Sat, 1 Mar (Luke 18:13)

* Welcome God every morning by reading the Living Faith devotional before work (~1 min). Order at http://www.livingfaith.com/.

The tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." Luke 18:13

Living Faith snippets: "The tax collector knows that what counts, first and last, is all that God does for us, not what we think we're doing for God. What is decisive is the here and now, our present relationship with God. We are not called to run up an excellent record, on which we can congratulate ourselves. What we are called to acknowledge, above all in prayer, is our constant need of the divine mercy." by Fr. Gerald O'Collins, S.J.

Rich's comments: "A priest working in Soweto in 1981 told of a white woman going into a church near Bloemfontein, in the very heartland of apartheid. She was horrified to see – in this ‘whites only’ church – a black woman kneeling at the altar rail. She marched up the aisle, shouting: “Excuse me!” then noticed that the woman was polishing the brass rail with a cloth. “Thank heavens,” she sighed, “for one awful moment, I thought you were praying.”
Strange things have been done in temples and churches: the very Gospel itself contradicted from the pulpit and the altar. We are at our worst when we pretend to be good: when we dress like angels to do the devil’s work. Hypocrites are the real atheists, because they inflate the currency of religion and make it worthless." (by Fr. Donagh O'Shea)

Lord Jesus, I humbly seek your divine mercy. May your love control my thoughts and actions that I may do what is pleasing to you. Show me where I lack charity, mercy, and forgiveness toward my neighbor. And help me to be generous in giving to others what you have so generously given to me.

Through Christ Our Lord,
Rich
Romans 12:12

40 DAYS FOR LIFE (until 16 Mar): This is a unified Christian campaign to prevent the destruction of abortion (babies, families, abortionists) with an around the clock, 40 day prayer vigil at abortion clinics nation-wide. Learn about efforts in your area and sign up for the daily updates at http://www.40daysforlife.com/. "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" (Jer 1:5)..."you knit me together in my mother's womb" (Ps 139:13).
* Please share your experiences with defending the unborn (abortion clinic prayer vigils, ministering to abortionists, etc) and helping post-abortion families heal.

* Daily Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml
* LIFE Devotions blog at life-devotions.blogspot.com: Sign up to add your profile and comment at LIFE Devotions. Comment to the entire distro by replying to this email.
* LIFE Prayers blog at life-prayers.blogspot.com: Sign up to post/comment at LIFE Prayers. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!).
* Sr. Francelle Devotions at sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com.
* Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!