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Jesus Forgives You and Loves You
The powerful trio of guilt, blame and responsibility all occupy the same emotion space in our psyche. Well, maybe not exactly the same, but pretty close. Sometimes they even impersonate one another and engage in identity theft. So here’s how I like see them and separate them. (Note: I’m not saying this is THE way to see them, just my way.) Guilt is what I feel about myself when I do something wrong. Blame is what I impute to another when they do something wrong. Responsibility is what I accept for my actions and their consequences. I am not going to spend a lot of time teasing this out or…
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Let God Carry You
Reflection of the Day: Sprinters are usually more fun to watch than marathoners. They definitely appeal to my attention span. We need their bursts of energy to inspire us and get us going, but we also need to recognize that most things require more than a sprint. And there is no contradiction between the two. Even marathoners sometimes have to inject a short-term burst of speed into their routine. Lent has characteristics of both in various ways. Lent is a “sprinting period” through the year-long marathon of following the Lord. And it is more than an Ash Wednesday and Good Friday sprint – it’s 40 “long” days of extra…
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JustLove’s St. Patrick’s Day Show
On this week’s episode of JustLove, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan talks to three guests about St. Patrick’s Day. Dominic Green, Ph.D., Professor of Politics at Boston College, as well as a historian, critic, and commentator, talks to Msgr. Kevin Sullivan about the impact that the Brexit decision by the United Kingdom back in 2016 is having on boundary discussions surrounding the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Paul R. Wylie, a retired attorney and author, talks to Msgr. Sullivan about Paul’s 2007 book: “The Irish General” which discusses the life and legacy of Thomas Francis Meagher, the noted Irish patriot and exile who led the Irish Brigade from New…
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Why Do We Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
Reflection of the Day: St. Patrick’s Day is a big deal in New York, Boston, Chicago and Savannah (Go figure that one out!). Did you know that the first Irish Associations in the Unites States founded in Boston and New York had among their original missions: “to help the needy?” Throughout the past century and to this day most major charitable events – Non-Catholic and Catholic alike – count Irish-Americans among the list of major donors. This year, I was honored by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. at his annual Irish Heritage and Culture celebration. It was great to be part of the celebration. The story of charity in…
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Discipline Takes Practice. Keep Going.
Reflection of the Day: God really does want to save us. He knows that we can be bad. Some of us more than others. Maybe a few (hopefully) deserve to actually be called “wicked.” I’ll leave that designation to God, but God even wants those designated as wicked to turn and he’ll forgive them. I’m sure he will forgive my sins – if I turn and ask, but sometimes I’m stubborn and don’t want to admit I need God’s mercy. Lent is a good time to discipline myself and remember. Tip: Let’s think about our most vexing fault and today – with God’s help – avoid it. And then,…
