Tagged: Prayer Intention

“Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made.” –Genesis 3:1 Never get into a conversation with the devil. Refuse to speak to him. “He is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44); he’s a fallen angel, superior to us in intelligence. You’re a fool to talk with the accuser, adversary, and liar. That’s the mistake Eve made. The devil initiated the conversation, but “the woman answered the serpent” (Gn 3:2). It wasn’t long before Eve thought God was depriving her of opportunities. She put faith in Satan’s lies and...

“After sunset, as evening drew on, they brought Him all who were ill, and those possessed by demons. Before long the whole town was gathered outside the door.” –Mark 1:32-33 Job faced reality head on and declared: “Life on earth” is “a drudgery” (Jb 7:1). He described life as being “assigned months of misery” (Jb 7:3). Nights are long; days are short (Jb 7:4, 6) and, when we reach the end of them, we are without hope (Jb 7:6). The only Answer to the drudgery of human existence is Jesus. Jesus is the only Hope for humanity, but the only...

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over you as men who must render an account. So act that they may fulfill their task with joy, not with sorrow, for that would be harmful to you.” –Hebrews 13:17 At this morning’s Mass, I am seated next to the Head Director of Presentation Ministries. When I heard the above passage proclaimed by the lector, my heart went out to my brother in Christ. He pours out his heart and his life to lead all of us. He and I also happen to belong to the same home-based...

“With that they went off, preaching the need of repentance. They expelled many demons, anointed the sick with oil, and worked many cures.” —Mark 6:12-13 Many Christians have accepted Jesus as Lord, been converted, and even have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Yet still the great harvest has few workers (Lk 10:2). Few make the transition from basic Christian commitment to ministry. What’s our problem? After Jesus summoned and sent forth the apostles with “authority over unclean spirits” (Mk 6:7), “He instructed them to take nothing on their journey” (Mk 6:8). He even enumerated “no food, no traveling bag,...