Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

[BarbTherese]

65 views of this thread since I took the last count at 1.55pm today - 9.35pm here now.............Tues 3.5.16.

Packing up for bedtime here and later than the norm.  Reading matter until I drift off to sleep.  "The Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux" E Larkin O.Carm (online and printed off internet)  http://carmelnet.org/larkin/larkin042.pdf
 

Edited May 3, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

A thread has been posted into Vocation Station titled "Is the single life a vocation?" http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/141603-is-the-single-life-a-vocation/

I have contributed one post in reply; however I am not going to contribute into that thread again, rather if the thread remains active, I will put links to a post or posts and respond here in this "Home Mass - Private Vows" thread.........in accordance with the rules set for Vocation Station by dUSt.

Edited May 4, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

---

POST-SYNODAL
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
VITA CONSECRATA
OF THE HOLY FATHER
JOHN PAUL II

ON THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND ITS MISSION
IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-pa...onsecrata.html
 

 

Quote

 

.........".The equal dignity of all members of the Church is the work of the Spirit, is rooted in Baptism and Confirmation and is strengthened by the Eucharist. But diversity is also a work of the Spirit. It is he who establishes the Church as an organic communion in the diversity of vocations, charisms and ministries.The vocations to the lay life, to the ordained ministry and to the consecrated life can be considered paradigmatic, inasmuch as all particular vocations, considered separately or as a whole, are in one way or another derived from them or lead back to them, in accordance with the richness of God's gift. These vocations are also at the service of one another, for the growth of the Body of Christ in history and for its mission in the world........."...........

 

 

The vocations to the lay life are The Sacrament of Marriage and Celibacy in the laity for the sake of The Kingdom - nor is there any necessity to make a vow or vows, promises if one does feel called to the celibate lay life, unless of course one feels called to do so.  Personally, I think that before making any sort of vow or vows, promises, it is very wise indeed to seek spiritual direction.  I also think it would be very wise to seek spiritual direction before embracing the lay celibate state as one's vocation and call even without any vow, vows or promises.  The guiding light always in all things great and small is "What is God's Will?"  Sometimes, one can be unsure if it is God's Will or one's own and while the two can coincide, sometimes they do not - spiritual direction.

I also stress too to others that vocations to either Holy Orders and/or the Consecrated Life (in all its forms) is an honour and Gift from God -  and of great value in the life of The Church and indeed the world.  And if one has been gifted the necessary qualities(and God's Gift to them) for these vocations they should ideally seriously discern with spiritual direction.

____________________________________

I personally feel that the above quotation from Vita Consecrata is a very important statement indeed.

Edited May 5, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS (USCCB)

 

Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/parents/frequently-asked-questions.cfm

 

"A vocation is quite simply a call from God. God gives each one of us a vocation and has blessed us with certain abilities and talents. Some of us are called to be married. Others are called to be single. Still others are called to the priesthood or to religious life. One vocation is not better than another. "

[BarbTherese]

Here is the Post on which I am commenting:  Sponsa's Post in Thread : "Is the Single Life a Vocation?"

Sponsa's article on the Aleteia blog: http://aleteia.org/2016/05/04/is-the-single-life-a-vocation/

Excerpt from article............."...........But even with all this being said, on a pastoral level it is crucial to keep in mind that uncommitted single people can never be regarded as anything less than full members of the Church. In any discussion of vocation, the most important thing to remember is that it is baptism which is the primary vocation of all Christians. Even while uncommitted singlehood itself might not be a vocation in the normal sense of the word, single Catholics are still called to holiness and the fullness of Christian life. - See more at: http://aleteia.org/2016/05/04/is-the-single-life-a-vocation/#sthash.QGuY0SVl.dpuf ..........."..................

As I have stated before, it is not what is said, it is what is not being said via language used with implications.

And the problem is that "the normal sense" (or so called normal sense) is not necessarily at all theologically accurate, nor what The Church proclaims and teaches.  What we do tend to do, I think, (herd values coming into play and perhaps "bystander effect" too) is that what is accepted as "the norm" is accepted as what The Church teaches and becomes "the pebble in the pool effect".

