Father Christopher Zugger

Internet Radio Inside the House / Office / Car

Check out Father Thomas Loya’s stock of programs “Light of the East. ”

Radio is not outdated. It remains a primary vehicle for evangelization in the Southern Hemisphere, and via the internet everywhere. The internet, of course, is not just for streaming live programs, but for listening at anytime, anywhere. And Father Loya’s show is one of the best there is, not just among Byzantine Catholics, but all Catholics.

You can access it here: http://byzantinecatholic.com/podcast/ as part of the Annunciation (Homer Glen, Illinois) parish’s website, which has an archive of past programs.

Father’s Apple podcasts can be found here  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/light-of-the-east/id910354650?mt=2.

Catholic Stuff You Should Know

This podcast is put together by priests of the Archdiocese of Denver and our own  Father Michael O’Loughlin, of Holy Protection parish in Denver. He brings in the Byzantine perspective on a regular basis. Go to http://catholicstuffpodcast.com

Catholic Under the Hood is a Franciscan broadcast, but it carries a number of shows with a distinctly Eastern Catholic flavor. Find more at  https://catholicunderthehood.com/category/eastern-catholic.

How to Speak in Evangelization¹

Defending the Faith is always a challenge. Conversations with co-workers, friends, and relatives can become difficult or awkward. This is where three things come into play:

Prayer – we must pray daily to the Holy Spirit to ask His guidance! Recite the “Heavenly King” slowly and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. If you have roommates, workmates, friends, and relatives who ask about our Church, our Byzantine Tradition, and the Catholic Faith, this is an invitation to speak well. If this is a regular occurrence, then pray this often to ask for help!

Education – Get books for yourself: see the Byzantine Basic Bookshelf in the next posts for ideas.  Our Byzantine Tradition has so many practices and rituals which speak to the soul, but we have to know what they mean! And the basics of the Catholic Faith are so important: read, attend Catholic Bible study, check out Catholic websites, and learn so as to teach. Samples are given on the Bookshelf page.

Patience – One of the great virtues. Be patient: you do not know what seeds you have planted. One day, by grace, those seeds will grow and flourish in the souls of others. You may see it from Heaven, but it will happen!

Look for the positive intention behind the criticism.
Rather than arguments, consider the value that those arguments appeal to. Look for the Christian ethic. Which other values is the critic ignoring, or has not properly taken into account? Consider how, very early in the discussion you can appeal to the value your critic is upholding. Even when up against an individualistic or utilitarian viewpoint, it is important to understand the value involved, name it, and s how that there are underlying principles to be agreed upon.

Be charitable. People won’t remember what you said as much as how you made them feel.
We are there to serve the truth – not by trying to defeat people or overwhelm them. Charity must be the key element always. The danger is that you will win the argument but lose the souls.

Be positive.
An important principle when making the Church’s case against something is to be positive. Almost everything the Church says is because she wants to call people to the fullness of life, health, and sustainable prosperity.
Being positive is not being “nice”. It is about bringing the discussion back to the positive vision of the Church. We invite society to a better way. We are against abortion because we are campaigning like the anti-slavery people did. Be the angel that point to the brighter horizon! The Church has answers to the moral questions of today! 

Think in triangles. Hone your thoughts down to the three important points you want to make. If you get two out of the three into the discussion you’ll be doing well. It’s important to marshal your thoughts into three points. 
Make a triangle of them. When in the discussion, think how does it relate to the triangles – then bring in your point. At least one point should address the positive intention behind the criticism.

Show, don’t tell.
Know your facts, but don’t bounce statistics. It’s not 33% but one out of three; not 25% but one-fourth. Use those kinds of statistics only when needed.

Go to the sources of the person’s criticism: is it accurate or is it misquoted? Attention spans today are short: focus on what’s most important. Check out some resources here re: Catholicism in general – https://shop.catholic.com/