Carpe diem

"212 degrees of Fidelity, Today and Beyond"

         Have you been worn down by life, beaten and battered, and now circumstances in               your life have surrounded you causing you to forget, if only for a moment all                       the blessings of life? I can relate! So I now write this for myself as much as for                   my Brethren. 

        
Carpe diem is one of the most recognized quotes from Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace). Essentially Horace is challenging us to embrace the day, put no thought for tomorrow. For that day will hold its own joys and sorrows, and if we spend our time peering into the future we will miss the joy of today. I would like to share the poem from which the quote derived

Ask not—we cannot know—what end the gods have set for you, for me; nor attempt the Babylonian reckonings Leuconoë. How much better to endure whatever comes, whether Jupiter grants us additional winters or whether this is our last, which now wears out the Tuscan Sea upon the barrier of the cliffs! Be wise, strain the wine; and since life is brief, prune back far-reaching hopes! Even while we speak, envious time has passed: pluck the day, putting as little trust as possible in tomorrow! Horace

     Essentially Horace is declaring that:

·        It is best if we do not know the future.                                         

·        Babylonia was originally known as the

cradle of astrology, and science was viewed

with skepticism. Horace declares, do not look

to the stars, look to GOD who made the stars.

·        Humanity must endure our fate.

·        Winter is the close of the season,

live today as if this is your last.

·        The waves are fatigued by striking the rocks.

·        Do not get in a hurry, strain the wine…do that which is right!

·        It is best to enjoy the present moment.   

      Do you remember the joy you once experienced by just being surrounded by family and friends? Perhaps walking home only to find a puddle waiting to be stomped, or blowing bubbles just to watch them carried by a cool spring breeze Perhaps what we need to do is to recall the memories of years gone by and with a childlike faith recall and relay on our Heavenly Father to see us through the valleys we are traversing. We need to be courageous and trust the Good Sheppard. People have often found solitude in reciting the 23 Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he

leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths

of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod

and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a

 table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

 thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days

of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

I believe that David choose a sheep for his psalm because as a Sheppard he knew that sheep are ignorant and fearful animals. A sheep does not need courage to fight its enemies. The most courageous sheep would fall victim to the least wolf. A sheep does need courage to trust the Shepherd; each one simply follows the crowd. Our Great Light tells us that we fight against an enemy that is not made of flesh and blood. We cannot fight this enemy on our own. Our enemy is too clever, too powerful, and goes about seeking whomever he may devour. Our hope is in the Good Sheppard, whose rod and staff comforts us. The rod was a small club, usually about 2-3 feet long, with stones embedded in a cavity in the top. The Shepherd would use it like a missile or as a weapon to beat off a predator. The staff was the long stick with the crook at the top. The staff was used to keep the sheep in line, or to rescue a sheep that had stumbled into a ravine or narrow valley in the mountainside. I pray we each cease the day and fall on our knees and ask the Good Sheppard for the courage to fear no evil and to follow him all the days of our life. I believe that the first verse when spoken and claimed will ease the heaviest burden. The Lord is my Sheppard; I shall not want.

Carpe diem for this is the day the LORD has made; have courage and let each of us claim the promise, rejoice and be glad in it!




"Father create in me the Heart of a Servant, tender and faithful and true. Fill me with love, purge me from all inequity, and then use me, O Lord, so that the world can see your Glory."

Jay Adam