Sharing Christ's Passion

I am a Christian.  For a long time I knew that Jesus was a man, who walked the earth, speaking about Goodness and Love.

 Don't get your theology from the media.

 Oprah for example, as exhibited on youtube, claims that Jesus did not come to die and save us, as she always believed, but He came to show us how to live ( a Buddha). To live in ''Christ Consciousness.'' 
  Not have our own consciousness, but His, a God !

 It is a message which does not completely leave Christianity, as we are to be Christ-like, but not consciousness ''All Knowing'' gods ... It does though emphasize Live in the ethics of love as neighbor and yourself.

 But there is much more ! Much more !

 One question to ask you ???

 If it is indeed Faith alone, why is it that the Jews needed a Messiah? Didn't they have Faith in God???

 What sense it is that Jesus came to us to introduce Himself?  Why didn't God the Father tell Moses.... Hey by the way, there is a trinity....

 Well, there is some clues in the Old Testament that there was a Divine Counselor on the way...

 But, What then does death of Jesus mean?

 To be saved? Why didn't Jesus just come to us and say, Hey! I am Lord of Lords believe in me and you will be saved.... poof, gone pecan?

 I actually never clearly understood the death of Jesus myself, I never understood what it was He was TRULY doing.. and why it was NEEDED... Why that way?

 There is an answer!

 God has a plan.

 I do not understand the Fall of Man completely, and do not feel ever will,  but I have heard it said that pain and suffering is God's 'megaphone' to us that there is something greater.  As we would be absent minded to think that there was anything greater than a world without pain and suffering.  The Bible describes the world as in labor.  It is working with labor pains for a new life to come from it.  As I understand it, in regards to what happened to make the world a fallen existence,  has something to do with God’s plan, and humans behaving in a way that had little Faith in that plan....

 So humans ‘fell’ into a death of sin... thus we are mortal, and we suffer in our mortality.

 So I won’t be answering exactly why there is suffering in the world exactly, but what a Christian should understand about suffering. What are we to do as Christians is to take comfort in Him in the suffering that we do feel.

One of the greatest expressions of Faith is still having HOPE in a scenario where there seems to none.

To have that HOPE acknowledged.... means to be Rescued

To be rescued, means to be Saved.

Jesus came to save the sins of the world, that is to place the greatest proof that we are right in Hoping for the coming of being saved.

 He rescued our human incapacity to cope with suffering alone.

 Christian Faith is not only a feel good Faith, it is a real faith of the real experience of man.

How Glory is God’s blessings when we feel His blessings, but how frightening is the world when we only see despair.

 God wants us to know that He is with us even in despair, not to take us out of that despair, (although he can), but to say, Hey ! Have faith in me that I will take you out of your misery when it is time to join me in my Kingdom of Heaven.

 He wants to soothe us in the hardest times we face here on Earth, but the reward is not promised on Earth, but in Heaven.

 

 It is a promise of ‘’ you’ll make it if you have Hope in Me’’

And this resonates all throughout our lives...

When we hurt a friend, we need to tell ourselves that things will get better

When we afraid to move on from a boyfriend or a close one, that it will be okay.. Life will go on and I will be ok..

 This is how we are rescued from our suffering... because God has given us a comfort in His resurrection to ensure that He is waiting for us to join Him.

 In the old testament, God knew that His people would constantly struggle in His Mosiac Laws.

 He sent prophets, that was not enough for eternal victory, just to get through some tough times... A God of healing...

 God KNEW. God knew He wanted to show His people COMPASSION.  He knew there would be time for Compassion.

 God is consistent in this, that the savior whether prophet or the Messiah was one to heal the pain by promising a new land, a new age, or a new testament

 He came to the world to SUFFER!

 To feel pain and temptation, and experience it Himself. In Compassion..

 Which means ''Suffer Together''

 The prophets of the Old Testament proclaimed a Coming of the Messiah ... in the time of suffering... They promised VICTORY in the Lord... that God LOVED them...

           even in their suffering....

