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Every moment is crammed with infinite riches which are given us according to the extent of our faith and love.
- Jean-Pierre de Caussade
(How are you “growing” your capacity for life and love?) |
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2 COR 3:15—4:1, 3-6; PS 85:9AB AND 10, 11-12, 13-14
MT 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of
heaven.
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother,
Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says,
'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown
into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."
USCCB Lectionary
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Matthew 5: 20-26 (On anger and reconciliation)
Jesus looks deeper than human behavior to identify sources of goodness and sin. Behavior follows one’s state of being, he teaches; actions
are always preceded by thoughts about the actions. If we are to transform our angry selves, we must begin to think peaceful thoughts, and we must also reconcile with our enemies.
* C. S. Lewis wrote that the Nazis hated the Jews and so they mistreated them. After a while they hated the Jews because they mistreated them.
Are there people in your life who suffer the same lot from you?
* What are some occasions of anger for you? What do you usually do with your anger? How can you change your attitude toward these occasions to lessen your anger?
* Pray for the grace to be more patient with other people. 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 3: Ego (excerpts) Summary: God, Self and Ego
So, what is Self and
Ego?
Put simply, it is “I”.
The “I” of non-reflecting awareness is the larger, more universal aspect; the intentional movement is more unique and personal. Hence, Self can be considered the subject of human consciousness, and Ego is one’s sense of Self in
its more narrow and intensely focused acts of reflection and volitional engagement. When one consciously realizes this connection between Self and Ego, then the Ego realizes its true role as servant of the Self and can also relax into the stability of its source.
And what of God? How is God related to “I”?
God is not “I”. Rather, God is the “Am” in which “I” affirm the fact of my existence: “I Am.” This “Am”, or Existence, is utterly distinct from “I”, for “I” cannot, of its own accord, know anything more about It than the fact that “It Is.” And yet Existence is also the source of “I”; apart from It, “I” has no existence, no “Am.” Something of Existence must therefore be present within “I”, for It is the means by which “I” has its own being. “I”
cannot extract Existence from itself, however, so “I” can never know what it is apart from Existence. Through the “I” in every person, then, something of the glory and numinosity of Existence Itself shines forth. Those who are awake to their own “I” know this truth, but those who have lost themselves in the disordered mental activity stirred up by fear and arrogance are asleep to the wonder of Existence.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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