Ijournal entry 032816 #13. March, month of St. Joseph. Aphorism by Fr. Baltasar Gracián,SJ. Quotes from Fr. Silouan Justiniano, St. Basil of Seleucia, and St. Augustine. Book: "Essence of Prayer", by Sr. Ruth Burrows. Sermon on love, by St. Peter of Damascus. My audio interview: Testimony by Warren: "The dead is alive again".
"Who was St. Joseph? Was he just a passive, incidental figure in the drama of salvation? On the contrary, in every way that Jesus needed a father, St. Joseph was that for him. And how overwhelming it must have been for Joseph to be asked to stand in the Father’s place! No man has ever been asked to do so in such an unthinkable way. Every priest, and certainly every man who is a father (biologically or otherwise), should take this to heart".
Info from Franciscan Media
Info from Franciscan Media
"Especially in the beginning of life, every one has a high opinion of himself, especially those who have least ground for it. Every one dreams of his good-luck and thinks himself a wonder. Hope gives rise to extravagant promises which experience does not fulfil. Such idle imaginations merely serve as a well-spring of annoyance when disillusion comes with the true reality. The wise man anticipates such errors: he may always hope for the best. but he always expects the worst, so as to receive what comes with equanimity. True, It is wise to aim high so as to hit your mark, but not so high that you miss your mission at the very beginning of life. This correction of the ideas is necessary, because before experience comes expectation is sure to soar too high. The best panacea against folly is prudence. If a man knows the true sphere of his activity and position, the can reconcile his ideals with reality."
MTA = Plain and simple, all this proves that navigation by way of the Holy Spirit is not a luxury but a necessity. Come Holy Spirit, come!
MTA = Plain and simple, all this proves that navigation by way of the Holy Spirit is not a luxury but a necessity. Come Holy Spirit, come!
⚫️ "As St. Maximos says, 'the mystery of the incarnation of the Logos is the key to all arcane symbolism…'. The veil is removed in Christ as St. Paul tells us. In other words, we can say that there are degrees or stages of contemplation from glory to glory, according to our level of receptivity. In fact, St. Peter of Damaskos speaks of eight and describes what they entail. While, I might not have “experienced” that stage, which appears so lofty that it almost seems unreachable, the Lord every day guides us, instructs us, gives us inklings or intuitions and opens our understanding through the Spirit, as He did the disciples after the Resurrection. This illumination of the initiated faithful is so close to us that we take it for granted, as we take for granted that, “In Him we live and move and have our being.”. Perhaps, we ignore these noetic visions because we are looking for great signs and wonders". By Fr. Silouan Justiniano
🔴 "Win the judge over by gifts before you come to trial. Provide him with grounds for showing clemency, give him some reason to acquit you. Otherwise you will be among those on his left hand who hear the terrible sentence: 'Depart from me with your curse upon you to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his Angels'. Let us put out the fire with mercy and avert the sentence that hangs over us by showing love for one another. Let us be compassionate toward one another and forgiving, as God has forgiven us in Christ". By ~St. Basil of Seleucia,
🔵 Music, that is the science or the sense of proper modulation, is likewise given by God's generosity to mortals having rational souls in order to lead them to higher things". By St. Augustine
🔴 "Win the judge over by gifts before you come to trial. Provide him with grounds for showing clemency, give him some reason to acquit you. Otherwise you will be among those on his left hand who hear the terrible sentence: 'Depart from me with your curse upon you to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his Angels'. Let us put out the fire with mercy and avert the sentence that hangs over us by showing love for one another. Let us be compassionate toward one another and forgiving, as God has forgiven us in Christ". By ~St. Basil of Seleucia,
🔵 Music, that is the science or the sense of proper modulation, is likewise given by God's generosity to mortals having rational souls in order to lead them to higher things". By St. Augustine
Resurrection ~ Always Tailing The Passion ~ In Spectacular Fashion
🐇By His passion, death, & glorious Resurrection we have been set free
🐇Alleluia, as God would have it, in Jesus Christ we have the total victory
🐇Whether or not it materializes in our lives, it's up to you & it's up to me
🐇We no longer have to live like we're trapped in a spiritual prison
🐇Scriptures speak words of truth leading us to freedom, but carefully we must listen
🐇Lived out authentically, we witness to the fact that Christ is indeed risen
🐇Living each day, with seconds turning into minutes, & minutes to an hour
🐇In His footsteps, abiding in Christ we're triumphant over sin in power
🐇No need to ever be afraid, run, hide or sheepishly cower
🐇No longer spiritually handicapped, down and out, or weak & feeble
🐇Praise God, we are now victoriously strong, we are an Easter People
🐇Gathered together to worship and praise and glorify God under the steeple
🐇Say what? Unbelievers going around in a spiritual fog saying "what?"
