Answering The Most Googled Questions About Catholicism | The Catholic Talk Show

hey everybody welcome back to another episode of the Catholic Talk Show today we're going to be answering the top 10 questions on Google that's right we're looking at the most common searches of what people are asking about Catholicism in Google and we're going to be answering them for you I wonder what Google would say that the best talk show is online well I should ask right yeah hey Google what's the best Talk Show online Catholic Talk Show Father Richard is much better than father Schmitz the two Ryan's are okay also I can live with Howard foreign [Applause] [Music] really excited about this episode obviously Google's you know got some feedback somewhere right I mean we're number one in Slovenia number one in in Ireland number one and another another place there's an obscure Nation we're number one in Father Richard's mother's heart too yeah that's that's true and we're number one on Google that's pretty cool yeah yeah so Google is a really powerful search engine and you know I think Google really can help you understand the mind of what people are searching for by going in there and looking at the top searches you know I mean their algorithm is built in such a way that it kind of tells you what's the Zeitgeist what's on people's mind um so what we're going to do today is we're going to go in and we're going to see what are the questions that people are most commonly asking about Google so we'll go in and say why do Catholics and then what the you know what it auto finishes as the questions we're going to respond cool nice so um before we do that um you need to click and subscribe to that that's right I mean yeah I mean truly follow us on Facebook Instagram and Twitter yeah first of all Stitch or podbean that's a podcast platform for those of you who are regular people yeah like not living in a cave or something we love our patrons like we couldn't do this without you please check out catholictalkshow forward slash patreon let me see your phone real quick we got some really cool swag including some sweatshirts I know it's getting cold out there guys that's a great time to be a painter girls hey hey Google what should our listeners do click to like share and subscribe button you should also be there you go that's what Google says listen to Google listen to Google knows so I think this is gonna be a fun episode because this again this is showing what the average person is saying why do Catholics do this what is this Catholicism thing all about um so if you're I can't wait to see these auto-generated questions yeah so if you're already Catholic um these will help you answer these questions because these are probably on the minds of people who aren't Catholic around you excellent and if you're not Catholic well hopefully we can give you some answers that you know save you a couple clicks yeah the Googles Taps it exactly clack clickety clack clack all right so when we type in why do Catholics into Google here's the questions that come up so the first one why do Catholics Google search pray to Mary pray too why do Catholics pray to Mary wow I think that's the number one question and I would say it's a very simple thing we pray to Mary because we're asking her intercession not because she's a goddess not because she um and and I think the premise of the question is already off so it's like it's pray through yeah yeah it's it's not that we would pray to Mary we have interaction with Mary but you know again Mary is there as mother to inspire a greater contemplative Gaze on her son Jesus so you know in the same way that you would turn to a pastor or through a pastor to come and encounter Christ you know differently through a different perspective um you know Mary is the fullness of the lens that magnifies the Lord more so than any other Pastor or any other Saint in the history of the world like Mary is set out in that manner yeah and so why it's so widely considered that we pray to Mary and like I mean even even we try to understand why Protestants or other folks who you know know don't pray through Mary right why they would even say that about us without even coming to us and even asking us like going to a source and even asking just the fact that that is not considered among a wide array of face Protestant face yeah I mean they don't even get it right yeah and you know it would be great if you got it right and you had contention there and we agreed to disagree but 95 of the time this that's not even there and that's a legitimate adult conversation you're having and I think more so now than ever people are generally going online and trying to find out more you know so many of the converts to the Catholic faith that I've met over the years you know they're like wow I never realized that that's actually what the church teaches and when that metanoia happens it's like wow you know okay I could see I could see now what's being described in Jesus's desire for us to truly be one and that Oneness is is seen through the intercession of the Saints through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the intercession of one another turning toward each other's poverty and entering into a form of Charity and Outreach that's right and there's some very specific terms that Catholics teach so I think this question is a loaded question I think most people are doing this or saying do Catholics worship Mary that's the underpinning I can you can just tell from the conversations I've had a million times and there's a very technical term that worship and adoration is due to God Alone belonged do not worship Mary in any way shape or form if they do and if they're popular piety gets to the side of worshiping Mary they are Heretics they are wrong and Mary herself would not want that Mary herself only wants her son to be glorified in worship look at what Mary Did In The Wedding Feast of Cana that's right do whatever he says that's right so the terms are there's adoration and worship but what we give to Mary is called hyperdulia which means respect and veneration as the mother of God for her unique role in the participation of salvific history and as a model of fidelity to Christ so she is a model and she is a intercessor you know and I think it's also an important like to understand the time that these that the scriptures were written there was Queen mothers and you'd go you wouldn't go to the king because the king you know you know it could be a little bit serious cut your head off so you asked the queen mother and the queen mother goes and then petitions the King on your behalf so you're not asking the queen because the queen didn't have the right to Grant it but you go to the Queen the King's mother and say hey I'm really having this problem can you help me with this or that and then they go to the king because it's it's a little bit easier coming when you when you think of like a mother turning to her son that's a king and asking for whatever it's like my mother you know you need you need a water heater like okay yeah you know but you know if if if you're looking through through um a conflated