When God closes a door, another opens. Throughout life, many doors open and then close. They were opened because they were appropriate for a time then time is up and one needs to move on. One has to exercise one's Free Will to pick new doors to open when an existing door closes but when one is at a loss, or chooses the wrong path, life can be miserable.
Misery can be a blessing in disguise when one believes that God will provide. Misery has to be endured. Enduring it with patience and humility sharpens all of one's senses which prepares one to make the right decisions, to open the right doors. It is important to pay attention to one's senses, and to record them so that they could be recollected should there be any doubt.
Doors that seem so right that are opened are not meant to stay open forever. With love for and faith in God, God will again provide. Every new door that is opened is a door closer to Heaven. To continually be given these doors, it is important to remember with kindness those who served, in ways good and bad, by helping to drive one in the direction God has intended.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Pentecost Sunday
"'And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with [diverse] tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. [Acts:2:2-4]'" [1]
My thoughts on this day are brief: God is Creation, Satan is Destruction, Christ is Salvation and the Holy Spirit is Passion, passion in bringing the love of God to all and in bringing all to God.
[1] http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Pentecost.htm
My thoughts on this day are brief: God is Creation, Satan is Destruction, Christ is Salvation and the Holy Spirit is Passion, passion in bringing the love of God to all and in bringing all to God.
[1] http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Pentecost.htm
Saturday, May 23, 2015
An Ideal Marriage
For someone who has never dated all that much and has never been married is really not qualified to opine on marriages, but this blogger is not about to let a couple of minor details stop him from doing so.
In light of the recent vote (final tally on May 23, 2015) in the largely Catholic country of Ireland allowing same-sex marriages [1], the topics of marriage, surrogacy, children, family, promiscuity, polygamy, divorce and other moral, religious, social, economic, psychological and legal issues have taken a dive deep into uncharted waters. An in depth discussion of each of these areas is beyond the scope of this blog. What this entry proposes to do is to imagine an ideal marriage in its purest form which has no basis in reality.
First of all, marriage has to be defined. Marriage, for purposes of this entry, is defined as a loving relationship between two individuals whereby the most intimate expression of their love would be the union of their spirits, minds and bodies in the most natural form that would likely result in the conception of new life. Any deviation from this natural union is supposedly contrary to Creation, but not necessarily (see discussion infra).
The question then is whether anything that man does that is not in harmony with Creation is necessarily sinful. The short answer is almost everything that man does in this world is tainted by Sin for man is the product of Original Sin, whether or not what is being done can arguably be consistent with Creation's intent. The measure of sinfulness is not only what is visible, but also what are invisible: man's shortcomings and self-serving desires. Take for example a man with ambition and drive obtains power and uses it arrogantly, ruthlessly and ignorantly, making this world a worse and more dangerous place in which to live than if he had never existed, even though he may live a married life or the appearance of a married life that comports with the natural course of procreation. (Incidentally, whether a marriage, procreative or not, is a happy one is also beyond the scope of this entry.)
Thus marriage alone, based on an extrapolation of the foregoing example, does not define man. Rather, the extent of man's weaknesses and sinister desires relative to his will power to reform them to become more like Christ define him. Given that marriage does not define who a man is, and does not qualify nor disqualify him to be among God's beloved children, then whether a marriage is between a man and a woman or between two people of the same gender ought not to be the litmus test of Christianness that the Catholic Church wants to use to replace God's judgment of goodness.
Granted that there are self-centered, jealous, envious, small-minded gays and lesbians couples whose world is defined by hypocrisy and self-righteousness [2], but there are also those who are heterosexually married who cannot claim to be any better [3]. The fact that people do fall in love for whatever reason(s) and exist in their own particular worlds without God at the center is to be accepted as part of the exercise of Free Will.
Should marriage then be left to Free Will and out of the purview of the church and the state? Absolutely. Why should the church and the state have any say concerning a private matter between two people? Let Free Will be the lead.
When children are involved, then a marriage is no longer an arrangement between two individuals. Traditional surrogacy adds even add more layers of complication to those inherent in any marriage, usually with a child being denied a birth parent, a biological mother or father who may or may not have any emotional ties to her or his genetically related child or want to have those ties. In a marriage between two males, children born out of surrogacy would be denied a mother. That certainly would not be ideal. Equally unsatisfactory is a marriage between two females whose children would be denied a father figure. In that sense, a gay marriage with children born out of surrogacy is not optimum for the children.
So can there be an ideal marriage with ideal children? Theoretically, one or more ideal marriages and families could have existed or exist today still but there is no objective proof supporting such a theory. Not even the Holy Family had an ideal marriage in the sense that Joseph was told to marry the Blessed Virgin Mary by an angel [6] and that he married Her because he was a "righteous" man [7], not because he was smitten with love for Mary. Even if arranged marriages were a tradition during the time of Jesus, the marriage of Mary and Joseph is not within the definition of marriage provided, see supra, because of the unusual arrangement with Mary being conceived by the Holy Spirit so that Jesus technically had four parents, one of whom is God, the Creator.
The Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus is therefore most certainly a part of Creation--a very special Creation--not a coital union between a man and woman in a marriage, but a holy union without a marriage between the Holy Spirit and the Immaculate Conception of a Sinless Virgin, an event that was neither state-sanctioned nor church-approved, nor ideally based on mutual emotional and physical love.
If the one match that was made in Heaven in which God was a participant was not ideal in a worldly sense, how can a marriage made on earth be perfect? If a marriage cannot be perfect, how can a family be perfect? In conclusion, the objective of this entry is not accomplished. This blogger is unable to imagine a ideal marriage leading to an ideal family for there is no such thing, on earth or in Heaven. A person's ideal union is with God, the Creator. That is the perfect union. Everything else falls short.
[1] http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/23/europe/ireland-referendum-same-sex-marriage/
[2] Quoted from http://australianmarriage.org/quartet-of-truth-adult-kids-of-gay-parents-speak-out/
[4] http://australianmarriage.org/quartet-of-truth-adult-kids-of-gay-parents-speak-out/
[5] http://www.childsafe-international.org/ChildAbuse.asp
[6] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-38
[7] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+1%3A19&version=NASB
In light of the recent vote (final tally on May 23, 2015) in the largely Catholic country of Ireland allowing same-sex marriages [1], the topics of marriage, surrogacy, children, family, promiscuity, polygamy, divorce and other moral, religious, social, economic, psychological and legal issues have taken a dive deep into uncharted waters. An in depth discussion of each of these areas is beyond the scope of this blog. What this entry proposes to do is to imagine an ideal marriage in its purest form which has no basis in reality.
First of all, marriage has to be defined. Marriage, for purposes of this entry, is defined as a loving relationship between two individuals whereby the most intimate expression of their love would be the union of their spirits, minds and bodies in the most natural form that would likely result in the conception of new life. Any deviation from this natural union is supposedly contrary to Creation, but not necessarily (see discussion infra).
The question then is whether anything that man does that is not in harmony with Creation is necessarily sinful. The short answer is almost everything that man does in this world is tainted by Sin for man is the product of Original Sin, whether or not what is being done can arguably be consistent with Creation's intent. The measure of sinfulness is not only what is visible, but also what are invisible: man's shortcomings and self-serving desires. Take for example a man with ambition and drive obtains power and uses it arrogantly, ruthlessly and ignorantly, making this world a worse and more dangerous place in which to live than if he had never existed, even though he may live a married life or the appearance of a married life that comports with the natural course of procreation. (Incidentally, whether a marriage, procreative or not, is a happy one is also beyond the scope of this entry.)
Thus marriage alone, based on an extrapolation of the foregoing example, does not define man. Rather, the extent of man's weaknesses and sinister desires relative to his will power to reform them to become more like Christ define him. Given that marriage does not define who a man is, and does not qualify nor disqualify him to be among God's beloved children, then whether a marriage is between a man and a woman or between two people of the same gender ought not to be the litmus test of Christianness that the Catholic Church wants to use to replace God's judgment of goodness.
Granted that there are self-centered, jealous, envious, small-minded gays and lesbians couples whose world is defined by hypocrisy and self-righteousness [2], but there are also those who are heterosexually married who cannot claim to be any better [3]. The fact that people do fall in love for whatever reason(s) and exist in their own particular worlds without God at the center is to be accepted as part of the exercise of Free Will.
Should marriage then be left to Free Will and out of the purview of the church and the state? Absolutely. Why should the church and the state have any say concerning a private matter between two people? Let Free Will be the lead.
When children are involved, then a marriage is no longer an arrangement between two individuals. Traditional surrogacy adds even add more layers of complication to those inherent in any marriage, usually with a child being denied a birth parent, a biological mother or father who may or may not have any emotional ties to her or his genetically related child or want to have those ties. In a marriage between two males, children born out of surrogacy would be denied a mother. That certainly would not be ideal. Equally unsatisfactory is a marriage between two females whose children would be denied a father figure. In that sense, a gay marriage with children born out of surrogacy is not optimum for the children.
"When we institutionalize same-sex marriage... we move from permitting citizens the freedom to live as they choose, to promoting same-sex headed households. Now we are normalizing a family structure where a child will always be deprived daily of one gender influence... Our cultural narrative becomes one that, in essence, tells children that they have no right to the natural family structure of their biological parents, but that children simply exist for the satisfaction of adult desires." -Katy Faust [4]However, not only children of gay parents are abused, children of all parents regardless of their sexual orientation are subject to and are abused in different ways to different degrees. [5]
So can there be an ideal marriage with ideal children? Theoretically, one or more ideal marriages and families could have existed or exist today still but there is no objective proof supporting such a theory. Not even the Holy Family had an ideal marriage in the sense that Joseph was told to marry the Blessed Virgin Mary by an angel [6] and that he married Her because he was a "righteous" man [7], not because he was smitten with love for Mary. Even if arranged marriages were a tradition during the time of Jesus, the marriage of Mary and Joseph is not within the definition of marriage provided, see supra, because of the unusual arrangement with Mary being conceived by the Holy Spirit so that Jesus technically had four parents, one of whom is God, the Creator.
The Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus is therefore most certainly a part of Creation--a very special Creation--not a coital union between a man and woman in a marriage, but a holy union without a marriage between the Holy Spirit and the Immaculate Conception of a Sinless Virgin, an event that was neither state-sanctioned nor church-approved, nor ideally based on mutual emotional and physical love.
If the one match that was made in Heaven in which God was a participant was not ideal in a worldly sense, how can a marriage made on earth be perfect? If a marriage cannot be perfect, how can a family be perfect? In conclusion, the objective of this entry is not accomplished. This blogger is unable to imagine a ideal marriage leading to an ideal family for there is no such thing, on earth or in Heaven. A person's ideal union is with God, the Creator. That is the perfect union. Everything else falls short.
[1] http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/23/europe/ireland-referendum-same-sex-marriage/
[2] Quoted from http://australianmarriage.org/quartet-of-truth-adult-kids-of-gay-parents-speak-out/
"I grew up with a parent and her partner[s] in an atmosphere in which gay ideology was used as a tool of repression, retribution and abuse," wrote B.N. Klein of her lesbian mother and her series of live-in lovers.
"While I do not believe all gays would be de facto bad parents, I know that the gay community has never in my lifetime put children first as anything other than a piece of property, a past mistake or a political tool to be dressed up and taken out as part of a dog-and-pony show to impress the well-meaning," Klein wrote. She added that as a child of a lesbian mother, she was pressured to pay "constant homage and attention" to her mother's gay identity, taught that "some Jews and most Christians were stupid and hated gays and were violent," and told that homosexuals were "much more creative and artistic because they were not repressed and were naturally more 'feeling.'"[3] https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse-statistics/
[4] http://australianmarriage.org/quartet-of-truth-adult-kids-of-gay-parents-speak-out/
[5] http://www.childsafe-international.org/ChildAbuse.asp
[6] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-38
[7] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+1%3A19&version=NASB
Monday, May 18, 2015
Terrestrial Angels Who Pray
A day later, the thought of Terrestrial Angels ("TAs") has not gone away. When they were first imagined, TAs were doers, not talkers or bloggers. On second thought, there are TAs who pray. Not everyone who prays is a TA; only those who pray with absolute faith are TAs. TAs can pray for themselves, but they pray mostly for others, which qualify them to be angels, for angels do things to help others.
While doing God's work is important, a TA is always mindful that the inspiration to do the work is from God, not out of an obligation based on social responsibility which is secular. Not that secular good work is unproductive, but whatever success that is achieved under it is without meaning. Only God has meaning and as such, a life without God has no meaning even though it is surrounded with material possessions and comfort. With God at the center of a TA's work, not only is the work reflective of the love of God that has gone into it, the beneficiaries of that work also receive a dose of that love. They may not know where that love comes from specifically, but they would never forget the love that they experience.
That love is palpable but love that comes from prayerful TAs is far more subtle, and likely unnoticeable, even though the outcomes of those prayers can be deemed as miracles. Prayers unlock God's mercy and healing power, but only those prayers that are prayed by the absolute faithful. TAs are by their very nature true believers in God and therefore their prayers are heard. TAs who pray are in essence human intercessors on earth. Their prayers are always heard by the most passionate and effective intercessor in Heaven Who is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. It would generally be through Her that TAs prayers are answered, although direct pleas by TAs to God and the Son of God are also heard and answered.
While doing God's work is important, a TA is always mindful that the inspiration to do the work is from God, not out of an obligation based on social responsibility which is secular. Not that secular good work is unproductive, but whatever success that is achieved under it is without meaning. Only God has meaning and as such, a life without God has no meaning even though it is surrounded with material possessions and comfort. With God at the center of a TA's work, not only is the work reflective of the love of God that has gone into it, the beneficiaries of that work also receive a dose of that love. They may not know where that love comes from specifically, but they would never forget the love that they experience.
That love is palpable but love that comes from prayerful TAs is far more subtle, and likely unnoticeable, even though the outcomes of those prayers can be deemed as miracles. Prayers unlock God's mercy and healing power, but only those prayers that are prayed by the absolute faithful. TAs are by their very nature true believers in God and therefore their prayers are heard. TAs who pray are in essence human intercessors on earth. Their prayers are always heard by the most passionate and effective intercessor in Heaven Who is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. It would generally be through Her that TAs prayers are answered, although direct pleas by TAs to God and the Son of God are also heard and answered.
The Demonic Order Of Fallen Spirits
The last entry on the Timeless Order of Terrestrial Angels ("TOTA") compels the continuation of an imagined force opposing the good work of TOTA performed by the Terrestrial Angels ("TAs").
The battle for souls is on-going. While the world has its TAs that do God's work, it also has Fallen Spirits ("FSs") that wander the world seeking those who would do Satan's. They belong to the Demonic Order of Fallen Spirits ("DOFS"). Those lured by the traps of the FSs are Slaves Of Satan ("SOSs"). This acronym was chosen because SOS stands for Save Our Souls [1], and Satan's slaves definitely need to have their cowardly, weak and submissive souls saved despite having little salvific potential.
