Religious Education - Children
Catechist BlogBeing Faithful
I wonder if St. Matthew had been a person of our age he might have written: “Then the helicopter mom of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons.” It is great that Mrs. Zebedee wants the best for her sons. Clearly, Jesus goes on to speak to the sons and...
The Year of St. Joseph
Pope Francis has declared his year to be the "Year of St. Joseph." It is a celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph a Patron of the Universal Church. There are a number of resources available to celebrate this important moment. We would...
Why You Should Go to Confession
In a previous post, we somewhat whimsically gave reasons not to celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation (or Confession). On a more serious note, this post discusses some reasons why you should celebrate the Sacraments, especially during this season of Lent....
Repent and Repeat
One of the most common things one hears in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the sin of gossip. It has been said that the act of gossip is like buying a chicken in the marketplace, feathers and all, and then walking through town, plucking the feathers one by one. As...
Compassion and Forgiveness
“But to the Lord, our God, belong compassion and forgiveness” In today’s first reading from Daniel we hear the affirmation (confession) that the Lord is compassionate and forgiving. As Daniel prays, he confesses his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of his people: “O...
Righteousness
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.” In the Gospel of Matthew “righteousness” is doing the Will of God. Sometimes religious leaders, be they the scribes and Pharisees in...
What We Need
When I was young, my loving grandmother took care of me while both my parents were on vacation one year. One day, as the Bakery truck drove through our neighborhood, selling bread and other baked treats from the truck, I asked my grandmother, “Will you give me money...
A Heart Contrite and Humble
David, son of Jesse – the one who became King of Judah and Israel – anointed as a young lad, the one who defeated Goliath, the one who established Jerusalem as the holy city and brought the Ark of the Covenant to reside. King David of whom the Books of Kings and...
The Tau Cross
Catholics worldwide are used to seeing the Latin cross inside and atop our churches. It is one of the most recognizable and best known symbols of Christianity. But did you know that there are other “crosses” that have long provenance in Christianity? In addition to...
The Commonwealth of Virginia and the Death Penalty
As you are probably aware, the General Assembly of the State of Virginia recently passed legislation abolishing the Death Penalty in the Commonwealth. In light of this new legislation some have asked me “What is the Churches teaching on the Death Penalty?” On August...