“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” These words come from the call story of the Prophet, Samuel, in the Old Testament. They have recently become an important part of my daily prayer. I hope they will help you as you continue on your faith journey!

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Scripture Cited: 1 Samuel 3:7-11

Other Sources Cited:

Fr. Richard Rohr, Daily Meditation, July 9, 2024.

Brian D. McLaren, Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words (San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2012.

This is my reflection on the woman who touched the cloak of Christ and was healed. She had suffered for twelve years from debilitating hemorrhages. Doctors could not help her. Finally, she put all her hope and trust in Jesus of Nazareth and her life changed forever. Her encounter with Christ brought her healing and peace. I find this woman’s story to be extremely powerful. And I find her to be an exemplary model of Christian faith. She has much to teach us as we continue our journey of Faith. I hope her story inspires you as much as it does me.

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Scripture Cited: Mark 5:25-34, John 14:1

Other Sources Cited: Fr. Richard Rohr.

“The important thing that God seems to want to be doing in history is to create a community of compassion where people care about one another.” (Fr. Richard Rohr) I like this statement. When I reflect on the Church as a community of compassion I think of 3 levels of compassion: 1. A General call for all Christians to have compassion for all other humans. 2. Self-compassion. 3. Compassion on the part of the bishops for the people of the Church. In this Faith Talk I reflect on these 3 levels of compassion with the help of Scripture, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Fr. Richard Rohr.

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Scripture Cited: Mark 1:40-41, Matthew 20:34, Luke 7:11-15, Matthew 14:14, Matthew 7: 12, Matthew 22:37-40, John 21: 15-17, John 8:10-11, John 12:47

Other Sources Cited:

Fr. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation, September 17, 2023.

Catechism of the Catholic Church.

This Faith Talk was inspired by a few friends who find it difficult to remain faithful to the Church. In this episode I reflect on my own experiences with this issue. Can I live faithfully to the teachings of Jesus and at the same time accept and follow many of the teachings and guidelines put in place by the bishops, including the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis? Can I reconcile much of what the bishops say with Jesus’ message of equity, compassion, inclusion, forgiveness, and love? I will answer those questions in this Faith Talk. My intention is not to tell others how to live their faith. I only want to share my journey in hopes that it will be helpful to others as they walk their own path.

Faith Talk with Anita You Tube videos: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@FaithTalkWithAnita/videos

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Faith Talk Videos cited:

Episode 6: Did Jesus Make the All-Male Clergy? https://youtu.be/p7UOE-kOJLY

Episode 7: A Plea for Fair Treatment of the LGBTQ Community within the Church. https://youtu.be/kxg4iNYGeNQ

Episode 16: It’s Time to Change the Annulment Process. https://youtu.be/cT3ahR2B7is

In this Faith Talk I reflect on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, through the lens of the liturgical readings for the day. This is a significant feast day for Catholics because we believe that during the Mass, the sacrificial bread and wine become, through the power of the Holy Spirit, The Body and Blood of Christ. We believe Christ to be present in the bread and wine - not just symbolically, but truly present. In this reflection, I will share scripture passages from the Old and New Testaments, as well as my own personal thoughts on the meaning and significance of this Catholic dogma.

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Scripture Cited: Acts 2:42-46, Mark 14:22-26, John 6:31-35, Exodus 24:3-8, Hebrews 9:11-15

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” With those words, Jesus began his public ministry. Over the next 3 years he would proclaim the Kingdom through his words and actions. It is this proclamation of the Kingdom that our liturgical season of Ordinary Time is focused on. In this Faith Talk, I share Scripture passages, the words of Fr. Richard Rohr and Fr. Jan Larson, and my own thoughts on the Kingdom of God. I also share lyrics from the Musical, The Wiz. I hope my message is helpful for you. Please share this with anyone who might benefit.

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Scripture Cited: Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 4:16-21, Matthew 4:17

Other Sources Cited:

Fr. Richard Rohr, Daily Meditations.

Fr. Jan Larson

Lyrics from the Broadway Musical, The Wiz. Ease on Down the Road. Songwriter – Charlie Smalls.

In this Faith Talk I reflect on the Feast of Pentecost – the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the first community of Christians – what many believe to be the birthday of the Church. But I don’t see Pentecost as just a Christian story. I see it as a universal story – intended for the whole world. I believe the Holy Spirit has been given to all! Please join me as I talk through my reasoning.

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Scripture Cited: Acts 2:1-11, Exodus 3:4-15

This is the story of my visit to the Miraculous Staircase in the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe. I include incredible details about the staircase itself and the story of how it came to be (from the booklet, Loretto Chapel, the Miraculous Staircase, by Bill Brokaw). You can see my photos of the staircase in my You Tube video episode 102. I also include the words of the original Novena to St. Joseph that the sisters of Loretta so faithfully prayed all those years ago. Could this magnificent staircase be the work of St. Joseph? You be the judge!

Faith Talk with Anita You Tube videos: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@FaithTalkWithAnita/videos

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Sources Cited: Loretto Chapel, The Miraculous Staircase, by Bill Brokaw. The Creative company, Lawrenceburg, IN. 2002. Fifth printing: 2014.