DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Sunday, October 28, 2012






tu fe te ha salvado

En nuestra vida habrá momentos en los que todo se pondrá a prueba y se enfrentó con las cosas que nos desafían espiritual, mental y físicamente. Es una expectativa. Nadie está exento de esto. Esto representa una realidad que es inevitable. Como cristianos, tenemos que hacernos una pregunta: "¿Cómo se supone que vamos a abordar estos obstáculos que fácilmente podría poner a prueba nuestra fe en Jesús y nos llevan lejos de él?"


Debemos tomar nuestras respuestas a lo que las Sagradas Escrituras nos dicen y lo que muchos de nuestros hermanos y hermanas que nos hizo cuando se enfrentaron a las pruebas y tribulaciones. Es tan fácil descartar ellos y otras personas en momentos de crisis cuando la cosa natural que hacer es centrarse sólo en nosotros mismos. Esto es un error terrible y podría conducir a consequinces inimaginables. Nadie está realmente sola, y sólo cuando ellos quieren ser. El cristianismo es una comunidad, una familia que está unida por Jesucristo. Vivir en esta realidad, existe la expectativa de amor, apoyo y consuelo en la comunidad. También hay un amor incondicional que DEBE ser dada a todos los que residen en la comunidad.


Muchas veces, la sociedad nos enseña que cada individuo se eleva y cae sobre la base de sus méritos propios y faltas. Dios nos enseña que esto no es cierto. Sí, todos somos responsables de nuestras propias acciones, pero una vez que hay un RECONOCIMIENTO de un pecado o de crisis, la curación y la ayuda viene de Dios y la comunidad, no de una persona. Dios llamó al pueblo judío de regreso a la fe y la curación no individualmente, sino como una comunidad. Fue a través de la comunidad que la sanidad y reconciliación era posible. Es responsabilidad de la persona a responder, pero es gracias al apoyo de los muchos que todos recibimos nuestra fuerza. Es por eso que Jesús realizó milagros: no sólo para la persona que recibe el milagro, sino para que la comunidad pudiera testigo y por lo tanto tienen su fe fortalecida también. Es un acto colectivo.


A través del movimiento de la comunidad todo va hacia adelante con todo un objetivo común se logra. Nadie está solo. De pie solo y sentirse solo debilita el cuerpo vivo de Cristo aquí en la tierra. Cuando actuamos de forma individual, no podemos olvidarnos de la colectividad de nuestra naturaleza. Las acciones individuales afectan al conjunto como acciones del conjunto afectan al individuo. Es por eso que debemos mantener a Cristo en el centro de todos nuestros pensamientos y acciones. Debemos permanecer desinteresados en nuestra naturaleza.
Mientras estamos desinteresados, podemos encontrar a Cristo egoísta y desarrollar nuestra propia relación que a continuación se fortalecerá la fe de los demás.

Diácono Tom

 

         YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU

     
 

 

In our lives there will be times when we all will be tested and confronted with things that will challenge us spiritually, mentally, and physically. It is an expectation. Nobody is exempt from this. This represents a reality which is unavoidable. As Christians, we need to ask ourselves a question: “How are we supposed to approach these obstacles that could easily test our faith in Jesus and lead us away from him?”

We should take our answers from what the Sacred Scriptures tell us and what so many of our brothers and sisters before us did when they faced trials and tribulations. It is so easy to dismiss them and other individuals in times of crisis when the natural thing to do is only focus on ourselves. This is a terrible mistake and could lead to unimaginable consequinces. No one is ever really alone; only when they want to be. Christianity is a community; an extended family that is bound together by Jesus Christ. Living in this reality, there is an expectation of love, support, and consolation in the community. There is also an unconditional love that mustbe given to all who reside in the community.

Too many times, society teaches us that each individual rises and falls based on his or her own merit and faults. God teaches us that this is not true. Yes, we are all responsible for our own actions but once there is an acknowlegement of a sin or of crisis, healing and help comes from God and the community; not from one person. God called the Jewish people back to faith and healing not individually but as a community. It was through the community that healing and reconcilliation was possible. It is the responsibility of the individual to respond but it is through the support of the many that we all receive our strength. This is why Jesus performed miracles: not only for the individual receiving the miracle but so that the community could wintess it and thus have their faith strengthened also. It is a collective act.

Through the movement of the community all going forward with a common goal everything is achieved. No one stands alone. Standing alone and feeling alone weakens the Living Body of Christ here on this earth. When we act individually,we cannot forget the collectivity of our nature. Individual actions affect the whole as actions of the whole affect the individual. That is why we must keep Christ central in all of our thoughts and actions. We must remain selfless in our nature.

As long as we are selfless, we can then encounter Christ selfishly and develop our own relationship which will then strengthen the faith of others.

 

Deacon Tom

Sunday, October 21, 2012

WE ARE SLAVES TO CHRIST





Christ suffered so that we might be saved. Christ was crucified so that we could achieve eternal life. We live our lives by his example. As Christians, suffering is an obligation and a way of life. When we suffer, we become more like Christ and are able to understand our faith more fully. We are taught to look to Christ as an example and follow him as disciples. We are his disciples now in all our actions and thoughts.


Christ became a slave for our salvation and the salvation of the world. If Christ became a servant and we are his disciples then we are also servants. Christ is the king of slaves. We must act as slaves and serve the world in his name. Through us the world must see Christ. All we want and desire must come last and what people need is first. Acts of charity and good strengthen our faith. As Christian we must love to do these things. If we all do what we want to last and everyone else is first then Christ becomes the light of the world and saves us all.
We all want something better in our lives.

 

We all want to change our lives and be happy. We must remember to pray for this, but we need to  accept the bad things from God in our lives and celebrate what we suffer on his behalf. Good things happen when we suffer. We know ourselves when we suffer. We understand ourselves when we suffer. After darkness there is always light.
To enjoy the light we have to experience darkness. For light, we must first know the darkness. We should not fear the dark, because we are following the light. Light is Christ. If we understand this, then we can celebrate Christ's suffering and know that we will not suffer forever. We become stronger in our faith only when we suffer as Christ.


God sent his only son to suffer for us and then rose to perfection. He will always do the same for us because He loves us. We will always be protected, loved and saved. So go to him and become his slave.

 DEACON TOM