#What you take in

[momentsbeforemass]

It adds up

“Take care, then, how you hear. To the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”

In a Gospel that says a lot of odd-sounding things, this is one of the oddest-sounding. At least to our ears.

But this is not some cryptic piece of vague nonsense designed to sound deep.

It’s actually very practical. And it has to do with how you and I work as human beings.

As St. Ephrem tells us, the key to understanding what Jesus is saying is that this is all one thought, and that “This is like ‘let the one who has ears listen.’”

That is, what we hear, what we take in matters. Why?

What we hear, what we take in is cumulative. It adds up within us. Whatever it is, whether good or bad, it will add to the pile of that same thing that is already within us.

If we’re hearing things that make us afraid? That will add to the pile of things within us that we’re afraid of.

If we’re taking in things that make us angry? That will add to the pile of things within us that we’re angry about.

That is what “To the one who has, more will be given” is all about. The things we take in add up. But that’s not the whole story.

Like St. Ephrem said, this is all one thought. “To the one who has, more will be given,” cannot be separated from “and from the one who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.” Which means what?

It means that when you and I are adding to one pile of things within us, the other stuff within us doesn’t just sit there. It starts to fade away.

Because the stuff within us (whether it’s our emotions, our spiritual well-being, our knowledge, whatever) is not static. It’s either growing or it’s fading.

And you and I have only so much bandwith, we only have so many spoons. We can only grow one thing at a time. Whatever we’re not growing? It’s going to be fading.

If you’ve ever wondered why getting a puppy and all the time that that a new puppy takes (both the fun stuff and the needful things like training and housebreaking) helps you deal with your grief over the death of your old dog? This is why.

So, if we’re hearing the word of God? That will add to the pile of things within us that bring us peace and strength. And the things within us that don’t bring us peace and strength will start to fade.

If we’re taking in the good things of God? That will add to the pile of things within us that we’re joyful about. And the things within us that we’re not joyful about will fade.

But it all turns on what we’re hearing, on what we’re taking in. Because that is what will be adding up within us.

Which is why Jesus is telling us – “Take care, then, how you hear.”

Today’s Readings

[just-french-me-up]

'ao3 needs a like and dislike button'

what you need, my algorithm-rotten minded friend, is a grip

[tawnysoup]

Found my fav Slay the Princess route recently. Dragon my beloved. Your horrifying beak mouth was an impossible-to-refuse lip syncing challenge 💖

Shoutouts to @blacktabbygames for making such a cool game!

[sillyguy-supreme]

white americans when you tell them that the idea of climate change as an impending disaster is a reductive first world perspective because it’s a tangible reality for many in the global south already:

[batcavescolony]

Katniss is such an unreliable narrator. She says "Then something unexpected happens. At least, I don't expect it because I don't think of District 12 as a place that cares about me" girl you deliver strawberries to the Mayor, you hunt and trade for the district, when you fell at Prim being chosen someone caught you, when you went to Prim people parted for you, when you volunteered EVERYONE stopped. Idk how to tell you but I think you're a pillar of the community.

[morganbritton132]

No one tells you when you get a Big Serious Job™ how many fucking abbreviations you’ll be forced to learn.

[perrieedwards]

i feel like people are skimming over the uk riots in a way that makes me want to tear my hair out. muslims in the uk are in active danger. immigrants in the uk are in active danger. refugees in the uk are in active danger. people of colour in the uk are in active danger. asian communities in the uk are in active danger. black communities in the uk are in active danger.

there are massive far right riots throughout the country right now and people like fucking elon musk and nigel farage are inciting it and still have a platform to speak. people have used three young girls deaths, people's genuine grief in southport, to try and gain traction for their own racist bullshit and it's working.

a lot of refugee charities have been forced to close leaving many people without support, homes, funding, food, etc. if you aren't able to donate please consider sending a message via the conversation over borders campaign! it will send a hopeful, welcoming letter to a refugee in the uk. there is also a guide to staying safe here.

