The idea here that God calls us to go beyond the commandments can be seen in His insistence that “whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” Mt 5:39-41). What are we supposed to be learning from this? What makes the evangelical counsels so special (or significant) beyond obeying the commandments? What ultimately does this teach us about
significant) beyond obeying the commandments?
What ultimately does this teach us about us and God? In other words, what does it say about the difference of a relationship with God as master compared to relationship with God as Father?
For those of us not called explicitly to the evangelical counsels, how can we live the spirit of them in our lives?
Judy (Guest): Let’s not think about that and get chatting. Question 1: God is certainly pleased when we obey His commandments, but it gives Him even greater pleasure and delight when we go beyond what He commands to com,ply with His every slightest wish and desire. Hi Dawn!
Sep 23, 7:36 PM
Carol Ann: a servant obeys commands, but a friend goes beyond and anticipates what the Master would wannt
Sep 23, 7:36 PM
Judy (Guest): For some reason my hands are so cold that I am having trouble typing.
Sep 23, 7:40 PM
Judy (Guest): I just closed my window to see if that helps. It is very chilly here today.
Sep 23, 7:40 PM
Dawn (Guest): I like this description Carol Ann, that a friend goes beyond. as Jesus said now I call you friends. so the love in our heart is what moves us to go beyond
Sep 23, 7:40 PM
Dawn (Guest): Autumn is here….maybe hold a warm drink in your hands
Sep 23, 7:41 PM
Carol Ann: lots of people wanted hot chocolate today instead of coffee. it was even a bit chilly here
Sep 23, 7:41 PM
Judy (Guest): I find it thrilling that God takes delight and pleasure in our going beyond His commands.
Sep 23, 7:43 PM
Judy (Guest): Just imagine the King of Kings and Lord of Lords taking pleasure in our efforts at loving Him. What a wonderful God we have!!!
Sep 23, 7:43 PM
Carol Ann: like when we accept the flowers our little children bring us, even though leaves are missing and the petals are drooping
Sep 23, 7:45 PM
Dawn (Guest): beautiful example of what Judy is saying, helped me to understand better.
Sep 23, 7:46 PM
Carol Ann: it may not be perfect, even somewhat damaged, but there is no mistaking the love behind the gift
Sep 23, 7:46 PM
Judy (Guest): What a sweet image that is. I remember being in Flushing Meadow park one day and a little boy ran up to a man who appeared to be his grandfather and held out a bunch of dandelions to him. Sadly the man brushed them away. I felt so sad for the little boy who surely thought that he was giving the man a bouquet of sunshine.
Sep 23, 7:46 PM
Ruth (Guest): Hi Carol Ann, Judy and Dawn!
Sep 23, 7:46 PM
Judy (Guest): Hi Ruth!!
Sep 23, 7:47 PM
Dawn (Guest): oh, the little boy! sad
Sep 23, 7:47 PM
Carol Ann: Hi Ruth!
Sep 23, 7:47 PM
Dawn (Guest): Hi Ruth !
Sep 23, 7:47 PM
Carol Ann: I wonder how impulsively generous he stayed after that
Sep 23, 7:48 PM
Judy (Guest): Hopefully, he was young enough to keep on trying to reach out.
Sep 23, 7:48 PM
Ruth (Guest): I like your comparison of our efforts with the gift of flowers from a little child.
Sep 23, 7:50 PM
Carol Ann: i always did love the story of the littlest angel
Sep 23, 7:51 PM
Dawn (Guest): I don’t recall, looking it up
Sep 23, 7:52 PM
Judy (Guest): Question 2: The evangelical counsels are so special beyond obeying the commandments because in living the counsels, those who do so are living in imitation of the Lord Himself Who lived the counsels to perfection. We can try to be like Jesus, but only in vowing the counsels can we live in total imitation of Him.
Sep 23, 7:52 PM
Carol Ann: it is a Christmas story of a very young boy who finds himself in heaven at Christmas with no grand gift to give baby Jesus. all he has is what was in his pockets–a worm, a rock, i think maybe a piece of candy
Sep 23, 7:52 PM
Ruth (Guest): I don’t know that story either, Carol Ann. Please tell us.
Sep 23, 7:53 PM
Carol Ann: baby Jesus loved his gifts and the big angels did too
Sep 23, 7:56 PM
Ruth (Guest): My house and what used to be my practice are full of “little things” I’ve been gathering up for “prizes” or objects to tell stories about for the K-1 children. What a joy! They are young enough, I think, to appreciate such things.
