bagheera82

[bagheera82]

What are you holding onto?

What we hold onto matters. Because you and I can only carry so much.

Even though we often act like there’s no limit to what we can carry.

The truth is that everything we pick up, everything we hold onto reduces our capacity to carry other things.

When I would carry my cat (who would randomly decide that he was incapable of movement and was now a limp noodle), I couldn’t also pick up my dog (who had no idea that he weighed 75 pounds) just because he saw the cat and decided that he wanted to be carried as well.

Sorry. I can only carry so much.

That’s not just true for goofy house pets. It’s true for life in general.

Whether we’re talking about pets or groceries, worries or cares, you and I can only carry so much.

And if our hands are full of worries and cares, problems and anxieties, you and I won’t have the capacity to carry other things.

Including things we might actually want (as opposed to worries and cares). Including the good stuff. Like God’s best for our lives.

What works against you and me is habit. We get in a habit of picking stuff up and carrying it around. Just because it wants us to pick it up and carry it around.

Like my limp noodle cat. Who wanted to be carried.

But who would also make a miraculous recovery and start doing unnecessary parkour off the top of the couch. If I didn’t pick him up.

What you and I need to remember is that we have a choice. Just because something wants you to pick it up and carry it around doesn’t mean you have to.

I’m not saying don’t deal with your worries and cares, your problems and anxieties.

But there’s a big difference between dealing with your worries and cares - and picking them up and carrying them around like a beloved pet.

So, how do you do that?

First, know that you have a choice. Then know that you have help.

You don’t have to deal with your worries and cares (or even carry them around) by yourself.

In fact, you shouldn’t. Because holding onto your worries and cares, your problems and anxieties is one of the subtlest forms of the dreary old sin of pride.

And there is nothing so effective at separating you and me from the ones who love us best (including God) like pride. It does that by making sure that our hands are full, that we have no room for the good that anyone would do for us (including God).

Instead, take the help offered by the One who loves you best.

No matter what it is. No matter what wants you to pick it up and carry it around.

God isn’t just waiting to help you. God wants to help you.

Not someday, when you’ve got it all figured out. But right now, when you don’t.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”

Today’s Readings

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You deserve someone who does these things for you! ❤️ Webtoon Link!

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Why do you believe?

Why do you believe?

It’s a question that gets a lot of different answers.

Sometimes the answer sounds like they memorized the Catechism.

Other times, it’s a personal version of the 19th Psalm – “the heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament shows forth His handiwork.”

Sometimes it’s the fruit of years of study and deep thinking.

Other times, it’s the story of a life-changing moment.

Sometimes the answer can be heart-breaking.

Or, they may not be able to put it into words at all. Except to say that they do believe.

Which answer is the right one? Which answer is best?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus responds to Philip’s struggle to believe this way, “believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.”

Which means that God’s answer to the question – “which answer is best?” – is a simple “Yes.”

As God sees it, they are all the right answers.

Whether it’s something from the Catechism that’s stayed with you since you were a child. Or the glory of God’s creation that speaks to your heart.

Whether it’s the story of a life-changing moment. Or something you can’t put into words.

If it leads you to the God who has always loved you?

If it helps you to drop everything that wants to get in the way? So that can you turn towards Home, so that you can rush headlong towards the One who is waiting for you with open arms?

Then that’s the best answer.

Today’s Readings

[bagheera82]

Why do you believe?

Why do you believe?

It’s a question that gets a lot of different answers.

Sometimes the answer sounds like they memorized the Catechism.

Other times, it’s a personal version of the 19th Psalm – “the heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament shows forth His handiwork.”

Sometimes it’s the fruit of years of study and deep thinking.

Other times, it’s the story of a life-changing moment.

Sometimes the answer can be heart-breaking.

Or, they may not be able to put it into words at all. Except to say that they do believe.

Which answer is the right one? Which answer is best?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus responds to Philip’s struggle to believe this way, “believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.”

Which means that God’s answer to the question – “which answer is best?” – is a simple “Yes.”

