Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
Oscar Wilde
Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.
Cherie Carter-Scott, "If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules"
If you haven't forgiven yourself something, how can you forgive others?
Dolores Huerta
Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives. Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, 1999
The hatred you're carrying is a live coal in your heart - far more damaging to yourself than to them. Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, 1999
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)
Life is an adventure in forgiveness. Norman Cousins (1915 - 1990)
The vexation, restlessness, and impatience which small trials cause, arise wholly from our ignorance and want of self-control. We may be thwarted and troubled, it is true, but these things put us into a condition for exercising patience and meek submission, and the self-abnegation wherein alone the fulness of God is to be found.
DE RENTY.
Every day deny yourself some satisfaction;--bearing all the inconveniences of life (for the love of God), cold, hunger, restless nights, ill health, unwelcome news, the faults of servants, contempt, ingratitude of friends, malice of enemies, calumnies, our own failings, lowness of spirits, the struggle in overcoming our corruptions;--bearing all these with patience and resignation to the will of God. Do all this as unto God, with the greatest privacy.
THOMAS WILSON
Monday, November 30, 2009
Scripture and prayer
"Where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands? Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house" (Mark 6.3, 4).
"Jesus Christ carries on intercession for us in heaven; the Holy Ghost carries on intercession in us on earth; and we the saints have to carry on intercession for all men."Oswald Chambers
"An angelic life, spent between ascending in prayer to fetch blessings from above, and descending to scatter them among men."
Author:Robert Leighton
"A man may lose the good things of this life against his will; but if he loses the eternal blessings, he does so with his own consent."
http://christianquotes.org/search/quick
"God's children have a limitless supply of the fruit of the Spirit." DR. HENRY BRANDT
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/quotes/quotes-life.htm
"Jesus Christ carries on intercession for us in heaven; the Holy Ghost carries on intercession in us on earth; and we the saints have to carry on intercession for all men."Oswald Chambers
"An angelic life, spent between ascending in prayer to fetch blessings from above, and descending to scatter them among men."
Author:Robert Leighton
"A man may lose the good things of this life against his will; but if he loses the eternal blessings, he does so with his own consent."
http://christianquotes.org/search/quick
"God's children have a limitless supply of the fruit of the Spirit." DR. HENRY BRANDT
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/quotes/quotes-life.htm
Peter Lombard
It has indeed been said above and shown by sacred authorities,2 that the Holy Spirit is the Love [amor] of the Father and the Son, by which They love [amant] one another and us. Moreover, it must be added to these, that the very same Holy Spirit is the Love or Charity, by which we love [diligimus] God and neighbor. When this Charity is so great in us, that it makes us love God and neighbor, the Holy Spirit is then said to be sent and/or to be given3 to us; and he who loves the very love [dilectionem], by which he loves (his) neighbor, in this very (thing) loves God, because Love itself is God,4 that is, the Holy Spirit.
From the aforesaid it grows clear, that the Holy Spirit is the Charity, whereby we love God and neighbor; whence it is more easy for us to show, in what manner the Holy Spirit is sent or given to us.
Master Peter Lombard
Archbishop of Paris
The Four Books of Sentences
LIBER PRIMUS SENTENTIARUM.
THE FIRST BOOK OF THE SENTENCES
http://www.franciscan-archive.org/lombardus/opera/ls1-17.html
Peter Lombard or Petrus Lombardus; (c. 1100 — July 20, 1160 in Paris) was a scholastic theologian and bishop and author of Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology, for which he is also known as Magister Sententiarum.Peter Lombard was born in Lumellogno[1] (then a rural commune, now a quartiere of Novara, Piedmont), to a poor family.[2] His date of birth was likely between 1095 and 1100.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lombard
From the aforesaid it grows clear, that the Holy Spirit is the Charity, whereby we love God and neighbor; whence it is more easy for us to show, in what manner the Holy Spirit is sent or given to us.
Master Peter Lombard
Archbishop of Paris
The Four Books of Sentences
LIBER PRIMUS SENTENTIARUM.
