Genesis 49:9 (Lion of Judah)

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

"He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts--who would dare rouse him?." Genesis 49:9 (full readings)

Steve's Reflections: Jacob's prophetic words on his death bed paint a powerful image - the Lion of Judah. Jacob is speaking directly to his 12 sons who would father the 12 Tribes of Israel. Specifically he is speaking to Judah. In one of my favorite Old Testament stories, Jacob wrestles with an angel and the angel of the Lord renamed him, Israel or "God rules". His sons would father the 12 tribes of Israel. Why is this important? Out of the Tribe of Judah would come David, King David and the messianic Davidic line. Isaiah prophesied that the messiah would spring up from the Root of Jesse - Jesse was David's father. The bible is full of these prophesies that are fulfilled in Jesus' coming. We have become a people who are ignorant of scripture even though we have more access today to the bible than at any point in history. The bible was written by Jews for Jews and they knew their scripture. The fact that Jesus fulfilled this very important prophesy of Isaiah was not lost on them. It is why the Gospel for today, Matthew 1: 1-17 spells out meticulously the lineage of Jesus. It was important! It was so important that it was the first thing the Gospel of Matthew speaks about. I love the image of Jesus as the "Lion of Judah" because that same lion would become the silent lamb that was slaughtered for our sakes. Let us not "declaw" the Lion of Judah by being ignorant of Scripture. To know the Bible is to know Jesus. St. Jerome - the father of our modern bible - single handily translated the bible for all. He said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."

Faith Challenge: Don't be ignorant of Christ - Dust off your bible today and read the Christmas story. Call your Church and see if there is a bible study available. I highly recommend anything by Jeff Cavins (The Great Adventure: Bible Timeline).

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: Christmas "Read something each day that will help you to love the Lord better - even if it's only a page. Don't think you'll wait until you grow old and then do it. Your eyes may fail you or your mind - it's too late then."

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

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). View, add, update Prayers on our website. Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. Lazarus "Many people who have had a near-death experience report losing all fear of death. When Lazarus died a second time, perhaps he was without fear. He must have been sure that Jesus, the friend with whom he had shared many meals and conversations, would be waiting to raise him again."

Faith Quote: "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." ~ St. Jerome
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Steve
Romans 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 (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 15:1-2 (always more with God) by Kristi

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

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:1-2 (full readings)

Kristi's Reflections: I often think of how important it is for us to look closely at the way people reacted to Jesus in the Gospels and let it teach us something about our own actions. In today's reading, I was struck by the response of the people, especially the sinners' who were drawn to be near Him and hear His voice, while the more exterior looking 'righteous' ones let their complaints keep them from really seeing His love for them. I think it is intriguing the parable that Jesus chose to tell the Pharisees and scribes at this point... it's a parable of His unique, extravagant, intimate love that He has for each individual. God really LOVES US - more deeply and intimately than anyone else could love us. This is mind blowing satisfyingly good news! He is constantly searching our hearts to help us make room to receive His love more fully. In fact, it's the reason He made us - to share in His love! There is always more with God.

* Kristi McClintock grew up in Texas, and is now a Youth Conference Coordinator for the Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH.

Faith Challenge: Take a minute to read the Gospel parables today (full readings)...listen to Jesus tell you that He loves you this intimately.

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

* UK Pro-Life Leader: "This is World War III"

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).

* Tracy Humphreys (neighbor's surgery today....to find spinal fluid leak), Carol Nesbitt (for great niece Allison with pneumonia)

Feast Day: St. Charles Borromeo. "Charles saw Christ in his neighbor and knew that charity done for the least of his flock was charity done for Christ."

