NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small Christian communities that gather in the home weekly to discuss and pray through the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. It’s easy to form a community and you can find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)
This coming Sunday, we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Sunday, also known as Palm Sunday. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood Reflection asks us is: How has this Season of Lent prepared you to give thanks to God for giving us a King who pardons our sins?
What a blessing it is to know that God not only forgives us our sins, He is eager to do so! This is especially moving when we consider that it is our sins which nailed Him to the cross. That cross was meant to be an instrument of torture, a sign of humiliation and defeat. Instead, it has become the symbol of our redemption.
One of the hallmarks of the Lenten season is the plethora of parish penance services. In the sacrament of Penance, we are reconciled to God when we sincerely repent of our sins and name them out loud to the priest in the confessional, and then do the penance assigned.
If you weren’t able to attend your parish or your deanery’s penance service, check your parish bulletin or website to find out when you might be able to experience this wonderful sacrament of healing.
And, if you’ve been away from this sacrament for a while — even years — don’t be afraid. There are lots of resources online to help you prepare for confession and the priest will also assist you.
If you haven’t joined a Christ in Our Neighborhood small group yet, perhaps you are being called to start one yourself. Check out our website today to find out more: dphx.org/Christ-in-our-neighborhood.
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking HERE.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
