Thursday, June 26, 2008

PRIDE

Filed under: Red Pilgrim — Linda @ 10:30 am
06/20/08 7:02PM
PRIDE
You vicious cataract! You damner souls! You ancient gates of the City of Woe, how wide is your construction, how heavy are you doors! No man can budge you, how then shall we close you, O womb of destruction? The first of all sins, Father of death. As spectacular as any eclipse is the eclipse of pride over the soul.
O Pride! How you corrupted the mind of Lucifer and his angels. How want of you slew the woman and the man.
It is a strange thing how quietly this one creeps in. Satan, where did you find time to be idle? When did you have occasion to conceive pride?
Satan was created to glorify God as were all creatures, and somehow did create in his heart that pride which led to rebellion, which led to lies, which lead to hatred, which led to violent wrath, which led to expulsion, which led to every evil.It was for pride that the woman ate of the fruit wishing for great things, even to be as God. She wanted to have reason for pride, she wanted power. Do you think that the woman had lack of anything in the garden? I tell you no, for before the woman and the man was the whole world. But together she and the man reasoned that it would be good to have such as that which makes one as God so that they may have reason to boast. They did not want it for the sake of that which it gave, the knowledge of good and evil, for they did not have reason in their heads to know even the nature of that solicitation. What reason does it make for me to say to you,” If you do this you will have an Archaeopteryx even as God has one. ” You would not reason in your head on the word, you would simply regard that by this “Archaeopteryx” you will become an equal with God and that it would be good, because then you will be great too. Therefore, it was for want of pride that the woman and the man fell.It was for pride that Cain despised his brother’s offering. Able was slain for mere obedience of God by Cain, Cain’s pride having been banished by becoming the lesser of the two through his own depravity of which God warned him,” Sin crouches at your door… its desire is toward you.”

Every generation has raised up men pridefully, teaching them to be intolerant of offenses, making the words honor and pride ambiguous. For a righteous man honor and integrity are ambiguous. This has escaped the mind of mankind.

Christ was a man with no pride in Him. Yet no man ever existed who had more honor, neither integrity. For even being God he did not look down his nose at the Pharisee. Rather He called evil evil and good good. A man not afraid of stereotypes, condemning all the Pharisees and only accepting those wishing to be accepted. He esteemed no man and neither did he esteem Himself, for it is written,” He did not esteem equality with God something to be grasped…” even though He Himself was God.

In these days there is a great mockery in the earth. The sons of men have become so corrupt that they mock and can not conceive that a person could love them and not the things they do. That men can see men apart from behavior. That we can “love the sinner and not the sin.” Where will they get pride if the earth embraces this teaching? Where shall men get pride if they become truly equal? Therefore, Christian, the earth hates you and all who would love unconditionally. The concept undermines everything they do. For they have traded the use of all they are from something by which men are accepted of God, to a thing by which they are accepted of men. They do not know how to be excepted without merit, nor do they know it is possible and so they do scorn the very possibility that God and more accurately Christians, other human beings, will accept Them unconditionally.

Humility, how the Lord has loved you. Moses, the greatest prophet the world has ever seen was chosen by God for the very reason that he was the most humble of men. Humility is such a hard quality to create in men that even God himself has resorted in the past to instead of looking for humble men in high places, going to the humble places where humility naturally exists. Such was the case of David the shepherd by, and Gideon who was the least in Israel, and Samuel who was born from the humility of a barren womb. Humility, is a more elusive trait than what we may call Character. Many have thrown their hands in the air over humility and character, finding no way to instill it in themselves nor their students. This is because integrity, character, humility, fortitude, temperance are the products of excellent living. When men live in self mortification and moderation and unceasing prayer they arrive at these virtues not by teaching or perception; these are not received.

How can knowledge and virtue pass between men and between God and men if there is excess of pride? The truth of God is like light, the love of God is like light. If our pride in anyway persists, it is in the direct path of the light which we desire. Some have very little blocking that light and others endure a perpetual eclipse. But until a man removes the pride we will never see the fullness of God. Therefore, it is written,” No man hath seen God at anytime.” We know this to be untrue, for Jacob wrestled with the Lord, and Moses did see the back side of God, and men beheld Christ. This rather means that no man has ever seen God as He TRULY is and therefore has not seen God. This is because of our pride and our various depravities. The key to all virtue is humility as the pagan Miltiades said,” Teach thy tongue to say,’I do not know,’ and you will progress.” The Lord exalts the humble.