🐇Yea! You heard right, no "if's", no "and's", not even one "but"
🐇Simply to the chase we can cut
🐇Singing Alleluia, tells it all, giving glory to God, day and night
🐇Singing clear & loud, cause Jesus paid the price for us to have that right
🐇Adopted sons & daughters living in God's presence, never a moment out of His sight
🐇For St. Augustine did say without a doubt that "Alleluia" is our song
🐇So in faith, hope, & in love, let's keep marching on & on right along
🐇Treading the straight & narrow path, the one where we will never go wrong
🐇Father God, most loving & kind, my dearest Abba, my own Pop-Pea
🐇In perfect Love you created us all to happily abide forever with thee
🐇Experiencing joy and peace that is oh so heavenly
🐇Jesus King of kings and Lord of lords, arrayed in splendid Gold
🐇Salvation is possible for every soul cause you shed blood that runs hot & never cold
🐇Numerous graces constantly being poured out in so many ways untold
🐇Holy Spirit, our ever present partner in the upward climb
🐇Help us all truly adore & worship God, who's so incredible & supremely sublime
🐇The God who never tires of always calling the stray to come back time after time
🐇Blessed Mother Mary may we do well & pattern our behavior after you
🐇Saying "Be it done unto me according to thy word" right on cue
🐇As Mediatrix you dispense graces, please help many to respond & not just a few
🐇St.Joseph, guardian angels, the canonized, & to any uncanonized saint
🐇All please help us, by God's grace to accomplish & do what we think we can't
🐇That we might avoid all that soils the soul or that can miserably taint
🐇Cause only the humble hearted can have God's vision, affording right sight
🐇Coupled with the strength to fight the good fight of faith with all their might
🐇Never to give up, battling hard by day and by night
🐇The tried & true holding tight won't succumb to self, doing as one so please
🐇Cause surrendered souls are entrapped by the Holy Spirit's seize
🐇There will be no room by God's grace for sin to worm it's way in & to tease
🐇Enraptured & focused not on self or on the things below, but on what's above
🐇God alone will be the main attraction, capturing all of one's love
🐇Selflessness in no way giving in to selfishness, to the background will sin go with a push & a shove
🐇We want everyone to be in that number, the Alleluia People, a massive throng
🐇Easter people living for Christ, doing what's right & not what's wrong
🐇Singing God's praises all the day long
🐇So when the race of life is over and all is said & done
🐇Despite many stumbles & falls, may we all find out that yes we've won
🐇Celebrating & triumphing over the times when things were so hard & no fun
🐇What a joy it'll be to continue our Alleluia song for all of eternity
🐇With no limits, we'll carry on in the blessed kingdom of the Most Holy Trinity
🐇Accepted as bonafide family for all ages, to be treated as blest royalty
tmm/TruGIG
™
🐇Alleluia, as God would have it, in Jesus Christ we have the total victory
🐇Whether or not it materializes in our lives, it's up to you & it's up to me
🐇We no longer have to live like we're trapped in a spiritual prison
🐇Scriptures speak words of truth leading us to freedom, but carefully we must listen
🐇Lived out authentically, we witness to the fact that Christ is indeed risen
🐇Living each day, with seconds turning into minutes, & minutes to an hour
🐇In His footsteps, abiding in Christ we're triumphant over sin in power
🐇No need to ever be afraid, run, hide or sheepishly cower
🐇No longer spiritually handicapped, down and out, or weak & feeble
🐇Praise God, we are now victoriously strong, we are an Easter People
🐇Gathered together to worship and praise and glorify God under the steeple
🐇Say what? Unbelievers going around in a spiritual fog saying "what?"
