Cedric Pisegna - Get Connected

January 12, 2025 | S25:E2

Father Cedric Pisegna is a Catholic priest. His program will inspire and encourage you to Live with Passion.

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Live with Passion with Father Cedric | Cedric Pisegna - Get Connected | January 12, 2025
  • ...
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  • Father cedric pisegna: you are never, ever alone.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Father cedric pisegna: welcome to "live with passion!"
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  • I'm father cedric pisegna.
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  • So glad that you found the program, tuned into the
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  • Program purposely.
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  • Some of you record the program.
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  • Others of you actually set your alarm to listen to the program.
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  • So glad that you tuned in.
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  • I wanna talk to you about god's love.
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  • Get connected.
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  • I'll share with you isaiah chapter 41, verse 13.
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  • Get this, "for i the lord your god hold your right hand.
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  • It is i who say to you, 'fear not.
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  • I will help you.'"
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  • I have to admit it, i'm a beatles fan.
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  • Love to listen to the beatles.
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  • I wasn't such a fan early on in my life, but now as i grow
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  • Older, they produced so many beautiful songs.
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  • Back in 1964, i think it was the first time they had a number one
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  • Hit song in the united states and it was called, "i want to
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  • Hold your hand."
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  • And that's exactly what god was saying here.
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  • It was a hit song because everybody went gaga over that
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  • Song because really that's what lovers do.
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  • You know, when you date somebody, married people, it's a
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  • Gesture of love, a gesture of getting connected, and that's
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  • Exactly what god is telling us.
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  • God is telling us in isaiah, "i hold your right hand.
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  • I will help you."
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  • And how does god help us?
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  • In one of my other episodes, i talked about god's
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  • Almighty power.
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  • He invests us with this great strength, this inner strength,
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  • But i think one of the greatest ways that god helps us is simply
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  • By us knowing that he's with us.
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  • That's the great promise in the bible, "i am with you."
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  • Remember what jesus said?
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  • "i am with you always until the end of time."
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  • He said that at the beginning of the gospel of matthew, we hear
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  • The name of jesus, "he will call him emmanuel, a name that means
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  • 'god with us.'"
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  • The middle of the gospel of matthew, "where two or three are
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  • Gathered, there i am in your midst.
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  • I am with you."
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  • The end of the gospel of matthew, "i am with you always
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  • Until the end of the world."
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  • The way that god helps us is when we go through
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  • Tribulations-- and that's just it.
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  • We go through tribulations.
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  • He doesn't leave us in the middle of it.
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  • He doesn't leave us stuck in it.
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  • We go through.
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  • "even though i go through the valley of the shadow of
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  • Darkness, i fear no evil because you are with me, with your rod
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  • And your staff that give me comfort."
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  • And that fact that we are connected to god-- i remember
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  • When i was getting lasik surgery.
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  • This was probably 20 years ago.
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  • I got lasik surgery and i was terrified.
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  • And as i'm laying there on the table, there was a nurse in
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  • The room.
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  • I don't even know who the nurse was.
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  • She didn't know me, i didn't know her.
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  • I said, "would you hold my hand?"
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  • I just wanted to be connected to somebody.
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  • And she did and that helped me.
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  • And i'll tell you, when you know that god is with you, when you
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  • Have a sense of god's love in your life, you are helped and
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  • You can be courageous to face your trials and tribulations.
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  • You can be strong when you face your problems.
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  • You can deal with whatever you need to deal with, 'cause if god
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  • Is with you, it's all over but the shouting.
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  • That's exactly how christianity was spread all throughout the
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  • World, because the apostles, the evangelists, the missionaries,
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  • They knew just as i do that god was with them, that god is
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  • With us.
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  • And i want you to know that holding your hand-- and this is
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  • What god just said, "i hold your hand.
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  • I grasp you by the hand."
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  • It's a gesture of love.
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  • If you've ever heard of gary chapman, he wrote a book called,
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  • "the five love languages," and one of them is touch.
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  • That's why during the pandemic, people were isolated.
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  • They were lacking touch.
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  • It was such a hard time for so many people because they felt
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  • Like they weren't connected.
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  • They were isolated.
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  • And touch is so very important.
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  • Touch, being connected.
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  • I want you to know that god's love, god's presence will
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  • Help you.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Father cedric pisegna: you have power.
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  • God hasn't abandoned you.
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  • He's right there with you and he grasps us by the hand.
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  • I remember the story in mark chapter 8. jesus went to heal a
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  • Blind man and he does something interesting.
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  • He took the blind man out of the city and it says that they
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  • Walked together and jesus held his hand.
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  • That's mark chapter 8. and then he took him out of the city and
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  • Then he healed his blindness.
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  • But i love that scene.
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  • Imagine walking with the son of god holding your hand.
