Courage To Be A Child Of God

By JCD Fr. Joseph Bellerive

At a moment when some people seem to dismiss the necessity of the divine in their lives, it is important to remember that we are more than men and women living in this world with the capability of doing bad things. Whether we accept it or not, we all are children of God. Within us there is this divine dimension which gives us the ability to do g

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Regency Publishers
• Release date: May 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781961096592

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Copyright © 2023 by Fr. Joseph Bellerive, JCD.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author and publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

ISBN: 978-1-961096-60-8 (Paperback Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-961096-61-5 (Hardcover Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-961096-59-2 (E-book Edition)

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Prelude

Foreword

Introduction

We are all an Artist’s work in this life

In The Lord, We Shall Never Be Disturbed

We are called to observe the Lord’s statutes and decrees

We are justified only in one man: Jesus Christ

It is rewarding to put our trust in the Lord

Jesus is the living water that quenches every thirst

Jesus can lead us from darkness to light

Give without counting

One of our missions on earth is to embrace the cross of Christ

The Father raised Jesus from the dead

It is good to live in the Lord

Don’t ever take anything from this world for granted

The success of our future is in love and unity

We need to be people of peace

God’s ways are unspectacular

The Lord comes to us through our families

Let us be reconciled with God

Jesus is the only one who can give us peace

God wants to save us through the sacraments

Pride leads to stupidity

Words of God, spiritual bread for our journey

Don’t let changes cause us to lose hope

Maturity brings prudence in our lives

Family is the essential place for the future of the Church

Old age should bring wisdom in our personality

There is no life without God

The relationship with the Lord brings joy to the heart

It is never too late to acquire maturity

Easter, a call for a changing of heart

We are all working for the same boss

Our future is in the harmony with God

Do not be afraid to live according to the Lord’s commands

Our faith is one of the most precious gifts of our lives

The Lord expects from us a strong faith

Our God is a God of life

The belief in God, a source of hope for the future

Do not be confused, remain firm in the Faith

A great leader is one who is humble

Jesus, the bread for our spiritual nourishment

Jesus comes to unite us through the Eucharist

Life is too short! Make it simple with the help of the Lord

Fidelity to God is a blessing for the humble-hearted

It is not easy to be neutral

We must turn to God to understand our life on earth

If we reject the Faith, we will pay for it

It is good for a person to have faith

Fidelity brings joy in relationships

It is an art to serve in the Church

It is a blessing to be open-minded in the name of the Lord

God’s words challenge us to be attached only to Jesus

If you are not in unity, you are not in communion

We should always honor our parents

The Lord continues to protect us through His Ascension

A life in the Lord costs a lot

The Kingship of Jesus, a model for our humility

The Eucharist, a food for those who are humble

Christmas is nothing else than love

The Resurrection of the Lord brings joy to the heart

Don’t terminate your life in a state of mediocrity

Most Holy Trinity, a model for unity between us

Pentecost, a call to be open to the marvels of the Lord

This is the time for conversion

Everything in the life of Jesus has a meaning

Do everything He tells you

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law

The greatest of all the gifts is love

We should not be afraid to change our lifestyle

Salvation is offered to all

If we want peace, we must respect each other

Who is our instructor regarding our relationship with God?

