Sunday Catholic Word

Christ the King Sunday: Saints, Jesus' divinity, and the good thief—apologetics from Colossians and Luke with Karlo Broussard.

Karlo Broussard defends Sacred Tradition and shows why Jesus' prophecy wasn’t a failed end-times prediction but pointed to 70 A.D.

Episode 155: 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time,Year C In today’s episode, we focus on three apologetical details in the second reading and Gospel reading for this upcoming 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C, which is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. Two of the three are found in the second reading, which is taken from 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17, both of which come up in discussions related to Purgatory. The third detail, found in the Gospel reading, taken from John 2:13-22, comes up in discussions about the literal interpretation of Jesus’ command to eat his flesh an...

Karlo shows how the readings Purgatory as a doctrine for the elect, justification as interior holiness, & why “once saved, always saved” misses the truth

Is justification only a legal declaration, or does it involve real interior transformation? Dr. Karlo Broussard examines Luke 18:9–14.

Is the Bible alone sufficient? Karlo unpacks 2 Timothy 3:16–17—often cited to defend Sola Scriptura—& explains why this passage doesn't support the claim.

Karlo explores Baptism in the Old Testament, evidence for the Resurrection, the flaw in “once saved, always saved,” & Jesus’ identity as Messiah.

Karlo explores 2 Timothy 1 & Luke 17 to examine whether Paul passed on the apostolic office, the role of Tradition, & how humility shapes apologetics.

In this episode, Karlo Broussard addresses whether the Bible forbids wine, defends the soul’s immortality, and explains Jesus’ teaching on Hell.

In this episode Dr. Karlo Broussard unpacks 1 Timothy 2 to refute double predestination, clarify universalism, and defend invoking saints.

Dr. Karlo Broussard explores how Sirach, Hebrews, and Luke reveal the truth about indulgences, invoking saints, and how our works impact eternal salvation.

Dr. Karlo Broussard unpacks Wisdom and Luke to show biblical support for the Deuterocanon, a response to the problem of evil, & proof of Christ’s divinity.

Discover how Sirach, Hebrews, & Luke reveal the truth about indulgences, invoking saints, & whether good works can merit eternal life.

Explore biblical support for purgatory, priesthood, and hell in this Sunday’s readings. Dr. Karlo Broussard breaks down Isaiah 66, Hebrews 12, and Luke 13.

Can you lose salvation? Do saints intercede? Is Jesus divine? This episode unpacks key truths from Hebrews & Luke for Catholic apologetics and discipleship.

Explore Hebrews and Luke’s insights on justification as a process, implicit desire for baptism, and the reality of hell — with Dr. Karlo Broussard.

Discover how St. Paul’s words in Colossians 3 reveal Christ’s divinity, the power of baptism, & the truth about the Second Coming in this Sunday’s readings.

Dr. Karlo explains how prayer fits into God’s plan, defends infant baptism, and shows why we must still seek forgiveness after we're saved.

Was Jesus created or divine? Dr. Karlo explores Colossians and the Good Samaritan to defend Jesus’ divinity and show love's role in justification.

Explore Colossians & Luke to defend Jesus’ divinity & show how love, not just faith, plays a role in our salvation. Apologetics insights with Dr. Broussard.

Episode 137: Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) In today’s episode, we look at five details in the Mass readings for this upcoming 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C. The first two come from the second reading, taken from Galatians 6:14-18. The relevant topics are the Catholic practice of having crucifixes and the nature of justification. The other three details are found in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Luke 10:1-12, 17-20. The relevant topics are the historicity of the Gospel portrait of Jesus as an exorcist, the relation of Satan’s binding and the millennial reign of Ch...

Episode 136: The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul In today’s episode, we look at some details from the second reading and Gospel reading for this upcoming Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul that are relevant for doing apologetics. The first detail, which is found in the second reading—taken from 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, relates to apologetical discussions on the topic of purgatory. The detail in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Matthew 16:18-19, relates to Peter’s role as the “rock” of the Church—the visible foundation of Jesus’ Church here on earth, and his infallibility. Readings: Clic...

Explore what Jesus meant by “do this in remembrance” and how the loaves miracle points to the Real Presence in the Eucharist. Not just a symbol

Explore Catholic insights on justification, Jesus’ divinity, apostolic inspiration, and the filioque in this Trinity Sunday apologetics episode.

Explore the real meaning of tongues, Peter’s leadership, assurance of salvation, and Sola Scriptura in this Pentecost apologetics episode.

