Our hearts of flesh

The opening up of the human heart and seeing every person as my brother and sister in humanity. Sounds great ... . Sounds great. But it's a road ... and a painful road ... but a beautiful road.

-- from Jean Vanier's sharing at OPC 

About a man's faith, hope, and love

Happy feast day of Saint John Paul II.

Purity in thoughts, words, and deeds

Once when St. Francis and Brother Leo were walking from Perugia to St. Mary of the Angels in bitterly cold weather, the saint discoursed to his companion upon the subject of "Perfect Joy". There is no passage in any of the early writings about St. Francis which more clearly displays the essence of Franciscan humility. As the two men plodded on Francis called thus to Brother Leo:

"Brother Leo, though the Brothers Minor throughout all the world were great examples of sanctity and true edifying, rather write it down and take heed diligently that not therein is perfect joy." And going on a little further, St. Francis called a second time: "O Brother Leo, albeit the Brothers Minor should give sight to the blind, make straight the crooked, cast out devils, make the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, and (greater still) should raise them that have been dead a four days' space, write that not herein is perfect joy." And going on a little, he cried aloud: "O Brother Leo, if the Brother Minor should know all tongues and all sciences and all scriptures, so that he could prophesy and reveal not only things to come but also the secrets of consciences and souls, write that not therein is perfect joy." . . . And going on a little further, St. Francis cried aloud: "O Brother Leo, albeit the Brother Minor could preach so well as to turn all the infidels to the faith of Christ, write, write that not therein is perfect joy." And this manner of speech continuing for full two miles, Brother Leo with much marvel besought him, saying: "Father, I pray thee in the name of God that thou tell me wherein is perfect joy."
And St. Francis thus made the answer: "When we come to St. Mary of the Angels, all soaked as we are with rain and numbed with cold and besmirched with mud and tormented with hunger and knock at the door; and the porter comes in anger and says: 'Who are ye?' and we say: 'We be two of your brethren'; and he says: 'Ye be no true men; nay, ye be two rogues and gad about deceiving the world and robbing the alms of the poor, get ye gone'; and thereat he shuts to the door and makes us stand without in the snow and the rain, cold and a-hungered, till nightfall; if therewithal we patiently endure such wrong and such cruelty and such rebuffs without being disquieted and without murmuring against him; and with humbleness and charity bethink us that this porter knows us full well and that God makes him speak against us; O Brother Leo, write that herein is perfect joy. And if we be instant in knocking and he come out full of wrath and drive us away as importunate knaves, with insults and buffetings, saying: 'Get ye gone hence, vilest of thieves, begone to the alms-house, for here ye shall find nor food nor lodging'; if we suffer this with patience and with gladness and with love, O Brother Leo, write that herein is perfect joy. And if we still constrained by hunger, cold and night, knock yet again and shout and with much weeping pray him for the love of God that he will but open and let us in; and he yet more enraged should say: 'These be importunate knaves, I will pay them well as they deserve', and should rush out with knotty stick, and taking us by the hood, throw us upon the ground and send us rolling in the snow, and beat us with all the knots of that stick: if with patience and with gladness we suffer all these things, thinking on the pains of the blessed Christ, the which we ought to suffer for the love of Him: O Brother Leo, write that here and herein is perfect joy."
"Then hear the conclusion of the whole matter, Brother Leo. Above all graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, that Christ granteth to His beloved, is to overcome oneself, and willingly for the love of Christ endure pains and insults and shame and want: inasmuch as in all other gifts of God we may not glory, since they are not ours but God's; whence saith the Apostle: 'What hast thou that thou hast not received of God? And if thou hast received it of Him, wherefore boastest thou thyself as if thou hadst it of thyself?' But in the cross of tribulation and affliction we may boast, since this is ours; and therefore saith the Apostle: 'I would not that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.' "

-- John R. H. Moorman, Saint Francis of Assisi

To produce an account of the gospel

-- Saint Luke

To stand in testimony

Declared himself as a kernel of wheat, willing to be ground in the mouths of wild beasts to become the pure bread of God.

-- Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Oh truth hidden within life, come

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

R: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high,

and order all things far and nigh;

to us the path of knowledge show,

and teach us in her ways to go. R.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,

who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height

in ancient times did give the law

in cloud and majesty and awe. R.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse's stem,

from ev'ry foe deliver them

that trust Thy mighty power to save,

and give them vict'ry o'er the grave. R.

O come, Thou Key of David, come

and open wide our heav'nly home;

make safe the way that leads on high

that we no more have cause to sigh. R.

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,

and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night

and death's dark shadow put to flight. R.

O come, Desire of the nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind;

bid every strife and quarrel cease

and fill the world with heaven's peace. R.

Glorious

Prayer for peace

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, 

agree with one another, live in peace, 

and the God of love and peace will be with you.

-- 2 Corinthians 13:11

A thirst to come together

... 

The discovery that those who are the most vulnerable and the weakest somewhere call us forth, and they are teaching us about how God is vulnerable . . . vulnerability of God. The mystery of a vulnerable God, of a little God, and dare we say, of a naked God.

"I was frightened and so I hid." And maybe the God was saying, "I am naked but I let myself be exposed, just to be there . . . to bring life."

... 

-- from Jean Vanier's sharing at OPC 

The gift of a life and of life

Life surges

He chose to give up his life for another.

But why? 

... 

Greater love has no man than this:

that a man lay down his life for his friends.

-- John 15:13

The Salvation Army

Making heaven on earth is our business.

-- William Booth

From the heart of living

Teach me about life

Matthew 5 NIV, Bible

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

1Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.