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00:00How are you, my dear brothers?
00:19It's great to greet you again in this new chapter where we're going to discuss something very important in our lives.
00:30When I thought about doing this work for you, Following in Paul's Footsteps, I was thinking about my own life, but also about the lives of all of you, about everything we encounter along the way when we truly want to follow the Lord.
00:48And we are encountering some obstacles, some elements that, especially in our first stage of conversion, can be traps that could sometimes be, as we say, deadly.
01:01So, well, one of the important issues is the issue of money, right? It's an issue, it's a trap sometimes.
01:13And that's why I said, well, let's talk a little bit about this topic, which I think is very worthwhile for us to discuss in this thread.
01:24And so we are going to dedicate these next two chapters to talking about this delicate matter of money in our lives and in our families.
01:35And that's why I'd like to address what I think is an important topic, right?
01:44And that Christians should keep in mind in the world, right?
01:50For this, as we have been doing, we will also follow the advice, the footsteps of Saint Paul, on this very, very important topic that has to do with the topic, well, of the flesh.
02:05Undoubtedly, this is a multifaceted topic, but uniquely important for us as Christians living in the world and who are...
02:15Obviously, obviously, I think that you, like me, are aspiring to holiness.
02:21We will only look at the topic of money and we will also look at, along with money, another topic that is very important in our lives, which is sexual life.
02:32These are two elements related to the flesh, which are two major obstacles and which can cause our ship to run aground on the journey towards holiness.
02:44So, both money, right?, and our sex life are topics that, in general, are two factors that affect us in various ways.
02:58And in which we should always be on guard, as we shall see, as the apostle Saint Paul tells us, if we truly want to advance.
03:10And, well, within all this, the first thing I would like to talk to you about is the centrality of life in Christ.
03:19This is going to be your lifeline.
03:22If Christ is at the center of your life, it will be difficult for the flesh to dominate you.
03:29So, let's talk now about the centrality of life in Christ.
03:35On this subject, I think that one of the expressions that best illustrates St. Paul's thinking in relation to the things of the world, in all aspects, is the quote from Philippians.
03:50Let's look at Philippians 3:8.
03:52I invite you to look at Philippians 3:8 in your Bible.
03:56The apostle says,
04:26In this quote, the apostle lets us see what it means to have Christ at the center as the fundamental value of life.
04:37In this passage, the apostle is really forceful regarding what the Christian should value and aspire to, making everything else inconsequential and relative.
04:58In other words, when we put Christ at the center of our lives, everything else is relative.
05:08The apostle says, I even consider it garbage, something despicable, something that no longer has anything to do with me.
05:16Reaching this relationship with the world is complex, it is not easy, we need to be well anchored in our spiritual life.
05:28The sun is always that anchor, that bond that unites us perfectly to the Lord.
05:34On this subject, Jesus Christ already told us, I invite you to read Luke 9.25.
05:41What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their very self?
05:52Do you notice? This reveals the identity of a man who has fallen completely in love with Jesus and only aspires to be like him.
06:07Therefore, for Paul, this world no longer has any meaning, because his life is hidden in Christ, as he tells the Colossians.
06:19Let's look at Colossians 3:3.
06:22The text says, because you, check this out, because you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
06:34You can see in this quote, a most beautiful quote, that our life is hidden in Christ, and it is hidden in Christ, but in God himself, right?
06:46And for that reason, for him, that is, for Paul, death will always be a gain.
06:54He tells this in the same text to the Philippians, only in chapter 1.
07:00In other words, if we go to chapter 1, at the beginning of his letter, we will read the following.
07:04If you want, you can; I also really like this quote and it's underlined in my Bible.
07:11It is Philippians 1:21.
07:12Furthermore, this quote is very popular.
07:18He says, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
07:24Verse 23.
07:26I feel torn between both sides, wanting to leave and be with Christ, because I believe that is much better.
07:40In other words, Paul is faced with the dilemma of staying here or going to live with Christ.
07:46He says, well, in the end he says, if you read the whole text, he says, well, finally I am convinced that I have to keep working and I will stay here.
07:58But if I were given a choice, and this will always be the same for every Christian.
08:05They tell me the same thing, and I say, look, if they gave me a choice, I already have my bags packed and then whenever the Lord says, let's go, let's go.
08:15Or as I also tell them, as soon as the truck passes, I'm jumping on, right? I'm not waiting for the next one.
08:21People say, no, father, we need it, this, that, and the other.
08:24No no.
08:25Imagine the sky.
08:27Between reaching heaven and continuing to pull, well, certainly today I'm just like Paul.
08:36I see the great need to continue evangelizing and I am convinced, like Paul, that I will remain here among you.
08:43as long as the Lord asks it of me and the church needs it.
08:48And well, this is clear if we consider that with Christ in heaven, we will be made perfect.
08:58as the letter to the Hebrews says.
09:00Therefore, it is in this state that there will be no more sin in us, and with that the internal war will be over.
09:12as well as the deep disappointments of having offended the Lord who loved us and gave himself for us.
09:20In this regard, the letter to the Hebrews tells us the following.
09:25Let's look at Hebrews 12, 22 and 23.
09:29The text says.
09:33But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless angels in joyful assembly,
09:45to the general assembly, to the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all,
09:58and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.
10:01This is our next reality, brothers.
10:07Our faith, then, tells us that Jesus, if we live in holiness and righteousness,
10:14He will make us perfect creatures, and that will be our final state with Him.
10:21We will talk about this in a couple of chapters where we will look at a topic called eschatology.
10:26where we'll talk a little bit about all these topics that will surely fascinate you
10:32And, like Paul, you won't know what to decide anymore, whether to stay here or go live in heaven, right?
10:40But on the other hand, we will be freed from the pain of this world, as the Book of Revelation clearly testifies.
10:49Apocalypse. Remember what Revelation says. The ending of Revelation is truly wonderful.
10:57Chapter 21, verse 4 says,
11:00He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and will have us, who would have to say,
11:06He will wipe away every tear from my eyes.
11:10I'm going to participate in this.
11:12And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things, or the old things,
11:23As some texts say, they have passed.
11:28Brothers, it will be a wonderful experience that will last for all eternity.
11:35We can't even think about eternity.
11:37It is a topic we cannot think about because, since we are finite, we cannot think about eternal things.
11:45What does "always" mean?
11:49We say "always" for ourselves, but it's not always the case.
11:53Why? Because time changes, it moves on.
11:56We go backwards, we walk this way, that way, right?
12:00"Always" could only be conceived in eternity, but we cannot conceive of it.
12:04Then, a wonderful experience that will last for all eternity.
12:13But perhaps what motivates Saint Paul the most, and hopefully motivates us all as well,
12:23so that we can truly detach ourselves from this world,
12:27It's the power of returning home.
12:30But home, with a capital H, because I mean the home for which we were created.
12:40That is, I am referring to that house where Jesus has gone to prepare a dwelling for us.
12:47A dwelling place where we will be with Him, now, forever.
12:55Even if we don't understand it, it will be forever.
12:58In fact, St. John says in chapter 14, starting from verse 1, that he speaks of this house and says,
13:06Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.
13:13Look then, brother, at how the Lord, for
13:42She already has a beautiful house for us that she has always prepared for us.
13:49And that Jesus has gone, let's say, to prepare.
13:54Let's get ready for this, shall we?
13:56But anyway, we'll talk about this and some other things in our next video.
14:01I'll wait for you in a few moments.
14:12Thank you.
14:13Thank you.
14:14Thank you.
14:15Thank you.
14:16Thank you.