Thursday, April 11, 2013

Saturday, April 13, 2013



Reflection:  The Apostles encounter rough waters.  They saw the Lord and they “began to be afraid,” but Jesus calms their hearts saying:  “It is I.  Do not be afraid.”  How many times in our own lives will we encounter rough waters?  Sometimes these rough waters are even placed in our lives by God in an effort to draw us closer to Him so that He might calm our hearts and assure us that He is by our side.  It is easy to view struggles and difficulties as frustrating burdens in our lives, but Jesus asks us to carry our cross just as He did.  Sometimes we need those moments of frustration, being weighed down by the burdens of life, in order to fully place our lives and our trust in God.  When our lives are going smoothly, we can easily forget that God is the one keeping the waters calm for us; but when the waters get rough, we are reminded that only God can calm the stormy seas.  When the waves start to crash against your boat in the stormy seas, look out on the water for our Lord.  If we call out to Him and reach for Him, He will always guide us toward solid ground.

Reflection for younger saints:  The Apostles were caught in their boat on a stormy sea.  Jesus came out to them and calmed the sea and brought them back to solid ground.  We will face storms and hard times in our lives, but if we trust in God, He will always keep us safe.

Big Picture:  God will always guide us back to solid ground.

Discussion Starters:
     Younger saints:
  What did Jesus tell them Apostles when their boat was caught on stormy seas?  How did Jesus help the Apostles?  (He brought them back to the shore.)  When we face troubles and hard times in our life, who can we turn to for help?
     Older saints:  Reflect on your own life and when your faith and your relationship with God has been the strongest?  Is it in easy times, or is it during difficult times that you turn to God in prayer?  How has God guided you and helped you through those challenging times?

Fun Fact:  For something to be a mortal sin it must:  be seriously wrong, you must know it is seriously wrong, and you must choose to do the act (St. Joseph’s Baltimore Catechism No. 1, 2008, p. 32).

Saint of the day: 
     Name:
 Saint Martin I
     What they are remembered for:  St. Martin became pope during a tumultuous time in Church history.  He served as pope and spoke out against the emperor’s desire to run the Church.  As a result of his opposition to the emperor, he was tortured and treated very improperly.
     Feast day:  April 13
    
Daily Notes:
 

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