What Am I Doing? (Jn 21:1,4) by Paul Westendorf

25 Apr What Am I Doing? (Jn 21:1,4) by Paul Westendorf

“Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples…When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus...” ~ Jn 21:1,4 (full readings)
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Paul’s Reflection:  These verses describe the period of time following Jesus’ death.  Peter and the disciples were discouraged and didn’t know what to do after the tragedy of their Lord’s death!  Peter and the other disciples headed back to Galilee; back to their comfort zone, back to their previous career of fishing.  Why?  Probably out of despair and uncertainty.  In today’s culture it is easy to become uncertain of your faith and give in to despair.  There are constant attacks on religious freedoms and organizations, the family and marriage, on the life of the unborn through the scourge of abortion, on the elderly with assisted suicide.  We hear the rhetoric over and over and it can make us wonder, “Should I speak out for justice?  Do we “hate” others if we say that marriage is between a man and a woman?  What will others think of us if we wear our  Pro-Life clothes?”  It is enough to make us say “What am I doing?” and to put us at risk of not recognizing Jesus, who is always so close and ready for us to run to him as Peter did.  Jesus calls all of us out of our comfort zone to share his message of love and forgiveness, to speak the truth, and to care for the least of our brothers.  From the LIFE Runners Creed “…for the race is long and we must keep our eyes fixed on You Lord.”  We must not lose sight of Jesus and our faith despite the unceasing attacks.  By recognizing our Lord and keeping our eyes fixed on him our “comfort zone” becomes much larger than we think it is.
* Paul Westendorf is Membership Coordinator of the National LIFE Runners Team.  His is married to Jacquie and lives in Sioux Falls, SD.   Full bio.  
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Faith Challenge:  What are you doing?  Do you see Jesus in your unborn “least brother”?  Fix your eyes on the Lord, get outside your comfort zone, and remain steadfast in your commitment to the unborn.
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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 Mark.
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Faith Quote:  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” ~ 2 Tim 1:17
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Paul