Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

[Guest]

"Jesus called a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you, He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven"

Matthew Chapter 18

 

 

READ THE CATHOLIC BIBLE IN A YEAR

https://readthecatholicbibleinayear.wordpress.com/

 

I will simply add a week every so often to an already posted list of weeks - it would be great if we could get a discussion going now and then.

 

A quick prayer to The Holy Spirit before reading (or your own prayer)

 "Come Holy Spirit, Creator Come, from Your Bright Heavenly   Throne.  Please take possession of our souls and make them all Your own."                                                 

 

Week l   here

When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Gen 9:16)

Edited May 10, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

[Guest]

Alvine Toffler RIP (Toffler died in 2016)

https://www.amazon.com/Future-Shock-Alvin-Toffler/dp/0553277375

I read this book so long ago, I recall little of the detail.  I do recall vividly it was a really excellent read, if a heavy one.  I had occasion a couple of days ago to refer someone to it as a must read and thought I would post it here. Alvin Toffler's book "Future Shock" was a best seller in its day -  he wrote a couple of sequels as well, which I haven't read.

Below is what I thought was a pretty good summary of the book:

Quote

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/466537.Future_Shock

Dec 18, 2007Eric rated it really liked it

The book is divided into 6 parts. Part 1 introduces the basic program (death of permanence), Parts 2-4 explain the 3 factors that induce future shock: transience, novelty and diversity and Parts 5-6 bring in future shock and possibly coping strategies. For me, it was initially a very slow read, but for some reason it eventually took off into Part 3, and I found myself sold.

Toffler worries that we are hurtling towards mass feelings of "future shock" (akin to culture shock that travellers get when they go to a foreign country). The book serves as a tool for diagnosing the problem, i.e. why he thinks we'll be getting future shock, and also as a way of asking what we can do about it.

He makes some predictions (especially in the novelty section), and almost 40 years later, we see that he gets some of the wrong, at least for the time being. But that doesn't matter. It's just details, and for that matter, he himself says that although it's very easy to get things wrong, it is important to try looking into and anticipating the future.

Book is actually quite pro-technology and pro-change. Future shock comes because people today are experiencing too much change too fast. It's not that change is inherently bad, he says. Too little change and life is boring. But too much change, too much stimulation and we have trouble coping. And if you're worried about change, well there's a whole lot more of it coming right around the corner. 

(Key anticipatory rebuttal: it's important to plan for the long term, but that doesn't mean that plans have to be rigid. You may very well have to revise your 20 year plans from one year to the next, or more, but it's ok. Plan fluidly, but plan ahead)

Some of his proposals don't seem terribly realistic: the idea of post-technocratic planning sounds swell and all, but I don't see any nation, democratic or otherwise sitting itself down for 5 years (he's thinking War Games and future-jury duty), taking stock and asking where it wants to be. In any case, Toffler wants to get us thinking about how we can manage change and assure humanity a soft landing into the future.

Nice read. Kinda funny to see links with No Logo and The Paradox of Choiceand maybe even Getting Things Done. (less)

 

 

Edited May 11, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

What has stayed in my mind from "Future Shock" and with effect is that unless we learn to be selective about the information we take in and try to retain, our brain will go into overload and we wont be able to cope.  That is what I got out of it anyway - my conclusion did have a positive affect in my life.  What was once conscious effort, I think I now do unconsciously without effort.

---o0o---

 

A little boy's explanation of God and Heaven

You can pray anytime you want, because in Heaven they are sure to help you because they got it all worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.  

Edited May 11, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

 

Re "Future Shock" again.  I can't recall what it was like when I was much younger - but at 72yrs I can certainly reach a point where I just cannot think anymore.  I had one of those days today and I had to do some entries into Excel and for a few seconds a few times, I just could not think how to go about it.  My ;brain was in overload - too much info too soon.

