Categories
Luke 18

Faith Sharing for Fiesta Novena Mass Day 3

We are featuring a series of nine Faith Sharing of Virtues of St. Anthony of Padua that were presented during the fiesta 9-day novena masses. This will temporarily replace the Sunday Gospel Reflections; after which the Gospel Reflections will return.

untitled

Seeking God
by Rocky Chan

untitled2
Good evening, I am Rocky Chan, ministry head for the Luke 18 Community here at San Antonio. My wife and I were called to serve our parish as adult leaders for Luke 18 sometime in the summer of 2008, just a few months after we got married. Six years, two children, nineteen retreats (which we call Weekends) and about 400 lukers later, Yen and I are still here.

What is Luke 18?
Our name comes from the passage of Luke 18:16-17 “and Jesus said to them: Let the children come to me and do not prevent them because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of heaven like a child shall not enter it.”

Simply put, Luke 18 is a church community for children from Grade 6 to 4th Year High School. It starts with a weekend that is given by the children with the help of adult leaders such as myself, my wife, and a whole team of volunteers who have made this community their ministry. We have been around for 25 years and a few of the original Lukers have children that are a part of the community.

The mission of our ministry is summed up in three words. Spread God’s Love. And this has been our credo for almost 30 years.

Through these 6 years, Yen and I have borne witness to an ever-evolving community of young people, finding their place in their new faith family and the world around them. We watched awkward teens grow into fine young adults, many of whom have continued their faith journey in Antioch upon entering college age and gone on to bigger and better things, with the seeds of their first faith community blossoming into a mature understanding of their role as Catholics in the modern world.

As young Catholics, we encourage Lukers to start looking into their own burgeoning faith, and, through our prayer meetings and outreach activities, we expose them to an ever widening world around them, a world that needs the love of Christ in the unique way that only the youth can share.

I am personally inspired by the way the youth is called to action in times of calamity. Since Ondoy, the youth has taken an active role in the calamity ministry of San Antonio, and it always moves me to see throngs of lukers troop to San Antonio to spend endless hours repacking goods and hauling them from the staging areas to the trucks. During the relief efforts, everyone in the youth of San Antonio has a role to play. The lukers would repack the goods along with the Antiochers, while the SYAers would typically go with the trucks to distribute. Just like the body of Christ, every part has a purpose. It’s an amazing sight to behold.

As a result of my experience as an Antiocher in the 90s, an SYAer as a single adult, and now as a parent leader for Luke, my Catholic life has been blessed with a true sense of belonging and mission. I feel myself a part of a larger parish community and my participation in the Council has deepened my commitment not only as a Catholic, but as a servant of something bigger than my personal Luke 18 ministry. My experience in the Parish has likewise had a great impact on my young family’s prayer life, as my children, as young as they are, have made prayer a part of their daily lives, and I can’t wait for them to grow into their roles as young Catholics alive with their faith and spreading God’s love, in whatever way they are called to do.

And this dream for my children is exactly my vision for my ministry. As future leaders of this Parish, it is always my fervent hope that their experiences in Luke embolden them to seek out greater opportunities to serve as they mature in their faith. Whether they find themselves in Antioch, SYA or any of the other ministries of the Parish, I will ask the Lord’s forgiveness in the little pride I will take when I see my Lukers grow into their roles in our parish.

Already I see the fruits of the labors of my community, as former Lukers who are now into their adulthood have come back to serve the Luke 18 Community as bridge builders for their younger brothers and sisters, closing the gap not only between us oldies and the teenagers, but to the Antioch community as well. I bear witness to this and can only say: God is truly good.

Categories
Photo Gallery Special Events

Santuario de San Antonio Parish Fiesta 2014 Theme of 1 Faith, 1 Parish, 1 Family

Santuario de San Antonio Parish Fiesta 2014 Theme of
1 Faith, 1 Parish, 1 Family represents unity and harmony.
We are all of 1 Faith

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Categories
Reflections

Faith Sharing for Fiesta Novena Mass Day 2

We are featuring a series of nine Faith Sharing of Virtues of St. Anthony of Padua that were presented during the fiesta 9-day novena masses. This will temporarily replace the Sunday Gospel Reflections; after which the Gospel Reflections will return.

