The Apostle's Blog

  Almighty and everliving God, who by your holy Apostles have taught us to make prayers, and supplications, and to give thanks for all men; Give me first a Spirit of fellowship with all those who pray with me, who I cannot see; and let each of us know that we pray in the unity of Spirit, although we are all separated from one another in body;   We all, and each of us, humbly beseech you most mercifully to accept our alms and oblations, and to receive these our prayers, which we offer unto your Divine Majesty; beseeching you to inspire continually the Universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord: And grant that all those who confess your holy Name may agree in the truth of your holy Word, and live in unity and godly love. We ask you also, so to direct and dispose the hearts of all Christian Rulers, that they may truly and impartially administer justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of your true religion, and virtue. Give grace, O heav

(Virgin Mary and baby Jesus)   Jesus was giving his   twelve disciples   the authority to do the work he called them to do. Yet he didn’t sugarcoat the intensity of what they would face. He laid it all out before them, then reminded them of their worth in the eyes of God. “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” ( Matthew 10:31 )  Like the disciples, moms are called to important work. Yes, it will be hard. Many days, we will be afraid to make the wrong decision and agonize over every little thing. But we will press on, anyway. Even when we feel like we’re failing, we can choose courage instead of fear. Jesus’ reminder about our Father’s care provides a much-needed pep talk for times when mom guilt makes us question our abilities to raise our children well. This Mother’s Day, let me encourage you to find freedom from mom guilt. Jesus awaits with love, understanding, and grace. Let’s take our mistakes to Jesus and trust in the Holy Spirit to continue leading the way.

  No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be   devoted   to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both   God   and Money. (Mat 6:24) Jesus made it clear we can't have it both ways. If we are going to have God in the center of our lives, nothing or no one can share that unique position with him. Jesus Our First Love Similar to the  devotion to Jesus Christ  mentioned there is having Jesus as our  first love.  In fact, if you are walking in a right manner with God, you must have the Lord Jesus as your  first love  now . If not, this is a very serious offense before the Lord himself, as he mentioned: Yet I hold this against you: You have  forsaken your first love . Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent  and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Rev 2:5) The ones addressed had fallen away from having Jesus as their  first love .  The

  The source of our hope is not just in Jesus' prior work on the Cross and in the empty tomb as he  "who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel"  ( 2 Timothy 1:10 ). Our hope isn't dependent upon our own will-power and commitment to hang on to hope — although, at times, we need these virtues. No, God made sure the burning fire of vibrant hope would never run out of fuel in our hearts. He did this by filling us with his Holy Spirit and pouring his love into our hearts. That same Spirit Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise us up and give us life when Jesus returns.

  When we have faith in Jesus, we will draw near to Him because we believe that He exists. It is very easy to underappreciate our Bibles. When we consider that there are still many people across the world who do not have the Scriptures translated into their language, we are reminded that we have been entrusted with a gift. However, it can often not feel like a gift. Sometimes we can believe that reading the Bible is a checklist to “be good” or just part of a daily habit.  Reading the Bible is much more than a to-do list or a self-help book. It is coming to the living and active Word of God to be transformed. ( Hebrews 4:12 ) It is a weapon of  spiritual warfare . ( Ephesians 6:17 ) It is breathed by the Lord. ( 2 Timothy 3:16 ) When we make an intentional decision to read the Bible, we are saying yes to the King of King's invitation to speak life into our everyday day, to refine the areas of our lives that are sinful, and to grow as disciples of Jesus by hearing His direct teaching

  O my God, I am conscious of my mission in the Holy Church. It is my constant endeavor to plead for mercy for the world. I unite myself closely with Jesus and stand before Him as an atoning sacrifice on behalf of the world. God will refuse me nothing when I entreat Him with the voice of His Son. My sacrifice is nothing in itself, but when I join it to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it becomes all-powerful and has the power to appease divine wrath. God loves us in His Son; the painful Passion of the Son of God constantly turns aside the wrath of God