Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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https://aleteia.org/2021/05/07/sr-anna-maria-vaccinated-at-101-talks-about-prayer/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_content=NL_en&utm_medium=mail&utm_source=daily_newsletter

A novice at 72 years of age!

 "Sr. Anna Maria, at the venerable age of 101, was given the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

But who is this centenarian nun?......."....see MORE on above link

 

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Wow...what a blessing she must be to her community as well as an example for the younger sisters.

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Only my thoughts:  The good things in life come to us from the Goodness of God as gift - and therefore should not be despised in my book. For these I am grateful and give thanks.   But there is something superior that The Lord longs to gift and this can come about only once we have detached ourselves from His visible gifts.  Detachment does not mean despise, rather it means no longer absolutely necessary in the journey.

Something far greater has become one's focus and heartfelt desire.

Edited May 10, 2021 by BarbaraTherese

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https://www.sane.org/

"Whatever your age, ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity, we have something for you. "

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Quote

 

Prayer of Teilhard de Chardin

Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ

 

The above is what I mean by not going over nor under, nor around.  Rather to go through, to permit oneself to go through some problem, not trying to avoid it in some way, in any way at all.  It does take patience and trust - in not knowing nor working for, nor planning, any sort of outcome.  Rather to leave that to The Lord and His Wisdom and Love.
 

Only my thoughts:  The one proviso I would make is the medical. If one is seeing a doctor (includes psychiatrist/therapist) and some sort of medication is prescribed, to then take it.  St Paul said “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities...” (Romans 13:1) and the doctor is an authority one has chosen to be over oneself.

Medicine and medicos are Gifts of The Lord in our struggle with suffering in order not to be overcome by it (St Julian of Norwich); therefore, in my book not to be despised, but rather to give praise and thanks to God for all His Gifts.

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Just as spiritual direction is a good in itself.  One is both wise and prudent to seek sound spiritual direction.  The same applies to medicine and medicos, which are goods in themselves also.  One needs to discern, however, the same as with a spiritual director.

Edited May 13, 2021 by BarbaraTherese

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https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/five-prayers-taught-at-fatima-by-mary-the-angels-6057          THE ROSARY DECADE PRAYER

The Blessed Mother (at Fatima) stressed the critical importance of praying the rosary daily for the conversion of sinners and for peace in the world. She asked that the following prayer be recited at the end of each rosary decade:

"Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy."
                  

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Trappestine Nuns 

 

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 Matthew Chapter 6 "Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they?

 27And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit? 28And for raiment why are you solicitous?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. 29But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.

 30And if the grass of the field, which is to day, and to morrow is cast into the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith? 

31Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? 32For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. 33Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.

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This event in Doha reduced me to tears.  My son was a photographer at these Games.   Primary event commences at 6:04 minutes.

 

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    Some research on the celibate single state of life as a vocation.

https://vocationsadelaide.catholic.org.au/our-faith/vocations/what-is-a-vocation-

https://www.vocationcentre.org.au/home/what-is-a-vocation/ "Every member of the Church is called to holiness (Lumen Gentium, Ch V). This means we are called to love: to love God and to love each other.  The particular way that you live out that call to holiness is your vocation.  

7 Essential Things About Your Vocation ..." ... more on above link

 

"It is just here that an important new book makes an immense contribution—written by Luanne D. Zurlo, a woman who has already gone down this vocational path and lived it for many years. The book opens with a foreword by Wojciech Giertych, OP, the Theologian of the Papal Household, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI and has been retained by Pope Francis. It is fittingly entitled Single for a Greater Purpose: A Hidden Joy in the Catholic Church." ... read entire article on above link.

  

https://www.amazon.com.au/Single-Greater-Purpose-Hidden-Joy/dp/1622826566 (Also available on Kindle)  I haven't got this book as Kindle is complaining about something or other that mystifies me and much further down on my To Do List.

 

The one problem I have with the video below is that Father is not giving sufficient (to me) emphasis to the Sacrament of Baptism.  When I read often something connected to Baptism, I get the feeling it is a bit of a "Yes, very nice, very good and important ... b u t"   We are not randomly, nor accidentally as a consequence of birth, Baptized. Baptism is a very clear sign from God that this particular person is called to a Gospel way of life for the Love of Jesus Who will lead, strengthen and accompany the person until death and after.  Baptism therefore is a vocation from God.  Formation in the early years of a baptized person is usually the responsibility of parents - until such time as the baptized person can make their own decisions.

One essential of the celibate single life even if privately vowed for life is that Jesus has the option always to call one elsewhere, anywhere at all, to any vocation at all.  What I have found in that call is that it has been elsewhere to an expression of my life vows in the single celibate state of life.  Since I made life vows quite some years ago now after seeking priestly advice, I have never doubted at all really (to date) that I am where I am meant to be in the celibate lay state.  There can be dark patches perhaps very long patches, but there remains a sense of the celibate lay state as my vocation - I just can't feel it.

When I entered religious monastic life the first time, a priest told me that I say to God, "I am yours and may Your Will be done.  No problems".  But then I will say to Him "Now, what you have to do is........"   At that same time, I had been given "The Imitation of Christ" as my spiritual reading.  It scared the wits out of me and I felt that Jesus must have abandoned me yonks ago.  I could never be like that, not even remotely close.

A further call from God may occur indicating the lifestyle one is to live in committing themselves to their baptism.  All vocational expressions are building on our Baptism, not replacing it.  We renew our baptismal vows every Easter at a very solemn moment indeed in the Easter Tridium.

Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders, nothing else, are the only means of an indelible sign on the soul. "Indelible Sign Imprinted" (from Catholic Culture website) 

 

I think of my own private vows in the celibate single state of life as, sort of, the call to live as the hidden yeast in society, in the temporal sphere and secular life in every way.  I had and still have a distinct awareness of being called by The Lord daily, whenever I avert, to the way of life I am living.  I am now 75yrs of age and seriously disabled and in a wheelchair to get out and about.  In my own rule of life, which I was requested to write, one paragraph covers times of sickness.

I was very serious indeed about my discernment process and did much research and consultation with spiritual directors and a couple of nuns I know well over many years, one a Carmelite prioress.  My discernment process was over years.  I was very conscious and at times, anxious in a gentle sort of way, that what I was discerning was very unusual 40 years or so ago.  My way of life has now been confirmed by two Archbishops in an unofficial sort of manner.  My Home Mass to renew life vows (permitted by our Archbishop) was a profound spiritual event for me and a new kind of very real continual Peace and Joy.  Even in my problems and falls, the sense of Peace and Joy, as present to me, is there - I just cannot for the life of me, feel it.

I did discern religious monastic life and entered twice, but did not stay very long at all.  One was before changes of V2 came about and the second in my early forties and post V2.  I was shocked to find out that Order had not taken up any of the V2 changes for religious life.  I discerned secular institutes too.  With Third Orders some 15yrs or so ago, there was much humming and hashing because I suffered bipolar and discerned out of that as a vocational call from The Lord, from Jesus.

In my own way of life, I am very much aware I could be called elsewhere, but at 75 years of age it could only be to abandon my wheelchair for a coffin.   Oh what Joy! Ahh but one thing I have learnt in this journey is that Our God is indeed a God of The Surprise.  "Who knows? Who knows? I ask and none can assure, and only death can set me free". (line from a poem of mine)

 

 

 I really do miss my previous suburb.

As for death, Neil Diamond says it all :