How to Conquer Spiritual Blindness

JUNE 18, 2019

How to Conquer Spiritual Blindness

Jesus the “Light of the world” gave sight to the blind! Spiritual blindness is an extremely prevalent reality. However, spiritually blind eyes can still have their sight restored.

This short article will bring to the light three major reasons for spiritual blindness and then three remedies to conquer this blindness! May Jesus the “light of the world” dispel the spiritual blindness in our souls.

Three Reasons for Spiritual Blindness

1. Jealousy and Envy.

One of the Capital sins is Envy. A definition for envy: “You feel bad because somebody else has something that you do not have and when something bad happens to this person, you rejoice.” Cain killed Able due to envy. Saul tried to kill young David because of envy. Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt due to the envy of his brothers. Finally, one of the principal reasons for the condemnation, crucifixion, and death of Jesus was the envy of some. Have you ever given into jealousy or envy in your life? Time to repent.

2. Bitter Anger.

Anger does not fulfill the justice of God. When the passion of anger has gotten control of your life, it is probably best not to speak and react towards others; this could prove catastrophic. We have to learn to cope with our anger and learn techniques to extinguish the fire and calm down.

3. Impurity.

Without a doubt one of the chief causes of modern spiritual blindness is a rapidly increasing viewing and addiction to pornography. One of the principal reasons is the ease of access to pornography. A half a decade ago, porn was available mostly through magazines. However, no matter where one turns, today he is literally bombarded with impure images : T.V. programs and commercials, Cable, Movies, Magazines, Newspaper advertisements, and most especially the easy access to Internet—the sources never end!

It is like an avalanche that has started and in full force. There is barely anything in the world that militates more fiercely against growth in the spiritual life then giving in to impurity.

St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, asserts that impurity causes spiritual blindness and leads even to hating God. Many will reject God, the Church, the reception of the Sacraments because they have become addicts—to one of the tentacles of the ugly octopus of impurity, especially internet porn!

May God save us, heal us and restore our sight!

Three Remedies to Spiritual Blindness

As Jesus healed the blind two thousand years ago, so He is just as powerful today to heal all spiritual maladies and that of course includes spiritual blindness. Our prayer should be: “Lord grant me light to contemplate the beauty of your face now and for all eternity!”

Following are three ways that we can use our eyes so as to glorify God, sanctify our souls, and live out the beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart for they will see God.”(Mt. 5:8)

1. Meditate on the Word of God.

What chlorine is to water, the Word of God is to the human mind. If our mind has been contaminated by indecent and impure images, they must be dislodged, purified and discarded. One of the most efficacious tools to rid one’s mind of bad images and to restore spiritual sight is the daily reading, meditating and even memorizing of the Word of God.

The Psalmist describes the Word of God as a light and lantern for our steps. Jesus is the Word of God and the Light of the World who came to dispel darkness and even blindness.

2. Contemplate the Eucharistic God.

When Jesus lived 2000 years ago people could not always see Him. When He was in Galilee, He was not at the same time in Jerusalem. In other words, even though Jesus could have been in many places at the same time, He decided to limit His presence to one time and place.

Right now we have an extraordinary grace: contact and exposure to the Real Presence of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the most Blessed Sacrament. In all of the Catholic Churches throughout the world Jesus is present in either the Tabernacle or exposed in the monstrance; and sometimes both at the same time! He invites all to come to Him: “Come to me all of you who are weary and you will find rest for your souls because my yoke is easy and my burden is light. I am meek and humble of heart.”(Mt. 11:28-30)

What a privilege we have right now: to visit Jesus, look at Him present in the Blessed Sacrament and to love Him with all of our hearts. The Psalmist once again invites us: “Look to the Lord and be radiant with joy.”

3. Contemplate the Face of Mary.

All of us should form the wonderful habit of praying to Mary every day: the Morning Offering, Angelus, Memorare, Litany, and especially the Holy Rosary. While praying to Mary it is of great help to have before our eyes a beautiful image of Mary—statue, painting, icon, mural, mosaic, stain-glass window.

Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God. By contemplating a beautiful image of Mary, such as Our Lady of grace, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a transformation takes place in our eyes, mind, heart, soul and even in our body! The scales of our spiritual blindness fall from our interior eyes and we are able to see God and all that refers to God with greater clarity. Indeed among the many beautiful titles given to Mary, several refer to light.

Blessed Pope John Paul II, in his Apostolic letter on the Rosary, stated that we should strive to contemplate the Face of Jesus through the eyes of Mary. Let us cure our spiritual blindness by contemplating the beauty of the face of Mary, the “Masterpiece of creation” (St. Louis de Montfort).

image: P.Burghardt /Shutterstock.com

Tagged as: Best of Week, Fr. Ed Broom, spirituality

By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Father Ed Broom is an Oblate of the Virgin Mary and the author of Total Consecration Through the Mysteries of the Rosary and From Humdrum to Holy. He blogs regularly at Fr. Broom's Blog.

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The Catholic Church Founder

[12/06, 20:01] Connie&Gerry: The term "catholic" is derived from the Greek word καθολικός (katholikos) meaning "universal" and was first used to describe the Church in the early 2nd century. The "Catholic Church" first appears in a letter of St Ignatius written in about the year 110. In the "Catechetical Discourses" of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, "Catholic Church" is used to distinguish it from other groups that also call themselves the church.

Since the East–West Schism of 1054, the church that remained in communion with the See of Rome continued to call itself "Catholic" while the Eastern churches have generally been known as "Orthodox". Following the Reformation in the 16th century, Catholic came to distinguish the Church from the Protestant sects that separated from the Church.
There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God say, in the end, “Thy will be done.” The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis
[12/06, 20:04] Connie&Gerry: in New Jerusalem Bible Acts 11:25-26. 25 Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul,

26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. And it happened that they stayed together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that *the disciples were first called 'Christians'.*
[12/06, 20:11] Connie&Gerry: According to church tradition, Saint Peter established the church in Antioch, and was the city's first bishop, before going to Rome to found the Church there. Ignatius of Antioch (died c. 107), counted as the third bishop of the city, was a prominent apostolic father.

exercise the tongue Stretch out left to right 10 times

Message from my US friend Shri.Sathireddy Garu whose son is a Doctor him self :

🙏
After the age of 50
one may experience
many types of illnesses.🤔
But the one I am most worried about is Alzheimer's.
Not only would I not be able to look after myself,
but it would cause
a lot of inconveinence to family members....

One day, my son Rahul
came home and told me
that a doctor friend
has taught him an exercise using the tongue.

The tongue exercise is effective to reduce the onset of Alzheimer's and is also useful to reduce / improve

*1* Body weight
*2* Hypertension
*3* Blood-Clot in Brain
*4* Asthma
*5* Far-sightedness
*6* Ear buzzing
*7* Throat infection
*8* Shoulder / Neck infection
*9* Insomia

The moves are very simple and easy to learn....

