When the early Christians were chased out of Jerusalem, they went to other towns and chased out unclean spirits. When the Church was paralyzed and crippled from being persecuted, the wounded Church healed the paralytics and cripples. While the Christians mourned the deaths of martyrs, cities rejoiced because they heard and accepted the Gospel (see Acts 8:1-8).
The Lord works everything together for the good of the Church (see Rm 8:28). "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rm 8:31) The One in us is greater than the prince of this world (see 1 Jn 4:4; Jn 14:30). God's wounded become healers. "The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 852, Tertullian). "Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be revealed" (2 Cor 4:10). "There is no chaining the word of God!" (2 Tm 2:9)
"Despite the increase of sin, grace has far surpassed it" (Rm 5:20). "When I am powerless, it is then that I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10). "In all this we are more than conquerors because of Him Who has loved us" (Rm 8:37).
| PRAYER: | Father, change my mourning into dancing (Ps 30:12). |
| PROMISE: | "No one who comes will I ever reject." –Jn 6:37 |
| PRAISE: | Often criticized for his "old-fashioned" ways, Fr. Bill preaches the truth from the pulpit, being an unpopular voice amidst the permissiveness of the culture of death. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College