The Holy Spirit has sown the seed of God’s love and compassion in the hearts of our friends, neighbors, and yes, even our enemies; but, do we attempt to help them realize the seed of God’s love is in their hearts? The harvest is before us, and the opportunity to make a difference is before […]
Let us pray that we grow in union with the One who fulfills our heart’s desire: Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you. Lead us by your Spirit so that in this life we live to your glory and in the life […]
Like the Psalmist in the 42nd Psalm, we may struggle to feel the presence of God. We may feel that we are driven from God or that we have driven God from us. When Jesus met a man who undoubtedly felt that he had been driven from God and others, Jesus triumphed over that which […]
Let us pray to God, full of compassion and mercy: Father, you sent your Word to bring us truth and your Spirit to make us holy. Through them we come to know the mystery of your life. Give us the grace to respond to your goodness through the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts. Inspire […]
The Holy Spirit continually leads us in all truth (John 16:12-15). This is not necessarily truth in a scientific or mathematical sense; rather, it is truth as it relates to living a life of truth. It takes patience to gradually integrate the truth of God’s love into our lives. The Holy Spirit guides us as […]
The way that Jesus addressed God was “Abba.” He taught his disciples to address God in this manner. We address God the same way. No, we do not use the Aramaic word “Abba,” but we do begin the Lord’s Prayer with “Our Father” which affirms a closeness with God that has been extended to us […]
Let us pray that the Father send us the Holy Spirit: God our Father, may the Holy Spirit surprise us with his fire and vigor. May the Holy Spirit renew our days, love, and lives. May the Holy Spirit bring us tenderness and joy as well as openness to one another and the courage to […]
Let us pray that the Spirit of the risen Lord guide us: God our Father, our risen Lord Jesus Christ lives now in your presence. When we keep looking for him in the clouds, help us turn to the task he has given us to do here on earth. May we learn to recognize his […]
Ephesians, one of the later letters of the New Testament, reveals that the early Church had come to terms with the “no quick return” of the Messiah (Ephesians 1:15-23). The Church had been “left behind.” This is not necessarily a bad thing because the Church has been “left behind” to make a difference for the […]
There is one thing for certain that we learn from the life of Paul and the life of Christ: Doing good will not always win people over, you may be stoned or crucified (Acts 14:7-28). Their lives tell us that in spite of resistance we are called to bring blessing to our community and to […]