Each morning, when you wash your face, in front of a mirror, do the exercise as below :

*stretch out your tongue and move it to the right then to the left for 10 times*

Since I started exercising my tongue daily, there was improvement in my Brain Retention.

My mind was clear and fresh and there were other improvements too...

1 Far sightedness
lesser
2 No giddiness
3. Improved wellness
4. Better digestion
5. Lesser flu / cold

I am stronger and more agile.

🎀 Notes

The tongue exercise helps to control and prevent Alzheimer's...
Medical research has found that the tongue has connection with the BIG Brain. When our body becomes old and weak, the first sign to appear is that our tongue becomes stiff and often we tend to bite ourselves.

Frequently exercising your tongue
will stimulate the brain,
help to reduce our thoughts from shrinking and thus achieve a healthier body.
🙏
👨👨👨👨‍🔬Senior Citizens👨👨👨👨‍🔬)🙏 Please forward:
🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣👉
"I encourage each person receiving this newsletter to forward it to another ten people, certainly at least one life will be saved ... I've done my part, I hope you can help do your part. thanks!( May b it will b helpful for our parents)

Catechesis of the Holy Father

*Catechesis of the Holy Father* by Pope Francis.

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Here we have finally arrived at the seventh question of the Lord’s Prayer: “But deliver us from evil” (Mt 6: 13b).

With this expression, those who pray not only ask not to be abandoned at the time of temptation, but also beg to be freed from evil. The original Greek verb was very strong: it evokes the presence of the evil one who tends to grab us and bite us (cf. 1 Pt 5: 8), and from which one asks God for liberation. The apostle Peter says also that the evil one, the devil, circles around us like a furious lion, to devour us, and we ask God to free us.

With this dual plea, “do not abandon us” and “free us”, an essential characteristic of Christian prayer emerges. *Jesus teaches His friends to place the invocation of the Father before all,* also and especially at moments in which the evil one makes his menacing presence felt. Indeed, Christian prayer does not close its eyes to life. It is a filial prayer, and not an infantile prayer. It is not so infatuated with the paternity of God that it forgets that the path of man is mined with difficulties. If the final verses of the Lord’s Prayer were not present, how could sinners, the persecuted, the desperate and the dying pray? The final plea is indeed our petition when we have reached the limit, always.

There is an evil in our life, which is an indisputable presence. The history books are a desolate catalogue of how our existence in this world has often been a failed adventure. There is a mysterious evil, that surely is not the work of God but which penetrates silently through the folds of history. Silent, like the snake that carries its venom silently. In some moments it seems to take the upper hand: in certain days its presence seems even clearer than that of God’s mercy.

He who prays is not blind, and sees clearly before the eyes this evil that is so cumbersome and so at odds with the very mystery of God. He sees it in nature, in history, even in his own heart. Because there is no-one among us who can say he is without evil, or not at least tempted by it. We all know what evil is; we all know what temptation is; we have all experienced temptation, of any sin, in our own flesh. But it is the tempter who moves us and drives us to evil, saying to us: “do this, think this, take that road”.

The last cry of the Lord’s Prayer is hurled against this “wide-ranging” evil that encompasses the most diverse experiences: the bereavement of man, innocent suffering, slavery, the exploitation of the other, the cry of innocent children. All these events protest in the heart of man and find a voice in the final word of Jesus’ prayer.

It is precisely in the accounts of the Passion that some expressions of the Lord’s Prayer find their most impressive echo. Jesus says, “Abba! Father! Everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mk 14: 36). Jesus experiences fully the piercing of evil. Not only death, but death on the cross. Not only loneliness, but also contempt, humiliation. Not only malice, but also cruelty, ruthlessness against Him. This is what man is: a being devoted to life, who dreams of love and goodness, but who then continually exposes himself and his peers to evil, to the point that we are tempted to despair of man.

Dear brothers and sisters, in this way the Lord’s Prayer resembles a symphony that asks to be fulfilled in each one of us. The Christian knows how overwhelming the power of evil is, and at the same time he experiences how Jesus, Who never succumbed to its flattery, is on our side and comes to our aid.

In this way Jesus’ prayer leaves us the most precious of legacies: the presence of the Son of God Who has freed us from evil, fighting to convert it. At the time of the final combat, He intimates to Peter to put the sword back in is sheath, He assures paradise to the repentant thief, and to all the men who were around, unaware of the tragedy taking place, He offers a word of peace: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23: 34).

From Jesus’ forgiveness on the cross, springs peace, the true peace comes from the cross. it is the gift of the Risen one, a gift Jesus gives us. Think that the Risen Jesus’ first greeting is “peace be with you”, peace to your souls, to your hearts, to your lives. The Lord gives us peace, He gives us forgiveness but we must ask, “deliver us from evil”, so as not to fall into evil. This is our hope, the strength given to us by the Risen Jesus, Who is here, in our midst: He is here. He is here with that force that He gives us to go ahead, and He promises to deliver us from evil.

Retirement Life

*朱镕基* *谈退休生活，让多少人无地自容！*
原国务院总理朱镕基，退休已十多年，在退休生活当中如何处事待人？他提出了十个切记，很有启示！
Zhu Rongji was premier of China over the period 1998-2003, serving when the president was Jiang Zemin. He has thus retired for around 15 years. He discussed post retirement life and offered 10 points that retirees should consider. These are very inspirational advices.

*第一要切记*，
岁数大了不是本钱,心里不要那么多“应该”“不应该”,喊你一声“老头儿”没有什么错,叫你一声“老先生”是对方好教养，有人给你让个座，一定要说声“谢谢”，那是有幸碰到了一个大好人；

Point 1.
Advancing age is not a “credit”. Don’t Go around setting rules on what ought/ought not; if you are addressed as “old man”, it’s ok. If you’re addressed as “Mr”, that person is well mannered. When you’re offered a seat, you must respond with “thank you”, being lucky to meet a gracious man.

*第二要切记*，
“想当年”不是人人爱听的话，如今不是忆苦思甜的年代，没有人愿意享受你的光荣历史和苦难经历，时代毕竟不同了，你吃过的野菜，现在变成高档佳肴，你坑荒造田，现在变成破坏生态，因此,“想当年”的话题要适可而止；

Point 2.
“In the past” are words not everybody like to hear. The present era is not to regurgitate the sorrows or joys of the past. No one is willing to listen to your glorious or painful past, times have changed. The wild vegetable you ate in the past may have now become a delicacy. Your cultivation practices to prevent famine previously may be regarded as damaging to environment now. As such, any matters of the past is best be appropriately limited.

*第三要切记*，
少管闲事，特别是家中的事，孙辈的教育是子女的事，不是你的责任，与子女相处,千万不要罗里罗唆，要有政协的位子，既要到位又不能越位或错位，大事表个态，听不听别计较；

Point 3
Stay out of trouble, don’t be busybody, grandchildren’s education is not your responsibility. If you stay with the children, never gossip. Be a moderator, be clear to stay within limits and not to be biased. In major issues, just state the broad perspectives, and don’t bother whether the parties concerned consider them or not.

