T H E SALENTO, ITALY-

S U M M E R 2 0 1 2

awkward topics: faith, the word of God, good/evil, Jesus

red font = dateblue font = excerpt from the daily mass reading from catholic calendar (year b) green font = personal reflection derived from excerptblack font = kabbalah reading

INDEX

1

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Matt 7,17,18Every sound tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces evil fruit. A sound tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

What are the fruits of my life? Are they all good? What kind of tree am I? Am I good?

In Psalm 73, a sinner asks, “How can I know God? Is there knowledge of Him?” The question con-cerns faith in God. The principle of faith consists in seeking God and following Him with certainty. This doesn’t mean just ‘serving’ Him, which implies, at the base of my comprehension, that I think I can ac-tually reach Him somehow.

Being limited in my intelligence is a wonderful and human part of me. Even if I would like to know about every-thing, it is not possible for me, as an individual, nor for all of humanity as a whole. This is why, in a very simple way, faith is superior to reason. The char-acteristic of humans to search and try to understand everything is an egoistic thing and is the cause of constant dis-cussion with faith, which is an altruistic thing.

Reasoning should also be used to follow God and understand His actions and intents. Therefore reason is a necessary part of faith. Reason and research for my own egoistical ends can lead me to see how far I am from the perfection that I perceive in the universe.

Thurs 27 June 2012

Matt 7,24…everyone that listens to my words and puts them into practice is similar to a wise man who builds his house on rock.

How can I listen to His word and put it into practice?

2

Being limited in my intelligence is a wonderful and human part of me. Even if I would like to know about every-thing, it is not possible for me, as an individual, nor for all of humanity as a whole. This is why, in a very simple way, faith is superior to reason. The char-acteristic of humans to search and try to understand everything is an egoistic thing and is the cause of constant dis-cussion with faith, which is an altruistic thing.

Thurs 27 June 2012

Matt 7,24…everyone that listens to my words and puts them into practice is similar to a wise man who builds his house on rock.

How can I listen to His word and put it into practice?

3

My inner self tells me that I am similar to God. However, this intuition doesn’t abrogate my belief in the unreachability of God by using reason. This is why we were given the word of God with its precepts. By following this word, I can cultivate my awareness between what I perceive as evil and the light that I am able to understand through His spirit. The light that can enter inside of me becomes life and guides me towards the desires that are similar to the desires of God.

I must want and ask for this awareness in order for any light to enter. The desires of God are resurrection from death, controlling the rain and generating life. My corre-sponding desires are reflecting God’s light through my actions, acts of mercy and correcting my egoistic nature.

It is through actions based on these desires that make me similar to God. The more I know myself and understand what I am doing, the more I can feel in contact with God.

Friday 28 june 2012

Matt 16,13-19Jesus asked, “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?”

Who do I think Jesus is?

When I desire to reach God through reasoning, I obligate myself to verify His presence first and then react.

The problem is that if I try to behave in a certain way only according to my reasoning, I am actu-ally denying the possibility to see God. This is be-cause all of which I do is done through reasoning. As soon as I do something out of reason, that act diminishes my faith. So how do faith and reason in-teract?

If I desire to be close to God through mere devo-tion (reason), this too can diminish my faith. But these same acts of devotion can become part of God’s will as they can eventually uncover the truth of God’s Word.

When I understand that it is God that is providing the path to spiritual awareness, His word becomes manifest in my life. So eventually these acts of de-votion, which were perpetrated through reason and egoism, can lead me to see how faith behaves beyond reason and it eventually becomes possible to act through pure faith and not faith based on reason.

4

My inner self tells me that I am similar to God. However, this intuition doesn’t abrogate my belief in the unreachability of God by using reason. This is why we were given the word of God with its precepts. By following this word, I can cultivate my awareness between what I perceive as evil and the light that I am able to understand through His spirit. The light that can enter inside of me becomes life and guides me towards the desires that are similar to the desires of God.

I must want and ask for this awareness in order for any light to enter. The desires of God are resurrection from death, controlling the rain and generating life. My corre-sponding desires are reflecting God’s light through my actions, acts of mercy and correcting my egoistic nature.

