The Other Side of Life by Rev. Samuel Mack, OMS, DD - HTML preview

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Chapter 16

 

The full understanding of the factors that determine the actions of our fellow brothers and sisters will be another of our most important allies in achieving knowledge of the way our own mind functions and the measures we should take to control it and make maximum use of it…Our mind, our thoughts, is the magnificent instruments that make it possible for us to re-create. Us to put too much effort in reading treasured books, in listening to inspired sermons and wise speeches, but all that is not remotely enough…You must explore deep into that infinite inner universe, for it is only through proper reflection and self-analysis that we will be able to free our self from that false dependency that we cultivate for the outward things of the world…What we should cultivate is the constancy of exploring into the inward purpose and filling it with the awareness of the true our True Fathers words and that each of us is. When we do this, we will begin to obtain wisdom through our own life’s experiences, and it will be then that we truly reap the profit of those books, those sermons, and those speeches… For ourselves…And know that the paradise that we yearn for is within us, waiting to be discovered. All the outward things of the world, from our own body to the most distant star, has been created only to make possible our revelation to our one true Father, so that we may achieve the certainty of our own spirituality, and know also that all creation constantly conspires toward that end. All the events of our life’s, all those situations that we call coincidences, all those contacts that we have had with our fellow brothers and sisters since we were born, every tear spilled and every moment of laughter is an essential part of that grand and solemn peace from within? Let all who have ears understand Jesus’ words. If we do understand them, we will realize that the suffering or misfortune that we may be experiencing today, the problems or tragedies that arise in our lives-some of those are the products of our own actions and others of the divine order of creation, and we to have the certainty that so it is, in one way or another, with all of us…Never feel singled out by life, for life neither privileges anyone nor is unforgiving to anyone. Remember that it is not possible to know with certainty what is happening in our brothers and sisters lives or what other persons are experiencing, and we all know this, so that we may grow and may achieve the inner peace that always accompanies that growth. We must also put aside all those pointless deliberations about whether life after death exists or not, and what it is like if it does. With the works that Jesus performed He proved the veracity of His words and of the eternal alliance between the one true God and ourselves, He conquered death on several occasions in order to give witness of the supreme power of our Father in Heaven, and today the only thing that truly concerns us is whether we have life and what we do with it before we die…For then physical death will become that which it truly is, just a word, for with the certainty of our own immortality we will manage to drive away the fear and mystery that has always accompanied death. And the only way to become fully aware of that immortality is by entering fully into repentances and acceptance of our Lord Jesus as our personal Saver, for that present is already life eternal that’s planted in us and all we have to do is realize it for ourselves, and it is when we keep our mind alert and when we totally discard our past that we will perceive the present in all its fullness. We should understand that we should not allow the events of the past, no matter what they have been, to be a cause for suffering or distraction or anguish within us. It is on our present that we should concentrate; that is the key that will give us the proper perspective so that we may overcome all the obstacles that arise from day to day…And this is the key to that success that awaits us. All the things that Jesus has spoken about should help us to expand our vision. He has told us, and we should know that there are no limits; the only limits that bind us are those we impose on ourselves through ignorance and our own weaknesses. We should always remember that, it is through the formation of the personal faith that He proclaim to us yesterday and today that we will be able to expand our own possibilities. It will be us who have the supreme responsibility for guiding and directing ourselves, and supervising ourselves. understand that Christianity down through history have played a prominent role in helping to guide the paths of nations in a more spiritual direction, by spreading and encouraging knowledge of the scriptures and other various spiritual legacies of our Father’s Words. There have been and still are many good souls within those faiths, whose dedication and praiseworthy labor have earned them the right to be called apostles of truth, but we know that some others have taken advantage of them, and are today still taking advantage of them, to achieve base personal objectives. They are Pharisees today as there were in the past; they are the wolves in