One Walk

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The Words of Jesus of Nazareth

The Kingdom of Heaven

I instruct you with these stories because it is given to you to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Here is another parable that illustrates the kingdom: Once there lived a rich investor who was preparing to depart for a distant country. Before leaving, he called together three associates, putting them in charge of managing his investments during his absence. He gave five accounts to one, two lesser accounts to the other, and to the third he gave one insignificant account, responsibilities equal to their levels of experience.

So it happened that the associate who had been entrusted with five accounts immediately began to buy and sell, and before long, he had doubled his holdings, so that his accounts were now ten instead of five. The second associate did likewise, investing his two accounts until he had made four from the two entrusted to him. But the third associate did nothing. So fearful was he that he locked his account in a strongbox and buried it in the ground, terrified that it might be tampered with, lost, or stolen.

A good while later, the rich man returned from his trip. Immediately he summoned his three associates, curious to learn how they had managed his money during his absence.

The first associate recounted how he had invested the five accounts and now had ten. At this the rich man said: “You have done well, and proved faithful. Because you have been trustworthy with the five accounts that I gave you, I will put more important ones under your trust. You may begin today to benefit from these responsibilities.”

Then the rich man called the second associate, who reported: “You put two accounts into my care; now I have four.”

Hearing this, the rich man repeated what he had said to the first associate: “Well done! You have been faithful in managing two minor accounts. I will put you in charge of many more. Go to your task with happiness.”

Finally, the third associate was called, and immediately confessed: “I have always thought of you as a difficult man. You collect profits from other people’s money, and I figured that you would only take back whatever profits I might make from my insignificant account. I buried my account in the ground, where it has remained unharmed until your return.”

To this, the rich man answered: “Foolish associate. You know the manner in which I conduct my affairs. At the very least you could have entrusted your account with the currency dealers. Only one account was assigned to your care, and you have chosen to bury it in the ground. Now even this will be taken from you and given to the others who did wisely. What is left to you, except to dwell on your own regrets?”

In the kingdom of heaven, those who use what they possess, no matter how insignificant it might seem at the time, will continue to receive more and more. Abundance will be theirs! But those who act in fear, unfaithful in the least of life’s matters, will eventually lose all.

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Abba, Father, Lord God, thankful and humble asking for courage, strengthen and perseverance to complete what I have started in Jesus name; even though I stumble help me to find the faith, hope and love to carry on. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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But a soul that does not live by the love of God suffers in a different way. It is not happy because it does not correspond generously enough to divine love; it hears a call and feels an attraction to which it does not respond. God punishes it by preventing it from being at peace in the quiet of laziness which it creates for itself. How many times is God sent away in this manner!

— St. Peter Emyard

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Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

10  A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.  11  The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.  12  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.  13  She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 

19  She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.  20  She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy.  30  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  31  Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
Psalm 128:1-5
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew 25:14-30

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Audio books I am listening to and other books or readings I am reading:

The Words of Jesus of Nazareth by Lee Cantelon

Ask and It Is Given, Volume 1: The Law of Attraction Unabridged By Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks Narrated by Jerry Hicks – Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, which presents the teachings of the nonphysical entity Abraham, will help you learn how to manifest your desires so that you’re living the joyous and fulfilling life you deserve. As you listen, you’ll come to understand how the Universal laws that govern your time/space reality influence your relationships, health issues, finances, career concerns, and more. It’s your birthright to live a life filled with everything that is good, and this audio program will show you how to make it so in every way!

The Pontiff in Winter: Triumph and Conflict in the Reign of John Paul II By John Cornwell Narrated by John Lee – Pope John Paul II is one of the most famous and influential political figures of the world. Now, best-selling author and journalist John Cornwell has written an accessible and provocative portrait of this highly charged figure, focusing primarily on the last five years and the major world events, and scandals within the Church that have impacted the papacy. The result is a thoughtful assessment of John Paul II’s legacy to the Church. In an age when many people see the Catholic Church as an institution in crisis, Cornwell raises the level of debate by posing difficult questions; chief among them is the effectiveness of a system that grants lifetime power to an individual vulnerable to the vicissitudes of aging and illness.

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