Podcasts

Live a Holy Life

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Did you know we are called to live a holy life? In 2 Tim 1:9 we are told that, “He saved us and called us to a holy life.” How do we live a holy life?

We are given the template in the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These are the building blocks, the brick and mortar we use to build a legacy of a holy life.

  • Pray first. First thing in the morning; first before everything—before that next appointment or that next call.
  • Fast from worry and gossip and doubt. Fast from the drive to achieve at all costs.
  • Give alms to help the poor, declaring your solidarity with them. Give first – the very first expense in your budget.

It may be scary to live this way every day, stopping to pray first – especially in public; giving alms – especially to the beggar on the street. It is certainly counter-cultural. St. Francis de Sales said, “Nothing makes us so prosperous in this world as to give alms.” It takes pluck and fortitude. But we are called to live this holy life if we are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ!

That is what stewardship is about, being a disciple. Stewardship is about living according to God’s design for us as the verse in Timothy goes on to say. It is about putting God first in our everyday lives throughout the day.

So take courage, be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord (Ps 27:14). Living a holy life is transforming. Pray for wisdom and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live this way, to live the holy life He calls us to.

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The Season of Lent

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Mature disciples of Jesus Christ are serious and intentional about legacy. The Season of Lent provides us with the potent fertilizer we need to grow the seeds of legacy that we plant. That fertilizer consists of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

  • Prayer purifies our intentions and relates everything we do to God.
  • Fasting detaches us from ourselves and our comforts.
  • Almsgiving is giving to the needs of the poor. Sometimes that means giving direct help. Sometimes that means giving money. Almsgiving always means imitating the generosity of Jesus.

Giving alms reminds us that our wealth is not in things. Rather, we are wealthy because of the love of God. Here are a few Bible verses on giving alms:

  • Matthew 19:21   Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
  • Luke 11:41   But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.
  • Proverbs 22:9   The generous will be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.
  • Sirach 7:10   Do not be impatient in prayer or neglect almsgiving.
  • Sirach 35:4   One who gives alms presents a sacrifice of praise.

Take some time this Lent to reflect on your discipleship and your legacy. How will your legacy demonstrate that God is first in every facet of your life?

First in your Time – every morning offering your day to God in prayer.

First in your Talents – fasting from self-serving intentions and instead, using them to serve others.

First in your Treasure – giving alms to help the most vulnerable amongst us.

St. Alphonsus Liguori said, “The heart of the Christian is the heart of one who gives.”

May God bless you this season of Lenten season and always.

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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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