TaDa Ministries Catholic to Catholic

011 CtC - Do Catholics Earn Heaven?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

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Catholics tend to get knocked for things people "think" Catholics do... but don't. One charge leveled against Catholicism that I hear kinda' often is that Catholics have to work their way to heaven. Is this true? Well, I'm not going to answer here, you have to listen to the podcast to find out!

Listen to Learn:

Whether or not Catholics really believe they have to earn salvation.
Whether or not a cattle prod ought to be used as an AED.
How much I think a car worthy of being called a "sweet ride" is worth.

Links
(Minute:Second - Description of link)
00:46 - Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) Paragraph 2010
02:35 - CCC Paragraph 2007
Visit www.catholictocatholic.com if links don't work in your feed.

MP3 Version

010 CtC - All About Genuflection

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:40:00 +0000

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From the thoughtless knee-bounce to the pew leaving conundrum of posture uncertainty we've all had our struggles with genuflection. Well, let's struggle no more by learning all about where genuflection came from and when we're expected to do it.

Listen to Learn:

Why we genuflect
When to genuflect.
Why proposing on the left knee is a good idea... but dangerous.

MP3 Version

009 CtC - Objections to the Meaning of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:23:00 +0000

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So now we know the meaning of life, isn't that great? Well, if you're anything like me you may have some objections to to its simplicity. Today let's look at two objections I had and what I learned about them.

Listen to Learn:

Having a hard time living out our purpose is normal.
I'm an idiot.

Links
(Minute:Second - Description of link)
03:10 - The Prodigal Son (Lk 11:15-34)(
03:48 - Anthropomorphism
Visit www.catholictocatholic.com if links don't work in your feed.

MP3 Version

008 BLP - How to Get Something Out of Mass

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:55:00 +0000

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I hope you don't mind if every once in a while we take a few moments to enjoy God's gifts of chuckling, eye rolling, and not taking life too seriously!

MP3 Version

007 CtC - What Is the Meaning of Life?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

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It's haunted the greatest philosophers and confounded the greatest contemplators. Today, find out for yourself what the meaning of life is... in less than 5 minutes!

Listen to Learn:

What the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is.
What the actual meaning of your life is.
How to open a window with a can opener.

Links
(Minute:Second - Description of link)
01:12 - The Number 42
02:56 - Catechism of the Catholic Church 52
03:38 - Matthew 22:37
Visit www.catholictocatholic.com if links don't work in your feed.

MP3 Version

006 CtC - What do Catholic churches do with collected money?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:54:00 +0000

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Week after week the collection plate makes its way around the church. Have you ever wondered where all that money goes? It's time you found out!

Listen to Learn:

Who "owns" the collected money?
Who decides where to spend it?
How do you get in on that?

MP3 Version

005 CtC - How to Get Something Out of Mass

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

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Welcome to our first interview. My fantastic wife Tara was kind enough to answer some questions about how to "get more out of" Mass. Have you ever heard someone say they don't get anything out of the Mass? Tara's here to help!

Listen to Learn:

Kids a great blessing; they have to be because they don't let you pay attention at church!
What to do when sprinkled with holy water or bowed to by a minister
What you're "supposed" to do with your hands during the Our Father

Links
(Minute:Second - Description of link)
00:14 - Nope, I mention it NEXT podcast, which I've already recorded (I'm getting mixed up I guess)
00:17 - Corpus Christi Catholic Church
01:18 - Our kids are... busy!
06:14 - Orans hand posture
Visit www.catholictocatholic.com if links don't work in your feed.

MP3 Version

004 CtC - The Sign of the Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

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Ever wonder why we Catholics make the sign of the cross? People have been wondering for centuries. Thankfully, we live in an age that has the Internet so you can learn the answer!

Listen to Learn:

Where the sign of the cross came from, kind of
That crosses are better than beehives in come contexts
The three big purposes of the sign of the cross

Links
(Minute:Second - Description of link)
01:30 - Tertullian, de Corona 3
02:04 - Wikipedia, Sign of the Cross
03:25 - St. Athanasius, The Incarnation of the Word of God 5:31
Visit www.catholictocatholic.com if links don't work in your feed.

MP3 Version

003 CtC - Why the Trinity Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

(Click heading to listen)

The Trinity is clearly a foundation of Catholic belief. Now let's look at why it matters to us and what else we can learn from it.

