The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 9
1. Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the LORD, went to the high priest. 2. and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 1 to 2)
Although You Holy Spirit never stops working oh God, the negative spirit of evil is also always at work trying to win over one soul after another. This spirit is so bold that it even tries to wager with You oh God as in the case of Job, whom You love so much.
While on this issue I would like to share this song that although has been labelled as being of a Satanist nature has a positive value that we can benefit from if viewed from the perspective that You oh God are always victorious over the forces of evil!
The Spanish Train
3. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5. He asked, "Who are you Lord?" The reply came, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 3 to 6)
Oh God You are so merciful, that You intervene in our lives during precious moments when we are about to perform our biggest mistakes as in the case of Paul. Just at the right moment You pull the hand break so that we can make the U turn leading to our conversion. Although it seems to be that You blinded Paul, but in truth You replaced physical sight with the sight of faith which made him more receptive to accept Your will.
7. The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 7 to 9)
At the beginning of the time of our conversion we need the help and support of others to help us on our way. As in the case of Paul God provides such people. At the time the eyes of faith will start opening and after a time according to the will of God You give us full spiritual sight by which God can have fellowship and relationship with us. In relation to how God works in our live especially during times of persecution I would like you to click on the following link:-
The experience of two ex Muslim girl converts
10. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord," 11. The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12. and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 10 to 12)
At the right moment oh God You send us people who act as beacons of light to guide us in our ways. Your invitation to change our ways may take on a variety of forms, such as an invitation from a Charismatic Renewal follower to attend a meeting or from any other organisation, a family member or friend and many other means that may not be all that positive, such as an accident or the death of a friend or family member.
13. But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14. and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 13 to 14)
I can only imagine the fear of Ananias. If the leaders of ISIS was to experience the same conversion of St. Paul and come to Malta to be baptised and become a priest or a bishop or even a Pope, I can imagine the panic that we would experience as humans and as Roman Catholics along with the security that would be on red alert.
15. But the Lord said to him, "Go for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16. I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 15 to 16)
Oh God even though St. Paul persecuted You through Your followers still You forgave him and brought out the goodness in him by choosing Paul of all people as a means of spreading the 'Good News" of Your Kingdom throughout the world of his times.
Oh God I also thank You for having chosen me to spread Your Word throughout the world of my times by means of this blog via the Internet. Even though I have committed many mistakes throughout my life, both in the past and in the present, You still have mercy on me and help me to continue spreading Your Word as found in the Bible.
17. So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit". 18. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19. and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with them in Damascus, 20. and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 17 to 20)
As in fishing, one needs to be at the right place, and at the right time. I thank You my Father for sending such people as Ananias at the right time. On going back and even very recently I remember the many people that You sent to help me in this daily journey of my salvation. When I had almost lost faith in the human race, while I was at a shop buying cheese cakes, I met a man who had experienced healing by means of the Eucharist and we ended up talking on the great wonders that You have done in our lives. This man felt so much at home during our brief conversation that he gave me a card and invited me to attend an Eucharistic group which is also available on line live streaming.
On reflecting on verses 17 to 19 it seems that You fed the Apostle Paul spiritually as much as physically for after having spent some days with the other apostles he also started proclaiming Your name. I thank You Jesus for these 14 years of praying on Your Word. As You know this is our fourteenth year of praying on Your Word. Throughout these years You have been feeding and nourishing me with all the necessary vitamins. I pray that my immune system against my own evil self will continue to be boosted throughout the course of time. Amen.
21. All who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?"
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 21)
Oh God as much as You had not escaped the judgemental attitude of humanity when You were called a drunk, likewise we also cannot avoid being labelled. On witnessing the changes that You have done in us, others have the option of either remembering us for our new self that has been renewed in You or by our previous sinful acts. The choice is in that of the eye of the beholder.
22. Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 22)
Oh God when we offer ourselves for your service You can use us to achieve great things, that we have never ever thought of doing. We are instruments in the hand of God who is able to do anything at any time.
