Playing for the One Whose Image You Bear

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Nong Chapay, everyone.
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Welcome to season two, episode two of Versual Alto, our Faith in Sports Podcast.
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My name is Father Burke Masters, pastor of St.
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Isaac Jokes Church in Hinsdale, Illinois, and Catholic chaplain to the Chicago Cubs.
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Bishop James Wall and the Bishop of the Diocese of Gallup, located in the states of Arizona and New Mexico.
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And Mike Sweeney, former Major League ball player and uh proud Catholic husband and father out here in San Diego, California.
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Well, let's begin as we always do in prayer.
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Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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Amen.
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Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the joyful example of your servant, St.
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Pierre Giorgio Frasati.
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Pierre Giorgio never tired of striving boldly to go higher and deeper in faith, prayer, and love.
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He cherished your presence in his family, friends, the mountains he loved to climb, the poor he visited, and especially in the Holy Eucharist.
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May we too go toward the heights of our Catholic faith, and by example bring others to your church through Christ our Lord.
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Amen.
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The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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So this is probably the most challenging uh podcast we've had to do.
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We're in uh not only different countries, time zones, different days.
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Um, so it is what is it, Wednesday morning here.
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We're in Rome, Italy.
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And Mike, you just got back from Miami, Florida.
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Yeah.
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So it's it's technically Tuesday night at 9 p.m.
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And uh we're we're filming, but um my body's on uh Miami East Coast time, so I think we're all on fumes.
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You guys are just waking up in Rome, Italy.
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Yeah and uh I'm I'm getting ready to head to bed.
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But uh I'm really excited.
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Yeah, I'm really excited.
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I've heard from a lot of our listeners that they're really enjoying this podcast, so it's been a it's been a joy, even even when we're on fumes to kind of pour into this and and share our love for Christ.
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Yeah, so we have this beautiful tiger striped uh hotel in in Rome.
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Um kind of we yesterday we were just in uh Orvieto, uh Italy, and the um is that a cathedral or basilica there?
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I remember.
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That's a good question.
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But the outside of the cathedral looks like this, but horizontal stripes.
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It's it's very unique but beautiful.
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And inside the church is a uh Eucharistic miracle that happened in 1263, amazing.
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And um, we were able to set up the mass in that morning.
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Uh, and they and then since we had two bishops with us, Bishop Spees from Juliet and Bishop All were there with us, and um they were able to celebrate Mass right in front of the Eucharistic miracle, which was pretty powerful.
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That was a close moment yesterday.
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Yeah, I thought I I'd been there probably 20 years ago, and we had Mass in the crypt, and I thought that's where we were gonna go, and we show up and they say, Oh, no, this is where you're gonna you're gonna go, and it's it's the place to be because it has the the corporal from the the Eucharistic miracle, and then the the whole connection with uh Thomas Aquinas.
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Yeah, and he he spent time there, and um the I think it was the host the Holy Father asked him to to compose these these hymns uh to Eucharistic hymns, which we're all very familiar with.
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Uh the Tanto Miracle, Osataris, and a number of other uh Panji Lingua.
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Panje Lingua was there too.
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So this is year after the the miracle, the Eucharistic miracle.
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And it's uh it's an amazing place.
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Beautiful.
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I think it's one of the most beautiful churches in the world.
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And the frescoes inside are very intact.
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The facade of the church is is stunning.
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We're gonna we'll have Suzanne put some pictures up so people can see, and maybe we have a nice picture of us, all of us, the the bishops, priests, and deacons uh during mass.
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And the people just people just loved it.
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Beautiful place.
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If you ever get a chance to be in Umbria, so it's just like a CC is in Umbria, I highly recommend going to Orvieto, the church in Orvieto.
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Yeah, I I went to Orvieto a few years ago when I was on a pilgrimage to Rome, and uh it it took my breath away going into that beautiful church, and yeah, it does look like that background, Father Burke.
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And uh it's up on the hill, right?
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It's this beautiful church.
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You kind of walk up the pathway, and it's just breathtaking.
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It's what is it, just a little bit north of Rome.
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Is that correct?
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Yes, it's about a two-hour drive here to Rome uh yesterday.
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Yeah, so we started, we flew into Athens, um, we went to uh Corinth, and then we took a boat uh through the Greek islands and went to Patmos, where you know Saint John wrote the book of Revelation, and then we went to uh morning, we morning we went to Ephesus and Ephesus and the East.
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We started the morning, yeah.
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We started the morning with Saint John and Our Lady at Ephesus, that's where our lady's house is.
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So the that whole day was Saint John and Our Lady and Mary.
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Yeah, it's on Saturday.
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See the house where Mary lived.
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Yeah, Father Burke and Bishop, can you share with our um our viewers or listeners about the miracle that took place what about 800 years ago in Orvieto?
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I think it's a remarkable story.
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And I mean, even scientists that are not Catholic and Christian have tried to disprove it and they don't they don't know how to do that.
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Yeah, there was a priest, Bohemian, German.
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I read a couple different things, and he was having some doubts concerning the real presence in the Eucharist.
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And as he was elevating the host, it started to bleed, and it bled onto the corporal, and that's what's that's what they that they have today.
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So that was the the Eucharistic miracle that took place, not in Orvieto, not too far from it, but I guess the Holy Father at the time was here and asked for it to come here.
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So it's it's remained here ever since.
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And that's as we were sharing with our pilgrims, it's one of many miracles.
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So it was it was beautiful.
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Yesterday morning we were in Assisi and we visited the tomb of now Saint Carlo Acudis, who did a you know, this 15, 14, or 15-year-old young man who died of leukemia, uh, went to Mass every day after his first communion and uh made a website of all these Eucharistic miracles all over the world.
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And so to go from that right to then Orvieto, where there was a Eucharistic miracle that he had, you know, documented on his website.
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He died only 20 years ago, and uh, so all of these connections to the Eucharistic miracles.
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And so I know we have a few non-Catholics on our pilgrimage who have come with spouses or friends, and uh even one of our guides um who is Jewish, I was speaking to him on the bus ride, and you know, he was fascinated by it.
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And uh he's like, I I need to learn more about this, you know.
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And I said, as you know, I wasn't raised Catholic, and when I started hearing about these Eucharistic miracles, you know, as a a math guy, I'm like, okay, this is either the craziest thing that people are making up, or if it's true, then I really need to take this seriously.
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And uh, of course, you know what site I I came out on, and it's not one miracle in Orvieto, they're all over the world.
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And uh they they've had scientists study these miracles.
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Many of them don't know what they're looking at, but they'll say that is the the mark the muscle muscle of a heart, human heart that has been tortured.
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It's always the same.
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And that blood is human blood, type A B blood, which interestingly is the same blood they found on the shroud of Turin, which they believe to be Jesus' uh you know, burial cloth.
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And so all of these connections, you know, there's so many people that say faith and sp and uh science don't go together.
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Well, this is one of those places where science backs up what our faith tells us.
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Yeah, it's amazing.
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Absolutely amazing.
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Yeah, so they they um there's a number of books out there, but I think I thought it was incredible that the morning we were looking at Carlos Okutis.
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We went to his tomb, and he was the one that put this, the whole thing about the Eucharistic miracles, in order to evangelize and catechise people.
