113. Freedom to choose “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich.” Matthew, chapter 25, verse 29 If the question of talents mentioned by Jesus, moreover, was the movement of our freedom? Because what freezes us prevents us from being free. But by receiving the Love of God in our heart, everything becomes possible. We have the opportunity to do everything in life, but it is not everything we do that leads us to happiness. We experience suffering that is sometimes linked to choices that have not been well thought out, to desires that have not been identified or contained, to actions that are contrary to charity toward ourselves or others, or that we have suffered. Every day we have the freedom to choose or refuse what is presented to us. We have the choice between this new TV or another one. We have the choice of different programs. We also choose our friends according to criteria that resemble us. The choice of our work depends on the skills that we possess and that have shaped us over the years: “Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 1731: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P5N.HTM However, choosing requires thinking first. We know that when the choice we make is not well thought out, we are prone to making mistakes, hurting ourselves, hurting others. The less we understand it, the more likely it is to deceive us and cause useless mistakes. The less we know the Trinity, the more likely it is to enter a tortuous path. In the life of faith: The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to “the slavery of sin”. (cf Rm 6, 17) Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 1733, website: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P5N.HTM We have a choice between the tortuous or the virtuous way. One leads to evil, the other to the Heart of God. Becoming a slave to sin is so easy, but climbing the Mount of Beatitudes requires attention and consistency, no matter which street brings us there. Effort in good will makes the road much easier than slavery in evil. We only need to recover, to pray in the silence of our heart, to find the way and the Trinity. Book: … for Love Normand Thomas
114. Obedience Obedience to the will of God is a great way to keep our intentions orderly. Obedience to God may not be the most popular virtue today, but it makes us free and responsible. Obedience to God keeps us awake. This obedience is always linked to Love, never to the evil that is opposed to it. Obedience is always keeping us in line with the narrow door, the Heart of God. Realizing good around us gives people a pleasant feeling and helps them continue to offer a well-being around them. Then, another person will receive and share it. It’s the wheel of happiness. We will become free and we will feel a deep inner joy that will indicate to us that our accomplished action is directly related to the love of the neighbour and wanted by God. This is how we reach our family and friends, as well as the people we meet. Let’s stay in God. On the contrary, sinking into evil or because of the evil of another, causes a feeling of not succeeding, a feeling of guilt and sadness that can lead to depression and distress. Evil suffocates, while goodness frees. We have the freedom to do good or not. We understand that the freedom we possess as humans leads to the different actions we accomplish throughout our life, every moment. Book: … for Love Normand Thomas
Normandt, I find the above a little fuzzy. I am to sincerely love all people. However, if a child of mine was involved in drugs, watching porn, or sleeping with another before marriage, I have a right and duty to make a judgment about his/her way, and lovingly rebuke. After all, one of the earliest catechisms of the Church, the Didache, instructed the Christians on two ways: the choices and lifestyles pleasing to God and the choices and lifestyles in rebellion to God. In the last 60 years, the contraceptive lifestyle and the homosexual lifestyle, for instance, have been endorsed by western society. They are not pleasing to the Lord. I am to treat all persons with dignity and love, but when circumstances allow, I should share that those engaged in my two examples are grieving the Heart of Jesus. That would be the loving thing to do. Actually what I have shared is related to your instruction in post 91: Obedience to God keeps us awake. This obedience is always linked to Love, never to the evil that is opposed to it. Safe in the Father's Arms!
Father, please help me to understand.... Father just wondering if you are in agreement with the Pope that enviromental justice rises to the importance of a human right, when he says in his latest encyclical... “In fact, the earth must be taken care of, cultivated and protected; we cannot continue to squeeze it like an orange. And we can say this, taking care of the Earth is a human right,” Would environmental issues be on par with say the right to life? Do you believe that an individual's sin is the primary reason for an individual's health problems? If so how do you reconcile this with... John 9 1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Hi Mario, the "fuziness" that you are putting forth is not that "fuziness" that I'm mentionning. My intention is to listen to the heart of people before judging them. Hi non sum dignus... you wrote: "Do you believe that an individual's sin is the primary reason" It can be one of the reasons. Sin, from our fault or from others onto us can cause health problems. = Mario and non sum dignus The question of me not being with the pope is really to easy and judmental. Sad to read that some jump into judgment instead of walking with others. No wonder people don't get a fair chance in Church and leave easily with this kind of interventions. You're not meditating on what I'm writing, you're simply passing your agenda of being perfect, and nothing else is good. So, that being said, by taking my texts out of context, this is really sad. On the other hand, I cannot lay down all of the book at once, which all the answers are already there. Isn't Love, God's Love first? God's Love is the only way to understand all of theology. If not, there are many who are thinking that they are, but they're not in it. So if you want to judge me and think that I'm going 'round the pope or misleading you, just tell me. I'll be leaving. If you're able to meditate and think positive and know that I'm of good will, and walk with me, encourage, than tell me to stay and I'll stay. But please stop judging in your answers, and start listening to hearts... mainly to the Love of God in your heart. God bless all
115. Spiritual laziness It’s simple to enter into a certain spiritual laziness, for example, and tell ourselves that we have freedom, without verifying the consequence of our actions and our words, without being responsible. In the Parable of talents, we read that people have the freedom to multiply their gifts or bury them in a closed heart that will become heavier than a basket of unshared fruits. Evil freezes the heart of the person and makes it so heavy that it can become frozen like stone: “The man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.” Matthew, chapter 25, verse 18 To keep the basket of fruits in hand, to keep the graces received from God for ourselves, is to remain fixed on the spot at the expense of faith. In our hands the basket becomes heavy. The unshared fruits of the trees will not serve and they will rot, but the fruits of the Holy Spirit remain in our hands. While the fruits of the Holy Spirit are not shared, they remain in our consciousness. They’re waiting to be shared. Not to share them cuts us off from the vital movement of Love. Love just won’t pass through us. Book: … for Love Normand Thomas
Father, Thank you for your clarification. I'm a hospital chaplain who visits patients of all faiths and/or no faith. I attempt to live what you encourage in the above highlight every time I'm on my rounds. I think we're on the same page. Truth and love are not opposed. Pax Christi
Thanks Mario, I appreciate. God bless your ministry. Extrapoling on the thoughts I put here is not really true to my intention. Although, I do understand your point of view.
