Scenarios Just Curious
Curiosity is not bad in itself, but it must be used properly. It is something like hunger. If we eat properly, our hunger serves us well and we grow strong and healthy. If we eat more than we need, or we eat foods that are not good for us, we weaken. Even worse, if we satisfy our hunger with deadly poison, we die. To deliberately eat what is poisonous is gravely wrong. In similar way, we can satisfy our curiosity in healthy ways when we are interested in knowing what is good and true. There are some things we should know ---- about ourselves, our loved ones, our work, about creation, and especially about the ways of God and his law of love. In these matters, the goal is not merely the satisfaction of our curiosity, but the fruit of knowing the truth and acting upon it. Often we grow curious about things that are simply a waste of time. That is the habitual condition of very many people today. They live in the idle curiosity, which they thoughtlessly satisfy with"junk food" for the mind. They keep us with latest trends, constantly checking their social networks and media, listening for anything that will catch their interest. Babies, who are not yet trained to distinguish what is helpful and harmful, will put anything into their mouths. We do not allow them to continue this way ---- for their own good we teach them. We need to use the same sort of practical wisdom on ourselves. If we keep indulging without thought or discipline, we remain immature. There are some things which we are better off not knowing, so to indulge our curiosity about them is worse than the waste of time, it is sinful. A very common is gossip, in which we reveal the hidden faults of others, or stir up others' interest in matters that do not concern them. Curiosity in such cases is more accurately named temptation. This is equivalent of a hunger for poisonous food. There is no healthy way to respond to such hunger. There is nothing beneficial about filling our hearts with sinful distractions.We have to deny them, and turn our attention to more worthwhile concerns.♥
His True Identity and His True Mission
It is sad that many people, even those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, remain so skeptical about him. About less important matters, people readily believe much of what they are told. This is what gives the media such powerful influence over society. Rumors spread like wildfire and are often accepted. People believe many theories and unfounded speculations, and they freely share them through their social networks. The Lord looks at spiritual ruins differently than we do. Where we see shameful failure and lost opportunities, he sees a future more glorious than ever. He looks at our hearts and says, "Greater will be the future glory of this house than the former." He reminds us that we are not working by ourselves. On our own strength, we could never build the temple worthy of the glory of the Lord. No, he encourages us strongly 'to take courage' and get 'to work' because he is with us, as he promised. "My Spirit continues in your midst ---- do not fear!"♥
"When we serve the poor and the sick, we serve Jesus. We must not fail to hep our neighbor, because in them we serve Jesus." - St. Rose de Lima
It's common thing to hear-read this, "I earned this. I deserve it! If anyone else wants to live like me, let him work harder. I haven't done anything wrong. Why should I give my hard-earned money to some lazy beggar? He would probably just waste it .... " When we are absorbed in our own comforts, we become blind to the needs of others, even to the most obvious basic needs of the poor. If we can fulfill our call to love, we must be aware of this weakness in our nature and overcome it by putting into practice what we believe. To change our hearts takes strong effort, in cooperation with God's grace. In the next life, the Lazaruses whom we failed to love will not condemn us, but our lack of love will be the cause of our torment. We do not have to search for the Lazaruses in our life, for they are near us, but we must open our hearts in order to be able to recognize them and love them.♥
As the Lord was always faithful in the past, he is faithful to us today, and we can be sure he will always be faithful, "for his mercy endures forever." This process of recalling all that the Lord has done for us is a very fruitful spiritual practice. Our memory that God has always been faithful to us with unwavering love is holy and precious treasure. This is part of the art of pondering in the heart, which we learn especially from Mary. When we recall with gratitude how God has blessed us in the past, the eyes of our hearts are open to what he is doing in the present as well. Without this "sacred memory," we are likely to misunderstand what God is doing, and may even suspect that he has abandoned us, like an unfaithful spouse. We never allow the hardships of the present to cancel out our confidence in the goodness and merciful love of the Lord. As we give thanks for the faithful love of God, we grow more aware of our responsibility to love him in return, and to be faithful in our love for one another. Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, and faithfulness is a hallmark of all God's relationships, we are called to be faithful to love, according to our situation and state of life. The more our love resembles God's love, the more his love will shine in our world ---- which is hungering so desperately for authenticity and fidelity in love.♥
