Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Thursday, January 24, 2013



Reflection:  The readings today paint a beautiful picture for us of who Jesus is.  We see that He is humble, as He wants to point the way to God, rather than to be known for His miracles.  We are reminded of His holy and sinless self.  We are reminded that He offered Himself as the one, true sacrifice for our sins, though He was without blemish and without need to offer sacrifices on His own behalf.  Finally, we are reminded that Jesus has taken His place at the right hand of God and He lives forever to make intercessions on our behalf.  All we must do is seek Him and strive to be close to Him.

Big Picture:  Follow Jesus and you will find God

Discussion Starters:
     Younger saints:
  Is there more than one God?  (No, there is only one God, but God is made of three persons.)  Who are the three persons that make up God?  (God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit).  What is another name that we give the three persons of God?  (The Blessed Trinity).
     Older saints:  The letter to the Hebrews tells us that we can approach God through Jesus’ intercession.  What does this mean to you?  If Jesus is God and a member of the blessed Trinity, then what does it mean that we can approach God through Jesus?  (The idea of God and the blessed Trinity is a very abstract idea, and can be hard to visualize and understand.  However, scripture makes it easier for us to grasp who Jesus is because of the stories and examples of His life.  Because of this it is easier for us to relate to Jesus, communicate with Him, and strive to live like Him.  As we strive to relate to, to live like, and to pray to Jesus, He brings our prayers to God the Father in heaven.)

Fun Fact:  We learn to know, love, and serve God from Jesus.  He teaches us through the Catholic Church (St. Joseph’s Baltimore Catechism No. 1, 2008, p. 13).

Saint of the day: 
     Name:
  St. Francis de Sales
     Key aspect of their life:  St. Francis set out to convert over 60,000 Calvinists back to Catholicism with only his cousin by his side.  After three years of bitter cold winters and no conversions, his cousin left him.  St. Francis was a very patient man and he continued to seek to convert souls back to Catholicism by writing his sermons on paper and slipping them under people’s doors.  By the time St. Francis left to go home it is believed he converted 40,000 Calvinists back to Catholicism.  How can you be like St. Francis de Sales and bring more people to Catholicism?
     Feast day:  January 24
     Patron saint of:  journalists, writers

 Daily Notes: 

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