The sacrament of Holy Orders does not make the recipient instantly IMMUNE to the fallen condition of mankind. Striving to overcome our fallenness is a 24x7 lifetime struggle for EVERYONE.
Therefore, just as controls are put in place to help honest people stay honest, so too do we owe it to holy people to implement controls to help them stay holy.
~~~~~
Showing posts with label Short Thought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Short Thought. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Stormy Times
The stormy times in our life are but preludes that enhance and sweeten the calm and sunshine just beyond. Learn to lie low so as to minimize their disturbing effects as they pass through your midst.
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Friday, December 17, 2010
Smarts
Smart is not so smart without heart. It might seem that too much heart is perhaps not so smart. But in truth, to be all heart is the path to God.
What are smarts for, you ask? Smarts are primarily for the fulfillment of our self-oriented desires.
It would be "smart" to love God. However, God does not desire for us to be "smart" about loving Him. Rather, God calls us to return and be true to our essence. Our essence is none other than selfless love. This is so because we (our soul in particular) are made in the image of God and He is selfless love.
~~~~~
What are smarts for, you ask? Smarts are primarily for the fulfillment of our self-oriented desires.
It would be "smart" to love God. However, God does not desire for us to be "smart" about loving Him. Rather, God calls us to return and be true to our essence. Our essence is none other than selfless love. This is so because we (our soul in particular) are made in the image of God and He is selfless love.
~~~~~
Mind, Heart and Soul
The heart is the gateway to the soul. The eyes reveal the soul. The mind must pass through the heart to reconnect with the soul. The soul touches the mind through the heart.
~~~~~
~~~~~
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The Meaning of the Resurrection
One important insight that we can glean from the resurrection of Jesus is this - the choice of the Son of God to take up the form of a human being was NOT a temporary state of existence that ended in the death of His (imperfect) physical body. Rather, Jesus resurrects the body-spirit existence of mankind back to the state of perfection when He permanently takes on the physical form of a spiritual body (a form that is perfect and eternal).
We can look forward to our own resurrection into spiritual bodies the next time Jesus comes into the world.
And that, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus, is what we actually mean when we say that the resurrection of Jesus conquered death (the by-product of our imperfect and fallen state of existence).
I share with you the words of Jesus to His dear friend Martha - "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:26) NIV
~~~~~
We can look forward to our own resurrection into spiritual bodies the next time Jesus comes into the world.
And that, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus, is what we actually mean when we say that the resurrection of Jesus conquered death (the by-product of our imperfect and fallen state of existence).
I share with you the words of Jesus to His dear friend Martha - "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:26) NIV
~~~~~
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Why of Jesus
God can readily alter the physical laws of His creation but He never alters the spiritual laws (the laws that govern the connection of spiritual beings). This is why Jesus had to endure the human suffering that He endured as the spiritual offering for the redemption of mankind from the choice of the first man (Adam's choice to be god made while he was in a state of perfection).
Here in a nutshell is the WHY of Jesus. In understanding the WHY, perhaps we can begin to seek to know the WHO of Jesus on this Christmas Day.
~~~~~
Here in a nutshell is the WHY of Jesus. In understanding the WHY, perhaps we can begin to seek to know the WHO of Jesus on this Christmas Day.
~~~~~
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Praying for Deliverance
When we pray to the Father in light of our suffering and anguish, pray for the strength to endure the suffering (rather than to be spared the suffering) and the faith to see beneath the suffering and recognize the opportunity within that is meant for the good of our soul and others.
The anguish-filled prayer of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane is a perfect example of this.
~~~~~
The anguish-filled prayer of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane is a perfect example of this.
~~~~~
Loving Your Religion
It is God whom you should love; not the religion that introduced you to Him.
By all means, value your religion in recognition of whatever good it has brought and continues to bring into your life...just don't fall in love with it.
~~~~~
By all means, value your religion in recognition of whatever good it has brought and continues to bring into your life...just don't fall in love with it.
~~~~~
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Loved Drowned Out
What a tragedy it is when the love of two people who truly love each other is overwhelmingly drowned out by the painful noise that completely overshadows it resulting in two sides who are able to sense only what is on the surface and thereupon react in a manner that takes the emotional noise to higher and louder levels in a continuing, vicious and destructive cycle.
People can try to intervene and enlighten (and they should) but only the grace of God can open the eyes of both sides to realize what is happening to them and break the cycle and allow the love within to surface.
This is where prayer (in particular, the prayer for such grace) would be the primary answer to this endpoint.
~~~~~
People can try to intervene and enlighten (and they should) but only the grace of God can open the eyes of both sides to realize what is happening to them and break the cycle and allow the love within to surface.
This is where prayer (in particular, the prayer for such grace) would be the primary answer to this endpoint.
