October 2007 Edition

Growing in FAITH

Discovering hope and joy in the Catholic Faith.


One Minute Meditations Practice gratitude Make a list of all the ways God has blessed you. Carry it in your purse or wallet. When worried or discouraged, pull out your list and remember that God has provided for you in the past and promises to always take care of you.. Trust God Because he's perfect, God can't err. If we let him, God will work in our lives. When we trust him completely, we feel a sense of personal well-being, security, and peace. Share with two ... or more It is hard to do difficult things alone and being faithful to God is hard work. As Catholics, we are never alone in our efforts. We are members of the Church, the body of Christ. Together with Christ we can make a tremendous difference. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).	Three ways to be like Jesus God's full nature is simply beyond our comprehension. We just can't imagine how wonderful he really is. That's why Jesus came to tell us about him and show us how to get close to him. Jesus hoped we would know God as he does... Serve with love. Jesus asked us to love one another as he did because love comes from God. Some of the ways Jesus showed love were lending an attentive ear, showing patience in irritating situations, helping people make good decisions. Try to show love in ways like these every day. Lighten your load. Not only did Jesus have few material goods, he sent his disciples out to preach with almost nothing. He didn't want them to get distracted. Jesus knew that the more we have, the more we'd think about it and the less we'd think about God. Consider getting rid of what you don't need, and buy only items that replace what is worn out or broken. Don't value a possession so much that you can't do without it. Visit often. Jesus often went off to be alone with God. Take some time each day just to keep company with God. Even as few as 10 minutes will help keep you connected to your loving Father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why Do Catholics Do That? Why do we confess sins to a priest? Sin is not a private act. When we sin, we put ourselves before God or anyone else. Very often someone else gets hurt by our sin too. That weakens the entire Body of Christ. When we confess to a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are forgiven by those we hurt. Jesus has empowered the priest to convey God's forgiveness ( see John 20:22b-23). And by helping us perform penance, the priest helps us reconcile with our Church community.

Go To Top