Wisdom, Chapter 8, Verse 14-15
14
I shall govern peoples, and nations will be my subject’s 15
tyrannical princes, hearing of me, will be afraid;
in the assembly I shall appear noble, and in war courageous.
Pope 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 although we 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]
1.
Dwell
on the past.
2.
Stay
in their comfort zone
3.
Refuse
to listen to the opinion of others
4.
Avoid
change
5.
Keep
a closed mind and are open to new ideas
6.
Let
others make decisions for them
7.
Get
jealous of over the success of others
8.
Dwell
on the possibility of failure they keep a positive perspective
9.
Feel
sorry for themselves
10. Focus on their weaknesses
11. Try to please people
12. Blame themselves for things
outside their control
13. Be impatient and quit easily
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.
There are 6 traits of the ruthless according to Askmen.com.
1.
Emotion
is to be avoided in all decision making
2.
No
tolerance for incompetence
3.
Never
forgive
4.
Punish
quickly and brutally
5.
Instill
fear in others
6.
Stay
focused and determined
To be a people of the covenant we must remember the urging's 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).
The
annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) will
be held in most parishes the weekend of November 18-19, on the celebration of
the First World Day of the Poor instituted by Pope Francis. World Day of the
Poor will mark the "moments of encounter and friendship, solidarity and concrete assistance" with people living
in poverty. "Poverty challenges us daily in the United States, but it also
presents an opportunity for true encounter with the suffering flesh of Christ.
CCHD is bringing hope and the joy of the Gospel to our sisters and brothers in
need," Nearly 41 million people live in poverty in the United States –
that's $24,600 for a family of four and $12,600 for a single person. This
collection supports the work of groups that empower low-income people to
participate in decisions that affect their lives and work break the cycle of
poverty in their own communities. Many of the projects supported by CCHD embody
the corporal works of mercy, including the protection of worker rights,
expanding access to healthcare, and reforming the criminal justice system. CCHD
is the official domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops.
This national collection is the primary source of funding for CCHD's community
and economic development grants and education programs aimed at fostering a
culture of life and hope in communities across the nation. Twenty-five percent
of funds collected remain in each diocese to support local anti-poverty
projects.
Remember our goal is loving
empowerment-If we give strive for level 8 but
giving at level 1 is a start-the journey of a thousand miles begins with a
single step.
- Giving
begrudgingly
- Giving less
that you should, but giving it cheerfully.
- Giving
after being asked
- Giving
before being asked
- Giving when
you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your
identity
- Giving when
you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your
identity
- Giving when
neither party knows the other's identity
- Enabling
the recipient to become self-reliant
Breaking
the cycle of poverty
22 Each year you
shall tithe all the produce of your seed that grows in the field; 23 then in the place which the LORD, your God, chooses
as the dwelling place of his name you shall eat in his presence the tithe of
your grain, wine and oil, as well as the firstlings of your herd and flock,
that you may learn always to fear the LORD, your God.
God wants you to
celebrate life; you shall eat in his presence the tithe of your produce.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone did this! If we all took time
off with a tenth of the money we made to celebrate with God and our family and
friends together. What a different world it would be. Imagine all the
celebrations you would attend. Maybe we should all strive to take a 40 day
retreat/celebration. Save your money for this! What is on your bucket list;
perhaps the Lord wants you and me to cross off some of those things in His
presence. If I were young again this is how I would budget: 10% for His
Presence (30 to 40 days’ vacation); 10% for charity/church; 10% savings and
live off the 70 percent; that is after the government takes their 50%. Imagine
if there was a fair tax…….that bequeathed everyone $5000 above the poverty
level of $24, 600 to invest. A good resource for financial advice is a book
entitled, “The
Richest Man in Babylon”[3]
Daily
Devotions
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