Article 2026081500

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

Prerequisites

READ - Plato The Allegory of the Cave (Republic, Book Seven)

Hers is a link to Translated by Oleg Bychkov, Theology Department, St. Bonaventure University

web.sbu.edu/theology/by…

WATCH - Trackdown, “The End of the World” (CBS, aired May 9, 1958)

Based on some of my geopolitical studies, I watched the Trackdown show, and a light bulb went off in my head that suggested I could use it for demonstrating a false prophet and cult techniques. I was studying Jeremiah, and had a quick reference to the Plato story about the same time. Watch how perceptions and myths spoken by a cultist can control a large population. Michael Yon provides a perspective from the modern time with the article Track Down: End of the World A NeverEnding Story AUG 12, 2026. Here is that link to the show and a review article. Michael Yon has done extensive research on cult psychology. I could only find the show on YouTube.

michaelyon.substack.com…

Inversion of Perceptions

To find the truth we sometimes need to move the “little man” to a new view. The “little man” is referenced by engineers referencing a diagram. It allows you to provide a new orientation of view, and vary large scale versus small scale calculations. The goal of this article is to help us open our minds to seek the truth, and not just accept false narratives.

Philosophers and Prophets

In the time of Socrates and Plato, mythology was commonly used to control and scam the populations. The philosophers desired a a greater good, and were seeking truth. God knew of these philosophers of the North were seeking truth when Jeremiah and other prophets were told of the boiling pot from the North around 570 BC. Only about 170 year later, Socrates was having the discussion of the “allegory of the cave” with Glaucon. God had a plan literally brewing to merge the West with the East to enable the sharing of the Gospel with all people of the entire planet Earth. Both the philosophers and the prophets were warning of how the general populations were being led into an evil prisons, and they could not perceive they were imprisoned. They believed only what the immediate peers believed. “Peer pressure”, is the common concern expressed by the youth. It still exists in adulthood, however, I think it is harder to admit as an adult.

Mythology

There are many forms of mythology. One form is to try to explain a mystery, another form is for entertainment, and then we have the most dangerous form to create a false story to manipulate. In Sicily, I have been to where the Homer’s Odyssey story describes the Cyclops throwing rocks at the departing escape ship. It is easy to recognize it as a fun story, and how it could be used to satisfy the curious mind of a child. We see the danger of the myths when applied to idolatry. There are many examples for cults, religions, and the state generating a superstitious belief in something natural, or more likely crafted. The Greek temples would make use of steam to have the statues move, etc. Historians and archeologists can learn much about the truth by learning the mythology of a region. However, research and worshiping a mythology are different. I still wonder about the similarities of the Greek and Nordic deities. It seems these people actually understood our true God, however, due to just mythical stories and sagas of entertainment lost the truth. Even with the written truth, the Israelites failed to recognize the false seductions. Even today, with our great access to knowledge the truth can be distorted by a myth.

Dangers of the Cult

Anyone can be seduced by the cult, and it is dangerous to believe you cannot. Therefore, it is wise to seek data from multiple sources. As my examples attempt to share, once in a cult it can be very difficult to believe your experience. You may be seduced by suggestions, and seeing things you want to see that are not present. Wanting something so badly can cause you to defend the manipulator. Much like worshiping an idol, the desire is that an inanimate object can do something if you believe. This is why you develop a relationship with God. Just believing can lead to the possibility of being led astray. You must discover the love and the forgiveness. When you are challenged, take a moment to pray and ask for guidance. Call upon the Holy Spirit to help understand the challenge. Maybe the challenge is valid, and you were seduced. If you have been led astray, God knows, and you can ask to be forgiven. God loves you, and wants you to recognize your faith. It is easy for us to be tempted, and many times we are not aware of our situation. Just keep praying, ask for mercy and most importantly ask for help.

You may wonder why I worry about false prophecy and cults. The reason is because I witnessed the depression my Mother expressed when her Father joined a cult. I watched a love one unable to escape fear and oppression, even with our prayers. I think my Grandfather was finally freed from the cult control when dementia set in. Here we have to trust God’s plan is not easy to understand. Maybe the plan was for me to write this article to help someone free themselves from a cult, and develop a new relationship with Jesus.

Conversions of Early Greeks

Based on the writings by Plato, and the similarities of idol worship throughout the Mediterranean, I believe I have an understanding why conversion to Christianity spread so quickly. I sense those converting had become tired of asking objects for healing, happiness and wants, and then not getting any satisfaction. I sense most did not feel loved by their idols. How would an idol love anyone or have a two-way relationship? Therefore, imagine the joy of the word of God being first presented that you can have a loving relationship with the greatest deity, and God made a great sacrifice for you. Today is the same, many cling to the material world, believing to have some thing will make you happy. Even focused on body image, can lead to unhappiness, since again the focus is on the material. We can read from the philosophers and the prophets to not focus on the material, but the relationship with others, and most importantly with God.

Closing

I was guided in this writing, to help us become more aware of our surroundings. Try to recognize temptations, and fictitious quick fix solutions. Try to recognize where you may be led by the comfort of others that are also lost. As Jesus says, seek and you will find. When you feel lost, are in a storm, and lost in any confusion, remember to pray, and seek help.

Matthew 7:7. Jesus says (NIV): "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Just as both the philosophers and prophets wrote, seeing a conditioned reality may not be the complete truth. Beware of the quick fix by the con artist. The real truth is in a long term dedication to always loving God, yourself and others.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

I was thinking of re-writing the following research, however, I think in the interests of time, I need to focus on other immediate needs. I enjoyed the experience of the read, and decided to make it available for you to share an experience of the histories from different times sharing an interesting philosophy. Notice the biblical references that were generated too. A bit of a mind bender, and that is the fun for me. I would love to hear your thoughts.

The following section is Claude Sonnet 5 Generated by Glen Carl August 15, 2026 as a way to share some extra behind the scenes on merging two independent stories with shared issue of human perceptions versus truth

Cave and Trackdown · MD

Shadows on the Wall: The Allegory of the Cave and the Grammar of False Prophecy in Trackdown‘s “The End of the World”

Introduction

Plato’s allegory of the cave (Republic VII, 514a–517a) and the 1958 Trackdown episode “The End of the World” belong to entirely different worlds — one a founding text of Western epistemology, the other a B-grade television Western built around a bandit plot and a swindler subplot. But set side by side, they share a structure that is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a coincidence: a controlled population, a manufactured account of reality, a figure who profits from maintaining that account, and a wall that is doing symbolic work in both. The comparison is sharpened, rather than weakened, by the fact that the episode inverts several of Plato’s terms even as it repeats his structure. And it becomes theologically substantive once set against a body of biblical material — particularly Ezekiel 13 — that describes almost exactly this figure: someone who builds or endorses a wall, tells the people it will hold, and is condemned for it.

The Cave Re-Read

Plato’s setup is precise and worth restating in its own terms before it is used for anything else. Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine “human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the den,” where people have been chained by the leg and neck since childhood, “so that they cannot move, and can only see before them,” facing a wall (514a–b). Behind them, “at a distance, and elevated above them,” burns a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners runs a raised path along which unseen people carry “figures of men and animals... appearing over the wall,” so that only their shadows fall on the wall the prisoners face (514b–515a). The prisoners, having seen nothing else in their lives, take the shadows to be the whole of reality, and even develop a competitive skill at naming and predicting them.

The turning point comes when one prisoner is freed and made to look toward the fire. Plato does not describe this as pleasant: “when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains” (515c–e), and his first instinct is to prefer the shadows he already trusts. Dragged further, up the “rough and steep” ascent out of the cave, he is initially blinded by the sun and can tolerate only reflections and shadows of real things before he can look at the things themselves, and only “last of all... he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another” (516a–b). The sun, once seen, is understood as the cause of the seasons and of everything visible — Plato’s figure for the Form of the Good, the source and precondition of all truth and knowledge (516b–c).

The allegory does not end with ascent; it ends with a return, and the return is where its social and political cost is stated most bluntly. If the freed man went back into the cave, his eyes — now adjusted to sunlight — would fail him in the dark, and the prisoners would judge his journey to have ruined him: “would he not be ridiculous?... men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes” (517a). And if he tried to free and lead up another prisoner, Socrates says, “if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death” (517a). The allegory’s final image, in other words, is not enlightenment but hostility toward the one who disturbs an established, comfortable account of reality — even when that account is false.

The Wall Inverted

Set next to this, the wall in “The End of the World” is a deliberate-looking inversion. Plato’s wall is the screen: it is the surface onto which a false account of reality is projected, and staring at it is the condition of ignorance the whole allegory exists to name. Walter Trump’s wall is sold as the opposite — not the source of an illusion, but protection against a threatened catastrophe (”a cosmic explosion”). He tells the townspeople, in effect, that only he understands the danger and only his wall can stop it: “I am the only one. Trust me. I can build a wall around your homes that nothing will penetrate.”

The inversion is only skin-deep, though, because the function is identical. Plato’s wall keeps the prisoners’ attention fixed on a manufactured account instead of the world outside the cave. Trump’s wall keeps the townspeople’s attention, money, and compliance fixed on a manufactured threat instead of any independent verification of whether the threat is real. Both walls exist to foreclose the outside — one by casting an image on it, the other by promising to keep something out of it — and both do so for the benefit of whoever is managing the account: the unnamed puppeteers behind the parapet in one case, a single named grifter in the other.

The Puppeteer’s Trade

This is also where the two texts assign roles most clearly. Plato never gives his puppeteers motives — the allegory is interested in what the shadow-play does to the prisoners’ minds, not in why anyone would stage it — but once fear and money are added to the picture, as they are in “The End of the World,” the puppeteer role acquires an obvious psychology: it becomes the operator who manufactures or amplifies a crisis, installs himself as its sole authorized interpreter, and profits from the resulting compliance. Walter Trump is not a failed or false version of the freed prisoner who ascends toward the sun; he occupies the other position in the allegory entirely. He is the one generating the display that a captive audience mistakes for the whole of reality, and Ranger Hoby Gilman — the outsider who investigates the claim and exposes it — is structurally the one who plays Plato’s returning prisoner, at the normal cost of that role: a town already invested in the con man’s account does not receive the correction gladly.

Ezekiel’s Whitewashed Wall

The theological grounding for this figure is not a loose analogy; it is close to explicit in Ezekiel 13. The chapter is a sustained indictment of false prophets, and its central image is, remarkably, a wall. The prophets “have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter” — that is, they whitewashed a structurally unsound wall and declared it sound (Ezekiel 13:10, KJV). God’s response, delivered through Ezekiel, is to promise that the wall will fall regardless of what has been said about it: “Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower... and a stormy wind shall rend it” (13:11), so that when it collapses “it shall be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?” (13:12). The passage closes by naming exactly what it has been describing: “the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace” (13:16).

Ezekiel’s false prophets and Walter Trump are not making identical claims — Ezekiel’s targets falsely minimize danger (”Peace, peace; when there is no peace,” echoed at Jeremiah 6:14), while Trump falsely manufactures or inflates it — but the structure underneath is the same inversion of the cave’s wall problem from the other direction. In both cases a wall is presented as guaranteeing a state of affairs (safety, soundness, peace) that the one presenting it either has no basis for asserting or knows to be false, and in both cases the wall functions as a device for controlling what people believe about their situation rather than actually changing it. Ezekiel’s God does not merely disagree with the false prophets; he specifically promises to expose the gap between the claim about the wall and the wall’s actual condition — the same gap Ranger Gilman exposes in Trump’s claim by investigating rather than trusting.

New Testament Warnings

The New Testament supplies the vocabulary for the type more directly than Ezekiel’s single image does. Matthew’s Gospel places the warning in Jesus’s own mouth twice: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15), and, in the Olivet discourse specifically concerned with end-times deception, “many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (24:11), followed by an explicit warning against claimants to unique, exclusive authority — “if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not” (24:23) — because “there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (24:24). Trump’s line, “I am the only one,” sits remarkably close to the structure of claim Matthew 24 warns against: not merely a false prediction, but a claim to be the sole legitimate mediator between the people and the disaster that supposedly threatens them.

Second Peter names the financial motive that Ezekiel implies and Trackdown dramatizes outright. It predicts “false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies... and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1), warns that “many shall follow their pernicious ways” (2:2), and states the mechanism plainly: “through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (2:3) — literally, treat the deceived as a commodity to be sold to. That is a precise description of Trump’s con: a fabricated emergency, a claimed monopoly on the solution, and a price attached to relief from a danger he has himself supplied the only account of.