23. After some time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24. but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him; 25. but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 23 to 25)
Oh Jesus how unpredictable we are, when Paul was on the wrong track capturing Christians he had all the support of the Jews of his time, now that he had converted to accepting You as his Lord and God they were totally against him so much as wanting to kill him. The same case happened to You. On entering Jerusalem the people called out hallelujah to the son of David, the same people later on cried for you to be crucified. Indeed we are not reliable or either to be fully trusted. I pray oh Jesus that You cure me of my negative ways and make me more consistent and reliable on both a human and spiritual level. Amen.
26. When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.
(Acts of the Apostles chapter 9 verse 26)
Oh Jesus at times the image we project reflects who we really are and others judge us by what they see and hear. Even though You make radical changes in us, others still tend to focus on our negative side. Moreover fear also plays a key role in accepting others as they are especially those of us, who had a negative background such as Paul. Oh God I pray that we learn to accept others and love them as they are and not as we wish them to be. Amen.
27. But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how om the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 27)
Oh Jesus how I wish that I had people such as Barnabas who would recommend me as being a good person to proclaim Your Gospel. I also wish that this blog had Papal Acceptance and Approval. This would mean alot to me, even if I had to be recommended to have audience with the Pope himself.
28. So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29. He spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to kill him. 30. When the believers learned of it they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 28 to 30)
Oh God since the beginning You had different plans for Your servant Paul. It was evident that Your pathways are different from ours. It seems that You did not permit Paul to remain with the rest of the apostles but in other areas. At times it is time to move on for a new beginning in different areas of life.
31. Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 31)
Oh God this is also my prayer that as Christians and Roman Catholics we continue to be formed and experience spiritual growth for at times I think that we have reached a point of stagnation. Many people give me the impression that they are outwardly Christians however when it comes to sensitive issues such as divorce and marriage which effect us directly we are Christians or Catholics no longer. Oh God I pray for a spiritual revival so that we can all continue to grow in spirit and be built and even increase in genuine numbers as in the case of the churches of Judea, Galilee and Samaria.
32. Now as Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 32)
It is interesting oh God that Peter addressed the group of new believers as already being saints. Moreover You gave us a calling to be holy, therefore it follows that we are all saints. I thank You oh God for giving us this dignity as being Your Sons and Daughters amen.
33. There he found a man named Aenas, who had been bedridden for eight years, he was paralyzed. 34. Peter said to him, "Aenas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed! And immediately he got up. 35. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 33 to 35)
As in the case of Aeneas we may be spiritually bedridden for years. We may think that we are progressing in our spiritual life, however we may be spiritually bedridden stuck on a particular issue.
36. Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 36 and 37)
Oh God as much as we care for the body by providing a place of rest at the point of death, You care more by providing us a place of rest both for the body and better for the soul, which is more important than the body. I thank You for caring so much as to have reserved us places in our heavenly home Amen.
38. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay." 39. So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 38 to 39)
Oh God every day of my life You give me a different calling by means of others and by means of situations that You wish me to experience. I applied for the job of a social worker but for the millionth time You showed me that it is still not yet the time and that maybe I may be hurt by the experience because I am still not ready to experience such an occupation. I realise that I have enough stress on my mind and the added demands may have been more stressful than rewarding, therefore I thank You from the bottom of my heart for my not being accepted Amen.
40. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 40)
Oh Jesus every day of our lives You also look at us and call us by our names pleading on us to wake up from the way we are living. You ask us to wake up from our dream of worldly illusions and false hopes and become conscious of the reality that we have a loving Father who is dying to welcome us in his arms if only we accept Him as our Father. He asks us to get up and start living instead of existing, being a pawn in the machinery of society. You oh God offer us the dignity of being true sons and daughters but we prefer to be slaves of our thoughts, emotions and social trends! How blind we are.
41. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 41 to 42)
Oh Jesus every day You offer us Your helping hand in order to give us new life, however we do not always accept it for, at times we prefer to follow the ways of the world. However You love us so much that Your hand always remains outstretched and available for us. The hand of salvation is always there for anybody, even though as sinners we do not merit it. This is what I call pure love oh God.
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Oh God my Father, may You give us a spirit that is welcoming to those new comers to the Roman Catholic Faith meaning Christianity so that they may feel respected and at home, even though they may have been members of different religions. These people and others who are not yet Christians are sill are brothers and sisters and we are to treat them likewise. Oh God I also pray that You raise us from our death, for at times we think we are fully alive, and on reflecting we discover that we are still enslaved by particular sins that are blocking us from being fully alive as humans and also as Christians or Roman Catholics. Without knowing we may be living a lifestyle that is inferior to what we are supposed to be living.
3. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5. He asked, "Who are you Lord?" The reply came, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 3 to 6)
Oh God You are so merciful, that You intervene in our lives during precious moments when we are about to perform our biggest mistakes as in the case of Paul. Just at the right moment You pull the hand break so that we can make the U turn leading to our conversion. Although it seems to be that You blinded Paul, but in truth You replaced physical sight with the sight of faith which made him more receptive to accept Your will.
7. The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 7 to 9)
At the beginning of the time of our conversion we need the help and support of others to help us on our way. As in the case of Paul God provides such people. At the time the eyes of faith will start opening and after a time according to the will of God You give us full spiritual sight by which God can have fellowship and relationship with us. In relation to how God works in our live especially during times of persecution I would like you to click on the following link:-
The experience of two ex Muslim girl converts
10. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord," 11. The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12. and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 10 to 12)
At the right moment oh God You send us people who act as beacons of light to guide us in our ways. Your invitation to change our ways may take on a variety of forms, such as an invitation from a Charismatic Renewal follower to attend a meeting or from any other organisation, a family member or friend and many other means that may not be all that positive, such as an accident or the death of a friend or family member.
13. But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14. and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 13 to 14)
I can only imagine the fear of Ananias. If the leaders of ISIS was to experience the same conversion of St. Paul and come to Malta to be baptised and become a priest or a bishop or even a Pope, I can imagine the panic that we would experience as humans and as Roman Catholics along with the security that would be on red alert.
15. But the Lord said to him, "Go for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16. I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 15 to 16)
Oh God even though St. Paul persecuted You through Your followers still You forgave him and brought out the goodness in him by choosing Paul of all people as a means of spreading the 'Good News" of Your Kingdom throughout the world of his times.
Oh God I also thank You for having chosen me to spread Your Word throughout the world of my times by means of this blog via the Internet. Even though I have committed many mistakes throughout my life, both in the past and in the present, You still have mercy on me and help me to continue spreading Your Word as found in the Bible.
17. So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit". 18. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19. and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with them in Damascus, 20. and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."
(The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 17 to 20)
As in fishing, one needs to be at the right place, and at the right time. I thank You my Father for sending such people as Ananias at the right time. On going back and even very recently I remember the many people that You sent to help me in this daily journey of my salvation. When I had almost lost faith in the human race, while I was at a shop buying cheese cakes, I met a man who had experienced healing by means of the Eucharist and we ended up talking on the great wonders that You have done in our lives. This man felt so much at home during our brief conversation that he gave me a card and invited me to attend an Eucharistic group which is also available on line live streaming.
On reflecting on verses 17 to 19 it seems that You fed the Apostle Paul spiritually as much as physically for after having spent some days with the other apostles he also started proclaiming Your name. I thank You Jesus for these 14 years of praying on Your Word. As You know this is our fourteenth year of praying on Your Word. Throughout these years You have been feeding and nourishing me with all the necessary vitamins. I pray that my immune system against my own evil self will continue to be boosted throughout the course of time. Amen.
21. All who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?"
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 21)
Oh God as much as You had not escaped the judgemental attitude of humanity when You were called a drunk, likewise we also cannot avoid being labelled. On witnessing the changes that You have done in us, others have the option of either remembering us for our new self that has been renewed in You or by our previous sinful acts. The choice is in that of the eye of the beholder.
22. Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 22)
Oh God when we offer ourselves for your service You can use us to achieve great things, that we have never ever thought of doing. We are instruments in the hand of God who is able to do anything at any time.
23. After some time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24. but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him; 25. but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 23 to 25)
Oh Jesus how unpredictable we are, when Paul was on the wrong track capturing Christians he had all the support of the Jews of his time, now that he had converted to accepting You as his Lord and God they were totally against him so much as wanting to kill him. The same case happened to You. On entering Jerusalem the people called out hallelujah to the son of David, the same people later on cried for you to be crucified. Indeed we are not reliable or either to be fully trusted. I pray oh Jesus that You cure me of my negative ways and make me more consistent and reliable on both a human and spiritual level. Amen.
