Fog
Fog outside. Silent inside and outside. The fog has closed over the lake and shut off the view across the lake. All I can see is the vague black outline of trees against a grey sky. The time is 10:30 Sunday morning. I seem to be the only one awake. My world has gotten very small. I was thinking of our view of the world. I have this world
( Read more... )
Apart from the body the powers of our immortal souls: memory, intellect and will, are still finite. Soul in body, soul out of body or soul in glorified body we are still human creatures.
If our souls are not limited why would we need to grow them?
We are talking about several different limits:
-time during the day
-lifespan
Obviously we can't get more of these, but we look forward to eternity once our earthly lives are over,
-concentration
-energy
You can start taking gingko biloba but if you're already healthy I don't think these will improve much either, but as souls and in our glorified bodies we will never be tired, confused or distracted ever again,
-capacity for love
This is what we must grow in, or rather increase in as we decrease in selfishness (He must increase: but I must decrease) since the Gospel says-
(Luke 9:23-26) Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
(Luke 10:25-28) There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."
And as the Saint said (guess that Saint, round two!) "Lord if I do not love you I will have other loves." -other loves not directed toward God, called attachments. Not necessarily attachments to sin, but which still take up a place in our hearts reserved for God alone.
Attachments to our lifestyle, when we should know God decides our place in life.
Attachments to our work, when we should know it's God's providence that provides for us.
Even attachments to loved ones, when we should know that only God can satisfy the desires of our hearts, and that someday He'll call our loved ones back to live with Him, perhaps leaving us behind to wait in this world a little longer without them.
Let alone attachments to the kinds of worldly things Mom was talking about. My previous comment was just my small way of adding emphasis and immediacy to these concepts; that we don't have time to waste on things that don't lead us to God
(Thessalonians 5:2) For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.
Most people are called to live in the world, but we must make sure the things of the world, good or even necessary as some of them are, do not supplant God's place as first in our lives, the ruler of our hearts, the one who gives us the strength to take up our cross daily and the grace to love our neighbors.
(Luke 12:31) But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his justice: and all these things shall be added unto you.
And as we are in the world, lets not think we can only help others in occasional ways; there is a way we [b]can[/b] help everyone all of the time, simply-
(Thessalonians 5:17) Pray without ceasing
By doing all our work out of love for God, uniting every suffering to the cross of Christ, every joy given in praise of the Almighty, making sacrifices in reparation, we can, as members of Christ's body the Church, help everyone who ever lived, is living, and will live, just offering our lives in prayer to the One who gave us life.
Reply
Leave a comment