Greed: Selfish Desire

~~~ Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23~~

~~Psalm 90~~ Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11~~Luke 12:13-21~~

“Take care to guard against all greed,

for though one may be rich,

one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

The dictionary defines greed as...

intense and selfish desire for something, 

especially wealth, power, or food.

When an individual becomes strangled by greed

 they can never be satisfied...

there is always something more they desire.

Greed leaves the soul starving for something 

that it does not recognize.

Greed robs the soul of finding peace of heart.

Greed exhausts one's ability to rest.

One cannot rest when there is always something more.

In order to get more they must be in a constant state of acquisition.

God gives us his peace.

Peace never emerges out of greed.

We hear in scripture that 

'love of money is the root of all evil'...

(1Tim.6:10)

Greed keeps one hungry day and night.

Greed cannot quiet the grumbling stomach.

Greed does not come from God.

Perhaps the first sin in the Garden of Eden

was ultimately the first sin of greed.

The temptation of greed was disguised in a luscious

 piece of sweet juicy fruit.

No matter how much we desire or what we 

acquire in our lifetime

none of it gets you into the gates of heaven.

We must find a way to accumulate the intangible.

We must become 

 '...rich in what matters to God.'

It is only God that can

 satisfy the greed of our heart.

He can only do that if we keep 

our tendencies toward greed under control.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Greed is not the path to heaven.

Greed holds one on the race track 

with no finish line in sight.

Christ is all and in all.

There is no room for greed.

None of our earthly possessions

 will make it into eternity with our soul.

Blessings...

greed cannot be the way.

~~~Peace~~~

The Divine Potter

~~~ Jeremiah 18:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Matthew 13:47-53 ~~~

This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

Rise up, be off to the potter’s house;

there I will give you my message.

What kind of message can you get from 

a lifeless ball of clay?

Perhaps it is a message of hope.

The potter tirelessly works the clay...

the potter picks up the clay...

the potter caresses the clay...

the potter develops a love relationship with the clay. 

Jeremiah had to get up and go down

 to the potter's house.

We do likewise when get up and go to our churches.

The potter's workshop houses all that is needed

 to make the most beautiful piece of pottery.

When we rise up and go to Mass

the potter has the unique opportunity to create

a most beautiful piece of pottery.

The potter desires to create you into his masterpiece.

A vessel ready to be cured in the fire.

A vessel too beautiful to be taken for granted.

The Divine Potter is waiting to mold you on his wheel.

Rise up, be off to the potter’s house...

Rise and go up to the potter's house

he is waiting for you.

The master potter has great plans

to mold you into the most beautiful vessel imaginable.

I am reminded that the clay is not in charge.

The clay does not act alone.

The clay ultimately surrenders

 to the skilled hands of the potter.

I invite you to picture yourself in the hands of Jesus.

Allow him to form you into His beautiful piece of pottery.

You are unique.

The potter calls you his beloved.

Always Blessed with hope in the potter's hands.

Always loved in the potter's hands.

Always treasured in the potter's hands.

~~~ Peace ~~~

A Parent's Influence

~~~ Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne ~~~

~~~ Jeremiah 14:17-22 ~~~ Psalm 79 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 13:36-43 ~~~

We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness,

the guilt of our fathers;

that we have sinned against you.

In the garden of life there are some flowers 

like people who capture your attention.

Many times we are told that it is our 

childhood that is the cause of our adult problems.

Many times we are led to believe 

that our parents did something wrong.

Many times we blame our parents for our own shortcomings.

Today we remember the parents of the Blessed Mother, Mary.

Anne and Joachim raised their daughter 

to be the wonderful woman God chose to carry 

Our Lord, Jesus into our world.

God honored Anne and Joachim

by sending his angel Gabriel to their daughter

with the news of her Immaculate Conception.

Mary's parents filled her with love and goodness.

Mary's parents taught her to be open to the voice of God.

Mary's parents raised her to be humble.

Mary's parents valued her purity of mind, body, and heart.

Mary's parents modeled sincerity, truth, and integrity.

