WISDOM

Solomon's respect for Wisdom

And so I prayed and understanding was given me;
I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me
I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones;
compared with her,I held riches as nothing.
I reckoned no priceless stone to be her peer,
for compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand,
and beside her silver ranks as mud.
I loved her more than health and beauty,
preferred her to the light,
since her radiance never sleeps.
In her company all good things came to me,
at her hands riches not to be numbered.
All these I delighted in, since Wisdom brings them,
but as yet I did not know she was their mother.
What I learned without self-interest, I pass on without reserve;
I do not intend to hide her riches.
For she is an inexhaustible treasure to men,
and those who acquire it win God's friendship,
commended as they are to Him by the benefits of her teaching.

 

 

THE POWER OF PSALM 91

Psalm 91
Whoever goes to the Lord for safety whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to him, "You are my defender  and protector. You are my God; in You I trust".
He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. He will cover you with his wings; You will be safe in his care; His faithfulness will protect you. 
You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.
A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all round you, but you will not be harmed. You will look and see how the wicked are punished.
You have made the Lord your defender, the most high your protector, and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home.
God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.
You will trample down lions and snakes.
God says "I will save those who love me and will protect those who know me as Lord.
When they call to me, I will answer them; When they are in trouble, I will be with them.
I will rescue them and honour them.
I will reward them with long life; I will save them." 

During World War 1, the commander of the 91st Infantry Brigade of the U.S. Expeditionary Army was a devout Christian. He assembled his men and gave each of them a little card on which was printed the 91st Psalm - the same number as their Brigade. They agreed to recite Psalm 91 daily.
After they commenced to pray the Psalm, the 91st Brigade was engaged in 3 of the bloodiest battles in World War 1 - Chateau Thierry, Belle Wood, and the Argonne. Other U.S. units who fought in the same battles had up to 90% casualities but the 91st Brigade did not suffer a single combat related casualty.

During World War 2 actor James Stewart was in the Army Air Corps. His father gave him a letter to read en route with Psalm 91 attached.
" My Dear Jim-Boy,
Soon after you read this letter you will be on your way to the worst sort of danger. Jim, I'm banking on the enclosed copy of Psalm 91. The thing that takes the place of fear and worry is the promise of the words of Psalm 91. I'm staking my faith in these words. I feel sure that God will lead you through this mad experience. I can say no more. I only continue to pray. Goodbye my dear. God continue to bless and keep you. I love you more than I can tell you, Dad."

James Stewart returned home a decorated war hero unharmed even though his record included 20 combat missions. During the height of battle, Stewart said he learned to lean on his tattered copy of Psalm 91.

 

 
 

CHARITY

God is joined to Charity, and Charity is truly, and more intimately and really The spirit of His Spirit even more than is a married couple who love each other deeply. God Himself is Charity. Charity is but the most manifest and illustrative aspect of God. Of all His attributes Charity is the sovereign and original one, because all the other attributes of God originate from Charity.
What is Power but active Charity? What is Wisdom but teaching Charity? What is Mercy but forgiving Charity? What is Justice but ruling Charity?

Now can you believe that he, who has no Charity, has God? No, he has not. Can you imagine that he may accept God, but not Charity?
There is one Charity only and it embraces Creator and creatures and it is not possible to have only one half of it: that for the Creator, without having also the other half: that for our neighbour.

God is in His creatures. He is in them with His indelible sign, with His rights of Father, Spouse and King. The soul is His throne, the body His temple. Now he who does not love one of his brothers and despises him, holds in contempt, grieves and underestimates the Landlord of his brothers house, the King, the Father, the Spouse of his brother, and it is natural that this great Being who is "Everything" and who is present in a brother, in all brothers, should consider as given to Him the offence given to a lesser being, to a part created by "Everything" that is to a single man.
That is why I taught you the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy, that is why I taught you not to scandalise your brothers, that is why I taught you not to judge, not to have contempt or to reject your brothers, whether they are good or not good, faithful or Gentiles, friends or enemies, rich or poor.

(taken from Poem of the Man-God)










 
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 St Blaise  (A.D.316)
St Blaise was born of rich and noble parents, receiving a christian education and being made a bishop while still quite young, in Sebastea, Armenia.
We have very little facts about this great saint.

During the persecution of Licinius, he withdrew by divine direction to a cave in the mountains which was frequented only by wild beasts. These he healed when they were sick or wounded, and they used to come around him to receive his blessing. Hunters, who had been sent to secure animals for the amphitheatre, found the saint surrounded by the beasts, and, though greatly amazed, they seized him and took him to Argricolaus governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia. 

On their way they met a poor woman whose pig had been carried off by a wolf; at the command of St Blaise, the wolf restored the pig unhurt. The incident is worth mentioning because of a ceremony which arose in connection with it. On another occasion a woman brought to him a little boy who was at the point of death owing to a fishbone in his throat, and the saint healed him.

On account of this and other similar cures St Blaise has been invoked during many centuries past for all kinds of throat trouble.
The governor ordered him to be scourged and deprived of food, but the woman whose pig had been restored brought provisions to him and also candles to dispel the darkness of his gloomy prison. 
Then Licinius tortured him by tearing his flesh with iron combs, and afterwards had him beheaded.
Through his intercession many have been cured of throat diseases or protected from them.
LORD, HEAR YOUR PEOPLE THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF ST BLAISE. HELP US TO ENJOY PEACE IN THIS LIFE AND FIND A LASTING REFUGE IN THE NEXT. AMEN