"Be ye holy..."

[reen12]

“Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the Lord delivers him.”

A friend pointed out the above verse this past week.

I have come to the peaceful realization that most people are ‘just,’
in the biblical sense - or we try to be, without even thinking that we are striving to be
that particular thing: ‘a just man’ or ‘a just woman.’
In what manner God delivers us we cannot often know until much later in life,
and maybe not even then.

God sings the warp and woof of our lives. Every once in a while, one catches a note of the love song
that He is singing for each of us. In the call of a bird, or a night wind, or the sound a breeze makes.

God knows that the ‘just man’ sins ‘seven times a day.’
If we could relax in His love - knowing that He loves us with the love of a divine Father,
not a human father, how more peaceful our days would be.

It is of great help to me to think of what is said in the book of Leviticus.

"Be ye holy, as I the Lord your God am holy.” (Lev 19:2).

Notice that this is not a call to be perfect. It does not inculcate depression -
as 'Be ye perfect…" may do.
“Be ye holy…” because God is holy - is like a child standing in his/her father’s shoes.
They are way too large for a child to fill them, as his/her father does.
And God knows this.

It will only be when we are in His presence that we will know how many many times in life
He cared for each of us, with us all un-noticing.

reen12

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

Matthew 5:48 Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.

“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mt 19:21).

Veritatas Splendor:

It is in the saving Cross of Jesus, in the gift of the Holy Spirit, in the Sacraments which flow forth from the pierced side of the Redeemer (cf. Jn 19:34), that believers find the grace and the strength always to keep God’s holy law, even amid the gravest of hardships.

Only in the mystery of Christ’s Redemption do we discover the “concrete” possibilities of man. “It would be a very serious error to conclude… that the Church’s teaching is essentially only an “ideal” which must then be adapted, proportioned, graduated to the so-called concrete possibilities of man, according to a “balancing of the goods in question”. …And if redeemed man still sins, this is not due to an imperfection of Christ’s redemptive act, but to man’s will not to avail himself of the grace which flows from that act. God’s command is of course proportioned to man’s capabilities; but to the capabilities of the man to whom the Holy Spirit has been given; of the man who, though he has fallen into sin, can always obtain pardon and enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit”.

Lev 19:2 seems in context to be a call to be separate, as sacred and holy things were to be kept apart from corrupted things. The nation of Israel was to be separate from the rest of the world until the Messiah, and then the law of Grace was to be (is now being) sent into the “gentile” nations.

Love from God flows from a love for God, as the Love flowing between the Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Using this love as a means to feel good about oneself would be a mistake. We are called to be perfect and through the Grace of God we can be if we don’t use our free-will to do that which blocks grace, such as not following God’s commandments :

Lev 19:3-19: 3Let every one fear his father, and his mother. Keep my sabbaths. I am the Lord your God. 4 Turn ye not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods. I am the Lord your God. 5 If ye offer in sacrifice a peace offering to the Lord, that he may be favourable,

6 You shall eat it on the same day it was offered, and the next day: and whatsoever shall be left until the third day, you shall burn with fire. 7 If after two days any man eat thereof, he shall be profane and guilty of impiety: 8 And shall bear his iniquity, because he hath defiled the holy thing of the Lord, and that soul shall perish from among his people. 9 When thou reapest the corn of thy land, thou shalt not cut down all that is on the face of the earth to the very ground: nor shalt thou gather the ears that remain. 10 Neither shalt thou gather the bunches and grapes that fall down in thy vineyard, but shalt leave them to the poor and the strangers to take. I am the Lord your God.

11 You shall not steal. You shall not lie, neither shall any man deceive his neighbour. 12 Thou shalt not swear falsely by my name, nor profane the name of thy God. I am the Lord. 13 Thou shalt not calumniate thy neighbour, nor oppress him by violence. The wages of him that hath been hired by thee shall not abide with thee until the morning. 14 Thou shalt not speak evil of the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind: but thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, because I am the Lord. 15 Thou shalt not do that which is unjust, nor judge unjustly. Respect not the person of the poor, nor honour the countenance of the mighty. But judge thy neighbour according to justice.

