Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

[Guest]

The Intervention

A man and his wife were sitting in the living room discussing a “Living Will”

"Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

His wife got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all the beer.

Joke resource site

 

 

"Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."

-  Edwin Hubbel Chapin (1814-1880)

““One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

- Luke 16:10

[Guest]

 

 

 

[Guest]

I have got into a difficult personal situation and, at this point, have no idea what to do.  If you are reading this, please say a prayer to The Holy Spirit that I will settle on and effect the best move to overcome the situation.

It is a huge help to me giving support and strength to be able to post into Phatmass, which does tolerate my ramblings and thinking on my feet in long posts.

I think on my feet e.g. at a keyboard.  I am thinking that perhaps I should just endure what has happened, come what may, and then as the situation continues to unfold work through it step by step.  That sounds like a way to go, but it scares me silly.  I would need to put every ounce of confidence and trust I can muster in Divine Providence.  My problem is that if pushed too far, I can be just as cutting as the very worst and I can respond with a quick tempered response when provoked - and a response I might later really regret.  But that is to anticipate what MIGHT happen rather than to live in the moment. 

To live in the moment at this moment is to get on with life here in Bethany.  I wont have to face the situation again I don't think until next weekend.

Come Holy Spirit into the situation and grant that I will work through it pleasing to You - and therefore to Jesus and Our Father.  Help me to grasp with Love that whatever happens good will come of it, even if I cannot see it and suffer because of it.  Grant that I will never again respond overly quick tempered and perhaps hurt another.  Grant too, I beg, that I will not allow hurt feelings to get the better of me.  Amen.

[Guest]

[Guest]

 

"We fail to see the place of suffering in the broader scheme of things. We fail to see that suffering is an inevitable dimension of life. Because we have lost perspective, we fail to see that unless one is willing to accept suffering properly, he or she is really refusing to continue in the quest for maturity. To refuse suffering is to refuse personal growth."

- Henri J. M. Nouwen

[Guest]

When we are troubled with temptation and evil thoughts, then we see clearly the great need we have of God, since without God we can do nothing good… No one is so good that he is immune to temptation; we will never [in this life] be entirely free of it.

- Thomas Kempis (1380-1471), Of the Imitation of Christ

 

[Guest]

One half of my petition has been answered as I hoped.  Deo Gratius Laudate Dominum.  The other half will probably resolve this coming weekend.  It is humbling to have a win because I wonder what Glory it must surely be to reach to the lowest. There is a distance so great between the two, that I get lost in wonder just guided into a few steps into that distance, glimpsing for a second it's endlessness, its eternity.

I have had quite a week to date struggling with paranoid thinking.  It seemed I would start to think paranoid, then after a bit become aware of it and then struggling to reinstate Peace in my heart with The Lord's Grace.  There is also the battle to not be discouraged with myself and the temptation to give up the struggle, lay down and cry.   I won some battles and I lost some - but the war continues and probably will until this other half of my petition is resolved and that is indeed wonderful thinking - it is more of a likely that the war will continue in some form or other until death.  If this other half of my petition is resolved my way, may I be full of gratitude and humbled, and if it is not my way, then may I be accepting seeing with humility The Lord's Will in the situation and not allow hurt feelings to overcome......and certainly not anger.  But therein is a battle of its own probably.

Hence, my task is to live in the moment without paranoid thoughts, or if such does occur to not allow them to set up camp and that means battle.

What amazed me almost more than anything about all the experiences of St Teresa of Avila is that in the final mansion all is Peace.

If only I could take up some sort of apostolate, I feel I would be distracted from myself and me.  But then, that grass is always greener over there!    Ideally, I should live in great wonder and gratitude at the gift of being alive alone, the gift of life, of being called by God to life - and then embrace lovingly what comes in the wake.

How I love Little St Therese, for I can even offer all my poverty and failings in their great variety to The Lord as the only gift I have for my love to offer............and He accepts such gifts with Great Love.  His Heart of Loving Mercy is consoled by active confidence and trust in His Mercy and sighting something of its Glory and Infinite Nature.  There is nothing whatsoever His Heart cannot embrace with His Mercy.  And what is His Mercy but His Love of us.  His Love is Merciful.  I don't think of it as His Love for the sinner but being revolted by this sin.  Rather I see it as His Love of the sinner including the sin, for in Loving the sinner, His Love burns away all sin.   His Merciful Love must do so in order to reach the sinner.  Free will is always present and I have the option to either choose Jesus and His Merciful Love or to reject Him.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation, Confession, is the Sacrament of His Mercy made visible.

"I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

John Chapter 15

 

My other thought just now is that St Therese said she found her vocation in Love.  Her vocation is to Love.  And that is another way of saying "we are all called to holiness" for we are all called to Love.

