Guest Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 (edited) Quote Since God intends to make you like Jesus, he will take you through the same experiences Jesus went through. That includes loneliness, temptation, stress, criticism, rejection, and many other problems. - Rick Warren (And He is with us throughout, to help us carry our burdens.) This Pastor certainly has some creative and original thinking at times and I like the way he often quotes Scripture as source material for his thinking. Some excellent thoughts on mental illness too. ",Nothing man-made is going to last forever", Pastor Rick commented, and I think a mistake that can be made is that His Church, in lasting forever as it will, must be to appearance etc. today and tomorrow exactly the same as yesterday. It is easy to forget that anything that never changes on our earthly world is dead, by the very nature of never changing, it is dead. It has to be. Growth IS change, if I think about it. And I did have to think about it for quite a while before I got it. I do think it a quite interesting concept flowing from ..........that The Church must never change. That would be to want the death of The Church since it could no longer be The Church; no longer the Living Mystical Body of Christ on earth. But don't take that to the ridiculous. I do try to not throw out a baby with bathwater. Reminds me of a joke: An Islamic person goes to Heaven. Jesus is showing the person the way around Heaven. They come to a long high wall and Jesus falls silent. Islamic person: "What is the high wall about, Jesus?" Jesus: "Shhh! Behind the wall are our Catholics and they think they are the only ones up here." Edited October 4, 2021 by BarbaraTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 creating text Just worked out how to do spoiler...........well, I think so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Hi Barb! It's nice to meet you, I'm new! I read "Single for a greater purpose" and, I thought to look into Private Vows. I have some questions, and I think you would be the go-to person. Until, I talk to my Priest, and get some spiritual direction somewhere down the road. I read about your journey when you were arranging things for your day and I thought it was absolutely wonderful that you shared that. It helped me understand that I could do it too! Anyway, I was wondering, if you have to do anything as a daily routine, after you do your Private Vows? Because, I was looking into Consecrate Virginity before, and read they have to do Liturgy of the Hours everyday and go to Daily Mass whenever possible. Do those who make Private vows, have to do that too? I'll be back with more questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted October 8, 2021 Author Share Posted October 8, 2021 On 10/5/2021 at 4:58 AM, Shelby said: Hi Barb! It's nice to meet you, I'm new! ............edited for space.............. Hi Shelby, welcome to Phatmass and nice to meet you also. Apologies it has taken a few days to respond. I read about your journey when you were arranging things for your day and I thought it was absolutely wonderful that you shared that. It helped me understand that I could do it too! I am glad my thread has helped you Mine is hands on experience from Adelaide in South Australia. We have an expert on Phatmass, who is @Sponsa-Christi. She is a consecrated virgin. Sponsa is a long time member here. She is knowledgeable on many matters Catholic especially related to vocations. Here is a link to her commentary on private vows http://sponsa-christi.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-do-i-make-private-vow.html There may be more on private vows on her blog. Anyway, I was wondering, if you have to do anything as a daily routine, after you do your Private Vows? No. Private Vows are strictly between yourself and God. It is also up to you whether you keep your vows private or not. "Private" in Private Vows is in this instance a Canon Law term to distinguish from Public Vows, it does not mean that your vows must be kept private. My SD did ask me to write a rule of life for myself. Here is a link to Canon Law on the subject of Vows: https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann1191-1204_en.html#CHAPTER_I. Because, I was looking into Consecrate Virginity before, and read they have to do Liturgy of the Hours everyday and go to Daily Mass whenever possible. Do those who make Private vows, have to do that too? There is no "have to" with Private Vows, other than, of course, that you keep your Vows. Private Vows come under the Virtue of Religion. You are very wise indeed to have spiritual direction and best on an ongoing basis. With Private Vows there is no formal support from The Church other than, of course, the normal spiritual support to the Laity. Under Private Vows one remains fully in the Laity in every way. The other matter is that you would be most wise indeed to fully understand Private Vows before making them. The Vows can be made strictly privately or at a Home Mass as I have done. Private Vows are not at all "the easy way" as I have read at times. It is the same as with any vocation, there are the ups and downs. The Good Lord