Busted Halo Show W/fr. Dave Dwyer

A listener named Brad asks a question of faith: “Outside of Lent, if we choose the penance option, what are some examples of penance to choose from?” Father Dave begins by explaining what Brad means by the “penance option.”   “Prior to the Second Vatican Council in the ‘60s, Catholics would have been very familiar with abstaining from eating meat every Friday of the year. We celebrate Friday as the day that Christ gave up his life for us. Good Friday is the day he hung on the cross and died. And so Fridays, we try to recognize that a bit in our actual living of our daily life. There was a decision made at the Second Vatican Council that we should still recognize Fridays in some way. We should realize that it's a day for remembering Christ's death and do some sort of penitential act; some sort of sacrifice. So everybody used to just not eat meat.” Father Dave explains that the Second Vatican Council confirmed that Catholics no longer have to abstain from meat on Fridays, but every Catholic is required to do so

Our temporary producer “Maternity Leave Matt” has a few more days before Krista returns to work, so he’s squeezing in some last questions of faith for Father Dave: Matt asks a two-part question, “Are there ever times when you don’t feel like being Father Dave, when you don’t want to be recognized as a priest? And has there been a time when you didn’t want to be a priest anymore?” Father Dave responds to the second part of the question first, “No, in my 24 years of being an ordained priest, and then six years of discerning before that, I've never really had doubts that this is overall the right calling for me.” LISTEN: Fatherly Advice: Discerning Priesthood Father Dave shares that in any job or relationship, there are ups and downs, good times and bad, but even in very difficult times, he’s never had doubts.  Father Dave discusses a particularly difficult time back in 2002, when the story broke of sexual abuse in the Church. Father Dave had only been a priest for two years, and had experienced the priesthood

A listener named Charles emails Father Dave with a question of faith.  “This weekend at our vigil Mass, the priest wasn't able to make it to Mass unexpectedly. What should we (the parishioners) have done? We have no deacon in our parish, and I was asked to lead a communion service. Was that proper?” Father Dave explains that in the Catholic Church there is a protocol called “Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest.” These protocols were developed by the Church because in many places in the world there aren’t enough priests to cover all the churches and all the Catholics on any given Sunday.  ‘Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest’ states that a bishop may appoint a person other than a priest to lead this celebration. LISTEN: Why Are There Multiple Eucharistic Prayers?  “Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest are commonly called a ‘community service,’” Father Dave says.  “Typically, what this look like is Mass minus the Eucharistic Prayer, and [the service] could be led by a deacon, an

Father Dave welcomes back theologian, Catholic speaker and author, and friend of the show Dr. Edward Sri to discuss his new book “What Do You Seek?: Encountering The Heart Of The Gospel.”  Dr. Sri explains how the book emphasizes the good news of the Gospel and is designed to help us think about the mysteries of God’s love for us so that we can deepen our relationship with Christ.   The book breaks down the Gospel into five parts which Dr. Sri calls (The 5 R’s): relationship, rebellion, reconciliation, recreation and response. LISTEN: Feeling Stuck in Prayer? Dr. Edward Sri Shares Inspiration for Spiritual Dry Spells “Relationship is really the fundamental building block of being a Catholic,” Father Dave says.  “Many Catholics today have this approach to their faith where they think, I know a lot of the facts and I do a lot of the pious practices. “I pray, I read the Bible, I listen to the Busted Halo Show.  These are all good things,” Dr. Sri responds. “But sometimes we can look at these things as checking

Marie Miller is a folk/pop singer-songwriter and multi-faceted artist and speaker who weaves together music, humor, and storytelling to convey God’s love for us.  She stopped by the show to talk with Father Dave about her new EP, “The Way of Love.”   Marie began making music as a teenager, and has enjoyed an almost-20-year career of radio, recording, and performing success, including opening up for The Backstreet Boys and the Wallflowers. She’s excited to be releasing her first Catholic album in a long time. “My heart just kept getting closer to Jesus,” Marie explains. “I want to talk about Jesus and who I love and what I love — the Lord, St. Thérèse of Lisieux — so the writing came very natural.” RELATED: St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Inspiring Us to Share Our Faith Stories Father Dave asks about the record being inspired by St. Thérèse of Lisieux.   “She's the patroness of this album; she’s amazing“ Marie says. “The Way of Love,” which is the title track, is inspired by a quote of hers: ‘How sweet is the way of

A listener named Sara emails Father Dave a question of faith: “First of all, I have listened since 2006. I love you all. Now you may find this crazy but I have been thinking about becoming Catholic since then! I am concentrating on the Eucharist because I get completely overwhelmed by the rules. Is this a sin? I feel it keeps me from Jesus rather than closer. I am in RCIA (Rite of Catholic Initiation for Adults). I have a wonderful teacher. I probably would have come into the Church this past Easter but ran into an annulment problem.  So do you recommend me focusing on the Eucharist?” Father Dave says that the teaching of the Church recommends that all Catholics focus on the Eucharist. “The Second Vatican Council, building on the teaching of 2000 years that came before that, referred to the Eucharist as the summit and source of our faith.” The summit is the peak of the mountain that we are all climbing towards, Father Dave explains, but it is also the source of our journey to the top of the mountain. “The Eu

