February 18, 2025 • 27 mins
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The episode addresses the health concerns surrounding Pope Francis and emphasizes the importance of prayer for him during this challenging time. We delve into topics such as the nature of his illness, memories of previous popes, the significance of the conclave, and the implications of loving one's enemies within the Gospel context.
• Discussion on Pope Francis's respiratory tract infection.
• Importance of praying for the Holy Father.
• Reflection on the historical context of Popes dealing with illness.
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• The Ignite Conference is this Saturday!
• Exploration of loving one’s enemies as guided in this week's Sunday Gospel.
• Conclusion encouraging ongoing prayers and support for Pope Francis.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
On today's Question of Faith is Pope Francis dying?
Hey, everybody, this isQuestion of Faith.
I am Deacon Mike Hayes.
I'm the Director of theAdulterous Ministry here in the
Diocese of Luton, and I'm FrDamian Ferencz, the Vicar for
Evangelization.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The news is all buzz it is.
We got our daily headlines fromDeacon Jim Armstrong today and
three of the headlines wereabout the Holy Father's
condition.
So if you did not hear, this isfrom Vatican News.
The results of the medicaltests carried out over the past
few days and today have shown apolymicrobial infection of the
respiratory tract, which has ledto further change in therapy.
(00:41):
All tests carried out to dateare indicative of a complex
clinical picture that willrequire appropriate
hospitalization.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
For the science informed on this program.
You learn a lot in this programa little science, a little
religion, a bunch of otherthings.
But a polymicrobial respiratorytract infection is a mix of
microbes like viruses orbacteria that infect the lungs
or another part of therespiratory tract.
That's not good news, becausehealthy people rarely get that.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
According to, the New York Times.
Did you see the image of theHoly Father before he went into
the hospital?
His face was like all, puffyand full.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Well, they're probably pumping him up with
steroids and stuff to open hislungs a little bit.
I mean, my mom was that way.
My parents both had like prettybad lung kinds of issues, so
that tends to happen.
You know, it's just a sideeffect.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I saw Chris Stefanik posted the picture and
he said, god bless the HolyFather, like he still got vested
that day and went out, eventhough he was not looking well
and I'm sure he wasn't feelingwell.
And our Holy Father too, onlyhas, I think, half a lung, right
?
Yes, correct, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Well, has one lung and then a half a lung is, I
think, what you mean, right.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
No, I thought he only had one lung, and the one lung
that he had is only half of it,I think.
Whatever it is, he does nothave two full functioning lungs,
but he is certainly a fighter.
But when I texted you abouttalking about this, it was
because I remember this sort ofthing when Pope John Paul II was
Holy Father and he was battling, and you get to a certain point
(02:24):
and you did this with yourparents and with mine too that
when things start to accumulatelike a snowball, that's when it
can get really dangerous.
Now he has pulled out ofsituations before and people
kind of wrote him off, so whoknows, he may be back within a
week or two, or these may be hisfinal days, which is why we
asked the question that we did,and he needs prayers.
(02:46):
Totally and that's part of thereason we wanted to do this show
today that if you go to Massevery day, you know that you
mentioned the Holy Father.
The Holy Father is mentioned inevery Eucharistic prayer and if
you pray a rosary, you pray forthe Holy Father's intention.
But even being more deliberate,if you don't do any of those
things, pray for the Holy Father, for his spiritual healing
(03:07):
first, and, if God wills it,then for his physical healing
too.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, and prayer of the faithful too, where we pray
for our Holy Father, is thefirst one usually.
We actually added a second onetoday, as we prayed for the sick
.
I had actually had my sistersjust been admitted to a nursing
home and so.
I asked them if they would addher to the prayer, and we were
just talking about, you know, weshould add Pope Francis to the
prayer for the sick also.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
That would be a good podcast show eventually.
What is the ordering, if thereis, to the prayers of the
faithful at Mass, because thereactually is a specific order.
Yeah, there's a hierarchy ofneeds that are mentioned there.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
We'll do that on another show but maybe bring
Father or Bishop.
Boost or Bishop Boost, yeah,who did you say?
Oh Gary Mary, oh Mary, yeah,yeah or Bishop Boost one of
those two.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, yeah, that's cool.
So I was wondering, like,because the Oscars are in two
weeks Conclave?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
is up, oh right.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, it's just a very interesting time for people
to be considering thepossibility of a new Holy Father
.
If that is the case and Iremember back in 2005,.
Is that when John Paul died,correct, 2005,.
Is that when John Paul died,correct?
I went over with.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Father Joe.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Koopman and Sister Denise Marie to wake his body.
Somebody paid for my ticketbecause I really liked John Paul
a lot.
I waited 14 hours and at thattime President Bush was
president and Condoleezza Ricewas there, but also Bill Clinton
came in president andCondoleezza Rice was there, but
also Bill Clinton came in.
And because all these Americandignitaries came in, rather than
having two lines going throughSt Peter's, they shut one down
(04:52):
so it became twice as long toget through, but we did get in
there at the end of the time.
But it's certainly interestingto be a Catholic because it's
only in our faith, because wehave a Holy Father who is the
unifier of the entire churchhe's Peter that these things
matter, and not just to theCatholic.
(05:13):
But it becomes world news LikeConclave.
I'm sure many Catholics haveseen it and we can talk about
that.
You have.
But there's a lot ofnon-Catholics who have seen it
and are intrigued with theritual and with the
organizational structure, thehierarchical structure of the
(05:33):
Catholic Church, because forbetter or for worse, people know
who we are and we are unitedand we are in a way that no
other church is.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I think, an interesting too.
Like you know, people gatheringin Rome while conclaves are
happening, you know, justwaiting for the white smoke,
Right?
I know some of my non-Catholicfriends said you know, you don't
have to send smoke signalsanymore to alert people to
things.
Yeah, but people like that.
Yeah, I was like, but it's socool.
Yeah, but people like that.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, I was like it's so cool.
Even I mean Conclave was okayand I could get into my
critiques of it.
I just liked Young Pope waybetter.
I loved Young Pope was myfavorite TV show of all time.
I wrote a review for Word onFire.
Before you get mad at me, youcan read what I wrote there if
you want.
But what?
What I like is the beauty thatPaolo Sorrentino reconstructed
(06:25):
the Sistine Chapel and you gotin.