THE FIRST BOOK OF THE SENTENCES
http://www.franciscan-archive.org/lombardus/opera/ls1-17.html
Peter Lombard or Petrus Lombardus; (c. 1100 — July 20, 1160 in Paris) was a scholastic theologian and bishop and author of Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology, for which he is also known as Magister Sententiarum.Peter Lombard was born in Lumellogno[1] (then a rural commune, now a quartiere of Novara, Piedmont), to a poor family.[2] His date of birth was likely between 1095 and 1100.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lombard
St._Thomas_Aquinas
Any habit which is invariably the principle of a good action may therefore be called a human virtue. Now formed faith is such a habit. Two things are necessary, however, if the act of belief is to be perfect, since it is the act wherein the intellect finally gives its assent at the command of the will. The intellect must be infallibly directed to its object, which is the truth, and the will must be infallibly directed to the ultimate 272end, for the sake of which assent is finally given. Now both of these conditions are fulfilled in the act of formed faith. It is of the very nature of faith that the intellect should be in the way of truth at all times, since faith cannot believe what is false, as we said in Q. i, Art. 3. The will of the soul is likewise infallibly directed to the ultimate good by charity, which brings faith to its form. Formed faith is therefore a virtue.
St._Thomas_Aquinas
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/nature_grace.ix.i.iv.v.html
Aquinas was born c. 1225 out of his father Count Landulf of Aquino's castle of Roccasecca in the Kingdom of Sicily, in the present-day Lazio. Through his mother, Theodora Countess of Theate, Aquinas was related to the Hohenstaufen dynasty of Holy Roman emperors.Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P. (also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino; born ca. 1225; died 7 March 1274) was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dominican Order, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus and Doctor Communis.Aquinas is held in the Catholic Church to be the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood.[1] The works for which he is best-known are the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles.
Goal of human life
In Aquinas's thought, the goal of human existence is union and eternal fellowship with God. Specifically, this goal is achieved through the beatific vision, an event in which a person experiences perfect, unending happiness by seeing the very essence of God. This vision, which occurs after death, is a gift from God given to those who have experienced salvation and redemption through Christ while living on earth.
This ultimate goal carries implications for one's present life on earth. Aquinas stated that an individual's will must be ordered toward right things, such as charity, peace, and holiness. He sees this as the way to happiness. Aquinas orders his treatment of the moral life around the idea of happiness. The relationship between will and goal is antecedent in nature "because rectitude of the will consists in being duly ordered to the last end [that is, the beatific vision]."
Those who truly seek to understand and see God will necessarily love what God loves. Such love requires morality and bears fruit in everyday human choices.
The purpose of Christ's Incarnation was to restore human nature by removing "the contamination of sin", which humans cannot do by themselves. "Divine Wisdom judged it fitting that God should become man, so that thus one and the same person would be able both to restore man and to offer satisfaction."[70] Aquinas argued in favor of the satisfaction view of atonement; that is, that Jesus Christ died "to satisfy for the whole human race, which was sentenced to die on account of sin."[71]
"that for the knowledge of any truth whatsoever man needs divine help, that the intellect may be moved by God to its act." However, he believed that human beings have the natural capacity to know many things without special divine revelation, even though such revelation occurs from time to time, "especially in regard to [topics of] faith."
Fifty years after the death of Aquinas, Pope John XXII, seated in Avignon, pronounced Thomas a saint.[44] Aquinas' theology had begun its rise to prestige. Two centuries later, in 1567, Pope Pius V ranked the festival of St. Thomas Aquinas with those of the four great Latin fathers: Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Jerome, and Gregory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Aquinas
St._Thomas_Aquinas
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/nature_grace.ix.i.iv.v.html
Aquinas was born c. 1225 out of his father Count Landulf of Aquino's castle of Roccasecca in the Kingdom of Sicily, in the present-day Lazio. Through his mother, Theodora Countess of Theate, Aquinas was related to the Hohenstaufen dynasty of Holy Roman emperors.Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P. (also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino; born ca. 1225; died 7 March 1274) was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dominican Order, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus and Doctor Communis.Aquinas is held in the Catholic Church to be the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood.[1] The works for which he is best-known are the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles.
