Category: Words of Wisdom

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Words of Wisdom

Where There is No True Religion There are No True Virtues

For though the soul may seem to rule the body admirably, and the reason the vices, if the soul and reason do not themselves obey God, as God has commanded them to serve Him, they have no proper authority over the body and the vices. For what kind of mistress of the body and the vices can that mind be which is ignorant of the true God, and which, instead of being subject to His authority, is prostituted to the corrupting influences of the most vicious demons? It is for this reason that the virtues which it seems to itself to possess, and by which it restrains the body and the vices that it may obtain and keep what it desires, are rather vices than virtues so long as there is no reference to God in the matter. For although some suppose that virtues which have a reference only to themselves, and are desired only on their own account, are yet true and genuine virtues, the fact is that even then they are inflated with pride, and are therefore to be reckoned vices rather than virtues. For as that which gives life to the flesh is not derived from flesh, but is above it, so that which gives blessed life to man is not derived from man, but is something above him; and what I say of man is true of every celestial power and virtue whatsoever.

-CITY OF GOD, ST. Augustine

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Words of Wisdom

The Futility of Worldly Knowledge

Against vain and worldly knowledge

“My Son, let not the fair and subtle sayings of men move thee.
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

(1) Give ear to My words, for they kindle the heart and enlighten the mind,
they bring contrition, and they supply manifold consolations.
Never read thou the word that thou mayest appear more learned or
wise; but study for the mortification of thy sins, for this will
be far more profitable for thee than the knowledge of many
difficult questions.

2. “When thou hast read and learned many things, thou must always
return to one first principle. I am He that teacheth man
knowledge,(2) and I give unto babes clearer knowledge than can
be taught by man. He to whom I speak will be quickly wise and
shall grow much in the spirit. Woe unto them who inquire into
many curious questions from men, and take little heed concerning
the way of My service. The time will come when Christ will
appear, the Master of masters, the Lord of the Angels, to hear
the lessons of all, that is to examine the consciences of each
one. And then will He search Jerusalem with candles,(3) and the
hidden things of darkness(4) shall be made manifest, and the
arguings of tongues shall be silent.

3. “I am He who in an instant lift up the humble spirit, to learn
more reasonings of the Eternal Truth, than if a man had studied
ten years in the schools. I teach without noise of words,
without confusion of opinions, without striving after honour,
without clash of arguments. I am He who teach men to despise
earthly things, to loathe things present, to seek things
heavenly, to enjoy things eternal, to flee honours, to endure
offences, to place all hope in Me, to desire nothing apart from
Me, and above all things to love Me ardently.

4. “For there was one, who by loving Me from the bottom of his
heart, learned divine things, and spake things that were
wonderful; he profited more by forsaking all things than by
studying subtleties. But to some I speak common things, to
others special; to some I appear gently in signs and figures, and
again to some I reveal mysteries in much light. The voice of
books is one, but it informeth not all alike; because I inwardly
am the Teacher of truth, the Searcher of the heart, the Discerner
of the thoughts, the Mover of actions, distributing to each man,
as I judge meet.”

-The Imitation of Christ, Thomas Kempis

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Words of Wisdom

When people speak of LOVE and PEACE

love and peaceWhen people speak of LOVE and PEACE,
do we really know what they are talking about?
For what is TRUE LOVE?
and what is TRUE PEACE?

Is love a mere congenial feeling of warmth
for your fellowmen?
Is peace attained through silence
or through the absence of wars and protests for different beliefs?

Is TRUE LOVE keeping silent
when someone you truly love is being harmed
is harming himself
or is purporting to harm another?

Is TRUE LOVE deaf to cries of your loved one’s pain?
is TRUE LOVE blind to one another’s malady?

Does TRUE LOVE turn away for every discomfort encountered?
Or does it endure and remain patient to the end?

When your love encounters differences,
which measure does it use to transcend such differences?
Does it ignore these differences
pretending they’re not there for the sake of peace?

Or does it use a Higher Perspective
One that can transform both hearts
and give them new eyes to see
new hearts to Love
like they have not loved before?

How complete is the LOVE in your heart?
How long can it endure?
How far can it suffer
and bear the load of another?

How True indeed, how True?
What is LOVE?
and what is PEACE?
Do men realize what these are when they speak?

“Love is patient
love is kind
It does not envy
it does not boast
it is not proud
It is not rude
it is not self seeking
it is not easily angered
it keeps no record of wrongs
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth”
-Cor. 1 13

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Words of Wisdom

Is Happiness a Choice?

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Is happiness a choice? Is it a mere decision we can make at every point in life? Can we always say that the glass of water is half full instead of being half empty? Can it be made full by believing that it is full when it is really not?

What shall we say to the beggar who has not eaten in days?
What shall we say to orphans who have just lost their parents to war?
What shall we say to those who were falsely judged and imprisoned?
What shall we say to the unloved, to those who never even knew what it’s like to have a friend?

Is it easy to decide to be happy? Is it even possible to find peace when a hurricane looms over you, ready to tear you apart?

I am not saying that it isn’t possible;
I am not saying that we cannot.

Yet say not so easily that happiness is a choice
and that at any point in time, we can choose to be happy.

Say instead that we can choose to approach God Most High
and that we can enter His sanctuary.
Say that we can surrender there
and let go of our tears.
Say that we can ask for Grace, for Strength, and for Healing.

For this we have a choice
and with this we can have Hope.

Finally my friend, we can hold on to that Hope
and believe that we can find
what it is we’re looking for.

This article was written by Jocelyn Soriano at www.itakeoffthemask.com

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God Words of Wisdom

Why doesn’t God intervene in man’s affairs?

One of the most common questions asked about God is this- If God is good, why doesn’t He intervene in the affairs of man? This is especially so when there is suffering or an evil that should have been stopped by a good God.

What might happen indeed when God intervenes:
· God stops us from getting sick
· God stops us from dying when attacked by others
· God stops us from sinning
· God stops others from sinning against us

As we might note, if God intervenes, He must consistently do so also in order not to be deemed as imperfect or as evil. And when He does, the Laws of this world He has created shall all be broken by the very One who created it. Freedom and freewill shall no longer be, and He will infringe upon the dignity of the man He has so created in His very own image.

The source of suffering in this life comes from two things–
1. Suffering of the physical body
2. Suffering of the spiritual self

To what suffering then must God intervene for us all that we may deem Him Good and Perfect?

· As to remedying sin (cause of suffering of spiritual self), Love cannot be forced
· As to remedying physical illness and death (cause of suffering of physical body), it would be a curse to give immortality to those who have not learned of love.