I mean, yes, it was a mock-upbut it was really good, and I
think they may have used thesame set for Conclave.
But there's something about theritual and the beauty and the
traditions of Catholicism thatare intriguing to people.
They're mysterious.
And the traditions ofCatholicism that are intriguing
(06:47):
to people.
They're mysterious and becauseof our veiling of things and
even the cassocks that thecardinals are wearing, or they
have the cassocks ready for thenext pope, and you know the
famous story that John XXIII wasso big that they had to undo
the seam on the back so it wouldfit around Like all that stuff
is interesting.
John Allen, who writes for Cruxone of the things that he's
(07:12):
wonderful at is giving youinsights to some of these
mysteries of the faith, and bymysteries I don't mean like
dogma, as much as I mean some ofthe practices that are
interesting to outsiders, youknow or even insiders.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Yeah, true, yeah, it's interesting to me.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I mean yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
And, like you know the room of tears, you know when
someone's elected.
I can even remember PopeBenedict.
One time he was giving aninterview with somebody and they
asked him about the conclaveand he said well, I can only say
so much he said, but it wasobvious that the guillotine was
going to fall on me.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
He goes.
Everybody applauded oh that'sfunny.
Well, it's interesting too,because all that's supposed to
be private and secret.
But when I took my history ofthe Pope's class with Father Tom
Tiff God rest him at theseminary, you would have liked
him a lot.
He had season tickets to theIndians and he would bring his
(08:14):
papers and he would grade them.
And there's a bench designatedto him just outside where I used
to work out what used to beClassroom A.
Now it's Aquinas Hall.
Yeah, you would have liked hima lot.
Anyway, he was a historian PhDfrom CUA and when he taught the
popes of the 20th century courseit was like hearing gossip the
way that he taught the courseand he had someone tallied all
the votes like.
The first vote was this, thesecond vote was that we're not
(08:36):
supposed to know that, butsomehow we know that.
And even in Conclave theyshowed and I think the young
pope too how they thread thevotes and they still do them on
paper.
They're not do them digitally.
So all these things are allthese things are interesting,
and even when a pope is buried,I think this is interesting
about Catholicism.
I keep saying the wordinteresting too.
I noticed that the popes areput in a very simple wooden
(09:01):
casket.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
And the funeral rite is the same for the pope as for
a pauper.
There may be different prayersfor someone who's married or
someone who's a priest or a nun,but it's the same.
A funeral liturgy is a funeralliturgy, and I think that's very
cool.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Yeah, agreed yeah.
And I think with the tallyingand the votes do the cardinals
kind of keep track themselves.
They say they're only allowed alittle notepad, they're not
allowed to bring any papers inor anything and no technology
and no technology.
And so they say that they justkind of keep their own tally,
because no one's there, likescreaming out you know,
bergoglio, 21 votes.
(09:35):
No one's doing that, and sothey have to keep track
themselves.
There is someone there who'skeeping track, but they're not
announcing.
It is what I'm trying to say.
So if you want to keep trackbut that they're not announcing,
it is what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
So if you want to keep track, you know, if you're
keeping score at home and weknow you are you have to do it
yourself with the conclave.
Yeah well, that's interesting.
I did hear again.
I just said interesting.
Let's tally them up.
Pope Francis has requested tobe buried not at St Peter's but
at St Mary.
Major which is the place that helikes to visit before and after
every pilgrimage.
He loves the icon.
(10:11):
It's an ancient icon of OurLady and he has a very deep
devotion to her, and he'll bringa bouquet of flowers to that
altar before and after eachvisit which is pretty cool
Bernini, pretty cool Bernini's.
Buried there too in an unmarkedgrave.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yeah, I'm reading Pope Francis's life, his new
biography, that is being—StevenColbert does the audiobook.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Oh really.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, which is kind of interesting.
And then there's a priest whodoes like his voice, so there's
like background, the event he'stalking about, and then a priest
as his voice of the notes he'smade.
And it's interesting becausehe's doing it as sort of like a
timeline of history, so like onechapter would be September 11th
(10:56):
.
Another chapter would be WorldWar II.
Another chapter would be theeconomic collapse after 9-11.
And so he's kind of looking athis life through those larger
events of history as well asjust events in his own life.
You know his own personal life,you know, like his journey to
the priesthood.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
So it's an autobiography or biography.
Did he have help writing it?
Do you know?
It looks like he had helpwriting it.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
It looks like that, from what I can tell, I'm
listening to the audio book.
By the way, I'm killing that.
By the way, I just startedlistening to audio books this
year.
I've read five books in a month.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
We should do a podcast on that.
Is listening to an audio book,reading a book or not?
That?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
would be a great podcast.
I've done research on this.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Some exceptions there's got to be a distinction,
though, because listening isdifferent than reading.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yeah, you don't go back as often.
They said you might rereadsomething and you don't
generally go back.
I do, but most people don't.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
When I was writing my dissertation my three chapters
plus, well, three of thechapters I ended by analyzing an
O'Connor story, flanneryO'Connor story.
So did I read the story or didI listen?
Yes, I did both.
I had an audio version and thenI had the book before me, so it
(12:07):
was being read and I wasreading it and I marked it up.
Yeah, I think so, because you'rereceiving with more than one
sense, more than with just youreyes and your ears.
At the same time, I think youget more out of it and it's fun,
which is why reading is soimportant.
And for parents to read tochildren, I think, too.
And read a book with someone.
(12:27):
Yeah, what?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
someone told me too is that when you're listening to
an audio book, you're generallynot taking notes because you're
probably driving or walking orwhatever it is that you're doing
.
You're not just sitting in achair and doing it.
But they said, when you finisha chapter, think about what were
the main ideas of the chapterand write those down, because
those are the things that yougenerally remember anyway, as
(12:49):
opposed to all of the details,and so I've been doing that.
I'm like, okay, the main ideasof this or this, and I'm reading
some books for fun.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
I know like.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I read the Ricky Henderson biography.
You know is one of the firstones I read.
So let me see if I can do thiswith something fun, then I'll
see if I can do it withsomething a little heavier.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Well, I've mentioned that before on this show that
one of the reasons I read isbecause it calms me down and it
relaxes me.
