Author Topic: Forgive So We Can Live and Let Live (Read 1777568 times)

cassini · « **Reply #110 on:** June 25, 2025, 11:16:31 AM »

Fr Sean again.
If You Know Jesus You’ll Focus on Heaven Rather than Earth

This Sunday Jesus’ Church remembers Peter and Paul and their unique roles as His apostles. Jesus founded His Church on Peter and He called Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Both these men came to know Jesus for who He was, namely the Messiah promised by God and the One who fulfilled all God’s promises in the Old Testament. Both started off life not knowing Jesus but came to know Him personally through their encounters with Him. Peter spent three years as Jesus’ disciple but denied knowing Him on Good Friday. Paul spent his young life trying to get rid of those who followed Him. Yet these two sacrificed their lives in fidelity to Jesus and the mission to which He called them, namely preaching the need for repentance and belief in the Gospel as the only means to attain salvation and eternal happiness in Heaven. Jesus ensured that this mission would continue until the end of time through His Church.

What It Means to “Know” someone

There is a big difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing the person. Knowing about someone is based on hearing what others say about him or her. Knowing someone is based on listening to him or her. That involves spending time in the person’s company. The only real knowledge we can have of anyone is what he or she tells us about himself or herself. Everything else is hearsay and not necessarily true. Many people know about Jesus but very few actually know Him. Why? Most people, even many who identify as Catholic or Christian, don’t know Jesus because they haven’t spent time listening to Him. Or if they say they listen they actually hear only what they want to hear, not what Jesus is actually saying. Jesus Himself said that many people “have ears but they don’t hear and eyes but they don’t see” (Mk 8:18). We’re all guilty of selective hearing where we hear but don’t heed. We hear only what suits us. But to know someone we have to open ourselves completely and fully accept what he or she is telling us. It was this that made the difference in the life of Peter and Paul. They lived life with a focus on Heaven rather than earth.

Importance of True Identity

Knowing the importance of correctly identifying someone, Jesus asked His disciples who people thought He was. “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (My 13:16-19). The answers they gave showed that the majority didn’t know who He was and confused Him with Old Testament prophets. Then Jesus pointed to the disciples themselves and asked, “But who do you say that I am?” It was then that Peter spoke up and declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus pointed out that Peter’s recognition of Him was not based on his own observation but on direct revelation from God. Knowing Jesus as true God and true Man requires Divine Revelation, which is the act of Jesus personally telling us who He is. St. Paul reminds us that “only in the Holy Spirit can we recognize Jesus as Lord” (1 Cor 12:3). The Holy Spirit does this today through His Church in her Sacraments where people come to know Jesus and personally experience His saving presence. Without the Church, founded by Jesus on Peter and continued in his successors under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we could not know Jesus’ true identity. Knowing one’s true identity is essential in order to develop a true relationship.

Living Life in Light of Jesus’ Teaching Involves Suffering

Sts. Peter and Paul came to know Jesus through their personal experiences of Him in their lives especially after Jesus’ Ascension when they were experiencing persecution for their Faith in Him as the leaders of His Church. Their personal knowledge of Jesus empowered them to live their lives in light of Heaven, rather than earth. They took Jesus’ teaching to heart when He said, “Seek first God’s kingship over you, His way of holiness, and all these other things will be given you besides. Let tomorrow take care of itself. Today has troubles enough of its own” (My 6:33-34). They came to see that Jesus would never abandon them if they relied on Him. God always rescues the faithful who may have to suffer in this world but are assured of happiness in Heaven. We see how Peter benefited from God who listened to the prayer of the Church for his freedom from imprisonment recorded in Acts 12:1-10). “(Herod) had him arrested and thrown into prison … He intended to bring him before the people after the Passover … the Church prayed fervently to God on his behalf … while Peter was sleeping guarded by two soldiers, fastened with double chains … suddenly an angel of the Lord … tapped Peter and woke him up… with that the chains dropped from Peter’s wrists … Peter followed the angel out … He declared ‘Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel to rescue me from Herod’s clutches and from all that the Jews hoped for.’” Here we see the power of the whole Church’s prayer whose Head is Jesus and whose soul is the Holy Spirit, more powerful than any human force. We confront injustice with prayer rather than violence.