The Ranger and the Returning Prisoner

Plato’s account of what happens to the prisoner who returns to correct the others clarifies why Gilman’s role in the episode is dramatically difficult rather than simple. The allegory does not treat the return as a triumphant unveiling; it predicts ridicule, disorientation, and even violence against the one who disturbs an account people have already organized their lives around (517a). The townspeople in “The End of the World” have paid Trump, trusted him, and built their sense of the immediate future on his account of the cosmic threat; Gilman’s exposure of the fraud is not simply a matter of presenting contrary facts; it requires dislodging a belief people have already invested in, which is exactly the resistance Plato predicts and exactly the dynamic Ezekiel and Matthew describe when they anticipate false prophets being believed, followed, and only reluctantly abandoned.

Conclusion Every Wall Meets Its Storm

What the cave, Ezekiel’s whitewashed wall, and Trump’s protective wall converge on is not a single claim about God, form, or truth, but a recurring diagnosis of a social position: the person who controls the account of the threat and the account of the remedy at the same time, and who has every incentive to keep both accounts uncontested. Plato frames the danger as epistemological — ignorance mistaken for the whole of reality, sustained by isolation from any outside light. Ezekiel and the New Testament frame it as covenantal and moral — false prophecy that trades on people’s fear (or false reassurance) for status and profit, and that scripture treats as something God will actively expose rather than merely correct. Trackdown‘s episode, unpretentious as its origins are, dramatizes both frames at once: a wall that claims to hold, a man with sole authority over whether it does, and an outsider whose investigation — like the freed prisoner’s ascent, like the storm in Ezekiel 13 — is what finally makes the gap between the claim and the reality visible.

Sources

• Plato, Republic VII, 514a–517a, trans. Benjamin Jowett (public domain) — full text

• Ezekiel 13:10–16, King James Version — Bible Hub

• Matthew 7:15; 24:11, 23–24, King James Version — Bible Hub, Matthew 24

• 2 Peter 2:1–3, King James Version — Bible Hub

• Jeremiah 6:14, King James Version — Bible Hub

• Trackdown, “The End of the World” (CBS, aired May 9, 1958), character Walter Trump played by Lawrence Dobkin — plot and dialogue as verified by Deseret News fact-check and Snopes

Article 2026080422

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

Calling to share from the book of Jeremiah

I have been stirred by the Holy Spirit almost a full week now to share Jeremiah. The verse Jeremiah 29:11 has come up many times. I first discovered the verse on my own when I did my first full read of the Bible when I was in High School. I marked it in my Bible to help, and referenced it many times to help me have hope in difficult times. The verse was referenced in the movie I watched last night called “Running the Bases” on PureFlix. I just went back to the video for reference, and the playback was right at the 51 minute location where the reference begins. Interestingly enough, I heard the song lyrics “Jesus loves me this I know because the Bible tells me so” at the Faith Music Festival a couple weeks ago, and that is the same essential line in the movie, and is followed by the Jeremiah 29:11 line. I am not making this up. In addition, 2 days ago the Bible in a year episode “Day 215: False Prophets (2026)” played about Ezekiel’s warning, and this was proceeded by Jeremiah’s reference in the the same series titled “BONUS: If You Feel Like Giving Up (with Jeff Cavins) - 2026. I am wondering how God spoke to Jeremiah? The writing is mostly “… says the LORD”. The prophets definitely found a direct channel. I believe we have the channel today with the Holy Spirit, and I am being told to write. While processing my thoughts, I believe I stumbled upon a hidden error in my thoughts that may have led to some hardships. It is something I have been praying about for 13 years now.

Jeremiah 4:27 . . . 5:6 Warnings

[4:27] For thus says the LORD, “The whole land shall be in desolation; yet I will not make a full end. [4:28] For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be black, for I have spoken, I have planned; I have not relented nor will I turn back.”

[5:6] Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, a wolf from the desert shall destroy them. A leopard is watching their cities, everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great.

We open here to summarize most of Jeremiah’s warnings by God to repent, or face the planned destruction. Many prophets warn about the changes that are predicted, and share the frustrations of people not changing their behaviors. I find it interesting how the prophets make pleas, and sometimes ask for revenge. I do see more description of how God will avenge the evil ones in the old testament books.

Jeremiah 9:23 Glorify God

[9:23] Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in history riches; [9:24] but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practice steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the LORD.”

For my interpretation, I understand God wants us to recognize our achievements are part of God’s plan, and we are to be humble and give the glory to God. It remind me of how when I do contract work, where many times I need to present success of a project because of the client, and other times take a good chunk of the blame of a failed project. Keep the mindset we are servants and ministers of God.

Jeremiah 15:18 Pain and Restoration

[15:18] Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? [15:19] Therefore thus says the LORD: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.”

For the past 13 years, I have had pain from graft to host disease (GVHD), and it refuses to heal fully. There are so many temptations for so many to abandon God, and for those that stay faithful there will be an eventual restoration. My lesson is love is patient, and requires faith. A nice verse to reference when you experience great pain or failed temptation.

Jeremiah 23 and 29 False Prophets Denounced

[23:16] Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes; the speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. [23:17] They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to every one who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’”

[29:8] For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream, [29:9] for it is a lie which they are prophesying to you and in my name; I ddi not send them, says the LORD.

These verses gave me a gut punch. I begin to wonder if me and my family have been punished for the study group I led in Fall of 2012 to Winter 2013, called the “Entrepreneur Mastermind Group” where I used the reference of the book “THINK and GROW RICH” by Napoleon Hill, here is a typical quote "Anybody can wish for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a burning desire for wealth, are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth." I was actually getting this exact quote from a start up connection in March and May 2013. My 35 year old niece achieved a suicide in May 2013, and in June 2013 I was in the hospital on the edge of death with an extremely rare form of leukemia. When the group started, I even focused the need for $2 billion dollars to achieve immediate business ambitions. I was being seduced by positive thinking, and all of the human ways of getting extremely wealthy. I was proud of how I was juggling the start up game, and even working on a patent. I think I drifted too far into the fast lane, and God provided me a path for the exile plan he had for me. Now, I ask forgiveness for sharing an effective get rich the human way plan. Even the human focus plan is filled with balance of great sacrifice and tragedy. I did not see evidence of long term happiness amongst the wealthiest. I am now praying constantly, and listening more. I continue to pray for mercy and for guidance to stay on a focused God pleasing plan.

Of note, I learn in Ezekiel and Jeremiah a good technique for determining the difference between the false and true prophet is to observe the focus on feeling good all of the time versus the warning of dealing with hardships and temptation. The truthful prophets are going to encourage you to remain humble, loving, faithful, and strong during the many temptation and persecutions you will face.

Jeremiah 29:11

[29:11] For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope. [29:12] Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. [29:13] You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, [29:14] I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to place from which I sent you into exile.

One of the most hopeful verses in the Bible. Even when we do not understand the plan, God has a good plan, and we need to trust the great love that God has for us. God is good all of the time, and all of the time God is good.

Closing

As stated in the beginning of the article, I was really called to write, and as I researched and wrote I discovered a hidden trespass that needed to be recognized, and addressed. I confess to you and Jesus Christ the sin of leading some to a focus of Earthly wealth versus the leading to the heavenly wealth of the kingdom of God. It is easy to get ensnared in the traps of evil, and I pray that you and I can build a deeper relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I forgive those who may have tried to lead me into temptation, since many times you do not know what you are doing.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Article 2026072501

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous.”

The Calling and Paradigm Shift

For over a week, I have been called by the Holy Spirit to write about 2 Timothy 3 and Romans 5. God communicated with me in many ways over the past two weeks to write about these chapters in the Bible. Some of the calling was via the recent Jordan Peterson podcasts. Yesterday, I just completed reading of the book “Project Paradigm” by Frank Bisbiglia to write a book review, and the book ends with a chapter referencing Jordan Peterson’s book “12 Rules for Life”. These rules tie into 2 Timothy 3. A few days ago, an elderly woman was murdered near my home by a random act of violence, and this week my Worklight group was asked to pray for the daughter of the woman killed. One of our members knows the daughter. The murder incident ties in with the wickedness described in 2 Timothy, and how we still must seek the grace as described in Romans 5. I am writing now before God pushes me more. I start thinking of Jonah’s defiance, and I really do not want to be swallowed be swallowed by a great fish. I was just at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and having those fish look at me was disturbing enough. Therefore, I write with the power of the Holy Spirit to you now. Let’s start with 2 Timothy and then follow with Romans 5.

2 Timothy 3 Godlessness in the Last Days

But under this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will b lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people. For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and swayed by various impulses, who will listen to anybody and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth. As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith; but they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of these men.

Perspective of the Godlessness

I have been seriously observing current global geopolitics and history for the past 13 years when started recovering from a bone marrow transplant. I was told I would unlikely be able to work again, and be dead in 5 years. I figured if I could not hold a job, I better learn how to invest, and to invest wisely, you need to know the global markets, and thus the need to study geopolitics. The study of geopolitics and history revealed the darkness in this world. The state of the world led me to start reading the Bible, and then engage more with my relationship with God. I am now finding great comfort writing these articles, and less than a year ago I had no plan to be writing articles. What I am getting at is your current perspective may need a paradigm shift, where you try to see a new perspective of the light in the darkness. What is your current relationship with God? Do you see a path in the darkness? There is a song verse, “this little light of mine, I am going to let it shine”, If you have Jesus in your heart, you will be able to focus on the kingdom of God, and not worry about the evil that you will not be able to control. You must surrender, and let God guide you. To be guided, you must constantly pray, and request wisdom with patience. Remember to forgive those who trespass against you, since they may not know what they are doing, and under the spell of the last days.

Romans 5 Results of Justification

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which sharing the glory of God. More than that, that suffering produces character, and not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Access to Grace

The 2 Timothy chapter is the warning, and fortunately we have tools to not be afraid of the evil, and to have some understanding of this world. Rise up and call upon the Holy Spirit to be present. As I have been studying saints, I have seen so many cases were the saint will pray for the Holy Spirit to be present, and are able to overcome great challenges. Use your faith to recognize the grace, and be willing to share the glory of God. Plan your day with a purpose of glorifying God in whatever you do. Seek the religious paradigm, and pray for help. “God help me.” Do not worry, and try to understand that God has a plan for you, and the plan may be very difficult and tragic. Many times, your faith will be challenged and tempted. Do not give up, rise up, and know God is preparing you for something much greater in the kingdom of God. Celebrate the times you know you have overcome an evil, and remember the Lord grants mercy when you ask for forgiveness.

Closing

As stated in the calling section of the article, I really felt channeled to write what was written. I feel it is brief, however, the article must have some significance in God’s plan for some reader. I really hope the writing allows you to embrace the power of the Holy Spirit for whatever plan God has for you.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God. Remember to pray “God Help me.” Remember, God is good all of the time, and all of the time God is good.

God Bless You!

Article 2026062117

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni, Sancte Spiritous”.

Intro

I am

I am Glen Daniel Carl a humble minister of the living God, where “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” Exodus 3:14. I pray come Holy Spirit guide my words. I come from the Iron Range of Minnesota, Baptized in a lake with my Father, Mother and Sister when I was a child. I was raised with faith, and went into the wilderness of Texas, Colorado, Arizona and California. Over the years, God guided me into building a career as an aerospace engineer with a speciality of scientific software applications, management and business. Divine intervention led me to my wife in California, and we were allowed to foster adopt two children from birth. Here we are this week to minister to a Worklight Men’s Group at St. Joseph's, Capitola, California.

Reflections Week 4 Pray Without Ceasing

“The Flame” June 2026, Worklight

by Jim Ganther who is an attorney, entrepreneur, and captain of a competitive BBQ team, He and his wife, Melissa, have seven children and three grandchildren.

Reflection Bible Verse: Exodus 20:7 KJV

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.”

Reflection Review

Close your eyes, take yourself to the time of Moses, imagine being in a tribe that is roaming the wilderness, imagine being about 5000 feet up Mount Sinai, the weather near freezing from being near the snow level, the spitting of icy rain mixed with ash pelting your face, the swirling dark clouds, the volcanic smell, imagine listening to Moses speak The Ten Commandments, and imagine the ground shaking, thunder, lightning, the sound of a trumpet and the mountain smoking. Imagine the fear and trembling of loved ones with the darken faces from volcanic ash. Now, open your eyes, some of these are known observations present in Exodus 20:18, and some are real possibilities. Moses says in Exodus 20:20 Do not fear; for God had come to test you, and the fear of him may before your eyes, that you may not sin.

