Author: Editor, Kingdom Revelator

“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16

We Need to be Living Saints

Many of us teenagers after encountering Jesus say: “I really want to grow in holiness. I don’t want to sin and hurt Jesus anymore. I want to avoid everything impure.” or something similar. That desire for holiness that the Holy Spirit has put in us is a great start! We need to be living saints who sanctify the world and who can boldly say “No” to its impure and unholy ways. I have to admit though it isn’t easy, but it is possible.

Satan Targets Teenagers

Growing in holiness can be challenging today because impurity is plastered everywhere. We see it in movies, music, on the TV, fashion, billboards, books, magazines, entertainment and even in people. Living in an impure world can be very challenging for a Christian. This is where many teens begin to weaken in their spiritual growth because Satan targets us through the media and entertainment, and we can easily fall into his trap. But remember the Word of God says, “The one in you is greater than the one who is in the world!” (1 John 4:4). Who is the “one in us”? He is the all-powerful and all-knowing God who does not allow his children to become the devil’s punch bag. If we truly desire to become holy and pure, then no-one or nothing can stop us, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:12). Saints and martyrs are beautiful examples of those who lived in the world but grew in purity and holiness. Our dearest holy Mother and Jesus himself lived in this world and showed us that we can be pure, and by his grace we can show a glimpse of heaven to others, through the example of our lives.

Say No to Unholy Situations

Psalm 119:9 asks “How can young people keep their ways pure?” and it gives the answer “by guarding it according to your word.” Remember the young man Joseph in the Old Testament. He must have had a deep thirst in his heart to please our loving God, by keeping himself holy and pure. That is why when Potiphar’s wife came to tempt him he ran away from the situation saying ‘No’. We too should be able to say ‘No’ to unholy situations, conversations, videos, and music that can damage our growing holiness.

The Power of Prayer

St. Josemaria Escriva said, “Never talk of impure things or events. It’s a subject that sticks more than tar. Change the conversation.” The saint goes on to say “I have never talked about impurity, but I have spoken many times, as I have to do, about chastity, purity, and the joyful affirmation of love.” The Holy Spirit gives us the anointing and grace like Joseph to say ‘No’ when we are being tempted to fall into sin.

Another powerful weapon to grow in purity is prayer. We can cry out to the Holy Spirit to make us holy, and to become pure. God desires that each one of us should be holy, “Be holy, as I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Blessed Mother Teresa said that “purity is the fruit of prayer.” When you go to school, college, trips to town, or use the internet or anything else then do take your saints with you. Ask your guardian angel to cover your eyes and ears from impure things. Claim the Word of God to overcome temptations that come your way. As you begin your day, spend time calling on your favourite saints and martyrs and ask for their help. But don’t just pray for yourselves but also for those teens you know, who may be struggling.

The Sacraments Help Us

Another powerful way to grow in holiness is through the Sacraments. That’s why the church offers them. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) is a beautiful Sacrament that offers us freedom and the grace to be free from the clutches of sin. St John of the Cross said, “Strive always to confess your sins with a deep knowledge of your own wretchedness and with clarity and purity.” The truth is that we are bound to mess up a few times in our spiritual journey. We may fall again and again, but God’s mercy will pick us up again to start afresh. We may go back to our old habits but the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from all our sins.

Christ is Enough

St. Josemaria Escriva said, “To defend his purity, St. Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow; St. Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush; St. Bernard plunged into an icy pond. You – what have you done?” God may not be asking this from us, but we can crucify our flesh so that God’s power can penetrate and work in us. Let us learn to crush our worldly desires and remember that Christ is enough for us. Learn to Say ‘No’ to sin and become a prayer warrior. And if you fall: remember GGCGet up, Go, Confess!

Written by Sheril John

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. REVELATION 19-6

Paul and Silas are Rescued

In Acts 16 we read the remarkable story of how God rescued Paul and Silas. After being beaten they were imprisoned in a dark dungeon with their hands and feet bound in iron stocks. Most of us would have despaired but Paul and Silas began praising God and continued singing into the middle of the night. Their fellow prisoners heard them singing and praising God and suddenly there was an earthquake which somehow unlocked all the doors and padlocks and set all the prisoners free. The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of his people (Psalm 22:3). In other words, God dwells in the atmosphere of His praise. The very moment Paul and Silas began to praise God, the presence of God was revealed in a mighty way. When we trust in God and begin to praise him in the dark times of our lives, that is, during our illnesses and troubles, God will free us from our chains and release us from all the powers of darkness.

