The big 39 is almost here...and we'll be celebrating on Friday, since the Italian will be off in  Italy on his actual birthday.

Lk 12:39-48

Seven more days until Lino's birthday! But since he'll be gone on his birthday (off to Italy), we'll pull out our special surprise on Friday. Stay tuned!

Lk 12:35-38
Jesus said to his disciples: 
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”


We have to be prepared. We have to do everything we can to support Lino. Just as the servants await their master's return from a wedding, so to must we wait for Lino to return from Italy when he leaves next week. We must be vigilant! We must stand up for good Catholic radio, and avoid bad religious talk radio while Lino is absent.


We must be prepared: Once Lino turns 39, he's only got one more year before he turns 40!!! We've gotta make this the best year ever. How can we do that? Listen, don't criticize too much (but criticize a little so we don't look more mindless than we already do), call in and support Lino in everything he does.


Maybe by doing that, we'll be blessed fans!

Let's face it, we've done a mediocre job of keeping the countdown going. Hopefully with only 8 days to go, we'll shape up and do Lino proud. Until then, here are today's readings and how they relate to our favorite radio host, Lino Rulli!!!



Luke 10:1-9
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, ‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”


Here we see one of Christ's greatest commands. To go out and tell others about him. Let them know that the Kingdom of God is at hand. It's that commandment that Lino follows 100 percent on the radio each day.


The laborers are indeed few in Catholic radio. Yes, there are plenty of people out there doing the same thing. And if this sounds like a shot, so be it. But half-heartedly doing a radio show is NOT what God expects. God wants you to work your hardest for him. If it's not your hardest effort, I don't think God would be proud of you. 


You can say a lot of things about Lino Rulli (shot!), but lazy definitely isn't one of them. Beneath the fun and witty banter of The Catholic Guy is a man who is working the harvest for God, in a way that reaches others like nobody else can.

October 10 means only 16 days left till The Italian Stalion The Predicament turns "almost 40" so we carry on with a countdown in which we take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. *or will it?

With 18 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts (what happened to our countdown this weekend? The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!


Lk 11:15-26

With 19 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts (what happened to our countdown this weekend? The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!


Gal 3:1-5
O stupid Galatians!
Who has bewitched you,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
I want to learn only this from you:
did you receive the Spirit from works of the law,
or from faith in what you heard?
Are you so stupid?
After beginning with the Spirit,
are you now ending with the flesh?
Did you experience so many things in vain?–
if indeed it was in vain.
Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you
and works mighty deeds among you
do so from works of the law
or from faith in what you heard?

Sometimes it seems like Lino can be a little mean on the air. Most of us know that it's in good fun, but sometimes the goofing can sound a little mean. But don't tell that to St. Paul, as he calls the Galatians stupid in this Bible verse.

Paul's "name calling" might sound harsh, but the man was frustrated. It's the same book in which Paul says he wishes those who frustrated him would just castrate themselves  (5:12). And calling the Galatians  stupid wasn't done just out of immaturity: Paul had a point he wanted to make, and being outrageously blunt was the best way to do it.

So when Lino goofs on a priest or a crew member, don't get mad at him: He's just merely following in the footsteps of St. Paul

With 20 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts (what happened to our countdown this weekend? The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!

With 21 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts (what happened to our countdown this weekend? The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.

Lino's work ethic reminds me a little of Martha. Lino is burdened with much serving for Christ. He lives his life in such a way that it's obvious to all around just how much he spends evangelizing. A three-hour show each day, weekends devoted to talks in faraway lands (mad props to Lou and Maureen for the funny pseudo-hillbilly accents yesterday, btw).

Lino does it all.

Lino's biggest weakness, something he's mentioned on air, is that he get's anxious about the show. He wants to make each show the best ever, and I wouldn't expect anything less from a professional. In fact, we the listeners benefit greatly from Lino's work ethic, as we end up getting the best show in Catholic radio. Reading today's Gospel is a small reminder that we should always keep Lino in our prayers, so that he doesn't become so overwhelmed with working for the good of Christ that he misses out on being a part of Christ's goodness.


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With 22 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts (what happened to our countdown this weekend? I had a very busy weekend since I'm moving to Pennsylvania on Thursday, and the bumper on my car fell off). The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!


Lk 10:25-37

 With 24 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts. The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!


Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5

 With 25 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts. The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!






Luke 10:1-2
Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day
than for that town."


When I read this passage of scripture, I immediately thought of Lino's big speech at the Catholic New Media Celebration. Need a reminder? Here's the speech.





In the speech, Lino echoes Christ's words when he says "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." The thing with Catholic media is that it has to be cutting edge. It has to be fun and it has to be interesting, otherwise nothing gets done and people ignore it and Christ's redeeming love. I don't think I'm being too melodramatic when I say that the key to winning souls for Christ is by giving people a good product.

