Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

[Lamb]

7 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Thank you for the above post, Lamb.  It is truly wonderful to hear another voice in this thread besides my own!  I would give you ten props if I only could.

 

Oh, you're very welcome!  I will warn you that I can be frightfully inconsistent about posting, though. 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Lamb said:

Oh, you're very welcome!  I will warn you that I can be frightfully inconsistent about posting, though. 

Hi again Lamb...........

"Frightfully inconsistent" is good too and entirely welcome.  Most of what I post into this thread are probably spiritual type quotes and articles - and comment is always abundantly welcome.  I also post now and then about my own journey.  This thread is open always to other members to post spiritual quotes and articles texts too - as well as posting about their own journey.  In fact, it is open to anyone at all to post anything at all more or less within the subject of the thread.  I am not at all in anyway whatsoever an owner or 'boss' etc. of the thread.  No way - not even a smidgen.

I also suffer Bipolar Disorder and any posts and commentary on the subject of mental illness generally is welcomed too, particularly by anyone journeying with mental illness. 

I am really appreciative of dUSt (our Administrator - aka "The Boss") who has permitted this thread to continue to the now 31 pages with me in the main the only contributor.  I opened the thread on January 25, 2014.....three years ago almost.

Cheers Lamb and God's richest blessings...........Barb  

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General comments: The laity have a quite specific and special call to holiness along a particular road or role in The Church - and it is a quite specific, important and vital road or role with attendant duties laid out by The Church.  Holy Orders and Consecrated Life have their own vital roles in The Church with specific duties - as does Laity, married or called to celibacy in the single life.  I will post later a quotation from "The Mission and Vocation of The Laity" (Christifideles Laici) from Pope John Paul II.

All vocations have specific duties only that vocation can fulfil........as does the vocation to the Laity married or celibate.

 

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

CHAT - HANDLING EMOTIONS

As usual, I did not sit down at this keyboard to rave on - I just cannot resist the lure of letters and words!  Give me a keyboard of any kind or pen and paper and I am off and running.  Correction: It is not can not so much as will not perhaps.  It is a self indulgent occupation and one I find rewarding to me personally, even cathartic at times.  I wrote a poem once,  lines of which ran:

"merely a creative urge none can still

and passion would have its fill, as passion often will."

But then again, I am the same if I sit down with brush, paint and canvass.......off and running.

After Vigil Mass last night, I sunk into a miserable depression.  I did not try to get rid of it, to distract myself in some way.  All I did was stay with it, miserable and negative permitting my mind to roll on as it may(without permitting my mind to get ridiculous).  It's 11.09am here in Adelaide just now and no sign of any sort of depression to date.  Depression which plagued and hunted me last night.  It might return it might not.  In God's Hands and Divine Holy Will.  I know this is going to be a journey dependant on unknown variables and decisions of others.  I do know as a bipolar sufferer that in the comings and goings of various moods for whatever reasons, to just stay with the mood whatever it might be.  I read once in a book on Gestalt Therapy "get the basic energy up to the ears".  In other words, I listen to my thoughts allowing them to roam wherever but not permitting them to go too far and be ridiculous.  I go about a normal routine despite feeling like going to bed and forgetting the world exists.  In manic highs in the past, in the main (mistakes galore!) I knew those triggers that were indulging in the mania making it worse.  I listened for those triggers and aborted them.  I intersperse the listening and roaming mind with ejaculatory prayer e.g. "Dear Lord, please help me through this".  "Jesus, I offer up whatever I might suffer to you and your Most Sacred Heart"..............endless types of ejaculatory prayer occur.  I try to stay in touch with other minds at difficult times - very often over the years on Phatmass, it has been reading and posting on Phatmass which has kept me in touch with other minds and thoughts.   Best of all however, is to sit down with a cuppa with a friend one trusts and let it all hang out.  If one has such a friend that is.  So many in our world go through life without even one close friend they trust.  I do think this is one of the reasons to be gentle and kind, considerate and compassionate with people we come across on the internet.  They may be exceptionally lonely and alone persons.  Indeed, some in real life even know many people indeed, but cannot count even one that is a close friend and trusted.

Having said the above, I think one knows (I certainly do) when it is time to contact the doctor or therapist, psychiatrist etc...........and when it would be remiss and a complete failure of wisdom and prudence not to do so.  Contacting one's doctor etc. can be also an act of Charity and Mercy - consideration for others who have to endure one if one becomes unwell.

Dependant on how today unfolds, I will reinstate my formal prayer routine from Vespers tonight.

