Tag: possessions
Life closes the ego upon itself
The tragedy of a life centered on “things,” on the grasping and manipulation of objects, is that such a life closes the ego upon itself as though it were an end in itself, and throws it into a hopeless struggle with other perverse and hostile selves competing together for the possessions which will give them… Read More ›
Psalm 49(48):1-13: In his riches, man lacks wisdom!
1. Our meditation on Psalm 49[48] will be divided into two parts, just as it is proposed on two separate occasions by the Liturgy of Vespers. We will now comment in detail on the first part in which it is hardship that inspires reflection, as in Psalm 72[71]. The just man must face “evil days”… Read More ›
St. Benedict for Beginners – The Sixth Step to Humility
‘The sixth step of humility is that a monk should be satisfied with whatever is of lowest value or quality.’ Are we really supposed to surround ourselves with everything of poor quality and low value? Not really. St Benedict is not recommending that we intentionally surround ourselves with everything that is tacky, cheap and nasty… Read More ›
Spirit of Our Time is Division
There is a difference between “truth” and “information.” We are deluged with the latter. We are starved for the former. On social media, we have much access to information about people but not the truth of their essence. Meanwhile, it has become nearly impossible to access objective and clean media. Surely you have noticed how… Read More ›
Do you own possessions or do they posses you?
A possession ought to belong to the possessor, not the possessor to the possession. Whosoever, therefore, does not use his patrimony as a possession, who does not know how to give and distribute to the poor, he is the servant of his wealth, not its master; because like a servant he watches over the wealth… Read More ›
Blessed be the Lord in all things
When Abba Macarius was in Egypt, he found a man who had brought a beast to his cell and he was steeling his possessions. He went up to the thief as though he were a traveler who did not live there and helped him to load the beast and led him on his way in… Read More ›
The tragedy of a life centered on “things”
The tragedy of a life centered on “things,” on the grasping and manipulation of objects, is that such a life closes the ego upon itself as though it were an end in itself, and throws it into a hopeless struggle with other perverse and hostile selves competing together for the possessions which will give them… Read More ›
Bonding to God
The heart will linger in the place where its most cherished possessions are to be found. Fundamentally, this is a spiritual connection that is not reducible to any particular experience, devotion, exercise, or activity—although it may subsist and express itself in any of them. What Saint John calls the inner anointing (1 Jn 2:27) trains… Read More ›
Community is Built by God Alone
…community is not built by man, it is built by God. It is God’s work and the basis of community is not just sociability but faith. This is what we need to see very clearly, because it is very important. … what really starts fighting is possessions. And people get into fights by preferring things… Read More ›
The Fruits of the Spirit
John of Lycopolis said, ‘This is what it means to renounce the Devil and all his works. For through any sinful act or the onset of a perverse desire the Devil enters into our hearts, for vices are from him just as virtues are from God. So if there are vices in our heart, when… Read More ›