Civilization (ENT) – The Secrets of Star Trek

As the Enterprise encounters a primitive world, they learn a lesson about the Prime Directive. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha the themes of respect for cultures and exploitation, environmental pollution, and the other side of alien abduction in this story.

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Can Catholics be Jedi? Saying Mass in Klingon? Saved Zombies? … & More Weird Questions – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

It’s a fifth Friday of the month, so Jimmy Akin is answering more weird questions, including whether Catholics can be Jedi, saying Mass in Klingon, whether zombies can be saved, whether Elves need sacraments, and more.

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Questions from this episode:

  • 02:55 -I was watching a sitcom on one of the major networks. In this episode, a teenage character was trying to win over a girl by pretending to be as religious as she was. The female character had decided to be baptized in a Baptist church and the young man joined her hoping that the gesture would garner her affections. The pastor character dunked both teenagers in the font and recited the proper Trinitarian form. Now even though they were acting on a set, it seems to me that all the necessary requirements were fulfilled for Baptism. Provided the actors had not previously been baptized, would they now be baptized?
  • 07:10 – As sort of an academic exercise among linguists, there’s a hypothetical language, Anglish, created from a Britain isolated from Latin and French influence. What would the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be sound like if Anglo-Saxon-influenced words were used exclusively in the prayers?
  • 11:11 – Would Tolkien’s Elves, as unfallen humans, require the sacraments?
  • 14:54 – Would a Mass performed in Klingon be invalid or illicit? If it is valid, where can we find a priest who could do that? Could Fr. Hugh be trained to do this?
  • 19:09 – Where did Jesus’s Y chromosome come from?
  • 20:00 – And where did Adam get his Y chromosome? And did Eve have a Y? Could the Y that was withheld from Eve have been preserved and passed down somehow until it was utilized in Jesus, the second Adam?
  • 23:34 – How long did it take to grow your beard and how long is it?
  • 25:32 – Apparently there is a Non-Theistic movement called Jediism that is based on what the Jedi follow. Would it be ok for Catholics to be a part of this even though the “real life Jedi” may not be too quick to admit they are role-players?
  • 28:38 – Can zombies be saved?
  • 30:50 – Are zombies biblical?
  • 34:04 – Does tradition give us any idea if what happened to the saints that rose from the grave and went into the holy city after the crucifixion of our Lord. Did they have incorrupt bodies or glorified bodies? Did they die again? Did they return to the grave? Were they assumed bodily into heaven? Also, is there any record of what the said to people in the Holy City?
  • 37:29 – What is the real point of liturgies where pets are blessed?
  • 38:48 – Suppose you took a single-celled human embryo. You removed the sex chromosomes from this embryo’s DNA and replaced them with chromosomes of the opposite sex. Now the child will grow up to be the opposite sex. What sex will this person be in the Resurrection?
  • 43:12 – In Scripture we read many times that Jesus wept. Yet I can’t think of a single instance to read Jesus laughed. Did he?

Links for this episode:

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The Weekly Francis – 28 May 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 17 April 2020 to 28 May 2020.

