#What good thing must you do to inherit eternal life?

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Pastor Jack Wellman | A man came up to Jesus asking Him what he must do to inherit eternal life (Matt 19:16). That was his first mistake. It’s not what we can do, but what Jesus has done. Jesus set the standard of doing good by living a sinless life, but this man’s mind was set on “doing something,” so Jesus told him if he wants eternal life, to keep the commandments (Matt 19:17). For some reason the man asked Jesus which commandments, and then...

[pretty-lovely-mar]

"Charles, please. Stop running away from me. You know that you can always tell me anything," Edwin says, getting up from his place at his desk.

Charles, who had already started to grab his overcoat and walk out the door, paused for a moment. He whirred around, "No, Edwin. You don't get it, do you? I yelled at you! Just now, after this case because I was annoyed and I got all caught up in it. I yelled at you... I don't do that, 'Win"

He seemed to sag under the weight of his words, momentarily losing his resolve to leave.

"It's okay." Edwin walked over to take his coat and hang it back up. He then walked back and put his hand in Charles' "I don't mind. I know you, Charles, and I know that you didn't mean it." He paused for a moment. He seemed to mull over what he was going to say next. Since his confession on the staircase in Hell, Edwin had begun to choose to be honest more and more often.

"In the spirit of honesty, I must say that I'd let you yell at me or more if it meant we were still together here in our afterlives."

Immediately, Edwin could see it was the wrong thing to have said. He still had some trouble reading Charles, especially when he was in a state of being greatly affected by his own trauma from his life. Crystal had always been better at comforting him and being there for him in that regard, but she wasn't here right now. There was no one for Charles to go to when Edwin inevitable seemed to mess it up.

Charles let go of Edwin's hand and clenched his fists at his sides. "Edwin, no. You can't... If I do something to you..." He trailed off, seemingly unable to finish his thought. Thoughts of his father ran through his head, and his mother's face featured right after.

His mother had stayed with his father for so many years, he had endured his father's actions until he died. He wouldn't wish that upon anyone, especially not Edwin. Never Edwin. And as much as he wished he were sure about the opposite, or that he was certain they weren't qualities that he could inherit, Charles always had that itching thought in the back of his head that he'd turn out just like father, even in his death.

Even though he had seemed like he couldn't quite get the words out, Edwin waited patiently for him to flesh out his thoughts. He took a step closer, to remind Charles that he was there for him.

Finally, he said, "If I ever hurt you, even once, never speak to me again. Tell the Night Nurse to let Death take me, start your own agency, do whatever it takes to get away from me. No matter how sorry I say I am, no matter how many promises I make." Then, quietly, almost like he didn't want him to hear, he added, "I never want you to suffer from me like my mum suffered from my dad."

Silence made the air around them feel heavy and still. Charles took an unnecessary shaky breath and looked away from Edwin. In times where he was vulnerable, Charles hated to look Edwin in the eyes.

"Charles. You will never hurt me. You can't! You don't have a single violent bone in your body. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are the best person I know, Charles Rowland, and nothing will ever change that." Edwin enveloped Charles into a hug, slowly so that Charles could move away if he wanted.

Instead, he burrowed into Edwin's neck, lips against a non-existent pulse. He stood there, being held in the agency's doorway for what seemed like forever, and he could've stayed there for another eternity.

Eventually, Edwin released him and held him by the shoulders, as Charles often did for him when he felt overwhelmed. "You're too good to be like your dad, Charles, and I will remind you every day if I have to."

And still, Charles seemed to be too overwhelmed to form words, but he nodded his, closing his eyes, and just allowed himself to lean against Edwin for a while.

Because even though Charles may never fully recover, and he'll never forget that fear, Edwin is there to remind him to not be afraid. After all, he's the best person Edwin knows, so he must be pretty great.

@aspiring-wildfire i saw your post abt edwin and charles' worst fears and something abt it just clicked so thanks for the inspiration :)

[theoryofthemultiverse]

Fluff

Blooming flowers

Pairing: Douma x (!pregnant) reader

Synopsis:

You and Douma have been married and living together in his Eternal Paradise Cult for years now, building a happy life together. A perfect life, only one thing seemed to be missing, children! So after giving your lover 2 baby girls already, you’re now expecting your third addition to the family.

A/N: Got immediately inspired by a request, and it was so cute, I simply had to write something about it, so enjoy!

Also, (Y/D/N) = Your daughter’s name, you can just choose which name you want to insert in the story, most of the time I left it up to you all which daughter's name to put in.

🪷

“Mom, Dad!” (Y/D/N) barged in through the door, followed by her younger sister. It was now in the middle of the summer, the sun being there for the majority of the day only added to the little girls being as energized as they could be.

Douma given that he was a demon, didn’t need sleep, what his little girls apparently inherited from him. So he instantly rose from the bed, hearing them and their tiny feet hitting the floors tiles as they came running towards him. He instantly scooped them up into his arms as you slowly rise from the pillows. You were now 2 and a half months in your pregnancy, and it was at these times especially that you could thank god for your energized lover that had the ability to keep up with your little girls while your belly grew and made things more difficult for you.

You watched in awe as the two children sat in his lap together, and he played with them, tickling (Y/D/N) in the process. Seeing them like that, you must admit you could watch them the whole day, but it doesn’t take long until (Y/D/N) climbs over her dads legs towards you and puts her hands on your belly gently.

„Mom Good morning! How are you doing?“ her sister joins in, still being held by Douma:“And how is our little sibling doing?“ (Y/D/N) adds excitedly:“Do you think we’re going to get a brother or another sister?“, “Well either way we will love them, … and put them into cute clothes!”

Douma now picks them both up again and stands up from the bed:“You little demons, would you mind giving your mom a break? Carrying a child is quite hard work, let’s make her day a bit easier, hm? Do you two want to help me make breakfast?“ Both cheer in union, and he puts them back on the floor. (Y/D/N) sprints out of the bedroom:“The last one to arrive in the kitchen is a slow turtle.“ Her sister runs after her: “That is not fair, you had a head start!”

Both girls run out into the hallway now and Douma turns around to you to give you another kiss to your lips before sprinting after them and of course arriving in the kitchen first. Your girls are both human, they got that from you and while Douma could turn you all in the blink of a moment, you both thought it was better for now to just leave it as is. You wanted your children to be able to see and play in the sun. Also, it would have been way harder for you to keep them out of the sun, compared to simply telling them that their father had a skin disease. So it would hurt him a lot when he is going out while daytime.

Douma agreed on the fact that you two could maybe tell your girls when they were older, but for now, he also simply enjoyed watching them play in the garden running after his maids and to you. All while he was sitting in the safety of his dark room watching through the open window in the shade of the house.

Yet that of course doesn’t mean they didn’t get anything from their dad’s genes, quite the contrary. Your eldest daughter had his eyes, a beautiful rainbow that you admired again every time you looked at her. Your younger daughter on the other hand had his untamable hair. Blonde strands of it going into every direction one could think of, making it a challenge to put into place. Luckily, your husband had quite a few tricks up his sleeve so he managed very well, and soon taught all the maids how to do your daughter's hair.

Smiling at the thought, you decide to get up now and follow your loves into the kitchen. Normally the maids gladly prepared breakfast which only was you and the kids eating since your husband didn't need anything himself besides a glass of blood occasionally, telling the girls (should they manage to get a glimpse of it) that it was strawberry juice. Yet, Douma enjoyed preparing the food with his two little ones, especially if they all made it for you.

