Today on Kresta - August 19, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on August 19

LIVE FROM THE IOWA STATE FAIR WITH KWKY - DES MOINES CATHOLIC RADIO

3:00 – Kresta Comments

3:20 – Praying the Psalms With the Early Christians
Mike Aquilina opens a treasure chest of ancient Christian wisdom that will enrich your experience and appreciation of the psalms. He offers reflections from some of the greatest saints of the early church on the psalms. He will help us pray these beautiful and personal Old Testament songs-not just to read or recite them, but to make them part of our lives. We pray the Psalms with the early Christians: ancient songs for modern hearts.

3:40 – Vatican Congregation Issues Letter to Permanent Deacons
Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, is urging the world’s permanent deacons to follow the example of St. Stephen in their ministry of the Word and the example of St. Lawrence in their ministry of charity. “The ministry of the Word which, in a special way for Deacons, has as its great model St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, requires of ordained ministers a constant struggle to study it and carry it out, at the same time as one proclaims it to others,” writes Cardinal Hummes in a letter, dated August 10. “Meditation, following the style of lectio divina, that is, prayerful reading, is one well traveled and much counseled way to understand and live the Word of God, and make it ones own. Deacon Steve Thomashefski joins us to talk about the letter, the ministry of a deacon, and the year for priests.

4:00 – Kresta Comments

4:20 – The Way of Life: John Paul II and the Challenge of Liberal Modernity
The passing of John Paul II provoked questions about the Pope, particularly in his relation to modernity. Was he opposed to the tenets of modernity, as some critics claimed? Or did he accommodate modernity in a way no Pope ever had, as his champions asserted? Carson Holloway is here to examine the fundamental philosophers of modernity--from Hobbes to Toqueville--to suggest that John Paul II's critique of modernity is intended not to reject, but to improve. Thus, claims Holloway, it is appropriate for liberal modernity to attend to the Pope's thought, receiving it not as the attack of an enemy but as the criticism of a candid friend.

5:00 – How to Stay Catholic in College
“After they graduate from high school or move away from home, just 2 out of 5 teens say it is ‘very likely’ they will attend a Christian church on a regular basis”(George Barna, Real Teens, p. 136). Starting high school or leaving home for college is a pivotal time in the life of every young person. On campus, students leave behind their church, their friends, their families – namely, their sources of support, accountability and encouragement. Every campus in today's world is a battleground where students must diligently fight to keep their faith, build strong relationships, grow in holiness, and avoid temptations. Don’t make the mistake of allowing your students to walk onto campus this Fall unprepared to do battle for their faith. Send them into battle as soldiers for Christ, equipped and prepared for intelligent warfare. Steve Wood is here to equip you.

5:40 – PBS' ban on religious programming isn't very liberal
All individuals and institutions are, to some degree, marked by inconsistency. Not all of our ducks -- conceptual and behavioral -- are ever quite in a row. But sometimes, an inconsistency is so sharp, so jarring, that it crosses the line into hypocrisy. A case in point is the decision of the Public Broadcasting System to exclude any religious programming from its schedule. The usual reasons are trotted out: religion is divisive; it would be impossible to give equal time to all denominations; the public forum should not be the place for partisan speech but rather for objective exploration of issues, etc. etc. But how has this played out on the air? Fr. Robert Barron has the analysis.