*第四要切记*，
年轻人一定比你忙，你想孩子，可以打个电话；孩子想你了，可能连打个电话的时间也没有，千万要记住，为这种事情较真抱怨多了会“两败俱伤”，孩子来看你，千万不要找理由强留着，能抽出几分钟来看你就是好事了，如果不给孩子一个宽松环境，今后看你的时间会越来越少；

Point 4.
The younger generations will definitely be more busy than you. If you miss your children, you can give them a call. On the other hand if children are thinking of you, they may not have the time to make a phone call. Don’t be too serious over this matter or else it will end up in lose-lose situation. If children pay you a visit don’t try to look for reasons to retain them longer. Accept it if they can spare the time to visit you. If you don’t give them such flexibility they may decide to have lesser visits in future.

*第五要切记*，
自愿付出的别想着要回报，不要总把为别人做的那些事挂在嘴上，“尊老爱幼”，永远要把“爱幼”放在第一位，因为朝阳总比夕阳更美好，记住“付出”时送给别人的东西，千万不要想着要补回来，那会让别人不愉快；

Point 5
Do not expect for reward in exchange of what you willingly gave away. Don’t always repeat what you have done for others. “Respect the seniors, love the juniors”, should be reset as “Love the junior” first, because sunrise is definitely more glorious than sunset. Remember, those things which you gave away, never ever think that you need to be rewarded, as this will cause unhappiness to others.

*第六要切记*，
不要总想着要改变别人，大冷天邻居家女孩子穿短裙丝袜那是人家喜欢，老伴做事丢三落四，脾气暴躁乱骂人，那也是多年养成的顽疾，其实你也很难改变，与其这样，不如来个和平共处，这样总比指手画脚更让人喜欢；

Point 6
Don’t always think of changing others. If the neighbor’s children choose to wear short skirts and stockings in very cold weather, it is their liking. Your old spouse got the habit to mess up things or easily throw tantrums, that must have been brought about over the years, which is difficult for you to change now. It might just as well that you bear with each other, and not to show “spider fight” to amuse the neighbors!!!!

*第七要切记*，
处事要大度一点，钱多钱少都要爽快大度，子女买东西孝敬您也一定要说声谢谢，把养老金用好也是一种智慧，当然积蓄全部花光也不是个办法，要适当；

Point 7
Whatever the dealings be broad minded and somewhat generous. Whether the amount of money involved in large or small, the attitude must be joyful and generous. If children bought gifts to show respect, you have to thank them. It is wise to use the reserve fund for old age, of course not to deplete all. Appropriate amount.

*第八要切记*，
邋邋遢遢也不是小事，人老了懒一点可以，但千万不要懒在穿衣戴帽，洗刷卫生上，要整洁干净，别因为自己邋邋遢遢影响家庭生态，要知道你的穿戴整洁不是个人的事情，那是家庭的招牌和子女的脸面，你自己不在乎，但很多人是在乎的；

Point 8
Unkempt and untidy is not a trivial matter. It is ok to laze slightly when old but not to slacken on proper attire, on healthy clean habits. Don’t let your shabby habits affect you family. You appearance and habits is not your individual matter, these also project the family image and reflection upon your children social status. Be mindful, if you don’t give a damn, many others may condemn!!!!!

*第九要切记*，
千万不要把家里东西样样都存起来，像个旧货店，杂货铺，有些东西要及时更新，说不定今后花钱处理掉也不容易；

Point 9
For goodness sake, don’t collect and keep everything in the house, like “a keling botol” recycle shop. Some things have to be replaced with time. There may be things which may not be easily or cheaply rid off later.

*第十要切记*，
不要老想靠子女消除寂寞，根本还是靠自己，放飞是小家庭的梦想，即使自己独守长夜也要勇敢面对，朋友，储蓄友谊，才是老年人应当尽早做的事，这样，当你不能走动时，依然可以给朋友打个电话，去交流美好的话题；
*朱镕基的退休忠告*，
说得太好了！值得每个中老年人看看，朋友看到了会感激你！!

Point 10
Don’t expect children to help you to rid off boredom. Better depend on own self. Live your own dream, strive on your own bravely against all odds. Build friendship so when you are unable to walk about, you can call your friends for chats.

Should your prayers will not get ready answers? Why?

Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God’s blessings, and if you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready answers.
Wives, fit in with your husbands’ plans; for then if they refuse to listen when you talk to them about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words.👫💞

God gives special blessings to those who are humble, but sets himself against those who are proud. 6 If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in his good time he will lift you up. 1 Peter 5:5-6

why others lived 900yrs, so what happened to us?

WHAT ARE YOU?
i just read a post where someone asked why others lived 900yrs, so what happened to us?

We have matured beyond the minds concept of life and death. There is no such thing as death. No one has lived three score and ten as Tony den Hartog would say, or 900yrs. The idea that we live a limited life that is measured in years is an illusion.

Tony always said, "You had no beginning and you will have no end". We are eternal light beings and when our five senses stop working LIFE will continue on just as it always has. LIFE has nothing to do with a memory of a past or the minds projection of a future. Passing time is an illusion.

NOTES UPDATING

[11/02, 00:11] Connie👥Gerry: Esau traded his birthright (the life of Christ) with a bowl of soup (materials duniawi).
[11/02, 00:14] Connie👥Gerry: Do what makes you (happy)or(holy). Your choice.

14th Feb 2019
1 Peter 1:2 TLB And *the Holy Spirit* has been at work in your hearts, *cleansing you with the blood of Jesus Christ* and *making you to please him.* May God bless you richly and grant you increasing freedom from all anxiety and fear.

Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God’s blessings, and if you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready answers.
Wives, fit in with your husbands’ plans; for then if they refuse to listen when you talk to them about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words.👫💞

God gives special blessings to those who are humble, but sets himself against those who are proud. 6 If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in his good time he will lift you up. 1 Peter 5:5-6

All people commit sins and make mistakes. God forgives them, and people are acting in a godlike (divine) way when they forgive.

[05/04, 11:33] Connie👥Gerry: If God lay His hand upon you, and If you see a priest or any other person, who you see is lacking or wrong in somewhere, intercede for him. Get down on your knees and pray to God for that face that you think is weak in your opinion. You do not believe he does any praying, you do not believe you have the right to criticize him or say anything about him if you do not have enough the grace of God to put him in our heart and carrying him to the Lord. Because of the spirit of thing like that can destroy you. You are amazed that the power of Satan has to wipe treachery into your very life. It may start out appear to be good can wind up to be poison. So, therefore, you pray for him and others.
[05/04, 11:45] Connie👥Gerry: If I am in the same situation being wrong and weak, I will want somebody praying for me. If I have slipped and fallen, fallen back fallen deep into sin, I want somebody that God can move upon their hearts to begin praying for me. It is so necessary to go to pray because it's a channel of grace. Prayers open to God, open to the door of grace. Grace rain all the blessings that God has for any of us. The grace of God. God does anything he does for you through grace. From the goodness of God and God merciful heart, God does this thing for us. So you pray for him.

