utaziprincereflection

*HOMILY FOR AUGUST 4 2020 MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN MARY VIANNEY, PRIEST (TUESDAY OF 18 TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME* Jeremiah 30: 1-2, 12-15, 18-20; Psalm 102: 16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23; Matthew 14: 22-36 or   Matthew 15: 1-2, 10-14 * THE PROMISE OF RESTORATION * God is in control.  Even when other humans seemed to be involved, God can use the circumstances in our lives and the lives of others to bring about the divine plan.  And when humans try to be in control of themselves and others, they end up falling in a pit.   Jeremiah’s words in the First Reading are addressed to the Chosen People as they suffer under foreign occupation or exile.  The prophet reminds them that God is using their enemies in order to tell them that they have not been faithful to the divine relationship.  Even their former allies have now turned against them because the people of Judah have turned against their God.  Yet, God, being faithful to the divi...

* REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION * * INTRODUCTION * Acts 3:19---Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. When we realize our sin problem and our helplessness to rise above our natures on our own, there is only one thing left to do. We need to give up and let God take control! When God brings us to this point, we consider it the miracle of conversion. But what about repentance? Do we not have to repent first to come to God? Does repentance not come before conversion? Repentance and Conversion are two different words, two different concepts, but related. These two words are often taken to mean the same thing. In this write-up, I will try to indicate the differences, tracing it from the Hebrew and Greek Root meanings. At the same time, we shall see why it seems that one may say that he or she has repented, and will still go back to the same sin almost every time. More so, we will explore ...