Dominican Nuns Menlo Park Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 …O fiery abyss of charity! …O mad lover! And you have need of your creature? It seems so to me, for you act as if you could not live without her, in spite of the fact that you are Life itself, and everything has life from you and nothing can have life without you. Why then are you so mad? Because you have fallen in love with what you have made! You are pleased and delighted over her within yourself, as if you were drunk with desire for her salvation. She runs away from you and you go looking for her. She strays and you draw closer to her. You clothed yourself in our humanity, and nearer than that you could not have come. (Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, translated by Sr. Suzanne Noffke, O.P.) God the Father, the Eternal Truth, revealed to St. Catherine of Siena in The Dialogue that “…you are she who is not, and I AM he who is.†This means that God is the source of our very existence. St. Luke also tells us pretty much the same thing when he says that "...it is in him that we live and move and have our being…" (Acts. 17:28) Would we even last for a fraction of a millisecond if God forgets about us? Obviously not! This thought, along with this Sunday’s Mass Readings provide us with a beautiful meditation as we prepare to enter into the grace-filled season of Lent. In a few days, we will hear the priest prays as he places ashes on our forehead: “Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return.†How much weight can a speck of dust weigh on a scale, and how much value does it have? Not much! Yet, today we hear God’s reassurance that his loving care will always be present to us more than a mother’s tender love for the infant of her womb. How can we be certain of God’s providential care for us? Look at the world around us...such as the birds in the sky, Jesus says, they do not sow or reap or store up anything, yet your Father in heaven feeds and sustains them. Look again at the grass in the field that withers and the wild flowers that fade away as quickly as they are bloomed, yet they are adorned with the most elegant and magnificent apparel that not even the wisest and richest King Solomon could compare with them. And these are all non-rational creatures that could not come close to the dignity of the children of the Almighty God! Nonetheless, God provides for them in an exceptional way, even to the smallest details. Should we have any reason not to trust the One in whose image and likeness we were created? For those of us who are weighed down by the burdens of life that forces us to cry out: “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me!â€... we need to make a U-turn back to the Living God who from the beginning of time has loved us into existence, and who continues to sustain us till this day. Should we then, just sit around and do nothing? Obviously not! It just means that we should not make worries and anxieties the center of our being and spend all of our time and energy on getting rich to provide for a comfortable future, thus forget that our main duty and happiness in life is to seek God, his kingdom and his righteousness. What does this mean? Listen to St. Paul…for you, servants of God, shun the desire to be rich; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. (1 Tim. 6:11) Why? Because…we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world…those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. (1 Tim. 6:7,9) What about the people whom God has given more than their share of the daily bread? They should not be haughty, nor set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God…they are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed. (1 Tim. 6:17-18) In his Lenten message for this year, Pope Francis teaches us that God’s infinite mercy and love for us is more clearly manifested in Christ who took flesh and bore our weaknesses and sins for our freedom, true salvation and true happiness. May we show the same love to our suffering brothers and sisters who are in need of our financial and spiritual assistance. Rest in God alone Rest in God alone My soul, my soul... Today’s Mass Readings: ReadingI: Isaiah 49:14-15 ResponsorialPsalm 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9ReadingII: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5Gospel:Matthew 6:24-34 Blessed and Happy Lent, Everyone!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaTherese Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Thanks! I was meaning to spend some extra time with the Mass readings today because I'm sick and can't go to Mass, but this gave me both the kick I needed to actually do it and a meditation to go along with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandelynmarie Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Outta props, but Blessed Lent to you & all our Dominicans :nun: ...thank you for sharing such beautiful meditations.