~~~~~
A Call to Heed
It is not so important to establish the truthfulness of abuse (in any of its many forms) as it is to listen to and heed the agony resulting from the perception (valid or mistaken) of it.
It is only when the source of the perceived abuse tunes in to the love within themselves can they truly begin to heed the outcry of the child on the receiving end of it and thereupon start the process for finding a corrective course of action that would bring about healing and put an eventual end to the destructive and dehumanizing perception.
For those of us who are trying to help and intervene in such situations, the effective approach must always start with bringing the love that is buried within back to the surface.
Always remember that this is one intervention that must be done with great love. We cannot succeed unless we do so.
~~~~~
It is only when the source of the perceived abuse tunes in to the love within themselves can they truly begin to heed the outcry of the child on the receiving end of it and thereupon start the process for finding a corrective course of action that would bring about healing and put an eventual end to the destructive and dehumanizing perception.
For those of us who are trying to help and intervene in such situations, the effective approach must always start with bringing the love that is buried within back to the surface.
Always remember that this is one intervention that must be done with great love. We cannot succeed unless we do so.
~~~~~
The Foundation of Human Love
The love of a mother and father that a child believes to be true beyond all doubts is the foundation upon which all love from others (in all its many forms) can build and rest upon.
If this foundation is not set (usually during the child's formative and development years), that child will pass through his/her lifetime completely incapable of ever truly believing the love coming from others no matter how true.
This is the most tragic form of disability of all.
~~~~~
If this foundation is not set (usually during the child's formative and development years), that child will pass through his/her lifetime completely incapable of ever truly believing the love coming from others no matter how true.
This is the most tragic form of disability of all.
~~~~~
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Prejudice
At the very heart of prejudice is fear...fear of some aspect of the human nature of a person (that we are prejudicial to) that we intimately know from within. Fear blocks love from naturally flowing onward from our spirit unto others.
It could take an enormous amount to energy to overcome this fear completely. But if we can somehow manage to look past the physical and mental side of each person and focus our minds on attempting to sense and connect with their spiritual side, then perhaps we may succeed in connecting with the mind of that person whom we fear and allow love to slowly trickle into the relationship (however brief or momentary it may be).
It may be helpful to our efforts if we can develop a mindfulness of the truth that all souls are connected...our soul is connected with the soul of each and every human being. We CAN bring our minds to make sensing this connection with others second nature to us. We do NOT need to wait for others to get to that state of mind before we do so.
If you find this end point to be simply impossible to achieve then I invite you to reflect on a spiritual truth that Jesus taught his disciples - "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27).
~~~~~
It could take an enormous amount to energy to overcome this fear completely. But if we can somehow manage to look past the physical and mental side of each person and focus our minds on attempting to sense and connect with their spiritual side, then perhaps we may succeed in connecting with the mind of that person whom we fear and allow love to slowly trickle into the relationship (however brief or momentary it may be).
It may be helpful to our efforts if we can develop a mindfulness of the truth that all souls are connected...our soul is connected with the soul of each and every human being. We CAN bring our minds to make sensing this connection with others second nature to us. We do NOT need to wait for others to get to that state of mind before we do so.
If you find this end point to be simply impossible to achieve then I invite you to reflect on a spiritual truth that Jesus taught his disciples - "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27).
~~~~~
Friday, October 23, 2009
Moment of Joy (10-23-2009)
Every human being conceived (yes, I meant to say 'conceived' as opposed to 'born') into this world is the embodiment of a soul moving along in its spiritual journey.
Considering that all souls are connected on the spiritual realm, then every single such life event is a very special moment for celebration regardless of whether our human mind has the capacity to appreciate this or not.
It is surely a moment of joy for those who can.
~~~~~
Considering that all souls are connected on the spiritual realm, then every single such life event is a very special moment for celebration regardless of whether our human mind has the capacity to appreciate this or not.
It is surely a moment of joy for those who can.
~~~~~
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Moment of Truth
Perhaps the one moment when the mind has a heightened connection with the soul is when it is staring death squarely in the face. For all but the most stubborn and rebellious minds, this is one moment when truth is fully realized (if not already beforehand)...a moment when the mind is fully aware of what is truly important in life.
It will be a moment when we will clearly sense the spiritual part of ourselves and of others...a moment when we will clearly sense our spiritual connection with God beyond all doubt.
Hopefully we each can reach a FULL realization of our physical and spiritual consistency and our connection with God before death comes knocking at our door.
Our minds may have but a few seconds to think about these things when that fateful moment arrives.
~~~~~
It will be a moment when we will clearly sense the spiritual part of ourselves and of others...a moment when we will clearly sense our spiritual connection with God beyond all doubt.
Hopefully we each can reach a FULL realization of our physical and spiritual consistency and our connection with God before death comes knocking at our door.