Peter Soo picture 2

Peter Soo
CARING FOR THE SICK

peter soo

Good Evening. I am Peter Soo and I represent the hospital ministry more specifically the Philippine General Hospital outreach program. We still have one of the original members Mrs. Maria Clara Canoy. We serve the pediatric charity wards 9 & 11 and the orthopedic ward. Our mission is to be able to serve the poorest of the poor, Giving HOPE BY GIVING them treatment or medications for their illness. This is not just a dole out. The regular visits, interaction with the parents and children show them THAT SOMEONE CARES. We also pray with them, reminding the parents that they should not lose hope, that the Lord will provide and can work miracles as their faith will heal them.

WE ALWAYS REMEMBER ONE OF THE BEATITUDES OF OUR LORD DURING THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT WHEREIN HE SAID “BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY…..JESUS REMINDS US THAT WHATEVER YOU DID TO THE LEAST OF MY BRETHREN, YOU DID IT TO ME (MATTHEW 25: 31-46) AND PART OF THE CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY IS TO VISIT THE SICK.

As a cancer warrior myself, seeing these children smiling when we visit them makes me stronger and that I am a living proof that when you have cancer, it is not the end of the world. I make it a point to tell the children that the belief in the cure comes from within and having the faith and that they are not the only one suffering as the Lord suffered for them and you offer it up as I do with my visits to them.

It is not easy visiting and seeing these sick children. PGH is hot, especially in the summer heat with only a ceiling electric fan trying to cool the ward. What is more difficult though is seeing the conditions of the children in the wards, with their illnesses and in pain, with the bare comfort that a ward bed which is made in the hospital can give. Sometimes, it is even hard to look at some of the children because of the physical deformities brought about by their severe condition. Or having a makeshift incubator made from plywood and fluorescent lights to heat the baby as there is not enough in the hospital. These are the ones who need comforting the most.

I learned about the Hospital Ministry through my friend and classmate Vince Pacheco, he saw my name one time in the parish newsletter seeking prayers for illness. He has been an active leader and member of this ministry for years and he knew I wanted a way to give back and help the less fortunate.

We are just a small group but we are committed to bringing whatever comfort and hope we can to these patients in need. And my joining is to thank the community for the prayers you offer for us in need.

The population of PGH is happy that we from the Sanctuario de San Antonio Parish go out of our way in helping them.

Membership is voluntary and donations help in our effort to give these children the chance of having a new leaf in life. Parishioners are most welcome to join us. Our parish is a blessed one and our ministry is here to provide an avenue for everyone to be able to serve and share in their blessings with the less fortunate.

Categories
Cathechism of the Catholic Church

Catechism of the Catholic Church

???????????????????????????????
Why did God dispose man and woman for each other?
God disposed man and woman for each other so that they might be “no longer two but one.” (Mt 19:6) In this way they are to live in love, be fruitful, and thus become a sign of God himself, who is nothing but overflowing love.

What is necessary for a Christian, sacramental marriage?
A sacramental marriage has three necessary elements: (a) free consent, (b) the affirmation of a life- long, exclusive union, and (c) openness to children. The most profound thing about a Christian marriage, however, is the couple’s knowledge: “We are a living image of the love between Christ and the Church.”
The requirement of unity and indissolubility is directed in the first place against polygamy, which Christianity views as a fundamental offense against charity and human rights; it is also directed against what could be called “successive polygamy,” a series of non-binding love affairs that never arrive at one, great, irrevocable commitment. The requirement of marital fidelity entails a willingness to enter a lifelong union, which excludes affairs outside the marriage. The requirement of open- ness to fertility means that the Christian married couple is willing to accept any children that God may send them. Couples who remain childless are called by God to become “fruitful” in some other way. A marriage in which one of these elements is excluded at the marriage ceremony is not valid.

Why is marriage indissoluble?
Marriage is triply indissoluble: first, because the essence of love is mutual self-giving without reservation; second, because it is an image of God’s unconditional faithfulness to his creation; and third, because it represents Christ’s devotion to his Church, even unto death on the Cross.

At a time when 50 percent of marriages in many places end in divorce, every marriage that lasts is a great sign – ultimately a sign for God. On this earth, where so much is relative, people ought to believe in God, who alone is absolute. That is why everything that is not relative is so important: someone who speaks the truth absolutely or is absolutely loyal. Absolute fidelity in marriage is not so much a human achievement as it is a testimony to the faithfulness of God, who is there even when we betray or forget him in so many ways. To be married in the Church means to rely more on God’s help than on one’s own resources of love.

