Christ at the Center

April 20. 2025 - Christ Restores Us to Integrity of Life

Part 1 of the series, "Integrity: Experience Freedom in Christ." Catholics renew our baptismal promises on Easter Sunday. We desire to live authentic lives in union with God. God is the source of our lives, sustains us throughout our lives, and is saving us from sin and death. Integrity means to integrate what we believe - in response to what God has revealed - into our behavior. What are the steps that we take to grow with integrity as disciples of Christ in His Church?

April 6, 2025 - God Raises Us to New Life

The conclusion of the series, "Credo: Living by Faith." Some scribes and Pharisees wanted to entrap Jesus. They used a woman caught in adultery for their scheme. They lacked integrity although they appeared to be pious. The woman and man in the adulterous relationship lacked integrity. All of them were entrapped. Salvation in Chrst restores our integrity and raises us to new life.

March 30, 2025: God Gathers People Into His Church

Part 4 of the series, "Credo: Living by Faith." Christ continues to preach His Gospel and to build His Church. Our experience with God's love and mercy invites us to be a sign of God's love and mercy toward others. God is gathering people into His Church. We rejoice with God to welcome them into the household of faith.

March 16, 2025: Living by Faith in our Redeemer

Part 2 of the preaching series, "Credo: Living by Faith." The Lord Jesus Christ is resolved to redeem us from sin and death, and its effects within time and for eternity. Living by faith in God our Redeemer means to be resolved to cooperate with God to be redeemed. During the Transfiguration of the Lord, Peter was living with fear instead of living by faith. God reassures us to let Jesus lead us and courageously follow In His way.

March 9, 2025: Living by Faith in our Creator

God is sovereign and the source of our lives. Created in God's image, human beings ae the crown of God's creation. We must appreciate that God has given us an inherent dignity. However, our sin against God has damaged our dignity. God provides a solution that provides a healing remedy. The Lord Jesus Christ comes to share in our humanity so that we can have a share in divine life. We avoid the invitation to sin by acknowledging our identity in God. 

March 2, 2025: "All in" for Lent

Lent will begin this week. This English word is based upon a word which means, “springtime.” It is a time for growth. The purpose of self-denial is to cooperate with the love and mercy of God to discipline oneself. What obstacles are preventing us from following the Lord Jesus wholeheartedly? In the Gospel Reading, Jesus speaks about three areas in which to answer this question: influence, intention, and integrity.

February 28, 2025: Freed by Forgiveness

"Jesus said to His disciples, '... Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36). We want our lives to be transformed for the good by the Lord Jesus Christ, but this is a challenging teaching. Christ means what he says. He also means to help us to fulfill what He has commanded us to do. Consider the reality of God's mercy. Receive God's mercy. This enables us to reflect God's mercy toward others.

February 16, 2025: God Provides For You

The disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and other members of the crowd came to Him because they wanted to be in touch with the power of God. The power of God is His love and life shared with us. They were overwhelmed and wanted assurances that God had not forgotten them. Jesus teaches us that God has not forgotten us. God provides us with His favor and faithfulness. God also provides us with fortitude.

February 9, 2025: Feeling Inadequate as a Christian

"When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, 'Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man'" (Luke 5:8). As followers of Christ, we will feel inadequate to participate in the mission of Christ. In response to our excuses, the Lord Jesus offers encouragement. We will never be worthy to testify to Christ. But we cannot use that as an excuse to be settled into sin. Following Christ within the fellowship of His Church, we are empowered by Christ to live according to His teaching and example.

January 26, 2025: The Word of God at Work in Us

The Christian has lifelong resolutions to fulfill and not to forsake. With the help of God, we will remain secure in our identity and steadfast in fulfilling our purpose as beloved children of God.  Daily prayer and reading the Word of God are crucial ways to maintain this resolution. On this “Sunday of the Word of God,” we reflect on the Word of God at work in His Church. This informs how we will contribute to the common good of our nation.