Mark 5:19 (Seized by Fear)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (website, Facebook).

"But he would not permit him but told him instead, 'Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.'" Mark 5:19 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: After Jesus drove the unclean spirits out of the demoniac and into the swine, the Gerasenes (seized by fear) begged Jesus to leave their district. It appears the people would have rather lived with a legion of demons (and have their swine) than be with the Lord. As requested, Jesus left the territory of the Gerasenes. However, by declining the request of the former demoniac to accompany Him, Jesus ensured that His truth, power, and love would be professed to the people through the new life of the saved man. Like the Gerasenes, others too can be seized by fear with difficult situations in their life (e.g, unplanned pregnancy) and make "choices" (e.g., abortion) in their lives that reject the truth, power, and love of Jesus Christ. Although Jesus may be rejected and begged to leave; He remains present in us so that we may profess His truth, power, and healing love to those who need Him. Lord, help me to comfort those who are seized by fear by being a living tabernacle (1 Cor 3:16) of Your truth, power, and love. Amen.

* My Knights of Columbus council prayed in front of an abortion center in downtown Orlando wearing shirts that read "LIFE-GUARD." We were not only there to guard the lives of the unborn, but to provide hope for those drowning parents seized by fear.

Faith Challenge: Be a source of Christ's truth, power, and love for those seized by fear.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action

* The horror of abortion

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

Feast Day: St. John Bosco

Faith Quote: "Everything and everyone is won by the sweetness of our words and works." - St. John Bosco

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 (23% 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.

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Luke 8:17 (Embrace the Truth)

Welcome God today with this LIFE Group Devotion (archive, Facebook).

For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17 (full readings)

Rich's thoughts: Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" Today, as Christians, it is challenging for us to discern the Truth, especially in our information age of the Internet and media. We are constantly exposed to a variety of ideas that are incompatible with the Truths of our faith (see Counter-Culture News). Christians who are not strong in their faith will unfortunately adopt secularist perspectives without recognizing their incompatibility with the Christian faith. Jesus came into this world to testify to the Truth. Everyone who belongs to the Truth listens to His voice. (John 18:37) Lord, may we listen to the Truth revealed by You, and live out that Truth in our daily lives. Amen.

Faith Challenge: How do you discern the Truth in your life?

Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.
* Planned Parenthood in 1952: Abortion “kills the life of a baby” Read how Planned Parenthood knew the truth about abortion back in 1952 before they became profiteers.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Vicki Kerkvliet (Mom's radiation treatment), Karen Ryan-Philpott (2 wk old Baby William's heart issues), Steve Castle (1 yr old daughter Sarah seizure recovery), Nicholas Zeisler (for AF Academy healing from a cadet suicide).
* Pat Castle (Molly Barber in hospital)

Feast Day: Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and other martyrs who believed in the Truth and died for their Faith in Korea.

Faith Quote: "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

James 1:22

Wisdom 7:29-30 (Truth overcomes Evil)

Let's welcome God today by reflecting on this short Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which is based on Living Faith. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

Compared to light, [Wisdom] takes precedence; for that, indeed, night supplants, but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom. Wisdom 7:29-30 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Jesus, the living Wisdom of God, reveals a life that goes beyond the physical. Destroyed by jealousy and hate, crushed by the power of Rome, Jesus was killed, but no extinguished. Risen Lord, strengthen my faith in what I cannot see, yet long to believe." by Mark Neilsen

Rich's comments: In the Scripture today, I was trying to figure out how Wisdom is more powerful than light. Planned Parenthood Director, Abby Johnson, worked for the leading provider of abortions for 8 years, but ironically remained in the dark about the Truth until she finally viewed an ultrasound image of an abortion resulting in her quitting the organization. 90% of women considering an abortion change their mind about having one after seeing an ultrasound image of their unborn baby. No wonder Planned Parenthood opposes requiring women to see an ultrasound before the abortion procedure. The light into the womb (ultrasound) can be easily obscured by evil (Planned Parenthood), but once the Truth (Wisdom of God) is revealed, goodness prevails.

Faith Challenges: Let's all invite one person each week (John 14:6) to join our LIFE Group (~250 of God's children).

* NEW: Shine through the darkness; share the Truth about abortion with someone who is still left in the dark.

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, American Family Association, Priests for Life

* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images)...#1 cause of death in America. Let's courageously share ProLife Truth to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16) and setting the unborn (and parents) free!

