Podcasts about your father

Your Father is not distant. He is present, attentive, and deeply involved in your life

One is Your Father, Which is in Heaven

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel – Matthew 6:7-15 – Jesus said to His disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. “This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.' “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Original Post Date: June 20, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 6:7-15 Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.' “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Reflection This prayer is a summary of the kingdom of God that Jesus came to establish here on this earth. It's a kingdom where God is in charge. It's a kingdom where we are fed and nourished, cared for. And it's a kingdom that gives us power over sin. And what's so clear that is being said, by especially the last part of this passage, is the most important truth in the Kingdom is you have to allow God to forgive you. If you don't allow God to forgive you, it is impossible for you to forgive others their sins. Closing Prayer Father, free us from constantly thinking about how we can earn your attention, your love, your affection. Give us the wisdom to know the value of your unmerited love pouring into us every single day, every hour of every day. We stand forgiven. And when we have that gift, we can establish the Kingdom of God. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friends of the Rosary,Salvation means alignment between heaven and earth, with the Divinity reigning on earth as it does above. That should be our inner desire, and that's why we constantly say in the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus gives us in today's Gospel (Matthew 6:7–15): “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”Heaven – the realm of God, angels, and saints — touches upon earth — the field of humans, animals, and plants, but they are two separate realities.With our prayer, the veil of separation gets thinner. The prophet Isaiah was calling out, “The earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea.”The first Christians saw the resurrection of Jesus as the commencement of the process by which earth and heaven were being reconciled.Our prayer must come from the heart.Jesus said:“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,who think that they will be heard because of their many words.Do not be like them.Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠June 18, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

+ Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 6: 7 – 15Jesus said to his disciples:In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.”If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.The Gospel of the Lord

Read OnlineJesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” Matthew 6:7–9Many pagans of Jesus' time believed they could manipulate divine action by sheer persistence, lengthy incantations, or empty repetition. Jesus contrasts this with true prayer, which is about trust in the Father's providence, not coercion. Christian prayer is not about forcing God's hand but about uniting our hearts to His will.Saint Thomas Aquinas offers profound insight into the Lord's Prayer: “Since prayer is the expression of our desires before God, we should only ask for what we ought to desire. The Lord's Prayer not only contains everything we should desire, but it presents them in the proper order—thus shaping not only our petitions but also our hearts” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, 83.9).According to Saint Thomas, prayer begins with truth entering the mind. Before we can choose and desire what is good, we must first recognize what is truly good in the eyes of God. For that reason, the first three petitions of the Lord's Prayer focus on God's glory—the highest good—rather than our needs:“Hallowed be Thy name” expresses the desire that God's holiness be recognized, honored, and made known both within us and through our witness in the world.“Thy Kingdom come” is a plea for God's reign to be established in our hearts and ultimately in the fulfillment of His Kingdom at the end of time.“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is a petition that our wills be conformed only to God's divine will, seeking to obey Him as the saints and angels do in Heaven.Once truth enters the mind, the will must choose it by grace. At first, we often pray these petitions out of duty, but as grace strengthens the will, we begin to love them. From there, the will's repeated choice to say “Yes” to God's truth allows our desires to be reordered, forming habits—virtues—within us. After seeking God's glory first, we turn to our own needs, acknowledging our total dependence on Him in the light of Eternal Wisdom:“Give us this day our daily bread” expresses our desire for material sustenance and spiritual nourishment through the Eucharist. As our hearts are transformed, we come to hunger not only for earthly provision but for the Bread of Life, Christ Himself.“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” is a plea for God's mercy, teaching us that we must extend forgiveness to everyone if we hope to receive it. Over time, grace enables us to desire mercy more than vengeance, forming our hearts in charity.“Lead us not into temptation” asks for God's help in avoiding situations that might lead us to sin. The more we grow in grace, the more we come to despise sin rather than desire it.“Deliver us from evil” is the final and most complete petition—a plea for liberation from ALL evil: sin, satan, and all that separates us from God. Here, desire reaches its highest purification in which the soul longs for final union with God, free from all evil, and attains it through purified desire.Reflect today on this perfect prayer. Meditate on each petition, allowing each word to shape your mind, will, and desire. Pray it slowly and attentively, letting grace enlighten your mind, strengthen your will, and transform your affections. If you pray these words without fully feeling them at first, persevere and allow grace to work within you, leading you to the point that you truly love what you pray so that you desire rightly, trust fully, and love completely.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: The Life of Jesus by William Hole By William Brassey HoleSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260615dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:25,32-33 Why Worry? Aren’t five-year-olds silly? Sometimes they get upset over such insignificant things. They cry because they can’t find their teddy bear or because their favorite television show is over. As adults, we can only shake our heads at these silly little creatures who allow themselves to become miserable over such minor problems. It makes one wonder how our heavenly Father’s head must shake when he watches over us. We worry about this. We worry about that. Such silliness. Jesus commands us not to worry. He is very serious about it because he knows that our heavenly Father does more than shake his head at our worrying. He shakes his fist. Worrying angers God because when we worry we are telling our Father that we don’t trust him to take care of us. Thank God that Jesus did more than command us not to worry. He endured his Father’s anger at our sinful worrying. He took the punishment that should have been ours, so we don’t have to worry about God being angry at us. We don't have to worry about ANYTHING. Your Father loves you. He wants what is best for you. He knows what is best for you. Instead of worrying about things that you need for life, look to your Father in heaven, who promises to provide for you. The longer you linger in his Word, the more you will say to yourself, “What was I worried about? How silly!” Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the many times I fail to trust in your love and provision. Give me eyes that look to you for help in every need. Give me ears to hear the promises found in your Word. Give me a heart to trust that you are all I need and that I need never worry. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260615dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:25,32-33 Why Worry? Aren’t five-year-olds silly? Sometimes they get upset over such insignificant things. They cry because they can’t find their teddy bear or because their favorite television show is over. As adults, we can only shake our heads at these silly little creatures who allow themselves to become miserable over such minor problems. It makes one wonder how our heavenly Father’s head must shake when he watches over us. We worry about this. We worry about that. Such silliness. Jesus commands us not to worry. He is very serious about it because he knows that our heavenly Father does more than shake his head at our worrying. He shakes his fist. Worrying angers God because when we worry we are telling our Father that we don’t trust him to take care of us. Thank God that Jesus did more than command us not to worry. He endured his Father’s anger at our sinful worrying. He took the punishment that should have been ours, so we don’t have to worry about God being angry at us. We don't have to worry about ANYTHING. Your Father loves you. He wants what is best for you. He knows what is best for you. Instead of worrying about things that you need for life, look to your Father in heaven, who promises to provide for you. The longer you linger in his Word, the more you will say to yourself, “What was I worried about? How silly!” Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the many times I fail to trust in your love and provision. Give me eyes that look to you for help in every need. Give me ears to hear the promises found in your Word. Give me a heart to trust that you are all I need and that I need never worry. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

We tell ourselves our restlessness about the future is just responsibility, just wanting to honor God with our lives. But trace it down far enough and you hit the garden. The serpent's promise was "you will be like God, knowing" and Adam and Eve grabbed for it while already walking with God in unbroken nearness. They traded His face for His mind, the relationship for the information, and we do the exact same thing every time we lie awake trying to decode His hidden plan instead of drawing near to the God who is right there speaking. The cruel irony is that the more frantically we reach for the map, the more we miss the Mapmaker, who never promised to show you year ten but did promise to be with you in hour one. So here is the concrete thing: name the decision you are white-knuckling right now, the job, the move, the relationship, and physically put it down for one day. Stop asking God to remove the risk. Open His Word, get on your knees, and ask Him instead to make you near. Win today. Your Father already knows tomorrow, and He is for you in it.

X2M.251 Lisibilité — The Mystery Made Readable Series: CR20 Place De La Concorde Psalm 2 opens with noise: nations raging, rulers plotting, systems conspiring against the Lord and His Anointed. Yet heaven does not panic. Heaven laughs. The Father answers rebellion by installing His King on Zion.¹ This is **Lisibilité**: the restoration of readability. The signal becomes clear again. The mind untangles. The heart remembers the Father. The vessel becomes legible to heaven. The decree is sonship: “You are My Son.” “Today I have become Your Father.” The crisis of the nations is answered by intimacy with the Father. The enemy's strategy is disconnection — to wrap seaweed around the mind until the soul believes it has been cut off from the temple of the Lord. Jonah becomes the inner parable. He runs, descends, is swallowed, and finally remembers: “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” When the mind becomes clear, the fish releases him.² Seaweed is the unreadable mind: confusion, accusation, idolatry, self-protection, false narratives, and the belief that something other than God will save. Colossians 2 becomes the apostolic lens. Paul struggles for the church so their hearts may be knit together in love and brought into the knowledge of the mystery of God — Christ Himself. The mystery hidden for ages is now revealed: **Christ in you, the hope of glory.**³ This is not secret knowledge for an elite class. Not Gnostic ascent through hidden codes. Not self-made narrative. Not religious performance. Not angelic spectacle. Not legalistic control. Christ is the open mystery. Gnosticism says knowledge saves. Christ says union saves. Gnosticism elevates the self. Christ fills the body with the fullness of God. “For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily, and in Him you have been filled.” That is the correction. The body is not trash to escape. It is a temple to be inhabited. The mind is not a theater for counterfeit stories. It is a place to be renewed. The heart is not an idol-factory. It is Zion, the holy hill where the King is installed. Paul warns against anything that pulls the believer out of union: reasonable-sounding arguments, human tradition, elemental spirits, false humility, religious regulations, body-hatred, and fascination with lesser powers.⁴ These things may appear wise, but they create noise. They make the soul unreadable. Lisibilité is the reversal. When Christ is central, the mind settles. Sin-consciousness loses its throne. Social-consciousness loses its grip. Fear loses its script. The Father's voice becomes clear. Love becomes readable again. In **Place De La Concorde** architecture, X2M.251 is the readability event: the old head of confusion is removed, and the true Head restores order in the public square of the heart. The remnant becomes clear. The signal becomes clean. The vessel becomes legible. The King is installed on Zion within. Glorification | The Final Frontier Going boldly where the last man has gone before! Decrease time over target: PayPal or Venmo @clastronaut Cash App $clastronaut X2M.251 Lisibilité is not about secret knowledge. It is about seeing Christ clearly — the Father's decree made readable in the Son, the seaweed removed from the mind, the body filled with glory, and the heart restored to holy agreement. **Footnotes** ¹ Psalm 2: rebellion answered by the installed King. ² Jonah's seaweed images a mind tangled in disconnection. ³ Colossians: Christ in you, the hope of glory. ⁴ Paul warns against systems that sound wise but pull believers out of union. ⁵ Lisibilité means readability: clear perception restored in Christ.

O my Love, my only Good, Most Holy Trinity, I adore You, hidden in the depths of my soul. To You, to Your honor and glory, I dedicate my life. May every thought, word and deed of mine be an act of adoration and praise directed towards Your Divine Majesty enthroned in my heart.O Father, Infinte Goodness, behold Your child, clothed in the likeness of Your Son. Extend to me Your arms that I may belong to You forever.O Son, Divine Lord, made man, crucify me with Yourself that I may become, in union with You, a sacrifice of praise for the glory of Your Father.O Holy Spirit, Fire of Everlasting Love, consume me on the altar of Divine Charity, that at the end of life, nothing may remian but that whichbearas the likeness of CHrist.O Blessed Trinity, worthy of all adoration, I wish to remain in spirit on my knees, to acknowledge forever Your reign in me and over me, to Your everlasting glory.Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the pure heart of St. Joseph, I consecrate my life to Your adoration and glory.At the moment of death, receive me, O Triune Love, that I may continue my adoration of love through all eternity. Amen. (200 days indulgence) Thank you for your support. God bless all of you.PatreonSend us Fan MailSupport the show

Come and know the joyful welcome of Your Father, which doesn't change, even when you are at your worst. No matter what kind of day you've had, rest in hope and peace tonight as you draw near to the heart of God. This short, uplifting meditation from His Word will create a space at the end of the day for you to refocus on the goodness and nearness of the Lord, entrust your burdens to Him and fill your mind with His promises and faithfulness towards you. Tonight's meditation is read by Andrew. Meet the team at https://www.odbm.org/en-GB/about-us/meet-the-team ★ Support this podcast ★

John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Let's look at this verse from the perspective of a branch united to the vine. What would the branch ask of the vine? Wouldn't a branch that has the life of the vine running through its veins wish only one thing? To bear fruit? It draws upon the resources of the vine so that more fruit can be produced for the glory of the vine. Jesus told His disciples that His life and His words were the life-giving, fruit-bearing sap of their lives. To Jesus' point, if Jesus and His word had a home in them, had unhindered access to them, then whatever was needed to love as He loves would be done for them. Don't miss what He said. He didn't say they would get what they asked for so they could then do it for Jesus. They would ask for what His word commanded, namely to love as He loves, because that's their greatest wish as branches, and Jesus would do it for them. It's Jesus living for them, not them living for Jesus! Thank You, Jesus for living in us and giving us Your word that the purpose and privilege of our lives is to love with You. That's exactly what we wish for today. Give us the fruit of Your life today, for the glory of Your Father. Amen Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