And when I listen to books ontape well, used to be CDs in my
car I would do it because I havea lot of time.
But if I try it in my room thenI start doing other things
(13:27):
because I'm like oh, I canmultitask, I can listen to a
book and do this where when I'mreading, I'm just reading and
I'm in a book club.
Right now I'm reading Crime andPunishment by Dostoevsky.
I like Tolstoy, anna Kareninabetter.
But someone said just waituntil the end and it'll be good,
go to the classics.
Anyway maybe I should readwhat's the book called by the
Pope Life.
Okay, I've read a lot of.
(13:48):
I've read all his encyclicals.
Yeah, me too.
Yeah, I had not read his pieceon the Sacred Heart, yet I don't
think I've read that either, soI'll have to look at it.
What's your favorite piece ofdocument or book by Pope Francis
?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Probably Joy of the Gospel.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Same.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Yeah, I think that's probably his best work in
general.
Yeah, I mean of all the thingshe's written.
I think that's the thing thatspeaks to me.
Christus Vivit, I think, isprobably up there for me as well
.
Different things in there.
It, I think, is probably upthere for me as well.
Different things in there.
I often think that those of uswho've been trained in Ignatian
spirituality can kind of seethat in almost everything he's
(14:27):
written.
And I know people who say theyget confused by his writing when
I explain to them sometimes anIgnatian principle of like oh,
that makes sense now, and I'mlike oh okay, so I guess that's
it.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I appreciated Joy of the Gospel after reading
Evangelii Nuntiandi by Paul VI,because I did not realize how
much Pope Francis was lookingback and trying to elevate what
Paul VI had done.
And I have a theory about PaulVI he took over the Second
Vatican Council after John XXIIIdied and the conservatives
(15:01):
hated him because of whathappened with the liturgy and
the liberals hated him becauseof Humanae Vitae.
So by the time 1974 rolledaround and he puts out this
wonderful piece onevangelization, no one was
listening.
So I think Pope Francis is likeyou all missed this.
Let's bring this back.
And there's so much in therethat's so rich and so good.
Yeah, I love that document.
The other one that I reallylove and I think we talked about
(15:23):
it on here was the letter thathe wrote about reading
literature.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, which cameout, I think, july 12th or
something, yeah, we did apodcast on that we did that was
good, yeah, yeah, and especiallyas for inviting people to read.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And the letter to grandparents.
Oh yeah, that was great too.
He really liked.
Yeah, two letters tograndparents oh, that's right,
yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
And yeah, so hopefully he's not dying, right,
but eventually he knows and yousaid this too like he's not
going to be Pope forever.
Yeah, and he knows, so it is anice time to— Even the biography
.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
right, when you think about it.
He's writing about his life.
One of the things he says isthat people don't often look at
their life as a continuum.
And he goes, and it's reallygood to have that kind of
reflection on your life.
He said people should writethese things down, and so you
know he knows that there arefewer days ahead of him than
there are behind.
By the way, there are a fewdays ahead of you and I probably
I mean I could get hit crossingEast 9th after this show.
(16:18):
I mean I just turned 55.
I don't think I'm living to.
What's it?
111.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Does it make you feel good if I tell you that I
mentioned you were 55 and acouple of people said I didn't
know he was that old, which isgood.
It means you carry yourselfyoung.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Exactly no.
I was at Theology on Taplin andI think I I made some illusion
to being in my 50s, I think, andone of the young adults who
plays softball looked at me.
He went I'm sorry, what did youjust say?
And I said what?
And he goes your, your age.
And I said yeah, I said I thinkI was 54 then and he goes.
I I never would have thoughtthat he goes if you had told me
(16:54):
the reverse, I would havebelieved 45, because in fact,
I'd probably believe 35.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
I was like well, thank you very much I could pass
for an old 30s or early 40suntil well, even now.
But my beard has a lot of grayand white in it, yeah, and it's
full and at full effect now tokeep my face warm during the
winter.
So that reveals my age.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
It's one of the reasons I shaved my head.
I think so.
That reveals my age.
It's one of the reasons Ishaved my head, I think,
although I don't know.
I mean, my hair was still darklike around the edges, sort of
like Bishop Molesik has his hairaround the edges.
The wreath, the wreath, verynice.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Laura Leaf, but it was still brown when I started
shaving.
I just thought it looked better.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Well, mary Fugate reminded me that you should
embrace age, and it's reallybeautiful as you get older,
because it's just part of whatliving is.
That's true, yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
And when I looked in when I started losing my hair.
Two things happened to me whenI started losing my hair.
One, it bothered me right andmy friend, dave Jennings, who
you might remember was a punterfor the Giants, a broadcaster
for many years.
Dave was bald and he saw thatit bothered me and he pulled me
aside and goes you know, themore you make a big deal out of
(18:04):
this, the more everybody else isgoing to make a big deal out of
this.
He goes you look fine, justshut up and live your life.
And it never bothered me again.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
He said do you look at me any different?
Because I'm bald.
And I was like because he saiddo you look at me any different
because I'm bald?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
And I was like no and he goes.
Yeah, my point.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
And then the second thing was I was just like it's
just easier.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Yeah, I suppose, except I would worry about
getting sunburned.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Oh well, yeah, Well, that's why I wear a hat
everywhere.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
But I mean, my dad lost his hair young.
He also flew out of thewindshield of a car in a car
wreck and had to take a skingraft off his side and put it on
his head.
But I looked at pictures whenhe got married he was 46.
I have more hair now than hedid when he was.
Well, I'm 49 now, but you knowyou're going to lose it all
anyway and you're going to dieand unless you're a saint, your
(18:54):
body's going to corrupt.
So, whatever you body's goingto corrupt.
So, whatever you know, worry,worry more about heavenly things
.
Store up your treasure inheaven, that's right.
Not in your hair, Although ifyou have nice hair, praise God
for it.
I mean, enjoy it, Enjoy, enjoyyour hair.
Exactly my wife.
Yes, exactly yeah.
Even if it's on your face, likemine is.
I'm getting a beard trim onThursday, though.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Oh, very nice, We'll see what happens.
Do you enjoy that?
Like getting a beard trim.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It's been a while.
The last time I had my beardtrimmed was in Italy and I did
like it.
I don't remember.
The guy's name was Gabriel orSebastian or something.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, my friend loves it.