Faith Quote: "Jesus wants me to tell you again, how much is the love He has for each one of you - beyond all that you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus - one to one - you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel - but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus - not from books, but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace, He is longing to give it. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as a real living person - not just an idea." Mother Teresa (full letter)

Through Christ Our Lord,

Kristi

1 John 4:19

Matthew 1:1 (family acceptance, Bible, "Merry Christmas")

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 book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1

Living Faith snippets: "Jesus embraced humanity. Mysteriously, the word became flesh and accepted all that came with it, out of love. What about my family tree and all its baggage? Sometimes I find myself wanting to run from it, excising all of that messiness that courses through my veins. I can't do that, though. Sure, I'm not fated to anything. I can be transformed, I can take a different turn in the road. But total rejection? Not possible. It's all part of who I am. With God's help I can discern, move forward and even accept. Out of love-I can accept. Jesus, teach me through my own family tree." by Amy Welborn

LIFE Group nuggets:

* I noticed this AF slogan yesterday, "Anytime/Anywhere." Sounds like a slogan for our awesome God! Also, here are snippets from an article (link) that compliments Tracy's video (below): "So far, ten of the billboards have been erected in Ohio...that say "I miss hearing you say Merry Christmas" and "It's OK to say Merry Christmas." Both billboards are signed "Jesus.""

* Tracy Humphreys shared this upbeat and humorous 4 min music video (link) about saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays."

* Chad Livingston shared this challenging thought from Rob Bell. "First, the scripture always bends towards the oppressed and the marginalized. Beginning in the Torah—take care of the widow, the orphan, the stranger among you. And it continues, no room in the inn, they follow Jesus because they are hungry. The story always goes towards the underside of the Empire. I think it is sometimes hard for the American church to understand the Bible because we are the Empire. We are the ones in power, the ones with wealth. There are six billion people in the world, three billion live on less than $2 dollars a day, 800 million people will not eat today, and 300 million in Africa alone do not have drinking water. We are the upper, upper, rich elite. So we have to first ask the question—how can we take all this wealth and give it away? All the technology and beautiful parts of capitalism and bless the world and the poor—or else we're in deep trouble." (full interview link)

God sightings: Share ways we have encountered God in our lives (miracles!).

* Kathy Castle shared: "Joe was born on September 25, 1966 after a miscarriage. The dr. told me I would never have children, which of course makes the rest of you all miracles! BIG SMILE."

* "The Bible: God may cause a portion of Scripture to jump off the page for you while you're reading it. He may make you aware of how it applies to your life right then and use it to lead you in a particular way. The Bible is...the standard by which you should check everything else you think God may be saying to you. Be sure to keep the context and original intent of Scripture passages in mind." author unknown

Jesus' Christmas list: This is how we give Jesus a Christmas (birthday) gift..."whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matt 25:40). The true meaning of Christmas is to share our gifts (time, talent, treasure, faith, hope, love) with those lacking in "daily bread" and love. Who is in dire need of our Christmas gifts?

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

* NEW: Last week an Academy officer was rightfully given a medal of courage for keeping an injured motorist alive until the medics arrived. Perhaps someday we will courageously love a mother who is considering an abortion (listening, resources, praying, etc)...keeping the baby alive until the Holy Spirit is able to penetrate the mother's heart (metanoia) and save the baby's life.

* 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, Kathy Ayers brain surgery, Mike Castle (Rachelle/Isaac, eye infection), Jason Peters (health of son JP), Carolyn McKissack (Bailee with Crohn's)

* NEW: Joe Levisky (medical issues), Rob Ouellette (Bob, Joanne)

Faith Quote: Stephanie Spader shared. "Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary." by Mother Teresa

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* 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)!

Luke 19:48 (hanging on every word, Thanksgiving)

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

...All the people were hanging on His words. Luke 19:48

Living Faith snippets: "How easy it would have been, I thought, to hear His words and come to believe. I realized later how wrong I was. I would have been laughed at, spat upon and maybe even thrown in jail or stoned to death. Even today, we can find it hard to hang on to the words of Jesus while living our lives, raising our children and earning a living. We can easily shut out Jesus' words because we don't make the time to hear and obey them. But the words of Jesus remain, as sure as the rising and the setting of the sun. All we have to do is listen for them and hang our lives upon them." by Steve Givens

Pat nuggets:
* Our daughter Grace (5) recently asked our daughter Paige (8), "What is your favorite food?" Paige said, "the Body and Blood of Jesus...and then mac & cheese." Jesus said to them (John 6:54), "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." Hopefully, the Body and Blood of Christ is our favorite food, based on eternal nourishment (top of the "food guide pyramid"!). Let's consider saying this when asked about our favorite food (hopefully they will ask why...and we will share our faith!). The word Eucharist (Body and Blood of Christ) literally means "give thanks" (to God!). Thanks be to God for Paige's gift of faith...and thanks to Paige for another great "Christian ID" tip (see below).