When Visit The Cemetery:

O Divine Jesus, who suffering and dying for our love has purchased with the price of Your Blood our eternal life: I know You live and hear my pleas and that the grace of Your Redemption is most abundant thus, forgive O Most Merciful God the souls of these my deceased beloved; free them from all pains and all tribulations and embrace them in the bosom of Your Goodness and in the joyful company of Your angels and saints so that, free of all pain and anguish, they praise, enjoy and reign with You in the Paradise of Your Glory forever and ever. Amen

O God, Who has commanded us to honour our father and mother, have compassion in Thy mercy, on the souls of my father and mother; forgive them their sins, and grant that I may see them in the joy of eternal brightness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Say the *Our Father*

*Eternal rest* grant unto them O Lord, and let Your Perpetual Light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. May their souls, and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-to-raise-evangelization-above-Catholic-doctrine Pope Francis to raise ‘evangelization’ above Catholic doctrine in curial reform: report 👍👍👍
“The main point of the new apostolic constitution is that the church’s mission is evangelization. It puts it at the center of the church and of everything the Curia does,”
Vida Nueva and CNS also report that according to the new plan, the Vatican’s dicasteries will no longer be seen as having an authority superior to diocesan bishops, and *may be led by mere laymen in the future,* further advancing Pope Francis’ themes of “synodality” and opposition to what he calls “clericalism.”. 👍👍👍👍👍 Curia does,”

[01/05, 23:18] Connie&Gerry: Root Of The Crisis
April 30, 2019 by sd

“Many signs and wonders were done among the people
at the hands of the apostles.
They were all together in Solomon’s portico.
None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them.
Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord,
great numbers of men and women, were added to them.
Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets
and laid them on cots and mats
so that when Peter came by,
at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.
A large number of people from the towns
in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered,
bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits,
and they were all cured” (Acts 5:12-16)
[01/05, 23:18] Connie&Gerry: Peter was an apostle. How many current apostles do what he did?

The root of the current Church crisis is disbelief. Many who call themselves Catholic are not Catholic. Others, who do have faith, struggle and often fail to bring it alive. This is because we have diverged greatly from the mystical side of Jesus.

That transcendental aspect included the famous miracles and of course His Resurrection. Both validated Who He said He was. How can we ignore it?

And yet there has been an apostasy, which is not only when doctrine is violated but when the Catholic Faith is practiced as a psycho-emotive discipline instead of a vibrant numinous connection with Jesus. When approached via the intellect only, the crux of Catholicism splinters.
[01/05, 23:18] Connie&Gerry: Pope Benedict: “Indeed, in many parts of the Church, conciliar attitudes were understood to mean having a critical or negative attitude towards the hitherto existing tradition, which was now to be replaced by a new, radically open relationship with the world. One bishop, who had previously been seminary rector, had arranged for the seminarians to be shown pornographic films, allegedly with the intention of thus making them resistant to behavior contrary to the faith.

“Why did pedophilia reach such proportions? Ultimately, the reason is the absence of God. We Christians and priests also prefer not to talk about God, because this speech does not seem to be [worldly].” And so it is all wrapped up right there: the root of the crisis is compromise with the world. We even politicize the papacy. We rarely take Communion for mystical union.
[01/05, 23:18] Connie&Gerry: When we don’t feel the Spirit during the Eucharist, there is something missing in us or in the way the Mass has been celebrated. Jesus said His disciples would be known by their laying on of hands, healing, and exorcising demons. Often it comes down to a lack of prayer, and that lack leads to an incorporation of worldliness with religion.
[01/05, 23:18] Connie&Gerry: Absence of God
[01/05, 23:18] Connie&Gerry: https://youtu.be/4mv3J6fDi7I Presence of God.

May the grace of our Lord JC trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Grace:
I thank you, Lord, for the avalanche of blessings bestowed upon my family. May the Lord bless our friends in our presence. May the Lord bless the food being
served that it will strengthen bodies. In Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Proverbs 15:29 ►
The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29 ►

Without Holy Spirit, preaching becomes proselytizing.

“If there is no Holy Spirit, there is no evangelization". “This can be proselytizing, advertising. But evangelization means letting the Holy Spirit guide you, that he is the one that pushes you to announce, to proclaim with your witness, with martyrdom as well as with the word.” Pope Francis

“Do I worship God or do I worship dogmatic formulations? Does the faith in God I profess make me friendly or hostile toward those who are different from me?” Pope Francis asked.

Sulfur Minerals for your Eyes

MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is a naturally-occurring form of dietary sulfur found in fresh, raw foods and rain water. Sulfur is a vital mineral that is needed by the body for normal structure and function. It makes up the protein and connective tissue that comprises our body mass, assists enzymes in performing chemical reactions, and protects us from oxidative stress and harmful effects of toxicity. MSM can soften leathery internal tissues by rebuilding connective tissue with elastic sulfur bonds. It can also increase flexibility, as well as hasten recovery time from sore muscles and athletic injuries.

MSM is a powerful anti-inflammatory and can help to relieve the pain of a variety of conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, bursitis, tendinitis, heart burn, and muscle pain. MSM works to build collagen, helping to create smooth skin, thick lustrous hair, and strong nails.

Our Opti-MSM is the highest quality MSM available. Some low quality MSM is created using solvents that can result in toxic byproducts. Opti-MSM dissolves easily into water or juice. It is best taken in the morning on an empty stomach for maximum absorption.

What does God see of His People?

What does God see of His ppl today? He will see a multitude of ppl who worship, praise Him, magnify His name then go about maintaining their prosperous lifestyles. A ppl wrapped in so many activities having no time to seek the face of God anymore. A ppl praising and God and asking God to bless them to keep their lifestyles.

His church will pray for revival or renewal but would not let go of their things, worrying about their retirement and pension and epf as if their security depended on their things.
[06/02, 21:08] Connie👥Gerry: 上帝今天看到他的人物是什么？他会看到许多人崇拜，赞美他，夸大他的名，然后继续保持他们繁荣的生活方式。一个包裹着许多活动的人，没有时间去寻找上帝的面孔了。一个人赞美和上帝，并祈求上帝保佑他们保持他们的生活方式。

他的教会将祈祷复兴或更新，但不会放弃他们的事情，担心他们的退休和养老金和EPF，好像他们的安全取决于他们的事情。

70 to 79 years old are crucial!

To have Long Life, the 10 years from 70 to 79 years old are crucial!

Israeli scholars have found that
70-79 years old is a dangerous period. During this period, various organs decline rapidly. It is a frequent period of various geriatric diseases, and it is often prone to hyperlipemia, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes.

After entering the age of 80, these diseases will decline, and the mental and physical health may return to the level of 60-69 years old.

