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faith-full? “Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1 Faith is an assurance. This confident assurance concerns what we hope for but can’t see. We are saved by faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8). “All depends on faith” (Rm 4:16). Without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). The conquerors of the world are those who have faith that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Jn 5:5). When Jesus comes back a second and final time, He will be looking to see if there is any faith on this earth (Lk 18:8). Therefore, we defini...

spiritual suicide? “Do not, then, surrender your confidence; it will have great reward.” —Hebrews 10:35 Satan is trying to get us to surrender our confidence, to draw back (Heb 10:38-39), to give up, to commit spiritual suicide. To keep the faith, we have to endure “a great contest of suffering” (Heb 10:32). This contest lasts a long time. Relief in our sufferings seems indefinitely delayed (see Heb 10:37). Any benefits from our sufferings seem to be invisible or negligible. Under these circumstances, we naturally feel like giving up. Satan will even let us give up without appearing...

miracle grow “But those sown on good soil are the ones who listen to the word, take it to heart, and yield at thirty- and sixty- and a hundredfold.” —Mark 4:20 Jesus tells the crowds about the fruitfulness of good soil and the reasons why soil does not bear fruit. He also gives advice on how to turn unproductive soil into fruitful ground. Jesus can soften the hardest, rockiest ground, as He did with St. Paul. But we are God’s coworkers, and Jesus plans to use us to till the ground and care for it (see Gn 2:15). This includes the care of our own heart and soul.

family tree “For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God bestowed when my hands were laid on you.” —2 Timothy 1:6 How well do you know your Catholic ancestry? Do you realize Timothy and Titus were ordained bishops? (see 2 Tm 1:6) By the laying on of hands, the Apostle Paul commissioned them for evangelistic work. “As for Titus, he is my companion and fellow worker in your behalf” (2 Cor 8:23). This illustrates New Testament-era apostolic succession. Paul also assigned a precise mission. “My purpose in leaving you in Crete was that you might accomplish what had...

jesus and food Jesus “returned to the house with them and again the crowd assembled, making it impossible for them to get any food whatever.” —Mark 3:20 Jesus was and is a sign of contradiction (Lk 2:34). As the Prophet, He did and said things which were challenging, confrontational, even shocking. Although He “ruffled a few feathers,” people didn’t get too upset over these things. Yet when Jesus put Himself in such a crowded situation that it was impossible even to get food to Him, that did it. Jesus’ relatives “came to take charge of Him, saying, ‘He is out of His mind’ ...