William Hemsworth's Blog, page 81

Praying And Forgiving: An Everyday Reminder

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name.
10     Your kingdom come.
    Your will be done,
        on earth as it is in heaven.
11     Give us this day our daily bread.
12     And forgive us our debts,
        as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13     And do not bring us to the time of trial,
        but rescue us from the evil one.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”- Matthew 6:7-15 NRSV

Praying Is Something We Must Do

The Gospel reading above has many familiar items in it.  Jesus gives instruction on prayer, gives us the Lord’s prayer, and gives us some hard words on forgiveness.  During various times of the year, many of us are taking up prayer as an offering of sacrifice.   This is a great thing as prayer is essential to our relationship with God.  When we say these prayers are we saying it with all our hearts or are we saying it just to say we said it? In the time of Christ the pagans would say numerous words that were no heartfelt because they thought their god would hear them based on who said more.  This is not the case with our Lord.  He knows our hearts, minds, and wants a relationship with us.  Praying is not something we do just to check it off the list.   It is something we need to take our time with.  If it is the rosary then meditate on the mysteries and don’t speed through it.  When we pray the Liturgy of the Hours pray it reverently and not try to set records on how fast we can complete it (I’m guilty of this one).

Prayer is also not a one way conversation.  Take time to listen as well.  Take this time during to get in the habit of these things so it carries on to the rest of the year.

We Need To Forgive

The last two verses of today’s Gospel reading are very challenging.  Jesus says that unless we forgive then we will not be forgiven.  This is hard.  I will be the first to say that.  However, we have been forgiven much and need to extend the mercy given to us to others.  In that way we play a role in the Lord’s kingdom coming to earth.  When we die we no longer have the chance to forgive.

Game over.

If there is something you are struggling with forgiving then I urge you to take it to the Lord in prayer.  Ask for the Lord to work on your heart so you can get to the place to forgive.  Forgiveness and mercy is what this world needs.

It is what we need.

Saint Quotes

Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.-St. John Chrysostom

Without prayer we have neither light nor strength to advance in the way which leads to God.-St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Many cry to God, but not with the voice of the soul, but with the voice of the body; only the cry of the heart, of the soul, reaches God.-St. Augustine

If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a Crucifix, and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him, and not only forgave His enemies, but even prayed His Heavenly Father to forgive them also. Let him remember that when he says the Pater Noster, every day, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down vengeance on himself.”-St. Philip Neri

He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.-St. Faustina

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Hevel, Vanity, and The Perplexing Nature of Ecclesiastes

I have said it here, and in other mediums, that the Qohelet is a book that many have struggled with through the history of the church.  There are times that it seems contradictory and perplexing if one is not in tune to the overall message of the book.  The key to Qohelet is hevel, or hebel in English, as it appears 38 times in the book and also appears very early in 1:2 [1].  Is there a uniform meaning to this word or are there several meaning based on the context.  In most of our English translation such as the KJV, ASV, ESV, NKJV, RSV, and the NRSV render the translation of hevel as vanity.  Other translations, such as the NIV for example, render the same word as meaningless.  The actual translation for הֶבֶל, or hevel, is “vapor or breath” [2].  This masculine noun does take on different forms in various Old Testament texts.  Perhaps that is why this issue with the translation of hevel is so perplexing.  It definitely does not help that the Targum for Qohelet uses the Aramaic term for vanity [3]. 

Hevel and Abel

In researching this key word I came across something very interesting that may lend a clue to its meaning within Qohelet.  What I discovered is that hevel is the name of Abel from Genesis 4:1-8 fame.  Some say that Qoheleth is obsessed with death and the meaning of life, and ancient Jewish readers would have been quick to make the connection [4]. 

Abel was the first person to ever die, but he was also the first person to make an offering that was acceptable to God.  We will all die, today may be the day, and make sure you are right with God when that time comes.  In the case of Abel, he not only accepts his offering, but in a way he delivers him home [5].  

Rabbinic Tradition

Another clue to the meaning of hevel in Qohelet can bee seen in the tradition of the Jewish rabbis.  One example is from the Jewish Midrash which also translates hevel to mean something that is without substance [6].  The description given is quite interesting.  It mentions that this word is like a man that stacks seven pots on top of each other over a fire.  The steam that eventually emerges has no substance and such is a life with God.  Similarly the Zohar translates the term as breath, but does so in an allegorical manner.  Such as there is no breathe of life in one who does not study the Torah [7].  

