Sweating with...(not Richard Simmons)

If I manage to shed a few pounds in the next few weeks I give credit to Francis Cardinal Arinze, prefect for the Congreation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. I’ve been listening to his podcasts while I work out on the elliptical trainer and it has made it very easy to keep up with my exercise program. I become so engrossed in the Cardinal’s remarks that I forget I am exercising and sweating off the calories.

Over on the left side bar you will find a logo and link for the Cardinal Arinze podcast. I cannot say enough good things about these podcasts. They are produced by the Apostolate for Family Consecration. The bits of commentary by the moderators are fairly ordinary, but Cardinal Arinze is a genius. He doesn’t dance around issues. He goes straight to the heart of Catholic teaching and presents it in such an eloquent but clearly understood fashion. I encourage all my readers who use iTunes to take advantage of these free downloads.

I also recently finished the book God’s Invisible Hand. This is a compilation of interviews of Cardinal Arinze by Gerard O’Connell. Cardinal Arinze spent eighteen years as the head of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue. Pope John Paul II then named him to be the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Cardinal Arinze is a remarkably humble and holy man. He is also a gifted teacher. He breaks down complex issues into small easily understood segments then reassembles the parts in a way that clears away confusion and ambiguity. Definitely a book that belongs on your reading list!