Goal of human life
In Aquinas's thought, the goal of human existence is union and eternal fellowship with God. Specifically, this goal is achieved through the beatific vision, an event in which a person experiences perfect, unending happiness by seeing the very essence of God. This vision, which occurs after death, is a gift from God given to those who have experienced salvation and redemption through Christ while living on earth.
This ultimate goal carries implications for one's present life on earth. Aquinas stated that an individual's will must be ordered toward right things, such as charity, peace, and holiness. He sees this as the way to happiness. Aquinas orders his treatment of the moral life around the idea of happiness. The relationship between will and goal is antecedent in nature "because rectitude of the will consists in being duly ordered to the last end [that is, the beatific vision]."
Those who truly seek to understand and see God will necessarily love what God loves. Such love requires morality and bears fruit in everyday human choices.
The purpose of Christ's Incarnation was to restore human nature by removing "the contamination of sin", which humans cannot do by themselves. "Divine Wisdom judged it fitting that God should become man, so that thus one and the same person would be able both to restore man and to offer satisfaction."[70] Aquinas argued in favor of the satisfaction view of atonement; that is, that Jesus Christ died "to satisfy for the whole human race, which was sentenced to die on account of sin."[71]
"that for the knowledge of any truth whatsoever man needs divine help, that the intellect may be moved by God to its act." However, he believed that human beings have the natural capacity to know many things without special divine revelation, even though such revelation occurs from time to time, "especially in regard to [topics of] faith."
Fifty years after the death of Aquinas, Pope John XXII, seated in Avignon, pronounced Thomas a saint.[44] Aquinas' theology had begun its rise to prestige. Two centuries later, in 1567, Pope Pius V ranked the festival of St. Thomas Aquinas with those of the four great Latin fathers: Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Jerome, and Gregory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Aquinas
Ignatius of Antioch
St. Ignatius is one of the Apostolic Fathers (the earliest authoritative group of the Church Fathers). (ca. 35 or 50-between 98 and 117).He based his authority on being a bishop of the Church, living his life in the imitation of Christ.St. Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch after Saint Peter and St. Evodius (who died around AD 67)En route to his martyrdom in Rome, Ignatius wrote a series of letters which have been preserved as an example of very early Christian theology.He was sentenced to die in the Colosseum, to be eaten by lions,His body lies entombed under St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
St. Ignatius stressed the value of the Eucharist, calling it a "medicine of immortality" (Ignatius to the Ephesians 20:2). The very strong desire for bloody martyrdom in the arena, which Ignatius expresses rather graphically in places, may seem quite odd to the modern reader. An examination of his theology shows that he regarded salvation as one being free from the powerful fear of death and thus to bravely face martyrdom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Antioch
Return their bad temper with gentleness; their boasts with humility; their abuse with prayer. In the face of their error, be "steadfast in the faith". Return their violence with mildness and do not be intent on getting your own back.
http://www.ntcanon.org/Ignatius.shtml
St. Ignatius stressed the value of the Eucharist, calling it a "medicine of immortality" (Ignatius to the Ephesians 20:2). The very strong desire for bloody martyrdom in the arena, which Ignatius expresses rather graphically in places, may seem quite odd to the modern reader. An examination of his theology shows that he regarded salvation as one being free from the powerful fear of death and thus to bravely face martyrdom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Antioch
Return their bad temper with gentleness; their boasts with humility; their abuse with prayer. In the face of their error, be "steadfast in the faith". Return their violence with mildness and do not be intent on getting your own back.
http://www.ntcanon.org/Ignatius.shtml
Hildegard of Bingen
“The mystery of God hugs you in its all-encompassing arms."-
- Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard on her own Writings
"But although I heard and saw these things, because of doubt and low opinion of myself and because of diverse sayings of men, I refused for a long time a call to write, not out of stubbornness but out of humility, until weighed down by a scourge of god, I fell onto a bed of sickness."
- Hildegard of Bingen
http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/christian/hild/hildp
- Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard on her own Writings
"But although I heard and saw these things, because of doubt and low opinion of myself and because of diverse sayings of men, I refused for a long time a call to write, not out of stubbornness but out of humility, until weighed down by a scourge of god, I fell onto a bed of sickness."
