Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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CHITTY CHAT

LEANING ON THE LORD

Fair bit on my plate just now for an old gal and not posting much at all - but not abandoning this thread either

I have been in touch with my Aunty (12 months to live) and my niece (back operation and mental problems) - also Buddie has to have dental treatment this coming Monday (around $400 - $500).  The government housing authority have put a drain in at the side of my unit due to flooding in the recent storms and I am very thankful for this; however, the drain has created other garden problems I need to deal with myself.  More later.  Friday I will be collecting for St Vinnies at a shopping centre near here.  Last night went to our St Vinnies monthly meeting, meaning I need to get the Minutes done and emailed out.  MSN having changed around the layout of my emails is no help whatsoever.  The layout is too confusing for me.   If you understand computers it is probably a breeze, problem is I don't understand them at all.  

 

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Daily Reflection - St Vincent de Paul Society

12th October 2016

 

“The holy will of God has assigned to us our present employment.

We should perform our work with the fidelity of an ambassador executing the orders of his sovereign.”

– St. Louise de Marillac

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While the document below has been written for religious, with a bit of application and common sense it can be translated into a spirituality and theology for the mature aged person.  The latter is a subject I am currently researching and will be posting more on this subject in due course.

If anyone would like to discuss the document below, please do feel quite free to post.  
 

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Catholic Religious Australia

Spirituality and Ageing (during and beyond the year of consecrated life)

http://www.catholicreligiousaustralia.org.au/index.php/news-a-views/news/item/2049-spirituality-and-ageing-during-and-beyond-the-year-of-consecrated-life

 

 

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http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual-and-devotional-poets/christian/meist/meistp/

“Some people want to see God with their eyes as they see a cow, and to love Him as they love a cow – for the milk and cheese and profit it brings them. This is how it is with people who love God for the sake of outward wealth or inward comfort. They do not rightly love God, when they love Him for their own advantage. ”

― Meister Eckhart

 

 

“Some people prefer solitude. They say their peace of mind depends on this.

Others say they would be better off in church. If you do well, you do well wherever you are. If you fail, you fail wherever you are. Your surroundings don’t matter. God is with you everywhere — in the market place as well as in seclusion or in the church. If you look for nothing but God, nothing or no one can disturb you. God is not distracted by a multitude of things. Nor can we be.”

― Meister Eckhart

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A Toast and a Blessing

 

Cleaning out a small box I came across in my pantry and found the following laminated toast and blessing.  I type these types of findings in Word and them cut them out and put them in small frames for here and there around Bethany:

An Irish Toast

May you be in Heaven a half hour

before the devil knows your dead.

 

An Old Gaelic Blessing

May the roads rise with you

And the wind be always at your back

And may The Lord

hold you in the hollow of His Hand

Deliver Us From Evil

 

The Way of Perfection, by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)- Chapter 42

Treats of these last words of the Paternoster: "Sed libera nos a malo. Amen." "But deliver us from evil. Amen."

 

 

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You, daughters, must ask as you think best. Personally, I shall find no redress in this life, so I ask the Lord to deliver me from all evil "for ever." What good thing shall we find in this life, sisters, in which we are deprived of our great Good and are absent from Him? Deliver me, Lord, from this shadow of death; deliver me from all these trials; deliver me from all these pains; deliver me from all these changes, from all the formalities with which we are forced to comply for as long as we live, from all the many, many, many things which weary and depress me, and the enumeration of all of which would weary the reader if I were to repeat them.

This life is unendurable.

The source of my own depression must be my own wicked life

and the realization that even now

I am not living as I should, so great are my obligations.

 

 

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PLAINLY VISIBLE

 

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Chitty Chat

SPECIAL EXPERIENCES

Prayer requests

On Sunday 30th September, and the last Sunday our parish priest celebrated Mass for us before taking leave for prostate surgery (please pray for him, he is now recovering but awaiting biopsy results), he asked that all parish members of St Vincent de Paul Society attend his final Mass for a special blessing (the Feast of St Vincent de Paul had occurred on 27th. September).

It was a really beautiful blessing.  He asked the St Vinnies members to link arms in front of the altar, while he and all parishioners extended their arms over us.  The wording Father used near on brought tears.  The consequence has been for me that I actually feel on the feeling level of being blest........still.

Then last night at Vigil Mass, I had another very special experience.  A visiting priest celebrated Mass for us and at the Offertory Procession, it was suddenly realised that no one had been rostered.  As an emergency stand-in at Vigil Mass for any reason, I was asked to be one of those processing.  When we got to the foot of the altar steps, where Father usually takes the bread and wine from us, Father asked us to take the bread and wine to the altar.  At the altar he blessed the bread and wine (followed by "Blessed be God forever") as we extended the bread and wine to him over the altar.

It was a beautiful experience.

