Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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St Vincent de Paul Society

Daily Reflection

 

Aug 12, 2017

 

“Have patience, and have it in Our Lord who is pleased to try you.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

 

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EDITH STEIN ON EMPATHY

HERE

Edith Stein is here to help. Recently we commemorated the 75th anniversary of her death in a Nazi death camp, where she was well known for her caring and empathetic attitude with fellow prisoners. Earlier in her life, Edith was philosophy student and her first major work was titled On the Problem with Empathy. Her insight into the topic has tremendous depth and, as her own life shows, has practical value. Here are some of the insights I’ve gleaned from her writing that are helping me grow in empathy …

 

Get out of your own head

As is generally the case, I’m most comfortable in my own mind. It’s easy to be at home and kick up my feet at the fire of my own mental hearth. We’re all like this because we intimately understand our thought process, internal motivations, and emotions such as what makes us happy and what makes us sad. The mind of another person, though, isn’t so comfortable. It’s more like traveling to a foreign country. The landmarks are unfamiliar and visitors can easily get lost. Empathy is the road map. Without it, good luck getting where you’re going (in my foreign travels, it’s always to the gelato shop).

To understand another person, we have to get out of our own minds and transcend our internal drama. Empathy is, among other things, a way of learning to appreciate foreign experiences. In the same way that travel broadens the mind, so too does looking at the face of another person and glimpsing another beautiful, mysterious, unique mind. The effort is always worth it.

Notice others

This may seem simple, but to be empathetic, we actually need to notice other people. Once we manage to break out of our inner dialogue and get out of our own minds — and our phones! — it’s important to pay close attention. This means more than simply noticing a happy face or a sad face and finding it interesting. Paying attention is the ability to be totally present to another person with no distraction. This means that when I speak to a friend, I shouldn’t be merely waiting my turn to speak about what I actually want to talk about. I should be listening to that person and putting my own agenda on the back-burner.

One of the examples that Edith gives of an empathy-blocker is, “I am completely filled with grief over a bereavement at the moment my friend tells me the joyful news.” How hard is it to not rain on a friend’s parade with sad news? How difficult is it to put an anxiety aside and instead share in their joy? It may or may not be possible in all situations, but if we at least attempt to make a gift of giving another our full attention, our ability to be empathetic will drastically increase.

Practice love

The best reason I can think of from the example above to put aside a deep, personal grief in favor of the joy of a friend is because I love my friend. To say that empathy can be developed through love isn’t to say that we have to be fake and skip around and declare undying love for everyone, ignoring our own feelings. By love, I mean the habit of willingness to sacrifice our own needs out of a desire to promote the happiness of others.

The process goes both ways, too, and if you have good friends around you, they’ll be willing to set aside their joy in favor of comforting you in your grief, or to set aside grief in order to celebrate your joy with you. In short, it’s a genuine relationship in which each person thinks of the other first. When we love someone as a friend or simply as a fellow human being, it’s much easier to share his joy and pain.

See persons, not labels

It’s much easier to write someone off and dismiss his motives and feelings if we have labeled him as part of a crowd. For instance, it’s no problem at all to lack empathy for a political party, or rival team, ethnic group, or religion. This nameless, faceless crowd can be dismissed without ever having to confront that it’s made up of real-live human beings who deserve our empathy (even if we don’t end up agreeing with them). It’s much harder to ignore a person with a name, an individual with a unique face and personality. A person is more than the sum of the parts, and as a community of persons, we each find our own place in it only by interacting with and understanding other individuals. We aren’t cogs in a machine, and the more open we are to acknowledging how special each person is, the more empathetic we will be in our interactions.

As Edith Stein shows with her heroic practice of empathy, even in the worst of situations we can reach out to other people, understand them, find solidarity together, and know that no one ever has to be alone.

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ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

Daily Reflection – August 13

Aug 13, 2017 12:00 am | Monica

 

“While we dilly-dally with our plans, God raises up others to do what he had first asked of us.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

https://au.pinterest.com/pin/69031806768885272

 

 

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Perfection does not consist in consolation,

but rather in the submission of the will to God alone,

submission above all

in things that are hard and bitter.”

- Henry Suso

 

 

 

 

“Faith is the first light, the heralding light,

the foundation placed in us of what in its final perfection will be the Beatific Vision of God.

It is the beginning of the eternal ways in us,

the commencement of our union with God.”

-Fr. William Ullathorne

 

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Faith is the path

Love is the impetus

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Today, 15th August Solemnity of The Assumption, is the third anniversary

of renewing life private vows to the evangelical counsels at a Home Mass (with permission of our Archbishop).

 

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FAMVIN - St Vincent de Paul Society

 

Aug 17, 2017

 

“God does not ask you to go beyond the means he has given you.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

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Just put a Prayer Request into the Prayer Forum: HERE

 

 

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Sunday 20.8.17

Today's Second Reading in Part

Quote

 

" Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy mercy eventually.

God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind."

 

 

Today's Gospel in Part

Quote

’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’

Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

"And he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief" (Matthew Chapter 13).  

It could be said that wherever He found Faith, He worked miracles and still does so today.