A beautiful scent filled the air, and you stepped into the kitchen to see the three of them cooking your favorite dish. You make an exaggerated gesture of smelling the air as you come into the room and say:"Mhhh, you guys made my favorite?"

(Y/D/N) turns around to look at you and sits you down on the table:"We did, Dad still helped us a lot but today me and (Y/D/N) already did so much by ourselves!"

You smile in pride as you see how much your two girls grow up and as Douma comes to the table with the food and (Y/D/N), you take them both in your arms and cuddle them close to you. "My girls, I am so proud of you." They giggle and cuddle you back while Douma watches the three, or more like four of you, smiling to himself, thinking that he is so lucky to have you all. Before everyone sits down at the table and enjoys breakfast.

After you are all done, Douma orders the maids in to take care of the dishes while you go to take the children outside to play a bit. Having Douma follow soon after, sitting down in his room to watch you play with the children. There is a small pond in the garden where you splash both of your daughters with the water playfully. A part of you is sad that Douma cannot come out as well to play with you and your daughters. But on the other hand, it doesn't take you long to get tired from the playing as well. So you return to your beloved sitting in the room awaiting you with open arms as you make your way back to him. Putting your shoes on the balcony, you step towards the cushions he sits on and immediately sink into his embrace.

"I really wished you could come outside and play too." Douma smiles at you like he always does, as you close your eyes and enjoy his presence. "Don't worry about me darling, I am fine with watching you all when the weather is nice, after all, I still have rainy days with them too, don't I?"

You smile at his positivity, somehow that is always enough to make you feel better in any situation. Yes, sometimes he can be a bit bad with dealing with negative emotions in the process, but that was something you were willing to accept.

He didn't wait for your response and curiously asked:"Do you think we're getting another girl, or a boy to love?" You chuckle:"You know, I have no idea about that." "But what about womanly intuition?" You smile and think playfully now. "I heard that if it is a boy, then your partner is around you all the time 24 hours a day." Douma pouts:"What is that supposed to mean, I also was around you 24 hours a day with the girls!" he looks shocked, and you laugh, brushing over his hair. "I am just kidding, you are and were, so that doesn't have anything to do with the gender … but I am not sure, I feel like this time it is a boy." His eyes light up. "Oh, that would be so amazing! Don't get me wrong. I love our girls, but when they get older, you 3 are for sure going to have your girl topics and leave me out. And then what am I supposed to do? I want someone to have boy topics with then." You can't help but laugh at his cuteness, and you can understand him to some point. You were quite glad you already had your two girls.

"Did you think about any names yet?" he looks at you curiously, awaiting your ideas. Nodding your head, you reply:"What do you think about (Y/S/N)?"

Douma puts his hand to his chin to hold it in thought:"Yes, I like that name a lot too. If we really get a boy, then we can gladly take it!" You think about asking him 'what about a girl name?' but you smile over it and decide to leave him in the dream of it becoming a boy for today.

Just as you feel safe in his arms and are ready to fall asleep at any moment, you can hear two pair of feet running at you two. You blink open an eye to look what your little ones came up with, you see them in front of you. Smiling and hiding their hands behind their backs.

Douma looks at them with his usual smile:"Are you two hiding something?" (Y/D/N) looks at her sister and says:"Well since you cannot come out together with us and Mom is getting tired, we thought we would simply bring you something from outside!

They both reveal what's in their hands, and you are met with 5 flower crowns. Douma's eyes light up:"Oh girls, they are amazing, is one for me?" They chuckle:"Of course, Dad!" He bends his head down so (Y/D/N) can put the crown on him. They then continue to hand the crowns out:"One is for you. One is for mom. Two are for us, and the last one..." They put the crown on your belly. "Is for our baby sibling!"

You and Douma are sincerely so touched at this sweet, considerate gesture, and open your arms for the girls to cuddle in as you add:"You two will be two amazing older sisters soon." They cheer and thank you both as one cuddles towards you and the other falls asleep on Douma's lap, as he brushes through her hair. Sitting here like this, you simply feel perfect and happy you have your sweet family around you.

No matter what happens, you wouldn't trade them for the world.

[cocogum]

Another question I had. So, I'm assuming that Amalia and Yugo will have children in the future. But I doubt that the children will inherit Yugo's longevity (I think it would be too painful for them), but it makes me wonder what Yugo's situation would be in that case (because he's also going to be reincarnated). However, I'm only assuming that because it's implied that there must be someone from the royal bloodline on the throne. Like, I'm not sure if Yugo had any other children in his previous lives.

Anon please for the love of god take a break and stop having these thoughts at 3 am...

I'm guessing you're the same one who gave me that yugo reborn ask a few days ago.

Why can't you just let me be happy for once instead of making me think about how doomed Yugo and Amalia are? Huh? Why do you like to be curious?

I've actually talked about a case like this of two other people in the krosmoz on whether their children would be demigods or not. That case was about Poo and Kali with their unborn child in the Ogrest manga, and yes, they did do the deed together, but to get the full context, here's the post.

Anyway, I mentioned in Kali and Poo's post that a demigod, no matter who they're with, would either have a demigod child, a mortal child, or be infertile. Then, I showed proof of my claim by presenting Otomaï and Goultard's cases.

But I never mentioned or bothered explaining Yugo's case. Until now. Because of you. Because of your curiosity.

Given Amalia's royal status, she must secure the next generation by conceiving a child. Since Yugo's her husband and happens to be a demigod, he'll have to help her gain the next heir.

Yugo may not be from the same planet as her, but his anatomy works precisely like a perfectly healthy man. His race also works the same as the World of Twelve (which also means like ours), so Amalia will be fine when it comes to having a child the natural way, regardless of whether the newborn ends up being a demigod or not.

One thing's for sure, though, given what we've learned from Kali, Poo, Otomaï, and Goultard, a demigod can either have a demigod baby, a mortal baby or can, unfortunately, be infertile.

And since Yugo's anatomy works the same as a twelvian, any of these options can work. Yes, even the infertile one.

However, there is a slight chance his children can be mortals but have exceptional longevity. Since Yugo's made of pure wakfu, his children could inherit that part of him and carry loads of wakfu energy in their systems, potentially making them age slower than a mortal even when they're not a demigod.

But for the sake of this hypothetical situation, let's say Yugo impregnates Amalia and she ends up having a child, demigod or not. Then what?

That's where Yugo's situation would differentiate him from other demigods because, unlike them, he has an eternity to live.

Sure, the twelvian demigods can theoretically live forever as well. But only if they don't end up in danger and stay in one place forever. If they die, it's over for them. They don't get to live again or have a second chance at life. Not even the ecaflip demigods, who have nine lives, can live forever because, well, they only have nine lives. The best case scenario for the twelvian demigods to live once more is if someone used the six primordial dofus to bring them back to life, but even that seems like a huge chore to do since to revive only one person, you'll need vast amounts of people to sacrifice.

So in short, yes.

Even if Yugo were to have demigod or mortal children with Amalia, his life would be harrowing for him. Everyone around him will die before him, and everything he has ever considered familiar to him will eventually wither away for good. Not even his children with Amalia will be able to outlive him; he'll end up all alone with only Adamaï by his side.