* NEW: I thought that you would like to hear an update about A Woman's Answer (AWA) Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida since many of you contributed to the LIFE Runners Twin-Cities Marathon fundraiser to provide an ultrasound machine for AWA. Thanks to your contributions and the Knights of Columbus councils in the Gainesville area, we have raised over $9000. This amount will be matched by the Knights of Columbus Pro-Life fund, which will enable us to purchase an ultrasound machine for AWA. Today I go by AWA to pick up the final paperwork to start the process. The ultrasound machine will be presented to AWA on Jan 22nd, 2010 (37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade) at their Banquet for Life. This ultrasound machine will ultimately save lives. Thank you.

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas in footnote below.

* Prayer to end abortion, abused children, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, illnesses/injuries, jobs, natural disasters, refugees, addictions, persecuted believers, Peters family (JP in hospital), Joe Hourigan (for brother Mike), Doug Young (special intention), Pat Castle (victims/families at Ft. Hood, health care reform bill), Joe Levisky (daughter's pregnancy), that people care for all creation. Stephanie Spader (daughter Rebekah in ICU for pneumonia/H1N1, for 24 wk pregnancy check up) , Brenda Alvine (for her father, Dennis Rolfson, in the ICU).

* NEW: Aaron (personal intention)

Feast Day: St. Josaphat

Faith Quote: "A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently." - Saint Augustine

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

James 1:22

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn't, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead.'

* Fasting: Let's fast from things that take our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, pornography, bitterness, criticalness, impatience, gossip, excessive video games, etc) and take on things that fix our eyes on Jesus (selflessness, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, patience, understanding, caring, helping, listening).

* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don't stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' (Blessed Mother Teresa).

* Evangelization: Let's make room for unbelievers (be a friend, make a friend, lead a friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service (Matt 28:19).

Luke 12:20 ("Be a hero...today!")

Let's welcome God this morning by reflecting on this short Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which is based on Living Faith. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

But God said to him, "You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?" Luke 12:20 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Who doesn't sympathize with the man who wanted to hoard his harvest to enjoy later? We've heard time and again of the need to save for the future. But God also calls us to live in the present. Thinking you'll volunteer every week at a homeless shelter once the kids are out of the house? Volunteer an hour or two a month now. Thinking you'll spend an hour a day in prayer once you retire? Pray ten minutes on the way to work or the grocery store today. The plans we make for the future have a way of being turned on their heads. Let's resolve to share our gifts responsibly and as fully as possible today, rather than waiting for "someday." Lord, help me be present to your will today and every day." by Melanie Rigney

Pat nuggets: While planning an upcoming prayer visit to the St. Louis abortion mill, I came across the pro-abortion response to the 40 Days for Life campaign (ends 1 Nov), called the Defending The Truth campaign (a complete contradiction). "Planned Parenthood is preparing to defend our patients and staff from intimidation and harassment during a prolonged, anti-choice protest, scheduled to last through the fall. They're here 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Be a hero...donate today!" The Planned Parenthood donations are built around a "pledge a protestor" fundraiser that has raised $26,433. As I've never heard of any harrassment from 40 Days for Life participants, this defense fund will likely just further fuel the culture of death. May this Planned Parenthood destruction fund be easily offset with our constructive ProLife donations of time (abortion mill presence/prayers) and treasure.

* Note: This nugget motivated the 100th "abortion" devotion theme label (out of 466 devotion posts) on our website http://life-devotions.blogspot.com/ (scroll down on right side for theme list). I also added "truth" and "love" theme labels to this devotion...because if we defend Truth without love (intimidation/harrassment), we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Faith Challenges:
* NEW members include Fr. Chris Uhl...welcome! Let's all invite one person each week (John 14:6) to join our LIFE Group (>245 of God's children).

* NEW: "Be a hero...today!" Donate your time (abortion mill presence/prayer) and treasure in defense of the unborn.

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, American Family Association, Priests for Life

* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images)...#1 cause of death in America. Let's courageously share ProLife Truth to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16) and setting the unborn free!

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas in footnote below.

