Wednesday August 6, as to a lamp shining in a dark place,

Jesus told me he wanted it on the front  

Picture by Brad and Teresa Laney

Our Blog is Inspired by The Holy Spirit

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Beloved:

We did not follow cleverly devised myths

when we made known to you

the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.

For he received honor and glory from God the Father

when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory,

“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven

while we were with him on the holy mountain.

Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.

You will do well to be attentive to it,

as to a lamp shining in a dark place,

until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Emphasis mine 2 Peter 1:16-19

I received this picture Sunday 7/27/25, and I knew we would run it in the 8/6/blog, a first for me.

Jesus WAS a lamp shining in a dark world, no one will deny this.

Why?

Because Jesus was OUTREAGEOUS LOVE, even while He hung on His Cross.   The “world”, run by satan,  had never seen anybody like Jesus before and the only way to deal with Jesus was to Crucify Him.

Crucifixion, however, didn’t extinguish the light.   It was the act that allowed the light to grow even brighter as

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

And then he stamped out the darkness; Then he (the criminal on the right) said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Parentheses mine Luke 23: 42-43

I now, and yes we mean now, believe the criminal on the right became a light, because he was told, he a criminal, would be with Jesus in Paradise.  The criminal on the right has the answer man had pondered all through the centuries, that being, what happens to me when I die?

The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and any thinking man or woman before the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus didn’t have a definitive answer to this important question.

Now we do!

The interesting thing though is how many refuse to believe what took place on the Cross

The picture of the car with the sign on the front,  for me, was a light in a parade, because Brad said it was a “Fantastic” day, a day when maybe a light shone in a parade honoring God, because God was in front, and our country was next.  I also believe God has blessed our country over the Two-hundred plus years we have existed, because we’re the only country that was established as a Christian country. 

We are not implying we are perfect, but I also believe as a country we are trying to live Christian values. 

Prayer:

If you want to grow in Love, Joy, and Peace this is a result of growth in Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

Sidebar:

I just remembered that seventy percent of Catholics don’t believe Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist.

Two Bible quotes:

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.”  Emphasis mine Luke 22: 19

But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.  With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.  Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” Emphasis mine Luke 24: 29-32

In 1980 we started a new business, and for six months had no income.  I was a psychological wreck to say the least.  Thank God for Gail who ran the household, I couldn’t have done it.

The Holy Spirit who I didn’t know at the time, encouraged me to go to daily Mass during Lent.  I said forty days and then I’ll be done, 

Easy!!

A strange thing happened, I noticed AFTER receiving Communion as I was walking back to my seat, I felt Peace.

Peace?

My world was falling apart financially and I was feeling Peace, for only a few seconds, but after a few weeks of this happening I slowly realized that the Peace had to come from God, and always came AFTER I touched Jesus, A term I wouldn’t use until many years later, and I was healed of my anxiety for a few seconds.

But for a few seconds I lived in Peace!

Go figure!

I started to connect the Dots.

If communion was only a symbol as many think, then explain the Peace?

A second personal example: I fell off of my bike, hit my knee on the street, tore my pants at the knee, was in pain, on a scale of 1-10 about 3, went to Mass, and the INSTANT I touched Jesus the pain went away.

Recently a neighbor’s son had some serious health problems.  Bad enough that he couldn’t walk six hundred steps a day.  The Holy Spirit encouraged me to bring him communion daily which we did for five to six months.  He started walking again, and today walks over fourteen THOUSAND steps a day working at Costco.

We connected the dots.  Before receiving communion he couldn’t walk six hundred steps, after five or six months he could walk fourteen thousand steps.

Doctors couldn’t heal him , but Jesus in the Eucharist could.

We reported on a woman we brought Communion to who had cancer.  She was healed, and when she went for her follow up exam ALL her levels were normal except her iron level which didn’t concern the doctor.  The doctor was AMAZED.

NEVER forget that being a Catholic provides you with the Chance to TOUCH JESUS everyday if you choose, and this is powerful.

Why would you choose not to believe and to take advantage of this powerful way of life?

The dirty secret is we would rather take a pill, or submit to an operation, both of which could cause serious harm, than go to Mass every day and let God take care of us.

Hey, don’t look at me, it took forty years before I, I should say we, decided to go to Daily Mass, and I pray this will continue until the day I jump on the Hallelujah Train home.

After all the Triune God has done for me and our family over the past fifty-nine  years I would have to be a complete idiot to stop trying to deepen my relationship with God.

I love writing our blog on Mondays and then editing it further during the week.  Today is Wednesday, and The Holy Spirit planted the thought in my mind, “Who gains if you don’t believe Jesus is fully present in the Holy Eucharist?”

God or satan?

You know the answer?

Throw satan out and start telling yourself that when YOU are receiving Communion YOU are entering into a Celestial Dance with a God of OUTRAGEOUS Love and I am NOW TOUCHING JESUS, and when you touch Jesus, healings begin.

Picture:

My wife and I put our 1928 Willys Whippet in the 4th of July parade in Utah.  Originally, we were going to put the “Pray the Nine” sign on the back of the car but Jesus told me he wanted it on the front.  It was a FANTASTIC day!!!

Thanks for all you do by sharing your weekly thoughts on A Catholic Moment!!

God Bless,

Brad and Teresa Laney

Readers of last week’s blog, told me the flower was a Crocus.

Please keep Snapping!

And if you want the ten calling cards shown above, email me and I will send you my address, send me a STAMPED self-addressed envelope and I will send you ten cards.

Email me if you want a copy of the prayers we discussed. 

fprince101@gmail.com

Remember, if you want to submit a picture, please do not include people. We have to get permission from that person to use their photograph.

About the Author

My name is Frederick Prince, nicknames, Fred, Ted, and Tedfred. My wife Gail and I have been married for fifty-nine short years. We have three married sons and five grandchildren. Gail and I attend St. John Paul II Parish located in Scarborough Maine. I graduated from Stonehill College with a BSBA in Management in 1963. I joined the Navy and served aboard the USS Pine Island, a seaplane tender, for two years. I am a Vietnam Veteran and am filled with Joy for my service. Gail and I moved to Maine in 1966, and we now reside in Scarborough Maine. Gail and I have been active in our Church and our community. We have written five books: A Journey with The Holy Spirit - Revised Edition, I Believe... Revised edition, A Lion Dead to The Lord - Revised Edition, God Thoughts 2022, God Thoughts 2023, and God Thoughts 2024 in E-books Hardcovers, and Paperback copies are available at Amazon. Being selected to write the Wednesday blog has filled me with Joy. Being 85 I believe gives me a different perspective. Where you're going I have been, and I pray my twenty-nine years working with the men in the Cumberland County Jail brings a very different outlook to our blog.

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6 Comments

  1. Love the picture….it no doubt touched a lot of lives…the for being a light Brad and Theresa!

  2. Anonymous, I felt exactly the same way, and I loved the statement “Jesus said put me in front. Peace Fred

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