Gut Check

Comment

Comment by Jorge Rivera 23 hours ago

Dear friends of Gut Check:

Let me tell you a story from the Gospel about two men who received a deep spiritual experience that totally changed their lives. The day of the Resurrection, two disciples of Jesus were going to a village called Emmaus. They were talking with each other about "everything that had happened". Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"After a short dialogue with this "stranger", he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. They proceeded in this company until they reached the village to which they were going.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

My friends, won´t you agree that this was a powerful experience for those disciples? They were carried from fear and dismay to enthusiasm about their Leader and Master, because he explained to them what was said in the Scriptures about him and in the breaking of the Bread. Always Jesus is found in the Word and in the Bread.

The Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is just that. In the first part, Jesus explains to us the Scriptures (Lithurgy of the Word). In the second part, Jesus breaks for us the Bread (Eucharistic Lithurgy). If a Christian begins to attend Mass (preferably on a daily basis), with a devout heart, seeking Jesus sincerely, he will end up having a deep spiritual experience, similar to that of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

My two cents,

Jorge

Comment by Jorge Rivera on October 10, 2009 at 2:35pm

"I want to recommend to you in a special way the Rosary, a source of profound Christian life. Try to pray it every day, alone or with your family, repeating with great faith those basic prayers of the Christian: the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory be to the Father. Meditate on those scenes of the life of Jesus and Mary of which the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries remind us. Thus you will learn in the joyful mysteries to think of Jesus who became poor and lowly, a child, for our sake, to serve us. You will feel encouraged to serve your neighbour in his needs. In the sorrowful mysteries you will realize that accepting the sufferings of this life with docility and love, like Christ in his Passion, leads to happiness and joy which is expressed in the glorious mysteries of Christ and Mary in the hope of eternal life".

(JPII on praying the Holy Rosary).

Comment by Francesco on March 1, 2009 at 10:27am

Maria,
May I join this group?
I try to read you book in near future.
Regards,

Comment by Darrell Johnson on December 31, 2008 at 2:14pm

I just finished reading the book, and immediately bought a copy for my 25 year old son, and gave another copy to my daughter's boyfriend.

I urge other Dads out there to read this, and to pray for the Holy Spirit to giude their children is the growth of Wisdonm as Tarek received.

Well done Tarek! A very good read.

Comment by Matt Ferrante on October 19, 2008 at 7:16am

How great it is to finally read a book where a man confronts problems in life and you don't have to search for the morality in it...its there with the turn of every page! Tarek you did a great job...this is one of those rare books that I cant stop telling everyone about it.

Comment by Kevin on October 17, 2008 at 12:02am

I second everything Joe says about the book. It is very well written and speaks to every guy in every way! Tarek hit a home run with Gut Check.

Comment by Joe Klinker on September 25, 2008 at 11:31am

I read this book right after it came out... I couldn't put it down! That sounds like the old cliche, but this really is true. It's the kind of book that reminds you of yourself the entire time you read it. The first person I bought a copy for was my younger brother and it has really helped him grow in his faith too.