Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice... (Eph. 4:31) Let me call her Eleanor. She was in her seventies. I visited her every month. We would read scripture, pray, share communion together, and then she would launch into bitterly complaining about her mother. During …
Tag: prayer
Jesus with You Always and Everywhere
But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you. (Mk. 16:7) I’ve been to Galilee. Even though it was incredible to be where Jesus once walked, no one would have thought Galilee was anything special before Jesus …
Coffee With Jesus
In the morning, while it was still very dark, [Jesus] got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. (Mk. 1:35) For many years my spiritual advisor was a monk. His name was Tom. Although I haven’t worked with him for many years, I’m still drawing from our times together. …
God’s Gift of Reconciliation
No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:20-21) If we want to keep our enemies, we shouldn’t follow Paul’s advice. If …
Our Prayers to God
O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us! Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock! (Ps. 137:8-9) I find these words to be very encouraging. I don’t find these words encouraging because I want God …
Our Father
Pray then in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven…' (Mt. 6:8) This was the first prayer I learned. I have said it at funerals, weddings, while giving Last Rites, and in my daily prayers. I have also said it when I didn’t know how else to pray—either when my heart was so …
God’s Heart is For All People – Part 2
Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’ (Acts 10:34) The early church struggled with what to do with the Gentiles. Did they need to become Jews before they could …
God’s Heart is For All People – Part 1
Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality…’ (Acts 10:34) Recently a friend shared a situation that was bothering him. He said, “A few days ago I went into a colleague’s office. He’s black. I told him I was unhappy about race relations in the country right now, …
An Instrument of the Lord
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your …