Today we honor Anne and Joachim

because they were vital in preparing the Blessed Mother

 to speak her words of the Magnificat.

Is it not you alone, O LORD,

our God, to whom we look?

You alone have done all these things.

May these wonderful parents, Anne and Joachim,

 inspire us to raise their own children with pure 

love and true integrity.

Saints Anne and Joachim,

pray for us.

We give you thanks 

for your beloved daughter, Mary

~~~ Peace~~~

The Persistent Stream

~~~ Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~ Genesis 18:20-32~~Psalm 138 ~~ 

~~~ Colossians  2:12-14 ~~~ Luke 11:1-13 ~~~

...he will get up to give him whatever he needs

because of his persistence...

The dictionary defines persistence...

the quality that allows someone to continue doing something

 or trying to do something even though it is difficult 

or opposed by other people...

the state of occurring or existing beyond the usual, 

expected, or normal time

Perhaps our experience of persistence does 

make us think of children.

When a parent is confronted with the persistence

 of a toddler one tactic is to create a distraction.

Maybe we recall the well known story 

of the hare and the tortoise when we think of persistence.

The tortoise is a prime example of the rewards of being persistent.

He wins the race...

Is your prayer life about winning the race?

When it comes to our prayer life

we, as adults, are encouraged to be persistent.

...ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you. 

We are encouraged to keep praying 

even though it is difficult.

We are encouraged to keep praying 

even though we do not feel God is listening.

We are encouraged to keep praying

even though others tell us it is a waste of time.

Are we foolish to believe that persistence 

is useful when it comes to our selfish wants and needs?

Persistence in prayer helps us to overcome all odds

 that life appears to be against us.

Our prayer life must not be defeated

by those who tell us it does not make a difference.

Persistence in prayer must also to be supported by humility.

Persistence in prayer means to keep asking

with the knowledge that we will accept God's will.

Persistence in prayer carries us beyond

 our own shortcomings.

Persistence in prayer solidifies our faith.

Jesus gives us the words of the Our Father.

Saint Paul tells us to pray 

without ceasing.

Lord, on the day I called for help, 

you answered me.

We can only fail in our prayer life 

when we give up....when we stop having

 hope in the Lord.

When it comes to your prayer life

it is wonderful to be hard headed and persistent.

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, 

the stream always wins; not through strength

 but through persistence.

Wise words from Buddha.

Prayer in our life must be like a stream

 quietly flowing through our souls.

Blessings of persistence in prayer.

~~~Peace~~~

Feast of Mary Magdalene, Apostle

~~~ Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene ~~~

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:

the old things have passed away;

behold, new things have come.

Mary Magdalene was the first one to witness 

Christ as the new creation.

The Resurrection put an end to the old things.

The Resurrection gives us evidence of the new things.

Mary Magdalene was the messenger commissioned, 

by Jesus himself, to carry the 'new creation' 

news to the apostles.

Mary Magdalene emerged out of the old ways.

She encountered Jesus and from then on she 

believed that he the one true Messiah.

She saw in Jesus the hope for a better future.

Jesus saw in Mary a woman of great potential

 in spite her demonic possession...so he cured her.

Jesus cured Mary and she too became a new creation.

She became a devout believer and follower of Jesus.

She loved Jesus for the person he was...both divine and human.

She had no way of knowing the human Jesus 

she so loved and honored was also the divine person

 who would die to save the whole world.

...go to my brothers and tell them,

‘I am going to my Father and your Father,

to my God and your God.’

Easter morning it was Mary Magdalene

who first saw the Risen Jesus.

He called her be name and her heart

 leaped with joy.

I can only imagine her 

surprise to hear him call her by name.

She came alone expecting to find 

everything as it had been left.

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,

“I have seen the Lord,”

and then reported what he told her.

St. Thomas Aquinas, referred to St. Mary Magdalene

 as “Apostle of the Apostles,” because she was the one 

who announced Jesus’ resurrection to them and the world.

This woman should be an inspiration to all women.

She was given the most important role 

in proclaiming the Resurrection.

She was entrusted to deliver the news accurately 

in a timely manner.

Pope Benedict XVI’s reflection on Mary Magdalene in 2006:

 “A disciple of Christ is one who, in the experience of human weakness, 

has had the humility to ask for his help, has been healed 

by him and has set out following closely after him, 

becoming a witness of the power of his merciful 

love that is stronger than sin and death,”

 the emeritus pope wrote.

Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for us.

Blessings for all the faithful followers of Christ.