What threatens marriages?
What really threatens marriages is sin; what renews them is forgiveness; what makes them strong is prayer and trust in God’s presence.

Conflict between men and women, which sometimes reaches the point of mutual hatred in marriages, of all places, is not a sign that the sexes are incompatible; nor is there such a thing as a genetic disposition to infidelity or some special psychological disability for lifelong commitments. Many marriages, however, are endangered by a lack of communication and consideration. Then there are economic and societal problems. The decisive role is played by the reality of sin: envy, love of power, a tendency to quarrel, lust, infidelity, and other destructive forces. That is why forgiveness and reconciliation, in confession as well, is an essential part of every marriage.

May a husband and wife who are always fighting get a divorce?
The Church has great respect for the ability of a person to keep a promise and to bind himself in lifelong fidelity. She takes people at their word. Every marriage can be endangered by crises.

Talking things over together, prayer (together), and often therapeutic counseling as well can open up ways out of the crisis. Above all, remembering that in a sacramental marriage there is always a third party to the bond, Christ, who can kindle hope again and again.

Someone for whom marriage has become unbearable, however, or who may even be exposed to spiritual or physical violence, may divorce. This is called a “separation from bed and board,” about which the Church must be notified. In these cases, even though the common life is broken off, the marriage remains valid.

Indeed, there are also cases in which the crisis in a marriage ultimately goes back to the fact that one spouse or both was not eligible at the time of the wedding or did not fully consent to the marriage. Then the marriage is invalid in the canonical (legal) sense. In such cases an annulment procedure can be introduced at the diocesan tribunal.

Categories
Random Thoughts by Peachy Maramba

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Voices from Yesterday and Today . . . by Peachy Maramba

St.

ST. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA:
Doctor of the Incarnation;
Doctor of the Church
370 – 444
June 27

The writings of this Doctor of the Church St. Cyril of Alexandria (not to be confused with another Doctor of the Church St. Cyril of Jerusalem) strenuously defended the dogma that Jesus had two natures in one person. He has been known therefore as the Doctor of the Incarnation.

In 403 he accompanied his patriarch uncle to the Synod of the Oak in Constantinople that deposed and exiled Saint John Chrysostom who he believed to be guilty of heresy (even though the charges were unjust).

So while he was a stern (sometimes too stern) and zealous enemy of heretics and non Christians he vigorously and at times harshly opposed these doctrinal opponents of the church. It’s no wonder that his enemies called him “the Pharaoh of Egypt.”

He not only ruthlessly closed all Novatian churches in Alexandria but he also pillaged them as well seizing their sacred vessels.

Having succeeded in expelling the Novatians he then began but apparently did not complete the expulsion of Jews who had been established by Alexander the Great to encourage commerce in his city. This incurred the wrath of the governor Orestes who already disagreed with Cyril about some of his actions.

St. Cyril was preaching that in Christ there were two distinct and separate persons: that of the Son of God and that of the man Jesus joined only by a moral union. In insisting that Mary was the mother of Jesus the man and denying that she was the mother of the Son of God Nestorious consequently denied the Incarnation and the Divine Motherhood of Mary as well as the unity of the divine and human natures in Jesus.

On this basis Nestorious and his followers refused to call Mary Theotokos (“mother of God” or literally “God-bearer”). Since he believed that there were two distinct persons in Christ – the divine and the human – Mary, who was human, was the mother only of the human person, not of the divine person. So he preferred to call the Virgin Mary Christokos (“mother of Christ”) or Theodokos (“God receiving”).

On the other hand Cyril saw this as a clear opposition to what the Nicene Creed says and in direct conflict with the Orthodox doctrine that taught that the two natures of Christ were combined in one person.

Cyril staunchly believed in this unity of God and man in Christ which at that time was called “the indwelling of the divine word in human flesh.” So he insisted on the term Theotokos (“God-bearer”, i.e. Mother of God) as it expressed the “intimate union of the divine and human natures, made one in the incarnation.”

His writings have been characterized by “accurate thinking, precise exposition and great reasoning skill.” It’s no wonder that most people regarded him the most brilliant theologian of the Alexandrian tradition and Warrior for the Truth.

At his death, to show how much some people hated him a bitter letter circulated at his death. It began, “Behold, at long last this wicked man is dead.”

