“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and Himself for me.”
--Galatians 2:20
We were ALL crucified with Christ. Through His crucifixion and death it was made possible for ALL souls to enter the gates of Heaven, and spend eternity with the Father and all His Glory!
Before Christ, the gates of Heaven were closed—no matter how virtuous a life someone lived, he or she had to wait for the Son of Man to take flesh, preach love and forgiveness, be ridiculed and slain, and rise up on the third day, so they could enter the Presence of God.
How sad and meaningless is life without the reward of Heaven on the other side? With Christ’s death this reality died.
What I want to stress is the necessity of God’s sacrifice—Christ, and in turn, Christ’s sacrifice—His body and blood, which is ever-present in the Eucharist.
Saint Paul says, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” I would have to imagine Saint Paul was referring to the Eucharist in this statement. There is no replacement, no better way for Christ to live in us that through the Blessed Sacrament! There is NOTHING more surreal, beautiful, miraculous, and all-LOVING than the celebration of Holy Mass, which occurs so close to us, so many times a day, re-enacting the ultimate sacrifice—that of GOD, for us…for us sinners!
There are countless saints whose ONLY desire, ONLY passion, every minute of every day, was to celebrate Mass and receive Christ into their bodies through the Eucharist. And how happy God was with them! How merciful He must have been when their earthly lives came to an end!
There is NO greater way to praise, give thanks, obtain healing of body, mind and spirit, as well as humble thyself, than to receive Christ into us. But be very mindful of your sins. We should always be as pure of heart and soul as possible when receiving the Blessed Sacrament. And receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin is actually damaging to the soul (see the saintly quotes at the end of post for further explanation of this)!
So be mindful of Mass. Pick up a copy of “JESUS; OUR EUCHARISTIC LOVE” by Father Stefano M. Manelli, FI, to learn of all the majesty and holiness of the Mass.
Make time for Mass. We make time for countless hours of smut and temptation-inspiring television, but we are too busy to attend Mass? Daily Mass is twenty minutes at the most. An episode of “Nip Tuck” is thirty minutes. An episode of “Desperate Housewives” is three times longer than daily Mass. Which do you think serves God, and makes him happy? I’ll put it on a line all its own for further emphasis:
We are too busy for Mass? For God? For the One who was wounded over 5,000 times so that we can be forgiven, and obtain eternal bliss?
Really? What if God was too busy to ever create us? What if He was too busy to create the world?
I am not perfect. I am far from perfect. Do I go to Daily Mass? No. And I should. I need to.
Go to confession, repent your sins, attend Mass as often as possible, and let Christ LIVE inside of you!
I will conclude this post with a series of quotes from various saints, regarding the Eucharist. I found these quotes in a little book, aforementioned, “JESUS; OUR EUCHARISTIC LOVE” by Fr. Stefano M. Manelli, FI. Thank you, Sean, it took me a few years to pick this book up, but is a life-changer, indeed!
“The Eucharist is a daily Bread that we take as remedy for the frailty we suffer from daily.” --Saint Augustine
“Every consecrated Host is made to burn Itself up with love in a human heart.”
--Cure´ of Ars
“We should not forget that Holy Thursday was the day for which Jesus had longed.”
--Luke 22:15
“It is not in order to occupy a golden ciborium that Jesus every day comes down from Heaven, namely, our soul, in which He takes delight, and when a soul well able to do so does not want to receive Jesus into its heart, Jesus weeps. Therefore, when the devil cannot enter with sin into a soul’s sanctuary, he wants the soul to be at least unoccupied, with no Master, and well removed from Holy Communion.”
--Saint Therese of Lisieux
“Endeavor not to miss Communion. We can scarcely give our enemy, the devil, greater joy than when we withdraw from Jesus, who takes away the power the enemy has over us.”
--Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
“My distractions are numerous, and with Jesus I learn to recollect myself. The occasions of offending God are frequent, and I receive strength every day from Him to flee from them. I need light and prudence to manage very difficult affairs, and every day I can consult Jesus in the Holy Communion. He is my great Teacher.”
--Saint Thomas More
“Those who have little to do must receive Communion often, since it is not inconvenient for them; the same also goes for those who have much to do, since then they have more need of it.”
--Saint Francis Desales
I pray that this post may inspire all to, not only attend Mass more regularly, but to do it with greater passion, love, and humility.
Love and GOD FOREVER!
Anthony Paul
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wait...wait...wait...He Answers Us Always!