God is the only who will resolve our problems, whatever they are

Honesty is something important in a relationship

We are all important in the eyes of God

Happiness exists where God wants us to be

Our conversion must go together with our age

We are the fruits of our education received at home

True Leadership comes from humility

God is our refuge in this life

The Lord continues to call us to a life of holiness

We have to learn how to chill out in the Lord

We have to learn how to keep our mouth shut

The Gospel is a powerful school for spiritual maturity

The Christian Faith, a source of hope for the future

Being compassionate is not sufficient, let us also be logical

There is no need to make things complicated

Come back to God as His Children

When we enter into marriage, we must learn how to grow in love

Only those who do the will of the Father will be saved

To be a good shepherd means being always ready to protect others

To be sponsors in the Church requires a life of good example

The Church is the one founded on the twelve apostles of the Lamb

True Faith helps us be a better person

Family is the best school for our personal growth

Do not be afraid to make room in your heart for the other person

The Lord chose not to take the sword

Jesus commissioned his disciples to continue His work

The Lord gives us the food of His body

The true Life is in the Lord

It is something beautiful to be generous

We have to strive to have a generous heart

The Spirit of the Lord is there to unite us

The Lord Jesus continues to visit us

When we choose to follow the Lord we must get rid of our selfishness

We are called to be holy people

God forgives us for our sins, but man judges us according to our past

The truly intelligent person will recognize that he also can make mistakes

It is never too late to conform our hearts to the demands of the Gospel

The social organizations of the parish exist to serve the parish

We are called to be joyful people

When we share meals with others, we fulfill the command of the Lord

Jesus satisfies our thirst for eternal life

As members of the same faith, we all are supposed to be in solidarity with each other

We are called to be builders of love

Only through the wounds of Jesus can we be healed

While we see the external appearance of people, God looks into the heart

We must do our best to learn the doctrines of our Faith

Our mother is a priceless gift from God

In Jesus is the fullness of redemption

We have to always remember that we are Christians

We should never forget that we are servants of the Lord

Our Ascension to the Lord is a continuous task

We must learn how to say less to people and talk more to God

If we are obedient to God, we will not be manipulated

It takes courage to be a joyful person

Jesus came to bring peace to all people

The soil of our hearts needs to be receptive to the words of God

It is good to put our trust in the Lord

We must be people of coherence in everything we do

Rigidity keeps us from loving others

Good education at home leads to true love

Natural justice does still exist in this world

We are created to live in love

Disrespect is a poison for relationships

True love exists when there is respect

Humble people will always appreciate the gift of faith

Love in the heart will always keep us young

Choose love over hatred because it is healthy for us

Family life is an essential element in the psychological development of a person

Only those who are intelligent will choose to love

God is the only solution to our anxieties

The virtue of discipline allows us to do things better

When we are far from God, it is easy for us to be mean to others

Corpus Christi: the real food for the soul

The Resurrection of Jesus exists to promote harmony and peace

After we finish speaking to God, we must take another direction

When we are close to the Lord, we know how to appreciate our families

Our loyalty should be aimed at building unity among us

The Holy Spirit is at work in our lives

This is the time to ask God for His blessings in our lives

True freedom exists when we are obedient to the Lord

It is great to live in the Lord

Conclusion

At a moment when some people seem to dismiss the necessity of the divine in their lives, it is important to remember that we are more than men and women living in this world with the capability of doing bad things. Whether we accept it or not, we all are children of God. Within us there is this divine dimension which gives us the ability to do good things if we remain obedient to God. We all belong to God and not to the State. It means that we must give to God what belongs to God and to the State what belongs to the State. It is important to remember that God teaches us to love one another and to turn the other cheek whenever we are attacked by another person or group of people. This is what He teaches us through His Son Jesus-Christ. In our daily lives, we either acknowledge Him or we ignore Him. An Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, complete ignorance of the presence of another person, this is not the way Jesus wants us to be with people. He wants us to grow spiritually on a daily basis so we may experience happiness. When a messenger of God gives a message which appears to be describing a person's lifestyle that needs to be reformed, no one should receive it as a personal attack directed to him/her. The purpose of the message should not be seen as a judgment rather an invitation to a conversion of heart. Through a priest's sermons, the Holy Spirit calls a person to change his/her life. The enemy, who does not want us to give priority to God, will use all kinds of tactics to undermine the call for us to reform our hearts and our lives. If we decide not to live according to this invitation, we are punishing ourselves and we will miss the most important element of life which is to be at peace with God. How can we be at peace if we don't do our best to walk in the path that He has paved for us? Though some people believe that there is no more sin, and whatever lifestyle a person decides to embrace is Okay; if we are believers, we cannot fool ourselves. We all can make mistakes; but we should not take the license to remain in them for the rest of our lives. It is essential that we become aware of the damage and the seriousness of the situation so that we don't remain in our mediocrity. The Lord gives us His body as food for our salvation. To live according to the sacraments, given to us by Jesus, requires a gesture of humility which gives us the wisdom to choose the Lord and His message instead of being confused and living in the illusions of this world. This is the reason why it takes a lot of courage for a person in this current environment to accept to be a child of God.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Mrs. Jackie Smart, Ana Ramirez, Lia Keen, Andrea Hill, Mrs. Anne Yearwood, Peggy Culkin and others who helped but want to remain anonymous. One way or the other, they all have contributed to the realization of this book.