Thus, the age of 70 to 79 years old is called the “dangerous age group”. As people grow older many people want to have a good healthy life. They realise that “Health is Wealth”.

The 10-year health care of 70 to 79 years old is crucial.

Here are some simple steps called
“Doing *ten ones * every day”

This will help you to navigate more smoothly through the "dangerous age group" stage of your life.

#1. A pot of water

Water is "the best and cheapest health drink".
You must drink a glass of water during the following three times/occasions each day:

First cup:
After getting out of bed, you can drink a glass of water on an empty stomach.

Because of our invisible sweating and urination. Even if we don't feel thirsty after getting up, the body liquids will still be thick due to lack of water. Therefore, after getting out of bed, you must slowly add water as soon as possible.

Second cup:
A glass of water after exercise

The right amount of exercise is one of the cornerstones of longevity. However, after exercise, special attention should be paid to replenishing water, it is recommended that the old people drink water.

Third cup:
a glass of water before going to bed can effectively reduce the blood viscosity and may even slow down the appearance of aging. Helps against Angina, myocardial infarction and other diseases.

#2. A bowl of porridge

If you feel sick, drink a bowl of porridge! Wang Shixiong, a famous medical scientist in the Qing Dynasty, called porridge "the first complement of the world" in his book.

China Daily Online published a 14-year study conducted by Harvard University on 100,000 people. It found that a bowl of about 28 grams of whole grain cereal porridge per day can reduce 5% mortality and 9%. and reduce the chance of getting cardiovascular disease.

Each volunteer was in good physical condition when he participated in the study in 1984, but in the 2010 feedback survey, more than 26,000 volunteers have passed away.

It was found that those volunteers who regularly eat whole grains such as porridge, brown rice, corn, and buckwheat seem to have avoided all diseases, especially heart disease.

#3. A cup of milk

Milk is known as "white blood" and is to the human body. Its nutritional value is well known with a lot of calcium, fat and protein

The recommended daily intake of milk and dairy products is 300 grams. For an ordinary 200 ml bottle of milk, it is enough to drink one or two 200 -ml - bottles or packets of milk a day.

#4. An egg

Eggs can be said to be the most suitable food for human consumption. The body's absorption rate of egg protein can be as high as 98%.

#5. An apple

Modern research believes that apples have the effects of lowering cholesterol, losing weight, preventing cancer, preventing aging, enhancing memory, and making the skin smooth and soft.

The health benefits of different color apples are different:

Red apples have the effect of lowering blood lipids and softening blood vessels

Green apple has the effect of nourishing liver and detoxifying and can fight depression, so it is more suitable for young people to eat.

Yellow apples have a good effect on protecting vision.

#6. An onion

The Onion has a very high nutritional value and has many functions, including helping to lower blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, preventing cancer, protecting cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and also anti-bacterial, preventing colds, and supplementing calcium and bones. Eat onions at least three or four times a week.

#7. A piece of fish

Chinese Nutritionists have warned that “eating "four legs" is worse than eating "two legs", eating "two legs" is worse than eating "no legs."

"No legs" mainly refers to fish and various vegetables. The protein contained in fish is easily digested and absorbed. The amount of unsaturated fatty acids in the fat, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, is relatively good for the body.

#8. Gentle walking

This has a magical anti-aging effect. When adults walk (about 1 kilometer or less) regularly for more than 12 weeks, they will achieve the effect of correct posture and waist circumference, and the body becomes strong and not easily tired.

In addition, walking exercise is also beneficial to treat a headache, back pain, shoulder pain, etc., and can promote sleep.

Experts believe that a 30-minute walk a day can get rid of the danger of “adult disease”. People who take 10,000 steps a day will have a lower chance of developing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease.

#9. A hobby

Having a hobby, whether it is raising flowers, raising birds, collecting stamps, fishing, or painting, singing, playing chess, and traveling, can help the elderly to maintain extensive contact with society and nature. This broadens the horizons of interest of the elderly. They will love and cherish life.

#10. Good mood

Old people should maintain good emotions as these are extremely important to their health. Common chronic diseases which affect the elderly are closely related to the negative emotions of the elderly:

Many patients with coronary heart disease have angina and myocardial infarction due to stimulation of adverse emotions, resulting in sudden death;

"Bad" temper leads to high blood pressure. In prolonged and severe cases, this can cause stroke, heart failure, sudden death, etc.;

Negative Emotions such as anger, anxiety, and grief can cause blood sugar levels to rise, causing metabolic disorders in the body.

This shows how important it is to have a good mood!

Physical aging is a natural phenomenon, and it is the most sensible choice to fully devote yourself to life and to live the best of the day!

If you feel that this article is useful, share it with more friends~......

POWERFUL EXORCISM PRAYER

Kyrie eleison. God, our Lord, King of ages, All-powerful and Almighty, You Who made everything and Who transforms everything simply by Your will. You Who in Babylon changed into dew the flames of the "seven-times hotter" furnace and protected and saved the three holy children. You are the doctor and the physician of our souls. You are the salvation of those who turn to You. We beseech You to make powerless, banish, and drive out every diabolic power, presence and machination; every evil influence, malefice, or evil eye and all evil actions aimed against your servant. . . Where there is envy and malice, give us an abundance of goodness, endurance, victory, and charity. O Lord, You who love man, we beg You to reach out Your powerful hands and Your most high and mighty arms and come to our aid. Help us, who are made in Your image, send the angel of peace over us, to protect us body and soul. May he keep at bay and vanquish every evil power, every poison or malice invoked against us by corrupt and envious people. Then, under the protection of Your authority may we sing, in gratitude, "The Lord is my salvation; whom should I fear?" I will not fear evil because You are with me, my God, my strength, my powerful Lord, Lord of peace, Father of all ages. Yes, Lord our God, be merciful to us, Your image, and save your servant . . . from every threat or harm from the evil one, and protect him by raising him above all evil. We ask you this through the intercession of our Most Blessed, Glorious Lady, Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God, of the most splendid archangels and all yours saints. Amen."