Truly Cyril was rightfully named “The Doctor of the Incarnation.” His numerous letters and treatises developed his theology further emphasizing more definitely the “fullness of Christ’s humanity along with the oneness of his person.”

Cyril is honored as a saint both by the Eastern and Western churches more in tribute to his being a brilliant theologian and for his historic achievements than for his character which continue to puzzle interpreters today. Because while he was brave, he was a man of strong and impulsive character but sometimes was violent even over-vehement. Though he basically loved peace he loved truth even more at any cost. Though unscrupulous and ruthless at times no one can deny the “considerable mark he left on the formulation of orthodox theology.” He remains to this day “the invincible champion of the Divine Motherhood of Mary.”

Cyril also manifested a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament which he maintained was really the life-giving and very flesh of the World Himself.

Because Cyril used consistently and well the procedures of invoking the Fathers of the Church as proof for doctrine he has rightfully earned the title “Seal of the Fathers” and “Guardian of Accuracy.” In so doing Cyril made clear to the whole world that he recognized the position of the “Bishop of Rome as visible head of the whole church.”

The Popes in turn recognized his greatness:
1. Pope Celestine described him as “the generous defender of the Catholic faith” and “an apostolic man.”
2. It was Pope Leo XIII in 1882 who proclaimed Cyril a Doctor of the Church.
3. In 1931 Pope Piux XI praised St. Cyril as “that most holy man and champion of Catholic integrity.”
4. In 1944 Pope Pius XII called him “the ornament of the Oriental Church.”
The Alexandrians bestowed on him the title of Teacher of the World.

Cyril is commemorated as a “tower of truth and interpreter of the Word of God made flesh” in the intercession of the Syrian and Maronite Mass.

In the West June 27 is his feast day while in the East it is on June 9.

Other Sources of Reference:

A Calendar of Saints – p 121
A Year With the Saints – June 27
Butler’s Saint for the Day – pp 298 – 299
Illustrated Lives of the Saints – Vol. 1 p 273
My First Book of Saints – pp 134
Saint Companions – pp 234 – 235
Saint of the Day – pp 146 – 147
The Doctors of the Church – Vol. I – pp 147 – 158
The 33 Doctors of the Church – pp 134 – 147
Saints – A Visual Guide – pp 260 – 261
Voices of the Saints – pp 170 – 171
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives – Group 3 Card 34

Categories
CWL Fiesta

CWL Fiesta 2014 Activities

CATHOLIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE FIESTA ACTIVITIES

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Catholic Women’s League
(CWL) wishes to acknowledge the
following sponsors for Santuario de
San Antonio’s annual fiesta 2014:
1. Rep. Monique Lagdameo
2. Dr. Victor Gisbert & Makati
Medical Center Staff
3. UP Dental Health Brigade
4. Dr. Teresita De Jesus & Colleagues
5. Bounty Fresh Food
6. Regent Foods Corporation
7. United Laboratories, Inc.
8. Rita Optical
Maria Theresa Corporation, Allergan,
Alcon, Celsus, Sensomed, UST
Medical Alumni Association, Sigma
Tau Delta Sorority, Tau Mu Sigma Phi
Fraternity, UST Hospital- Dept. of
OB-Gyne, Dept. of Ophthalmology,
Dept. of ENT, Dept. of Pathology &
Dept. of Family Medicine.
Makati Medical Society, Phil.
Federation of Private Practitioner,
Phil. Medical Women’s Association,
Phil Academy of Family Physician
– Matapat Chapter, SAN MIGUEL
CORPORATION, NESTLE
PHILIPPINES, Tina Astodillo, Bryan
Ang, Patrick Uy and Photographers
& Rey Assuncion and Dr. Irwin Cua
and collegaues.

Categories
Reflections

Faith Sharing for Fiesta Novena Mass Day 1

We are featuring a series of nine Faith Sharing of Virtues of St. Anthony of Padua that were presented during the fiesta 9-day novena masses. This is the first in the series, which will temporarily replace the Sunday Gospel Reflections; after which the Gospel Reflections will return.

jj

JJ Yulo
FEED THE HUNGRY

I work in the world of food, and one of the things that people in food know all too well is that at the end of the day, it’s not just about the food and eating, but it’s about nurturing people and contributing to their general well being. It’s about making people happy.

These thoughts crossed my mind when I was given “feed the hungry” to reflect on, but of course in my mind, I knew it had to go deeper than this.

