Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Golden Rule (On Philanthropy) From The Clementine Homilies Homily XII (Chap. XXXII) The Golden Rule (On Philanthropy) CHAP. XXXII.–THE GOLDEN RULE. But he is righteous who for the sake of what is reasoning fights with nature. For example, it is natural to all to love those who love them. But the righteous man tries also to love his enemies and to bless those who slander him, and even to pray for his enemies, and to compassionate those who do him wrong. Wherefore also he refrains from doing wrong, and blesses those who curse him, pardons those who strike him, and submits to those who persecute him, and salutes those who do not salute him, shares such things as he has with those who have not, persuades him that is angry with him, conciliates his enemy, exhorts the disobedient, instructs the unbelieving, comforts the mourner; being distressed, he endures; being ungratefully treated, he is not angry. But having devoted himself to love his neighbour as himself, he is not afraid of poverty, but becomes poor by sharing his possessions with those who have none. But neither does he punish the sinner. For he who loves his neighbour as himself, as he knows that when he has sinned he does not wish to be punished, so neither does he punish those who sin. And as he wishes to be praised, and blessed, and honoured, and to have all his sins forgiven, thus he does to his neighbour, loving him as himself. In one word, what he wishes for himself, he wishes also for his neighbour. For this is the law of God and of the prophets this is the doctrine of truth. And this perfect love towards every man is the male part of philanthropy, but the female part of it is compassion; that is, to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick, to take in the stranger, to show herself to, and help to the utmost of her power, him who is in prison, and, in short, to have compassion on him who is in misfortune. Posted on MySpace by : Mystery Tramp

LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT WITH GOD

Entrusting my words to the Holy Spirit

Linda Mary Liotino

I woke up this morning with two ideas for a Blog and because my life is entrusted to God every morning this subject was NOT one of the two. It is in a conversation I had with a friend this A.M. that prompted this Blog.

Life is simple and direction of one’s life is simple when we live in the Present Moment of God. The complication/confusion comes NOT from God but from our in ability to let go let God. We are given free will from God and we “think” we can make right choices but reality dictates we are a mess and the “blasted” free will of ours is no help. We quote the free will in everything to justify our actions. Actually, the mess the free will decisions caused us should be less heralded for all to know.

I personally starting on 9/11/03 stop relying on my will and I abandon my will solely to God every morning before my feet hit the floor. Like everything else, it was a prayer of words something I was not sure it was going to work and leaving my controlling nature was not easy. I thought I needed to be in control of everything and perish any thought of mine that I would conceive God could do a better job. In my opinion, He moved way to slow. God also did not understand my game plan so my ole will have to take up His slack. Thus, color me arrogant, stupid and slow.

The revelation in 2003 came to me at the age of 57 years old and it could not have come at a better time. My life was stress, I was a shrew, and I was having angina along with high blood pressure. Therefore, my will was not being the least bit kind to me nor was I accomplishing anything but being on a fast track to seeing God face to face.

As I said, I was not sure the entrusting my life to God was going to work but I had used up all my other options. The simplistic journey of Living in the Present Moment with God is freeing. My will abandon to His will in His present moment has work well for me. I have my goals but learn to live each day with Him as if it is my last. I skip through my days making decisions knowing God has “my back” and will adjust the decisions to His will. This leaving the final decisions to God, has cured me of angina, blood pressure is better than most and the shrew is a kinder and gentler me. Lastly, I smile much of my day in the new freedom that was always mine. Life is sweet.

This piece is dedicated to my friend Kevin whose frank honest look at his life inspired this Blog.

May the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Bless You!

Copyright 2008 Linda Mary Liotino

 

INCEST/RAPE

Entrusting my words to the Holy Spirit

Dedicated: To the Innocent/Voiceless praying, their cries are my words.

 

The argument for abortion when all else fails to capture the attention of the pro-life supporter is what about the pregnancy of the victim of incest and rape. The victim of incest/rape is violated in the most degrading and brutal way one can perpetrate against another human being. The evil act causes a horrendous violation that leaves the victim scarred for the remainder of her life. The pain and suffering following the aftermath is a long process to a healing that God Himself can only bring. The endurance of the suffering solely relies on the spirituality of the victim in the totality of it all.

The victims are the Mother and Fetus but sadly, the Fetus is not understood to be a victim. It is widely accepted that the Fetus is the one to pay the ultimate price for the horrifying act of incest/rape. We condemn and execute the innocent the Fetus. What makes this different from the violation against the mother? What makes this thinking any less horrendous the killing of the innocent Fetus? How can we lay our heads down, praise our God, and call ourselves Christians and be in this mindset? What are we thinking and I need to know why this is OK?

It is a misplace sympathy for the mother to condone the killing of the innocent Fetus. HER ACT IS A REACTION TO THE HORRENDOUS ACT BUT IN NO WAY IS RIGHT. For us to rally around this decision makes us complicit in the act of murder. In essence we become apart of the act by our complicity in how we think and our turning a blind eye to murder.

Why is it we do not kill the woman after all she has been violated “damage goods?” This is a cold heartless view but is that not what we are saying when we condone the killing of the Fetus.

