Tagged: prayer

Looking for a New Year’s resolution?

How about, studying the Catechism?

It’s free, simple and effective. You get one email a day (MON-FRI) and cover the entire catechism in a year!

To sign yourself up for Catechism in a year, click here.
How about a Bible study?
Jeff Cavins has a great site. The Great Adventure Bible study. Find a study near you, or put your Great Adventure Bible study on the map!

Explore the Map

Not to be out done, the great Scott Hahn also has one.

Reading the Bible from The Heart of The Church

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology is a non-profit research and educational institute that promotes life-transforming Scripture study in the Catholic tradition. Learn More

“No, no!” You say, “I just want to become a better person and do more good for my fellow man!”

Huh? Well, have you tried your Church. At our Parish, we have the St. Vincent de Paul society. Their members gather clothing, appliances and food to give to the poor members of the Parish. In addition, the provide services, such as daycare, for mom’s who have to work and they look for employers for people that need jobs. And they do all that, on a voluntary basis.

The Knights of Columbus, Knights of Peter Claver and many other societies are out there in the Catholic world which provide services to the needy. I’ve never been to a Catholic Parish which did not at least have connections to several of these. Just ask in your parish office.

“Yes, but what I really want is to feel closer to God!”

Ha! You’ve come to the right place! The best way to feel close to God, is to partake of the Eucharist. And the Catholic Church offers the Eucharist daily. Check your parish office for times. Or you can check this website for Mass times in your area. They even have an app for your phone.

Mass Times for Travel on the App Store – iTunes – Apple

Mass Times for Travel – Android Apps on Google Play

We’ve got several prayer devotions which you can do alone or in groups.

The Holy Rosary

The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy

The Five First Saturdays Devotion to the Immaculate Heart

THE SACRED HEART – Catholic Tradition

And there are tons of others. Ask around at your Parish. There’s lots of things they have for those of you looking to turn over a new leaf.

The difference between prayer, worship and Liturgy

There is very little difference between the words “prayer” and “worship”. But they do not mean exactly the same thing.
The basic difference in this day and age, is that worship is only directed to God but prayer can be directed to either God or the Saints.
So, what is prayer?…(Read more)

Priests for Life Week of Prayer Announced

August 22-29 Event to Focus on Ending the Evils of Planned Parenthood

A coalition of religious and pro-life groups announced today that from August 22-29, 2015, they will lead a Week of Prayer to End the Evils of Planned Parenthood.

At www.PrayerCampaign.org, several prayers have been posted to utilize during this week. These prayers include the intentions of repentance for our nation, an end to the killing of children and the selling of their body parts, healing for those wounded by abortion, conversion of abortionists, and strength and perseverance for pro-life activists.

Churches are asked to utilize and promote these prayers among their congregations. Those who are participating are asked to sign up on the form at www.PrayerCampaign.org.

The effort, headed by Priests for Life, includes the following groups, with more to come:

Priests for Life Faith and Action
National Pro-life Religious Council Gospel of Life Ministries
National Clergy Council National Pro-life Center
Charismatic Episcopal Church for Life National Institute of Family and Life Advocates
Presbyterians Pro-life Catholics Called to Witness
Evangelical Church Alliance Jill Stanek (JillStanek.com)
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference

Fr. Pavone on latest video: Were these babies born alive?

NEW YORK –Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, released the following statement today regarding the newest video made public by the Center for Medical Progress.

“The latest video, released today, increases the evidence that Planned Parenthood is violating federal law that prohibits selling body parts or altering the abortion procedure to obtain such parts. Moreover, the video talks about obtaining full fetal cadavers. It raises the disturbing question as to whether some of these babies are born alive and then killed. Kermit Gosnell is serving life sentences for doing that. It may be time for some Planned Parenthood doctors to join him in prison.

“The discussion of full cadavers is no surprise to me; in fact, I have obtained full cadavers of aborted babies, in order to bury them, from pathologists who in turn got them from abortion clinics.”

Priests for Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 888-PFL-3448
718-980-4400
Fax: 718-980-6515
Email: mail@priestsforlife.org
www.PriestsForLife.org

Do you know others who may be interested in our work? Please refer them to us!

Please, remember to support our work at PriestsForLife.org/donate.

We offer various options  for you to receive different emails from the different branches of our ministry. See how you can vary your preferences or unsubscribe. Remember, we want to keep you in the loop!

Prayer to the Saints in the New Covenant

My response to Ken over at Apologetics and Agape,  where he asks the proverbial question,

Should Roman Catholics pray to Mary and dead saints, or be using statues to pray to Mary or dead saints?

Hello Ken,

From my perspective, the big problem is the way in which Protestants and Catholic approach Scripture. In this case, the New Testament.

Prayer to the Saints rests upon the idea, that all who die in Christ are alive in Christ.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Therefore, we are permitted to pray for their intercession in our behalf because they are, in a certain sense, more alive than we, since they are closer to the source of life. And besides, we are walking with them upon Mount Sion:

Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

All of us who are baptized, walk upon that Mountain, with the Saints. It would be rude not to speak with our brethren. Ruder still to deny their sanctity.

Scripture says that we, who believe in Christ are members of His Body:
Romans 12:5 (KJV)
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

So, unless you believe that Jesus is dead, you must believe that the Saints are alive. All of them. We don’t fall off the Body of Christ when we die. Do we?

Those are just a few of the Scriptures which show that the Saints of God are alive. There are many more. In addition though, there are Scriptures which show that the Saints in the after life are aware of that which is happening on earth.

Luke 16:24 (KJV)
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

If you are familiar with the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man, you know that Jesus recounts the story of three people who have died. And yet, they are conversing with one another. In addition, Father Abraham expresses knowledge of the condition of Dives’ (aka the rich man’s) brothers.

Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Notice that we are surrounded by witnesses. The term “witness” is here used as a double entendre. First of all, they witnessed their faith by their life. But if that were all, they would not surround us.

The fact that they surround us is evidence of the fact that “witnesses” is being used also in the sense of one who gathers information and reports it to another. These are spirits of men made perfect amongst whom we walk, right now (Heb 22-24).

Don’t believe it? Have you not read in Scripture what Elisha said?
2 Kings 6:17
And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Now, there are some who say that they feel confident that they are worthy to approach Jesus and the Father, without going through our advocates. Then you should read in Scripture:
Matthew 23:12
King James Version (KJV)
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Note the next verse that I will post, these men approached Jesus with confidence. What did Jesus say?

Matthew 7:21-23
King James Version (KJV)
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

And then there are these fellows who approached the Father in prayer:
Job 42:8
King James Version (KJV)
8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

So, that is why, I believe the Catholic Teaching of the Communion of Saints.