LinoRulli.net — The Catholic Guy and his Catholic Show: TCGS Show Summaries

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Only one day into his Lenten penance, Lino got called out by Father Rob for getting chatty with another girl earlier today and texting with an ex-girlfriend last night... Lino defended his actions last night as innocent chatter but admitted to today’s flirtation; Lino felt that his penance would end up being healthy for him, but Father Rob completely disagreed and felt that being limited to 12 texts a day would be equal to torture.
Lenten Song Parody - Lino announced that he and Father Rob would do one song parody per day during Lent to celebrate the season, and they started off with a bang by belting out a duet entitled All Lent Long, sung to the tune of Lionel Richie’s All Night Long. And then they were so impressed with themselves that they sang it again a cappella... which brought an onslaught of calls from listeners who either loved it or felt it contributed to their Lenten penance.
You Call That A Fast? - Lino and Father Rob compared notes on what they ate during yesterday’s fast... and both accused the other of going over the Church’s limits on what they could eat.
Calling All Fish Lovers - Lino played a Wendy’s commercial touting their new fish sandwich, but he was turned off by the commercial’s insinuation that all Catholics are “fish lovers” and its de-emphasis of the sacrificial nature of the Lenten fast.

Hour 2

You’re Fired - A priest in the diocese of Belleville, Illinois resigned as pastor of his parish after he was called out for refusing to pray the Mass using the words of the new translation. Father Rob said that the priest is not bigger than the Church and needed to get with the program or hit the road; Lino agreed that the priest should’ve stuck with the new translation but felt that Father Rob’s “my way or the highway” kind of talk was offensive and was bound to bring ridicule to the Church because they’re basically telling people to shut up and fall in line.
Mail Time - Highlights: a listener appreciated that listening to the TCGS podcast made cleaning up dog poop more entertaining; another explained how someone just kept staring in wonder at the ashes on his forehead yesterday; yet another wrote that she doesn’t practice the faith anymore because of all of the “rules and regulations” but still enjoys the show.
Magnetic Christianity - Lino briefly (and poorly) promoted Gus Lloyd’s new book, Magnetic Christianity: Using Your God-Given Gifts to Build the Kingdom, and without having read the book he assumed that it was all about magnets from Christian places around the world. He also noted that Gus will be on the show next week to talk more about it in-depth, and that it’s available at Gus’ web site, GusLloyd.com.

Hour 3

Magnetic Christianity (continued) - Attempting to clear up some confusion, Lino and Father Rob briefly talked about the book’s premise of 11 attributes that people can use to attract others to Christianity... and then they pointed out which of those traits the other lacks, which brought out hidden attribute #12 in both of them: argumentativeness.
Lenten Song Parody Redux - Lino and Father Rob re-sang their All Lent Long parody for the benefit of those who weren’t listening during the first hour, and amongst the many calls received a priest gave them the crazy idea of opening the parody writing up to the listeners.
Republican Debate - Lino noted that neither Rick Santorum nor Newt Gingrich were wearing ashes on their foreheads during last night’s debate. He also had some fun with the question where each candidate was asked to describe themselves in one word, and wondered if Santorum would’ve had the guts to say “Catholic” (which he didn’t).

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Lino pondered the fact that many Catholics go to church on Ash Wednesday without necessarily understanding why they’re doing it... and despite being bewildered by it he nevertheless liked seeing that; listeners called in with their various reasons for attending Mass on Ash Wednesday.
Thoughts From The Information Superhighway - Lino was intrigued by suggestions for him to give up Facebook/Twitter for Lent, but rejected the idea; the Vatican sent an Ash Wednesday message through the Pope’s Twitter account earlier today, and Lino made light of their slow adoption of social networking tools; Father Rob lamented his email address being added to people’s personal mailing lists; Lino explained his surprise at watching the number of people follow him on Facebook drop in real time recently after posting a status update.

Hour 2

Pass It Along... Or Else - Continuing the discussion from last hour about being on people’s mailing lists, Lino explained how he has a hard time dealing with the tons of email he gets and admitted feeling bad for deleting many of them from his inbox... specifically the prayer requests and other similar emails that get forwarded to him that sometimes have the stipulation that you forward it on to other people. Listeners called in and told Lino how they handle situations like his.
Lino’s (And Father Rob’s) Lenten Penance - For the sixth straight year, the listeners called in and posted on Facebook with suggestions for what Lino should give up/take on for Lent... and this year they did the same for Father Rob.

Hour 3

Mark Hart - Mark admitted that he’s giving up caffeine, alcohol and meat for Lent, then explained what Jesus did during his 40 days in the desert as well as what those in Old Testament signs did as a sign of penance; Lino and Father Rob threw all of the aforementioned Lenten penance suggestions at Mark to see what he thought, and through some spirited debate they finally agreed to take on the following:

Lino: No dating or flirting with women.
Father ~~Britney~~ Rob: Limit himself to a maximum of 12 texts per day.

Let’s Make A Catholic Deal - During this special Lent-themed edition, one caller won Mark Hart’s new book Holier Than Thou, another won a Sinner t-shirt, and two more came up empty handed.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Lino received lots of email from the listeners saying that they missed Father Rob’s presence during last week’s shows from Rome (and the incessant replays of them all weekend long); Lino detailed his experiences in the elevator that takes you to the Papal apartments and standing next to the papal balcony overlooking the square; next up were Lino’s experiences in the broadcast booth for both the consistory and the next day’s Mass with the new Cardinals, with Lino commenting on what the Pope and the new Cardinals may have been thinking about the latters’ roles in choosing the next Pope.
Cardinal Chat - Lino took questions from listeners about all things related to Cardinals and the consistory, with special emphasis early on about kissing a priest’s hand/ring after he acknowledged that he would refuse to kiss the Pope’s ring for fear of getting other peoples’ germs.
I’m Sorry - Lino apologized for canceling the live show last Monday because he was miserably sick... and to Father Rob for telling him while he was on the way into Manhattan to do the show. But he made up for it by reading a couple of witty Valentines of the many that listeners sent him, and Father Rob one-upped him by admitting that he went bowling on Valentime’s Day with his priest buddies.

Hour 2

Ash Wednesday - Highlights of the discussion: Father Rob pointed out that it’s NOT a Holy Day of Obligation... yet more people usually show up than on the real holy days; he also thought it was ironic that people get crosses on their foreheads on the day that the Gospel reading exhorts people to pray, fast and give alms in secret; Lino was adamant that the ash you get should be a distinct cross and not just a random smudge, but Father Rob disagreed.
You’re More Important Now - A listener emailed to ask if a Cardinal’s prayers carried more weight than those of the average person (Answer: No).

