Care

Gospel

Lk 16:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
'What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.'
The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.'
He called in his master's debtors one by one.
To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'
Then to another he said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of wheat.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.'
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light."

+

God provides so we are well.
Care for one another just the same.

What is given you is for the children of God, and yourself; do not, therefore, waste or squander your talents, but if you detect yourself wavering from the way of the Lord, renew your zeal and you will be strengthened and born again to delight in the discovery of the blessings of life.

Now, this is a variance; if you find yourself attracted to the things of the world, to pleasure and comfort derived from earthly things, immediately do penance so you may make amends and change your soul so that it is only the Lord Himself you crave, and you will  be saved. For it is the man who craves delights, that is separated from the Lord in his heart and in danger of dying because he turned away from God.

What is true for one man may be true for all, so that if whole nations were diverted from the Lord, that nation is lost and in danger of perdition. The Lord loves every one of us without exception, and with a perfect and potent affection so that He mourns the loss of a single soul as much as He would the entire world.

The Lord, Jesus, said that we are like a grapevine; as long as the juices of the vine are flowing freely to all the vines, the vineyard flourishes and produces juice that is made into wine that everyone desires. It is the fermentation of the juices that produces the vintage.The fermentation produces alcohol which lifts the heart and can mislead us, because it is easy and delightful to cherish the wine, but if we cherish it too much, we forsake the Lord and are led astray from the Lord and His graces which provide eternal life.

You, I think, are faithful to the Lord if you have read this far. If you are faithful to the Lord, you reject death and anything that separates you from the life of God. Let your teaching be filled with the light and life of God in every word, and the children of God will be well and find happiness and give thanks to God and so be safe in Him unto the day  of judgement.

He provides water and food and the things you need to live, so that you should give thanks and bless the Lord. Teach others to do the same so that all of you are close to the Lord and know His saving ways.

It was not through ease and pleasure that the Lord, Jesus saved us and in giving saving graces to you, expects you to use what He has given, to draw souls to Him. You must use His goodness and providence to preserve the childhood of the children of God. The steward in the parable wasted the goods of  the master, and the master changed his opinion of the steward when he saw what was happening. God blesses those who use their gifts for His children, for his care and foresight provided for everyone abundantly, and He approves of industry. Pray to be guided to use your gifts profitably so that the Lord approves. A good steward is never under suspicion, but his good works prove him just, and the Lord blesses the just.

If you have done good, then likewise you have been a cause to be approved, and those who were liable to end in perdition, were drawn out of peril to be safe with God. Thus, not only the body but also the soul were well and the Lord was happy with you. He will approve you before His children and exalt you in great happiness because you held the Lord, God in such high esteem.

Care

Gospel

Lk 16:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
'What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.'
The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.'
He called in his master's debtors one by one.
To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'
Then to another he said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of wheat.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.'
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light."

+

God provides so we are well.
Care for one another just the same.

What is given you is for the children of God, and yourself; do not, therefore, waste or squander your talents, but if you detect yourself wavering from the way of the Lord, renew your zeal and you will be strengthened and born again to delight in the discovery of the blessings of life.

Now, this is a variance; if you find yourself attracted to the things of the world, to pleasure and comfort derived from earthly things, immediately do penance so you may make amends and change your soul so that it is only the Lord Himself you crave, and you will  be saved. For it is the man who craves delights, that is separated from the Lord in his heart and in danger of dying because he turned away from God.

What is true for one man may be true for all, so that if whole nations were diverted from the Lord, that nation is lost and in danger of perdition. The Lord loves every one of us without exception, and with a perfect and potent affection so that He mourns the loss of a single soul as much as He would the entire world.

The Lord, Jesus, said that we are like a grapevine; as long as the juices of the vine are flowing freely to all the vines, the vineyard flourishes and produces juice that is made into wine that everyone desires. It is the fermentation of the juices that produces the vintage.The fermentation produces alcohol which lifts the heart and can mislead us, because it is easy and delightful to cherish the wine, but if we cherish it too much, we forsake the Lord and are led astray from the Lord and His graces which provide eternal life.

You, I think, are faithful to the Lord if you have read this far. If you are faithful to the Lord, you reject death and anything that separates you from the life of God. Let your teaching be filled with the light and life of God in every word, and the children of God will be well and find happiness and give thanks to God and so be safe in Him unto the day  of judgement.

He provides water and food and the things you need to live, so that you should give thanks and bless the Lord. Teach others to do the same so that all of you are close to the Lord and know His saving ways.

It was not through ease and pleasure that the Lord, Jesus saved us and in giving saving graces to you, expects you to use what He has given, to draw souls to Him. You must use His goodness and providence to preserve the childhood of the children of God. The steward in the parable wasted the goods of  the master, and the master changed his opinion of the steward when he saw what was happening. God blesses those who use their gifts for His children, for his care and foresight provided for everyone abundantly, and He approves of industry. Pray to be guided to use your gifts profitably so that the Lord approves. A good steward is never under suspicion, but his good works prove him just, and the Lord blesses the just.