Early Church And Hevel

The LXX and the Latin Vulgate render the meaning as vanity with ματαιότης and vanitas respectively [8].  Early Jewish tradition used the word in a more metaphorical way, while early church father such as Gregory of Nyssa, took a more negative approach and applied the word “futility” [9].  Others, such as Ambrose, applied it to anything that led away from God.

So what is the proper translation of hevel?  Is it something that is uniform or are there different meaning?  I welcome all feedback on this, because the fact of the matter it I am not completely sold either way.  However I am inclined to say that it is a uniform meaning when the meaning of the early Jewish scholars is integrated with that of early Christian scholarship.  It is here that an analogy may be in order.  Imagine that the meaning of life is contained in steam or vapor.  You grab and grab and yet you are not able to grasp the vapor.  At best your hands get wet, but that is not vapor.  Soon you give up because the endeavor is futile because one is not physically able to grab a gas. 

This attempt is fleeting, meaningless, and even transient.  Does that mean that the vapor is meaningless or transient?  Not all all, but that is the outcome, or judgment we make, based on out interaction with it.  Ecclesiastes 2:11 states, “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (ESV).  I love the ESV-CE and use it daily, but perhaps this is an example of how some words do not translate well.  When you look up the definition of vapor, one of the definitions is fleeting.  With that in mind I looked up the term in a Bible dictionary and it led back to Abel, specifically it alludes to the shortness of life [10].

In Conclusion

In the end we all live and die.  Our lives are like vapor and are fleeting as they are here one moment and gone the next.  So enjoy your family, have some fun, tell those around you that they are loved, and make sure you are ready to go at any moment.  Though these are fleeting they are good, but in the end what matters is living for God and keeping his commandments (Ecc. 12:13).  Having that ancient Jewish meaning mixed with the explanation of early church scholarship has me leaning toward a more uniform meaning.

Works Cited

1.  Dell, Katherine J.  Exploring Old Testament Wisdom:  Literature and Themes. “Reading Ecclesiastes With The Scholars”. (London:  Apollos, 2016), 90.

2.  Brown, Francis, et al.  A Hebrew English Lexicon of the Old Testament.  (Nashville:  Hendrickson, 1994), 73.

3.  Meek, Russell L. “Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Readings of Hebel (הֶבֶל) in Ecclesiastes.” Currents in Biblical Research 14, no. 3 (June 2016): 279–97.

4.  Dor-Shav, Ethan. “Ecclesiastes, Fleeting and Timeless Part I.” Jewish Bible Quarterly 36, no. 4 (October 2008): 211–21.

5.  Ibid, 216.

6.  Meek, Russell L. “Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Readings of Hebel (הֶבֶל) in Ecclesiastes.” Currents in Biblical Research 14, no. 3 (June 2016): 279–97.

7.  Quick word of clarification on the Zohar.  Though it is used as a sacred text in some Kabbalist communities, it is meant to be a commentary on the Pentateuch.

8.  Murphy, Roland E.. Ecclesiastes, Volume 23A. (Grand Rapids: HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2015), 88.

9.  Meek, Russell L. Currents in Biblical Research 14, no. 3 (June 2016): 279–97.

10.  Holman Bible Editorial Staff. Ultimate Bible Dictionary : A Quick and Concise Guide to the People, Places, Objects, and Events in the Bible. (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2019), v.

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Tertullian And Stoic Materialism

Within the blessed Trinity the three persons of the Godhead are distinct but united in nature.  Throughout history many have tried to explain the Trinity in various ways.  For example, St. Patrick used the very popular description of the three-leaf clover.  In the earliest days of the church a theologian by the name of Tertullian laid out a theory known as stoic materialism.  However, this term would ultimately lead to subordination in his Christology.

Tertullian And His Defense

Tertullian was hugely influential in defending and developing doctrine in the early church.  During his time there were opposed the positions of Monarchianism and Pagan Polytheism.  The latter set forth that only one person is God, and because of this it was actually the Father that was crucified.