“Let us conduct ourselves in all circumstances as God’s ministers, in much patience; in tribulations, in hardships, in distresses; in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults; in labors, in sleepless nights, in fastings; in innocence, in knowledge, in long-sufferings, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unaffected love; in the word of truth, in the power of God; with the armor of justice on the right hand and on the left; in honor and dishonor, in evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet truthful, as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold, we live, as chastised but not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet enriching many, as having nothing yet possessing all things.”
2 Corinthians 6: 4-10
In this passage Saint Paul is describing the perfect apostolic man. It is especially important to take notice of the overlying theme—patience. God does not work on our clock. As put by the pastor of Saint Mary’s in Gatlinburg this past Sunday, “God does not acknowledge time. Time does not even exist to Him.” And in very eloquent, as well as beautiful imagery, he went on to mention that ‘we are as close to the foot of the Cross on Sunday in Mass, as Mary and Saint John were on the day of Christ’s crucifixion!’
How could this possibly be?
God transcends time. He transcends everything. And He so loves us that, not only did He give His only Son—an extension of Himself, to atone for our sins nearly 2,000 years ago (in human time), He continues to give Christ as a sacrifice to us every single time a Mass is celebrated!
Why are the doors not flung open, with people pouring out onto the streets to receive the Most Holy Blessed Sacrament?
Because we are too impatient to take a very short amount of our daily time—time that is a privilege given to us by the Father, not a right obtained at our conception, to learn of God’s unending, unfathomable love and mercy.
Last night there was a football game. Of course there was a football game; there were many of them; it was Sunday. That’s the day we wake up, consume alcohol, eat fattening food, drape ourselves in various colors, and worship football. The last game of the night ended with a “questionable” coaching decision. On 4th and 2, at their own 29-yard-line, the team winning by 6 points decided to go for first down rather than punt. They didn’t get it, and ultimately lost.
Why is this so important, you may ask. It’s not.
But every time I look up at the televisions of my workplace they are talking about it, discussing it, beating the issue over the head with a thousand pound club, until we are all sick to our stomachs over the very thought of it.
How many times today did I look up and see a program about God or the Eucharist? Not once.
For thousands of years man has given God every reason to lose His patience with us, and he remains merciful and loving, no matter how many sins we commit against Him. We miss Sunday Mass, but we do not miss a single second of the football game. We consume our minds and lives, seeking the answer for riches and the ‘good life’ through “Secrets of the Mega Rich” articles in man-made business magazines, yet our bibles and prayer books gather dust on the shelves, while our churches remain half full. The very moment something “bad” happens in our lives, we give up hope, lose patience, and question His very existence. But He remains patient.
It is difficult to sit back and wait, especially in the “want it now” society we have built with various forms of technology. We want even our prayers to be heard immediately, and rewarded immediately.
I remember being a sophomore in high school, and saying a nightly devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, hoping to become the starting point guard on the basketball team. I was more devout to that chaplet, and that cause, than many since.
Day after day went by, and I practiced harder and harder, to no initial answer of my prayers. I persevered through the rest of my sophomore year, and was even stripped of my varsity jersey by the end of the season.
Over the following seven months I practiced every day, and I prayed every night. As the beginning of the season neared I was sure that my time had come. Then, one week before opening tip-off, I was demoted to second string, and days later, third string. Ultimately I spent the majority of my time playing junior varsity basketball for the third consecutive year. My hopes were crushed, but I did my best to endure the internal disappointment.
Finally, my senior year rolled around, and shortly into the fall we began practicing for the upcoming season. The idea of sitting out the season never crossed my mind. I had put too much time, sweat, and devotion into that team for three years to give up. Also, I had not reached my ultimate goal—starting point guard. So I practiced every day, and prayed every night, and just as it happened the previous two years, I was demoted from first string to second string days before the first game.
I was not discouraged; I was irate. I wanted to quit, but I loved my teammates, and I didn’t want to walk out on them. I figured I would still get to play quite a bit, even if I wasn’t a starter. I was wrong. I hardly played at all.
Four games into the season, I quit. I have never revealed that to anyone before now. I didn’t turn my jersey in, though, which I still believe to be a blessing. I skipped four consecutive practices. In my mind, my career was over. Then, on the afternoon of the next game I felt an irreplaceable feeling of emptiness. I could not imagine what I would do, or how I would feel if that game went on as scheduled, and I was not in uniform with my teammates. So I swallowed my pride, walked back in that gymnasium, and then into my coach’s office, and I pleaded for my spot on the team. He must have been in a good mood, or God somehow intervened, because he agreed to let me rejoin the team. I was sure that I would almost never play again, except in practice. But I was okay with it. I was satisfied knowing that I had not quit.
