Forgiveness
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…
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…
Read MoreAfter we confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and receiving a penance, we say an Act of Contrition. This expresses our sorrow for our sins. We say the Act of Contrition as part of the ritual of the…
Read MoreGood Friday: Celebration of the Lord’s PassionIsaiah 52:13-53:12Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25 (Luke 23:46)Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9John 18:1-19:42April 2, 2021 I begin with two questions. First, who is responsible for the death of Jesus? Secondly, why was He put…
Read MorePalm Sunday of the Passion of the LordGospel at the Procession – Mark 11:1-10Isaiah 50:4-7Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (2a)Philippians 2:6-11Mark 14:1-15:47March 28, 2021 Our gospel for the blessing of the palms began, “When Jesus and his disciples drew near…
Read MorePenance Service for LentGenesis 3:1-11Psalm 51Matthew 27:27-31March 24, 2021 Next week we celebrate Holy Week. On Sunday we will bless the palms and hear the story of Jesus’ Passion as told in Mark’s Gospel. On Holy Thursday we celebrate the…
Read MoreIn two recent blog articles (“Does Evil Exist?” and “The People of the Lie”), I reflected upon Fr. Dwight Longenecker’s Immortal Combat: Confronting the Heart of Darkness (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press. 2020) and what he says about our battle against…
Read MoreOn Tuesday, I posted an article, “Does Evil Exist?” based on my thoughts from reading Immortal Combat: Confronting the Heart of Darkness by Fr. Dwight Longenecker (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press. 2020). As I ended that article I referenced Fr. Longenecker’s…
Read MoreDoes “evil” exist? There should be no question that bad things happen. One does not need to watch the news for long to hear` of violence and wars. There is theft and division. Yet, if one listens to the relativists…
Read MoreIs Heaven a crowded place? I ask the question with mixed feelings. I am an introvert and do not like crowded places. On the other hand, as a Christian and knowing how great a place Heaven is, I desire that…
Read More