March 4, 2025 • 29 mins
SPONSOR: Briefcase Marketing
This episode highlights the intersection of Lent and personal transformation. We discuss how understanding the true meaning of Lent can enrich our spiritual journey beyond traditional fasting.
- Importance of relationship during Lent
- Historical context of Shrove Tuesday
- Our motivations for giving things up
- Engaging in community service throughout Lent
- The power of mindfulness in daily practices
- What does God want you to give up this year?
Remember to reflect on what truly brings you closer to God and those around you.
Make sure to join us for this enlightening conversation and share your thoughts with us by emailing your Questions of Faith to: mhayes@dioceseofcleveland.org
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Readings for the First Sunday of Lent can be found here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Deacon Mike (00:00):
On today's Question of Faith.
What does God want me to giveup for Lent this year?
Hey everybody, this is Questionof Faith.
I am Deacon Mike Hayes.
I am the Director of YoungAdult Ministry here in the
Diocese of Cleveland.
Fr. Eric (00:16):
Father Eric Garris, vocation Director, happy to be
back.
Deacon Mike (00:20):
Father Damien Ference on special assignment,
as we like to say.
Fr. Eric (00:23):
That's right doing his Father, Damien, thing.
Deacon Mike (00:25):
He is out in Iowa, of all places, yeah so he's out
at a conference.
Fr. Eric (00:30):
One of his heroes, Flannery O'Connor 100th birthday
, got her degree at Iowa doingsome sort of Flannery O'Connor
greatest hits tour.
Deacon Mike (00:42):
Yeah, so good stuff That'll be fun for him.
So drive safe, have fun.
Fr. Eric (00:48):
That's right.
And here we are shroving it up.
On Shrove Tuesday.
Deacon Mike (00:51):
Exactly yeah, fat Tuesday.
Fat Tuesday, mardi Gras day.
Fr. Eric (00:55):
You've got your coffee .
Deacon Mike (00:56):
You a big Mardi Gras person?
Not really, yeah, same here,yeah.
Fr. Eric (00:59):
I don't think it's part of like, I mean, Cleveland
culture is " , sure, you know,and I think that's kind of
everywhere.
So you got all the spots.
Do you know where it comes from, like the whole, like the
background of it?
I did but remind me, yeah, sothey would.
I mean, during the season ofLent, obviously it's a time of
fasting and so they would takelike all the sweets and all the
(01:20):
lard and all the things thatthey had and they would use it
all up, right today?
Deacon Mike (01:24):
Oh right, because they couldn't eat butter and all
those good things Correct.
Fr. Eric (01:27):
So it's basically store up for yourself calories
in earth, not treasure in heaven.
So that was the whole sense oflike frying all this stuff,
using up all the sweet fruits asyou enter into the desert.
Deacon Mike (01:41):
Very nice yeah.
Fr. Eric (01:42):
But I also like yeah, it's just not.
It seems like a very Cajun, youknow, like I yeah, kind of.
Yeah, the Mardi Gras thing.
Deacon Mike (01:50):
Have you ever been to?
Fr. Eric (01:51):
Mardi Gras in Louisiana Never, never, yeah.
Deacon Mike (01:54):
I've been to Louisiana many times, a couple
of dear friends.
My friend is a priest of theNew Orleans province of the
Society of Jesus, so I went tohis ordination.
Okay, any excuse for a parade.
First of all, yeah.
If you have anything.
I remember I went down andspoke at Loyola University one
time and they said and the crowdwas not large, let's say and so
(02:16):
they said well, you know, we'dlike you to come back and we'd
like to try to get more peoplehere for you.
And they said if you couldthink of any excuse that we
could have to throw a parade,that would be great.
Fr. Eric (02:26):
Yeah, Well, they just had the.
I mean, obviously the SuperBowl was just there.
Deacon Mike (02:30):
Yeah, what.
Fr. Eric (02:30):
I loved Jameis Winston , our previous quarterback doing
content, dancing around in thestreets of New Orleans.
Deacon Mike (02:37):
Yeah.
Fr. Eric (02:37):
He's a content-making machine.
Deacon Mike (02:42):
That's a great place.
Shout out to the folks in NewOrleans Becky Eldridge, my
friend who does IgnatianMinistries.
She's in Louisiana, so greatplace to be.
Good Anyway, but we're here inCleveland.
Fr. Eric (02:54):
That's right on the verge, on the precipice of Lent.
Deacon Mike (02:58):
And so well, what are you giving up for Lent this
year?
Well, what does God want you todo for Lent?
This's the big question.
Fr. Eric (03:03):
So, yeah, I think a lot of times we ask that
question and we ask it toourselves.
It's like the Pharisee askedhimself what should I do?
But really, I mean it's aseason of grace and grace is
living in relationship with theLord and responding to the
Lord's invitation.
And so I think a lot of timeswe have an idea of, like I'm
(03:23):
going to do this, um, I'm goingto give up a cheese, I'm going
to give up these fill in theblank things, but like, begin
with the end in mind.
The goal of Lent is not just toget through 40 days of
exercising willpower, but thegoal of Lent is is
transformation, um, so that,like, after 40 days, it's not
like well, I can go back toeating cheese and I can go back
to doing these things, but like,what can I do within me to let
(03:46):
Jesus live within me more fully?
So that's my Catholic pet peevewhat are you doing?
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
What is God doing?
What does God want to do?
So, to answer your question,it's still kind of TBD, I think
part yeah.
I don't like big fasts, likeI've done different things
(04:07):
different years where I've givenup I'm in my car a lot.
So like I gave up radio oneyear and like used it as an
opportunity to pray One year Igave up staying up late
uselessly and went to bed at1030 every night.
Deacon Mike (04:20):
Oh, wow, yeah, I should do that yeah.
Fr. Eric (04:26):
I'm looking at things like, like giving up, like iPad
and bed it's just so easy tolike the lay there and to get
lost in the scroll.
Um, usually, like I reallyenjoy getting together with
friends and having a nicewhiskey, but like I think that
would put a strain on me to belike and that would be hard to
give up, like and it's not likeevery day I'm drinking, but just
whatever.
I think to feel that rub and weoftentimes reach for these
(04:50):
things to kind of fill that void.
But I think any sense ofdiscomfort, even if it be in our
day-to-day lives, like allright, well, I'm just going to
go to bed now and I'm not goingto get lost in the scroll or
whatever.
Hopefully it's not just itreminds us of the fact that it's
Lent, but it reminds us of thefact that any sacrifice we make,
we believe, bears fruit.
Deacon Mike (05:14):
Yeah yeah yeah, and is this for you like what gets
in the way, like what gets inthe way of my relationship with
God?
in some ways, yeah, it's notlike just like cheese.
You know, like, well, I don'teat a lot of cheese, but when I
want to, I do like.
If cheese gets in yourrelationship with god, give it
up.
You know that's like like.
But if, if, if there arecertain things or attitudes like
(05:37):
you know, pope francis, I thinka number of years ago, was
talking.
He's like why don't you give upgossip?
Why don't you give up just likemindless chat, like different
things like that are more.
This is going to create withinme a deeper sense of
transformation, not just a senseof I'm strong and have a will
and can exercise it.
I did that one year , gave up gossip and it was very
(05:57):
, very hard.
Do you want?
Fr. Eric (05:58):
to talk about it, sure .
Deacon Mike (06:02):
No, but it was like if others were gossiping at the
table.
I found myself very easilygetting sucked into their drama,
right.
And so I said okay, I'm eithergoing to do one or two things.
I'm either going to get up andleave the table, which probably
isn't productive, right, becausethat's just removing you from
the situation and not reallyengaging with trying to change
(06:22):
the culture in some way, right.
And so a couple times I didjust get up and leave, but then
other times I just went, folks,please, yeah, you know, come on,
let's not talk about so-and-so.
Yeah, let's find something elseto chat about.
Let's think about somethingelse.
Yeah, exactly, I think that'sit.
Fr. Eric (06:36):
I mean like focusing on relationship.
