The following are words given by participants at the streamed meeting. 1 Corinthians 14:29 says that "Two or three prophets should speak, and the others weigh carefully what is said." 1 Thess 5:19-21 tells us not to despise prophecies, but to test everything and retain what is good.
Scripture Reading Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Scripture Reading 1 Cor 10:13 - No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
Scripture Reading James 4:7-10 - So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.
Scripture Reading Philippians 3:12-14 - I do not claim that I have already succeeded or already have become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
Prophecy - "My little ones, I love you just the way you are. You are striving to be better, I know. But I'm asking you, my little ones, to let go and let God. I am the one who will perfect you. I am the one who will make you whole and holy. I'm asking you to surrender every day to me. Allow me to work in you. Allow me to do what I want to do. You can do nothing on your own, my little ones. Therefore surrender. Let go and let God."
Scripture Reading John 14:1 & 27 - "Do not be worried and upset", Jesus told them. "Believe in God and believe also in me." "Peace is what I leave you. It is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset. Do not be afraid."
Scripture Reading 2 Thess 3:1-6 - Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you; and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will go on doing the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
That last song really, really spoke to me, "Lord, I really need you." And the prophetic word, surrendering every day to the Lord. I just get overwhelmed by everything all day long. That's not really the way to survive, it's resting in the Lord; offering every day the things that complicate, just sit down and ask him to intercede for you.
Fr. Leo Patalinghug spoke on "How to Give a Better Confession". Have remorse. Just name the sin. How you have hurt God, how you have hurt others, how you have hurt yourself. When you walk away from the confessional, you are sanctified. In the confessional you tell the truth and the truth sets you free.
The confessions that Fr. Leo says are tough to listen to, fall into four categories.
1) Sense of presumption. People are almost arrogant. They presume without any kind of humility that they are going to be forgiven. Their disposition almost prevents grace from making that sacrament transformative in their own life.
2) Sense of hopelessness. It creates a self-victimhood mentality that they will NEVER be forgiven for their sins. That's not true. God's love is unconditional. They don't want to believe it.
3) The people are confessing other people's sins. There is complaining. They use other people's sins as a background to why they committed their sin. It becomes more of a story than a confession. It becomes almost a form of gossip.
4) The ones that are by their extreme completely scrupulous or completely unprepared. Examen your conscience. The reason a scrupulous confession is a difficult one because the person starts arm- wrestling you whether or not God did forgive because of this particular sin. They obsess on these sins, even if they're miniscule ones.
Fr. Leo is grateful that people go to confession. If you come to church with a desire to be forgiven, and you actually have real sins that you confess, and with a heart that says I know I don't deserve God's mercy but I'm humbly asking for it, and I'm going to try to sin no more, the priest offers absolution and you are forgiven.
Sharen gave thanks that her some of her sister's medical problems are under control. She also gave thanks to the Lord for her neighbor's liver cancer undergoing chemo, and he is improving a little bit.
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