Hour 3

~~Fat~~ Big Boned Tuesday - Lino and Father Rob mused on the workings of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and highlighted the time a few years ago when the show broadcast live from a balcony overlooking the French Quarter.
Time To ~~Make~~ Eat The Donuts - Father Rob has resolved to give up sweets for Lent, so as a sort of last hurrah before tomorrow (and with he and Lino sipping on Bartles & Jaymes Strawberry Daquiri wine coolers), listeners called in with their guesses as to how many Dunkin Donuts Munchkins that Father Rob could down in three minutes. After downing 24 Munchkins followed by a wine cooler chaser, two listeners each won a Popener for guessing the closest (23) without going over.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Hour 1

Father Rob’s Righteous Anger - Father Rob was incensed because of a bad traffic report that got him stuck in a jam, as well as some people who blocked him from walking up an escalator. Lino judged both acts as sinful anger rather than righteous anger.
Morning Ass - Lino described a picture sent to him by a listener of her radio display during Morning Mass earlier yesterday... sadly, the “M” in Mass was missing. Lino expanded the subject further by saying that Catholics put up with a lot of crap left and right yet are still more faithful and resilient than people of some other faiths.
The HHS Mandate - After spending last night watching cable news to try to learn and understand more about the subject, Lino opined that commentators on both sides of the issue just seemed to be doing nothing but going at each other.

Hour 2

The HHS Mandate (continued) - Father Rob explained to a confused Lino the whole contraceptive/religious liberty issue from the ground up, including today’s so-called compromise on the issue by the Obama administration.
Catholic Guy Advice - An anonymous listener wrote that her boyfriend is being more affectionate with her during Mass (holding hands, putting his arm around her, kissing during the Sign of Peace) than she’d prefer. What should she do?

Lino’s advice: Tell this guy to knock it off and respect your point-of-view.
Father Rob’s advice: Compromise with him on what kinds of displays of affection would be allowed.

Hour 3

Recent Rediscoveries - Lino recently was flipping through his iPhone and discovered some old tracks from Blink 182, and he asked listeners to call in with things from their past that they’ve recently revisited.
The Eleventh Commandment - “Thou shalt only celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th... and even then, under protest.” Lino felt that if St. Patrick’s Day is only celebrated on March 17th and Christmas only on December 25th, we need to keep celebrations for all those attached people squarely February 14th so as not to rub it in to singles like him. Father Rob countered that it’s not always possible for couples to be able to celebrate Valentime’s Day (his pronunciation) on the 14th and that they should get some leeway.
Mail Time - Highlights included a couple of e-mails criticizing Father Rob for his enjoyment of alcoholic beverages, his immaturity, and how his behavior leads people away from the Church... and one positive email thrown in for good measure.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Right before the show began, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo poked his head in the studio and told his friend Father Rob to “start carrying your own weight” on the show, which completely bummed him out knowing that he had his idol’s disapproval; continuing the embarrassment, Father Rob had to celebrate a Funeral Mass for someone whose gender he couldn’t derive from the name... and of course he got it wrong, so midway through he attempted to make the whole funeral liturgy gender neutral.
More Info, Please - Continuing the prior discussion, Lino thought it was sad that there are so many people whose funerals are celebrated by priests that they didn’t even know, and that Father Rob should’ve done more to find out the person’s gender. Father Rob countered that it’s simply impossible for priests to get to personally know everyone they serve, and everything happened so fast that he had no real chance to figure it out.

Hour 2

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep - Lino was watching The Voice the other day and applauded the show’s concept of blind judging so that only the quality of the voice singing is important; in the same vein, Lino thought it was unfair to single out attractive priests to promote the Church because it’s the vocation that really counts.
Not Counting My Blessings - Lino found negativity in the following positive things: getting to do an exclusive one-on-one interview with Pope Benedict XVI; meeting the woman of Lino’s dreams who would love him just for who he is; Father Rob being on the show; flying First Class to/from Italy next week; selling the millionth copy of Sinner next week.
Papal Exorcism? - Lino told the story of an exorcist priest who has written a new book describing an account where two “possessed” people appeared in front of the Pope, and his blessing on them served to exorcise the demons inhabiting them. However, the Vatican has denied that this ever happened.

Hour 3

Renaming The Crystal Cathedral - Having recently closed on its purchase of the Crystal Cathedral, Bishop Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange has announced a contest to give the new Cathedral a proper name. The only catch: the name needs to focus solely on Jesus and not on any Saints, ostensibly a tip of the hat to the Protestants who are having to give up the building. Both Lino and Father Rob hated the idea, saying that sensitivity shouldn’t trump Church ideology, and listeners called in with name ideas that attempted to circumvent the rules.
Mail Time - Highlights included a nun wrote in to say how much she enjoys the show.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Lino dealt with hate mail from listeners who couldn’t understand why he was so willing to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt about his intentions in creating the HHS mandate, why he mocked Bill Donoghue for his “in the streets” comment, and why he declined an opportunity to go on network news to give his point-of-view; he also played a clip of Chris Matthews on MSNBC actually supporting the Catholic Church’s position on the mandate.
Thanks But No Thanks - On the way to lunch, Lino and Father Rob ran into someone who wanted to pitch them a radio show idea, and they asked the listeners if was better to fake interest in an uninteresting subject (what Lino did) or completely feign any interest whatsoever (what Father Rob did).

Hour 2

Thanks But No Thanks (continued) - Almost all of the callers gave Father Rob the business over his stance of not faking interest in something just to keep from upsetting someone.
Free Therapy ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday - Today’s therapy topic: Lino thought that he is only likeable/lovable based on his actions, and that he’s on the threshold of losing everyone and everybody in his life.

Hour 3

Mark Hart - Highlights: Father Rob mocked both the sheer number of books that Mark has cranked out over the years and his anti-Giants comments on the show last week; Mark compared Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen to King Xerxes and Queen Vashti in the Book of Esther, then told the story of how she got replaced as queen by Esther; he also offered the story of Herodias and how she managed to get John the Baptist killed through her daughter’s seductive dance.
Do You Watch More TV Than A Parish Priest? - A rough day for Father Rob, who tied one contestant 3-3 (which counts for a loss), and lost outright to the other one 5-3.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - With Father Rob’s voice still hoarse from the Super Bowl, he and Lino got into a spat about how and when he can take some Ricola throat lozenges; Lino described his special gift of being able to put a lozenge or mint in his mouth without anybody noticing it’s there; after watching The Bachelor last night, Lino came to the conclusion that you could not be on that show and still be a moral person; Father Rob took Lino to task for watching The Bachelor and other garbage shows while he still doles out “Father Britney” references for Father Rob’s texting habits.
Let’s Make A Catholic Deal - One contestant won a Rosary blessed by the Pope, another won a Popener, and two more walked away empty handed by answering the question wrong.

Hour 2

Constructive Criticism - Father Rob admittedly is not one who takes criticism with grace, and had a particularly hard time with a good-intentioned parishioner who felt the need to point out problems with an interactive children’s homily he gave. Lino asked the listeners to call in and tell how they deal with criticism.
Winners And Losers - Lino juxtaposed the Giants’ deserved celebration of their Super Bowl victory with the Patriots’ post Super Bowl invite-only party where two players danced with their shirts off, raising the ire of those that said they should’ve been much more subdued after losing the game. Lino didn’t see a problem with their actions, pointing out that they were simply leaving the game out on the field.

