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Being On The Road To Perfection – Episode 166
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:32 — 22.6MB)
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We are called to be perfect, as we discussed last week.
So, what does being on the road to perfection look like?
If Jesus was “finished” and his ministry was “completed,” as it means when He said, “It is done,” by saying, “It is perfected” just before He died on the Cross, He must have walked a road to perfection.
And so must we.
In this episode we discuss that concept, in terms of what we are doing and how we respond to the call for our life.
It’s a simple concept, and a difficult task, but we have the example of Our Lord which, from the proper perspective, is not an impossible example to follow and exemplify.
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Letters Home: Our Blog
Read thoughtful, heartfelt commentary and discourse on life, the Church, and being Catholic from five different authors
Good News for All People
Jesus comes with His message for ALL people, even those whom we think don’t deserve it, or are different from us.
In reality, we are all the same, human beings, sinners, who need a Savior.
Read on to learn how we can support, live and share in the mission of Christ, spreading the Good News to all people.
Focus on Jesus
Focus is difficult in our over-stimulating society. Focus on Jesus can be even more difficult. In order to focus on Jesus, we have to either be very disciplined to ignore the distractions, or remove the distractions. This week’s readings give us insight into the amazing ways Jesus will work in our lives if we focus on Him.
Transfiguration of Christ
The Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ our Lord is an annual feast in its own right.
We also hear this Gospel account on the Second Sunday of every Lent.
So twice a year we are given an opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ Divine nature that He invites us to share in.
How can we respond to this invitation?
What does that mean to us?
Holy Owned and Operated has several reflections to help answer these questions and more!
Understanding
King Solomon asked the Lord for an understanding heart, that he might govern his people wisely.
When we pray, are we asking the Lord for understanding?
Most of us want to understand the Lord, we certainly ask for Him to tell us what we want to know…but do we seek to UNDERSTAND?
Can we answer as the Apostles do to Christ’s question, “Do you understand all these things?”
Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord
The Transfiguration of our Lord is celebrated on August 6. Let’s spend time especially with the Scriptures for this feast day. The significance of this event is often overlooked or underestimated. Read on to dive deeper into what the Transfiguration was, what it would have meant for Peter, James, and John, and what it can me for us.
Kind Justice
Kind Justice can be summed up pretty easily in the Golden Rule.
How well do we practice it?
What can we do better?
How is Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross connected to the Golden Rule?
When God forgives us out of love, He shows the ultimate kind justice.
Can we do similarly?
Hundreds of other searchable Letters Home articles…
Check out our Podcast!
Being On The Road To Perfection – Episode 166
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:32 — 22.6MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | Blubrry | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More Subscribe Options
We are called to be perfect, as we discussed last week.
So, what does being on the road to perfection look like?
If Jesus was “finished” and his ministry was “completed,” as it means when He said, “It is done,” by saying, “It is perfected” just before He died on the Cross, He must have walked a road to perfection.
And so must we.
In this episode we discuss that concept, in terms of what we are doing and how we respond to the call for our life.
It’s a simple concept, and a difficult task, but we have the example of Our Lord which, from the proper perspective, is not an impossible example to follow and exemplify.
Being Perfect – Episode 165
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:33 — 21.7MB)
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Being Perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect is a daunting idea!
Starting from the beginning, when we first launched the podcast, we talk about Jesus’ use of the word “perfect” in Matthew 5:48, its Greek etymology, and His use of the same word only one other place in His ministry – when He is dying on the Cross.
Being Perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect is to be who we are supposed to be, just as God is Who He is supposed to be.
So how do we BE perfect?
Glad you asked.
The answer is here!
God’s Time Is Not Our Time – Episode 164
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:30 — 14.3MB)
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God’s time is not our time.
Well, duh!
In this episode that is short on time – possibly our shortest episode ever – we discuss the intricacies of life complicated by our concept of timing and how our own blindness to the Plan of The Lord makes us impatient as He works for our good with His Goodness, Beauty, and Truth.
When we do not think God is responding to our prayers, it does not mean He isn’t involved and not doing things.
When we are kids, we try to get God to do things, to fit him into our expectations.
Do we still do that as adults?
When we are non-believers, does some of that lack of faith come from not getting, having, or experiencing what we think should be happening?
The Love Of Money – Episode 163
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:02 — 24.0MB)
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1 Timothy 6:10 is our source for this topic (not Proverbs, as we erroneously say!).
We discuss the love of money in the context of the Mass reading recently about the rich young man asking Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.