It won't matter if his children end up having divine blood or not; Yugo will lose them either way.

When he gets reborn, there's a huge chance he may reencounter his children (if they're demigods), but he won't remember them. His children may be the ones who went to look for him, or maybe they just found each other by accident, and Yugo would feel this strong connection towards them. There might even be a case where he could get cared for by his children without him even being aware of it (like how Goultard took care of Dally when he used to have no recollection of being the Iop god).

So yeah, Yugo and Amalia are doomed either way.

Eva and Dally are that happy couple where Dally gave up his immortality to live with his family. In contrast, Yugo and Amalia represent the opposite: a couple doomed to fail in the future no matter their choices because Yugo can't give up his immortality since his whole existence is linked to one of the primordial eliatrope dofus.

I feel like this is such an ironic parallel between these two couples.

You got a god who fucked around with the world and learned to become part of it, whereas a demigod loved being a part of the world but will become its doom in the future.

Yugo was a mistake and, therefore, cannot have a normal life with his children and wife.

His entire existence was meant to have one purpose: to lead his people and protect them by repeatedly risking his own life from danger. He was never supposed to have a normal life.

[myremnantarmy]

𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,

knelt down before him, and asked him,

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?

No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments: You shall not kill;

you shall not commit adultery;

you shall not steal;

you shall not bear false witness;

you shall not defraud;

honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him,

"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,

"You are lacking in one thing.

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor

and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

At that statement his face fell,

and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,

"How hard it is for those who have wealth

to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were amazed at his words.

So Jesus again said to them in reply,

"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,

"Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said,

"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.

All things are possible for God."

Peter began to say to him,

"We have given up everything and followed you."

Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,

there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters

or mother or father or children or lands

for my sake and for the sake of the gospel

who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:

houses and brothers and sisters

and mothers and children and lands,

with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

[speaker-of-the-void-cats]

"We are unique emanations of the same shared Light."

Collective unconscious refers to the unconscious mind and shared mental concepts. It is generally associated with idealism and was coined by Carl Jung. According to Jung, the human collective unconscious is populated by instincts, as well as by archetypes: ancient primal symbols such as

The Great Mother

The Shadow

"Shadows were cast here. History made.”

“Am I to cast a Shadow?”

“Yes. You were bred to be a sorrow-bearer. I seek a Hive commander, but those are not so readily available. So I made you.”

"The shadows, showing the truth by their casting."

The Tower

Water

"...wellsprings and rivers..."

The Tree of Life

Jung considered the collective unconscious to underpin and surround the unconscious mind, distinguishing it from the personal unconscious of Freudian psychoanalysis. He believed that the concept of the collective unconscious helps to explain why similar themes occur in mythologies around the world.

O: [sighs] I do not fully understand what I saw, and for a Human to understand a Hive mind... How many legends of katabasis do we have, Ikora?

I: We currently have dozens of stories about descending to the realms of the dead, though research has indicated many more must have existed, lost in the layers of Human history we will never lay eyes on. Mathematically, there were likely hundreds.

I: [pauses] Inanna and Dumuzid and Geshtinanna, Orpheus and Eurydice, Izanagi and Izanami, to name a few. Gods and goddesses, mortal and immortal lovers, always seeking to descend and return with the lost.

O: And neither the lost nor those who searched for them were ever returned the same.

He argued that the collective unconscious had a profound influence on the lives of individuals, who lived out its symbols and clothed them in meaning through their experiences.

"They evidently live and function in the deeper layers of the unconscious, especially in that phylogenetic substratum which I have called the collective unconscious. This localization explains a good deal of their strangeness: they bring into our ephemeral consciousness an unknown psychic life belonging to a remote past. It is the mind of our unknown ancestors, their way of thinking and feeling, their way of experiencing life and the world, gods, and men. The existence of these archaic strata is presumably the source of man's belief in reincarnations and in memories of 'previous experiences'. Just as the human body is a museum, so to speak, of its phylogenetic history, so too is the psyche."

Ego | Shadow

Sacred Progenitor | Tyrannical Progenitor

Old Wise Man | Trickster

Animus | Anima

Meaning | Absurdity

Centrality | Diffusion

Order | Chaos

Opposition | Conjunction

Time | Eternity

Sacred | Profane

Transformation | Fixity

Light | Darkness

"And the essential thing, psychologically, is that in dreams, fantasies, and other exceptional states of mind the most far-fetched mythological motifs and symbols can appear autochthonously at any time, often, apparently, as the result of particular influences, traditions, and excitations working on the individual, but more often without any sign of them. These "primordial images" or "archetypes," as I have called them, belong to the basic stock of the unconscious psyche and cannot be explained as personal acquisitions. Together they make up that psychic stratum which has been called the collective unconscious. The existence of the collective unconscious means that individual consciousness is anything but a tabula rasa and is not immune to predetermining influences. On the contrary, it is in the highest degree influenced by inherited presuppositions, quite apart from the unavoidable influences exerted upon it by the environment. The collective unconscious comprises in itself the psychic life of our ancestors right back to the earliest beginnings. It is the matrix of all conscious psychic occurrences, and hence it exerts an influence that compromises the freedom of consciousness in the highest degree, since it is continually striving to lead all conscious processes back into the old paths."

Every weapon wielded and scrap of armor worn, every place visited, person met, symbol seen and pondered, every thought formed and lost and formed again... each one has a place in this story. Haven't you ever wondered what it all means? Where the path leads? Many have followed it before, countless numbers. And soon, it will be your turn. To walk. To see.

To understand.

A dream of a metaphor made starkly, an allegory discussed in study of ontology, in Darkness not unkind. It leaves behind a warped, barely-real data fragment to mark its passing. There is a voice that echoes across the Darkness, and it asks this question: what is the purpose of it all? And there is another voice that calls back and says: listen, I will tell you a purpose. I will tell you of a Final Shape. Look: there are a hundred gildings for this story. It comes down to one key matter. Beings in suffering crave purpose to carry them through. The tyrant consumed by ennui or the disenfranchised struggling simply to survive—it is the state of mind, the pain which cries out: give me a reason I should suffer so! Let us speak of power and choices. A man comes to a crossroads and asks of the sky, "Which road shall I take?" There is no answer from the sky, nor the wind, nor the earth beneath his feet. But another wanderer on the road, coming from behind and hearing the question, says, "I know the way. You should take the dexter road." If the man agrees, he puts himself in the wanderer's power, ceding his own choices for the implicit promise that this is the correct road, the safe road. And if he disagrees? Let us say that the wanderer draws a knife. The man may therefore be made to take the dexter road. But now if the knife goes away, the man will certainly flee. And perhaps even if the knife remains, the man may tire of being threatened and decide the risk is worth fleeing. In this way, the wanderer erodes their own power. If the wanderer says, "The wind has said that you should take the road of my choosing," will the man accept the choice made for him? And if the wanderer says, "Behold, I have seen that the meaning of suffering lies along the dexter road," will the man give away his own power for longer? Is it not easier to accept the guidance of a stranger when the path ahead is unknown?

And day dissolves into gold Night beckons and calls Night turns white with grief I can’t sleep

Whispers of the past Memories of yesteryears The things that did not last I recollect the tears

My love hold me tight There’s a haunted moon tonight Withered flowers never lie In midnight hours and numb goodbyes

Whispers of the past Memories of yesteryears The things they did not last I recollect the tears

Whispers of the past Memories of yesteryears The things they did not last I recollect the tears, the tears

[theprayerfulword]

October 06

Isaiah 66:13 The Lord says, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.”