~~~Peace~~~

Keeping the Soul Soil Rich

~~~ Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ Matthew 13:1-9 ~~~ 

Whoever has ears ought to hear...

Jesus often spoke in parables inspired by his surroundings.

These parables hold meanings for us today.

The parable of the sower and the seeds

 is the current reading.

We are familiar with the seeds 

falling on different types of soil.

The prophets moved about the peoples 

spreading the seeds of God.

They did indeed experience the 

different types of soil.

Some of their words fell on the path...

some fell on rocky ground...a few fell

 on rich fertile soil.

Jesus too had the same experience 

with not just his precious words.

but his actions too.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...

We might ask ourselves if God 

has known us from our conception

then why do we struggle with Jesus?

God never just speaks to us 

in words and phrases we want to hear.

From our conception our soul was 

prepared to receive the goodness of the Lord.

We were born with rich soul soil...

It is up to us to keep that soil in pure condition.

It is up to us to remove the rocks and weeds.

We are responsible to hear the words of the parable;

as words meant for us in the present time.

Have no fear before them,

because I am with you to deliver you...

The Lord gives us his grace to know how

 to keep our soul in the listening mode.

To root up and to tear down,

to destroy and to demolish,

to build and to plant.

As we grow in holiness we learn to root up...to tear down...

all that spoils our rich soil.

We learn to destroy the weeds in our souls.

We develop the strength to demolish 

the rocks along our path.

Whoever has ears ought to hear...

Listen carefully to the words of Jesus.

They are words to build upon for our future challenges.

They are words to till the soil ready to receive

 the seeds of love, peace, and forgiveness.

Have no fear before them,

because I am with you to deliver you...

Maintaining the soil of our soul...

keeping it rich, requires a current relationship with Jesus.

Those who have ears must hear the 

words of everlasting life.

Jesus speaks them directly

 into your heart.

Blessed with rich soil.

Blessed to find the weeds.

Blessed to remove the rocks.

Blessed to believe that Jesus is speaking to me.

~~~Peace~~~

Nurture Your Soul

~~Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~

~~~Genesis 18:1-10A ~~~ Psalm 15 ~~~

~~~ Colossians 1:24-28 ~~~ Luke 10:38-42 ~~~

Hospitality, Generosity, Stillness, Anxiety...

Martha and Mary, two sisters who showed their love

 for Jesus in very different ways.

Mary who sat beside the Lord at his 

feet listening to him speak. 

Martha, burdened with much serving, 

came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care

that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving...

Martha thought it important to prepare

 a good meal; to serve Jesus.

She wanted to nourish his physical body.

She was busy in the kitchen. 

She could not hear what Jesus was saying.

The two sisters did not get to see Jesus very often.

They were excited that he came to visit them in their home.

Jesus came to get away from the crowds.

Jesus came to relax with his friends.

He could just be his natural self...he was 

comfortable in their company.

Mary sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 

Mary did not want to waste any time being near to Jesus.

She sat at his feet soaking up every word he spoke.

She relished to hear the stories of his travels.

She was eager to hear how people received him.

She was mesmerized with the healings of how 

he had helped so many people.

The beauty of this story is that Jesus accepted 

both of these women for who they were.

Both are beautiful examples for us.

We need to have spiritual balance in our life.

Jesus does not expect us to pray exclusively.

Jesus does not expect us to go

 out each day and just do good works.

We need to have both prayer and good 

works in order to have a rich fertile spiritual life.

...it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.

Find ways to bring prayer and good works into your life;

this is how you nurture your soul.

Be the goodness in our world

 that you want to see. 

Be the peace in our world

 that you want to experience.

Be the love in the world

that you want to feel.

Be still for the presence of the Lord.