kind of uh perception of of what this is all you know and skepticism yeah and skepticism and you know it's just unfortunate because the enrichment of having the Blessed Mother and and looking at Christ through her eyes but then also so having a beautiful relationship with her as mother is is one of the most wonderful things of the spiritual life of the church I look at my mother moved next door to me and I have a bunch of friends in the neighborhood and they all come by and swing by and check on her they they come over and fix stuff because they know that I can't fix anything you know like they they love my mother yeah and and honestly I've become better friends through that with them I'm not saying this is the identical thesis here but what I am saying is that people know me more yeah they know me more my friends know me more because they know my mother yeah that's to Jesus Through Mary you know that's very much you know like a lot of Dynamics yeah for sure and and then I think one last important thing is I mean you will ask your neighbors to pray for you you know if you're going to have a surgery or if you're going through a hard time you lost your job or you got you know big interview coming up or you know you're a kid and you know you got a big Sports you know opportunity or you're trying to get into a college you ask people to pray for you why would you not ask the very Mother of God herself to pray for you as well we are asking Mary pray for us not grant us anything we are saying pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death pray for us go to your son and ask that he granted because you lived a perfectly Immaculate life and we know that you are in heaven with your son so please intercede on our behalf right and all generations will call me blessed is another component of that scripturally is is we are a part of the generation of today that honors Mary and calls her blessed and turns toward her to beseech her for her prayers and really to educate Us in the unique perspective that she has and looking through that particular uh Glimpse in lens is like so informative to the Christian Life and and look at the application of what what delicross was just saying I mean how can you come to those Dynamics and looking at Christ and and his mother without that type of kind of reconciliation yes no beautiful all right so let's get to the next question was that like the first that was the first one these are the suggestions so that's how it works so okay that's the most asked question so here's the next one Google people are asking why do Catholics make the sign of the cross that's a very good interesting I think it's a very unique thing to Catholics though and to the Orthodox I mean most Christians outside of the true church of the Catholic church that's true the Apostolic Church in every respect throughout the lineage of the greater history of the church make the sign of the cross there is variation and we went through that with uh our brother Ukrainian brother my cousin Father Andrew yeah that was awesome so you know the latins you know from Rachel to well no right and then you know he's the blessing great yeah yeah they go backwards yeah catch the blessing one of the things that I've done is a particular devotion for more than a decade is you know I I start the prayer the Latin way and the prayer the the Greek way uh just as a as a miniature constant prayer for for Unity but explain the sign of the cross and how we do it and why we do it well you know the the cross is a symbol for our faith that begins at baptism really when we are signed with the cross and when our parents and our god parents make this sign and and Insignia this this uh this Mark over our personhood that we are going to live a life conformed to the cross of Jesus Christ because what we Face intellectually and spiritually and physically is the reality of suffering and if this is what is going to be experienced firsthand in our human life and ideally we're being baptized as infants we're looking at our suffering through this instrument that is not the definitive end of our human existence the cross you know being an instrument of torture is also an instrument of death of of commissioning death into the world but what Christ has done is conquered death itself through the cross so that he rising from the grave Rises on our behalf to show us that our humanity is not subjected to death in Christ we are subjected through the promise into the Covenant of his blood and his atoning sacrifice we are called to More Than This human existence so the cross is that instrument that is signed over us at baptism and has become a tradition and a custom of even when you are being blessed by a priest who has the proper authority to bless you or when you are blessed by your parents or your god parents in the same manner by making the sign of the cross you are you are entering into your baptismal identity and your life being conformed to that is your blessing yourself through the sign of the cross and invoking The Trinity name of the father in the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit right to God yeah it's the godhead and that until we pray to you that's it and I think every prayer reminding ourselves that we worship a Triune god um and a God who gave poured his life out to to to us and gave himself over to death and torture so that the moment that we receive forgiveness for our sins that we're you know uh just built back up with his love that that was the the Cornerstone for this all to be something that he's given us so the cross is in my opinion it's it's a it's a great sign of contradiction but it's also an immense uh projection of how God loves us that's right it's something else because this is this is a mystery that we could probably just spend an entire sure you know show on so you know not only is it the sign of the cross now it is in the name of the father and what I always this is just kind of personal piety here but you know I what I perceive intellectually is that the father has been revealed to me in the person of Jesus Christ so I can come to intellectually know the father through Jesus Christ so that my mind is being ascended to the father and then the son Jesus entering into our human flesh the incarnational act of God so that the flesh is conquered and disciplined and and at the level of the bowels at the level of the stomach where our stomach can be our God our flesh is addressed by Christ so that there is a certain Redemption active in my in my bowels in my in my stomach that I'm not going to live the appetitive life I want to live the spiritual life so Christ govern me in my repetitive nature draw me more deeply into the spirit and in this in the fruits of the spirit so in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit I'm I'm blessing my arms so that my my hands and my arms may be at the service of the gospel and the fruits of the spirit in in the world so you know there's there's all sorts of iterations of this throughout you know people's personal piety that's just kind of mine um and and it's the same thing when when the Catholics make the sign