Pride must be surrendered, God will not take it away. It is an act of the will to be prideful and God will not arrest a man’s will. Rather pray daily that you would be taught how to lay down your pride. Do not pass up the occasion to suffer wrong and cultivate not only humility, but patience and unconditional love. Actively esteem yourselves the least of men. Do this and all things will come to you. You do not cultivate humility by humbling yourself before your superior, for this is merely good order, therefore humble yourself to the poor and the sick and those in prison, those who are in sin. You will not want for anything, for by this you will please God. Christ says,” When you are called to a banquet do not sit in a high seat lest one greater than you should enter and the Master of the feast say unto you,’ Give place to this man.’ and you begin with shame to take a seat of lower degree. Rather, when you are called to banquet, take the lowest seat and when the Master of the feast sees you he will call out to you,’ Friend go higher!’ and you will proceed with honor amongst the guests.”

Lay aside your pride and all your devices which you think will gain you many things and be always returning to the Lord. Those who have recourse unto the Lord will never be put to shame. Do not think you will be cheated or deceived. God will honor you and so will men it you live out a true humility.
 
Posted Date: 06/26/08 10:27AM

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

ON POVERTY

Filed under: Red Pilgrim — Linda @ 3:19 am
06/13/08 11:01PM
On Poverty
Behold the rich Christian and see how poor he is! In his latter day his health fails him and he grasps at his ministry or neglects it all together. See how he has been given his recompense. For I tell you the truth, this man having heard and accepted the words of the Lord has found a way to remain rich! What a wonder this is! Were we not told to sell all of our possessions and give alms? Were we not called to be the least of men in heart and stature? All the works which a rich man does are maligned by his wealth, for if he having been poor had done the same works would have built a great construction to the Lord! However, discern, brothers and sisters, how out of his abundance he has given of himself. See how, with great pain, he must struggle to match the simple kindness of the pauper. How hardly shall a rich man be great in the Kingdom of Heaven!
Weep for the one who says in their anxiety,” Poverty has befallen me! I am ruined! God where did I transgress thee that such a blow should fall upon me!?” Saddest of saints, you have reviled the crown of poverty which came from God. Is it a wonder in these times that men recoil when the Church asks for money? Do not lie and hide behind what has occurred in the media by the orchestration of the Satan, saying,” These Churches want my money to spend it on themselves! Living richly and buying many things. We have seen all we need to see, they shall get nothing from me!” You despise all authority for those children of extortion? Oh, fool! Does God not see the corruption of your heart? For the Master said it clearly,”… where a mans treasure is, there too will his heart be…” You have displayed for the Church to see, and it has not escaped the eye of God either, that your treasure is not in heaven but in earth. How you have loved to rub your necks raw and bloody by twisting rebelliously under a driftwood yoke, the lightest of burdens! For you have no knowledge of the words of God, nor his heart, but surely, when a servant of God, supposing you faithful asks for your great help you wither him with suspicion and detest him. For shame! You who would see a marvel come and see! Watch as the dullard becomes a scholar when asked to furnish a tithe! How great does his biblical knowledge become, reasoning intricacies of doctrine so fine he himself is lost,” We are not of the Old Covenant but the New. Christ abolished the Law. Why should I give to a church when there are many dying? The tithe is dead. It is up to my conscience what to give and there is no greater than that! See how Peter did not implore Ananias and his wife who sold a field and did die? They erred only when lying to the holy Spirit. I am honest in my giving. And in the past I have given a tithe of net and not that of gross, because the government had taken from me, so really net is where I should give from.” And many other vain, puffed up things they say. You tithe do you? What reward will be given to you? For you have given and kept a record only to receive back from the government. What did you think you would get back when giving only expecting to receive a recompense? You fool, you shall get nothing from God, but at the end of the year your own government shall give you what is right.
Why! Christian is it so hard for you to have faith in God?! You children, where do you stand if not directly under heaven? Does your Father’s gaze not behold you as it even pierces all things, shadow, flesh, bone, earth, and mind, seeing even unto the division of soul and spirit? To this day God has sustained the existence of all races which walk, creep, crawl, roam on the earth and fly in the air and swim in the sea. Why do you tremble as a fool? You are to have one joy and that is the joy of the Son, not of money.
