|
To worship God in spirit and truth means to worship God as we ought to worship Him. God is Spirit, so we must worship Him in spirit and truth, that is, by a humble and true adoration of spirit in the depth and center of our souls. God alone can see
this worship; we can repeat it so often that in the end it becomes as if it were natural to us, and as if God were one with our souls, and our souls one with Him.
- Brother Lawrence
(Spend some time just letting God be God in the depth of our soul this day.) |
|
|
ROM 6:19-23; PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
LK 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you
think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law."
USCCB Lectionary
|
|
|
Luke 12: 49-53 (The fire of Christ)
“Peace at any price” is not a slogan a Christian should adopt as a guiding principle. Although it is true that Jesus is often called the Prince of Peace, we must realize that the peace he brings cannot exist outside of the context of truth
and love. Some people will not recognize truth, others will reject love; therefore, Christians ought to expect persecutions.
• ‘If you want peace, work for justice” is a slogan adopted by the U.S. Catholic bishops. Do you agree with this slogan? Why? Why not?
• Has your Christian faith brought
divisions in your family? If so, what can you do to remain related to family members without compromising your beliefs?
Paperback, Kindle
|
|
|
|
|
|
God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.) ____________ Chapter 5: The Journey to Egoic Authenticity - Being Intelligent and Reasonable
The intellect is not just a problem-solver, however; it is also a truth-detector. Intellectual
authenticity is about tapping into this potentiality of the intellect to sort out truth from falsehood that we might come to live by those beliefs and values that contribute to a fully human life rather than the fearful, cautious approach of the false self. What follows are several examples of how this kind of authenticity can be fostered.
First, we need to honor our own questions. There is an old Zen tale where the disciple asked the Master where the sky came from. “Where did your question come from?” replied the Master. We see this natural movement from the wonder of attentiveness leading to questions in small children, who cannot seem to come to the end of asking “Why this?” or “Why that?” It can drive parents crazy, but it’s also evidence that their spiritual consciousness and its
intellectual capacity is awakening. Somehow through the years, this innate curiosity becomes numbed, often because of the harsh and invalidating responses we have received in response to our questioning. But unless you are one who knows and understands everything, there ought to still be a question or two hanging around somewhere in your consciousness. Make a list of them; it doesn’t matter what they are about. Every question is an invitation to learn something and thus to grow in some
manner. Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
|
|
|
|
|
