Now Think On This - Steve Martin: St. Patrick

Showing posts with label St. Patrick. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Beauty - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Beauty

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30, NASU)

They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. That may be true, if the beholder has the character and discernment to know what is real beauty. You see, it goes far beyond skin deep. Real beauty resides in the deep affection of the soul to please the Creator. Then that which radiates from within is indeed a thing of beauty.

Growing up in the northeast land of Iowa, in the town of Cedar Falls, I had the privilege of going to a parochial school, named St. Patrick’s. The classes of about 18 kids each received our educational instruction from BVM nuns (Blessed Virgin Mary order) and “lay” teachers. Occasionally one of the priests would come during the week and conduct a class on the Roman Catholic Church theology.

Prior to daily classes, I would attend Mass around the 8:15 am hour. Desiring to please the Lord, as I knew at the time was a way to do thus, it was my intent to follow Him in His ways, and in the meantime cut a few years off of my time to be spent later in Purgatory (or so I was taught.) Being a young lad, attending the school from 2^nd through 8^th grades until I reached the age of 13, going to Mass during the week was not the norm for most kids, apart from Sunday. In fact, I can’t remember if any others in my grade did this. Besides that, there weren’t too many adults either that I recall making their presence known. I guess work and other occupations restricted the time it took, rather than time with God.

One thing I most remember about those morning hours, other than the bare heads of Father Mullen and Father Purcell, was this old, stooped-back lady who was always dressed in a long, black coat. Her head was also always covered with a black hood, but I knew she was not a nun. In fact, I knew very little about her, other than that she regularly was cleaning the church building. Quietly. Consistently. Without fanfare or to be an attention-getter. For the most part I thought she was kind of creepy, and weird. I never heard or saw her speak to anyone.

I can’t remember the exact day, but one Saturday morning I followed her as she walked down the street to her home, after the Mass had ended. I had an idea where she lived, but wasn’t sure. And yes, when she got to the house that I thought was hers, badly in need of paint and repair, she stopped and turned around. I was shocked!

For the first time I was able to see into her eyes. Though surrounded by wrinkles and gray hair that needed some combing, she had the most tender eyes. She smiled, didn’t really say anything, turned back around and went into the house.

I never knew what her name was, but the impression she left on me over those years, as often I watched her in her work, clearly had an impact in my life. A true servant of the Lord, and one whose beauty was truly one to behold.

The Lord has many that aren’t widely known among the populous nor being counted with the famous. They are carefully hidden, daily doing that which is their calling, performing the works which the Lord has given them to do. But when they reach their time of glory, the beauty within will shine along with the One who created them, as they behold the most beautiful One of all.

What a glorious and magnificent day that will be.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 03.11.17 - #277 – “Beauty” – Saturday 4.30 pm

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Perception - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Perception

- Now Think On This

by Steve Martin

“Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep’s clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves! You will recognize them by their fruit. Can people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every healthy tree produces good fruit, but a poor tree produces bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, or a poor tree good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire! So you will recognize them by their fruit.” Matt. 7:15-20 CJB

As a kid growing up Roman Catholic in Cedar Falls, Iowa, I tried to make the morning Mass before grade school as often as I could. St. Patrick’s Church was just a block away from the St. Patrick’s Grade School where I went for eight years, and so I’d go to the 7:30 am Mass before class started at 8:15 am.

Part of me wanted to get closer to the Lord; another part wanted to skip a lot of years in Purgatory, for so I was taught back then. “Mass a day kept the years away!” Not until I personally received Jesus as my Lord and Savior years later did I realize you can’t get to heaven by good works, but only by accepting the saving grace and redemption of Jesus’ sacrificial work on the cross, suffered on our behalf.

Often in the early morning hours, before and after the Mass started, I would see an old lady cleaning the altar, moving around quietly and without hype. Dressed in what looked like a long black robe, with a black head covering, I perceived her to be rather weird and and even spooky. As a 10-year old boy, having watched a few too many TV shows such as the Twilight Zone and such, what I “saw” and what was reality didn’t match up.

One Saturday morning, being brave enough to check things out further, I followed her home as she slowly walked, stooped over, to her house a few doors down the street from the church. (Going to Mass on a Saturday especially took off a lot of Purgatory years!) The old house where I discovered she lived was probably older than her. With two wooden stories, having creepy shaded windows, and needing a paint job bad, it fit perfectly with my perception of the inhabitant.

What I didn’t expect was for her to stop, turn around, and smile at me when she discovered my following. She then spoke, asking me how I was doing. Being dumb founded and totally surprised at her kindness, I briefly replied, and headed quickly home to my house. Thinking back now, in a way this moment reminded me of when Scout Finch met Boo Radley for the first time in the movie, Too Kill A Mockingbird. What she had expected and what was reality was about the same as the understanding I then received too.

Jesus often said that we would know people by their fruit – what they did rather than by what they said, or what they wanted you to think who they were. Getting a proper perception of one’s character cuts out any false image that one may try to convey. The biblical truth remains - a bad tree will not produce good fruit.

In our world today, there are many personalities and organizations that “advertise” as being one thing, when in reality they are the complete opposite. Stripping away the glitz and glamor, removing the falsehoods put out in deception, reveal the actuality that lies below the surface. Planned Parenthood’s murderous abortions are one prime example. Another are politicians who say one thing repeatedly, but then are proven wrong when the actual truth, later caught on tape or revealed in previously undisclosed documents, exposes their real tree’s fruit. We need to develop good perceptions, so we are not among those who fall for the lies of the devil himself.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. In many instances that is true. Wrapping words around a fancy digital image needs our closer inspection. Same holds for what we see, hear and feel if we don’t have the spiritual eyes needed to see the truth. Being sensitive in allowing the Holy Spirit to show us what He sees will enable us to know what is right and wrong, going beneath the outward appearance to see what really lies under the surface.

Many will be deceived by the lack of integrity, honesty and humility in these times. Preparation for the revealing of the false messiah, and the anti-christ is growing rapidly. We need the proper perception to understand and act accordingly in our daily lives. The Holy Spirit will be with us to give us that, as we draw near to Him, and spend time with Him daily. Our lives will depend on this.