Living in the Light of Jesus’ Teaching Assures Us of Victory

St. Paul gives witness to the freedom and assurance that comes from viewing life in light of Heaven rather than earth. He wrote to the bishop, Timothy (2 Tim 4:6-8) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” … The Lord stood by my side to give me strength, so that through me the preaching task might be completed and all the nations might hear the Gospel … The Lord will continue to rescue me from all attempts to do me harm and will bring me safe to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” Peter and Paul were crucified like Jesus demonstrating their love for Him and His mission to save people from their sins. They both answered Jesus’ question to His disciples, “Do you want to leave me also?” (Jn 6:67). In the words of Peter they responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe; we are convinced that You are God’s Holy One” (Jn 6:68). Only those who believe that Jesus has the words of eternal life are true believers. True believers are those who know that Jesus is present in His Church where He speaks His Word of truth and offers Himself as the food for our souls in the Holy Mass. All who truly know Jesus are active members of His Church. All others who identify as Catholic or Christian but are not active in His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church might know about Him but do not know Him personally. He and His Bride are one and share an intimate relationship. We share intimate knowledge of Jesus through being part of His Bride, namely His Church against which the gates of hell will not prevail (Mt 16:18). Are you living your life focusing on Jesus present in His Church or are you focusing on the earthly things? (fr sean)

cassini · « **Reply #111 on:** July 03, 2025, 11:09:24 AM »

Fr Sean again.
Jesus’ Church: A Structure, A Mission, A Method

Jesus came to establish the God’s Kingdom on earth (Mt 14:17). He calls everyone to, “Reform your lives! The reign of God is at hand” (Mt 3:2). He founded His Church to be the visible sign of God’s reign here on earth. Only membership in God’s Kingdom on earth guarantees eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus wanted His Kingdom to be a visible sign of His continued presence on earth after He had returned to His Father so He gave it a structure when He picked and trained twelve men to be His Apostles. From the Apostles He chose Peter as the “rock” on whom He would build His Church (Mt 16:18). He gave the keys of the Kingdom to Peter with the authority to bind and to loose (Mt 16:19), to forgive sin and to withhold forgiveness when repentance and a firm purpose of amendment were lacking. This Church, with Peter as head, would be the sign of His Kingdom established on earth wherein Jesus would be heard with the ears of faith, seen with the eyes of Faith, touched with the hands of faith, tasted with the tongue of faith, and smelled with the odour of faith in the Sacraments. Thus He promised His Apostles and their successors: “And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!” (Mt 28:20). Jesus, after His resurrection, chose to broaden the structure of His Church’s leadership by choosing seventy-two disciples, priests, to assist the Apostles in carrying out His Church’s mission. Jesus, as Head of His Church, made Peter His Vicar on earth with the other Apostles in union with him. They, in turn would be assisted by priests and deacons whom Jesus would call to ministry through the Apostles’ laying hands on them ordaining them to carry out the mission Jesus gave Peter, namely to, “Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17). Thus Jesus set up His Church’s hierarchical structure. This counters those who say they don’t believe in organized religion or the sacramental priesthood. I guess they believe in disorganized religion that matches their disorganized lives. The purpose of religion is to put order in one’s life both individually and communally.

