Sin can be a challenging concept to teach to children, especially in today’s world where sin is not only tolerated but often celebrated. But as Christians, we know that sin is real and it damages our relationship with God. We are in a spiritual battle…good versus...
In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast. Fr. Rob and Fr. George discuss a Christians relationship to modern day celebrations of Halloween. Halloween originally, and still is, a day of observation of All Saints Day, originally known as All Hallow's Eve. In modern...
You may have heard that the largest religious group in America is the “nones,” those without a religious affiliation. In January of 2024, Pew Research stated that 28% of US adults are religiously unaffiliated. Of those, many are commonly called “fallen away”...
In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast. Fr. Rob and Fr. George share consoling information about the Devil and demons. They share that demons cannot read your mind and they cannot read your soul. The Devil's and the demons' goal is to make one dislike God. All...
In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast. Fr. Rob and Fr. George discuss modesty as a understanding of the median and of time and place. Modesty is a virtue which means that modesty involves finding the median between two extremes. Modesty also encompasses many...
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name…” Luke 24:35-48 What Did Jesus Actually Accomplish By Dying And Rising From The Dead? Most of us...
We all have experienced anger. Everyone has been on the receiving end of somebody else’s anger. Anger is a response, a reaction when our ego is being attacked, a reaction when what we want to happen happened otherwise, or a demand for justice because we...
Chances are, if you are a modern day Catholic and at all serious about saving your soul, you may have encountered administrative elements of the Church who may not prioritize your situation as seriously as you do. To illustrate this further, take for instance the...
As Lent draws near, we turn our hearts to Christ’s call to holiness in the Gospels: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Although our life as Catholics demands that we strive day after day and year after year for this...
“Confession is an act of honesty and courage—an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God,” affirmed St. Pope John Paul II. Having recently walked with our own two oldest children through the beautiful experience of...
Is there something wrong with your life? Maybe something is missing. Maybe you’re depressed. Maybe you’re overwhelmed. Maybe you’re trapped by compulsive behavior. Maybe there’s a particular sin you haven’t been able to overcome no matter how hard you’ve tried? Maybe...
What are some practical spiritual methods Catholics can use to combat the temptation to consume pornography? Go To War First, a key tool in the evil one’s toolbox is luring us into a false sense of isolation. Temptation to consume pornography only grows without...
What is Sin? “Sin” is an old archery term in Greek which means “to miss the mark.” All sin and fall short of the glory of God, as St. Paul says. When we sin, we are committing an offense against “reason, truth, and right conscience (CCC 1849).” Sin is never private....
Gospel of Matthew Jesus said to his disciples:"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill...
Gospel of Luke 20:27-38 Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,"Teacher, Moses wrote for us,If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child,his brother must take the wifeand raise up...
Humility is, as it were, a disposition to man’s untrammeled access to spiritual and divine goods.St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica, II-II Q. 161. a. 5) St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that pride (superbia in the Latin), “is so-called because a man thereby aims higher...
“Yes, now’s the moment; I’m looking at this thing on the mantlepiece, and I understand that I am in hell.”— Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit, 1944 As most theologians point out, once we lose belief in God, it’s a short leap to the belief that there is no moral absolute, no...
An examination of conscience is a tool that is used when preparing for making a good Confession. This tool can also be used at any time of day, but can be especially fruitful at nighttime, looking back over the day. The father is the priest of his domestic Church. He...
The word Purgatory comes from the Greek root πῦρ (“pur”) which means both “fire” and “pure.” This is a fitting description, as the fires of Purgatory, rather than destroying like the fires of Hell, instead purify. Purgatory is where we expiate for the pain due to...
The virtue of charity is our union with God. The Council of Trent declared that we maintain the virtues of faith and hope after we commit a mortal sin, both of which encourage us to seek out the sacrament of confession. But the Catechism of the Council of...
Gospel of Luke 6: 39-45 Jesus told his disciples a parable,“Can a blind person guide a blind person?Will not both fall into a pit?No disciple is superior to the teacher;but when fully trained,every disciple will be like his teacher.Why do you notice the splinter in...
Called to Conversion We are all called to conversion. This was a fundamental part of the proclamation of the kingdom of God and the Gospel. The first call to Christ and His Gospel leads us to Baptism in which we receive “the...
Everyone struggles with something. A root sin, a set of bad habits, some sort of fear, something that causes undue anxiety, etc. Many (most?) of us struggle with many such things. So what does a person do? Drew Taylor and I sat down recently to discuss this topic, and...
As someone who usually has trouble falling asleep at night, I often wake up thinking “I didn’t get enough sleep.” A great attitude for the start of the day, right? This idea of lack directly results from the Fall in the Garden of Eden. God created in the...
An Illustrated Guide To Make An Examination Of Conscience 1. Open Yourself Up to God’s Presence Practical tip: find a quiet corner in your home or in a chapel. Having a sacred image in front of you is ideal. Light a candle. Take a few moments to breathe and relax....