As God sees it, they are all the right answers.

Whether it’s something from the Catechism that’s stayed with you since you were a child. Or the glory of God’s creation that speaks to your heart.

Whether it’s the story of a life-changing moment. Or something you can’t put into words.

If it leads you to the God who has always loved you?

If it helps you to drop everything that wants to get in the way? So that can you turn towards Home, so that you can rush headlong towards the One who is waiting for you with open arms?

Then that’s the best answer.

Today’s Readings

[bagheera82]

I don’t feel God any more

“I don’t feel God any more…”

It may not start like this. But this is at the heart of countless conversations I’ve had with people about God. And their relationship with God.

I’m humbled by their trust. And I’m impressed by the courage that it takes to talk about it with somebody in a clergy collar.

For most of us, a moment like this comes from two places – kind of at the same time. Something traumatic. Whether it happened to us or we did it doesn’t make much difference. Plus our feelings about it.

Fueled by our memories of whatever it was, if we’re not careful (and sometimes even if we are) our feelings can grow until they come between us and others. Blocking our connections with others. Making us feel cut off from even our closest relationships. Including God.

When this happens to us, we need two things. Help dealing with whatever is at the source of our feelings that are cutting us off. And assurance that no permanent damage has been done. That someone is still there for us.

Which is why today’s Gospel is so important. No one who comes to God can be separated from God. Even by the worst things in life. Whether it happened to us. Or we did it ourselves.

As Jesus puts it, “No one can take them out of my hand.”

And that includes us. We can’t do it either. Which means that our relationship with God doesn’t depend on how we feel.

God loves us too much to let the worst things in life – or our feelings about them – get in the way.

If you think about it, this shouldn’t surprise us. Because the best relationships in our lives are like that.

As with real friends, healthy marriages, there’s more there than just feelings.

Why would it be any different with God? I mean, where do you think we got it from?

If this is where you find yourself (and we all do at one point or another, if we’re honest), don’t try to go it alone. And don’t beat yourself up.

Get the help you need. And know that God will always be there for you.

No matter how you feel.

Today’s Readings

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[bagheera82]

//ch1112

in York's talk with Mars, she says something that the unofficial translation put as "we don't wanna rack up any more sins. our relationship is already troubled enough." what do you think she's referring to?? what does she say in the original?

[chapter 1112 spoilers!]

so as i understand it, she's basically saying that the actions of the other vegapunks risk endangering her own relationship with the five elder stars.

the word she uses that's translated by the unofficial scans as 'sin' is 罪/tsumi, which can also mean 'crime' (it's one of the central words of enies lobby, which is why a lot of translations of that arc use 'sin' and 'crime' interchangeably) and then the verb is the passive form of 重ねる/kasaneru, meaning 'to pile up.' so the first half of this phrase is basically "if these crimes are allowed to keep piling up..."

and then the second half is あんたらと付き合い辛くなる/antara to tsukiaidzurakunaru. antara to is like 'relating to you (plural)', and then tsukiaidzurakunaru is a way of saying like 'fed up with' or 'enough is enough.' so the full line is like, "if these crimes (by the other vegapunks) are allowed to keep piling up, then you all will get fed up with me."

[bagheera82]

How can you tell?

When you read the Bible, you’re going to run into a lot of ideas about it.

Some of them are helpful. Some of them are just weird. Some of them are anything but helpful.

Some of the most harmful? The ones that boil down to making the Bible say what you want it to.

Sadly, no one has a monopoly on abusing the Bible this way. The people who do it come from every political and theological corner you can think of.

One of the worst? Picking and choosing what parts of the Bible to read literally (this happened, here’s what God said, etc.) and what parts to read as allegory or myth (a story is being told to make a point, a legend that reveals something about God, etc.).

Not that we shouldn’t do that. We should read the literal stuff as literal and the allegories as allegory. It’s just that some of the ideas about how to do that are so easily abused.

And easily used to abuse.

So how can you tell?

It’s easier than you think. You don’t need a degree in literature or theology.

