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November 4, 2012   Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Dt 6:2-6 Moses spoke to the people, saying:"Fear the LORD, your God,and keep, throughout the days of your lives,all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,and thus have long life.Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,that you may grow and prosper the more,in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,to give you a land flowing with milk and honey. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,with all your...

A Bondservant of Jesus "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me . . ." —Galatians 2:20 These words mean the breaking and collapse of my independence brought about by my own hands, and the surrendering of my life to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me, I must do it myself. God may bring me up to this point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He cannot push me through it. It means breaking the hard outer layer of my...

November 3, 2012   Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Phil 1:18b-26 Brothers and sisters:As long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth,Christ is being proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Indeed I shall continue to rejoice,for I know that this will result in deliverance for methrough your prayers and support from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.My eager expectation and hopeis that I shall not be put to shame in any way,but that with all boldness, now as always,Christ will be magnified in my body,whether by life or by death.For to me...

In All Circumstances Today's Scripture Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Are you giving thanks in every circumstance? This might seem like a stretch at first, especially when you are going through a season of difficulty. But notice today’s verse doesn’t say to give thanks “for” everything, it says give thanks “in” everything. In other words, no matter what’s going on, find something to be thankful for. Don’t just focus on what’s wrong in your life; focus on what God...

Obedience or Independence? "If you love Me, keep My commandments" —John 14:15 Our Lord never insists on obedience. He stresses very definitely what we ought to do, but He never forces us to do it. We have to obey Him out of a oneness of spirit with Him. That is why whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an “If,” meaning, “You do not need to do this unless you desire to do so.” “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . .” (Luke 9:23). In other words, “To be My...

November 2, 2012   The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed  (All Souls) Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God,and no torment shall touch them.They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;and their passing away was thought an afflictionand their going forth from us, utter destruction.But they are in peace.For if before men, indeed, they be punished,yet is their hope full of immortality;chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,because God tried themand found them worthy of himself.As gold in the furnace, he proved them,and as sacrificial offerings he...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Standing in the Sistine Chapel under Michelangelo's famous ceiling frescoes, people are reminded that the world was created by God in a supreme act of love, Pope Benedict XVI said. "With a unique expressive intensity," the pope said, Michelangelo depicted the power and majesty of God the creator in a way that proclaimed "the world is not the product of darkness, chaos or absurdity, but derives from intelligence, freedom, a supreme act of love." Pope Benedict made his remarks Oct. 31 during an evening prayer service marking the 500th anniversary of the prayer service led by...

Raise the Standard Today's Scripture Remind people to be submissive to [their] magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work. Titus 3:1, AMP. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria What do you do to honor God? A lot of times people think, “Oh, I go to church to honor God. I read my Bible to honor God. I sing and clap in worship to honor God.” And yes, those are ways to honor God, but did you know that you also honor God when you get to work on...

“You Are Not Your Own” "Do you not know that . . . you are not your own?" —1 Corinthians 6:19 There is no such thing as a private life, or a place to hide in this world, for a man or woman who is intimately aware of and shares in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. God divides the private life of His saints and makes it a highway for the world on one hand and for Himself on the other. No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for...

November 1, 2012   Solemnity of All Saints   Reading 1 Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,holding the seal of the living God.He cried out in a loud voice to the four angelswho were given power to damage the land and the sea,"Do not damage the land or the sea or the treesuntil we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,one hundred and forty-four thousand markedfrom every tribe of the children of Israel. After this I...

Luther sensed deeply the stare of Christ the Judge standing over him, demanding of him an impossible level of inner purity. Luther's Upbringing Luther was the second son in a family of eight children. His father and mother were sturdy German Bauern (peasants): coarse, credulous, and devout. Often in the beliefs of these untutored folk, elements of old German paganism blended with the Christian story: woods, winds, and water were peopled by elves, gnomes, fairies, mermen and mermaids, sprites and witches; and witchcraft was taken for granted throughout Europe. Young Luther had ample opportunity to witness the mischief and grief...

Vatican II’s Declaration on Religious Freedom is just as timely today as it was fifty years ago.Religious freedom is the issue of the hour: in America, in Europe, in what we (used to?) think of as “the West”. But what is particularly interesting is that this comes just as we are marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council – the Council in which the Church explored the whole question of religious freedom and gave the world a valuable document which established the Church’s approach to this subject for the new millennium. The Declaration on Religious...

Close the Door on Fear Today's Scripture “Do not give the devil an opportunity to work.” (Ephesians 4:27, ISV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria So many people today are living with less than God’s best because they’ve allowed fear to creep in and take root in their lives. Fear is the greatest weapon the enemy uses to try to hold us back. Fear is not from God. Scripture tells us that fear brings torment. It’s designed to paralyze us and keep us from God’s blessings. The good news is that God is greater than fear. His power in...

The Trial of Faith "If you have faith as a mustard seed . . . nothing will be impossible for you" —Matthew 17:20 We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, and it may be so in the initial stages. But we do not earn anything through faith— faith brings us into the right relationship with God and gives Him His opportunity to work. Yet God frequently has to knock the bottom out of your experience as His saint to get you in direct contact with Himself. God wants you to understand that it is a...

An amazing story told by Fr. Dean: Reading “The Fire of the Word” reminded me [Fr. Dean] of a story, a true story… A woman was browsing through some used books for sale in an antique store, more for curiosity than anything else, and she spotted a title which grabbed her interest. The books were a quarter a piece, so she unceremoniously grabbed the book and went to the counter. She paid the twenty-five cents and the store owner asked, “You you like a bag for that?” “No thanks,” she said, “I’ll just put it in my purse.” With that...

October 31, 2012 Solemnity, Vigil of All Saints   Reading 1 Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,holding the seal of the living God.He cried out in a loud voice to the four angelswho were given power to damage the land and the sea,"Do not damage the land or the sea or the treesuntil we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,one hundred and forty-four thousand markedfrom every tribe of the children of Israel. After this I had...

October 31, 2012   Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Eph 6:1-9 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.Honor your father and mother.This is the first commandment with a promise,that it may go well with youand that you may have a long life on earth.Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling,in sincerity of heart, as to Christ,not only when being watched, as currying favor,but as slaves of Christ,...

Is Halloween Harmless?article by Jerold Aust Every year at Halloween, well-meaning parents dress their children in grotesque and ghoulish costumes. Is Halloween really harmless? Who and what's behind this bizarre holiday? It all looks like so much fun and seems so harmless: jack-o'-lanterns, grotesque grinning masks, long black witch attire with pointed black hats, costumes painted like skeletons, outfits that represent demons and goblins, and children going door to door, soliciting treats from compliant neighbors.But when Halloween comes around, do you find yourself yearning for the hours to pass until the whole trick-or-treat farce is over? If you don't, you should!Halloween's...

Critics have long leveled the charge of “divisive” and “negative” against those who would warn the church of unbiblical teachings and practices. I prayerfully consider such accusations, for my heart echoes the same concern. I long just to preach the gospel and to put behind me the controversy that has become such an unwelcome part of my life. Yet in preaching the pure gospel one must carefully distinguish it from the clever counterfeits all around. How negligent it would be not to warn the sheep of poisoned pastures and false shepherds who promote lies in the name of truth. Yet...

A Different Spirit Today's Scripture “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.” (Numbers 14:24, NASB) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria One time in Scripture, Moses sent twelve men to spy out the Promised Land. The people of Israel were camped right next door and excited about possessing the land. But after 40 days, ten of the men came back with a negative report. They said, “Moses, there are giants in the land,...