Jesus' Ascension reveals He’s alive—and still offering His sacrifice in heaven. Discover the biblical roots of the Mass and more.

Acts 15 shows the early Church had a Magisterium. Plus: what Jesus meant when he said, “The Father is greater than I.”

Were there bishops in the early Church? What will happen to the world at the end of time? And is love truly necessary for salvation?

Does John 10 prove "once saved, always saved"? Karlo Broussard unpacks Jesus’ words about His sheep & shows why they don’t support eternal security.

Could the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus be explained by hallucinations? We explore why details like shared meals, disprove the hallucination theory

Did Jesus institute confession in John 20:23—or was he just telling the apostles to preach? We answer Protestant objections and defends the Catholic view.

Are there better explanations than the resurrection of Jesus? This Easter episode takes on the most common alternative theories

Jesus gave Peter a unique mission at the Last Supper—but was it leadership? Discover how Luke 22 supports the Catholic view of Peter as the first pope.

Paul says we receive righteousness from God in Philippians 3—does that mean it’s only a legal declaration? Reading from the 5th Sunday of Lent, Year C

Explore how the manna in the Old Testament points to the Real Presence in the Eucharist. Discover why the Eucharist, the New Manna, can’t be just a symbol.

Does 1 Corinthians disprove the Real Presence in the Eucharist? Explore how this passage supports, rather than contradicts, the belief in the true presence

Discover whether justification is a one-time event or an ongoing process in this Second Sunday of Lent (Year C) episode of the Sunday Catholic Word.

Does Romans 10:8-13 support faith alone, or is baptism necessary? Does Jesus’ temptation in Luke 4:1-13 affirm sola scriptura? 1st Sunday of Lent Year .

Dr. Karlo Broussard discusses the Deuterocanonical status of Sirach and many more apologetical themes on the readings for the 8th sunday in ordinary time.

In today’s episode, we focus primarily on the second reading for this upcoming 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C. The relevant topic detail relates to whether the of Jesus’ resurrection bodily or merely spiritual.

This weeks Gospel reading from Luke 6:17, 20-26 coversthe related apologetical topic is the historical reliability of the Gospels in general.

Episode 116: Year C – 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time In today’s episode, we focus on five details in the readings for this upcoming 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C. The first two details are found in the first reading, taken from Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8. The related apologetical topics are repetitious prayer and the theme of purification by fire, which relates to the doctrine of Purgatory. The next two details come from the second reading, taken from 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. The apologetical topics that come to the fore are the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection and man’s cooperation with grac...

Episode 115: Year C – The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord In today’s episode, we focus on several details from the first and second readings, along with the Gospel, for this upcoming Feast of the Presentation of the Lord that are related to apologetical discussions. One detail comes from the first reading, taken from Malachi 3:1-4, and the related topic is Purgatory. Another detail comes from the second reading, taken from Hebrews 2:14-18, and the apologetical topic that this detail relates to is the theory of penal substitutionary theory. The remaining details, three in total, com...

Episode 114: Year C – 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time In today’s episode, we focus on six details in the readings for this upcoming 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C. The first detail is the whole of the first reading, taken from Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, and 8-10. It’s not necessarily a detail that comes up in apologetical discussions. But it does serve an apologetical purpose insofar as it gives biblical justification for the Catholic Liturgy of the Word. The next three details come from the second reading, taken from 1 Corinthians 12:12-30. The relevant apologetical topics are the intercess...

Episode 113: Year C – 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time In today’s episode, we focus on one detail found in the Gospel reading, taken from John 2:1-12, which is the Wedding Feast at Cana. The related apologetical topic is Mary’s sinlessness and her role as the New Eve. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here Hey everyone,   Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings and pick out the details that are rel...

Episode 112: Year C – The Baptism of the Lord This upcoming Sunday is The Baptism of the Lord. And the Gospel reading for this feast during Year C is Luke’s account of the event, taken from Luke 3:15-16, 21-22. There are several things that we could focus on. But the one detail that we will be attentive to in today’s episode is the Father’s message: “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” There are a few challenges to Jesus’ divinity that arise from this statement. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Me...

Episode 111: Year C – The Epiphany of the Lord This upcoming Sunday is The Epiphany of the Lord, for which the readings are the same as the previous two years. The first reading is taken from Isaiah 60:1-6. The second reading is taken from Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6. And the Gospel is taken from Matthew 2:1-12. Given that we’ve already covered much of the apologetical material present in these readings for Years A and B, in this episode we provide a brief survey of the material already covered and simply highlight two extra details that we haven’t covered thus far: the identity of the magi an...

