Guest Posted October 1, 2017 Posted October 1, 2017 (edited) The truth of the matter is that even if one digs ditches all ones life, delivers newspapers, collects the rubbish weekly, the most menial and 'lowly' tasks there are - in fact anything done for love of God can make a great saint, not because of what is done but because of why it is done united with God's Grace. As one co-operates with Grace doing whatever one does for love of God, other Graces flow - all kinds of Graces including the totally unexpected. Doing all for the love of God can begin in childhood, teaching children in very simple ways, from there it will bear great Graces and much fruit indeed. Our Lady, mentor and mother, please pray for all parents. Edited October 1, 2017 by BarbaraTherese
Guest Posted October 2, 2017 Posted October 2, 2017 (edited) THE MERCIFUL HEART OF JESUS AND HIS CHURCH My tuppence worth: One can be probably as assured as one can be on earth for most of us (mystics possibly excepted) that one is in close Union with God if one is in the state of Grace - i.e. free of mortal sin and unhindered by habitual venial sin. Praying without respite is not of necessity hours on one's knees, while for some it might be. Prayer has many faces - St Therese said that prayer for her was a loving glance at Heaven. She often went to sleep during the long thanksgiving time after Holy Communion and reasoned that little children do fall asleep in their parents arms. She had distractions when she tried to pray and would offer up those distracting times as her prayer. What her life speaks to me about is her total focus on God in all things, including her weaknesses. Her focus was continually on God's Love and His Understanding Mercy. The genius of St Therese is that in all things without exception in her life, she saw and embraced the Hand of God. This does not mean that there was no deeply felt suffering for very often there might be much suffering - for Therese, certainly very severe in her final 18months. The heart of the spiritual life is in the will, not in the feeling level, the emotions. Sometimes some consolation might affect the feeling level in a very positive manner, perhaps even be carried quite aloft at times - and St Teresa of Avila wrote that we should be grateful and thankful for such consolations, but not invest in them, nor actively desire them. Consolations might be gifted to strengthen one in Faith. "You believe because you have seen, but blessed are those who have not seen yet believe". Of course, St Therese of Lisieux, would have prayed in community several times during the day. She would also have participated in the penances in Carmel. Carmel is certainly no easy life. What this tells me (called to the temporal and secular and not religious life) is the importance of formal prayer and penance and the living out of one's particular vocation lovingly and faithfully - for God. We can bring our own efforts to our spiritual life, while all success and increase is God's Domain alone. Even in failure, it is God who has permitted it and most often to us most mysterious reasons. How I respond to failure must be my co-operation with Grace knowing that God has His Good Reasons. What does "co-operation with Grace" in difficulties mean. It means that in suffering and difficulty one does one's best, what one can, and acknowledge that God has His Good Reasons for what He Permits in life which is distasteful and suffering to oneself - and one appreciates this in one's will even when it does not bring about one iota the alleviation of the suffering. These are very broad statements permitting much personal creativity. Mea maxima culpa Blessed Jan Beyzym http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20020818_beyzym_en.html Quote Excerpt only: "Fr Beyzym's (Jesuit) inner life was marked by a profound bond with Christ and the Eucharist. The Mass was the centre of his life; he deplored the fact that the little church near the mission did not even have a permanent tabernacle and that during the rainy season the water dripped down onto the altar during Mass. He was greatly devoted to Mary and attributed his successes to Mary seeing himself as her instrument. He was a man of action and an untiring worker, but also a man of prayer - He attributed to prayer an essential role in the apostolic life, underlining its importance to achieve sanctity. Quote Fr Beyzym was a contemplative in action in the style of St Ignatius. He had daily problems and battled against a thousand worries and sufferings, but was above all a man of prayer. Prayer was the source of his strength. Not having much time for quiet prayer, he prayed everywhere all the time. He often repeated that his prayer was not worth much and that he had trouble praying. This was why he asked the Carmelite nuns to pray for him . Edited October 2, 2017 by BarbaraTherese
Guest Posted October 2, 2017 Posted October 2, 2017 CONSOLING WORDS FROM ST THERESE OF LISIUEX Aleteia.org - 1st October 2017 Quote HOLINESS IN AN INSTANT The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity. Quote TIMES OF ARIDITY In times of aridity when I am incapable of praying, of practicing virtue, I seek little opportunities, mere trifles, to give pleasure to Jesus; for instance a smile, a pleasant word when inclined to be silent and to show weariness. If I find no opportunities, I at least tell Him again and again that I love Him; that is not difficult and it keeps alive the fire in my heart. Even though this fire of love might seem extinct I would still throw little straws upon the embers and I am certain it would rekindle. Quote HUMILITY AND PEACE How sweet is the way of Love! True, one may fall, one may not be always faithful, but Love, knowing how to draw profit from all, very quickly consumes whatsoever may displease Jesus, leaving naught but humble and profound peace in the innermost soul.
