Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

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My priest religious SD and Confessor passed away on 31st July last.  I have only just found out and am really going to miss him and am a bit in shock I think.  Silence has intensified and every sound seems magnified and due to shock just now I think - I only saw him on 17th July when he seemed fighting fit. So much seems to be changing in my life so quickly.  It is a matter of walking on in daily life with whatever unfolds knowing that The Lord has all in hand.

Please say a prayer for Father, although I am convinced he is in Heaven.

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May the Spirit of God help you to give of yourself as recklessly for the cause of Christ throughout the whole world as God “recklessly” gave His Son, Jesus Christ.
    ... Bob Pierce, founder and president, World Vision

http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2012/03/ask-a-carmelite-how-to-overcome-worry-trust-in-gods-providence/

Trusting in God’s Providence
A letter from Mother Luisita (de-coded)

My beloved child,

How good our God is, always watching over His children!

We should rest entirely in His hands, understanding that His eyes are always upon us, that He will see to it that we lack nothing and grant us anything that we need, if it is for our own good. Let Our Lord do with you whatever He wants. Let Him mold your soul in whatever way is pleasing to Him. Try to be at peace within your soul, freeing yourself from fear and worry and allowing yourself to be guided by your spiritual director.

With all my heart, I am praying for this intention for you that God will grant your soul many blessings. This is my greatest desire for you – that these blessings, like the valuable rain, will help the seeds of those virtues most pleasing to of God our Lord to germinate within your soul, embellishing it with virtue. Let us rid ourselves of those tinsel-like virtues that shine but at the least touch fall apart. Our holy Mother St. Teresa taught us to be as strong as oak trees, not like straw that is always knocked down by the wind. I have as much concern for your soul as I do for my own (I think I am saying too much), but it is a reality – I am deeply concerned in an extraordinary way for you.

My child, try to see all things as coming from God. Receive everything that happens with serenity. Humble yourself, asking Him to do everything for you and continue working with tranquility for the good of your own soul which is the most urgent thing for you to do. Look to God, your soul, and eternity, and for all the rest, do not preoccupy yourself.

For greater things you were born.

God will provide for all of our needs. Let us trust that we will receive all from Him who loves us so much and is always watching over us!

As you try to see all things as coming from the hand of God, adore His designs. I would like to see you have more trust in Divine Providence. Otherwise, you will be suffering many disappointments and your projects will meet with failure. Trust, my child, only in God. Everything human is changeable and the one who is for you today will be against you tomorrow. You see how good our God is! We should have more confidence in Him every day and have recourse to prayer, not permitting anything to discourage us or make us sad. He has given me so much confidence in His Divine Will that I leave everything in His hands and I am at peace.

My beloved child, let us praise God in everything because all that happens is for our own good. Try to fulfill your duties the best you can and for God alone and always remain happy and serene in all the tribulations of life. As for me, I have placed all in the hands of God and I have been successful. We have to learn to detach ourselves a little, trust in God alone, and do God’s holy will with joy. How beautiful it is to be in the Hands of God, searching His Divine Gaze in readiness to do whatever He wishes.

Good-bye, my child, and receive a loving embrace from your mother who wishes to see you.

Mother Luisita

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The LORD said to Moses:

"Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them:

24 The LORD bless you and keep you!  The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!

The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

(Numbers Chapter 6)

History of The Silver Scrolls of Israel, containing the Numbers Priestly Blessing: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2010/01/06/The-Blessing-of-the-Silver-Scrolls.aspx#Article

 

Commented the late archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon:

This is now the earliest occurrence of a Biblical text in an extra-Biblical document, significantly predating the earliest of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is also the oldest extra-Biblical reference to YHWH, the God of Israel (1987: 124; cf. King and Stager 2001: 306).

Time magazine, reporting on the find, stated that this discovery suggests that at least part of the Old Testament was written soon after some of the events it describes (Lemonick 1995: 65)...The discovery made it clear that parts of the Old Testament were being copied long before some skeptics had believed they were even written (ibid., 67).