It is through actions based on these desires that make me similar to God. The more I know myself and understand what I am doing, the more I can feel in contact with God.

5

6

Sat 29 June 2012

Matt 8,5-17I will come and I will heal him.

Can Jesus heal me? Can the Word help me perceive the light?

Through the acquisition of sincere faith, I understand how God saves me. When I recognize the pure light that has always existed inside of me, I will obtain total freedom. Until then, it seems that I am struck down continu-ally and surrounded by what I perceive as evil. However, in reality, it is evil which strikes down itself.

Through understanding that chasing after material things and the eventual frustration caused by egoistic desires that can never be totally fulfilled, my continual unhappiness accelerates me towards a self-realization that faith is beyond my comprehension and reason.

In this way, every single act of mine, whether I like it or not, is fulfilling the will of God.

So why am I not called a slave of God? Because I act without being con-scious of the total freedom which is obtained through the light. In order to help me act in accordance with God’s will, He gives me the desire to enjoy my own freedom and become a real slave to my own egoistic de-sires as if this was not a part of His will.

For example, I could develop the desire to open a restaurant solely in or-der to achieve wealth. Even if I am interested solely in earning money, the final result provides food for others to eat (altruistic).

7

Sunday 1 July 2012

Mark 5,34He said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.

How am I saved through faith? What am I saved from?

My spirit is in a state of exile in the material world. The altruistic desires of God are in conflict with my own material desires. However my aspirations of altruism interact dy-namically with my egoistic desires. The altruistic aspirations generate both the desire to understand God and doubts about His existence.

Based on these doubts, God allows me to be guided afar from His pure light towards my own egoistic slavery. My own spiritual slavery becomes material slavery as well. Because of this, it is difficult to have an inner union with God.

Eternal union with God means the end of the dualism between good and evil. In such a state, I will be able to see that God has created only good and the principle of Creation is for all of humanity to be corrected and free from this dualism.

Before this happens, all of my actions, even the highest spiritual aspirations are imbued with an impure egoistic force that wants to keep the pure light for itself. This is the con-sequence of my doubts towards God and this force is generated inside of myself.

However, this condition was not created for my affliction but to help me to push myself towards correction. As long as I listen to the reasons of my egoism, God helps me gradu-ally understand his presence through trial and error in this spiritual exile.

8

Sunday 1 July 2012

Mark 5,34He said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.

How am I saved through faith? What am I saved from?

My spirit is in a state of exile in the material world. The altruistic desires of God are in conflict with my own material desires. However my aspirations of altruism interact dy-namically with my egoistic desires. The altruistic aspirations generate both the desire to understand God and doubts about His existence.

Based on these doubts, God allows me to be guided afar from His pure light towards my own egoistic slavery. My own spiritual slavery becomes material slavery as well. Because of this, it is difficult to have an inner union with God.

Eternal union with God means the end of the dualism between good and evil. In such a state, I will be able to see that God has created only good and the principle of Creation is for all of humanity to be corrected and free from this dualism.

Before this happens, all of my actions, even the highest spiritual aspirations are imbued with an impure egoistic force that wants to keep the pure light for itself. This is the con-sequence of my doubts towards God and this force is generated inside of myself.

However, this condition was not created for my affliction but to help me to push myself towards correction. As long as I listen to the reasons of my egoism, God helps me gradu-ally understand his presence through trial and error in this spiritual exile.

9

Monday 2 July 2012

Matt 8,20Foxes have their holes and birds have their nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest his head.

Salmo 84 – near your alter, Lord, I will find rest.

Where do I find my real rest? Why does the idea of work contrast with my idea of rest?

The word midbar in Hebrew means desert and derives from dibur which means discourse. It is written that the strong forces that struck the Egyptians with the plagues originated from the desert. Everything that God has created came from the firmament and not from the desert. But in this case, the phrase ‘in the des-ert’ means through the power of discourse: in other words, through the spoken word.

In the egoistic state where the tree of good and bad is present, anything that can be cor-rected in myself comes through prayer and asking. On the good side, I seek to have the qualities that are similar to God, which raises my inner spirit and grants the quality of altruism.