He has not abandoned us...

near to all who call on him.

Blessings

Let there be Peace in our world.

I Will Give You Rest

~~~ Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19 ~~~ Psalm 102 ~~~ Matthew 11:28-30 ~~~

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest...

We often find ourselves overwhelmed by the simple word 'yes'.

We don't realize how many commitments we have 

made until we feel over extended. 

In our endeavor to please others, we say 'yes'.

In our desire to do more for others, we say 'yes'.

In our mistaken self worth, we say 'yes'.

Today Jesus invites us to bring those feelings to him.

He is the one who will give us more clarity.

He is the one who will bring peace to our 

soul with each new endeavor.

Come to me...

Jesus will give you rest.

Jesus will help you arrange your life in the proper order.

Jesus will guide you to the best times to say 'yes'.

We can only find rest in the Lord.

Which means first we must turn toward him.

Jesus knows what is in our heart.

...I will give you rest...

Jesus knows how to give us true rest...

rest from our weary soul searching...

rest from our frustrations...

rest from our fears and anxieties.

...learn from me,

for I am meek and humble of heart...

Learn from Jesus, nothing is too small...

nothing too great to bring before him.

It is best to put our selfishness aside.

We are not self sufficient.

We cannot solve all of the problems

 of the world single-handedly.

Coming to the Lord means we trust

 in his intervention.

Coming to the Lord means we believe

 he will show us the way.

Coming to the Lord means admitting

 that we need him every day of our lives.

Jesus gives us rest because he is willing to take all of our burdens.

He is near enough to make a difference in your life.

He desires for you to bring him all 

of your burdens...trials...fears...and anxieties.

You are not alone in this world.

Talk with Jesus...he cares so much for you.

He does not expect you to carry your burdens alone.

Perhaps he has chosen someone to represent him in your life...

someone who can help you carry your burdens.

If today you feel the call to help another person.

Just maybe God is using you to lighten their burden.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, 

the first Native American to be canonized, pray for us.

Blessings to release our burdens to the Lord.

~~~Rest in his Peace~~~

Penitent Potential

~~~ Isaiah 7:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 48 ~~~ Matthew 11:20-24 ~~~

Jesus began to reproach the towns

where most of his mighty deeds had been done,

since they had not repented.

Jesus had to reprimand the inhabitants 

of the very towns where he had made 

his presence best known.

These are the people who were awed as they witnessed

 the wonderful works of God through 

the person of Jesus.

It was the power of grace working

 through Jesus that made them take notice.

In spite of all that they had seen they failed

 to make the connection to their own existence.

They failed to see the need for their own repentance.

They failed to understand that Jesus came for them too.

They failed to admit that Jesus was reaching out to them.

Today may be the day that we look

 into our own heart and ask ourselves the tough question...

Have we taken the miracles and healings of Jesus

as just what he did while here on Earth?

Do we take our own repentance seriously enough?

Are we being completely honest with ourselves.

Are we so amazed with the miracles that we 

let them be the most important?

It may not be necessary for us to wear sackcloth

 and cover ourselves in ashes,

but our deep sincere repentance is very important.

If today you hear his voice,

harden not your hearts.

A heart that is hardened with pride and arrogance 

finds it difficult to step forward in humble repentance.

Jesus preformed miracles...Jesus captured our attention...

all so that we might choose to repent for our sins.

Have we lived up to our full 

Penitent Potential?

Blessings to Repent.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Stranger Helping Stranger