* Prayer to end abortion, abused children, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, illnesses/injuries, jobs, natural disasters, refugees, addictions, persecuted believers, Peters family (JP in hospital), Lynn Bishara (for son Alex), Joyce Trunk (friend w/brain cancer)
* NEW: Kay Castle (for the repose of the Soul of Chris Taylor...and for her family)

Feast Day: Sts. Isaac Jogues and Rene Goupil "The first of all the martyrs to suffer death was Rene Goupil, who was tomahawked on September 29, 1642, for having made the Sign of the Cross on the brow of some children."

Faith Quote: "Are you making a difference or just making a living?"

Through Christ our Lord,

Pat
Phil 4:13

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn't, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead.'
* Fasting: Let's fast from things that take our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, bitterness, being so critical, impatience, gossip, excessive video games, etc) and take on things that fix our eyes on Jesus (selflessness, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, patience, understanding, caring, helping, listening).
* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don't stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' (Blessed Mother Teresa).
* Evangelization: Let's make room for unbelievers (be a friend, make a friend, lead a friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service (Matt 28:19).

Luke 4:28-29 (fear not, speak the truth)

Welcome God every morning before your work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com). All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of town. Luke 4:28-29

Living Faith snippets: "Those [Jesus] knew quite well--his own people--rejected him in words and actions he could understand quite well. The truth is hard to hear. It's even harder to speak, knowing how it's usually received, isn't it?" Amy Welborn

Rich's comments Over 4,000 children are killed by abortion in America every single day. You would never hear this statement of truth on the news or see it printed in the newspaper. However, everyday we hear and read news reports about those dying from starvation in Africa, those murdered through civil war, deaths from AIDS and other diseases, deaths from natural disasters. Abortion is one of the most common surgical procedures in the U.S., but the average American knows little of its gruesome reality. Million dollar ad campaigns have schooled us in "choice", but told us nothing of abortion itself. I think about the popularity of these new Truth advertisements on television that reveal the hazards of tobacco smoking, and I ask myself, why are we so afraid to reveal the truth about abortion?

ProLife news: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ & http://www.priestsforlife.org/

* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (click here for images).

* Let's pray for courage to communicate the ProLife message through Christ to those around us (John 14:6)...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16).

Our Prayers: Prayer to End Abortion, chastity, our enemies, our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, loss of loved ones, lack of faith, illnesses/injuries, Mike Castle (eye infection), Joe Levisky (medical issues), Rob Ouellette (St. Patrick's prayer list), Rich Reich (Granny's health problems), Dan Castle (for alcoholics to accept intervention), Jason Peters (health of son JP), Peace in the Middle East (Iraq, Gaza), Papa Joe Castle (bleeding in brain), Sandra Bird (medical issues)

* NEW: family of Nick Hoch who recently passed away (peace and healing), Mary Fuhrman (battling cancer)

Faith Quote: "Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or sovereign. ...You must weep that your own government, at present, seems blind to this truth." by Mother Teresa

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. Reflection on readings at http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him.'

* Fasting: Let's fast from things that takes our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, bitterness, being so critical, impatience, judgment, gossip, excessive video games, etc) and take on things that fix our eyes on Jesus (selflessness, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, patience, understanding, caring, helping, listening).
* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might lie as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa.

* Evangelization: Let's make room for unbelievers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.

Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Psalm 19:2-3 (revealing God's mystery)

Welcome God every morning before your work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com). All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. Psalm 19:2-3

Living Faith snippets: "Our culture is averse to mystery. And yet the ability to handle mystery is an important component of our faith. God does not reveal the whole picture. He knows that we could not understand or handle it. He gives us only what is necessary and meets us where we are." by Kristin Armstrong

Rich's comments: You might remember the frustrations you had as a child, not understanding the decisions your parents made for you about what you could or couldn't do. Or you might be experiencing the other side of the coin as a parent trying to raise your children. As a parent you know that a child doesn't need to understand every detail about how his parents manage a household (e.g. pay the bills, balance a budget, make decisions, etc.). All the child needs to know is that his parents love him. God may keep many wonders of His universe a mystery, but one thing that He has definitely made visible to us, His children, is that He loves us!

40 Days for Life campaign (24 Sep to 2 Nov): Campaigns in 179 cities in 47 states (24/7 for 40 days). Please sign up to pray an hour in front your local abortion mill.

* Updates from the national director, David Bereit, at http://www.40daysforlife.com/.

