Matthew 6:1-13

1 Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven.

2 Therefore when thou dost an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.

3 But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.

4 That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.

5 And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.

1 "Your justice"... that is, works of justice; viz., fasting, prayer, and almsdeeds; which ought to be performed not out of ostentation, or a view to please men, but solely to please God.

6 But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.

7 And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard.

8 Be not you therefore like to them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask him.

9 Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Call No Man Father

Sweet & Mild

I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Thy Name for ever: for Thou, O Lord, are sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon Thee.

For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it.

Mary, Ark of the New Covenant

“The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed; the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed.”

Church the Way it Used to Be

I just read a post from Baby Catholic & I wanted to share it with you. I'm am only going to post the beginning, hoping that you will view the whole post on her blog.

I’ve been dying to write a post on this ever since I saw the sign outside of a large protestant church which sits to the right on my way to Mary, Queen. The message sign out front said, “Church the Way it Used to Be.” This cracked me up!...

More On Confession

John 20:22-23:

[Jesus, speaking to His disciples on Easter Sunday night]: And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

The Church has always understood--and has in fact defined--that Jesus Christ here conferred on the Apostles authority to forgive sins, a power which is exercised in the Sacrament of Penance. "The Lord then especially instituted the Sacrament of Penance when, after being risen from the dead, He breathed upon His disciples and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit...' The consensus of all the Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words so clear the power of forgiving and retaining sins was given to the Apostles and their lawful successors for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism" (Council of Trent, "De Paenitentia", Chapter 1).

The Sacrament of Penance is the most sublime __expression of God's love and mercy towards men, described so vividly in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (cf. Luke 15:11-32). The Lord always awaits us, with His arms wide open, waiting for us to repent--and then He will forgive us and restore us to the dignity of being His sons.

The Popes have consistently recommended Christians to have regular recourse to this Sacrament: "For a constant and speedy advancement in the path of virtue we highly recommend the pious practice of frequent Confession, introduced by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; for by this means we grow in a true knowledge of ourselves and in Christian humility, bad habits are uprooted, spiritual negligence and apathy are prevented, the conscience is purified and the will strengthened, salutary spiritual direction is obtained, and grace is increased by the efficacy of the Sacrament itself" ([Pope] Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis").

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries"

"Be like your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

~Matthew 5:45

"In all you do, remember the end of your life, and then you will never sin."



~Sir. 7:36.

"He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and said to them: Recieve ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgivin them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

~John 20:21-23

"Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven."

~Matthew 18:18

Verse of the Week

The joy of the just is from
God and in God, and they
and they rejoice in the truths.
~ 1 COR. XIII. 6.

Verse of the Week

Be not much concerned who is for thee
or against thee, but let it be thy business
and thy care that God may be with thee in
everything thou dost.
~ROM. VIII. 31.

Verse of the Week

If thou continue on My way thou
shalt know the truth, and the truth
shall deliver thee.
~John VIII. 32.