Rabbi Jason Fruithandler and Barbara Murphy talk about the strange story of the prophet Balaam and the Moabite King Balak and the donkey that saw the angel.

Episode Three: Balaam and the Talking Donkey - Numbers 22

We complete our conversations about the Commandments, the Tablets given to us from God. They are a gift for a good life for us as individuals and as a community, as a society that understands that without boundaries, with these laws we have no true freedom.

Episode 37: Commandments: For Love of God, Love of Neighbor, Love of Self

Welcome to our new weekly podcast, Go and Make Disciples: Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. The title is from Mathew 28:19, the Great Commission, to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. That is what OCIA is all about.

OCIA draws us away from a program mindset of initiation toward an approach that embraces a sacramental life of discipleship. This new way of seeing Initiation is about accompaniment on our journeys of faith, walking in the Gospel with others toward a life of worship and service.

This first episode will introduce the podcast, explain why the process has shifted and how we envision the parishes embracing OCIA.

In the upcoming episodes experts will join us to talk about the history of Initiation in the Church; the kerygma, the proclamation; conversion; OCIA with children and teens, among many other elements that order our hearts, souls, and might toward Christ. 

Please join Fr. Juan Ochoa, Director of the Office for Divine Worship at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and your host, Barbara Murphy, Coordinator of the Catholic Bible Institute for Go and Make Disciples: Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Episode 1: Introduction - Go and Make Disciples: OCIA

The National Statutes guide pastors and teams through the OCIA process so that they might better guide the lives of Inquirers and Catechumens toward community worship and a habit of prayer, in Church teachings and living a moral life, and participation in works of charity and service. In other words - to a life configured to Christ.

In this podcast Fr. Juan Ochoa and Barbara Murphy talk about the norms provided by the US Church and our role as ministers of the OCIA process.

Episode 2: National Statutes

The change in the name from Rite to Order of Christian Initiation of Adults orients our hearts toward the process of becoming Catholic. The changes articulate that journey and clarifies steps and terms. What has not changed is the vision:

“The Order of Christian Initiation…is designed for adults who, upon hearing the proclamation of the mystery of Christ as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts, consciously and freely seek the living God and undertake the journey of faith and conversion.” OCIA 1

Please join us for this podcast to help clergy and ministers find their way through the renewed process and book.

Episode 3: Go and Make Disciples - What Changed and What Remains the Same

This podcast begins with the parable of Good Samaritan in which the Church Fathers saw the foundation of our Sacraments. Fr. Juan Ochoa beautifully describes the life of the Church in her experiences of Grace. He show us how we are called to approach the sacraments with faith like the woman who touched the tassel of Jesus's cloak and was healed. Please join us for this excellent teaching about Faith and Sacraments.

Episode 4: Go and Make Disciples  - Faith and Sacraments

Fr. Pedro Lopez walks us through the history of what we know today as Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. He shows us the development of the process from our Jewish roots, through times of growth, waning, and revival. Please join us for this fascinating podcast that helps us to understand that OCIA did not start in 1972. It began with the birth of the Church herself. The same truth brought to a new generation.

Episode 5: Go and Make Disciples - History of Christian Initiation

The Rite of Election at the Cathedral brings together literally thousands of people who desire to be part of the Sacramental life of the Catholic Church. To see them gathered together gives all of us hope that the Church is alive and well and ready to enter the world to love God with all our hearts, souls and might and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We see our mother Church reflected in those who come to the table of the Lord with open hearts, praise and thanksgiving.

Episode 6: Go and Make Disciples- Right of Election

The Rite of Calling to Continuing Conversion is for Catholics who were baptized as infants, but have not been catechized or fully initiated, and for those who were baptized into other Christian traditions. They are already part of the Christian community and in this rite are called to ongoing conversion that will last their lifetime. Please join us as we share the importance of this rite for those who wish to participate fully in the Sacramental life of the Catholic Church.

