Saint Therese Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 I'd like to address this topic since I've not seen it on this phorum before. I think we, as discerners, sometimes fall into the trap of seeing the religious life or priesthood through rose colored glasses. But I think the truth is that priests and religious are in constant spiritual warfare. The war is raging all around us, and they are fighting on God's side. So its only logical that they themselves and those discerning will face trials and attacks. For me personally, this has been an occasion of drawing closer to the Heart of Jesus and to Mary. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts, etc to share about this. God bless you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightsadness Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Spritual warfare is very much my path these days. Both my Spiritual Father and the Mother superior of the Monastery encourage me that this is a sign of being on the right path. And it is Great Lent. Time for the desert. But Pascha comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakurgie Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Thank you for your post. I think a vocation whether religious or lay is to follow Jesus. As St. Teresa of Avila said: Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the earth, yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now. So when we try to be Christ for another we struggle on the journey to be charity or love for the person in front of us. This is difficult to do and we often fail and we have to get up a try again. I would agree with the rose colored glasses comment. The struggle we have is to be faithful in humility to Jesus whether in the world or in the monastery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indwelling Trinity Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 [quote name='dakurgie' date='07 March 2010 - 04:07 PM' timestamp='1267992475' post='2068173'] Thank you for your post. I think a vocation whether religious or lay is to follow Jesus. As St. Teresa of Avila said: Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the earth, yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now. So when we try to be Christ for another we struggle on the journey to be charity or love for the person in front of us. This is difficult to do and we often fail and we have to get up a try again. I would agree with the rose colored glasses comment. The struggle we have is to be faithful in humility to Jesus whether in the world or in the monastery. [/quote] I may be wrong but I believe this saying is from Mother Teresa of Calcutta as i remember Mother repeating this to us many times. I always though it was an original from Mother and not Saint Teresa. Tenderly, Indwelling Trinity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vee Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Ive posted this before but I think its relevant to the subject so here it is again. Our Lady of Akita on October 13th 1973 said "[i]the Church will be full of those whoaccept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated soulsto leave the service of the Lord.[/i][i]"The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated toGod. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. Ifsins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon forthem[/i]" http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/akita.htm [quote]So its only logical that they themselves and those discerning will face trials and attacks.[/quote] Definitely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vee Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 [quote name='Indwelling Trinity' date='07 March 2010 - 03:18 PM' timestamp='1267993117' post='2068183'] I may be wrong but I believe this saying is from Mother Teresa of Calcutta as i remember Mother repeating this to us many times. I always though it was an original from Mother and not Saint Teresa. Tenderly, Indwelling Trinity [/quote] A quick google turned up a page of results that attribute it to Teresa of Avila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Therese Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 I think we as a society and as the Church in this country have really bought into the idea that sin and satan doesn't exist, and so we have become largely blind to his work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisChild Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 [quote name='Indwelling Trinity' date='07 March 2010 - 01:18 PM' timestamp='1267993117' post='2068183'] I may be wrong but I believe this saying is from Mother Teresa of Calcutta as i remember Mother repeating this to us many times. I always though it was an original from Mother and not Saint Teresa. Tenderly, Indwelling Trinity [/quote] I have this on a bookmark that I've had for many years (at least 20) and it attributes the quote to St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila). If you cut and paste the prayer into google there are no references at all to Mother Teresa. [url="http://www.rc.net/southwark/ashfordstteresa/St%20Teresa%20of%20Avila.htm"]Teresa's Prayer[/url] Blessings, HC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisChild Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Absolutely. One of the 'greatest' things Satan has ever done is to convince a great part of the world that he doesn't exist... and neither does sin. So when we set out to put him and sin behind us, it only makes sense that he'll rear his ugly head like a petulant child. I agree with Bright Sadness in that during this lent we are even more best with temptation and sin because we fast rigorously during the Great Fast, during this Lent. We fast from food, we fast from things which turn our eyes from Christ. It is almost like a double whammy for those who are fasting during lent and those who also are considering religious life. We are in the desert, but while Pascha comes on the calendar in a few weeks, for those who wish to pursue holiness on a deeper level, the desert of spiritual warfare will be ever present until the journey ends. Lord have mercy on this poor sinner that I might fight the good fight, no matter the path you choose for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sister Marie Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 I think this is an extremely important topic for those discerning a vocation to the religious life. When I was discerning religious life I was in college. Now that I look back on my experiences leading up to my entrance, I am surprised I even made it into religious life. There are so many different things that the world is throwing at young people to distract them from living a life dedicated to Jesus. From alcohol and drugs to sex and money, and the biggest temptation is to think that none of these are a "big deal." All of it makes a huge difference though. There is a real purging that happens in formation to get rid of some of the popular culture that in and of itself is not sinful but causes young people to think that their actions have less moral weight. Everything we do affects our souls and the souls of those around us. I realized that more and more in community because we live much more closely together than in the community of the people of God. It really made me look at some of my worldly attitudes and values and realize how important my prayer life and my actions affect everyone I meet. What is so amazing to me is how subtle the temptations are. C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters are a great fictional account of the way that evil works itself into our lives under the most ordinary and unrecognizable circumstances. It is only by the grace of God that keeps us from that harm. I thank God each day that He did not allow me to fall far enough that I would risk the loss of my vocation, but I certainly can tell that at times I came very close by my actions and attitudes that I began to accept. I think it is only through fidelity to prayer that the ongoing conversion to God and away from the world can happen whether in religious life or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscerningSoul Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 I have felt that inner war, but I keep fighting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indwelling Trinity Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 [quote name='vee8' date='07 March 2010 - 04:26 PM' timestamp='1267993567' post='2068193'] A quick google turned up a page of results that attribute it to Teresa of Avila [/quote] Thank you vee-8 I was not sure because Mother took many of her sayings from the carmelite saints especially Therese. Mother had a very deep love for Carmel. I stand corrected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indwelling Trinity Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 [quote name='HisChild' date='07 March 2010 - 06:49 PM' timestamp='1268002185' post='2068304'] I have this on a bookmark that I've had for many years (at least 20) and it attributes the quote to St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila). If you cut and paste the prayer into google there are no references at all to Mother Teresa. [url="http://www.rc.net/southwark/ashfordstteresa/St%20Teresa%20of%20Avila.htm"]Teresa's Prayer[/url] Blessings, HC [/quote] Thank you too His child for the correction:topsy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indwelling Trinity Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 His child and Sister Marie thank you both for your beautiful posts! Tenderly, Indwelling Trinity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisChild Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 [quote name='Indwelling Trinity' date='07 March 2010 - 05:49 PM' timestamp='1268009375' post='2068412'] His child and Sister Marie thank you both for your beautiful posts! Tenderly, Indwelling Trinity [/quote] Thank you. I meant to put 'beset' not 'best' but I didn't see it until it was too late to edit my post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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