Romans,
Chapter 1, Verse 11-12
11 For I long to see you, that I may
share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened,
12 that is, that you and I may be
mutually encouraged by one another’s faith,
yours and mine.
Paul had a great desire to visit Rome for Rome was the
center of either the greatest good or the greatest evil in the world. Paul was
convinced that Christ came not to overcome evil with force but with love. The
world still engages in the same battle in that instead of Rome we now have
enclaves in every city that purport the idea of might makes right. We must
continue the work of Christ. The best way is encouraging good among the
faithful and then go out to overcome the world with the spiritual gifts that
Christ gives to each of us.
Our triune God shares His truth, beauty and wisdom or
personhood with each of us. God’s desire for us is that we thrive, and He takes
action to ensure that we do. We can tap into God’s grace and power if we do His
will for us and listen to Him. Matthew Kelly in his book “Rediscovering
Catholicism” recommends that in order to share our spiritual gifts we need to
have a real practical plan. Here is his Plan for evangelization via friendship:
1.
It
first starts with prayer taking time in the “classroom of silence” and ask God
to point out two to five people in your life who would most benefit from a
greater knowledge and appreciation of Christ and the church. Write down the
names of those people. Mentally attach one of their names to a finger of your
right hand and think what life would be like without those fingers.
2.
Pray
for those people every day for the next month, by name, every day. Make
yourself available to God for them. Tell God that you would like to help them
discover the benefits of living a life of virtue and the adventure of walking
with Him.
3.
After
you have prayed for them for a month, contact each of them and arrange to spend
an hour or two with each of them personally. No agenda or preaching; just be
present with each other. Take them to lunch, walk, golf, coffee make it fun and
enjoy. Talk with them what is going on in their lives-listen.
4.
Do
this once a month with each person individually for three to six months; don’t
talk about God, religion, or the Church; unless they bring it up.
5.
After
six months invite them to a local homeless shelter, soup kitchen or some other
good work the Lord leads you to and after having formed a friendship; now would
be a good time to discuss the place of God in our lives.
6.
Over
time if they seem to have an interest in drawing closer to God; give them a
good book on the spiritual life that will challenge them to think, change,
grow; become the best version of their self.
7.
When
you get together each month talk about the book ideas. What did they like about
the book? Or didn’t like. What parts is a challenge? What parts is a comfort?
How does it make you want to live differently?
8.
When
they are ready invite them to one of your church programs or outreaches. Afterward,
invite them for a meal or coffee and talk.
9.
Continue
the five friendships and then invite them to do the same with five. Now go back
to the Lord and ask for five more. This is how we bring about the new
evangelization and build a Kingdom of God.
Why doesn’t God stop human beings from committing
wicked deeds? Evil’s
continuing presence among us is a mystery we can’t fully figure out in this
life. Nevertheless, we can say this much: God allows evil because He’s powerful
enough to bring out of even the greatest evil a much greater good. The
crucifixion of Jesus Christ provides a vivid illustration of this reality.
According to the Gospel, when “Satan entered into Judas,” one of the twelve
Apostles, he went out to betray Jesus (see Lk 22: 3– 4). So, the worst evil we
can imagine— the torture and murder of God’s innocent Son— occurred through the
Devil’s influence. Yet the triumph of the empty tomb transformed the horror of
the Cross. Satan was thwarted. When Jesus rose from the dead, He displayed
God’s power to bring out of the greatest of evils an even greater good: the
world’s redemption. Meanwhile, our days in this life provide a season for God
to test, purify, strengthen, and perfect us, making us fit to live with Him
forever in heaven. To that end, the demons serve as useful tools for Him as
they constantly test us by tempting us, so that we become purer and stronger
and closer to perfection every time we resist the temptation. In this sense, we
might say, quoting St. Augustine: “As an artist, God makes use even of the
Devil.”
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There
is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive. "There is
no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for
forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest. Christ who died for all men
desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to
anyone who turns away from sin.
