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00:00Music
00:30Okay, so let's move on to the final part of this class and we're going to look at two short topics, two short exercises on pastoral themes.
00:40Next, we will look at 1 Timothy 4:7, the topic of practicing godliness.
00:48He says, but pay no attention to worldly and foolish tales, train yourself in piety, for although physical exercise is useful for something, piety is useful for everything, because it has promises of life for the present and for the future.
01:05So, the issue has to do with practicing piety.
01:10And all this, obviously, speaks to the fundamental elements that we already know, which we have discussed in different topics within everything we have been explaining to you, not only within the biblical study, but particularly in all the pastoral topics that I have been developing.
01:28In other words, the theme of piety is fundamental to the Christian, but it has not been fully developed.
01:34In other words, we need to exercise like a muscle.
01:39We have muscles, people must have muscles like mine, right? That aren't capable of lifting a pot.
01:45We must have a strong muscle, capable of facing persecution, capable of confronting those who question us.
01:53And for that we need the tools of the Christian, which are prayer, fasting, biblical reflection and the sacraments.
02:03These are the fundamental themes of piety.
02:07If we don't have them, then our whole life easily falls apart.
02:13Saint Paul urges him, "Practice piety so that we may be true witnesses of the Lord."
02:20So we dedicate a lot of time to other things.
02:23They are good.
02:24In other words, Pablo says, exercise is very good.
02:27And there are many things that are good.
02:30Such as, for example, studying the Bible.
02:32You are studying the Bible.
02:33It's great that you study the Bible.
02:35And what good will it do you to know the entire Bible inside and out if you don't have a serious spiritual life?
02:42If everything we receive simply remains an intellectual exercise.
02:49In other words, there are many very good things, even within the church.
02:52But these are not what make us saints, nor are they what will help us to be true Christians, men and women, capable of facing a world that is always aggressive towards all of us.
03:06You have to exercise.
03:07There is a quote that I find very fitting and beautiful that I would like to share with you.
03:15First Corinthians 9:24, says the apostle.
03:19You know that in a race everyone runs, but only one receives the prize.
03:26Well then, run in such a way that you receive the prize.
03:30Those who prepare to compete in a sport avoid anything that could harm them.
03:38And they do this to win a prize, a crown that will soon wither away.
03:43Instead, we strive to receive an award that does not fade.
03:48So, you have to train like people who are going to do a competition, well, they train.
03:54And exercise speaks of time, brothers.
03:59He talks about practice.
04:02How much time do you dedicate to the practice of prayer?
04:07If you never have a stable prayer, your soul will not get used to prayer.
04:14And then, as usually happens, five minutes seem like an eternity to us.
04:19Because?
04:20Because the soul is not exercised.
04:22Because we are not progressing and we are not giving strength to the muscle of the soul through this exercise.
04:32When a person, an athlete, goes to train, well, first he runs 100 meters.
04:39But he doesn't just run 100 meters, because then he'll never get to compete.
04:44He's going to do 200, then 300, then 400, and so on.
04:47If you're lifting weights first, well, one kilo, then you'll have to add two, then three, and then four.
04:55And so on.
04:56The same thing happens in prayer.
04:58We must practice prayer.
05:00If we don't practice prayer, we will never move forward.
05:05So, we need to, well, get started, okay.
05:07Since I'm not in shape, I'm going to dedicate five minutes to it today.
05:11Okay, go ahead.
05:14Five, five, five, five.
05:16One week, two weeks.
05:17Okay, by the second week, 10.
05:19And the soul has been exercised.
05:22And then 15.
05:23And then 20.
05:24And then 30.
05:25And then 40.
05:27And when you arrive in an hour, you'll be in shape.
05:29A Christian who prays for one hour daily is a Christian who will hardly be overcome by temptations.
05:37Because he has exercised, he is firm, he is strong.
05:40He has great muscle, he is capable of defeating his enemies.
05:45A Christian who prays five minutes a day, ten minutes a day.
05:48He is an easy target for all enemies.
05:52Therefore, we need to practice prayer.
05:56And this requires increasing the load, the weight.
05:59One kilo, two kilos, three kilos, five kilos.
06:02Imagine these people who can lift 50 or 100 kilos.
06:07I don't know what the maximum height is that it can be lifted.
06:08But just thinking about lifting 50 kilos is like lifting two bags of cement.
06:13In other words, for me it would be impossible.
06:15If I can barely carry one, well, I can't do more than that.
06:21But, if I start there carrying one kilo, over time I will be able to carry 25 kilos without much difficulty.
06:29If you start praying for five minutes today and gradually increase and practice your time,
06:34I assure you that in a very short time you will have developed the muscle of prayer
06:39And it will be very easy for you to pray, to be able to pray for an hour a day.
06:45And that will fill your heart with light, joy, and strength to remain faithful on the path of the Lord.
06:54The other exercise we need to strengthen is the topic of fasting, the topic of penance.
07:00Maybe it's just a matter of gradually increasing the intensity, of practicing.
07:07If a person wanted to pray for three hours today, well, definitely, I think it would be difficult for them to achieve it.
