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Were you to simply remain in God’s presence, that would be a great help to you, supporting you in your troubles and helping you to bear them patiently. Be sure that God is more ready than ever to welcome you into his arms, and that as your distress increases so does his mercy towards you increase and abound.
- John Baptist de La Salle |
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1 KGS 19:9A, 11-16; PS 27:7-8A, 8B-9ABC, 13-14
MT
5:27-32
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown
into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
"It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery,
and
whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
USCCB Lectionary
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Praying the Daily Gospels: A Guide to Meditation, by Philip St. Romain,
2018 (3rd ed.) ____________ Matthew 5:27-32 (Sexual responsibility.)
The reproductive instinct is one of the strongest of human passions and
one of the most difficult to control. Jesus tells us that the key to responsible sexual expression lies in the way we think about people of the opposite gender. Do we allow ourselves to fantasize adulterous thoughts? If so, we are violating God’s law which holds that responsible sexual expression should take place in the context of a committed relationship.
• How do you view people of the opposite gender? Is it difficult for you to be friends with them? Are many of them friends with you?
• How do you feel about Jesus’ teaching on adultery?
Paperback, Kindle and eBook
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God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd
ed.) ____________ Chapter 7: The Journey to Belonging: The Ego-God Relationship Theosis: Being-in-Love
Another way to understand theosis is that the human spirit becomes transformed by God so that its attentiveness, intelligence and freedom participate more fully in God’s
Spirit. This participation is a process that deepens through time; it is not a singular event that takes place once and is then complete. Faith opens us to receive God’s life, but there is much in our human nature that is in need of healing and transformation. The good, hard work of the Ego in the directions of authenticity and individuation are important, here, as these contribute to our healing. The Ego must also become committed to spiritual practices like prayer, examen, communal worship,
spiritual reading, service and virtue. There is an active dimension to theotic transformation. As Augustine noted, “God created us without us, but he did not will to save us without us.”
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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