Several games later, one guy went down with the flu, and could not play. I walked into the locker room from pre-game warm ups, and my name was on the chalkboard, along with the other four starters. I had waited three and half years for that moment, practiced three and a half years for that moment, but most importantly, I prayed for three and a half years for that moment. And I started every remaining game in that season. My patience and perseverance was rewarded.
I still remember that story, every time I want to quit or succumb to a hardship. And that’s when I pick up my Rosary and pray. He’s patiently waiting, always!
I would like to conclude this post with a passage from Saint John Chrysostom:
“The weak and lazy quit immediately at the first difficulty; the earnest and the ardent, instead, persevere in Divine pursuits even in the face of a thousand obstacles; and as much as it lies within their power, they accomplish all things. It is particularly characteristic of the lover never to cease doing what pleases his beloved.”
Love and GOD FOREVER,
Anthony Paul
2 Corinthians 6: 4-10
In this passage Saint Paul is describing the perfect apostolic man. It is especially important to take notice of the overlying theme—patience. God does not work on our clock. As put by the pastor of Saint Mary’s in Gatlinburg this past Sunday, “God does not acknowledge time. Time does not even exist to Him.” And in very eloquent, as well as beautiful imagery, he went on to mention that ‘we are as close to the foot of the Cross on Sunday in Mass, as Mary and Saint John were on the day of Christ’s crucifixion!’
How could this possibly be?
God transcends time. He transcends everything. And He so loves us that, not only did He give His only Son—an extension of Himself, to atone for our sins nearly 2,000 years ago (in human time), He continues to give Christ as a sacrifice to us every single time a Mass is celebrated!
Why are the doors not flung open, with people pouring out onto the streets to receive the Most Holy Blessed Sacrament?
Because we are too impatient to take a very short amount of our daily time—time that is a privilege given to us by the Father, not a right obtained at our conception, to learn of God’s unending, unfathomable love and mercy.
Last night there was a football game. Of course there was a football game; there were many of them; it was Sunday. That’s the day we wake up, consume alcohol, eat fattening food, drape ourselves in various colors, and worship football. The last game of the night ended with a “questionable” coaching decision. On 4th and 2, at their own 29-yard-line, the team winning by 6 points decided to go for first down rather than punt. They didn’t get it, and ultimately lost.
Why is this so important, you may ask. It’s not.
But every time I look up at the televisions of my workplace they are talking about it, discussing it, beating the issue over the head with a thousand pound club, until we are all sick to our stomachs over the very thought of it.
How many times today did I look up and see a program about God or the Eucharist? Not once.
For thousands of years man has given God every reason to lose His patience with us, and he remains merciful and loving, no matter how many sins we commit against Him. We miss Sunday Mass, but we do not miss a single second of the football game. We consume our minds and lives, seeking the answer for riches and the ‘good life’ through “Secrets of the Mega Rich” articles in man-made business magazines, yet our bibles and prayer books gather dust on the shelves, while our churches remain half full. The very moment something “bad” happens in our lives, we give up hope, lose patience, and question His very existence. But He remains patient.
It is difficult to sit back and wait, especially in the “want it now” society we have built with various forms of technology. We want even our prayers to be heard immediately, and rewarded immediately.
I remember being a sophomore in high school, and saying a nightly devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, hoping to become the starting point guard on the basketball team. I was more devout to that chaplet, and that cause, than many since.
Day after day went by, and I practiced harder and harder, to no initial answer of my prayers. I persevered through the rest of my sophomore year, and was even stripped of my varsity jersey by the end of the season.
Over the following seven months I practiced every day, and I prayed every night. As the beginning of the season neared I was sure that my time had come. Then, one week before opening tip-off, I was demoted to second string, and days later, third string. Ultimately I spent the majority of my time playing junior varsity basketball for the third consecutive year. My hopes were crushed, but I did my best to endure the internal disappointment.
Finally, my senior year rolled around, and shortly into the fall we began practicing for the upcoming season. The idea of sitting out the season never crossed my mind. I had put too much time, sweat, and devotion into that team for three years to give up. Also, I had not reached my ultimate goal—starting point guard. So I practiced every day, and prayed every night, and just as it happened the previous two years, I was demoted from first string to second string days before the first game.
I was not discouraged; I was irate. I wanted to quit, but I loved my teammates, and I didn’t want to walk out on them. I figured I would still get to play quite a bit, even if I wasn’t a starter. I was wrong. I hardly played at all.
