Sacred Healing 12:30

There is an important difference between the teachings that we must believe, which are infallible (deposit, dogma), and/or unchangeable (doctrine), and the rules that we must obey but which are changeable (disciplines). Finally, there are areas where we are free to believe or not believe, practice or not practice, without offending against faith (devotions). Except for fasting and abstinence, most of what we practice at Lent is under the realm of "devotion." What's the difference? And is it relevant? Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Paul W; Barbara G; Rebecca B; Linda P; Rebekah H; Debbie C; Donna B; Dorothy T; Davielle H; and Deanne B, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Listen to Allegri’s Psalm 51, the Miserere (sung in Latin) while reading the words in English here.  According to tradition, this is the song King David composed in his remorse after the prophet Nathan confronted him for his adultery with Bathsheba, as recounted in 2 Samuel 11-12. For both Jews and Christians since, the Psalmist’s plea for mercy and a clean heart has been at the heart of worship and prayer, and is the attitude we cultivate at Lent.  Written in the late 1630s, this music was considered so sacred that it was forbidden to transcribe it, and to perform it anywhere except in the Sistine Chapel was grounds for excommunication. The choir sings in nine parts, divided between two choirs and a treble voice that soars above the plainsong to high C. Legend has it that Mozart heard the Miserere performed at age fourteen, and later transcribed it from memory. Mozart’s transcription was published, and he was summoned to Rome by the pope who commended him rather than excommunicating him. Performed here by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Amen.+ Tour Italy with Sonja ~ Click the pic to register Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.  

We're preparing to sow to the Spirit this Lent through prayer and fasting. Until I was Catholic, it never occurred to me that the Filet-O-Fish' sandwich is not an ordinary staple at McDonald's except in the spring, or that the sudden flurry of Red Lobster commercials just before Easter was similarly calculated. Where does this traditional Lenten Catholic practice originate? Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Paul W; Barbara G; Rebecca B; Linda P; Rebekah H; Debbie C; Donna B; Dorothy T; Davielle H; and Deanne B, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) The Harvest Is the End of the World and the Reapers are Angels from Mathew 13:39 by Roger Wagner "The essential sign that we are grown up is that we can accept responsibility. All actions have consequences, but the consequences may not be visible. Jesus is adamant that he will not destroy the wheat and the tares, that he will let the sheep and goats pasture together until the time of judgment. None of us is wholly wheat or wholly tare: we are a mixture of both. But every tare we have sown must be destroyed so that we can be pure wheat for God's holy bread. Either we must wait until the time of judgment for the angels to reap God's harvest or we must cooperate with him and do it while we are still alive. Wagner's picture, with a dark, threatening sky and the angels with their sickles, forewarns us of what is to come. We may look over our lives and see a vista like the golden grain, but God knows there are tares hidden there. He will destroy them if we truly desire him to make us pure." Sister Wendy Beckett, The Art of Lent V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Lord, Hear my prayer as I discern and select my Lenten devotions and begin this wilderness journey with you. Transform me this Lent, heavenly Father. Give me the strength to commit myself to grow closer to you each day. Amen.+ Tour Italy with Sonja ~ Click the pic to register Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.  

"Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvellously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit maybe produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit - indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born - all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (CCC 901). Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Dora D; Rowena A; Julie B; and Thomas M, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – As an image-bearer of God, how does your work reflect some aspect of God’s work? Do you work with justice and charity? I | Ignatian –  As you read John the Baptist's exchange with those who ask about work and calling, what are your thoughts? Can you imagine yourself in this scenario? What does God want you to do? A | Augustinian – In Genesis 2.15, the Hebrew word for work is ‘abad, which is also the same word used to describe the work of the priests in the temple when they lead the people in worship of God. What does this mean for you? How does it apply to your work?  T | Thomistic – Thomist personality types often have the hardest time balancing their priorities properly because they are so goal-driven and not as relationship-driven. What has God said to you about the level of balance or imbalance in your life through this series?  V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my many sins; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop, by means of labor, the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, prudence and patience, never surrendering to weariness or difficulties; to work, above all, with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, having always death before my eyes and the account which I must render of time lost, of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success so fatal to the work of God. Amen.+ . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Tour Italy with Sonja ~ Click the pic to register Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.  

