Bible

Coming Soon…Listen To Your Blessed Mother!

Jan 16th, 2013

I’m excited to officially announce my second book, Listen To Your Blessed Mother (Mary’s Words In Scripture). Coming in August 2013 from Liguori Publications, it will be a reflection on Mary’s words in the Bible. Matt Swaim, author and producer of EWTN Radio’s Son Rise Morning Show, has graciously agreed to write the foreword.

This book has been a labor of love and I’m anxious to share my thoughts on my Blessed Mother with you. The idea started when I did a series of blog posts and segments on The Son Rise Morning Show. When we listen to Mary’s words and observe her actions, we can learn more about our Faith than from a library full of books. I can personally attest to the fact that the more we love Mary, the more we will love Jesus.

I’d appreciate it if you’d keep this project in your prayers and help me to spread the word. I’ll provide more details as soon as I can.

Tired Of Worrying? Here’s A Suggestion…

Sep 28th, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

16 comments

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Sure, we’ve all heard the Bible verse and sang the words at Mass, but how often can we say that we live our lives according to this principal? Like many other people, I claim to have faith and believe that God can do miracles…until one of my family members gets a serious illness or I don’t know how I’ll pay the monthly bills. Sadly, when these events occur my faith sometimes goes “out the window” and I do something completely useless…panic!

As the author of A Worrier’s Guide To The Bible (50 Verses To Ease Anxieties), you’d probably think that I’m someone who has never worried or who has declared victory over anxiety. Not even close! I have been a worrier all of my life and I STILL fight the battle every day. Most times that a crisis pops up in my life, my first instinct is to worry. The good news is that my second instinct is to pray! The even better news is that, at this point in my life, sometimes my FIRST reaction is to pray. Although I still have a long way to go, that is a BIG improvement for me!

So how does one go from worrier to (prayer) warrior? Quite simply, my friends, it’s all about faith. If your faith is strong enough, you’ll walk by that faith and not by sight. Your eyes will be so focused on the Lord and His promises that you won’t even see the waves crashing around you. Since faith is a supernatural gift, however, we can’t just increase it on our own. Therefore, we have to turn to God and ask for help. When dealing with a “storm” in your life, crying out, “Lord, please increase my faith!” is an extremely powerful prayer and is a lot more effective than worrying!

In addition to allowing us to pray to Him when we’re anxious, the Lord also wants to speak directly to us. One of the best ways to hear Him is by opening up the Bible. When I was writing my book, I created a spreadsheet with Bible verses that could be used to combat anxiety. I would often sit in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament reading and re-reading these verses. Although my primary goal was to decide which verses should be included in the book, I received an unexpected blessing…I began to feel peace, even in the midst of my problems!

Here’s a verse to get you started. If you’re worried about something, open up your Bible and read (and re-read) this verse. While there’s no guarantee that your problems will disappear, you will eventually feel a peace that is not of this world. If you don’t feel peaceful right away, keep reading. Jesus is extending His hand and is speaking these words directly to you…

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

10 Great Examples Of Biblical Prayer

Sep 4th, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

3 comments

According to Saint John Damascene, prayer is “the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God”. Unfortunately, we often overlook the importance of prayer in our lives, forgetting that every time we pray something happens. That “something” is an outpouring of grace which either affects us or those around us. In an attempt to provide some good examples of prayer, I’ve chosen 10 samples from the pages of the Bible. By studying these examples and incorporating them into our prayers, we’ll be able to “beef up” our spiritual lives and grow closer to the Lord.

1. Abraham Intercedes for Sodom – One of the earliest Biblical examples of prayer can be found when Abraham interceded for the city of Sodom (Genesis 18:22-33). Standing before the Lord, Abraham pleaded with Him to spare the immoral city based on the fact that some holy people lived there. We all know people who have turned away from God and live an immoral lifestyle. Abraham’s example reminds us that we should pray for their conversion and ask the Lord to be merciful.

2. Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom – When informed by the Lord in a dream to ask for something (1 Kings 3:5-14), Solomon didn’t ask for riches or treasures, but requested an understanding mind so that he could discern good from evil. Pleased by this noble plea, God also granted him riches and honor. We often have our priorities in the wrong order and pray solely for temporal (or temporary) things. If we learn to focus more on spiritual goods, we’ll find that the Lord will also provide for our material needs.