First, how do I definite "vocation" and "single life"?

Vocation for me is simply an experienced call from God to something specific for the sake of The Kingdom - and one responds affirmatively to that call.  What many really good Catholics do not understand is that our Baptism is our "primary vocation" and that it is indeed (see quote above) a call and vocation to holiness.  A further call is the road one is to take to holiness but some do not receive such a further call (by various means) and can feel that they are "vocation-less".  Yet, theologically speaking on the objective level and spiritually speaking on the personal level - they most definitely are not vocation-less and have a very clear and well defined vocation and call by The Church. The vocation and call of Baptism is to follow Jesus and His Gospel, His Church.  And to define the latter, The Church has given us quite extensive and recent Documents as it were on our vocation and call, mission and apostolate in the laity.

The problem as I see it and from what I have experienced being just a face in the pews as it were, mixing freely with my fellow Catholics in a few parishes now, is that Baptism is NOT UNDERSTOOD as a call and vocation.  My other point (raised on another Catholic discussion site) is that in the laity we are not formed, in formation, for actually how to go out and be leaven in our secular environments.  One can of course join a third order etc. where there is formation but not all are called to do so.  If there is some sort of formation generally for laity available, it is always beyond me personally in available dollars to pay for it.

Water all that down into a few words - we do not generally speaking understand our Baptism and it's implications for life.  Every Easter we renew our baptismal VOWS and as individuals in community in union with The Universal Church.  And we do not understand those vows in a quite conscious sense as vows for life, perpetual vows.......or our baptism lived as a personal vocation and call, which it is - and is a whole way of life of commitment and for the sake of The Kingdom, whether married or lay celibate (single life).

_______

What is "singlehood"?  It simply means living celibately in the laity.  Theologically speaking objectively, it can never be an "uncommitted" way of life.........and because of baptism and our baptismal vows.  But as I have stated previously, our baptism as a call and vocation from Jesus ("I have chosen you, you have not chosen Me") is not generally understood. 

I recall when I first was contemplating private vows and back then knew absolutely nothing about them - my
SD (priest religious and theologian) first used the term "private vows", which I had never heard before.  Explaining to me about the evangelical counsels lived under private vows, I asked him "Father, but who would I obey?" and his response was curtly "The Church of course, girl!".

[BarbTherese]

I am very often not a calm type of person, most often I am a quite emotive type of person.  About some things I am absolutely passionate.  Some of the final instructions of my SD (priest religious, theologian) during his terminal cancer was "Be credible, girl"...........and there was I suffering serious bipolar psychosis very often - completely off planet earth and unintelligible completely to 'the normal'.  I think I just might have, perhaps and possibly, (Have I? Dunno!) attained some credibility (just could be about time at 70years of ago and a tad over) - my Archbishop permitting me to have a Home Mass for renewal of Perpetual Private Vows to the EC...........oh goodness, please don't require "calm" of me as well ................far too late in the journey I fear! .............

Bob Dylan - "Maggie's Farm" http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobdylan/maggiesfarm.html

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I try my best
To be just like I am
But everybody wants you
To be just like them
They say sing while you slave

and I just get bored
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.

 

The Holy Spirit is not a snob nor will He be compartmentalized and confined in boundaries ............."[8] The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John Chapter 3 V8)

Edited May 5, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

47 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

 

..............edit..................

The Holy Spirit is not a snob nor will He be compartmentalized and confined in boundaries ............."[8] The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John Chapter 3 V8)

I do muse that real inner freedom and availability to The Holy Spirit might well be scary both to self and to others.....it is in our psychological makeup as human beings - we are social beings, we desire to be loved and to belong.  Rules and regulations, definitions and demarcation, the opinions of others, sometimes even titles (a means of "pulling rank") can be, but not of necessity, compartments and boundaries - within which a person might experience a type of security, a means of feeling safe, loved and belonging...............without being aware nor culpable of it all.  It is more a matter of psychology I think..........while God and His Grace can transcend and certainly with baptism, the grain of mustard seed is planted.   How often our saints have been persecuted by peers and others, including by The Church as hierarchy as well.  That is not to state of course that all persecution, nor the ilk, falls under the heading of "saint", oh not at all for sure.

