Every year, I give up coffee because it is the hardest thing for me.
Tag: grace
Ask for the grace to root out vices during Lent
“Everybody, get in the car! We’re leaving for Mass in three minutes!”
Mary as a special channel of grace
s we enter into the Advent season, we ponder the fact that Jesus came to us through Mary.
Taking time to ask for grace we need
Thousands of thoughts get the best of me sometimes.
Praying for grace to overcome fear with love
Recently, when my family tent camped atop foothills in the Rocky Mountains, we bedded down after having stored our food in the bear locker for the night.
Appreciating invisible grace of the Eucharist
Ever since our children were little, I’ve strived to explain to them the mystery of transubstantiation — the point at which, under the appearance of bread and wine, the substance of the Eucharist becomes the Body and Blood of Christ.
Madison parish issues invitation to ‘Called to Grace’ mission
MADISON — Good Shepherd Parish invites those interested in renewing their faith to attend its “Called to Grace” parish mission June 16 to 19.
Sunday and Tuesday will be at St. James Church, 1128 St. James Ct., and Monday and Wednesday evenings at St. Joseph Church, 1905 W. Beltline Hwy.
Fr. Matthew Bonk, a Redemptorist priest from Brooklyn, Minn., will preside over the mission. Each service will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by refreshments and fellowship at 8 p.m.
‘Grace-filled happening’
The mission will include proclamation of the word, preaching and reflection, music, and praying together.Worldly approaches to religion: karma or grace?
 |
|
Just a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Stephen Davis, retired professor of the philosophy of religion at Claremont University.
In preparation for the meeting, I read Dr. Davis’ book called Christian Philosophical Theology, which includes a chapter contrasting two basic approaches to religion throughout the world. The first — which can be found in much of the East — is a religion of karma, and the second — prominent in the Abrahamic religions of the West — is a religion of grace.
Religion of karma
The first approach has a lot to recommend it — which explains its great endurance across the centuries. A karmic approach says that, by a cosmic spiritual law, we are punished or rewarded according to our moral activities. If we do bad things, we will suffer, either in this life or a life to come. And if we do good things, we will be rewarded, again either here or in the hereafter.
Giving the gift of sacrifice this Christmas
“I can’t do it!” my four-year-old son cries out in frustration as he suddenly scrunches up his artwork to his chest.
His masterpiece, a brightly colored partially crayoned alphabet, is now a ball of crumpled paper, mashed beyond redemption.
“It’s okay,” I say, trying to calm his tears. “I can help you.”
Slowly I coax the ruined masterpiece from my son’s angry fingers, smooth the jagged creases, place my hand over his to guide the creation of the letters he’d wanted to be just so.
“You are still learning,” I tell him. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Dipped in the Holy Spirit and set on fire
|
|
Revealing one of the most significant themes in Catholic theology, namely, the play between nature and grace, St. Luke tells us that people came to John the Baptist, asking what they should do to reform their lives. John responds with good and very pointed moral advice.
To the tax collectors he says, “Don’t take more money than you ought” and to the soldiers he urges, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone; be content with your pay.”
In so saying, he was addressing very common practices of that time and place. Tax collectors regularly demanded more money than was just and skimmed the surplus for themselves — which helps to explain why they were so unpopular. And soldiers — young men with weapons and too much time on their hands — predictably acted as bully-boys, extorting money through threats of violence.