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Our Blog

Legalizing Assisted Suicide

By Fr. Jeff | 03/20/2024

Several states are once again considering legalizing assisted suicide. Among them is New York State where I live and where many of the regular readers of my blog live. Rather than write a new blog article on this topic, today…

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Does Anyone Listen?

By Fr. Jeff | 03/19/2024

Do you ever feel like people aren’t really listening to what you have to say?  You try to present your perspective but you feel you either they weren’t listening or you must have not explained it well.  We might do…

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5th Sunday of Lent, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/16/2024

5th Sunday of Lent, Year BJeremiah 31:31-34Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15 (12a)Hebrews 5:7-9John 12:20-33March 17, 2024 “The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” God…

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The Hidden Depths of the Mass #32

By Fr. Jeff | 03/14/2024

The Sign of Peace Having celebrated the Sacrifice of Jesus in the Eucharist, after praying the Lord’s Prayer, we offer a Sign of Peace.  On several occasions Jesus offered peace to his disciples.  The words said by the priest here…

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How the Family Feels

By Fr. Jeff | 03/12/2024

I don’t know how many funerals I have done since I was ordained a priest almost seventeen years ago.  Depending on the parish, I have done anywhere from ten to fifty funerals a year (including Masses and services without a…

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4th Sunday of Lent Year B

By Fr. Jeff | 03/10/2024

Last week we hear God giving the Ten Commandments to his people (Exodus 20:1-17).  God made it clear to his people how He expected them to live.  It’s not just what He wanted.  God knows that the Ten Commandments are good…

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New Video – Why Should I Go to Mass (Weekly)?

By Fr. Jeff | 03/08/2024

I completed my presentation, Why Should I Go to Mass (Weekly)?, last night. This video isn’t just for people who don’t go to Mass. It will help you reflect on why it is important to go to Mass. You can…

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The Hidden Depths of the Mass #31

By Fr. Jeff | 03/06/2024

The Hidden Depths of the Mass #31The Lord’s Prayer Every time Mass is celebrated we all join together in saying the Lord’s Prayer.  Why include it at Mass?  The whole of Mass comes from the Lord and is rooted in…

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There is Still Hope

By Fr. Jeff | 03/05/2024

Last week I wrote about the hope I saw in the Alabama State Supreme Court’s decision that “embryos are children” (“There is Hope in Alabama”).  Unfortunately, it is becoming clear that many people do not get the significance of the…

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3rd Sunday of Lent, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/03/2024

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year BExodus 20:1-17Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 12 (John 6:68c)1 Corinthians 1:22-25John 2:13-25March 3, 2024 At times, Paul tells us that as Christians we are not under the Law.  Rather, we are under the Spirit.  This does…

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The Hidden Depths of the Mass #30

By Fr. Jeff | 02/28/2024

The Eucharistic Prayer – The Concluding Doxology The Eucharistic Prayer ends with the priest saying, “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours,…

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A New Look for My Website

By Fr. Jeff | 02/27/2024

After three months of much work, my website has a new look. Those of you who know me, know that I normally update my website myself. The change started when my old blog crashed in November. It didn’t work for three days.…

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There is Hope in Alabama

By Fr. Jeff | 02/27/2024

Last Tuesday, I read Daniel Payne’s article, “Alabama Supreme Court rules that embryos are children under state law,” (2/20/24.  Catholic News Agency.  Accessed online on 2/27/24 at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256891/alabama-supreme-court-rules-that-frozen-embryos-are-children-under-state-law).  In the very first line he reported, “The Alabama Supreme Court has…

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2nd Sunday of Lent, Year B

By Fr. Jeff | 02/25/2024

“God put Abraham to the test.” How would you fair with the same test?  Last week I spoke about our struggles to resist temptation.  Who you do any better with the test that Abraham faced when God told him, “Take…

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New Video – Why Should I Go to Confession?

By Fr. Jeff | 02/23/2024

Last night I offered a new presentation, Why Should I Go to Confession?. The recording of the video and the slides are now available on my website at https://www.renewaloffaith.org/whyconfession. If you view the video in the next few days, you can complete…

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The Hidden Depths of the Mass #29

By Fr. Jeff | 02/22/2024

The Eucharistic Prayer – Intercessions As we conclude the Liturgy of the Word, we offer the Prayers of the Faithful.  Here, we offer explicit intercessions in prayer.  In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Eucharistic Prayers also include intercessory prayer…

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Good News is Hard to Find

By Fr. Jeff | 02/20/2024

As I have said before, there are many people who choose not to watch the news because it is full of negativity.  I myself watch the news less than I used to because of the negativity along with seeing a…

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1st Sunday of Lent, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/18/2024

1st Sunday of Lent, Year BGenesis 9:8-15Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9, (10)1 Peter 3:18-22Mark 1:12-15February 18, 2024 “Repent and believe in the gospel.” These are the words that were said as ashes were placed on the foreheads of people as we…

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The Hidden Depths of the Mass #28

By Fr. Jeff | 02/15/2024

The Eucharistic Prayer – The Oblation The greatest sacrifice ever offered is the sacrifice of Jesus freely giving his life for us on the Cross.  As Jesus says in John 15:13, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down…

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What Does Lent Mean to You?

By Fr. Jeff | 02/13/2024

Lent starts tomorrow (February 14, 2024).  What comes to mind when you hear the word “Lent”?  Do you have feelings of dread or joy?  Why? Is Lent just something “necessary to get to Easter and the Resurrection”?  We all want…

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6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

By Fr. Jeff | 02/11/2024

Jesus had been healing many people.  In today’s gospel, “A leper came to Jesus.”  Given the number of people that were coming to Jesus one might think of the man with leprosy as one of many.  He knelt before Jesus and…

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The Hidden Depths of the Mass #27

By Fr. Jeff | 02/08/2024

The Eucharistic Prayer – Memorial Acclamation & Anamnesis Following the words of Jesus that transubstantiate bread and wine into his Body and Blood, comes the Memorial Acclamation and Anamnesis.   At this point in the Mass, we recall the paschal mystery…

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Making Others Happy

By Fr. Jeff | 02/06/2024

How much time do you spend trying to make other people happy? Now, there are clearly some people that we should want to make happy.  Certainly, a married person should want their spouse to be happy.  We should want our…

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/04/2024

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – HomilyJob 7:1-4, 6-7Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (3a)1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-3Mark 1:29-39February 4, 2024 “Job spoke saying:  Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?…I shall not see happiness again.” These are the words…

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The Hidden Depths of the Mass #26

By Fr. Jeff | 02/01/2024

The Eucharistic Prayer – The Institution Narrative cont’d Last week we discussed the Institution Narrative where Jesus instituted the Eucharist as he said, ‘this is my Body…this is my Blood.”  We believe in the Real Presence because Jesus says so. …

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