Love Thy Neighbours, Be a Good Neighbour

God says that when we look out for others, He will look out for us, as in God's two great commandment for us.

Mark 12:29-31

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

You cannot say you Love God if your actions are hateful to anyone.

1 John 4:20

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

We need to pray for those who persecute us that they will see the light, and make the choice to change toward the good.

Romans 12:14

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

With sacrifice comes remembrance as in the wonderful gift and sacrifice by Jesus when He shed blood on the cross for all our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness each time we partake in the celebration of the most Holy Eucharist.

Luke 22:19

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

In respecting someone’s boundaries, they will be more inclined to converse and they will be much more receptive to what we have to say.

Colossians 4:6

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

We are to love the people around us. We are meant to love what comes from God in them. Everything we do that is of some benefit to another person or that gives another person happiness and joy is loving our neighbour. Everyone is special to God and are God's beloved. The love we know God has for ourselves is also the love God also has for the person beside me, in front of me, behind me, for my neighbour who goes to a different church or of a different belief, for the people I may not particularly like, and the people who may not particularly like me. When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbour as ourselves, we become more like God and are filled with the light of God. God has a way of getting us into the habit of loving and serving others. If we stick with it, in time that service will become its own reward.

We should pray that we all can learn daily on how to love even more then the previous day. By loving God and our neighbours, we will experience something of heaven right here on earth.

LOVE is not just a feeling but more of an ACTION, whereby the action of love and service is what makes neighbours out of all people, knitting us together into a human community.

Luke 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Saint Catherine of Siena

Born: 25 March 1347 in Siena
Died: 29 April 1380 in Rome

She join the Third Order of St. Dominic (First Order = friars, Second Order = nuns, Third Order = laypersons) at the age of 16. She was a nurse in the order where she cared for patients suffering with leprosy and advanced cancer. 

In 1970, she was bestowed the title of one Doctor of the Church. Together with St. Francis of Assisi, she one of the two patron saints of Italy.

Feast (memorial) day : 29 April

Prayer

Everlasting God, who so kindled the flame of holy love in the Heart of blessed Catherine of Siena, as she meditated on the passion of your Son our Saviour, that she devoted her life to the poor and the sick, and to the peace and unity of the Church: Grant that we also may share in the mystery of Christ's death, and rejoice in the revelation of His Glory, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Act of Adoration

With deepest humility, 

I adore You, my Lord and God. 

You have made my soul 

Your dwelling place. 

I adore You as my Creator 

from Whose hands I came 

and with Whom I long 

to be happy forever. 

Amen

O Sacrament most Holy,

O Sacrament Divine,

All praise and all thanksgiving,

Be every moment Thine.

Prayer to Mother of Perpetual Help

O' Mother of Perpetual Help, 

grant that I may ever invoke your powerful name, 

the protection of the living 

and the salvation of the dying. 

Purest Mary, 

let your name henceforth 

be ever on my lips. 

Delay not, Blessed Lady, 

to rescue me whenever I call on you. 

In my temptations, in my needs, 

I will never cease to call on you, 

ever repeating your sacred name, Mary, Mary. 

What a consolation, 

what sweetness, 

what confidence fills my soul 

when I utter your sacred name 

or even only think of you! 

I thank the Lord 

for having given you so sweet, 

so powerful, 

so lovely a name. 

But I will not be content 

with merely uttering your name. 

Let my love for you 

prompt me ever to hail 

you Mother of Perpetual Help. 

Mother of Perpetual Help, 

pray for me and grant me 

the favour I confidently ask of you. 

(mention your petition)

(1x Our Father, 10x Hail Mary, and 1x Glory Be)

Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest

Mother dearest, Mother fairest,

Help of all who call on thee,

Virgin purest, brightest, rarest,

Help us, help, we cry to thee.

Mary help us, help we pray;

Mary help us, help, we pray;

Help us in all care and sorrow,

Mary help us, help we pray.

Lady, help in pain and sorrow,

Soothe those racked on bed of pain

May the golden light of morrow

Bring them health and joy again

Mary help us, help we pray;

Mary help us, help, we pray;

Help us in all care and sorrow,

Mary help us, help we pray.