If you have done good, then likewise you have been a cause to be approved, and those who were liable to end in perdition, were drawn out of peril to be safe with God. Thus, not only the body but also the soul were well and the Lord was happy with you. He will approve you before His children and exalt you in great happiness because you held the Lord, God in such high esteem.

Participation

The piercing of St. Padre Pio of
Pietrelcina, one of a few saints to
endure such a participation in the cross.

You may wish you could work miracles, but you might pause to consider if you are strong enough to suffer that much. There are certainly things I wish i could cure, starting with relatives and friends who are suffering grievously. It is hard to stand by and watch other people so close to you suffering the injustice and indignity of life at the hands of others, and be unable to change a thing.

Brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, spouses and friends all suffer before our eyes, and unless God opens us, we cannot feel what they are enduring, and can only feel the aching love trying to reach across our abyss.

It is certain that the proud will likely be indifferent, not caring that they do not feel ,and do not care to feel the slightest discomfort.

But to even see the pain transpiring, you must stand before the cross of Christ itself, and that risks really feeling. To feel that much, can be devastating, and profoundly affect your ability to function at all. But for the sake of those I know and those I don't, I stand at arm's length before the cross. That means participating in His passion, according to the seasons of the year; some are harder than others.

The level of self reveals itself in the willingness to enter where He urges you to go. It is one thing to stand apart and see the tears; it is another thing to participate in something that goes completely contrary to one's own preferences. It is amazing to see how selfish we can be, and how childish our preferences are. We usually think we are pretty sophisticated, and even proud we may be at what we can endure, but if it comes from the Lord, it can easily surpass our all entirely.

Listen, and in the darkness, in the solitude within, approach Him when He asks you to come forward, and let your spirit rest in His arms. The world cannot continue on its same old way when people react that way. Wars can be stopped dead in their tracks. The reason currents wars have not been stopped does not lie in our imagination, but in our willingness to fall into His arms and be penetrated by the nails.

Participation

The piercing of St. Padre Pio of
Pietrelcina, one of a few saints to
endure such a participation in the cross.

You may wish you could work miracles, but you might pause to consider if you are strong enough to suffer that much. There are certainly things I wish i could cure, starting with relatives and friends who are suffering grievously. It is hard to stand by and watch other people so close to you suffering the injustice and indignity of life at the hands of others, and be unable to change a thing.

Brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, spouses and friends all suffer before our eyes, and unless God opens us, we cannot feel what they are enduring, and can only feel the aching love trying to reach across our abyss.

It is certain that the proud will likely be indifferent, not caring that they do not feel ,and do not care to feel the slightest discomfort.

But to even see the pain transpiring, you must stand before the cross of Christ itself, and that risks really feeling. To feel that much, can be devastating, and profoundly affect your ability to function at all. But for the sake of those I know and those I don't, I stand at arm's length before the cross. That means participating in His passion, according to the seasons of the year; some are harder than others.

The level of self reveals itself in the willingness to enter where He urges you to go. It is one thing to stand apart and see the tears; it is another thing to participate in something that goes completely contrary to one's own preferences. It is amazing to see how selfish we can be, and how childish our preferences are. We usually think we are pretty sophisticated, and even proud we may be at what we can endure, but if it comes from the Lord, it can easily surpass our all entirely.

Listen, and in the darkness, in the solitude within, approach Him when He asks you to come forward, and let your spirit rest in His arms. The world cannot continue on its same old way when people react that way. Wars can be stopped dead in their tracks. The reason currents wars have not been stopped does not lie in our imagination, but in our willingness to fall into His arms and be penetrated by the nails.

Humbled

Gospel Mt 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

+

You were not left defenseless.

We should not live life as if to obtain all benefits for ourselves, with no consideration for our brothers. There will be no more splendid appearance than the risen bodies we inherit from Christ, whose own Body was so marred and disfigured by selfishness and hate.

If someone succeeds, rejoice with them, and do not give in to the temptation of pride, for if you fall to that temptation, the harm you bring into the world might be beyond remediation.

Wars have broken out through all time simply over envy of brothers for what each has. There is no more evil activity in the world than to go to war for the sake of one man's egotistical vanity. Such things are hateful to the Lord, and will be punished. 

Remember how great civilizations flourished for a time, but all were knocked down to be hidden in dust by the wind. Remember as well, that the flesh limits our pain and suffering in this life because it is not designed to feel the full depths of suffering; that ability happens in death when sinners are cleansed in the fires of purgatory.

It is preferable to suffer a little here, than to spend any time at all in purgatory, praying for relief of the agony of our falling short of the glory of God. To so intensely feel love and the coldness of our sins without limitation is not pleasant, though it is better than the full fires of hell from which there is no escape. Pray for the souls in purgatory, and if you suffer, offer it for the relief of the souls in purgatory who long so for the slightest kindness.

Is it not more than enough to suffer alone, hidden and unknown? The homeless are driven mad for lack of sleep, food and warmth until they die from the neglect of the human race which is so uncaring.

Let not Jesus go back to the cross to be nailed to it all over again whilst no one is aware, no one sees, and those who have the most grace ought to see, and be overwhelmed and not indifferent to the holes in the Saviors hands and feet, and the terrible gaping wound in His Heart to ensure His death.

