What We Believe

Explore our Catholic faith with Fr. Joshua! This is an opportunity to explore Catholicism either for the first time or to brush up on your knowledge of Catholicism.

This is a great chance to begin, deepen, or renew your understanding of the Catholic faith. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce a friend of yours to the faith!

These talks were recorded on various Sunday evenings across 2021 and are now available to watch/listen as your time permits.  Take a look at the topics below and use the links provided to watch the recordings. 

Jesus and the Church

What We Will Explore: We begin with Jesus. Who is he? What does Scripture say about him? What do we Catholics believe about Jesus? And how does believing in Jesus relate to the Church? If a person believes in Jesus, must he or she belong to a church? And is that church the Catholic Church?

In the Beginning: Jesus of Nazareth. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

Also For Those: Jesus, the Church, and You. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

That Our Joy May Be Complete: The New Testament and Early Church. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

Sign and Instrument: The Catholic Church Today. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

Word and Sacrament

What We Will Explore: What do Catholics make of the Bible? Why do we make such a big deal about Tradition? If Christ is present among Christians in the Church, how do we encounter Christ? What happens when we encounter Word and Sacrament?

So That You May Believe: Scripture, Tradition, and Revelation I. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
This Living Transmission: Scripture, Tradition, and Revelation II. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Be Baptized Every One of You and Bear the Aroma of Christ: Baptism & Confirmation. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

The Mass and Catholics
What We Will Explore: Why is the Eucharist central to Catholic life? Why do Catholics make such a big deal of the Mass? Why do we believe Christ’s Body and Blood are truly present in the Eucharist? What do we mean by saying Christ is present in the Mass?

My Flesh Is Real Food: The Eucharist in Scripture. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Not Common Bread: The Eucharist in the Early Church.  CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Source and Summit: The Eucharist and Catholic Truth. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

Sacraments of Healing and Service
What We Will Explore: Why do Catholics go to Confession? Why do we anoint the sick? Are they biblical practices? And why do we call these practices Sacraments? And what about Marriage? Is that really a Sacrament? And can we possibly live up to the Church’s teaching on Marriage?

God’s Forgiveness in a Human Voice: The Sacrament of Reconciliation. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Healing Touch: The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
What God Has United: The Sacrament of Marriage. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

An Ordered Church
What We Will Explore: Why do we have a Pope? Why do we have Bishops, Priests, and Deacons? Where do these offices come from? And why is ordination a Sacrament and not just an ordinary job? 

Peace Be With You: Holy Orders. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Upon This Rock: Peter and the Papacy. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

Mary, Prayer, and Worship
What We Will Explore: Why do Catholics make such a big deal about Mary? What does the Church believe about Mary and her relationship to the Church and to Christians? And also, what does the Church teach about prayer? And what do we believe we are doing when we gather for worship? What is “liturgy”?

Mother and Child: The Catholic Church and the Mother of Jesus. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Without Ceasing: Prayer and the Christian Life. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Person and Passion: Liturgy in the Catholic Church. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

The Catholic Moral Vision
What We Will Explore: What is the Catholic moral vision? What do we believe is necessary for human flourishing, for living a good moral and ultimately happy life? What do we make of conscience and law? And where does the Church’s teaching on social justice come from? Why must we accept it all?

An Integral Vision: Catholic Moral Life. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk. 
The Aboriginal Vicar of Christ: Conscience and the Christian Life. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Loving the Poor: The Roots of Catholic Social Responsibility. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Loving the Poor: Catholic Social Responsibility Today. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.

The Gospel of Life
What We Will Explore: Why do we Catholics fight so hard for life? What does the Church really say about abortion and contraception, the culture of death and the culture of life?

Respect, Protect, Love, Serve: The Gospel of Life I. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.
Respect, Protect, Love, Serve: The Gospel of Life II. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk

Living and Looking for Heaven
What We Will Explore: What do Catholics think of Heaven? And what is Purgatory? Is there a Judgement at the end of it all? And when will that be? Can we know? And how can we try to live this hope in the world today?

World Without End: Christian Hope and Heaven. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk
Joy and Hope: Being Catholic in the World Today. CLICK HERE to view the video of this talk.