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison. For a long time he was unrepentant and surly. One night he had a dream or vision of Maria Goretti gathering flowers and offering them to him. His life changed. When he was released after 27 years, his first act was to beg the forgiveness of Maria's mother. Devotion to the young martyr grew, miracles were worked, and in less than half a century she was canonized. At her beatification in 1947, her 82-year-old mother, two sisters, and her brother appeared with Pope Pius XII on the balcony of St. Peter's. Three years later, at Maria's canonization, a 66-year-old Alessandro Serenelli knelt among the quarter-million people and cried tears of joy. Reflection Saint Maria may have had trouble with catechism, but she had no trouble with faith. God's will was holiness, decency, respect for one's body, absolute obedience, total trust. In a complex world, her faith was simple: It is a privilege to be loved by God, and to love him—at any cost.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

God is working a work in our day! As America marks its 250th anniversary, Pastor Hank reveals the prophetic significance of this historic moment and how God is responding to the prayers of His people. This 250th year is a prophetic window—a time when God rewards those who have faithfully paid the price, rewarding them with His glory! He is exposing rebellion, bringing hope and victory, and fulfilling His redemptive plan!

Living a Life Worthy of the Calling Ephesians 4:1–16 | Pastor Dave Brown In Episode 8 of our Ephesians series, Pastor Dave Brown explores the pivotal transition in Paul's letter from theology to practice. After spending the first three chapters describing everything God has done for us in Christ—choosing, adopting, reconciling, and uniting us—Paul now asks a pressing question: How should we live in response to such incredible grace? Drawing from Ephesians 4:1–16 and reflecting on the meaning of freedom during America's 250th year, Pastor Dave contrasts a self-centered view of freedom with a biblical understanding rooted in humility, responsibility, and service. Using the example of George Washington's voluntary surrender of power, he highlights how the greatest expressions of freedom are not found in what we gain for ourselves, but in what we are willing to give away for the good of others. Paul's central challenge is clear: “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” As adopted sons and daughters of God and co-heirs with Christ, believers are called to reflect the character of Jesus in their daily lives. Pastor Dave identifies four key themes from this passage that define a life worthy of that calling: Humility – Putting Christ and others before ourselves. Unity – Making every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit. Responsibility – Using our gifts to serve the body of Christ and our community. Maturity – Growing steadily into the fullness of Christ through faithful obedience. A significant portion of the message focuses on humility, examining how pride subtly manifests in our spiritual lives. Drawing from Augustine's reflections on pride, Pastor Dave challenges listeners to consider how self-centeredness can appear through spiritual complacency, misplaced priorities, religious performance, or an excessive focus on personal comfort and preferences. The sermon also emphasizes that Christian unity is not uniformity. God has gifted every believer differently, and the church reflects His glory best when diverse people work together in love, peace, and mutual service. Paul's call to “make every effort” toward unity remains especially relevant in a culture often marked by division, conflict, and self-interest. Ultimately, spiritual maturity comes through what Eugene Peterson described as “a long obedience in the same direction.” As followers of Christ, we are invited to continually grow in humility, serve one another faithfully, speak truth in love, and become living testimonies of God's kingdom on earth. The message concludes with corporate confession and Holy Communion, reminding believers that humility, unity, responsibility, and maturity are not merely ideas to discuss—they are practices to embrace as we gather around Christ's table and are sent back into the world as His people. Scripture: Ephesians 4:1–16 Key Theme: Living out our freedom in Christ through humility, unity, responsibility, and spiritual maturity.  

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we resume reading from Bk4: Jesus and his apostles near Sephoris with Johanan's peasants.Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Miracles. Catholic Christian Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church. Holy Communion. Healing. Suffering Sacrifice. New Testament. Bible. Parables. Teaching.

The Vatican declared excommunications. The bishops were consecrated anyway. And more than 16,000 faithful knelt in a thunderstorm and prayed the Rosary.John-Henry Westen reflects on his week in Écône, Switzerland, covering the SSPX consecrations. He witnessed the beauty of the traditional liturgy, the sacrifice and joy of the Society's clergy, and the unwavering faith of pilgrims who traveled from across the world. The storm did not scatter them. It united them. It was, he says, a demonstration of vibrant Catholic life—centered on tradition, reverence, and fidelity to Christ.But the experience raised deeper questions. How can Rome demand obedience from the SSPX while promoting blessings for same-sex couples, redefining the death penalty, and opening Holy Communion to the divorced and remarried? Westen argues that the Church is in a prolonged doctrinal crisis—one that has created a state of emergency justifying extraordinary measures.HELP SUPPORT WORK LIKE THIS: https://give.lifesitenews.com/?utm_source=SOCIAL U.S. residents! Create a will with LifeSiteNews: https://www.mylegacywill.com/lifesitenews ****PROTECT Your Wealth with gold, silver, and precious metals: https://sjp.stjosephpartners.com/lifesitenews +++SHOP ALL YOUR FUN AND FAVORITE LIFESITE MERCH! https://shop.lifesitenews.com/ +++Connect with John-Henry Westen and all of LifeSiteNews on social media:LifeSite: https://linktr.ee/lifesitenewsJohn-Henry Westen: https://linktr.ee/jhwesten Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's prerecorded episode, Johnnette Williams answers your questions sent through text! She addresses topics relating to AI, caring for sick family members, and Holy Communion.

On today's prerecorded episode, Johnnette Williams answers your questions sent through text! She addresses topics relating to AI, caring for sick family members, and Holy Communion.

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we resume reading from Bk4: Jesus and his Apostles are going about through the Plane of Esdraelon, where they meet the unfriendly scribe Johanan ben Zaccai.Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Miracles. Catholic Christian Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church. Holy Communion. Healing. Suffering Sacrifice. New Testament. Bible. Parables. Teaching.