Read Online“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them.” John 17:9–10Though the Church has traditionally summarized sin under the seven capital sins, sin is also understood to arise from three primary sources: the flesh, the world, and the devil. The “flesh” refers to the disordered desires and passions that stem from our fallen human nature. The “world” signifies the societal values, materialism, and secular ideologies that promote a lifestyle contrary to God's will. The “devil” represents the personal, spiritual adversary who seeks to lead us astray through deception, lies, and the stirring of sinful desires. These three sources constantly seek to undermine our relationship with God.We are called to resist these temptations and remain firm in faith. This is accomplished by relying on grace to silence these sources. The flesh is subdued and moderated by the virtue of temperance, the devil is overcome as we discern the voice of God, and the world is overcome by seeking the true glory to which we are called. It is this third source, and its remedy, that Jesus particularly addresses in today's passage.This prayer concludes Jesus' Last Supper Discourse and is prayed just before He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane, where His Passion begins with His arrest. These final words of Jesus encapsulate the ultimate purpose of life. Within this prayer, He prays to His Father, “Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5).From a human perspective, we naturally desire glory. However, from a worldly perspective, earthly “glory” is a temptation, as it leads us to seek the praise of creatures over the glory that God desires to bestow. Jesus does not dismiss the value of glory; He simply points to its true source—the Father. Jesus' glory does not originate from human praise. His glory stems from His perfect fulfillment of the Father's will, offering Himself as the one and only Sacrifice for sins. Through His Passion, He is glorified by the Father in His human nature and manifests the glory He has always enjoyed as the eternal Son of God. He will continue to manifest this glory for all eternity.Though Jesus begins this prayer for Himself, He quickly includes “the ones you have given me”—His disciples, and ultimately, everyone who will come to believe in Him through them, including us. His prayer is for all who are united to Jesus and the Father, pointing out that Jesus is glorified in them because they fulfill His will and continue His mission, which results in our participation in His eternal glory.This passage beautifully illustrates that the attainment of worldly glory and recognition pales in comparison to the true glory we are invited to share. We are called to participate in Jesus' own glory, the eternal glory He shares with the Father. We do this by being united to Him in His earthly mission of living sacrificial love, which manifests His glory—the true glory for which we long. Reflect today on your natural desire for glory. God places this desire in us, but the values of the fallen world tempt us to seek a passing glory bestowed by others' opinions. The only way to fulfill the desire for true glory is to unite ourselves to Christ, including His Passion and death, so as to receive the glory bestowed upon Him by the Father. This is why martyrdom, the ultimate act of sacrificial love, is considered glorious. It is the highest expression of participation in Christ's own suffering, which manifested His glory. Sacrifice, selflessness, virtue, and perfect conformity to Christ all lead us into this eternal glory. Living transformed in Christ bestows that glory here and now. When we die, we will enjoy forever in heaven the level of glory we participated in on earth. Seek glory—true glory—and you will find that your natural desires are fulfilled by supernatural grace. Lord of all glory, with Your Father, You are eternally glorified, and the glory bestowed upon You by the Father from all eternity shines forth. You invite us to share in Your glory by sharing in the earthly means by which that glory was manifested—Your Passion. May I always seek this holy and pure glory above that which the world offers, so as to share in it forever in Heaven with You and all the saints. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The last supper via Adobe StockSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Hi, I'm John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you're listening to Share Life Today. Jump on in! The water's fine! Have you heard that before? Maybe as a child on the edge of a diving board. It was probably pretty exhilarating when you finally jumped in! You know, it's the same way when you take a step of faith, and Amber did just that at a recent Equip America Event. Let's listen to what she had to say. “We often make sharing the Gospel more complicated than it has to be. And I really appreciate your guys' method on how to share it. It's so easy! All we have to do is have a little bit of faith…” Your Father in Heaven will help you as you take a step of faith to witness to others. Would you like to experience this? I have great news. On May 16th, we are hosting an online Equip America. This free online evangelism training will give you the tools you need to start sharing your faith with confidence. For more information and to register, visit ShareLife.Today.

Happy Ascension Thursday! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell discuss the relationship between this feast and the upcoming feast of Pentecost. Guests include Rita Heikenfeld with gardening tips from the Bible, Gary Michuta with more Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament, and pastoral counselor Kevin Prendergast to discuss how artificial intelligence is affecting mental health treatment. Plus news, weather, sports, and more… ***** Ascension Prayer Jesus, I honor You on the feast of Your Ascension into heaven. I rejoice with all my heart at the glory into which You entered to reign as King of heaven and earth. When the struggle of this life is over, give me the grace to share Your joy and triumph in heaven for all eternity. I believe that You entered into Your glorious Kingdom to prepare a place for me, for You promised to come again to take me to Yourself. Grant that I may seek only the joys of Your friendship and love, so that I may deserve to be united with You in heaven. In the hour of my own homecoming, when I appear before Your Father to give an account of my life on earth, have mercy on me. ***** RECIPES FROM RITA: Tomato Basil Bruschetta 3 cups cherry tomatoes diced or quartered ⅓ cup basil leaves finely chopped – a handful ¼ cup olive oil divided ¼ teaspoon salt 1 French baguette ¼ cup balsamic vinegar Instructions In a mixing bowl, add 3 cups diced cherry tomatoes, ⅓ cup finely chopped basil leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix everything and set aside. Slice the baguette. Brush both sides with the remaining olive oil. Broil for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until your get a golden/brown crust. Top the baguette slices with tomato/basil mixture and balsamic drizzle. ***** Fr. Tad Pacholczyk is online at ncbcenter.org. Clare Ann Ath’s article on the benefits of playing outside can be found here. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Knowing God as Your Father" Bill Kynes, 5.10.26 by

Why can't you stop worrying, even when you know it is not helping? Why does your mind keep spinning at 2 AM about things you cannot control? If you have ever wondered whether something deeper is going on underneath your anxiety, this message will name it.In this sermon, Pastor Brandon opens up Matthew 6:25 through 34, where Jesus addresses some of the most worried people on the planet. And he does not address it the way our culture does. He does not just tell them to think positive or take a few deep breaths. He does something stranger and more powerful. He kneels down in a field, picks a flower, and points to a flock of birds in the sky.Pastor Brandon walks through three layers of worry that Jesus speaks to in this one conversation. The intellectual layer, where worry is exposed as ineffective and a waste of time. The spiritual layer, where worry reveals a quiet theology of fear, a hidden belief that God might not really be in control or might not really care. And the emotional layer, where Jesus does not roll his eyes at the swirl of anxiety inside us. He meets it. He calms it. He shepherds his worried people the way no one else can.What makes this teaching land so deeply is one phrase Jesus uses that almost slips past us. He does not say a Father in heaven. He does not even say the Father. He says your heavenly Father. Pastor Brandon unpacks why that one little word changes everything. The God of the universe is not distant, cold, or indifferent. He is a Father. Your Father. He is near, he sees you, and he already knows what you need. The biggest problem with worry is not that it is annoying or unproductive. It is that, somewhere in our chest, it slowly crowds out our memory of who God actually is.The sermon also gets honest about a connection many of us have never noticed before. Worry can be the on ramp to sin. The more you worry about money, the easier it becomes to justify greed. The more you worry about your kids, the easier it becomes to drift into control. The more you worry about your reputation, the easier it becomes to bend the truth. Pastor Brandon names that pattern in a way that most of us will quietly recognize the moment we hear it.The good news at the heart of the message is that worry has met its match in Jesus Christ. Through his life, death, and resurrection, the broken relationship between you and the Father has been made whole. You are not a spiritual orphan trying to manage the universe alone. You have a Father who clothes the grass and feeds the birds and counts you immeasurably more valuable than either.If you have been quietly carrying more than you know how to carry, if your mind has been louder than your peace for a long time, this message is for you. There is real rest available, and it comes from a Savior who already knows everything that has been keeping you up at night.

Read Online“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” John 14:18–20The feeling of being an orphan, of longing for belonging, reflects a deeper spiritual reality Jesus addressed with His disciples in today's Gospel. Those with close families are truly blessed, as a supportive family fosters personal growth and a sense of identity. When one is orphaned, the absence of these natural bonds can leave a lasting sense of loss. Yet even the strongest earthly family relationships point to a greater truth: our ultimate belonging is found in God's family.Jesus understood the sense of loss His disciples would feel after His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension. When He said, “In a little while the world will no longer see me…” He was preparing them for His physical departure through the Ascension. But He reassures them: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you…you will see me, because I live and you will live.”Initially, the disciples struggled to grasp the meaning of these words. Only after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit did they begin to understand. The same promise Jesus made to them applies to us today. Though we were not among those who witnessed His earthly presence, we too have a longing for His nearness—a longing to belong, to be loved, and to find our place within a family. This longing is fulfilled supernaturally through the gift of faith and our incorporation into God's divine family, the Church.Faith is the key to this relationship. It is more than intellectual belief; it is the acceptance of a personal revelation from God and a choice to live according to that revelation. Jesus promises that those who love Him and obey His commandments will experience His presence and that of the Father. This experience begins through faith, which is a gift by which God communicates Himself to us, revealing His love and will. It is both certain and mysterious, a knowledge that leads us to divine hope and sustains us in the pursuit of God's will.Faith also unites us with one another. Through faith, we are no longer orphans but brothers and sisters in Christ. Our natural longing to belong finds its ultimate fulfillment in God's glorious family, which begins on earth and is perfected in Heaven.Reflect today on the desire in your heart to belong, to be loved, and to be part of a family. Recognize that this longing finds its ultimate fulfillment in the family of God. Though we await the fullness of this communion in Heaven, we can experience it even now. Commit yourself to respond to Jesus' invitation by embracing your place in His family through prayer, the sacraments, and daily acts of love. Recognize that He is in the Father, we are in Him, and He is in us. Embrace this reality, allowing the gift of faith to draw you more deeply into the divine family to which we are called.My revealing Lord, deep within my soul I long for You and desire to be one with You and Your Father through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Please reveal Yourself to me so that I can know You, live according to Your commandments, and flourish in Your grace. May my membership in Your family of faith, through the Church, begin now and become perfected in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Jesus teaches in the Temple by Jan van OrleySource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

A complete Sunday Rosary experience — the Glorious Mysteries with both a beautiful Morning Prayer and a closing Evening Prayer, both drawn from today's Gospel. This special daily rosary is spoken in a calm male voice with no background ambient music. Whether you pray it in the morning or listen along in the evening, it's designed to carry you through the entire day in peace and faith. Morning Prayer – Remain in Christ "O Jesus, true vine and our life, as this morning dawns and I prepare to pray the Rosary, I seek to follow Your gospel. You tell us You are the vine and we are the branches. Remain in me as I remain in You. Help me stay united with You throughout the day.  Cut away any branches of sin of selfishness that stop me from producing fruit.   Because of Your word I am already pruned.  Let me bear much fruit in kindness, patience, and good works today. As Mary leads me in the Rosary mysteries, draw me closer to Your heart.  May I ask for what pleases You and glorify the Father as Your disciple.  Amen." Evening Prayer – Bear Much Fruit "O Jesus, true vine and our life, as evening comes and I have prayed the Rosary, I thank You for guiding me today.   You remind us we must remain in You to bear fruit and without You we can do nothing. Looking back, I see where I stayed connected as a branch to the vine and where I did not.   For the fruit produced in my words and deeds, I give You praise.  Prune any part of me that failed.  Let Your words remain in my heart tonight.   As Your disciple, I ask that my rest renew me.  With the help of Mary, strengthen my resolve to abide in You always and glorify Your Father.  Amen." The Glorious Mysteries celebrate the Resurrection and its power — Christ's Ascension, Pentecost, the Assumption of Mary, and her Coronation as Queen of Heaven. Praying them today helps us grow in faith, hope, and trust in God's promises. Join the Communion of Saints as we pray together in spiritual solidarity with the universal Church and the saints throughout history. All music and sound effects are properly licensed through Epidemic Sound Publishing.   The chant prayers were created from scratch with AI tools and production plugins. May this rosary become a faithful daily companion on your prayer journey. Featured Rosaries: • 30-Minute Traditional Glorious Mysteries (Spoken Only): https://youtu.be/v-gX7p-QznQ • Spoken Only Version – Sunday Rosary: https://youtu.be/LFcRgq2cQRA • Most Viewed Sunday Rosary with Calm Music: https://youtu.be/1Fnoyv8EmO0 • Most Viewed One-Hour Complete Rosary: https://youtu.be/rrNMRJ5oH-Q • Most Viewed 4-Hour Sleep Rosary: https://youtu.be/4a-uaEEJOF4 Support The Communion of Saints: • One-time PayPal donation ? https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?business=CHerrera720037%40gmail.com&cmd=_donations¤cy_code=USD&item_name=Donation+to+The+Communion+Of+Saints&return=https%3A%2F%2Frosarywristband.com%2Fhome Visit www.rosarywristband.com for comfortable one-decade rosary wristbands and prayer tools. "Together we pray" Blessings,   Chris – The Communion of Saints   Email: chris@rosarywristband.com Simple, easy, and powerful daily rosary prayers in English. Choose from audio-only or follow-along videos with calm background music. All four sets of mysteries — Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous — perfect for any time of day or before sleep. #Rosary #GloriousMysteries #SundayRosary #CatholicRosary #PrayTheRosary #MorningPrayer #EveningPrayer #HolyRosary #CatholicPrayer #RosaryMeditation #DailyRosary #CatholicMeditation #RosaryPrayer #Faith #ChristianPrayer #GloriousMysteriesRosary #SundayPrayer #PrayerTime #CatholicDevotion