Two things happened today.  A company with whom I deal had rung and said I owe them over $199.  I was gobsmacked, floored! I knew it was nowhere near that amount.  By the time I had it all sorted, I only owed $20.52 but I had to go back into my records and finally insist that they email me and not phone.  Youngies can find it hard to almost impossible to understand what it is like to have a 72yr old brain that really has done a lot of work during those years and bits are now falling off, it just aint working like it used to do.    To add insult to injury, I opened my mail for today my rent went up and my pension went down by $7.  Probably doesn't sound like much, but it floored me!  Hence I had to go into Excel and revise my budget and my brain just would not turn over for me.

Thank you, Lord, that today is over and happily all settled. 

At least I have a roof over my head, Lord - please take the homeless under your wing. Amen

[Guest]

 

THE NEW HEAVEN AND

THE NEW EARTH

From Catechism in a Year http://flocknote.com/catechism

16. What is the hope of the new heavens and the new earth?

After the final judgment the universe itself, freed from its bondage to decay, will share in the glory of Christ with the beginning of "the new heavens" and a "new earth" (2 Peter 3:13). Thus, the fullness of the Kingdom of God will come about, that is to say, the definitive realization of the salvific plan of God to "unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things of earth" (Ephesians 1:10). God will then be "all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28) in eternal life.

Further reading: CCC 1042-1050, 1060

[Guest]

 

Expiation

The cancellation of sin. Expiation and propitiation are similar but expiation does not carry the implication of dealing with wrath, of appeasing it through a sacrifice. Generally speaking, propitiation cancels sin and deals with God's wrath. Expiation is simply the cancellation of sin. According to most Christian denominations, Jesus was the once and for all propitiation of human sin(1 John 2:2; 4:10)..

My note: And see https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=35850

 

Five Signs of True Devotion to Our Lady

https://catholicexchange.com/five-signs-true-devotion-mary?mc_cid=417cef7bc9&mc_eid=39e1626b60

Excerpt: St. Louis de Montfort warns the potential Marian devotee against false devotion to her, which is fickle, often exterior, duplicitous, and rooted in pride. Many seemingly devout Catholics claim to love the Blessed Mother, because they practice every devotion to her, namely, praying the Holy Rosary, wearing the Brown Scapular and Miraculous Medal, consecrating their material and spiritual goods to her, and the like.

[Guest]

 

Father Mike Schmitz in ordinary everyday language

The "Overwhelmed" video talks about perfectionism

 

 

[Guest]

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

(We celebrate The Ascension in Australia today

Sunday 13th. May 2018)

 

This video by Bishop Barron is another example why understanding Scripture in the context in which it was written can often turn my understanding of words and events upside down.  Or perhaps even better, context of the times can engage me with the probable real meaning of words and events in Scripture. I am very much aware that new knowledge might or could change understanding of some biblical time or times, and thus my understanding.

I liked it in Bishop Barron's video where he reminds me that The Holy Spirit is the heart and soul of The Church - and I know that where one Member of The Blessed Trinity is present, All Members are present.  Undoubtedly, there are fine theological understandings and probably very complex and even lengthy tracts to explain.....I could not hope to grasp them ever I don't think.  I have to think in simple terms that nonetheless state the truth of the matter for me as an ordinary everyday Catholic with only a very little understanding of theology. 

In the Old Testament The Father promises to send His Son to redeem all humanity.  Jesus, Son of The Father, in the New Testament is incarnated, lives and dies, redeems all mankind from the beginning of time to its ending.  At Pentecost, as in the Acts of The Apostles, and from then on in the New Testament up to the end of time and the Return of Jesus, The Holy Spirit, The Love between Father and Son, is at work in us, The Church per se.  We are drawn by Love and Mercy into the Life of The Blessed Trinity itself. The New Testament ends with the Book of Revelations, but the Works of The Holy Spirit will continue until the end of time.  There is nothing further to be revealed, however our full understanding of what has been revealed remains impoverished:
 

Quote

 

"Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name - he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you."

John Chapter 14

 

The above implies that I am indeed in a fool's paradise if I think at any point that I understand "everything". 