Christian ID: "How would unbelievers recognize a Christian in the world?" They will know we are Christians by our love! Some things we can do to glorify God and love neighbor (others?).

* When someone sneezes-say "God bless you", when asked for prayers-offer to pray with them on the spot, when asked about your weekend-tell about your faith activities

* (NEW) Pastor Don Bird, Joel Cain, Chad Livingston and Steve Castle helped with this one. When someone takes the Lord's name in vain (2nd commandment), ask them gently to please not say that (hopefully they will ask why...and we will share our faith!).

Sister Francelle's devotion: Read her devotion titled "Thanksgiving" at http://sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com/. A few snippets: "Dearest Ones, many people don't bother saying, "thank-you" anymore. This is sad because thankfulness is good for the soul. When we are thankful, we recognize that food, a home and all other necessities come to us because of the goodness of God. Thankfulness turns our hearts toward heaven. "Give thanks to God at all times and for everything." (1 Thes. Ch 5:18) This morning I made a list of my blessings, one for each letter of the alphabet. Here's what I came up with [see devotion]. You may enjoy doing this as a family on Thanksgiving or while riding in the car. Let's make this Thanksgiving more than just a good turkey dinner. People are more hungry for love and appreciation than for food. Hugs and best wishes for a Happy thanksgiving."

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

* "Another 'champion of abortion' becomes defender of life: the story of Stojan Adasevic." Some snippets: "Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions, sometimes up to 35 per day, is now the most important pro-life leader in Serbia, after 26 years as the most renowned abortion doctor in the country. “The medical textbooks of the Communist regime said abortion was simply the removal of a blob of tissue,” the newspaper reported. “Ultrasounds allowing the fetus to be seen did not arrive until the 80s, but they did not change his opinion. Nevertheless, he began to have nightmares.” Adasevic has told his story in magazines and newspapers throughout Eastern Europe. He has returned to the Orthodox faith of his childhood and has studied the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Today the Serbian doctor continues to fight for the lives of the unborn." http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14322

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, Lynn Bishara (aunt Mary with cancer), Stephanie Spader (for babies with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome), Joe Hourigan (special intention & Silbi and Sabu), Gina Prevett (Renee with brain tumor), Kay Castle (funding for Welcome Home Warriors), Tom Albrecht (health/faith of parents)
* Let's pray for courage to build relationships and talk about ProLife. Let's pray that We The People of America will shine Christ's Light and build a culture of Life (Matt 5:16).

* Prayer Update: Stephanie Spader ("Thanks for including these babies in the prayer requests. The smaller twin is gaining weight. Obviously something is helping the twin to grow. Keep the prayers coming. God bless.")

Faith quote: "I think any bishop here would consider it a privilege to die tomorrow to bring about the end of abortion. If we're willing to die tomorrow to bring about the end of abortion, then we should be willing to spend the end of our lives dedicated, to take whatever criticism, to bring about the end to this genocide." Bishop Robert Hermann

Through Christ for ProLife,

Pat

Phil 4:13

* 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)!

Ephesians 4:32 (be kind)

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

Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Ephesians 4:32

Living Faith snippets: "Years of training, thousands of hours with hundreds of people, taught him one simple, basic truth about successful human relationships: "First of all," he said, "you need to be kind to one another." He was amazed at how often this tiny bit of advice turned a troubled marriage into a happy partnership. Every act of kindness is a nugget of God's grace. Lord Jesus, help me to be kind, compassionate and forgiving." by Paul Pennick

Pat nuggets:

* In today's reading, God calls us to be forgiving. In the fictional book "The Shack", God says, "Forgiveness is about letting go of another person's throat. Forgiveness is first for you, the forgiver, to release you from something that will eat you alive; that will destroy your joy and your ability to love fully and openly."