He feels so cared for.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yeah, they actually put on the black gloves and they
shampoo your beard.
Hot towel, hot towel.
My favorite part of a haircutis the neck shave with the
straight razor and the hot towelon the back of the neck.
I love that.
Agreed, yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Anyways.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
So, anyway, pray for Pope Francis and his health.
We will.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
I was waiting for a creative transition from a
barber's stool to briefcasemarketing, but you didn't do it.
You didn't do it.
A barber's stool.
Let me try again.
Okay, a barber's stool.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
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No, like, just leave this inthere, it's funny.
Hey, you know if you need aclose shave with your marketing,
when you put your briefcasedown when you get into the
barber's chair, something Idon't know.
Whatever, we were close.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, but you know, briefcase marketing does right,
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You know all your kind of.
You know the public face ofyour parish is what they will
really work with.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah it's like you don't want to have disheveled
hair and a bad look.
You want to look good.
You want your marketing to beinspiring and to deliver results
.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
They'll kind of give you like a good haircut, right
you know they'll cut things outthat you're doing wrong and
they'll make things look right,that you need to look right.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
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play.
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(21:10):
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Speaker 1 (21:10):
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Speaker 2 (21:23):
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Speaker 1 (21:40):
It's like looking at those pictures in the barbershop
of the different kinds ofhaircuts and you see which one
you want to have.
You could do the same thingwith this.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Yeah, but you know you can't do that on your own,
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(22:07):
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were wondering.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
We did yes.
So, by the way, 260 people asof this morning are now
registered for the IgniteConference.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Wonderful, it's going to be great.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
So it's at St Ignatius High School.
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We'll go all day and then we'lldo a holy hour in the chapel
(22:46):
across the street at Ignatius'high school chapel, and then
from there we will process downto the wonderful parish of St
Pat's on Bridge.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
You'll be there.
I'll be there.
I'm going to be presiding atmass correct, I will be the
deacon of the word, and I thinksomeone told me maybe Nicholas,
because I was at Grapevine onThursday night that I'm given a
little fervorino at a holy hour.
Is that true, correct?
That is correct.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I can handle that.
And then Father Eric Harriswill be the Father Pat Schultz
one of the speakers.
Jackie Angel and SisterMercedes are our big speakers
for the day.
Cool, so $65 will get you inthe door.
So, ignitecatholiccom, checkthat out in the next couple of
days.
Get it while it's hot.
Be, there and St Pat's onBridge can be our church church
(23:36):
for this week.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
It's a beautiful church, gothic, clean windows,
nice.
It's a beautiful church, gothic, clean windows, nice.
The other thing I think I mayhave mentioned this on the show
once before there was a tendencyafter the Second Vatican
Council for people to destroybeautiful things.
And I credit the Jesuits.
When they went in and took overSt Pat's, they didn't touch
anything in the sanctuary,although they did make
(23:59):
accommodations for theliturgical renewal.
Sure, yeah, but they kind ofbuilt their own stand in front
of the communion rail and didall that without destroying what
those who built that church hadintended.
And the beauty is still thereand I respect that very much
because that took wonderfulforesight.
(24:20):
It's easy to be an iconoclastnew ideas come, you're like,
down with the old, in with thenew, but then over time you
realize I'm sad we did that,because that was some pretty
cool stuff that we got rid ofand they respected the tradition
, yet moved ahead and followedwhere the church was calling in
terms of the liturgical renewal.
(24:41):
So I credit them for that.
Always Very nice, yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
All right.
So gospel for the SeventhSunday in Ordinary Time from
Luke Love your enemies.
It's the first line here.
You know, to you who hear I saylove your enemies, do good to
those who hate you.
I love the line later on and ifyou do good to those who do
good to you, what credit is thatto you?
Well, yeah, if you love thepeople who love you, that's
(25:06):
pretty easy to do.
Loving the people who make ithard for you to love them,
that's the hard part.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yeah, and anything that Jesus ever says he does,
and he'll never ask us to doanything.
That is impossible Now.
Is it hard to love your enemiesand do good to those who hate
you?
Yes, actually, it is impossiblewithout God's grace to do that.
But that's what God allows usto do and it doesn't mean that
(25:31):
you have to have warm and tenderfeelings for people who have
harmed you, but it does meanthat you will their good.
You want what's best for themand that's actually a sign of
holiness and healthiness.
I've been thinking a lot aboutthe fact that you can tell an
(25:51):
awful lot about what someonethinks of himself or herself and
how they understand God's lovefor themselves by the way that
they treat other people, becausethere's a direct correlation
there between the way you treatothers and the way you
understand God has treated you.
Yes, so if you think that Godis a tyrant and hates you and is
(26:14):
constantly waiting for you tomess up, that will show in the
way that you treat other people.
But if you've experienced God'sdeep love and mercy, despite
your sinfulness, you will showthat to other people, despite
their sinfulness.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Yeah, right, I think of it this way too.
There's about I don't know 20people in my life who probably
drive me crazy, right, I justhave a real hard time with most
days.
You're not one of them, by theway.
No, that's okay If I am have areal hard time with most days.
You're not one of them, by theway.
No, that's okay, and um the um.
But the thing that I alwaysreflect on is how crazy do I
drive those people?
I probably drive them just ascrazy as they drive me, and so
(26:53):
that helps me to open my heartjust a little bit more and say,
okay, I should have a littlemore patience to this person
today, yeah, and, and prayingfor people that you don't like
really does help.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
It softens the heart.
It does indeed.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
I speak from experience, as do I.
Yeah, all right, all right.
So pray for Pope Francis andknow what he prays for us.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Yeah, and people who are very sick and even people
who are under deathbeds.
They're very close to the Lordand have special access.
So, yeah, I'd be interested toknow what he's praying about
right now.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Yeah, right, exactly, but we'll pray for him.
All right, so we'll pray forhim.
And while we're praying for him, we'll see you all next week
here on Question of Faith.
On today's Question of Faith is Pope Francis dying?
Hey, everybody, this isQuestion of Faith.
I am Deacon Mike Hayes.
I'm the Director of theAdulterous Ministry here in the
Diocese of Luton, and I'm FrDamian Ferencz, the Vicar for
Evangelization.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The news is all buzz it is.