Unlike TAs that are free floating individuals doing God's work wherever they see the need, SOSs are parasites in corrupt organizations with power. Within them SOSs thrive to annihilate each other which gives meaning to the mission statement of the DOFS were it a non-profit entity: "Incinerate," one word shorter than TED's (Technology, Entertainment, Design) two: "Spreading Ideas." [2]
DOFS not only wants to destroy the world but to end it like an inferno. It makes no difference to Satan whether earth burns to ashes from rains of fire and brimstone from Heaven [3] or the use of incendiary explosives by SOSs around the world. The bigger the fire and the hotter and longer it burns, the more Satan likes it. Even Hell would be envious seeing Earth turn into fireball.
[1] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sos
[2] http://topnonprofits.com/examples/nonprofit-mission-statements/
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+11%3A6&version=KJV
The battle for souls is on-going. While the world has its TAs that do God's work, it also has Fallen Spirits ("FSs") that wander the world seeking those who would do Satan's. They belong to the Demonic Order of Fallen Spirits ("DOFS"). Those lured by the traps of the FSs are Slaves Of Satan ("SOSs"). This acronym was chosen because SOS stands for Save Our Souls [1], and Satan's slaves definitely need to have their cowardly, weak and submissive souls saved despite having little salvific potential.
Unlike TAs that are free floating individuals doing God's work wherever they see the need, SOSs are parasites in corrupt organizations with power. Within them SOSs thrive to annihilate each other which gives meaning to the mission statement of the DOFS were it a non-profit entity: "Incinerate," one word shorter than TED's (Technology, Entertainment, Design) two: "Spreading Ideas." [2]
DOFS not only wants to destroy the world but to end it like an inferno. It makes no difference to Satan whether earth burns to ashes from rains of fire and brimstone from Heaven [3] or the use of incendiary explosives by SOSs around the world. The bigger the fire and the hotter and longer it burns, the more Satan likes it. Even Hell would be envious seeing Earth turn into fireball.
[1] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sos
[2] http://topnonprofits.com/examples/nonprofit-mission-statements/
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+11%3A6&version=KJV
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Timeless Order Of Terrestrial Angels
The purpose of this entry is to define and identify a free-form order of earthly angels in the flesh. Like many entries in this blog, this is yet another born out of the imagination.
Angels in this Timeless Order of Terrestrial Angels ("TOTA") are not celestial angels. They are not spirits that travel through the atmosphere at great speeds, nor do they have the pure intellect of God's angels or the ability to see the future. They are human, and as such they are imperfect, doing dumb things at times but always doing their best. What distinguishes them from the rest of humanity is their capacity to serve others indiscriminately, humbly and unconditionally; what separates them from the celestial angels is the warmth that radiates from their care, their empathy and their love.
These Terrestrial Angels ("TAs") have been around forever and that is why they are timeless. How they originate only God knows. They have been given a special gift that comes from God. There are obscure ones and famous ones. The obscure ones prefer to remain anonymous; the famous ones ask not for their fame but fame came to them anyway. Both do work that is fundamentally good. Unlike some people (including me) who blog and do nothing, they act without babbling.
Since TAs are first of all human, therefore anyone has the potential to become one. It takes focus, ambition and perseverance. They may falter, emotionally and physically, but they are not deterred. They have the will to recover and continue, and God is with them. [1]
As tenacious as TAs are in their commitment to do good, they are weak in their flesh. They need the celestial ones who are spirits to help them. Together, the celestial and terrestrial angels go the whole distance for God and God loves them. Some may scoff at the fact that some TAs are not religious, not Christian, not Catholic but the Truth is "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." [2]
Those who are TAs are under the TOTA but TOTA is not an organization. It does not have a charter, by-laws or a mission statement. It is not a charity, and contributions to it are not tax-deductible. They do not require donations and asks not for them. God has provided them with all the resources they need to do their work. Their rewards are fulfillment, inner peace and perhaps even daily joy.
May Their God continue to enrich the lives of the Terrestrial Angels and protect them from the forces of evil and fill them with peace in their interiors and joy in their hearts.
[1] There is hope for this blogger to be a TA, but the thought of being one is daunting.
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012:50
Angels in this Timeless Order of Terrestrial Angels ("TOTA") are not celestial angels. They are not spirits that travel through the atmosphere at great speeds, nor do they have the pure intellect of God's angels or the ability to see the future. They are human, and as such they are imperfect, doing dumb things at times but always doing their best. What distinguishes them from the rest of humanity is their capacity to serve others indiscriminately, humbly and unconditionally; what separates them from the celestial angels is the warmth that radiates from their care, their empathy and their love.
These Terrestrial Angels ("TAs") have been around forever and that is why they are timeless. How they originate only God knows. They have been given a special gift that comes from God. There are obscure ones and famous ones. The obscure ones prefer to remain anonymous; the famous ones ask not for their fame but fame came to them anyway. Both do work that is fundamentally good. Unlike some people (including me) who blog and do nothing, they act without babbling.
