Brett and Eric pick up their Sacraments series for parents and Catechists right where they left off looking now at how we might practically teach the key features of this central sacrament of our faith 'on the ground'. This week they discuss practical approaches to transformation and presence - teaching parents and kids about the Real Presence of Christ and the kind of transformations we are talking about in the Eucharist.
Jan 09, 2018•28 min•Ep. 69
We're extremely excited by the visit of the relic of St. Francis Xavier (known as the 'Madman' Evangelist) coming to the city of Regina, Saskatchewan on January 19 and 20, 2018. As this New Year kicks off, we've asked our good friends Pierre and Laura O'Reilly, who are heading up the local relic event organizing team to stop by and talk a bit about St. Francis Xavier, the relic event itself, and how the weirdness, the intrigue of our Catholic Faith, and the model given by St. Francis can be a so...
Jan 02, 2018•35 min•Ep. 68
From Archbishop Donald Bolen, Eric, Brett and all of the Archdiocese of Regina staff and our families we'd like to wish all of our faithful listeners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Dec 26, 2017•7 min•Ep. 67
Eric and Brett continue the Christmas table-talk around the topic of being "spiritual but not religious". Part one looked at the spiritual part of that statement and asking what is really meant by the term 'spiritual'. This week they take it to the next level, looking at whether it is possible to live as a spiritual person without being in any way religious. Who says you can't talk about religion over Christmas dinner? That's what we're doing this week on Thinking Faith!
Dec 19, 2017•24 min•Ep. 65
So you're sitting around the table at your up-coming Christmas Family Feast and right after grace, in between "pass the turkey" and "where's the cranberries?" your cousin Rene comments on how spiritual you are closing with "I'm spiritual, but not religious". How do you respond? Don't let fear and trepidation seal your lips. On this part 1 of 2 episodes of Thinking Faith, Eric and Brett will begin discussing what those words mean, and what they don't. We'll see just how much common ground you sha...
Dec 12, 2017•36 min•Ep. 65
Mailbag episodes are one of our favorites to do. There's something really engaging and relational about engaging topics that an active listener has sent in. This week Eric and Brett take a look at a few of the emails they've received, answer a couple of quick ones, plan for future shows and then jump into one listener's questions about the last days and what the heck is up with Final Judgement?
Dec 05, 2017•39 min•Ep. 67
There's something unique and mysterious that happens whenever we remember anything. Our brains and our bodies have been gifted with this remarkable ability to radically return to the past and make it present to us right here and now. This week Eric and Brett conclude their three-part look at the theology of the Eucharist for Catechists and parents by discussing this very phenomenon and how God uses it as the centerpiece of this ultimate encounter with Jesus Christ. Everything old is new again on...
Nov 28, 2017•34 min•Ep. 63
This week Eric and Brett continue the discussion of the theology of the sacrament of the Eucharist for Catechists and parents. They'll look that the Eucharist as a meal and as a sacrifice and talk about why it's important not to emphasize one over the other and how each can actually help us understand the Eucharist in new ways. Hope you're hungry because we've got a feast for you on this week's Thinking Faith!
Nov 21, 2017•29 min
Continuing their series on Sacramental Preparation, Eric and Brett begin taking a look at the 'Source and Sumit of the whole Christian life' - the Eucharist. They examine the theme of Presence and Transformation discussing what we mean when we're speaking about the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the kinds of changes that do and do not happen. get your climbing gear on 'cuz we're headed right to the top of this one this week on Thinking Faith!
Nov 14, 2017•32 min•Ep. 61
Continuing their Sacramental preparation series Eric and Brett discuss some practical approaches to Baptism preparation with parents. They'll look at ways to introduce parents to the core story of our faith, and connect it to their daily lives and discuss the importance of fostering on-going, transformative encounters with Jesus Christ. Take the plunge and join the discussion on this week's Thinking Faith! Links we promised to give you this week; 90-Day Bible Reading Plan The Action Bible...
Nov 07, 2017•33 min
On this 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, Eric and Brett welcome Archdiocese of Regina Ecumenical officer Nick Jessen into the studio to talk about how his office works towards Christian unity within the Archdiocese of Regina. We'll also discuss the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, global efforts among Christian Churches working towards unity and offer some tips on how Catholics can best commemorate the anniversary of an event that has had a major impact on Christians for the past 500 y...
