Exploring the depth of our prayers
It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10
This concept gives me pause.
If we are God’s handiwork, then that means that I myself am God’s work. And since God is perfect, then he intentionally created me as I am.
Continue reading “God’s handiwork”
I’ve seen ongoing discussion about this concept of God leading us into temptation. Apparently the Italian Bishops are rewording this part of the Our Father to be something like “do not let us fall/be abandoned to temptation” and received approval from the Pope.
It does seem just a bit cruel to imply that a loving God might lead us into a path which could result in our demise.
Yet.
Continue reading “Lead us not into temptation”
This coming week, the US will celebrate its core belief in freedom. But the Christian view isn’t quite the same!
Continue reading “Freedom”For freedom Christ set us free;
Gal 5:13-14
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.
But do not use this freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh;
rather, serve one another through love.
Some celebrate today the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If you want to see a bit more about this, check out the Wikipedia article.
What I’m pondering is the purity of Our Lady’s devotion and dedication. I have plenty of things in my own life that I’ve stayed committed to for a long period of time, even decades.
But what about my purity of dedication? I’m not so sure.
What a fabulous sending forth after the Easter season! Today we are celebrating the Solemnity of what Christ gave us in the Last Supper.
His body and His blood, shed for the salvation of every person in all of humanity.
On Holy Thursday we remembered that meal, but today I’m thinking about the implication of His gifts.
Continue reading “Body and Blood”
I find our Christian faith to be amazing.
It seems that we often focus on the three persons of the trinity like they were three people stuffed into a single package. Well, I’m not sure about calling the Holy Spirit “people” – maybe he’s in between the cracks? That’s a weird image
But I’m coming to realize that the REAL message here is that we have a God of relationship. God himself already is a relationship of 3 persons, but then each of us also are invited to be part of that relationship as well.
Continue reading “Father, Son, Holy Spirit”
Today, with great joy, we focus on the Spirit that Jesus said the Father would send.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
John 14:26
Without the Holy Spirit, Jesus is just a remembered character from a story 2000 years old. Compelling, yes, but a lot less active.
Continue reading “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,
Rev 22:14
the beginning and the end.”
Everything that I do, everything I understand, is based on time. My own time – my life – started at a particular point and will end at a particular point. And time goes in exactly one direction.
I enjoy science fiction and time travel stories, but still … that’s just tweaking around the edges. The idea of true eternity just blows me away.
Continue reading “Eternity”
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Luke 1:39-45
We have just completed the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection, and suddenly we’ve switched to the time before Jesus’ birth. I find this to be one of the wonderful things about our yearly liturgical cycle.
We have another chance to meet Jesus!
Continue reading “It’s real!”
The resurrected Son of God left us after just a few weeks – forty days in the Christian tradition.
But there was so much more to learn! There still is, nearly 2000 years later!
At some stage, you have to let your kiddos grow up and navigate the world in their own way.
Continue reading “Ascension”