Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Temptations

I was always confused about Jesus being tempted by the devil (The three temptations) and the dual nature of Jesus (Jesus being fully God and fully man)

And here is an interesting discussion I had with a Theologian which cleared the question I had.

"Jesus was tempted dy the devil because he was human like us.

But he overcame it because of His Divine nature.

Even we have the Divine in us.

God has been merciful to give us the feel of the divine nature (Remember we have the Holy Spirit who dwels in us -- We are the temple of (God) the Spirit of God (Corinthians).

So even when our human nature is tempted we can turn to the Divine in us and ask for help to overcome the temptation. With out the help of the Divine we have no power to overcome temptations.

God Bless

The Mother

We can call Mary 'Hail Mary' or 'Mother of God' or 'Blessed among women' only when we are filled and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

This is shown in Luke Chapter 2

Luke "41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"

We can do nothing without God!!

Draw me, Lord.

Take me,... force me, compel me to walk after you.

For I cannot follow you of my own accord.

On the contrary, even if you call me, you must also show me the path.

If you do not draw me, if you do not use your strength, I shall never succeed in following you.

-Blessed Paul de Giustiniani (Source: The Word Among Us)

God's first step is kind of like step #0 and ours is step #1(John 15:5 we can do NOTHING without Him!)

What dignity have we?

"What dignity have we? Sinners that we are, what dignity have we left?

Our only dignity is in the Cross of Christ, where our dignity was restored and sin's power on us broken.

Apart from the Cross of Christ we are stripped of all dignity."

Total Surrender

Mother Teresa used to say of acceptance:
“Every day we have to say yes. To be where he wants you to be.
Total surrender: If he puts you in the street—if everything is taken from you and suddenly you find yourself in the street—to accept to be put in the street at that moment. . . .

To accept whatever he gives and to give whatever he takes with a big smile.
This is the surrender to God.

To accept to be cut to pieces, and yet every piece to belong only to him. This is the surrender.

To accept the people that come, the work that you happen to do.

Today maybe you have a good meal and tomorrow maybe you have nothing. There is no water in the pump? All right.
To accept, and to give whatever he takes.
He takes your good name, he takes your health, yes.
That’s the surrender. And you are free then."
[1].Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interview with Mother Teresa

Power of God

I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God. (Romans 1:16)



However, like the power of the wind, the sea, or the sun, the power of the gospel doesn’t avail us much until we receive it with faith.
The extent that we believe in it and lay hold of it is the extent to which its power can work through us.
The choice is ours: We can be content that our sins are forgiven, or we can become ambassadors for Christ who are using our gifts to transform society.
We are all saints in the making.
As St. Catherine of Siena wrote, “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire!”