The Seed
Precepts of the Church: The Fifth
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 2/20/24
In this final installment on our “Precepts” bulletin series, we come to the fifth precept of the Catholic Church: “The Christian Faithful are obliged to assist with the [material] needs of the Church…” (Code of Canon Law, can. 222, §1). What this assistance looks like will vary according ... Read More »
Precepts of the Church: The Fourth
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 2/16/24
I seem to have gotten ahead of myself with my bulletin article on the first precept of the Church from a few weeks ago. In that dealing with the obligation to attend Sunday Mass each Sunday, I unwittingly conflated the 1st and 4th precepts, which treat of Sundays ... Read More »
Precepts of the Church: The Third
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 2/07/24
We continue this series on the Precepts of the Church, and so far we have addressed the precept to attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, as well as the precept to confess all grave (mortal) sins at least annually. Canon Law states the third precept ... Read More »
Vicar's Corner: The Gift of Tears
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/30/24
This week in Father Hess’ bulletin article he talks about the second precept of the Church, which is the obligation to confess your sins at least once a year. In confession the penitent has several things to do. These acts are contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The catechism says ... Read More »
The Precepts of the Church: The Second Precept
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/29/24
As we continue this catechesis on the Precepts of the Church, we now address the second precept: “You shall confess your sins at least once a year” (CCC, 2042). This assists Christians by ensuring “preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues ... Read More »
Vicar's Corner: The Gift of Tears
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/29/24
This week in Father Hess’ bulletin article he talks about the second precept of the Church, which is the obligation to confess your sins at least once a year. In confession the penitent has several things to do. These acts are contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The catechism says ... Read More »
The Precepts of the Church: The First Precept
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/26/24
The Precepts of the Church (“general rules given to regulate behavior”) are the Church’s expression of the bare minimum of activity required to be considered a practicing Catholic. These precepts are “set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life” (Catechism of ... Read More »
Vicar's Corner: Salvation in Jesus Christ Includes both Faith and Works
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/11/24
You may have heard people from other Christian denominations saying that we are saved, not by works, but by faith. Those who believe that our salvation is dependent solely on claiming belief in Christ’s saving graces and not on our actions miss out on the completeness of God’s ... Read More »
The Way to the Father
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/09/24
As I write this article, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This event in the life of our Lord marks the beginning of His public mission, and it signifies for us the beginning of our journey back to the Father. WHY WAS JESUS BAPTIZED?
Christ did not need to be baptized for Himself; being the Son of God, He had no sin in need of forgiving. Yet, the Lord was not content just to teach by words what He would have us know, but He teaches primarily through example. Jesus was baptized to show us that we, too, must descend into the waters if we are to become beloved sons and daughters of the Father. Jesus descended into the waters, bearing on His shoulders the weight of our sins, to drown them in River Jordan and raise up humanity cleansed and made new. The power of baptism was inaugurated by the Lord on this day, but it’s full realization in my own life would only take place on the day I followed Him down to the Jordan river, on the day that I was baptized. “At my baptism I was immersed with Christ, and with Him I died and was buried. Then I emerged, and for the first time Heaven opened to me as the Holy Spirit made His entrance into my soul; and my Father in heaven glanced down upon me, now “His Son, His child” (Pius Parsch, The Church’s Year of Grace, vol.1, 299). The day of our baptism is for each of us a real birth, a coming into life eternal that has no end, and in this way it is the fundamental starting point of our lives. Recently, Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to learn the date of their baptism and to celebrate it as a real “birthday”, such is the importance of that day in each of our lives. WHY BAPTIZING YOUR BABY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN ... Read More »
Our Savior Has Appeared to Us
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/05/24
Our Christmas celebration reaches its fulfillment, and today we celebrate the highpoint of these Sacred Feasts. On Christmas, our Lord appeared on the earth, but this appearance was limited in scope: Mary had known His presence since the Incarnation, and Joseph and a select few others learned of ... Read More »