Tertullian

This position, and his retort, can be followed very easily is his work titled Against Praxeas.  He also opposed Pagan Polytheism which held to the view that the incarnation could only be possible if there were more than one god.

Tertullian’s response was to say that the Son was real, but distinct and not a different God.  The fact that Christ existed is a reality, and to this end he used the definition of the word that was found in Stoic philosophy.

Tertullian’s meaning of “reality” took for granted the materialist notion found in Stoicism. If it is real, it is material or physical.  Since Christ was composed of a material substance He must exist.

Material Substance

This material substance is what composes our souls and God even though it is invisible.  When it comes to the rational principle of the universe, Tertullian, feeds of the wisdom of St. Justin Martyr.  He calls the Son the eternal Logos, but he only becomes the Logos when the Father speaks.

Tertullian describes this type of relationship as being like a ray of sunshine emanating from the sun.  Father and the Son are united in a Stoic krasis (unconfused union), an inter-penetration of spiritual material.

Tertullian And Subordinationism

The view of Tertullian led him into subordinationism (which was unintended).  Subordinationism holds that Christ and the Holy Spirit are subordinate to the Father in nature and being.  This can be seen in the way that Tertullian uses the metaphor of the sun and ray.

Though Tertullian defended the deity of Christ the idea of subordinationism would lead to further problems.  Up until the 4th century, subordinationism was used in an attempt to define the Trinity.  This would later be declared heretical and a key component of Arianism.

The nature of the divine persons of the blessed Trinity have always been, and always will be divine.  They may be subordinate by relation, but not by nature.  All three are equally God.  From subordination other Christological and Trinitarian heresies will emerge that would outright challenge the divinity of Christ.

Overall the work of Tertullian went a long way in defending the Trinity.

Tertullian Quotes On The Trinity

Bear always in mind that this is the rule of faith which I profess; by it I testify that the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit are inseparable from each other, and so will you know in what sense this is said. Now, observe, my assertion is that the Father is one, and the Son one, and the Spirit one, and that They are distinct from Each Other. This statement is taken in a wrong sense by every uneducated as well as every perversely disposed person, as if it predicated a diversity, in such a sense as to imply a separation among the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit.- Tertullian

Thus the Father is distinct from the Son, being greater than the Son, inasmuch as He who begets is one, and He who is begotten is another; He, too, who sends is one, and He who is sent is another; and He, again, who makes is one, and He through whom the thing is made is another. Happily the Lord Himself employs this expression of the person of the Paraclete, so as to signify not a division or severance, but a disposition, of mutual relations in the Godhead.-Tertullian

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Ignatius of Antioch: 7 Catholic Quotes From The Great Saint..Updated

Our church has a rich tradition. This tradition goes back to the very beginnings of the church and was passed down via the apostles. When I first started looking into the claims of the Catholic church, I turned to the church fathers. I thought I would read them to prove that he early church fathers were not Catholic. One of those church fathers I came across was St. Ignatius of Antioch.

His words hit me in a way that is hard to describe. The Holy Spirit worked through his words to show me that the early church was indeed Catholic. Here are 7 totally Catholic quotes from St. Ignatius of Antioch.

Ignatius of Antioch icon
 Seven Catholic Quotes Of St. Ignatius Of Antioch

1. Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ, which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . . [7, 2] They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the Flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, Flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes.- Chapter 6, Letter to the Smyrnaeans

2. See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is administered either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude of the people also be; even as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.- Chapter 8, Letter to the Smyrnaeans

3. Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to the Church that has found mercy in the greatness of the Most High Father and in Jesus Christ, his only son; to the Church beloved and enlightened after the love of Jesus Christ, our God, by the will of him that has willed everything which is; to the Church wich also holds the presidency in the place of the country of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of blessing, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, and because you hold the presidency of love, named after Christ and named after the Father; here therefore do I salute in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. -Introduction, Letter to the Romans
4. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is administered either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. -Chapter 8, Letter to the Smyrnaeans

5. Those indeed, who belong to God and to Jesus Christ–they are with the bishop. And those who repent and come to the unity of the Church–they too shall be of God. . . Do not err my brethren: if anyone follow a schismatic, he will not inherit the Kingdom of God. . . . Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: for there is one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the union of His Blood; one altar as there is one bishop with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons. -Chapter 3, Letter to the Philadelphians

