Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

[Guest]

Good to see articles and texts again on Consecrated Virginity in the Vocations Forum and in a couple of threads.

[Guest]

THE REPLACEMENT MOBILE

Saw my SD this afternoon - more about that later

I phoned Optus and then I had to phone Apple trying to get the loan mobile working while mine was sent off for repairs. Optus not much help, Apple neither.  What they wanted me to do was take it to an Apple Store - but that means a cab fare there and back and I am scratching just now the bottom of the barrel.  So I fooled around with the loan mobile, pressing this and pressing that.  Lo and behold!  The loan mobile is now operative.  Just no one ask me how I did it!

Not only that, checked my bank account tonight, there is a deduction of $48 paid to whom I do not know.  It might be a memory lapse of mine of course.  I will be checking with my bank tommorow.

 

I've heard that problems supposedly come in thee's - but this is ridiculous putting it mildly

OK, OFF YOU GO........WHAT'S NEXT ON YOUR AGENDA

 

 

 

Deo Gratius

Laudate Dominum in all things regardless

[Guest]

 

"All is Grace"

(St Therese of Lisieux)

[Guest]

THE WONDER OF THE MERCY OF THE LORD

A TREATISE OF PRAYER

- by St. Catherine of Siena, from her Dialogues (available on Kindle)

 

Of the death of sinners, and of their pains in the hour of death.

 

Quote

 

“But arriving at the extremity of death, and recognizing his sin, his conscience unloaded by holy confession, and presumption taken away, so that he offends no more, there remains mercy, and with this mercy he can, if he will, take hold on hope.

 

This is the effect of Mercy, to cause them to hope therein during their life, although I do not grant them this, so that they should offend Me by means of My mercy, but rather that they should dilate themselves in charity, and in the consideration of My goodness.

 

But they act in a contrary way, because they offend Me in the hope which they have in My mercy. And nevertheless, I keep them in this hope so that at the last moment they may have something which they may lay hold of, and by so doing not faint away with the condemnation which they receive, and thus arrive at despair;

 

for this final sin of despair is much more displeasing to Me and injures them much more than all the other sins which they have committed. And this is the reason why this sin is more dangerous to them and displeasing to Me, because they commit other sins through some delight of their own sensuality, and they sometimes grieve for them, and if they grieve in the right way their grief will procure them mercy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edit and Correction - typo:  Just noticed a typo that read very funny anyway, giving me a giggle.  On this post :

HERE  "I've heard that problems supposedly come in thee's"....should read: "I've heard that problems supposedly come in three's"

[Guest]

CHAT

Got the mysterious $48 deduction from my bank sorted out.  I paid my mobile dog groomer $48 via Eftpos, not cash as normal.  In other words, it was a rightful deduction, my memory lapse, and all ok on my bank front.

To keep going financially, however, I will be cancelling my dentist appointment as well as SMSBroadcast.com.  Around about May this year finances should begin to settle down and pick up.

More good news is that in all the confusion I thought the 80th birthday celebration for our long standing Vinnies member was last Sunday.  President of our parish Vinnies sent me an email - I had the date wrong, so I will be able to go to her 80th next Sunday  I am ignoring my financial woes and taking flowers, a very nice card and a bottle of wine to the celebration.

I still have my brother's granddaughter's first birthday present here.  Just at the moment can't afford the postage.

In all the confusion too, my wall clocks (batteries) are running slow.  I can't reach them to change the batteries.  But I keep forgetting they are slow and look up at them automatically and I get the time wrong.

Best news (surprise, surprise - Our God of The Surprise!) is that I am still sane and not in hospital despite having walked through 'fire' (for me) with so much going so wrong within a span of 8 days. "All is Grace" (St Therese Lisieux).  See my psychiatrist this afternoon.

I have learnt a lot with the 8 drastic days.  My Faith in adversity (for me) has been strengthened.  I now have more confidence that I can get the better of stress with hard work and hanging in there - and avoid any threat of a bipolar episode.

What I have learnt too, which I have long suspected is that a bipolar episode under stress (for me) in reality is an opting out of reality as too much to cope with and opting into a bipolar episode where the psychotic state is just as nasty as the reality I try to run away from.   I can't really explain it.  It is not a deliberate choice.........perhaps, possibly an unconscious one........but that I really would not know.

