Want To See An Example Of Pure, Childlike Faith?

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

Here is one of the most beautiful examples of childlike faith that you will ever see. Sadly, many of lose this kind of unrestrained enthusiasm and trust as we grow older and succumb to the world’s negativity and cynicism. Watch as these joyful Dominican sisters receive the news that a new pope has been chosen. Be prepared for chills, tears and an overall good feeling. This is a powerful example of the joy that results from true faith!

Posted in faith, inspiration, joy, Pope Francis, trust | Comments Off on Want To See An Example Of Pure, Childlike Faith?

New Format For Following The Truth Radio Show

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

As the Lenten Radio Retreat draws to a close, I wanted to take a few minutes to announce the NEW daily themes for Following The Truth on BlogTalkRadio. The show will still air Monday – Friday at 8 PM Eastern, but the daily themes will be changing. Starting on April 2nd, here’s what you can expect when you tune into the show. Please let your friends know about the program. It’s an easy way to get to know Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church without leaving your home!

Posted in Following The Truth, Gary Zimak, radio | 3 Comments

5 Habits That Are Hazardous To Your (Spiritual) Health

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

Although Lent is winding to a close, there is still plenty of time to work on the many bad habits that hurt our relationship with the Lord. If you were to make even the smallest progress overcoming one of your bad habits, then your Lent would be a success. While God never expects us to overcome our imperfections by ourselves, He does expect us to take the first step and try to fight against these tendencies. Here are 5 bad habits that, if not controlled, will keep you from growing closer to Christ. Are they the worst ones in the world? Maybe or maybe not, but every one of these tendencies will keep you from being the best Catholic you can be.

1. Anger – Despite the Lord’s repeated warnings, we often feel justified getting angry with others on a daily basis. Anger can be lethal to our spiritual lives and should be high on our list of faults to eliminate this Lent. How can we overcome it? With lots of prayer, receiving the Sacraments and by reading (and re-reading) the Lord’s words:

“You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.” (Mt 5:21-22)

2. Impatience – Although this fault is more subtle than anger, it can be very destructive to our spiritual lives. St. Paul tells us that “love is patient and kind” (1 Cor 13:4) and to “be patient with them all” (1 Thess 5:14), but we tend to lose sight of this when someone doesn’t move fast enough or disagrees with us. Let’s face it, we get annoyed with others several times each day, despite the fact that God is ALWAYS patient with us. For many years, I was a lukewarm, apathetic Catholic who’s purpose in life was to have a good time. By the grace of God, I’m still here and so are you. We should work on becoming more patient while we still have time. As a word of warning, if you pray to become more patient, expect people to pop up in your life who will give you PLENTY of practice!

3. Worry – Often we think of worry as something that’s inevitable. Many people have told me that “everyone worries”. I disagree. I’ve met people who, although they experience fear and even anxiety, don’t worry. Why? Because they have a deep trust in God. This is going to be painful to hear, but when we worry, we tell God that we don’t trust Him. Even though He tells us in Scripture that “all things work for the good” (Rom 8:28), we sometimes worry about events that are happening or MAY happen in our lives. Citing the previous Bible verse in his book Uniformity With God’s Will, St. Alphonsus Liguori stated that if God sends us suffering, it’s for our own good. After proclaiming the famous “Let not your hearts be troubled” (Jn 14:1), Jesus told us to believe in God and to believe in Him. Do we?

4. Lack of Charity – In our zeal to spread the “Good News” of our Faith, we sometimes overlook the need to do it WITH CHARITY. I’ll defer to Sts. Peter and Paul, who make the point more effectively than I ever could:

Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence. (1 Pt 3:15)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Cor 13:1-3)

5. Over Sensitivity To Criticism – We sometimes try harder to please others than to please Christ. Many of us “like to be liked” and that desire can sometimes get in the way of our relationship with the Lord. Today’s world is not very friendly to Catholicism and the message of Jesus Christ. When we live and share our faith, we can expect to be criticized. In fact, the Lord told us exactly what would happen when He said “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Mk 13:13). A bitter pill to swallow, right? Maybe, until we hear what He says next. “But he who endures to the end will be saved”! As we continue to travel the road to heaven, we should strive to make all of our actions pleasing to Jesus. As long as we do that, we’re in great shape!

If you’re like me and can identify with more than one of these bad habits, don’t panic! Pick one of them and make up your mind to use the remainder of Lent to work on it. Above all, don’t forget to ask the Lord for the grace needed to improve. Also, make it a point to receive additional grace through the Sacrament of Confession. Once you begin to see good progress (and you will, if you keep at it), tackle another one and keep going. While working on our bad habits should be a year round pursuit, Lent is a great time to get started. When we start to attack our faults like this, Jesus begins to increase (in us) and we begin to decrease (Jn 3:30). Ultimately, we’ll be able to echo the words of St. Paul and proclaim:

“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

Posted in charity, Christian Living, Lent, spirituality, worry | 20 Comments

Habemus “Negativity”…Be Careful!

