A Great Christian YouTube channel: Called to More (Fr. Columba Jordan)

The series of mini-articles in which I present YouTube channels that are related to the Christian faith and that have impacted me in a positive ways continues. Today’s article is about the channel Called to More.

The channel’s about page mentions that its aim is to form and encourage a generation of Catholics to #liveforheaven. “Called to More is a not-for-profit media apostolate based in Ireland. We create videos, articles, and a podcast for Catholics to deepen their relationship with Christ and His church.”

The earlier videos feature Fr. Mike Schmitz and Dr. Scott Hahn (among others), while the later videos constitute the series called “Little by little”, presented by Fr. Columba Jordan.

Tackling a wide variety of interesting topics related to the Catholic beliefs and Christianity in general, the Called to More YouTube channel can be of great help to everyone who is looking to learn a few things about improving their walk with God.

I invite you to subscribe to the Called to More YouTube channel, check out their website, their Facebook page, and let me know in the comments section what positive impact watching their videos has made in your life.

Merry Christmas, 2021

It’s that time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that time of the year when, if God wills it, we spend quality time with family and/or friends, that time of the year when we try our best to show kindness and love to our brethren. It is Christmas.

We live troubled times, but we should not lose hope. I hope you had a decent or at least manageable year, and I wish you a Merry Christmas! May God bless us, everyone!

Human rights month and day

In December of 1948, the United nations General Assembly put forth 30 articles that cover everything from rights to education, freedom, health, and more. Since this event, these articles have served to help protect civilians in time of war or dictatorship, to help bring POW’s home, and to ensure that people everywhere are allowed to live in liberty and safety.

While December is the official Universal Human Rights Month, the 10th of December is Human Rights Day.

2021’s Human Rights Day theme relates to ‘Equality’ and Article 1 of the UDHR – “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

Click the links below to find out more about Human Rights Day and how to celebrate it:

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/human-rights-day/
https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day
https://www.ohchr.org/en/aboutus/pages/humanrightsday.aspx
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/human-rights-day-december-10/

What is God’s Will for my life?

“What is God’s Will for my life?” is a question Christians have been wrestling with for centuries. Every Christian who wants to live a life pleasing to God has wondered what God wants him or her to do throughout every stage of his or her life.

Because it is a question I’m still trying to find answers for, I’ve sought online the wisdom of various people from different Christian denominations, and I now want to share with you a few videos in which clergymen try to offer guidance on this topic.

Let’s start with Orthodox Christianity.

The first video is of Fr. Andrew Smith from The Holy Annunciation Church:

God’s Will for Your Life – A Sermon at Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church, Brisbane

Following are two videos from a sermon of Fr. John Vass from The Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church:

Orthodox Sermon – What is God’s Will (Part 1)
Orthodox Sermon – What is God’s Will? (Part 2)

Let’s move on to the Coptic Church. In the following video, Fr. Anthony Messeh from The St. Mary and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church speaks about the topic in a conference:

Fr. Anthony Messeh – What is God’s Will for My Life?

From the Catholic Church, I have chosen the following two videos. The first one is a short clip of Fr. Mike Schmitz, who sums up how to never miss God’s Will for your life, as a Catholic:

Fr. Mike Schmitz: “How To Never Miss God’s Will For Your Life” | SEEK2015

The second Catholic video is one of Sister Maris Stella of The Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia. She talks about how to discern God’s plan for your life.

Discerning God’s Plan For Your Life

And finally, I’ve chosen 2 videos from Protestant & Evangelical Christianity. The first one is of Pastor John Piper. He lists a series of steps about how to find God’s Will for your life, as an Evangelical Christian.

Desiring God – John Piper – How Do I Find God’s Will for My Life?

And I will close this article with a video on the same topic from the popular Protestant website GotQuestions.org:

How can I know God’s will for my life?

Let me know what if you found any of these videos helpful in the comments. Also, I invite you to share your thoughts on the topic of finding God’s Will for your life, what are your ways of seeking it, and anything else you’d like to share on the subject.

He will finish what He started

Today, I came across this video that lifted my spirit while I was demoralized as a result of the spiritual attacks I’ve had to deal with lately.

It’s a video from Rabbi Kirt Schneider’s YouTube channel, a channel that I invite you to subscribe to if you are interesting in exploring Messianic Judaism. He also has a website where you can find out more about his ministry and how you can support it.

