13 Apr John 8:32 (Life, Love and God) by Kristi McClintock
Welcome God today with this LIFE Group Devotion (website, Facebook).
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“…the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (full readings)
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Kristi’s Reflections: I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be free to just be – and experience the gift of presence with one another. I recently spent a week in Ecuador on a medical/catechetical mission with a team of doctors, nurses and a group of students from Franciscan University. We hiked to little hidden communities in the thick of the Amazon jungle and spent some time giving them medical care and sharing the love of Christ. The people in these communities have few possessions, no running water, no electricity, and yet they are full of joy! One morning I was praying in one of these communities, pondering how joyful the people are, and it hit me how often I lack in joy. Why is that? My mind was immediately brought to the reality that I’m always busy (mostly working in the name of the Lord), and in the midst of it I still sometimes feel like I’m not ‘doing’ enough. Yet I watch the people in these communities and how joyful they are, and they are just ‘being’ in the creation God has given them. The truth God brought me to that day during my morning prayer in the jungle is this: God created us out of love, for love. God did not create us because He needed us to ‘do’ something for Him. But how often do I live my life as if God needs me to ‘do’ something for Him, especially with my American mindset? Don’t get me wrong, we are called to be God’s presence in the world through the actions of our hands and feet, but our doing for Him is neither our identity nor the main reason we were created. He didn’t create me to save the world – He’s already done that Himself! He created me for love, and loving is first and foremost about sharing presence with one another. A peasant understood this when he described to St. John Vianney his time with God as “I look at Him, He looks at me, and we are happy together.” Two hearts listening to one another. May we continue on this Lenten season by taking time to be with Jesus and allow ourselves to let ‘just being’ with Him be enough. The truth has set me free to receive God’s love more fully.
* Kristi MClintock is the Youth Conference Programming Manager at Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH.
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Faith Challenge: Spend 10 minutes today just sitting with the Lord in silence. Ponder the reality that God’s ultimate reason for creating you was to share love with you.
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Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Martin I.
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Faith Quote: “Any religion or philosophy which is not based on a respect for life is not a true religion or philosophy.” ~ Albert Schweitzer
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Kristi
1 John 4:19
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* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & 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 (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (23% pregnancies).Prov 24:11 & 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 & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.