A listener named Julianne writes to Father Dave with a question of faith.  “I’m a mom of two very active children who love playing and watching sports. Recently at a basketball game, my 11-year-old son turned to me and asked whether booing was a sin. I thought it was a really insightful question that recognized that the opposing team players (and referees/umpires!) are people, and that this is just a game; the booing or jeering is part of the performance of the sport. Or is it? As much as we may not want a team to succeed, we don’t actually wish ill will on them. This question is more directed toward behavior at a professional sports game versus a youth sports game (where spectators usually cheer for both teams, or at least keep things positive – can’t speak for everyone here, but that’s what we do). Could you help clear this up for us please?” Father Dave points out that if you were to say derogatory things or jeer or boo at someone you don’t know, that would be uncharitable and therefore sinful. “Jesus give

Friend of the show, Jesuit priest, author, and editor-at-large of America Media Father James Martin stopped by Father Dave’s radio studio to discuss his recent meeting with Pope Francis, what it was like being at the Vatican with a number of famous comedians, and more.  On Friday June 14, Pope Francis met with a number of comedians from multiple countries including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, and Jim Gaffigan to name a few.  The meeting, according to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, was intended to “establish a link” between the Catholic Church and such artists and aimed to "celebrate the beauty of human diversity ... [and] promote a message of peace, love and solidarity."  LISTEN: Catholic Comedian Judy McDonald on Humor in Difficult Times Father James Martin is a consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and explains to Father Dave how he became involved.  “I knew about the comedians thing about two months before they met with the pope,” Father James

Father Dave welcomes author John Stansifer to the show to talk about Father Emil Kapaun, the most decorated chaplain in U.S. military history. John has written over 20 screenplays, specializing in biopics and historical true stories. He spent six years in the Kansas Army National Guard as a mortar gunner and served alongside Vietnam War veterans, whose stories further developed his interest in military history. His latest book is called “No Bullet Got Me Yet: The Relentless Faith of Father Kapaun.”  “No Bullet Got Me Yet” is a collection of letters written by, to and about Emil Kapaun, a Catholic priest and army chaplain in the Korean War. Archived by the Father Kapaun Guild, the letters comprise the record of Kapaun's heroism in the 1st Cavalry Division in Korea in the summer of 1950, and the sacrificial service he provided fellow POWs after he was captured by Chinese troops in November. He died at POW Camp in 1951 and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in 2013. RELATED:

While Busted Halo Show producer Krista LePard is out on maternity leave, our temporary producer, “Maternity Leave Matt” has some questions of faith for Father Dave: Matt asks, “When you became a priest, did you stop being Dave Dwyer and become [solely] Father Dave? Do your friends or family call you Father Dave or are you still Dave to some people?” Father Dave first answers this question from a broader theological perspective. “The Sacrament of Holy Orders is for a deacon, a priest and a bishop; you'd have Holy Orders for all those three. We believe that, like the Sacrament of Baptism, it does make an indelible change.  So we would call it an ontological, meaning at the very essence of a human person, an ontological change, which cannot be undone or reversed.” WATCH: Holy Orders in 2 Minutes In other words, even if someone leaves the priesthood or if a layperson decides to leave the Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the Sacrament of Baptism cannot be undone.  Father Dave adds, “The sacrament

At the start of a recent homily, Father Dave addresses two things from the Gospel of St. Mark that Catholics and non-Catholics alike often have questions about.   In the Gospel of St. Mark and in a few other places, we hear about Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Father Dave explains that those who translated Gospel texts from the original languages wanted to keep  faithful to the language. In the culture of Jesus' time, immediate and extended family were considered almost the same, to the degree that they would actually use the same word for “brothers” and “cousins” – two family members that we would have distinct names for in today’s culture.   RELATED: Learning About Sacrifice, With the Help of St. Mark The Greek term Adelphos used The by St. Mark in his Gospel is an ambiguous word that could mean either brother or cousin. This passage could actually say that Jesus had blood brothers and sisters, or it could refer to cousins or more distant relatives, common parlance in Near East family descriptions.  “So we'r

Eric Groth, president of ODB Films and executive producer of “Wildcat” stops by the show to talk about the film about the late Catholic author Flannery O’Connor. ODB Films is an award-winning not-for-profit Catholic film company whose mission is to foster an encounter with Christ through artfully made, spiritually rich films.  Their newest movie, “Wildcat” was written and directed by Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke and details O’Connor’s struggle to publish her first novel.  Flannery O’Connor was a devout Catholic living in the Jim Crow Era south in the 50s and 60s.  When she was 23 years old, she began writing, hoping to leave her home in Georgia and see the world. At age 25, she was diagnosed with Lupus. Over the next 14 years O’Connor wrote “A Prayer Journal,” more than 30 short stories and two novels.  Eric explains why he believes her writing was so important.  “She was addressing a very contentious, racist south.  As a Catholic, she was really calling out a lot of Protestant brothers and sisters -- sh

