Chapter 11 Material Blessings, the Actual Graces
The BSP's Faith Mission Chapter treating On the People's Immediate Needs, which the Heavenly Father never forgets to attend to!
Luke 4:16-21
Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read,
"The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, THIS IS THE YEAR THE LORD HAS CHOSEN."
Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the meeting place looked straight at Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, "What you have just heard me read has come true today."
Chapter 11: God's or the Creator's Continuing Providing
Of All Material Blessings in the Universe
"Upon all mankind, both the good and the bad, God's Actual Graces SIMPLY Abound. Upon every living being does he shower his rain from the sky; and upon all does he shine the sun from the same heavenly sky."
" ….. AND ON EARTH, PEACE TO MEN OF GOOD WILL"
(In what consists the legitimate human living and enjoying of the earthly life?)
Prelude to Chapter Eleven
On this first half portion of our 10th chapter we discuss about God’s gift giving and bountiful providence upon mankind. But on this section we are going to look at a new perspective about the topic. In the first part, we are going to attempt to honestly acknowledge from this prelude topic the legitimate natural human gifts God has bestowed and continue to bestow upon peoples and individuals through the ages in manifestation of God the Creator, or of God’s benevolent Providence. We will not, and we can never aim to unveil the mystery behind the seeming lack of equity in His manner of distribution and designation of the gifts of His creation, or of the varied, and surprising inscrutable phenomena of origination of all beings from his One and Infinite Absolute Being in ways both appalling and perplexing. But we will make it irrevocably clear the undeniable and self evident reason for existence of all the marvelous good that encompass human and natural existence via the overwhelming fact that creation has been here, and will forever be here. Things seem to perish; yet seem inexplicably transformed into something else. But no one can account beings around us completely disappearing. The reality of deterioration of things takes place eventually. Yet man has not invented, and cannot configure an "ultimate disposal machine" of ‘whatever type of debris’. JUST AS MAN can never figure what next will come to the fore in both the vast ‘external realm of things’ as well as within the minutest ‘internal realm of things’. And so whether some multiple things are seemingly gone for good, or some multiple things are seemingly emerging anew, it is never up to man to fuss about why, for example, certain things we used to have are gone away from us, or about why certain things just emerge for whatever reason or use. But we can always, notwithstanding our small mind and little heart, simply let us be awed or shocked that humanly inexplicable ‘realities’ have their being. We could only, to repeat, exclaim these ‘phenomena of realities’ as emanating from a Being, all so Supreme, Knowing, and Willing to make some sense for all the phenomena of realities, even if just in man’s time and space. Let man, thus, humbly accepts positing the existence of all beings and things, including both the tangible and the intangible, which are beyond man’s time and space exploring and uncovering. And emphatically we are not to arrogate upon ourselves, nor claim judgments or concepts about the so much more supernaturally unreachable realms of existence or realities specifically them which, in the border of the intangible and the beyond, are, thus, beyond man's time and space configuring.
Revelations, however, alone could, and do provide man answers and assurances for the bountiful reasons of beings, both of the tangible realms and the intangible. Revelations invite man the appropriate response of thanksgiving as well as some most fulfilling understanding and belief in the supernatural Being, all so providential and awesome in His absolute Creation and Renovation of the universe, including man’s existence and perpetuated being.
In the above context, without denigrating, thus, the bountifulness, generosity, and infinite good will of God, we are, however, most prudently and carefully critiquing the limited acknowledging of this Divine Providence & Design per the references to the so-called "Prosperity Gospel". In the same token, we likewise, are evaluating with "critical" fair-mindedness similar referencing to the almost casual and automatic identifying between Leadership/Success Pursuing and honest Christian Professing. Then, further on in the near future, we shall again present a "critical" re-evaluating of the concept of evolution, materialism/pragmatism, and psychology, on the one hand, and true human faith, Christianity, and divine "creationism"/providence.
As a topic sentence, we posit the dangerous, and unhealthy attitudes and orientation about so casually being so fixated to being ‘blessings’ oriented or primordially productive oriented. Per-Se enjoying and pursuing the goods of the earth necessarily runs counter to Jesus’ admonition to "seek first the Kingdom of God...” before anything else.
The bottom-line mark of the Kingdom of the World or the City of the World is the state of separation from God. In other words, it is the persisting state of sinfulness. And wherever God is nowhere to be found but sin it is a world of meaninglessness, a world that has no life, no directions, and no peace and fulfillment. Its people live in chaos and disorder inside and out, and it doesn’t matter how they look busy, active, or determined.'
