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God’s Promises Justify Hope in a World Wearied by Sin

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By Father Thomas Mattison When God (or anyone at all) makes a promise it is for one purpose only, to provide certainty about a future that is either hopeless or so uncertain as to make life just too scary for living. Whatever might happen between the moment of the promise and the delivery on the promise, the one to whom the promise is made is invited to want and to trust the promise more than anything else. Thus the promise creates a series of demands without which the promise fades into irrelevance. Since the reliability of the one making the promise is the only assurance offered, the making of a promise invites the creation of a relationship of trust and demands trustworthiness in the maker of the promise. When we talk about God and his promises, we use the word covenant. The first reading for each weekend of Lent holds up for consideration a covenant, a promise made by God in former times. We used to talk of the Old Testament as if there were but one covenant; lately, the te

The Baptismal Rite Includes an Exorcism

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ChurchPOP discusses a little known fact: "Most of the time when people think of exorcisms, they think of dramatic situations like those depicted in movies like The Rite or The Exorcist . But did you know that an exorcism is performed with something as common as the rite of baptism? There are two kinds of exorcisms: major exorcisms and minor exorcisms. A major exorcism is a solemn ritual performed by a priest when a person is believed to be possessed by a demon. They are rare and are only performed by authorized exorcists. A minor exorcism, on the other hand, is a more general exorcism performed even if the recipient is not believed to be possessed and is included in the baptismal rite." More Thoughts on Baptism from the Catechism "Since the time of early Christianity, Baptism has been the rite of initiation into the Christian community of the Church. In Baptism, the 'one Spirit' makes us members of the Body of Christ and of 'one another.'&quo

Homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 19, 2016, Year C

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Then [Jesus] said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" (Luke 9:20) Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) They come here all clothed in white, many times wearing long white garments passed down through family generations, white baptismal garments that dress up baby boys and baby girls with no gender distinction except for their names. For as we just heard in St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians: For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus . And so they come to be baptized, to put on Christ, to be clothed in Christ. Their families, too, parents, godparents, relatives, and friends come dressed in their Sunday finest. Perhaps you have noticed, as have I, that Black folks come to their churches dressed in their Sunday finest. So too, people fr

7 Videos Explaining the Sacraments of the Catholic Church w/ Fr. Charles Irvin

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These seven videos examine Baptism, The Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders. Fr. Charles Irvin, Senior Priest of the Diocese of Lansing and a past member of the U.S. Bishops Advisory Board, reflects on each of the sacraments of the Church as an occasion of grace and a divine gift. Baptism The Eucharist Confirmation Reconciliation Matrimony Holy Orders Anointing of the Sick Visit Fr. Irvin's website for more videos and related content.