ANIMA CHRISTI

Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water from the side of Christ, wash me; Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
O good Jesus, hear me; within Your wounds, hide me; let me never be separated from You; from the evil one, protect me; at the hour of my death, call me; and bid me come to You; that with Your saints, I may praise You forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER AGAINST EVERY EVIL

Spirit of our God, Father, Son , and Holy Spirit, Most Holy Trinity, Immaculate Virgin Mary, angels, archangels, and saints of Heaven, descend upon me. Please purify me, Lord, mold me, fill me with Yourself, use me. Banish all the forces of evil from me, destroy them, vanquish them, so that I can be healthy and do good deeds. Banish from me all spells, witchcraft, black magic, malefice, ties, maledictions, and the evil eye; diabolic infestations, oppressions, possessions; all that is evil and sinful, jealousy, perfidy, envy; physical, psychological, moral, spiritual, diabolical ailments. Burn all these evils in hell, that they may never again touch me or any other creature in the entire world. I command and bid all the powers who molest me -- by the power of God all powerful, in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary -- to leave me forever, and to be consigned into the everlasting hell, where they will be bound by Saint Michael the archangel, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, our guardian angels, and where they will be crushed under the heel of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

PRAYER FOR INNER HEALING

    Lord Jesus, You came to heal our wounded and troubled hearts. I beg You to heal the torments that cause anxiety in my heart; I beg You, in a particular way, to heal all who are the cause of sin. I beg You to come into my life and heal me of the psychological harms that struck me in my early years and form the injuries that they caused throughout my life. Lord Jesus, You know my burdens. I lay them all on Your Good Shepherd's Heart. I beseech You -- by the merits of the great, open wound in Your heart -- to heal the small wounds that are in mine. Heal the pain of my memories, so that nothing that has happened to me will cause me to remain in pain and anguish, filled with anxiety.
    Heal, O Lord, all those wounds that have been the cause of all the evil that is rooted in my life. I want to forgive all those who have offended me. Look to those inner sores that make me unable to forgive. You Who came to forgive the afflicted of heart, please, heal my own heart.
    Heal, my Lord Jesus, those intimate wounds that cause me physical illness. I offer You my heart. Accept it, Lord, purify it, and give me the sentiments of Your Divine Heart. Help me to be meek and humble.
    Heal me, O Lord, from the pain caused by the death of my loved ones, which is oppressing me. Grant me to regain peace and joy in the knowledge that You are the Resurrection and the Life. Make me an authentic witness to Your Resurrection, Your victory over sin and death, Your living presence among us. Amen."

PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE
    My Lord, You are all powerful, You are God, You are Father. We beg You through the intercession and help of the archangels Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, for the deliverance of our brothers and sisters who are enslaved by the evil one. All saints of heaven, come to our aid.
    From anxiety, sadness, and obsessions, We beg You: Free us, O Lord. From hatred, fornication, envy, We beg You: Free us, O Lord. From thoughts of jealousy, rage, and death. We beg You: Free us, O Lord. From every thought of suicide and abortion. We beg You: Free us, O Lord. From every form of sinful sexuality. We beg You: Free us, O Lord. From every division in our family, and every harmful friendship. We beg You: Free us, O Lord. From every sort of spell, malefice, witchcraft, and every form of the occult. We beg You: Free us, O Lord.

Lord, You Who said, "I leave you peace, my peace I give you," grant that, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, we may be liberated from every evil spell and enjoy Your peace always. In the Name of Christ, our Lord. Amen."

Is it possible to live in holiness?

👥 The key to holiness is thirsting to grow in holiness by changing our lifestyle. To change, we would have to die to self.
When we deepen our personal relationship with Jesus, this love supersedes our priorities, patterns, and habits. (Phil 3:7-8)
Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit Who makes us holy. The Spirit not only turns us off to the world, but also turns us on to a life-style of holiness.
👥圣洁的关键是通过改变我们的生活方式来渴望圣洁的成长。要改变，我们必须为自己而死。
当我们加深与耶稣的个人关系时，这种爱会取代我们的优先事项，模式和习惯。（腓立比书3：7-8）
耶稣在圣灵里给我们施洗，使我们成圣的圣灵。圣灵不仅使我们转向世界，而且还使我们成为一种圣洁的生活方式。
👥圣灵会定罪罪的世界（约翰福音16：8）。我们知道我们的罪是耶稣遭受和死亡的原因。但是，我们仍然不会那么讨厌罪恶。圣灵会通过给予我们对耶稣更深的爱，并通过灵性将我们带到十字架来改变这一点。用激情和欲望将我们的肉体钉在十字架上（加拉太书5:24）。借着圣灵，我们“将身体的恶行”处死“（罗8:13）。在第一个五旬节之后，早期的基督徒被圣灵带入一种新的生活方式。

圣灵将在许多方面引导我们进入一种新的生活方式（见加拉太书5:25）。（17因为肉体的欲望与圣灵对立，圣灵也与肉体对立。这两者彼此反对，使你们不能做自己所愿意做的。（加拉太书5:17）。
👥Roman 8:6 To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace. 7 And so people become enemies of God when they are controlled by their human nature; for they do not obey God's law, and in fact they cannot obey it. 8 Those who obey their human nature cannot please God. 9 But you do not live as your human nature tells you to; instead, you live as the Spirit tells you to - if, in fact, God's Spirit lives in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ lives in you, the Spirit is life for you because you have been put right with God, even though your bodies are going to die because of sin. 11 If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you. 12 So then, my friends, we have an obligation, but it is not to live as our human nature wants us to. 13 For if you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live. 14 Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children. 15 For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, "Father! my Father!" 16 God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children.

👥In our baptism, we are buried with Christ. We crucified our flesh ( human nature ) with Christ. God pours his Spirit to us. We are born again. (John 3:5) When they receive the baptism of the Church . . . then finally can they be fully sanctified and be the sons of God. For in the water is the representation of death, in the Spirit is the pledge of life, that the body of sin may die through the water, which encloses the body as it were in a kind of tomb, that we, by the power of the Spirit, may b.e renewed from the death of sin, being born again in God.
👥The Lord will make us holy (1 Thes 5:23-24), but we must first thirst for holiness.
But we are already hungering and thirsting for the things of the world. Because we are stuffed with the junk food of the world, we have lost our appetite for holiness.
Anxieties over life and the desire for wealth, and cravings of other sorts etc choke off the seed of God's word (Mk 4:19). "The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; the two are directly opposed" (Gal 5:17). Our life-style has become a "death-style."

👥Galatians 5:. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

👥1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.
👥Every adult human in history has been tempted with the followings: 1. Lust of the flesh, 2. Lust of the eyes, 3. Pride of life. It is important to beware of these three areas of temptation that we will all face, for every sin we commit will be preceded by at least one of these temptations.

Thirsting For Holiness

"Be Holy, for I am Holy" (1 Pt 1:16)

Thirsting For Holiness

The Lord commanded us to be holy as He is holy, to be "holy in every aspect of (our) conduct" (see 1 Pt 1:15-16). Holiness is the very character of God, and our heavenly Father wants His children to act and look like Him. We are called to be a "holy nation" (1 Pt 2:9), and the Lord is coming back a final time for a holy Church, "holy and immaculate, without stain or wrinkle or anything of that sort" (Eph 5:27). Without holiness, we cannot go to heaven and see God (Heb 12:14).

SPIRITUAL STARVATION AND ANOREXIA

The Lord will make us holy (1 Thes 5:23-24), but we must first thirst for holiness. However, we are already hungering and thirsting for the things of the world. Because we are stuffed with the spiritual junk food of the world, we have lost our appetite for holiness, the food of God's word (Mt 4:4), and the nourishment of the Lord's body and blood (Jn 6:55). "Anxieties over life's demands, and the desire for wealth, and cravings of other sorts" choke off the seed of God's word (Mk 4:19). "The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; the two are directly opposed" (Gal 5:17). "Lust indulged starves the soul" (Prv 13:19). We are spiritually anorexic and starving. Our life-style has become a "death-style."

