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Introduction

Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone

who asks for a reason for your hope.

1 Peter 3:15

Apologetics – the branch of theology concerned with the defense and rational justification of Christianity (in our case, Catholicism)

We live in a sound bite society. Our attention spans have gotten shorter and shorter with the glut of information and input that is available to us today. This isn’t a new phenomenon. But it does seem as though it is progressively getting worse. It started with radio, then television, then cable. Then along came the game changer: the Internet.

Since the dawn of the Internet, new media have come along that have only exacerbated the problem. Facebook, Twitter and smart phones, texting and IM’ing are, I believe, contributing to the dumbing down of society. If you can’t tell me what I need to know in a minute, then go away.

Don’t get me wrong…I get it. I am as guilty as the next person of this. The pace of life has become so hectic, who has time to read extended explanations of things? I just want to know what I need to know in as short a period of time as possible. That’s the reason for this book.

Almost 20 years ago, I started my career in Catholic radio. After many years in secular radio, I never dreamed that God would call me into this fledgling ministry. But, oh, what a sense of humor our God has! In radio, you have to learn how to be succinct. In writing and producing ad copy, you need to get the message across in a very short period of time. Often that period is just 60 seconds.

Many years ago, I began writing short Catholic apologetics spots for Spirit FM, the Catholic radio station where I hosted the morning show in Tampa, FL. Initially these spots, called A Minute in the Church, ran around two minutes. But my program director at the time insisted that I boil them down to the industry norm for spots, 60 seconds. While I was reticent at first, I now realize that this was a very good thing.

Now, when you’re listening to a commercial, 60 seconds can seem like an eternity. Just listen to Mr. Screaming Car Guy. (Which I have been in the past, by the way. More of God’s sense of humor.) But when you’re trying to impart the truths of the Catholic faith, 60 seconds might just as well be a nanosecond. I mean, how do you explain teachings and doctrines that have been unwrapped over the course of centuries in just a minute? Hopefully, I have been able to do this in some small measure.

I must state from the outset that these teachings are nowhere near exhaustive. In fact, all of them leave much to be desired. But it is my hope that this is exactly what these will engender: desire. A desire on your part to go deeper into the Scriptures and the teachings of Holy Mother Church. There are so many resources available these days to help you grow in your knowledge of the faith. My prayer is that you will use them.

Many of these short teachings are filled with Scripture references. While it is vitally important that we know Scripture, I don’t think that it is imperative that we be able to spout chapter and verse. In the beginning stages, I believe that it is enough to know what Scripture says, and not necessarily where it says it. So, as you read these and become more familiar with them, get to know the story of each teaching. Some of them are chock full of facts and quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Others read more like a story or parable. The Scripture quotes and chapters and verses will come to you in time.

Lastly, I have found through my many years of engaging in Catholic apologetics that you can never argue someone into the Church. Believe me, I’ve tried. We must be willing to defend our faith with humility, and with the courage to always stand up for the truth. It sometimes seems that these two things can be at odds with one another, but that needn’t be the case.

I pray that you will find these teachings useful in helping you to explain and defend the Catholic faith. Learn with an open heart and an open mind, with the goal of sharing your heart and the truth. God will take it from there.

Gus Lloyd

October 2010