Ijournal entry 090114 # 35 September, month of Our Lady of Sorrows
MENU ITEMS
The Cheese & Crackers = Quotes by St. Faustina, St. Louis De Montfort, Job 38:4
The Veggies = MY 2cents
The Potatoes = "7 Steps To Living a Holy Life", by Vadim Makoyed, Frontline youth ministry.
The Meat = "Paradise: "The Kingdom of God", by St. Robert Bellarmine
The Dessert = Fountains of Grace, Reflections on contemporary spiritual classics: "Interior Freedom", Fr. Jacques Philippe
🍞 The cheese & Crackers
🔻"Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God's action. I make no movement, no gesture after my own liking, because I am bound by grace; I always consider what is more pleasing to Jesus". St. Faustina
🔻“When the Holy Spirit, her spouse, finds Mary in a soul, he hastens there and enters fully into it. He gives himself generously to that soul according to the place it has given to his spouse. One of the main reasons why the Holy Spirit does not work striking wonders in souls is that he fails to find in them a sufficiently close union with his faithful and inseparable spouse ". St. Louis De Montfort
🔻 Job 38:4 " Where were you when I founded the earth?Tell me, if you have understanding. Job 38:18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?Tell me, if you know it all."
🌽The Veggies
One day while reading an article by Connie Rossini found at this site:
http://contemplativehomeschool.com/2014/05/27/overcome-devils-temptation/,
the following two sentences held by attention for a while. It was like the Holy Spirit was lightly tapping me on the shoulders. He helped me at that moment to see a few truths more clearly:
⚫️1. "When the Devil tempted Eve, the first thing she noticed was that the forbidden fruit was “good for food”
💌Genesis 3:6 "The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it".
⚫️2. "Similarly, the Devil first tempted Jesus by telling Him to turn stones into bread"
💌Matthew 4:3 "The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
So we see that the Devil often begins by appealing to our natural appetites. When all is said and done, our appetites will have changed, and we will be doing the very things that are unnatural to us. Think about where some of your sins have led you. Back to the main point, the thoughts that flowed immediately after reading the sentences were:
⚫️Our perspective and understanding is so very limited. Therefore we have to adhere to:
💌2 Corinthians 5:7 "for we walk by faith, not by sight"
💌Romans 3:11 "there is no one who understands"
💌Proverbs 28:5 "Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully"
📖 Matthew 6:22 ""The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light"
When hearing the Responsorial Psalm at Mass on the same day, it helped me to recall what came to mind earlier.
💌Deuteronomy 32(28-29) "For they are a nation devoid of reason, having no understanding. If they had insight they would realize this, they would understand their end"
⚫️We should be ever so grateful and thankful for having God's will manifested to us, for our good:
💌Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you"
💌John 16:13 "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come"
💌Hebrews 7:25 "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them".
On the very next day 8-20-14, in my at random reading from the 2nd book of Samuel, it talked about how David rejoiced in The Lord for what He is doing:
💌2 Samuel 7:19 And yet even this is too little in your sight, Lord GOD! For you have made a promise regarding your servant’s house reaching into the future, and giving guidance to the people, Lord GOD!
⚫️We are definitely targets of interest, no if's, and's, or but's!
💌1Peter 5:8 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Without God's help we will never successfully navigate the labyrinth of life"
💌Job 1:7 "The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it."
💌Luke 22:31 ""Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat"
At times our focus is only on what seems to be appetizing and good for us as we personally determine, but we can't see the dangers lurking ahead. We can't see the forest for the trees. There are dangers awaiting us as we travel in the forest, but we can only see from below, and not above, so we are in darkness. We can only see the trees present to us, where as God sees the whole picture from above. We should be willing and thrilled to have Him present in our lives, someone privy to the inside scoop. Also, being on the side of the one that does not have to ask anyone's permission to do anything, is a plus to be highly appreciated. As it is stated in Luke 22:31, we can be sifted as wheat, but it won't happen unless permission is granted. As to how long, when, where, and how, all that is determined by God alone. How blest we are to be able to take refuge in God.