LESSON 125In Quiet I Receive God's Word Today.Let this day be a day of stillness and of quiet listening. Your Father wills you hear His Word today. He calls to you from deep within your mind where He abides. Hear Him today. No peace is possible until His Word is heard around the world; until your mind, in quiet listening, accepts the message that the world must hear to usher in the quiet time of peace.This world will change through you. No other means can save it, for God's plan is simply this: The Son of God is free to save himself, given the Word of God to be his Guide, forever in his mind and at his side to lead him surely to his Father's house by his own will, forever free as God's. He is not led by force, but only love. He is not judged, but only sanctified.In stillness we will hear God's Voice today without intrusion of our petty thoughts, without our personal desires, and without all judgment of His holy Word. We will not judge ourselves today, for what we are can not be judged. We stand apart from all the judgments which the world has laid upon the Son of God. It knows him not. Today we will not listen to the world, but wait in silence for the Word of God.Hear, holy Son of God, your Father speak. His Voice would give to you His holy Word, to spread across the world the tidings of salvation and the holy time of peace. We gather at the throne of God today, the quiet place within the mind where He abides forever, in the holiness that He created and will never leave.He has not waited until you return your mind to Him to give His Word to you. He has not hid Himself from you, while you have wandered off a little while from Him. He does not cherish the illusions which you hold about yourself. He knows His Son, and wills that he remain as part of Him regardless of his dreams; regardless of his madness that his will is not his own.Today He speaks to you. His Voice awaits your silence, for His Word can not be heard until your mind is quiet for a while, and meaningless desires have been stilled. Await His Word in quiet. There is peace within you to be called upon today, to help make ready your most holy mind to hear the Voice for its Creator speak.Three times today, at times most suitable for silence, give ten minutes set apart from listening to the world, and choose instead a gentle listening to the Word of God. He speaks from nearer than your heart to you. His Voice is closer than your hand. His Love is everything you are and that He is; the same as you, and you the same as He.It is your voice to which you listen as He speaks to you. It is your Word He speaks. It is the Word of freedom and of peace, of unity of will and purpose, with no separation nor division in the single Mind of Father and of Son. In quiet listen to your Self today, and let Him tell you God has never left His Son, and you have never left your Self.Only be quiet. You will need no rule but this, to let your practicing today lift you above the thinking of the world, and free your vision from the body's eyes. Only be still and listen. You will hear the Word in which the Will of God the Son joins in his Father's Will, at one with it, with no illusions interposed between the wholly indivisible and true. As every hour passes by today, be still a moment and remind yourself you have a special purpose for this day; in quiet to receive the Word of God.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

LESSON 125In Quiet I Receive God's Word Today.Let this day be a day of stillness and of quiet listening. Your Father wills you hear His Word today. He calls to you from deep within your mind where He abides. Hear Him today. No peace is possible until His Word is heard around the world; until your mind, in quiet listening, accepts the message that the world must hear to usher in the quiet time of peace.This world will change through you. No other means can save it, for God's plan is simply this: The Son of God is free to save himself, given the Word of God to be his Guide, forever in his mind and at his side to lead him surely to his Father's house by his own will, forever free as God's. He is not led by force, but only love. He is not judged, but only sanctified.In stillness we will hear God's Voice today without intrusion of our petty thoughts, without our personal desires, and without all judgment of His holy Word. We will not judge ourselves today, for what we are can not be judged. We stand apart from all the judgments which the world has laid upon the Son of God. It knows him not. Today we will not listen to the world, but wait in silence for the Word of God.Hear, holy Son of God, your Father speak. His Voice would give to you His holy Word, to spread across the world the tidings of salvation and the holy time of peace. We gather at the throne of God today, the quiet place within the mind where He abides forever, in the holiness that He created and will never leave.He has not waited until you return your mind to Him to give His Word to you. He has not hid Himself from you, while you have wandered off a little while from Him. He does not cherish the illusions which you hold about yourself. He knows His Son, and wills that he remain as part of Him regardless of his dreams; regardless of his madness that his will is not his own.Today He speaks to you. His Voice awaits your silence, for His Word can not be heard until your mind is quiet for a while, and meaningless desires have been stilled. Await His Word in quiet. There is peace within you to be called upon today, to help make ready your most holy mind to hear the Voice for its Creator speak.Three times today, at times most suitable for silence, give ten minutes set apart from listening to the world, and choose instead a gentle listening to the Word of God. He speaks from nearer than your heart to you. His Voice is closer than your hand. His Love is everything you are and that He is; the same as you, and you the same as He.It is your voice to which you listen as He speaks to you. It is your Word He speaks. It is the Word of freedom and of peace, of unity of will and purpose, with no separation nor division in the single Mind of Father and of Son. In quiet listen to your Self today, and let Him tell you God has never left His Son, and you have never left your Self.Only be quiet. You will need no rule but this, to let your practicing today lift you above the thinking of the world, and free your vision from the body's eyes. Only be still and listen. You will hear the Word in which the Will of God the Son joins in his Father's Will, at one with it, with no illusions interposed between the wholly indivisible and true. As every hour passes by today, be still a moment and remind yourself you have a special purpose for this day; in quiet to receive the Word of God.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

Jesus not only tells us to call God our Father, Abba, Papa and we see Jesus personally calling God by this name.  God is his Father.  Jesus is deeply connected with God – they are one and they always have been – while at the same time he is the Son and God is the Father.  They're as close as they can possibly be.  They have the same mind, the same will, the same love, the same power.  Jesus is 100% familiar with God in every way … however, he doesn't lose his awe of God just because he has this closeness. Yes, Jesus teaches us to be close to God. Yes, he teaches us to trust him as our Papa God and we as his beloved children … but Jesus also teaches us how to be in absolute AWE of God still.  He shows us his awe of the Father in two specific descriptive names:  Holy Father and Righteous Father. Jesus calls God ‘Holy Father’ in John 17:11, “Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you.  Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.”  Jesus is praying these words right before he is betrayed, arrested and led to the cross.  And understand, he is praying these words for you and I.  He's calling on the name of Holy Father, that we would be protected by the power of his name – that is HOLY FATHER. Do you know the power of this name?  Holy Father. This is actually the only place in scripture where Jesus directly combines these two words when addressing God. • Holy = completely set apart, pure, transcendent • Father = relational, close, personal We tend to lean towards one of these – either God is completely set apart, distant and intimidating to us, or he is so personally close that he's become familiar and expected.  Jesus shows us how to hold both in awe, reverence and confidence.  God is both perfectly holy and perfectly relational at the same time. Last night I watched a documentary on Hulk Hogan.  I'm a bit of a documentary junkie.  I love the behind the scenes look at real lives that we often miss.  Hulk was this larger than life character with a handle bar mustache and bleach blonde hair known for ripping his shirt off.  But at home, he didn't rip his shirt off.  At home, he was a husband and dad named Terry and he played in the floor with his children.  He was both, but the true man was only seen behind closed doors.  The rest of the world only knew the character making a scene in the ring.  He was one or the other, but he couldn't be both at the same time.  So, it caused a split in his life and a loss of his true self. But the Holy Father is not split.  He is the same behind the scenes and on the scene.  He is forever both completely set apart and completely up close and personal.  He is beyond understanding and personally understanding at the same time.  He is Holy and he is Father – and not just for Jesus, but for us too. At the time of Jesus praying this prayer in the book of John, everyone knew holiness was associated with distance.  There was a system in the temple and only priests could approach God's holy presence.  If you did it wrong, you died.  Holiness meant you couldn’t casually approach God.  But then on the other hand, ‘Father' implies direct access through relationship and belonging.  Jesus is normalizing closeness with a HOLY FATHER, and he's literally praying you and I can have that closeness too. Will you allow God to be both for you, both Holy and Father?  Will you grow close in relationship with the Father while remaining in reverent awe of his holiness?  He isn't one or the other – he is both, always, forever, and fully. Jesus prays, “Protect them by the power of your name.”  What was that name Jesus just spoke?  Holy Father.  This is where your personal protection comes from.  God's holiness means absolutely nothing impure can stand against him.  No evil will prevail.  His holiness protects you from every scheme and attack of the enemy.  And God's fatherhood means he actively cares for and defends you as his daughter. You've heard of the threat of the Mama Bear coming out to protect her children – Well, that's nothing compared to the Holy Father! Nobody messes with the children of the Holy Father!  Do you know him as your Holy Father?  Do you know the power of that name? If God is only Father – you lose reverence.  If God is only Holy – you lose relationship.  If God is both Holy and Father, you experience transformation in holy relationship with him. Now, Jesus continues to pray and he shifts from the name Holy Father which focuses on God's nature, and now he calls him the name Righteous Father, which is a focus on God's character in action.  John 17:25, “O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do.”  This name is about how God acts.  If you know God as your Father, and you know how your Father acts, then you know how you can count on him to show up for you personally.  Righteous Father. The word ‘righteous' appears in greek as ‘dikaios', which means just, morally right, fair and faithful to what is true.  With this name, Jesus is remembering in prayer that God ALWAYS does what is right.  God ALWAYS keeps his promises. Wow, do you remember that in your prayers?  God, you are my Righteous Father.  I know you always do what is right.  I know you always keep your promises.  You do not fail.  Ever.  I can fully trust you, your ways, and your timing. My friend, just in case life has been touching you hard lately, I whisper this truth to your soul – you truly can trust every decision God makes.  He is the Righteous Father, and he is 100% right! You won't always understand it, but you can trust it.  He works in ways you cannot see to accomplish things you cannot comprehend, in a dimension you have not yet experienced – but you will.  That deminsion is eternity, and it's where God is working everything together for good, yes everything, and yes real good.  One day you will take your first breath in the dimension of eternity and you will see it all for yourself.  Every single decision God ever made was divine perfection. And notice this, Jesus doesn't say “Righteous Judge”, he says Righteous Father.  God's righteousness doesn't make him lose his love relationship for his children.  He's the one who judges justly and he is also the one who loves you wildly.  He holds the law, but he also holds unstoppable love!  God doesn't choose between being loving and being right – He is perfectly both. Even if everyone else in this world misjudges you, God understands you perfectly.  He knows you because he made you.  He wanted you, so he formed you and breathed life into you.  The Righteous Father is RIGHT ABOUT YOU and he rightly loves you. Your Father is Righteous.  This means wrong will not win, the broken will be made whole, and complete restoration is coming.  Righteous Father is making all things right.  Really, really, really right. Prayer Prompts: • Holy Father, where have I grown too causal with your presence?  How are you calling me to live differently because I belong to you? • Righteous Father, where do I need to trust your justice?  Where do I need to align my life with what you say is right? Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Who is Your Father? - John 8:37-47 - Pastor Kurt M. Smith - 5/3/2026

