Latest / Catholic Spirit Radio / Good News #183 070525: Finding Freedom: The Interwoven Threads of Faith and Liberty

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Good News #183 070525: Finding Freedom: The Interwoven Threads of Faith and Liberty · Catholic Spirit Radio

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  Welcome to Good News on Catholic Spirit Radio, a program for teens and almost
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  teens to better understand that the gospel of Jesus Christ is relevant in their
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  lives, and it's a place where your questions about faith and religion can be answered.
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  And now, here's your host, Deacon Al.
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  Good evening, and welcome to Good News on Catholic Spirit Radio.
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  I am Deacon Al Lundy, a permanent deacon of the Peoria Diocese,
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  welcoming you, and we're going to be talking about the readings from this weekend's Mass.
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  It is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
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  John, happy Independence Day. Happy Fourth of July. Do you enjoy it?
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  Take the kids out for the fireworks. That's always fun.
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  Haven't seen fireworks in a while. Been busy with Mom on Fourth of July,
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  and we usually have a little cookout at her apartment.
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  And then we watch the Boston Pops orchestra on television and watch the fireworks
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  in Boston and New York and those kind of places.
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  And that way we can get to bed before midnight.
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  And it's always nice. But I loved going to the park for years.
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  We'd go to one of the parks in town to watch the fireworks.
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  Absolutely love doing that and love fireworks shows.
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  And I asked my wife, you know, since mom has now passed and we have the evening and it's 4th of July.
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  Let's go watch the fireworks. And she gave me an enthusiastic, do we have to?
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  She's gotten so used to not going and not having the bugs, the mosquitoes, the crowds.
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  You know, getting there is not bad. It's getting out. You know,
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  how is it that we can get so many cars into a field that fast and can't get them out for hours?
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  Just amazes me, especially some people leave before the big,
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  why would you go to a fireworks show and leave before the big finale?
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  Yeah. It does kind of ruin the whole thing. As you're driving out,
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  you hear all these extra explosions going off and you see the lights.
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  You think, what happened? I thought they were done.
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  Or was it really worth leaving early just to miss all that?
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  But I wanted to go, but I got outvoted. By the way, for those of you who are
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  not married or soon to be married, a one-to-one vote means you have been outvoted.
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  So we didn't go to the park, but we did watch the Boston Pops.
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  I always love their music and love to watch everything that goes on at the White
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  House with their concert and their shows.
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  So I hope everyone who's listening had a good Fourth of July.
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  And keep our country in your prayers. You know, we forget sometimes that our
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  freedoms and the faiths, the faith of our Judeo-Christian religions are very closely tied.
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  You know, if we didn't have that faith, we wouldn't have the freedoms that we have today.
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  And if we didn't have those freedoms, we probably wouldn't have the faiths that we have today.
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  Because in a lot of countries, Christianity especially, has been tremendously repressed.
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  You know, there are countries where if you are clergy, you cannot wear signs
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  of your clerical role in public. You can be arrested for that.
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  Nuns can't wear their habits. You can't wear a crucifix in public or even a
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  cross without being arrested, prosecuted.
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  It's incredible that our world has come to that. So please, pray for our country,
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  pray for our freedoms, pray for the freedom of our faith that we are allowed
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  to continue to exercise it in the public arena.
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  Because with all the problems we have in the world today, we'd have far fewer
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  if we had more Christians.
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  I firmly believe that. Not everyone does. That's okay. Not everyone's right.
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  So just pray for our country. This is a difficult time.
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  I think it's more difficult than anything I've faced in my nearly 70 years.
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  So just keep that in mind as you celebrate our freedoms that our faith,
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  our Christian faith is part of those freedoms.
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  Really important to understand. Other than that, we finished closing up mom's
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  apartment. It's taken us a month.
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  It's amazing how much we accumulate in a lifetime.
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  And then to try and take someone else's life and fit it into your home and your
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  things in your life, it's really difficult.