~~~Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

~~~ Deuteronomy 30:10-14 ~~~ 

~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Colossians 1:15-20 ~~~ Luke 10:25-37 ~~~

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

If only we would trust this psalm refrain to be true.

Moses gives us some helpful insight.

He assures us that what we are searching for is very near.

In fact so very near that it is a part of our essence.

It is within our soul even if it is lying dormant.

 ...something very near to you,

already in your mouths and in your hearts;

you have only to carry it out.

The Spirit and Life of the Lord

are waiting to be drawn out for our immediate use.

The Samaritan traveler knew how and when

 to act on what was placed upon his heart.

He stopped to render aid to a complete stranger.

Would you consider such a person your neighbor?

Would you find some excuse

 to move on by the wounded person?

This stranger did more than call for someone 

else to come care for the wounded stranger.

This is a beautiful example of one stranger

 stopping to help another stranger.

Perhaps we are comfortable stopping to help a friend,

but helping a stranger is something different.

We all have neighbors who are our friends 

and neighbors who are strangers.

Sometimes it takes some form of disaster 

before we are moved to render aid to our neighbors 

who are also strangers.

Both the priest, and the Levite found ways to avoid the stranger.

They made up their own excuse to not access what 

should have already been in their heart. 

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him

was moved with compassion at the sight. 

How can we love our neighbor as ourselves

if we ignore those in need...

if we avoid those who are hurting...

if we cross over to the other side of the road?

Ask yourself,

Who is my neighbor?

You know the answer.

It is already on your lips and in your heart.

The next step is to make

 your actions reflect God's mercy.

Who is the next neighbor you will help?

Blessed to act with mercy and compassion.

Our neighbor is no longer a stranger.

~~~Peace ~~~

Respond in Love

~~~ Hosea 14:2-10 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 10:16-23 ~~~

...do not worry about how you are to speak

or what you are to say.

You will be given at that moment what you are to say.

For it will not be you who speak

but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Today is a sad day in our country.

A day following so many consecutive days of violence 

that words do not seem sufficient.

Violence shuts down all possibility of peace.

The words God gives to us are words of caring,

 understanding, and today sympathy.

Words of sympathy for each person

 who lost their life...for their loved ones.

We must allow the words that Jesus would speak

 be the words that also come from our lips.

Jesus speaks words of love and peace.

I will love them freely...

When God responded to the sins

 of Israel he responds with great love.

The recent circumstances in our country

 can only be healed through freely loving others.

If we learn to freely love others then 

senseless violence will not be an available option.

If we learn to freely love others violence

cannot be an alternative response.

If we learn to freely love

we will also come to know others.

If we know one another then we create a climate for love.

We are called to reach out to one another.

We are called to love one another.

To love one another as God has loved us.

Are we as a society capable of loving

 one another as God has loved us?

I am concerned that we still have far to go 

before reaching that level of love.

Our country must not be simplified into them and us.

It is only love that can simplify our society.

I invite you to reach out

 to those around you with love.

It is through God's love that the healing

 of these last few days can begin.

We must be part of the solution...

The solution must be saturated with love and peace.

God Bless our country

 during this time of tension.

~~~Peace~~~

Parent Child God Relationships

~~~ Hosea 11:1-4, 8E-9 ~~~ Psalm 80 ~~~ Matthew 10:7-15 ~~~

When Israel was a child I loved him, 

out of Egypt I called my son.

The more I called them,

the farther they went from me...

Every parent can identify with these writings 

of the prophet Hosea.

Kids can sometimes be hard 

headed and stubborn.

They often choose 

to ignore the calls of a parent.

Many times a child will inadvertently hurt their parents...

at times you will be ignored...or dismissed.

This is what is happening between God and Israel.

Israel is acting like a spoiled child...a regular brat.

God has provided everything...

he taught them, loved them, fed them, 

even healed them;

they still act out, and turn away.

God is, understandably, not happy with Israel.

Many a parent has learned the hard lesson...

the more they do for their child the less 

the child appreciates and the more distant they become.

I will not give vent to my blazing anger...

God is God. He responds as God.

As you enter a house, wish it peace.

...let your peace come upon it;

if not, let your peace return to you.

Jesus sent the apostles out with nothing.

 The knowledge they had learned from walking

 among the people with him was all they needed.

He told them to take nothing

 for the journey...no material items.

What they were to bring to the people 

had nothing to do with tangible things.

He wanted them to bring his peace...

his love...his compassion...his promise of salvation.

The Good News was to come in the form of peace.

It was to settle over the house like a gentle breeze.

In a good house it would be well received.

If it came back to you then you would know

 it was not a worthy house.

They were not to get angry or defensive 

about their blessing of peace if it was not well received.

They were to simply move on to the next house.

Shake the dust from your feet...do not hold a 

grudge against the person...move on.

Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.

Stay in the present...let go of the past...

do not fret over the future.

I invite you to live in the present...

let the the peace of the Lord envelope you.