Patrick opens the hour threading through Catholic marriage, liturgy, and real-life listener concerns: the meaning of ad orientem, the urgency of public comment on restorative reproductive care, and tough choices families make amid faith and relationships. He fields worries about annulments, mixed-faith couples, and how tradition blends with conscience in both public prayer and private moments, wandering into tattoo removal and the subtleties of sacramental validity with direct, candid answers. Fr. Jim (email) - It seems to me that using “ad orientem” as reliable reason for supporting the LTM is weak. (00:59) Patricia (email) - My longtime friend is divorced and she and her fiancé are waiting for his divorce to be finalized before they marry. They do not attend church. They live together. Could you send me some links, websites, information or RR podcasts that discuss annulments. I know she will invite me to their wedding and expects that I will attend. I will pray that they return to the sacraments. (09:04) Elizabeth (email) - Given that my son and his fiancée currently live together with no plans to change that, my question is this; if they do agree to get married in the church (Catholic or Lutheran) would this marriage be considered “valid”? (14:10) Email – There are some Catholic charities that will help with the cost of tattoo removals (22:48) Angela (email) - I did not go to Sunday morning (or evening) Mass last Sunday because I was not feeling well, but later that same evening I ended up walking on our treadmill at home (not the gym) because I felt a little better. Do I need to confess missing Mass before receiving Holy Communion this coming Sunday? (26:57) Lance - What is the difference between praying out loud and praying silently while alone in a room? (30:18) Ann - Spoke a year ago about my daughter dating a Muslim. You gave me the right words, and they dissolved the relationship on their own. Thank you. (36:20) Melissa - The validity of priesthood in the church: What are the biblical evidence, or other sources on the validity of sacraments in other denominations? (43:03)

At our Holy Communion Service, themed Communion for Winning Wisdom, our Senior Pastor, Pastor Femi Paul, delivered a profound message titled "Love – The Essence of God!" Opening with Lamentations 3:22–23 and 1 John 4:7–8, we were reminded that love is not merely one of God's attributes; it is His very essence. Pastor Femi described essence as the fundamental nature that defines a person's identity, making the powerful truth unmistakable: if God is love, then love is the truest expression of who He is. Every act of His mercy, compassion, faithfulness, and loving kindness flows from this unchanging nature and is renewed toward us every morning. Building on this foundation, Pastor Femi challenged us to move beyond simply knowing about God's love to intentionally reflecting it. As God's children, we are called to imitate Him by living lives marked by kindness, sincerity, generosity, and sacrificial love. The world will recognise Christ's disciples not by eloquent words or religious activity, but by love that is visible in our actions. The charge was both simple and searching: love is not merely something we profess, but something we practise. As we continue to behold Christ, may His extravagant love become the pattern for our own lives because to know God is to learn to love like that. Confession: Lord, thank You for loving me with an everlasting and unfailing love. As I behold Your heart, transform mine to reflect Your nature. Teach me to love sincerely, serve selflessly, forgive freely, and honour others through my words and actions. May my life continually reveal that I belong to You because I have learned to love like You. Amen.

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we resume reading from Bk4: Jesus rescues a very young girl from slavery through the intercession of Claudia, wife of the Proconsul.Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Miracles. Catholic Christian Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church. Holy Communion. Healing. Suffering Sacrifice. New Testament. Bible. Parables. Teaching.Human trafficking, sex slavery.

Living for the Eternal #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT #AMERICA250 USA250 #NATION250 Living for the Eternal“...for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 THE STORYThe final hours of Alexander Hamilton's life were fought not on a battlefield or a political floor, but in the quiet chambers of his own soul. Following his fatal duel with Aaron Burr at Weehawken, New Jersey, on July 11th, 1804, Hamilton was carried across the Hudson River to the home of a friend in Manhattan, where he lingered in agony for thirty-six hours.As the end drew near, the brilliant, combative architect of the American financial system completely lost interest in the temporal political battles that had consumed his adult life. He called for the Reverend Benjamin Moore, the Episcopal Bishop of New York, to administer Holy Communion.Hamilton drifted from the faith that had formed him and spent years living at a distance from the Father who saw him all along. And in his final hours, he turned toward home. The Father ran.The founding era was full of imperfect men. So is every era. What this story offers us, on the 250th anniversary of the nation Hamilton helped build, is the reminder that the God of the founding is the God of the last hour, still running toward those who turn toward home. THE REFLECTIONOur daily routines are so often bound by the temporal—the tasks, the schedules, and the urgent demands of the visible world. Yet, true legacy is built when we look past the immediate and anchor our choices in what lasts beyond this life.Like Hamilton in his final hours, we are reminded that worldly achievements fade, but our relationship with the Father and the spiritual stewardship of our days endure eternally. When we align our daily selections with Kingdom values, the frantic pace of the temporal yields to the steady peace of the eternal.THE PATRIOT'S PRAYER*Father, You are the God who runs. You do not wait for us to arrive clean and rehearsed and proven. You run while we are still a great way off, and we are so grateful for that. May no one who reads these words delay the turning. There is no distance too great for Your love to cover. Adjust our eyes to eternity today, Lord. Let our daily works reflect Your Kingdom, and help us to value what lasts beyond this life. In the name of Jesus Christ, who made the way home, Amen.*PRAY IT FORWARDIs there someone in your life who has drifted far from the Father? Pray for them today with the confidence of Luke 15, that the Father is already watching, already running, already ready to receive them. Ask God how your choices today can reflect eternal values rather than just temporal urgencies.

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we resume reading from Bk4: Jesus says, "Martyrdom for love is absolution". Also an excerpt from the book, The Glories of Mary, by Alphonses Ligouri, chapter 2.Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Miracles. Catholic Christian Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church. Holy Communion. Healing. Suffering Sacrifice. New Testament. Bible. Parables. Teaching