You know, I think maybe that'sin some ways like what is God
doing?
I think, well, that's whatGod's calling me to do.
You know, I think of even in mylife, in you as well.
Deacon Mike Hayes, you know wepray the breviary, we pray the
Liturgy of the Hours.
I'm on the go a lot, so like I'mpraying it on my phone but I
(06:56):
also like is my phone a place ofprayer for me or is it just
like I can scroll through it andI'm praying For me?
One of the things that I feelcalled to do is actually using
my bravery to pray the Liturgyof the Hours instead of just
(07:17):
scrolling through it, and thatwould be uncomfortable because
that means I have to lug mybravery around with me as I go
to the office, at the seminaryand meetings in Akron and just
different places.
But it's more of a deliberatething that I'm choosing time to
be in relationship with Godinstead of just like oh, I have
to pray daytime prayer.
God, come to my assistance.
What do you like?
Deacon Mike (07:35):
Okay, scroll through, yeah, yeah, and then
you kind of go in through themotions just to get in.
Fr. Eric (07:39):
Yeah, yeah, so that's relationship.
Deacon Mike (07:42):
Yeah, yeah, for me too, I think the so I pray
morning and evening prayer andthen sometimes that is just
going through the motions for me, but lately it has not been,
and it's been okay.
How do I pray for the churchand who do I need to pray this
prayer for?
Let me bring them to mind Now,let me take a deep breath and
really think about them for acouple minutes.
(08:02):
And now let me pray this prayerfor you Sure, you know.
Fr. Eric (08:05):
so that kind of helps center me whether I'm on my
phone or in my breviary.
Deacon Mike (08:08):
either way, Whether I'm on my phone or in my
breviary.
Fr. Eric (08:12):
Either way, I think that pause is kind of helpful.
The one thing I really like isthe app that I use to pray
breviary.
So I think there's two of them.
There's iBreviary, which a lotof people use.
I use one called Divine Office.
That's what I use.
Okay, what I love about it is,you know, typically so, the
liturgy of the hours are theprayer of the church, for the
(08:34):
church, by the church, and sothe church is constantly being
prayed for, but most of the time, like, I'm praying it on my own
, you know, in between things.
But there's a great littlething that, like, when you open
the app, I don't know if youever look in prayer now.
Deacon Mike (08:40):
Yes, they have like the little lights.
Fr. Eric (08:41):
It's like 750 people are praying this right, and so
like I, really deliberately I'mlike I'm uniting myself to these
people, maybe, justdeliberately, I'm praying with
and for them too.
You know, just I think it's, Idon't think.
Oftentimes God asks us to makethe big leap.
You know, like what?
Are you giving up for Lent?
These crazy things?
Deacon Mike (09:02):
Yeah.
Fr. Eric (09:03):
You know just like.
What are the little things thatmaybe I can change as far as
mindset or?
Deacon Mike (09:08):
whatever, and like even our sinfulness, right, sure
.
So, like, for me, there aredays where I will get up late
and because I'm out of my usualrhythm, I'll think later oh,
morning prayer, it's 11 o'clock,yeah.
And so I'm like, well, and Iwill take that little app out
(09:29):
and I'll look at the littleglobe and say, well, it's
morning somewhere, sure.
Yeah, and now I'll pray withthose people for the morning,
for their morning, you know,because I missed my morning,
yeah, and I'll kind of go onfrom there.
So it's, you know, sometimeseven our sinfulness can bring to
mind other things that get usback on track.
Fr. Eric (09:46):
But I think, like, the interpretive key or
interpretive word for Lent isthe interpretive word for all of
Christianity, which isrelationship.
This is a time to be devotedmore deeply to the Lord and to
be present to others, throughthe elimination of some things
that sometimes prevent us frombeing present.
I know a lot of people dosocial media fasts, and what is
(10:08):
that?
I mean, it's so easy to pullout our phone and, while we're
with someone, like checking ourInstagram, twitter, facebook,
exanga blog you know that's athrowaway from like 2003.
But, like, what can I do?
What is the Lord calling me todo to be more present to him and
to other people?
Right, and that's where thealmsgiving comes too.
I mean, sometimes the alms thatwe're giving is our attention
(10:31):
and our time, and the one thingthat we don't have to give.
Deacon Mike (10:33):
Yeah, one of the more creative lengths I had was
when I was still in Buffalo andI was the director of campus at
Canisius and I decided that Ireally wasn't getting to know
people on a deeper level andthat I had very, you know, sort
of superficial relationshipswith students, with colleagues,
with other things.
So I said, all right, so forLent I'd like to try to develop
(10:55):
these relationships a little bit, and so I started to learn a
little bit more about people byasking, you know, asking them
questions, having deeperconversations with them.
But then I said, for every dayof Lent I'm going to give
something away, something thateither gets in the way of that
relationship with people orsomething that's very dear to me
that I hold on a little tootightly, that now I have to give
(11:17):
away because I think thisperson needs it more than I do,
or this person will just enjoyit more than I will.
So that might have been a book,it might have been a toy, it
might have been a piece ofjewelry.
There was a whole bunch ofthings.
If there were an alumnus of theuniversity I went to, I would
give them something from theuniversity that I would have,
(11:38):
and so I did it for 40 days.
Let me tell you day 33, I'mlike what the heck am.
Fr. Eric (11:43):
I going to give away today.
What more may I give?
Deacon Mike (11:47):
That's a good question.
What more could I give?
Fr. Eric (11:48):
Yeah, here's my half-drank cup of coffee.
This is for you.
Deacon Mike (11:51):
That's right, exactly, but it couldn't be.
Fr. Eric (12:01):
Let me just declutter my closet and give these things
to you, right, and that's thewhole thing, even with, like,
that's our, those are our, Ithink a lot of times to check
our motives, right, so, like,well, I'm going to give up, you
know, something like food-wise,I'm going to do it because it's
Lent, but also I'm going to doit because I, you know, it would
be nice to lose somewherebetween five or seven pounds.
Sure, yeah, right.
(12:22):
So, like, I mean, that might bea good thing, but like, is the
motivation the loss of weight,or is the motivation a deeper
relationship with the Lord,journeying with him through the
desert, as he mounts his cross,gives of himself and, ultimately
, life comes from the cross?
So I don't know.
Deacon Mike (12:37):
Yeah, this year.
So I was inspired by KerryWeber, who's from America Media.
She wrote a book it's a whileago now called Mercy in the City
.
I don't know if you've read itbut it's a short book, it's
really easy Read about 120 pagesor so and she decided she was
going to do all of the corporalworks of mercy for Lent.
(12:57):
So I've started to put thisplan in motion.
So this Saturday I'm going togo to a women's shelter and
serve a meal with my wife, and Italk a good game about that
stuff some days.
But I get really busy and do Ido that as much as I should?
No, I shouldn't.
So let me see if I can makethat a regular practice now, and
(13:17):
so let me do it once, and thenlet's see how much more I can do
as Lent ends.
I haven't figured out givedrink to the thirsty.
Yet I wrote down something,something clean water.
Fr. Eric (13:31):
Yeah, you know, you got theology on taps.
Maybe buy around for a second.
Deacon Mike (13:39):
No, but I contacted Father Dave Domanski the other
day and said hey, visit theimprisoned.
I don't know how to do thatright now.
I'm sure there's like 10,000hoops that I have to jump
through just to be able to dothat, but I know you do it, so
could you help me do this forLent.
(13:59):
And he wrote back to me lastnight and said you're not going
to believe this, but you haveexcellent timing.
He said we're looking forsomeone to actually do this with
us.
Fr. Eric (14:07):
That's great, so call me this afternoon, we'll figure
it out.
Deacon Mike (14:12):
So I was like, okay , and I said, yeah, and that's
something that I haven't, I'venever done.
I've admired people who've doneit.
And so I said, let me see ifthis is a ministry that maybe I
might want to get involved in,but it's also as the director of
young adult ministry.
95% of those people are youngadults, sure, and so we should
care for them.