Four games into the season, I quit. I have never revealed that to anyone before now. I didn’t turn my jersey in, though, which I still believe to be a blessing. I skipped four consecutive practices. In my mind, my career was over. Then, on the afternoon of the next game I felt an irreplaceable feeling of emptiness. I could not imagine what I would do, or how I would feel if that game went on as scheduled, and I was not in uniform with my teammates. So I swallowed my pride, walked back in that gymnasium, and then into my coach’s office, and I pleaded for my spot on the team. He must have been in a good mood, or God somehow intervened, because he agreed to let me rejoin the team. I was sure that I would almost never play again, except in practice. But I was okay with it. I was satisfied knowing that I had not quit.
Several games later, one guy went down with the flu, and could not play. I walked into the locker room from pre-game warm ups, and my name was on the chalkboard, along with the other four starters. I had waited three and half years for that moment, practiced three and a half years for that moment, but most importantly, I prayed for three and a half years for that moment. And I started every remaining game in that season. My patience and perseverance was rewarded.
I still remember that story, every time I want to quit or succumb to a hardship. And that’s when I pick up my Rosary and pray. He’s patiently waiting, always!
I would like to conclude this post with a passage from Saint John Chrysostom:
“The weak and lazy quit immediately at the first difficulty; the earnest and the ardent, instead, persevere in Divine pursuits even in the face of a thousand obstacles; and as much as it lies within their power, they accomplish all things. It is particularly characteristic of the lover never to cease doing what pleases his beloved.”
Love and GOD FOREVER,
Anthony Paul
Monday, November 16, 2009
Prayer to Saint Francis of Assisi
Dear Saint Francis,
you reflected the image of Christ
through a life of poverty and humility.
You touched the poor with compassion
and joyfully served the sick and oppressed.
You gave away all your earthly treasures
to bring the heavenly glory of God to all people.
Though marked with the wounds of our Precious Lord's Passion,
you never exalted yourself above others.
Meek and gentle Saint Francis,
pray for me that I may be willing
to dedicate my life to Christ as you did.
Amen
Love and GOD FOREVER!
Anthony Paul
you reflected the image of Christ
through a life of poverty and humility.
You touched the poor with compassion
and joyfully served the sick and oppressed.
You gave away all your earthly treasures
to bring the heavenly glory of God to all people.
Though marked with the wounds of our Precious Lord's Passion,
you never exalted yourself above others.
Meek and gentle Saint Francis,
pray for me that I may be willing
to dedicate my life to Christ as you did.
Amen
Love and GOD FOREVER!
Anthony Paul
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Prayer to Saint Anthony
Dear Saint Anthony,
Be near today,
Help me seek and find
What's gone astray.
When darkness enters
Show me the light
To bring the lost
Into God's sight.
With the Infant Child
Embrace my soul;
Bless all my ways
And make me whole.
Amen.
Love and GOD FOREVER!
Anthony Paul
Be near today,
Help me seek and find
What's gone astray.
When darkness enters
Show me the light
To bring the lost
Into God's sight.
With the Infant Child
Embrace my soul;
Bless all my ways
And make me whole.
Amen.
Love and GOD FOREVER!
Anthony Paul
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
“I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophesy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
7 Or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
8 He who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore “If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
--Chapter 12 of Paul the Apostle’s Epistle to the Romans
This chapter is a simple “guidebook” per se, to living a Christian life.
Paul starts off by saying, “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” A living sacrifice, there is much to be said about this apparent contradiction, but, in short, God wants us to do everything for Him, and with Him in mind.
Being good, or, being a Christian, is not easy. The devil waits around every corner to trick us into what “feels” good. When we get home from work how often do we sit down and read the Bible, as opposed to watching television? And watching television is not a bad or sinful act, but it very quickly can become one. Although there is a great deal of “good” content, there is also a great deal of “sinful” content, which misleads our minds. Programs that contain violence, sex, idolatry may feel like harmless entertainment, because we are merely watching, but God is clear in stating that a sin is a sin in the mind just as much as it is a sin when physically acted.
