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locustheologicus · 9 months ago

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Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls: An Anti-War Polemic

This song is Metallica’s take on Hemingway’s novel of the same name. Hemingway writes about the Spanish Civil War and in doing so offers a reproach of modern warfare. As I think of the deepening conflicts and war in the middle east and the Ukraine and other conficts that seem to be escalating I think it would be good to hear the words of caution within the warring style that Metallica offers especially with the amazing use of the bass by the great Cliff Burton. Cliff was an amazing talent but he unfortunately died tragically after the following album “Master of Puppets.”

The lyrics allow you to just imagine what the combatants are going through within the fevered pitch that is provided by this headbanging music.

Take a look to the sky just before you die It's the last time you will Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry

Stranger now are his eyes to this mystery Hears the silence so loud Crack of dawn, all is gone, except the will to be Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see

I feel that there is a certain irony here as I recall the way this song made me feel as a teenage boy in the late 1980′s. On the one hand this music moves you towards feelings of anger and passion that bring a sense of deep meaning and purpose for an adolescant youth who craves for simple answers. Almost like a desire to be a unreflectively part of something. Yet the words (which one can eventually reflect on later) force you to pause and consider what it is that you are actually a part of. War and violence has the ability to get the person to find a sense of tribal meaning and this again is what many young men crave. The desire to march off into some sense of victory and glory. But the lyrics then has you think, what is it all about? what is ultimately achieved and why did we value such methods of destruction.

With the escalation of war and violence we may need to be more attentive to the prophetic words etched by Hemingway, sung by James Hetfield, and played by Metallica. This is the hope expressed in Scriptures:

For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. - Isaiah 2:4

Pope Francis recently reflected on the theme of war having reflected on the one year anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel which started the current war in the middle east. In the reflection he calls on the international community (all of us) to “end the spiral of revenge” which calls to mind the teaching of Bishop Helder Camara. The belief that violence ultimately begest violence and that peace is the path that we Christians are called to promote.

Tomorrow marks one year since the terror attack on the population in Israel, to whom I once again express my closeness. Let us not forget that there are still many hostages in Gaza. I ask for them to be released immediately. Since that day, the Middle East has been plunged into a condition marked by increasing suffering, with destructive military actions continuing to strike the Palestinian people. This people is suffering very much in Gaza and in other territories. Most of them are innocent civilians, all of them are people who must receive all necessary humanitarian aid. I call for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon. Let us pray for the Lebanese, especially for those who live in the south, who are forced to leave their villages.

I appeal to the international community, that it may work to end the spiral of revenge and prevent further attacks, like the one recently carried out by Iran, that could make that region fall into an even greater war. All nations have the right to exist in peace and security, and their territories must not be attacked or invaded, their sovereignty must be respected through and guaranteed by dialogue and peace, not by hatred and war.

#youtube #music #music video #war #metallica #culture

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yhwhrulz · 5 months ago

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Today's Daily Encounter Thursday, March 13, 2025

The Bible

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.1

In biblical times, God spoke in many remarkable ways. Although he still speaks today, some of his methods have changed. He does not speak with an audible voice or send an angel every time he has something to say to us.

The primary way our Father speaks to us today is through His written Word. His Holy Spirit breathed divine truth into the minds of certain men and inspired them to write it perfectly. (2 Timothy 3:16). Nothing is missing.

The Bible is God's way of speaking to our pressing needs, anxieties, and worries. When trouble comes, we often turn to other sources, perhaps talking to a friend or counselor. All of that is good and helpful, and it is true that the Father speaks through consecrated believers. But the first resource we should consult is His Word. If you pick up the Bible only when you have a question or an emergency, you will never understand the full message of what God wants to say to you.

The Bible is a treasure trove of God's thoughts. Spend time there every day, looking for new realities and insights.

Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for leaving us Your heart and thoughts in the Bible. Beloved Father, help me run into Your presence in times of affliction and to consult Your Word with any doubts or uncertainties that arise in my life. Your Word is a light unto my feet. Thank you in Jesus' name, Amen.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050 http://www.actsweb.org

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therevelationofjohn · 5 months ago

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"The Memed." From the Book of Revelation, 19: 11-18.

John contributes to my argument that all persons must attain to the Self. They must use the Torah and the Gospels the same way a lost ship uses a lighthouse to avoid trouble on the rocks and reefs, and then when the weather clears, safely reach a friendly shore.

This divine human right, conferred by God in the Scripture must, unfortunately, be fought for. Fortunately, all secular laws favor the discovery and wielding of the Self. All we need to do is recognize the Spirit of God and the spirit of the law are one and as John said "go for it."

Every human being is protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and it is 100% enforceable, no matter where you live. That sloppy cunt Jerry Falwell who calls himself JD Vance and his friend Donald Trump refuse to acknowledge the fact they have already lost their lives because they have committed violations of the Universal Declaration and the US Government is refusing to extradite them to the Hague and the International Criminal Court for their trials. I am asking every American that wants their freedoms and dignities back to march on Washington and take them by force and put them in handcuffs and see them on their way. It is obvious our government is willing to watch us suffer and wither and die and this too is a violation of Federal and Intnerational laws. They have left us with no other choice.

Donald Trump is an unelected dictator, he is a terrorist and so are the members of his cabinet, they are not legally allowed to serve in the government nor are they permitted any kind of legal protection. They must be sent away for an impartial trial. There are no reasons to fritter away the hours waiting to see what Trump is going to do next, there have to be consequences within the government for its non-performance and all the harm it has done in its wake.

John agrees with my recommendations as we will see next. Without Justice, faith is valueless; without faith the Mission of Mercy will fail.

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

king of kings and lord of lords.

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

John says to identify the Self, one must wear a robe dipped in blood, and know his own name. If you are like me and value your good name, you will understand why we must crusade for the sake of those who are suffering under the lash of tyranny.

To know your own name, John says you must have mastered the Army of the Verses. One cannot claim to be a practitioner of religion and ignore the Law and the laws, that is absurd. John adds he must be able to master his speech, AKA the sharp sword, his manhood, and have passed the Fifth Day, which means able to endear another person to himself and protect rather than forsake him. This is what is meant by writing a name on the thigh.

John says in contrast, we cannot learn the name of the Self or the name to put on the thigh in an environment filled with hate and fear. This is what is meant by birds pecking at flesh. All I hear on the news these days is slander- horrible things are said and also being done to helpless persons that need the succor of their neighbors. No one is attempting to turn the tide in favor of God and defend His Graces.

Once again, John's equation is rather complicated. Here are a few of the variables and their hidden definitions:

A white horse= 1256, יב‎נו‎, yavne, "The Right Hand of God. We have to buld it, form it."

Eyes like fire=644, םםד‎‎, memed, "the pharmacy."

We have to measure our way out of this contentious environment.

From: "The verb מדד (madad) means to measure. This verb commonly refers to establishing length or distance, but on occasion it is used figuratively. God sizes up the nations for judgment (Habakkuk 3:6), or measures out land for folks to live in (Psalm 60:6). Some sizes or quantities go beyond the scope of man but not that of God, such as that of the ocean (Isaiah 40:12) or all the descendants of Abraham (Hosea 1:10).

The derivatives of this verb are:

The masculine noun מד (mad) meaning measure or portion (Jeremiah 13:25), or a "stretch" of cloth to sit on (Judges 5:10) or even to wear (Leviticus 6:3, Judges 3:16, 1 Samuel 17:38).

The feminine equivalent מדה (midda), also meaning measurement (Ezekiel 41:17), or a certain length of cloth (Exodus 26:2) or garment (Psalm 133:2). An identical noun מדה (midda) occurs in Nehemiah 5:4. This particular word is assumed to be an Akkadian loan-word, meaning tribute.

The masculine noun ממד (memad), meaning measurement. This noun occurs only in Job 38:5.

The masculine noun מדון (madon), meaning stature. This noun occurs only in 2 Samuel 20:21. Note that it is identical to the noun מדון (madon) meaning strife or contention, from the root דין (dyn), meaning to judge."

Dressed in a robe dipped in blood=782, ןףב, nnefev,

Nun= The verb נון (nun) means to propagate or greatly increase. Noun נין (nin) means offspring or posterity.

Fev= construct a state, to call for support from mind to mind.

The verb טבל (tabal I) expresses a whole or partial submerging in liquid: the dipping of a tunic in blood (Genesis 37:31), a finger in blood (Leviticus 4:6), hyssop in water (Numbers 19:18), a foot in oil (Deuteronomy 33:24), a staff in honey (1 Samuel 14:27), bread in vinegar (Ruth 2:14), a person in a pit (Job 9:31), and a Aramaic general himself in the river Jordan (2 Kings 5:14).

If there ever was a verb טבל (tabal II), it doesn't exist in the Bible, and its existence is proposed solely to explain the occurrence of the masculine noun טבול (tebul), which denotes a turban (Ezekiel 23:15 only).

BDB Theological Dictionary makes mention of an Ethiopian verb that means to wind about or wrap up and that may be comparable to our illusive verb טבל (tabal II), but also notes the suggestion of other scholars who have proposed relations between our noun and an Arabic noun meaning dye, which in turn could be linked to the verb טבל (tabal I).

Whatever the true origin of the noun טבול (tebul), to the Hebrews a turban was either something to "dip" one's head in, or else, a garment with which one could advertise one's status or place or origin and that by means of its color or dye."

=The Identity of the Self is closely linked to the color of one's blood; this is a significant clue you will need to figure out on your own.

Armies of heaven dressed riding horses dressed in white linen=3243, לבםג‎, levameg, "the heart and conscience of an angel."

Birds flying in midair=3243, ג‎ב‎םג‎, GBSG, "like locusts, you are going to have to dig them out."

"GBSG" likely refers to the Hebrew letters ג ב ס ג (gimel, bet, shin, gimel), which transliterate to gbsg and, depending on the context, could mean "locusts collectively" or "cistern" or "pool" or "marsh".

King of Kings, Lord of Lords=732, ןל‎ב, melbe, "the lord of your heart."

