Today on "Kresta in the Afternoon" - August 29, 2012

Talking about the "things that matter most" on August 29

4:00 – Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans. Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family’s killers. Immaculee joins us.

4:20 – The Mouth as a Lethal Weapon
We have all done it--said too much or said the wrong thing and regretted it later. Too often, opening our mouths releases gossip, complaints, or destructive words. Our tongue is a concealed weapon—the most lethal. “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt 10:28). A gun or knife can wound the body, but inflicts no damage on the soul, yet the tongue can mortally wound it. In theory, it would seem easy to control our tongue. It’s small and even can be kept locked up simply by shutting our mouths. Yet, for something that weighs so little, it so often weighs us down in sin. Patti Armstrong joins us to look at the mouth as a lethal weapon.

4:40 – The Frontline Faith Project: Nourishing the Souls of Military Personnel
The Frontline Faith Project delivers compact MP3 players preloaded with spiritual content, especially as it pertains to military service, to members of our armed forces currently deployed or returning from deployment, with special emphasis on injured troops and troops stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The FRONTLINE FAITH Players include an audio rendition of the Mass (Provided By EWTN); various homilies; prayers just for those serving, including a recitation of the Rosary; Christian music; prayers from children; and testimonies from soldiers about the struggles and victories of their faith journeys. We talk with the founder of the project, Cheri Lomonte

5:00 – Kresta Comments: The Republican National Convention Kicks Off With Ann Romney and Chris Christie

5:20 – The Church and Money
Of all of the organizations that serve America’s poor, few do more good work than the Catholic Church: its schools and hospitals provide a lifeline for millions. Yet even taking these virtues into account, the finances of the Catholic Church in America are an unholy mess. The sins involved in its book-keeping are not as vivid or grotesque as those on display in the various sexual-abuse cases that have cost the American church more than $3 billion so far; but the financial mismanagement and questionable business practices would have seen widespread resignations at the top of any other public institution. So says a recent article in The Economist which is generating a lot of attention. Pat O’Mera joins us to discuss it.