Prelude

Our life on earth will become less problematic and less difficult when we make the decision to give priority to the Lord God in our lives. Though we may be dealing with challenges and fall into darkness due to the many temptations of life, we should not be discouraged or spend our lives in being negative. If we really take the time to reflect upon the meaning of life, we will understand that there is no need for us to abandon the truth of the faith just because someone is trying to entice us. It does not matter how much money we have or how much love a person can express to us, there will always be something missing within us because no one on earth can satisfy our longing. Ultimately, God is the only one who will fill our emptiness and who will be there with us forever.

Therefore, look for God and remain in the faith because this experience will bring us contentment in our heart when we leave this earthly dwelling. May this book be for everyone who reads it a source of wisdom and desire to reestablish in our lives a sense of priority. Rather than spending our lives in an immature and foolish attitude, we need to live with the purpose of taking the time to praise God as we wait for our last day here on earth. In the meantime, we can all do our best to spread love and build a community of peace and unity in this world.

Foreword

When God intervenes in man’s life, while respecting his freedom, He comes to propose a particular mission, either for that person to change his behavior or for him to go and rescue others who may be trapped in different kinds of addiction. In other words, when God visits a person, there is a reason behind this encounter through which He wants him not only to reform his life but also to be His messenger for an important duty to go and deliver a particular message to others. This can be an encouragement to someone who has lost hope or to be there without saying a word. It means that the intervention of the Lord in our lives always signifies a call for a new life: something needs to be changed so that light can be chosen over the temptations of darkness. The truth is that if we still choose to behave under the influence of impatience, pride, wickedness or any other malice that impedes us from honoring the glory of God on earth, or to showing respect and love to our brothers and sisters, He wants us to change our hearts.

The Lord continues to challenge us, not only through His words in the Scriptures but also through the many messages He is giving us in different realities of life. He is talking to us through various events we may experience in our spiritual journey and also through the celebration of the Eucharist and spiritual activities such as Holy Hours and Rosaries. He challenges even the saints so that they can go and speak on His behalf, which will benefit all His children on earth. It is in the same spirit that St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael, the archangels, were chosen for a specific mission that would bring deliverance and protection as a sign of God’s love for us.

God’s intervention in man’s life is meant primarily to give him salvation, but through a task that may cost his life, as happened in the case of St. John the Baptist. We must understand that if the world has hated Jesus, it will also hate anyone who is doing works of charity or saying the truth because no servant can be greater than His master. In addition, if Jesus has experienced the reality of the cross, as His followers we cannot spend our lives on earth believing that everything will be smooth, without a cross to carry. We all will know the madness of evil, one way or the other, because the devil is at work in our world. We may not know it like the early Christians who were beheaded or devoured by wild animals in arenas because of their faith. However, we will definitely experience the sadness of illness, persecution, betrayal, jealousy and rejection.

The presence of the many trials in our families, particularly with our own children who have abandoned the Faith and the spiritual food we have given them while growing up, can be a discouraging experience. We have to continue praying for their conversion and also for their humility so that they can accept the message of the Lord. In addition, difficulties we experience in our families, in our own Church, at work or elsewhere, are part of the multiple ways the cross can manifest itself in our lives. We must be ready to accept these difficulties and face them, not with frustration and anger but, rather, with an attitude that encourages us to turn to God for strength and support. Nonetheless, we should never fear facing the multiple ways the cross may be present because the Lord is always there with us. He remains with us not to eliminate problems but, instead, to give us new purpose in carrying them in our lives. If we choose to remain faithful, God is always there to give us strength to move forward with the focus on eternal life.