Read OnlineThe Way to the Father“Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:4–6In addition to His parables and moral teachings, Jesus revealed to His disciples deep mysteries in a direct way that they did not immediately comprehend, especially when He spoke to the Twelve in intimate settings, such as the Last Supper, the context for today's Gospel. In this discourse, Jesus explains, in veiled form, that He will soon ascend into Heaven where He will prepare a place for His followers. He explains that because they know Him, they know the way to where He is going—the way to the Father—because He Himself is that Way. As Jesus spoke these mysterious truths, we can imagine the Twelve listening attentively, yet with confusion.Everything Jesus taught was true. His words, recorded in the Gospels, reveal to us the deepest divine mysteries. Within the Scriptures, we find all we need to know to attain perfect holiness and the eternal life of Heaven. Yet we cannot quickly digest Jesus' words as we might an intriguing novel or history book. There are many layers of depth to what He says, and we can only understand those layers through prayer.As the conversation continued, “Philip said to him, ‘Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.' Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'?'” (John 14:8–9).Jesus' response likely surprised Philip and the other disciples because they did not understand what He was saying. Their intention was good—they wanted to understand—but Jesus' words were more than they could comprehend at that moment. Despite this, Jesus gently rebuked Philip as a way of drawing him deeper into the mystery He was revealing.God often treats us the same way. There are many things that we do not understand. Why do innocent people suffer? Why doesn't God heal my loved one in answer to my prayers? Why do my children no longer practice the faith? What am I supposed to do with my life?Just as Philip struggled to understand Jesus' words, we, too, face moments of confusion when God's ways seem beyond our grasp. God's answer to life's most challenging questions is rarely straightforward or immediate. Why? Because such an approach can never fully satisfy the depth of our hearts. Instead, God reveals a kernel of truth to us and then invites us to ponder it, revealing the divine mystery we seek to understand little by little, to the degree we are open.The answers we seek come only as we conform our wills to God's, patiently opening ourselves to His Wisdom. Divine mysteries can only be understood through prayer and deep attentiveness to the truths in God's mind. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Only by uniting ourselves to Him in prayer will we discover the path we must walk, the truth we need to hear, and the life we are called to live.Reflect today on anything you struggle to understand. See yourself as one of the Twelve, listening to Jesus speak, but failing to comprehend. Do not be discouraged; instead, allow the fullness of Jesus' divine Truth to sink in gradually. Spend time in prayer, read the Gospels, be open, and listen from the depths of your heart. Seek out His gentle voice and know that He is your Way, Truth, and Life. Let Him lead you and reveal to you the mysteries of His divine Wisdom so that you, too, know the way to the Father in Heaven.Most glorious Lord, everything You have revealed to us is pure truth, yet my mind is often incapable of fully comprehending Your Wisdom. Draw me into the many mysteries You wish to reveal, and teach me to pray so that I will more fully comprehend the way to You and to Your Father in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: NateBergin, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons  Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Jesus gives us a name to use for God. Matthew 6:9: “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father…” Right there. The first two words of the prayer. Our Father. Before anything else… before the structure, before the requests, before the “give us” and “forgive us”… Jesus starts with identity and relationship. Our Father. That's how He teaches us to approach God. He is our Father and we are his beloved daughter. Now here's something really beautiful – It is believed Jesus originally spoke this in Aramaic, the everyday language of the people he was speaking to. The word would have been “Abun.” Later, when written in Greek, we see the word “Abba.” And these words “Abba” and “Abun” weren’t formal, distant titles. These were words a child would use for their father. Daddy. Papa. A word of closeness. A word of trust. A word of belonging. So when Jesus says, “This is how you should pray,” He is saying… come to God like this. Come as a child comes to a loving Father. Not distant. Not afraid. Not trying to impress. But close. Known. Loved. Now let me ask you…. Who is this God we pray to? Are we bothering Him with our requests? Are we even doing it right? Does the Creator of the universe really hear us… and if He does, does He really want to? Scripture tells us to talk to God about everything—all the time. Not with fancy or showy words, but with our real, everyday language. Philippians 4: 6-7, “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” And this conversation with our Father, our Abba, our Papa hold tremendous power! James 5:16 says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” That's you. Righteous not because of what you've done, but because of your faith in Jesus. And your earnest prayer—the sincere one, the one that comes from relationship and not obligation—that prayer has power. Power to move mountains. Power to break chains. Power to make the impossible possible. But so many of us miss out on that power because we don't really understand who we're talking to. I missed out for years, and maybe you are too. All too often we approach God like we're interrupting Him… like we should keep it short, wrap it up, or say it just right. But Jesus tells us there's a different way and a better way to approach God … “Our Father.” That's our Abba. Our Papa. Not a distant God. Not an annoyed ruler. Not an angry man with a stick. Our Father. I sometimes listen to the teaching of a man named Bill Lokey. At the time of his latest recording, he had been battling cancer for several years, continually given only weeks to live. And this man decided, if he was only going to live a very short time, he would actually LIVE! His final recording was just 2 weeks before what he referred to as “a step from the boat to the dock”. Yes, his final breath and step into eternity. I'm literally listening to a man in his final 2 weeks of life teach me how to truly LIVE. I'm learning many things from Bill and his legacy, but the one thing that has impacted me most is an interaction he had with God during his private prayer time. He was in the car, and he began praying as he normally did, and God interrupted him and said, “I want you to call me Papa.” This man had followed Jesus for over 60 years, and he said in that moment, he experienced a whole new level of relationship with his Creator. He's not just God. He's not just the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He's not just the God of all gods. He's not just the Almighty. He is your Father, and he wants you to call him Papa. Papa. Let that settle into your soul right now. Romans 8:14–16 (MSG) says,“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike ‘What's next, Papa?' God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.” Oh… to be adventurously expectant. Did you wake up this morning expecting adventure from a Father who loves you? Did you wake up to this new month of life remembering He is for you and not against you? That He has already gone before you and made a way? If you didn't, it's so easy to feel stressed or overwhelmed… worried about your future and dreading the day ahead. But you have received a resurrection life. A life that has been raised up. A life that is new and fresh. A life that can break free of overwhelm. And when God's Spirit touches your spirit, you know who you are. My friend, may you've forgotten who you really are. Maybe life has gotten loud and busy and you're just trying to keep up. Today, Abba, Father, Papa is inviting you to slow down, come close and remember again. If you've lost yourself along the way, pause right here. Let truth settle in to you. You are not who the world says you are. You are not who your past says you are. When His Spirit meets yours, you remember your identity. And when you know who you are… then you know who He is. Father. Daddy. Papa. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children. So let me ask you…. How do you sound when you pray? Do you come as a confident daughter, trusting in His love for you? Or do you come like a beggar… hoping maybe you catch Him in a good mood? Or maybe you've stopped coming at all… because somewhere along the way, you lost your belief in His personal love for you. The enemy would love nothing more than for you to see God as distant, cold, and unapproachable. But God is saying, “No… I'm your Papa God.” I used to wonder… am I bothering God? Should I just ask once and be done? Should I keep it short, like a quick summary prayer that covers everything? Sometimes I think we treat God like there's a limit, like we should hurry. But that's not what Jesus taught. Our Father. A Father doesn't get annoyed when His child keeps talking. A Father doesn't say, “You've already asked that.” A Father leans in, listens again and does everything he can for his beloved girl. That's who he is and that's who you are to him. I think about how much it means when a child says “Mama” or “Daddy.” The first time… it changes everything. And it never stops mattering. When my adult children call me Mama, my heart responds instantly. And that's just a glimpse—a tiny glimpse—of how God responds when you call Him Father. He's not rolling His eyes. He's not checking the clock. He's not saying, “Wrap it up.” His heart overflows. And here's what is so incredible… The same God who created the universe… Who holds everything together… Who is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present… He invites you to call him Daddy. Papa. Abba. That is the relationship He wants with you. But let's be honest for a moment. For some, this is a hard name to hear and receive. You see, for many, this is hard because our idea of “father” has been damaged. Maybe your earthly father fell short. Maybe he fell absent. Maybe that image just doesn't feel safe or real. And that matters. But don't miss this… God is not a reflection of your earthly father. He is the perfection of what a father was always meant to be. A Father who chose you. Ephesians 1:5 says, “He decided in advance to adopt you into His family… and it gave Him great pleasure.” You are chosen. Wanted. Adopted. I've seen the power of adoption up close. To be chosen. To be claimed. To finally belong. That's what God has done for you. He didn't just allow you into His family—He wanted you there. You are His daughter. So what does this relationship actually look like? It looks like pulling up an extra chair and inviting Him into your day. It looks like sitting with Him… talking with Him… or sometimes just being with Him. It looks like saying, “Hey Papa… what's next?” Not out of fear… but out of excitement. Not out of obligation… but out of relationship. What if you lived your life like that? Adventurously expectant. Waking up saying, “Papa God, You've given me this day… so what are we going to do together?” What if prayer wasn't a task… but a conversation? What if God wasn't distant… but right beside you? Papa. Feel the closeness of that. Feel the safety of that. Feel the invitation in that. You are not a burden. You are not an obligation. You are his child. He is here. He is available. And he wants nothing more than a life giving relationship with you. Yes, he is all the things that are far above all the other things. Yes, he is to be honored. Yes, he is to be respected. Yes, he is to praised. And yes, he is to be YOURS! Your Father. Your Abun. Your Abba. Your Papa. So today… pull up a chair. Invite Him into your space. Don't worry about saying the right words. Just be with Him. And maybe start right here: “What's next, Papa? I'm ready.” Because this life you've been given…. It's not timid. It's not small. It's a resurrection life. And it's meant to be lived… side by side with your Father. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

There's a mental image a lot of us carry of what God's face looks like when we finally turn around and start walking home. Maybe you picture disappointment, or a long, tired sigh, or a face that's already made up its mind about you. But Jesus tells a story about a father who saw his son while he was still a long way off, and the father ran.This week's message is part of our ongoing series, The Good Fight, and we walk through what it actually looks like to draw near to God when you feel far from him. Drawing from Luke 11, 1 Timothy 6, James 4:8 to 10, and the three parables of Luke 15, we explore the difference between the omnipresence and the manifest presence of God, why holiness was never meant to keep us away, and how the love of the Father runs toward us before we ever have a chance to clean ourselves up.Paul tells Timothy to fight the good fight, but he doesn't tell him to fight it alone, and he doesn't tell him to fight it through performance. He tells him to run from evil and run toward God. That is the heart of pursuing holiness in the Christian life. We don't simply move away from sin. We move toward our Father.If you've ever felt like one of the put together religious people on the outside, or one of the put out people who feel too far gone, this message is for you. Two of sin's quietest lies are that God runs from you when you fail, and that your worth to him decreases with every wrong turn. The prodigal son sermon in Luke 15 dismantles both. Your Father is filled with compassion before you say a single word. Repentance is not what earns the embrace. Repentance is the debris that falls out of the collision of his love and your fallen humanity.So how do you actually pursue holiness this week? You just show up. You stand in the presence of the Lord. You let him love you. The confession will come. The change will come. But it comes after the embrace, never before.Scripture in this sermon: Luke 11 (the Lord's Prayer), 1 Timothy 6:11 to 12, James 4:8 to 10, and Luke 15 (the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son).

LESSON 107Truth Will Correct All Errors In My Mind.What can correct illusions but the truth? And what are errors but illusions that remain unrecognized for what they are? Where truth has entered errors disappear. They merely vanish, leaving not a trace by which to be remembered. They are gone because, without belief, they have no life. And so they disappear to nothingness, returning whence they came. From dust to dust they come and go, for only truth remains.Can you imagine what a state of mind without illusions is? How it would feel? Try to remember when there was a time, perhaps a minute, maybe even less when nothing came to interrupt your peace; when you were certain you were loved and safe. Then try to picture what it would be like to have that moment be extended to the end of time and to eternity. Then let the sense of quiet that you felt be multiplied a hundred times, and then be multiplied another hundred more.And now you have a hint, not more than just the faintest intimation of the state your mind will rest in when the truth has come. Without illusions there could be no fear, no doubt and no attack. When truth has come all pain is over, for there is no room for transitory thoughts and dead ideas to linger in your mind. Truth occupies your mind completely, liberating you from all beliefs in the ephemeral. They have no place because the truth has come, and they are nowhere. They can not be found, for truth is everywhere forever, now.When truth has come it does not stay a while, to disappear or change to something else. It does not shift and alter in its form, nor come and go and go and come again. It stays exactly as it always was, to be depended on in every need, and trusted with a perfect trust in all the seeming difficulties and the doubts that the appearances the world presents engender. They will merely blow away, when truth corrects the errors in your mind.When truth has come it harbors in its wings the gift of perfect constancy, and love which does not falter in the face of pain, but looks beyond it, steadily and sure. Here is the gift of healing, for the truth needs no defense, and therefore no attack is possible. Illusions can be brought to truth to be corrected. But the truth stands far beyond illusions, and can not be brought to them to turn them into truth.Truth does not come and go nor shift nor change, in this appearance now and then in that, evading capture and escaping grasp. It does not hide. It stands in open light, in obvious accessibility. It is impossible that anyone could seek it truly, and would not succeed. Today belongs to truth. Give truth its due, and it will give you yours. You were not meant to suffer and to die. Your Father wills these dreams be gone. Let truth correct them all.We do not ask for what we do not have. We merely ask for what belongs to us, that we may recognize it as our own. Today we practice on the happy note of certainty that has been born of truth. The shaky and unsteady footsteps of illusion are not our approach today. We are as certain of success as we are sure we live and hope and breathe and think. We do not doubt we walk with truth today, and count on it to enter into all the exercises that we do this day.Begin by asking Him Who goes with you upon this undertaking that He be in your awareness as you go with Him. You are not made of flesh and blood and bone, but were created by the selfsame Thought which gave the gift of life to Him as well. He is your Brother, and so like to you your Father knows that you are both the same. It is your Self you ask to go with you, and how could He be absent where you are?Truth will correct all errors in your mind which tell you you could be apart from Him. You speak to Him today, and make your pledge to let His function be fulfilled through you. To share His function is to share His joy. His confidence is with you, as you say:Truth will correct all errors in my mind,And I will rest in Him Who is my Self.Then let Him lead you gently to the truth, which will envelop you and give you peace so deep and tranquil that you will return to the familiar world reluctantly.And yet you will be glad to look again upon this world. For you will bring with you the promise of the changes which the truth that goes with you will carry to the world. They will increase with every gift you give of five small minutes, and the errors that surround the world will be corrected as you let them be corrected in your mind.Do not forget your function for today. Each time you tell yourself with confidence, “Truth will correct all errors in my mind,” you speak for all the world and Him Who would release the world, as He would set you free.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

LESSON 99Salvation Is My Only Function Here.Salvation and forgiveness are the same. They both imply that something has gone wrong; something to be saved from, forgiven for; something amiss that needs corrective change; something apart or different from the Will of God. Thus do both terms imply a thing impossible but yet which has occurred, resulting in a state of conflict seen between what is and what could never be.Truth and illusions both are equal now, for both have happened. The impossible becomes the thing you need forgiveness for, salvation from. Salvation now becomes the borderland between the truth and the illusion. It reflects the truth because it is the means by which you can escape illusions. Yet it is not yet the truth because it undoes what was never done.How could there be a meeting place at all where earth and Heaven can be reconciled within a mind where both of them exist? The mind that sees illusions thinks them real. They have existence in that they are thoughts. And yet they are not real, because the mind that thinks these thoughts is separate from God.What joins the separated mind and thoughts with Mind and Thought which are forever one? What plan could hold the truth inviolate, yet recognize the need illusions bring, and offer means by which they are undone without attack and with no touch of pain? What but a Thought of God could be this plan, by which the never done is overlooked, and sins forgotten which were never real?The Holy Spirit holds this plan of God exactly as it was received of Him within the Mind of God and in your own. It is apart from time in that its Source is timeless. Yet it operates in time, because of your belief that time is real. Unshaken does the Holy Spirit look on what you see; on sin and pain and death, on grief and separation and on loss. Yet does He know one thing must still be true; God is still Love, and this is not His Will.This is the Thought that brings illusions to the truth, and sees them as appearances behind which is the changeless and the sure. This is the Thought that saves and that forgives, because it lays no faith in what is not created by the only Source it knows. This is the Thought whose function is to save by giving you its function as your own. Salvation is your function, with the One to Whom the plan was given. Now are you entrusted with this plan, along with Him. He has one answer to appearances; regardless of their form, their size, their depth or any attribute they seem to have:Salvation is my only function here.God still is Love, and this is not His Will.You who will yet work miracles, be sure you practice well the idea for today. Try to perceive the strength in what you say, for these are words in which your freedom lies. Your Father loves you. All the world of pain is not His Will. Forgive yourself the thought He wanted this for you. Then let the Thought with which He has replaced all your mistakes enter the darkened places of your mind that thought the thoughts that never were His Will.This part belongs to God, as does the rest. It does not think its solitary thoughts, and make them real by hiding them from Him. Let in the light, and you will look upon no obstacle to what He wills for you. Open your secrets to His kindly light, and see how bright this light still shines in you.Practice His Thought today, and let His light seek out and lighten up all darkened spots, and shine through them to join them to the rest. It is God's Will your mind be one with His. It is God's Will that He has but one Son. It is God's Will that His one Son is you. Think of these things in practicing today, and start the lesson that we learn today with this instruction in the way of truth:Salvation is my only function here.Salvation and forgiveness are the same.Then turn to Him Who shares your function here, and let Him teach you what you need to learn to lay all fear aside, and know your Self as love which has no opposite in you.Forgive all thoughts which would oppose the truth of your completion, unity and peace. You cannot lose the gifts your Father gave. You do not want to be another self. You have no function that is not of God. Forgive yourself the one you think you made.Forgiveness and salvation are the same. Forgive what you have made and you are saved.There is a special message for today which has the power to remove all forms of doubt and fear forever from your mind. If you are tempted to believe them true, remember that appearances can not withstand the truth these mighty words contain:Salvation is my only function here.God still is Love, and this is not His Will.Your only function tells you you are one. Remind yourself of this between the times you give five minutes to be shared with Him Who shares God's plan with you. Remind yourself:Salvation is my only function here.Thus do you lay forgiveness on your mind and let all fear be gently laid aside, that love may find its rightful place in you and show you that you are the Son of God.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

