Today on Kresta - September 7, 2011

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Sept. 7

4:00 – The Parable of Ground Zero
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Fr. James Martin was working at his desk at America magazine in midtown Manhattan. Around 9 a.m., his mother called from Philadelphia to say that she had heard about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. He thought it was odd that she would call; she knew that his office was uptown, not downtown. A few minutes later, he decided to turn on the television set. It was only then that he saw the unfolding tragedy. Fr. Martin is here to tell the rest of the story.

4:20 – September 11 and Hollywood: How Movies Can Help Make Our Past Real—Or Unreal
“It was just like a movie.” A cliché, yes, but as is often the case, that phrase became a cliché for a reason. The frequency with which those words were repeated in the weeks and months after September 11, 2001 was a striking testament to the role movies have come to play in how we process and interpret reality. A century ago, one might have heard remarks like “It was like a novel” or “It was like a play.” Imaginative scenarios have always been important to our efforts to understand and deal with the world we live in—particularly when reality outstrips our experiences. Film critic Steven Greydanus is here to discuss Hollywood and Sept. 11.

4:40 - World Youth Day 2011 – A Recap
After World Youth Day 2011 was in the history books, the Holy Father reflected on it as a “stupendous manifestation of faith” and a special occasion for young Catholics “to reflect, dialogue, exchange positive experiences and, especially, to pray together, and to renew their commitment to living their lives rooted in Christ, the faithful friend.” Former ABC Correspondent Peggy Stanton was there and joins us to recap the event and give us her impressions.

5:00 – Y Disciple: Evangelizing Teens
How to evangelize teens. It’s an issue the Church has been facing for many years, especially after a generation of poor catechesis of teens’ parents. A new program of the Augustine Institute called Y Disciple aims to form youth ministers and adults who can effectively “disciple” teens. Jim Beckman is here to look at what it means to evangelize teens and how it is best accomplish the task.

5:40 – Ten Years Since 9/11: Righteous Anger and Ultimate Forgiveness
The tenth anniversary of September 11th, 2001 falls on a Sunday and, providentially, the readings proposed for the Catholic liturgy that day have to do with forgiveness. This interesting confluence provides the occasion for reflecting on this complex and oft-misunderstood spiritual act. Were we and are we legitimately angry about September 11th? Absolutely. This is why the Bible coherently speaks of God's anger. But in contradistinction to legitimate anger, there is what the Catholic tradition calls the "deadly sin" of anger. We explore anger and forgiveness with Fr. Robert Barron.