2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14;  2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5;  Luke 20:27-38 What happens when you die?  This is a question that has been pondered, puzzled over and debated from the time that humanity began to walk on the face of this earth.  This is the question that lies at the heart of the exchange between Jesus and...
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(Video and Discussion) My neighbor is just beginning to embrace the faith, having been raised as an agnostic. We’ve discussed spirituality and living our faith. I grew up believing in God, praying and attending Mass. How does one start from scratch as an adult to develop a relationship with God? We all have a...
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(Video and Discussion) What is the significance of all the sacramentals-holy water, candles, incense? When the younger children in grade school come to Mass, they understand the homilies best when there are lots of visual aids. Clocks, treasure chests, oversize pencils, flashlights and props of all kinds help them grasp the meaning of the...
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(Video and discussion) What does the large Easter candle mean? The Easter Vigil begins in darkness as a symbol of Christ’s tomb, as well as of the multiple occasions when darkness enters our lives. The parish community, with unlit candles, gathers outside in the darkness around dry, dead wood that will soon be brought...
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Why do we confess to priests? Can’t we just confess to God? Let’s just suppose for a moment that I, as an underpaid writer, decided that I needed some fast cash and so I rob a store! Whom would I owe an apology to? Certainly I would apologize to the store’s owner, as well...
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I know the feast of St. Joseph is coming soon. Is there any connection to Lent? On March 19, we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This solemnity during the Lenten season provides us with another model for living out the Lenten discipline of turning our...
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( Video and Discussion) What is the history and significance of prayer postures? There is a lot of talk these days about body language and how we communicate feelings, thoughts and moods by the way we position our body. Spiritual practices have intentionally used various postures and gestures in prayer. Our physical position and...
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(Video discussion) What is holy water and how do I explain the reason that it is placed at the entrances of churches to my non-Catholic friends? Holy water is a sacramental; a reminder of the life of the church expressed and celebrated through the sacraments. By blessing ourselves with holy water as we enter...
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Is faith something we have to just accept? Or is there some reason to it that makes it more logical? There are some people who have the mistaken notion that faith and reason are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. For them, faith is a blind allegiance to a set of beliefs arbitrarily...
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This Wednesday, Jan. 20, 6:45-7:30 pm in the Nativity School library, Fr. Gary will speak to PARENTS on some of the fundamentals of personal safety for children. His focus will be on how to protect children and teens from exploitation, abduction, internet crime, drugs and school violence in an environment that emphasizes the dignity...
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