Pio's Proverb 193: REALITY: Can Words change it?

I)  Can mere words change reality? Let us see in the natural day-to-day world:

1) If you are at a ball baseball game and see from the stans that a runner is safe as he rounds third and slides into home! You cannot help saying aloud: "Safe!" Do your words cause the runner to be safe? Not really; it is only your opinion. But if the man in black raises his hands and says: "You're Out!", then the runner's reality and score keeper's reality is that he is "Out!" replays notwithstanding!! So the ump's "You're Out!" did change reality.

2) If you are at a party; and your tipsy buddy comes up to you and says, "You are under arrest for drinking too much", you know he is kidding. But if a uniformed man with a badge comes into the party looking for you and says: "You are under arrest and need to come to the station for questioning!", then your reality is change by these mere words.
[These examples 1) and 2) are taken from Fr. Robert E. Barron's work: Catholicism in which he asserts that "words can change reality."]

3) If you have been dating a woman for 5 years and have a loving relationship, that reality is positive. But what if -- and this really happened to me -- on February 29 (Sadie Hawkin's Day), she asks you: "Will you marry me?"  Will those words change the reality of your relationship. Absolutely! I felt loved, awed by her love, excited that someone wanted to give me her whole life. I never had this experience before..and it was heart expanding and affirming and awesome and even very exciting! Her words surely changed my total reality! 

4) When couples before a priest or minister say, "I do" or "I will" and then the minister says: "I now pronounce you man and wife.", there is a profound difference that the exchange of vows and the pronouncement of the priest or minister effects. The reality of two single people are now joined as husband and wife before God and the community and even the state. Words do change reality.

5) When in a long drawn out court battle where a defendant is facing murder charges in a state that has the death penalty, the jury's "Guilty" or "Not guilty" profoundly changes reality. The defendant will be condemn to die or set free just based on the words spoken by the Jury and ratified by the Judge. Words totally change the defendant's reality.

6) When a boy or girl hears the words: "I love you" from each other or from their parents, their spirit changes - even their body changes since endorphins are released when we hear those words spoken with true love and tenderness and caring.

7) And what of negative words? In the old testament, there is a passage that says: "Words can break a bone."

8) Jesus says: "He who calls his brother: "Thou fool!" will be liable to the fires of Gehenna."

  II) Let us look at the spiritual world:

1) God said: "Let there be light" - and light came. [It is interesting that God made Light. Is God reflecting himself in doing this? St. John writes: "God is light and in him there is no darkness at all." Rev. 1:5.   Was the Big Bang  -- a great burst of light -- then, merely a reflection of God's being, as artist, and in perfect response to God's spoken word? Before the Big Bang, as far as the material world, "there was no where." After the Big Bang, "there was everywhere."  The material Universe - the whole Realty of the whole cosmos - was the result of God's spoken word: "Let it be!" When we say something, we cannot create something out of nothing; but when God speaks -- what He says -- effects what His words signify. So the very reality of all living things and all planets and galaxies came "to be" by God's spoken word!  God's word is actually in this sense synonimous with Realty. 

2) And is not Jesus, Himself, the Word of God: "In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God; and the Word became flesh and dwelled amongst us." John 1: 1

3) Sacraments are words and actions that cause what they signify. Thus, the priest or minister, who pours water or emerses the person, says: "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit", the child or adult is prurified from original sin and changed into the a full member of the Mystical Body of Christ, is baptized into Jesus and is "a new creation" in Christ. The person is now a child of God and full member in His Church.

4) But most of all, let us look at the "summet and source of the Faith": The Holy Eucharist!  Jesus during His life time said many things: His words cured blindness, forgave sins, open the ears of the deft and loosed the tongues of the mute. His words: "Lazarus, come forth!" rose a man from teh dead. His words made 5000 people to eat fully and have 7 hampers of fish and bread left over. His words changed water into wine. Seems that Jesus like His Father could speak things INTO reality. He even said: "My Father works; and I work."  He said to Phillip: "When you see me, you see the Father." The Father and Jesus' Word creates Reality and changes Reality.
So, if Jesus' word changed water into wine, then His word could change bread into His Body and wine into His Blood! And the priest - doing ordained by the Sacrament of Holy Orders - says these same words over the bread and wine at Mass, these words are heard by the Holy Spirit who changes the bread into Jesus' Body  and the wine into Jesus' Blood. Jesus also said to His disciples: "Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; whose sins you retain, they are retained." Jesus' word gave power to his disciples to forgive sins. Does a sinner look different after confession? Does the bread and wine look different after the Consecration at Mass. What we only "see" is not the whole of reality. What appears one way  can well be another. The reality of the Eucharist is this: what appears still as bread and wine has in very essence be changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. When Jesus said the famous words: "Take and eat; for this is My Body...take and drink for this is My Blood of the New Covenant that will be shed for many.." The apostles still saw what looked like bread and wine; but the Realty was that He was sharing His very own Body and Blood with them. What Jesus's words say, that is the Reality of the true essence of the Sacrament. St. Thomas' Transubstantiation: "the whole substance of
bread is changed into the whole substance of the body of Christ.." The appearance (accidental change) remains the same but the substance is totally changed. There is a transubstantiation. But this is a good explanation; but truly the best explanation ever is this: Jesus said so!!!!