This silent prayer of my heart takes place in the form of discourse. However both good and bad exist together until the voice which answers me, which is spiritual, and the discourse, which is personal, be-come one.

Tues 3 July 2012

John 20,28Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God.”

What is God? And how do I understand that what I think is God is mine?

Why does everything that I see make me believe that there is something beyond all of what I see?

There is the inner voice and there is discourse or dialogue. The inner voice is the interior part while dialogue is manifested externally. This outward manifestation is based on breathing.

Songs are sung according to the indications of the notes and words are read or pronounced accord-ing to the letters and the punctuation.

The inner voice reflects the level of merciful light and can be manifested as well through the mouth. Similar to dialogue, it can be passed on through sounds that can be heard by others.

However, not everyone hears the inner voice, which depends on the light of mercy granted by God and the spirit of the person who pro-nounces the words.

The spirit of God guides the voice that is generated from the light of mercy. The voice forms the words, which is prayer, and elevates the thought.

10

Monday 2 July 2012

Matt 8,20Foxes have their holes and birds have their nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest his head.

Salmo 84 – near your alter, Lord, I will find rest.

Where do I find my real rest? Why does the idea of work contrast with my idea of rest?

The word midbar in Hebrew means desert and derives from dibur which means discourse. It is written that the strong forces that struck the Egyptians with the plagues originated from the desert. Everything that God has created came from the firmament and not from the desert. But in this case, the phrase ‘in the des-ert’ means through the power of discourse: in other words, through the spoken word.

In the egoistic state where the tree of good and bad is present, anything that can be cor-rected in myself comes through prayer and asking. On the good side, I seek to have the qualities that are similar to God, which raises my inner spirit and grants the quality of altruism.

This silent prayer of my heart takes place in the form of discourse. However both good and bad exist together until the voice which answers me, which is spiritual, and the discourse, which is personal, be-come one.

Tues 3 July 2012

John 20,28Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God.”

What is God? And how do I understand that what I think is God is mine?

Why does everything that I see make me believe that there is something beyond all of what I see?

There is the inner voice and there is discourse or dialogue. The inner voice is the interior part while dialogue is manifested externally. This outward manifestation is based on breathing.

Songs are sung according to the indications of the notes and words are read or pronounced accord-ing to the letters and the punctuation.

The inner voice reflects the level of merciful light and can be manifested as well through the mouth. Similar to dialogue, it can be passed on through sounds that can be heard by others.

However, not everyone hears the inner voice, which depends on the light of mercy granted by God and the spirit of the person who pro-nounces the words.

The spirit of God guides the voice that is generated from the light of mercy. The voice forms the words, which is prayer, and elevates the thought.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Matt 8,29,30What does the Son of God have to do with us? Have you come here to tor-ment us before our time? Jesus ordered them to go.

Gioele 2,28 - I will pour out my spirit on everyone and they will become like prophets.Gen 1,2 …and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

What authority does the Spirit of God have on me and what authority do I have on my own spirit? Where do I tend to be lead? (good / bad)

When God created the universe, he asked the angels, “Shall we create man in our likeness?” Each of the four angels present responded. The angel of Mercy agreed. The angel of Truth disagreed. The angel of Justice agreed and the angel of Peace disagreed.

So God took the Truth and hid it inside the earth. Searching for the Truth, man will find his goals in the love of God. However, because of man’s egoistic nature, he is not capable of doing any action without considering first his own profit.

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God let man begin to search for the Truth, which lies in His word, even if man’s search is totally self-seeking. Despite this, man’s actions draw the spiri-tual light towards him until he begins to love the universal word that God has given.

The angel of Mercy, who agreed with God about the creation of man, foresaw that man would be capable of acts of mercy. Even though man generally acts out of self-love, most of his motivation comes from following external acts without a true feeling of giving. But Mercy saw that man would be ca-pable of searching for God through these altruistic acts. Eventually man can find the truth that is the purpose of his being created.

Peace foresaw that man is full of hostility and much of man’s hostility is directed against God. For Peace, man’s acts would always remain far from the interior spirit of altruism, which leads to peace.