Jesus’ vision was for all people to “have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). The mission entailed the enablement of men and women to unite with the Author of Life, namely God, from whom they were separated through their sinfulness. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, unity with God required repentance and forgiveness of sin. Jesus empowered Peter and the other Apostles to make forgiveness of sin possible by giving them, and through them His Church, the power to reconcile sinners to God in the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Mass. Bestowing the Holy Spirit on them, Jesus proclaimed, “‘As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ Then He breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound they are held bound” (Jn 20:21-22). This divine power is possessed only by the Church founded on Peter and nowhere else. Thus Jesus gave the Sacrament of Reconciliation to His Church to be administered through the priesthood to repentant sinners. In this Sacrament the removal of sin eliminates the obstacles between the creature and the Creator, thus enabling God to pour His life into the repentant and forgiven member of His Church. When this happens we experience Jesus’ gift of peace that no one else can give. Just before His Ascension, Jesus said to His Apostles, “Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace” (Jn 14:27). Peace flows from justice, which is about being right with God, with oneself and with one’s neighbour. Justice means that we give God His due, namely worship and obedience; we give ourselves our due, namely to be God’s image and likeness; and give our neighbour his or her due which is to treat him or her as we would want to be treated ourselves. Then we receive the peace Jesus wants us to give us. This was the gift Jesus commanded the seventy-two priests to bring to those whom they visited. He bade them that, “On entering any house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If there is a peaceable man there, your peace will rest on him; if not it will come back to you” (Lk 10:5-6). Jesus meant for His disciples to be bringers of peace by calling people to act justly, repent, seek forgiveness and believe in the Gospel. Genuine peace is possible because a merciful God gives us another chance to act in a just manner towards God, ourselves and our neighbour. Jesus told them to “cure the sick and say to them, ‘The reign of God is at hand’” (Lk 10:8). He is talking especially about the spiritually sick. As the sign of God’s Kingdom the Church promotes freedom, love, justice and peace for all people. God wants each person to be free, loving, just and peaceful. Thus we become fully human and fully alive giving glory to God.

Jesus gave His Apostles and disciples a methodology to foster His mission’s success. Outside of God’s Kingdom there’s neither freedom, love, justice, nor peace. Knowing that the materialistic and sinful world would be hostile to His Church as the visible sign of God’s Kingdom on earth, Jesus cautioned the leaders: “Be on your way, and remember: I am sending you as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Lk 10:3). He didn’t want them to be under any illusions that serving His mission in the world would be easy. He warned them to keep moving lest they get bogged down and discouraged. Discouragement is one of Satan’s lethal weapons. Satan loves to see Church leaders discouraged because he wants them to quit. To prepare the bishops, priests for this temptation, Jesus taught them, “If people of any town you enter do not welcome you, go into the streets and say, ‘We shake the dust of this town from our feet as testimony against you. But know that the reign of God is near” (Lk 10:10-11). Despite being unwelcomed they still had the satisfaction of testifying to God’s presence in their lives despite those who rejected them. God also reinforced their vocation as witnesses to Jesus’ living voice in the world: “He who hears you, hears me. He who rejects you, rejects me. And he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me” (Lk 10:16). Jesus confirmed that He and His Church are one and that His Church speaks on His behalf. Whatever is done to His Church is done to Him. St. Paul was made aware of that when Jesus confronted him for persecuting Jesus’ Church, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). Jesus and His Church are one because she is His Bride.

Jesus has given His Church a visible structure in which He calls people to Him and speaks His truth to them. The mission He has given His Church, under the visible leadership of the successor of Peter and his successors as the Bishops of Rome, is to bring peace to people by calling them to “act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly in God’s sight” (Micah 6:8) . Jesus makes this possible by giving us His Church on whom he has bestowed His vision and to which He has given a visible structure, a clear mission, and a definite methodology. Thus the Risen Jesus continues to be present here on earth offering His glorious body to His Father on behalf of His Church in the celebration of each of the Sacraments and especially in every Holy Mass. (fr sean)

15 Ways To Derail Yourself

1. Begrudge those who succeed.
2. Deny your mistakes and blame others.
3. Make your phone your best friend.
4. Focus on doing well rather than on being well.
5. Focus on short-term rather than on long-term gains.
6. Act as if you are always right.
7. Always try to please others.
8. Reach beyond your abilities.
9. Keep playing when you are losing.
10. Think that you know it all.
11. Treat others as if they were your clones.
12. Think that you can’t be outsmarted.
13. Think that you can control others.
14. Live by fear rather than faith.
15. Treat others as inferior to you.

cassini · « **Reply #112 on:** July 09, 2025, 07:37:02 AM »

Fr Sean again.
How Much Do You Love God?