Confess our Sins

Sins separates us from God. Through confessing, we are assuming responsibility for our actions and not blaming our actions on others. Confession is a commandment of God, anyone who has sinned is obligated to confess in order to receive forgiveness of his sins and achieve salvation. By not confessing his/her sins, a person will never experience peace because he will never be drawn near to God due the weight of guilt in him/her. Therefore, Christians (Catholics/Orthodox) who has sinned is obliged to sincerely declare the sins he/her has committed without shame and reservation, but with self-reproach, contrition, and true repentance, to a priest who has been empowered by the Church to forgive sins.

Numbers 5:6-7

Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty and must confess the sin they have committed.

1 John 1:8-9

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 14:11-12

11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for

having offended you, and I detest

all my sins, because of Your just

punishments, but most of all because

they offend You, my God, who are

all-good and deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve, with the help of

Your grace, to sin no more and to

avoid the near occasion of sin.

Amen.

OR

My God,

I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.

In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,

I have sinned against you

whom I should love above all things.

I firmly intend, with your help,

to do penance, to sin no more,

and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.

Our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.

In His Name, my God, have mercy.

Amen.

"Freely you received, freely give" Matthew 10:8

Jesus has blessed us and in turn we should share our blessing with others. Jesus' instruction deals with our relationship and attitude toward other people as we are the vessels through which the Father is reaching out to the world. Jesus is filling us with every good thing we need to serve him and we are only bearers of these blessings, and we should also bear the fruit of the Spirit from within us. All things are poured into us, produced in us and we only need to be obedient vessels of God to carry it so others may benefit. We cannot afford to be selfish of these blessing, whether it is love, mercy, forgiveness, time, strength, encouragement, riches, patience, understanding or revelation as was given for us to freely by God and we should also give it freely to others. Therefore, what we need to be doing is anointing, casting out demons, healing the sick, preaching the good news, loving the unlovable, feeding the poor, sharing the light in the darkness and investing in lives that seem worthless. 

We as Christians have received the Word of God (our daily bread) and His only begotten son Jesus Christ our Saviour who died for our sins. Each and everyone of us has been saved by His grace through our faith in Jesus. God freely gives us salvation, but in order for people to receive His gift, they must first hear the Good News through the Words given to us by He alone. God gives us so much in this life and blesses us in so many ways, that the very least we can do is share it with others. 

We should do it in God's will and in abide to his new commandment "Love one another as I have loved you.", and without having a thought of what will gain by doing it. God knows what good we have done and he will bless in His time.

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Worship the LORD, 

our Creator and Saviour, 

for He is generous and good beyond our imagination! 

Praise Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, 

that He showers us with His abundance blessing 

and empowers us to give along with Him.

Give thanks to Jesus 

for giving Himself so freely for us. 

Thank Him for not only forgiving you 

but also freeing you from captivity 

of the sin in this world.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Generosity Encouraged

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;

their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

I will not fear as I believe in God's promises for me

We all go through and experience difficult times which are like storms in our lives. We have to put full trust and faith in God and His Words and he will calm the storms and deliver us from all difficulties.

Luke 8:22-25

Jesus Calms a Storm

22 One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they started out. 23 As they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. Suddenly a strong wind blew down on the lake, and the boat began to fill with water, so that they were all in great danger. 24 The disciples went to Jesus and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master! We are about to die!”

Jesus got up and gave an order to the wind and to the stormy water; they quieted down, and there was a great calm. 25 Then he said to the disciples, “Where is your faith?”

But they were amazed and afraid, and said to one another, “Who is this man? He gives orders to the winds and waves, and they obey him!”

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Stand firm in the grace given to you by your heavenly Father and say, "I will believe God's promises for me and walk in the way of His plan for my life because my hope is in Christ.

The greatness of our fears shows us the littleness of our faith. We need to pray about our fears and our faith, and turn to the Lord for help to face our fears.

Isaiah 41:10

Do not be afraid—I am with you!

I am your God—let nothing terrify you!