Episode 7: Go and Make Disciples- Right of Calling

The minor rites of the catechumenate are beautiful prayers that help to free the minds of the catechumens and all who participate from the wiles of sin and temptation. Simple yet beautiful in the love for God and God's love for us. Please join Fr. Juan Ochoa, Fr. Chris Bazyouros, Adrian Aralar, and Leticia Perez who share their experience of OCIA and the rite's power to transform lives and hearts.

Episode 8: Go and Make Disciples-Exorcisms and Blessings - The Minor Rites

The OCIA Rite adapts for Children ages 7-12 who have not been baptized. Often their parents are not Catholic or the child desires to enter into full sacramental participation with the Church. In this podcast with Deacon Douglas Zuniga, Coordinator of Elementary Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Los Angles and Fr. Juan Ochoa share their wisdom and insights about how we walk with children and parents towards full communion and formation as disciples of Jesus. Please join us!

Episode 9: Go and Make Disciples - OCIA with Children

The OCIA Rite offers rites for adults and children, but what about our teenagers? Those ages 13-17 have different needs and questions. This podcast featuring Dayrin Perez, Lead Coordinator of Youth Ministry for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Fr. Juan Ochoa, Director of the Office of Divine Worship offers great wisdom from experience as a parent and as ministers to help catechists find practical ways of evangelizing our young people and their parents. Please join this important conversation so we can guide our youth toward becoming missionary disciples of Jesus.

Episode 10: Go and Make Disciples - OCIA with Teenagers

Please join Erick Rubalcava, Chief of Mission and Catholic Identity, Department of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles with Fr. Juan Ochoa of the Office for Divine Worship as they share their experience and vision for OCIA and Sacramental formation for our parish children and families. Often the church and school are separate communities and in this conversation Erick and Fr. Juan offer practical ideas and resources to help pastors, principals, teachers and families be unified in the Body of Christ.

Episode 11: Go and Make Disciples - OCIA in Catholic Schools

The story of the Healing of the Man Born Blind is the Gospel for the Second Scrutiny in the period of Purification and Enlightenment. Just as the blind man was purified in Siloam and given the light to recognize Jesus, we seek the light in order to see him better. No character other than Jesus is named in this story. We are just like them in our journeys of the faith. At any given time we are the blind man now sighted; the parents who were afraid to stand apart from where they belonged; the Pharisees who asked the question but if this man is not from God how is it he is able to heal a man blind from birth? Sometimes we are the ones who argued against the now sighted man because all we know is being questioned. Join us for this moving and transforming conversation that challenged both of us and brought new and enlightened understanding.

Episode 58: Healing of the Man Born Blind-John Chapter 9

Mystagogy takes place after Easter Vigil and is a time for neophytes to reflect on what God has done for them in the Sacraments. It is a time often misunderstood or even ignored. In this podcast Fr. Juan Ochoa, Leticia Perez, and Adrian Aralar articulate what mystagogy is and its importance to those newly received into communion with the Church, and for the whole community. Please do not miss this podcast, or mystagogy for your OCIA minsters and your entire parish!

Episode 12: Go and Make Disciples - Mystagogy

Catholic Social Teaching is the guide of our Christian life. We are called as missionary disciples to works of charity for our neighbor based on the story of the Good Samaritan. The Letter of James tells us that underpinning all our work is faith in Jesus Christ. Paragraph 75 of the OCIA Rite instructs all of us to reach out anyone in need, no matter who they are, what they believe, or their status in life. Michael Donaldson, Director for the Office of Life, Justice, and Peace along with Fr. Juan Ochoa share beautiful insights and offer practical ways to ground our works in Christ so that all we do reveals God to the people we encounter. We are all made in the image of God and to see each other through the eyes of Jesus will transform the world. Join us.

Episode 13: Go and Make Disciples - Living the Christian Life: Works of Charity

My dear and gracious friend, Rabbi Jason Fruithandler, suggested in this week's podcast that we honor the life of Pope Francis by sharing reflections and thoughts about one of his writings. We chose a homily composed from his hospital bed that uplifts and calls artists to be prophets of hope for the world. As people of faith our art is to live the beatitudes in the spirit of humility and love as Pope Francis showed us in his last days among us. Please share this hope with everyone!

