Song of The Week (10/26 - 11/1) - "I Can Only Imagine" by: MercyMe

CLICK THE LINK to download "I Can Only Imagine" on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/almost-there/id193656444

"I Can Only Imagine" Lyrics:

I can only imagine 

What it will be like 

When I walk 

By your side 

I can only imagine 

What my eyes will see 

When your face 

Is before me 

I can only imagine 

[Chorus:]

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel 

Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still 

Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall 

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all 

I can only imagine 

I can only imagine 

When that day comes 

And I find myself 

Standing in the Son 

I can only imagine 

When all I will do 

Is forever 

Forever worship You 

I can only imagine

I can only imagine [x2]

I can only imagine

When all I will do 

Is forever, forever worship you

Reflection:

What will heaven be like?  That’s a question that’s often asked and I’ve even pondered it myself.  As the song says, “I can only imagine.”  What we can say for certain about heaven is that it’s a place for all eternity that we will be able to praise the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – and it will be awesome!  Here on earth, we can already see God, but He’s seen through something.  Meaning, we can see and know God’s glory in a magnificent sunset over Matagorda Bay, we see Him through another person’s holiness and love for others, we can see God in infants and young children through the joy they have, and of course, we see God in the sacraments of the Church, just to name a few.  However, what they all have in common is that we come to know God through something.  In heaven, we will see God as He is.  There are no sunsets or sacraments in heaven because they won’t be necessary.  Once in heaven, we will see God’s beauty radiating forth from his very self.  What that will be like, well we can only imagine.

Psalm 138:1 – “I thank you, Lord, with all my heart.  In the presence of the angels I will sing to you.”

Revelation 7:11-12 – “All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.  They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: ‘Amen.  Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever.  Amen.’”

Deacon Scott Hill

Our Lady of Victory Parish

Song of The Week (10/19 - 10/25) - "Fix My Eyes" by: for King and Country

CLICK THE LINK to download "Fix My Eyes" on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/run-wild.-live-free.-love/id891068560

"Fix My Eyes" Lyrics:

Hit rewind

Click delete

Stand face to face with the younger me

All of the mistakes

All of the heartbreak

Here's what I'd do differently

I'd love like I'm not scared

Give when it's not fair

Live life for another

Take time for a brother

Fight for the weak ones

Speak out for freedom

Find faith in the battle

Stand tall but above it all

Fix my eyes on you

I learned the lines and talked the talk (everybody knows that, everybody knows that)

But the road less traveled is hard to walk (everybody knows that, everybody knows)

It takes a soldier

Who knows his orders

To walk the walk I'm supposed to walk

And love like I'm not scared

Give when it's not fair

Live life for another

Take time for a brother

Fight for the weak ones

Speak out for freedom

Find faith in the battle

Stand tall but above it all

Fix my eyes on you

The things of Earth are dimming

In the light of Your glory and grace

I'll set my sights upon Heaven

I'm fixing my eyes on you

I'm fixing my eyes on you

I'm fixing my eyes

Love like I'm not scared

Give when it's not fair

Live life for another

Take time for a brother

Fight for the weak ones

Speak out for freedom

Find faith in the battle

Stand tall but above it all

Fix my eyes on you

I fix my eyes on you

I fix my eyes on you

Writer(s): Luke Smallbone, Joel David Smallbone

Copyright: Kilns Music, Word Music LLC, Shankel Songs, Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp., WB Music Corp., Method To The Madness, Dayspring Music LLC

Reflection:

What if it was possible? What if we could hit rewind; click delete and start again? As this joy-filled song states so powerfully, "I'd love like I'm not scared, Give when it's not fair, Live life for another, Take time for a brother, Fight for the weak ones, Speak out for freedom, Find faith in the battle, Stand tall but above it all, Fix my eyes on you." The Good News of Christ is that we can start again. We might not be able to delete what we have done, but, if we choose to fix our eyes on Jesus, we can start again, renewed in His love and determined, this time, to not make the same mistakes!


Isaiah 40: 31: "They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint."

1 John 1:9: "If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing."

Rev. Gary Janak

Pastor

Our Lady of Victory Cathedral

Song of The Week (10/12 - 10/18) - "Oceans" by: Hillsong United

CLICK THE LINK to download "Oceans" on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/zion-deluxe-edition/id720105570

"Oceans" Lyrics

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name

Keep my eyes above the waves

My soul will rest in Your embrace

I am Yours and You are mine

Fear is a great tool of the devil.  He knows that human beings enjoy certainty and when things don’t go as planned, panic and anxiety easily set in.  We’re often left feeling alone and abandoned and wondering why God isn’t answering our prayers.  When we’re feeling all of these emotions and doubts, that’s when the devil will really work on us; to get us to truly doubt that God is there for us.  However, we are reminded in this song that He is there.  God is there among the waves and stormy seas of our lives.  No matter how dark or how bleak life’s troubles may seem, God is in the midst of it all.  He didn’t abandon the Israelites in the Old Testament, when time and again they promised faith and fidelity to God and then would turn against Him.  God didn’t abandon Jesus on the cross when even Jesus himself wondered if God was there (cf. Matthew 27:46).  God will not abandon us.  Fear and doubt is from the devil.

Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them: for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”

Matthew 14:27 – “And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’”

Dcn. Scott Hill

Our Lady of Victory

Song of The Week (10/5 - 10/11) - "You Are Everything" by: Matthew West

CLICK THE LINK to download "You Are Everything" on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/something-to-say-deluxe-edition/id715968536

"You Are Everything" Lyrics:

I am the one with two left feet

Standing on a lonely street
I can't even walk a straight line
And every time you look at me
I'm spinning like an autumn leaf
Bound to hit bottom sometime

Where would I be without someone to save me
Someone who won't let me fall

You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can't believe is happening
You're standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
'Cause You are everything that I believe for
And I can't help but breathe you in
Breathe again
Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart

I am the one with big mistakes
Big regrets and bigger breaks
Than I ever care to confess
Oh but, You're the one who looks at me
And sees what I was meant to be
More than just a beautiful mess

Oh, where would I be without someone to save me
Someone who won't let me fall

You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can't believe is happening
You're standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
'Cause You are everything that I believe for
And I can't help but breathe you in
Breathe again

Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart
You're everything good in my life
Everything honest and true
And all of those stars hanging up in the sky
Could never shine brighter than 

You

are everything that I live for
Everything that I can't believe is happening
You're standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
You are everything that I believe for
And I can't help but breathe you in
Breathe again
Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart
You are
Oh, You are
Jesus, You are
You are everything

Reflection:

We all make mistakes. God knew we need a Savior, so he sent to us His Son. Jesus is always present for us, with open arms ready to help us and to give us strength when we fall. Jesus is, as Matthew West reminds us, everything. "You Are Everything" tells us that we can have hope, for Jesus looks at each one of us and sees what we were meant to be.

Galatians 5:25 - "If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit."

Colossians 3:17 - "And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Rev. Gary Janak

Pastor

Our Lady of Victory Cathedral