We got our daily headlines fromDeacon Jim Armstrong today and
three of the headlines wereabout the Holy Father's
condition.
So if you did not hear, this isfrom Vatican News.
The results of the medicaltests carried out over the past
few days and today have shown apolymicrobial infection of the
respiratory tract, which has ledto further change in therapy.
(00:41):
All tests carried out to dateare indicative of a complex
clinical picture that willrequire appropriate
hospitalization.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
For the science informed on this program.
You learn a lot in this programa little science, a little
religion, a bunch of otherthings.
But a polymicrobial respiratorytract infection is a mix of
microbes like viruses orbacteria that infect the lungs
or another part of therespiratory tract.
That's not good news, becausehealthy people rarely get that.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
According to, the New York Times.
Did you see the image of theHoly Father before he went into
the hospital?
His face was like all, puffyand full.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Well, they're probably pumping him up with
steroids and stuff to open hislungs a little bit.
I mean, my mom was that way.
My parents both had like prettybad lung kinds of issues, so
that tends to happen.
You know, it's just a sideeffect.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I saw Chris Stefanik posted the picture and
he said, god bless the HolyFather, like he still got vested
that day and went out, eventhough he was not looking well
and I'm sure he wasn't feelingwell.
And our Holy Father too, onlyhas, I think, half a lung, right
?
Yes, correct, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Well, has one lung and then a half a lung is, I
think, what you mean, right.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
No, I thought he only had one lung, and the one lung
that he had is only half of it,I think.
Whatever it is, he does nothave two full functioning lungs,
but he is certainly a fighter.
But when I texted you abouttalking about this, it was
because I remember this sort ofthing when Pope John Paul II was
Holy Father and he was battling, and you get to a certain point
(02:24):
and you did this with yourparents and with mine too that
when things start to accumulatelike a snowball, that's when it
can get really dangerous.
Now he has pulled out ofsituations before and people
kind of wrote him off, so whoknows, he may be back within a
week or two, or these may be hisfinal days, which is why we
asked the question that we did,and he needs prayers.
(02:46):
Totally and that's part of thereason we wanted to do this show
today that if you go to Massevery day, you know that you
mentioned the Holy Father.
The Holy Father is mentioned inevery Eucharistic prayer and if
you pray a rosary, you pray forthe Holy Father's intention.
But even being more deliberate,if you don't do any of those
things, pray for the Holy Father, for his spiritual healing
(03:07):
first, and, if God wills it,then for his physical healing
too.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, and prayer of the faithful too, where we pray
for our Holy Father, is thefirst one usually.
We actually added a second onetoday, as we prayed for the sick
.
I had actually had my sistersjust been admitted to a nursing
home and so.
I asked them if they would addher to the prayer, and we were
just talking about, you know, weshould add Pope Francis to the
prayer for the sick also.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
That would be a good podcast show eventually.
What is the ordering, if thereis, to the prayers of the
faithful at Mass, because thereactually is a specific order.
Yeah, there's a hierarchy ofneeds that are mentioned there.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
We'll do that on another show but maybe bring
Father or Bishop.
Boost or Bishop Boost, yeah,who did you say?
Oh Gary Mary, oh Mary, yeah,yeah or Bishop Boost one of
those two.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, yeah, that's cool.
So I was wondering, like,because the Oscars are in two
weeks Conclave?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
is up, oh right.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, it's just a very interesting time for people
to be considering thepossibility of a new Holy Father
.
If that is the case and Iremember back in 2005,.
Is that when John Paul died,correct, 2005,.
Is that when John Paul died,correct?
I went over with.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Father Joe.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Koopman and Sister Denise Marie to wake his body.
Somebody paid for my ticketbecause I really liked John Paul
a lot.
I waited 14 hours and at thattime President Bush was
president and Condoleezza Ricewas there, but also Bill Clinton
came in president andCondoleezza Rice was there, but
also Bill Clinton came in.
And because all these Americandignitaries came in, rather than
having two lines going throughSt Peter's, they shut one down
(04:52):
so it became twice as long toget through, but we did get in
there at the end of the time.
But it's certainly interestingto be a Catholic because it's
only in our faith, because wehave a Holy Father who is the
unifier of the entire churchhe's Peter that these things
matter, and not just to theCatholic.
(05:13):
But it becomes world news LikeConclave.
I'm sure many Catholics haveseen it and we can talk about
that.
You have.
But there's a lot ofnon-Catholics who have seen it
and are intrigued with theritual and with the
organizational structure, thehierarchical structure of the
(05:33):
Catholic Church, because forbetter or for worse, people know
who we are and we are unitedand we are in a way that no
other church is.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I think, an interesting too.
Like you know, people gatheringin Rome while conclaves are
happening, you know, justwaiting for the white smoke,
Right?
I know some of my non-Catholicfriends said you know, you don't
have to send smoke signalsanymore to alert people to
things.
Yeah, but people like that.
Yeah, I was like, but it's socool.
Yeah, but people like that.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, I was like it's so cool.
Even I mean Conclave was okayand I could get into my
critiques of it.
I just liked Young Pope waybetter.
I loved Young Pope was myfavorite TV show of all time.
I wrote a review for Word onFire.
Before you get mad at me, youcan read what I wrote there if
you want.
But what?
What I like is the beauty thatPaolo Sorrentino reconstructed
(06:25):
the Sistine Chapel and you gotin.
I mean, yes, it was a mock-upbut it was really good, and I
think they may have used thesame set for Conclave.
But there's something about theritual and the beauty and the
traditions of Catholicism thatare intriguing to people.
They're mysterious.
And the traditions ofCatholicism that are intriguing
(06:47):
to people.
They're mysterious and becauseof our veiling of things and
even the cassocks that thecardinals are wearing, or they
have the cassocks ready for thenext pope, and you know the
famous story that John XXIII wasso big that they had to undo
the seam on the back so it wouldfit around Like all that stuff
is interesting.
John Allen, who writes for Cruxone of the things that he's
(07:12):
wonderful at is giving youinsights to some of these
mysteries of the faith, and bymysteries I don't mean like
dogma, as much as I mean some ofthe practices that are
interesting to outsiders, youknow or even insiders.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Yeah, true, yeah, it's interesting to me.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I mean yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
And, like you know the room of tears, you know when
someone's elected.