Listen to learn:

Why the Trinity matters to ordinary Catholics
How weird things would be without the Trinity
How the Trinity can help us understand... stuff

Links
(Minute:Second - Description of link)
00:04 - CtC 002-Basic Catholic Beliefs
01:36 - Where babies come from
03:01 - Mark 10:2-12
03:18 - Catechism of the Catholic Church: 232-267
03:39 - I have been married almost 6 years... wow, what a husband!
Visit www.catholictocatholic.com if links don't work in your feed.

MP3 Version

002 CtC - Basic Catholic Beliefs

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:27:00 +0000

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Before getting carried away with specific topics and discussions let's lay a groundwork of basic Catholic beliefs. Without this understanding it's easy to wander around without direction while understanding them gives useful guidelines that our faith falls into.

Listen to learn:

The four basic Catholic beliefs found in the Nicene Creed
Examples these four beliefs applied to everyday questions
Catholicism is better than being a vampire (really!)

Links
(Minute:Second - Description of link)
00:19 - Nicene Creed
02:11 - Hebrews 12:1
03:53 - St. Justin Martyr: First Apology 66 & 67
04:09 - John 6:53
Visit www.catholictocatholic.com if links don't work in your feed.

MP3 Version

001 CtC - Catholic to Catholic Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Dan) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:19:00 +0000

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Here's a little introduction to TaDa Ministries new podcast, Catholic to Catholic. Want to know who we are and who may be interested in us? Listen to find out!

MP3 Version

ND House Recognizes Embryos as "persons"

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:18:00 +0000

I hate to admit I didn't even know about this til I read it in an international newspaper. LifeSiteNews reports that the North Dakota House of Representatives overwhealmingly passed a bill making it a criminal offense to kill an unborn child and that these humans are also legal "persons". Find out more on the LifeSiteNews article.

Letting Actions Speak for Themselves

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:16:00 +0000

Last Sunday’s readings had a great message in them; let your actions speak for themselves. This seems particularly appropriate when it comes to living in the world as a Christian. The first reading was from Isaiah and described the coming of the Lord. Amazing things would happen, the blind would see, the lame would walk, the dead would be raised. Then in the Gospel, John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to ask if he’s “the one”. Jesus tells them to figure it out for themselves, the blind see, the lame walk, and the dead live again. I mean, who did they THINK he was?

I once met a fellow who was very kind, a great listener, and made you the center of the world when you were talking to him. He also was an Evangelical Christian but I only knew because I asked him.

Just as Jesus didn’t ask John’s disciples to believe he was the Messiah based on Jesus’ authority (by saying “Yep, that’s me”), the loving person from the last paragraph up didn’t ask me to believe he’s a true lover of Christ just because he said so. He made his love of Christ known by loving me. To be honest, I would’ve been shocked had he claimed not to be Christian.

Jesus tells us several times that we’ll be judged according to our actions (the “fruit” we bear) and that our actions will “prove” whether or not we actually believed in him. As they say, talk is cheap, but in the end the time for talking will be over and the time for letting our actions, our lives, speak for themselves will arrive. Sadly, I’ve spent more of my time saying I’m a Christian than actually being one.

Right now seems like a really good time to change that.

Untold Stories of Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:42:00 +0000

This Sunday (Dec 12) I'll be speaking at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Bismarck about what happened to Jesus between the crucifixion and the Resurrection, between the Resurrection and the Ascension, and a little of the final judgment (we're following the creeds and all of these things are together).

So come on out if you're in the area. I'll do my best to be done by the 10:45 Mass :)

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:55:00 +0000

Happy Feast of Marry Being Conceived Without Original Sin. Now that I write it out, Immaculate Conception does sound a lot cooler.

Either way, don't forget to get yourself to Mass today and thank God for always providing us with the grace to respond to his plan for us. After all, that's what the Immaculate Conception shows us; the God was willing to go out of the ordinary to enable a young woman to say yes to a very special, but difficult, life.

Word has it that in Austria today is a holiday; I wish that would fly here in America. If only.

God bless, everyone!

Pope Benedict Tried to Remove Abusive Priests Faster

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:18:00 +0000

Well, this is a bit embarrassing for the folks who've tried to show Pope Benedict XVI as a "pedophilia enabler".

