victor or victim?
“Who, then, is conqueror of the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” —1 John 5:5
We are victors over the world or victims of the world. Only by faith in Jesus as God will we escape being victimized. Unless we pray to the Lord, we will become the prey of the world. Either Jesus runs our lives, or we are manipulated into running our lives into the ground, even into hell. By ourselves, we are unable to protect ourselves from unscrupulous, hateful demons. Of ourselves, our lives are necessarily out of control. Jesus is the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). He is our only Hope, but the only Hope we need.
Let us thank Jesus for becoming a man (see Jn 1:14), saving us, and being willing to take over our lives. He has saved us from the damning trap of supposedly doing our own thing (see Mt 1:21). As we near the end of the Christmas season, let us accept our privilege of surrendering totally our lives to Him. Only in this way will we escape being victimized and have eternal life (1 Jn 5:11-13). Thank You, Jesus our Savior!
Prayer: Father, on these last days of Christmas, do in me what You must in order to do through me what You will.
Promise: “The testimony is this: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” —1 Jn 5:11
Praise: St. André Bessette became known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal” for his powerful intercession. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI canonized St. André on October 17, 2010.
Reference: (For a related teaching on Hope for the Hopeless, listen to, download or order our CD 63-1 or DVD 63 on our website.)
Rescript: In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from December 1, 2022, through January 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio April 12, 2022
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.