DISPATCHES FROM FR. CHARITAS
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Though the words of Christ endure, those words are so often neglected. Christ said it this way, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but MY words will endure forever.”- Matthew 24:35 And yet so many of the words take back seat to the words of others in the public debate and in the arenas where electric preachers boldly make claims. So many of the words are troubling for they confound the lace doilies of theological constructs. So many of the words are set on the shelf for they are conflict with cultural values. Yet it was vow, a prophecy of Truth, that it would be His words that would endure, and in enduring take their proper prominence.
“Turn the other cheek” … how ridiculous to take those words seriously. “Share the little you have” … how absurd, how unrealistic. “Give what you have to the poor” … now that makes no sense in our competitive, self-interested world. Over and over … the words we claim sacred are hid away in that dusty trunk in the attic, the one labelled, “SAVE FOR A LATER TIME”.
We claim the Lord’s Promises for they serve as well … but the instruction and the commands, sit waiting to be lived and applied.
In His Service always,
Fr. Charitas de la Cruz
Into the Sacred Hills of Jade 
Turn the other cheek and love always was the Motto of a dear friend Maria, who died on April 11th in Cyprus. She suffered, yet knew how to love. Her young son died at age 24 or so, one was blinded in the eyes when he went out with a friend, she was faithful no matter what. Welcomed every one in her home, including us starngers from Canada and always remembered us even when she was suffering from dementia. Every time her daughter showed her our family photo, she could name us all and yet not recognise her own children. She spoke little english and we cpoke little greek, but we loved and prayed together many times. The graetest of all is gift of love and she gave that to us and it will always live in me and my family, till we will meet again united in the same Lord! Lata