Day 18 of our 25 days of Scripture Reflections for this Christmas Season:  Everlasting Father.

Scripture: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"  (Isaiah 9:6).

Reflection:  "To us a Son is given."  The Mystery of The Trinity is revealed to us.  One inseparable God in three Divine Persons.  Within the person of Jesus Christ we experience God The Father, the One who sent Him.  Jesus is sent into the world to save the world from sin and eternal death, and so we see within Him an eternal Father who wants us back ... who wants to restore us to wholeness.  We see a Good Father, a Loving Father, a Merciful Father, an Everlasting Father. 

When God The Father, our Creator made us we rejected Him and because of that sin entered the world and the human heart.  But here He comes to us again in Jesus, calling us back, and with the authority to now cleanse us from our sin through the Blood of His Son on the Cross.  He then pours out His own Spirit upon us in Baptism, giving us a share in His Divine Life once again.  We see in this that God is a tender and compassionate Father, who continues to call us to Trust Him.  He has no ulterior motive.  He just wants to Love us, and wants us to share in His Divine Love - forever!

Questions:  Do I think of God as a good and tender Father?  What does the word "Father" mean to me?  Is it possible that I compare God to other fathers?  Am I willing to see things differently, from God's perspective?  What areas of my heart needs a Father's Love?

Prayer:   Dear Heavenly Father, you are truly my Father, my Creator, my God.  I love you and I want to know you better, in a real and meaningful way.  Through your Son, Jesus Christ, whom you sent into the world for my sake, I can have an actual relationship with you.  In my heart and in my spirit, in all that I do, be with me.  Pour out your Love upon me, and heal all areas of my heart that need a gentle Father's touch.  Help me to open my heart to you God The Father, in a new way. In Jesus' name.

Join us again tomorrow for another spiritual reflection.  May God Bless you, and everyone near and dear to you.

Day 17 of our 25 days of Scripture Reflections for this Christmas Season:  Mighty God. 

Scripture: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"  (Isaiah 9:6).

We continue to reflect on this scripture from Isaiah Chapter 9 when the Messiah to come will be called "Mighty God."

Reflection:   Jesus comes to us as a small, helpless infant in a humble stable, but make no mistake, He is the King of Heaven and Earth and He is all powerful.  What makes Christ powerful is His Love.  It's a Love the world has never seen.  It's total Love.  It's complete Love.  It lacks nothing.  It is not conditional.  It is all embracing.  It’s a Love that heals, that restores, that delivers.  A Love that sacrifices for love of others.  God’s Love is a Love that sets us free.  And this is why Jesus came.  To bring the power of His Love to life.  Jesus reveals a Mighty God, who reigns in goodness, gentleness and humility .. things that the world would never recognize as power.  He comes to wash away our sins, and unite us to Himself, in order that we might share in His Divine Love, forever.  He is not weak, He is not powerless.  He is God.  The Christ Child is Love incarnate, and there is nothing more powerful than that.  As Christmas gets closer, may our hearts open wider to the unconditional Love of God.

Questions:  What do I think of when I think of God's Power?  Do I think of strength or battles or judgment?  Do I consider God's Love to be the most powerful presence on earth?  What area of my life needs the power of God right now?

Prayer:  Dear Lord, you are a wonderful and Mighty God, and I desire to know the power of your Love in my life.  Please take my life, just the way it is, and open my heart to receive your unconditional Love even in this very  moment.  The world teaches me that I have to earn love, that I'm not good unless I do something good, that others are better than me.  But you reveal a different kind of Love.  You reveal The Truth.  You show us a Love that is everything for everyone.  Your Love can work wonders, and I ask you to work wonders in my life and in the lives of my family and friends.  In Jesus' Mighty name. Amen.

Join us again tomorrow for another spiritual reflection.  May God Bless you, and everyone near and dear to you.

My dear friends in Christ, there has sometimes been some confusion about Mary and Catholic belief and so we would like to peacefully clear up some common misunderstandings.  Catholics do not worship Mary.  We worship only God - one Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Jesus alone is our Savior. 

We pray to God.  We ask Mary to pray for us because God hears all prayers, especially His own mother's.  We do not believe that death is the end.  We believe Jesus conquered death on the Cross and through His death we will have eternal life as He promised .. therefore Mary lives in Heaven and in her love, still prays for us.   Mary doesn't save us, Jesus saved us. But we ask her to pray for us, She is a powerful intercessor having been chosen to bring Christ into the world for us, and she loves us very much.

Christians pray intercessory prayers all the time when we ask Jesus to heal and help our families and friends.   I pray for others every day and I ask for prayers for myself.  I, as a Catholic, go to the Father directly in Jesus name and pray for my loved ones.  That is profoundly Christian.   Our Mother prays for us as well and her prayers are powerful.   She brings Jesus into our lives.  She was part of The Father's plan.   

Jesus came into this world only one way - through Mary.  She is the Mother of God, and we honor her as Blessed.  She is so wonderful and I hope our beliefs are respected on this site. I am so proud of what a respectful and loving site this has been and I hope it will always be.  Peace, Love and Blessings to my fellow Christians in the New Way Today family and to all of God's children.  May God Bless each one of you and everyone near and dear to you.

Day 16 of our 25 days of Scripture Reflections   for this Christmas Season:   Wonderful Counselor.  

Scripture: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of  Peace"  (Isaiah
9:6).

