In the Baltimore, MD area he broadcasts every Sunday on station WPOC (FM93.1) at 8:30 a.m. repeated at 8:00 p.m. If you are able to listen to his show, you may order a transcript of the text. We would be interested in hearing from those who listen to him on other stations. To drop us a note, please press here.So far we have heard from listeners on WBDC FM100.9 in Jasper/Huntingburg IN at 7:00AM Sunday.
Please order by the transcript number mentioned on the air at the end of the show. To place an order please click here.
In addition, he writes a weekly column for the Catholic Review and has written a number of books. His latest is The Stations of the Resurrection. Others are: Does It All Make Sense? Seeking Serenity, Reflections from a Country Road, When Life Doesn't Make Sense, Stops Along the Country Road , A Year of Wit, Wisdom and Warmth.
He also has an
audio tape for A Year of Wit, Wisdom and Warmth and a
video tape based on his popular talks on the
different worlds of men and women.
To order transcripts and tapes of selected past shows please click here.
Last update: 30 January 2000
Excerpt from recent Newsletter
Thought for the day
Coming Up
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I'm OK; God doesn't make junk!
For the new millennium we will bring you a thought for the day either from Father Joe's works or from other notable individuals.
___
Sunday, 6 February 2000
Keeping Cool
Stay connected. Invest in relationships.
Excerpted from "Why is Everyone So Cranky" by C. Leslie Charles, Baltimore Sun, 1/16/2000.
Have I found a way to stop worrying about trivial matters?
What relationship can I invest in today?
Monday, 7 February 2000
Keeping Cool
Choose compassion over crankiness.
Excerpted from "Why is Everyone So Cranky" by C. Leslie Charles, Baltimore Sun, 1/16/2000.
Did I find a relationship to invest in yesterday?
What can I do today to keep cool and show compassion?
Tuesday, 8 February 2000
"Communist atheism is not so dangerous, because Communists are always
indirectly reminding us of God. It's capitalist atheism that is much more
dangerous because, although God can be mentioned, it promotes the kinds of
material pleasures that make us forget about God."
-- Bishop Joseph Nguyen-Cong-Doan, S. J. (America, Oct 23, 1999) quoting himself talking to an interrogator when in jail in Vietnam. As quoted by Father Joe, Catholic Review 16 Dec 1999
Was I able to keep cool yesterday?
Can I find an example of capitalist atheism in my life?
Wednesday, 9 February 2000
Communism, by persecuting religion, actually calls attention to a God worth
suffering and dying for. The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christianity. But
consumerism, by bombarding our senses and filling our needs, helps us forget
about our need of God.
Father Joe, Catholic Review 16 Dec 1999
Did I find an example of capitalist atheism in my life yesterday?
What did I do about it?
Have I let consumerism make me forget about my need for God?
Thursday, 10 February 2000
First, we must keep [people] busy in the nonessentials of life. We must get
them to spend, spend, spend and then to work, work, work to keep up their
lifestyles. We must convince husbands and wives to work six or seven days a
week, ten or twelve hours a day. This will keep them from spending intimate
time with each other and their children and families will fragment and break
apart.
Satan, in parable on making people forget about God, Father Joe, Catholic Review, 16 Dec 1999
How can I find a way to keep in touch with God despite the forces of
consumerism?
Am I spending to much time at work? What can I do about it?
Friday, 11 February 2000
Second, we must overstimulate them so that they cannot hear that small
voice of God. Entice them to play the radio, cassette or CD player whenever
they drive. Keep the TV, VCR and CDs going constantly at home. And see to it
that every store and restaurant in the world plays music constantly. This will
jam their minds and keep them from thinking about the spiritual realities of
life.
Satan, in parable on making people forget about God, Father Joe, Catholic Review, 16 Dec 1999
Have I found a way to keep in touch with God despite the forces of
consumerism?
How can I avoid overstimulation by the media?