The mystery of life, even in its simplest aspects, will lead us to something that will require an intimate relationship with the Lord. It is this intimacy that will allow us to remain faithful despite the many contradictions we may witness in the world, in the Church or in our relationships. This encounter with the Lord obliges us to a life of trust and fidelity to His words. It will also give us the calmness of mind so that we don’t become scandalized and ready to abandon the faith when evil seems to dominate in our midst.

It is understandable to focus on the weakness of some spiritual leaders and then be quick to react in a negative way, which impedes us from seeing the sacredness and divine dimension of the faith. However, we must do our best to avoid being trapped in things of the world so we may not become blinded. No matter what surprises us or scandalizes us, it is more beneficial to continue our journey and nurture our faith with solid spiritual food because God is the one who is in control. We should not develop habits causing us to look for excuses, which allow us to remain in our mediocrity as if we are only interested about this life on earth. We should not forget that we are all created in the likeness of God and in His image. We all carry within ourselves a divine dimension that calls us to a life of holiness away from anything that enslaves us. It means even though we are sinners, we have to show care and love to ourselves by willing to stop lifestyles that may cause us not to enjoy forever the face of God if we die in a condition without first having the opportunity to repent and confess our sins.

The wisdom of the faith reminds us that we should not only be open to satisfy the human aspect of our being, but we have to also think about our encounter with God, our Creator, at the time of our death. Whether we like it or not, we all will experience a last day here on earth. When we take the time to reflect upon the real identity of our being and the inevitable encounter with the Lord, it changes our vision of life completely in the things we do and even in our way of talking to each other. When we fail to acquire wisdom in recognizing the brevity of our lives, it becomes difficult for us to welcome God through the messages He sends us for our salvation. Consequently, we develop habits which encourage us to fight with people having the illusion that we are courageous. We will even fight with His messengers because they disturb our confused perception of happiness on earth.

As we continue to be blessed with the gift of life, we will all make mistakes; however, we have to reach a level of maturity, which will allow us to accept the truth of the Gospel. It is one thing to be weak and be slow to progress spiritually; it is another thing not to be willing to acknowledge the words of God and His call for us to change our lives. If we choose not to hear the message of God, and accept it, we are harming ourselves. But, if we care about our soul, how can we choose to punish ourselves and refuse to be mastered by God? We must take the time to think properly; otherwise, we will continue to do things based only on emotions, without weighing their consequences. We should not be afraid to be challenged by the words of God because our citizenship is in Heaven. In this world, we are just passing through and we should not think that this is our final destination. Repentance from sins is one of the primary conditions to enter into God’s Kingdom. There will come a moment in each of our lives when we will need to enter into this process of conversion one way or the other.

It is in this spirit that John the Baptist is confused: It is I who need baptism from you, he said, and yet you come to me! (Matt 3:13-17). The one who preaches a baptism of conversion must himself change his heart and be the first to repent. In recognizing his need to change his heart, John accepts to baptize Jesus. It is the same situation, which reminds us about the conversion of Peter who finally allowed Jesus to wash his feet. His hesitation is a sign of disobedience toward the goodness of the Lord to him: Lord, are you going to wash my feet?...You shall never wash my feet. Jesus replied: If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me ( John 13:1-15). But in order to enter into this process of conversion, that we all must do, he changed his mind at the end.

Indeed, Jesus leads us to places where we would not go without His grace. If we don’t think properly and commit ourselves to obey Him in whatever He asks us to do, we will run away from everything because we are scared. But it is important to understand that when God speaks to us, it is because He knows better than anybody else what we should do in our lives. Consequently, we must be ready to hear not only His voice but also to accept the content of His message. If we don’t want to implement what He is asking of us, we will not choose the path He lays in front of us. In this confusion, we will fail to carry on His mission here on earth.

