Jesus, Are You Listening?

One of the most challenging narratives in the Bible involves a Canaanite woman who approached Jesus and asked Him to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28). When reading about this encounter, our attention is typically drawn to the seemingly harsh words used by Christ when he states that it isn?t fair to take the children?s bread and throw it to the dogs. While there are many things I could say about what the Lord said when approached by the desperate woman, let?s first focus on what He didn?t say.

But he did not say a word in answer to her. (Matthew 15:23)

Wow! This poor woman is begging for her daughter to be healed from demonic possession and Jesus didn?t even answer her. How would you react to that kind of response? I agree that it sounds brutal, but let?s dig a little deeper. Scripture tells us that Jesus did not answer the woman, but it says nothing about His non verbal response. Did He smile, nod His head, close His eyes thoughtfully, turn around and glance at her with compassion? It?s certainly possible.

Are you frustrated that Jesus isn?t responding to your cries for help? You pour out your heart and all you hear is silence. The fact that Jesus isn?t responding in the way you expect does not imply that He isn?t listening or doesn?t care. If you have any doubt, think about His death on the Cross. That was done out of love for you. Rather than accuse Him of ignoring you or not caring, try to imagine Him looking at you with compassion, gently holding your hand or giving you a big hug. Let your imagination help you to see how much He cares.

As for the Canaanite woman, the Lord was giving her a chance to put her faith into action. She knew Jesus could make her daughter well and her persistence was rewarded with a total healing. Jesus loves you and wants to help you with your problems. Whatever you do, don?t stop asking!

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Is There A Wrong Way To Pray?

When you pray, how do you begin? Do you launch right in to your list of intentions or do you take a few minutes to recognize the fact that you?re speaking to the creator of the Universe who loves you unconditionally? Don?t feel bad. We often get so caught up in our needs that we lose sight of some basic concepts. While it’s true that there is no “wrong” way to pray, it’s also true that the prayer of Jesus should be looked at as the “gold standard” of prayer. With that in mind, let’s look at how the Lord prayed on the night before He died:

??Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.? (Mk 14:36)

We can learn a great deal about prayer by analyzing His words…

1. We are not speaking to an impersonal force or distant being, but a Father who loves us unconditionally. When praying to His Father, Jesus uses the Aramaic word ?Abba?. It implies a deep personal, relationship with a loving Father. St. Paul encourages us to use the same title when speaking to our Heavenly Father (Romans 8:15).

2. God can do all things. The word ?impossible? doesn?t exist in His vocabulary. Remembering this allows us to pray with great confidence.

3. Jesus makes it clear that there is nothing wrong with asking for an end to suffering. Our Father wants us to ask for the desires of our heart. Go ahead and do it!

4. Ultimately, we should be willing to accept whatever our Father gives us. ?Yes?, ?No? and ?Not Yet? are all valid answers to prayer. Because the Father loves us, we will always receive what we need.

Can prayer really be that simple? You bet! Learning to pray like Jesus will transform your life. Give it a try and see what happens. I know you won?t be disappointed!

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Now, That’s What I Call Love!

Looking for something to cheer you up? Take a look at the opening paragraph of the Cathechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):

God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life. (CCC 1)

Your Father in Heaven created you so that He can enter into an intimate relationship with you. He did this fully understanding that you could reject His offer and ignore Him. He was willing to take that risk because He loves you and wants to share His life with you. His love for you is so strong that He sent His Son to suffer, die and rise from the dead so that you could live forever in Heaven. It was a radical move, but in his eyes you?re worth it!

Sometimes we get confused when difficulties arise, thinking that God has abandoned us or doesn?t love us. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are so important to Him that He will do anything necessary to get your attention. God loves you and nothing you can do will ever change that. That makes me very happy. How about you?

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An Update On The Status Of My Ministry

Gary Zimak and family in the studios of Holy Spirit Radio

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

On January 6, 2012, a job layoff presented me with the chance to do “the impossible” – get out of the boat and enter into full time Catholic ministry. Over the course of the past six years, I have been blessed with many opportunities – numerous appearances on Catholic TV and Radio, speaking engagements from coast to coast and six published books. In addition, I have witnessed God provide for the needs of my family over and over.

Last year, the “full time” status of my ministry changed when I accepted a dream job as the host of Spirit In The Morning on Holy Spirit Radio in Philadelphia. Even though I hosted the program every morning, I continued to travel around the country leading parish missions and retreats. In the past several months, however, I have been feeling the call of the Holy Spirit to move away from the traveling and spend more time at home with my family. One day I’ll write more extensively about it, but the Lord spoke loud and clear through people, circumstances and feelings. It was time to move on.

