Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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CHAT

Jamberoo Benedictine Abbey

Every now and then, not often, I check out the website of the nuns at Jamberoo Abbey in New South Wales, Australia.  Had another look today (probably years since the last look) and these words leapt out at me:

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http://www.jamberooabbey.org.au/about/dsp-default.cfm?loadref=127  "In short, we are very ordinary, normal women and we often fail in our ideals but we keep trying and we rely on God's goodness and forgiveness. As well as prayer and work, we also have times each day when we gather as a community to enjoy one another’s company or simply sit over a cuppa with a friend. There is also space for rest, times to enjoy our magnificent surroundings and to walk in the rainforest."

The above probably summarises all of us, men and women.  Our lives, when we look closely at them, are comprised of work and duties in secular life and the temporal order, and our times aside for quite prayer.  Times of relaxation and recreation are factored into our lives too - and as a duty, just as in religious life.   I do not live in what could be called "magnificent surroundings" to worldly eyes nor any sort of rain forest, but when I thought about it, I am living in surroundings in an Adelaide suburb that are magnificent to me and for which I am grateful.  Having lived a fairly large portion of my life in a psychiatric hospital or ward, I really do appreciate my environment now with almost unlimited freedom of movement and decision making - although there are times when all gratitude fails me.  Every week, I gather with my parish community for Mass and Holy Communion and chats here and there before and after Mass - sometimes a cuppa.  I think I would class as magnificient in my life wherever there are people.   I recall once making a retreat in the Carmelite guest house and an extern sister asked me what passage of Scripture most attracted me.  I replied:

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Proverbs, Ch 8 "Then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, Playing before him all the while, playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the sons of men."

 

When I left monastic life and back then started to think that I might be called to flower where I was planted, i.e. in secular life in the temporal order, I began to realise that my time in monastic life could speak to a call to lay celibacy.  But at first that call was confusing to me and it took some time, including research with two theologians, before I knew beyond doubt that I did have a call to the single life in lay celibacy and that my time in monastic life could indeed very much speak to the way of life that nowadays is my rule of life.

One of those theologians was my SD and confessor - and he was to confirm (further on in my journey) that I did indeed have a call to lay celibacy or the single life - and to commit myself to the way of life I had already been living.  A way of life that just unfolded in my path.  I did not create it, it simply unfolded due to various circumstances or happenings in my life. My responses to those circumstances or happenings became a way of life as the circumstances and happenings became a fixture of my journey.

Now and then I do like to check out our Australian monastic orders - no particular reason of which I am conscious.  I love religious life and the other vocations as one would love a beautiful garden.  One loves and appreciates the garden, without any desire to be the garden.    I am conscious at times of what I have given up by not being in monastic life, but that passes while it can be painful for the sojourn.

There are times when all my good thoughts, resolutions and strivings do fail me - and then I must rely yet again on  "God's Goodness and Forgiveness" and begin again.

The rhythm and dance of life.

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More Chat

Tonight I am off to a general stewardship meeting in the parish.  Yesterday, I cleaned up much of my yard after the high winds and rain we experienced.  I also managed to get the St Vincent de Paul Parish Minutes completed and emailed out.

My brother also dropped in for coffee yesterday.  I did managed to do some washing and hang it inside due to the threat of more rain.  This afternoon a walk to the shops and home again for a few grocery needs.

The rhythm and dance of life with The Lord of The Dance.

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My Confusing Call & Vocation

The reason back some 40 years ago that I found a (then) suspected call and vocation to lay celibacy confusing, was because I had never heard of such a thing.  Never.  It was probably the call and vocation that led me back into my love of theology.  Certainly as I consulted two priest theologians about my suspected call and vocation it was a fascinating exercise for me, as well as eventually confirmation that my SD and confessor did feel that I had the lay celibate vocation and with private vows to the evangelical counsels, which is not at all a common vocation even today I suspect.  Not common, I don't think, as a compelling type of call that I had felt and still do feel.  I cannot deny in any way whatsoever that I am living out (entirely imperfectly) my call and vocation from God.  It has never been an event, always the journey, the unfoldings.

In every way, being given a computer has ben the icing on my cake.  All my researching and information in the main is absolutely free.  What a wealth of free and sound information on the net. 

Deo Gratius.

