Guest Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 _______________ ADVENT & CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS https://www.litpress.org/Products/E4734/Waiting-in-Joyful-Hope Also available in Australia through Pauline Media 14 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said: When I ask myself why Jesus, truly man Truly God, died for all humanity without exception and while we were still sinners and sinful, I have some understanding - a glimpse - into our human identity in God. God must indeed love us to absolute distraction to assume the nature of a fully human being(while remaining yet Truly God) - to be born and live in poverty and then accept without question a shocking death. Jesus would have been quite familiar with Roman crucifixion (frequent and public in His day) and the horrific suffering and death that it brought about. The purpose, I have read, of Roman crucifixion was to execute in the slowest and most painful manner Quite vivid scientific account of Roman crucifixion including drawings: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/seasons/lent/passion1.cfm I mean, who on earth are we? For myself, I think we are God's Weakness, His weak spot because He does indeed love us to absolute distraction - He is totally distracted from our faults and failings and our inherent sinfulness. He chooses only to see only our potential in His Son and in His Mercy returns us again and again, endlessly, to that potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 (edited) Quote "If we do not at least try to manifest something of Creative Charity in our dealings with life, whether by action, thought, or prayer, and do it at our own cost - if we roll up the talent of love in the nice white napkin of piety and put it safely out of the way, sorry that the world is so hungry and thirsty, so sick and so fettered, and leave it at that: then, even that little talent may be taken from us. We may discover at the crucial moment that we are spiritually bankrupt."- Evelyn Underhill Shalom Place - Dominican Sisters of Peace _________________ Edited November 3, 2017 by BarbaraTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER Fr Thomas Dubay (Part 1 followed immediately by Part 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 On the subject of attachment and detachment, and for those in the Laity especially, is that acquiring material goods to be used for God is not attachment. Acquiring material goods simply for the sake of possession is attachment. Parents especially have a need to acquire material goods for the welfare of the family - this is not attachment. One is not acquiring for the sake of possession, one is acquiring for the sake of a greater good than the material good or goods per se. What we acquire for the good of others is giving to God - every last penny of it. If one does not approach one's spiritual life with a good dose of common sense, then I think one is almost bound to get off one's track for the journey, perhaps even drive oneself up a wall (been there and done that). St Albert's Ancient Rule for Carmel " See that the bounds of common sense are not exceeded, however, for common sense is the guide of the virtues." (Chapter 24 https://carmelitani.wordpress.com/311-2/) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 Quote "If we do not at least try to manifest something of Creative Charity in our dealings with life, whether by action, thought, or prayer, and do it at our own cost - if we roll up the talent of love in the nice white napkin of piety and put it safely out of the way, sorry that the world is so hungry and thirsty, so sick and so fettered, and leave it at that: then, even that little talent may be taken from us. We may discover at the crucial moment that we are spiritually bankrupt."- Evelyn Underhill Shalom Place - Dominican Sisters of Peace I tend to think that probably what occupies Catholic Christians is not that they are doing enough and need do no more, it is that they are not doing enough and should do more. Anyway the latter occupies me far more than the former. Somewhere in the tension in-between those two opposites is Peace. Peace is an important criteria and common denominator of sound spirituality because Jesus has said "Peace I leave with you. My Peace I give you" (John Ch14) - not can give or will give, shall give.........but give. In Grace in Christ I have Peace already unless for some reason I have abandoned it. If I lack Peace, then there is something or other I need to look at long and hard - make some changes. "Seek after Peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34) ______________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 St Vincent de Paul Society - FAMVIN Quote of the Day – November 4 Quote "Simplicity consists in saying things as we have them at heart" (XII:143) https://famvin.org/reflections/quote-day-november-4-2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 https://famvin.org/wiki/Louise_de_Marillac St Vincent de Paul Society (FAMVIN) Daily Reflection – November 5 Quote “God communicates himself more fully to the soul deprived of human consolation.”