Mark 3:29 (Everlasting Sin)

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

"But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." ~ Mark 3:29 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: In today's Gospel, Jesus defines the unforgivable sin as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This sin is called an everlasting sin, because it gives credit to Satan (power of evil) what is actually the work of the Holy Spirit (victory over the demons). In today's Gospel, the scribes committed blasphemy by accusing Jesus of being possessed by an unclean spirit and that by the power of Satan He was able to drive out demons. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (as shown by the Scribes) may be intentional denial of the Truth either vocally or silently. This sin is unforgivable, because those sinning by denying the Truth would refuse to admit the sin and thereby never ask for forgiveness. Abortionists know the fetuses they abort are human beings, but pretend this is questionable. We too may be lying to ourselves about some area of our life (e.g., justifying pornography, avoiding confession, hiding the Truth). We may be walking into the territory of the unforgivable. We may be dangerously close to crossing the line after which we will never repent. Lord, may I never commit the sin of denying my sin. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Be honest with yourself and make an honest confession today.

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

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Saint Ildephonsus

Faith Quote: "To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men." - Abraham Lincoln

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

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

Mark 2:22 (Shed Your Skin)

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

"Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins." ~ Mark 2:22 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: I often reflect back on my metanoia (change of heart) that I experienced back in 2006 and the events that led to it. The main impetus was my reconciliation with God. By going to confession, I prepared myself with "fresh wineskins," allowing myself to receive the Holy Spirit. I did not merely clean out my "old wineskins" by going to confession and then returning to my old ways of life. I made a conscious decision to put aside my former way of life, and to put on a new skin (the new nature of Christ). Christianity is not a belief, but a way of life. If you are not prepared to radically change your life after confession, beware. The Holy Spirit will not only see right through you; He will "burst" right through you like new wine through old wineskins. Lord, help me shed my "old wineskins" so that I may contain the new wine of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Go to confession and receive your new skin today.

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

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. Fursey

Faith Quote: "Faith is confirmed by the heart, confessed by the tongue, and acted upon by the body." - unknown author

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

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

Luke 5:20 (Forgiveness is Healing)

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

"When He saw their faith, he said, 'As for you, your sins are forgiven.'" ~ Luke 5:20 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Jesus always has forgiveness on His mind. In today's Gospel, a paralyzed man was lowered through the roof on a stretcher and Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven." These words might not have been the first thing on the paralytic's mind who was hoping to walk again, but he probably didn't understand that forgiveness is healing. Jesus is preoccupied with the forgiveness of sin. If we ask Jesus about what we want for Christmas this year, He'll offer to forgive our sins. If we complain about the difficulties in our life, He'll call us to Confession. If we blame our spouse for something, Jesus will talk to us about the plank in our own eye (Mt 7:3). When Jesus thinks of Christmas, He thinks of the forgiveness of sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Go to Confession. Give Jesus the Christmas present of your repentance. Lord, baptize me in repentance. Send the Spirit to search my heart so that I may repent on the deepest level. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Prepare yourself for the Lord and His healing by going to Confession.

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

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed and Patron Saint. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: St. Gerald

Faith Quote: "A little girl was asked what forgiveness is...she gave a beautiful answer. 'It is the fragrance flowers give when they are crushed.'" ~ unknown author

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

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

Luke 21:29 (Preparation)

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

"Consider the fig tree...." ~ Luke 21:29 (full readings)

Steve's Reflections: The fig tree is the third tree mentioned in the bible; the first being the Tree of Life and the second being the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve use fig leaves to fashion garments for themselves to cover the shame and nakedness they feel from their sin. Often we turn from sin only to hang on to the shame. We carry this shame like fig leaves. Advent (which means waiting) begins 27 November and is a special time of preparation for the newborn baby Jesus. Use this time wisely to lay your fig leaves (sin and shame) before the Lord and prepare a place (manger) for him in your life. As Catholics we have the beautiful gift of the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (see John 20:22-23) where we are able to confess our sins and receive absolution (pardon and peace) from both Jesus Christ and the Church. The priest stands in the person of Christ (persona Christi) and as the representative of the Church (see 2 Cor. 2:10). In such a way we prepare the home of our hearts to receive Jesus more deeply. Celebrate the beautiful gift of Confession soon and often...prepare to be blessed!

Faith Challenge: To shed Light on this Black Friday, the Twin Cities and Sioux Falls LIFE Runners Chapters are doing a morning fellowship run/walk followed by a Rosary prayer at their local abortion mills. How can you bring Light to Black Friday?