Since landing back from Walt Disney World, Cara and Bronagh have barely stopped. There's been Mighty Hoopla with Scissor Sisters and a very unexpected backstage moment, Hugo's Holy Communion, Toy Story 5 which made at least one of them cry, and a spontaneous trip to Chinatown for dumplings and nostalgic bangers that made Nathan's entire weekend. Oh, and Cara got her belly button pierced. Just casually. In between everything else.This week they've got Harry Styles (twice for Cara), the Soho House festival with Basement Jaxx headlining, and Garth Brooks at Hyde Park on the horizon.There's also a deep dive into festival outfit planning when you've got no budget, the return of the Adidas leopard print joggers in snake print, why ties are apparently the thing to wear to Harry Styles right now, and a Rivals debrief that very nearly tips into spoiler territory.Plus nits, worms, spot popping, and cow hoof abscesses. Because that's just where the conversation went.Mighty Hoopla reviewed — the outfits, the backstage moment and why you should go if you never haveHugo's Holy Communion — the Child of Prague, the parking chaos, the spread and Gloria HunnifordToy Story 5 — worth it, emotional and makes you put your phone down (briefly)What to wear to Harry Styles, Soho House festival and Garth Brooks at Hyde ParkSchool Sports Day — do you enjoy the spectacle, or would you rather see your kids and get out ASAP?Rivals, Gimme Gimme Gimme and why Rupert Everett is still very much that guyPokemon card shows, pin trading and why both their kids are now obsessed with collecting thingsInstagram: @schoolrunwaypodLeave us a voice note: https://sayhi.chat/oeks4Don't forget to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify! x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan MailA teenager born into power turns down everything his world calls “success” and that decision still feels disruptive. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga grows up surrounded by armor, palaces, and the expectations of Italian nobility, yet he keeps choosing the chapel over the court. We follow the steady, quiet courage behind his life, the kind that forms through prayer, small renunciations, and a heart that wants Christ more than applause.We talk through the turning points: an early love for the catechism and the Blessed Sacrament, a deep desire for purity, and the shock of renouncing his inheritance when everyone assumes he will carry the family name into military glory. That choice brings real tension at home. The pushback from his father and the pressure of prestige put his vocation to the test, and his response is not dramatic posturing but calm resolve rooted in faith.His path leads into Jesuit formation in Rome, where discipline becomes freedom: obedience, study, humble work, and long hours of prayer shape him from the inside out. At the center is Eucharistic devotion, a living relationship with Jesus in Holy Communion and adoration that fuels everything else. When plague hits, that love becomes action as he serves the sick with mercy, even at great personal risk, showing what it means to see Christ in the suffering.If you are searching for clarity, battling attachment to comfort, or trying to build a stronger spiritual life, this story offers concrete inspiration. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with one takeaway you want to live this week.Open by Steve Bailey Support the showJourneys of Faith brings you Super Saints PodcastsChat with US 24/7 Ask us anything https://chatting.page/mjxs9aerrtgm3lmpndlcepmbyosntrjnDownload Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-appPlease consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith Help us Grow!Journeys of Faith is blessed to provide Catholic media, including podcasts and inspirational content, free of charge across multiple media platforms for viewers and listeners around the world. While access to this content remains free, there are significant and continually increasing costs associated with producing, hosting, and distributing these programs. Your support helps us continue sharing the beauty of the Catholic faith with souls everywhere. We want to reach more souls and you can help us do that by becoming a Mission Angel. Make a Donation Any AmountRefer a FriendYou can help us ...

In this week's episode, Evangelist Chance Walters discusses the sacraments of Water Baptism and Holy Communion in relation to the presence of God. Please share with a friend! 

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC, June 7, 2026, Second Sunday after Pentecost. “We Know Who We Are”series. Texts: Romans 12:1-2, 9-13; Acts 2:41-47   Last week we reflected on grace. We remembered that God's grace comes before we ever think about God, before we ever do anything right, before we ever earn anything. Grace comes first. Grace comes last. Grace is always the ground beneath our feet. This week the question is: If grace comes first, how does grace actually change us?   I grew up before car seats were common. Heck—I regularly rode in the back of my dad's or grandpa's pickup truck to get ice cream or drive out to the lake. Looking back, it feels like I was raised in the Wild West!?  As a teenager, I'd been driving a year or so when a new law was passed that required seatbelts. We started hearing about studies showing how seatbelts saved lives. There were those crash-test dummy commercials—remember those? But putting on a seatbelt wasn't something I thought about.  And so every time I got into the car, I had to remind myself: Put on your seatbelt. Sometimes I'd forget. Sometimes I'd remember halfway down the road. But I kept doing it. And then one day I noticed something. I was driving somewhere and realized I already had my seatbelt on. I hadn't thought about it. I hadn't reminded myself. I had just done it. What had once felt awkward and inconvenient had become a habit. It had become instinct. I had practiced and learned a new thing.   Most of us understand this when it comes to driving. Or learning an instrument. Or speaking a language. Or playing a sport. Or exercising.   A friend once told me, “Nobody likes running when they first start. You have to just do it. After a while you'll reap the benefits.” I never forgot the wisdom. You may not start out loving the practice. But you practice because of what the practice is shaping you to become.   And I've been thinking this week that much of the Christian life works the same way. Many of us want to become more loving, more patient, more generous, more courageous. We want to respond to conflict with grace. We want to be less fearful and more trusting. We want our lives to reflect the love of Christ. But how does that happen?   John Wesley believed that the goal of the Christian life was what he called “Christian perfection.” Unfortunately, that phrase has caused confusion for generations. Wesley wasn't talking about becoming flawless. He wasn't talking about never making mistakes. He wasn't talking about acting like we've got it all together. He was talking about becoming so filled with the love of God that God's love begins to overflow from our lives.   I often picture it like a pitcher being filled with water. As we open ourselves to receive God's love and mercy—God's grace!—we are filled. And just as a pitcher overflows once it becomes full, so God's love begins to overflow in our lives. Love spills over. Mercy spills over. Compassion spills over. Generosity spills over. Wesley believed that this could happen. In fact, he believed it was the goal of those who would follow Christ.   Or as the hymn puts it: “Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.” I love that phrase. The impulse of thy love. Because it suggests a life in which love becomes our first instinct. A life in which generosity and mercy become as natural as breathing. A life in which our hands move at the impulse of God's love. Wouldn't that be something?   The question is: How do we become those people? And Wesley's answer was surprisingly practical. We practice. We train. We place ourselves again and again in the flow of God's grace. Wesley called these practices “means of grace.” Prayer. Scripture. Worship. Holy Communion. Christian conversation and accountability. Small groups. Acts of mercy and service.   And this week, I want to invite you to choose one. Not all of them. Just one. Spend a few minutes each day reading scripture. Or pray each morning before you reach for your phone. Or read a daily devotion. Or intentionally perform one act of kindness or service each day. Choose one way to place yourself in the flow of God's grace and practice it every day this week.   These are means of grace not because they are things that earn God's love or make God love us more. They are not means of grace because checking enough religious boxes gets us into heaven. But because these practices place us where God's transforming grace can reach us. God's grace is always present—whether we're practicing the means of grace or not. But these practices have been shown over the centuries to place us in the flow of God's grace in a very concentrated way.   There is a distinction between trying and training. Anyone can try to run a marathon. But only someone who trains will actually finish one. The same is true of the Christian life. Anybody can try to be more loving. Anybody can try to be more patient. Anybody can try to forgive. But becoming Christlike requires more than trying. It requires training in grace.   This is why Methodists became Methodists. John Wesley was nothing if not methodical. The early Methodists became known for their methods—the practices and habits that helped them grow in love of God and neighbor. And that brings us to Romans 12.   After eleven chapters proclaiming the mercy and grace of God, Paul writes: “I appeal to you therefore...on the basis of God's mercy...” Paul doesn't begin with an appeal based on obligation or guilt or fear, but rather an appeal on the basis of God's mercy. Grace comes first. Then Paul says, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Notice that he doesn't say, “Present your beliefs.” He says, “Present your bodies.” The Christian life isn't simply a set of ideas we agree with. It is a way of life. It is embodied. It is practiced.   Then Paul says: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” This is such a perennial call—true in every age! It is easy to become conformed to the things of this world. All of us are being formed by something. The news forms us. Social media forms us. Fear forms us. Our families, culture, and education form us. The question is not whether we are being formed. The question is: By what?   Paul doesn't tell us to transform ourselves. He says, “Be transformed.” God is the one doing the transforming. Our work is to place ourselves where God's grace can do its work. And then Paul immediately shows us what a transformed life looks like: Let love be genuine. Love one another. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in suffering. Persevere in prayer. Practice hospitality.   These things are not feelings. They are practices. They are things we do again and again until they begin to shape who we are. Nobody wakes up one day naturally hospitable. Nobody wakes up instinctively patient. Nobody wakes up automatically generous. These things are formed through grace and practice.   And then our reading from Acts shows us what that formation looks like in community. The Spirit comes at Pentecost. Thousands are baptized. A movement is born. And what do they do next?   Luke says: “They devoted themselves.” That may be the most important phrase in the whole passage. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. They devoted themselves. Not occasionally or when it was convenient or when they felt inspired. They devoted themselves. They showed up again and again. They listened to the story of Jesus. They prayed together. They shared meals. They worshiped together. They cared for one another. And over time something happened. They became a different kind of people.   Their possessions became less important than their neighbors' needs. Their tables became larger. Their hearts became more generous. Their lives became more joyful. Their witness became more compelling. The Pentecost miracle of Acts 2 is not only that the Spirit came in a wondrous way and moved previously fearful disciples to do wondrous things. The miracle is also that people kept showing up. They devoted themselves to practices that opened them to God's grace. And God's grace formed them into a community that looked different from the world around them. They were not conformed to their age, but were transformed by the saving grace and love of God in Christ Jesus.   Friends, this is part of who we are as United Methodists. We have practices. We have rhythms. We have a path: prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness, and all the means of grace handed down through generations. They're not handed down because God needs them, but because we do. Not because they earn us salvation, but because they help open us to receive the grace that is already being offered.   And over time, through worship and prayer, through scripture and communion, through service and generosity, God does what only God can do. God transforms us. God fills us. And little by little, sometimes so gradually we hardly notice, our lives begin to move at a different impulse. The impulse of love. The impulse of mercy. The impulse of grace.   “Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.” That is the goal. It's not about perfectionism. The goal is perfect love—lives so shaped by God's grace that one day we discover we are no longer merely trying to love. By the grace of God, we have begun to move at the impulse of God's love. This week, choose one way to place yourself in the flow of God's grace. Not because God needs it. Because you do.  

