New Fire breathes an air of revival, opening ourselves to the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. Just like the disciples in the Upper Room, we receive the Holy Spirit, but then we are sent into the world to create change, to utilize our gifts, talents, qualities, and abilities, and to 'stir into flame' the gift that God has given to us all.
This is the time of year when we collectively focus on gratitude. As your Edge Support Coordinator, I am grateful for you and your commitment to walking with the middle school youth in your parish. Life Teen exists to empower and equip you to lead teens closer to Christ, so I’d love to know how we did with these November 2021 resources. You can contact me directly or respond through our follow-up survey.
Our Lenten sacrifice gives us an opportunity to exercise our freedom and will power, building spiritual resiliency and old-fashion discipline. It is, in fact, the most powerful weapon against the strong pull towards sin.
Look for Tommy Openshaw on a Saturday night, and you’ll find him under stadium lights, kicking for Vanderbilt’s football team. Check again on Sunday, however, and you’ll find him at Benton Chapel, joining Vanderbilt’s Catholic community for Mass.
Jesus might be the answer to our problems and worries, but invoking the name of our Lord as a way to defend sinful actions, or even avoid responsibility for them all together, is never the right response.
Flash forward to 2020 and all I want to do is throw my cell phone in the trash, my computer out the window, and connect in person with all of my best friends.
Overcome by anger, I turned to Jesus, who also experienced anger. When Jesus turned the tables at the temple (Mark 11:15-17), he did so because the people who were trying to encounter God there were being excluded; they were being taken advantage of and mistreated.
Jesus showed us the grace in having help in our suffering even as Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry his cross even to his death. Sharing our burdens with those we trust helps lighten the load of our crosses and means we are letting God work through those around us.
During these times, it can be difficult for us to maintain our prayer life and overall faith. I know many people, including myself, struggle in being consistent with prayers during quarantine.
