Reflections of a beloved son

Power. Love. Self-control. These were the three things St. Paul reminded of Timothy. “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” Power does not mean dominating the weak or less fortunate, but rather recognizing our weaknesses and letting go of our pride and putting on humility. Love does not mean seeking out pleasure, but rather laying down our lives for others. Power and love are wonderful things, but the world has distorted it. All things that are good are used for the good of others. Power and love are used for the good of others. May we ask the Lord to remove our selfish ambitions and grant us the grace to live selfless lives, bearing witness to the Gospel.

We make many decisions on a daily basis - what to drink, what to eat, what clothes to wear, how to respond to questions and situations, etc.  So, there are those everyday decisions about certain instances of our lives, i.e. what to do at this moment, and there are those decisions that we must make that dictate how we live our lives.  We must choose a side. Do we choose to be on the side of good or on the side of evil?  Do we choose to stand with God or with the devil.  Do we choose to turn a blind eye or do we stand up for justice?  Do we choose sin or do we relish in love and communion?  Do we choose life or do we choose death?  We can not be in between on these matters.  As Christians we know we belong to God and to His love, but do we choose to do so? It is essential that we know what we choose because that will dictate how we will live our lives.  If we choose the side of good and life, then our actions will be directed towards that....