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  And we're not just talking about physical space.
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  It's about having to let go of things that you know were emotionally,
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  spiritually important to the other person, that you just, you can't keep everything
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  of someone else's house and incorporate it into your own.
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  And I have four brothers, and they're just a little bit younger than me,
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  and they have as much stuff accumulated in their lives as I have.
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  And between the five of us, we were able to take just a portion of what was mom's stuff.
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  And I know there are things that she really hoped we would hang on to,
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  you know, furniture pieces and
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  things, that I've been accumulating my own furniture for over 40 years.
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  So to find room for other people's furniture among that, it's hard to do.
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  And it just broke my heart on some things to have to say no to them.
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  And to see them go. But the good news is we were able to help a lot of charities in town.
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  We not only gave a number of mom's furniture and some of her jewelry and other
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  things to various charities to be able to use to raise money for their ministries,
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  but we also, as part of mom's funeral,
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  asked for donations for certain charities.
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  I know we were able to give some money in her name to the radio station here, to our stations.
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  We raised money for my home parish, the parish that was my mother's home parish, and also for St.
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  Vincent de Paul, which I think does an amazing job in their ministries here in town.
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  And maybe you have a St. Vincent de Paul in your area. I know there's one in Peoria.
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  I don't know some of the other towns we reach. I don't know if they have a St.
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  Vincent de Paul society.
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  But here they do a tremendous amount of work feeding and clothing.
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  Those who are less fortunate, maybe they're in just a difficult moment in their
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  life and can't afford those things, and they're able to help out hundreds of families every week.
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  And so we were very happy to be able to give a good, strong contribution to
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  continue the ministries of St. Vincent de Paul.
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  And some of the monies that went to the church are going towards maintenance and building needs.
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  So she lived a good life, and she left a great heritage behind of help and service to others.
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  And so rest in peace, Mom, and good luck to everyone that we were able to help
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  out. Oh, I got to share a story with you, John. This is neat.
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  So people forget sometimes that the Catholic faith just isn't about Mass.
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  I mean, Mass is a huge part of who we are and why we believe what we believe.
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  But Christ left us a church of love more than anything else.
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  Everybody thinks of the Catholic faith as a church of works,
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  but it's the wrong kind of works that they're thinking of, or they think of it as a church of rules.
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  And certainly we have rules, but baseball has rules. I mean,
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  it would be chaos without them. The universe has rules, exactly.
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  But that's not what we're all about. Really, it's a church of love.
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  It's all about loving God and loving neighbor.
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  And I have a story of a great example of the Catholic church at work.
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  We bought a parishioner a car.
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  We have a parishioner, lovely young lady, very active in the parish,
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  has been active for decades,
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  started her service to the church when she was just a little girl,
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  when her mother was active in ministry in the church as a sacristan,
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  and she would come in as just a child and help her mom.
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  And then she became a sacristan herself at one of our churches.
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  A hardworking young woman, took care of her mother in her old age.
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  Just an amazing devotion to Christ. But she was driving a death trap.
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  I mean, she had a car that she's been driving for well over 10 years that had no air conditioning.
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  The last three years she's been driving it, no air conditioning,
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  no heating, moonroof leaked, windshield leaked.
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  They kept the windshield and the moonroof from leaking with packing tape.
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  I mean, this thing was a rolling death trap. To add to that,
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  the frame was completely rusted through.
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  Went for an oil change. They wouldn't even put it on the hoist.
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  They said it was unsafe to lift. And she's been driving this car in this condition for years.
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  And once some of her parishioners found out about this, they pitched in,
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  and I mean, dozens of people helped with this.
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  Dozens of people bought her a car, paid for the licensing and the registration,
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  paid for six months of car insurance paid for over $2,000 in mechanical repairs
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  on the new car so what she got handed was a beautiful SUV four wheel drive SUV leather interior.
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  It's one of those cars you talk to and it does stuff. You know,
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  it's got the voice command in it.
