Category: Catechesis

Reflections for Sunday, July 26, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, July 26, 2015

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by on Jul 22, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading 2 Kings 4:42-44 2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 145:10-11, 15-18 Gospel: John 6:1-15 Growing in Humility, Our Call to be Like Jesus He withdrew again to the mountain alone. (John 6:15) Did you ever think that Jesus would let the crowd make […]

Being a Maccabean Mother
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Being a Maccabean Mother

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by on Jul 21, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Live in Christ
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After a hearty meal, a male dinner guest and my husband reclined on the sofa where they set about solving all of the world’s problems. After a few laughs, the conversation turned serious as they speculated about the probability of coming persecutions like those already faced daily by Christians in the Middle East. They proclaimed […]

Speaking of False Teachers: A Primer (Part 2)
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Speaking of False Teachers: A Primer (Part 2)

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by on Jul 17, 2015 in Apologetics, Catechesis, Featured
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Part one of this series dealt with how Jesus, Scripture, and the saints described and identified false teachers. In this installment we examine the example of St. Athanasius. The Arians and Their False Teachers The Arian heresy is named after a priest named Arius (A.D. 250-336) who taught several false doctrines that flowed from a […]

Hungry Sheep, Weary Shepherds
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Hungry Sheep, Weary Shepherds

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by on Jul 17, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, MyChurchParish.com
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Lots of perks come with being the boss, whether you are the boss of a church, company, or nation.  You get to call the shots, for starters.  Then there is good food, good drink.  Travel.  Parties.  Expense accounts.  Pomp and circumstance. Bodyguards. Technology has changed a lot, but people haven’t. In ancient times as in […]

Reflections for Sunday, July 19, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, July 19, 2015

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by on Jul 15, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6 2nd Reading: Ephesians 2:13-18 Responsorial: Psalm 23:1-6 Gospel: Mark 6:30-34 Being Open to the Promptings of the Holy Spirit His heart was moved. (Mark 6:34) In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus both encouraged and discouraged. He was encouraged because the apostles […]

What Do <em>Twilight</em>, <em>Fifty Shades</em>, and Leviticus Have in Common?
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What Do Twilight, Fifty Shades, and Leviticus Have in Common?

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by on Jul 14, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Live in Christ, On Books, On TV and Movies
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Most who discuss them agree that the Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey fiction series are the same basic story line with different characters. What seems to differ among those discussing the two, however, is why they are so popular that they developed a cult following. I have a suggestion along that line: What if the wild fascination […]

Amos: The Lion of God's Salvation
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Amos: The Lion of God’s Salvation

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by on Jul 10, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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The prophet hears what God proclaims ) and is called to speak in God’s name. The Twelve hear the message of Jesus and are sent forth to preach the gospel. In him we have been chosen to be full of love. The Scriptures often illustrate how God calls ordinary people and empowers them to accomplish great things. The prophet Amos […]

Just Do it!
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Just Do it!

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by on Jul 10, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, MyChurchParish.com
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Everybody likes free gifts.  Advertisers know that a campaign will have much better results if there are free samples or a free gift with every purchase.  A friend of mine lived by this motto: when it’s free, take two. But when we receive a favor, we’re wise enough to know there has got to be […]

Reflections for Sunday, July 12, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, July 12, 2015

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by on Jul 08, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Amos 7:12-15 2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 Responsorial: Psalm 85:9-14 Gospel: Mark 6:7-13 Coming to Know and Understand God’s Eternal Plan … A plan for the fullness of times. (Ephesians 1:10) Today, Paul takes us behind the scenes into the mind of God. Unlike […]

Miracles Jesus Could Not Do
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Miracles Jesus Could Not Do

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by on Jul 04, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, MyChurchParish.com
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Over the last two Sundays, the gospel of Mark has been making it abundantly clear that Jesus is indeed God Almighty, ruler of the world and lord over life and death. But this week we come to a story that leaves us scratching our heads.  Jesus goes to his own native place, and receives less […]

Reflections for Sunday, July 5, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, July 5, 2015

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by on Jul 02, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Ezekiel 2:2-5 2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Responsorial: Psalm 123:1-4 Gospel: Mark 6:1-6 Trusting in God’s Desire to Speak His Word and Message to Us Rebellious, stiff-necked, obstinate. Why would God go to the trouble of sending Ezekiel to speak his message to […]

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel
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Front Row With Francis: The Wounds of the Family