3. Prayer of Desperation – Found in Psalm 22 and later repeated by Jesus as He died on the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is a prayer familiar to many. It is a desperate plea for the Lord’s assistance when all seems hopeless. We should not be ashamed to use these words, but rather look at them as a cry for help. Those who are prone to anxiety should become familiar with this prayer and not hesitate to use it when necessary. We all encounter those times when it feels as if we’re facing our problems alone. Calling out to the Lord will allow us to experience His presence and feel the peace that only He can give.

4. The Tax Collector’s Prayer – One of the simplest, but most eloquent expressions of true contrition can be found in the Lord’s parable of the “Pharisee and the Tax Collector” (Luke 18:9-14). Praying in the temple, without lifting his eyes, this humble sinner prayed, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”. Direct and to the point, we should make these words our own and pray them every day!

5. Saul’s Question – Saul of Tarsus (better known as St. Paul) was deeply affected by his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. During the 2nd of the 3 times that he relates this story (Acts 22:4-16), Paul mentions a question that he asked of the Lord. In reality, it is a prayer and one that we should pray frequently. “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10) is something that we should ask God each day. Instead of telling the Lord what He can do for us, it would be nice to ask what we can do for Him. What is Your Will for me, Lord?

6. The Wedding At Cana – As Christians, we are encouraged to pray for one another. My favorite example of intercessory prayer in the Bible can be seen at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11). I especially like this example because of the Blessed Mother’s involvement. There is a crisis – the wine has run out at a wedding feast and something needs to be done. Without being asked, Mary goes directly to Jesus and simply states, “they have no wine”. He responds by performing His first miracle and turning water into wine. The moral of the story? Mary is always standing by, ready to take our needs to her Son!

7. The Magnificat – Based on several Old Testament verses, Mary’s famous prayer (Luke 1:46-55) is a great example of humility and gratitude. Knowing full well that everything good in her is attributable to God, Mary responds to Elizabeth’s praise by extolling the Lord’s greatness, emphasizing her own lowliness and recalling His providence for the chosen people. St. Louis de Montfort loved this prayer and recommended that it be recited at solemn moments, such as after receiving Holy Communion.

8. Prayer of Abandonment to God’s Will – When He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before He died, Jesus gave us a perfect example of abandonment to God’s Will (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:40-46). Even though it’s not always possible to know God’s Will with certainty, appending the phrase “but not as I will but as You will” to our petitions ensures that we are submitting to His Will.

9. The Lord’s Prayer – Asked by one of His disciples to “teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1), Jesus responded with the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4). Often referred to as the “perfect prayer”, the Our Father contains it all: praise (“hallowed be Thy name”), contrition (“forgive us our trespasses”), petition (“give us this day our daily bread”) and submission to God’s Will (“Thy Will be done”). We can NEVER go wrong by praying these words!

10. Forgiveness – Sometimes it’s hard to find the words (or the desire) to forgive those who offend us. Since we know that we are always called to forgive, however, we must find a way. Here is a 10 word prayer first spoken by Jesus as He suffered on the cross. Remember it the next time you need to forgive someone. It expresses all that needs to be said! “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

The preceding examples, taken from the pages of the Bible, were designed to illustrate some of the qualities of effective and meaningful prayer. Humility, sincerity, and faith are important characteristics of prayers that are pleasing to God. Studying these examples can help us to enhance our prayers by incorporating some of the methods used by the holy men and women who have gone before us. By praying often and sincerely, we’ll get closer and closer to the Lord until one day we’ll be praying with the angels and saints in Heaven!

What Jesus Wants You To Know About Worrying

Aug 26th, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

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Here’s a neat YouTube video put together by a listener. Using my 8/13/12 interview with Sean Herriott on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air, she added some pictures and came up with a very nice 2-part presentation. The discussion focused on “10 Things Jesus Wants You To Know About Worry and Anxiety”. If you’re a worrier, please check out these videos. If not, share them with the worriers in your life!

10 Things Jesus Wants You To Know About Worry And Anxiety

Aug 7th, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

20 comments

I know what it’s like to be anxious. Even when I was a young child, I had a tendency to worry. Fortunately, my anxiety proved to be a blessing since it caused me to seek comfort by turning to the Lord. Whenever I give talks about the subject of anxiety, I like to open the Bible and highlight some of Jesus’ comments about the subject. His words are clear and to the point and far more effective than any advice I could give. If you’re a worrier, here are 10 things Jesus wants you to know about anxiety. Some are statements and some are questions, but they are all designed to help you feel His peace.