It is all a journey............and very often a question and then further on an answer - and then a newer question will result, or just pop out the woodwork.

[BarbTherese]

Sitting outside under the pergola on a most beautiful morning (given up the cigs again), it occurred to me that we are born into darkness (original sin) and when baptised The Light shines into the darkness and insofar as we stay within The Light we can see and wander everywhere freely - in complete freedom guided by The Holy Spirit in the footsteps of Jesus to The Glory of The Father.

      "[32] And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John Chapter 8)

Step outside The Light (mortal sin) and one is the darkness once more.  I give abundant humble thanks to God  for The Sacrament of Reconciliation in which The Father not only forgives, He forgets completely as if no sin or sins had been committed...........and we are reconciled to The Church fully as if nothing had happened in the first place.  Mortal sin is a sort of self excommunication - by choosing mortal sin, I am also choosing complete separation from God and His Church.  I choose the darkness over The Light.

(Jesus, truly man and Truly God - and through The Holy Spirit, is......."[9] the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world." John Chapter 1 V5)

John Chapter 1:

"[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. "

[BarbTherese]

"But I don't do anything - I don't have any vocation telling me what to do."

"You get up in the morning, shower and get dressed, have coffee and breakfast.  You might drop the kids off to school or go to work.  You might do some housework and being retired, sit down and read a book, or watch midday movie on the TV.

All the above is part of a very ordinary life and nothing about it sinful, therefore willed by God and pleasing to Him.  Why not consciously do it all for Love of God.  In other words, live a very ordinary life on the outside in an extraordinary way in your interior and hidden life........as St Therese of Lisieux did.  That is part of the genius of her theology and insight into The Gospel -  by which The Church has titled her: Doctor of The Church.  Know too that if you do live your very ordinary type of life in an extraordinary way through interior desires and motivation, you will be giving Glory to God daily, drawing Grace for others and saving souls."

For Luke Chapter 18 "The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God "

[BarbTherese]

21 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

But I don't do anything - I don't have any vocation telling me what to do."

"You get up in the morning, shower and get dressed, have coffee and breakfast.  You might drop the kids off to school or go to work.  You might do some housework and being retired, sit down and read a book, or watch midday movie on the TV.

All the above is part of a very ordinary life and nothing about it sinful, therefore willed by God and pleasing to Him.  Why not consciously do it all for Love of God.  In other words, live a very ordinary life on the outside in an extraordinary way in your interior and hidden life........as St Therese of Lisieux did.  That is part of the genius of her theology and insight into The Gospel -  by which The Church has titled her: Doctor of The Church.  Know too that if you do live your very ordinary type of life in an extraordinary way through interior desires and motivation, you will be giving Glory to God daily, drawing Grace for others and saving souls."

There is no more that needs to be said than the above, for The Holy Spirit indeed will lead wherever He may - and where is the beginning will not be at all where is the ending...........promise and guarantee.  It is the journey.  One will be lead into the mountains, down onto the plains, permitted to linger through doldrums and in the fiery flames of suffering of some degree............I will be lead hand in His daily through an ordinary everyday life, and I will be encouraged, granted fortitude and strength, insight and blessings.  I will be granted surprises and the unexpected. I will take up my daily cross striving to follow Him as I can and according to my  lights - to lead my ordinary everyday life as He would have were it His -  and as Our Lady, chief of all discipleship, really did in Nazareth (and why we know little about it)....and there will be happiness and fulfilment Peace and Joy......Promise and guarantee.  Just don't ask nor expect anything to be static, life in The Holy Spirit is dynamic, organic................

...............dancing through life with The Lord of The Dance.............

 

[BarbTherese]

http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/141610-st-katherine-drexels-sisters-building-complex-to-be-sold/?do=findComment&comment=2764490

 

Quote

 

  "The Sisters of St Joseph are vowed members of the Congregation. Today some people are seeking a closer relationship with the sisters to collaborate in God’s mission. These people have taken private vows and are affiliated to the congregation. These vows of evangelical chastity, poverty and obedience are taken according to an agreed Rule of Life with a Memorandum of Affiliation between the person and the Congregation. This affiliation is open to individual men and women who live independently of the congregation but are closely affiliated."