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LAUGHTER

A woman was given a parrot that continually used bad language.  The parrot would not listen to her angry requests to stop.  Finally, she said to the parrot "If you don't stop, I'm going to throw you in the freezer."  The parrot's response was a string of bad language and so the woman threw him into the freezer.

She took the parrot out the freezer a while later asking "Are you going to stop the bad language now?"

"Sure thing" said the parrot "but tell me, what on earth did that poor chicken do?"

REST IN GOD

Biblically “wings” – whether of eagles, angels or God – are a metaphor for power. Just as a bird soars over the earth, the power of God is over this world including all the events and people He allows into our lives. In the face of all kinds of violence – spiritual, emotional, verbal [...] it is possible to find rest in God.

Divine power is the best shield against every form of malice.

But we must seek this, and above all trust in Him.

 

”Hidden Mountain, Secret Garden: A Theological Contemplation on Prayer”(p. 121)

   Anthony Lilles

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Chat

Busy week for me on the way.  Monday I have my specialist appointment re the hernia.  Tuesday I have lunch with my two brothers.  Wednesday, Friday and Saturday I have ironing for my ironing client.  Thursday is an appointment to have my haircut again.  Wherever I might be, whatever about, I am called to live The Gospel as reflected in the Doctrine of Divine Providence and in the theology of St Therese of Lisieux.  I am never released from that particular and personal call and vocation for a minute or second anytime nor anywhere.  Mea maxima culpa.

Saturday is important for our parish, we have The Second Rite of Reconciliation followed by Vigil Mass as we move towards the conclusion of this Year of Mercy.  After Mass I am again selling for St Vinnies Christmas Card packs and Columban calendars.  From next Monday afternoon each fortnight (weekly over Advent and Lent) I will be attending Lectio Divina.

The Holy Spirit is certainly not selective!  Watching a movie this afternoon on FoxtelGo.  At one stage a woman who smokes and drinks too much is taking offence from a young woman who plans to be a nun:

Older woman: "So I'm the sinner and you're the saint.  It was people like me that Jesus loved, you know." 

I thought that the above quotation from Good News Ministries was really good too.  The Good Lord will indeed chastise and  chasten all sins, faults and failings, but the one who has committed the sins, the faults and failings, He embraces Lovingly. 

Indeed! The Ineffable and Breathtaking Heart of Divine Love and Mercy.

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Catholilc Catechism: 303 The witness of Scripture is unanimous that the solicitude of divine providence is concrete and immediate; God cares for all, from the least things to the great events of the world and its history. The sacred books powerfully affirm God's absolute sovereignty over the course of events: "Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases."¹⁶² And so it is with Christ, "who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens".¹⁶³ As the book of Proverbs states: "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will be established."

304 And so we see the Holy Spirit, the principal author of Sacred Scripture, often attributing actions to God without mentioning any secondary causes. This is not a "primitive mode of speech", but a profound way of recalling God's primacy and absolute Lordship over history and the world,¹⁶⁵ and so of educating his people to trust in him. The prayer of the Psalms is the great school of this trust.¹⁶⁶

305 Jesus asks for childlike abandonment to the providence of our heavenly Father who takes care of his children's smallest needs: "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?". . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."¹⁶⁷

.......and see CCC Chapter V "God Carries Out His Plan: Divine Providence" http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p4.htm

 

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THROUGH JESUS ALONE

Creighton University

Reflection for 19th November 2016:http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/111916.html

........." I find myself completely awestruck at the simplicity of the verse, “Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.”  That one short sentence tells me so much about our God. Unlike any other, he defeated death. And unlike any other, He is still alive today through the Gospel.

Through the death and resurrection, we have been shown the way to eternal life. The only way, is through Jesus Christ.................

........ I understand that no matter how many good deeds I do, that will never be enough to make me worthy of an eternity with the Creator. It is by the blood of Jesus that my sins have been forgiven, that my debt has been canceled and that I am a new creation. Because of His death, I now have life."

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CHRIST THE KING

Jesus remember me when You come into Your Kingdom

http://bcove.me/58ikouo4

(Cappie's reflection in Open Mic here is really worth the read too)

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                                                                             CHAT   

                Rule of Life

Finding at the end of the day that there were certain duties in my rule of life that common sense asked I omit for the day, and also sighting that this happened too often in my book, I set up a timetable by the clock.  This is working far better for me over the past few days, whereas initially it did not (timetable the clock).

