Luke 14:12 (Preaching to the Choir)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB).Guest Authors schedule.LIFE Minute radio.

"Then he said to the host who invited him, 'When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.'" ~ Luke 14:12 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Even after two-thousand years, there are more than 4 billion people alive today who still do not know Jesus. This is because few Christians ever try to share their faith. For those Christians who do share their faith, they may be at the wrong place at the wrong time talking to the wrong people. Christians love sharing their faith with other Christians, but we may just be "preaching to the choir." Jesus tells us to focus our evangelistic efforts on the "beggars and the crippled, the lame and the blind" (Luke 14:13). We should intentionally put ourselves in situations where we can share our faith in Christ with the spiritually blind and morally crippled. This is where the Word of God will be most effective. An example of this is the LIFE Runners who go out into the streets with "REMEMBER The Unborn, Jer 1:5" on the back of their jerseys, sharing the Gospel of Life with thousands of other runners and spectators. Lord, help me to be in the right place at the right time so that I may be effective at sharing Your Good News to those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Break out of your comfort zone and share your faith with those who do not believe.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life,Vatican,Project Rachel

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Saint Quentin

Faith Quote: "One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody." ~ Mother Teresa

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Luke 6:12 (Guideposts)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God." ~ Luke 6:12 (full readings)

Steve's Reflections: This past Monday I received word that my father, Joe, has a cancerous tumor in his throat and will be having surgery this coming Monday. Admittedly I am still in a bit of emotional shock, but I am seeking after the Lord. My Dad is a fighter, and I know he will face this with dignity and strength...please pray for a successful surgery and swift recovery.   As I reflected on how I should respond in faith to this trial I was brought back to my life verse (Rom 12:12), "Rejoice in Hope, Be Patient Under Trial, Persevere in Prayer." Hope, Patience, and Prayer...our guideposts; the beacons of faith laid before us. In today's Gospel, Jesus sets the example. He turns to the Father and spends the night with Him in prayer just prior to choosing the 12 Apostles...not a small decision. It is important to note that Jesus also prayed at His Baptism (Luke 3:21), before questioning the Apostles about His identity (Luke 9:18), at His Transfiguration (Luke 9:29), before teaching the Apostles to pray (Luke 11:1), before predicting Peter's denial (Luke 22:32), and His last words on the cross (Luke 23:46). Jesus sets the example for us in prayer. As Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 6:18, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints."

Faith Challenge: In the midst of trial, use the faith guideposts...Hope...Patience...Prayer.

Sr. Francelle's Devotion:  Cast All My Cares...

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, AFA, Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now. >

Saint of the Day: Feast of St. Simon & Jude, Apostles

Faith Quote: "Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains all that it strives for. He who has God finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices." ~ St. Teresa of Avilla, Mystic & Doctor of the Church

Through Christ Our Lord,
Steve
Rom 12:2 .

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Rom 8:38-39 ("Slow me down, Lord!")

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB).Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~ Rom 8:38-39 (full readings)

Pat's Reflections: Yesterday, Pam shared the verse, "some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." While struggling through the last few miles of the Kansas City Marathon (15 Oct), I thought about this verse. One of my routine running prayers is Lord, I will run as fast as you need me to. But will I run as slow as He needs me to? Soon after meditating on these thoughts, I came upon half marathon LIFE Runners five times over the last couple miles of the race. Each time, I called out "LIFE Runners!"...prayed with each of them...and was encouraged to press on. One of them was Lara Sabin who rode with us from St. Louis. We had never met her...and she was such a blessing...filled with great faith and contagious joy. The day after the race, Lara emailed, "I will pray for the LIFE Runners and thank God for everything that happened this weekend (in adoration tomorrow morning)!!! You finished your full marathon in 3 hours and 6 minutes, and I finished the half in 3 hours and 6 minutes. Coincidence? I think not!!!"

Faith Challenge: Slow me down, Lord (full prayer below).

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life,Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
* Just a couple weeks ago my Dad was at the KC Marathon...cheering the LIFE Runners to the finish line. My Dad was diagnosed with throat cancer this week...has surgery on Monday...please pray for him. Thank you Lord for giving us an opportunity to cheer my Dad through this.

Feast Day: Blessed Contardo Ferrini.