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

Habemus Papam!

Those of us who love the Church are very excited that the Holy Spirit has provided us with another Vicar of Christ. Once again, the flock has a shepherd. Since we’re still in Lent, I’ll suppress my desire to say “Alleluia” and instead say “Rejoice”! I’m personally very excited for two reasons. First, I didn’t see this one coming. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was not one of the men on my “Pope radar” and I like that. This is a reminder that God often chooses people who we would NOT choose to do His work. With all of the prayers said for the Cardinals recently, I’m confident that the Holy Spirit was guiding them as they made their decision.

Secondly, I like the fact that Pope Francis is the first Jesuit Pope. After leading the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola last year on my radio show, I’ve grown to love St. Ignatius and his spirituality. Honestly, what’s not to love about someone who coined the motto “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” (For The Greater Glory Of God)? St. Ignatius was very aware that we often have inordinate attachments that hold us back from loving God fully. The Jesuit motto reminds us that everything we do should be for God’s greater glory, even if it’s not pleasing to us.

Now for the bad news. As many of you already realize, we’ve started to hear and will continue to hear an endless stream of commentary about the new Holy Father:

He’s too liberal.
He’s too conservative.
He’s going to make massive changes.
He’s not going to change enough.
I hope he comes down hard on “Cafeteria Catholics”
I hope he supports the ordination of women
etc, etc…

You get the idea. While the mainstream secular media will be responsible for much of this speculation, you’ll notice that a lot of it will be coming from folks like us. Bloggers and social media types will be giving us reasons why the Holy Spirit erred in selecting the current pontiff. We’ll be tempted to become negative and cynical. I would urge you to resist that temptation and instead thank God for our new Holy Father, keep him in your prayers and to trust in the words of Jesus:

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.? (Mt 16:18-19)

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Your Comments About The Lenten Radio Retreat

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

I thought you might enjoy hearing what people have been saying about the Following The Truth Lenten Radio Retreat. When you read these comments, it’s obvious that the Holy Spirit is at work!

I originally signed up for your retreat because I do fear so many things and have for several years. But I love your retreat because the things you focus on seem to go so much deeper than that, although I realize that this is exactly how you overcome the fears. Gotta get on with my day but know that I have gotten so much out of your retreat.

Listening to your retreat talks has opened a new way of looking at the “what if’s” in my life, especially at this time with my husband’s cancer. Every day the devil uses tools on me like: I should be doing more to help him or you are going to be so lonesome if something happens to him. I listened to a short talk today on your archives of a show on the 5 ways to help the troubled heart. You’re so right that during this Lenten retreat (and after) we will get to know God in such a way as never before. I feel like i have a new friend that I can talk to. Thank you for being who you are and sharing with us your love for God.

I have to say thank you again so very much for the work you do and especially this retreat. I have to admit, I feel God more these days; I suppose I am more aware of His presence and my need to rely on Him when I am in need.I also have to thank you once again for the examination of conscience. I am still feeling the graces of confession (almost a whole week later!) By the grace of God, I am more aware of my failings but find myself relying on His grace more to get through the difficult moments when all I want to do is give up. I’ll admit I’ve fallen in the last week since confession but through prayer and God’s grace, I am able to focus again on the Lord and drown out the voice of the evil one who delights in my failures.

I’ve been following the retreat from day 1. Thanks to your encouragement. I went to reconciliation last week. It had been over a year since my last one. The retreat has been a great tool for this Lenten season. When I get paid, I plan on making a donation. God Bless!

Thank you for your work, especially your show!

I am Indonesian now living in China. I just start listen to your podcast. Please subscribe me to the mailing list as u mentioned in your podcasts. Thank you for all what you do. God bless u.