6. In like manner let everyone respect the deacons as they would respect Jesus Christ, and just as they respect the bishop as a type of the Father, and the presbyters [priests] as the council of God and college of Apostles. Without these, it cannot be called a Church. -Chapter 2, Letter to the Trallians

7. Indeed, when you submit to the bishop as you would to Jesus Christ, it is clear to me that you are living not in the manner of men but as Jesus Christ, who died for us, that through faith in His death you might escape dying. It is necessary, therefore,–and such is your practice,–that you do nothing without the bishop, and that you be subject also to the presbytery, as to the Apostles of Jesus Christ our hope, in whom we shall be found, if we live in Him. -Chapter 13, Letter to the Magnesians

Brief Youtube Video

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Daily Douay-Rheims Podcast Launch

I admit to being the worst marketer in the world. By nature I am an introvert which is interesting considering the work I do. Through it all I recently launched a new podcast where I read the daily Mass reading from the traditional Douay-Rheims translation of the holy scriptures. It launched on July 1 and you can listen here.

Why The Douay-Rheims?

One of the questions I have been asked is why use the Douay-Rheims instead of the RSV, NAB, or any other translation. To be honest, it all comes down to who owns the copyright. The modern translations are copywritten by various publishing houses, and the USCCB holds the copyright for the NAB.

However, there is a timelessness to the Douay-Rheims. It is an English translation that predates the King James Version. It was the main English translation in the Catholic Church until the middle of the 20th century. Though some of the language may be archaic with the “thee’s” and “thou’s”, it really is a good translation to read from.

Saint Of The Day

In addition to the daily Mass readings, I am also reading the profile of the saint of the day. The podcast is a great devotional tool as you will listen to scripture on a daily basis and learn about the heroes of the faith. It is a win win!

Where To Listen To The Daily Douay-Rheims

You can listen on Anchor, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. I also am doing a daily livestream with the same content on my Youtube channel. Speaking of Youtube, please go over and subscribe. The video below is the reading from this morning. God bless you all.

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Fulton Sheen: His Enduring Influence

In this episode Allan Smith joins me to discuss the great Fulton Sheen. Allan founded http://www.bishopsheentoday.com and keeps the legacy of Fulton Sheen alive by teaching his message to seminarians, parishes, and schools.

The Enduring Message Of Fulton Sheen

In this video we discuss the call of Fulton Sheen to the priesthood, his rise to fame in radio and TV, his personal devotions, and the cause for his sainthood. We discuss what we can learn from Bishop Sheen and how it can make us better Christians.

Bishop SheenAbout Allan Smith

Al Smith is a husband, father, grandfather, a man of trade, and a business owner.   He has served the Church for fifteen years as a Catholic evangelist, radio host, writer, Internet broadcaster, and retreat director. (http://alsmiththegasman.com/photos-videos/)

He is a gifted speaker giving presentations at seminaries, schools, parishes, and Catholic conferences.  He is often featured on Catholic media such as EWTN Radio and Television, Radio Maria, The Catholic Channel, Relevant Radio, and Shalom TV.

Allan Smith

He is the founder and director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Mission Society of Canada and has served on the Board of Directors of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation in Peoria, Illinois, which promotes the cause of Fulton J. Sheen’s canonization process.  (www.archbishopfultonjsheenmissionsocietyofcanada.org)

Al is also the founder and director of Bishop Sheen Today (www.bishopsheentoday.com) which is a media group responsible for promoting and publishing the works of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen throughout the world.  Al’s award-winning website attracts millions of visitors each year, and the publishing arm of his apostolate distributes dozens of Sheen titles to a worldwide audience  

Al is a writer with Catholic Exchange Magazine (https://catholicexchange.com/author/al-smith) and has produced three bestselling books distributed by Sophia Institute Press. (https://sophiainstitute.com)

The Cries of the Jesus from the Cross – A Fulton Sheen Anthology (2018).Lord Teach us to Pray – A Fulton Sheen Anthology (2019).Archbishop Sheen’s Book of Sacraments – A Fulton Sheen Anthology (2021). 

