New Radio Show on Theology of the Body

More2Life
(from the website!)


More2Life is a surprising new radio program that brings the teachings of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body into the practical, everyday experience of life. This live call-in program is hosted by Dr. Greg Popcak and his wife Lisa and airs weekdays at 12PM Eastern/11 AM Central. Dr. Greg and Lisa will help you solve your problems with relevant, relatable and achievable tools and solutions straight from the genius of the Theology of the Body. It’s the life you were meant to live! 

In addition to your calls, we check in each day with our friends from around the country to bring you fresh and exciting discussions on creating the life you were meant to live. Every Monday, we focus on marriage with our friends at the Couple to Couple League and Frank and Julie LaBoda of Retrouvaille. Tuesdays feature Dr. Joe White from the Diocese of Austin and Emily Bissonnette of Ruah Woods on relationships. Every Wednesday, Fr. Thomas Loya of the Tabor Life Institute and the Theology of the Body Institute’s Bill Donaghy comment on culture and life. Thursdays, we look at parenting with Ann Nerbun of Family Honor. And to end the week, we celebrate living large and head to “Life in the Big House” with homeschooling mother of 10, Rachel Watkins.

Radio Interview on the Catholic Connection

I'll be interviewed tomorrow morning on Teresa Tomeo's radio show "The Catholic Connection" We'll be discussing Pope Benedict's new encyclical Caritas in Veritate. You can listen live at 9:30am ET (Friday) here. Here are more details!

Show: Catholic Connection

Host: Teresa Tomeo Outlet: Ave Maria, EWTN Affiliates, Sirius/XM Date: Friday, July 17, 2009 Time: 9:30am ET Length: 30 minutes Guest: Bill Donaghy

Answering the New Atheism with Ben Wiker

Are You Able to Answer the Arguments of an Atheist? In this week's radio show, I interviewed Dr. Ben Wiker, co-author with Dr. Scott Hahn of a new book that hears and answers the arguments put forth in evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins' best selling book The God Delusion. Benjamin Wiker received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, and has taught at Marquette University, St. Mary’s University, Thomas Aquinas College, and Franciscan University. A senior fellow with the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and with Discovery Institute, he is now a full-time writer. He lives in rural Ohio with his beloved wife and children, and an ever-increasing number of a moderately useful but always entertaining animals. To learn more about Wiker's books, click here. For information on interviews and speaking engagements, click here. From his website: Answering the New Atheism: Dismantling Dawkins’ Case Against God cuts through the shoddy reasoning, logical blunders, and factual errors that populate Richard Dawkins’ best-selling book The God Delusion. Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker provide readers with sharp logic and clear reasoning, exposing the muddle-headed thinking behind Dawkins’ veneer of intellectual rigor. Along the way, Hahn and Wiker offer a cogent and convincing argument for God’s existence. "Rarely, if ever, in my many years as a professor of philosophy did I ever have the opportunity to read such a compelling argument." - Antony Flew, Author of There Is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind The podcast of my interview with Ben is available here. For a video interview of the authors discussing this book, click here.

Fr. Barron on the Film "Religulous"

Fr. Robert Barron is the Bishop Sheen of the new millennium. He has a prolific presence on YouTube, podcasts on iTunes, and is now on location filming a mammoth series called The Catholicism Project on the history of the Catholic Faith, sure to be a media treasure when it comes to sharing what Catholics really believe. I'll be interviewing Fr. Barron this Tuesday, November 4, on the radio show, 5 to 6pm EST on www.catholicinternetradio.com

Fr. Frank Pavone Interview - Priests for Life

My guest on the radio tonight was Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director for Priests for Life. "... started in 1991 to do one of the most important tasks in the Church today . . . to help priests around the world spread the Gospel of Life to their people. The ministry of the priest is demanding. The priest presents to the world truths that are difficult to grasp. The priest confronts injustices in the world, which are often deeply entrenched in the attitudes and laws of society. Priests must be steadfast in calling for the protection of life at every stage, in exposing the myths surrounding abortion and euthanasia, and in working with others to provide compassionate alternatives." The podcast can be found by clicking here! GREAT RESOURCES! Fr. Pavone's Blog Voter Guide on Key Issues What Abortion Is Rachel's Vineyard CatholicVote.com

