Act of Contrition
The Act of Contrition is part of the Sacrament of Penance and is prayed by the penitent after the priest assigns a penance and before he gives the penitent absolution. It is also customarily said especially before one goes to bed at night. It is generally supposed that individuals might have recourse to an Act of Contrition when they find themselves in extremis.
The prayer expresses in words a deeply personal “act” that engages a person’s affections and will. Catholic teaching holds that “imperfect” contrition, is also a gift of God. Born of fear of eternal damnation or other penalties, it is nonetheless sufficient to inspire a valid Act of Contrition. There are different versions of the Act of Contrition, but all generally include an expression of sorrow, an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and a promise to amend one’s life and avoid sin.
How Did the Good Thief Go Straight to Heaven?
How could the “good thief” live a sinful life and still go straight to Heaven?
In this episode of Ask A Priest, Father Tim answers a powerful question about St. Dismas, the thief crucified next to Jesus, and what his story reveals about repentance, mercy, and salvation.
Was there no “purgatory” for him? Was it really that simple?
The answer points to something deeper. Salvation isn’t about how long you’ve been good. It’s about the depth of your love and surrender to Jesus. In his final moments, the good thief makes a complete, humble, and public turn toward Christ, and Jesus responds with mercy. This episode is a powerful reminder that Jesus isn’t limited like we are, and His mercy is bigger than we can imagine.
It’s never too late to turn to Him. But it’s not about fear, it’s about love.
Ascension of the Lord
So, you know that part of the Mass where everyone has received communion, and then the priest sits down. Everyone in the church then follows the priest and sits down, and it’s like this great relief. It’s this great sigh. And what’s so awesome is that we feel this great relief because everything has been accomplished. Everything is finished. We get to be…
Get To Know Jesus
Book recommendation for all of you, “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis. If you still need to read it, do it now. This incredible book talks about heaven and talks about knowing the Lord. There’s a scene where a bus takes many people to heaven. When they reach heaven, the people who did know Jesus become fully alive. The people who don’t know Jesus are very…
Did Jesus Celebrate Passover Before He Died?
Did Jesus celebrate Passover before He died? And what really happened to the people who rose from the dead at the Crucifixion?
In this Ask A Priest episode, Father Tim tackles two fascinating and often overlooked questions from Scripture. Drawing from Pope Benedict XVI and the Gospel of John, he explains how Jesus anticipated the Passover meal, and how His death perfectly aligns with the sacrifice of the Passover lamb.
He also dives into one of the most mysterious moments in the Bible: the dead rising when Jesus died. Did they return to their families or rise to eternal life with Him?
If you’ve ever had questions about these powerful moments in the Gospel, this episode brings clarity, depth, and wonder to the story of salvation.
Pentecost
Blessed Pentecost to everyone. Come, Holy Spirit, “Veni Sancte Spiritus,” let the fire fall. An incredible day that we get to realize the perfect love of the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into all of our hearts. The Trinity can be seen as the Father being the lover, the Son being the beloved, and the Holy Spirit being the love between the lover…