Finally finished putting together our first video from our recent cruise with Fr. Leo Patalinghug from Grace Before Meals. This one focuses on our first three days as we departed, as well as excursions in Genoa, Italy and Cannes, France.

We’ll have a few more videos to share in the next few days. Hope you enjoy!

With this being Infertility Awareness Week, we talked about several resources on today’s show that might be of help to you. Here they are:

Jennifer Fulwiler’s article about Catholics and Infertility
FertilityCare Centers
USCCB’s Guidelines for Infertile Couples
Pope Paul VI Institute
Marquette University’s NFP Study (Using Fertility Monitor)
TCND Podcast with Dr. Kathlene Raviele about NFP

Major kudos to Rob Kaczmark and the crew at Spirit Juice Studios for this awesome video.

Listener Janie asks:

Love the show!  I sometimes sit in my car after arriving at my destination to finish  hearing a segment.  Unfortunately, today was not one of them.  Could you provide a list of the devotionals talked about in today’s show?  I only heard a few and would enjoy seeing what is out there.

This topic came up because Jennifer has started taking the boys to daily Mass, and on yesterday’s show we started wondering if there were any daily Catholic devotionals for kids and young teens. We currently subscribe to Magnifikid! for our children, but that only covers the Sunday liturgy.

The only daily devotional we found was Living Faith Kids, which also has an adult devotional. Have you ever seen this? Is it worth subscribing to?

We’ve also been longtime subscribers to Magnifcat, and years ago we subscribed to Word Among Us, and I’ve thought about subscribing to it again, though when I used it about 10 years ago, I started to feel like a lot of the meditations were sounding very repetitive. My mom continues to subscribe to it and depends on it each day.

As we talked about it on the show, other people called in and suggested the “Little Black Book” devotional, which also has a purple book and other colors for other liturgical seasons.

Do you have any suggestions for printed daily devotionals? What do you use to help the daily Mass readings come alive for you? And if you have any suggestions particularly for children, we’d love to hear those, as well.

Listener Camille asks:

I listen to your show often and really enjoy it.  My question isn’t really about your show but it’s a catholic question.  I was raised southern baptist but when I was in college I got exposed to the Catholic faith by accident.  That was 15 years ago.  During this time I have been thinking, praying, and researching.  To make a long story short, I am converting and will be confirmed at the Easter Vigil this year.  What should I expect during this mass? Thanks for your help and for your wonderful radio program.

This is a great question!  If you’re a convert, or just someone who loves the Easter Vigil, what should Camille and other converts expect?  What makes the Easter Vigil Liturgy special for you?

A listener asked a two part question (or rather two questions) in one email, both of which I thought were great though somewhat unrelated.

A few weeks ago you had a fertility specialist on the show. I was very
interested because my wife and I have been trying to conceive for a
little while now with no success. Well, I was in Mass for the part
where she discussed testing male fertility in a sin-free way. Could
you point me in the right direction?

Also, Greg, can you recommend a good Bible app or mobile site for
iPhone and iPad? Preferably RSVCE?

I love your show; I try to listen everyday.

I faintly remember Dr. Raviele making that comment, but don’t remember the details, however, the entire conversation was put out in that week’s podcast and you can listen to it here.

Hopefully that extra detail will be of help.  If not, there was also a website we discussed on the program that will let you find an NFP-only doctor in your area that would probably be more than happy to help.

As far as a Bible app, that’s a sore spot for me.  I would like to have an NAB one just so it more closely matches the Mass readings, but there aren’t really any out there. When I DO use a mobile Bible, it’s usually the YouVersion Bible, but I really am not a huge fan of that one, either.  If I just want the daily Mass readings, I get them from iBreviaryPro or iPieta.

I’ve attached a screen shot of the Catholic apps I currently have on my iPad.  I have a lot more on my phone, but I rarely use a lot of them.

The ultimate Catholic Bible App has become somewhat like the Yeti for me.  I sort of doubt it even exists.

And while I’m looking for a good Bible app, I’m still hopeful that Marquette University will make their NFP resources available as an app to make it easier to track fertility cycles.  That would be awesome, and rumor has it that they may be working on that.

