This week Deacon Eric discusses how Catholic spiritual practice and positive psychology can work together to create a healthy and sustainable approach to well-being while cultivating a deeper connection to our God and others. Show Snippet: "Without stating it expressly, Positive psychology recognizes a fundamental Christian truth; that human beings are indeed “fearfully and wonderfully made” and that the human person is a beautiful mystery with an inherent purpose, meaning, and dignity." Links: ...
Feb 07, 2023•31 min•Ep. 335
This week Deacon Eric discusses a recent trip to the Yorkton area where he spoke about Evangelization and parish renewal with a focus on evangelization as the core mission of the Church and how the Word of God provides a key starting point. Show Snippet: "In 2019 Pope Francis gave us a key starting point by declaring the third Sunday in Ordinary Time "Word of God Sunday". As the new Liturgical season begins, and at the start of every year moving forward, Pope Francis issues this clear encouragem...
Jan 31, 2023•24 min•Ep. 334
During this Week of Christian Unity Thinking Faith, through the sponsorship of St. Thomas More College, the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, the Archdiocese of Regina, and Campion College presents the following lecture featuring Bishop Bruce Myers at Campion College in Regina. Drawing on decades of reflection on ecumenical reception and formation, Bishop Myers presents an approach to teaching the practical and theological aspects of ecumenism in a way that is both holistic and pragmatic and offers ...
Jan 24, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 333
This week Brett continues his conversation with Mark Hornbacher of the St. Paul Street Evangelization Apostolate to discuss Hornbacher's critiques of Brett's Church Life Journal article "Hell is Good News." Show Snippet: "It's at least possible that we've bought into a kind of even more subtle log-in-the-eye kind of thing. And so we, we just always have to be on the lookout for that, that we never think we finally got it (and) now we're not in danger of the log in our eye, because we're now the ...
Jan 17, 2023•40 min•Ep. 332
This week Brett sits down with Mark Hornbacher of the St. Paul Street Evangelization Apostolate to discuss Hornbacher's critiques of Brett's Church Life Journal article "Hell is Good News." Show Snippet: "This is, in response to, some debates in popular Catholicism around the efforts of people like Bishop Baron and the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar, and at least some people say this idea that hell is relatively empty, or even potentially completely empty needs to be gotten rid of, not prima...
Jan 10, 2023•47 min•Ep. 331
With the Christmas season continuing in full swing, we invite you to take a few minutes to reflect on Bishop Donald Bolen's Christmas Message to the faithful of the archdiocese of Regina. From all of us at the Archdiocese of Regina and the Thinking Faith Catholic Podcast, we pray that your Christmas has been filled with grace and that 2023 brings a richness of blessings to you and those you love. Watch Bishop Don's Christmas Message at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynICqg9Tl20...
Jan 03, 2023•6 min•Ep. 330
In this part two of two, Deacon Eric and Dr. Brett discuss pastoral accompaniment; what it is, what it is not, and what it looks like in the messy reality of real life. Show Snippet: "If you lead with winning an argument, you'll lose them...the first thing they need to do is talk it out for themselves, and you are a listener."
Dec 27, 2022•32 min•Ep. 329
In this part one of two, Deacon Eric and Dr. Brett discuss pastoral accompaniment; what it is, what it is not, and what it looks like in the messy reality of real life. Show Snippet: "It seems to me that good accompaniment isn't necessarily even looking for an alleviation of that tension...the simplest way for us to erase whatever tension there might be."
Dec 20, 2022•30 min•Ep. 328
As the Advent season moves quickly into Christmas, we invite you to take a few moments to step out of the frantic pace of the holidays and discover the hidden gifts and graces that only a contemplative attitude can reveal.
Dec 13, 2022•29 min•Ep. 327
Keep awake and stay alert. These advent themes invite us to foster and develop what is known as a Contemplative Attitude - a particular way of being within the world that is 'highly tuned' to the presence of Christ in our midst. In this part one of a two-part Advent retreat, Deacon Eric reflects on this call to keep watch and how we might foster a contemplative attitude this Advent this week on Thinking Faith!