Fr. Eric (14:30):
Yeah, but I think what's good about that, though,
like all of it, it's not justI'm doing this, because I think
that this is like it sounds,like you're heeding the call of
the Lord to do these things.
And I think that's all of it,but to be attentive to the ways
that God is working within ourlives that call out to us and
(14:53):
reach out to us to say let'sexamine this, let's do something
different.
Us Us meaning me and you, notjust you doing this to try to
earn my love or you doing thisto try to prove your power.
Deacon Mike (15:08):
Yeah, we're not buying our way.
Fr. Eric (15:09):
Yeah, without me you can do nothing.
Prove your power.
Yeah, yeah, we're not buyingour way.
Yeah, without me, you can donothing.
And so, like you know, unifyingyourself to the Lord, like, all
right, lord.
Deacon Mike (15:16):
I'm going to do this with you and you're going
to do this with me.
Yeah, yeah, exactly, you'regoing to go and visit the
imprisoned with me and help mehear what I need to hear and
help me say what I need to sayand help me be you know, help me
be with folks in places where Iwould rather not go Sure.
Fr. Eric (15:34):
One of the things I always as a kid.
It frustrated me, but lookingback at it now I really admired
it.
I know that my mom won't listento this, so I'll talk about it,
but for Lent it becomes almostlike a badge of honor.
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
It's kind of like the talk.
I remember my mom.
(16:00):
I never knew what she would bedoing for Lent, because she's
like, that's just between Godand I.
Oh, interesting, and I know shedid something, but I think about
that because and it's alwaysthe hard thing I'm like Ash
Wednesday, like when you fast,you know wash your face and like
here we are, we're like asheson her head, but I just thought
that, like you know, lookingback on that, obviously there's
something that she was prayingabout and heeding the call of
the Lord and it's like, well, itdoesn't.
I'm not doing this for show,I'm doing this to hopefully
(16:22):
deepen my relationship with theLord, maybe even with me.
I don't looking back, I don'ttotally remember everything
different, but like, maybe shewas being more present to us or
just something you know, likethat it's not about what I'm
doing, but like, very clearly,like what God is doing within me
or calling me to do.
Deacon Mike (16:42):
Yeah, I have a friend who every year for Lent
he asks his friends what heshould give up, Like what's
something that you see in methat needs to go away so that I
can strengthen my relationshipwith God, and so I usually ask
them to give up a certain food,a certain practice, and then
something to pray for.
Who do you think?
That I don't who do you think Idon't pray for, you know, and
then, I'll tell you if I prayfor them already or not.
(17:04):
But you know, is there something, some cause or some, yeah, some
person that I can pray for alittle bit more?
I thought that was a good wayto do it.
Fr. Eric (17:11):
Yeah, there's all different things.
That's the beauty of it.
You see how diverse all ofthese practices are and I think
part of it is to stand before itand, like I do believe, people
are doing it because God isengaging them and asking them to
do this.
And that's where I don't feelparticularly called this year to
give up anything food-wise.
I this year to give up anythinglike food-wise.
(17:31):
You know I feel called to giveup some attitudes or practices
you know much more, whereas Ithink for some people, yeah, the
food fast, like that's a strainand you feel called to do it
Like.
So that's the beauty of it.
Basically, one size does notfit all.
Right, yeah, you know,obviously prayer, fasting and
almsgiving it fits all.
But how that's done is veryparticular and, I think, very
(17:54):
beautiful because it'sexpressive of the relationship.
Deacon Mike (17:57):
Yeah, and I thought of even logging.
How do I spend my time Formaybe the first half of Lent,
say, okay, what am I reallydoing?
And I've already started to dothat.
And then I'm able to dispensewith some of that and say, okay,
I could use this time better soI can go exercise during this
time and pray for people while Ido that.
Fr. Eric (18:17):
The goal is transformation.
Deacon Mike (18:18):
Yeah, that's right.
How can I transform myself alittle bit differently, so that
and not so that I can lookbetter?
Fr. Eric (18:25):
but that I can be better Right, that I can be who
the Lord calls me to be.
Deacon Mike (18:28):
I can be who God calls me to be.
That's right, yeah, perfect,all right.
So.
Fr. Eric (18:33):
So what are you doing for Lent?
Deacon Mike (18:35):
Yeah, exactly what does God want you to do for Lent
?
Fr. Eric (18:37):
Yeah, what is God calling you to do?
Deacon Mike (18:39):
Yeah, but I think those you know and be gentle
with yourself is what I tellpeople, all the time.
You know if you, I should saynot tomorrow, but it'll be okay,
just keep going, just go backand start.
It's all about the journey,absolutely All right.
(19:00):
Let's take a look at oursponsors.
Fr. Eric (19:02):
Yes.
Deacon Mike (19:03):
First time for you with the sponsor, I think.
Fr. Eric (19:05):
Yeah, do I have to like change my inflection.
Deacon Mike (19:09):
No, that would be bad change my inflection.
No, that would be bad.
But do you even know whatBriefcase Marketing does?
Fr. Eric (19:18):
Do you know these folks?
I do based on this, but not whothey are.
But I see that there's some.
They've got great Googlereviews and they've done superb
work with Theology of the Body,cleveland and St John Cansius,
but what do they do?
Deacon Mike (19:26):
Yeah, so they basically make sure your church
doesn't have scattered messaginga bad website.
All those kind of marketingefforts that you want to do,
they know how to more volunteersready to serve more people
sharing your message and beingadvocates for you.
That's exactly what they'll dofor you.
(19:59):
They'll clarify your message toattract the right audience?
Yeah, but where would you?
Fr. Eric (20:04):
find them.
Would their link be in the shownotes or could you text them at
308-627-1262?
.
Deacon Mike (20:10):
Yes, and that's our pal, dan Furst, who runs
Briefcase Marketing.
He will get back to you if youtext him at that number, but
it's also at briefcase dotmarketing and we'll put that in
the show notes.
And what I really, really loveabout them not only do they help
you create beautiful websites,but they literally make people
into your advocates.
Like you know, people can lookat that If you have a crappy
website.
But they literally make peopleinto your advocates, like they.
(20:31):
You know people can look atthat.
If you have a crappy website,no one trusts you, right.
What, what you, how it'spresented is, is just as good as
what what is presented, that'sright, yeah, because people are
making their opinions about youon their first visit to your
website, sure, so make sure yourwebsite's snappy, and Dan will
help you do that.
(20:52):
That's right BriefcasemarketingPut it in the show notes.
Fr. Eric (20:55):
That's right, that's great.
Wow, wow, I feel so.
Official All right.
Deacon Mike (21:02):
So church search Is there a good fish fry?
Yeah, something we haven'ttalked about in a while so St
Adalbert in Berea.
Fr. Eric (21:09):
Oh yeah yeah, yeah, it's one of the—I think it is
the oldest PolishCatholic—Catholic Church of
Polish Nationality in theDiocese of Cleveland, I think
they—so I was there as atransitional deacon and I think
it's a particular parish that,while most parishes have
territory, that church apersonal parish is there to
(21:31):
serve the needs of the Polishimmigrants.
So a lot of Polish immigrantscame to Berea to work in the
sandstone, limestone, all thatkind of stuff.
But they also have a prettyawesome fish fry on Fridays.
They've got the pierogies andcabbage and noodles and all the
beige foods that your heart andmind can desire.
(21:52):
But I was also just there onSunday because, in addition to
having the parish where FatherChuck Bukowski is assigned as
pastor, father Michael Brunofsky, benedictine, is there helping
as well, as Deacon Edgardius isassigned there.
They have the BW Newman and sothey're there at 6 pm for the
(22:12):
Newman Mass.
Check out the fish fry, checkout Mass at St Adalbert
Beautiful St Adalbert, justacross the campus of
Baldwin-Wallace University.
Deacon Mike (22:24):
There are two.
Fr. Eric (22:25):
St.
Deacon Mike (22:25):
Adalberts in the diocese.
Fr. Eric (22:26):
There are.
This is in Berea.
This is the one in Berea, soyou don't go to the wrong place.