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And then here in the afternoon, we're at one of the most famous of all the Eucharistic miracles in Orvieto.
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Yeah.
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And then this morning um we were supposed to have mass with the Holy Father.
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Uh, and of course, I'm sure everybody you know heard the news that he was diagnosed with uh lung cancer.
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They did uh surgery, sounds like they it was early detection.
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We're hoping that that's he's gonna recover fully and completely.
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And so uh we pray for him today, and then so we're switching plans a little bit.
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Uh instead of going to Mass at St.
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Peter's Square, we're gonna go to St.
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Mary Major, one of the four major basilicas.
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Bishop Wall is gonna be our celebrant.
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It's great having two bishops, so they kind of alternate being the celebrant, and then there's four of us taking turns uh preaching.
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And so uh yeah, the the trip has been amazing, not only following the footsteps of St.
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Paul, but uh also you know getting a side trip to a CC and that just the beauty and depth of our faith is incredible.
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Hey Bishop, did you get to uh celebrate Mass on your birthday on Sunday?
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I did.
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I understand.
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Not celebrate.
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You celebrate Mass every day of your life, excuse me.
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I was the principal celebrant.
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Father Burke, yeah, did Father Burke give you the privilege to preach?
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Yeah, he did.
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I it was we were on a boat.
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It was probably the least most impressive place we've been.
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And uh we were on a boat.
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We were we were we were coming into the port in Santorini, and so I I I was a principal celebrant, I got to preach my birthday, and and I got to ride a donkey on my birthday too.
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So in Santorini, they have these donkeys that go up the up the hill.
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Yeah, you can either take the cable car, but um, I've done this before.
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So we we rode we rode donkeys for my birthday.
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It was fun.
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A little adventure.
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You've been there, Mike?
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Um, I have not, but I've seen a lot of pictures, and I that's on one of my bucket lists.
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Yeah, we'll we can post one of those pictures too.
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Uh it's pretty pretty funny.
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Our donkeys were uh were racing up the hill, and uh mine mine kept biting his donkey, didn't want him to go by.
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It's like they're like I think they were sisters.
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They were um these competitive mules uh who had a mind of their own.
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Mine kept stopping and went to eat trash, and then she was eating rocks.
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How about you, Mike?
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Donkeys.
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Uh for hey, first of all, we're only about 10 minutes into this, but I've been laughing and underneath my breath.
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Bishop's a little bit closer to the camera, so he looks kind of like Buddy the Elf.
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He's a little bigger.
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And Father Burke.
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There we go.
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Father Burke looks like Papa Elf in the background.
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I'm sure our viewers are gonna comment on that.
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Either Bishop Wall's been working out and put on 40 pounds of muscle, and Father Burke's been starting to put him 40 pounds of something else.
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What do you do?
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Father and pasta and everything.
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Yeah, just a little optical, a little optical illusion with Father Burke and Factory.
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It's like a fun house in here.
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No, we're sitting actually we're sitting in my room and uh it's early in the morning for us, so we had to uh figure out what to do with because there's only one chair.
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So I got the chair, I got the catheter, and the burst.
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There we go.
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Little little things that make you smile when you got no wind in the sail.
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But for me, Father Burke.
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Um so I just got back late yesterday after a busy summer and fall coaching a Royal Scout team.
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And my son Donovan and a bunch of his friends were uh were on the team.
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And it's pretty cool.
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About seven of the boys on the team I've coached since they were like eight years old, nine years old on the San Diego Saints Catholic Christian baseball organization that I founded.
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And they're all high school kids.
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Um, they're getting ready to play their last year of high school baseball, and they they've been playing on a really competitive team.
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And um, I kind of let them go about maybe four or four years ago.
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And uh they got together and said, Hey, Coach Mike, this is our last summer that we could play summer ball, you know, scout ball or travel baseball.
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Um, would you mind what do you think about coaching us?
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And the leader of the organization, a wonderful man, asked me if I could help mentor him as well, kind of in the way that I coach kids, which is Christ-centered.
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Love them.
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That's it, love them.
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And their job is to love each other.
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Like, that's it.
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And uh to make a long story short, um, when this summer began, we had two kids that were committed to college on the team.
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And I prophesied.
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I said, guys, uh, parents, by the end of the fall, my dream and my goal will be that every kid on this team is committed to play college baseball.
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And we went out, we won a couple big tournaments, the kids played really well together.
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We demanded a certain level of baseball, how kids play with humility, uh, play with love for each other.
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And then I simply love the boys.
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I wasn't dropping F-bombs and you know, screaming at kids.
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I just built them up and made them believe that they could be the players that God created them to be.
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So, to make a long story short, a bunch of colleges said, Hey, we like what the brand of baseball that you demand.
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So we hitched our trailers to your pickup truck and we followed you around all summer, all fall.
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And about maybe 10 days ago, our last kid on the team, uh, Will Blanton, signed a baseball scholarship with the University of San Diego, making our entire roster Division I commits.
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Every one of them.
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So we just got home late last night.
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I'll I'll send a couple pictures of um the summer, what we got to experience.
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But the highlight on Sunday, I had a bunch of the kids go to mass with me.
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And I started to love on them.
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And when you love on them and then you invite them, many of the kids aren't even Catholic, and they're like, Yeah, this guy loves me.
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He's he's bearing the fruit of Jesus Christ, and he's inviting me to go to a church.
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Like, I'm in.
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So I bet probably half the team or more has gone to church with me over the summer, and the kids we pray before every game, and it's just it's been an awesome summer, but now I'm I'm exhausted, I'm on feet, I'm in fumes.
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But now it's time for me to pour into Shara and the kid and the rest of the family because we have five other kids, as you all know.
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But um, but yeah, so I feel like a chapter is been closed, but the fruit of it is spending a lot of the summer with my son Donovan, forming him, showing him, showing him what it looks like on a daily basis to be his father and not putting on a show, but simply living out who I am.
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Starting every morning with Father Burke's devotion, praying our nightly rosary, going to daily mass, going to Sunday Mass, inviting his teammates, and you know, just seeing what it looks like to be a Catholic man up close with nobody else there.
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So it's been an awesome run and uh now get a focus on the family.
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Awesome.
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Now I can't help the Blanton name.
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There was a pitcher in the major leagues named Blanton.
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Is that the same same family?
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No relation to Joe Blanton.
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Uh Joe Blanton's up in Napa making wine now.
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Okay.
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He's uh a winemaker.
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Um, but Will Blanton is a great young man.
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Um, he and his mother were at Mass with us just a couple days ago at the uh Basilica of St.
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Edward in like uh Mar-a-Lago area in um in Florida.
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It was just stunning.
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But um, but yeah, he's his dad played college football at San Diego State, mom, all American soccer player at UCLA, so the kids got good genes.
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But most importantly, he loves Christ and he had a great summer.
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US USD is the Catholic school, right?
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That's the Catholic school.
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That's right.
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The Catholic one.
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USD, yeah.
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Great.
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It's wonderful.
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Yeah, great kids.
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So mission accomplished.
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Um I'm all said.
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I'm I'm excited to learn from you guys.
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Uh fill me in a little bit more about how you guys are doing, Father Burke and Bishop.
