How to Have Thanksgiving in the Midst of Adversity
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Tag Archives: #Jesus
Ways to Prepare for Advent
Praying for our Beloved Dead
“It is the will of Him Who sent Me that I should lose nothing of what He has given Me.” —John 6:39
The Church is “the pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Tm 3:15). Jesus Himself founded the Church to be His Body (e.g. Eph 1:22-23), and He gave her the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mt 16:19). Therefore, the universal Church will always faithfully proclaim the Lord’s will and always rightly interpret His Word.
For two thousand years, the Church throughout the world has authoritatively taught that we should pray for our brothers and sisters in purgatory so that they will be purified as soon as possible and enter heaven. The Church teaches: “From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1032). “Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective” (Catechism, 958).
How Satan Uses Fear Against Us
“I say to you who are My friends: Do not be afraid.” —Luke 12:4
God’s grace continues to be lavishly poured out on us to free us to love Him with all our hearts. In that love, we have the power to transform the world. However, Satan tries to block our reception of God’s grace and love. He does this by tempting us to sin, and he manipulates us into sinning in many ways, especially through fear. Therefore, the Lord commands 365 times in the Bible: “Do not be afraid” (see Lk 12:4).
Continue readingBlue Butterfly and Christian Renewal
2 Corinthians 5:17 says
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This verse highlights the radical change that occurs when someone accepts Christ.
God shows us many things through His creation. Jesus often told stories using nature and everyday occurrences to teach his followers about His love for us and His Father’s will.
A blue butterfly represents hope, joy and peace. While there is not a direct scriptural reference to butterflies, butterflies’ natural life cycle involves a transformation from caterpillar to a butterfly.
The message to all of God’s people is God wants to transform each person into that which He created them for. God created each person with a specific purpose in mind. Each person has great potential to be transformed with God’s grace into that person that God desires for them.
2 Corinthians 3:18 says
.”And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” This verse focuses on the progressive nature of transformation, where believers are gradually changed into the likeness of Christ.
We become new creations in Christ once we become a believer in Him. We can continue a renewal process by renewing our minds by reading God’s word and receiving the sacraments.
Spiritual Direction (Part 4) Is it Consistent?
Spiritual Direction (Part 4) Brigid Ayer, Host of All About The Grace Podcast, delves into the question, What Does God Want? with the particular focus on the question in this episode Is it Consistent? This 6-part series of podcasts on Spiritual Direction: What Does God Want, it will help you discern any decision you need to make large or small using this practical guide to making decisions according to God will. These concepts are based on a book by Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, former president of Franciscan University in Steubenville. This episode delves into determining if what you are discerning is consistent with the way the Lord has communicated with you in the past.
Return to Your First Love
I was scrolling thought my social media feed when I stumbled across a fellow Christian’s YouTube channel. After watching a few of the videos, it stirred up many good, holy memories and scripture verses that came alive to me years ago when I first had my conversion to Christ.
The message I felt God was impressing upon me very clearly was, “Return to your first love!” I wasn’t sure if that was an actual scripture verse or not, so of course, I Googled it and sure enough, I found the full verse in Revelations. The verse referring to “returning to your first love” is Revelations 2:4-5. In this passage, Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus, saying, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”.
Continue readingDigital Discipleship for an Apostolic Age.
Divine Mercy is Something God Wants for All
“A week later, the disciples were once more in the room, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, Jesus came.” —John 20:26
Divine Mercy Chaplet Sung By Kayser Swidan
The image of the Jesus’ Divine Mercy that I have hanging in my fireplace room appears to be the moment that is depicted in this Gospel scene. The Apostles are hiding out in the upper room one week after the resurrection of Jesus. They are afraid that they are next on the chopping block so to speak. Some have seen the risen Lord, some have not. Thomas was one of them who had not seen Jesus, and who would not believe the stories that others has seen Jesus risen unless he saw Jesus, himself, in the flesh.
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