In order to stretch forth our hands, that is be present with the Self, we are going to have to bring some order to this world. An important aspect of the discovery of the Self is the defense of the wellbeing and security of others. One must not attempt to imprint the Self in a world like ours that is being run aground spiritually, economically, ecologically, and intellectually because the goddam US Government will not prosecute the immeasurably sinister persons that have taken over it. Enforcement of the laws in America and Russia are the human race's top priorities. We must not back down on this.

There is no point in trying to touch a guy on his thigh - for the angel to visit Jacob and the two to struggle while this evil triumphs over the good. The same is true for those fuckers in Rome. I want them out. Pope Francis confessed to being a party to a gang rape of a young man, one he laughed about as spoke. He and his Cardinals must not be allowed to run or hide. We are not going to permit this kind of filth to polllute the Holy See or guide people into deeper levels of sin.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 11-12: I saw heaven standing open, and a rider on a white horse. The Number is 13775, ה‎יגןע‎ ‎ ‎, the Yana, "The Garden, the place that vexes people."

There is no reason to be vexed when people are happy.

v. 13-14: He is dressed in a robe. The Number is 9033, ץלג‎, tshleg‎, "A snow freeze."

"The Hebrew word for "snow" is "sheleg" (שלג), it shares the same gematria (numerical value) as "shikchah," meaning forgetfulness suggesting a negative association with snow representing the power of forgetting one's purpose. "

In order to know our secret name, John says we have to know our purpose. As I have said, we are not purposed when we watch asshole rectums take civil rights, jobs, medicine, military readiness and hope from needy people.

In order to fulfill the base modron, depart from the garden and its slippery penis treesnake and discover our secret name, we need to fulfill achad, "learn how to be humane and just" and we can't temporarily forget or stop.

v. 15-16: Coming out of his mouth...the Number is 14007, י'‎תי‎ז, ya'‎ti‎z, "the ricochet splatter."

Man needs to witness himself engaged in the act of championing others. We have seen what it looks like when shitsuckers like Marco Rubio try to swindle people and leave them desolate, now we need to what it looks like when the Sheriff comes to town and blows his head off for it. Mankind will be damned until this happens. God made us in his image, but we have ourselves into filth. For this we must make ammends.

v. 17-18: And I saw an angel standing in the sun. A few will actually transigure as a result of the earnest study of the scriptures. This is a great gift of God, it is worth striving for. The Number is 8990, ףטץ‎, petz, "open the door."

"They would not fight, so I sent a flurry." =3178, לאעח, el ai, "up upwards, aloft, ad astra."

"The Angel that came down was dressed all in blue and was called Auriel." = 4418, the Medich, the instigator, the seducer, the dishwasher."

31784418=גאז‎חםדאח‎ ‎ ‎= Gaz Hamdah, "hot dishwasher gas."

Hot gas= oil fire

Hamdah= of a precious thing

=an invasion on a river front.

You all need to pay attention to what I am saying.

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dfroza · 5 months ago

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A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures

for the 4th of march 2025 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New Covenant) of the Bible

[The Letter of Galatians, Chapter 1 • The Book of 1st Chronicles, Chapter 29]

along with Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms with Proverbs 4 and Psalm 4 coinciding with the day of the month, accompanied by Psalm 74 for the 74th day of Astronomical Winter, and Psalm 63 for day 63 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 1st revolution this year)

A set of posts by John Parsons:

Yeshua says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:28-29).

When he said, "Live in me, and I will live in you" (John 15:4), he didn't insist you first be found worthy or good; no, he set no other condition than that of trust: "Now are you clean through the word which I speak" (John 15:3). The separation is gone; God has made the way past your shame. You are invited to come, so come just as you are, come without delay, but come trusting that you are entirely welcome because of who Yeshua is and what he has done for you…

O Lord, help us to live the newness of life that you so graciously offer to us.... help us to come to you and receive your rest. Amen.

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Isaiah 30:15 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/isa30-15b-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/isa50-15b-lesson.pdf

3.3.25 • Facebook

The central issue of our spiritual life is the willingness to do God's will, or the willingness to believe, since these amount to the same thing.... Believe what? That God is real, that He has (personally) called you by name, that he has particularly redeemed you by Yeshua's own blood poured out for your sins, and that therefore your identity and life are forever bound up with his mercy and truth... Perhaps this message seems too good to be true, and yet it is the heart's duty to take hold of hope and to refuse to yield to despair, as it is written: "Let not love and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart" (Prov. 3:3).

The spiritual danger is being “pulled apart” in opposite directions, dissipating the soul so that it will not be unified, focused and directed. Both loving and hating the good is a state of painful inner conflict, ambivalence, and self-contradiction. “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? there is not one” (Job 14:4), yet this is our starting point: “I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand” (Rom. 7:21). We are often willing and unwilling, or neither willing nor unwilling, and this makes us inwardly divided, weak, fragmented, anxious, and “soulless.” An honest faith that “wills one thing” binds the soul into a unity, or an authentic “self.” As King David said, “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

Healing a divided heart comes from making a decision: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8). There are no conditions given here -- other than your raw need to connect with God for help. "Purify your hearts, you double-minded ones" (δίψυχοι, lit. "two-souled ones"); make up your mind and be unified within your heart: "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" (1 Kings 18:21). You are invited to come; God has made the way; your place at the table has been set and prepared...

Our Heavenly Father “sees in secret..” As William James once said: "The deepest thing in our nature is this region of heart in which we dwell alone with our willingnesses and our unwillingnesses, our faiths and our fears" (James: Is Life Worth Living, 1896). Or as Albert Camus later wrote, “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy” (Myth of Sisyphus, 1942).

It is there, in the secret place of the heart, that the sound of the "knock" is either heard or disregarded (Rev 3:20); the stakes are nothing less than everything. May the Lord give us the willingness to do His will and the courage to believe in His love. And may God deliver us from doubt and from every other fear. May we all be strong in faith, not staggering over the promises, but giving glory to God for the miracle of Yeshua our LORD. May we all be rooted and grounded in love so that we are empowered to apprehend the very “breadth and length and height and depth” of the love of God given to us in Messiah, so that we shall all be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:14-19). Amen.

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Proverbs 3:3 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/prov3-3-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/prov3-3-lesson.pdf

3.3.25 • Facebook

from Israel365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

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dearfriendoverseas · 8 months ago

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There are these two young girls near me at a coffee shop. One is a Christian, maybe a cradle Christian, and the other seems to be a new Christian. They're doing a Bible study, ending John, I think as their first book. They seem so sweet. I'm jealous of their knowing each other.

I wish I had my journal with me. So often, during lonely seasons of my life, a journal is one of the only ways to let my thoughts out. A piano is the other, and it has been nearly three months since I have had one at my disposal. My fingers ache for ivory and the lovely weight of a full, rich piano, the notes delicately bouncing off of the cords, and out into the still air of a red-carpeted sanctuary. The stained glass of a sanctuary pouring colorful light inside, touching the music I make.

I miss people. I'm so hesitant, though, to attempt any friendship with locals. Maybe I could write letters with a missionary? I don't know that I actually would, but it's a thought. Maybe I'll reach out to Ula, see what she's up to, or Kelly, even, or Bee. Dear, sweet Bee. She's a funny bug, always healing.

Dear friend overseas, do you know that my three married sisters (not my sil) are expecting? Anna is due in February, Olivia in March, and now Miriam in June. Meanwhile... anyway.

I think I need to try. Try to do things for restorative rest, and try to work at work, and try to make friends somewhere. Try to read the Scriptures every day.

Doamne, I miss parts of my old life. I need to remember the heartbreak and heartache I had, longing to be married, longing to be surrounded by English, longing to have a 9-5. I'm living in that, and now I'm longing to be known, and to do meaningful work. I spent lots of time in the fetal position, sometimes screaming into the carpet, tears streaming down my face. Eu. I miss Romanian, as difficult as it was. It was such a comfy language, and pretty, lilting. French is so choppy and throaty. I miss the hills and villages, the cobbled streets and walks, the walks and trips across town.

What in the world should I do, friend overseas? Schmussebacke and I seem a little adrift, not knowing what's next, besides just the goal of moving. Schmussebacke isn't driven to lose weight right now, so I don't know when, if ever, we get into the military. And I don't know what I should focus on, besides work, and God knows I hate that enough!

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riverdamien · 1 year ago

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You Shall Be With Me Paradise

"Sloughing Towards Galilee!"

(Nick, 18-year-old Homeless Youth!)

"Today Remember Me When You Come Into Paradise!

"I have never really heard this, and at first it seems scary!

Can I screw up all the time and go to Paradise?

I live in hell now!

The streets are hell!

Believing Jesus, I will arise in Paradise!

Paradise comes quickly, seeing my friend get stabbed and die, I realize time is short!

Paradise seems far away from here in the grime of the street!

You will be a part of my life from here on out!

I am pretty glad to know thieves will be in Paradise!

-------------------------------------

On this birthday, the words of Elif Shafnite ring out reminding me to look up, be alert, and be content:

There are different ways of growing old, perhaps, some wither first in the body, others in the mind yet others in the soul.

And as I struggle with growing old I find myself seeing all of my faults, my difficult personality at times or for some all the time, and my need to always feel like I need to apologize, the words of Dorothy Day to a friend remind me that we are "working towards perfection", and I will always "miss the mark" when I "shoot the arrow" "towards perfection" every day, but I try:

"Remember we are comrades stumbling along, not saints, drifting." "I try!"

As Nick writes each day, he is writing of me, and I am just as good as he is, no better, no less, and I know God will welcome me into Paradise!

I will celebrate John Wesley's renewal of Covenant today, and I affirm with my whole being:

"For I delivered to you as of first importance, which I also received: That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time. Then he appeared to James and the Apostles. (I Corinthians 15:5-6).

We believe and trust in God the Father Almighty.

We believe and trust in Jesus Christ, his Son.

We believe and trust in the Holy Spirit.

We believe and trust in the Three in One.

"I am a freelance, a tramp, a vagabond for Christ. I must go until Christ's work is done, I go like the wind." Kawaga and "I will love to the point of folly." Dorothy Day.

I invite you to join me on the journey of another year!

Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Prayer of St. Brendan!

"Help me to journey beyond the familiar

and into the unknown.

Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You. Christ of the mysteries I trust in You to be stronger than each storm within me.

I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in Your hands.

Tune my spirit to the music of heaven,

and somehow, make my obedience count for You"

------------------------------------------------

(Temenos and Fr. River seek to remain accessible to everyone. We do not endorse particular causes, political parties, or candidates, or take part in public controversies, whether religious, political or social--Our pastoral ministry is to everyone!

Press Release:

"Jesus continues to be crucified in all those who are crucified in history...There are not enough Stations of the Cross to depict all the ways in which the Lord continues to be persecuted, imprisoned, condemned to death and crucified today!"

-Leonardo Boff

What: Non-Violent Witness in the Tenderloin to commemorate Good Friday!

Tenderloin Stations of the Cross

“A Journey With People on the Street!”

“Our Haunted-ness!”

When:

March 29, 2024

Noon-2:00 p.m.

Meet in Front of Polk Street-Side City Hall

Why:

There are approximately 8, 000 people on the street, without housing, or health care, they suffer from prejudice, anger, and hatred; they are shuffled around as if they are "objects" rather than human beings.

As followers of Jesus, and all who care, living in a war-making and uncaring empire we say loudly and clearly with Jesus: "Love one Another," "Love your enemies", "Be merciful as God is merciful," "Put away the sword," and "Thou shalt not kill."

We witness as people of faith who believe in God's reign of justice, love, peace, and restorative justice!

Sponsored by Temenos Catholic Worker

For more information:

Fr. River Sims, D.Min., D.S.T.

415-305-2124

[email protected]

www.temenos.org

www.paypal.com

---------------

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curtiscroachblog · 1 year ago

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Walking with God

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Tuesday 26th March 2024

'Enoch walked faithfully with God.' Genesis 5:24 NIV

Did the people in Scripture who 'walked with God' ever stumble or get off track sometimes? Yes. But when their feet hit the floor every morning, their commitment was to walk with God throughout the day. They drew on his strength, endeavoured to do his will and aimed towards the goal that he had set for them. Paul writes, 'I...beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called' (Ephesians 4:1 NKJV). That means you must know the direction God is leading you in and stay in step with him. When he acts - you act. When he pauses - you pause.

As a believer, your life shouldn't be compartmentalised into what's sacred and what's secular. The Bible says, 'In him we live and move and have our being' (Acts 17:28 NKJV). You can't say, 'In this situation, I'm operating under my own steam, but in that situation, I'm operating according to the Holy Spirit within me.' The Holy Spirit doesn't come and go from your life; he is always with you! Here is a Scripture you need to think about: 'You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created' (Revelation 4:11 NKJV). You were created to bring pleasure to God!

One of the most important questions you can ask yourself, often, is, 'Lord, are my ways pleasing to you right now' (see Proverbs 13:5-6)? When they are, you will discover that the direction he takes you in is always the right direction; his timing is always the right timing, and the results you get are always the right results.

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bratano · 3 years ago

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Eli Sunday x Fem!Reader - Lilac Wine

a/n - hey hey party people i'm back and writing. with the new paul dano force being brought in, i thought i would drop this fic i wrote a while back. please send me requests for any of his characters i have so many thoughts about all of them.

also i'll be getting through other requests as well, got some good cillian and horror fics coming out soon! thanks for reading okay bye

TW - NSFW, slight degradation, power play, religion, sex work

You walked towards the small wooden church just before sundown, many of the men working on the oil rig crossing your path, returning to their housing and bars. Many tipped their hat at you or said hello, recognizing you from their times at the brothel you worked at down the road. The oldest profession in the world really could be found anywhere these days.

You burst through the creaky door, smiling as you realized it was empty besides the man you needed to speak to: Prophet Eli Sunday.

A man of his status was not typically associated with women like you, as he was supposed to be a man of celibacy, unless he married. However, his name was in your bosses’ little black book, and he owed one of coworkers for her services plus interest. He took great lengths to remain anonymous from what your coworker said. He even wore a disguise so the townsfolk wouldn’t recognize him. You thought she was telling one of her often fairytale stories, but then she showed you the prize he left with her by mistake: A silver cross necklace with intricate designs and jewels embedded into it.

Typically shakedowns were a job for some of the male bartenders who were much more opposing, but they would draw too much attention marching into the church and threatening violence. So your boss decided you would do it, as you had been there the longest and it wasn’t exactly your first time tracking down a client.

You clicked across the hardwood floors in your heels. Only then did Eli look up, his eyes widening at your presence and immediately looking away. He had seen you that night working when he skulked in unnoticed and immediately wanted you, but was told you only took regulars. He took one of the newer girls instead, but he couldn’t get you out of his head. The way you laughed and smiled as you took control of the man before you, even with his hand up your skirt it seemed like you were in control. There was something alluring about that to him. You were a woman who wasn’t afraid to disobey the sheepishness that was expected in your small town of modesty and purity.

You approached him at the podium, clearing your throat to force his eyes to yours.

“Quite the church you have here, Prophet Eli.” You said, gazing around at the wooden beams and the cutouts of crosses lining the walls.

“Thank you, Miss…?”

“Y/N Y/L/N.” He bowed gently in respect.

“Miss Y/L/N. I have seen you around town, but I don’t believe we’ve had a chance to meet.”

“No, we have not. I’m not particularly a churchgoer myself, you see. There’s no point when you work in my profession.”

“And what’s your profession?”

“I believe you know what I am, Prophet. In fact I believe you know my kind very well.”

His mouth ran dry as he realized your tone of accusation. He knew you weren’t there simply to get a prayer for your father or for a new dress like the rest of his visitors that day. You were there for business. God has heard his wishes for you and placed you so graciously into his lap.

“Prophet Eli, you are a holy man, yes?” You asked, slinking your jacket off your shoulders and folding it into your arm to reveal your collarbones and the exposed corset underneath. You watched as he gulped and looked down a bit at the scripture in his hands.

“Yes of course I am, Miss Y/L/N. Do you need my services? A prayer perhaps? Jesus spent most of his time around women like yourself, did you know that?” He cocked a half smile, but the sweat on his brow betrayed him. You both knew of what he’d done, and no amount of his niceties would change the conversation at hand.

“Hmm, yes. And I also believe you spend much of your time around women like me. But not for martyrdom, Prophet.” You smirked, watching as his face dropped and he began to look around the empty pews for any unwelcome ears.

“I do not believe I know what you’re talking about,” he laughed nervously, setting the book down on the podium. “Insinuating I’ve laid with a woman like you? I have never laid with a woman, nor will I until I marry. Such is the Lord’s way.”

“Is that so? Then I suppose our ledgers are lying. A different Eli Sunday must owe us money.” You smirked at him as he stared at you, his eyes darting frantically trying to think of any way to escape the conversation. His mind returned to his night with the girl. How the heat between her legs was worth more than the heat in Hell. How the Holy Spirit seemed to expel from him as he climaxed, his mind now free of sin and the lust he felt being channeled into her. He wished he could say the guilt of his sin found him once he left her, but admittedly he felt closer to God than ever. He prayed that night, prayed for that opportunity to return to him. Oh Lord, give me the sinner I have seen today. I must cleanse not only her, but myself of these thoughts, Lord. The love of a Prophet, the righteous lust of a saint. Behold me and my grasping hands, Lord. For I need the flesh to cleanse me. It was the first of many begging messages to God to give him what he wanted- what he needed.

And then you showed up.

“Perhaps it was my twin brother, Paul, lying upon my name… He is a sinner, one that would use such services.” He nodded, trying to convince himself of his own lie. God, this is your last chance to stop me. To prevent my temptation.

“Then why was this left in her room?” You held up his large, shiny necklace. The cross of his Father that was coincidentally missing from his neck. The girl he was with was going to give it back to him when he returned to pay, but of course he never did. I hear you, Lord.

A member of his church entered abruptly and you both turned towards the commotion. You smiled at them and handed Eli the cross back, walking past him to leave the church. You wanted the money, ruining his reputation was a last resort. You grabbed his arm and pulled him close to you.

“Meet me at the brothel tonight at 10. If you miss it, the whole town will get a sermon from me personally about how their Prophet found Heaven between a whore’s legs.” He ripped his arm away as you glared at him. He quickly turned to greet the person who walked in and began discussing some issue they needed him to pray for. Part of you was jealous of them. Life was simple, they loved their God and believed in their Prophet. These were good people, none of which were like you. You used to be that way before you were forced into prostitution to make ends meet, but you made money and you were free of a man. You were happy, but you often wondered how happy you could’ve been had you stayed a good Christian girl with a husband who worked in a coal mine. A dream, one you couldn’t decide if you loved or looked upon with pity.

You spent the rest of your evening greeting customers outside the brothel and heckling the men who walked past. Embarrassingly your mind was elsewhere. You found yourself imagining what it must have been like to be with Eli. His virgin body feeling such godless pleasures, gasping with possession of warmth and release. You had to admit it got your heart racing, the idea of seeing a man of his profession crumbling before you and you giving him everything he wants. You were snapped back into reality by another wave of men arriving, their hellos bringing you back to reality. A few stopped for a moment to talk to you, and you were hoping one of them would take you inside to take you off Eli. But alas it was a slow night, so you stood you in the night heat, drawing customers in like flies.

After what seemed like a torturous shift, it was finally nearing 10. You rushed amongst the customers and your coworkers inside the tiny brothel and went out through the battered door. You were met with the dark, menacing desert and a sudden silence in comparison to the bright, bustling atmosphere within the building. You clung to the dim lamp hanging by the door, waiting for what seemed like a small eternity. You started to think he wasn’t going to show up until you saw a darkly clothed figure appear from the side of the building.

As he approached you, you noticed how disheveled he looked. His typically gelled hair was now falling into his eyes and seemed slick with water. His religious uniform was nowhere to be found, instead sporting a dark button up and clean black slacks. His once pristine, glossy black shoes were covered in dirt and dust. His cross necklace you had returned was in his hand, a grip so tight around it his knuckles turned white.

