Luke 7:6-7 (Faith and Humility)

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

"And Jesus went with them, but when He was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Him, 'Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.'" ~ Luke 7:6-7 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Before receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, the Church leads us to pray: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed." This prayer is adapted from today's Gospel about the centurion who asked Jesus to cure his servant at home. When Jesus said he would come to the centurion’s home, the man responded that he was not worthy to have Jesus enter his house. Jesus needed to “only say the word,” then the servant would be healed. Jesus praised the great faith of this gentile centurion and healed the servant. In realizing that we are not worthy to receive the body and blood of Christ, we get in touch with the reality of our humanness (humility) and acknowledge that all healing and grace ultimately come from God (faith). Lord, through my faith and humility may I recognize Your grace. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Do you have the faith and humility to recognize God's graces in your life?

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: Most Holy Name of Mary.

Faith Quote: “What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God." ~ Monica Baldwin

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.

Isaiah 7:14 (FIAT)

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

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us!"" Isaiah 7:14 (full readings)

Steve's Reflections: Today we celebrate, in the life of the Church, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. This is a key moment in our salvation history as it marks the moment Mary cooperated with divine grace by fully giving herself over to God's will. As the Angel Gabriel states in his greeting (Luke 1:28), she is "highly favored" (full of grace) which renders Mary speechless. Her response to the angel Gabriel is meant for all of us and for all times. In that moment, Mary's eternal fiat (Latin for "be it done") echoes for all ages, "May it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). In today's verse, that moment was prophesied by Isaiah nearly 800 years prior. The incarnation is the ultimate theological proof for God's plan for life from the moment of conception. Simply put, Abortion is a mockery of this truth. In this moment, the moment of all moments, God humbled himself and took on flesh. Only love can accomplish this. As Paul so beautifully states in Phil 2:6-11, "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Amen. For inspiration, listen to this awesome song by Natalie Grant, Your Great Name.

Faith Challenge: Are you fully cooperating with the will of God in your life, or are you resisting the subtle promptings (Annunciations) of the Holy Spirit? Take some time today in prayer to reflect on where God is gently leading you.

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: What does God think? "In keeping with Lent, a time for alms-giving (which means to give from the heart), we can offer our prayers and sacrifices for them (Tsunami victims), so they don't lose hope."

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

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: Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord "The feast of the Annunciation goes back to the fourth or fifth century. Its central focus is the Incarnation: God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now, as Luke 1:26-38 tells us, the decision is being realized. The God-Man embraces all humanity, indeed all creation, to bring it to God in one great act of love."

Faith Quote: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." ~ Angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary at the Annunciation (Luke 1:28)

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 12:49,51 (Fire of Divine Love) by Jean Noon

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

I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. Luke 12:49,51 (full readings)

Jean's Reflections:

* Jesus comes to purify my being with the fire of divine love. Through faith I am called not only to see and bear witness to injustice and evil but to “make space for grace.” Through willingness, I participate with the Holy Spirit to transform the natural, hostile reaction of my mind by awakening to the heart’s considered, creative response of mercy, compassion, and humility becoming God’s instrument in overcoming evil with good. I put on the mind of Christ when I acknowledge with my will what is written on my heart.

* Following Christ’s command to "not resist an evil person" (Matt 5:39), "overcome evil with good" (Rom 12:21), and "love enemy" (Matt 5:44) is quite a counter-intuitive response to the darkness found both outside and within myself. This call creates an understandable source of division not only among us in society but also within my own being. How can this be God’s Truth? God’s ways are inscrutable! But the disposition of the heart which willingly cooperates with grace to overcome evil with good sets a disciple of Christ apart from the world and produces the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22 worth memorizing!). The branch produces fruit when it abides in Him, the vine.

* The fire which Christ brings purifies the world of not only indifference and rebellion toward God, but also unwillingness to do God’s will which is to love neighbor and enemy, i.e., to see Jesus in each one as God sees Jesus when He looks at me. To accept God’s will -- to love God, neighbor, and enemy -- is to rest in the gentle yoke of Christ, the Prince of Peace.

* Jean Noon is a spiritual director/teacher in the Arlington Diocese of Northern VA. She and her Air Force-retired husband Tom have two grown sons.

Faith Challenge: Be willing to not only participate with the Holy Spirit to transform evil both within culture and within myself but do it with love, mercy, and compassion – as God does for me.

Counter-Culture News: 40 Days for Life (ends 31 Oct), LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Pat Castle (work to elect ProLife politicians), Carolyn McKissack (daughter Karen's health)

Feast Day: St. Hilarion

Faith Quote: "Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of a gift never given." Proverbs 25:14

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Through Christ Our Lord,

Jean

Luke 4:17-19