Dec 06, 2022•27 min•Ep. 326
We continue our conversation with returning guest Brett Fawcett as we discuss what has been called the "Crowning Glory of the liturgical year"; the Feast of Christ the King. Show Snippet "Christ is both present and coming...so there's that eschatological aspect to it that (Pope Paul VI) was drawing our attention to. And I also think it's because it leads into Advent, which is where we recapitulate that; we remember what it was like to wait for the first coming of Christ." This podcast is made po...
Nov 29, 2022•32 min•Ep. 325
Thinking Faith welcomes returning guest Brett Fawcett to discuss what has been called the "Crowning Glory of the liturgical year"; the Feast of Christ the King. Show Snippet "When he (Pope Pius XI) talks about nations and societies and peoples recognizing the Kingship of Christ, it's really important to know what he meant by that and what he didn't mean by that, and one of the things we can see he meant by it is some of the things he recommends for the economy..." This podcast is made possible b...
Nov 22, 2022•32 min•Ep. 324
TF322: Reading For Consolation with Dr. Susan Johnston - Part 2 Deacon Eric and Dr. Brett visit with University of Regina English Department head Dr. Susan Johnston as we discuss reading for consolation in difficult times. Show Snippet: "Our faith is a faith for grownups, and we do ourselves, and we do the Church, and we do the faithful a disservice when we want to stay with; and we began talking about that comfort and the restoration of the social order, but we really do betray things if that's...
Nov 15, 2022•45 min•Ep. 323
Deacon Eric and Dr. Brett visit with University of Regina English Department head, Dr. Susan Johnston, as we discuss reading for consolation in difficult times. Show Snippet: "There is the genuine need for comfort that we all do experience; and what we find comforting should be teaching us something if we are ready to learn it." This podcast is made possible by your generous donations to our Archbishop's Annual Appeal. Thank you for your support! https://archregina.sk.ca/giving-how-to-donate-2/d...
Nov 08, 2022•37 min•Ep. 322
November is traditionally a month dedicated to remembering and praying for our dearly departed loved ones and friends. It can also be a time when we experience a deepening or resurgence of grief over losses, whether they have been recent or some time ago. Deacon Eric takes time this week to examine ways we might approach the experience of grief from a faith perspective. "The Church Fathers, many of them, really picked up on this idea of St. Paul's and really discouraged lamenting and grieving pu...
Nov 01, 2022•30 min•Ep. 321
Deacon Eric reflects on October as Mental Health Awareness Month and how Moses' habits, when faced with daunting burdens, can provide a lesson for all of us. Show Snippet: "In Exodus 17, Moses begins with the assumption that he alone will stand at the top of the hill with God’s staff to pray for success in battle; it is those around him, Aaron and Hur, who insist on helping him when the burden becomes too great."
Oct 25, 2022•31 min•Ep. 320
Deacon Eric and Dr. Brett continue their discussion on a Catholic approach to horror movies and the role of discernment in engaging in any kind of entertainment. Show Snippet: "If we're starting off asking, "How do Catholics approach horror films?"; I think that's a great summary of what we've been talking about...with discernment; good, interior discernment." This podcast is made possible through generous donations to our Archbishop's Appeal. Donations can be made at https://archregina.sk.ca/gi...
Oct 18, 2022•30 min•Ep. 319
October is not only a time for pumpkin spiced lattes and crunch leaves. It is also the time we see Halloween decore fill store aisles and horror flicks in the theaters. How should Catholics approach horror movies? Deacon Eric and Dr. Brett talk memento mori, the reality of evil, the Conjuring, the Book of Revelation, and more. Show Snippet: "You know, a lot of the same people who would say "I would never watch a horror movie," are the same people who would say, "I would never read the Book of Re...
Oct 11, 2022•30 min•Ep. 318
Our Archbishop's Annual Appeal kicked off in September with our 2022 Congress featuring a Keynote address by Bishop Jim Weisgerber on "Growing in Hope". This week on Thinking Faith, we invite you to enjoy Bishop Jim's address and to prayerfully consider how you might contribute to this year's Archbishop's Appeal. For more information and to donate, visit https://archregina.sk.ca/archbishops-appeal Show Snippet: "In English, hope means 'wishing'. "I hope the Roughriders will get a playoff spot......