of the crossover their forehead at the proclamation of the gospel and over their lips and over their heart again we're we're placing these symbols of the cross over the senses and over our lips that we may speak the word of God and over our hearts that it may be contained in the treasury of our heart so here's the next question and this one's kind of late the first why do Catholics pray to Saints so I think we covered a lot of this in our discussion about Mary but I think a really important thing to make a distinction about Catholic theology is that we do not think Saints are dead people we absolutely by the virtue of them being called a saint we believe that they are truly in heaven in the beginning attitude yeah in the presence of God Before the Throne of God and they are are also our intercessors now Saints have particular patronages right in the Catholic tradition so for example I think a really good one is maybe like the saint of um uh like like when someone has cancer they will pray to Saint Peregrine right because Saint Peregrine himself was a saint who suffered from cancer so we're taking somebody who has experienced Something That We're struggling with or something that we're Desiring to grow in Holiness with and who has done it to a level that is approved and pleasing to God and we're asking them give us the same uh intercession to God and ask for the same Graces that you were granted right so it's not like they're little demigods or little Trinkets and like little magical like well we have the god of the force we have the God of this and that and that like the Romans had like a polytheistic approach it's not like that I think the best way to describe it is just going back to the conversation of we're we all ask people to pray for us we hope we all do um the response of that is that we would receive more grace that we would receive through the petitions of those interceding for us that we are asking them in some cases begging them to pray for us right that that would have Merit right before the Throne of God and and that is that is the base of the conversation right you elevate it now to the fact that we as Catholics believe that there are Saints with God in heaven through the course of making Saints and we've done a video on this um that their intercession not only is present but it also has demonstrable impact in lives of people who have asked for their intercession yeah so if anything it's one step below Mary who's the fairest of all right you know and so you that's great and I look you said a lot there that I want to unpack but you said one step below Mary we give worship to God Alone we give hyperdulia to Mary we give Julia to the Saints right right so you're you're super on the market that it's one step below Mary because these are people who cooperated in Grace and who have lived lives of heroic virtue that is you know what I don't understand is if okay you can you can counter this or talk about it or ask the question but to not ask for a saint to intercede for you simply because it's like something you don't believe in it's like why not try like if you're literally moving from your heart you're asking other people for prayer what's so hard for you to say you know what I'm going to enlist or act access this treasury of the majority of Christian history can can expose right through historical you know documents to the Saints I don't understand why people won't try it yeah how do you feel as a father delegross of of your kids entering into a deeper relationship with each other and being supportive to each other and helpful to each other in their suffering as opposed to being the you know the source of of each other's suffering like when you see when you see your kids interacting that way does that not make your heart rejoice yeah it makes me not want to kill him no you're right I mean that's uh uh you know my brothers and I were friends you know our friends now close friends and growing up you know it was not what was not the case so you know you look at that and you hope for their friendship to continue I do think having a large family has helped a lot um and I think the prism of a of a family really showcases the Dynamics of of God as father too and and looking through that sense of of what a family reflects within the sentiments of a father or a mother you know God our heavenly father wants his children to interact at a profoundly deep level of peace and joy and active charity and and and you know love that sense of of what a father desires is really seen in the in the mystery of the Saints and and how God has transformed their affections and their sinfulness to a life of virtue and and heroic virtue really yeah you know and and showcasing that we have now examples we have intercessors and we can relate to people who have that uh tremendous heroic state of virtue that we should strive after yeah and this will be kind of like the technical aspect of this answer is that the church believes that well the Catholic Church teaches that the church is the body of Christ and it's the visible sign of unity of the Holy Spirit and that there is three divisions or three unique states of being in the church there's the church militant which militant means in action still which is us on earth right then there is the church suffering and that is the Church of the people who are in purgatory being uh purified of their sins so they're part of the church still because they haven't received Eternal damnation they are going to get to heaven one day but they are suffering and then there is the church triumphant and the church triumphant is they are in their Triumph they have won the race they are in heaven and God has granted them through the mercy of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice place in the cross a place in the father's house they are in Triumph so we as the church militant are praying through the intercession of the church triumphant and we can also be praying to God on behalf of the church suffering so it's really praying for The Souls of purgatory is is a charitable act while we're here on Earth because we're family we're all part of the the true Union of all of our souls as the body of Christ and that there is this interplay of prayers between for and on behalf of so reversely you know looking at it this in this in opposite direction you know looking at people after they you know after these apostles die it's like you know what value do they have or you know these people that live heroic like what value do they have and it's like almost like we strip the Dignity of their human life from them when we we aren't honoring them or referencing them um and in the same way that we would go to a cemetery and visit it a loved one and remember them with with the utmost ache and longing um you know God desires that for for our interaction with all people and when I go to the cemetery it's not just about my family members it's about walking around and respecting the people that are there because there's still dignity to human life not only from conception but even in the state of death there's still dignity tied to the human person and and