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Category: Discipleship

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Discipleship, Salvation

Nothing can separate us (Romans 8)

January 31, 2023 / Michael Haverkamp
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Paul can pack a lot of punch and lot insight into one verse of his letters. He does it often in his letter to the Romans, not
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Discipleship

“Justified by Faith” (Romans 3)

November 8, 2022 / Michael Haverkamp
I want to jump ahead in the Paul’s letter to the Romans a bit, to a remarkable section about sin in Chapter 7. Paul writes: What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate… So now it is
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Discipleship

“For I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel” (Romans 1-2)

October 25, 2022 / Michael Haverkamp
Paul’s letter to the Christian community in Rome is the first of his epistles in the New Testament canon, as well as the longest. Paul wrote the letter between 55-58 AD, most likely while staying in Corinth. (1) It is the fullest expression of his belief that while all have
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Discipleship, Holy Spirit

The Humorous Saint

October 11, 2022 / Michael Haverkamp
“Well brothers, when shall we begin to do some good?” Saint Philip Neri had such an impact in his day that he is remembered as the “Apostle of Rome.” He experienced a profound conversion at the age of 18 and devoted himself entirely to our Lord thereafter. The Holy Spirit
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Discipleship, Divine Mercy

No Communion Without Suffering

August 2, 2022 / Michael Haverkamp
In a fallen world there can be no communion without suffering. (1) God will not give us more suffering than we can handle. All that we need to do is accept His grace. Our suffering, united to the Lord’s Passion, will bring us into communion with Him. He suffered for
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Discipleship

Catholic Charity

July 12, 2022 / Michael Haverkamp
In the year 361 A.D., Flavius Claudius Julianus became the new Roman emperor. A nephew of Constantine, he is known as Julian the Apostate, for he was the last pagan Roman emperor, and he desired to convert the people he ruled away from Christianity and back to the pagan beliefs
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Discipleship

Catholic Social Teaching

February 1, 2022 / Michael Haverkamp
This week’s post looks at the final four principles of Catholic Social Teaching. (4) Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: Both the Old and New Testament speak repeatedly to our obligation to show special concern for the poor and vulnerable. Jesus spoke of His concern for the poor many times:
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Discipleship

Catholic Social Teaching

January 18, 2022 / Michael Haverkamp
Jesus was not a politician. He pointedly did not seek any earthly power. He did not explain what kind of government would be best or what levels of taxation are appropriate. Politicians tread dangerously when they, in effect, seek His endorsement for their own ideologies. And yet, His teachings, because
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Discipleship

Relativism and Truth

January 4, 2022 / Michael Haverkamp
“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own sight.” (Judges 21:25) This verse, which concludes the Book of Judges, is a fitting summary for the book as a whole. The Israelites continually rebel against God, only for a prophet to arise
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Discipleship, Jesus of Nazareth

Receiving Communion

December 14, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp
Receiving Communion has been much in the news lately. This post will cover what the Church teaches about when the faithful should receive Communion, as well as the Scriptural basis for this teaching. In all honesty, I went to Catholic school for twelve years, and I don’t remember being taught
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Discipleship, Holy Mary

Graces

November 3, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp
The Virgin Mary appeared to Sister Catherine Laboure twice in the year 1830 in Paris. During the second apparition (November 27), Mary showed Catherine the design for what would be called the Miraculous Medal. Mary promised that all who wore the medal would receive great graces. The front of the
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Discipleship

“Everything I Have Is Yours”

October 6, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp
“He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to
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Discipleship

How to be holy

September 21, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp
I highly recommend Peter Kreeft’s book How to Be Holy: First Steps in Becoming a Saint. Kreeft is a professor at Boston College and has written many books about the faith. I’ve liked all the ones I’ve already, but How to Be Holy might be the best: it’s concise, deep
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Discipleship

Freedom

July 13, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp
What is freedom? There is a modern definition of freedom that is freedom to. These are the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We are free to speak as we choose. Free to write as we choose. Free to meet with who we choose. Above all, free to worship
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Discipleship, Jesus of Nazareth

God is love

June 22, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) God is love. If we want to know what love is, and how we are
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Discipleship

With a Father’s Heart (part two)

June 8, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp
“[Saint Joseph] also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.” It’s not always easy to accept the fact that we’re not
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Discipleship

With a Father’s Heart

May 25, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp
On December 8th of 2020 Pope Francis declared a “Year of Saint Joseph.” The pope also wrote an apostolic letter, “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”) proclaiming the virtues of Saint Joseph and encouraging the faithful to follow in his footsteps. For fathers especially, the example of Saint Joseph is
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Discipleship

Children are a blessing

September 29, 2020 / Michael Haverkamp
God is absolutely true, absolutely good, and absolutely beautiful. Every smidgen of truth, every iota of goodness, and every ounce of beauty come from God. Having children is a good thing. Having children is a beautiful thing. And having children is a true thing – true in the profound sense
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Discipleship, Divine Mercy, Jesus of Nazareth

United with Jesus

September 15, 2020 / Michael Haverkamp
Suffering has no meaning – unless Jesus rose from the dead. The Son of God became man so that He could share in our humanity and raise us up to His divinity. In becoming man, while He did not sin, He accepted the wages of sin – suffering and death.
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Discipleship, Jesus of Nazareth, Sermon on the Mount

Build on rock

September 1, 2020 / Michael Haverkamp
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who
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The Word of the Lord

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been build solidly on rock.”

-Matthew 7:24-25

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