1. “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” (Matthew 6:34)

2. “Why are you afraid, have you no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

3. “And which of you, by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26)

4. “Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on.” (Matthew 6:25)

5. “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” (Mark 6:50)

6. “Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 28:10)

7. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

8. “Do not fear, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)

9. “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)

Hey, wait a minute…that’s only 9…where’s the 10th quote? Good point, but we need to change direction for a minute. In the next quote, Jesus once again tells us not be afraid (in this case, of those who persecute us or threaten us with harm), but He also tells us that we SHOULD be afraid of something. Although we worry about many things, this one is usually not on our list, but it should be. The fear of the evil one (and the threat of eternal damnation) should motivate us to stay close to the Lord and follow His commands. If we do that, we’ll be fine!

10. “Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

There you have it, 10 direct quotes from Jesus about anxiety. Do you feel better? Me too. Keep these handy and refer to them often. When you’re temped to worry, read them over again and see how you feel. As Christians, we shouldn’t have to worry…we have Jesus. He is the ultimate cure for the anxiety in our lives. Please share this list with your fellow “worriers” so that others can experience the Lord’s peace!

Hearing God Speak Is Easier Than You Think!

Jun 28th, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

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One of the biggest mistakes many Catholics make is to treat the Bible as “just another book”. We sometimes (and I have been guilty of this for many years) ignore the fact that God does actually speak to us through the pages of Sacred Scripture. Furthermore, many people are unaware that the Bible can be used to speak with God. We can actually enter into a conversation with the Lord simply by opening up the pages of the Bible!

As many of you know, I’ve written a book A Worrier’s Guide to the Bible: 50 Verses to Ease Anxieties which provides an alternative to worry. I’ve been a worrier for many years and I wanted to provide some relief to my fellow worriers. More importantly, I want the book to be a reminder that God is waiting to speak to us in the Bible. When we open its pages and read the inspired words, the Lord is speaking directly to us and that’s powerful!

Listening to God speak through the Bible was not something that I always understood. There are 2 books, however, which helped me to first understand the idea of God speaking through Scripture. Both of these books are very easy to read and contain information that will change the way you view the Bible.

Conversing with God in Scripture: A Contemporary Approach to Lectio Divina – The title says it all! In this 150 page book, Stephen Binz presents a step by step plan for learning to converse with God using the pages of the Bible. He discusses the ancient practice of “Lectio Divina” (Latin for “Sacred Reading”), which not only allows us the hear God speak, but enables us to speak with Him using the inspired words of His Book! Some time ago, I used the concepts presented in this book in an adult faith formation class and the students were astounded. In less than an hour, they learned how God truly does speak to each one of us in the Bible and how they could use the Sacred words to speak with Him.

Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina – On the back cover of this book by Dr. Tim Gray, we’re told that this book will teach us:

How God speaks directly to each of us in His Word.

How to overcome the obstacles to a consistent and fruitful prayer life.

Strategies for reading and praying the Bible fruitfully.

What Christian meditation is and how it differs from non-Christian approaches.

This book promises a lot and it DOES deliver! This book is short (127 pages) and easy to read, but provides a wealth of information that will help you in your relationship with the Lord. In Chapter One (The Secret of the Saints), Dr. Gray starts off with a bang as he reveals, “the great – and simple – secret of the saints is that they realized that God’s word was addressed to them“. That simple, but profound, statement is the secret to unlocking the power of the Bible. Understanding that fact will completely transform your spiritual life and bring you closer to the Lord.

Learning to converse with God by using the Bible is a valuable practice that will help you every day of your life. These books have helped me and can quickly help you to master this important technique. When faced with decisions, problems and temptations, why not turn to God and ask for advice? Hearing His voice can be as simple as opening up the pages of your Bible!

Today’s Guest Blogger…Saint Athanasius!

May 2nd, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

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Sometimes Catholics are accused of being “non Biblical”. We are chastised by some of our fellow Christians who believe that the Bible (as interpreted by the individual believer) is the SOLE rule of faith for Christians. I’m honored to have a guest blogger today. Saint Athanasius (296 – 373 A.D.), one of the early Church Fathers and bishop and Doctor of the Church will provide an answer in support of the Catholic position that the Word of God is transmitted by Sacred Scripture AND Sacred Tradition:

“The very tradition, teaching, and faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached by the apostles and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded, and if anyone departs from this, he neither is, nor any longer ought to be called a Christian.” (Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)

Thank you, Saint Athanasius, for reminding us that Sola Scriptura (the Bible alone) was never practiced by the early Church . Happy feast day and please pray for us!