As we reflect on the words by Jim Ganther, let’s think about practicing patterns that please God. An important quote is “Being a child of God is an all-the-time thing.”

For myself, I have been told many times a story where my young father who was relatively new to living as a Christian had a painful event and yelled “GRAPES” in front of his young son just learning to talk, me. The story is I walked around for days yelling “GRAPES”. My parents feel blessed my Dad said “grapes.” It is easy to imagine another expression. Another reminder, that many may be watching, and for certain God is.

Back to the article, we are guided to the constant communication and relationship with God.

Bible Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“pray without ceasing”

Here we can feel God’s presence, and when in the presence we are likely to honor God. Here the spirit leads me to the “Treatises of Cyprian” Chapter 4-5 [1]. The writings are from the regions of Carthage around 250 AD. There were many disagreements in the early church in the region, and Saint Cyprian had to talk and act. The chapters were written to educate the church on understanding, and praying the “Lord’s Prayer”. Included in the chapters are intensive teachings of prayer and that God is present everywhere, and can see in hidden places. The comfort is that in the best of time, in the times of great despair, and in the times of great fear we can call upon God in prayer, and ask for help. Call upon the help, remember to honor God, and be grateful for everything. I call upon God’s will, and I pray that I can accept God’s will whatever it may be. I like to continuously pray “Lord have Mercy”, and “God help me.”

Closing

Reflect from The Flame

“How do we keep the commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain alive in our workplaces and treat God’s name with reverence and honor?”

Discuss from The Flame

“Discus about a time when your work reflected the relationship you have with the Lord and how that impacted your coworkers.”

Pray from The Flame

“Heavenly Father, remind us to focus on the context of our work, and keep it front and center in our lives.” In Jesus name, Amen.

Reference [1]

Treatises of Cyprian — Treatise IV: On the Lord’s Prayer

Chapters 4-5

4. But let our speech and petition when we pray be under discipline, observing quietness and modesty. Let us consider that we are standing in God’s sight. We must please the divine eyes both with the habit of body and with the measure of voice. For as it is characteristic of a shameless man to be noisy with his cries, so, on the other hand, it is fitting to the modest man to pray with moderated petitions. Moreover, in His teaching the Lord has bidden us to pray in secret — in hidden and remote places, in our very bed-chambers — which is best suited to faith, that we may know that God is everywhere present, and hears and sees all, and in the plenitude of His majesty penetrates even into hidden and secret places, as it is written, I am a God at hand, and not a God afar off. If a man shall hide himself in secret places, shall I not then see him? Do not I fill heaven and earth? (Jeremiah 23:23-24) And again: The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3) And when we meet together with the brethren in one place, and celebrate divine sacrifices with God’s priest, we ought to be mindful of modesty and discipline — not to throw abroad our prayers indiscriminately, with unsubdued voices, nor to cast to God with tumultuous wordiness a petition that ought to be commended to God by modesty; for God is the hearer, not of the voice, but of the heart. Nor need He be clamorously reminded, since He sees men’s thoughts, as the Lord proves to us when He says, Why do you think evil in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4) And in another place: And all the churches shall know that I am He that searches the hearts and reins. (Revelation 2:23)

5. And this Hannah in the first book of Kings, who was a type of the Church, maintains and observes, in that she prayed to God not with clamorous petition, but silently and modestly, within the very recesses of her heart. She spoke with hidden prayer, but with manifest faith. She spoke not with her voice, but with her heart, because she knew that thus God hears; and she effectually obtained what she sought, because she asked it with belief. Divine Scripture asserts this, when it says, She spoke in her heart, and her lips moved, and her voice was not heard; and God did hear her. (1 Samuel 1:13) We read also in the Psalms, Speak in your hearts, and in your beds, and be pierced. The Holy Spirit, moreover, suggests these same things by Jeremiah, and teaches, saying, But in the heart ought God to be adored by you.

Bonus

After writing, and going for a walk, I was presented with a show on Henry Clay Frick. I learned why Frick was added to the list of swear words. To learn why, study up on the Frick’s South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, and how it was related with the Johnstown Flood in 1889. Then study the Homestead Strike in 1892. I wonder many times, if God recognizes the word, like “grapes”, and “Frick” still as an expression of taking the name in vain. Here, I think we each know in our heart, and God will know the intent for each of us. We also can tell how those watching us react to the words we use. Please Lord God, give us wisdom on the words we use.

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Blessings to my readers, and as I embrace the Holy Spirit, “Veni Sancte Spiritous.”

Riding the Wave of God

I start by asking, are you the ones struggling or not finding the currents of God’s will? Are you trying to find a bigger wave of challenge by God? Are you riding the wave in great harmony with God’s will? Maybe you are just found that wave current and embracing God’s power? We are constantly in motion, and under the power of God. The planet earth is spinning and circling a sun with a moon and planets that all move our body. When I surf, I can feel all of these movements, and these feelings are very similar to how I feel when I am in alignment with the power of God. I do have a fear of God, and a great love of God. I do know that God loves me. I want to please God. However, more importantly, I want to have that sense of grace I am riding the wave God provided, and not lost on that same wave.

Finding God’s Path

I intended to write sooner, however, I had a revelation that I was starting to do things for me versus God. What is strange as soon as I was catching a glimpse of where I needed to be, I was confronted with many obstacles. It was like paddling out in a consistent set of waves such you do not know if you will get outside the break. Fortunately, I punched through and found the peaceful calm. In this calm, I write to you, and may you find the calling of where God wants you to be.

Knowing When You are Lost or on the path of Vanity

Many times, we do not know we have drifted off track, and my realization is when I was listening to the Bible stories of the Kings of the Old Testament, where Saul, David, and Solomon all encountered vanity. I discovered “The Book of Ecclesiastes”, for my struggling memory to pronounce as “ec-cle-si-as-tes”, where the book talks vanity in great detail. The book is located in the middle of the Bible, and is only 12 chapters. I had been praying for God’s help, and boom, here it is in this wonderful book instructing me from ancient wisemen. My father encouraged me to study wisdom, and not only did I study wisdom, I learned the secular techniques of gaining knowledge and success. I am now learning the consequences of when we think we can do it ourselves. We may then experience a wave that grows to be massive and slams you to the bottom and to the shoreline. As the ancient kings learned, God has commands, and when you forget, you may soon encounter a hard lesson. Therefore, when you feel you are fighting a great hardship, it may be an indicator you are lost. Some friends debate me on the fear of God, and that the Bible is a book written by men, where we just know God loves us. The classic, is “God helps those who help themselves.” Every one of us has some form of relationship with God, and we all will need to determine how to grow or drift in that relationship. Do you feel lost, or are you at peace being lost?

When Lost

In basic survival, from a quick search “When you realize you’re lost, stop moving, stay calm, and use your last known location to think through how you got there before doing anything else. Then look for landmarks.” The same is true for finding God’s path; stop, be calm, acknowledge your troubles and faults, and then pray for finding the path. I am enjoying that my improved relationship with God is allowing me to know when I am lost, and that I need to constantly pray for guidance. Personally, I do not like the feeling of being lost, and I am seeking the currents in the maps to bring me peace. I interpret the verse Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 to be an interesting summary of the the book of Ecclesiastes, of no matter what we do on earth it is really just toil, and we are to focus on the beauty of how God make use of our lives for the Kingdom of God.

Ecclesiastes 8:16-17

When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night one’s see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However, much man may toil in seeking, he will find it out, even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find out.

Extra credit: Read the entire book of Ecclesiastes, and listen to “Day 149: All is Vanity (2026) The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz” Apple Podcast

Trust in You

As I was writing I heard the song “Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle. The song reinforced the importance of the revelation of fully trusting God’s path whatever it may be. “Letting go of every dream… No matter what I face, You’re by my side….I will trust in You”.

Closing

I am praying for you that you find God’s will for yourself. The path will be challenging, and the more you experience each challenge, the easier it gets to trust God. Just think of the challenges Jesus gave the initial disciples and the trust they encountered. Imagine being in a great storm, being asked to walk on water, or go get some donkey from a stranger. God has a plan for you. God loves you. Remember, God is great all of the time, and all of the time God is great.

God Bless You!

Bonus

I do notice, in this writing on “vanity”, I am using the word “I” a lot, and how vain is that. I am guessing that the Holy Spirit is directing the use “I” to suggest all of us are unique, and we all need to call upon the Holy Spirit to help direct each of our paths.

Also, God is still directing me to follow up on previous plans on what to write, and the Math teaching. I guess the delay was to help write this article on finding God’s will.

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Blessings to my readers, and as I embrace the Holy Spirit, “Veni Sancte Spiritous.”

God Help me

Last week, I was shepherding my flock of to be confirmed and anointed by Most Reverend Bishop Ramón Bejarano. The homily was good for the students to learn they are unique, and to have courage. Most importantly the lesson was teach us to pray frequently, and that the simple prayer, “God help me”, is very powerful. I have been making the prayer quite frequently, along with the prayer, “Lord have mercy.”

Psalms 39

A few days ago, I heard Psalms 39, and felt called to quickly write it in my notes. I recorded and then reflected on the chapter, and I have continued to study the verses. The verses connect with me, since I have been lost, and do not know my path. Please read the following Psalms 39 chapter, and I will continue on what happens next.

Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness to the choirmaster to Jeduthun.

A Psalm of David

I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue, I will bridle my mouth. so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

I was mute and silent, I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse, my heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:

“LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting life is! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight. Surely every man stands as a mere breadth! “ Selah[1]

Surely man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nought are they in turmoil; man heap up, and knows not who will gather!

“And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Make me not the scorn of the fool! I am silent, I do not open my mouth; for it is you who have done it. Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the blows of your hand. When you chasten man with rebukes for sin, you will consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely every man is a mere breadth!” Selah[1]

“Hear my prayers, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am your passing guest, a sojourner, like all my fathers. Look away from me, that I may know gladness, before I depart and be no more!”

[1] Look up Selah, and you will find many suggested definitions. Some scholars believe it means "pause and praise" or "lift up your voices in praise." What do you think it means?

Simplify and have Courage

Soon after reading the chapter, I had a discussion with someone who inspired me to build again. It is very easy to slip into the overwhelming hardships of our environment. We try to hard to control things we cannot. With some recent confidence I recently gained, I was able to visualize how to teach math. It was a way for God to give me some direction. I have found some new courage, and new opportunities are presenting themselves.

Today, I was able to talk with my old Christian friend, from my teen years going to a Christian family camp in Minnesota. It was a family camp that we went to for a couple of summers, and we became friends with another family. My friend has been battling cancer for many years. His battles are much worse than mine, and like me, we feel we are already on bonus time. Here again, I bring us back to Psalm 39, where we see we must endure hardship, and we can seek gladness. For the call, it was great to connect about our faith, and how we can strengthen each other in our short time, as in “a few handbreadths”. We both discussed the “where am I at, where do I want to go, and how do I get there” recipe for getting through difficult times. We worship a living God, and will always be living. Death is just a transition, and need not be feared if you embrace a loving relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord.

My friend shared a story I forgot about, but I soon remembered. The adventure starts at the summer camp, and with the water ski boat his family brought to the lake. We were maybe 14 at the time, and we think we remember another teen girl that was with us, and we got permission from his father to take the boat to a Diary Queen on a few mile boat trip from the camp. After getting our Diary Queen treats, it was late evening, and we needed more fuel, so we stopped by a couple of harbor fuel pumps that Steve had been too before but they were already closed. We learned of a gas station inland about a mile, and started our hike with the 5 gallon tank. We found the station, and filled the tank to the top. Feeling good about the success so far, however, as soon as we started walking back we discovered 5 gallons of fuel is quite heavy for some young teens. Well, 1 gallon of gas is about 6 pounds, so it was likely close to 30 pounds. The hike back was slow, and had to keep rotating who was carrying the tank. Eventually after a grueling hike, we did make it back to the boat and return back to the camp. The fun of the story is when we returned late, and he explained the story to his father. The father’s response was “why did you fill the tank to the top?”, and his reply was “because we always fill the tank to the top.” The father explained we made our burden harder, since we only needed about 1 to 2 gallons in the tank to get back and get more gas the next day. Who knows, maybe this adventure led me to the path of working on software that optimized fuel storage for airlines. How the story relates to Psalm 39, is that I see us creating more burdens for ourselves when we do not take time to pray and listen. We just react, and repeat patterns that may be adding more unnecessary hardship.