Deo Gratius for the Gift and Doctrine of Divine Providence (see CCC Vatican - Catholic Catechism CCC  Scroll down to "God Carries Out His Divine Plan - Divine Providence")

Laudate Dominum in all things regardless

.................. into the unfoldings..............

[Guest]

Vincent's Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day from St Vincent de Paul Society – February 1 - 2017

 

"Your patience will be crowned and your pains changed into eternal delights" (VI:117).

 

[Guest]

STILL SANE

Saw my psychiatrist today............I am still sane she says!  I thought I might be still sane, but it feels good to have expertise in the field confirm it for me............and those around me.

If I am ill, I am a worry to others and a burden on them too.  Trying to stay well can be a very real act of kindness and charity, thoughtfulness and understanding, empathy.  Mind you, I might not always succeed in my efforts to stay well, but The Lord sees the effort and motivation for effort - success or failure is always His Alone in all things : Thy Will, not mine, be done and in all things regardless.............(always so much easier to say when things are going my way..........and when they are not and I can tell Him, "Your Will, not mine be done" - I think the merit or whatever would be greater for the very fact I might find it difficult to say).............

Vincent's Quote of the Day (St Vincent de Paul Society) Quote of the Day – January 30 2017   Not every tree that is planted thrives, and not all the crops sown by the farmer produce (VI:81).   ..............the real world calls...............

 

Edited February 2, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

[Lamb]

That's good news about your sanity.  

I'm still praying for you! 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Lamb said:

That's good news about your sanity.  

I'm still praying for you! 

Thank you so much, Lamb, especially for prayer. :)..........although retaining sanity through the 8 very trying days of high anxiety and stress (for me) is no small matter at all in my case, and the fruit of those who do keep me in prayer.  These are two of the Works of Mercy: to console the afflicted and to pray for the living and the dead.

Thanks again    My hands are empty, but The Lord's are rich in wonders.

[Guest]

Vincent's Quote of the Day (St Vincent de Paul Society)

 

Feb 03, 2017

"Even if you are ridiculed for being different from ordinary people, bless God for giving you the means of bringing down pride and trampling it underfoot" (VI:130).

[NadaTeTurbe]

Today, I thought about you. 

Mgr d'Ornellas, bishop of Rennes, opened the beatification case of Léontine Dolivet (1888-1974). She taught religion in her parish for 53 years, and she was consecrated by private vows of Chastity and Poverty, and consecrated herself to the Heart of Jesus. She went to Mass, taught religion. 10 days a year, she had a retreat : she asked that nobody came into her house during these 10 days. 

I hope she can be beatifed, and show to the word the beauty of an hidden life and of consecration by private vows  

[Guest]

58 minutes ago, NadaTeTurbe said:

Today, I thought about you. 

Mgr d'Ornellas, bishop of Rennes, opened the beatification case of Léontine Dolivet (1888-1974). She taught religion in her parish for 53 years, and she was consecrated by private vows of Chastity and Poverty, and consecrated herself to the Heart of Jesus. She went to Mass, taught religion. 10 days a year, she had a retreat : she asked that nobody came into her house during these 10 days. 

I hope she can be beatifed, and show to the word the beauty of an hidden life and of consecration by private vows  

Thank you Nada. She was a real contemporary of ours too.  I could not find anything about her on the internet - do you have a link to her story please? Thank you very much for thinking of me.

Of course, it is not necessary to make private vows to live a life of great holiness.  Some God calls to this vocation, others He may not.  I think too that whom God raises to the altars and whom He may not is within God's Divine Providence for His Church.  We certainly can use more saints proclaimed by The Church who were just ordinary married or - and especially - single lay people.  If, of course, The Lord needs my opinion and advice! It is encouragement that a life in the Laity, either married or single, can indeed be a way of great holiness - as of course it can to logic and reason alone considering the theology of The Church.   This is especially in our day when the state and vocation of the Laity is addressed in Vatican Documents and as an important call and vocation "in the front lines of The Church" Christifideles Laici (Vocation & Mission of The Laity in The Church and in The World)

There is or was talk on the theological level anyway in Rome (although I do not know if it is continuing) of officially defining the single lay vocation as well as giving it a place in Canon Law.  This discussion is or was taking place due to the many in our day who are choosing to remain in the single celibate state.  Apart from that, we do have numerous Vatican Documents (including pre V2)speaking highly of the lay celibate call and vocation. I think too that history reveals that The Holy Spirit is much at work before The Church actually catches up in an officially public and affirming manner.  I am thinking specifically of the days when all religious had to be enclosed in a monastery and those movements that struggled to move out of the monasteries into the general community.  Hence, we nowadays have the distinctions and definitions of "nun" and "religious sister".  The Spirit blows wherever He may. The Apostolate to Follow Christ in Every Vocation (Fr John A Hardon)

Thanks again, Nada!  