💌1 Chronicles 21:13 "David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands."
💌Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD"
💌Psalm 108:12 "Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless"
Since it was stated in that article that the enemy tempted Jesus by telling Him to turn stones into bread (Mt 4:3), and that our temptations often begins by an appeal to our natural appetites, let us imitate Jesus as shown in the example below. Let us make the will of the Father our food, and truly follow in Jesus' footsteps.
💌John 4:34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work"
💌John 8:12 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
💌John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me"
Again to reiterate, without God's help we will never successfully navigate the labyrinth of life. On our own, we only waste a lot of time. We are constantly back tracking, involved in detours, multiple up and down treks, back and forth trips, and facing dead ends. All of our attempts are futile in getting safely to the Promise Land. With the Most Holy Trinity, aide from Blessed Immaculata, St, Joseph, and all the angels and saints, the victory is ours for the taking.
The above was suppose to be "The End", but with the final touches being added and a last reviewing of the material (being saturated with truth each week, Praise you Lord), a new thought came to mind. Welcoming number four, because it brings my "Trinity plus one" to life.
⚫️ Reading again this statement: "When the Devil tempted Eve, the first thing she noticed was that the forbidden fruit was good for food", reminded me of what is still going on today. Still today, we, or for sure, "me", excuse "the wrong". We ignore that aspect, while concentrating on, and justifying what seems to be "the right " in certain situations. But as it was in the beginning,as it still is now, right is right, and wrong is wrong. A for instance: the speed limit is 30. 30 means 30, not 32 or 33, no more no less, 30 means 30! Well, check out this scenario: don't want to be late for Mass, so a very good reason for me to drive a little fast. No, no, no Eve, you are looking at this subjectively. Over 30 mph, which is the speed limit is wrong. Leave a bit earlier and by going 30mph will get you there ,not just on time, but before starting time. Get the drift? We have to reevaluate our lives, like my dad would say, using this old fashioned saying: it's time for you to tighten it up! So it is indeed time for us to tie up some loose ends.
The other side of that coin is that two "so called" rights, CAN make a "spiritual" wrong. Also "two", do not trump "one", when that "one" is of God or from God. In the scripture passage, "The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom". Being good for the body and the mind, and appealing, may be a moot point open for discussion among men, but as far as God is concerned, when He speaks to the contrary, the case is closed. We do not get to determine what's good or not good for us, our decisions for actions must be based on the word of God, and for Catholics, we get the lagniappe of the Magisterium. Any comments?
💌2 Chronicles 20:17 "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'"
💌1 Corinthians 15:7 "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"
💌1 John 5:4 "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith".
In closing, let us just allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God as good children should do:
💌Romans 8:14 "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God"
💌Romans 9:8 "In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring"
💌2 Corinthians 6:18 "And, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty"
For a more detailed discussion of how the Devil tempts us, see this article by the late Fr. John Hardon.
🍟The Potatoes
"7 Steps To Living a Holy Life" by Vadim Makoyed fron Frontline youth ministry.
Info from this site: http://onfrontline.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/7-steps-to-living-a-holy-life/
This is a Christian youth group, it's so refreshing to tap into what's on their minds at this time. Be encouraged and rejoice as you see their footprints on the right path towards trying to live a holy life.
🔗"1. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
🔗2. Put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.
Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
🔗 3. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.
In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
🔗4. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with good deeds:
tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
🔗5. Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
🔗6. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
🔗7. And always be thankful."