Episode 110: Year C – Feast of the Holy Family, Year C In this episode, we focus on a four details in the readings for this upcoming Feast of the Holy Family, Year C that are relevant for apologetical and theological discussions. The first detail comes from the first reading, taken from Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14, and the related apologetical topic is whether we Christians can still incur a debt of temporal punishment after justification. The second and third details come from the second reading, taken from Colossians 3:12-21, and the related topics are the headship of the husb...

Episode 109: Year C – 4th Sunday of Advent In this episode, we focus on several details from all three readings for this upcoming 4th Sunday of Advent. The first detail comes from the first reading, which is taken from Micah 5:1-4a. The relevant apologetical topic is Jesus’ Messiahship. The second detail is found in the second reading, which is taken from Hebrews 10:5-10, and the relevant apologetical question there is whether this text supports the “once saved, always saved” doctrine. Finally, in the Gospel reading, taken from Luke 1:39-45, there is a cluster of details that all relate ...

Episode 108: Year C – 3rd Sunday of Advent In this episode, we focus on details from each of the readings for this upcoming 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C. The first detail, which is found in the first reading, taken from Zephaniah 3:14-18, is the prophecy of the day for Israel to rejoice, the theme for Gaudete Sunday. The related topic, so I will argue, is Jesus’ divinity. The second detail comes from the second reading, taken from Philippians 4:4-7, and the related apologetical topic is the intercession of the saints. One of Paul’s exhortations seems to conflict with the Catholic practic...

Episode 107: Year C – 2nd Sunday of Advent In this episode, we focus on four details that are significant for apologetical discussions. The first two come from the second reading, which is taken from Phil 1:4-6, 8-11. The relevant topics that these details give opportunity to reflect on are the Intercession of the Saints and the possibility to lose the gift of salvation. The last two come from the Gospel reading, which is taken from Luke 3:1-6, and the relevant topics are the Historicity of Luke’s Gospel and the Divinity of Jesus. Readings: Click Here ...

Episode 106: Year C – 1st Sunday of Advent In this episode, we focus on four details in the second reading and Gospel reading for this upcoming first Sunday of Advent, Year C. The second reading is taken from 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 and the details there, so we argue, relate to the nature of justification as interior righteousness versus the forensic model. The two details in the Gospel reading, taken from Luke 21:25-28, 34-36, gives opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ reliability as a prophet and the Protestant notion of “once saved, always saved.” Readings: Click Here ...

Episode 105: Year B – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe In this episode, we focus on the readings for the last Sunday of Year B, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The details that are relevant to apologetical discussions come from the first and second readings—Daniel 7:13-14 and Revelation 1:5-8 respectively. The topics that these details give opportunity to reflect on are Jesus’ Messianic Kingship, which is the theme of the Solemnity, and Jesus’ Divinity. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday...

Episode 104: Year B – 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on four apologetical details in the readings for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. The first detail comes from the first reading, taken from Daniel 12:1-3. The apologetical topic is the reality of hell. The second detail is found in the second reading, taken from Hebrews 10:11-14, 18, and the relevant topic is the “once saved, always saved” doctrine that some Christians profess. Finally, the last two details that we will focus on come from the Gospel reading, taken from Mark 13:24-32, and the relevant to...

Episode 103: Year B – 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on six details that relate to apologetical conversations found in the Mass readings for this upcoming 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. Four of the six details come from the second reading, which is taken from Heb 9:24-28. The topics that come to fore are the Sacrifice of the Mass, the scope of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, Purgatory, and Mary’s sinlessness. The last two of the six details come from the long version of the Gospel reading, taken from Mk 12:38-44. The related apologetical topics are Catholic litur...

Episode 102: Year B – 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on three details that have significance for apologetical discussions. The first two come from the second reading, which is taken from Hebrews 7:23-28. The relevant topics are the Sacrifice of the Mass and the intercession of the saints. The detail from the Gospel reading, taken from Mark 12:28b-34, relates to the topic of justification and its relation to love. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here Hey everyone,   Welcom...

