Busted Halo

Sunglasses On Your Head

Brett Siddell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:19:36 +0000

Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time. Sometimes it is hard for us to see what is right in front of us. Could be our sunglasses right on top of our head, or could it even be God’s will, but it happens to all of us from time to time. (Preached on Friday, October [...]

If God made a covenant with Noah about the flood then why do we have floods and tsunamis, etc today?

Joe Paprocki — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:27:15 +0000

Question: If God made a covenant with Noah about the flood then why do we have floods and tsunamis, etc today? It’s important to remember that the story of Noah and the flood is a story of deliverance, not a story that explains weather conditions. In this story, God intends to purge the earth of sinfulness and deliver a just [...]

#218 “What is a monsignor?”

Podcasts — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:35:54 +0000

Fr. Dave & Brittany’s first podcast as a duo.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Monica Rozenfeld — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:31:45 +0000

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat [...]

Health Care Reform and Catholicism Revisited

Phil Fox Rose — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:51:18 +0000

Thousands of you read, responded to and shared my August piece about the health care debate and Catholicism. We are now in the final phase of the Congressional process and some things are clearer than they were then. Catholic Church leaders wanted undocumented immigrants included in the bill. They are not. Sadly, the Church stands [...]

What does the Vatican’s acceptance of Anglican priests mean for Catholics?

James Martin, SJ — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:04:55 +0000

Editor’s Note: For an answer this week, BustedHalo® turns to America Magazine and Fr. James Martin for his take on Anglicans and Catholics:

Finding God in All Things

Bill McGarvey — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:21 +0000

If you were able to conduct a free association exercise among Catholics, the term “Jesuit” would most likely evoke responses like “educators,” “intelligent,” “worldly” and perhaps even “liberal.” But as the largest male religious order in the Catholic church, the Society of Jesus—as the Jesuits are officially known—has nearly 20,000 members spread out across [...]

Busted Halo’s Digital Pilgrimage Video Blog

Brittany Janis — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:30:20 +0000

Check the map for Brittany, Samuel and Shiloh’s route! #11 Meet Jack Liu Jack shows Brittany around UC Berkeley’s campus and talks about being Catholic in Taiwan and where he finds God. #10 Two words: clown motel Brittany and the gang get lost in Nevada and pass by the pure nightmare of a clown motel. #9 Meet Gina Zaccagnini A FOCUS [...]

Wages of Sin

Brett Siddell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:17:27 +0000

Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time. We are reminded in the readings today that indeed we are all sinners, and that “the wages of sin is death.” However, there is a silver lining to what seems like this darkest cloud: God in his goodness, promises us an immeasurable bonus of the gift of [...]

Interview: Pastor Douglas Wilson, “Collision”

Brett Siddell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:59:13 +0000

Father Dave interviews Pastor Douglas Wilson from the new documentary entitled “Collision” which is based on the book and controversial debate between him and renowned atheist journalist Christopher Hitchens: Is Christianity Good For the World? (Originally aired: 10/27/09)

If there is a God then why is there suffering in the world?

Richard G. Malloy, SJ — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:33:04 +0000

Question: If there is a God then why is there suffering in the world? I often preach that there are only two things of which I am absolutely sure: one, God loves us and, two, humans suffer. No one has ever disagreed with the second assertion. This question of evil, known in theological circles as the theodicy [...]

Busted Borders: Walter (Argentina)-Video 3

The Editors — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:57 +0000

In this video, Walter talks about the difficulties of facing an uncertain future. In video 2, Walter talks more about how he did not know he was undocumented until he was applying for college. In video 1, Walter explains how he was caught by ICE and detained for twenty day.

What Works: The Welcoming Prayer

Phil Fox Rose — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:09:34 +0000

I want to share with you a little method with a big impact: the Welcoming Prayer. This unassuming little method has helped me many times. What’s your first impulse when you have a “bad” feeling? If you’re like me, it’s usually to suppress it. But we all know that doesn’t work. What you focus on [...]

What do other Christians believe about Mary?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:22:42 +0000

What do other Christians believe about Mary (Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, etc.)? Christians believe that Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of Christ. In general, however, Mary plays a much less significant role in Protestant faiths than in Catholicism. In post-Reformation Europe, Protestants viewed Catholic devotion to Mary as excessive and non-Biblical. For [...]

Interview With The Exorcist

Dave Dwyer, CSP — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:37:59 +0000

Fr. Dave Dwyer CSP interviews Fr. Gary Thomas about the book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist.