We cannot love God without being receptive to His love for us. We make ourselves receptive to God’s love by doing His will because it is in doing His will that we realize He loves us. God has revealed His will for us in and through His Church that began to be formed by Him when He called Abraham to bring His blessing to the nations and was brought to completion by Jesus when He founded His Catholic (Universal) Church on Peter. The Church, under the leadership of Peter and his successors, the bishops of Rome, guided by the Holy Spirit, continues to evangelize all nations and generations calling every person to obey God’s will by following Jesus Christ as members of His Church.

God’s Will

What is God’s will? We don’t live in God’s will; rather we use our will to choose to do His will. Jesus fully revealed God’s will in His example and teaching, which He hands on through His Church. It’s God’s will that we repent and believe in the Gospel (Mk 1:15). We find it revealed in Deuteronomy known as the “Shema Israel” (Deut 6:4-9). It is also known as “The Great Commandment to, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” In Deuteronomy 30:10-14 Moses lamented the people’s infidelity and reminded them of the importance of returning to doing God’s will. “If only you would heed the voice of the Lord your God, and keep His Commandments and statutes that are written in the Book of the Law, when you return to the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul …this command is not too mysterious and remote for you … it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” Once you say a wholehearted “Yes” to obey God He provides you with the wherewithal to be faithful and loyal. All you and I have to do, like the Nike sign says, is just do it! When you do His blessings flow into your mind, soul and heart.

Love the Neighbour

Later on in Leviticus 9:18 God revealed that His will also commanded us to “love your neighbour as yourself.” However it wasn’t until Jesus came, that the two Commandments were combined into one “Law of Love” where love of God is reflected in love of neighbour and vice versa – love of God becomes visible in love of neighbour. If we really love God we’ll show it by loving our neighbour. If we refuse to love our neighbour it follows that we love neither God nor ourselves. This is reinforced in (1 Jn 4:20: “If a man says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” It follows from this that we measure our love for God by how much we love our neighbour. In Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus made the love of neighbour the criterion for judging each of us when He revealed that, “whatever you did for one of the least of brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me” (Mt 25:40).

The Visible Sign of Love of God

Since Jesus, who “is the image of the invisible God … through whom all were created for Him” and who “is the head of the body, the church” (Col 1:15-20), emphasized the centrality of loving our neighbour as the visible sign of our love for Him, we need to understand who is our neighbour. In Luke 1:15-20 Jesus identifies our neighbour in the story of the Good Samaritan. The word ‘neighbour” simply means “the one who lives near.” Jesus expanded the definition of neighbour to mean the one who is in need regardless of whether he or she lives near or far away, whether a friend or a stranger. This is evident in the actions of the Samaritan.

Jesus combined the love of God enshrined in the Shema and love of neighbour in Leviticus when He commanded His followers: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There’s no commandment greater than these” (Mk 12:30-31). Thus Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments – the first three identify how we show our love for God and the next seven identify how we show our love for our neighbour, with our father and mother being our first neighbours. In combining love of God with love of neighbour Jesus made neighbourliness a key trait of what it means to a faithful member of His Church.

Who Is My Neighbour

A lawyer questioned Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responded by asking the lawyer, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He answered by quoting from Deuteronomy and Leviticus. To clarify things even further, He asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus responded with the parable about three men, two Jews and a Samaritan who came across a man lying by the roadside victimized by robbers. The two Jews didn’t help the man fearing that he might be dead and they would be rendered unclean, preventing them from entering the Temple to worship God. The Samaritan on the other hand, not bound by Jєωιѕн laws, stopped to help the man. He tended his wounds and took him to an inn where he paid the proprietor for everything that the man might need and promised to stop by on his way back. Jesus asked the lawyer, “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbour to the robbers’ victim?” There was only one answer: “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Then Go and do likewise.”