I will make you strong and help you;

I will protect you and save you.

Acts 18:10

for I am with you. 

No one will be able to harm you, 

for many in this city are my people.

Jeremiah 29:11

I alone know the plans I have for you, 

plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, 

plans to bring about the future you hope for.

Psalm 34:4

I sought the LORD,

and He answered me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

Almighty God grant me your MERCY and let me find PEACE in You.

Glory Be 

to 

Our Father 

in heaven forever and ever !

Lord I Offer You My Life

(Verse 1)

All that I am, all that I have

I lay them down before you, oh Lord

All my regrets, all my acclaims

The joy and the pain, I'm making them yours

(Chorus)

Lord, I offer my life to you

Everything I've been through

Use it for your glory

Lord I offer my days to you

Lifting my praise to you

As a pleasing sacrifice

Lord I offer you my life

(Verse 2)

Things in the past, things yet unseen

Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true

All of my heart, all of my praise

My heart and my hands are lifted to you

(Chorus)

Lord, I offer my life to you

Everything I've been through

Use it for your glory

Lord I offer my days to you

Lifting my praise to you

As a pleasing sacrifice

Lord I offer you my life

(Bridge)

What can we give

That you have not given?

And what do we have

That is not already yours?

All we possess

Are these lives we're living

That's what we give to you, Lord

(Chorus)

Lord, I offer my life to you

Everything I've been through

Use it for your glory

Lord I offer my days to you

Lifting my praise to you

As a pleasing sacrifice

Lord I offer you my life

(Chorus)

Lord, I offer my life to you

Everything I've been through

Use it for your glory

Lord I offer my days to you

Lifting my praise to you

As a pleasing sacrifice

Lord I offer you my life

Lord I offer you my life

Give Thanks

Thank you for all of our blessings, 

thank you for your provisions 

and protections. 

In Your Name, Amen.

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

Give thanks

We give thanks to You oh Lord
We give thanks

I am the God that Healeth Thee

I am the God that

Healeth thee

I am the Lord

Your healer

I sent My word

And I healed your disease

I am the Lord

Your healer

You are the God that

Healeth me

You are the Lord

My healer

You sent Your word

And You healed my disease

You are the Lord

My healer

You sent Your word

And You healed

My disease

You are the Lord

My healer

You sent Your word

And You healed

My disease

You are the Lord

My healer

God is Good All the Time

Chorus:
God is good all the time
He put a song of praise in this heart of mine
God is good all the time
Through the darkest night, His light will shine
God is good, God is good all the time

If you're walking through the valley
And there are shadows all around
Do not fear, He will guide you
He will keep you safe and sound
'Cause He's promised to never leave you
Nor forsake you and His Word is true

Chorus

We were sinners - so unworthy
Still for us He chose to die
Filled us with His Holy Spirit
Now we can stand and testify
That His love is everlasting
And His mercies - they will never end

Chorus

Lord I may not understand
All the plans He left for me
My life is in your hands
And through the eyes of Him I can clearly see

Chorus

by Don Moen

Prayers in Times of Financial Difficulties

Dear Lord of Goodness and Compassion, 

Almighty and Divine is your name, 

I want to ask forgiveness 

for all my wrongdoings in the past 

which caused me to suffer 

from this financial difficulties. 

Dear Lord, I am in serious 

need of financial assistance 

to settle off my debts. 

Heavenly Father, 

please grant me 

your mercy and miraculous help

I truly trust, believe and have confident

that You will answer my prayer. 

Through the most precious name of Jesus,

I pray and beg You, 

O' Lord. 

Amen

Dear Lord,

In this time of uncertainty,

Be my rock in a world built on sand;

Be my oasis of grace and peace in a world of tension and turmoil;

Help me to carry my cross gracefully, as you did in Your Passion;

Help me to follow Your beam of light in the midst of this darkness;

Help me to see Your will in all things

And show others Your comfort and strength.