That's what Christ wants from us: Trying our very best and giving it all for him. The workers, i.e. people who are actually talented, seem to be few and far between, with most of Catholic media preferring to rest on their laurels and do things the way they've always been done (there's exceptions, but your average Catholic radio station would put young people to sleep).

It's one of the reasons I love Lino's show: because he actually does care about putting out a good product and reaching people. "Boring" Catholic radio may actually work for a few people, but we need to examine other ways in which we can reach people, uncomfortable and unorthodox as they may be.

Because the harvest is plentiful. And the talent is few.

Thanks Lino!

With 26 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts. The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!




John 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."




Jesus' words today fit in well with Lino Rulli Day. 


"You will see greater things than this." As great as Lino Rulli day was, I think we will see greater things. True, the aim of the show is to lead us closer to God (while making us laugh), and seeing heaven opened and the angels of God will certainly be better than a radio show, but I think we will see greater things than the trip to Minnesota soon.


Call me crazy, but we haven't seen much of a shakeup lately on the show. Everything is standing pat, no real life-changing events (save for Lou buying a house). But before the end of year, who knows, maybe Maureen and Danny will conceive a child. Maybe Lino will settle down with someone special and stop being so damn picky, as Greg Willits mentioned on a recent show.


Bottom line, if Lino and crew keep doing what they're doing, some great, wonderful things will definitely be coming their way.

With 27 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts. The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!


Luke 9:51-56
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
"Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?"
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.


What a fitting reading the day before Lino Rulli Day. Everywhere Lino goes, it seems as if he's very well received. In Rome, they put him on Vatican Radio. In Las Vegas and New Orleans, he gets really nice rooms. He gets cheered by thousands at the Papal Youth Rally in Yonkers, N.Y.


Lino certainly had it better than Jesus.


That's not to say that Lino's success and popularity shouldn't be looked down upon. It's just a friendly reminder that so many times as Christians, we have it a lot better than Christ and his disciples did 2,000 years ago. To my knowledge, they haven't ran Lino out of any town he's visited. And just like Christ, Lino has journeyed to yet another village where he can spread the love of God.

With 29 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts. The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then, much to our amusement Lino's annoyance. Enjoy!


Luke 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham replied,
'My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.'
He said, 'Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.'
He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"


In today's readings, the rich man, though burning in Hell, didn't even apologize to Lazarus. Instead of telling Lazarus he was sorry, he tried ordering Lazarus around like a servant. He obviously didn't learn anything despite being tormented.


Lino says on the air that he isn't a rich man. I believe him, but the fact that he can afford his own apartment in NYC seems to say that he's at least comfortable. But despite his material possessions and success in life, Lino is the opposite of this rich man in Jesus' parable. While the rich man ignored those less fortunate, Lino reaches out. He's mentioned on air that he sponsors a child overseas each month, employs a cleaning lady (giving back to our economy), and never mentions lack of tithing as a sin he deals with (but it's something I definitely struggle with.


I believe that if anyone had a sincere, urgent problem, Lino would reach out (he loaned a guy $1,000 and to this day, I don't believe he ever got the money back) and help. He's definitely not like the rich guy. And as such, we can safely assume that Lino won't be burning in Hell anytime soon.

With 30 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts. The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then (such as today's which appears with only 2-3 hours before tomorrow). Enjoy!


Luke 9:43b-45
While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.


In this passage, nobody knows what Jesus means when he says something, even though what he said was a great thing.


Lino has a gig on the show where he says something meaningful, and the Sirius XM voiceover guy says "Lino really said something." It sounds cocky and arrogant sometimes, but as Maureen pointed out one day, due to the fact pace of the show, it's good that Lino stops and lets people reflect on the great thing he just said.


Despite the shows nuttiness and innuendo (in your endo? Hey oh!), it's also filled with poignant moments, such as the really great conversation Lino had with Fr. Jim on Friday about why he has the desire to help people.

With 31 days until The Predicament turns 39, we thought we'd start a countdown of sorts. The goal? Take each day's readings and find a way to apply one of the passages to the life of Lino Rulli. And then, we have something VERY special waiting for Lino on October 26...and no, it won't require a restraining order. Yes, we would have done a 39-day countdown since he'll turn 39, but we're not paid for this, and as such, we show signs of laziness now and then. Enjoy!

In just a few hours, we'll be without Maureen. It's 12:45 p.m. central time, which means that Maureen will be done with The Catholic Guy in five hours and fifteen minutes.

We'll see you in about 2 hours and 15 minutes for the live-blogging. Until then, give Bob Dunning a listen. After the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, he should put on a great show.