Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Intro

Inner Peace

key to perseverance

perseverance in the face of suffering win souls as Gospel says

follow Gospel today maintain inner peace

what opposite of peace?

anxiety distress

persevere must resist anxiety

learn about this crafty messenger of the devil so to resist it and persevere no matter the horrors we face.

Castle

Since the constant end times that began with the coming of Christ, the souls of Christians stand as impenetrable fortresses

constantly bombarded and choked off

but not conquered unless surrender

front gate the enemy sends his messenger, anxiety

if outside grace of Christ in unrepentant mortal sin you already are in his company outside the gates

if inside his grace he tries to get in

promises so much important info if take him in your castle

claims need to invite him in or will lose the seige

claims need to rely on his advice

claims he will be so useful in helping you become more holy

Yet he is only a liar

all he does is hurt your inner peace

steals food and water and makes the seige all the harder for you to hold out.

Anxiety

we all experience anxiety

some voice extreme at the gate and more pressing, others quieter

all hear it to some degree

OUTSIDE

life about something other than Christ we will be drown in anxiety, outside in the world as we are

anchoring our self in some passing thing

dragged around by it

not be at trust with each moment because the universe was not made to support that thing as if it were God

each moment will be like at top of wave or near bottom depending on how well it lines up with what attached to

A life of anxiety, at best we can just numb its voice in false peace (more a sloth than serenity), but we live by its foul council.

INSIDE

When we have locked ourselves in the inner Castle of our soul seeking God above all things, then peace of God is the normal state

anxiety however hollers at the gate

must treat that voice as it is: a liar

like any good liar mixes truth with falsehoods

sometimes will even offer true and good advice on holiness

ignore altogether for only tells you truth to help deceive.

don’t even consider its counsel at all, for or against

you can safely put up with the screams at the gate, don’t let him in to hear him out

When God sends a messenger through the door, anxiety often likes to cry out all the more saying God’s messenger will bring us unhappiness

don’t confuse the sometimes painful voice of truth with anxiety

How to Resist Anxiety

Obviously First and foremost, as Christ and St. Thomas Aquinas says, seek God above all things (‘do not worry...seek ye first the kingdom of heaven’)

without this constant seeking (true love not a feeling) true peace is impossible because of the very nature of the unfulfilling fading things sought

Have faith IN

God ruler of all Universe

we should radically thank God for all things that happen for somehow they are for the best.

God also Father

He will give you the insight, not through the messenger of anxiety, of what need to hear

Anxiety might scream after that insight that it will be awful to follow that insight but it will come immediately after it

Practice silent prayer before God

only intention ‘your will be done’

there you will better learn to tell what is coming from anxiety and what is coming from Truth

most of us have developed the habit of listening to anxiety’s advice so much that we do it subconsciously!

Realize that alot of technology relies on developing a habit of anxiety

don’t believe me? ignore the next few notifications on you phone and tell me what’s going on in the inner self

perhaps turn off all auditory notifications and check the phone occasionaly etc

break its anxiety making habits

Concl

God asks us to persevere to the end

We must choose to, but..

if we constantly let the lying enemy in to raid our supplies with anxiety this will become difficult to hold out when we face all the necessary sufferings and trials of life

for those living in Christ, anxiety bangs on the gate promising useful information.

dont let that liar become a testifier in your heart

keep guarded the inner peace

Obvious and not so obvious besieging

Notes:

Me

don’t follow those claiming to be him

interesting that notes this, what other past prophet made such claims and how true this is

Virtue of patience/endurance/perseverance (being in charge of passions)

etym:

patience “suffering”

endurance “becoming hard”

persevere “very serious/strict”

In your patience you will gain your souls

even torture should not falter

Connect to holy hours, distractions like clinging to mind, try to squeeze them off

pain of focusing in prayer agaisnt distractions

fruit of the Spirit

anxiety is the temptation to abandon it

close to hope

opposite of dispair

premature hope for end

Church Commentary

tells us of horrors of ends so disturb less when happen

2nd letter clement fitting for peopel of God to be free from all anxiety

Chrysostom, Lord is at hand so be anxious about nothing

CHryso: hearing end of battle or race about to happen you get second breath

Aquinas: peace results from directing will to one thing: God [charity]