Father Richard Conlin is a Catholic priest in the diocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is a former professional golfer and accountant. As the Catholic Church kicked off a campaign for the next three years to educate the faithful on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, I asked Father to share his thoughts on the Eucharist.
Father initially spoke of his time in college as a professional athlete. He was living a fast, not particularly virtuous life, yet from a materialistic standpoint, he had everything he needed and wanted. Questions began to arise in his heart when his terminally ill mother asked him to go to Confession for her birthday. He said that he was the last person that one would think would become a priest, yet God works in His own mysterious and wondrous ways.
After Confession, Father went to Mass and received Holy Communion. Interiorly, he sensed that this was more than a piece of bread. In an intimate episode with the Lord, his heart was set on fire. He began sobbing, realizing that his life needed a new direction.
His faith began to grow through daily Mass and frequent reconciliation, and he decided to give his entire life to Jesus and help others get to heaven. Today, there is nothing he would rather be than a priest.
Father said that belief in the Eucharist is in some ways a shocking belief and difficult to intuit. That’s why we must try to maintain focus during Mass on the Eucharist, and not the sermon or the singing. There is a deep relationship between confession and the Eucharist, and love of one leads to love of the other.
Father has a blog at www.prodigalcatholic.com and a website where he has sermons and reviews Catholic books at YouTube.com/c/FrRichardConlin.
Father Tim Byerley is pastor at St. Peter Catholic Church in southern New Jersey, and also serves as Vice-Postulator for the cause of beatification of Maria Esperanza. Father knew her since 1994. She died in 2004.
In the New Testament, St. Paul writes, “We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God” (Heb 4:14). So, if Jesus is the Great High Priest once and for all, who, then, are Catholic priests? Father Chris Alar, MIC, explains how Christ established the priesthood, delegating His authority to forgive sins on earth to the Apostles and their successors (bishops and priests) down to the present day, known as Apostolic Succession. Then hear the story of Br. Gabriel, a Franciscan Friar who puts his faith and ministry on wheels – literally!
In today's show, Dr. Peter Howard will share his insights into the life of Bishop Fulton Sheen, as well as his work as President of the Fulton Sheen Institute.