Which of you is foolish? Which one of you has been so spoiled, being recompensed in the present time with great wealth, that upon seeing your fellow Christian in poverty have despised him. Which of you have rashly an ignorantly supposed,” Look at the poverty of their life. They have fallen away from God!” When has wealth ever been the hallmark of a saint? And when were you deemed to judge him by such a standard? It tell you the truth, when you and the pauper enter into the kingdom he shall rule you forever! There is no class which is closer to God than the poor, for he knows them better than the rich who has done for himself. No, God knows the poor better, for He tended them under bridges and touched the hearts of many to give to him at the crossroads and He heard every prayer as he cried out from his condition. God pined at the sight of the one who’s sustenance withered before his own eyes and yet blessed God trusting in Him no less. How sad that you rich will never know a test of faith like the poor. How hardly a rich man enters into the Kingdom of Heaven!
Do not misunderstand me, grave would be the out come of that misunderstanding. Money is not evil, nor is the possession of it. But as it is written,” The LOVE of money is the root of all evil.” How many exhortations have fallen on the deaf ears of the rich? How many have perished at the expense of their luxury? How ignorant has the person been who defends them,” It is their money!” What belongs to a slave that does not belong to its master?! All that a Christian has is to be disposed of in the Harvest. Who can out give the Giver? Which of you can tell it? Have faith in God!
For a saint, relative poverty is superior to riches for he will be rich in God who abandons such pleasures. Even if God were to bless you with fortune, who of a pure heart would not think of all those perishing and the Church first before he gluttons his own passions and fickle desires?
Let me tell you a story, Christian, for I do not drive you out but seek to touch your heart. There was a man who went into Africa and had been working in the Lord’s Harvest for a short time and the time came again when he should leave. As a faithful and zealous worker he went to pray at a hospital before he was to leave that country and upon entering he saw a sprawled out sweating half-dead corpse laying on a stretcher and then another and another; all of them children. He asked the doctor what was wrong with them and why no one tended them and he said,” These are dying and their families have brought them here to die. They have malaria.”
Shocked he said,” Why don’t you give them medicine?! This child is seven years old!” The doctor coldly,” No one has bought them the medicine needed.” Without hesitation the man said,” How much is the medicine I will pay!” assuming that it was some great sum and as an American would cover this bill.”$2.00 American currency.” said the African doctor.
Two dollars. A child perishes for the price of half a gallon of gas. Two dollars. How many perished so you could have your appointed leather seats? How many perished so you could have your salt water pool? How many perished so you could globe trot? How many perished so you could have a faster computer or a liquid screen T.V.? How many perished because you say it is your money? How many perish because you reason,” You could say the same for any expense! Don’t judge me!” How many perish because you have forgotten? This is the only poverty a rich man possesses, that he would forget the fatherless, the widow, the orphan, the sick and in prison, those dying and those in poverty. Mortify yourselves and repent! Deny in this time the luxuries which in ignorance and rebellion you did relish in before.
Christian, I thought to write to you the great joy of poverty, but my hands are not skilled to write it. It sounds like foolishness what I write. This is joy greater than that which any amount can give! I tell you the truth even through swelling tears, this is joy: To wake and remember God first, praising him for whatever is in your mind. That your mouth should open with praise before your eyelids crack. To become sick and cry out to God in thanksgiving that justice is in the earth and brother flesh has found his just chastisment. To strive long eating the cheapest of foods which are eggs and lentils and rice and potatoes. To walk bare footed. To listen before speaking. To be the last to talk in conversation as the least of men. To risk being thrown out on the street to house the homeless. To bring a murderer under your roof. To secure children for dying and be the poorest and richest. To lose everything. To be mocked for moral courage. To be mocked for poverty because of Christ. To be disrespected by the stranger for kindness. To have a person mistake your respect and love for them as your weakness and suffer abuse from them and bear it with all humility and chastity.
Do these and let these be done to you and you will be richer than Solomon himself. In the Kingdom of Heaven he will come to you for council.