Saturday, 12 February 2000
Thoughts for Sunday 9 Jan to Saturday 15 January
Sunday, 9 January 2000
Monday, 10 January 2000
Tuesday, 11 January 2000
Wednesday, 12 January 2000
Thursday, 13 January 2000
Friday, 14 January 2000
Saturday, 15 January 2000
Thoughts for Sunday 16 Jan to Saturday 22 January
Sunday, 16 January 2000
Monday, 17 January 2000
Tuesday, 18 January 2000
Wednesday, 19 January 2000
Thursday, 20 January 2000
Gandhi once said that if Christians were really Christians, there would be
no Hindus in India.
Mother Theresa
Friday, 21 January 2000
Saturday, 22 January 2000
Sunday, 23 January 2000
Monday, 24 January 2000
Tuesday, 25 January 2000
Wednesday, 26 January 2000
Thursday, 27 January 2000
Friday, 28 January 2000
Saturday, 29 January 2000
Third, fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their
minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards.
Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogs and every
kind of newsletter and promotion offering them free products and services, empty
promises and false hopes.
Satan, in parable on making people forget about God, Father Joe, Catholic Review, 16 Dec 1999
Have I found a way to avoid overstimulation by the media?
How can I reduce clutter in my home?
____________________
Thoughts for Previous Weeks
Holiness is not a luxury, meant for only a few. It is a simple duty for each
of us.
Mother Theresa
Did we focus at least once on holiness in our actions today?
Holiness is to take whatever Jesus gives, and to give Jesus whatever He asks
of us with a big smile.
Mother Theresa
Did we take whatever Jesus gave us today, and did we give Him what he
asked for?
Let us be willing to smile at one another since a smile is the beginning of love.
Mother Theresa
Did we smile at least once to another person today!
When you look at the inner workings of electrical things, you see wires.
Until the current passes through them, there will be no light. The wire is you
and me. The current is God. We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us,, produce the light of the world, Jesus, in us. Or, we can refuse to be used and allow darkness to spread.
Mother Theresa
Did we let the current pass through us today?
Even almighty God cannot fill what is already full. We must be empty if we
want God to fill us with His fullness.
Mother Theresa
How can we empty ourselves so God can fill us with His fullness?
Christ is hidden under the suffering appearance of anyone who is hungry,
anyone who is naked, anyone who is homeless or dying.
Mother Theresa
How well did we empty ourselves yesterday so God could fill us with His
fullness?
Let us help just one person today who is hungry or naked or
homeless or dying.
God will never, never, never let us down if we have faith and put our trust
in Him. He will always look after us. So we must cleave to Jesus. Our whole
life must simply be woven into Jesus.
Mother Theresa
Did we help even one person yesterday who was hungry or naked or
homeless or dying?
What can we do today to weave our life into Jesus?.
God loves me. I'm not here just to fill a place, just to be a number. He has
chosen me for a purpose. I know it will fulfill it if I don't put an obstacle in
His way. He will not force me, but He wants me to say yes.
Mother Theresa
What did we do yesterday to empty ourselves and cleave to Jesus?
How can I say yes to God today?
Kindness has converted more people than zeal, science or eloquence.
Mother Theresa
Did I say yes to God yesterday?
How can I be kind to at least one person today?
Very often people laugh at me because I am in such a hurry to share Jesus'
love. When you want to share Jesus you must be in a hurry.
Mother Theresa
Was I kind to at least one person yesterday?
How can I be in a hurry to share Jesus' love?
Jesus made Himself the Bread of Life in order to satisfy my hunger for Him
and for His love. He, in turn, made Himself the hungry one to satisfy my hunger
for Him through my love and service.
Mother Theresa
Was I in a hurry to share Jesus' love yesterday?
How can I express my love to Jesus today?
Did I express my love to Jesus yesterday?
How can I show I am truly a Christian today?
Never let anything so fill you with pain or sorrow as to make you forget
the joy of Christ risen.