You lit a cigarette as he stood in front of you, looking at you with uncertainty. You took a long drag before opening your mouth, releasing the smoke in his face.

“So, you have the money?”

He shook his head. “And why is that, Prophet? I thought you liked having the town’s respect?”

He looked down at his feet for a long time. “Do you feel guilt doing what you do, Miss Y/L/N?”

You thought for a moment. You really just wanted the money, but perhaps you could humor him for a moment. “No. But occasionally I do envy the hope that you and your people have, Prophet.”

“Envy?” He said, looking up perplexed through the hair falling into his eyes.

“You live very simple lives. The hope still resides in all of you that someday, something good will happen. And for some reason you deserved it.”

He nodded, still unable to meet your gaze. “May I confess something to you?”

You scoffed. “Isn’t this typically your job, Prophet? I’m not sure if you noticed, but us whores have loose lips.”

“You are the only person who does not judge a man like me. At least, not outwardly.”

“Alright, I’ll bite. Only because I wanna know where my damn money is.”

You both stood for a moment in silence before he mumbled something you couldn’t hear.

“Louder, Prophet. Like we’re at one of your sermons.”

“I… I don’t feel bad for my sin. I didn’t ask for forgiveness. I used my voice to God to beg for more. And he delivered. He sent me you. But it’s all a test.” He met your eyes for the first time with a slight smile.

You furrowed your brow. “A test?”

He slicked his loose hairs back, his hand now wet and his breath shaky. “I bathed myself in holy water before coming here… To cleanse these thoughts. I was hoping it would quench this aching in my body, but it does not seem to go away. Oh I do not want to fail you, my Lord.” He looked up at the sky, his hand now shaking from the intensity of his grip around the necklace. “But He knows I must give into this temptation.”

You laughed. As a so-called “prophet”, you knew of his theatrics. Part of you softened though, a hint of sincerity strung his words. But your job was to get the money, and pity couldn’t save him from his debt. “Save the speeches for your sermons. You are an unworthy and weak man, Prophet. I wish you could see yourself.”

He put his necklace into your hands and dropped to his knees in front of you, his hand wrapped tightly around yours. “I am not unworthy, Miss Y/L/N… but I am a weak, pathetic man who must get what he wants. Please, please…”

“Please what, Prophet?”

Eli looked up at you, his eyes glossy. Not with tears, but a desire so deep that it pierced through him. He let go of your hand and clasped his hands together as if in prayer, but this time he was not praising the Lord or calling upon his spirit. He was begging you to be his idol of worship.

“Cleanse me of this sin. Free me of my chains of desire like only you can, please… I asked God for you and you came, you came. And now you can save me as I have saved countless others.”

These words shook you. A man who seemed so unbreakable to his followers now stood, begging you like a child for a sweet he knew he shouldn’t have. You took another deep draw from your cigarette.

“I don’t have sex for pleasure, Prophet. Do you have the money to pay for this service you’re requesting?” You flicked the cigarette onto the ground by his knees, watching it smother.

“The necklace is raw silver, worth over 200 dollars. Four times what I owe you.” He said, pointing at the cross in your hand. You looked down at it, weighing it and inspecting the jewels on it. 200 dollars could get you a ticket out of here, maybe start a new life and find a real job…

You put the necklace around your neck as a sign of acceptance and he sighed in relief, hugging your waist with his head resting against your stomach. “Thank you… Thank you Y/N…”

You rolled your eyes and helped him up from his kneeling position, taking his hand and leading him into the brothel and upstairs to one of the vacant rooms. You locked the door and he immediately grabbed you and kissed you passionately. One hand dug into your hair and the other found its way up your skirt, past your tights and onto your exposed upper thigh. You moaned into the kiss, which sounded holier than all the gospels in the world to him. His tongue intruded your mouth, both of you sucking and entangling yourselves into each other. His hands began to explore every part of you that he had desired for what felt like an eternity. You almost felt guilty for taking payment, because for the first time you felt as though you were being intimate because you wanted to, not out of obligation.

But that night wasn’t about you, it was about poor, starving Eli.

He began tugging on your bottom lip in impatience, making you moan yet again into his mouth. Before you could even realize it, you found yourself unbuttoning his shirt, stopping yourself halfway. You were dragging your hands along his chest, desperate for more skin to skin contact. He turned you around smoothly and untied your corset. He turned you around and unhooked it, throwing it on the floor. He reached for the straps of your dress, slipping them off your shoulders to reveal your breasts. He gasped at the reveal, unable to contain his amazement at the holy sight in front of him.

You laughed at him, pushing him back as he tried to lean in to put a kiss upon one of them. “The hunger of the Devil is inside you, Prophet. Perhaps you should speak with God one last time before you truly give in.”

“I don’t care, Y/N. Let me share the Devil’s needs, then. Let me share him inside you like they have been shared upon me.”

These words drove you mad in a way you couldn’t explain. You had never been with a man who had been so desperate to be with you, who would do anything just to feel your touch. You started to desire him just as much, his slender hands now kneading one breast while his tongue grazed the nipple of the other. You moaned as he began placing gentle kisses on the other, looking up at you to watch your face contort around his movements.

You wasted no time. You pushed him away from you and took your dress off the rest of the way. Now you were left in nothing but your underwear, your garters holding up your thigh highs. His eyebrows raised in amazement at how gorgeous you looked, your skin glowing under the dim lamplight and your curves seemed to exist purely for his hands to hold. You pushed him onto the small couch in the room, straddling him. His hardness grazed your clothed heat, causing him to gasp at the contact. You smirked a bit, unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way and running your hands along his now exposed shoulders.

“What do you want, Eli? Hmm? Tell me.” You whispered tantalizingly in his ear. He could only groan in response as your hand found its way to the throbbing between his legs.

“Do you wanna fuck me? Huh, Prophet? You’re always so eloquent in your church. Where have your words gone?” You began to stroke him, your other hand going to fiddle with his belt. “You’re not getting anything unless you tell me exactly what you want.”

He grunted in desperation, wanting you to just take him then and there. He met your eyes, recognizing the sincerity behind your words. “You really are the Devil, Y/N.” He sighed, pulling you closer and whispering in your ear. “I want to make God weep… I want to feel every ounce of lust in you… All of your body...” You leaned down and bit his neck gingerly. That was all you really needed to hear.

You unbuckled his belt and released his now reddening and pulsating member from his slacks. You rubbed the tip gingerly, hearing his breathing hitch and his hand tightly gripping your hips. Unhappy with the lack of contact, you changed your position so you were now straddling his knee, your hand around his cock. Your heat began to make contact with his knee, finally getting the pressure you need after your intense exchanges. Moans escaped you as he used his grip to push you harder onto his thigh, your clit being gently skated against the fabric. You gasped and wiggled on his knee, calling out his name. Eli, Eli… His eyes dilated at your reaction to his touch, his lust growing. His cock began to twitch in excitement in your hand, desperate for more contact with you.

The waiting and teasing was all too much, and Eli couldn’t take it anymore. He pushed you off of him, causing you to now lay on your back as he climbed on top of you. He ripped the rest of your garments off as fast as he could, and aligned himself with your entrance. The sudden shift in power was a huge surprise to you. In most situations you would fight back, but there was something in his attitude that suggested that would be a bad idea, especially since this was all his desires being met. Instead, you wrapped your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist as he slowly buried his cock into you. His face was pure bliss as your walls wrapped around him, pulsing with your heartbeat.

He began to thrust slow, gentle thrusts for you to adjust. He kept looking at you in the midst of his own ecstasy to gauge how you felt, which made you even more turned on. Hardly ever were you with a man who truly cared about your needs, let alone if you were comfortable. You begged him to go harder, and he complied, now bottoming out inside you forcefully with every thrust. He began to go even harder and now faster, causing you to cling to him hard. Your nails dug into his shoulders, his member hitting your cervix with force. Your moans were neverending, one leading into each other, his occasionally joining you. You let go of one of his shoulders and began rubbing your pulsating clit, screaming in pleasure. To create more friction you clenched your walls around him, getting him to feel every ounce of pleasure you had in your body. He was beginning to lose control, a breathy, pitiful moan escaping his opened mouth.

Eli was getting close, his breath shuddering and his moans deepening. The sight of him so close was bringing you closer as well, with your hand on your clit now being replaced by his. Never having touched a clit before, he was definitely a fast learner. He saw how the light, gentle touches made you squirm under him as opposed to the rougher pressing of it, and he made quick work of that observation. His thrusting started getting faster than before, desperate to maximize the sensations for he knew he would climax soon. You wrapped your legs tighter around his waist, pulling his head closer to yours and looking him in the eyes.

“Cum in me, Eli… Please, please cum in me…” You said, your mind now gone from the intensity of pleasure you were feeling. You definitely didn’t want his baby, but the idea of him emptying himself inside of you was just too much for you to bear. He couldn’t get a word out before he released himself, his cock buried within your cervix and his cum now filling you. You joined him, your walls dancing around his spasming cock. His eyes fluttered open, his mind returning from his ecstasy. His mouth immediately found yours, a bit of spit moistening both of your lips- remnants from your encounter. He pulled himself out of you and tucked his member back into his boxers, before nuzzling his face into your neck.

“Join me in the church tomorrow, Y/N.” His muffled voice said.

“Why?” You questioned, your voice now raspy from exhaustion.

“Let me cleanse you again. After my sermon. Please.”

You smiled to yourself. Eli Sunday, your new (and hopefully last) regular.

#paul dano #the riddler #eli sunday #eli sunday x reader #paul dano x reader #there will be blood

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brothertimothysblog · 3 years ago

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It’s best to read this My Cross From Your Laptop.

What I write goes directly under my first article. I pinned it at the top for the explanation of why I write this blog. I have added several awesome things to this blog. I have the news, weather, sports, different places of scriptures, ways of killing cancer, I have one section of 3500 sermons. Several cool Tik toks,

you Tubes, Various articles which I have written.

Some articles I could go back too and do an update but it may not be read. One of my first articles may never be read again simply because you must scroll to get down to it. If the giver isn’t blessed for the giving , then the question is why give?