They were to be patient in their waiting... Patient meaning submit to the pain of yearning ...

  Yearning to be relieved of the sufferings of the world,

To CONQUER DEATH

How do we conquer Death? We do not. We are destined to die... materially.  From the Fall of Adam and Eve, we are destined to die..... die of suffering and choice.

 This is especially true of the Jews in the BC years....

 They didn't have hope of resurrecting..

   So what did that do for them? The suffered in the Law of Moses... for the sake of the law... not for True faith in God's Divine love...  They didn't understand God's Divine Love...

 So their sin was only a sin against the law... the covenant

 Covenant by the way is the same word as ''testament''

 It is a LEGAL word.  Anyone in those days knew it was a legal word.

 And the Jews suffered much, in captivity and war even between the time of Moses and Jesus.

 But God gave them prophets...

 Saying -- You are suffering, BE PATIENT... meaning suffer in your yearning... God will redeem you, be patient for His Messiah...

 So they so yearned for that Messiah... suffering in patience in some of the worst conditions.

 Then in the fulfillment of the prophecies, God came...

 Suffered, Died, and was Buried....

 Out of Compassion and Love He sent His only Son...

 To Suffer with Us.. in his ‘Passion’ .. submission to the pain and death He faced

 Why do we suffer? Because we do not understand death, we lose our loved ones to death... and we have No earthly Assurance of its meaning... so pain is anquish as we do not understand and have hope in it...

 Yet, God in His infinite wisdom and mercy.... Decided He would suffer with us... Compassion through the Passion of Christ

 In raising He relieved our suffering showing that there IS more to this world...

 You see, in the Jewish theology,  some (I think the Sadducees) did not believe in the afterlife... I think the Pharasees did... I may have it backward.. but it is in the Bible...

 So did Jesus save as the born-again Christians proclaim ...

 Did Jesus take away the sins of the world?

 Not in the way that there is no sin... that sin is not accomplished by Faith alone...

 Jesus conquered Sin by conquering Death.... illustrating to us that there is ''Re Birth'' through death....

  There is still sin..

  We know this because human's are still not pure in spirit.

 We are only in the kingdom when we are pure... Pure of Heart and Pure of Spirit....

    We are not, even the strongest believers.

  What Faith then do we have?  We have faith that DESPITE our impatience and suffering of our relief... Jesus is coming again...

 Jesus is coming again either in our Own Death... Or at the end of Time...

 So how did he save the world... BY SHOWING US THAT WE ARE INDEED GOING TO HIS KINGDOM... HE LIVED IT, BREATHED IT, AND WE ARE SAVED IN SUFFERING BECAUSE WE HAVE FAITH IN HIS PROMISE TO US... THAT JUST BE PATIENT!!

JUST SUFFER WITH PATIENCE... BECAUSE WE ARE FALLEN, BUT HE HAS SAVED US IN HIS EXAMPLE OF PROOF THAT LIFE CONQUERS DEATH, AND LOVE CONQUERS SUFFERING... HE RESCUES US FROM THE ANQUISH OF NOT KNOWING.

 So we in turn have Faith in Him.l

 We are like the Jews as we wait for Jesus again.... suffering in impatient, but called to be patient....

 The difference? We have assurance that sin is conquered through death... That in death we are to meet Jesus assuredly, with proof on Earth.....

 So we are to have Faith... not in God will heal us on the Earth.,...

 God makes no such promises... Some of the greatest Christians suffered mightily...

 Doesn't mean he never helps.... of course he does... But it means there is no promise to help us in our healing

 Only a promise of helping us in our suffering ... that He suffered too to show us that there is a Light at the end of suffering...

 In fact, news around the world say Christians are the most persecuted faith in the world TODAY!

 Pray for mercy and relief... But do not have complete faith that He will do it... His will be Done.... Not ours...

