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May we never forget GOD! His wisdom, love, grace, mercy, peace, forgiveness, honesty, and humility. As well as HIS rebuking, reproofing, and correction through HIS WORD! LOVE TO ALL!

What was the moral motivation of gentiles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust? During a recent conference at Yad Vashem, Prof. Wolfgang Bialas of the Hannah Arendt Institute in Dresden, Germany presented some research findings on the mindset of non-Jewish Berliners who sheltered Jews and helped them survive. Apart from "the usual mix of motives," some common factors distinguish the psychological profile of the rescuers. First of all, they were independent people who set their own rules and priorities and were not easily influenced by propaganda. In addition, they were righteous, empathic individuals, guided by an innate sense of morality...

“Witness, Mercy, Life Together: Our Life as Church” (Acts)“Witness, Mercy, Life Together”: This is the threefold emphasis now being used for our national church body, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. “Witness, Mercy, Life Together” has also served well as the basis for our sermon series here at St. Matthew’s this Easter season. We have seen these themes emerge in our readings from the Book of Acts, for “Witness, Mercy, Life Together” can be said to characterize the life of the early church. But not only so, these aspects of the early church’s life are true for us as well. And so...

“Witness, Mercy, Life Together: The Case of Stephen” (Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60)“Witness, Mercy, Life Together”: This is an emphasis right now for our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, since the work of our national church body can be gathered under these three headings. In connection with this, our synod is using the New Testament Greek words associated with these aspects of the church’s life: Martyria, “Witness,” the bold testimony that Christians give to their Savior, often in the face of hostility and persecution. Diakonia, literally “Service,” but especially, service in the form of works of “Mercy.” And third, Koinonia, “Fellowship,” or to...

“Witnesses Worthy of the Name” (Acts 5:29-42)Today we begin a series of sermons based on readings from the Book of Acts. Recently many of you went through a several-month-long Bible study on the Book of Acts, and hopefully that will still be somewhat fresh in your mind. In any case, I think it will be timely and helpful for us to reflect on these glimpses of life in the early church, for in many ways the time of the early church, the conditions they faced, parallels the situation of the church in our day. They lived in a world that...

Do you ever run across a familiar scripture only to be stunned by the immense beauty of the treasure that has always been there at the surface, but somehow was hidden during your previous journeys? When your eyes finally catch glimpse of it, you stand and stare astounded by the discovery that had just been opened to you. How could I have missed this gem? “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the...

Here is how one Israeli reacted to the massacre of the Fogel family in Itamar, Israel. This is an excerpt from a blog. The full note is below: Every day, Rami Levi comes by the shiva house to the Fogel family and fills the cupboards and refrigerator himself with food for the family and guests. Today, one of the relatives thanked him for this incredible kindness and his response brought me to tears,"You will get used to my face," he told this family in mourning, "I have committed myself that every week I will deliver food and stock your home...

Apostles of Mercy  {Regarding all those who will proclaim God's Mercy} I shall protect them Myself at the hour of death, as My own glory. (378) With souls that have recourse to My mercy and with those that glorify and proclaim My great mercy to others, I will deal according to My infinite mercy at the hour of their death. (379) When I entered the chapel to say goodnight to the Lord before retiring, and apologised for having talked so little to Him when I was at home, I heard a voice within my soul, I am very pleased...

There are cultural forces at work inside and outside the church that make me eager to defend my Father’s wrath against me before I was adopted. He does not need my defense. But I believe he would be honored by it. And he commanded us, “Honor your father” (Exodus 20:12). I write this from Cambridge, England, and my indignation about the assault on my Father is British-born. The calumny I have in mind is the following paragraph from a popular British writer: The fact is that the cross isn’t a form of cosmic child abuse—a vengeful Father, punishing his Son...

Blessed Are the Merciful May 12th, 2010 by Mark Shea“Whereto serves mercy, but to confront the visage of offence?” asks Portia in The Merchant of Venice. It’s a good question and one which most of us don’t really think about these days. That’s because, increasingly, we are a culture that only has “mercy” on people who “couldn’t help it” or “didn’t know any better.” The problem is, that’s not mercy because allowing for weakness, ignorance, or some other excuse is not mercy. It’s excusing. Now, it’s a fine thing, in any conflict, to search first for reasons why somebody who...

