“The Word became Flesh…”

How many times have we heard and read St. John's Gospel speaking of 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God…" and then St. John tells us "…and the Word became Flesh and made His dwelling among us."

Do we really and truly understand the magnificence of this, the crux of what has been given to us (Catholic's) by God?

I was reading a Daily Devotional (Protestant) that I receive each day, and it was so beautifully written, about the Word made manifest to us in our lives and it calls for us to really understand the true meaning of God's Word made manifest in our daily lives. True, we are ALL called to reflect Christ, the Word of God in all of our daily actions and in every aspect of our humanity. This Word is made manifest when we do good deeds, acts of mercy and serve our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but we also know that St. James tells us "Faith without works is dead", so conversely I believe that we cannot WORK our way to Heaven either, we must have Faith. What does St. Paul tell us that Faith is? As my brother in Christ and Co-Host of our radio show, "Zip" Rzeppa would say it; "Any 5^th grader, properly Catechized in the Faith could explain it!" Well, to coin the phrase of a recent television show, 'Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader?' Well, are you? Most Catholic's do not understand their Faith, nor understand Church Teaching fully. Even the Pope does not understand it, FULLY, but we thank God for His enlightenment given to us through the Holy Spirit.

    Faith – "…the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, to we really understand and have the Faith, that what we receive at EVERY Holy Sacrifice of the Mass IS the Word, the Word of God which became Flesh, the Word of God which, through Transubstantiation BECOMES FLESH for us? Do we BELIEVE it? DO WE HAVE THE FAITH ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THIS IS THE TRUE BODY, BLOOD, SOUL AND DIVINITY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, GIVEN UNTO US FOR OUR SALVATION? (Sorry for all the caps, but for those of you who know ME…know that I am VERY impassioned when I talk about the Eucharist)

Protestants use the word Manifest and Manifestation a lot in their discourses of Religiosity; but for those of us who are Roman Catholic, it should hold and have a SPECIAL meaning for each of us. The Word of God made Flesh – which is made MANIFEST for us during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – The TRUE Flesh of Christ, made MANIFEST inside each of us, therefore, we are what we eat…right? Christ is made Manifest in our Bodies, transforming us – He who was made sin, but knew NO sin – so that we, sinners, mortals, humans, could be that SAME WORD MANIFEST DAILY!

As we approach the celebration of the Birth of the Messiah, the celebration of God's Second Covenant with His people – Grace in place of Grace, let us continue to prepare our MINDS and our BODIES, each day, and realize that God loves us so much that He gives us His Son – Manifested – within us in the Eucharist! Thank you God for loving me…a sinner! Thank you God for healing me… and most of all… Thank you God for the GIFT of Eternal Salvation!

Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever more… Let the Church say… AMEN!

God bless you and may the Word of God continue to be made Manifest in you, everyday. Be blessed to be a BLESSING to someone else!

Evangelist Richard L. Lane

Co-Founder, Qorban Ministries

www.CatholicEvangelist.net

www.RLaneConsultants.com

Do You Have a Little More Room In Your Jar…

There was a professor who stood before her philosophy class and had some items in front of her. When the class began, wordlessly, she picked up a very large but empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. She then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. She shook the jar slightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. She then asked the students again if the jar was full. They again agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. She asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents of both cups into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces between the grains of sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: Your faith, your hope, your love; your family, your community, God. That if everything else is lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that are of matter, but are of less importance, your job, your house, your car. The sand represents everything else …. the small stuff. If first we were to fill the jar with sand we would have no room for the golf balls or the pebbles. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are truly important. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your eternal life. Take time out for your families; be patient and loving to one another. There is always time to clean the house there is always time to wash your car. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. One of the students raised his hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple cups of coffee with a friend."

“The Word Became Flesh and Moved Into the Neighborhood”

I just read this and HAD to re-post it on my blog for those of you who might really appreciate it.

 

This is not my writing, but that of…

Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. is the Pastor of one church in three locations in New Jersey: Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, Cathedral Assembly by the Shore in Asbury Park, and Cathedral Assembly in the Fields in Plainfield. Dr. Hilliard's willingness to say "YES" to the Lord fostered his ability to grow the church from 125 in 1983 to well over 5,000 members today. As a result of Dr. Hilliard's unwavering faith, multifaceted mindset, and ability to trust in the Lord, over fifty ministries are at work within the three cities.

 

The Word Became Flesh and Moved Into the Neighborhood
Bishop Donald Hilliard

Among the Christmas Eve congregation at 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church was a recovering alcoholic named Jim. It was his first Christmas alone, and when a young family sat down beside him he couldn't handle it. Leaving the church he met Pastor Thomas Tewell who asked where he was going. "Out for a drink," he replied.