Not long ago I wrote about taking a cold shower. As hot as it is those cold showers feels good. Recently our heater has gone out. In the article about the cold shower I wrote how the company that I had was going to charge me 350.00 to replace the water heater. I was told they wouldn’t pay for the charges of hauling off the old one.

The new company that I started with tells me that fixing an air-conditioner isn’t part of the deal.

I am chasing a rabbit but the way I feel now reminds me of a summer back in 66

I was in Mississippi county in Arkansas staying the night with my great grand parents. I believe the month was August. The house had one bed room a front room and a kitchen and a out house. They had a ceiling fan , a window fan, and a oscillating fan. Eight pm and 80 F.

I was on my great grandma’s lap watch a black and white T.V . The T.V picked up Memphis, Little Rock Jonesboro and St. Louis perhaps 6 channels.

That night we were watching the Dinah Shore show. Grandpa walked in from the kitchen into the living room with only his under ware . Grandma said to Grandpa. You best get some clothes on because Dinah Shore is looking right at you. Please keep in mind Grandpa was born in the last decade of the 1800′s and Grandma was born in

1906. For years all that they had was radio. Right now it is 82 feels like 92 and on me is a ceiling fan.

I do have a part time job. I get 280.00 a month. We have my wife’s social security disability check which is equivalent to wages in 1970.

Tomorrow the heat index will be over 100 Lois will stay home but I will go to church.

Folks I know that times are hard. It will be March of next year before I get my social security check. The last two years my wife has needed me to do about everything. I am not able to work a full time job. As I wrote in my first article she has supported the economy an average of 50k monthly the entire time we have been married the last 29 years. The last two years I have had to stay home. Through out this blog I have different ways that money or stocks can be obtained for free. When this happens I also get the money. I also have the post cards 14/ 7.77 each card has the url for this blog on it. Perhaps one day and I pray it will not be long I will discover a easier way to earn income. This blog will stay up. Everything will be the same. Now I am earning no income.

Helping me in the future when I may not need the help verses helping me now when I do need the help. My cashapp is $BrotherTimothyR My PayPal is

[email protected] or [email protected]

I may or may not keep the home warranty company for my appliances . I haven’t decided . If I don’t they will know why.

My circumstances with my wife and writing this blog with all of the awesome post that I have placed on this blog does have the potential of earning me a nice income provided that those who reads “My Cross” will activate faith and give with Love believing that God will bless and that with post cards going all over America bringing the lost to have the understanding of being born again.

Just consider my situation and know that we are told in scripture to do unto others as you would have others to do unto you.

Believe me even without much I do what I can to help those who are in need and it has been harder with the price of gas. If you want to help but you simply can not. Pray that God will open a door of opportunity for you to give to my ministry. The easiest way is have your church buy the post cards for 7.77 and have 14 members mail one off. If you just want to make a donation if 8 gives 1.00 then I will mail out 14 cards to a randomly selected church. I am a nobody trying to get everybody to tell somebody about this blog believing that those who has a desire to be blessed will contribute to this cause. This ministry will work on changing lives one post card at a time. Blessings can flow all over America The demons are working over time to keep everyone from taking action.

In Him

brother Timothy,

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lawrenceop · 4 years ago

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HOMILY for 15th Sun after Pentecost (Dominican rite)

Gal 5:25-26, 6:1-10; Luke 7:11-16

Here in the Rosary Shrine, I celebrate Mass both in the reformed Roman Rite, and also in the Dominican rite. Consequently, on most Sundays I would have a different set of Scripture readings to pray and think about, and so I would sometimes write two different sermons. Over the course of the year, as I’ve now read through the whole of the Lectionary in the older form of the Mass, I am frequently struck by the epistles that are appointed to be read during this time after Pentecost. The vast majority of the passages are from the pastoral epistles, which deal with relations among Christians. Hence the epistles read in the Mass are directed ad intra, instruction for the Christian assembled for divine worship, and they tell us how we are to treat one another, how we should behave within Christ’s holy Church, and thus the kind of virtues we should foster as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Consider, for example, this sentence from St Paul’s letter to the Galatians today: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Just before this passage, St Paul has listed the fruits of the Spirit, among which is gentleness. So, here again, he exhorts us to be gentle with one another, particularly when someone has fallen into sin, presumably even serious sin. In the Greek text, the fruit of the spirit, translated as gentleness is prautes, which means mildness of disposition, meekness, just as Christ says in Matthew 11:29 that he is “meek [or gentle] and lowly in heart”; the same Greek word, prautes is used here. The Latin translation by St Jerome, interestingly, uses two different Latin words for prautes. In Galatians 5:23, when St Paul lists the gifts of the Holy Spirit, prautes is translated as mansuetudo, which means tameness, mildness, clemency. And then, when the same Greek word recurs in today’s epistle passage, in Galatians 6:1, the translation of prautes is lenitas, which means softness, tenderness, and leniency. So, how are we to treat a fellow Christian who has fallen into sin? St Paul says that one who has the gifts of the Holy Spirit would behave gently, with mildness just as Christ is mild and un-condemning with us, and with leniency.

Why is this? Because we have clay feet, we are fallible sinful people too, because we too might be tempted and fall into sin. Hence, he says: “look to yourself”, watch out, mind your own business! Hence Our Lord also warns us in St John’s Gospel: “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” (Jn 8:7). Or in St Matthew’s Gospel: “Judge not lest you be judged” (Mt 7:1), which is not a call for us to relinquish any discernment of right from wrong, but rather a warning not to presume to condemn another Christian. For, as St James says in his pastoral epistle: “He that… judges a brother… judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge. There is [but] one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you that you judge your neighbour?” (Jm 4:11-12)

The Holy Spirit, therefore, gives us his gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord, so that we might bear fruit, including the fruit of meekness, gentleness, lowliness of heart. For it is with a spirit of gentleness that we shall be kept from falling into the grave sin of spiritual pride, of judging and condemning a brother or sister in Christ. St Jerome’s use of the word mansuetudo, tameness, suggests that the Holy Spirit is seen to be at work in our lives when he tames us, and so we are held back from harsh judgment of a fellow Christian, and so we exhibit that other fruit of the Holy Spirit, namely, self-control.

Among the gifts of the Holy Spirit are those that affect our knowledge–firstly, knowledge concerning God and the revelations of God and the means to salvation. But also true knowledge about ourselves. So St Paul enunciates a fundamental truth for us in today’s epistle passage: “If any one thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Those who are wise, who fear God and who have understanding will be able to say, without self-recrimination or self-effacement or without destroying one’s proper sense of self-esteem, that, in truth, “I am nothing”. The great Dominican mystic, St Catherine of Siena, told her confessor, Bl. Raymond of Capua that Jesus appeared to St Catherine in a vision and told her: “You are she who is not.” With these words, this wisdom and knowledge imparted by a supernatural grace to her soul, St Catherine was thus given a remedy for pride.

For as Blessed Raymond of Capua went on to say: “Here is a healing remedy, for what wound of pride can enter into a soul that knows itself to be nothing? Who can glory in anything he does? And thus, all vices are driven out by the words, “You are not”. Then, Bl. Raymond adds: “Here too are many anxieties diminished. For, [as Blessed Raymond says] “whenever I or any of the other friars was afraid of any danger, Catherine would say, “What have you to do with yourselves? Leave it to Divine Providence. However much afraid you are, Providence still has his eyes on you and is always aiming at your salvation.”

This, my friends, is saintly wisdom, given from on high by the Holy Spirit. For many in our age are rapt in pride, and they do not even know it. Many people, for example, appear anxious to save the world, or to save the planet and its environment, or to save the Church, and their anxieties arise not because these causes are not worthy of our attention and care, but because they vaingloriously think that the salvation of the Church, of the world, of other people depends on them and their particular action, and so they become activists and campaigners, and they anxiously can think that the outcome depends on them. But St Catherine and Holy Scripture suggests that this is precisely the dangerous hidden deception of pride: to think that I myself am a saviour. But I am he who is not. So, “look to yourself” says St Paul. “Leave it to Divine Providence” says St Catherine. Hence today’s epistle says: “Let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Our spirit of meekness and gentleness towards our fellow Christians, therefore, overflows into benevolence for all people but especially for those who are also baptised into the true Faith, into the life of grace in Jesus Christ.

Sadly, many interactions among us Christians and particularly between Catholics on social media cannot be said by onlookers to be benevolent or gentle or meek in spirit, and this is true even when the comments are directed towards the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ! Earlier in his letter to the Galatians, before he lists the fruits of the Holy Spirit, St Paul lists the “works of the flesh”. Among them are “anger… dissension, party spirit” (cf Gal 5:20) – a better translation for the latter might be something like tribalism – and I think one has to honestly and prayerfully reflect on how we behave online, how we speak to one another and about one another, and then ask ourselves: do I exhibit the works of the flesh or the fruits of the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”, says St Paul (Gal 5:22-23).

Now, don’t get me wrong: sometimes we do need to fight for what is right, and to make a stand for the vulnerable as we did at the March for Life yesterday. Where sin abounds, we should do what we can in justice and in charity to stop it. However, we must do so in all humility, with gentleness and meekness, without judging and condemning the other, because we know that but for the grace of God, we too would and could and often do fall. For as Our Lord says: “Without me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5). Indeed, without God, we are nothing, and can do no good.

Therefore, St Paul declared to the Corinthians: “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.’” (1 Cor 1:28-31) So, let us always first look to ourselves in order that in all things we keep looking to the Lord!

#virtue #gentleness #discipleship #mansuetudo #fruits of the holy spirit #meekness #mildness #Twitter mob

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aspenflower17 · 5 years ago

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Finding You (Part Two of ??)

Hello again! I'm back with the second installment of my new series, Finding You, which was previously Untitled. If you want to be tagged when I update this series, just comment below :)

Part One Link

In this part, we finally get to Satan and what he's been doing during all this. It's not really a happy chapter. You have been warned.

I think it's important to note that I am American. In this part, there is a funeral. Since I don't know much about other cultures or religions way of holding funerals, I just wrote what I know (and that's very little actually. I've only been to two full funerals. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have). Feel free to change the story up in your head to match your own funerary customs.

