#first commandment

[wecanbeperfect]

REPENT AND TURN FROM IDOLS

Ezekiel 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

[momentsbeforemass]

You can’t give what you don’t have.

If someone with a cardboard sign is asking me for money, the only way I can do that is if I first have some money.

Because you can’t give what you don’t have.

It’s a universal truth. The kind that seems super obvious when you say it. Almost like I’m insulting your intelligence when I point it out.

And yet, there are so many areas of our lives where the way that you and I do things? It’s like we’ve never heard this one before.

This is the dynamic that’s behind what Jesus is saying in today’s Gospel, when He says,

"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.

The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Loving your neighbor is no small thing. Because it’s exactly how our faith is supposed to play out in our lives. That is what you and I are called to do, if we’re really followers of Christ.

But let’s be clear – loving your neighbor isn’t some mushy sentiment. Because love isn’t a feeling. Love is a choice. As St. Thomas Aquinas tells us, “To love is to will the good of the other.”

But loving your neighbor can be hard.

Willing the good of the other – who lets their dog do it on my lawn and leaves it there? Willing the good of the other – when their backyard cookouts make the block smell like burning tires? Willing the good of the other – with that super-special [something I hate] flag on their front porch?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of love. Not on my own.

And yet, Jesus is calling me to love my neighbor, to love that neighbor, as myself.

Where am I going to get that kind of love? Because I can’t give what I don’t have.

That is what the first half of what Jesus is saying, the first commandment, is all about.

If I love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind? God will do things His way, by paying me back in kind, a thousand-fold. Here’s what I mean.

God already loves you more than you know (see Good Friday for details). But when you start trying to love God back, when you take that first faltering step of loving God, God lights up and says, “Game on!”

Because you and I can’t love God without God paying us back in kind, a thousand-fold.

And our dixie cup of love for God will be met by God with horse trough after pond after lake after ocean of love until we literally cannot contain it - and God’s love overflows into every area of our lives and into the lives of everyone we meet. Even our neighbor.

But it all starts with loving God. Because you can’t give what you don’t have.

Today’s Readings

[an-unanonymous-messenger]

Now we begin with the greatest commsndments of God. The first and greatest commandment of God is, as most of us know it, is that we should love the Lord our God with our whole heart and with our whole soul and with our whole strength. This is the greatest commandment for a reason, but why? Well, God is the One Who is above all, and Who has shown us all His love in allowing us to have free will, instead of being slaves on demand. He gave us free will, because He wants us to love Him by our own will, and not by pressure. He is not a megalomaniac, but loving, and the Inventor of love. He has given us all we need to live, and helps us in our struggles. He knows us better than anyone we know, and sympathises with our weaknesses. This is enough said concerning why we should love Him with our all. What's the problem? The fact that we cannot love God with our all, since we get easily distracted. Then how to fulfil this commandment? Jesus fulfilled it for us, and is our Mediator, Who intercedes for us every time we sin and confess in conviction. So what do we do? We focus our life and love on God, and give the centre of our lives to Him to shape it. His plans are always for peace, so don't worry about it. Bless you all in the Name of Jesus! Amen.

[seratlantisite]

Nice try Bioware, but I know the state of Southern Thedas better than you do.

First off, it matters if the Hero of Ferelden is alive or not. When the First Warden recalled all wardens, our hero knew that was a bad call and refused, finally splitting off from Weisshaupt after years of mismanagement and taking scores of wardens with them. Their presence and leadership makes all the difference, rallying southern Thedas once more against the blight. If you have only an Orlesian Warden Commander in Amaranthine they’re less inspiring, but as long as you’ve done Awakening they are a boon nonetheless. There is someone to lead the fight against the darkspawn while other focus on the Venatori.

If you 100% completed Awakenings and also Soldier’s Peak, the Ferelden wardens have never been so prepared. They’re organized, they’re outfitted and they’ve been ready for this for years. Also, if you allied with the Architect then you have scores of strange research to give you an edge.

If Merrill completed her Eluvian then she moves south once again and joins the effort. She’s managed to cleanse the blight before and she’s ready to try it again. And her knowledge of the crossroads gives the south an edge on their movement and supply lines. If Hawke’s sibling is a Warden they accompanied her.

