Category: Spiritual

Do Not Bury Love!

Are We Using Our Talents Well?

We have a new life in Jesus, are we making a difference?

As we come closer to the end of the Liturgical Year, we move our thoughts to the end of time. Many people think about getting for the End Times, but Jesus reminds us to Live Ready! This is important in the Parables of Jesus, and it is also important for our Wholistic Health!

Live Ready!

The Master gives talents:

“For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.”
Matthew 25:14-15

For us let us call the talent love.

In the Gospel selection we see the Master return and evaluate his servants. He is happy with two and upset with one. The key is what they did with what they were given.

The ones who used the talents they received and multiplied them were rewarded. The one who buried the talent that was lent to him, lost everything!

If the talent we have is the capacity to love, we must not bury it!

Or as Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change!”.

As we enter Thanksgiving Week here in the U. S., there will be challenges. As we enter the end of the Liturgical Year 2023 and are reminded to be ready for the End Times, one key take away is do not bury the talents that the Master has lent to us! The Master expects us to be fruitful!

Do not bury Love! Use it well and unselfishly!

Pax,
The Hermit of Peace.

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Got Oil?

Got Oil in Your Lamp?

Jesus is coming, are we ready?

In the Parable of the Virgins in the Gospel of St. Matthew, we have a scene of the Virgins that are waiting for the Groom to get them and bring them to the Wedding Feast. This was done in the night; hence everyone needed a source of light to walk. The Wise Virgins were ready, but the Foolish Ones were not. It was too late for the Foolish Ones.

Jesus concludes this Parable with:

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Matthew 25:13

As we come close to the end of the Church’s Liturgical Year, we are reminded of the end times. But our reality is that any time has the potential of being the end time for us. Every night before we go to bed may be the end time. Are we ready for Jesus?

Got oil?

In other words, are we prepared to meet Jesus if he knocks on our door? There is a simple solution, but many of us find it hard to do.

St. Peter tell us in his Epistle:

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8

Want Oil? Love everyone! Make peace and do not hold on to grudges. Remember, in Heaven even our enemies will be our friends!

Live Heaven Now!

Pax. Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

Wholeness of Life Matters!

How We Live Reveals Who We Are!

Jesus had a real problem with hypocrisy! He was quite clear to the religious leadership of His people, Judaism. He heard one thing from their mouths, but He saw something different in their actions. Jesus found their way of living a major cause of His concern for them and the people that they were serving.

Jesus wanted better for His people, then and now!

It is not enough to have a title like teacher or father. All teachers, for Jesus’ Followers, must have as their real Teacher Jesus! All fathers, if they are Jesus’ Followers, must have Father God as their real Father Source! This requires the leadership of the people to be teachable!

Jesus tells us:

“He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbled himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:11-12

Being humble means being teachable! Being able to be taught by Father God and the Lord Jesus will allow each one of us to be Servant-Leaders after the Heart of Jesus!

Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

The Shema Life

Living Divine Love!

The ancient Hebraic statement of faith is central to Jesus and the Holy Family of Nazareth and must be central to those who follow Jesus!

Jesus states in the Gospel of Matthew:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul and with all of your mind.”
Matthew 22:37

And along with this statement of faith, which is and continues to be central to those who follow Him, Jesus tells us how this statement of faith is to be accomplished. This love must be lived in daily living:

“You shall love your neighbor as you yourself.”
Matthew 22:39

The Trinity of Love!

Jesus brings together the Way of Life of His People Judaism and confirms it for the whole world in His Life, Passion and Death on the Cross and Holy Resurrection! There are three movements of Divine Love which would bring Heaven on Earth, if we, as a people, put it into practice. This Trinity is, love of God, love of self, so that we can truly love our neighbor as God wants us to!

We cannot change anyone, but we can allow God to change us, and in doing so, we can inspire others to surrender to God, who can and will change them too!

Remember, if we know we are powerless, and we know that God is the Ultimate Power in the Universe, and we surrender ourselves to God, God has the power to change us!

Blessings! Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

Forgiveness Matters!

Let The Lord Come In!

Many things that we do block the Lord’s entry into our lives. One key way of letting the Lord in Is forgiving those we deal with on every level of our existence.