Faith Quote: "Slow me down, Lord! Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my harried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me, amidst the confusions of my day, the calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tensions of my nerves with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory. Help me to know the magical power of sleep. Teach me the art of taking minute vacations, of slowing down to look at a flower; to chat with an old friend or make a new one; to pat a stray dog; to watch a spider build a web; to smile at a child; or to read a few lines from a good book. Remind me each day that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to life than increasing its speed. Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well. Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny." ~ Wilfred Peterson

Through Christ our Lord,

Pat
Phil 4:13

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Luke 13:30 (Last will be First) by Pam McGushin

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB).Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." ~ Luke 13:30 (full readings)

Pam's Reflections: How insightful are these words Luke brings to us today. To think the least among us shall be first in the Kingdom of Heaven! Does this not seem only fair and just? Then why is it that this phrase, while a great source of comfort, can also simultaneously strike fear among us? There is undoubtedly tremendous suffering in the world today. We need only turn to any media source at any given moment to see it. The suffering of children; the injustice of abortion; the violence of war; the despair of poverty. As difficult as it may seem to fathom, this pain and anguish is not without purpose. Suffering brings us closer to God. Jesus is telling us that by maintaining faith in the face of adversity, abundant joy will be bestowed upon us in heaven. Nonetheless, there are those, like myself, who feel blessed beyond measure. Are we then to believe that we will be last? Honestly, I have debated this question in my mind hundreds of times. My peaceful resolution has always been the same. Whether it be first or last, I hope to be in heaven with Christ Our Savior...forever.

* Pam McGushin is the Lead Catechist for the 2nd and 4th grades at Holy Spirit Catholic Community Church in Naperville, IL. She has been married 15 years and has two boys.

Faith Challenge: Let each of us pause today to take inventory of what is truly important to us. Be humble. May we be most grateful for the least of our blessings and may our faith be as strong in times of despair as in times of prosperity.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life,Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. Evaristus.

Faith Quote: "Little things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great thing." ~ Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Through Christ our Lord,

Pam


* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Luke 13:14 (Dr. Jesus)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB).Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"But the leader of the synagogue, said to the crowd in reply, 'There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.'" ~ Luke 13:14 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: In today's Gospel, the chief of the synagogue said it was the wrong day for Jesus to cure the crippled woman. Like the religious leader in the synagogue, we too usually have an excuse for not being healed. The religious leader said the excuse was that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, but in reality, the leader was just jealous of Jesus. Our excuses for allowing Jesus to heal us can range from trying to mask our fear, unforgiveness, pride, or sin. We may fear the change that Jesus can have on our lives, or be so embarrassed by our sin that we are afraid to confess. We may be prideful and not believe that we need Jesus to heal us. We may be unwilling to forgive others or ourselves; therefore, hindering our healing. Or we may be so comfortable in our sin that we are not willing to change. There is always something standing in our way of being healed. Receiving God's healing through confession means obeying the Doctor's orders (Dr. Jesus). The Doctor is in...open yourself to the Lord and allow yourself to be healed. Lord, remove all of the obstacles that keep me from Your healing hands. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Open yourself to the Lord's healing. Go to confession and allow Dr. Jesus to heal you.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life,Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption,Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. Anthony Mary Claret

Faith Quote: "Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints." ~ Father Tony

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Rom 7:21 (The Battle Within)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand." ~ Rom 7:21 (full readings)

Rosemary's Reflections: The moment we wake up, we begin the battle with ourselves. "Do I get out of bed or just sleep in instead?" Of course the choices can be more complex than that. In his letter, St. Paul discusses the frustration of falling into sin when he wants to do what is right. It's not easy to stay on the path of righteousness when another way looks easier or better. The outcome is shrouded by the shadows of darkness and if we could have seen the repercussions caused by our actions, we probably would have stayed on the straight and narrow. Some women who consider abortion argue with themselves, saying "It's just a bunch of cells," or "I can't have a baby because of...", but later feel remorse for their choice, wishing they had been more informed about the damage caused and the other options that are available. Life is the ultimate marathon--we cannot see the finish line, but we know we have to cross it sometime, somehow. There will be times when our bodies fail us and we fall to the wayside, but the Spirit within us gives us strength to keep moving forward. We could easily choose to give up or chose to endure until the end when we can tell our Lord, "I have finished the race. I have fought the good fight. I have kept the faith." To all the the LIFE Runners who ran at KC last weekend, congrats for finishing and fighting for the unborn!