 

The above is not a third order (while there might be similarities).  Insofar as I know, it is an affiliation in which the person writes their own Rule of Life, to which the religious order agrees (possibly like my SD and I before he approved my rule of life - he made amendments and suggestions to which I agreed, altering the rule accordingly).  In that rule, I also spelt out how I would live out poverty, chastity and obedience.

The affiliated member of Sisters of St Joseph (of The Sacred Heart) is given a Memorandum of Affiliation and makes private vows to the evangelical counsels with a rule of life and will be closely affiliated with the Sisters.

I have a very close friend who is a Religious of St Joseph of St Mary MacKillop - I never felt a call to the above, while I found it very interesting indeed.

 

Edited May 6, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[WhoamI]

Thank you so much for this thread. I hope it doesn't seem strange, but I have read through the entire thread over the last week, and it has resonated with me and brought me a great deal of comfort (and more than a few tears) during game that time. Without going into too great detail at the moment, I am currently on a leave absence from my religious community, in an attempt to help me have the time needed to deal with mental illness. Thank you again, and please keep writing. I will jump in occasionally when I feel moved to do so.

[BarbTherese]

29 minutes ago, WhoamI said:

Thank you so much for this thread. I hope it doesn't seem strange, but I have read through the entire thread over the last week, and it has resonated with me and brought me a great deal of comfort (and more than a few tears) during game that time. Without going into too great detail at the moment, I am currently on a leave absence from my religious community, in an attempt to help me have the time needed to deal with mental illness. Thank you again, and please keep writing. I will jump in occasionally when I feel moved to do so.

Thank you very much indeed, WAI!  I am very happy that you have found consolation in the thread including perhaps about mental illness I hope....(as I said, The Holy Spirit is no snob and can use constructively the most unlikely of channels for His Works).......if religious life is what you desire and feel is God's Will for you, then I will hope with all my heart and pray likewise that you will deal very successfully with your mental health issues and return to your religious community and very soon.  All things are indeed possible to God, huh!  Very often, not at all unusual, that a passage through severe suffering such as MI can indeed be, is The Lord's means of the happily unimaginable.  The unexpected totally.  God bless you richly, grant you His Consolations and your heart's desires.  When I was in a psyche ward and quite often in the past, I used to tell fellow patients that Jesus never suffered a mental illness, He was completely sane and normal.  So we have the mental illness for Him, since He was like us in ALL THINGS except sin

Yeah, I will keep on writing as long as any sort of inspiration and 'inspiration' is forthcoming and dUSt, our beloved leader and administrator, does not close this thread down - and his right to do so........and dUSt, if you are around mate, thanks heaps for not closing it down.  I type very quickly and quite accurately keeping up with my thoughts and typing the only thing that can keep up with them.  Having a bipolar mind, the thoughts can come fast and furious on one subject no sooner expressed than a new train of thought starts up and races along ........and so on it goes.  I don't always write so many posts as I have today however.

A Carmelite prioress I know said "I think the internet was created just for you" - she was joking of course all the way and a private joke shared by us.  I used to say in my days lost in psychosis "I can run the world from my kitchen" (before I had a computer).  My son gave me this computer ............and I have shifted the computer from the kitchen to the guest room.  It is stunning to me - an amazing matter that we can indeed reach the whole dang world 'from our kitchen'.........while we cannot run it...........as yet anyway :).  And here I sit tapping away - but the washing machine has told me it's time to hang the washing out...............d*&%it!  My little dog and cat need to be fed etc. etc.  Duties call!

God bless you richly WMI...........and thank you very much indeed for your words of encouragement at what I know for sure is a very difficult time indeed.  I cannot reward you, my hands always empty - but I know Someone who will reward you for your kindness and thoughtfulness, encouragement............my very warm regards............Barb

I once wrote a poem called "Who Am I" but can't find it.  After I have done what duty calls me to do, I think I can recall some lines in that poem.