16 Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour. I am the Lord. 17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him. 18 Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. Thou shalt love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord. 19 Keep ye my laws. Thou shalt not make thy cattle to gender with beasts of any other kind. Thou shalt not sow thy field with different seeds. Thou shalt not wear a garment that is woven of two sorts. 20 If a man carnally lie with a woman that is a bondservant and marriageable, and yet not redeemed with a price, nor made free: they both shall be scourged, and they shall not be put to death, because she was not a free woman.

 

[sawman]

“Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the Lord delivers him”

" My son, when you come to serve the Lord,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Cling to Him forsake Him not;
thus will your future be great.
Accept whatever befalls you,
in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold is tested
and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and He will help you;
make straight your ways and hope in Him."

Reen!
It is so good to recieve from your wisdom again. it has been a long time.
May He bless you!
May He make His face to shine upon you!
May He give to you His most blessed Peace!!

Tom

 

[reen12]

Hello, Tom. Good to hear from you.

After over 50 years of seeking God, I find what
my then 12 year old self knew.
That God exists, and that He has created all things.
That He places us in time, at a time of His choosing,
and that we are to leave the world a better place than we found it.
That God is One. Genuine monotheism.
That the concept of original sin, as taught by the Christian faith,
is not at all the case with human beings.
That we are not to waste an ounce of strength and stamina,
worrying about the world to come. That we are to trust God in this, and in all things,
as we try to relieve the burdens of others, in whatever way we can,
while adding to the beauty of His world in any way that our talents from God
fit us to so do.

I thank Solomon, for his words at the dedication of the first Temple,
making me welcome.

“To the foreigner, likewise, who is not of Your people Israel, but comes from a distant land to honor You (since men will learn of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, listen from Your heavenly dwelling. Do all that the foreigner asks of You, that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, may fear You as do Your people Israel, and may acknowledge that this temple which I have built is dedicated to Your honor.”

I thank God for saying:

‘Be ye holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’

What a loving invitation.

God be with you, sawman. It was so good to hear from you.

reen

 

[reen12]

Matthew 5:48 Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.

“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mt 19:21).

Veritatas Splendor:

Lev 19:2 seems in context to be a call to be separate, as sacred and holy things were to be kept apart from corrupted things. The nation of Israel was to be separate from the rest of the world until the Messiah, and then the law of Grace was to be (is now being) sent into the “gentile” nations.

Love from God flows from a love for God, as the Love flowing between the Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Using this love as a means to feel good about oneself would be a mistake. We are called to be perfect and through the Grace of God we can be if we don’t use our free-will to do that which blocks grace, such as not following God’s commandments :

Thank you for your thoughts, Earnest Bunbury.

Since we do not share the same faith,
I recall the words of St. Thomas More:

‘Pray for me as I will for thee,
that we may merrily meet in heaven.’

Kindest regards,

reen

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Thank you for your thoughts, Earnest Bunbury.

Since we do not share the same faith,
I recall the words of St. Thomas More:

‘Pray for me as I will for thee,
that we may merrily meet in heaven.’

It’s a pleasure to do so .

 

[sawman]

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, for giving us Such good companions!
I thank You for Your kindness in letting us share with one another.

God’s Love be with you Reen!
Blessed may He be forever and ever!
Angels Praise Him!
All His works praise Him!
Sun and Moon Praise and love Him!
Tom

 

[reen12]

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, for giving us Such good companions!
I thank You for Your kindness in letting us share with one another.

God’s Love be with you Reen!
Blessed may He be forever and ever!
Angels Praise Him!
All His works praise Him!
Sun and Moon Praise and love Him!
Tom

You know what, sawman?
How anyone can look about in His world and not
be swept up in Him is somthing that I do not understand.
Words like beauty and radiant are said of God
because He is beauty and the source of
any radiance that appears in His world.

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth.
You have set Your glory
above the heavens…

When I consider Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which Thou hast created,
what is man that You art mindful of him,
or the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You made him a little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor…
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth.

Psalm 8

 

[reen12]

It’s a pleasure to do so .

