Catholic Answers Live

“Can you explain the Assumption?” This question opens a discussion on the Marian dogmas, addressing common struggles with understanding them. The episode also touches on discerning the differences between Orthodox and Catholic beliefs regarding Peter’s role, as well as the Catholic teaching on the death penalty and its evolution under Pope Francis.

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Questions Covered:

05:25 – I have been looking into the Catholic Faith for a while. I have struggled with the Marian dogmas, especially the Assumption.

17:34 – How do you discern whether or not the Orthodox or Catholics are correct, specifically whether or not Peter is first among equals or infallible?

29:55 – Why is it that Catholics say you can’t spread ashes, but when it comes to saints you divide up their body parts?

35:37 – Can you explain the Catholic teaching on the death penalty? Did it change with Pope Francis?

41:35 – I am sympathetic to Catholic traditions and have tried to go through OCIA. But my husband has decided that our family is not going to be Catholic. I want to be a respectful spouse.

50:58 – I’m trying to love my wife back into the faith. She was raised Catholic but stopped practicing. She goes to a Protestant church where the sermons are peppered with anti-Catholic remarks. I think this creates a major barrier for a lot of people to become Catholic.

“What obstacles keep us from healthy relationships?” This question opens a discussion on the challenges individuals face in becoming marriage-ready, alongside insights on how media representations can influence perceptions of relationships. Other topics include the moral considerations of premarital intimacy for older couples and the implications of annulment on family planning.

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Questions Covered:

03:40 – What obstacles keep people from being marriage ready?

31:38 – I’ve noticed in a lot of media relationships are not portrayed in a healthy way. What would be good to see in stories and shows to model healthy relationships?

36:55 – My friend is a widower and is now dating a widow. He asked if it is a sin to have premarital sex in old age and in their circumstance?

49:21 – I’ve been married for 8 years and am going through the annulment process for my previous marriage. Should we wait until that annulment is complete before we try to conceive a child?

“What makes Isaiah’s prophecies unique?” Isaiah’s writings from the 700s B.C. present some of the first clear and explicit predictions of the Messiah, including titles like “Wonderful Counselor” and “Prince of Peace.” Additionally, the discussion touches on how Daniel 7 influenced Jewish expectations of the Messiah and addresses objections regarding Jesus’ fulfillment of these prophecies.

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Questions Covered:

00:30 – You point to Isaiah, writing in the 700s B.C., as providing the first clear and explicit prophecies of the Messiah: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” What makes these passages different from what came before?

20:15 – Some Jews read Daniel 7 and concluded that the Messiah would be a heavenly “Son of Man,” hidden with God before creation. That later became Jesus’ favorite title for himself. What would that title have communicated to his original audience?

34:00 – One major Jewish objection is that Jesus did not establish universal peace, restore the Davidic throne in Jerusalem, or complete everything associated with the messianic age. How can Christians say he fulfilled the prophecies?

42:45 – A skeptic might respond that Jesus intentionally acted out certain prophecies or that the Gospel writers shaped their narratives to make him appear to fulfill them. How much of the evidence can those explanations account for?

“Can historical evidence prove Jesus as Messiah?” This question opens a discussion on the differing claims of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam regarding Jesus. The conversation also touches on the expectations of the Messiah in Judaism at the time of Christ and the significance of the Davidic covenant in shaping messianic hope. Additionally, the role of Isaiah’s prophecies in this context is examined.

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Questions Covered:

02:00 – Jimmy, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all make different claims about Jesus. Christians say he is the divine Messiah. Judaism does not accept him as the Messiah. Islam calls him the Messiah but denies central Christian beliefs about him. Can historical and biblical evidence help us determine which view is correct?

06:20 – In the introduction, you lay out the book’s argument in four steps . . . Give us the thirty-thousand-foot view of that case.

07:20 – Before we examine Jesus, what did Judaism at the time of Christ actually expect the Messiah to be and accomplish?

19:30 – Everything in the messianic hope seems to hinge on King David and the promise God made him in 2 Samuel 7—that his throne would be established forever. Tell us about the Davidic covenant and why it matters so much.

36:15 – Then came the Babylonian exile, and suddenly there was no son of David on the throne. How did the Jewish people get from that apparently failed promise to the expectation of a future Messiah?

49:25 – You point to Isaiah, writing in the 700s B.C., as providing the first clear and explicit prophecies of the Messiah: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” What makes these passages different from what came before?

“Do miracles still happen today?” This question opens a discussion on the nature of miracles in the context of Lourdes and Catholicism. Other topics include the thorough investigations the Church conducts on reported miracles and the significance of the miraculous events at Lourdes, as well as the awareness of our loved ones in heaven regarding our lives.

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Questions Covered:

01:00 – Do Miracles Still happen today?

39:48 – I’m a new Catholic and have a Pentecostal background like Tim. It has been very reassuring to me that the Catholic Church does do so much investigation of these miracles.

42:29 – I’m considering Catholicism. But the Lourdes thing confuses me. Lourdes has millions of visitors per year. Why is 72 out of millions significant?

47:35 – Are our loved ones in heaven aware of the details in our lives?