they must now go beyond that and love the neighbor more than themselves.
On hearing these things they have been speechless, for during their life-time they
had heard something of the sort but had not believed it. Even though they had
heard that they were to love the neighbor as themselves, they have been amazed that
such love exists in heaven, and that it is possible for anyone to love the neighbor
more than himself. They have been informed however that in the next life all goods
increase without limit, whereas life in the body is such that they cannot progress
beyond the point of loving their neighbor as themselves, because they are engrossed
in bodily interests. Once the latter have been removed however, love becomes
purer, and at length angelic. And this is loving the neighbor more than themselves.
(Arcana Coelestia 548:1-2)
If the Lord is our king we need to ask for and seek His help in developing
a love for Him supremely and our neighbor as ourselves.
The presence of the Lord as king comes to us by means of the spiritual
quality meant by a donkey. We need to turn to Divine revelation, read it, hear
it taught, and reflect on it to see its meaning for our lives.
We welcome that the Lord is king by means of the spiritual quality of
loudly spoken praise, by creating a pathway for this king by laying down what
is meant spiritually by our outer garments and palm branches. The shouted
praise is an acknowledgment in heart, mind and life that the Lord is our king
and God. The clothes and branches mean the wise kindness that guides each
of our thoughts, words and actions.
This wise kindness is a gift of the Lord. It is what He means by true charity
toward the neighbor. It isn’t just an external pleasantness and helpfulness. It
is a deep and thoughtful
concern for the welfare
of the individuals around
us,
the
community
in which we live, the
country that provides so
much for all the people
who live in it and are
served by it, and still
more broadly the cause
of the spiritual welfare
of all human beings in
this world – which is the
Lord’s kingdom in this
world in its widest sense.
This is how we welcome
the Lord as king within
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