Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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I seem to have stablized things with my computer by using Google Chrome only as my internet connection.  So far so good  

 

 

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Computer is still running ok on Google Chrome - Deo Gratius Laudate Dominum

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Reflection - St Vincent de Paul Society

“God is satisfied with a soul of good will.”
– St. Louise de Marillac

 

 

Before I can have any joy in being alone with God I must have learned not to fear being alone with myself. Shrinking from any deep self-scrutiny is by no means an uncommon thing, and often goes far to explain the feverish restlessness with which a world-loving heart plunges into perpetual rounds of gaieties and dissipations; they serve as an escape from troublesome questions about the soul, and help to get rid of the clamors of conscience.
    ... G. H. Knight (1835-1917), In the Secret of His Presence

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Since I have installed Google Chrome, I SEEM to have a stable computer again.  Phewwww...........for as long as it lasts I am grateful. 

Amen

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Computer is still working fine - Deo Gratius Laudate Dominum.  Only drawback with Chrome is that I cannot make images smaller.  Well, as yet I cant find a way.

 

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MERCY

SIGNS OF GOD ALL AROUND US

 

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From Vespers for 20th July 2018 Short ReadingJames 1:2-4 

My brothers, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully-developed, complete, with nothing missing.

 

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Second Book of Samuel

Chapter 24

"David answered Gad: "I am in very serious difficulty. Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful; but let me not fall by the hand of man."

 

 

 

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Isaac the Syrian (7th century)
monk near Mosul
Ascetical discourses, 1st series no.20

"A bruised reed my servant will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench...

And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

I wish to open my mouth, my brethren, to speak to you concerning the exalted subject of humility. And I am overcome with fear like a man who realizes he has to speak about God in the language of his own thoughts. For humility is the adornment of the Godhead. By becoming man the Word invested himself with it. With it he lived bodily among us. And whoever is girded with it has become in truth like the One who came down from his high dwelling place and clothed his greatness and glory with humility so that creation should not be consumed at the sight of him. For creation would have been unable to look at him if he had not taken humility upon himself and so lived in its company. There would have been no encounter with him. Creation would not have heard the words of his mouth...

That is why, when creation sees a man clothed in the likeness of its Master, it reveres and honors him like the Master it saw, clothed in humility, living in its midst. Indeed, what creature is there that is not moved at the sight of the humble? Yet, so long as the glory of humility was not revealed to all in Christ, this sight so full of holiness was rejected. Now, however, his greatness has been disclosed to the eyes of the world. It has been granted to creation to receive the vision of its Creator through the mediation of a humble man. Hence the humble are not despised by anybody, not even by the enemies of the truth. Because of it, anyone who has learned humility is honored as though he wore purple and the crown.

 

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Vincent's Quote of the Day - St Vincent de Paul Society

Quote of the Day – July 20

Trials bear the special mark of God’s goodness (III:120).

 

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July 21st

St Laurence of Brindisi (1559 - 1619)

  For Laurence of Brindisi, preaching was the most important task of his life; but he took care to ensure that his preaching was backed by sound learning, so that he could preach to and not at his audiences. Let us take care that our own apostolate is similarly well founded.

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Excerpt only from https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2014/02/06/faith-and-emotion/ 

"But because faith is the province of the intellect, we need not worry or doubt when emotion and religious sentiment ebb or even disappear from our lives, as they inevitably do. Spiritual aridity – the absence of feeling from the life of faith – is a normal occurrence in the spiritual life, and it can be temporary or prolonged. The saints, many of whom endured painful spiritual aridity for decades, teach us that the absence of religious feelings is God’s way of purifying our faith, which rests ultimately not on emotion, but on our trust in the authority of God’s word.