- Hildegard of Bingen
http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/christian/hild/hildp
Christian Mystics and poets include:
Christian Mystics and poets include:
*
Selections from the Gospels
*
Hildegard of Bingen (1098 - 1179)
*
St Francis of Asissi (1182 - 1226)
*
Mechthild of Magdeburg (1210 - 1282)
*
St Thomas of Aquinas (1225 -
*
Meister Eckhart (1260 -
*
Julian of Norwich (1342 - 1416)
*
St Catherine of Siena (1347 - 1380)
*
St Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582)
*
St John of the Cross (1542 - 1591)
*
Angelus Silesius (1624 - 1677)
*
Christina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)
*
St Teresa of Lisieux (1873 - 1897)
*
Thomas Merton (1915 - 1968)
*
Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997)
*
Pope John Paul II (1920 -2005)
http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/christian/
*
Selections from the Gospels
*
Hildegard of Bingen (1098 - 1179)
*
St Francis of Asissi (1182 - 1226)
*
Mechthild of Magdeburg (1210 - 1282)
*
St Thomas of Aquinas (1225 -
*
Meister Eckhart (1260 -
*
Julian of Norwich (1342 - 1416)
*
St Catherine of Siena (1347 - 1380)
*
St Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582)
*
St John of the Cross (1542 - 1591)
*
Angelus Silesius (1624 - 1677)
*
Christina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)
*
St Teresa of Lisieux (1873 - 1897)
*
Thomas Merton (1915 - 1968)
*
Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997)
*
Pope John Paul II (1920 -2005)
http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/christian/
St. Teresa of Avila.
"Whatever thou doest, offer it up to God and pray it may be for His honor
and glory."
-- St. Teresa of Avila.
Saint Teresa was born in Avila, Spain, March 28, 1515. She died in Alba, October 4, 1582. St. Teresa was the daughter of a Toledo merchant and his second wife, who died when Teresa was 15, one of ten children.She was then brought under the care of Augustinian nuns, during which time she decided to become nun herself.The letters of St Jerome had great influence on her.She was a mystic Carmelite nun who also was a reformer of Carmelite order.In 1970 she was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI.
She claimed that during her illness she rose from the lowest stage, "recollection", to the "devotions of silence" or even to the "devotions of ecstasy", which was one of perfect union with God. During this final stage, she said she frequently experienced a rich "blessing of tears."She also became conscious of her own natural impotence in confronting sin, and the necessity of absolute subjection to God.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_of_%C3%81vila
She had long periods of illness during which she experienced spiritual ectasy.
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini designed the sculptural masterpiece in the Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome
Franciscan priest St. Peter of Alcantara. became acquainted with her as Founder early in 1560, and became her spiritual guide and counsellor. She resolved to found a reformed Carmelite convent, correcting the laxity which she had found in the Cloister of the Incarnation and others.
. In 1567, she met St. John of the Cross, who she enlisted to extend her reform into the male side of the Carmelite Order. Teresa died in 1582.She also left a significant legacy of writings, which represent important benchmarks in the history of Christian mysticism. These works include the Way of Perfection and the Interior Castle. She also left an autobiography, the Life of Teresa of Avila.Forty years after her death, she was canonized, in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV.
Teresa is known for her style of mental and contemplative prayer. In all her writings on this subject she deals with her personal experiences, which a deep insight and analytical gifts enabled her to explain clearly. Her definition was used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "Contemplative prayer [oración mental] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us."
and glory."
-- St. Teresa of Avila.
Saint Teresa was born in Avila, Spain, March 28, 1515. She died in Alba, October 4, 1582. St. Teresa was the daughter of a Toledo merchant and his second wife, who died when Teresa was 15, one of ten children.She was then brought under the care of Augustinian nuns, during which time she decided to become nun herself.The letters of St Jerome had great influence on her.She was a mystic Carmelite nun who also was a reformer of Carmelite order.In 1970 she was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI.