Was it my work as one of the Heads Of Calamity – an infamous title amongst thosein the Parish Pastoral Council, often drawing snickers when I introduce myself as such? Sure, it definitely fits in. I got this job after helping round up people during the days after Ondoy – it seems we did a good enough job despite our being entirely grass roots that I merited a leadership role should the need arise again. I often tell people that I wish they would never call me – because calling me meant people were suffering. Sadly, I’ve been called to service practically every year since, with Yolanda bringing the craziest times.

It’s not a job that gives you “satisfaction,” as some people think it does. For one thing it’s quite literally back breaking work, and I have to be annoyingly persistent in asking people to come aboard and help. But more than all that, it’s the fact that these people we send aid to have lost so much. It’s this thought that I believe keeps me (and I’m sure everyone else) from feeling any semblance of self-satisfaction. I cannot possibly be satisfied when all in my mind before passing out every night is whether or not we did enough that day. If we had more people, if we had more donors, if we had more trucks to help us transport things.Always if.

I do know in my heart, however, that it’s what I’m supposed to be doing, and it’s an honor to be of service in that sense. If there is any way of showing love for your fellow countrymen, this is it. Our volunteers work hard, and they work unconditionally.
But even deeper than this is probably my work with Antioch, one of our parish youth groups, which I joined myself many years ago. Im still with them now as one of their adult leaders.This is where I know we are truly “feeding the hungry” – not physical hunger, but the hunger for finding meaning in their live, the hunger to find God and make Him real, and to walk in His steps.I’ve literally seen small miracles happen here – lives changed, doors opened, hearts put ablaze with love. I’ve seen troubled ones fall, only to be helped up by their friends in the name of doing the right thing. Deep inside I firmly believe that through the hundreds who pass through our doors, the world can become a slightly better place, even in our own little corners of it. The desire to pass it on, to spread the Good News through compassion and through everyday deeds – that will surely satisfy the hunger of many.

There is a reason why Antioch is called such – it was the place where we were first called Christians. To me, it’s where we learned to put Christ at our center. Ultimately, it is the light of Christ that is our daily food – may we always be open to allowing that light to feed our souls. And as this is a parish whose patron is St Anthony – someone who loved the poor and the needy – let us all challenge ourselves as a community to be that light for others around us as well: those who are searching, those who are lost, those who are needy, those are shunned, cast aside, ostracized, we all have the capacity to feed the hungry. Such is the heart of our faith.

Categories
The ABC’s of Catholic Doctrine

“Suffering is a Gift of God”, The ABC’s of Catholic Doctrine By Lianne Tiu

abcA death in the family, a broken marriage, an incurable sickness, … we can only cry like Jesus, ”My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” At times like this, it is hard to see God’s love and providence.

Life on earth is a journey, a pilgrimage to heaven. It is not always easy. All of us experience suffering; even Jesus and Mary are not exempted. It is only in heaven that we can find true happiness.

It’s difficult to believe what St. Josemaria wrote, that man’s treasures on earth are hunger, thirst, heat, cold, pain, dishonor, poverty, loneliness, betrayal, slander, prison, … or what Blessed Teresa of Calcutta wrote: “Suffering, pain, humiliation – this is the kiss of Jesus.” Once she told this to a suffering lady who replied, “Tell Jesus not to kiss me-to stop kissing me.”

“Suffering is a gift from God,” Mother Teresa would add. This is because something good can come from an evil through God’s intervention. Suffering can change us for the better; it can help us earn merits; it can be used to atone for our sins; it can benefit those for whom it is offered (such as a conversion or a quick entry into heaven for souls in purgatory). No one wants this gift; but when it comes, we look at it in a new way, accept it as God’s will, and let Him do great things with it.

At times when we do not see the light at the end of the tunnel, let us remember that Jesus is also in the tunnel. He is with us.

We are not alone in our pain and suffering. He wants us to stop worrying and to trust in Him. What He chooses for us is what He knows is best for our salvation. He may shield us from suffering, or He may provide us with unfailing strength to
bear it.

The way to heaven and eternal happiness has always been the way of the Cross. The joy of Christ’s Resurrection cannot be accomplished without His passion and death. Suffering with faith-filled acceptance and love has always been a path to holiness and a way to save souls. But we need prayers; we need God. There is a big difference when we try to look at suffering in a positive light and when we embrace it rather than reject it. It becomes less painful when accepted. As St. John Vianney would say: suffering in serenity is no longer suffering.