Often faith is stirred within us due to some profound experience that propels us forward joyfully in our relationship with God. But as the power of these experiences wanes over time, we are forced to trust that we remain in communion with God even as His presence seemingly vanishes. Our situation is akin to that of the apostles: for three years they experienced directly the presence of Christ, and the attendant joy and security that came with it. But after His death and resurrection, they learned, courtesy of Thomas, that it is not feeling but raw trust that constitutes faith. “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29)"  Read MORE on above link

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The will is that which has all power; … it makes heaven and it makes hell: for there is no hell but where the will of the creature is turned from God; nor any heaven but where the will of the creature worketh with God. 

… William Law (1686-1761), The Way to Divine Knowledge 

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Suffering can lead to salvation

By Brian Pizzalato  https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/sacraments/anointing-of-the-sick/suffering-can-lead-to-salvation

 

St. Paul’s understanding of suffering as a participation in salvation is especially evident when he speaks of how his suffering affects others.

In 2 Timothy Paul says, “Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2:3). Following this Paul speaks of his imprisonment for the preaching of the Gospel, “the gospel for which I am suffering and wearing fetters like a criminal” (v. 9).

We hear how his suffering affects other when he says: “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which in Christ Jesus goes with eternal glory. The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him” (vv. 10-12).

In this passage, we see clearly that Paul views his suffering as being salvific for others; he suffers to bring the Gospel, the message of salvation, to the people. He endures his suffering so that they may obtain salvation. Dying, living, and reigning with Christ are aspects of salvation; they “go with eternal glory.”

This notion of suffering to obtain eternal glory is also found in Roman 8:17-18 where Paul is speaking of receiving the Spirit of sonship whereby we become children of God and co-heirs with Christ. Paul says: “…and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Further on in Romans 8 he tells us, “We know that in everything [suffering] God works for good with those who love him who are called according to his purpose” (v. 28). Those who suffer are called to share in eternal glory, which is made clearly manifest by the resurrection of Christ.

This notion of our suffering and glory go hand in hand with the suffering and glory of Christ. Not only did the resurrection of Christ show his glory, it was also manifested through the cross. John Paul II notes, “In weakness He manifested His power, and in humiliation He manifested all His messianic greatness” (Salvifici Doloris, 22). Christ manifests his power in our suffering and death, which will one day lead to the resurrection.             

Elsewhere Paul speaks of his suffering for others so they may obtain glory. He says, “So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory” (Ephesians 3:13).        

In 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks of how he is afflicted in every way, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, always carrying in his body the death of Jesus (cf. 4:8-10).  He also speaks of how in living he is dying for the sake of Christ.

However, suffering is not only for Christ. Paul goes on to say: “[K]nowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake…” (4:14). Notice once again he reveals how suffering leads to being raised. Paul suffers not only for his sake, nor only for Christ’s sake, but also for the sake of others, so that they may be brought into God’s presence.

John Paul II recognizes in this text that “these sufferings enable the recipients of that letter to share in the work of Redemption, accomplished through the suffering and death of the Redeemer” (SD, 20). St. Paul speaks of the notion of glory a few verses later: “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (4:17).

Colossians 1:24 brings together all that has been said thus far. It summarizes Paul’s view that when he suffers he does so for Christ and for others. We see in this passage that when Paul speaks of suffering for Christ, it necessarily includes suffering for others, namely the church. Here Paul’s teaching on the mystical body is linked most profoundly to his teaching on suffering when he says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.”

John Paul II notes concerning the notion of making up what is lacking: “This good in itself is inexhaustible and infinite. No man can add anything to it. But at the same time, in the mystery of the Church as His Body, Christ has in a sense opened His own redemptive suffering to all human suffering. Insofar as man becomes a sharer in Christ’s sufferings…to that extent he in his own way completes the suffering through which Christ accomplished the Redemption of the world” (SD, 24).

We must realize that making up what is lacking in Christ’s suffering does not mean that redemption is not completed by Christ. Rather, “it only means that the Redemption, accomplished through satisfactory love, remains always open to all love expressed in human suffering” (SD, 24).

