You may have noticed in the last few months I haven’t written as much as I used to. Generally, I make a point to write something here at least once a week. I write more often as Spirit inspires me. Lately, I struggle a little to know what to write about.
I don’t get many comments to my posts and this is OK (That’s not counting the 1,800 spam in the last two months. So, I apologize if I have missed a comment you posted). I do know people are reading the blog. I don’t know who reads my blog but I do know from the Internet statistics that people do read it (probably three or four a day). I think there are people who subscribe to the RSS feed but I don’t know how many.
So, I have a question for you. What types of articles do you like to read about? What questions do you have that you might like to see an answer to?
Peace,
Fr. Jeff
I’ve got some questions for you for address!
Is the sacrament of Reconciliation an end to a means or a means to an end of being reconciled to God? Along the same lines- you might want to address the Confession App recently put out for Apple users. After looking at it, I do have to ask if it is really a sin to be angry with God?
Just had a discussion on purgatory with my book club. Might make for a good discussion 🙂
Is the Sacrament of Reconciliation an end to a means or a means to an end of being reconciled to God?
Ultimately, to be with God should be our goal. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a sacrament as
The Sacrament of Reconciliatin is one way that God offers us his grace. None of us is perfect and so we need to seek reconciliation for any wrong we have done, including wrongs against God (which we call sin). So, I do not see the Sacrament of Reconciliation as an “end” in and of itself. Full relationship with God is the end. Yet, I would not see the Sacrament of Reconciliation as simply a means to end. The sacraments are true encounters with God. In receiving God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation we feel the power of God’s grace at work in us. This grace is what we seek.
Along the same lines – you might want to address the Confession App recently put out for Apple Users. After looking at it, I do have to ask if it really is a sin to be angry with God?
Since I do not have an Iphone (or any other smartphone) I have not seen the Confession App so I cannot comment on it directly. Here is a link to a story on the app from Catholic News Service (http://www.catholicnews.com).
As to your question of “is it really a sin to be angry with God?” Since, I haven’t seen it, I cannot comment on the Confession App’s specific question but here is a general comment and links to a previous article I wrote about anger. Anger is one of the seven deadly sins. We cannot stop thoughts from coming into our heads but we can control what we do with them. Ask yourself if you feel angry with God? Do you hold onto the angry thought or as soon as you have the thought do you turn it into prayer and conversation with God. Take whatever you feel the anger about and ask God to either take the problem away or help you understand the situation and know how God calls you to respond in the situation.
Anger stands in the way of God because anger stands in the way of love. That’s what makes it a sin. Take the anger and hand it over to God in his love.
Just had a discussion on purgatory with my book club. Might make for a good discussion
To begin with check out my previous article, “Is Purgatory Gone?”. We don’t talk about Purgatory much, if at all today. Purgatory is a good thing. We are imperfect. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation we are forgiven our sins but the effects of the sinful action remain with us. Purgatory is the place where, after our death, that God cleanses us from any remaining effects of our sin. To enter into Heaven we must be cleansed of those effects. Purgatory is God’s final action (after Jesus’ Crucifixion) to make it possible for us to be in Heaven. Thank God for Purgatory!
Peace,
Fr. Jeff
Wow! You have given me a lot to think about! Thank you for including the link to your previous comments on anger as one of the seven deadly sins. I especially liked the line, “When we hold onto anger in our hearts, we shut out love.”