Friday Fast: for the courage to keep witnessing to marriage

Every Friday, participants in the Bishops' Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty receive a reminder to fast and abstain from meat on Fridays, along with an intention for that week plus a reflection and a tidbit of knowledge.

  

 

To join the Call to Prayer, go to www.usccb.org/pray.

  

This week's reflection: St. John the Baptist, whose birth we celebrated on Monday June 24, was a martyr for truth and justice, particularly the truth about marriage. He was put in jail, and ultimately executed, because he rebuked Herod for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias (see Mt 14:3-12 and Mk 6:17-29). St. John the Baptist's defense of marriage cost him his head.

Sharing Your Faith

Pray each day for God to lead you to someone with whom you can share your faith. Be aware of the dignity and needs of people who serve you. You'll brighten their workday, and you might open a door to some deeper sharing.

— from Catholic and Confident
How to share one's faith, you ask?
It is as simple as a smile or a greeting or saying "hello"...
Many people simply walk-on-by without so much as looking at you or even acknowledging one another's presence...

Gospel of Freedom

Your own holiness is the best “gospel of freedom” you can offer. If you are holy and happy, people will know you are somehow different, and they will want what you have.

— from Catholic and Confident
Are you holy and happy? Are you happy because you are holy? Make sure your happiness comes from the love only God can give...which makes happiness shine from within you...

humanity's deepest needs...

"The Christian truth is attractive and persuasive because it responds to humanity's deepest needs."
- Pope Francis

The Perfect Prayer

The Lord's Prayer is the most perfect of prayers.... In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them. —St. Thomas Aquinas — from A 40-Day Spiritual Workout For Catholics

The Value of Suffering

The value of my suffering does not come from what I put into it. It is Jesus who suffers in me and through me. I belong to him, and it is his suffering that now grazes the edges of my life but will ultimately pierce through its very heart.

— from Never Give Up

Personal note: Every moment passes...whether we are suffering...whether we are laughing...whether we are crying...whatever moment we are in...remember that it is in the absolute 'surrender' of each and every moment that we live fully as we ought. Mother Teresa once said: "Life is an adventure to be lived...and not a problem to be solved." I agree!

Prayerful Fidelity

Peace, patience, and above all prayerful fidelity in suffering constitute the path most of us are called to travel. Perhaps we can manage to be cheerful in the midst of suffering; this is a courageous virtue and one not easily attained.

— from Never Give Up

I call it 'diligence'....never giving up....as long as we have life - there is hope....pray, pray, pray...

true freedom

"He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, to let the oppressed go free."
(Luke 4:18)

The paradox of the Gospel is that we are set free from the chains of our own making by choosing to 'yoke' ourselves to Christ, who 'bursts' our bonds by his own death and Resurrection...

(A meditation from the Magnificat for 6/18/13)

How wise are you? Really?

There is nothing wiser than to follow Christ…
There is no surer way of happiness in this world than following the Gospel.

The person who has sacrificed much in order to follow the supernatural goals set by our Lord Jesus Christ may look unfortunate in the eyes of the world, but he or she will have great interior peace. That alone makes supernatural prudence the wisest and most acceptable way to walk in this confusing world. This is a spiritual virtue we all can practice: prudence.

Please be prudent. These are dangerous times. Don’t make any unnecessary enemies. Keep your eye on the goal, which is not the earthly goal of human acceptance, prosperity, comfort, or ambition. Be prudent. Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things will be added unto you.

“Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

Pray Incessantly

What does this mean?
We pray without ceasing...we pray all the time...we pray perpetually...

God already knows what you need; now He just wants to hear you say it.

— from Tweet Inspiration

"Abba, Father...please hear my words...
help me to walk this day as You would have me walk...
Remind me to turn where I ought...
and not be distracted by the 'noises' of the enemy.
In the name of Your Son, Jesus...
please take care of my wounds and heal me...
You can do all good things for me...if only I ask...
...And, Father...I'm asking you now...
H-E-L-P me, please...Amen!"

The Gift of Silence

How can we choose silence in today’s world filled with noise from television, radio, traffic, music, conversations? It’s possible – it’s a choice! Consider a time in your daily schedule when there is less noise. Maybe it is early morning or late evening or during lunch time… Maybe you find silence when the children are sleeping… What do we benefit from silence? Personally, I become more aware of God’s presence, and I experience a profound peace in my heart.

Blessed Mother Teresa explains it well in a way that is called the Simple Path:
The fruit of silence is PRAYER.
The fruit of prayer is FAITH.
The fruit of faith is LOVE.
The fruit of Love is SERVICE.
The fruit of service is PEACE.

Spending time in silence with someone we love is a gift, perhaps greater than the best chocolates or beautiful flowers or any other gift. Gifting others with silence can be a time when one appreciates the other and experiences the inner beauty and goodness of that person… a time when we can experience the image of God in the other…Go for a silent walk with your spouse, or your child or a friend. Find a bench in the park or your backyard and enjoy simply being with each other without conversation or outside noise to distract your moment of silence with one another.

Consider giving the gift of silence to someone you love on this day. Begin the Summer Season by planning time for silence. Plan time for silence every single day, and you will reap greater rewards.

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
– Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Be Not Afraid

Let us never be afraid to reach out to those whom we might think of as far away from God. In truth, no one is ever far from the heart of the Father no matter how hard they may try to distance themselves from him.

— from Jesus the Evangelist

Heavenly Army

As the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us, we, too, are called to live out and share our faith in our daily lives. However, we do not have to face this challenge alone. We have the promise that Jesus goes with us, we have a Church that encourages us, we have the Blessed Mother in heaven praying for us, and we have the Holy Spirit with us, offering the right words at the right time.

— from Jesus the Evangelist

Why Evangelize?

We evangelize because of love for others. As we have experienced Jesus's love, we want to share it. The gifts we have received from God are not gifts for us alone, but build in us a desire to bring all people to the Good News.

— from Catholic Update Guide to the New Evangelization

This is what "Evangelize" means...to share the goodness of God with others...

Beacon of Christ

On a cold night it's a good idea to stay near the fire. When our faith cools it's a better idea to stick to the warmth of Christ's presence. One of the reasons for adoration of the Eucharist is that the experience fires up our love for Jesus. Instead of being detached and dull Catholics, we are on fire with Christ.

— from Holding Jesus