Monday morning, I rolled out of bed and onto the radio: I was one of the guests on “Seize the Day,” hosted by Gus Lloyd on the Catholic Channel. I’ve been on the show a couple times before, and Gus is always an engaging and enjoyable host.

Now, America Magazine has an interview with him:

You work as a Catholic apologist. What is that? First, let me tell what it isn’t. It’s not someone who apologizes for being Catholic. (Though some people think we should!) An apologist is someone who explains and defends the faith. I help people understand what the church really teaches, especially the Biblical basis for the church’s teachings. Many people, even many Catholics, have great misunderstandings about why we believe what we believe. I try to clear up those misconceptions. You’ve written a lot about your reversion to the Catholic faith after several years away. What inspired you to become a Catholic lay evangelist upon coming back? It’s truly a calling from the Lord. Believe me, I never had designs on being an evangelist. I came to understand that God had given me particular gifts for a reason—to use them to benefit the Kingdom of God. I believe we can only be truly happy when we’re using our gifts for the glory of God. The rise of new multimedia platforms has challenged Catholics to evangelize in new ways, using technologies and methods unknown to the generations that came before us. How have you risen to this challenge in your own ministry? As a radio guy, I’m a big proponent of using media. Naturally I think that radio is the most effective communication tool ever, but I also see the value in every form of media. I don’t naturally gravitate toward Internet and video, but
I have found that they are a great extension
of my primary medium of radio. I’m pretty old school, though, as I think there is nothing more effective than one-to-one communication for evangelization. Not very long ago, it was still relatively rare for Catholic laypeople to become full-time evangelists and start “ministries” in the Protestant fashion. But today it has become common. How do you see this movement complementing the work of Catholic high schools, parishes and other institutions? By our baptism, I believe we’re all called to be evangelizers. Lay ministries can never take the place of these institutions, but offer other avenues of sharing the Gospel. While high schools, parishes and other institutions have a broad-based message, lay ministries can be more specialized in what they offer—like apologetics, prayer ministries, Bible study, etc. Plus they can often make others more comfortable in being in smaller groups or even one-on-one. I think people are more apt to open themselves in smaller settings rather than in large groups. From your perspective, what does the Catholic Church most need in the United States right now? Revival! We need more people to be on fire with love for Jesus. This will then help spread the faith like a wildfire.

Check out more. And check out his radio show onThe Catholic Channel every morning, too.

Photo: Gus Lloyd Ministries

Seizing the Day with Gus Lloyd: “Revival! We Need People to be on Fire!”