Saturday May 27, 2023

For you this week:

• Reflection for Saturday: Now is the time to supercharge your faith!
• Inside the Ministry: How to have an amazing life in the Holy Spirit
• This week’s WordBytes faith-builder: WordBytes on the Holy Spirit
• Footsteps to Heaven podcast: Sit With Mary – A Marian Meditation

This week’s Trivia Challenge: After Saint Paul was arrested, where was he imprisoned? (Check your answer at the end of this newsletter.)

Saturday May 27, 2023

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31
Psalm 11:4-5, 7
John 21:20-25
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052723.cfm
Podcast:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-may-27-2023

Saints Calendar:
gnm.org/saints-find/saints-calendar

There are many more things that Jesus did, which were not written down, but if they had been, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. (From Saturday’s Gospel reading)

Reflection for Saturday:
Now is the time to supercharge your faith!

As Saturday’s Gospel reading points out, there is much, much more that Jesus did than what we read about in the Bible — more miracles, more proof that he loves us, more teachings that help us understand what God wants to do in us and through us. And Jesus knew this would be so. This is why he told us that the Holy Spirit will teach us everything we need to know (see John 14:26).

The problem is: We want everything but we expect less, so we receive less instead of the abundant “more” that God wants to give us. Why are we stuck in this rut of insufficiency? Because Satan and his cohorts have been doing everything they can to disempower the Church. Why? Because we are a huge threat to them. If the Body of Christ on Earth today (you, me, and all who have faith in Christ) were to become fully active in the Holy Spirit and be who we really, truly, are — little Christs banded together and covering the whole Earth, doing what Jesus did — it is Satan and all evil-doers who would be disempowered.

This is exciting to hear, but do we believe it? We want to conquer evil. We want to be a Spirit-filled Church. We want to be God’s instruments of divine power. We see how it happened on a daily basis in the Book of Acts, and we wish it could be like that today. So then, where is the disconnect?

With Jesus in us, we should be able to do everything that Jesus did. Everything and more!

He said: “Truly, truly I tell you: Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

And then he said, “The Father will give you the Spirit of Truth to help you and be with you forever. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

Wow! With the Holy Spirit in us, nothing should be able to stop us from being God’s instrument of divine power. Let us pray:

Supercharge my faith, O Lord. Come Holy Spirit, renew me. Come Holy Spirit, change me. Come Holy Spirit and empower me to be all that the Father designed me to be. In the name of Jesus my Savior, amen.

This Pentecost — and beyond — let’s identify and then replace (with the help of the Holy Spirit) all of the wrong programming that’s infiltrated our ideas about the Christian life, all of the weak teachings about Christ that’s convinced us to be weak of faith.

“Do not conform to the ways of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to know and do God’s will — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

We also need to overcome all of the bad assumptions that tell us it’s okay to be mediocre because only a few special Saints can do what Jesus did. Before Jesus arrived on the Earth, the Holy Spirit manifested through only a few special holy men. After Jesus died, rose, and ascended to Heaven, he gave the Holy Spirit to everyone — all those who believe in Jesus as their Savior — not just a few special people.

In our world today, more than ever we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to replace our subnormal faith with the manifestations of the Spirit that were normal in the Book of Acts. The Holy Spirit — the Spirit of Truth — has truths to teach us so we can be set free to be powerful messengers of Christ bringing disbelievers and non-believers to the Faith.

Are you ready for a new Pentecost? Ask for it! And don’t stop until you see it happen.

Oh Lord Father God, forgive us for being content with our powerlessness! Thank you for all the trials and darkness in our world today, for they are making us dissatisfied with the old status quo of sub-normal faith. Come in Your Glory, Holy Spirit, to super-charge our faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen!

Inside the Ministry:
How to have an amazing life in the Holy Spirit

It’s our most popular series. But if you missed it, here’s another way to get it.

We have more than 910 people doing GNM’s Consecration to the Holy Spirit. In preparation for the consecration prayers on Pentecost Sunday, they’ve learned how to hear the Holy Spirit and how to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. This week they begin to learn How to Pray in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

And we don’t want you to miss any of it! Each session is a short video packed with life-changing content. You can access these three video courses @ gnm.org/paracletia.

If you prefer to download them as audio podcasts, go to:
1. footstepstoheaven.com/holy-spirit/how-to-hear-the-holy-spirit
2. footstepstoheaven.com/holy-spirit/living-in-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit
3. footstepstoheaven.com/holy-spirit/pray-in-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit

Or if you prefer to read it, transcripts are available at the links above.

And when you’ve completed all three courses, let’s pray together in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit:

• Join our Prayer Network @ elists.gogoodnews.net/dada/mail.cgi/list/prayernetwork.
• Join our prayer group on the Telegram app @ t.me/joinchat/UTsOSR2WXLM_ZfG5.
• Join our prayer group on WhatsApp @ chat.whatsapp.com/JpC882VCuPgGFLyFLgRKkj.
• Also, we want to know your prayer requests; post them @ gnm.org/post-a-prayer.

This week’s recommended faith-builders:
WordBytes on the Holy Spirit

Want some good reading material? Peruse our WordBytes on the Holy Spirit. Visit wordbytes.org/holy-spirit.

WordBytes is a library of Catholic faith-building articles by Good News Ministries. Come on in and explore! Visit WordBytes.org today.

Explore our Catholic Video Library for Pentecost

How do you want to grow your faith today? Try these Catholic videos by Good News Ministries!

• Come Holy Spirit!
• Praying with Power
• How to Pray in the Power of the Holy Spirit

Sit With Mary: A Marian Meditation (new podcast)

Pray with me in a Marian meditation about the challenging times in the life of the Blessed Mother Mary when she trusted God. In this video, we ask Mary for the grace that we need for trusting God in our difficulties.

Download the audio-only podcast @ footstepstoheaven.com/prayer/sit-with-mary-a-marian-meditation.

The meditation can be downloaded from gnm.org/footsteps102.

To get the book mentioned in this episode (The Father’s Heart) visit tothefathersheart.com.

Who else should hear this episode? Please share it!

Sign up for early access to podcasts. New episodes of the podcast show Footsteps to Heaven are published before this newsletter goes out. You can be notified as soon as new ones are published! Subscribe at gnm-media.org for the podcast videos or at footstepstoheaven.com for the audio-only version.

Answer to this week’s Trivia Challenge:
After Saint Paul was arrested, where was he imprisoned? In his own lodgings in Rome. See today’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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