Love Is Neighbourliness

The message is clear: Worship of God implies a spirit of neighbourliness toward anyone who is in need, whether friend or foe. The sign of peace before receiving the Lord in Holy Communion symbolizes a spirit of neighbourliness toward one another in preparation to receive Jesus’ love in Holy Communion. If we’re not willing to help one another how can we ask Jesus to help us? To do so would be hypocritical.

The Measure of Love

There is another dimension to loving our neighbour, namely that it’s not only a measure of how much we love God but it’s also a measure of how much we love ourselves. The commandment is to “love our neighbour as our self.” That means we must treat our neighbour as if he or she were us. If we don’t love our neighbour it means we don’t love ourselves, and if we don’t love ourselves it means that we don’t love God. To love God means that we let God love us by entering into our life and making us like Him. Since God is love, you and I can’t love unless we let God love us. That is a fact. To love, then, we must let Him love us. Jesus sets His love for us as the standard for love for God, our self and our neighbour. “You must love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). To love others as much as Jesus loves us means that we must lay down our life for our friends, including those in need (Jn 15:13). Heaven is only for good neighbours while hell is filled with bad neighbours.

Be Like The Best Samaritan

Christians are those who are “Christened” or “Christed,” empowered to live and act in Christ’s name implementing His vision for the world. As members of Jesus’ Church we recognize Him as not only the Good Samaritan but the Best Samaritan who tends the wounds of all He comes across at His expense. We recognize that He sacrificed Himself to save us from Satan’s destruction. As Jesus showed His unconditional love by laying down His life not only to save His friends but also His enemies, we are called to witness to others, regardless of the inconvenience, what Jesus does for people on a daily basis. We thank God for neighbours in need, even those who seem to be from hell, because they provide us with the opportunity to show our love for God and for ourselves. If Jesus is the first and foremost Good Samaritan, you and I as true members of His Church through the power of the Holy Spirit, must be the best Samaritans willing to help those who need our services, regardless of the cost, as we travel the road of life with Heaven as our destiny. (fr sean)

Christian Wisdom for Joyful Living

Be Fishers of Men.... You catch 'em, He'll Clean 'em.

A clean conscience makes a soft pillow.
A family altar can alter a family.
A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
Are you wrinkled with burden? Come on into Church for a faith lift!
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
Do your best and then sleep in peace. God is Awake.
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
Exercise daily. Walk with the Lord!
Fear knocked. Faith answered. No one was there.
For all you do, His blood's for you!
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
Give God what's right, not what's left!
Give Satan an inch and he'll be your ruler.
God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
God doesn't want shares of your life; He wants controlling interest!
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts"!
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
Having truth decay? Brush up on your Bible!
He who angers you, controls you!
He who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.

cassini · « **Reply #113 on:** July 16, 2025, 12:45:06 PM »

Fr Sean again.
Are You a Hospitable Person?

Every person seeks happiness in one way or another. God created us to be happy with Him for all eternity. We have an inalienable right, not to be happy, but to pursue it. But what will make us happy and where will we find it? The dictionary defines happiness as having good fortune. The important question for each of us is what will bring us good fortune? It’s a key question because our answer is what directs our life, our efforts and resources. Jesus reminds us, “Wherever your treasure lies, there your heart will be also” (Lk 12:34). What we treasure is what we think will make us happy. Ask yourself: “What do I treasure the most in my life? Will it bring me permanent happiness?

The Old Testament people considered idolatry, adultery, and inhospitality to be the worst sins a person could commit. The first two were clearly forbidden by God’s Commandments: “You shall not have other gods besides me” (Ex 20:3) and “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14). Hospitality means being friendly to guests. In the desert a lack of hospitality could mean death to the traveller in need of shelter and water. Being inhospitable was considered to be a serious sin along with idolatry and adultery because of their evil effects on the wellbeing of the community. Idolatry divided and weakened the community through adoring false gods. Adultery divided and weakened the family structure betraying one’s vows and trust, and inhospitality threatened the life of the desert traveller who depended on the people’s generosity for shelter, food, safety, and warmth. This spirit of hospitality as the key to happiness is evident in Abraham who welcomed three travellers who turned out to be God’s angels. Abraham sitting outside his tent, “Looking up he saw three men … He ran from his tent to greet them … ‘Let some water be brought that you may bathe your feet and rest yourselves under the tree … Let me bring you a little food that you may refresh yourselves’” (Gen 18:1-10). Abraham’s hospitality was rewarded by God’s gift of a son to him and Sarah, even though she was past child-bearing age. God always rewards hospitality.