Closing

Let’s pray, “God help us, and forgive us of my transgressions, and help us to forgive other of their transgressions. Amen” I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Article 2026052122 — updated as Article 20260730

Life of Fred Elementary Math

Change of plans. I was building a plan of teaching elementary math. The plan was to read the books by Stanley F. Schmidt, Ph.D. The book series are titled “Life of Fred”. The concept would be starting at the beginning with Apples. I am not finding a way to share on public media, like Substack to share the book effectively, and not violate copyright. Therefore, I am re-writing this article to be a book series review.

Where to Start

Based on the students math knowledge, there are suggested learning starting books. I recommend starting at Apples, no matter your level of math knowledge for these series. The books serve as a memory tool. Each book builds upon the memories of the book series story. The characters in the story, and the descriptions of the environments indexes your memory. The books are not like typical reference books, and you would want other types of math references if you just want something basic. You can easily ask an artificial intelligence agent to teach you a math concept with a prompt, such as `teach me math multiplication`, and `teach me math imaginary numbers`. The Life of Fred books are for reinforcing skills.

Christian References

The math classes will have references to Christianity, so you will not find the teaching of the series in US Public Schools. I taught both my young children with these books, and they both became proficient in math early.

For both Adults and Children

The teaching is not just for children, adults can also fully understand and appreciate math. You want to understand math, and not just learn how to memorize equations. Better yet, read the book to a child to both learn.

Book Buying Options

https://www.lifeoffred.com provides options

Search “life of fred math” and you can find the books, and book series on Amazon, eBay, Christianbook, etc. Look for used books, and better yet, ask your local library. Libraries can buy books, and many people do not know that. I had several friends in college that would request the library to buy a course book, and then just check it out for the semester.

Summary

The Life of Fred book series for many subjects are highly recommended for reinforcing your understanding concepts. I was very happy of the effectiveness of teaching elementary math to my children, and know other parents the home schooled that also found the books very effective.

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“Veni Sancte Spiritous”

1 Peter 3:13-22

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is right? But even if you do suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, not be troubled, but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile you your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong. For Christ also died for our sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteousness that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formally did not obey; when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Observations

The reason for my writing is because of the recent observations I have had over the past few days, and a sense that God wants me to write about these observations.

Observation of Conversation

The first observation was a over hearing a conversation at the Apple Store in Los Gatos, California. I was waiting for my daughter completing her migration of data to a new iPhone. Sitting near us was a woman customer getting some help with her Apple device. All of a sudden the woman asked the worker what his belief in God was, and I was eager to hear the response. The worker was surprised by the request, and then he started to say he was uncomfortable about speaking about his spiritual views. The woman asks why he is uncomfortable, and again the worker gives a statement he rather not discuss. The woman asks again what he believes. After this question, the worker starts to discuss that his parents go to church and he has been to church. The conversation continues awkwardly, and I begin to wonder if I am to interject in the conversation. I am also wondering if I share the conversation with my daughter. I felt called to just reflect on the observations. My daughter’s phone migration was now done, and we left with me not knowing how the conversation with the worker and the woman concluded. However, I know the woman was confident in her faith, whereas the worker was shy about his faith.

Observation of David

My friend encouraged me to watch the “House of David” on Amazon Prime. I just finished season 1, and I am impressed with the quality of the production. It is interesting that I am listening to the podcast “The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz” and is covering the stories of David this week. However, what is important was I was observing how important it is for us to allow God to work, and to listen to God’s instructions. David knew how to be accountable for his hope, and was very clear on declaring the hope that God would prevail in defeating a lion and a giant. I noticed David’s impatience in understanding God’s timing and path for him.

Observation of Movie

Last night, I watched the movie “Play the Flute (2019)”, Directed by Rich Christiano. I observed in this movie the importance of the way to motivate others to hope is to demonstrate your hope, declare your hope, and accept God’s timing and will. Also in the movie, there was the theme of people pleasing versus pleasing God. Another observation in the movie, was the surrender flag. We see in our picture that Jesus is carrying the surrender flag.

Observation of Homily

Just moments ago, I listened to the podcast, “Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz, 5/10/26 A Reason to Hope”. The homily was covering 1 Peter 3:15, and as I listened I understood my observation a few days ago. The homily stressed the importance of being able to know the reason for your hope and to not only be able to explain your faith, but to be able to explain your reason for hope. Also important in the homily, is that the adversity and trials in our life are God’s way to help us endure and strengthen are proven hope that God is always with us.

Analysis

For me, I am understanding that we are always being tested, and strengthened. Was is it possible an angel was asking the worker about his faith? I realized that I must be prepared to be clear on my love of God, and what I believe. We want to have the belief that we can let our light shine, and be ready to defend why we love God, and have the hope God will take care of us. There is no reason to be afraid of sharing your hope and faith. Also, we want to determine if we are doing and saying things to please people, or to please God. If we truly love God, then why would we hide our loved one.

To be prepared, we must continue to learn about the Trinity. A best practice for learning is to teach. When was the last time you tried to explain your faith and hope to another person? How do you learn, pray, teach and worship? Do you understand the call to minister? If a stranger asks you what you believe, are you ready to provide an answer? Remember, God is always listening, is always with us, and always loves us. If you do not know what the Trinity is, I really recommend you read the book of “John” to get started, and start asking questions on how to learn more.

As seen in the picture, the surrender flag. We must be willing to surrender to God’s will, and do our best to understand God’s path for us. I struggle most with knowing God’s timing and what path to follow.

I keep trying to improve my relationship with God, and how I communicate with God. Still, my planning and prioritization of activities is very difficult for me. I know I disappoint people by my limitations, and please forgive me for my faults. Humans have many faults, and I do my best to forgive others even when it is not easy. By writing these articles, I hope that I am connecting more with you. I know the writing has helped my relationship with God,

Closing

Some of my readers know where the picture is located. Maybe one of my readers will share in the comments about the location, and explain the picture in detail.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God. God is great all of the time, and all of the time God is great.

God Bless You!

Bonus

Just after I published the article, my wife and I watched the movie “War Within” (2014), by Brett Varvel. The versus 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also died for our sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteousness that he might bring us to God,” is in the movie. I am definitely being led to 1 Peter 3. The movie is an amazing low budget film, and highly worth watching. You will enjoy even more if you are familiar with the mental treatments with “Internal Family Systems (IFS)”, or the animated film “Inside Out” (2015), by Pixar. “War Within” is a battle for the soul, and the need to surrender to God when doubting your faith. We saw the movie on “UP Faith & Family” streaming. I see it is on Amazon Prime, and some other streaming platforms.

Summary of Saint Paul for Confirmation Candidates

The article is the foundational reference for a “live” presentation to be given to Catholic Catechism Candidates for Confirmation. I have invited the help of the Holy Spirit to write the article and present.

Veni Sancti Spiritus

Roman Citizen and Hebrew Pharisee

Saul was a Roman citizen by birth, as indicated in Acts 22:28. He was born in Tarsus, a city in the region of Cilicia, which was a Roman territory. Rome ruled the Mediterranean during the Fist century. Saul was born 5 AD and died 67 AD so during all of the travels of his life he benefitted from Roman citizenship.

In Philippians 3:5, Paul describes himself as "a Hebrew of Hebrews" and states that he was "of the Pharisees." Saul was trained to be a Pharisee by Gamaliel. The Pharisees were a religious group known for their strict adherence to the Law and traditions of Judaism. Due to Paul’s achievement to become a Pharisee, Paul was knowledgeable of the protocols of Hebrew synagogues. With the deep knowledge of the laws of Judaism, Saul did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, and became determined to hunt, jail and execute the early Christians. Saul witnessed the trial and the stoning of St. Stephen. Paul records in Acts 7:51-53) the defense Stephen gave the Sanhedrin, saying, "You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Upright One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. In spite of being given the Law through angels, you have not kept it." As Stephen concluded his defense, he looked up and saw a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, "Look, I can see heaven thrown open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." The crowd quickly declared enough blasphemy and started the stoning. Saul still did not recognize Jesus at the stoning.

Conversion to Paul the Apostle

On the travel along a Roman road from Jerusalem to Damascus, a bright light that flashed around Saul, Saul fell to the ground and heard the voice of Jesus Christ ask him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). The blindness lasted for three days. Saul made a conversion to Christianity, and was baptized by Ananias. At this time, Saul changes his name to Paul. Reference Acts. Now we reference, Saint Paul the Apostle.

Paul the Missionary

First Missionary Journey

Paul started his missionary work in Antioch which is the North East Corner of the Mediterranean sea. Referencing, “The Last Apostle”, featuring Dr. Mark Fairchild, here other apostles and disciples were establishing the Christian church. Paul, Barnabas and John Mark. They decided to go to Cyprus, since Barnabas and John Mark originated from Cyprus and were eager to share the good news with their family. While in Cyprus impressed the governor of Cyprus with the many miracles and healing that his own magician could not replicate. At this point, a change in path was made. The original plan was to go to Rome, and now the governor wanted the mission to go to Galatia to spread the good news to his family. The coastal waters near Galatia had many pirates and thieves, and thus went inland to cities that had more law and order. As they traveled they gathered more disciples and trained along the way. The foot travel at that time would have taken many weeks. The travelers and ministers would have known the culture very well, and were able to spread the good news even though the message was a culture shock.

Second Missionary Journey

Referencing Acts 15, and Galatians 2, we see the next mission starts in Antioch again, following the Antioch conference of 49 A.D. The conference conclude circumcision is not required for Gentiles to be saved. Paul and Barnabas start the journey by foot back to Iconium and towards Macedonia. During the travel, Timothy is met, is saved, and joins the travels. Timothy and Paul become best friends. Referenced in Acts 16, during the travel in western Asia, God’s spirit forbids preaching. It is in Troas the Luke joins the Paul missionary team, and travel by sea to islands near Macedonia. In Philippi, Paul casts out a demon of a female slave, and the angry masters arrest, beat, and put Luke and Paul in prison. (Acts 16). However, soon in jail, a miraculous earthquake causes the cell door and bonds to allow escape. The even leads to the conversion of the prison guard. The journey continues through very significant cultural cities in Macedonia and the Athens region. Many debates were recorded in Athens, with some believing the highest aim is to seek a pleasant life (Epicureans), and the Stoics that believe happiness consists of bringing yourself into harmony with the universe. Just imagine how the message of the beatitudes may have been part of these debates. Paul is brought to Mars Hill and makes use of the altar to “an unknown god” for the teaching of the real God. (Acts 17).

Third Missionary Journey

Again, after a long stay, Paul starts the journey from Antioch. Paul makes visits to previous locations on the other journeys. This time, a long time is spent in Ephesus. During the time in Ephesus as referenced in Acts 19, the growth in the amount of Christian converts led to a significant decline in the tourist business of Artemis idols. The business change resulted in rioting. Christianity was rapidly changing the cultural norms. More significant time was spent in Macedonia and the Corinth region where deep theological letters of significance were written. Paul made a choice to simply spread the news of the gospel, and did not need to be theatrical or academical. The acts of healing and the message were enough to provide significant conversions. Paul did some island hopping (Acts 20), on the journey to end in Tyre, Caesarea and Jerusalem (Acts 21). In summary, the third missionary journey was about building relationships to nurture the church.

Journey to Rome

The journey to Rome was not a missionary journey, but part of the trial in Caesarea. After arrests and imprisonment, during a trial before the Sanhedrin, Paul asserts his rights as a Roman citizen, and appeals to Caesar for a fair trial in Rome (Acts 25). During the sea voyage, Paul and all 276 passengers, most were probably prisoners, survive a shipwreck on the island of Malta. While awaiting another ship, Paul performs acts of healing, including a chief official of Malta, and makes a significant influence to spread the growth of Christianity amongst all classes of the island. The voyage be sea continues with a stop in Syracuse (Siracusa), where Paul is known to have preached, and established Christianity in Sicily (Sicilia). Makes you wonder if Paul’s visit was significant to the Madonna delle Lacrime, Syracuse, where in 1953, the plaster icon of the Madonna of the Immaculate Heart shed tears for local couple. From Sicily, Paul sails to a port near where we recognize as modern Naples, Italy and is finally taken to Rome. Paul may have walked the streets of Pompeii in 60 AD just 19 years prior to Pompeii destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The coincidence of Paul in region and the wonder of destruction is interesting.

In Rome

Paul was under house arrest for about two years (Acts 28). During the time Paul was allowed to preach the Gospel, and was able to complete many letters. The letters are a foundation of many theological issues, practical advice and encouragement for these early Christian communities. The exact way Saint Paul died is not certain, however, the death would be close to the time of the Great Fire of Rome in July 64 AD and the end of Nero’s reign 68 AD. The documented life of Paul ends in Acts 28. There are suggestions that Paul was martyred as part of the Neronian Persecution.