* ProLife news: http://www.lifenews.com/

Our Prayers: Abortion's end, chastity, our enemies, our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, dementia, cancer cure, prisoners, leaders integrity, loss of loved ones, lack of faith, Rob (St. Patrick's parish prayer list), Tina Castle (Jason Peter's son)

* Lets pray for a change of heart for all Pro-Death candidates. Let's also pray for courage to let Christ lead our vote...and to publicly talk up and clap for ProLife.

* Each day from now until election day (nine days), let's all say an election novena prayer together: www.priestsforlife.org/novenas/election-day-novena.aspx. Also, as part of our election prayer each day, let's fast from something that is taking our focus off of Jesus (selfishness, judgment, gossip, excessive video games, etc) and/or take on something (selflessness, forgiveness, caring, helping, listening) that causes us to watch The Lamb (also The Lion, Aslan).

Feast Day (Sts. Simon and Jude): http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1182

Faith Quote: "God can show Himself as He really is only to real men. And that means not simply to men who are individually good, but to men who are united together in a body, loving one another, helping one another, showing Him to one another." - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. Reflection on readings at http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him.'

* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might lie as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Prayer to End Abortion.

* Evangelization: Let's make room for non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.

Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Luke 11:52 (Don't hinder the Truth)

* Welcome God every morning before your work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com). All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter. Luke 11:52

Living Faith snippets: "Let this thought, that Christ is God, startle you. Admit any difficulty to yourself. And then meditate on the Word of God ... Read what the saints have said about him for twenty centuries. He leads us! We do not lead him. He who alone knows the Father, teaches us." by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

Rich's comments: One thought that came to mind after reading the Gospel this morning was about those who wish to hinder the truth from being known; specifically, the truth about abortion. One week ago, the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) filed a lawsuit against an Oklahoma state law that requires a woman seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound. Stephanie Toti, staff attorney in the U.S. Legal Program of the CRR and lead attorney on the case said, "Anti-choice activists will stop at nothing to prevent a woman from getting an abortion, but trying to manipulate a woman's decisions about her own life and health goes beyond the pale." Why the opposition to the Truth? Are they afraid that women will find out that they have a living human being within them, and decide not to kill their baby? With or without the ultrasound though, God still communicates the Truth to us through our hearts. These women need to meditate on the Word of God and allow Him to lead them. Lord, please take hold of our hearts and lead us to the Truth. Amen.

40 Days for Life campaign (24 Sep to 2 Nov): Campaigns in 179 cities in 47 states (24/7 for 40 days). Please sign up to pray an hour in front your local abortion mill.
* Updates from the national director, David Bereit, at http://www.40daysforlife.com/.

* ProLife news: http://www.lifenews.com/

Our Prayers: Abortion's end, chastity, our enemies, our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, dementia, cancer cure, prisoners, leaders integrity, loss of loved ones, lack of faith

* Wednesday is "pray with your family night" (Rosary, Bible reading, etc)...the family that prays together (even if geographically separate), stays together.

Feast Day: Read about St. Hedwig and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque by clicking on their names.

Faith Quote: "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. Reflection on readings at http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html
* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him.'
* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might lie as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Prayer to End Abortion.
* Evangelization: Let's make room for non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.
Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Jeremiah 31:33 (God's in our hearts)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com). All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts. Jeremiah 31:33

Living Faith snippets: "God has written his law, his very self, into the heart of each person who has ever lived. God may seem far and his language hard to pin down. But remember that he writes on the heart." by Fr. James Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O.

Rich's comments: God has written His law in our hearts; our conscience. When we listen to our conscience, we can hear God speak to us. God is ever present within us, it is up to us to seek Him out. Every day we need to remove ourselves from distractions, and allow time for reflection and self-examination. We also have the responsibility to educate our conscience, which is a lifelong task, but God has provided us help through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, His Word, and His Church. Lord, You are always present in my heart speaking to me. I pray that I can remove myself from all distractions and my pride, so that I may listen to You. Amen.

ProLife news: http://www.lifenews.com/.

Feast Day (St. Cajetan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Cajetan, St. Sixtus II and Companions): Sixtus was elected Bishop of Rome (Pope) in 257; that same year the Emperor Valerian issued a decree forbidding Christians to hold assemblies (thereby making it impossible for them to celebrate Mass legally). Twelve months after his election, Sixtus was arrested while addressing a gathering of Christians in a cemetery outside Rome (for the early Church could not yet legally possess its own buildings). Four deacons were also arrested, including St. Lawrence. Sixtus and his companions were put to death by the sword; Roman Christians buried him in the nearby cemetery of St. Callistus (named after another Bishop of Rome who was himself martyred in 222).