Red Pilgrim

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

WHY CIRCUMCISION?

Filed under: Red Pilgrim — Linda @ 4:12 am

Sunday, June 08, 2008

 

Why Circumcision?
Current mood: breezy
Category: Religion and Philosophy

This practice has always been strange to us, even those who bear the covenant of the circumcision. It seemingly is the last thing a man should want to do, yet interestingly it is a symbol of the very thing He wants to do.
Abram was a man called out of his fathers house from the city of Ur of the Chaldeans and led into the land which the Lord had prepared for all his descendants. Abram was accompanied by his relatives and their slaves and their children, free and slave and all who had joined themselves to Abram.
Insomuch as we may derive from this knowledge that they had a common understanding having been from one nation and even further one city. And is the nature of God we must presume that the covenant which He would construct with Abram was one that would have symbolic meaning and peculiar depth. So, lets look at how the Chaldean would perhaps perceive the practice of circumcision.
The head of the penis, which is commonly accepted, is a mystical symbol of the head itself. However, just as today one might presume, so too then was the head synonymous with the heart. So, circumcision is the removal of the crown which crowns the head. This would lead us to assume it is symbolic of recognition of a superior crown or even a foreshadowing of that saying that we will cast our crowns before the Lord, even as Zipporah cast the foreskin of Gershom at the feet of Moses her husband who was confronted by the Lord; therefore casting that fleshy crown before the Lord as an appeasement.
Then, as well, we must assume that it could be percieved simultaneously as a hood or a sack which had shrouded the head and heart of the man. That same shroud of sin a separation which man did don originally in the garden. God was calling them, perhaps, to display the removal of depravity and ignorance. Circumcision was almost certainly a symbol of enlightenment, seeing that the head was no longer covered and could now see the truth.
There is, now, another reason for circumcision which is perhaps just as blessed as the others. The semitic people known as the Habiru (Hebrew), which is an semitic term that embodies simultaneously vagabond, nomad, gypsy, stranger; the Habiru were suddenly very great. Anyone who was a run away, a freed slave, a manslayer, a merchant, any refugees could join themselves to the Habiru. They were in fact a frightening force, looked at as locusts in the countries in which they did dwell. However, the kings of varying cities sought to make good of them by making them an ally militarily which is demonstrated in the Book of Genesis.
However, to create a uniformity in the society and to preserve culture, circumcision would have been an effective deterrent against all those who were not worthy of character to dwell with the Habiru; having not the courage to under go the surgery. It was a means of preservation, I think as well that God wisely instated. Further, it is evident that circumcision is the healthier of choices in that it prevents the spreading of disease and men who are circumcised are 30% less likely to cause cervical cancer in their partners. It was a symbol that these people were conceived in truth and understanding, where as the rest of the world was conceived in darkness and ignorance. We see the males only receiving the circumcision as well, when female circumcision did exist, but not among the Habiru. This is most probably because, well firstly because God stated the males, but secondly and less importantly, certain societies believed that the man made people and planted them in the woman. However, I can not speak certainly concerning the Habiru on this particular view, but it does to appear to have been the common consensus. This would reinforce the idea that the offspring would be conceived in knowledge of God.
Something to think about…

This Blog is written by a guest Blogger named Red Pilgrim…I hope you like this Blog and I will be featuring more of his Blogs in the near future. He writes on MySpace and by clicking on the link above you can read his other Blogs currently posted there.

May the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Bless You.

Linda Mary Liotino

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

FINDING GOD

Filed under: Blind Begger — Linda @ 9:41 am

Finding God

There’s a principle I learned as a teen and I believe it was in drivers education. It says your focus determines your reality. In other words if you’re staring into the ditch you will drive into the ditch. This principle was shown to me in great magnitude last week at my daughters senior class all night party in which they hired a hypnotist. The key to hypnosis is number one the participants willingness but perhaps more important their ability to focus. The better one is able to focus the easier it is to be hypnotized. Their focus becomes their reality.

