The Wolf You Feed and How

A Cherokee elder sitting with his grandchildren told them, “In every life there is a terrible fight—a fight between two wolves. One is evil: he is fear, anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, and deceit. The other is good: joy, serenity, humility, confidence, generosity, truth, gentleness, and compassion.” A child asked, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?” The elder looked him in the eye. “The one you feed.” (via Daily Dig)

When I read the story above, I immediately thought of Peter Kreeft’s book, Back to Virtue. In it, he explores the idea that the Beatitudes are the antidote to the Seven Deadly Sins:

  • Pride vs. Poverty of spirit (humility)

  • Avarice (greed) vs. Mercy

  • Envy vs. Mourning

  • Wrath (anger) vs. Meekness and peacemaking

  • Sloth vs. Hunger and thrust for righteousness

  • Lust vs. Purity of heart

  • Gluttony vs. Bearing persecution

And then I thought of that one line in the Lord’s Prayer:

Give us this day our daily bread.

Makes one wonder, which wolf am I feeding? And maybe more importantly, how?

Are You Amazed?

Listen to this song

Imagine Jesus singing these words to you…

Are you amazed I love to look upon your face?
So resplendent with amazing grace
Though at times you try to hide it in disgrace
I will always love you

Cause in your eyes I see a soul that longs to dance
I’m captivated by a single glance
And when you look my way, I don’t stand a chance
I will always love you

Like a mother to her child, like a husband to his bride
I want to hold you in my arms
Like a father to his son, I want to teach you—when I’m done
I want to keep you safe from harm
Like an eagle with its wings, teach you to soar, teach you to sing
So we can sail out to the dawn
You’ve got such beauty inside; I cannot help but wonder why…

Are you amazed I love to look upon your face?
So resplendent with amazing grace
Though at times you try to hide it in disgrace
I will always love you

Cause in your eyes I see a soul that longs to dance
I’m captivated by a single glance
And when you look my way, I don’t stand a chance
I will always love you

I want to sleep with you at night; you know I’m strong enough to fight
All the monsters ’neath your bed
Be your shelter in the storm, a place to go when you’re forlorn
Where you can rest your weary head
I want to give to you my heart, and still yet you fear I will depart
Have you not heard a word I’ve said?
Because I do not change my mind.
I know sometimes it’s hard to try…

But in your eyes I see a soul that longs to dance
I’m captivated by a single glance
You know you’re not taking that much of a chance
I have always loved you

Are you amazed I love to look upon your face?
So resplendent with amazing grace
Though at times you try to hide it in disgrace
I will always love you

— Backyard Galaxy (Bob Rice)

Pain

Another poem given to me by a very special friend…

(more…)

Stay With Me That I May Shine

Stay with me,
and then I shall begin to shine as You shine:
so to shine as to be a light to others.

The light, O Jesus, will be all from You.
None of it will be mine.
No merit to me.
It will be You who shines through me upon others.

O let me thus praise You,
in the way which You love best,
by shining on all those around me.

Teach me to show forth Your praise,
Your truth, Your will.
Make me preach You without preaching—
not by words,
but by example and by the catching force,
the sympathetic influence,
of what I do—
by my visible resemblance to Your saints,
and the evident fullness of the love
which my heart bears to You.

— John Henry Cardinal Newman