Since TAs are first of all human, therefore anyone has the potential to become one. It takes focus, ambition and perseverance. They may falter, emotionally and physically, but they are not deterred. They have the will to recover and continue, and God is with them. [1]
As tenacious as TAs are in their commitment to do good, they are weak in their flesh. They need the celestial ones who are spirits to help them. Together, the celestial and terrestrial angels go the whole distance for God and God loves them. Some may scoff at the fact that some TAs are not religious, not Christian, not Catholic but the Truth is "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." [2]
Those who are TAs are under the TOTA but TOTA is not an organization. It does not have a charter, by-laws or a mission statement. It is not a charity, and contributions to it are not tax-deductible. They do not require donations and asks not for them. God has provided them with all the resources they need to do their work. Their rewards are fulfillment, inner peace and perhaps even daily joy.
May Their God continue to enrich the lives of the Terrestrial Angels and protect them from the forces of evil and fill them with peace in their interiors and joy in their hearts.
[1] There is hope for this blogger to be a TA, but the thought of being one is daunting.
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012:50
Friday, May 15, 2015
Joy
What is joy?
It seems to be something so foreign that it is seldom talked about as of it is verboten, probably because there is not much pure joy to be experienced in this world, but that is not why this blog rarely mentions it. Joy is mostly absent here because it is at a level high beyond this blogger's reach, although it had been felt. None of those very rare times lasted very long; they were more like fleeting moments. However fleeting, no moment of joy was ever haphazard or predictable, but one thing was certain: only in an environment of interior peace would it arise, but not necessarily. In other words, the presence of Christ in one's heart and mind, and in every fiber of one's entire being, must precede, whether joy comes into existence or not.
The attainment of inner peace is the goal of this blog--one that is seldom, if ever, reached. Ideally, every entry transports the reader away from the cares of this world to another place where worries can be forgotten, at least for a while when the dream of Heaven can begin. That is not now happening. What this blogger is unable to deliver, Psalm 23 can. Quoted in part:
If this dream could continue, not only could one live in peace, but also in joy forever in the company of Christ Himself. For those who wish this dream to last a while longer should stop here. What follows is reality, the destroyer of dreams.
Christ has ascended into Heaven and is no longer in the flesh to hold anybody's hand. He had give His peace to His disciples and left them His peace. [2] This peace had not lasted because a number of the later followers had and today's priests, from the pope down, have become Satan's pawns. In this evil-saturated world, this blogger wanted to be a messenger delivering inner peace, despite being troubled by what he reads, sees and hears.
To deliver inner peace, one has to first possess it. It is not easy when hypocrites are everywhere, especially when many of them profess to be disciples of Jesus. To not agitate further whatever scintilla of peace that may be left in one's interior, the question not to ask is how can the religious hypocrites live with themselves? Having just stated that very question is to have rung the bell that cannot be unrung.
It seems to be something so foreign that it is seldom talked about as of it is verboten, probably because there is not much pure joy to be experienced in this world, but that is not why this blog rarely mentions it. Joy is mostly absent here because it is at a level high beyond this blogger's reach, although it had been felt. None of those very rare times lasted very long; they were more like fleeting moments. However fleeting, no moment of joy was ever haphazard or predictable, but one thing was certain: only in an environment of interior peace would it arise, but not necessarily. In other words, the presence of Christ in one's heart and mind, and in every fiber of one's entire being, must precede, whether joy comes into existence or not.
The attainment of inner peace is the goal of this blog--one that is seldom, if ever, reached. Ideally, every entry transports the reader away from the cares of this world to another place where worries can be forgotten, at least for a while when the dream of Heaven can begin. That is not now happening. What this blogger is unable to deliver, Psalm 23 can. Quoted in part:
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.(Picture oneself in a timeless vignette lying down on a field of soft green grass, yearning for Christ Who is tending sheep at a distance in a shepherd's robe, then seeing Christ approaching unhurriedly with kindness, love and a cheerful smile on His radiant face, then feeling one's hand being held securely in Christ's, and led to a stream, where crystal clear waters from Heaven flow gently along, then watching Christ bend down to fetch some of it for the one who was lost and afraid and whose soul is thirsting for renewal.)
"In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
"Beside restful waters he leads me;
"he refreshes my soul." [1]
If this dream could continue, not only could one live in peace, but also in joy forever in the company of Christ Himself. For those who wish this dream to last a while longer should stop here. What follows is reality, the destroyer of dreams.
Christ has ascended into Heaven and is no longer in the flesh to hold anybody's hand. He had give His peace to His disciples and left them His peace. [2] This peace had not lasted because a number of the later followers had and today's priests, from the pope down, have become Satan's pawns. In this evil-saturated world, this blogger wanted to be a messenger delivering inner peace, despite being troubled by what he reads, sees and hears.
To deliver inner peace, one has to first possess it. It is not easy when hypocrites are everywhere, especially when many of them profess to be disciples of Jesus. To not agitate further whatever scintilla of peace that may be left in one's interior, the question not to ask is how can the religious hypocrites live with themselves? Having just stated that very question is to have rung the bell that cannot be unrung.