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: Advent. "As we begin preparing for Christmas, what could be a better than to prepare our hearts and minds to be filled with the love of Jesus."

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

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

Saint of the Day: St. Catherine of Alexandria (d. 310).

Faith Quote: "In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself, not myself from You." ~ St. Augustine

Through Christ Our Lord,
Steve
Rom 12:2 .

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

Luke 13:14 (Dr. Jesus)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feast Day: St. Anthony Mary Claret

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

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

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

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

Daniel 9:4 (The Spiritual Hearing Aid)

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

"I prayed to the Lord, my God, and confessed." Daniel 9:4 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Our ears can become plugged with our sins, making us hard of hearing with the Word of God. However, God can clean out our ears with prayer, fasting, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). The Sacraments are Biblically based gifts from God for staying close to Him. During the Sacrament of Baptism (John 3:5), all of our sins are removed, including Original Sin (Adam and Eve); however, we will again need reconciliation with God when we fall short (sin). The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a spiritual hearing aid that is sometimes avoided because a person does not want to confess their sins out of fear, embarrassment, or pride. Also, some believe that this Sacrament is not necessary because they can receive forgiveness with God on their own, which is certainly possible. However, Scripture encourages us to confess our sins to another (James 5:16), to facilitate contrition and for supportive counsel. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, ordained priests give supportive counsel and have the authority to assure us that our sins are forgiven (John 20:21-23)...and most importantly we receive God's Sacramental grace to help us heal and not repeat our sins. Pope John Paul II apparently used the Sacrament of Reconciliation daily, primarily to receive the gift of God's grace. Even after a dramatic conversion (metanoia) that marks full reconciliation and the beginning of a new life in grace, we will still need the Sacrament of Reconciliation to remove future sin. We must continually seek and accept God's forgiveness, which empowers us to forgive ourselves and others. Lord, open my ears through the powerful healing of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). Amen.

Faith Challenge: During these 40 days of Lent, let God clean out your ears with the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that you may more clearly hear Him calling you.

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

* “The worst attack…ever.”: "That’s what Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards recently called the all-out effort to defund the abortion giant. And it’s true. Never in its 95-year history has Planned Parenthood been this vulnerable."

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

Faith Quote: "We sin not because we want what is evil, but because we want what isn't good enough." ~ Scott Hahn (Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession)

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.

Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

Mark 2:22 (fresh wineskins)

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

"No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins." Mark 2:22 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: This past Christmas season, I bought a new Knights of Columbus "Keep Christ in Christmas" magnet to display on the back of my truck. Instead of just slapping it on the back of my tailgate, I decided to wash the dirt from my truck to make sure that the magnet would stick well and not scratch my vehicle. This might be a poor analogy to the parable in today's Gospel, but it makes me think about how we have to prepare ourselves to accept the Holy Spirit. A person with unrepented sins will be unable to take hold of the Holy Spirit. They may actually feel that they are being guided by the Holy Spirit, but are actually being strayed from the path of righteousness by their own sin. Confession will open our eyes and ears to the Holy Spirit. Honestly reflect on your obedience to God and adherence to His commandments by performing an examination of conscience. Repent of your sins and prepare yourself to receive the Holy Spirit for only fresh wineskins can accept new wine. O Lord, grant me light to see myself as You see me, and the grace to be truly and effectively sorry for my sins. O Mary, help me to make a good confession. Amen.

Faith Challenge: I challenge myself and you to go to confession this week so that you may be renewed and take hold of the Holy Spirit.

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

* ‘The tiniest babies’: survival of babies born weighing less than 400g on the increase

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. Anthony

Faith Quote: "Attribute to God every good that you have received. If you take credit for something that does not belong to you, you will be guilty of theft." -St Anthony

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.

Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

John 8:12 (Silent Majority)

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

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12 (full readings)