Hey @WhoamI - before I go - a big welcome to Phatmass.  Jump in the water is fine and no sharks to worry about.  Now and then we can argue like cats and dogs sometimes...........but hey, we are a family and what family is free of arguments.

And no, your post was not at all strange.  No way.  It was quite beautiful, thank you.  As it says in the intro somewhere  to Open Mic Forum ............say what you like and don't be afraid to do so (paraphrasing). 

Oh and we do have a private messaging system if you want or need it.  It can take a while sometimes to find one's way around a place and get to know it.

Catcha later and around the place on Phatmass at times I hope.....welcome again.....Barb

Edited May 6, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[WhoamI]

Thank you so much for your very warm welcome to Phatmass. I was a member many years ago, before I entered the convent, and some of the same faces (names?) are still around. As regards my vocation, only God knows at this point...I am taking it, or trying to take it, one day at a time.  The Lord knows what He is doing, and I embrace His will with my whole heart - even if my emotions do not always seem to agree. 

Again,thank you, and I will likely be making use of the Private Messenging at some time in the future. 

God bless! 

[BarbTherese]

1 hour ago, WhoamI said:

Thank you so much for your very warm welcome to Phatmass. I was a member many years ago, before I entered the convent, and some of the same faces (names?) are still around. As regards my vocation, only God knows at this point...I am taking it, or trying to take it, one day at a time.  The Lord knows what He is doing, and I embrace His will with my whole heart - even if my emotions do not always seem to agree. 

Again,thank you, and I will likely be making use of the Private Messenging at some time in the future. 

God bless! 

"As regards my vocation, only God knows at this point...I am taking it, or trying to take it, one day at a time.  The Lord knows what He is doing, and I embrace His will with my whole heart - even if my emotions do not always seem to agree"

Hi again WAI...........Spot on re the above.  I know how difficult one day at a time can be - in my own journey, needing to take just one day at a time, what I was learning for the future (I did not realise at the time) was just how to live daily just for today in my future and to entrust with confidence any tomorrow to the Loving Providence of God.  Practice does indeed make perfect or on the road to, rather.

I read somewhere that the reasons things go wrong is because there is something we need to learn for our journey we have not as yet learned.   Hence when things go wrong in my journey, I try to ask myself "What am I learning for my future through this?  What is the lesson in the situation?"  The answer of course is not always immediate - but it will arrive at some point.

St Augustine : "Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence."  

It is a real killer isn't it when one really does trust The Lord in very difficult circumstances and desiring and ready with all one's heart to embrace His Will no matter content - and resolved with firmness to do so - but the emotions keep trying to pull one in some opposing direction.  To know mentally in undoubting Faith that The Lord does indeed know what He is about.........and ye olde emotions (and God has created us emotive creatures) keep trying to scream that He does not.  Emotions are important as they are intrinsic to our humanity created by God. Emotions can tell us in part who we are - but they do not tell us the whole of who we are.  We are also creatures gifted with rational thought processes to mention just one other gift we have as human beings.  Both astounding gifts are supported and guided by God's Love and His Grace, His Holy Spirit.  Emotions to me are like windmills - they will shift in the slightest breeze.  Faith however brings about a decision, a choice in one's will, and it is a constant as long as one does decide and choose Faith and with confident trust in The Lord.    All is Grace (St Therese of Lisieux).

I am hoping you just might find some old pals on Phatmass - and it is good to know that you are familiar with the site, with Phatmass and recognise some members - some old faces as it were.  The private messaging system is really good for private conversations.

It occurred to me last night that the website "Leonie's Longing" http://www.leonieslonging.org/ just might be helpful to you.  I don't know much about it myself other than it apparently has been very supportive and helpful to those who have left religious life and returned to the world.  I have presumed that that meant left religious life completely.  I don't know their position re a person who has a leave of absence for some reason and hopes to return to the life.  If you don't know the site, a wander around it might be helpful.  I am hoping it might prove to be of help to you.  In the left hand column of the site is a link to "Contact Us" and one can write a message, which they state will be kept in strictest confidence.