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Well, I want to share with you, you've inspired some of the men in my parish uh that are looking.
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I know uh I think Joe spoke to you about starting a Catholic uh travel team in our area.
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And uh I bet it's gonna take off, you know, once we get the groundwork laid.
00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:40.960
So if there's people listening out there and you feel called, it might be something to to consider, you know, to combine faith and sports with your with your children.
00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:43.359
They're not mutual, mutually exclusive.
00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:55.359
And I think that's what we're trying to, one of the things we're trying to show here in this podcast that you can love the Lord, you can be faithful, uh disciples of Christ, and be competitive, love sports.
00:17:55.519 --> 00:18:01.920
And uh I think oftentimes people see those as uh that they're mutually exclusive and they're not.
00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.039
Amen.
00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:03.839
Amen.
00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:12.720
Yeah, and I reminded the kids, I said, hey, you guys are the number one team in America, and it's so cool that all of you are gonna have a chance to play college baseball.
00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:19.839
But I said, before I'm done coaching this last game, I want you to know, like I want to be with you all forever in heaven.
00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:24.240
And there's only one way to get there, and that's through the cross of Jesus Christ.
00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:24.640
Yeah.
00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:27.680
And I tell the boys, I I told them I loved them.
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:30.960
It's been one of the more special summers of my life.
00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:41.519
And um, you know, I'm I told them I hope and pray that this is not the end, that I'll be invited to your wedding someday, or some of you get baptized, want to come into the church.
00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:45.599
Like maybe I could be a sponsor or just someone to cheer you on.
00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:47.759
So maybe they're or their ordination.
00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:49.839
Or oh, amen.
00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:50.960
Or the ordination.
00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:53.119
Ordination would be even better.
00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:53.680
Yeah.
00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:55.440
So that's that's the supreme goal.
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.119
Whatever the Lord wants for them, huh?
00:18:58.240 --> 00:18:58.720
They can eat.
00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:06.640
They can take over this podcast in years to come when they're uh pro ball players and uh and faithful Catholics.
00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:07.599
Amen.
00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:13.599
We'll be all old guys and old folks home sitting at rocking chairs and listening to it.
00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:14.720
The latest.
00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:18.799
This is season 47 of a sual alto.
00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:21.279
Uh where am I?
00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:26.240
So let's uh talk a little.
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:33.680
I mean, we're already talking sports, but uh, we're in the middle of the the ALCS and NLCS.
00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:43.200
Um the Brewers are up 2-0 on the Dodgers, and uh Tampa Bay and uh the Guardians are are locked up one.
00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:50.799
So um we we haven't been able to watch much of it, obviously, being over here, but we're definitely keeping track of the scores.
00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:58.960
And Milwaukee, you know, seems like they're the the real deal, and uh took the first two games from the Dodgers.
00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:05.680
So and that and we had we have a bunch of obviously we have a bunch of Chicago people, and we have some diehard Sox fans.
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:13.359
Yeah, and so you know they went up 2-0 and away, they won, they went away, and then they ended up losing the next three.
00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:16.799
And so I think people were were pretty excited about the whole thing.
00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:20.880
Yeah, and then it's uh yeah, it's not a what was that Sunday morning or something?
00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:24.559
It wasn't a it wasn't pretty, it wasn't a pretty day for some of our people.
00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:29.119
And we have about four or five Cleveland fans on board.
00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:32.880
Oh man, they're they're very quiet, they're not saying anything.
00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:39.119
They're all they're all keeping it to the live in our area now, but they're from Cleveland and uh yeah, they've they've been good.
00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.359
They haven't rubbed it in in the Sox fans.
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:44.960
Yeah, they'll they'll like pull you aside and go, I'm I'm a Cleveland fan.
00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:46.640
Like they're going to confession.
00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:48.640
And it's pretty funny.
00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:52.480
But uh yeah, the buses were all they had a lot, a lot of Sox people.
00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:52.960
Yeah.
00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:59.759
So I don't know if the Cubby's fans turned into Cleveland fans or not, but no, I I think for the most part, there's a few of them.
00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:01.279
Yeah, there's we got a few of them.
00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:06.640
If you're not from Chicago, there's there are a lot of people who you cannot like both teams.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:09.680
Um, and if you like one, you have to hate the other one.
00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:17.200
But uh I think many of us are well, if if our team doesn't win, we'll pull for the other team in town.
00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:23.519
But it's uh that they'll say in Chicago, if you're a true Cub fan, you cannot like the White Sox, and vice versa.
00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:26.160
So but yeah, they had two two games at home.
00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:27.839
All they had to do was win one.
00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:35.759
And yeah, on the other side of the coin, you know, after the last three years, for them to make it this far was kind of miraculous.
00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:44.319
And they're already saying had they won the World Series this year, that would have been the first miracle of Pope Leo being a big white socks fan.
00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:45.519
I love it.
00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:46.240
Yeah.
00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:50.559
So yeah, tough, tough week for Sox fans on the on the field.
00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:57.680
And then, of course, with our Holy Father uh and his health situation, uh our prayers go out to him.
00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:59.839
Yeah, we need to make sure we lift him up.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:05.279
Up I got a text in the middle of the night from my Aunt Betsy, and she was following.
00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:10.400
She's said, sorry about uh Pope uh Leo, so I know that she's praying for him.
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:15.279
People all around the world are praying for him, praying for his for his healing.
00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:16.480
Yeah, it's important.
00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:20.319
There's probably nobody prayed for more in the world than the Pope.
00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:21.519
He's at every mass.
00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:25.359
Every mass every corner of the world, yeah.
00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:26.400
So cool.
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:30.160
I know as as bishops, you know, you and Bishop Dennis here.
00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:48.720
I I know uh Bishop Dennis has talked about like you feel that when people are praying for you at every mass in your diocese, you know, and it's uh it's a real prayer, it's not just make-believe wishing, it's uh it's real and uh fortifying.
00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:54.240
Yeah, sometimes I'll go to our schools or talk to the young people, the little ones, and I'll go, Do you ever hear at Mass?
00:22:54.319 --> 00:22:55.440
I go, What's the name of our Pope?
00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.480
And they'll say Leo.
00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:58.000
I said, What's the name of our bishop?
00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:01.440
And they'll let they'll think and think and think, and somebody usually go, James.
00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:04.880
I'm like, I'm that James, I'm the guy you're praying for.
00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:05.759
Thank you for that.
00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:06.319
Yeah.
00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:08.000
Yeah.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.160
So any thoughts on the playoffs there, Mike?
00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:13.920
I know you've been running around too.
00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:19.440
Yeah, I I it looks like we're gonna have probably a new World Series champion, but you can't count the Dodgers out.
00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:27.119
You know, they've won, I think it's what is it, eight of the last nine American League or National League West titles.
00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:29.920
They've been they've won two consecutive World Series.
00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:33.279
Uh they're down two and oh, but you can't you can't count them out.
00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:34.640
They're so deep.
00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:37.599
But um, but yeah, I think it'll be cool.
00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:43.200
I mean, Tampa Bay was one of the hottest teams in in the regular season, and and so was Milwaukee.
00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:45.039
And they play a different brand of baseball.
