What? I can’t hear you. That’s the topic of this week’s podcast. Hearing implies two actions. One is that of the speaker… the Silent Whisperer. The other action is found in the one who listens attentively. Some actions of hearing are more profound or blatant than others. Listen to this show and you’ll hear from a Vietnam soldier who was shot in the stomach and lying in a muddy rice paddy with the Blessed Virgin speaking to him.
This is a part of some mini-interviews done while Deacon Tom was at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. What an ‘on-fire’ campus. What a great place to speak with people doing their best to hear the voice of God. You can find a little bit about our guests below these words on the topic of hearing.
ABOUT MARY BETH KREMSKI
Mary Beth Kremski is an upcoming guest on Catholic Vitamins. However, I came upon this while doing a little research for this week’s show.
The following is taken from an article by Mary Beth Kremski. It appeared in This Rock Magazine. It is also found on Catholic Answers at: www.catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0004fea1.asp
How To Combat Spiritual Deafness (Partial Reprint)
By Mary Beth Kremski
If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31).
Jesus often ended his teachings with the somewhat mysterious instruction, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (as in Luke 14:35). What did our Lord mean by implying some had “ears to hear” and some didn’t? Obviously, he wasn’t referring to their physical sense of hearing. It seems he meant some could hear spiritually—were open to spiritual truth—while the ears of others were closed to his words.
Haven’t our own experiences taught us this is true? You share the same explanation of a teaching of the faith with two different people. One is open, presents honest questions, wants real answers. The other dismisses what is said without any serious consideration or maybe humors you with politeness, but you know the message isn’t getting through. Whether it involves a partial or total rejection of Christ’s teaching, a defining characteristic of being without spiritual ears is obstinacy—an obstinacy that rejects truth regardless of the logic or love with which it is presented.
In contrast to physical deafness, which is not something we can help, spiritual hearing loss is self-inflicted and can be life-threatening, since the soul lives “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). To refuse to hear is to go on a spiritual starvation diet. Why then would anyone reject truth? Why are some without “ears to hear”?
Your ears are connected to your heart
(For the rest of this article by Mary Beth Kremski, we invite you to go to the Catholic Answers website address given above.)
So… where is your heart? Is it open to a deeper, more intense and more real relationship with the Lord? Are you in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at least once a week? Do you open Scripture and spend time with God’s holy and inspired Word? When have you last spoken with a priest, a deacon, a nun or a ‘holy soul’ about your faith walk? How long since you’ve received the graces and the beautiful peace that comes from a worthy reception of the sacrament of reconciliation?
God speaks to us. But the question is: is my heart really connected to my ears?
Mary Beth Kremski is found ‘all over’ the world of new media. She’s been on the Coming Home program on EWTN. She has written (as said above) for This Rock magazine and you can find Mary Beth Kremski MP3 audio files available for download off of the internet.
Here’s a most interesting article about evangelizing fallen away Catholics — even if they happen to be in your family.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=262847859057
ABOUT BOB RICE
One of our mini-vitamin guests for this show is a really well known Catholic musician, Bob Rice… a man with a passion to share the love of God through written and spoken word, through his music and now through his first book, Between the Savior and the Sea. A fictional account of the Gospel through the eyes of Simon Peter. Bob is sought after for his praise and worship and traditional Christian music. He also is a speaker and a teacher of catechetics. Many people follow is blog.
We recorded our short interview with Bob on a day when he had been involved in a day of praise and worship, speaking to a large group of conference attendees at Franciscan University and then helping in an hour of Adoration. Yet he was gracious and happy to share his love of the Lord.
Bob’s music can be found on his website as can you read about Bob’s new work of fiction called Between the Savior and the Sea. Bob’s website is: http://bob-rice.com/ Please consider purchase of his music and his new book. At least leave a teasing message about hearing him on Catholic Vitamins.
| Between the Savior and the Sea
Authored by Bob Rice
When Christ was on the cross… where was Simon Peter? “Between the Savior and the Sea” tells the Gospel story through Simon Peter’s eyes. It not only brings to life the famous moments of the Gospels, it also goes where they are silent: What miracles occurred when Simon Peter and the other disciples were sent off two by two? How did he know that Jesus was the Christ? And what was he thinking when he denied him? Led to experience things beyond his wildest imagination, Simon Peter felt torn between being a fisherman and a “fisher of men,” caught between the Savior and the sea. |
OTHER GUESTS
Thanks go out to Deacon Gil Salinas and his DA (Deacon Assistant) Tom Rissoto from Valley Center, CA. And, a warm thank you to Father Nate Harburg from Michigan as he shared with us his journey from Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor, MI to ordination to the priesthood. God’s grace, operating in and around Christ the King parish is responsible for a phenomenal number of vocations to the priesthood and sisterhood. You can read more about Christ the King starting at this web address:
Finally — the lovely blond haired lady pictured on iTunes, your iPod screen or on our website for this show is named Maria Mitchell. She packs more enthusiastic Catholicism into a 10 minute interview than many of us do in a full 24 hour day. Thank you Maria for guesting on Catholic Vitamins.