She claimed that during her illness she rose from the lowest stage, "recollection", to the "devotions of silence" or even to the "devotions of ecstasy", which was one of perfect union with God. During this final stage, she said she frequently experienced a rich "blessing of tears."She also became conscious of her own natural impotence in confronting sin, and the necessity of absolute subjection to God.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_of_%C3%81vila
She had long periods of illness during which she experienced spiritual ectasy.
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini designed the sculptural masterpiece in the Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome
Franciscan priest St. Peter of Alcantara. became acquainted with her as Founder early in 1560, and became her spiritual guide and counsellor. She resolved to found a reformed Carmelite convent, correcting the laxity which she had found in the Cloister of the Incarnation and others.
. In 1567, she met St. John of the Cross, who she enlisted to extend her reform into the male side of the Carmelite Order. Teresa died in 1582.She also left a significant legacy of writings, which represent important benchmarks in the history of Christian mysticism. These works include the Way of Perfection and the Interior Castle. She also left an autobiography, the Life of Teresa of Avila.Forty years after her death, she was canonized, in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV.
Teresa is known for her style of mental and contemplative prayer. In all her writings on this subject she deals with her personal experiences, which a deep insight and analytical gifts enabled her to explain clearly. Her definition was used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "Contemplative prayer [oración mental] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us."
Anima Christi
The Anima Christi is a prayer from around the 14th century. It is still widely used after receiving the body and blood of Our Lord,
Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen
"I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally....My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath."
- Saint John Vianney.
http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/anima2.htm
Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen
"I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally....My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath."
- Saint John Vianney.
http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/anima2.htm
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
St._Francis_of_Assisi
I beseech Thee, O Lord, that the fiery and sweet strength of Thy love may absorb my soul from all things that are under
heaven, that I may die for love of Thy love as Thou didst deign to die for love of my love.St._Francis_of_Assisi
Once while travelling through a forest area St francis decided to preach to the birds that were gathered on a tree,
My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you... you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore... always seek to praise God.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Francis_of_Assisi
other quotes-
O how glorious and holy and great to have a Father in heaven! O how holy, fair, and lovable to have a spouse in heaven! 7 O how holy and how beloved, well pleasing and humble, peaceful and sweet and desirable above all to have such a brother who has laid down His life for His sheep, 8 and who has prayed for us to the Father,
And since He has suffered so many things for us and has done and will do so much good to us, let every creature which is in heaven and on earth and in the sea and in the abysses render praise to God and glory and honor and benediction; 2 for He is our strength and power who alone is good, 3 alone most high, alone almighty and admirable, glorious and alone holy, praiseworthy and blessed without end forever and ever. Amen
And you have nothing of good in this world or in the future. You think to possess for long the vanities of this world, but you are deceived; for a day and an hour will come of which you think not and do not know and are ignorant of. The body grows feeble, death approaches, neighbors and friends come saying: "Put your affairs in order." And his wife and his children, neighbors and friends, make believe to weep. And looking, he sees them weeping and is moved by a bad emotion, and thinking within himself he says: "Behold, I place my soul and body and my all in your hands."
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/wosf/wosf13.htm
heaven, that I may die for love of Thy love as Thou didst deign to die for love of my love.St._Francis_of_Assisi
Once while travelling through a forest area St francis decided to preach to the birds that were gathered on a tree,
My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you... you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore... always seek to praise God.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Francis_of_Assisi
other quotes-
O how glorious and holy and great to have a Father in heaven! O how holy, fair, and lovable to have a spouse in heaven! 7 O how holy and how beloved, well pleasing and humble, peaceful and sweet and desirable above all to have such a brother who has laid down His life for His sheep, 8 and who has prayed for us to the Father,
And since He has suffered so many things for us and has done and will do so much good to us, let every creature which is in heaven and on earth and in the sea and in the abysses render praise to God and glory and honor and benediction; 2 for He is our strength and power who alone is good, 3 alone most high, alone almighty and admirable, glorious and alone holy, praiseworthy and blessed without end forever and ever. Amen
And you have nothing of good in this world or in the future. You think to possess for long the vanities of this world, but you are deceived; for a day and an hour will come of which you think not and do not know and are ignorant of. The body grows feeble, death approaches, neighbors and friends come saying: "Put your affairs in order." And his wife and his children, neighbors and friends, make believe to weep. And looking, he sees them weeping and is moved by a bad emotion, and thinking within himself he says: "Behold, I place my soul and body and my all in your hands."
