My recent blog articles on forgiveness as well as my article, “Remembering the Past and Building a Better Future,” have led to discussions with people on the subject of accountability. The question at hand is “does forgiving someone mean they are not accountable for their actions?”. The question of accountability comes up in discussion of …
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year AEzekiel 34:11-12, 15-17Psalm 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6 (1)1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28Matthew 25:31-46November 22, 2020 Ezekiel opens today with the Lord assuring his people, “I myself will look after and tend my sheep.” We find comfort in these words. We find hope in knowing that the Lord is …
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I have finished my fourth and final article in my series, Our Relationships With Others, reflecting on Pope Francis’ encyclical, Fratelli Tutti. As I complete this series, please note that the four articles do not cover the entirety of the encyclical. I selected the four topics for my articles based questions people have asked me …
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Earlier this week, I wrote an article, “Why Do We Choose to Sin”. Following that article, a person asked me to write about “sins of omission.” Most often, when we talk about sin, we talk about what we have done that is wrong. These would be “sins of commission“. We commit these type of sins …
When we confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we receive a penance, and say an “Act of Contrition.” As part of the “Act of Contrition,” we firmly resolve to sin no more. Yet, our struggle with sin often continues. This can be discouraging. It troubles us. How are we to stop sinning? First …
With fewer and fewer people coming to church even before the Coronavirus, one asks the question, “Why don’t more people come to Jesus?” Jesus offers us something wonderful. Do people understand what Jesus offers us, namely, salvation? I just finished reading Clear and Simple: How to Have Conversations That Lead to Conversion by Andre Regnier …
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The Eighth Commandment is “You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor.” How is society to function if we cannot trust others to tell the truth? Likewise, we need to be able to trust others not to steal, commit adultery, or covet what is ours. Each of us likely know some people we trust …
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AEzekiel 18:25-28Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (6a)Philippians 2:1-11Matthew 21:28-32September 27, 2020 Today Jesus poses a question to the chief priests and the elders. They have been asking him questions. They often asked Jesus questions to try to trap him to get rid of him. Jesus has a different motive in …
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As I have begun to write articles explicitly on morality, I acknowledge that discussion on the morality of specific behaviors can be difficult. I pray that nothing I will write be interpreted as judgment on anyone. My goal is always to lead people to Christ. With this in mind, I have titled this article, “Never …
24th 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 13, 2020 It can be hard to forgive. It can be even harder to forgive the same person over and over for the same thing. Peter knows this. So, he asks Jesus, “How often must I forgive? As many as …
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