🍗The Meat
Paradise : The Kingdom of God written by St. Robert Bellarmine
Info from this site: http://www.turnbacktogod.com/paradise-the-kingdom-of-god/
"Paradise is a name of pleasure and delight, for it signifies a garden, or most beautiful orchard, suitable both for recreation and amusement. In the book of Genesis this paradise of pleasure is not once named, when the terrestrial paradise is the subject of the discourse. But in the prophet Ezechiel speaking of the heavenly paradise, it is said of the chief angel who afterward fell and became the devil: “You were in the pleasures of the paradise of God.”
But since the Holy Scriptures mention nothing of Paradise, but that there were in it many trees and the fountain of living water, therefore it is my intention under the word “Paradise” to explain the joys and pleasures which the blessed possess in heaven. And this will be, unless I am deceived, a useful contemplation to excite our minds to seek and reflect upon the things above: and thus so to regulate our life, that when we depart hence, it may not be to sorrow and darkness, but by the divine assistance, to Eternal light and happiness.
All men, with few exceptions, are influenced more by pleasure, than by any thing else. And the Church in one of her prayers says, “There may our hearts be fixed, where our true joy is.” And first we shall consider what the Holy Scripture says of the heavenly Paradise, whence we shall prove that in it are true joys; then we shall endeavour to explain what these joys are: and lastly, by various reasons, or rather comparisons, we shall prove that these joys are far more excellent than we can either comprehend, or think, or even imagine.
First, then, the name of paradise signifies pleasure and delight, as we have already seen from the Book of Genesis. And that there is a Paradise in heaven, Ezechiel testifies. Our Lord also testifies in the gospel, when he said to the thief hanging by him: “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise”
He used the word paradise for the kingdom of God, and its essential beatitude: for the good thief had said, “ Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.” St. Paul testifies in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says, “ I know a man in Christ such a one rapt even to the third heaven, and was caught up into paradise.”
St. John testifies in his Apocalypse, where he introduces the Lord thus speaking: “ To him that overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God.” From these passages it is evident, that the region of the “blessed” is a place of happiness and delight. And when our Lord says to the good and faithful servant, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” does He not most clearly declare, that the house or city of God is a place of joy, to which good and faithful servants are admitted when they leave this world?
Our Lord in many places compares the kingdom of heaven to a supper, as we read in St. Luke, where it is said: “ A man made a great supper,” And again, “I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom: that you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom.” And when likewise we are told in the Apocalypse, “Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
The Scripture, by the figure of the supper, certainly points out the pleasure and delight of the heavenly paradise; unless some one assert, that there is no pleasure in the sense of taste. In addition to these passages, the kingdom of God both in the Gospels and the Apocalypse is compared to royal nuptials: as we learn from the parable of the king, who made a marriage for his son; and from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, of whom the wise went with the bridegroom to the marriage; but the foolish virgins remained without.
The same also is found in the Apocalypse, where many things are said of the “marriage supper of the Lamb” celebrated with great magnificence in the kingdom of heaven. Now the beatitude of the saints may be compared to a royal marriage, because on such occasions every variety of pleasure is experienced and enjoyed. But of this we shall treat in the following Book.
In fine, in the Apocalypse St. John sees a choir of virgins who followed the Lamb wheresoever He goes, and sang a new canticle which no one else could sing. Which passage St. Augustine explains in his Book on “Holy Virginity” as having relation to certain joys and holy pleasures, which virgins alone will enjoy. Thus it is manifest, that in our heavenly kingdom and city, there are many true joys amid most abundant pleasures".
🍰The Dessert
Interior Freedom episode 6 – Fountains of Grace, Reflections on contemporary spiritual classics:, Fr. Jacques Philippe
| Download
http://www.discerninghearts.com/Donna/FG6.mp3
““We can suffer for Only one Moment.” This effort to live in the reality of each moment is of the greatest importance in times of suffering. St Therese of Lisieux said during her illness; “ I only suffer for one moment. It is because people think about the past and the future that they become discouraged and despair. Nobody has the capacity to suffer for ten or twenty years; but we have the grace to bear today the suffering that is ours now. Projecting things into the future crushes us not experiencing suffering but anticipating it.”