"It is certain that when the husband and wife are subject to one another 'out of reverence for Christ,' a just balance will be established such as to correspond to their Christian vocation in the mystery of Christ (Pope St. John Paul II, General Audience of Wednesday August 11, 1982).  How to Really Love Your Child, by Dr. Ross Campbell, explains the three ways children receive and feel love. They are 1) loving eye contact; 2) loving physical touch, and; 3) quality time. Because women feel and receive love similarly, they are often inherently better at communicating love to their children, whereas men sometimes have to work harder to communicate their love to wives and children, as this type of communication sometimes does not come as naturally to them. Ross goes so far as to say parents should never punish their children for misbehavior until they have cycled through these three ways of love, since misbehavior is often the child's way of communicating their need for love. I have found this to be true in my own experience with my kids. Friends of the Show get all Premium Content! Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Keith Y; Beth W; Michele M; Katrina I; and Allyson M (welcome back!), for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) As you choose and work through your FIAT action item(s), keep in mind we are discussing both physical and spiritual children. F | Franciscan – As you listened to the show, were you inspired to some charitable action toward your family or a particular family member? How will you obey that inspiration from the Holy Spirit?  I | Ignatian – One of our texts for this week's show talks about the joy of having a “full quiver,” that is, the blessings of children (physical/spiritual). An archer with a quiver full of arrows goes into battle and fires, fully armed.  Using all your senses, imagine the "battle" for which your physical and/or spiritual children are the arrows in your quiver. Are you on offense or defense? What is the Lord saying to you through this passage?  A | Augustinian – What was the most significant thing you heard in this show? If anything particularly struck you, could it be the voice of God, already acting and moving in your heart and life? How can you use the principles from this show to improve the relationships in your family and/or community?  T | Thomistic – Take a look at this text from the show. Then, read this brief bit of info on the use of modern archery in warfare. Why do you think the Bible calls physical and/or spiritual children "arrows" in a quiver?  V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) We thank you, O God, for the Love You have implanted in our hearts. May it always inspire us to be kind in our words, considerate in our actions, and concerned for others' needs and wishes. Help us understand and forgive human weakness and failure. Increase our faith and trust in You, and may Your Prudence guide our life and love. Bless our Marriages O God; bless the world with many more holy marriages; bless us with Peace and Happiness, and make our love fruitful for Your glory and our Joy both here and in eternity. Amen.+ . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz!

Rest is not a luxury, it is a spiritual discipline. The key to finding balance in your life, to having a well-ordered life, is to follow the pattern God embedded in creation. And that rhythm involves worship/rest as the crown of the week, followed by six days of work. Worship/rest is a commandment. A proper Sunday observance helps balance our lives and gives meaning to our time. "[Christians] are obliged in conscience to arrange their Sunday rest in a way which allows them to take part in the Eucharist, refraining from work and activities which are incompatible with the sanctification of the Lord’s Day, with its characteristic joy and necessary rest for spirit and body . . . Understood and lived in this fashion, Sunday in a way becomes the soul of the other days, and in this sense we can recall the insight of Origen that the perfect Christian “is always in the Lord’s Day, and is always celebrating Sunday”  (St. John Paul II, Dies Domini)  Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Joseph R; Joy F; Elizabeth K; Candice Z; and Ed P, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – Does it change how you see Sundays to know that rest/worship is a Commandment and not optional? What gesture can you offer God this week to make your Sunday more worshipful and restful, for you and your family? I | Ignatian –  After Communion this Sunday, kneel with God and remember how your past work week went. What was good, what was bad, what was expected and unexpected? How did you cooperate with God's work in the world in the week past? Imagine how the coming work week will look. Ask Him for a new consciousness of how you can work with Him more deliberately next week.  A | Augustinian – Often we have a hard time resting on Sundays because the laundry screams to us from the laundry room, the dirty dishes demand attention from the sink, and the Monday schedule creeps in with it's looming morning gauntlet and must-do checklists. List three concrete steps you can take this week to prepare early for Sunday, so that these distractions do not prevent a real worship/rest for you and your family. T | Thomistic – Use this guide to help you memorize the Ten Commandments. Teach your children and grandchildren to memorize them too! V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) O God, by the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ on the first day of the week, you conquered sin, put death to flight, and gave us the hope of everlasting life. Redeem all our days by this victory; forgive our sins, banish our fears, make us bold to praise you and to do your will; and steel us to wait for the consummation of your kingdom on the last great Day; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.+ . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Tour Italy with Sonja ~ Click the pic to register Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app!

