Fr. Adam Voisin's Stuff: Recent Episodes
Fr. Adam Voisin
It's ok, and actually good, to look a little weird if you're pursuing the kingdom of heaven.
Love Jesus more than you love your family, and you'll be able to love your family more.
We are called to:
- Cure the sick
- Raise the dead
- Cleanse the lepers
- Cast out demons
Miracles Today by Craig Keener, (click HERE for Amazon link)
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.
Why We're Catholic by Trent Horn (click HERE for Amazon link)
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (click HERE for Amazon link)
The Case for The Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona (click HERE for Amazon link)
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (click HERE for Amazon link)
Catholic Answers website (click HERE)
Trent Horn's website (clcik HERE)
It's ok to have difficulties in the faith. "A thousand difficulties do not make one doubt" — Cardinal Newman.
Seven Deadly Sins
Pride: Excessive self-importance or arrogance
Envy: Jealousy over others' traits or possessions
Wrath: Intense or uncontrolled anger
Sloth: Laziness or apathy toward responsibilities
Greed: Obsessive desire for material wealth
Lust: Excessive craving for sexual pleasure
Gluttony: Overindulgence in food, drink, or consumption
St. John Chrysostom invites us to ponder what the world would be like if the entire Christian community lived in imitation of Christ: "Assuredly, there would be no more heathens, if we Christians took care to be what we ought to be; if we obeyed God's precepts, if we bore injuries without retaliation, if when cursed we blessed, if we rendered good for evil. For no man is so savage a wild beast that he would not run forthwith to the worship of the true religion, if he saw all Christians acting as I have said.
On Divine Calls, by Cardinal John Henry Newman
"Such are the instances of Divine calls in Scripture, and their characteristic is this; to require instant obedience, and next to call us we know not to what; to call us on in the darkness. Faith alone can obey them. But it may be urged, How does this concern us now?… For in truth we are not called once only, but many times; all through our life Christ is calling us. He called us first in Baptism; but afterwards also; whether we obey His voice or not, He graciously calls us still. If we fall from our Baptism, He calls us to repent; if we are striving to fulfil our calling, He calls us on from grace to grace, and from holiness to holiness, while life is given us. Abraham was called from his home, Peter from his nets, Matthew from his office, Elisha from his farm, Nathanael from his retreat; we are all in course of calling, on and on, from one thing to another, having no resting place, but mounting towards our eternal rest, and obeying one command only to have another put upon us" (Sermon 2 in John Henry Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons [London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1899], 8:22–23).
Five strategies to deal with doubt:
- It's ok. Wrestle with the doubt.
- Correct your expectations of the Messiah.
- Cultivate friendships with wise and spiritual people.
- Study the faith.
- Remember what God has done for you.
You will not be acceptable to God because you are a good person, but because you know you're a sinner in need of God's mercy.
The corporal works of mercy:
To feed the hungry To give water to the thirsty To clothe the naked To shelter the homeless To visit the sick To visit the imprisoned To bury the dead
My explanation of the parable mostly comes from Kenneth Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels.
If you want to read St. Justin Martyr’s First Apology, click HERE. For the part on the Eucharist, go look at paragraphs 65-67.
The Trinity tells us so much. It tells us:
- Who God is (i.e., that God is love)
- Who we are and what we are made for (i.e., we are created in God's image and likeness and made for love)
- That we are never alone (i.e., God wants to "move in" to our soul)
If you want to hear my homily about how the Trinity does not imply a logical contradiction, click HERE.
Four of the lessons that every disciple of Jesus must learn:
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After we encounter Jesus, life cannot go back to normal or to business as usual.
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We need to learn to recognize Jesus
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We need to learn that it’s always better to do what Jesus says, even when it doesn’t make sense to us.
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We need to learn humility.
Repent now.
Bishop Miehm celebrated Mass at Regina Mundi this day. Hence, his cameo appearance in the homily.
If you want to learn more about the Magi, click HERE for a talk by my favourite Catholic apologist Jimmy Akin.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honoured, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
C.S. Lewis: “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell” (C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce [New York: Macmillan, 1946], 72–73. Italics in the original).
Fr. Michael Gaitley, 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration (Amazon link).
St. Louis de Montfort, Secret of Mary (Click HERE).
Everything I know about the Wedding at Cana (Click HERE).
The Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in they mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
How to Profit from Your Faults by Fr. Joseph Tissot (Amazon link, click HERE). It looks like it’s not available on Amazon. You may have better luck checking with your favourite local Catholic book store.