Colossians 1:22 [God] has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

Proverbs 15:31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

Proverbs 13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is with people who take advice.

Revelation 21:6 I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

Jeremiah 31:3 I have loved you with an everlasting love…

When you stand at the crossroads and look for the way to follow, may you ask in faith of the Lord Who is always with you where the good way is so that you may walk in it, for He is trustworthy and will lead you by His hand and His word, that you will find rest for your soul. Jeremiah 6

May you know with confident assurance that by really changing your ways and actions, and dealing justly with each other, not oppressing the person who appears to be alone and without a friend, not harming the innocent, and rejecting other powers as your source in need, then the Lord your God will give you the blessing of His inheritance for ever. Jeremiah 7

May you obey the Lord and walk in all the ways He commands you, for then He will be your God and you will be His child, and it will go well with you. Jeremiah 7

May you turn to the Lord, clinging to His truth, returning always to the Lord Who loves and defends you, speaking His Word in love, repenting of every fault and sin that so easily besets you, always seeking His face to follow His steps, that you may know and do the appointed tasks at the appointed times. Jeremiah 8

My child, will you be angry when I send a worm to attack the plant that I brought you comfort from, as I did with Jonah? Or perhaps you will fear that you have done something wrong to displease Me. Be assured that what you have is from Me, when you submit your will to Mine and live in My lordship of your life. Be it comfortable or difficult, when you love Me to the full extent of your heart's capacity, I make all things work to your eternal good. I delight to bring good things into your life, My love. Think about it, and name the blessings that you have from My hand. Realize that My blessings do not always bring comfort and ease into your life. When an athlete or a soldier is engaged in a struggle to win, they must stay with it to finish with the prize. Yet they do so willingly, even gladly, as they are pressed beyond endurance; the athlete looking for the fame and renown, the soldier protecting those he loves. I am training you, My precious one, and refining you, strengthening you by removing that which weakens you, separating you from that which will hold you back once the true struggle begins. If simple acts and small occurrences exasperate you, increasing frustration, how will you endure the battle? Focus on Me, now and through the day, to gain My perspective, My cherished one. Lift your eyes above the horizon and see clearly into eternity where My love for you fills all you gaze upon. Your feet are grounded and your hands are occupied upon the earth, but your heart can be carried away with Me.

May you stand firm in the knowledge of the truth of God's word, seeing to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2

May you know that you have been given fullness in Christ, Who is the head over every power and authority, for in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. Colossians 2

May you not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or with regard to a religious celebration or tradition, for these are but shadows of the reality which you find in Christ. Colossians 2

May you never delight in false humility or the worship of angels, losing connection with the Head, Jesus, from Whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Colossians 2

May you walk in the freedom of God's truth, for He has made you alive with Christ, having forgiven you all your sins by canceling the written code and regulations opposed to you by nailing it to the cross, and through the cross, triumphed openly over powers and authorities as He disarmed them, for though they have the appearance of wisdom, they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Colossians 2

May you hear the teaching of the Lord, and listen to the words of the parables of His mouth uttering hidden things from earlier times, that you may share them with your children and tell the next generation of the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders he has done. Psalm 78

May you not willfully put God to the test in the wilderness and the desert place of testing and purifying of your heart, demanding and questioning God's intents and ability, but let your faith be grown by offering thanksgiving for what you have and let your eyes opened to the working of His hands by giving praise for His deliverance which He works in your life, that you may live to worship your King and receive the bountiful inheritance that He desires to see you established in. Psalm 78

[eldritch-araneae]

I finished this mini-project! I wanted to redraw and redesign all my Sonic OCs I had 18 years ago, just to see how they would look like with my current skills and it's was absolute blast!

My teen self would never believe they will grow that much, my inner child is happy now!

I don't remember the story for these characters, so I quickly made up new one to tie them all together, which you find under the cut, along with stand alone pictures.

Blade the Hedgehog (?).

An immortal weird-looking hedgehog who been around for 3000 years. They've seen and been through a lot, but despite anything, they keep a positive, yet grounded view of life. Blade has incredible charisma which lets them to get along almost with anyone, but they rarely open up. People often assume they're naive and too trusting, but in reality, Blade has very few things to worry about - their life is not one of them.

Blade is dedicated to record history and preserve their findings in the huge archive, hidden in Rusty Ruins. After all, time erodes everything, and if it can't take one's body - it will take their memory instead.

Abilities are unknown.

Tulip the Echidrel.

The long-living echidrels are small community of squirrel-echidna hybrids, carrying knowledge and customs of their ascendants since ancient times. They're natural explorers, charting places where many wouldn't dare to go. Tulip is no exception and that's the main reason why she quickly became friends with Blade.

Excellent problem solver, but also very stubborn that sometime leads her into "must find the way to complete a task today or else" trap.

She's a guardian of Rusty Ruins Archives and will introduce her spiky mace to the intruder's face if necessary.

Glint the Tenrec.

A lone sorceress living on the remote island in her mansion she inherited from her parents. She appears to be shy amd innocent, but make no mistake - she will not hesitate to fight using whatever means necessary.

Collecting varios magical artifacts, she wants to uncover the secret behind planet origins and it's dimensions, especially the places known as "Beyond". The simple curiosity drives Glint forward, sometime even dealing with shady people to obtain knowledge.

Umbra the ???

A mysterious entity from the "Beyond". Made of darkness, she can hide herself in shadows and between dimensions. Long ago Umra made a mistake and accidentally broke the biggest taboo of her people. As punishment, she was banished from Beyond for all eternity.

Entities like her cannot exist long in different dimensions, unless they bind themselves to someone native to it. Lucky for Umbra, she crossed her paths with Glint and made a pact - survival for helping the sorceress to gain knowledge she wants.

Fierce the Chimera.

An escaped experiment, who recently broke free and now roaming in Rusty Ruins. Always angry and never seem to be in a good mood, she already had few fights with local immortal hedgehog. Blade has no idea where Fierce came from and what's her deal, but they her and her pet snake Ping stay regardless.

Meanwhile, Fierce just wants to be left alone, haunted by images of her forgotten past and headsplitting migraines.

She's strong, sometimes can go berserk of pushed too much. Ping has a potent venom and will strike lighting fast if it's feels Fierce being in danger.

Dr. Prion.

A kangaroo how deem himself superior above the rest. The world is unjust place, plagues with lies, overlords, and "heroes" who believe what they do is best for everyone. It's up to him to fix it, diving deep into genetics and brain functions. Fascinated by long lifespan of echidrels, he seek to achieve the same result by making hybrids.

One time Glint supported his aspirations, funding his projects. But as time passed, the more she saw his terrifying egoistical side despite the fruitful reserch. She backed away, and to this day Prion dreams of revenge.

But first, he wants to fix the world, and soon everyone will become like him - rational.

Flow the Aquabird.

One of successful hybridisation experiments Dr. Prion even made. Strengths of both species turned Flow into a beautiful and dangerous weapon, who combine ballet dancing with hydrokinesis.

Not only she's powerful, but 100% loyal to Prion no matter what. His worldview is current and it's the only way to save the world and turn it into paradise. Of course, she wasn't like this when they first met, Prion wiped her memory entirely, erasing the person she once was.

