RCIA Process Reaches Back to the Past

When trying to put together a solid timeline of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), you have to go back to the early church at the point when the 12 Apostles were in charge of it, directly. They would go though the towns and countries spreading the Good News and would come upon small communities where individuals would come together in small groups and study the works of Jesus. They would communally work on the call ot conversion. This was being done at a time when persecution was... Read more »

The Rite of Sending and Election

Today was a big step for any Candidate or Catechumen in the Catholic Church. This was the day that they are recommended by their parishes to the Bishop or Cardinal of their dioceses. In the first rite of the day the catechumens are asked to stand before the congregation and let the congregation know that they are prepared and ready to take the next step of their journey. After agreeing they are asked to sign the book of the elect, people that elected to be catholic. The candidates, are also asked... Read more »

Honor Thy Mother On Mother’s Day

With Mother’s Day nearing, it is important for us to reflect on the Bible verse from Exodus 20:12, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the lord thy God giveth thee.” It is really important that we take the time to honor thy mother, and not just on Mother’s day. It is so important that it is the Ten Commandments. The first four Commandments teaches how to appreciate, worship, and obey the one true God. The six following Commandments... Read more »

Get Out of Debt in One Easy Step

Most people today are concerned about just one thing, money. Our society and now even many in the church are consumed with wealth and prosperity. Is there anything wrong with wealth and prosperity? No of course not. What is wrong is this. Have you ever heard the term, “fake it till you make it”? This term simply implies that you need to act like you are in a certain place, situation or feeling that you do not actually posses. Oh by the way, I will explain the title shortly, “Get... Read more »

The Kiss That Shook the World

What can make a kiss so sensational, that it is still talked about and discussed generations later, and even heatedly debated a couple thousand of years later? It makes you wonder, that must have been some kiss! and it really was. The kiss in question was between Jesus and his now infamous disciple Judas Iscariot, whom as you may recall, signaled to the Roman Soldiers, whom Jesus was, by kissing Jesus on the cheek; in the Garden of Gethsemane. This single act, so innocent in and of itself, has proven... Read more »

I Am So Afraid

My greatest fear is that my life will be unfulfilled. My daughters biggest fear is that an evil person might take or hurt one of her three young children. Recently, I met a woman whose biggest fear is cancer. My elderly neighbors biggest fear is dieing alone. What is your biggest fear? Does fear seem to control you? Have you ever felt fear because you knew that the problem you were facing took away all of your control? A fear that drove you to your knees begging God to protect you from the... Read more »

The Advantages Of An Outdoor Christmas Light Decoration

Perhaps one of your favorite Christmas movies is National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, its one of the all-time Christmas favorites. If you are one who treasures this Christmas classic, you probably consider the idea of this decoration as one of the funniest parts of the film. The reasons for its hilarity are completely universal; anyone who is struggled with a string of Christmas lights, whether that be an outdoor Christmas light decoration or not, knows just how absolutely maddening this decorative... Read more »

Choose the Love of God over the Love of Thoughts

Everyone on Earth practices a central devotion to some idea or thing. The prime question becomes to what can I devote myself that will surely offer the greatest possibility for peace, joy, health and wealth? In the inner world of beliefs, we either devote our energy to the ego-self or the God-Self. Few people realize that there are no other options. Devotion to the ego-self ultimately comes down to an addiction to one’s own thoughts. Devotion to the God-Self comes down to a commitment to... Read more »

Why Am I Here, In The First Place

Often we can go through life living one day at a time without really going through any more than the normal demands of everyday living. Getting up each morning, eating breakfast, going to work and looking forward to the weekend when we can spend time with our families. Every once in a while we are thrown a curve ball when sickness grabs us and we have to work in a doctors appointment. Nothing too earth scattering, just something that takes medicine to help cure the ailment quicker. Just the same,... Read more »

Faith Like A Fortune Cookie

How often do you go into a restaurant, enjoy a great meal, okay a decent meal, and then get the fortune cookie/bill. Everyone takes one of the cookies, cracks it open and reads the fortune to each other. Many times, we laugh at the fortune and leave it on the table. However, once-in-a-while we keep one of those fortunes because we think, “wow, that really applies to me,” or at least I hope it applies to me. How often do we take verses we have heard from various preachers and teachers... Read more »