Encouraging Reconciliation and Prayers for the Troops

"In preparing to receive Christ, our Paschal Lamb, Saint Paul commands, 'Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth' (1 Corinthians 5:8). How much more important is it that we eradicate sin from our lives than to eliminate leaven from our homes?" --Graced and Gifted, Kimberly Hahn

This week at my Mom's Group Bible Study, we mostly discussed how to get organized and decluttered. But the sacramental section of this study was about making frequent confession a habit for the whole family. The homemaker should not only make the home clean, but help to make the souls within the home clean. The Church asks us to confess at least once a year, but she points out that if you likened confession to the washing of one's body, if you only washed once a year, there would be definite consequences to the health of the body.

 This passage also made me think about evils that enter our home in the form of main stream culture i.e., programs on television, and cultural practices such as Halloween. I have to make a real effort to make our home a spiritually safe place. A place where we can learn to grow in the Lord, support and foster each others faith and gain fortitude and courage against evil. It is not that we will not suffer attacks. But, our home should be like a fortress armed with all the weapons to do battle. Does that sound crazy? Maybe, with our modern sensibilities I should say it like this: You don't go to play tennis without sneakers, tennis balls and a tennis racket. Likewise, you cannot set out to achieve salvation without the tools and training to do so. You cannot achieve salvation with bad leaven. 

 Prayers for the Troops

My sister serves in the Air Force. She wrote an email to our family saying that she will be deployed a little longer and the morale for her troop is low. She asks for our prayers. I found the following prayer on a site for U.S. Catholic Bishops. Please pray this prayer for them.

 Lord God, Almighty Father,
creator of mankind and author of peace,
as we are ever mindful of the cost paid for the liberty we possess,
we ask you to bless the members of our armed forces.
Give them courage, hope and strength.
May they ever experience your firm support, gentle love and compassionate healing.
Be their power and protector, leading them from darkness to light.
To you be all glory, honor and praise, now and forever.
[and bring them home safely. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.] Amen.