The Catholic Vision of J.R.R. Tolkien

"Humanity in every age, and even today, looks to works of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny. " - Pope John Paul II I had a wonderful conversation last week with Generation Life speaker Matt Chominiski on the Catholic vision of J.R.R. Tolkien. We blazed a trail with the characters of the Fellowship through some of the inspiring themes that made this novel a worldwide phenomenon, and a truly Catholic classic: Providence, friendship, love, loyalty, sacrifice, creation, stewardship, a touch of Chesterton's Distributism, virtue and vice, and the unfailing power of hope. For the podcast, visit iTunes and search the store for "The Heart of Things or Bill Donaghy" or just click here and listen right from the podcast website (the show is an hour long and may take some time to download). WEB ARTICLES AND ESSAYS: http://tolkienandchristianity.blogspot.com/ BOOKS on TOLKIEN: J. R. R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-Earth, by Bradley J. Birzer. J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, and Religion, by Richard L. Purtill. Tolkien: Man and Myth, by Joseph Pierce. Ignatius Press, December 2001. Tolkien: A Celebration - Collected Writings on a Literary Legacy, edited by Joseph Pierce. Ignatius Press, November 2001.

Diary of a Former Atheist - Tonight's Radio Guest

Tonight on the Heart of Things Radio Show, I have the privilege of interviewing Jennifer from "Et Tu?" - You can listen live via internet radio here.

If you are a blogger or a reader of blogs in Catholic circles, you may have heard of this wonderful wife and mother who has been chronicling her journey from atheism into the Catholic Faith over the past two years. With humor and deep insight, she unpacks the journey into God and the deepening of the life of faith, facilitates lengthy discussion threads, and occasionally addresses the presence of scorpions in the life of her household. Tune in tonight at 5pm EST!


ABOUT JEN (taken from "Et Tu?")

I'm 31, married, and have three children ages three and under. I have a background as a web designer/developer but am now Director of Chaos Management for my household. I was an atheist my entire life until around age 26 -- I never once considered the possibility that God might exist, not even as a child. I saw no absolutely no proof for God's existence and couldn't imagine how a person could believe in an unseen deity. Around the time my first child was born I started to think that maybe I should take another look at the question of God. Upon investigation I was shocked -- really, really shocked -- to find that Christianity had some compelling data points in its favor. I came to a dry intellectual belief in God but didn't know what to do from there. To make a long story short, my husband and I both converted to Catholicism in 2007 and today I am thrilled beyond words to be a Christian.

____________________________________________
For more of Jen's posts and a general introduction, click here.

Tonight's Show: Serra Club and Vocations

Spirit of Serra from Serra Boston on Vimeo. My guests tonight on the Heart of Things radio show are Bill Taylor and Gene Boggia, members of the leadership team of the Serra Club, an international organization dedicated to fostering, affirming and promoting vocations to priestly and religious ministry in the Catholic Church. The Serra Club's Objectives & Purposes are: - to foster and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church as a particular vocation to service, and to support priests in their sacred ministry; - To encourage and affirm vocations to consecrated religious life in the Catholic Church; and - To assist its members to recognize and respond in their own lives to God's call to holiness in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

New Podcast Up: The Ministry of Courage

In this week's show, I spoke with Dominic Lombardi, Director of the Family Life Office in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Richard and Paul, facilitator and member, respectively, of the Church sanctioned Courage Apostolate. The podcast is available here.

The Courage Apostolate (from the website)

Persons with homosexual desires have always been with us; however, until recent times, there has been little, if any, formal outreach from the Church in the way of support groups or information for such persons. Most were left to work out their path on their own. As a result, they found themselves listening to and accepting the secular society's perspective and opting to act on their same-sex desires. His Eminence, the late Terence Cardinal Cooke of New York, was aware of, and troubled by this situation. He knew that the individual dealing with same-sex attractions truly needed to experience the freedom of interior chastity and in that freedom find the steps necessary to living a fully Christian life in communion with God and others. He was concerned that many would not find this path and would be constantly trying to get their needs met in ways that ultimately do not satisfy the desires of the heart. In response to this concern, he decided to form a spiritual support system which would assist men and women with same-sex attractions in living chaste lives in fellowship, truth and love.

Barnabas: The Patron Saint of Sidekicks

So the Year of Saint Paul has dawned upon us! Pope Benedict XVI has announced that from this month of June until June 2009 (when summer rears it's perspiring head again) the Church will be focusing on this Dynamic Disciple, this Super Apostle, this Tower of Power who was beaten, stoned, ridiculed and practically barbecued (wait, that was St. Lawrence) all for the love of Jesus and the blossoming New Way known to us now as Christianity!

