3/21/2023 0 Comments Pure hearts and living water![]() ![]() The weird red flower didn’t exist in my world until I saw it. They appear one way, masquerading as words or behaviors that bless or elevate others, but are completely self-serving. Hidden agendas are secret or ulterior motives that intend to deceive. Delighting in God’s Will means preferring His agenda above all others. Perspective and agenda are huge elements of both purity and walking the path Jesus has for you, not one of your own preference or imagination. The first five attributes are largely self-explanatory, but the sixth one may not be as obvious. When I consider pure in the sense of this Beatitude, I think: ![]() The 1828 Dictionary defines pure as “Separate from all heterogeneous or extraneous matter as pure water pure sand pure air.” The definition continues, “Free from moral defilement without spot not sullied or tarnished incorrupt, genuine true.” I learned later in the day that it’s a Red Spider Lily, but knowing it’s name takes nothing away from its exotic appearance, strange attributes, and unexpected arrival, like God Dots. I didn’t notice it the day before, but there it was, at least thirty inches tall, and vividly out of place in a monochromatic sea of green trees, bushes, plants, and grass. Ralph and his wife, Anne, reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and have six children and nineteen grandchildren.Jesus says that the pure in heart will see God, but what does that mean? An illustration appeared on the walking trail in the form of a flower. His most recent book, A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward, examines the forces working to undermine the Body of Christ while also using both Scripture and Tradition to fortify the faithful. He is the author of the widely read The Fulfillment of All Desire: A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints, and many books on spirituality and evangelization, such as Will Many Be Saved? What Vatican II Actually Teaches and Its Implications for the New Evangelization, and The Urgency of the New Evangelization, as well as many articles in scholarly and popular publications. Ralph also was appointed as a theological expert for the Synod on the New Evangelization. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Ralph as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, and he continues to serve in this capacity. Ralph is also the director of Graduate Theology Programs in Evangelization and a professor of theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit ( He holds a doctorate in theology from the Angelicum University in Rome. Renewal Ministries is the sponsor of The Choices We Face, a widely viewed weekly Catholic television and radio program distributed throughout the world, and engages in a wide variety of mission work in more than thirty countries. Rather than being like the Sea of Galilee, which receives and gives off the waters of the Jordan (a sea which teems with life), they remain as the “Dead Sea,” which receives, never flows, and supports no Martin is the president of Renewal Ministries, an organization devoted to Catholic renewal and evangelization. Sadly, it seems that many who receive the miraculous water of the Holy Spirit do not realize that they are to be a source of refreshment to others. This is God’s plan for reaching out to a world that is like multitudes thirsting in the desert. The water is given so that in turn it may flow out to others! This is the great secret to living a dynamic Spirit-filled life. Jesus stresses the fact that this “water (the Spirit)” is “given” (thus it flows into the believer), but Jesus equally stresses that this “water (the Spirit)” will flow out of the one who receives. ![]() It is given to “anyone who believes in Jesus!” This “living water” will be given to anyone that thirsts for it, comes to Jesus, and drinks. John follows with a comment that leaves no doubt exactly what this “living water” is-it is the Holy Spirit that is to be given. Now Jesus speaks of another river-an amazing internal spiritual river- a river that is given! It is quite clear who qualifies to receive this “living river,” and how. The crossing of the River Jordan into the promised land was a gift of the highest order. It was an announcement of great joy on a day that commemorated the deliverance of Israel from the desert in which they had wandered for forty years. Jesus cried out the words above on the last day of the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. “Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'” (Jn 7:38). By Tom Edwards, Renewal Ministries’ Country Coordinator
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