Patrick explores Eucharistic ministry procedures, relics, and the reality of suffering after loss while encouraging listeners to seek consolation in faith and small acts of kindness. Listeners hear about the value and challenges of aging, reflections on retirement, practical grief resources, and faith questions on biblical events and Catholic practices, all flowing through real calls and heartfelt advice. Email - When an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion has one or two extra consecrated hosts remaining after distribution (whether after Mass in the sacristy or from bringing Communion to a nursing home), must they be returned to the ciborium in the tabernacle, or may the EMHC reverently consume them? (00:38) Daphne - I have a third-class relic touched to the bone of St. Philomena. When I die and if I'm a saint, will that become a 2nd or 3rd class relic? (03:24) Camille (email) - I have a "lazy" retirement, and I donate lots of clothes Alan - I work in a think tank for senior issues. I don't believe in retirement since you can die much younger if you aren't active. (09:26) Audio: Pastor Charles Swindoll drive-through joke - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qn_4yeYFXs (17:31) Jim – We lost our child a year ago and I’m looking for resources for my depression and anger (19:58) Grant - I'm in his same diocese as Jim. The Catholic charities in Winona MN have the counseling that he is looking for. (29:10) Paul (email) – Did the transubstantiation occur at the Last Supper? And if so, how, since he hadn’t yet gone through the Passion and resurrection yet? (31:06) Arthur – Is Pilates okay for physical therapy and exercise? (34:52) Jude - Matthew 2:19-22. Why is Joseph having conflicting dreams? (39:41) Kade (12-years-old) - In the Old Testament, why does God seem sort of stand-offish? (42:51) Cecilia - We also lost a child who was 23. We found a support group 'Compassionate Friends' which was a huge help. Crying is a healing process. (48:28)

