BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 "When we engage in the act of prayer itself, Quote there is no preparing, no getting the right words, no posture to take, no mood to assume. We simply do it. Prayer is primal speech. We do not first learn to do it, and then proceed to do it; we do it, in the doing we find out what we are doing, ............................and then deepen and mature in it." - Edward Clowney (We learn to pray by praying. The important thing is to "show up" and let the Spirit lead the way.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 21.4.23 - DAILY MASS Mass commences at 1.21 minutes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 Melbourne Australia. Father Bob Maguire dies age 88 years. https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/father-bob-maguire-beloved-melbourne-priest-dies-aged-88/ar-AA1a1GeZ?ocid=NL_ENAU_A1_00010101_1_1&bep_ref=1&bep_csid=105092 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 (edited) You MIGHT discover that my entries taper off into: Divine Office Adoration Holy Mass My physio in the Pain Clinic has given me exercises twice daily and to walk twice daily or loose my mobility entirely. I am going to have to see how I go. At the moment, I am only able to do the exercises twice daily with a short walk now and then. I wake up with a dreadful hangover from medication and unable to really start my day until after lunch, cutting down on time for the exercises and twice daily walking and then also reading and Posting.....not in that order however. I need to fit in a shower and prayer too. The physio was much too heavy handed with me and either did not like my blue eyes ........... or my bipolar condition.....or something else...........I suspect! A person from my previous parish and suburb has contacted me asking me to return to the previous suburb. He said I am a legend there. It is only that I was very much different in personality and perspective from the lived out often stereotype of a committed Catholic. I never did want to live out the traditional stereotypical Catholic woman. My quite personal belief is that the more one becomes the person God had, has and is creating, as mystery as it is always and therein the mysterious road - one's mysterious identity in Jesus, the closer one would be following that path to which one was called i.e. "Take up your cross, and come follow Me". Our God of the NOW, this present moment. Identity is an unfolding in time and space in each moment, in the now. One can shine a light into a dark room, but cannot shine darkness into a room that is in the light. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John Ch 9 See how things unfold. I am now creeping up on 78 years of age. ...............follow the lyrics carefully:................ Edited April 21, 2023 by BarbTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 .........some would say all I have reaped from a lifetime of faithful Catholicism is mental illness..............so what....................... "Faithful Catholicism" is always inclusive of sinfulness and Confession if necessary...........it is also inclusive of holiness and sanctity.............and it is always of course inclusive of illness. Mental illness is a misnomer. It is a physical dysfunction of a primary organ of the body i.e. the brain. Mental problems are symptomatic of the former. Quote ""If Christ cannot win over crazy," he continued, "then there is a space of the experience of humanity that he cannot conquer and win over. So sanctity and crazy are not mutually exclusive............ What I found is that, as much as mental instability ought to be recognized and treated for what it is, God can indeed work through and use us as we are, before we even get around to seeking healing or treatment.........As we continue treating and destigmatizing mental health issues, let's ask for the intercession of those holy figures whose experiences were written off because of their "madness." Their witness reminds us to never underestimate the infinite creativity of God, who can make a masterpiece out of what the world deems to be a mess" https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/were-some-saints-mentally-ill-or-holy-or-both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 (edited) St Angela of Foligno https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/faith-seeking-understanding/turn-st-angela-foligno-spiritual-guidance-new-year Quote So powerful was the loving vision of God she encountered there, that when it came to an end, she had what appeared to be a nervous breakdown, which included screaming and rolling on the ground. The scene drew dozens of onlookers, including some nearby Franciscan friars who were embarrassed by such a public spectacle and demanded that this woman not return to the church. This is just one of the many fascinating episodes in the life of St. Angela of Foligno, a medieval laywoman, Third Order Franciscan and mystic canonized by Pope Francis in 2013. Edited April 21, 2023 by BarbTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 What I am advocating is just because one has been diagnosed with a mental illness, even a most serious mental illness, do not despair of holiness. If one is nasty and unkind to the people around one, if one has committed sins against