Sep 23, 7:57 PM
Dawn (Guest): How fun Ruth!, this is for your current class? A joy <3
Sep 23, 7:57 PM
Dawn (Guest): sweetest gifts, a worm, a rock and a candy…
Sep 23, 7:58 PM
Judy (Guest): Interesting that we are speaking of little children since that was the topic of today’s Gospel. Unless we become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
Sep 23, 7:59 PM
Judy (Guest): Sadly, I would probably run away from the worm, but would enjoy the rock and candy.
Sep 23, 7:59 PM
Carol Ann: children give and receive because they want to. there are no ulterior motives, no evaluating the cost so they can give one back of equal value. those behaviors are learne
Sep 23, 7:59 PM
Ruth (Guest): I still have a little picture stamp that a nun, 1st grade teacher or maybe 2nd, put on my collar for reciting the answer to the question she asked. It seemed to me so generous of her, since — “promoted” to her class out of turn, I hadn’t prepared and knew nothing — but I’d listened to all the others, and their corrections, and was last or nearly last.
Sep 23, 8:00 PM
Carol Ann: a girl might have had that flower instead of a worm
Sep 23, 8:02 PM
Ruth (Guest): Maybe, but girls can become interested in worms, too. At 4-H camp I taught entomology.
Sep 23, 8:02 PM
Judy (Guest): When I lived in California with my mom and dad, before Dad was shipped to Korea, we were at Mass one Sunday. As we were leaving the pew, two Sisters were leaving the pew behind us. On of them dropped holy picture out of her prayer book. I picked it up and handed it back to her. She gave it to me and I kept it for many years. I have never forgotten her kindness.
Sep 23, 8:03 PM
Carol Ann: i know, it’s true, but the stereotypical image often rises first
Sep 23, 8:03 PM
Ruth (Guest): I even watched maggots “grow up” and documented what I saw.
Sep 23, 8:03 PM
Carol Ann: who was the saint?
Sep 23, 8:03 PM
Carol Ann: a sign of vocation, Ruth
Sep 23, 8:03 PM
Judy (Guest): The picture was of the Blessed Mother.
Sep 23, 8:04 PM
Carol Ann: ah, and here we all are, on a site and journey dedicated to her
Sep 23, 8:05 PM
Ruth (Guest): I’m not sure I understand the question to me, Carol Ann?
Sep 23, 8:06 PM
Ruth (Guest): On the little picture stamp?
Sep 23, 8:06 PM
Carol Ann: you are working now in medicine, and lots of research?
Sep 23, 8:06 PM
Carol Ann: no, the dissecting and study
Sep 23, 8:06 PM
Ruth (Guest): It was of four little angels, holding hands and dancing in a circle.
Sep 23, 8:07 PM
Judy (Guest): Question 3: In relating to God as master, we adhere to His commandments as servants or slaves and in fear of punishment for failing to obey. But in relating to God as Father, we go beyond the commandments to the counsels with desire ot pleasing Him by our actions and, as it were, giving Him our actions as gifts of love.
Sep 23, 8:07 PM
Carol Ann: oh i love it, Ruth
Sep 23, 8:08 PM
Ruth (Guest): On yes, probably, Carol Ann. I was always observing carefully and trying to “figure things out.” But I don’t think that’s unusual. Most kids do, until “schooling” pounds it out of them.
Sep 23, 8:08 PM
Carol Ann: we want to grow up to be like our heavenly Father,
Sep 23, 8:10 PM
Judy (Guest): And as we desire the love of our human fathers, so do we desire to be loved by our heavenly Father. And His love fills us with such delight. So as we give delight to Him, He gives delight to us.
Judy (Guest): Isn’t it a wonderful thing to picture ourselves as little children sitting in the lap of our heavenly Father!
Sep 23, 8:12 PM
Sep 23, 8:13 PM
Ruth (Guest): One thing I think my mother did very well: she usually did NOT answer my questions. She usually asked: “What does it look like [e.g. I’m doing]?” Or “What do you think?”
Sep 23, 8:13 PM
Carol Ann: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AQfFin0VFwDICE4Mh364yAnvA7rGg6oSaEICRi2WiUC2CE5KTzu-7WY/
Sep 23, 8:16 PM
Carol Ann: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world
Sep 23, 8:20 PM
Ruth (Guest): Amen Judy!