Faith Challenge: When faced with a decision, take a few moments to pray to Our Father for guidance.

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: Patience

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now. >

Feast Day: St. Hilarion - He battled many temptations with prayer and prayed harder when hopelessness was creeping upon him.

Faith Quote: "Take my life. Take my mind. Take my soul. Take my will. As I am yours and I give it all to You." ~ Jeremy Camp "Take My Life" (This song came up on my playlist around mile 20 when my leg was hurting pretty bad.)

Through Christ Our Lord,
Rosemary

2 Tim 4:7
.
* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Rom 6:23 (Eternal Life?) by Peggy Bowes

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB).Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~ Rom 6:23 (full readings)

Peggy's Reflections: This profound quote from St. Paul certainly applies quite literally to the sin of abortion, yet we cannot stop reading halfway through the sentence. Paul gives us hope in the knowledge that eternal life in Christ awaits us if we persevere in faith and grace. As we pass the halfway mark in the 40 Days for Life campaign, it can be easy to get discouraged in the constant reminder of the death of the innocent through sin. When I pray in front of our local Planned Parenthood, I often find myself weeping as I think of the suffering of such tiny and helpless children. St. Paul’s words bring comfort when I realize that the suffering will end with the prospect of the most precious of gifts—an eternity with the Savior. There is some justification that aborted babies could be considered martyrs in the tradition of the Holy Innocents. Two online articles are worth reading on this topic: Do Aborted Babies Go to Heaven? and Imagine if Aborted Babies Were Declared Martyrs.
* Peggy Bowes is a wife/mother, former Air Force pilot...and the author of The Rosary Workout and co-author of Tending the Temple. She was a guest on EWTN’s The Journey Home.

Faith Challenge: Today, pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary for the souls of aborted babies.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life,Vatican, Project Rachel
* 2011 National LIFE Runners Team video: We had a courageous finish at the Kansas City half/full Marathon (15 Oct)! Our miracle team had 170 runners from 20 states (and Turkey), including 22 youth, Fr. Rutten (SD), Fr. St.Andre (PA), and Bishop Paprocki (IL). Thanks to all who helped us raise over $35K for the Sioux Falls Alpha Center and Kansas City Wyandotte baby buses, providing free life-saving ultrasounds. 87% of abortion-minded mothers who see their baby ultrasound...choose Life! A security guard quit after our post-race prayer rally at the Overland Park Planned Parenthood. "We refuse to let them fall. Seek justice. Love mercy. Lord, make us courageous!" All In Christ (Phil 4:13)...for Pro-Life (Jer 1:5)! www.Run.LIFEgroup413.org

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. Paul of the Cross. "From this valley of tears, turn your gaze continually to God, ever awaiting the moment when you will be united to Him in heaven. Often contemplate heaven, and fervently exclaim: 'What a beautiful abode there is above! It is destined for us!'”

Faith Quote: "Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in Hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil ... sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul, if you say the Holy Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins" ~ St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary.

Through Christ our Lord,

Peggy
Matt 11:28

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Luke 12:48 (Souls aren't trash) by Whitney Compton

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB).Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” ~ Luke 12:48 (full readings)

Whitney's Reflections: With great humility and love, we must hold each other accountable for our actions. We must share with others the greatness in His Divine Revelation. Many of our Brothers and Sisters don’t understand that the Lord is calling us to love and serve Him...and our neighbor. He came to show us His will so that we may join in the divine nature and gain eternal salvation with Him. God doesn’t need our permission to be created; we were chosen by God, even before we were a single cell (Jer 1:5). We must stand up for those unprotected souls in the womb that God has chosen. We have been entrusted to those souls that some people treat as trash.

* Whitney Compton served one year with the National Evangelization Team (NET). She is now attending Franciscan University in Steubenville (OH) for a Masters in Theology and Christian Ministry.

Faith Challenge: Pray that the Lord will help us open hearts to the Gospel of Life, as we guard and pass on what has been entrusted to us.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life,Vatican, Project Rachel

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions, martyrs.

Faith Quote: "He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent." ~ St. Augustine

Through Christ our Lord,

Whitney
Eph 2:8

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.