Reconciliation Times·Tiempos de reconciliación
Fridays: 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Viernes: 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Saturday: 2:00-3:300pm
Sabados: 2:00-3:30 pm
God's Gift of Forgiveness
A Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament
of Penance and Reconciliation
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
“Peace be with you!” With these words, the Risen Lord
greeted his frightened Apostles in the Upper Room on
the day of his Resurrection. They were troubled, anxious,
and fearful—much like each one of us at some point in
our lives. Christ repeated the words, “Peace be with you.”
But then he added, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins
you forgive are forgiven them” (Jn 20:19-23).
Let The Children Come: The Sacrament Of Reconciliation And Children
To Such Belongs the Kingdom
Jesus loved children. As a child himself, he was raised by Joseph and Mary in their home at Nazareth (cf. Mt 2:23). Growing up among relative and townspeople, Jesus experienced the concerns and problems common to all children, such as sickness and death among family members. Within this setting, Jesus “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Lk 2:40).
What Must I Do? The Sacrament Of Reconciliation And Young Adults
Good Teacher, What Must I Do?
One day a wealthy young man approached Jesus (cf. Mk 10:17-22; Mt 19:16-22; Lk 18:18-23). He asked, “‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “you shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions” (Mk 10:17-22).
The Two Shall Become One: The Sacrament Of Reconciliation And Marriage
Marriage: God’s Great Plan
First, we must be convinced that God is the author ofmarriage and family life. Many people today consider marriage solely in terms of biology, sociology or culture. When marriage and family life are viewed in a merely naturalistic manner, they lose all reference to God and are no longer rooted in absolute values or founded upon divinely ordained truths. One result is that premarital sex, trial marriage, and cohabitation are commonplace today. Adultery, divorce, and remarriage are treated casually. “Pre-nuptial contracts” are becoming a popular way to take out economic insurance against a likely future divorce. Some go so far as to support homosexual ‘marriages.’ While this may be the prevailing “wisdom” of the world, we must look to the Bible, the Christian tradition, and the teaching of the Church to discover God’s plan for marriage and family life.