The Vatican recently disclosed that then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger tried to get canon law updated to make sure priests accused of sexual abuse were tried and, if found guilty, removed from their priestly duties quickly. LifeSiteNews has an article about it.

However, don't expect to hear about it in the New York Times or the Huffington Post. I doubt they're interested in it.

Pope Says Condems are Ok?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:46:00 +0000

Yesterday's paper had a front-page article about how Pope Benedict XVI said in an interview recently that condemns could be a "step toward morality" in some situations; specifically citing male prostitutes. I have no doubt that some critics of the Catholic Church's stance that "condoms are bad" will twist the dickens out of this.

Imagine instead that the Pope said "For bank robbers who have a habit of murdering innocent bystanders during a heist, blindfolding and tying them up instead is a step toward morality". If he had said that it'd be pretty obvious the Holy Father wasn't promoting tying people up but that it's a more moral alternative than murder.

In the same way the Pope specifically mentioned male prostitutes; who are nearly always hired by other males. In those cases the sexual act is already sterile and promiscuous (the two big things condoms encourage that are opposed to Church teaching). Would it be morally best for the male prostitute to find another form of work? Of course. But in the event that that doesn't happen, using a means to lower the risk of spreading infection in an act that already has the negatives condoms provide is "as step toward morality". We all know a journey takes many, many steps and the journey toward conformity with Christ--complete morality--requires a lifetime. The Pope is saying that people in very specific situations can begin their journey in this way; but should not stop there.

I can think of a number of analogies like the robbers above but my guess is--due to the controversial nature of condoms--the real message of striving for complete morality--not just a step toward it--will be ignored.

Why Brng Kids to Mass

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:22:00 +0000

WARNING: This post is more or less a proud parent brag moment. View discretion is advised.

My wife and I have gotten a bit of guff from folks in the past over our insistence that our kids--ages 4 and 1--attend Mass each week. Our reasoning is that our kids are baptized and therefore are full-fledged members of the Church and belong in the community. Reasons to be more relaxed about it have come up like our kids are too young to understand anyway, everyone knows kids can be distracting during church, and so on. Needless to say our kids haven't missed Mass much; if at all.

This morning we were getting ready and our oldest began singing; which isn't unusual at all. She likes to make up songs or sing what she hears in the car. This morning, however, she sang the Memorial Acclamation; an obscure congregational response from the middle of the Eucharistic Prayer.

Does she "get" it? Probably not (but neither do I, really). Does she get unruly and distracting? Yes, most weeks. Is she Mass making an impression on her? Yes, and it's amazing to watch.

ND Unlicensed Abortionist Not to be Charged

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:17:00 +0000

A while ago Dr. Lori Lynn Thorndike was caught performing abortions in North Dakota even though her medical licensure in the state had lapsed. She also performs abortions in South Dakota and Colorado where her licensure is current.

Performing abortions without a current license is a Class B Felony in North Dakota but guess what? State’s Attorney Birch Burdick has said he will not charge her. He claims that because she’s licensed in other states that her licensure in ND was simply an “oversight”.

Wow, good to know! Go tell all your friends that ND laws don’t really matter. Apparently as long as we’re following the laws of OTHER states we don’t have to follow the laws of this one. Apparently a felony crime is no big deal as long as it was an “oversight”. To top it off, the ND Board of Medical Examiners reinstated her license without so much as a hearing. Why? Is it that we’re so desperate for an abortionist in this state that we’ll bend the laws to convenience them?

Does this bother anyone else?

LifeSiteNews has been kind enough to gather the contact information, and many more details, about this issue. Please join me in respectfully expressing disappointment in the decisions to ignore the law of the state of North Dakota.

North Dakota Board of Medical Examiners
Duane Houdek, JD, Executive Secretary/Treasurer
418 E Broadway Ave # 12
Bismarck, ND 58501-4086, USA
Phone: (701) 328-6500
Fax: (701) 328-6505
Email: lmcdonald.ndbme@midconetwork.com

State's Attorney Birch P. Burdick
Cass County State's Attorney
P.O. Box 2806
Fargo, ND 58108-2806 USA
Phone: 701-241-5850
Fax: 701-241-5805
Email: burdickb@casscountynd.gov

Political Purgatory?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:07:00 +0000

This headline caught my eye today “Pelosi in Political Purgatory”. Really? Purgatory? Do tell. So I read the first 3 paragraphs. Apparently the journalist has Purgatory and Limbo confused because she says: “Pelosi gavels in the lame duck session of Congress this week in a state of political purgatory, suspended between the past and future.”