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheresaThoma Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Wonderful reflection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carla Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 God bless you for this beautiful reflection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Ng Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 What did Pope Francis say this morning? PRAY FOR VOCATIONS.Commenting on the Gospel about the encounter of the rich young man with Jesus, Pope Francis said:"“His heart was restless, because the Holy Spirit was pushing him to get closer to Jesus and to follow him. But his heart was full and he lacked the courage to empty it. He made his choice: money. His heart was full of money…. But he was not a thief, or a criminal: no, no, no! He was a good man: he had never stolen! He had never cheated anyone: his money had been earned honestly. But his heart was imprisoned, it was attached to money and he lacked the freedom to choose. Money chose for himâ€.How many young people – Pope Francis continued – feel this call to get close to Jesus within their hearts, and they are enthusiastic about it. “They are not ashamed to kneel before Him†and to “publically show their faith in Jesus Christ†and “they want to follow Him, but when their hearts are full of something else and they lack the courage to empty their hearts, they turn back and their joy becomes sadnessâ€. There are many young people today – Pope Francis said – who have a vocation, but sometimes there is something that stops them:“We must pray so that the hearts of these young people may be emptied, emptied of other interests and other sentiments, so that they may become free. This is the prayer for vocations. ‘Lord, send us nuns and send us priests, defend them from idolatry, the idolatry of vanity, the idolatry of pride, the idolatry of power, the idolatry of money’. This prayer of ours is to prepare these hearts so that they are able to follow Jesus closelyâ€. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I'm outta props peeps but I'd prop you all.... Beautiful, all of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia Jesu Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Yes, thank you, dear Dominican from Menlo Park for posting the reflection! I remember reading Fr. John A. Hardon's commentary on St. Catherine's Dialogues wherein she explains how God uses us as "channels of grace to others" and how our practice of virtue is the way God communicates "His supernatural light and strength to everyone whose life we touch." What a wonderful mindset to have for Lent! Many blessings to all of you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andibc Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Beautiful. Thank you, sister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deus te Amat Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Thank you for this. I think this is one of my favorite passages from the Dialogues, but I needed it now. I always forget what her writing does to me. Thank you. ... A soul rises up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominican Nuns Menlo Park Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 (edited) I'm glad to hear the meditation helps you in some way...any way! :). Praise God alone. One of the Dominican's mottos is to share the fruits of our contemplation. This is why we have time set aside for prayer, lectio divina, silence and also study (a special charism of our Order.) All these help us grow in deeper union with God. And from the heart...the mouth speaks...and the fingers type :). Wishing everyone a holy Lent. Thanks! I was meaning to spend some extra time with the Mass readings today because I'm sick and can't go to Mass, but this gave me both the kick I needed to actually do it and a meditation to go along with it. Hoping ou are better now, at least by tomorrow to go and receive some ashes :saint2: . It seems that Ashes Wednesday has become such a popular day for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Does anyone know the reason for this? What did Pope Francis say this morning? PRAY FOR VOCATIONS.Commenting on the Gospel about the encounter of the rich young man with Jesus, Pope Francis said:"“His heart was restless, because the Holy Spirit was pushing him to get closer to Jesus and to follow him. But his heart was full and he lacked the courage to empty it. He made his choice: money. His heart was full of money…. But he was not a thief, or a criminal: no, no, no! He was a good man: he had never stolen! He had never cheated anyone: his money had been earned honestly. But his heart was imprisoned, it was attached to money and he lacked the freedom to choose. Money chose for himâ€.How many young people – Pope Francis continued – feel this call to get close to Jesus within their hearts, and they are enthusiastic about it. “They are not ashamed to kneel before Him†and to “publically show their faith in Jesus Christ†and “they want to follow Him, but when their hearts are full of something else and they lack the courage to empty their hearts, they turn back and their joy becomes sadnessâ€. There are many young people today – Pope Francis said – who have a vocation, but sometimes there is something that stops them:“We must pray so that the hearts of these young people may be emptied, emptied of other interests and other sentiments, so that they may become free. This is the prayer for vocations. ‘Lord, send us nuns and send us priests, defend them from idolatry, the idolatry of vanity, the idolatry of pride, the idolatry of power, the idolatry of money’. This prayer of ours is to prepare these hearts so that they are able to follow Jesus closelyâ€. Thank you for sharing this! Beautiful! Edited March 4, 2014 by Dominican Nuns Menlo Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Thank you for this, and for your presence among us! Holding you and the Sisters in prayer this Lent, and throughout the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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