October 6, 2018

Understanding God's life in us

1. Creation - "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day." (Genesis 1:31)

2. Mercy – "As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked tum from his way and live; tum back, tum back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of lsrael?" (Ezekiel 33:11)

3. Sanctification

Scripture quotes on Sanctification

"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life." (Romans 6:22)

"Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."' (Luke 9:62)

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:43-45)

Definition of Virtue

Moral virtue is a disposition to behave in the right manner and as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess with respect to the person.

Magnanimity:

St. Thomas Aquinas describes it as a "stretching forth of the mind to great things." The magnanimous person seeks to do great acts, "things as are deserving of honor."

Pusillanimity:

Its Latin origin - pusillus and animus - tells us that pusillanimous means "very small spirit."

Examples of Greatness of Spirit

St. Gregory the Great - 6th Century Rome St. Pope John Paul II

St. Paul – from zealous persecutor to pillar of the early Church

And from the throne come a voice crying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” (Rev. 19:5)