  We see this in the Our Father ! In the our father we ask to be taken away from sin, not that we are saved by faith from sin. We are human, God knows our nature.

To say that Jesus came and took away sin is to say that human nature changed at that moment.

 It did not, Human suffering changed in the greatest display through offering us Faith and Hope in the afterlife and demonstrating great Love...

 The Theology is in the Our Father

 Our Father

Who art in Heaven

Hollowed by thy Name

Thy kingdom come (starting to say, be patient, ‘’suffer in yearning’’)

Thy will be done  (When His will is done, there is no sin or fallen nature

On Earth as it is in Heaven (Earth is not Heaven, we are not perfect, but we are called to do His will as best we can even in our imperfections)

Give us this day, our daily bread (We hunger for Him, He has shown Himself in Jesus who is with us today to feed our souls in His sacrifice on the cross by the sacrifice of the bread)

And forgive is our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us

Lead us not into temptation

And Deliver us from evil  (Put it together, deliver us from evil, as it still exist, but let us do your will, live right, live by our Faith that you are with us in our daily bread as promised and forgive us when we do not live by your Will and sin) ... In other words, sin is still here, we are still to live by His will to help us against sin and temptation

 Our faith is in the promise... the covenant/testament... of the afterlife and heaven, but also that He is with us today, as He did not come to abandon us again, but give us His Word, and His Body & Blood in sacrifice to remember what He did on the cross...... suffered with us!

 That we should find compassion in Him through His Son in all our suffering.....

    In our suffering,... We should have faith in Him... that is what Jesus has said is True... that there is a better life beyond our suffering here in this world.....

 That is HAVING FAITH.... Not that He exist, the Jews believed God exists....

 But Having FAITH in the covenant, the promise... That God is there waiting for us...

 He is suffering in waiting as well... to pursue Him towards perfection...

 We will not go to Heaven unless we are purified...

 This is True..... This is where purgatory comes in....

 We are ONLY purified through living by His moral codes... his covenant (legal language)

 And as Jesus said, as we have Faith in the covenant...

 TRULY, TRULY, I say to you... Eat my flesh, drink my blood... and you will have Life...

  

We are to be perfect in Faith, before we enter the kingdom.... not perfect in the faith of believing... but perfect in the Faith that if I do what I am told, He will welcome me into His Kingdom

 There is no better time to be faithful in the promises of Christ (covenant/testament)THAN in our suffering (Beatitudes... happy are the poor, those who mourn, the hungry, the meek)

  Jesus wanted to make clear, there was a way out of suffering, not in this world, but the next.

    It should be JOYOUS to you that you will not suffer forever, that you will not sleep in darkness after the injustice you experienced in the world.

 Do NOT let others tell you your experience of the world.  Do not buy into things that say they will give you Heaven on Earth.  Why not? Because we will all suffer pain, NO MATTER WHAT WE DO!  We will lose friends, family, children, spouses, parents to DEATH!

  This is why Jesus died, He didn’t NEED to die, He was God. He died to scarifice Himself to the same fate we face, to show us that even in death, there IS life.

   In our death, and in our friend’s death.

 The MOST Rich and the MOST Powerful will too. So if you pursue those lives..... It is your life !

All I am saying is that YOU know THIS WORLD.  You know what there is as we get old, IT DOESN’T change whether we are a college student, a mother, a boss, or a monk..

We will all feel despair and pain in something, at some point, the promises are not for this world.

How ! low are the promises if it is of this world ! as the promises will as it is said be done with at the End of days.  

 

 Yet ! Even in the pain and suffering, how beautiful is this world ! stunning ! So stunning that many will admire it and think it must be greater than accident. As beautiful nature and our friends can be, just imagine how beautiful a world without sin is !

   But it is a lovely message, that not only are we okay after we die, but it is GOOD ! With our long lost family and friends.

