LIVE IT TODAY: Monday, August 25, 2025
A GREAT WAY TO BEGIN TODAY!
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GOD'S DECLARATION TO YOU TODAY
I want all of your heart. Let nothing stand in the way.
INVOCATION
Come, Holy Spirit! Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, open my heart to hear and receive all that You desire for me. Draw me ever more deeply into the Love and Life of the Blessed Trinity!
GOSPEL | Matthew 23:13–22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”
EVERY DAY QUESTION
What struck you? Challenged you? Inspired you? What questions did it raise?
GOING DEEPER
Woe to the Performers
Jesus is warning not just the religious elite, but anyone who reduces faith to performance. He rebukes those who speak in God’s name but lead others away from God’s heart. The religious leaders had replaced true worship with rituals devoid of love, creating spiritual confusion and corruption. Jesus isn’t condemning structure or authority—He’s condemning hollow religion that masks self-glorification and manipulation in the name of God.
The phrase “lock the Kingdom” is chilling. The Greek word kleíō means to shut or bar something. Jesus is not saying they are merely mistaken; He’s saying they are preventing access to eternal life. And worse—they are using religious credibility to do it.
This is not a call to be louder critics of bad leadership. It’s a call to radically examine our own hearts. Do we say the right things but fail to live them at home? Do we elevate religious activity while neglecting mercy, prayer, and real love within our families? Are we passing on a faith that saves—or a facade that stifles?
Parents, our homes are either gateways to the Kingdom or locked doors. Every moment of tension, fatigue, conflict, and chaos is not an obstacle to holiness—it’s the forge of it. The enemy’s great lie is that you’re too messed up or inadequate to be holy. Jesus says otherwise. It’s precisely in the weakness and mess that grace abounds.
Choose today to live in truth. To repent of hypocrisy. To love your spouse more deeply. To pray out loud. To humbly say sorry. To speak God’s name in your home with reverence. To pray over each child by name, out loud, with courage and love. This is how locked doors fly open. This is how saints are forged.
“[…] the desire for true happiness frees man from his immoderate attachment to the goods of this world so that he can find his fulfillment in the vision and beatitude of God” (CCC 2548)
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Faith that Unlocks:
How is Jesus inviting you today to open the door of the Kingdom in your home?
Heart Check:
Where might there be spiritual performance in your life without real transformation?
Living Mercy:
Who in your family or circle needs to see God’s love through your humble service today?
FAMILY LIVE IT
Make some time today to gather together and, going around, affirm how each person reveals God’s heart of truth and love in your home.
Then, pray over each person by name:
that the Holy Spirit flood them with grace to know their identity as beloved sons and daughters of God;
that every lie of the enemy be shattered;
that they be protected from fear and discouragement;
and that they be filled with courage and joy to live the Gospel fully, beginning at home.
DAILY PARENT & GRANDPARENT BLESSING
LORD JESUS CHRIST, let Your holy anointing be upon each of our children, grandchildren, and godchildren this day and week, including all to whom they are called in vocation, and all future generations! In Your Sacred Name we claim them for You! We renounce all whispers, lies, and influences of the Enemy! We pray right now that each know Your loving Presence, be forged in virtue, and be flooded with an abundance of Your Holy Spirit to live fully their identity and mission in You now and through all eternity, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother! Amen.
PARENT BLESSING PROJECT: bit.ly/ParentBlessing
GOING VERTICAL
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Just as the vertical beam upholds the horizontal beam of the Cross, so too does undistracted, dedicated daily turning to God as our lifeblood uphold and strengthen every part of life. Start with just three minutes. Wait patiently for the breakthrough beyond the noise. Let Him speak.
ENTER THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME: LifeTimeRide.com
Then: Listen to the moving song, Ride Of A Lifetime:
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THIS MONTH'S LIVE IT TODAY is made possible by the generosity of the Drs. Jeff and Rachel Elmore Family
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WE WANT TO PRAY FOR YOU!
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