Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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SCRIPTURE

Why did Jesus fold the linen cloth

that covered His Face

in the tomb?

HERE

Excerpt "Jesus had told them with his words that the Son of Man would return. That morning, he repeated the promise, with the seemingly inconsequential, but very symbolic, gesture of leaving his face cloth rolled to the side, assuring us that he’d not left for good.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me tell you, “I am going away and I will come back to you.” (John 14:27-28)

 

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BLOOM WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED

Word on Fire - Resource

 

Excerpt: " Jesus conquered the distorted mentality of “if only” once and for all in the Garden of Agony when he said, as he oscillated between present circumstances and the Father’s will, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it.”"

Archbishop Sheen once said the devil’s mantra always inverts Christ’s — "Not now, but later. What if? If only."  Read full article on above link

Edited July 27, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

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My previous post and also our Doctrine of Divine Providence can speak to quite a few women I have come across that feel they have lost their true vocation to religious life and live constantly with regrets.  That would be to state that Divine Providence has abandoned them and contrary to Catholic Doctrine.  It is also an "if only" type of temptation from satan.   It is to live in the past, not in the Present Moment.  Their regrets are inflicted on themselves through giving in to a ruse of satan and most often without realising satan is the cause.  The person is adopting the concept that a vocation is a Divine Command; whereas Catholic Teaching is that vocation is an invitation not a Divine Command.  

One can base reality on how one feels about things.  That is not reality (in the subject under discussion) - reality is what The Church teaches and professes.

Compassion

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Josef Bolin - Consequences of failing to follow a Vocation

On the above link is an excellent and sound explanation by a priest and a licentiate in theology.  He is an assistant professor of dogmatic theology.

 

About Fr Josef Bolin: https://thomasaquinas.edu/alumni/rev-joseph-bolin

 

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Ignatian Sprituality

Ways to Choose God's Will

 

https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/making-good-decisions/an-approach-to-good-choices/how-ignatian-spirituality-gives-us-a-way-to-discern-gods-will

I think that one of the most important things after I have tried to discern the way forward in accord with God's Will and the promptings of The Holy Spirit, is to make a firm decision and then not to second guess myself, not to look back in doubt and regret due to problems and difficulties.  Not to start wondering if I chose wisely and was it God's Will for me - to trust in Divine Providence and keep moving forward with the decision made.  Difficulties and problems are part and parcel of any journey.

The above holds true for me; however, there are exceptions and exceptions prove the rule for sure.  It is all a matter of common sense and sound judgement............and spiritual direction especially if really in doubt for what one feels is or might be good reason(s).

 

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Sometimes, when the soul least thinks of it, and when it least desires it, God touches it divinely causing certain recollections of Himself.
    ... St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)

 

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EXCELLENT LINKS

There are excellent related links at the end of each article connected to the primary link I gave in my previous post: "Ignatian Spirituality - Ways to Choose God's Will". HERE

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AN IGNATIAN APPROACH FOR MAKING GOOD DECISIONS

 

 

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“Free your mind of anything that troubles you; God will take care of it.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

 

 

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As I pray in the Hail Holy Queen, my journey could be through "this valley of tears" and I might be accompanied by much suffering in life.  I think the "disturbance and turmoil" St Ignatius refers to would have to be caused by something contrary to God's Will for Peace and tranquility to be absent and one unable to find them.  Of myself, I can do absolutely nothing "but for God all things are possible" (Matthew Ch19) and even in the midst of suffering and difficulty.

I think that I need to put the above quotation into a larger context to get an accurate perspective and attitude.  Real misunderstandings can occur through taking a quotation out of the overall context (which is why we have Scripture Scholars for one):

 

http://www.catholicstoreroom.com/category/quotes/quote-author/ignatius-of-loyola-1491-1556/page/18/

If you suffer much…

Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), Page: Quotes, Sainthood, Suffering

If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint. And if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity.
–Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

 

In time of desolation…

Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), Page: Quotes, Spiritual (life)

In time of desolation one should never make a change, but stand firm and consistent in the resolutions and decisions that guided one the days before the desolation, or to the decision which one observed in the preceding time of consolation. For just as the good spirit guides and rejoices us in consolation, so in desolation it is the evil spirit which guides and counsels.
–Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

 

God can mould us…

Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), Page: Quotes, Spiritual (life)

A rough and unshapen log has no idea that it can be made into a statue that will be considered a masterpiece, but the carver sees what can be done with it. So many seem to know scarcely anything of the Christian life and do not understand that God can mould them into saints, until they put themselves into the hands of that almighty Artisan.
–Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

 

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Well, the bottom has fallen out of my boat again.  My foster son and I have had words and so I will be going to Mass and home again each week by taxi.  But I know that The Lord has His Plans and I had mine, but they did not coincide and so my plans were not, therefore, feasible in the big picture. 