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  • And the blind man didn't know where he was going, but jesus
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  • Was leading him and guiding him, holding his hand, being
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  • Connected to him.
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  • That was the miracle itself, nevermind being able to see.
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  • I want you to understand that right now, i believe as you're
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  • Watching this program, you may not feel it, but god is holding
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  • Your hand.
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  • He's gonna take you through.
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  • He's going to bring you to the other side.
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  • You are connected.
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  • He loves you as his very own.
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  • And that's the thing about god's love.
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  • You must understand that god is love.
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  • That's right from the bible.
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  • Love isn't just something god does like we do.
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  • God is love.
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  • Put an equal sign, god equal love.
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  • They go together.
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  • This is who god is.
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  • It's his character.
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  • And you must believe in god's love.
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  • I talked about faith in one of the other episodes, and if you
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  • Want to become the best that you can be, and this series is all
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  • About being your best, you must have faith, faith in god.
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  • And faith begins by believing that god exists, but it
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  • Continues by believing that god is love, that god cares.
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  • Then it continues with god is at work in your life.
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  • God is love and he demonstrates it in so many different ways.
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  • One of the ways, of course, the cross of jesus.
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  • "for god so loved us that he gave his only begotten son."
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  • So many people are talking about, how do you know that god
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  • Loves you?
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  • Well, what i tell people is, first of all, believe.
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  • You've got to believe and that opens the door for you
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  • To receive.
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  • But also you have to become aware, more aware of god's love.
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  • Because god's love is all around us, you just have to notice it.
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  • It's kind of like if you've ever seen these athletic contests,
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  • Like a football game.
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  • I saw a football player get knocked out one time and he's
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  • Lying there in the ground.
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  • They went over and they broke open some smelling salts, and
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  • They gave it to him and he just all of a sudden starts to
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  • Wake up.
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  • Too many people in life have sominex, not smelling salts, and
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  • They're jaded to the presence and to the love of god.
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  • They don't see how god is providing, how god has taken
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  • Care of you.
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  • Every heartbeat, every breath, every moment of your life is a
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  • Gift of love from god to you and me.
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  • And what we need is some smelling salts to make us awaken
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  • To god's love.
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  • In the scriptures, it's interesting.
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  • In the psalms, it talks about god's mercy, and then it says--
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  • It uses a word called "selah," s-e-l-a-h, and it means pause
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  • And think about that.
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  • And in our life, we need to selah, pause and think
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  • About that.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Father cedric pisegna: we all know jesus loves us.
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  • This we know, for the bible tells me so.
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  • We all know all that, but i mean, pause and think
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  • About that.
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  • The way that you can experience god's love is by becoming aware,
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  • And noticing, and reflecting, and contemplating.
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  • Just like the people in the confessional, i tell you, "go
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  • Outside and take a walk.
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  • Feel the warmth of the sun.
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  • Spend a little time reflecting on god's love.
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  • Leave the rest.
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  • Lay your burdens down.
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  • Move forward."
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  • It was paul that wrote in ephesians, he said, "i want you
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  • To know the height, and the depth, and the breadth, and the
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  • Length, and to experience god's love."
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  • And that's just it.
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  • Many people know, yeah, god has love, but they don't
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  • Experience it.
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  • Actually, you must understand you are experiencing it, you
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  • Probably just aren't aware of it.
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  • It's like these two fish.
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  • They're swimming in the ocean.
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  • One fish looks at the other fish and he goes, "hey, by the way,
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  • Where's the ocean?"
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  • The other fish looks at him, "the ocean?
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  • It's what you're swimming in."
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  • People are thinking, "where's god's love?"
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  • It's what you're swimming in.
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  • Paul the apostle said, "in god, we live, and move, and have
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  • Our being."
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  • That's right from the acts of the apostles.
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  • You're swimming in god's love.
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  • It's just a matter of becoming aware and having an awakening to
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  • God's love.
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  • Jesus constantly in the gospels is always saying, "be awake.
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  • Be aware.
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  • Wake up."
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  • Get that smelling--
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  • I'm kinda like smelling salts here today,
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  • Trying to get you to wake up to god's love.
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  • Because god's love is everywhere, it's just a matter
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  • Of getting in touch with it.
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  • God loves priests, and popes, and prisoners, and prostitutes
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  • Equally, but in most cases, it's the religious people who receive
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  • His love.
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  • The love is there.
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  • It's unconditional.
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  • It's ardent.
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  • It's fervent.
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  • It's passionate.
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  • But religious people believe and they receive, and that's what i
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  • Want you to do.
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  • I want you to believe.
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  • That's right from the scriptures, "believe in the love
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  • God has for you and be aware."
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  • Wake up.
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  • Let me talk a little bit about that, being aware of god's love,
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  • Because sometimes we just are jaded and we don't sense it.
