Forgiveness
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year CLuke 19:28-40Isaiah 50:4-7Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (2a)Philippians 2:6-11Luke 22:14-23:56April 13, 2025 Jesus’ hour had come and so He “took his place.” It was time to celebrate the Passover but this…
Read More5th Sunday of Lent, Year C – ReflectionIsaiah 43:16-21Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)Philippians 3:8-14John 8:1-11April 6, 2025 Once again, we hear that Jesus is teaching. Teaching for him is not simply lecture. He uses the situations that come before…
Read More4th Sunday of Lent, Year CJoshua 5:9a, 10-12Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (9a)2 Corinthians 5:17-21Luke 15:1-3, 11-32March 30, 2025 “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth.” These are the words of the…
Read More3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C – ReflectionExodus 3:1-8a,13-15Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 607, 8, 11 (8a)1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12Luke 13:1-9March 23, 2025 Last week we heard the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration. In my homily, I spoke of ways in which we…
Read MoreAsh WednesdayJoel 2:12-18Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 114 and 17 (3a)2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18March 5, 2025 What brings you to church today? One might come because you think you are supposed to come. You should come today but attendance today…
Read MoreEighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CSirach 27:4-7Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 (see 2a)1 Corinthians 15:54-58Luke 6:39-45March 2, 2025 Lent starts in a few days. Have you given much thought to what you will do for Lent? Our readings today are…
Read MoreAs I prayed the Office of Readings for Saturday Week I recently, I was struck by the following verses in the first reading, “Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that…
Read MoreLast fall I read Pope Francis’ new encyclical Dilexit Nos on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I found the document thoughtful but it left me with questions as I am not familiar with the details of the Sacred Heart Devotion. …
Read MoreLast 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…
Read MoreSome Christians will ask, “when were you saved?”. Generally, the people who ask this question have experienced a time in their lives when they felt a profound conversion in their lives and gave their lives over to Christ. This is…
Read More24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year ASirach 27:30-28:7Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12 (8)Romans 14:7-9Matthew 18:21-35September 17, 2023 Last week we heard Jesus give us instructions on what to do when our brother sins against us. Deacon Tom talked about our…
Read More16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AWisdom 12:13, 16-19Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16 (5a)Romans 8:26-27Matthew 13:24-43July 23, 2023 “Where have the weeds come from?” The man had sowed only good seed. Why were weeds growing in the field? His enemy had…
Read MoreYou may have heard there are changes coming to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The changes will be mandatory as of Divine Mercy Sunday, which falls on April 16th this year (2023). (The changes were optional as of Ash Wednesday this…
Read MoreThis is the tenth and final article in my series based on my reading of the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales. Written 400 years ago, it is available in various translations. I am reading the 2015 version…
Read More2nd Sunday of Advent, Year AIsaiah 11:1-10Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 (7)Romans 15:4-9Matthew 3:1-12December 4, 2022 Our gospel passage today comes from the time just before Jesus began his public ministry during his first coming. It speaks of preparation. We…
Read MoreLast week I began a series of articles inspired by my present reading of St. Francis De Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life. The first article was “What Does It Mean to be Devout?”. I ended that article with a…
Read MoreMany people tend to see the portrayal of God in the Old Testament as of a God is punishing, bestowing his wrath upon all who break his commandments. Our first reading today from Exodus begins with a God who is…
Read MoreThis is my fifth article offering reflections based on my reading of Judith Valente’s book, How to Live: What the Rule of St. Benedict Teaches Us About Happiness, Meaning, and Community (Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads Publishing. 2018). You can see the four…
Read MoreWe need God’s mercy. Our world is in need of God’s mercy and we need it as individuals. We are human beings who are not perfect. At times we fall short of doing good and we need forgiveness. As look…
Read MoreI completed my series, Finding Peace and Healing in a Troubled World, with Part III last night. The slides and video are now available online at www.renewaloffaith.org/healing3. If you watch video in the next few days, you can complete an…
Read MoreThere are numerous stories in the Bible. I would consider today’s (Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C) gospel of the woman caught in adultery as one that many people remember. You may remember it but how much do you reflect…
Read More4th Sunday of Lent, Year CJoshua 5:9a, 10-12Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (8a)2 Corinthians 5:17-21Luke 15:1-3, 11-32March 27, 2022 The Israelites had been through much. Now under the leadership of Joshua, they have crossed the Jordan into the land in which…
Read MoreLast night I offered Part II in my series of webinars, Finding Peace and Healing in a Troubled World. In this webinar the focus is on our forgiveness. We need to forgive others and we need to be forgiven. I…
Read MoreFollowing Part I in my new series of presentations, Finding Peace and Healing in a Troubled World, I was asked about the following. As Catholics, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to receive God’s forgiveness, Since Protestants and other religions…
Read MoreI started my new series of presentations, Finding Peace and Healing in a Troubled World, last night with Part I. You can find the video recording and slides on my website at www.renewaloffaith.org/healing1. If you watch the video, for the…
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