Jesus lives forever

Jesus lives forever
"I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me." Gl 2, 20.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Living better each day

I bought a book about the most intelligent saints of the Catholic Church, like St. Augustine, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and some others. This book, written in Brazilian Portuguese, presents the thoughts of them.

The first thought is a St. Augustine's one:

In essentials, unity; freedom in doubt, in all things charity

1 Corinthians 13, 1 - 8:

"Though I command languages both human and angelic
-- if I speak without love,
I am no more than a gong booming
or a cymbal clashing.
And though I have the power of prophecy,
to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge,
and though I have all the faith
necessary to move mountains
-- if I am without love, I am nothing.
Though I should give away to the poor all that I possess,
and even give up my body to be burned
-- if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever.
Love is always patient and kind;
love is never jealous;
love is not boastful or conceited,
it is never rude
and never seeks its own advantage,
it does not take offence or store up grievances.
Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing,
but finds its joy in the truth.
It is always ready to make allowances,
to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes.
Love never comes to an end.
But if there are prophecies,
they will be done away with;
if tongues, they will fall silent;
and if knowledge, it will be done away with."

Love is the seed for unity, freedom and charity, without love nothing makes sense.

Unity, freedom and charity are desires and gifts of God, the unity of the Holy Spirit, the freedom achieved by Jesus in the cross, and the charity, as we read in Ecclesiasticus 40, 17:

"Charity is a very paradise of blessing and alms giving endures for ever."

About love, it's not a felling, but it's a decision. What you do must be according to God's love for you.

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