Now she's eternally grateful to the doctor for saving her from the cruel world, and will anything in her power to archive his dreams. Trusts no one expect Prion and Mecha Raptor - her bodyguard.

If you hear Swan Lake instead of regular drowning theme - you know that Flow is nearby.

Mecha Raptor.

Dr. Prion, while being sure that his work on Flow won't come undone, still wants to put a failsafe. Someone to protect his perfect weapon from forming different opinion on the world. Through some shady and illegal shenanigans, he got his hands on a stolen schematic crated by an engineer genius Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. It took Prion some time to figure out, but eventually he created Mecha Raptor.

It has no personality and it's only priority is to ensure Flow's happiness and protection.

[geminiagentgreen]

Matthew 19:13-30

New International Version

The Little Children and Jesus

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[a] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

13th October >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

(Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II))

First Reading Wisdom 7:7-11 I esteemed Wisdom more than sceptres or thrones.

I prayed, and understanding was given me; I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones; compared with her, I held riches as nothing. I reckoned no priceless stone to be her peer, for compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand, and beside her silver ranks as mud. I loved her more than health or beauty, preferred her to the light, since her radiance never sleeps. In her company all good things came to me, at her hands riches not to be numbered.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 89(90):12-17

R/ Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.

Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants.

R/ Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.

In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Give us joy to balance our affliction for the years when we knew misfortune.

R/ Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.

Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children. Let the favour of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands.

R/ Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.

Second Reading Hebrews 4:12-13 The word of God cuts more finely than a double-edged sword.

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 11:25

Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia!

Or: Matthew 5:3

Alleluia, alleluia! How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 10:17-30 Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me.

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’ Peter took this up. ‘What about us?’ he asked him. ‘We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Many who are first on Earth will be last in Heaven

When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning. Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”

His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.”

“Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Then the little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.

Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”

“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

“Which ones?” the man asked.

Jesus answered, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”

Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. — Matthew 19 | The Reader’s Bible (BRB) The Reader’s Bible © 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean Reader’s Bible. All rights Reserved. Cross References: Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24; Genesis 5:2; Genesis 18:14; Exodus 20:13-14; Leviticus 18:5; Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 5:16; Deuteronomy 24:1; Nehemiah 9:29; Job 42:2; Malachi 2:15-16; Matthew 2:1; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 5:3; Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 6:19-20; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 7:28; Matthew 8:20; Matthew 13:11; Matthew 13:22; Matthew 16:1; Matthew 20:16; Matthew 25:46; Mark 10:5; Mark 10:13; Mark 10:17; Mark 10:20; Mark 10:22-23; Mark 10:25; Mark 10:29; Mark 16:14; Luke 5:11; Luke 18:24-25; Luke 13:30; John 16:20; 1 Corinthians 7:7; Revelation 14:4

Why did the disciples conclude that it is better not to marry?

Key Passages of Matthew 19

1. Jesus heals the sick; 3. answers the Pharisees concerning divorce; 10. shows when marriage is necessary; 13. receives the little children; 16. instructs the young man how to attain eternal life; 20. and how to be perfect; 23. tells his disciples how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God; 27. and promises reward to those who forsake all to follow him.

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

13th October >> Fr. Martin's Homilies/Reflections on Today's Mass Readings for The Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) (Mark 10:17-30): ‘Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him’.

The Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Gospel (Except USA) Mark 10:17-30 Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me.

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’ Peter took this up. ‘What about us?’ he asked him. ‘We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.’

Gospel (USA) Mark 10:17–30 Sell what you have, and follow me.

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”

Homilies (6)

(i) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We all ask questions in the course of a week, even a day. Most of these questions are not very deep. They get answered easily and we move on from them. However, there are other bigger questions in life that remain with us for the whole of our lives. We never get a full answer to them. We go on asking them. These are questions that keep us seeking and searching.

We find one of these big questions in today’s gospel reading. As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, the city where he would be crucified, a man runs up to him and asks, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ It is a question we can make our own. ‘What is the way to life, the path that, if taken, will make me fully alive as a human being here and now and that will open me up to the life of God, eternal life, beyond death?’ In response to his question, Jesus directs this man to his own Jewish tradition, in particular, to the last six of the Ten Commandments, those that concern our relationship with others. It is the search for the answer to the big questions of life that has given rise to the various religious traditions in the world. Our own Christian tradition can speak to each one of us as we seek answers to life’s deeper questions. The man declares to Jesus that he has kept these commandments of God since his earliest days. He was clearly a good man but he felt called to take another step in his relationship with God. He had a longing for something deeper. The gospel reading declares that ‘Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him’. God was looking upon this man with love through Jesus. The way Jesus looked at this man is the way the risen Lord looks at each one of us. He looks steadily at us and loves us as we seek the path of life that God is calling us to take.

It was out of his love for this man that Jesus then invited him to take another step on his faith journey, a more demanding one. Jesus calls him to detach himself from his great wealth, to give the proceeds to the poor and then to follow him as a disciple on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus was giving him that same radical call that he had earlier given to Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew and others, all of whom left everything to walk with Jesus and learn from him. Jesus did not insist that everyone who wanted to be his disciple should sell everything they owned. Mary and Martha who provided hospitality for Jesus were certainly among his followers and Jesus did not ask them to sell their home. The Lord’s general call to us to become his disciple will always take on a very personal form for each one of us. Within the broad path we are all called to take, the Lord has a very particular path for each of us. If we listen for that very personal call and try to respond to it we will find that path of life which the man wanted to take.

The Lord’s very personal call to this man, however, was a step too far for him. He was too attached to his great wealth to respond to Jesus’ call. It seems that he had a stronger desire for his possessions than he had for eternal life. His wealth had such a hold on him that he lacked the freedom to do what Jesus was asking him to do, which was to join his inner circle of disciples. The man had asked, ‘What must I do?’ and when Jesus answered his question he couldn’t live with the answer. Having excitedly run up to Jesus with his burning question, he walks away sad. Jesus’ own heart must have been sad too as he watched this well intentioned man walk away. Jesus had looked upon him in love. If the man kept his eyes on Jesus and allowed himself to receive Jesus’ great love for him, rather than focus on his wealth, he may have found the strength to go where Jesus was calling him.

The Lord has a very personal calling for each one of us. He calls us to be his disciple in a way that is suited to the circumstances of our own lives. Whatever our circumstances, he is always inviting us to grow in our relationship with him, to deepen our faith in him, to be more generous, more radical, in the way we live our faith. We too can find ourselves held back from answering the Lord’s call by some excessive attachment in our life. Yet, if we can entrust ourselves to the Lord who looks upon us in love, and keep our focus on him, he will empower us to take the life-giving step he calls us to take. Jesus goes on to say to his disciples, ‘Everything is possible for God’. God lovingly at work through the risen Lord makes it possible for us to take the path that corresponds to the deepest longings of our hearts. As Saint Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, ‘I can do all things through him who gives me strength’.

And/Or

(ii) Twenty Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time

At a certain age, children are great for asking questions. Particularly when it comes to God and the things of God, children have a way of asking challenging questions in a very unselfconscious way. ‘Where does my cat go when he dies?’ Or, as the song, made famous some years ago by Rolf Harris, puts it, ‘What colour is God’s skin?’ It is not only children who ask religious questions. Adults do so as well. If you attend a talk on the Bible or on some religious theme, you will certainly hear some probing questions asked by people at the end of the talk.