– St. Louise de Marillac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 _____________ Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church Commentary on Saint Matthew’s gospel, 6, 4-5 (cf. PL 9, 952-953) “They do not practice what they preach” The Lord warns us that flattering words and sweet promises should be judged by the fruits they produce. We have to value someone, therefore, not by how they present themselves in speech but as they really are in their deeds. Often enough, beneath an outward show of a lamb a ravening wolf is concealed (Mt 7:15). And just as thorns do not produce grapes nor thistles produce figs…, even so, Jesus says, genuinely good works do not consist in fine words such as these. Each one should be judged according to their fruits (vv. 16-18). No indeed, a service that was limited to fine words would not suffice to obtain the Kingdom of heaven. It is not those who say “Lord, Lord” who will inherit it (v. 21)… What sense would a holiness be that was limited to the invocation of a name? For the Kingdom of heaven is to be found in obedience to God’s will… We ought, then, to put something of our own into it if we want to attain eternal blessedness. We have to give something out of our own resources: desire good, avoid evil and obey the divine precepts with all our hearts. An attitude such as this will make us worthy of being acknowledged as one of his own by God. Therefore, let us conform our actions to his will instead of taking pride in his power. For he will resist and reject those who have themselves turned away from him by the injustice of their deeds. Daily Gospel.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 You have no questions to ask of anybody, no new way that you need inquire after; no oracle that you need to consult; for whilst you shut yourself up in patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, you are in the very arms of Christ, your heart is His dwelling-place, and He lives and works in you....- William Law Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 St Vincent de Paul Society (FAMVIN) Quote of the Day – November 8 We need a certain charm and a pleasant countenance so as not to scare anyone away (Writings of St Vincent de Paul XII:157). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 (edited) CHAT Not posting much to now. I have a sick little dog (Buddie) to keep an eye on and care for. I have to watch him for his bowel movements and urine too - clean up where there are accidents. I have already emptied my bank for my foster son who is finding it very hard to find work . He has to pay rent, fix up his car and buy food - plus I have had one lot of Vet's fees and might need another lot, depending on how Buddie is responding. My budget is now in the red temporarily until I can catch up again. We are heading into a week of high temperature here and that means recent plants planted need to be watered more than would be normal - and the rest of the garden needs some water too. What I have done is set up a roster for what needs to be watered on what day. I can only do so much and then have to sit down for a while. What that means is what would normally take me half an hour, takes much longer. Other than the above, which is out of the norm, cruising along ok with gratitude and thanksgiving things are not far worse. Edited November 9, 2017 by BarbaraTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 We want to avoid suffering, death, sin, ashes. But we live in a world crushed and broken and torn, a world God Himself visited to redeem. We receive his poured-out life, and being allowed the high privilege of suffering with Him, may then pour ourselves out for others. - Elisabeth Elliot Shalom Place - Dominican Sisters of Peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 (edited) CHAT The following is a copy and paste from our Prayer Request Forum just now: Quote " I am now really getting into problems with my budget well and truly in the red - and it looks like another Vet bill on the way with Buddie coughing again. I am not cancelling my direct debits to the parish and though they are minimal, with our Church needing urgent repair and the parish struggling too with finances and in the red - I am trying not to cancel the direct debits anyway unless the budget takes another real dive. I have electricity and gas bills on the way and probably another Vet bill. Needing to catch cabs most everywhere is draining things too even though our government gives me a 50% discount, which is outstandingly generous. Our welfare system in Australia is certainly a system worth much gratitude and thanksgiving. My Vet is very good and knows I struggle and how much I love Buddie and he does try very hard to keep the bill minimal and I am totally grateful for that. I feel I can work through it all eventually if I maintain my chin up and a positive attitude with gratitude and thanksgiving that things are not far worse - as things always could be. At the moment, I am "robbing Peter to pay Paul" and so far so good. A prayer sure would help........... and thanks heaps, Pham" (Another giggle for the times I have read that private vows is the easy way) Edited November 11, 2017 by BarbaraTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 (edited) With my now disabilities, I am tempted to feel useless but as long as I have heartfelt care for others with prayer and penance, I still have value. There is no victory in it since I no sooner choose well, that I find I am choosing for ill. It is very difficult however after a lifetime of a very active life to adjust to my now circumstances - not so much mentally or spiritually.........just those feelings over which we have no/little control that keep hanging around to taunt. Feelings have no morality - it is what we do with feelings that introduces morality i.e. either good or bad. Feelings in part tell us who we are and in essence are amoral - they just are. When we choose what to do with or about feelings introduces right and wrong/good or bad since we are engaging our will - our choices. I can struggle with self pity and do find thanksgiving and gratitude that things are not worse (as for many others) lifts me out of self pity and grants energy, while self pity indulged in tends to cause listlessness and withdrawal, inertia........in me anyway. I like to say that it is ok to visit negative emotions in recognition and owning them - and in acceptance, but not to set up camp in them. Edited November 11, 2017 by BarbaraTherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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