Glory of God Prayer Group, St. Cecilia Parish, Wa Diocese, Ghana - Let Your Light Shine

Saint of the Day

Faith

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. Saint Augustine

God dispenses beauty even to the wicked

Beauty is indeed a good gift of God; but that the good may not think it a great good, God dispenses it even to the wicked. Saint Augustine

Do not serve with a gloomy face

It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look. Francis of Assisi

Lay first the foundation of humility

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. Saint Augustine

There is God

I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is. Albert Camus

Meaning of the universe

If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning. C. S. Lewis

Selective faith

If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself. Saint Augustine

Hear the other side

Hear the other side. Saint Augustine

Intense love does not measure

Intense love does not measure, it just gives. Mother Teresa

All things unholy

I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone. Francis of Assisi

The gift of overcoming self

Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self. Francis of Assisi

Man is a great depth

Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul? Man is a great depth, O Lord. The hairs of his head are easier by far to count than his feeling, the movements of his heart. Saint Augustine

Truth

If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair. C. S. Lewis

Forsaken by sin

To abstain from sin when one can no longer sin is to be forsaken by sin, not to forsake it. Saint Augustine

Pride of wealth

If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it. Socrates

The cause makes the martyr

It is not the punishment but the cause that makes the martyr. Saint Augustine

In season at all times

Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. Mother Teresa

The souls of the righteous are immortal …

All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine. Socrates

Words of light

Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness. Mother Teresa

Affection

Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. C. S. Lewis

Teaching for Sunday 21st June, 2009
Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama
Text: Sirach 22:19-27

Friendship = companionship

History of friendship

Friendship has existed since the beginning of creation: When God created man, he saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so he created woman – Genesis 2:8-23. God used to come down and interact with Adam and Eve in the Garden.

Destruction of friendship

But man broke this friendship through disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. We also frequently break our friendship with people through disobedience. God has given us rules, laws and recommendations that we have to live in relation to others. If only we would obey these rules.

How to build and sustain friendships

Friendship is built on trust. Destruction of trust is the end of friendship. Of course, we need to exhibit love, humility, tolerance, forgiveness, understanding, patience, honesty and a whole lot of other traits for a friendship to work.  

All the above will be addressed if we can take care of the following few areas:

  1. Sincerity /truthfulness
    • no deception
    • openness
  2. Be ready to give, not only to receive
  3. Support for one another
  4. Avoid unnecessary suspicion – see well before talking
  5. Remember that no one is perfect
    • Study your friend, know his strengths and weaknesses, dos and  don’ts, likes and dislikes
    • Be ready to correct; not to condemn.    
  6. Be ready to apologize
  7. Apology can usually remedy a friendship, but in most cases cannot restore it to its original state.

 

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