How many men and women who were called to be married and have a family, but because of the difficulties existing in this kind of vocation, ran away from it? In the same way, numerous men and women were chosen to be priests or nuns, with the purpose of doing some specific mission for the Lord, but they chose to reject the call to serve Him in this field. We are free to respond positively to God’s call. Though there is no real punishment for those who decide to do otherwise but, when we think we know better than God what is good for us, we must be ready, and prepared, to face the numerous consequences.

When God chooses something for us, it is because He wants to spare us from crosses that are painful to carry. We may be scared of the sacrifices we must do to accomplish the task. But the reality is that those sacrifices can be less problematic than the difficulties we might experience in the path we want to choose for ourselves. When we decide to make our choice away from what God has proposed to us, it does not mean we will experience the difficulties right away. On the contrary, they will come at a time we don’t expect. One of the crosses that brings doubt and fear to follow Jesus, is because we think that if we are doing God’s work, there should not be any temptation, pain and difficulty. It is an illusion to believe that there is a place on earth without the cross. It is an aberration if, as priests, we are scared of being tempted by the flesh and so decide to abandon everything thinking that to resolve these issues we need to leave the ministry and get married. Being in a relationship of marriage will not resolve the reality of temptations. It is the strength of God that we need in order to go through the numerous difficulties of life. How many married people are tempted by another man or another woman? When they experience such temptations, they are also called to resist by the strength of God rather than abandoning their spouse.

The point is that no one can go to God without something needing to be left behind because, where God is, there cannot be the presence of sin. To some, God will require that we leave our parents to follow Him or to renounce a successful career. To others, He will ask that they abandon their addictions to alcohol, pornography or drugs, and their pride. To every one of us, He continues to bring the invitation to abandon something.

It means that every life will know the reality of the cross whether we want it or not. We cannot run away from it. But the Lord will always grant us the grace to face the presence of the cross if we take the time to pray. He will even help us to carry it if we call upon Him. However, the paths of God are not man’s path. When Jesus asks John the Baptist to baptize Him, He entered into the Jordan’s water and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. But the Holy Spirit is not a dove. He is God, the Third person of the Holy Trinity and He deserves the same obedience we give to the Father. The Holy Spirit is the one who guides us through prayer, devotion, and the Eucharist so that we don’t get lost. It is so easy to be in the Church and at the same time be confused, especially when we have lost the understanding of her spiritual purpose and meaning in our midst. When we fail to see the difference between what faith offers us as a narrow road for our salvation, and what the world prefers to propose as an apparent easy way to reach happiness, we contribute to our own condemnation.

The world never understands God and His Church, and it will not encourage or help anyone to follow God. The following pages are here to accompany anyone who is concerned about the reality of the Last Day and can help shape our relationship with God and with those we meet along our journey. It is a great blessing to be able to become patient, charitable, sincere and faithful, especially in a world where some people choose to be fake, artificial and hypocritical. If you are not interested about becoming a beautiful soul for God, for yourself, and for others, please take caution before entering into these following words of advice. They are meant to free anyone who has been enslaved by the mediocrity of selfishness, individualism and indifference, promoted by our secular culture. We are called to become the person that the Lord has made to bring peace, love and hope wherever we are. Life will be much better for us if we choose to walk with the Lord, who will teach us how to support each other and to be sincere with people. Indeed, when we choose to be hypocritical in everything we do, we will be lonely people. Unfortunately, this is when we become difficult people because we are dealing with issues that need to be resolved in the Lord. We were not created to do bad things. We were created and placed in this world to be beautiful souls that are able to praise the Lord at all times and to be good to others by living in harmony, solidarity and truth with them. There is no need to harm or to betray another person because everything is passing and nothing in this world can really give us eternal happiness. There is no reason for us to have illusions of prejudices thinking that we are better than others; we all will know the reality of death and we all will be turned into dust. The one important thing is to be willing to worship and follow God and to see in everyone a brother or a sister with whom kindness can be shared. This is the source of our strength in order to love, to forgive and to move forward.

