Diary of the Ghetto Priest | Do you trust the Lord?

Saint Augustine says, "Work as though everything depends on you, and pray as though everything depends on God."

Atheists do not believe in God. They don't know what they are missing: God's help, His actual grace and presence as He works with us; His daily union and friendship with us; His gift of His companionship with us; His wisdom and guidance all day, all night long; His love and clear path as we struggle through this valley of tears. What else do you want?

Though spiritual, the Lord is actually present. He is felt, known, experienced every single day and night if we open our inner eyes to see, if we open our inner ears to hear. He is a spiritual being though we cannot feel, touch, hear, taste, or see. We know that He is around. He is not contained by space and time. He is not physically tangible. But He is present.

If we do not believe in the reality of the soul, in spiritual faculties and an interior life, then there is no awareness of God and other beings. Then we have to conclude that life is a temporary matter; that there is no soul, no life after death. We would also be devoid of celestial beings such as angels and archangels, seraphims and cherubims, Heaven and hell, God the maker of Heaven and earth. There will not be any justice and mercy after life. Living on Earth, and earth's realities would be all that we have.

This world is so full of injustices, lack of love, cruelties, hatred, and violence. We would have only pagan practices such as "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die;" grab what you can today enjoy yourself. There would be a philosophy of selfishness - "I" "me" "myself" is all that matters; there is no consequence to our way of acting and being, during the course of our day and our life unto death on earth.

... 'Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me'

The Lord has declared through the life of all prophets, our elders, and all our patriarchs that the Kingdom of God is the reality of our time; in serving and honouring God through our works according to His ways, His promises, His commands.

Matthew 25:31-46 says: 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40 "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45 "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Do you trust in the Lord? Will He reward you when you die? Will you go to heaven? Will you be rewarded forever and ever? Or, is He just a Liar?

Ps. 14:1, The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

But we will be wise virgins, who trust in the Lord, doing everything He wants of us, and, surely, we will gain eternal life.