And it is The Lord and His big picture that always takes precedence. 

Going by the past, between my foster son and I things will eventually sort out and a waiting and praying time until they do.

 

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ST THERESE

SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD

Excerpt: "Love demands a fidelity that is centered round the countless mundane 'little' things of each day, things that are within everyone's power. We see that Therese is not advocating an easy solution. Heroism is not eliminated, rather it is brought within reach of the poor [person]. The torrent of love is channeled into ordinary everyday life. We are struck by the place held by 'all the smallest things' in Therese's program through which she wished to realize her dream to be love in the heart of the Church, these 'worthless petals' ... these 'nothings': a little sacrifice, a look, a word, a smile! . . . Sometimes the action is nothing more than faithful effort, the fact of having tried, the good will that is untiringly put into the journey: true bearers of love, but witnesses of imperfection and appeal to God's mercy.

In an essay entitled 'Ideas for a Theology of Childhood', Karl Rahner notes that childhood suggests openness. 'The mature childhood of the adult' signifies an openness in discipleship of Jesus Christ even though circumstances and experiences tempt us to close up, to withdraw. It is because of God's grace, God's 'self-bestowal' that remaining open to existence is possible. It seems to me that St Therese had made this point about childhood and discipleship through her own life and writing. 'Tout est grace' she had said, 'All is grace'. All of her experiences found their centre in a fundamental union of love of God and neighbour. She lived out this commitment in the midst of 'a dark tunnel' during the last year of her life and through her affliction and suffering. The child of her beginning had moved into the adult child of mature discipleship. Both phases were identified in the heart of love.  

Read whole text HERE

 

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"I have a capacity in my soul for taking in God entirely. I am as sure as I live that nothing is so near to me as God. God is nearer to me than I am to myself; my existence depends on the nearness and the presence of God."
    ... Meister Eckhart (1260?-1327?)

 

To me, Eckhart is speaking in the first sentence of the capacity or potential of the soul for Unity with God.  

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3 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

To me, Eckhart is speaking in the first sentence of the capacity or potential of the soul for Unity with God.  

What I should have stated to make my thoughts clearer is that Eckhard meant that every soul has a capacity or potential for Unity with God.............an almost "goes without saying"  

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COMMENTARY

ON LAST SUNDAY'S GOSPEL

http://www.scborromeo.org/biblestu/a_ot_17.pdf

[Jesus said to his disciples:] 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, Ever wonder how the treasure got there? In the ancient world there was always danger of invasion or plundering.

Many householders buried their savings in the hope of returning after the danger had passed. Some didn’t return. and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. The kingdom of God is such a priceless treasure that a wise man would gladly give all for the chance to seize it; it is the chance of a lifetime. Half measures will not do for the kingdom of God. Jesus passes no judgment on the ethics of the finder, but uses his avarice as an example of the zeal with which the believer should pursue the reign at any price.

 

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

The pearl merchant similarly puts all his possessions in the one investment that he knows will repay him most handsomely.

 

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. 48 When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. 49 Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

This parable is very close to the weeds and the wheat which we heard last week. The Church is not entirely a community of the elect; it has unfaithful members. God will tolerate such members in the Church as he tolerates them in the world at large; but the judgment will determine the final destiny of the righteous and the wicked.

 

51 “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.”

 In Matthew, understanding is a characteristic of a good disciple.

 

52 And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

The scribe who has become a disciple will employ both the old, the Law and the Prophets, and the new, the gospel. Neither is sufficient without the other; the gospel is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

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While sitting on the bank of a river one day, I picked up a solid round stone from the water and broke it open. It was perfectly dry in spite of the fact that it had been immersed in water for centuries. The same is true of many people in the Western world. For centuries they have been surrounded by Christianity; they live immersed in the waters of its benefits. And yet it has not penetrated their hearts; they do not love it. The fault is not in Christianity, but in human hearts, which have been hardened by materialism and intellectualism.
    ... Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929)    

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There is an active discussion ongoing in Open Mic about Pope Francis and the death penalty.  HERE - Page 2 of 2I think I have stated what I wanted to state over in Open Mic.  I am putting this article from CathNews (Australian Catholic News) here.  I did think it was a pretty good and quite brief summary:

Pope changes Church stance on death penalty

Published: 03 August 2018

Pope Francis (CNS/Ciro Fusco, EPA)

Pope Francis has ordered a revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, asserting that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”. Source: The Tablet.