Abundant Life to Men and Women of Good Will
We entitled this chapter with the phrase, "... and on earth Peace to Men of Good Will" for the following reason. Under the premise that, for a fact, life in the world, specifically human living in the world is messed up, it is only if man elects to return under the shepherd ship and providence of the Divine, or only if man elects to receive the New Life of Grace in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that human life could get around its mess, and man could receive the earthly peace heralded by the Angels for men who are of good will. We already concluded previously therefore that nothing will make real sense or nobody will make himself/herself of importance in life without the saving element of grace. As Jesus has declared, "Apart from me you can do nothing!" From the chapter on The Call to Holiness, let us repeat the following summation of the life of grace. "... But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) This is the amazing reality! That whereas before the moment of conversion man lives nothing more than a life of the flesh and, to some extent, of reason after he gets to know, believe, and follow Christ along with a repentance for his sins he begins to live THE NEW LIFE of Christ. He no longer lives just to satisfy his pleasures, or just to find rational answers to his questions. He lives according to and by the power of the grace he receives from Christ's becoming man, dying, and rising from the death. The new life enables man not fears anything that could threaten his personal life. Grace, when needed to affect one, makes miracles enabling man to work out the fulfillment of his essential human needs. Whereas before conversion man easily falls prey to despair; after conversion through grace man receives hope amidst the hopelessness of human living. It does not make life paradisiacal yet; but it makes life positively bearable. And most of all it promises him the greater fulfillment in heaven, eternal life in heaven. Grace, as it is already said many times over above, initiates man early on into the Kingdom of God right here on earth, and leads him on to the fullest enjoyment of the Kingdom in Heaven."
Seeking the Kingdom of God
And so as we celebrate this season's Thanksgiving Day let us once and for all uncover the answer to our two questions! The top question, "In what consists the legitimate human living and enjoying of the earthly life?" And the plainer bunch of questions, "What or who are God's earthly blessings to the world, and what or who are not? As pilgrims of this world on the way to God's permanent Kingdom He has stored for us, which people are God-sent blessings to us, and what things could be considered legitimate `goodies' of the Kingdom of God on earth? And when do we know certain individuals are hurting and harming us? And when do we know certain things are bad to us?
Christ's Condition to Enjoy the Blessings of the World
In answer to the above questions, the Lord Jesus provided us the following statement, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things (and people who will be good to you) shall be added unto you." This admonition of Christ entails two very fundamental meanings of Christ's salvation work: one, that Christ came down to earth and became man in order to transform fallen humanity, i.e. he was not discarding human existence, he was, and is continually doing the work of restoring humanity back to its union with God, and two, that in the process and in the mission task of restoring to man his divine unity or conformity, Jesus mandates man's absolute repudiation of all evil despicable to God, including the complete cut-off by man from the father of lies, the Devil. Hence, on the one hand Christ indeed promises the abundant life beginning even right here on earth; yet he is irrevocably characterizing such an abundant divine life to have to be completely sans of idolatrous worship or attachment to this fallen world, which is under the captive sway of its Prince, the Devil. To paraphrase, the above beginning verse, to seek first the Kingdom of God means to make it absolutely man's priority to establish first his allegiance and fidelity to God, i.e. in negative terms, to establish absolute disavowal for all evil worldliness or any sort of worldly moral aberration which originates from the father of lies, the Devil. Thus, with this most proper order of truth and reality set, only then may man open up the infinite possibilities characterizing God's abundant living for the children of God. Jesus declared this to be the condition in order to be able to be blessed with the goods of the earth. Unless believers take to heart what priority in their life should be attempts at producing and enjoying the bounties of this world is bound either for futility or some disastrous turns of life.