That is the message ! There will be an end of days, for suffering and sin ! That Jesus has come to suffer with us on the cross and in the Bread ‘’in the hope of rising.’’

 This is what the Book of Revelation is ALL about, Jesus will be victorious at the End...

I recommend reading the ending... It is celebrating on and on with the Glorious Victory of Jesus has over the end

   End of suffering

   End of despair

   End of loneliness

   End of life

   End of sin

   End of the world

         

How does LAW make us perfect???

 It is the road map to becoming perfect in Christ .. Belief in His promises...

    Law tells is what a perfect Christian is... it does not say we will accomplish it, for we are not perfect, but to be perfect Christians... and we have Confession to help us when we fail in our whole lifetime.

 The same way we are freed from sin is the way we are freed from grammar mistakes.....

 When we learn a language, we learn the grammar and rules so we can FREELY speak...

 If we do not obey these rules, we go astray, and it is pointless to learn and speak the language as no one will understand you....

 As in science... only a good scientist is one who learns and understand the Laws... so they can freely work JUSTIFIABLY as scientist....

 I wouldn't want to be in a room with a chemist who plays with chemicals with only knowledge of the chemicals exist and not the rules of the chemistry.....

 That is the problem of Protestantism.... too many people are left alone to make things up that there are sooo many denominations...

SO many that people are commonly becoming Non-denominational...

  Indeed, the BIBLE is suppose to be TRUE.. and UNIFYING... not divisive

 For 1300 years Christianity was ONE... but after Luther and until today... we have over 30,000.....

 Indeed, it was this Unified Christian (Catholic) Church that put the Bible together....

 And yet, it is said Catholics don't know the Bible, have no references in the Bible...

 Why would they put things (by things i mean books, not words) in the Bible that is contrary to what they teach...

 In fact they did... many books were rejected because the Church said it was not consistent with what the apostles taught....

 That is all I will say for now.... There is much more to this story.... The Church is rich in spirituality which helps us cope with our realities, celebrate the Good, and live in Faith which is a great gift of the Saints who show us so many things in infinite unique ways.

What Free Speech Really Means

     paraphrasing:        '' A square has a law of four sides, we have the freedom to draw a square ''
                                                    Only freedom really exists in Truth

   WITHOUT AN ABILITY TO SPEAK THE TRUTH, THERE IS NO FREEDOM OF SPEECH

 Some claim that in plural societies, no one can claim to speak the Truth.  That Truth is in the eye of the beholder.  Well, if that is true than they have no right to say it. There is no truth in untruth, and no rights in such a world. Rights cease to exist the moment we can not speak the truth.  It is in the very nature of democracies and plural societies to seek and express truths, if we are incapable of doing this, then we lose all worthiness in anything and everything.  Freedom ceases to exist.
  Western societies are made not to make Truth pluralistic, but to find out the Truth.  A society in which should seek the truth but denies the existance of Truth, is an unhealthy society as it does not even live up to its own establishment.

   If we are all able to speak our mind. This should allow us to speak truthfully.  We claim a right to speech so we can claim our position in truth. So we claim a personal right to truth.  This in itself is a truth.

  So how could it be that we all speak different truths within a truth? Indeed, a truth of every one's word as true, is untrue, because if everyone is true then there is no truth, just an endless realm of possibility. 

  To say there is an endless realm of possibility is to say that there is nothing worthy of truth.  If nothing is worthy of truth, truth is worthless. If truth is worthless, then there is no right or wrong.

  If truth is worthless, then the very right to speak truthfully is worthless.. Then the right to speak at all is also worthless.

  Is this true?  Is it true to say that Free Speech is worthless?

 If you say that free speech is worthless, then you say that the speaker themselves are worthless.
 
 If you say that the speaker themselves are worthless than it is neither right or wrong to eliminate the speaker, because there is no worth in the speaker speaking or not. So no freedom in their speech. To deny speech as worthy is to deny the freedom to speak against anything, as without a worthy speaker there is no truth in the speech, and there is no truth for them to speak freely.

