Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Thursday, February 14, 2013


Daily Readings:
Dt 30:15-20; Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6; Lk 9:22-25

Reflection:  Today we are faced with a simply, yet challenging question:  will you chose to follow God or will you chose to follow your own desires and the desires of society?  This is not a new question, for we see Moses’ people being faced with this same question long before our time.  Will you chose life and prosperity in heaven, or will you chose earthly “happiness” and death and doom?  The question is simple, and so is our response.  We must simply set aside our desires and our wants and follow Jesus.  It is a simple task, but that does not mean it is easy.  With great sacrifice comes great reward.  “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

Big Picture:  With great sacrifice comes great reward

Discussion Starters:
     Younger saints:
  Today we are discussing sacrifice.  What does the word sacrifice mean?  (To not have one thing because we want to have something else.)  Why do we make sacrifices in our lives?  (We cannot have everything.  Sometimes we want a nice toy from the store that costs a lot of money.  In order to have that toy, we have to save our money, so we cannot buy other toys as we are saving for the one we really want.)  What sacrifices have you made?  What sacrifices has your family made?
     Older saints:  The readings today call us to sacrifice our desires in order to obtain the greatest of gifts from God.  We cannot have all the things of this world, and also have God.  What are you trying to gain in this world, and what relationship with God are you forfeiting in order to seek your own goals and desires?  Reflect on what changes you need to make to your life to more fully follow God.  Set small goals to help you strive toward a deeper relationship with God.

Fun Fact:  We genuflect before the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and we bow before sacred or holy objects.

Saint of the day: 
     Name:
 Saint Valentine
     What they are remembered for:  St. Valentine was imprisoned for performing marriages for Christian couples during a time of persecution of Christians.  He refused to renounce his faith, and was martyred for the faith as a result. 
     Feast day:
  February 14
     Patron saint of:  love, young people, happy marriages

Daily Notes: 

2 comments:

  1. It is so important that we teach our children the importance of sacrifice, of "offering up" those things which bother us and disappointments. Most important is doing it ourselves.

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  2. This is a such a good reminder for me. I tend to quickly fall into feeling sorry for myself, rather than offering up the suffering I am experiencing and being greatful for all that I do have.

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