Every concept formed by the intellect in an attempt to comprehend and circumscribe the divine nature can succeed only in fashioning an idol, not in making God known.
- Gregory of Nyssa, Life of Moses -
(Our ideas about God are only meant to direct our attention toward God, who is always greater than our ideas. Be attentive to God this day.)
|
Webinar: Critical Thinking Skills and the Media
TONIGHT. 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. CDT
So many types of media these days, often with conflicting messages. Who to believe, and why? This presentation will provide a few simple guidelines for filtering out what's genuine and what's bogus. Consumers of media need, especially, to be careful about what messages we promote on social media.
Register: http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EE59DE82874A38
ACTS 11:21B-26; 13:1-3; Ps 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6
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.”
Shalom Place Covid-19 resource page
- Practical, inspirational and spiritually formative writings and podcasts
Reflection on the Scriptures |
As He so many times does, Jesus reminds us to not be like the scribes and Pharisees. He refuses to exalt process and false piety above real compassion and empathy. For Jesus, following ritual while one’s heart is troubled by strained human relationships is hypocrisy. He admonishes His followers to fix their human problems before they attempt to meaningfully interact with
the divine.
In today’s situation, I think Jesus would tell us to relinquish our fear of the unknown. He would ask us to calm our anger at the changed economic and life security circumstances that are beyond our personal control. He most assuredly would condemn our hatred and prejudice for those who we think of as the other.
Jesus would challenge us to look inward, to reflect on our attitudes and dispositions, to understand how we may hold unfair expectations of entitlement and privilege. He would invite us to open our hearts and arms, to unclench our fists, and to join in His love for those who are hurting from the pandemic, for those who are victims of senseless racial violence, for those who oppress and
persecute these innocents, and for those in authority who act as unthinking bullies. He would join us in dialogue with victims and their families, with communities and businesses, with police and other government security forces, in searching for paths to a more just future for us all.
And so, my prayer today is for the grace to be ever mindful of how I have unknowingly treated others with prejudice, how I have failed to be sensitive to my positions of privilege, and for the strength to open my arms and unclench my fists in solidarity with Jesus and all my sisters and brothers.
- by Tom Purcell
Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich
Sixteenth Revelation, Chapter 76
"The soul that beholdeth the fair nature of our Lord Jesus, it hateth no hell but sin"
In this blissful Shewing of our Lord I have understanding of two contrary things: the one is the most wisdom that any creature may do in this life, the other is the most folly. The most wisdom is for a creature to do after the will and counsel of his highest sovereign Friend. This blessed Friend is Jesus, and it is His will and His counsel that we hold us with
Him, and fasten us to Him homely--evermore, in what state soever that we be; for whether-so that we be foul or clean, we are all one in His loving. For weal nor for woe He willeth never we flee from Him. But because of the changeability that we are in, in our self, we fall often into sin. Then we have this [doubting dread] by the stirring of our enemy and by our own folly and blindness: for they say thus: Thou seest well thou art a wretched creature, a sinner, and also unfaithful. For thou
keepest not the Command; thou dost promise oftentimes our Lord that thou shalt do better, and anon after, thou fallest again into the same, especially into sloth and losing of time. (For that is the beginning of sin, as to my sight,--and especially to the creatures that have given them to serve our Lord with inward beholding of His blessed Goodness.) And this maketh us adread to appear afore our courteous Lord. Thus is it our enemy that would put us aback with his false dread, [by reason]
of our wretchedness, through pain that he threateth us with. For it is his meaning to make us so heavy and so weary in this, that we should let out of mind the fair, Blissful Beholding of our Everlasting Friend.
|
|
|
