The Path

Stop looking around and listen to Him

The Narrow Road is what He is Calling You to

If you are trying to be a Rose

But He is Calling You to be a Lilly 

You are on the wrong path

And You will not fulfill His Will. 

Discipleship

You Cannot be a disciple unless:

1. Hate all relatives in comparison to Jesus. 

2. Hate your own life in comparison to being with Jesus. 

3. You are willing to bear whatever crosses He has chosen to send you daily. 

4. You are willing to abandon everything in the world and follow His directions for you. 

5. You are willing to forsake all your being (thoughts, words, deeds, body, soul, spirit, past, present, future) to be with Jesus. 

Discipleship is a choice and it costs you everything. 

GOD IS WORTH IT!

Luke 14:26 (KJV): 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 

Luke 14:27 (KJV): 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 

Luke 14:33 (KJV): 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

Be Ready

Always be ready to go home (heaven)

Keep you lights bright (searching)

Wait for the Lord who could return for your soul at any second

He is coming (at least for you-end time or death) at any moment

When He comes to your door to receive you

You should be ready immediately!

You don’t want to be caught dirty in sin and not ready. 

Luke 12:35–36 (KJV): 35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 

God created each of us according to his will, and this will is our prime origin. It is not just a remote and general will, but a particular will for each one of us. However it may seem when viewed from outside, no one exists solely by chance. Each one has been willed by God and has his own proper place in life. There is, for each one, a meaning and a role in the universe, and our lives will be all the more replete and happy, the more we realize this meaning, the more we incorporate this will into our lives and are one with it. 

Hence there arises the next question: “What kind of will is this?” What concept does God see fulfilled in the human race? For one thing, we can say that he has his own design for each person; each one is something special, not merely one example of a product reproduced by the million. Each one is unique, never to be repeated, and willed by God precisely as he is. That is why we say that God calls each of us by name—not just by a concept, but by a name that only this one individual knows and that belongs solely to him. 

For each one there is a special call. And only if we live attentively in conversation and dialogue with God can we know why he needs us in such an apparently insignificant position and why we are, precisely in that position, so immeasurably important. We need only recall that individuals who were apparently the most forgotten and insignificant in the world—a young woman in Nazareth, fishermen on the Lake of Genessaret—became immeasurably significant. It is not always so evident, yet God wants each one of us, he needs each one of us, so that his world may become what he wants it to be.

From: Unpublished homily given at the 88th Deutschen Katholikentag, July 5, 1984

Example of Evil

When we choose evil we are choosing something less than the best thing for us. Who would choose a deprived circle when you can have a complete one?

The world makes you think that the deformed circle is correct and that is how evil is perpetuated. 

Also when we are living by feelings instead of rational reasoning we choose wrong. Reasoning should control feelings; Feelings should not control reasoning. 

We must choose in wisdom and thought. Ask for God to give discernment. 

This is an evil circle it is evil because it has a privation. 

It is deprived of something it should have. 

Evil was not introduced to it. 

Evil is not a positive reality. 

Evil is not a being it is non being. 

Evil can only be seen in something that has being. 

God makes being he does not make non being. 

God does not make evil. 

God allows this evil circle to show how evil works for a greater good. 

Defects are allowed because it contributes to Gods glory in some way. This evil circle is allowed to show what evil is. 

What is Evil

What is Evil?

God made creation to share his goodness

He needs nothing

God made man to share his goodness

God loves you - because HE is good

He does not love you - because you are good

If you let him love you - his love makes you good. 

He creates all kinds of beings. Rocks, angels, plants, animals, humans, microbes, etc. There is an  Inequality in creation: God makes a hierarchy in his creation…not all things are equal. 

Good and Evil must be seen in complete ecosystem of universe. 

Good: what arouses affection and moving toward the end. Being [the ultimate Good is to be in union and friendship with God-everything else is a lower Good]

Evil: not a positive reality. Nonbeing. Absence. Privation of what should be there. Evil can only be found in something that is (being) 

Evil does not have a direct cause it is a privation. Only an indirect cause. (It is not introduced it it an absence)

God causes being and the good of it. But never positively wills evil. He allows privations for some greater project. (Side effect)

Example:

Humans should be seeing. Blindness is a privation. Therefore blind human is an evil for that human. 

We cannot judge what is complete good or evil because: God can orchestrate a good out of it.  

The defect may be essential for a separate project and therefore cannot be considered an evil because it is a good for that project. 

Gazelle is good but playing a part in an ecosystem, getting eaten by a lion (evil for gazelle, good for lion) is a complete good not evil. 

For Human

Fault/Guilt

Billy steals horse - chosen to turn himself from God, making himself stained, trying to get a good - needs horse. 

Punishment/Penance

Billy sentenced to prison, is an evil for Billy but yet a good because it can teach him to do and be good and just  if accepted and offered as reparation. 

Thomas Aquinas says all suffering is part of this reparation for our faults that we have done since the fall. It helps our soul….its not punishment but to train us. We learn obedience by suffering. 

Hebrews 12:7 (KJV): 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 

Hebrews 5:8 (KJV): 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 

Thomas Aquinas we were born fallen. Born with disease.  God never will the evil of sin or fault. Sin is our fault when we willfully choose a partial good contrary to right reason not caring about it or paying attention to the disorder or damage from that choice. 

God does not cause evil but he does will punishment so it can be ordered back to himself and satisfaction to others. 

Confess:

I admit I stole 20

Forgiven;

He forgives guilt (restored friendship) 

Consequence:

But I still owe 20 

Make satisfaction:

I have to pay (reparation)

He allows privations for some greater project. and to show how much more glorious he is that He would take the payment for us. 

God loves us all. He wills all to be in union with Him. This is why we were made. 

But those that willfully choose sin (a partial good contrary to right reason not caring about or paying attention to the disorder or damage from that choice, will loose the greater good) namely, union with Him. 

You do have free will but that is to rationally think about your choices to choice the greater good. 

Why would you want to hurt your own soul? This is a privation. This is the evil. That you would choose to hurt yourself for something that will never actually satisfy you. The world is full of lies about what satisfy. You must think it through and choose LIFE. 

Faith Hope and Love

Act of Faith

O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe in Jesus Christ, Your Son, who became man and died for our sins, and who will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because You have revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. Amen.

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Act of Hope

O my God, trusting in Your infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

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Act of Love

O my God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because You are all-good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for love of You. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.