Did you hear about the Doritos' ad that was planned to run during the Super Bowl that got pulled for being offensive to Catholics? It seems the premise of the ad was a pastor (priest?) needed money to pay his parish's bills. He uses Doritos' as a substitute for the Eucharist and Pepsi as a replacement for the blood of Christ to supposedly increase the crowds in his church. The ad agency that created the commercial claims that it was not meant to mock Catholics but what else would it mean? Thankfully it will never see the light of day although I am sure it is going viral on the web as you read this. There was an interesting article in a national newspaper that described a more recent phenomena about prayer. It seems that many protestant churches have begun to use the web to promote an increase in prayer. More than four in 10 Protestant churches with websites now invite people to post pleas to the Lord on the main church site so volunteers and staff can chime in on the soulful call, according to a new survey. Catholics have joined in on the "prayer for busy people" methods as well. It is the latest cyberspin on religious life, updating traditional prayer rooms and supplementing other familiar prayer request paths such as e-mail or social networks. I will close with the words of St James who says in 4:7, "So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
In the quiet, dusty corners of our hearts, we often harbor blueprint drafts of how we think our lives should unfold. We carefully map out our timelines, hoping for a smooth path, and it is only natural to feel a bit lost or weary when a sudden storm alters our course or a door we prayed would open remains closed. Yet, our Lord does not stand at a distance during these moments of uncertainty; He is a tender Shepherd who walks beside us, gently whispering, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" ( Jeremiah 29:11). When our own plans crumble, it is not a sign that He has abandoned us, but rather an invitation to fold our hands, release our grip on the pen, and offer our own quiet fiat—letting Him guide us into green pastures we could never have found on our own. Placing our trust in His loving providence allows us to breathe deeply and find rest, even when the road ahead is shrouded in mist. E...
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