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Messages

Prayers

Regina Coeli

Papal Tweets

  • “This life is the gift that God has given us. It is too short to be spent in sadness. Let us praise God, content simply to exist. We are children of the great King, capable of reading His signature in all Creation. #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 21 May 2020
  • “Jesus told his disciples that he would send them the Spirit, the Comforter, prior to his departure. In this way, he also entrusted the apostolic work of the Church to the Spirit for all time, until his return. #Ascension [Message(]http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/pont-messages/2020/documents/papa-francesco_20200521_messaggio-pom.html)” @Pontifex 21 May 2020
  • “If one follows Jesus, happy to be attracted by Him, others will take notice. They may even be astonished. The joy that radiates from those attracted by Christ and by his Spirit is what can make any missionary initiative fruitful.” @Pontifex 21 May 2020
  • “The joy of proclaiming the Gospel always shines brightly against the backdrop of a grateful memory. To be “in a state of mission” is a reflection of gratitude. It is the response of one who by gratitude is made docile to the Spirit and is therefore free. [Message(]http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/pont-messages/2020/documents/papa-francesco_20200521_messaggio-pom.html)” @Pontifex 21 May 2020
  • “Receiving the joy of the Spirit is a grace. Moreover, it is the only force that enables us to preach the Gospel and to confess our faith in the Lord. Faith means bearing witness to the joy that the Lord gives to us. A joy such as this cannot be the result of our own efforts.” @Pontifex 21 May 2020
  • “Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence. We have no such right. #Biodiversity #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 22 May 2020
  • “Men and women of #Prayer safeguard the basic truths. They repeat to everyone that this life, despite all its fatigue, trials, and difficult days, is filled with a grace at which we marvel. As such life must always be defended and protected.” @Pontifex 23 May 2020
  • “Care for nature is part of a lifestyle which includes the capacity for living together and communion. Jesus reminded us that we have God as our common Father and that this makes us brothers and sisters. #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 23 May 2020
  • “An integral ecology includes taking time to recover a serene harmony with creation, reflecting on our lifestyle and our ideals, and contemplating the Creator who lives among us and surrounds us. #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 24 May 2020
  • “Knowledge of the Lord is handed down from generation to generation mainly by telling the story of how He continues to make Himself present. The God of life communicates with us through the story of life. #WorldCommunicationsDay2020 Message” @Pontifex 24 May 2020
  • “The Feast of the #Ascension tells us that Jesus ascended to Heaven to dwell gloriously at the right hand of the Father and remains always among us. This is the source of our strength, perseverance and joy.” @Pontifex 24 May 2020
  • “Let us entrust our brother and sister Catholics in China to the guidance and protection of our Heavenly Mother, so that they might be strong in faith and steadfast in fraternal union, joyful witnesses, and promoters of charity and hope.” @Pontifex 24 May 2020
  • “我们把在中国的弟兄姊妹託付于我们天上的母亲引领及庇佑，愿他们信德坚毅，巩固友爱团结，喜乐地见证并促进爱德与望德。” @Pontifex 24 May 2020
  • “我們把在中國的弟兄姊妹託付於我們天上的母親引領及庇佑，願他們信德堅毅，鞏固友愛團結，喜樂地見證並促進愛德與望德。” @Pontifex 24 May 2020
  • “Let us entrust to Mary Help of Christians all in this difficult time who work for peace, for dialogue between nations, for service to the poor, for the care of creation, and for the victory of humanity over every disease of body, heart and soul.” @Pontifex 24 May 2020
  • “God of love, show us our place in this world as channels of your love for all the creatures of this earth, for not one of them is forgotten in your sight. Praise be to you! #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 24 May 2020
  • “Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Saint John Paul II’s Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint. On this anniversary, I give thanks to the Lord for the journey he has allowed us to travel as Christians in quest of full communion. Message” @Pontifex 25 May 2020
  • “Jesus bore our humanity and brought it beyond death to a new place, to Heaven, so that there where He is, we might also be.” @Pontifex 25 May 2020
  • “The Holy Spirit transforms us into a Church-womb of mercy, that is, into a “mother with a heart open” to all.” @Pontifex 26 May 2020
  • “#PrayTogether Image” @Pontifex 26 May 2020
  • “#Prayer liberates us from our instinct toward violence. It is a gaze directed toward God, so that He might take care of the human heart. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 27 May 2020
  • “The Holy Spirit, when we invite Him into our wounds, anoints our painful memories with the balm of hope, because the Spirit restores hope.” @Pontifex 28 May 2020

Papal Instagram

Russell T. Davies and 10th Doctor Retrospective – The Secrets of Doctor Who

Russell T. Davies resurrected Doctor Who in 2005 and Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha look back at his era and his impact on the show for the future. They also discuss the 10th Doctor’s character and stories and the best and worst episodes from the RTD era.

