This Sunday’s gospel is all about partying. I think Pope Francis should write an encyclical about how to party like a Catholic. This gospel is so good because Jesus talks about parties. We are called, not just in parties, but in life, to take the lowest seat so that we can be raised up. When you enter into a church, what is the lowest seat in the church? Some people might say, oh yeah, it’s where the priest sits. Or some people might say it’s in the last pew. Honestly, if we think about it, the lowest place in a church, it’s the confessional.
We are called to enter in frequently so that Jesus can raise us up, so that Jesus can say, I absolve you, be made new. Go to confession. Give everything back to the Lord, and He will raise you up. He will make you new. And as a priest, one of the greatest questions that we can be asked is, Father, can I go to confession? This is not someone who is a failure. This is someone who is striving to be a saint. Take the lowest seat. Go to confession. I’m going tomorrow. I’m gonna be made new. It’s gonna be awesome.
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He Raises The Dead
Lazarus was dead and then he wasn’t. That’s the power of Jesus. He raises the dead.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we’re reminded that this isn’t just a one-time miracle. Through the life of the Church, Jesus continues to bring people from death to life. In the sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist, we’re renewed, restored, and made fully alive again.
That’s what it means to be Christian. Not just following rules or being “nice but stepping into a life where grace transforms us, and through us, brings others back to life.
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How to Confront Someone Like a Saint
Why did Jesus call Peter the rock? Fr. Tim Anastos explores Caesarea Philippi, Matthew 16, and what Christ’s promise reveals about Peter and the Church.
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Living Encounter with Christ
Christianity is not just a thought, an idea, or another “ism” to study. It is a living encounter with a Person: Jesus Christ.
There are plenty of philosophies and systems that can change the way we think. But Christianity is different. It doesn’t just change our minds, it changes us.
Because at the heart of our faith is not an abstract concept, but the living Body of Christ. Christianity is alive because Jesus is alive, and He invites us not just to believe something, but to become someone new in Him.