Chapter 11: God's or the Creator's Continuing Providing
Of All Material Blessings in the Universe, Earthly Material Blessings
(Chapter's Main Treatment)
Three Aspects of God's Blessings
1. Speculatively, let us analyze from three major aspects how God has gifted us with His blessings. Phenomenological, we could either have something, do something, or be something or somebody. In other words, God has gifted man with three basic endowments; first: the human ability to own or possess fundamental human rights (including the right to have properties and stuff), second: the ability to do or make human sort of creations, and third: the ability ultimately to be what God had determined we are to become in His book of lives, the unique person God had planned us to be. Whichever of the three categories of divine blessings man gets to enjoy as God’s bounties on earth, the undeniable parameter by which we consider any of them as human blessings is precisely that as blessings they are gifts provided by God. There should not be any mistaking of taking away credit from God. However, God will use whatever instrumentality, primarily the free human participation through man's natural faculties, aided by the grace of God to work His ways of producing the blessings for us. This way we give witness both to God's glorification and to His bountifulness in His gifts of blessings. This prevents us from attributing the blessings to our human vainglory.
God's Gifts of Having or Owning by Individual Men and Women
In the context of the Kingdom of God in the world, what great human blessings has God willed man to have or to be his inalienable rights? Chief among these are the humanly essential constitutional provisions inspired by God upon men-lawmakers. E.g. The right to civil freedom, civil or civilized living, property ownership, free speech, peaceful living, civil due process before conviction of crime, habeas corpus rights and rights against unlawful arrest, including the so-called Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and the rights to freedom of worship. Most of these are self evident and self-explanatory in terms of their inherently benefiting an authentic human existence. This explains why these rights are so obviously most beneficial human blessings, and hence, derivative from God's essence of goodness and compassion. Civil freedom affords the basic desire of God that man remains able to exercise his faculty of free will. Civilized living expresses another basic right to life. The right to own properties assures each individual equal opportunity to enjoy of things from God's creations. Free speech is one practical extension of the right of freedom. Peaceful living right enables man protection from assault, violence, and inappropriate physical, even psychological, danger and threats. Due process, another practical extension of freedom, protects any hasty and unfair accusing of anyone by other people for reason of unfortunate circumstances. The right against unlawful search and unlawful arrest is again literally self explanatory in their benefits to individual and the society. Then the fifth amendment right against self incrimination is only a most prudent benefit in societies or state governance that have grown way too complicated vis a vis legally conflicting judgments. Finally, what is freedom of worship? Does it or should it exist in democratic societies? Whereas its civil aspect allows for a democratized tolerance for all sort of "religious" license, its paramount human benefit is still the freedom for open and utmost worshiping of God.
God-abiding democratic people or countries which subscribe to the above God-given human rights are precisely blessed when they enable the mandating and exercise of such inherently human social rights. Democratic countries and democratic governments are surely the social-political environment which, in contrast to undemocratic countries or governments, is more conducive for promoting and instituting God ordained man-made socio-political blessings.
Government Freedom for All Its Citizens
Democratic countries or government, however, did not just mushroom somewhere from nowhere. For example, the American tradition of civil liberties exemplified above had their roots from the American ancestors' search and struggle for moral righteousness. In its most basic expression, the ancestral originators of American civil liberties precisely first sought the primal freedom of expression of worship. The very first community to be called later the Americans came from the foreign shores and sought this place America in order to be able to exercise their freedom to worship God. Throughout their first years of occupation of the first 13 American colonies their fundamental activity individually and as a community, aside from collective political attempts of self governing that was not subordinated to England, France, or Germany, was to build Churches and worship communities. The two goals combined were the elemental expression and manifestation of the colonizers' internal or spiritual character: righteousness in faith, and righteousness in political freedom. This fact, providentially testified how their fidelity to righteousness led them to the later formulation, and legislation of statues and regulations which will eventually put in place and institutionalize the above described civil liberties that have come to be fundamentally associated with the American democratic governing.
History tells us, however, that the experience of merging with the Native Indians proved to be violent and troublesome. The only saving grace from this initial people conflict between the natives and the occupying colonizers is the present fact that ultimately the growth and development of a democratic America redounds to the growth, development, and emancipation of the Native Indians individually and as a people according as they benefit proportionately of the America that has grown, developed, and progressed as a civilized country and people. In other words, if not directly, indirectly democratic American traditions, and institutions made sure the Native Indians were equitably incorporated in the American communities and government.