Love Is Most Important

Consistently, Paul shares the good news of the Gospels, and that we must focus on love. The focus on love allowed Paul to establish many churches and establish a very long lasting Christian theology and practice.

Universality

Rome was strong because of universality. Around 200 BC, Carthage was on the edge of destroying Rome. Historians believe that Carthaginians may not have had a universal culture, whereas the Romans had an established universal culture. It is likely that Paul knew about the importance of universal culture based on Roman education, and knew that the survival of the church required universality. Paul spent many years communicating, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit was extremely important for our modern Christian traditions, faith and practice of love.

Closing

I imagine how Paul spoke at the many great Greek built amphitheaters to thousands. I imagine that Paul truly needed the help of the Holy Spirit to talk to so many about a Jesus in a very educated and indoctrinated culture of myths and superstition. I keep praying for the help of the Holy Spirit for my life, and ministry. I imagine the deep theological discussions amongst the early Christian disciples. I notice that so many of the traditions changed after the presence of Paul. We still see Greek and Roman architecture, and art, however, we do not witness the common worship of mythological gods. We see the rise of a worship of a God of love and grace with a trinity nature, and this same God is still living and active in our lives today.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Maps from Ascension Catholic Bible of Saint Paul’s Travels

EXTRAS from presentation

Article 2026041816

Veni Sancti Spiritus

Opening Prayer

“When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy, Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” —- Matthew 5:1-12. Amen

Write and Explain

What made you happy when you were five years old? What makes you happy now?

BEATITUDE = Ultimate Happiness

The teaching of Matthew 5 is where to learn the Beatitudes. Read the “Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1718)

II. The DESIRE FOR HAPPINESS

The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it:

We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated.

How is it, then, that I seek you Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you.

God alone satisfies.

HOLY = LOVE

Holiness is a state of perfection or completeness. The daily attempt to imitate the love of Jesus Christ as “people of the Beatitudes” is how we pursue holiness. Observe the saints, to see examples of the pursuit of holiness. The universal call to holiness is found in (CCC 828).

“By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirt of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors.”

More in (CCC 2013),

“All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.” All are called to holiness: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

WWJD

I first remember seeing WWJD at a Christian summer camp in the late 1970’s. I believe it was a boy about 13 years old that had each knuckle with heavy pen ink like a tattoo. Each knuckle had a letter, W-W-J-D. I asked about the letters, and he said his parents had him put on the letters so he would behave. He then said the letters were “What Would Jesus Do”. The letters were to remind him God was always watching, and think about the beatitudes. I am guessing this teenager was getting into too many fights. I do not recommend parents to do this today, since it will probably get you in trouble with child protective services. Have you seen anyone with this tattoo? Ever since I first met the boy, I have thought about the imprint, and have reflected on those letters. I think it is wise to think about WWJD when you face a decision that can have consequences.

DIVE IN: Giving It All Away

“He is truly happy who has all that he wishes to have nothing that he ought not to wish".” — St. Augustine

In the workbook, Colin MacIver shares a story of a very poor person giving every important object to that person to a College student involved with at ministry to the poor. The student makes a realization of the significance of giving everything. The story concludes with “Where did he go? St. Paul tells us to show hospitality to strangers and reminds us that some have entertained angels without know it (see Hebrews 13:2").

Personally, I have been impacted by the parable of the pearl. Matthew 13:45-46. In this parable, Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven as being like a merchant seeking fine pearls. When the merchant finds a pearl of great value, he goes and sells all that he has to buy it. This parable illustrates the immense worth of the Kingdom of Heaven and suggests that one should be willing to give up everything to obtain it. It emphasizes the idea that true treasure lies in spiritual pursuits rather than material wealth.

SEGMENT 1: The Beatitudes

Key learning is the word “Beatitude” means a true and lasting ultimate happiness. I had a note, “divine origin desire”, tell me why the note is in the segment.

• Why do you think it can be so hard for us to be “poor in spirit” and truly surrender our lives to and depend on God?

• Which of the Beatitudes do you identify most closely with? Why?

• Which of the Beatitudes is most challenging to you? Why?

• What does being holy have to do with being happy? How can living the Beatitudes make us happier and more peaceful?

SEGMENT 2: The Beatitudes in Action

Key learning is the how applying the Beatitudes will allow you to be filled with the Holy Spirit and experience comfort.

• What are some important things in life that you think people tend to miss or fail to pay attention to?

• Why do you think these things are missed or ignored? How can you keep from falling into that?

• How can you step up to help the poor in your community?

Recently, I experienced with a possible angel testing my beatitude in action. I pulled into a parking lot, and got of my car and a man appeared in front of me that I did not see as I pulled in. I asked the man if I could help him. This is a lot common with people seeking money for drugs, so when the man could not answer me clearly, I said I have no money for him, and quickly proceeded on my intended mission to get something in the store. I then had a sense the person actually needed help, and quickly went back out the store to ask the man some questions, and “poof” the man was gone. I sense this was an angel encounter I may have “failed” the test. However, after discussing my encounter, I now believe it was a lesson for me to spend more time to determine if there is a true use of a Beatitude. I pray that I can pay attention to what is important, and sacrifice like Jesus.

SEGMENT 3: Living the Beatitudes

Key part of segment is learning that “The happiness we experience in heaven is called the “beatific vision,” when we see God face to face. We also learn more about the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in Isaiah.

• Imagine that you are nearing the end of your life and are given an opportunity to go back and give your younger self advice. What do you think your future self would say to your present self?

• What is the difference between being “a big deal” in the world and being truly great?

• What daily habits can you adjust so that you will be focused on things that will matter forever instead of getting stuck on temporary things?

TO THE HEART with Mary Ann Wiesinger

• Learn how to recognize how you are blessed.

• Be grateful for generosity given to you and others.

• Concludes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In the Old Testament, the poor (Hebrew anawim) are those without material possessions, whose confidence is God. We had given up so much to follow him, but every day he blessed us beyond our wildest expectations.”

HERO of the Week St. Francis of Assisi (September 1181 - October 3, 1226)

• Patron Saint of: animals, merchants, ecology

• “Relinquished the trappings of wealth for he had eyes only for Lady of Poverty.

• While praying before crucifix, heard the voice of Jesus speak: “Francis, go and rebuild my Church, which as you can see is falling into ruin”. Francis learned it was not a message to build the physical, but to build healing of the universal Church.

I noticed, October 3rd death of Francis also the death and renew of my blood system with my sister’s blood via a medical transplant. My cancerous blood was killed for the infusion of healthy blood, allowing for my renewal of living, and allowing me to write to you now over 12 years later.

Divine Desire

Mentioned earlier, we followup that everyone wants to be happy. Thus the divine origin to desire to be happy. “At World Youth Day 2002, St. John Paul II pointed out that Jesus gave us the true path to happiness — the Beatitudes — almost two millennia ago. “Christ has the answer to this desire of yours. But he asks you to trust him. True joy is victory, something which cannot be obtained without a long and difficult struggle. Christ holds the secret of this victory. … The “Sermon on the Mount” marks out the map of this journey [to true happiness]. The eight Beatitudes are the road signs to show the way. It is an uphill path, but he has walked it before us.”

Pointing the Way

Jesus is not speaking of an earthly, passing happiness but eternal, lasting peace and joy. As found in (CCC 1723),

“The beatitude we are promised confronts us with decisive moral choices. It invites us to purify our hearts of bad instincts and to seek the love of God above all else.“

Challenge of the Week

Meditate of on the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 by reflecting, relating and resting. The “lectio divina” technique.

Life in Christ and Being Subject to Authorities - Romans 12-13

During the discussions and activities we have some reflection of the new life in Christ and following laws. Take some time to read Romans chapters 12 and 13. These chapters answer why Churches may comply with authority, and Christians are confused when to resist. Again, do not be afraid and you need to pray, reflect on what Jesus would do, and trust God’s will. Let us try to understand more about Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” From my perspective, we need wisdom to recognize when an entity is not an authority. Oppression is very difficult to deal with, however, we have many examples of stories in the Bible and of the Saints dealing with things they cannot control.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to the know the difference.”

Closing Prayer

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15)

Lord Jesus, when we humble ourselves and follow you, your light shines through us and out to a dark world. Help us to be poor in spirit and meek; to mourn, to hunger and thirst for justice; to be merciful, pure of heart, and peacemakers; and to be willing to suffer for what is right. Make us heroes, Lord by blessing us with a radical faith and willing hearts. Amen.

God is good all of the time, and all of the time God is good!

Article 2026032815

Veni Sancti Spiritus

Reflect

Consider what Jesus is saying to you through the class and reading

Breathing exercise

• breath in for 4 seconds “Kyrie, eleison”, “Lord, have mercy”

• 4 seconds with “Christe, eleison”, Christ, have mercy”

• breathe out 8 seconds with “Kyrie, eleison”, “Lord, have mercy”, “Christe, eleison”, Christ, have mercy”.

Luke 5:1-11 Jesus Calls the First Disciples

While the people pressed upon him to hear the work of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fisherman had gone out of them and were washing their net. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught people form the boat. And when he ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, the enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Write and Explain

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means…

Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus, you show your great love for us by inviting us to follow you. But you go further and dignify us by calling us to our work with you as “fishers of men.” We do not know why you love us so much, we do not know why you believe in us so much, but we are glad you do, and we are thankful. You do not leave us without help, but give us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live as your sons and daughters. Help us, like St. Peter, to respond to you generously, knowing that you are never outdone in generosity and that when we give you our lives, you give us eternal life and “life to the full.” Amen.

DISCIPLESHIP

“Discipleship describes the life of the follower of Jesus Christ.”

ACCOUNTABILITY

“Accountability describes a disciple’s willingness to allow another person to assist him or her in taking responsibility for his or her actions.”

Objectives and references to “Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)”

1. Define discipleship

   1. To be Christians is to be followers of Christ, inviting the Lord to transform us from the inside out so that his light can shine brightly in the world around us.

   2. ref (CCC 787-789)

2. Choice to follow

   1. Utilize your freewill to follow Jesus Christ all of the time.

   2. The path to charity is the love of God and of neighbor.

   3. “Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.”

   4. ref (CCC 166, 1888-1889)

3. Trust God

   1. God provides all you need for your journey, and knows your limits. Have a strong faith.

   2. ref (CCC 1426-1428)

4. Chosen

   1. Know that you have been chosen to become saints.

   2. Jesus Christ enlightens and strengthens us to live as “children of light” through “all that is good and right and true”.

   3. Christ leads to life. There are two ways, the one of life, the other of death; but between the two there is a great difference. Consider your moral decisions in your salvation.

   4. ref (CCC 1695-1696, 2013-2016)

DIVE IN: Pray … or Prey?

• St. Dominic Savio states, “I cannot do big things, but I want everything to be for the glory of God.”

• Seek support of the Church, Christian friends, and family.

• St. Peter warns of the devil, “like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

• Use the full armor of God, and pray for protection and guidance.

TO THE HEART with Chris Padgett

• Be persistent in your mission of discipleship, since it can be difficult with distractions and temptations. “God tends to widen the heart’s capacity for love and joy … through suffering.”

• St. Benedict says, “You cannot begin your ascent toward God without discipline.”

• Chris says, “You are chosen by God. He is about to flood you with all the grace you need to live as one of his chosen people.”, and “I am praying you respond not just for your sake, but for the sake of the whole world, which desperately needs more saints. Be one.”

HERO of the Week St. Maximilian Kolbe (January 7, 1894 - August 14, 1941) Martyr of Charity

• A saint that protected thousands from Nazi persecution.

• Sacrificed self for a father Francisek Gajowniczek in Auschwitz concentration camp in WW2.

• Blessed the Nazi who administered death injection.

• Deep devotion to the Virgin Mary due to dream of crowns of martyrdom and purity, where he chose both crowns.

• Kolbe stood up for God’s truth, whether it was by hiding Jews, building monasteries, or standing up to injustice.

• Patron Saint of: drug addiction, families, journalists, pro-life movement.

SEGMENT 1: Five Disciplines of a Disciple (Part 1)

• We must “desire greatness”, what do you think is meant by that?

• We sometimes think of desire as a feeling that is beyond our control, but desire is also a decision. What are some daily habits that build on a decision to desire greatness?

• We should seek out and surround ourselves with people who will help us grow in faith, freedom, and purpose. How can your friendships grow toward these goals? Who are some mentors who can help you?