  If the speech is worthless, the honest notion of speech is worthless, if the honest notion of the language we speak is worthless, the one who recites the language is also worthless.

  If there is no worth in the one who speaks, there is no worth in their freedom to speak or in their freedom at all.

  Because for the one to speak to be full of worth, they must matter, and if there is no right and wrong, they do not matter, just as their honest language would not matter. So if there is no right and wrong in their speech, their speech is worthless, and their freedom could not be said to be right, as there is no worth in saying that there is any right or wrong in their freedom if there is no worth in truth itself.

  If a totalitarian sovereignty takes away one's right to speech, they can just the same take the person away, as it would be assumed that the speech against it would be worthless.

  If there is nothing worthy about speech, then there is nothing worthy about freedom, and surely nothing worthy about freedom of speech.

  However!

 If we value and believe speech to be worthy then we find Truth worthy. 

  If we find the other's speech to be worthy, then we find the source of the speech to also be worthy, the speaker. 

 If we find the other speaker is worthy, we find him worthy to speak truthfully.

 If we find him worthy to speak truthfully, we find TRUTH worthy !

  When we find that Truth is worthy, then there is freedom to speak the TRUTH, as there is worth in both Truth and Speaking, and thus the speaker has a freedom to speak truthfully.

 It is only when we find TRUTH to be worthy that we find the others also to be worthy. As they are only worthy if they speak truthfully, and if they are worthy to speak truthfully, they are just as worthy as the next one to do so. A relationship between others is then shared.

 When we find the others to be just as worthy, we find that we have a relationship of worthiness.

  This relationship of worthiness allows us to recognize the FREEDOM of the worthy to speak TRUTH and thus to speak at all.

  Indeed, all worthiness resides in Truth, and all Freedom resides in worthiness. If we have a relationship of worthy speakers, then they have the freedom to speak the truth.

  It is only in TRUE speech that we get TRUE freedom as Freedom is not worthy if it there is no Truth.

  Without truth there is no truth to the relationship. If there is no truth to relating to the other, there is no worth in the other.  If there is no worth in the other, what is the worth of their freedom.

  When we find it worthy for both Truth and speech, and thus the truth of the speaker, we find it worthy for a relationship of speakers with ourselves. From this, we find a common speech.
 
 When we have a relationship, it is only true if it is worthy to relate to the other.  If we find it worthy to relate to the other, then we find a worthy Truth.  It is only in a Truth do we have a relationship.  If we have a true relationship then we have a true communion to that relationship.  If we have a true communion of relationships, we have a common truth.  If we have a communion of truth, we find a common worth in speech.  If we find a common worth in speech, we find a common speech of truth.

  Meaning we have a common source of Truth as the speaker is worthy to speak truthfully only when he is recognized by the other to be worthy enough to do so and when speech itself is found to be truly worthy.

  If nothing is worthy, there is no truth to their speech, and no truth in the relationship. The worthiness of the other is only worthy if there is a worthiness in truth. 

  If there is worthy in truth at all, then the source of that truth is most worthy to be spoken about truthfully, or there is no worth in truth at all.

 If the truth of speakers is a relationship in speech and truth, then they must recognize a true source for that truth.

 It is in the truth of the relationship that there is a source for that relationship.  The source of that relationship must be true for all worthiness to be indeed worthy.

 Just as the source of speech must come from a worthy speaker, the source of all truth must be worthy enough to be true.

  Or everything is worthless, and there is no free speech and there is no value in the speaker because there is no value in TRUTH.

  So the source of Truth is the source of all worthiness.

  It is only in the worth of the other that we discover a relationship with the other.  Within that relationship of the other we must go to the source to make the whole thing worthy at all.

  So when we are given the freedom of speech, we are given the freedom to be truthful.
 
  If there is no truth, then there is no worth of speech at all.