Moreover, our national heritage will not let us forget as an American nation and people of a more problematic and testing experience we underwent: that much more delicate era of American history when we merged mainstream America and the, by culture, slavery manacled Black Americans. Hence that inevitable poignant period of American history and society when the nation experienced and suffered what was a very sad, divisive, and human lives-costly American civil war. And yet, with the leadership of a firm God fearing and believing Abraham Lincoln, the American people chose to submit to the people's moral mandate to un-enslave once and for all the unfairly disenfranchised black minority, and accord them equal status of human freedom in the eyes of God and the nations' people. Later this Godly spirit of the nation mandated its people furthermore through the martyrdom of Martin Luther King, Jr with a final across the board further democratizing of American social structure. The country legislated into law the abolition of, them, segregating rules and practices between the white majority and the black minority, like "segregated schools, segregated stores and restaurants, and segregated buses. Thus all semblances of disparities and partiality which still impinged on the fullest exercise of civil freedom particularly involving blacks' free physical mobility were finally removed.
God's Gifts of Human Faculties or Talents
Now as regards that aspect of human gift by which God further endowed man, namely the gift of the abilities to do things. Whether with his hands, or feet, or vocal faculties, or his emotive or artistic drives, or his mind, man has the divine gifts for human creating or creativity. This reflects his imaging of the Divine power of Creation. How marvelous and how varied the artistry, artisanship, inventiveness, skillfulness, ingenuity, and intelligence man has been given to express himself, and fulfill himself. Man as a farmer, a carpenter, architect, engineer, mechanic, machine operator, teacher, accountant, psychologist, physician, chemist, pilot, mathematician, lawyer/lawmaker, and leader/politician. What an unraveling of the enumerable gifts God has endowed him to be capable of doing, and excelling. God's omnipotence is best reflected in man's `endless' actual arts and crafts, and skills, and total potentialities. Yet they only glorify God as blessings from His providence if all these are applied to good uses, and not for evil purposes. The magnitude of these gifts of God is illustrated by the advances of sciences and technology, which are aspects of the Divine truth made open to human minds and human ingenuity. Modern aviation, instant global communication, mass productions of goods, sophisticated land and sea transportation, improved health and medical services, multifarious sources and uses of natural energy for all kinds of people comfort and conveniences, etc.. Are all end-result of the gifts of creativity God has collectively endowed human beings. Individuals gifted with one of these varied traits or skills have that one concrete reason to be grateful to God.
Humbleness about Human Gifts
Appreciation, however, of these wonderful human creativity, artisan-ship, skillfulness, and acts of inventiveness must not becloud the humble processes that accompanied the inception moments of inspiration down through the long stages of the conceptualization of the idea, organization of the integral elements of the craft, product invention, engineering design or musical composition up through their meticulous finish. Many of these inventors, composers, technologists, designers, or writers could recount the experience of the initial ridicule by habitual critics. Some of them would further testify to the obstacle of financial strait they were in which as matter of fact hindered the fruition of the efforts of some of them. Moreover, stories of their lives would reveal to us their own internal frustration at getting bogged down over a particular detail of their imagination or a missing smooth flow to their scheme or project machination. Surely, with their gift giving they would be known to exhibit many alleged moments of great inspiration. But they would also be reported as being stuck into dry spells that sometimes took days and months that could have buried their idea altogether. Even as we examine some of these marvelous creations by man we shall be reminded of the great length of time, or of the severe hardships involved it took these marvels to be finished. Just recall the making of the pyramids of Egypt. Despite its great designs, and enduring structures we knew from history that without the physical and bloody sacrifice of human lives the pyramids would not have come to being. The same thing with the American intercontinental railroad system, it could not have progressed into completion without the physical presence of the many early Chinese laborers. Remember the life struggles of many renowned classical musicians. Beethoven finished his Ode to Joy after he had turned deaf. And Handel finished his Messiah after prolonged pits of sadness and depression. Some produced great works of arts despite being literally starved poor, and often without money even to buy food, support their life subsistence; or earning insignificant work wages just in order to be able to attend to their artistic passion, or finish for example musical compositions.
Abuse of the Gifts
But according as individuals or people abuse the uses and purposes of these God-given skills, abilities, and potentials accordingly such human marvels do lose their individual and social beneficence, and their divine manifestations. Examples of twisted and disoriented exploiting of these human crafts, inventions and prowess are the widespread use of the modern audio-video technology for pornography, and actual projects of human cloning. These and other similar arrogant enterprises of men in the world are self-crowning pretenses of futile human self-sufficiency! These people have no qualms producing half human forms with real human souls bound to live inhumanely. Their un-satiated daring ended up responsible for giving life to monstrous looking human beings.