• What would you want to claim as your greatest accomplishment at the end of your life?

SEGMENT 2: Five Disciplines of a Disciple (Part 2)

• What does the quote “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16)

• (Candidates) Who is your chosen Confirmation saint and why did you choose?

• (Sponsors) What qualities do you think your candidate has that God could use to lift up others and build up the kingdom?

• (Candidates) Why did you choose your sponsor?

• (Sponsors) What difference does your faith make in your life?

• (Candidates) What difference do you think your Confirmation could make in your relationship with God, and how do you see your future connection to your faith and Church?

• (Sponsors) Share one piece of advice to help your candidate live out the grace of Confirmation in his or her life.

• (Candidates) What will you do in the brief time ahead to prepare your heart for Confirmation?

Challenges

• Find an ACCOUNTABILITY partner

  • Find a friend to check in on you for your spiritual ministry activities. Support your friend’s efforts for spiritual ministry.

• Contemplate Death

  • Write down what kind of person you want to be spiritually when you die.

  • Write down 3 specific things to get to achieve your spiritual goals.

• Desire Greatness

• Pray

• Build Community

• Sacraments

• Mission

• Memory Verse: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” (John 15:16)

ACTIVITY

Works OF MERCY SURVEY

Closing Prayer

“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, no neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging on another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Lord, we thank you for our time together. You have forged bonds of friendship and blessed our efforts. We trust that seeds of faith have been planted and will grow to maturity if we follow you. Bless us now and always. Give us your grace. Make us the saints you have called us to be. Amen.

God is good all of the time, and all of the time God is good!

God bless you as disciples of Jesus Christ!

Article 2026032619

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

Now, the conclusion of the book review of “God”. I definitely learned from the writing, and maybe you did too. The book is not an easy read, and another book could be written to further interpret and analyze the “God” book. Our study groups would meet for an hour to discuss about 3 chapter per meeting. We got into some deep theological and practical discussions with our limited knowledge. We prayed, and the Holy Spirit really was present. I hope all of my readers get a chance to feel when the Holy Spirit is present within a fellowship. For me when the Holy Spirit is present, I get the sensation that “time” is distorted, and that I am almost in a “dream” state. I speak and write with a sense of disassociation. I am not even sure what was said or written. I also, get a sense of intense focus, however, that focus turns into a vision like a prism. Where, I observe multiple concepts at once. I start to wonder if we already experience heaven in some prism state. Light is continuously referenced in “The Bible”, “God”, and many other great writings. In modern physics, light is a key reference, and like Jesus in the Trinity has 2 natures. Light behaves as both a particle and a wave. Even Newton’s classical physics references light, and a connectedness to God. Maybe, I need to write an article and study more of how God is present in physical science.

Chapter 15 God in Heaven

As I was discussing before in my introduction, we see the reference to light. “Light imagery, in particular, is also highly complementary to the idea of heaven as perfect vision that we have been discussing. It is by light we can see and, in heaven, the light which we see will be God himself.”

“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” (Psalms 36:9)

I like the reference to Augustine’s image of the Trinity (memory, understanding, and will). “There our being will have no death, our knowledge no error, our love no mishap.” The Trinity is perfected in heaven, “We will exist with no fear of forgetting or being forgotten; we will understand all and love rightly.” The reference reinforces the spiritual maturity we will have.

I doubt we can comprehend what heaven will be, since we do not have the understanding or maturity until we get to heaven. From my many near death encounters, I look forward to being in heaven, and now I am discovering more how I can experience a taste of heaven on earth. As I have matured spiritually, I am discovering a new level of enjoyment in worship. I am starting to realize, I spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Basically, when I became an adult, I thought I knew what it was to be spiritual, and did not feel a necessary need to do much ministry. I think the COVID lockdowns was the spark that made me realize that I need to engage in ministry to fulfill my purgatorial journey. I know many do not believe in purgatory, however, I am not so sure I am not in it now. I even have new blood, and with that new blood and near death experiences, I have had many cases of divine serendipity, and my communication with God has improved. With the improvement of communication, I have had God desire for me to do ministry. Back to heaven, I think the “understanding” virtue is that first embrace of heaven on earth.

From Dante’s poem Paradiso the light of the Trinity in the heaven is described as both vision and healing:

“O overbrimming grace whence I presumed to gaze upon the everlasting Light so fully the my vision consumed! I saw the scattered elements unite, bound all with love into one book of praise in the deep ocean of the infinite Substance and accident and all ways as if breathed into one: and understand, my words are a weak glimmer in the haze.”

In conclusion, we end with “what Paul also says of the final consummation of the ages: God will be all in all (1 Cor 15:28).” Essentially, we just need to be at peace that God will take care of us with great love, and that a wonderful existence is planned for us when we freely surrender ourselves to God. Just continue to build your relationship with God, and God will manage the details.

To learn more

Elizabeth Klein is excellent in writing, so I am encouraging you to read and discuss with a group. The book “God” part of the series “What Every Catholic Should Know”is available in several forms, and get be bought by itself or part of the Augustine Institute book bundle

Ignatius Press

God What Every Catholic Should Know

ISBN/UPC: 9781733859882

IGNATIUS PRESS | AUGUSTINE INSTITUTE

What Every Catholic Should Know Book Bundle

Closing

Thank you for reading my reviews on the book “God”. Again, I am trying to learn how to write with the embrace of the Holy Spirit. I was just considering to do these articles as notes, however, I felt called to make them articles. My next articles will be catching up on my confirmation year 2 teaching articles. I may then try to create some confirmation 1 teaching articles. Let me know if there is a subject you would like me to research and write about.

At the moment, I am looking for a new calling of work and ministry. As God allows, I feel called to keep writing, and providing some tools and examples to help you engage with developing your relationship with God. I pray for more guidance, since I am still struggling to stay on the path. I wonder now what value these articles will have. I do know that God will read them, and I hope what I write pleases God.

Checkout the BONUS following. I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Agenda Chapters 13-15

March 30, 2026 Study Group by David Andrews

BONUS Stress Relief Tips

1. from Jay at INESS Products. Not an ad, but I agree with being grateful. You can power boost this tip, by turning it into a prayer to God. Let us know if you felt some stress relief.

2. an adaption from my Project Management training yesterday. Try some breathing with The Kyrie Eleison Prayer. You will not need to count, since the prayer cadence will be close to the timing:

• breath in for 4 seconds “Kyrie, eleison”, “Lord, have mercy”

• 4 seconds with “Christe, eleison”, Christ, have mercy”

• breathe out 8 seconds with “Kyrie, eleison”, “Lord, have mercy”, “Christe, eleison”, Christ, have mercy”.

Article 2026032519

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

I started the day with a Worklight breakfast meeting, and had some interesting discussions on some best practices for dealing with incompetence. I liked how we understood the importance of empathy and respect. The importance of not belittling, yelling, or many other rude behaviors that are not helpful. I brought up the compassionate communication technique of Observations, Feelings, Needs and Requests (OFNR). I like the reference to “premeditated resentment”, where we have some regrets for our behavior. The resolution is best to say your sorry for your actions, and request forgiveness. Most importantly, it is helpful for us to become more aware of when we are causing problems, instead of seeking constructive solutions. We need to be loving by being patient, kind and attempting to understand the perspective of others (empathy). In engineering, it is common to reference the view of the “little man”. The “little man” is the observation point of a diagram, object or other space in a system, and each perspective can give you better answers to the entire system. Therefore, make use of the “little man”, which I like to think of as the “humble man.”

Fellowship and study groups are a great way to pray with others for healing, and many virtues. The groups are fantastic way to build your relationship of love with God, and learn how to love others. I encourage you to find a group near you that is in person if possible. No worries if you cannot meet in person, since there are many groups available with current telecommunication technology. I have considered hosting a group, however, at this time, it would need to be more of a Q&A discussion. More importantly is to build your support system when you can. It can get very lonely in a hospital bed, and any support will help your sense of belonging.

Chapter 14 Why God Suffered and Died

I generated the image to create the theme I had in my mind, and captured in the sentences, “If Christ is the new Adam, the one from whom we can take our renewed humanity, Christ must reverse or re-write the entire story of Adam. The crucial part of that story is undoing the death that Adam brought upon us in the garden.” Adam and Eve brings humankind into bondage and death, and God liberates us through death. The death starts and ends with a tree. Ironically, it is “living” tree at the start, and at the end it is “dead” tree transformed into the cross. My mind spins at the thought of all possible relationships of God’s nature to show us how the love of sacrifice restores our eternal life. We are referenced to Hebrews,

“Since, therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he [Christ] himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Heb 2:14-15)”

Additionally, we understand more about baptism, since we can join to the perfect sacrifice and unite our death to the death of Christ and rise again. As written, Paul writes to the Romans about how Christ died for us, and not instead of us:

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. (Rom 6:4-7)”

We presented more with the importance that “God was born” and “God died”. Followed by, “The two chief effects of the Incarnation according to Athanasius—the restoration of our image and the defeat of death.” In 2 Peter:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Pt 1:3-4)”

The chapter 14 concludes more with how God’s plan demonstrated a great love for us.“God could have saved us in some other way instead of becoming man, but that he saved us in the way is a most fitting, perfect, and wonderful way! God’s power and love is shown forth because he saves creation through creation, in and by means of the mess that we have made of things—and so we can say with confidence the words of Exultet: “O happy fault, which won for us so great a savior!”

Closing

Each day, I am working on a habit of building my relationship with God by pushing my spiritual boundaries of ministry. I am trying to make more effort to listen more, and share my stories where they may provide a sense of love and hope. Today, I shared some medical experiences, and a prayer I received for healing and being brave. It really helps to know your relationship with God prior to a medical treatment, since it helps you know you are in God’s hands and no matter what you will be fine. There, can still be pain, and hardship, but God will only know your limits. The challenges you face are always recognized by God. I was given the following prayer when I was being treated for a very rare form of leukemia, and I am still surviving almost 13 years later.

Remember, in my previous reviews you can learn more about the book “God” by Elizabeth Klein and where to buy. The final chapter 15 God in Heaven is next. I will try to remember to include where the book can be ordered as of time the article is written.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

Blessings on You!

Agenda Chapter 14 March 30, 2026 by David Andrews

Article 2026032421

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

I had a long talk with someone who has had many encounters communicating with God in the same abstract ways I have. We shared dreams, visions, pictures, natural phenomena, serendipity, miracles and other ways God has related with us. It was a joyful talk, and helped me be more grateful for my many experiences. My plan is to write more about my encounters, and the feelings I have that I am already living in two kingdoms. I hope you have experienced miracles, and are able to enjoy the many loving encounters God provides now.

I am understanding more about freewill, gratitude, grace, charity and love. However, I am still not understanding how much comfort I am to provide to others. There are so many needs by so many people. I think of the stories of Jesus just creating food and wine for multitudes. Jesus recognized the need in scale. I guess you need to pray to ask for guidance. How do you ask for meeting the needs of others?

Chapter 13 Why God Was Born

We learn there are many reasons for God to become man. The core reason is for our salvation. In addition, God provides us with the role model on how we are to live in a way pleasing to God. We learn that a big part of Jesus life is undocumented. We are under the assumption that Jesus was your typical humble laborer of the time. Nazareth was not a scholarly town, so you can imagine that the learning was an apprenticeship under his father’s training. Essentially, Jesus was homeschooled. Carpentry and masonry would have been a stable business for the time, so I believe we can assume Jesus was in a stable income family. We can imagine daily living was still a busy day, since plumbing was non-existent in Nazareth. I believe Jesus would have been a strong man based on all of the labor at work and home. My father became really strong carrying water from a spring. Back to the purpose, I believe God is very pleased with us living simple lives, and being kind. We do not see any knowledge of Jesus being a trouble maker or evil in his youth. We do see Jesus become the ultimate rebel when declaring he was the Messiah, and his own neighbors rejecting him when he does make the declaration.

The other importance in the chapter 13, quote “Christ therefore restores human nature and gives us back the possibility of perfection by taking our nater to himself. As Paul tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17).” God was born to restore a relationship, and allow God’s love to be tangible. A quote to help understand, “When God comes down to our level that we may see him, we can know for certain God’s love for us and also how to love one another: the two are joined together. And thus, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16) but also, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have love you, you also are to love on another” (Jn 13:34).” Basically, here is the focus of Christianity. Back to simple and humble. If you can remember these commandments, and understand what it is to love, you will be greatly blessed with an everlasting relationship with God. Maybe simple, however, loving is not easy, and requires actions. My theme of the month has been that Jesus had perfect empathy, and I seek to be more empathetic.