sheep’s clothing that Jesus told us of in the gospels. Friends, to the degree we mature our personal belief we will be safe from the teeth of those wolves. No one will ever be able to manipulate us, and at the same time we ourselves will be an example to others, an achievement that which we will attain through the faultlessness of our actions every day and every hour. It is that faultlessness that will not allow us to go on issuing every sort of opinion on every sort of topic, as we have been doing up to now. Concentrate once and for all on what is truly profitable and meritorious…Focus on the positive and we will put an end to foolishness forever. We must also put an end to the sense of guilt and culpability, just as we must put an end to everything thoughtless that arises in our minds. We know that when we feel guilty we hat ourselves…And hatred is the most negative thing that we can cultivate. Its force is destructive, and it diminishes the best of our selves. So let’s accept our responsibility when we sin, when we choose what is not right, but reflect honestly on the reason for that straying. That is the way to add firmness to our character. Understand, too, that just as we should be the best, indeed only, supervisors of ourselves, so we should be forbearing with ourselves. That behavior is only fair, and it is a behavior that will make our inner harmony flower-that inner harmony that is the foundation and at the same time product of that personal conviction of faith that we must create through our own life experiences, and cultivate charity; it is the virtue that will bring forth the sweetest fruits. Sharing, giving is the dwelling place of those white doves that shall be our guide through that infinite inner creation that is the most authentic essence of our selves. Understand that it is through giving to our fellow brothers and sisters the things that we possess, {of our selves, moneys, love and understanding}, that we will become wealthier, for by fulfilling their needs we will be fulfilling our own and will ensure ourselves more abundance, both materially and spiritually…And perceive our oneness with our Father in Heaven; know that everything that happens in one way or another affects us, just as everything that we do affects our relationship with our Father in Heaven. That is also the reason for the importance of always retaining with capacity for positive perception. If we are predisposed to the negative, everything will appear negative to us. That attitude is a negation of life and its wonders, and also limits and frustrates the very reason for our existence. Understand that one of the greatest responsibilities that God has assigned to us is to constantly communicate with our Father, ourselves and with the life that we are a part of, and that responsibility cannot be avoided; it makes the difference between delighting in the pleasures that love and faith provides to the person who cultivates it and suffering the consequences that follow upon negativism and disharmony…Understand also that life is not a constant battle, as many say it is. That perception is the direct result of not accepting the mission that has been assigned to us, It is true that sometimes we will have to struggle, but it does not have to be against life; the battles that must be fought should be fought to conquer ourselves, to beat back the opportunism our own minds sometimes impose on us as an alternative to our actions, so that we can easily and quickly obtain the spiritual things we yearn for…Friends, it is in the daily dealing with our material life, our desires and ambitions, our weaknesses and greatness’s, our frustrations and achievements, that little by little we shape ourselves, and that is the importance of fulfilling that responsibility with which we were born with, the responsibility to communicate with our Father in Heaven, our self, to be aware of it, and the profit that awaits us when we faithfully fulfill it is the stimulus that will help us to achieve the rightness that should characterize all our actions, both toward ourselves and toward our fellow brothers and sisters… We know that many times we ask ourselves how it is possible for God to allow hunger, sickness, misfortune, and death, especially the death of children, as has always happened and will continue to happen in the world…Friends, we know that those misfortunes, as regrettable as they may be, are an integral part of the necessary process by which life makes it possible for us to grow and develop toward awareness of our own identity and our identity with our father. We must understand that many of those things that we call misfortunes are the result of decisions and actions that we ourselves make, using the freewill that we enjoy; we know that death itself is part of that process that is life. It is ourselves, who, through our perceptions, call it abominable, Fearsome, and regrettable. But what is truly abominable, fearsome, and regrettable is the fact that some of us has caused, and continue to cause, Death to others…And there can be no divine interference to eliminate all that, For the same reasons that nothing and no one can grant us what we can only acquire through the faith that we accumulate through our constant communication with the Father and our own life experiences…