http://evangelizela.com Evangelization from a Catholic Perspective Fri, 24 May 2013 16:37:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Evangelization from a Catholic Perspective Evangelize LA no Evangelize LA jonesrickyjr@gmail.com jonesrickyjr@gmail.com (Evangelize LA) © Copyright 2012 EvangelizeLA.com. All Rights Reserved. Evangelization from a Catholic Perspective http://evangelizela.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/podcast_evangelizela.jpg http://evangelizela.com/blog/ Los Angeles, California Monthly http://evangelizela.com/what-friendship-is-really-about-and-why-its-so-important/ http://evangelizela.com/what-friendship-is-really-about-and-why-its-so-important/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 15:30:34 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4641 Earlier this week the topic of friendship came up in one of my other posts, then today the first reading at Mass from the book of Sirach brought me back to reflect on friendship, what it is, why we need it, and how it's part of God's plan for our own spiritual well-being.]]> http://evangelizela.com/what-friendship-is-really-about-and-why-its-so-important/feed/ 0 http://evangelizela.com/discernment-four-foolproof-steps-to-learn-gods-will-for-you/ http://evangelizela.com/discernment-four-foolproof-steps-to-learn-gods-will-for-you/#comments Thu, 23 May 2013 15:52:03 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4623 If God has a plan for each one of us, why is it so hard for us to figure out what He wants us to do? For most of us, it's because we don't ask Him or we just don't care. Today I want to share some tips that I use in my own discernment process—and yes it is a process. I try to do this as often as I can, if not every day. ]]> http://evangelizela.com/discernment-four-foolproof-steps-to-learn-gods-will-for-you/feed/ 0 http://evangelizela.com/three-easy-steps-to-live-a-life-of-joy/ http://evangelizela.com/three-easy-steps-to-live-a-life-of-joy/#comments Tue, 21 May 2013 15:40:46 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4557 Joy is something that we all want in our lives. But how do we attain it? It's so great when we have it, but when we lose we don't always know how to get it back. Here are three easy steps to remember to keep you on track to living a life of joy.]]> http://evangelizela.com/three-easy-steps-to-live-a-life-of-joy/feed/ 0 http://evangelizela.com/why-the-pews-should-be-empty-after-mass-mission-of-the-church/ http://evangelizela.com/why-the-pews-should-be-empty-after-mass-mission-of-the-church/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 18:08:41 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4532 Going to Mass on Sunday is important, in fact, it's essential to the life of the Church. It's good for you. It's good for the parish community. It's good for the world. It's the "source and summit of the christian life", but the Mass ends with some very important words, words of commissioning: "The Mass is ended. Go in peace, proclaiming the Lord by your lives." That's the mission of the Church. That's our mission!]]> http://evangelizela.com/why-the-pews-should-be-empty-after-mass-mission-of-the-church/feed/ 1 http://evangelizela.com/baby-bath-water-and-gods-plan-for-your-life/ http://evangelizela.com/baby-bath-water-and-gods-plan-for-your-life/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 13:29:50 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4521 Baby boys have lots of energy. And they don't always know what to do with it. Last night my wife was having a heck of a time trying to give our nine-month-old a bath without making too much of a mess. Of course, he was having a ball kicking and splashing around while she tried to keep ahold of him. Then it was dad's turn. I was tasked with putting on the diaper and pajamas, which usually isn't too difficult. But this time around he was squirming and kicking and making it near impossible to get him dressed. It was a battle, but I arose victorious. It got me thinking about God's plan for us. ]]> http://evangelizela.com/baby-bath-water-and-gods-plan-for-your-life/feed/ 3 http://evangelizela.com/the-paradox-of-our-time/ http://evangelizela.com/the-paradox-of-our-time/#comments Thu, 16 May 2013 17:50:50 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4513 The paradox of our time is that we have taller buildings, but short tempers; Wider freeways, but narrower points-of-view. We waste more, but we have less; Buy more, but enjoy less.]]> http://evangelizela.com/the-paradox-of-our-time/feed/ 0 http://evangelizela.com/how-to-engage-the-disengaged-through-personal-relationships/ http://evangelizela.com/how-to-engage-the-disengaged-through-personal-relationships/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 17:20:10 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4501 Catholics are becoming increasingly disengaged with their faith. It is becoming less and less a part of who they are. What are we to do about this crisis in the Church? How can we engage these who have fallen away, who no longer see their faith—their relationship with God, as an important—essential part of their daily lives?]]> http://evangelizela.com/how-to-engage-the-disengaged-through-personal-relationships/feed/ 0 http://evangelizela.com/my-encounter-with-jesus-on-the-cross/ http://evangelizela.com/my-encounter-with-jesus-on-the-cross/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 06:28:09 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4483 Last night, I spent twenty minutes after my catechism class in adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. To be brief: I left smiling. It was not from any great consolation, but because God has called me to die. I know it doesn't sound like something that would make me smile, but it has.]]> http://evangelizela.com/my-encounter-with-jesus-on-the-cross/feed/ 0 http://evangelizela.com/follow-the-leader-what-it-means-to-be-a-christian/ http://evangelizela.com/follow-the-leader-what-it-means-to-be-a-christian/#comments Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:55:19 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4466 To be a Christian means to follow Jesus Christ. But this requires what I consider: the call, the response, and the reward. To follow Jesus you have to first hear the call. If you follow someone without having been asked then you're a stalker. Creepy. Our Lord on the other hand calls you to follow Him, to walk in His ways. He's the leader you should follow. ]]> http://evangelizela.com/follow-the-leader-what-it-means-to-be-a-christian/feed/ 0 http://evangelizela.com/how-god-rescued-me-from-self-destruction/ http://evangelizela.com/how-god-rescued-me-from-self-destruction/#comments Mon, 15 Apr 2013 03:58:26 +0000 Ricky Jones http://evangelizela.com/?p=4449 God rescued me from myself. My sin has always been my self. Growing up in middle-class America I absorbed the false notion of our post-modern, individualistic culture. Life was about me. In fact, it seemed that the world revolved around me, my wants, my needs, my foolish, selfish desires. This is no way to live, in fact it is the quickest way to destruction. To live life always focused on self only leads to eventual self-destruction, an inevitable implosion. ]]> http://evangelizela.com/how-god-rescued-me-from-self-destruction/feed/ 1