Exploring the depth of our prayers
I’ve heard that the greatest of all sins is pride – because every other sin, in some way, is built on that foundation of sand.
When I look around my life, I see pride crop up everyplace, to the point where I can become disheartened.
Continue reading “Pride”The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.
Psalm 34:18
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”
As a child, I grew up with the idea that God acted through miracles in the world. If He wanted me to have a bike, then one would just magically show up one day.
Because God can do that.
Since then, I’ve learned that God’s gifts and presence come primarily through peoples’ actions. Our priest is an obvious choice, but most of God’s actions show up just through my daily random encounters.
But this presents me with a huge challenge!
Continue reading “The hands of God”
“To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
Rev 5:13
be blessing and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever.”
This is about God, the universe, and all of humanity. Not only humanity, actually, but all of creation.
It’s all about the great gifts we’ve been given. So glory and honor and blessing are our appropriate response.
Continue reading “Blessing and honor, glory and might”
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
1 Cor 15:10
and his grace to me has not been ineffective.
It’s a challenge to let God work in my life. And I realize that this is a common journey for most everyone. We want to be in control.
Continue reading “By the grace of God”
The kings of the earth shall bow before Him. All the nations shall sing His praises.
I’m not sure I see that happening. But I imagine that it’s because I don’t see things in God’s timeline or through His eyes.
All I can do is to get the ball rolling on my end. By praising Him every day of my life.
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Today is the culmination of our Church Year, the feast of Christ the King.
It doesn’t seem that we relate much to monarchy in this country, so the concept of “King” seems distant, even quaint. It’s more like putting our Lord up on a pedestal of glory and honor.
Which is fine, I suppose, but it doesn’t really grab me. It might even cause me to distance myself from Christ.
I’ve realized that many of our prayers are asking God for something. Or Mary, or Jesus, or Joseph, or St. Michael the Archangel.
But here we have this unique celebration to … just say thank you. Not to ask for more. Or to have God fix things for us.
I need to switch that up!
We’re nudging up towards the end of the Church year – just a few weeks away!
Our readings today talk about the end times:
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
“But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.”
— Daniel 12:2-3
I am immortal.
Oh, sure, I’ll die from this life, but the important thing is that my immortal soul will live forever. In heaven with God, I hope, but forever either way.
That’s why my choices in this life are so incredibly important.
The decision I get to make in this life is deceptively simple: Continue reading “Ever shall be”