Dear Family of God,

This weekend we will begin a new Liturgical Year; we are tasked to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus as we remember his First Coming on Christmas.

How do we prepare for His coming? We can learn from our first reading: “Come let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths… and walk in the light of the Lord.”

Dear Family of God,

This weekend Jesus is teaching how to be prepared for his Second Coming. How to be vigilant? Humble waiting for God must be our attitude by following his commandments.

According to Prophet Malachi: “All the proud and evildoers will be burned… but for you who fear my name, there will arise the Sun of Justice with its healing rays.”

Dear Family of God,

Why celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome?

First, because it is the Episcopal Seat (the Cathedral) of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome. And so, this Church is the “Mother and Head of all Churches in Rome and the World,” according to the inscription which Pope Clement XII (1730-1740) placed in the Church.

Dear Family of God, Where in the Bible do they refer to a purification or purgation of souls?

In Revelation 21:27 we learned that “Nothing unclean will enter heaven.” This implies that souls dying with imperfection will undergo purification first before they will enter heaven. In Matthew 12:32, it says; “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” “age to come”, meaning after death.