Further on, Paul mentions the often overlooked principle that we, “have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function, So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one body.” Everyone gathers to hold hands and sing God’s praise at church every Saturday or Sunday. We listen to the words of the priest or preacher, and they fill our hearts with peace and joy. The words make sense, and during that moment we become filled with the Holy Spirit. Why does it turn upside down so quickly after we’re on the other side of those church walls? Is not the entire world God’s church? We could not bring ourselves to curse at another in church, or wish them evil in church, but we so naturally do it when we don’t like the way someone in front of us is driving. We so easily use insults and criticize others for the way they dress, talk, sing, act, but we would find such things blasphemous inside of a church. We must not forget that every place in the world is God’s church, and so we should try our best to act is if we are in God’s company, because, I assure you, we always are.
And we have gifts, so many gifts, but we do not use them, or even acknowledge them, because it is easier to do and think the opposite.
Some other line of work always seems more rewarding or fulfilling to us than what we are doing. Would daily life not be easier to enjoy and endure if we took pleasure in all the things we do, however menial, knowing we did our best job, and God is proud of us for it? Would we not sleep better at night if we took joy in our ability to accomplish the tasks we considered so meaningless when we were doing them? More often than not, I hear my co-workers complaining—about tips, getting refills, the way a customer ordered, the “stupid” questions the customer asked and how they are “stupid” for asking them. And when the customers leave a good tip, so rarely are the damaging words taken back. But when the customers leave a bad tip, every mean and evil comment one person can make towards another comes thoughtlessly flying out of their mouths—to the point, even, of wishing evil things upon them. It’s sad. It hurts God. He understands that we rely on those tips for a living, but would he ever condone or understand wishing illness on another person for any reason? No.
Very recently I decided to be very conscious of those negative habits of mine. By calling someone a bad name, I was calling God a bad name. By wishing them ill-fated occurrences, I was wishing God ill-fated occurrences. By valuing the money they would leave for my service over valuing my opportunity to serve them, for God, I was valuing money over God. And since I started looking at every table, every group of people, or just one person, as an opportunity to serve for God, I have found much greater daily peace. Even if I was required to wash their feet, and I used it as an opportunity to serve God, I could find reward in it. So I urge everyone to look at the tasks of your day in that way. You will find peace, I promise.
The second half of this chapter is rather self-explanatory. My favorite verse is 16, “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”
If you try to live like this, for no other reason that to please and serve God, you will be fulfilled. Even in times of darkness and hardship you will not give up, rather, you will overcome, and God will help you, and God will be happy with you. If you do.
Love and God Forever,
Anthony Paul
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophesy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
7 Or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
8 He who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore “If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
--Chapter 12 of Paul the Apostle’s Epistle to the Romans
This chapter is a simple “guidebook” per se, to living a Christian life.
Paul starts off by saying, “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” A living sacrifice, there is much to be said about this apparent contradiction, but, in short, God wants us to do everything for Him, and with Him in mind.
Being good, or, being a Christian, is not easy. The devil waits around every corner to trick us into what “feels” good. When we get home from work how often do we sit down and read the Bible, as opposed to watching television? And watching television is not a bad or sinful act, but it very quickly can become one. Although there is a great deal of “good” content, there is also a great deal of “sinful” content, which misleads our minds. Programs that contain violence, sex, idolatry may feel like harmless entertainment, because we are merely watching, but God is clear in stating that a sin is a sin in the mind just as much as it is a sin when physically acted.
Further on, Paul mentions the often overlooked principle that we, “have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function, So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one body.” Everyone gathers to hold hands and sing God’s praise at church every Saturday or Sunday. We listen to the words of the priest or preacher, and they fill our hearts with peace and joy. The words make sense, and during that moment we become filled with the Holy Spirit. Why does it turn upside down so quickly after we’re on the other side of those church walls? Is not the entire world God’s church? We could not bring ourselves to curse at another in church, or wish them evil in church, but we so naturally do it when we don’t like the way someone in front of us is driving. We so easily use insults and criticize others for the way they dress, talk, sing, act, but we would find such things blasphemous inside of a church. We must not forget that every place in the world is God’s church, and so we should try our best to act is if we are in God’s company, because, I assure you, we always are.
And we have gifts, so many gifts, but we do not use them, or even acknowledge them, because it is easier to do and think the opposite.
Some other line of work always seems more rewarding or fulfilling to us than what we are doing. Would daily life not be easier to enjoy and endure if we took pleasure in all the things we do, however menial, knowing we did our best job, and God is proud of us for it? Would we not sleep better at night if we took joy in our ability to accomplish the tasks we considered so meaningless when we were doing them? More often than not, I hear my co-workers complaining—about tips, getting refills, the way a customer ordered, the “stupid” questions the customer asked and how they are “stupid” for asking them. And when the customers leave a good tip, so rarely are the damaging words taken back. But when the customers leave a bad tip, every mean and evil comment one person can make towards another comes thoughtlessly flying out of their mouths—to the point, even, of wishing evil things upon them. It’s sad. It hurts God. He understands that we rely on those tips for a living, but would he ever condone or understand wishing illness on another person for any reason? No.
