Full Transcript for Playing for the One Whose Image You Bear

--> 00:04:48.399 It's what is it, just a little bit north of Rome. 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:49.439 Is that correct? 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:54.160 Yes, it's about a two-hour drive here to Rome uh yesterday. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:05:16.560 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. 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:17.439 We started the morning, yeah. 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:22.879 We started the morning with Saint John and Our Lady at Ephesus, that's where our lady's house is. 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:27.439 So the that whole day was Saint John and Our Lady and Mary. 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:28.560 Yeah, it's on Saturday. 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:30.240 See the house where Mary lived. 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:40.560 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? 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:42.480 I think it's a remarkable story. 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:49.279 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. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:52.399 Yeah, there was a priest, Bohemian, German. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:59.199 I read a couple different things, and he was having some doubts concerning the real presence in the Eucharist. 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:08.399 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. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:20.480 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. 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:23.040 So it's it's remained here ever since. 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:27.519 And that's as we were sharing with our pilgrims, it's one of many miracles. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:28.879 So it was it was beautiful. 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:49.279 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. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:57.199 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. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:03.120 He died only 20 years ago, and uh, so all of these connections to the Eucharistic miracles. 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:19.279 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. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:23.120 And uh he's like, I I need to learn more about this, you know. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:40.399 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. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:48.079 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. 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:52.879 And uh they they've had scientists study these miracles. 00:07:53.680 --> 00:08:03.920 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. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:05.199 It's always the same. 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:18.480 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. 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:24.959 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. 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:30.879 Well, this is one of those places where science backs up what our faith tells us. 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:32.879 Yeah, it's amazing. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:34.720 Absolutely amazing. 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:43.120 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. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:50.720 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. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:57.919 And then here in the afternoon, we're at one of the most famous of all the Eucharistic miracles in Orvieto. 00:08:58.080 --> 00:08:58.639 Yeah. 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:04.080 And then this morning um we were supposed to have mass with the Holy Father. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:10.720 Uh, and of course, I'm sure everybody you know heard the news that he was diagnosed with uh lung cancer. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:15.200 They did uh surgery, sounds like they it was early detection. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:19.360 We're hoping that that's he's gonna recover fully and completely. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:25.039 And so uh we pray for him today, and then so we're switching plans a little bit. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:27.360 Uh instead of going to Mass at St. 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:28.879 Peter's Square, we're gonna go to St. 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:31.600 Mary Major, one of the four major basilicas. 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:34.080 Bishop Wall is gonna be our celebrant. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:41.440 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. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:47.200 And so uh yeah, the the trip has been amazing, not only following the footsteps of St. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:55.840 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. 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:01.200 Hey Bishop, did you get to uh celebrate Mass on your birthday on Sunday? 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:02.000 I did. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:02.480 I understand. 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:03.919 Not celebrate. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:06.080 You celebrate Mass every day of your life, excuse me. 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:07.200 I was the principal celebrant. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.480 Father Burke, yeah, did Father Burke give you the privilege to preach? 00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:11.600 Yeah, he did. 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:13.519 I it was we were on a boat. 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:16.799 It was probably the least most impressive place we've been. 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:18.559 And uh we were on a boat. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:30.320 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. 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:34.240 So in Santorini, they have these donkeys that go up the up the hill. 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:38.559 Yeah, you can either take the cable car, but um, I've done this before. 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:41.360 So we we rode we rode donkeys for my birthday. 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:41.840 It was fun. 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:42.960 A little adventure. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:44.480 You've been there, Mike? 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:48.960 Um, I have not, but I've seen a lot of pictures, and I that's on one of my bucket lists. 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:51.679 Yeah, we'll we can post one of those pictures too. 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:53.759 Uh it's pretty pretty funny. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:03.360 Our donkeys were uh were racing up the hill, and uh mine mine kept biting his donkey, didn't want him to go by. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:05.759 It's like they're like I think they were sisters. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:10.960 They were um these competitive mules uh who had a mind of their own. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:15.039 Mine kept stopping and went to eat trash, and then she was eating rocks. 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:17.440 How about you, Mike? 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:18.879 Donkeys. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:25.120 Uh for hey, first of all, we're only about 10 minutes into this, but I've been laughing and underneath my breath. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:29.039 Bishop's a little bit closer to the camera, so he looks kind of like Buddy the Elf. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:30.240 He's a little bigger. 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:31.279 And Father Burke. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:32.320 There we go. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:35.279 Father Burke looks like Papa Elf in the background. 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:40.240 I'm sure our viewers are gonna comment on that. 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:48.399 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. 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:49.120 What do you do? 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:53.679 Father and pasta and everything. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:57.679 Yeah, just a little optical, a little optical illusion with Father Burke and Factory. 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:01.200 It's like a fun house in here. 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:10.799 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. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:15.120 So I got the chair, I got the catheter, and the burst. 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:20.559 There we go. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:26.720 Little little things that make you smile when you got no wind in the sail. 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:29.039 But for me, Father Burke. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:37.120 Um so I just got back late yesterday after a busy summer and fall coaching a Royal Scout team. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:41.519 And my son Donovan and a bunch of his friends were uh were on the team. 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:42.720 And it's pretty cool. 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:54.480 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. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:56.480 And they're all high school kids. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:02.720 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. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:08.000 And um, I kind of let them go about maybe four or four years ago. 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:16.480 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. 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:18.960 Um, would you mind what do you think about coaching us? 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:28.399 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. 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:28.960 Love them. 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:30.240 That's it, love them. 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:32.639 And their job is to love each other. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:34.320 Like, that's it. 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:41.679 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. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:43.600 And I prophesied. 00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:53.919 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. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:59.120 And we went out, we won a couple big tournaments, the kids played really well together. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:05.840 We demanded a certain level of baseball, how kids play with humility, uh, play with love for each other. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:07.759 And then I simply love the boys. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:11.759 I wasn't dropping F-bombs and you know, screaming at kids. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:16.720 I just built them up and made them believe that they could be the players that God created them to be. 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:24.080 So, to make a long story short, a bunch of colleges said, Hey, we like what the brand of baseball that you demand. 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:30.399 So we hitched our trailers to your pickup truck and we followed you around all summer, all fall. 00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:43.440 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. 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:44.480 Every one of them. 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:46.799 So we just got home late last night. 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:51.519 I'll I'll send a couple pictures of um the summer, what we got to experience. 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:56.639 But the highlight on Sunday, I had a bunch of the kids go to mass with me. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:58.960 And I started to love on them. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:05.519 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. 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:10.000 He's he's bearing the fruit of Jesus Christ, and he's inviting me to go to a church. 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:11.360 Like, I'm in. 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:25.519 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. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:31.759 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. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:50.159 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. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:16:04.080 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. 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:09.600 So it's been an awesome run and uh now get a focus on the family. 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:10.639 Awesome. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:13.279 Now I can't help the Blanton name. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:16.080 There was a pitcher in the major leagues named Blanton. 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:17.919 Is that the same same family? 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:19.600 No relation to Joe Blanton. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.039 Uh Joe Blanton's up in Napa making wine now. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:23.679

Okay. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:26.080 He's uh a winemaker. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:29.200 Um, but Will Blanton is a great young man. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:36.080 Um, he and his mother were at Mass with us just a couple days ago at the uh Basilica of St. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:41.440 Edward in like uh Mar-a-Lago area in um in Florida. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:42.960 It was just stunning. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:52.159 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. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:55.120 But most importantly, he loves Christ and he had a great summer. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:58.240 US USD is the Catholic school, right? 00:16:58.320 --> 00:16:59.039 That's the Catholic school. 00:16:59.200 --> 00:16:59.519 That's right. 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:00.720 The Catholic one. 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:01.600 USD, yeah. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:01.759 Great. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:02.799 It's wonderful. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:04.240 Yeah, great kids. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:06.000 So mission accomplished. 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:07.200 Um I'm all said. 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:08.960 I'm I'm excited to learn from you guys. 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:12.880 Uh fill me in a little bit more about how you guys are doing, Father Burke and Bishop. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:17.839 Well, I want to share with you, you've inspired some of the men in my parish uh that are looking. 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:25.200 I know uh I think Joe spoke to you about starting a Catholic uh travel team in our area. 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:30.480 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.