In summary, Athanasius wrote: “He [Christ] indeed assumed humanity that we might become God.”, and 1 John 3:2, “we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” In other words, we can become Godlike. Back to the Council of Chalcedon, “we understand Christ as one who is fully God and fully man.”

Closing

This review must have some significance, since I experienced so many distractions while writing. Right now, I have deck work on my front door area, and power washing in my back patio. I started writing last night, and wrapping up 18 hours later. Christianity is founded on the birth of Jesus, and if you do not understand Christianity, then the Chapter 13 is a good place to start.

Remember, in my previous reviews you can learn more about the book “God” by Elizabeth Klein and where to buy. Two more chapters 14 and 15, where we learn about why God suffered and died, and God in Heaven. I really hope I inspire you to read the book, and the authors mentioned in the book.

The technology today really allows us to learn quickly theology and history. At our last study group, we started discussing the disagreements at the early church council meetings, and how there is still disagreements amongst Christians. Several in the group, including myself, thought it would be interesting to try to understand the differences in a constructive approach like the Council of Nicaea, and Council of Chalcedon. From my perspective, a significant division was happening during the time of Pope Gregory IX with the papal Inquisition in the 13th century, and the Western (Papal) Schism, and the division has grown. It is interesting that I am watching a TV show doing some archeology of Oak Island, Nova Scotia, and there are artifacts from the 13th century that are being found. I wonder if a significant lost item will be found to help restore more unity. I am starting to enjoy studying the theology of the early church, since it helps me have more love of those that worked so hard to share the love of God with many forms of ministry.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

Blessings on You!

Agenda Chapter 13 by David Andrews

Article 2026032315

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

The generated image does and interesting interpretation of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Humans can only fully understand the drawing Jesus in the form of a man, since we are humans. We do not have a clear way to draw God, or the Holy Spirit. The dove is from “came down like a dove”, but there were no doves. God is portrayed speaking on tops of mountains and with flames and clouds. Maybe God knew we had to eventually have a person that we could visualize, and directly communicate with. My mind drifts to all of the science fiction I have watched, and read. A common theme in science fiction is to meet and communicate with a being from a galaxy far away. Then in mythology we see the desire for meeting and communicating with creatures and beings closer to Earth. However, The Bible, and many other writings, just clearly present us with non-fictional meetings with exactly the entities we wish to meet. My thought is all human nature is to communicate with someone more powerful than ourselves. We find ourselves with those who believe in communicating with God, those who hope to eventually find a higher power, and those that believe they are the higher power. For those in recovery, one of the first steps is to acknowledge a higher power, since the ones that cannot usually stay in an addicted state. What are your thoughts for God and a higher power?

I find it a true blessing to know that there is a higher power, and I am able to love and communicate with the higher power of God now. My faith is easy now, since I have had so many interactions with God, and notice the Holy Spirit flow through me, and understand the holy sacrifice of the Lamb of God (Jesus). My greatest challenges are temptations of sin, and understanding what I am to do each hour of my day. Prioritizing and planning earthly activities has become harder each day I get closer to becoming a spirit in the sky. I try to understand destiny and freewill, and I think destiny will always be a mystery, and freewill is just about choosing good. What are your thoughts for destiny and freewill?

Chapter 12 Christ Is Fully God and Fully Man

Imagine being part of the early church, and before The Bible. In Chapter 12, we see how marketing an idea was just as effective 2000 years ago as it is today. We learn that just being persistent can sway a large group, and learn that a study group can actually reach a resolution. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 was 126 years after the Council of Nicaea 325. That would be like our Great Grandfather’s having a meeting in 1900 to resolve how to worship. The conclusion of the Council of Chalcedon a written by Klein, “the formula for speaking about Christ’s humanity and divinity is that Christ is one person with two natures.” Essentially, Jesus can act as man, and as God. We see multiple times in The Bible where Jesus acts as a human being and also a divine person in the same story. It seems those present at the Council of Chalcedon had the Holy Spirit present with them to come accepted writing. Remember, bibles were not readily available at this time. Here is a snippet of “how the mystery of the Incarnation is expressed by the Church:”

“Therefore, following the holy fathers, we confess one and the same Son, who is our Lord Jesus Christ, and we all agree in teaching that this very same Son is complete in his diety and complete—the very same—in his humanity, truly God and truly a human being…”

further Christ possesses 2 complete natures

“this very same one being composed of a rational soul adn body; coessential with the Father as to his deity, and coessential with us—the very same one—as to his humanity; being like us in all respects apart from sin …”

and wholly God shares his divine nature with the Father

“as to his deity, he was born from the Father before the ages, but as to his humanity—the very same one was born in the last days of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God (theotokos), for our sake and for our salvation.”

Where we learn theotokos (greek), “Mary gave birth to Christ and he is God. Therefore, she can be called Mother of God.”

Next we understand the “hypostatic union” theological term within, which equates to Christ as holy one with two natures:

“one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, acknowledge to be unconfusedly , unalterably, undividedly, inseparable in two natures; since the difference of natures is not destroyed because of union, but on the contrary, the character of each nature is preserved and comes together in one person and one hpyostasis, not divided or torn into two persons but one the same Son and only-begotten God, Logos, Lord Jesus Christ…”

The other theological term to note is “the communion of idioms”, which is the sharing of properties. Again, we reinforce the two natures unified in the one person of Christ.

To help us understand the two natures, we are encouraged to think of Christ playing two instruments in harmony at the same time. It can be analogy to help us explain to others. We are told of hymns that are influenced by the Council of Chalcedon. We are guided to the next chapter 13, “Why God was Born”, with the reference that these Chalcedon inspired hymns that share with us the wonder of Christmas. We fall to our knees when we hear “O, Holy Night", and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, our “hail of the incarnate deity”.

Closing

The next couple of chapter reviews will on some of the why questions. We have our study group tonight, so this article may have an edit, and a comment with an agenda of the meeting, and thoughts expressed within the group. Maybe not a Council of Nicaea or Council of Chalcedon, but still a group of Christians trying to understand the mysteries of God.

Again, I encourage you to read the book “God” by Elizabeth Klein, and know the book is part of a large book series called “What Every Catholic Should Know.” Even if you are not Catholic, these books can help with your relationship with Christians. I encourage all of you to study, worship and pray more.

Like I have been writing, I am trying to embrace the Holy Spirit as I write, and the purpose of the writing is to build my relationship with God, and maybe learn more. I am experiencing a great understanding of the mysteries. Maybe you will learn with me.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Article 2026032019

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

I like how Dr. Klein shares with us how many theologians have done very deep study, and analysis of how and why became incarnate. I think it is wise we ask the same questions, to understand the depth of the mysteries, and to build a relationship with God. I have always been a bit on the rebellious side when presented with new knowledge. I was raised by Germanic Scandinavian parents that expected me to have unconditional trust in what was said. I did not like the idea of unconditional trust, and thus sought other views. Not having blind trust, does result in taking time to learn something, however, taking that extra time helps to know if your beliefs are verifiable. I have discovered in the scientific research environment, good science questions everything, and continually validates and verifies test results. I truly value the work that was done in the early Church, and I have only recently learned of the modern Catechism book that provides an indexed reference specification of the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Raised and baptized as a Baptist, the focus has been on the Bible. I do like the Biblical focus, however, we leave open a very wide range of interpretations. There is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for these interpretations. This is where it is important to make sure we find the best sources to help us verify our interpretations, and pray for guidance. Beware of a cult, beware of corruption, and beware of evil. Unfortunately, we live in an environment of great evil, and we all need to navigate the temptations. My first line of defense is observe if someone proclaims to know everything, since only God knows everything. It even written that Jesus does not even know all, which is part of the mystery of the Trinity.

Chapter 11 The Bible and the Incarnation

It is interesting on the closing of my Chapter 10 article, I recognizing the divine empathy of Jesus. In chapter 11, we learn more about the emotions Jesus expressed. Did God become man to experience our emotions, and truly understand how we feel?

Incarnation is the embodiment of God the Son in human flesh as Jesus Christ. Also, defined as the lifetime that a person spends on earth. Basically, if you are reading this, you are in an incarnated state. Thus, Jesus is documented as experiencing a state of being we have experienced, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14).

Chapter 11 goes into the emotions Jesus expressed. I wonder about the grief Jesus expressed about his friend Lazarus. I thought about this before when I did a study of the life of Jesus, and the episodes I have watched on “The Chosen”. I sense Jesus was not grieving death of a friend, but the fact that the event was the trigger to start the path of sacrifice for our sins. I think Jesus was grieving all of the sin, and rejection, and understanding how we grieve when evil takes our loved one. The original sin led to death, and punishment. What could have been without the submission to temptation? The chapter shows many more examples of the human cravings, weakness and emotions Jesus experienced. I think of the many human weaknesses I have, and I wonder how Jesus would react with my medical issues.

Last in the chapter, we discover a focus on some questions by St. Ignatius of Antioch “Does God, the immortal, have blood?” “How can God be born?” “How can God have a mother as we do, and why in the world would he want to be born as we are to live the kind of lives we lead?” How do we understand “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). And St. Augustine, “It is call the Lord’s birthday when the Wisdom of God presented itself to us as an infant (infantem), and the Word of God without words uttered the flesh as its voice.” Why would God present Jesus in the most vulnerable state as an infant. It is like putting out bait for a predator. Was this the ultimate show dominion over Satan, to say here I am in my weak state of being, and any human can escape the grasp of evil?

Finally, the chapter ends with Nestorius’s challenge, “the Church must therefore develop a language to speak about Christ in a way that affirms that he is the one who is consubstantial with the Father, and yet he is the one who on earth has a mother.”

Closing

Again, I encourage you to read the book “God” by Elizabeth Klein, and know the book is part of a large book series called “What Every Catholic Should Know.” Even if you are not Catholic, these books can help with your relationship with Christians. From my Baptist background, I am discovering many of the interpretations of disagreement are worthy of debate, and may have more commonality to reach a optimistic conclusion. In mathematics, according to Game Theory, there is a range where all parties are satisfied. Maybe we get too caught up in our belief based on our past, I encourage all of you to study, worship and pray more.

Like I have been writing, I am trying to embrace the Holy Spirit as I write, and the purpose of the writing is to build my relationship with God, and maybe learn more. I am finding greater peace and joy as I do each writing. Maybe you will learn with me, and maybe my writings will be more entertaining and engaging in the future.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Article 2026031821

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

Today, was a hot day for Central California, 30C, and I like to wear the lightest cotton shirt I have on a hot day, and that is the “LET HIM GIVE YOU A HAND”. The shirt was given to me as a gift from my in-laws in Italy. My sister-in-law is always encouraging me to surrender to God. I seem to always struggle with how to fully surrender, and try to do more than I need to do. I hear the other side where “God gave you a boat”, and “God helps those who help themselves.” The timing of wearing the shirt, and the reading of chapter 10 is a coincidence, however, is it God telling me something? While wearing the shirt this evening as I went to the store to get a snack with my daughter, a stranger approached in the lot as we just parked. What was odd, is that the man just appeared, and I asked if I could help, and the persona mumbled something, and I assumed it was someone asking cash, however, I am not sure. Since, it is a tourist type lot, and it is not uncommon to have some begging, I just said no, and moved on. I soon felt a strong sense of guilt, as I proceeded, and was determined to find the man after our quick checkout. I thought it would be easy to find him, however, I could not find him. I feel like I was tested for my charity, since I was just teaching about charity, and I am wearing a shirt proclaiming the greatest of charity. I think I failed the test, and now I am begging for mercy. Did I meet an angel, and was I tested? The sin is the haste, and the lack of patience. Love is patient, and love is kind. Maybe I did get some partial credit for making some attempt to find the man. How many times do we not recognize our actions are not matching what we teach? The other part of the shirt, is the image of God reaching out to us, loving us, making us in his image, and the grace of seen in the palm for the sacrifices he made. I find it difficult to determine how to embrace charity, I failed in trying to further communicate with the stranger, and I am trying to be more observant of my behaviors. I am most guilty of the fact, that I have received charity, however, I do not put more effort into unconditional charity, and love. My penance is to write more, reduce the subscription fees, and make more effort to talk with strangers that approach me. God help me.

Chapter 10 The Meaning of “Made in the Image of God”

In the chapter, we learn we are created with a very special image, and love is present in our image. We are not merely made as toys for entertainment, but given the ability to love, and make complex decisions. As stated, “the primary way in which we image God is in the powers of our soul—our intellect and will—and the secondary way (or the further way, the particularly human way) in which we image God is by our bodies.” We further learn about how our interpersonal relationships mirror the life of the Trinity, as stated “we bear the image of God because of our intellectual nature (our memory, understanding, and will), but it is only when these faculties are the cause of our union with God that we can be said truly to image the Trinity.”