Oct 04, 2022•44 min•Ep. 317
Deacon Eric continues the discussion about what it was like to preside at the marriage of his daughter over the summer and how the vocation of marriage impacts not just married couples, but the world. Show Snippet: "That's one of the reasons I chose to speak not just to my daughter and my new son-in-law about this vocational calling, this missionary nature of marriage, but I specifically addressed all couples that were gathered there to remember that there's a mission, there's a purpose for you ...
Sep 27, 2022•36 min•Ep. 316
This week on Thinking Faith, Deacon Eric discusses the profound summer experience of presiding not only at his first wedding as a Deacon but at the marriage of his daughter. Show Snippet: "A lot of the questions, and I think legitimately, were from my daughter to me saying "Dad, do you actually think you can do that; officiate at my wedding without bursting into tears?" Because I can tend to get a little emotional..."
Sep 20, 2022•29 min•Ep. 315
We continue our Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode completes our masterclass and concludes last week's examination of liturgy in culture, life, and the Mass. "If you want to make citizens for a consumer culture, you need people with low inhibitions because consumer culture doesn't like people who are self-possessed and self-controlled because they don't need to buy a b...
Sep 13, 2022•44 min•Ep. 314
We continue our Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode examines liturgy in culture, life, and the Mass. "The culture isn't just feeding us evil, it's feeding us good in the wrong proportions or in the wrong perspective, and that throws us off. All the things we're addicted to, what are you addicted to? Work? Sex? Those are good! What are you looking for in your addiction? ...
Sep 06, 2022•36 min•Ep. 313
We continue our Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode will conclude the topic of Real Presence and Ecumenical dialogue. Show Snippet: "There's a misunderstanding that Catholics sometimes have that the reason protestants can't normally receive the Eucharist in a Catholic celebration of the Mass, is because they don't believe in Real Presence...that's not actually the reaso...
Aug 30, 2022•29 min•Ep. 312
We continue our Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode will take a deep dive into the topic of Real Presence and Ecumenical dialogue. Show Snippet: "Part of the story is that Transubstantiation stopped functioning, in the way it was designed to function, within a couple generations of Thomas (Aquinas)..."
Aug 23, 2022•29 min•Ep. 311
We continue our Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode will take a deep dive into the topic of Transubstantiation. Show Snippet: "Berengarius was right, theologians agree, to push back on this language - this ultra-realistic language - but he drew a hard line between real on the one hand and symbol on the other and opted for a more symbolic reading, and the theologians of ...
Aug 16, 2022•58 min•Ep. 310
We continue our Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode will continues last week's examination of the Eucharist as Real Presence. Show Snippet: "Calling it real is to say God is acting. Is the human meaning-making and symbol nothing? No, it's the whole context in which God is acting; it's where God comes to meet us. It's not nothing, but it's not sufficient to account for t...
Aug 09, 2022•31 min•Ep. 309
We continue our Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode will examine the Eucharist as Real Presence. Show Snippet: "The New Atheists who think that Christianity is the worst thing that's ever happened in the history of the world will come out against various contemporary ideologies that are very subjective, and the New Atheists will agree with the Catholic position. Now tha...
Aug 02, 2022•30 min•Ep. 308
We continue our Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode will examine the Eucharist as sacrifice. Show Snippet: "The Old Testament is aware of all this. When people are offering all their bulls and goats and lambs at the Temple, but their hearts aren't changed, the prophets call them out for that. Jesus even quotes them at one point, "Go learn what this means, 'I desire merc...
Jul 26, 2022•55 min•Ep. 307
This week we begin a special Summer Masterclass on the Eucharist featuring a series of talks previously delivered by Dr. Brett Salkeld for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This week's episode will examine the Eucharist as a meal. Show Snippet: "It tells us a lot about why the Bible is so obsessed with food. I mean the people who were writing the Bible were people who were often living on the edge of not being able to eat. They were often poor people...and so, if you want to tell a story about P...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 306
