In Accord

Every morning, I receive in my email a quotation under the title, “Wisdom of the East” from a fellow worker who is of Indian ancestry. I have found these enlightening, and in all instances, in harmony with Biblical principles.

For example on July 1, 2013 this is the quote from Paramananda: “If we have anything in our life that is not in accord with spiritual principles, no amount of sitting still and trying to meditate will bring us the blessing of contemplation.”

Jesus Christ during His ministry often exposed the hypocrisy of the Jewish priests: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.” (Matthew 23:27) 

Christ must be saddened if He read the news today: “A Vatican official (Monsignor Nunzio Scarano) already under investigation in a purported money-laundering plot involving the Vatican bank was arrested in a separate operation. Prosecutors allege he tried to bring €20 million ($33.4 million) in cash into Italy from Switzerland aboard an Italian Government plane, his lawyer said.”

It was further reported that before the news broke out, Pope Francis named a commission of inquiry into the bank to get to the bottom of the problems that have plagued it for decades and contributed to damaging the Vatican's reputation in global financial circles.

The Pope is encountering a similar situation that Jesus had with Judas. “He (Judas) did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” (John 12:6) 

We are told: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18) How difficult it is to live up to the Word, for even holy men can succumbed to the expectations of the world.

We must strive to be humble, selfless and be happy with the grace that God bestows upon us. If we do that then what we do will be in accord with the spiritual principles meant to bring us to perfection: love.