Read MORE on the above link

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TODAY AUGUST 8

IS THE FEASTDAY OF ST MARY MACKILLOP

(MOTHER MARY OF THE CROSS)

THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN SAINT

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"O woman, great is your faith!"

Julian of Vézelay (c.1080-c.1160)
Benedictine monk
Sermon 17 (SC 193, p. 373)

“It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” The woman took up his words and said: “Yes, Lord!” As though she were saying:... “As for me, I'm only asking for a little crumb off the table and from the hand of the generous master who 'gives food to all flesh' (Ps 136[135]:25). You treat the Jews to a meal like sons and that's why I'm begging you not to refuse a tiny crumb to your little Canaanite dog!”

Jesus said to her: “Oh woman, great is your faith!” He reproaches Peter for his little faith (Mt 14,31); as for this woman, he admires her for the greatness of hers. And she really does have great faith since she proclaims that the Word made flesh is the son of David and, certain of divine power, trusts in his ability to restore her absent daughter to health – and this by one act of his will.

And you, too, if your faith is great and if it is that living faith by which the righteous live (Rom 1:17) and not a dead faith from which the soul, that is to say charity, is lacking: you, too, will not only obtain the complete healing of your daughter, that is to say your soul, but will have the power to move mountains (cf. Mt 17:20).

From Daily Gospel.org https://dailygospel.org/AM/gospel

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9 August - Optional Memorial

ST EDITH STEIN

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/the-life-and-legacy-of-edith-stein/

 

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From: Second Reading - Office of Readings 9th August 2018

"This love of ours for Christ is a sort of return, though not equal to his love for us; and it is a copy, a likeness of his. For he first loved us, and by the example of love that he sets before us, he has become a seal by which we are moulded to his image — putting off the likeness of the earthly and bearing that of the heavenly, loving him as we are loved. In this he leaves us an example, that we may follow in his footsteps.

  That is why he says: ‘Set me as a seal on your heart.’ As though to say: Love me, as I love you; have me in your mind, in your memory, in your desire; in your sighing, your groaning, your weeping. Remember, man, in what state I fashioned you, how far I preferred you before the rest of creatures, the dignity with which I ennobled you; how I crowned you with glory and honour, made you a little less than the angels, and subjected all things under your feet. Remember not only the great things I did for you, but what harsh indignities I bore on your behalf; and see if you are not acting wickedly against me, if you do not love me. For who loves you as I love you? Who created you, if not I? Who redeemed you, if not I?

  Lord, take away from me the heart of stone, a heart shrunken and uncircumcised — take it away and give me a new heart, a heart of flesh, a clean heart. You cleanse our heart and love the heart that is clean — possess my heart and dwell in it, both holding it and filling it. You surpass what is highest in me, and yet are within my inmost self! Pattern of beauty and seal of holiness, mould my heart in your likeness: mould my heart under your mercy, God of my heart and God my portion for ever. Amen."

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From Second Reading - Office of Readings 10th August 2018

Quote

 

  So let us understand how Christians ought to follow Christ, short of the shedding of blood, short of the danger of suffering death. The Apostle says, speaking of the Lord Christ, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not think it robbery to be equal to God. What incomparable greatness! But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and being made in the likeness of men, and found in condition as a man. What unequalled humility!

  Christ humbled himself: you have something, Christian, to latch on to. Christ became obedient. Why do you behave proudly? After running the course of these humiliations and laying death low, Christ ascended into heaven: let us follow him there. Let us listen to the Apostle telling us, If you have risen with Christ, savour the things that are above us, seated at God’s right hand.

 

 

 

 

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First Reading at Mass

10th August 2018

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-10 

God loves a cheerful giver

Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.

  The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one.