But what's a Super Apostle without a Sidekick? What's Batman without Robin, Woody without Buzz Lightyear, Captain America without Bucky? (I don't know who this is either but it was on Wikipedia).

Well.... not a heck of a lot friends!

Because, truth is, behind every Super Apostle there lies a “son of encouragement.” And that's our man Barnabas, who's feast we celebrate today! He introduced Paul to Peter and the Apostles. He was present at the miracle in Lystra that led some of the people to claim he and Paul as gods - Barnabas being Zeus, and Paul, Hermes (how cool that Barnabas gets called Zeus, King of the gods, and Paul gets his son Hermes who was just a herald! I can just picture them years later, sipping goat's milk, telling stories... "They thought you were Zeus! Bah hah!" Goat's milk sprays all over.)

Barnabas was the great Encourager, the Right Hand Man, the Patron Saint of Sidekicks, and yet so much more! When doubt surfaced, he floated his faith. When tension knotted the air between Gentiles and Jews, he unraveled it with peace. When Paul went out on a mission, Barnabas made the sandwiches... and he did his own fair share of preaching to boot. Good 'ole "Behind the Scenes" Barnabas... He was a man of humility, filled with the Spirit.

THUS SAYETH THE WEBSITE CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA:

With the exception of St. Paul and certain of the Twelve, Barnabas appears to have been the most esteemed man of the first Christian generation. St. Luke, breaking his habit of reserve, speaks of him with affection, "for he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith". His title to glory comes not only from his kindliness of heart, his personal sanctity, and his missionary labours, but also from his readiness to lay aside his Jewish prejudices, in this anticipating certain of the Twelve; from his large-hearted welcome of the Gentiles, and from his early perception of Paul's worth, to which the Christian Church is indebted, in large part at least, for its great Apostle.

So you see, you don't have to be a superstar, or a Super Apostle, to be a saint. You just have to love, tremendously, and do the task at hand. Different gifts, the same Spirit.

There are countless Barnabasessess in our Church's history. Find St. Francis and there was Brother Leo in his shadow, St. Dominic and there were two nephews of his who were pretty dang saintly themselves. Mother Teresa was surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who still touch countless lives today all over the world. Behind the scenes of every parish, there are the sidekicks: kneeling in pews after daily Mass, praying countless rosaries, clutching rubber-banded novena booklets chock full of yellowed holy cards, passing baskets around the church at collection time, running the Bingo, baking casseroles, stuffing envelopes... there are thousands of "encouragers"... doing little things with much love; and these are the makings of Great Big Saints.

Today, our smallest word of encouragement is exponentially greater because of the benevolent benediction of St. Barnabas. So power to the Sidekicks, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Bringing Up Geeks - An Interview with Marybeth Hicks

In one of my favorite interviews to date, I spoke with Marybeth Hicks, who artfully and passionately stated her mission to "uncool" America. How? By raising up GEEKS - Genuine, Enthusiastic, Empowered Kids! Listen in as she demystifies the consumer culture and teaches us how to build a real human culture, where persons are more important than possessions, and character is nobler than cash. The podcast of my interview with Marybeth is here. The book is set for release this summer, but visit her website now! About Marybeth Hicks (from the website) Marybeth Hicks began her career in the White House where she scribed special correspondence and talking points for President Ronald Reagan. Today, her writing has shifted to focus on the most important job in the world—being a parent. Author and speaker Marybeth Hicks is the weekly family columnist for The Washington Times, the general interest daily newspaper located in the nation's capital known across the country as “America’s newspaper.” Marybeth’s column “Then again…” appears on the cover of the Family Times section and explores issues and experiences that affect families and shape communities. Marybeth Hicks is also the author of two parenting books. Bringing up Geeks: How to Protect Your Kid’s Childhood in a Grow-up-too-fast World (Penguin/Berkley), slated for a July, 2008 release, includes a foreword by child advocate Dr. Kimberly Thompson, founder of Harvard’s Kids Risk project.

