Jesus was poor in national pride. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. How could Jesus be proud of Judea when King Herod of Judea wanted to kill Him? Why would Jesus have any kind of national pride? He did not belong to the world even though the world belonged to Him. He loved the world, one that is without borders and without nations, one that knows no national or ethnic pride, one that does not distinguish one man from another. He treated Jews and Gentiles alike. He loved humanity with all its imperfections and died for it to perfect it, from north to south, and east to west.
Jesus was poor in personal pride. Jesus was humble. He was forgiving. He turned the other cheek. He forgave His persecutors. He died willingly and without sin. He never demanded justice. He accepted the life God gave Him, the life of a refugee, the life one
who was despised, criticized and rejected, the life of one who was
persecuted, the life one who was betrayed, the life one who was unjustly
accused, the life of one who was unjustly punished, tortured and
crucified.
Jesus was poor in material possessions. He was born in a stable. He owned no home, no luxury goods or unnecessary possessions. He did not care to have riches. His detachment from all material possessions was complete. He did not demand comfort. He did not demand to be served but served instead. He did not envy those who were well-off or powerful. He did not care about equality. He did not feel entitled to what He did not have. He lived His life giving of Himself even when He had nothing tangible to give besides His life, for the forgiveness of Sin.
I believe that if we are poor in national and ethnic pride, then there is no reason to protect a certain national interest or preserve a certain ethnic group or culture by spying on or going to war with one another. I believe that if we have humility, conflicts based on selfishness or religious differences will not arise and cooperation toward sustaining the earth that nurtures all life will take place. I believe that if we are detached from material possessions, charity, not greed, will be the motivator. Without greed, national, ethnic and personal pride, I believe that the world will be at peace and we can have inner peace, the peace that Christ gives.
Showing posts with label inner peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inner peace. Show all posts
Friday, February 7, 2014
Sunday, November 17, 2013
What Is God?
Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "a letter addressed by the pope to all the bishops of the church", [1] was entitled God is Love: Deus Caritas Est. I have not yet read it but the title clearly indicates that Pope Benedict XVI believes that God is Love.
With God's plenary love, one has no need to fear or worry provided that one prays often and trusts God completely. The stronger the faith, the less the fear and worry, the greater the inner peace.
Attaining inner peace does not mean one does nothing; it means that one must act as necessary with the aid of prayers to achieve it since many people are deceitful and manipulative in their words and conduct. In them, evil works to sow discord and distrust, generating fears, worries and stress that replace inner peace, which is an extension of God's love. [2]
To diminish Satan's influence on them, prayers are indispensable, as is the Truth, for Satan detests prayers and fears the Truth. Those under Satan's influence are constantly avoiding, disguising and attacking the Truth so that evil in every form imaginable can achieve its selfish or diabolical ends. [3] Protect oneself against attacks by the minions of Satan that are everywhere by praying and living in God's love and by God's Truth since God is love and God's love is the absolute Truth. Use prayers as the sword the Truth as the shield.
Even when properly armed, one cannot deter Satan's attacks which can be frequent, painful and devastating. Matthew 10:28 states: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body [or torment the mind] but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." [4] By praying, believing and living in God's Truth and forgiving, one can have inner peace even in the face of death (including a natural death) or persecution. Prayers, together with forgiveness, will soothe the pains of torment and nurture the growth of inner peace.
Prayers alone, without forgiveness, are ineffective because the absence of forgiveness is the presence of anger and vengeance and they are weapons against oneself, putting continuous stress on the body and the mind to the delight of Satan. To completely overcome Satan, Christ on the cross prayed with these words: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." [5] One must learn to do the same to triumph over Satan, not with hate and retaliation, but with prayer and forgiveness so that the peace that Christ has given with these words can thrive within oneself: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives." [6], [7], [8], [9]
Inner peace can only germinate within a tranquil soul undisturbed by the cares and evils of the world and will perish surrounded by such disturbances. Attaining inner peace is not easy, keeping it alive is very difficult. Even Francesco d'Assisi had to escape from the crowds [10] and go into solitude to nurture it, to keep God close to him, to share in the peace of Christ, given to all by God for God is love.