Our minds may have but a few seconds to think about these things when that fateful moment arrives.
~~~~~
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Yes, Google may have "all" the answers, but the soul has even more...much, much more. :-)
Just ask Einstein how he came to conceptualize his theories about time, space and the universe. Just ask Mozart how his music simply flashed in front of his mind and all he had to do was write it all down as fast as he could see the notes.
And what about the Holy Spirit? Well, HS has infinitely more!
~~~~~
Just ask Einstein how he came to conceptualize his theories about time, space and the universe. Just ask Mozart how his music simply flashed in front of his mind and all he had to do was write it all down as fast as he could see the notes.
And what about the Holy Spirit? Well, HS has infinitely more!
~~~~~
Finding Our True Life
My sisters and brothers, awaken your consciousness (through mindfulness) to the truths within you, and in so doing, find the TRUE meaning in your life. I know of two pathways to this endpoint.
One path starts with finding your soul which leads to finding God, and subsequently, finding your TRUE life. This is the lengthier path (and the approach that would be most appropriate for those of us who have trouble with the concept of an unseen and intangible God at the onset).
The other path starts with finding God which leads to finding your soul, and thereafter, finding your TRUE life. This is the shorter path (the natural way that those who inherently feel a love for God at the onset take).
Do you recognize the common theme in both paths? Here it is - find our soul plus find God equals find our TRUE life. Our soul is in union with God (unless we freely chose to break this union), and thus, finding one will lead us to finding the other.
~~~~~
One path starts with finding your soul which leads to finding God, and subsequently, finding your TRUE life. This is the lengthier path (and the approach that would be most appropriate for those of us who have trouble with the concept of an unseen and intangible God at the onset).
The other path starts with finding God which leads to finding your soul, and thereafter, finding your TRUE life. This is the shorter path (the natural way that those who inherently feel a love for God at the onset take).
Do you recognize the common theme in both paths? Here it is - find our soul plus find God equals find our TRUE life. Our soul is in union with God (unless we freely chose to break this union), and thus, finding one will lead us to finding the other.
~~~~~
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Cup Before Us
The Lord our God had given me a relatively "light" cross to bear these past three years. It was a very nice break and it allowed me the quiet moments to put the truths (as I sincerely believe them to be so) shared in this blog into written form.
Now that I have been spiritually rested, He is getting me mentally ready for a new ADVENTURE once again. I accept and am prepared for whatever cross the Lord wants me to bear moving forward.
Jesus gave us a fine example of how we can overcome our human nature's desire to avoid any cross in life when he declared "Abba! Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I want but what you want." (Mark 14:36).
I drink with peace and love from whatever cup our Lord sets in front of me. Embrace the cup that is set in front of you by the Lord...do so and you will truly find your life (and fill that ever aching void within you).
~~~~~
Now that I have been spiritually rested, He is getting me mentally ready for a new ADVENTURE once again. I accept and am prepared for whatever cross the Lord wants me to bear moving forward.
Jesus gave us a fine example of how we can overcome our human nature's desire to avoid any cross in life when he declared "Abba! Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I want but what you want." (Mark 14:36).
I drink with peace and love from whatever cup our Lord sets in front of me. Embrace the cup that is set in front of you by the Lord...do so and you will truly find your life (and fill that ever aching void within you).
~~~~~
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Our Fallen State
The world as it exist today (as it existed since the fall of man), is an existence that manifests all the traits and elements that comprise the state of being broken away from God...broken away from Love. It is a world that belongs to the leading spiritual entity that made a choice to break from God and be God. It is why our existing body consist of a mind whose programming is in alignment with this imperfection. It is why our minds (for most of us, at least) are naturally prone to hate (and to harbor it in our hearts)...hate is the opposite of love...hate is a powerful element of evil.
After the Second Coming of Christ, all souls that choose to be with God will each be merged with a new body...a body with a mind that is aligned with perfection...a mind that is aligned with true love.
Every act of true love we do is an act of rising from our fallen state.
~~~~~
After the Second Coming of Christ, all souls that choose to be with God will each be merged with a new body...a body with a mind that is aligned with perfection...a mind that is aligned with true love.
Every act of true love we do is an act of rising from our fallen state.
~~~~~
Alleluia
Every time we shout out and sing our praise to God, we bring our minds and body into harmony with our soul. This is so for any soul that chooses to be in union with God. Every act that brings about this harmony, also brings about the increased connection between our mind and our soul. This is the true value and merit that comes from praising our Lord.
Though I would like to think that God is "pleased" or "happy" when we praise Him, this is actually a human thought and sentiment. All emotions are activities of the mind...these have no occurrence in the spiritual realm or with spiritual entities. We use these descriptions because these are the concepts that we (as human beings) understand...we use these to help convey a message that would motivate us to do acts that enhance our relationship with others when in fact it is our own very selves that we are enhancing.