Thank you for your kindness.

reen

 

[reen12]

It’s a pleasure to do so .

Thank you for your kindness, Lief Erikson.

reen http://bestsmileys.com/waving/5.gif

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

You know what, sawman?
How anyone can look about in His world and not
be swept up in Him is something that I do not understand.
Words like beauty and radiant are said of God
because He is beauty and the source of
any radiance that appears in His world.

People can be devoid of grace which keeps them in their sin, that is how some can fail to be swept up in God. Some, though, are swept up erroneously such as pantheists or those who think themselves a god.

As man can be happy in his human nature contemplating God in His Creation, it takes His Grace to transform our human nature to a supernatural nature. The ultimate happiness in this state is the Beatific Vision which is in no way able for us to achieve. Humility and the Theological Virtues, which are a work of God Himself, are the only way to this supernatural end, Sanctifying Grace, which is union with God.

 

[reen12]

People can be devoid of grace which keeps them in their sin, that is how some can fail to be swept up in God. Some, though, are swept up erroneously such as pantheists or those who think themselves a god.

As man can be happy in his human nature contemplating God in His Creation, it takes His Grace to transform our human nature to a supernatural nature. The ultimate happiness in this state is the Beatific Vision which is in no way able for us to achieve. Humility and the Theological Virtues, which are a work of God Himself, are the only way to this supernatural end, Sanctifying Grace, which is union with God.

How happy it must be, to be thoroughly aquainted with Aquinas.

reen

 

[reen12]

People can be devoid of grace which keeps them in their sin, that is how some can fail to be swept up in God. Some, though, are swept up erroneously such as pantheists or those who think themselves a god.

As man can be happy in his human nature contemplating God in His Creation, it takes His Grace to transform our human nature to a supernatural nature. The ultimate happiness in this state is the Beatific Vision which is in no way able for us to achieve. Humility and the Theological Virtues, which are a work of God Himself, are the only way to this supernatural end, Sanctifying Grace, which is union with God.

Good to know that you are aquainted with the thought of Aquinas.

reen

 

[reen12]

‘Accept whatever befalls you,
in crushing misfortune be patient…’

I got thinking about this, sawman.
Have found that the practice of the virtue of patience is more of a strenuous effort
as one ages.
Far easier, I found, to be patient under any circumstance at age 44,
than approaching age 64.

The upside is, that no matter how much crushing misfortune befalls us,
life goes very quickly - in terms of having to endure crushing circumstances.
Not each day or each month, but the whole of life passes very quickly.

reens

 

[sawman]

There are special times when I have the privelege to see things that no one else does.
One morning a few weeks ago, I came out of the house very, very early and saw the crescent moon in a crystal clear, black sky. My heart soared to Praise Him! I could see that moon thru the tree branches in the front yard, and I knew that only He knew how this could affect me. Our Lord loves us so much! His created universe is so compatible with our sense of beauty and soaring grandeur. I cannot do justice to His artistic ability, but there is more at work here than that.
I looked up, saw the stars and that moon, and I praised Him for the gift.
Blessed are you O Lord Our God in the firmament of heaven!
Moon and stars bless the Lord!
All you works of the Lord bless the Lord!
This is Grace, to see and to love Him by His works! To be moved by Him by his creation. To be stirred and moved to love by those He has given to us as companions and to be moved by one another’s words of admiration and praise. What a gift! How shall I make a sacrifice of thanksgiving? That Your praise be ever on my lips, O Lord!
Bless His Holy Name!
Tom

 

[reen12]

I looked up, saw the stars and that moon, and I praised Him for the gift.
Blessed are you O Lord Our God in the firmament of heaven!
Moon and stars bless the Lord!
All you works of the Lord bless the Lord!
This is Grace, to see and to love Him by His works! To be moved by Him by his creation. To be stirred and moved to love by those He has given to us as companions and to be moved by one another’s words of admiration and praise. What a gift! How shall I make a sacrifice of thanksgiving? That Your praise be ever on my lips, O Lord!
Bless His Holy Name!
Tom

Beautifully said, sawman.