After the Ascension of Jesus, The Holy Spirit begins His Work in us all in our command from Jesus to "Go forth and preach The Gospel to every creature".  Obviously, I cannot preach the Gospel to every single creature  - yet in the Mystical Body of Christ I do, because when one member works, all work because we are united to each other.  Only mortal sin can separate me from The Mystical Body of Christ - a good Confession through God's Love and Mercy will reclaim me into full membership of The Mystical Body again - and as if I had never banished myself (mortal sin) in the first place, so complete and astounding is the Love and Mercy of God in the face of rejecting God completely through mortal sin, and then repenting in The Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Not once forgiven but every single time I repent of sin, most especially and including mortal sin.

God not only forgives, He forgets completely - so complete is His Forgiveness and every single time.  Catholic Answers Tract on PURGATORY

Such a God have we!  Such a God we must share firstly through imitation revealed in Jesus. Now there is a tall order if ever there was one!  Thank you, Dear Lord, so very much for Your Loving Mercy - and to a creature such as I.  Amen.

 

When the angels say to the disciples after Jesus has ascended "Men of Galilee, why are you looking up to heaven?"  Reminds me of a sorta "Heavens above woman and for goodness sake, why are you twiddling your thumbs when you have a job to do?"  

Whenever I write, I am clarifying things for myself firstly - but whenever I write I need to know that I am writing to someone and no matter the subject.  I never think what I write is going to appeal in any way whatsoever to someone else, I can only hope with a prayer that it might - not necessarily every word that I write, but maybe only one word or concept only.  And if that fails, then maybe a word or concept might trigger someone else to come up with a far better word or concept than me........or even a totally different subject.  Something positive.

If all fails, I have spent some time with The Lord sorting out my own thoughts.  The Good Lord does not ask success - for success or failure is His Domain alone.  Rather, He asks for good and sincere motivations and intentions, hopes.

If all else fails in this thread, then there are the beautiful and enlightening, consoling, words of our saints and other authors that make sense.  And even failing that, there are the hopes of a reader or readers for something worthwhile that does not happen for them in this thread.  All that is good comes from God and good motivations and intentions, hopes, are indeed a good and thus they are from God.

I am now quite severely disabled - all I seem to have today to try to spread the Gospel(besides interaction with others at times) is the gift of my computer with internet (and the dollars to pay the monthly bill) as well as my keyboard, coupled with the gift of fast and usually rather accurate typing skills (despite tendonitis Deo Gratius)........also a bipolar mind with extensive curiosity, which usually only stops working (prayer) when I sleep and sometimes not even then.  Although, I must admit that since being put on Seroquel (anti psychotic) dreaming is extremely rare indeed and a nightmare even rarer than that. Seroquel has taken care of any psychotic episodes disconnected from reality, whatever reality in essence might be, while Carbamazapine takes care of the bipolar mood swings.

If the most common in society makes for normality and reality, then it is not necessarily true normality nor reality.  It is possible to fool a lot of the people for a lot of the time. But, thanks be to God alone, not all the people all of the time. Our enemy, the evil one, is overwhelmingly more intelligent than we could ever be - and while things might be totally impossible for us, "For God all things are possible" (Matthew Chapter 19) for "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." First Letter to Corinthians Chapter 1)

"In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians Chapter 6)

Edited May 13, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

BOOK 

"IMITATION OF MARY"

The lady that sits next to me at Vigil Mass showed me this book.  I thought it might be a good book to attempt to read during the month of May, Our Lady's month.  I did an investigation of the book and decided it is probably a book worth reading.  I purchased it through Kindle Aust for $5 something.  I will try to remember to review the book in this thread if I am successful in reading it.  I am not successful necessarily nowadays on reading a book I buy from cover to cover.  I can start to loose interest in the book for some reason or other - I usually do, at some point in the future, get around to reading it in full.

