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Have you ever thought, "I really don't have any gifts to use"? When you look at the great saints, do you ever think, "I could NEVER do that"? Are you kind of quiet and don't feel like you can "get out there" and make a splash like some people do? Or are you an extrovert but you can't seem to find your niche? Today's passage from the Letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, is for you! Check it out at Opening God's Word . Are you a pinky finger or a foot?  Doesn't matter.  The important thing is that with God's help you try to identify what it is you can do, and do that! One more thing.  Let's not ever deny our gifts.  Today I talk about humility and accepting what God has given you. Please share this with a friend.  This is a pivotal passage that so many of us need to hear. I hope you have a blessed day in God's Word! Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blubrry.net

In today’s gospel passage Jesus talks about how you should behave if you are an invited guest to a lunch or dinner, and if you are the host, who you should be inviting. This passage can be difficult for us today as we ask ourselves, “Am I supposed to be inviting strangers into my home and feeding them?” What if you are not in a position to do that?   Do you just ignore this passage altogether? While contextually Jesus is speaking about the people of Israel and the Gentiles of his time, his ultimate teaching about unconditional love and selfless giving is everlasting and very relevant for us today. Tune in and share with a friend! You can find today's episode of Opening God's Word at janetcassidy.blubrry.net . Also, if you are looking for Uplifting Prayers in Times of Distress, go to janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com   Janet Cassidy

A Shot in the Arm , by Kevin Luksus, MD, offers us some great insight into the connection between our physical and spiritual health. In a very practical manner, Luksus shares his experiences in promoting both physical and spiritual health. He helps the reader diagnose spiritual disorders and offers the remedy to better equip the person for improvement. How so, you might ask? A Shot in the Arm to Improve Spiritual Health Luksus starts each topic (whether it be the mind, heart, vision, etc.), by giving a brief description of how a healthy body part should operate, with each chapter devoted to a different body part.  Then, within each chapter, he draws the correlation to how the healthy spiritual aspect should work, in relation to the body part in question. After we level set on both counts, Luksus introduces the spiritual disorders that can plague us; such disorders as spiritual ischemia, “when we fail to live our life by grace” (p. 32). Like any good doctor would do, Luksus give

How does my shopping experience relate to what I need in a church? I hope you will join me for this episode of Cassidy Comments as I describe what is foundational to any church. What do we need? What don’t we need? If you are looking for a church, I invite you to email me at johnseven38@yahoo.com so we can explore the purpose and characteristics of a sound church. Janet Cassidy For Uplifting Prayers for Times of Distress, visit    janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com       Email:  johnseven38@yahoo.com

Need a prescription for life? Are you thinking if someone would just write down what you need to do, that would make things a lot easier? Give me the list and let me follow it instead of trying to figure things out for myself? Well, we have one!  You will find it today in this episode of Opening God’s Word ! But beware, just because we have the list, it doesn’t mean it is going to be easy!  A trusted guide can lead the way, as we have found in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 5, The Beatitudes), but it is going to take some work. After you have listened to this podcast and dipped your toe into the Beatitudes, I invite you to go deeper.  When were they written?  Who was the intended audience?  What did they mean by “poor in spirit?” Don’t stop there, but let God speak to your heart and transform you in these words. I hope you have a blessed day in God’s Word! Janet Cassidy janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com Email:  johnseven38@yahoo.com

What will separate us from the love of Christ? That's a spooky question! What can get in the way--anguish, distress, persecution, famine, peril? The list goes on and on!   What is it?   What is the one thing that can drive a wedge between us and the love of Christ? Listen carefully to today’s episode of Opening God’s Word that comes from the 8 th Chapter of the Letter to the Romans to hear what I think! Don’t forget to check out my blog at janetcassidy.blogspot.com and subscribe and share with your friends! I hope you have a blessed day in God’s Word! Janet Cassidy Prayers:   janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com Email:   johnseven38@yahoo.com

Zacchaeus , Willem Isaacsz van Swanenburg   [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 19:1-10 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it.  A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich.  He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.  When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’  So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.  All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’  Zacchaeus stoo

You know that person – the one who is “tough as nails.” That person never gives up. He or she seems to have an ability to endure anything, whether it be a serious illness, a divorce, a job loss, a financial crisis, a death in the family – anything. Therefore, through all the trials and tribulations, this person continues to persevere. How so? Well, in addition to Perseverance, he or she starts off with a few other virtues under his/her belt. Fortitude enables a person to be strong; to endure without fear; to act with courage in addressing the problem. Patience allows the person to wait long periods of time for the desired result. Faith gives the person the strength and peace to believe and trust that God has everything under control. Confidence in God’s omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence, along with confidence in Jesus’ promise of salvation should place everything else into perspective. With these virtues in hand, perseverance comes much more easily. Read more...

