What on Earth

What on earth would the military do if there was no more need for a military? How much money would that save? Would the savings be offset by the loss of jobs? Then which is cheaper, War or Peace, when life and death no longer seem to be part of the equation?

Has there ever been a time?

Has there ever been a time when we did not
Tend to stray from the straight and narrow,
And get tangled in the sinful affairs of others?
"How could such a thing happen?" That is what
We say when we realize our iniquities and
And are crushed with the burden of our sins.
Our eyes fill with tears of pitiful sorrow.
But with each teardrop should come a lesson.
Alas, where is our promise of faithfulness?
Where is the remorse of our conscience?
Oh Lord, you who keeps track of my many sins,
You in whom my soul takes refuge from my ego,
Remind me that only my undying faith in you
Will deliver me from the abyss of oblivion.
Wipe away the stain of guilt from my soul,
Replace my sorrow with boundless hope,
And remove my feet from the stumbling block.
Oh Lord, I stretch out my hands to you.
I thirst for you like a desert thirsts for water.
Stretch out your hand from on high. Rescue me
From those whose mouths speak lies and whose
Right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
Instill in me the truth by which I will be free.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
Every word that comes from the mouth of God.

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In the Spirit of "Love your neighbor"

There are two general categories of law. One consists of natural laws and the laws of mathematics and physics which are descriptions of patterns of cause and effect. The other consists of the laws of ethics and morality which are laws that regulate behavior. If we act badly we will sooner or later experience the negative effects of the laws of morality that were decreed by our Creator and are not only spelled out in the holy writ of all major religions but also engraved on the heart of every human being who is endowed with a conscience that will not be denied. The values that determine right from wrong and positive from negative and true from false are not a human invention, but are inherent in the Cosmos.

The Universe itself was designed by our Creator with morality in mind to balance the evil impulse that is necessary in order for there to be a free will. Without morality there would be nothing but evil, dog-eat-dog, and devil take the hindmost. For good to triumph over evil, it is the collective responsibility of individual souls to choose good over evil and virtue over vice.

To be indifferent to the lives of others is detrimental to our own lives. We must be humble and empathetic to the suffering of others who are more unfortunate. To humble ourselves means self sacrifice. That is the spirit of "Love your neighbor."

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Lest you be sorry

My days are fading like an echo and 

I am nothing more than a lingering shadow. 

Death will come like a gust of wind and 

My candle will flicker, sputter, and die. 

My good intentions will follow me to the grave 

And lie down beside me, dust to to dust. 

Decay will eat my flesh and bones and 

Nothing will be left except buttons, zippers,

And a few seeds I have planted in others 

Who will carry on, by the grace of God, 

The work that I have sadly left undone.

Make peace with God now lest you be sorry.

Listen to your conscience for His instructions.

Humble yourself before Him. Hear His Word 

And banish sin from your repertoire.

Consider desires of the flesh as worthless. 

Let the will of God be your treasure. 

Look to heaven for help. Pray continuously. 

God walks the heavens on the rim of the sky. 

He will answer your prayers and light your path 

If you believe in Him and you repent.

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The Patron of Rascals

The Patron of Rascals is a lover of vice. He tells you that the scoundrel is quite a gentleman, if you will only give him a chance, and that while be admits that most things people say about him are true, he asserts there are other things untrue. "He is a witty fellow," for instance, "and a true friend and tactful," and he declares during his apology for him that he never met a more capable man. He shows his friendliness to him in his speech in the assembly, or as defendant in an action, and he is always telling the jury that it has nothing to do with the man, it is the case that is the point: "But the defendant, gentlemen, is the watch-dog of the state, he keeps a guard over evil-doers. We will have no one to be roused over public wrongs if we lose such men." Then he is certain to set up as a supporter of rascals and to form conspiracies in the courts for bad causes to get the verdict, and when he is on the jury he puts the worst construction on what the two parties say. In a word, the patronizing of rascals is sister to rascality itself, for very true are the words of the proverb "Like draws to Like."

From "The Characters of Theophrastus." -- Theophrastus was a Greek Philosopher, the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He came to Athens at a young age and initially studied in Plato's school. After Plato's death, he attached himself to Aristotle. Born: 371 BC, Eresos, Greece.
Died: 287 BC, Athens, Greece.

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Please do the right thing.

