Dare to Believe

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When Jesus appears to the apostles after His resurrection, Thomas isn’t with them. Thomas refuses to believe that they’ve seen Jesus alive and even insists, “Until I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” The following week Jesus shows Thomas His wounds and Thomas exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus says, “Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

First, we might ask, “Why wasn’t Thomas with them?” Maybe he was afraid of what would happen to him if he was with the others and their hiding place was discovered. Maybe he wanted to grieve alone. We don’t know. What we do know is that the rest of the apostles stayed together; they understood that they needed each other. By distancing himself from them, Thomas not only missed out on their support but, even worse, he missed out on seeing Jesus alive at that time.

The apostles knew, as we know, that community is important. When we distance ourselves from others or don’t feel part of a community, we miss out on the support that a community can provide. We also miss out on seeing how the power of God’s Love, which is infinitely stronger than human love, can work wonders when we open our hearts to Him.

Also, when Christ said, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed’ He was talking about you and me. We’d like to think we would have believed the apostles. So this might be a good time to ask ourselves, ‘Do I really believe that the Lord is alive, and lives in me, today? Do I believe that His Love for me is more profound, and therefore more powerful, than any human love I could ever experience? Do I have the courage to invite this Love to permeate my soul; direct all I think, say, and do; and transform me and help me to become the person He created me to be?’ 

We don’t see Jesus walking around now. It takes courage to believe that He’s alive, that He’s alive in us, and that He wants to take over our hearts. It takes courage because belief demands a response. When we dare to believe He’s present with us, right now, and we dare to open our hearts to Him, we dare to let ourselves be transformed by His Love.

Let’s ask our Lord to give us the courage to believe, deep in our hearts, that He’s alive – and act on that belief. 

“Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” – John 20:29

Let all I do be with You, for You, and because of You.

Thank you for reading my reflection.  All thanks to God for giving me the ideas and guiding my words!    © 2025 Gina Bedell   

  

Through these reflections, I invite you, the reader, to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other qualified persons in order to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s love and will for your life. 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below.  Comments are always welcome! 

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list. 

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P.S.

Pray for peace at home and around the world. Donate to a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the people around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Let Your Light Shine

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If we read the lives of the saints, we may be inspired by their great works and heroic bravery. We may also think there must have been something superhuman about them that let them live such holy lives or make such a dramatic difference in the world. In reality, most of the saints were ordinary people like us who did extraordinary things simply by letting God’s light shine in and through them. And while most of us won’t be asked to do something remarkable like caring for people who are sick and dying in the streets as St. Teresa of Calcutta did, all of us are called, with our own skills, to have a holy and positive impact on the world around us. How can we do this?

We can do this with God, Who lives in us. No matter what job or role we hold, all of us who’ve been baptized already have the power of God within us to do good works and change the world around us for the better, in small or big ways. 

God is always with us. When we become aware of His presence and let His light shine in us, we let Him affect all of our thoughts, words, and actions. As our faith strengthens and our awareness of His presence grows, we let the power of His love overtake our hearts. The more we do this, the more we act less from our own strength and inspiration and more from His power. With Him, we know that we can be and do more good than we could ever do on our own. Even as we work to overcome our human weaknesses and failings, we strive not to do what is our will but God’s will. For example, with God we can love those we find difficult; be patient and calm in times of stress; be peaceful, and peacemakers, in our chaotic world. Knowing that He’s present with us, loving us, and guiding us gives us His peace, which no one can take away from us. And His peace brings us deep joy.

When we let God use us to be beacons of light to the people around us, we really can have a holy and positive impact on our world. And when others see God working through us then they, too, will want the peace and joy that we have. They, too, will thank God for His loving power.         

So our kindness toward others, our loving actions, and our peaceful, joyful demeanor all happen when His light shines in us. For that and all that comes from Him, we give thanks and glory to God.

