27 Feb Endure for Love (Mt 20:18-19) by Sara Beaner
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and they shall condemn to death… And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified and the third day he shall rise.” ~ Mt 20:18-19 (full readings)
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Sara’s Reflections: Why does Jesus go when He knows what awaits Him in Jerusalem? He knows He will be betrayed, crucified and put to death….Yet, He goes. He will endure all because of His great Love for US. How much would you endure for Love? How far would you go for Love? A father comes home after a long day at work and goes outside to play in the snow with his children. A mother can be up every 2 hours for months with a new baby. They do this all because of Love. A husband climbs the roof in January to nail shingles on the couple’s newly constructed house and the wife comes and joins him…all because of love for each other. In our world today, to do what Jesus did for Love for us is too extreme people will say. But He is calling us to do the same. It was not His body that would feel the worst pain but it was His Sacred Heart…yet Christ goes to be put to death because of his Love for us. WE on our Pro-Life Mission, as LIFE Runners NEED to RUN because we love Him (Heb 12:1-2). We know what we will endure because of what Christ endured. But we too will rise and be victorious through, and in, Him.
* Sara Beaner is the mother of 10 children (3 in Heaven due to miscarriage). She home schools her children. Sara is active at the St. Joseph Cathedral in Sioux Falls, SD and restores statues for churches.
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Faith Challenge: Even though it maybe hard for you, do something spiritually kind and out of love for someone who has hurt you. Forgive that person with your heart and pray for them. Think of some spiritual gift to give that person (offer up a Mass or Rosary, etc).
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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. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.
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Faith Quote: “Let us not love by words alone, but let us love until it hurts. It cost Jesus to love us. He even died for us. Now it is our turn to love one another as Jesus loved us. You must not be afraid to say “yes” to Jesus, because there is no greater love than his love and no greater joy than his joy.” ~ Blessed Mother Teresa