As always, likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated and help me endure the torture that is typing up this story from my notebook 😒 I also tried to make sure the editing on here was good. Any DM's for typos or things that didn't make sense are appreciated so I can fix them (please be kind though 🙂 ). I did write some of the funeral disjointed on purpose, trying to recreate how I was feeling when I attended the funerals I did.

Tags (for you lovely people <3 ): @obey-me-trashshshshsh, @naimena

F! MC/ Satan

Word count: 3,195

Warnings/triggers: ANGST!, description of funeral, loosing someone dear to you, some violence at the end though nothing too graphic (he is the avatar of wrath after all)

Satan had felt when Mc died. His pact mark had begun to glow and heat up. A terrible rending feeling in his chest, then… Nothing. He couldn’t move, fear completely paralyzing him. No, it couldn’t be…

Then he heard Mammon scream. Then Asmo. Then Levi. Soon, the whole House of Lamentation was filled with wailing. Satan scrambled for his D.D.D, hurriedly dialing Mc. No, no, no, no, no. He had just talked to her. She’d been fine.

“Hi! This is Mc. I can’t get to the phone-”

“No… No, no, no, NO!” Satan screamed, throwing his phone at the wall. Satan sunk to his knees in a sobbing heap.

The brothers never got an answer to what exactly had happened to Mc. Diavolo had confirmed she had passed, but he couldn’t get any details since she hadn’t been sent to the Devildom. He had managed to find out when and where the funeral would be, if they wanted to go. They would only be able to attend the graveside service though, since the viewing was being held in a church.

Each brother attended the graveside service. Satan stood stoically as the casket was brought out of the hearse. He was wondering if he would be able to get Asmo to charm everyone in attendance so he’d be able to see her face one last time, when he felt his brothers all shifting around uncomfortably. He realized the religious figure he’d tuned out was quoting scripture at the congregation, promises that Mc was now in the hands of God. He decided to tune him out again. Then the casket was being lowered. He had to be physically restrained from going out and pulling her out as the first fistfuls of dirt were being thrown on the casket. How could they do that to her? A voice murmured a reminder that she was gone, and they were just saying goodbye. Well, he needed to say goodbye too. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

Next thing Satan knew, he was at the corner of the grave, a flower he’d had a death grip on since they had started out from the Devildom in his hand. Her favorite. A shiny wood box met his eyes from 6 feet below. Was she really there? He couldn’t feel her presence from his pact mark. Where was she? When was he going to wake up?

The other demon lords watched their brother loose the fight with his emotions. He sobbed, falling on his haunches. Six hands found a part of Satan to touch, tears in their eyes as well.

“It’s time ta let ‘er go,” Mammon’s stuffy voice came from next to him. Satan looked over to find Mammon had removed his sunglasses. His eyes and face were wet.

“I… I don’t think I can,” Satan stated, tears falling freely.

“I know. I know,” Mammon said, pulling his brother in for a hug. Each of the rest of the brothers joined in the hug, pulling the fourth and second born up with them. After a bit, they all let go, moving forward to give Mc their own token and say their last words. When Belphie had finished, Lucifer put his hand on Satan’s shoulder.

“Mc’s waiting for her flower,” Lucifer said, gesturing towards the grave. Satan nodded, and walked forward. He fiddled with the stem for a second, trying to find the words to say, “Mc… Huh, I don’t actually know what to say… I guess, I… I thought I’d find some way to be with you forever. I never thought… I’ve never felt anything like you before Mc, and I don’t think I ever will again… Please… Please, if it’s possible, come back to me. Please,” he uttered as he dropped the flower onto the casket, and walked back to his brothers. He knew everyone was looking at him, confused and curious through their sorrow. They all stayed until the end of the funeral, when Satan turned to Lucifer, “I think it might be time to go.”

“If you’re sure, that would probably be the smartest course of action,” Lucifer nodded, the humans looking questioningly at the demons. The religious man from earlier was actually making his way towards them.

“I’ll visit her later when there aren’t so many people around,” Satan stated as he started walking. The brothers exchanged looks before following him.

The next couple months were quiet at the House of Lamentation. The brothers did the bare minimum required to keep the household going. They were all absent from RAD and Lucifer even took some time off from the endless amount of paperwork he usually did, to grieve. Mc may have been dating Satan, but the rest of the brothers loved her too, and missed her greatly. The only time the brother’s saw Satan was when he was raiding the fridge, finally giving into his stomach pleading for food. He still managed to look somewhat put together, though his eyes were dead and haunted. He had retreated so far into his mind if one of them managed to get him to acknowledge their presence they counted it as a win. He was a shell of himself, and everyone was worried.

Time marches on though, and life slowly returned to normal. One day, Lucifer had gone to RAD and come home with some random paperwork that needed to be done. Another, Asmo was going out to update his wardrobe because his was terribly behind the trends. Each brother found their own way of coping. Beel eventually asked if they could all have family dinner again. They all actually made an appearance, though Satan left once he was done eating.

Though he wasn’t doing well, Satan had been visiting Mc’s grave at least once a week if not more. Lucifer had granted him access to the portal indefinitely, a gesture of kindness that did not go unnoticed. At first he just cried quietly at her grave, not able to produce a coherent sentence. It slowly evolved into him reading her her favorite books or some snatch of poetry that reminded him of her. Eventually he was able to talk freely as he once had. Sometimes it was a mixture of the three. His brothers never saw him cry though. Since Mc had been the only one that seemed to truly understand his feelings, she was the only one allowed to see him cry. Through this self therapy, Satan started to heal. He started sitting in the common room with his brothers in the evening, or snorting at some joke that had been thrown around the table at dinner.

As the years passed, Satan would still visit Mc’s grave, though the frequency dropped. He slowly learned to deal with his sorrow, just like he had with love when he’d first fallen for Mc. It was much harder, his wrath often informing his depression. She became his support again, even if she wasn’t able to respond to help him through his feelings. He always visited on her birthday, bringing her a bouquet of flowers and some small piece of literature, art or playing her some music.

One year, while reading her some Shakespeare, someone came up behind him, “She appreciates it. I know she does.”

Satan stopped reading instantly, whipping around to see a woman who looked quite a lot like Mc, “Excuse me?”

“Coming to see her every year. You have great taste in art by the way,” the woman said, sitting down besides Satan, looking fondly but sadly at the headstone.

“Um, thank you. May I ask who you are?”

“Only if I can ask you the same thing,” the woman responded, smiling at him wryly. The look was so similar to one Mc would give him, he found himself instantly trusting this woman, “I’m S… Stan,” he answered, giving the nickname Mc come up with, when he had asked if he’d ever be able to meet her family. She’d laughed when she'd thought of it, saying she could never introduce him as Satan.

“Stan? I was wondering. She met you when she took that trip out of the country right?”

“Yeah… Did she tell you about me?”

“Oh, you want me to remember that far back? Hmm… I seem to remember her talking about how smart you are, “She chuckled, her eyes far away, “I remember one time, I went in to talk to her and she was furiously reading some book. When I asked what she was reading she told me she couldn’t talk to me right then, needing to catch up to where you were in the story. It was a silly little moment, but she looked so determined… I do know she was in love with you. Though she only really told me about you shortly before she died, I remember the look in her eyes when she talked about you. Telling me about how drawn she was the moment she laid eyes on you. You know what a romantic she was. As her Mother, you can guess how excited I was to meet you, especially after watching her get her heart broken before... You’re exactly her type, you know. Tall, blonde, smart. She was even thinking of introducing you to us. Then it happened.”

Satan didn’t realize the tears were flowing until she looked over and wiped a tear away. She continued, “I was disappointed when I didn’t see anyone that matched your description during the viewing. I don't know what kept you, but I am glad you made it for the casket lowering. I was surprised to see your brothers though, if that's who they were. You all look so different… Anyways, I’m sure she would've loved the intrigue you brought to her service. A handsome stranger, distraught at the thought of life without her. She always did love big, dramatic displays of affection.”

“You remember me from the funeral?”

“Who could forget? It became a topic of conversation in our family once we could all talk about her without crying. Who was that blonde guy? Why wasn’t he at the viewing? Who were the other men he was with? Did she secretly get married while she was out of the country? So many theories, each one more ludicrous then the last. It seems her best friend and I were the only ones to connect the dots as to your identity.”

“Ah. I’m a little embarrassed now,” Satan admitted sheepishly.

“Don’t be. I was extremely bitter after the funeral for a long time. How could my beautiful daughter be taken away from me? Parents were never meant to outlive their kids. I’ve never understood the reason people take photographs at funerals. Most of the time, there’s so much makeup caked onto the body they’re almost unrecognizable. There’s a photo of you from the funeral I actually saved though. You’re looking at the casket with such a look of longing and loss, just waiting for her to come back to you. That photo actually brought me a lot of peace after she was gone. Your look perfectly encapsulated how I felt at the time. It also helped me to know she was able to know that much love before she left. I never want you to feel embarrassed for showing that kind of love to my daughter.”

" She is and always will be the only one for me.”

Mc’s mother laughed, “Oh, you’re still young and quite handsome. You’ll find someone else. In fact, you don’t look like you’ve aged a day from the first time I saw you. You must’ve made some kind of deal with the devil,” she joked.

“Ah. Very funny. Yes. A deal with the devil. Haha.”

Mc's mother looked at him, slightly concerned, "Well, it seems I've made things awkward. I’ll leave you two alone now.”

“Oh, that’s okay. You don’t have to leave on my behalf,” Satan protested.

“It’s alright. I live close by, and I come and visit fairly often. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime. Good night, Stan”

“Good night, and… thank you.”

Mc’s mother smiled at him and walked away.

“Well, Mc, I guess I have your mother’s approval now,” Satan joked, turning back to his Shakespeare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Remind me why we’re here again,” Satan said, only slightly interested in the antics Mammon was trying to drag him into.

“Tryin’ to get some sucker… er, customer ta part with their Grimm, obviously,” Mammon explained, leaning back in his chair and turning to face Satan and Belphie.