  Only in the source of truth, and the recognition of truth do we find any worthiness at all.

  So to deny TRUTH; you deny WORTH.

  To deny WORTH. you deny RIGHT and WRONG.

  To deny RIGHT and WRONG. You deny the WORTH of SPEECH.

  If you deny the worth of speech. You deny the worthiness of the source of SPEECH.

  If you deny the worthiness of the source of speech, you deny the source of any FREEDOM of the SPEAKER.

  Otherwise all speakers CANCEL the other out, ELIMINATING TRUTH and ELIMINATING the RIGHT TO SPEAK.

  ONLY WITH TRUTH, DOES THE SPEAKER MATTER. So there MUST be Truth for us to have a right to speak.

Courage in Christ

                                              TIME TO GET THE FIRES LIT!    

THE WORLD IS TORN, CHRISTIANS ARE THE MOST PERSECUTED IN THE WORLD: 
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/andrew-harrod/persecuted-on-all-sides-christians-in-the-modern-world/

     The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, of whom shall I be afraid?

  Lord, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.

  As an American, I hear it and I feel it :::

   Don't talk Politics & Religion.
                     You might offend someone.
                     Don't be arrogant and righteous.

  In the New Evangelisation within the Catholic Church, respect is highly valued. But not talking is giving in, not pursuing is submission.

  When one does not dare, one is left to stare.

  In other words, we lose.

  We lose our values in the public spectrum. Our statues are taken down. Our children are preached to a different strain.

  A strain for complete tolerance, which at the crux of the paradox, leads to intolerance and conformity.

  There will always be conformity in some uncertain form.  If I may not proclaim the Good News, then I am left with nothing new, but all that society says I should.

FOOLS! THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH!

 With Him there is no DEATH! For He IS Life!  He IS Light and not Darkness.

  The forces of evil are on the move, always have desired to be so, and are seeking our souls to suffer as they suffer.

 How do I know this?
     Jesus' everlasting message, the miracle of Pentecost, St.Paul's conversion, the persecution of Christians to the conversion of Constantine, the courage of the martyrs throughout the centuries, the great lives of the Saints, the miracles of the Eucharist, the miracles of the stigmata, the resolution of the possessed by exorcisms, Lourdes, Fatima, and the long standing, unbreakable Church despite the constant attacks on it through the ages both within and outside it.

  It is said that all that I named is an instance of Faith.  But I will say it has not been disproven as much as 100% proven.  I put it to you that there is more truth here than in our science books as science is just as much based on faith as these as a scientist must have faith in the idea that nature is explorable and unified in law.  Scientists do not just put things to the test when they explore, they put their faith in science itself. 

 This world is not for the weak, there is justice and there is injustice. Crime & punishment, GOOD & EVIL.

song: Psalm 23:

  It is a war, as all our ancestors knew.  It is not a time to be nice for the sake of nothing. It is time we wake up each other and say ,' Glory Glory is His name, Jesus Most High, Lord of the Living and the Dead, He takes away the sins of the world, have MERCY on us. For His is the Kingdom and the Power, the Glory. Now and Forever Yours. For I shall have no fear in Him, because He is my shepherd, the forces of evil shall not prevail for there is only One Lord of Lords, One Creator, and all power resides in Him. I seek His Mercy. I seek His Truth. I seek His offerings and dispel the offering of those who proceed against Him.  '

  We see this sort of message carried out in Revelations.  We know not our hour or time, so LIVE NOW in Him.  No use waiting. No use thinking. What's the matter? Why do we not see this? Why can we not take up our arms of justice and see this is our calling.  To cry from the fires of our bellies that this world has been given a great gift in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

What's the Matter You People? /song recites Prayer of St Francis Assisi

  What is being polite if one is not honest? What is honest if Truth does not exist? Why should one not declare His name in front of millions, believers and non-believers?