The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Because Jesus ascended into heaven, we have more access to Him. And He gives us a mission!
Everything depends on whether or not Jesus rose from the dead.
To get a copy of The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Michael Licona and Gary Habermas, click HERE (Amazon link).
- God loves us and wants us to go to heaven
- We need to respond in faith to Him to go to heaven
- It's by God's grace that we respond to Him
On the first and second commandments.
For a good online version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, click HERE.
Videos on the physiology and health benefits of fasting from doctors. Each has many other good videos. Search their channels and enjoy.
Click HERE to watch a video by Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist from Toronto.
Click HERE to watch a video by Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, a cardiologist from Florida.
Mary is the new Eve.
If you want to go a bit deeper, listen to this podcast by one of my favourite Catholic apologists, Trent Horn, who refutes arguments against Mary being the Mother of God (click HERE).
God is not satisfied with your good words. He wants your good works. He is not satisfied with your faith, He wants your fidelity.
God doesn't owe us anything. We owe Him everything.
To learn more about Blessed Chiara Badano, click HERE.
By forgiving offences is meant that we do not seek to avenge ourselves on those who offend against us, but treat them kindly, and are ready to confer upon them any benefit within our power. My two part homily on forgiveness: Part 1: Click HERE Part 2: Click HERE
The Cananite woman is a model of faith. She demonstrates faith (i.e., trust), perseverance, and humility.
Jesus gives His disciples (and us) four gifts:
- The fact of His Resurrection
- His peace
- A mission
- The ability to forgive sins on God's behalf
Deacon Randy passed away on Sunday, May 14. His funeral was celebrated at the Cathedral of Christ the King on Friday, May 19. I am exceedingly grateful to have known him and for his generous and superlative service to Regina Mundi parish.
His obituary can be found HERE.
Sorry for the poor audio quality. I didn't think to bring my usual recorder, so had to rely on the Cathedral's recording. I did clean it up a bit, but it is still not great.
Trent Horn, Why We're Catholic (click HERE for link to Amazon)
If you listen to podcasts, I also recommend subscribing to Catholic Answers Live (click HERE). Just search "Catholic Answers Live" in your podcast app
- The sheep know the voice of the Good Shepherd and they follow Him.
- The Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name.
- The Good Shepherd walks ahead of His Sheep and they follow him.
Our readings give us the whole meaning of life in four parts. We need:
- A vehicle (faith)
- A road map (divine revelation)
- A direction (holiness)
- A destination (eternal life)
Be a missionary disciple.
From the Vatican II document on the laity (click HERE to read the whole document):
The Church was founded for the purpose of spreading the kingdom of Christ throughout the earth for the glory of God the Father, to enable all men to share in His saving redemption,(1) and that through them the whole world might enter into a relationship with Christ. All activity of the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of this goal is called the apostolate, which the Church carries on in various ways through all her members. For the Christian vocation by its very nature is also a vocation to the apostolate. No part of the structure of a living body is merely passive but has a share in the functions as well as life of the body: so, too, in the body of Christ, which is the Church, "the whole body . . . in keeping with the proper activity of each part, derives its increase from its own internal development" (Eph. 4:16).
Indeed, the organic union in this body and the structure of the members are so compact that the member who fails to make his proper contribution to the development of the Church must be said to be useful neither to the Church nor to himself.
Corporal works of mercy:
- To feed the hungry.
- To give water to the thirsty.
- To clothe the naked.
- To shelter the homeless.
- To visit the sick.
- To visit the imprisoned, or ransom the captive.
- To bury the dead.
Spiritual works of mercy:
- To instruct the ignorant.
- To counsel the doubtful.
- To admonish the sinners.
- To bear patiently those who wrong us.
- To forgive offenses.
- To comfort the afflicted.
- To pray for the living and the dead.
What's your leprosy? Might it lead you down the path of humility to spiritual healing and the praise of God?
We need to care for the poor.
The corporal works of mercy:
- To feed the hungry.
- To give water to the thirsty.
- To clothe the naked.
- To shelter the homeless.
- To visit the sick.
- To visit the imprisoned, or ransom the captive.
- To bury the dead.
Humility.
If you've got the courage, try the Litany of Humility:
Lord Jesus. Meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Don't get attached to the things of the world, but set your minds on the things of God to be free.
Don't forget the one necessary thing when you get stressed out, frustrated, anxious, worried, or resentful.
To say that God is a Trinity is to say that God is love.
If you wish, go back and listen to my homily on how the Trinity makes sense. Click HERE.
Our sins aren't the biggest problem, as long as we repent of them, resolve to change, and grow in humility.