please do your own research and donate to refugee charities, anti-islamophobia charities, mosques who are trying to rebuild after being destroyed, counter protesters, here are some i've heard positive things about but the list is extensive; southport strong together (support for the southport victims and their families), southport mosque rebuilding, riot repair fund, middlesbrough vulnerable residents, nasir mosque rebuilding, hull help for refugees, bristol welcomes migrants,

[honehonn3honey]

Board games with uncle Sukuna :)

They are taking this thing seriously, already take the cards out of the game

[lesbianwyllravengard]

I want more female characters who are just so bad at comforting others. Not for lack of trying or caring, they just get so so awkward when someone's upset, and they try to repeat things they've heard even if it doesn't necessarily apply to the situation, or they accidentally say the wrong thing and make it worse. If someone cries they panic and throw every single comfort technique down at once and it only helps because it's such bizarre behaviour

This post is for all women including trans women and op loves trans women. Terfs kill yourselves

[gongyussy]

(✿◕‿◕) die (ꈍ ꒳ ꈍ✿)

[titleleaf]

Anybody want a couple yards of the Zodiac cipher quilting cotton

[sparrowlucero]

The greatest injustice ever faced is that I almost certainly started the still thriving "clown husbandry" tag on here, but any discussion about it (from a know your meme page to a youtube video with 500k views) says it's a joke of "unknown origin" or credited to this post, likely bouncing off of mine (which was actively circulating at the time with like 30k notes):

This is a tragedy for many reasons, most of all because it wasn't just an offhand joke but actually a direct response to some of the funniest online hate I ever got:

They're erasing the truest history of tumblr: its desperate need to seethe and argue over every obvious joke with more than 10 notes.

anyways here is the canonical pet clown. according to me

[1300marshall]

)));

[captainjonnitkessler]

You know I used to think "tumblr's absolute refusal to actually engage with the Trolley Problem in favor of insisting that there must be a third, morally pure option that doesn't require them to make a hard decision and anyone who asks them to make a binary choice is just a short-sighted idiot is really fucking annoying, but I guess it's not actually doing any harm".

Anyway that was before we asked tumblr at large to decide between "guy aiding a genocide but making progress elsewhere" and "guy who would actively and enthusiastically participate in a genocide and would also make everything else much, much worse for everyone elsewhere" and the response was that there must be a third, morally pure option that doesn't require them to make a hard decision and that anyone who asks them to make a binary choice is a short-sighted idiot.

[em-allay]

Dysfunctionally Functional:

Functionally Dysfunctional:

[uncanny-tranny]

I think so many people are so deeply alienated from themselves that they have no clue how to exercise their free will and autonomy. For some, this alienation runs so deep that they are afraid of their own autonomy and humanity. It is completely understandable why one would have those feelings, but it can be worrisome.

I want to help others who feel this way, so here are small things I have done to exercise my free will:

Add "guilty pleasure" songs to playlists and actually listen to them (I have a ton of late 1990s-early 2000s music I listen to now proudly that I never listened to in the past out of shame)

Getting the décor item, bath set, bed spread, ect. in the patterns you like, even if it's "childish" (I got a dinosaur-themed wastebasket from the kids' décor section and I adore it)

Taking a new route to get to a place you go to often

Eat dessert first

Celebrate well, and often

Collect things that are "odd" or don't seem like an "acceptable" thing to collect (somebody on my "for you" page collects dandelion crayola crayons and it was so cool!!!!!!)

Incorporate one new piece in an outfit you wear frequently (e.g., a new chain, a necklace, ribbons, bracelets, ect.). Challenge yourself to add onto the outfits if you feel up for it.

Sing along to songs without worrying that you sound "good" or your intonation is completely accurate

Read a book from a genre you weren't allowed to read as a kid (comics, thrillers, mysteries, anything!)

Walk without having a specific destination or goal

Pick up a new craft without expecting yourself to master it or to ever be "good" enough. Get your hands messy.

I don't want to shame anybody for not feeling as though they have free will or that they are exempt from exercising it. However, I wanted to give ideas so that you might read this list and find your own ways to express your intrinsic autonomy and will. You deserve to be a person, to feel alive, not just living. That is what our lives are for.