(Reference: “Mother Teresa’s Lessons of Love & Secrets of Sanctity” by Susan Conroy; “The Way” by St. Josemaria Escriva; totus tuus blogspot “Christ’s Compassion for the Suffering”; “In Conversation with God” Vol. 1 by Francis Fernandez; “I Choose to be Free” by Jack Philip)doctrine

Categories
Fr. Jesus Galindo Pastoral Team Reflections

“THE MOST BLESSED TRINITY: A Mystery of Love, Not of Numbers”, A Sunday Gospel Reflection by Fr. Jesús Galindo, OFM

“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” These are about the first words we learn about God in early childhood–a proclamation of the greatest mystery of our faith: the Most Blessed Trinity. It is linked to the sign of the cross precisely because the cross is the symbol of God’s love for us: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son…” (Jn. 3:16)

If the mystery of the Trinity does not particularly excite us it is partly due to the way in which it was explained to us in school. It was presented as a mystery of numbers: “Father, Son and Holy Spirit: three persons but only one God. How can that be?” The teacher would use different devices, such as a triangle, or a branch with three little twigs, to help us understand the mystery; only to conclude by saying that, anyway, no matter how hard we try, we will never be able to understand the Blessed Trinity because “it is a mystery.”

Christianity is the only religion that believes in a triune God. It was Jesus who revealed to us the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—without mentioning the word Trinity: “The Father and I are one” (Jn. 10:30). “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” (Jn. 14:11) “The Holy Spirit whom the Father will send you in my name will teach you everything.” (Jn. 14:26) Jesus speaks of the Blessed Trinity, not in terms of numbers but in terms of persons–Father, Son, Spirit, among whom there is communion, love and unity in diversity. The Blessed Trinity is family. The Blessed Trinity is community.

Hence the best thing to do in order to understand something of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity is to look into God’s own image: Man and woman. We are God’s image—not the triangle, not the branch. God has created us into his image and likeness and has placed within us something of himself: his love. It is love that drives husband and wife to join their lives forever and to build a home. It is love that keeps friends in each other’s company for hours… Love unites and makes one: “That is why a man leaves father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.” (Gen. 2:24) Hence it is God’s infinite love that makes it possible for the three divine persons to be One God.

Seen in this light, the Blessed Trinity is no longer an abstract mystery of numbers but a mystery of love in which we ourselves are involved. At baptism we have become sons and daughters of the Father, brothers and sisters of Christ the Son, and temples of the Holy Spirit. Our task is not so much to explain the mystery of the Blessed Trinity through visual aids and comparisons but rather to live it out by leading a trinitarian life marked by love, respect, unity, and acceptance despite differences.

We can (and should) play the role of God the Father/Mother (God is both) by giving love, attention, quality time and warmth to our children. We can (and should) play the role of God the Son by giving love, respect, and assistance to our parents, grandparents, the elderly and the sick. We can (and should) play the role of God the Holy Spirit by giving hope, encouragement and inspiration to the hopeless, the helpless, the depressed and the confused, especially among the young. Thus the Blessed Trinity is no longer a mystery of numbers but rather a program of life that brings hope and life to the world—through us, who have been baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

About Fr. Jesus and his reflections.

Categories
Cathechism of the Catholic Church

Catechism of the Catholic Church

But we have Baptism, which reconciles us with God; why
then do we need a special sacrament of Reconciliation?
Baptism does snatch us from the power of sin and death and
brings us into the new life of the children of God, but it does not
free us from human weakness and the inclination to sin. That is
why we need a place where we can be reconciled with God again
and again. That place is confession.

It does not seem like a modern thing to go to confession; it can
be difficult and may cost a great deal of effort at first. But it is one
of the greatest graces that we can receive again and again in our
life, it truly renews the soul, completely unburdens it, leaving it
without the debts of the past, accepted in love, and equipped
with new strength. God is merciful, and he desires nothing more
earnestly than for us, too, to lay claim to his mercy. Someone
who has gone to confession turns a clean, new page in the book
of his life.