[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/encyclical?s=t
[2] The words of Christ, the Son of God: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives." See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A27&version=NIV
[3] If everyone knows the Truth, no one would side with Satan making it irrelevant. Satan's relevance in this world is its greatest accomplishment, allowing it to lead as many souls as possible to perdition.
[4] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%2010.28
[5] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=LUKE%2023:34
[6] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A27&version=NIV
[7] Christ's prayer for the forgiveness of sinners on the cross does not contradict the second sentence in Matthew 10:28, warning everyone to "be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" because God's plenary love is not a blind love: it is an unconditionally forgiving love, which is why Christ had to pray to God the Father to forgive His persecutors because if Christ did not intercede for them and ask forgiveness on their behalf, there could not be forgiveness because in order to be forgiven one or one's intercessor must first pray to God for forgiveness. Those who conspired to put Christ to death did not believe that they did anything wrong and therefore would not think to ask for forgiveness. Without Christ praying for their forgiveness, their souls and bodies could not be forgiven and would have to suffer continuous and eternal destruction in Hell.
[8] The implication that God cannot forgive a person who has not prayed for forgiveness himself or by his intercessor does not mean that it is wrong to believe that God is love. God is love because God is ready, willing and able to forgive as soon as a sinner by his Free Will no longer wishes to hold onto his sins and reject God. How a person who does not personally pray for forgiveness and has not willed freely to be forgiven is able to receive God's forgiveness is a miracle made possible by the grace of God. I do not know how exactly the miracle works without contravening the Gift of Free Will. Perhaps the person is given a peek at the Truth and a second chance to repent, and if he still does not repent, then by his Free Will, he would have made the ultimate choice and God would have to let him go and let his choice be permanent.
[9] My proposed axiom that God cannot grant forgiveness except man himself or his intercessor prays to God for forgiveness does not apply to man. Man is not God. Man must forgive those who have sinned against him even though they have not asked for forgiveness. Not forgiving means not ever having inner peace. Indifference is not enough because indifference without forgiveness is a denial of forgiveness. To have inner peace one must have forgiven fully every wrong. Inner peace is God's peace, it is a peace that is from God's love, given to all by Christ Who has forgiven, a peace not of this world (John 14:27), a peace from God Who is love.
[10] From the book, Armstrong, Regis J. O.F.M. Cap. et.al. Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume I, The Saint. Page 409. New York: New York City Press, 2000, the following is excerpted:
With God's plenary love, one has no need to fear or worry provided that one prays often and trusts God completely. The stronger the faith, the less the fear and worry, the greater the inner peace.
Attaining inner peace does not mean one does nothing; it means that one must act as necessary with the aid of prayers to achieve it since many people are deceitful and manipulative in their words and conduct. In them, evil works to sow discord and distrust, generating fears, worries and stress that replace inner peace, which is an extension of God's love. [2]
To diminish Satan's influence on them, prayers are indispensable, as is the Truth, for Satan detests prayers and fears the Truth. Those under Satan's influence are constantly avoiding, disguising and attacking the Truth so that evil in every form imaginable can achieve its selfish or diabolical ends. [3] Protect oneself against attacks by the minions of Satan that are everywhere by praying and living in God's love and by God's Truth since God is love and God's love is the absolute Truth. Use prayers as the sword the Truth as the shield.
Even when properly armed, one cannot deter Satan's attacks which can be frequent, painful and devastating. Matthew 10:28 states: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body [or torment the mind] but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." [4] By praying, believing and living in God's Truth and forgiving, one can have inner peace even in the face of death (including a natural death) or persecution. Prayers, together with forgiveness, will soothe the pains of torment and nurture the growth of inner peace.
Prayers alone, without forgiveness, are ineffective because the absence of forgiveness is the presence of anger and vengeance and they are weapons against oneself, putting continuous stress on the body and the mind to the delight of Satan. To completely overcome Satan, Christ on the cross prayed with these words: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." [5] One must learn to do the same to triumph over Satan, not with hate and retaliation, but with prayer and forgiveness so that the peace that Christ has given with these words can thrive within oneself: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives." [6], [7], [8], [9]
Inner peace can only germinate within a tranquil soul undisturbed by the cares and evils of the world and will perish surrounded by such disturbances. Attaining inner peace is not easy, keeping it alive is very difficult. Even Francesco d'Assisi had to escape from the crowds [10] and go into solitude to nurture it, to keep God close to him, to share in the peace of Christ, given to all by God for God is love.