Reflection:  We will spend the next few days reflecting on each descriptive title of Jesus in the above scripture from Isaiah.  We are first told the Messiah will be called "Wonderful Counselor."   We need the counsel of Christ in our lives. In His wisdom He can guide us to make right decisions. We can trust that Jesus knows what is best. Through Him, in a very practical way, we can follow a very spiritual path.  And God, in His infinite wisdom, can direct the course of our lives better than we can. Let's truly entrust ourselves to our Wonderful Counselor and surrender our lives to Jesus, who knows best how to use us in the Divine plan.

Questions: Where do I get my advice from? From myself?  From others?  From God? Can I pray today for the humility to believe that God knows better than I do?

Prayer:  Dear Lord, Please counsel me in the way I should go.  Please guide my steps.  Please, somehow, show me the way. Life can be so confusing and pain can sometimes blind us to the fact that
you have a perfect and holy plan for our lives, that you have something good, something wonderful in store.  Help me to trust you within me, but also to pray before I make decisions. Open my eyes Lord, to see more clearly the path you have chosen for me.  Help me to see only the next step, trusting you will be there, and trusting that you will be with me for the next step after that too, and the next, and the next. 
You will always be with me. Take my plans Lord. Take my limited wisdom and help me to trust in you. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Join us again tomorrow for another spiritual reflection.  May God Bless you, and everyone near and dear to you.

Day 15 of our 25 days of Scripture Reflections for this Christmas Season:  God's Protection.

Scripture:  "When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong.  He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on Him" (Luke 2:39-40).

Reflection:  God finishes what He starts.  God completes His plans.   Joseph and Mary had to travel quite a bit before they were able to go back to Nazareth.  Jesus was already a young child when they did.  Their journeys were difficult, but God was in charge, guiding them and protecting them on their way. This mission of Christ's birth was complete and a new one was starting.  Sometimes it might feel like we are on a journey that will never end, as if we will never see our destination.  Mary and Joseph are perfect examples of how to surrender our path to God, making His path our path, and our path His path, no matter what the results.  We are called to do God's Will.  And we can take comfort in knowing that God will be with us through it all.  He never abandons us.  We all want to feel safe and protected as we walk through life.  In Christ, we have this assurance.  He is with us always.

Questions:  Do I feel God is with me?  Does it feel like God doesn't care, like He has abandoned me in my prayer life?  What is my mission?  Do I fully allow God to lead? 

Prayer:   Dear Lord, I pray today for the grace to be guided and protected by you.  Please lead me in the direction of your Will, of your plans. Inspire me with your ideas.  Finish what you have started in me, but help me to have faith that perseveres, whether I see the results in my lifetime or not.  Help me only to do what you want and allow me to find my happiness in doing your Will.  Lift any and all discouragement from my life and give me the peace you promised to your followers.  Your Peace.  A Peace beyond understanding, that only you can give.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.  

Join us again tomorrow for another spiritual reflection.  May God Bless you, and everyone near and dear to you.

Day 14 of our 25 days of Scripture Reflections for this Christmas Season: The Star of Bethlehem.

Scripture:  “But you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel” (Matthew 2:6).

Reflection:  We find God in the least likely places.  The Messiah chooses to be born in Bethlehem. This is not where one might expect to find a King, but it’s where The King of kings is born. The shepherds and the three Kings were able to find Jesus because they followed the star above this small city. God pointed them in the right direction, and He will point us in the right direction too. By The Light  of Christ, The Light of The World, everything becomes clearer.

Questions:   What am I following? Does the path I travel lead to Jesus?  Do I have confidence that God will guide me on my own journey towards Him?  Am I willing to open my eyes wider, and see Christ even in the most unlikely places? In the most unlikely people?

Prayer:  Dear Lord, help me to keep my eyes fixed on you. Help me to take the steps I need to take in order to follow you.  Make my path straight and light the way for me.  I’m trying to find you too.  May your Light guide me in all that I do.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Join us again tomorrow for another spiritual reflection.  May God Bless you, and everyone near and dear to you.

Day 12 of our 25 days of Scripture Reflections for this Christmas Season:  The Holy Spirit.  

Scripture:

"And the angel said to her in reply, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of The Most High will overshadow you.  Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, The Son of God'"  (Luke 1:35).

Reflection:  We see the action of The Holy Spirit throughout the infancy narrative.  He is the one at work here.  God The Holy Spirit is bringing Christ to us.  He is implementing the plan.  He is making things happen.  Jesus is conceived by the power of The Holy Spirit.  The angel tells Zechariah that John the Baptist "will be filled with The Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15).  When Mary reached Elizabeth the infant in her womb leaped for joy and "filled with The Holy Spirit, she cried out in a loud voice and said Most blessed are you among women"(Luke 1:42). The angel Gabriel reassures Joseph telling him not to be afraid because "it is through The Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived" (Matt 1:20)  The Holy Spirit later guides the shepherds and the three Kings to encounter Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is also active in our own lives.  The Holy Spirit can come upon us, and guide us, and help us to grow in holiness.

Questions:  Do I allow The Spirit of God to guide me?  Am I open to the actions of The Holy Spirit in my own life?  Do I trust Him?

Prayer:  Dear Lord, please help me to let your Spirit into my life.  Help me to stop trying to lead you in the direction I want to go.  Help me to instead allow you to lead me where you want me to go.  Help me not to be afraid of where you will take me.  Help me to trust your plan and be at peace, because The Spirit of Christ will be with me wherever I go.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

Join us again tomorrow for another spiritual reflection.  May God Bless you, and everyone near and dear to you.