The Imitation of Mary is only a small book about the size of The Little Office of Our Lady (8"x 5", 3/4" wide).  It is divided into four 'books'.  HERE

 

The Imitation of Christ was given to me when I entered the convent in my teens.  It scared the living daylights out of me knowing I could never aspire to something so holy and what did strike me as such a dark and depressing path.  I was (just)16yrs old at the time and already conflicted over dark and depressing notions of spirituality, which did exist, and quite validly back then, prior to V2.

The Copyright to The Imitation of Mary is dated 2005 and a very quick look through a chapter did seem to imply that the language used was modern day and quite familiar to us, nor did I come across anything dark and depressing in that chapter.  I already have The Little Office of Our Lady.   The Imitation of Mary is not written by Thomas a Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ, rather Imitation of Mary is based on the  constant references, apparently, to Our Lady in the Imitation of Christ.

I have never bought The Imitation of Christ, nor ever looked at it online.  But I think it is about time I got over a childish fear holding me back and during June, month of The Sacred Heart, I might attempt to read it once more.  I have come to terms with any dark and depressing notions.  I found my way through them into light - by and large that is.  

[Guest]

May is the Month dedicated to Our Lady

 

The Little Office of Our Lady

can be found online as follows:

http://www.liturgies.net/Liturgies/Catholic/LittleOffice.htm

If you enter into Google "The Little Office of Our Lady online", there are variations it seems.  I noticed three of these - "of Carmel" and of "The Immaculate Conception" and there is one for the dead - there may be more.

[Guest]

Pope Francis explains

The Hail Mary

Phrase by Phrase

HERE

 

 

[Guest]

Not a blow will be permitted to fall upon your shrinking soul but that the love of God permits it, and works out from its depths, blessing and spiritual enrichment unseen and unthought of by you.
   - Anonymous

 

 

[Guest]

                                                                           

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.
    - Anonymous

[Guest]

"In doing what we ought we deserve no praise, because it is our duty."

Saint Augustine

 

" when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Luke Chapter 17

 

In following God's Will, God also provides all the Graces necessary to fulfill His Will.  Therefore, I am deserving of no praise whatsoever at any time, rather it is The Lord and His Grace always.  My free will cannot respond to God without the Grace to do so.  In free will, of course, I can refuse the Grace - but the Grace is always faithfully and unfailingly present nevertheless. 

All praise and thanksgiving to You, Lord, and Your Abundant Graces minute and great evident everywhere.  I am always your lowly and unprofitable servant for I am but dust - and into dust I will return.  Into the dust, unrelenting and self constructed ego.

[Guest]

Short Biography - St Felix of Cantalice

 

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.  

- Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

[Guest]

 

Staying up a bit later tonight to watch Harry and Meghan marry. 

It is a true historical moment breaking down barriers including in English royalty; groundwork having been done

by Princess Diana.

May God bless their marriage. 

[Marysheart]

That is wonderful. I wish you every happiness in making your vows. It's a very special vocation to make vows. Vows of faithfulness to Christ. Vows in marriage is also a wonderful union with Christ. To which ever vocation we are called to. Like St Paul said we are do to it with humilty, which isn't easy at times. Let's all look to Christ as our example, for he is humility in it's very self.

Barbara therese, may I ask did you get a copy of imitation of Mary. I have many Catholic books, but not that one. I wanted to know if you did happen to get it, is it a good read? Thank you.

[Guest]

Hi @Marysheart

Yes, I obtained a copy of the Imitation of Mary on Kindle for a little under $6 I think it was.  I was able to find my post about the purchase.  I haven't started to read it yet.

PURCHASE OF IMITATION OF MARY

 

---O0O---

PENTECOST SUNDAY

https://www.catholic.org/lent/pentecost.php

 

 

[Guest]

Seven Gifts of The Holy Spirit bestowed at Confirmation

 

"Since the Spirit is our life,

let us be directed by the Spirit."

 

"What the Spirit brings is ....: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control."

 

If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you

(Galatians Chapter 5)

If you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions. If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you.

When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things. I warn you now, as I warned you before: those who behave like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against things like that, of course. You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires. (From Readings at Mass http://www.universalis.com/mass.htm )