My negative comment was going to be “I just listened to your show on root sins and realized that I’m a horrible person!” but maybe it could be a positive instead, so let me try again: I just listened to your show on root sins, and I’m going to take all that to my next confession and hopefully dig up some of the smaller rocks (to use the analogy of the farmer moving rocks so he could sow the soil). Really, that was a tough show. I had a suspicion about my root sin but when I found myself tearfully saying “yes, yes, yes” to every single question in that category, I knew it for sure. I have had a hard time making a clear examination of conscience and lately I have felt like there is a hard shell around my innermost sins and I can’t quite get to them. (I do hope that makes sense, it’s hard to put into words.) If I could just break through that hard shell – caused by ignorance of my root sin and the snares I’ve fallen into because of it – I could make a very clear examination of conscience and a great confession. I rarely leave the confessional with that “whew, what a load off” feeling that I used to get and maybe now I know why. I know you said that show would be difficult, but maybe I didn’t completely believe you! It really was rough, but I am extremely grateful that I heard it, and even more grateful that I can listen to it again if I need to in order to help it really sink in. I added the book you were using to my Amazon wish list. I need to set up my keyboard so when I push a single button, it will type out “thanks again for a great show,” because I think I might be saying it a lot more! 🙂

I just want to say, thank you once again for your show. Although today’s show was painful not because I didn’t know I am a sinner but because it breaks my heart to know that I have failed him who I profess to love above all, so much. Please keep me in your prayers as I struggle each day to ignore the devil and open my heart more and more to the Lord (I feel the devil has really been on my tail lately for some reason).

Your show on Day 7 was fascinating. I have heard a lot about finding your predominate fault, or as I’ve heard it called, your “root sin,” and I honestly couldn’t figure out if it was a real Catholic thing or if it was just another thing to be scrupulous about. The way you described it FINALLY made it click for me after learning about it last year. Thank you!

Pretty powerful, isn’t it? I’d like to thank all of you for participating in this effort. Hang in there, because the best is yet to come! This week we’ve started to look at how to conquer our bad habits. If you haven’t joined in yet, it’s still not too late. Just tune in to Following The Truth on BlogTalkRadio at 8 PM Eastern to get started. You can also listen to current or previously aired podcasts at your convenience. There’s still time to make this Lent a VERY productive one!

Posted in Lent, radio | Comments Off on Your Comments About The Lenten Radio Retreat

Some Info About Our Lenten Retreat

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

I promised that I would provide those of you who are taking part in the Lenten Retreat with some info so here you are…

Dan Burke’s excellent book, Navigating The Interior Life

Here’s a link to the Examination of Conscience used on Friday’s show:

http://www.catholicparents.org/oxcart/Examination%20of%20Conscience.pdf

The opening theme song for Following The Truth is “Jesus Christ Is Lord” by Renee Bondi. Her website is:

https://www.reneebondi.com/

The Facebook group Lenten Retreat created by our friend Monica can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/154617231359643/?ref=ts&fref=ts

My Daily Bread (the book that I’m using for the retreat) can be purchased from the following sites. While I have no affiliation with any of these sites, I have personally ordered from each of them and experienced no problems. It’s not necessary that you purchase the book, but you will definitely benefit from it (either now or after the retreat is over).


http://www.ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/MY+DAILY+BREAD/shop.axd/ProductDetails?x=0&y=0&keywords=my+daily+bread&edp_no=1469

http://www.catholicfreeshipping.com/gensym-152.html

http://www.confraternitypb.org/books.html

Hope this helps!

Posted in Following The Truth, Lent, podcast, radio | Comments Off on Some Info About Our Lenten Retreat

Are You Worried About The Future? Read This…

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

Catholic speaker, author and radio host Gary Zimak offers tips on how to stop worrying about the future

One of the biggest fears that people have is the fear of the unknown. “What if’s” are a frequent source of anxiety in the world today. How will I survive if this, that or the other thing happens to me? In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explicitly warned against being anxious about “tomorrow” (Mt 6:34) and pointed out the uselessness of doing so. In spite of that, however, we still waste a lot of time worrying about the future.

When I give my “Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry” talk at parishes, I always close with the following words from St. Francis de Sales. As someone who is prone to anxiety, I’ve always found tremendous comfort in this message. If you’re worried about the future, please take these words to heart. If you know someone who happens to be anxious, please share it with them. No matter what happens to us in life, God is always right by our side and will give us the grace to persevere!

“Have no fear for what tomorrow may bring, the same loving God who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. He will either shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.”

(St. Francis de Sales)

Posted in anxiety, faith, trust, worry | Comments Off on Are You Worried About The Future? Read This…

Deacon Bill Steltemeier – A Death In The Family

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

I’m sad.

Yesterday, I learned of the death of EWTN’s Deacon Bill Steltemeier and it hit me hard. Although I’ve never met the man, I feel as I’ve lost a member of my family. And as I’ve thought about it over the past 24 hours, I realize that I DID lose a member of my family. While Deacon Bill was certainly a family member, as we are brothers in Christ, our relationship is even more personal. He is a member of my EWTN family and, along with Mother Angelica and many other EWTN friends, that makes us very close.

