Changing the world means that we must take a positive step each and every day. We cannot relent. We cannot rest. We must prevail. God provides us the perfect road map in the Bible so don't tell me that you don't know how to do this. Go to your Bible and begin to read. Let it rest in your heart. Let it echo in your mind. Immerse yourself in the words. When you are finished reading, put it down, close your eyes and listen to God. He will talk to you but you have to be still and listen. Block out the white noise of the world and listen to your Father God. There is no one like our God. Don't even try to put human qualities on Him. Don't think that He reacts like your spouse, brother, cousin, friend, co-worker. God is not a person. God is not like us but we should want to be like Him. He is so loving and He forgives us over and over again. He has an abundant love that is consoling and healing. He is! When you are feeling hurt, shout His name. When you are feeling happy, shout His name. When you are sad, depressed, mad, shout His name. When you are gleeful, satisfied, peaceful, shout His name. Be in conversation with your Father God. He longs to hear from you. He wants to talk with you. He is so proud of you. God created us and he thinks we are His beautiful creation. That is important to remember when someone tries to tell you otherwise. Use this fact when you hear someone trying to impose their negativity on their fellow man, woman, girl or boy. That is the positive step I am trying to take each day. I am trying to stem the tide on negative, hurtful comments. I am trying to stand in the gap when someone tries to bring another person down through hurtful comments or even "joking" remarks. It is my one small step. I will take it every day, God willing. Are you ready to be a world changer?
The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus formed the bedrock of the early Church , and their Catholic identity is deeply rooted in their direct relationship with Christ and the mission He entrusted to them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights this foundational role, stating that Jesus "instituted the Twelve as 'the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy'" ( CCC 860 ). These men were not simply followers; they were handpicked by Jesus, lived intimately with Him, witnessed His miracles and teachings firsthand, and were specifically commissioned to preach the Gospel to all nations ( Matthew 28:19-20 ). Their unique position as eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and their reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, established them as the authoritative leaders of the nascent Church, a reality echoed in the writings of early Church Fathers like Ignatius of Antioch, who emphasized the apostles' authority as repre...