Steve's Reflections: Last night at EDGE (Lifeteen ~ youth group) I was helping lead 45 middle school youth through what conversion is and how we can be converted in little ways to Christ each day. The story of Saul's conversion was used to emphasize how powerfully God can work in someone's life. The early church's greatest earthly nemesis (Saul) became the single greatest ambassador for Christ in the Bible (Paul). In that story Christ knocks Saul off his horse with a blinding light. When reading that conversion story it begs the question of our own conversion and the fact the most of us did not get knocked off our "high horse" by a bright light and hear Jesus speaking to us. For many of us, the silent majority, it has been in the quiet of our everyday lives that we have come to know Christ through little sacrifices and little conversions. As the youth gathered in small groups to discuss, I had to retrieve something from inside the Church. It was pitch black. Being across the room from the lights I stumbled to a closet to get the item. As I turned around to return I was surprised by the brilliance of the light shining through the doorway. It struck me as I made my way toward the light how easier it was to find my way out. In that moment I reflected on my own journey stumbling in the darkness, the moment I turned from that darkness by the Light of Christ, and how God has lovingly led me over the years to that same light. I face the same dangers now as I did in the darkness, but that light has comforted me and given me hope where there was only struggle and frustration. Lord Jesus, thank you for being the light of the world and the light of my world. Illuminate the darkness that remains in my life and help me to come closer to you day by day through this Advent season.

Faith Challenge: In what ways are you "stumbling in the darkness" today? Take some time to go to confession this Advent season and experience the grace and healing of this beautiful Sacrament.

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: Our Lady of All Nations "God gave Mary to us as mother to all. Even those who do not believe in her, still she is their mother...We do not worship Mary, as we do God, we simply honor her. Mary always points us to her Son. We can go to her with any of our needs. In the Bible we read about the wedding feast of Cana when the waiters ran out of wine. They went to Mary first with their problem and she immediately told them to go to Jesus. "Do whatever He tells you," she said."

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: Blessed Adolph Kolping “Adolph Kolping gathered skilled workers and factory laborers together. Thus he overcame their isolation and defeatism. A faith society gave them the strength to go out into their everyday lives as Christ’s witnesses before God and the world." (Pope John Paul II, beatification homily)

Faith Quote: “The first thing that a person finds in life and the last to which he holds out his hand, and the most precious that he possess, even if he does not realize it, is family life.” ~ Blessed Adolph Kolping
.
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.


Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

Luke 7:38 (receive God's love and mercy)

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

She stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and annointed them with the ointment. Luke 7:38 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Without the physical evidence [the cross], she experienced Jesus' love and mercy, and her life was changed. Every stain of sin, all guilt and shame, all fear and sense of unworthiness, were wiped away, and she was filled with love and gratitude." by Leo Zanchettin

Rich's comments: The great love that the woman showed towards Jesus was a sign that her sins had been forgiven by Him. Our sins imprison us and keep us from showing love towards others. We need to first open our hearts to receive God's love and mercy before we can share this love and mercy with others. You cannot give what you have not received. Lord, allow our hearts to be open to receive the fullness of Your love and mercy so that we may share them with others. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Let's all invite one person each week (John 14:6) to join our LIFE Group (>220 ProLife Christians).

* NEW: Are you receiving the fullness of God's love and mercy? Have faith and confess your sins today. Allow yourself to be a conduit of God's love and mercy for others.

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 (baby Alex for his endoscopy and biopsies), Kay Castle (Sr. Joann Luke's breast surgery on 22 Sep, Grant Taylor's recovery from medical induced coma), Carol Nesbitt (for Susan/Isaac Anderson whose baby, Megan Marie, died in the womb at 8 months).

* NEW: Pat Castle (special intention for my cousin Michael, thanksgiving for Kara Livingston pregnancy)

Feast Day: St. Robert Bellarmine

Faith Quote: "God is not solitude, but perfect communion. For this reason the human person, the image of God, realizes himself or herself in love, which is a sincere gift of self." - Pope Benedict XVI

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, 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).

Psalm 51:3 (confession)

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

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Psalm 51:3 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Consider this example of King David who, after having an affair and sending a friend to certain death, sits down to ask God's forgiveness in this most famous of the seven penitential psalms. Few of us commit sins as atrocious as David's. Yet, fearful of condemnation and damnation, we still hesitate to seek forgiveness. Let us remember this example and trust in God's compassion as we confess our errors, no matter how dark we believe our hearts to be." by Melanie Rigney

Rich's comments: Why do I wait so long between confessions? Why do I hesitate to receive God's healing forgiveness and mercy? I have faith that God can forgive me. I have experienced the freedom from being released from my burdens and the joy of being closer to God. Lord, give me the humility and courage to confess my sins now. Welcome me home. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Let's invite others to join the LIFE Group (~200 Christians).

* NEW: Your burdens will not become any lighter by procrastinating. Confess your sins today.

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 (John 14:6) to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16) and setting the unborn free!

Feast Day: St. John Mary Vianney was a priest whose reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world.

Faith Quote: “Hearing nuns' confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn.” - Fulton Sheen

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* 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 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.