Introduction

Since we do have the privilege to carry within ourselves a divine origin, it is important that as men and women living on this planet, we develop a relationship with God, the Creator, who is the source of our existence. It is a duty that we all have: to maintain a close contact with God, especially if we truly want to live our lives fully. It is only by maintaining this intimate contact with God that we will experience happiness while we continue to be alive. God on His part never ceases to communicate with us because He loves us and He does not want us to be lost and trapped by the enemy’s lies.

It is through our conscience that God continues to talk to us and reminds us about our responsibility to be holy, while living in this world. In this sense, holiness means to accept our dependence on God knowing that we cannot live without Him. This is a level of life that can be reached only through the virtue of humility, which will let us discover the shortness of our lives and, therefore, the need to turn to God for guidance in this earthly life. Without this awareness, we will always make wrong choices; we will even eliminate the gift of freedom He has given us, which will have a negative effect on our lives. How many prominent young people or adults, with all material possibilities to be successful, fail to develop an intimacy with God, only to realize that their near future has become a tangled mess?

The truth is that when we have confidence and trust in the Lord, we don’t need to experience drugs, alcohol or promiscuity to be happy. This is the reason why our conscience must be educated in the Lord. Once our conscience is well formed, we will learn how to be obedient to God, not only to praise Him but also to explore the many blessings He has given us. The notion of a well-formed conscience has contributed to society through legislation, and to personal growth in all its human and spiritual dimensions. No matter how we link the concept of conscience, what is certain is that this concept refers to the intimate space that the subject discovers and causes him to pause, when he gets the impression that he can simply do what he wants.

This notion of conscience is destined for humans in general,¹ regardless of their religious beliefs. It is there to help people find the truth so that man may have a profound knowledge of his existence and the prudence for him to have on how to protect it. It is through his conscience that man seeks to know his identity and raises questions about his destiny. This is exactly the point, which was studied by Pope John Paul II in his Encyclical FIDES ET RATIO when he said:

Who am I? Where am I from and where am I going? Why the presence of evil? What will there be after this life? These questions are present in the sacred writings of Israel, but they also appear in the Vedas as well as in the Avesta; we also find them in the writings of Confucius and Lao Tseu, as well as in the preaching of Tirthankaras and Buddha. We can recognize them in the poems of Homer and in the tragedies of Euripides and of Sophocles, as in the philosophical treaties of Plato and Aristotle. These issues have a common source: the pursuit of meaning, which is always pressing in the heart of man, because on the answer to these issues depends the orientation to give to the existence.²

This reality within the human person has undergone numerous changes and continues to experience many names at different times and in different cultures, including the philosophical, psychological, metaphysical and legal levels. Engaging in the analysis of a concept that looks like an inner strength of human importance as to man’s behavior, presents several challenges in an era that promotes entitlement and personal rights. The truth is that faith is not there only to discover the inner reality of man from the outside world, but it is there to help us identify and name the beauty and the importance of conscience, which we carry within ourselves.

The notion of conscience needs to be continuously formed by the words of God and the values of other sciences, which are necessary for a true revelation and identity of the human person. A conscience that wants to operate without the help of spirituality incurs the danger of falling into a one-dimensional perception of the human being from which are excluded key ethical dilemmas and the major issues on the meaning of suffering, death and life. In this day and age, if we want to swim against the current, we must have the breath. However, we must be connected to the breath of Christ; otherwise, we will not have the strength to remain faithful in whatever activities we undertake. When we swim alone, there is the risk for us to abandon the effort because the support and solidarity of others are not there. The Church is the place where we all come to receive our daily bread through the Eucharist. It is designed by God to be the organization intended to accompany us in the many struggles we will know during our spiritual and life journey. This is where we will find comfort, hope and the answer to our many questions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should do our best to be a part of it, not with a lukewarm attitude but, rather, with trust and determination to put God in our lives above all things. This will help us in our efforts to protect the freedom we are currently enjoying and the country that continues to be a place for success to those who appreciate the gift of private property. God has created his children to be free and He wants them to develop principles that protect their freedom to: think, speak, possess, act, choose etc. In an era where some leaders, because of their secular ideologies, want to eliminate these God given gifts in order to control others, enslave them and to have power for themselves, we need to have the courage to be a child of God. It also means that we should never reject the faith for another human person no matter how many material possessions, love or any other earthly treasures that person may give us. A life in the Lord is the only one that will truly satisfy our hearts and never deceive us. This is what the following pages are about to introduce.