Very recently I decided to be very conscious of those negative habits of mine. By calling someone a bad name, I was calling God a bad name. By wishing them ill-fated occurrences, I was wishing God ill-fated occurrences. By valuing the money they would leave for my service over valuing my opportunity to serve them, for God, I was valuing money over God. And since I started looking at every table, every group of people, or just one person, as an opportunity to serve for God, I have found much greater daily peace. Even if I was required to wash their feet, and I used it as an opportunity to serve God, I could find reward in it. So I urge everyone to look at the tasks of your day in that way. You will find peace, I promise.
The second half of this chapter is rather self-explanatory. My favorite verse is 16, “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”
If you try to live like this, for no other reason that to please and serve God, you will be fulfilled. Even in times of darkness and hardship you will not give up, rather, you will overcome, and God will help you, and God will be happy with you. If you do.
Love and God Forever,
Anthony Paul
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Endurance
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
6 The hard working farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
9 For which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
I just happened to stumble upon this passage while at work a few days ago, browsing my pocket bible for a passage on “endurance”. My very recent past has been filled with many obstacles and hardships. Fortunately, I saw the “light” and fearlessly walked towards it. That does not make me perfect, in the wildest of imaginations, rather, as I said, FORTUNATE.
No one, in the history of the world, endured greater hardship than Christ. The very carrying of Him in the Virgin Mary’s womb was a hardship, because it was known that she and Joseph were not married—and out-of-wedlock intercourse was a much more scandalous occurrence in that time.
His birth and early infancy were hardships, as He was born amongst the filth and unsanitary conditions of a manger, in the dead of winter. Then, the Holy Family were forced to flee, from one place to another, in fear of the wrath of King Herod.
No one knows much of Jesus’ adolescence and young adulthood, but, being that Joseph was a carpenter, it can be assumed that Jesus himself was, first an apprentice, and then a carpenter. Daily life alone was difficult in that time and place of the world, let alone, being a carpenter.
Moving on to when Jesus commenced His ministry (around the age of 30), He was constantly confronted with outward and inward difficulty. First, His purpose was not to come out of the sky as an unavoidable “light” or super-human being, such as the Jewish people believed he would be. His purpose was to be human, experiencing every facet of human existence, other than sin. Imagine how difficult it would be for you or I to convince others that we are the Son of God, the Savior of the world, through only our words. Our failure at doing so would hardly affect us at all, because we know we are not the Son of God. For Jesus, though, He knew He was the Son of God. He knew it was His mission, His sole purpose in life, to convince the world of it, and mostly through His words. Even His miracles could be disbelieved or rejected by any who did not witness them. There was no television, internet, or any other technological device to record them. And maybe that is one of the main reasons He lived when He did. The purpose of faith is to “believe in something you cannot see.” Not when someone puts it on YouTube.
The last of Christ’s hardships is, quite obviously, His crucifixion and death. We all know how that went. Over five thousand wounds covered His body at the moment of His death. That is incomprehensible, to say the least!
When we face hardships in our lives, physical or emotional, it is easy to lose faith in God, because we assume God should always want nothing but happiness for us. But, we are indeed closer to Christ and, in turn, His and our Father, when we are entrenched in despair and lowly times. We could never experience truly what it felt like to be Christ—nowhere even close! But we can “endure” our hardships, and even find joy in some of them if we always keep in mind Christ’s hardships.
I said yesterday, to a very dear friend of mine, “Count the blessings, not the hardships. But know that we must endure pain to appreciate the good when we have it.” And I believe that, to the core of my being.
Skipping ahead to the end of this passage, I think it is crucial to look at the final three verses by themselves.
“This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.”
Because God is everything, so we are God—not literally the almighty Creator of all, but literally a creation of God, who is everything. That is nearly impossible to grasp. But when Christ died, so we died, since both He and us are creations of God, and therefore, a part of God Himself. The most important thing to remember is that Christ died so that we can live—not on earth, but in the company of God the Father, in heaven. And so, Christ died so we can die, and enter the gates of heaven, to LIVE with Him.
“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”
Once again, to revert back to what I said earlier about enduring hardships, God puts us in situations of hardship, because He wants us to overcome them by having faith in Him, so that we can enter the gates of heaven, and REIGN with Him.
