Sometimes, the best way to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ is to reform and change one’s own life. This is, in many ways, the most true for people who regularily attend Mass and generally are practicing Catholics.
In such people, it is common, from time-to-time for sin to creep into their lives. A regular examination of conscience, and regular sacramental confession are key to clearing the sin away and moving closer to God. The change in our lives will be a witness to others, as we will be able to more clearly share the light of Christ, by our own spiritual growth.
The recent media attention of a ‘conservative’ radio talk show host has brought up again the issue of who should recieve Holy Communion. It needs to be again re-stated, that Catholics who use (or support the use of) contraception, should not recieve Holy Communion.
2. In the sacrament of the altar, the Lord meets us, men and women created in God’s image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:27), and becomes our companion along the way. In this sacrament, the Lord truly becomes food for us, to satisfy our hunger for truth and freedom.
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1. The sacrament of charity (1), the Holy Eucharist is the gift that Jesus Christ makes of himself, thus revealing to us God’s infinite love for every man and woman.
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All knowledge that does not culminate in Love is useless.
A new praesidium of the Legion of Mary is being started-up at Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Virginia Beach, VA. Initial planning meetings are being on Tuesday, January 23rd at 8:30 a.m. in the Annex, and on Tuesday, January 30th at 8:30 a.m. in the Annex. Meetings will thereafter be held at 7:00 PM on Thursdays, starting Feb. 8th.Â
Practicing Catholics are invited to attend any of those meetings to learn more.
Recently Pope Benedict XVI said, “Of course, false prophets continue to propose ‘low cost’ salvation, which always ends up delivering resounding disillusionment. Indeed, the history of the last 50 years provides an example of this search for a ‘low cost’ Savior and highlights all the consequent disillusionment.”Â
Indeed, in order to rise with Christ, we must die with Him. We must keep this in mind when our lives encounter problems. God chastises those He loves. He, Himself, did not defeat death and sin by His a show of strength of His power, but by His love; he underwent suffering and death to save us. If we wish to be followers of Him, we must accept our own cross.
 A Letter from the Catholic Bishops of Virginia to the Faithful of Their DiocesesÂ
[excerpt]
the best analysis we can offer is the one expressed by Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)…..he stated that a Catholic voter would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil (i.e., making the evil act one’s own) only if he were deliberately to vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion. He further explained that when a Catholic does not share a candidate’s position in favor of abortion, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation…it is important to recognize just how serious abortion is … we must confront the almost incomprehensible fact that abortions extinguish the lives of 4,000 children per day (and well over one million per year) in the United States alone.
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