Mark 5:12 (When Evil Returns)

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

"And they pleaded with him, 'Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.'" ~ Mark 5:12 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: In today's Gospel, Jesus cast out demons from the Gerasene demoniac (a poor man dominated by unclean spirits). However, when the demons left the man's body, they did not disappear, but lingered about and occupied a nearby herd of swine. Jesus taught that an exorcised demon returns to its home "bringing back seven other spirits more wicked than itself" (Luke 11:26). This serves as a warning to all of us who have struggled with demons in our life and have won. Do not become complacent. Remain alert, for evil will return with a vengeance. Those who do God's will are not protected from evil attacks, but might actually be more vulnerable if they do not keep wearing the full armor of God (Eph 6:11). In our fight against the demon of abortion, we must not become discouraged because we are under attack, but continue to wear the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, sandals of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Stand firm in God and continue to pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ as we fight against the demons of abortion on this battlefield called the Culture of Death. Lord, may we get rid of the demons of abortion once and for all. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Protect yourself against evil by wearing the full armor of God.

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.

Feast Day: St. Hippolytus

Faith Quote: "There will be no "knights in shining armor" in God's kingdom; our armor will have many dings and dents. No, no perfect Hollywood heroes will ride to save the day; just wearied saints to look to God and, in weakness, find Christ's strength. This, indeed, is the essence of God's kingdom: divine greatness manifest in common people." ~ Francis Frangipane

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will and 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 (and family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 and 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 and re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Matthew 10:16 (shrewd and simple...)

Let's welcome God every 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

Be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. Matthew 10:16 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Shrewdness seems severe, abusive. But I am reminded of Adam and Eve, who because of their naive trust were deceived, manipulated and ultimately evicted from the garden. Here's a more useful definition of shrewdness: "marked by clever, discerning awareness." It reminds me to stay aware of my beliefs, to evaluate my actions and not let them be led by fears and instincts. There is only one way to be saved, one God to follow. If I manage to focus on Him and not deceive myself, my love and faith in God may become simple, as in "not limited or restricted." by Julia DiSalvo

Faith Challenge: Let's challenge each other to joyfully live out the Good News.

* NEW: Let's read Sr. Francelle's great devotion: Miracle on the Hudson - the untold story.

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!

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, addictions, Nana Suzie (prayer of thanksgiving for each "good day" that JP experiences), Stephanie Spader (for a family with unexpected pregnancy), Carla Neal (Melissa & family, Bernie, Craig, Yvonne, & Carol)

Faith Quote: "Let the Gospel be the measure and guide of life's decisions and plans! Then you will be missionaries in all that you do and say, and wherever you work and live you will be signs of God's love, credible witnesses to the loving presence of Jesus Christ." John Paul II

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 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 invite others to join our LIFE Group...Rich or Pat will gladly add them to the devotions distribution list (Mark 16:15)!

Proverbs 3:29 (search your heart)

* 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

Plot no evil against your neighbor... Proverbs 3:29

Living Faith snippets: "The thought of deliberately scheming and planning evil against someone leaves most of us aghast. Yet planning harm might be more prevalent than one wants to believe. I've known those who connived to gain an inheritance for themselves and foil it for others, coworkers who destroyed another's good name by deliberately spreading false rumors, friends whose jealousy contributed to the breakup of a marriage, parents who suffered long years because of a child's refusal to forgive. That's why I search my heart each day to see what's going on in there." by Sr. Joyce Rupp

Pat nuggets:
* Regarding Hurricane Ike, a friend emailed me pictures of the devastation and said, "I Guess God must have been busy some place else." Here is part of my reply: "God gave us the gift of Free Will (read this chapter in Mere Christianity book I sent). If my wife and children would have perished in the car accident, I would not have blamed God...I would have blamed the driver who ran the red light [Free Will]...and I would have been called to forgive him as God has forgiven me ("forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"). I would have turned to God for His grace (strength) and perspective (heaven) while I healed. God doesn't cause accidents and natural disasters...however, he is glad to help people heal through the Body of Christ (us!). Looks to me like God was busy right there [with Hurricane Ike]...the last picture says it all [a rescue worker hugging a survivor]. We are here but for a moment...we will all die...those that use God's gift of Free Will to follow Christ will rise again to be with God for eternity...that is our faith. As for me, I choose hope...I choose Jesus." While reflecting on the serious car accident last week, two things resonated with me...Totus Tuus (Latin for "totally yours") and the book "The Precious Present" (appreciating God's gift of life right now).

* Stephanie Kemp shared: [See the] "8 min video featuring all three Colorado Bishops addressing the subject of voting and faithful citizenship (www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13424). You can download a copy of 'Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Key Issues' from Priests for Life. It is a non-partisan guide (www.politicalresponsibility.com/)."

ProLife news: http://www.lifenews.com/.
* 40 Days for Life campaign (24 Sep to 2 Nov): http://www.40daysforlife.com/. Please consider signing up to pray an hour in front your local abortion mill.

* Stephanie Kemp shared: "The city-wide, 'kick-off rally' for the 40 Days for Life Campaign is Thurs, Sep 25 at 4pm at Planned Parenthood. Our parish commitment is on Sat, Oct 4th. There are still 2/3 of the time slots yet to fill. Father Frank Pavone (Priests for Life) said we have to have our hearts broken to have real sorrow in our souls for what is happening to the unborn in our country. He said we all have to be totally honest; face the facts and look evil in the eye; pray about how God can use us; respond in love; and stand for life. We have to grieve with hope, in a spirit of joy. In the midst of this raging battle we have to have a serene confidence that the battle for life has already been decided. It has been won by the blood of Jesus. He asked though, "Have you shed any tears yet?" Come join us at The Foot of The Cross. Be not afraid!"

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.

Faith Quote: “The Catholic Church certainly understands and also believes in the separation of church and state, but that doesn’t mean we believe in the separation of faith and politics." Archbishop Chaput (Denver)

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 lie 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)!