Guest Posted October 2, 2017 Posted October 2, 2017 . St Therese wrote about her faults and weaknesses and did not hide them. While being dissatisfied with herself, she knew that something greater than her dissatisfaction with whatever at all was present - and that was The Lord and His Love and Mercy and that was her prime focus with love and with gratitude. If my faults and failings disturb me taking away Peace, my primary focus is weak and faulted me.
Guest Posted October 2, 2017 Posted October 2, 2017 2nd October Memorial The Guardian Angels Jimmy Akin Apologist CA - 8 Things to Know and Share about Guardian Angels Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, rule and guide................Amen.
Guest Posted October 2, 2017 Posted October 2, 2017 Quote “For a Christian the divine cannot be reduced to the exploration of one’s own inner life or the acquisition of cosmic ‘powers’. The divine has nothing to do with scientism, however spiritualistically inclined. It is Someone who comes to us in the sovereign freedom of love. . . .We can only prepare ourselves to receive it, making ourselves attentive to the possibility of a meeting.” - Olivier Clement, The Roots of Christian Mysticism Shalom Place - Dominican Sisters of Peace
Guest Posted October 2, 2017 Posted October 2, 2017 The village blacksmith hired an enthusiastic new apprentice willing to work long, hard hours. He instructed the boy, “When I take the shoe out of the fire, I’ll lay it on the anvil. When I nod my head, you hit it with the hammer.” The apprentice did exactly as he was told, and now he’s the new village blacksmith.
Guest Posted October 3, 2017 Posted October 3, 2017 Shalom Place Dominican Sisters of Peace Quote We need not despair of any person or situation as long as we live. For God deemed it better to bring good out of evil than not to permit evil at all.- St. Augustine My tuppence: The above not only speaks to the terrible evils in our world, but also to our own faults and failings, our sinfulness. Nothing whatsoever comes about that is not God's Direct Will or His Permissive Will in accord with our Doctrine of Divine Providence - see CCC "Divine Providence and The Scandal of Evil" Nos. 309 to 314 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p4.htm#324 Quote On Oct. 15, 2006, Mother Theodore Guerin was recognized as a saint by Pope Benedict XVI in a canonization ceremony at St. Peter's Square in Rome. At the time of her beatification Pope John Paul II pronounced the life of Mother Theodore Guerin as “a perfect blend of humanness and holiness”. HERE
Guest Posted October 3, 2017 Posted October 3, 2017 Vincent's Quote of the Day - St Vincent de Paul Society FAMVIN October 3 Quote O human wretchedness! O cursed pride! How much trouble you cause! - St Vincent de Paul (XII:21).
Guest Posted October 4, 2017 Posted October 4, 2017 Last night, doing nothing in particular, I suddenly said to myself completely unexpectedly and out loud (ability of living alone): "I can't drive this jolly car any more, You take over!" Saw my psychiatrist yesterday and all good there. I told her that I planned not to have hip surgery. She explained to me that if I had hip surgery, my lower back (severe arthritis) would still be problematic and probably the lower back pain when it hits is the worst of all. (My psychiatrist wanted to be a GP originally). She had a great time on holidays and stepped completely out of her comfort zone. The problem for me with such stepping out is that where one lands can very quickly become the comfort zone. When I first spoke openly about private vows, I was outside my comfort zone. When I first spoke openly about my bipolar condition, I was outside my comfort zone. When I started this thread, I was outside my comfort zone and a few times in the unfolding I have stepped outside again. Now those previous subjects are comfort zones. My next big move for me will be to find another GP locally who bulk bills (no charge nor gap fee) and will prescribe psychiatric medication when needed. I've never had the problem before but since shifting here, some GPs will not prescribe it. It is a bit weird to me since ideally a GP will handle all health problems - while I do suspect that there might be some paranoia about patients becoming addicted to certain psychiatric medications. I've been on one of those medications now for over 20 years and prescribed for me by my GP and monitored by my psychiatrist if the GP wants to do so. I am still not addicted to it. My doc yesterday and I had a conversation about paranoia and she said that some can be a bit paranoid, but providing it does not interfere with living their normal lives, she is not overly concerned.
