Brian Holdsworth

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca Obviously lust is an extremely common temptation today, we live in an extremely salacious culture which tantalizes our most base instincts at every opportunity; incentivized by the prospect of weak-willed and weak-minded consumers, which is what we are if we can’t control our appetites. And we aren’t meant to be slaves of our appetites or the plots of consumer marketers. We’re meant to be free and the truth is what sets us free. So, let’s do our best to explore the truth and acquire that freedom that is befitting our dignity as sons and daughters of God. It’s easy to get caught in a pattern of sin and to convince yourself that you are trapped – I have no control over this, what can I do? and to despair over it. But to be trapped is to have no options or solutions available to you. But if you’re looking at certain measures that you haven’t taken yet and your response is, “that’s too extreme, I don’t need to do that”, while still persisting in this problem, then it’s not that you are trapped by forces beyond your control, but by your own unwillingness to do what should be done. So don’t resign yourself to half-measures on this. You may not need all of this advice, but if you’ve tried everything else and the problem persists, it’s time to bring out the heavy artillery. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca My wife and I were feeling the effects of adulthood and the relentless responsibilities that come with it that we felt the need for some romantic renewal in our relationship, so we did what all older millennials do. We watched Titanic together. And that inspired a renewed but passing interest in the historical events that led to the sinking of the Titanic as well as the reaction to the tragedy in the aftermath. It’s this routine that we rehearse every time something bad happens. You know, where we pick ourselves up from the grief and resolve to never let something like this happen again. in the case of the Titanic, like so many other problems that call out to us for solutions, they responded as if the main problem was a lack of rules and regulations it’s a systemic problem. Like, there weren’t enough safety standards, or regulatory bodies to prevent such a terrible tragedy. But if after contemplating how a thing can go badly the kinds of rules to be followed can seem obvious, why weren’t they obvious to us before the tragedy? In considering the multiple errors that accumulated to the disastrous sinking of the Titanic, anyone with a shred of common sense would say, uhh… maybe that’s not a good idea. So, when we ask the question, why did the Titanic sink and so many people die? our answer is, well, because the rudder was too small for the size of the boat, they were travelling too fast in hazardous waters, the sea was too calm which prevented lookouts from seeing waves breaking on hazards like icebergs, there weren’t enough lifeboats Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Full video: https://youtu.be/L6NMePPVAHA

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca "Every day, we’re having non-material experiences which we’ve assumed can be traced to some kind of organ, like our brain, but the fact is, there’s nothing material about the ultimate content of our thoughts. It’s immaterial, spaceless, and timeless and cannot be isolated to our brains. Our brains are part of the process of thinking, but they don’t explain the entire process. And if our rational faculties are constantly interacting with something that is distinct from matter, again a word that has meaning to us because we can distinguish it from the non-material, then I think it’s safe to say that our rational faculties have a non-material, or what you might call, a spiritual sensory ability. Therefore, we are, at least partly, spiritual beings. " Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca For further reading on this topic, check out Bearing False Witness by Rodney Stark https://ajps.org/2017/08/10/who-voted-and-didnt-for-hitler-and-why/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_persecution_of_the_Catholic_Church_in_Germany Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca It wouldn’t surprise me if more than a few people felt that this was an unnecessary topic but I think this is actually EXTREMELY important. It starts by recognizing that God took great pains for the incarnation to happen – literally, he exposed himself to excruciating suffering on a cross and death so that the otherwise invisible God could be made visible to us. This is the pattern throughout our faith; that the invisible is made visible to us who are sensory, physical creatures. That’s why we have sacraments – to make the medicinal saving work of God and his grace tangible to us through signs and sensory experiences. So given what God was willing to do to make himself more accessible to us, don’t you think it’s important for us to contemplate the incarnation – and what it means that God became human? That’s what this reflection is about, because there are a lot of traps set for us as we do so. For example, it can become very easy for us to think about Jesus in ways that we prefer, rather than what makes the most sense or what is revealed in scripture. But it’s interesting to me that in researching this topic and reading what other contemporary writers have to say on the topic, every attempt to answer it that I came across, settled on the conclusion that, “Ya, of course he would have laughed.” And if I’m being honest, that’s a more pleasing answer to the question for me. That makes me feel good, it makes me feel like Jesus is more like me – because, I like to laugh and have a good time. And in concluding that Jesus was the same, I can feel a lot better about myself. But I think it’s REALLY important that we be wary of our willingness to treat Jesus more as a fulfillment of our desires and less like someone who actually exists and who we need to encounter to be changed ourselves. So can we be as honest as possible as we do the hard work of contemplating who Jesus actually was and is and what that means for us who need his help and grace to become more like him – which is a sharp admission that there are going to be some serious distinctions between himself and us. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca Whenever anti-Christian polemicists want to take a swipe at the Bible or the Christian tradition, certain passages of the Old Testament seem to be a favourite haunting ground for easy target practice. Richard Dawkins, for example, has made accusing the God of the Old Testament a range of pretty loathsome adjectives a bit of a trademark for himself when he calls him jealous, petty, unjust, vindictive, bloodthirsty, racist, infanticidal, and so forth. And I have to admit, that there are times I’ve spent reading the Old Testament with a sphincter fully clenched because of how terrifying I imagine some of those interactions with God would be if I was inserted into the story. And I don’t know about you, but it’s certainly given me pause on such occasions to ask, how can this be the same God that Jesus calls father and reveals to us through his teachings and example? You might be tempted like Marcion to think that they aren’t the same God and that the God of the Old Testament must be some kind lesser being and the one that Jesus reveals the true Supreme God of the Universe. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca I’ve never been the kind of person to easily resort to or sympathize with a #conspiracy theory. And of course, there can be considerable social consequence for those that do because we’re told by the relentless repetition of the media’s narrative, that conspiracy theories are dangerous. But it seems to me that as a modern culture, we seem to have a massive blindspot where this is concerned because for just about all the historical religions, to reject their claims is to indulge in something like a conspiracy theory. By historical #religion I mean those that ground their claims and stories in history – which is something that was virtually unheard of before Judaism and #christianity as pagan religious or #mythological narratives almost always took place in some other place or dimension of reality, but with #Judaism and Christianity, God enters into the story of human history in a way that was entirely novel up until that point. And while I tend to not sympathize with most conspiracy theories, I think that there are some that are more likely than others and that tends to correlate to how complex they are. The more complicated the supposed conspiracy, the less likely the theory concerning it is true, I would say. So in the case of religious traditions, if rejecting the central claims of a given religion means you have to then explain the true origin of that religion through something like a conspiracy theory, the question becomes for me, how hard would it have been for the supposed conspirators to hatch that particular deception. And when you look at it from that angle, you’re left with a scale that says that the more complicated the conspiracy theory gets, the less likely it is true and the more likely the claims of that religion are true and based on that, some religions appear to be much more susceptible to explanations of conspiracy than others. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca anything unfamiliar to us can make us uncomfortable. If you’re out of shape, exercising is an unfamiliar discomfort. If you’re ignorant, education can be an unfamiliar discomfort – you get the idea. Growing in your understanding of the truth necessarily means being introduced to the unfamiliar and because it’s unfamiliar, it will be difficult to navigate and negotiate which will feel like a struggle. Take going to a new place, like a new school or a new office building and trying to find your way around. That can expose you, make you vulnerable, and strip you of your self-sufficiency. And if Christianity is true, which if you’re a Christian I assume we can find some agreement there, and if you and I still need to grow in the truth – as in we haven’t learned everything there is to learn yet, then, by definition, the Christian creed and disciplines should make us uncomfortable. As we learn about it and as we practice it, it should follow that same pattern of resistance towards something good that will make us better as we push back against it. So we shouldn’t be surprised if, as we study and practice the faith, we encounter teachings and practices that make us uncomfortable. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be true because this is what the truth does to those who are not fully conformed to it. So to be a Christian means to persist, always, in that discomfort. As soon as you’ve adapted to some teaching or practice, you should move on to applying the next one that remains unfamiliar to you. It’s a constant exercise of discipleship in the new and unfamiliar. But in realizing this, we might arrive at a temptation which promises all that we want in pursuit of the truth, but with none of the adversity. We might call this liberal Christianity. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca Last week I did an interview with Kennedy Hall about the #SSPX and the #Catholic Church which generated quite a bit of interest. The comments to views ratio on that video are quite high, and I’ve received quite a few messages about it. So, because of that interest I thought it would be worth spending a little more time discussing. Now obviously Kennedy and I weren’t fully aligned on some of what we discussed but regardless of where you find yourself on the topic, I was deeply encouraged by the fact that many people commented with their appreciation for the tone and charity of the conversation. And it was a profound reminder for me of the good that can come from conversations with people that you don’t fully agree with because it can teach you so much. Obviously you’ll learn something about another perspective, but, if done well, it will also teach you a lot about your own beliefs. Because in the process you should be doing a bit of a self examination – which I did and one of the questions that arose in the aftermath of this conversation was – why do I remain unconvinced and that turned my attention to questions of persuasion. What actually inspires someone to make a big change in their life, the kind that conversion to a new creed demands. And this is an incredibly important question for us to be exploring as Christians, because we are all called to evangelize, to participate in the mission of the #Church, which means we should be intensely interested in the art of persuasion. And so, as I re-examined that question, a somewhat surprising answer occurred to me. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca Some Resources We Discuss in this Video... Archbishop Lefebvre's 1974 Declaration: "We adhere with all our heart and all our soul to Catholic Rome, guardian of the Catholic Faith and the traditions necessary to maintain it, and to Eternal Rome, mistress of wisdom and truth. On the other hand we refuse and have always refused to follow the Rome of the neo-Modernist and the new Protestant trend which was clearly evident in the Second Vatican Council and, after the Council in all the reforms which flowed from it." Baltimore Catechism, Volume 3, Question 1004: "Q. 1004. Can bishops, priests and other ministers of the Church always exercise the power they have received in Holy Orders? A. Bishops, priests and other ministers of the Church cannot exercise the power they have received in Holy Orders unless authorized and sent to do so by their lawful superiors. The power can never be taken from them, but the right to use it may be withdrawn for causes laid down in the laws of the Church, or for reasons that seem good to those in authority over them. Any use of sacred power without authority is sinful, and all who take part in such