* After viewing the abortion video in Friday's devotion (http://www.obamamustsee.com/), Chad Livingston turned his compassion for the unborn into action (defense) by sending his family and friends an email with the video. A few snippets from his letter: "My prayer and heartbeat is that we in America will stand up and focus on what is eternal and begin to love people in such a way that the next time a girl gets pregnant, before she goes to the abortion clinic, she will first think to go to a Christian family [for love and support]. Our next president will have an opportunity to change things for the better or for the worse [Supreme Court justices]. If we repeal all laws regarding abortion and things become very dark, perhaps then our light will shine brighter as we truly endeavor to change this country by loving our neighbor as our self. There are reasons why I would vote for Barack Obama. However, with this issue being what it is, he will have to change his position on abortion to gain my vote."

* 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).

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.

Faith Quote: "What would I be like if I did not have the Bible as a guide? It would be like driving a car without a steering wheel.To be ignorant of the Bible is to be ignorant of Jesus Christ." by Sister Francelle

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* 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)!

Psalm 24:3 (ascend the mountain!)

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

Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? Psalm 24:3

Living Faith snippets: "You will not climb a mountain for which you are not passionately prepared. The ones who seek God's face may go up the mountain. Sometimes it seems as if we're only wandering randomly through life, not sure where we're going. Often, we encounter a vague feeling of restlessness, yearning or emptiness, only to ignore it or quickly fill it up, rather than pausing to listen and perhaps be guided by it. The search for the face of God animates us all. Listening to the inner restlessness can change everything. Will we accept that quest [for ProLife] and allow ourselves to be passionately prepared to climb the mountain of the Lord? Lord God, I long to see your face. Help me to accept the ways you prepare me." by Mary Marrocco

Pat nuggets:
* The msnbc article that I mentioned on Wed only included Catholic Christian poll #'s, even though ProLife is a responsibility of all Christians. Of the ~150 LIFE Devotions Group members, we have over 30 non-Catholic Christians who have also passionately prepared to ascend the mountain for ProLife. Let's happily seek God's face and ascend the mountain together as we work to bring all Christian denominations into a culture of life! The election polls on Wed showed America evenly divided on the Presidential candidates. Ultimately, the voter turnout will make the difference. May God give us the courage to inspire and challenge those around us to make sacrifices to ascend the mountain with us...and vote for ProLife...the most holy and fundamental of voting issues. Let us be steadfast in fasting and prayer leading up to the election. On Monday, I plan to include an election novena to bind us together in prayer for the nine days before the election.

* Stephanie Kemp shared: "[We] need occasional reminders of why we fight [to defend the unborn]. The video [http://www.obamamustsee.com/] is produced by the star of the wonderful movie, Bella. It contains very graphic abortion pictures [at any time you can advance the video to the great final message]. It is impossible to show how barbaric abortion really is without showing the hard truth of what happens to the innocent victims. You may want to pray while you view it. If you have family or friends that will vote for the Party of Abortion in America in the upcoming election, please forward this to them. Forward it in love. Words alone will never change a person when they are in denial over what is happening day in and day out across our land. God Bless You All for Standing Up for Life." [ProLife interview with Bella star, www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08102204.html.]

* Maureen Morgan shared the following link for the Dr. Dobson interview with Gov Sarah Palin: http://www.citizenlink.org/clspecialalert/A000008476.cfm. The discussion highlighted Gov Palin's genuine, bold, refreshing faith in Jesus Christ...as her "foundation."

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/

Sr. Francelle devotion: Read her devotion titled "The Bible" at http://sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com/. From the intro: "Recently, Hollywood movies have made fun of Sacred Scripture by portraying the Bible as nonsense, like a fairy tale. In order to counteract this Godless trend, Pope Benedict has called a special meeting of all the bishops in the world during the month of October. The meeting is called "The Word of God" Synod (synod means meeting). To begin the meeting, the Bible was read from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation - non-stop, right straight through, night and day. People of all faiths, religious, lay people from all walks of life, each took a turn reading a chapter from the Bible in the Basilica of the Holy Cross. I like to choose a Scripture passage each morning and then use it throughout the day to give me courage and strength."

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)

* NEW: Stephanie Spader (for Glen Gauer and his wife as they pray for a miracle for their unborn child, Glen is currently a FOCUS missionary at the SDSU campus)

* 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.

