Today's Bible Readings (Memorial of Saint Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga)

Below are the readings for today Mon 18 Aug:

Ezekiel 24: 15-23
The word of Lord came to me: “Son of man, realize that I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a jolt, but you must not mourn or weep or shed tears. Groan in silence for the dead, but do not perform mourning rites. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lip and do not eat food brought by others.”
So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning I acted just as I was commanded. Then the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”
So I said to them: “The word of the Lord came to me: Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Realize I am about to desecrate my sanctuary – the source of your confident pride, the object in which your eyes delight, and your life’s passion. Your very own sons and daughters whom you have left behind will die by the sword. Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lip or eat food brought by others. Your turbans will be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; you will not mourn or weep, but you will rot for your iniquities and groan among yourselves.”

Matthew 19: 16-22
Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

My Thoughts on the Bible Readings of Today

How many of us give others what they want just to shut them up? In today's gospel reading that is exactly what the disciples asked Jesus to do. They asked Him to give the Canaanite woman what she wanted so she would go away. This is not right. We should help others because of love, not because we feel guilty for not helping more or so they would stop pestering us. After all, God is love, and we want to be like Him, right? So we should love like He does- unconditionally and totally. But since we should love our neighbors as ourselves, we should do acts of love and charity that we are comfortable with until we are spiritually mature enough to be comfortable to give everything to and for God and others. This does not however happen without God's help- so ask for it!

Another matter of interest in today's gospel is the fact that the Canaanite lady braved ridicule, rejection and loss of face to get what she wanted. The disciples' embarrassment did not turn her away. Jesus' seeming rejection did not turn her away. And what caused this desire to succeed? Love. The love of a parent for her child. And also faith. Faith that Jesus has the ability and the desire to grant her request. This is how we should pray. We should ask for things out of love- love for God, love for others, and love for self (not 'I want a Mercedes' kind of love but 'I want to my life to be more fulfilled' kind of love). And we should have faith that God would know how and when to grant our prayers. And if our prayers are of the wrong sort or asking for the wrong things then we should have faith that God will let us know and help us ask for 'better' things.

Are you Sanguine? Choleric? Melancholic? Phlegmatic?

The above are personality profiles taken from the book Personality Plus by Florence Littauer (ISBN 1-85424-509-0). Here's a brief description of the types:

Choleric: This is the commander-type. Cholerics are dominant, strong, decisive, stubborn and even arrogant.

Melancholy: This is the mental-type. Their typical behaviour involves thinking, assessing, making lists, evaluating the positives and negatives, and general analysis of facts.

Sanguine: This is the social-type. They enjoy fun, socialising, chatting, telling stories - and are fond of promising the world, because that's the friendly thing to do.

Phlegmatic: This is the flat-type. They are easy going, laid back, nonchalant, unexcitable and relaxed. Desiring a peaceful environment above all else.

Here's a more detailed description (taken from http://hubpages.com/hub/Temperaments):

The Melancholic - A melancholic longs for a deep soul mate, yet when he is around people, he often finds himself mistrustful and disappointed. Also known as Melancholia, a person who was a thoughtful ponderer had a melancholic disposition. Often very kind and considerate, melancholics can be highly creative. The melancholic is likely the one with the perfectly organized closet and kitchen, the tidy desk-top, and the painstaking attention to religious observances, sometimes to the point of scrupulosity. This often results in being unsatisfied with one's own artistic or creative works and always pointing out to themselves what could and should be improved.

The Phlegmatic - phlegmatics are generally self-content and kind, their shy personality can often inhibit enthusiasm in others and make themselves lazy and resistant to change. Phlegmatic person is calm and unemotional most likely possess a dry wit and a steady, amicable demeanor. Feel more comfortable in a small group of friends or even spending a quiet evening relaxing at home. They were never flashy, belligerent, or self-aggrandizing. They would rather take the blame (even unjustly) than stir up controversy or pick a fight. They are very consistent, relaxed, rational, curious, and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats.

The Sanguine - A person who is sanguine is generally light hearted, fun loving, a people person, loves to entertain, spontaneous and confident. Wear their emotions on your sleeves, but they are always quick to "forgive and forget." However they can be arrogant, cocky and indulgent. He/She can be day-dreamy and off-task to the point of not accomplishing anything and can be impulsive, possibly acting on whims in an unpredictable fashion. Probably struggle with follow-through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful. As quickly as you discover a new hobby or pursuit, you can also lose interest--when it ceases to be engaging or fun.

The Choleric - A person who is choleric is a doer and a leader. A dynamic, self-motivated leader who can set sights on a target and relentlessly pursue it until success is achieved. A strong-willed individual who makes decisions quickly and decisively, and who readily and easily grasps difficult concepts and strategies. Cholerics are often accused of being stubborn, domineering, and dictatorial. They demand loyalty from friends, and thrive when in control. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instill it in others.

The Personality Plus system allows for extensions by mixing profiles, such as describing someone as a Choleric Sanguine, rather than just Choleric or Sanguine. The system exists not simply to describe an individual's personality type but rather to highlight those aspects of personality which relate to interactions between people.

How to find out what personality you are? Check out these websites:

http://www.4marks.com/temperaments.html

http://www.oneishy.com/personality/personality_test.php

And don't forget- offer up your personality type to God and ask Him how to use it for His glory.