The good news is that inner peace cannot be extinguished by whatever that troubles the heart and mind because it comes from Heaven and is embodied in Christ, the Prince of Peace, Whose triumph over death made peace eternal. Therefore, however stormy one's heart and mind may be, inner peace will calm the storms within provided that one allows Christ to enter into one's interior. "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." [3]
When God and the Son of God reside with whoever it maybe, one can be certain interior peace will prevail. With nothing to worry or be upset about, true joy can at last come into being.
"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." [4]
[1] SENIOR, D. & COLLINS, J. J. (1990). The Catholic Study Bible: the New American Bible, including the revised New Testament and Psalms, translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A27
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A23&version=NIV
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:8-9
When God and the Son of God reside with whoever it maybe, one can be certain interior peace will prevail. With nothing to worry or be upset about, true joy can at last come into being.
"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." [4]
[1] SENIOR, D. & COLLINS, J. J. (1990). The Catholic Study Bible: the New American Bible, including the revised New Testament and Psalms, translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A27
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A23&version=NIV
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:8-9
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Universality
At one point, a parish priest "stopped blessing non-Catholic children at Communion and barred non-Catholic students from reading at school Mass, although he later reinstated these practices." [1] The fact that this priest walked back on his actions is proof that God still rules over Satan.
Knowing Who Jesus is, is it conceivable that Jesus would reject anyone by refusing to give His blessings when He had so much love in Him that He even asked God to forgive those who crucified Him while He was suffering on the cross?
Everyone is a child of God, Catholic or not, sinful or not. To reject anyone in any way is to reject Christ Himself in every way. A priest who refuses to bless a sinner, Catholic or not, turns his back on the universality of the Catholic church. [2] For a Catholic priest to even think of not blessing someone non-Catholic is to walk away from the fight against Satan, letting Satan reign over those who are not yet baptized, thereby helping Satan with the destruction of their souls. Such a priest ought to self-defrock and dedicate his life serving the anti-Christ rather than being a hypocrite and pay lip-service to Christ.
If a priest is truly a disciple of Jesus, he would bless everyone in sight, to shower upon them the light and love of Christ, to cast away any influence Satan may have on them, to awaken them to the love of God, to reel them in with understanding, compassion and unconditional love, to be a true fisher of men.
The true priest represents Christ when he gives a blessing. In that sense, he not only blesses, but he also exudes from his heart a deep and sincere love for every single person who is being blessed by him. He is not just going through the motions mindlessly, but is mindful of the solemnity of every blessing, of the importance of saving each and every soul, leading them all to Heaven, gently, kindly, dreamily and lovingly.
Rare is such a priest for most priests are power-obsessed, self-righteous, egoistical and supercilious administrators, going through the motions of being priestly only because that is their job. Humility is merely a concept, not a virtue the average priest internalizes and practices. In truth, he could care less about being humble. He would not think of washing the feet of others (as Jesus did for all twelve disciples, including the one He knew would betray Him), let alone actually crouching down with a basin of clean water and a sponge, scrubbing and drying them.
Finding a true disciple of Christ is like finding a needle in the combined haystacks of the world. May God have mercy on all who need help to be led to Heaven; may God be by everyone's side, always; and may all receive God's grace and blessings. When loneliness [3] hits, may the words from Psalm 22: "Be not far from me, for I am in distress; be near, for I have no one to help me" [4] give reassurance that such a feeling is universal, and that God is universal, is present with undiluted love and is listening.
[1] http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/parents-ask-san-francisco-archdiocese-remove-controversial-parish-priests
[2] Before the Catholic church ever existed, there was Christ Jesus Who saved a non-Catholic prostitute from being stoned to death, Who raised a non-Catholic Lazarus from the dead, Who recruited a non-Catholic tax collector to be His disciple and Who performed miracle after miracle for non-Catholics. What got into this supposedly "Catholic priest" who could not perform a single miracle to make him decide to withhold his blessings (the sincerity and effectiveness of any that was given since is now fully in doubt) from those who are non-Catholic? Humility ought to require him to seek forgiveness on his knees if nothing else but to save himself from the fires of Hell. Hopefully, he had already done that and continues to do so since it is ever so impossible for a leopard to change its spots without a miracle.
[3] Loneliness here is not so much an absence of company but an absence of light and the iniquitous local priest will not offer a candle to the one who is alone, defenseless, desperate and lost in darkness, simply because he is not Catholic. His only way out of it is through a direct plea to God, his Maker, Who will listen and grant him peace.
[4] SENIOR, D. & COLLINS, J. J. (1990). The Catholic Study Bible: the New American Bible, including the revised New Testament and Psalms, translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Knowing Who Jesus is, is it conceivable that Jesus would reject anyone by refusing to give His blessings when He had so much love in Him that He even asked God to forgive those who crucified Him while He was suffering on the cross?
Everyone is a child of God, Catholic or not, sinful or not. To reject anyone in any way is to reject Christ Himself in every way. A priest who refuses to bless a sinner, Catholic or not, turns his back on the universality of the Catholic church. [2] For a Catholic priest to even think of not blessing someone non-Catholic is to walk away from the fight against Satan, letting Satan reign over those who are not yet baptized, thereby helping Satan with the destruction of their souls. Such a priest ought to self-defrock and dedicate his life serving the anti-Christ rather than being a hypocrite and pay lip-service to Christ.