PRESENTATION CHURCH

The following example illustrates this. The publisher of this pamphlet, Presentation Ministries, is named after Our Lady of Presentation Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. This church was in a neighborhood of several thousand materially poor people. When I preached, I exhorted the parishioners to reach out to the elderly, sick, poor, young, and suffering thousands in the neighborhood. The parishioners seemed very apathetic. If they went to church on Sunday, they thought that was all there was to Christianity. I was angry at the parish for its apathy and selfishness. The Lord dealt with me by giving me a picture of the spiritual condition of my parish. He showed me that my parishioners were in "intensive care," starving to death. And I was wrong in expecting starving people to reach out to the poor and suffering.

After this experience, we cut back on the normal activities of a parish and spent a year doing everything we could to free and feed a spiritually anorexic and starving people. We tried to free the anorexic by prophetically prayerfully, painfully challenging our parishioners not to live the typical American life-style but live a simple life. To feed those who were not spiritually anorexic or not completely anorexic, we doubled the number of weekday Masses. We planned Masses for every kind of special group we could think of. We had Bible studies at church, in houses, in apartment complexes, and on the street. We taught the Bible for hundreds of people or just for one. We did everything we could to get even a "spoonful" of spiritual nourishment to the starving, anorexic members of our church.

After a year of feeding, we once again called people to ministry. Instead of apathy, we received an enthusiastic response. Many of our parishioners thirsted for holiness. They wanted holy Mass, holy Communion, the holy Bible, and the holy rosary. Our people wanted long Masses, long sermons, daily communal prayer, and intensive evangelization and ministry. Nourished people respond much differently than starving ones do. (For more about spiritual anorexia, see our book, Living in Reality.)

THE HOLY SPIRIT CHANGES OUR LIFE-STYLE

The key to holiness is thirsting for opportunities to grow in holiness. And the key to thirsting for holiness is changing our life-style. However, we have chosen our life-style and established our priorities to benefit ourselves. To change, we would have to die to self. And only love is stronger than self. When we deepen our personal relationship with Jesus, this love supersedes our priorities, patterns, and habits. Paul proclaimed: "Those things I used to consider gain I have now reappraised as loss in the light of Christ. I have come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ. For His sake I have forfeited everything; I have accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be my wealth" (Phil 3:7-8). A personal love-relationship with Jesus can change our life-style.

Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit Who makes us holy. When we allow the Spirit to be active in our lives, we have a parching thirst for holiness and see major life-style changes. The Holy Spirit works in two ways — negatively and positively.

The Spirit will convict the world of sin (Jn 16:8) by showing us the connection between the things of the world and Calvary. We know that our sins were the reason Jesus suffered and died. However, we still don't hate sin that much. We love the sin and hate the sinner, rather than the opposite. We even repeatedly watch sin on TV (i.e. adultery, murder, and violence) and think it's entertaining. The Holy Spirit will change that by giving us a deeper love for Jesus and by spiritually taking us to the cross and showing us the direct connection between the sins of the world and the death of our Brother, Jesus. When this happens, we are turned off to the world, crucified to the world and the world to us (Gal 6:14). We crucify our flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:24). By the Spirit, we "put to death the evil deeds of the body" (Rm 8:13).

The Spirit not only turns us off to the world, but also turns us on to a life-style of holiness. After the first Pentecost, the early Christians were led by the Spirit into a new way of life. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' instruction and the communal life, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). The Spirit will lead us in many ways to a new life-style (see Gal 5:25). This will push into the background the selfish desires of our flesh (Gal 5:17).

Many of the Spirit's leadings are catalysts. They not only make small changes in our life-style, but begin a chain-reaction resulting in many changes. Then we become holy in every aspect of our conduct (1 Pt 1:15). The following table lists several areas of life, some main "catalytic convertors," and Scripture passages indicating the catalytic effect of various leadings of the Spirit.

AREAS OF LIFE	"CATALYTIC BIBLICAL CONVERTORS"	BASIS
finances	tithe	Mal 3:10-12
eating	fasting	Is 58:6ff
relationships	loving enemies	Scriptures about Jesus' death
work	Sunday	Is 58:13-14
speech	the gift of tongues	1 Cor 14:2, 4, 16
marriage	submission and love	Eph 5:22, 25

There are many other areas of life and many other catalysts. This table is intended only to give a few examples of the leadings of the Spirit which should take precedence over the desires of the flesh.

The Spirit cries out in our hearts, "Abba" (Rm 8:15; Gal 4:6). He confirms our faith that our Father in heaven is a real Father Who loves us and provides for us, His children. We were manipulated into a self-centered, worldly life-style because of our insecurities. We thought that we had to take care of ourselves because we didn't trust our Father. When the Spirit deals with the root cause of our insecurities, we know that our Father will always be there for us. Then we don't have to try to serve two masters (see Mt 6:24). We can learn from the lilies of the field and the birds of the air and be free to thirst for and to seek first God's way of holiness (see Mt 6:33).

PRAYERS FOR HOLINESS

Pray the following prayers for holiness until you see that you are letting God answer your prayers.

Father, may I thirst for holiness more than I desire anything else on earth.
Father, make me holy in every aspect of my conduct, do in me what You must to do through me what You will.
Father, because of my relationship with Jesus, may I count everything as loss and live a new life-style.
Father, send the Spirit to take me to the cross and crucify me to the world. Give me a new life-style.
God of peace, make me "perfect in holiness." Preserve me "whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thes 5:23).

Nihil Obstat: Rev. Robert J. Buschmiller, August 29, 1991.
Imprimatur: † Most Rev. James H. Garland, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, September 5, 1991.

The Nihil obstat and Imprimatur are a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil obstatand Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

The cost of this publication is a donation. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit what amount He would have you contribute.

3230 McHenry Ave.

Cincinnati, OH 45211

Phone: (513) 662-5378

www.presentationministries.com

https://www.presentationministries.com/publications/BeHoly.asp

How did Winter Solstice begin? There are connected to the Hebrew's God?

Winter Solstice
(22.12.2018)
How did Winter Solstice begin? There are connected to the Hebrew's God.

In looking at the Chinese history in light of the Book of Genesis, it will be helpful to look first at the earliest known religion in China. Later, we will see how this ancient religion fits in with the Biblical account of ancient history.

The earliest account of religious worship in China is found in the Shu Jing (Book of History of Book of Documents), the oldest Chinese historical source. This book records that in the year 2230 B.C., the Emperor Shun “sacrificed to Shangdi.” That is, he sacrificed to the supreme God of the ancient Chinese, Shangdi meaning Supreme Ruler. This ceremony came to be known as the “Border Sacrifice,” because at the summer solstice and Emperor took part in ceremonies to the earth on the northern border of the country, and at the winter solstice he offered a sacrifice to heaven on the southern border.

