Nine (9) Thoughts, Inching Along To The Golden Rule

1. Love the Lord God: heart, soul and strength. Celestine is the Saint whose Mom asked her 12 kids which one would give her the joy of becoming a saint and he, as a little child, said that he would. Now, that's putting you're all into it.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself. Pretending another person with a problem is us, helps to pray and put in a good word for them. Imagine ‘This is a Test' and that test might be about me! We would want someone else to be kind to us, too. Besides there's a saying that when we see a problem, it’s usually about us. Blessed Alcuin pray for us for holiness.

3. Murder is not an option. Sometimes I feel we say things that a depressed person might pick up on and act out. So don’t be a Hater. St. Phyloterus, Martyr, Pray for us.

4. I feel some spouses don’t know how to relate to the other. Treating them as their parental authority. I wonder are they hoping to be excused, to go out on a date with somebody else? St. Cyriaca and Companions, Pray for us to heal our relationships.

5. In the game of baseball, players steal bases. Catholics steal, too. Be generous instead. Let us be so busy giving, we won't have time to be taking too much.

6. Coveting is not cool. Be a Reviver instead. St. Dunstan was among the revivers.

7. The easiest way I know of to not bear false witness is to not talk about anyone period. However nearly impossible this is, it’s better to try to. God is everywhere and Holy Guardian Angels hear these things we say. Jesus and the Church prays for all of us daily; constantly, not just on Sundays. St. Calocerus defended his brother, St. Parthenius -- an accused Christian. It resulted in both of them being sentenced to death.

8. Respect everyone. This can be most difficult, especially since everyone seems to have their own perspective on what it is that is respectful. Our Lord does respect people even though God is no respecter of persons, which is something else.

9. This brings us to the Golden Rule. Don't do goofy things to people when we know darn well how we can not take it ourselves. St. Theophilus of Corte, a missionary, you had the zeal to respect the Rules of Order. Help us to lovingly see how we may respect others.

Thanks for inspiration from The Rule of Saint Benedict and Saints for May 19.