00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:49.279
They kind of go old school, they do little things, they don't strike out a lot.
00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:52.319
You know, they slug, but they they bun a lot, you know.
00:23:52.400 --> 00:24:00.640
They they really um value pitching, and they're two of the best teams in baseball, and they're two of the last four survivors.
00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:03.759
So, you know, in today's game, it drives me nuts.
00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:11.039
I'm sure the White Sox fans were going crazy, striking out 21 times in the final game, right?
00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:12.480
Um, against Cleveland.
00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:17.359
But they I think they struck out like 73 times in the last four games of the series.
00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:23.039
It's it's unreal this to see the number of strikeouts, but they kind of lived and died by slug.
00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:25.359
And that's kind of a new philosophy.
00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:27.119
Like, hey, let's swing up.
00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:31.599
If we if we if we capitalize on clicking a ball, it's gonna count for a run.
00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:45.839
But I think the real teams, I think baseball will soon correct itself back to true baseball, kind of old school baseball, playing small ball, you know, we talk about during your spiritual spring training, not striking out.
00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:50.640
Um, yeah, hitting the ball hard, not far, and and letting the game, you know.
00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:52.880
I always said, Father Burke, you probably know.
00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:56.079
I always tried to hit doubles when I was playing.
00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:03.119
And once in a while, that double would get a little more backspin and end up, you know, in the fourth or fifth row.
00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:07.200
But I never tried to hit home runs because when I did, I was gonna swing and miss.
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:08.880
But yeah, something kind of crazy.
00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:14.960
I think the shortstop Montgomery for the uh White Sox set a new major league record.
00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:19.599
I think he had 230 strikeouts in in the season.
00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:23.440
And I I I the kids were asking me, how many times do you strike out?
00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:24.720
I'm like, not many.
00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:26.960
What was the most strikeouts you had in one year?
00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:29.519
I said, I think it was like 65.
00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.599
So you compare it 65 to 230.
00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:36.960
It's like, man, what's what's a better ball player?
00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:37.920
I don't know.
00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:38.559
Yeah.
00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:41.519
I love I love when they put just put the ball in play.
00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:46.240
Yeah, when the DPAX went in 23 when they went to the World Series, that's what they were doing.
00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:50.000
They were putting the ball in play and making and they're creating chaos on the bases.
00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:51.839
Yeah, and that's a fun game.
00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:55.359
It's fun to you know to watch the long ball every once in a while.
00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:59.200
It's really exciting, like a goal in soccer or something like that.
00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:06.480
Yeah, but I love it when they just put put the ball in play like uh the the uh the the Cardinals back in the in the 80s.
00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:08.319
Yeah, that was so much fun.
00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:09.759
Our friend Vince Coleman.
00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:13.680
Yeah, Ozzy Smith, Willie McGee, Willie McGee.
00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:23.119
Yeah, yeah, those guys, and as a pitcher, you feel that pressure, you know, like anytime somebody gets on base, I gotta be thinking about him rather than the hitter.
00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:25.519
And they're they're running, they're bunting.
00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:26.720
How many times this year?
00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:32.799
I I just I don't any game I was watching, second and third, nobody out, and they can't get him in.
00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:38.079
You know, they're swinging and missing, strike out, strike out, yeah, or a guy on second with nobody out.
00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:40.240
You try to hit behind him, they get him to third.
00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:46.559
Guys are you know, ground ball to third base, nobody moves, and the inning just kind of you just feel that.
00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:54.240
And so the fundamentals I think are you know, uh it's they're they're lacking big time.
00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:58.079
Um and we were talking uh where were we in?
00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:00.240
We were in Crete, I think.
00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:07.759
We started talking about you know the five there's five teams we found out that have never won a World Series.
00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:11.359
Uh I don't know, Mike, if you if you if you know those offhand.
00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:13.920
I know the Padres never have.
00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:18.160
Yeah, the Padres, two of them are still alive now.
00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:19.759
The The Rays?
00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:22.720
Ray and Rays Milwaukee?
00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:24.079
Yeah, Milwaukee.
00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:25.039
Yeah.
00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:28.480
Um the Rockies.
00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:29.680
The Rockies.
00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:33.200
And what was the fifth one?
00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:34.640
Seattle.
00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:35.440
Oh, yes, yeah.
00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:37.039
That was the one we keep forgetting.
00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:37.359
Yeah.
00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:38.480
That was always the last one.
00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:40.960
Seattle, I think, because last year they were so close last year.
00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:42.079
Last year, yeah.
00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.960
They were they were an inch away a couple points winning it all.
00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:51.440
Yeah, and so this this will be big if it's Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.
00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:55.279
One, you'll definitely have a new World Series winner that's never won it.
00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:01.599
But also, I think they're showing, as you're talking like, they're going back to the old way of playing baseball.
00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:15.839
And the off-season's gonna be interesting because they're two small market teams, and uh, you know, there's there's this maybe a potential lockout over, you know, salary cap and all that.
00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:20.160
And it'd be an argument against the salary cap, I guess.
00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:22.880
So it's gonna be very interesting to see what happens here.
00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:29.440
If the Dodgers come back and win, I think that's gonna be another reason to say, okay, this we gotta do something.
00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:37.200
But if Milwaukee or Tampa wins, people are gonna say they did it with without paying too much, you know.
00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:38.480
Exactly.
00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:39.680
Fascinating.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:40.400
You're right.
00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:41.519
You're right.
00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:45.039
Well let's how about how about how about football, Father Burke?
00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:47.359
We got a couple undefeated teams.
00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:58.799
Um none of our teams, but you got the Kansas City Chiefs, and what I think our our buddy John Lynch is an incredible architect up in the Bay Area at San Francisco.
00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:05.119
I still have to get my 49ers uh mug to give shout outs to John.
00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:10.400
My my Eagles uh blown two games in a row and we're two and three.
00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:13.200
Just remember, you're not the Arizona Cardinals.
00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:22.160
So we're paying$35 million to uh to Kyler Murray so he can lead the uh the Minnesota Vikings right now.
00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:22.960
They're five and oh.
00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:29.440
Yeah, they're five and oh, and then we just traded away our number four pick.
00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:30.480
Overall pick.
00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:31.839
Yeah, number our number one pick.
00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:34.559
It was the fourth pick uh just a couple of years ago.
00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:41.119
We traded them away um for a second rounder, a seventh rounder, and I think we we we threw in a six.
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:42.720
I don't know, we gave them a pick too.
00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:45.839
We're a mess, an absolute mess.
00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:51.839
So anybody out there, if you're ever feeling bad about your sports fans, just remember you're not an Arizona Cardinal fan.
00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:53.839
And you're not a San Diego Chargers fan.
00:29:58.559 --> 00:29:58.880
I know.
00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:01.359
Well, our team left town about eight years ago.
00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:05.279
They're up about 110 miles north of here, and they're all in five.
00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:14.559
And Philip Rivers is coaching high school football in Alabama, so yeah, we we can't we can get a little bit worse in the Arizona Dime, uh, Arizona, what do you call them, Cardinals?
00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:16.319
Yeah, yeah.
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:19.119
Yeah, we were playing the spaceship.