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  • I heard about a novice who came up to his spiritual master and
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  • Had a question, very profound question.
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  • He said, "what can i do to attain god?"
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  • And the master said, "what can you do to make the sunrise?"
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  • He was exasperated.
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  • The novice said, "then why do you teach us anything at all?"
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  • And the master said, "so you'll be awake when the sun rises."
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  • I wrote a book called, "you are loved," and the book has a
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  • Dual purpose.
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  • Number one, i want you to know that you are loved individually
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  • Just as you are, and then the book is all about you
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  • Experiencing this love.
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  • I read this book after i wrote it, a couple of years after i
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  • Wrote it.
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  • It's only been in existence about four years, three or
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  • Four years.
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  • But i read it a couple of years after i wrote it, and what it
  • 00:11:59.157 --> 00:12:03.094
  • Did is it awakened me again to god's love.
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  • And i started preaching about it even more because people need to
  • 00:12:08.133 --> 00:12:11.402
  • Hear this.
  • 00:12:11.402 --> 00:12:12.937
  • Oftentimes, we fall asleep, and we want to experience god's love
  • 00:12:12.937 --> 00:12:18.610
  • But we don't know how.
  • 00:12:18.610 --> 00:12:20.445
  • Well, let me help you with that.
  • 00:12:20.445 --> 00:12:22.447
  • As i said, god grasps us by the right hand, and that means that
  • 00:12:22.447 --> 00:12:28.386
  • He's with us.
  • 00:12:28.386 --> 00:12:30.054
  • He's connected.
  • 00:12:30.054 --> 00:12:31.556
  • He's not far from us.
  • 00:12:31.556 --> 00:12:33.458
  • That's all over the place in the scripture.
  • 00:12:33.458 --> 00:12:35.627
  • For example, one of my favorite scriptures is psalm 139, and it
  • 00:12:35.627 --> 00:12:41.366
  • Talks about how, "when we sit or when we stand, god knows
  • 00:12:41.366 --> 00:12:46.237
  • It altogether.
  • 00:12:46.237 --> 00:12:47.772
  • Even before a word is on our lips,
  • 00:12:47.772 --> 00:12:50.775
  • God knows what it's going to be."
  • 00:12:50.775 --> 00:12:52.610
  • You don't even know the next word that you're gonna speak,
  • 00:12:52.610 --> 00:12:54.445
  • But god does.
  • 00:12:54.445 --> 00:12:55.847
  • That's how close god is to us.
  • 00:12:55.847 --> 00:12:59.117
  • He said, "i'm the vine, you're the branches.
  • 00:12:59.117 --> 00:13:01.186
  • Abide in me.
  • 00:13:01.186 --> 00:13:03.254
  • Get connected to me.
  • 00:13:03.254 --> 00:13:05.023
  • Remain in me and you will bear much fruit."
  • 00:13:05.023 --> 00:13:08.593
  • Centuries ago, catholic brother called brother lawrence, he
  • 00:13:08.593 --> 00:13:14.332
  • Wrote a book called, "practicing the presence of god."
  • 00:13:14.332 --> 00:13:18.069
  • And the whole core of that book all had to do with god is
  • 00:13:18.069 --> 00:13:23.441
  • Present as we journey through our day, but oftentimes we don't
  • 00:13:23.441 --> 00:13:28.279
  • Know it.
  • 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:29.647
  • Brother lawrence conversed with god and he stayed connected.
  • 00:13:29.647 --> 00:13:32.750
  • He consented to god's presence to be aware.
  • 00:13:32.750 --> 00:13:36.421
  • And i think that book is a spiritual classic.
  • 00:13:36.421 --> 00:13:38.656
  • It can teach us exactly what we need to be doing, and that's to
  • 00:13:38.656 --> 00:13:42.393
  • Practice god's presence.
  • 00:13:42.393 --> 00:13:45.296
  • God is everywhere we go, but we're not always with god
  • 00:13:45.296 --> 00:13:49.667
  • Because we're so distracted by iphones, by the internet, by the
  • 00:13:49.667 --> 00:13:55.039
  • Television set, by the problems we're having, by the things
  • 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:58.710
  • We're going through.
  • 00:13:58.710 --> 00:14:00.211
  • And i understand that it's part and parcel of being human, but
  • 00:14:00.211 --> 00:14:04.048
  • My point is that oftentimes we're not connected.
  • 00:14:04.048 --> 00:14:07.518
  • God is always there ready to be connected, and i sense him right
  • 00:14:07.518 --> 00:14:10.822
  • Now as i'm proclaiming this to you, but it's a matter of us
  • 00:14:10.822 --> 00:14:15.093
  • Being connected to god.
