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MojeIme1981
Guest
well actually other Christians (preferably our children) should pop in for the elder days. It’s not that I will do it like that, just trying to point out the simple logic. Retirement founds are not the only way.
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O
Orionthehunter
Guest
Island and Magic:
Each are called to different vocations and expressions of their vocation as they walk with Christ. Scripture is replete with praise for the simple person who eschews all trappings of the temporal world and the frugal person who labors tirelessly to not be a burden on society and provide for family and friends. I think charity requires that nobody question on such individual matters as vocation and expression of that vocation of another. Concurrently, the frugal person nor simple person shouldn’t feel pride in their vocation and its expression as pride will negate the holiness contained in both lifestyles/vocations.
Each are called to different vocations and expressions of their vocation as they walk with Christ. Scripture is replete with praise for the simple person who eschews all trappings of the temporal world and the frugal person who labors tirelessly to not be a burden on society and provide for family and friends. I think charity requires that nobody question on such individual matters as vocation and expression of that vocation of another. Concurrently, the frugal person nor simple person shouldn’t feel pride in their vocation and its expression as pride will negate the holiness contained in both lifestyles/vocations.
M
Magicsilence
Guest
You are so ANGRY about this!
Relax
Did the poor widow who put her only 2 pence into the collection for the poor earn condemnation from Our Lord? Did he preach to her about caring for her own body and not being a burden on society?
Or did he single her out as the one who had given the most?
Peace and God Bless.
M
Magicsilence
Guest
Agreed, we should never feel pride over what we are doing.
There is a difference between trusting in God, and giving your excess to the poor,
and
simply throwing your money away.
I am not advocating that anyone should throw their money away to the poor and expect to be fed with bread from heaven !
We should plan and care, but the level we see in America is ridiculous!! People start saving for pensions 50 years before they are due.
Can we honestly believe that our Lord, God of the universe, would abandon his servant in a time of old age, after they had faithfully served him for 65 years?
Or that God will abandon people when an unexpected event occurs? Is he not Lord of all things, outside of time?
What does Christ say about it??
Peace and God Bless.
I
Island_Oak
Guest
Wrong again. Just asking a very pointed question which you repeatedly dodge. Then again, perhaps that speaks volumes.You are so ANGRY about this!
Relax
M
Magicsilence
Guest
Then again, you are very rude!
Please see my post above which quite adaquetely answers your question.
Peace and God Bless!
L
leonie
Guest
Father Thomas Dubay does a great job of addressing this topic in his book Happy We Poor.
One thing he recommends is using the saints for an example. St. Thomas Moore was the one he used the most for married people.
St. Thomas Moore had many books (for his time), provided a good education for his kids, and even had exotic pets for their amusement. So, he lived in a manner that would be amenable for most middle class families.
I think it would be a good thing to die with just enough to cover your funeral.
One big problem with most of us spoiled Americans is that we don’t do enough penance and mortification. We rarely deny ourselves anything. I’m as bad as anyone. Maybe Advent would be a good time to pray about this topic.
One thing he recommends is using the saints for an example. St. Thomas Moore was the one he used the most for married people.
St. Thomas Moore had many books (for his time), provided a good education for his kids, and even had exotic pets for their amusement. So, he lived in a manner that would be amenable for most middle class families.
I think it would be a good thing to die with just enough to cover your funeral.
One big problem with most of us spoiled Americans is that we don’t do enough penance and mortification. We rarely deny ourselves anything. I’m as bad as anyone. Maybe Advent would be a good time to pray about this topic.
I
Island_Oak
Guest
You are so defensive about this.
Relax.
Relax.
C
cathgal
Guest
To put it simply…mmmmm…no.
If you can give as much as you get, I think you’d be fine
W
wanner47
Guest
I’m unemployed at the moment. I am also the sole source of income for my family (myself, my husband, and my daughter).
By your logic, I shouldn’t be looking for work right now; I should be sitting back and waiting for God to drop money in my lap…?
I think I’ll keep looking for work, thanks.
(I have an interview on Thursday; pray for me!)
- JoAnna
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Magicsilence
Guest
No way!
Trusting in God means entrusting your whole life to him.
“The Lord gives, the Lord takes, I will bless the name of the Lord.”
Scenario A:
“Lord, I have bills to pay, you know my position and what I need. I have an interview this Thursday. IF IT IS YOUR WILL, may I get the job and pay for my family and the house etc…, but let me trust that you will sort me out whatever will happen”
Scenario B:
“Lord, I need to pay my bills, I have an interview on Thursday. Let me get the job”
Which is the prayer of a true Christian?
I said clearly I will get slammed for saying this, and its understandable. People don’t like being told that they need to leave their comfort zone.
Island Oak, I have addressed your points, if you are not interested in responding, either with Scripture or from the ECF’s, and insist on making comments that are not in tune with the spirit of the thread, then why post at all?
Peace and God Bless.
O
Orionthehunter
Guest
Magic, with all due charity and respect, you really should be careful at being so judgmental. Both A and B are the prayers of a “true Christian” (I’m at a loss why Christian needs to be qualified but that is another thread). Pope John Paul II talked about how we need to ask relentlessly for what we want. God loves us perfectly so He won’t respond in any way be perfectly.
Furthermore, you responded to part of a previous post but you conveniently ignored the main thrust of the post. Let me repeat it:
Each are called to different vocations and expressions of their vocation as they walk with Christ. Scripture is replete with praise for the simple person who eschews all trappings of the temporal world and the frugal person who labors tirelessly to not be a burden on society and provide for family and friends. I think charity requires that nobody question on such individual matters as vocation and expression of that vocation of another.