00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:33.759
We were in Santorini uh celebrating his birthday, had a nice dinner with uh uh uh friends from the the group, and uh we're getting back to get on the cable car to go back down to the to the boat.
00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:37.920
And uh I'm watching the Eagles game just to score, you know.
00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:41.839
I'm like, oh, they they kicked a field goal uh with eight seconds.
00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:43.680
Eight seconds left, they're gonna win it.
00:30:44.079 --> 00:30:47.839
I turn off the game, put it in my pocket, I'm like, oh they they've got this.
00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:55.440
We we get on the boat, and I they they heard me say, and I I can't believe they lost that game.
00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:00.720
Uh and yeah, so were they ready to throw you overboard like Jonah?
00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:01.759
Exactly.
00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:04.400
Who's who's the one who has it?
00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:09.759
I might be like Bishop Wall, I might be turning the page on the NFL season early this this year.
00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:11.920
Players and Wildcats are playing well though.
00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:19.680
So Mississippi State uh Mississippi State uh plays LSU this coming week in football.
00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:25.440
So uh we're Lane Kiffin's having a rough time down in LSU.
00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:27.759
It's an expensive rough time.
00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:28.559
Oh, yeah.
00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:36.000
And then my nephew, one of the highlights of the football season for me, my nephew Alec Anderson, number 70 for the Buffalo Bills.
00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:41.839
He's assumed a starting position uh at left guard, and he's playing his heart out, man.
00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:46.559
He's played almost, I think, every snap of the season, and he's doing great.
00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:47.759
So I'm really proud of him.
00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:53.759
Proud of Alec for living out his faith, and uh he's a wonderful practicing Catholic, so praise God.
00:31:54.160 --> 00:31:54.799
Yeah, that's great.
00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:55.680
Great news.
00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:57.440
Yeah, he's easy to root for.
00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:00.400
He's a bit of a junkyard dog the way he plays, too.
00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:01.839
Yeah, he is.
00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:03.440
He's a dog, all right.
00:32:03.839 --> 00:32:09.200
And Buffalo, I think they're one of the teams that have never won a Super Bowl, right?
00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:15.599
Uh and sorry to the Buffalo fans that might be rubbing salt in a wound, but um, yeah, we'll have to look that up.
00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:20.319
I'm sure there's maybe a handful of NFL teams who've never won a Super Bowl.
00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:27.759
We're the longest suffering major sports franchise over hockey, football, basketball, and baseball.
00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:30.079
We're just a little longer than Cleveland.
00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:31.519
The Arizona Cardinals.
00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:34.160
Yeah, and we're just gonna continue to suffer.
00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:39.599
Well, let's uh let's find some hope in the midst of suffering here.
00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:40.240
Amen.
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:40.960
Here we go.
00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:41.759
Let's go to the word.
00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:43.279
Let's go to the gospel.
00:32:43.839 --> 00:32:44.400
Exactly.
00:32:44.559 --> 00:32:56.960
We're now in the 29th week of ordinary time, so we're just a month away from our, you know, there's 33 weeks of ordinary time, and then Christ the King, and then we go into Advent, which hard to believe that's coming.
00:32:57.200 --> 00:33:01.200
And we're two months away from you turning 60, which is really exciting.
00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:03.440
Even though you look like you're 40.
00:33:03.680 --> 00:33:04.880
That's crazy.
00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:08.240
All right, Bishop, kick us off on uh Sundays week.
00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:17.039
Yeah, we're continue with with uh Matthew's gospel, and we've had this, you know, Jesus is preparing himself to move into his paschal mystery.
00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:23.039
And so we've had these three, four weeks of Jesus really calling to task the religious leaders.
00:33:23.119 --> 00:33:27.759
And if we go back into the Old Testament, we see that over and over and over again.
00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:36.720
Uh the Lord sends his messengers, the prophets, and he really calls the leadership to task because where the leaders go, the people will follow.
00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:44.799
And so they're not leading them in the in a righteous path, but they're leading them off the path, and they're living off of them as well.
00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:48.000
So Jesus is really calling them to task.
00:33:48.240 --> 00:33:56.400
And so you can see here each week them just getting more and more upset with Jesus because he's he's speaking the truth.
00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:59.519
He's speaking it in charity, but he's speaking the truth to him.
00:33:59.839 --> 00:34:07.920
And so here we go that says, at the very beginning, the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:10.320
And so here's the trick, what they try to do.
00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:11.920
They think they're going to trip him up.
00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:19.599
And they they say, Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:25.519
And are you not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status?
00:34:25.760 --> 00:34:28.000
And then here's the here's the dilemma.
00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:30.320
Tell us then, what is your opinion?
00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:34.960
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?
00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:37.440
And so think about that question.
00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:49.199
So the the um they're trying to discredit them, him in front of the the eyes of the people, or they're trying to get him in trouble with the Roman authorities because they're under Roman rule.
00:34:49.519 --> 00:35:00.639
And um, and so think about it if Jesus says, you know, pay the tax, then if he's paying the tax, then they're gonna say, oh, well, he's in cahoots with the Roman authorities.
00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:08.480
Um if he says, don't pay the tax, um that and that would so how that would discredit him in the eyes of the people.
00:35:08.559 --> 00:35:16.400
If he says, don't pay the tax, then he's what's gonna happen is he's going to uh he's gonna get in trouble with the Roman authorities.
00:35:16.559 --> 00:35:20.800
So one way or the other, you know, in those, the way they see it, how that's gonna happen.
00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:28.719
Jesus is gonna get himself in trouble, either with the people or with um with the the Roman authorities.
00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:31.599
And so he simply just asks for a coin.
00:35:31.760 --> 00:35:38.960
It says they hand him a Roman coin, and he says, Who image whose image is is on this and whose inscription?
00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:51.039
So you have the Roman authority, image of the Roman authority on there, and Jesus simply says, It's it has his image on it, will render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, render unto God what is God.
00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:55.840
I think this is key, especially when we think about how each of one of us are created.
00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:58.719
We're all created in the image and likeness of God.
00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:01.440
So God's stamp is on us.
00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:07.760
So we want to render our entire life, everything, my heart, my soul, everything.
00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:11.920
We want to render that unto God and and to give him glory.
00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:14.159
So look, coin, okay.
00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:17.519
This is this belongs to the Roman Emperor, this belongs to the Roman.
00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:20.000
Well, give the coin to him.
00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:26.960
But when we think about our our entire being and who we are, everything has to be rendered unto the Lord.
00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:28.320
It's just everything.
00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:33.519
That's that's really at the heart of everything that we do, but even at the heart of this gospel.
00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:37.360
And you kind of transfer that over into the into the pro-life work, you know.
00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:42.000
Each person created in the is created in the image and likeness of God.
00:36:42.159 --> 00:36:46.400
And God's the author and the giver of all human life.
00:36:46.639 --> 00:36:50.960
And so we want to make sure that uh we respect that in all ways.
00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:58.239
And we don't want to try to get in the way of God and his work in some of these things.
00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:01.119
Abortion does that, right?
00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:04.079
Abortion says that, okay, I'm the I'm the author of life.
00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:08.960
I decide when life ends or when life um well, when life begins.
00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:11.519
Uh, we think about the use of contraception.