I can even remember PopeBenedict.
One time he was giving aninterview with somebody and they
asked him about the conclaveand he said well, I can only say
so much he said, but it wasobvious that the guillotine was
going to fall on me.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
He goes.
Everybody applauded oh that'sfunny.
Well, it's interesting too,because all that's supposed to
be private and secret.
But when I took my history ofthe Pope's class with Father Tom
Tiff God rest him at theseminary, you would have liked
him a lot.
He had season tickets to theIndians and he would bring his
(08:14):
papers and he would grade them.
And there's a bench designatedto him just outside where I used
to work out what used to beClassroom A.
Now it's Aquinas Hall.
Yeah, you would have liked hima lot.
Anyway, he was a historian PhDfrom CUA and when he taught the
popes of the 20th century courseit was like hearing gossip the
way that he taught the courseand he had someone tallied all
the votes like.
The first vote was this, thesecond vote was that we're not
(08:36):
supposed to know that, butsomehow we know that.
And even in Conclave theyshowed and I think the young
pope too how they thread thevotes and they still do them on
paper.
They're not do them digitally.
So all these things are allthese things are interesting,
and even when a pope is buried,I think this is interesting
about Catholicism.
I keep saying the wordinteresting too.
I noticed that the popes areput in a very simple wooden
(09:01):
casket.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
And the funeral rite is the same for the pope as for
a pauper.
There may be different prayersfor someone who's married or
someone who's a priest or a nun,but it's the same.
A funeral liturgy is a funeralliturgy, and I think that's very
cool.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Yeah, agreed yeah.
And I think with the tallyingand the votes do the cardinals
kind of keep track themselves.
They say they're only allowed alittle notepad, they're not
allowed to bring any papers inor anything and no technology
and no technology.
And so they say that they justkind of keep their own tally,
because no one's there, likescreaming out you know,
bergoglio, 21 votes.
(09:35):
No one's doing that, and sothey have to keep track
themselves.
There is someone there who'skeeping track, but they're not
announcing.
It is what I'm trying to say.
So if you want to keep trackbut that they're not announcing,
it is what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
So if you want to keep track, you know, if you're
keeping score at home and weknow you are you have to do it
yourself with the conclave.
Yeah well, that's interesting.
I did hear again.
I just said interesting.
Let's tally them up.
Pope Francis has requested tobe buried not at St Peter's but
at St Mary.
Major which is the place that helikes to visit before and after
every pilgrimage.
He loves the icon.
(10:11):
It's an ancient icon of OurLady and he has a very deep
devotion to her, and he'll bringa bouquet of flowers to that
altar before and after eachvisit which is pretty cool
Bernini, pretty cool Bernini's.
Buried there too in an unmarkedgrave.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yeah, I'm reading Pope Francis's life, his new
biography, that is being—StevenColbert does the audiobook.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Oh really.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, which is kind of interesting.
And then there's a priest whodoes like his voice, so there's
like background, the event he'stalking about, and then a priest
as his voice of the notes he'smade.
And it's interesting becausehe's doing it as sort of like a
timeline of history, so like onechapter would be September 11th
(10:56):
.
Another chapter would be WorldWar II.
Another chapter would be theeconomic collapse after 9-11.
And so he's kind of looking athis life through those larger
events of history as well asjust events in his own life.
You know his own personal life,you know, like his journey to
the priesthood.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
So it's an autobiography or biography.
Did he have help writing it?
Do you know?
It looks like he had helpwriting it.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
It looks like that, from what I can tell, I'm
listening to the audio book.
By the way, I'm killing that.
By the way, I just startedlistening to audio books this
year.
I've read five books in a month.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
We should do a podcast on that.
Is listening to an audio book,reading a book or not?
That?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
would be a great podcast.
I've done research on this.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Some exceptions there's got to be a distinction,
though, because listening isdifferent than reading.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yeah, you don't go back as often.
They said you might rereadsomething and you don't
generally go back.
I do, but most people don't.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
When I was writing my dissertation my three chapters
plus, well, three of thechapters I ended by analyzing an
O'Connor story, flanneryO'Connor story.
So did I read the story or didI listen?
Yes, I did both.
I had an audio version and thenI had the book before me, so it
(12:07):
was being read and I wasreading it and I marked it up.
Yeah, I think so, because you'rereceiving with more than one
sense, more than with just youreyes and your ears.
At the same time, I think youget more out of it and it's fun,
which is why reading is soimportant.
And for parents to read tochildren, I think, too.
And read a book with someone.
(12:27):
Yeah, what?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
someone told me too is that when you're listening to
an audio book, you're generallynot taking notes because you're
probably driving or walking orwhatever it is that you're doing
.
You're not just sitting in achair and doing it.
But they said, when you finisha chapter, think about what were
the main ideas of the chapterand write those down, because
those are the things that yougenerally remember anyway, as
(12:49):
opposed to all of the details,and so I've been doing that.
I'm like, okay, the main ideasof this or this, and I'm reading
some books for fun.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
I know like.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I read the Ricky Henderson biography.
You know is one of the firstones I read.
So let me see if I can do thiswith something fun, then I'll
see if I can do it withsomething a little heavier.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Well, I've mentioned that before on this show that
one of the reasons I read isbecause it calms me down and it
relaxes me.
And when I listen to books ontape well, used to be CDs in my
car I would do it because I havea lot of time.
But if I try it in my room thenI start doing other things
(13:27):
because I'm like oh, I canmultitask, I can listen to a
book and do this where when I'mreading, I'm just reading and
I'm in a book club.
Right now I'm reading Crime andPunishment by Dostoevsky.
I like Tolstoy, anna Kareninabetter.
But someone said just waituntil the end and it'll be good,
go to the classics.
Anyway maybe I should readwhat's the book called by the
Pope Life.
Okay, I've read a lot of.
(13:48):
I've read all his encyclicals.
Yeah, me too.
Yeah, I had not read his pieceon the Sacred Heart, yet I don't
think I've read that either, soI'll have to look at it.
What's your favorite piece ofdocument or book by Pope Francis
?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Probably Joy of the Gospel.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Same.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Yeah, I think that's probably his best work in
general.
Yeah, I mean of all the thingshe's written.
I think that's the thing thatspeaks to me.