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CHANGE

 

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ― Rob Siltanen

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” ― Albert Einstein

“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

“You can’t stop the future. You can’t rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret …is to press play.” ― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ― George Bernard Shaw

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"Quaeremus inventum," said St. Augustine: "Let us seek Him Whom we
have found." In truth a certain "finding" of God is necessary to whet
our appetite, to lead us to seek Him more deeply. Once that happens,
however, we can go on seeking God for the rest of time and eternity
and never get to the end of His infinite love and mercy.

Even in heaven the journey will go on, with us always being creature and Him
always loving Creator. We will never end our quest, but we will love
it. We will never reach the ground zero essence of God, but that will never
frustrate us in heaven. We shall go deeper and deeper into Him for all eternity.

(http://www.stmarysmonastery.org)

 

Catholic Joy

and

The Gift of a Snse of Humour

http://www.catholicstand.com/catholic-joy/

Quote

 

Excerpt only: "Another Trappist, Thomas Merton, was asked if  it was possible to tell if someone had truly undergone  inner purification, becoming transformed into the image of Christ.

“It is very difficult to tell but usually it is accompanied by a wonderful sense of humour.”

Humour, the ability to laugh and not take ourselves too seriously, puts the grueling process of inner transformation into perspective. If I am self-centered instead of God-centered, everything becomes intense and dramatic. When I take my eyes off myself, my faith, myreligious practices,  my spiritual ‘progress’,  my sins and rather look at my Saviour, everything comes back into the proper perspective. I am filled with joy, the joy of the Lord.

There are many amusing stories about the saints which illustrate their joy. While on a journey to visit one of her convents,  a donkey dumped St. Teresa of Avila  into a stream of freezing cold water.  Standing in her water-logged, heavy habit, she yelled at God,

“If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!”

 

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With my valued SD having passed away on 31st July 2018 last, I have decided at this point to journey on without a director unless and until I can find one (does not charge) and with whom I am compatible and he/she is with me.  I am blest to have had in my journey to date two outstanding SD/Confessors, both of whom were priests and religious.   Both now deceased and both my SDs/Confessors until their deaths.

I very humbly ask Divine Providence to be my guide unless/until I can find a suitable director, hopefully a priest for Confessor as well.

 

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Tomorrow on the Solemnity of The Assumption,

it is three years

since the Home Mass to renew my life private vows.

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"To the rich man, Lazarus was part of the landscape. If ever he did notice him, it never struck him that Lazarus had anything to do with him. He was simply unaware of his presence, or, if he was aware of it, he had no sense of responsibility for it...

A person may well be condemned, not for doing something, but for doing nothing."

    ... William Barclay (1907-1978)

 

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

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All about  G O S S I P

https://catholicexchange.com/prevent-gossip-think-speaking?mc_cid=4fccabd4b3&mc_eid=1ea4a385a2

 

Gossip not only occurs through verbal statements. I think gossip can occur on Pham when I bring up previous posts by another member as a means of personally criticizing that member....

....oh, it isn't gossip its the truth? !!!

The other point is that I really should stick to the subject, and not criticize a member on a personal level.  I am gossiping.

 

Quote

 

Excerpt Only - read MORE on above link: 

"How can we know whether or not we have the right to judge someone, either in thought or speech? Again, St. Thomas Aquinas answers the question with three points:

1. I must have authority over the other person. (In other words, if you are a parent, you have authority over your children. If you are a husband, you have authority over your wife. If you are a priest, you have authority over the laity, etc.)
2. It must be done according to justice.
3. I must have knowledge of the person’s interior life. (Do we really know someone else’s interior disposition? Rarely, if ever, unless you are a spiritual director/confessor and truly have the gift of knowledge to read that person’s soul.)

Because these conditions are so seldom met, it’s prudent for us to remain silent more than we speak — or at least stop and T.H.I.N.K. before contributing to a conversation about another person. The downfall of gossiping is that it leads to judgment of another person and violates the virtue of temperance."

 

 

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