If the Inquisitor let Briala have power in any way, the Dales become the leaders in the war against the Venatori, forming a formidable alliance with Ferelden, Orzammar and the Marches, the likes of which have never been seen. And if you completed Jaws of Hakkon then their alliances with the Avvar and Chasind are stronger than ever.

Of course, if the Inquisitor kept the Wardens around after Here Lies the Abyss then their numbers are bolstered. It may cost Wiesshaupt later, but that’s Rooks problem. And if you completed the Descent, then the Inquisitor and Warden had a much better idea of what was coming and spent ten years getting ready.

They will not be broken.

They will weather this storm.

[northemoonduringthenight]

“Thou shalt not have strange gods before me.”

Exodus 20:3 Douay-Rheims Bible

Artwork: Louis Schaettle (American, 1867-1917) Conclave of the Gods (ca. 1916).

[dwuerch-blog]

Let’s Get Out the Golden Ruler

We have heard the Golden Rule many times. Jesus was being harassed by people who wanted to be right more than they wanted to do what was right. The Pharisees and Sadducees didn’t even like each other. But they were united in their dislike of this man, Jesus. He was causing people to question their teaching. In Matthew 22:37–39 Jesus gave them a teaching, now called the “Golden Rule”. He said,…

[linktoo-doodles]

experimenting

[edenemy-art]

hey have you seen the general and the commander? they disappeared over an hour ago

commissions open

[inkskinned]

it is genuinely and truly terrifying to watch trump and his apostles create a crisis and then "resolve" the crisis.

it is terrifying to watch right-wing media first say they love the tariffs, that "america is finally first again," that we don't need to be in a global economy. but then trump changes his mind. the media, in the next day or even hour - suddenly admits that the market was crashing, that we were in serious economic danger. but no worries because trump has saved us all! he's brought us back from the brink and stocks skyrocketed, something biden never did! trump's a hero! he loves us! he saved america!

i hate that the word "fascist" doesn't even seem to alarm them anymore. i hate that they treat it as a joke. i hate that others lift their noses and say triggered, libs? while lives fall apart. this is a man who has a religion behind him. this is a god-king. this is a man who has warped the soul of america, and they treat him as if he's just a goofy genius with a heart of gold.

within one hour of the tarriffs being announced, i already saw a commenter on instagram saying this is how we know he's playing chess, not checkers. but all the libs already sold their stocks, and i'm sat here laughing. i had to close my eyes.

[fawntastic]

SO I DID THE IMPLANTATION MYSELF YOU SELF-SERVING ZOMBIE

[raphaerolo]

Brontosaurus means thunder lizard you see

This is in my mind the first time either of them bring up marriage or weddings, Obi-Wan comes out of nowhere with it and Cody just rolls with it

[felixeis003]

Totally responsible consumption of tea

[granonine]

The Wrath of the Lord

Psalm 106: 39-43. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against His people, insomuch that He abhorred His own inheritance. And He gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their…

[the-velvet-worm]

has anyone in this fandom ever acknowledged the fact that harrow believes with 1000000% certainty that she was able to unlock the tomb because she's a Super Special Magical Girl (she is, not the point) and has no idea that it's only because she had gideon's blood/skin under her nails when she opened it

like what the fuck is learning this going to do to her chopped up little brain. it's going to destroy her. it's going to completely ruin her sense of self. the only reason she kept LIVING was because she was able to open the tomb and look upon the girl inside it. and to learn that it's NOT because she's The Necromancer Divine, that it's actually her life-long feud with gideon that allowed it to happen? that gideon is the biological child of the Emperor Undying? never mind all the other information we learn at the end of HtN while harrow is fighting gideon's bio mother in the river (she also doesn't even know that wake gave birth to gideon lol)

anyway I think harrow is going to feel very normal about all of this (she's absolutely not)

[avasillva]

AGATHA ALL ALONG (2024) KILLING EVE (2018–2022) THE 100 (2014–2020)

[dwuerch-blog]

With All My Heart

In these photos you will see all employees and workers throughout Vidanta in Puerto Vallarta — maids, waiters, concierges, ride arrangers, etc. — place their hand on their heart as we approach them. Right from our first day here, we noticed this gesture. It impressed me so much that I am blogging about it today. As they place their hand on their heart, they are expressing “With all my heart, I…