Oh my! Is today’s reading from the First Letter of John really telling me I cannot love the world?
Am I not allowed to love beautiful sunsets and sandy beaches?
And what about my family? My family is in the world. Am I not supposed to love them either?
In today’s episode of Opening God’s Word I clarify this passage by putting it into perspective as I consider the “enticements” this letter warns against and the importance of doing God’s will.
After you have listened to this episode, I would like you to do two things. If you have not already done so, please subscribe. Secondly, please pray about who in your life might be struggling with worldliness and encourage them to listen to this episode, or better yet, discuss today’s passage with them!
In today’s gospel from Luke, Chapter 1, we hear four life-giving words from the Angel Gabriel. Words that we can cling to.
Gabriel is very busy in the readings this week. In today’s reading he tells Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth are going to have a baby in their old age.
As you might expect, this is quite surprising to Zechariah, but even more surprising is what happens to Zechariah after he gets the news!
In today’s episode of Opening God’s Word you can find some encouragement from the angel that will help you in your own life. Take his four words to heart.
I encourage you not to be distracted this week by all of the shopping and the never-ending list of things you have to do. Take today’s episode as a way to re-focus on the big event coming our way!
Please share this with a friend who might be feeling burned out trying to prepare for Christmas. These readings are a great little retreat for us.
Joseph had to listen carefully to the angel in his dream as Mary was betrothed to him and it was discovered that she was pregnant!
What was Joseph to do?
I’ll go over this passage today in the latest episode of Opening God’s Word and talk about Joseph’s response to Mary’s pregnancy.
As we move through this 3rd week of Advent, I hope you are paying very close attention and anticipating the miraculous event coming next week – the birth of Christ!
Don’t let yourself be distracted! Don’t let these days of Advent distract you from what is most important – the coming of the Savior of the World!
I hope you will share this podcast with a friend or family member who needs a bit of encouragement. Many people get very disheartened during these last few days before Christmas as it is so easy to take our eyes off Christ.
In today’s episode of Opening God’s Word we’re talking about lists! Opening to that first chapter of Matthew we find “The Genealogy of Jesus.”
For many of us this might simply look like a list of names of unknown people, but that is not how it would have been initially received.
Let’s talk about the significance of this list and make a relatable list of our own family history.
I hope you are having a wonderful Advent and that you have been opening your mind and heart to the wonders of this season. It’s not too late to increase your prayer life and improve your practices as we move through these final days before the coming of Jesus.
In today’s episode of Opening God’s Word, I am encouraging you not to be a fence sitter.
Maybe you have questions about the existence of God or faith in general; today’s scripture passage puts our questions (and our answers) into perspective.
The leaders in the time of Jesus questioned his authority, and when he responded to their question with a question of his own, they got stuck.
I want to be sure that you don’t get stuck.
What questions do you struggle with that keep you sitting on the spiritual fence?
As we move through this 3rd week of Advent, we have a lot to rejoice about—Jesus, the Savior of the world is bringing his light to us. Let us respond to his light by opening our hearts to all that God has given us, and all that he has to give.
Surely the image on Juan Diego’s tilma must have surprised him!
Because today is the Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we are talking about Mary, the Mother of Jesus again! If you don’t know the story of Mary’s visitation to Juan Diego, be sure to check it out! The blessed Mother’s image on the tilma (a cloth) can still be seen in Mexico City at her shrine.
A couple of things about Mary:
She was 100% human.
We honor her, we do not worship her. She is not a god.
Mary is our mother, our protector and she understands suffering. She watched her own son, Jesus, as he went through his life and she suffered the worst event a mother could witness—the torture and death of her son—as he died on the cross.
Yet, throughout her very human suffering, she had a deep trust in God.
She understands whatever pain or suffering you may be experiencing today. Be sure to turn to her for help in whatever you may be going through.
Have you rationalized your personal life so that you are comfortable and happy, even though you know it is not wholly aligned with God?
Do you think you are a bad person, unworthy of forgiveness?
Does God even care about YOU?
In today’s episode of Opening God’s Word I talk about this and about the purpose of Christmas and the role of Jesus by using today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 18, about the Lost Sheep.
If your feelings of guilt are overwhelming you, making you feel that God could never forgive you for the kind of life you have led (or are leading), you will want to check out today’s podcast.
I encourage you to share it with a friend because this is a wondrous time and today’s reading is a good reminder that Jesus is still looking for us!