Forum on Christianity and Spirituality
November 7, 2024, 7:30 p.m. CST What does it mean to be a soul?
by Philip St. Romain, M.S., D. Min. See https://shalomplace.com/inetmin/forum.html for more information and registration.
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Message of the Day
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So, you want to be like Christ? Me too. But that kind of godliness won't just happen by hanging around a church or thinking lofty thoughts three or four times a day or learning a few verses of Scripture. It will take more - much more. Disciplining ourselves will require the same kind of focused thinking and living that our Master modeled during His brief life on earth.
- Charles
Swindoll (As the old saying goes, "God created us without us, but can't save us without us." Pray for the grace to co-operate with the Spirit.)
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Readings of the Day
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PHIL 2:12-18; PS 27:1, 4, 13-14
LK 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he
cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after
laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand
troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his
possessions
cannot be my
disciple.”
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” —Luke 14:27
To be a Christian, that is,
a disciple of Jesus, we must put our relationship with Jesus in a class by itself. Figuratively speaking, our relationships with those we love the most are like hatred compared to our love for Jesus (see Lk 14:26, RSV-CE).
To be disciples of Jesus, we must take up our crosses daily (Lk 14:27; 9:23). This means that we deny ourselves and lose our lives (Lk 9:23-24) in that we decide to depend totally on Jesus and not on ourselves (see Jn
15:5). To be disciples of Jesus, we must renounce all our possessions (Lk 14:33). We own nothing; the Lord owns everything, including us. We may still appear to own things, as far as the world is concerned. Yet in actuality we are only managing Jesus’ possessions. We as His disciples are His slaves (see Col 3:24). To be disciples of Jesus means to love Him with all our hearts, all our
souls, all our strength, and all our minds (Lk 10:27). When we give Jesus anything less than everything, our lives become a mockery (see Lk 14:29). Jesus gave all for each of us. Give all to be His disciples. Prayer: Father, thank You for the awesome privilege of being a disciple of Your Son. Promise: “Even if my life is to be poured out as a libation over the sacrificial
service of your faith, I am glad of it and rejoice with all of you.” —Phil 2:17 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Three, Gift of the Spirit Chapter : The Holy Spirit and the
Trinity - Selected quotes
And what are these fruits (of the Spirit)?
The Apostle Paul lists them in Gal. 5:22 as follows: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control.” He contrasts these with the fruits of self-indulgence:
“fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility, idolatry and sorcery, feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels, disagreements, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and similar things” (Gal. 5:19-20).
Wherever we see the fruits of the Spirit, we can be sure that the Holy Spirit has been at work—even if there don’t seem to be dramatic manifestations of charismatic gifts. So look to your own life and see what
kinds of fruits of the Spirit are manifesting. First, examine your own being, then your relationships, and so forth. Where do you see love, joy, peace . . . ? Know that the Spirit is at work in those areas.
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