I have often tried to use images to teach people that God is not a moody or changeable God; as if He were at one moment, angry towards this person, and kind toward that one. Rather, no, He is God, pure and simple.
Our God does not change, he is God; God who is Love. Instead, it us who change. It is us who have a different stance towards God. Some will say He is angry and wrathful, others will say He is benevolent and glorious. Same God different result.
I was recently listening to a very old Bishop Sheen talk, all the way back from the 1944, one of his radio talks. I believe it that time he was actually Msgr. Sheen. In this talk he uses an image of the sun that I think is very apt to describe that God is simply who He is. How we regard him speaks more about us, for God is not moody, we are. Here is What Bishop Sheen says,
God has not a different mood for those who go to Hell and for those who go to Heaven. The difference is in us, not in Him. The sun which shines on wax softens it; the sun which shines on mud, hardens it. There is no difference in the sun, but only in that upon which it shines. So there is no difference in the God of Love when he judges the wicked and the just. The difference is those whom he judges. (Radio Address, “The Hell there Is” March 1944 @ 11:17ff)
Yes, same God, different result; not based on God, but based on us, based on our stance.
In some sense, Bishop Sheen was alluding to Malachi 4, which also uses the image of the sun, and speaks of different results:
Surely the Day is coming; burning like an oven. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. (Malachi 4:1-2)
And thus for some, the “Day” (of Judgment) wherein God summons all to his presence, will burn like an oven, bringing fiery destruction. But for others it shall seem a beautiful and warm, sunlit day, bringing healing. Same sun, different result; same God, different result.
I will keep this short today. Little more needs to be said. How will you experience God? That depends on you.
Either way we will experience God through tears.
God is with us always, in both the good and bad times.
There is no shifting of shadow within Thee but only in me. Holy, holy, holy is The Lord Almighty. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever more; the Alpha and Omega whose glory never changes, tarnishes, or fades. Praise be to the Father who has given us the incorruptible glory of His Son, so that we will be pure in His sight. Amen!
I used to think God was angry with me, or loved everyone but me… but as I have “walked” further with the Lord I have come to learn that God does everything not according to our will, but according to our salvation.
When I am going through a particularly hard time, I try to remember Joseph (yesterday’s post) and how much God allowed him to suffer so that the masses would ultimately be saved. I try to remember to ask God to take a difficult situation in my life and extract the most good possible from it. It has taken me years to understand that God is not angry or indifferent – that He is love and will use all for good. His ways are not our ways; His ways are far above. “Thy Will Be Done” and “Let It Be Done Unto Me According to Thy Word”.
What a coincidence I just listened to the same mp3 yesterday! Interestingly St Teresa of Avila in the Interior Castle uses a wax (soft) versus clay (hard) analogy for our heart – both are impressed with the same ring (God’s hand) and the wax yields while the clay shatters. Two outcomes one action – nice post Father
A pleasant day to you father,
I agree with your post and analogy father. Lest we forget that there are other areas of things which GOD placed for all mankind, esp this modern times, to reveal his glory.. For the salvation of mankind.
It is fact that GOD reach to his children, in the olden times, yawheh talked to patriarchs and prophets, in the times of the apostles, GOD became man, now in our modern times (holy spirit era), he has the church and saints and all those apparitions.
We must be attentive to the ways of GOD how he reach us, patriarchs and prophets can talk to GOD, they can ask questions and inquiries and GOD answers, same thing with the incarnate GOD-Jesus, the apostles and the people he touches, he never abondone us right?
Yahweh is GOD the father
Jesus is GOD the son
Holy spirit is GOD but who??? What is his name?
Mahal na ingkong said to us, i am the alpha and the omega, i created Banal na Pag-aaral in the philippines to lead you all and your generations to come unto the reality of the new heaven and new earth. You are the generations of the tribe of judah and benjamin. I will strip you all from the wickedness of this generation because i have chosen you, whoever follows me will be with the light and darkness will not overcome you. I will put stones of fire for you must be tested until your generations refined. Whoever obeys me follows the light and i will assure you that not even the gates of hell can enter this Banal na Pag-aaral.
Mahal na ingkong is the name of the holy spirit… Same GOD different era different ways.
Look at it father. Look at the children of mahal na ingkong in the banal na pag-aaral.
The Devil attacked Padre Pio with numerous types of temptations. Padre Augustine also confirmed that the Devil appeared to him under many different forms. “The Devil appeared as young girls that danced naked, as a crucifix, as a young friend of the monks, as the Spiritual Father or as the Provincial Father; as Pope Pius X, a Guardian Angel, as St. Francis and as Our Lady.” The Devil has also appeared in his horrible forms with an army of infernal spirits. There were other times when Padre Pio was approached by the Devil but without any apparition. He was troubled with deafening noises and covered with spittle, etc. Padre Pio succeeded in freeing himself from these attacks of the Devil by invoking the name of Jesus.
Ate Salve is possessed of a demon. Any miracles that are recognized by the Church have been done in the light – not in darkness. When a movement has been slow to be recognized by the Church, it has also been slow to condemn, but the BNP movement has been unequivocally deemed non-Catholic and Catholics are expressly forbidden to participate.
Take possession of your soul. It wasn’t only Padre Pio who was tempted in this manner.