Fishmail Insights

Sunday

When we give free service to the poor, the word 'free' reminds us that we must depend on Divine Providence. Freely we have received, now freely we give. That means we do have government grants, we are not maintained by the church, we have no salary. That is why we must protect that word 'free.' We cant allow people to take it from us, to spoil it. We must keep everything simple, not demanding extra or unnecessary things.

 
~freedom can be spoiled in numerous ways.  the number one way is the discontent ment caused by materialism.  By wanting something that you dont have, or somebody else has you are burdened.  Always worrying and being unhappy, you cannot be free.  iIt is wise to be "free" in your charitable acts.  That is doing good without needing compensation for your deeds.  To do something for the sake of rewards is also burdensome.  To waste time on what you feel you deserve destroys the nature of the charitable act.  a charitable act is its own great reward...
 
Saturday

God has shown his greatness by using nothingness. Let us give God free hand to use without consulting us. Let us accept whatever he givees and give whatever he takes with a big smile.

 
~It is my utmost desire in life to live simply.  it is a very hard task to follow through in this world we live in.  i do try as i tend to be content with what i have instead on dwelling on things that i want.  I do get lost in the scheme of things periodically when i dream of something that i think will fill my life perfectly.  I should realize that life is not about getting what you want, but making good with what you already have.  That is the key to life, and the key to happiness...
but my heart is stubborn and myself am still imperfect, but it is a goal to strive for... to be simple...
 
Friday

We must be the light of charity. Charity and humility are twins born of sanctity.

 
~greed and pride go hand in hand.  Those who accumulate much possesions tend to flaunt them to measure their worth against others.  Those are the opposite vices for the virtues of charity and humilty.  We can clearly see the distinction between the two in a comparison.  A humble man does not measure his worth in his material objects.  He does not boast of himself as he understands that in life there will be something better than he.  He does not horde materials because he understands that there will be others with better possesions then he.  a humble man is easily a charitable man because he realizes that there are those who are less fortunate then he and he makes a decision that fits his nature because he does not believe that his status has a priority over any body.  He is not better than anybody, so why should anybody be less fortunate then he.
 
Thursday

We must be convinced that nothing adorns a human soul with greater splendor than the virtue of chasity and nothing defiles a human soul than the opposite vice. Yet the glory of chasity is not in immunity from temptation-it is in victory over temptaions. A chaste person is not free from temptations but overcomes them.

 
~Chastity is a virtue that constitutes great strength.  Those who hold on to this virtue should be honored and admired.  These people understand that in life they always have a choice.  A choice to do bad and a choice to do good.  Usually the easier choice would be to take the route that is more pleasurable at that moment in time.  Robert Frost once wrote (i dont know how many times ive mentioned this quote in my entries... if it's repetitive just bear with me, or you can suggest a more modern version of it) "when come across a fork in the road, i chose the path less traveled..."  Chastity in itself is the understanding of giving up those pleasurable easy moments because they aren't eternal.  They are fleeting and short-lived.  As much as they would want to choose that road, they resist because they are saving themselves for something greater down the line.  It takes so much inner strength each time you reach that fork in the road... to keep choosing the better path because the regular path is so easy to traverse.  For those who have made the choice to better themselves realize that in the future all those times of waiting and resisting temptation was truly worth it.