Hey! This book is full of some advice for some teens (like myself) who are aspiring to become a better Catholic/Christian and stuff. Or if you're thinking of coming into the Church. Feel free to ask any questions, and I'm also here to talk with you...
A/N : Oh my gosh, I get to see Jason Evert speak today!! Haha, he's definitely an amazing speaker. You guys should totally check him out :P
Proverbs - Chapter 11
The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. Riches won't help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.
The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.
When the wicked die, their hopes die with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength. The godly are rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous.
The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the wicked die. Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.
It is foolish to belittle one's neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet. A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers. There's danger in putting up security for a stranger's debt; it's safer not to guarantee another person's debt.
A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you. Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last.
Godly people find life; evil people find death. The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity. Evil people will surely be punished, but the children of the godly will go free. A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.
The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.
Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need.
If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!
Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring. Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise.
The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, what will happen to wicked sinners?
Our Lady of Fatima (ages during appearances) - Francisco age 9, Jacinta age 7, and Lucia age 10
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^^^ From right to left - Lucia, Francisco, Jacinta ^^^
In the year of 1917, between May and October, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared a total of six times to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. This was because the small town of Fatima had remained faithful to the Catholic Church during a time of persecution. She proceeded to promise them that there would be peace throughout the world, and many souls should go to Heaven if they only obeyed her commands.
She said that war, hunger, and persecution of the Church and Pope was a punishment for the sins of the world. She saw that we were all in great danger. Through her appearances to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta, she wanted to offer us advice in order to prevent unnecessary conflicts in the future. This was also a prophecy for what would occur later on in the 20th Century (WWI & WWII).
After six visions, the children were then given a date in which a miracle would occur. On October 13, 1917, the 70,000 witnesses state that they had seen the sun dancing. It got closer and further away from people, rotated, and become larger. None of these people had hurt their eyes. Everyone present claim to see this— even the non-believers. They fell to their knees and begged for forgiveness.
To me, shows that God can do great things through young people. Of course, we may not have frequent visions of the Virgin Mary, but our works today can bring people closer to God. At Steubenville (which, again, was totally amazing!), Ennie Hickman, our host, said something that totally put this into perspective.
He said something along these lines (I forgot the exact words, but this is what I remember) :
"I asked my son if he could take out the trash. He looked up at me and said 'sure thing, dad.' So, he ran off and came back about ten minutes later, then saying 'guess what? I memorized how to day 'take out the trash.' Then he ran off again, coming back a while later. He said 'Hey! I also memorized how to say 'take out the trash' in Greek!' before running off again. Then he came back again. 'Dad, guess what? I founded an entire group who would come together, and ponder how the world would be different if I took out the trash.'"
We can't just say we want to make a difference. We can't say words over and over again and expect things to change. We have to get off our butts, go out into the world, and do something about it!
