Mental Illness & Bipolar Disorder

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A Daily Spiritual Seed - Dominican Sisters of Peace

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MT 10:17-22

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

 

Reflection on the Scriptures

Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed and served him. Here Jesus says to his disciples - This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst; do you accept it? This is not the world's way of offering glory, honor, and success. After the defeat at Dunkirk during World War II, Churchill offered his country "blood, toil, sweat, and tears." Suffering for the name of Jesus Christ is not the message we prefer to hear when the Lord commissions us in his service. Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who laid down his life for us. The Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Do you know the joy and victory of the cross of Jesus Christ?

"Lord Jesus, your coming in the flesh to ransom us from slavery to sin gives us cause for great rejoicing even in the midst of trials and pain. Help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you. Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing (embracing) your will".

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"I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent.

For this is still the time God chooses. "

- Taylor Caldwell

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In my previous very poor suburb, I would compile a list of what was needed and we all would take something from the list.  Christmas Day was a community experience.  I am now in a rather affluent suburb and there is no sense of suburb community.  It is more pockets of community here and there.

Sad

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29th December 2019 - Feast Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  See homily by cappie: HERE

 

 

 

 

Soon to be saint and Patron of the Poor and The Suffering.................

 

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Time = chronos and kairos

HERE

Edited December 29, 2019 by BarbaraTherese

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1st January 2019 (Holy Day of Obligation)

                            SOLEMNITY

                  MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

 

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Is illness a curse from God? HERE

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" For in truth we are not called once only, but many times; all through our life Christ is calling us. He called us first in Baptism; but afterwards also; whether we obey His voice or not, He graciously calls us still. If we fall from our Baptism, He calls us to repent; if we are striving to fulfil our calling, He calls us on from grace to grace, and from holiness to holiness, while life is given us. Abraham was called from his home, Peter from his nets, Matthew from his office, Elisha from his farm, Nathanael from his retreat; we are all in course of calling, on and on, from one thing to another, having no resting-place, but mounting towards our eternal rest, and obeying one command only to have another put upon us. He calls us again and again, in order to justify us again and again,—and again and again, and more and more, to sanctify and glorify us."

John Henry Newman

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                              January 3rd

       Optional Memorial Most Holy Name of Jesus

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-01-03

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           "Holiness is the True Light of The Church"

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12281

......."............Saints are not unreachable human beings, but are close to us and can sustain us on the path of life. In fact, “they are people who … experienced the daily toil of existence with its successes and failures, finding in the Lord the strength to rise again and again, and to continue on their journey” ........."............

[penitent60]

4 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

           "Holiness is the True Light of The Church"

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12281

......."............Saints are not unreachable human beings, but are close to us and can sustain us on the path of life. In fact, “they are people who … experienced the daily toil of existence with its successes and failures, finding in the Lord the strength to rise again and again, and to continue on their journey” ........."............

That is a very worthy reminder at least for me.

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............and for me.  Most everything I post has caught my attention and spoken first to me.

 

"Rigid People are Sick" http://m.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-francis-rigidity-is-something-pathological

He (Pope Francis) criticizes what he calls a "self-absorbed promethean neopelagianism" among those who "ultimately trust only in their own powers and feel superior to others because they observe certain rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style from the past."  

"A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline leads instead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism," he believes, "whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying."

He further believes that "in neither case is one really concerned about Jesus Christ or others" and argues it is "impossible to think that a genuine evangelizing thrust could emerge from these adulterated forms of Christianity." 

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"This is what it feels like to have a Bipolar Manic Episode" HERE

HealthLine website

Excerpt: ......."..........But despite my best efforts, I’ve experienced mania again. If you don’t know much about the implications of bipolar disorder, it’s important for you to know that mania is not what it seems. It’s not a “super high” or being “extremely happy.” Mania is overwhelming, terrifying, and exhausting. Here’s what a day in the life of a bipolar manic episode feels like.........."...........READ MORE ON ABOVE LINK.

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AT the end of the above video is a good question: "Should we pray for the sick" and the response we ideally would give if our prayer is not answered as we might hope.

 

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A patron saint for those who choose to remain in the Laity as their vocation - or even those who feel they do not have a vocation at all:

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-rose-of-viterbo/

 

In truth, there is no such thing as no vocation at all.  With our baptism comes the call from God to holiness and God would not call to where He cannot or will not fulfill.

 Our call to holiness at our baptism is in the Lay state of life.  It is where the journey of holiness must begin and can end.

Edited January 14, 2020 by BarbaraTherese

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Saints who were lifelong lay people:

https://catholicsaints.info/saints-who-were-lifelong-lay-people/

 

What is a saint? (Catholic Resource Centre)

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/what-is-a-saint.html

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Abandoned puppy finds safe harbour and rest with Baby Jesus in Nativity scene in Brazil.

 

Delightful image!!! Read full story HERE

When feeling desolate and good for nothing, how to know you are not offending God

"He (Padre Pio) explains how drastically these experiences affect his prayer, or better said, make him even unable to pray:

I try to form one single thought about God—I cannot say “try to pray” because that would be going too far—but in my current state that is entirely impossible.

Fr. Pio speaks of how he sees himself as “full of imperfections” and he is left without courage, feeling that he is “very weak” in virtue and at “resisting the enemy’s assaults.”