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  It's 2014. It's got some mileage on it, but the engine purrs like a kitten.
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  There's not even a dent on it. It's just a beautiful car.
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  And this was all done through the generosity of the parishioners.
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  And there are people who will look at that and say, the Catholic Church supports
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  socialism. This isn't socialism.
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  Socialism is when the government tells you, help your neighbor.
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  And here's how much you're going to do for them, right?
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  Where nobody made these people do this. They came together and said,
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  we have a parishioner in need.
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  There's just basic things you need in life, like transportation, right?
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  And they got together and they did the right thing. They raised the money, found the car.
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  I mean, how often do you hear of a parish getting together and buying,
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  and not just the Catholic parish, any parish, looking at their congregation
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  and say, here's someone in real need, let's do something about it.
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  And they bought this woman a car. I was just floored.
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  Just the generosity and the love that these two parishes showed to make this
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  happen just absolutely blew me away.
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  So before you start thinking about the Catholic Church in negative terms,
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  really think about what they do and how they do it.
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  To me, it's incredibly impressive.
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  We're at your parish. I know at my parish, John, I know at the parish you belong
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  to, we're starting to get into a season for a course called OCIA.
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  It used to be called RCIA.
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  Now it's called OCIA. And in most parishes, this is going to be starting in
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  about a month to a month and a half.
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  And this is a course, a weekly course that teaches is the doctrines and the
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  dogmas of the Catholic faith, the catechism.
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  In order, for the most part, for these people who wish to convert into the Catholic faith,
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  by informing them first of what they're getting into. So they know exactly why
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  we say the creed, why we say the prayers we pray, why Mass includes the things that Mass includes,
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  why we have seven sacraments when most Christian religions rather have two,
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  maybe three, we have seven.
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  What's the difference? Where does this come from? Why do we do it?
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  It's all explained in OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults.
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  If you're in a mixed marriage, if you are a non-Catholic married to a Catholic,
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  and you have children, and you've decided to raise those children Catholic because
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  you probably, in the case of a mixed marriage,
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  you agreed at the point of the marriage not to interfere with your children being raised Catholic.
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  So you have Catholic children, but you're not Catholic. You're leaving the parenting,
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  in the raising of the faith, the most important thing a parent can do is to
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  bring their children into a relationship with God, and you're saying,
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  I can't be any part of that because I don't know, right?
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  So you leave that work to the other parent, the Catholic parent,
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  to do that themselves. Well, that's not what parenting is about.
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  Parenting is a partnership, an equal partnership.
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  And you can't share what you don't have. So if you're in a Catholic marriage,
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  married to a Catholic, and you're not Catholic, I want to strongly suggest you
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  attend OCIA, not in order for you to convert,
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  but just for you to know what faith your children are being raised in.
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  So when they have a question, it's go talk to your mom about that or go talk to your dad about that.
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  You can answer in a Catholic way, even without being Catholic,
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  just so that you can be a more active participant in the parenting.
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  Another good reason to go to OCIA, even if you're not going to convert,
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  is just being able to understand what is important to your spouse and why they
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  believe what they believe.
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  If you're going to be around Catholicism or in Catholicism, it helps to understand it.
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  If you've been away from the church for a long time, another good reason to
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  come to OCIA because maybe your catechism, your Christian learning ended in eighth grade.
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  You know, you got confirmed and that was it.
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  Adios. I'm fully Catholic. Goodbye. And whether you stayed in active attending
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  church or not, if that's when your catechism ended,
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  you need to come back to your parish and get some education because there's
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  far more to the Catholic Church and the Catholic faith than you could have possibly
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  covered in the few years that you went to catechism.
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  So, just some things to think about. We're all over Central and Northern Illinois
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  and trying to grow even further.
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  In fact, now we broadcast all the way into Wisconsin.