26. When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.
(Acts of the Apostles chapter 9 verse 26)
Oh Jesus at times the image we project reflects who we really are and others judge us by what they see and hear. Even though You make radical changes in us, others still tend to focus on our negative side. Moreover fear also plays a key role in accepting others as they are especially those of us, who had a negative background such as Paul. Oh God I pray that we learn to accept others and love them as they are and not as we wish them to be. Amen.
27. But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how om the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 27)
Oh Jesus how I wish that I had people such as Barnabas who would recommend me as being a good person to proclaim Your Gospel. I also wish that this blog had Papal Acceptance and Approval. This would mean alot to me, even if I had to be recommended to have audience with the Pope himself.
28. So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29. He spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to kill him. 30. When the believers learned of it they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 28 to 30)
Oh God since the beginning You had different plans for Your servant Paul. It was evident that Your pathways are different from ours. It seems that You did not permit Paul to remain with the rest of the apostles but in other areas. At times it is time to move on for a new beginning in different areas of life.
31. Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 31)
Oh God this is also my prayer that as Christians and Roman Catholics we continue to be formed and experience spiritual growth for at times I think that we have reached a point of stagnation. Many people give me the impression that they are outwardly Christians however when it comes to sensitive issues such as divorce and marriage which effect us directly we are Christians or Catholics no longer. Oh God I pray for a spiritual revival so that we can all continue to grow in spirit and be built and even increase in genuine numbers as in the case of the churches of Judea, Galilee and Samaria.
32. Now as Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 32)
It is interesting oh God that Peter addressed the group of new believers as already being saints. Moreover You gave us a calling to be holy, therefore it follows that we are all saints. I thank You oh God for giving us this dignity as being Your Sons and Daughters amen.
33. There he found a man named Aenas, who had been bedridden for eight years, he was paralyzed. 34. Peter said to him, "Aenas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed! And immediately he got up. 35. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 33 to 35)
As in the case of Aeneas we may be spiritually bedridden for years. We may think that we are progressing in our spiritual life, however we may be spiritually bedridden stuck on a particular issue.
36. Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 36 and 37)
Oh God as much as we care for the body by providing a place of rest at the point of death, You care more by providing us a place of rest both for the body and better for the soul, which is more important than the body. I thank You for caring so much as to have reserved us places in our heavenly home Amen.
38. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay." 39. So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 38 to 39)
Oh God every day of my life You give me a different calling by means of others and by means of situations that You wish me to experience. I applied for the job of a social worker but for the millionth time You showed me that it is still not yet the time and that maybe I may be hurt by the experience because I am still not ready to experience such an occupation. I realise that I have enough stress on my mind and the added demands may have been more stressful than rewarding, therefore I thank You from the bottom of my heart for my not being accepted Amen.
40. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verse 40)
Oh Jesus every day of our lives You also look at us and call us by our names pleading on us to wake up from the way we are living. You ask us to wake up from our dream of worldly illusions and false hopes and become conscious of the reality that we have a loving Father who is dying to welcome us in his arms if only we accept Him as our Father. He asks us to get up and start living instead of existing, being a pawn in the machinery of society. You oh God offer us the dignity of being true sons and daughters but we prefer to be slaves of our thoughts, emotions and social trends! How blind we are.
41. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 verses 41 to 42)
Oh Jesus every day You offer us Your helping hand in order to give us new life, however we do not always accept it for, at times we prefer to follow the ways of the world. However You love us so much that Your hand always remains outstretched and available for us. The hand of salvation is always there for anybody, even though as sinners we do not merit it. This is what I call pure love oh God.
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Oh God my Father, may You give us a spirit that is welcoming to those new comers to the Roman Catholic Faith meaning Christianity so that they may feel respected and at home, even though they may have been members of different religions. These people and others who are not yet Christians are sill are brothers and sisters and we are to treat them likewise. Oh God I also pray that You raise us from our death, for at times we think we are fully alive, and on reflecting we discover that we are still enslaved by particular sins that are blocking us from being fully alive as humans and also as Christians or Roman Catholics. Without knowing we may be living a lifestyle that is inferior to what we are supposed to be living.