Knowing Jim's history, Tewell said, "You can't. Where's your sponsor?" "On vacation," he replied. "I came tonight needing a word of hope and ended up sitting beside this family. If I had my life together, I'd be here with mine."

As the pastor walked to the pulpit he prayed, "God, give me a word of hope for Jim." Then after welcoming the congregation he said, "I have a request. If anyone here is a friend of Bill W.'s, and if you are you'll know it, please meet me in the vestry. (Bill Wilson, better known as Bill W., co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous)

Immediately people from all over the congregation began to respond. Dr. Tewell says, "While I was busy preaching about the Incarnation, the Word was becoming flesh before my eyes!"

As you celebrate Jesus' birth, remember that many around you are hurting; they've lost hope. Don't forget, "The Word became flesh" only because Jesus went out of His way to redeem sinners, lift the fallen, encourage the despairing, and minister to the sick, the lonely and the forgotten.

He said, "In as much as you've done it unto the least...of these...you've done it unto me" (See Mt 25:40). So instead of keeping to yourself this year, reach out to others - go ahead, make it your best Christmas ever!

“Seize the Day…”

I want to thank the Producer Emily, of the Gus Lloyd Show for having me on Sirius Satellite Radio, this morning and also thanks to my friend and brother in Christ, Gus Lloyd for the great work that he does. Prior to my interview this morning, Gus did a reflection on the Gospel Reading today, and recounted how Matthew called St. Joseph a "Righteous Man", and how that term had been used for only a few people in the Bible. Noah, Abraham, etc., and how we not just especially father's, but all humanity are called to emulate this "Righteous Man", in how he (St. Joseph) said YES to the Lord, in his calling in life. St. Joseph said YES, I will serve you Lord; I will raise Your Son, despite the hard circumstances.

This reflection calls all of us to really realize what exactly WE are called to do. We ALSO are called to be RIGHTEOUS, and serve the Lord in our everyday lives, in all we do. We are called to be Righteous in how we live our lives, at work, at home and in the things we do for entertainment. Not all of us are called to the 'Religious Life', but yes we ARE called to be Evangelizers of the Gospel.

Pope Paul VI, told us that "…The Church (Catholic Church) Exists so that She may EVANGELIZE." We Evangelize in how we live our lives and treat others; how we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as those who do not know Christ.

I have often told this story in some of my preaching around the Country, but there was once an atheist who said, "If Roman Catholic's honestly and truly believed that what they were receiving (the Eucharist) was truly the Body of Christ, they would literally be crawling on their hands and knees to go receive it." Think about that for a moment; do we really and truly understand what it is that we are receiving every time we attend the Holy Sacrifice of Mass? Are we just receiving a cracker and wine; do we really understand the magnitude of what we are taking in our body? Do we take the TRUE Body and Blood of Christ and keep it to ourselves, or do we tell others about this MAGNIFICIANT GIFT, we have received from God and encourage others to come and receive Him as well?

We must SEIZE THE DAY, every day of our lives. Every day is yet another opportunity to share the Love of Christ with someone else…have YOU taken the time to share Him with someone else today? Have YOU taken the time to share the Light of the World with someone else? Have you taken the time to thank God for the greatest Christmas Present the world has ever known? Take the time… TODAY to share Him with someone else…take the time…TODAY, to be a Blessing to someone else…do it NOW…SEIZE THE DAY, while the Day is still at hand…God will Bless you for it, more than you will ever know!

God bless you and keep you, may He make His face shine upon you and be Gracious unto you; may He continue to lift up His countenance upon you and grant you His Peace... amen, Amen and AMEN!

Keep on Keepin' on!

Qorban Ministries

PS…check out our website, www.CatholicEvangelist.net for some GREAT last minute Christmas Stocking Stuffers!!!

Last Minute Christmas Gifts - Great Stocking Stuffers

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CD – 1 “My Story, Your Story, His-story” –


The Conversion Story of Catholic Convert, and Evangelist Richard L. Lane; This CD is approximately 65 minutes in length and recounts his conversion from Lutheran, to ‘Pretend Catholic’, to coming into Full Communion, with the Roman Catholic Church. This is a great gift idea for someone who might have fallen away from the Church, or might be discerning coming into the Church; also for rejuvenating that current Catholic in good standing. We only have a few hundred left, so click on this picture to order NOW!

$15.00, plus shipping & handling for this CD!!!





CD – 2 “Empowering the Laity” –

This CD which is about 45 minutes in length is an awesome and inspirational talk for that favorite Priest and/or Deacon in your life. This is a great CD to give them to inspire them to keep on preaching the Gospel of our Lord and for THEM to continue to be set on FIRE! Click on this picture to order NOW!