I’m not a handy man, nor have I ever been much of a gardener.  So the fact that not only did I build a square foot garden, but I planted the thing, too, is something of an accomplishment.  Our son Ben was a huge help.  All those years of building with LEGO bricks has made him naturally handy, and he’s quite proud of himself.

A listener told us about Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew last year and after checking it out from the library and thinking about it since last spring, I finally bought my own copy and have been working on putting this all together.

The only “cheats” we did so far was buying starter plants for tomatoes and two kinds of peppers (those are the plants you see already in the picture).  The rest (God willing) will all come from seeds.  In addition to those, we planted cantelope, corn, two kinds of peas, red onions, chives, basil, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, and…something else I can’t remember.  Which isn’t a very good thing.  Guess we’ll find out in a few months.

Have you ever had much luck with something like this?  We’d love to read your gardening advice.

Yesterday on the show we talked with Tony Melendez about his experiences with Pope John Paul II and shared how much of an impact he had on our lives, as well.

While I know some people may not feel as affectionately towards JP2 as we do, I’m still surprised whenever we encounter people who seem to have outright disdain for the man, like in this email from someone who listened to our discussion yesterday.  My comments in red, but we’d be curious to read your take on this.  Do you think this email has any valid points?

I periodically listen to your show.  Recently, I heard a show in which you were fawning over JPII [Fawning implies that we were falling all over ourselves.  I would say we were sharing our appreciation for a loved one, much like we would a grandparent].  While he was loved by the masses, so is Obama [Right off, he lost me at this point.  He may as well have invoked Godwin’s law].   That should not be the sole qualifier for sainthood!

JPII was in charge of our Holy Church when it was scandalized by pedophiles [and he addressed this criminal issue and important changes have been made in the Church to prevent these offenses in the future]. JPII allowed the litany of liturgical abuses to continue under his leadership [I would argue that the blame for many of these abuses falls in the hands of certain bishops, who of course, were under the leadership of JP2]. JPII attempted to change the most holy rosary instead of merely making his mysteries a separate chaplet (like the chaplet of St Michael) [he didn’t “attempt to.”  He did.  And I welcome the change, personally.].  JPII presided over these awful prayer meetings at Assisi; we do not stand side by side with heretics [Is that what Jesus meant in John 17:21?  I’d encourage you to read Ut Unum Sint for more on this].  JPII allowed these rock like concerts to occur under the title “world youth day” [you mean with its emphasis on Eucharistic Adoration and drawing the youth closer to Christ in the Eucharist?].

No doubt that JPII had some very endearing qualities. But proclaiming him a saint (blessed), especially after just a couple of years [it’s been six years now, not two] after his papacy, is possibly scandalous and certainly premature.  It took holy mother church many many years to canonize Robert Bellarmine and there is no comparison to the work he performed to save us (Holy Church) from Protestantism [but because of our modern day society and technology, the work of John Paul II is much more documented and accessible than that of Robert Bellarmine, with whom many Catholics are entirely unfamiliar].

I realize that your wife is a convert and you are a cradle catholic and both post-VatII babies, but there are currently two western Masses (TLM and the Novus ordo). You should explore the difference before clinging so tightly to the new one [you assume we haven’t].  The FSSP has a beautiful Latin rite church in Atlanta [and we’ve been told multiple times by different families that with as loud as some of our kids are, we wouldn’t be overly welcome at such Masses in our area]. You both owe it to yourselves and your children to explore it [we would welcome the opportunity to celebrate in the Latin rite, but in this season of our life it is not possible].

I would be interested in hearing your comments and thanks for the pro life work you both do.

1962 was the year in which Pope John XXIII issued a solemn papal bull, Veterum Sapientia, which confirmed that, as it had been in the past; Latin, it must ever continue to be the language of the Mass and the Roman Catholic Church. Pope John XXIII  specifically rejected the use of a vernacular language as unCatholic and confirmed Sacred Tradition and the dogmatic Council of Trent that anyone who called for the use of any other language in the Mass than the traditional Latin is condemned. [I’m not overly familiar with this last document, so perhaps someone else can chime in on this matter.  UPDATE 3/8/11 – I reviewed this document and it does not include what the email claimed.  See more details in the comments below.].

