Surrender

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Surrender usually refers to defeat and has a negative connotation in society. In Christianity, surrender has an entirely different meaning; and it’s what we’re meant to strive for in our relationship with God!

In my previous post, Waiting…, I emphasized that we’re called to put our lives in the Lord’s hands and trust the plan that He has for each of us; we must genuinely seek God’s will and pray for the grace to accept it. Another word for these actions is surrender.

Our goal as Christians is to allow God to be in charge, trust that He’ll take care of us and not worry about anything.

It may seem that if we give ourselves to Him, we’ll lose something (or everything). That’s a lie that the voices of the world tell us. Jesus tells us the truth:

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Waiting…

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When we’re faced with a challenging or puzzling situation, do we try to figure it out on our own or do we ask the Lord for guidance?

When we’re surprised by something that happens, or something that we hope for doesn’t occur, how do we react? Do we become worried and discouraged or do we place our lives in the Lord’s hands and trust the plan that He has for each of us?

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The Holy Rosary

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The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary in the Roman Catholic Church. On October 7th, the annual feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated.

The Rosary has a rich and interesting history that could not be presented or explained in a simple blog post…

I feel it’s most important to focus on what the Rosary is and why it’s beautiful and powerful. My hope is that those who don’t already pray the Rosary will begin to; and those who already do will deepen and spread the devotion.

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The Cross +

Ms. Rose1 Comment

Each of us has a cross. (I’m not referring to those that are worn as jewelry or on our clothing or bodies; I’m referring to the challenges and hardships that we each face in our lives.)

The cross comes in various sizes and weights. Sometimes our cross may be heavy, while other times it may be light. Our cross may remain with us for our entire lives or only for a specific period of time. Some of us may even have multiple crosses to bear, which seems to be more common than we may realize.

For Christians, the cross is the key to our faith: Jesus conquered death on the cross and rose to new life. I’ve heard it said that there can be no resurrection without the cross.  

Christians are called to embrace and even venerate the cross. We see the most vivid image of this on Good Friday when Christians venerate the cross by kissing, holding and/or touching it in a loving way. What once was an instrument for punishment and death is now a symbol for redemption and hope.

This all sounds nice in theory, but do we actually put this into practice in our lives? Do we embrace our own crosses? Do we carry our cross with patience and courage, believing that we will persevere and share in the glory of Christ?

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What’s Your Purpose?

Ms. Rose1 Comment

Have you ever wondered what your purpose is? 

If you’re like me, you think about this often. Ever since I was a child, I had this sense that there was something I was “meant” to do, someone I was “meant” to be.

As a teenager (when I had my life all figured out), I thought my purpose was to do well in high school, go to a reputable college and then get a prestigious job. I thought I would become financially successful and achieve high social status.

I eventually learned that I was following the path that I wanted, or thought I wanted, rather than the path that God intended for me. I failed to include Him in my “plan.”

It’s important to note that there’s nothing wrong with being financially successful. The reason this was a problem, and not the right path for me, was because my primary focus was on being “successful,” not on following God and being faithful to Him.)

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