16 Apr New Birth (John 3:5)
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors. LIFE Minute radio.
“Jesus answered, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.'” ~ John 3:5 (full readings)
Rich’s Reflections: Whenever Jesus says “Amen, Amen”, He is indicating that He wants your attention, because what He is about to say is very important. In today’s Gospel, Jesus emphasizes the necessity of being born of water and Spirit. This new birth, or regeneration is through the grace of the Holy Spirit Who has the power to justify, or cleanse us (water) from our sins and to communicate to us the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ and through Baptism. Regeneration is the transformation from death to life that occurs in our souls when we first come to God and are justified. He washes us clean of our sins and gives us a new nature, breaking the power of sin over us so that we will no longer be its slaves, but its enemies, who must fight it as part of the Christian life. This new birth is not a second chance on life (reformation), but the gift of a totally new life (regeneration), a Christian life. Reformation will put new clothes on a person, but regeneration will put a new person in their clothes!
Faith Challenge: Renew your Baptismal promises today. Renounce sin and experience new birth by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, Priests for Life, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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.
Feast Day: St. Bernadette
Faith Quote: “Even though you possess plenty, you are still indigent. You abound in temporal possessions, but you need things eternal. You listen to the needs of a human beggar, yet yourself are a beggar of God. What you do with those who beg from you is what God will do with His beggar. You are filled and you are empty. Fill your empty neighbor with your fullness, so that your emptiness may be filled from God’s fullness.” – St. Augustine
Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Mt 28:19.