St. Basil Catholic Church Brecksville Podcast

Sometimes our world feels so black and white, but in the Christian life we find so often that it is not always either/or, but both/and. 

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Join Fr. Ryan and Gregory for a conversation about liturgical music, how to pray with music, and Gregory's story.

This podcast is also avaliable as a video podcast: https://youtu.be/waqozcolsX

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Flourish Women's Ministry welcomed Brooke Taylor for a talk on St. Therese. Brooke shares from her own life on how in each day we can grow closer to Jesus through the little way.

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Jesus tells us in the Gospel, you cannot love both God and mammon. How do we look at our money, and in trust give it back to the Lord?

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Fr. Ryan speaks to Men's Ministry sharing what he admires in the good and holy men in his life. 

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It is through the lens of the cross that the suffering of the world is redeemed.  In a world marked with sin, sickness, suffering, and death, let us draw close to our Lord and hold tight to the Cross. 

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The Lord asks us to leave behind everything to follow Him.  When we put other things in the way of following Him, we don't allow for the rush of His love to fall on us.  How can we truly allow the overwhelming love of the Trinity to fall on us?

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Little girls twirl around and ask "am I beautiful?" Little boys wrestle and wonder, "am I strong?" As we grow, the need for love and validation doesn't go away.  Do we allow the Lord to see us and love us? 

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The pick is in! Joe, Cari, and Tommy, to prepare for the upcoming football season did a draft of their own, drafting the saints to play on their team.  Learn about some new saints and consider who would be best for your team! 

Want to try with your family and friends? Download the page here: https://basilthegreat.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Saints-Fantasy-Draft.pdf  

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As we think about our own stories, there are sorrowful, glorious, joyful, and luminous mysteries that have shaped who we are.  Jesus cares about those stories, and wants to understand your heart even more. Can you take the time to sit with Him and share? 

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Aaron Graham, who we welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil this year, shares his story of faith with Fr. Liptak.  From what led him to the Church, what questions people asked him along the way, to how the faith is impacting his daily life now, Aaron shares with us the joy of a life of faith, and why we should not be afraid to share our Catholic faith with those in our lives that are searching.  

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The fire of the Holy Spirit burns within us and animates us, so that when we encounter division we can call upon Him to be with us and bring His love to the world.  

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Through Mary, we are given access to Jesus.  She gives of herself to her Son, saying "this is my body," so that He in turn is able to give the ultimate gift of himself to us, saying "this is My body." 

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Fr. Ryan sits down with parishioners and parents of three, Michael and Mary Beth Jacob to discuss parenting and how they incorporate faith and prayer in their family's life. 

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Our society tells us we need the next thing, fast, bright, shiny, and loud. But what would happen if we waited, and allowed silence to come into our lives and make profound change? 

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Life Teen doesn't stop for the summer, rather it kicks into an amazing time of summer ministry, with camps, conferences, and different opportunities for teens to encounter Christ.  Cari talks with Joe, our youth minister, and Emily, one of our teens, about the graces they received from the Lord this summer. 

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There are different parts of our hearts that work together like a symphony, and though some parts are ready for God to come and be present, other parts are not.  What are the parts of us that are not ready for God? And how can we begin to work on opening those parts up to God?

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Have you heard of a dean? A deanery? Wondering what it means for the Diocese of Cleveland, our deanery, and our Parish? We welcomed Robert Koonce, Director of Deanery Operations for the Diocese of Cleveland, to the podcast to help us understand.  

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In our hearts are many desires, and often we can feel like they are unfulfilled.  Do we truly know what it means to give those desires to our Father, a good dad, who wants to give us everything?

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In OCIA, the team accompanies those questioning and discerning the Catholic faith throughout the year.  Fr. Liptak talks with our seminarian, Matthew Wasinski about his experience helping with OCIA this year and some of those questions that made him think along the way. 

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In the story of Mary and Martha, Jesus calls Martha out of herself and her serving to relaxation and prayer. What is it that we need to be called out of? Fights with a friend? Anxieties about work? Messy homes? Allow Jesus to call you out of it and into His peace.  

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Fr. Ryan welcomes Randi Blanton as our new Office Manager. In this interview, we get to know Randi, her story, and how she ended up here with us at St. Basil the Great Catholic Church in Brecksville, Ohio.

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Who is Jesus? When encounter Him, who is He? Our Lord? Our God? Or our very breath? May we come to know Jesus so closely that He be our very breath. 

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Cari Reagan, Katie Rosen, and Alli Blackburn discuss why it is important to bring kids to Mass, and tips and tricks for how to handle the wiggles and cries, and celebrate the wins as you raise your child in the faith. 

