For Others

Life has more meaning when we live it for others. Haven’t we noticed, when we think too much of ourselves, do only things that we think will be good for us, and act only when it is for our advantage, we become grumpy and less happy. Why is this so? It is a fact of life, we are most happy and fulfilled when we look beyond ourselves and see the needs of others.

Self-centeredness will lead us to nowhere.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said, “A life not lived for others is not a life.”

by aats

Good Intentions

When we look at others it may well do good to look with kindness. It is not good to always question the motives of the other. The great mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila once wrote,  “Our souls may lose their peace and even disturb other people's, if we are always criticizing trivial actions - which often are not real defects at all, but we construe them wrongly through our ignorance of their motives.”

Lord, may we find reason always to believe in the good intentions of others. If at all there action shows otherwise may we still find goodness in them. Amen.

by aats

Correction Finds Its Worth

Correction finds it worth when it points to the mistake, not to the person. The goal is to bring the person up not down, to put right not humiliate. On the one who made mistake, what is needed is a genuine remorse and desire to do what is right.

We all have our human frailty, let us be compassionate and kind.

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Lead Me, Lord

Probably you have heard this song, “Lead Me, Lord” by John D. Becker many times during mass. Well, I heard it once more during mass a while ago and I felt like its lyrics never ceases to speak so much about our own desire to be on the side of what is good, true and beautiful. It puts into words what our soul longs for when our physical body betrays it. The lyrics goes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, longing for their Lord, 

for God's coming kingdom shall be theirs. 

Blessed are the sorrowing, for they shall be consoled, 

and the meek shall come to rule the world.

Refrain: 

Lead me, Lord, lead me, Lord, 
by the light of truth 
to seek and to find the narrow way. 
Be my way; be my truth; 
be my life, my Lord, and lead me, Lord, today.

Blessed are the merciful, for mercy shall be theirs, 

and the pure in heart shall see their God. 

Blest are they whose hunger only holiness can fill, 

for I say they shall be satisfied.

Blest are they who through their lifetimes sow the seeds of peace; 

all will call them children of the Lord. 

Blest are you, though persecuted in your holy life, 
for in heaven, great is your reward.

Lead us Lord by the light of truth, to seek and to find the narrow way. Amen.

by aats

Lead, Kindly Light

Clearwater, Florida

Lately I’ve been listening to a song by Audrey Assad, “Lead, Kindly Light”, a beautiful song taken from a poem written by Blessed John Henry Newman. The poem was based on Exodus 13:21-22, “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”

Lead kindly Light, amidst the grey and gloom

The night is long and I am far from home

Here in the dark, I do not ask to see

The path ahead, one step enough for me

Lead on, lead on, kindly Light

I was not ever willing to be led

I could have stayed, but I ran instead

In spite of fear, I followed my pride

My eyes could see, but my heart was blind

Lead on, lead on, kindly Light

And in the night, when I was afraid

Your feet beside my own on the way

Each stumbling step where other men have trod

Shortens the road leading home to my God

Lead on, lead on

My God, my God

Lead on, lead on, kindly Light

Lord, in times when all I see is gloom and darkness, light my heart and lead it on. Amen.

by aats