Today on Kresta - December 3, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Dec. 3
The Best of “Kresta in the Afternoon”

4:00 – A Lukian Perspective at the close of the Year of St. Paul
In writing the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke devotes nearly half of his text to St. Paul. Beginning with chapter nine, Luke narrates Paul's change from persecutor to apostle and then relates how Paul subsequently became a Roman prisoner. St. Luke gives prominence to chains as a means of bracketing the transformation that Paul experienced. Luke begins his account with Paul brandishing chains. He closes his narrative with Paul being guarded in chains. We look at this close of the year of St. Paul from a Lukian perspective. Fr. Richard Cassidy is our guide.

5:20 – USCCB Meeting Review / Choosing a Patron Saint for Detroit
Archbishop Allen Vigneron joins us for his regular monthly segment. Today, we discuss the recently-completed USCCB Meeting as well as the Archdiocese of Detroit’s search for a patron saint.

5:00 – USCCB Pastoral Letter on Marriage- “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan”
The USCCB voted two weeks ago on the approval of a pastoral letter on marriage. The letter, “Love and Life in the Divine Plan,” was overwhelmingly approved and is an important component of the Bishops’ National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage that began in 2004. The pastoral letter is written with a broad and diverse audience in mind – ranging from young unmarried adults to married couples to those who offer pastoral ministries to those whose work informs and shapes opinion and public policy about marriage. The bishops write, “We address this pastoral letter first and foremost to the Catholic faithful in the United States. In a spirit of witness and service we also offer our message to all men and women in the hope of inspiring them to embrace this teaching.” We talk with Bishop Joseph Kurtz, who chairs the Committee that wrote this document.

5:20 – A Short History of the Crusades: Why Should Catholics Care?
Jonathan Riley-Smith tells the story of the Crusades as never before. He has written no less than 8 books that detail a comprehensive history that ranges from the preaching of the First Crusade in 1095 to the legacy of crusading ideals and imagery that continues today. We look at the ideas of apologists, propagandists, and poets about the Crusades, as well as the perceptions and motives of the crusaders themselves and the means by which they joined the movement. He joins us.