Paul is trying to show us that when we suffer we participate in the saving act of redemption. This is not because Christ did not do all he needed to do, but rather that Christ allows us, by divine will, to participate in this aspect of our own and others’ salvation. Suffering is not meaningless. Paul rejoices because in his suffering he suffers for Christ the head, and Christ the body, the church, bringing about her salvation. He is also joyful because suffering is not useless. John Paul II notes, “Faith in sharing the suffering of Christ brings with it the interior certainty that the suffering person ‘completes what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions’; the certainty that in the spiritual dimension of the work of Redemption he is serving, like Christ, the salvation of his brothers and sisters (SD, 27).

For Paul, suffering leads to hope precisely because of God’s love. He says, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:3-5). 

 

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Recently I have had to change parish due to a nasty situation which developed around me, not of my creation.  Truth is, I have no idea why the situation developed, it just did.  At first I was down in the dumps and very confused indeed having no idea of the why of it all. 

As it all unfolded however, two lapsed Catholics are now attending Mass with me in another parish.   One of them is my foster son and he and his mate call at around 11am on a Sunday and do a few jobs for me that I have been unable to do.  Both are lapsed Catholics.  My foster son lives quite a way from me, but because I wanted to change my parish, I rang and asked if he could take me to Mass once a fortnight (I am going by taxi on the alternative week).  He said he would be happy to do so, providing he could bring his mate also a lapsed Catholic.

I cook a meal and then we attend Mass at 5.40pm on Sunday afternoon.  Both guys appreciate a Mum-type home cooked meal since both are bachelors.  My SD is going away for a while, but on his return, he will drop in unannounced so the guys can meet him and get to know him. 

The parish where I am now attending Mass is the parish where my SD's religious order resides and provides priests including the parish priest.  My SD is the assistant pp.  As it all has turned out, that parish is my actual parish according to parish borders, not the parish where I had been attending almost since I shifted here 8 yrs ago.

What started out as a distressing situation has all unfolded extremely well.

Divine Providence

Deo Gratius Laudate Dominum

Edited July 24, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

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Another event which got to me:  Voting in Australia is compulsory.  Last state election in March this year, I didn't vote and I had a valid reason for not voting.  I had to submit my reason(s) by a certain date but forgot to post the envelope until after the due date.  I subsequently received notification I was fined $70 for being a non voter.

A bit cross about the fact that bureaucracy and rules was again more important than a person, I sent off an email to the government.  It was not a cross or nasty email, it simply set out the circumstances, mentally physically and financially, with which I labour daily.  I also pointed out that there was not much consideration by the government of an elderly person with physical disabilities and limited income - rather it seems that their rules take precedence.

Within half an hour of sending, I received an answer to my email that the government were cancelling the $70 fine. 

But what really got to me was that when I sat down and wrote the email and then sent it off, on reading it later I suddenly realised just how difficult daily life is for me - in fact those circumstances rather startled me when written down for me to read; however, it does not seem to me to be difficult at all, it is simply the circumstances provided by The Lord for me to work with each day.

"For My yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light"

Matthew Chapter 11

Edited July 24, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

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It may seem that everything works out for me and in the unfolding nowadays everything does seem to do so; however, if I was to write about my 30 years (more like close to 40yrs I think - I refuse to think back) of serious psychotic bipolar illness, my hospitalizations and years of homelessness and dreadful poverty - it is another story entirely where nothing at all worked out well for me nor for my sons.  In fact, it is probably a dark and disturbing journey.......if I was to write about it.  It is sufficiently dark and disturbing that I choose not to bring it to mind to put pen to paper as it were.

All those years I refused to abandon my Faith in The Lord.........even if those dark days lasted until I died and in fact I was convinced that they would.  Over those 30 - 40 years, whatever, I had completely forgotten what life was like to be good, to be happy and fulfilled. I only knew darkness and pain mentally, emotionally and spiritually in each and every day...........if I must attempt to put words to it.

 

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We were making leaflets for a 
local church, and the client wanted 
a logo designed with Earth being shielded by the hand of God. I sent the client a proof. Shortly thereafter, 
I got a call.

 

Client: The hand looks too human. Please use a hand that looks more like God’s.