Glory of God Prayer Group, St. Cecilia Parish, Wa Diocese, Ghana - Let Your Light Shine

Saint of the Day

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Forgive those who hurt you

One who is injured ought not to return the injury, for on no account can it be right to do an injustice; and it is not right to return an injury, or to do evil to any man, however much we have suffered from him. Socrates

You can't get a cup of tea big enou…

You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.   C. S. Lewis

Make me an instrument of thy peace

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Francis of Assisi

Affection

Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. C. S. Lewis

We do it to God

There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible. Mother Teresa

Progress

We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. C. S. Lewis

Hear the other side

Hear the other side. Saint Augustine

Man cannot diminish God's glory

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell. C. S. Lewis

The future

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is. C. S. Lewis

Courage

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. C. S. Lewis

Necessary to possible to impossible

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Francis of Assisi

Lay first the foundation of humility

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. Saint Augustine

The cause makes the martyr

It is not the punishment but the cause that makes the martyr. Saint Augustine

Humility, the foundation

Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance. Saint Augustine

Education without values

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. C. S. Lewis

The unexamined life

The unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates

Aim at heaven

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. C. S. Lewis

Importance of Christianity

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C. S. Lewis

Man lives as to make happiness impossibl…

Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible. Saint Augustine

He will not save us without our consent

He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent. Saint Augustine

Teaching for Sunday 21st June, 2009
Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama
Text: Sirach 22:19-27

Friendship = companionship

History of friendship

Friendship has existed since the beginning of creation: When God created man, he saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so he created woman – Genesis 2:8-23. God used to come down and interact with Adam and Eve in the Garden.

Destruction of friendship

But man broke this friendship through disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. We also frequently break our friendship with people through disobedience. God has given us rules, laws and recommendations that we have to live in relation to others. If only we would obey these rules.

How to build and sustain friendships

Friendship is built on trust. Destruction of trust is the end of friendship. Of course, we need to exhibit love, humility, tolerance, forgiveness, understanding, patience, honesty and a whole lot of other traits for a friendship to work.  

All the above will be addressed if we can take care of the following few areas:

  1. Sincerity /truthfulness
    • no deception
    • openness
  2. Be ready to give, not only to receive
  3. Support for one another
  4. Avoid unnecessary suspicion – see well before talking
  5. Remember that no one is perfect
    • Study your friend, know his strengths and weaknesses, dos and  don’ts, likes and dislikes
    • Be ready to correct; not to condemn.    
  6. Be ready to apologize
  7. Apology can usually remedy a friendship, but in most cases cannot restore it to its original state.

 

Guarding friendship

Teaching for Sunday 21st June, 2009Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Sirach 22:19-27} Friendship = companionship History of friendship Friendship has existed since the beginning of creation: When God created man, he saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so he created woman – {bib=Genesis 2:8-23}. God used to come down and interact with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Destruction of friendship But man broke this friendship through disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. We also frequently break our friendship with people... Read more>>>

Pack your things and give them to me to …

Drama this Morning:  My wife and I were having a serious quarrel when I said to her, "Pack your things and ...." At that moment her phone rang, so I had to stop for her to receive the call. It was her dad. The phone was on speaker so I could hear what he was saying. After the usual pleasantries between father and daughter, he said: "my daughter, I have transferred $1,000,000 into your account, give your husband $500,000 out... Read more>>>

Glory be to the Father ...

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.   Read more>>>

Reckoning my past as loss for the sake o…

Three days fasting and prayers -28th - 30th May, 2008Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Philippians 3:7-9} Background of St. Paul St. Paul was a Pharisee. He was a scholar well respected. He had the right to be called a Jew and to be hailed by his own people and by other people. Everyone loves uniqueness and the Israelites were unique; and St. Paul could choose to hold on to this uniqueness without caring about the rest of the world.  He could choose to stick to... Read more>>>

Living in a changed life

Three days fasting and prayers - Wednesday, 26th November, 2008 Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=1 Peter 4:1-6} “When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do” Once we want something from a certain place, we have to identify ourselves with that place and live like the people there (“When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do”). Once we change our state of life, we have to change the things that we do or the way we used to do them. In our... Read more>>>

Make your every matter the Lord's

Shall the Lord be defeated in any matter? An Absolute No. But the problem is, is your matter the Lord's matter? If yes, be rest assured that it's settled. For whoever picks a bone with you, picks a bone with the Lord; whoever/whatever is fighting you is seen to be fighting the Lord. Learn to make your every matter the Lord's matter and you have no matter. Take it to the Lord in prayer.   Read more>>>

The unchangeable changer

The Israelites left Egypt with jewelry and clothes they didn't buy. May our enemies look on as we advance in wealth and health miraculously because the unchangeable changer and the great I AM is our God and his name and power is our solace. Cosmas Nanyaa   Read more>>>

