Friday January 6, 2023

“When you allow your sufferings to be an offering of love for others, your sacrifice is visible evidence of Christ’s sacrifice.”

Good News Reflection for:

Friday, Christmas Weekday
January 6, 2023

Today’s Prayer:

Thank You, beloved Father, for Your special love for me, for calling me by my name and making me unique. You make every child unique and special when You give the gift of life. Amen.

Subscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

1 John 5:5-13
Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
Luke 5:12-16
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010623.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2023-01-06-usccb-daily-mass-readings

Proving that heaven is real

You know you’re going to heaven, right? As it says in today’s first reading, we have proof that Jesus is giving us eternal life — proof provided by God himself through the baptismal water of repentance and adoption, and through the sacrificial baptism of Christ’s blood, and through the Spirit of Truth who lives within us.

There are three ways in which the Holy Spirit testifies that Jesus is giving heaven to us: First, the Spirit overshadowed the Virgin Mary to conceive Jesus miraculously. Second, Jesus arose from the waters of his own baptism — the “initiation rite” of his public ministry — and the Spirit descended upon him. Third, Jesus shed his blood for us and then commended his Spirit to the Father, after which he conquered death to lead you and me into eternal life.

These three proofs are of one accord. They work together to speak the same message. And now that we’ve been given the Holy Spirit of Jesus himself, we are the proof that heaven is real.

Do you ever feel like you don’t have much value? God’s Spirit in you gives testimony that you have tremendous value! Extremely important value!

First, when you were conceived in your mothers’ womb, you were made in the image and likeness of God. You, whom others can see, reveal to the world what God is like, whom they cannot see. How? By being the person that God created you to be.

Second, in the sacrament of your baptism, the Spirit descended upon you and the Father said of you, “This is my beloved child, in whom I am very pleased!” — repeating what happened to Jesus. Thus you were initiated into the ministry of Christ and you have been sent forth to give his love and healing and salvation to the world in which you live, work, and serve.

Third, when you allow your sufferings to be an offering of love for others, your sacrifice is visible evidence of Christ’s sacrifice. This sacrifice will not destroy your spirit but will purify you and strengthen you. The Holy Spirit in you will help Jesus carry others into eternal life, because it’s a testimony about how God resurrects goodness from every bad situation.

How well are you translating this testimony into a language that others can understand? More specifically, are you giving yourself to others in ways that will allow them to experience what is valuable in you? Are you in any kind of ministry, changing the world by sharing with others the gifts that God has given to you? If so, you are the true presence of Christ. And this is how you can be assured that you’re going to heaven. And this is how you take others with you into eternal life.

Reflect further on this using our resources about “3 Stages of Finding Your Calling” @ https://wordbytes.org/master-needs-you/discernment-3-stages/

© 2022 by Terry A. Modica

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