Like the above company of talented amoral geniuses are many other individuals who, as they show off their "masterpieces" trumpet cocky attitudes of brassy and bragging sports-like upmanship verbalized through expressions like "Me-first!", "You can't beat me!", "I dare you!", "Try me!", "I'm your worst nightmare!", etc.. Even in professional sports environment, both the players and their fans display un-tempered boasting against opponent players and fans. These types of men/women all distort the reality of human imperfection, and cover up the undeniable human dependence upon God.
The Gift of Becoming What Man is Destined to Be: Level One
Finally, the third and the highest way by which man has been endowed by God with blessings is the gift of becoming the kind of individual God has meant each one to be. The gift to be the unique person and nobody else a man has been predestined by God realizes for every man both his God-ordained niche, and luck in God's book of life. And this ultimate human blessing is a blessing, which is not only terrestrial and temporal in character but Heavenly and eternal. We are dealing here with man's personal mission and destiny in being created by God. This gift, thus, is both principally man's own making as well as God's special providential plan about how each man is to shape and play his role in the mystery of mutual fellowship, evangelizing, prayerfulness and activism in unity with Christ for the saving of souls, and the building of Christ's Church according to the glory of God. It is most glorifying to God when individuals manifestly testify to the fundamental divine image of God in man: namely, the image of loving and sacrificing for others. The essence of Divinity is expressed in the Father giving us His Son to atone against human offense to Him, and to redeem mankind back to His fold. This was the story of the life of Jesus on earth: by the Father's mandate He lived as the Lamb Sacrifice to the Father, and as the Redemption of men. When human beings copied this divine act of Jesus, they are most glorifying to the Father, and they are most blessed by God. Primary examples of these imitators of Jesus were the Saints of Heaven. They lived every moment of their lives for love of God and love of others. In the mystery of the mystical body of Christ shall be revealed later on how much these human being played a role in Christ's salvific mission. They will be shown and honored how much they helped in the salvation of souls; and how so much more they glorified God. In this sanctifying way are these people God's gifts to mankind; just as the following other examples of men and women are gifts to mankind by how their earthly lives are sacrificed and spent for other people.
The Gift of What We Are To Be: Level Two
In the second level where human beings live their lives for others, and therefore for God we might cite here examples of human heroes/heroines. The world has been gifted with men and women who dedicated their lives on behalf of, and in service of others. In the American scene, we have to cite names of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In the Philippine context we could mention Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Gregorio del Pilar, Apolinario Mabini, Ramon Magsaysay, and Ninoy Aquino. In the world scene, we could include Emperor Constantine the Great, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Prime Minister Wilson, General McArthur, and Mother Teresa.
The Gift of What We Are To Be: Level Three
In the third level we can find human beings that live lives for others whose names we cannot mention, mainly because of their number and because of their obscurity, but predominant figures here are all authentically performing service employees or volunteers of hospices, hospitals, prisons, care homes, schools, children's little league sports ( e.g. coaches & and managers), soup kitchens, and personnel of all charitable institutions like Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, Red Cross, Saint Vincent de Paul Charities, United Way, Salvation Army, etc. Up top this classification should be included our parents who are dedicated to the rearing and fostering of us, their own children.
The Gift of What We Are To Be: Level Four
And in the fourth level, we may generally give recognition to every single individual in whatever work or profession, who exercises total honesty, diligence, and fair-mindedness in the performance of his/her dutiful job. A cashier that returns miscounted change, a supervisor who gives fair ratings to appropriately performing employees, a driver who religiously follows driving and traffic regulations because of his passengers, a journalist who sacrifices incentive of promotion that opts for accurate reporting in place of sensationalism, an accountant that never yields to influence in honest journals of his books of accounts, a salesman that does not market non-public defective products, etc.. Altogether are edifying members of human communities, and are private witnesses to God's providential stewardship over the welfare of all.
