For you this week:
- Reflection for Saturday: Don’t underestimate your value
- Inside the Ministry: Arthur’s story
- Special event starts July 31: Faith Muscles Boot Camp
- This week’s WordBytes faith-builder: God Does the Extraordinary with Ordinary People
- This week’s recommended video: Are you headed where you want to go?
This week’s Trivia Challenge: Where were Abraham and his wife Sarah buried? (Check your answer at the end of this newsletter.)
Saturday July 15, 2023
Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26
Psalm 105:1-4, 6-7
Matthew 10:24-33
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071523.cfm
Podcast:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-july-15-2023
Saints Calendar:
gnm.org/saints-find/saints-calendar
Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (From Saturday’s Gospel reading)
Reflection for Saturday:
Don’t underestimate your value
Too often, instead of listening to our Divine Daddy tell us who we are, we believe what our parents, our teachers, and other significant people have said about us. A parent who says, “You’ll never amount to anything!” may have meant this as a challenge to encourage us to strive for our full potential, but the child in us absorbed it literally. The words destroyed our self-image, our personal value. Intellectually, we may have disagreed with the assessments of others, but deep inside, where the child blindly trusts those in authority, the child’s interpretation of the words has taken root.
We have many false notions about who we are and how important we are to the Father. Joy comes from being set free from lies and embracing the truth. The lies need to be erased by the power of God and replaced with his words. How much time have you spent examining what is good in you — and believing it? Let your Divine Daddy teach you about how much he values you!
God knows us exactly and intimately. We don’t. Rather than assume we are so bad, so ugly, or so unlikely to be extraordinary servants of God, we need to take time to listen to him describe who we really are. We need to ask him to remove the blinders of low self-esteem.
Low self-esteem says that we are far from being who we’re supposed to be. It also says that we will never get there. Abba, though, esteems us highly: “God demonstrates his love for us this way: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (See Romans 5:8.)
Yes, we have sinned. Yes, we are far from perfect. But the moment that we chose to believe in the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus, the Father esteemed us so highly that he called us saints!
Do you think of yourself as a saint? Saint Paul said that all who are loved by God are saints (Romans 1:7). Both the Old and New Testaments refer to the people of God as saints. Accept the fact that this is how God sees you. Begin to see yourself that way! You’re a saint who’s still being perfected by the pilgrimage to Heaven.
To continue to live with low self-esteem is like telling God, “You’re wrong about me.” How dare we contradict God! He says, “As for the saints on Earth, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.” (See Psalm 16:3.)
For more on this — to heal low self-esteem or shattered worth — read my book The Father’s Heart. You can order it @ tothefathersheart.com.
Inside the Ministry:
Arthur’s Story
Let nothing stop you from doing the Lord’s will.
“I am a disabled 71-years person with spine problems and wheelchair dependent. At times, I feel despondent or stressed, and the readings [from Mass] with the Good News Reflections are my strength to move on. Together with my Divine Mercy prayers, this is my lifeline,” explains Arthur in Malaysia. “I praise God for coming to know GNM, and thank you and your team for being part of my life.”
Despite his disabilities and low income, Arthur makes a monthly donation to support GNM. It’s small, but it’s beautiful. And he uses Wise.com to do it because our normal online giving tool doesn’t work for him. He truly exemplifies the motto, “Let nothing stop you from doing the Lord’s will.”
If 500 more people would have the same determination and trust in the Lord to make small, monthly donations as Arthur does, I wouldn’t need to run a major fundraiser every 6 months. Realistically though, that won’t happen. So please pray about God’s will for your part in keeping Good News Ministries going. We have a long way to go to reach the mid-year $30,000 goal.
(Wise is an international wire transfer that works very easily. Input Good News Ministries, wisegiving@gnm.org, as the recipient.)
Special event starts July 31:
Faith Muscles Boot Camp
It’s back! Two years ago, it was a smashing success, and now we’re offering it again.
My Faith Muscles Boot Camp contains 21 faith-building spiritual exercises (one per week). Each lesson is a short video with a new spiritual exercise to do throughout the upcoming week. They start easy and get a little harder each week.
This Catholic faith boot camp is easy to add into anyone’s life, no matter how busy you are. The videos are short and only once a week, giving you an entire week to put into practice the spiritual exercise that the video explains. Some of them you might already be doing!
Beginning July 31, each Monday I’ll send an email with the next video. If you’d like to discuss it with me, I’m here for you!
For more info and to register, visit gnm.org/bootcamp.
This week’s recommended faith-builder:
God Does the Extraordinary with Ordinary People
Remember Judas and Ananias from the scriptures? Not the Judas who betrayed Jesus nor the famous Ananias who keeled over after betraying the early Church by lying about how much money he could donate. The other Judas and Ananias.
Who? Many people don’t remember them, although they played a very important role in the Church. These were the two who ministered to a most undeserving, mean and nasty bully whom they should have feared because he was the biggest persecutor of the first Christians.
For more on this, visit wordbytes.org/master-needs-you/the-extraordinary-with-ordinary-people.
WordBytes is a library of Catholic faith-building articles by Good News Ministries. Come on in and explore! Visit WordBytes.org today.
This week’s recommended video:
Are you headed where you want to go?
This conversation between Ralph and me is about: “Where are you today? Are you headed where you want to go?” Our discussion is based on the time when Peter wanted to walk on water (in Matthew 14:25-31) and on Psalm 37:4. God gives us the desires of our hearts. Here’s how to move forward into what God has given you the desire to do.
Watch the video @gnm-media.org/headed-want-go.
Answer to this week’s Trivia Challenge:
Where were Abraham and his wife Sarah buried? In the Cave of Machpelah at Hebron in the land of Canaan (see this Saturday’s first reading).
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,
Terry Modica, 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