  • 00:14:15.093 --> 00:14:17.161
  • Whatever you're doing, i'm hoping in whatever season you're
  • 00:14:17.161 --> 00:14:20.265
  • In the midst of right now, i am hoping this program will help
  • 00:14:20.265 --> 00:14:23.234
  • You to connect, to literally reach out your hand to god, and
  • 00:14:23.234 --> 00:14:28.339
  • God will grasp it.
  • 00:14:28.339 --> 00:14:29.941
  • And that's the thing, we don't always feel it.
  • 00:14:29.941 --> 00:14:32.143
  • People always say, "i want to feel god."
  • 00:14:32.143 --> 00:14:35.046
  • Well, that's what faith's all about.
  • 00:14:35.046 --> 00:14:36.481
  • We walk by faith and not by sight.
  • 00:14:36.481 --> 00:14:38.983
  • I talked about that in another episode.
  • 00:14:38.983 --> 00:14:41.519
  • And what i mean by "sight" is we walk by faith and not by
  • 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:44.689
  • Feelings all the time.
  • 00:14:44.689 --> 00:14:46.991
  • You've all heard that parable about the footprints.
  • 00:14:46.991 --> 00:14:49.661
  • The man has a dream, and he dreams that there were two sets
  • 00:14:49.661 --> 00:14:53.564
  • Of footprints.
  • 00:14:53.564 --> 00:14:54.899
  • And he runs into trouble and there's only one set
  • 00:14:54.899 --> 00:14:57.135
  • Of footprints.
  • 00:14:57.135 --> 00:14:58.503
  • And then the lord appears to him and he said, "i
  • 00:14:58.503 --> 00:14:59.971
  • Don't understand.
  • 00:14:59.971 --> 00:15:01.306
  • When i was goin' through good times, you were there beside me,
  • 00:15:01.306 --> 00:15:03.508
  • But when i was going through hard times," he goes, "you
  • 00:15:03.508 --> 00:15:05.777
  • Left me."
  • 00:15:05.777 --> 00:15:07.145
  • And the lord said, "no, you misunderstood the whole thing.
  • 00:15:07.145 --> 00:15:09.314
  • When you're goin' through the hard time, i was carrying you."
  • 00:15:09.314 --> 00:15:13.151
  • And that's the thing, you can't just go by feelings.
  • 00:15:13.151 --> 00:15:15.653
  • As a preacher, i can't just go by feelings.
  • 00:15:15.653 --> 00:15:17.655
  • Sometimes i don't feel like anything's happening.
  • 00:15:17.655 --> 00:15:20.024
  • I feel like i'm bombing, and that's when people are
  • 00:15:20.024 --> 00:15:21.693
  • Being touched.
  • 00:15:21.693 --> 00:15:23.127
  • You can't just go by feelings in your life.
  • 00:15:23.127 --> 00:15:24.896
  • We walk by faith and not by sight.
  • 00:15:24.896 --> 00:15:28.967
  • But i understand, i'm italian, i like to feel too.
  • 00:15:28.967 --> 00:15:33.638
  • I love to feel god's love because it's so comforting.
  • 00:15:33.638 --> 00:15:36.908
  • "in god, we live, and move, and have our being," but it's a
  • 00:15:36.908 --> 00:15:40.111
  • Matter of heightening our awareness.
  • 00:15:40.111 --> 00:15:43.181
  • And we have a practice, much like brother lawrence, in the
  • 00:15:43.181 --> 00:15:46.351
  • Monastery where wherever we eat, whenever we eat as a community,
  • 00:15:46.351 --> 00:15:50.855
  • Right at the end of the meal, we tap on a glass, or knock, or
  • 00:15:50.855 --> 00:15:54.492
  • Something, and we stop and we say, "presence of god."
  • 00:15:54.492 --> 00:15:59.364
  • And all of a sudden, we selah.
  • 00:15:59.364 --> 00:16:01.799
  • We pause and think about that.
  • 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:03.301
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:16:03.301 --> 00:16:12.477
  • Father cedric pisegna: and then we pray, "may the passion of
  • 00:16:12.477 --> 00:16:13.978
  • Jesus christ be always in our hearts."
  • 00:16:13.978 --> 00:16:16.414
  • And then we get up and clean the dishes.
  • 00:16:16.414 --> 00:16:19.017
  • But that can be done not just in a monastery.
  • 00:16:19.017 --> 00:16:21.019
  • That can be done throughout your life.
  • 00:16:21.019 --> 00:16:23.087
  • You just simply pause wherever you are, maybe at your computer,
  • 00:16:23.087 --> 00:16:27.525
  • Or before you're about to go for a drive, or when you're working
  • 00:16:27.525 --> 00:16:32.130
  • On a project, or when you're about to go on a trip.
  • 00:16:32.130 --> 00:16:37.035
  • You pause, and think, and invite god into it.