Fr. Joseph Tissot, How to Profit From Your Faults (Amazon link; however, it looks like it is not currently available. Perhaps try your friendly neighbourhood Catholic book store)
St. Augustine states “God prefers to look at bad actions accompanied by humility than at godly works infected with pride.”
St Optatus of Mileve, "Sins accompanied with humility are worth more than innocence with pride."
St Gregory of Nyssa, “A cartload of good works drawn by pride leads to Hell, whereas a cartload of sins drawn by humility leads to Paradise.”
The examen prayer.
- HERE is a link from the Jesuits on the examen prayer.
- HERE is a link to download an examen prayer card which you can print as an aid.
Don’t tell God, “Do whatever I ask of You”. Let Him tell you, “Do whatever I ask of you”.
Consecrate yourself to Mary.
St. Louis de Montfort's Consecration to Mary (click HERE).
Be ready to proclaim the Resurrection of Jesus.
If you want to dig in and learn the historical evidence for the Resurrection, read, "The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus," by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona (click HERE for Amazon link).
On Job and suffering.
To learn more about Blessed Chiara Luce Badano, check out her Wikipedia page (click HERE). Search her name and you will find lots more information.
Jesus really existed. Jesus really died. Jesus really rose from the dead.
If you would like to dig in a bit further, I’d direct you to the following resources:
Brant Pitre, The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ, (Amazon link).
Trent Horn, How to Defend the Resurrection podcast
Jimmy Akin, The Resurrection of Jesus podcast.
Don't be afraid to go to the uncomfortable place. The Holy Spirit may be driving you there, and the angels will minister to you.
Give to Ceasar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's. And everything belongs to God.
Part 2 on forgiveness.
"By forgiving offences willingly is meant that we do not seek to avenge ourselves on those who offend against us, but treat them kindly, and are ready to confer upon them any benefit within our power".
What is forgiveness? Well, here it is.
By forgiving offences is meant that we do not seek to avenge ourselves on those who offend against us, but treat them kindly, and are ready to confer upon them any benefit within our power.
We dig deep into the reason for which Jesus speaks in parables and the meaning of the parable of the sower and the seeds.
Some info on reopening the church (eventually, hopefully). To watch the video on YouTube, click HERE.
What's the difference between Canon Law and the Catechism? And what's the more important sacrament?
What's the difference between Canon Law and the Catechism? And what's the more important sacrament?
Click HERE to head over to Shifra Homes and learn more. Plus, you will get to see some pictures of super cute babies.
To watch the live stream of our Holy Thursday Mass on YouTube, click here: https://youtu.be/p7k-QzLgalE
Divine Mercy Chaplet and Stations of the Cross Tomorrow (Friday)
Join us for the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 pm and the Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm.
All you have to do to join is click https://zoom.us/j/2650191214. You may need to enter a Meeting ID. If so, then it is 265 019 1214. If you are having trouble connecting, then you can dial in with any phone by calling 1 (647) 558-0588. You will have to enter the Meeting ID: 265 019 1214.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, you can find the prayers here: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet
HERE is the letter I wrote asking for financial support for the parish.
And HERE is the link to the diocesan website with an easy donation form to donate directly to the parish using credit card or Paypal.
On the Liturgy of the Hours. You can read the General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours by clicking HERE.
Some reflections on this Sunday's Gospel. And don't forget to go to your smartphone app store (App Store or Google Play) and download iBreviary.
Some feedback, some podcast recommendations, and some thoughts on how to grow in holiness when we can’t go to Mass. Send questions to fatheradamvoisin@gmail.com.
This is a new idea. It is a conversation with a friend of mine, Fr. Wojciech Kuzma. If you want to send in questions, fire them off to fatheradampodcast@gmail.com, and we'll try to answer them.
Open your heart to God and manifest your true identity.
C.S. Lewis' Great Divorce — click HERE for Amazon link.
When you're done with that, read Mere Christianity. Click HERE for Amazon link.
Renounce these lies:
- Did God really say?
- You will not die.
- God is the competitor of your freedom and happiness.
- I can decide what is right and what is wrong.
And obey God and follow His commands.
“Everything a baptized person does each day should be directly or indirectly related to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy” — Dorothy Day.
HERE is the website from the Archdiocese of Toronto on ideas about how to do the works of mercy.
Our whole life is about cultivating our relationship with God the Father. The best way to do that is by spending time in prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, i.e., in Eucharistic Adoration.
Find God in the Temple (the church) AND in the wilderness (your daily time of meditation).