Some time back too, I realised that my rule of life needed simplifying, to embrace the whole of it but in a simpler written form.

Hence, I will be revising my rule of life at some point (hopefully over Advent) and I made the decision to revise some time back.  What I will be doing is adopting what those consecrated under Canon 603 (eremitical or hermit life) might do I have read i.e. revise their rule of life if needed.   I am not, incidentally, any sort of lay hermit nor am I consecrated.  I am fully in the Laity in every way.   Of course, after the revision I will be submitting the rule to my SD for his insights, recommendations and eventual approval for my way of life.

I think that the Bethany way of life is probably something of a jigsaw puzzle put together i.e. in places pieces have been taken and adopted from various vocations in The Church and put together with other concepts to form Bethany as a way of life.  Just popped into my head: "Bethany is my coat of many colours".

There is quite a lot of really good information on this site: http://www.johnpaul2center.org/Lay-Formation/Spiritual-Direction.htm (Archdiocese of Milwaukee).  It includes on the far right column information for lay ministry and evangelization along with resources.

In consolation and suffering, bless The Lord my soul

Edited November 20, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

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MORE CHAT SAME SUBJECT

Bethany Rule of Life

Just about to move off computer when it occurred to me that what I am doing is making duties fit around my timetable by the clock, rather than timetable fit around duties.  That seems obvious to me now, but didn't at first.  What I do each morning is to write a list of what I need get done in each day.  With my mobile or cell phone, I have an alarm for each appropriate time in the day and what occurs at that time - duties in the day must fit around those times.  Of course if I have a visitor or must go out at a certain time, this must take precedence.  Common sense always!

It is important, I think, in writing a rule of life for oneself to work out what will work for oneself, rather than forcing self into what one considers ideal.  Having said that, it just might be that "forcing self" into one's ideal might be the way to travel.  This is where spiritual direction is of great importance in discerning all sorts of matters in the spiritual life that can come along rather often.  Nowadays formal Church approved rules of life are published on the internet and one can peruse them and take out a 'this and/or a that' to apply to ones own rule.

I have no obligation of course of obedience to my SD not being in a religious order - nor does my own rule of life include any sort of obedience to a SD.  That would be unwise and not at all prudent I think for someone outside of consecrated life (I do not know where obedience is included in the various consecrated vocations to whom one is bound to obey, if one is).   I am writing here about a personal rule of life in the Laity.  It would be neither wise nor prudent, I don't think, to ignore any sort of advice from my SD - but not an impossibility.   My private vow of obedience does include obedience to The Church as well as to my own personal rule of life.  Within that rule, common sense is the guide always rather than a demand to live mandatorily by each paragraph of my rule. St Albert in his ancient rule of Carmel wrote "common sense is the guide of all the virtues" and it was St Augustine who pointed out that "humility is the foundation of all the virtues".  Hence, common sense and humility figures with emphasis in my personal rule.

The Pater Noster (The Our Father) is a whole rule of life in itself.  My own rule takes each point of that beautiful prayer (taught to us by Jesus Himself) as a subject heading, under which the various paragraphs are grouped.

My own SD (priest religious) told me that he and a Jesuit priest were addressing seminarians in Rome and he pointed out to them that he and his colleague were religious and therefore were obliged to follow a pre-determined rule of life - but, the seminarians present had the privilege of writing their own rule of life. 

We (Laity) also have that privilege if we choose to do so.  As Laity we also have the privilege to seek out a spiritual director.  In fact, Pope Benedict said that we should: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-recommends-spiritual-direction-to-everyone/

There are various ways to seek out a spiritual director:

1. One's parish priest
2. Diocesan Offices often have a list of spiritual directors in their diocese
3. Sometimes religious orders of priests, brothers, nuns or religious might undertake spiritual direction and only a phone call away.
4. The internet might be helpful to some in seeking out a spiritual director

Sometimes, it might be that despite prayer and searching, one cannot find a wise, holy and educated spiritual director.  One can be very confident and trustful one will not go astray - that The Holy Spirit is present in one's life, one's prayerful life.......and keep on praying to find a good spiritual director.  I went 20 years unable to find one.  It was a confusing sort of 20 year journey - but the important thing is where I am now and thankfully with a wise, holy and educated priest religious as my SD.

