Religious Education - Children
Catechist BlogAbout anger
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. “But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” It is one thing to murder someone, to wantonly and mercilessly take...
Persistence in Prayer Leads To A New Lifestyle
We continue to listen to Jesus’ comments about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has a deep confidence in the action of God the Father in his life and invites us to live in that same confidence. Jesus’ prayer is active, persistent and constant. He uses active...
The Sign of Jonah
Our readings today focus on the prophet Jonah and the Sign of Jonah. In today’s first reading Jonah is called to announce God’s message to the great city of Nineveh. So, we hear that “Jonah set out for Nineveh, in accord with the word of the Lord.” This call seems...
Prayer
The ancient practices of penance or conversion are fasting, alms giving, and prayer. We move into the first week of Lent, renewing our dedication to each. Matthew remembers how Jesus taught his disciple to pray as we heard in today’s Gospel which comes from the Sermon...
The Last Judgement
In today’s Gospel we hear the story of the Last Judgment. This judgment is described as a separation, like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matthew describes this judgement with these words: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels...
Fasting
We begin the season of Lent by reflecting on the importance and the purpose of fasting. There are three important practices to help us with our conversion in this time of Lent and throughout the whole year: prayer, fasting, and charity. These three practices are meant...
New Land – New Life
Deuteronomy is a very long book in the Old Testament. It is a bit difficult for meditation, and one could say even just reading it is a bit difficult. Moses is preparing the people to enter a new land, a new lifestyle of holiness in the promised land. Deuteronomy has...
Repent
Today is Ash Wednesday the beginning of the Season of Lent. During this season we are called to repent. When we receive ashes on our forehead the minister proclaims: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” This phrase is taken from the Gospel of Mark and is Jesus first...
The Lure of Temptation
St. James speaks today about temptation in a way that is both honest and disarming. He does not begin with dramatic sins or shocking failures. Instead, he speaks about desire; how temptation works from the inside out. “Each person is tempted when he is lured and...
Signs
Give me just one more sign, just one more proof of God’s presence. In today’s Gospel some of the Pharisees are “seeking from Jesus a sign from heaven to test him.” While Jesus performed many healings, exorcisms, and extraordinary deeds it seems that people were...