“You are the light of the world…. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” – Matthew 5:14, 16  

Let all I do be with You, for You, and because of You.

Thank you for reading my reflection.  All thanks to God for giving me the ideas and guiding my words!    © 2025 Gina Bedell   

  

Through these reflections, I invite you, the reader, to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other qualified persons in order to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s love and will for your life. 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below.  Comments are always welcome! 

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list. 

You can also find my posts on my Facebook page!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home and around the world. Donate to a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the people around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

The Advocate Is With You

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When was the last time you did something for the first time? When was the last time you did something that made you nervous or scared? Those common questions challenge us to take a look at how willing we are to go out of our comfort zones to grow physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

When was the last time you asked God for a gift? Not just a favor, or the answer to a prayer, but for one of His gifts: Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, or fear of the Lord? What about the gifts of His love, patience, peace, joy, honesty, humility, and all the other good things He wants and is eager to give you? 

When we ask Him for these things, we acknowledge that something is lacking in us. That takes honesty and humility. It takes courage to ask, too, because we know that these gifts will help us grow stronger in our faith. With stronger faith, we may be bolder in sharing His love in more concrete and perhaps even profound ways with the people around us. This might stretch us out of our comfort zone; we may feel anxious at the thought of living our faith ‘out loud.’

But we can ask God for these things with confidence. He has already given us His Spirit – His Spirit – through our baptism. He is eager to give us more and more of His gifts and has promised to stay with us as we work to put them into practice. We just have to ask Him and then trust Him to guide us and strengthen us. With the blessing of His gifts and the power of His Spirit, we can be and do more with Him and for Him. 

In these days before Pentecost, let’s ask our Lord to fill us with His gifts. Let’s open our hearts to receive more of His goodness from Him. Let’s courageously go out of our comfort zones and allow Him to use us to show the power of His love in more concrete and profound ways to the people around us.

Let’s ask Him:

Lord, fill me.

Fill me, change me, energize me with the gifts of Your Spirit.

Fill me with Your love so that I can share You with the people in my world.

Fill me with Your Spirit so that no other spirit hinders me.

Fill me with Your peace so that I can bring peace to others.

Fill me, love me, empower me with Your Spirit.

“I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.”

– John 14:16 

Let all I do be with You, for You, and because of You.

Thank you for reading my reflection.  All thanks to God for giving me the ideas and guiding my words!    © 2025 Gina Bedell   

  

Through these reflections, I invite you, the reader, to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other qualified persons in order to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s love and will for your life. 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below.  Comments are always welcome! 

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list. 

You can also find my posts on my Facebook page!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home and around the world. Donate to a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the people around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

What's Your Superpower?

 

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Seen on t-shirts and coffee mugs in a back-to-school sale: “I’m a teacher. What’s your superpower?” Teachers definitely have superpowers that I don’t have! 

One superpower all of us possess is the power to affect the world through our prayers and our faith in our loving God. It’s up to us to use this God-given power. Here’s how prayer and faith have changed lives:

Through prayer, Saint Monica convinced God to get through to her wayward son and inspire him to give up his reckless lifestyle. Augustine was raised a Christian but abandoned his faith while in his teens and led a wild life. Monica prayed for him fervently for many years. Her friend Ambrose, bishop of Milan, assured her that “It is impossible that the son of so many tears should perish.” Through the prayers of his mother and the influence of Ambrose, Augustine abandoned his lifestyle, sold his belongings and gave the proceeds to the poor, and wrote important works on philosophy and theology. He was canonized in 1298.

Through prayer, Moses got God to change His mind! In the book of Exodus, God was angry at the Israelites for turning away from Him and worshiping a golden calf. God threatened to destroy all of them but Moses pleaded with Him, and “God changed his mind about the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people” (Exodus 32:14).