$10.00 for this CD; plus shipping & handling



CD – 3 “The Poor in Our Midst” –

This CD is an excellent CD for you and many others to be able to reflect and not only be grateful for the many ‘things’ God has given you, but also to encourage others to reach out to those who are most in need of God’s Mercy, the most beloved of Jesus, the Poor, Needy and the Suffering. Order one for your own collection and a few for other friends and fellow Vincentians! Click on this picture to order.


$10.00 for this CD; plus shipping & handling



CD – 4 “Decide Today Whom You Will Serve” –

This is a never before released CD by Qorban Ministries until now! This talk makes you really think about WHAT god’s we serve in our lives each day, and calls us to task as was Joshua, by God! This is a MUST HAVE for you and others… as for us, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD! Order a few NOW! Click on this picture.


$15.00 for this CD; plus shipping & handling





DVD – “Journey Home – Richard Lane” –

Order your copy and also one for someone else of this great episode of Evangelist Richard Lane’s appearance on, Eternal Word Television Network’s (EWTN) “The Journey Home” with Marcus Grodi. This is a beautiful program to continue to set you on fire for the Lord and also a great way to give the Gift of VISUAL Evangelization to someone else. This DVD along with the CD – “My Story, Your Story, His-story”, is a great 1 – 2 punch for the Lord – a MUST HAVE! Click the picture above to order your DVD today – Limited Supplies available so, order yours NOW!!!

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“DVD - The Journey Home Lane”


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Richard & Donna Lane
~ Qorban Ministries

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The King is COMING!!!

Many people are feeling the devastating effects of the state of our Economy, me included. We have less money than we did in previous years, Bankruptcy and Foreclosures are at record highs, most of us are forced to live from paycheck to paycheck, and some of us in Ministry, such as me are not seeing any paychecks for a few more months and we wonder where God in all of this is. How are You (God) going to help us? Where are You, Lord in our struggles? Do you hear the cries of Your Children?

I received yet another prayer request from a dear friend in Christ yesterday stating that they have just been laid off from their job. Last week, a brother in Christ called me and let me know that he lost his job as well. The one point of solace I guess we have right now is that gas prices are continuing to fall, thank God, but most of us are failing to see relief of our other burdens anytime soon.

James 1:2-4 tells us:

2        Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, ²

3

for you know that the testing ³ of your faith produces perseverance.

4

And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5

But if any of you lacks wisdom, ⁴ he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.

 

We ask God everyday for Mercy and Forgiveness and we should receive His Love in that prayer. It is NOW…when we give thanks to God in good times and in hard times…for the Refining Fire that He is sending us through will make us closer to Him.

I honestly believe, as hard as it is each day, that He WILL make a Way out of no way for ALL of us in our lives, but one thing we must remember is that we must give GOD the Praise and Glory when He brings us out of the situations we are in.

There IS a LIGHT at the end of the Tunnel and the LIGHT is our savior Jesus Christ. Christ the KING IS COMING! HE IS COMING, so let us give thanks to the Lord our God for the LIGHT of the world. Let us all be reminded of the Light of Christ and encourage one another that the KING IS COMING and HE WILL bring us to everlasting life…if we only BELIEVE and keep HIS commandments.

Keep strong brothers and sisters in Christ, keep strong. Give to those who are in need of help. Be kind with one another. Have patience with one another, because you don't know what others are going through and we MUST let that LIGHT of Christ shine through each of us to bring someone else closer to God. We are blessed to be blessings to others, so if you have the means, give to someone else who does not. Not just material means, but give CHRIST – Give the LIGHT of Christ to others. This is the GREATEST Gift we can all give to anyone.

Keep on Keepin' on ya'll and remember, THE KING IS COMING!!! Let us prepare ourselves to receive Him!

 

God bless you.

 

Qorban Ministries

The Three Black Pope’s…

I just realized someone asked the questions who were the other two of the three Black Pope's? I apologize for not getting this information out sooner, but here are all three Black Pope's and their information;

Pope St. Victor - Elected in 189 AD. He was deacon when he became Pope, a rarity then and now. He established a set date for the celebration of Easter yearly. He died a martyr for the faith in 199.

Pope St. Militiades - Reigned as Pope
from 311 - 314. He signed the emperor Constantine's famous Edict of Milan in 313, ending the persecutions, and making Christianity the established religion of the empire. He was considered an excellent Pope, "a son of peace and father of Christians" according to St. Augustine.

Pope St. Gelasius - Reigned from 492 -496. Born in Rome, he was renowned for his holiness, kindness and scholarship. He saved Rome from famine, composed a book of hymns for church use, was renowned for his concern for the poor and clarified church teaching on the Eucharist.