Feast Day (St. Anthony Mary Claret): http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1452

Faith Quote: "However often God must win, it is our most difficult but most triumphant loss." by Margaret Manning‏

Through Christ for ProLife,

Pat

Phil 4:13

* 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 4:36 Spiritual Warfare

* 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

What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out. Luke 4:36

Living Faith snippets: "Fighting evil of any kind is one of the hardest challenges we face in life. But facing it alone is desperate and impossible. Thankfully, as Christians we are never alone, for we are people of the Word. It alone commands all else and frees our hearts and minds from evil." by Steve Givens

Rich's comments: It is difficult for many to realize that even today we live amongst a spiritual battlefield filled with good and evil spirits. Scripture states that Satan and his evil spirits want to destroy us by weakening our body, soul, and spirit. We need to protect ourselves by putting on all of God's armor and use "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17) C.S. Lewis' book, The Screwtape Letters, provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life, with all its temptations and failings, as seen from the demon/devil's viewpoint. Despite the fictional storyline, this book will provide you with an eye-opening awareness that demons do exist and do interfere with our lives. One of the evil strategies of the devil is to make us not believe in evil so that we become complacent and not prepared for battle. Take arms Christian soldiers, use the Word of God!

ProLife news: http://www.lifenews.com/.
* 40 Days for Life campaign (24 Sep to 2 Nov): Sign up for updates at http://www.40daysforlife.com/about.cfm.

Our Prayers: Abortion, chastity, our enemies/our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, dementia, cancer, prisoners, integrity of our leaders, Robert Cox (discerning his career path)

Faith Quote: “The Devil fears the word of God, He can't bite it; it breaks his teeth.” by Martin Luther

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)!

2 Thes 1:2 ("go in peace")

* 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

Grace to you and peace from God [our] Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:2

Living Faith snippets: "Paul begins every epistle but one with this greeting. Mass opens with this greeting, closes by exhorting us to go in peace, and in-between, we all offer each other the sign of peace, which in our culture is a handshake. The dictionary defines peace as freedom from war or conflict...then continues with words like "harmony" and "serenity." Let us open our hearts and minds, push out all the unworthy thoughts, and receive the fullness of this gift [peace] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." by Heather Wilson

Pat nuggets:

* I was truly at peace working outside Saturday (gorgeous summer day). While filling the bird feeder, a beautiful yellow finch flew down and sat on the edge of the open feeder a mere 12 inches from me. The bird looked at me, ate some seed and casually flew off. The bird must have sensed that I cared for it...and sensed that I was truly at peace with God's incredible creation...

* Rob Rysavy shared: "A daily devotion that I use periodically is Sacred Space run by a group of Irish Jesuits. http://www.sacredspace.ie/"

* Dan Szarke shared about his pursuit of working a "holy hour" into each day (idea from Fulton Sheen). How does Fulton Sheen defines this hour? As it is difficult to etch out a separate holy hour each day, we can offer up time throughout the day that is given out of love for God and neighbor (helping a coworker, picking up your children from school, making dinner for others, etc) as well as our prayers throughout the day (morning devotion, meal prayers, bedtime prayer)...this could easily exceed an hour each day!

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

* Join in prayer for the peaceful ProLife prayer rally in Denver tonight, 25 Aug (in conjunction with Democratic National Convention)...and join in presence if possible. The St. Peter bus still has several seats open...reserve a seat by calling 481-4355 (Stephanie) and then meet at the north church parking lot at 5pm. Joe Hourigan (and children), Jimmy Hourigan, Doug Young, Sean Dalton (may MC the event) and I plan to attend.

* Deception on infant protection bill haunts Obama: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Election2008/Default.aspx?id=223514
* 40 Days for Life campaign (24 Sep to 2 Nov): "It's a good time to think about how you may get involved in one of the campaigns. See how this unique outreach has already affected many cities around the country. Please sign up for 40 Days for Life updates at [http://www.40daysforlife.com/about.cfm]."

Feast Day (St. Louis of France & St. Joseph Calasanz): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_IX_of_France and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph_Calasanz.

Our Prayers: Abortion, chastity, our enemies/our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, dementia, cancer, prisoners

* Jim Rogers (recovering from surgery)

Faith Quote: Sean Dalton has Gal 2:20 in his signature block. "I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me." Gal 2:20

Through Christ Our Lord,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* 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)!

