The First Confession
All Christians should be well aware of the details of Our Lord’s Passion. One small part of Passion, His interaction on Calvary with the two
All Christians should be well aware of the details of Our Lord’s Passion. One small part of Passion, His interaction on Calvary with the two
“Begin again.” Good advice from Venerable Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. If we’ve been away from the Church, no matter
This past month, our Jewish Brethren solemnly celebrated Yom Kippur, a Day of Atonement, to atone for their sins as prescribed by God in the
We have all heard the usual arguments for the sacrament of confession. And they are great for showing that Scripture contains plenty of support for
Happy belated Christmas in July. As we draw through these scorching days of summer, finally approaching the end of the bell curve of summer heat,
Joe died suddenly and quickly from a heart attack. He lived alone so no one knew Joe had died until a neighbor found him on
The term “target hardening” generally refers to strengthening the security of a site against attack. It’s something we may hear or read about after terrorist
“She died a holy death,” a priest who knew her well told me. Just the day before her death from an aneurism, she’d come up
Did the Priest Misunderstand You? Did you mumble, fumble, and stumble, as you always seem to do in confession? After all, you don’t really know
Half a century of sitting in Catholic parishes and getting assaulted by painful attempts at relevance qualifies me to reflect on what a thriving parish
On July 23rd, our tenth child made his first confession. As he sat at the pew waiting for his turn, my son was quiet but
Forgive Me, Father, For I Have Sinned When you’re in the confessional, either old-style behind a screen and on your knees or sitting on a
God’s mercy and justice are perfect. And therein lays a conundrum for some. Just how, they wonder, does perfect mercy and justice work? In our
The sacrament of reconciliation is a powerful way in which we show our repentance for our sins and in return, we receive God’s abundant mercy.
As far as dogmas go, the Assumption is unfortunately named. The belief itself, though – that Mary, conceived without sin, and sinless throughout her life,
The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted
Stories about how different people are coping with this over a year-old “new normal” are rife, ranging from (mis)adventures in baking bread to binge-watching nearly
Have you ever had a conversation with a Protestant who rejects water baptism as necessary for salvation? This belief stems from the false faith-alone doctrine
The “Sinner’s Prayer” has a Protestant connotation. It usually goes something like this: “Lord, I know I am a sinner. I need your forgiveness. Please
The light over the confessional turned green, and I took a deep breath to calm myself as I entered. Though I was 43 years old,
The first recorded words of Jesus occur in the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel. While the other Synoptic Gospels of Matthew and Luke begin with
God’s grace changes lives: He takes us as we are, but He never leaves us as we are (Pope Francis, General Audience Wed 2 Dec