~~~Blessings~~~

In the Fields

~~~ Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13 ~~~ Psalm 115 ~~~ Matthew 9:32-38 ~~~

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few...

Are you willing to be one of the laborers?

What if you could see each person

that God has picked for you to harvest?

The harvest is abundant because salvation

 has been secured for all people.

There will always be the need for more laborers.

I used to think that this passage 

was about more religious vocations,

but in reality it is for all of us.

You may not think that you are being called 

to be one of the laborers in the Lord's vineyard, 

but you would be mistaken.

We cannot walk away expecting the next person

to work in the field on our behalf.

Jesus needs living breathing workers for the harvest.

Get in your work clothes...you are needed.

...his heart was moved with pity for them

because they were troubled and abandoned,

like sheep without a shepherd.

We are sent out to be laborers especially 

for those who are troubled and abandoned.

We are sent out to carry forth 

the love, mercy,

 and forgiveness of Jesus 

All who move into the field as a laborer

do so because their heart has been touched in some way.

Becoming a laborer for Jesus 

is a matter of the heart.

What do you think?

Get to fields as soon as you can

 the harvest is waiting for you.

Blessings in the fields.

~~~Peace~~~

Kiss of Peace

~~~ Amos 9:11-15 ~~~ Psalm 85 ~~~ Matthew 9:14-17 ~~~

 The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

 The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Why is it so difficult to hear his 

precious words of peace in our world today?

Kindness is no longer our first response; 

too often we want to quickly strike out.

How is it possible for kindness and truth to meet 

if we cannot discern the truth?

Truth does indeed spring up from the earth.

Nature reveals to us the wonders of creation truths,

but also how we must be better stewards of nature.

...justice and peace shall kiss.

...and justice shall look down from heaven.

I imagine the perfect world where justice and peace 

would actually be able to embrace

 in the kiss of peace.

I am reminded during Mass that God 

does look down upon all of us giving 

us his peace and justice.

 The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

The Lord has never ceased speaking his words of peace to us, 

but are we listening that is the question.

We must be the ones who seek 

peace for all peoples in all lands near and far.

Peace seeps throughout our being out into 

our surrounding environment.

From our immediate environment then

 it just might have a chance to reach farther.

We must truly want peace deep inside our soul.

It cannot be superficial...

peace is not icing on the cake.

Peace cannot be an after thought...

Peace must be THE thought.

Extend the kiss of peace with a sincere heart 

during the Mass.

It seems like we must keep these thoughts of peace 

ever present in our minds and hearts.

Peace is the answer.

Peace is the only way to stop the violence

 that is festering in our world today.

Please pray for Peace

 in our tattered and torn world.

Spread Peace!

~~~Blessings~~~

Dine on His Words

~~~ Amos 8:4-6, 9-12 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Matthew 9:9-13 ~~~ 

Go and learn the meaning of the words,

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

The prophet Amos warns his audience that their 

dishonest plans are going to cost them dearly.

He goes on to tell them of God's response in his displeasure.

God does not take kindly to lying, cheating and stealing.

Then shall they wander from sea to sea

and rove from the north to the east

In search of the word of the LORD,

but they shall not find it.

This is a sharp contrast from Jesus' 

invitation to follow him.

Jesus wants his followers to understand 

the deeper meaning of his words.

For His words are spirit and life.

If you are walking the path of evil and deception;

you are shutting down your ability to draw

 meaning from his words.

This is why Amos was so frustrated with his audience.

They had chosen the path of evil which 

was opposed to hearing the words of God.

One does not live by bread alone, 

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

When on the path of evil the heart cannot be satiated.

Ones heart and soul can only be satisfied 

by living within the living word of God.

The word of God is the primary

nourishment for the soul.

Taste and See.

Blessed to have His precious words.

~~~Peace~~~