spiritualinspiration:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)

Really cool advert, just watch :) 

Faith - it does not make things easy, it makes them possible

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The blood [of the lamb] shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. 

Exodus 12:13

When we look at the Cross, we understand the greatness of his love. When we look at the crib, we understand the tenderness of his love for you and for me, for your family and every family. 

~ Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Song of Songs 4:7 - You are beautiful in every way, my friend, there is no flaw in you! NAB

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spiritualinspiration:

So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Philippians 2:15)

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What do you believe is the main difference between a Protestant and a Catholic? 

That Protestants are really tough and gutsy. Here’s why.

Two people are crossing a desert on foot. One of them packs plenty of water and supplies and goes with a group that knows the way. The other crosses alone, with just a little water and a little food.

The first one is a Catholic, who can count on the Eucharist (1 Kings 19:3-8) and Confession for sustenance and strength on the journey, and who has the Church for guide and support in interpreting the faith and the Scriptures.

The second is a Protestant, who has Baptism, grace, and contact with God in prayer (Catholics have all that too), but is essentially left alone in discovering the meaning of what we read in the Bible.

Both have good will, both are on the right track, both can get there. But it takes a lot of guts to choose to be the second one. I, for one, certainly wouldn’t. Call me a wimp if you will.

God bless you!

- Father Shane

The Holiest thing on Earth? Catholic Cell Group Debates…. 

So Wednesday night cell group got good tonight!

[I am Catholic, and I am part of a group of fellow Catholic, early-20-somethings who get together once a week to prayer, chat, discuss theology, spirituality, etc]

Tonight we were discussing last Sunday’s Gospel, specifically Matthew 22:39 “The second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Simple? Sigh, with us it never is…

My one friend quoted some-important-person-or-other, “The most Holy thing in the world is the Eucharist, the second is the person sitting next to you in the pew.”

Now, typical me, I take this and turn it completely upside down and squiggle it around….

I said I agreed with the statement, but I maintain that there are TWO most important things in this world, that they are on “par” Holiness so to speak. And I feel, that Scripture places joint 1st place with Holy Eucharist.

Now, unfortunately, us Catholics tend to underestimate the importance of Sacred Scripture, we are so against the Protestant views of Sola Scruptura (by scripture alone, come on peeps, brush up on your latin :P) that we veer the complete opposite way and rely completely on Tradition and run away from the Word of God.

I know that is a sweeping statement, and does not apply to ALL Catholics, but unfortunately it applies to many Catholics I know :(

Now, back to my argument em, um, i mean debate… As far as I understand it, The Holy Eucharist is Jesus, The Incarnate Word of God. And, as Scripture is the Written Word of God and as we understand it, basically Jesus. 

I never fully “got” this until I got my new Bible (Life Teen’s Catholic Teen Bible) and read the preface.

I mean, in the Catechism, paragraph 108 it says: Still, the Christian faith is not a “religion of the book.” Christianity is the religion of the “Word” of God, a word which is “not a written and mute word, but the Word which is incarnate and living”. If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, “open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures.”

In John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

K… to some up - Jesus is the Incarnate Word of God. Scripture is the Written Word of God. I believe that the Holy Eucharist AND Sacred Scripture are the most Holy things on this earth.

Sigh… maybe we shouldn’t be “ranking” things’ Holiness? I dunno… My one friend just wasn’t “getting” it… i dunno, am I wrong? sigh.

I really want your opinions! What do you think?

Reading Jesus of Nazareth (vol 1) by the Pope! Loving It!

But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 

Romans 5: 8

So often we bargain with God. We know we’re not supposed to, but we do. We think that by asking God to put our will first for a few minutes/hours/days we’ll eventually get around to doing his will…

I do this often without realizing, and I came across Romans 5:8 - that God never asks us to do something he isn’t capable of.

I mean, he didn’t say, if you’re good, I’ll die for you so you can go to Heaven. He didn’t say if we tithe so much, or do community service, or cure AIDS… then he’ll do us a solid and give us a free pass through the pearly gates…

While we are sinners HE died for us. So even though we turn out back to him, he still did it. No bargaining with us. Just full on serving and giving.

Now, why we can’t I do that for him?

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This will defos be one of the readings at my wedding Mass one day <3

Love this verse…

But I do this too… write verses on paper & stick them up in my room… then my mom yells at me to make my room neater…