Articles Archives - Page 17 of 26

How to Share the Truth About the Teachings of the Church

Most Catholics struggle to understand, not to mention explain, the teachings of the Church. It's not that they don't know the Church's stance on the controversial issues. That is clear. What is not clear for most people is why the Church believes and teaches what it does. Which makes it even more difficult to explain to others who ask for the reasoning behind these teachings.

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Getting to Know God in Scripture

It is with this in mind that I make reflections on the teaching of the Church in the Second Vatican Council. Archbishop Gomez in his Pastoral Letter has as his number one concern: our education in the Faith. As he indicates: "To know Jesus Christ! To enter into a deeper relationship with Him." When we read the Bible, the Archbishop says, we enter the life of Jesus Christ.

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Three Lessons the Temple Can Teach You About Evangelization

Today's Mass readings all focus on the idea of the Temple. The Temple was very important to the Jews of biblical times, because it was the only way to fulfill the commandments. The only way they could receive forgiveness, or atonement, for their sins was through ritual animal sacrifice upon the altar of the Temple in Jerusalem. Much has changed, thanks be to God, but the Temple can still teach us alot about the modern Church.

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What Culture Means and Why it’s Important to the Catholic Church

Archbishop Gomez in his recent Pastoral Letter lists five primary concerns that we need to address as we follow his leadership in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Points 3 & 4 make reference to the word culture. We hear that term or word used frequently in our theological consideration of the living of our Faith. What does culture mean and why is it important?

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How to Live God’s Plan for Love

I think we would all admit that the power of love conquers all—the cross is a perfect symbol of that—and in so doing we must also accept the challenge of living God's plan for love, most especially when it comes to those people that we hate to love.

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Bending the Rules for the Sake of Love

My wife and I are preparing to baptize our son next month and as part of the preparation our parish requires that the parents and godparents attend a three-hour pre-baptismal class. We've been before as godparents and actually loved the teaching that the speakers shared. We felt like we actually walked away with something and that's great. However, this time around our experience wasn't so great.

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A Six-Pack of Tips to Help You Grow in Your Knowledge of the Faith

Our beloved Archbishop José H. Gomez issued his first pastoral letter this month calling all of us in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to become witnesses of our faith. The letter is titled "Being a Witness to the New World of Faith" and in it he lays out five pastoral priorities, or five challenges to us. I'm going to go through these five priorities one-by-one, post-by-post. Today we'll discuss the first priority: education in the faith.

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Why Your Faith Should Influence Your Vote, Especially This Year

Elections years are always... interesting. It's when all the big issues come back up for discussion. Nobody denies that you have the right to vote, but the increased secularization of American society desires that your vote—in fact, every aspect of your public life—not be influenced by your faith. This is a mistake. Let me tell you why.

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Why Work is Good for You

Many people in modern America have come to see work as a burden, something that they do because they have to, punishment. You work because you have to pay the bills. But if you didn't have bills to pay, would you still work? My guess and my hope is yes, because work is important for your well-being physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually.

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Why Catholics Like Sex Better Without Condoms

It seems to me that these days condoms have become the answer to any sex-related issue that arises. Unwanted pregnancy? Use a condom. AIDS? Use a condom. Sexually-transmitted disease? Use a condom. Cheating on your wife? Use a condom. Statutory rape? Use a condom. High abortion rate? Use a condom. What I would like to point out is the fact that condoms aren't helping anything. The Catholic Church's stance on condoms gets us a lot of negative heat, but unfortunately the truth hurts.

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What’s So Special About St. Francis of Assisi?

In almost 2000 years of Church history there have been many, many saints, but few of them have rivaled the devotional popularity of St. Francis of Assisi. But what is it about this medieval monk that keeps people turning to him for inspiration? Just what's so special about St. Francis?

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Good Stewardship and Overcoming the Idea of “Mine”

You remember those obnoxious seagulls from the movie Finding Nemo who are constantly squawking "Mine! Mine! Mine!"? I think this idea of "Mine" is unhealthy and I'd like to challenge you to change your perspective and offer you a new way of seeing things the way God has always meant you to: stewardship. Are you up for the challenge? Then read on.