While marriage is surely a very real and concrete thing here and now in this world, it also has profound and eternal consequences. What are the duties of the married if they are to properly display for their spouse, their offspring and for the world, the love of God for us?

"For you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ' s, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise. " [Galatians 3:26-29] From the most ancient of days, the feast held on January 1st has been a dual feast of both the circumcision of our Lord and the maternity of Mary. Baptism is the new circumcision, and by it we are set apart from the world to live for God and God alone.

Meditation is light to the mind and life to the soul. Everyone needs to make meditation a regular part of your life. In this sermon preached at the Midnight Mass of Christmas Day, Father teaches how to make mental prayer a simple practice for every person, every day.

Advent is a time for penance, so that we can detach ourselves from the sinful attitudes and material things that take up so much of our time and energy so that we can make room for Christ. Advent is also a time for sorrow, for our savior is not yet here, and we commemorate the time of Man's separation from God. Finally, Advent is a time to find the eternal joy that Christians are made for, the joy that can only be found in selflessness in our actions.

God, of all people, has the right to say "Trust me" and expect people to trust him. But he knows us, and so he furnishes us with proof that he is trustworthy. In this sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent, look at the evidence God affords us so that we will trust Him.

The Feast of All Saints is a feast which teaches us about the theological virtue of Hope, which fills us with a confidence that we will obtain our heavenly end if we cooperate with the grace of God. This feast, then, is our day to enter by Hope into the heavenly banquet.

It's clear that Christ has a claim as King on all of creation, and this on three counts, as St. Paul points out today - First, as God He is our king because he is, by nature, our creator and our governor. Secondly, he is Man, and as Man he has purchased with his life each and every thing. We do not just thank our liberator - we belong to Him. Third, by His excellence over all things, He is king. But how do we live or show our allegiance?

The devil cannot win by strength, so he attacks with cunning, and his lies are the most dangerous. For example, he would have us believe that there are so many things to be concerned with, so many enemies to fight that we must be constantly vigilant against this foe and that, as if we could win these fights if we just did the right thing, or said the right prayers, or did enough penance. We try to be in control this way. The devil wants us to fight sin and temptation on our own terms. What does it mean, then, to be focused on Christ rather than all of our temptations?

Loving our enemies, embracing suffering, penance, obedience - they are not easy ... until you learn the secret. Truth be told, the secret will not, in fact, make those things easier, but it will make them more bearable, and in fact, joyful. But the secret is not a secret. It's been around for thousands of years.

It goes without saying that witchcraft is always a mortal sin. And both idolatry and witchcraft are both sins against the first commandment, which is to say they are directly against God and his sovereignty. There can be no greater sins. The conversion of the world starts with the conversion of the individual. The conversion of the individual begins with submitting to legitimate authority in its legitimate commands.