purity alone or with another or others, missed Mass on Sunday, gone to Holy Communion in what one feared was mortal sin..........no matter the fall, the sin, no matter how serious, simply go to Confession. If one cannot go for some reason, then tell God of your sorrow and refrain from HC until you can talk with a priest, either in Confession or out of it. Make acts of sorrow and spiritual communions (see end of this Post). I know how terrible can be the burdens of mental illness. I suffer bipolar and experience them also. So does the Good Lord know who is Infinite Love and Mercy at ALL times, He know our problems. He knows the horrors and fears of it, the mental, even physical, loneliness and isolation of it. The stigma. These factors MIGHT mean one cannot commit mortal sin at all. They are the outside pressures/passions/addictions mentioned in the Catechism. God, Jesus, is not a demanding judge - rather He is a lover who longs to draw us all close to Himself. He wants us to choose to be with Him. The problem can be that rather often our priests are ignorant about mental illness, sometimes not even interested to learn. In that case, have boundless trust in the Love and Mercy of Jesus, who sees your predicament, that it is not your fault, and showers His Infinite Love and Mercy deep into your soul, your spirit, cleansing you totally of all sin, no matter how serious. _________________________________________________ Quote Act of Sorrow: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, because they have crucified Jesus, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. Amen Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen Much Catholic information is disappearing off the internet, or becoming very difficult to find. Quote Not only because of the pandemic, but in any circumstance where one cannot go to Confession: Pope Francis addressed this issue in his remarks on March 20, 2020 “But many people today would tell me, ‘Father, where can I find a priest, a confessor, because I can’t leave the house? And I want to make peace with the Lord, I want him to embrace me, I want the Father’s embrace.'” Quote The pope said his response would be, “Do what the Catechism (of the Catholic Church) says. It is very clear: If you cannot find a priest to confess to, speak directly with God, your father, and tell him the truth. Say, ‘Lord, I did this, this, this. Forgive me,’ and ask for pardon with all your heart.” HERE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 "Feed My lambs, feed My sheep" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 "Someday, everything will make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, be strong and keep reminding your self that everything happens for a reason." This is a true story - psychiatric patients can sometimes be intelligent, quick off the mark, and good at laughing at themselves. But here is one on me: A woman on the ward in a wheelchair would tell everyone that she was Jesus, but I got a bit suspicious. That night, I asked her if I could push her to her room: Her "Sure!" Me: On the way I asked her if she really believed that she was Jesus. Her "Well, who is sitting in this wheelchair and who is pushing it?" ________________________________________________________________ In a convent in Ireland , the 98-year-old Mother Superior lay dying. The nuns gathered around her bed trying to make her last journey comfortable. They tried giving her warm milk to drink but she refused it. One of the nuns took the glass back to the kitchen. Then, remembering a bottle of Irish Whiskey that had been received as a gift the previous Christmas, she opened it and poured a generous amount into the warm milk. Back at Mother Superior's bed, they held the glass to her lips. The frail Nun drank a little, then a little more and before they knew it, she had finished the whole glass down to the last drop. As her eyes brightened, the nuns thought it would be a good opportunity to have one last talk with their spiritual leader. "Mother," the nuns asked earnestly, "Please give us some of your wisdom before you leave us" She raised herself up in bed on one elbow, looked at them and said: " "DON'T SELL THAT COW." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 Mass begins at 1.25 minutes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 22, 2023 Author Share Posted April 22, 2023 The road to Emmaus reminds me of my own journey through life. " They had experienced a weekend of action. And now they were on a walk, reflecting." That is all my years of action seems to me now, just one weekend. It has all gone by so quickly. But it spanned well over 40 years. And now in my older age just a walk, crawl really on the internet in this room/cell, reading, reflecting and writing". I never chose the eremetical life, it seems to have chosen me/just picked up and plonked me here, at first.........but now a call to be here but really, the why is a mystery. My 'previous life' was very different. My Mum and Dad were active to the end. I just took it for granted that I would be too. WRONGGGGG! Our God of The Surprise. I sort of need to write to find the pieces and slowly put them into their place. We were never NEVER meant to be poured into a mold - rather to be alive, awake and aware........ and live each and every day, moment, awake and aware! Quote __________________________________ ''It’s easier to see the presence of God in extraordinary, earth shaking, world changing events than in the mundane. Naturally, we are more drawn to a God who is unequivocally in control, and showing his power. The prophet Elijah, standing on the mountain where he had gone to escape being killed, was given quite a show by the Lord. First, a mighty wind that shattered rocks, then an earthquake, then a fire. The Lord was in none of these. Instead, he was in the gentle breeze'' https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/the-gentle-breeze/ ..........and see below......................then find the pieces and slowly put them together.......if they just wont fit, be patient, they will in God's time............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 22, 2023 Author Share Posted April 22, 2023 From Divine Office (General Calendar) MONDAY 24th April 2023 THIRD WEEK EASTER Morning Prayer https://universalis.com/20230424/lauds.htm Evening Prayer https://universalis.com/20230424/vespers.htm Night Prayer https://universalis.com/20230424/compline.htm Office Readings - Second Reading https://universalis.com/20230424/readings.htm From the commentary on the first letter of Peter by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest A chosen race, a royal priesthood Quote You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood. This praise was given long ago by Moses to the ancient people of God, and now the apostle Peter rightly gives it to the Gentiles, since they have come to believe in Christ who, as the cornerstone, has brought the nations together in the salvation that belonged to Israel. Peter calls them a chosen race because of their faith, to distinguish them from those who by refusing to accept the living stone have themselves been rejected. They are a royal priesthood because they are united to the body of Christ, the supreme king and true priest. As sovereign he grants them his kingdom, and as high priest he washes away their sins by the offering of his blood. Peter says they are a royal priesthood; they must always remember to hope for an everlasting kingdom and to offer to God the sacrifice of a blameless life. They are also called a consecrated nation, a people claimed by God as his own, in accordance with the apostle Paul’s explanation of the prophet’s teaching: My righteous man lives by faith; but if he draws back, I will take no pleasure in him. But we, he says, are not the sort of people who draw back and are lost; we are those who remain faithful until we are saved. In the Acts of the Apostles we read: The Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. Thus, through the blood of our Redeemer, we have become a people claimed by God as his own, as in ancient times the people of Israel were ransomed from Egypt by the blood of a lamb. In the next verse, Peter also makes a veiled allusion to the ancient story, and explains that this story is to be spiritually fulfilled by the new people of God, so that, he says, they may declare his wonderful deeds. Those who were freed by Moses from slavery in Egypt sang a song of triumph to the Lord after they had crossed the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army had been overwhelmed; in the same way, now that our sins have been washed away in baptism, we too should express fitting gratitude for the gifts of heaven. The Egyptians who oppressed the people of God, and who can also stand for darkness or trials, are an apt symbol of the sins that once oppressed us but have now been destroyed in baptism. The deliverance of the children of Israel and their journey to the long-promised land correspond with the mystery of our redemption: we are making our way towards the light of our heavenly home with the grace of Christ leading us and showing us the way. The light of his grace was also symbolised by the cloud and the pillar of fire, which protected the Israelites from darkness throughout their journey, and brought them by a wonderful path to their promised homeland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 22, 2023 Author Share Posted April 22, 2023 Monday 24th April 2023 Third Week Easter - Eucharistic Adoration PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD TWELFTH LETTER To the same correspondent probably, and expresses his own abiding comfort through faith. Quote IF we were well accustomed to the exercise of the presence of GOD, all bodily diseases would be much alleviated thereby. GOD often permits that we should suffer a little, to purify our souls, and oblige us to continue with Him. Take courage, offer Him your pains incessantly, pray to Him for strength to endure them. Above all, get a habit of entertaining yourself often with GOD, and forget Him the least you can. Adore Him in your infirmities, offer yourself to Him from time to time; and, in the height of your sufferings, beseech Him humbly and affectionately (as a child his father) to make you conformable to His holy will. I shall endeavour to assist you with my poor prayers. GOD has many ways of drawing us to Himself. He sometimes hides Himself from us: but faith alone, which will not fail us in time of need, ought to be our support, and the foundation of our confidence, which must be all in GOD. I know not how GOD will dispose of me: I