Isaiah,
Chapter 25, verse 3:
Therefore
a strong people will honor you, ruthless nations will fear you.
Pope
Emiratis Benedict XVI wrote in his Theology
of the Covenant that we are a people of many faiths with one covenant with
God. Therefore it is reasonable that strong people will honor us in our faith
as we have the same covenant with the living God but may worship in a different
way.
What
are some of the traits we and our cousins in the covenant may have as strong
people? According to the daily elite-the voice of generation Y there are 20
things that strong people DON’T do[1]:
What Strong people DON’T do.
1.
Dwell
on the past (but stay in the present).
2.
Stay
in their comfort zone.
3.
Refuse
to listen to the opinion of others.
4.
Avoid
change.
5.
Keep
a closed mind (but are open to new ideas).
6.
Let
others make decisions for them.
7.
Get
jealous over the success of others.
8.
Dwell
on the possibility of failure (they keep a positive perspective).
9.
Feel
sorry for their selves.
10.
Focus
on their weaknesses.
11.
Try
to please people.
12.
Blame
themselves for things outside their control.
13.
Be
impatient.
14.
Let
misunderstandings continue.
15.
Feel
they are entitled or privileged.
16.
Repeat
mistakes.
17.
Give
into their fears.
18.
Act
without using prudence.
19.
Refuse
to help.
20.
Quit.
However,
on the other hand, we must realize that ruthless nations will fear a covenant people because ruthless
nations are made up of ruthless people and ruthless people fear what they cannot control.
These
are 6 assumptions that the ruthless people make according to Askmen.com.
·
Emotion
is to be avoided in all decision making.
·
No
tolerance for incompetence.
·
Never
forgive.
·
Punish
quickly and brutally.
·
Instill
fear in others.
·
Stay
focused and determined.
To be
a people of the covenant we must remember the urgings of Christ that “This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent,
and believe in the Gospel.” (Mark
1:15). “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law
of the prophets.” (Mt. 7:12)
Akin to the asceticism of Lent is
its mournful tone. The Church is traditionally draped in purple or
black, its organ silenced, and its altar bereft of any flowers. At home
medieval Catholics would avoid frivolity or hilarity, and would wear black
during either Holy Week or Good Friday.
There is a special mourning custom
that also begins on Passion Sunday and ends when the Gloria is sung
during the Easter Vigil Mass: covering all sacred images (crucifixes,
statues, etc.) with purple cloth in both church and home. This might seem
counterintuitive, since one would expect to gaze at a crucifix more during the
season when the Passion is being considered. Yet the Roman rite teaches by
absence as well as by presence. In an odd way, being denied access to the
sacred images alerts you to their presence all the more, in the same way that
not having the sacrifice of the Mass on the one day you would expect it the
most, i.e., Good Friday, makes one all the more aware of the Sacrifice that
took place on that day. Covering sacred images also adds immensely to the sense
of sorrow and compunction that should naturally accompany this somber period.
Prayers of Aspiration[3]
As
Lent wears on and we begin to feel the pain of self-denial it may help us to
have a battle cry to remember our zeal for real change. This is where having
memorized inspiring verses can be like flaming arrows against temptations. Aspirations
help us to make our lives into a life of prayer. If prayer is a fire, then
prayers of aspiration are like logs we place in the flames during the day. Prayers
of Aspiration can help us learn how not to remain prisoners of the past and to
believe things can be different. Ideally when we are stopped at traffic lights,
placed on hold on the phone or other lines waiting we can use these moments to
go through our prayers and fill our mind with prayer rather than with
anxieties, worries, temptations, resentments and unwelcome memories.
Start
a list of memorized Prayers of Aspiration today.
[3]
Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap.
12. Prayers of Aspiration.
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