Acts 20:20 (Open to the Truth)

* 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).

I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit... Acts 20:20

Living Faith snippets: "One thing that made [Paul's] work so remarkable is that he seemed to fall in love with the communities he visited. There are also times in Paul's letters when he needs to admonish a community for their misdeeds. It is not easy telling people you love that they are behaving poorly. In these particular letters, Paul tells the truth out of love, never out of malice. Are there people in your life who could use a dose of the truth delivered in love? Are you open to having others pose a gentle and loving challenge to you sometimes?" by David Nantais

Rich's comments: "The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) I was guided to this scripture passage this morning as I read the Living Faith devotion. God's Word is a two-edged sword; it brings judgement as well as salvation. God’s Word reveals and heals, for example, by cutting through falseness, pointing out the truth, and exposing inner motivations. As Christians, it is our responsibility to spread God's Word (lovingly), but also to be open to receive It as well. Lord, help me to put my pride aside as well as my hidden agendas so that I may be open to receive Your loving Truth. Amen.

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

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

* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!). 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: ProLife websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. '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.

* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)! Let's make time to share with unbelievers...and let's re-evangelize ourselves and our Western culture to a deeper union with Christ's mercy and love.

Tues, 11 Mar (Psalm 102:19)

* Welcome God every morning by taking ~ 5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion, which has snippets from the Living Faith devotion (http://www.livingfaith.com/). Please consider sharing your gift of faith by adding a comment at life-devotions.blogspot.com.

Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the Lord. Psalm 102:19

Living Faith snippets: "The great advantage of a biblical text is that it endures across the generations, but every age still has to make sense of it for themselves. That is just another way of saying that every age has to encounter the person of Jesus; the mere fact that some people once believed in Him will not be enough." by Mark Neilsen

Pat's Nuggets: Chad Livingston recently started a morning devotion called COUGARS for "Christ Our lord Using us, Guiding us, Armoring us and Encouraging us as we develop REAL relationships – Saints!" (http://gougars.blogspot.com/). Richard Livingston (Chad's Dad) commented to Chad's post yesterday with a quote that relates to today's Living Faith snippets: "If you are not hearing from God, you are not spending enough time in the scriptures."

Stations of the Cross: from "Behold! The Way of the Cross" by Thomas Gouin
* Second Station (Jesus Accepts His Cross.): "We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. Because, by your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. The cross is a large and heavy one, not simply because of its physical composition, but because all of our sins are attached to it. Every heartache and pain, every injustice and illness, every oppression and poverty, every human misery is attached to this cross. When He is nailed to the wood of the cross that will be transformed into the tree of life for all who believe, the Lord will destroy the lasting effects of sin and death. My Lord, help me to repent from my sinful ways, and to accept your forgiveness, for no sin is too great for your loving mercy. Help me to show similar courage in accepting my own crosses so that through my hardships, I may experience your saving power and divine assistance." Amen.

Sr. Francelle devotion snippets: "Dearest Ones, during Lent, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary have special meaning for me. Just as I ask family and friends to pray for me, through the rosary I ask Mary, the angels, saints and souls in Purgatory to pray the rosary with me. To better understand what Jesus is going through, I picture myself near Him during His sorrow, which often brings tears to my eyes. If you are suffering at this minute, please ask Jesus for strength just for today. No matter how bad things look or how devastated you may feel, you are not alone. God is with you, even if you're not aware of his presence. Brighten someone's day! Give yourself away! I Love you, Sister Francelle"
* Go to sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com to read Sr. Francelle's reflection on each of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary: The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging, Crowning of Thorns, Carrying of the Cross, and The Crucifixion.

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* 40 Days for Life campaign (ends 16 Mar) at http://www.40daysforlife.com/.
* Daily Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.
* LIFE Prayers at life-prayers.blogspot.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!). Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Sr. Francelle devotions at sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com.
* COUGARS devotions at gougars.blogspot.com.
* Defend the unborn: Pro-Life websites are listed on the blog. "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). "Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die" (Prov 24:11). "It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish" Blessed Mother Teresa.
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!