It isn’t the good deed that makes us happy, but the fact that God blesses us for it. Happiness doesn’t come from our actions but from God who gives us the power to perform them. We can’t make ourselves happy, and neither can any other human being. Only the Creator can fulfil the hopes and dreams of the creature. Only God can make us happy. St. Paul testifies that Jesus is the source of his happiness even in the midst of suffering. “Even now I find my joy in the suffering I endure for you” (Col 1:24). He points out that “the mystery of Christ in you is your hope of glory” (Col 1:27). The fact that Jesus alone leads us to happiness is what motivated Paul to proclaim, “For this I work and struggle, impelled by that energy of His which is so powerful a force within me” (Col 1:29). Jesus is Paul’s treasure and he has set his heart in Him as the source of his energy and joy.

There’s a saying that, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” There should be another saying that says, “All work and no prayer makes Jack an unhappy boy.” The Psalmist wrote “He who walks blamelessly and does justice will live in the presence of the Lord” (Ps 15:2). What does it mean to walk blamelessly and do justice? To do justice is to give everyone his or her due. To walk blamelessly is to avoid sin. It follows, then, that the one who leads us to happiness is due our fullest attention and deserves to be first in our life. If Jesus is our Saviour, the only one who is the truth, shows us the way to Heaven, and gives us life that is eternally happy, surely it follows that in justice we must welcome Him into our heart as our most important Guest. This is what prayer, worship, praise and adoration, namely welcoming Jesus into our life as the most important guest of our soul are all about. Prayer, worship, praise, and adoration are acts of justice and hospitality on our part toward God giving Him His due. When we give God His due we open ourselves up to His grace that brings us happiness. It also brings peace because peace flows from justice.

St. Luke relates the experience of Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha and Mary where He addresses the virtue of hospitality. Both sisters welcomed Jesus into their home, but in different ways. Martha’s hospitality was expressed in doing something for Jesus while Mary’s hospitality focused on being with Him. Martha, busy cooking and feeling overwhelmed with getting the meal ready, complained to Jesus, “Lord, are you not concerned that my sister has left me to do the household tasks all alone? Tell her to help me” (Lk 10:40). Jesus listened intently and reminded her about what makes hospitality a happy experience. He said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things; one thing only is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it” (Lk 10:41). I wonder if she felt somewhat dispirited when He said that. After all, it seemed like a reasonable request. Martha saw herself as doing everything while Mary was doing nothing? What was Jesus doing? He was calming Martha’s anxiety and also correcting her priorities. He was trying to help her understand that doing things for others is less important than spending time with them. To know what a person wants we need to spend time listening to him or her. There’s a story about a group of single men discussing the story of Martha and Mary as to which one each would be the better wife. One said that Martha would be a better wife because she was a good cook. Another said that Mary would be a better wife because she was so sweet and thoughtful and loving giving her whole attention to her husband. The third man said that even though he didn’t believe in bigamy he would like to marry both saying, ‘I would like Martha before supper and Mary after supper.’

Hospitality brings happiness when we realize that doing for others, if it is to be a happy experience, must be preceded by spending time with them first. Similarly doing things for God must be preceded by spending time in His presence first. Being with a person is far more important than doing for him or her. But it is easier to do than to be. Prayer focuses us on God and the importance of listening to Him telling us what His will is and what He wants us to do. Without listening to Him first we risk going off in all directions and then feel overwhelmed like Martha, depriving ourselves of the happiness that our doing is meant to bring. Loving our neighbour must always be preceded by loving God first. Then whatever we do to show our love will bring us joy and happiness. It is in giving that we receive but we must realize that every good thing comes from God and so we must always spend time with Him so He can direct us as to how we can happily welcome others and best cater to their needs. (fr sean)