[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/encyclical?s=t
[2] The words of Christ, the Son of God: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives." See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A27&version=NIV
[3] If everyone knows the Truth, no one would side with Satan making it irrelevant. Satan's relevance in this world is its greatest accomplishment, allowing it to lead as many souls as possible to perdition.
[4] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%2010.28
[5] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=LUKE%2023:34
[6] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A27&version=NIV
[7] Christ's prayer for the forgiveness of sinners on the cross does not contradict the second sentence in Matthew 10:28, warning everyone to "be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" because God's plenary love is not a blind love: it is an unconditionally forgiving love, which is why Christ had to pray to God the Father to forgive His persecutors because if Christ did not intercede for them and ask forgiveness on their behalf, there could not be forgiveness because in order to be forgiven one or one's intercessor must first pray to God for forgiveness. Those who conspired to put Christ to death did not believe that they did anything wrong and therefore would not think to ask for forgiveness. Without Christ praying for their forgiveness, their souls and bodies could not be forgiven and would have to suffer continuous and eternal destruction in Hell.
[8] The implication that God cannot forgive a person who has not prayed for forgiveness himself or by his intercessor does not mean that it is wrong to believe that God is love. God is love because God is ready, willing and able to forgive as soon as a sinner by his Free Will no longer wishes to hold onto his sins and reject God. How a person who does not personally pray for forgiveness and has not willed freely to be forgiven is able to receive God's forgiveness is a miracle made possible by the grace of God. I do not know how exactly the miracle works without contravening the Gift of Free Will. Perhaps the person is given a peek at the Truth and a second chance to repent, and if he still does not repent, then by his Free Will, he would have made the ultimate choice and God would have to let him go and let his choice be permanent.
[9] My proposed axiom that God cannot grant forgiveness except man himself or his intercessor prays to God for forgiveness does not apply to man. Man is not God. Man must forgive those who have sinned against him even though they have not asked for forgiveness. Not forgiving means not ever having inner peace. Indifference is not enough because indifference without forgiveness is a denial of forgiveness. To have inner peace one must have forgiven fully every wrong. Inner peace is God's peace, it is a peace that is from God's love, given to all by Christ Who has forgiven, a peace not of this world (John 14:27), a peace from God Who is love.
[10] From the book, Armstrong, Regis J. O.F.M. Cap. et.al. Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume I, The Saint. Page 409. New York: New York City Press, 2000, the following is excerpted:
"Therefore, that most holy man, who had come to know how to divide his time usefully between himself and those around him, on a certain occasion left the crowds of secular people, sought out a place of solitude, and took a few companions with him, in order to defend his repose from all the tumult of those who thronged to him. For, on occasion, he longed to have time free for God alone, and to shake off any dust he had picked up while dealing with men. And after his mind was quiet for a little while, he tasted the sweeter fruit of contemplation, then with all his heart he longed to know what to do to be able to make the sacrifice of himself more pleasing to the Lord." Emphasis original.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Finally!
January 1, 2010
I am gay. I have no child but if I ever had a one, this is what I would teach him:
The strength of a man is measured by his preparedness for:
weaknesses in his body;
failures in his profession;
rejections in his love life;
deceit by his intellect;
compassion in his judgment;
loneliness in his quiet moments;
and honesty with his conscience.
And I would pray for him, always, that heaven will never shut him out; that he will be able to enter his personal Garden of Eden in his mind whenever he needs to; that he will be permitted to have peace whenever he needs it.
I am gay. I have no child but if I ever had a one, this is what I would teach him:
The strength of a man is measured by his preparedness for:
weaknesses in his body;
failures in his profession;
rejections in his love life;
deceit by his intellect;
compassion in his judgment;
loneliness in his quiet moments;
and honesty with his conscience.
And I would pray for him, always, that heaven will never shut him out; that he will be able to enter his personal Garden of Eden in his mind whenever he needs to; that he will be permitted to have peace whenever he needs it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
