ALL REALITY, BLESS THE LORD.

Just as the Holy Spirit is not hostage to one Church or even nationality, the world’s wisdom is also more than that contained in the Scriptures. The wisdom that is authentic comes from God through people of various faiths and dispositions. Humans who are moving towards their authentic intelligent progression exhibit Truth, Wisdom, Peace, Love, Hope, and Service. All humans are called to move to that next level of their evolution, one which is more and more complex and depends upon each one of us to be aware of our destiny.

Here is an excerpt from Marcus Aurelius.

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

“Think of all the years passed by in which you said to yourself “I’ll do it tomorrow,” and how the gods have again and again granted you periods of grace of which you have not availed yourself. It is time to realize that you are a member of the Universe, that you are born of Nature itself, and to know that a limit has been set to your time. Use every moment wisely, to perceive your inner refulgence, or ’twill be gone and nevermore within your reach.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

“Think of what you have rather than of what you lack. Of the things you have, select the best and then reflect how eagerly you would have sought them if you did not have them.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

“Do not be wise in words – be wise in deeds.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

“Because other people are fools, must you be so too?” ~ Marcus Aurelius

“Give yourself a gift: the present moment.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

ARISTOTLE

“Be a free thinker and don’t accept everything you hear as truth. Be critical and evaluate what you believe in.” ~ Aristotle

“The most important relationship we can all have is the one you have with yourself, the most important journey you can take is one of self-discovery. To know yourself, you must spend time with yourself, you must not be afraid to be alone. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ~ Aristotle

“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” ~ Aristotle

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” ~ Aristotle

“It is our choice of good or evil that determines our character, not our opinion about good or evil.” ~ Aristotle

“Wicked men obey out of fear. good men, out of love” ~ Aristotle

“The weak are always anxious for justice and equality. The strong pay no heed to either.” ~ Aristotle

“Our problem is not that we aim too high and miss, but that we aim too low and hit.” ~ Aristotle

“Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing,
and being nothing.” ~ Aristotle

“The high-minded man does not bear grudges, for it is not the mark of a great soul to remember injuries, but to forget them.” ~ Aristotle

“The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” ~ Aristotle

GALILEO GALILEI

“You can’t teach anybody anything, only make them realize the answers are already inside them.” ~ Galileo Galilei

“The laws of nature are written by the hand of God in the language of mathematics.” ~ Galileo Galilei

“I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him.” ~ Galileo Galilei

“In the sciences, the authority of thousands of opinions is not worth as much as one tiny spark of reason in an individual man.” ~ Galileo Galilei

“Two truths cannot contradict one another.” ~ Galileo Galilei

“Measure what can be measured, and make measurable what cannot be measured.” ~ Galileo Galilei

“The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, not the way the heavens go.” ~ Galileo Galilei

STEPHEN HAWKING

“So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and hold on to that childlike wonder about what makes the universe exist.” ~ Stephen Hawking

“Quiet people have the loudest minds.” ~ Stephen Hawking

“The thing about smart people is that they seem like crazy people to dumb people.” ~ Stephen Hawking

“When something is made idiot-proof, they will just make better idiots.” ~ Stephen Hawking

“It is very important for young people to keep their sense of wonder and keep asking why.” ~ Stephen Hawking

“I don’t fear God- I fear His believers.” ~ Stephen Hawking

“I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.” ~ Stephen Hawking

ST. CHARLES DE FOUCAULD

“It is not necessary to teach others, to cure them, or to improve them; it is only necessary to live among them, sharing the human condition and being present to them in love.” ~ Charles de Foucauld

“We should never forget the two axioms: ‘Jesus is with me’ and whatever happens, happens by the will of God.” ~ Charles de Foucauld

“To love anyone is to hope in him for always. From the moment at which we begin to judge anyone, to limit our confidence in him, from the moment at which we identify him with what we know of him and so reduce him to that, we cease to love him and he ceases to be able to be better.” ~ Charles de Foucauld

“As soon as I came to believe there was a God, I understood that I could not do otherwise than live only for him.” ~ Charles de Foucauld

“Above all, always see Jesus in every person, and consequently treat each one not only as an equal and as a brother or sister, but also with great humility, respect and selfless generosity.” ~ Charles de Foucauld