From today's hymn at Morning Prayer:

For why, the Lord our God is good:

His mercy is for ever sure;

His truth at all times firmly stood,

And shall from age to age endure

Edited August 20, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

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 TRUST & CONFIDENCE IN GOD ALWAYS

Excerpt......".......... If we totally trust in God as our loving Father at all times, then we will have strength to overcome whatever evil we face, and many traps that satan has planned for our future will not come to pass.  God doesn't want us trusting in Him 50% of the time, or 20% of the time. God wants us trusting in Him 100% of the time, so the next time you have a decision to make - any decision - give it to God, and He will let you know the way you need to go. Otherwise, the enemy will take over and more often than not, you will not choose wisely. .....".......... http://www.catholicbible101.com/totaltrustingod.htm

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From the Closing Prayer at Vespers, Sunday 20.8.17:

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Excerpt: " Lord God, you have prepared for those who love you  what no eye has seen, no ear has heard.

Fill our hearts with your love,  so that, loving you above all and in all,

  we may attain your promises

  which the heart of man has not conceived.

 

 

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Commentary of the day :

Saint Bede the Venerable (c.673-735), monk, Doctor of the Church
Homily on the Gospels I, 22
 

“Woman, you have great faith! Your wish will come to pass.”

 

The Gospel shows us the Canaanite woman’s great faith, her patience, her perseverance and humility… This woman was gifted with a truly uncommon patience. After her first request, the Lord didn’t answer even with one word. In spite of that, far from ceasing to pray even for one moment, she implored the help of his kindness with greater insistence… Seeing the ardor of our faith and the tenacity of our perseverance in prayer, the Lord ends up by having pity on us and giving us what we desire.

The Canaanite woman’s daughter was “troubled by a demon.” Once the bad agitation of our thoughts has been driven out and the knots of our sins untied, serenity of spirit will return to us as well as the ability to act correctly… If, following the example of the Canaanite woman, we persevere in prayer with unshakeable firmness, our Creator’s grace will be present to us. It will correct all the errors in us, it will sanctify all that is impure, it will pacify all agitation. For the Lord is faithful and just. He will forgive our sins and will purify us from every stain if we cry to him with the attentive voice of our heart.   http://dailygospel.org/M/AM/

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Today, Monday 21st August, is the Memorial of St Pius X.  I have long had a special affinity for St Pius X.  He is the Pope who permitted children at around 7 years of age to make their First Confession and receive their First Holy Communion:
 

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Excerpt........."................After careful deliberation on all these points, this Sacred Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments, in a general meeting held on July 15, 1910, in order to remove the above-mentioned abuses and to bring about that children even from their tender years may be united to Jesus Christ, may live His life, and obtain protection from all danger of corruption, has deemed it needful to prescribe the following rules which are to be observed everywhere for the First Communion of children.

1. The age of discretion, both for Confession and for Holy Communion, is the time when a child begins to reason, that is about the seventh year, more or less. From that time on begins the obligation of fulfilling the precept of both Confession and Communion......"...........

https://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdwfirst.htm

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

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August 22nd - QUEENSHIP OF MARY

https://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/Q/queenshipofmary.asp

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Memorial - Queenship of Mary, 22nd August

  "Grant that I may praise thee, O Holy Virgin!
Give me strength against thy enemies!"

"1. Blessed be the Great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy!
2. Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception!
3. Blessed be her Glorious Assumption!
4. Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother!
5. Blessed be her Immaculate Heart!
6. Blessed be her Virginal Purity!
7. Blessed be her Divine Maternity!
8. Blessed be her Universal Mediation!
9. Blessed be her Sorrows and her Tears!
10. Blessed be the graces with which the Lord crowned her Queen of Heaven and Earth!"

"Glory be to Mary, Daughter of the Father!
Glory be to Mary, Mother of the Son!
Glory be to Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit!"

"My Mother,
I love thee for those who do not love thee;
I praise thee for those who blaspheme thee;
I surrender myself to thee
for those who will not recognize thee as their Mother."

 

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St Angela Merici - Foundress Ursulines

Exercise pleasantness toward all, taking great care what you have commanded may never be done by reason of force. For God has given free will to everyone, and therefore never forces anyone - but only indicates, calls and persuades.

- St Angela Merici  (Shalom Place, Dominican Sisters of Peace)

 

 

 

 

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St Rose of Lima - Optional Memorial 22nd August

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

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Put Love First

 

Put love first. Entertain thoughts that give life And when a thought or resentment,

or hurt, or fear comes your way,

have another thought that is more powerful — a thought that is love.

—Mary Manin Morrissey

Shalom Place - Dominican Sisters of Peace http://shalomplace.com/seed/

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St Elizabeth of The Trinity

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Who was Elizabeth of The Trinity?      Excerpt:......“That idea deeply, deeply influenced Elizabeth of the Trinity and in fact inspired her own way of life and her own spiritual mission to help lead souls into mystical prayer,” Lilles reflected. “She understood that the way she loved souls all the way was to help them find and encounter the Lord.”

“So, the spiritual missions of Therese of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity coincide: great theologians like Hans Urs von Balthasar recognized that. And these spiritual missions have both greatly influenced the Church in the 20th and early 21st centuries in very powerful ways.”

 

 

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"Always remember to love your neighbour, always prefer the one who tries your patience -

who tests your virtue because with her you can always merit. 

Suffering is Love

The Law is Love"

Blessed Mariam of Jesus Crucified

 

Vincent's Quote of the Day - St Vincent de Paul Society
 

Quote

 

Aug 25, 2017

What seems foolish and contemptible in the eyes of human beings is wisdom in the sight of God!(XI:118).