If I am a believer, I can drive out demons in His name!

Corcovado jesus

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Gift:  Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

Reading:  These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.  (Mark 16:17)

Observation:  It has been a whole day since I first read the readings this morning.  I let the world get in and distract me from what God was telling me this morning, and for that I am sorry.  However, without the distraction, I don’t believe I would have ever come to the conclusion that I have about my faith today.  There is no circumstance that can take Jesus out of my heart, and I must act in a way that is respectful of that gift and not let any sin or even any sinful attitude control my mind.

Personification:  Self-Control  Once again, I realize that self-control is not about my self, it is about Jesus.  How can Jesus be a part of me, if I am involved in sin?  I realize that I will not always be perfect, but if Jesus is in me, nothing can stop me from walking away from whatever evil stands before me.  If that evil persists, I will cast it away by simply saying that I belong to Jesus.

Prayer:  Lord, I know that it is not about playing mind games with myself to stay away from sin, it is about realizing that you are with me and you are more powerful than any evil.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
01/25
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By the intercession of Saint Francis de Sales…This writer keeps writing!

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Gift:  Fortitude (Courage) – With the gift of courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risk as a follower of Jesus. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death.

 

Reading:  As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, looked down from her window, and when she saw King David jumping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.  (2 Samuel 6:17)

 

Observation:  Honestly, I hope that no one despises me in their heart because of my writing this blog.  I imagine there are some atheists who may not agree with the content, but I pray that God will open their eyes to the truth someday.  Anyway, I was moved to journal about this verse today, because it is the Feast Day of Saint Francis de Sales, who is the Patron of Writers and I heard yesterday on a news program that writers should keep writing.  With God’s grace and the intercession of this great Saint, I am writing today, even though I don’t understand fully the reason for it.

Personification:  Love  It is only when I stop worrying about what others think of my prayer life, I can truly be faithful to what God is calling me to.  Not just in prayer, but also in the love that I am supposed to show in the physical world to my wife and kids and also my neighbor, I must not focus on how they will react to it because that may cause me to fail in doing it.

Prayer:  Lord, remind me to love like I’m dying, since I may not have tomorrow, I must be willing to love more fully today.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of  the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

2012
01/24
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O God, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved. (Psalms 80:4)

English: Scroll of the Psalms

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Gift:  Counsel (Right Judgment) – With the gift of right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.

Reading:  When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”  (Mark 3:21)

Observation:  It is hard to believe that Jesus’ relatives would not have believed that He was the Messiah.  They knew His Mother, and they had to know the story of His birth.  I guess it is a testament to how powerful pride can be in the minds of us sinners.  I know that I forget that God has the power to save me sometimes, and I am related to Jesus by my Baptism too.  When I heard the words of the responsorial Psalm this morning at 8:00am Mass at Saint Mary Catholic Church, I realized again that just the appearance of the face of Jesus can save me. 

Personification:  Joy  Thanks be to God for revealing the truth of His saving power through the responsorial Psalm at Mass today, and in honor of his power and glory, I used the 4th verse of the 80th Psalm as my title for my journal today.  I want to live out the Good News today with joy, because I am secure in the knowledge that God will use whatever means necessary to save us from sin and we only need be open to the prompting of the holy Spirit to act in accordance with His grace.

Prayer:  Lord, help me be joyful today at every move that God makes in my life and realize that it is by the power of the holy Spirit and His grace, that we receive through the sacrifice of Jesus, that we are saved.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
01/21
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Boanerges me…?

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Gift:  Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder.  (Mark 3:17)

Observation:  It was only after my reflection that I shared yesterday, that I realized that I may not be ready to be the fiery preacher that I think I am.  For now, I will remember that God is calling me to be like John, and remember to call myself and others to repentance, but maybe I am not ready to call others to action yet.  It is my hope that I am living out the call of God, in the same way that Jesus called the apostles, but I just want to make sure that I am living out the call God intended and not the call that I want.

Personification:  Faithfulness  In order to be faithful to my call, I must act with the authority of Jesus, but do so with the same humility that He displayed by praying, fasting and even suffering for the faith in the ways that present themselves to me in my every day life.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to suffer gratefully and know that if I can join my suffering to yours that I will be assured of following your will for my life.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
01/20
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David carried five smooth stones, but it only took one to kill Goliath…

English: David and Golias Česky: David a Goliáš

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Gift:  Fortitude (Courage) – With the gift of courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risk as a follower of Jesus. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death.

Reading:  Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag. With his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine. David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell on his face to the ground.  (1 Samuel 17:40,49)

Observation:  It is only after about a six-month absence of this story from my consciousness, that I am able to look at it with a new perspective. I have, however, been able to focus on the five smooth stones as they were presented to our youth during a youth conference in San Diego last summer.  I imagine that although I have not consciously thought about all five of them every day since last summer, they have been in my sub-conscious as I awake every day to live out the faith that has been given to me by God:

1.  Wake up on time.

2.  Focus on Jesus.

3.  Do something for someone without expecting a thank you.

4.  Deny yourself something.

5.  Act with gratitude.

Personification:  Love  In order to be able to love others like yourself, you must first love yourself.  It is only by being disciplined in my devotions in the morning that I can keep myself from becoming the person that I find it difficult to love.  If I find it difficult to love myself, than showing that love to others is going to be impossible, because there isn’t any love to model for me.  It is my understanding that these five stones that David used to fill his shepherd’s bag before battle Goliath can mean different things to different people, but the important part of the story is not that there were five and what do they represent, but that David took the time to select them before battle.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to carefully select my five smooth stones today and allow me the courage to battle whatever adversity that I may face today, with the knowledge that you are with me.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
01/18
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We receive the Holy Spirit, to lead us, like David, to be kings…

English: David anointed by Samuel

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Gift:  Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David. Then Samuel set out for Ramah.  (1 Samuel 16:13)

Observation:  As I read this first reading from the readings for Mass today, I was reminded of how our Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation are similar to what Samuel did to David when he anointed him to be King of Israel.  If you read on in the story, he does not immediately take the throne from Saul, but he begins a journey of faith that eventually leads to him becoming King after many hardships and trials that he must face.  It reminds me of the hardships and trials that I face on a daily basis, as a followers of Christ.  However, if I continue to face them with patience and endurance, God has promised to provide everything I need to be a king, like Christ.  I don’t begin to understand what that looks like, or even what that means exactly, but I know that I am called to follow Christ in everything that I do.

