CONTEMPLATION: Sharing

THE SIXTY SECOND CATHOLIC:

Here are some of my thoughts from a Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) on sharing. I was thinking, as I always do, about “have in you the mind of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5) and h

THE SIXTY SECOND CATHOLIC:

Here are some of my thoughts from a Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) on sharing. I was thinking, as I always do, about “have in you the mind of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5) and how we are so blessed to have God share his Son with us. Here are my thoughts.

GOD SHARES LOVE WITH HIMSELF: The essence of God, or God’s center, is the Father loving, loving the Son. This love is so pure that it is a Person, the Holy Spirit. This is revealed to us by Christ, who took on our human to give us a glimpse of what love is.

GOD SHARE LOVE WITH US: If God suddenly appeared as a champion warrior of one race to the exclusion of other humans, it would be suspect. Love is sharing unconditionally with all humans. Christ is the love of God for all humans, a person to bridge the unattainable gulf between divine and human nature. Pontifex Maximus. God shares his essence with humans by sending his only Son, Jesus the Christ, to tell us and show us how to love others as He loves us.

GOD TEACHES US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER: Philippians 2:5-12. We can eventually come to what love is in the natural world, but it is not enough to bridge the gap so that we can love with the love of God. In the Old Testament, God spoke through Moses and the Prophets to guide the people from slavery to self to freedom from just mouthing platitudes (the Law). He did not come to destroy, but to give us life…Forever. We could not possibly comprehend nor prepare ourselves to exist in the presence of God without help. Through Christ alone, we receive adoption as sons and daughters of God the Father, and we inherit the kingdom. We know what that means through the teachings and parables of Christ.

GOD TEACHES US TO SHARE LOVE WITH ONE ANOTHER. First of all, to love as Christ loves us, we must realize that we are loved by God with the love of God and not as the World defines love. This is God sharing who He is with humans who must struggle with the imperfection of being human and the perfection of Pure Love. He chose us before the World began. Our response is called belief which closes the circle on Faith alone as only mediated through Christ. But, Faith without love is a seed that does not die to self and bear fruit. Loving is sharing this love we received with others, with our whole heart, our whole mind, all our strength and loving our neighbor as our self. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:36ff)

GOD SHARES HIS LOVE THROUGHOUT TIME THROUGH THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST God Himself gives us ways to share in His Love. In Baptism, God invites all humans to share in His love (as they are capable) In Confirmation, the Holy Spirit shares enlightenment and grace by overshadowing us throughout our lifetime. In Eucharist, we share the real Christ (God and man) under the appearance of bread and wine. In Penance, we confess our sins and receive forgiveness with our commitment not to sin again with God’s grace. In marriage, we share intimacy with husband and wife to procreate others to share in God’s love. In Holy Orders and Religious Life, we sustain all the above with persons who have given up all to follow Christ. In Anointing and Healing, we proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes in glory by sharing His love. Scriptures are the inspired love letters from Christ to give us grace, pure energy, and enlightenment.

GOD IS PRESENT TO ME IN MY HEART, SHARING LOVE WITH ME AS I HAVE THE CAPACITY TO RECEIVE IT. As an individual, I look at the one I love, Jesus the Christ, and try to move from my Worldly self to that of living in the Spirit. Contemplation helps me to focus on Christ alone. I long to see Christ sitting next to me on a park bench in the dead of winter. My whole focus is on me dying to self so that I can rise to new life in Christ. I wish to grow in humility and obedience to God’s will on a daily basis, seeking fidelity to my Lay Cistercian commitment I made in before Dom Augustine, O.C.S.O., and the Lay Cistercian community of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist).

For those without Faith, all of this is nonsense. For those with Faith, I don’t need to say more.

The blessing I wish you is at the center of my view of reality, “Have in you the mind of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)