A co-worker approached me to talk about a preacher she heard this weekend. The topic was grace. The kind of grace that only God can give us. She said that she knew what grace was or thought she knew but the more the preacher spoke, the less convinced she became about her current interpretation of grace. It made me think about grace and what that really means. I guess that I immediately think of a special blessing that God gives us when we accept Him into our lives. But doesn't that make it seem like pixie dust or something? I then thought about grace being all of the things that God allows us to enjoy like cherries, chocolate-covered doughnuts, beautiful music, or a wonderful movie. I decided that this was a very limited way of viewing God's grace. The more I thought and prayed, the more I realized that grace is about life itself. Living in grace is about being in a loving relationship with our Father God. Having the Holy Spirit whisper in your ear when you are confused or lonely or sad is certainly grace. Feeling the real presence of Jesus Christ when you receive Holy Communion is certainly grace. I am not suggesting that grace has to be religious in nature but I am merely giving you my thoughts on where my thought-process was moving. The freedom to make decisions is certainly God's grace. The redemptive grace offered to us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is another powerful form that is available to us. As always, I had to turn to the Bible to hear what God has to say about grace. I found a few interesting themes. St. Paul continuously offers grace to the people as he begins his letters to them. In Romans 1:5 we learn that God gave Jesus grace and we are saved because of it. That is very deep. Jesus, we know, was perfect in every way, yet he was a human. I always assumed that Jesus did not need grace but God gave it to him. And God gives us grace. God gives us the same gift that he gave his earthly son. That is very powerful. In 2 Timothy 1:9 we also learn that God gave us grace because he wanted to. We didn't even have to do anything for it. That set me to wondering what I did to deserve this grace. Do I thank God for my grace? Do I protect my grace by modeling Jesus Christ? Am I worthy of God's grace? The answer to the final question is yes. God created us so that we could have a deep, loving relationship with him. He is so good to us yet we very often take Him for granted. Living in God's grace is a powerful feeling. It straightens my spine and makes me walk taller, confident in the fact that I am supported in all things by God's grace.
Pope Saint John Paul II , a towering figure of the 20th century, was a staunch critic of socialist ideologies. He recognized the inherent flaws in systems that sought to control economies and societies through centralized planning and state ownership. The pontiff's teachings offered a prophetic warning against the dangers of such regimes, which often led to oppression, poverty, and the erosion of individual freedoms. Recently, a conference organized by the Catholic Association of Propagandists in Spain brought together prominent figures who echoed the concerns raised by the late Pope. Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of Orihuela-Alicante boldly declared socialism an "enemy of the cross," highlighting its incompatibility with Christian values. He emphasized the need for a spiritual renewal, urging individuals to embrace the cross as a path to true happiness and fulfillment. French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj also addressed the challenges posed by modern society, warning ag...
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