  • 00:16:37.035 --> 00:16:39.971
  • Maybe extend your hand and let god grab your hand.
  • 00:16:39.971 --> 00:16:43.741
  • It's so beautiful not to walk through your life alone, but to
  • 00:16:43.741 --> 00:16:47.845
  • Realize that god is with you.
  • 00:16:47.845 --> 00:16:50.448
  • And at times, you will feel it.
  • 00:16:50.448 --> 00:16:53.484
  • There's nothing so beautiful as feeling the presence of god.
  • 00:16:53.484 --> 00:16:57.555
  • I remember the story of saint augustine.
  • 00:16:57.555 --> 00:17:00.658
  • Saint augustine of hippo lived years ago.
  • 00:17:00.658 --> 00:17:03.928
  • I believe it was in the 400s, 300s, way back a long time ago.
  • 00:17:03.928 --> 00:17:08.499
  • Saint augustine wasn't always a saint.
  • 00:17:08.499 --> 00:17:10.234
  • He was a rabble rouser, dabbled in eastern religions, had a
  • 00:17:10.234 --> 00:17:14.605
  • Child out of wedlock.
  • 00:17:14.605 --> 00:17:16.874
  • He was lost, but he had this hunger and desire to know truth.
  • 00:17:16.874 --> 00:17:24.215
  • One time, he heard a preacher, it was saint ambrose, preaching
  • 00:17:24.215 --> 00:17:29.087
  • The gospel and it struck his heart.
  • 00:17:29.087 --> 00:17:32.890
  • He gave his life to christ and things began to change.
  • 00:17:32.890 --> 00:17:37.695
  • He began to notice god's presence in his life in a very
  • 00:17:37.695 --> 00:17:40.465
  • Powerful way and he changed.
  • 00:17:40.465 --> 00:17:43.434
  • He became a priest, became a bishop, and he became a doctor
  • 00:17:43.434 --> 00:17:49.173
  • Of the church.
  • 00:17:49.173 --> 00:17:50.641
  • Very few people in the catholic church are canonized, if you
  • 00:17:50.641 --> 00:17:55.513
  • Want to use that word, as doctors of the church, and saint
  • 00:17:55.513 --> 00:17:58.816
  • Augustine was.
  • 00:17:58.816 --> 00:18:00.618
  • Well, he wrote some prose that i wanted to share with you because
  • 00:18:00.618 --> 00:18:04.789
  • It talks about god's love.
  • 00:18:04.789 --> 00:18:06.124
  • He said to god, "late have i loved you.
  • 00:18:06.124 --> 00:18:11.028
  • Late have i loved you, o beauty ever ancient, ever new, late
  • 00:18:11.028 --> 00:18:16.334
  • Have i love you!
  • 00:18:16.334 --> 00:18:18.069
  • You were within, but i was plunged in the world.
  • 00:18:18.069 --> 00:18:22.573
  • You are with me, but i wasn't with you.
  • 00:18:22.573 --> 00:18:26.077
  • Then you called, you shouted, you broke through my deafness.
  • 00:18:26.077 --> 00:18:33.117
  • You shone, you blazed, you banished my blindness.
  • 00:18:33.117 --> 00:18:40.658
  • You lavished your fragrance upon me.
  • 00:18:40.658 --> 00:18:44.095
  • I gasped, and now i pant for you."
  • 00:18:44.095 --> 00:18:47.398
  • And then later on he wrote,
  • 00:18:47.398 --> 00:18:49.700
  • "i fear jesus will pass by me unnoticed."
  • 00:18:49.700 --> 00:18:54.138
  • And that's the cry of everybody's heart,
  • 00:18:54.138 --> 00:18:56.574
  • That we would come to see jesus,
  • 00:18:56.641 --> 00:18:59.744
  • And hear jesus, and know his love in a
  • 00:18:59.744 --> 00:19:02.647
  • Deep, personal way, and not let him pass by unnoticed.
  • 00:19:02.647 --> 00:19:06.684
  • Remember the blind beggar, bartimaeus, sitting by the side
  • 00:19:06.684 --> 00:19:09.820
  • Of the road?
  • 00:19:09.820 --> 00:19:11.155
  • He's blind, but in some ways he could see more than the people
  • 00:19:11.155 --> 00:19:14.458
  • Because he heard.
  • 00:19:14.458 --> 00:19:16.127
  • And when you're blind, you can hear very well because your
  • 00:19:16.127 --> 00:19:20.097
  • Senses are sharpened.
  • 00:19:20.097 --> 00:19:21.465
  • He hears that jesus of nazareth is passing by and he knew it was
  • 00:19:21.465 --> 00:19:24.835
  • His moment.