Hour 3

The HHS Contraceptive Mandate - After Father Rob explained how the Department of Health and Human Services has required all employers (including most Catholic ones) to include contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs in their healthcare plans, Lino explained why declined a chance to go on CNN tonight to talk about the mandate... citing his personality and the fact that he couldn’t take a shower this morning. He then discussed the actual issue more in depth, and talked about Catholic League president Bill Donoghue’s assertion that the issue may end up being fought “in the streets”.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts / Super Bowl - An overly-exuberant Father Rob celebrated his Giants’ victory in the Super Bowl by thoroughly and vociferously trashing the Patriots... just before Lino was going to congratulate him for showing humility and restraint; Father Rob then had his way with the callers, commiserating with his supporters and giving the business to his opponents; Lino tried (and failed) to rationalize with Father Rob that the Giants’ close victory did not mean that the Patriots are “bums”.
The Blame Game - Lino played a sound clip of Patriots QB Tom Brady’s wife, Gisele Bündchen, getting taunted by spectators at the Super Bowl, and in turn defending her husband by passing the blame on to the receivers who didn’t catch the balls that Brady threw.

Hour 2

This Or That - Scott threw out the following scenarios, and Lino and Father Rob explained the rationale behind their choices:

You’ve just thrown the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl and earned the MVP. Would you rather go to Disneyworld, or go to Rome and present the game winning ball to the Pope?
You’re an early Christian martyr about to be thrown to the lions. Would you prefer to go first and get your excruciatingly painful death over with, or have your companions go first?
You’re a rookie priest just out of seminary. Would you rather start your priesthood at an ice-bound chapel in Siberia, or in a tiny village in South America alongside the Amazon river?
Would you rather be there when Jesus was crucified, or when he appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus?
Would you rather go without your cell phone for 90 days, or spend 40 days fasting in the desert?
You’re a Cardinal participating in a Papal election. Would you rather be the Cardinal that receives the second-most votes, or the Cardinal that receives no votes at all.

Super Bowl Observations - After having sat on the couch and tweeted for most of the game, Lino formed the following observations:

Super Bowl commercials can no longer live up to the hype that we generate about them.
The NFL suits weren’t thinking straight when they chose Madonna to do the halftime show... which was proven by Madonna traipsing around with pom poms during her performance and Nicki Minaj giving everyone the middle finger.

Giving Prayer A Jumpstart - With a breakneck schedule and a lack of routine in his life, Lino felt like he was getting in a rut (again) with his relationship with God and asked Father Rob for advice on how to jumpstart his prayer life.

Hour 3

Giving Prayer A Jumpstart (continued) - The listeners jumped in with their advice on how Lino should renew his prayer life.
You Can’t Be Everywhere All The Time - Lino recapped his experience emceeing the Fabulous Fathers Priest Talent Show in Atlanta on Saturday, but felt bad that a lot of people who went just to see Lino didn’t get as much one-on-one time with him as they wanted. Father Rob and the listeners reassured him that not being able to be with every single person at the event didn’t equate to blowing them off.
Sinner Sweepstakes Promo - Your FINAL daily reminder of the contest to spend a day with Lino in NYC... today is the last day to enter!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Lino and Father Rob celebrated St. Blaise’s feast day by telling about him and how he became the patron Saint of throats; Father Rob was irritated that some of his parishioners were questioning the effectiveness of the throat blessings he was giving out, while Lino showed up fashionably late to church to get his throat blessed by Father Dave and then in turn had to bless his throat; listeners called in to give their take on the blessing of the throats.
A Kinder, Gentler Madonna? - Lino played sound clips of a press conference with Madonna that included comments about what to expect during her halftime show, the pressure she feels, and some uncharacteristically positive religious references from someone who loves to trash the Catholic Church.

Hour 2

What’s Father Rob Humming? - With the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, Father Rob turned on his iPod and hummed songs that you would hear at football games. Listeners who could guess the song he was humming won a prize based on the level of difficulty.
Intolerance Will Not Be Tolerated - Patriots QB Tom Brady made off-the-cuff remark about the poor quality of hotels in Buffalo that generated a lot of heat, and Lino commented that there are too many people out there (including Catholics) who are just waiting to be offended about something so that they can pick a fight.

Hour 3

Lino Is Sorry - Lino (and Father Rob) apologized for the following errors in judgment that occurred during the show this week:

Lino: For inferring that women he dated were forced to say “No!” to him for nefarious reasons.
Father Rob: For saying that Jesus “passed the wine around” at the Last Supper like you’d pass around a bowl of nachos.
Lino: For admitting that he prayed for the rain to stop during his Safari in South Africa... especially since the country has been suffering from a severe drought.
Lino and Father Rob: For mocking a caller who had one foot that was two sizes smaller than the other due to an accident.
Lino: For making a crude “tooting his own horn” reference after Father Rob made a genuinely nice comment to him.
Father Rob: For telling Mark Hart that he’d kill him if he rooted for the Patriots this Sunday, after Mark incited him by dissing both the Giants and turtles.
Lino and Father Rob: For making crude comments about Jesus’ admonition that we should “clothe the naked” in regards to good looking women.

Ranking Cliches - With the Super Bowl comes lots of cliches, so Lino and Father Rob invited listeners to call in with their favorite sports and/or religious cliches, and the dynamic duo numerically ranked them.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - With today being Groundhog Day, a sleepless Father Rob was astonished at 4:00am this morning when he couldn’t find the movie Groundhog Day anywhere on TV; Lino asked Father Rob to rank the movie, resulting in a lot of bickering after Father Rob said that his rating would depend on how Lino ranked it; Lino revealed that the predictions of Punxatawney Phil are really based on his handlers and not on his shadow, then told us briefly about some of the country’s other groundhogs.
Tampa Bay Timmy - Not wanting to be outdone by all of those other groundhogs, Lino then revealed the show’s own groundhog, Tampa Bay Timmy, who made predictions about various things in a muppet-style voice that kept breaking and reminded us a lot of Father Rob.
Mail Time - Letters from: a listener who said that the show pushed her into going back to Confession, a seminarian who enjoys the show and Sinner, and a listener who was confused over Lino’s use of the word “religion” as opposed to “denomination”.

Hour 2

Frank Grillo - The co-star of the recent movie The Grey stopped by to chat with Lino in a pre-taped segment. Highlights: his start in acting on Guiding Light; comparing himself to Job in the Bible; his character in The Grey and the movie itself, and the role that his faith played during the film’s making; activists who are protesting the portrayal of wolves in the movie.
Minor Confessions - Highlights included: Lino getting pranked by his friends with a fake voicemail that sounded just like Dave Letterman; Father Rob constantly switching on the seat heater of a passenger when he wasn’t looking; a mom falsely telling her kids that school was canceled.

Hour 3

Tell Me Something I Didn't Know - Scott told us about these intriguing news stories, and Lino and Father Rob commented to their hearts' content:

Gisele Bündchen sent a message to friends to pray for her husband, Patriots QB Tom Brady, in advance of the Super Bowl.
Three’s Company stars Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne Somers talk for the first time in 30 years on DeWitt’s web-based talk show.
Recent survey: 75% of mobile phone users have used their devices while on the toilet.
Donald Trump endorses Mitt Romney for president.
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson wanted to change his uniform number from “28” to “23”, but nixed his plans after discovering that he’d have to buy new uniforms out of his own pocket.