Deo Gratius - "All is Grace" (St Therese of Lisieux)

Edited November 20, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

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CHAT

Mature Age Spirituality

I am getting close to 71yrs of age in January 2017 and increased physical disability problems along with other limiting factors, I have been turning my mind and prayer to this later stage of my journey.  I have not found it easy to transit from the very active life I once had to the one that I now must accept and embrace due to circumstances.  I have been trying to formulate something of a spirituality for this stage of my life.

This afternoon without looking for it I stumbled across an article written for the National Religious Retirement Office (Washington USA) for their Winter 2014 newsletter edition: "Engaging Aging".  The author is an OCD Carmelite nun, Sr. Marjorie Robinson OCD.  There were some other interesting links I have not investigated as yet.

Because Sr. Marjorie's article "Aging in The Interior Castle of St Teresa" is full of real gems for those dealing with their more mature years and its challenges, I thought I would take those gems on a one by one basis over a period and attempt my own comments; alternatively simply quote the article and let the quote speak for itself.  Each of my commentaries/quotations will be titled "Mature Age Spirituality".  My first attempt at any sort of comment/quotation will be for another day.

"Aging in the Interior Castle of St Teresa" (Sr. Marjorie Robinson) http://www.usccb.org/about/national-religious-retirement-office/upload/Engaging-Aging-Newsletter-Winter-2014.pdf

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SUMMARY - TERESIAN MANSIONS

also brief overview

theology of St Therese of Lisieux

 

The link below leads to a brief summary of the seven mansions of St Teresa of Avila in her work "The Interior Castle".  The article also has an equally brief overview of the theology of St Therese of Lisieux:

https://ascendingcarmel.wordpress.com/tag/therese-of-lisieux/

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THE BLESSED EUCHARIST

(and "WE FORGETFUL FOOLS")

Edited November 20, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

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God's Gifts & His Glory

St Vincent de Paul Society http://famvin.org/en/famvin400/

 

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“Make use of God’s gifts quite simply;

if you think you have done anything good, attribute the glory to God.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

 

For God's Glory & Our Neighbour
 

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“The most excellent works are not those that have the most pomp, extent or renown,

but rather those where you can most easily get at souls,

and do them good.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

 

 

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My Journey

Faith, bipolar and the struggle for celibacy. the up and down journey of it all

 

It is only some of my journey and written very speedily in Word and then posted into thread below:

...........more to come, but I will be posting it only into this thread - once the shock of having posted what I have settles, that is.  It was totally unplanned and I typed it quickly into Word and posted before I could think twice about it.  Done and dusted!  A cool change is here after another rather sudden burst of heat yesterday and today.  Sitting outside under the pergola after posting the above, I thought to myself "Maybe freedom is another term for nothing else to loose"............

 

.......

..................but if you think about it, there is ALWAYS something else to loose.....and something to gain (through The Divine Providence of God) through loosing whatever one might be holding on to, holding back.....and so on we go - the journey and some risks and gambles here and there along the way....

Incidentally, saw the specialist today about the hernia (grocery shopping after).  Thankfully, Deo Gratius, I will not need surgery.  Strangely, it is the small hernia's, the doctor said, that can be the most risky requiring surgery.  The larger hernias (and mine is to me huge, just under my ribcage) are usually nothing to be concerned about unless there is related pain.  I do not have any pain at all, just a big lump where it really shouldn't be.  I see the doc again in 6 months unless there are any changes.  Deo Gratius again!

Ironing tomorrow. 

Deo Gratius once again.  My client did not send a really big load and I can complete it this week ok.  I am out again on Thursday.  Tuesday's commitment, thankfully, was cancelled and put off until some other date.

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Just comforting myself with various rationalisations underscored!  I have scared myself big time.

When I was little, Mum would say to me that if I did this, that would happen.  I would reply "I don't care", just to hear

her always unchanging reply: "Don't care was made to care, put in jail and hung".  I used to wonder

if she realised the unchanging nature of our exchange.

Convention and culture of any kind reigning in my mind has fashioned the me too often

I DON'T CARE 'BOUT C and C ANY MORE

.....oh...um...er.... perhaps.....just a little.........and perhaps a bit more than that...........

Don’t care didn’t care,
Don’t care was wild:
Don’t care stole plum and pear
Like any beggar’s child.

Don’t care was made to care,
Don’t care was hung:
Don’t care was put in a pot
And boiled till he was done.

Anon. (http://anafflictionofpoetry.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/tuesday-poem-dont-care.html)

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