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled! 2-13-12

Feb 13th, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

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If you’re encountering trials today, today’s 60-second audio message should help you out. The message of Saint James reminds us of the positive effect of trials in our lives and gives us advice for obtaining wisdom. Have a BLESSED day!

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:1-8)

Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 5 (Losing Jesus)

Feb 13th, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

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Mary: “Where’s Jesus?”
Joseph: “I thought He was with you.”
Mary: “No, I thought He was with you.”
Joseph: “Well, He has to be around here somewhere, so let’s look.”
(Mother Angelica, Mother Angelica’s Private and Pithy Lessons From the Scriptures)

This humorous snippet of fictitious dialog reminds us that, despite being the parents of the Messiah, Mary and Joseph weren’t given a pass from the worries and difficulties faced by all parents. When we look at the story of the Finding in the Temple, we can almost feel the helplessness experienced by Mary and Joseph. Despite being chosen for a monumentally important role, they didn’t have all the answers. In her discussion of this incident, Mother Angelica notes a very important point about Mary, “She was sinless, but she wasn’t Mrs. Omnipotent”.

Continuing our series on Mary’s words in the Bible, let’s look at one of the most confusing, yet most familiar, of Our Lady’s statements. After looking for Jesus for three days, Mary and Joseph found Him teaching in the temple. Scripture tells us that they were “astonished” and records the words spoken by our Blessed Mother:

“Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” (Luke 2:48)

Sometimes we forget just how human Mary was. Although she never sinned, she wasn’t blessed with the gift of omniscience. On several occasions, the Bible tells us that Our Lady “pondered things in her heart”. In other words, just like us, she often had to meditate in order to discern the Lord’s message. Being the Mother of God didn’t exempt Mary from struggling to determine God’s will. Rather than lash out or complain, Mary asked a simple question to Her Son…Why have you done this to us? She was trying to obtain an answer, most likely fearing that she and Joseph had done something wrong. The second part of her statement also communicates an important piece of information. Mary and Joseph were searching for Jesus with great anxiety.

There are many ways that we can “lose” the presence of the Lord. Although He will never leave us, we can use our free will to turn away from Him. Those of us who have done this know the feeling of emptiness and hopelessness that accompanies our disobedience. In his book The Glories Of Mary, Saint Alphonsus Liguori wrote, “Souls who have lost God are really miserable and unhappy. If Mary wept over the loss of her son for three days, how much more should sinners weep who have lost sanctifying grace?” Since Mary had never sinned, she didn’t know what it was like to lose God. It’s quite possible that the Lord wanted Mary to experience this sense of loss so that she could be a better advocate for those who stray. This experience of losing Him, the only way possible for one who never sinned, will help her to empathize with those who are lost and enable her to truly become the Refuge of Sinners.

After losing Jesus, Mary and Joseph searched for Him with great anxiety. How do we respond when we “lose” Him in our own lives? Is finding the Lord our number one priority? Sadly, it is often not a priority at all. According to Saint Augustine, “When they lose an ox they do not hesitate to go and look for it; when they lose a sheep, they leave no stone unturned to find it; when they lose a beast of burden, they cannot rest until they have discovered it; but when they lose God, who is the supreme Good, they eat, drink, and sleep as usual”.

As we meditate upon this sad episode in Our Lady’s life, let’s never forget that she knows what it’s like to be separated from Jesus and can help us to discover Him in our own lives. Holy Mary, Refuge of Sinners, pray for us.

“There is no sinner in the world, however much at enmity with God, who cannot recover God’s grace by recourse to Mary, and by asking her assistance.” (Saint Bridget of Sweden)

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled! 2-9-12

Feb 9th, 2012

by Gary Zimak.

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Here’s my daily 60 second “anti-anxiety” message. Today we focus on the Lord’s words from Luke 12:22-23. Even though the Father knows that we need temporal goods (Luke 12:30), they shouldn’t be our MAIN focus. By seeking first His Kingdom, these other things shall be ours as well (Luke 12:31). God Bless You!