There was a request for comments about the weekly format. I would say whatever works best for the producers. Do you read the hours all at once or do you say them day by day? If it doesn’t bother you to be a week ahead; cool.

In response to Cathy you state:

“However, incense, holy water at the door, kneeling, and such do not make us Catholic nor do they define our relationship to God.”

That is watered version of the Sacramentals. The truth about the Sacramentals is explained in the Catechism:

“1667 “Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.”

…

1677 Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life.

1678 Among the sacramentals blessings occupy an important place. They include both praise of God for his works and gifts, and the Church’s intercession for men that they may be able to use God’s gifts according to the spirit of the Gospel.

1679 In addition to the liturgy, Christian life is nourished by various forms of popular piety, rooted in the different cultures. While carefully clarifying them in the light of faith, the Church fosters the forms of popular piety that express an evangelical instinct and a human wisdom and that enrich Christian life.

So while it may be true that the Sacramentals do not “make” us Catholic, they in fact nourish our faith. They help us express our Catholic faith.

To Kathy, I highly recommend that you obtain a copy of “The Lamb’s Supper” by Dr. Scott Hahn. Also, you may want to visit Catholic Answers at http://www.catholic.com and join their forums as there are many individuals that can provide the answers you seek. Finally I also recommend EWTN as another awesome source for all things Catholic.

Peace.

We really appreciate critical feedback such as yours, so thank you.

This podcast is the first series of podcasts and is targeted at people going through the catechumenate process. So, in fact, I can understand how you might feel like you are evesdropping. Many thousands of people go through the catechumenate process, its called RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults), and it is the needs of these people that we are addressing in this podcast series.

We have several more podcast formats planned, one of which, will be to cover more basic material. However, incense, holy water at the door, kneeling, and such do not make us Catholic nor do they define our relationship to God. It is our relationship with God and our communion with others that define us as Catholics so when we produce this basic series of podcasts you may not see so much the “mechanics” of being a Catholic, but rather the heart and mind of a Catholic. I hope you will come back to us and see if there is something for you or better yet, find a parish in your area and discuss such matters with the RCIA folks or a priest.

I hope you will write again and let us know what you find that addresses what you are looking forward to and thanks again for the courage to be critical.