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  But we would love for you to not only listen to the programs,
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  but help support us so that we can continue to grow. So if you go to our website
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  at catholicspiritradio.com or .org, either one will get you there.
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  we've been doing monthly donations for years now.
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  It helps our family budget, and it helps the radio station's budget.
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  John and the group always love to know a month ahead of time how much money
• 14:35
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  So not to knock a nice one-time donation, that's certainly helpful,
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  but monthly donations are really, really helpful to us.
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  And in July, if you donate on Tuesdays, it gets doubled.
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  So please keep that in mind this month. So we still have a few Tuesdays left.
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  So if you get online or you can come into the radio station at 108 Boykin's
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  Place in Normal and drop off your donation.
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  Either way, we have some donors who will double that donation.
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  So that's a great thing to do. So Tuesday's only a couple days away.
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  As we come into this Tuesday, please get online, click the donate button and send in your donation.
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  as soon as you've made all your payments.
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  Spirit Radio, thank you very much.
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  And you can find out how to do that on our website as well. So,
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  please take advantage of that.
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  So, let's get into our readings for this weekend, the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
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  Our first reading comes from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
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  Our second reading comes from
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  Paul to the Galatians, and then our gospel is from the gospel of Luke.
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  So, remember, ordinary time is a time of growth. It's a time where we strengthen
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  our faith, where we prepare ourselves for the really high holidays,
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  the solemnities, the feasts of our Catholic faith.
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  So, these are to get us ready for the Nativity, for the coming of Christ in
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  the Nativity, and also for Easter, and the second coming of Christ,
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  as well as the resurrection.
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  So, 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Prophet Isaiah says, Thus says the Lord,
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  Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, and all of you who love her,
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  exalt, exalt with her, all you who are mourning over her.
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  O that you may suck fully on the milk of her comfort, that you may nurse with
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  delight at her abundant breasts.
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  For thus says the Lord, Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,
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  and the wealth of the nation's life and overflowing torrent.
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  As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms and fondled in her lap.
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  As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.
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  Jerusalem, you shall find your comfort. When you see this, your heart shall
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  rejoice and your bodies flourish like the grass.
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  The Lord's power shall be known to his servants. The word of the Lord.
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  So this is Isaiah not only telling the Jews who are in exile,
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  don't worry about it, you're coming home.
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  There's going to be a time where Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and you will come back and rejoice.
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  But there's a deeper meaning to this in that the new Jerusalem,
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  the new kingdom, is the kingdom of heaven, where God dwells.
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  And we need to rejoice over that, that God who loves us has a home waiting for
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  us. The home just isn't in heaven.
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  Where can you find God? Where can you find Christ any day of the week?
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  At church, at the Mass, even if not in the Mass, in adoration, in the tabernacle.
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  Christ is present for us. And we should be joyous over that.
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  And if we're joyous over it, we should be doing it more often. We should be drawn to it.
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  When was the last time you attended adoration?
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  For some people, they can say, well, that was just last week.
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  And for some people, they might be able to say, well, that was yesterday.
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  But I'll bet there's a good number of us who can say, it's been a year,
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  or maybe it's been multiple years.
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  You know, Christ waits for us at the church, in the tabernacle,
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  and we're very fortunate to be able to have that, to be able to see Christ any
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  day, to receive Christ in the Eucharist every day of the week.
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  So, bear that in mind, that God does this for our joy, not for His adoration, for our joy.
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  We go to adore Christ because it's good for us, not because Christ gets anything extra out of it.
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  He's already God. He has everything, right?
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  There's nothing we can do to make God happy.
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  God is joy. God is love.
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  And he offers himself to us to share in that.
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  And so often we say, well, maybe next week, maybe next month,
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  or I really don't need that. How can you say you don't need that?
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  You're being offered the very best food on earth, the body of Christ,
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  given to us for our salvation.
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  And we tend to put it away because we'll have to work that day.
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  We put it away because, well, we've got traveling softball or traveling football or traveling soccer.