In Luke’s gospel (Luke 5:17-26), a paralyzed man was carried by his friends on a stretcher to where Jesus was teaching. They couldn’t get near the house because of the large crowd, so the friends lifted the man up to the roof, removed some of the roof tiles, and lowered him down in front of Jesus. What happened next? “When Jesus saw their faith He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Then the Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy: “Who but God alone can forgive sins?” and Jesus replied, “What’s easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Rise and walk’?” He then told the paralyzed man to get up, pick up his stretcher, and go home. The man did so, and he and the astonished crowd began praising God. 

It’s important to notice that Jesus commented on the faith of the man’s friends, not the faith of the man himself: “When Jesus saw their faith He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’” Because of his friends’ faith and tenacity, the man was healed.

Do you know someone who seems lost, or who’s on a stretcher, literally or figuratively? Take them to Jesus in faithful prayer. God loves you; He hears you. Imagine the awesome influence we could have on the world if we believed in the power of our prayers for each other! 

So, here’s your superpower: Changing lives by praying with faith for the people you care about.

“We always pray for you..”  2 Thessalonians 1:11

“Lord, I know You hear me. Bless (this person) with whatever they need most from You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Taking Lessons From Antihistamines

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There’s a commercial on TV where allergens like pollen are depicted as a giant green monster invading the town. People flee in terror except for one man who’s oblivious to the chaos around him. He’s unfazed by this ‘monster’ because he’s taken the antihistamine they’re advertising. He knows from past experience that an attack is likely to happen, so he took the antihistamine as prevention.

We can take a lesson from that commercial. We know that we’ll suffer chaos of some kind many times in our lives. Most of these attacks come from outside us, though sometimes they’re a direct result of the choices we’ve made. Regardless of the details, our troubles and pain are real. 

Prayer is our spiritual ‘antihistamine.’ While going through difficulties we probably won't remain unfazed, as the man in the commercial did, but here are a few ways we can build up our ‘defenses’ and handle life’s hardships with Christ:

“Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). 

Reflect often on His unconditional love for you and His promise to be with you always.

Attend weekday Mass; follow the daily Scripture readings on the Laudate app, which also gives brief reflections on those readings; or google ‘Mass readings for today’ and reflect on them.

Pray the rosary while you sit, while you walk, while you drive, and when you have trouble sleeping. This prayer connects Christ’s life with yours and oftentimes brings tranquility.

When you build up your ‘defenses’ with prayer, you equip yourself with His strength, joy, grace, peace, and unconditional love. Then, when difficulties arise and you feel the chaos closing in all around you, remind yourself that you have Christ’s power within you to strengthen you. Wrap yourself in His peace. This isn’t pollyanna peace where you deny your suffering, put on a happy face, and pretend everything’s OK. Rather, in the midst of your pain, cry out to Him and cling to Him in prayer. Pour out your heart to Him and He will help you. Offer your suffering to Him; ask Him to take it from you and use it for some benefit. Trust that He loves you. Trust that He can help you. Look around with Him for solutions and ways toward a resolution. Also, sometimes Christ shows Himself in the people you love, who you can trust and turn to for holy guidance. Lean on them and feel Christ’s presence in their love and support. When you do this, you’ll have greater peace than if you tried to manage the struggle on your own.

Clinging to Him in prayer and reminding ourselves over and over again that He’ll be with us at all times will build up our defenses. Then, when hardships arise, we’ll be equipped with His power and immense love to weather those storms. That reassurance will bring us His peace, even in the midst of chaos.

“In You, my God, I place my trust.” – Psalm 91:2

“Lord, help me stay focused on You when chaos hits.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

There's Power in Praise

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We were walking around the neighborhood with our son under sunny blue skies that gorgeous June day when I looked around and said, “Oh, what a beautiful day!” Michael didn’t miss a beat and replied, “Yeah, and the weather’s nice, too!” 

On sunny days, literally and figuratively, our blessings are easy to find. It’s easy to praise God when things are going the way we want them to go. It’s easy to feel grateful when the sun is shining. The challenge, of course, is to thank God and praise Him in all circumstances and for all circumstances. How do we manage to do this?

