Sermon on the Mount

As a former Irish Christian Brother I get communications from time to time relating to the state of the Congregation. I've lifted this paragraph from a presentation recently given by Bro. Philip Pinto. He is speaking about the need for a renewed commitment to follow Christ. Here it is:

"For so long we have based our religious observance on beliefs and propositions. We worry about the divine presence and the virgin birth, about the two natures in Christ and the infallibility of the Pope, about Transubstantiation and the Immaculate Conception. But when one reads and reflects on the Sermon on the Mount, the heart and soul of the Jesus vision, what the early Christians referred to as The Way, we find nothing about what to believe but an alternative ehtic, a way of behaving, a way of living life. Jesus was telling us that there was antother way of living life, another way of relating to people, and he called us to change the world from the inside. It is about behavior rather than belief. We are invited to embrace what is truly eternal. And what is truly eternal is love!"

I love it! Love God, Love your Neighbor. I invite you to read the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of St. Matthew.

Happy or Unhappy

The other day while prospecting for speaking opportunities at middle schools and high schools, my assistant came across the website of an upstate New York school district. On the home page was a section called Daily Announcements. I found the message quite appropriate, since my talks focus on how to live a happier and more fulfilling life. It said:
The main difference between happy and unhappy people is that happy people mostly evaluate their own behavior and constantly attempt to improve what they do.
Unhappy people, on the other hand, mostly evaluate the behavior of others and spend their time criticizing, complaining and judging in an attempt to coerce them into "improving " what they do.