Keep me calm when tempers flare up;

Keep me sane in a crazy world;

Keep me focused on the houses in Heaven

rather than the houses of cards collapsing around me;

Keep my eyes focused on the prize of Heaven

and not lose hope in You in this world or in the world to come;

Make me compassionate in dealing with others;

Let me see my travails as carrying my cross and sharing in Your Passion, for the love of You and for the salvation of souls, including mine.

And may all my difficulties be ultimately for my good and Your glory. 

Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:9

However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived”

the things God has prepared for those who love him.

Dearest Lord,

My spirit is full, 

but my wallet is always empty

I need your help Jesus.

My finances are in crisis, 

and are causing me great pain.

I pray for You Lord, 

to hear, provide and guide me 

in Your infinite mercy, love and wisdom.

AMEN.

Don’t be afraid, come to me and I will give you rest

Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Don’t be afraid to pray to God for relief of your burdens. If relief is not in sight, ask Him for the graces you need to endure in these troubled times. 

We can trust in God to hear our prayers and give us the graces we need in troubled times if we ask Him sincerely and with perseverance.

Our Lord did indeed ask us in the Gospels to take up our crosses and follow Him. Jesus wants us to share our worries and troubled times with Him in prayer, to offer them up to Him for the good of our souls.

Our faith teaches us not to consider our sufferings to be meaningless. If we ask for our Lord’s help to get us through troubled times He can indeed strengthen us, give us more compassion for others, and focus us on what’s really important: His will for us, His love for us, and how we reflect that love in how we treat each other.

Prayer intentions of Pope Francis for April 2013

Pope Francis prayer intentions announced by the Vatican Information Services on 30 March 2013, being the first of his pontificate.

General intention, April 2013

"That the public, prayerful celebration of faith may give life to the faithful."

Missionary intention, April 2013

"That mission churches may be signs and instruments of hope and resurrection.”

The Lord Will Provide

Though troubles assail and dangers affright, 
Though friends should all fail and foes all unite; 
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The scripture assures us, the Lord will provide

The birds without barn or storehouse are fed, 

From them let us learn to trust for our bread: 

His saints, what is fitting, shall ne'er be denied, 

So long as it's written, the Lord will provide 

We may, like the ships, by tempest be tossed
On perilous deeps, but cannot be lost.
Though Satan enrages the wind and the tide,
The promise engages, the Lord will provide.

His call we obey, like Abram of old, 

Not knowing our way, but faith makes us bold; 

For though we are strangers we have a good Guide, 

And trust in all dangers, the Lord will provide

When Satan appears to stop up our path,
And fill us with fears, we triumph by faith;
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart-cheering promise, the Lord will provide

He tells us we're weak, our hope is in vain, 

The good that we seek we ne'er shall obtain, 

But when such suggestions our spirits have plied, 

This answers all questions, the Lord will provide

No strength of our own, or goodness we claim,
Yet since we have known the Savior's great name;
In this our strong tower for safety we hide,
The Lord is our power, the Lord will provide

When life sinks apace and death is in view, 

This word of his grace shall comfort us through: 

No fearing or doubting with Christ on our side, 

We hope to die shouting the Lord will provide

from All I Owe by Matthew Smith

Genesis 22:14

Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

Philippians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Ascension of the Lord (Solemnity)

The Solemnity of the Ascension falls on Thursday, 9 May 2013 (it may be transferred to Sunday, 12 May 2013 in some countries). The celebration marks Christ Jesus's bodily ascension into heaven after 40 days from Easter Sunday, when He rose from the dead.  Christ Jesus, takes his place at God’s right hand so that he can pour out the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, upon his disciples. The 40th day after Easter Sunday always fall on a Thursday.

Go and Teach All Nations, 

Says the Lord; 

I Am with You Always, 

until the End of the World.

Ephesians 4:10

10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.

Mark 16:14-20

14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Luke 24:50-53

The Ascension of Jesus

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Acts 1:1-11

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

"Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him. Listen to the words of the Apostle: If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth. For just as he remained with us even after his ascension, so we too are already in heaven with him, even though what is promised us has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies."

~ The great western Bishop Augustine ~

Philippians 2:6-11

6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


Galatians 2:19, 20

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

John 15:4

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.