December
15

Care for Others

And while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take to thee Mary thy wife, for that which is begotten in her is from the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20-21)

“And he slept.” That this signifies an obscure state, is evident from the signification of “sleeping,” as being an obscure state. Moreover, in the spiritual sense “sleep” is nothing else, just as “wakefulness” is nothing else than a clear state; for there is spiritual sleep when truths are in obscurity, and spiritual wakefulness when truths are in clarity. (Arcana Coelestia 5210)

As long as a man is merely natural, so long his interiors, which see from the light of heaven, are closed; and the exteriors, which see from the light of the world, are open. And then the man looks downward, that is, into the world and to himself, for all the things that belong to his will and thought converge there. And wherever the man looks, there his heart turns, that is, his will and his love. But when a man becomes spiritual, then his interiors, which see from the light of heaven, are opened, and then the man looks upward, which is brought about by means of an uplifting by the Lord; thus he looks into heaven and to the Lord. Also, all things that belong to his will and his thought are raised there, thus his heart, that is, his love. (Arcana Coelestia 10156:3)

The Lord is present with every man, urging and pressing to be received. (True Christian Religion 766)

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