Let’s look at the feast of Pentecost, which we celebrated this past Sunday, for some insight. On Pentecost, not only do we commemorate the day when the risen Christ sent the Holy Spirit to empower His disciples, but we also remember that He sent the Holy Spirit to empower us, too, when we were baptized. We were given this power to help us become more like Christ and bring His kingdom to earth. The Spirit is within us to fill us with gratitude, guide us in making difficult decisions, strengthen us against worldly temptations, help us grow in charity, and otherwise lead us closer to Him. For as long as we live He’ll give us more of His power whenever we ask Him to. 

So, when we thank and praise God, in easy and challenging times, we take the focus off ourselves and remind ourselves of His infinite goodness. We open our hearts to receive more of His loving power. We move closer to Him. Then, we’re able to see more clearly how He wants us to use His power to grow in charity and bring about His kingdom. 

When He empowers us, we grow in holiness. Through the Spirit, we all have the potential to be holy, which goes far beyond simply being good people. With His power within us, we’re able to give more than we thought we could and bear what seemed to be unbearable. We’re able to do the impossible, as Christ did:

“...whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and they will do even greater things than these...” – John 14:12             

When we use His power, we’ll experience what we most long for: His peace and joy. And the more we exercise His power, the more powerful the Spirit becomes in us. Charity – holy love – becomes a habit, a part of who we are. We mature in holiness and become more like Christ. 

We change our world. And it all starts with thanking and praising Him.

So, praise and thank God in every circumstance. Open your heart, and ask Him for more of His Spirit to empower you so that you can do the impossible, as Christ did.

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth.” – Psalm 34:2

“Lord, increase in me the power of Your Spirit!”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Work With the Spirit

 

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It may surprise you to learn that St. Paul worked as a tentmaker. Even while traveling great distances to announce the Good News of Christ’s resurrection, he worked. This is surprising because we tend to put the early apostles on a pedestal, thinking they did nothing but pray, perform miracles, and hear the voice of God. But Paul and the others worked as they traveled and preached; it wasn’t necessarily an all-or-nothing endeavor. Paul surely taught them while he worked: Through his words and interactions with his coworkers, he showed them the loving power of God.

God uses you in your work, too. He uses all of us, if we let Him. 

Remember that, through your baptism, the Holy Spirit lives in you. Like a deep well that requires only a bucket to reach the hidden waters below, you have only to ‘dip into’ the power of God to access the love, patience, compassion, peace, and more that He has made available to you through your baptism.

How? First, through prayer. Prayer keeps Him close in mind. Sit quietly, thank Him for loving you, and pay attention to the thoughts that come to you. Read the psalms or any book of the New Testament and see what words strike you. 

Then, draw on the patience that dwells in you when dealing with a difficult client or child. Ask the Spirit to give you insight into how to handle a particular situation – and then pay attention to the ideas that come to mind. Ask Him to help you be fair and honest in your work, in your dealings with coworkers and how you use your time. Ask Him to guide your words when discussions get tense – and then let Him. Ask Him to bless the people who will benefit from the work you do. All these and more will bring our Lord into your workplace.

As Christ spoke to the apostles, He speaks also to and through all of us. We simply have to be open to hearing His words. Start by taking a few moments to thank Him for your job and the people you interact with – that’s prayer. Then, pay attention to how He speaks in your workplace. For example, when you get a friendly call or email just when you need a pick-me-up, that’s Christ speaking through that other person. When you offer encouragement or other kind words to another person, you’re letting Christ speak through you.

As Teresa of Avila said, “God has no hands or feet or voice except ours, and through these He works.” 

No matter what kind of work we do, one of our jobs is to let others see God through our words and interactions with others while we work, just as Paul and the other apostles did. 

“(Paul) stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” – Acts 18:3

“Lord, let the work I do be done with You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.