Episode 101: Year B – 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we look at one detail from the second reading, taken from Hebrews 5:1-6, and the whole of the Gospel reading, which recounts the story of Jesus healing the blind Bartimaeus, recorded in Mark 10:46-52. The apologetical topic that relates to the detail in the second reading is the nature of the Mass as the Sacrifice of Christ. The topic of focus for the Gospel is the historicity of Jesus as a healer. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here...

Episode 100: Year B – 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on several details found in all three readings for this upcoming 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. All the details converge together on a single apologetical theme: the nature of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here Hey everyone,   Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings and pick out the details that are relevant for explaining an...

Episode 99: Year B – 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus solely on the Gospel reading for this upcoming 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, which, at least the long version, is Mark 10:17-30. There’s no major detail that requires an in-depth study. However, there are several details that have some relation to apologetics, even if only in a cursory way. The related topics are the divinity of Jesus, God as the source of our goodness, the causal role good works play for our final salvation, the gratuitous nature of the gift of salvation, and the radical teaching of Jesu...

Episode 98: Year B – 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we look at three details in the readings for this upcoming 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. Two of the three come from the second reading, which is taken from Hebrews 2:9-11. Both details pertain to the topic of Jesus’ divinity. If Jesus is God, so it’s asked, how can he be “lower than the angels” and “made perfect”? The third detail comes from the Gospel reading, taken from Mark 10:2-12 and it has to do with the topic of divorce and remarriage Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Ca...

Episode 97: Year B – 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on three details in the Mass readings for this upcoming 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. The first is found in the first reading, taken from Numbers 11:25-29. The relevant apologetical topic is Baptism. The second and third details come from the Gospel reading, taken from Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48. The two apologetical topics are the possibility of salvation outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church and Jesus’ teaching on the reality of Hell.   Readings: Click Here ...

Episode 96: Year B – 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on four apologetical themes for this upcoming 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. The first theme, which is the nature of justification as interior righteousness, comes from the entirety of the second reading, which is taken from James 3:16-4:3. The other three themes map on with specific details from the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 9:30-37. The topics are as follows: the divinity of Jesus, the Papacy, and the good of children.     Hey everyone,   Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word...

Episode 95: Year B – 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, there are four apologetical details that we focus on that come from the readings for this upcoming 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. The first two are found in the first reading, which is taken from Isaiah 50:5-9a, and it has to do with Jesus being the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the suffering servant. The third detail comes from the second reading, which is taken from James 2:14-18, and the relevant apologetical topic is the role works play in our salvation. Finally, the detail that we will focus on in the Gos...

Episode 94: Year B – 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on several details that come from the Gospel reading for this upcoming 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, taken from Mark 7:31-37, two of which tie into the first reading, taken from Isaiah 35:4-7a. The key apologetical themes for the details that tie into the first reading are Jesus’ Messiahship and Divinity. The other details in the Gospel reading give rise to the opportunity to talk about the historical reliability of the event recorded in this Gospel reading, which is Jesus’ healing of the deaf man, along ...

Episode 93: Year B – 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on several details found within the readings for this upcoming 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. One detail comes from the first reading, which is taken from Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8, and the related topic is the Ten Commandments as an expression of the natural moral law. Another detail comes from the second reading, taken from James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27, which relates to the topic of God’s immutability. James teaches us that God cannot change. But the question arises as how we are to reconcile this with other p...

Episode 92: Year B – 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we continue our study of Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse in John 6. The portion of the discourse that makes up the Gospel reading for this upcoming 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, is verses 60-69. Like in last week’s episode, the question is whether Jesus intended his teaching to eat his flesh and drink his blood to be taken literally or figuratively. We argue for a literal interpretation.   Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here ...

Episode 91: Year B – 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on the Gospel reading for this upcoming 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is the exchange that Jesus has with the Jews concerning his command to eat his flesh. The passage is taken from John 6:51-58. The key apologetical topic, of course, is the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here Hey everyone,   Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass...

Episode 90: Year B – 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on one detail from the Gospel reading, taken from John 6:41-51, continuing the theme of the Eucharist. That one detail is Jesus’ comparison of the bread of life that he will give, which is the Eucharist, and the Manna in the wilderness. This revelation of the Eucharist as the New Manna, so I argue, supports the belief that the Eucharist cannot be merely a symbol of Jesus’ body and blood, but must be Jesus’ body and blood. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Cathol...

Episode 89: Year B – 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on one detail in the Gospel reading, taken from John 6:24-35, that pertains to the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is Jesus’ metaphorical use of the images of eating and drinking. For many Protestants, such a metaphorical use is the key to unlocking the meaning of Jesus’ instructions to “eat his flesh” and “drink his blood” later in John 6. But we argue this is not the case. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here H...