We have one of our staff who has a pretty regular assignment. That is, show up at the post office every morning. Yeah. The one who goes there is a pretty familiar figure. They know about what time to expect our person to come in, and they know it's important. See, the orders are, "Don't stop at the office. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go straight to our post office box." See, that daily trip to the post office is really our lifeline. He checks the box and there we find the contributions that really keep us going, very important communications, maybe answers we're looking for. And I'll tell you what, if he's sick, we'll send somebody else over there first thing in the morning. We are dependent on that daily pickup. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Don't Miss Today's Message." Now, our word for today from the Word of God is actually written by a prophet who's in the pits. Now, you didn't know prophets got in the pits. Well, you thought they were on top of everything all the time? No, the neat thing is that the heroes of the Bible have their down days. And I'm so glad, because so do I; so do you. Lamentations...now how do you like that for the name of a book written by a prophet? Right away you know the fellow's not feeling too good. Lamentations 3, and listen to the mood he's in as I begin verse 19. "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me." I think in Hebrew that means, "In the pits." Right? "This I call to mind and therefore I have hope." What do you call to mind, Jeremiah? Well, here's what he says. "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, For His compassions never fail." Now, get this. "They are new every morning." And then you remember that hymn that comes from these words, Great Is Your Faithfulness. Do you know what the margin of survival is when you're overwhelmed, when the pressure's coming at you, when your feelings are at low ebb? He says, "It is the Lord's compassions..." and notice "...new every morning." Now, it may be that you're limping along right now because you have started too many days without checking your box. I mean to fill up with today's special strength, with today's special love, with today's special words from His book for this day and all of its needs. Richard Foster, the author of Celebration of Discipline, writes that when he prays, he likes to pray palms up/palms down. He puts his palms down first of all to empty out all of yesterday, and then he prays with his palms up to get all that God has to give him that he's going to need for that day. That's a pretty good idea, dropping yesterday's accumulation; receiving today's strength. And the key words are "every morning." We live life, not as years, not months, not weeks. We live days. That's why a once a week fill up won't do it, or some occasional spiritual highs. We're wired for an every morning relationship. The alternative is a growing mountain of stress, and frustration, and paralysis, frayed nerves, frayed relationships. See, it's possible to go through a daily Bible reading and prayer ritual without picking up the Lord's love for that day. I'm talking here about having a transaction with Him each new morning. Like our staff person going to the post office, your first responsibility of the day is to stop and see what's come from God for you for that day. There will always be what you need if you stop to pick it up before you rush into your day. Your Father has something special to give you for this day. So, don't forget to check your box.

We have one of our staff who has a pretty regular assignment. That is, show up at the post office every morning. Yeah. The one who goes there is a pretty familiar figure. They know about what time to expect our person to come in, and they know it's important. See, the orders are, "Don't stop at the office. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go straight to our post office box." See, that daily trip to the post office is really our lifeline. He checks the box and there we find the contributions that really keep us going, very important communications, maybe answers we're looking for. And I'll tell you what, if he's sick, we'll send somebody else over there first thing in the morning. We are dependent on that daily pickup. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Don't Miss Today's Message." Now, our word for today from the Word of God is actually written by a prophet who's in the pits. Now, you didn't know prophets got in the pits. Well, you thought they were on top of everything all the time? No, the neat thing is that the heroes of the Bible have their down days. And I'm so glad, because so do I; so do you. Lamentations...now how do you like that for the name of a book written by a prophet? Right away you know the fellow's not feeling too good. Lamentations 3, and listen to the mood he's in as I begin verse 19. "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me." I think in Hebrew that means, "In the pits." Right? "This I call to mind and therefore I have hope." What do you call to mind, Jeremiah? Well, here's what he says. "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, For His compassions never fail." Now, get this. "They are new every morning." And then you remember that hymn that comes from these words, Great Is Your Faithfulness. Do you know what the margin of survival is when you're overwhelmed, when the pressure's coming at you, when your feelings are at low ebb? He says, "It is the Lord's compassions..." and notice "...new every morning." Now, it may be that you're limping along right now because you have started too many days without checking your box. I mean to fill up with today's special strength, with today's special love, with today's special words from His book for this day and all of its needs. Richard Foster, the author of Celebration of Discipline, writes that when he prays, he likes to pray palms up/palms down. He puts his palms down first of all to empty out all of yesterday, and then he prays with his palms up to get all that God has to give him that he's going to need for that day. That's a pretty good idea, dropping yesterday's accumulation; receiving today's strength. And the key words are "every morning." We live life, not as years, not months, not weeks. We live days. That's why a once a week fill up won't do it, or some occasional spiritual highs. We're wired for an every morning relationship. The alternative is a growing mountain of stress, and frustration, and paralysis, frayed nerves, frayed relationships. See, it's possible to go through a daily Bible reading and prayer ritual without picking up the Lord's love for that day. I'm talking here about having a transaction with Him each new morning. Like our staff person going to the post office, your first responsibility of the day is to stop and see what's come from God for you for that day. There will always be what you need if you stop to pick it up before you rush into your day. Your Father has something special to give you for this day. So, don't forget to check your box.