↳The GIG transcends da Esoterical
↱ Helping all 2master da Material
↴ Do invest in da Spiritual
↺✞mm
MENU ITEMS
The Cheese & Crackers = Quotes by St. Faustina, St. Louis De Montfort, Job 38:4
The Veggies = MY 2cents
The Potatoes = "7 Steps To Living a Holy Life", by Vadim Makoyed, Frontline youth ministry.
The Meat = "Paradise: "The Kingdom of God", by St. Robert Bellarmine
The Dessert = Fountains of Grace, Reflections on contemporary spiritual classics: "Interior Freedom", Fr. Jacques Philippe
🍞 The cheese & Crackers
🔻"Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God's action. I make no movement, no gesture after my own liking, because I am bound by grace; I always consider what is more pleasing to Jesus". St. Faustina
🔻“When the Holy Spirit, her spouse, finds Mary in a soul, he hastens there and enters fully into it. He gives himself generously to that soul according to the place it has given to his spouse. One of the main reasons why the Holy Spirit does not work striking wonders in souls is that he fails to find in them a sufficiently close union with his faithful and inseparable spouse ". St. Louis De Montfort
🔻 Job 38:4 " Where were you when I founded the earth?Tell me, if you have understanding. Job 38:18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?Tell me, if you know it all."
🌽The Veggies
One day while reading an article by Connie Rossini found at this site:
http://contemplativehomeschool.com/2014/05/27/overcome-devils-temptation/,
the following two sentences held by attention for a while. It was like the Holy Spirit was lightly tapping me on the shoulders. He helped me at that moment to see a few truths more clearly:
⚫️1. "When the Devil tempted Eve, the first thing she noticed was that the forbidden fruit was “good for food”
💌Genesis 3:6 "The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it".
⚫️2. "Similarly, the Devil first tempted Jesus by telling Him to turn stones into bread"
💌Matthew 4:3 "The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
So we see that the Devil often begins by appealing to our natural appetites. When all is said and done, our appetites will have changed, and we will be doing the very things that are unnatural to us. Think about where some of your sins have led you. Back to the main point, the thoughts that flowed immediately after reading the sentences were:
⚫️Our perspective and understanding is so very limited. Therefore we have to adhere to:
💌2 Corinthians 5:7 "for we walk by faith, not by sight"
💌Romans 3:11 "there is no one who understands"
💌Proverbs 28:5 "Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully"
📖 Matthew 6:22 ""The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light"
When hearing the Responsorial Psalm at Mass on the same day, it helped me to recall what came to mind earlier.
💌Deuteronomy 32(28-29) "For they are a nation devoid of reason, having no understanding. If they had insight they would realize this, they would understand their end"
⚫️We should be ever so grateful and thankful for having God's will manifested to us, for our good:
💌Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you"
💌John 16:13 "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come"
💌Hebrews 7:25 "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them".
On the very next day 8-20-14, in my at random reading from the 2nd book of Samuel, it talked about how David rejoiced in The Lord for what He is doing:
💌2 Samuel 7:19 And yet even this is too little in your sight, Lord GOD! For you have made a promise regarding your servant’s house reaching into the future, and giving guidance to the people, Lord GOD!
⚫️We are definitely targets of interest, no if's, and's, or but's!
💌1Peter 5:8 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Without God's help we will never successfully navigate the labyrinth of life"
💌Job 1:7 "The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it."
💌Luke 22:31 ""Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat"
At times our focus is only on what seems to be appetizing and good for us as we personally determine, but we can't see the dangers lurking ahead. We can't see the forest for the trees. There are dangers awaiting us as we travel in the forest, but we can only see from below, and not above, so we are in darkness. We can only see the trees present to us, where as God sees the whole picture from above. We should be willing and thrilled to have Him present in our lives, someone privy to the inside scoop. Also, being on the side of the one that does not have to ask anyone's permission to do anything, is a plus to be highly appreciated. As it is stated in Luke 22:31, we can be sifted as wheat, but it won't happen unless permission is granted. As to how long, when, where, and how, all that is determined by God alone. How blest we are to be able to take refuge in God.
