Are you letting the Holy Spirit move you? Because when He does you better buckle up for the ride! The Spirit never moves us backwards, only forwards toward God, grace, and virtue. He sends out on mission to tell the world about God, and more importantly, to show God to the world.
Life is hard. We will feel pain, but the pain we face as we struggle along in our journey will one day make sense as we reach our “finish line” and experience perfect joy for all eternity in heaven. It is here where we will be welcomed for who we are, congratulated on the “race” we ran, and showered with an eternal feast the likes of which we could never have imagined. You see, no matter what we may face in this life, it’s worth it because of what lies ahead in the next.
A couple of weeks ago Beyonce was given the title of “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” from People Magazine. I feel like once you’ve got that award in your back pocket you can either:
No really, congrats Beyonce, you are gorgeous and have cleared up any confusion about how far I have to go to reach the plane you exist on.
“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” This is the mission that Jesus leaves with the apostles before He ascends into heaven. But it wasn’t just for them; this is the mission of the whole Church. That means all of us. Ask God for the grace you need to fulfill this mission, and that the gifts of Holy Spirit be unleashed in you.
Please help me see and appreciate the ways that you love me. And can you show me how to love my own mother like you would? There’s a reason why your Son chose her to be my mother on earth; please pray for her that she can be more like you as well.
I can’t thank you enough for loving me and caring for me. My words cannot express how thankful I am that you have loved me unconditionally. It’s so crazy to think that God loves me so much that He would share His perfect mom with me.
“You can’t pick and choose the people you love . . . especially if they’re in your family.” But besides our families, we are called to love everyone as Christ loved us. How did He love us? He sacrificed His life. That means love can’t be all about warm fuzzies; it’s about self-sacrifice.
Our friends at RosaryArmy.com have some great instructions for how to make your own rope rosary. Do something meaningful (and super Catholic) with some of your free time and get together with your friends or youth group to make a bunch of rosaries for yourselves, or to give away. You could even make small rosaries that are just one decade and wear it on your wrist as a witness and reminder to pray. The month of May is dedicated to Mary; so it’s the perfect time to put your fingers to good use and make a rosary. “The holy rosary [...]
Last week I ran in a race and a couple times I was reduced to the “I feel hot and nauseous; I’m so over this” jog that is very slow (if you’ve never experienced it for yourself). And you know who did NOT motivate me? The 70 year old next to me who was speed walking at the same (if not a faster) pace than me. Come on. Really?
It’s in moments like this, and other times when I feel like I’m not good enough, that I ask myself, “Why can’t I be more like that person? They must be so much better than I am.”
What fruit does your life bear? You can’t just say that you love God, and that you’re a Christian; you have to follow through with your actions and prove it. This only becomes possible when you’re connected to God, the true vine that gives life.
In this particular relationship after my parent’s divorce, the girl I was dating became everything to me. I drew my worth from her compliments and her attention. I drew my joy from her company. I wasn’t simply finding joy in her and recognizing Christ in her, I was putting her first in my life before Christ.
She was the one I would go to with all my problems. I went to church to see her, not Jesus. And Jesus loved me through it all. When that relationship fell apart, so did I . . .
The most important part of all of this is in Jesus’ first three words to Peter, “Come after me.” With these words, Jesus is not only saying that Peter must physically follow him, but that Peter’s desires are to come after His as well. If we focus on doing what Jesus is asking us to do, our lives will change radically. Obviously, not all of us will become Pope, like Peter, but I guarantee that God will do far greater things with your life than you could ever do on your own.
Imagine what your life would be like if you couldn’t hear your phone ring, the microwave beep, or the doorbell? What if you couldn’t go to the movie theater or hear birds?
That’s what life was like for Sarah Churman until last fall. She was born deaf and last fall received an implant that allows her to hear. You’ve probably never heard of her before, but you might recognize her if you were one of the 12 million people who saw the viral YouTube video, “29 years old and hearing myself for the first time.”
The readings this Sunday are about how Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. Jesus makes a voluntary sacrifice for us; He wasn’t forced to give up His life for our souls. Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18
I begged and cried and begged more . . . “God fix this. You have to. I know you’re in charge but come on, this can’t be what you want . . . right?”
That’s how my prayers typically went when I prayed for Catherine, my friend’s mom, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. Catherine’s health fluctuated in the following years and she never left the top of my prayer list.
Her family said it was time to pray for a miracle when Catherine stopped responding to treatment last fall. So I continued to beg God for a miracle. Every time I was miserable about something – the Arizona heat, a hard workout, the flu, or heartache – I offered up my suffering for Catherine.
Did any of your family or friends think you were crazy for becoming Catholic? How did you respond?
My family was supportive, but my friends were not in the least bit. Most of them doubted that I could ever change or stick with it. They were just waiting for me to fall again. In a way, that doubt from other people pushes you harder. I looked at their doubt in me as an extra source of motivation.
What does Karate Kid teach us about God? Find out in this podcast as well as how our past, present, and future all matter to God. Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Ps 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9; 1 Jn 2:1-5a; Lk 24:35-48
God offers us His grace and mercy every day, especially through the Eucharist. Because the tomb is empty, we have freedom. When Jesus descended into Hell he took sin and shame with Him. He left them there, where they belong. It is because Jesus rose that we are free. God’s mercy is so big. St. John Vianney put it beautifully when he said, “Our sins are nothing but a grain of sand alongside the great mountain of the mercy of God.”
