You remember the story of the storm at sea, right? The disciples were in a boat with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee when a fierce storm popped up (Mark 4:34-41) out of nowhere. Thinking that they were going to die, they freaked out while Jesus slept. Eventually they woke Jesus and accused him of not caring if they drowned. “Why Are You Afraid?” After waking up and calming the sea, Jesus asked them why they were afraid. Is he... Read more
Any fisherman will tell you that it’s impossible to walk on water. Yet, when Peter saw Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:25), he decided that he wanted to give it a try. After verifying that it was truly Jesus, the trusting apostle climbed out of the boat and actually began to walk on the water! The miracle lasted until he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the storm. Beginning to sink, Peter cried out for... Read more
Earlier today on my weekly Stop Worrying and Start Living segment on The Son Rise Morning Show, I shared a little known Bible passage from the prophet Habakkuk. He shares the secret for finding joy, even in the midst of turmoil: For though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit appears on the vine, Though the yield of the olive fails and the terraces produce no nourishment, Though the flocks disappear from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, Yet I will... Read more
Today, we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration. After telling his followers of the need for self-denial and cross carrying, Jesus led Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain and gave them a glimpse of Heaven. They saw Jesus (in his heavenly glory) conversing with Moses and Elijah and they heard the voice of God the Father. Ultimately, this Divine vision caused them to be afraid. In fact, St. Matthew writes that hearing God’s voice caused them... Read more
The world tells us that security and happiness can be found in “stuff” (money, success, possessions), but the Bible tells us just the opposite. This week on The Gary Zimak Show podcast, I discussed the Mass readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In each reading, we are reminded that the things of this world will not last. Unless we focus on God, we are wasting our time! If you can spare 30 minutes, give it a listen. While... Read more
Another day, another mass shooting. Wow. As much as it upsets me, I wasn’t going to blog about it. As I was sitting at Mass, however, I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to share a few thoughts. Here goes… 1. God Is In Control Don’t panic. It might not seem like it, but God is always in control. He gave us the gift of free will, which can be abused. People can do very bad things. To prevent that,... Read more
Sorry that I’ve been absent for the past few days. I was hanging out at the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show and finishing up a new book project on the Holy Spirit. While driving home from the store today, I saw this verse on the message board of a local church and had to share it with you. It’s a great example of what it means to trust in God, even when it doesn’t make sense. Though he slay me,... Read more
Some Good News… I have no idea when the Lord will be returning, but I do know that my time on earth is very limited. One day soon I’ll be standing before him in judgment. At that time, all of my words, thoughts and deeds will be examined. I’d like to think that I would be ready if it happened tomorrow, but I’m honestly not so sure. Even though I try to please the Lord, I know I often fail.... Read more
Whenever I write about the power of prayer or bring up “ask and you shall receive”, someone always seems to accuse me of being unrealistic or clueless. More often than not, that person asked for something in prayer, God said “no” and they have concluded that prayer doesn’t work. Believe me, I’ve been on the receiving end of that denial many times and I know it’s not fun. It took a long time, but eventually I began to accept the... Read more
The Internet can be such a nasty place. No matter where you look (Twitter, Facebook, the blogosphere), everybody seems to hate everybody. Although I’ve done it in the past (and regretted it), I now try very hard to avoid posting anything that could be interpreted as snarky or mean. Here’s something to consider. It’s just as easy to post a positive comment as it is to post a negative one. Because of the Holy Spirit living in us, we have... Read more
Be Not Afraid with Gary Zimak
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