The Mother of God and the Mystery of the Incarnation: She Who Is Full of Grace, Holy Ark, and New Eve
To the Ends of the Earth: Action – Week 3, Day 2 – "Amen, Amen" Means to Pay Attention
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.”
Deuteronomy 11:18–21
It can be tempting to take our faith for granted, especially if we have been Catholic our entire lives. Too often, living out our faith can become routine and ritualistic.
Jesus often used the phrase, “Amen, amen, I say to you” as a way to put special emphasis on a holy truth. It was as if he was saying, “Sit up and pay attention to this!” Jesus wanted his followers — including us today — to understand that believing in him is a serious matter. There can be no halfway disciples. Christianity is an all-in endeavor. In order to be members of the Mystical Body who act faithfully on behalf of the Church, we must be born from above, changed into new creations by the saving death of Jesus. There are no shortcuts or substitutions, heroic deeds or magic words that can accomplish what only the cross has done.
The question we Catholic men must ask ourselves is this: Am I all-in for the cause of Christ? Are we living as sold-out, radically changed, intensely joyful believers? Has the “Amen, amen!” of Jesus penetrated our minds and stirred our souls toward actions that truly manifest the glory, the power, and the presence of Christ to others? Is our faith a living faith, in which the words of the Gospel find their fullness in our words, our actions, and the direction our lives take for the kingdom of God? It makes all the difference in the world.
Questions for Reflection
Are you an all-in disciple of Christ, or are there still areas in your life where you hold back?
Are you living out the reality of the Gospel in a radical, joyfully committed way?
Praying with Scripture
For we share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end, while it is said, “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Heb 3:14–15)
You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE
You can watch and listen to this devotion HERE
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About the Author
Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
