Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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PRAYING THE ROSARY

Praying the Rosary

1. Make the Sign of the Cross.
2. Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles' Creed.
3. On the first bead, say an Our Father.
4. Say one Hail Mary on each of the next three beads.
5. Say the Glory Be
6. For each of the five decades, announce the Mystery (perhaps followed by a brief reading from Scripture) then say the Our Father.
7. While fingering each of the ten beads of the decade, next say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then say a Glory Be.
   (After finishing each decade, some say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.)
8. After saying the five decades, say the Hail, Holy Queen, followed by this dialogue and prayer:
   
   V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
   R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
   Let us pray: O God, whose Only Begotten Son,
   by his life, Death, and Resurrection,
   has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life,
   grant, we beseech thee,
   that while meditating on these mysteries
   of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
   we may imitate what they contain
   and obtain what they promise,
   through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rosary for Each Day of The Week: http://www.how-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com/rosary-days.html

Mysteries of The Rosary in Pictures: http://www.catholictradition.org/Children/mysteries-rosary.htm

 

 

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19 hours ago, Debra Little said:

Dear Barbara Therese,

I will keep u in prayer. I recently went thru a very bad bout with ocd and bipolar. I kknow from experience the misery this can cause. Suffer with Jesus and Mary always. That's the only way to get thru as we all know. And , too, it was during Lent as I was redoubling my efforts to be with Jesus. One of the things I tell myself is, " hang on and go for the ride." What goes up must come down and in our case what goes down must come up. God is testing u to see if u follow thru in spite of difficulty. Don't let the enemy win. Have recourse to St. Michael and St. Dymphna for relief. 

Hugz and Luv

Inspiring and helpful post, Debra - thank you.  We can trust Jesus and His Grace in all things regardless and will never be asked to endure what is beyond our strength with Grace to endure, it only rather often perhaps can feel that way.  I too will keep you in prayer and all who suffer mental illness.

I do think too that we need to be kind to ourselves in times of difficulty and not ask too much of oneself.  In this way too, one can learn how to be kind and compassionate with others in their times of difficulty and not ask too much of them.

It is like St Teresa of Avila wrote in her inspirational bookmark:
 

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http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/st-teresas-bookmark.html "Is today driving you crazy? This prayer below, known as St. Teresa's Bookmark, can help you calm down. Is your stomach all tied up in knots with worries? Is your mind racing like a hamster in a cage going around and around on a wheel? Give yourself a break! Take a deep breath. St. Teresa’s Bookmark can give you some much needed perspective on things!"

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing;
God only is changeless.
Patience gains all things.
Who has God wants nothing.
God alone suffices.

 

 

My hugs and love coming back to you......thank you again for your post........Barb  

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Vincent's Quote of the Day (St Vincent de Paul Society)

 

 

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Apr 18, 2017

May Our Lord be pleased to be ever more glorified in and through you, to enlighten you in your doubts, and to strengthen you in your heavy labors (VII:261).

 

 

[Debra Little]

Dear Barbara Therese, 

Ty for your sweet reply and for keeping me in your prayers. I appreciate it.  I will continue to pray for u as well. 

Bipolar is a pain in the neck but also a gift from our loving Father. St. Therese said "everything is a grace." Sometimes it's hars to see it that way and we wish for life to be a little easier. If my life was easier I would think something was wrong. I wouldn't know my own life. Suffering is a privilege. 

Luv and Hugz

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Daily Reflection - (St Vincent de Paul Society)

 

 

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Apr 20, 2017

 

“Sickness is not an evil which we should fear, but a most efficacious means of sanctifying our souls. To murmur when God sends it is to complain of his having done us good.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

 

The above is a beautiful theology and in its fullness brings meaning to the most difficult times in any life at all for any reason; however, rather often it is not understood.  To my mind, we need to have compassion on others and on our own selves too when we do not grasp it and internalize ...........and give heartfelt thanks for it.

The other point is that sometimes we do grasp the theology and even in its fullness -  it is internalized  - but one's spirit just refuses to move into a state of Joy and thanksgiving, other than in quite cold and unfelt acts of the will.  This latter is probably the most advantageous state of all for love is in the will, not of necessity in the emotions.  When loving God is also an emotional disposition, it is a consolation sent by God and sometimes to strengthen resolve and fortify one in weakness.

Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!".  Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."  John Chapter 20

Edited April 20, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

[Debra Little]

Dear Barbara Therese,

This is a beautiful meditation. Ty so much. I have copied and pasted it to my Facebook, minus your name. 

I am in the latter group.  

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11 hours ago, Debra Little said:

Dear Barbara Therese,

This is a beautiful meditation. Ty so much. I have copied and pasted it to my Facebook, minus your name. 

I am in the latter group.  