Surely, there are all manner of the "praising" of God that happens in His kingdom. However, in that kingdom, this activity comes about naturally and requires zero effort to bring about.
To recap, we do not enhance God when we praise Him (for He does not "need" our praise)...rather, we enhance ourselves and our relationship with God. And that, my brothers and sisters, is what is truly "pleasing" to God.
So praise God whenever you manage to remember to do so. A good way to start getting into this practice and habit is to always mindfully say "thank you" to God for any and every little thing you experience and get in your life.
Alleluia!
~~~~~
Though I would like to think that God is "pleased" or "happy" when we praise Him, this is actually a human thought and sentiment. All emotions are activities of the mind...these have no occurrence in the spiritual realm or with spiritual entities. We use these descriptions because these are the concepts that we (as human beings) understand...we use these to help convey a message that would motivate us to do acts that enhance our relationship with others when in fact it is our own very selves that we are enhancing.
Surely, there are all manner of the "praising" of God that happens in His kingdom. However, in that kingdom, this activity comes about naturally and requires zero effort to bring about.
To recap, we do not enhance God when we praise Him (for He does not "need" our praise)...rather, we enhance ourselves and our relationship with God. And that, my brothers and sisters, is what is truly "pleasing" to God.
So praise God whenever you manage to remember to do so. A good way to start getting into this practice and habit is to always mindfully say "thank you" to God for any and every little thing you experience and get in your life.
Alleluia!
~~~~~
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The Light and Dark Sides of HP
We have at this point (in this series of essays) hopefully come to understand the existence of two types of "choices":
1. the choice that is governed by our human programming (which I will refer to henceforth as the natural choice)
2. the choice that is made by the soul (which I refer to as the supreme choice as described in an essay titled "The Supreme Choice" )
There are two sides to the influence of human programming on the mind. I like to refer to these as the light side and the dark side of human programming. The light side are those influences of human programming that bring about joy, happiness, peace (mental peace), and all other "positive" human feelings, emotions, and experiences. The dark side include those influences that bring about the opposite of those experiences such as fear, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, and other "negative" emotions and feelings.
Let's talk about the dark side of human programming since this blog is written to help the reader remove anguish, anxiety and pain from their day-to-day existence. The areas of the dark side that bring us the most troubles are those that we are not able to overcome. We may never quite overcome FOREVER some of these more troubling parts of our programming. Nonetheless, we can define, strive for and incrementally achieve for ourselves a level of capability for overcoming that brings a sense of peace to us.
There have been numerous times when I would pray to God to remove a very troubling programming from my mind. But then I later came to realize (as I matured) that this troubling programming (that I would pray about) also came with a sub-programming that helped perpetuate my failure at overcoming it. That sub-programming was none other than the strong desire to not lose this troubling programming. Are you lost yet in the jargon of all these?
In other words, I really should be focusing my overcoming efforts at overcoming the sub-programming makes me want to continue to continue being empowered by the troubling programming.
I use this personal example to somehow illustrate the dynamics of human programming and the power it has over our activities and choices and consequently the quality of our relationship with one another.
~~~~~
1. the choice that is governed by our human programming (which I will refer to henceforth as the natural choice)
2. the choice that is made by the soul (which I refer to as the supreme choice as described in an essay titled "The Supreme Choice" )
There are two sides to the influence of human programming on the mind. I like to refer to these as the light side and the dark side of human programming. The light side are those influences of human programming that bring about joy, happiness, peace (mental peace), and all other "positive" human feelings, emotions, and experiences. The dark side include those influences that bring about the opposite of those experiences such as fear, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, and other "negative" emotions and feelings.
Let's talk about the dark side of human programming since this blog is written to help the reader remove anguish, anxiety and pain from their day-to-day existence. The areas of the dark side that bring us the most troubles are those that we are not able to overcome. We may never quite overcome FOREVER some of these more troubling parts of our programming. Nonetheless, we can define, strive for and incrementally achieve for ourselves a level of capability for overcoming that brings a sense of peace to us.
There have been numerous times when I would pray to God to remove a very troubling programming from my mind. But then I later came to realize (as I matured) that this troubling programming (that I would pray about) also came with a sub-programming that helped perpetuate my failure at overcoming it. That sub-programming was none other than the strong desire to not lose this troubling programming. Are you lost yet in the jargon of all these?
In other words, I really should be focusing my overcoming efforts at overcoming the sub-programming makes me want to continue to continue being empowered by the troubling programming.
I use this personal example to somehow illustrate the dynamics of human programming and the power it has over our activities and choices and consequently the quality of our relationship with one another.
~~~~~
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