Christus Vivit, I think, isprobably up there for me as well
.
Different things in there.
It, I think, is probably upthere for me as well.
Different things in there.
I often think that those of uswho've been trained in Ignatian
spirituality can kind of seethat in almost everything he's
(14:27):
written.
And I know people who say theyget confused by his writing when
I explain to them sometimes anIgnatian principle of like oh,
that makes sense now, and I'mlike oh okay, so I guess that's
it.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I appreciated Joy of the Gospel after reading
Evangelii Nuntiandi by Paul VI,because I did not realize how
much Pope Francis was lookingback and trying to elevate what
Paul VI had done.
And I have a theory about PaulVI he took over the Second
Vatican Council after John XXIIIdied and the conservatives
(15:01):
hated him because of whathappened with the liturgy and
the liberals hated him becauseof Humanae Vitae.
So by the time 1974 rolledaround and he puts out this
wonderful piece onevangelization, no one was
listening.
So I think Pope Francis is likeyou all missed this.
Let's bring this back.
And there's so much in therethat's so rich and so good.
Yeah, I love that document.
The other one that I reallylove and I think we talked about
(15:23):
it on here was the letter thathe wrote about reading
literature.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, which cameout, I think, july 12th or
something, yeah, we did apodcast on that we did that was
good, yeah, yeah, and especiallyas for inviting people to read.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And the letter to grandparents.
Oh yeah, that was great too.
He really liked.
Yeah, two letters tograndparents oh, that's right,
yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
And yeah, so hopefully he's not dying, right,
but eventually he knows and yousaid this too like he's not
going to be Pope forever.
Yeah, and he knows, so it is anice time to— Even the biography
.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
right, when you think about it.
He's writing about his life.
One of the things he says isthat people don't often look at
their life as a continuum.
And he goes, and it's reallygood to have that kind of
reflection on your life.
He said people should writethese things down, and so you
know he knows that there arefewer days ahead of him than
there are behind.
By the way, there are a fewdays ahead of you and I probably
I mean I could get hit crossingEast 9th after this show.
(16:18):
I mean I just turned 55.
I don't think I'm living to.
What's it?
111.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Does it make you feel good if I tell you that I
mentioned you were 55 and acouple of people said I didn't
know he was that old, which isgood.
It means you carry yourselfyoung.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Exactly no.
I was at Theology on Taplin andI think I I made some illusion
to being in my 50s, I think, andone of the young adults who
plays softball looked at me.
He went I'm sorry, what did youjust say?
And I said what?
And he goes your, your age.
And I said yeah, I said I thinkI was 54 then and he goes.
I I never would have thoughtthat he goes if you had told me
(16:54):
the reverse, I would havebelieved 45, because in fact,
I'd probably believe 35.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
I was like well, thank you very much I could pass
for an old 30s or early 40suntil well, even now.
But my beard has a lot of grayand white in it, yeah, and it's
full and at full effect now tokeep my face warm during the
winter.
So that reveals my age.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
It's one of the reasons I shaved my head.
I think so.
That reveals my age.
It's one of the reasons Ishaved my head, I think,
although I don't know.
I mean, my hair was still darklike around the edges, sort of
like Bishop Molesik has his hairaround the edges.
The wreath, the wreath, verynice.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Laura Leaf, but it was still brown when I started
shaving.
I just thought it looked better.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Well, mary Fugate reminded me that you should
embrace age, and it's reallybeautiful as you get older,
because it's just part of whatliving is.
That's true, yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
And when I looked in when I started losing my hair.
Two things happened to me whenI started losing my hair.
One, it bothered me right andmy friend, dave Jennings, who
you might remember was a punterfor the Giants, a broadcaster
for many years.
Dave was bald and he saw thatit bothered me and he pulled me
aside and goes you know, themore you make a big deal out of
(18:04):
this, the more everybody else isgoing to make a big deal out of
this.
He goes you look fine, justshut up and live your life.
And it never bothered me again.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
He said do you look at me any different?
Because I'm bald.
And I was like because he saiddo you look at me any different
because I'm bald?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
And I was like no and he goes.
Yeah, my point.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
And then the second thing was I was just like it's
just easier.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Yeah, I suppose, except I would worry about
getting sunburned.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Oh well, yeah, Well, that's why I wear a hat
everywhere.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
But I mean, my dad lost his hair young.
He also flew out of thewindshield of a car in a car
wreck and had to take a skingraft off his side and put it on
his head.
But I looked at pictures whenhe got married he was 46.
I have more hair now than hedid when he was.
Well, I'm 49 now, but you knowyou're going to lose it all
anyway and you're going to dieand unless you're a saint, your
(18:54):
body's going to corrupt.
So, whatever you body's goingto corrupt.
So, whatever you know, worry,worry more about heavenly things
.
Store up your treasure inheaven, that's right.
Not in your hair, Although ifyou have nice hair, praise God
for it.
I mean, enjoy it, Enjoy, enjoyyour hair.
Exactly my wife.
Yes, exactly yeah.
Even if it's on your face, likemine is.
I'm getting a beard trim onThursday, though.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Oh, very nice, We'll see what happens.
Do you enjoy that?
Like getting a beard trim.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It's been a while.
The last time I had my beardtrimmed was in Italy and I did
like it.
I don't remember.
The guy's name was Gabriel orSebastian or something.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, my friend loves it.
He feels so cared for.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yeah, they actually put on the black gloves and they
shampoo your beard.
Hot towel, hot towel.
My favorite part of a haircutis the neck shave with the
straight razor and the hot towelon the back of the neck.
I love that.
Agreed, yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Anyways.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
So, anyway, pray for Pope Francis and his health.
We will.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
I was waiting for a creative transition from a
barber's stool to briefcasemarketing, but you didn't do it.
You didn't do it.
A barber's stool.
Let me try again.
Okay, a barber's stool.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
No, we don't.
No, like, just leave this inthere, it's funny.
Hey, you know if you need aclose shave with your marketing,
when you put your briefcasedown when you get into the
barber's chair, something Idon't know.
Whatever, we were close.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, but you know, briefcase marketing does right,
remind me.
They make sure that your churchdoesn't have a bad website or
scattered messaging.
You know all your kind of.
You know the public face ofyour parish is what they will
really work with.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah it's like you don't want to have disheveled
hair and a bad look.