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by on Jun 29, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Marriage, The Catholic Family
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Envy, greed, selfishness, harsh words, sibling rivalry, infidelity, illness, tragedy, violence, abuse – the list sounds like much like the headlines on your average nightly news show or the subject of anguished conversations among distraught parents and grandparents lamenting the discord they witness daily in their own families. We listen to the stories, shake our […]

A Revolutionary Approach to the Bible: Jairus’ Daughter and The Enlightenment
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A Revolutionary Approach to the Bible: Jairus’ Daughter and The Enlightenment

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by on Jun 28, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, MyChurchParish.com
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In the days when states were still “the colonies” and men wore powdered wigs, a new way of thinking captured the intelligentsia of the western world.  “The miracle stories in the Bible and the lives of the saints may be quaint, entertaining, and even have symbolic meaning.  But certainly we should not take them literally!  […]

Reflections for Sunday, June 28, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, June 28, 2015

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by on Jun 24, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 Responsorial: Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 Putting Our Faith in Jesus’ Healing Love, Mercy, and Compassion Please, come. (Mark 5:23) Imagine what Jairus must have felt as he approached Jesus—his impatience, […]

Of God and Godparents
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Of God and Godparents

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by on Jun 19, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Parenting
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Everyone loves seeing the babies baptized early Sunday morning. Some squeal with delight while others cry their eyes out as the cold Holy Water runs across their heads. I’m always curious though about who the parents chose as godparents for their child. If physical similarities matter, many seem to have chosen a sibling or two […]

Reflections for Sunday, June 21, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, June 21, 2015

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by on Jun 17, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Job 38:1, 8-11 2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 Responsorial: Psalm 107:23-26, 28-31 Gospel: Mark 4:34-41 Trusting the Lord in All Circumstances The wind ceased and there was great calm. (Mark 4:39) Several years ago, a United States Coast Guard cutter was in port […]

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel
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Front Row With Francis: How Families Deal With Illness

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by on Jun 15, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, The Shepherd's Voice
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On June 10th, the Pope’s Wednesday general audience continued his catecheses on the family, focusing on the theme of sickness and suffering. Man experiences his own fragility primarily in the family, first as a child and, then, as an elderly person.While family sickness presents obvious challenges, it can also be a source of quiet strength […]

Don't Fear the Reaping: The Parable of the Mustard Seed
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Don’t Fear the Reaping: The Parable of the Mustard Seed

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by on Jun 14, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Mk 4:26-34 It is the smallest of all seeds and becomes the largest of plants In his teachings Jesus frequently used parables. The word “parable” is derived from an ancient Greek word that means “comparison.” Parables are like brain-teasers: they compare differing realities and use one example to shed light on the deeper meaning of […]

Reflections for Sunday, June 14, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, June 14, 2015

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by on Jun 10, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Ezekiel 17:22-24 2nd Reading: Corinthians 5:6-10 Responsorial: Psalm 92:2-3, 13-16 2 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 Allowing Jesus to Teach Us the Mysteries of the Kingdom To his own disciples he explained everything in private. (Mark 4:34) Jesus spent a lot of time explaining things […]

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel
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Front Row With Francis: Marriage and Poverty

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by on Jun 09, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, The Shepherd's Voice
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Family bonds are the virtue of the family, and poverty is the family’s its most direct enemy. Yet it would be a serious error to mistake the problem with society’s material poverty as a solely material problem. “It is not just a matter of bread.” The family is a benefit to society even as it […]

Quantum Mechanics & the Real Presence--Which Reality Do We Believe?
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Quantum Mechanics & the Real Presence–Which Reality Do We Believe?

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by on Jun 08, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Science
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Of Miracles and Mysteries A little over 20 years ago, shortly after I had decided to enter the Church, I was being catechized by a very learned and wise priest (this was before the days of RCIA classes). As a physicist, I was struggling with the notion of transubstantiation — that by the action of […]

Corpus Christi and the Letter to the Hebrews
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Corpus Christi and the Letter to the Hebrews

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by on Jun 05, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Heb 9:11-15 The blood of Christ will cleanse our consciences Among the writings that comprise the canon of the Christian Scriptures one work stands in a class by itself: the Epistle to the Hebrews. Each of the thirteen New Testament books is unique but Hebrews defies categorization. Is it a book, a letter, a sermon, […]

Reflections for Sunday, June 7, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, June 7, 2015

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by on Jun 03, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Exodus 24:3-8 2nd Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15 Responsorial: Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18 Gospel: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 Spending Time in Jesus’ Presence in Eucharistic Adoration This is my body. (Mark 14:22) Wouldn’t it be great if you could just pick up the phone and call God […]