Would you have the courage to “Step out of Line” if you were faced with an unbelievable decision?
In today’s episode of Cassidy Comments, I’ll explain what I am referring to by “Step out of Line” as I tell the story of a holocaust survivor whose quick, life or death decision, impacted generations.
It is a good opportunity for each of us to pause and consider the need to prepare ourselves now for whatever we may face as disciples of Christ.
I hope you will tune in and find some inspiration from today’s podcast.
Do you feel like you are bearing a cross that is simply too heavy to bear?
Are you wondering where you can find some relief?
I have a little story for you that I think goes well with today’s gospel reading from Luke (Chapter 9, Verse 23). I hope you will tune in to listen; it’s called The Cross Room.
In today’s reading Jesus tells his disciples (and you and me), “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
I look at this as our Lenten assignment. Practice these as best you can; maybe they will even become a virtuous habit for you!
Self-discipline, Take up your daily cross, Follow Jesus
What happens if someone, on their deathbed, asks for forgiveness for a lifetime of sin?
What if they have been living without paying any attention to God?
Should they be forgiven?
In today’s podcast I reflect on Psalm 81 to answer those questions and to raise a few
more . . .
Are you burdened by past sins?
Do you think whatever you have done is unforgivable?
When we put all of this together, we see that God in his great wisdom has anticipated these questions, and our needs, and readily supplies us with good news.
Check out today’s podcast at janetcassidy.blubrry.net, and don’t forget to share it with a friend!
In today’s first reading from the Second Book of Samuel, David is doing a lot of fussing. He is living in a cedar house while God is traveling around under a tent of cloth.
Listen in as we are told what God’s response is to all of this fuss David is making. What will happen after David is gone?
And then ask yourself what you are fussing about that may be of your own doing, not of God?
Tune in for another engaging scriptural reflection that just might have you asking, “What am I worrying about?”
You can find all of my podcasts at janetcassidy.blubrry.net and my blog postings at janetcassidy.blogspot.com
Please be sure to subscribe and send it to a friend or re-post it to encourage others to listen to the Word of God today!
Do you ever feeling like you are living in a vacuum, where you are “walking in darkness” and gloom is casting a shadow over you?
In today’s podcast I talk about Chapter 8-9 in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah which describes what happens to all of that darkness and gloom with the appearance of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will visit me at janetcassidy.blubrry.net for a little encouragement. Don’t forget to subscribe and share with a friend!
As I was writing out my Christmas cards this year, I was saddened by some of the people that are no longer with us.
Flipping through the pages I see the address of an old friend from high school who died this year. Her name has been in my address book for years, but she passed away without our ever being able to reconnect.
The names and addresses of beloved family members that I hold close to my heart, including special aunts and uncles, as well as long ago neighbors, bring back sacred memories as I turn each page.
While I keep current the addresses of several people on my phone today, our address book reads like a history book. It speaks of moves, deaths and friends that have somehow slipped away.
Why is it that we stay close with some people, but others have disappeared from our lives? Is it simply a matter of losing touch, or do we grow apart as we grow up, and our life—and interests—change?
This makes me think of a situation recently where I was talking with someone who was not steeped in faith-related topics. I felt limited in being able to converse with them because we didn’t share that common body of interest in religion or a familiar language of faith.
Like scientists and mathematicians who share a language which connects them, the same is true in religious circles as well. Since I connect with so many of my friends and acquaintances through this common language of faith, when it is missing, it is noticeable.
It’s good to be aware of this so that words can be clarified. Our inclination should not be to avoid challenging conversations, but to find ways to communicate more effectively with one another.
In today’s Opening God’s Word, we don’t have to work very hard at all to recognize a common theme that binds us all together. I invite you to turn to the First Letter of John Chapter 4 as you listen to my podcast so that you, too, will discover the one unifying language God offers us.
Today’s reading follows both the Baptism of Jesus (which we will celebrate January 12th) and the temptation of Jesus by the devil in the desert.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4, Jesus learns that John the Baptist has been arrested so Jesus goes to Galilee. He has left Nazareth and gone to live in Capernaum “by the sea.”
Here’s what I want to focus on: Jesus takes up the words of John the Baptist when he says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Of course, the kingdom is at hand due to the presence of Jesus as he is speaking the words, as well as his presence with us today, but what does that message mean for us today?
While listening to the latest episode of Opening God’s Word, let those words of John and Jesus sink in. We are always wondering what we can DO to make a difference in this world, and here we have Jesus himself telling us!
Are we ready to repent of our sins and the sins of the world? Just imagine how doing so would change the way we relate to each other and how we act!
I hope you will share this with a friend who might need a little encouragement today.
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!