TGCL #0399: Al Smith dinner; Actor Kevin James; Sunday's Gospel

Published: Oct. 19, 2012, 7:54 p.m.

Summary of today\u2019s show: On the last day of the WQOM Fall fund drive, Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O\u2019Connell discussed the Al Smith Foundation dinner in New York last night and Cardinal Timothy Dolan\u2019s funny and pointed remarks before the Democrat and Republican candidates for President; the witness by TV and movie actor Kevin James to his Catholic faith; and this Sunday\u2019s Gospel readings.\nListen to the show:\n\nWatch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: \nToday\u2019s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O\u2019Connell\nToday\u2019s topics: Al Smith dinner; Actor Kevin James; Sunday\u2019s Gospel\n1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Mark O\u2019Connell to the show. Fr. Mark said congratulations to Scot for 399 shows. Scot said it\u2019s a milestone, but it doesn\u2019t have the cachet of 100 or 500.\nScot said one of the bigger Catholic events this week was the Al Smith Dinner in New York to support Catholic charitable work in New York. President Obama and Mitt Romney were both present and it\u2019s one of those events where the speakers roast everyone. Cardinal Dolan gave his remarks.\n\n\n\n\nIt traditionally falls to the host of this enjoyable evening, the Archbishop of New York, to \u201ccall it a night.\u201d\nThank you, everybody, for your gracious company this evening.\nWhat a unique honor and joy to welcome and thank our two candidates, and Mrs. Romney.\nOur two candidates claim that both your parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, are \u201cbig tents,\u201d containing extraordinarily diverse, even contrary, opposite people and groups. Well, you don\u2019t have a thing over the Catholic Church. We got both Biden and Ryan!\nGovernor Romney, thank you for being up here sitting next to me; although I must confess I was secretly hoping the Republican candidate would be Governor Christie, because I sure would have looked good sitting next to him!\nMr. President I trust you\u2019ll be able to report to Mrs. Obama that I ate my vegetables and salad. If she had been \u201cfirst lady\u201d instead of Mamie Eisenhower when I was growing up in the 50\u2019s, I wouldn\u2019t be in this shape!\nAs you may know, I just returned from Rome a couple of hours ago, where I\u2019m participating in the Synod of Bishops. Thanks to Mr. Mort Zuckerman\u2019s jet, I will be able to return to Rome right after the dinner.\nBy the way, just before I left this morning, Pope Benedict XVI asked me to deliver a special personal message to both candidates. Mr. President, Governor Romney, do you know what the Holy Father asked me to tell you? \u2026 neither do I, because he said it in Latin.\nBoth candidates expressed shock that Mayor Bloomberg had a 16 ounce cup in front of him. Not to worry, Your Honor \u2014 I explained to them that it was not a sugar-laden soft drink, but a martini.\nThe mayor might want to challenge that remark, but, I\u2019m sorry Mr. Mayor, Candy Crowley has already said she agrees with me.\nOnly the Al Smith dinner could bring together two men, of the same calling, who disagree on almost everything, both of whom think they are the world\u2019s experts on everything, who don\u2019t like even being in the same room together: Roger Ailes and Chris Matthews.\nThe Al Smith Dinner \u2026 in thanking all of you for your presence and support, might I suggest that this annual dinner actually shows America and the Church at their best?\nHere we are: in an atmosphere of civility and humor, hosted by a Church which claims that \u201cjoy is the infallible sign of God\u2019s presence;\u201d men and women; young and old; of every ethnic and racial background;\nDemocrats, Republicans, and Independents;\nCatholics, Christians, Jews, Latter-Day Saints, people of no particular creed;\npeople of wealth, yes, but some folks as well who barely get by;\nguests from Westchester and the Bronx; Dutchess County and Staten Island;\nGrateful to be people of faith and loyal Americans;\nLoving a country which considers religious liberty our first and most cherished freedom, convinced that faith is not just limited to an hour of Sabbath worship, but affects everything we do and dream;\nprivileged to be in the company of two honorable men, both called to the noble vocation of public service, whose love for God and country is surpassed only by their love for their own wives and children, and who, as happy as I hope they are to be here with us tonight, would rather be home with Michelle, Ann, and their families.\nAll of us reverently recalling a man of deep Catholic faith and ringing patriotism, who had a tear in his Irish eyes for what we would call, the \u201cuns;\u201d\n\u2013 the un-employed\n\u2013 the un-insured\n\u2013 the un-wanted\n\u2013 the un-wed mother, and her innocent, fragile un-born baby in her womb;\n\u2013 the un-documented\n\u2013 the un-housed\n\u2013 the un-healthy\n\u2013 the un-fed\n\u2013 the under-educated.\nGovernment, Al Smith believed, should be on the side of these \u201cuns,\u201d but a government partnering with family, Church, parish, neighborhood, organizations and community, never intruding or opposing, since, when all is said and done, it\u2019s in God we trust, not, ultimately, in government or politics.