"A new commandment I give to you: Love one another"

John Chapter 13

[Guest]

A new discovery for me.  Benedictine Nuns in London have live Eucharistic Adoration streaming live.  I could not access it on I.E. but could on Chrome.  I am unable to get to any Eucharistic Adoration in my area or thereabouts, hence live streams are my resort. 

http://adoration.tyburnconvent.org.uk/

 

 

[Guest]

 

From Second Reading Office Of Readings 30th May 2018

St Augustine - Confessions

http://universalis.com/readings.htm

 

"When at last I cling to you with my whole being there will be no more anguish or labour for me, and my life will be alive indeed, alive because filled with you. But now it is very different. Anyone whom you fill you also uplift; but I am not full of you, and so I am a burden to myself. Joys over which I ought to weep do battle with sorrows that should be matter for joy, and I do not know which will be victorious. But I also see griefs that are evil at war in me with joys that are good, and I do not know which will win the day.

This is agony, Lord, have pity on me! It is agony! See, I do not hide my wounds; you are the physician and I am sick; you are merciful, I in need of mercy.

Is not human life on earth a time of testing? Who would choose troubles and hardships? You command us to endure them, but not to love them. No-one loves what he has to endure, even if he loves the endurance, for although he may rejoice in his power to endure, he would prefer to have nothing that demands endurance. In adverse circumstances I long for prosperity, and in times of prosperity I dread adversity. What middle ground is there, between these two, where human life might be free from trial? Woe betide worldly prosperity, and woe again, from fear of disaster and evanescent joy! But woe, woe, and woe again upon worldly adversity, from envy of better fortune, the hardship of adversity itself, and the fear that endurance may falter.

Is not human life on earth a time of testing without respite?

On your exceedingly great mercy, and on that alone, rests all my hope." 

[Guest]

Hundreds (didn't count them!) of Blesseds and Saints

who were in the laity lifelong

 

Blesseds who were in the laity all their lives: http://catholicsaints.info/saints-who-were-lifelong-lay-people/

Continuation (includes list of lay saints) : http://catholicsaints.info/saints-who-were-lifelong-lay-people-2/

(Picked up the above info from a post into Catholic Answers)

 

---o0o---

 

The Confessions of St Augustine

All my hope lies in your great mercy

Where did I find you in order to make your acquaintance in the first place? You could not have been in my memory before I learned to know you. Where then could I have found you in order to learn of you, if not in yourself, far above me? “Place” has here no meaning: further away from you or toward you we may travel, but place there is none. O Truth, you hold sovereign sway over all who turn to you for counsel, and to all of them you respond at the same time, however diverse their pleas.

  Clear is your response, but not all hear it clearly. They all appeal to you about what they want, but do not always hear what they want to hear. Your best servant is the one who is less intent on hearing from you what accords with his own will, and more on embracing with his will what he has heard from you.

[Guest]

I have taken myself out of the difficult situation.  I was not strong enough to stay in it and accept with serenity if things went against me - frankly, I was afraid I might respond with spontaneous hurt and anger and say something I would really regret.  I was fearful I would not be able to hide my hurt feelings and anger even if I managed to remain silent.  I lacked trust!  Not at all proud of myself, but it is now fait accompli.  It is done.  I just have to gather up wounded pride and revelation of my own weakness and move on with shame, but still with confident trust in The Lord's Mercy even on such as I knowing my confidence and trust in Divine Providence was very much lacking.

It is evidence I do not at all always meet up to what I advocate and in what I strongly believe.

 

 

 

Quote

 

The final reality, and the ultimate fact of our total situation to which we need to be adjusted, is God. That indeed would be my definition of God: God is He with whom we have ultimately to deal, the final reality to which we have to face up, and with whom we have in the last resort to reckon.

- John Baillie (1886-1960), Christian Devotion

 

 

[Guest]

31st May

Feast Visitation Blessed Virgin Mary

 

 

CATHOLIC CULTURE - ABOUT THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION

[Guest]

 

The reflections from the USCCB website, are only more or less recent additions as accessible on YouTube.  They can be accessed on the following link :  http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/

I have always found them to be helpful and concise, rarely longer than 3mins.

[Guest]

 

Outward as well as inward morality helps to form the idea of a true Christian freedom. We are right to lay stress on inwardness, but in this world there is no inwardness without an outward expression.

… Meister Eckhart

[Marysheart]

Thank you Barbara therese, for your kind input. May Jesus and Mary bless you. 

Barbara Therese, I just read your post. I will pray for you. It's nice that I met a friend on here. Let's pray for one another. I know what you mean by  I'm not letting things get the best of you, or something of that nature. I think life is wonderful in many aspects, we have God who is always with us. We are also human though.... So when things happen to us, especially when we have no control how others treat us... Let's think of Jesus and all he went through. It's hard at times, but mother Angelica once said it's either God's will or God permits things to happen, I don't always understand, but I'm sure not every one understands the " why" but if we keep our eyes and heart on Christ, it helps because our focus is more on him than the " trial" we are enduring". Easier said than done, but God gives us the grace to endure it. ( Praying all works out for you)