My best guess is this journalist has no clue what Purgatory is and since Pelosi and Political start with “P” using Purgatory makes a catchy headline. But to set the record straight, those in Purgatory have attained salvation; just not yet. The outcome of Purgatory is crystal clear; entrance into heaven. So to say that former (well, soon-to-be-former) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is in political purgatory should mean that she is destined for greater things and that before long her current trials will pass.

Limbo on the other hand is a never-officially-taught-by-the-Church idea of a place where people go that isn’t quite hell but also isn’t exactly heaven. I’m pretty sure the journalist who wrote the above article was thinking of limbo.

When you hear or see things like this said by people around you—especially in the media where they reach a huge number of eyes—please take the time to articulate what their use of Catholic terms actually means and that we don’t appreciate their misuse simply to make a good headline. These sorts of things are an opportunity for education; let's make sure not to pass them up.

Not Sure What to Make of This

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:10:00 +0000

I was reading the headlines this morning and found two articles. The first one was about a man who beat a priest bloody because the priest allegedly abused him in 1975. The second was about a Palestinian who was arrested for creating Facebook pages and posting blog comments claiming to be God and making fun of Islam and religion in general.

I don’t think I’m a conspiracy theorist (who does?) but is it just me or is the first story a bit odd? The end of the article says the guy who beat up a priest has received “hundreds” of offers for financial assistance in defending himself in court and people are coming to trial to support him.

Does anyone else see a problem with cheer on a man for being a vigilante? Do folks really think it’s ok to first accept a $600k + settlement and then send your alleged attacker to the hospital? In most cases we would all say “no” but apparently priests don’t deserve due process. I haven’t got a clue if the priest abused this guy or not—how would I know—but it sends a strong message that so many people are willing to support a 43-year-old man who “beat bloody” a 63-year-old priest.

The second story shook me not because a guy was arrested for bashing Islam; no shock there. What surprised me is the article’s acceptance of the fact as fair. I didn’t sense that the journalist thought this was strange at all. Why wouldn’t a Muslim who blasphemed be arrested for life? It’s common sense, right?

Where’s the outcry for religious tolerance? Where are the human rights activists saying the man has a right to his opinions?

What a world; an accused Catholic priest apparently deserves to be beaten up and those who speak against Islam deserve life behind bars or worse.

Ugh.

A Reader Asks About Purgatory

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:20:00 +0000

A reader recently wrote me:

I was having breakfast with a good friend of mine which I have not seen for quite sometime. She is a Christian. So am I but, I'm a Catholic Christian. Anyway, can you explain why we Catholic Christians believe in purgatory. She was emphatic on the fact that Christ died for our sins and that if we believe that He is the Risen Lord, then our sins are already forgiven us. I did not or could not defend my belief but I know there is a good explanation as to why we believe in purgatory.

Any my hastily-worded response:

Purgatory is definitely one of those things we Catholics believe that is downright confusing to most non-Catholic Christians. First, the following links contain stuff I've already written about Purgatory. If you want a decent intro to it; start there. At the very least, read the first one. The second link below gives good biblical resources for purgatory. The third one is good to put purgatory into perspective related to heaven and hell.

http://tadaministries.blogspot.com/2009/11/what-is-purgatory.html

http://tadaministries.blogspot.com/2009/01/where-in-bible-is-purgatory.html

http://tadaministries.blogspot.com/2010/05/talk-overview-heaven-hell-and-purgatory_09.html

Here are the highlights of Catholic belief in purgatory:

-In no way does purgatory "add to" or "lessen" Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. Jesus' sacrifice made purgatory possible and is part of the process (for some people) of becoming perfect as Christ is perfect.

-Catholics believe we are all called to be holy and nothing unholy can be in heaven. "Holy" means "completely set apart for God" or "in no way under the influence of sin". This goes way beyond what most people mean by "forgiven". If God forgives my sins but I still desire to sin then am I perfectly holy? Of course not. The process of becoming holy (sanctification) is life-long and, thanks to purgatory, may extend beyond physical death. Thank God!