🐇Yea! You heard right, no "if's", no "and's", not even one "but"
🐇Simply to the chase we can cut
🐇Singing Alleluia, tells it all, giving glory to God, day and night
🐇Singing clear & loud, cause Jesus paid the price for us to have that right
🐇Adopted sons & daughters living in God's presence, never a moment out of His sight
🐇For St. Augustine did say without a doubt that "Alleluia" is our song
🐇So in faith, hope, & in love, let's keep marching on & on right along
🐇Treading the straight & narrow path, the one where we will never go wrong
🐇Father God, most loving & kind, my dearest Abba, my own Pop-Pea
🐇In perfect Love you created us all to happily abide forever with thee
🐇Experiencing joy and peace that is oh so heavenly
🐇Jesus King of kings and Lord of lords, arrayed in splendid Gold
🐇Salvation is possible for every soul cause you shed blood that runs hot & never cold
🐇Numerous graces constantly being poured out in so many ways untold
🐇Holy Spirit, our ever present partner in the upward climb
🐇Help us all truly adore & worship God, who's so incredible & supremely sublime
🐇The God who never tires of always calling the stray to come back time after time
🐇Blessed Mother Mary may we do well & pattern our behavior after you
🐇Saying "Be it done unto me according to thy word" right on cue
🐇As Mediatrix you dispense graces, please help many to respond & not just a few
🐇St.Joseph, guardian angels, the canonized, & to any uncanonized saint
🐇All please help us, by God's grace to accomplish & do what we think we can't
🐇That we might avoid all that soils the soul or that can miserably taint
🐇Cause only the humble hearted can have God's vision, affording right sight
🐇Coupled with the strength to fight the good fight of faith with all their might
🐇Never to give up, battling hard by day and by night
🐇The tried & true holding tight won't succumb to self, doing as one so please
🐇Cause surrendered souls are entrapped by the Holy Spirit's seize
🐇There will be no room by God's grace for sin to worm it's way in & to tease
🐇Enraptured & focused not on self or on the things below, but on what's above
🐇God alone will be the main attraction, capturing all of one's love
🐇Selflessness in no way giving in to selfishness, to the background will sin go with a push & a shove
🐇We want everyone to be in that number, the Alleluia People, a massive throng
🐇Easter people living for Christ, doing what's right & not what's wrong
🐇Singing God's praises all the day long
🐇So when the race of life is over and all is said & done
🐇Despite many stumbles & falls, may we all find out that yes we've won
🐇Celebrating & triumphing over the times when things were so hard & no fun
🐇What a joy it'll be to continue our Alleluia song for all of eternity
🐇With no limits, we'll carry on in the blessed kingdom of the Most Holy Trinity
🐇Accepted as bonafide family for all ages, to be treated as blest royalty
tmm/TruGIG
™
Book: "Essence of Prayer", by Sr. Ruth Burrows
(Performing of my Lenten Exercise later in the evening, reading from the book: Essence of Prayer, by Sr. Ruth Burrows, found something else to accompany the poem, Praise the Lord)
Excerpt from book:
"We are adopted children. Consider a blissfully happy couple finding all they need in one another. For no other reason than generosity and the desire to share their happiness, they decide to adopt children as their own. From then on their life undergoes a profound change. Now they are vulnerable; their happiness is wrapped up in the welfare of the children; things can never be the same again. If the children choose to alienate themselves and start on the path to ruin, the couple are stricken. They will plead, humble themselves, make huge sacrifices, go out of themselves to get their loved ones to understand stand that the home is still their home, that the love they have been given is unchanging. This perhaps, gives us some insight into redemption. In a mystery we cannot fathom, God `empties', `loses' Himself, in bringing back to Himself His estranged, lost children. And this is all the Father wants."
(Performing of my Lenten Exercise later in the evening, reading from the book: Essence of Prayer, by Sr. Ruth Burrows, found something else to accompany the poem, Praise the Lord)
Excerpt from book:
"We are adopted children. Consider a blissfully happy couple finding all they need in one another. For no other reason than generosity and the desire to share their happiness, they decide to adopt children as their own. From then on their life undergoes a profound change. Now they are vulnerable; their happiness is wrapped up in the welfare of the children; things can never be the same again. If the children choose to alienate themselves and start on the path to ruin, the couple are stricken. They will plead, humble themselves, make huge sacrifices, go out of themselves to get their loved ones to understand stand that the home is still their home, that the love they have been given is unchanging. This perhaps, gives us some insight into redemption. In a mystery we cannot fathom, God `empties', `loses' Himself, in bringing back to Himself His estranged, lost children. And this is all the Father wants."
St. Peter of Damascus on Love
Info from this site:
http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2013/02/st-peter-of-damascus-on-love.html
"To speak of love is to dare to speak of God, for, according to St John the Theologian, ‘God is love, and he who dwells in love dwells in God’.