Words cannot describe my gratitude to Mother Angelica and Deacon Bill. I was a lukewarm, lazy, self-centered Catholic for most of my life. Even though I went to Mass each week, I had no real faith and no personal relationship with the Lord. None! Although I had “on and off” conversions through the years, nothing ever lasted. I’d be somewhat zealous about my Catholic faith for a time, but eventually I’d backslide. In late 2004, I experienced some strange medical symptoms that caused me to think I was dying. Realizing that I was not ready to meet the Lord, I made the decision to embrace my faith. I stopped caring about all of the “important” things that preoccupied so much of my time and I started watching EWTN TV and listening to their radio programs. I started going to daily Mass (even though I felt horrible) and I listened to EWTN radio as I drove to and from the church. I somehow managed to go to work during this ordeal and EWTN radio was a regular part of that trip as well. In addition to finally starting to embrace my faith, I began to feel a family association with everyone at EWTN. I remember being comforted by Mother’s words and by Deacon Bill’s warm and loving personality. Eventually, my symptoms vanished and no diagnosis was ever made. But, as far as my faith goes, I never looked back. EWTN changed my life forever!

Last night, I told my wife that I was sad about Deacon Bill’s death and had to write something. This morning, the ideas started to come to me. Quite simply, his death has left a void in my life. I’ll miss his kind (but strong) spiritual advice, his loving praise for Mother Angelica (another family member of mine) and the way he always reminded us that we were “family”. Although I’m happy that his suffering is over, I’m sad for myself and all those who are grieving his passing. Rather than dwell on sadness, however, I’d rather focus on my admiration for the way he chose to live his life. Just like the Apostles, Deacon Bill left everything behind all followed the Lord. After meeting Mother Angelica in 1978, he began helping out at EWTN on a part time basis. In 1985, he resigned from his law firm to work full time with Mother Angelica at the network. He remained devoted to the mission of EWTN until his death.

Every day, I fail in some way to do what the Lord asks. I don’t trust in His providence, I get annoyed with people, I have a negative outlook, I doubt that He can perform miracles in my life. When I look at Deacon Bill, I not only admire Him, but I want to be like him. I want to trust when all seems hopeless, I want to be kind to everyone I meet, I want to love the Lord so much that I’d be willing to leave everything for Him. And I know that if I could meet Deacon Bill, he’d want me to do that too.

Goodbye for now, Deacon Bill. Thank you for all that you did to help me and so many others, through EWTN. Please pray for me, a weak sinner, that I may be able to imitate you and courageously follow the Lord even when it requires great sacrifice.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Posted in Christian Living, EWTN, trust | 6 Comments

Pope Benedict’s Resignation…Be Not Afraid!

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

Whenever I give a talk on anxiety, I ask the audience if they know what phrase Blessed Pope John Paul II used three times in his first speech as Holy Father. Invariably, several people cry out…

“Be not afraid!”

Echoing a familiar Biblical theme, used several times by Jesus, the late Holy Father reminds us that God is in control. No matter what happens in our life, the Lord is right there beside us. While it can be a very comforting reminder, it is also really easy to forget…especially when change or suffering arises in our lives.

Today, many of us woke up to some shocking news. Our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28. While this is certainly sad news for those of us who love and respect the Holy Father, it is also a time to put our trust in the words of Jesus to St. Peter, the first pope:

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. (Mt 16:18)

In other words, we can relax because the Church isn’t going anywhere. We will get through this, just as we survived the death of Blessed John Paul II and every other pope before him. Now, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be sad. I have a deep love and respect for Pope Benedict and the Church has been blessed to have him as a leader. However, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:13) who guides us to the truth.

I’m starting to see a lot of traffic on social media outlets, expressing unhappiness about what is sure to come in the mass media: mainly speculation on whether the new Holy Father will be “liberal” or “conservative”. The individuals who can be classified as “conservative” are hoping that the new pope will “straighten out the Church”. Those who consider themselves “liberal”, on the other hand, are praying for someone who will eliminate priestly celibacy and permit the ordination of women. Unfortunately, my friends, when we spend time dwelling on either of those positions, we can easily lose sight of a very important fact.

In two days, we enter into the holy season of Lent. This is a time given to us by the Church, to allow us to reflect our shortcomings and inordinate attachments and focus on moving closer to the Lord. There is not a day that goes by when I don’t sin in one way or another. Whether it’s by commission (doing things I shouldn’t do) or omission (not doing things I should do), I fall into this trap every single day. And, like it or not, I’m going to be judged for these sins one day. Even worse, I’m going to stand face to face with the Lord and try to explain why I let Him down so many times. Fortunately, Lent allows me to address some of my shortcomings and express remorse for them. It gives me a chance, with God’s grace, to become a better person. Right now, that has to be my main focus. None of us know if we will ever get to experience another Lent. It would be a shame to waste the opportunity!

