03 Oct Spiritual Deadness (Lk 9:60) by Dr. Kevin Vost
Welcome God now with thisLIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” ~ Lk 9:60 (full readings)
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Kevin’s Reflections: Luke 9:57-62 is a hard-hitting passage. Jesus calls for full dedication to his liberating gospel message. Indeed, the last verse reads, “”No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” The man who had asked to leave to bury his father was given a seemingly harsh, but a metaphorical reply. According to the Jerusalem Biblical Commentary, this striking play on words implies “let the spiritually dead bury the physical dead; mine is a message of life.” When we grasp the fullness of Truth who is Christ, we need to leave falsehoods and half-truths behind us – and not look back. Today we see the spiritual deadness that leads millions to the burial, no, actually to the disposal of, not the bodies of their parents, but of their unborn children. They fail to see that His is indeed a message that honors all life and promises eternal life. Even before my own return to Christ in my forties, I saw an ultrasound image via amniocentesis. Kathy had miscarriages and the doctor recommended the test. The falsehood and the spiritual deadness of the “pro-choice” stance came to me in a flash the second I saw our second son on that screen. There was no “mass of cells,” no “potential life,” but the real thing, an ensouled human being crafted in God’s image. (And we even thought he looked like his brother!)
* Kevin Vost, Psy.D. is the author of Catholic books and teaches psychology at Aquinas College in Nashville, TN. www.drvost.com.
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Faith Challenge: Let us then dedicate ourselves fully to Christ’s message of respect for all human life. Let it show through us so that whether we are praying, running, evangelizing, counseling, or voting, we will proclaim the Kingdom of God and His message of life.
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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.
Feast Day: St. Theodora Guérin
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Faith Quote: Blessed Mother Theodore “continues to teach Christians to abandon themselves to the providence of our heavenly Father and to be totally committed to doing what pleases him. The life of Blessed Theodore Guérin is a testimony that everything is possible with God and for God.” ~ Pope John Paul II, during her beatification Mass
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Through Christ our Lord,
Kevin
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* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will and 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 (and families): Abortion (images) is #1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 and 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 and re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.