Learning to be Quick to Listen

To all those preparing to enter the Catholic Church this Easter through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults ( OCIA ), take heart in the profound message of renewal that this sacred season embodies. As you stand on the threshold of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist, remember the powerful words echoed throughout scripture and the teachings of our Church: what’s past is past. Like the woman at the well , whose past was known by Christ yet met with compassion and an invitation to a new life, you too are embraced by a God of boundless mercy. The Lord does not condemn you for the paths you have walked, the choices you have made. Instead, He offers a clean slate, a fresh start bathed in the light of His resurrection. Pope Saint John Paul the Great, in his profound wisdom, often spoke of the transformative power of God's forgiveness . He emphasized that while sin is a reality that wounds both ourselves and the Body of Christ, God's love is always greater, always ready ...

The Heart of Christmas The ancient pagans, as Aristotle articulated, conceived of God as a being whose power and influence were contingent upon human love and devotion. This notion, however, was radically challenged by the Christian revelation that God wants our love but He doesn't need our love to exist. The New Testament inverts Aristotle's paradigm, revealing that divine love precedes human love. God, in His infinite mercy, loved us first. "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). This truth lies at the heart of the Christmas message. It is what makes this time of the year perfect for forgiveness and reconciliation as we prepare for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The Gift of Divine Love Christmas offers us a unique opportunity to receive this infinite gift of God's love with amazement and gratitude. To fully embrace this gift, we must adopt a childlike faith, unburdened by the cynicism and caution that often accompany life'...

The human heart, a mysterious organ, pumps lifeblood through our veins. Yet, it is more than just a biological marvel. It is the locus of our deepest emotions, desires, and beliefs. It is the wellspring of both our greatest joys and our darkest sorrows.  Beneath the surface of our outward appearances, our hearts hold secrets, dreams, and fears. They are the silent keepers of our true selves, the part of us that yearns for authenticity and connection. As the biblical character Samson discovered, our hearts can be both our greatest strength and our most vulnerable weakness.   However, the heart is not always a reliable guide. It can be deceitful, leading us astray with false desires and misplaced affections. The prophet Jeremiah lamented the heart's propensity for deception, recognizing its capacity for both good and evil.  To navigate the complexities of the heart, we must cultivate vigilance and honesty. By guarding our hearts and choosing truthful speech, we c...

Early reviews suggest a new biblical epic hitting theaters this week is picking up where "The Passion of the Christ" left off. " Risen " tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion through the eyes of Clavius, a Roman military officer who is on a mission to prove the resurrection did not happen. Actor Joseph Fiennes stars as Clavius. "A big attraction for me was the way his mind worked, but to get to his mind I found I had to take a physical route. I went to gladiator school in Rome. I stayed long enough to never want to go back," he told CBN News. "I spent the good part of a week working with a brilliant set of guys, and what I learned from a military standpoint was a way into the man was conditioned and the way that he thought," he said.   Clavius is an ambitious Roman soldier who first tries to keep Christ's body from being stolen after his crucifixion. He then sets out on an angry journey to find the body after it disappears from the s...