Taste and See that the Lord is Good UOL Retreat in Philadelphia PA on 3/28/2026 In this episode, we look at how the Church's pre- and post-Communion prayers prepare us not just to receive the Eucharist, but to be changed by it. They help us see our need, turn us toward God, and then teach us how to carry His presence into daily life. Communion becomes not just something we receive, but something we learn to live. --- PRE-COMMUNION PRAYERS (UOC-USA PRAYER BOOK) Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Glory to You, our God, glory to You. Prayer to the Holy Spirit О Heavenly King, the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things. Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every impurity and save our souls, O Good One. Thrice-Holy Hymn Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times) Small Doxology Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Prayer to the Holy Trinity All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. The Lord's Prayer Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our Daily Bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Invocation to Jesus Christ Come, let us worship God, our King. Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ our King and our God. Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God. Psalm 22 The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He settles me in a place of green grass; beside restful water He leads me. He restores my soul; He guides me on the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. For even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows. Behold, Your mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord for the length of my days. Psalm 23 The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and all who live in it. For He has founded it above the seas and prepared it above the waters. Who will ascend into the mountain of the Lord and who will stand in His holy place? One whose hands are harmless and whose heart is pure, who has not received his soul in vain and has not sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He will receive blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Savior. This is the kind who seek the Lord, who seek the Face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your gates, you rulers and be lifted up, you eternal doors and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. Psalm 115 I kept my Faith even when I said I am greatly afflicted. I said in my amazement: "Every person is a liar!" What shall I give to the Lord for all that He has given me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord, in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Lord, I am Your servant – and the child of Your handmaiden. You have burst my bonds apart. I will offer to You the sacrifice of praise and I will call upon the Name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, Jerusalem. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia, alleluiа, alleluia, glory to You, our God. (3 times) Tropar, Tone 8 Lord, born of a Virgin, overlook my faults, purify my heart and make it a temple for Your Spotless Body and Blood. Cast me not from Your presence for You have infinitely great mercy. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;How can I who am unworthy, dare to come to the Communion of Your Holy Things? For even if I should dare to approach You with those who are worthy, my garment betrays me, for it is not a festal robe and I shall bring about the condemnation of my sinful soul. Lord, Lover of mankind, cleanse the pollution from my soul and save me. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.Great is the multitude of my sins, Birth-Giver of God. To you, Pure One, I flee and implore salvation. Visit my sick and feeble soul and intercede with Your Son and our God, that He may grant me remission of my sins, for You alone are blessed. First Prayer – Saint Basil the Great Lord and Master, Jesus Christ our God, Wellspring of Life and Immortality, Maker of every visible and invisible thing, Co-eternal and Co-everlasting Son of the Everlasting Father: in the abundance of Your Goodness, You were incarnate in these latter times, and crucified and buried for us ungrateful and graceless people. Through Your own Blood You have renewed our nature corrupted by sin. Immortal King, though I am a sinner, accept my repentance, incline Your Ear to me and hearken to my words. I have sinned before heaven and before Your Countenance and I am not worthy to gaze upon the immensity of Your Glory. For I have provoked Your Goodness, I have transgressed Your commandments and I have not obeyed Your ordinances. But, Lord, since You do not remember evil, but are long suffering and have great mercy, You have not given me over to destruction for my lawlessness, but have continually awaited my conversion. For You, Lover of Mankind have said through Your prophet, "I desire not the death of sinners, but that they may turn from their evil ways and live." Because You do not wish, Master, that the work of Your Hands should perish, neither, do You take pleasure in the destruction of humanity. Rather, You desire that all people should be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth. Therefore, even I, though I am unworthy of heaven, earth and of this transitory life, having given myself completely to sin becoming a slave to pleasure and defiling Your Image – yet being Your creation – I despair not of my salvation in my wretchedness. But, emboldened by Your infinite Compassion, I draw near. Therefore, Loving Christ, receive me also as You received the harlot, the thief, the publican and the prodigal. Take away the heavy burden of my sins, You Who take away the sins of the world, Who heal all human infirmity, Who call to Yourself those who are weary and heavy-laden, granting them rest. You came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Cleanse me from every stain of flesh and spirit and teach me to achieve perfect holiness in fear of You, that receiving my share of Your sacred things, I may be united to Your Holy Body and Blood and may have You dwell and abide in me with the Father and Your Holy Spirit. Yes, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, may the partaking of Your Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries bring me not to condemnation, nor may I partake unworthily of them. Grant that I, even to my final breath, may receive my share of Your sacred things without condemnation and thereby receive communion with the Holy Spirit as a provision for the journey to eternal life and an acceptable defense before Your Dread Judgment Seat. Lord, grant that I, together with all Your elect, may also be a partaker of immaculate good things which You have prepared for those who love You, with whom You abide and are glorified to the ages. Amen. Second Prayer — Saint John Chrysostom Lord my God, I know that I am not sufficiently worthy that You should come under the roof of the house of my soul, for it is entirely desolate and fallen in ruin and You cannot find in me a worthy place for Your head. But, as You humbled Yourself from on high for our sake, humble Yourself not to the measure of my lowliness. As You took it upon Yourself in the cave to lie in the manger for dumb animals, so take it upon Yourself now to enter into the manger of my ignorant soul and into my defiled body. Since You did not disdain to enter and eat with sinners in the house of Simon the Leper, so take it upon Yourself to likewise enter also into the house of my humble, leprous and sinful soul. As You did not cast out the harlot, a sinner much like me, who came and touched You, so have compassion on me, a sinner, coming to touch You. Since You did not detest the kiss of her sin-stained and unclean mouth, detest not my mouth, which is stained even worse and more unclean than hers as well as my sordid, unclean and shameless lips, nor my even more unclean tongue. Let the fiery coal of Your Most Pure Body and of Your Precious Blood bring me the sanctification, enlightenment and strengthening of my humble soul and body, a relief from the burden of my many transgressions, protection against every operation of the Devil, an aversion and hindrance of my base and evil habits, a mortification of my passions, an accomplishment of your Commandments, an increase in Your divine Grace and an entrance into Your Kingdom. For I do not come to You, Christ my God, in presumption, but having been given full confidence by Your Ineffable Goodness, I approach, lest I stray far from Your communion and become the prey of the wolf of souls. Therefore, I pray, Master Who alone are Holy; sanctify both my soul and body, my mind and heart and my emotions and affections. Renew me entirely, implant Your Fear in my members and make Your sanctification indelible within me. Be my helper and foundation, govern my life in peace and make me worthy to stand at your right hand with Your saints. Through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, the pure and immaterial Powers that always serve You and of all the saints who have been well pleasing to You from the ages. Amen. Third Prayer – Saint Simeon the Translator Only Pure and Spotless Lord, Jesus Christ, Wisdom of God, Peace and Power: moved by Your ineffable mercy and love for all mankind, You took up our whole nature from the chaste and virginal blood of the one who wondrously conceived You through the coming of the Holy Spirit and by the favor of Your Eternal Father. In that nature you took it upon Yourself to undergo Your life-giving and saving Passion – the cross, the nails, the spear and death itself. Mortify in me the soul-destroying passions of the body. As you despoiled the dominion of Hades in the tomb, bury in me the spirit of evil. You raised fallen Adam through Your life-bearing Resurrection - so raise me for I am immersed in sin and counsel me in the ways of repentance. You made divine the flesh You assumed and honored it on Your Throne at the Right Hand of the Father in Your Glorious Ascension. By the communion of Your Holy Mysteries make me worthy of a place at Your Right Hand with the saved. You made Your sacred disciples precious vessels by the coming of the Comforter, the Spirit – confirm me also to be a receptacle of His Coming. You promised to come again to judge the world in righteousness – grant that I shall go to meet You in the clouds with all Your saints. For You have made and formed me that I may unceasingly praise and chant hymns to You with Your Eternal Father and Your All-Holy, Good and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Fourth Prayer – Saint Simeon the Translator Christ my God, as though standing before Your Dread Judgment Seat which does not regard personalities awaiting judgment and rendering an account of the evils I have committed: so today before the day of my condemnation appears, I stand before Your Holy Altar in Your Sight and in the Sight of Your awesome and holy angels. Bowed low by my own conscience, I offer my wicked and lawless actions, triumphing over them by declaring them. Lord, I know my iniquities have increased beyond the number of hairs on my head. The multitude of Your loving kindness is immeasurable and the mercy of Your Goodness and Forbearance beyond description and there is no sin which overcomes Your love for all mankind. Therefore, all marvelous King and merciful Lord, cause Your wondrous mercy to touch even me, a sinner. Receive me, a sinner, as I return to You, as You received the prodigal, the thief and the harlot. As You received those who came at the eleventh hour unworthily, so receive me also, a sinner. I know that You will set these sins I have committed before me and require an accounting of the sins which I have knowingly and unpardonably committed, but neither convict me with fitting judgment, nor chastise me in Your Anger. Lord have mercy on me for though I am weak, I am also the work of Your Hands. You have granted me to revere You, Lord, but I have done evil in Your Sight. Against You only have I sinned, but I beg You, Lord, judge not Your servant for if You will severely mark iniquity, who will survive it? For I am in a sea of sin and am neither worthy nor sufficient to behold and gaze upon the height of heaven for the multitude of my innumerable sins. Who will raise me up? Who has fallen into such evils and transgressions? Lord God, in You have I hoped. Have mercy on me, God, according to Your great mercy and do not reward me, as my deeds deserve. Rather convert, uphold and deliver my soul from the evils implanted in it and from fearsome designs. I will praise and glorify You all the days of my life. For You are the God of those who repent and we glorify You with Your Father without beginning and Your All Holy, Good and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Fifth Prayer – Saint John of Damascus Lord and Master Jesus Christ our God, You alone have the power to absolve sin. Because You are Good and love all mankind, forgive all my iniquities committed in knowledge or in ignorance. Make me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your divine, glorious, pure and life creating Mysteries, that I may incur neither punishment nor an increase in my sins, but receive cleansing, sanctification, a pledge of the Life and the Kingdom to come, protection, an aid, a turning aside of my adversaries and the blotting out of my many transgressions. For You are a God of Mercy, Loving Kindness and Love for all mankind and we glorify You Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Sixth Prayer – Saint Basil the Great Lord, I know that I partake unworthily of Your Pure Body and Your Precious Blood, my Christ and my God. Yet emboldened by Your Loving Kindness I come to You for You have said, "Those who eat My Flesh and drink My Blood abide in Me and I in them." Therefore, be merciful, Lord and do not rebuke me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Your mercy. And let these Holy Things afford me healing, cleansing, enlightenment, protection, sanctification of soul and body, the averting of every fantasy, evil practice and operation of the devil which works within me. Let them give me confidence and love for You, amendment of life and perseverance, an increase in perfection and virtue, the fulfillment of Your Commandments, communion of the Holy Spirit and a provision for the journey to eternal life and an acceptable answer at Your Dread Judgment Seat, but neither for judgment nor condemnation. Amen. Seventh Prayer - Saint Symeon the New Theologian From lips besmirched and heart impure, from unclean tongue and sin stained soul, receive my pleas, my Christ. Neither overlook my words, my way of speech, nor my annoyingly persistent cry. Grant me the boldness to express all the things for which I long, my Christ, and teach me all that it is fitting for me to do and say. More than the harlot have I sinned. When she learned where You were visiting she brought myrrh, boldly came there and anointed Your Feet. As You, Divine Word, did not cast her out when she came in eagerness of heart, detest me not. Rather give me Your Feet, I pray, for my embrace and my kiss. With the torrent of my tears, as with an ointment of great price, let me dare to anoint them. Purify me, O Word, in my own tears and cleanse me with them. Forgive my errors; grant pardon, for You know the multitude of my sins. You also know the wounds I bear. You see the bruises of my soul. Yet You know my faith, You see my eager heart and hear my sighs. From You, my God, Creator and Redeemer, not one tear is hidden, nor even part of one. Your Eyes know my imperfection, for in Your Book are found those things which are yet unfashioned. Behold my lowliness; behold how great is my weariness. Then God of the entire world, grant me release from all my sins, that with a clean heart and conscience filled with holy fear and a contrite soul, I may partake of Your most pure and spotless Mysteries. The one who eats and drinks with a pure heart has life and divinity. For You have said, my Master, that "those who eat of My Flesh and drink of My Blood do indeed abide in Me and I am likewise found in them." My Master and my God, this saying of Christ is completely true. For one who shares in these Divine and Deifying Graces is not alone, but is with You, Christ, the Triple Radiant Light Who enlightens the whole world. You see that for this I have drawn near to You with tears and contrite soul. Thus, I dare to hope in Your good deeds for us, I partake – both rejoicing and trembling – for I am but grass in fire and behold, a strange wonder! I am refreshed with dew, beyond all words, just as in ancient times the bush burning with fire was not consumed. Therefore, thankful in mind and heart, thankful with all my body and all my soul I worship You, magnify and glorify You, my God for You are blessed both now and to all the ages. Amen. Eighth Prayer - Saint John Chrysostom Lord Jesus Christ, my God, absolve, remit, forgive and pardon me, of all the errors, transgressions and trespasses which I have committed before You – whether in knowledge or in ignorance, in words, deeds, thoughts or intentions. Through the intercession of Your All-Pure Mother, Your heavenly hosts and all the saints, who through the ages have been faithful to You, count me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your Holy and Precious Body and Blood for the healing of both soul and body and for the elimination and the cleansing of my evil thoughts. For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, the Glory, the Honor and the Worship of the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Ninth Prayer – Saint John of Damascus I stand before the doors of Your temple and I refrain not from evil thoughts. But You, Christ my God, justified the tax collector: You showed mercy to the woman of Canaan and opened the Gates of Paradise to the Thief. Open to me the depths of Your love for all mankind and receive me as I draw near and touch You, even as You did the harlot and the woman with the issue of blood. The latter merely touched the hem of Your garment and immediately received healing and the former, clinging to Your Pure Feet, obtained the release from her sins. But, I in my pitiful state, dare to receive Your Whole Body. May I not be consumed, but receive me even as You received those others and enlighten the feelings of my soul, cleansing my sins; through the prayers of the one who gave You birth without seed and of the heavenly powers, for You are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen. POST-COMMUNION PRAYERS (UOC-USA PRAYER BOOK) Glory to You, O God! (3 times) Lord my God, I thank You that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have allowed me to be a partaker of Your Holy Things.  I thank You that You have permitted me, though unworthy, to have a share in Your Most Pure and Heavenly Gifts. Master and Lover of Mankind, Who for our sake died and rose again and gave us these Awe-inspiring and Life-giving Mysteries for the benefit and sanctification of our souls and bodies: let these Gifts be for the healing of my own soul and body, for the averting of every adversary, the illumination of the eyes of my heart, the peace of my spiritual powers, an unashamed faith, an unfeigned love, the realizing of wisdom, the observance of Your Commandments, the receiving of Your Divine Grace and the inheritance of Your Kingdom. Preserved by them in Your holiness, may I always be mindful of Your Grace, no longer living for myself, but for You, our Master and Benefactor.  May I then pass from this life in the hope of Eternal Life and attain to the Everlasting Rest where the voice of those who feast is unceasing and the unending delight of those who behold the beauty of Your Face is inexpressible. For You, Christ our God, are truly the ineffable joy and desire of all those who love You and all creation sings Your praise to the ages of ages. Amen. Second Prayer following Communion By Saint Basil the Great I thank You, Christ, Master and God, King of the Ages and Maker of All Things, for all the Good Gifts You have given me and especially for the participation in Your Most Pure and Life-creating Mysteries. Therefore, I pray, Gracious Lord, Who loves all mankind, that You preserve me under Your protection and beneath the shadow of Your Wings. Grant that even to my final breath, I may partake worthily and with a pure conscience of Your Holy Things for the remission of my sins and for Eternal Life. For You are the Bread of Life, the Wellspring of Holiness, the Giver of all Good and we glorify You, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Third Prayer following Communion By Saint Simeon the Translator You Who willingly give Your Flesh to me as Food, Who are a Fire burning the unworthy; let me not be consumed, my Creator. Rather, enter into all my members – my joints, my inner being and my heart. Burn the thorns of my iniquities. Purify my soul and sanctify my reasoning.  Strengthen my joints and bones. Enlighten my five senses. Bind me completely with reverence for You. Always shelter, guard and keep me from every soul-corrupting word and deed. Cleanse, purify and harmonize my being. Beautify me, grant me understanding and enlighten me. Show me to be the Habitation of Your One Holy Spirit and no longer the abode of sin, that having become Your Dwelling Place because of the Communion of Your Holy Mysteries, every evil deed and passion may flee from me as from fire. As intercessors, I bring all the Saints: the leaders of the Bodiless Hosts, Your Forerunner, the Most Wise Apostles and with them, Your undefiled, Most-pure Mother. Accept their prayers Christ, my Merciful One and make me a Child of Light. For You, Good One, are the only Sanctification and Enlightenment of our souls and to You, as God and Master, we worthily render glory day by day. Amen. Fourth Prayer following Communion May Your Holy Body, Lord Jesus Christ our God, be for me Life Eternal and Your Precious Blood for the remission of my sins. May this Eucharist grant me joy, health and gladness. At Your Dread Second Coming make me, a sinner, worthy to stand at the Right Hand of Your Glory, through the intercessions of Your All-pure Mother and of all Your saints. Fifth Prayer following Communion To the Birth-Giver of God All Holy Lady, Birth-Giver of God, light of my darkened soul – my hope, my shelter and refuge, my consolation and joy; I thank you for accepting me, the unworthy one, as a communicant of the Most-pure Body and Precious Blood of your Son. In that you gave birth to the True Light, enlighten the intellectual eyes of my heart. As the one who carried the Fountain of Immortality in your womb, enliven me, slain by sin. Merciful Mother of the Most-merciful God, full of loving kindness, have mercy on me, grant me contrition and compunction of heart, humility in my thoughts, and the ability to recall my reasoning from its captivity. Make me worthy, until my final breath, to receive the sanctification of the Most Pure Mysteries without condemnation, for healing of soul and body. Grant me tears of repentance and confession, that I may chant hymns and glorify You all the days of my life, for blessed and glorified are You to the ages. Amen. Master, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our Daily Bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Depending upon which Liturgy was celebrated, one of the following Tropars and Kondaks are said.Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Tropar, Tone 8 Grace shining forth from your mouth like a beacon has enlightened the universe, disclosing to the world treasures of generosity and showing us the heights of humility.  Since you instruct us by your words, Father John Chrysostom, intercede with Christ God, the Word Himself, to save our souls. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Kondak, Tone 6 From heaven you received divine grace and by your lips you teach all to worship the one God in Trinity, All-blessed and Venerable John Chrysostom. Worthily do we extol you, for you are an instructor who reveals things divine. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Liturgy of Saint Basil the GreatTropar, Tone 1 Your voice has gone out to all the earth and it has received your word. By it you taught divine doctrine making the nature of things, which exist, clear and giving good order to human behavior. Venerable Father and Royal Priest Basil, intercede with Christ our God, that He may save our souls. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Kondak, Tone 4 You appeared as an unshakable foundation of the Church passing down an inviolate dominion to all mortals, sealing it with your teachings, Venerable Basil, revealer of Heaven. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.Bohorodychnyi, Tone 6 Protection of Christians not put to shame, unwavering Mediation before the Creator; despise not the prayer of sinners, but because you are good, quickly come to help us who call on you in faith. Be swift to intercede and make haste to supplicate, Birth-Giver of God, who always protects those who honor you. Lord, have mercy. (12 times) More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim. You, Who without defilement did bare God the Word, true Birth-Giver of God, we magnify You. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.    

