Understanding the Root Obstacle in Men’s Hearts

This reflection delves deep into the men's hearts to uncover their pride through Jesus’ words to His disciples in Luke 9 and God’s words to Adam & Eve in Genesis 3.

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Men's Cenacle, October 2nd, 2025.

Notes

Luke 9:43-45

While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Fear clouds our ability to see, hear, and perceive. It blocks the ability to receive. Words are received when we allow them to SINK into our being, into the depths of our heart.

Fear (72)

My little one, fear that leads to hiding is part of the fallen human condition because of original sin. The human soul was created by God to live in Love and to experience the consuming peace and joy of being loved by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When Adam and Eve sinned by choosing to doubt God’s love, they separated themselves from God; thus, they hid from the God who created them and loved them. Original sin brought the fear of God and hiding into humanity.

I, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son, came into the world to restore humanity in the Father’s love through My perfect sacrifice of love. You must understand your fallen condition and tendency to fear being rejected, abandoned, not loved, and embraced, and therefore, to hide to avoid being hurt. Give Me your fears. Come out of hiding and face Me. Receive from Me the grace of the divine embrace: being known, cherished, and loved in your misery by Abba, who knows all and sees all. Accept the suffering on earth of being rejected, mocked, misunderstood, calumniated, ridiculed, ignored, and unloved with Me and for Me. Living life on earth to its fullness is knowing and living in God’s love and accepting the continuous suffering of living amid human beings, mostly incapable of loving unconditionally. 11/28/22

Receive (263)

You have shown great courage in proclaiming My Words, but few, My little one, have received this treasure, for they are steeped in self-love. 11/17/21

Genesis 3: 16-19

To the woman he said,

“I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;

    in pain you shall bring forth children,

yet your desire shall be for your husband,

    and he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,

    and have eaten of the tree

about which I commanded you,

    ‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

    in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

    and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your face

    you shall eat bread

until you return to the ground,

    for out of it you were taken;

you are dust,

    and to dust you shall return.”