Recent Sermon
The Sacrament of Divine Conquest
Bp. Ward
The sacrament of Confirmation was instituted by Our Lord Himself. It is a sacrament of the living, meaning we must be in the State of Grace to receive it worthily. Through it the confirmed receives a great increase of sanctifying grace and the presence of the Holy Ghost. What we are given in Baptism is not sufficient in God’s mind, so He has created this ‘Sacrament of Strength’ to help us withstand the assaults of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The confirmed are called to be defenders of Christ’s honor in the face of our godless world. We follow the example of our holy ancestors who courageously endured persecution and spoke on behalf of the whole Church, because Our Lord seeks to transform the world through his confirmed soldiers. In this sacrament we participate in the triumphant victory of the Passion and death of our Redeemer. The gifts of the Holy Ghost are increased in our soul and through them we are granted a deeper intimacy in our relationship with God.
From Our Archives
Understanding Confession
Fr. Violette
The name of the sacrament is “Penance” not “Confession,” because confession is only a part of the sacrament of Penance. If we have no mortal sins to confess, we are not required to go to confession but, if we choose to make a confession of devotion, we must confess some sin or renew our sorrow for a past sin which has already been forgiven. Confession of our venial sins, although not obligatory, is one of the best ways to overcome our sinful habits and to avoid falling into more serious sins in the future. We should avoid unnecessary details and tell our sins frankly, sharing only those details which would change the nature of the sin.
Armed with the Christian understanding of “neighbor,” we should seek out and remove the selfishness in our souls, being always critical of our actions. Our sins of omission are especially easy to miss when examining our conscience. If God was capable of raising the dead to life. as we see in the Gospel, then He has the power to restore a sinner to grace through His priests.