There is so much garbage going on in the world these days that you can’t help but be effected. It’s become so bad that many I’ve talked to, including myself, have opted to turn off the news. I catch the highlights on the internet. Otherwise we are so inundated with the negatives of the world we become sucked in and it becomes our focus. I believe this is a ploy of the Devil to draw our attention from where it should be; God. Imagine if you will one of my favorite scenes, a monk with his hood up wandering peacefully through a rolling meadow on a nice summer day. Focus on that for a bit…. Now imagine watching the headlines of the nightly world news broadcast. What different feelings do you feel picturing the monk vs. the news. Which state of mind would you rather spend your day in. Remember your focus determines your reality.

We have a very clear map of where to go if we want to find God. Scripture and Jesus give very clear directions, God is found in the small still breeze, Jesus went away in solitude to talk with the Father, Christ is present in the Eucharist, St. Francis saw God in all of creation, Jesus said He is present in the poor, the sick and the suffering. If you’re looking for a bushel of sweet corn for dinner you don’t go to the video store. If you’re hungry for a hot fudge Sunday you don’t go to the car dealership. If you’re looking for a beautiful mountain top view you don’t go on a cruise. You must choose the proper place to seek God. If we’re all wrapped up in how miserable the world is, how can we find God. If we take time to be aware and appreciate God’s beauty in the world, the people and the silence around us than we will find God. Remember your focus determines your reality.

If you’re really serious about a relationship with Trinity than you must go to the places where the Trinity exists and seek Them out. You must focus your attention, learn from the Saints and Prophets who are experts at finding God and do what they do. Of course all this is worthless if you’re not really interested in seeking Him. Then you will be dragged all over God’s green earth by the chains and ropes of the world and it’s problems. That’s another story for another day called “Freedom vs. Bondage.”

Peace and all good things.

BLIND BEGGER

Filed under: Blind Begger — Linda @ 9:39 am

I’ve been asked by Linda to contribute to her site from time to time by way of a Blog. It is an honor and privilege for me to be asked and to do that. My name is Bob but I go by the “pen name” of The Blind Beggar. I do this for many reasons. First, it adds a bit of mystery as I’m really about as ordinary and boring a person as you could find. Second, the things I generally write about are of a spiritual nature and being a blind beggar is descriptive of my spiritual state. I’ve been blessed by God to know and learn from some of the best. He’s also sent me some of the worst so I would learn discernment. But in reality, I grope around in a world of light, the light that is so bright I’m blinded. I search for the Living Water and along the way; I try to help the other blind beggars find that water.

I work for the Catholic Church in a small community of Northern Michigan. The story of how I got here is a miracle in itself and I have found that the biggest moments in my life have been totally contrary to how things should have logically occurred. I’m a professed Third Order Secular Franciscan and see God in all things. I love writing about all things spiritual and how I encounter God on a daily basis. I have found through my own experiences that piecing together the teachings of the Catholic Church with the teachings of Christ and studying the wisdom literature of other cultures that the principles and teachings have a very literal sense to them. We sometimes tag them as allegorical but as I’ve come to experience many of these things I’ve learned they are literal and it is hard to understand them until you’ve lived them. I believe this is the true meaning of wisdom.

We are all on this journey together and all at different points along the path. If you are at all serious about holiness, saintliness, and deep personal encounters with God, I would encourage you to take the fast track. The fast track being developing and extreme, radical prayer life (5:00 a.m. daily prayer times, 12:00 midnight prayer, quiet, meditation, contemplation) and the Sacraments. Perhaps my most transformative prayers personally would be Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer. No matter what your prayer style, contemplative, rote, charismatic, etc. the quickest and surest way to intimacy with God is through prolonged exposure to His loving presence through prayer and the Sacraments.

If there are ever any questions or topics you would like me to address, I would encourage you to contact Linda or myself. You can view my personal MySpace page and Blog or email me directly at: yukon_bob2000@yahoo.com. Until next time….

Peace and all good things!