Episode 88: Year B – 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on two details, both of which come from the Gospel reading for this upcoming 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, taken from John 6:1-15, which is John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. One detail, Jesus’ question to Philip, gives rise to the topic of the historical reliability of John and Luke’s Gospels. The second detail, the fragments picked up after the crowd ate, pertains to the Eucharist. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise?...

Episode 87: Year B – 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time  In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on two details in the readings for this upcoming 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. The first detail is found in the second reading, taken from Ephesians 2:13-18. The relevant apologetical topic is that we as Christians are no longer bound by the ceremonial precepts of the Old Covenant, which would include the Sabbath. The second detail is in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 6:30-34. The relevant topic, which isn’t all that apologetical in nature, is the Church’s teach...

Episode 86: Year B – 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focuse on three details in the readings for this upcoming 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, one of which comes from the second reading, taken from Ephesians 1: 3-14. The relevant apologetical topic is the gratuity of the initial grace of salvation. The other two details are found in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 6:7-13. The first detail has to do with the topic of Jesus’ authority over unclean spirits, which he gives to the apostles. The second detail is the report that th...

Episode 85: Year B – 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday of Catholic Word, we focus on one detail from the Gospel reading for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, taken from Mark 6:1-6—namely, the mention of Jesus’ brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude, along with his “sisters.” Obviously, the topic of concern is the Catholic belief of Mary’s perpetual virginity. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here ...

Episode 84: Year B – 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on three details for this upcoming Sunday Mass Readings. Two of the details come from the first reading, taken from Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24, and both have to do with theological questions concerning death—God’s causal relation to it, and its relation to the fall of Adam. The third detail is Jesus’ raising of Jairus’ daughter in the Gospel reading, taken from Mark 5:21-24, 35b-43, which is the shorter version that leaves out the story of the hemorrhaging woman. The apologetical topic is the historicity of the stor...

Episode 83: Year B – 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on three details from the second reading and Gospel reading that are relevant for doing apologetics. The detail in the second reading, taken from 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, is Paul’s teaching that in Christ we are a new creation. The topic that comes to fore here is the nature of justification as intrinsic righteousness. One of the details in the Gospel reading, taken from Mark 4:35-41, is Mark’s report of Jesus calming the winds and the sea. As we will see, when read in light of the Old T...

Episode 82: Year B – 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on three details in all, two of the three coming from the second reading, taken from 2 Corinthians 5:6-10. The relevant apologetical topics are Purgatory and the causal effect that our good works have on receiving eternal life at judgment. The third detail, found in the Gospel reading Mark 4:26-34, relates to the topic of Sacred Tradition. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podca...

Episode 81: Year B – 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on two details found in the readings for this upcoming 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, both of which have to do with Mary. The first detail, found in the first reading, taken from Genesis 3:9-15, is the enmity that God promises to set between the devil and the “woman.” For Catholics, as we shall see, this relates to Mary’s freedom from sin: both original and personal. The other detail is found in the Gospel reading, taken from Mark 3:20-35, where Jesus seems to downplay the role of Mary by talking about who...

Episode 80: Year B – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord In this episode, we focus on two details found in the first and second readings, along with the Gospel, for this upcoming Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord, Year B. Both of them pertain to the Eucharist. The detail in the first reading, taken from Exodus 24:3-8, overlaps with the one detail in the Gospel that we’re going to focus on—“the blood of the covenant.” For the second reading, we focus on the teaching that Christ has entered the heavenly sanctuary with his blood once for all and its rel...

Episode 79: Year B – Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity In this episode, we confine ourselves to the Gospel reading for this upcoming Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year B, taken from Matthew 28:16-20. There are several details that relate to a variety of apologetical topics, two of which deal specifically with this Sunday’s solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: The trinitarian formula for baptism and the revelation of the Trinity. The other apologetical topics that come to fore are the Sacrament of Reconciliation and apostolic succession. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catho...

Episode 78: Year B – Pentecost Sunday In this episode, we have the readings from Pentecost Sunday, Year B as our target for reflection. There are several details that we touch on. The first is the gift of “tongues” found in the first reading, taken from Acts 2:1-11. We will briefly touch on this detail given that we’ve already dealt with it for Pentecost Sunday, Year A. The other details, however, will be taken from the optional readings for the second reading, taken from Galatians 5:16-25, and the Gospel, taken from John 15:26-27; 16:12-15. The relevant apologetical topic for the option...