You Be The Priest - A new game where Lino threw out scenarios that a priest would encounter, and listeners decided how they would respond if they were that priest. A minimum of two out of 3 correct responses (as judged by Father Rob) merited the lucky contestants a prize of their choosing. All three of today’s contestants won, with two picking a crucifix blessed by the Pope and the third getting disconnected before being able to choose.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - With David Letterman getting ready to surpass the longevity of Johnny Carson, Lino lamented that the range of choices in late night television nowadays will never again produce someone with the staying power of Carson or Letterman, nor the shared experiences that go along with watching them; not knowing how much time Dave has left on the air, Lino resolved to start watching more of his shows on DVR.
Catholic Guy Advice - Kyle goes to a Catholic high school, and his parents force him to participate in the school’s lame campus ministry group in order to play sports. Is there a way to convince his parents that he shouldn’t have to be a part of it?

Lino’s advice: Be honest with your parents and argue your position that the group is turning you off to religion and your participation shouldn’t define your level of faith. But you should still do something at the parish level so that it doesn’t seem to your parents like it’s a complete cop out.
Father Rob’s advice: Deal with it. The kids in that group probably need someone like you to help and encourage them, and doing so would be a good lesson in fulfilling obligations.

Hour 2

The Best Of The Boss - To celebrate satellite radio’s tenth anniversary, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are performing live at the Apollo Theater in Harlem for SiriusXM subscribers. Both Lino and Father Rob agreed that Born To Run is Springsteen’s best song, but there was much disagreement between them and the listeners over what songs belonged in the top tier, and nobody agreed with Father Rob’s choice of Radio Nowhere as a top tier song. Incensed, Father Rob bet Lino $100 that Radio Nowhere would be the first song played during the concert... at which point Lino reminded Father Rob that he owed him $50 after electing not to attend this weekend’s Super Bowl.
Screw The Poor! - On CNN this morning, Mitt Romney said “I’m not concerned about the very poor, they have a safety net” when talking about his campaign’s focus on the middle class. Both Lino and Father Rob wondered if this is something that’s going to haunt his campaign once it gets twisted and taken out of its context.
Sinner Sweepstakes Promo - Your daily reminder of the contest to spend a day with Lino in NYC.

Hour 3

Mark Hart - Today’s theme: The Bible and the Super Bowl. Highlights: Mark was as surprised as anyone that Blessed Are The Bored In Spirit got translated into Czech; Father Rob nearly went postal when Mark dissed both turtles and Giants fans to his face; Mark pulled multiple stories out of the Bible in an attempt to justify why the Patriots would win over the Giants this weekend, and Father Rob countered by noting that the Giants beat the Patriots five years ago; Mark was not enthusiastic about Father Rob’s intention to audition for America’s Got Talent... but did think he’d make a good reality show contestant.
Father Rob: The Face Of The Church?? - Continuing a discussion from yesterday’s show, Lino read Facebook posts and took calls on whether Father Rob auditioning for America’s Got Talent by singing a bilingual version of La Bamba would be good or bad for the Church. After thinking about it, Lino reversed course from yesterday and said that he didn’t want Father Rob to audition because they’d just mock the priesthood instead of seeing Father Rob as a fun-loving priest.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts / The Gift Of Music - In the spirit of giving to his listeners (and prompted by his most recent Saturday Night Concert), Lino declared that he wanted to buy someone a musical instrument ($200 maximum) and let callers state their case for the grand prize; by the second call Lino was already regretting his offer, but in the end after taking a half dozen calls (and after Father Rob managed to find some deals on the Internets) Lino chose to give a violin to 7-year-old Martha (whose parents read Sinner to her at bedtime) AND a ukelele to Brad, a high school senior going into the military.

Hour 2

Tell Me Something I Didn't Know - Scott told us about these intriguing news stories, and Lino and Father Rob commented to their hearts' content:

Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara took the top spot in AskMen.com’s list of the 99 Most Desirable Women of 2012.
The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines has asked boxer Manny Pacquiao to become a “Bible Ambassador” à la Tim Tebow.
The X Factor declines to bring back host Steve Jones, judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul for next season.

Father Rob’s Got Talent - The X Factor story from the news segment led to Father Rob agreeing in principle to a challenge from Lino to audition for America’s Got Talent (since he’d have a better shot with that show), and after much consideration and input from the listeners they both agreed that Father Rob should sing La Bamba for his audition. Audition date: February 27th!
Sinner Sweepstakes Promo - Your daily reminder of the contest to spend a day with Lino in NYC.
Eye Of The Tiger Eyes Gingrich - Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is being sued by the co-writer of the song Eye Of The Tiger for using the song at campaign rallies in supposed violation of copyright laws.

Hour 3

Interviews With The Saints - Lino paid a visit to heaven and conducted “interviews” with several Saints (who mysteriously all sounded a lot like Father Rob). The interviewees were: St. Isaac Jogges, St. John Bosco, and St. Cecilia.
Super Bowl Trash Talk - After much consideration, Father Rob declined the offer from a friend of his to see his New York Giants in the Super Bowl because a) it just didn’t work out logistically and b) he didn’t want to risk seeing the Giants lose in person. Lino then enraged Father Rob by declaring his loyalty to the Patriots because QB Tom Brady is Catholic, launching a war of words between them and the listeners as to which team was the more Catholic of the two.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Considering his dark Italian complexion, Lino was surprised that he got sunburned while in Africa... which explained the ugly hat he was modeling earlier in the week and the skin now peeling off his arms; Lino admitted embarrassment and weakness in trying to hide his sunburn from the listeners by wearing the hat and peeling his skin prematurely; in the same vein, Lino was seriously looking at products to color the grey out of his beard and wondered aloud why he cares so much.
You’ve Got Hate Mail! - In the spirit of trying to be more open with the listeners, Lino read numerous venom-filled emails and took several calls critical of him, Father Rob, and the show.

Hour 2

You’ve Got Hate Mail! (Continued) - More emails, more calls.
Considering Catholicism - On to more serious email, a listener wrote in saying that he’s sending his kids to Catholic school, but didn’t know if joining the Church was the right thing for them because of the formality of it all. That led to discussion about the long process it takes to join the Catholic Church vs. the simple profession of faith that’s needed in many Protestant churches, and Father Rob advised him to just find a parish and have a discussion with a priest about his concerns.
The Eleventh Commandment - “Thou shalt not be considered lazy for choosing texting over telephoning.” Texter extraordinaire Father ~~Britney~~ Rob explained that texting is convenient and permits simultaneous conversations, and Lino agreed by reiterating that it’s just easier and more time efficient in certain situations.

Hour 3

Saturday Night Concert - After a long preamble where he explained his on again/off again relationship with playing piano, Lino favored the listeners with the audio of his most recent Saturday Night concert, where he played Clocks by Coldplay on the piano after giving himself only 24 hours to learn it with no sheet music. He then took calls from listeners about the things that they were recently inspired to do.
Random Thankfulness - Callers gave thanks for random things and happenings in their lives.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Lino was surprised to learn today that Father Rob can hablan Español to a certain extent, and wondered how he dealt with confessions where he doesn’t quite understand what the confessor is saying; Lino then invited listeners to call in and converse with Father Rob in Spanish to test his linguistic abilities.
Homily On The Spot - In an interesting continuation of the prior segment, Lino read Scripture passages to Father Rob in Spanish, and he in turn had to translate them before formulating and delivering a homily on them in English.
Things That Drive You Crazy At Mass - Both Lino and Father Rob highlighted applause during Mass as things that neither of them can stand.

