Bible/Scripture
“All that we read in holy Scripture for our instruction and salvation demands an attentive ear. You have just heard [Luke 24:13-35] how the eyes of those two disciples whom the Lord joined on their way were kept from recognizing Him. He found them in despair of the redemption that was in Christ, supposing Him now to have suffered and died as a man, not imagining Him to live forever as the Son of God. So He opened to them the Scriptures and showed them that it was necessary fo
Friendship
“Christ has come according to the power given Him from the Almighty Father, and has summoned people to friendship, blessing, repentance, and dwelling together…we should regard our fellow Christians—as friends, since each of us has become a friend of Christ. It is perhaps significant that the same Saint John who reported that Christ called the disciples His friends in John 15:15 also used the term to describe Christians [3 John 14]—it is because Christ has made us His friends
Center (Focus, Priority)
“All the power possessed by the Lord is bestowed upon the apostles! [Matthew 10:5-8]. Those who were prefigured in the image and likeness of God in Adam have now received the perfect image and likeness of Christ. They have been given powers in no way different from those of the Lord. Those once earthbound now become heaven-centered.” (St. Hilary of Poitiers) “…the degenerative power of pride, or egocentrism, blinds us to the goodness, truth, and beauty of the cosmos of which
Kings and Kingdoms
“Jesus assumed the existence of a spirit world—so much so that a major theme of His preaching highlighted the clash between two kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. The question is which worldview is the true one—the worldview of Jesus or our own contemporary worldview?” (Francis MacNutt) “Let us never allow this divisiveness to prevail among Christ’s people. When partisanship appears within the Church, we become troubled. At church, we hope to experience th
Presence
“Part of my duty…is to practice a ministry of presence…This is the “Ministry of Presence”, to just sit with someone in their pain and suffering. Love never fails and Jesus showed us, time and time again, how compassion heals.” (Philip Ryken, Anjanette Flemming) “Sometimes all we can do, all we should do, to love and support our family, friends, or anyone in need, is to simply be present, to just offer ourselves - no words, just be there. Practicing the simple ministry of pres