Arise and Awaken ~ Being Glad for Our Creator Loves Us

                                        Arise and Awaken

                      Being Glad for Our Creator Loves Us

Eileen Renders                                                                   March 2024

   We have so much to be thankful for this Easter, as we are very much loved by our loving and merciful God. It was His desire here on earth to teach us by His example to love one another as He has loved us. Avoid false pride by judging others.

   Let us review the Seven deadly sins so that each day we may examine our conscience and become aware of our weaknesses so that we can gain strength through Christ to overcome our weaknesses and be in tune with the subtle temptations he whispers into our hearts each day.

   Focus on the Beatitudes as they say encourage us to emulate the martyrs and Saints. Not so much that we may be called to become a martyr, or to become a Saint as we are not working to attain adulation or recognition, but to become pleasing to God.

Here are the Seven Deadly Sins

Pride    ~ Boasting of our accomplishments, or judging others as being less accomplished as one’s self. We need to frequently remind ourselves that all of our energies, intellect, and talents come from God and are not what we may have deserved, or earned ourselves.

Covetousness  ~ This is a sin of greed, an insatiable desire for more than we have, and never feeling grateful, or satisfied with what we have.

Lust ~ Lust is a constant, or continual focus on sexual thoughts and desires. This sin takes away all healthy and spiritual thoughts of God. It removes all thoughts of goodness and kindness as God does not share space or time in the darkness of sin.  

Anger ~ This is a sin of hostility, annoyance, and inability to rationality, understanding, love, or mercy. It can often even lead to injuring another human being.

Gluttony ~  This is a sin of wanting excess of more than one’s needs, or proportionate share of something. Oftentimes, it is food always eaten to excess.

Envy ~  This sin is usually associated with an ongoing feeling of dissatisfaction with what one has, or owns. And always looking at what others have, or wanting their possessions that are never rightfully theirs.

Sloth ~  This is a sin of laziness, it is an individual wanting all that others have without working for those needs, and possessions, and without deserving what they feel they should be given.    

    The Eight Beatitudes

   With the 8 Beatitudes we learn about the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for the sake of righteousness. These are the personality traits we all can work toward attaining.