The first step to acceptance is realizing that there are some things in your life that you cannot change.  Perhaps a close family member or friend has died.  Maybe you or someone you know is dealing with pain or illness.  Maybe a disability makes it impossible for you to participate in sports or to learn at the same pace as your friends.  You might want to blame God or someone else for the cross you are having to bear.

Instead, as Christ did, decide to accept your challenges as God’s will in your life and use them as inspiration to make a difference to others.  If someone you’ve loved has died, you could use your own experience with grief to help them get through the same experience.  People who endure pain and illness often actually become stronger.  Many times a disability in one area reveals a particular strength in another.  Always remain ready to allow God to use your challenges as tools to make you a better person and the world a better place.

What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance?

Accepting yourself and the life God has given you is an important first step.  However, the Bible tells us that we should also accept others.

Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God. – Romans 15:7

But the Lord said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him.  God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance.  The Lord looks into the heart. – I Samuel 16:7

Do not complain, brothers, about one another, that you may not be judged. – James 5:9

Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something. – I Corinthians 1:27-28

A Point to Ponder

It’s hard to get others to accept Jesus if you haven’t accepted him first.

A Disciple’s Acceptance Prayer

“Dearest Jesus, the salvation You have won for me is more than I can imagine.  Help me to accept this gift.  May it be reflected to others in every word I say and every move I make today. In Your name I pray, Amen.”

Columbus, Ohio — Columbus Diocese seminarians and priests will be riding their bikes through the Diocese in the greater Columbus Metropolitan area and ending in Marion, Ohio the week of May 14 to 17. The seminarians and priests will meet with the youth in their schools and talk about Vocations and discerning God’s call in their lives.

This is the fourth annual Bike Tour sponsored by the Diocesan VocationsOffice, The Catholic Foundation and Face Forward Connecting Catholic Youth on Facebook. The seminarians will ride their bikes, along with Fr. David Sizemore, Pastor at St. John Neumann, Sunbury.

The seminarians look forward to fellowship, evangelization, the challenge of cycling, and the opportunity to spend time with youth, pastors and parishioners in the diocese after finishing their school year at the PontificalCollegeJosephinum. The Bike Tour team will cycle about 30 miles a day.

Here is a short clip of one of our seminarians sharing their personal faith journey with students along the bike tour. 2012 Seminarian Bike Tour

Bike Tour Schedule:

May 14 – Bishop Ready High School, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Cecelia and Trinity.

May 15 – St. Andrew, St. Agatha, St. Timothy, St. Michael

May 16 – Bishop Watterson High School and Our Lady of Peace

May 17 – Delaware St. Mary and Marion St. Mary

More information is available from www.seekholiness.com or please email lori@seekholiness.com.

Reading I: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalm 98:1-4
Reading II: 1 John 4:7-10
Gospel: John 15:9-17

God is love, and He revealed that love in sending His only Son to be a sacrificial offering for our sins. In these words from today’s Epistle, we should hear an echo of the story of Abraham’s offering of Isaac at the dawn of salvation history. Because Abraham obeyed God’s command and did not with-hold his only beloved son, God promised that Abraham’s descendants, the children of Israel, would be the source of blessing for all nations (see Genesis 22:16-18).

We see that promise coming to fulfillment in today’s First Reading. God pours out His Spirit upon the Gentiles, the non-Israelites, as they listen to the word of Peter’s preaching. Notice they receive the same gifts received by the devout Jews who heard Peter’s preaching at Pentecost—the Spirit comes to rest upon them and they speak in tongues, glorifying God (see Acts 2:5-11).

In his love today, God reveals that His salvation embraces the house of Israel and peoples of all nations. Not by circumcision or blood relation to Abraham, but by faith in the Word of Christ, sealed in the sacrament of baptism, peoples are to be made children of Abraham, heirs to God’s covenants of promise (see Galatians 3:7-9; Ephesians 2:12).

This is the wondrous work of God that we sing of in today’s Psalm. It is the work of the Church, the good fruit that Jesus chooses and appoints His apostles for in today’s Gospel.

As Peter raises up Cornelius today, the Church continues to lift all eyes to Christ, the only one in whose name they can find salvation.

In the Church, each of us has been begotten by the love of God. But the Scriptures today reveal that this divine gift brings with it a command and a duty. We are to love one another as we have been loved. We are to lay down our lives in giving ourselves to others—that they too might find friendship with Christ, and new life through Him. - Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn

Saints of the Week

St. John the Silent, St. Matthias – Apostle, St. Dymphna, St. Simon Stock, St. Paschal Baylon, St. Pope John I, St. Celestine

Pray for Priests

Fr. Patrick Patterson – CPPS, Fr. James Colopy, Fr. James Klima, Fr. Jerome Chavarria, Fr. Nicholas O’Brien, Fr. Robert Penhallurick, Fr. Carmen Arcuri

Name: Hannah Sellers
School: Bishop Watterson
Grade: Senior
Parish: Saint Brigid of Kildare

What service did you perform?
Two years ago as my sophomore service project I helped out at English as a Second Language classes. They were held at participating churches people of any background and first language can come and learn to read, write, and speak English.

How did you get involved?
I got involved by seeing this opprotunity on social networks and by word of mouth from people I go to school with.

Why is this extraordinary?
This is extraordinary because I got to help adults who felt lost in our country because they didn’t understand English, learn and understand English better so that they can strive for a better life in our country.

How can others get involved?
Other people can get involved the same way I did. They can ask their teachers who are in charge of service at their school or look in community newspapers or flyers that announce opprotunities like this.

What is the most rewarding thing about it?
The most rewarding thing about this service is when some of the immigrantss didn’t understand something finally understand it because of your teaching. Also, using my knowledge of the Spanish language specifically to help relate to those that I was teaching and putting it to the test.