Hour 2

Things That Drive You Crazy At Mass (continued) - Highlights included: a cellphone that went off with Baby Got Back as the ringtone; two old ladies delivering in-Mass commentary for all to hear; off-key parishioners who really belt it out; kneelers slamming down before the consecration; people who say Mass parts either too fast or too slow; people who hug the aisles and won’t move to the middle.
Tales From Africa - Lino gave us more highlights from his safari, including: waking up to an animal staring at him through his hotel room’s window; praying for the return of good weather when torrential rains canceled the third day of his safari and left him with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

Hour 3

The God’s Honest Truth - Lino gave callers a Catholic-related statement, and the caller had to determine if it was a lie or the God’s Honest Truth. One contestant went 2-for-5 and won a St. Anthony of Padua prayer card, while two others went 3-for-5 and won a Sinner t-shirt. A fourth contestant stopped after going 1-for-2 because she didn’t want to give up the Blessed John Paul II medal she had earned.
Sinner Sweepstakes Promo - Your daily reminder of the contest to spend a day with Lino in NYC.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Father Rob explained how stomach issues yesterday led to vomiting, which in turn led to yesterday’s show getting canceled; it also led to lots of hate mail, prompting Lino to explain why the show couldn’t go on without Father Rob; yesterday was Mama Rulli’s birthday, and Lino explained how a surprise trip home on this day last year turned into a four-day ordeal b/c of a snowstorm... and how he decided to put job over family this year, only to have Father Rob spoil the day.
Honor Thy Mother - Lino’s Mom specifically told her son not to come visit her or get her a gift for her birthday this year, and he asked callers if going against her wishes and getting her a gift he’d know she’d like would be tantamount to dishonoring her. At the end of the segment, Lino revealed that he sent her a lovely bouquet of flowers and a balloon... and received a nice “thank you” from her in return.
Sinner Sweepstakes - Reannouncement of the “Saints, Sinners, and Salami” contest that was first announced on Monday... this time with the sad admission that residents of five states, a bunch of U.S. territories, and Canada need not apply.

Hour 2

Spiritual Direction With Father Rob - In an effort to illustrate to the listeners how spiritual direction works, Lino launched this new segment where he pretended to be several different people (famous and not so famous) with various problems or issues, and Father Rob proceeded to give them spiritual advice. Subjects included a girl addicted to Chicken McNuggets, Seal (recently separated from Heidi Klum), and a Connecticut mayor who referred to Latinos in an offensive way.
Mass Embarassment - At Mass this morning, Father Rob fell on his backside after slipping on a tile floor while wearing leather-soled shoes. That was followed up by listeners calling in with their tales of mishaps at Mass... which ended up making Father Rob feel a lot better about himself.

Hour 3

Tales From Africa - Lino described his first day on safari. Highlights: the armed guards escorting him to/from his hotel room for safety; his excitedness at seeing animals in their native environment, particularly watching elephants for hours while reflecting on God’s creation; Father Rob declaring that humans are not related to each other (see note below); Lino explaining how he got within five feet of a lion but was not seen as a threat because he was in a vehicle; enjoying a Captain Morgan and Coke while in the bush
Lino & Father Rob: Kissin’ Cousins? - During the Africa segment, Lino described seeing two lions that the tracker said were brothers. Not understanding how the tracker knew this relation for sure, Father Rob eventually declared that he had no understanding of how any two humans are related to each other because he believed that humans “lose their relation after a few generations”. Lino and the callers had an absolute field day mocking Father Rob for his uninformed opinion, with Lino pointing out that all humans can trace their lineage back to Eve.
Mail Time - Highlights: A listener wondered why Lino constantly disparages Protestant churches (Answer: it’s not a disparagement, but Protestants are latecomers to Christianity); a Jewish listener appreciated how listening to the show helps his relationship with this wife grow... resulting in an off-color comment from Father Rob.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

NO SHOW (Father Rob sick)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Father Rob described the Mass travel kit that he took on his trip to Vegas and how he celebrated daily Mass in his hotel room; he also attended Mass at a local church while he was there and described (and criticized) how it felt sitting in the pew from a priest’s point-of-view; Lino adamantly suggested that every priest from the Pope on down needs to sit with the congregation from time to time to understand what we lay people experience every week.
Creed-ly Challenged - Father Rob described during the last segment how he was one of the rare people who knew all the words at Mass without having to refer to a pew card, and after a little tit-for-tat he challenged Lino to recite the entire Nicene Creed (the new version) from memory during the break... which he did. Lino then threw the phone lines open to get a feel for how well (or not so well) the new translation was going amongst his listeners... and the reports weren’t pretty.

Hour 2

Hideous or Haute Couture? - Lino posted a photo of himself on Facebook sporting a new beard and a new hat, and the listeners responded with mixed results. Father Rob was especially indignant about the beard, which led to talk about how good of a friend each was to the other.
Free Therapy Tuesday - Lino relaunched this long-dormant segment by announcing that he’s started seeing a female therapist whose details we’ll learn at another time. He did this to try to answer the big question “Who is the real Lino Rulli?”, and asked the listeners if his new jaunt through therapy would truly help him.
A Giant Decision - After yesterday’s discussion about whether Father Rob should go see his Giants in the Super Bowl, Father Rob revealed that he’s leaning 70/30 toward NOT going but has not made a final decision yet. Lino then made a $50 bet with Father Rob that he wouldn’t go to the Super Bowl... and Father Rob took him up on it.

Hour 3

Catholic Guy Advice - “Timmy” wrote that his parish’s new priest, fresh from seminary, has made several unwelcome changes to the Mass... including sitting for the Creed and not kneeling at any time during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. What should he do?

Father Rob’s advice: Go up to him and ~~tell it like it is~~ innocently ask him why there’s a need for these changes after having celebrated Mass the old way for decades. But DON’T just go and write to the priest’s bishop without confronting him in person first.
Lino’s advice: Don’t say anything and find a different parish. It’s hard to believe that this guy has been living in a vacuum during his time in the seminary, so asking him about the changes is not likely to change his mind.

Tales From Africa - After failing to understand Father Rob’s desire never to live anywhere else but Queens, Lino recounted his journey to South Africa last week. Highlights included the 15-hour plane ride to get there (and Father Rob’s complete lack of geographical knowledge), and Lino’s lack of culture shock upon his arrival... to the point that he ordered a pizza at his hotel and his driver declared himself a Howard Stern fan.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Lino marveled that he survived his African safari intact and that many people prayed for safe travels... but was royally ticked that Father Rob wasn’t among those offering prayers; Lino described his routine of touching his San Damiano cross and his JPII relic before and a trip, but Father Rob labeled it superstitious nonsense and got defensive when Lino criticized his prayer habits and seeming lack of concern for Lino on his trip; Lino explained that his lack of Tweets over the trip was due to a lack of phone service on which to Tweet them.
Is Lino Going To Hell? - Lino’s travel to South Africa lasted from 10:00am Saturday morning to 7:00pm Sunday night, making it impossible for him to go to Mass that weekend. Lino felt that the length of the trip gave him a loophole out of his Sunday obligation... but Father Rob (and the callers) disagreed, arguing that because he had planned his trip that way, he was ultimately responsible for finding a way to attend Mass that weekend and understanding the consequences if he couldn’t.