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  We hear a lot of that. Wanted to be there, but, well, we had a traveling soccer game.
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  I'm sure when the time comes for our judgment, that Jesus isn't going to look
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  at the book and say, wow, nice job. You made every soccer game. Good for you.
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  I really don't think that's going to come into play.
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  So, just something to keep in mind. Our second reading, a very short one,
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  Paul to the Galatians, where he writes, brothers and sisters,
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  may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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  through which the world has been crucified to me.
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  And to me and I to the world.
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  For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation.
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  Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God.
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  From now on, let no one make troubles for me, for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.
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  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
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  The word of the Lord. So what Paul's saying is, No matter what we do,
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  everything we have is because of Christ.
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  It's not about boasting about what Paul's accomplished, and Paul accomplished
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  a lot. But without Christ, it doesn't matter.
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  The only thing that matters is our relationship with God.
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  Circumcision, which in the Jewish faith was a sign of belonging to the Jewish
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  tribe, to the Jewish nation, but that was replaced with baptism.
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  And the difference is one made you a member of the nation of Judaism.
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  The other one makes you a relation, a family member with Christ.
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  Huge difference. Huge difference. And that's why one replaces the other,
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  because one is so much more important.
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  It's your relationship with God that matters and nothing else.
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  Any fame you have on earth is limited.
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  Any wealth you have on earth is limited.
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  Without a relationship with God, there is nothing waiting for us beyond that.
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  And there's nothing we can do that's greater than that.
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  Our gospel reading is from the Gospel of Luke.
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  At that time, the Lord appointed 72 others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
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  to every town and place he intended to visit.
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  He said to them, the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.
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  So ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
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  Go on your way. Behold, I'm sending you like lambs among wolves.
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  Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals, and greet no one along the way.
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  And to whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this household.
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  If it's a peaceful person who lives there, your peace will rest on him.
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  But if not, it will return to you.
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  Stay in the same house and eat and drink what's offered to you,
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  for the laborer deserves his payment. But do not move from one house to another.
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  Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you.
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  Cure the sick in it and say to them, The kingdom of God is at hand for you.
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  Whatever town you enter, if they do not receive you, go into the streets and
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  save the dust of this town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.
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  You know this, the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable
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  for Sodom on that day than for that town.
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  The seventy-two returned rejoicing,
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  saying, Lord, even demons are subject to us because of your name.
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  Jesus said, I have observed Satan falling like lightning from the sky.
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  Behold, I've given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions,
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  and upon the whole force of the enemy, and nothing will harm you.
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  Nonetheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
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  but rejoice because your names are written in heaven. The gospel of the Lord.
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  So again, Jesus tells them what Paul was telling the Galatians,
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  it's not your greatness that matters.
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  It's the fact that you do great things in the name of Christ.
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  It's Christ that matters.
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  It's the fact that you're working towards an eternal life, not the work you do in your mortal life.
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  I love the part that he's sending them out.
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  He tells them right away, I'm sending you out like lambs among wolves.
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  You're going to be persecuted as a Christian.
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  It's going to happen because the world doesn't think like we think.
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  The world is very self-centered, very egotistic. It wants what pleases it. not what pleases God.
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  So, be prepared that being a Christian is rough, but also understand that anything
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  of value is going to need to be earned. It's not just given to you.
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  So, we need as Christians to go out and earn our keep as Christians.
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  We need to show others who we are and what we are.
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  And in doing so, that's the best evangelism you can do.
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  You might not be a big corner and shout out Scripture.
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  That's not what being a Christian is.
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  You will bring more people to the faith just by being a good person,
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  just by taking the lessons that Christ taught us in the few years that He was
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  with us, and using the strength of the graces He gives us to the sacrament to
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  just be good to other people.
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  And that alone will bring others to our Catholic faith.
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  May Almighty God bless you, protect you from all evil, and bring you to everlasting
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  life. Have a wonderful week. God bless.