In today’s gospel reading, a man of great wealth puts one such question to Jesus, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ The importance of this question to him, and his anxiety to have it answered, is suggested by his running up to Jesus and falling at his feet. He obviously had great energy around this question. It was a question that mattered to him. I suspect that it is a question that matters to all of us who believe that we have a destiny beyond this world. This man of great wealth was clearly a good man. He lived by the values of the Ten Commandments. He took his religious duties seriously. Yet, he must have sensed that there was something lacking in his life, that there was something more to life and to his relationship with God. He was not settled; there was restlessness in him. That restlessness led him to put his question to Jesus.

Many of us might find feel that we have a lot in common with this man. We may not be people of great wealth, as he was. However, like him, we are probably doing our best to live well; we are trying to live by the values of the gospel. Yet, like this man, there are times when we can feel that there must be something more to life, and to the living of our faith. Like him, we can experience that restlessness which makes us ask questions of ourselves, of others, of God. If we do feel such restlessness from time to time, it is a sign that we have remained open to the Lord’s call in our lives. On one occasion Jesus said, ‘ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you’. People who are open to God’s call will always be seekers; they will always be looking beyond where they are at any particular time. In that sense people of real faith never cease to ask probing questions; they learn to live with such questions.

When the man in the gospel reading persisted with his question, Jesus asked him to sell all his possessions, to give the money he would get for them to the poor, and then to follow him. There is no record in the gospels of anyone else being asked to do what Jesus asked of this man. The command of Jesus to sell everything and give it to the poor is only found in this story. The man discovered, to his sadness, that he could not live with the answer he received. For this particular man, the call of Jesus was a bridge too far. Instead of following Jesus, he walked away sad.

I suspect most of us would feel a certain sympathy for this man’s inability to respond to the Lord’s call. We may be aware of times when we ourselves said ‘no’ to some call, when we turned away from some path of life because we sensed it would be too demanding. We are familiar with that sadness that comes when we fail to live in tune with our deepest desires. When we come to a fork in the road, it is not easy to take the road less travelled, even when we know in our heart of hearts that it is the best road for us and for others. Even if we have not been given the precise call that the man in the gospel was given, we recognize the same dynamic at work in our own lives that was at work in his, that tendency to hesitate before some worthwhile call that we know will stretch us.

Often our hesitation before the Lord’s call can come from a feeling that I am not going to be able for this. That may well be the truth. However, when the Lord calls us, he does not leave us to our own abilities. In calling us, he also enables us. That is the meaning of Jesus’ saying in today’s gospel reading, ‘for people it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God’. When the Lord calls us, he also invites us to rely on the strength that he will give us. Perhaps the rich man found it difficult to trust that the Lord would provide. His initial question could be heard as, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus suggests that the emphasis is not to be placed so much on what I do but, rather, on what the Lord can do in us and through us. This is the spirit of today’s responsorial psalm, where the psalmist prays, ‘Lord, give success to the work of our hands’. Responding to the Lord’s call does involve work on our part, but the success of that work has more to do with the Lord than with us. He enables us to do what we cannot do on our own. That is why, like Solomon in today’s first reading, we need to approach our work, our calling, in a spirit of prayer, asking for the wisdom and the strength that only the Lord can give.

And/Or

(iii) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of the tasks of life for all of us is getting our priorities right. As we go through life we try to clarify for ourselves what really matters and what is less importance. We try to find out what is worth valuing and what is not. In the course of a lifetime we may discover that what we once valued is not so important after all, and we may also discover that what we once dismissed as of no value is truly important. St. Paul made this discovery in the course of his life. Writing to the Philippians he says, ‘Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ… I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord’. The Jewish law was the highest value in his life until he discovered the person of Christ.

Our desires, our longings, reveal what we it is we truly value. Because our longings often find expression in our prayers, if we are people of faith, very often what we pray for reveals what we value most. In today’s first reading we are given the prayer of King Solomon, as understood by the author of the Book of Wisdom. Here was a man who, because of his position, could have had as many possessions as he wanted. Yet, according to our reading, what he valued more than riches was Wisdom, and it was for this that he prayed. The spirit of Wisdom was of much greater value to him than sceptres, thrones, priceless stones, health or beauty. As leader of a nation, he understood that Wisdom was what he needed more than anything else, and he also recognized that Wisdom was ultimately a gift that came from God - hence the earnestness of his prayer for this gift which he recognized to be of great value.

If our prayers reveal our values, so too at times can our questions. The kinds of questions we ask can indicate what is of greatest value to us. In today’s gospel reading, a man runs up to Jesus and asks him a question, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ His running up to Jesus suggests the urgency of his question. The content of his questions reveals what was of greatest value to him – the gaining of eternal life. Yet, there turns out to be a certain tragic quality to this man. Having asked his burning question, he was unable to live with the answer that Jesus gave: ‘Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor… then come, follow me’.

What Jesus asked of this particular man, he did not ask of everyone who approached him. He called different people in different ways. To a man whom he had released from his demons he said, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you’. To the leper he cured Jesus said, ‘Get up and go on your way’. The Lord called people in a ways that were appropriate to their situation.

In the case of the man in our gospel reading, Jesus prefaced his call to him by stating, ‘There is one thing you lack’. This particular man lacked a certain detachment. He was overly dependant on his possessions, and Jesus’ call challenged him where he most needed to be challenged, if his deep longing for eternal life was to be satisfied. Having heard the call, the gospel reading tells us that the man went away sad. Jesus’ word to him was alive and active, as today’s second reading declares. It cut into him like a double-edged sword, seeking to separate him from his excessive attachment to his wealth. In response, the man backed away from Jesus’ word. Having run excitedly to Jesus, he walked away in sadness.

There are various forms of sadness. There is the sadness that comes from having to let go of our loved ones in death. This comes to all of us sooner or later. With time we can come to some form of acceptance of our loss, and the sadness lifts. There is also the sadness of the man in the gospel reading today. This is the sadness that comes over us when we fail to follow through on our values, when we do not take the path that in our heart of hearts we want to take, when we live in ways that sell us short and are not in keeping with how we want to live.

What Jesus said to the man in the gospel reading, ‘One thing you lack’, he might be saying to any one of us. There can be a lack in us that blocks us from taking the path that is true to what is best in us and prevents us from responding to the Lord’s call. What the man in the gospel reading lacked was the freedom to let go of his great wealth. Our particular lack may be quite different. We can have all kinds of attachments that hold us back from taking the path the Lord is calling us to take. Like the rich man, there may be something we need to do in order to take the path that leads to life, but we sense a great reluctance in us to do it.

In doing what we need to do we are not left to our own resources. The Lord is there to help us and Jesus assures us that ‘everything is possible for God’. Like Solomon in today’s first reading, we are invited to turn to God in prayer and to ask for whatever help we need to take the path of life.

And/Or

(iv) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We have probably all had the experience of being on the point of heading off to something and, unexpectedly, someone arrives and engages us in serious conversation. We can react negatively to what we see as an interruption of what we should be really doing. The longer the person is with us, the more we feel that time is being lost. My own tendency would always have been to react in that way whenever an unexpected arrival cut across what I had planned to do. However, in more recent times I have come to appreciate a little more that the unplanned can be as important as what I have planned. What we may be inclined to see as interruptions, in reality, may be what is most important. The Lord can be calling out to us through the unplanned more than through what we had planned.