So, Jesus' word effects a change of natural bread and wine into His own Body and Blood. He has the power to do that. It was an ingenious and loving idea. No human would have ever come up with such an idea of the Eucharist. But the change of Reality does not end there! There is more change that the Eucharist effects: When we eat natural breast, it is assimulated into us. What we eat become part of our body. But when we partake in the Holy Eucharist MORE happens to us: we become what we eat! We become more and more like Christ in his thinking, loving and doing. The more we receive the Holy Eucharist, the more like Christ we become. So, the words of consecration: "This is my Body and this is my Blood" changes the natural elements into Jesus' Body and Blood and also changes the Reality of US! Jesus' body does become out body! His mind becomes our mind. His mission becomes our mission. And if we suffer, our sufferings are so united to Jesus' that we hang with Him on the cross..so that we "fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ." There is nothing lacking; but our sufferings are UNITED to His for the redemption of others. So we cannot just look at appearences..Reality is much deeper than what our senses can see.

5 Let us give some examples where appearance seems to say something where the reality is different:

a) When you look at the stars in the heavens, those stars appear to be there; but they are in reality not there. It has taken so long for the light from those stars to reach our eyes, that these stars have probably burned out. They are not there at all. So what appears one way may be another. [example by Fr. Robert E. Barron.]

b) When you are driving, the trees seem to be moving toward you. The sun seems to rise and set and to be passing over during the day; but actually the sun is stationary as are the trees really standing still.

c) When a sperm and egg unite into a new being, it can hardly be seen with a naked eye; but a human person is present: body and soul.

d) You do not see angels at all..and do not see God; but both exists -together with the whole heavenly host: angels, saints and God who keeps all alive. That is why we Catholics say in the Nicene Creed: "I believe in what is seen and unseen."

e) When a man looked at Padre Pio in the sanctuary, Padre Pio's look back totally transformed the mind of the man looking at him. Just this look re-ordered all the man's thinking. The man could not see Padre Pio's sanctity but Padre Pio's great holiness was there and could be felt and had immediate effects. What is invisible is a Reality as much as the winde - which we cannot see - still has effects on the clouds, the trees and even upon our face.

Considering all I have presented from my heart to yours, Words do absolutely change Reality; and this Reality can be not what only what we see but what we do not see as well. We do believe in "what is seen and unseen."

The bottom line is this: The spoken word effects a change in Realty. And the Word of God: Jesus speaks a word over us! As when Jesus heard: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," Jesus says the same over us: "You are my beloved sons and daughters in whom I am well pleased."

And listen to the deepest meaning of these words of Jesus: "Father, that they may be one; just as You and I are one; that they may be one in us!"  How "one" does He intend? Is this a mere communal unity...or does it mean that we become so united to Jesus as to be considered the Father's "beloved Son in whom He is well pleased.." Does the Father see His Son in us...and love us as He would His son? A great mystery...but understand that Jesus' [the Word of God] words DO change Reality. They change us! If the Father has said: "As the heavens are above the earth; so are my thoughts above your thoughts.." Then we can be sure that Jesus does not think shallowly; but rather He thinks only at the deepest levels...deeper thatn we can imagine..


Peace and blessings and love,

Pio 

Pio's Proverb 112: "Stand by as she dies!"

Kitty Genovese died after being attacked twice on a street in New York even while people heard her cries for help. He assailant after his first attach came back and completed his assault. No one want to get involved.

I have been to New York. There are so many people there on the streets...all moving like ants to their destinations. But everyone seems to be unaware of the others walking pass. There are so many people in New York that people just become immune to others. That attitude and mindset contributed to the death of Kitty Genovese who died in her mid twenties on a New York street somewhere in time..now that the even is over....and everyone goes back to their daily plans..and immunity from others.