Deacon Mike (22:30):
I have made that mistake before.
Fr. Eric (22:32):
Yeah Well.
Deacon Mike (22:32):
I made that mistake before because someone called
and told me about something thathad happened at that St Berea
and I said, oh, you should goand talk to Father Gary about
that.
Fr. Eric (22:41):
And they're like what?
Deacon Mike (22:42):
And they're like Father Gary and I'm like yeah,
he's the pastor at St Adalbertand they're like no.
Fr. Eric (22:51):
No, and I'm like oh, you mean St Adalbert in Berea
there's two St Adalberts Likeyes, oh, I met the one in
Cleveland, Sorry.
That's right.
You get to pass the the Brownsfacility on the way there.
Deacon Mike (23:03):
That's right yeah.
Fr. Eric (23:04):
Usually Bless it.
I might want to do that morethan once.
Yeah, yeah, maybe we'll startparading around it with trumpets
so that the walls come tumblingdown, oh man.
Deacon Mike (23:18):
No one is a bigger Browns fan than Father Eric
Garris.
Fr. Eric (23:20):
No, there's others.
But it's draft season, right,and usually that's a season of
hope, that's right.
But it's Lent also, as a Brownsfan, yeah, an eternal Lent.
Deacon Mike (23:33):
Where they're giving up Miles Garrett for Lent
.
I don't want to talk about that.
I don't want to talk about thateither.
Fr. Eric (23:38):
What about the readings?
Do you want to talk about thoseSure?
Deacon Mike (23:41):
I will be preaching at Sagrada Familia this week,
as they asked me to come in andfill in preaching at the 10
o'clock Mass.
Preaching at the 10 o'clockmass Okay, and then actually
I'll be going to the Rite ofElection at Public Auditorium,
which is apparently fantastic.
I have not been at PublicAuditorium for this.
Fr. Eric (23:59):
Oh yeah, we've not had it there in a while, yeah.
Deacon Mike (24:01):
We had the revival and different stuff.
Fr. Eric (24:04):
Yes, yeah, we did the revival and now the Cleveland
Charge are also playing at thePublic Auditorium.
Oh no kidding, which is the GLeague?
The G League, yeah yeah, whichis kind of cool.
Deacon Mike (24:11):
Yeah, I'll have to go check that out.
I haven't done that yet.
Fr. Eric (24:13):
Yeah.
Deacon Mike (24:14):
That'll be cool, All right, so I will be
preaching.
The gospel is from Luke, as ithas been for a while now, where
Jesus is attempted by the devilin the desert.
So during those 40 days, justlike us.
That's one of the things Ithink I'm taking away from that
(24:35):
reading is that the things thatwe are tempted by, you know,
money, food, power, whatever itmight be those are things that
Jesus is tempted by the devil.
While we have a hard timegetting rid of those things and
saying yes to those temptations,Jesus is not.
Fr. Eric (25:15):
Jesus is one who's able to push this away, to be
the model's voice saying you aremy beloved, in whom I am well
pleased.
And I think part of sin is, andwe renew our baptismal promises
in Easter, but we reject theempty promises of sin, and I
think he's like Actually I don'twant or need any of those
things.
I know that I'm loved by theFather and this is who I am.
Actually, I don't want or needany of those things.
I know that I'm loved by theFather and this is who I am and
actually these things aren'tgoing to shake me because I know
(25:35):
who I am and these things, Idon't want these.
The only thing I want is theFather's love and if this is
what's going to draw me back,then no way, jose.
Deacon Mike (25:44):
Your love and your grace are more than enough for
me.
That's right.
That's right.
Fr. Eric (25:47):
And by Jose I mean Satan who's tempting him.
No way, satan yeah.
Deacon Mike (25:53):
If your name is Jose Father
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Just to be clear no , no, no no, don't send your
cards and letters, that's right.
Yeah, but yeah, no, that's verygood.
And are you preaching this weeksomewhere?
Fr. Eric (26:07):
I am yeah somewhere.
Deacon Mike (26:12):
I am, yeah, I have so on.
Fr. Eric (26:13):
Sunday I have to leave .
I'm in that doctoral programout in St Louis so I have a week
of class next week.
So I do have a Saturday vigilat my home parish, our Lady of
Mount Carmel in Wycliffe.
I have a baptism after mass fora family friend and I'm going
to be back at my home.
Hopefully a prophet is withhonor in his native place and
not without honor in his nativeplace.
Deacon Mike (26:31):
Yeah.
Fr. Eric (26:32):
Yeah, I feel like we've done it.
Usually I come on here and Ithink it's Father Damien being
in his presence, my belovedneighbor.
We usually get kind of offtopic and wily, and I think we
haven't done that today.
So that's what I'm trying to doright now, at the end.
Deacon Mike (26:47):
So what are you trying to say I?
Fr. Eric (26:48):
think it's not trying to say I think it's.
I'm not trying to say anything,I'm just trying to say, I'm
just trying to say, I'm justtrying to say I think I did a
good job of staying on topic forthe first time in my life and
actually talking about what weneeded to, instead of just being
like something yeah right, wego all over the place.
The the, the ever distractedbrain that is held within my my
(27:09):
cranial cavity.
Deacon Mike (27:11):
Didn't you say at the Ignite conference that if
you were the patron saint ofsomething, you'd be the patron
saint of ADHD?
Fr. Eric (27:17):
Probably, yeah, probably.
Deacon Mike (27:19):
Yeah, I'd probably not be too far behind you, right
.
Fr. Eric (27:25):
Bright, shiny object.
That's right, and I do thinkthat the coffee, the empty cup,
over there it's showing itself.
Deacon Mike (27:33):
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, you probably try thedecaf.
I will.
That was my first cup today.
Yeah, exactly.
Fr. Eric (27:41):
Although there are.
Have you ever had a Celsius?
This is going to get a softtopic.
Deacon Mike (27:44):
Yes, I have had Celsius.
Fr. Eric (27:45):
Man, those things.
You drink one of those and youstart smelling colors you've
never even heard of before.
Deacon Mike (27:52):
It's like woo-hoo, that's like Do you have a
favorite brand of Celsius?
Fr. Eric (27:57):
Just the Celsius Celsius.
Deacon Mike (27:59):
Just the Celsius Celsius.
Fr. Eric (28:00):
Yeah.
Just in general, yeah yeah,well, aren't there other?
Because it's not really like anenergy.
Wait, are you saying?
Do I have a favorite energydrink?
Deacon Mike (28:07):
No, do you have a favorite?
Fr. Eric (28:09):
flavor Flavor flavor.
No.
Deacon Mike (28:13):
Okay, just all of them are fine.
Fr. Eric (28:15):
Yeah, yeah, jen Martin , this is see.
This is what I wanted to do.
We're getting off topic.
You're just going to cut all ofthis If you're listening still,
god love you.
But Jen Martin, who's the youthspecialist, she introduced me
to Celsius and the first time Ihad it I didn't know that it had
caffeine, but then I found out.
Deacon Mike (28:36):
Huh.
Fr. Eric (28:36):
Based on the colors that I was hearing.
Deacon Mike (28:39):
You learned something new every day.
I didn't know it had caffeine.
I didn't know it had caffeineeither.
Fr. Eric (28:42):
You didn't, no 200 milligrams of caffeine.
Deacon Mike (28:45):
Wow, that's a lot.
Woo, I mean, it does pick youup, yeah, so maybe what should I
give up for lunch?
No calories, though, right,right, or five calories.
Fr. Eric (28:54):
Yeah, so maybe I have to give up Celsius.
Deacon Mike (28:57):
Maybe that's it.
I don't have it very often.
Yeah, I don't have it veryoften either, but I do enjoy it.
The blueberry one I kind oflike in particular over all the
other ones.
Fr. Eric (29:07):
Celsius, if you'd like to sponsor us, we would give
just as great of an ad read aswe did for our dear friends over
at Briefcase Marketing.
Deacon Mike (29:14):
Yeah, that's right you could send a case.
Fr. Eric (29:18):
This is just pure banter.