07:13Similarly, if a person wants to fast on bread and water today, I am also convinced that it will be difficult for them to achieve it.
07:20But if you start by giving up chocolate, if you start by giving up soda, if you start by giving up tobacco,
07:26In short, if you start to practice, little by little the soul will become stronger.
07:35The muscle of fasting is now strengthened, and the time will come when it will be without much difficulty
07:40He could fast, for example, for a day on bread and water.
07:45So, it's important to exercise.
07:50That is what Saint Paul tells us.
07:52In other words, he says, exercise.
07:55Don't pay attention to mundane and silly stories.
07:58Practice piety.
08:00Brother, here is the word of God.
08:03That's why we study the Bible.
08:06To take a liking to the word, but so that the word, then, comes to tell us something.
08:11Therefore, an important pastoral theme is to practice piety.
08:17That is, particularly in prayer and also in fasting.
08:21It's a matter of gradually increasing the intensity until the muscle is nice and firm.
08:26Finally, let's turn to an interesting reflection on the topic of how to treat members of the community.
08:33which appears in chapter 5, the first two verses.
08:36Okay, then, let's go to chapter 5 and look at these first two verses.
08:43The apostle says.
08:45Don't treat the elderly person harshly.
08:48On the contrary, advise him as if he were your father and treat young men as if they were your brothers.
08:55Treat older women as if they were your own mother, and younger women as if they were your sisters, with complete purity.
09:03As we said in the introduction to the letters, we see a Paul who writes about very specific things,
09:11with great affection, with great sensitivity, on very important topics within our community,
09:18So, what are older people like, and in this case, since it's a man, how should we treat his sisters too, right?
09:27The elderly and women are two fundamental issues.
09:32On this subject, then, we could find quite important references.
09:38For example, in Matthew 5, 27, 29, it tells us not to look at women with evil eyes.
09:44He says, you have heard that it was said, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.'
09:48But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
09:57We see, then, that the issue of sisters, the issue of purity with sisters, of how to treat them,
10:07Well, it is truly important, because in this we may also be risking our life of grace.
10:14Then, Saint Paul insists, you must see your sisters with chaste eyes.
10:21You have to see them as if they were your blood sisters, which is what we usually see them as.
10:28It's the clear, pure, holy vision that one has in the family, isn't it?
10:34On the other hand, a topic that has been taken up again today, thank God, has to do with the elderly.
10:41The elderly were long looked down upon.
10:44Today we see how even governments themselves have opened up new opportunities,
10:49where today we see many elderly people, who are, well, wrapping boxes in some shopping centers,
10:58They are given some simple, easy tasks that make them feel useful.
11:05In other words, the elderly person is a very important person within our society.
11:10The Old Testament presents it as a treasure.
11:15And I would like to read to you about this, Leviticus 19:32.
11:19It says, stand up and show respect to the elderly.
11:26Show reverence to your God, I am the Lord.
11:29In other words, honoring the elderly is also honoring God.
11:33Today we see, then, that people, especially young people,
11:37They see an elderly person, they are sitting at some event, on the same buses,
11:43and they're not for giving up your seat.
11:46In other words, they are tired people, people who have already lived, and who now need our help.
11:53We must remember that one day we too will go through this, this situation, this experience.
11:59Therefore, it is very important to take care of our elderly, the older people.
12:05On the other hand, St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, invites us to care for and honor our parents.
12:11who, eventually, will also be elderly.
12:17What does he tell us in this letter?
12:19He says, "Children, obey your parents as pleases the Lord, for this is right."
12:24The first commandment that contains a promise is this.
12:27Honor your father and your mother so that you may be happy and live a long life on earth.
12:33Now, then, we have to take care of our older siblings.
12:39Today we see with great joy how in many places efforts are being made to care for our brothers and sisters.
12:46And not simply, well, they've reached their age and now, where are our elderly?
12:53They are the source of wisdom.
12:56If we despise that source of wisdom, that is why we are so clumsy and ignorant.
13:03Because we want to do the experience ourselves when someone else has already done it.
13:09That's why it's important to listen to our parents.
13:13It's wonderful that families still visit their grandparents, that they go with their grandparents.
13:20who talk with their grandparents.
13:22Certainly, then, some of them, with the passage of time and some illnesses, become a little scaly.
13:30sometimes difficult to deal with.
13:33But I think that, well, with a little, as they say, a little bit of tact,
13:40Well, we can approach them.
13:42I'm sure they have a lot to tell us.
13:45And it is important, as Saint Paul says, to treat our grandparents well.
13:51Don't treat them harshly; on the contrary, advise them as if they were your father.
13:56And treat young people as if they were your brothers.
14:00And treat elderly women as you would your own mother.
14:03And treat the young women as if they were your sisters, with complete purity.
14:07We highlight, basically, the issue of women and the issue of the elderly.
14:12Two very important themes in our pastoral life,
14:16which are therefore highlighted here in this text,
14:19that we have been, in some way, analyzing.
14:21First Letter to Timothy.
14:23Well, that concludes our reflection for today.
14:29I look forward to seeing you next week to continue our discussion.
14:34where we will now review the second letter of the apostle Paul to Timothy.
14:39Until then, blessings to all.
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