How to resist temptations.

The Bible says that Jesus can help us in all temptations because He has faced them Himself. If that is true, then why do we have so much difficulty resisting temptation? The answer is the Holy Spirit. We need more of the power of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, we ought to pray to and invoke the Holy Spirit, for each one of us greatly needs His protection and His help. The more a man is deficient in wisdom, weak in strength, borne down with trouble, prone to sin, so ought he the more to fly to Him who is the never-ceasing fount of light, strength, consolation and holiness.... Pope Leo XIII

Some Scripture passages about eternal life

"If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." Mt 19:17 "I solemnly assure you, no one can see the reign of God unless he is begotten from above." Jn 3:5 "Whoever believes in the Son has life eternal. Jn 3:36 "I solemnly assure you, the man who hears my word and has faith in Him who sent me possesses eternal life." Jn 5:24 "He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal and I will raise him up on the last day." Jn 6:54 "'Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me.'" Mt 25:34b-36 "I give you my word, there is no one who has given up home, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or property, for me and for the gospel who will not receive in this present age a hundred times as many homes, brothers and sisters, mothers, children and property...and in the age to come, everlasting life." Mk 10:29-30 "Indeed, this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life." Jn 6:40 "My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish." Jn 10:27-28 "Give glory to your Son that your Son may give glory to you, inasmuch as you have given him authority over all mankind, that he may bestow eternal life on those you gave Him." Jn 17:1b-2 ...eternal life to those who strive for glory, honor, and immortality by patiently doing right;... Rom 2:7 God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever possesses the Son possesses life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not possess life. 1 Jn 5:11-12 For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Rom 10:9 (New American Bible)

Prayer for Our Country

Dear Father-- I pray that You would send your Holy Spirit to bring revival to my country; that many would come to repentance for their sins, especially the sins of abortion and homosexuality. I pray that many would come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, be baptized, and be filled with the power of Your Holy Spirit. I ask for your mercy upon us; that you would discipline but not destroy us, for the sake of your children living here. I ask this in the Name of Your Son Jesus.

The Value of Marriage

"...marriage helps to overcome self-absorption, egoism, pursuit of one's own pleasure, and to open oneself to the other, to mutual aid and to self-giving." The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 1609. "Have you not read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and declared, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two shall become as one'?" Jesus, Matthew 19:4-6

Emotions

Many people say, "You can't trust emotions; you can't depend on emotions." This is true. But it is also true that God gave us emotions. Jesus wept and laughed and loved like us. And so emotions must be an integral part of our worship, our prayer, and our relationship with God and each other.

Showing God Respect

Scripture says: "worship the Lord in holy attire.", Psalm 96:8. God is certainly very pleased when we come to worship him at church on Saturdays or Sundays. But I think it shows a lack of respect when we come to worship dressed in sneakers, jeans, sweatshirts and sweatpants. When we come to dine with Jesus, it's certainly "fine dining". If we "dress up" to go to a fine dining restaurant, shouldn't we do the same when we come to dine with Jesus?

On the institution of marriage

Every generation will witness to the truth that marriage--the union of a man and woman, husband and wife, father and mother--is the very institution that determines whether our civilization stands or falls. As the most fundamental unit of society, marriage is founded on the anthropological truth that men and women are different and complementary, the biological fact that the union of a man and woman also creates new life, and the social reality that children need a mother and father to raise them in order for optimum healthy psychological, emotional and sexual health. Marriage reflects these realities that are unique to our gendered selves: Man and woman come together as husband and wife to be a father and mother to any children their union produces. But marriage is not just for pro-creation. Even for those who marry after child-bearing age, or who do not wish to have children, marriage is complementary. Men and women were created to complete each other, whether they have children or not. The Institution of marriage has existed since the beginning of creation. The definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman cannot be changed just because a small percentage of the population wishes it to be different. This would be to deny the truth written in our genes and in our sexual organs. And no amount of rhetoric can change that.