Hour 2

And The Rockets’ Red Glare... - Lino spent a few minutes mocking Steven Tyler’s singing of the National Anthem at yesterday’s Ravens-Patriots game, then played Carl Lewis’ infamous version just to show how much worse it could’ve been.
See... Prayer Really Does Work! - Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks led his fellow receivers in prayer before yesterday’s game, predicting that said prayer would result in teammate Mario Manningham scoring the game-winning touchdown... which he did. Lino and Father Rob admired the prayer part... but the prediction part, not so much.
A Giant Dilemna - Taking the floor, Father Rob waxed eloquent over his team’s fortuitous journey to the Super Bowl, resulting in a $100 bet between him and Lino over who would win. He also revealed that he has a ticket to the Super Bowl, but was unsure if he should go because he was scared he’d lose his mind and be stuck in misery in Indianapolis if the Giants lost. Lino was adamant that he should not only go, but wear his roman collar to the game... and that made Father Rob even more nervous.

Hour 3

A Footballing Bird Of Paradise - Spanish soccer player Lionel Messi scored three goals in the match he played yesterday... and Lino played the audio of play-by-play announcer Ray Hudson going berserk after the third goal. Of his many memorable quotes, the last one was the golden one, declaring that he’s “running like he’s got a food mixer down his shorts!”
Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus - Lino and Father Rob played the viral YouTube video that decries organized religion, and broke down phrase-by-phrase where the author went wrong in his thinking.
Saints, Sinners, and Salami - In conjunction with his publisher, Lino announced a contest where the grand prize winner will be flown to NYC to spend the day with Lino on a tour of the city’s religious sites and urine-filled streets.
You’ve Got To Know When To Fold ‘Em - Father Rob revealed to Father Dave (and us) that he was up $2-3k in Vegas before losing all of that plus a lot of his own money.

Monday, January 16 — Friday, January 20, 2012

NO SHOW (Lino in South Africa on safari; Father Rob in Las Vegas losing $$$)

Friday, January 13, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - On the eve of his trip to Africa, Lino was wary of catching anything from Father Jim or the already-absent Father Rob that would make him sick; having gone to Confession earlier today, Lino mused that the percentage of listeners (and Catholics in general) who go as well is likely pretty low, and asked the callers to weigh in with their estimates.
Lino Is Sorry - After briefly recounting his time in the confessional today, Lino apologized to the following people who were offended by things Lino did and left voicemails or emails to complain:

To a woman who was offended by Lino’s impression of Benedict XVI and his insinuation that having Mark Wahlberg on the show would bring more listeners than the Pope.
To a woman who hated the show’s witty banter and background music, and felt that the show wasn’t nurturing her faith.
To a man who was so offended that Lino called for a “bible burning” for those non-Catholic Bibles he was giving away that he was reconsidering his conversion to Catholicism.

Hour 2

Mama Rulli - In honor of her son leaving for safari, she called in to chat. After getting chastised by Lino for not being able to open her son’s trip itinerary b/c she doesn’t have Microsoft Word on her computer, Lino’s mom hosted a special African-themed version of Answer The Question, which Father Jim won 7-5.
What's Up With That? - Lino read these news summaries that made him and Father Jim scratch their heads a bit:

Starbucks has launched a new “blonde” coffee for non-coffee drinkers, and will write up their baristas for telling “blonde” jokes that mock the name.
A Chicago Blackhawks fan who was interviewed on TV by reporter Sarah Kustok after a “shoot the puck” contest turned creepy upon professing his love for her and commenting on how beautiful she is at the end of the interview.
Newt Gingrich puts out an anti-Romney commercial that compares him to other “liberal” politicians that came from Massachusetts... then criticizes him for his ability to speak French.
A columnist in The New York Times argued that the wives of those priests coming into the Church from the Anglican Communion can expect to be viewed through the lens of 11th Century church tradition as “furious vipers” and “the devil’s choice tidbits”.

Hour 3

The Devil’s Choice Tidbits? - In light of the news article that he just read, Lino questioned how The New York Times could assume that the Church’s views of priests’ wives in the 11th Century mirror those of today.
Superstitions - In light of today being Friday the 13th, Lino asked the listeners to call in with their superstitious practices as Stevie Wonder’s Very Superstitious played in the background.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Lino labeled Father Dave the “grandfather” of the channel because he’s been around the longest... and because he left his personal Facebook account open; Father Rob resolved to have a little fun with his account throughout the show, and ended up making.
School Daze - After a rambling preamble by both hosts, Father Rob explained how he’s going to soon catch hell for adding 50 minutes on to the school day at his parish school starting next year.
The People’s Choice Awards - For lack of anything better to watch, Lino took in last night’s People’s Choice Awards and mocked the proceedings where he saw fit. That led to...

Hour 2

The Catholic People’s Choice Awards - Lino threw open these categories, and the listeners nominated their favorites for Lino and Father Rob to choose a winner from. And the winners were:

Favorite Saint (male): Padre Pio
Favorite Saint (female): St. Monica
Favorite martyrdom: St. Lawrence, who was burned alive and humorously asked his torturers to turn him over after he was done on one side.

Hour 3

The Eleventh Commandment - “Thou shalt not feel obligated to say ‘good-bye’ to anyone at a party or an event.” Father Rob believed that you shouldn’t have to spend an hour telling everyone you’re leaving after you’ve already spent at least as much time saying “hello” to everyone. Lino countered by asking Father Rob if he thought it was okay for parishioners to leave Mass early.
Stop The Music - Lino told the story of how a continuously-ringing cellphone at last night’s New York Philharmonic concert forced the conductor to stop the performance until the ringing stopped. Given the number of cell phones that have gone off during Masses he’s celebrated, Father Rob thought that the conductor should’ve pressed on through the ringing.
Aftermath Of A Hijacking - Father Dave came in to promote The Busted Halo Show... and to tell how he got texted in the middle of a meeting with the news that Father Rob had hijacked his Facebook account earlier in the show.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - With his African safari looming, Lino went out last night and bought himself some customary safari-going clothes while still feeling nervous about the trip; Lino promised to do a hard-core confession this weekend as Father Rob predicted that bits and pieces of Lino would be spread throughout Africa by some wild animal.
Patron Saints - With the talk of Lino’s demise still fresh, he and Father Rob asked the listeners what they should be the Patron Saints of if/when they get declared a Saint by the Church.