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¹ VATICAN II, Gaudium et Spes, Nº 16.

² DC, 1 November 1998, nº 2191, p. 901.

We are all an Artist’s work in this life

As human persons, it is important to know that we are all a valuable piece of art given to us by the Lord and it is our responsibility to take care of it. In other words, there is something beautiful in each of us that needs to be taken care of. We should not do anything mediocre to harm or destroy the component of this piece of art; otherwise, we will never experience peace of heart. Once we know who we are and what we have as a particular human person, we are on our way to the path of righteousness under the Lord’s guidance. The Church’s role is to help us maintain this piece of art, keeping it in good condition so that it will always remain beautiful to the Lord. This is the source of our internal joy in a world filled with much distraction and where people are quick to betray and hurt their loved ones.

It is through the Faith and through the blessings, which we receive in the Eucharist that we will have the focus on the Lord to remain faithful to all the commitments we make. This means we must learn how to safeguard this vital quality to stay away from conflicts and problems that separate us from one another. For example, if nature does not cause us to suffer, we should not seek situations that are impossible and have the potential to cause pain to ourselves and to our families. As young men and women following the words of the Lord, we don’t have to put our fingers into fire to know if it is hot.

Abandoning school, family and the faith to experience freedom and independence leads to falling into mediocrity and darkness of life. In the Lord, we can experience all the freedom and happiness we are looking for. In other words, if we go to school, spending many years learning math, science and the rest, we must aim at obtaining something that can help us shape the piece of art we carry within ourselves. In an era that offers many possibilities to pursue success and accomplishment, we merely cannot give up all the avenues, which would allow us to become a nurse, doctor, lawyer, priest, secretary or any contributor to the development of society. Resorting to live in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship without maturity or without being married through the Church does not offer much future for anyone. Such a decision would harm our piece of art because when there is no commitment, one is exposed to all types of danger. As intelligent people, we can do more than merely having a boyfriend or a girlfriend in our lives; we must have the desire to become somebody: for the Lord, for ourselves, for our families and for society. There is no need to go through the many rituals from kindergarten on up: getting up early in the morning, taking the bus, doing homework and so forth, and not be willing to do something with our years of development to help ourselves and society.

The source of our success is in the Lord because He is love. He offers us the tools needed to be successful. It is through discipline, abstinence, determination and sacrifices, which we can obtain from the words of the Lord that we all can say No to temptations of irresponsibility in our decisions. Unfortunately, in most cases, the girl who failed to finish her school and gave up everything to be with a boyfriend will be the loser. The reality is when a person decides to leave school at an early age and become involved in a relationship and ends up having a child, her piece of art is broken and it will take a lot of time for her to mend it. Most of the time such a person is open to multiple partners, which is a far cry from a solid and stable relationship. As a result, the children will be raised by their grandmother, while their mother continues looking for a man to take care of her. The truth is that the absence of God’s guidance can lead to street life and disaster. Is this not the source of violence in our society today? It is important for young people living in this culture to stay cognizant and see how many young men and women from around the world try to arrive in the United States, possibly illegally, but with the hope of realizing their dream. Therefore, if a child is a citizen or a resident of this country, can speak English and has no troubled past, then he should try to succeed. There are no excuses for this child not to do his best and follow a path toward success. The ability to avoid the darkness of drugs and early relationships are at his fingertips. In the name of the love he has for himself, he should not allow anything else to occur than a better life.