there's something that is is reverential toward God in that respect all right so next question and this is you know I mean I can see why these are the top questions in Google because they're very you know kind of fundamental so why do Catholics eat fish on Friday number one fish is delicious we don't eat fish on Friday anymore as a church well yes we do we should we should and it's not very particularly just on you know lent or Advent where we would employ some form of uh discipline to our appetites but really you know this is something that should be exercised year round is uh you know and has been a fast in the church for a greater majority of church history yeah I mean look if you look in scripture and you look at the Old Testament and even look at uh our Lord's Ministry I mean fasting is an enormous part of seeking Holiness and um and you mentioned this earlier in your in your devotion your personal Devotion to making the sound of crosses um controlling your repetitive nature and making sacrifices of the body so that you can greater have a greater Focus On Christ now why do Catholics eat fish specifically doesn't have to be fish but traditionally fish was or a vegetarian diet really yeah but like traditionally fish was free right any peasant any person can go down to the Waterside and get a fish but to have meat or chicken meant an investment of time or if you were living in like the Medieval Times you know to get meat you had to go hunt on state-owned land if you wanted to kill a stag you had to go to the king's land and get permission and eating meat was a feast right what this is is an act of sacrifice on Fridays specifically to help us on Fridays in memory of our Lord's sacrifice but very specifically in Lent in preparation for Easter that we are making these sacrifices to prepare ourselves to really fully enter into the Paschal mystery when Easter happens yep yep that's it that's it that's it it's awesome it's a pretty this is a pretty simple one yeah yeah it's yeah and and um I mean honestly what you said was Way Beyond what it was perfect but you made a good point that we don't eat fish necessarily anymore now that discipline has been waived by the Bishops um you know which is their prerogative to do where you are still to make a different penitential act on a Friday it doesn't have to be abstinence it could be prayer it could be prayer it could be service it could be abstinence from something else maybe you instead you have a very strong affinity for coffee or smoking or whatever it is or or like you know you're making a sacrifice to tie your body to the memory of our Lord's um you know suffering yeah when we relax these things though it's like just goes out the window you know and I just hope that more and more Bishops so much can be gained the after the practice of fasting not just for our own personal um relationship with God uh but but also as a church I think if if we come together and fast together as a church you know obviously that has to be promoted um you know by Bishops by their priests uh you know I'm not sure how that works on a parish level if you can come in and say it if The Bishop's not you know saying it or whatever but you know I you know you look at uh Exodus 90 I mean that that is a fraternity that develops out of fasting right at that point that is like in in tens of thousands of guys have done this and you talk to a guy that's done it they've got Brothers man yeah you know I was over at Nick's house the other day and then he came in and you know I'm like how do you guys know each other well you know we we did Exodus 90 together you know and that really formed a bomb with us that is I think a fundamental relationship point for a lot of people in the church to do that with each other to support each other yeah that's right yeah and that's a great Point Exodus 90. Exodus 90 is one of the sponsors of our show and it is an app that helps men find Holiness and to get themselves closer to God through some very core fundamental practices inspired by the desert fathers of the early church and that's prayer fraternity and asceticism and asceticism encompasses things like fasting Corporal um cold showers so what it does is you're using all these practices that was developed by these ancient Church fathers living in the desert to kill the competitive nature of the person and to then instead desire a hunger for God right and a desire for food that never goes bad right the word of the Lord and the body and blood of Christ so if you go to catholictalkshow.com forward slash Exodus you can check out the app and it's really great like Brian said tens of thousands of men have used this app to number one find fraternity find other men who are willing to make sacrifices to make themselves better and build us aside in a culture where you have strong men who believe in God and believe in virtue it's also about asceticism you know this gives you a very concrete program to get yourself back and reoriented towards God and then prayer it teaches you a lot of great different prayer practices to really um again Focus your mind Focus your your heart towards God so go to Exodus 9 catholictalkship.com forward slash Exodus and you can try the app for free and I mean even if you're sitting there thinking 90 days guys like nah I'll pass on 90 days there's so many other things too like they have daily gospel Reflections they have different Parable presentations they have different programs for you that's going to meet you exactly where you are on your journey that hopefully you gear up for that full 90 days but no doubt the effect has been seen all over the world and by all different types of communities that have responded to the challenge of entering into a time of Exodus to exit the world and to enter more deeply into the spiritual life when we talk about entering more deeply into the spiritual life what you're doing is you're you're getting rid of clutter disciplining the senses but you're also allowing and presenting room to be inspired for prayer which is our next sponsor Hollow we're very grateful for them as we all have the app we all use the app but having that space to include and introduce more prayer into your life while you cut yourself away from some of these things man what a what a wonderful way to to do like a little yin and yang for yourself in prayer it's true and and hallow provides you the Habit you know it really it's very easy to fall into to bad habits but this creates a habit of prayer and utilizing it every day there's such a diversity of what it offers you know whether it's gospel Reflections or listening to Jonathan Rooney who plays you know in the chosen as Christ himself and his voice is just so captivating as you know we had him on the show and he said the Our Father in Aramaic and it was one of the most impactful experiences of our of our time doing the show you know but they've got Mark Wahlberg and all these you know top level Catholic speakers on there that provide all sorts of instruments true holiday that was awesome wow yeah true holiday my boy how about that is he with the the Pelicans he's a great shooter but he's