Glory of God Prayer Group, St. Cecilia Parish, Wa Diocese, Ghana - Let Your Light Shine

Saint of the Day

A drop in the ocean

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. Mother Teresa

How to find God

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa

Progress

We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. C. S. Lewis

Beauty is the bait

Beauty is the bait which with delight allures man to enlarge his kind. Socrates

Concerns of animal life

We are certainly in a common class with the beasts; every action of animal life is concerned with seeking bodily pleasure and avoiding pain. Saint Augustine

Passion

Passion is the evil in adultery. If a man has no opportunity of living with another man's wife, but if it is obvious for some reason that he would like to do so, and would do so if he could, he is no less guilty than if he was caught in the act. Saint Augustine

The beginning of good works

The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works. Saint Augustine

Make me an instrument of thy peace

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Francis of Assisi

Prayer does not change God

Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays. Soren Kierkegaard

Perfection of a man

This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. Saint Augustine

Touch the dying

Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work. Mother Teresa

Pride of wealth

If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it. Socrates

Improve yourself by other men's wri…

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. Socrates

Feed the poor

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. Mother Teresa

God's love

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. Saint Augustine

Two kinds of people

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.' C. S. Lewis

unwanted, unloved

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. Mother Teresa

The richest

He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature. Socrates

Miracles are not contrary to nature

Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature. Saint Augustine

People of worth

Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live. Socrates

Teaching for Sunday 21st June, 2009
Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama
Text: Sirach 22:19-27

Friendship = companionship

History of friendship

Friendship has existed since the beginning of creation: When God created man, he saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so he created woman – Genesis 2:8-23. God used to come down and interact with Adam and Eve in the Garden.

Destruction of friendship

But man broke this friendship through disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. We also frequently break our friendship with people through disobedience. God has given us rules, laws and recommendations that we have to live in relation to others. If only we would obey these rules.

How to build and sustain friendships

Friendship is built on trust. Destruction of trust is the end of friendship. Of course, we need to exhibit love, humility, tolerance, forgiveness, understanding, patience, honesty and a whole lot of other traits for a friendship to work.  

All the above will be addressed if we can take care of the following few areas:

  1. Sincerity /truthfulness
    • no deception
    • openness
  2. Be ready to give, not only to receive
  3. Support for one another
  4. Avoid unnecessary suspicion – see well before talking
  5. Remember that no one is perfect
    • Study your friend, know his strengths and weaknesses, dos and  don’ts, likes and dislikes
    • Be ready to correct; not to condemn.    
  6. Be ready to apologize
  7. Apology can usually remedy a friendship, but in most cases cannot restore it to its original state.

 

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