Episode 77: Year B – Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord In today’s episode, we reflect on several details found in the readings for this upcoming Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Year B, that are relevant for doing apologetics. We’ve already had the opportunity to reflect on some of them for the Solemnity of the Ascension, Year A in episode 26 of the Sunday Catholic Word. The others, however, do not overlap with Year A due to the optional second reading from Ephesians 4:1-13 and a different Gospel, taken from Mark 16:15-20 The Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholi...

Episode 76: Year B – 6th Sunday of Easter There are three details that I want to focus on in the readings for this upcoming 6th Sunday of Easter, Year B. The first two come from the first reading, which recounts the event involving. Cornelius and his Gentile friends, taken from Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48. The apologetical topic that both details relate to is the Sacrament of Baptism. The third detail is found in the Gospel reading, taken from John 15:9-17. The topic that comes to the fore, like in last week’s Gospel, is the relationship that our good works have with our salvation. The R...

Episode 75: Year B – 5th Sunday of Easter There are three details that we focus on in the readings for this upcoming 5th Sunday of Easter, Year B. One detail comes from the second reading, taken from 1 John 3:18-24. The relevant topic is the role good works play in our salvation. The other two details are found in the Gospel reading, which taken from John 15:1-8. The apologetical topics that come to the fore are the Catholic interpretation of Jesus’ words “eat my flesh . . . drink my blood” in his Bread of Life Discourse in John 6 and the possibility for a Christian to lose the gift of s...

Episode 74: Year B – 4th Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday There are three details that we highlight in the readings for this upcoming 4th Sunday of Easter, Year B, also called Good Shepherd Sunday. The first two details come from the first reading, taken from Acts 4:8-12. The relevant apologetical topics are Peter the Rock (and thus the Papacy) and Jesus’ divinity. The third detail is the major theme of the Gospel—Jesus the Good Shepherd. The passage is John 10:11-18. The apologetical topics that come to fore with this theme is Jesus’ divinity and Peter’s role as the first pope. ...

Episode 73: Year B – 3rd Sunday of Easter There are four details that we focus on for this upcoming Sunday Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter. The first two come from the first reading, taken from Acts 3:13-15, 17-19. The relevant topics that come to fore are the early Church’s belief about Christ’s divinity and the Church’s teaching on invincible ignorance when it comes to sin. Details three and four are in the Gospel reading, taken from Luke 24:35-48. There are two apologetical topics that come into play: the bodily nature of Jesus’ resurrection and its significance for counter...

Episode 72: Year B – Divine Mercy Sunday In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on three details that are relevant for apologetics in this upcoming Divine Mercy Sunday readings. The first comes from the first reading, which is taken from Acts 4:32-35, where we’re told the early Christians didn’t claim any possessions to be his own but had everything in common. Of course, the relevant topic is whether this provides biblical justification for socialism. The remaining two details are taken from the Gospel reading, which is taken from John 20:19-31. The relevant topics that we...

Episode 71: Year B – Easter Sunday In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on five details found in each of the readings for this upcoming Easter Sunday, Year B. The first detail comes from the first reading, taken from Acts 10:34a, 37-43, which is Peter’s testimony that they have witnessed the ministry of Jesus and his resurrection. The relevant apologetical topic is that Christian faith is not blind faith. The next two details are taken from each of the optional second readings, Colossians 3:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8. The relevant topics are the nature of justification...

Episode 70: Year B – Palm Sunday In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on nine details found in this upcoming Sunday Mass readings for Palm Sunday, Year B. The first two details come from the Gospel reading for the procession with palms, which is taken from Mark 11:1-10. The relevant apologetical topic is Jesus’ Messiahship. The next set of details come from the second reading, taken from Philippians 2:6-11. The relevant apologetical topics that arise with these details are Christ’s divinity and Christian universalism, the idea that all we will be saved in the end. The la...

Episode 69: Year B – 5th Sunday of Lent In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on five details from the readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent, Year B that relate to apologetics. The first two come from the second reading, which is taken from Hebrews 5:7-9. Each detail gives rise to questions concerning Christ’s perfection and the extent of his knowledge in his human nature. The remaining three details all come from the Gospel reading, taken from John 12:20-33. Two of the three don’t relate to any specific common apologetical topic. However, they do give rise to possible obje...