M
Magicsilence
Guest
Please don’t say “with all due charity and respect etc…”
Just say yes when you mean yes, and no when you mean no, and no condescending entries to a post.
A and B are not both prayers of a true Christian.
A true Christian only focuses on the will of GOD, and not his own.
I’m not saying its easy, heck, Im probably the biggest hypocrite in the world for saying it. But, that doesn’t make it less true.
If you think that JP2 was telling us to ask for material things all the time, I am sure you have misunderstood his context, and the thrust
of what he was saying.Also, I am unsure as to what part of my post was judgemental?
Charity has nothing to do with it. We are to proclaim the gospel at ALL TIMES, be it hard on others or not.
Furthermore, interpolating a plethora of unusual and exotic words into your text, which are absent from everday conversation, but which, nevertheless, express an air of undesignated authority, and attempt to belittle the opponent through their use is:
really boring!
Just state your argument in clear simple English so that I can respond to it without having to attempt to clear away the waffle.
I am not saying that anyone should be a burden on society, but that trust in God is an integral part of the Christian faith, AND THAT it goes a lot deeper than praying to God seconds before a car-crash.
Peace and God Bless.
O
Orionthehunter
Guest
I’m sorry that I used the word “replete” and “eschews”. There was absolutely no intent to do as you charge. I’m really sorry.Please don’t say “with all due charity and respect etc…”
Just say yes when you mean yes, and no when you mean no, and no condescending entries to a post.
A and B are not both prayers of a true Christian.
A true Christian only focuses on the will of GOD, and not his own.
I’m not saying its easy, heck, Im probably the biggest hypocrite in the world for saying it. But, that doesn’t make it less true.
If you think that JP2 was telling us to ask for material things all the time, I am sure you have misunderstood his context, and the thrust
Also, I am unsure as to what part of my post was judgemental?
Charity has nothing to do with it. We are to proclaim the gospel at ALL TIMES, be it hard on others or not.
Furthermore, interpolating a plethora of unusual and exotic words into your text, which are absent from everday conversation, but which, nevertheless, express an air of undesignated authority, and attempt to belittle the opponent through their use is:
really boring!
Just state your argument in clear simple English so that I can respond to it without having to attempt to clear away the waffle.
I am not saying that anyone should be a burden on society, but that trust in God is an integral part of the Christian faith, AND THAT it goes a lot deeper than praying to God seconds before a car-crash.
Peace and God Bless.
As one who loves the Psalms, I’m always struck by the boldness in which the author begs God to destroy his enemies, eliminate his enemy’s riches, and other such things like expressing anger with God in our prayers. With this as an example of God telling us to bring to Him anything and everything and to express it however we can, I just want to say that prayer A or B is equally acceptable to God and equally representative of a “true Christian” despite your assertion otherwise. He wants us to turn to Him always and not sweat over whether our heart is perfectly formed at that moment. The Holy Spirit will straighten our heart out. That is why we take whatever is on our hearts to prayer.
Finally, I dont’ want to get into a war of verses about to argue with your personal judgment that the simple person is superior to the frugal person. All I know is that there are many verses that praise the person who works tirelessly to provide for his family and friends. One of the greatest in the Bible is Abraham who spent his latter life accumulating wealth with the blessing of God. In fact, that was his God-given mission. All I want to say is that you are not the person to determine that your calling to a simple life is superior to the calling of another.
M
Magicsilence
Guest
You are a shining example of Christian charity in the face of rudeness.
Please, accept my sincerest apologies. (and blame my age
)I agree that sometimes we need to call out to God, and that involves asking for things. But that doesn’t mean it is the highest ideal. Christ, in the garden at gesthemane, was surely at the lowest of the low, and yet, his prayer:
Embodies the very essence of Christianity. The psalms are cries to God, I believe, as opposed to a guide to prayer.
Hehe, I never said that my calling was to a simple life, but that it is the very heart of the gospel, and that we should all strive to achieve it.
Being frugal is part of living a simple life. We are to be good stewards of what God has given us.
Therefore giving money to the poor is a noble thing to do, but should be condemned when your own family is starving
I think we are both arguing over nothing.
Do you agree that it is wrong to accumulate wealth without a specific, Christ centered goal?
Peace and God Bless.
H
happy34
Guest
um i believe christ said something about it is easier 4 a camel to get through aneedle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. but how much wealth will send u there is beyond me. all i know is once i move out i will give all excess money to a great charity and pray for people
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Neo_Canaan
Guest
I will never pray for Paris, since she also did a porn thing. She deserves it. Such is what money does 2u.
P
Paul_Folbrecht
Guest
It’s good of you to decide who “deserves” hell (and who you are obviously hoping goes there)! This single sin of yours is probably worse than any of Paris Hilton’s monetary excesses… though I agree with you that her soul is likely in a sorry state. She, like any unrepentent sinner, needs our prayers!
T
Traditional_Ang
Guest
Magicsilence:
I’m sorry to hear about your family. Please remember what St. Paul received from the Lord in response to his repeated prayers"
*Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Cor. 12:8-12 RSV*
My prayers are with you and your family.
Your Brther in Christ, Michael
B
BLB_Oregon
Guest
You know the story of the rich young man, obviously.
I heard a priest give a homily about that passage, and he pointed out that Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, there is one more thing you must do…”
The priest very sensibly pointed out that there is always going to be “one more thing” when you follow Jesus. The whole point of the journey is to get to the point where we joyfully hand everything over.
IMHO, there is going to be a point where spending money on things we don’t need is either going to be something we don’t even want to do or something that we’ll have to hand over.
A sin? Maybe not. But don’t get too attached to the practice.
Oh, and the priest pointed out that the young man went away sad, but that no one ever said that he didn’t happily come back on another day, older and wiser.
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