Sep 23, 8:21 PM
Carol Ann: and since we are speaking of the counsels, what an excellent opportunity to practice virtue
Sep 23, 8:21 PM
Dawn (Guest): Amen
Sep 23, 8:23 PM
Judy (Guest): Question 4: For thos of us not called explicitly to live the evangelical counsels, we can live chastely whether in marriage or singly, live poverty by being detached from worldly goods and living a simple life style. We can live obedience by living under the authority of all who have the right to expect our concession to their commands–police, teachers, parents, grandparents, government officials, all thos exercising lawful authority over us.
Sep 23, 8:24 PM
Carol Ann: be not proud or rebellious, relying solely on our own strength. in the novitiate right now we are studying leadership and one of the hallmarks of a good leader is listening
Sep 23, 8:25 PM
Ruth (Guest): In Norfolk, for a while I was getting death threats — even threats to kill my baby (which I did not have). I was less frightened than worried about the caller who was probably a child or young person. Eventually I called the police and asked to have the calls traced, not so much for my protection as for the protection of the young person who was trying to harass me. I figured he needed help that he wasn’t getting. Probably the “Guest” does, too. Good that you/we have all prayed for him.
Sep 23, 8:26 PM
Judy (Guest): I have to admit that I have no strength of my own. My only strength is from and in the Lord.
Sep 23, 8:26 PM
Carol Ann: and we are not in the least disrupted, though Sister may delete that portion before posting it in the archive
Sep 23, 8:28 PM
Ruth (Guest): Agreed.
Sep 23, 8:28 PM
Judy (Guest): Carol, I did feel disrupted, in fact even violated by his language and comments. I was upset and saddened that he felt the need to enter our site with such language.
Sep 23, 8:28 PM
Dawn (Guest): I am wondering if that was a child
Sep 23, 8:29 PM
Dawn (Guest): a young person
Sep 23, 8:29 PM
Carol Ann: it was meant as a disruption, and a violation. but we all turned to Christ and let Him deal with it instead of returning insult for insult
Sep 23, 8:30 PM
Dawn (Guest): Amen
Sep 23, 8:30 PM
Carol Ann: we;re pretty tough
Sep 23, 8:31 PM
Carol Ann: even if we can’t type!
Sep 23, 8:31 PM
Dawn (Guest): haha
Sep 23, 8:32 PM
Judy (Guest): I question whether we should allow such intrusions on our site. Should we not chastize such disruptions? Sometimes passivity is not a positive thing.
Sep 23, 8:32 PM
Ruth (Guest): It’s OK to feel disrupted or violated. But Our God is sooo loving and so powerful! And he does not allow ANYTHING to happen to us that cannot be turned to our salvation and to His glory. It sure doesn’t seem so at times, but the CROSS did not look like an instrument of Salvation to any of the onlookers. And we KNOW that, indeed, it was.
Sep 23, 8:32 PM
Carol Ann: you spoke and behaved with complete appropriateness, especially since you are acting moderator
Sep 23, 8:33 PM
Dawn (Guest): The truth is spoken here Ruth Judy Carol Ann
Sep 23, 8:35 PM
Judy (Guest): I wish all of you a week filled with every possible grace and blessing. Let us pray for each other!
Sep 23, 8:35 PM
Carol Ann: however, one moderator is enough, so i just prayed
Sep 23, 8:35 PM
Carol Ann: we should all pray protection for each other, especially now
Sep 23, 8:36 PM
Ruth (Guest): Judy, it is also right to chastise in such a situation. Did you ever notice that in the Imitation of Christ (Thomas aKempis) every chapter has a “useful ADMONITION ?) Chastising is also a way of loving rightly.
Sep 23, 8:37 PM
Carol Ann: that is also so very true
Sep 23, 8:38 PM
Ruth (Guest): Wow! We’ve come to the end of our hour together already. God bless you, each and every one.
Sep 23, 8:38 PM
Carol Ann: amen, and may God bless and protect us, every one (thanks Charles Dickens!)
Sep 23, 8:42 PM
Dawn (Guest): thank you all! in the name of Jesus we pray, prayers for everyone Amen
Sep 23, 8:42 PM
Dawn (Guest): I hope your hands warm up Judy <3
Sep 23, 8:43 PM
Carol Ann: guardian angels standing by….hey, don’t they have a feast day coming up? we should throw them a party!
Sep 23, 8:44 PM
Ruth (Guest): As we have all seen of late (Lord have mercy on Our Church, purify it, and make it a place of refuge for all), there is no “safe space” on this planet except in the Heart of Jesus — and maybe in some healthy families and happy marriages.