So what are your thoughts?  I still believe John Paul II is entirely deserving of beatification.  Did he make mistakes?  Certainly.  Could he have done better in some circumstances?  Without a doubt.  But the same could be said for every single saint we honor in the Church today.

This morning I was reading news on my iPad and saw one of Apple’s “iAds” being advertised in the bottom corner.  Normally, like most web surfers, I avoid pop-up ads, but because advertisers are trying to be more creative with their advertising, and making these new iAds more like short games or entertainment, I’ve been curious to see how well different companies implement these features.

The iAd in particular that I saw was for Coldwell Banker Real Estate, and it allowed you to virtually design the perfect place to live.  Not only did it ask about the size of house you’d like, but the amount of neighbors, types of restaurants, and the importance of schools.

One thing it did not include, which was no surprise, was the type and number of Churches you’d like in a potential city or town.

During the years I lived in Columbus, Ohio as a kid, there were a good number of Catholic Churches within a short driving distance.  Living in Atlanta as an adult, the choices are not as many.  Along with that, the ability to send our kids to a parish Catholic school is pretty much an impossibility for many people in many cities.

Jennifer and I often think about relocating to a new city entirely in hopes of giving our children more opportunities in terms of school, activities, and especially their faith community.  If we could pick a perfect home, it would be one located near a Catholic Church with activity communities for young families, older families, singles, married, and the whole gamut of Church life.  We’d love a parish school, and a community that is truly in love with our faith, and that faith is reflected in the entire extended community and not just the Church property.

Does such a place exist?

Not many people know that just a few years ago, we tried to sell our house so that we could move to the Overland Park/Olathe area of Kansas where there are more than 20 parish schools in one county, and all tithing families can send their kids to those schools.

We’ve thought about Front Royal in Virginia, near Christendom college, though we’ve never visited there.

We’ve contemplated Pittsburgh and Steubenville and even Ave Maria, Florida.

Of course, anywhere we’d someday (hopefully) move, we’d only want to do if it was the will of God, and so far God in His wisdom has kept us exactly where we are.  But, still, we feel a tug from time to time.

So what are the best places in the United States, in your opinion, to raise Catholic families, and what would you consider to be the important qualifications for your ideal place to live?

A listener writes:

I’ve been listening to your podcast for a couple of years now and really enjoy getting access to the material.  Thank you, Sirius!

I just listened to the podcast with the NFP doctor and had a couple of questions/suggestions for future shows.  I apologize if you have covered this in past shows, I only have access to the podcasts.

I heard a caller talk about how his wife was not willing to go to NFP classes.  While you were helpful in giving him resources (e.g. sending him to the NFP doctor website and the Marquette one), you didn’t address the other issue that he brought up.  That was the fact that his wife was unwilling to go to classes and trusted her doctor.

When I went to the Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend, I was with 30 other couples.  Of those couples, only a handful had both future spouses being a part of the church.  I think that it would be wonderful if you could address more fully how to work through some of the issues of marriage when you are in a marriage that has a “disparity of cult.”

I would like to try NFP, but my husband is unwilling.  What do you do in that situation?  How do you work through that sort of a marital issue?

I would really appreciate some more content that discusses how to work through the sacrament of marriage with a non-Catholic spouse.  I think that this would be useful for many people.

This is a tough question.  Has anyone else been in this similar situation?  How should she approach this?

A listener has called in before and told us about this really neat sounding boys home.  He’s a big supporter and volunteer at Rancho San Antonio.  Apparently they need help right now.  If you’re looking for a place to offer Lenten almsgiving, this might be a place to consider.

Here’s what Dean had to say about this apostolate:

I have told you about Rancho San Antonio and would like to have a chance to make a shameless plug. They need your help.

I am a 4th degree knight of Columbus.  The Knights have a yearly open house Car show and BBQ this year we are adding a Texas hold em’ tournament $50 bay in.

This is the only Catholic Boys live in facility in Southern California. All the boys are from 12 to 18 and although the facility is government subsidized the needs outweigh the income provided. This is a second chance for the boys. This is the last chance before Jail.

May 1 is the date this year and I know with the 100s of thousands of people that listen to your show, you may bring in the people for the open house and maybe some DONATIONS from your world wide range of listeners.