  If you look around, you will realize that we are a populous of thinned skins.  Where is true justice if we can not be honest?

    
   In the Catholic new Evangelisation, we are called not to be afraid of Truth.  Not to be afraid at all, yet still withhold respect as we are ALL God's children.

   This pope, taking the name of Francis not only gives us a mission towards the meek and the poor, but it is a great name of evangelisation.  The pope himself seems to be a shining example of living out the scriptures, the Good News.  Sometimes Christian love is seen as weak, but it is very courageous. Courageous because it is not afraid of speaking for and living out the Truth, and in this Truth there is NO death, No evil to fear.

  Truth is NOT telling a gay person they are hated, telling a prostitute that she is no friend of God's, telling a divorcee that they have no chance for redemption.
   Indeed, true love is redemptive.  Forgiveness is the greatest expression of love, and God both forgives and is Love.

   But it's still a WAR.  Not too surprising if one reflects a bit that Francis Xavier and Assisi were two veterans of war, people who learned true courage in the face of death and two great successes of the Counter Reformation.
  Indeed, we are to be GREAT MEN, chivalrous, as Christians, and we should have a courage and fire to fear nothing, yet do it in the most Christian ways.  I see very little that speaks so much to that message than the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace
  Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
    Where there is doubt, faith.
   Where there is injury, pardon.
     Where there is despair, hope.
    Where there is darkness, light.
    and where there is sadness, joy.
    Divine Master, grant that I may
    not so seek to be consoled,
     as to console;
   To be understood as to understand,
    to be loved as to love;
   For it is in giving that we receive -
 It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
  And it is in dying that we are born
       to eternal life.

  It says Lord, give me the courage to Do and SEEK in any terrain as I have FAITH in Your Most Holy Name.

  Jesus, Himself, said He brought the sword.  We are to be GREAT MEN of courage and faculty.

 I will end this with a call to my Protestant friends : I do not wish to destroy your Faith, but renew it in the spirit of Easter and Christian Renewal :

   I think if you have the courage to find time and the heart to listen to this : You won't be Protestant! You'd find the True Faith !

And then for ALL I wish to leave you an exemplary example of Great Christian Action and Courage !

  Here is something which was shared with me (and my Prayer Group)
Shows God tends to call to those on the outside as St. Francis's reflected. He probably did so so the weak would not be weak, but be instruments of both his MERCY & LOVE.

God chooses the weak... And this list could be much longer.

Noah got drunk.
Abraham lied about his wife.
Sarah laughed at God.
Jacob was a deceiver.
Moses murdered an Egyptian.
Rahab was a harlot.
Gideon was fearful.
Jephthah made a foolish vow.
Samson had serious problems with lust and anger.
Eli failed as a father.
David was an adulterer and a murderer.
Solomon married foreign wives who turned his heart toward idolatry.
Elijah struggled with depression.
Jonah ran away from God.
Matthew was a tax collector.
Peter denied Christ.
Paul argued with Barnabas.
Barnabas compromised the gospel.
James and John wanted special seats in the kingdom.
All the apostles argued about who was the greatest.

And it continues throughout the history of the church until today. We can fit many names on that list because somehow God chooses the weak, the losers, the outcast, the sinners and gives them a great treasure. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (2 Cor 4, 7)

Do you still still think that evangelization is for the others?

 

LASTLY: I WANT TO REINFORCE WHAT CHRISTIAN MANHOOD IS... IT IS A KIND OF CHIVALRY

 The Knight's Code of Chivalry was a moral system that stated all knights should protect others who can not protect themselves, such as widows, children, and elders. All knights needed to have the strength and skills to fight wars in the Middle Ages. Knights not only had to be strong but they were also extremely disciplined and were expected to use their power to protect the weak and defenseless. Knights vowed to be loyal, generous, and "of noble bearing". Knights were required to tell the truth at all times and always respect the honour of women. Knights not only vowed to protect the weak but also vowed to guard the honor of all fellow knights. They always had to obey those who were placed in authority and were never allowed to refuse a challenge from an equal. Knights lived by honor and for glory. Knights were to fear God and maintain His Church. Knights always kept their faith and never turned their back on a foe. Knights despised pecuniary reward. They persevered to the end in any enterprise begun.^[2] Essentially, a chivalric knight is a Christian military soldier. "Certain law" stated a man must be a baptized Catholic in order to become a knight.^[1]

 ^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chivalry}

  

+Prowess: To seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a knight, martial and otherwise, seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandizement.