-If your friend says being forgiven means we are perfectly holy then point out that even after accepting Christ as our savior we still tend to sin. How can we say we are perfectly holy if we still sin? That's a false position.

-If your friend says we need not be perfectly holy but only forgiven of our sins then have her explain Rev. 21:27 which says nothing unclean will enter the New Jerusalem (heaven) or Hebrews 12:22-23 which talks about "just" men being made "perfect"? Or simply ask how imperfection can be in the presence of a perfect God?

I hope that's a good start. Feel free to email me if you want specific items more fleshed-out or if you have more questions.

Fetuses, Babies, and Law & Order

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 21:23:00 +0000

Last night I actually turned the TV on and watched some shows. Don’t laugh; it’s been over a year since I’ve done that. Anyway, I came into the middle of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit followed by another Law & Order somewhere else (LA, I think). I was amazed by what I saw.

As a Catholic writer I’ve spent a long time thinking that “the media” are largely pro-choice and that traditional forms of entertainment aren’t generally life-affirming. Now, watching two shows isn’t exactly a comprehensive study of of what’s out there but here’s what I saw.

The SVU show centered around a woman who was born out of rape. She made the comment “why didn’t my mom adopt me or abort me or something” and later on said “it was obvious she didn’t love me” to which the detective responded “she kept you, didn’t she?” implying that the mother obviously did love her daughter; even if she had a hard time showing it. Isn’t that interesting? So many of us—even “pro-life” people—say that abortion is fine in cases of rape but when we see it like this it becomes so clear that the life conceived that way is still a life. A life that has no less value than any other.

The second episode was about a woman who was run down by a car. She survived but her 14-week-old unborn baby didn’t. I was shocked at the language used. The child was always referred to as a “baby”; NEVER as a “fetus” or “embryo”. The moment they discovered the woman was pregnant the case became a homicide. The judge at the end said “baby killers never walk out of my courtroom”. It was like listening to protesters outside an abortion clinic (ok, not exactly like that). The idea that this unborn child was anything other than a normal human being with all rights and privileges was assumed; never even slightly called into question. In fact, when the detectives found out the father tried to get the woman to abort they reacted with fury.

I’m not qualified to say what “most people” think on these issues but I can say that on one hand watching this on the TV was so natural I have to assume these sentiments are common. Imagine who foolish someone would sound if they told they woman conceived from rape that she was somehow disposable or worthless. What a callous and arrogant thing to say? Who could listen to it? But yet there are so many who say life conceived that way is disposable; as long as it’s not born yet. Imagine the detectives finding out the woman who was run down by a car had lost her baby and said “no big deal, it was just a lump of tissue”. Who would say that given the circumstances? But people say unborn babies are “lumps of tissue” every day.

I guess it just shows how unnatural so much of the rhetoric is that people use to justify abortion. If only unborn children could be seen and could speak the whole “debate” would end. Regardless of what people say; I think we all know the truth. It’s just very convenient to deny it sometimes.

Happy All Saints Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:02:00 +0000

Today we celebrate all of those who have finished the race and, with Christ, light the narrow path for us to tread. Check out the following videos for two very cool litanies of saints. The second is the "traditional" litany done very well while the first is just really cool.

Don't forget that because All Saints Day is on a Monday going to Mass on Sunday took care of our obligation to attend Mass (but it's still recommended of course).

Finally, I'd like to thank Gus Lloyd for showing off these videos on his blog.

TaDa Ministries Game Review 07: Flash Point

noreply@blogger.com (Dan 'n Tara Brooke) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 02:12:00 +0000

Today's review is the first of what I expect to be several reviews of cooperative games. This genre of game has players working together to "beat the game" as opposed to beating each other. As a rule, cooperative games tend to build teamwork and communication and may be a great asset to your family or gaming group.

Flash Point, designed by Kevin Lanzing, is a game where 1-6 players take the role of firefighters rescuing hapless victims from a raging house fire. It's suitable for ages 12 and up and takes 30 to 60 minutes to play depending on a number of factors such as experience of the group, difficulty level selected, and so on.

Flash Point has players assuming unique roles, depending on each other to succeed, and uses an action point (AP) system with a very clever twist. Check out the video below to find out more.

Don't forget to send any feedback on the video to games@tadaministries.com. Thanks!

Oh, and you can find more about the game (or play a free computerized version of it) at its BGG page and it's available through The Game Crafter.