00:37:11.760 --> 00:37:13.199
Uh again, the same thing.
00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:16.800
You know, the marital act should always be open to the gift of life.
00:37:16.960 --> 00:37:21.199
We've got a great example of our buddy here, Ian Shar, with six beautiful kids.
00:37:21.360 --> 00:37:24.320
And then we also think about you know, something like IVF.
00:37:24.559 --> 00:37:44.880
I know it's a difficult thing when people are unable to conceive and have children, but um, you know, IDF, um, although it might eventually work in um producing a child, and it there are so many lives that are destroyed trying to get to that point.
00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:59.199
And so I always like to say, especially for couples that are struggling with that, Paul VI Institute, the Heilders method, helps um women uh their bodies do what it's naturally called to do.
00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:13.119
And I think a lot of that has to do with, you know, in our society, maybe a girl's 13, 14 years old, she goes, she's having a little acne or whatever, she goes to the um to the doctor, and so many of these doctors right away, well, let's put you on the pill.
00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:14.400
That will take care of that.
00:38:14.559 --> 00:38:28.719
Well, what that does is that also tells your body, no, no, no, that shuts it all down from something beautiful that it can naturally do, which is also, you know, to cooperate with God in produce in producing life.
00:38:28.880 --> 00:38:31.920
And so then then it comes time they say, okay, women have children now.
00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:36.000
We've been telling your body for 10, 15 years, no, no, no.
00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:36.880
Makes it harder.
00:38:36.960 --> 00:38:39.599
So then people go the root of IVF.
00:38:39.840 --> 00:38:42.400
I know I'm on my soapbox here, but I think it's really important.
00:38:42.480 --> 00:38:43.920
They go to the root of IVF.
00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:47.760
And IVF's not pro-life, although that's kind of been said in our society today.
00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:52.239
IVF is not pro-life, it actually destroys uh quite quite a bit of life.
00:38:52.320 --> 00:39:00.480
So Hilders Method, Paul Visix Institute, uh just always be open to the gift of life because God's image is stamped upon us.
00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:08.159
It's not anything against, I know we may have listeners who have children through IVF, and it's nothing against your children.
00:39:08.320 --> 00:39:16.400
Uh, what we're speaking about is as Bishop's saying, that they they normally fertilize many eggs, and then those eggs get discarded.
00:39:16.480 --> 00:39:22.400
Uh, and we believe life begins at conception and should be within the marital act.
00:39:22.559 --> 00:39:29.920
So this is pro-life month, and uh, so I think it's a an important topic that often people are afraid to touch.
00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:37.280
And they say, I remember uh uh in my church we we talk about it, and you know, people say, why are they talking politics?
00:39:37.519 --> 00:39:50.960
This isn't politics, this is it's a it's a moral issue, and and so we want to be sensitive to anyone who may be struggling with this issue, maybe you had an abortion or IVF, and uh we want to encourage you to talk to somebody about it.
00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:57.599
You know, there's there's uh priests and there's Catholic medical professionals that can talk to you about that.
00:39:57.679 --> 00:40:05.519
So yeah, if you've if you had an abortion, Rachel's Vineyard is a phenomenal uh three-day ministry retreat.
00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:06.800
I used to be involved in it.
00:40:06.960 --> 00:40:08.079
My team still does that.
00:40:08.159 --> 00:40:11.199
This team that I started with in Phoenix, it's all over the country.
00:40:11.280 --> 00:40:12.159
You just go online.
00:40:12.400 --> 00:40:24.960
Again, we'll have Suzanne put it put it in in the notes, but Rachel's Vineyard is a great way of uh bringing about healing and experiencing God's mercy because um two things can happen.
00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:28.880
One is people can say, oh, it's just a simple, simple little procedure.
00:40:29.039 --> 00:40:33.679
Well, we know it's not, and then we we experience the fallout of that after that.
00:40:33.840 --> 00:40:36.159
And then sometimes people might believe the lie.
00:40:36.239 --> 00:40:46.159
Well, I can I can never be forgiven of this, but God's mercy is is bigger than any any finite act that we we could have ever committed.
00:40:46.400 --> 00:40:57.519
So um, yeah, there's healing out there, and there's there's people to help you because we always know when we preach this, we have the quote unquote walking wounded uh because of that deep wound that's there.
00:40:57.760 --> 00:41:02.079
But God wants you to live in freedom and he wants you to experience his mercy and his love.
00:41:02.159 --> 00:41:03.519
And so I think that's really important.
00:41:03.840 --> 00:41:05.039
Yeah, we've talked about it a lot.
00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:08.400
There's nobody's beyond the the reach of the mercy of God.
00:41:08.480 --> 00:41:10.239
Yeah, and he loves you.
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:15.440
And uh, as Bishop said, he and the readings this week a lot have been a lot about freedom.
00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:21.440
You know, Paul says that through Christ's passion, death, and resurrection, he gives us freedom.
00:41:21.679 --> 00:41:27.440
And uh, we all have wounds in our past, we all have things that, gosh, I wish I would have done that differently.
00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:32.880
And the Lord can can redeem that, he can heal it and uh give you new freedom.
00:41:32.960 --> 00:41:41.119
You uh you see in the scriptures, um, you know, the woman caught in adultery, the Lord forgives her, and then he says, now go and sin no more.
00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:43.039
And she just goes in freedom.
00:41:43.119 --> 00:41:48.960
The woman at the well, you know, I met somebody who's told me everything I've ever done, and she's joyful about it.
00:41:49.039 --> 00:41:53.199
You know, she's had a very sinful past, and then she goes and tells everybody about Jesus.
00:41:53.360 --> 00:41:55.679
And so um that's our desire.
00:41:55.760 --> 00:42:02.880
It's not to point fingers, not to condemn, it's to to heal and and give you freedom in what the Lord wants.
00:42:03.199 --> 00:42:10.559
You can hear, you can hear in those scripture passages as well as a lot of them, you can hear the heaviness that weigh these people down.
00:42:11.199 --> 00:42:16.079
And Jesus just takes that, removes it, and he's starting this new freedom.
00:42:16.480 --> 00:42:18.239
Beautiful, beautiful.
00:42:18.559 --> 00:42:21.760
And I'll just share this, uh, Father Burke and Bishop Wool.
00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:28.880
I know it's a sensitive topic to speak about, but many Catholics have never been truly properly taught.
00:42:29.119 --> 00:42:33.840
Um, you know, my wife and I, we we remained pure until our wedding night.
00:42:33.920 --> 00:42:42.159
Um, but we were never uh properly formed on what Catholic sexuality within marriage looked like.
00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:50.719
So it was maybe about a year and a half into our marriage, two years, and we went to a communal penance service, and I actually wrote an article.
00:42:50.960 --> 00:42:56.480
If people want to Google it, it's um I think it's in Columbia magazine, Catholic magazine.
00:42:56.719 --> 00:43:03.840
But I wrote an article this past month about my experience with natural family planning, and I shared how it changed my life.
00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:10.159
I was kneeling next to my niece, who was maybe about nine years old, and she says, Uncle Mike.
00:43:10.239 --> 00:43:15.519
Uh, she was looking through her examination of conscience, and she said, What is this sin?
00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:17.840
And it was contraception.