Rabbi Schneider – He (God) will finish what He started

The video expands on the apostle Paul’s statement from Philippians 1:3-6 —

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy, 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The Bible – Phillipians 1:3-6

Let me know if you’ve found encouragement in this message. Feel free to share in the comments section below your views about Rabbi Schneider’s teachings, but please make sure you do so in a respectful manner.

A Great Christian YouTube Channel: Christopher West

I’m continuing the series of mini-articles in which I showcase interesting Christian YouTube channels that I stumble across and that have a positive impact upon me, with Christopher West’s channel.

An author, speaker and founder of the TOB Institute (The Theology Of The Body Institute), Christopher West Th.D., has been creating videos on YouTube for several years. Alongside his wife, Wendy West, he has an online podcast in which he has tackled a wide variety of Catholic Christian topics, but his focus is on aspects related to the theology of the body.

Check out a few of his videos and let me know in the comments if you found yourself impressed with the approach in which topics such as the Christian perspective on sexuality are discussed. I know I was.

Christopher West – What to do with your «sexual needs» as a Christian
Christopher West – Be real with God! How to pray authentically

The origin of the word “AMEN” in Christianity

In the following video, Fr. Angelo Maggos from the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church offers us a detailed presentation of the origin and significance of the word “AMEN” in Christianity. If you were interested in finding out what “Amen” means and why Christians use this word at the end of the prayers, I invite you to watch it.

What is the Origin of “Amen”? | Orthodoxy Fact vs Fiction

Also, subscribing to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church’s YouTube channel would be a lovely way of supporting their work.

Singles Day (11 11), 2020

There’s an unofficial Chinese holiday celebrated every year on the 11th of November (also known as 11 11 or Double 11) called Singles’ Day. It was started by online retailer Alibaba and you can read more about its history by clicking the links in this article. You can also learn about what it means for Chinese commerce here: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54876524. Its purpose is to celebrate the unattached, which makes it an antithesis to the romantically-involved on Valentine’s Day.

However, seeing how the holiday is not popular anywhere outside of China, I’m not going to talk about it, but rather I want to include a few videos about what it means to be single for a Christian. This is a selection of videos from Evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Enjoy!

Ben Stuart – Love the Single Chapter of Your Life
Steven Furtick – Singleness, sex and self-control
Kim Zember and Jackie Angel – The Right Way to Be Single
Fr. Mike Schmitz – Learning to be Alone
Fr. Josiah Trenham – Orthodox Dating 101

The Jesus Prayer according to Christian Orthodox Elders

The Jesus Prayer is one of the most important prayers in Orthodoxy, and its repetition throughout the day is recommended by many of the Orthodox Fathers.

Below is a compilation of videos presenting the opinions of several Christian Orthodox Elders about the Jesus Prayer.

Elder Arsenie Papacioc on whether everyone should say the Jesus Prayer
Elder Ephraim of Katounakia on how to say the Jesus Prayer
The Jesus Prayer explained by Fr. Aimilianos of Simonopetra
Fr. Spyridon’s reflections on the Jesus Prayer
The Jesus Prayer said by Orthodox Saints and Elders

In the comments section, I invite you to share your thoughts on The Jesus Prayer, and tell us in what ways you have incorporated it your prayer life.

The Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Orthodox Palm Sunday), 2020

Palm Sunday, also called the Triumphal Entry, is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on the Sunday before Pascha. This year it falls on April 12. Palm Sunday is the day when the Orthodox Church celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before the Jewish Passover. A mere few days before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ was received by adoring throngs at his entry into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey.

Orthodox Palm Sunday, 2020

The believers meet him, and spread out before him his clothes and olive branches. When He and His disciples approached the city Jerusalem, He ordered them to go to the near-by village, and bring him the donkey and his little who were tied-up in the beginning of the village. If they were asked, they should say that the Lord needs it. When the people knew that the donkey was for Jesus, they did not prevent his disciples. They gave Him the donkey, and He solemnly entered Jerusalem. The news of the resurrection of Lazarus already got ahead and thousands of people went to Bethany to meet him.

You can find the event told in the four Gospels:

I invite you to read more about it on these websites:
https://www.orthodoxphotos.com/readings/LG/jerusalem.shtml
https://www.oca.org/fs/sermons/the-lords-entry-into-jerusalem
https://www.goarch.org/-/stewardship-the-entry-of-christ-into-jerusalem
https://pravoslavie.ru/69881.html