Wednesday, August 19, 2015

The 7 Deadly Sins - Constantine Zalalas




Jesus’ Power Point Presentation

 

1. Blessed, are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

We must overcome our pride and become humble. Learn to not to put our priority in the pleasure we derive from the material things of this world but aim for a life of virtue. Gregory of Nyssa says the one who is poor of spirit is He who is given the riches of the soul in exchange for material wealth, who is poor for the sake of the spirit. He has shaken off earthly riches like a burden so that he may be lightly lifted into the air and be borne upwards…


2. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

To become meek we need to develop self-discipline so we can control our passions and remain calm even in the face of wrath. This requires the humility gained from the first Beatitude.


3. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

We are to mourn after the Goodness we do not yet know, the joy of eternal life with God. This gives us the desire to seek to perfect ourselves. As we mourn for what we do not yet have, God will comfort us and help us to become worthy.


4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill.

The justice we must hunger for is our salvation, which is available equally to all. This requires a keen discernment of God’s will coupled with the discipline to act on it instead of our earthly passions. We hunger for all the virtues.


5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

To become merciful we need to have a voluntary sorrow that joins itself to the suffering of others. Our own mercy may come at the time of our Final Judgment.


6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

When we purify our heart from all evil thoughts, we find the inner light of God within. Gregory says, you wash off by a good life the filth that has been stuck on your heart like plaster, the Divine Beauty will again shine forth in you. With a pure heart we are able to choose what is virtuous and the light which is within will shine brightly becoming a beacon of goodness for others.


7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Peace is essential for a good life. A peacemaker is one who gives peace to others. This involves having a loving disposition to others. To become a peacemaker, we must first have peace within ourselves and a clean heart. Saint Gregory says, I think that man is called a peacemaker par excellence who pacifies perfectly the discord between flesh and spirit in himself and the war that is inherent in nature, so that the law of the body no longer wars against the law of the mind, but is subjected to the higher rule and becomes a servant of the Divine ordinance.


8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Once mastering the above, we will be able to endure pain and suffering from those who persecute us for upholding God’s goodness. This leads us to a greater Goodness. God’s grace will transform us and give us strength in such situations helping us see the wisdom in what is not visible. The martyrs of the Church give us vivid examples of this.

Jesus’ cv !!!!



CURRICULUM VITAE :JESUS CHRIST


Hello! My name is Jesus Christ. I have sent you my CV because I am seeking to apply for the top executive position in your heart. Please examine my credentials as cited below.

QUALIFICATONS


I have created the earth and the Heavens ( Proverbs 3, 19)
I have created man from earth ( Genesis 2, 7)
I have given him the breath of life (Genesis 2, 7)
I have redeemed him from the curse of the law ( Galatians 3, 13)

POSITIONS HELD


I have had only one employer,(Luke 2, 49)
I have received only the greatest of recommendations ( Matthew 3, 15-17)

SKILLS AND WORK EXPERIENCE


Some of my skills and work experience include: assisting the poor, healing the ailing, restoring sight to the blind
I am an excellent Counsel ( Isaiah 9,06)
But the most important is that I have the authority, the ability and the power to cleanse you from your sins. ( John 1, 7-9)

STUDIES


They cover the breadth and length of all knowledge, wisdom and cognition ( Proverbs 2, 6)
I can even reveal all the secrets buried in your heart ( Psalms 44, 21)


SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS


I was actively involved in the mightiest Conference of all Times (Genesis 1, 29)

REFERENCES


All my followers and faithful throughout the world will attest to the healings, the divine intervention, the miracles as well as to their deliverance, their transformation and the supernatural guidance they have received from me.
Now that you have come to the end of my CV, I am certain that I am the only candidate possessing the necessary credentials to fill the position in your heart. When can I begin? Now is the proper time (Hebrews 3, 15).

The abbreviation of A.S.A.P.



Ever wonder about the abbreviation of

A.S.A.P.

As Soon As Possible
Generally we think in terms of even more
hurry and stress in our lives. If we
think of this abbreviation in a different
manner, we may begin to find a new way
to deal with those rough days along the way



…………………
Always Say A Prayer
There’s work to do, deadlines to meet.
you’ve got no time to spare.
But as you hurry and scurry…
A.S.A.P.
…………………
Always Say A Prayer
In the midst of family chaos,
“quality time” is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest…
ASAP
…………………
Always Say A Prayer
It may seem like your worries
are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather…
ASAP
…………………
Always Say A Prayer
God knows how stressful life can be
and wants to ease our cares.
He’ll respond to all your needs…
ASAP
…………………
Always Say A Prayer
Today I’m saying a little prayer
that God will send a smile to you
and send you special blessings
through everything you have to do
A.S.A.P.

You missed my call this morning .........



I was looking at you when you woke up this morning. I was expecting you to tell me one or two things, thanking me for everything that was happening to you, asking for my assistance for whatever you were about to do today.

I realized that you were very busy trying to find what to wear for work. I was hoping that you would find a few moments to tell me ‘good morning’!

But you were very busy. To help you see that I was near you, I had created the colorful sky and the songs of the birds. What a pity! You didn’t even notice my presence, not even then.

I was looking at you being in a hurry for work and was again waiting for you. I suspected that because you were busy you didn’t have time to say a few words to Me, even then.

When you returned from work, I saw how tired you were and how stressed and sent you some rain to relieve you from the day’s stress. I thought that by making this favor to you, you would remember Me.

Instead, being tired, you swore at Me. I so much wished that you would have wanted to talk to Me.

Still the day was not over yet. You switched on the TV and watched your favorite program. I was waiting. Then you had dinner with your loved ones and once again you didn’t remember Me.

Seeing you so exhausted, I understood your need for silence and turned off the sky’s brilliance so you could get some rest, but I didn’t turn the sky into a dark pitch. I turned on innumerable stars for you. They were so beautiful… it’s a pity you didn’t see them… never mind!

Do you really realize that I am here for you; I have more patience that you can ever imagine. I want to demonstrate this, so that you tell those around you.I love you so much that I am putting up with you.

Any moment now, you will wake up again. All I can do is to love you and hope that today at least you will give me some of your time…

Your loving Father

The Lord of Infinite Love.

An 8 year old explaining the existance of God



It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to ‘explain God.’ I wonder if any of us could have done as well?

EXPLANATION OF GOD:

‘One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn’t have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.’


‘God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.’

‘God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn’t go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad’s head asking for something they said you couldn’t have.’

‘Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there are any in Chula Vista … At least there aren’t any who come to our church.’

‘Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn’t want to learn about God.. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.’

‘His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn’t have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.’

‘You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.’

‘You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there’s anybody you want to make happy, it’s God!

Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn’t come out at the beach until noon anyway.’

‘If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around you when you’re scared, in the dark or when you can’t swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.’

‘But…..you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And…that’s why I believe in God.’

Miracles happen… ( St. Paisios )




Miracles happen through the prayers of small children. Whatever they ask of God He gives them because they are guileless and He hears their pure prayer.

I remember one time our parents had gone out into the field and had left me in the house with my two younger siblings. The sky suddenly darkened and a torrential rainstorm began.

“What will our parents do now?,” we said. “How will they get back home?” The two little ones began crying. “Come here,” I told them, “we will ask Christ to stop the rain.” The three of us knelt down before the family’s icons and prayed. In just a few minutes the rain stopped.


St. Paisios