Many of these popular titles written by Archbishop Sheen can be found on Al’s Amazon Author Page at (https://amazon.com/~/e/B097CPVF9K)

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Convert from Atheism To Catholicism

I love conversion stories. They give so much hope and give a renewed zeal for the faith. I myself am a convert to Catholicism. It is always a pleasure to speak with others who have made the journey.

Jacob Woods Convert From Atheism and Evangelicalism

I recently had the opportunity to interview Jacob Woods and discuss his journey into the Catholic church. He describes how he was once an atheist, became a youth pastor at a non-denominational church, and how he started taking steps to the catholic church. These steps include various debates and reading the early church fathers. Be sure to check out his Youtube channel titled “The Candid Catholic“.

Check out The Candid Catholic channel and subscribe if you are so inclined.

Also check out the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CandidCatholic

The InterviewCatholic Convert Quotes

Late have I loved You. O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.-St. Augustine

It is impossible to be just to the Catholic Church. The moment men cease to pull against it they feel a tug towards it. The moment they cease to shout it down they begin to listen to it with pleasure. The moment they try to be fair to it they begin to be fond of it. But when that affection has passed a certain point it begins to take on the tragic and menacing grandeur of a great love affair.-G.K. Chesterton

If Protestantism is true, then no one Church has the fullness of the truth; rather, all churches teach a mixture of true and false doctrine. So it makes sense to find one that agrees on enough of the truth that you deem essential and also that appeals to your tastes and preferences. In addition, as your tastes change and your church feels less relevant, it’s your right to find a different church that meets your needs. In the end, this makes being a follower of Christ more about us than about him.-Tim Staples

Revelation unveils that bride. The climax of the Apocalypse, then, is the communion of the Church and Christ: the marriage supper of the Lamb.- Scott Hahn

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Irenaeus Was Totally Catholic…Updated

Before entering the Catholic church, I had a lot of misconceptions about what Catholicism was. I am not the only one that had these misconceptions, and these misconceptions are still ongoing for many people. There is a very vivid memory I have of the day I made myself a challenge. At the time I was Baptist and very passionate. I wanted to show that the Catholic church could not be the church founded by Christ.  I wanted to show that the early church was not Catholic. One of the early church fathers I read was St. Irenaeus. Big mistake!

Irenaeus Shows The Early Church Was Catholic

To do this I had to go back to the writing of the early church fathers. I started with St. Clement of Rome, then St. Ignatius of Antioch, and eventually read my way up to the writing of St. Irenaeus. At this point I feel like I was being punched in the gut as Catholic doctrine was being taught by these early Christians. The writings of St. Irenaeus served as the knockout blow. He challenged the false teaching of his day with things the Catholic church still teaches. Here are seven quotes from his that are totally Catholic. Unless otherwise stated all quotes are from his classic work titled Against Heresies.

Sacred Tradition

1. “One should not seek among others the truth that can be easily gotten from the Church. For in her, as in a rich treasury, the apostles have placed all that pertains to truth, so that everyone can drink this beverage of life. She is the door of life.”

2. “The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation.”

3. “Even if the apostles had not left their Writings to us, ought we not to follow the rule of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they committed the churches? Many barbarian peoples who believed in Christ follow this rule, having [the message of their] salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit without paper and ink.”

Apostolic Tradition

4. “The tradition of the apostles, made clear in all the world, can be clearly seen in every church by those who wish to behold the truth. We can enumerate those who were established by the apostles as bishops in the churches, and their successors down to our time, none of whom taught or thought of anything like their mad ideas.”

Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

5. “For when the mixed cup and the bread that has been prepared receive the Word of God, and become the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ, and by these our flesh grows and is confirmed, how can they say that flesh cannot receive the free gift of God, which is eternal life since it is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord, and made a member of him? As the blessed Paul says in the Epistle to the Ephesians, that we are members of his body, of his flesh and his bones.”

The Magisterium

6. “This is true Gnosis: the teaching of the apostles, and the ancient institution of the church, spread throughout the entire world, and the distinctive mark of the body of Christ in accordance with the succession of bishops, to whom the apostles entrusted each local church, and the unfeigned preservation, coming down to us, of the scriptures, with a complete collection allowing for neither addition nor subtraction, a reading without falsification and, in conformity with the scriptures, so interpretation that is legitimate, careful, without danger of blasphemy.”