“To receive the grace of God you must go to the desert and stay awhile.” ~ Charles de Foucauld

“You have only one model, Jesus. Follow, follow, follow him, step by step, imitating him, sharing his life in every way.” ~ Charles de Foucauld

“Cry the Gospel with your whole life.” ~ Charles de Foucauld

ST. MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA

“Some people come in our life as blessings. Some come in your life as lessons.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Your true character Is most accurately measured by how you treat those who can do ‘Nothing’ for you” ~ Mother Teresa

“Small things done with great love will change the world.” ~ Mother Teresa

“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: Be kind anyway. If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies: Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank people will try to cheat you: Be honest anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight: Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous of you: Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten by tomorrow: Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give your best anyway.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.” ~ Mother Teresa

“I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Do you want to be great? Pick up a broom and sweep the floor.” ~ Mother Teresa

“At the end of life, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.” ~ Mother Teresa

“There is no key to happiness; the door is always open” ~ Mother Teresa

“If you can’t do great things, do little things with great love. If you can’t do them with great love, do them with a little love. If you can’t do them with a little love, do them anyway.” ~ Mother Teresa

RESOURCES FOR THE CRITICAL THINKER

Here are my favorites that I use regularly for inspiration, formation, and transformation from my false self to my true self as nature intended.

www.peterzeihan.com — My favorite commentator on geopolitical happenings in the world.

https://www.organism.earth– My favorite website for an existential look at how all reality fits together.

www.newadvent.org — My favorite website for reflection on all things Catholic.

www.usccb.org —  My favorite website for the latest news and primary resource for all things Catholic.

https://thecenterforcontemplativepractice.org — My favorite website (I wrote it) about contemplation the Lay Cistercian Way.

http://www.ecatholic.com — A highly prized resource on all things catholic.

INFAMOUS QUOTES FROM A BROKEN-DOWN, OLD LAY CISTERCIAN.

Just because your road is rocky doesn’t mean you are on the wrong road.

Intercourse begets children; marriage between different personalities begets authentic human love; being present to love others as Christ loved us begets the next level in human evolution– adoption by the Father.

All the rowers in the world won’t help if your boat has a hole in it.

It is only when I abandon all that my reason and human experience say is meaningful and plunge myself into the mystery of Christ that, when I resurfaced, I realize I not only had become more human but now am destined for what my nature always intended.

Being Catholic is not about being better than any other religion, but the realization that I am the servant of all those other ways of thinking about reality and not their judge.

The peace of Christ is not the absence of conflict but the presence of love.

To hear the whispering of Christ in my ear as I sit in the upper room of my inner self, I must quiet my mind and heart and wait in silence and solitude. It is the most difficult habit that I am trying to master.

The most difficult behavior that I must master is to do good to those who hate me or speak evil of me.

My Lay Cistercian Way is that of the cross. When I die, I have missed the boat if I do not bear the marks of a lifetime of struggle against my human nature. Dying to self each day is a constant fight against original sin.

It is always a better choice to do what is right than what is easy. What is right is to do the will of the Father, through, with, and in Christ, with the power of the Holy Spirit.

When unauthentic thoughts suddenly present themselves in my mind, I consciously trace the sign of the cross on my forehead, the sign in which I was Baptized.

There are two citizenships that I possess, somewhat like having two passports. One is the physical world in which I was born to begin my unique journey; the second is my birth as an adopted son (daughter) of the Father, one where the Father chooses me and gives me the tools to withstand the onslaughts of the Evil One.

All reality, all matter, all time, all movement, and the complexity of intelligent design are linked together. I use science, philosophy, life experiences, and choices to learn what is good and what is evil.

The Divine Equation comes from outside of my nature to reach down and lift me up to the next level of my evolution. There are six questions that God gave me (plus the correct answers from The Christ Principle):

1. What is the purpose of life?
2. What is the purpose of my life within that purpose?
3. What does reality look like?
4. How does it all fit together?
5. How can I love fiercely?
6. I know I am going to die; now what?

You don’t break the Commandment; they break you.

I believe; help my unbelief. — St. Thomas Aquinas

My prayers are your prayers.

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