Oct 31, 2017•34 min
Continuing their series on sacramental preparations, Eric and Bret take time this week to discuss some of the basic theology underlying the sacrament of baptism. Specifically, they'll discuss the theme of death and resurrection - what we call the 'Pascal Mystery'. We'll discuss how Christ's dying and rising serves to 'unlock' themes of death and resurrection in the Old Testament and can help us to understand just what we are entering into when we are baptized and when we prepare to baptize our c...
Oct 24, 2017•37 min•Ep. 58
Eric and Brett sit down with Donor Services Coordinator Denise Walsh to take a peek behind the scenes of this year's 2017 "Hope, Born of Mercy" Archbishop's Annual Appeal. We'll discuss the purpose and goal of the Appeal, what you'll find in your Fall mailing (and why we do them), talk about the kinds of accountability and transparency that are built into Archbishop Appeal communications, and different ways to give. Best of all, we'll meet perhaps the most responsible and organized person in the...
Oct 17, 2017•46 min•Ep. 57
It's fine to speak about coaching families and adults, about accompanying and apprenticing others in the faith, but how does one actually do this? What does Catechesis - teaching the faith - look like for adults, for kids, for intergenerational families and parish groups? Eric and Brett discuss the challenges and share some practical tips this week on Thinking Faith!
Oct 10, 2017•49 min•Ep. 56
This week Eric and Brett invite you to join them for the Archdiocese of Regina's 2017 Archbishop's Annual Appeal "Hope, Born of Mercy" kick-off event hosted by Our Lady of Peace Parish in Regina. They'll introduce you to some of our new seminarians, our newest priest, and some very special musical guests! Here's your chance to pop in your earbuds, turn up the volume and join men and women from across the diocese for an exciting evening of entertainment, fun and above all hope! And yes, this epis...
Oct 03, 2017•41 min
Last week Eric and Brett set the stage for faith formation in general, the great need to understand the internal faith-narrative of parents who show up to our sacramental preparations and the centrality of whole-family and parent faith formation in preparing children for receiving the sacraments. This week we continue the discussion looking at some of the practicalities around the whole family and especially parent formation and how to introduce adults to the basic stories of our faith. We'll al...
Sep 26, 2017•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 54
This week Eric and Brett begin an extended series on the intricacies of sacramental preparations for Kids and families. Over the coming weeks, we'll cover some sacramental basics, and zero in on the theory, theology and practical applications of each Sacrament from baptism through to Confirmation and First Eucharist. In this weeks episode, we'll examine the role of sacramental preparations in the evangelizing mission of a parish, we'll discuss Whole Family Catechesis and the need for parental fo...
Sep 19, 2017•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Happy Anniversary - To Us! Today marks the 1-year anniversary of Thinking Faith! The very first thing we want to do is shout out a Holy Spirit-sized THANK YOU to everyone who has been listening, sharing and telling friends, family, and coworkers about the show over the past year. We also want to extend a very special thank you to all of the parishes who so graciously give up valuable bulletin real estate to promoting the show each week. For our 52nd episode, we couldn't think of a better way to ...
Sep 12, 2017•47 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Ok...Eric and Brett don't ACTUALLY know what you did this summer (they've agreed that stalking listeners is a very un-Catholic thing to do!). But a few people have been approaching and asking how they spent the summer months, so here it is. From getting ready for new deacons to writing books and playing super-spy at VBS camps they'll share all the terrifying details this week on Thinking Faith!
Sep 05, 2017•53 min•Season 1Ep. 51
This week on Thinking Faith! We're talking about Evangelization! It's an exciting and new 'catch word' right now in Christian circles and for Catholics, it might seem as though this is kind of a new thing. We can be tempted to see it as just another one of those religious fads that may sound exciting for a bit but then just fade into the background when something a bit shinier and new comes along. Hopefully today we come to a deeper appreciation for the place of Evangelization within the church,...
