Today's morning insight is from my devotional reading of St. Faustina's diary. For context: I've been talking a lot about faith and good works, grace and free will, with the students in my Church History intro class this semester. One of the things we talk about is that although we don't earn our salvation with good works (Eph 2:8-9), we are expected to do good works to participate in our sanctification and salvation (Eph 2:10, the very next verse, and also Phil 2:12, etc.). But when we talk about good works, we sometimes get tripped up by the observation that unbelievers appear to do good works, and sometimes better works than Christians.
So then I read this today in St. Faustina's diary: I have come to know that only love is of any value; love is greatness; nothing, no works, can compare with a single act of pure love of God.
I interpret that as meaning that no matter how good a work seems to be, nothing counts as a true "good work" (in the sense of being something that cooperates with God's grace and participates in what God is doing in the world, and contributes to our sanctification and salvation) unless it is done as an act of love for God. This fits well with the passage we looked at recently in The Journey - that we should do our good works so as to: let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt 5:16).
A good work, in the spiritual sense, is something we do as a labor of love for God.
Dear friends - Please take 10 minutes to watch this personal update from me:
I'm back, up and running, and ready to go - I should have a new JOURNEY episode within the next week or so - and because you are my loyal peeps, here is an exclusive, just-for-you, behind the scenes SNEAK PEEK into my new office:
I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
I hope you like the song!
The problem with us men is that often we don't have the wisdom to be a father until we're a grandfather.
This may sounds like some ironic statement that makes you nod your head in agreement but shrug your shoulders in resignation, thinking, well there's nothing we can do about that. But the practical application of that is that it demonstrates how important it is for kids to grow up around their grandparents. But as in our culture the family becomes ever more fractured and spread out, that is harder and harder to do.
Lately I've been thinking that part of the problem is the whole concept of college. It used to be that everyone thought a person had to go to college to make a good living. Not only is that not the case (truck drivers make more money than I do) but now college has gone from useless to actually ruining our kids. But when I went to college, what you were supposed to do is figure out what career you wanted (as if anyone knows that at age 18) and then go away to the college ...
And don't forget, if you would like to read my latest novel:
The Sword and the Clover - just let me know by email.
I'm happy to send you the PDF version, even if you haven't been a monetary supporter of the community - all I ask is that you don't share it with anyone else.
My email address:
Keep in touch!
JIm
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