sends into every life journey what is necessary for great holiness - it is a question of response to Him. My Home Mass was celebrated by my SD who was a priest religious. He is no dec'd. I have read of some women who have made them at a weekday Mass. At my Home Mass I had my family and a few friends only. The content of my private vow of obedience is spelt out in my rule of life - and it is to my rule of life I vow obedience. It is not slave-like obedience, rather my rule states that one is to use common sense. It was St Albert of Jerusalem, of Carmelite fame and sanctity, who wrote that common sense is the guide of all the virtues. I'll be back with more questions! Ask away, Shelby. I will do what I can to respond. Edit: Shelby, I would add that if you are eligible for Consecrated Virginity, which is a Public Vow in The Church, it is a great honor The Lord has gifted. If you are eligible for CV, were it me I would be very careful to discern with spiritual guidance whether I am called to Consecrated Virginity or to Private Vows. In Public Vows, The Church formally consecrates in a quite public manner for the whole Church. In private vows one consecrates oneself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted October 8, 2021 Author Share Posted October 8, 2021 When I completed my post to Shelby, I realized I was not logged in. I did not want to loose what I had written and so created, against the rules I know, BarbTherese. I have no idea why I was logged out and it is not only happening on Phatmass. Probably Google thinking it knows good, better and best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 (edited) I am trying to get back to BarbaraTherese !!! I have logged out of BarbTherese and logged in I hope as BarbaraTherese. What St Jerome is saying in my book is that once one improves on the last time, that is one's best. The quest then is to do better than the last time, which was one's best back then. I did it !!! Edited October 8, 2021 by BarbaraTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 From @Sponsa-Christi blog entry, which I have just read in full: "My own thought is that women who feel called to live as privately-vowed laypeople should probably err on the side of being discreet about their commitment. Mainly, this is because I think it’s important not to confuse the faithful, and someone who was very open about making a private vow could easily tend to give the impression that she was in some sort of canonical state of consecrated life." How I dealt with the above was I wrote a paper, with quotations from Church Documents, on what Private Vows are/are not and I was most careful to explain the vows are something between God and myself with nothing formal in The Church, hence not canonical/consecrated state- that one remains in the Laity in every single way. I put copies of my paper on the seats. I did experience a distinct call to private vows. In fact, when I asked my priest religious and theologian lecturing in our seminary in theology, and I was quite hesitant, about making privately the vows, I had no idea there was such a classification - nor had I ever heard of it. Generally speaking, I don't think anyone did know of it. It was back 45 years or so ago. I am now almost 76 years of age. He did advise me to seek annulment to be "completely free" (his term) to vow privately to the evangelical counsels. That was the road I took. Father also asked me to write a rule of life and it was in an exercise book and hand written (no computer nor typewriter back then) labored and long process for me. He approved the rule and when I told him I had left it on a bus stop and lost it, he could not stop laughing. I was not at all impressed! He was the most holy man and priest I have ever known. He died probably 35 years or so back then of cancer. He did not suffer fools gladly one bit! He never called me anything but "Girl". After my Home Mass, we had a supper and my rule of life was available for anyone who would like to read it. Also, of course, I was available for questions. The other point I would like to make is that my rule takes each petition of the Our Father as subject headings. The Our Father is a whole and total Rule of Life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponsa-Christi Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 (edited) 17 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said: "My own thought is that women who feel called to live as privately-vowed laypeople should probably err on the side of being discreet about their commitment. Mainly, this is because I think it’s important not to confuse the faithful, and someone who was very open about making a private vow could easily tend to give the impression that she was in some sort of canonical state of consecrated life." Just for some quick clarification, by "erring on the side of being discreet," I don't mean that privately-vowed people shouldn't tell their family and friends about their commitment. "Discreet" doesn't mean "totally secret," and obviously it makes sense to be open about such an important aspect of your life with the people you are closet to. Also, I first wrote that blog post many years ago. I