JOY Alive in Our Hearts

The joy of conversion, Christian community, and the Catholic faith

Category: Holy Spirit

Conversion / Evangelization / Holy Spirit / Joy / Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story

Testimony: A Jewish Physicist’s Conversion Story

I must emphasize that this whole process was one of rational decision-making—no visions, no voices—whence “Top Down to Jesus.” I envy those who have had visions of our Lord and heard his voice. I have heard firsthand accounts of such from some of my friends, but this was not my good fortune.
Of course, conversion is an ongoing process—study, service, prayer, adoration, retreats, all the tools and fertilizer to make the fig tree of faith bear ever more fruit.

Conversion / Eucharist / Holy Spirit / Jesus / Prayer / Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story

Testimony: Journeys of Peace

By age twenty-eight, I was knocking on death’s door with my worldly lifestyle of alcohol and recreational drugs. Being a flower child wasn’t about roses. In fact, it led to a dramatic suicide attempt. grew up in a Philadelphia suburb.

My first true realization of God’s grace was at that time. Deep inside, I desired life—not death. I knew where to turn because of how my parents raised me. I ran back to church, back to Jesus. God’s grace renewed me through a charismatic ministry my parents were a part of, called Jesus Focus. I have since made—or at least desire to make—a regular conscious effort to allow God to work through me and to change me, be it ever so slowly, into the image of his Son.

Catholic family / Evangelization / Holy Spirit / Joy / Prayer / Saints / Scriptures

Prayer Companion: Come, Holy Spirit

“Acquire the Holy Spirit and thousands around you will acquire salvation” – St. Seraphim of Sarov

St. Seraphim dreamed big. Honored by both the Roman Catholic (today) and Orthodox (January 15) calendars, this wonderworker emphasized seeking communion with God as the true purpose of life for every Christian. St. Seraphim’s life demonstrated that everything else was merely the means for “acquiring the Holy Spirit.”

Wait! Didn’t we acquire the Holy Spirit at baptism and weren’t we sealed with the gift of the Spirit at Confirmation? Can’t we acquire more of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Reconciliation or receive the Eucharist? A resounding “yes” to all of these.

Evangelization / Holy Spirit / Jesus / Joy / Scriptures / Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story / spiritual journaling

Missives of hope

During this pandemic, we’ve not been able to gather with many others. But whether we converse with our friends and family, neighbors and business associates from six feet away or on Zoom, are they so impressed with what we say and do that they want what we have? Perhaps they haven’t seen us recently and sense a change in our priorities, the delightful presence of something holy, a pervading peacefulness. They want to know the secret of our inner peace in a chaotic situation, our commitment to God and family when it’s inconvenient, and why we build our schedules around Mass and ministries. They may not recognize at first that they are seeking the same close relationship with Jesus that transforms all our relationships.

Conversion / Holy Spirit / Jesus / Joy / Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story

Finding Jesus in my life

I tell you, God is real! Jesus is real! I do not have to expound some grand quest of science to prove that God is real. He is real. I interacted with him. He loves me. He told me that. The bad thing he predicted really happened. My family was completely unhurt just as he promised. I saw Jesus in each person who visited us during that year to give us support. I watched Jesus explode out from their eyes. They looked like angels. I have never questioned the reality of God again. How could I?

Catholic family / Coronavirus / Fr. Bob Hilz / Holy Spirit / Jesus / Joy / Scriptures / Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story

Friar’s Corner: God wants to raise us up

At the end of St. Paul’s Roman letter in chapter 13, he emphasizes love, the love that Jesus was all about in His gospel messages. This is what we owe to one another, sharing God’s love. Amen! This is what our family, friends, neighbors, fellow workers, others and the world long to hear and see in us, God’s love. One way you can do this is by sharing God’s transforming love in your life. Nancy Ward can show you how in her book, Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips, and Testimonies.