Guest Posted October 4, 2017 Posted October 4, 2017 Ahhh the journey get off the wide maddening highway and walk the narrow way adjusting perspective and attitude How often in His Life Jesus calls for an adjustment in perspective and attitude The history of mankind has been very often a dreadful one - largely we have brought about dreadful and horrific situations ourselves - including in our own day. What that speaks to is that we can indeed amend our ways and create new lessons for history...........and I must begin with myself because it is what I am given to begin with - Grace and The Holy Spirit is never wanting. The question for me becomes, how am I to communicate Jesus and His Gospel? Jesus gives me the answer, the whole answer: "Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart". Too often the way can be to throw the book of morality at myself and at others. That is a type of violence. That very same inner inclination and need can be expressed in cruel bigotry and self righteousness. I have had an instance recently in my own journey where adopting a meek and humble attitude and perspective has brought about a change in unhelpful behaviours in another. I try to keep in mind that the walk is that of The Cross and tomorrow I might joyfully and hopefully adopt meekness and humility expecting an excellent result - and find that another illusion has crashed and burnt, teaching me a lesson I need to learn in my journey, including about expectations. "No servant is greater than his Master" (John Chapter 15)
Guest Posted October 4, 2017 Posted October 4, 2017 Shalom Place Dominican Sisters of Peace https://oppeace.org/ http://shalomplace.com/seed/ Quote "In the last analysis, the individual person is responsible for living his (her) own life and for ''finding himself.'' If he persists in shifting his responsibility to somebody else, he fails to find out the meaning of his own existence." - Thomas Merton
Guest Posted October 5, 2017 Posted October 5, 2017 Mental Health Week Excerpt only: "Speaking ahead of 2017 Mental Health Week Western Australia, which commences this Saturday and includes World Mental Health Day on Sunday, Archbishop Costelloe said whatever the cause, our call, as followers of Jesus, is to care about people with mental health issues. “The question for each one of us becomes, when we meet someone with a developing mental health issue, will they see in us the face of Jesus, or will they see someone in fear?” Archbishop Costelloe said. “I am sure Jesus met many people experiencing mental health issues, whom he treated with dignity and respect,” he said........."............. (Not a long article by a long shot, go to http://cathnews.com/cathnews/30389-in-the-face-of-mental-health-issues-see-jesus-urges-costelloe
Guest Posted October 5, 2017 Posted October 5, 2017 St Vincent de Paul Society FAMVIN Daily Reflection – October 4 “All ships are exposed to storms but are not thereby doomed to perish. May Our Lord be your Strength, your Protector, your Sanctifier.”– St. Vincent de Paul THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK ON MENTAL ILLNESS "The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) (helpful site) sets forth the following framework as a guide to the Church’s ministry for and with people with mental illness: http://www.ncpd.org/ministries-programs/specific/mentalillness/framework
Guest Posted October 5, 2017 Posted October 5, 2017 Shalom Place Dominican Sisters of Peace https://webmail.oppeace.org http://shalomplace.com/seed/ Message of the Day Quote Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is. - Blaise Pascal
Guest Posted October 5, 2017 Posted October 5, 2017 (edited) Benedict XVI, pope from 2005 to 2013 Message for the World Mission Day 2006 (Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana) Quote "Charity: soul of the mission" Unless the mission is oriented by charity, that is, unless it springs from a profound act of divine love, it risks being reduced to mere philanthropic and social activity. In fact, God's love for every person constitutes the heart of the experience and proclamation of the Gospel, and those who welcome it in turn become its witnesses. God's love, which gives life to the world, is the love that was given to us in Jesus, the Word of salvation, perfect icon of the Heavenly Father's mercy. The saving message can be summed up well, therefore, in the words of John the Evangelist: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him" (I Jn 4: 9). It was after his Resurrection that Jesus gave the Apostles the mandate to proclaim the news of this love, and the Apostles, inwardly transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, began to bear witness to the Lord who had died and was risen. Ever since, the Church has continued this same mission, which is an indispensable and ongoing commitment for all believers. http://dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM&module=commentary&localdate=20171005 Edited October 5, 2017 by BarbaraTherese
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