Info from this site:
http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2013/02/st-peter-of-damascus-on-love.html
"To speak of love is to dare to speak of God, for, according to St John the Theologian, ‘God is love, and he who dwells in love dwells in God’.
1 John 4:16 "We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him" |
And the astonishing thing is that this chief of all the virtues is a natural virtue. Thus, in the Law, it is given pride of place: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might’.
When I heard the words ‘with all your soul’ I was astounded, and no longer needed to hear the rest. For ‘with all your soul’ means with the intelligent, incensive and desiring powers of the soul, because it is of those three powers that the soul is composed. Thus the intellect should think at all times about divine matters, while desire should long constantly and entirely, as the Law says, for God alone and never for anything else; and the incensive power should actively oppose only what obstructs this longing, and nothing else. St. John, consequently, was right in saying that God is love. If God sees that, as He commanded, these three powers of the soul aspire to Him alone, then, since He is good, He will necessarily not only love that soul, but through the inspiration of the Spirit will dwell and move within it
and the body, though reluctant and unwilling–for it lacks intelligence–will end by submitting to the intelligence, while the flesh will no longer rise in protest against the Spirit, as St Paul puts it
Just as the sun and moon, at the command of God, travel through the heavens in order to light the world, even though they are soul-less, so the body, at the behest of the soul, will perform works of light. As the sun journeys each day from east to west, thus making one day, while when it disappears night comes, so each virture that a man practices illumines the soul, and when it disappears passion and darkness come until he again acquires that virtue, and light in this way returns to him. As the sun rises in the furthest east and slowly shifts its rays until it reaches the other extreme, thus forming time, so a man slowly grows from the moment he first begins to practice the virtues until he attains the state of dispassion. And just as the moon waxes and wanes every month, so with respect to each particular virtue a man waxes and wanes daily, until this virtue becomes established in him. At times, in accordance with God’s will, he is afflicted, at times he rejoices and gives thanks to God, unworthy as he is to acquire the virtues; and sometimes he is illumined, sometimes filled with darkness, until his course is finished.
All this happens to him by God’s providence: some things are sent to keep him from self-elation, and others to keep him from despair. Just as in this present age the sun creates the solstices and the moon waxes and wanes, whereas in the age to come there will always be light for the righteous and darkness for those who, like me, alas, are sinners, so, before the attainment of perfect love and of vision in God, the soul in the present world has its solstices, and the intellect experiences darkness as well as virtue and spiritual knowledge, and this continues until, through the acquisition of that perfect love to which all our effort is directed, we are found worthy of performing the works that pertain to the world to be. For it is for love’s sake that he who is in a state of obedience obeys what is commanded; and it is for love’s sake that he who is rich and free sheds his possessions and becomes a servant, surrendering both what he has and himself to whoever wishes to possess them. He who fasts likewise does so for love’s sake, so that others may eat what he would otherwise have eaten. In short, every work rightly done is done out of love for God or for one’s neighbor. The things we have spoken of, and others like them, are done out of love for one’s neighbor, while vigils, psalmody and the like are done out of love for God. To Him be glory, honour and dominion through all the ages. Amen.
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!"
All this happens to him by God’s providence: some things are sent to keep him from self-elation, and others to keep him from despair. Just as in this present age the sun creates the solstices and the moon waxes and wanes, whereas in the age to come there will always be light for the righteous and darkness for those who, like me, alas, are sinners, so, before the attainment of perfect love and of vision in God, the soul in the present world has its solstices, and the intellect experiences darkness as well as virtue and spiritual knowledge, and this continues until, through the acquisition of that perfect love to which all our effort is directed, we are found worthy of performing the works that pertain to the world to be. For it is for love’s sake that he who is in a state of obedience obeys what is commanded; and it is for love’s sake that he who is rich and free sheds his possessions and becomes a servant, surrendering both what he has and himself to whoever wishes to possess them. He who fasts likewise does so for love’s sake, so that others may eat what he would otherwise have eaten. In short, every work rightly done is done out of love for God or for one’s neighbor. The things we have spoken of, and others like them, are done out of love for one’s neighbor, while vigils, psalmody and the like are done out of love for God. To Him be glory, honour and dominion through all the ages. Amen.
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!"
My audio interview: Testimony by Warren: "The dead is alive again"