Deus caritas est - infinitus! =D
I did something "crazy" today. :) With only homework staring straight at me everytime I think of my table in my room (haha, ewww...) and with the nice Saturday afternoon in my hands, I decided to walk home from school. And walked home I did. (!)
It was a beautiful, long walk, but one long walk that I badly needed I think. I was thinking about many things, I saw many things, I laughed (to myself of course and also my darling angel guardian :), for I was alone) at the things I saw and O dear me, I was sincerely happy. The things I saw, really ordinary, but somehow today, they all seemed different and new, and beautiful. I wish I had a camera - for the things I saw, like the many trees, the grass, the fallen branches and leaves etc ... and yes, I was happy that I wasn't in any of the cars that seemed to zoom by me every second, for I walked along the pavement that was beside the road. Some how or rather, I liked the idea of my two legs bringing me home. (really lol, i think i'm getting funnier by the day, haha). The time spent looking and seeing and thinking along the way, was time well spent. Deo gratias et Mariae for the nice long walk. :)
We are constantly surrounded by nature, even in the highly build-up singapore that I live in. The birds, the trees, the grass, the little flowers, the wild mushrooms, the colour of the sky, the little squirrel that we might see along our way, the tree lizards, are to me, very beautiful expressions of the love of God for us. The best expression of the love of God for us, I will say its the Most Holy Eucharist, but God also tells us in many ways that He loves us truly. And here, I remember this, I read, and which gave me great pleasure (it still does make me smile, for it is beautifully written) when I was young:
Ecclesiastes
This book is called Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher, (in Hebrew, Coheleth) because in it Solomon, as an excellent preacher, settled forth the vanity of the things of this world, in order to withdraw the hearts and affections of men from such empty toys.
(Chapter 3)
All human things are liable to perpetual changes. We are to rest on God's providence, and cast away fruitless cares.
1 All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build. 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
6 A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away. 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. 8 A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace. 9 What hath man more of his labour? 10 I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end. 12 And I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice, and to do well in this life. 13 For every man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his labour, this is the gift of God. 14 I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue for ever: we cannot add any thing, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared. 15 That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.
16 I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity. 17 And I said in my heart: God shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing. 18 I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like beasts. 19 Therefore the death of man, and of beasts is one, and the condition of them both is equal: as man dieth, so they also die: all things breathe alike, and man hath nothing more than beast: all things are subject to vanity. 20 And all things go to one place: of earth they were made, and into earth they return together.
19 "Man hath nothing more"... Viz., as to the life of the body.
21 Who knoweth if the spirit of the children of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward? 22 And I have found that nothing is better than for a man to rejoice in his work, and that this is his portion. For who shall bring him to know the things that shall be after him?
21 "Who knoweth"... Viz., experimentally: since no one in this life can see a spirit. But as to the spirit of the beasts, which is merely animal, and become extinct by the death of the beast, who can tell the manner it acts so as to give life and motion, and by death to descend downward, that is, to be no more?
And here's the beautiful opening of the book of Ecclesiastes:
1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities, and all is vanity. 3 What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun? 4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth standeth for ever. (Ecclesiastes 1: 1-4)
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Of one of the many things I thought of, in the 2 hour solid walk, here's it, which will form much of my post for today. Taken from the first epistle of Saint John, beautiful Apostle :) for this Saint John was one of the first few who knew the Most Sacred (and Sweet) Heart of Jesus. This Saint John was the one whom Jesus gave His dearest Mother too, at the foot of the Cross, the one who symbolically represents us: Son, Behold Thy Mother. This Saint John knew and loved wholeheartedly the dearest Hearts of Jesus and Mother Mary. This Saint John is the Apostle whom Jesus loved. Let us read a part of his epistle, which so beautifully explains Deus caritas est, God is love.
Deus caritas est.
Love unites us with God
(Chapter 4)
6 We are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7 Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for charity is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is charity. 9 By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him. 10 In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.
11 My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and his charity is perfected in us. 13 In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he hath given us of his spirit. 14 And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father hath sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him. 17 In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world. 18 Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity. 19 Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us. 20 If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not?
18 "Fear is not in charity"... Perfect charity, or love, banisheth human fear, that is, the fear of men; as also all perplexing fear, which makes men mistrust or despair of God's mercy; and that kind of servile fear, which makes them fear the punishment of sin more than the offence offered to God. But it no way excludes the wholesome fear of God's judgments, so often recomended in holy writ; nor that fear and trembling, with which we are told to work out our salvation. Phil. 2. 12.
21 And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother.
(Chapter 5)
The Basis of Love
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him. 2 In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not heavy. 4 For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
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Beautiful.
Here's something from St. Alphonsus, regarding perfection:
Perfection is founded entirely on the love of God: Charity is the bond of perfection; and perfect love of God means the complete union of our will with God's.
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I was thinking of this too, when I reached home, remembering what I read from dinoscopus, on wagner. Very interessant I must say.
My most sweet Jesus, I firmly believe that Thou art truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. And as though Thou wert already there, I embrace Thee, and unite myself wholly to Thee; permit not that I should ever be separated from Thee. May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ keep my soul unto Everlasting Life. Amen.
(Spiritual Communion, formula by St. Alphonsus Ligouri)
My Most Sweet Jesus, help me to do only what Thou would want me to do. Thy Will is most sweet, most perfect. Fiat voluntas tua.
Dearest Mother Dear, please help me, please pray for me. Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis.
Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori.
Jesus, Mary, I love Thee; Save Souls!
Jesu mitis et humilis corde, Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum. (ter)
Labels: Deus caritas est, Ecclesiastes, First Epistle of Saint John, Spiritual Communion, St Alphonsus Ligouri