All right, all right, here wego.
Happy Lent, everyone Happy Lent.
Deacon Mike (29:23):
Enjoy Mardi Gras, enjoy Ash Wednesday.
Remember that you are dust.
Be transformed Be transformedthis Lent, be transformed, be
transformed this Lent.
We'll have this and a whole lotmore next time here on Question
of Faith.
Play us out.
On today's Question of Faith.
What does God want me to giveup for Lent this year?
Hey everybody, this is Questionof Faith.
I am Deacon Mike Hayes.
I am the Director of YoungAdult Ministry here in the
Diocese of Cleveland.
Fr. Eric (00:16):
Father Eric Garris, vocation Director, happy to be
back.
Deacon Mike (00:20):
Father Damien Ference on special assignment,
as we like to say.
Fr. Eric (00:23):
That's right doing his Father, Damien, thing.
Deacon Mike (00:25):
He is out in Iowa, of all places, yeah so he's out
at a conference.
Fr. Eric (00:30):
One of his heroes, Flannery O'Connor 100th birthday
, got her degree at Iowa doingsome sort of Flannery O'Connor
greatest hits tour.
Deacon Mike (00:42):
Yeah, so good stuff That'll be fun for him.
So drive safe, have fun.
Fr. Eric (00:48):
That's right.
And here we are shroving it up.
On Shrove Tuesday.
Deacon Mike (00:51):
Exactly yeah, fat Tuesday.
Fat Tuesday, mardi Gras day.
Fr. Eric (00:55):
You've got your coffee .
Deacon Mike (00:56):
You a big Mardi Gras person?
Not really, yeah, same here,yeah.
Fr. Eric (00:59):
I don't think it's part of like, I mean, Cleveland
culture is " , sure, you know,and I think that's kind of
everywhere.
So you got all the spots.
Do you know where it comes from, like the whole, like the
background of it?
I did but remind me, yeah, sothey would.
I mean, during the season ofLent, obviously it's a time of
fasting and so they would takelike all the sweets and all the
(01:20):
lard and all the things thatthey had and they would use it
all up, right today?
Deacon Mike (01:24):
Oh right, because they couldn't eat butter and all
those good things Correct.
Fr. Eric (01:27):
So it's basically store up for yourself calories
in earth, not treasure in heaven.
So that was the whole sense oflike frying all this stuff,
using up all the sweet fruits asyou enter into the desert.
Deacon Mike (01:41):
Very nice yeah.
Fr. Eric (01:42):
But I also like yeah, it's just not.
It seems like a very Cajun, youknow, like I yeah, kind of.
Yeah, the Mardi Gras thing.
Deacon Mike (01:50):
Have you ever been to?
Fr. Eric (01:51):
Mardi Gras in Louisiana Never, never, yeah.
Deacon Mike (01:54):
I've been to Louisiana many times, a couple
of dear friends.
My friend is a priest of theNew Orleans province of the
Society of Jesus, so I went tohis ordination.
Okay, any excuse for a parade.
First of all, yeah.
If you have anything.
I remember I went down andspoke at Loyola University one
time and they said and the crowdwas not large, let's say and so
(02:16):
they said well, you know, we'dlike you to come back and we'd
like to try to get more peoplehere for you.
And they said if you couldthink of any excuse that we
could have to throw a parade,that would be great.
Fr. Eric (02:26):
Yeah, Well, they just had the.
I mean, obviously the SuperBowl was just there.
Deacon Mike (02:30):
Yeah, what.
Fr. Eric (02:30):
I loved Jameis Winston , our previous quarterback doing
content, dancing around in thestreets of New Orleans.
Deacon Mike (02:37):
Yeah.
Fr. Eric (02:37):
He's a content-making machine.
Deacon Mike (02:42):
That's a great place.
Shout out to the folks in NewOrleans Becky Eldridge, my
friend who does IgnatianMinistries.
She's in Louisiana, so greatplace to be.
Good Anyway, but we're here inCleveland.
Fr. Eric (02:54):
That's right on the verge, on the precipice of Lent.
Deacon Mike (02:58):
And so well, what are you giving up for Lent this
year?
Well, what does God want you todo for Lent?
This's the big question.
Fr. Eric (03:03):
So, yeah, I think a lot of times we ask that
question and we ask it toourselves.
It's like the Pharisee askedhimself what should I do?
But really, I mean it's aseason of grace and grace is
living in relationship with theLord and responding to the
Lord's invitation.
And so I think a lot of timeswe have an idea of, like I'm
(03:23):
going to do this, um, I'm goingto give up a cheese, I'm going
to give up these fill in theblank things, but like, begin
with the end in mind.
The goal of Lent is not just toget through 40 days of
exercising willpower, but thegoal of Lent is is
transformation, um, so that,like, after 40 days, it's not
like well, I can go back toeating cheese and I can go back
to doing these things, but like,what can I do within me to let
(03:46):
Jesus live within me more fully?
So that's my Catholic pet peevewhat are you doing?
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
What is God doing?
What does God want to do?
So, to answer your question,it's still kind of TBD, I think
part yeah.
I don't like big fasts, likeI've done different things
(04:07):
different years where I've givenup I'm in my car a lot.
So like I gave up radio oneyear and like used it as an
opportunity to pray One year Igave up staying up late
uselessly and went to bed at1030 every night.
Deacon Mike (04:20):
Oh, wow, yeah, I should do that yeah.
Fr. Eric (04:26):
I'm looking at things like, like giving up, like iPad
and bed it's just so easy tolike the lay there and to get
lost in the scroll.
Um, usually, like I reallyenjoy getting together with
friends and having a nicewhiskey, but like I think that
would put a strain on me to belike and that would be hard to
give up, like and it's not likeevery day I'm drinking, but just
whatever.
I think to feel that rub and weoftentimes reach for these
(04:50):
things to kind of fill that void.
But I think any sense ofdiscomfort, even if it be in our
day-to-day lives, like allright, well, I'm just going to
go to bed now and I'm not goingto get lost in the scroll or
whatever.
Hopefully it's not just itreminds us of the fact that it's
Lent, but it reminds us of thefact that any sacrifice we make,
we believe, bears fruit.
Deacon Mike (05:14):
Yeah yeah yeah, and is this for you like what gets
in the way, like what gets inthe way of my relationship with
God?
in some ways, yeah, it's notlike just like cheese.
You know, like, well, I don'teat a lot of cheese, but when I
want to, I do like.
If cheese gets in yourrelationship with god, give it
up.
You know that's like like.
But if, if, if there arecertain things or attitudes like
(05:37):
you know, pope francis, I thinka number of years ago, was
talking.
He's like why don't you give upgossip?
Why don't you give up just likemindless chat, like different
things like that are more.
This is going to create withinme a deeper sense of
transformation, not just a senseof I'm strong and have a will
and can exercise it.
I did that one year , gave up gossip and it was very
(05:57):
, very hard.
Do you want?
Fr. Eric (05:58):
to talk about it, sure .
Deacon Mike (06:02):
No, but it was like if others were gossiping at the
table.
I found myself very easilygetting sucked into their drama,
right.
And so I said okay, I'm eithergoing to do one or two things.
I'm either going to get up andleave the table, which probably
isn't productive, right, becausethat's just removing you from
the situation and not reallyengaging with trying to change
(06:22):
the culture in some way, right.
And so a couple times I didjust get up and leave, but then
other times I just went, folks,please, yeah, you know, come on,
let's not talk about so-and-so.
Yeah, let's find something elseto chat about.
Let's think about somethingelse.
Yeah, exactly, I think that'sit.
Fr. Eric (06:36):
I mean like focusing on relationship.
You know, I think maybe that'sin some ways like what is God
doing?
I think, well, that's whatGod's calling me to do.
You know, I think of even in mylife, in you as well.
Deacon Mike Hayes, you know wepray the breviary, we pray the
Liturgy of the Hours.
I'm on the go a lot, so like I'mpraying it on my phone but I
(06:56):
also like is my phone a place ofprayer for me or is it just
like I can scroll through it andI'm praying For me?