As we consider all of the areas we want to improve, where is God in this new year? Make 2020 a year when you are focused on Jesus: God and rest first. Yes, rest! Vocation second, work third. This series looks at key passages in the Old and New Testaments, and explores ways we can place Jesus at the center of our everyday living. Action items are in the LOVE the Word® exercises, below. Choose one! Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Natalie K, and Bob R, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:10). What comes to mind when you read this verse? What "good work" is the Holy Spirit inspiring you to do? Use the gift of your spontaneity to offer that sacrifice this week. I | Ignatian –  Consider your go-to sin, then one you fall into over and over without even thinking, until you've done it, or failed to do it, and feel the guilt hanging over you. Notice the situations that provoke that reaction. This is called "the near occasion of sin," and the Church exhorts us to avoid these situations. How can you avoid your near occasion of sin? Outline a two or three-step strategy for dealing with this reaction when it comes up next. Use all your senses to visualize yourself using the strategy and winning. Expect a pop quiz in the near future!   A | Augustinian – "What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things he has rendered unto me? I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord" (Ps 115:12-13). Meditate on this passage for a few moments. What does Jesus ask of you? How can you obey? T | Thomistic – "Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..." (James 1:17). Make a list of all your blessings; list as many as you can in ten minutes. How can you thank Him? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) May Your name be glorified for You alone are worthy, for You looked down on our pitiful world and chose to give Your only Beloved Son to be the perfect sacrifice to pay the price for the sins of all of Your people. There are no words sufficient enough to praise and bless You for all that You have poured over the heads of Your children, and into the hearts of those that love and trust You. You alone are worthy of our thanksgiving and praise, and we bless Your name forever and ever. Amen.+ . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here,  courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.  

Not all anger is bad: “He who is not angry, whereas he has cause to be, sins. For unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices; it fosters negligence, and incites not only the wicked but the good to do wrong” (St. John Chrysostom). How do we tell the difference? God always confronts and helps us work through our anger, if we let Him. He helps us tame the monster within by asking us specifically about it. Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Keith S; Leslie A; Gail R; Elizabeth M (thank you for the extra lift ;) and Rosemary K, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Take a look at this list of questions God asks His angry people in the Scriptures throughout this series. Does any one of them stand out for you? Choose the one that resonates most. Cain, Genesis 4:6, “Why are you angry?” Esau, Genesis 27:36, “Is he not rightly named Jacob (cheater)?” Moses, Exodus 2:14, “Who made you a prince and judge?” Balaam, Numbers 22, “What have I done to you?” Haman, Esther 7:2, “What is your request?” Elijah, 1 Kings 19:9, “What are you doing here?” Saul, 1 Samuel 15:19, “Why did you not obey?” David, 2 Samuel 12:9, “Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord?” Jonah 4:4, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Prodigal’s Brother, Luke 15: 28, “Won’t you come to the party?” Judas, Luke 22:48, “Are you betraying me?” Paul, Acts 9, “Why are you persecuting me?” F | Franciscan – Make a list of all the good, virtuous, and admirable qualities in the person you are most angry at. List at least ten. And if you can get 25, I'll offer a Mass for you both. Drop me a comment or message me on Facebook. I | Ignatian –  Imagine you are sitting knee to knee, facing Jesus. You are in a room alone together as He says these words (questions, above) to you. What are your thoughts and feelings? What will you do?  A | Augustinian – Which episode of this series resonated with you most? What does the Lord want you to do now? T | Thomistic – See if you can commit the list of people and questions, above, to memory.  V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said to Your Apostles: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you," regard not my sins but the faith of Your Church, and deign to give her peace and unity according to Your Will: Who live and reign, God, world without end. Amen.+ . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts...