Our Prayers: Abortion, chastity, our enemies/our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, dementia, cancer, prisoners, Liz Curry (Drew, 2 yr old, kidney tumor surgery), Deb Kayser (rotator cuff and hand surgeries)

Faith Quote: "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." - St. Augustine

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. Reflection on readings at http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."

* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Prayer to End Abortion. Ask Blessed Margaret of Castello for her prayers to end abortion.

* Evangelization: Let's make room for non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.

Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Luke 10:38 (doing God's work)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com). All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. Luke 10:38

Living Faith snippets: "Jesus listens to Martha's complaint--"Tell her to help me"--but he hears the real problem. Martha is anxious and worried, and no amount of help from Mary is going to change that. Because he loved her, Jesus could speak directly to her problem and begin the process of healing." by Mark Neilsen

Rich's comments: As an "A-type" person with a strong work ethic, I can really relate to Martha. I often feel that I am at my job working circles around the people at my workplace at full speed while they are inefficiently bumbling around in slow motion. I often catch myself viewing the people that I work with as the obstacles to getting my work done as if the work itself was the meaning of life. I have tried to train myself that the true meaning of life is the relationships that you build with the people around you. The workplace is just another opportunity to show Christ's love to others. Lord, help me to overcome my distractions and worries, and to see that the true meaning of life involves sharing Your love. Amen.

ProLife news: http://www.lifenews.com/.

Feast Day (St. Martha): Like Martha, we too can become overwhelmed by daily distractions and forget to spend time with Jesus. Read more about Saint Martha at http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=79.

Our Prayers: Abortion, our enemies/our troops, natural disasters, depression/despair, prisoners, Vicki M. (her cancer treatment), Kay C. (friend Nancy Wheeler cancer treatment), Kathy-jo P. (friend Maria has terminal brain cancer), Gina Prevett (Ty's uncle who had triple bypass surgery, friends with dementia)

Faith Quote: "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.” by Mother Theresa

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. Reflection on readings at http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html
* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Prayer to End Abortion. Ask Blessed Margaret of Castello for her prayers to end abortion.
* Evangelization: Let's make room for non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.
Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Sirach 48:1 (faith shaped by fire)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com).

There appeared the prophet whose words were as a flaming furnace. Sirach 48:1

Living Faith snippets: "Elijah's words [often associated with the metaphor of fire] sizzled with intensity and determination to turn people's hearts back to God. This way of changing my heart comes about when I hear or read something that first angers me but then leads me to see the truth I need to know. This way of changing one's heart is not easy but can be highly effective. Approach this fire cautiously, but stay open to what might need to be revealed." by Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

Rich's comments: In the smelting process, fiery heat forces out the impurities that corrupt gold. In ourselves, fiery anger can cause impurities to rise up in our minds and hearts. Instead of fighting this process, perhaps we can use it as an opportunity to discover and let go of whatever is holding us back from becoming pure. Instead of immediately becoming defensive when we sense opposition to our beliefs, we should open our hearts and listen for the Truth. Lord, as Your people, we are called to become purified gold. May we accept our growth process, even though it may be painful, and continue on the path seeking Truth. Amen.

ProLife news: lifesitenews.com

Feast Day of St. Romuald: As a youth, according to early accounts, Romuald indulged in the pleasures and sins of the world common to a tenth-century nobleman. After watching his father, Sergius, kill an opponent in a duel, however, the 20-year old Romuald was devastated, and fled to the Abbey of Sant'Apollinare in Classe to become a monk. Led by a desire for a stricter way of life than he found in that community, three years later he withdrew to become a hermit on a remote island in the region, accompanied solely by an older monk, Marinus. Learn more about St. Romuald's change of heart at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Romuald.

Our Prayers: Abortion, our enemies, our troops, China earthquake, Myanmar cyclone, depression/despair, prisoners, Vicki Miller (her cancer treatment), Carlson home sale, those battling flood waters in the Midwest.

Faith quote: Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. - Martin Luther King Jr.

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Outreach: Let's gladly invite those near us to join our LIFE Devotions group (Mark 16:15), providing routine spiritual connection and strength (simply forward a devotion with an invitation).

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."

* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.

* Evangelization: Let's make room for non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead a friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.

Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!