This is the reason why it is beneficial for parents to keep their children in the Church, where they will learn to nurture the existence of their piece of art which they need to protect. Christian education, which is an integral and total education, can help every child become successful in multiple aspects of his life: family life, business, personal life, responsibility and commitment. A soul that is not educated to open itself to the values of the faith, will then be exposed to misery, sufferings and tribulations. One’s responsibility is to keep one’s piece of art always beautiful and without any blemish. Temptations are everywhere, and parents can make sacrifices by going to Mass or Sunday service with their children as a family so that they can learn how to communicate with God.

The Church is a guiding line where we are protected and can learn many virtues such as patience and good decision-making, which will contribute to their happiness on earth. In addition, if we are married, it is good to work on things and improve our communication skills and our respect for each other. If being single is challenging, one should not dwell on one’s fate. It is not good for our spiritual and personal development to put us in relationships that do not help us grow. Such a decision would ultimately hurt us. It means that we must love ourselves; however, we must be patient so that we don’t end up entering into relationships that do not embellish our souls and our pieces of art. We must learn from our mistakes and be ready to move forward and choose the Lord as our daily bread instead of choosing partners who will hurt us and bring more miseries than at the time when we were single.

In The Lord, We Shall Never Be Disturbed

It is important for us as Christian believers to appreciate the values of our faith and share them without any fear. All of us, God’s children, can experience anger during times of challenges and uncertainties because temptations can lead us to an attitude where instead of acting with kindness toward others, we can falter with our mouth. Problems can frighten anyone especially when we fail to recognize the power of the Lord in our lives. Consequently, we become so distracted that we become rude to people as if they are responsible for the many difficulties we experience in our lives. But when we are going through hard times, we have to make sure that we don’t eliminate those who are around us especially when they have nothing to do with our problems. It is important to learn how to avoid an impatient, rude or aggressive attitude toward anyone who is not part of the problems we are experiencing. We have to do our best to follow the Lord because when we act without Him, we do so poorly that we end up hurting ourselves. In addition, it is easy for some of us to be angry at God when we are victims of situations where we lose a job or someone from our family dies. The devil will encourage such an attitude on our part so that we stop our communication with God. But, if we do such a thing, what are we going to obtain from it? The best thing to do when we are challenged by the terrors of life is to put ourselves on our knees and turn to God for guidance and strength. What else can we do?

A life without God leads to darkness, madness and division. The violence we witness in areas of some cities infested with gangs and, which destroys lives of many innocents, is the consequence of a life without God. God is love and when He is not revered in our midst, we can only fall into corruption, hatred and wickedness. We need to look for the presence of the Lord in the daily activities of our lives so that we remain focused on what is right and experience peace. The Lord performs miracles and He changes things that, in a human way, may appear to be impossible and difficult. The enemy, on the other hand, who is the prince of darkness, continues to encourage us to fall into despair, making us believe that we are alone in our problems and the Lord will not help us. Consequently, in several parts of the world, many families dealing with problems of all sorts live in discouragement and frustration. They think that there is no solution to their numerous pains and challenges. In such a situation, we need to have a strong faith and believe that we are not alone in our trials. The Lord will never abandon us; we are His children. Where else can we find support? The Lord encourages us to collaborate with Him by taking the time to pray. It is through prayers that we feel His love.

Prayer is essential in our lives; through it we will acquire patience, hope and trust. It means, in our hectic schedule, it is important that we talk to the Lord and focus our attention one on one with Him. Always pray to God to find ways to deal with issues that may affect us: illness, family problems, personal desires, longings and doubts. To turn to God is an act of obedience, which every person should do while alive. However, it is a blessing for a person to acquire the gift of humility in this life and to know that this is the moment to turn to God and surrender to Him with all our being. The purpose of such an attitude is to let Him be the one who is in charge in this particular problem. When we allow God to take over our daily activities and events of our households, everything becomes so peaceful that we no longer have stress in our lives. The Lord is the master of all life’s expectancies and situations. There is no other path for us as men and women living in this world. Trusting God is to invest everything in Him. This results in peace and beauty.

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