We can have the faith and attend the church of our parents. We can be about God’s business. We can be doing great good. But what if we don’t realize we are fighting against Jesus Himself? Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Keith S; Leslie A; Gail R; Elizabeth M (thank you for the extra lift ;) and Rosemary K, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – Saul had “inherited religion” – but he didn’t have faith until he encountered the risen Jesus. Get in touch with your parents (via prayer if they are no longer alive) and thank them for your faith.  I | Ignatian – Try to recall your first memories of faith. Using all your senses, try to remember each detail. Thank the Lord for those moments. Perhaps you want to offer a Mass of thanksgiving?  A | Augustinian – Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Are you in contact with Him every day? Where are you kicking against His goading in your life right now? T | Thomistic – Take a look at this entry on goads. What do you learn about Paul, and yourself? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Help us, O Lord, to be obedient children but help us also to cast out of our hearts and minds all things that might hinder us in a whole and holy love for You. As You did love the world, help us to love. As You gave Yourself for us, help us to give ourselves for You. Amen.+ . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.

Judas had a plan, but Jesus was not cooperating. What do we do when the Church and even God Himself seems to let us down? To be “disillusioned” means to have illusions stripped away, and that’s a good thing: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Melissa O'N; Julie F; and Patrick C, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – If you don't already, receive the Eucharist on the tongue at your next Mass, remembering that Jesus is offering you the honored bread. (Go to Confession, first, if you have sinned mortally.) I | Ignatian –  Take a moment to read this poem; try your best to imagine yourself as Judas. A | Augustinian – If you don't already, receive the Eucharist on the tongue at your next Mass, remembering that Jesus is offering you the honored bread. (Go to Confession, first, if you have sinned mortally.) T | Thomistic – This one may be harder for you, Thomistic one, but take a moment to read this poem. What is Jesus telling you? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) O God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins, because I fear the loss of heaven and the pangs of hell, but most of all because You are all good and worthy of all my love. I resolve, therefore, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.+ . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you. Image Credit - Image by Peggy Choucair from Pixabay 

Everyone feels unappreciated and overlooked sometimes. The prodigal son has an older, clearly responsible and obedient brother. Scholars tell us this brother represents the Pharisees, with whom Jesus shares this parable. How does God deal with our resentment when we feel our efforts are unacknowledged? Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Jamie D, and Jonathan M, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – Invite someone single or lonely to your home or out for a meal.  I | Ignatian –  When you imagine this parable, do you see yourself as the rude prodigal, the angry older brother, or the father caught between them? Using all your senses, imagine the ending of this story, the way you hope it goes in your own life. A | Augustinian – One of the most wonderful truths in this parable is that God cares more about His relationship with you than anything you do for Him: "You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours" (Luke 15:31). In what situation or with whom do you feel yourself resentful toward?  has given you all that He has (vs 31), “everything I have is yours” pleads with you to come to His party (vs 28). In the situation that came to mind, above, go out of your way to treat someone better than they deserve this week. T | Thomistic – Take a moment to take a little quiz on your resentment level.  V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) O God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins, because I fear the loss of heaven and the pangs of hell, but most of all because You are all good and worthy of all my love. I resolve, therefore, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.+ . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you. Image Credit: Esi Grünhagen, Pixabay