💌1 Chronicles 21:13 "David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands."
💌Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD"
💌Psalm 108:12 "Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless"
Since it was stated in that article that the enemy tempted Jesus by telling Him to turn stones into bread (Mt 4:3), and that our temptations often begins by an appeal to our natural appetites, let us imitate Jesus as shown in the example below. Let us make the will of the Father our food, and truly follow in Jesus' footsteps.
💌John 4:34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work"
💌John 8:12 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
💌John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me"
Again to reiterate, without God's help we will never successfully navigate the labyrinth of life. On our own, we only waste a lot of time. We are constantly back tracking, involved in detours, multiple up and down treks, back and forth trips, and facing dead ends. All of our attempts are futile in getting safely to the Promise Land. With the Most Holy Trinity, aide from Blessed Immaculata, St, Joseph, and all the angels and saints, the victory is ours for the taking.
The above was suppose to be "The End", but with the final touches being added and a last reviewing of the material (being saturated with truth each week, Praise you Lord), a new thought came to mind. Welcoming number four, because it brings my "Trinity plus one" to life.
⚫️ Reading again this statement: "When the Devil tempted Eve, the first thing she noticed was that the forbidden fruit was good for food", reminded me of what is still going on today. Still today, we, or for sure, "me", excuse "the wrong". We ignore that aspect, while concentrating on, and justifying what seems to be "the right " in certain situations. But as it was in the beginning,as it still is now, right is right, and wrong is wrong. A for instance: the speed limit is 30. 30 means 30, not 32 or 33, no more no less, 30 means 30! Well, check out this scenario: don't want to be late for Mass, so a very good reason for me to drive a little fast. No, no, no Eve, you are looking at this subjectively. Over 30 mph, which is the speed limit is wrong. Leave a bit earlier and by going 30mph will get you there ,not just on time, but before starting time. Get the drift? We have to reevaluate our lives, like my dad would say, using this old fashioned saying: it's time for you to tighten it up! So it is indeed time for us to tie up some loose ends.
The other side of that coin is that two "so called" rights, CAN make a "spiritual" wrong. Also "two", do not trump "one", when that "one" is of God or from God. In the scripture passage, "The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom". Being good for the body and the mind, and appealing, may be a moot point open for discussion among men, but as far as God is concerned, when He speaks to the contrary, the case is closed. We do not get to determine what's good or not good for us, our decisions for actions must be based on the word of God, and for Catholics, we get the lagniappe of the Magisterium. Any comments?
💌2 Chronicles 20:17 "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'"
💌1 Corinthians 15:7 "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"
💌1 John 5:4 "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith".
In closing, let us just allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God as good children should do:
💌Romans 8:14 "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God"
💌Romans 9:8 "In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring"
💌2 Corinthians 6:18 "And, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty"
For a more detailed discussion of how the Devil tempts us, see this article by the late Fr. John Hardon.
🍟The Potatoes
"7 Steps To Living a Holy Life" by Vadim Makoyed fron Frontline youth ministry.
Info from this site: http://onfrontline.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/7-steps-to-living-a-holy-life/
This is a Christian youth group, it's so refreshing to tap into what's on their minds at this time. Be encouraged and rejoice as you see their footprints on the right path towards trying to live a holy life.
🔗"1. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
🔗2. Put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.
Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
🔗 3. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.
In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
🔗4. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with good deeds:
tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
🔗5. Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
🔗6. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
🔗7. And always be thankful."