Love is constantly emphasized, and is commanded. “When we love God fully, we also love his image in our neighbor.

You shall love the Lord you God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the Law and the Prophets. (Mt 22:38-40)

Now, I am feeling even more guilty for my interactions with a stranger. I believe we must work on our skills of empathy to improve our ability to fulfill such simple sounding commandments. However, these commandments are very challenging for us humans to fulfill. We can talk, and make gestures, however, how often do you constrain your love for others? Even with our closest friends, and family members we struggle with love and understanding. Most importantly, how often do we act in haste with God, and say no to God. Since we are made in the image of God, we do have the capacity to love, and there are ways for us to seek a better loving relationship with God, significant relationships, and even the relationship with strangers.

At the end of the chapter we get a nice summary, and the next step. “That human beings are made in the image of God, therefore, takes on fullness of meaning when we know both who God is and the love of the Trinity in which we are aspiring to unite ourselves. And it was in order to renew the image of God in us that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Let us keep in min therefore the nature God gave us and the life he intended for us as we turn to the doctrine of the Incarnation.”

Closing

I have recently recognized that Jesus is the greatest form of divine empathy. God has experienced our feelings and struggles in human form. A divine empathy.

Thank you for learning about some of my struggles loving. As I continue to write about what I learn, I observe more of the challenges to choose the good paths. It is easy to claim ignorance, and do whatever provides instant gratification. I like the saying, “pay now, or pay more later”. What will you choose? Howe do you think you can worship with more love? How can you recognize if you are loving others, as you want God to love you? Maybe you are judging me for my failures, and I am sorry for my faults, and I pray for your forgiveness, and I forgive you. Maybe, “LET HIM GIVE YOU A HAND” as we surrender ourselves to God.

The are 4 more chapter reviews to write on the book “God”, and I have more confirmation classes where I share my notes as an article.

I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Article 2026031719

☘️ Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! ☘️

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”. I am truly blessed to be able to write today.

The Chapter 9 is about the hand motions of the “sign of the Cross/Trinity”. It was God’s will that I forgot to read Chapter 9 as the assignment for the last study class. Now, I can share the green mystery light that I captured on ☘️ St. Patrick’s eve at the end of the study group in the parking lot. Those that stayed late got to see the leprechaun dance in the trees. Watch the video after the closing. I know, we just talked about the clover not being the best analogy of the trinity in Chapter 8 review, but the Irish in me likes a little fun and a Harp Lager on the day of remembrance of the amazing St. Patrick.

Chapter 9 The Trinity Is the Central Mystery of Christian Life

The chapter title is from the Catechism, and we learn, “the doctrine of the Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life (CCC 234).”

Next, we learn about call for ministry, and how we can practice our Christian reinforcement of the doctrine of the Trinity with the daily practice of making the “sign of the cross.” We proclaim or faith in “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, and strengths our faith in our salvation by the wood of the cross. For Catholics the ritual is common, however, the sign is not limited for use by Catholics, and is strongly encouraged for all Christians. As stated in the chapter 9, ‘Augustine calls the sign of the cross “a sign more precious than any jewel,” because we we wear this sign it shows forth the invisible mark of our baptism, and so is more beautiful adornment than anything else we could obtain.’ Also, as we discussed in our group, the sign is a source of protection against evil, since it rejects evil.

Another part of the chapter 9, is the hymn of the angels and how it is part of the mystery of the Trinity. the Sanctus, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts…” sung in the Mass. Mystery goes deeper with Revelations 4:8, the four living creatures never cease saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is to come!” It is thought we are experiencing the future worship in heaven with the Sanctus.

We then learn more about the relationship of the Trinity and the Eucharist communion with God and with each other. As written, “The Trinity, therefore, is not just the most important abstract concept for us to contemplate amongst the things in faith we could contemplate, but it is also the mystery in which we participate in Mass, and the mystery we proclaim with our voices and the liturgical actions of our body.”

The conclusion of the chapter is about charity and how we are to pursue God, and the importance of love. With St. Paul writing, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:12-13).

Closing

God is good all of the time, and all of the time God is good. We had an amazing study group discussion of the Trinity, and the writings before and after have really help me with discussing the Trinity with anyone. I also, enjoyed teaching confirmation on Sunday too help my students learn how they are part of the church and can now minister.

I have been praying about my direction, and just discovered a shift in my possible work for my research business. I am watching the Holy Spirit at work with another miracle in progress. I hope to share the story, once the flow is further along.

Thank you for your prayers and support. I am finding value in the writings, and I hope you are improving your relationship with God by reading. I am really seeing a need to help teens and young adults learn of the many Christian resources that are available. I also see a need to help those that have had life changing medical issues have faith, hope, and understand God’s will. I was trying to send a link of the article to someone I was thinking of. I think I now will just mention when communicating in passing. Please share the articles with anyone you think would gain some value from the content. I hope you can use the chat features, I like to discuss history and theology, and the two subjects can help you understand why there is chaos, and help see the currents. I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Reference of the Study Group

Article 2026031519

Starting this writing with an invitation “Veni Sancte Spiritous”.

After a deep dive into the theology and formality of the Trinity, the Chapter 8 provides references to analogies which have been commonly used, and probably taught with good intention, however, a limited understanding. The best part of the chapter is it presents analogies which are not perfect, but can provide a better example of what the Holy Trinity is. In my observation, I believe the author seeks for an analogy that is love, and is eternal.

I like the quote that helps me to continue trying to understand, and it is “The Trinity is a mystery that should make our heart swell at its glory, and not merely make our head hurt.”

Chapter 8 Analogies for the Trinity

RECOMMENDED Analogies

The image generated is intended is to summarize and capture the 3 analogies that may be best to help educate a person about the Trinity. Love shared with Father and Son, Speaking/Singing, and musical chord. We are presented with the great challenge of drawing an artistic image of the true nature of the Trinity. However, we are encouraged not to stress about the explanation. The chapter’s last words are “The majority of these images show a moment in salvation history, but from a heavenly viewpoint, most often Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and so the image is necessarily an appropriation. If such images can give to us a deeper sense of the love of the Trinity and the extension of that love to us, then they can serve a useful and devotional function.”

❤️ God is Love (1 John 4:8) - St. Augustine’s early favorite

• the lover (the one who loves), the beloved (the one who is loved, and the love itself.

• Godhead: the lover Father, the beloved is the Son, and love is the Holy Spirit

🗣️ Speaking - St. Augustine’s additional analogy

• human person speaking: in our memory, understanding and will

• image: Father (memory), Son (understanding), and Holy Spirit (will/love).

• A prayer from Augustine’s great work “On the Trinity”

  • “O Lord my God, my one hope, listen to me lest out of weariness I should stop wanting to seek you, but let me seek your face always and with ardor. Do you yourself give me the strength to seek, having caused yourself to be found and having given me hope of finding you more and more … Let me remember you, let me understand you, let me love you. Increase these things in me until you refashion on me entirely.”

🎸 Chord: - St. Ignatius of Loyola (found of the Society of Jesus)

• “Ignatius hears the Trinity as a musical chord of three notes, a chord so beautiful that it moves him to tears.”

• “A Chord is three notes that are in harmony and yet have a specific progression”

• Ignatius describes an audition of how he experienced the Trinity

  • “One day, he was saying the hours of Our Lady on the monastery’s steps, his understanding was raised on high, so as to see the Most Holy Trinity under the aspect of three keys on a musical instrument, and as a result he shed many tears and sobbed so strongly he could not control himself.”

Analogies with Significant Issues

Please read the book for detailed information for why there can be problems with using analogies that may be cause for confusion, and analogies that satisfy an artist to create a sense of emotion.

☘️ 3 clover Saint Patrick analogy - (can be broken)

💧🧊⽓ Water, Ice and Steam analogy - (“Sabellianism” or “modalism”, i.e. one God with different modes)

🥚 Egg analogy - (can be broken)

🧑‍🚒 Fireman (worker) analogy - (can have change, and role issues)

Closing

Remember, this is a review of Chapter 8 of the book “God” by Elizabeth Klein, part of the book series “What Every Catholic Should Know”. I recommend reading the book no matter if you are Catholic or not. I have found the writings and presentations by Dr. Klein to go deep to the root and love of Christianity. I encourage group study and discussions of the chapters. I have learned so much from my study group. These last few chapter reviews were written prior to the meeting planned for March 16, 2026. Look for any edits or comments following the meeting. I will continue to pray for you, and please pray for me as we learn together the many mysteries of God.

God Bless You!

Article 2026031414

I really amazed how many distractions are thrown at me as I try to read and write about Chapter 7. There are forces that do not want me to understand, and write. I just got back from the 4pm Mass where I minister by running the projection of readings and lyrics. The power of God within me from communion and my reconciliation is allowing my words to be written, and my understanding clearer. The theme of homily was on positivity, and Fr. Mike Schmitz homily also pointed me in the direction of being more positive about life. I know I have had a struggle being positive. Therefore, “Rejoice all of the time” (1 Thess 5:16). Also, we emphasized:

“God is good all of the time and all of the time God is good.”

Holy Spirit guide me in the writing, “Veni, Sancte Spiritus.”

These are notes of a chapter review of the book “God” by Elizabeth Klein and is part of the study set “What Every Catholic Should Know.” I learned of Dr. Elizabeth Klein from the Podcast “Catholic Saints” published by the Augustine Institute. The episodes are deep into history and theology, and not easy listening. I have been motivated by the stories of the Saints to live and love more like a Saint. I have a long way to go, however, I have found greater peace in my place within the Kingdom of God.

Chapter 7 Speaking about the Trinity

I found the following sentence the most helpful for describing how God is three-in-one, “God is three persons in one nature, and their unity is constituted by their perfect relationship with one another.” The final sentence of the chapter is helpful too as a summary, “Therefore, in creation what God bestows on us is his very own life of love. The doctrine of the Trinity teaches us that God himself is the love that he gives.” Chapter 7 describes how the Church helps understand the unity and plurality of God.

“God is on in nature, substance, or being. There is only one God who is infinite, eternal, and the like. But God is three in his inner life; there are three persons, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who exist eternally in communion with one another, distinguished only by their relations.”

I like how Dr. Klein recognizes the depth of theology being presented, and recognizes are human mental challenges. As written in Chapter 7 p.53, “Coming up for air from all of these precise distinctions, we might be tempted to think that the doctrine of the Trinity is best left to theologians,”. Following the statement is encouraging words to continue learning to better love God. Therefore, let’s see how deep we can dive in learning more. Again, I am only sharing notes, and it is best you read the book.

As described in the chapter, we learn about the choreography of the Trinity as an eternal dance with a flow of exchange. We learn about the unity and plurality of God as three-in-one. I like how we can describe the Trinity as a “what, who”. I start to think of the basic grammar, “Who, What, Where, When, How”, and maybe this really can help us understand the Trinity. We know the When and Where are infinite, followed by What is God, and the Who is Father, Son, Holy Spirit and many other names. How many names do you have?

The beginning of the chapter 7 discusses the history and debates to formalize a description of the Trinity at the council of Nicea in 325. The whole story if meeting is very significant in early Christian church history, and is worth of a study if you are not familiar. However, was is important here is that in the “Nicene Creed” that was created in the meeting was a definition of the Trinity. At most Catholic masses, the Nicene Creed is recited. The key statement identified by Dr. Klein are:

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.

These statements in the Nicene Creed are the foundation of the doctrine of the Trinity. To understand the Trinity you must understand “The Word is not made.” Important is understanding the line in the Chapter 7 ‘The word “consubstantial” means that Christ is one in substance, nature, or being with the Father.’ It is an exercise for the reader to learn more of the vocabulary in depth.

One more note, is how the Holy Spirit is distinguished from Father and Son by relationship to them. Here the Nicene creed:

I believe in the Holy Spirit, The Lord, the giver of life. Who proceeds from the Father (and the Son).

Closing

The next article will be a review of Chapter 8 “Analogies for the Trinity.” As I write, I learn why so many great books have been written on Christian Theology. I barely scratch the surface, and the purpose of these articles is to help me understand God. I hope you are learning along with me. I think I will learn even more at our next study group on Chapter 6-8. I am trying to truly embrace writing with the help of the Holy Spirit. I am trying to understand how the early saints wrote. I am praying for you, please pray for me. God bless you!