Devotions from Brennan Mannings book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat The words of Beatrice Beuteau, “God’s love is not conditional. We cannot do anything to deserve God’s love-for which reason it is called grace; and we need not do anything to provoke it. It is already there.  Any love that is going to be salvific must be…

Devotions by Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat “Keep your own death before your eyes each day”, said Saint Benedict. In our society today there is a refusal to view life in light of eternity. There is a denial of death and a fantasy of invincibility.  Some find it too painful to consider separation from…

Devotions from Brennan Manning’s book The Rabbi’s Heartbeat The author said, “Genuine faith leads to knowing the love of God, to confessing Jesus as Lord, and to being transformed by what we know.” If we want to know what a person really believes, we don’t just listen to what he says, we watch what he…

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heaertbeat The author said when we lack a lively awareness of our core identity as His child, it is easy to become enslaved to the approval and disapproval of others.  Much of our day can be spent placating and pleasing people, and their opinions can hold a…

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat It is one thing to discover a treasure but another to claim it as our own through determination and effort.  So often in our lives get so fascinated with the trophies of this world that is passing away…pursuit of money, pleasure, power etc.  Whatever it is,…

Devotions from Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat How often do we shut the Lord out of our lives?  Maybe we enjoy some things alone to exclude Him or to hug certain experiences and relationships to ourselves.  It may not consist of the denial of a personal God, but rather we grow inattentive to His…

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat As Christians we have the resurrection power at work in us. This power enables us to accept pain and to discover that we are not alone. It helps us to stand fast in our present circumstances and grow as a result.   Even when tragedy alters our…

Yesterday I went for a walk to the Point for a time of reflectionby the Lake.  On the way home I noticed a road sign that showed the winding road and curves ahead. I thought how great it would be if our journey was like that and we could know what is ahead. But of…

Devotions from Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat. How childlike are we in our walk of faith?  Jesus said , “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”  Matt. 18:3-5.  As we think of the characteristics…

Devotions from Brennan Mannings book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat Often we feel like we are wasting time when we aren’t doing something productive and accomplishing something. We may feel guilty and selfish when we take time to go off alone.  But spending time in quiet before God is not wasting time but a time when we…