Conferences @ "VOCES VERBI NIGHT":
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"Finding Truth in the Garden"
The story of man’s creation and original solitude in the Garden of Eden not only teaches us the truth about our origins, but also the truth about our identity, i.e. the truth about who we are as human beings. Drawing from St. John Paul II’s Theology of Body, Fr. Christopher will seek to show us how we can rediscover this truth in the Garden. |
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The Fight For Sunday
“The fight for Sunday is another of the Church’s major concerns in the present day, when there is so much to upset the rhythm of time that sustains community.” As Bendict XVI points out in Jesus of Nazareth, many people are struggling to keep Sunday holy, set apart, and different from every day of the week. Taking points from St. John Paul II’s Dies Domini, Voces Verbi’s Dan Mattingly presents on the holiness of Sunday (particularly the Eucharistic aspect) and some practical means on how we can keep the Lord’s day set apart and different from just any other day of the week. 
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. This all important prayer is not meant to be prayed only by priests and religious but by all the faithful, as the Church herself encourages: “all who render this service are not only fulfilling a duty of the Church . . . [but also] by offering these praises to God they are standing before God’s throne in the name of the Church their Mother” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 84). At first glance, though, it can be confusing where to even start praying The Liturgy of the Hours. Sr. Misericordia presents to us the Liturgy of the Hours, their meaning, structure, and how to pray them.
Profiting From Temptation
Have you ever wondered why God allows you to be tempted? Could it be that they can help us on our way to heaven? Fr. Ted joins Voces Virtual to explain what temptations are, how we can resist them and how they can be used to help us grow in holiness. |
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of What? Finding Genuine Happiness and Freedom
What does it mean to pursue happiness? What does happiness consist in? What about human friendships or our own virtues? Amidst the many and varied goods that vie for our attention, it is difficult to stay convinced that the life that God teaches us to live through Christ remains the only way to our true happiness. In this talk, we will discuss why the moral life is a great gift, not merely a series of restrictions and prohibitions, and why our genuine happiness can only be found by seeking first the Kingdom of God.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” ( Luke 10:2). Each one of us is called by God to a specific state of life, that is, a specific vocation. But this calling is not only for us, it is for the building up of the Church. Fr. Mariano Ruiz explains at Voces how it is under this light we can best ask ourselves what we are doing to help vocations and why it is also the best way to discern our own.
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In the Bible, we have a unique treasure, because in it, “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” And yet, are we really appreciating the Word of God as we should? St. Jerome said that “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” On the other hand, frequent reading of Scripture teaches us the “excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:8). Br. Jacobs presents on what the Catholic Church teaches about this sacred Word of God and how we as Christians can benefit from it.
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Living Divine Mercy
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Mt. 5:7) On the Second Sunday of Easter the Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast our Lord specifically asked for in a series of revelations to St. Faustina which was instituted by St. John Paul II in the year 2000. Every year this Feast, as well as the whole Octave of Easter, highlights God’s great mercy and love for us. But what exactly is Divine Mercy? And how does it (or should it) change my life? Br. Peter speaks at Voces about the importance of the Divine Mercy message revealed by Jesus to Saint Faustina, its urgency, and need, especially in our modern day and age. |
We encounter many forms of suffering in the world, and as a Christian how do we respond to this? St. John Paul the Great gives us the answer in his Apostolic Letter, Salvifici Doloris: by uniting our suffering to Christ Crucified. Sr. Victory presents at Voces on the importance of viewing suffering through the lens of our Christian faith.
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Despite the many arguments against abortion, euthanasia, and the culture of death, many in our society continue to push forward an evil agenda under the pretense of 'rights'. It can feel that we are speaking a completely different language when engaging with people on the issue of life.
How has our culture come to this point, and what can we as Catholics do and say to help turn the tide against the culture of death?
A helpful response can be found in St. John Paul II's Encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life); Br. Peter presents on a Catholic response in the support of life.
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During the past months, the wounds of racism have been re-opened in our culture. What can we do as Catholics to heal these wounds?
Although almost five centuries have gone by since the apparitions of Our Blessed Mother to the humble Juan Diego, her message is more than ever necessary for those who are in search for authentic peace and reconciliation.
Fr. Diego Ruiz presents on how Our Lady of Guadalupe reminds us today that we are all her children and she wants to bring us together as God’s family in Christ.
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Fulton Sheen presents reflections on life and how to live in an ever-changing world in his book On Being Human. There are conflicts that the world tries to solve on its own terms, and there are internal struggles we are trying to make sense of. How should we react in the midst of both in a Catholic way while working towards our happiness and santification? Dcn. Peter seeks to address these questions at Voces.
