The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012626.cfm

Father Chris Alar, MIC addresses one of the most misunderstood teachings in all of Scripture: Is there truly a sin that God will not forgive?

Jesus warns that a house divided cannot stand (cf. Mk 3:25), and Fr. Chris explains that the most dangerous division is not political or cultural — it is spiritual. It is the division that occurs when a soul refuses mercy. The Church teaches clearly: there is no sin beyond the mercy of God — except the refusal to ask for it.

Drawing from Sacred Scripture, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1864, Fr. Chris explains the meaning of the sin against the Holy Spirit. Traditionally called final impenitence, it appears in three forms: presumption (“I don’t need forgiveness”), despair (“God won’t forgive me”), and refusal (“I will not ask”). Though they look different, all share the same root — a hardened heart that rejects mercy.

Fr. Chris then deepens the teaching using Aquinas’ framework. Sins of weakness (against the Father) and sins of ignorance (against the Son) are forgivable. But sins of malice — the deliberate choosing of evil against goodness itself — are said to be against the Holy Spirit. Even so, the homily offers powerful reassurance: the very moment a soul repents, mercy is already at work. Simply walking into the confessional is proof that the unforgivable sin is no longer present.

The homily concludes with hope drawn from Aquinas and St. Faustina: while this sin is unpardonable in itself, we must never stop praying for mercy — for ourselves or for others. God’s mercy is not limited by our past, only by our refusal.

If you fear that you are beyond forgiveness, this teaching is not meant to condemn you — it is meant to call you home.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012526.cfm

Father Chris Alar, MIC addresses one of the deepest wounds of our time: division. Scripture asks plainly, “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor 1:13; NABRE). The answer is no. Yet division arises when truth is rejected and replaced with opinion. Christ Himself warned that His coming would cause division—not because division is good, but because some would refuse the truth He reveals.

Father Chris explains that unity is not built on compromise or competing viewpoints. True unity can exist only where truth is shared. Jesus declares, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6; NABRE). When individuals or societies abandon objective truth, division becomes inevitable. Violence, confusion, and unrest are symptoms of a deeper problem: the refusal to stand on what is true.

The Church, established by Christ and entrusted with His authority, exists precisely to safeguard and proclaim that truth. While her members can fail in their human weakness, the Church cannot err in her divine teaching when she definitively proclaims matters of faith and morals. As the Catechism teaches, “It is part of the Church’s mission to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls require it” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2246).

Father Chris reminds us that division ends only when we surrender our will to God’s will. The first commandment is not merely about avoiding false gods; it is about refusing to make ourselves the arbiter of truth. When we submit to Christ through the teaching of His Church, unity becomes possible—not a shallow peace, but a peace grounded in truth.

This call is demanding, but it is also merciful. Truth is not meant to crush us; it is meant to free us. Only by standing together on the truth can the divisions of our world begin to heal.

To deepen your understanding of how Christ guides His Church and communicates saving truth through the Sacraments, explore Understanding the Sacraments at ShopMercy.org.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012426.cfm

Father Jason Lewis, MIC confronts a question that has echoed since the time of Christ: Who is Jesus, really? As the Gospel recounts, some of Jesus’ own relatives believed He was “out of his mind,” while the scribes accused Him of acting by the power of evil. Yet Jesus’ works—healing the sick, casting out demons, forgiving sins—force a decision that cannot be avoided.

Father Jason draws on the classic trilemma, popularized by C.S. Lewis: Jesus can only be one of three things—lunatic, liar, or Lord. A mere “good moral teacher” is not an option. As Lewis argued, a man who claimed divine authority and spoke as Jesus did could not simply be misunderstood or exaggerated. Either His claims were false, making Him gravely deceptive or delusional, or they were true, demanding our faith and obedience. Scripture itself bears witness to this truth: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:1, 14; NABRE).

The Church has always proclaimed this same confession of faith. Saint Peter declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16; NABRE), not by human reasoning alone, but by revelation from the Father. Father Jason reminds us that the fruit of Christ’s life and teachings confirms this identity. Lies do not produce saints. Deception does not transform the world through sacrificial love, truth, and mercy across centuries.

Because Jesus is Lord, He does more than teach—He gives Himself. In the Eucharist, entrusted to the Apostles and handed down through the priesthood, Christ remains truly present to nourish His people and draw them into divine life. This is the heart of the Gospel and the foundation of Christian faith.

To grow deeper in your understanding of how Christ continues His saving work through the Sacraments, explore Understanding the Sacraments at ShopMercy.org.