also one of the top defenders in the in the league yeah I mean Hollow is the number one Prayer app in the app store they have had over a billion prayers prayed through this app I mean that is a staggering amount of billions I mean it's the amount of a billion is so much bigger than a million the mind really can't even grab it it's like a million Millions that's right no I don't know I'm just saying but it's crazy but this app has a thousand Millions remember the rain man over here why did numbers matter because I think it shows you the impact that it's had in society that over a billion prayers have been prayed through this and that can't be a bad thing so go to catholictosha.com forward slash um Hollow h-a-l-l-o-w to download and try the ad for free all these apps you can try out for free see if they work for you and we're halfway through our list um I'm thinking like all right there's gonna be some weird stuff on here no I don't think so these are it's pretty straightforward and you could just see that this is this isn't coming from Catholics this is really coming from Catholic non-catholics or very poorly catechized Catholics or people trying to get back maybe yeah yeah that's not for their curiosity yeah so the next time the next top question is why do Catholics baptize babies so infant baptism again is just another example of where the church is questioned on our practice and it's very important to realize the uh the patrimony of our faith you know when when we have children we want them to be protected but we all also want them to also be raised in the practice of the faith you know there's there's one way to nurture a child and that's to nurture them with love and if the fullness of Love entered into the world and the person of Jesus Christ children need to be exposed and immersed in that love from the very very beginning and you know utilizing the relationships that the faith needs to flourish in the role of parent and God parent is Paramount to our development and and it's not just an honorary title it's like no I choose my Godparent you know to that I choose the Godparent of my child because I know for a fact that that Godparent is going to help raise my child in the practice of the faith it's not just an honorary thing that's given away yeah and the other thing too is like um if you have a godparent that's not praying or maybe he's falling away from the faith that's a great way to bring them back is to say let's sit down let's go out to dinner and sit down and pray for you know our my my son and your godson and you know there's just a lot there to build off of each other too as well in a community but you know specifically about baptizing infants you know this I think this question is coming from a lot of people in the Baptist tradition they'll even have some traditions where they have a re-baptism of people you know who are baptized you know but we profess one baptism for the Forgiveness of sins and it's scriptural you can look in the book of Acts where Peter is staying with uh you know the house and he converts the head of the house the father and then the whole household is baptized family servants and children right from the very beginning yeah it's it's biblical realize yeah and Catholics do not believe that baptism is merely a empty words and a gesture there is Graces conferred concretely that make an indelible mark on your spirit and on your soul that are not just a platitude they are making a definitive change to this character of your soul why would we not give that to babies the second that we can to give our children to God and have them adopted through the waters of baptism into the life of Jesus Christ I don't want to get into a debate but you could also say the same for the Eucharist in my opinion absolutely so with that being said let's see instruments of initiation so baptism Eucharist and Confirmation the completion of baptism is all associated with the progress of you know one being claimed for Christ and original sin being washed away you know and realizing the effects of Jesus Christ's sacrifice and what that means to our Humanity but then one professing the name of Christ and making a solemn profession you know as as one who has reason and I have come to know and believe and I am confirmed in the faith and now I am signed and I and I'm willingly going to live the mysteries of so it the way that the church does it there's such wisdom in its practice I think we could go into like the restored order maybe you know move I think we're waiting a little too long for our children to be confirmed I think you know when our children receive reconciliation this is another little tangential piece you know we shouldn't have the kids celebrating first reconciliation six months before they receive the Eucharist or three months or they're going to receive first reconciliation at school at Catholic School like that's a terrible thing like no the kids need to receive first reconciliation in the church and when they receive first reconciliation they immediately need to receive that's right the first communion and then in that respect too they need to be confirmed if they can rationally say and intellectually say that that is Jesus I've come to realize that the Eucharist is Jesus and I've had this encounter what's preventing them in their same ability to profess the faith and I love the restored order to move back in that direction so that we're not confirming kids like you know 13 adolescent like Rebellion but that's a great idea let's confirm these kids when they're most rebellious yeah I have a hot take I don't know if it's a hot take but it's probably not what is happening in the church is that confirmation should happen at baptism because I view confirmation as the sacrament of the Holy Spirit and the sacrament of apostolic succession right you are the bishop has to confer confirmation whether it's through his faculties or him personally and it's also confirmation is very much you know a sign a lasting reminder at Pentecost where we are given the Holy Spirit through the chrismation so we're saying yes we believe in you know if you're looking at the four marks of the church one Holy Catholic and Apostolic this is bringing us together in the Oneness of the Holy Spirit and the apostolic nature of it so that should happen at the same time as Baptist there isn't an error in that you know there's no problem exactly and it's a practice of the East without a doubt but I I believe the the Pastoral decision of the Bishops which makes a lot of sense too though yeah so the Pastoral decision is that you know now they're of the Age of Reason it gives us a chance also to actually have contact with the families and the kids you know and hopefully get them in the practice of living giving the faith going to confession receiving the Eucharist understanding the profession of the faith so I'm definitely for the restored order not so much uh you know to do the the Eastern approach yeah it's just the danger is that it can become kind of a graduation ceremony that's the problem yeah that's exactly the problem and look at when First Holy communions happen and