The concept is clear. The Lord’s Prayer reveals this to us every time we pray it. For me that is many times a day. Jesus tells us to pray and to live these words,

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Matthew 6:12

But do we hear what we pray?

It is difficult for us to live these words, because they go against the way we do things in the world. However, if we want to welcome God in, we must take on Divine Culture!

Jesus came into our world through Mary, to reveal our true culture. We were made in the Image of God, hence, this is our true culture, to be Christlike!

Practice makes perfect!

We fall down, but we get up again!

Pray that we truly become what God created us to be!

We will get better intime!

Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.
.
https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

The Wedding Garment

Make Love Your Garment!

The Wedding Feast is a Love Feast!

At times our Sacred Scriptures can be difficult to understand. For example, in the Gospel of St. Matthew 22:11-12,

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless…”

What is the “Wedding Garment “?

In this Parable of the Wedding Party we we know that Jesus is talking about being in line with God’s Kingdom. The original guests were invited and they had their own things to do, they did not join the party. Then the invite went to everyone, and they came, but one was not properly dressed. Being properly dressed for the party is essential. Not have the “Wedding Garment” is like being present at the affair and not really being there.

Perhaps being properly dressed refers to being clothed in love!

Clothed in Love makes sense because it is a love fest! God became one of us to bring us together in Divine Love!

We can be at the Wedding Feast and not really be there, because we choose not to be love.

This is a wonderful reminder and challenge! Being clothed in love means we are Kingdom People! This is our ongoing goal, working towards it, we will always belong at the “Wedding Party “!

Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

Be Good Tenants

To Be Good, We Must Work Out of Love!

“Therefore, I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation producing fruits of it.”
Matthew 21:43

In the Parable of the Tenants, we see the reality that some workers work for their own gain and not for the gain of the owner. Jesus uses this parable to help us see the problem of working in the vineyard and the fruit produced.

There is a crisis of leadership. There is leadership based on the things of the world and there is leadership based on Jesus. This problem existed in Jesus time on earth and it continues today.

We have a choice to make. Will we follow Jesus and make good fruit? Will we allow our love to bear fruit at the corner of the world were we are? True followers of Jesus will produce good fruit.

Our world will be transformed if followers of Jesus would bear good fruit!

May we always be good tenants, tenants that all belongs to the Lord!

Pax.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

Be Teachable!

Humility is Truth!

It seems that human beings have this tendency to judge each other. For whatever reason, people will look at someone else and see how they are lacking in something that makes them less perfect. It seems to make the judging person feel better about themselves. This common approach hides the reality that we all need to be healed!

Jesus, in the Parable of the Two Sons, is helpful here.

Jesus said, “what do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go out to the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘no’; but afterwards he repented and went.”
Matthew 31:28-29

In this selection from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is referring to public sinners who said no to living God’s way and took the way of the world. These individuals, with the preaching of John, the Baptist, repented.

Humility is being teachable!

The conversion of the public sinners did not change the hearts of those who were proper members of the culture that Jesus belonged to. They seemed to believe that they did not need to change. The words of John the Baptist could not reach them because they were not teachable.

All of us fall short of the Divine Love that God wants us to live in the here and now. John, the Baptist, call is for all people.

May we all be humble, be teachable and love each other better each day!

Pax.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

Grace In Abundance!

God does not follow our way of doing things. God follows God’s plan for our wellbeing. The Parable of the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) gives us an inkling into the Divine Way! It concludes:

But he replied to one of them ,”Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last one as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?”
Matthew 20:13-16

The owner of the vineyard is the Lord, and the Lord goes out to find us to work in The Vineyard, God’s Kingdom. We can apply this Parable in many ways. This is one of the wonderful things about the parable. For today, let us see that God wants all to be saved. Whenever we make ourselves available, God will put us to work. This wonderful reality does not follow our human work ethic. That work ethic is based on time served and merit. These are not Divine Principles, rather for God, the reward for us is abundant grace at any moment we turn away from our previous way and go to work in the Kingdom Vineyard.

Thank God that we are not God!

When we approach someone who is new to the Church, may we apply Divine Understanding in dealing with them. The newcomer has as much right to belong as any one of us!

All belong in the Kingdom, not because of the time they arrived, not because of what ability they have, but because of who God is!

God’s Grace Is Abundant!

Abundant Blessings!

Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2