Sep 23, 8:44 PM
Ruth (Guest): Amen, Carol Ann!
Sep 23, 8:46 PM
Dawn (Guest): The only safe place , I heard someone ask another not are you saved but are you safe…..
Sep 23, 8:46 PM
Ruth (Guest): A party for our guardian angels! What a delightful idea!
Sep 23, 8:46 PM
Carol Ann: that’s interesting, in the context of salvation?
Sep 23, 8:46 PM
Carol Ann: i think they might like chocolate cake. oh, wait, that’s me…
Sep 23, 8:47 PM
Ruth (Guest): LOL
Sep 23, 8:47 PM
Dawn (Guest): yes, I believe so. chocolate turtle cake haha
Sep 23, 8:48 PM
Carol Ann: oh yes and tea
Sep 23, 8:49 PM
Carol Ann: we could watch the movie Heaven is for Real
Sep 23, 8:50 PM
Dawn (Guest): a virtual dessert yum ..oh, I like that movie!
Sep 23, 8:50 PM
Ruth (Guest): BTW, Carol Ann, thanks for the Pinterest link. Maybe I can print that — in color — cut out the pictures and given them to the children. And, by the way, EACH and every one gets a “prize.”
Sep 23, 8:51 PM
Carol Ann: can you tell i write fiction?
Sep 23, 8:51 PM
Dawn (Guest): oh yes, it was the tea
Sep 23, 8:51 PM
Ruth (Guest):
Sep 23, 8:51 PM
Carol Ann: if you look on Pinterest Ruth, there are a bazillion pictures of Jesus and children, and almost as many”ethnic” Marys
Sep 23, 8:52 PM
Carol Ann: well, beer seems a little impertinent.
Sep 23, 8:53 PM
Dawn (Guest): great idea for your class Ruth . (not the beer )
Sep 23, 8:55 PM
Dawn (Guest): Ruth, it sounds like you are in for some fun with this class. Enjoy, prayers and goodnight all . Pax
Sep 23, 8:55 PM
Ruth (Guest): When I worked in mostly black neighborhoods I bought two quality prints — the only art works, I think, that I have ever purchased. One was of a mother in bed with her two little ones snuggled close, reading them a story. The other was of a father hugging and comforting his son, about 8 years old; in the background you could see the bike he had fallen off of.
Sep 23, 8:55 PM
Carol Ann: no, i always stick with tea, since i really have no idea what is appropriate
Sep 23, 8:55 PM
Ruth (Guest): All the people, of course, were black.
Sep 23, 8:56 PM
Carol Ann: those are lovely, Ruth
Sep 23, 8:56 PM
Ruth (Guest): And whether or not they drank tea, I do not know.
Sep 23, 8:56 PM
Dawn (Guest): thank you
Sep 23, 8:56 PM
Ruth (Guest): Carol Ann, do you write fiction for publication?
Sep 23, 8:57 PM
Carol Ann: me neither, but it is only imaginative prayer, and Jesus will see that the real wish is the one given’
Sep 23, 8:57 PM
Carol Ann: yes, and non fiction as well. not a huge list of titles, mostly short stories in anthologies.
Sep 23, 8:58 PM
Carol Ann: but i do have a bit in Day by Day, a prayer book with essays on each word of the Hail Mary’
Sep 23, 8:58 PM
Carol Ann: and you can find me on various blogs
Sep 23, 8:58 PM
Ruth (Guest): You know, Louis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass for his neice.
Sep 23, 8:58 PM
Carol Ann: yes, and he was poking fun at current politics
Sep 23, 8:59 PM
Ruth (Guest): That’s why it is an adult book as well as a child
Sep 23, 8:59 PM
Ruth (Guest): s book.
Sep 23, 8:59 PM
Carol Ann: yep! most classic children’s lit is
Sep 23, 9:00 PM
Ruth (Guest): Carol, can you give me a link so that I can find some of your writings.
Sep 23, 9:00 PM
Carol Ann: sure, give me a second to get on amazon
Sep 23, 9:01 PM
Carol Ann: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carol+ann+chybowski
Sep 23, 9:01 PM
Carol Ann: and then if you just google my name the blogs should come up
Sep 23, 9:02 PM
Ruth (Guest): Thank you! And good night. Have a blessed week.
Sep 23, 9:02 PM
Carol Ann: you’re welcome. “see” you soon!
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