Who instituted the sacrament of Penance?
Jesus himself instituted the sacrament of Penance when
he showed himself to his apostles on Easter day and
commanded them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive
the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any,
they are retained.” (Jn 20:22a-23)

Nowhere did Jesus express more beautifully what happens
in the sacrament of Penance than in the parable of the
Prodigal Son: We go astray, we are lost and can no longer cope.
Yet our Father waits for us with great, indeed, infinite longing;
he forgives us when we come back; he takes us in again,
forgives our sins. Jesus himself forgave the sins of many
individuals; it was more important to him than working miracles.
He regarded this as the great sign of the dawning of the
kingdom of God, in which all wounds are healed and all
tears are wiped away. Jesus forgave sins in the power of
the Holy Spirit, and he handed that power on to his apostles.
We fall into the arms of our heavenly Father when we go to
a priest and confess.

Who can forgive sins?
God alone can forgive sins. Jesus could say “Your sins
are forgiven” (Mk 2:5) only because he is the Son of God.
And priests can forgive sins in Jesus’ place only because
Jesus has given them that authority.

Many people say, “I can go directly to God; why do I need
a priest?” God, though, wants it otherwise. We rationalize
our sins away and like to sweep things under the rug. That is
why God wants us to tell our sins and to acknowledge them
in a personal encounter. Therefore, the following words from
the Gospel are true of priests: “If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

What sins must be confessed?
Under normal circumstances, all serious sins that one remembers after
making a thorough examination of conscience and that have not yet been
confessed can be forgiven only in individual sacramental confession.
Of course there will be reluctance before making a confession. Overcoming it
is the first step toward interior healing. Often it helps to think that even the Pope
has to have the courage to confess his failings and weaknesses to another priest –
and thereby to God. Only in life-or-death emergencies (for instance, during an
airstrike in wartime or on other occasions when a group of people are in
danger of death) can a priest administer “general absolution” to a group
of people without the personal confession of sins beforehand. However,
afterwards, one must confess serious sins in a personal confession at the
first opportunity.

When is a Catholic obliged to confess his serious sins? How often should
one go to confession?
Upon reaching the age of reason, a Catholic is obliged to confess his serious sins.
The Church urgently advises the faithful to do this at least once a year. At any
rate one must go to confession before receiving Holy Communion if one has
committed a serious sin.

By “the age of reason”, the Church means the age at which one has arrived at the
use of reason and has learned to distinguish between good and bad.

Can I make a confession even if I have not committed any serious sins?
Confession is a great gift of healing that brings about closer union with the Lord,
even if, strictly speaking, you do not have to go to confession.
In Taizé, at Catholic conferences, at World Youth Day celebrations – everywhere,
you see young people being reconciled with God. Christians who take seriously
their decision to follow Jesus seek the joy that comes from a radical new beginning
with God. Even the saints went to confession regularly, if possible. They needed it
in order to grow in humility and charity, so as to allow themselves to be touched
by God’s healing light even in the inmost recesses of their souls.

Why are priests the only ones who can forgive sins?
No man can forgive sins unless he has a commission from God to do so and the
power given by him to ensure that the forgiveness he promises the penitent
really takes place. The bishop, in the first place, is appointed to do that and, then,
his helpers, the ordained priests.

Are there sins that are so serious that not even the average
priest can forgive them?
There are sins in which a man turns completely away from God and at the
same time, because of the seriousness of the deed, incurs excommunication.
When a sin results in “excommunication”, absolution can be granted only by
the bishop or a priest delegated by him, and, in a few cases, only by the Pope.
In danger of death, any priest can absolve from every sin and excommunication.
A Catholic who, for example, cooperates in an abortion automatically excludes
himself from sacramental communion; the Church simply acknowledges this fact.
The purpose of “excommunication” is to correct the sinner and to lead him
back to the right path.

May a priest later repeat something he has learned in confession?
No. Under no circumstances. The secrecy of the confessional is absolute.
Any priest who would tell another person something he had learned in the
confessional would be excommunicated. Even to the police, the priest cannot
say or suggest anything.

There is hardly anything that priests take more seriously than the seal of the
confessional. There are priests who have suffered torture for it and have gone
to their deaths. Therefore, you can speak candidly and unreservedly to a priest
and confide in him with great peace of mind, because his only job at that moment
is to be entirely “the ear of God.”

What are the positive effects of confession?
Confession reconciles the sinner with God and the Church.
The second after absolution is like a shower after playing sports, like the
fresh air after a summer storm, like waking up on a sunlit summer morning,
like the weightlessness of a diver … . Everything is contained in the word
“reconciliation” (from a Latin verb meaning “to bring back together, to restore”):
we are at peace with God again.

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started