Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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"The Journey" from Wollongong New South Wales, Australia

"Ah, finger of the Lord"

MICHELLE VASS

 

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Prayer of Thomas Merton

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,

though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone...............Amen

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                                                                    THE HIDDEN LIFE

                                                                                   OF

                                                                            THE SOUL

"When the soul has sincerely given itself up to God, He fills it with His own peace, a peace which makes all earthly things indifferent—as before His Presence, absorbing the heart. It is our strength, our comfort, our guide, the deeper and more confirmed it becomes, the greater our spiritual perfection; so that in truth to obtain and preserve this peace is the real secret of the interior life."
    ... Jean N. Grou (1731-1803), The Hidden Life of the Soul

(Fr. Jean Nicolas Grou (1731–1803) lived through times of tremendous turmoil, first as a Jesuit novice when Jesuits were supressed, and later during the French Revolution. In his book, The Spiritual Life, are the fruits of his sufferings and prayers.  https://catholicexchange.com/author/pierregrou )

  

For the interested, I found an online copy of "The Hidden Life of The Soul" by Fr. J N Grou  https://archive.org/stream/hiddenlifesoul00goog/hiddenlifesoul00goog_djvu.txt

[Guest]

                               

 

I am indulging in a bit of raving on.................retaining Peace of mind, heart and soul is almost a common theme with all spiritual writers.

These words of Jesus have long intrigued me:

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"The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name - he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you.  Peace  I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

They have intrigued me because of the tense in which Jesus speaks them i.e. present tense relating to Peace.  In other words, we have His Peace already - and yet oh how so easily we can cast it aside for one reason or another - and at times for legitimate sounding reasons.

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Romans Chapter 14: "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ..."

 

 

All too often, it seems to me, we can hammer and pound at each other, as it were, over matters of morality or liturgy or some other y somewhere.  What this type of 'infighting' can do is destroy Peace between brothers and sisters, as well as the Peace of an individual .....it can also give an 'onlooker' a warped understanding....... and precisely what Satan wants, all of that and even so much more negativity which can flow from a lack of interior Peace.

Not one of us, not the greatest of all saints, except Our Lady, will go before the Judgement Seat of God justified in his or her own right.  We will all, every single last one of us, be in need of God's Infinite and Loving Mercy.  This person just as every bit as much as that person.

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"Then let us no longer judge one another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother."

The whole of Romans Chapter 14 is worth the read - it is not all that lengthy: https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PZ2.HTM

 

 

Arguments rather remind me of the sentence from Luke:

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"Now an argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest." 

 In a remote sort of sense, arguing over theology or some other point of our religion, is arguing for who is right, or who is the greater, greatest.  Whatever might be in the heart of those exchanging conflicting opinions.

We know how Jesus responded!

Mea maxima culpa

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https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-pedro-de-san-jose-betancur

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Reflection

As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But as Pedro’s life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be.

 

 

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As at 17th September 2020 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-54176375

 

As at 24th April 2021:   "India's second wave of COVID-19 is far more aggressive and deadly than the first. Here's what went wrong" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-24/how-did-indias-covid-disaster-unfold/100089732

   

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Excerpt:  ..........."...........Countless stories of desperate people unable to get medical treatment and people dying after being turned away from hospitals have engulfed the nation.

Not only is the surge far more aggressive and deadly than the one India endured last year, but there is a much stronger belief that this catastrophe could have, and should have, been easily avoided...................

.......................Across the world, we have found that a second wave is always more dangerous and more powerful and more virulent than the first wave," Dr Deepak Baid, from the Association of Medical Consultants, said.

"We always ask the question: have we been prepared? And the answer is definitely no.".............More on above link

 

              

 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, please pray for them and for all. 

Edited April 25, 2021 by BarbaraTherese

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Five glimpses into a post-pandemic Catholic future

John L. Allen Jr. 

Apr 19, 2021 • 7 Min Read       https://angelusnews.com/voices/five-glimpses-into-a-post-pandemic-catholic-future/

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Remember that the article is not Gospel, not Doctrine, not infallible - but one fallible person's opinions and therefore biased opinions - and we are all without exceptions biased.  The article does present some interesting food for thought.............something of a springboard for reflection.