Deo Gratius

Laudate Dominus

......journeying............

[Guest]

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

I try to stay in touch with other minds at difficult times - very often over the years on Phatmass, it has been reading and posting on Phatmass which has kept me in touch with other minds and thoughts.   Best of all however, is to sit down with a cuppa with a friend one trusts and let it all hang out.  If one has such a friend that is.  So many in our world go through life without even one close friend they trust.  I do think this is one of the reasons to be gentle and kind, considerate and compassionate with people we come across on the internet.  They may be exceptionally lonely and alone persons.  Indeed, some in real life even know many people indeed, but cannot count even one that is a close friend and trusted.

The above reminded me of last night's homily at Vigil Mass.  Part of that homily pointed out that there are three primary stages in growth and maturity:

Dependance (baby/child)

Independence (moving out of home and becoming self supportive)

Interdependence (An ability to work in a team and all that teamwork of any kind does involve both as leader and as just one of the team).

Father last night pointed out for us that Jesus negotiated each stage.  As a baby and child we see Him totally dependant on Our Lady and St Joseph for survival.  Jesus moves into the independence stage at around 12 years of age.  We find him talking with teachers in the temple, questioning them.  When Mary and Joseph find Him, they express their distress thinking that they had lost Him.  Scripture then tells us that Jesus went home with His parents and "learnt obedience".  Traditionally it is felt that Jesus probably spent some years working his father's carpentry business after St. Joseph had died.

Finally, we see Jesus move into the interdependence stage.  He leaves His family home completely, never to return.  He is not the loner, he gathers apostles and disciples around Him.  We do know that Jesus had people around Him who controlled the purse strings for them all.  Jesus is a good leader, He trains those around Him to take over as will become necessary after His death.  Jesus looks for leadership qualities and acknowledges Peter as a leader forming Peter into the role...........for all those very endearing weak and imperfect human qualities in St Peter that can trigger a re-look at what holiness and sanctity might really be all about making it attainable.  Not beyond the reach of the weak and imperfect.

Jesus walked the length and breadth of Galilee - and where He found Faith, He worked miracles.  Not charity and not hope, only Faith.

"And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith." http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PVM.HTM

[Guest]

“There is so much need today for mature Christian personalities, conscious of their baptismal identity, of their vocation and mission in the Church and in the world!”

—Pope John Paul II, May 30, 1998

Message for the World Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities

 

________________________________

THE LAITY - OUR ROLE AND RELATED MATTERS

 

I will be posting the following quite lengthy article from Ignatius.com in full.  Each part (as below) will have its own separate post and over a period of days - the entire quite long article is excellent reading even essential for the baptised Catholic in the Laity, I think .  I did a search but couldn't find any copyright information on the site. 

AN EXCELLENT SITE REVIEW FOR IGNATIUS.COM FROM CATHOLIC CULTURE SITE REVIEWS

http://www.ignatius.com/promotions/cfe/documents/Disciples web pages.pdf

PART 1 - Essential Role of The Laity

PART 2 - The Role of the Lay Faithful in The Church

PART 3 - Priests and Laity work Together to Form The Mystical Body of Christ

PART 4 - In The Church there is a Diversity of Ministry (or apostolate) - But a Oneness Of Mission

PART 5 - Disciples in The World

PART 6 - Discernment

PART 7 - Guidelines for Discerning Our Calling

PART 8 - Formation (Ongoing Formation is Essential for Every Baptised Catholic)

PART 9 - Participating in The Life of The Church

 

[Guest]

CELIBACY IN THE LAITY

I will get around to reading the following document too.  It has 28pages, my printer tells me.  I have only read some opening pages and just skimmed over the rest.  I did like this in the skimming: "In the case of “holy madness,” one’s natural talents and abilities developed as charisms for the service of God, Church, and world can be called into service by God in a way that persuades one to see that the only or best way to offer them is as a secular single person."

 

THE NONVOWED FORM OF THE LAY STATE IN THE

LIFE OF THE CHURCH

http://cdn.theologicalstudies.net/68/68.2/68.2.5.pdf

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About Theological Studies site :

---

http://theologicalstudies.net/about/   Theological Studies is a quarterly journal of theology, published under the auspices of the Jesuits in the USA. It has been in continuous publication since 1940.

Mission Statement - Founded and sponsored by the Society of Jesus in the United States of America, Theological Studies is a Catholic scholarly journal that serves the Church and its mission by promoting a deeper understanding of the Christian faith through the publication of research in theological disciples. Through refereed articles and reviews of noteworthy books, the journal aims to recover and to help make accessible the riches of the theological tradition, and to present significant developments in current theology. It is published quarterly in English for an international readership.

