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The Sunday of Forgiveness, the last of the preparatory Sundays before Great Lent, has two themes: it commemorates Adam’s expulsion from Paradise, and it accentuates our need for forgiveness. There are obvious reasons why these two things should be brought to our attention as we stand on the threshold of Great Lent. One of the primary images in the Triodion is that of the return to Paradise. Lent is a time when we weep with Adam and Eve before the closed gate of Eden, repenting with them for the sins that have deprived us of our free communion with God....

On Dec. 25, the unforgettable story about Louis Zamperini, an Olympian turned World War II prisoner of war hero, opens in theaters nationwide. As astoundingly resilient as Zamperini was, however, his real power was found in a fact underplayed in the movie; namely, he whose birth we celebrate Dec. 25 is the one responsible for restoring and transforming Zamperini's heart and life. First, let me say, few lives can compare with Zamperini's. He lived hard from a young age. He smoked cigarettes by the time he was 5, and his favorite pastime as a youth was stealing beer from bootleggers.Cops...

In Latin America, they're pulling millions of faithful away from the Catholic Church. But the pope has only words of friendship for them. This is his way of doing ecumenism, unveiled here in two of his video messages by Sandro Magister ROME, November 19, 2014 - With the mastery for which it is known all over the world, the Washington-based Pew Research Center has conducted a survey on a massive scale that gives substance to a fact that was already known in general terms, the startling decline of Catholic membership in the Latin American subcontinent:> Religion in Latin America. Widespread...

 Father Jeremy Leatherby  Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Sacramento CA Podcast kofc15693.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ChaplainsReport11-11-2014.mp3 A relatively brief thought: For some reason, this has been coming up quite a in the last couple of months, on forgiveness. A priest friend in Slovakia shared a story with my brother-in-law, Father Farrell, that he had given a homily on the need to forgive. A lady come up to him after Mass and said, "Father, based on what you said, I realized that there is something I've never let go of. "Twenty-five years ago, a man broke into my home and raped me. I've never been able to forgive...

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: Whoever lives beneath the cross of Jesus, and has discerned in the cross of Jesus the utter ungodliness of all people and of their own hearts, will find there is no sin that can ever be unfamiliar. Whoever has once been appalled by the horror of their own sin, which nailed Jesus to the cross, will no longer be appalled by even the most serious sin of another Christian; rather they know the human heart from the cross of Jesus. Such persons know how totally lost is the human heart in sin and weakness, how it...

I "AM" your Paradise search no further for truly if the Israelites realized this in the desert I would have been their Canaan as wholeheartedly as they would have received me even then and so it is for you even now for I AM The Wind of Fire and Breath of Tongues for you even unto forever and not just on a day (Pentecost) for I AM ~abiding~ in your WellSpring , so simply let Me "Rise Up" for your Testimony of ME "IS" the spark that starts the FIRE and I AM your Burning Bush and VOICE ! Joshua...

Seventeen years after her brother Ron’s brutal murder, Kim Goldman wrote to O.J. Simpson in jail. “I’m sure it’s really weird to be getting a letter but you’ve been on my mind recently,” Goldman, 42, wrote in 2011. “I realize our few interactions have not been great — but I am wondering if you would grant me a visitation, to let me get to know the real you.” It was a stunning act of forgiveness, and it was just that — an act. Her real goal was to savor the sight of the disgraced gridiron great humiliated in prison, she...

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.(Isaiah 53:12)The last verse of this fourth Servant Song has always struck me as anti-climatic. But this is because I believe the King James version confuses the meaning somewhat, for it reads as though the Servant takes his place among other great and strong ones. But the according to evangelical scholar Alec Motyer,...

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.(Isaiah 53:4-6)We have been looking at the 4th Servant Song from the book of the prophet Isaiah.It seems that the Song is divided into...

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.(Isaiah 52:13-15)The fourth Servant song is composed of three sections. First of all, we have this introduction in Isaiah 52:13-15. Secondly we have the great and...