It's been called unsportsmanlike. It's been called ugly. The question now is whether Christian Heritage (Utah) High, which routed West Ridge (Utah) Academy, 108-3, in a girls basketball game last week, actually did anything wrong by blowing out an overwhelmed opponent. The stunning scoreline -- from a varsity game in which Christian Heritage reportedly never used a full-court press -- nearly defies belief. As reported in the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune, Christian Heritage scored 28 points per quarter for the first three periods and 24 in the fourth, providing a consistent average of nearly two baskets per minute...

A mushrooming political battle over ObamaCare involving the White House, two incumbent Pennsylvania congressmen, three Catholic hospitals and a nun has just exploded in, of all places, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Charges from the Scranton medical community of intimidation by the Obama White House and its allies are filling the air. All of this just as Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Scranton today to raise money for one of the participants.

Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With Jump to: The 7 Sacraments (The Holy Mysteries)The 7 Corporal Works of MercyThe 7 Spiritual Works of MercyThe 3 Eminent Good WorksThe 7 Gifts of the Holy Ghost (& the Charismata)The 12 Fruits of the Holy GhostThe 3 Theological VirtuesThe 4 Cardinal VirtuesThe 7 Capital Sins & Their Contrary VirtuesThe 6 Sins Against the Holy GhostThe 4 Sins That Cry Out to HeavenThe 3 Conditions of Mortal SinThe 9 Ways We Participate in Others' SinsThe 10 CommandmentsThe 2 Greatest CommandmentsThe 3 Evangelical CounselsThe 6 Precepts of the ChurchThe Holy Days of Obligation (English)The...

Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With Jump to: The 7 Sacraments (The Holy Mysteries)The 7 Corporal Works of MercyThe 7 Spiritual Works of MercyThe 3 Eminent Good WorksThe 7 Gifts of the Holy Ghost (& the Charismata)The 12 Fruits of the Holy GhostThe 3 Theological VirtuesThe 4 Cardinal VirtuesThe 7 Capital Sins & Their Contrary VirtuesThe 6 Sins Against the Holy GhostThe 4 Sins That Cry Out to HeavenThe 3 Conditions of Mortal SinThe 9 Ways We Participate in Others' SinsThe 10 CommandmentsThe 2 Greatest CommandmentsThe 3 Evangelical CounselsThe 6 Precepts of the ChurchThe Holy Days of Obligation (English)The...

Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said: "These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this...

The Spiritual Works of Mercy Part Three of Virtue & Vice:The Outward Expression of Interior Charity The Spiritual Works of Mercy must be front and center as we begin Lent. As soldiers of Christ and bearers of the Truth, if we fail to observe and practice the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy then we are, as St. Paul says in this past Sunday's Epistle - "a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal" and have lost the true meaning of charity which must come from the heart beating as one with the Sacred Heart.   "Our own salvation may very well...

The Corporal Works of Mercy Part Two of Virtue & Vice:A New Angle on Social Justice The Corporal Works of Mercy are intended for helping man get through this vale of tears within the structure of Social Justice as upheld and taught by the Apostolic Roman Catholic Church from Peter through Pius XII. To extend humanistic help means nothing if God is not front and center the reason for our extending help to others out of love for Him. All else is in vain and often performed out of vanity rather than sincerity. Those extending works of mercy with the...

"The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." -- Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood Sign here to get Planned Parenthood removedIt is highly scandalous for a Catholic university to have any ties with Planned Parenthood or to present the largest abortion provider in America as a “career” resource.  However, Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women (NOW) are currently listed on the web site of the University of Detroit Mercy – a Catholic institution.For example: Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Organization for Women (NOW) appear...

Brit HumeBrit Hume stated that he does not believe that Tiger WoodsTiger Woods’ Buddhist beliefs have the resources by which to find full recovery from his wayward lifestyle.