Do you experience chaos in your life? Do you know your father? Join guest speaker Rabbi David Levitt of Congregation Ammudim in Fayetteville, Georgia, as he delves into fatherhood and the impact it has both from the absence or presence of our earthly fathers and our Father above. Your Father loves you and wants you to turn your heart to Him as He waits openly to embrace you and lift you up. Shabbat Shalom!Malachi 3.23-24; Luke 1.17; 1 Corinthians 15.24-28; John 14.28; 1 Corinthians 11.3; James 1.27; Genesis 18.17-19; Jeremiah 3.19; 1 Corinthians 4.14-16; John 14.8; 2 Corinthians 5.18-20Prayer Requests or send an email to info@bethhallel.orgCBH WebsiteDonateYouTube Channel

Read OnlineMany of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” John 11:45–48Tomorrow we begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Today's Gospel recounts events shortly after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which took place in Bethany, near Jerusalem—just days before He would ride into the city on a donkey, greeted with shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:13).During the final months of His life, Jesus often stayed out of the public eye to avoid those plotting His death. However, He briefly emerged to perform His final recorded miracle: raising Lazarus from the dead. This miracle became the decisive moment that prompted the Pharisees to actively plot against Him. Some witnesses reported it to the authorities, and the Sanhedrin feared Jesus' growing popularity would provoke a Roman persecution upon the Jews. At the high priest Caiaphas' suggestion, they decided it was better for Jesus to die than for the nation to suffer.As high priest, Caiaphas spoke prophetically—even unknowingly—about Jesus' death, saying, “It is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish” (John 11:49–50). Commenting on this, Saint Augustine teaches: “This passage shows that the Spirit of prophecy can even work through wicked people to reveal future events” (Tractate 49 on the Gospel of John).Knowing that God's omnipotent power can use even evil actions to accomplish His divine plan should console us when we encounter injustice or malice in our own lives. Jesus was never a victim of circumstance; He remained in full control of His mission. At His arrest, He reminded His disciples: “Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and He will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).Jesus could have commanded the angels to overthrow the Sanhedrin and the Roman authorities, taking His place as an earthly king by force. But instead, He chose to submit to the Father's will, allowing the malice of Caiaphas to set His Passion in motion. Though Caiaphas acted with selfish intent, God, in His providence, used this evil act to advance His plan of salvation for all who would turn to Him in faith.This insight is essential as we enter the “Holy Weeks” of our lives—those times of trial, suffering, or injustice that we do not always fully understand. When we encounter crosses, it is easy to see them as obstacles to joy and peace. But Romans 8:28 reminds us: “All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Every cross, injustice, or hardship is within God's providential care, just as Holy Week was. When we trust Him, even the evil we experience can be transformed into a path toward God's glory and for our good.Reflect today on the perfect wisdom of God's plan, which used even the sins of wicked people to bring about salvation. Consider any crosses, sufferings, or injustices you currently face. Instead of giving in to anger or despair, have faith that God can use them for good. If you remain in God's grace, trust that whatever He permits in your life is an expression of His almighty power and love, working all things for His glory and your good. Just as Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, knowing that great suffering awaited Him, so too must we turn our eyes to our own “Jerusalem”—to the challenges and difficulties we encounter—and trust that God will work all things for good. All-powerful Lord, nothing deterred You from fulfilling Your Father's will. Your mission was to save many souls and to do so through the instrumentality of both the good and the wicked. Evil was conquered because You, in Your goodness, drew even greater good from it. Please help me to imitate You and to participate in Your glorious victory over sin and death by uniting every injustice and suffering I endure with Your Passion so as to achieve Your glory and victory in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Judgment of the Sanhedrin: He is Guilty! by  Nikolai GeSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Northwest Bible Church - March 15, 2026 - Matthew - Alan Conner Matthew. 6:5-8 Principles of Prayer Intro  A. THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER TO JESUS. 1. In His own personal life He was committed to prayer: 2. Jesus also emphasized prayer in His teaching.    B. THE FAULTY PRAYERS OF HYPOCRITES (Matthew 6:5). “When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites” -  1. Wrong motive: they love to stand when they pray.    2. Wrong location: synagogues and street corners.      3. Wrong audience:  to be seen by men.     4. Paid in full.   C. THE RIGHT WAY TO PRAY (Matthew 6:6). 1.  Go into your inner room, close the door.     2. Pray in secret.      3. Your Father will reward you.     D. THE FAULTY PRAYERS OF GENTILES (Matthew 6:7-8). 1. Do not use “meaningless repetition” (Matthew 6:7a).   a. speak without thinking, rote repetition of formulas of prayer.    b. to babble, to stammer.   Grk = “battalogeō”.   2. Wrong assumption: they will be heard for their many words (Matthew 6:7b).    3. Correction: your Father knows what you need before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8).      Conclusion

The Trump administration’s messaging around the war with Iran feels reminiscent of stuff like … cowboy movies. And video games. And the manosphere. This hour, a look at the rhetoric around the war and where it’s all coming from. GUESTS: Casey Ryan Kelly: Professor of Rhetoric and Public Culture in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is also Editor of the Quarterly Journal of Speech, and author of books including Manifesting Violence: White Terrorism, Digital Culture, and the Rhetoric of Replacement Jonathan Guyer: Program Director at the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group, and a reporter and editor focused on foreign policy, national security, and the Middle East. He is host of the podcast “None of the Above” Roger Stahl: Author and Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. He is director of the documentary Theaters of War Music featured (in order): “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo – Aaron Copland, NYO-USA, Michael Tilson Thomas You Should Have Seen the Other Guy – Nathaniel Rateliff Under My Thumb – Rolling Stones Son of Your Father – Elton John Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other – Orville Peck and Willie Nelson I Am a Rock – Simon and Garfunkel Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northwest Bible Church - Mar. 8, 2026 - Matthew - Alan Conner Matthew. 6:1-4 Hypocrisy in Giving Intro  A.  GENERAL PRINCIPLE: HYPOCRISY IS BAD (Matthew 6:1).       1.  “Beware” -  2.  The danger: “practicing your righteousness before men to be seen by them.”      a. What is a hypocrite (Matthew 6:2)?    b. What is the motive of the hypocrite?  3. No reward with your Father in heaven.   B. UNGODLY GIVING TO THE POOR (Matthew 6:2).   1. “When you give” -   2. Do not sound a trumpet as the hypocrites do.   3. The desire to be honored by men.  4. They have their reward in full.   C. GODLY GIVING TO THE POOR (Matthew 6:3-4). 1. “When you give to the poor” -  2.  Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3).   3. Give in secret (Matthew 6:3).     4. Your Father will reward you (Matthew 6:4).   Conclusion -   

The Sound Chaser Progressive Rock Podcast is on the air. The show this time is my annual birthday gift to myself shows, wherein I select some of my favorite listening in the prog rock and related genres. It is not merely a tour of the classics, though there are a few of those. It also includes some favorites from lesser known artists and some more recent music that has caught my attention in the past year or so, including a couple of selections from the most recent album by Big Big Train. So, climb aboard as we take a ride through a musical fantasy land.Playlist1. IZZ - Not About Me, from Collapse the Wave2. Happy the Man - While Chrome Yellow Shine, from Better Late...3. The Doors - Riders on the Storm, from L.A. Woman4. Yes - Survival, from Yes5. Jefferson Airplane - Triad, from Crown of Creation6. Shelleyan Orphan - Summer Flies, from Century Flower7. Silent Island - River Tale, from Stormvalley8. Barre Phillips - A-i-a, from Three Day Moon9. Erland Dahlen - Sun Pt. 1, from Raccoons10. Erland Dahlen - Stride, from Raccoons11. Hedningarna - Gorrlaus, from TräTHE SYMPHONIC ZONE12. Gryphon - Opening Move, from Red Queen to Gryphon Three13. Bruno Sanfilippo - Suite Patagonia, from Suite Patagonia14. Bruno Sanfilippo - The Andes, from Suite Patagonia15. Sagrado - The Central Sun of the Universe, from Farol da Liberdade16. Big Big Train - Counting Stars, from Woodcut17. Big Big Train - Last Stand, from Woodcut18. Genesis - Mad Man Moon, from A Trick of the Tail19. Don Ellis and His Orchestra - Variations for Trumpet, from AutumnLEAVING THE SYMPHONIC ZONE20. Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand, from Mothership [retrospective]21. Richard Pinhas - Dedicated to K.C., from L'ethique22. Acqua Fragile - Malo Bravo, from Moving Fragments23. Emperor Norton - Travails, from Emperor Norton24. Liquid Scarlet - One Last Masquerade, from Liquid Scarlet25. HAAMOJA - Mother Nature, from Pure Love26. Arabs in Aspic - Italian Class, from Victim of Your Father's Agony [2023 remaster]27. M-Opus - Scaling Novas, from At the Mercy of Mananán28. M-Opus - Carnivale, from At the Mercy of Mananán29. White Willow - Lord of Night, from Ignis Fautus30. echolyn - Tiny Star, from Time Silent Radio vii

Your Father ! - The God that the world does not know

Today’s Topics: 1) Gospel – Matthew 6:7-15 – Jesus said to His disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. “This is how you are to pray: Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Dr. Peter Howard joins Terry to discuss the Great Apostasy and the End Times

Gospel  Matthew 6:7-15 Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Reflection We remember the story of the Tower of Babel and how it was that when God saw people working together he said, I want to create different languages so that they can't understand each other. Calling that a babble. So what he's saying is that when you speak just words without intention, just to repeat them over and over again, there is no way that there's any kind of communication with God. No, the way we communicate with him is yes, saying certain words. But the intention of those words have to be in our hearts as we pray them. The way Jesus taught us to pray is to recognize who He is, to work for what He longs to establish. To know that it will happen. And most especially, to be nurtured with the power to do something that's so essential. A core teaching. Forgive. Forgive one another. And as you do that, your father is in that very action, forgiving you. Closing Prayer Father, make our hearts one with your heart, our eyes like your eyes. Help us to see what is needed to do what you call us to do so that we can establish the Kingdom of God and dwell in its healing presence. The presence of a God in us growing, developing into a kingdom of love and forgiveness. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't know if you're like me, but have you ever wondered where children learn all the psychology they seem to know? They use it pretty effectively to get their way. Oh, we adults have to take courses in child psychology. They don't take courses in adult psychology, but they do pretty well. Kids learn very early how to maneuver, and motivate, and manipulate to get what they want. They use division. You know, like divide and conquer. Kind of get Mom and Dad played against each other. They use guilt sometimes to do it; sometimes, they even use, yeah, deception. Now, I've traveled a lot in my lifetime, and my wife had to be especially alert for one particular tactic as the kids were growing up. They'd say, "Oh, we're going to do such and such." And she'd say, "Well, who said you could?" "Daddy." Of course I wasn't there, no verification possible. So maybe Mom might be fooled if you said it just right, unless I called, until I got home. Then kids learn an important life lesson, "Don't put your Father's name on something he does not approve of." I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Father Never Said You Could." Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Samuel 15. I'm going to begin reading at verse 10. Understand that King Saul has been asked to lead the Jews in the eradication of a cancer called the Amalekites, and to destroy not only their armies and their leadership, but also all of the loot that might be taken so there would be no trace left of the poison that they had become. Well, the Bible says, "Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, 'I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he's turned away from Me and has not carried out my instructions.' Samuel was troubled and he cried out to the Lord all night." Well, then we read in verse 13, "When Samuel reached him, Saul said, 'The Lord bless you. I have carried out the Lord's instruction.'" He had not. "But Samuel said, 'What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of the cattle that I hear?' 'Oh, but I did obey the Lord' Saul said. 'I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder. The best was devoted to God in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God.'" Well, that just doesn't work. God isn't fooled! You notice here, though, that he tries to make something rebellious into something religious. He's talking about the Lord all the time, but he's disobeying Him. Saul is trying a child's trick to justify something wrong: putting your Father's name on what you're doing. That happens a lot. You can justify almost anything by saying, "The Lord led me." I talked to a man who divorced his wife not too long ago to marry a relative of his, of hers really. And he said, "Well, Ron, the Bible says love is of God, and I love this woman. So it must be right." Come on, it's bad enough to break God's law. Don't put God's name on it. Don't try to put a spiritual makeup job on leaving your husband or wife when God says, "I hate divorce." Don't rationalize materialism by saying, "Well, I want to make more so I can give more to the Lord's work." Don't make a decision to do what you want to do, and then dignify it by calling it "the Lord's will." Don't try to dress up undisciplined living by calling it, "following the Spirit's moving." That's taking God's name in vain. We Bible folks have this way of dressing up sin rather than dealing with it. Saul learned that it doesn't work to put spiritual names on sin and religious words on rebellion. Oh, my kids learned not to put their Father's name on something that their Father didn't approve of. God's kids need to learn that about their Father. Don't dress up a sinful choice in God-words. Your Father never said you could do what you're doing.

I don't know if you're like me, but have you ever wondered where children learn all the psychology they seem to know? They use it pretty effectively to get their way. Oh, we adults have to take courses in child psychology. They don't take courses in adult psychology, but they do pretty well. Kids learn very early how to maneuver, and motivate, and manipulate to get what they want. They use division. You know, like divide and conquer. Kind of get Mom and Dad played against each other. They use guilt sometimes to do it; sometimes, they even use, yeah, deception. Now, I've traveled a lot in my lifetime, and my wife had to be especially alert for one particular tactic as the kids were growing up. They'd say, "Oh, we're going to do such and such." And she'd say, "Well, who said you could?" "Daddy." Of course I wasn't there, no verification possible. So maybe Mom might be fooled if you said it just right, unless I called, until I got home. Then kids learn an important life lesson, "Don't put your Father's name on something he does not approve of." I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Father Never Said You Could." Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Samuel 15. I'm going to begin reading at verse 10. Understand that King Saul has been asked to lead the Jews in the eradication of a cancer called the Amalekites, and to destroy not only their armies and their leadership, but also all of the loot that might be taken so there would be no trace left of the poison that they had become. Well, the Bible says, "Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, 'I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he's turned away from Me and has not carried out my instructions.' Samuel was troubled and he cried out to the Lord all night." Well, then we read in verse 13, "When Samuel reached him, Saul said, 'The Lord bless you. I have carried out the Lord's instruction.'" He had not. "But Samuel said, 'What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of the cattle that I hear?' 'Oh, but I did obey the Lord' Saul said. 'I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder. The best was devoted to God in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God.'" Well, that just doesn't work. God isn't fooled! You notice here, though, that he tries to make something rebellious into something religious. He's talking about the Lord all the time, but he's disobeying Him. Saul is trying a child's trick to justify something wrong: putting your Father's name on what you're doing. That happens a lot. You can justify almost anything by saying, "The Lord led me." I talked to a man who divorced his wife not too long ago to marry a relative of his, of hers really. And he said, "Well, Ron, the Bible says love is of God, and I love this woman. So it must be right." Come on, it's bad enough to break God's law. Don't put God's name on it. Don't try to put a spiritual makeup job on leaving your husband or wife when God says, "I hate divorce." Don't rationalize materialism by saying, "Well, I want to make more so I can give more to the Lord's work." Don't make a decision to do what you want to do, and then dignify it by calling it "the Lord's will." Don't try to dress up undisciplined living by calling it, "following the Spirit's moving." That's taking God's name in vain. We Bible folks have this way of dressing up sin rather than dealing with it. Saul learned that it doesn't work to put spiritual names on sin and religious words on rebellion. Oh, my kids learned not to put their Father's name on something that their Father didn't approve of. God's kids need to learn that about their Father. Don't dress up a sinful choice in God-words. Your Father never said you could do what you're doing.