Jubilee of Artists and World of Culture
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2025/documents/20250216-omelia-giubileo-artisti.html

Episode 61: Homily from Pope Francis-Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture

In this podcast Bobby Vidal and Anitra Gil of the Office for New Evangelization and Parish Life in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles share their experience of proclaiming Christ who suffered, died and rose for the sake of world. This is the beginning of faith for all and is necessary to proclaim throughout the OCIA process and the life of the Church. A relationship with Jesus is the starting point of a life of repentance and renewal. Join us!

Episode 16: Go and Make Disciples - Proclaiming Christ - the Kerygma

St. Augustine said "he who sings, prays twice". Music is an integral and Scriptural part of worship. The hymns we choose express the readings and parts of the Mass. Music reinforces the rites of OCIA and helps to articulate them to the catechumens and the assembly. Please join Victor Wheeler, Coordinator of Sacred Music in the Office for Divine Worship and Fr. Juan Ochoa in this important conversation about the beauty and power of music in the OCIA rites.

Episode 18: Go and Make Disciples - Pray Twice: Music and OCIA

Good soil does not just happen. It needs care. Jesus said the seed that falls on good soil is embraced with a good and generous heart and bears fruit through perseverance.  There are many kinds of soil and they all need to be weeded, watered, fed, and provided with sunshine. Our hearts need to be nourished too, through the word of God. Join us in this conversation about nourishing the soil of the heart so that we might hear and understand.

Episode 64: Parable of the Sower-Luke 8:4-15

In this story about Jesus healing the Gerasene demoniac there is always the question about the swine and why  they jumped off the cliff. Other questions arise about the afflicted man. We try to understand it for ourselves today as trauma, or addiction and these are valid ways to wrestle with this strange story. Isaiah 65:4-5 gives us some clues about it as does the reality on the ground at the time of writing. We hope our conversation and struggle with the text helps you to think about things then and now in new ways.

Episode 65: Why did the pigs jump off the cliff? - Luke 8:26-39

This curious passage sits between the scene where Moses tries to convince God that he is not the man for job and his joining together with Aaron to begin their journey to Egypt. The verses say that the Lord sought to kill him, so Moses's Midianite wife, Zipporah, circumcised their firstborn son and in this sign of the covenant he was spared. In our conversation we wonder about the language, the subjects, and the meaning of the "bridegroom of blood" that is born of this covenantal act, and what it might mean for us today. It is a strange passage that has confounded even the most learned of Rabbis and commentators. Join us as we offer thoughts and reflections that come through our relationship with God and one another.

Episode 66: Blood of the Covenant - Exodus 4:24-26

Today we do something different. In this podcast we talk about a story from the Talmud. It is about Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish, two learned men of Torah. Rabbi Yochanan was a man of great learning whose beauty could heal. As a young man Reish Lakish was a bandit and one day when he tried to attack the Rabbi, Yochanan told him that his strength would be good to study Torah. Lakish threw himself into its study and became the greatest Torah scholar of his generation. They were havruta, two people who dialogue about Torah in order to bring out and clarify its meaning. One day the two offended each other and in harboring their anger it brought about their mutual demise.  What do we learn from this tragic tale? For those who have ears to hear, listen.  Jesus said leave your sacrifice at the altar and make peace with your brother and sister. Please join our havruta.

Episode 67 - From Sinai to Bethlehem - A Story from the Talmud

Taanit 20a:16

The Sages further taught in praise of the reed: A person should always be soft like a reed, and he should not be stiff like a cedar. An incident occurred in which Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, came from Migdal Gedor, from his rabbi’s house, and he was riding on a donkey and strolling on the bank of the river. And he was very happy, and his head was swollen with pride because he had studied much Torah.