God tells Jonah to preach salvation to his enemy. So Jonah does the only sensible thing; he heads in the opposite direction! Jonah tried to thwart God’s will by doing the opposite of what he was asked. As a result, he finds himself in “deep.” Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Julie L; Pam DiM; Kelly K; and Kathleen M, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – Make an effort to interact and serve people or a person that you dislike or disagree with. What might God want to teach you through them? I | Ignatian –  As you imagine Jonah's story, what do you sense God is trying to tell you?  A | Augustinian – Jonah, God’s prophet, was prejudiced. What’s the group you seriously dislike? Color, race, education, nationality, religion or “side” of Catholicism or Christianity, sexual preference, politician or political party, social justice issue, ISIS, immigrants, Panthers or Broncos, gun control advocates or pro-lifers, someone else? How are you called to serve them? T | Thomistic – Can a whale really swallow a person, and could that person survive?  What does that tell you about biblical genres and the purpose of Jonah's story? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) O God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins, because I fear the loss of heaven and the pangs of hell, but most of all because You are all good and worthy of all my love. I resolve, therefore, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.+  . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Let's go to the Holy land! Click the flier for details.  Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.

Often we are not sorry for our actions because we are willfully ignorant of how they affect others. When Nathan confronts David over his sin, he becomes deeply angry at the injustice of his own actions. How do we deal with being confronted by someone else, especially when they are right and we are in the wrong? How do we deal with the guilt of doing wrong? Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, , for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – To whom do you need to go to ask for forgiveness? Do that this week. I | Ignatian –  Read Nathan's story of the rich man who takes a poor man’s pet lamb to feed a visiting guest, despite having a huge flock of sheep of his own. What does the little pet lamb smell and feel like? Are you the rich man or the poor man in the story? What is Jesus saying to you?   A | Augustinian – One of the telling things about guilt is that it creates great anger in our souls towards others who are guilty of the same thing we are guilty of.  Our anger and judgment is focused on them but in reality it is the fear of exposure and the judgment we know we deserve. This is called projecting. At whom are you currently angry or judgmental? Is there any projection occurring in your heart and mind?  T | Thomistic – Psalm 51 is David’s response to the exposure and disclosure of his guilt. Read Psalm 51, here, and take a look at how it breaks down into three simple prayers: Verses 1-6 Prayer of Confession and Contrition Verses 7-12 Prayer for Restoration Verses 13-17 Prayer of Thanksgiving What important lessons do you learn on how to overcome guilt?  V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) O God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins, because I fear the loss of heaven and the pangs of hell, but most of all because You are all good and worthy of all my love. I resolve, therefore, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.+  . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Let's go to the Holy land! Click the flier for details.  Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.

Saul was angry because he experienced the consequences of his actions. Are you really following God? Are you living a life of partial obedience to the Church? Do you find it easier to be obedient when you know people are looking? Have you been struggling with some area of your life that you know needs to be surrendered to God? How do you avoid the consequences of disobedience? OBEY. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice...For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1 Sam 15:22-23). Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Marianne K; Tom G; Jean R; Stacey B; Eddie R; Rodney H; Melanie T; Erin B; and Tracy Lee P, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – Is there some area of your life that you have withheld from God? What's the first small step you can take toward full obedience? What might the consequences of your continued disobedience be? I | Ignatian –  As you read the passage and imagine the exchange between Samuel and Saul, what thoughts arise? Are you Samuel, or are you Saul?  A | Augustinian – In what area of your life have you been less than fully obedient to God or to the Church? What's the first small step you can take toward full obedience? What might the consequences of your continued disobedience be? T | Thomistic – "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice... For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1 Sam 15:22-23). Why is disobedience likened to witchcraft and/or idolatry in this verse? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Jesus, Almighty Lord, You Who obeyed Your Father to the end, teach me the meaning of obedience. I long to please you and to obey Your will. My worldly nature seeks one way, while my spiritual nature seeks another. Bless me with the strength to obey, that my soul may subdue both natures, blending them into perfect prayer. Grant me the grace to always obey You until my last breath. Amen.+  . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Let's go to the Holy land! Click the flier for details.  Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.

