The Shepherd's Voice with Archbishop George J. Lucas

54: From Presents to Presence

Episode  |  December 16th, 2020  |  26 mins 52 secs

2020, advent, bishop, catholic bishop, catholic church, catholic podcast, catholicism, christmas

Archbishop Lucas shares how we can more fully enter into the celebration of Christmas in a year that has been strange and difficult. He also looks back on what 2020 has revealed about our individual and collective struggles to rely on Christ.

53: Having Mercy on the Dead

Episode  |  November 19th, 2020  |  24 mins 19 secs

bishop, catholic bishop, catholic church, catholic podcast, catholicism, praying for the dead

How do Catholics remember the dead? Why do we pray for them? And what do these practices teach us about how we can live better lives here on Earth? Archbishop Lucas answers these questions, reminding us that "the decisions that we make here reverberate into eternity."

'Fratelli Tutti' and Human Dignity

Episode  |  October 18th, 2020  |  30 mins 42 secs

"Simple tolerance is easier, but the Holy Father is calling us beyond that to really create the bonds of social friendship within the human family." Archbishop Lucas offers an introduction to Pope Francis' latest encyclical letter, 'Fratelli Tutti'.

Episode 51: Unity in a season of division

Episode  |  September 11th, 2020  |  19 mins 54 secs

In America today, we hear people lament frequently about how divided people are. In the news media, we see and hear division constantly. Catholics, however, are supposed to be one--Jesus prayed that we would be one; we profess one faith, one baptism, one Lord.

So what does it mean to be united with one another in a time of such evident divisions and disagreements? How do we engage in honest debate and discussion about matters of policy and morality without harboring uncharitable judgments against our fellow Christians?

Episode 50: Politics, Conscience, and the Lay Vocation

Episode  |  July 2nd, 2020  |  22 mins 44 secs

As we mark the 4th of July, Archbishop Lucas tackles questions about the role of the Church in the political sphere. What does it mean to be a "faithful citizen"? How do we form our consciences? How should Catholics engage in public life?

Episode 49: The formula

Episode  |  June 8th, 2020  |  23 mins 16 secs

Injustice. Violence. Division. The fallen-ness of humanity is obvious, and it can be easy to lose hope. But the formula for announcing the world's salvation is simple, says Archbishop Lucas: "The Holy Spirit and you."

In this episode (recorded June 4, 2020), the archbishop reminds us that our mission is communion, and that it is possible. He also points out encouraging signs of the life of the Spirit here and now.

Episode 48: What is the Holy Spirit doing now?

Episode  |  May 13th, 2020  |  17 mins 41 secs

pentecost

Archbishop George J. Lucas and communications manager David Hazen recall last year's ArchOmaha Unite celebration, where thousands of Catholics from across the archdiocese came together to ask for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Archbishop discusses how we see the Spirit at work now in very different circumstances, and how the encouragement experienced at that event can be very useful as we face the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic.

Episode 47: Facing the pandemic with St. Joseph the Worker

Episode  |  May 1st, 2020  |  25 mins 13 secs

pandemic

We've seen unprecedented rises in the level of unemployment over recent weeks as many segments of the economy have ground to a halt. "It looks bad on a graph, but it's really a terrible experience for the people who are now out of work - those who may be furloughed, may be fired, without a clear sense of a path into the future for their own security and for their families," says Archbishop Lucas.

The feast of Saint Joseph the Worker gives those of us who do have work the chance to appreciate it more fully, and should help us to notice and pray specifically for those who are suffering the loss of work at this time. Joseph is also a refuge and model for those who are facing the loss of gainful employment.

Episode 46: Easter: "God has not turned His back on us"

Episode  |  April 14th, 2020  |  13 mins 7 secs

Archbishop Lucas gave this homily during the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral on April 11, 2020.

Back to basics: The 'how' and 'why' of Confession

Episode  |  February 25th, 2020  |  19 mins 34 secs

confession, lent

It can be easy to see the sacrament of penance as a chore, a sort of spiritual spring cleaning. But as we head into Lent, Archbishop Lucas invites us to see this sacrament as a path to freedom, as something great Jesus wants to do for us.

Episode 44: From the 'threshold of the apostles' to the March for Life

Episode  |  February 6th, 2020  |  15 mins 47 secs

Archbishop Lucas talks about his recent meeting with Pope Francis in Rome, and his subsequent trip to the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.

Episode 43: "When did we see you a stranger and welcome you?"

Episode  |  January 7th, 2020  |  19 mins 35 secs

For National Migration Week 2020, Archbishop Lucas reflects on our Christian responsibility to face the needs of migrants and refugees. He acknowledges the complexity of the issues surrounding immigration and invites us to look at them in light of the Gospel first, and not simply according to common political categories. #NMW2020

Episode 42: Christmas: Quiet glory and a Kingdom for the poor

Episode  |  December 16th, 2019  |  17 mins 32 secs

advent, christmas

There are many distractions this time of year, but during Advent and Christmas, the Church repeatedly points us toward Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom. How can we receive this announcement anew this Christmas? How do we see the glory of the Lord here and now, especially in the faces of the poor?

Episode 41: The challenge of giving God everything

Episode  |  December 4th, 2019  |  24 mins 5 secs

stewardship

Archbishop Lucas reflects on gratitude and the Christian's vocation to stewardship: "The challenge of the Scriptures and of our Catholic faith is to begin with a stance of recognizing our dependence on God, of giving thanks and then making an offering to him without a lot of fanfare. We say to him in our own minds, and practically in our checkbooks, 'This significant portion of what I have received I am dedicating to you and to your purposes, and you will help me see how best to make use of it.'"

Episode 40: "Open Wide Our Hearts": healing from racism, working toward unity

Episode  |  November 16th, 2019  |  28 mins 44 secs

Archbishop George J. Lucas discusses the listening session he attended in Omaha on Nov. 2, in which local Catholics shared how they have experienced racism. The conversation took its themes from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ recent letter, "Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love - A Pastoral Letter Against Racism".

Later in the episode, the archbishop reminds us that it's especially urgent to work toward the common good in what promises to be a polarizing and divisive election year.

Episode 39: "Lord, help our unbelief": How Lectio Divina helps us receive Jesus

Episode  |  November 4th, 2019  |  26 mins 20 secs

Many Catholics struggle to "get something" out of their experience of Mass, with huge numbers reporting (according to recent surveys) that they don't believe the Church's pivotal claims about the Eucharist. Archbishop Lucas offers an introduction to the practice of Lectio Divina, and discusses why and how praying with the Word helps us to receive the Word both spiritually and physically.