The Offering of Our Lips

Psalm100:4 says “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his holy name.” We read in the Old Testament how the Israelites came into the Lord’s courts with thanksgiving and praise and as an offering to God they would bring their sacrifices of blood in the form of bulls or lambs and offerings of silver and gold. The good news for us is that Jesus sacrificed his own blood for the atonement of our sins, so we don’t need to offer God any blood sacrifices, just the offering of our lips. What is the offering of our lips? Hebrews 13:15 says, “ Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.” The ‘fruit of our lips’ is praise and thanksgiving to our Lord. Jesus wants us to bring our shouts of praise into his holy presence. Each day is a new gift of God to us and every morning we should remember and thank the Lord for the precious gift of his love. It is a wonderful thing to enter into each new day with praise and thanksgiving. When we praise God, it releases an atmosphere of joy and peace and manifests the immediate presence of God in our lives.

Turn to the Problem Solver

We tend to praise God when something good happens in our lives but King David reminds us in Psalm 34:1 that we must praise God regardless our circumstances. When David’s first child with Bathsheba died, in his sorrow, he went straight to the temple to worship the Lord. (2 Samuel 12:20) David knew that no matter what happened in his life, God was in control and so was worthy of his devotion and praise. Even though David was a mighty warrior, his personal weapon was the weapon of praise!

There is another interesting witness of praise when King Jehoshaphat and his army were surrounded by their enemies. In the midst of his troubles, when defeat seemed inevitable, King Jehoshaphat turned to the Lord and told him, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) Instead of focusing on his problems, the King turned to the ‘problem solver’ and began singing and praising the Lord. Miraculously his enemies were defeated and the King celebrated their victory by praising and thanking God. It is the same God who is ready to move on our behalf each time we are faced with any kind of problem in our lives. When we start to praise God, instead of having a negative and complaining attitude, there is a sudden transformation in our thinking pattern and we begin to develop a new attitude of thanksgiving. When we begin to praise God, Satan flees and his plans to keep God’s children from approaching God are thwarted.

Join the Angels and Saints Praising God

In fact the Angels and Saints in heaven sing endless praises to our living God enthroned in majesty. St. John says in Revelation 19:6 “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, Hallelujah. For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.” So we should not be embarrassed about what other people might think if we praise God. Each time we praise him we are surrounded by a heavenly host of Angels and Saints proclaiming the glory of God. Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips that acknowledge the mighty name of Jesus. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me to praise you at all times. Give me the grace to give you all the glory and honour and make my life an instrument of your grace. Amen.

When I was on a train journey recently, the train pulled into a station and I saw on the opposite platform a little girl and her mother. As the mother turned her back for a few minutes to rummage for something in her suitcase, I watched as, with a cheeky smile, the little girl started to hop around the yellow line that we all know that we should stand behind. She had obviously been told about this rule. But as soon as her mother’s back was turned, she started to edge closer and closer to the line, then onto it, then over it. Then she quickly hopped back behind it. And the whole process started again.

I know that little girl’s game

As I watched the little dance she was doing, I wondered if maybe sometimes that was what I looked like to God. When I know that something is wrong but I do it anyway. Sometimes, it is less obvious to us why we are told to “stand behind the yellow line”, but for our own safety, God paints it in clear colours anyway and instructs us to remain behind it. He gives us our boundaries.

But I know that little girl’s game. I have edged my way closer to the line when I thought that no-one was looking, then thought: “Well, perhaps if I just step onto it that would be ok.” And then, suddenly, it doesn’t seem so far to just dip a toe over the line and then my whole foot, then maybe the other. Before I know it, I’m knee-deep in sin and full of regrets. I risk my safety, my salvation, for something so small and momentary.

God does something amazing

But that is when God does something amazing.

He gives me the grace to step back over the line. And sometimes, often, I do the whole dance all over again. I resent God putting the line back in place and return to my old ways. But every time, he puts my safety first. His so-called ‘rules’ are not there to stop us having fun. They are there to protect us, to keep us from danger. And when I forget that, he offers me grace.

What about you? Do you recognize the little girl’s dance? Have you experienced God’s grace in those moments when you feel you’ve edged over the line?

Written by Claire Wright