He happened upon an exceedingly ugly person, who said to him: Greetings to you, my rabbi, but Rabbi Elazar did not return his greeting. Instead, Rabbi Elazar said to him: Worthless [reika] person, how ugly is that man. Are all the people of your city as ugly as you? The man said to him: I do not know, but you should go and say to the Craftsman Who made me: How ugly is the vessel you made. When Rabbi Elazar realized that he had sinned and insulted this man merely on account of his appearance, he descended from his donkey and prostrated himself before him, and he said to the man: I have sinned against you; forgive me. The man said to him: I will not forgive you go until you go to the Craftsman Who made me and say: How ugly is the vessel you made.

He walked behind the man, trying to appease him, until they reached Rabbi Elazar’s city. The people of his city came out to greet him, saying to him: Greetings to you, my rabbi, my rabbi, my master, my master. The man said to them: Who are you calling my rabbi, my rabbi? They said to him: To this man, who is walking behind you. He said to them: If this man is a rabbi, may there not be many like him among the Jewish people. They asked him: For what reason do you say this? He said to them: He did such and such to me. They said to him: Even so, forgive him, as he is a great Torah scholar.

He said to them: For your sakes I forgive him, provided that he accepts upon himself not to become accustomed to behave like this. Immediately, Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, entered the study hall and taught: A person should always be soft like a reed and he should not be stiff like a cedar, as one who is proud like a cedar is likely to sin. And therefore, due to its gentle qualities, the reed merited that a quill is taken from it to write with it a Torah scroll, phylacteries, and mezuzot.

Episode 68: From Sinai to Bethlehem - The Ugly Man

The Paper Chicken: A Story of Renewal
(As retold by Rabbi Or Rose)

A young Hasid once visited his beloved master, Rabbi Elimelkh of Lizensk,
during the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuval). The Hasid came to
his rebbe with a specific request:

"Great Master, as a devoted member of the holy community of Lizensk, I have
been blessed to witness you pray the three daily services, recite the blessing over
wine on Shabbat, and light the Hanukkah candles. In fact, I have been fortunate
enough to observe you perform many of God's sacred commands. Anong the few
mitzvoth I have not yet seen you perform is the ritual of Kapparol. Would it be
possible for me to do so this year?"

Reb Elimelekh replied, "While I am honored by your request, I must admit that
my performance of this particular command is rather ordinary. Like others, I take
a chicken in hand and swing it over my head. While doing so, I say the
appropriate words of absolution. When I conclude the ritual, I give the animal to
the hungry in our community for their final meal before Yom Kippur. If you want
to see someone perform the ritual of Kapparot in a special manner, go to Moshe
the innkeeper."

And so, on the night before Yom Kippur, the young Hasid made his way to
Moshe's inn, where he ate dinner and stayed the night. Early the next morning,
Moshe and his wife awoke early to perform the mitzvah of Kapparot; the young
Hasid looked on with great anticipation.

The ritual began with Moshe sitting in a wooden chair before the small fireplace in
his living room. After positioning himself comfortably in the chair, he asked his
wife to bring him the "Two books of repentance." Moshe's wife dutifully brought
her husband two tattered books from his study.

Moshe opened the first book, carefully read its contents, and began to weep. The
young Hasid listened intently as Moshe read a list of (rather minor) sins the
innkeeper had committed against God the previous year. After completing this
reading, Moshe took the book, swung it over his head, and threw it into the fire.

The innkeeper took a deep breath and then opened the second book and repeated
the ritual. This time, however, he read a somewhat longer list of sins that God had
committed against the Jewish people the previous year. After completing his
recitation, Moshe swung the book over his head and threw it into the fire.

The innkeeper was then ready for Yom Kippur.

Episode 69: From Sinai to Bethlehem - A Paper Chicken

Paul's letter about love is the foundation of our faith. Jesus taught that love of God and love of neighbor as ourselves are the two greatest commandments. With love we embrace God's gift of the commandments so that we might live good and happy lives. In this letter, Paul teaches us about the love that comes from God, the love that transcends our human inclination to hold onto pain and anger so that we will look at each other with kindness and understanding, just as Jesus did in his life and from the cross. Please join us for this beautiful conversation about love for each other that comes from the love of God.