One of the things that I feelcalled to do is actually using
my bravery to pray the Liturgyof the Hours instead of just
(07:17):
scrolling through it, and thatwould be uncomfortable because
that means I have to lug mybravery around with me as I go
to the office, at the seminaryand meetings in Akron and just
different places.
But it's more of a deliberatething that I'm choosing time to
be in relationship with Godinstead of just like oh, I have
to pray daytime prayer.
God, come to my assistance.
What do you like?
Deacon Mike (07:35):
Okay, scroll through, yeah, yeah, and then
you kind of go in through themotions just to get in.
Fr. Eric (07:39):
Yeah, yeah, so that's relationship.
Deacon Mike (07:42):
Yeah, yeah, for me too, I think the so I pray
morning and evening prayer andthen sometimes that is just
going through the motions for me, but lately it has not been,
and it's been okay.
How do I pray for the churchand who do I need to pray this
prayer for?
Let me bring them to mind Now,let me take a deep breath and
really think about them for acouple minutes.
(08:02):
And now let me pray this prayerfor you Sure, you know.
Fr. Eric (08:05):
so that kind of helps center me whether I'm on my
phone or in my breviary.
Deacon Mike (08:08):
either way, Whether I'm on my phone or in my
breviary.
Fr. Eric (08:12):
Either way, I think that pause is kind of helpful.
The one thing I really like isthe app that I use to pray
breviary.
So I think there's two of them.
There's iBreviary, which a lotof people use.
I use one called Divine Office.
That's what I use.
Okay, what I love about it is,you know, typically so, the
liturgy of the hours are theprayer of the church, for the
(08:34):
church, by the church, and sothe church is constantly being
prayed for, but most of the time, like, I'm praying it on my own
, you know, in between things.
But there's a great littlething that, like, when you open
the app, I don't know if youever look in prayer now.
Deacon Mike (08:40):
Yes, they have like the little lights.
Fr. Eric (08:41):
It's like 750 people are praying this right, and so
like I, really deliberately I'mlike I'm uniting myself to these
people, maybe, justdeliberately, I'm praying with
and for them too.
You know, just I think it's, Idon't think.
Oftentimes God asks us to makethe big leap.
You know, like what?
Are you giving up for Lent?
These crazy things?
Deacon Mike (09:02):
Yeah.
Fr. Eric (09:03):
You know just like.
What are the little things thatmaybe I can change as far as
mindset or?
Deacon Mike (09:08):
whatever, and like even our sinfulness, right, sure
.
So, like, for me, there aredays where I will get up late
and because I'm out of my usualrhythm, I'll think later oh,
morning prayer, it's 11 o'clock,yeah.
And so I'm like, well, and Iwill take that little app out
(09:29):
and I'll look at the littleglobe and say, well, it's
morning somewhere, sure.
Yeah, and now I'll pray withthose people for the morning,
for their morning, you know,because I missed my morning,
yeah, and I'll kind of go onfrom there.
So it's, you know, sometimeseven our sinfulness can bring to
mind other things that get usback on track.
Fr. Eric (09:46):
But I think, like, the interpretive key or
interpretive word for Lent isthe interpretive word for all of
Christianity, which isrelationship.
This is a time to be devotedmore deeply to the Lord and to
be present to others, throughthe elimination of some things
that sometimes prevent us frombeing present.
I know a lot of people dosocial media fasts, and what is
(10:08):
that?
I mean, it's so easy to pullout our phone and, while we're
with someone, like checking ourInstagram, twitter, facebook,
exanga blog you know that's athrowaway from like 2003.
But, like, what can I do?
What is the Lord calling me todo to be more present to him and
to other people?
Right, and that's where thealmsgiving comes too.
I mean, sometimes the alms thatwe're giving is our attention
(10:31):
and our time, and the one thingthat we don't have to give.
Deacon Mike (10:33):
Yeah, one of the more creative lengths I had was
when I was still in Buffalo andI was the director of campus at
Canisius and I decided that Ireally wasn't getting to know
people on a deeper level andthat I had very, you know, sort
of superficial relationshipswith students, with colleagues,
with other things.
So I said, all right, so forLent I'd like to try to develop
(10:55):
these relationships a little bit, and so I started to learn a
little bit more about people byasking, you know, asking them
questions, having deeperconversations with them.
But then I said, for every dayof Lent I'm going to give
something away, something thateither gets in the way of that
relationship with people orsomething that's very dear to me
that I hold on a little tootightly, that now I have to give
(11:17):
away because I think thisperson needs it more than I do,
or this person will just enjoyit more than I will.
So that might have been a book,it might have been a toy, it
might have been a piece ofjewelry.
There was a whole bunch ofthings.
If there were an alumnus of theuniversity I went to, I would
give them something from theuniversity that I would have,
(11:38):
and so I did it for 40 days.
Let me tell you day 33, I'mlike what the heck am.
Fr. Eric (11:43):
I going to give away today.
What more may I give?
Deacon Mike (11:47):
That's a good question.
What more could I give?
Fr. Eric (11:48):
Yeah, here's my half-drank cup of coffee.
This is for you.
Deacon Mike (11:51):
That's right, exactly, but it couldn't be.
Fr. Eric (12:01):
Let me just declutter my closet and give these things
to you, right, and that's thewhole thing, even with, like,
that's our, those are our, Ithink a lot of times to check
our motives, right, so, like,well, I'm going to give up, you
know, something like food-wise,I'm going to do it because it's
Lent, but also I'm going to doit because I, you know, it would
be nice to lose somewherebetween five or seven pounds.
Sure, yeah, right.
(12:22):
So, like, I mean, that might bea good thing, but like, is the
motivation the loss of weight,or is the motivation a deeper
relationship with the Lord,journeying with him through the
desert, as he mounts his cross,gives of himself and, ultimately
, life comes from the cross?
So I don't know.
Deacon Mike (12:37):
Yeah, this year.
So I was inspired by KerryWeber, who's from America Media.
She wrote a book it's a whileago now called Mercy in the City
.
I don't know if you've read itbut it's a short book, it's
really easy Read about 120 pagesor so and she decided she was
going to do all of the corporalworks of mercy for Lent.
(12:57):
So I've started to put thisplan in motion.
So this Saturday I'm going togo to a women's shelter and
serve a meal with my wife, and Italk a good game about that
stuff some days.
But I get really busy and do Ido that as much as I should?
No, I shouldn't.
So let me see if I can makethat a regular practice now, and
(13:17):
so let me do it once, and thenlet's see how much more I can do
as Lent ends.
I haven't figured out givedrink to the thirsty.
Yet I wrote down something,something clean water.
Fr. Eric (13:31):
Yeah, you know, you got theology on taps.
Maybe buy around for a second.
Deacon Mike (13:39):
No, but I contacted Father Dave Domanski the other
day and said hey, visit theimprisoned.
I don't know how to do thatright now.
I'm sure there's like 10,000hoops that I have to jump
through just to be able to dothat, but I know you do it, so
could you help me do this forLent.
(13:59):
And he wrote back to me lastnight and said you're not going
to believe this, but you haveexcellent timing.
He said we're looking forsomeone to actually do this with
us.
Fr. Eric (14:07):
That's great, so call me this afternoon, we'll figure
it out.
Deacon Mike (14:12):
So I was like, okay , and I said, yeah, and that's
something that I haven't, I'venever done.
I've admired people who've doneit.
And so I said, let me see ifthis is a ministry that maybe I
might want to get involved in,but it's also as the director of
young adult ministry.
95% of those people are youngadults, sure, and so we should
care for them.
Fr. Eric (14:30):
Yeah, but I think what's good about that, though,
like all of it, it's not justI'm doing this, because I think
that this is like it sounds,like you're heeding the call of
the Lord to do these things.
And I think that's all of it,but to be attentive to the ways
that God is working within ourlives that call out to us and
(14:53):
reach out to us to say let'sexamine this, let's do something
different.
Us Us meaning me and you, notjust you doing this to try to
earn my love or you doing thisto try to prove your power.
