Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!decwrl!sun-barr!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: lionti@ecs.umass.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Our "rights" in Christ Message-ID: Date: 4 Sep 90 07:05:17 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 43 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Just a few thoughts on our "rights" as followers of Christ. "Jesus has many lovers of His kingdom of heaven, but He has few bearers of His Cross. Many desire His consolation, but few desire His tribulation. He finds many comrades in eating and drinking, but He finds few who will be with Him in His abstinence and fasting. All men would joy with Christ, but few will suffer anything for Christ. Many follow Him to the breaking of His bread, for their bodily refreshment, but few will follow Him to drink a draft of the chalice of His Passion. Many honor His miracles, but few will follow the shame of His Cross and His other ignominies. Many love Jesus as long as no adversity befalls them, and can praise and bless Him whenever they receive any benefits from Him, but if Jesus withdraws a little from them and forsakes them a bit, they soon fall into some great grumbling or excessive dejection or into open despair." -"The Imitation of Christ, Book II, part 11" by Thomas A Kempis, Doubleday Image Books Wow! I know I want to "party" with Jesus in heaven, but what is all this pain and suffering stuff? :-). That doesn't sound like the Flower Power "God is love" stuff you usually hear about now a days. Pretty convicting! Some more: "I often tell you, sisters,...not to forget that we in this house, and for that matter anyone who would be perfect, must flee a thousand leagues from such phrases as: 'I had right on my side;''they had no right to do this to me'...God deliver us from such a false idea of right as that! Do you think that is was right for our good Jesus to have to suffer so many insults, and that those who heaped them on Him were right...I do not know why anyone is in a convent who is willing to bear only the crosses she has a perfect right to expect: such a person should return to the world, though even there such rights will not be safeguarded...To desire to share in the Kingdom, and to enjoy it, and yet not to be willing to have any part in His dishonors and trials, is ridiculous." (St. Teresa, Way of Perfection) -quoted in "Great Saints, Great Friends" by Mary Neill, OP and Ronda Chervin, Alba House, Society of St. Paul, ISBN: 0-8189-0574-3 Just a few thoughts from some of the "Greats" to keep us on our toes! Comments, suggestions for other readings, etc. welcome. | "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Eric C. McClure --+-- Why are you so far from saving me, so far lionti@umaecs.bitnet | from the words of my groaning?" U Mass, Amherst | -Psalm 22:1 (read the rest!)