About Genuinely Being What We Are To Be
Again as in the two previous aspects of human endowments, with respect to perceiving exactly what and how we are to be what God Has ordained us to be we must caution against the same sinful pitfalls that will lead us astray from the true and honest perceptions we ought to have of ourselves or of our preordained proper humanity. Under the pervasive influence of the worldly culture and a Hollywood-scripted media everybody is barraged with a celluloid portrayal of individuals and individual lifestyles. The very subtle populating of both the TV and movie scenery mostly with characters all looking like Adonis and Madonna project the subconscious message that conventional living means having fine physical features. If that was not your genealogical luck, then either you are characterized marginally, or not at all. In real life, this is carried over by how individuals with the least possession of physical charms are pushed over to obscurity while the more physically gifted more often capturing the limelight of whatever people social interactive transactions. In another context, again as similarly influenced above, behavioral ethos defining present day characterization of the so-called modern men and women put a premium on how much "fronting up" or facial parading of assets, whether financial, personal, or educational. Under this social ethos it pays to be called a `Doctor', an `executive', a high-level government official, a top notch lawyer, a classy `mansion' owner, a millionaire, or simply anybody that carries an undeniable social clout, whether internal or external. Being somebody as being `distinguished', or a `master' over someone is directly opposed to Jesus' teaching about social leadership and stewardship. Recall that the Lord said: "You know that those foreigners who call themselves kings like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over the people they rule. But DON'T ACT LIKE THEM. If you want to be great you must be the servant of all the others. And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's slave. The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people." Mark 10:42-45 in essence, Jesus was teaching us that titles do not count but service to others. That is why public service in whatever form is a lofty calling but only if it is performed in real and actual service of the people and not as a pretext of public showmanship or even for public adulation.
Evident Divine Gifts to the World
Indeed, the world, which God has given us where God has placed man stewardship over, has abounding fruits of man's labor. We invariably lavished ourselves with the ethereal experience of humanly created but divinely crafted works of music. We enjoy being reinvigorated by Mendelssohn's Wedding March, uplifted by the Catholic Gregorian Plain Chants, made jolly by Souza's band marches, reminiscent by the Beatles pop ballads, drawn melancholic by Chopin's No Other Love, or giggled over by fetish simple innocent voices of little kids singing nursery songs. We are awed by the magnificent architectural and engineering wonders of our metropolitan city buildings, bridges, and road complexes. We are comforted to witness many medical reliefs to the sick and ill inmates of our hospitals. We are flabbergasted by our access to supplies of unimaginable consumer products that cater to the modern man's variety of contemporary needs and conveniences. And despite the inescapable images of impoverishment in the developed countries' city landscapes, or in the remote rural villages of undeveloped countries, we are amazed by the tons of food stuff that fill up, for example, world's metro cities' shopping malls and grocery stores. And whether recognized in certain hall of fame or not, surely many a man and a woman have carved a niche of accomplishment in their lifetimes through history.
Final Caveat to the Receiving of God's Blessings
And so God's blessings are in abundant. But the last word here is a repeat of the first words of this discussion. All of the above blessings emanate from the providential love and care of God for men even as they only temporarily habituate this part and era of His Kingdom. But such blessings will only fulfill a man or a woman only in so far as he/she has first planted and nourished his/her heart and mind in that of God. Each man or woman must make sure of the Lord's right path for himself/herself. God forbid that an individual start on the wrong foot or start crooked about the serious business of living. For once you have veered off the track; chances are you will stay off the track. Once a man has been cozy with the crooked, on a natural level there will be no straightening the crooked. What is crooked stays crooked. You cannot right the wrongs with more wrongs. If at all, your life will be marked with a lifestyle of forever making excuses, and forever making up. Hence your incomprehensible maze of personal mess ups make you ever chasing the elusive productivity and efficiency that always seem just around the corner but is never there. Consequently, the things or the supposed blessings of the world seem to pass you by as just "things" of the world, worthless preoccupations, which are fleeting and passing and ever unable to gain satisfaction for you. Verily, at this point the only thing that could help you is the mercy of God. Like the `good thief' your life will only turn around in a flash like magic only if you acknowledge the deep, deep pit you have allowed yourself to be enmeshed and to turn in total humility to the loving and unlimited mercy of God, and to His ever accessible miracles of grace.
Chapter 11,
God's Material Blessings to Man,
Part 2-Content:
All of Them Fun-full Wholesome Daily Living Varieties We Could Enjoy
Number one and foremost is what we do how to care for our body, and together with St. Paul, let reckon with keeping our human body & spirit well!
Hence, first let us think about our body & spirit, how do we deal with them?
St Paul was most aware how important it is that we care for our human body. His chief reference about his special concern for the body's careful healthy integrity and wholesome functionality as body parts was as an analogy to the fundamental unity of the human body and spirit, and at large, to the unity of the members of the Church, as it were of the parts that make up the community of believers. So, from First Corinthians, Chapter 12: verses 19-26 St. Paul graphically stressed how we must pay great attention to, and care for the parts of the human body if we want our body to function and perform what they were made for. Hence, for illustration purposes, it is well to recall the following concern of St. Paul about respecting and attending to the needs of the human body; and so, he said, "God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. 9 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.” 22 Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, 23 and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, 24 whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. 26 If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy".
