The Challenge

[RoseofLima]

What is it in Scripture that you find the hardest to live out, to put in action in your life?

And do you have any counsel for others to help them?

I think for me, I struggle deeply, being gentle...you know the whole "Let your gentleness be known to everyone"...thing. I'll start out okay oftentimes- but then get peeved when I get frustrated.

 

[JasonV]

I find this one especially difficult:

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (St. Matthew 19:21. KJV)

 

[Rebekka]

You do far better in being gentle than I, Shannon.

Loving my enemies is the hardest. I have difficulty forgiving others who hurt me - not so much when they apologize or ask me for forgiveness (that has worked so far), but when they don't feel sorry. That is my biggest struggle. I'm afraid that I sometimes focus on other people's mistakes more than on my own - I mean, my hardness of heart lies in not forgiving them, while I should.

(And that other thing that makes me a cafetaria catholic - but that's not in Scripture. - BTW it has a lot to do with the above - long story though.)

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

To look at the poor, one on one with love and compassion an not distain.

Do this count as confession ? Because I feel a little better now.

 

[Rochir]

Wastefulness. I watse a lot of things.... not good!

 

[RoseofLima]

To look at the poor, one on one with love and compassion an not distain.

Do this count as confession ? Because I feel a little better now.

that is difficult for me, too...

and (how obnoxious is this) it's true about really obese people, too.

 

[RoseofLima]

I find this one especially difficult:

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (St. Matthew 19:21. KJV)

LOL! God took care of that one for me

But seriously I have always wondered- do you think that means literally that we must not have any posessions- or rather that we are not to have an attatchment to our material things- like that we are ready to part with them if someone asks or if someone is in need??

I started several years ago (mostly out of financial reasons) giving away as gifts things that had the most meaning to me. Mostly just sentimental value- but that has really helped me to look at everything as just stuff. That and having freakin' toys everywhere.

 

[JasonV]

Rosaoflima,

I know there have been Christians throughout the centuries who have taken this statement very literally. Consider the great monastics in the Church who have left all and remain without any personal possessions to speak of.

When I read this, I want to see it symbolically, but I feel like it's a literal injunction. I want to see it like it's meant only for someone who is single, or old, or whatever......but I feel like it's meant for all who follow Him.

Sometimes it drives me crazy.

 

[MikeK]

To look at the poor, one on one with love and compassion an not distain.

that is difficult for me, too...
and (how obnoxious is this) it's true about really obese people, too.

I struggle with this too. I have no difficulty lending a hand to annonomous people I've never met - but I hessitate once I find out that they're - well - kinda gross. I know that's not how God sees them - gotta work on that.

 

[scraparcs]

On the internet, nobody knows I'm gross.

 

[RoseofLima]

Rosaoflima,

I know there have been Christians throughout the centuries who have taken this statement very literally. Consider the great monastics in the Church who have left all and remain without any personal possessions to speak of.

When I read this, I want to see it symbolically, but I feel like it's a literal injunction. I want to see it like it's meant only for someone who is single, or old, or whatever......but I feel like it's meant for all who follow Him.

Sometimes it drives me crazy.

It drives me to mania when I think of "My yoke is easy and my burden light"...there ain't been nuthin' easy about my life- and I often feel crushed under it's weight.

 

[Loki]

Loving God.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

Oh, Jesus, Co-Creator of the universe, I thank you this thread isn't about touching yourself.


Amen.

 

[MikeK]

I thank you this thread isn't about touching yourself.

Did you immagine it would be about abstaining ala Seinfeld or a contest to see who could be the most monkey-like?

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

Did you immagine it would be about abstaining ala Seinfeld or a contest to see who could be the most monkey-like?

How many "My biggest issue with getting close to God is my sexuality" threads have we had to slog through ?

Go to it and have fun.

Especially if it gets your mind on yourself and on the poor, the sick and meek.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

Loving God.

It's tough.I alway thought of myself and his good servant rather than his child.

 

[Loki]

It's tough.I alway thought of myself and his good servant rather than his child.

One of the homilies by my favorite priest at my parish had a line something like:

"As Christians, we are fortunate to be children of God, whereas Muslims are slaves of God."

I don't fully agree with his interpretation of the word, but it's a point that is worth remembering, and apparently difficult to understand for others than just me.

 

[Filia Mariae]

It drives me to mania when I think of "My yoke is easy and my burden light"...there ain't been nuthin' easy about my life- and I often feel crushed under it's weight.

The Gospel today.

You know, I tend to agree with you, I have always struggled with this one because I feel like life is harder since having a conversion but the priest this morning was talking about it and he told this story about how when he was in novitiate, they had to work on a farm. The one guy's job was to bring in the eggs. For a long time they had been bringing them in by hand and the guy one day made a yoke and put a bucket of eggs on each end to bring in. Basically, the point was that with the yoke he was able to carry a burden he could not otherwise. Father was saying how in some ways Christ is the yoke allowing us to bear what we could not otherwise because He bears the weight of it. I don't know- it made a lot more sense when he was talking, I'm not doing a very good job explaining.

 

[tashiseisei]

I find it almost impossible to believe that God loves me.

 

[JasonV]

I find it almost impossible to believe that God loves me.

Why is that?