Irenaeus And Mary As the New Eve

7. “It was that the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the Virgin Mary set free through faith”.

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Healthcare Debate Live on June 29th

Join us live on 6/29 at 10:30am PST for a great debate between Dr. Sam Rocha and Dr. Scott Forrer. The debate resolution is “Healthcare should be provided primarily by private businesses, not the government”.

About The Healthcare Debate Participants: Dr. Sam Rocha

Disclaimer: All information is from the websites of the participants.

Samuel D. Rocha was born in Brownsville, Texas in 1982. He grew up in a lay Catholic missionary family, moving across the US states of Texas, Utah, Ohio and also living in Reynosa, Mexico. He began playing guitar at the age of five and played at home, church, and prayer meetings. 

Rocha attended Franciscan University of Steubenville as an undergraduate, completing a B.A. in philosophy and Spanish literature as a Gates Millennium Scholar in 2005.  He recorded his first demo during his undergraduate studies and played in music ministry and at dive bars. 

After graduation and marriage, Rocha worked for one year at Transfiguration Catholic School as a Spanish teacher and explored corporate positions at Target and Medtronic for another year while completing an M.A. in Educational Leadership at the University of St. Thomas as a Gates Fellow in 2007. He opened for Floetry (the opener for The Roots), was the bandleader of Chema, and began working as a regular sideman for local bands during this time.

From 2007 to 2010, Rocha completed an M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy of education at the Ohio State University as a Gates Fellow. His dissertation, “Education, Study, and the Person,” received the Loadman Dissertation Award. During his studies at Ohio State, Rocha was a regular performing artist at Vonn Jazz Lounge, guitarist for Gruvment and the Worship Center of Central Ohio, and worship leader at Peace Lutheran Church. He also co-led Matias-Rocha y Nueva Trova with Rolando Matias, sharing the stage or billing with Othello Molineaux (Jaco Pastorius), David Hampton (Rick James), Eddie Bayard (Pharez Whitted), Joe Lovano, Eddy Martinez (Ray Barreto and Tito Puente), and others. 

From 2010 to 2012, Rocha was appointed the Owen Duston Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Teacher Education at Wabash College, in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He coached the College rugby club to a conference championship and was made an honorary member of the Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies. Rocha released Freedom for Love, his first EP, and self-published an anthology of online writings, Things and Stuff, in 2011. In 2012, he published a co-authored chapbook, Poems by Sam and Sam, with Samuel Bennett.

From 2012 to 2014, Rocha was appointed Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations and Research at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. In 2013, he self-published A Primer for Philosophy and Education. Rocha played with his own band and was the drummer and lead singer for Mojo Filter; he also worked as a sideman with Little Bobby and the Storm.

In 2014, Rocha was appointed Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Education at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada. He has also been a Member of the Common Room at Green College and Pastoral Philosopher-in-Residence at St. Mark’s College while at UBC. In 2014, he published the second edition of A Primer for Philosophy and Education with Cascade Books; in 2015 it won the American Educational Studies Association Critics Choice Book Award. In 2014, he released Late to Love, an Augustinian soul album, with Wiseblood Records.

In 2015 his book Folk Phenomenology: Education, Study, and the Human Person was published by Pickwick Publications and his essay, “A Tales of Three Cubicles,” won the Outstanding Contribution Award from Visual Arts Research. In 2016, he released Fear and Loving, a soundscape companion album to Folk Phenomenology. In 2017, Rocha published Tell Them Something Beautiful: Essays and Ephemera with Cascade Books and released a single, “A Todo Var.”

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Rocha was promoted to Associate Professor and awarded the Killam Teaching Prize at UBC in 2019. At the end of 2019, he released his third full-length album, Anamnesis, and in 2020 he released a single, “The Freedom of Dialectic,” inspired by the life and thought of Maxine Greene. His newest book, The Syllabus as Curriculum: A Reconceptualist Approach, was published in 2020 and received the 2020 Outstanding Book Award from AERA: Division B, Curriculum Studies.