“If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”
The second to last verse is rather self-explanatory. If we deny Him, and sin against Him, He will deny us entrance to heaven.
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”
The last verse provides the most impact. I cannot find it in me to interpret this in any other way than: God was! God is! God will FOREVER BE! Whether we believe or not, the treasure of our existence lies with Him, and it is ours for the taking, if we believe!
Love and GOD forever!
Anthony Paul
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
6 The hard working farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
9 For which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
I just happened to stumble upon this passage while at work a few days ago, browsing my pocket bible for a passage on “endurance”. My very recent past has been filled with many obstacles and hardships. Fortunately, I saw the “light” and fearlessly walked towards it. That does not make me perfect, in the wildest of imaginations, rather, as I said, FORTUNATE.
No one, in the history of the world, endured greater hardship than Christ. The very carrying of Him in the Virgin Mary’s womb was a hardship, because it was known that she and Joseph were not married—and out-of-wedlock intercourse was a much more scandalous occurrence in that time.
His birth and early infancy were hardships, as He was born amongst the filth and unsanitary conditions of a manger, in the dead of winter. Then, the Holy Family were forced to flee, from one place to another, in fear of the wrath of King Herod.
No one knows much of Jesus’ adolescence and young adulthood, but, being that Joseph was a carpenter, it can be assumed that Jesus himself was, first an apprentice, and then a carpenter. Daily life alone was difficult in that time and place of the world, let alone, being a carpenter.
Moving on to when Jesus commenced His ministry (around the age of 30), He was constantly confronted with outward and inward difficulty. First, His purpose was not to come out of the sky as an unavoidable “light” or super-human being, such as the Jewish people believed he would be. His purpose was to be human, experiencing every facet of human existence, other than sin. Imagine how difficult it would be for you or I to convince others that we are the Son of God, the Savior of the world, through only our words. Our failure at doing so would hardly affect us at all, because we know we are not the Son of God. For Jesus, though, He knew He was the Son of God. He knew it was His mission, His sole purpose in life, to convince the world of it, and mostly through His words. Even His miracles could be disbelieved or rejected by any who did not witness them. There was no television, internet, or any other technological device to record them. And maybe that is one of the main reasons He lived when He did. The purpose of faith is to “believe in something you cannot see.” Not when someone puts it on YouTube.
The last of Christ’s hardships is, quite obviously, His crucifixion and death. We all know how that went. Over five thousand wounds covered His body at the moment of His death. That is incomprehensible, to say the least!
When we face hardships in our lives, physical or emotional, it is easy to lose faith in God, because we assume God should always want nothing but happiness for us. But, we are indeed closer to Christ and, in turn, His and our Father, when we are entrenched in despair and lowly times. We could never experience truly what it felt like to be Christ—nowhere even close! But we can “endure” our hardships, and even find joy in some of them if we always keep in mind Christ’s hardships.
I said yesterday, to a very dear friend of mine, “Count the blessings, not the hardships. But know that we must endure pain to appreciate the good when we have it.” And I believe that, to the core of my being.
Skipping ahead to the end of this passage, I think it is crucial to look at the final three verses by themselves.
“This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.”
Because God is everything, so we are God—not literally the almighty Creator of all, but literally a creation of God, who is everything. That is nearly impossible to grasp. But when Christ died, so we died, since both He and us are creations of God, and therefore, a part of God Himself. The most important thing to remember is that Christ died so that we can live—not on earth, but in the company of God the Father, in heaven. And so, Christ died so we can die, and enter the gates of heaven, to LIVE with Him.
“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”
Once again, to revert back to what I said earlier about enduring hardships, God puts us in situations of hardship, because He wants us to overcome them by having faith in Him, so that we can enter the gates of heaven, and REIGN with Him.
“If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”
The second to last verse is rather self-explanatory. If we deny Him, and sin against Him, He will deny us entrance to heaven.
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”
The last verse provides the most impact. I cannot find it in me to interpret this in any other way than: God was! God is! God will FOREVER BE! Whether we believe or not, the treasure of our existence lies with Him, and it is ours for the taking, if we believe!
Love and GOD forever!
Anthony Paul
Thursday, November 5, 2009
All We Need Is Love
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging symbol.
2 And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide in faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these IS LOVE."
1 Corinthians Chapter 13
"Love--it is the only rational act."
--Stephen Levine
“Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality.”
--Victor Frankl
There is the old saying, "If you love something let it go. If it comes back to you, you know it loves you, too."