[Guest]

                                                      

"JESUS, YOU TAKE CARE OF IT!"

“I was called Dolindo, which means pain.”

This is the first sentence of the autobiography in which Don Dolindo Ruotolo recounts the story of his soul and the work that God wanted to do through him.

Largely unknown in the English-speaking world, Don Dolindo is gaining notoriety. Along with Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, a contemporary of his, the two were sought after in the Church in Southern Italy for their mysticism and powerful spirituality.  https://aleteia.org/2021/04/20/jesus-you-take-care-of-it-prayer-of-a-priest-padre-pio-admired/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_content=NL_en&utm_medium=mail&utm_source=weekly_newsletter

http://www.dolindo.org/english/index.html

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I can't sleep.  Missie, my loved little moggy cat, is now 16 almost 17 years of age and has taken very ill.  I am waiting for morning and will try to arrange transport to the vet.  She needs to be put to sleep.  I will stay up with Missie all night and be as much comfort as I can.  She has not sought to go away so she can pass away in isolation, rather she sought to stay very close to me, to both Buddie and me.

St Francis of Assisi, please pray for her.  Dear Father, may Your Holy Will be done in all things.  You, who know when a hair falls from our heads, knows how Missie is suffering.  Please grant that it is not too bad for her until I can get her to the vet.  I praise You, Lord, and I thank You and I do not believe that You create in order to destroy.  I believe there is a heaven for our pets - for in Our Father's House, there are "many mansions" and "other sheep I have not of this fold".

Missie has been a companion now since a kitten - an entirely loyal, faithful and loving little feline.  She has welcomed all guests with attention and rich affection.

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I rescued MIssie from being put down when she was a tiny little kitten needing hand raising.

[Ash Wednesday]

I'm sorry you will have to put Missie down. Sending hugs. 

[Pax17]

So sorry to read this...our pets are our beloved companions; they give us so much love and acceptance.  I am still sad about having to put our beautiful Abyssinian to sleep over a year ago.  But, he was about 16 and had cancer.  We didn't want him to suffer.

I will keep you and Missie in my thoughts.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Pax17 said:

So sorry to read this...our pets are our beloved companions; they give us so much love and acceptance.  I am still sad about having to put our beautiful Abyssinian to sleep over a year ago.  But, he was about 16 and had cancer.  We didn't want him to suffer.

I will keep you and Missie in my thoughts.

Thank you so much, Pax.  I am sorry to hear of your own loss.  Missie was very ill and trying to hide it.  She was put to sleep this morning...........warm regards.........Barb

11 hours ago, Ash Wednesday said:

I'm sorry you will have to put Missie down. Sending hugs. 

Thanks so much for the hugs, Ash.  I held her as the vet put her to sleep this morning.........warm regards.......Barb

[Guest]

 

   

I broke my heart taking Missie to the vet and failed in attempts to calm myself down and stop crying.   She sat quietly in her cat box.  I was talking to her and put my finger into one of the air holes and she began to rub her face on my finger.  She passed away quietly to sleep in my arms at the vets as I hugged her close.  I was still very upset and had taken half an Oxazepam to calm me down.

Arriving back home, there was an atmosphere of quiet and emptiness in the unit.  I was very sad and made myself a cup of coffee.  After about an hour, the Oxazepam clamed me down and the sense of emptiness was gradually abating.  And now I can feel Missie close – absent but close.

Putting Missie to sleep has drained my bank balance almost.  To have a private cremation and her ashes was too costly.  But the vet put her paw prints on paper and gave me a little vial with her hair in it.  I have bought a simple and tasteful black container (as above), where I can put her paw prints on the outside as well as a thumb nail photo of Missie on the top of the box 12cm x 6cm.

In the container for Missie, I can put her paw prints in the front of the box; and a thumb nail image of her on the top.  Her fur will be in the box.   The box should arrive early to mid May 2021.

I have sent a text to my son and his wife in another state asking for them to ring me when possible.  I wrote it was a catch up call only.  I would rather tell them myself, not by text.