Located at Santa Clara University, in Santa Clara, California, TS is under the general editorship of Paul G. Crowley, SJ, in concert with its editorial consultants. Its book review editor is R. Daniel Kendall, S.J., of the University of San Francisco.

[Guest]

PART 1 of 9 

ESSENTIAL ROLE OF THE LAITY

Ignatius Press "Today's Disciples"  - Leader's Guide $22.06 - http://www.ignatius.com/IProducts/22907/todays-disciples-leaders-guide.aspx

http://www.ignatius.com/promotions/cfe/documents/Disciples web pages.pdf

Essential Role of the Laity

Never before in the history of the Church has the absolutely essential role of the layperson been so dramatically emphasized as it is now.

Particularly since Vatican II, the Church has called for a renewal in the life and role of the laity. Yet among the faithful, there remains a fundamental lack of understanding of the lay vocation and its role in the Church’s mission. For many, there is a notion that the only real vocation in the Church is the ordained or vowed priesthood and religious. They believe “the Church” is the ordained office and only people in habits or collars are called to serve.

Many think that the role of the laity is to help out around the parish and that they are not called to play an integral part in the mission of the Church. But in fact, the actual teaching of the Church is that laypeople have a distinct and very real role in the spreading of the Gospel, which the Church desperately needs them to carry out with the authority, creativity, and power that the Holy Spirit has given them in Baptism. The Church teaches that in dignity laypeople are absolutely equal to those in ordained and religious life. In mission, the work of the laity is the crucial means by which the world is to encounter Christ.

Many lay Catholics would like to be more involved, but do not have a clear understanding of their role in the Church. In Today’s Disciples you will learn:

• the lay state is a “vocation” derived from our Baptism,

• the role of the laity is essential in accomplishing the mission of the Church,

• how each of us has been called by God to our own specific vocation and mission,

• laypeople are called to engage in the affairs of the world and direct them according to God’s will,

• the unique capability that laypeople have to bring Christ’s divine message of salvation to every aspect of life, and

• how to discern one’s calling.

[Guest]

THEOLOGICAL GEMS

Vocation to the Lay State of Life

 

I have read half of the quite lengthy theological study of vocations to the laity HERE.  It is literally full of passages worth quoting, worth reflection i.e. theological gems on the vocation to the lay state of life. 

What I have decided to do is periodically post those theological gems into this thread with link to the actual text.  As I come across those gems in the text, I am copying and pasting into a Word Document.  This serves two purposes i.e. for that of this thread and also for my files.

Deo Gratius

Laudate Dominum

...........The Lord provides............

 

[Guest]

THEOLOGICAL STUDIES

THE NONVOWED FORM OF THE LAY STATE IN THE

LIFE OF THE CHURCH

Quarterly Journal of Theology, under auspices Jesuits USA

 

 http://cdn.theologicalstudies.net/68/68.2/68.2.5.pdf

Excerpt: “Under the law of grace there cannot in justice be a separation into a class

of elite who follow the special gifts, and minimal Christians who commit

themselves only to the restrictive commandments. Everyone owes God the full response of love in proportion to the talents bestowed on him…….

……….. The unity of all Christians and its expression in a diversity of interrelated forms of graced life is reflected in Balthasar’s attention to the fluidity of the various “vocations.” Priests may be called to live the evangelical counsels,38 some lay persons and priests are called to live at least the spirit of the evangelical counsels as members of secular institutes,39 and some lay persons may be called to live not only the spirit but the full reality of one or

two or all of the evangelical counsels..

...... In Razing the Bastions, Balthasar called readers’ attention to the worker priest and to the consecrated lay person as examples of visible confluences of states of life for the sake of the work of all Christians toward “the salvation of the world in the world.”40 In this convergence tending more and more toward Christian transformation of the world rather than Christian separation from the world, the lay person especially has received the prominent role of a mediator, bringing gospel values to the world while attuning the Church to the world.41 Indeed, according to Balthasar, “the future of the church . . . depends on whether laymen can be found who live out of the unbroken power of the Gospel and are willing to shape the world.

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My comment:  Re: "attuning The Church to the world".  The Church does not and is not called to conform itself to the world and I don't think that this is the implication in the text.  Rather, it is lay people who are in probably the best position to keep The Church informed on what is happening out here in the world.  We can do this in a variety of ways according to those gifts and means with which The Lord has provided one (Divine Providence).