haven't really changed my mind or anything, but my views have (naturally) become more nuanced, and the culture has also had some gradual changes. So I now think there could be some situations when it might make sense for a privately-vowed person to be more open about their commitment. E.g., perhaps by describing themselves as: "I'm single, but I'm a serious Catholic and I have made a personal private commitment to celibacy as part of my spirituality." I do think it would be a good thing if private vows were more normalized in the Catholic world. I still do think that it's important to make it clear that private vows aren't the same as consecrated virginity or religious life, though! Privately-vowed women, if they choose to share about their private vows, should be careful not to talk about their vocation in such a way that makes it sound as if they were a CV. Edited October 8, 2021 by Sponsa-Christi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 39 minutes ago, Sponsa-Christi said: I do think it would be a good thing if private vows were more normalized in the Catholic world. Absolutely! 40 minutes ago, Sponsa-Christi said: should be careful not to talk about their vocation in such a way that makes it sound as if they were a CV. Also most important that Private Vows do not in any way whatsoever distinguish one from normal ordinary Laity. It is a call and vocation to the Laity in ordinary secular life and the temporal order. I think that anything else makes the vocation something that it most definitely is not. No one at all knew of my private vows except my SD and myself. I first 'came out' on Phatmass many years ago - and my Home Mass was 5 years ago now. The reason I came out was because I had lurked on Phatmass for a long time without joining until a thread came up where it was strongly argued that there was no such thing as a vocation and call to private vows. I then joined to contribute to the thread. I don't know why there persists something sort of secretive about private vows. One simply has to remember that actions have consequences. Sometimes consequences can be quite positive and at other times quite negative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 What is a Synod? https://aleteia.org/2021/10/08/what-is-a-synod-in-the-catholic-church/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_content=NL_en&utm_medium=mail&utm_source=daily_newsletter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 St Therese discovered the Heart of The Gospel as Love. If Love is the Heart, then the Lifeblood is Simplicity. I was so tied up in spiritual complex knots, then I read the autobiography of St Therese and almost suddenly all fell into place and knots just vanished. Read online https://ccel.org/ccel/therese/autobio/autobio.i.html Autobiography of St. Therese of ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX THE STORY OF A SOUL (L'HISTOIRE D'UNE ÂME): THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX WITH ADDITIONAL WRITINGS AND SAYINGS OF ST. THÉRÈSE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 Pope Francis: "Faith is not a transactional relationship with God" https://www.catholicnews.com/faith-is-not-a-transactional-relationship-with-god-Pope-says-at-angelus/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 I am still around the joint. Just having health struggles - nothing serious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 (edited) Lyrics https://www.google.com/search?q=lyrics+tell+me+a+story+before+i+go+to+bed&oq=lyrics+tell+me+a+story&aqs=chrome.0.0i512j69i57j0i22i30l8.5432j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Tell me a story tell me a story Tell me a story remember what you said You promised me you said you would You gotta give in so i'll be good Tell me a story then i'll go to bed Oh worry worry weary ends ma day Comes the time to go home Without ma raise in pay Home by the fire where a man can just relax Slippers there by the chair Not a worry not a care Along comes junior swinging his little axe Tell me a story tell me a story Tell me a story remember what you said Tell me about the birds and bees How do you make a chicken sneeze Tell me a story then i'll go to bed Came so late one evening last july Played a little the poker the time had passed me by Shoes in my hand and my darlin wife in bed Up the stairs sayin a prayer Then a voice comes through the air Hi there daddy remember what you said Tell me a story tell me a story Tell me how your eyes are glassed Because it's only if your bad Tell me a story then i'll go to bed Once a upon a time i remember long ago Don't go back in years through your memories kinda slow Stop your noisy talkin till i've finished with ma tale Once upon Upon a what Upon your back you'll get a swat Tell me about the fishy cause it's bigger than a whale Tell me a story tell me a story Tell me a story remember what you said You promised me you said you would You gotta give so i'll be good Here's a tale you'll never forget Whack whack whack Ouch ma tails all red And now get off to bed Aw come on daddy tell me a story hee hee Edited October 23, 2021 by BarbaraTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now