Because you’re already doing it. Here’s what I mean:

“A sower went out to so some seed. And as he sowed, some of the seed fell on…”

Right. Before Jesus unpacks it, you know that this one is an allegory. It has that “once upon a time” feel to it.

But even if the farmer was an actual person, that’s not why Jesus is telling the story.

Jesus is not critiquing first century agricultural practices. Jesus is using the story to make a point. And we all know it.

Today’s Gospel is the bread of life discourse, where Jesus tells people that He is the bread of life. And then goes on to explain exactly what He means.

There are a lot of people who want this to be an allegory. For a lot of reasons.

It’s not.

How can I say that? How can you tell that Jesus is being literal about this one?

The reactions it gets. And way the way Jesus responds to those reactions.

The first time Jesus announces that He is the bread of life, no one who heard it understood it as an allegory.

How do I know this? Their reaction – “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?”  

Making it clear that they have it right, that this is no metaphor, Jesus doesn’t explain the symbolism (like He does with the parable of the sower).

Instead (in tomorrow’s Gospel), Jesus doubles down on what He said, on what they’re hanging up on. “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you.”

Making it clear that they understood Jesus to be speaking literally?

The way that people respond to Jesus doubling down - many of them quit following Jesus and leave.

That’s not how people respond to an allegory. Nobody leaves after Jesus explains the parable of the sower.

If you ever wondered why Catholics are so hung up on the Eucharist? Why we believe what we believe?

This is what’s behind it.

We’re just taking Jesus at His word. And then trying to live it.

That’s the formula for everything that’s right about our Faith. And something we cannot do enough.

Today’s Readings

[bagheera82]

How can you tell?

When you read the Bible, you’re going to run into a lot of ideas about it.

Some of them are helpful. Some of them are just weird. Some of them are anything but helpful.

Some of the most harmful? The ones that boil down to making the Bible say what you want it to.

Sadly, no one has a monopoly on abusing the Bible this way. The people who do it come from every political and theological corner you can think of.

One of the worst? Picking and choosing what parts of the Bible to read literally (this happened, here’s what God said, etc.) and what parts to read as allegory or myth (a story is being told to make a point, a legend that reveals something about God, etc.).

Not that we shouldn’t do that. We should read the literal stuff as literal and the allegories as allegory. It’s just that some of the ideas about how to do that are so easily abused.

And easily used to abuse.

So how can you tell?

It’s easier than you think. You don’t need a degree in literature or theology.

Because you’re already doing it. Here’s what I mean:

“A sower went out to so some seed. And as he sowed, some of the seed fell on…”

Right. Before Jesus unpacks it, you know that this one is an allegory. It has that “once upon a time” feel to it.

But even if the farmer was an actual person, that’s not why Jesus is telling the story.

Jesus is not critiquing first century agricultural practices. Jesus is using the story to make a point. And we all know it.

Today’s Gospel is the bread of life discourse, where Jesus tells people that He is the bread of life. And then goes on to explain exactly what He means.

There are a lot of people who want this to be an allegory. For a lot of reasons.

It’s not.

How can I say that? How can you tell that Jesus is being literal about this one?

The reactions it gets. And way the way Jesus responds to those reactions.

The first time Jesus announces that He is the bread of life, no one who heard it understood it as an allegory.

How do I know this? Their reaction – “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?”  

Making it clear that they have it right, that this is no metaphor, Jesus doesn’t explain the symbolism (like He does with the parable of the sower).

Instead (in tomorrow’s Gospel), Jesus doubles down on what He said, on what they’re hanging up on. “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you.”

Making it clear that they understood Jesus to be speaking literally?

The way that people respond to Jesus doubling down - many of them quit following Jesus and leave.

That’s not how people respond to an allegory. Nobody leaves after Jesus explains the parable of the sower.

If you ever wondered why Catholics are so hung up on the Eucharist? Why we believe what we believe?

This is what’s behind it.

We’re just taking Jesus at His word. And then trying to live it.

That’s the formula for everything that’s right about our Faith. And something we cannot do enough.