Love and let love. Let go and let GOD.
The hardest thing for us humans to do is love, even though it should be the most natural thing for us to do. Love is God, therefore it is impossible for us to love in its purest form, because we are not God. To forgive is human, to forget is Divine. No matter what we do to God, He will not only forgive us, but He will forget our transgressions, as long as our hearts and souls genuinely long for it. However, I am not sure if He forgets before or after we enter the gates of heaven.
We may please another by providing he or she with the necessary means of life--shelter, food, protection. We may also please another with gifts, both big and small. But where our LOVE is for them resides within the work we do to obtaining the needs and gifts. We love each other by peeling, slicing, and boiling the potatoes. We love each other by washing, seasoning, and cooking the meat. We love each other by getting in our car, driving to the store, and purchasing the items that will nurse our counterpart back to good health. We love each other by folding the laundry so that our counterpart does not have to. We love each other by washing the dishes so that our counterpart does not have to. We love each other by taking a trip we do not want to take, because we want to keep our love one safe, secure, and entertained. We love each other by handing over the remote control, and watching the program the person opposite of us wants to watch.
All of these acts are acts of service for another. Because we know God loves us by serving us, we know that we love God when we serve Him, and likewise, we can know we love each other by serving each other. But be very mindful of how you are serving that person, because love can only exist if God is present--and God is not present in wicked ways. If someone desires drugs, it is not an act of love to go get them drugs. If someone wants to watch a movie or television program that strays the mind, it is not an act of love to give them access to that material. If your boyfriend or girlfriend--not spouse--wants to feel the pleasure of intercourse, it is not an act of love to perform intercourse with them. There are innumerable ways to love someone, and there are innumerable ways to think you are loving someone. But the only way to truly LOVE someone is to bring them closer to God, with the help of GOD.
That is why a family that prays together stays together. Praying is LOVE. Asking God to protect someone, nourish someone, heal someone--that is LOVE. When we begin praying more for others than we do for ourselves, that is when LOVE will reign supreme, and all the earth will be happy and rejoice.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE...it is the ONLY rational act.
Love and GOD Forever,
Anthony Paul
2 And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide in faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these IS LOVE."
1 Corinthians Chapter 13
"Love--it is the only rational act."
--Stephen Levine
“Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality.”
--Victor Frankl
There is the old saying, "If you love something let it go. If it comes back to you, you know it loves you, too."
Love and let love. Let go and let GOD.
The hardest thing for us humans to do is love, even though it should be the most natural thing for us to do. Love is God, therefore it is impossible for us to love in its purest form, because we are not God. To forgive is human, to forget is Divine. No matter what we do to God, He will not only forgive us, but He will forget our transgressions, as long as our hearts and souls genuinely long for it. However, I am not sure if He forgets before or after we enter the gates of heaven.
We may please another by providing he or she with the necessary means of life--shelter, food, protection. We may also please another with gifts, both big and small. But where our LOVE is for them resides within the work we do to obtaining the needs and gifts. We love each other by peeling, slicing, and boiling the potatoes. We love each other by washing, seasoning, and cooking the meat. We love each other by getting in our car, driving to the store, and purchasing the items that will nurse our counterpart back to good health. We love each other by folding the laundry so that our counterpart does not have to. We love each other by washing the dishes so that our counterpart does not have to. We love each other by taking a trip we do not want to take, because we want to keep our love one safe, secure, and entertained. We love each other by handing over the remote control, and watching the program the person opposite of us wants to watch.
All of these acts are acts of service for another. Because we know God loves us by serving us, we know that we love God when we serve Him, and likewise, we can know we love each other by serving each other. But be very mindful of how you are serving that person, because love can only exist if God is present--and God is not present in wicked ways. If someone desires drugs, it is not an act of love to go get them drugs. If someone wants to watch a movie or television program that strays the mind, it is not an act of love to give them access to that material. If your boyfriend or girlfriend--not spouse--wants to feel the pleasure of intercourse, it is not an act of love to perform intercourse with them. There are innumerable ways to love someone, and there are innumerable ways to think you are loving someone. But the only way to truly LOVE someone is to bring them closer to God, with the help of GOD.
That is why a family that prays together stays together. Praying is LOVE. Asking God to protect someone, nourish someone, heal someone--that is LOVE. When we begin praying more for others than we do for ourselves, that is when LOVE will reign supreme, and all the earth will be happy and rejoice.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE...it is the ONLY rational act.
Love and GOD Forever,
Anthony Paul
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