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/wosf/wosf13.htm
war quotes
An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.
Mahatma Gandhi
All they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword.
The Bible
Matthew
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
Albert Einstein
Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead.
Ernest Hemingway
Mahatma Gandhi
All they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword.
The Bible
Matthew
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
Albert Einstein
Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead.
Ernest Hemingway
St Teresa Avila
If, Lord, Thy love for me is strong
As this which binds me unto thee,
What holds me from thee Lord so long,
What holds thee Lord so long from me?
O soul, what then desirest thou?
Lord I would see thee, who thus choose thee.
What fears can yet assail thee now?
All that I fear is but lose thee.
Love's whole possession I entreat,
Lor make my soul thine own abode,
And I will build a nest so sweet
It may not be too poor for God.
A sould in God hidden from sin,
What more desires for thee remain,
Save but to love again,
And all on flame with love within,
Love on, and turn to love again.
- St Teresa Avila
- http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/christian/teresa_of_avila/prayers_and_works/if/
As this which binds me unto thee,
What holds me from thee Lord so long,
What holds thee Lord so long from me?
O soul, what then desirest thou?
Lord I would see thee, who thus choose thee.
What fears can yet assail thee now?
All that I fear is but lose thee.
Love's whole possession I entreat,
Lor make my soul thine own abode,
And I will build a nest so sweet
It may not be too poor for God.
A sould in God hidden from sin,
What more desires for thee remain,
Save but to love again,
And all on flame with love within,
Love on, and turn to love again.
- St Teresa Avila
- http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/christian/teresa_of_avila/prayers_and_works/if/
hours of prayer
To know that nuns and priests follow a prayer schedule as mentioned down was very touching to me.In times like this when our mind wanders and is not even to focus daily even for few minutes on the Lord, it is amazing to know that around the world there are people sending incenses of prayers pleasing to the Lord.
eight hours of prayers followed by catholic nuns and priests-
* at night
* at the time of dawn
* Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = 6 a.m.)
* Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = 9 a.m.)
* Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = 12 noon)
* Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = 3 p.m.)
* Evening Prayer ("at the lighting of the lamps")
* Night Prayer (before retiring)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgy_of_the_Hours
eight hours of prayers followed by catholic nuns and priests-
* at night
* at the time of dawn
* Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = 6 a.m.)
* Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = 9 a.m.)
* Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = 12 noon)
* Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = 3 p.m.)
* Evening Prayer ("at the lighting of the lamps")
* Night Prayer (before retiring)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgy_of_the_Hours
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Henry Thoreau's favourite song
Tom Bowling
by Charles Dibdin
Here, a sheer hulk, lies poor Tom Bowling
The darling of the crew;
No more he'll hear the tempest howling
For death has broach'd him to.
His form was of the manliest beauty,
His heart was kind and soft,
Faithful, below he did his duty,
But now he's gone aloft.
Tom never from his word departed,
His virtues were so rare,
His friends were many, and true-hearted,
His Poll was kind and fair;
And then he'd sing so blithe and jolly,
Ah, many's the time and oft!
But mirth has turn'd to melancholy,
For Tom is gone aloft.
Yet shall poor Tom find pleasant weather,
When He, who all commands,
Shall give, to call life's crew together,
The word to pipe all hands.
Thus Death, who kinds and tars despatches,
In vain Tom's life has doff'd,
For, though his body's under hatches
His soul has gone aloft.
http://www.psymon.com/walden/song.html
by Charles Dibdin
Here, a sheer hulk, lies poor Tom Bowling
The darling of the crew;
No more he'll hear the tempest howling
For death has broach'd him to.
His form was of the manliest beauty,
His heart was kind and soft,
Faithful, below he did his duty,
But now he's gone aloft.
Tom never from his word departed,
His virtues were so rare,
His friends were many, and true-hearted,
His Poll was kind and fair;
And then he'd sing so blithe and jolly,
Ah, many's the time and oft!