00:43:18.239 --> 00:43:23.840
And Shara saw my eyes light up, and I was like, uh-oh, like I'm in trouble.
00:43:24.079 --> 00:43:45.039
Um, but I but you said, go to go talk to someone, and I did, and then I didn't realize Shara was gonna go speak in in um the sacrament of reconciliation with our priest, and our penance was to go to um uh go look into the Creighton method of natural family planning, and it changed our lives.
00:43:45.199 --> 00:43:46.079
It it really did.
00:43:46.239 --> 00:43:59.440
It it took away, you know, the objectification of women for me, or or my wife, a woman, and it it allowed us to um dance through the spiritual act of.
00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:07.519
Um, human, you know, sexuality within marriage, and it it turns something that was we didn't know we were being sinful because no one told us.
00:44:07.679 --> 00:44:13.440
But praise God, a little nine-year-old girl showed me an examination of conscience, and I had a good priest like you two.
00:44:13.519 --> 00:44:24.320
One's a bishop, one's a great priest, but to form us, and when you when you're properly shared the truth in love, you go and speak to someone, and it's like, oh, thank you.
00:44:24.559 --> 00:44:38.719
So if any any of your viewers are out there have never been formed on NFP um or you know, IBF, uh, go talk to a priest and understand the beauty that God has for you within marriage.
00:44:38.960 --> 00:44:40.159
Yeah, it's great.
00:44:40.960 --> 00:44:43.280
Suzanne's gonna fling a lot of links.
00:44:43.679 --> 00:44:44.639
She's gonna be busy.
00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:48.639
You ever see that that meme where that cat is like typing on the typewriter?
00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:52.480
That's gonna be Suzanne going through this trying to keep up with all these things.
00:44:52.800 --> 00:44:53.280
I love it.
00:44:53.440 --> 00:44:55.280
And then I'll just I'll just share a couple thoughts.
00:44:55.360 --> 00:44:57.440
Father Burke usually goes second.
00:44:57.599 --> 00:44:59.920
Do you want to do you want to share anything on on the gospel?
00:45:00.239 --> 00:45:06.880
No, I just wanted to continue on that line, that that sense of um the beauty of our teaching.
00:45:06.960 --> 00:45:19.199
You know, sometimes people say, uh, Catholics just are just anti-sex, you know, or they know it's actually you read the um theology of the body from Pope St.
00:45:19.360 --> 00:45:20.000
John Paul II.
00:45:20.239 --> 00:45:31.760
It's such a beautiful thing that this gift of sexuality that God has given us, when when handled correctly in the um in the sacrament of matrimony, it's one of the most beautiful things.
00:45:32.079 --> 00:45:38.800
I read a study once that said if couples do three things, their chances of divorce go below 1%.
00:45:39.599 --> 00:45:40.719
And people get excited.
00:45:40.880 --> 00:45:41.920
I'm like, what is that?
00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:47.440
It's if they pray together on Sunday at Mass, they pray together at home.
00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:52.320
I know, Mike, you do this uh with your family, and they practice natural family planning.
00:45:52.400 --> 00:45:53.519
They're open to life.
00:45:53.679 --> 00:45:57.840
And it doesn't, the church is not saying we want you to have 15 children.
00:45:58.079 --> 00:46:09.119
But what NFP does is it increases communication between you and your spouse, where there's other ways of loving one another during times if you're not ready to have children at that moment.
00:46:09.280 --> 00:46:21.519
There's a natural way to avoid pregnancy, but to still love your spouse and communicate, it's a beautiful thing, it's not um anti-sex, it's a it's it's really pro-marriage and pro-family.
00:46:21.679 --> 00:46:28.239
And so I just want that message to get out there that it's such a beautiful teaching of the church uh that is not well known.
00:46:28.480 --> 00:46:28.880
Pope St.
00:46:28.960 --> 00:46:32.480
John Paul II, he started to do these, you know, the Wednesday audience.
00:46:32.559 --> 00:46:36.320
He's the one that really developed the catechesis of the Wednesday audience.
00:46:36.480 --> 00:46:40.320
And what they started to see was he was connecting, connecting, connecting.
00:46:40.639 --> 00:46:45.440
You know, uh Pope Leo's been going through the documents of the Second Vatican Council, but what Pope St.
00:46:45.599 --> 00:46:48.239
John Paul II was doing, he was doing something very new.
00:46:48.400 --> 00:46:55.679
And so they it turned out either this whole catechesis on the gift of sexuality, right?
00:46:55.920 --> 00:47:02.880
Gift from God, so it's a gift, and then and marital intimacy and the and being open to the gift of life.
00:47:03.119 --> 00:47:08.239
And it and so it's when you look at it, it's pretty thick and it's pretty dense, it's beautiful.
00:47:08.400 --> 00:47:10.800
So I'd say first start with a synopsis of it.
00:47:11.119 --> 00:47:15.440
You know, Christopher West is he's I think he's the go-to guy for all that stuff.
00:47:15.599 --> 00:47:22.400
So start with some short stuff, gonna go through that, and I think what you're gonna do is like, I want to read, I want to read this, I want to read the whole thing.
00:47:22.480 --> 00:47:23.840
It's just it's just amazing.
00:47:24.079 --> 00:47:25.679
And it came to us from a saint.
00:47:25.840 --> 00:47:26.480
Yeah, yeah.
00:47:27.119 --> 00:47:27.760
Amen.
00:47:28.079 --> 00:47:32.000
And for the our listeners that don't know, Theology of the Body.
00:47:32.159 --> 00:47:37.199
That was his compilation of Saint Pope John Paul the Great's works.
00:47:37.440 --> 00:47:43.280
If you want to read something related to that, to uh Humane Vite by Pope Saint Paul the Sixth.
00:47:43.840 --> 00:47:46.239
Yeah, they go, they go, they go right, they go right together.
00:47:46.480 --> 00:47:47.679
He was way ahead of his time.
00:47:47.840 --> 00:47:48.639
Oh my goodness.
00:47:48.800 --> 00:47:48.960
Yeah.
00:47:49.119 --> 00:47:52.559
Well, Mike is the priest said to Jeff Supan, what do you got?
00:47:52.880 --> 00:47:53.920
What do you got?
00:47:54.400 --> 00:47:56.320
I had a coin in my pocket earlier.
00:47:56.400 --> 00:48:03.679
I found one uh when I was out uh at Fiona's uh volleyball game earlier, but somehow it must have fallen out of my pocket.
00:48:03.920 --> 00:48:19.760
But um, when I'm looking at Matthew chapter 22, and it says the Pharisees went and took counsel on how to entangle Jesus, and they sent their disciples, so they sent the Pharisees and also the Herodians, and they tried to trick him.
00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:32.400
And I I love the fact that Christ, you know, our Lord um holds up a coin and he shows him the image of Caesar, and many of the Herodians and the Romans considered Caesar to be deity.
00:48:32.800 --> 00:48:35.679
So for me, what do I got?
00:48:36.239 --> 00:48:38.880
Um where is our focus?
00:48:39.280 --> 00:48:45.679
Um, give to Caesar what is Caesar's, meaning, but give to God what is God's.
