Posts Tagged ‘charity’
Family Responsibilities
This time of year, our hearts and minds are on our families. We call them and visit them for the holidays. We plan to honor them with Christmas presents. We are devoted to family, but what happens when families fall apart? What happens when families are left to fend for themselves? This time of year,…
Read MoreTruth in Love
Speaking the truth can sometimes be awkward or even dangerous. Saints were martyred because they spoke truth. Holy men and women lost their fortunes because they lived the truth. Even we are forced to discern, daily, whether it would be good to speak the truth or not. In today’s reading from Saint Paul’s First Letter…
Read MoreEpisode 465 – Thanking God by Blessing Others
Living in modern America we have a lot to be thankful for. In the Gospel Parable of the Rich Fool, we are challenged to understand that all the great blessings we have received are from God, not for us but for others. The time has come for us to give thanks to God, not only…
Read MoreNever Rest on Your Laurels
We all have goals in life ranging from our career to our family. From the time we gain our ‘wits’ we understand that a life without goals is a life not lived. The problem isn’t having goals. The problem more often than not is what to do when our goals have been achieved. Brethren, we…
Read MoreCommon Good
We work hard to provide for our family. We save and invest for the future. We struggle to maintain the balance between work and family, sometimes forgetting the purpose of the blessings from God. Everything we have from God isn’t for us. It is for the common good. The prayers of the Church are filled…
Read MoreEpisode 464 – The Bittersweet Pill of the Gospel
When we enter the doctor’s office, sometimes we need to be willing to swallow a bit of bitter medicine, but the pill will heal us when we swallow it. The same is true about the Gospel. When we hear the Gospel, we hear our own mistakes and our own sinfulness. The only way the Gospel…
Read MoreThe Fruit of Repentance
The Church is always talking about bearing fruit, so today I thought I would write about the fruit of repentance. Fruit always starts with a seed which is planted, nurtured, and eventually harvested. Where is your seed of repentance? At that time, there were some present who told Jesus of the Galileans whose blood Pilate…
Read MoreChristian Generosity
We live in a society that rewards generosity. Donors receive marble plaques, street names, and publicity. Even buildings are named for donors, often as incentive for wealthy people to give. As Christians our generosity is something different. Christian generosity expects nothing in return. When was the last time you gave anything without getting anything in…
Read MoreEpisode 463 – Salvation starts with Giving
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazaros teaches us that our salvation will be determined by our generosity with the gifts and blessings we have received from God. If we wish to avoid the torment of hell, we must change our hearts to be generous to the Church for the work of the God.…
Read MoreBlessing Others
Hard work pays off in ways we can never fully appreciate. We work hard and are rewarded by others. Being rewarded by other people is only part of our blessing. All good things come from God and He is always blessing us, but the blessings are never just for us. Brethren, he who sows sparingly…
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