 

Deo Gratius

Laudate Dominum

........... onward into the duties and unfoldings of this day............

[Guest]

VINCENTIAN REFLECTIONS

(Sunday 22nd January 2017)

Gospel - Matthew Chapter 4 Verses 12-23

.

 

 Every encounter with Jesus provokes a response; this gospel shows a response of discipleship that is quick and decisive.  Our own call to discipleship comes at our baptism, but unlike the disciples in the gospel our response isn’t usually so quick and decisive.  We spend our whole life trying to see the great Light that is the Savior of the world.  But we practice the following of Jesus in the simple, everyday things that come our way: the friend who needs a listening ear, the elderly parent who needs a comforting phone call, the sick child who interrupts our sleep.  In all of these instances do we hear Jesus’ refrain: repent? Turn from ourselves toward those in need.  Turn from darkness to light. (Living Liturgy, p.50)

 

“Lord Jesus, teach me by your example. Make me, through the vigor of my efforts, set the world on fire.  I want to give myself to you, body and soul, heart and mind and spirit so that I may always do what gladdens you.  In your mercy, grant me the grace to have you continue in me and through me your saving work.” -St. Vincent de Paul-

(McKenna, Praying with Vincent, p.67)

 

For the grace to “repent,” turning from ourselves toward those in need

            For the grace to respond to the call of discipleship, quickly and decisively,

            For the grace of healing to all who are ill and alone,

                        -Merciful God, hear us!    

[Guest]

QUOTATIONS - BLESSED HENRY SUSO

Feastday:  January 23rd.

 

 

 

"I have often repented of having spoken, I have never repented of silence"

 

"Let each look to himself and see what God wants of him and attend to this, leaving all else alone."

 

 

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=3722 Early in his life, Suso subjected himself to extreme forms of mortifications; later on he reported that God told him they were unnecessary. During this period, Suso devised for himself several painful devices. Some of these were: an undergarment studded with a hundred and fifty brass nails, a very uncomfortable door to sleep on, and a cross with thirty protruding needles and nails under his body as he slept.

In the autobiographical text in which he reports these, however, he ultimately concludes that they are unnecessary distractions from the love of God.^[5]

[Guest]

The Saints Were, Yes, Funny

 

The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-james-martin-sj/the-saints-were-yes-funny_b_2057837.html
 

Quote

 

Excerpt "Francis de Sales also knew how to use a joke to good effect. He was, for example, a great friend of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, a French noblewoman, and together, in 1610, they founded a religious order for women, the Visitation sisters. After Jane had initially decided to follow a strict religious life and remain unmarried after being widowed, she continued to wear low-cut dresses showing off her décolletage.

On the night of their first meeting,

Francis de Sales took a look at her dress quipped, “Madame, those who do not mean to entertain guests should take down their signboard.”

 

 

There is also the story of Pope John XXIII visiting the Hospital of The Holy Spirit.  The superior introduced herself:

"Holy Father, I am the Superior of The Holy Spirit"

"You are blest" said Pope John "I am only the Vicar of Christ".

 

_________________________

 

 

Article - Fr James Martin SJ on the Humour of St Teresa of Avila: http://www.carmelites.net/news/the-humor-of-st-teresa-of-avila/

Fr. James' book "Between Heaven and Mirth" (A delightful and very funny read.....enlightening too) http://www.readthespirit.com/explore/joy-to-the-world-in-father-martins-funny-book-on-saints/

[NadaTeTurbe]

Pope John XXIII was always here for a good joke ! 

https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/jokes-quips-wisecracks-john-xxiii-lived-keen-sense-humor 

[Guest]

A TAD MORE SERIOUS

"Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in Thee" (St Augustine)

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, NadaTeTurbe said:

Pope John XXIII was always here for a good joke ! 

https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/jokes-quips-wisecracks-john-xxiii-lived-keen-sense-humor 

Thank you for sharing, Nada!   9.56pm here in Adelaide and preparing for bed and probably will still be laughing all the way to crashing out for the night.  Especially about the cardinal concerned about the Vatican salaries....for one.

Edited January 23, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

[Lamb]

Quote

The behavior that is most perfect is not that which corresponds to the image that we sometimes form for ourselves of perfection, such as a comportment that is impeccable, infallible and spotless. Rather, it is one where there is the most disinterested love of God and the least prideful pursuit of oneself.

From "Searching for and Maintaining Peace: a Small Treatise on Peace of Heart," by Fr. Jacques Philippe. 