00:48:45.920 --> 00:48:56.400
And I think, you know, it it cut them to the heart because they were convicted of like, man, I'm putting Caesar up on this pedestal that only God should be worshipped in.
00:48:56.559 --> 00:48:59.039
And you know, sometimes we do it.
00:48:59.199 --> 00:49:05.360
And I did it with my major league career for a long time, um, putting it in place of God.
00:49:05.679 --> 00:49:13.920
My my happiness or my sadness was dependent on how I did or how I performed, and um, you know, and that's wrong.
00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:21.760
It's any, I really think we should all take an examination of what side of the coin are we deeming as God?
00:49:21.920 --> 00:49:30.159
Is it one side of the coin, which is a mirror that's looking back at us, or the other side being our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
00:49:30.320 --> 00:49:41.440
And when we hold up that coin, either one side a mirror, the other side the face of Jesus, like what what part of the coin are we worshiping?
00:49:41.760 --> 00:49:57.840
And um it's convicting because usually when we're in a life of sin or a life where we're not being truly fulfilled, is because we're focused on that side of the coin that's a mirror facing back at us, and we've elevated ourselves to the position of Christ, of God.
00:49:58.239 --> 00:50:05.280
So yeah, I think it's just a good conviction for me to to give to God what is God's, and that's everything.
00:50:05.679 --> 00:50:11.280
It's our heart, it's our trust in him, it's the heavy crosses that we're asked to carry.
00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:16.239
It's like I'm gonna hold, I'm gonna, I'm gonna break that side with the mirror.
00:50:16.320 --> 00:50:20.639
So the only side of the coin I have to gaze upon is Jesus.
00:50:20.880 --> 00:50:24.000
Um and you know, he's everything.
00:50:24.239 --> 00:50:27.280
So yeah, that's that's that's what I got, Father Burke.
00:50:27.679 --> 00:50:30.480
Or I should say pop, Papa Elf.
00:50:34.320 --> 00:50:41.840
You look like you're like four foot two, and Bishop Wall looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger, six foot five, 280 pounds of muscle.
00:50:42.880 --> 00:50:44.000
That's what I give you.
00:50:44.639 --> 00:50:52.320
If people are just listening on on Spotify, you you want to go to YouTube and watch this, get the full effect.
00:50:52.559 --> 00:50:55.679
Yeah, one last thing to go along with what you're saying, Mike.
00:50:55.760 --> 00:51:06.400
The so, as citizens of the United States, for example, we're called to obey just and moral laws, you know, the rightful authority of those in before us.
00:51:06.639 --> 00:51:09.360
And ultimately, we're called to be obedient to God.
00:51:09.599 --> 00:51:12.719
As you say, every everything is a gift from Him.
00:51:12.800 --> 00:51:16.239
And and so we're called to be good, faithful citizens.
00:51:16.400 --> 00:51:20.719
Um, and I who was it that said, uh, oh, it's Thomas More, right?
00:51:20.880 --> 00:51:27.920
Yeah, I die the king's servant, uh, a good faithful servant, a good and faithful servant, but I'm God's first.
00:51:28.239 --> 00:51:28.719
First.
00:51:28.960 --> 00:51:29.280
Yeah.
00:51:29.440 --> 00:51:31.119
And I think that's there it is.
00:51:31.280 --> 00:51:38.320
He he was faithful to the king to a certain point, but he was asked the king was asking him to do something immoral.
00:51:38.480 --> 00:51:40.320
And he's like, I I can't do that.
00:51:40.400 --> 00:51:42.639
And so I think that's the line for us is Amen.
00:51:43.119 --> 00:51:49.280
If we're ever asked to do something immoral, you know, we've got to be God's subjects first.
00:51:49.599 --> 00:51:50.719
God's first, amen.
00:51:51.199 --> 00:51:54.559
That was the quote that convicted me to choose him for my confirmation.
00:51:54.719 --> 00:51:57.039
So it just that kind of cut me to the core.
00:51:57.199 --> 00:51:59.199
Yeah, wanted to be courageous like him.
00:52:00.239 --> 00:52:03.360
Bishop uh, would you you want to close us in prayer?
00:52:03.920 --> 00:52:10.079
Yeah, so Mike can go to sleep and we can wake up and get another cup of coffee.
00:52:11.440 --> 00:52:12.159
All right, we're gonna go.
00:52:13.039 --> 00:52:18.480
Maybe Father Burke can take some vitamins and and actually you know retain a six foot one stature.
00:52:18.800 --> 00:52:21.440
I'll try to be his size on the next show.
00:52:23.440 --> 00:52:24.400
I love it.
00:52:25.360 --> 00:52:28.480
All right, let's pray in the name of the Father, the Son, Holy Spirit.
00:52:28.639 --> 00:52:28.960
Amen.
00:52:29.119 --> 00:52:29.440
Amen.
00:52:29.679 --> 00:52:29.840
St.
00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:33.280
John Paul from the window of heaven, grant us your blessing.
00:52:33.519 --> 00:52:42.880
Bless the church that you loved and served and guided, courageously leading her along the paths of the world in order to bring Jesus to everyone and everyone to Jesus.
00:52:43.199 --> 00:52:45.599
Bless the young who are your great passion.
00:52:45.760 --> 00:52:53.679
Help them dream again, help them look up to the heavens again to find the light that illuminates the paths of life here on earth.
00:52:53.920 --> 00:52:56.079
May you bless each and every family.
00:52:56.239 --> 00:53:03.440
You warned of Satan's assault against this precious and indispensable divine spark that God lit on earth.
00:53:03.760 --> 00:53:10.079
Saint John Paul, with your prayer, may you protect the family and every life that blossoms from the family.
00:53:10.320 --> 00:53:15.280
Pray for the whole world which is still marked by tensions, wars, and injustice.
00:53:15.519 --> 00:53:20.239
You opposed war by invoking dialogue and planting the seeds of love.
00:53:20.480 --> 00:53:24.320
Pray for us, so that we may be tireless sowers of peace.
00:53:24.559 --> 00:53:31.760
O Saint John Paul from Heaven's window, where we see you beside Mary, send God's blessing down upon us all.
00:53:32.079 --> 00:53:32.559
Amen.
00:53:32.719 --> 00:53:33.119
Amen.
00:53:33.519 --> 00:53:35.199
The Lord be with you and with your spirit.
00:53:36.239 --> 00:53:40.639
May Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
00:53:40.880 --> 00:53:41.360
Amen.
00:53:41.519 --> 00:53:42.159
Amen.
00:53:42.639 --> 00:53:44.000
Great to be with you, men.
00:53:44.079 --> 00:53:53.360
Uh, for our listeners, put your comments in the comment section and uh like, subscribe, and share this podcast with somebody that you might uh they might find it helpful.
00:53:53.519 --> 00:53:54.159
And as St.
00:53:54.320 --> 00:54:00.559
Pierre Giorgio Frasati reminds us, he's a good Italian uh from Milan, the same as Carlo Acudis.
00:54:00.719 --> 00:54:04.239
The higher we go, the better we shall hear the voice of Christ.
00:54:04.400 --> 00:54:07.440
So keep striving Verso alto in your faith and pursuits.
00:54:07.519 --> 00:54:09.519
And until next time, God bless you.