Daily Breakfast #255
Today: a report from California: Run for Vocations in the LA Marathon; Verbum Domini joins the SQPN family; Catholic rituals on Ash Wednesday and during Lent: external signs of an internal journey; scary moments on my doorstep: why I didn’t sleep well last night.
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Hi Father Roderick!
I’m so glad that you stopped the intro music. I am one of those people who would fast-forward past it
I look forward to your podcasts because I always learn something new about our faith. Thank you for your interesting insights into the history and meaning behind Ash Wednesday!
Father,
I am relieved that you are safe! Your guardian angel must be very vigilant.
In 12-step programs (like Alcoholics Anonymous), there is a concept called “hitting bottom.” People do not try to get real help until they come to see how bad their situation truly is. (Or in more Catholic terms, we cannot repent until we know we need conversion.)
So even though it does not seem kind to call the police to take away a violent person, it really might be the most kind thing. He will understand better that he is in trouble if people in uniform tell him that!
I am one who normally would fast forward through the song as well. There have been a few that I really liked, but I would say more than 90% were songs that left no impression on me at all. It seems like one of the necessary disadvantages of the internet “democratizing” music is that there are fewer filters to separate the really good or appealing from the less so. I am not trying to belittle your musical sensitivities… just an observation that commercial music does have a greater chance of being liked (or at least recognized) by more people.
Anyway, music was not one of the reasons I listen. That said, I saved the podcasts with the IKEA song. I also remember one about Batman.
I read an article about a woman named Ginger Ford who helps the homeless in Baton Rouge.
She is a petite woman who goes three times per week to distribute food and other necessities to the homeless on the streets. She meets them in a designated parking lot.
She says one third of the homeless are chemically dependant, one third are chronically mentally ill, and the other third are the working homeless.
She says not to confuse panhandlers with the homeless, and that you have to be very careful if you are going to deal with the homeless. You have to be trained to help them in a safe way. This discernment is a skill, she says, that takes a long time to acquire. Ginger has been doing the outreach program through the YMCA for 7 years, but she has been working with the homeless for much longer.
Perhaps it would be good to talk about your experience with some of the counselors who work with the homeless in the agencies in your parish. I hope this helps you to feel better about your bad experience today, and perhaps you could turn it into a blessing if you offer this encounter up to Jesus for Ash Wednesday.
Love in Christ,
Christina Navarro
Hi Fr. Roderick,
I, for one, am sad that the song had to go. I understand the economy that factored into your decision, but just think of the total time it would take for each of your interested listeners to go to PodSafe ourselves and search out a good song. I think that usually I was very much in tune with your taste in music and I also appreciated how you found songs that fit into the themes of your show. Perhaps you could manage a song once a week (in exchange for taking a one-day break from some other segment)? If not, I’ll always be one to think back at the “early days” of DB, saying to myself, “Remember when Fr. Roderick would share a cool song with us?”
Thanks for a great podcast!
Mike Russo
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
I probably skipped the song about a third of the time but it depended on the music. I would listen for the first 20 seconds and then decide…
My concern is for *new* listeners: I think this is a great way for them to see you as an “approachable” podcasting priest!
Perhaps you should do it when the mood strikes you. Also, is there a volunteer who could find songs for you?
Prayers with you re: mentally ill person who came to your door. I know of many priests who have dealt with this. It’s very difficult to know since many folks feel they can approach you, as a priest, for help.
Thanks for your honesty!
I always listened to the song. I looked forward to seeing if Fr. Roderick discovered a new artist for my liking. Oh well — I understand the reasoning, though. How about a song on Fridays, to cap off the week?
Hi Fr Roderick
You sounded remarkably calm considering the awful doorstep ‘visitor’. Please don’t beat yourself up about it, you did exactly the right thing. Here in England in the past year we have a few incidences similar to that which you described and which ended in tragedy. Sometimes you have to go with your gut instinct even though you tell yourself to love thy neighbour.
Stay safe.
Dear Father,
Thank you so much for the last 2 shows – specially the “peculiar bunch” segments. You gave very clear and interesting explanations! I think they were two of your best shows ever!
I haven’t noticed the songs are gone – to tell the truth I always skipped them because I listen to the podcasts in the subway going to work and wanted to go straight to the point, since I have limited “ear” time
It is great to have Verbum Domini joining SQPN.
Let’s pray for the person that came to your door – I relate to situations I faced in the past and I could not stop thinking on the Gospel from last Sunday – very difficult to know how to apply those words in our daily lives!
May God bless you and keep you safe!
BTW, I liked the songs, but I did skip through them if I fell behind on episodes.
I’d prefer you saved 40 minutes by not including as much content (save 10-20 mins in podcast length, and 10-20 of prep time for that content). I already skip about half of most DB’s because I just don’t have the time for a 30-40 minute podcast, I prefer the old 20 minute days.