My daily prayer will be that The Lord will grant you your hearts desire and many consolations and insights in this difficult journey and time...........warm regards.......Barb

Edited May 6, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

@WhoamI

The other things that has just occurred to me and very important I think especially if one is struggling mentally, is do you have friends or family, or even both, where you can sit down relaxed over a cuppa - face to face in person - and just let it all out without needing to hold this or that back for some reason?  People who love and care for you - ideally who do not have all the answers, nor even sure they have the right questions...........loving and accepting people.

With mental issues, it is a very good move too to seek therapy of some kind - and a therapist that one feels comfortable with, can let it all out, and whom one can trust.

The other important point is spiritual director.  If you don't have one and it needs to be someone you feel very comfortable with and whom you trust, there are two options I can think of for finding a spiritual director:

• Ring houses of monastic priests and brothers, nuns (sometimes they do undertake spiritual direction or might be willing to do so)  Thankfully today, very thankfully, most often the perspective & attitude in religious houses re those who leave religious life for good or on a leave of absence is not at all what it once was.
• Phone your diocesan offices and ask how to find a spiritual director.

Don't be afraid to sound people out before making your own mental commitment to them on some level, or deciding best not to do so.

Finally, if none of the above works out for you, be absolutely confident and trustful that The Lord has reasons (as I know you do know) and strive to be content to journey with your hand simply in His...............He can be trusted absolutely in this.  I went 20 years without being able to find a spiritual director - no friends nor family either but I never gave up on praying for a  SD and also people I could sit down with over a cuppa and just let it all out without reserve.  It happened eventually.

Edited May 6, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[WhoamI]

Again, thank you So much for your response. I am very blessed to have a lot of supports in place - a really amazing support group with a number of people who like to go out for coffee and chat outside of group times, friends from University and even high school who have stuck around, as well as my home parish here.  I have a wonderful spiritual director from my time in the convent who is very willing to stay in contact. I am working on the therapy part of it- there is a bit of a wait, but there is drop in as well.

I'very checked out the leonie's longing website as well, and have been in contact with them. They are very willing to assist, and I find that I relate to much of what is on their website and blog. 

Thank you for your reflection on emotion. I think one of the blessings of this struggle with mental illness has been a far greater knowledge about and acceptance of my own emotions, and their role. Before, I would often  h just not allow myself to feel anything,especially the more distressing emotions.I have come to a far better place with regard to that now - being able , must of the time, to allow myself to feel, and to consciously acknowledge my emotions, especially in prayer. I once told my spiritual director that I feel far more able to "pray with my whole self" whereas before, prayer was largely an intellectual exercise.

Today was a good day. I went out and enjoyed the sunshine, and made the effort to talk to people that I met down town. It was beautiful, and made md think of one of the thoughts that Catherine Doherty has when beginning her work - the chit-chat apostolic; being present to people, listening to them...

God bless your day!

Please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes.  I am typing on my phone, and I am still getting the hang of it. Also, auto correct some timesort takes over, and I don't catch it.  

[BarbTherese]

Thank you very much for your reply, WAI.  Wherever The Lord is leading you, you are certainly fully doing your part and therefore you will get there for sure!

Really good news that you have a good support system in place including spiritual direction with therapy in the pipeline. A drop-in where mental health issues are concerned is a good move to my mind too. It is my personal experience that I learnt much from fellow sufferers and I found a burden lifted off me (for one) to realise that others had really bad days too when all was confusing and nothing was making any sense at all.  I discovered I did not have blue skin and red eyes as it were, I discovered that I was just a human being like all the rest and it was ok to have bad days, lousy days, miserable days.

Great that Leonie's Longing website has been willing to offer you support and that you have been able to relate to articles on their website.  Excellent news indeed.  Thank you for sharing this info - it is very handy to know that Leonie's Longing does not confine itself to those leaving religious life for good.  Important info to have on hand indeed.  Thank you.  It is also important to post such information since someone might be reading only who needs it.  Thanks again, WAI!

