Spirituality cafe."GOD of the city, God of the tenement A comprehensive legal term for any type of property of a permanent nature—including land, houses, and other buildings as well as rights attaching thereto, such as the right to collect rent. and the house of the rich, God of the subway and the night club, God of the cathedral and the streets, God of the sober and the drunk, the junkie junkie Popular health A popular term for a person, usually an IV narcotic abusing addict, whose life is disorganized vis-á-vis family and societal structure, whose existence revolves around obtaining–often through theft, prostitution or other illicit and the stripper Stripper Slang for an individual homeowner who strips the equity out of his or her home through mortgage refinancing. Proceeds are generally not re-invested, but spent on consumer goods. Notes: Most people get rich by saving and investing wisely. , the gambler and the good family man; dear God, help us to see the world and its children through your eyes, and to love accordingly." (Monica Furlong furlong: see English units of measurement. , in Short Prayers for the Long Day; Liguori, 1996) IN THIS SEASON. February brings not only Black History Month and Presidents' Day Pres·i·dents' Day n. The third Monday in February, observed in the United States as a legal holiday in commemoration of the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Noun 1. , but also Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. . And Mother Teresa spoke about love--especially "love begins at home"--perhaps more than anything else: "Love is not something that fossilizes, but something that lives. Works of love Works of Love (Danish:Kjerlighedens Gjerninger) is a work by Søren Kierkegaard (1847) dealing primarily with Christian love. Kierkegaard uses this value / virtue to understand the existence and relationship of the individual Christian. are the way to peace. And where does this love begin? Right in our hearts. We must know that we have been created for greater things, not jut to be a number in the world not just to go for diplomas and degrees, this work and that work. We have been created order to love and to be loved." (Mother Teresa, Essential Writings; Orbis, 2001) KINDNESS. At a time when the U.S. is preparing to go to war in the Middle East, this from FDR: "Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough." (Franklin D. Roosevelt, quoted in Wisdom for Life's Journey; Jossey-Bass, 2002) PRAYER. Another great contemporary prayer from the pen of Mary Gordon Mary Catherine Gordon (born December 8 1949) is an American writer best known for her novels, memoirs and literary criticism. They constitute an important contribution to Irish-American literature. , this one called For Those Whose Work is Invisible: "For those who paint the undersides of boats, makers of ornamental drains on roofs too high to be seen; for cobblers who labor over inner soles; for seamstresses who stitch the wrong sides of linings; for scholars whose research leads to no obvious discovery. "For dentists who polish each gold surface of the fillings of upper molars; for sewer engineers and those who repair water mains; for electricians; for artists who suppress what does injustice to their visions; for surgeons whose sutures are things of beauty. "For all those whose work is for Your eye only, who labor for Your entertainment or their own, who sleep in peace or do not sleep in peace, knowing their efforts are unknown. "Protect them from down-heartedness and from diseases of the eye. "Grant them perseverance Perseverance See also Determination. Ainsworth redid dictionary manuscript burnt in fire. [Br. Hist.: Brewer Handbook, 752] Call of the Wild, The dogs trail steadfastly through Alaska’s tundra. [Am. Lit. , for the sake of Your love, which is humble, invisible and heedless of reward." (Mary Gordon, quoted in God is Love; Augsburg Books, 2003) IN PRACTICE. Presidents' Day needn't be reserved for leaders from the past. Jimmy Carter, recent recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. , shows wisdom still. "One way of testing whether our priorities are correct is to get into the habit of speaking to God, in prayer, about the things we want. If we take prayer seriously and really open ourselves to the presence of Christ whenever we pray, we'll find that our desires and wishes will be directed into channels that are truly nurturing and healthy. Imagine kneeling in your bedroom and praying, `In the name of Christ, my Savior, let me obtain a new computer or automobile, or the farm next door.' Prayers like this sound wrong, almost shockingly so. We all have self-centered desires like these, but if we try to share them with God, their shallowness becomes apparent." (Jimmy Carter, Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith; Times Books, 1997) |
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