Even in one of the U.S.'s most non-religious areas, early data suggests more people in the Seattle area are converting to Roman Catholicism. The archdiocese of Seattle keeps tallies on catechumens, which refers to a person who will be baptized, confirmed and receive Holy Communion. In 2026, the archdiocese already reports over 1070 catechumens, across more than 130 parishes, a 17 percent increase over last year and a 40 percent increase since 2024. We spoke with a handful of recent converts to Catholicism from around the Seattle area about why each of them converted, and what role faith plays in their lives now.GuestKevin Brown, Graduate Program director and a lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at Gonzaga University. He also currently serves as the editor of the Proceedings of the Catholic Theological Society of America. Related LinksRoman Catholic Churches See a Surge of New Converts - The New York TimesNational Rise in Catholicism Conversions Makes its Way to the Puget Sound - The Seattle SpectatorThank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Excuses, excuses: The Parable of the Banquet St. Luke 14:16-24 & Deuteronomy 20:1-9 by The Rev'd Dr. Matthew Colvin I am often asked about “application” in sermons. “I enjoy a good sermon,” someone will say, “but I need to have application so I know what to do with it.” Well, you will notice that neither Fr. Bill nor I, his understudy, do very much with “application.” The pulpit is not the place to give you “ten steps to a better marriage” or “key principles of childrearing” or “the blueprints to build a Christian business.” Rather, we are concerned with the Biblical story, and we want to apply you to it, so that you read the Bible as your story. When Paul says, “These things happened as examples for us, upon whom the ends of the ages have come,” he means that to follow Jesus, we need to understand ourselves as being part of the story of the people of God. That is why Hebrews 11 gives us the “hall of faith”; it is why Stephen's sermon in Acts 7 sums up the entire history of Israel; it is why, when Peter is telling Christian wives to respect their husbands, he calls them “daughters of Sarah.” We are consistently told to inscribe ourselves into the story of God's people Israel. There is nothing more practical. Indeed, if we do not get this right, no amount of “application” will work. Our lectionary for this morning pairs Deuteronomy's laws about exemption from military service with Jesus' parable of the banquet and the excuses made by those who were invited. It is, if we think about it, a very odd transposition, rather as though military language had found its way into a wedding or some similar occasion: “WILT thou have this Woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?” “Yes, sir, corporal, SIR. Hoo-ah!” So what is going on here? To understand the parable, we need to think about the nature of banquets and the nature of the excuses. Let's start with the excuses. Verse 20's excuse, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” is an allusion to Deuteronomy 24:5. That passage gives the grounds for the exemption of any newly married bridegroom from military service for a year: “that he may bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.” There is here something of the logic of the law against boiling a kid in its mother's milk: in both cases, one must not mix up life and death, joy and sorrow. In verse 18, we should understand “I have bought a field and must go out and see it” to mean that the transaction needs to be complete. It is the “closing” of a real estate purchase, not an inspection at leisure that could just as easily be postponed for another day. Legally, socially, this is a very good excuse. Verse 19's excuse about needing to test “five yoke of oxen” recalls the calling of Elisha by Elijah in 1 Kings 19:19. There, Elisha is actually in the middle of plowing when Elijah throws his mantle over him: “Tag, you're it!” This is an act of sudden investiture. Elisha responds to it with alacrity: “he left the oxen and ran after Elijah” and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” The excuses are such powerful ones that they actually have statutory warrant in Biblical law. Legally, socially, by all the etiquette of ancient Israel, these excuses are golden, unimpeachable, valid. But in the parable, they are not good excuses in the eyes of the host. Who is he? He is introduced as ἄνθρωπός τις, “a certain man.” Immediately, we recall other parables: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went in a far country for a long time.” (Mt 21:33) “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.” (Lk. 13:6) “A certain man had two sons.” (Lk. 15:11) “A certain rich man had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.” (Lk. 16:1) There are other instances where “a certain man” is someone else, but this is a pretty good sample of instances where “a certain man” is instantly known to stand for God. The parable, then, shows us God's response to the excuse-makers. Note that the “certain man” operates through servants. God is frequently depicted this way, sending his angels and human prophets to do his bidding and deliver his messages. God's reaction to the refusal of his invitations is anger (ὀργισθείς). This requires some explanation. In Matthew's gospel, the banquet is a wedding feast for a king's son, and the invited guests behave much like the wicked vinedressers: they “lay hold of his servants and treat them violently and kill them.” But Luke's version has a different emphasis. It is less allegorized and is designed rather to highlight the reversal of fortune and the approaching deadline. “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” — all of them likely to be beggars, likely to smell bad, likely to be shabbily dressed. Precisely the sort of unsightly people one does not want at a banquet, any sort of banquet. They would never have been invited had not the originally invited guests refused. Just as Esau rejected his birthright and Jacob received it; just as the majority of the Jews rejected the Messiah so that the gospel might be preached to the gentiles, so here, as Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 1:28, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh might boast in the presence of God.” This is someting God did in history. Unlike every other religion on earth, the Bible makes public claims about events that took place at particular times: “In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against the fortified cities of Judah and took them.” “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” Or even in our Nicene Creed, where week after week, we make mention of the name of a corrupt Roman official named Pontius Pilate. Contrast the claims of other religions: that Mohammad was out there in the desert and an angel appeared to him and dictated the Quran. That Joseph Smith was guided by an angel named Moroni and found gold plates inscribed with “Reformed Hieroglyphics” which he translated into King James English. That Siddartha Gautama was meditating under a fig tree and became enlightened. The Mary Baker Eddy or L. Ron Hubbard or some other guru has discovered the secrets of the universe. Even in antiquity, the Stoic sage or Epicurus or the philosopher in Plato's Republic is never about history. It is always private revelation or special understanding of timeless truths or the realm of forms or deep insight into nature. By contrast, the assumption of Jesus' parables is that God deals with Israel in time. The invitation to the banquet and the host's angry reaction to the invited guests refusal, and the verdict at the end of the story that “none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet” — all presuppose that Israel is facing a decisive crisis in its history. The invitation to the banquet is the gospel summons to follow the Messiah — and this is appropriate, since Jesus is so frequently shown feasting during his earthly ministry. He feasts so much that he incurs the charge of being a glutton and a winebibber. Everywhere he goes, he feasts. He feasts in the house of the Pharisee named Simon; in the house of a tax collector named Zacchaeus; at a wedding at Cana; in company with immoral women, and with “tax collectors and sinners.” This was unusual even by Jewish standards, so that some come to Jesus and ask him, “The Pharisees and the disciples of John fast a lot, but your disciples do not fast.” Jesus explains that the disciples of Jesus do not fast because the bridegroom is with them. What is the appropriate response to the invitation? What do etiquette and emotional rightness and social expectation dictate? Jesus' words about John's ministry and the Jews' reaction to it, in Luke 7:32, are couched in similar terms: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not weep.” The refusal to recognize Jesus as the one Israel has been waiting for is like the refusal of the invitation to the feast. It is a rejection of the good ending of the story, a refusal to take part in the consummation. It is as if all the actors walked off the stage of a Shakespeare play after act 4. There are times when we want to describe a process has failed to produce its intended fulfillment and consummation — say, when I am talking to my Greek students who are struggling with Greek grammar and vocabulary. If they never go on to actually read Greek literature, I say it is like “a courtship without a marriage.” This is not about timeless truths or Buddhist spiritual enlightenment. A marriage is a historical event. That is the language that God uses about his relationship with his people. The coming of Jesus is the climax of Israel's story. And to everyone, the invitation poses the stark alternative: either enter into the banquet, or be excluded. Remember the older brother of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15: Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in•. (Luke 15:25–28, ESV) Or we may recall the words of Jesus after he has healed the centurion's servant in Matthew 8:11: I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. (Matthew 8:11–12, ESV) Or there is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' (Matthew 25:10–12) Or we may remember what C.S. Lewis calls the “unforgettable words” in John's gospel's account of the Last Supper, once Jesus has handed the sop to Judas and told him, “What you are going to do, do quickly”: So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.  (John 13:30, ESV) It was night. Judas is literally in the outer darkness. To be excluded from the banquet, to be shut out in the darkness, away from the light and joy of the wedding or the feast or the Passover meal, is all the more tragic in light of the fact that those who are excluded are the very ones who had been invited. Jesus “came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” The result is a crucial difference between Judaism and Christianity over the place of Jesus in the story of the people of God. Can you be a Jew and believe in Jesus? It is a silly question. All the original disciples were Jews. As Peter says, “The promise is to you and to your children” and “You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' (Acts 3:25, ESV) But can you follow Rabbinic Judaism and believe that Jesus is the Messiah? That is a different question. The Church places Jesus at the hinge of history, dating our years with the words “Anno Domini” from his first coming and looking forward to his second coming, when he will judge the quick and the dead. Judaism, by contrast, denies that Jesus is the Messiah, and insists that all the passages of Scripture that point to him — the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, Joseph and his brothers, the suffering servant in Isaiah, “behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”, Zechariah's “behold your king comes to you, meek and having compassion, lowly and riding on a donkey,” David's beloved son Absalom suspended from a tree and pierced by a spear, and all the rest — are really not about him. Christians say, with Paul, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore, let us keep the feast.” In saying this, we are saying that Christ is the climax of the story. It is the natural function of feasting to mark consummations. Weddings, coronations, graduation, retirements, anniversaries, birthdays — all are marked by parties, cakes, feasting, toasts, ceremony. And that is the difference between Christianity and Judaism: Has the story of Israel reached its climax? Has the bridegroom come? Does history now stand revealed as His story? Or are we, with the Rabbis, in the position of insisting that the messiah has not come, and that the Passover does not point to him. God had promised Moses that “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”  (Deuteronomy 18:18–19, NKJV) And the rabbis say, “Jesus is certainly not the prophet like Moses, but unfortunately he is so much like Moses that we had better delete Moses from the Passover liturgy, lest Christians start using the haggadah to persuade Jews to follow Jesus.” And that is what they have done. David Daube says, “…[T]he figure of Moses, dominating the Biblical narrative of the exodus from Egypt and, naturally, at one time prominent, too, in the celebration of the deliverance on Passover eve, is radically eliminated: in the Passover eve liturgy as it stands, his name is not mentioned once in any of the prayers and recitals woven around the Biblical record, and, more than that, no Biblical passage mentioning it is quoted. It is a fantastic tour de force. Think  what it means. It is as if one were to spend annually a night commemorating Britain's rescue in the Second World War, rehearsing the main course of events as well as telling elaborate stories about them — without once mentioning Churchill. A fantastic tour de force: but there must be no human Mediator. We are left with a religion full of pointers that were designed to lead us to Jesus as the climax of the covenant, but the rabbis insist that they do not; a religion of tabernacle and temple that are all about God dwelling with His people, but now that Jesus has come, and ascended and sent the Holy Spirit, complete with the sound of “a mighty rushing wind that filled the whole house where they sat” just like God moving into the temple of Solomon and the tabernacle of Moses — now, no, the rabbis say, it is not about Jesus. But then, Judaism no longer has a temple, and the entire system that God gave in the Torah does not work without the Temple. The emperor Constantine's grandson, Julian the Apostate, hated Christianity and decided he wanted to prove it false, and the way he decided to do it was by rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem that had been destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, in fulfillment of Jesus' prophecies on the Mount of Olives. Julian died before he could do it. Again, Judaism is a religion whose Scriptures promised the forgiveness of sins, so that God's people could live with him, and that demonstrated, as though by a gigantic show and tell of continual slaughter of animals for centuries, of daily splashing of blood against the altar, of red heifers sacrificed every year on the day of atonement, that the forgiveness of sins would happen through blood. But now, the rabbis tell us, the death of Christ was not the fulfillment of the sacrificial system — and oh, by the way, you can't offer sacrifice anymore, anyway. There are still people named “Cohen” or “Cohn” — my mother in law's family, for instance — but they are more likely to be making movies than sacrificing animals. They continue to set out a cup for Elijah, that forerunner of the Messiah promised in Malachi. And Jesus says, “But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. (Matthew 17:12, NKJV) The church father, Athanasius of Alexandria puts it this way in his On the Incarnation: So the Jews are telling fables, and putting off the time which is actually now… They are suffering like one, maimed in mind, who might see the earth illumined by the sun, but denies the sun which illumines it. For what more has he who is expected by them to do when he comes? Call the Gentiles? But they have already been called. To make prophet and king and vision to cease? This has already happened. To refute the godlessness of idols? It has already been refuted and condemned. To destroy death? It is already destroyed. What then must christ do, which has not been done? Or what is left unfulfilled, that the Jews now rejoice and disbelieve? For if, as we see, they have neither king, nor prophet, nor Jerusalem, nor sacrifice, nor vision, but the whole world is filled with the knowledge of God, and those from the Gentiles are abandoning godlessness, and henceforth taking refuge in the God of Abraham through the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, it should be clear even to those who are exceedingly obstinate that Christ has come, and that he illumines absolutely all with his light and teaches the true and divine teaching concerning his Father. We are about to partake of Holy Communion, which is rightly understood as a continuation of Jesus' meals with his disciples, and an anticipation of the great wedding feast of the Lamb at which “many will come from east and west and recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The Holy Communion is thus truly the consummation of the story of people of God. By partaking in it, we share in Christ our Passover. We have been crucified with Him, so that we may also share in his resurrection. We locate ourselves in the story of Israel, which is the story of the Messiah. And we recite the shape of the story and inscribe ourselves in it when we say, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”

