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Run with the Saints
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 This past summer, I decided I needed to start running again. It was high time to get back in shape. When I lived in Des Moines, I did a fair amount of running, doing some 5k races and even a 20k and half marathon. While running is still not my sport of choice, I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment after…
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O, Death, Where is Thy Sting?
When I was in college, noon mass on Fridays was typically celebrated by Fr. James Albers (now Abbot). At the end of mass, we would always sing The Ultima, a Benedictine prayer asking Mary to intercede for us that we may have a happy death. Fr. James would always remind us to keep death before our eyes, not in a morbid sense, but to remember the hope and glory before us in eternal life with Jesus. Those words have been on my mind a lot lately. Do you keep death before your eyes? Do you keep the end in mind, that you may not forget the goal of this earthly…
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Living Abundantly
“I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 I have always loved this bible verse, my heart always skips a beat when I hear it. I desire deeply this abundant life Jesus talks about. However, I don’t always feel that I’m living abundantly though, can you relate? Part of my struggle has been in failing to understand what Jesus really meant by saying this. Freedom, defined by the world, is true abundance. In this sense, freedom means not being tied down, not having too many commitments. It means doing what you want to do when you want to do it. And being able to pursue…