  • 00:19:24.835 --> 00:19:26.470
  • And he cries out, "jesus, son of david, have pity on me!"
  • 00:19:26.470 --> 00:19:30.474
  • And they tried to make him be quiet and he shouted all the
  • 00:19:30.474 --> 00:19:34.378
  • Louder, "jesus, son of david, have pity on me!"
  • 00:19:34.378 --> 00:19:37.148
  • And jesus stopped and they called the blind man over.
  • 00:19:37.148 --> 00:19:41.652
  • And jesus brought him healing and he was able to see.
  • 00:19:41.652 --> 00:19:45.456
  • But the whole point of the story is then he followed jesus on
  • 00:19:45.456 --> 00:19:49.026
  • The road.
  • 00:19:49.026 --> 00:19:50.361
  • That's the point of the story, that he became a disciple.
  • 00:19:50.361 --> 00:19:53.397
  • He walked with jesus.
  • 00:19:53.397 --> 00:19:56.467
  • And in many ways, we're blind, and we're deaf, and we're not in
  • 00:19:56.467 --> 00:19:59.604
  • Touch, and we don't feel god, and we need to become more and
  • 00:19:59.604 --> 00:20:03.608
  • More aware.
  • 00:20:03.608 --> 00:20:04.976
  • To me, that's the crux of the spiritual life, becoming more
  • 00:20:04.976 --> 00:20:10.014
  • And more aware of god.
  • 00:20:10.014 --> 00:20:11.649
  • And then as you do, it can be so beautiful because you can have a
  • 00:20:11.649 --> 00:20:16.921
  • Love relationship.
  • 00:20:16.921 --> 00:20:19.991
  • Christianity is a religion and it's a ritual, but more than
  • 00:20:19.991 --> 00:20:27.765
  • Anything, those are symbols of something that should bring
  • 00:20:27.765 --> 00:20:31.469
  • Us deeper.
  • 00:20:31.469 --> 00:20:33.271
  • It should bring us into relationship, something real,
  • 00:20:33.271 --> 00:20:38.276
  • Something profound.
  • 00:20:38.276 --> 00:20:40.011
  • Since god loves us so deeply, if we reciprocate to some degree,
  • 00:20:40.011 --> 00:20:46.083
  • To some degree there ought to be something real and personal.
  • 00:20:46.083 --> 00:20:51.255
  • I call it a personal relationship with god.
  • 00:20:51.255 --> 00:20:52.990
  • And everybody has a different one depending on who you are.
  • 00:20:52.990 --> 00:20:57.495
  • The song of songs is a beautiful book in the bible and it talks
  • 00:20:57.495 --> 00:21:00.965
  • About love is stronger than death.
  • 00:21:00.965 --> 00:21:05.069
  • And then it says, "i am my beloved's
  • 00:21:05.069 --> 00:21:09.006
  • And my beloved is mine."
  • 00:21:09.006 --> 00:21:10.374
  • I really believe that christianity ought to be a
  • 00:21:10.374 --> 00:21:13.477
  • Sacred romance.
  • 00:21:13.477 --> 00:21:17.114
  • I'm a religious.
  • 00:21:17.114 --> 00:21:18.449
  • I didn't become a religious because i wanted to
  • 00:21:18.449 --> 00:21:19.817
  • Be militaristic.
  • 00:21:19.817 --> 00:21:21.152
  • It's because i wanted to selah, pause and think about that, not
  • 00:21:21.152 --> 00:21:25.256
  • Just for a moment, with my whole life, to contemplate the love of
  • 00:21:25.256 --> 00:21:30.161
  • God that has changed my life.
  • 00:21:30.161 --> 00:21:32.496
  • And i want to love god.
  • 00:21:32.496 --> 00:21:35.499
  • That was jesus's prime commandment, that you love god
  • 00:21:35.499 --> 00:21:41.839
  • With all your heart and mind, soul and strength.
  • 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:46.310
  • Some people don't even believe god exists, and you can be
  • 00:21:46.310 --> 00:21:48.479
  • Having a love relationship with god, but god is gonna raise you
  • 00:21:48.479 --> 00:21:51.816
  • From the dead and bring you to heaven forever.
  • 00:21:51.816 --> 00:21:54.085
  • That is so beautiful, a love relationship with god.
  • 00:21:54.085 --> 00:21:58.122
  • I remember-- i recall years ago when i was dating, there was
  • 00:21:58.122 --> 00:22:03.094
  • This one girl.
  • 00:22:03.094 --> 00:22:04.462
  • I sat in the car in the front seat with her and all we did is
  • 00:22:04.462 --> 00:22:09.867
  • We looked into each other's eyes for like two minutes straight
  • 00:22:09.867 --> 00:22:16.874
  • Without even blinking.