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Emanations (Voyager) – The Secrets of Star Trek

What if the afterlife was just another dimension? Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss how this Voyager story tackles questions about life, death, assisted suicide, and euthanasia with surprising sensitivity and openness.

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Mysterious Celebration! (100th Episode Anniversary!) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

We’re celebrating our first 100 episodes with updates on the some of the mysterious topics we’ve discussed, as well as hearing your feedback on the podcast and what it means to you. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli want to thank the listeners for their support in our first 2 years and look forward to many more shows.

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:
Episode 1: Ghosts

Episode 3: Bigfoot
Astonishing Legends Patterson-Gimlin Series

Episode 4: Area 51

Episode 6: Pyramids

(See video description for links to raw footage of the robotic expedition)

Videos exploring hidden chambers below the pyramid:

Episode 22: Bob Lazar

Episode 23: Astrology

Episode 24: Dyatlov Pass

Episode 26: Jimmy Hoffa

Episode 36: Skinwalker Ranch

Episode 38: Golden State Killer

Episodes 40 and 70: Navy UFO Studies (AATIP)

Episode 45: Voynich Manuscript

Episode 53: Betz Sphere

Episode 67: Numbers Stations

Episode 73: Somerton Man

Episode 83: Dark Matter, Dark Energy

Videos explaining why Dark Energy might not exist:

Episode 87: Nephilim

Episode 91: Government Acid Conspiracy

Episode 96: David Koresh

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The Weekly Francis – 20 May 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 8 April 2020 to 20 May 2020.

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Letters

Messages

Regina Coeli

Papal Tweets

  • “All of us – brothers and sisters of every religious tradition – unite today for the day of prayer, fasting, and penance called by the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity. #HumanFraternity #PrayTogether #HomilySantaMarta Santa Marta mass” @Pontifex 14 May 2020
  • “May God have mercy on us and put an end to this tragedy, this pandemic, as well as the pandemics of hunger, war, and children without an education. This we ask as brothers and sisters, everyone together. #HumanFraternity #PrayTogether” @Pontifex 14 May 2020
  • “Today is the #InternationalDayOfFamilies: Let us pray for all families, so that the Spirit of the Lord – the spirit of love, respect, and freedom – might grow in families. #PrayTogether” @Pontifex 15 May 2020
  • “The perfect path to follow Jesus is not rigidity, which brings turmoil, but the spirit of evangelical freedom, which always brings joy. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 15 May 2020
  • “In light of the tragic events that have marked 2020, I dedicate my Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees – on internally displaced persons – to all those experiencing situations of precariousness and marginalization as a result of Covid–19. Message” @Pontifex 15 May 2020
  • “Today, let us #PrayTogether for those persons who are burying the dead during this pandemic, risking being infected as well. To bury the dead is one of the works of mercy.” @Pontifex 16 May 2020
  • “What is the spirit of the world that Jesus talks about (Jn 15:18–21)? It is a way of life, a culture of the temporary that doesn’t know how to be faithful. Let us ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to discern between what is worldliness and what is evangelical. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 16 May 2020
  • “Let us care for all of creation, which is a gift of the good God, our Creator. Let us celebrate Laudato si’ Week. #LaudatoSi5
    YouTube laudatosiweek.org” @Pontifex 16 May 2020
  • “Let us #PrayTogether today for those who clean hospitals, streets, who empty dumpsters, who go to each house to remove trash. It’s a job that no one sees, but one that is necessary for our survival. May the Lord bless them.” @Pontifex 17 May 2020
  • “Our society has a sense of being orphaned that touches our sense of belonging and fraternity, because the Father is missing. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to rediscover the Father, who gives us a sense of meaning in life. May He make us one family. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 17 May 2020
  • “I urgently appeal for renewed dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 17 May 2020
  • “Tomorrow marks the centenary of the birth of Saint John Paul II. Let us remember him with great affection and gratitude. At 7:00 AM, I will celebrate Holy Mass, which will be broadcast all over the world, at the altar where his mortal remains rest. Vatican News Live” @Pontifex 17 May 2020
  • “100 years ago the Lord visited His people. He sent a pastor. #JohnPaulII was our shepherd in prayer, in closeness to the people, in love for justice that always goes together with mercy.” @Pontifex 18 May 2020
  • “Today we remember the great faith and example of #JohnPaulII. Let us hear the echo of his appeal to open wide the doors to Christ, to not be afraid. Let us walk joyfully along the paths of the world, following the footsteps of the giant who has preceded us. We are never alone! Image” @Pontifex 18 May 2020
  • “All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents. #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 18 May 2020
  • “If we are transparent before the Lord like a crystal, His light – the light of mercy – will shine in us and, through us, in the world.” @Pontifex 19 May 2020
  • “When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them. #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 19 May 2020
  • “If the events of life – with all its bitterness – risk suffocating the gift of #Prayer within us, it is enough to contemplate a starry sky, a sunset, or a flower, to reignite the spark of thanksgiving. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 20 May 2020
  • “The human person grows more, matures more and is sanctified more to the extent that he or she enters into relationships, going out from themselves to live in communion with God, with others and with all creatures. #LaudatoSi5” @Pontifex 20 May 2020