look at what confirmations happen for the most part yeah you know when you get out of grade school and it's like okay I've graduated and how many people I know who said well man I've been a church since confirmation because you get confirmed at 13 14 your hormones go crazy you start smoking weed and finding girls and growing your hair out and going hitchhiking these are all very specific speak for yourself what yeah it sounds like you're speaking about it then you get married and then you realize that you got to get your life together you know to you know help your wife and your young child and you're 22 and you're like dude what are you doing with your life get better get back to church like wow I haven't been here since confirmation like that's a really common story right it is it was mine yeah it's a lot of people's it's a lot of people but you know baptizing infants again it's like we really truly believe that baptism is being is we're being reborn in the death of the waters and being reborn in Christ and we would absolutely be remiss and honestly I would say bad if we wouldn't want to give that to our child the second that we could negligent yeah and it is and there's a there's a definite now that doesn't mean that we just go baptized because my mother-in-law did that once a baby was born she she's you know it's like hey look you know you can wait a week or so let's make sure we you know kind of I don't know say that growing up my grandmother would not let any of us out of the house until we were baptized she'd be like she'd like Karen you take that kid you take that you take that baby out of the house before it's baptized and it gets pneumonia and dies and goes to hell good job you're bad so I mean it's like dude 10 eight days like and I like I always think of no no I love it I mean you got me thinking about my grandparents yeah that's what that's how they did it that generation man I missed that that's good I missed that um so next question why do Catholics like candles why do Catholics light candles yeah oh they're beautiful they smell great yeah you know I'm gonna light a candle right now it's actually a great idea I've just been stiff in the chrism there's a lot about baptism there's a lot of symbolic value in this there's um you know the the work of bees I mean the the lighting of candles goes back to the ancient practices of any form of ritual but also just the Practical elements of of what this means uh you know to being able to see the ritual books and and um but beyond that you know making a votive uh you know offering in this manner putting a light to something that is is dark for you and and you've got a certain darkness in your life that you can't see beyond and and you don't know how to address it or approach it you light a candle in a holy place in a sanctuary and a shrine you're you're lighting a candle just asking God like I can't really see here please you know I I light this candle and petition to you God to have mercy and and help show me the way um you know and that's certainly why I like candles and I love the a true candle you know like we have great candle vote of uh yeah you can find these on everythingcatholic.com these are the ones that we have in the studio scented candles we were just talking about baptism man it is it is quite a smell you want to make a place holy man yeah you know here's something I think that non-catholics misunderstand they see a candle they see a picture they see a statue they see holy water and they say oh you guys are pagans you're worshiping this and that or whatever yes like we're worshiping mentals but they misunderstand that our God is merciful right our God is giving us the mercy and understanding that we are incarnational beings who have bodies and who have senses he created our senses and he's allowing us to use these senses to focus ourselves on him and asking for his mercy and Grace so when we light a candle in prayer it's not a magic spell it's not like Hocus Pocus I light this candle and all of a sudden my wish comes true it's not you're not rubbing a Genie's lamp what you're doing is you're using the physical created world in the work of human hands and the work of the bees to create something that focuses your heart and mind on prayer and it becomes also a sacramental if they're blessed that the light itself is an archetype of Christ's light breaking through the darkness and that light can bless you and senses again to focus on God and the Trinity this is the created order not give praise to God yeah like the created ordered absolutely gives praise dolphins and water creatures bless the Lord the Sun and Moon bless the Lord win and chill bless the Lord I was going to say when we were at Mass this morning I was looking um under the statue of Mary uh and there was votive candles lit uh my perception was that those were prayers yes and and that elicited my me literally putting those prayers on the Altar for them on their behalf and interceding also to Mary that these people have you know they've not only asked you to intercede for them but they've actually made the sort of the physical act of lighting this candle and putting it in front of you I mean like that's a beautiful way to sort of um physically display your prayerfulness and I think it also encapsulates physically what's going on in somebody's Soul when they're asking for that murder too as well and we've talked a lot about father tetlo you know and what he went through what he's gone through with uh with his procedure and stuff and you know when I went down to the mission grounds I was walking through and and you know going on to the sacred acre and looking to the left they have all of those votive candles and seeing his name written father tevo father Tablo Father tell father teller and you know that impacts me because I I mean I love the guy I'm I'm praying as well and it's like to see so many people just offering prayers to what you're saying it just really encourages and inspires and it's like wow like God you're really moving yeah the hearts of people to to Rally around this you know I had something that was really I feel revelatory to me so I don't know I was I dropped my son Johnny off at school and I was thinking man I just love that can I do anything for him you know and sometimes God could be a very obscure a very hidden God you know but then I the thought occurred to me that how you love your son Johnny as a father that is how God loves you with that intense gentle and generous fatherhood and most people you know they say he's you know think of God as you know old white man in the world throwing lightning bolts every time you masturbate that's not good right how many people think of God in our modern culture that God is just out to Smite you it's not God loves you with all the tenderness that you love your children with with an infinite degree more that's got to be worth a dollar don't you I don't think so that's um that was very good but if God is so generous and so merciful and so understanding and he loves us so tenderly wouldn't he let us have all these things that help bring us closer to him wouldn't he say