Dear friends, A young man once asked his Pastor: "Father, I haven't committed any serious sins. Do I really need to go to Confession often?"

The priest smiled and replied: "My son, Confession isn't only for those who have fallen badly. It's also for those who want to grow in holiness."

Many Catholics think the Sacrament of Reconciliation is something to receive only after committing a grave sin. But the Church encourages frequent Confession, even for those who are sincerely striving to live a holy life.

Dear friends,

Africans love feasts!

We love wedding feasts, ordination celebrations, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, and memorials. Whenever there is something important to celebrate, we know how to celebrate it-and we do not like to celebrate alone!

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for organizing a memorable celebration of the 35th anniversary of my priestly ordination two weeks ago.

As I look back over these 35 years of service, many memories come to my mind: moments of joy and moments of challenge, moments of success and moments of uncertainty and even moments of failure ... Yet through it all one reality has remained constant and at the core of my priesthood: God's abiding presence in my life and the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life. I'm deeply grateful for all these.

Dear Friends,

In the sixth chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; Whoever eats this bread will live forever; And the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." And again He said ... "Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."(John 6:51,53-56)

Dear Friends,

This is a continuation of the story, which I began in last week's article.

The Cross is not merely a religious symbol that we wear around our necks, place in our homes, or display in our churches. The Cross is the throne from which Christ conquered sin and death. It is the place where divine love was poured out completely for our salvation.

Dear Friends,

I have just returned from a very fulfilling three-month sabbatical, for which I am deeply grateful to God and to you, my dear parishioners, for your prayers, love, and support that sustained me throughout those months. I am very happy to be back home and once again among you, ready to serve.

I have so much to share with you about my sabbatical experience, and hope to do so in the weeks and months ahead. But let me begin with one incident that has profoundly stayed with me and deepened my appreciation of the power of the Cross of Christ.

Dear friends,

In our daily lives, misunderstandings and conflicts can easily arise within families, friendships, workplaces, and even our faith communities. We may be tempted to talk about someone's faults with others before having the courage to speak to the person directly. We can all take a wrong turning in our lives.