Father, I think you misunderstood my intentions. I asked for clarification. I certainly did not assume that your ideas departed from Pope Francis's, that is why I asked. I certainly did not ask you to leave, nor would I. Perhaps you are not aware of the history of this forum. There have been members that have led others for many months by their postings only to in the end find that the leader brought others into error. I think you would agree, we are called as Christians to discern and be prudent. An online forum is a particularly difficult place to use discenment. For all I know you are a very holy saint. But if something strikes me as off when reading and praying over your meditations I don't think it is wrong to ask for clarification. To the contrary, if I reject your meditations out of hand because something doesn't sit right without asking for clarification, that would be wrong. We are called to use our intelect, the teachings of the Church, and advice of our spiritual directors and, of course, the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern. If you do not wish to clarify when people have questions I understand. But if that is the case, each of us who read your writings will have to be especially prudent.
Well non sum dignus, this is exactly what I felt... You wrote: "There have been members that have led others for many months by their postings only to in the end find that the leader brought others into error" I also have a forum, I know what it is, and when one goes out of his way, reallly out of his way, then I know there's a problem. (Here is not the case, if we read more than one post at a time. And more answers where in this post: 115. Spiritual laziness) Or else, if it's not quite what I want to read but seems fair, from that person on my forum, I'll encourage what is right and true, what is luminous and that is helping people to get closer to Jesus and his Love. At that point, I know I'm walking, working (works) with that person. And I cannot write each time the Catechism of the Catholic Church and add the Bible and the Councils to all of my posts. I just can't do that.
non sum signus, you wrote: But if that is the case, each of us who read your writings will have to be especially prudent. I'll be obedient and leave... so... I don't understand, if you have a forum, why you don't walk with people... And I do understand that you already aren't giving me no choice. You've already discredited, and that is upmost damaging. Wish you all to be blessed in God's Love. May your path end up in God's Kingdom of Love. God's knows, we may meet in heaven.
I am sorry you feel this way, and I am sorry if I offended you. You are more than welcome to stay and post on the forum if you like. I am no one here...I am not a moderator. I am just a sinner trying to discern. Perhaps I am blind to my own blindness? Peace to you.
If anyone on the forum would like to give me advice about how I was wrong on this thread I welcome the advice. I promice not to defend myself or take issue with the advice. I do not want anyone to tell me I did nothing wrong...That wouldn't help me if I was wrong in my postings....please do not defend me.
I am not judging one way or the other but making an observation. I like these mediations. I don't see them as up for discussion. I have seen a lot of squabbling on threads such as rhe Divine Will which make the thread very difficult to follow. The person who initiated the thread spends their time firefighting. I hope Fr continues to share these mediations which I find very good. God bless all
I don't think anyone was judging. They were just asking questions for clarification. Nothing wrong with that.
non sum dignus... Ok, so saying to everyone to be prudent, it's placing a brick on this topic, and putting a distrust, a non confidence, it's breaking the thread. And this I can't relate to it. Telling me that I'm going out of the Popes way, it's really demeaning and judging. I don't see that writing of yours for now. You might have taken it down. Like I said I know that spiritual thoughts are for people who love to meditate. I know that it's not perfect because we're getting a phrase or a page at a time. To meditate is to give a chance to let ourself sip out what's best of a fruit. So please, non sum dignus, before making assumptions on a person's credibility, really try hard to find a way to Jesus' heart. Ask Jesus how to understand. This is not political, like I see you're in a political thread. I do pardon. And I ask for forgiveness if I dealt this with a little toughness. And I'm starting a new thread I'll be starting a new topic because this one is destroyed. If a moderator or Admin can take this thread down in one week please or after non sum dignus has confirmed reading my last post..
117. A natural law We have in our hearts a natural law that is a grace of God. It helps us to discern and choose between good and bad. It is better to remain stationary in the face of evil than to be trapped in it. It is better to think a while than to act too quickly and engulf ourselves in evil. The drug is a striking example. It is better for children to learn at length about the negative effects of drugs, so that they can get around it, i.e. alcohol, all drugs, divination that places the pride of a person between God and others, selfishness and all that leads to evil. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to increase in us vigilance, courage, determination and constancy; to offer us his grace, as well as for the neighbour. If we want them, God gives us his graces. May freedom always lead us to perfect goodness, with the desire to always return to the Paschal Meal that is placed upon the Altar of Love, by Christ, for us. It is the only true source that assures us a free and fulfilled life, thanks to the Life and Love of God. May Mary and Joseph, who freely chose the will of God in them, inspire us with their total and definite “yes”. May our life be offered with joy to him who gave us his life, Jesus, for our well-being and for the salvation of the world. Book: … for Love Normand Thomas