Earlier this week I accepted a full time position as Director of Parish Services at Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish in North Wales, PA. I will be responsible for adult faith formation, RCIA, parish missions, retreats and much more. It is a fantastic job that will allow me to do what I love the most – lead souls to Christ. In addition, I will continue to host Spirit In The Morning and do my weekly segments on EWTN Radio’s The Son Rise Morning Show. My daily podcasts (Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled and The Gary Zimak Show) will be discontinued, as will any speaking engagements that require travel and monthly segments on Catholic Community Radio and Iowa Catholic Radio.

I can’t begin to express my gratitude to the Lord, my Blessed Mother, my family (especially my incredibly supportive wife Eileen) and all of you who supported me with your donations, prayers and words of encouragement. I am in awe of what God has done in my life. Take it from me, He can and will perform miracles in your life if you give him the chance. Even though things are changing for me, it’s all good and I am totally peaceful with the changes.

Please pray for me as I enter into a new and exciting phase of ministry. As long as I’m following His lead, I know I’ll be just fine!

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

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Spirit In The Morning – Catholic Radio’s Most Unique Program!

 

Catholic Speaker Gary Zimak is the host of Spirit In The Morning On Holy Spirit Radio in Philadelphia

It’s hard to believe that we just celebrated the one year anniversary of Spirit In The Morning on Holy Spirit Radio in Philadelphia. When I first presented the concept to station management in September of 2016, I had no idea just how successful the show would become.

What Makes Spirit In The Morning Unique?

It’s simple. We are the only Catholic radio show in the country that offers a mix of Contemporary Christian Music, Scripture and today’s leading Catholic personalities. Our goal is to lead you into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ and get you excited about being Catholic!

Who Has Appeared On The Show?

In the past year, the guests on Spirit In The Morning have included:

Fr. Larry Richards
Fr. Donald Calloway
Bear Woznick
Teresa Tomeo
Johnnette Benkovic
Dr. Ray Guarendi
Raymond Arroyo
Michael Warsaw
Fr. Mitch Pacwa
Marge Fenelon
Jimmy Akin
Tim Staples
Trent Horn
Cy Kellett
Christopher Check
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers
Matt Swaim
Lisa Hendey
Dr. Gregory Popcak
Jacon Popcak
Anna Mitchell
Debbie Georgianni
Tony Agnesi
Fr. Edward Looney
Fr. Jim Sichko
Drew Mariani
Kelly Wahlquist
Marcellino D’Ambrosio
Tony Rossi
Fr. Jeffrey Kirby
Kevin Lowry
Marty Rotella
Christopher Bell
Fr. Frank Pavone
Jeanne Mancini
Bryan Kemper
Dr. Alveda King
Bobby Schindler
Dr. Kevin Vost
Dan Burke
Coleen Kelly Mast
Danielle Bean
Kate Wicker
Deacon Greg Kandra
Fr. Joseph Mary
Fr. Leonard Mary
Fr. Mark Mary
Fr. John Paul Mary
Sister Ann Shields
Chris Stepien
Karlo Broussard
Dr. Edward Sri
Dr. John Bergsma
Dr. Alan Schreck
Lisa Madrid Duffy
Bryan Mercier
Marybeth Hicks
Tom Peterson
Pat Gohn
Mike Aquilina
Dr. Matthew Bunson
Steve Bollman
Eric Sammons
Catherine Szeltner
Fr. Paul Scalia
Hector Molina
Chris Stewart
Fr. Thomas Dailey
Mark Poletunow
Lee Strobel
Thom Price
Jack Williams
Diana Von Glahn
Dina Dwyer-Owens
Elizabeth Scalia
Randy Hain
Sonja Corbitt
Justin Fatica
Mary Lou Rosien
Jennifer Hubbard
Jeannie Ewing
Fr. Chris Alar
Dr. Paul Kengor
Greg Willits

And that is just a PARTIAL list! The Holy Spirit has provided (and continues to provide) a “who’s who” of All Star guests on daily basis.

What’s Next?

Only the Holy Spirit knows for sure, but my goal is to continue to seek out the best guests/music possible in order to help you grow closer to the Lord. With the invaluable assistance of Dave Parker, Frank Eliason and the management of Holy Spirit Radio the future looks bright for Spirit In The Morning!

Listen to Spirit In The Morning with Gary Zimak on 1570 AM (Philadelphia/Doylestown) or 1420 AM (Coatesville). You can also listen online at HolySpiritRadio.org or TuneIn Radio

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The Total Consecration Prayer

 

Catholic speaker and author Gary Zimak is available to speak at your parish or conference

Congratulations to everyone who has completed the 33 day preparation for Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary! It is a BIG accomplishment and you definitely deserve to be commended for your perseverance. In order to officially consecrate yourself to Jesus through Mary, please recite the following prayer. While it is strongly recommended that you perform the consecration at Mass (after Communion), it isn’t an absolute necessity.