\nAl Smith \u2026 the \u201chappy warrior\u201d on behalf of the \u201cuns\u201d who were so close to Jesus, or to the Native American Kateri Tekakwitha, and the \u201cAngel to the Lepers of Hawaii,\u201d Sister Mary Anne Cope, both women of New York whom this Sunday Pope Benedict will declare saints; so tenderly close to Bl. Mother Theresa of Calcutta who reminded us of the \u201cfive- finger gospel\u201d \u2014 \u201cAs often as you do it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you do it for me!\u201d\nGod bless the memory of Al Smith!\nGod Bless the \u201cuns!\u201d\nGod bless the Al Smith Foundation in this Archdiocese of New York which continues his solicitude for the \u201cuns!\u201d\nGod bless all of you for helping them this evening!\nGod bless our two candidates!\nGod bless America!\nThank God for this grand evening!\nAmen.\nGoodnight!\n\nScot said Dolan went from engaging people in laughter and joy and then made the Church\u2019s pitch for religious freedom and for those who need help in society and how the Church serves them. Fr. Mark said both he and Scot experienced then-Msgr. Dolan when they were all in Rome and how he could come into a room and engage everyone. Scot said Cardinal Dolan took heatfor inviting Obama to the dinner for the administration\u2019s lack of respect for life and for religious liberty. Dolan took on the religious liberty issue head-on in a civil but blunt way.\nScot said Cardinal Dolan loves the apostolate of Catholic radio, with his own radio program in New York.\nBreak for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with .\n2nd segment: Scot said he was surprised by a story in the Pilot this week about actor Kevin James, TV and movie star. It turns out he takes his Catholic faith seriously. He wants to glorify God in every way. He wants to have a positive message and be able to sit and watch movies with his children. Fr. Mark said James has always been relatable, but to find out he\u2019s a cradle Catholic who takes his faith seriously is even more inspiring.\n\n\n\nScot and Fr. Mark discussed what James said about struggling at times to live his faith and to pass it on to his children. Scot said to integrate your Catholic faith into your kids helps you live your values more. Fr. Mark said there\u2019s a lot of people who walk down the aisle at confirmation as if it\u2019s a graduation and come back later, regretful they wasted all those years and realize now that their faith is fulfilling.\nPart of growing in faith is realizing that all our blessings come from God. Kevin James got where he is on talent, but also as a blessing from God. Fr. Mark talked about the similarity between Kevin James and Cardinal Dolan in that they are filled with joy. Fr. Mark and Scot discussed the Catholic understanding of joy as being fulfilled in what you\u2019re doing as what God wants us to be and do. While we\u2019re not always happy in every moment, we are joyful.\nScot said there is a connection between joy and holiness, especially with examples from Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. One of the foundations of joy for Scot is that gratitude helps leads to joy. When you add up all the things with which God has blessed us, that\u2019s when the sense of joy resonates. Fr. Mark tells a story about how joy brought conversion to a profoundly unhappy man being served by Mother Teresa\u2019s sisters.\n\nBreak for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with .\n3rd segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading.\n\nGospel for the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 21, 2012 (Mark 10:35-45)\n\n\nJames and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, \u201cTeacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.\u201d He replied, \u201cWhat do you wish me to do for you?\u201d They answered him, \u201cGrant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.\u201d Jesus said to them, \u201cYou do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?\u201d They said to him, \u201cWe can.\u201d Jesus said to them, \u201cThe cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.\u201d When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, \u201cYou know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.\u201d\n\nScot said there are three parts to this Gospel. The first is a natural request to be close to JEsus. Jesus responds he can\u2019t guarantee that. They don\u2019t realize that to be closest to him, they will have to imitate him in his Passion. The second part is the others being indignant as the presumption of James and John. Jesus responds the model for the Church will be servant leadership, giving full attention to the least of our brothers and sisters. Scot recalled a story where he met Pope John Paul II and how focused he was in that moment on Scot who was before him.\nFr. Mark said the apostles start with a very real request to do what they ask. They think Jesus is going to be heading into battle so they had their plan all ready. We can do that with God, presuming his plans for us. But God has other plans and they\u2019re always so much better than ours. His plan was suffering for all in his love and humanity. Scot said we\u2019ve all been in the different roles shown here, including leading in the right according to our faith or not leading in the right way. When we stumble and it\u2019s too much about us, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fr. Mark said just wait for God\u2019s plan for you.\nBreak for Fund Drive Appeal. To support the work of WQOM and The Station of the Cross, which brings Catholic programming like The Good Catholic Life to the Boston area, please be as generous as your means permit with .