Terry Goodkind's Wizard's Rules

Terry Goodkind, the author of the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth, created these 10 philosophical-ish rules. They make interesting reading (source: Wikipedia):

First Rule: People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. They will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true.
Second Rule: The greatest harm can result from the best intentions. Sometimes doing what seems right is wrong, and can cause harm. The only counter to it is knowledge, wisdom, forethought, and understanding the First Rule. Even then, that is not always enough.
Third Rule: Passion rules reason.
Fourth Rule: There is power in sincere forgiveness, the power to heal. In forgiveness you grant, but more so, in forgiveness you receive.
Fifth Rule: Mind what people do, not only what they say, for deeds will betray a lie.
Sixth Rule: Let reason be your sovereign. Reason is a choice. Wishes and whims are not facts, nor are they a means to discovering them.
Seventh Rule: Life is the future, not the past. Only the future holds life. To live in the past is to embrace what is dead. To live life to its fullest, each day must be created anew.
Eight Rule: Deserve victory. Be justified in your convictions. Be completely committed. Earn what you want and need.
Ninth Rule: A contradiction cannot exist in reality. Not in part, nor in whole. To believe in a contradiction is to abdicate your belief in the existence of the world around you and the nature of the things in it, to instead embrace any random impulse that strikes your fancy--to imagine something is real simply because you wish it were.
Tenth Rule: Willfully turning aside from the truth is treason to one's self. To seek the truth, it's a matter of simple, rational, self interest to always keep reality in view.

It shouldn't be too hard to Catholicise the above rules and make it your own, though guidance from priests and the Holy Spirit is recommended.

My Thoughts on Today's Bible Readings

Were Jesus' disciples breaking the Third Commandment (Thou shall keep holy the Sabbath day) in today's gospel reading?
The "Sabbath rest" was meant to be a time to remember and celebrate God's goodness and the goodness of his work, both in creation and redemption. It was a day set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on our behalf. It was intended to bring everyday work to a halt and to provide needed rest and refreshment. It is NOT a time when people cannot gather food to feed themselves. So why did the Pharisees interpret it this way?
Because they didn't interpret it with love. They see gathering of food as work. And God had banned work on Sabbath day. Therefore they concluded that there must be no gathering of food on Sabbath day. They didn't see the possible repercussions of that interpretation on others. They didn't see that they would be effectively calling it a sin for people to gather food to feed themselves on one particular day. They didn't see the ridiculousness of this idea, nor that their God who loved all and wanted all to be happy would place charity above obedience. After all, did He not say "What I want is mercy, not sacrifices?" So let us ask the Lord to help us interpret and live out His commandments His way. Let us be as zealous in our interpretation as He wants us to be, and as merciful in living out the commandments as He wants us to be.

Bible Readings of the day (6 Sep, Sat - 22nd Week)

1 Corinthians 4: 6-15
I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn “not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other. For who concedes you any superiority? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not? Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you! For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to die, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, we are dishonored! To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, poorly clothed, brutally treated, and without a roof over our heads. We do hard work, toiling with our own hands. When we are verbally abused, we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure, when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world’s dirt and scum, even now. I am not writing these things to shame you, but to correct you as my dear children. For though you may have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, because I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Luke 6: 1-5
Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples picked some heads of wheat, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – how he entered the house of God, took and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any to eat but the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”