Knowing Jesus is the best gift that any person can receive, that we've encountered him as the best thing that's happened in our lives, and making him known by our word and deeds is our greatest joy.

Ave Maria Radio presents Christ is the answer with Father John Ricardo.

He's a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit and is currently the executive director

of a non-profit organization called Acts 29, which exists to work with pastors and

their teams to transform their parish culture and reclaim the church's missionary identity.

He was ordained in 1996.

For this Christ's the answer program,

Father John Ricardo addressed a large group at his former parish.

His topic was penance or confession.

Christ said to his apostles,

Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven,

and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

Three acts are required for us to receive God's forgiveness,

contrition, confession, and satisfaction.

Father Ricardo will teach us about sin,

the spiritual basis for confession,

and what tradition and the catechism have to say.

Well, the title of tonight's talk,

I will arise and go to my father.

Prodigal son. Those of you who brought your Bible, we're going to Luke 15.

This is a parable which I know is remarkably familiar to us, which means it's one of the most dangerous stories in all of Scripture because the moment that you hear the first few words,

you tune out, thinking that you know this and that God doesn't have anything he wants

...