This week on Be Not Afraid, Fr. Fabian and Fr. Bruce Riebe open with the Feast of the Prophet Elijah (July 20), a simple holy day on the Byzantine Catholic calendar. They discuss Elijah's life in ninth-century BC Israel, his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, his encounter with God in "a still, small voice," and his fiery ascension into heaven — the origin of the Byzantine tradition of blessing cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even bicycles on his feast day. The hosts then turn to St. Mary Magdalene, whose feast falls on July 22. Fr. Bruce shares scholarship clarifying that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute, addressing the long-standing conflation of her identity with the sinful woman of Luke 7 and Mary of Bethany. They reflect on her title as "Apostle to the Apostles," given by St. Thomas Aquinas, and her faithful presence at the crucifixion and the empty tomb, where she was first to proclaim the Resurrection. Closing out the show, Fr. Fabian and Fr. Bruce preview the Gospel for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 13:44-52), reflecting on the parables of the treasure buried in a field, the pearl of great price, and the net cast into the sea. They discuss what it means to treasure the Kingdom of God above wealth, pleasure, and power, and invite listeners to place Christ at the center of their hearts. Learn more at IowaCatholicRadio.com. This episode of Be Not Afraid is brought to you by Ball Team, your builder of all faith-based construction needs. Learn more at BuildWithBall.com. #BeNotAfraid #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPodcast #OrdinaryTime #SundayGospel #CatholicFaith #ProphetElijah #ByzantineCatholic #EasternCatholicChurch #MaryMagdalene #ApostleToTheApostles #CatholicSaints #SundayReflection #CatholicHomily #CatholicRadio #GospelOfMatthew #KingdomOfHeaven #CatholicMedia Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
