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The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity and held safe in an everlasting embrace . . . We must dare to opt consciously for our
chosenness and not allow our emotions, feelings, or passions to seduce us into self-rejection.
- Henri J. M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved
(You are a "child of God, precious in God's eyes . . ." Let this truth be the foundation for your identity and you shall know
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WIS 3:1-9; PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6; ROM
5:5-11
JN 6:37-40
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone
who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
USCCB Lectionary
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What is the source of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift which God offers us through his Son Jesus Christ. We could not approach God if he did not first approach us and draw us to himself. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit who works in us to open our ears to hear God's word and to respond to it with trust and submission.
The Holy Spirit is the key to our growing in faith. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide who makes our faith come alive as we cooperate with his help and and to his wisdom and instruction.
To live, grow, and persevere in faith to the end we must nourish it with the word of God. Augustine of
Hippo (354-430 AD) said: I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe. Jesus promises that those who accept him as their Lord and Savior and submit to his word will be raised up to everlasting life with him when he comes again at the close of this age. Is your life securely anchored to the promises of Christ and his kingdom of everlasting peace,joy, and righteousness?
"Lord Jesus Christ, your death and resurrection brought life and hope where there was once only despair and defeat. Give me unwavering faith, unshakeable hope, and the fire of your unquenchable love that I may know you fully and serve you joyfully now and for ever in your everlasting kingdom."
- from dailyscripture.netPaperback, Kindle
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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 Second, we research responses to our questions, or we formulate our own hypotheses. This is the
step of Being Intelligent, and sometimes it is relatively easy to do. “How to bake oatmeal cookies?” There are many recipes on the Internet. “Why is the sky blue?” There’s a scientific answer to that one as well, though it might raise more questions concerning the meaning of some of the terms used. “Why did my sister not call this evening like she said she would?” is a little more complicated. You might wonder if she was ill, or forgot, or was mad at you, or something like that. There’s just no
knowing for sure, but those are all examples of hypotheses, and you might seize upon one of them as the most likely answer.
Third, we verify our responses and hypotheses through more research and evaluation. That’s what it means to Be Reasonable. You will just have to call your sister or talk to
someone who knows her whereabouts to see why she missed her scheduled call. That will settle the matter for sure. Regarding the scientific answer to the question of why the sky is blue, you could verify the explanations given through your own scientific research, but this is one instance where you might trust in the authority of the writer. As for those oatmeal cookies, the proof is in the eating: if following the recipe yields a satisfactory result, then the case can be considered closed. If
not, however, then you might decide to try a different recipe. Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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