  • 00:22:16.874 --> 00:22:19.310
  • I looked into her soul and she looked into my soul, and at that
  • 00:22:19.310 --> 00:22:24.582
  • Moment we were falling in love with each other.
  • 00:22:24.582 --> 00:22:28.219
  • In the catholic catechism, it talks about what prayer is and
  • 00:22:28.219 --> 00:22:33.624
  • It says that, "i look at god and god looks at me."
  • 00:22:33.624 --> 00:22:39.797
  • That's the essence of prayer, and you fall in love.
  • 00:22:39.797 --> 00:22:44.435
  • There was a jesuit priest whose name was pedro arrupe, and he
  • 00:22:44.435 --> 00:22:51.475
  • Wrote about god's love.
  • 00:22:51.475 --> 00:22:52.910
  • He lived in the early 1900s.
  • 00:22:52.910 --> 00:22:55.212
  • He passed away in 1991.
  • 00:22:55.212 --> 00:22:58.282
  • It's a very famous prose about god's love.
  • 00:22:58.282 --> 00:23:01.051
  • This is what he said.
  • 00:23:01.051 --> 00:23:02.386
  • He said, "nothing is more practical than finding god,
  • 00:23:02.386 --> 00:23:06.157
  • Falling in love in an absolute, final way.
  • 00:23:06.157 --> 00:23:10.795
  • What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will
  • 00:23:10.795 --> 00:23:14.031
  • Affect everything.
  • 00:23:14.031 --> 00:23:16.033
  • It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what
  • 00:23:16.033 --> 00:23:20.037
  • You will read, and how you will live."
  • 00:23:20.037 --> 00:23:22.540
  • Then he says, "fall in love.
  • 00:23:22.540 --> 00:23:26.277
  • Stay in love.
  • 00:23:26.277 --> 00:23:28.245
  • It will decide everything."
  • 00:23:28.245 --> 00:23:31.081
  • Wow, fall in love with god.
  • 00:23:31.081 --> 00:23:36.086
  • Stay in love with god.
  • 00:23:36.086 --> 00:23:39.223
  • It will decide everything.
  • 00:23:39.223 --> 00:23:41.325
  • The beatles sang that song and they sang lots of love songs,
  • 00:23:41.325 --> 00:23:44.829
  • But they sang that song about, "i want to hold your hand," and
  • 00:23:44.829 --> 00:23:48.432
  • That's exactly what god is saying to you and me today.
  • 00:23:48.432 --> 00:23:51.735
  • "i want to hold your hand," right from the bible.
  • 00:23:51.735 --> 00:23:55.272
  • He wants to display his love for us and tell us that he's
  • 00:23:55.272 --> 00:23:59.210
  • With us.
  • 00:23:59.210 --> 00:24:00.544
  • He hasn't abandoned us.
  • 00:24:00.544 --> 00:24:02.146
  • Now, we've gotta do our part and reciprocate and get connected.
  • 00:24:02.146 --> 00:24:06.250
  • Be aware.
  • 00:24:06.250 --> 00:24:08.385
  • Believe in the love that god has for you and you will see that
  • 00:24:08.385 --> 00:24:12.256
  • Christianity isn't just a religion.
  • 00:24:12.256 --> 00:24:15.826
  • It's a sacred romance, a love relationship, and i want that
  • 00:24:15.826 --> 00:24:20.297
  • For you.
  • 00:24:20.297 --> 00:24:21.632
  • Don't just live, live with passion.
  • 00:24:21.632 --> 00:24:22.967
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:24:22.967 --> 00:24:27.905
  • Father cedric pisegna: a priest friend of mine, father michael
  • 00:24:27.905 --> 00:24:29.473
  • Manning, used to be on tv and he would always conclude his tv
  • 00:24:29.473 --> 00:24:32.743
  • Program with, "may god's love for you make you smile."
  • 00:24:32.743 --> 00:24:36.847
  • And that's what i want you to know, that god's love is present
  • 00:24:36.847 --> 00:24:39.583
  • To you, and may god's love make you smile.
  • 00:24:39.583 --> 00:24:42.319
  • Got a letter from a woman, she said, "i have ms and i can't get
  • 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:45.990
  • To mass, but watching your tv program reminds me that god is
  • 00:24:45.990 --> 00:24:50.060
  • With me always, even when i'm sitting in my own living room."
  • 00:24:50.060 --> 00:24:53.230
  • And that is so true.
  • 00:24:53.230 --> 00:24:54.698
  • Wherever you are as you're watching this program or
  • 00:24:54.698 --> 00:24:57.201
  • Listening to this program by radio, god is with you because
  • 00:24:57.201 --> 00:25:01.705
  • God loves you and he holds our hand.
