Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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The Interview about Padre Pio starts about 4 mins in to the video

 

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Each of us has two natures: one, a hard outer husk, which is an old nature; the other an inner softness, which constitutes our true self. The outer husk is that part of us that, while we are flesh-center beings, is used to protect ourselves from the harshness of our world. Before we come to Christ, that “husk” protects the inner softness, which otherwise cannot endure the struggles of life in this hostile, devil-filled world. But when we come to Christ, the husk must be broken and die. We cannot rely on the way of the flesh to protect us; we must become Christ-centered.

- Francis Frangipane

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/112836.Evelyn_Underhill

Where the philosopher guesses and argues, the mystic lives and looks; and speaks, consequently, the disconcerting language of first-hand experience, not the neat dialectic of the schools. Hence whilst the Absolute of the metaphysicians remains a diagram —impersonal and unattainable—the Absolute of the mystics is lovable, attainable, alive.” 
― Evelyn Underhill, Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness

 

“Every minute you are thinking of evil, you might have been thinking of good instead. Refuse to pander to a morbid interest in your own misdeeds. 
Pick yourself up, be sorry, shake yourself, and go on again.” 
― Evelyn Underhill

 

“the night of thought is the light of perception.” 
― Evelyn Underhill, Practical Mysticism

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Interesting video 

 

 

 

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The voice of Dr James Finlay grates on me and is a distinct turn-off.  I just dont like it the sound of his voice .  But sometimes he does say

something that I do get - and in most all of his videos there is usually

something, if even only one thing.  So now and then I suffer the sound of his voice hoping to hear something he has to say that will touch me in some way.

 

Dr Finlay was a novice in Gethsemani Monastery, Kentucky, when Thomas Merton was

his novice master.   He subsequently left the monastery and eventually married.  I think that's part anyway of his story. 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

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USCCB - Gospel Meditation 30.6.18

 

 

 

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Origen (c.185-253)

priest and theologian
Homilies on Leviticus, no. 7

 

"Many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven"

Christ said: “I will not drink this fruit of the vine from now until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s house.” (Mt 26:29) If anyone among you listens with purified ears, he can perceive the ineffable mystery…: the Lord is waiting to drink wine with us; he is waiting for us to rejoice. How long will he wait? Until he has accomplished his word, until we have all submitted to Christ and Christ to his Father (1 Cor 15:28). Since we are all members of his Body, we can say that in a sense he has not submitted until we have submitted with perfect submission, until I, the last of sinners, have submitted. But when he will have accomplished his word and brought every creature to its perfect fulfillment, then we will be able to say that “he has submitted” in those whom he submits to his Father, those in whom he has accomplished the work his Father entrusted to him, so that God might be all in all (1 Cor 15:28)…

And the saints who preceded us are also waiting for us, slow and lazy as we are. Their joy is not perfect so long as there is reason to weep over our sins. The apostle testifies to this for me when he says: “Without us, they were not to be made perfect.” (Heb 11:40) So see: Abraham is waiting. Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets are waiting for us to possess perfect beatitude with us… If you are holy, you will have joy when you leave this life, but that joy will only be complete when not one of the members of the Body we are all to form together is missing anymore. You will also wait for others in the same way as you were awaited. Now if you who are only one member cannot have perfect joy if another member is absent, how much more our Lord and Savior who is both the author and the head of the entire Body… Then we will have come to the maturity of which the apostle Paul said: “The life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me.” (Gal 2:20) Then our pontiff will drink the new wine in the new heaven, on the new earth, in the new human person, with the new human persons, with those who sing the new song.

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Just in case you haven't got round to seeing it:

 

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Daily Reflection – July 2 - St Vincent de Paul Society

 

“God never fails to come to our help in due time after we, on our part, have done all we can.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

 

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I have quitted all forms of devotion and set prayers but those to which my state obliges me. And I make it my business only to persevere in His holy presence, wherein I keep myself by a simple attention, and a general fond regard to God, which I may call an actual presence of God; or, to speak better, an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with God, which often causes in me joys and raptures inwardly, and sometimes also outwardly, so great that I am forced to use means to moderate them, and prevent their appearance to others    ... Brother Lawrence (c.1605-1691), The Practice of the Presence of God

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From Good News Ministries:

"Dear Friend,

I understand the sorrow and pain you feel for that loved one who is not going to church. It's in my family, too. It's disturbing to watch the de-Christianizing of many who were raised in the faith. It's alarming how much the devil has gotten stronger with his influence, right? -- as evidenced by the relentless shootings in schools, by the bombings of churches, by immoral laws and the glorification of sin, and the other signs that you can easily bring to mind from what you've witnessed.

But we've got the Good News! Where sin abounds, grace abounds the more (see Romans 5:20). God's grace, combined with your passion and mine, will make a difference in this world, despite how small and insignificant your light might seem to be today. God has empowered you to be the light and the salt of the world (see Matthew 5:13-16). This is how Jesus saves souls. This is how the Holy Spirit plans to change the world.

Do you feel inadequate?

So do I when I think I'm alone in the fight against evil.

But this idea is the devil trying to influence us into being impotent followers of Christ.

The truth is -- the glorious truth is --

that together we accomplish much. Together we make a difference!

 

 

REDEMPTIVE SUFFERING

Excerpt Only: "Whatever we do to our neighbor, we do to Jesus, and all the sufferings our neighbor encounters in his daily life helps to build up the Mystical Body of Christ. To Paul, everything he suffered was for the Christians to whom he preached and for those who were to come. “I want you to know,” he said, “that I do have to struggle hard for you . . . and for so many others who have never seen me face to face” (Col. 2:1).

What was the purpose of all this suffering for others? “It is all to bind you together in love,” he told them, “and to stir your minds, so that your understanding may come to full development” (Col. 2:2).

Paul offered his sufferings for the good of his brethren, the Jews, for he told Timothy, “I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal — but they cannot chain up God’s news. So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen, so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it” (2 Tim. 2:9-10, emphasis added).

Here we have Redemptive Suffering offered to God for the sake of others. Paul’s desire to suffer for his brethren reached almost to extremes, for one day he said, “My sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood” (Rom. 9:2-4). Paul knew that God would never exact that price for the salvation of others but he went to extremes in his desire to suffer for others so they too might come to know Jesus and enjoy His Kingdom."

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From our Parish Bulletin:

Wake us up To what needs doing,

And what needs undoing.

Wake us up To what must be let go, And what to draw closer.

Wake us up to what enlarges love And what diminishes it In all parts of our life,

Disturb and wake us up!

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"There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose...."

- Alan Redpath

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I always read cappie's homilies in Open Mic - he is a Catholic priest.  The homilies are always well worth the read as is this one:

 

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SAINT PAULINE - VATICAN WEBSITE