If a priest is truly a disciple of Jesus, he would bless everyone in sight, to shower upon them the light and love of Christ, to cast away any influence Satan may have on them, to awaken them to the love of God, to reel them in with understanding, compassion and unconditional love, to be a true fisher of men.
The true priest represents Christ when he gives a blessing. In that sense, he not only blesses, but he also exudes from his heart a deep and sincere love for every single person who is being blessed by him. He is not just going through the motions mindlessly, but is mindful of the solemnity of every blessing, of the importance of saving each and every soul, leading them all to Heaven, gently, kindly, dreamily and lovingly.
Rare is such a priest for most priests are power-obsessed, self-righteous, egoistical and supercilious administrators, going through the motions of being priestly only because that is their job. Humility is merely a concept, not a virtue the average priest internalizes and practices. In truth, he could care less about being humble. He would not think of washing the feet of others (as Jesus did for all twelve disciples, including the one He knew would betray Him), let alone actually crouching down with a basin of clean water and a sponge, scrubbing and drying them.
Finding a true disciple of Christ is like finding a needle in the combined haystacks of the world. May God have mercy on all who need help to be led to Heaven; may God be by everyone's side, always; and may all receive God's grace and blessings. When loneliness [3] hits, may the words from Psalm 22: "Be not far from me, for I am in distress; be near, for I have no one to help me" [4] give reassurance that such a feeling is universal, and that God is universal, is present with undiluted love and is listening.
[1] http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/parents-ask-san-francisco-archdiocese-remove-controversial-parish-priests
[2] Before the Catholic church ever existed, there was Christ Jesus Who saved a non-Catholic prostitute from being stoned to death, Who raised a non-Catholic Lazarus from the dead, Who recruited a non-Catholic tax collector to be His disciple and Who performed miracle after miracle for non-Catholics. What got into this supposedly "Catholic priest" who could not perform a single miracle to make him decide to withhold his blessings (the sincerity and effectiveness of any that was given since is now fully in doubt) from those who are non-Catholic? Humility ought to require him to seek forgiveness on his knees if nothing else but to save himself from the fires of Hell. Hopefully, he had already done that and continues to do so since it is ever so impossible for a leopard to change its spots without a miracle.
[3] Loneliness here is not so much an absence of company but an absence of light and the iniquitous local priest will not offer a candle to the one who is alone, defenseless, desperate and lost in darkness, simply because he is not Catholic. His only way out of it is through a direct plea to God, his Maker, Who will listen and grant him peace.
[4] SENIOR, D. & COLLINS, J. J. (1990). The Catholic Study Bible: the New American Bible, including the revised New Testament and Psalms, translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Forgiveness
Adam and Eve had wronged God but were they forgiven? No, because they were never truly sorry even though they were ashamed. When they realized God was present in the Garden of Eden, they hid themselves [1] rather than stepping out to face God, admit their mistake and ask for pardon. Had they been sorry and pleaded [2] for forgiveness, they would still be in the Garden of Eden, and so would their descendants.
Since they were never remorseful, they were banished to earth, a garden much like the original Eden except that it has pests and pestilences, and one in which they would experience pain, suffering and death because of their Sin, the immutable human gene that is invisible but taints virtually all thoughts, words and actions.
Today, the vast majority of descendants of Adam and Eve are just like their first parents. They sin but so not think of it as such. They have no remorse for having wronged God and find no need to be forgiven. And like their first brother Cain, they feel sorry for themselves and envy others for their unique gifts.
Envy, arguably, is the Original Sin. Envy is defined as "a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc." [3] The Serpent aroused in Eve and Adam envy and desire, and from that, their son, Cain, derived rage. In a fit of anger, Cain killed Abel. [4] The descendants of Cain are on every continent and found in every conceivable race. They do not care for God because they are like their forefather Cain who did not care for God either. In their hearts, forgiveness is absent but vengeance abound. Often they are political and hypocritical, and they are everywhere, in all walks of life.
When the walk of life ends, these unforgiving souls will have to answer to their Maker's questions: "Why are you hiding? Where is your brother? What have to done to him?" If they do not at once step up to admit their wrongs and seek forgiveness, they will have an eternity in Hell to answer those questions.
[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A6-8&version=NIV
[2] As an aside, the reader may find this article and the comments on the use of "pled" versus "pleaded" humorous: http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/is_it_pleaded_or_pled
[3] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/envy
[4] Did Cain kill Abel for the one simple reason that God favored Abel's sacrifice over Cain's? Or were there other reasons that led to the first murder? I speculate that there must have been and the favoring of Abel's sacrifice over Cain's was the "last straw." When that happened, Cain could no longer contain his fury. Other reasons that caused Cain to despise Abel so much could be that Abel was more attractive than Cain, that Abel was talented in many more ways than Cain, that Abel was more loved by Adam and Eve and that Cain was so aroused by Abel's good looks and physique that he wanted to sodomize Abel but Abel refused Cain's repeated advances. Because Abel pleased God in every way, God accepted his sacrifice but rejected Cain's. This was the first time Cain realized how "ugly" a person he was inside, so he killed Abel, thinking that without Abel around, he would be "king" in the family and in God's eyes, that he would no longer be the loser with his competition dead and gone, but Cain was never a loser. He had different talents and was loved and valued in different ways. However, by killing Abel, Cain became the loser. The loser lived on and his offspring multiplied.