“When I consider the work of Your hands,
the moon and stars which Thou hast created…”

“…the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and power go before Him; power and grandeur are in His sanctuary.
…give to the Lord glory and might,
…give to the Lord the glory due His name…
…bow down to the Lord, splendid in holiness.”
-Psalm 96

All you creatures of the Lord, bless the Lord…

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reen

 

[reen12]

People can be devoid of grace which keeps them in their sin, that is how some can fail to be swept up in God. Some, though, are swept up erroneously such as pantheists or those who think themselves a god.

Do you have a thought on panentheism that you would share, Earnest Bunbury?

As man can be happy in his human nature contemplating God in His Creation, it takes His Grace to transform our human nature to a supernatural nature. The ultimate happiness in this state is the Beatific Vision which is in no way able for us to achieve. Humility and the Theological Virtues, which are a work of God Himself, are the only way to this supernatural end, Sanctifying Grace, which is union with God.

Wonderfully stated. And thanks to Aquinas, who undertook the needed task
of creating a summa theologica.
I’ve always thought that if it hadn’t been Aquinas, this task would have been
undertaken by some other gifted intellect, sooner rather than later.
One does appreciate his tour de force, brought about by a highly logical
and gifted intellect. Christian thought would understandably add ‘aided by grace.’

Thanks, as well, to Aristotle. http://bestsmileys.com/writer/2.gif

Now* there *was a man who could whip up a ‘category’ without breathing hard. http://bestsmileys.com/nono/9.gif

reen

 

[sawman]

" Each of the four living creatures had six wingsand was studded with eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing:
Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God , the Almighty;
who was , and is to come.
Every time the living creatures glorified and honoured and gave thanks to the One sitting on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four eldersprostrated themselves before Him to worship the One who lives forever and ever, and threw down their crowns in front of the throne, saying:
You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to recieve glory and honour and power,
for you made the whole universe;
by your will, when it did not exist, it was created."
Rev.4:8-11
God willing and the creek don’t rise, I want to see them four living creatures giving praise and worship! I want to see the One who lives forever and ever and sits on the throne with my own eyes. To behold Him as He is in Himself! What blessedness! What Joy!
Thank you for your sharing, Earnest and reen. Thank you for turning my heart and mind to Him who is our end.
And the four living creatures said " Amen "!
Tom

 

[reen12]

" Each of the four living creatures had six wingsand was studded with eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing:
Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God , the Almighty;
who was , and is to come… Rev.4…

God willing and the creek don’t rise, I want to see them four living creatures giving praise and worship! I want to see the One who lives forever and ever and sits on the throne with my own eyes. To behold Him as He is in Himself! What blessedness! What Joy!
Thank you for your sharing, Earnest and reen. Thank you for turning my heart and mind to Him who is our end.
And the four living creatures said " Amen "!
Tom

I understand, sawman.
"And the four living creatures said “Amen!”

Amen.
So be it - let it be.

Te Deum laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur…

We praise Thee, O God :
we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship Thee :
the Father everlasting.
To Thee all Angels cry aloud :
the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.

To thee Cherubin and Seraphin :
continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy : Lord God…

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty :
of Thy glory.

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*-Te Deum *

God walk with you, Tom.

reen

 

[reen12]

" Each of the four living creatures had six wingsand was studded with eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing:
Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God , the Almighty;
who was , and is to come… Rev.4…

God willing and the creek don’t rise, I want to see them four living creatures giving praise and worship! I want to see the One who lives forever and ever and sits on the throne with my own eyes. To behold Him as He is in Himself! What blessedness! What Joy!
Thank you for your sharing, Earnest and reen. Thank you for turning my heart and mind to Him who is our end.
And the four living creatures said " Amen "!
Tom

I understand, sawman.
"And the four living creatures said “Amen!”

Amen.
So be it - let it be.

Te Deum laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur…

We praise Thee, O God :
we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship Thee :
the Father everlasting.
To Thee all Angels cry aloud :
the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.

To thee Cherubin and Seraphin :
continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy : Lord God…

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty :
of Thy glory.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

*-Te Deum *

God walk with you, Tom.

reen