+Justice: Seek always the path of 'right', unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Recognize that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by mercy, as God commands. If the 'right' you see rings true to the teachings of the Church, and you seek it out without bending to the temptation for expediency, then you will earn renown beyond measure. Be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil. Destroy Evil in all its monstrous forms. Avenge the wronged.

+Loyalty: Perform scrupulously your feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God. Never lie; remain faithful to your pledged word. Remain faithful and true to God and to those to whom you owe fidelity. Obey the laws of Chivalry, and all those of King and country which are not contrary to the laws of God. Never abandon or betray a friend, ally, or worthy cause.

+Defense: Seek always to defend and love your native land, your family, and those whom you believe worthy of loyalty. Defend the weak and innocent. Respect and protect women. Respect all those weaker than yourself, and constitute yourself their defender. Crush the monsters that steal our land and rob our people and defile our women. Defend the young and the old, and have reverence for life.

+Courage: Do not recoil from your enemy. Be prepared to sacrifice all in the service of God and virtue. Fight with prudence, but with courage. Never attack an unarmed foe. Never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to the attack. Never attack from behind. Exhibit courage in word and deed. Fight with honor and courage, even in the face of fear. Be Just and Merciful in victory. Do not torture. Die with valor.

+Faith: A knight must be devout in his Faith, for, apart from Salvation, faith roots him and gives hope against the despair that human failings create. He must obey and defend the Holy Catholic Church. Make war against the infidel without cessation and without mercy.

+Humility: Value first the contributions of others; do not boast of your own accomplishments, let others do this for you. Tell the deeds of others before your own, according them the renown rightfully earned through virtuous deeds. In this way the office of knighthood is well done and glorified, helping not only the gentle spoken of but also all who call themselves knights.

+Largesse: Be generous in so far as your resources allow; largesse used in this way counters gluttony. It also makes the path of mercy easier to discern when a difficult decision of justice is required. Be a benefactor to the poor, especially widows and orphans. Respect the special grace and dignity of those who strive in poverty through no fault of their own. Remember that stewardship requires you to care for and use with kindness all living creatures.

+Nobility: Live your life so that it is worthy of respect and honour. Do not lie. Do not cheat. Live for Freedom, Justice and all that is good. Exhibit self-control, respect for authority, and love of duty. Do your duty in all things. You can not expect to do more. You should never wish to do less. Seek great stature of character by holding to the virtues and duties of a knight, realizing that the quality of striving towards these ennobles the spirit, and refines it to take its place in Heaven. Nobility influences others and uplifts the weaker man by your example.

+Chastity: Keep yourself chaste for the sake of her whom you love. Do not choose to love one whom a natural sense of shame forbids you to marry. Be modest, polite and courteous at all times, and seek always to serve and protect women.

+Courtesy: Seek always to be polite, mannerly, respectful, and reverent. Cherish, as far as duty allows, the comfort of all you meet.

+Integrity: Seek to emulate everything I have spoken of as sincerely as possible, not for the reason of personal gain but because it is Right. Do not restrict Chivalry to individual areas of your life, but seek to infuse every aspect of your life with these qualities. Strive to become so infused with this code that your every action follows smoothly and naturally and without thought or consideration, so that any deviation from the Code becomes an outrage and an abomination to you. Should you succeed in even a tiny measure then you will be well remembered for your quality and virtue.