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As the faithful, we do the work of God in our everyday life. At St. Basil, this comes in many ways through many hands in many ministries. 

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Fr. Ryan sits down with our seminarians, Ike Dawson and Dylan Ennis that will be entering the Propaedeutic Immersion Year, a year set apart for their discernment, for deepening prayer, becoming comfortable with silence, and learning to truly listen to the voice of God. 

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Jesus asked Peter and Paul important questions in their journeys of faith.  As we sit with Jesus, will we put down our guards and allow him to ask us "why?"

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When we practice our sports, instruments, arts, we become a better baseball player, trumpeter, or artist. However, when we sit with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament we become more like Him, we become saints.  Cari Reagan shares this message with the 4th-8th grade students in Summer Children's Faith Formation before a time of Eucharistic Adoration. 

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As we gather together around the altar, we approach the Eucharist not merely as individuals, but as a family.  

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Why spend money on a beautiful church rather than giving it to the poor?  Fr. Ryan answers this question for our Life Teen high schoolers.

 

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Guest priest, Fr. Eric Garris, vocation director for the Diocese of Cleveland, shares an inspiring message, helping us to realize that in our givenness, the way we give ourselves to others, we find joy, peace, and the very heart of God. 

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We often misconstrue holiness for perfection or the chorus of angels singing around us.  But holiness looks like living out our everyday life well, and sharing our joy with the Lord. 

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Fr. Ryan and Cari talk about what is new at St. Basil, reflect on the year, and share what is to come.

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Sometimes the Holy Spirit comes in loud, flashy ways.  But often, the Holy Spirit comes in the quiet, gently, helping us through our day, if we are attune to promptings of the Spirit. 

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When we call upon the Holy Spirit, the Lord rushes to our aid to be near, inspire, and lead us through life.  We become more and more like the Lord each time we call upon His name. 

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As we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, we cry out "Come Holy Spirit!" as we ask the Holy Spirit to be present in our lives, guide us, and come in our time of need.  

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Fr. Ryan and Tommy conclude our series, Missionary Disciples in Our Midst, reflecting on Pentecost and how we are sent out like the apostles from the upper room, to be missionary disciples in our daily lives.  

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As we celebrate Christ's Ascension, we remember that He has overcome death and awaits us in heaven.  We also celebrate the anointing of the sick knowing that though our bodies decay, the promise of heaven gives us hope. 

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Fr. Ryan and Tommy continue our series, Missionary Disciples in Our Midst, sharing stories and real life examples of how you can be a missionary disciple in your daily life, especially out and among friends. 

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The magisterium of the Church, the Pope and the bishops, set teachings for us to live by.  While to some, this may seem overbearing, in reality, living within the rules they set allows us to live in the great freedom that Christ gives. 

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We are blessed at St. Basil to have 65 years of history! Fr. Ryan sits down with founding member Patti Barth to talk about the humble beginnings of St. Basil in Central School and the people that have made our parish what it is today.

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In life, we face hardships, and we can either let them knock us down, or we can face them with the Lord and invite him into our struggles. 

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Fr. Ryan and Tommy continue the series Missionary Disciples in Our Midst by discussing our unique stories. We each have a story to share.  Our stories make us who we are and the unique person that is called to evangelize those in our daily lives. 

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During this Mental Health Awareness month, we want to share a talk from the archives.  Luke Brown of Sacred Heart Counseling spoke to our Flourish Women's Ministry in October 2024, sharing about the beauty of emotions, walking through what they really mean, and how to share them with the Lord. 

 

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As a Church, Pope Leo XIV has called us to care for those in need, which we do together as a Church, as mothers caring for their children or as brothers and sisters caring for one another through Catholic Charities. 

 

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In the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles show us how to act on what the Lord tells us. We too, can listen to the voice of God and be His messengers in the world. 

 

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Cari and Tommy discuss the history and biblical evidence for why we have a Pope and the process by which a pope is elected. 

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Inspired by Bishop Malesic's Pastoral Letter, A Flourishing Apostolic Church, Tommy and Fr. Ryan begin a new mini series, Missionary Disciples in Our Midst, sharing the stories of parishioners that are living out their call to be missionary disciples right in our community. In the first episode, they help us to understand that as baptized Christians, we don't have a mission, but by virtue of our baptism, we are the mission, bringing Jesus into the world. 

 

Read the Letter: https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/a-flourishing-apostolic-church/overview 

 

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Fr. Jeffrey Liptak gives us a deeper look into Christ's peace on Divine Mercy Sunday.  

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Cari and Tommy share prayers, stories, and memories of Pope Francis and his pontificate. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord. 

 

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