Mother Theresa
Did I show I am truly a Christian yesterday?
How can I remember the joy of Christ risen today?
Be kind to one another; it is better to commit faults with gentleness than
to work miracles with unkindness.
Mother Theresa
Did I remember the joy of Christ risen yesterday?
How can I be kind to another person today?
Dear Lord, shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in
contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no
longer me, but only You, O Lord. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine
as You do; so to shine as to be a light to others. Let me thus praise You in the
way You love best, by shining on those around me.
Cardinal John Newman as quoted by Father Joe
Was I kind to someone yesterday?
How can I shine today to be a light to others?
We are most like God when we share
Father Joe, Country Roads, Script #1250
Was I a light to others yesterday?
How can I share today?
Each of us has our own unique flaws. But if we allow it, the Lord will use
our flaws to grace His Father's table.
Father Joe Newsletter, Winter 1999
Did I share yesterday?
How can I let Jesus use one of my flaws today?
[No matter what our outward appearance] we all look exactly the same on the
inside.
Father Joe Newsletter, Winter 1999
Was Jesus able to use one of my flaws yesterday to grace His Father's
table?
Let me see my brother or sister in someone less fortunate today.
God is always around us, sometimes in those comforting us and in those
needing comfort; sometimes in those happy people who want to share joy and
sometimes in the sorrowing who wait for others to care.
Father Joe Newsletter, Winter 1999
Did I look at someone less fortunate yesterday and see my brother or sister?
Let me find God today in someone needing comfort.
God has given us the perfect gift. It will not break; we will not outgrow
it. It will never leave us or fail us. His most precious gift to us, the gift
of all gifts, is His Son, our Savior and Messiah, Jesus.
Father Joe, Catholic Review 1/13,2000
Did I find God yesterday in someone needing comfort?
Let us be thankful today for the perfect Gift God gave us.
In addition to thanking God daily in this new year for the gift of Himself,
we also need to thank God for the gift of ourselves. None of us had to be born.
None of us had to exist. Our existence is a pure gift of God.
Father Joe, Catholic Review 1/13,2000
Was I thankful yesterday for God's perfect Gift of His Son?
Let us be thankful today for the gift of our existence.
End of Thoughts for the previous weeks
Sunday, 30 January to Saturday 5 February
Sunday, 30 January 2000
If I were a butterfly
I'd thank You, Lord, for giving me wings.
If I were a robin in a tree
I'd thank You, Lord, that I could sing.
If I were a fish in the sea,
I'd wiggle my tail and giggle with glee
But I just thank you, Father, for making me me.
Part of a Poem-Hymn by Brian Howard, quoted in Catholic Review, 1/13/2000
Was I thankful yesterday for the gift of existence?
What do I have to be thankful for?
Monday, 31 January 2000
Keeping Cool
Quit Judging others. Take the energy you put into criticizing others and channel it toward your own behavior.
Excerpted from "Why is Everyone So Cranky" by C. Leslie Charles, Baltimore Sun, 1/16/2000.
Did I find something special to be thankful for yesterday?
How can I channel my energy to improve my own behavior?
Tuesday, 1 February 2000
Keeping Cool
Make conscious choices. Accept that you're not really a victim of circumstances; you're the victim of poor choice-- letting someone else ruin your mood.
Excerpted from "Why is Everyone So Cranky" by C. Leslie Charles, Baltimore Sun, 1/16/2000.
Did I find a way yesterday to channel my energy to improve my own behavior?
How can I avoid letting someone else ruin my mood?
Wednesday, 2 February 2000
Keeping Cool
Think of yourself as a winner. Celebrate the positives and learn from the negatives.
Excerpted from "Why is Everyone So Cranky" by C. Leslie Charles, Baltimore Sun, 1/16/2000.
Did I avoid letting someone else ruin my mood yesterday?
What can I learn from the negatives in my life today?
Thursday, 3 February 2000
Keeping Cool
Avoid naysayers.
