Friends, why was the story of Jesus with the little children, versions of which appear in the three synoptic Gospels, so vividly remembered by the first Christians? I think they intuited that it got very close to the heart of Jesus’ teaching. The way Mark sets up his account of this story in our Gospel for this weekend is frankly funny, and it’s an example o ... Show More
Dec 2024
Freeing Your Family for God
Friends, I always love preaching on the Feast of the Holy Family because I think the biblical message here is very surprising. We say the Bible is associated with family values, and indeed it is, but they're probably not the ones we would automatically think of. We see this in th ... Show More
15m 12s
Nov 19
The Marks of Spiritual Leadership
<p>Friends, we come to the final weekend of the liturgical year and the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King. Now, our country was formed in rebellion against a king, and kingship as a political reality is far removed from us. But what does kingship mean for us spiritu ... Show More
14m 54s
Nov 11
The Old World Has Been Shaken
<p>Friends, we come to the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, which means that next Sunday is the final Sunday of the liturgical year. During this time, the Church always gives us apocalyptic readings, and our Gospel today is from “the little apocalypse” in the Gospel of Luke. ... Show More
14m 50s
Jan 2025
Hidden Wisdom or Heresy? The Enigma of the Gospel of Thomas
<p><span data-sheets-root="1">Start talking about the Gospels, and most people will have a rough idea of what you're talking about - a narrative account of Jesus' life.</span></p> <p><span data-sheets-root="1">Today, however, we throw all of that familiarity out of the window and ... Show More
50m 37s
Dec 2024
Is Jesus For Non-Christians, Too?
<p><span data-sheets-root="1">Most Christians would likely agree that Jesus and the Gospels provide us with guidance for how we should be living our lives. People of non-Christian faith traditions, or those with no religious belief at all, might have a somewhat different response ... Show More
36m 32s
Mar 2024
Did Jesus Really Call Her a Dog?
One of the most uncomfortable scenes in the gospels is when a Canaanite woman follows Jesus, begging for his help. First, he ignores her. Then he insults her. Why? The story is actually a wonderful one, with great spiritual lessons that are especially useful as we begin Lent.
1h 28m
Feb 2025
Why Should We Think Mark Was the First Gospel?
Knowing when something was written helps to better understand answers to other questions - like why it was written, and how it relates to other texts from that time. Unfortunately, ancient authors rarely wrote the date at the top of the page when they started writing, which makes ... Show More
56m 11s
Oct 2024
What Are the Synoptic Gospels?
<p><span data-sheets-root="1">The phrase "synoptic gospels" is thrown around a lot in Biblical scholarship, but what does it mean, and why are they important?</span></p> <p><span data-sheets-root="1">Are they as similar as people seem to think, and what do non-academics get wrong ... Show More
37m 55s
Feb 2025
The Agrapha: The Lost Sayings Of Jesus?
In this episode of The Catholic Talk Show, Ryan & Ryan explore the unwritten and lost sayings of Jesus know as the Agrapha (ἄγραφον) and whether or not they are the authentic words of Christ.
Episode 311:
In this episode, we will discuss:
• What Are The Argapha, Or Unwritten Wor ... Show More
1h 2m