Father, Forgive Them! Jesus shows us the way to forgive. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he had to forgive someone who sinned against him, Jesus told him, “seventy-seven times,” a Semitic way of saying something like “every time, every day, for the rest of your life” (Matthew 18:21). But sometimes the pain of what has happened to us is so deep that we wonder if we will ever be able to forgive.That’s where Linda was—bitter, broken, and unable to forgive her former husband. And she’s not alone. Think of the mother whose young daughter was sexually abused...

The father of a 17-year-old girl who was fatally shot at her suburban Denver high school said Wednesday that he and his wife have forgiven the killer, and he asked others to do the same. Michael Davis said at a memorial service for his daughter Claire that the killer was blinded by anger and didn't know what he was doing. "My wife and I forgive Karl Pierson for what he did," Davis said. "We would ask all of you here and all of you watching to forgive Karl Pierson. He didn't know what he was doing."

If God is Love, why is there Hell? And why is it eternal? In a word there is Hell because of respect. God has made us free and respects that freedom. Our freedom is absolutely necessary if we are to love. Now suppose a young man wanted a young lady to love him. Suppose again he found a magic potion with which to lace her drink. So she drinks and suddenly, presto., she “loves” him! Is it love? No, it’s chemicals. Love, to be love, has to be free. The yes of love is only meaningful if we were free...

And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell theewords, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. (Acts 11:13-15)We have been looking at the third of three conversion stories in the center of the book of Acts, that of Cornelius. An angel had come to the God-fearing Roman officer while in prayer, bidding him send for...

Giving ‘amnesty’ to illegal immigrants depends upon manipulating gullible voters and elected officials. A major component of the amnesty propaganda campaign is trying to convince churches and Christians that they have to support citizenship for 11 to 20 million people breaking the law in our nation because of their Christian beliefs. Enlisting Church denominations – even those who normally vote conservative – is essential to the amnesty effort. But “Go and sin no more,” was one of Jesus Christ’s most frequent commands. Christian forgiveness never means keeping what you stole. Note the example of Zaccheus, who cries out in Luke...

The mother of a former Florida A&M University football player killed in a barrage of 10 bullets by a police officer while apparently looking for help after a crashing his car said that she forgives the officer and wishes him the best. "You caused a great loss to my heart," Georgia Ferrell said at a news conference today as she clutched a Winnie the Pooh bear beloved by her son. "You took a piece of my heart that never can be put back, but I do forgive you. I truly forgive you and wish you the best with your life...

Dear FRiends,This day is Erev Yom Kippur, (Yom Kippur Eve,) usually commemorated with two festive meals, the giving of charity, and asking others for forgiveness. This is to ask YOUR forgiveness for not explaining why all of my pings have stopped without anyone knowing why. I wouldn't exactly call this a 'vanity', more like an explanation and apology to all of you who have added your names to any of my lists for why you don't get those oh, so many pings anymore.Below is what this post started as. And THIS is how it ended. I figured it was better...

(CNN) -- Former President Jimmy Carter said embattled celebrity chef Paula Deen should be forgiven, arguing that while there's no condoning the racial slurs she uttered, the well-known personality has been candid and apologetic.

My love for you and through you "IS" My Ordination . So take on my ordainment that My love through you endures for it is "this" commandment alone that "IS" the very Cornerstone that I speak of against which there is NO weapon but My love is never changing it does not whither or fade it does not wax or whane for I AM Eternal and it "IS" the I AM I speak of " I AM THAT I AM " ----> MY LOVE and MY LOVE you "MUST" BEcome . 1 Corinthians 13 If I [can] speak in the...

Using secular songs to deliver Christian messages. How do you feel about using country songs and changing the lyrics to deliver a gospel message? I don't have a good grasp of it. I felt lead to write these lyrics and sing this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVMSw0Ospe0