Consecration of Oneself to Jesus Christ, Wisdom Incarnate,
Through the Hands of Mary
(St. Louis de Montfort’s Consecration Prayer)

Eternal and incarnate Wisdom, most lovable and adorable Jesus, true God and true man, only Son of the eternal Father and of Mary always Virgin, I adore you profoundly, dwelling in the splendor of your Father from all eternity, and in the virginal womb of Mary, your most worthy Mother, at the time of your Incarnation.

I thank you for having emptied yourself in assuming the condition of a slave to set me free from the cruel slavery of the evil one.

I praise and glorify you for having willingly chosen to obey Mary, your holy Mother, in all things, so that through her I may be your faithful slave of love.

But I must confess that I have not kept the vows and promises which I made to you so solemnly at my baptism. I have not fulfilled my obligations, and I do not deserve to be called your child or even your slave.

Since I cannot lay claim to anything except what merits your rejection and displeasure, I dare no longer approach the holiness of your majesty on my own. That is why I turn to the intercession and the mercy of your holy Mother, whom you yourself have given me to mediate with you. Through her I hope to obtain from you contrition and pardon for my sins, and that Wisdom whom I desire to dwell in me always.

I turn to you, then, Mary Immaculate, living tabernacle of God, in whom Eternal wisdom willed to receive the adoration of both men and angels.

I greet you as Queen of heaven and earth, for all that is under God has been made subject to your sovereignty.

I call upon you, the unfailing refuge of sinners, confident in your mercy that has never forsaken anyone.

Grant my desire for divine Wisdom and, in support of my petition, accept the promises and the offering of myself which I now make, conscious of my unworthiness.

I ___________________, an unfaithful sinner, renew and ratify today through you my baptismal promises. I renounce forever Satan, his empty promises, and his evil designs, and I give myself completely to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him for the rest of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have been till now.

This day, with the whole court of heaven as witness, I choose you, Mary, as my Mother and Queen. I surrender and consecrate myself to you, body and soul, as your slave, with all that I possess, both spiritual and material, even including the value of all my good actions, past, present, and to come. I give you the full right to dispose of me and all that belongs to me, without any reservations, in whatever way you please, for the greater glory of God in time and throughout eternity.

Accept, gracious Virgin, this little offering of my slavery to honor and imitate the obedience which Eternal Wisdom willingly chose to have towards you, his Mother. I wish to acknowledge the authority which both of you have over this pitiful sinner. By it, I wish also to thank God for the privileges bestowed on you by the Blessed Trinity. I declare that for the future, I will try to honor and obey you in all things, as your true slave of love.

O admirable Mother, present me to your dear Son as His slave, now and for always, so that He who redeemed me through you, will now receive me through you.

Mother of mercy, grant me the favor of obtaining the true Wisdom of God, and so make me one of those whom you love, teach and guide, whom you nourish and protect as your children and slaves.

Virgin most faithful, make me in everything so committed a disciple, imitator, and slave of Jesus, your Son, incarnate Wisdom, that I may become, through your intercession and example, fully mature with the fullness which Jesus possessed on earth, and with the fullness of His glory in heaven. Amen.

_______________________________________________ (Signature)

_______________________________________________ (Date)

I will be reading and discussing this prayer on the October 7th edition of The Gary Zimak Show and invite you to join me. Get ready…this will be the start of an exciting journey!

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An Easy Way To Prepare For Total Consecration!

Catholic speaker Gary Zimak leads Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary on his daily podcast

Listen to internet radio with Gary Zimak on Blog Talk Radio

?I have said that this devotion may rightly be called a perfect renewal of the vows or promises of holy Baptism.? (St. Louis de Montfort)

Are you ready to renounce Satan and his works, renew and ratify your baptismal promises and make a total donation of your life to Jesus? If so, Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary is just what you need!

What exactly is this devotion all about? Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary was popularized by Saint Louis de Montfort (1673 ? 1716), a French priest who stated that ?this devotion, faithfully practiced, is an excellent means of making sure that the value of all our good works shall be employed for the greater glory of God.?

Over the past five years, I have led close to 4,000 individuals through this process on my nightly podcast. Here are some of their comments:

I cannot thank you enough for doing this. Listening to your explanations is a big help for me. I also appreciate being able to say the prayers along with you because I get so easily distracted. Not to say that it still does not happen, but it would be a lot worse if I was doing it on my own. I have lots of areas that need improvement, but I feel confident with the Blessed Mother at my side I can do it in baby steps.

Thank you for all your help. Just wanted you to know that my husband and I are still with you and plan on making this Consecration next week. It has changed MY life in so many ways.

Thank you so much for doing this?it is very helpful to do it in a group ?this is a huge mental commitment and a leap of faith but I find your encouragement extremely inspiring!