Oh My!   I don’t like the sound of this! As Jesus is going through towns and villages, someone asks him a question—his response is chilling. Today he’s talking about the narrow gate.   What will it take to get to heaven, to get through that narrow gate? Is there something we have to do to squeeze through? Tune in to today’s episode of Opening God’s Word to learn what Jesus says about what could happen when if we stand outside and knock. Janet Cassidy Prayers:   janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com Email:   johnseven38@yahoo.com

Does the suffering you are enduring right now seem to be more than you can handle? Have hope! In Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 8:18, he reminds us that our sufferings today are nothing compared to the glory that we will share as children of God. Does that mean our suffering is nothing?  That we have to pretend that we are not in pain? No, it means that in comparison to the glory that is coming, it is nothing.  Paul speaks of the hope we have in what we cannot see—in the glory that awaits us. Key to this passage is this: We must “wait with endurance.” How long?  We don’t know.  But with God, we can be assured in hope that by his grace, we can endure anything. Check out the latest episode of Opening God's Word today! I hope you have a blessed day in God’s Word. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blubrry.net Email:  johnseven38@yahoo.com

Who does Paul say in his Letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 2:19-22) that our Christian faith is built upon? Did you say Jesus? You are right, but there’s more!   In today’s Opening God’s Word Paul connects us with “the holy ones,” too, and says we are “members of the household of God.” He also reminds us that it is Jesus himself who is bringing us all together and we are becoming a place where the spirit of God dwells. We walk together, fellow citizens!   Let’s keep that in mind whenever we are feeling lonely or lost. You can find my latest episode at janetcassidy.blubrry.net .   Please don’t forget to subscribe and visit my blog at j anetcassidy.blogspot.com . Have a blessed day in God’s Word! Janet Cassidy Prayers:   janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com Email:   johnseven38@yahoo.com

Would you like to know God better; to enter into a deeper relationship with Him? Then seek Knowledge, a virtue given to you at your Confirmation by the Holy Spirit. How Does One Seek Knowledge of God? The best place to seek knowledge of God is in Sacred Scripture. God reveals Himself to us in the pages of the Bible. In the 47 books of the Bible, God tells us what He likes and what offends Him. In these pages, we learn what is good and what is evil – we learn the moral code of ethics. God tells us what pleases Him most – love for God and neighbor (Matt 22:37-39). He instructs us on how to behave toward others via the Ten Commandments (Deut 5:6-21) and via the Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12). You can begin reading the Bible online for free, by... Read more...

     Tal vez haya quién piense, aún siendo católico, que esto de rezar el Rosario es algo que ya pasó de moda, que es antiguo, que ya nadie lo reza. . . ¡qué equivocados están !.    El   Rosario es la palanca del amor.      Por los dedos de millones de personas se deslizan una a una esas cuentas redondas como diminutos mundos,   donde cabe toda la fe, todo el amor o todo el dolor de las almas. Día a día, a todas horas, en los seminarios, en los conventos, en las Parroquias, en los hogares ricos, en los pobres, en los caminos del aire, en las carreteras, en el mar, en las guerras, en la paz, en la alegría, en la tristeza, en la enfermedad, en las celebraciones de la vida, en el misterio de la muerte . . . “ Te saludamos María, la llena de gracia, el Señor está contigo”.     El mundo necesita de la oración.    La oración hace un cambio en los corazones. Con el rezo del Rosario vamos siguiendo   los MISTERIOS DE LA VIDA DE CRISTO al tiempo  

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Have you ever went out for a walk but first had to check out the sky to see if you were going to get caught in the rain? Which way are the clouds moving?  Should I take a chance? Well, in today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 54, Jesus asks a reasonable question: “You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” What is he calling YOU to do, at the present time? Spend some time in God’s Word today and reflect on his question. You can listen to my short podcast on this scripture by going to Opening God's Word . Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blubrry.net Email:  johnseven38@yahoo.com

  A social worker from hospice told me that older people think a lot.   She said that with so much time on their hands, their advanced age provides them with a lot of time to think about—and deal with—their past.   She explained that when people are young and busy, they sometimes do not have the luxury of processing the events or circumstances of their life, so they revisit painful things sometimes. I thought this was pretty insightful, and although I am not of that age group yet, I have spent a little time thinking about things, and one of the things that pops up that makes me crazy is how young girls of the 60s and 70s (and probably most decades) have been dealt a false ideal in terms of their body image. This is harmful to men and relationships as well, but I’ll get to that in a minute. I know this is nothing new, but I am just beginning to process it.   Just think, an entire generation of women have had put before them a ridiculous ideal to which they should aspire

What is going on in today’s Gospel?  Isn’t Jesus about bringing people together? Love?  Forgiveness? Why is he talking about causing division? Why does he want to “set the earth on fire?” Listen closely to today’s episode of Opening God's Word on the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 49 and following. Jesus is not suggesting we go out and start hating our parents, siblings or in-laws! You are going to want to pay close attention to what he is telling us today. Janet Cassidy janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com Email: johnseven38@yahoo.com

From   The Bible , a TV miniseries Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Luke 18:9-14 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:  ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector.  The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector.  I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.”  But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”  I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other;