Single-minded love of God and Neighbor

"Jesus replied, 'This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the One, only Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength ….. You must love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 12: 29 – 30)

Single-minded love of God and neighbor is only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. If our heart and mind urge us to love God and neighbor in this manner, we ask God to pour the Holy Spirit in our hearts to enable us to fulfill this command.

Imitation of Best Practice

"Tobias rose from the bed and said to Sarah, 'Get up, my sister, you and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection." (Tobit 8: 4)

Tobias shows here his faith in action. She got his bride to pray first for God's blessing before they consummate their marriage. God blessed them.

The Bible teaches us best practice. It shows us examples of good thought, good word and good deed. We are inspired to imitate these.

St. Charles Lwanga

"Father, you have made the blood of martyrs the seed of Christians. May the witness of St. Charles Lwanga and his companions and their loyalty to Christ in the face of torture inspire countless men and women to live the Christian faith…." (Prayer on the feast of St. Charles Lwanga)

Blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians. We sow blood. We reap committed lives for Jesus. "It is necessary for the Christ to suffer." There is also a divine necessity for the seed to die in order to yield fruit.

The Resurrection and the Life

'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will not die forever." (John 11: 25, 26)

Lord Jesus, grant us deep faith in you.