I think probably the latter group can be quite common; unfortunately, perhaps even again many in this latter group (I am mainly there too) find themselves at times "murmuring" (as St Vincent called it) against God in some way and very often due to extreme suffering and difficulties - burdens that weigh them down into struggle and darkness in their journey.   I have been there and for me, the fact that God is Our Father is a consolation at a time when I am angry with Him.  Being Our Father, He understands more than we do our humanity and inbuilt as it were weaknesses, our fears and our reasons for being angry.  In other words, He understands more fully than we do and is compassionate, understanding and Merciful of our dispositions as we struggle in the difficulties in which we do.  If I cannot share my true feelings, my anger and my confusion, with my God Who Is Loving Father in all things, then with whom indeed can I share them.  If I try to hide my true dispositions, I know that God insights them anyway.

I think that if we forget that we are indeed weak and broken creatures and that God is Infinite in Compassion and Understanding, in Mercy, we loose touch both with ourselves and with God.  If we forget that our very real weaknesses and failures are transcended totally by the Loving Embrace of Our Loving Father, we are loosing touch and in loosing touch fail to give to God Great Glory for His Infinite (endless without beginning or end) Goodness.

It can be a work of the evil one with those who desire truly with all their mind and heart to be holy to discourage them (drive them to despair if it can) when they find themselves behaving in anything but a holy manner, i.e. behaving as we tend to think no holy and saintly person would.  At those times, I recall the great sinners who have become great saints.  And then I am reminded that "all things are possible to God" (Matthew Ch 19 "Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."   It is very sad and a great loss indeed when the lives of the saints are whitewashed.

I am a broken and weak creature and what can I expect of such a creature?  For example, do I ask a cat to fly or to bark like a dog?  No, I do not because it is not their nature -  and hence I am not surprised or overcome when my weaknesses and brokenness (my nature) is evident in my behaviour - for I know in my will that God is Ever Constant and Ever Faithful and is Understanding, Compassionate and Forgiving always and everywhere. I only have to turn to Him and confess the reality of who I am at this point in my journey and ask Him for that Understanding, Compassion and Mercy........and even before I actually do this, at the moment I make up my mind to do it, He is embracing me with Love.

Parable of The Prodigal Son Luke Chapter 15 HERE: " Coming to his senses he (the prodigal son) thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father.

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

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Ready-to-halt, poor Fearing, and thou, Mrs. Despondency, and Much-afraid, go often there [the empty tomb]; let it be your favourite haunt, there build a tabernacle, there abide. And often say to your heart, when you are in distress and sorrow, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 

(Jesus is risen! Let yourself feel impact of this affirmation.)

http://shalomplace.com/seed/

 

 

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All the fruits of the Spirit which we are to lay weight upon as evidential of grace, are summed up in charity, or Christian love; because this is the sum of all grace. And the only way, therefore, in which any can know their good estate, is by discerning the exercises of this divine charity in their hearts; for without charity, let people have what gifts you please, they are nothing. 
- Jonathan Edwards

http://shalomplace.com/seed/

[Debra Little]

Try dear Barbara Therese for the beautiful post and link. I signed up and it's saved. Yeah. I've been in a weird place for awhile now. It can be tuff going when bipolar and ocd get in the mix and make it hard to figure out anything or make decisions. What I learned about decisions in these times is don't. 

Maybe I am a bit fearful. Didn't think of it. I know Jesus will catch me if I fall and He will help me get up. Moving is another thing. I feel stuck. Jesus is being silent right now so I wait and have faith that the sun (Son) will come out again. 

God Bless u!

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What does Alleluia Mean?

http://aleteia.org/2017/04/22/what-does-alleluia-mean/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_source=daily_newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=NL_en

 

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Daily Reflection - St Vincent de Paul Society

 

 

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Apr 22, 2017

 

“There is no state in the world that has not its bitterness and crosses -

and which therefore does not make us desire to embrace some other condition.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

 

 

 

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Apr 21, 2017

Remember that patience is as necessary to bear with ourselves

as charity is to bear with the neighbour.

May God be pleased to give us both (VII:291).

 

 

 

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“One of the biggest sicknesses this world has is expectation. We all expect other people to be a certain way or to do a certain thing. Most people, they spend their whole lives under the wants of other people.”
 Eric Shonkwiler

 

The proud man can learn humility, but he will be proud of it.

Mignon McLaughlin
 

 

Vincent's Quote of the Day

 

Apr 23, 2017

Always tend toward lowliness, and love of your own abjection, and the desire for contempt and shame (VII:305).

Apr 23, 2017

“I do not think it expedient for you to relieve yourself by imparting your little annoyances to this one or that. A good stomach digests everything, while a delicate one ejects what it cannot endure. Oh, how good it is to keep our affairs between God and ourselves!”
– St. Vincent de Paul

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OUR GOD IS A GOD OF JOY

OF LOVE

AND OF LAUGHTER

Genesis Chapter 18:  "One of them (The Lord) said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son." Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.So Sarah laughed to herself and said, "Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old, am I still to have sexual pleasure?" http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PK.HTM