Behold Your Mother - An Interview on Mary with Heidi Saxton

Today at 5pm EST on the Heart of Things Radio Show on In His Sign Radio, I'll be interviewing Heidi Saxton, editor of “Canticle” magazine and adoptive parent columnist at CatholicMom.com and CatholicExchange.com. A convert to the Catholic Faith, Heidi’s faith journey has taken her all over the world, including West Africa, Poland, and Mexico. She's been active in a variety of Christian churches: Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, non-denominational, Assemblies of God, Episcopalian, and Catholic....

"The diversity of her Christian experience is reflected in her writing, giving her faith expression a vitality and relevance that appeals to truth seekers of all ages and backgrounds. Married in summer 1999, Heidi and her husband Craig adopted their two foster children in 2005. They live in Milan, Michigan. Heidi is a prolific blogger. Her newest blog, “Behold Your Mother” (http://beholdyourmotherbook.blogspot.com/) features a variety of stories, images, and quotes about Mary from all over the world.
- taken from ChristianWord.com

We'll be discussing her new book "Behold Your Mother: Mary Stories and Reflections from a Catholic Convert"

New Podcast Up

Finally back in action after a little "technical difficulty," this week's podcast centers on Elizabeth Ficocelli's new book "Lourdes: Font of Faith, Hope & Charity"

"A fascinating look at Lourdes, one of the world's most popular Marian places of pilgrimage. Includes the history of the apparitions to Bernadette Soubirous, the response of the Church, the advent of cures and pilgrimage, and Lourdes today as a powerful center for physical, spiritual, and emotional healing. Featuring interviews with the Bishop, Medical Director, and other key personnel of the Sanctuary. Foreword by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, nationally acclaimed scholar, theologian, author, speaker and host of "Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel" on EWTN."

Visit Elizabeth's website here and for the book by Joan Carroll Cruzon, "Incorruptibles," mentioned in this podcast, visit Amazon here.

Tonight's Radio Show - Theology of the Body for Teens

Tonight's guest on the Heart of Things radio show is Brian Butler, co-author of the new Theology of the Body for Teens program.

From the TOB for Teens website:

A New Language for a New Generation
"Theology of the Body for Teens presents the two hottest topics on the planet - God and sex - and "marries" them through Pope John Paul II's compelling vision for love and life. Using a great mix of stories, real-life examples, activities, prayers, and references to the culture that teens understand, Theology of the Body for Teens answers the questions teens have about their own bodies, issues on sexual morality, and how they were uniquely created for greatness."

Theology of the Body for Teens answers questions such as:

• Why did God give us our sexual desires?
• What is the difference between love and lust?
• Can Christ bring healing to me if I’ve already “messed up”?
• How far is “too far”?
• How can teens remain pure in our oversexed culture?
• Is there any hope for overcoming lust and pornography?

Click here to learn more about Theology of the Body for Teens.
For more on Brian's ministry, visit the Dumb Ox Productions website here!
The podcast of my interview with Brian should be up by this Thursday!

A World Away - Interview with Todd Smith on the New Series

My guest in this episode is Todd Smith, the new author of the Quest of Dan Clay series. He resides in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado, and works for the Archdiocese of Denver.

"Thirteen years ago, William Clay - then a mere child - disappeared from a nearby forest, never to be seen again. Only recently, his younger brother, Dan, acquired information on the forest fables from a questionable source. After analyzing fact and legend, Dan suspects that his brother may have fallen through a portal into a parallel world and is being held captive. Join Dan and three friends as they embark on an out-of-this-world journey where they are hunted by savage beasts along the footpath to a demonic castle..... Smith’s pages within are your passport to A World Away, where the unimaginable becomes reality, the unnatural becomes the norm, and the uninvited become fitting prey. " - from www.TatePublishing.com

To buy the book, call 1-888-361-9473 or visit http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-6024732-5-6
You may also visit amazon.com here.

The podcast of this interview is up and ready at this link.
Pope John Paul II's Letter to Artists can be found here.

Talking with Teens about Love and Life

My guest for tonight's radio show was Jason Evert, author and national speaker on topics of chastity, true love and the Catholic Faith. He earned a master's degree in Theology, and undergraduate degrees in Counseling and Theology, with a minor in Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is the author of the books If You Really Loved Me, Answering Jehovah's Witnesses, Love, Sex, and Babies, and Pure Love, which challenges young people to embrace the virtue of chastity. Jason speaks to thousands of people every year, answering questions about Catholicism from people around the world. He lives in California with his wife Crystalina and their three children.