Papal Instagram

The Dalek Invasion of Earth – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The Daleks take London! Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this 1st Doctor story of a post-apocalyptic world ruled by Daleks and includes the first departure of a companion, his granddaughter Susan, from the Tardis.

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Q-Less (DS9) – Secrets of Star Trek

Q was an entertaining thorn in the side for Picard on TNG, but what happens when he shows up on DS9? Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha talk about Sisko’s different approach to Q and why this Q story, while it has its moments, may not work as well as the TNG ones.

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Mysterious World Fan Art #3

Sam writes via Facebook:

I’m a seminarian from Australia and a longtime fan of your work on Catholic Answers and now your mysterious world podcast.

Something happened this past weekend that I thought was amusing enough to share with you. I went home to visit my family, and the subject of your podcast came up in conversation. One thing led to another, and all of a sudden, as is often the case, my brothers, sister, and I, as well as one of their girlfriends, were embroiled in a competition of who could best draw Jimmy Akin in a 10-minute timeframe. None of us are, or claim to be, artists by any stretch of the imagination, but I would argue that that fact made the results 10x more hilarious.

My point is this. When it came time for my (extremely biased) brother to judge whose was superior, no consensus could be found. So, I humbly submit these images to you for their definitive judgement which will be accepted by all as final. 😂

I will continue to pray for you and your great work.

Regards,

Sam.

P.S. you know you’ve made it when brothers and friends battle it out to draw your likeness.

Here are the pieces that Sam sent. First, the original photo they used.

Now, a piece by Andy, the girlfriend of one of Sam’s brothers.

A piece by Gemma.

A piece by Joe.

A piece by John. And a piece by Sam himself.

I think they’re quite impressive! Especially given that they had to be done in 10 minutes!

Here’s the reply I sent Sam:

Howdy, Sam! First of all, please thank your brothers, sister, and family friend for reaching out and sharing all of your artwork! I’m extremely flattered, and I’ll include your message in an upcoming Mysterious Feedback segment! (It will be in June, since the May episodes are already taped.)

Here is my definitive judgment: All of the images are delightful, and it would be impossible to pick one above the others! Thank you for them all! (Also, I believe in heeding the counsel of Scripture, as illustrated here: https://tinyurl.com/y9lr3yw3).

Thanks again to everyone, thanks to you for being willing to serve God in a priestly capacity, and thank you for your prayers! God bless you all! Stay safe and well!

Sam then replied:

Thanks Jimmy! I appreciate your truly diplomatic response. The proverb made me burst out laughing. I’ll remember that one, as it may come in handy in my future ministry 😂.

I look forward in particular to hearing that podcast in June, but will be listening with interest to everything that comes before and after too. My younger brother Joe will be particularly thrilled to hear our drawing escapades mentioned.

With prayers and good wishes,
Sam.