like them?

mnc_hnn

i want to ask what do u feel when u see/read/hear a saint story and about MARTYRES!!!!

i feel that i'm guilty and i can't be good at all and i ask how did they do all that!!

how could they live?

Youstina S

Ofcourse hearing of Saints and their devotion to God gives all of us the immediate feeling of shame and guilt for not bettering ourselves as Christians and going through extreme measures to defend our faith.

But you also have to be realisitic ...the time frame the saints were living in is a lot different from our modern day...we dont have kings that'll get rid of christian's blood til it reaches the knees of a horse!

Frankly, our modern world doesnt care too much for religion so you are free to worship God all you want. However, that doesnt mean that b/c our lives arent at risk that we are not worthy to be called God's children. You are worthy to be called a child of God just as much as St marina, or any other marytr. the only thing that sets them apart from us is their spiritual level perhaps, but that doesnt mean you are any less important in the eyes of God. So as long as you follow His commandements and righteously follow His path, you shouldnt feel remorseful about your spiritual level.

Ofcourse we should always seek to revive our spiritual lives but we should never think that we arent worthy in the eyes of God because we know thats not true- God is fair; He acknowledges even the smallest and simplist good works that you do

mnc_hnn

yeas, but i don't feel that i'm important to God!

PrincessMary

Youstina S, that was a beautiful answer :)

mnc_hnn, even if you dont think that you are important to God, God definetly thinks you are of extreme importance to Him, otherwise He would not have came and died for you and me, if we were not valuable and precious to Him. As Youstina said, even the simplest thing He acknowledges, He tells us if we give a glass of cold water to someone, it will not be forgotten, even the little, simple things that we do, He will not forget.

The saints and martyrs are great, when you read their stories it really makes you pause and wonder, howcome they loved God so much, even to the extent of death, we wonder why we are not like them, and why we do not have the same love that they had in their hearts, the fire of love, that kept on growing in their hearts, a love that could never be put out.

You cannot say "I cannot be good at all", we are no different than these saints and martyrs, they are all human just like us, they werent created from a different kind of dust than us ;). The diference is that they truly loved God so much above any other thing in the world, some left the world, lived in the desert or monastary, some went to die for His sake, St. George suffered 7 years for God, who could endure suffering 7 years, it really makes you wonder :o, they really had great love, otherwise they would not have done so!! If we tried, we could be like them, but the thing is that we just arent trying and arent really putting the effort, so we are not on the same spiritual level as they are. But even so, God still loves each and everyone of us and has loved us all with an everlasting love, a love that never ends, but lasts forever.

mnc_hnn

we are no different than these saints and martyrs, they are all human just like us

i'm not really sure about that bit!!!!

i don't think that they're in any point like us, now, here!

so we are not on the same spiritual level as they are

and i think that will neva happen! ::)

Christ4Life

Quote:
so we are not on the same spiritual level as they are


and i think that will neva happen!

Don't be so negative.

Youstina S

I think we are ALL CAPABLE of having a high spiritual level, but for the most part, our spiritual levels are weakend by our social surroundings because we arent making an effort to avoid their negative influence...we're passive

I think it is highly possible for any of us to be as spiritual as a martyr... even if we do basic things like sticking up for our faith or showing others the message of Christ by our deeds...

in the end, its really how you feel about God from your heart that determines the degree of your spiritual level...when your passionate about God, everything falls into play...you're enthusiam for your faith increases, as does your love for the church, and, you play a more active role in defending the faith by any means necessary...i dont think we should worry about increasing our spiritual level in order to reach someone else's level. Rather, in the time being, we should worry about preserving and reviving our spiritual lives

arsani020690

we are no different than these saints and martyrs, they are all human just like us

i'm not really sure about that bit!!!!

they are just like us they are human just like us they were born just like us they just had a more holier life thats if and any of us cen become saints or marters

spr418

we r just like saints and martyrs...and this was mentioned before that they r just more HOLIER than us...but we can become a saint one day...who can believe that saint moses the black became a martyr after all those sins that he did...and we can be a saint one day...
GBU
sandra

MarkGirgis3

Do you kno what keeps us from becoming saints its ons simple thing... The only problem is that we pay tooo much attention to this world , they paid too much attention to heaven the spiritual world..., You should never feel like you are not important to God. God views and loves all the same but can judge us very differently due to our actions and worldly desires. we shouldn't have any and should practice not wanting any just as the saints did. We should focus more on our spiritual lives and help each other undersatnd that this world will pass but rather its heaven that the saints became so close to that we miss out on that makes us un-sainty(i'm not really sure thats a word but u know what i mean) so anyway just be careful and try to build ur spirtua lifee

mnc_hnn

but, like u know how can we be attention 2 the spiritual life?

does it mean no goin out?

No shopping?

no watchin telly?

no staying on the computer for half day (like me and lots of ppl do)?

no playing the piano?

no basketball?

sry but believe me when i think about it i feel guilty in most
of the things i'm doin all day!
i'm disappointed ::)

rf_zachari

As much as you love your lord, as so much as you'll be willing to give up wordly pleasures for YOUR own sake, so that you may love Him more deeply....


Besides...many of the things you stated can be done BUT there's a prerequisite...basically, love your Lord and stick to Him in HIS church...simple....then do whatever you want...BY YOURSELF, u'll find yourself not wanting to do certain stuff because it may take you away from our LORD....withut any make-up, so as to speak....


In HIS Name,


Rami Fouad Zachari

mnc_hnn

but the problem is (as i call it) that i see certain things which r not that bad as 'things that take me away from God' and things like 'swearing' and etc... i don't even think about them?

rf_zachari

that's a big problem in all of us.....


We have to be very careful how we condemn ourselves and what we call in arabic "tadkeek" (plz somebody translate...I'm stuck :D)

We don't even think about them because the Holy Spirit in us has been silenced by our actions and thoughts....what I mean is that our consience has become sloppy...capable of almost making everything go through....and calling them "not that bad" as if it were subjective...

Swearing, for example, is not only bad...it's horrible...u're saying the name of your Lord without dire need and in fact sloppily...when u're telling the truth and when u aren't....

YOU don't decide on what takes you away from the Lord and what doesn't....don't go through this alone...u MUST have an FOC and go partake Communion in our Holy Church and read the Bible...truly, what I'm saying isn't a tape player being played...this is truly the Church's fathers' advices...all right?


The criteria are set by the church for you to go through them to HIM in the end....don't go by this alone....



In HIS Name,


RFZ