I often find it discouraging that I will never be sinless. This quote is comforting in its message that sinlessness is not the point!

I hope  you like it.  

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Lamb said:

From "Searching for and Maintaining Peace: a Small Treatise on Peace of Heart," by Fr. Jacques Philippe. 

I often find it discouraging that I will never be sinless. This quote is comforting in its message that sinlessness is not the point!

I hope  you like it.  

Hi Lamb - Thanks heaps for the recommendation, it has some good reviews.  It is available on Amazon Kindle.

 Sounds as if it might be along the lines of the theology of St Therese of Lisieux and also Abandonment to Divine Providence (Jean Pierre de Caussade).   I found a couple of online texts of Fr Philippe's work for download, but both came up as cannot display.  The book apparently is quite small and under $15 (plus any delivery costs).

I will be downloading a Kindle copy today.  Thank you again.

Sometimes the Love of God is more connected to a love of The Consolations of God.  I read somewhere (it might have been in The Cloud of Unknowing "seek the God of Consolations and not the consolations of God".  Disinterested love embraces whatever God either directly wills equally with whatever God might permit (Doctrine of Divine Providence CCC #302 onwards) and disinterested love establishes Peace of mind, heart and soul.  When God withdraws consolation altogether and at all times, it can be a rough sort of ride on the human level initially - but it can be gifted by God alone and therefore a holy state (while experiencing what is the 'unholy' it could be said . This should challenge many concepts of what holiness actually is)  Withdrawal by God of all His Consolations at all times is a process and journey of detaching- and attaching.

I also have a little book here "The Love that Keeps Us Sane" (living the Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux) and another good read.  It is also available on Amazon Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Love-That-Keeps-Sane-Illuminationbooks/dp/0809140020

There is also "The Spirituality of Imperfection" from Eldridge Carmel: ...........quote:  "Despite stories of her "angelic eyes" and otherworldly holiness, Thérèse best exemplifies the presence of God to human life in its seemingly unholy details"...............  ONLINE TEXT http://carmelitesofeldridge.org/vilma5.html

[Guest]

PART 2 of 9

(Part 1 HERE)

 

Ignatius Press "Today's Disciples"  - Leader's Guide $22.06 - http://www.ignatius.com/IProducts/22907/todays-disciples-leaders-guide.aspx

The Role of the Lay Faithful in the Church

The Church’s teaching on the laity is one of the most unknown pieces of good news in the world. By “laity” the Church means the following:

Laity—“all the faithful except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church. That is, the faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the World.”

Quote

Many of the common understandings of laity are mistaken because they are often defined by what we are not. This is misguided because it is an entirely negative definition and focuses strictly on what laypeople are not. They aren’t priests. They aren’t religious. Therefore many assume they don’t have a vocation, that they don’t have a mission.

 

The Church defines laity by what we are:

• sharers in Christ’s office of priest, prophet, and king,

• holders of an important vocation, and

• critical participants in fulfilling the mission of the Church.

In short, the lay vocation is an office, not a vacuum. Because of this, it is a huge mistake to consider that only those called to religious or clerical life have a vocation.

Laity’s mission and vocation is derived from our Baptism.

It is critical to realize that, according to the Church itself, our vocation and mission as laypeople derives from our Baptism and is strengthened through Confirmation. In other words,

Quote

our place and work in the body of Christ is given to us directly, by the Holy Spirit, not indirectly through the ordained office.

“[The laity] are assigned to the apostolate by the Lord Himself. They are consecrated for the royal priesthood and the holy people not only that they may offer spiritual sacrifices in everything they do, but also that they may witness to Christ throughout the world.”1

 

 

Each of us has been called by God to our own specific vocation and mission.

As laity, we are called to share in the mission of Christ’s Church by living in the midst of the world and addressing all its problems and concerns with the divine message of salvation.

__________________

All formatting is mine

[Guest]

Laughter is Good Medicine

A man suffered a serious heart attack and had an open heart bypass surgery. He awakened from the surgery to find himself in the care of nuns at a Catholic Hospital.  As he was recovering, a nun asked him questions regarding how he was going to pay for his treatment. She asked if he had health insurance. He replied, in a raspy voice, "No health insurance."

The nun asked if he had money in the bank. He replied, "No money in the bank."

The nun asked, "Do you have a relative who could help you?" He said, "I only have a spinster sister, who is a nun."

The nun became agitated and announced loudly, "Nuns are not spinsters! Nuns are married to God." 

                                                        The patient replied, "Send the bill to my Brother-in-law."

https://www.fisheaters.com/jokes.html