🍗The Meat
Paradise : The Kingdom of God written by St. Robert Bellarmine
Info from this site: http://www.turnbacktogod.com/paradise-the-kingdom-of-god/
"Paradise is a name of pleasure and delight, for it signifies a garden, or most beautiful orchard, suitable both for recreation and amusement. In the book of Genesis this paradise of pleasure is not once named, when the terrestrial paradise is the subject of the discourse. But in the prophet Ezechiel speaking of the heavenly paradise, it is said of the chief angel who afterward fell and became the devil: “You were in the pleasures of the paradise of God.”
But since the Holy Scriptures mention nothing of Paradise, but that there were in it many trees and the fountain of living water, therefore it is my intention under the word “Paradise” to explain the joys and pleasures which the blessed possess in heaven. And this will be, unless I am deceived, a useful contemplation to excite our minds to seek and reflect upon the things above: and thus so to regulate our life, that when we depart hence, it may not be to sorrow and darkness, but by the divine assistance, to Eternal light and happiness.
All men, with few exceptions, are influenced more by pleasure, than by any thing else. And the Church in one of her prayers says, “There may our hearts be fixed, where our true joy is.” And first we shall consider what the Holy Scripture says of the heavenly Paradise, whence we shall prove that in it are true joys; then we shall endeavour to explain what these joys are: and lastly, by various reasons, or rather comparisons, we shall prove that these joys are far more excellent than we can either comprehend, or think, or even imagine.
First, then, the name of paradise signifies pleasure and delight, as we have already seen from the Book of Genesis. And that there is a Paradise in heaven, Ezechiel testifies. Our Lord also testifies in the gospel, when he said to the thief hanging by him: “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise”
He used the word paradise for the kingdom of God, and its essential beatitude: for the good thief had said, “ Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.” St. Paul testifies in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says, “ I know a man in Christ such a one rapt even to the third heaven, and was caught up into paradise.”
St. John testifies in his Apocalypse, where he introduces the Lord thus speaking: “ To him that overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God.” From these passages it is evident, that the region of the “blessed” is a place of happiness and delight. And when our Lord says to the good and faithful servant, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” does He not most clearly declare, that the house or city of God is a place of joy, to which good and faithful servants are admitted when they leave this world?
Our Lord in many places compares the kingdom of heaven to a supper, as we read in St. Luke, where it is said: “ A man made a great supper,” And again, “I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom: that you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom.” And when likewise we are told in the Apocalypse, “Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
The Scripture, by the figure of the supper, certainly points out the pleasure and delight of the heavenly paradise; unless some one assert, that there is no pleasure in the sense of taste. In addition to these passages, the kingdom of God both in the Gospels and the Apocalypse is compared to royal nuptials: as we learn from the parable of the king, who made a marriage for his son; and from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, of whom the wise went with the bridegroom to the marriage; but the foolish virgins remained without.
The same also is found in the Apocalypse, where many things are said of the “marriage supper of the Lamb” celebrated with great magnificence in the kingdom of heaven. Now the beatitude of the saints may be compared to a royal marriage, because on such occasions every variety of pleasure is experienced and enjoyed. But of this we shall treat in the following Book.
In fine, in the Apocalypse St. John sees a choir of virgins who followed the Lamb wheresoever He goes, and sang a new canticle which no one else could sing. Which passage St. Augustine explains in his Book on “Holy Virginity” as having relation to certain joys and holy pleasures, which virgins alone will enjoy. Thus it is manifest, that in our heavenly kingdom and city, there are many true joys amid most abundant pleasures".
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Interior Freedom episode 6 – Fountains of Grace, Reflections on contemporary spiritual classics:, Fr. Jacques Philippe
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““We can suffer for Only one Moment.” This effort to live in the reality of each moment is of the greatest importance in times of suffering. St Therese of Lisieux said during her illness; “ I only suffer for one moment. It is because people think about the past and the future that they become discouraged and despair. Nobody has the capacity to suffer for ten or twenty years; but we have the grace to bear today the suffering that is ours now. Projecting things into the future crushes us not experiencing suffering but anticipating it.”
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