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Ite ad Joseph
Pope Francis has proclaimed a "Year of St. Joseph"; the time for devotion to St. Joseph is now! Following points from St. John Paul II's 'Redemptoris Custos", Br. Peter presents at Voces on the importance of devotion to St. Joseph in light of his relation to the Jesus Christ, the Word Made Flesh and his true marriage to Mary, the Mother of God. |
Why did St. Louis de Montfort, St. Padre Pio, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and so many other saints consider the Rosary as such a powerful spiritual aid and weapon? Following St. John Paul II's 'Rosarium Virginis Mariae' (Rosary of the Virgin Mary), Br. Jacob presents on the importance of the Rosary and how we can grow in our devotion to this great prayer.
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Faith and Political Responsibility
As Catholics, are we able to disagree on politics? If not, why? And if so, are there any issues that go directly against our faith? Fr. Christopher presents on political authority and the democratic system from the standpoint of Catholic Social Doctrine. Based on the right end and means, Fr. will show the Catholic teaching on our role in the political sphere and where there can and cannot be discrepancy of thought.
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Finding My Way in a Relativistic Culture
Can each person have their own truth, or is there is only one? If there is only one truth, is it possible to find it? And if somehow, we do find the truth, is it possible to share it with others? Fr. Ayala presents some of doctrine of St. Thomas Aquinas on truth and relativism and how we can apply it in our own times against the modern day attacks of skepticism and relativism. Learn responses to the most common arguments and be able to defend our ability to know the truth.
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It is one of the simplest and also one of the most overlooked truths of our faith: God truly dwells in the soul in the state of sanctifying grace. This is what St. Paul speaks of in his letter to the Colossians (1:26-27) “ the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.” If this is true, what impact should it, and does it have on my life?
At first glance it may seem that Mary is hardly in Sacred Scripture at all. Many claim that Catholics overstate the importance of Mary in relation to her appearances in the Bible. However, through the use of typology (the study and interpretation of types and symbols), Br. Jacob will show how Mary is the New Eve and the Ark of the Covenant, and the importance of Marian devotion.
There is a relatively new ideology coming onto the scene that reduces a person's sex to a choice rather than a God-given and essential element of identity. If there is any doubt to its prevalence, one need only look at the well known video from the Family Policy Institute. Fr. Ted Trinko, IVE joins Voces Verbi to discuss the Origins and Catholic Response to Gender Ideology.
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We live in an era that avoids looking at the inevitable last things: death, judgement, heaven and hell. However, when we look at these things through the light of faith, we can see them as what they really are. Br. Constantine presents on the importance of a proper perspective on the last things, and how this can help foster a more intense spirirtual life deeper relationship with Christ.
We live in a wounded world. We are all hurt in various ways, and need healing from our anger and resentment. Following Fr. Fuentes' The Way of Forgiveness, Br. Peter discusses how we can begin this process and some of the key steps to find freedom through the liberating power of forgiveness.
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Fr. Christopher explores some of the issues in how we are approaching COVID19 presents on how Catholics can view this new reality in light of Catholic Social Doctrine.
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When faced with different choices, challenges, and situations, what are the values I can apply? We have two choices: to follow the spirit of the world, or the spirit of the Gospel. To do so, we must follow the command of Christ: Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in Him: “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:31-31)
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Getting the Incarnation Right
"The Annunciation" by Paolo Veronese
(ca. 1580)
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3.23.19 - If we get the Incarnation wrong, we will get much of Catholic theology wrong. This talk helps us "rightly" understand the Incarnation and how we need to "get real" with what we profess it to be. Listen to more to unpack the Catholic truths that Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P. presents to us in The Light of Christ.
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A Biblical Approach to Generosity
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3.16.19 - St. John Paul II in 1987 said Lent was a time for Penance, Reflection, and Generosity. This talk tries to answer the questions, why do we need to be generous and how can we do it, following the example of our Biblical models of faith.
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Catholic Anthropology and Sin
**Clarification from Fr. Christopher!**
Around the 4:00 minute mark of the first video, I spoke about how we must understand the Book of Genesis when we read it. It was never my intention to place in doubt the historical character of the book and what it reveals to us. I firmly hold the belief that the Magisterium teaches us. Here's a resource to help: *Scroll down to the title "The Historical Character of the Earlier Chapters of Genesis"
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2.16.19 - We finish up our study on Catholic anthropology with a look at our parents' first sin and its consequences in our own lives. Listen to more to unpack the truths that Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P. presents to us in The Light of Christ.
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Imago Dei
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2.9.19 - Called to be the "image of God", we need to actively know Him and love Him. Our creation in God's image is not a static reality, but one that beckons us to live it fully through our knowledge and will. Listen to more to unpack the truths that Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P. presents to us in The Light of Christ.
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