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In
the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man's
relationship with God will be laid bare. The Last Judgment will reveal even to
its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during
his earthly life:
All that the
wicked do is recorded, and they do not know. When "our God comes, he does
not keep silence. “.. . he will turn towards those at his left hand.
"I placed my poor little ones on earth for you. I as their head was seated
in heaven at the right hand of my Father - but on earth my members were
suffering, my members on earth were in need. If you gave anything to my
members, what you gave would reach their Head. Would that you had known that my
little ones were in need when I placed them on earth for you and appointed them
your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury. But you have placed
nothing in their hands; therefore, you have found nothing in my presence."
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Thus
the Lord's Prayer reveals us to ourselves at the same time that it
reveals the Father to us.
O man, you did not
dare to raise your face to heaven, you lowered your eyes to the earth, and
suddenly you have received the grace of Christ all your sins have been
forgiven. From being a wicked servant you have become a good son.... . Then
raise your eyes to the Father who has begotten you through Baptism, to the
Father who has redeemed you through his Son, and say: "Our Father.....
" But do not claim any privilege. He is the Father in a special way only
of Christ, but he is the common Father of us all, because while he has begotten
only Christ, he has created us. Then also say by his grace, "Our
Father," so that you may merit being his son.
The International Day of Tolerance seeks to promote
tolerance, respect, appreciation and cooperation amongst the world's different
cultures. Tolerance refers to the recognition and acceptance of looks,
opinions, beliefs and practices that differ from one's own. Tolerance is
considered the backbone of human
rights and fundamental freedoms as people are naturally different.
Tolerance allows mixed communities to thrive and ensures that all humans are equally
important. The International Day of
Tolerance was designated by the United Nations
General Assembly in 1996. It has since been celebrated annually on November 16
by those who strive to unite the world through mutual understanding and
respect.
International
Day for Tolerance Facts & Quotes
·
You
can counter intolerance in 5 ways:
1) Fighting intolerance with law
2) Fighting intolerance with education
3) Fighting intolerance with access to information
4) Fighting intolerance by individual awareness
5) Fighting intolerance with local solutions
1) Fighting intolerance with law
2) Fighting intolerance with education
3) Fighting intolerance with access to information
4) Fighting intolerance by individual awareness
5) Fighting intolerance with local solutions
·
Xenophobia
is the fear or hatred of strangers. It is another word for intolerance.
·
There
are an estimated 939 active hate groups in the United States alone. Some of the
biggest is the Ku Klux Klan and the Neo-Nazis.
·
Intolerances
originated early in history during the slave trade where differences in race
were not tolerated. One of the most recent and most well-known examples of
intolerance was the Holocaust during World War II, where religion was not
tolerated.
·
In
the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher. – Dalai Lama,
Important monk from the Gelug School.
International
Day for Tolerance Top Events and Things to Do
·
Spread
awareness of social media by using the hashtags
#InternationalDayforTolerance, #ToleranceDay and #LoveNotHateTolerate.
·
Organize
a sporting
event in your community. Sports have shown to be a universal remedy for
tolerance issues. Organizing a sporting event in your community, something as
simple as a basketball or baseball game, can bring your community closer
together and make everyone a little more tolerant.
·
Watch
a movie about tolerance. Some suggestions are: Schindler’s List (1993), Invictus
(2009), Selma (2014), and Hotel Rwanda (2004).
·
Assess
the impact of tolerance on your society, its policies and your life. How does
this compare to other societies? Do a bit of research to see how different
types of governments and policies impact tolerance in a society.
·
Read
a book about tolerance. Some suggestions are: The Intolerance of Tolerance,
Just a Drop of Water and Goblinheart.
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
You seem to hear a voice within you saying. 'That religious
prejudice!' And then the eloquent defence of all the weaknesses of our poor
fallen flesh: 'Its rights!' When this happens, tell the enemy that there is a
natural law and a law of God... and God! And also, hell.
Daily Devotions
[1]Matthew Kelly. Rediscover Catholicism.
2010
[4]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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