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“God does place more value on good will in all we do than on the works themselves. Whether we give ourselves to God in the work of contemplation, or whether we serve the needs of our neighbor by charitable works, we accomplish these things because the love of Christ urges us on.”
- Lawrence Giustiniani
(How does the love of Christ urge you on? What callings have you been hearing lately?) |
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2 COR 9:6-10; PS 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
JN 12:24-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and
dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me."
USCCB Lectionary
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What does it mean to "die" to oneself? It certainly means that what is contrary to God's will must be "crucified" or "put to death". God gives us grace to say "yes" to his will and to reject whatever is contrary to his loving plan for our lives. Jesus also
promises that we will bear much "fruit" for him, if we choose to deny ourselves for his sake. Jesus used forceful language to describe the kind of self-denial he had in mind for his disciples.
What did he mean when he said that one must hate himself? The expression to hate something often meant to prefer less. Jesus says that nothing should get in the way of our preferring him and the will of
our Father in heaven. Our hope is in Paul's reminder that "What is sown in the earth is subject to decay, what rises is incorruptible" (1 Corinthians 15:42). Do you hope in the Lord and follow joyfully the path he has chosen for you?
"Lord Jesus, let me be wheat sown in the earth, to be harvested for you. I
want to follow wherever you lead me. Give me fresh hope and joy in serving you all the days of my life."
- from dailyscripture.net
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 4: The False Self System The false self system is not real in the sense that God, Self or Ego are real. It is more like a computer virus that perpetuates itself through decisions and behavior suggested by its fearful judgmentalism. The essence of this virus is the conviction that “I am not OK as I am, but I’ll be OK when . . .” No matter how one tries to complete this sentence, one is sure to be the loser for accepting in the first place the notion
that one is not already innately lovable and acceptable. To the extent that the Ego cooperates with this programing, it “belongs” to the realm of the false self and (perhaps) to the evil spirits beyond. The more one is invested in the false self, the more preoccupied and judgmental the mind becomes with ways of “fixing” oneself, and the more alienated one becomes from one’s true Self, others and God.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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