News from Good News Ministries:
- Becoming a Saint is Hard
- New video: How Does God Use
- Plus great links to great content!
Becoming a Saint is Hard
When I worked for a Catholic radio station, one of the shows on the channel used to end with the tagline: “Be a saint – what else is there?” And it is true: if you aren’t a saint, when your life is over, you’ve missed the goal God set in your heart at your conception – to spend eternity with Him in heaven. The definition of a saint is simple: a saint is a resident of heaven.
Yes, there is a lot of truth in that catchy radio show tagline, and it serves as a daily reminder to strive for sainthood. However, living the catchphrase is so much harder. One of my favorite role model canonized saints is St. Maximilian Kolbe. I encourage you to look up and read His life story – it is incredible. He was martyred in Auschwitz during World War II because he volunteered to die in the starvation chamber in the place of Franciszek Gajowniczek, a husband and father.
When I think about St. Maximilian’s sacrifice and ponder my own sinfulness and weaknesses, I know I’ve got a long way to go if I want to become a resident of heaven, and I’ll venture a guess you feel the same way.
So what are we to do? First, we take a deep breath and remember that God created us, loves us, and His grace is sufficient for us to become Saints in this particular time and season of human history. Next, we have to be faithful to His grace and do our best to seek and live God’s will in our lives. While it is certainly admirable to emulate the heroic virtue of your favorite saint, remember that God’s plan for you is not to become them; it is to become the best version of yourself.
Yes, achieving sanctity is difficult; Jesus says so himself: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14).” But if you aren’t a saint, what else can you be?
The Good News is you don’t have to find the narrow gate alone. Following in the footsteps of the holy men and women who have gone before us by emulating their virtue and walking with our brothers and sisters in Christ can aid us in our journey along the narrow path.
We also have many resources to help you on your journey of faith. I suggest that you subscribe to our daily reflections and check out the Knowing God’s Will podcast. These simple tools can help you stay focused on the most important goal in life – to get to heaven.
Know with confidence that I am praying for you and your family.
Join our annual Holy Rosary Campaign and post a comment telling us who you are praying the Rosary for. Read what others post and pray for their intentions too. We are a community of the Faithful! There is great power in community prayer.
Visit gnm.org/prayers/rosary-campaign
We’ve Got a New Video for You!
How Does God Use Our Mistakes?
Sometimes we think discerning God’s will means getting every decision exactly right. But Colleen Orchanian (author of Whose Voice Are You Listening To?) discovered that God can use even our mistakes to teach us, redirect us, and reveal more clearly what He is asking of us.
Your mistake doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Learn how in this episode of Footsteps to Heaven.
Good News Prayer Room:
Use our collection of Catholic prayers designed with your needs in mind. They will give you hope and a stronger connection to God’s love and support. What do you need prayers for today?
Visit gnm.org/prayers.
Post your prayer requests @ gnm.org/post-a-prayer.
Join GNM in Milwaukee This October!
Join the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee at Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center (3501 S. Lake Drive St. Francis, WI 53225) for a weekend conference on October 24th & 25th with Catholic author, retreat director, podcast host, and founder of Good News Ministries, Terry Modica. She will present Knowing God’s Will and Doing it Well on Saturday and Living Catholicism in the Modern World on Sunday. The weekend will feature inspiring presentations, prayer ministry, and uplifting praise and worship music. To register and learn more, visit ccrmilwaukee.org/events, call 414-482-1727, or email Patti Schmeling at cc*******@*****il.org
Good News WordBytes:
WANT MORE FAITH and HOPE in TROUBLED TIMES? WE’RE HERE for YOU! Choose from a variety of topics on our website of Catholic Faith-building articles. What do you need today?
Visit wordbytes.org.
God bless you!
Every morning, I lift up in prayer everyone who helps Good News Ministries in any way (donors, volunteers, prayer supporters, etc.) and all the prayer requests posted on our site. What can I cover in prayer for you? Post your prayer request.
How else can the team and I serve you today? Visit our homepage.
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
Your servant in Christ,
Bill Snyder, Executive Director
Good News Ministries
gnm.org
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How to Win Victories in Spiritual Warfare
Knowing God’s Will and Doing it Well
Lessons from the Blessed Mother
Daily Prayers with the Saints