To open up his Gospel, St. John writes; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (1:1).” He goes on to say; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father (1:14).” Jesus is the light of the world that shines in the darkness. How do we see and feel His presence in our life. Continue reading
As a Catholic, we believe that the Blessed Eucharist is the Sacrament. All other sacraments are enriched by it. It is the supernatural food given to us from heaven. Continue reading
I have heard many times from a parishioner that they know someone who is divorced and are not receiving the sacraments. These are individuals who have not remarried, but are civilly divorced. They will ask me if it is alright for them to receive. Continue reading
Have you ever wondered if it is okay to have a tattoo? If we look around today, we will see many people who have a tattoo or a multitude of tattoos. It is seen as the hip thing to do today, especially for young adults. I can remember many years ago, it seemed that people who were serving in the military were more prone to get a tattoo, but not as much with regards to your everyday American citizen. But today, all of that has changed. So, for a Christian, and in particular a Catholic, is it okay to have tattoos put on your skin? What does the church teach about this matter? Is it morally okay? Continue reading
The Jewish Passover has been celebrated since the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. It commemorates the story from the book of Exodus and their birth as a nation under the leadership of Moses. The Passover sacrifice, is the sacrifice that the Torah mandates to be brought on the eve of Passover. Continue reading
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But, are all sins classified as the same or is there a difference? Some folks who hold to the “once saved, always saved” theology might say, “There is no difference in the magnitude of certain sins. There is no venial or mortal sins. All sins are serious. The wages of sin is death! Continue reading
When it comes to a relationship with God, what is our understanding of a “moral conscience?” If you and I had never been told about the moral law, we would still have an idea of what is right and what is wrong in regards to how we live our lives and how we are to treat other people. This is what is known as the “natural law written on our hearts.” It is the law God has given each person and it is found in the depths of our being. Continue reading
What does it truly mean to “believe” in Jesus? If we look to the Gospel of John and the scripture verse that is so familiar to not only Christians, but even non-Christians, we are asked to believe in Jesus in order to have eternal life; “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life ( John 3:16).”
To believe means to have faith in something. Continue reading
Have you ever wondered what early Christian worship looked like? Many Christians today want to find a Christian denomination that tries to live out their faith like the early Christians did. They try and recreate the Church found in the “Book of Acts.” But what would someone find if they really wanted to taylor their Sunday worship to that of the early Christians? I dare say it would have very little resemblance to many Protestant services found today. Continue reading
Infallibility – Who has it? Who did Jesus give His authority to? For a Catholic Christian, the answer is, “Peter and the Apostles and the Church he founded. That Church still has the authority to speak for Him in the area of ‘faith and morals’ because of the laying on of hands up until this very day.” But, for many Christians outside the Catholic Church, there is no man who is infallible, much less a Church. Continue reading
Renewed Hope 