Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions (Mk 11:26)
Sound advice today from the Christ. It reminds me of something a wise man might tell his grandson, some great truth he had found through his years of life experience. He could tell him a lot of other stuff too, about money, women and power, but he knows that the wheel must be discovered once again: each generation, each individual seems to need to go these rites of passage itself. Don't be deceived by the world; there is more here and now than we can ever hope for, so believe! Prayer is powerful. Forgiveness is powerful. Of all that a man does in his lifetime, this matters most.
Therefore be serious and sober-minded so that you will be able to pray. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another (1 Pt 4:7-10)
Another old man in the family, great uncle Pete, builds on granddad's wisdom. With mindful living let our love be intense: don't be shallow or Selfish, stay focused and vigilant on the narrow path of goodness. Good, practical advice for strayed children, wayward youths, confused nephews and distracted nieces. I especially enjoy his encouragement of us to share our toys and serve one another.
Today we have a memorial for St. Justin, whose tale reminds me of Siddhartha Gautama's years in the wilderness before he found enlightenment and stayed to share his gift with open arms and of a middle aged man adrift for years dabbling here and there in his efforts to find Truth at the heart of life and love.
The Jesuits of Ireland relate: "In the opening of the Dialogue Justin relates his vain search among the Stoics, Peripatetics, and Pythagoreans for a satisfying knowledge of God; his finding in the ideas of Plato ways to attain the contemplation of the Godhead; and his meeting on the seashore with an elderly man who told him that only by divine revelation could blessedness be attained, that the prophets had conveyed this revelation to humanity and their words had been fulfilled. Through his own studies he became convinced of the truth of their teachings. And the daily life of Christians and the courage of the martyrs convinced him that the accusations thrown against them were false." (Sacred Space) Thus he found his truth in Christianity.
The Truth is everywhere, me thinks. Choose your vehicle and stick to it with love and wisdom. Despite all the nonsense and troubles, all the deviations and threats, all the personal attacks and grief, there is the power of prayer, the power of forgiveness and the power of love to cover sin, spread joy, illuminate the Way, touch the Ultimate and make life truly worth living for all mankind here and now.
Deo gratias.
When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions (Mk 11:26)
Sound advice today from the Christ. It reminds me of something a wise man might tell his grandson, some great truth he had found through his years of life experience. He could tell him a lot of other stuff too, about money, women and power, but he knows that the wheel must be discovered once again: each generation, each individual seems to need to go these rites of passage itself. Don't be deceived by the world; there is more here and now than we can ever hope for, so believe! Prayer is powerful. Forgiveness is powerful. Of all that a man does in his lifetime, this matters most.
Therefore be serious and sober-minded so that you will be able to pray. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another (1 Pt 4:7-10)
Another old man in the family, great uncle Pete, builds on granddad's wisdom. With mindful living let our love be intense: don't be shallow or Selfish, stay focused and vigilant on the narrow path of goodness. Good, practical advice for strayed children, wayward youths, confused nephews and distracted nieces. I especially enjoy his encouragement of us to share our toys and serve one another.
Today we have a memorial for St. Justin, whose tale reminds me of Siddhartha Gautama's years in the wilderness before he found enlightenment and stayed to share his gift with open arms and of a middle aged man adrift for years dabbling here and there in his efforts to find Truth at the heart of life and love.
The Jesuits of Ireland relate: "In the opening of the Dialogue Justin relates his vain search among the Stoics, Peripatetics, and Pythagoreans for a satisfying knowledge of God; his finding in the ideas of Plato ways to attain the contemplation of the Godhead; and his meeting on the seashore with an elderly man who told him that only by divine revelation could blessedness be attained, that the prophets had conveyed this revelation to humanity and their words had been fulfilled. Through his own studies he became convinced of the truth of their teachings. And the daily life of Christians and the courage of the martyrs convinced him that the accusations thrown against them were false." (Sacred Space) Thus he found his truth in Christianity.
The Truth is everywhere, me thinks. Choose your vehicle and stick to it with love and wisdom. Despite all the nonsense and troubles, all the deviations and threats, all the personal attacks and grief, there is the power of prayer, the power of forgiveness and the power of love to cover sin, spread joy, illuminate the Way, touch the Ultimate and make life truly worth living for all mankind here and now.
Deo gratias.
No comments:
Post a Comment