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Undeserved Grace

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REFLECT – It is often said that God’s greatest attribute is mercy. In paragraph 277, The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “God shows forth his almighty power by converting us from our sins and restoring us to his friendship by grace.” God’s readiness to forgive, even our greatest sins, was best displayed on the cross when Jesus cried out “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The Christian is one long journey of learning to receive the mercy God is constantly offering us. But what happens when your life seems too messy for His mercy to handle? That is when we can turn to the Saints for their help.

A beautiful gift of God’s mercy is that when He brought you into relationship with Himself through baptism and made you a partaker of the Divine Nature, He gave you friends to help you on your journey to Christian maturity. Not only does He give you people in this life to help you respond to grace in your life, but He has surrounded you with a cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). This cloud of saints, all of whom are constantly asking God to help you, is made up of ordinary people like you and me. Some were doctors and lawyers, others business men, some kings and queens, shepherds and farmers, others stay at home moms, heroic soldiers, some educated and some who couldn’t read or write. Because of the vast diversity of Saints you can almost always find one who has been through the struggles that you are going through right now. In God’s mercy He allows the Saints to comfort you and lead you to Him. They do this not only by the life that they lived on earth but through their prayers for you right now! Your job is simply, you just have to seek out a relationship with them.

SHARE – You can start or rekindle a relationship with a Saint today! Start by picking a Saint and reading about their life, and then ask the Saint to pray for you. Try to continue talking with this Saint throughout the day and think about how their life is a model for yours. No matter how you might feel right now, if your life is in ruins or you are on cloud nine, there is a Saint who can help you to become the Saint you are meant to be. They will help teach you how to respond to grace God is offering you and to leave all the worries and cares that are troubling you. Joy and peace are possible in the midst of the greatest of struggles and the Saints can help to teach you how this can be done.

PRAY – We want to invite you to pray the Litany of Trust with us at the beginning and end of each day. Click here to download the litany.

WATCH THE VIDEO –

COMMENT – Join in the conversation below and share about any Saints you would like to get to know or who have helped you in the past.

Why I Know God Is Real

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REFLECT – Sometimes its easy for us to think that God is “too good to be true.” We can get so caught up in proving God’s existence via reason or science, logic or experience, that we miss the strongest evidence we have: the desires of our hearts. Science can’t explain our innate desire to love and be loved. Reason alone can’t explain why we long for meaning and purpose. Our desire for love, and our desire for meaning are in every human heart, put there deliberately by God as a roadmap to lead us to Himself.

Our God is not a God of secrets, or of tricks. He doesn’t give us impossible puzzles in our lives and then make the solutions impossible. Our God is constantly seeking us, longing for us, and calling us closer to Him. He is thirsting constantly for us to be one with Him. God reveals Himself through the desires of our hearts. The parts of us that long for acceptance, understanding, and love — that’s where God is.

SHARE – Examine your heart. What are your deepest desires? What is God revealing to you about Himself through those desires?

PRAY – We want to invite you to pray the Litany of Trust with us at the beginning and end of each day. Click here to download the litany.

WATCH THE VIDEO –

COMMENT – Join in the conversation below!

My Vocation Story – Sr. Virginia Joy, SV

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REFLECT – St. Therese of Lisieux would say, “Why would God give me desires, if He didn’t intend to fulfill them?” When we are totally honest with ourselves, we all desire to be loved, to be wanted.  But often we doubt if these desires will ever be fulfilled.  What if the desire, the longing, the hoping for “more” points not just to something but to Someone?  What if the deepest and truest desires of our hearts were meant to be fulfilled?

SHARE – Ask someone close to you what they most long for in life. Invite someone to adoration. Send a #ShareJesus video to someone you know.

PRAY – We want to invite you to pray the Litany of Trust with us at the beginning and end of each day. Click here to download the litany.

WATCH THE VIDEO –

COMMENT – Join the conversation below! What did you think of Sr. Virginia Joy’s story? What is your vocation story?

“The Hipster and Advent” – The Lessons of John the Baptist

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REFLECT – St. John the Baptist is one of the key figures of the Advent Season and is a compelling figure especially to those who might identify themselves as hipster. Transcending the cultural norm of his time in fashion and diet are only a couple of ways that “the Forerunner” was ahead of his time. He followed Jesus from the womb, took risks in “independent thinking” as he was “the Voice of One crying in the wilderness” and he challenged the leaders of his day with truth that would eventually cost him his life. All these things he was and he did without thinking of himself, living out his words about Jesus, “He must increase, I must decrease.” He wasn’t afraid to be uncomfortable, and he wasn’t afraid to make others uncomfortable by his bold proclamation of “the one mightier than” him.

SHARE – Maybe today is the day that you confront a fear of what others think of you and reveal a little more of who you are as a disciple of Jesus. Walk in the footsteps of this radical hipster disciple and perhaps your boldness will “prepare the way” for one of your friends or family members to encounter Christ in a new and different way or maybe even for the first time. Radical living is worth it for the sake of his name!

PRAY – We want to invite you to pray the Litany of Trust with us at the beginning and end of each day. Click here to download the litany.

WATCH THE VIDEO –

COMMENT – Join in the conversation below! What will you do to put John the Baptist’s lessons into practice this Lent?

From None to Nun (From Columbine to Christ)

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REFLECT – When I was in the third grade, a classmate of mine asked me, “What are you?” She was Mormon and was asking me what faith background I was. I remember thinking, “I don’t know.” I did not even know exactly what this meant. I remember going home from school that day and asking my mother, “What are we?” I did not have an answer to that question until the Advent of 2000, at the most difficult point in my life, when God broke in and shattered my darkness with His light.

Advent is a special time for me because it reminds me of the coming of Jesus into my own life. I came to know His love for me and that I was a child of God. That is when it all began. I am grateful for all God has done for me and my prayer is that He will do the same for you! I pray that this Advent will be a life-changing time of grace for you, and that you also may come to know who you are in Christ Jesus and God’s great plans for you.

SHARE – You may know people who do not know God, as I did. Just as we give Christmas cards and presents, the best gift we can send is Jesus. Share this video with those who need to hear this message today and say a prayer for them to receive the greatest gift of all – the gift of Jesus.

PRAY – We want to invite you to pray the Litany of Trust with us at the beginning and end of each day. Click here to download the litany.

WATCH THE VIDEO – 

COMMENT – Join in the conversation below! Share your conversion story!

Who are we called to be? Holy. The gospel is an invitation to an adventurous life. Check out our latest Podcast Episode on the Gospel and You – Click here (https://redeemedonline.com/podcast/40/)

#ShareJesus is produced in partnership with Franciscan University. Begin your journey with Franciscan at franciscan.edu

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