This coming Wednesday, my SD is calling on me.  With the bills I have at the moment, I just cannot afford a taxi to where he lives and then return, so Father emailed that he would call on me here in Bethany.  I always feel (and on the feeling level) that having a priest under one's roof is always a real honour and blessing.  Of course (perhaps monastic tour-of-duty showing) I will be having a real spring clean the day before.

Tomorrow, Monday 17th October, Buddie (Maltese Cross) is having surgery to have dental treatment (with general anaesthetic).  He is 10 years of age and not a young pup any more and with a periodic cough problem.  A prayer for Buddie too would be much appreciated.

Edited October 16, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

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THE HO HUM HUMDRUM DAYS
 

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Diary of St Faustina

1373. O humdrum days, filled with darkness, I look upon you with a solemn and festive eye.

How great and solemn the time that gives us the chance to gather merits for eternal heaven! I understand how the saints made use of it.

Time is a gift, and I grow more aware of how important it is to use the time God gives us, well. By God's Grace also, I hope I am beginning to be more prayerful in each task I take up, uniting myself with Jesus and Mary as they took up their "ordinary" tasks in Nazareth -- making them extraordinary by their great love! HERE

 

 

Almost Forgot

Almost forgot this.  After Mass last night (Vigil Mass Sat 15th October) I was at the door handing out invitations for a High Tea that one of our St Vinnies members was organizing to raise funds for a really worthwhile cause.  The visiting priest who had celebrated Mass was in the foyer.  I had never met him previously, not since he was a very young priest anyway. Father laughingly commented to a parishioner "Barbara has taken my place to hand out pamphlets".  How on earth did he know my name?  Our priests can be so very mysterious at times!    Doubtless, for some reason, perhaps because I was standing by the door, he had asked someone else my name........or perhaps he has a phenomenal memory from both our younger days.  I have had a few of these mysterious type of episodes with our priests.

Incidentally, where I was standing was not where we usually have a priest standing to greet parishioners as they leave Mass.......i.e. I had not deliberately hijacked Father's place

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THE MYSTERY BEYOND THE KEYHOLE 

http://bcove.me/xfsi1yoh  (Video - 2.5 minutes)

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Deo Gratius - and Thank you

SVP Minutes

Thank you to any who prayed for Buddie.  He is now home in Bethany after a general anaesthetic and dental treatment today.  He is still quite groggy and to be expected.  What really blew me over, besides total rejoicing and thanksgiving for Buddie and a good result, was the vet's bill, which was only $250 and not the $400 to $500 I had been quoted to expect as the worst scenario.  Hence in working out how I would collate up to $500 was quite scary for me.  I really wasn't expecting something as low as $250 since that amount was never quoted to me.  I had thought $400 and it would be great.  I am blest in my pet's veterinary surgery, the veterinarians and the staff.

I need to go to the shops tomorrow for groceries and am going to invest in a bunch of flowers and a nice thank you card for my vets and staff.  I know Buddie is always treated well as if I say "Going to the doc, Buddie?" and I get no peace until I set off with him to the vet...Buddie knows the way.....and he goes into the vet's surgery quite happily.  Strangely, I think my little cat, Missie, missed Buddie today too and was glad to have him back home again.  Sometimes they fight and argue like typical brother and sister.

Just at this point, Buddie still staggers rather than walks and has gone to sleep on the carpet square near my computer.

________________

Working on the SVP Parish Conference Minutes.........over the years taking the Minutes at SVP Meetings, I have developed a whole new shorthand - many miles away from the Pitman's Shorthand I once knew... not even remotely similar.  But if it works, go with the flow giving thanks.  

[CountrySteve21]

11 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Deo Gratius - and Thank you

SVP Minutes

Thank you to any who prayed for Buddie.  He is now home in Bethany after a general anaesthetic and dental treatment today.  He is still quite groggy and to be expected.  What really blew me over, besides total rejoicing and thanksgiving for Buddie and a good result, was the vet's bill, which was only $250 and not the $400 to $500 I had been quoted to expect as the worst scenario.  Hence in working out how I would collate up to $500 was quite scary for me.  I really wasn't expecting something as low as $250 since that amount was never quoted to me.  I had thought $400 and it would be great.  I am blest in my pet's veterinary surgery, the veterinarians and the staff.

I need to go to the shops tomorrow for groceries and am going to invest in a bunch of flowers and a nice thank you card for my vets and staff.  I know Buddie is always treated well as if I say "Going to the doc, Buddie?" and I get no peace until I set off with him to the vet...Buddie knows the way.....and he goes into the vet's surgery quite happily.  Strangely, I think my little cat, Missie, missed Buddie today too and was glad to have him back home again.  Sometimes they fight and argue like typical brother and sister.

Just at this point, Buddie still staggers rather than walks and has gone to sleep on the carpet square near my computer.

________________

Working on the SVP Parish Conference Minutes.........over the years taking the Minutes at SVP Meetings, I have developed a whole new shorthand - many miles away from the Pitman's Shorthand I once knew... not even remotely similar.  But if it works, go with the flow giving thanks.  