5 Things to Practice that Keeps You in Control of Your Emotions
Let it go: When someone triggers you, just let it go. It is a reminder of a sore spot in you that needs healing.
Accept what is: It is a waste of time and energy to wish your reality was something else. Focus on what you have and move on to create a better reality for yourself.
Don’t try to control others: If they want to leave, let them. If they want to be unhappy, let them. If they want to do something that you know is bad for them and you advise them not to, don’t feel rejected because they chose to ignore your advice.
Trust that everything has its proper time: Believe that what happens to you happens when it is best for your maturity and self-worth.
Be positive: They remind you of your strengths and provide you with opportunities for joy. Notice the positives in your life because they help you heal your sore spots where you are easily triggered into reacting emotionally.

20 Signs That a Person Is Manipulating You Emotionally (Mind Journal)
They try to control you.
They try to make you feel guilty
They belittle your opinions or belief
They always play the victim
They try to make you feel inferior
They refuse to discuss or communicate
They refuse to be accountable for anything
They try to make you feel insecure
They act like they don’t understand when you disagree with them
They expect you to follow their rules
They don’t acknowledge your feelings
They twist your words to benefit them
They try to embarrass or humiliate you
They spread lies to paint you in a bad light
They leave you feeling crazy and confused
They blame their insecurities on your flaws
They give you the cold shoulder for not conforming to them
They try to make you fearful or inadequate for not conforming to them
They focus on the negatives in your past to avoid facing their present wrongdoings
They say offensive things to you that they mean but call it a joke

cassini · « **Reply #114 on:** July 23, 2025, 11:42:07 AM »

Fr Sean again.
Prayer Is an Act of Intimacy with God

Many years ago I had the sad experience of conducting the burial service for a young father who died from gunshot wounds. As the coffin was being lowered into the grave his ten-year old daughter kept calling out, “Daddy, Daddyyyy….” Her voice slowly trailed off as the coffin went out of sight. She was losing her protector, provider, and the one with whom she was able to have an intimate and safe relationship sharing her deepest thoughts knowing that she was loved. Intimacy means having a close relationship with another person where you can share your innermost thoughts knowing you’ll still be acknowledged, affirmed, and loved for who you are and can be. Each of us needs intimacy, namely a trusting and safe relationship where we’re not afraid to reveal our deepest self with its strengths and weaknesses. It enables us to value and love ourselves because in an intimate relationship we can see more clearly who we are, what we’re about, and what fulfils us. On a mental level this is facilitated by communication and on a spiritual level it is facilitated by prayer. Prayer is the umbilical cord that keeps us attached to God. Prayer is an expression of an intimate relationship between God and us, individually and communally.

Jesus' Intimacy with His Father

Jesus’ Apostles saw Him express His intimate relationship with His Father as He took the time to pray to Him. Seeing this they asked Him to teach them a special prayer that would enshrine their intimate relationship with God and with one another. They asked Jesus: “Lord, teach us to pray …” (Lk 11:1). He responded and said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come’” (Lk 11:2). The Aramaic word for father is ‘Abba’ and has the same implication as ‘Daddy,’ a word that expresses the intimate and trusting relationship of parent and child. Jesus intimately addressed God the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Abba (O Father), You have the power to do all things. Take this cup away from me. But let it be as You would have it, not as I” (Mk 14:36). In teaching His Apostles to call God “Abba,” Jesus called them to view prayer as an intimate conversation between God as their loving Father and themselves as His beloved children. Recently I was visiting a family and the fourteen-year old daughter entered the room and sat beside her Dad who kissed her on the cheek. She lovingly returned the gesture. It reflected that special father-child relationship. Prayer is an intimate experience of trust and sharing between God and His children. This involves the humble realization that God is our perfect Father and we’re the children whom He perfects. The Father’s role is always to be the leader and the teacher, the protector and the provider in the family. The children are the lovingly obedient followers and the learners. Thus the family is strengthened, secure, and joyful.