He has committed the Church to working for its abolition worldwide.

The catechism’s paragraph on capital punishment, 2267, had already been updated by St John Paul II in 1997 to strengthen its scepticism about the need to use the death penalty in the modern world and, particularly, to affirm the importance of protecting all human life.

The latest change builds on the development of Church teaching against capital punishment.

Announcing the change yesterday, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said: “The new text, following in the footsteps of the teaching of John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, affirms that ending the life of a criminal as punishment for a crime is inadmissible because it attacks the dignity of the person, a dignity that is not lost even after having committed the most serious crimes.”

Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) was St John Paul’s 1995 encyclical letter on the dignity and sacredness of all human life.

The catechism now will read: “Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.

“Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption,” the new section continues.

Pope Francis’ change to the text concludes: “Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,’ and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.”

 

http://www.stmarysmonastery.org/

 

Sometimes, the commentary on the Benedictine Rule by Br. Jerome Leo (St Mary's Monastery) is not really applicable to those of us labouring out here in the secular world, but sometimes, he really hits the button for us out here.  This is one of those really good commentaries:

Quote

Would to God that the oratories of our hearts were as easy to keep
clean as those of our monasteries! Having been sacristan, in my
youth, of the large and lovely Abbey Church at St. Leo, FL, I can
assure you that Benedictines tend to be very good about this part of
the Holy Rule. One usually gets a Church in good condition and it is
not too hard to keep it that way. In fact, doing so was only one of
my several charges at the time!

Ah, but those oratories of our hearts! How easily they can get cluttered
and more or less stay that way! God alone knows how many times I have
written books or articles, essays or posts in mid-prayer, how many
times I have "capably and completely" reformed Order or monastery,
Church, liturgy or world! I certainly hope He isn't counting too
closely, and I have a fairly good feeling that He isn't. One of the
Desert Fathers said that, if God counts distractions in psalmody, no one
could be saved!

Calm down! The Divine Aim of our poor hearts is their Author and
Maker. Better than anyone and FAR better than ourselves, He knows the
limitations of His creations! How often God must be like a tender and
loving and delighted mother who tries with all her might to keep from
laughing at a child's graceless attempts at being exquisite grace.

Truly, in many a stumbling child there is GREAT poetry in motion, but
not at all in the way that the child THINKS there is! So it is with
God and ourselves. Relax, therefore, and rejoice! Again I say,
rejoice!

The great and merciful God flat out delights in our clumsy efforts
and knows from the start that we shall be far more like funny home
videos than the best and most tasteful films ever produced. Funny how
we often lack the humility to see that ourselves! If we seek to gain
it, Satan, who loves to see us despondent and discouraged, will be
trounced but good.

It is our efforts which delight God, not our results. He knows that
the results we seek are far beyond many of us. The more clearly we
come to know that, the more adequate our sense of our own abject
poverty of skills, the greater our peace shall be. And in that peace
we shall find God, the loving parent on Whose long-suffering insteps
we tiptoe and dance, in Whose tender arms we swoon like children
dreaming of a grand ballroom with mirrors!

 

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  Why does He make our hearts so strangely still, 
        Why stands He forth so stately and so tall?
   Because He has no self to serve, no will 
        That does not seek the welfare of the All.
    ... Edwin Markham (1852-1940)

 

The gifts and blessings The Lord may bestow on one person, are gifted for the good of all, for the good of The Church and of all creation - mystery.

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Theology Note

Forgiveness

  There are seven words in Scripture that denote the idea of forgiveness: three in Hebrew and four in Greek. No book of religion except Christianity teaches that God completely forgives sins. God remembers our sins no more (Heb. 10:17). God is the initiator of forgiveness (Col.2:13).

   There is only one sin for which the Father does not promise forgiveness: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28; Matt. 12:32). The contexts suggest this to be the sin of attributing to unclean spirits the work of the Holy Spirit.

    For an individual to receive forgiveness, repentance is necessary (Luke 17:3-4)

(Dominican Sisters of Peace - Shalom Place)

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Consistency

WILL make you holy

https://thefrmikepodcast.fireside.fm/153

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2018 by BarbaraTherese