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Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. Prayer is to faith what breath is to the body. How a person can live and not breathe is past my comprehension, and how a person can believe and not pray is past my comprehension too.
- James Charles J. C.
Ryle
(Believing without praying is sort of like trying to be in a relationship without communication. It doesn’t work. Easy enough to correct that situation, however.)
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JER 17:5-10; PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
LK
16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's
table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham
replied, 'My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.'
He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father's house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn
them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.'
He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said,
'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.'" USCCB Lectionary
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Luke 16: 19-31: The rich man and Lazarus
The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus teaches us that the real value of our lives must be weighed against the
inevitability of death and the prospect of judgment before God. The surest way to guarantee repose in the “bosom of Abraham” is to love God and neighbor.
* What kinds of situations make you feel insecure? When do you feel most secure? What is the primary source of your
security?
* How do you feel about the prospect of coming before God's judgment when you die?
Paperback, Kindle
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God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.) ____________ Chapter 2: Self (excerpts)
Self and God
As, perhaps, this chapter has amply illustrated, it is simultaneously easy to describe Self and difficult to account for it. It is easy because it is such an ordinary experience that we seldom stop and take the time to notice it. Self is our most basic experience of human awareness and aliveness, manifesting in and through the senses, emotions, imagination,
intellectual operations and choices that we make. Whatever happens in a human life happens to a Self. It is what we are; it is the spiritual milieu in which all of our experiences unfold.
Although everything we do we do as a Self, we become most directly in touch with it through moments of simple, non-reflecting awareness. Whether these come as unbidden surprises or as the fruit of meditation, one knows during such times the truth, “that I am.” Descartes was definitely onto something in his famous expression, “I think, therefore I am,” for an intentional thought does imply a thinker. But Descartes is describing the experience of
Self known through a more reflective and intentional process -- what we shall designate as Ego in our next chapter. The non-reflecting experience of Self is more direct and immediate, an experience moreso than a conviction such as Descartes expressed. Self known experientially and given conceptual expression would say, “I am, therefore I think.” This is truly liberating -- so much so that it is the goal of certain meditative practices, even religious traditions. We shall discuss this
more in Part II, but for now we simply note that Self with its sense of subjectivity is our baseline human awareness. It is good to stop and notice this and to get in touch with this mysterious inner witness/observer of our lives.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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