Send us Fan MailA stained glass window. A statue in soft blue. A heart ringed with roses and marked by a sword. Those images show up everywhere in Catholic churches, but they are not just religious art. We walk through why devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a practical, deeply personal Catholic devotion that forms the way we pray, trust, and follow Jesus when life gets hard.We ground the conversation in the biblical foundations of the Immaculate Heart, especially Luke's portrait of Mary as the one who “keeps” and “ponders” God's mysteries in her heart. That quiet interior life becomes a blueprint for Christian meditation: bringing confusion to prayer without panic, learning patience, and letting grace shape our desires. We also explore how Marian devotion stays Christ-centered, because Mary's mission is never to hold our gaze but to lift it toward her Son.From there, we connect Catholic tradition, the saints, and the message of Fatima, where the Immaculate Heart is presented as refuge and a sure path of conversion. We break down reparation as a response of love and explain the Five First Saturdays devotion step by step: confession, receiving Holy Communion, praying the rosary, and 15 minutes of meditation that becomes a real heart-to-heart relationship with Mary, always leading to Jesus.If you want a clearer, more grounded way to live Catholic spirituality day to day, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What part of the Five First Saturdays would you start with first?Open by Steve Bailey Support the showJourneys of Faith brings you Super Saints PodcastsChat with US 24/7 Ask us anything https://chatting.page/mjxs9aerrtgm3lmpndlcepmbyosntrjnDownload Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-appPlease consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith Help us Grow!Journeys of Faith is blessed to provide Catholic media, including podcasts and inspirational content, free of charge across multiple media platforms for viewers and listeners around the world. While access to this content remains free, there are significant and continually increasing costs associated with producing, hosting, and distributing these programs. Your support helps us continue sharing the beauty of the Catholic faith with souls everywhere. We want to reach more souls and you can help us do that by becoming a Mission Angel. Make a Donation Any AmountRefer a FriendYou can help us ...