am always happy: all the world suffer; and I, who deserve the severest discipline, feel joys so continual, and so great, that I can scarce contain them. I would willingly ask of GOD a part of your sufferings, but that I know my weakness, which is so great, that if He left me one moment to myself, I should be the most wretched man alive. And yet I know not how He can leave me alone, because faith gives me as strong a conviction as sense can do, that He never forsakes us, till we have first forsaken Him. Let us fear to leave Him. Let us be always with Him. Let us live and die in His presence. Do you pray for me, as I for you. LITANY IN RESPONSE TO ABORTION Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father, Creator of the world, Have mercy on us! Quote God the Son, through whom all things were made, Have mercy on us! God the Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life, Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, the Beginning and the End, Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, Eternal Word of Life, Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, living in the womb of the Virgin Mary, Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, Lover of the poor and weak, Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, Defender of the helpless, Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, Bread of Life, Have mercy on us! For every sin against life, Have mercy on us! For the sin of abortion, Have mercy on us! For the daily killing of innocent babies, Have mercy on us! For the bloodshed throughout our land, Have mercy on us! For the silent screams of Your children, Have mercy on us! For the killing of Your future disciples, Have mercy on us! For the exploitation of women by abortion, Have mercy on us! For the silence of Your people, Have mercy on us! For the apathy of Your people, Have mercy on us! For the co-operation of Your people in this tragedy, Have mercy on us! For our pre-born brothers and sisters killed by abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. For our pre-born brothers and sisters threatened by abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. For our brothers and sisters who have survived abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. For mothers who have had abortions, Lord, hear our prayer. For mothers tempted to have abortions, Lord, hear our prayer. For mothers pressured to have abortions, Lord, hear our prayer. For mothers who have refused to have abortions, Lord, hear our prayer. For the fathers of aborted babies, Lord, hear our prayer. For the families of aborted babies, Lord, hear our prayer. For the families of those tempted to have abortions Lord, hear our prayer. For abortionists, Lord, hear our prayer. For all who assist and cooperate in abortions, Lord, hear our prayer. For doctors and nurses, that they may nurture life, Lord, hear our prayer. For government leaders, that they may defend life, Lord, hear our prayer. For the clergy, that they may speak up for life, Lord, hear our prayer. For the pro-life movement, Lord, hear our prayer. For those who speak, write, and work to end abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. For those who help provide alternatives to abortion… Lord, hear our prayer. For those who promote adoption, Lord, hear our prayer. For national and local pro-life groups, Lord, hear our prayer. For unity in the pro-life movement, Lord, hear our prayer. For courage and perseverance in pro-life work, Lord, hear our prayer. For those who suffer ridicule and rejection for their stand for life, Lord, hear our prayer. For those imprisoned for defending life, Lord, hear our prayer. For those who have been injured and mistreated for defending life, Lord, hear our prayer. For legal professionals, Lord, hear our prayer. For courts and judges, Lord, hear our prayer. For police officers, Lord, hear our prayer. For educators, Lord, hear our prayer. For media professionals, Lord, hear our prayer. In thanksgiving for the babies saved from abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. In thanksgiving for the mothers saved and healed from abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. In thanksgiving for the former abortion providers who have become pro-life, Lord, hear our prayer. In thanksgiving for all those who take a stand against abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. In thanksgiving for the call to be part of the pro-life movement, Lord, hear our prayer. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Let us pray, Almighty and ever-living God, You have created all things through Your Son Jesus Christ. He trampled the power of death by His Paschal Mystery. May all who acknowledge You promote the sacredness of life and always serve You faithfully, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 22, 2023 Author Share Posted April 22, 2023 There is a big mix up with my Profiles. My Profile is BarbaraTherese. How I got BarbTherese - meaning 2 Profiles - beats me. It means my dates and general statistics are all incorrect on BarbTherese. I am trying to sort things out with dUSt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted April 22, 2023 Author Share Posted April 22, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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