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Today’s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O’Connell
Today’s guest(s): Brian Patrick of the Son Rise Morning Show and Maria Bain, general manager of WQOM
Today’s topics: WQOM; Prepare the Way Conference; Brian Patrick
Summary of today’s show: Maria Bain, general manager of WQOM, returns to the show to talk about the first anniversary of Boston’s Catholic radio station and to encourage listeners to attend the Prepare the Way Conference in Lowell on Dec. 10. Then Brian Patrick, host of the Son Rise Morning Show on WQOM, joins Scot and Fr. Mark to talk about the value of such conferences in Advent as a way to prepare for Christmas. Finally, Fr. Mark and Scot, as they do each week, discuss the Sunday readings with a particularly powerful Gospel this week.
1st segment: Scot asked Fr. Mark about attending the Canon Law Society of America meeting in Jacksonville, FLorida, last week. He said there was a tropical storm hanging over the city last week, but the convention was good. He said the theme was the rights of the faithful and the rights of the Church in canon law. He said more than 300 people attended. Scot said these conventions are great for ongoing learning and ensuring they are on top of their game.
Scot said yesterday afternoon the Stanley Cup at the Pastoral Center on Thursday as part of the finish of the bet between Cardinal Sean and Archbishop Miller on the NHL championship series. Fr. Mark grew up in Canada and was a hockey-mad kid, so getting a photo with the cup with his brother was a big deal. He remarked on the humongous championship ring worn by one of the Bruins staff. Scot said George Martell took a neat photo of Cardinal Sean with his episcopal ring next to the Bruin ring and a Patriots Super Bowl ring worn by Frank Mendes of the Pastoral Center staff.
2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed Marian Bain to the show. He said she had an exciting week last week at the EWTN radio conference. She was able to meet many of the people from around the world working in Catholic radio. There are 15,000 AM/FM radio stations, 1,500 of which are Protestant and only 200 Catholics ones. Only 16 years ago, there 7 Catholic radio stations.
Scot said the annual fund drive for the station is very important for keeping it on the air. This is coming up on November 5. The theme is “Go forth for the new evangelization.” Scot said he helped kick off a new Catholic radio station last month in Worcester. He said then it’s up to all us who benefit from the station to keep it going. Maria said the fund drive provides 75% of the operating costs. She thanked listeners for their continued generosity as well all the priest in the archdiocese who have allowed them to give parish presentations and get the word out about Catholic radio.
Maria said the goal for this year’s fund drive is $300,000. She asked listeners for their prayers.
On December 10 in the Lowell Memorai Auditorium, there will be a Catholic conference, called Prepare the Way, sponsored by the Stations of the Cross, which will feature Dr. Ray Guarendi, Brian Patrick, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Sr. Olga Yaqob, and Cardinal Sean, who will celebrate Mass. There will be lots of opportunities during the day, including meeting all the speakers. Scot said he’s looking forward to thanking everyone who listens to the show in person. Tickets can be purchased on the website or by calling 877-888-6279. Those who receive the newsletter can also find an order form inside this month’s edition. Scot said their’s an early-bird discount for tickets ordered before October 31.
Maria thanked all the listeners for all their letters and calls saying how WQOM has been changing their lives.
3rd segment: Scot and Fr. Mark welcomed Brian Patrick to the show. Scot said WQOM listeners wake up each day to learn about the Catholic faith listening to the Son Rise Morning Show, which originates out of Cincinnati. Scot asked Brian why it’s good for Catholics to come to a conference in Advent or Lent. Brian said on December 10 he will talk about Advent as a time for a new beginning. The season of Advent is the beginning of the Church year. Especially with the new Mass translation, it’s a new beginning even more this year.
Fr. Mark asked how a conference can touch a persona individually. Brian said he starts by preparing his own soul for the coming of Christ and then sharing with others his passion for Christ. Brian said he was away from his faith for many years, but he came back to Christ on his knees and realized that the Lord loved him through all those years and gave him a new beginning. Now he gets to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with people all over the world every day. So he will share his own experience and those attending will share their stories with one another. When we can share what we’re going through, it prompts us along the journey.
Scot said Brian said Advent is a great time to slow down, but the Christmas shopping frenzy can take us out of it. Scot said he likes an Advent retreat as a way t o step back and not get caught up in that to marvel at the Incarnation. This conference can help make Christmas more special. Brian said the culture wants us to buy in to the idea that we need to make sure the retailers have a good Christmas. But Christmas is focusing on Jesus who comes to us in the Nativity. He loves to give Christmas gifts, but he keeps them personal and simple and refuses to buy into the prevalent idea. Thank God for Catholic media that reminds us of the true reason for Advent and Christmas.
