19 Sep An Ugly Portrait (Lk 7:31-35) by Scott Casmer
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“Jesus said to the crowds: ‘To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'” ~ Lk 7:31-35 (full readings)
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Scott’s Reflections: Today’s gospel reading asks us to step away from the cultural norms of the day to attempt to witness our generation from a timeless perspective. Imagine you are an archaeologist many years from now attempting to determine what life was like in the late 1900s and early 2000s. One might be baffled to try to explain a culture that, on one hand, appears to have enjoyed unprecedented material abundance and medical knowledge, yet chose as a society to accept the killing of millions of healthy unborn children. Not only did this generation consisting largely of practicing Christians accept abortion as a rational “choice,” but promoted it through government programs and secular charities. These people even made the killing so convenient that it could be done via a vending machine. What could have driven them to place such a low value on human life? Was there a widespread irrational fear or a misunderstanding that permeated all levels of society? This ugly portrait is ours. What actions can we take today to keep this from being our legacy?
* Scott Casmer was part of the original fellowship group that led to the formation of the LIFE Group and is currently the Colorado Springs LIFE Runners Chapter Leader. Scott works at Schriever AFB and is married with two daughters.
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Faith Challenge: Decide today on one action you can take in the next week to make a difference. Start a conversation with a fence sitter, pray, fast, or publish a short article about life-related considerations during the upcoming elections.
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Januarius.
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Faith Quote: “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Will Rogers
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Through Christ our Lord,
Scott
Jas 1:12
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* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will and His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (and families): Abortion (images) is #1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 and Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers and re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.