St. Basil Catholic Church Brecksville Podcast

St. Joseph's faith, kindness, and compassion in the midst of a turbulent situation is an example for all of us, especially fathers.

Fr. Walt shares a prayer he often prays that helps him use the precious time God has given him.

The depth of our God's compassion - ability to suffer with - is revealed through a look at the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross.  And some bonus thoughts on "Why would a good God allow evil?"

Dcn. Lou shares a street story about staying on the path, and how it relates to the Scriptures' message of repentance and conversion.

There are no coincidences, but there is God's grace. God is at work sometimes behind the scenes, and sometimes right in our faces, bringing good out of evil. 

The Gospel episode of the Good Thief inspires reflections on memory and legacy.

Cindy Russo shares some of the miracles she has experienced through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina and witnesses to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hear Fr. Walt explain the healing grace of the Anointing of the Sick, using Scripture and Tradition. 

A reflection on where wax paper, notebook paper, paper towels, and YOU fall on the absorbency spectrum. 

When Jesus is asked a question, He provides a better answer to a better question. This week those questions and answers are about the Resurrection from the dead.

Parking Lot Rage is real! Director of Evangelization Tommy Dome shares spiritual lessons after reflecting on a peculiar parking lot incident that happened to him.

Fr. Walt asks our parishioners to do the best they can with what they have as we look to enhance the offertories to continue our work of ministries and make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Jeff Campbell from the diocesan Social Action Office presents the major themes from Pope Francis' Encyclical Laudato Si, on Care for our Common Home.

Dcn. Lou shares his experience from serving in downtown Cleveland and how it connects to gratitude.

Listen as guest speaker Therese Holderbaum delivers this personal and informative crash course on angels. They sing God's praises, deliver messages, protect us, and so much more! 

Fr. Walt shares a story of someone crossing the chasm before them to reach out and see the dignity of the vulnerable.

There are different causes for feeling distant from God - some of them good and some of them bad.

Be wise, shrewd, savvy - whatever it takes to enter the Kingdom of God, which should be our first priority.

BEWARE FALSE TEACHERS.  That's a main lesson of the Biblical book of 2 Peter, among a few others.  After 2 mins of background facts, the New Testament Letter of 2 Peter is read in full in just 10 mins.

Tommy Dome shares the story of when a heavenly voice urged him to make a very specific change in his life.

Practical advice and encouragement for undergoing suffering and persecution. After a minute of background facts about this book of the Bible, the New Testament Letter of 1 Peter is read in full.

Hate our mothers and fathers?  Renounce possessions?

Humility, humility, humility. Examples from daily life, some of our great saints, and even the Cleveland Indians. 

After a minute of background facts about this book of the Bible, the New Testament Letter of James is read in full. Timeless wisdom and practical advice calls us out to live as better Christians.

Everyone is invited, but our part is more than just showing up. It's not easy to grow in discipline, but the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Fr. Walt shares a story of profound hope, trust, and joy about seeing death as the necessary door to eternal life with Jesus.

When?  Where?  How?  Common-sense advice on the ins and outs of prayer with Fr. Bryan Norton, S.J.  

All is vanity unless it is related to deepening our relationship with Jesus and loving others for His sake. Christ can give meaning to our activities so do not despair.  

Why does the Church have "so many rules"? Can't I just follow my conscience, or the one Golden Rule?  We dig behind the question and address what's really going on.

Pray. Sometimes it's easy. Pray. Sometimes it seems we can't even get started. Pray. Jesus taught us how and showed us how. Pray.

Fr. Bryan Norton, S.J. shares 3 R's to keep in mind in our joint attempt with God to draw our loved ones back to the Church. After listening, download a packet of practical resources at www.basilthegreat.org/return

Why should I bother being religious if unbelievers can be decent, honest people too? 

The 5min video mentioned in this episode on the Moral Argument for God's existence can be viewed at http://bit.ly/MoralArgument

C.S. Lewis' short essay Man or Rabbit? mentioned in this episode can be read here. 

Fr. Walt shares the story of modern-day Good Samaritan Blessed Stanley Rother, Oklahoman priest martyred in the Guatemalan civil war a few decades ago. The 19-minute documentary is available free on FORMED after you signup at basilthegreat.formed.org.

Some of the Gospels differ in minor details.  Does this mean they are invalidated?  Can we rely on the Bible at all?

Our images of God and images of the Church shape our spiritual lives immensely, so they should be balanced, robust, and take in all of the Scriptural data. 

Fr. Walt discusses enemies and reveals the kind of people whose discipleship and faith inspires him.

Are we free to do what we want or free to do what we ought?  Freedom from vs. Freedom for.

A small adjustment of direction can change the whole trajectory of a life.  Tommy Dome spoke at the Gifts of the Spirit Women's Ministry, sharing stories of a few inflection points in his life that revealed more of who God is and who he is.  

Fr. Bryan Norton, S.J.'s first Mass homily as a priest back here at St. Basil on the feast of Corpus Christi. Included are his personal thank yous to 3 special people at the end.

Every Sunday at Mass we say that Jesus descended into Hell.  Sounds strange or wrong, doesn't it?  Why would Jesus go to hell?  The knots get untwisted using Scripture and the CCC in just 7 minutes.

Top 15 Mass Tips - How do I get the most out of Mass (and why is that a bad question)? w/ Fr. Michael Denk of www.theprodigalfather.org.  Bonus: Recommendations on the best Catholic apps and best videos, talks, and books on the Mass.

College student Dana Dosen shares the pillars needed to keep the Catholic Faith while away at college.  

Why do Catholics call their priests "Father", especially when Jesus Himself says in Matthew 23:9, "Call no one on earth your father..."?

......and that played a part in how you ended up here.

Chris Kerr, Executive Director of the Ignatian Solidarity Network, shares stories and images to awaken in us solidarity - one of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Fr. Walt mentions Scriptural (Mark 6 & James 5) and historical foundations of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

Sr. Anna Rose & Sr. Agnes Therese share spiritual lessons they learned from preparing to run the Cleveland Marathon.  Be sure to listen to the end when Sr. Agnes plays a song she wrote for her sisters and the wider church.

"Remind Me Again..." is a new series briefly covering common topics and questions that you have asked yourself at some point.  Share this episode so more people hear the answer.  "Why confess my sins to a priest?  Can't I just go straight to God?"

Fr. Walt tells a story illustrating the power we can wield for good or evil.

CLE Clinic psychologist Dr. Ted Raddell and his wife Kathleen share wisdom, skills, and really fun stories about how to raise great kids!  Married for 30 years w/ 5 kids from 27-17.