Excerpted from "Why is Everyone So Cranky" by C. Leslie Charles, Baltimore Sun, 1/16/2000.
What did I learn from the negatives in my life yesterday?
Who is one naysayer in my life? How can I avoid this person?
Friday, 4 February 2000
Keeping Cool
Replace negative emotions with positive ones.
Excerpted from "Why is Everyone So Cranky" by C. Leslie Charles, Baltimore Sun, 1/16/2000.
Did I identify one naysayer in my life yesterday? Did I find a way to avoid this person?
What negative emotion can I replace with a positive one?
Saturday, 5 February 2000
Keeping Cool
Quit worrying about trivial matters.
Excerpted from "Why is Everyone So Cranky" by C. Leslie Charles, Baltimore Sun, 1/16/2000.
Did I find at least one negative emotion that I can replace with a positive one?
What trivial matter do I worry about too much? How can I stop
worrying?
If you are interested in attending please send your name, address and phone number with a check for $75 payable to
Your letter should be postmarked no later than 10 days prior to the retreat
date you choose.
If you have any questions, please contact Betty Brooks at 410-437-6541
Newsletter
Winter 1999 issue is now available.
Partial Contents:
How Long Does Grief Take?
Parable of the Cracked Pot
I've Learned....
The Candymaker's Gift
The Hidden Healer
What if the Magi had been 3 women?
What God Looks Like
To those Who are Grieving the Loss of a Loved One
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address or comments.
The Stations of the Resurrection
Father Joe's latest devotional book. In this unique look at the time after Jesus' crucifixion and death, Fr. Joe focuses on the lessons to be learned from the miracle of miracles. Jesus returning to life and regaining the eternal life for us all.
$3.00 -- Write to Father Joe, P.O. Box 1058, Pasadena, MD 21123 or
Use order form.
This book is for everyone who is trying to make sense out of a seemingly senseless existence, for everyone who has ever felt pain or loss or despair and for everyone who wants to be all that they were meant to be. NEW! Third edition.
$9.95 -- Contact TULLY, INC at 1-800-942-2282 or Use
order
form.
This modest, easy to read collection of prayers, scripture, quotes and humor is a perfect gift for those who are ill at home, in the hospital or convalescent home. It is a powerful little book that brings with it reminders of God's healing love for us, with small doses of humor, warmth -- in just the right portions to read when not feeling well or during a short visit. Nice little gift to keep on hand for visits to family or friends confined at home or in the hospital.
$2.00 Contact FATA Press at 1-410-578-3600 or Use
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form.
Reflections from a Country Road
"Hi, I'm Father Joe Breighner, your hitchhiker here on the Country Road..."
A collection of a number of reflections, thoughts and excerpts from Father Joe's radio program,Country Road. They are offered with the thought that they will go with you during your own journey down the city streets and country roads of life.
$2.50 Contact FATA Press at 1-410-578-3600 or Use
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form.
A sequel to Does It All Make Sense?, this little book is another look at the problem of when evil impacts good people; making some sense of life when life doesn't make any sense.
$12.00 Contact Cathedral Foundation Press at 1-410-547-5324
or Use
order form.
Based on his nationally syndicated radio program, Country Road, Father Joe mixes country hits with gospel reflections. 220 pages.
$18.95 Contact Cathedral Foundation Press at 1-410-547-5324 or
Use
order form.
A Year
of Wit, Wisdom and Warmth
A collection of anecdotes, parables, spiritual reflections,
self-help adages and homespun homilies. 200 pages.
$16.95 Contact Cathedral Foundation Press at 1-410-547-5324 or Use
order
form.
Voice of Father Joe with selections from A Year of Wit, Wisdom and Warmth. 60 minutes.
$10.00 Contact Cathedral Foundation Press at 1-410-547-5324 or Use order form.
The Different Worlds of Men and Women (video tape)
A video tape of one of Father Joe's popular talks about the different ways men and women interact.
Please use order form.
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