St. Paul's words are self-explanatory; and I need not paraphrase them.
But St. Paul reminds us to do make sure that we take diligent care of our human body, and of our human spirit -- as the human body either cages or liberates the human spirit. 'Mens sana en corpore sano'-- a healthy spirit inside a healthy body.
No matter how, for instance, our spirit urges us to do well, think well and act/perform well, we cannot do so if our body is not up to it. It is thus common sense that we prevent what will make our body sick, and that we try our best to keep and grow our body in good health!
And talking of certain parts, like St. Paul did, we must treat with concerns taking care of our brain and what nourishes and sustains the brain, namely our healthily circulating blood within the body. The blood carries and distributes nutrients and oxygen for the brain and other parts of the body so we can function with intelligent thinking and strong/energetic acting/working. The resulting profound and clear thinking, as well as unleashed and enduring activities are but the results of what I quoted above: a healthy mind in a healthy body.
Thus, negatively speaking unless the blood supplies oxygen life to the brain and concomitant healthful nutrients food to the brain, and to other body parts the brain malfunctions and causes varying breakdown of the brain nerves as manifested in different varieties of breakdown, beginning from extreme nervousness/anxieties, confused perceptions, and memory gaps. On the other hand, positively speaking when the blood is fed the best food and the necessary diet supplements, the brain demonstrates marvels of ingenious thinking and sharp perceptions and memory recall, and especially a truly unleashed spirit of decisive actions and indefatigable and tenacious work endurance.
What food does our body need? And what marvelous diet supplements must we arm our body? The following video link would answer our basic two questions. Let us follow the link below.
https://f6b7734o60p0-eah28ifs2praz.hop.clickbank.net
The Lord doesn't forbid pleasures; besides primordially loving God, and our neighbors, especially our needy neighbors He assures us not to worry about food, shelter, and all-around extra manners of living our lives. both our spiritual lives and the secular lives about both of which He promised we may and could live abundantly.
So, while mindful of our faith in Him, the Lord would allow us to enjoy even the little things in this present life.
Welcome, friends, and let us seriously have fun appreciating many good stuff or goodies available to us for satisfaction or engrossing entertainment!
Each day we are inviting my friends talking about and practically delving into every other thing that is so much fun, e.g. music that lightens our sometimes-gloomy moods, exploring to speak or write in another language, i.e. acquiring foreign language phrases, even sentences, helpful in some travelling, handy cooking skills, e.g. fast & convenient ways to prepare sumptuous food to your instant gratification or random guest hosting, for the not sufficiently technically exposed to the desktop use, -- the equipping ourselves of basic control of both the computer and the internet, for many DIY basic house appliance fixing -- the knowing & little by little arming us of most handy tools, the looking forward & preparing for a long dreamed special travel i.e. the fun of once in a lifetime overseas trip, etc....
On this segment of our website, we are aiming to enjoin each one the extra time away from the drudgeries of living by, during your spare moments re-experience the world of music, another foreign tongue to try, the fun of cooking-made-easy, the much longed for comfortable use of the computer, the tools & gadgets that could save us the expensive handyman calls, the comfortable and peaceful landing and stay on one fancied foreign soil, etc...
So, let's fire away and do engage in one of them fun-full wholesome varieties in life we had always fancied at doing! We shall see each other in the next add-on web site page, outside of this Chapter 11.
* An add-on long fancied extra foreign tongue handy on a trip to a particular foreign spot to visit. (Please click on the following link:)
* The always effective bad mood/stressed feelings music therapy audios at your fingertips. (Please click on the following link:)
* Fast but sumptuous meals, easy to prepare in minutes. (Please click on the following link:)
* Once and for all, control that computer & the internet never more getting boggled w/ long URL codes/or, losing the show you're watching. (Please click on the following link:)
* Saving a few extra dollars and readying yourselves with DIY basic home handyworks/tools: Inexpensive tools & gadgets/made-easy skills learning pointers re tools & gadgets usage. (Please click on the following link:)
* Safe but exciting dreamed trips. (Please click on the following link:)