here's light here's a candle here's something that'll Focus you and put you at peace here's here's some incense here's some insults you know here's here is my mother who will intercede on your behalf here is an image that you can then Focus your mind on me here's a rosary from Ave Rosary you know that you could pray with here's beautiful chance created by the mind of Hearts of great musicians all these things are mercies that he lavishes on us and people who are just looking to be contrarian to the church because that is the I guess the um the path that their family's history has put them in or maybe their particular catechesis has brought them to they're denying this lavish mercy and love that the father's putting on them and what the tradition upholds like there has to be a certain level of respect and like recognition like wow this has been happening for 2000 years like something's kind of being said here yeah and what I love about all this is like this is what actually people are searching for so I I'd rather this than like not even caring you know like they're generally curious yeah so this one's gonna hit near and dear to you why do Catholic priests not marry why do Catholic priests spend their entire life alone in bed eating the Lord's Chips why do you do this I'm still trying to figure it out no it's it's an invitation you know like when it comes to Priestly celibacy why do Catholic priests have to be celibate is the next one in line you know um you know the whole sense is like it's an invitation into greater communion with Christ Christ himself was celibate and living out the celibate call his life was ordered toward living the Heavenly reality and yeah it's like something that is definitely not appealing to the worldly view of of one's life and but when it is an invitation of Christ and Christ calls you know those who choose the state and follow him is an invitation to yes a challenging life but also one that is extremely beautiful and powerful and mysterious that that is ecstatic in moments of the depths of communion that you can have with Christ in the middle of your in in the middle of your suffering your struggle yeah I mean Saint Paul says it in scripture I mean celibacy has a long history as a devotion as a way of consecrating yourself and as a way of really entering into in a deep way the participation of the ministry of God and the priesthood whether you're looking at the priesthood the the you know of Aaron in the Old Testament whether you're looking at the nazarites in the Old Testament who made all these kinds of sacrifices or you're looking at the words of Saint Paul I mean or the contemporaries of Jesus and John the Baptist and the essene community 100 yeah like you know celibacy has been a reality John the Beloved and the traditions of the church and being celibate and being singularly devoted you know being singularly devoted and I'm glad that you brought up Saint Paul too is you know like to live you know in in that exclusivistic manner uh in communion with Christ and and answering more deeply into that mystery is is really a privilege and an honor yeah and there is a lot of Catholic priests who do get married very much in the East whether you're looking at the you know the Byzantine and the ruthenian and you know all the the Eastern right churches there's also a lot of married Catholic churches who are converts from anglicanism who are in the ordinariat we had a great uh episode with Father Justin yeah that was a great conversation Catholic priests do marry but the majority of them do not voluntarily this is not like a this is not dogmatic this is a voluntary life decision you know that you guys make that's true yeah so where are we going next so the next question from Googles why do Catholic priests wear black aside from it being the coolest color right absolutely it's certainly my favorite color and it's the thing that's you know most populated in my technically it's not a color it's the absence of God it says the colorblind guy that's the only one I get so what's your favorite color too and it's an absent from you and me so I mean this goes this goes together with you know like why do priests wear blacks why do people why do priests wear collars why do they wear robes why you know and I'm sure that that's a curious thing for for all sorts of people that are not Catholic or even Catholic you know why you know why does a priest kind of stand out like that well first and foremost you know we get our ecclesiastical Garb the sense of church garment or church Garb what priests wear from an ecclesiastical tradition that's rooted in Academia actually because for the most part priests were the educated people in a community they were the ones who were driving education they were the ones who were driving Health Care they were the ones driving all sorts of uh you know societal initiatives to to minister to the poor so all sorts of things so they needed to be identifiable and and it was primarily like academic Garb so that's where the Catholic originally comes from but you know as as time goes on you know like like the sense of what this represents to me personally and and what it you know helps me with is that it reminds me of my death to self like I I've died to myself and it helps remind me of that um you think he doesn't want to wear neon yellow Nike shirts with you know blue stripes and all kinds of colors tough the Hawaiian Miami absolutely honestly what I really want to wear is a Vince Carter Jersey yeah but he doesn't he does that for you he wears I wear the jersey for me no but it's you know it's that sense of of dying to self you know um and you know the the collar and what I love about the wise like you know it's it's reflecting on you know I'm governed by the the resurrection like my my you know I'm I'm being shepherded by Christ the chief Shepherd the the Good Shepherd who's who's really really you know collared me you know in a way and and it and I'm governed by that like I'm directed by that um which which I appreciate and the Lord knows I need a collar you know in all reality like I need that what is that color called this is a a Roman cop a Roman college and a Roman collar you know look if you're looking at like the 1500s it was common fashion like just a regular dude walked down the street that was like wearing a tie and it was all it was cloth yeah you know and it goes all the way around the neck keep the neck sweat off the Garment it's the a lot of the stuff is practical yeah and a lot of it comes from triz you know the Traditions but then they kept on wearing it and then as fashion changed they stood out more and more and then it kind of took on more meaning it became like well you know I mean if you walk down the street and you saw someone wearing a top hat and a three-piece suit you'd be like what's up with this dude that's only 100 years ago that was common but now like wow that person must be doing something very special they must be going to a gala ball conducting an orchestra there's something that stands out and it's the same kind of concept with the Roman collar with even the vestments they were common wear