ceremonies are guilty of sin." Ecclesia Dei (statement of Excommunication of the SSPX bishops) https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/ecclsdei/documents/hf_jp-ii_motu-proprio_02071988_ecclesia-dei_en.html Letter of Pope Benedict XVI lifting of Excommunications: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/letters/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20090310_remissione-scomunica.html St. Thomas Aquinas on Obedience: https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3104.htm St. Thomas Aquinas on Schism: https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3039.htm Vatican I on Papal Authority: "if anyone says that the Roman pontiff has merely an office of supervision and guidance, and not the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole church, and this not only in matters of faith and morals, but also in those which concern the discipline and government of the church dispersed throughout the whole world; or that he has only the principal part, but not the absolute fullness, of this supreme power; or that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate both over all and each of the churches and over all and each of the pastors and faithful: let him be anathema." Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca In a lot of ways, the people who line up behind these two forms of music epitomize a deep divide in the Church today and often use “praise and worship” or “chant and polyphony” as standards of identity and affiliation. But in making this video, I’m hoping that I can appeal to a deeper loyalty that anyone who calls themselves Catholic would adhere to – which is a loyalty to Christ. Let me say, from the outset, that I’m someone that loves Our Lord and I recognize that there are people who share in that love on all sides of these kinds of controversies. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca One of my favourite movies growing up was Rocky but I do remember being somewhat confounded by attempts by the writers to get psychological with the story, or worse, philosophical. As a kid, I remember being confused about why adults thought this was an important question. It was this whole deliberation about whether or not people can change. Aristotle taught that time is merely the measurement of change which isn’t a common way of thinking about it, but if you DO think about it, I think he’s totally right. Like imagine if everything suddenly came to a freezing halt. All the activity and movement, all the bustling of life, and the motion of the cosmos, just suddenly stopped, except for you. What would you think? You’d think time was standing still for some reason because nothing is changing. To be in time is to experience change. You and I, because we can’t escape time will inevitably experience change. The question is, is it going to be the kind of change we will want and be content with or a change that happens by accidental change with unpleasant results? Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca Church fathers on the communion of saints: https://www.churchfathers.org/intercession-of-the-saints I recently did a couple videos about stupid things Catholics and Protestants say to each other and one particular topic got a LOT of attention which was the idea that Catholics pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints and, as the accusation goes, this is a form of idolatry or divination or some such thing. And while I made a few quick points in that video, I thought, given how much attention that got, I should give this topic a little more time and nuance here. To set the stage here, I’m going to repeat what I said in that previous video which is that Catholics do not worship saints, but we do pray to them. And while all worship includes prayer, not all prayer is a form of worship. In the same way that all singing involves the use of your voice but not all use of your voice is singing. Prayer just means communication and as Catholics, we communicate with saints and seek their intercession. Now, even if that’s not worship, that’s bad enough in the eyes of many protestants because that is seen as looking for an intermediary other than Jesus or it’s simply communicating with the dead, both of which are forbidden in scripture. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/

Support the channel by visiting https://brianholdsworth.ca Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com You don’t have to look far to find news of a scandal in the Catholic Church. Sexual exploitation and abuse are a relentless theme in such stories and those of us who care to see this trend interrupted feel somewhat helpless to do anything about it. Part of what is preventing us from doing so is that unsympathetic voices are often the first and loudest to tell us what to think about these events and when they do so, it isn’t out of concern for the good of Catholics or the Church. And that influence is distorting our perception and that’s a problem because it is Catholics who will either fix the problem or continue to feel helpless. To try to address the problem fairly, It might help if we start with an analogy that removes the Church from the equation and our excessive sympathies or hostilities with it. Let’s talk about the education system for a second, because this is, obviously, something that happens at schools as well. Most of us can admit that a system of education is a good thing but there are also those who see it as something to exploit for their own selfish ends – even going so far as to abuse their students. Does this mean that there is something wrong with the aims of education? No, it means there is something wrong with those who seek to exploit it and, in turn, corrupt its institutions. So, in that case, the solution isn’t to lay the blame for abusive teachers at the feet of the aims education. It is to try to keep those who would corrupt its institutions by their presence, far away, and that is inevitably, a perpetual, multifaceted struggle. Likewise, what is the Church? The Church is the faithful, the people of God whether they be lay, religious, or clergy who follow Jesus – who believe in his teachings and put them into practice. These are people who are morally flawed like anyone else, but are always striving to repent and correct those flaws. But a person who deliberately aims to groom, manipulate, and eventually abuse the most vulnerable within a community, is not a person who is guilty of a mere moral flaw. This is not someone doing their best to follow Jesus or the Church’s teachings and getting a few things wrong. This is a person whose affiliation within the Church is treated as an opportunity to satisfy their most corrupt instincts and I would, certainly, not categorize them among the faithful followers of Jesus – that is, they aren’t indicative of what the Church or her beliefs and practices are. They are more like an infection in the body. Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/