Father Dave welcomes Clare McCallan, founder and creative director of St. Joseph’s Home for Artisans, TV and podcast host, and spoken word poet, to the show to discuss her new book, “Courage to Create: Unleashing Your Artistic Gifts for Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.” In her book, Clare and her artist friends ask the question, “How do you own your identity as an artist for Christ?” Through a series of stories and lessons, they share their wisdom for overcoming obstacles in the creative life to help artists fulfill their callings and serve the Lord.   Clare begins her discussion with Father Dave by highlighting the final three words in the title of her book: “Truth, Beauty and Goodness.” Clare defines each term by posing a reflection question. “Truth – is something in accordance with reality? Beauty -- does it point to the divine and eternal? And goodness - "does something accomplish its purpose?”  She goes on to say, “Art as just mere self expression is really the lowest kind, but art that meets those metrics

Do you remember the last conversation you had that challenged your way of thinking or inspired you to act? A conversation that changed your mind, your heart, or maybe even your life?  To help us have more meaningful conversations more often, Father Dave welcomes Dr. Christopher Reed to the show.  Dr. Reed has a Ph.D.. in human communication and believes that dialogues that transform hearts and strengthen relationships are sacred and he shares a blueprint for having more meaningful interactions in his new book, “Sacred Conversations: How God Wants Us To Communicate.” Dr. Reed begins by explaining his “Sacred Conversations Model to Father Dave:” The model itself is laid out like an Ikea set of instructions, do step 1 before you do step 2 and the components are invitation, we can open ourselves to those invitations, we can open ourselves to the spirit, invite people into them. Intention, what is the aim of the conversation.  Inquiry, very powerful, Jesus was a master of inquiry.  Illumination and integration. An

Anna-Lissa from Texas calls in to ask Father Dave a question of faith: “There are two specific times in the Mass that we bless ourselves, and that is at the beginning of Mass and then at the end. And so I have heard that those are the only two times we’re to bless ourselves; that we're not to bless ourselves any other time during the Mass. Is that correct?” “Yes,” Father Dave responds.  “Those are the two proper times that we bless ourselves, but I would also say that it is not some great violation to make the sign of the cross at other times.” Father Dave explains that in the 1950s and 1960s, there would have been more times that even the priest who’s leading prayer would have made the sign of the cross.  This practice was revised in the early 1970’s after the Second Vatican Council when the Church took out all those extra blessings and changed it to, a blessing on the way in and make a blessing on the way out.  RELATED: Learning About Unity Through the Three Cross Prayer “The rule of thumb,” Father Dave sa

On Intinction: What Are the Rules Around Dipping the Consecrated Host into the Precious Blood?  A listener named Alan asks Father Dave if he did something wrong at Mass the other day when he ‘dunked’ the host into the wine. He says, “I don't know why I can't do it. . . I thought when I was getting communion in the 70s and 80s they had these things (Intinction Sets consisting of a plate or bowl with a matching cup) made just for that, so I'm calling you to ask, what's the proper protocol? Are there rules against it?” Father Dave responds by saying there was a time in the past, as recently as 2010, when the act of dipping the host into the consecrated wine was an accepted practice.  “The term that we use with respect to the Eucharist is called intinction,” Father Dave explains, “which is just a fancy word that means you take the host and dip it in the consecrated wine.”  Father Dave explains that intinction was broadly used from the time after the Second Vatican Council until recently, when changes were made, b

It’s confirmation season, and perhaps you or someone you know are struggling with coming up with a confirmation saint name! So, we asked friend of the show, Catholic speaker and author Meg Hunter- Kilmer to help us out.  Meg was an itinerant missionary for 12 years, currently works in campus ministry at the University of Notre Dame and has written several books about saints, including, “Saints Around the World,” and “Pray For Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness.” Meg begins by explaining what she does when helping kids pick a confirmation name, “I say, okay, tell me what kind of saint you're looking for. What are some of your passions? What are some of your hobbies? Do you have an idea of what kind of career you feel like the Lord might be calling you to? What are your family difficulties, your mental illness you struggle with, or chronic illness that you struggle with or disability? Anything that you're like, you know, what, here's a significant thing about me. And some

A listener named Mark asks Father Dave, “How do you keep your faith when a parent’s health gets worse and looks to be permanent?”

Learning lasts beyond our days in school, and Father Dave welcomes Angela Santomero, creator of seven award-winning children’s educational shows, including “Blue’s Clues” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” They discuss her new book for adults is called “Life Clues: Unlocking the Lessons to an Exceptional Life.”

A listener named Darby asks Father Dave if those with mental or intellectual disabilities are permitted to receive the Eucharist. She says, “I was told it's up to the priest to make that decision…I have also been told that [those with low cognitive ability could be denied] because of their non-understanding of the concept and importance.”