Podcasts

Salt of the Earth

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus tells us “You are the salt of the earth..you are the light of the world.

This is great! I love my salt, especially if it is Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning! Down in New Awlins where the blues was born – a quick side-shout to Frankie Adams and Lou Welsh who wrote Mardi Gras Mambo that made that line famous, down here anyway – Here in south Louisiana, that’s how we do it. We season everything! I sprinkle Tony’s on everything from pastas to popcorn. Fr Nile brings Tony’s with him everywhere he travels. And poo-ya, it’s hot. It lights up the dish, y’all.

But seriously, How do you season your world?  How do you bring light to your environments? Jesus goes on to tell us, “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” So – how do you shine your light?

Many of us view our faith-life as private. We are uncomfortable sharing our faith or giving our testimony. We cite passages like Matthew 6:1-4 about not letting our right hand know what our left hand is doing so that our almsgiving is secret. What are we to do?

We are to first acknowledge that God is the source of all we are and all we have. He owns everything. And so everything we have are gifts to us from God. In overwhelming gratitude, we give back to God. We praise and we give. In other words, we shine our light. We do this by supporting the mission of the church with our Time, Talent, and Treasure, helping the poor and most vulnerable amongst us with clothing, housing, food, and education. We season our environments and the larger community when we help young women with the support they need to choose life. 

When we shine our lights by putting God first, others see the good we do and it influences them to want to do good, too, bringing them into a closer relationship with God. Isn’t that what’s most important?

How does your giving and the way you live bring light into the community?

                                                                                                                                                      Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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Actions Speak Louder than Words

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

“Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God,” we read in John 1:34. Giving our testimony, like evangelizing often cause tremors in us. These are scary things. Still, we are called to give our testimony (2 Tim 1:8). How do you testify to your faith? Words are important, but we know actions speak louder than words.

I can hear that refrain from the NO funk band Chocolate Milk, “Actions speak louder than words.” Drawing of a trumpet in a doodle style Drawing of a trumpet in a doodle style, Vector illustration. free music notes stock illustrations

What actions can you take to testify your love of Jesus? Living a Stewardship Life is the best way to testify to your faith in God as the great provider of everything in your life, all that you are and all that you have. Living stewardship means putting God first by using your time, talents, and treasure to serve others. We do this when we are about the works of mercy: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing housing, visiting the sick, helping the prisoner get reestablished, and I add, educating children from families of lesser means. Doing these things proclaims your faith to others. 

Living a Stewardship Life evangelizes others. They see the good work that you are doing and they want to be a part of it (Mt. 5:16). How does your stewardship, the way you spend your Time, Talent, and Treasure – in other words – how you live your life, testify to your faith?

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Does Jesus Need to be Baptized?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Matthew 3:13-15 describes Jesus’ baptism. It is interesting to ask, “Does Jesus need to be baptized?. After all, He is completely without sin. He is God!”

Some commentaries say that when He enetered the Jordan River, He baptized the water. He consecrated it, made the baptismal waters holy and pure for us. I like that.

And I like to see John’s humble deference to Jesus in this passage, “I need to be baptized by you, and you’re coming to me?!” Yet, we also see Jesus’s humble submission to be obedient to God’s will, “Allow it for now.”

Isn’t that how we are to be as disciples, humble and obedient to God’s will? How do we come to know the will of God? By spending time with Him. Spending time in prayer and in worship. Spending time with Him in reading the Bible and in adoration. Doing this deepens our relationship with Jesus and strengthens our belief in Him as the Son of God. We come to believe more fervently the truth of God’s love and provision for us. We can’t help but to praise God as we read in Psalm 29:

“Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and
praise, Give to the LORD the glory due his name.”

Embracing the truth of God’s love and living in humble obedience to His will is being a good Disciple. Living this way builds a legacy that impacts our family and the community for good. Living this way transforms the world! St. John Paul II said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” What a legacy!

Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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Epiphany

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Epiphany – when we celebrate the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem to meet Jesus. We did this on Sunday 1-4-26, but in New Orleans where I am, we celebrate Three Kings Day on 1-6. This is the date that king cakes are perpetually available in every bakery in town. Watch out waistline!

On Epiphany Sunday, we read in Ephesians 3:6 that we are co-heirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise of Christ Jesus through the Gospel. Do you grasp the reality of that?! We are heirs of God. Our baptism and faith make us members of God’s family, and so co-heirs with Jesus. And what do heirs receive? An inheritance.

We have the promise of Jesus that we will receive an inheritance, the greatest inheritance – eternal life! Oh. My. Goodness. It’s like winning the lottery.

What a gift. Like the gifts the Magi brought to Jesus. And what a legacy the Magi left for us. They were in a foriegn country, listening for what God would say to them, watching the signs for God’s message. And when they saw God’s sign in the star, they acted. They stepped out in faith and followed that star, they knew not where. But they trusted and acted.

Isn’t that how we are supposed to be. Listnening and watching for God, trusting Him and acting. What a great way to build our legacy. Let the Magi’s example motivate us to think, speak, act, pray, give, and worship in a new way this year.

Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany.

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Are You the One?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

John the Baptist gives the best example of legacy. His life’s work was focused on Jesus. John wanted his followers to come to know Jesus better. So, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “are you the one?”

Here he was in prison, as we read in Matthew 11, in dire straits, and he asked ‘are you the one’? In self-concern, he could have asked something like, “Hey Jesus – cousin – can you help me get out of this place.” But instead, his concern was for pointing people to Jesus. Jesus answered indirectly, telling John’s disciples, “Go tell John what you see and hear.”

What would John the Baptist hear about you? Would he learn of your kindness and generosity, your efforts to bring about the kingdom of God? Are you the one others see feeding hungry people and helping those in need with clothing and housing? Are you the one loved ones follow when you go to visit those in prison and nursing homes, and when you welcome strangers? Would he hear of children from families of lesser means being helped with private school tuition?

When we embrace the truth of how blessed we are, how can we not respond in these ways? Rejoice always in the Lord’s imminent coming into our lives. Tell what you see and hear of God’s kingdom right where you are. Trust and give and be an active part in growing His kingdom this Christmas and always.

St. Teresa of Calcutta asks, “At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God’s own love and concern.”

                                                                                                                                                                                      Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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