God’s Vineyard Was Created For His Chosen People! We Are Called To Emulate It By Following In His Ways!

During formation as a deacon we were taught to balance our commitments by not taking on more than we can handle.  A handy hint we were given was to use one calendar to balance church and personal matters to avoid duplications and/or overbookings.  It works most of the time except for unexpected items such as injuries, illnesses and deaths which need immediate attention.

Say What You Will Do And Do What You Will Say! God Will Bless Us If We Follow His Ways With Humility And Obedience!

My parents taught me to be honest even if doing so could cause me a hardship.  They believed that one is responsible for his or her actions and must be held accountable, especially if it causes a negative result, whether it hurt someone or did not. 

Following God’s Ways Brings us to the Path of Everlasting Life! Asking God to Follow Ours May Lead to a Place Without Peace!

God, out of His love, created us for a purpose.  We are called throughout our life to discover what that is.  As disciples, God gives us multiple gifts to understand the ways of the Lord.  It is from this aspect that we practice our faith as true and faithful servants of the Blessed Trinity in thought, word and deed, as well as faith, hope and love.

Jesus’ Forgiveness Knows No Bounds! As Disciples, Let Us Also Offer Love, Mercy And Forgiveness!

Anger is common to all humans, whether we harbor it or someone else does against us.  What is important is how we define and handle anger.  Is it justifiable or not?  And, in a biblical sense, is it sinful?  It is this last aspect that will possibly cost us to lose our soul if we don’t address the cause!

As A Community Of Faith Together We Grow As Disciples In Love, Mercy And Forgiveness!

In conversations with people, I have discovered over the years that everyone has been involved in dysfunctional behavior in their family either directly or indirectly.  In an effort to solve this, a few are trying to talk it out between themselves, working to improve one’s behavior over time.  Others may attempt an intervention to eliminate the problems.  Some are more serious and require professional assistance.

Duped or Loved? A Disciple's decision for following God

 

Based upon numerous studies by sociologists and psychologists throughout the years, their results have told us for the most part that our perceptions about life are based on expectations we encounter whether based on what we are told, see, hear, experience or believe.  And, from that conclusion, many people decide what reality is in their lives.

If We Ask God Who Does He Think We Are, Hopefully His Answer Will Be One That Tells Us We Are A Good And Faithful Servant!

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

We know that St. Peter’s response to Jesus about who do you say that I am in St. Matthew’s Gospel, was revealed to him by God the Father.  If we asked Jesus the same question about us, what response do you believe you would receive from Him?  It is probably the most profound and intimate question any person can address to another.

Faith In God For All Our Needs Is The Ultimate Relationship That Leads To Our Salvation! Continue To Stay Close To God!

If we are honest with ourselves, life is about relationships: Acceptance and rejection.  We make decisions based upon our perception of a multitude of criteria that fall into our comfort zone.  If we believe it is good for us, we accept.  If not, we reject it and move on.

Focus On Faith Will Help Overcome Fear And Despair!

Despair and fear seem to be on the rise in our society.  If it is not about daily stories of hate crimes, people being killed by guns or knives, destruction from war or weather, it concerns political unrest or general negativity in every plausible scenario.  There is no escape because social media in all of its outlets believes it needs to notify everyone, whether you want to know or not.

Transfiguration! Turning point In the Life of Jesus Christ and Ours!

For those who have visited the amphitheater at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota at dusk, you might remember looking up at shadowed busts of four past presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.  All of a sudden, bright lights surrounding the sculpture are turned on, the shadows disappear and each face is detailed in a radiant aura.  In the background is a taped voice telling you a story about the sculpture.  You also can hear voices of other people expressing their awe about what is happening and as you listen, you don’t want the spectacular show to end.