Deacon Mike (15:08):
Yeah, we're not buying our way.
Fr. Eric (15:09):
Yeah, without me you can do nothing.
Prove your power.
Yeah, yeah, we're not buyingour way.
Yeah, without me, you can donothing.
And so, like you know, unifyingyourself to the Lord, like, all
right, lord.
Deacon Mike (15:16):
I'm going to do this with you and you're going
to do this with me.
Yeah, yeah, exactly, you'regoing to go and visit the
imprisoned with me and help mehear what I need to hear and
help me say what I need to sayand help me be you know, help me
be with folks in places where Iwould rather not go Sure.
Fr. Eric (15:34):
One of the things I always as a kid.
It frustrated me, but lookingback at it now I really admired
it.
I know that my mom won't listento this, so I'll talk about it,
but for Lent it becomes almostlike a badge of honor.
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
It's kind of like the talk.
I remember my mom.
(16:00):
I never knew what she would bedoing for Lent, because she's
like, that's just between Godand I.
Oh, interesting, and I know shedid something, but I think about
that because and it's alwaysthe hard thing I'm like Ash
Wednesday, like when you fast,you know wash your face and like
here we are, we're like asheson her head, but I just thought
that, like you know, lookingback on that, obviously there's
something that she was prayingabout and heeding the call of
the Lord and it's like, well, itdoesn't.
I'm not doing this for show,I'm doing this to hopefully
(16:22):
deepen my relationship with theLord, maybe even with me.
I don't looking back, I don'ttotally remember everything
different, but like, maybe shewas being more present to us or
just something you know, likethat it's not about what I'm
doing, but like, very clearly,like what God is doing within me
or calling me to do.
Deacon Mike (16:42):
Yeah, I have a friend who every year for Lent
he asks his friends what heshould give up, Like what's
something that you see in methat needs to go away so that I
can strengthen my relationshipwith God, and so I usually ask
them to give up a certain food,a certain practice, and then
something to pray for.
Who do you think?
That I don't who do you think Idon't pray for, you know, and
then, I'll tell you if I prayfor them already or not.
(17:04):
But you know, is there something, some cause or some, yeah, some
person that I can pray for alittle bit more?
I thought that was a good wayto do it.
Fr. Eric (17:11):
Yeah, there's all different things.
That's the beauty of it.
You see how diverse all ofthese practices are and I think
part of it is to stand before itand, like I do believe, people
are doing it because God isengaging them and asking them to
do this.
And that's where I don't feelparticularly called this year to
give up anything food-wise.
I this year to give up anythinglike food-wise.
(17:31):
You know I feel called to giveup some attitudes or practices
you know much more, whereas Ithink for some people, yeah, the
food fast, like that's a strainand you feel called to do it
Like.
So that's the beauty of it.
Basically, one size does notfit all.
Right, yeah, you know,obviously prayer, fasting and
almsgiving it fits all.
But how that's done is veryparticular and, I think, very
(17:54):
beautiful because it'sexpressive of the relationship.
Deacon Mike (17:57):
Yeah, and I thought of even logging.
How do I spend my time Formaybe the first half of Lent,
say, okay, what am I reallydoing?
And I've already started to dothat.
And then I'm able to dispensewith some of that and say, okay,
I could use this time better soI can go exercise during this
time and pray for people while Ido that.
Fr. Eric (18:17):
The goal is transformation.
Deacon Mike (18:18):
Yeah, that's right.
How can I transform myself alittle bit differently, so that
and not so that I can lookbetter?
Fr. Eric (18:25):
but that I can be better Right, that I can be who
the Lord calls me to be.
Deacon Mike (18:28):
I can be who God calls me to be.
That's right, yeah, perfect,all right.
So.
Fr. Eric (18:33):
So what are you doing for Lent?
Deacon Mike (18:35):
Yeah, exactly what does God want you to do for Lent
?
Fr. Eric (18:37):
Yeah, what is God calling you to do?
Deacon Mike (18:39):
Yeah, but I think those you know and be gentle
with yourself is what I tellpeople, all the time.
You know if you, I should saynot tomorrow, but it'll be okay,
just keep going, just go backand start.
It's all about the journey,absolutely All right.
(19:00):
Let's take a look at oursponsors.
Fr. Eric (19:02):
Yes.
Deacon Mike (19:03):
First time for you with the sponsor, I think.
Fr. Eric (19:05):
Yeah, do I have to like change my inflection.
Deacon Mike (19:09):
No, that would be bad change my inflection.
No, that would be bad.
But do you even know whatBriefcase Marketing does?
Fr. Eric (19:18):
Do you know these folks?
I do based on this, but not whothey are.
But I see that there's some.
They've got great Googlereviews and they've done superb
work with Theology of the Body,cleveland and St John Cansius,
but what do they do?
Deacon Mike (19:26):
Yeah, so they basically make sure your church
doesn't have scattered messaginga bad website.
All those kind of marketingefforts that you want to do,
they know how to more volunteersready to serve more people
sharing your message and beingadvocates for you.
That's exactly what they'll dofor you.
(19:59):
They'll clarify your message toattract the right audience?
Yeah, but where would you?
Fr. Eric (20:04):
find them.
Would their link be in the shownotes or could you text them at
308-627-1262?
.
Deacon Mike (20:10):
Yes, and that's our pal, dan Furst, who runs
Briefcase Marketing.
He will get back to you if youtext him at that number, but
it's also at briefcase dotmarketing and we'll put that in
the show notes.
And what I really, really loveabout them not only do they help
you create beautiful websites,but they literally make people
into your advocates.
Like you know, people can lookat that If you have a crappy
website.
But they literally make peopleinto your advocates, like they.
(20:31):
You know people can look atthat.
If you have a crappy website,no one trusts you, right.
What, what you, how it'spresented is, is just as good as
what what is presented, that'sright, yeah, because people are
making their opinions about youon their first visit to your
website, sure, so make sure yourwebsite's snappy, and Dan will
help you do that.
(20:52):
That's right BriefcasemarketingPut it in the show notes.
Fr. Eric (20:55):
That's right, that's great.
Wow, wow, I feel so.
Official All right.
Deacon Mike (21:02):
So church search Is there a good fish fry?
Yeah, something we haven'ttalked about in a while so St
Adalbert in Berea.
Fr. Eric (21:09):
Oh yeah yeah, yeah, it's one of the—I think it is
the oldest PolishCatholic—Catholic Church of
Polish Nationality in theDiocese of Cleveland, I think
they—so I was there as atransitional deacon and I think
it's a particular parish that,while most parishes have
territory, that church apersonal parish is there to
(21:31):
serve the needs of the Polishimmigrants.
So a lot of Polish immigrantscame to Berea to work in the
sandstone, limestone, all thatkind of stuff.
But they also have a prettyawesome fish fry on Fridays.
They've got the pierogies andcabbage and noodles and all the
beige foods that your heart andmind can desire.
(21:52):
But I was also just there onSunday because, in addition to
having the parish where FatherChuck Bukowski is assigned as
pastor, father Michael Brunofsky, benedictine, is there helping
as well, as Deacon Edgardius isassigned there.
They have the BW Newman and sothey're there at 6 pm for the
(22:12):
Newman Mass.
Check out the fish fry, checkout Mass at St Adalbert
Beautiful St Adalbert, justacross the campus of
Baldwin-Wallace University.
Deacon Mike (22:24):
There are two.
Fr. Eric (22:25):
St.
Deacon Mike (22:25):
Adalberts in the diocese.
Fr. Eric (22:26):
There are.
This is in Berea.
This is the one in Berea, soyou don't go to the wrong place.
Deacon Mike (22:30):
I have made that mistake before.
Fr. Eric (22:32):
Yeah Well.
Deacon Mike (22:32):
I made that mistake before because someone called
and told me about something thathad happened at that St Berea
and I said, oh, you should goand talk to Father Gary about
that.
Fr. Eric (22:41):
And they're like what?
