Matthew
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Forgiving is at the center of our faith. Jesus suffered on the cross so that we would be forgiven. God loves us so much that no matter what we have done or will do, through his abundant mercy we will be forgiven. All we have to do is to be sorry for our sins and…
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This week I ask that we pray faithfully for more vocations to the priesthood. We have heard calls for these prayers for a long time, but if one stops to think about how crucial priests are in our faith, and look at their declining numbers, we will acknowledge the urgent need to pray that more…
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Over the last few years, I have seen the prayers of friends and family members being answered in great and resounding ways. I’ve also seen though, that sometimes prayers seem to have gone unanswered. I have experienced both of those outcomes myself as well. Since the mercy of our Lord is endless, how might these…
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We are all familiar with the story of the rich young man in three of the Gospels (Matthew 19:16-23, Mark 10:17-23, and Luke 18:18-23). A young man ran to Jesus, knelt before him, and said “Good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied to him, “You know all the commandments; You…
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Jesus’ disciples asked Him “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” In response, Jesus called a child over and replied to the disciples, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in…
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When my children were in primary school they often sung the song This Little Light of.Mine in school and mass. I thought it was a nice hymn but never paid much attention to the meaning behind it until my own faith renewal. The song is based on one of Jesus’ seven figurative expressions of Himself…
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During my adolescent and teenage years I attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and admired the beautiful image of the Blessed Mother and Jesus behind the altar in our church. It seemed to cover almost the entire wall behind the altar. I never understood the meaning and symbolism behind it, but I often picture…
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Why do Christians honor The Lord’s Day (Sunday) instead of the Sabbath Day (Saturday)? It’s relatively straightforward to see that Sunday memorializes Jesus’ Resurrection, but when and how did the shift begin in our faith? From the third commandment in Exodus 20:8 we know that God told Moses, “Remember the sabbath day — keep it…
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St. John the Baptist holds a special place in our faith as both his birthday (June 24) and the day of his martyrdom (August 29) are celebrated and memorialized (Diocese of Baton Rouge). He is an enigma for many, past and present, due to the way he lived his life in the desert (Matthew 3:1-4). …