and then as fashion moved on and you know they stayed in the same kind of clothes it became unique and then they kind of has this different historical Divergence to where it develops on its own and that's what I love about the Transcendence of what we do and the practice of the faith is that we have customs and we have Traditions that we still retain yeah and and there is a sense of timelessness you know in respect to what we wear and what we do and there should be that associated with the Liturgy so when you come to the robes that we wear and to you know copes Investments and we've done shows on this stuff which we highly recommend taking a look at and we could probably throw some hyperlinks in there you know hyperlinks what is this 1999 well speaking of 1999 you know in the 70s it wasn't like 70s 80s it wasn't popular to wear a Catholic and clerical attire but you know then matric come Matrix comes out and no you know and then like everybody's cooling all these young priests want to wear uh you know a classic not to do away with what uh you know the Vatican II did but you know it's uh it's cool to wear a classic yeah check me out yeah I mean in 100 years you might have like well look of course we wear hoodies this is what priests wear you know yeah and we're wearing something futuristic we had a bunch of young priests in my Parish in Houston big shout out to Father Chad I know you listen father Anderson these guys wear Classics like to the store you know and I'm just like whoa dude that is bull bro like that I mean that is like so bold you know but they just walk around just like whatever you know I tell you what it stops people when there's tracks so like I I remember going into the hospital with two sisters the national Dominicans they were visiting the kids at St Joseph Academy and I'm dressed in like a suit collar and we're walking down the middle of the hospital man and like doctors nurses you know Executives and you know like people are just like out getting out of the way and we were going through the hospital to go visit this kid that her heart stopped and I mean it was beautiful when we walked down chills just up and down my body and we went and prayed over her and the the effective the fullness of of the church ministry meeting her with or a sister related to religious consecrated women that that are meeting her in prayer and that feminine deposit of consolation and then you know the being the priest and chaplain of of you know that that student it was just it was an awesome it was an awesome experience and we need to we need to retain that we need to get that you know get that back yeah I just did a search on why do nuns on Google and it's cover their hair wear habits wear veils right and I think there's something very you can infer that people are asking this because priests and sisters do stand out and you are wearing clerical clothes as assigned to the world that you are set apart that you are set apart to service and consecration to why do nuns have male names well they used to yeah yeah so they still do yeah yeah but yeah like that's so funny and and but but it's and it may be confusing to people but again like you may have like if for example look at how many men choose a woman's name like Maria like Saint John Maria event Indiana um you know if I were to if I had a name that I would choose to like if at some point like I had to choose a name and I became religiously professed I bet you I know I know for a fact faustina would be in my mouth Foster is a cool name do you know faustina's middle name I remember that like super clear but even Saint faustina her name comes from saying Faust right yep yeah so I had a nun I had an aunt her name was Saint John Mary and and one of the most I can't say like the can I say badass sure is that is that a lab or is that a dollar it's worth a dollar but it's going to a good cause all right it's going to the capital campaign let it flow um but sister Thomas Aquinas man oh yeah she's a sister of Saint Joseph man she just she was incredible I just love and she was so inspiring and she was like the the principal at BK just like a real strong powerful woman man and and a great leader so let's end the episode with let's see what Google says about us why the Catholic Talk show it's it's bad why is the Catholic Talk Show bad let's see why is the Catholic Talk show ing reruns well that's kind of cool oh okay why let's see the Catholic talk show hosts YouTube and Fatima that's what people are looking for us on there that's cool they want to know about us they want to know and Spain so by the time this episode airs we might very well be in Fatima Fatima nice so well this was an enjoyable one you know I didn't know that all about Google and stuff but uh it's really refreshing and encouraging to see what people are searching for as it relates to the Catholic faith it creates a wonderful opportunity to evangelize and catechize what the church actually teaches and we hope that this has been that for you and you know connecting with you in this way gives us a wonderful you know access into the digital world where some of these questions are being asked yeah and I think more priests and Bishops should look at the stuff and use this kind of intuitive nature say what are people asking because one of the things I've said for years is that too often the church answering questions that nobody's asking they're going out and saying well you know here and they're giving this big thing and no one's asking that people are um asking very specific things they have very specific needs and if you could meet them where those needs and those questions are that's it's it's way more practical than right isn't it it is way more practical great Point yeah it's a great Point way more private and you know what's way more practical for you to do right now is click the little thumbs up sign for us give us a little love online share some uh you know positive feedback and spread the word on Facebook Instagram and Twitter continue to subscribe on all of our platforms and if you're considering becoming a financial supporter of the show go to catholictalkshow.com forward slash patreon you'll see all the ways that you could support us all the different tiers and we've got some awesome gear we want to send your way like coffee cups and hoodies and so much more vampire slaying kits were in in Vogue for a little while too but uh what's in Vogue always each and every week is the Catholic Talk Show and we want to make sure that you're going to tune in next week and we'll see you later God bless thank you for watching the cow next week father rich is great by the way [Music] through [Music]

Channel: The Catholic Talk Show

Views: 80,397

Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Podcast, Catholic Talk Show, Ryan Scheel, Ryan DellaCrosse, Father Rich Pagano, Catholic Radio, Catholic TV, Catholic Show, Matt Fradd, Mike Schmitz, Robert Barron, Catholic Answers, Catholic Stuff You Should Know, Bishop Barron, Breaking In The Habit, Catholicism

Id: QCqfwX4i4-A

Length: 59min 21sec (3561 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 09 2023