Considering today’s news, it’s normal to feel sad and be concerned about the future of the Church, but don’t get carried away. My family and I pray for the Holy Father every day. This morning, my wife reminded our children that our prayers (and the prayers of all who pray for him daily) helped Pope Benedict to make this decision. He is a prayerful man and he is guided by the Holy Spirit. Continue to pray for him and for the Church and don’t forget to invoke the intercession of Our Lady, who was instrumental in praying for the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Church (Acts 1:14). In the meantime, let’s get ready to enter into Lent, mindful of the fact that it is a great opportunity for purification. If you’d like some company along the way, don’t forget that the Following The Truth Lenten Radio Retreat begins on Ash Wednesday. I’d love to have you join us!

Posted in anxiety, faith, fear, John Paul II, papal, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, trust, worry | Comments Off on Pope Benedict’s Resignation…Be Not Afraid!

Give Up Worrying For Lent!

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Gary Zimak

 

Since A Worrier’s Guide To The Bible was released, I’ve been doing a lot of speaking about anxiety. As I visit various parishes, I encounter many people who are worried about a variety of things. And I have to admit that some of their problems are monumental. I have also met several individuals who have serious problems, but who are at peace. What gives? How can some people be peaceful even though storms are raging around them.

In his letter to the church at Corinth, St. Paul touches on the key to achieving this kind of peace. It’s something that he knew about first hand and it enabled him to remain calm and peaceful in the midst of many sufferings:

Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor 4:16-18)

Despite all the suffering that Paul endured, he understood that there was a bigger picture. Looking at that big picture, and not focusing on our problems, can allow us to feel peaceful even though the waves are crashing around us.

So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Cor 5:6-10)

Mindful of the fact that this life is temporary, St. Paul confidently states that “we walk by faith, not by sight”. Or do we? Whenever we begin to worry about the problems in our lives and lose sight of the fact that our ultimate goal is to reach heaven, we do the opposite of what Paul recommends. So many of us are anxious and miserable precisely because we are not walking by faith. Instead, we are walking by sight. When we do that, we allow the problems we see in our lives to rob us of God’s peace.

So, what’s the answer? As I mention many times in my talks, FAITH is the answer to FEAR! If our faith is strong, our fear will fade away. A strong faith allows us to trust in God and His providence. We know that everything happens for a reason (Romans 8:28) and that everything that happens in our lives can help us to achieve our ultimate destiny – life in heaven! If you’re looking for some Biblical evidence to substantiate my claim, try this on for size:

He got into a boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, ?Lord, save us! We are perishing!? He said to them, ?Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?? Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. (Matthew 8:23-27)

Why were they afraid? Because they had little faith! Despite the fact that we many not want to admit it, fear and faith are at two opposite ends of the spectrum. Given that this is the Year of Faith (as declared by our Holy Father) and that we are entering into the season of Lent, wouldn’t it be great if we could use this holy season to move from FEAR to FAITH? Well, the good news is that we can and I’m going to be doing something on my daily radio show to help us achieve that goal!

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Feb 13, I’ll be leading a Lenten Retreat which will help us journey from FEAR to FAITH. The theme will be “Purification” (don’t worry…it’s not as bad as it sounds!) and it is designed to help us take our eyes off of earthly attachments and focus on our heavenly destination. In addition to the daily Mass readings, I’ll be using the book My Daily Bread by Fr. Anthony Paone, SJ as the basis for the retreat. Originally written in 1954, this outstanding little book uses Ignatian principles to help free us from our inordinate attachment to “things”. The basic format of the retreat will be as follows:

Week 1 – Conversion (A Thoughtful Look At Human Life)
Week 2 – After Conversion (Facing The Old Routine With A New Spirit)
Week 3 – Temptations (Their Nature and How To Control Them)
Week 4 – Conquering Bad Habits
Week 5 – Self Conquest Through Mortification

As we walk through this Lenten retreat together, we’ll find ourselves concentrating more on the things of heaven and less on the things of earth. As a result, we’ll not only grow closer to the Lord, but we’ll experience a great deal of peace. If you’re interested in participating in the retreat, please
email me (gary@followingthetruth.com) and put “Lent” in the subject. I’ll send you further directions and let you know how you can listen to my radio show. It will cost you nothing. Why not make a pledge to make this your best Lent ever? Together we can travel the road…

From FEAR To FAITH!

Posted in "Four Last things" death judgment heaven hell, anxiety, conversion, death, faith, judgment, last things, Lent, worry | 4 Comments