3 hours ago, WhoamI said:

Thank you for your reflection on emotion. I think one of the blessings of this struggle with mental illness has been a far greater knowledge about and acceptance of my own emotions, and their role. Before, I would often  h just not allow myself to feel anything,especially the more distressing emotions.I have come to a far better place with regard to that now - being able , must of the time, to allow myself to feel, and to consciously acknowledge my emotions, especially in prayer. I once told my spiritual director that I feel far more able to "pray with my whole self" whereas before, prayer was largely an intellectual exercise.

I can relate so much to the above.  When I first fell ill, I would not acknowledge my emotions at all.  My psychiatrist was almost always saying to me "Stop rationalising".  I think too that sometimes especially in the past there was a sort of spirituality in Catholic cultural consciousness that our more negative types of emotions (part of a normal life) should not be acknowledged and were a sort of anathema as it were - sometimes perhaps formation in religious life can travel this path (although I think more so probably in the past than now).

God has created us feeling creatures and we only have to read and meditation on the life of Jesus to realise that He was a fully emoting human being.  We should ideally treasure the fact that we are emoting creatures since our emotions are God's gift and necessary for survival. Feelings have no morality.  It is what one does with one's feelings that introduces morality and right or wrong.  As I said before, feelings tells us in part who we are but are not the whole of us.

Suppressing an emotion means that I choose not to express an emotion for some reason - but I acknowledge that feeling and own it as my own.  I choose. 

3 hours ago, WhoamI said:

Today was a good day. I went out and enjoyed the sunshine, and made the effort to talk to people that I met down town. It was beautiful, and made md think of one of the thoughts that Catherine Doherty has when beginning her work - the chit-chat apostolic; being present to people, listening to them...

How wonderful for a good day and may there be many more!  And oh yes, the chit-chat apostolate - just being "present to people, listening to them"  This apostolate (and thank you for the expression from Catherine Doherty) cannot be undermined or downgraded out in the world especially although I know it is important in religious life too.  Not at all unusual for such an apostolate to lead on to other things of importance.  Like everything, there has to be a beginning to all things human ....... and there has to be an ending too, while the beginning is not necessarily the ending.......the journey.

"All things pass, God alone suffices"

Wow, WAI, I think you are doing great things indeed.  I hope that you will start up perhaps your own blog or thread....or even post into this thread.  I think you already have and will have important things to share.   I am always conscious that all threads and posts have readers that we know nothing at all about and probably wont........and our potential to be channels of The Holy Spirit to them through the written word and we will never know it this side of Heaven.   I think contributing on Phatmass can be an apostolate too.

No spelling or grammar problems that I came across, WAI.  Ahhh learning to type on the phone huh, oh aint it a delight and aint it a joy!

 

Meant to include this, but forgot.  It is such a consolation to be able to share with Jesus fully who we are without holding anything back.  After all, He knows it all anyway, but longs to share with us His Peace and Freedom and knows that being able to share all things with Him no matter what it is will open our door to His Gifts of Peace and of Freedom to mention two.  Well I recall the days when I would say to Him only what I thought He wanted to hear, what I should be saying............forgetting completely that He knew me better than I knew myself.  Not much use holding anything back at all.  As I go about my day , in the main I relate to Jesus as friend and pal, co-conspirator even........when in The Presence of The Blessed Eucharist, in the main I am conscious of The Divine, The Sacred and The Holy.

Edited May 8, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

It just struck me that the thing about "the chit chat apostolate" is that it is very common in our world that people are very lonely and do not have one person that is present to them and interested in their story, really interested and fully present to them in every way.  When someone is so very much alone and lonely, a warm transaction with a fellow human being can open up to them that they are indeed a valuable human being........a person and identity and part of a community of fellow human beings.  It strikes me that very much indeed can come about from "the chit chat apostolate".  Thank you again.

[BarbTherese]

Can't find a copy of my poem "Who Am I?" and the only line that comes to memory doesn't make sense out of the context which I cannot recall.  The poem must be on my previous computer and while my son has retained the C Drive, it has not been transferred on to this computer.