Episode 68: Year B – 4th Sunday of Lent In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, there are two details in the readings for this upcoming 4th Sunday of Lent, Year B that we’re going to focus on that are relevant for apologetical discussions. The first comes from the second reading, taken from Ephesians 2:4-10, and it relates to the important topic of the relationship between our good works and salvation. The second detail comes from the Gospel reading, which is taken from John 3:14-21. The relevant topic there is the nature of the “eternal life” promised to those who believe, and whet...

Episode 67: Year B – 3rd Sunday of Lent In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, there are three details that we focus on. One comes from the first reading, taken from Exodus 20:1-17, which records God’s deliverance of the ten commandments. The related apologetical topic is having religious statues within our religious spaces. Another comes from the second reading, taken from 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, and it has to do with whether God approves of philosophical reasoning. Finally, the third detail comes from the Gospel reading, which is John’s report of Jesus’ overturning of the moneych...

Episode 66: Year B – 2nd Sunday of Lent In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on three details that come into play when engaging in apologetical discussions. The first two come from the first reading, which is taken from the story of Abraham’s offering of Isaac in Genesis 22:1-18. The relevant topics here are several. First, there’s the issue of whether it’s consistent with God’s goodness for him to will the death of an innocent human being and command someone to carry out that will. The others deal with the topic of justification—that it’s a process and works do justify....

Episode 65: Year B – 1st Sunday of Lent In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on several details found in the second reading and Gospel reading that are relevant to doing apologetics. The first two come from the second reading, which is taken from 1 Peter 3:18-22. The relevant apologetical topics are the Sacrifice of the Mass, Purgatory, and the Sacrament of Baptism. The last three details are found in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 1:12-15, and the relevant topic is Jesus’ Messiahship. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look ...

Episode 64: Year B – 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on several details found in all the readings for this upcoming 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. Unlike what we’ve seen in all the previous episodes of the Sunday Catholic Word, these details aren’t as directly related to apologetical discussions as the details in previous readings. But given that they’re related in some ways, it’s worth mentioning. The relevant topics that we’ll be discussing is the Sacrament of Confession, the New Testament ministerial priesthood, respect for the C...

Episode 63: Year B – 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on two apologetical details found in the second reading and Gospel reading for this upcoming 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. The first detail is found in the second reading, which is taken from 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23. The relevant apologetical topic that we discuss is the idea of our participation in the saving work of Christ, which can be used to illuminate two apologetical topics: a) a proper understanding of the relation between the saints’ intercession and b) the unique m...

Episode 62: Year B – 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on three details that are relevant for doing apologetics. The first comes from the first reading, taken from Deuteronomy 18:15-20. The apologetical topic that comes to the fore is the intercession of the saints, and particularly the objection from necromancy. The second and third details come from the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 1:21-28, and it relates to Jesus’ divinity. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here   ...

Episode 61: Year B – 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we’re going to focus on three details that are relevant to apologetics. The first comes from the first reading, which is taken from Jonah 3:1-5, 10. The related apologetical topic is God’s immutability (the doctrine that God can’t change). The other two details are in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 1:14-20. The related apologetical topics are Jesus’ divinity and Messiahship. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here   Hey everyone,   Welcome to Th...

Episode 60: Year B – 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, the major apologetical topic that we focus on is Peter and the papacy. There are two details in the Gospel, taken from John 1:35-42, that enter this sort of discussion. The first is the fact that Andrew followed Jesus before Peter and the second is Jesus’ promise that Simon’s new name would be “Cephas.” Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here Hey everyone, Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday...

Episode 59: Year B – Epiphany of the Lord In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, I focus on several details that come from the Gospel reading for this upcoming Sunday’s feast, the Epiphany of the Lord. The Gospel is taken from Matthew 2:1-12. We’ve already talked about some of the details and challenges that arise from this text in episode 7 of the Sunday Catholic Word for Year A, the major one being issues surrounding the star. You can check out that episode for a treatment of those details. Here, we’re going to focus on other details that pertain to the historical reliability of ...

Episode 58: Year B – Feast of Holy Family In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, I focus on five details that come from all three readings for this upcoming Feast of the Holy Family, Year B. The first detail is Abraham’s faith and the righteousness that is credited to him spoken of in the first reading option taken from Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3. When this detail is read in tandem with the second reading option taken from Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, and 17-19, the related apologetical topic that comes to the fore is justification and the idea that it’s not a one-time event in the past but ha...