The one who perpetrates this violent crime of incest or rape is not sentence to death in the punishment stage of a trial unless a murder of the victim follows the act. However, we are accepting the murder of the innocent Fetus as the sympathy we are to show towards the victim of the crime as right thinking. What are we insane? The hearts of those that think this is acceptable are cold and hard.

The fifth commandment is Thou shall not kill period. There is no “but” after the commandment, which lists from God acceptable situations allowing us to murder. Thou shall not cover it in a plain and understandable choice of words. The interpretation is clear and we need not have to have learned, holy persons, or Doctors of the Church to make this any clearer then it is.

This given to me to support this writing I submit:

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles

The Didache

(1st Century AD)

The Lord’s Teaching to the Heathen by the Twelve Apostles:

1 There are two ways, one of life and one of death; and between the two ways there is a great difference.

2 Now, this is the way of life:…

The second commandment of the Teaching: “Do not murder; do not commit adultery”; do not corrupt boys; do not fornicate; “do not steal”; do not practice magic; do not go in for sorcery; do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn infant. “Do not covet your neighbor’s property; do not commit perjury; do not bear false witness”; do not slander; do not bear grudges. Do not be double-minded or double-tongued, for a double tongue is “a deadly snare.” Your words shall not be dishonest or hollow, but substantiated by action. Do not be greedy or extortionate or hypocritical or malicious or arrogant. Do not plot against your neighbor. Do not hate anybody; but reprove some, pray for others, and still others love more than your own life.

[I highlighted the words to drive the point of this Blog and my stance.]

I end this Blog with this statement: I Linda Mary Liotino “was” a victim of rape…the child is my heart, who gave me the youngest love of my life a grandchild who is the very beat of my heart. How blessed am I.

May the hearts of Jesus and Mary Bless all whom read this.

Deo gra’tias

Copyright 2008 Linda Mary Liotino

SPRING

NEW LIFE

NEW BEGINNINGS

I LOVE SPRING

I HAVE A FRONT PORCH

I HAVE A ROCKING CHAIR ON THAT FRONT PORCH

YOU WILL FIND ME THERE OFTEN THIS TIME OF YEAR
THE OTHER DAY WHILE ENJOYING THE ROCKER ON THE FRONT PORCH I NOTICED A LITTLE BIRD. NOW THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN LITTLE BIRDS MAKE NESTS. AND THIS LITTLE BIRD WAS NO EXCEPTION.

HE WAS BUSY HOPPING AROUND THE YARD COLLECTING STICKS. HE WOULD GRAB ONE AND FLY OFF, ONLT TO RETURN FOR MORE. I MUST HAVE GOOD STICKS.

I SLOWLY ROCKED AND ENJOYED THE SHOW ANTICIPATING EACH RETURN. AND THEN IT HAPPENED …

A BIG STICK !

WELL, THIS LITTLE BIRD MUST HAVE REALLY WANTED THAT BIG STICK. IT WAS A MARVELOUS LOOKING STICK. WOULD CUT BUILDING TIME WAY DOWN SO HE GRABBED IT IN HIS TINY BEAK AND TOOK OFF.

THE STICK PUT UP A FIGHT. IT WAS BIGGER THAN THE LITTLE BIRD AND WEIGHED MUCH MORE. IT WAS AWKWARD IN DESIGN AND SIMPLY WOULD NOT COOPERATE.

TRY AS HE MIGHT, THE LITTLE BIRD COULD ONLY FLY A FEW FEET AND THEN WOULD DROP THAT MADNIFICENT TWIG BACK TO THE EARTH. HE WOULD NOT GIVE UP. HE COULD NOT GIVE UP. HE FINALLY DID.

SO THE LITTLE BIRD WENT HAPPILY BACK TO HOPPING AROUND MY FRONT YARD - PICKING UP SMALLER STICKS. I’M SURE THAT HE MADE A WONDERFUL NEST.
DO YOU SOMETIMES TRY TO DO MORE THAN YOU SHOULD, MORE THAN YOU CAN, MORE THAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECCESSARY AT ONE TIME ?? THE RACE TO THE FINISH LINE IS SHORTER THAN YOU THINK. THE MORE ATTRACTIVE ONE IS NOT ALWAYS MORE SUITABLE. THE BIGGER PIECE IS OFTEN TIMES TOO MUCH.
FOR THE LITTLE BIRD THE NEST WAS BUILT, SLOWLY AND SURELY. AND WHAT MATTERS MOST IS WHAT THAT LITTLE NEST HELD INSIDE . . .
PEACE&LOVE&JOY!

MICHAEL JOSEPH FRANCIS STARLING
PLUGNSPANNER

{About the Author}

BORN AND RAISED IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA TO 2ND GENERATION ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS. GRADUATE OF BISHOP MOORE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. FIREFIGHTER / PARAMEDIC FOR 20 YEARS. HUSBAND, FATHER OF 5, GRAND FATHER OF ALMOST 10. PRESENTLY A GENTLEMAN MINIATURE HORSE FARMER IN TENNESSEE. EX-HIPPIE WHO IS STILL A JESUS FREAK.