This short film has an incredibly powerful and impactful message. "The Confession" by John LaRaw from South Korea was the Winner of Best Short Film at the International Catholic Film Festival. "The Confession" tells the story of a young priest who listens...
Confession
11 Things That Happen When You Commit To Going To Confession Regularly
As Catholics, we are required to go to Confession once a year, but why stop there? We know Confession can be daunting or difficult, and there might be many reasons why you don’t want to go. However, regular Confession, whether it be monthly, every two weeks, or...
8 Things Every Catholic Should Be Doing Every Day
We get it. You already have a to-do list that is long. This list isn’t meant to guilt you into an impossible regimen on top of your already crammed day. The goal is to start incorporating one or two of these things into your day and then keep working until these...
The 5 Necessary Spiritual Steps You Need To Take After You Sin
This is a matter we seldom talk about with clarity, I don’t know exactly why. My impression is that we talk a lot about sin in an abstract way, or using an academic-theological terminology that the common Christian doesn’t always understand. Nevertheless, we are...
10 Saints Who Prove God’s Grace Is Bigger Than Your Sin
Have you ever heard someone say, “My sin is too big for God to forgive”? Or, maybe you yourself even feel this way at times? This is a lie that the devil would like us to believe, but the truth is no one’s sin is bigger than God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness. He has...
Does The LEGO Batman Movie Have A Catholic Agenda?
It seems that movies these days are no longer merely for entertainment purposes. The majority have an underlying social message that they are trying to get across to viewers. Is The LEGO Batman Movie one of these films? Well, probably not, but you will find several...
Millennials and Microaggressions: Why the Sacrament of Confession is More Necessary Than Ever
In adolescence we often believe (at least subconsciously) that all the good that has come to us is there on account of our own worthiness, while all the bad things are the result of the failings of those who reared us. The first day of spiritual adulthood truly begins...
The 5 Best Things About Being Catholic (IMHO)
Have you ever noticed that people tend to enjoy talking more about the negatives than the positives? We seem to find some kind of enjoyment in pointing out the errors and faults in things. We love making suggestions about what we would improve or do differently to...
8 Encouraging Stories Of Confession That Will Inspire You To Visit The Sacrament
Confession can be scary. But it is always worth going to, no matter how we feel about it beforehand. The graces and mercy that flow from this Sacrament always conquer the fear and anxiety that we might feel. People will find a million reasons to avoid this gift....
7 Characteristics Of God’s Forgiveness And Mercy
In my post, 9 Things I Would Like To Have Known Before Getting Married, one of the points that raised a lot of questions was number 8: "A good marriage is the union of two people who are good at forgiving." Many people contacted me relating how difficult it was for...
A 7 Step Visual Guide For Going To Confession
If you’re thinking of going to Confession, but it has been a while, this post is for you. Going to Confession is never pleasant or enjoyable, but it is always worth it. However, it can feel so much worse if you’ve not been in years. Maybe it has been so long ago since...
God Does More Than Just Erase Our Regrets, He Makes All Things New
As you will see in today's video, chances not taken or dreams not chased often make up our regrets in life. Our heads spin with “what if” questions and “if only” hypotheses. But, are regrets simply supposed to plague us at night when we are trying to sleep? Or can...
How To Make Your Examination Of Conscience
In recent years, some have noted a widespread crisis in the Church regarding the practice of the examination of conscience. On the one hand, for many it has become a legalistic examination (basically putting oneself in the courtroom), done exclusively within the...
6 Things To Know About God’s Mercy
Even those who don’t know much about Pope Francis could likely tell you that he is passionate about revealing God’s mercy to all people. “The Name of God is Mercy” was released in January 2013 with hopes of helping people better understand the mercy of God...
Sacrament Of Reconciliation QUIZ: What Do You Know?
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a crucial part of the Catholic faith. It is a gift from God that we can use to repair our relationship with Him and repent from our sin. Though many fear going to Confession, it is there that God gives us an abundance of mercy. "Let...
This Excellent Video Will Help You Understand Confession
SophiaSketchPad.org has produced another excellent video that helps to understand and explain the sacrament of confession. If you go to their website they also offer viewing guides and other tools that can help to complete the learning experience. Sophia Sketchpad:...
15 Excuses To Not Go To Confession (Answered!)
Benedict XVI said: “There is a close link between holiness and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The actual conversion of the heart, which is open to the transforming and renewing action of God, is the “engine” of all reform and translates into a truly evangelizing...
11 Tips To Regain Peace After Having Sinned
A few days ago I finished reading “Inner Peace” by Jacques Philippe. It is a brief spiritual book written in a simple language and filled with beautiful teachings about cultivating spiritual peace in our Christian life. The book goes over several actions and...
It’s Been A Long Time Since I’ve Confessed: Will I Be Forgiven?
Give me your fear and I´ll give you peace. This is the thought which came to my mind after having seen this beautiful video on the sacrament of reconciliation. We are all sinners, all of us need forgiveness, we have all felt in our hearts the weight of our faults and...
What Made This Serial Killer Break Down In Just Minutes?
How powerful is forgiveness? How far can God’s mercy reach? Are we called to forgive what seems to be unforgivable? Gary Ridgway was an American serial killer who was known as the Green River Killer. He was convicted of 49 murders but later confessed to nearly double...
“Get Clean” A Powerful Video about the Sacrament of Confession
Have you ever spent an inordinate amount of time setting up dominoes only to see them fall in a fraction of the time you spent lining them up? When I was a kid, the first time I saw the domino effect in action I remember thinking it was the coolest thing ever. The...
The Gangster Who Died and Came Back to Life
There’s a certain extra potency when the radical message of the Gospel – the good news – comes from someone with a story like John Pridmore’s, a man who was once so rotten – so dead – that his rescue was truly as dramatic as a last-ditch heart defibrillation. I will...
Do You Really Believe Your Sins Are Forgiven?
Today's culture has a nagging obsession for concrete results produced with speed and efficiency. You've done something? Great, let me see it. I want to touch it, I want to share it on Facebook, I want to tweet about it... A digitized positivism that predicates the...
Here’s A Quick Refresher On How To Go To Confession?
Whether this is a refresher or an introduction, this film creatively walks through the Sacrament of Reconciliation in a way that will stick with you. In his recent book, "The Name of God is Mercy", Pope Francis reminds us of the importance of going to confession,...
Suffering Is The Way To Knowledge Of God.
Today I would like to share one of my favorite videos from the OBS page. It is a beautiful video with an important and timely message for our time: suffering is the path to knowledge of God. It's hard to imagine a more irritating phrase for today's culture. Can...