There are thousands of "Kitty Genoveses" that we see every day. Are we aware of them? Are our eyes and ears open to them. Do we have our antennas up to possible needs of others? Once, I saw a woman with her head in her hands..just sitting by the road. I stopped and asked if she was all right. She said she was just PRAYING that someone would come and help her....she needed a ride to Marine City and I took her there..and she gave me a holy kiss as we parted...

So, please be totally aware....totally open...totally sensitive to the needs of others....The good Samatain was in the Gospels...and so must me we....Jesus told that story to you and to me...so that we would never pass anyway bye..but rather to take care of everyone in need..because He said: "Whatever you do to the least of my bretherin, you do to me."

Let us meet and love Jesus on the road....Kitty Genovese was Jesus dying on the road..but no one came to His aid...and He was left to die ..as Kitty died. For Jesus also said: "What ever you neglected to do for the least of breathren, you neglected to do it to me.."

Let us see Jesus in those around us.....

Peace and Love, pio

Pio's Proverb 192: Labor Day, September 3, 2012.

Summer is nearing it transition to Fall as this Labor Day signals a day of rest from our labors and a day to celebrate, to enjoy the fruit of our labors!  Stepping back and taking a look at what we have done with our lives and labors is a good thing. Even God -- after 6 days of working to create the entire universe and all the life therein -- stepped back a bit and said: "It is very good!"

God worked for 6 days and on the 7th, He rested; and that day was "Holy on to the Lord." But 6 is not a complete number; but 7 is a complete Biblical number. Why did not God work for 7 days and then rest on the 8th day? God was sending us a big message by working only those 6 days: He was saying that His work was NOT complete; but that we were suppose to complete His creation by our work! God could have made the garden for Adam and Eve that would be self sufficient and need no tending; but God wanted Adam and Eve to complete the Garden by tending it! Get the Picture!

Our Sundays use to be in this country a day of rest: but not any more. Mega stores are open..banks are open...we received business calls on Sunday! Why is this? God has been replaced by the god of money..and greed. "Time is money: is the bible of the the business world. I do not even buy gas on Sunday...I do nothing of work on Sunday...nor do I patronize any business. ..except for hospitals and pharmasies. Sunday is a day of rest, Holy onto the Lord; a day of prayer and of rest and enjoyment -- recreation -- from a week of Labor. So, today is Labor Day..a kind of national Sabbath! We have Thanksgiving Day to Thank God; and we have Labor Day to thank God for the productivity of work..and to enjoy the fruit of our labors. Let us Celebrate this Day with deep appreciation for the loving gift of Work..and all its fruits and satisifactsion.

Additionally, therefore, to work is to really immitate God! Even Jes
us said it all: :"My Father works and I work!" And why does God work?  Why does God create? The answer lies in the ancient Latin Proverb: "Bonum est diffusivum sui." "Goodness has a tendancy to go out of itself." There is Joy in work. Even God enjoyed creating all the stars and planets, the oceans and all that is contained in them; all the birds of the air and especially Humankind..made in the very image and likeness of God. We can know and love..and even create!  Our fulfillment comes from our work..as we develop our talents so we can benefit others as well as our selves.

Not to use our talents by working is an evil thing. The parable of the Land-owner who gave five talents to one man and two talents to another and one ta talent to a third illustrates how God looks upon the use of our talents and our benefiting others thereby. To the man with five talents who gained five more, the Land owner said: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You shall be over ten towns!" Like to the servant who had gained two more talents, the Landowner said, "Well, done good and faithful servant. You shall be put over two towns." But to the unprofitable servant who had hidden his talent in the ground, the Land owner said, "You wicket and lazy servant...should you have not at least deposited the money with the bankers and received interest? Take away the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten! Because to him who has will be given more. And from him who has not,   even the little he has will be taken away!"  We call this today: "Use it or lose it!"  It seems this parable shows that God is quite servere with those who do nothing with the talents they are given.

What talents do you have?  If you can smile, you can visit the sick and smile at them. There is a lovely movie called Pollyanna who comes to  a very unhappy community/town called Harringon. Pollyanna did not seem to have any really great talents..if any...but what she did possess was a game called "finding something to be glad about!" With this game, she transformed the entire town that even changed the name of the town to "Herriton, the Glad Town!" She 823 glad verses in the Bible that has to do with joy and happiness. She also showed ger locket that had this verse from Abaraham Lincoln: "If you look for the bad in people, you will surely find it!"  With these little bits of wisdom, she totally reformed the ministre from fire and brimstone preacher to a spreader of joy and peace and gladness! 

Yes, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it!"