RESOURCES CITED:

www.catholic.com (click on seminars and find Jason Evert)
www.pureloveclub.com (for Catholics)
www.pureloveclub.net (for public schools)

Hear Jason speak through free audio downloads by clicking here.
The podcast of this episode is available here!

No Greater Love: The True Story of Fr. John Wessel

“More and more, I realize that love is the only thing that truly matters in life – to love and to be kind to one another.”
– Karin M. Burke

My guest tonight was Karin Burke. Her book on the life and death of a New Jersey priest is an inspiring story of faithfulness and sacrifice. No Greater Love: The True Story of Fr. John Wessel is available through Xlibris.com.

"Father John P. Wessel was a priest well loved by parishioners of St. Joseph Church, Toms River, New Jersey. He had been serving the parish for only three months when his life was forcefully snatched from him by a gunshot from one distraught member of his flock – a young Vietnam War veteran whom, with priestly concern, he was attempting to assist. The shooting occurred on December 17, 1971. Gravely wounded, Father Wessel died nine days later on December 26, 1971. He was only 32 years old. Thirty-six years since the fatal shooting of Father Wessel, his memory is still very much alive among those whose lives he has touched."

You can read more by clicking here, or to order the book call 1.888.795.4274

Contraception - A Hard Pill to Swallow, Interview with Nancy Valko

Nancy Valko, RN, is a contributing editor for Voices and long-time advocate of patients with disabilities, She writes the regular "Bioethics Watch" column for Voices. A Registered Nurse since 1969, she is president of Missouri Nurses for Life, a spokesman for the National Association of Pro-life Nurses, a board member of Missouri Right to Life, and past co-chair of the Saint Louis Archdiocesan Pro-Life Committee.

Our conversation on the Heart of Things Radio show last night centered on the ramifications of a "contraceptive mentality" - the outlook that fertility and pregnancy are first and foremost seen as a disease or obstacle to a woman's freedom and beauty. Nancy shared her personal stories and life experiences in a powerful way. Her sincerity and pursuit of the truth about the pill led her to become a voice for others, unpacking the lies so often told about the side effects of contraception. Nancy's writing can be found here at the website Women for Faith & Family - an excellent resource that to assist women in their effort to provide witness to their faith, both to their families and to the world, and to serve as a channel through which questions from Catholic women seeking guidance or information can be directed. The podcast of my interview with Nancy Valko is available here.

Faith, Films, and the Culture of Life - Interview with Tim Drake

My guest on tonight's radio show was Tim Drake, Senior writer with the National Catholic Register and Faith and Family Magazine. He's also an award-winning journalist and author, having published more than 600 articles in publications such as the National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor, Faith and Family Magazine, Catholic World Report, CatholicExchange.com, Columbia Magazine, Gilbert! Magazine, This Rock Magazine, and many others.

Our conversation centered on the movies (a personal favorite of topics for me!) and the seemingly pro-life message in some recent works of the silver screen.

Here's the family friendly alternative to NETFLIX that we discussed:

Faith and Family Flix.com

And the Vatican's list of the Best Films to date (and growing!)

ClearPlay DVD Player is the resource for families that will "clean up" those movies for family friendly viewing.

Seeing and Serving Christ in the Poor

My guest tonight was Katie Sullivan, Director of the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry, which serves our suffering brothers and sisters in three locations: Kensington in Northeast Philadelphia, PA, Wilmington, Delaware, and Camden, NJ.

"The Franciscan Volunteer Ministry is a group of lay men and women, living in community, who dedicate themselves to ministry in the Church in collaboration with the Franciscans of Holy Name Province. Based on the Gospel message to express love in action, it provides an environment that fosters service to the marginalized, personal and interpersonal development, spiritual growth, and an active prayer life."

We had a great conversation on Katie's own journey to join in the mission of the Franciscans, as well as sending out a challenging message for all of us to live the Gospel in a new and radical way. The podcast of our show will be up by the weekend!

Here is the list of needs for St. Francis Inn that Katie mentioned on the air:

GENERAL NEEDS
- prayers
- toilet paper
- tea bags
- sugar

PERSONAL ITEMS
- mini deodorants
- prayers
- mini lotions
- toothbrushes
- toothpaste

WINTER NEEDS
- prayers
- men's wool hats and gloves
- stretchy gloves (one size fits all)
- thermal underwear
- prayers
- blankets/sleeping bags
- hoodies (hooded sweatshirts)
- lotion again
- and prayers!

Here's the website again for the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry!