God’s Goodness (Ps 23:5) by Dr. Kevin Vost

04 Dec God’s Goodness (Ps 23:5) by Dr. Kevin Vost

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB).  Leaders.  Guest Authors.
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“You annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” ~ Ps 23:5 (full readings)
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Kevin’s Reflections:  There are so many wonderful and interrelated themes to choose from in today’s readings from Isaiah, the Psalms, and Matthew’s gospel, but I’ve highlighted this brief passage from Psalm 23:5 because it recalls to my mind some words and a deed from the Catholic rite of baptism that precede the actual baptism with water: “We anoint you with the oil of salvation in the name of Christ our Savior; may he strengthen you with his power, who lives and reigns forever and ever.” When performed in infancy, baptism comes at the start of human life. When performed in adulthood, it still comes at the start of life in Christ.  Next, the cup of the baptized overflows with God’s abundant, empowering love.  —  All of today’s readings remind us of God’s goodness and the superabundant gifts that he gives to us throughout our lives.  He provides rich foods, choice wines, protection, kindness, and the invitation to dwell with him in his house forever.  These he offers to all of us, because all of us matter.  Christ heals the mute and the deformed and the lame and the blind, before he performs the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and the fish.  The Christian knows that all life is good and valuable.  We hear it time and again in Genesis when God declares what he made was good, indeed, very good, and when he commanded his creatures to multiply and fill the earth.  —  Our life lesson then?  Let’s think of those precious babies that were made by God for union with Christ.  Let’s do what we can to heed God’s call to be fruitful and to value and protect every single life, so that every human being may share in the abundance of good things that He intends for him or her.
* Name is a supervisor of disability adjudicators by day, and a Catholic faith/fitness author, speaker, radio, and television guest by night.  Kevin is on the LIFE Runners advisory board and is the Springfield IL LIFE Runners chapter assist leader.  Full biography.
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Faith Challenge:  Let’s raise our hearts and minds today to request from God that our nation return to the unyielding defense of the inalienable right to life.
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Counter-Culture News:  LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers:  Pray LIFE Runners Creed to end abortion.  Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, unceasingly. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day:  Saint John Damascene.
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Faith Quote:  “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” ~ St. John Damascene
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Kevin