June 12th, 2026 - We welcome back Nicholas Cavazos to offer thoughts on fourteen attorneys general demanding an EPA investigation into abortion pills contaminating America's water supply. Then, we welcome back Dr. Anthony Stine to discuss a Spanish priest facing backlash after refusing to give a same sex couple Holy Communion, as well as Pope Leo's visit to a migrant hotspot in the canary islands. Links, Show Notes & More - https://thestationofthecross.com/act Email Us! ACT@TheStationOfTheCross.com

Patrick answers listener questions about Catholic teachings, shifting effortlessly between sacramental practices, the history of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and the significance of consecrated hands for distributing the Eucharist. He considers challenges in families when dealing with mixed religious practices, visions near the end of life, and the complexities of time and eternity. Wes (email) – You keep insisting remarried folks divorce their spouse, move out of their house to satisfy your desire that they not take a blessing from the priest at Mass. Why do you care so much? Why not just be present with the Lord at Mass? (00:35) Rafael - My wife and I are thinking about being Eucharistic ministers. What would you recommend to us to study/prep? Also, my niece’s family did a ritual over their baby. (04:20) Patrick gives a quick history lesson on Deacons and extraordinary ministers touching the Host (07:24) David - My mother has been seeing “people” in her bedroom. Saying the name of Jesus causes them to dissipate. (18:41) Todd - What do you think of communion for the homebound in terms of extraordinary ministers? (25:31) Catherine – What kind of people will we see in Purgatory and Heaven? Is it possible we will see our future grandchildren? (30:04) Lori (email) - Why I’m no longer an Extraordinary Minister of Communion (35:45) Aidan - Catholic courtship and marriage: how would a young adult take an approach to the traditional courtship leading to marriage? (37:28) Janice - About the women seeing things at night: We should pray for those people, because they could be a soul from Purgatory (43:12) Natalie - If God is outside of time, and we can go into a communion with him out of time in Heaven, could we at this moment be in Heaven? (47:30)

Patrick questions the spiritual status of hypothetical extraterrestrial life, wrestles with the nature of rational souls and universal concepts, and guides a listener through the weighty fog of adolescent loneliness, urging genuine action and seeking help. Holy water rituals come under scrutiny—salt or not, blessings from priests and laity untangled. Threaded through it all: stories of public penance in ancient times, military chaplaincy pressures, and the raw, sometimes messy search for meaning. Isaac (11-year-old) – Would aliens have a right to be mad at God if they don’t have eternal souls? (00:40) John (email) - I believe the previous caller was asking whether holy water should contain salt as well. Not all priests use the full ritual for making holy water, which includes exorcised salt. I suspect most simply make the sign of the Cross over the water. (06:40) Wade - I thought a person could not bless themselves with Holy water, that someone else has to bless them. (08:09) Email – Does holy water expire? Emmanuel (17-years-old) - I've been feeling more alone and pushing people away more. I was not like this growing up, but now I'm like this at my new high school. (14:51) Leonard (email) - I was in same situation back in 1996. I moved from all my friends who I grew up with since elementary, then in 11th grade I moved to a new school (24:49) Jaun (email) - If I was unable to receive the sacrament of reconciliation and not in a state of Grace while attending Mass, should I approach the altar for Holy Communion, cross my arms over my chest and receive a blessing from the Priest, or is it best I stay kneeling in the pew and pray for forgiveness? (32:18) Mary - Can you explain and elaborate more on Catholic Chaplains in the military? (41:07) Angie (email) - I went to an Episcopalian wedding where the minister said she would give a blessing to those who couldn’t receive. Did I do the right thing to not go up? (46:13)

Dr. Tom Curran shares insights from a recent Curran Family Sunday meeting. Tom addresses four questions: What is the proper effect of Holy Communion? What's at stake in receiving Holy Communion? How do you pray in relation to Holy Communion? How does adoration deepen how one receives Holy Communion? Tom answers the question his kids asked him, “Why don't you have any friends?”

Homily - Corpus Christi Sunday - Holy Reverence for Holy Communion

Our bodily posture and attitude when we receive Holy Communion matters.