Hour 2

Mark Hart - Highlights included: Lino took Mark to task for his tweet that he and his wife were going to “celebrate the Sacrament” on a date, and Mark replied that he doesn’t take dating advice from “a celibate and a due that hasn’t had a date in a few weeks”; Mark explained that the Book of Revelation contains much more than talk about the end-times, and doesn’t predict the end like Harold Camping or the Mayan calendar; he also explained that the Jews of Jesus’ time had festivals in lieu of New Year’s parties or resolutions, and asked Lino (tongue-in-cheek) if Mark Wahlberg was the real deal or just an act.
The God’s Honest Truth - A new fact-or-fiction game where Lino gives the caller a statement and the caller has to determine if it’s a lie or the God’s Honest Truth. A minimum of three correct answers out of five was needed for a prize; the first contestant went 5-for-5 and netted a rosary blessed by the Pope, but the other went 2-for-5 and got a prayer card as a consolation prize.

Hour 3

Tell Me Something I Didn't Know - Scott told us about these intriguing news stories, and Lino and Father Rob commented to their hearts' content:

Ashton Kutcher and CBS both want to continue with Two And A Half Men after this season.
Mitt Romney wins the New Hampshire Republican primary; Catholic candidate Rick Santorum captured only 8% of the Catholic vote.
Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This led to protracted discussion by Father Rob on his need for a chocolate version of the Twinkie.
Officials are praising a TSA screener who turned in $5,000 in cash that he found on the floor at Newark Airport.
Kate Middleton celebrates her 30th birthday.

The Pope's General Audience - Utilizing his typically mind-numbing pope impression, Lino read Benedict XVI's reflection on Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper from earlier today.
Lino's General Audience - Today's topic: TV commercials. Lino explained why he likes the GEICO commercial with the little piggy going “wheeee” (b/c it’s cute) but detests the Citibank commercial with the mountain climbers (b/c of his fear of heights), and through extension implied that there’s both good and bad in all of us.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Basking in the afterglow of yesterday’s Mark Wahlberg interview, Lino declared it the first A-list interview in the show’s history... and the massive listener response lent credence to that statement; both he and Father Rob noted how Wahlberg is a faithful Catholic but not an overly-faithful one, as evidenced by his interview on the CBS Early Show this morning; as if one A-lister weren’t enough, “Pope Benedict XVI” (sounding mysteriously like Lino) came in the studio and sat down for a chat; Lino played the “Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals” skit from SNL to understand why listeners asked Lino to “say hi to his mother for me”.
Lino’s Casting Couch - Crew and listeners cast their favorite stars to play the roles of Daniel and King Belshazzar for the story where Daniel interprets the writing from the fingers of a hand... writing that predicts death for Belshazzar that very night (from Daniel 5).

Hour 2

Tell Me Something I Didn't Know - Scott told us about these intriguing news stories, and Lino and Father Rob commented to their hearts' content:

Lindsay Lohan to play Elizabeth Taylor in an upcoming TV movie.
Snoop Dogg facing minor drug charges in Texas after border agents find joints on his tour bus.
Alabama beat LSU 21-0 to win the BCS National Championship.
New Apple CEO Tim Cook earned $378 million in compensation last year.
Beyonce and Jay-Z are new parents of a baby girl: Blue Ivy.

Tim Tebow, Anti-Catholic? - A number of listeners pointed out to Lino that Tim’s father, Bob Tebow, runs a ministry that attempts to convert Filipinos (who are predominantly Catholic) to evangelical Christianity, and claims that 86% of Filipinos “have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ”. Despite this, Lino said that he’d still root for Tebow because of his outward expression of his faith, and that it’s the fault of the Church if we’re not catechizing people well enough to defend their faith.

Hour 3

Catholic Guy Advice - After a lengthy argument between Lino and Father Rob over the effectiveness of Lino’s advice, a listener wrote in asking if she should break up with her boyfriend of two years, who she loves very much but who is seriously considering entering the seminary.

Lino’s advice: Dump him. If he’s actively talking to the seminary people about it, you need to get out of his way so that he can clearly discern his vocation. (Almost all of the callers agreed with Lino.)
Father Rob’s advice: Stay with him for now. His discernment still seems preliminary right now, and you can break up with him if/when it looks like things are getting more serious. (Later he revealed that he in fact strung his on again/off again girlfriend along until committing to the seminary... and she wasn’t happy about the end result.)

Monday, January 9, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - After yesterday's performance in the Broncos game, Lino thought that Tim Tebow has hit a peak and would be going downhill from here because expectations will be too high for him now.
Minor Confessions - Highlights included: Father Rob sabotaging a jukebox to play lousy music; Scott putting a friend's stereo on a continuous loop playing Love Shack during winter break... which led to said stereo's destruction at the hands of another student who couldn't stand it anymore; prank-calling a friend two days before his wedding saying that the ceremony would have to be moved to the church parking lot.

Hour 2

Giant-Sized Ego - As Lino helplessly stood by, Father Rob engaged in a trash talk tirade about his beloved Giants win over the Atlanta Falcons yesterday. Then Lino jumped into the fray and berated Father Rob when he 1) said that he played a collective part in their win, and 2) admitted rearranging his Mass schedule so that he could watch the game... but the callers jumped to Father Rob's defense on the latter charge.
Mail Time... NOT! - Lino tried to read some listener emails, but Father Rob instead decided to engage in a pointless game of semantics with Lino about 1) properly referencing his website, and 2) declaring that he can be envious of other people but not jealous.

Hour 3

This Or That? - Amidst a flurry of technical errors and weird voicing choices, Scott threw out the following scenarios, and Lino and Father Rob explained the rationale behind their choices:

Would you rather be the personal assistant for John the Beloved Disciple or St. Peter?
You’re going to Confession for the first time in ten years. Would you rather have it heard by Padre Pio (who can see into your very soul) or by your local parish priest?
Would you rather have the personal email address of the Pope or the President of the United States?
You are an aspiring musician. Would you rather be a one-hit wonder or have a career singing only religious-themed music?
You are a practicing Catholic with $100k in the bank, but you’ve been given six weeks to live. Do you spend the time in fervent prayer, penance and almsgiving; or do you spend all the money on yourself, going to places you’ve always wanted to go to and doing the things you’ve always wanted to do?
Would you rather live to be 950 years old like Noah, or die at the age of 12... knowing that you’ll go straight to heaven? (Lino and Father Rob hated the question so much that they pretended it was never read and went on to the next one.)
Would you rather sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, or read the first reading at a Papal Mass?

Mark Wahlberg - The actor and devout Catholic stopped by the studio earlier in the day to chat for a few minutes. Highlights included: the release of his new movie Contraband; balancing work, family, and prayer life; being a good model of the faith for his kids, and how Tim Tebow is in turn a model of faith for him. Afterwards Lino, Father Rob, and the callers spoke fondly of the “cool guy who’s Catholic”.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - To commemorate the Epiphany and the gifts of the three wisemen, Lino and Father Rob gave away a stack of American Patriot Bibles (the non-Catholic NKJV translation) that they received unsolicited to the first 20 people who called... lest they be destined for a good ol' fashioned Bible burning.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan - In the middle of the Bible giveaway, the good Archbishop called in to shoot the breeze with Lino and Father Rob about his promotion earlier today to the College of Cardinals.
John Ulsh - The motivational speaker and listener of the show told the story of how he was paralyzed after a car accident and spent the next four years regaining the full use of his legs. He also went on the pilgrimage to Greece last summer... and was the one who both rescued Father Rob from his near drowning experience and created the plan for him to get in better shape.

