Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (archive, Facebook).
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us. Philippians 3:17 (full readings)
Steve's Reflections:
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us. Philippians 3:17 (full readings)
Steve's Reflections:
* I was visiting last night over dinner with my pastor about the culture war we find ourselves in today. He said, "Death is God's mercy on a sinner. In death there is no more sin." Death has become something evil in our culture; something to be put off and avoided at all costs. As a Christian, I'm looking forward to going Home someday. Amidst all this cultural noise we forget that Jesus our King suffered greatly before dieing on a cross - should we expect any different? The most beautiful thing we can gaze upon is the picture of a man in death, having poured his life out for us, hanging lifeless upon a cross. The cross is love personified. It is the most perfect expression of God's love for us - that He would send His only begotten son to let evil men do THAT to Him (John 3:16). While on retreat a few weeks back, a young man looked at my crucifix and said, "I love your cross, but why is Jesus still on it? He rose from the dead." I smiled softly and said, "Yes, and he lives in my heart, but I never want to forget the greatest act of love in human history." Paul reminds us that we are to be imitators of Him; Paul who is writing from a prison; Paul who was beaten; Paul who eventually sealed the Truth with his own blood and was beheaded in Rome; Paul who gave it all away.
* Listen to this great song by Aaron Shust, Give it all away: "All of my plans, all of my dreams, I lay them down before your feet. All of time, all that was mine, I now submit to your design."
Faith Challenge: Be imitators of Christ - give it all away!
Faith Challenge: Be imitators of Christ - give it all away!
Sr. Francelle's Devotion: We All Have a Heart Condition.
Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.
* Michael O'Brien: Reading Potter, Twilight, Pullman Series - "We become what we eat": "We generally tend to think of faith as a certain compartment of life, culture is another compartment. Almost all of us have been habituated into taking a dose of poison with our cultural diet, Thinking, well, we're baptized, we pray, we're good people, we wouldn't ever do those things that we are entertained by. But we become what we eat. That's a major area where we are being deceived."
Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Carolyn McKissack (daughter Karen's health), Kathy Schwab (5 yr old Dalton cancer)
Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.
* Michael O'Brien: Reading Potter, Twilight, Pullman Series - "We become what we eat": "We generally tend to think of faith as a certain compartment of life, culture is another compartment. Almost all of us have been habituated into taking a dose of poison with our cultural diet, Thinking, well, we're baptized, we pray, we're good people, we wouldn't ever do those things that we are entertained by. But we become what we eat. That's a major area where we are being deceived."
Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Carolyn McKissack (daughter Karen's health), Kathy Schwab (5 yr old Dalton cancer)
* KJB (Sue Morris improved health), Carol Nesbitt (for great niece Allison with pneumonia), Jamie Simpson (special intention)
Feast Day: Venerable Solanus Casey (1957). At the funeral Mass, Father Gerald, the provincial, said: "His was a life of service and love for people like me and you. When he was not himself sick, he nevertheless suffered with and for you that were sick. When he was not physically hungry, he hungered with people like you. He had a divine love for people. He loved people for what he could do for them —and for God, through them."
Faith Quote: "God could have established his Church under supervision of angels that have no faults or weaknesses. But who can doubt that as it stands today, consisting of and under the supervision of poor sinners—successors to the ‘poor fishermen of Galilee’; the Church is a more outstanding miracle than any other way?" Venerable Solanus Casey
Through Christ Our Lord,
Steve
Romans 12:2
Feast Day: Venerable Solanus Casey (1957). At the funeral Mass, Father Gerald, the provincial, said: "His was a life of service and love for people like me and you. When he was not himself sick, he nevertheless suffered with and for you that were sick. When he was not physically hungry, he hungered with people like you. He had a divine love for people. He loved people for what he could do for them —and for God, through them."
Faith Quote: "God could have established his Church under supervision of angels that have no faults or weaknesses. But who can doubt that as it stands today, consisting of and under the supervision of poor sinners—successors to the ‘poor fishermen of Galilee’; the Church is a more outstanding miracle than any other way?" Venerable Solanus Casey
Through Christ Our Lord,
Steve
Romans 12:2