 

[Guest]

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Would just like to add this.  Some who make private vows of poverty, chastity and obedience (vows nuns and religious make) are not looking to religious and monastic life as their role model.  It is Jesus who went ahead of us all in His lifetime as the poor, chaste and obedient one.  Rather than reflecting on religious life, some are reflecting on the Person of Jesus and His Life - and as their role model.

It is a mistake to conclude that ALL those making private vows to the evangelical counsels in the Laity are attempting to be some sort of religious or monastic person.  Not necessarily so at all.  Just as religious and monastics might redefine their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, so it is possible for the lay person to redefine the evangelical counsels to speak to their vocational call and life in the Laity, whether the evangelical vows are vowed privately or whether they are not; even if they are married or not

The evangelical counsels are not a command, they are a counsel of Jesus and His Gospel.  Wherever holiness is found in any vocation at all, there will be sighted a spirit of the evangelical counsels.

The above is not to detract from the consecrated religious and that very special call and vocation.  But not all will be called to that special vocation.  The Spirit blows wherever He may.

[Guest]

I need to add this too.  In current Canon Law, those in the Laity married, single, privately vowed to the evangelical counsels or not have a place in Canon Law in those paragraphs that relate to the Laity.  Those who might make private vows to the evangelical counsels or private vow or vows to something else are covered in the paragraphs on Vows as well as those regarding the Laity.

What is or was taking place on a theological level in the Holy See was a defined specific place officially in The Church and in Canon Law probably similar to secular institutes.

Church wheels grind very slowly and I am very happy that they do.

Quote

http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Religious_Life/Religious_Life_033.htm

"There is a fourth category contemplated by the Holy See in anticipation of the new Code of Canon Law, so that something may be done for the thousands of women who seem not to want religious life yet seem to want to live especially dedicated lives in the Church. The secular institutes are a recent development of the Catholic Church. If there would be a fourth category, it would be some form of what we now call “secular institutes,” but the implications still have to be worked out.

These are the common classifications, with scores of subdivisions under each, especially in the second category. However, that classification – while surely a correct one – is based on structure; it is not based on the essential qualities of every vocation to Christian perfection. This bears emphasis. Members of secular institutes, then, are as much called to a life of Christian perfection as the most cloistered nun or monk or active religious. It is the structure of the way of life that allows for this important classification.

 

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Second, it (vocation) is gratuitous. On the part of God, it is given as a grace and part of the essence of grace is its gratuity. This means that God calls who He wants, to what He wants, and no questions are asked of the one whom He calls. He gives it freely. It is further gratuitous in that it is offered as an opportunity. In precise theological language, we do no receive a vocation to be saved – that’s an obligation. Some spiritual writers state that if a person does not follow their special vocation, they endanger their salvation; but that is an improbable opinion. It would not be just because the person did not follow through on a given vocation. It would be through neglect of God’s grace or other reasons, otherwise the whole theology of vocation just collapses. You cannot talk about it unless you talk about it on the level of gratuity on God’s part and opportunity on ours.

Vocation is a gift. It is something offered. And by definition, a gift may or may not be accepted. Admittedly, the giver appreciates the acceptance of his gift, but it is not as if the giver demands it be taken. It would be a contradiction to oblige the recipient to accept the gift."

Edited February 5, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

St Vincent de Paul Society

Daily Reflection – February 5 2017

 

 

Quote

 

 

 

“God always blesses humble beginnings more than those that make a big stir!”
– St. Vincent de Paul

 

 

Feb 04, 2017

 

Quote

Speaking about a possible organization for the service of the poor – “Our membership in such a union will bear silent and humble witness to the faith that is in us – a faith that has always inspired its more devoted adherents to work for the good of those the world despises and neglects.”
– Bl. Frederic Ozanam

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by BarbaraTherese