Tag: relationship

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Minute Meditation – God Shines Through Others

When we allow others to do things for us, God’s goodness shines through them. Poverty is not so much about want or need; it is about relationship. Poverty impels us to reflect on our lives in the world from the position of weakness, dependency and vulnerability. It impels us to empty our pockets—not of money— but the pockets of our hearts, minds, wills—those places where we store up things for ourselves and isolate ourselves from real relationship with others. Poverty calls us to be vulnerable, open and receptive to others, to allow others into our lives and to be free enough to enter into the lives of others. While Clare calls us to be poor so that we may enter into relationship with the poor Christ, they also ask us to be poor so as to enter into relationship with our poor brothers and sisters in whom Christ lives.

— from the book Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love by Ilia Delio, OSF

//Franciscan Media//

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Daily Message from Pope Francis – Welcome Him Into Your Life


SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2021
““What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (Jn 6, 28)… The work of God is to welcome the One whom the Father has sent, that is, welcoming Himself, Jesus. It is not adding religious practices or observing special precepts; it is welcoming Jesus, it is welcoming Him into our lives, living a story of love with Jesus. It is He who will purify our faith. We are not able to do this on our own. But the Lord wants a loving relationship with us: before the things we receive and do, there is Him to love. There is a relationship with Him that goes beyond the logic of interest and calculation.” Pope Francis

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What to Do When You Get Interrupted

An interruption is anything that takes our attention away from our primary task. We may think our days are filled with interruptions: people cutting us off in traffic, a slow internet connection, etc. But in order to truly be interrupted, we have to have a primary task. We live in a world that is constantly trying to distract us, so much so that if we really start to think about what our primary task for today is, we may not be able to come up with one. What if we lived every day with the primary task of strengthening our relationship with Christ, and hedging our way towards eternity in Heaven? Today, Fr. Mike explains the purpose interruptions have in our lives, and how they can even guide us back to our primary task of reaching Heaven.

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Minute Meditation – The Power of Enough

We know there is power in the word enough. We carry this capacity to honor the present into every encounter and relationship, meaning that we honor the dignity that is reflected by God’s goodness and grace. Every encounter, every relationship, is a place to include, invite mercy, encourage, receive, heal, reconcile, repair, say thank you, pray, celebrate, refuel, and restore.

— from the book This Is the Life: Mindfulness, Finding Grace, and the Power of the Present Moment by Terry Hershey

//Franciscan Media//

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I Heard God Laugh – Sharing the Joy

One of the best gifts you can give is the gift of joy. And it’s one of the best gifts you can receive, too. But where does it come from? True joy can’t be found on the shelves of any local stores. It can’t be found while online shopping. It’s found in a personal relationship with God. Developing a habit of daily prayer is the surest way to find joy in your everyday life.

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Turn Your “No, But” into a “Yes, And”

When was the last time you said “yes” to God?

In improv, there’s a practice where participants are encouraged to never respond with “no, but” and to instead offer a “yes, and…” This allows for not only growth in the scene but in the actors as well. Similarly, God is always offering us different “scenes” to get us to sainthood. How are we responding? Turning our “no, but” into a “yes, and” opens our life to Christ’s will, and is the quickest path to sanctification.

Today, Fr. Mike explains how we can practice a better relationship with God by just saying “yes, and…”

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Learning to be Alone

Being alone isn’t supposed to be scary. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz shows us how solitude can be an invitation and doesn’t have to lead to loneliness. God himself has revealed to us how he is a relationship of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Made in his image, we are also made for relationship—with God and with one another. When we feel alone, it is because we were made to give ourselves to others as God gives himself to us.

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Get Fed –

Are all sins equal?

What’s the difference between mortal and venial sin?
Many Protestants believe that all sins are equal before God. Catholics, on the other hand, recognize that there are different kinds of sin. A venial sin is a sin that hurts your relationship with God, while a mortal sin completely breaks your relationship with God. The Church teaches that if you do not confess a mortal sin, you could go to hell.

Protestants will often quote James 2:10 to support their point: “For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” However, in his book With One Accord: Affirming Catholic Teaching Using Protestant Principles, Douglas M. Beaumont explains the real meaning of this verse and the Church’s teachings on sin.

Beaumont affirms that common sense tells us all sins aren’t equal. When someone breaks a law, they are a lawbreaker, but the consequence of their action depends on how severe their offense was. Someone who drives five miles over the speed limit is not going to have the same sentence as someone who robbed a bank.

There are several Bible verses that indicate that there is a difference between mortal and venial sin. In 1 John 5:16-17, St. John warns that even though all wrongdoing is sin, not all sins are “deadly.” Therefore, not all sins are equal.

Beaumont explains how some sins we commit are wrong, but do not separate us from God, while others are in fact more severe and completely break our relationship with Christ, and we need to seek reconciliation in order to come back to Him.

The Catholic teaching on mortal and venial sins is not only supported by Scripture, it is also fundamental to understanding our relationship with God and our salvation.

If you are looking for explanations about the Catholic faith to refute common Protestant misunderstandings, check out Douglas M. Beaumont’s With One Accord, sold here.