The gospels suggest that Jesus gave his full attention to people who turned up out of the blue, even though many of those around Jesus may have seen such people as cutting across what he really should be doing. In this morning’s gospel reading, we are told that Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put the question to him, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ At this point in Mark’s gospel, Jesus is on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem; this was the most important journey of his life. When the gospel reading says that Jesus was setting out on a journey, the evangelist was stating that Jesus intended to journey on further in the direction of Jerusalem. Although the unexpected arrival of this man with his burning question held Jesus back and prevented him from setting out on his planned journey, Jesus gave him his full attention. The present moment was all important to Jesus. What he had planned to do always took second place to the call that was made on him in the here and now. Jesus teaches us to take seriously the call of the present moment. This man who turned up out of nowhere made a call on Jesus, and Jesus responded, even though the call was unexpected and cut across what he had planned. The call of the present moment can take all kinds of unexpected forms for us, and, yet, it is there that the Lord very often meets us and we meet him.

The man made an unexpected call on Jesus, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus went on to make an unexpected call, on this man, ‘Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor… then follow me’. There is no other person in Mark’s gospel who receives this particular call from Jesus. This was a call for this man. This was his call of the present moment. This is what the Lord was asking of him here and now. Jesus’ call on this man was as unexpected as this man’s call on Jesus. The man’s reaction to this call of Jesus shows how unexpected it was. Whereas he had run up to Jesus, breathless, with his burning question, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’, in response to Jesus’ answer to his question we are told that ‘his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth’. His excited running to Jesus gave way to his sad walk away from Jesus. The call of the present moment was too much for him to hear, and the fruit of his refusal to hear it was a sadness of heart, a heaviness of spirit. He was attached to his possessions; he couldn’t let go of them, even though letting go of them and throwing in his lot wholeheartedly with Jesus was his particular calling in life. In the words of today’s second reading, the call of Jesus, the words Jesus addressed to him, were alive and active, cutting into him like a two-edged sword.

If we approach the Lord, as the man in the gospel did, if we seek out the Lord and enter into a personal relationship with him, he will call out to us too. His particular call to us will probably not be the precise call the man in today’s gospel reading received. However, his call to us will have something in common with that man’s call. It will always be a call to give ourselves more fully to the Lord’s way, and to let go of whatever it is that is holding us back from living according to the values of the gospel that Jesus proclaimed and lived. His call to us will be a call to go and do whatever it is we need to do in order to walk in the Lord’s way more wholeheartedly. There will be moments when we will hear that call very strongly - perhaps when we are least expecting to hear it. If the particular call that the Lord is addressing to us seems daunting, we can find reassurance in the Lord’s words to his disciples in the gospel reading, ‘everything is possible for God’. What we cannot do on our own, we can do with the Lord’s help. The Lord’s grace at work within us can empower us to live as he is calling us to live.

And/Or

(v) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We all ask questions in the course of a week, even a day. Most of these questions get answered and we move on from them. However, there are other bigger questions in life that remain with us all our lives. We never get a full answer to them. These are questions that keep us seeking and asking.

We find one of these big questions on the lips of the man who approached Jesus in today’s gospel reading, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ It is a question we can all identify with, because it is a fundamental human question. In response to the young man’s question, Jesus directs him to his own Jewish religious tradition, to the Ten Commandments, those commandments that concern our relationship with others. Our own religious tradition is the first place we often turn to in trying to answer the big questions of life. Indeed, it is the search for the answer to the big questions of life that has given rise to the various religious traditions in the world. Our own Christian tradition has the capacity to speak to each one of us in a very personal way. The man’s reply to Jesus, ‘I have kept all these’ shows that he was very familiar with his own Jewish tradition and had been faithful to it all his life. However, he still wasn’t fully satisfied. There was a yearning for more in him. He felt a call to deepen his relationship with God. He was asking, ‘What more do I need to do?’ On our own faith journey, we often find ourselves asking a similar question. We sense that perhaps our relationship with the Lord has reached a kind of a plateau and that there is a ‘more’ he is inviting us towards. We feel a kind of spiritual restlessness, an urge to move on in our relationship with the Lord. That sense of restlessness can be a sign that we are spiritually alert and aware, open to the next step on our faith journey that the Lord is asking us to take, even if we are unsure what that next step might be.

In the gospel reading, the man’s running up to Jesus suggests his sense of urgency about taking this next step. He hopes Jesus might help him discover the more that he was looking for. When he declared to Jesus that he had faithfully kept all the commandments since his earliest days, the gospel reading says that ‘Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him’. It is as if Jesus looked into his heart and recognized his goodness and his desire to be an even better person. The Lord relates to each one of us as he related to that man, looking steadily at us out of a deep love for us. He recognizes and values our sincere efforts to live as God is calling us to live, our desire to grow in our response to God’s call. It is the seeking, the striving after, that Jesus values in particular. In one of the beatitudes he declared blessed those who hunger and thirst for what is right. It is the hunger and thirst for what is good and right and loving that Jesus values, even if we struggle at times to attain that for which we hunger and thirst.

It was in response to this man’s longing for more, that Jesus now invites him to take a more generous and demanding step on his faith journey.  Jesus gave him a very personal calling, ‘Sell everything you own, and give the money to the poor… then, come, follow me’. Jesus did not insist that everyone who followed him should sell everything they owned. Mary and Martha who provided hospitality for Jesus were certainly among his followers and Jesus did not ask them to sell their home. The Lord’s general call to live as his disciple takes on a very personal form for each one of us. In so far as we try to listen for that very personal call and try to respond to it we will find that path of life which the man in the gospel was looking for and we are all seeking. Jesus knew that the path that would be truly life giving for this particular man was for him to give away his great wealth and become one of his’ closest disciples, physically following the one who had nowhere to lay his head.

Yet, this proved a step too far for this man, because he was attached to his wealth. He had found his security there, and couldn’t take the step to find his security in the Lord. In response to Jesus’ call, we are told that ‘he went away sad’. Like the man in the gospel, we too can hesitate to take that extra, more generous, more demanding, step on our journey of faith that the Lord may be asking of us. We too can be clinging to something that is holding us back from reaching towards what we really desire in our heart of hearts. Yet, the Lord continues to look upon us with love; he continues to call us, and when we feel discouraged at our lack of progress he says to us what he went on to say to his disciples in the gospel reading, ‘everything is possible for God’. The Lord not only calls but empowers us to answer his call if we rely on him more than on ourselves.

And/Or

(vi) Twenty Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time

As parents known, children are great for asking questions. They have a way of asking big questions in a very unselfconscious way. ‘Where does my cat go when he dies?’ ‘Who made God?’ As adults we continue to ask probing questions, questions of meaning. In today’s gospel reading, a man of great wealth puts one such question to Jesus, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ The importance of this question to him, and his anxiety to have it answered, is suggested by his running up to Jesus and falling at his feet. This was a question that mattered to him. I suspect it matters to all of us. This man of great wealth was clearly a good man. He lived by the values of the Ten Commandments. He took his religious duties seriously. Yet, he sensed that there was something missing in his relationship with God. There was some restlessness in him that led him to put his urgent question to Jesus.