Today’s Readings

[bagheera82]

Psalm 60:11-12 NLT 11 Oh, please help us against our enemies,     for all human help is useless. 12 With God’s help we will do mighty things,     for he will trample down our foes.

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[bagheera82]

Angry

Have you ever known someone who was angry with everyone and everything, including God?

That anger can come from a lot of different places.

Sometimes it comes from loss.

Sometimes it comes from failure.

Sometimes it comes from fear.

Wherever it comes from, that anger is a sign.

It’s the sign of someone who has been hurt by people or by life. Maybe even by themselves.

That anger is also a response.

They’re trying to deal with something that wounded them at the deepest level.

They’re trying to protect themselves from ever being hurt that way again.

They’re lashing out. Often at those who had nothing to do with hurting them. Including God.

So how do we deal with those people?

The same way that God does. It’s what Jesus is showing us in today’s Gospel.

We deal with those people who are lost in their anger by not rejecting them.

This is not a passive thing. It’s more than sitting there, not doing…whatever to them.

This is an intentional, deliberate, aggressive refusal to reject them. An active, in-your-face love. A holy love.

It’s the love that God pours out without measure into our hearts. And theirs.

It’s the only thing that will ever work.

Only God’s love can deal with that kind of anger.

Only God’s love can heal that kind of hurt.

Today’s Readings

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God listens to you

There are times when the Bible shows us the heart of God. Today’s Gospel is one of them.

When the crowd asks Jesus, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?” Their words are laced with vanity, with cynicism.

They’re not like the father who’s desperate to have his son healed. Who cries out to Jesus, “Lord, I believe – help my unbelief!”

What they’re really saying is, “Impress me. Entertain me.”

So where the do we see the heart of God in this? We see it with how Jesus responds.

Jesus isn’t distracted by their vanity. Or their cynicism.

Jesus doesn’t tell them to come back with an honest request, when they have the courage to actually say what they mean.

Instead, Jesus hears the desperate need that they’re hiding behind that veneer of vanity and cynicism. He hears what they are afraid to actually say.

Jesus hears their fear of what other people will think. He hears their fear of disappointment – of having someone fail them or betray them. Again.

Jesus responds not to their words, but to their needs. To the hidden, heartfelt plea that they’re afraid to even put into words.

This is the heart of God.

God loves us so much that He gives us what we need, not what we say we want.

God doesn’t turn us away because of our prayers, or how we pray, or our attitude, or what we ask for.

God loves you so much that He doesn’t listen to what you say. God listens to you.

God sees through all of the externals, even in our prayers, to answer not what we asked for, but to answer our needs. To answer us.

God understands our prayers better than we do.

Today’s Readings

[bagheera82]

God listens to you

There are times when the Bible shows us the heart of God. Today’s Gospel is one of them.

When the crowd asks Jesus, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?” Their words are laced with vanity, with cynicism.

They’re not like the father who’s desperate to have his son healed. Who cries out to Jesus, “Lord, I believe – help my unbelief!”

What they’re really saying is, “Impress me. Entertain me.”

So where the do we see the heart of God in this? We see it with how Jesus responds.

Jesus isn’t distracted by their vanity. Or their cynicism.

Jesus doesn’t tell them to come back with an honest request, when they have the courage to actually say what they mean.

Instead, Jesus hears the desperate need that they’re hiding behind that veneer of vanity and cynicism. He hears what they are afraid to actually say.

Jesus hears their fear of what other people will think. He hears their fear of disappointment – of having someone fail them or betray them. Again.

Jesus responds not to their words, but to their needs. To the hidden, heartfelt plea that they’re afraid to even put into words.

This is the heart of God.

God loves us so much that He gives us what we need, not what we say we want.

God doesn’t turn us away because of our prayers, or how we pray, or our attitude, or what we ask for.

God loves you so much that He doesn’t listen to what you say. God listens to you.

God sees through all of the externals, even in our prayers, to answer not what we asked for, but to answer our needs. To answer us.

God understands our prayers better than we do.

Today’s Readings

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