Episode 70: From Sinai to Bethlehem - What the World Needs Now is Love: 1 Corinthians 13

Today we talk about hope. Our world is in great need of hope and in the telling of the story of God's love for us we know hope is still alive.  Listen to this story about the 18th century Hasidic master, Baal Shem Tov, told below, and understand that hope remains as does the promise that God will be with us.

“It is told that in every generation there are times when hope threatens to leave this world. At such times, the Baal Shem Tov, the great Jewish mystic, would go into a secret place in the forest. There he would light a special fire and say a holy prayer speaking the long-forgotten most sacred name of God. The danger was averted and hope stayed alive.

In later times when disaster threatened, the Maggid of Mezrich, his disciple, would go to the same place in the forest and say, “Ribono Shel Olam, Master of the Universe, I do not know how to light the fire, but I can say the prayer.” 

Still later, his disciple, Moshe Leib of Sasov, would go to the same place in the forest and say, “Ribono Shel Olam, Master of the Universe, I do not know how to light the fire or say the prayer, but I found my way to this place, and that must be enough.” And it was. Hope stayed alive.

And later when Israel of Rizhyn needed intervention from heaven, he sat in his chair with his head in his hands and said, “Ribono Shel Olam, Master of the Universe, I no longer know how to light the fire nor how to say the prayer, I can’t even find my way to that place, but I can tell the story and that must be enough.” And it was.
And it still is. As long as stories are told, hope stays in the world.”

Episode 71 : From Sinai to Bethlehem - Tell the Story of Hope

The Lukan story of the Rich Ruler is also in Matthew and Mark as the story of the Rich young man. The three are similar in that wealth and power take precedent over God. Jesus offers a difficult teaching that we place God above all else, not only possessions but family and friends. It is in the first love of God that the kind of love we need so that every person is our family has its origin. Are we able to love in this way, to give up what we hold onto so dearly in this life to make a full offering of our selves to God? The rich ruler was saddened by this request. Are we?

Episode 72: From Sinai to Bethlehem - The Rich Ruler: Luke 18:18-30

This is a powerful episode of Abraham imploring God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah, cities of sinfulness, for the sake of those who live a righteous life. In it we discuss God and the ability for us to ask that anger is quelled for the sake of others. In the Church we do this every Sunday when we offer the prayers of the faithful. In Judaism the prayer is that God move from justice to mercy. This is what we experience in this story of Abraham reaching out for the sake of others, leaving petition for his own family alone, and advocating for all who are righteous, even if only a few. Abraham was called by God out of a profoundly pagan world to be the one who will bless all the nations before God. Jesus calls each one of us to do the same.

Episode 73: From Sinai to Bethlehem - You Can Petition the Lord With Prayer. Ask Abraham!

In this seemingly simple yet complex parable Jesus teaches us to live side-by-side, wheat and weeds, good and evil, and to wait until the final judgement before we two are separated from each other. What does it mean for us to live our day-to-day lives in the struggle to be the "children of the kingdom" along side the "children of the evil one"? Please join us for this challenging conversation.

Episode 74: From Sinai to Bethlehem - Weeds among the Wheat - Mathew 13-24-30

The Sermon on the Mount is a rich and textured teaching of Jesus that permeates the world, often without people even knowing where the wisdom originated. In this episode we come once again to the Sermon particularly the section about leaving anxieties of daily life behind and trusting that God knows what we need. We ask how to do that especially when we see suffering and poverty, hunger and despair. What does it mean that God will provide? These are difficult questions that we face in our struggle to understand God for us. Please join us.

Episode 75: From Sinai to Bethlehem - The Sermon on the Mount Revisited

We continue our conversation sharing what it means to be salt of the earth and light to the world.

Episode 76: Semon On The Mount - continued

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Connecting Scripture and Life podcast explores the way God speaks in different times and places with the same wisdom that lead to a happy life. Scripture teaches us how to live. Through conversations with people who love, teach, and live it we will explore our own lives in the pages of the sacred.

Connecting Scripture and Life is a ministry of the Catholic Bible Institute, Office of Religious Education, Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

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