Why does God allow bad things to happen? Why does He let tyrants rule? Read the fine print in His book about "being righteous." Righteous means knowing right from wrong and choosing to do the thing that is morally right and virtuous. What has been happening in this world? Wars are being started and fought for hegemony, prestige, and material gain. Iniquities and abominations of all kinds abound. Even little children are being torn from their mother's arms by complete strangers under the false authority of "the law" without discretion, empathy, or compassion. "But look," you say, "The law is the law and we are only human." Oh, are you sure about that? We, who claim to be good Christians, are we true children of God, or merely creatures of God and are twisting His Word to bolster our aims. Think about it, and then call on Him, and He will answer you from that point in your heart that we call a conscience. You can't escape him and you already know what He will say. But...believe it or not! You do have a choice and know that there are consequences. Please do the right thing.

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My morning Prayer

Father, I praise Thy Holy Name and I thank Thee
For everything Thou hast given me in the past,
And in the present and in the future hope of the Resurrection
And eternal unity with Thee, Thy Son Jesus Christ, Thy Holy Spirit,
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles, the Disciples,
The Saints, the Angels, the Holy Innocents and the Holy Martyrs
My parents, my siblings, my friends and relatives,
My ancestors and my progeny, and all of the faithful departed
Who have gone before to live and reign in eternal glory
With Jesus Christ according to His promise that if we love God
With our whole mind and our whole heart, and our whole soul
And if we love our neighbor as our self, we will be with Him forever.
Father please take away my sins and wipe away the
Stain of guilt from my soul, that I might be a true adopted son
Of God and come to you as a little child saying, "Abba, Father,"
And that I may talk to you face to face like a friend, as the
Scriptures tell us did Moses, Enoch, and others. Amen.

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The Dust of the Earth

The name Adam comes from the Hebrew "Adamah," meaning "The dust of the Earth."

It is said that when God created man from the dust of the earth He gathered the dust from the far corners of the earth. He gathered dust of red, yellow, black, and white so that when someone dies, no matter where they come from or where they are buried, they will always return to the same dust from which they came.

A baby cries at birth because it is brought forth into the light against its will and spends the majority of its life like a stubborn mule fighting against the reins that either goad it on or hold it back. Then, when it is time to die, that same person weeps again as they re-enter the dark against their will. And then, once again against their will, they must give an account and reckoning of their life while standing before God. It would be much better to abandon our own will and accept God's will right at the beginning, but even so, it is never too late.

Come now, make peace with God and you will not be sorry. Listen to your conscience for His instructions. Humble yourself before Him. Keep His Word in your heart and banish sin from your dwelling. Consider your desires of the flesh as worthless. Let the will of God be your treasure. Look to Heaven for help. Pray continuously and God will listen. He walks the vault of Heaven on the rim of the sky. He will answer your prayers and shine a light on your path if you believe in Him, and if you repent. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. May His Kingdom come and may His will be done, on the Earth as it is in Heaven.

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A Glimpse of Reason

At times I glimpse the light of reason,

Like the afterglow of the setting sun.

A vision that comes with the gathering dark.

It is no sooner thus revealed to me,

Than extinguished by the fading of the light.

I am an itinerant wanderer in a tiny vessel

Adrift on the great ocean of Philosophy,

Tossed hither and yon by the wind and waves,

My goal is to acquire wisdom and understanding,

Ultimate truths, and spiritual felicity.

My only guide is a star of beauteous light

That twinkles brighter than all the rest,

The onward leading star of Bethlehem.

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Kicking Against the Goad

I am a peripatetic philosopher, old, and full of days.
My quest, an anxious search for a time that has been lost.
The only recompense is a pocket with a hole in it.
I ask for wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and nothing else.
Holiness and worldliness are in constant friction.
What is the life of man? Is it to lurch from sorrow to sorrow;
To bottle up one set of problems and uncork another?
Is it kicking against the goad of our wild desires?
Is it a perpetual peek through the keyhole of curiosity?
We are the sum of the many foolish choices that we make,
And we are a result of the careless chances that we take.
May the good Lord pardon everyone of a willing heart
Who sets his heart on seeking God, and eternal life.
Virtuous men pass mildly away saying, "It's time to go."
They know as only the dying know, that eternity is now.
The Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn
His his face from you, if you don't turn your face from Him.

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