Read OnlineJesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” Matthew 6:7–8Prayer is so essential to our spiritual lives that we should strive to live in a state of constant prayer, all day, every day. However, saying prayers is very different from truly praying. Jesus begins by teaching that prayer is not about “babbling many words.” We do not pray to change God's mind or to convince Him to do our will. That is not the essence of prayer. Jesus is very clear: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”So, how do you pray? Do you come to God with a list of requests, thinking that if you ask enough or in the right way, He will grant your wishes? Consider how a child might plead with a parent until the parent finally gives in. Is this how God wants us to approach Him in prayer? Certainly not.Prayer must be constant—asking, pleading, and even begging—but for what? Should we beg God to conform to what we think is best? No. True prayer is when we ask, plead, and beg that God change us and conform us to His perfect will.The Our Father teaches us both the sentiments and content of true prayer. We begin by acknowledging who God is—our loving and intimate Father who dwells in Heaven. Though He is transcendent and beyond us, He is also near, like a father who lovingly watches over His children.God is holy—wholly other, perfect in every way, the Holy One. For this reason, we adore Him, proclaiming that even His name is holy.What do we ask of God in prayer? Not that He fulfills our will, but that “Thy will be done!” His will is accomplished when His Kingdom is established in our lives—when He governs us and we live in obedience to His every precept. This requires deep trust and surrender.We also ask for our “daily bread,” which includes all that we need materially and spiritually. We must trust that God will never forsake us as long as we remain faithful to Him. He always provides. Those who rely on worldly riches rather than on God's providence may find themselves spiritually impoverished, so we ask God to provide for every need according to His will.One of our greatest needs is for forgiveness. We all sin and are in need of mercy, which only God can provide. However, God's forgiveness comes with a condition—we must forgive others as well. If we do not extend forgiveness to others, we cannot fully receive it ourselves. True forgiveness, once received, transforms us so profoundly that it must overflow to others as freely and abundantly as it was given to us. The Lord's Prayer concludes by acknowledging the reality of the evil one and the temptations that surround us. Only God's grace can protect us from these snares. This truth should lead us to complete dependence on God's grace and on the ministry of His angels to guard and guide us. Reflect today on how you pray, especially when you recite the Our Father. Do you fully understand what you are saying? Do you believe it with all your heart? Your Father in Heaven knows your needs. Trust Him, turn to Him, acknowledge His holiness, worship Him, rely on His providence, seek and extend forgiveness, and allow Him to protect you from evil. If you do, you will pray as Jesus desires. Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe StockSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Read OnlineJesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13Sodium chloride, also known as salt, is one of the most commonly used substances in the world, used for seasoning, preserving, and purifying. Sodium chloride is a very stable compound and cannot lose its flavor unless there is a chemical reaction or dissolution. Why, then, did Jesus suggest that salt could lose its taste? One likely explanation is that the salt used in ancient Palestine could indeed lose its flavor due to impurities and the conditions in which it was stored.The Dead Sea, located in modern-day southeast Israel, contains a massive deposit of salt and other minerals. According to biblical history, Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt in this region. Because of the vast salt and mineral deposits, the area surrounding the Dead Sea is desolate.Salt extracted from the Dead Sea was never pure sodium chloride. Gypsum and other minerals were also present, making the salt impure. If this salt were stored improperly or came into contact with water, the sodium chloride could dissolve and wash away, leaving behind the solid residue of minerals. These residual substances, like gypsum, had the appearance of salt but were tasteless and useless for flavoring, preserving, and purifying purposes. When this happened, the “salt” lost its taste. In light of this explanation, Jesus' teaching becomes especially clear.The first notable feature of salt is its ability to add flavor to food. By calling His disciples the “salt of the earth,” Jesus was instructing them to enhance the “flavor” of the world by bringing the truth of the Gospel and the joy of His message to others. A Christian life lived in fidelity to Christ would make the world a better and more virtuous place, just as salt enhances the flavor of food.Salt is also commonly used for preservation. Before the age of refrigerators and freezers, salt was mixed with food to prevent corruption, by drawing out moisture and hindering bacteria and other microorganisms. Though this practice is still used today, it was especially vital in ancient times. By being the “salt of the earth,” Jesus was calling His disciples to preserve the world from moral decay. Through their witness and proclamation of the Gospel, they were to act as a preservative against sin and spiritual ruin. If they were to “lose their taste,” they would become indistinguishable from the rest of the world and ineffective in their mission. Hence, Jesus was exhorting them—and us—to avoid becoming watered down and bland in our witness to the Gospel.Lastly, salt held a significant role in Jewish religious practices, symbolizing purity and consecration. In sacrificial rituals, salt was used to consecrate offerings, as commanded in Leviticus: “You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not let the salt of the covenant with your God be lacking from your grain offering. On every offering you shall offer salt” (Leviticus 2:13). By seasoning their offerings with salt, the Israelites preserved the sacrifices from decay, making them pure. This practice reflects the disciples' role in purifying the world through their example of holiness, their lives of self-sacrifice, and their participation in Christ's redemptive work. They were to live lives of integrity, leading others to God through the purity of their hearts and their unwavering commitment to His will.Reflect today on this powerful metaphor of being the salt of the earth. The world desperately needs the enriching “flavor” of God's grace. Without Him, the world is left to corruption and decay. With God, we, and those we serve, are preserved as pure and holy offerings, adding to His glory and growing in holiness. Be the salt of the earth. Do not become watered down in your faith. Remain steadfast in your fidelity to Christ and His Gospel, and you will transform the world around you. In doing so, you will not only glorify God but will also share in His eternal joy. wqw2232Most pure and enriching Lord, You alone enrich and enhance our lives, preserve us from sin, and make us a pure offering to Your Father. Please use me to be an instrument of Your grace to the world, making me the “salt” that remains pure and effective, to bring Your saving truth to the ends of the earth. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Ilyas Basim Khuri Bazzi Rahib, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Today Your Mother and Your Father cover the first three episodes of The Traitors (Season 4)! They discuss the excellent choice of Traitors, drama already festering in the Manor, everyone “mishearing” each other, tough physical challenges, changes to the show's format, and the (brand new) Secret Traitor!***Tune in Wednesday (1/21) for the next Traitor's recap!THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:***HUNGRYROOT: Get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life at https://www.hungryroot.com/momdad with code MOMDAD***MINT MOBILE: This January, quit overspending on wireless with 50% off Unlimited premium wireless. Plans start at $15/month at https://www.mintmobile.com/MOMDAD ***REMI: Go to shopremi.com/MOMDAD and use code MOMDAD at checkout for 50% off!***BETTER HELP: This episode is sponsored by Better Help - Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.BetterHelp.com/momdad 

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:Genesis 27-28; Psalm 4 and Luke 11 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible podcast! In today's episode, dated January 11th, Hunter, your Bible Reading Coach and brother, guides us through a rich journey in Scripture, diving into Genesis chapters 27 and 28, Psalm 4, and Luke chapter 11. As always, Hunter invites us to keep things simple: spending time in God's Word, letting it shape and transform us, with the ultimate goal of experiencing the love of Jesus. This episode traces the dramatic story of Jacob and Esau, the struggle for blessing and birthright, and God's faithfulness in Jacob's life—even as he journeys away from home. We hear David's cry for help in Psalm 4, and receive Jesus' wisdom in Luke, including His teaching on prayer, the goodness of God as our Father, warnings against religious hypocrisy, and encouragement to seek God persistently. Through heartfelt reflections, Hunter challenges the lies of separation and legalism, pointing us to a God who is close, present, and loving—not distant or angry. The episode closes with prayer, practical encouragement, and an invitation to deeper engagement with Scripture every day. So, whether you're new or a longtime listener, settle in and let today's Scriptures and reflections draw you closer to Jesus—the One who offers unconditional love and the gift of Himself, the Holy Spirit. Let's walk together, step by step, in this daily journey of faith! TODAY'S DEVOTION: He's angry. These teachers are a bunch of fakes. He's angry because these teachers of His Word ought to be offering people something real, something true. He's angry because they're a bunch of religious, self-righteous, self-serving hypocrites, and Jesus is none too happy about it. They're telling lies about God, and the main one is a lie of separation. God is separate, he's distant, and he's angry. He's angry until you perform the right religious duties, until you wash your hands the right way, until you wash your cup in just the right way, until you give the right amount of everything that you own in just the right way. Even the herbs in your garden and a thousand other things like this were all used as a way of ensuring that you knew that God was separate from you, that he was angry with you. And this message of separation served these guys well. They leveraged it for coercion and control, for power, prestige, and money. They used this lie to become important in the eyes of those with power. They liked to walk around with their flowing robes in the marketplaces. They liked when important people, powerful people, recognized them and honored them. All the while the people suffer. Jesus looked at this and declared it hogwash. He called them hypocrites, snakes, vipers. In effect, Jesus says, you say that you speak for God, but you don't know God. If you knew God, you would know his justice, not yours, which is so rarely just. You would know his love—his love which declares that God is not separate. Rather, God is here. He is with us, and God is for all people. He is wanting his people and his priests who use his name to tell the truth, to demonstrate the love and justice of God, to live in the reality of the God who is with us, the God who is their present king, because it's true and the world so desperately needs it. If you read the Bible and you're left with a God who is separate, distant, petty, and angry, more concerned with how much turmeric you tithe than he is about you loving your neighbor and knowing that you are loved, then you've been sold a lie and you have completely missed the point of who he is. Because the point of his word is to show us that God is for us, not against us. That God is good. That God is not petty, but abounding in grace and mercy. That God is present and he is full of love. This was the message of all the prophets. God. God is with you, people. Wake up. Wake up to the God who is with you. He's angry that religion has become a way to crush people's spirits with unbearable religious demands rather than something that sets them free and makes them new. Jesus begins this reading in Luke by telling us that God is something completely different than what the Pharisees are selling. Jesus says God's not like that. God is good. When you ask him for good things, he doesn't give you scorpions and snakes. He's a good father. Don't let circumstances and the seeming delay in God's response to your need dissuade you from the truth of his kindness. Like the man who's knocking and seeking and asking for bread, God comes through. So keep asking, keep knocking, keep seeking. God's not angry with you. Don't let others or the circumstances prevent you from knowing the kind of father that you really have. Your Father knows what it's like to give his children good gifts. Earthly fathers know what it's like to do that. How much more will our good Father give good gifts if we ask for them? Jesus is angry at the evil in this world that keeps people from knowing and experiencing his loving kindness. God's not angry with you. What's the gift the good Father is giving? He's giving himself. He's giving the Holy Spirit. How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? He is offering himself to be with us and in us. Pray that God will renew your mind so that you will no longer see your Father as separate from you and angry with you, but rather as good and kind. He wants to give you everything. May your soul, may my soul, may we know this well today. That's my prayer. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Read OnlineJesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. Luke 4:14–15This passage from Luke's Gospel takes place immediately after Jesus was baptized by John and spent forty days in the desert, enduring and overcoming the temptations of the evil one. He returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.” Although Luke had not yet recorded any of Jesus' miracles, it becomes clear later in the chapter that Jesus had already performed some in Capernaum, and “news of him spread throughout the whole region.”What was it that caught the attention of so many people? In addition to the word spreading about His miracles, it's likely that the aura of sanctity He had begun to manifest also drew people in. Until that time, Jesus had lived a hidden life. Though He was perfect in every way, His divinity remained concealed within His humanity until the appointed time for His manifestation. Now that the time had come, the veil began to lift, and people started to take notice.Similarly, in our lives, there are times when God calls us to keep our faith concealed within the depths of our souls, to deepen our personal conversion. Then there are times when God lifts the veil and manifests His grace and mercy through us to others. This intentional manifestation of God's grace and glory must happen according to the power and timing of the Holy Spirit. It's not for us to decide how God wants to shine through us—it's up to Him.When you examine your life, what do you see as God's will for you right now? Perhaps your conversion is recent, and much is taking place interiorly. Maybe you are facing temptations and need to rest with our Lord in the desert, confronting and overcoming the evil one. Or perhaps this is a time when God wants to begin manifesting His holiness through you more clearly to others.Today's Gospel ends on a high note: “all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.” That quickly changed, however, when our Lord chastised the people of Nazareth for being more interested in seeing a miracle than in embracing Him as the Anointed One of God, spoken of in the passage He had just read from Isaiah. Jesus' mission was to convert hearts and reveal His true identity as the Messiah. Because the people in His hometown were more interested in seeing a miracle, as if it were a magic trick, they missed the true purpose of His mission and blamed their hardness of heart on Jesus.Likewise, in our lives, when God chooses to manifest His divine grace through us, we should not expect everyone to be receptive. When we are changed by grace, that change will challenge others. Just as the people in Jesus' hometown were not ready to accept Who He was and is, we should anticipate that some might not accept that God is manifesting His grace and truth through us and reject us as those in Nazareth rejected our Lord. Reflect today on the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. As you do, consider whether God might be calling you to begin a “public ministry” of your own, in the way He wills. Be at peace with whatever reaction you receive. While some will rejoice with you, others might not. Have courage, listen to the Holy Spirit, and allow God's anointing to manifest Himself through you in any way He chooses. My divine Lord, in accord with Your Father's will, You concealed Your divinity during the first thirty years of Your earthly life. When the time was right, You began to lift the veil and reveal Your holiness and power. Please help me discern when to embrace a hidden life of prayer and conversion and when You wish to manifest Your holiness through me. Give me the courage to act always in accord with Your perfect will and perfect timing. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.