Deacon Mike (22:42):
And they're like Father Gary and I'm like yeah,
he's the pastor at St Adalbertand they're like no.
Fr. Eric (22:51):
No, and I'm like oh, you mean St Adalbert in Berea
there's two St Adalberts Likeyes, oh, I met the one in
Cleveland, Sorry.
That's right.
You get to pass the the Brownsfacility on the way there.
Deacon Mike (23:03):
That's right yeah.
Fr. Eric (23:04):
Usually Bless it.
I might want to do that morethan once.
Yeah, yeah, maybe we'll startparading around it with trumpets
so that the walls come tumblingdown, oh man.
Deacon Mike (23:18):
No one is a bigger Browns fan than Father Eric
Garris.
Fr. Eric (23:20):
No, there's others.
But it's draft season, right,and usually that's a season of
hope, that's right.
But it's Lent also, as a Brownsfan, yeah, an eternal Lent.
Deacon Mike (23:33):
Where they're giving up Miles Garrett for Lent
.
I don't want to talk about that.
I don't want to talk about thateither.
Fr. Eric (23:38):
What about the readings?
Do you want to talk about thoseSure?
Deacon Mike (23:41):
I will be preaching at Sagrada Familia this week,
as they asked me to come in andfill in preaching at the 10
o'clock Mass.
Preaching at the 10 o'clockmass Okay, and then actually
I'll be going to the Rite ofElection at Public Auditorium,
which is apparently fantastic.
I have not been at PublicAuditorium for this.
Fr. Eric (23:59):
Oh yeah, we've not had it there in a while, yeah.
Deacon Mike (24:01):
We had the revival and different stuff.
Fr. Eric (24:04):
Yes, yeah, we did the revival and now the Cleveland
Charge are also playing at thePublic Auditorium.
Oh no kidding, which is the GLeague?
The G League, yeah yeah, whichis kind of cool.
Deacon Mike (24:11):
Yeah, I'll have to go check that out.
I haven't done that yet.
Fr. Eric (24:13):
Yeah.
Deacon Mike (24:14):
That'll be cool, All right, so I will be
preaching.
The gospel is from Luke, as ithas been for a while now, where
Jesus is attempted by the devilin the desert.
So during those 40 days, justlike us.
That's one of the things Ithink I'm taking away from that
(24:35):
reading is that the things thatwe are tempted by, you know,
money, food, power, whatever itmight be those are things that
Jesus is tempted by the devil.
While we have a hard timegetting rid of those things and
saying yes to those temptations,Jesus is not.
Fr. Eric (25:15):
Jesus is one who's able to push this away, to be
the model's voice saying you aremy beloved, in whom I am well
pleased.
And I think part of sin is, andwe renew our baptismal promises
in Easter, but we reject theempty promises of sin, and I
think he's like Actually I don'twant or need any of those
things.
I know that I'm loved by theFather and this is who I am.
Actually, I don't want or needany of those things.
I know that I'm loved by theFather and this is who I am and
actually these things aren'tgoing to shake me because I know
(25:35):
who I am and these things, Idon't want these.
The only thing I want is theFather's love and if this is
what's going to draw me back,then no way, jose.
Deacon Mike (25:44):
Your love and your grace are more than enough for
me.
That's right.
That's right.
Fr. Eric (25:47):
And by Jose I mean Satan who's tempting him.
No way, satan yeah.
Deacon Mike (25:53):
If your name is Jose Father
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Just to be clear no , no, no no, don't send your
cards and letters, that's right.
Yeah, but yeah, no, that's verygood.
And are you preaching this weeksomewhere?
Fr. Eric (26:07):
I am yeah somewhere.
Deacon Mike (26:12):
I am, yeah, I have so on.
Fr. Eric (26:13):
Sunday I have to leave .
I'm in that doctoral programout in St Louis so I have a week
of class next week.
So I do have a Saturday vigilat my home parish, our Lady of
Mount Carmel in Wycliffe.
I have a baptism after mass fora family friend and I'm going
to be back at my home.
Hopefully a prophet is withhonor in his native place and
not without honor in his nativeplace.
Deacon Mike (26:31):
Yeah.
Fr. Eric (26:32):
Yeah, I feel like we've done it.
Usually I come on here and Ithink it's Father Damien being
in his presence, my belovedneighbor.
We usually get kind of offtopic and wily, and I think we
haven't done that today.
So that's what I'm trying to doright now, at the end.
Deacon Mike (26:47):
So what are you trying to say I?
Fr. Eric (26:48):
think it's not trying to say I think it's.
I'm not trying to say anything,I'm just trying to say, I'm
just trying to say, I'm justtrying to say I think I did a
good job of staying on topic forthe first time in my life and
actually talking about what weneeded to, instead of just being
like something yeah right, wego all over the place.
The the, the ever distractedbrain that is held within my my
(27:09):
cranial cavity.
Deacon Mike (27:11):
Didn't you say at the Ignite conference that if
you were the patron saint ofsomething, you'd be the patron
saint of ADHD?
Fr. Eric (27:17):
Probably, yeah, probably.
Deacon Mike (27:19):
Yeah, I'd probably not be too far behind you, right
.
Fr. Eric (27:25):
Bright, shiny object.
That's right, and I do thinkthat the coffee, the empty cup,
over there it's showing itself.
Deacon Mike (27:33):
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, you probably try thedecaf.
I will.
That was my first cup today.
Yeah, exactly.
Fr. Eric (27:41):
Although there are.
Have you ever had a Celsius?
This is going to get a softtopic.
Deacon Mike (27:44):
Yes, I have had Celsius.
Fr. Eric (27:45):
Man, those things.
You drink one of those and youstart smelling colors you've
never even heard of before.
Deacon Mike (27:52):
It's like woo-hoo, that's like Do you have a
favorite brand of Celsius?
Fr. Eric (27:57):
Just the Celsius Celsius.
Deacon Mike (27:59):
Just the Celsius Celsius.
Fr. Eric (28:00):
Yeah.
Just in general, yeah yeah,well, aren't there other?
Because it's not really like anenergy.
Wait, are you saying?
Do I have a favorite energydrink?
Deacon Mike (28:07):
No, do you have a favorite?
Fr. Eric (28:09):
flavor Flavor flavor.
No.
Deacon Mike (28:13):
Okay, just all of them are fine.
Fr. Eric (28:15):
Yeah, yeah, jen Martin , this is see.
This is what I wanted to do.
We're getting off topic.
You're just going to cut all ofthis If you're listening still,
god love you.
But Jen Martin, who's the youthspecialist, she introduced me
to Celsius and the first time Ihad it I didn't know that it had
caffeine, but then I found out.
Deacon Mike (28:36):
Huh.
Fr. Eric (28:36):
Based on the colors that I was hearing.
Deacon Mike (28:39):
You learned something new every day.
I didn't know it had caffeine.
I didn't know it had caffeineeither.
Fr. Eric (28:42):
You didn't, no 200 milligrams of caffeine.
Deacon Mike (28:45):
Wow, that's a lot.
Woo, I mean, it does pick youup, yeah, so maybe what should I
give up for lunch?
No calories, though, right,right, or five calories.
Fr. Eric (28:54):
Yeah, so maybe I have to give up Celsius.
Deacon Mike (28:57):
Maybe that's it.
I don't have it very often.
Yeah, I don't have it veryoften either, but I do enjoy it.
The blueberry one I kind oflike in particular over all the
other ones.
Fr. Eric (29:07):
Celsius, if you'd like to sponsor us, we would give
just as great of an ad read aswe did for our dear friends over
at Briefcase Marketing.
Deacon Mike (29:14):
Yeah, that's right you could send a case.
Fr. Eric (29:18):
This is just pure banter.
All right, all right, here wego.
Happy Lent, everyone Happy Lent.
Deacon Mike (29:23):
Enjoy Mardi Gras, enjoy Ash Wednesday.
Remember that you are dust.
Be transformed Be transformedthis Lent, be transformed, be
transformed this Lent.
We'll have this and a whole lotmore next time here on Question
of Faith.
Play us out.
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