Corpus Christi Blog

When: Early 2022!

Progress continues to be made since our last update and we are happy to share that we are on track to begin construction in January! The renovation will start with the complete remodel and expansion of the kitchen. We met earlier this week with our new contractor, KGM Builders, Inc., and are very excited to have them working with us on this project. Our kitchen drawings are being reviewed by the City of Phoenix and we are currently working with the architect and contractor on finalizing the other details of the project (flooring, bathrooms, doors, lighting, walls, and a few other various items). As always, please pray for this project and for all those involved in ensuring its success. Thank you!

Perhaps you have heard the following quote, often attributed, potentially inaccurately, to C.S. Lewis: “You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” Regardless of where this concept came from, it is not necessarily original in substance, but it is worth developing a deeper understanding of what it means.

Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, had a three-fold office and mission during His time with us on Earth. He was priest, prophet, and king. However, He did not simply occupy these roles like those before Him. We have plenty of examples of great priests, prophets, and kings throughout scripture and salvation history. Rather, He came to fulfill each of those roles in its perfection so that the Kingdom of Heaven might be made manifest on Earth.

This week we’re going to closely examine sin – its definition and the different types. Often times, those outside of the Catholic Church misunderstand the Catholic approach to sin. You’ve probably heard the phrase “Catholic guilt” as a pseudo-explanation for our emphasis on our sins as if to keep us down, wallowing in our own muck, and avoiding the fun in life. The truth is, the Catholic approach to sin provides an honest and vulnerable look at the reality of human nature, while providing hope in mercy and forgiveness and motivation to do better. If heaven is truly our goal, we cannot achieve it without a continual examination of our relationships with God and our neighbors.

Today we will engage in an examination of anger. We will determine when it is or is not a sin and learn what we might do about it when it starts to consume us. This topic seemed timely to me since, throughout the last few years, many of us have experienced anger at various people and situations, whether general or specific. We live in a society that is currently polarized on everything – politics, the handling of COVID, the closure of our churches, the media, and whether or not we are being charitable to our neighbor. In our climate today, there seems to be a reflex to be angry toward those with whom we disagree, rather than a desire to seek understanding through civil dialog. In addition to all these external factors, we have all had to deal with our own individual situations that stir up anger, whether it be with family members, friends, coworkers, and perhaps even our priests, bishops, and others within the Church. If you have not experienced some level of anger in the last couple of years, then you are certainly on a path to heroic virtue and should keep up the good work. However, I suspect the vast majority of us have experienced at least some struggle with anger in our recent past.