Three Teachings on Corpus Christi
“He asks us, ‘Do you also want to leave me?'” – Monsignor Charles Pope
Search Results for: confession
Healing and the Holy Spirit
“Only Jesus, through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, can liberate us. He breaks our chains, rolls away the stone that is blocking our self-created tomb, calls us forth, unbinds us and pulls off the masks that have obscured our vision.” – Fr. Derek Sakowski
Tantrum in Aisle 10
“One would not expect to find any sort of Divine inspiration in such a scenario as late-night Walmart. But that would be to underestimate the creative ways God finds to crash into our distracted little brains.” – Denise Trull
Lord and Shepherd – A Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter
“To be in the Lord’s flock is to be in a life-changing, transformative relationship with the Lord.” – Monsignor Charles Pope
God is Enough: The Ascent of Mt. Carmel
“Perfect detachment from all that is not God is what we will have in fullness in Heaven. So we should start actively seeking it now, here in this life.” – Glenn Dickinson
The Importance of The Deeper Examination of Conscience
“One of the things I encourage everyone to do every day—at least once a day—is to take a few minutes to make an examination of conscience.” – Dan Burke
Pulpit Direction: Nurturing Spiritual Growth
What, pray, you will ask, is pulpit direction? Well, without attempting to make the matter appear complicated, it means simply that you explain the topic of the sermon as well as you can and that you suggest: a certain application to the personal needs of your listeners; a recourse to prayer and the sacraments for … Read more
How to Evoke Contrition
“The penitent, through perfect contrition, accompanied by the desire of confession, has already obtained remission of his sins from God.” Roman Catechism, Part 2, Section 4, Penance The idea of contrition is very unique to the Roman Catholic Tradition. The word itself literally means “the breaking of an object into small parts by means of … Read more
Understanding the Heart of Jesus in the Tabernacle
Here is a question that will leave more than a few Christians, and I will even say pious ones, perplexed: What does the Heart of Jesus do and what does it say? They had not taken into account that in the Tabernacle there is someone who can speak and speaks, someone who can work virtue … Read more
How do I Know if I am Ready for Spiritual Direction?
“You may have the impression that spiritual direction is only for spiritual marines.” – Fr. John Bartunek
A Marvelous Exchange
“The Son of God, who is eternally divine, willingly empties himself of his divine privileges (Phil 2:6-11). He assumes human nature, born of the Virgin Mary in the flesh.” – Fr. Derek Sakowski
How to Know Oneself
To know oneself is not easy. This may seem a rather paradoxical statement, since according to general belief everyone knows himself best. But one needs, in fact, quite a technique and, as it were, a special training, if one really wants to know oneself. That this is the case has been known to the wizards … Read more
Taking the ‘Sin’ Out of Sincerity: Overcoming Scrupulosity in Religious Life
“Maintaining reasonable expectations of self is key to overcoming scrupulosity. Despite grand designs and goals that might be entertained, there is only so much that one can actually do.” – Trent Beattie
Tepidity
Tepidity is a serious danger that threatens those trying to lead good and pious lives. It is, indeed, a peculiar state of the soul. The Lord has given us abundant graces and inspirations and strength, and nevertheless our spiritual growth has remained stunted. And now grace seems to produce little or no effect in us. … Read more
Patience…a Reflection on the Need to Trust the Slow Work of God
“Many of us may well wonder what harm could come from wiping out a few sinners from the face of the Earth or expelling a few more heretics. The Lord does not explain why but simply warns that hasty and severe actions may cause harm even to the wheat.” – Monsignor Charles Pope
The Obligation of Clear, Compassionate Correction of the Sinner
“The devil, who orchestrates the ‘correcting is judging’ campaign, rejoices; for if he can keep us from correcting one another, sin can and does flourish.” – Monsignor Charles Pope
Journaling: A Written Memory of Grace, Part 3
“From journaling prayer, one can learn to discern God’s ‘voice’ and presence as distinguished from our own thoughts and emotions as well as those placed upon us by the enemy.” – Debra Black
St. Francis de Sales on How to Fight Temptation
Although we should do what we can to avoid the temptations we are able to foresee, temptations will nevertheless arise that we are unable to avoid. These we are called to resist. The first measure in resisting temptation is to seek the help of God. If we think that we must resist all temptation by … Read more