You want to look good.
You want your marketing to beinspiring and to deliver results
.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
They'll kind of give you like a good haircut, right
you know they'll cut things outthat you're doing wrong and
they'll make things look right,that you need to look right.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yeah, and a nice thing about a good barber is
like a good drummer They'll knowwhat not to cut and when not to
play.
So briefcase marketing doesthat too.
They figure out what works bestand keep the content that you
need and if there's other thingsthat you don't, get that out of
there so you could have areally beautiful website exactly
(21:10):
.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
They'll clarify your message to attract the right
audience.
They'll streamline your websiteto convert visitors into donors
, volunteers, parishioners, andthey'll make it all consistent.
That helps to build trust anddeepen relationships across all
of your marketing platforms.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
And you may say well, I want to see this, Well, where
do you look?
Well, go check out their Googlereviews.
They've done superb work withour friends at Theology of the
Body, Cleveland, St John, Kansas, Tremont, and we could even put
some samples of that work inour show notes to make it easy
for you to check them out.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
It's like looking at those pictures in the barbershop
of the different kinds ofhaircuts and you see which one
you want to have.
You could do the same thingwith this.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Yeah, but you know you can't do that on your own,
because sometimes you may say Ilike that haircut, but your face
is a different shape, true, soyou need to find out what fits
you.
And you know who can help youwith that, our pal Dan First, so
you can text him at308-627-1262, and he'll take
good care of you atbriefcasemarketing.
(22:07):
That's briefcasemarketing, allright.
We got their link in the shownotes, by the way, in case you
were wondering.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
We did yes.
So, by the way, 260 people asof this morning are now
registered for the IgniteConference.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Wonderful, it's going to be great.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
So it's at St Ignatius High School.
You can check outignitecatholiccom to register.
We still have some spaceavailable for the next few days.
That's Saturday, the 22nd ofFebruary.
It'll start bright and early.
Doors open at 8 o'clock.
Things will kick off at 9o'clock.
We'll go all day and then we'lldo a holy hour in the chapel
(22:46):
across the street at Ignatius'high school chapel, and then
from there we will process downto the wonderful parish of St
Pat's on Bridge.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
You'll be there.
I'll be there.
I'm going to be presiding atmass correct, I will be the
deacon of the word, and I thinksomeone told me maybe Nicholas,
because I was at Grapevine onThursday night that I'm given a
little fervorino at a holy hour.
Is that true, correct?
That is correct.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I can handle that.
And then Father Eric Harriswill be the Father Pat Schultz
one of the speakers.
Jackie Angel and SisterMercedes are our big speakers
for the day.
Cool, so $65 will get you inthe door.
So, ignitecatholiccom, checkthat out in the next couple of
days.
Get it while it's hot.
Be, there and St Pat's onBridge can be our church church
(23:36):
for this week.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
It's a beautiful church, gothic, clean windows,
nice.
It's a beautiful church, gothic, clean windows, nice.
The other thing I think I mayhave mentioned this on the show
once before there was a tendencyafter the Second Vatican
Council for people to destroybeautiful things.
And I credit the Jesuits.
When they went in and took overSt Pat's, they didn't touch
anything in the sanctuary,although they did make
(23:59):
accommodations for theliturgical renewal.
Sure, yeah, but they kind ofbuilt their own stand in front
of the communion rail and didall that without destroying what
those who built that church hadintended.
And the beauty is still thereand I respect that very much
because that took wonderfulforesight.
(24:20):
It's easy to be an iconoclastnew ideas come, you're like,
down with the old, in with thenew, but then over time you
realize I'm sad we did that,because that was some pretty
cool stuff that we got rid ofand they respected the tradition
, yet moved ahead and followedwhere the church was calling in
terms of the liturgical renewal.
(24:41):
So I credit them for that.
Always Very nice, yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
All right.
So gospel for the SeventhSunday in Ordinary Time from
Luke Love your enemies.
It's the first line here.
You know, to you who hear I saylove your enemies, do good to
those who hate you.
I love the line later on and ifyou do good to those who do
good to you, what credit is thatto you?
Well, yeah, if you love thepeople who love you, that's
(25:06):
pretty easy to do.
Loving the people who make ithard for you to love them,
that's the hard part.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yeah, and anything that Jesus ever says he does,
and he'll never ask us to doanything.
That is impossible Now.
Is it hard to love your enemiesand do good to those who hate
you?
Yes, actually, it is impossiblewithout God's grace to do that.
But that's what God allows usto do and it doesn't mean that
(25:31):
you have to have warm and tenderfeelings for people who have
harmed you, but it does meanthat you will their good.
You want what's best for themand that's actually a sign of
holiness and healthiness.
I've been thinking a lot aboutthe fact that you can tell an
(25:51):
awful lot about what someonethinks of himself or herself and
how they understand God's lovefor themselves by the way that
they treat other people, becausethere's a direct correlation
there between the way you treatothers and the way you
understand God has treated you.
Yes, so if you think that Godis a tyrant and hates you and is
(26:14):
constantly waiting for you tomess up, that will show in the
way that you treat other people.
But if you've experienced God'sdeep love and mercy, despite
your sinfulness, you will showthat to other people, despite
their sinfulness.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Yeah, right, I think of it this way too.
There's about I don't know 20people in my life who probably
drive me crazy, right, I justhave a real hard time with most
days.
You're not one of them, by theway.
No, that's okay If I am have areal hard time with most days.
You're not one of them, by theway.
No, that's okay, and um the um.
But the thing that I alwaysreflect on is how crazy do I
drive those people?
I probably drive them just ascrazy as they drive me, and so
(26:53):
that helps me to open my heartjust a little bit more and say,
okay, I should have a littlemore patience to this person
today, yeah, and, and prayingfor people that you don't like
really does help.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
It softens the heart.
It does indeed.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
I speak from experience, as do I.
Yeah, all right, all right.
So pray for Pope Francis andknow what he prays for us.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Yeah, and people who are very sick and even people
who are under deathbeds.
They're very close to the Lordand have special access.
So, yeah, I'd be interested toknow what he's praying about
right now.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Yeah, right, exactly, but we'll pray for him.
All right, so we'll pray forhim.
And while we're praying for him, we'll see you all next week
here on Question of Faith.
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