Southern, Proud and Pagan

Anthony Chiorazzi — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:33:21 +0000

Tom Cornwell had a secret stashed in the ottoman of his Savannah, Georgia, home. A former Jehovah’s Witness elder and minister for 20 years, he worshipped the Egyptian goddess Isis. Cornwell, 62, thought his secret was safe — until his devout Jehovah’s Witness wife announced she’d found his cache of witchcraft books. Cornwell (not his real [...]

Can Catholics Celebrate Halloween?

Mike Hayes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:02:35 +0000

Of course they can! The name Halloween comes from All Hallow’s Eve, meaning the day before All Saints Day–those we call hallowed or holy as we hear in the Our Father. However, we obviously want to steer people away from things like dabbling with the occult, or seances, or other kinds of “black magic” that would [...]

Interview: Father Gary Thomas, Vatican-certified exorcist

Brett Siddell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:18:13 +0000

Father Dave talks with Vatican-certified, practicing exorcist Father Gary Thomas about what’s true and what’s not about exorcisms and demonic possession, and what this means in terms of our faith life. Father Gary is the subject of the new book “The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist,” which chronicles Father Gary’s own Vatican training to become an exorcist, [...]

Do Me A Favor

Brett Siddell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:01:20 +0000

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Father Dave uses an everyday situation to relate to an intriguing part of Scripture where Jesus asks those around him if they are indeed prepared to follow Him. Rest assured that in this particular contract, we are promised the cup of eternal life. (Preached on Sunday, October 18th, 2009, 6:00pm, St. Malachy’s Church, [...]

5 Ways to Celebrate Halloween Without Turning Tricks for Treats

Brittany Janis — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:03:50 +0000

It may sound blasphemous, or at least juvenile, but Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Not that it has anything on Christmas, but it’s definitely in my top three. When I started my life in the ”real world,” especially when I began working at Busted Halo®, I was shocked by some of my coworkers’ [...]

I have a sister who recently converted to Mormonism. I have heard several differnt things about it and most things are not good. What is the church’s official stance on the matter and how do I approach the matter?

Thomas Ryan, CSP — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:38:39 +0000

Question: I have a sister who recently converted to Mormonism. I have heard several different things about it and most things are not good. What is the church’s official stance on the matter and how do I approach the matter? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) is not considered an orthodox Christian [...]

Yeast in the Dough

Brett Siddell — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:53 +0000

Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time. Father Dave highlights an analogy that is often used in Scripture, particularly by Jesus: yeast. Be aware of those things that may be negative, yet seem small and unaffecting, as these things may start to grow and rise over time.(Preached on Friday, October 16th, 2009, 12:15pm, St. [...]

Halftime

Tom Gibbons — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:09:01 +0000

I have never technically been a New Yorker. Even though my parents both grew up in Brooklyn and I grew up in Northern New Jersey (the half of the Garden State that roots for the Yankees and knew Al Roker long before he moved downstairs to the Today Show), full membership into the Big Apple [...]

Saints and All Hallows Eve

James Martin, SJ — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:20:07 +0000

Father James Martin, SJ, author of My Life with the Saints, talks about the connection between Halloween (October 31) and All Saints Day (November 1). As part of our ongoing series Googling God: Resources for the Spiritual Seeker, Fr. Martin answers FAQs such as: How saints get made? What is a patron saint? Is praying to the saints [...]

Does the Catholic Church have an official stance on speaking in tongues?

Fr. Joe — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:49:33 +0000

Question: Some of my Pentecostal friends believe that speaking in tongues is a sign that you are “saved.” Does the Catholic Church have an official stance on speaking in tongues? I don’t believe that the Catholic Church has an official stance on speaking in tongues. In recent years its approach to this phenomenon seems to have [...]

Faith Works

Brett Siddell — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:24:47 +0000

Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time. Father Dave helps us to realize the concept that we can not earn our way to Heaven from either just faith or good works. Indeed, it is because of our faith that we perform our good deeds, and both our needed to live God’s will. (Preached on [...]

Viewing America Through Michael Jackson

Mirlande Jeanlouis — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:13:19 +0000

The sudden death of Michael Jackson this past summer took the world by surprise and led to spontaneous fan tributes around the globe and countless conversations about the King of Pop’s place in popular culture. Many of those conversations are bound to be revisited with the release this week of This Is It, a film [...]

Test 2

Tom Gibbons — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:11:08 +0000

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Monica Rozenfeld — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:39:57 +0000

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Why can’t people live together before marriage?

Richard G. Malloy, SJ — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:40 +0000

Why can’t people live together before marriage? Erma Bombeck once said “Living together is to marriage as babysitting is to being a parent.” If living together before marriage was such a sure fire way to ensure a marriage’s success, divorce rates for those who cohabitate would be lower than those who don’t. Actually the opposite is [...]