But mirth has turn'd to melancholy,
For Tom is gone aloft.
Yet shall poor Tom find pleasant weather,
When He, who all commands,
Shall give, to call life's crew together,
The word to pipe all hands.
Thus Death, who kinds and tars despatches,
In vain Tom's life has doff'd,
For, though his body's under hatches
His soul has gone aloft.
http://www.psymon.com/walden/song.html
Monday, November 23, 2009
Henry David Thoreau
Soon the ice will melt, and the blackbirds sing
along the river which he frequented, as pleasantly as ever.
The same everlasting serenity will appear in this face of God,
and we will not be sorrowful, if he is not.
from a letter to Lucy Brown dated March 2, 1842,
following the death of Thoreau's brother
contributed by Sue Petrovski
http://www.psymon.com/walden/quotes.html
If you have built castles in the air,
your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Now put the foundations under them.
from the "Conclusion" to Walden
contributed by Austin Meredith
http://www.psymon.com/walden/quotes.html
In the days before his death,
his Aunt Louisa asked him if he had made his peace with God.
His answer was "I did not know we had ever quarrelled, Aunt."
from the Harding and Richardson biographies
contributed by Paul Edward Draper
along the river which he frequented, as pleasantly as ever.
The same everlasting serenity will appear in this face of God,
and we will not be sorrowful, if he is not.
from a letter to Lucy Brown dated March 2, 1842,
following the death of Thoreau's brother
contributed by Sue Petrovski
http://www.psymon.com/walden/quotes.html
If you have built castles in the air,
your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Now put the foundations under them.
from the "Conclusion" to Walden
contributed by Austin Meredith
http://www.psymon.com/walden/quotes.html
In the days before his death,
his Aunt Louisa asked him if he had made his peace with God.
His answer was "I did not know we had ever quarrelled, Aunt."
from the Harding and Richardson biographies
contributed by Paul Edward Draper
Monday, November 16, 2009
GRUMBLING OR GRATITUDE
which is my category,
iam faced with two choices everyday for every situation.
Most often on grey days iam murmuring but remind myself to thank the almighty for His mercies which saved me from the worse.On sunny days ,ofcourse iam always sending messages of gratitude to the Lord.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night." Psalm 92:1-2
When we express gratitude and thank Him , we remind ourselves of the unchanging and all controlling nature of God who works all things for our good
and we are reminded of the fleeting nature of the siyuation which so troubles us now.
IT IS GOOD TO PRAISE THE LORD.
As i type this , iam sitting in a hospital ward, all by myself, waiting for my spouse.
Iam scheduled for a major surgery tommorow, and iam already praising my Lord for the
help He has granted me.Thanks to several people who called me up and reminded me to trust in the Lord and give thanks to Him and assured me of their prayer support.
How encouraging can be words of assurance.
I praise my LOrd for all His goodness.
Hebrews 13:15 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
iam faced with two choices everyday for every situation.
Most often on grey days iam murmuring but remind myself to thank the almighty for His mercies which saved me from the worse.On sunny days ,ofcourse iam always sending messages of gratitude to the Lord.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night." Psalm 92:1-2
When we express gratitude and thank Him , we remind ourselves of the unchanging and all controlling nature of God who works all things for our good
and we are reminded of the fleeting nature of the siyuation which so troubles us now.
IT IS GOOD TO PRAISE THE LORD.
As i type this , iam sitting in a hospital ward, all by myself, waiting for my spouse.
Iam scheduled for a major surgery tommorow, and iam already praising my Lord for the
help He has granted me.Thanks to several people who called me up and reminded me to trust in the Lord and give thanks to Him and assured me of their prayer support.
How encouraging can be words of assurance.
I praise my LOrd for all His goodness.
Hebrews 13:15 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Charles Dickens and his faith
Charles Dickens wrote to his children about the basis of his book, The life of our Lord,
"My Dear Children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in any way ill or miserable, as He was.And as he is now in Heaven, where we hope to go,
and all to meet each other after we are dead, and there be happy always
together, you never can think what a good place Heaven, is without
knowing who he was and what he did."