“What does that have to do with us?” Belphie mumbled, eyes more closed than open.

“Well, everythin’! You two are super smart, so I need ya ta…” As Mammon continued talking, Satan wondered, not for the first time, if Mammon actually ever intended to make money with his schemes, or if he had simply found a way to work through his sin without causing too many problems. He had to understand how likely his plans were to fail… Right?

A bump on his shoulder announced Belphie had fallen asleep. Since Mc had helped him work through some of the trauma he had held onto since Lilith’s death, Belphie had gotten comfortable with his brothers again, growing especially close with Satan, their mutual dislike of Lucifer giving them something to bond over. When Mc had died, Satan had found Belphie to be the most supportive of his brothers. Though they'll lost had lost Lilith, Satan had found Belphie the most sympathetic to what he was going through.

“Oi! Listen when I’m talkin’ ta ya! Ya both younger than me, so you shouldn't really show me more respect.”

Belphie lifted his head, and rolled his eyes, “Mammon, do you really want me to do you a favor? How about this? Maybe, don’t explain how you’re going to con people in front of those you want to con.”

Mammon looked around worriedly, finally noticing the glares he was getting, before rounding on Belphie, “I was just explainin’ the plan ta ya and Satan cuz ya both asked again! If ya didn’ wan’ an explanation, ya shouldn’ have asked!”

Belphie was about to retort, when he got a self satisfying smirk, “Oh, dearest big brother, looks like you’ve got your first customer.”

Mammon went pale, turning around slowly to find a demon about as tall as Lucifer staring Mammon down, obviously angry.

Very interested in how Mammon was going to worm his way out of this one, Satan turned to say something to Belphie when he caught sight of a familiar hat.

“Belphie, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn’t that Luke?”

“Hmm? You mean the chihuahua?... Oh, I think it is. Why do you suppose he’s here? I never heard we were getting any visitor."

"It's a little terrifying just how much you know. You're like Asmo that way."

"It's not my fault everyone just assumes I'm sleeping while they're talking."

"Belphie, you know enough, I think you store information while you're asleep."

"Huh… I'd never thought of that before… Who’s that other angel with him?”

“I don’t know… She kinda looks familiar though, don’t you think?”

Belphie looked over at him, arching an eyebrow, “Do you know any angels younger than Luke?”

“Well, no, but… She just looks so familiar.”

“I guess… Hey, you’re missing Mammon squirm.”

“You watch and enjoy. I’m going to go talk to them,” Satan said, clearly distracted, as he got up out of his seat.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a large body planted itself in front of Satan. The demon was tall, but so was Satan. He was able to look him right in the eyes.

“What’s it to you?”

“You’re with the guy that was going to scam us right?”

“You were actually going to fall for his scheme? Really? Well, the first step to getting the help you need is admitting you have a problem. Now, move. I’ve got places to be.”

“Not so fast Princess. You’re not getting away that easy,” the demon put out his hand and grabbed Satan’s shirt.

Satan looked down at the offending hand, and then at the demon, his horns already starting to sprout, “I’d suggest you unhand me if you want to keep your kneecaps.”

The demon laughed, a cocky smile on his face, “Ya think just cuz you’re an elite ya can take me? What makes you so special huh? Ya just think ya so great, just because ya pretty. Am I right?”

The rest of Satan’s demon form appeared, his eyes glowing, a menacing aura surrounding him, “No. I know I can take you because I’m the Avatar of Wrath. Maybe, if you weren’t such a dunce you’d have noticed that,” and with that Satan grabbed his hand in a bone crushing grip. The demon started yowling, trying to twist out of his grasp. It only made Satan increase the pressure. He leaned in right next to the demon’s ear, “Next time you pick a fight, understand who you’re dealing with first.”

He swept the demon’s legs out from under him, and put him in a wrist lock submission hold. The demon was now yelling for mercy, desperately trying to break Satan’s hold. Satan looked around to see if he could still see Luke, but realized quickly that wasn’t going to be possible. Both of his brother’s were currently dismantling whatever demon had decided to pick a fight with them. The rest of the area had erupted into chaos, most demon’s running away. No one wanted to be around when one of the Avatar’s were fighting, much less three! A couple idiots were trying to get in on their fight though.

Sighing, Satan leaned down again, “Well, well, well. Looks like you’re losing your kneecaps today.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satan muttered to himself, picking up bits of trash that had been left by the fleeing demons. Because of his involvement in the fight, he had to clean up the entire park. Trying to explain to Lucifer he'd been trying to walk away apparently didn't help when you'd put five demons in the hospital before he'd shown up to stop you.

“Well, Lucifer, if you could’ve just kept your cool, you’d still be prancing around with Simeon and Michael up in the Celestial Realm, making friendship bracelets, painting each other little rocks and braiding each other’s hair as you giggle about how… Huh?” Satan crouched down, noticing a small foot peeking out from a pile of leaves. Moving around to the other side of the pile, he saw it was the small angel that had been with Luke.

Up close, the feeling he'd met her before was even stronger. She looked so familiar, but he knew he’d never seen her before. The youngest angel he’d ever met was Luke. Maybe she was from the foggy memories of Lucifer’s he still had? That was forever ago though. She should've grown up quite a bit by now...

His musings were interrupted as the small angel moving. She winced as she sat up, holding her head, “Wha… What happened? Luke? Where are you?, then noticing Satan, “Oh, hello there. I’m sorry, but could you help me find my big brother?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part Three Link

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yhwhrulz · 5 months ago

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Streams in the Desert Devotional for March 8

"Do as thou hast said, that thy name may be magnified forever" (1 Chronicles 17:23-24).

This is a most blessed phase of true prayer. Many a time we ask for things which are not absolutely promised. We are not sure therefore until we have persevered for some time whether our petitions are in the line of God’s purpose or no. There are other occasions, and in the life of David this was one, when we are fully persuaded that what we ask is according to God’s will. We feel led to take up and plead some promise from the page of Scripture, under the special impression that it contains a message for us. At such times, in confident faith, we say, "Do as Thou hast said." There is hardly any position more utterly beautiful, strong, or safe, than to put the finger upon some promise of the Divine word, and claim it. There need be no anguish, or struggle, or wrestling; we simply present the check and ask for cash, produce the promise, and claim its fulfillment; nor can there be any doubt as to the issue. It would give much interest to prayer, if we wer e more definite. It is far better to claim a few things specifically than a score vaguely. -- F. B. Meyer

Every promise of Scripture is a writing of God, which may be pleaded before Him with this reasonable request: "Do as Thou hast said." The Creator will not cheat His creature who depends upon His truth; and far more, the Heavenly Father will not break His word to His own child.

"Remember the word unto thy servant, on which thou hast caused me to hope," is most prevalent pleading. It is a double argument: it is Thy Word. Wilt Thou not keep it? Why hast thou spoken of it, if Thou wilt not make it good. Thou hast caused me to hope in it, wilt Thou disappoint the hope which Thou has Thyself begotten in me? -- C. H. Spurgeon

"Being absolutely certain that whatever promise he is bound by, he is able also to make good" (Romans 4:21, Weymouth’s Translation).

It is the everlasting faithfulness of God that makes a Bible promise "exceeding great and precious." Human promises are often worthless. Many a broken promise has left a broken heart. But since the world was made, God has never broken a single promise made to one of His trusting children.

Oh, it is sad for a poor Christian to stand at the door of the promise, in the dark night of affliction, afraid to draw the latch, whereas he should then come boldly for shelter as a child into his father’s house. -- Gurnal

Every promise is built upon four pillars: God’s justice and holiness, which will not suffer Him to deceive; His grace or goodness, which will not suffer Him to forget; His truth, which will not suffer Him to change, which makes Him able to accomplish. -- Selected

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arjuna-vallabha · 5 years ago

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GOVINDA DEV - the king of Vrindavan.