Personification:    Self-Control  It is only by the grace of God that I will be able to show the fruit of self-control in my life.  I know that God wants me to follow His Son more closely in my life, and will supply the grace necessary to be able to accomplish it.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a better disciple today and everyday for the rest of my life.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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2012
01/17
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As baptized Christians, we are called to be priests, prophets and kings!

Stained glass window of the sacred Heart of Je...

Stained glass window in a former mosque of the Sacred Heart of Jesus...

Gift:  Understanding – With the gift of understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live.

Reading:  For a sin of divination is rebellion, and arrogance, the crime of idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD in turn has rejected you as king.”  (1 Samuel 15:23)

Observation:  After reading all the readings this morning, I was drawn back to the word “divination” in the first reading, and why was it put in Samuel’s recounting of the Lord’s rebuke of Saul as king.  After looking for the meaning of the word, I realized that it was not just the word “divination” that I was focusing on, but the loss of kingship that had come to Saul, because of his arrogance.  If I am to live up the call of my baptism, as priest, prophet and king, I must stay focused on listening to the Word of God and following through to completion any calling that the Lord directs to me.  I don’t want to be arrogant, and therefore God would think that I serve other gods, and I certainly don’t want to be so guilty of not following his will, that he would take away my kingship.

Personification:  Faithfulness  It is my hope that I can be faithful to God’s Word and every thing that He wills for me in my life.  For me,  the display of faithfulness gets easier as I become more disciplined in my devotions.  I know that I am only able to follow my devotions by the grace of God, and it is by that grace that I am saved from the flesh.

Prayer:  Lord, it is by your grace that I have been healed today of my sinfulness and I pray that your grace leads me to a deeper relationship with you today and every day for the rest of my life.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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2012
01/16
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A simple request from a sinner on your way to church today…

English: Igreja de São Roque: Chapel of Our La...

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Gift:  Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

Reading:  Sacrifice and offering you do not want; you opened my ears.  When I sing of your righteousness in a great assembly, See, I do not restrain my lips; as you, LORD, know.  (Psalms 40:7a,10)

Observation:  If you are reading this before you head out for Mass today, I was hoping that the words of the Psalmist would fall on your open ears as they did mine this morning.  The first and second readings, as well as the gospel reading, are beautiful in today’s Mass readings, but I if we do not have open ears to hear them, they will not have any affect.  It is also my hope, for those of us that are seeing this before we go to Mass today, we will read the words of the 10th verse and realize our call to praise God today, and every time we go to Mass with unrestrained lips.

Personification:  Kindness  It is most likely true that some the other fruits of the holy Spirit can flow freely from this one, so I am probably trying to encompass all the others by attempting to display the fruit of kindness.  I do hope that love, joy, peace, patience and gentleness, as well as kindness, can flow through me to everyone that I come in contact with today.

Prayer:  Lord, help this worthless sinner to follow your will for him today.  I know that I have not always followed your will for me, but I want to work only for your grace in my life and the lives of those people who you would use me to bring closer to you.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

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2012
01/15
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How do I reject God as my king in favor of the world’s authority?

Hannah Giving Her Son Samuel to the Priest

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Gift:  Counsel (Right Judgment) – With the gift of right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.

Reading:  The LORD said: Listen to whatever the people say. You are not the one they are rejecting. They are rejecting me as their king.  (1 Samuel 8:7)

Observation:  I am thinking about God’s intention to allow us to make decisions of our own free will, even when it is in direct contrast to his will for us.  Today, for me, it is not about wanting to have an earthly king, and not an eternal king, who is God in heaven, it is more about an agreement with the things of this world to get something that I want.  Truth is, any of the things of this world I need to be fulfilled in this life or the next, God has brought or will be bringing them to me,  yet I still search for the things of this world as if I need them.

Personification:  Faithfulness  In order to be sure that I am following God’s will in my life, I must be searching for eternal things and not temporal things.  It is not easy because I am by nature a sinner, however if I can keep my eyes focused on the grace that God provides for me to be saved from that sinful nature, I will be more likely to keep away from the temptations of this world.

Prayer:  Lord, I know that I don’t deserve it, but I am asking for the grace that I need to become a better disciple of your Son.  Please help me to see the things of this world as temporal and the things of heaven as everlasting.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2012
01/13
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Chad, my son, says, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

This is Chad...

This is Chad…This is his journal, he wrote today!

Scripture: “This is the time fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)

Observation: I think that in my life I need to be reminded that the kingdom of God is at hand. And that I should not hold steadfast in the ways of the world but to learn the ways of God and offer my suffering up to him.

Application: I think that I also need to be reminded that the kingdom of God is at hand and that I need to repent and carry out God’s orders, by doing things like reading the Bible.

Prayer: Lord, help me become more of your servant and let me fulfill the calling that you have given to me. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit. Amen

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2012
01/10
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