He has served as the president of the Society for the Philosophical Study of Education from 2012 to 2014, editor of the Patheos Catholic channel from 2015 to 2017, Communications Director of the Philosophy of Education Society from 2016 to 2020, book review editor for Studies in Philosophy and Education from 2013 to 2018, and a member of the Theory and History of Education International Research Group since 2015. He is on several editorial boards of academic journals and on the advisory board of Curriculum Studies in Canada. Rocha has also published widely in popular Catholic media including First Things, Commonweal, America, Our Sunday Visitor, The Catholic Herald, and Church Life Journal.

Rocha’s work orbits his philosophical, musical, and religious interests. In contrast to his formal training in academic letters, he is a folk musician, unable to read or write music. This untrained, analphabet sensibility contributes to his fascination with education, schooling, and curriculum. His Texican heritage and ancestry have led to similar and intertwined reflections on race. A lifelong Roman Catholic, Sam’s writing often considers questions of religious identity from a confessional and autobiographical perspective, along with philosophical interventions into theology. His signature notions of pastoral philosophy and folk phenomenology continue to grow and evolve in his writing and teaching. He is committed to preserving and promoting the research and scholarship of the humanities in the field of education.  

Rocha has played music and/or lectured in halls and auditoriums, classrooms, church basements and sanctuaries, streets, monasteries, restaurants, bars and clubs, and living rooms all over the world including, The Old Town School of Folk Music (Chicago), Sheen Center for Thought and Culture (New York), Teachers College at Columbia University (New York), New York University (New York), Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at University of Toronto (Toronto), The Empire Arts Center (Grand Forks, ND), University of Manitoba (Winnipeg), Saint Thomas University (Fredericton), Depauw University (Greencastle, IN), Seattle Pacific Art Center (Seattle), University of Bergen (Norway), University of Wisconsin-Madison, and many more. He performs regularly at The Wolf and Hound in Kitsilano with his trio.

Rocha and his wife, Anne, have three children, Tomas, Gabriel, and Sofia, and are parishioners at St. Mark’s Catholic Church.

Check out Sam’s website at www.samrocha.com. In the debate he will taking the negative opinion.

About The Healthcare Debate Participants: Dr. Scott Forrer

Dr. Scott Forrer attended medical school at Michigan State University and specialized in neurology at the University of Arizona. For over 30 years, Dr Forrer has been certified in both neurology and psychiatry and continues to manage an active practice.

Dr. Forrer’s background is inclusive to comprehensive studies of neurosciences, with a focus upon neuronal systems of consciousness, the quantum physics model of consciousness, awareness, infinite intelligence, contemplative prayer, and meditation.

Pursuing a vocation as a medical professional, Dr. Forrer has embraced his practice in medicine with the conformance of his Catholic faith. He has been active with healing prayer groups and Eucharistic adoration for several decades.

As a Catholic, he acknowledges God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit as the true healer. He believes that science supports the case that the healing of the brain, mind, and emotions are reliant upon prayer, particularly healing prayer.

Visit Scott’s website at http://www.christconnections.me. In the debate he will be taking the affirmative.

About The Debate

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Doing Works Of Mercy Will Change You

I recently had the opportunity to interview author Lara Patangan. She is the author of the book titled “Simple Mercies: How The Works Of Mercy Bring Peace And Fulfillment”. She endeavored to do all 14 of the works of mercy and describes how they change your life and strengthen your faith.

We Are Called To Works Of Mercy

Lara describes how we are all called to do works of mercy, and how they not only change us, but those around us. It is an inspirational interview about the spiritual and corporal works of mercy that you do not want to miss.

Check out Lara’s website at www.larapatangan.com

Her blog at www.mercymatters.net

Check out the book: https://amzn.to/3vxpNCp

About Lara

Lara C. Patangan earned her undergraduate degree in public relations from the University of Florida. She has written for a variety of news publications and Catholic blogs. Previously she worked in fundraising for various nonprofits, including a domestic violence shelter, an AIDS service organization, and Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband and their two sons.

Lara PatanganWorks Of Mercy Interview

While you are there please subscribe the my Youtube channel. It not only helps it grow, but helps others see the content that is getting put up every week. God bless you.

Saint Quotes

Extend your mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should withdraw His Mercy from us?-Saint Vincent de Paul

Let our judgment of souls cease, for God’s mercy upon them is extraordinary. -St Faustina

The saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others when they might wish to do so. Yet they are always ready to exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ.-Saint Anthony of Padua

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