You are doing so much good with this consecration. I would not even be doing this myself if I had not heard you on Ave Maria Radio (while I was working on the house!). You are blessing so many through your encouragement with this devotion and your thoughtful support of those who are encountering difficulties.

On Monday, September 4, 2017 (Labor Day in for those in the United States) we will once again begin the 33 day period of preparation which will result in consecrating (or re-consecrating) ourselves to Jesus through Mary on October 7 and I am inviting as many of you as possible to make this consecration along with me.

This year, I am doing it in a completely unique and exciting way. Instead of using one particular book, I will be selecting our daily meditations from “The Best Of The Best” preparation methods (including books by Fr. Michael Gaitley, Fr. Hugh Gillespie and others). All of these daily meditations will be compared with St. Louis de Montfort’s guidelines to ensure that you are getting the best possible preparation.

The Total Consecration is divided into themes:

(Days 1-12) The Spirit of the World ? We concentrate on casting off the spirit of the world, which is contrary to the spirit of Jesus Christ.

(Days 13-19) Knowledge of Self ? The focus is on seeing ourselves as God sees us and looking at the effects of our sins.

(Days 20-26) Knowledge of Mary ? In order to imitate Mary?s desire to always follow God?s will, we must get to know her.

(Days 27-33) Knowledge of Jesus ? In preparation for making our Total Consecration, we?ll study the life of Jesus.

Day 34: Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary.

If you?re interested in joining me, I recommend that you listen to a 30 minute introductory podcast that I recorded last year HERE. This will give you an idea of what to expect. Other than that, there’s nothing else you need to do – no book to purchase, no fee, no need to even leave your home. If you need a reminder, I recommend that you sign up for my email newsletter (see the sidebar to the right of this page). Beginning on September 4th, there will be a podcast available each day (by 8 PM each evening). The length of the shows will be 30 minutes (M-F) and 15 minutes (Sat-Sun). You can download the podcasts free of charge from BlogTalkRadio, iTunes or TuneIn Radio. Or you can listen to the podcast directly from my website by clicking HERE.

Please share this invitation with as many people as you can. There is no cost and no vows are involved. You?re simply expressing the desire to become a better person and taking advantage of Mary?s help. It?s a great deal!

Through the years, Total Consecration has changed many lives. Don’t just take my word for it, however. Give it a try and see what happens in your life.

See you on September 4th!

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Catholic Answers Invades Spirit In The Morning!

 

Catholic speaker and radio host Gary Zimak with Jimmy Akin and Tim Staples from Catholic Answers on Spirit In The Morning

Tim Staples and Jimmy Akin…

You’ve read their books…

You’ve heard them on Catholic Answers Live…

You’ve seen them at live at Catholic conferences around the country…

And now, for the first time ever, you’ll be able to experience both of them together on Spirit In The Morning, the fastest growing morning show on Catholic Radio. Join me as I sit down with each of them on July 31, 2017 in a powerful Catholic apologetics double header.

Gary Zimak, Tim Staples, Jimmy Akin together on Spirit In The Morning. Listen live Monday July 31 at 7 AM ET on Holy Spirit Radio. You can listen online at SpiritInTheMorning.com!

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Want To Stop Worrying And Start Living? Try This!

I want you to be free from anxieties. (1 Cor 7:32)

Are you tired of worrying? Join me for my annual “worriers” retreat at the Malvern Retreat House on Aug 4 – 6, 2017. For the 3rd consecutive year, I’ll be leading a designed to help you experience the peace that God has planned for you.

This year?s talk topics will be:

You CAN Stop Worrying!
Unleashing The Spirit
From Fear To Faith
Jesus ? Your BEST Best Friend
Listen To Your Blessed Mother

Don’t get shut out. The past 2 years have sold out. For more information or to register today, click HERE!

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Need A Miracle? Try The Saint Andrew Novena!

Join Catholic speaker and author Gary Zimak every Monday thru Friday on Spirit In The Morning on Holy Spirit Radio

One of my favorite devotions, The Saint Andrew Novena, begins on November 30! It is piously believed that whoever recites this prayer fifteen times a day from the Feast of Saint Andrew (November 30) until Christmas will obtain what is asked. Does this mean that God will give you anything, even something that may be harmful to you spiritually? Fortunately, no! However, I have received miraculous favors since I started praying this novena a few years ago and I believe in its power.

Here?s EWTN?s Fr. Joseph Mary speaking about his personal experience with the St. Andrew Novena:

Here is the novena prayer:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

In addition to the spiritual benefits, it?s a GREAT way to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Why not give it a try? If you want to find out more, listen to Spirit In The Morning on Wednesday, November 30. I’ll be discussing it in greater detail.

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