News - February 2023 RSS Feed

Problems...we've got them! Personal, social, financial, political, etc., etc. - all kinds of problems surround us. How did we get into such a mess anyway? Today, on the First Sunday of Lent, we hear about the cause of all our problems - the root problem called the original sin. But we also hear about the solution, found in the gospel - about the one who resists the devil and overcomes sin.

God's word for us today is clear, direct, and challenging...to be holy, as the Lord God is holy. This particular passage occurs several times in the Old Testament and is repeated in the New Testament (cf. 1 Peter 1:15-16).

Earthly wisdom, knowledge and skill are highly prized because they usually give the promise of earthly wealth and success. The only catch, however, is that it is all temporary and terminal - that is, it is all destined to end someday. The word of God is constantly pointing us toward a higher wisdom for an eternal destiny, and today's readings are no different.

"Major in majors, not in minors." "Get your priorities straight." How often our Scripture readings hammer home this theme. This Sunday is no different. Our Christian life is all about loving God and loving our neighbor. And we can't say that we love God whom we don't see if we don't love our brother whom we do see (cf.1 John 4:20).

This year marks 56 years since the beginning of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) at the Duquesne Weekend, February 17, 18, 19, 1967. Have you ever asked the question, "Where did it come from? How did it come to be?" I know, I know - from God! That is the shortest and the truest answer. But from a human and historical viewpoint, we can say what preceded and led up to the beginning of the CCR. We can distinguish some remote factors and some proximate factors.