We look at the idea of a camel fitting through the eye of a needle more easily than a rich person might enter heaven, and explore what that actually means.
Does God hate rich people? No.
Does the Church tell us not to be rich? No.
What if we are rich – does this story apply to us?
Well, we are, and that depends…
Relics – Episode 162
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:39 — 20.9MB)
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Instigated by a question from our oldest son, we dive into the macabre!
Not really, but Kristofer has some issues with the idea of venerating body parts.
Fortunately, Beth has the more reasoned approach that the Church has, and Kristofer winds up understanding, but not on-board.
Relics are hard to understand, and the venerating of them is not a requirement to be Catholic.
It’s a practice that is encouraged if it will help an individual focus on Jesus.
The saints are saints in large part because they point us to The Lord, and those relics are meant to help us do the same.
We define relics and explain what veneration is in this episode.
Because I Said So – Episode 161
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:53 — 22.9MB)
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“Because I said so” is never the answer.
We do not typically get into exact parenting practices, but this was an occasion that happened after Mass that Kristofer thought needed addressing.
Raised in an environment where asking “Why” was not allowed when parental direction, guidance, or discipline was being meted out, Kristofer and Beth relate a family story that exemplifies this situation and, in the process, discuss how it has been psychologically shown that Dads have a god-like aura to their children until their late teens.
We dive into taking our cues from our perfect Dad in heaven.
God NEVER says “Because I Said So.”
Neither should we.
Watch our 3-5 Minute Video Series!
Fruits of the Spirit: Conclusion
Mom and Dad summarize the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in this episode. As well as a paragraph from the catechism. No fruit can be external without being internal. Just like any orchard, or tree, we need to cultivate it. -Nathaniel
Fruits of the Spirit: Chastity
What is Chastity? Mom and Dad explore this including the fact that it is not only, although it’s a big part of it, keeping our purity outside of marriage. There are so many opportunities for unchaste actions after marriage. Getting married does not automatically mean we are chaste! Chastity is the call to love sacrificially with our bodies.
Chastity is the fruit that is borne from a healthy relationship. We can be unchaste before or after marriage. There is always regret after we have been unchaste. Chastity is a fruit that is simply following natural law. -Nathaniel
Fruits of the Spirit: Gentleness
Mom and dad explore the fruit of Gentleness. How is Mary related to Gentleness? Gentleness is probably the easiest Fruit to understand. Gentleness is having a soft touch in our truthfulness. In Gentleness we are called to “speak the Truth in Love”
It is the manifestation of the Golden Rule. We don’t know someone’s story. we don’t know where they came are coming from or where it is going. It’s one of those Fruits that we can “Fake it ’till i make it” -Nathaniel
Fruits of the Spirit: Self Control
Mom and Dad explore Self Control in this short video. Self Control is much like Temperance. Being Self Controlled is watching what we say, do, and think. When we have true Self Control, we recognize our sins immediately. When we lack self control, we can fall into a state of sin very easily.
It also provides us the grace in apologizing. The more we do it, the more we realize we should be doing it also the more we do it the less we need to do it. The true fruit of Self Control is how we act when we’re alone.
Fruits of the Spirit: Goodness
Will Goodness always stay? What is it? Mom and Dad talk about how the Goodness that we practice is not done for a motive, but that it is natural for us to do it. They say that if we have God in us, we have Goodness. One of the Transcendentals, or attributes of God, is Goodness. The Fruit of Goodness is us cooperating with the Divine Life in us known as Grace; it is a reflection of God within us.
Remember those bracelets that said “What would Jesus do?” If we were using Goodness, we would not need to have the reminders. So, we should not DO good for the sake of DOING good; we should BE good, and the Doing will soon follow. Goodness comes from God; therefore, if we cooperate with the Big Guy, we will BE good. If we are not being good we soon realize it, and then we would have done good. Focus on BEING good as opposed to DOING good, and we are well on our way. -Nathaniel
Fruits of the Spirit: Modesty
Mom and Dad explore Modesty in this episode. The thing that probably comes to mind first is CLOTHING! We seem to stretch the meaning of modesty in that regard, thinking that to look beautiful, we need to be immodest.
But, it’s not all about clothing! Remember, Fruits have multiple manifestations. We will automatically find that DOING Modest, or dressing appropriately, will come if we ARE Modest. Modesty has to do with how we think of our own selves.
Modesty is like the opposite of sinful Pride. It means we are selfless. A combination of Humility, selflessness, dignity and Prudence.
Modesty is also in thought, speech, and dress. Also, it is how we treat ourselves when we’re alone. -Nathaniel