In the year 1514 , a Bengali brahmin was walking alone , leaving behind everything that he had in search of spirituality . He was the Dabir-i-khas or chief secretary to the Sultan of Bengal , Allauddin Hussien Shah . But due to his free mixing with the muslims , he was ostracized from his own caste and society , as was common in those times . Some days earlier , Shri Krishna Chaitanya had paid a visit to the village of Ramkeli , situated just outside the capital of Bengal at the city of Gauda . Thousands of people had gathered to catch his glimpse and pay their respects . Out of the thousands , the chief secretary to Sultan was also there . We do not know what transpired between them , but what we know is that the dabir-i-khas of the Sultan had such a deep change of heart that the entire meaning of life changed forever . Secretly he left home in search of the higher cause ! Dabir-i-khas became Shri Roop Goswami . His destination – the holy town of Mathura . Mahaprabhu through his spiritual insight undertood a forested wilderness near Mathura to be the lost pilgrimage of Vrindavana ! Back in those times , the fabled Vrindavana of the puranas was just a name . Nobody knew where the place was . Mahaprabhu had instructed Shri Roop – “ Go to Vrindavan and stay there . Ask Sanatan ( Roop's elder brother and the chief treasurer to sultan of Bengal , who would also become a renunciate monk later in life ) to vist me . In vraj write the scriptures that would expound the philosophy of divine love and rediscover and establish the lost places of pilgrimages . Spread the name of Krishna and the message of Bhakti . I shall visit once to see your work . “ So Roop set off with the intention to rediscover the lost site . But after reaching the forested wilderness of Vrindavan he was in a lurch ! How to search for something without any clues ? He got himself a manuscript of ‘Mathura mahatyam’ and started investigating . Alongside he led a life of exemplary renunciation and prayed to the divine to show him a way . Shastras describe the glories of Govinda as the supreme lord of Vrindavan . Agamas , nigamas and puranas sing in unison the glories of this form of lord . Varaha purana says – “One who sees the Govinda of Vrindavan does not need to go to the abode of Yama and attains punya . In Mathura Khanda of Skanda Purana , Narada says – ‘ Vrindavan is the abode of Govinda who is always served by his servitors . The king of Vrindavan resides with his beloved within the eight petalled lotus . ‘ SammohanaTantra says – ‘ I bow to Shri Radha along with Govinda of yogpeeth in center of Vrindavan . In Vrindavan Mahatmya , Mahadev answers Devi’s questions – “The groves of Vrindavan are dense with manju trees and numerous branches and creepers . This is the abode of sweet rasa and fragranced by aroma of pravala and other flowers .Within such a beautiful abode is the hallowed siddha peetha – the place of Govinda ! At the center of this yoga peetha stands a golden building . At its center is a bejeweled eight cornered golden throne on which blooms the transcendental eight petalled lotus . Govinda , the king of Vrindavan and his beloved ladies of vraj resides in the center in his beautiful vigraha form . . Roop was determined to locate that yoga peeth where Govinda resides eternally and shastras always glorify ! Even before him , Advaita Acharya , the most intimate associate of Chaitanya had come to Vrindavan and located the deity of MadanGopal atop the dwadashaditya teela hillock . Still earlier , the Guru of Advaita Acharya , Shripad Madhavendra Puri had discovered the deity of Shrinath Gopal ( now called Shrinath Ji ) near Govardhan mount . But the lord of Vrindavan , Govinda is yet to be located . It is said that after the demise of Shri Krishna , His great grandson had installed quite a few deities in vraj area . But in due course of time , all the sites had fallen into disuse and were forgotten . Roop Goswami started his penance in attempt to discover the lost sites . Finally he got the divine intervention that he was seeking . A local villager informed him that on the top of Gomaa teela hillock he sees a cow shower milk everyday on a fixed spot . Overjoyed at hearing this . Roop Goswami set off immediately with some other villagers and started digging at the aforementioned spot . Soon , Govinda manifested himself under the dirt ! The whole of Vraj was immersed in great joy and the deity was re installed in a simple hut on the Shukla Panchami tithi of Maagha month in the year 1536 . This news reached Mahaprabhu at Puri and he was overwhelmed with bhava hearing this miraculous manifestation . He immediately sent his associate , Kashishwar Pandit to take charge of the seva of Govinda . But Kashishwar was reluctant to leave the blissfull company of Mahaprabhu . Realising his pain of separation , Mahaprabhu gave him a metal deity of two armed Krishna as an extension of his own self . Kashishwar named the deity Gour Govinda and arrived at Vrindavan to help others in seva of Govinda . During those times , some other associates of Mahaprabhu were also residing in Vrindavan . Amongst the six main Goswamis was Raghunath Bhatta Goswami . His disciple built the first temple to Govinda . But presumably that temple was damaged pretty soon . At this point , Maharajah Maan Singh , the general to Mughal emperor Akbar , offered to build a new temple for Govinda . The funds for contructing this temple came from the Mughal imperial treasury ! And Akbar is said to have allowed the use of red sandstone , which was otherwise reserved for royal use . Red sandstone is the same variety that’s used to build the Red fort at Delhi , Agra fort and parts of Taj Mahal . The chief architect who designed the city of Delhi , Govinda Das , was appointed as the brain behind this project . A whooping 13 lakh rupees was spent in those days just as labour charges ! And finally after much waiting , the temple was consecrated through a lavish ceremony in the year 1590 . No temple of this size and opulence had been constructed in entire northern india , since the coming of islam till the end of british days !! Not atleast to my knowledge . Hindus of northern India back in those times had to regularly deal with external agressions and attacks on their religious places and hence had totally given up their traditional practice to erect big temples to gods . This history can easily be noticed in the art of the Govinda temple . Though the temple is huge and opulently carved , the eaternal walls are completely devoid of any representations of gods/humans or animals ! Which is very untypical of a hindu temple ! Whatever little human figures are to be found , are mainly concentrated around the main entrance door to garbhagriha , and they are not of particularly high craftsmanship . It is understandable that the artists working under Islamic regimes , being used to the Islamic tenant of not depicting human figures , had forgotten their skills in depicting anthropomorphic forms ! But that part apart , the rest of the temple is a glorious testimony to artistic excellence . Someone who has visited the earstwhile capital of akbar at Fatehpur Sikri would instantly understand the striking similarities between the two places . Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami , a eyewitness to the opulence and poularity of the temple in its haydays leaves behind a graphic description of the same – “ Situated in the center of Vrindavan Stands a golden palace . Inside that maha yoga peeth is a bejwelled throne , over which grows an eight petalled lotus . Inside the lotus eternally resides Govinda Dev - the dispeller of lust ! He is served like a king with different items of luxury . Jewels , valuable cloth abound ! Thousands of servitors do run errands daily around the temple The richness of seva cannot be described by a thousand mouths ! “ In British era the collector of Mathura district , F.S. Growse wrote in his records – “The temple of Govinda Deva , is not only the finest of this particular series , but is the most impressive religious edifice – that hindu art , has ever produced , at least in upper India . “ It is said that emperor Akbar himself had once come to meet the goswamis of Vrindavan , which is perhaps not an exaggeration , when you think of his inclusive religious nature and also the fact that he went out of way to fund this luxurious hindu temple using mughal funds . It is probable that he was impressed with the renunciation and eruditeness of the Goswamis . It is also quite possible that he was curious to see the man who gave up his position of chief secretary and is now living under a tree out of love for god ! Maharajah Man Singh donated huge tracts of land and other riches for the maintainence of the temple . Sehnai and other instruments used to sound daily from the Naubat-khana in the temple premises . By that time , Vrindavan had become a small human settlement from forested wilderness . But sadly the will of god would have it otherwise . Govinda Dev could not stay in his new temple for long . In 1669 , the great grandson of Akbar , Badshah Aurangazeb would order a demolition of all the temples of Mathura and Vrindavan . Perhaps the growing emergence of Vrindavan as a new site for idol worshipping hindus alarmed the rigid Islamic mind set of the king . Armies marched to Mathura and destroyed the temple of Keshava deva at the site of Krishna’s Birth , replacing the site with a Shahi Idgah ( mosque ) which still stands today . But Hindus were used to such events by now . News of impending attack reached the Goswamis of Govinda temple and they secretively escorted the deities out of Vrindavan and hid them in Radhakunda , some 20 kilometers from Vrindavan . Other principle deities of Vrindavan , Shri Nath Ji , MadanGopal , Gopinath were all moved out of the area . Only Radharaman , the tiny self manifested deity , was hid inside an alcove in the inner wall of a well where he remained for many years until the fear of Mughals subsided . Banke Bihari , another important deity also did not move out of vrindavan , because back then he was enshrined in a simple hut inside nidhivan without much fanfare . So his presence was unknown to outsiders and he would not have attracted the wrath of the marauders . The gigantic temple of Govinda was desecrated and its spire broken down completely and a small idgah made hastily on the top of the roof . That structure remained into recent times untill Growse had it removed as a part of archeological restoration project and thereby restored the temple to its original identity . Today the temple is maintained by the archeological survey of India . After staying for 2 years at Radha Kunda , Govinda was brought to Kamyavan . This way , Govinda Dev continued to shift between places for the next few decades . Initially the servitor Goswamis tried their best to protect the deity from iconoclasts and as well as try keep him within the borders of 'vraj mandal' ( the expanse of territory where child krishna lived and sported his leelas ) But inspite of their efforts , the political situation continued to worsen and finally they felt compelled to shift Govinda Dev out of the vraj mandal into the safety of Rajputana . Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh , a descendant of Man singh , came to rescue and brought Govinda to his own palace and built a temple to him within his palace compounds to ensure safety . He then dedicated the entire estate as the property of Govinda and himself as a mere servitor . His seal was etched with the words – “ Shri Govindacharan – Sawai Jaisingh Sharan” Even today , Govinda dev is being worshipped royally as the presiding deity of the town of Jaipur . And even today , the descendants of Bengali Goswamis serve them . Now let us come to the topic of this painting . I have tried to depict the temple of Govinda as it would have originally stood at its prime days . A natural question that may arise is - on what proof did I base my artistic reconstructions ? Is it merely an imagination or is there any solid evidence behind it ? Only the walls of the temple stands today at Vrindavan . The top is completely demolished . But there is a line drawing preserved in Jaipur city palace which has sketches of the temples of Vrindavan as well some of the important religious sites of northern india . This was painted when the temple still stood and provides the much needed clues as to how the original structure might have looked. But I shall post a detailed post on my artistic reconstruction later in this page . Hence im restricting my words for now on this topic . On the right hand side of Govinda Dev stands Shri Roop Goswami . On the left is Kashishwar pandit with the deity that Mahaprabhu gave him personally – Gour Govinda . Gour Govinda is still worshipped in the temple at Jaipur . Right beneath him stands Maharajah Man Singh in white clothes . Opposite Man singh in blue suit is Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh who helped the cause in times of distress . These two characters are thereby immortalized in the leela of Govinda . Today , a new Govinda temple erected in late 18th century stands next to the original temple in Vrindavan . And more recently , a new set of Gour Nitai vigrahas have been installed in the original garbha griha of the desecrated temple . The mind of a bhakta feels saddened to see the empty temple today . But I want to put forward a question to all readers at this juncture . Is divine manifestation only to be found in a deity and nowhere else ?! Can the eternal yoga peetha ever be detached from the eternal presence of the lord ?! Can we not say that Govinda is as much present in Jaipur as he is in Vrindavan yogpeeth ?! Wherever Krishna resides , that verily is the vrindavan . So when Govinda moved to Jaipur , the city became the new vrindavan ! And Govinda through his continuing presence in Vrindavan changed the place into a flourishing tirtha that it is today ! The dream of Mahaprabhu was fulfilled at last ! That is precisely why , one of the greatest gaudiya mystics of 20th century , Ramdas Babaji Maharaj never went to Jaipur to see Govinda . To him , Govinda eternally resides in the yogpeeth . Krishna promises to the gopis – “Vrindaavanam parityajya paadamekam na gacchaami” – I shall not leave ever from the land of Vrindavan . The divine leela of Govinda are eternal . And that all auspicious leela has created a thread of bond that runs from Bengal in the east to Rajasthan in the west with Vraj bhumi at its heart ! Jai Govinda !

Painting and text by Halley Goswami, more at https://www.facebook.com/Halleysart

#Krishna #Radha #hindu art #vaishnavism #bengal

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