Understanding the book of Acts

Analysis of video condemning water baptism for gentiles(Understanding Acts)   It is very helpful to watch the complete video before reading my comments, so that you can have the full picture. Someone referred me to this video when we were discussing about baptism. The video claims that water baptism is not required by gentiles for salvation. I have analyzed the video and given my thoughts on it. I would have loved to post my comments directly on youtube, but comments have been disabled... Read more>>>

Auto-panic

It is as if most human beings are configured to be automatically  afraid whenever there are challenges. This auto-panic device makes even some Holy Spirit filled Christians to cry out, complain and wish for a return to their former ways of life when they go through a test.  In fact, when this auto-panic device is activated, it automatically uninstalls any faith application. Therefore, at this stage, anxiety, fear, worry, hopelessness, dejection etc. begin to control such a person. The people of... Read more>>>

The rotten generation

 Aaah! Oooh!I can smell the smokeThe smoke of the burning generationGeneration of darkness and crimeDark, deep, deeper than the bottomless pit   This rotten generationMakes my heart bleedI am filled with sorrow about how morality Is being thrown away Like a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist Aah! What a generation of it-doesn’t-matter   This rotten generationPursues the youth with its rotten fingersCapture them, harden their hearts like stonesThe youth no more see the light Jesus Christ has become deviant crime Drugs and... Read more>>>

Marriage is like FUFU preparation!

In fufu making, we basically use two crops- CASSAVA AND PLANTAIN!In marriage making, it involves two people- MAN AND WOMAN! Two different people are being put together to live as one.The cassava comes from the GROUND; the plantain comes from ABOVE! Two different people with different backgrounds are to live together as one.The cassava is always dirty but the plantain always enjoys the washing by rain water and the direct brightness of the sun.Don't expect your spouse to be like you! Your... Read more>>>

Guarding our social lives to attain spir…

Teaching for Sunday 30th October, 2011Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=John 15:17-19}. We are in the world but we are not of the world What is our social life? The Lord tells us that even though we are in the world we do not belong to the world. Through our brother Paul in {bib=Romans 12:2}, He tells us again that we should not conform to the standards of the world. We live in the world everyday; eating, drinking, sleeping, working and interacting with... Read more>>>

In your presence: prayer

Lord Jesus I need your presence in my life. Your presence is so sweet because you are a sweet Lord. When I rose from bed this morning, I felt so lonely, I felt so fearful because of all the difficulties I faced yesterday. I felt so uncertain about what was going to happen today. Review of previous day's events Early in the morning Ok, Lord, let’s review some of the things that happened yesterday. When I woke up in the morning, my children... Read more>>>

The 7 UPs

1 . Wake Up !!!Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." {bib=Psalms 118:24} 2. Dress Up !!!The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." {bib=1 Samuel 16:7} 3. Shut Up... Read more>>>

Hail Mary ...

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. OR Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of... Read more>>>

What does God say about your problems?

A personal reflection on 23rd July 2011{bib=2 Kings 19:1-37} (start at {bib=2 Kings 18:13}) OR {bib=Isaiah 36, 37} {bib=2 Kings 19:3} – When you are in grief, do you pick a boyfriend/girlfriend for help; do you consult another god, do you start looking for a way to extort other people, do you throw your hands up in despair?               – When you are in shame do you show your enemies? {bib=2 Kings 19:6} – What are you going through now? Sickness, joblessness, underpayment, frustration... Read more>>>

A brief history of the Holy Rosary and h…

What is the rosary? The angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary, when he came to announce the conception of Jesus, is familiar to most Catholics. It is echoed in one of the most popular Catholic prayers, the Hail Mary (in Latin, Ave Maria): “Hail, [Mary,] favoured one [or ‘full of grace’]! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). The words that follow in that prayer also come from Scripture, from Elizabeth’s greeting to our Lady soon afterward: “Blessed are you among women, and... Read more>>>

There is hope

There is hope for a tree that has been cut down; it can come back to life and sprout. Even though its roots grow old, and its stump dies in the ground, with water it will sprout like a young plant. ({bib=Job14:7-9}). Take heart, the Lord of Hosts is still able, the mighty God of wonders is still at work, the rock of ages is gracious and Jehovah Jire is still providing our needs according to his riches in glory in... Read more>>>

Respect dignities

When we despise dominion and speak evil of dignities we break the divine pattern and bring a tide of curse upon ourselves and those under our care. As those under our authority behold how we treat those in authority over us, they will become fuelled by the same spirit and start to treat us in a similar manner. Once this spirit enters into a community, that community will burst apart at some point fracturing along personality lines. This is the... Read more>>>

Is the Bible the Final Authority?

This article has been inspired by the conflict that exists within Christianity mainly due to the interpretation of the bible (the genuine cases). First of all it is important for us to understand the place of the bible in Christianity before we can properly apply it to Christian spirituality. This article seeks to use the dealings of God with his people Israel, the dealings of Jesus and the apostles with the early Christians, the bible itself and common sense to... Read more>>>