Mercy… and Justice (Lk 13:25) by Mark Houck

30 Oct Mercy… and Justice (Lk 13:25) by Mark Houck

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB).  Leaders.  Guest Authors.
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“…then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’  He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.'” ~ Lk 13:25 (full readings)
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Mark’s Reflections:   Here we are at the end of another Respect Life month.  How did you do in promoting the sanctity of life?  Well, if you are anything like me, the month might have gotten away from you from an activism and evangelization perspective.  The truth of the matter is our hope is in God’s mercy like we sing in today’s Responsorial Psalm.  I trust in the mercy of God when it comes to my failures as a Pro-Lifer.  I count on it for the times that I have failed to build a culture of Life in my speech and actions.  I entrust the many thousands of babies who are scheduled for abortion each day in our country to the infinite mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Christ himself revealed to St. Faustina that His greatest attribute is His mercy.  Still, we must remember that there is no mercy without justice.  The Gospel message  for today really speaks to that fact.  It is a sobering truth to know that despite our Lord’s great mercy therein also lies His justice.  When time gives way to eternity and we are asked to give an accounting of our work on this earth, what will the Lord say to us?  Will he count us as one of His friends?  Or will He say the frightening words “Depart from me…I do not know where you are from.”  As Pro-Lifers, we know that we are God’s friends and the work we do to save the innocent lives of pre-born children will be credited to us.  So let us stay the course in-season or out-of-season, Respect Life month or the next month on our calendar.
* Mark Houck is a husband, father of three children and co-founder of the lay apostolate, The King’s Men.  He states that being a good husband and father makes him a better disciple of Christ in God’s vineyard and vice versa.
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Faith Challenge:  Reflect on our friendship with Christ.  Ask yourself: do my life’s actions and choices convict me of such friendship?
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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 Alphonsus Rodriguez.
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Faith Quote:  “Youth was not made for pleasure, but for heroism.” ~ Paul Claudel
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Mark