Hour 2

John Ulsh (continued) - Lino and Father Rob reflected on John's involvment in their plans to get into better physical shape, and how things may have turned out very differently if John hadn't been selected to go on the pilgrimage.
So Long, Man Friend - Father Rob lamented the loss of his lifelong friend Chris who moved to Los Angeles today for a job opportunity and may never return to New York... and Lino wasted no opportunity to sneer and snicker at Father Rob over his uncharacteristically emotional reaction. After even more ribbing by the listeners, Chris himself called in... and he never listens to the show.
Cardinal Chatter - In light of Archbishop Dolan's elevation to the College of Cardinals, Lino and Father Rob talked about the appointment and what it means for him.

Hour 3

Answer The Question - In today's Epiphany/Christmas-themed installment, one listener won a Popener and two more won a San Damiano Cross.
More Cardinal Chatter - A brief reminder by Lino of Archbishop Dolan's elevation to the College of Cardinals earlier today, followed by some witty banter with Father Dave about the same.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - During the cold days of winter, Lino loves to see the commitment of smokers braving the elements for a puff... yet wondered if he would be as committed to Mass if it were held outside.
Mmmm, McNuggets - Father Rob's months-long commitment to losing weight was sorely tempted for the first time today when he spied a bag of McDonalds brought into the office by Scott, and he was worried that giving in to his cravings (even just once) would be cheating and would cause him to fall back into his old habits.

Hour 2

The Li-nie Awards - Lino and Father Rob (and eventually Scott) voted to bestow the following awards to commercials heard on The Catholic Channel:

A question nobody was asking until this commercial brought it up:

WINNER — Life, Love, & Health: "Is it better to repair or replace a damaged hip?"
RUNNER-UP #1 — Life, Love, & Health: "What if you couldn't tell the difference between reality and reality TV?"
RUNNER-UP #2 — One Minute Monk: "How could we ever think a person wasn't worthy of living?"

Longest pause:

WINNER — Sharing The Word: A whopping 7-second pause right after the introduction.
RUNNER-UP — Salt + Light Radio promo: an even heftier 9-second pause before the first word is even uttered.

Commercial that begs the question "Why are you wasting my time with this?":

WINNER — A Catholic Viewpoint: The St. Dennis men's ministry of middle-aged guys in Hopewell Junction, NY does all sorts of stuff nobody else really cares to hear about.
RUNNER-UP — Perpetual Motivation: The narrator describes how he accidentally punched himself in the nose and broke it... and then talks about being too prideful.

Commercial that best sums up Lino's feelings toward commercials:

WINNER — Perpetual Motivation: "Other people will not always see eye-to-eye with us..."
RUNNER-UP — One Minute Monk: "We all have someone who drives us crazy."

Honorable mentions in a class by themselves:

The Prairie Home Companion promo that often plays at the top of the hour.
The "Bob & Steve" spots promoting The Catholic Channel website.

Bishop Babydaddy - Los Angeles auxiliary bishop Gabino Zavala resigned this week after admitting that he fathered two teenage girls that live with their mother in another state. That brought up the big question (once again) of priestly celibacy, and Lino asked both why he didn't resign earlier and how the Church goes on from here.

Hour 3

Praying Through Guilt - Continuing yesterday's debacle of Lino offering to help someone and getting an avalanche or responses, both Lino and Father Rob talked of the guilt felt my not being able to address every prayer attention they get, and wondered when it was appropriate to remove someone from their list of prayer intentions.
Pilgrimage Babies - Lino was happy to announce that two couples who went on previous pilgrimages used their free time on the trips... um, wisely. :) The result: one baby born, another on the way.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Considering the razor-thin margin in last night's Iowa caucuses, Lino detested the thought that eight random people could somehow affect his life; debate broke out over whether there are two or three Sacraments that leave an indelible mark on the soul; Lino noted that much of Santorum's support came from evangelicals, which is a far cry from the days of JFK running for president amidst anti-Catholic sentiment.
The Eleventh Commandment - "Thou shalt never feel obligated to give up a seat to a woman." As Frank Sinatra sang The Lady Is A Tramp underneath, Father Rob explained why equality between men and women should trump any outdated notions of chivalry. Lino (and several callers) disagreed, claiming that "equality" does not mean "sameness".

Hour 2

Do Unto Others - Inspired by a scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Lino got the idea yesterday that he should start doing nice things for other people once a week out of the goodness of his heart. Unfortunately he asked his fans on Facebook for advice on what he should do, and the avalanche of responses (many of them genuine) left him clueless as to what to do.
I Prefer A Turkish Prison - Father Rob told the story of a guy from Sicily who stabbed another guy and was sentenced to live in a monastery, only to escape twice and beg to be sent to prison because he couldn't hack the monastic life anymore. He then shocked Lino by stating that he'd choose prison over monasticism as well.

Hour 3

What's Father Rob Humming? - In honor of the Iowa caucuses, Father Rob turned on his iPod and hummed songs with a U.S. state in the title. Listeners who could guess the song he was humming won a prize based on the level of difficulty. The highlight: a version of Georgia On My Mind that would make Ray Charles roll over in his grave.
Mail Time - Multiple laudatory emails, including one from a priest who is a moral theologian at a seminary, and another from a 15-year-old who has discerned a vocation to the priesthood since he was eight.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Hour 1

Opening Thoughts - Father Rob has a propensity to yell and scream during New Year's parties and Giants games... which explained why his voice took a beating this weekend; Lino prefers to internalize his excitement and took exception to Father Rob's loud ways, then questioned if Catholics should be as outwardly excited about their faith as Father Rob is about a football game.
Excitement: A Balancing Act - Lino pushed Father Rob a little further on the topic, and he admitted that the nature of parties and sports events is more conducive to yelling than the celebration of Mass or a Sacrament... and most callers tended to agree that church-related activities deserved more reverence. Side note: Pat from Atlanta trash-talked Father Rob into making a $25 bet on this Sunday's Falcons-Giants game.

Hour 2

Desireful Results - Father Rob admitted that his Christmas and New Year's would've been ruined if the Giants had lost to the Jets and the Cowboys (and fortunately they didn't). That led Lino to question why he allows the successes or failures of other people to affect his life so much and get between him and God.
Solemnity Of Mary, Mother Of God - This Holy Day of Obligation was well attended this year because it fell on a Sunday. Lino, who normally sneers at vigil Masses because people often use it to "get church out of the way", turned tables and supported it in the case of New Year's so that people aren't tempted to blow off Mass on January 1st after partying and drinking the night away.

Hour 3

Lino's Most Grevious Fault - After lamenting the large number of people at Masses he's attended who continue to stick to the old translation like glue, Lino admitted that doesn't feel comfortable striking his breast during the Confiteor because it doesn't come naturally to him. Father Rob countered that it's just something that he's going to have to learn... just like he learned the Sign of the Cross when he was little.
New Year's Eve Recap - Lino ended up going to his buddy Jim's place to ring in the New Year, and it turned out to be perfect: four beers, pizza, and non-stop mocking of the New Year's specials on TV. He also described calling his Mom at 1:00am to wish her a happy new year while walking through a desolate Times Square... and Father Rob all but called him a 40-year-old single loser for doing so.