Every Christmas he read from this book to his children.This book was written by him for his children , without the intention of publication
"My Dear Children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in any way ill or miserable, as He was.And as he is now in Heaven, where we hope to go,
and all to meet each other after we are dead, and there be happy always
together, you never can think what a good place Heaven, is without
knowing who he was and what he did."
Every Christmas he read from this book to his children.This book was written by him for his children , without the intention of publication
Life and contentment.
I was watching the questions being popped at the doctor, queries about cancer.Curiosity kept me hooked to the program.Each minute i listened to the live voices sharing their pain to the Dr, i felt the immense pain people are going in their lives .I could not imagine how some still put a brave front.It also belittled me about my own murmurings of life.It struck me why Jesus says do not worry about tomorrow , for tomorrow has enough pain in itself.Living a day at a time, a moment at a moment is not easy but that will certainly make life easier.How hard it is to turn from the thoughts of the morrow and the future , how hard it is to live contented with what one has got when every minute you are bombarded with ads of insurance and child security plans.Human nature follows a philosophy for some time and then as one gets ravaged by the happenings around, we slip off, the old self showing its ugly head again.The old habit of anxiety, of securing all things needed for oneself and the family and thus getting caught in the swift race of life to earn more and more, a life which forgets to slow down and breathe in the beauty of each unfolding , a life which slows down or rather halts only when it arrives at the dead end or the speed breaker.
May you live all the days of your life. Swift, Jonathan.
In the morning of life, work; in the mid day give council; in the evening, pray.
http://quotationsbook.com/
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.Abraham Lincoln:
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that the stuff life is made of.Benjamin Franklin:
http://www.wisdomquotes.com
Bertrand Russell:
Three passions have governed my life:
The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for the suffering of [humankind].
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of love I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of [people].
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.
This has been my life; I found it worth living.
adapted http://www.wisdomquotes.com
Oh my heart , be content with this day,
do not fret yourself for another day,
another day will lead you to a new way
only when each day is lived in its way.
May you live all the days of your life. Swift, Jonathan.
In the morning of life, work; in the mid day give council; in the evening, pray.
http://quotationsbook.com/
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.Abraham Lincoln:
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that the stuff life is made of.Benjamin Franklin:
http://www.wisdomquotes.com
Bertrand Russell:
Three passions have governed my life:
The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for the suffering of [humankind].
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of love I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of [people].
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.
This has been my life; I found it worth living.
adapted http://www.wisdomquotes.com
Oh my heart , be content with this day,
do not fret yourself for another day,
another day will lead you to a new way
only when each day is lived in its way.
The beautiful home of Helen keller
Located in Tuscumbia , a rural town in North west Alabama is the scenic Ivy Green, her house , built in 1820 by her grandparents.It is registered in the National Register of historic places of US. Surrounded by plenty of english boxwoods , English Ivy , it displays a serene look.
Helen herself writes in her book, story of my life that her classroom was the natural surroundings, that she read and studied outdoors, preferring the sunlit woods.
The homestead that her father built was completely covered with vines and climbing yellow roses .
It was called "Ivy Green" because the house and the surrounding trees and fences were covered with beautiful English ivy.She writes its old-fashioned garden was the paradise of my childhood
This was the place where she learnt her early lessons from miss sullivan
Helen herself writes in her book, story of my life that her classroom was the natural surroundings, that she read and studied outdoors, preferring the sunlit woods.
The homestead that her father built was completely covered with vines and climbing yellow roses .
It was called "Ivy Green" because the house and the surrounding trees and fences were covered with beautiful English ivy.She writes its old-fashioned garden was the paradise of my childhood
This was the place where she learnt her early lessons from miss sullivan
helen keller
Became blind at the age of 19 months due to scarlet fever, but overcome her disability by the support of her parents and her devoted tutor Anne sullivan, who taught her to read and write.Some of my favourite quotes of Helen keller is
Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything good in the world.
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.
We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Helen_Keller
When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.
Helen Keller
US blind & deaf educator (1880 - 1968)
http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/39954.html
Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything good in the world.
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.
We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Helen_Keller
When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.
Helen Keller
US blind & deaf educator (1880 - 1968)
http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/39954.html
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