Mark 6:26 (Deadly Silence)

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"The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her." ~ Mark 6:26 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Today's feast day is the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. In today's Gospel, King Herod is so pleased by the dancing of Herodias's daughter at his birthday banquet that he grants her whatever she wishes. Herodias tells her daughter to ask for John the Baptist's head on a platter. King Herod is mortified by her request, but he grants her wish, because he feels pressure from his guests to honor his promise. King Herod did not want to kill John, Herodias's daughter did not want the head of John the Baptist, and most of Herod's birthday party probably thought that it was wrong to behead an innocent man; but they all remained silent. A silence that caused the death of John the Baptist. The majority of society opposes murder; however, thousands of babies are murdered in the womb everyday, and people remain silent. Be silent no more. Now is the time to speak out and defend the unborn. Lord, break my silence so that I may speak in defense of the unborn. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Do you feel societal pressure to remain silent about abortion, or do you have the courage to speak out and defend the unborn?

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: The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.

Faith Quote: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

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.

John 1:3-5 (Get Out There)

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

"What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:3-5 (full readings)

Steve's Reflections: The reading for today really got me pumped up. John does a sweeping account of Jesus' salvific role from the beginning of creation (...in the beginning was the Word), to the incarnation of Jesus as a baby. Light is hope for those in darkness. What remains is Jesus, the light of the world, and even today the darkness has not overcome it! The very fact that you are reading this devotion stands as a testimony, a witness, to that light and your faith in Jesus. This past December 26th was the feast of the first martyr, Stephen. As I read the account of Stephen's death in the Acts of the Apostles it struck me as witnesses declared that he had the "face of an angel". He carried the light of Christ! We, too, can carry the light of Christ with us wherever we go.

Faith Challenge: What sort of witness are you for Jesus in the marketplace? Can your co-workers, the cashier at the grocery store, or the bank teller see your light? Do they see the "face of an angel"?

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: The Stoning of Stephen "There are two kinds of martyrs: red martyrs...those who shed their blood and die for Christ. The second is a white martyr...that's you and me...those who suffer in this life and unite their every day sufferings with that of Christ."

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. Sylvester (d. 335) "Reading between the lines of history, we are assured that only a very strong and wise man could have preserved the essential independence of the Church in the face of the overpowering figure of the Emperor Constantine."

Faith Quote: “Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.” ~ Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
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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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