Glad to hear all went well.

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3 hours ago, CountrySteve21 said:

Glad to hear all went well.

Thank you, Steve, for the very kind comment.  Buddie was up early this morning and almost back to his usual self.  Thank you too for posting into this thread.  If it wasn't for the fact that I check the number of times this thread is accessed, I would abandon it.  Comments into the thread are great encouragement too - encouragement to stay active in this thread, plodding along persistently........or is it remorselessly tenacious  .......what indeed is in a name, which by any name at all remains what it is.

 After so many years in the revolving door of a psychiatric hospital quite seriously ill, I cannot shake that constant feeling that everything is going to go terribly wrong and soon - i.e. conditioning.  I am very grateful for our spirituality which tells us there is more merit in trusting God when one does not feel at all that way, than there is in trusting Him when all is sunshine and roses. 

 It can give those who do struggle along rather than stride, a happy place in the scheme of things.

[CountrySteve21]

1 hour ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Thank you, Steve, for the very kind comment.  Buddie was up early this morning and almost back to his usual self.  Thank you too for posting into this thread.  If it wasn't for the fact that I check the number of times this thread is accessed, I would abandon it.  Comments into the thread are great encouragement too - encouragement to stay active in this thread, plodding along persistently........or is it remorselessly tenacious  .......what indeed is in a name, which by any name at all remains what it is.

 After so many years in the revolving door of a psychiatric hospital quite seriously ill, I cannot shake that constant feeling that everything is going to go terribly wrong and soon - i.e. conditioning.  I am very grateful for our spirituality which tells us there is more merit in trusting God when one does not feel at all that way, than there is in trusting Him when all is sunshine and roses. 

 It can give those who do struggle along rather than stride, a happy place in the scheme of things.

Indeed, it is wonderful how our Faith can just click with our humanity (especially our frailty!)  

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Catholic Spirituality and Mental Health

 

This is an excellent video from You Tube.  As a sufferer of mental illness - and with hindsight adding perspective and real value, I listened to this video very carefully - and I found it worthwhile, excellent in fact.  Keep pen and paper handy, there are three recommended books and as soon as my budget sorts itself out, they are going to the top of my "To Get" list.

The address proper lasts just under 1hr -  with the Q&A session after, it is roughly 1hr 15mins including the address.

 

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A Spirituality for the Aged Person

I still have a Spirituality for Mature Age, or the aged, in mind and am still researching when I can.  I am reading at the moment a paper I posted previously written for religious.  As I read, I am attempting to address it with common sense breaking it down with value for a lay person of mature age as well.  Periodically, I am researching on Google for more information I hope will be helpful.  In other words, it is still in the process of actively happening.   The interesting thing to me is that, as with mental health issues from a Catholic perspective, there is much available for those carer type persons who are dealing with another(s) with mental health issues, not much at all applicable (from the Catholic perspective) for an actual sufferer of mental illness.  The same seems to be applying to the question of a spirituality for the mature aged person.

The above video is a valued find for those suffering mental health issues for one.

3 hours ago, CountrySteve21 said:

Indeed, it is wonderful how our Faith can just click with our humanity (especially our frailty!)  

Spot on in my book too, Steve!   Catholicism literally sings the continual hymn of "I have come for sinners, the righteous have no need of me". Matthew Ch9

I really like "The Church is not a club for saints, but a hospital for sinners" which I read somewhere or other.  Catholicism is The Church from every perspective in which I can really find a resting place and a home - a yoke that is sweet and a light burden.

C.S. Lewis wrote a line about that God knows well the weak frailty with which we must daily work - and He has Infinite Compassion and Understanding for it.

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If I can, with God's help, get off that endless merry-go-round of an obsessive compulsive needing to be perfect in all things always, it can release all sorts of healthy directions and creative abilities.  It doesn't mean that I stop striving for virtue - rather that I acknowledge and accept realistically and with Mercy and forgiveness my faults and failings and with repentance and renewal.  It then means that I can move forward beyond my failings and offences, not with a sense of having failed - or completely useless and unrealistic baggage, but with a sense of acceptance of who I am - and as Loved by God and praising and thanking God for His Infinite Mercy and Understanding of my human frailty nothing excepted...........and that disposition releases all sorts of Graces into my soul and witnessed in my life and living.

Sin is not something I might do, think or say now and then - it is a continual state (sinner) in which I live compared to the Holiness and Glory of God.  Jesus has told us "Be ye Perfect as Your Heavenly Father is Perfect" and my response is "Who then can be saved?".

"With God all things are possible" - i.e. even this miserable sinner can be saved.

It is repentance and renewal to which we are called and by God's Fatherly Love and Mercy with understanding of the baggage we all have inherited (original sin).  For Jesus came for sinners, since the righteous really do not have need of Him.

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First Letter of St John Ch1 "If we say, "We are without sin," we deceive ourselves, ³ and the truth is not in us.

9 If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.

10 If we say, "We have not sinned," we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.