Elijah was one of God’s two greatest prophets, and he dealt with extended depression over what God was not doing in his life and ministry. He experienced fear, suicidal tendencies, excessive tiredness, and feelings of rejection for over two months, well past the time modern doctors would diagnose clinical depression. Elijah was angry at God. In Romans 11:2-5, St. Paul uses Elijah as an example of how God considers our complaints against the people we serve, and our dejection when we think He’s not busy “doing something.” Find out how God helped Elijah dig out of depression. Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Stacey B; Eddie R; Rodney H; Melanie T; and Erin B, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – Step one in God's treatment plan was to send Elijah to His Word. Do you have a daily scripture habit? I | Ignatian –  Step two in God's treatment plan for Elijah's depression was to go to Mt. Horeb, a type of "church," if you will.  Science confirms that that attendance at a house of worship is related to lower rates of depression and anxiety. Prayer and meditation have been shown to lower the risk of depression and heart disease and improve immune function. Time alone with God in prayer and Bible study is a powerful anti-depressant. Do you go to Mass at least every week? A | Augustinian – Twice, God asked Elijah, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:13). Hear God ask you that question. What is your answer? T | Thomistic – Take a look at the following studies on depression and faith. What do you learn? Smith et al, 2003. “Religiousness and depression: Evidence for a main effect and the moderating influence of stressful life events”. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/bul/129/4/614/. Dew et al, 2008. “Religion/Spirituality and adolescent psychiatric symptoms: a review”. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18219572. Law et al, 2009. “The Effects of Church Attendance and Marital Status on the Longitudinal Trajectories of Depressed Mood Among Older Adults”. http://jah.sagepub.com/content/21/6/803.abstract. Blazer, 2011. “Religion/Spirituality and Depression: What Can We Learn From Empirical Studies?”. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=181239. V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) O Christ Jesus, When all is darkness, And we feel our weakness and helplessness, Give us the sense of Your Presence, Your Love and Your Strength. Help us to have perfect trust In Your protecting love And strengthening power, So that nothing may frighten or worry us, For, living close to You, We shall see Your Hand, Your Purpose, Your Will,  through all things (St. Ignatius of Loyola). Amen.+  . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Join me! 2020 Holy land pilgrimage,

Balaam got really ticked off at his donkey. The animal just would not do what he wanted it to do. Balaam had a goal in mind and circumstances were not cooperating with his objectives. It is natural for us to pursue objectives and goal, but what if they don’t work out? The obstacle Balaam was encountering in his donkey was actually a merciful blessing from God, a hindrance designed by God for his guidance and protection. Rather than receiving God’s message to him in the event, Balaam got angry at the donkey. Of course, Balaam’s motives were not right to begin with. But even if I am trying to do a good thing, how do I respond to circumstances I cannot control? Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Marianne K; Tom G; and Jean R, for loving and lifting me! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary. L - Listen (Receive the Word.) If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here.  O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.) F | Franciscan – Take some time to cuddle your pet. Have you every thought of pets as gifts from God?  I | Ignatian – Using all your senses, imagine you are headed on an important errand, but your donkey will not cooperate. What do you do when your donkey speaks to you?! A | Augustinian – Chances are you will face a pop quiz soon involving an unexpected and unwelcome delay. How is that delay a gift from God? T | Thomistic – Can you list the who, what, where, when, why, and how of this story about Balaam and his donkey? V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) St. Anthony, how tongue-tied I can be when I should be praising God and defending the oppressed. My cowardice often strikes me dumb; I am afraid to open my mouth. St. Anthony, Restorer of Speech to the Mute, release me from my fears. Teach me to praise God and to champion the rights of those unjustly treated. Amen.+  . *Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types. Join me! 2020 Holy land pilgrimage, April 13-24 Bible Study Evangelista is on the Laudate app! Share the LOVE Share the LOVE on the Facebook community. Tell me your #LOVEtheWordtakeaway for this week's show.   Read the Transcript You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.