Aug 29, 2017•36 min•Season 1Ep. 50
This week on Thinking Faith! Brett and I are very happy to welcome a couple of guests into the studio with us today - Jerome Marcello and Chris Masaoay Of Couples For Christ's ANCOP organization. Couples for Christ is a Vatican-recognized Lay Apostolate group whose primary focus is providing families with small group-driven faith formation "From the womb to the grave". Part of this mission involves engaging families in missionary outreach which is accomplished through their Charitable organizati...
Aug 22, 2017•39 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Welcome to another episode of Thinking Faith. This week we bring you another excerpt from a series of presentations Brett delivered awhile ago to the new seminarians of the Archdiocese of Edmonton. In this episode, Brett discusses the role and place of theology in the lives of all of the faithful, what might be called a 'universal call to theology'. This is a recognition that every human being who has ever wondered about their reason for being, their place in the universe, if there is a God and,...
Aug 15, 2017•36 min•Season 1Ep. 48
This week Eric and Brett take a look at the relationship between science, evolution and 'creationism'. The relationships between these three can often be a source of confusion for the average 'Catholic on the street', the average non-Catholic and atheists too. We'll try to clear things up while remaining as awesome as always. How awesome? Jesus and the disciples riding through Jerusalem on velociraptors awesome!
Aug 08, 2017•36 min•Season 1Ep. 47
This week Eric and Brett discuss the relationship between Hospitality and the Transforming Truth of the Gospel. Are name tag Sundays, handshakes at the door and coffee after Mass the 'magic bullets' of evangelization? Do we need to be wary of sharing the truth of the gospel for fear of scaring off potential seekers? We'll look at the place of an authentic Christian Hospitality in the Church's evangelizing mission and share a couple of our own transforming encounters with Jesus Christ. We're fire...
Aug 01, 2017•45 min•Season 1Ep. 46
This week we have a special treat for your summer enjoyment - a homily by our Archbishop Donald Bolen delivered on June 10th at the 34th graduation Mass for our Archdiocese of Regina Lay Formation Program! As you may or may not recall, host Eric Gurash has been coordinating this program for the past two years. It's a program that seeks to give an answer to a great need, expressed by Pope Francis for "well-trained lay people animated by a sincere faith...whose life has been touched by the persona...
Jul 25, 2017•30 min
This week on 'Thinking Faith!', Eric and Brett continue their discussion of Natural Family Planning looking more closely at what NFP actually involves, the kinds of healthy conversations that it encourages couples to have in their relationship and we'll look at the potential NFP has for providing a surprising avenue of spiritual growth for couples and individuals. Due to the program content, you may not want to share this with your kids so find a quiet place or put your headphones on and enjoy t...
Jul 18, 2017•27 min
This week Eric and Brett begin a two-part series on Natural Family Planning. It's a topic that can result in interesting and animated conversations with family and friends and in parish groups. In the next two episodes, we'll make some distinctions and clarifications around what NFP is and isn't as well as our general attitudes towards family, relationships, and sexuality. Due to the program content, you may not want to share this with your kids so find a quiet place or put your headphones on an...
Jul 11, 2017•32 min
This week Eric and Brett welcome Joan Myers from the Archdiocese of Regina's Marriage Tribunal office to discuss the marriage annulment process. We'll examine some of the most common misconceptions about annulments, and look at some of the nitty-gritty details about the process itself. We'll also be looking at the kinds of things couples can do even before the wedding day itself, to lay a solid foundation on which to build a lasting marriage. What to do before you say "I Do", and how to navigate...
Jul 04, 2017•47 min
Is the Trinity really an unfathomable mystery? Did we exhaust all our material last week? Does any of this have any real application to our daily lives? And what the heck is a Filioque...and if you've got one, is there a cure? These questions and more get answered in part two of our series on the Trinity - wherein we also quite intentionally ignore the fact that we've done only two episodes on...the Trinity. Also this week - your last chance to enter our book giveaway contest. Simply like, share...
Jun 27, 2017•46 min
We begin a two-part series on the Trinity this week on Thinking Faith! It's one of the most central doctrines of our Christian faith and can be found etched in our prayer, sacramental and liturgical lives and yet, it can be one of the most challenging doctrines for Christiane to speak about with others. This week we'll delve into the mystery that is the Trinity. We discuss what it actually means to call the Trinity a Mystery, we'll ask hard hitting questions like "Is God really a shamrock, or is...
Jun 20, 2017•51 min