Scot said the conference will be a chance to say thank you to The Good Catholic Life listeners. Brian said he loves meeting his listeners. Each morning he thinks of talking to one person because it’s a personal meeting. To see the faces and meet the personalities, he then begins to picture them personally. Brian said they are privileged to have a 24-hour adoration chapel in the building where Son Rise Morning Show is broadcast each day. Fr. Mark asked Brian if he could think of a time when a conference has truly borne fruit. Brian said with the Crossing the Goal team he has attended many men’s conferences and he has been moved by the fact that men and women are coming back to the reconciliation. He is moved to tears at men’s conference to see lines of men going to confession to dozens of priests giving up their days to give the sacrament. Eucharistic adoration is a big part of the conferences too and to see 1,000 men on their knees adoring Christ is moving.
Brian said invitation is key. We are called as disciples to invite our brothers and sisters to come back to Church. And when we invite them, we have to be willing to hear yes or no. Inviting someone to a conference opens the door to inviting them back to the Church .He encouraged everyone to invite at least one other person to come.
Brian said Dr. Ray Guarendi uses humor to get our attention for a powerful message. He and his wife have adopted 10 children, some special needs. He’s extremely funny and entertaining. There is a powerful message there. Fr. Mitch, too, is a brilliant teacher who speaks several language with a way of sharing the faith at a level that everyone can understand.
EWTN first picked up the Son Rise Morning Show about 3 years ago. The show started 4 years ago and Sacred Heart Radio in Cincinnati started 10 years ago. He said getting on the Boston radio market last year was great and he’s very grateful. Brian said last time he was in Boston he had the best seafood meal ever at Anthony’s Pier 4.
Fr. Mark asked Brian for his recommendation to the hosts of The Good Catholic Life to keep it fresh and always new. Brian said our faith is always fresh and new and there are so many wonderful people out there. He learns every day from the people he talks to on a regular basis, that he has on the show all the time. Always remember what’s old is new. We are a universal Church that includes the faithful of all time so he advises to tap into this immense treasure of faith and wisdom.
Son Rise Morning Show is on the air every weekday from 6-8am on WQOM.
4th segment: Now as we do each week at this time, we will hear the Gospel reading for this coming Sunday’s Mass and then consider its meaning for us.
Thus says the LORD:
“You shall not molest or oppress an alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.
If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry.
My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword;
then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.“If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people,
you shall not act like an extortioner toward him
by demanding interest from him.
If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,
you shall return it to him before sunset;
for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body.
What else has he to sleep in?
If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.”
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Scot said the Old Testament had 613 commands given by God, not just the 10 Commandments. Jesus then boiled it all down to the two commandments. One key element is that there’s an order and priority. It comes first that we love God. Fr. Mark said Jews would understand this as the Shema, especially every one of Jesus’ time: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.Bind them on your arm as a sign* and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) And when Jesus added the second part about loving the neighbor, it would have stood out to everyone hearing it.
Scot said sometimes we hear the second part of this command from Jesus as the priority. People serve others but don’t put the vertical relationship with God as number one. Maybe they don’t pray every day or attend Sunday Mass, even while they say that they’re a good person who is good to others. There’s a proper ordering of things and the proper order matters.
Fr. Mark asked what does it really mean to love God with all your heart? With all your soul? With all your mind? Think of all the things you think about during the day. Are some of the ways we use our brain not loving God? Are some of the ways we use our heart not loving God? Scot said there are many times when he feels stressed in making a decision and he realizes he hasn’t involved God in that decision. God wants to help us in all the big issues and small issues too. Many Catholics come to church every Sunday, but they aren’t dedicating the 167 hours of the rest of the week to God as well.
Fr. Mark said we are all responsible for leaving good fruit on this earth. He was reading a homily the other day by Fr. Francis Duffy at the funeral of Fr. Mychal Judge, the NYFD chaplain who died at 9/11. He said: “We come to bury Mike Judge’s body but not his spirit. We come to bury his mind but not his dreams. We come to bury his voice but not his message. We come to bury his hands but not his good works. We come to bury his heart but not his love. Never his love.” Fr. Mark said he hopes someone can say the same of him someday.
Scot said in the second part, there were some people who thought they were being faithful just being fulfilling the law with respect to God. God wants us to love our neighbors because every neighbor is created in God’s image. Fr. Mark said Jesus shows us how to reflect God’s love by loving others without counting the cost. Love isn’t just a feeling, but it’s self-sacrifice.
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