Many of us might feel that we have a lot in common with this man. We may not have his wealth, but, like him, we are probably doing our best to live well. We are trying to live by the values of the gospel. Again like him, there are probably times when we feel that there must be something more to the living of our faith. We can experience that restlessness which makes us ask questions of ourselves, of others, of God. If we do feel such restlessness from time to time, it is a sign that we have remained open to the Lord’s call to us. On one occasion Jesus said, ‘seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you’. People who are open to God’s call will always be seekers; they will always be looking beyond where they are at any particular time. People of faith never cease to ask probing questions; they learn to live with such questions because they are always on the way; they are never fully settled.

The gospel reading tells us that Jesus looked upon the rich man with love and confirmed to him that there was something lacking in his life, just as he had suspected, ‘There is one thing you lack’. Even though this man was lacking his relationship with God, Jesus looked on him with love. The Lord looks on us all with love, even though we may not yet be all he is calling us to be. Jesus went on to issue a challenging call to the man, asking him to sell all his possessions, to give the resultant money to the poor, and then to follow him. There is no record in the gospels of anyone else being asked to do precisely what Jesus asked of this man. The command to sell everything and give it to the poor was this man’s personal calling from the Lord. The man discovered, to his sadness, that he could not respond to this call. Having asked his question, he couldn’t live with the answer he was given. Having run to Jesus with a spring in his step, he walked away sad.

We can all feel some sympathy for this man’s inability to respond to the Lord’s call. Even if we have not been given the precise call from the Lord that this wealthy man was given, the Lord looks upon each one of us with love, and he keeps calling us into a deeper relationship with himself, a fuller following of him. He is always prompting us to go and do something, and to do it today. We may be aware of the times when we said ‘no’ to this call. We may have experienced the sadness that often comes over us when we turn away from some worthwhile path because we sense that it would involve having to let go of something we are clinging to.

Often my hesitation before the Lord’s call to take an extra step can come from a sense that I am not able for this. However, when the Lord calls us, he does not leave us to our own abilities. In calling us, he also enables us. As Jesus says in today’s gospel reading, ‘for people it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God’. When the Lord calls us, he invites us to rely on the strength that he gives us. The wealthy man in the gospel reading had perhaps come to rely too much on himself, on his own possessions. His initial question could be heard as, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus suggests that the emphasis is not to be placed so much on what I must do but, rather, on what the Lord can do in me and through me. This is the spirit of today’s responsorial psalm, where the psalmist prays, ‘Lord, give success to the work of our hands’. Responding to the Lord’s call does involve work on our part, but the success of that work has more to do with the Lord than with us. He enables us to do what we cannot do on our own. From the moment of our baptism his Spirit is at work in our lives. Our baptismal calling is to allow that Spirit to empower and shape us as we follow the Lord’s very personal call to each of us.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

The Great Exchange

“A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:18NIV

Salvation— You can’t get to heaven without it. How to obtain salvation is the question asked by this “certain ruler” and many people today. The common thing is— they desire to work for their salvation— anything but believe in the work of the cross and the salvation through Christ’s death, burial, resurrection and blood.

As the “certain ruler” conversed with Jesus, he called Jesus ‘good Master.’ When Jesus told him, only God was good, the “certain ruler” replied by addressing Jesus only as ‘Master.’ Proving he didn’t believe Jesus to be God, but a teacher or prophet. Christianity is the only religion with a Savior, and which recognizes Jesus in His rightful role as the a part of Godhead. Amazingly, all the religions recognize Jesus— like the “certain ruler” did— as a prophet.

Make no mistake— JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD— not a prophet. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6ESV. Only the Son is the doorway to God.

Peter repeated this— Acts 4:12NIV “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Always before, I’ve heard salvation described as ‘accepting Jesus into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior.’ That’s only partial truth, salvation is realizing you’ve been accepted and loved by God, in the midst of all your unpleasantness and filth; and believing in Him. You don’t have to ‘clean up your act’ to meet Jesus. Accepted—just as you are. Isn’t that exciting?

Before Christ, God dealt with us through the Law. After thoroughly studying the Law, I can tell you— not breaking the Law is impossible. Only two things aren’t considered breaking a law— breathing and praising God. Everything else breaks God’s laws. Andrew Womack says the law is like glass. Shoot a BB, [little infraction] through it or throw a boulder, [huge infraction]— it’s broken. And someone has to pay for the glass. Salvation is the great exchange— our sinfulness for Christ Jesus’ sinlessness. He pays for it all.

Breaking the Law is called ‘sin.’ Paul declares in Romans 6:23KJV “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Salvation is called “gift of God.” A ‘gift’ is a free, undeserved blessing. Jehovah God didn’t think it was enough to just accept and love us humans. He wanted to give us undeserved gifts— mercy and grace— to erase our filthy sins.

Paul told us how to be saved in Romans 10:9-10ESV “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one BELIEVES and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Emphasis mine)

Then Paul proceeds to tell where the faith to believe for salvation comes from, Ephesians 2:8NIV. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, IT IS A GIFT OF GOD—” (Emphasis mine.) Faith is His gift to us as well.

Knowing the how and why of our salvation is very important. When the lie comes to tell us— ‘You have to obey this rule and that rule to be saved,’ we can lean on the foundation of truth in faith. Saying— ‘No devil! I believed in Jesus with the faith God gifted to me. I believe and I’m saved.’ Or you can be a Galatian, falling for the lie and trying to earn your eternal life. It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: Papa God please lead these readers out of bondage and into the truth of grace, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux Copyright 2024 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional, as author. Thank you.

[sealmonger]

Mark 10:17-31

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[d]”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

d. Mark 10:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20

e. Mark 10:24 Some manuscripts is for those who trust in riches

[myremnantarmy]

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Mk 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,

knelt down before him, and asked him,

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?

No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments: You shall not kill;

you shall not commit adultery;

you shall not steal;

you shall not bear false witness;

you shall not defraud;

honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him,

"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,

"You are lacking in one thing.

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor

and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

At that statement, his face fell,

and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,

"How hard it is for those who have wealth

to enter the Kingdom of God!"

The disciples were amazed at his words.

So Jesus again said to them in reply,

"Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,

"Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said,

"For men it is impossible, but not for God.

All things are possible for God."

[walkswithmyfather]

The Most Important Commandment.

“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Parable of the Good Samaritan.

“Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” —Luke 10:25‭-‬37 (NLT)

https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.10.25-37.NLT

“Caring for Others” By In Touch Ministries:

“Are generosity and service habits in your life?”

“So many people in the world are in need today and serving them is one of the highest callings of the Christian faith. Therefore, it’s essential for believers to commit to give of themselves on behalf of others.

There are countless ways to serve people. For example, a man might decide to pray for and come alongside a friend until a burdensome situation is resolved. Or a woman could make herself available to answer a neighbor’s questions about the faith. If we prayerfully look around, we may see other opportunities, such as driving an elderly friend to medical appointments, mentoring a teenager through a local outreach program, or helping a single parent check some things off a to-do list.

Before you become overwhelmed by the variety of needs in your area, remember that loving your neighbors is meant to be a church-wide effort. One person can’t do it all. Instead, join a small group of fellow believers committed to serving those God brings into your sphere of influence. In order to care for them, you may be asked to surrender resources and time—but when you do, the Lord will bless you with the joy and contentment that come only from Him.”