When the Good People Rise From Death

“Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors – because they will invite you back and in this way you will be paid for what you did. When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed; because they are not able to pay you back. you will be paid by God when the good people rise from death.’”
(Luke 12:12-14)

The Glory of Being Alone

Language… has created the word “loneliness” to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone. -Paul Johannes Tillich

Inconstancy of Mind

“By resisting passion, and not by following it, the truest peace of heart is won.  There is, therefore, no peace in the heart of a carnal man or in the heart of a man who gives himself to all outward things.  But in the heart of spiritual men and women who have their delight in God, great peace and inward quiet are found.”

“If you have any goodness or virtue, believe firmly that there is much more goodness and virtue in others, so that you may always keep yourself in humility.  No harm comes if you hold yourself worse than any other, though it may not in truth be so, but much harm results if you prefer yourself above any other, even if he is so great a sinner.  Great peace is with the humble man, but in the heart of a proud man are always envy and anger.”

“Be not familiar with any woman, but commend all good women to God.  Desire to be familiar only with God and with his angels; have a care to avoid the familiarity of man as much as you can.  Charity is to be had toward all; familiarity is not expedient.”

“Flee the company of worldly-living persons as much as you can, for the treating of worldly matters greatly hinders the fervor of spirit, even though it be done with a good intention.  We are soon deceived by the vanity of the world and in a manner are made a slave to it, unless we take good heed.”

“We might have much peace if we would not meddle with other men’s sayings and doings that do not concern us.  How can he long live in peace who willfully meddles with other men’s business and who seeks occasions for it straightway in the world and seldom or never gathers himself together in God?  Blessed be the true, simple and humble people, for they shall have a great plenitude of peace.”

“It is good that we sometimes have grief and adversities, for they drive a man to behold himself and to see that he is here but as an exile, and to learn thereby that he ought not put his trust in any worldly thing.  It also is good that we sometimes suffer contradiction, and that we be thought of by others as evil and wretched and sinful, though we do well and intend well; Such things help us to humility, and mightily defend us from vainglory and pride.  We take God better to be our judge and witness when we are outwardly despised in the world and the world does not judge well of us.  Therefore, a man ought to establish himself so fully in God, that, whatever adversary befall him, he will not seek any outward comfort.

When a good man is troubled or tempted, or is disquieted by evil thoughts, then he understands and knows that God is most necessary to him, and he may do nothing that is good without God.  Then the good man sorrows and weeps and prays because of the miseries he rightly suffers.  Then the wretchedness of this life burdens him, too, and he yearns to be dissolved from this body of death and to be with Christ, for he sees that there can be no peace or perfect security here in this world.”

“The beginning of all evil temptations is inconstancy of mind and too little trust in God.”

“Study always to be patient in bearing other men’s defects, for you have many in yourself that others suffer from you, and if you cannot make yourself be as you would, how may you then look to have another regulated in all things to suit your will?”