Please email me to set up an interview. If this is something you are moved to support.

Its all about the boys.

Please get schooled on rancho and make it a part of your show it could be a cover story for Lenten penance.

Go check it out.  And if you can give, please do.

Curry wrote on our Facebook page:

I am not Catholic, I love your show and listen as often as possible and have even won a couple of your contests. I am very interested on a Catholics opinion. Do you think the Catholic church pushes the Catacism the way Mormons push the Book of Mormon? Is there a difference? Both groups seem to hold the books higher than the Bible. IF God’s word was the most important thing, would both organizations push it first?

My response was:

Actually, I completely disagree with that idea entirely because the two books couldn’t be more different. The Book of Mormon includes additional books they’ve added to their cannon of Scripture. The Catechism, however, is an explanation of Scripture itself as understood and taught by the Catholic Church. If you were to look up any subject in the Catechism, you will most likely find links to other encyclicals and teaching, which in turn are teachings based upon Scripture and Tradition of the Catholic Church.

For example, today we quoted the Catechism in regards to openness to life. The Catechism referenced a document called Humana Vitae. If you drill down (http://www.kofc.org/un/catechism/getreftext.action?part=3&sec=2&chap=2&par=2557&fnote=159) you’ll see Humana Vitae references, among other sources, Romans 3:8 in explaining the teaching.

For Catholics, we trust the Catholic Church to help us interpret Scripture. Otherwise, we’d have 10’s of 1000’s of various interpretations of a given passage. The Catechism gives us a central resource to use in conjunction with Scripture to have the confidence that our own individual interpretations match that of centuries of Bible Study and teaching from the Church itself.

So again, when you hear us or someone else reference the Catechism, we’re merely referring to the Catholic Church’s explanation of Scripture itself.

Update

Curry responded again:

thanks for your response Greg. However, so the Catholic church sees no use in the Holy Spirit in interpretation? From what I am hearing, when you as a Catholic read your Bible, you have to have the Catechism there to understand what you’ve just read. Those 10’s of thousands of interpretations belong to the millions of individuals trying to gain knowledge from God. IF there were to be one interpretation, wouldn’t the Bible just be that plain? I am not trying to create confusion, but rather gain insight to how the modern day Catholics utilize the tools that God provided. It as if the Catholic church has removed the need of the Holy Spirt, the Bible, and study all in one fail swoop “the Catechism”.

This is why I try not to engage in debates online.  If you don’t pick the perfect words to create the perfect soundbite, it’s so easily to be misinterpreted.  So I responded again:

Hi Curry. If you’re looking for an understanding of 2,000 years of teaching on Facebook, I think you’re going to be disappointed, especially if you’re looking to me to provide a suitable bite-sized nugget of information to explain Catholicism. But briefly, one fallacy in your approach regarding “tools that God provided” is [neglecting to realize] that the first tool He provided was the Catholic Church. It was the Catholic Church to whom He entrusted Scripture, and it was the Catholic Church at the Council of Hippo that decided which books belonged in the cannon of Scripture. That decision was Holy Spirit. So I am in no way inferring that the Catholic Church sees no use in the Holy Spirit in interpretation. I’m saying that the Holy Spirit interprets through the Catholic Church. You mention “confusion,” but what’s more confusing – an authoritative teaching from the Church (who was given such authority by Christ when He said “What you bind on earth, is bound in heaven, etc.”), or the mis-interpretations of millions of well-intentioned, but self-directed believers? Let me ask you this: If the Holy Spirit inspires you to interpret Scripture, and the Holy Spirit inspires me, and yet we come up with two completely different interpretations, are you suggesting that the Holy Spirit sows confusion? Certainly, the Holy Spirit guides us, but we rely on the Church (the first tool) establish by Jesus Christ to have a complete understanding of the Word of God. I would recommend you Google the Compendium of the Catholic Church or the Catechism itself and read what the Church says in particular about Scripture interpretation. I would also encourage you to check out books like “Catholicism for Dummies” or “What Catholics Really Believe” for better and more thorough explanations that what I’d ever be able to provide on Facebook.

Anything you’d add to the conversation?