The Chinese have been called one of the most history-conscious and tradition-conscious peoples of the world. This is seen in many aspects of Chinese culture. Perhaps it is seen most of all in this very Border Sacrifice which the Emperor performed twice a year. This ceremony, which goes back at least to 2230 B.C. was continued in China for over four thousand years, up until the fall of the Manchus in A. D. 1911. Even though the people gradually lost an understanding of what the ceremony was all about, and Shangdi was obscured behind all kinds of pagan deities in China, nevertheless the worship of the one God, Shangdi, was continued faithfully by the Emperor up into modern times.

The oldest text of the Border Sacrifice that we have dates from the Ming Dynasty. It is the exact text of the ceremony that was performed in A. D. 1538, which was based on the existing ancient records of the original rituals. Let us look at portions of the recitation script that the Emperor used

Above: The Circular Mound Altar of the Temple of Heaven
in Beijing, built in A. D. 1420, where the Emperor
would offer sacrifice. Temple of Heaven Photo and caption
courtesy of Hieromonk Damascene

The Emperor, as the high priest, was the only one to participate in the service. The ceremony began: “Of old in the beginning, there was the great chaos, without form and dark. The five elements [planets] had not begun to revolve, nor the sun and the moon to shine. In the midst thereof there existed neither forms for sound. Thou, O spiritual Sovereign, camest forth in Thy presidency, and first didst divide the grosser parts from the purer. Thou madest heaven; Thou madest earth; Thou madest man. All things with their reproductive power got their being.” This recitation praising Shangdi as Creator of heaven and earth sounds surprisingly like the first chapter of Genesis: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1: 1- 2).

So, in the earliest records of Chinese religion, we see that the people worshiped One God, Who was Creator of all. We also see that the original people of China looked at Shangdi with a sense of love and a filial feeling. The Emperor continued his prayer: “Thou hast vouchsafed, O Di, to hear us, for Thou regardest us as a Father. I, Thy child, dull and unenlightened, am unable to show forth my dutiful feelings.”

As the ceremony concludes, Shangdi is praised for His loving kindness: “Thy sovereign goodness is infinite. As a potter, Thou hast made all living things. Thy sovereign goodness is infinite. Great and small are sheltered [by Thee]. As engraven on the heart of Thy poor servant is the sense of Thy goodness, so that my feeling cannot be fully displayed. With great kindness Thou dost bear us, and not withstanding our shortcomings, dost grant us life and prosperity.”

These last two recitations, taken together, bear the same simile as found in the Prophecy of Isaiah in the Bible: “But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter and we all are the work of Thy hand” (Isaiah 64: 8).

In general, reading the text of the Border Sacrifice reminds one strongly of the prayers of the ancient Hebrews as found in the Old Testament: the same reverent awe before God, the same selfabasement, humility and gratitude before His greatness. For us Christians, these most ancient of Chinese prayers to God are strangely familiar. Why is this? It seems that the most ancient Chinese religion and the ancient Hebrew religion are drawn from the same source. And that is indeed the case, as we will see. Please click the link below to continue more detail reading

http://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/200406ancientcnhist_en.htm

冬至
（2018年12月22日）
Winter Solstice是如何开始的？与希伯来的上帝有关。

根据“创世记”看中国历史，首先看看中国最早的已知宗教是有帮助的。后来，我们将看到这个古老的宗教如何符合圣经对古代历史的描述。

中国最早的宗教崇拜记载在中国最古老的历史资料“书记史书”中。这本书记载，在公元前2230年，舜帝“牺牲到上帝。”也就是说，他牺牲了至中国古代的至高神，上帝意为最高统治者。这个仪式后来被称为“边境牺牲”，因为在夏至和皇帝参加了在该国北部边界的地球仪式，并在冬至，他在南部边界向天堂献祭。

中国人被称为世界上最具历史意识和传统意识的人民之一。这可以从中国文化的许多方面看出来。也许最重要的是在这个非常边境的牺牲中，皇帝每年进行两次。这个仪式至少可以追溯到公元前2230年。在中国继续存在了四千多年，一直到1911年满族人的沦陷。尽管人们逐渐对这个仪式的概念失去了理解，但上帝在中国的各种异教神灵背后被掩盖了，尽管如此，皇帝仍然忠实地继续崇拜上帝，即上帝。

我们可以追溯到明朝最古老的边境牺牲文本。这是在A. D. 1538中进行的仪式的确切文本，该文本基于原始仪式的现有古代记录。让我们看一下Emperor使用的朗诵脚本的部分内容

上图：天坛的圆形土坛
在北京，建于A. D. 1420，皇帝在哪里
会提供牺牲。天坛照片和标题
由Hieromonk Damascene提供

作为大祭司的皇帝是唯一参与这项服务的人。仪式开始了：“一开始就是古老的，有着巨大的混乱，没有形式和黑暗。五行星[行星]没有开始旋转，太阳和月亮也没有开始旋转。在其中间既没有声音形式。你是一位属灵的君主，在你的总统任期内出现了，并且首先将更粗糙的部分从更纯洁的部分中分离出来。你创造了天堂;你创造了地球;你是个男人。所有具有生殖能力的东西都得到了存在。“这种背诵称赞上帝作为天地的创造者听起来像创世记的第一章一样惊人地说：”起初，上帝创造了天地。地球没有形状和空虚，黑暗面临着深深的“（创世记1：1-2）。

因此，在最早的中国宗教记录中，我们看到人们崇拜一位上帝，他是所有人的创造者。我们也看到中国原始人以一种爱和孝顺的心情看待上帝。皇帝继续他的祈祷：“你有誓言，奥迪，要听我们说，因为你使我们像父一样畏惧我们。我，你的孩子，沉闷和无知，我无法表现出我的尽职尽责。“

在仪式结束时，尚迪因其慈爱而受到称赞：“你的主权善良是无限的。作为一个陶工，你创造了所有生物。你的主权善良是无限的。大大小小的人都被庇护。因为祢可怜的仆人心中的镌刻是你的善良感，所以我的感觉无法完全展现出来。你非常善良地承担了我们的责任，并且不能承受我们的缺点，因此给予我们生命和繁荣。“

这最后两个背诵，一起，与圣经中以赛亚的预言中所见的相同：“但是现在，主啊，你是我们的父亲;我们是泥土，你是我们的波特，我们都是你手中的工作“（以赛亚书64：8）。

一般来说，阅读边境牺牲的文字会让人强烈地想起旧约中发现的古希伯来人的祈祷：在上帝面前同样的敬畏敬畏，在他伟大之前的同样的自卑，谦卑和感激。对我们基督徒来说，这些最古老的中国人对上帝的祈祷是非常熟悉的。为什么是这样？似乎最古老的中国宗教和古希伯来宗教来自同一个来源。事实确实如此，正如我们将要看到的那样。

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