To be forgotten in indifference is the great agony of this age. Souls can hardly walk or raise their voices, and if they could, everyone would be stopping their ears with their hands, if only not to hear. Yet there is no remedy for indifference but suffering. Do not ask why misfortune has come your way. If you had reached out to embrace the Savior instead of panting after every pleasant thing, lamentation would be forgotten, and no one would remember how they suffered before, because brothers and sisters would unite themselves to Him on the cross if only to sop up His Blood with the bread of their souls.

It is only the cross and Christ's crucifixion that can remedy the great wound of the people, the wars and revolutions, the insurrections and unwanted deaths of millions. Choose to love the Lord your God as your most beloved lover, and wash away the past with the Savior's tears. Then perhaps you may understand that love is the summation of time and space and all things that happened. Only love can redeem. The time is here when we should love beyond ourselves.

Humbled

Gospel Mt 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

+

You were not left defenseless.

We should not live life as if to obtain all benefits for ourselves, with no consideration for our brothers. There will be no more splendid appearance than the risen bodies we inherit from Christ, whose own Body was so marred and disfigured by selfishness and hate.

If someone succeeds, rejoice with them, and do not give in to the temptation of pride, for if you fall to that temptation, the harm you bring into the world might be beyond remediation.

Wars have broken out through all time simply over envy of brothers for what each has. There is no more evil activity in the world than to go to war for the sake of one man's egotistical vanity. Such things are hateful to the Lord, and will be punished. 

Remember how great civilizations flourished for a time, but all were knocked down to be hidden in dust by the wind. Remember as well, that the flesh limits our pain and suffering in this life because it is not designed to feel the full depths of suffering; that ability happens in death when sinners are cleansed in the fires of purgatory.

It is preferable to suffer a little here, than to spend any time at all in purgatory, praying for relief of the agony of our falling short of the glory of God. To so intensely feel love and the coldness of our sins without limitation is not pleasant, though it is better than the full fires of hell from which there is no escape. Pray for the souls in purgatory, and if you suffer, offer it for the relief of the souls in purgatory who long so for the slightest kindness.

Is it not more than enough to suffer alone, hidden and unknown? The homeless are driven mad for lack of sleep, food and warmth until they die from the neglect of the human race which is so uncaring.

Let not Jesus go back to the cross to be nailed to it all over again whilst no one is aware, no one sees, and those who have the most grace ought to see, and be overwhelmed and not indifferent to the holes in the Saviors hands and feet, and the terrible gaping wound in His Heart to ensure His death.

To be forgotten in indifference is the great agony of this age. Souls can hardly walk or raise their voices, and if they could, everyone would be stopping their ears with their hands, if only not to hear. Yet there is no remedy for indifference but suffering. Do not ask why misfortune has come your way. If you had reached out to embrace the Savior instead of panting after every pleasant thing, lamentation would be forgotten, and no one would remember how they suffered before, because brothers and sisters would unite themselves to Him on the cross if only to sop up His Blood with the bread of their souls.

It is only the cross and Christ's crucifixion that can remedy the great wound of the people, the wars and revolutions, the insurrections and unwanted deaths of millions. Choose to love the Lord your God as your most beloved lover, and wash away the past with the Savior's tears. Then perhaps you may understand that love is the summation of time and space and all things that happened. Only love can redeem. The time is here when we should love beyond ourselves.

Glory

 Feast of All Saints
Gospel
Mt 5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."

+

When he descended, Moses' face was
so full of God's light, he had to wear a
veil to conceal it from the Israelites.

When God gave Moses the tablets of the ten commandments, He did so  atop a mountain, and when He spoke the beatitudes to the Apostles, He likewise did so from a mountain top. Mystics, when they are favored by the Lord revealing Himself to them, speak of being lifted up by God in exaltation, and if they are bidden to speak, find great difficulty in describing something so utterly different from the ordinary reality.

It is a bread so different, that no one can describe its savor, and some saints were surrounded by indescribably beautiful perfumes. It is not that we have never smelled such aromas, but they are not like ordinary perfume, so as to signify the divine pleasure with the beloved, and to signify the holiness of God which is beyond any virtue of men.

God dwells in His own realm, separate and different from where we live. Therefore, He is not to be found in the depths of pleasure or infatuation with self. When we realize we are in His presence, we know it is He because He has revealed Himself differently from any ordinary reality, and wherever He is, there is also peace, and joy, and holiness which delight.

We do not enjoy such a moment often, nor easily, and sometimes it transcends ordinary experience so much, it cannot be taken in altogether at once. Neither do ordinary men wish to leave or forsake such bliss, to return to the ordinary existence of men. Some have made it their life's journey, to experience that goodness again, and some had to wait until they died to find their fulfillment. Some would say it is worth any struggled to experience again.

All the saints experienced the otherness of God in themselves and in life, and they were so captivated that they were recognized as holy, "saints", from the Latin word "Sanctus".

Today we celebrate these things, and I hope whoever you are, reading what I write, can recognise that summit experience in your own life. It is a blessing.