  • 00:25:01.705 --> 00:25:04.341
  • Wrote a book called, "you are loved," and in this book i try
  • 00:25:04.341 --> 00:25:07.845
  • To help you to see that even though god loves the whole
  • 00:25:07.845 --> 00:25:10.414
  • World, he loves you personally.
  • 00:25:10.414 --> 00:25:12.917
  • And this book will help you to experience, and that's what i
  • 00:25:12.917 --> 00:25:15.886
  • Want you to get.
  • 00:25:15.886 --> 00:25:17.254
  • I want you to experience the height, and the depth, and the
  • 00:25:17.254 --> 00:25:19.223
  • Length, and the breadth of god's love and to know god's love.
  • 00:25:19.223 --> 00:25:22.226
  • That was paul's prayer.
  • 00:25:22.226 --> 00:25:23.761
  • All you gotta do is call 844-father-c, you can get my
  • 00:25:23.761 --> 00:25:27.865
  • Website store, fathercedric.org, or simply write me in houston.
  • 00:25:27.865 --> 00:25:32.736
  • And all of your donations and your purchases all go so that i
  • 00:25:32.736 --> 00:25:36.807
  • Can produce these programs and proclaim god's love all
  • 00:25:36.807 --> 00:25:40.077
  • Throughout the world.
  • 00:25:40.077 --> 00:25:41.812
  • I see every donation that comes in, and i pray for you and i
  • 00:25:41.812 --> 00:25:45.115
  • Thank you.
  • 00:25:45.115 --> 00:25:46.450
  • Thank you, thank you, thank you for your purchases.
  • 00:25:46.450 --> 00:25:48.485
  • Don't forget to get the series, "be your best," cd and dvd.
  • 00:25:48.485 --> 00:25:53.357
  • This is an important series.
  • 00:25:53.357 --> 00:25:54.792
  • You can share it with other people.
  • 00:25:54.792 --> 00:25:56.527
  • It will really help you.
  • 00:25:56.527 --> 00:25:57.895
  • Again, father c, 844-father-c.
  • 00:25:57.895 --> 00:26:01.699
  • My website, write me in houston.
  • 00:26:01.699 --> 00:26:04.034
  • Thank you, thank you, thank you.
  • 00:26:04.034 --> 00:26:05.536
  • Don't just live, live with passion.
  • 00:26:05.536 --> 00:26:07.605
  • Female announcer: unlimited power.
  • 00:26:09.073 --> 00:26:11.041
  • Realized potential.
  • 00:26:11.041 --> 00:26:13.344
  • It is god's will for you to be your best.
  • 00:26:13.344 --> 00:26:16.146
  • In this powerful series, father cedric proclaims god calls you
  • 00:26:16.146 --> 00:26:19.950
  • To realize your potential and become all that you can be.
  • 00:26:19.950 --> 00:26:23.554
  • Right now, simply call or go online and order series 800 dvd
  • 00:26:23.554 --> 00:26:27.725
  • Or cd, as well as the book father talked about.
  • 00:26:27.725 --> 00:26:30.628
  • Because of these programs, people everywhere are being
  • 00:26:30.628 --> 00:26:33.163
  • Motivated to be significant.
  • 00:26:33.163 --> 00:26:35.265
  • Every purchase supports father cedric in his god-given mission
  • 00:26:35.265 --> 00:26:38.402
  • To touch lives and save souls.
  • 00:26:38.402 --> 00:26:41.105
  • Father cedric is a catholic priest with a professed vow
  • 00:26:41.105 --> 00:26:43.641
  • Of poverty.
  • 00:26:43.641 --> 00:26:44.975
  • Be assured that the money from your purchases will be used to
  • 00:26:44.975 --> 00:26:47.478
  • Produce and air "live with passion!"
  • 00:26:47.478 --> 00:26:49.847
  • To purchase these life-changing resources, simply
  • 00:26:49.847 --> 00:26:52.349
  • Call 844-father-c.
  • 00:26:52.349 --> 00:26:54.518
  • That's 844-328-4372.
  • 00:26:54.518 --> 00:26:58.656
  • The kind operator will help you.
  • 00:26:58.656 --> 00:27:00.557
  • Or write father cedric at 430 bunker hill road,
  • 00:27:00.557 --> 00:27:04.294
  • Houston, texas 77024.
  • 00:27:04.294 --> 00:27:07.031
  • Or log on to fathercedric.org and order online.
  • 00:27:07.031 --> 00:27:10.768
  • Simple, easy, and secure.
  • 00:27:10.768 --> 00:27:12.936
  • An operator is waiting for your call right now.
  • 00:27:12.936 --> 00:27:15.806
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:15.806 --> 00:27:22.279
  • Announcer: made possible by the friends and partners
  • 00:27:22.346 --> 00:27:24.248
  • Of tbn and live with passion.
  • 00:27:24.248 --> 00:27:29.990