Justice foresaw that man could serve God as the dispenser of Justice. Through observing God’s word, which mostly involves helping the poor, man gradually learns to act out of the love of God and thus, acquire peace with his brothers.

Even though the impure forces are very attractive and pulls man towards all kinds of transgressions, man has the desire to look for the truth for his own good.

Thursday 5 July 2012

Matt 9,2Jesus said, ”Have courage my son, for your sins are forgiven.”

How do sins keep me from having courage?

The word of God teaches me to follow the path of truth: it communicates to me how to re-awaken the voice inside of me. The light of the day indi-cates the sensation of unity with God. It is light that identifies the percep-tion of goodness to me. In other words, the light of day symbolizes the nearness of God in my life and the greatness of His spirituality.

In the language of spirituality, it is also possible for me to feel a distance to God as well. The more I focus on material things, the farther I distance myself from God. This distance doesn’t provide me with complete joy even though pleasure can be derived from material things.

I live in a condition which can be called ‘night’. It is in this condition of com-plete absence of faith in God that I can fully give myself to His word. Sleep-ing or closing my eyes, I pray silently to Him, ”I give my total self to Your will.”

This condition can be thought of as temporarily falling towards a successive rising. The night works as a trampoline with which I can reach the next ‘day’ that is full of light.

If I accept with my heart and appreciate everything that God gives me, I can be certain that I am on the right track and nothing will dissuade me from Him. This determines the completeness of the condition to trust my soul to God. I put myself in His hands deciding to concede my will to His through the precepts derived from His word.

15

God let man begin to search for the Truth, which lies in His word, even if man’s search is totally self-seeking. Despite this, man’s actions draw the spiri-tual light towards him until he begins to love the universal word that God has given.

The angel of Mercy, who agreed with God about the creation of man, foresaw that man would be capable of acts of mercy. Even though man generally acts out of self-love, most of his motivation comes from following external acts without a true feeling of giving. But Mercy saw that man would be ca-pable of searching for God through these altruistic acts. Eventually man can find the truth that is the purpose of his being created.

Peace foresaw that man is full of hostility and much of man’s hostility is directed against God. For Peace, man’s acts would always remain far from the interior spirit of altruism, which leads to peace.

Justice foresaw that man could serve God as the dispenser of Justice. Through observing God’s word, which mostly involves helping the poor, man gradually learns to act out of the love of God and thus, acquire peace with his brothers.

Even though the impure forces are very attractive and pulls man towards all kinds of transgressions, man has the desire to look for the truth for his own good.

16

Friday 6 July 2012

Matthew 9: 9 - 13I haven’t come for the healthy but for the sick. I have come to call sinners not the righteous.

Osea 6,6 My justice will rise like the light because I want love and not sacrifices.

How do I consider myself healthy in a spiritual way?

Prayer springs from the recognition that something is missing from my being. For whatever reason this may be, I seek a possible correction in what I am. In my heart, the center of where desires are born, there is something missing.

Every new desire is built on old fulfilled desires. Every fulfilled desire leaves an empty part in my heart. That empty part is the love of God. Even though I desire ardently to receive pleasure, I don’t receive it on my own but because it is given to me.

God wants me to find his love in that empty space. If He hadn’t wanted it to be that way, I would have no desire at all to receive anything from Him.

17

Friday 6 July 2012

Matthew 9: 9 - 13I haven’t come for the healthy but for the sick. I have come to call sinners not the righteous.

Osea 6,6 My justice will rise like the light because I want love and not sacrifices.

How do I consider myself healthy in a spiritual way?

Prayer springs from the recognition that something is missing from my being. For whatever reason this may be, I seek a possible correction in what I am. In my heart, the center of where desires are born, there is something missing.

Every new desire is built on old fulfilled desires. Every fulfilled desire leaves an empty part in my heart. That empty part is the love of God. Even though I desire ardently to receive pleasure, I don’t receive it on my own but because it is given to me.

God wants me to find his love in that empty space. If He hadn’t wanted it to be that way, I would have no desire at all to receive anything from Him.

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