The discontinuation of the music at the beginning of the Daily Breakfast is fine by me. I agree with Fr. Roderick’s reasons. I have found the music the least enjoyable part of the podcast. While other people might be able to essentially fast forward through the music, since I have an iPod Shuffle, I don’t have that luxury. Since I have many podcasts to which I listen during my morning exercise, I would often just go to the next one and often never made it back to the Daily Breakfast. Personally, I’m glad the music portion is gone.
Whoa! I am so glad that you are safe! I would be terrified if I were in your situation. I generally don’t like people coming to my door trying to sell stuff or other things. I feel discomfort. I have never had a threatening situation like you had, luckilly. But I feel not as ease when for example Jehova’s Witnesses is coming or a foreigner who wants to sell paintings or flowers. Having to say no to these people is rather difficult. I sincerely hope that your following two days will be less upsetting than these two past days. Since I am not a religious man, I wont say “God bless you”, but I’ll say this: “May the Force be with you – always!” *laughing* Thanks for yet another awesome show!
Fr. Roderick,
Having worked at an emergency homeless shelter for women and children, I have been put into similar situations. In fact, the shelter that I worked for had a lot of women fleeing domestic violence situations…while it wasn’t what is called a ’safe’ house, it was sort of the second step along the way for a lot of women. You did the right thing. I hope that that gentleman doesn’t come back again!
As for the music, I listened to it – but it was background to getting ready to run out the door. I am glad that it cuts time out of production and preproduction.
Have a great day,
Mary
I miss the song! I understand the time it saves you and perhaps some of your listeners, but I really enjoy your music picks and also being able to recommend songs to you. I like the idea of some of the other comments to put in a song “once in a while”.
Here is another idea (which would probably be one the bottom of your pile for new projects), perhaps you would consider doing a music podcast. At work, I can’t really concentrate and listen to spoken podcasts, so I queue up a bunch of podsafe music podcasts. I would love to add an SQPN music podcast as well (I haven’t listened to Catholic Rockers because I’m not even Catholic and prefer “secular” music). I’m sure you can get some of your assistant producers to help weed through the podsafe music. In the mean time, I will truly miss your song picks.
I appreciated your honest reaction to your ‘visitor’ and how you reacted to it. You’re right – it’s not easy to live the Gospel message. I particularly liked how you felt that your primal feelings of protecting yourself overode loving your neighbor. That’s not an easy thing to admit, particularly considering the fact that you are a priest and all the preconceived notions that go with that station in life.
I would imagine that your regime of prayer will be very helpful in regaining your peace.
Thanks be to God, and to your vigilant Guardian Angel, for your protection.
I usually listen to the first 10 or 15 seconds of the song, and then skip past it if I don’t really care for it which, I’m sorry to say, is about 90% of the time. I find that most of the Catholic podcasts I listen to follow the same format where they have a song at the beginning. I usually skip forward on most of these.
Tom from Grand Blanc, MI, USA
I’m glad you are going to skip the music – i almost always skpped past it. I really want to hear what you have to say, not listen to music! Candi, Portland, OR USA
Usually I enjoyed the starting song, but now that it’s gone, it’s not too bad
. Maybe you can throw in a song now and then if you happen to come across a good one !
hey you have a song skipper here also…I dont listen to podcasts for the music. if people want music they can pick thier own or listen to a music podcast LIKE CATHOLIC ROCKERS!!! I like to listen to the content. Dont worry if your show goes past 30 min thats why we have a pause button on our players we can listen on our way to and from work but im lucky and can listen to podcasts all day long at work
Hi father,
I’m a little late with this comment because I just returned from Rome and I am getting caught up.
Your story of the homeless man is kind of like an experience I had about a month ago. I work undercover security at Walt Disney World. I know what you thinking, nothing bad can happen at “the happiest place on earth” – but criminals and mentally ill people need vacations too.
I was walking through one of the theme parks when I came across a man screaming obscenities at other family. The other family was clearly in distress. So, I intervened and identified myself with my badge and the other family ran for cover in a near by store. I very calmly listened to the “mad man” tell me what was happening. It was clear to me that this man was unstable.
The other family left the area and I was left with the task of keeping an eye on the trouble maker until management could arrive at the scene to determine what to do with the trouble maker.
So, the trouble maker and his family went on a ride and I was told to wait at the exit to see which direction they took when they exited. As soon as the mad man and his family exited, he made a bee line straight for me and started yelling at me.
I normally don’t ask for back up on the radio, that day I did. He ended up verbally attacking me another time until he left the park. I was told to hide out until he and his party left. I was a bit shaken by it.
Normally standard protocol for the times I deal with shoplifters and trouble makers when I invite them to the office is to always have another person with me at all times for my safety. That, and never stand between someone in crisis and their exit.