Abraham's Intimacy with God

We see this kind of intimate trust in the relationship of Abraham and God in the Old Testament. Sodom and Gomorrah were wallowing in immorality and inhospitality. God was about to punish the citizens for their blatant sinfulness and abuse of their sɛҳuąƖity. Abraham interceded with God to save the innocent lest the punishment of the wicked accidently fall on them. God listened to Abraham because of his intimate relationship with Him and He promised to withhold punishment for the sake of the faithful, no matter how small their number might be. Abraham interceded with God, “‘What if there are at least ten there?’ God replied, ‘For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it’” (Gen 18:32). God always listens to the prayer that flows from a spirit of intimacy. The Psalmist expressed this when he prayed: “I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with all my heart, for You have heard the words of my mouth … When I called You answered me; You built up strength within me” (Ps 138:1, 3). The Psalmist’s intimacy with God assured him that his prayer would be fruitful.

A Prayer of Belonging

The prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray that we call “The Lord’s Prayer” focuses us on the intimate relationship that God wants to have with us, namely that of a loving father as that of a father calling us to be obedient and trusting children (Lk 11:2). This prayer not only reflects an intimate relationship with God as our Father but also an intimate relationship with one another as His children, brothers and sisters to one another. We don’t pray as isolated or unrelated individuals, but as His sons and daughters. This intimate prayer flows from an awareness of ourselves as members of God’s family whose true home is with our Father in Heaven. We pray with our eyes fixed on our destination where we’ll have the perfect joy of being in the arms of our heavenly Father. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we express the fact that we never pray alone.

God Fulfils All Our Needs

The Church is God’s family united in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit intimately conversing with our heavenly Father. In this prayer we bless God's Name and yearn for God’s Kingdom of freedom, love, justice and peace which results from our intimacy with Him. We seek to do God’s will on earth because it’s His will that we be in a loving relationship with Him as our Abba, and with one another as brothers and sisters. As St. Paul reminds us, “All you who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. You did not receive a spirit of slavery leading you back into fear, but a spirit of adoption through which we cry out, ‘Abba!’ that is ‘Father’” (Rom 8:14-15). The prayer of intimacy empowers us to live by faith, not by fear. God is a Father who provides for our nourishment, our “daily bread” to nourish both our body and our soul in the fruits of the earth and in the Holy Mass. He gives us the gift of forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that when we disobey Him and hurt one another we can reconcile and overcome sin and temptation by reuniting with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit in His Church.

A Unique and Perfect Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer has a more complete form in Matthew’s Gospel (6:9-13) which the Church teaches us and which we pray at every Holy Mass. Apart from the Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours the Lord’s prayer is the most perfect prayer. Actually there is no other prayer that is not contained in this prayer. It contains everything we need to express our intimate love for God and our total reliance on Him. There is no prayer that contains anything that isn’t found in the Lord’s Prayer. This is the only prayer we need to pray but we must pray it in a spirit of intimacy. I recommend reading what the Church’s teaching on the Lord’s Prayer in her Catechism, beginning with paragraph 2759 where she says that it “contains the whole Gospel.” It shows us that our proper disposition in prayer must be that of a child toward his or her father. That’s why Jesus insisted that entering Heaven requires that we become like a little child. “He called a little child over and stood him in their midst and said, ‘I assure you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of God. Whoever makes himself lowly, becoming like this child, is of greatest importance in that Heavenly reign” (Mt 18:2-4). If you want your prayer to be an intimate expression of your relationship with God, you must see yourself as a child conversing with God as your loving Father who is your Protector, Provider, Life-giver who loves you unconditionally and wants to take you into His arms forever and ever. (fr sean)

Why go to Mass?

A Church-goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

CathInfo.com

Author Topic: Forgive So We Can Live and Let Live (Read 1777568 times)

cassini

Re: Forgive So We Can Live and Let Live

cassini

Re: Forgive So We Can Live and Let Live

cassini

Re: Forgive So We Can Live and Let Live

cassini

Re: Forgive So We Can Live and Let Live

cassini

Re: Forgive So We Can Live and Let Live