Since they were never remorseful, they were banished to earth, a garden much like the original Eden except that it has pests and pestilences, and one in which they would experience pain, suffering and death because of their Sin, the immutable human gene that is invisible but taints virtually all thoughts, words and actions.
Today, the vast majority of descendants of Adam and Eve are just like their first parents. They sin but so not think of it as such. They have no remorse for having wronged God and find no need to be forgiven. And like their first brother Cain, they feel sorry for themselves and envy others for their unique gifts.
Envy, arguably, is the Original Sin. Envy is defined as "a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc." [3] The Serpent aroused in Eve and Adam envy and desire, and from that, their son, Cain, derived rage. In a fit of anger, Cain killed Abel. [4] The descendants of Cain are on every continent and found in every conceivable race. They do not care for God because they are like their forefather Cain who did not care for God either. In their hearts, forgiveness is absent but vengeance abound. Often they are political and hypocritical, and they are everywhere, in all walks of life.
When the walk of life ends, these unforgiving souls will have to answer to their Maker's questions: "Why are you hiding? Where is your brother? What have to done to him?" If they do not at once step up to admit their wrongs and seek forgiveness, they will have an eternity in Hell to answer those questions.
[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A6-8&version=NIV
[2] As an aside, the reader may find this article and the comments on the use of "pled" versus "pleaded" humorous: http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/is_it_pleaded_or_pled
[3] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/envy
[4] Did Cain kill Abel for the one simple reason that God favored Abel's sacrifice over Cain's? Or were there other reasons that led to the first murder? I speculate that there must have been and the favoring of Abel's sacrifice over Cain's was the "last straw." When that happened, Cain could no longer contain his fury. Other reasons that caused Cain to despise Abel so much could be that Abel was more attractive than Cain, that Abel was talented in many more ways than Cain, that Abel was more loved by Adam and Eve and that Cain was so aroused by Abel's good looks and physique that he wanted to sodomize Abel but Abel refused Cain's repeated advances. Because Abel pleased God in every way, God accepted his sacrifice but rejected Cain's. This was the first time Cain realized how "ugly" a person he was inside, so he killed Abel, thinking that without Abel around, he would be "king" in the family and in God's eyes, that he would no longer be the loser with his competition dead and gone, but Cain was never a loser. He had different talents and was loved and valued in different ways. However, by killing Abel, Cain became the loser. The loser lived on and his offspring multiplied.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Living A Miracle
As a bottle of fine wine grows more and more layered and complex with time, a life that is lived in a miracle becomes simpler and simpler when one surrenders more and more control over it to God. That does not mean one stops exercising one's Free Will in choosing what to do; rather, it means that one invites God to be part of every decision-making process.
God's response may be silent but God is never a silent (non-participating) partner. The more one supplicates, the more God becomes a friend. As a friend, God is able to enter into one's heart and mind [1]. With the living God in one's interior, one's choices will be in synchrony with God's. [2]
One needs to realize that God's ways in getting things done are not man's ways. God's timing is not man's timing. Therefore, one needs to let go of one's idea of what is logical and efficient and let God be the lead.
God's paths are always more efficient in achieving the right result than man's and always the more appropriate. God can see the future and uses this foresight that man does not have in leading him. To live life with God at its center is to live in a miracle. The man who lives such a life is being led closer and closer to Heaven.
[1] God will only be present where there is love and will give assistance only when man's Free Will allows.
[2] God is not always in one's interior. The very moment one wishes to be in charge, God steps aside and observes, allowing one's Free Will to reign. More often than not, man wants to be back in the driver's seat, to go wherever and whenever he pleases, likely to partner up with the Enemy, to indulge in the temptations of the world.
God's response may be silent but God is never a silent (non-participating) partner. The more one supplicates, the more God becomes a friend. As a friend, God is able to enter into one's heart and mind [1]. With the living God in one's interior, one's choices will be in synchrony with God's. [2]
One needs to realize that God's ways in getting things done are not man's ways. God's timing is not man's timing. Therefore, one needs to let go of one's idea of what is logical and efficient and let God be the lead.
God's paths are always more efficient in achieving the right result than man's and always the more appropriate. God can see the future and uses this foresight that man does not have in leading him. To live life with God at its center is to live in a miracle. The man who lives such a life is being led closer and closer to Heaven.
[1] God will only be present where there is love and will give assistance only when man's Free Will allows.
[2] God is not always in one's interior. The very moment one wishes to be in charge, God steps aside and observes, allowing one's Free Will to reign. More often than not, man wants to be back in the driver's seat, to go wherever and whenever he pleases, likely to partner up with the Enemy, to indulge in the temptations of the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