Sermon XXXI, taken from "Sermons for Sunday", a compilation of homilies by St. Alphonsus Liguori (+1787) Please consider donating to help keep this podcast going by going to buymeacoffee.com/catholicdailybrief Also, if you enjoy these episodes, please give a five star rating and share the podcast with your friends and family

Read OnlineJesus said to the Jewish crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” John 6:51–52It must have been shocking to Jesus' listeners the first time He boldly proclaimed that He would give His flesh as spiritual food. Their reaction makes this clear: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus did not back down or soften what He had just proclaimed. Instead, He began a lengthy and direct discourse, starting with these words:“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” (John 6:53–56)What would you have thought had you been among the first hearers? We're told the people quarreled, indicating division. Some, we later read, murmured among themselves, saying: “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” And tragically, many of Jesus' disciples left Him and returned to their former way of life (cf. John 6:60–66).Despite this apparent failure and loss of disciples, Jesus did not retract or revise His teaching. Instead, He turned to the Twelve and asked if they too wished to leave. Peter, with clarity and faith, responded with one of the most profound statements of discipleship in all of Scripture: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God” (cf. John 6:67–69).In many ways, Peter's words are as important for us today as Jesus' own words introducing the Eucharist. Why? Because Peter shows us how to respond when we encounter divine mysteries beyond human understanding. The Eucharist is one of the most central of these mysteries.Do you believe in the Eucharist? Do you believe that it is truly the flesh and blood of the Son of God—His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity? Though many of us have learned this teaching from childhood and accept it on some level, few penetrate the depth of the mystery we behold at every Mass. Saint John Vianney spoke beautifully of the Eucharist, revealing his profound reverence for this Gift: “If we really understood the Mass, we would die for joy.” And: “There is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us.” He also said: “How beautiful it is! After the Consecration, the good God is there as He is in Heaven.”It's easy to approach the Holy Mass out of routine rather than with the depth of faith possessed by the saints. But that must be our goal. We must believe that we would truly “die of joy” if we understood the Mass.The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is our annual invitation to step back and reflect on what we believe—and how devoutly we participate in the Mass and receive Holy Communion. We need this reminder so that our worship and faith do not grow lax.Reflect today on Jesus' unwavering clarity: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Believe what He says. The Eucharist is not a symbol; it is the greatest Divine Mystery on earth. In the Eucharist, we kneel before God and consume Him—so that we may become what we eat: the Mystical Body of Christ.Let us close by praying the opening verses of a hymn Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote at the request of Pope Urban IV for the newly instituted Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264—the Pange Lingua, meaning, “Proclaim, O Tongue.” Down in adoration falling,Lo! the sacred Host we hail;Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,Newer rites of grace prevail;Faith for all defects supplying,Where the feeble senses fail. To the everlasting Father,And the Son who reigns on high,With the Holy Ghost proceedingForth from each eternally,Be salvation, honor, blessing,Might, and endless majesty. Amen.The last supper, via Adobe StockSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Canon Stephen Sharpe, ICKSP, serves as Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph Shrine in Detroit, Michigan. He was ordained in 2020. In Today's Show: If someone we know is in sin, should we rebuke their actions instead of showing false kindness? Do priests need to drink out of the chalice? Are Catholic disciplines too legalistic?  How can we defend the Catholic church against governments that are conspiring to harm the faith? How can we get ahead in this world without usury? Was the illness St. Therese had a sign of possession? Should the laity be distributing Holy Communion to the homebound? What do ICKSP priests do when they want to swim? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Can suffering or illness in our family be a punishment from God for our sins? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Catholic Answers apologists address this difficult and deeply personal question before exploring a wide range of theological and pastoral topics. The discussion covers whether Catholics may hold the Genesis Gap Theory, how the Church can better evangelize people with disabilities, and why Catholic teaching on the death penalty has developed over time. Additional questions examine the extraordinary endurance of St. Paul, the purpose of offering prayer intentions with the Rosary, why Catholicism claims to be more than just another denomination, and why sacramental confession is necessary before receiving Holy Communion in certain situations. A thoughtful conversation on suffering, grace, Church authority, and the sacraments. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered:  01:12 – Is it possible that God punishes my continuous sin through my son’s disease?    04:19 – Can a Catholic hold to the Genesis Gap Theory? Or is it heretical?   12:41 – How can the Church evangelize to those with disabilities? What are good resources that can help me get started?    19:28 – Can we in good conscience support the death penalty? I can’t seem to understand why the church changed this. In theory can’t the church's teaching on this revert?    28:37 – Is there a miraculous quality to St. Paul recovering from the stoning at Lystra or from all of the other beatings he suffered? It seems any number of the rods, stonings, etc. could have disabled him and made his long-distance travel impossible.    32:49 – How does setting a prayer intention before praying a rosary differ from just praying for that intention directly without praying a rosary, does it have something to do with the merit involved with praying a rosary? Thank you!    36:40 – Why can't Catholicism be just another denomination among the denominations? I think Protestants see Catholicism as a Christian denomination, thus no need to make the move if they are already happy where they are.   43:02 – If priests have the sacramental power to ordain, why has this actually happened so rarely in Church history?    46:50 – Why is it mandatory to go to a priest for confession before one can go for Holy Communion. Why isn’t going to God directly sufficient for this?  If someone sits on his seat because he hasn’t gone for confession, everyone would see that he hasn’t gone to confession, it would elicit some kind of shame on this person. 

Can human reason alone lead us to the conclusion that God is personal, even without divine revelation? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Catholic Answers apologists tackle deep philosophical and theological questions about God, authority, and the Church. The discussion explores whether Eastern Orthodoxy has a singular teaching authority comparable to the papacy, why Catholics often receive only the host and not the chalice at Communion, and whether extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are sometimes overused. Additional topics include whether Adam was a single historical person or a group, how to evangelize someone immersed in New Age spirituality, and whether the early Church taught any doctrines no longer held today. A thoughtful conversation on Catholic theology, Church practice, and apologetics. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 12:36 – Is there a way to arrive at the conclusion of the personhood of God without resorting to revelation?   21:46 – Does Eastern Orthodoxy have a singular authority like we do?  29:07 – How come everyone takes the host for communion but not everyone gets the chalice?  32:07 – Are extraordinary ministers of holy communion only to be used in emergency situations? My priest doesn't always give communion at mass. He lets the EMs do it. Is that an abuse?  39:35 – Was Adam one man or a group of men?  43:00 – How do you start a conversation with someone who's kind of a “new age junkie?” Like they're always looking for a spiritual high or buying the next big self-help book, but can't be bothered to open the Gospels?  48:54 – Is there something that the early church believed in terms of doctrine that isn't taught today?