Ijournal entry 041816 #16. April, month of the Eucharist. Maxim by Francois Fenelon. Quotes by Patti McGuire Armstrong, The Living Pyx of Jesus, Pelligrini, and Fr. Donald Haggerty. Fenelon's Maxims of the Saints, by Francois Fenelon. Homily 71: "On the Lord's resurrection: Our Godly resolutions must continue all the year round, not be confined to Pascha only", by St. Leo the Great. YouTube video: Fr. Josh Johnson, Charismatic Conference Mass homily.
"Every time we celebrate the Eucharist in the Church, we recall the death of the Savior, we proclaim his Resurrection as we await his return. Thus no sacrament is greater or more precious than that of the Eucharist; and when we receive Communion, we are incorporated into Christ. Our life is transformed and taken up by the Lord. The Eucharistic mystery is in fact the "summit of evangelization" for it is the most eminent testimony to Christ's Resurrection. ". By Pope St. John Paul II
"Writers often speak of abandonment. The term has a meaning somewhat specific. The soul in this state does not renounce everything, and thus become brutish in its indifference; but renounces everything except God's will. Souls in the state of abandonment, not only forsake outward things, but, what is still more important, forsake themselves". By Francois Fenelon
MTA= The Maxim was chosen before the Veggie was written, but it fits it well with my experience at the Charismatic Conference. It seems the Lord was saying, "let go". So an abbreviation for abandonment in my book is: "let go".
🔴 "The word “welcome” often throws people off. Jesus “welcomed” sinners. It’s a Christian thing to do—to welcome people. And to love them. And to inform them correctly. It’s okay for little children to believe in Santa Claus but it is not okay for a reporter to believe that the word “welcome” can mean, “change Catholic teachings to accommodate your lifestyle.”
🔵 "I shall not become immobile in ecstatic adoration, because my duties oblige me to work. But I shall not work in a turmoil, without an inspiration of adoring love, for my faith reminds me of the Guest whom I bear within me, for am I not a living Pyx? I am busy because it is my duty. But I do not work without God, because the Most High God never leaves me alone". By The Living Pyx of Jesus, Pelligrini
⚫️ "The readiness to 'give what He takes and take what He gives", as Blessed Mother Teresa
often repeated, becomes a measure of our soul. Always the impulse to lay down our life means another step closer to Him and, ultimately, a step nearer to the mystery of His own surrender on the Cross". By Fr. Donald Haggerty
🔵 "I shall not become immobile in ecstatic adoration, because my duties oblige me to work. But I shall not work in a turmoil, without an inspiration of adoring love, for my faith reminds me of the Guest whom I bear within me, for am I not a living Pyx? I am busy because it is my duty. But I do not work without God, because the Most High God never leaves me alone". By The Living Pyx of Jesus, Pelligrini
⚫️ "The readiness to 'give what He takes and take what He gives", as Blessed Mother Teresa
often repeated, becomes a measure of our soul. Always the impulse to lay down our life means another step closer to Him and, ultimately, a step nearer to the mystery of His own surrender on the Cross". By Fr. Donald Haggerty
Sharing a sliver of my recent three day experience attending the Charismatic Conference. The Holy Spirit was definitely there waiting to greet all of us.
✍🏼Day 1
On the first evening the conference, one of the main speakers for Friday night, Michelle, addressed us and threw out this question: What is Jesus saying to you? Immediately this is what came to mind: The understanding came first, which was this:
If what I want is the right thing, oh God, you want it more. Also it was understood that the Resurrection power is limitless. Then it was as if The Lord was saying: See, there is nothing I can't do. Watch me, see if my arms are too short. You will see mighty things, I am doing a new work.
So, if I want the right thing, God wants it more, and the Resurrection power is limitless. Praise the Lord for that.
✍🏼Day 1
On the first evening the conference, one of the main speakers for Friday night, Michelle, addressed us and threw out this question: What is Jesus saying to you? Immediately this is what came to mind: The understanding came first, which was this:
If what I want is the right thing, oh God, you want it more. Also it was understood that the Resurrection power is limitless. Then it was as if The Lord was saying: See, there is nothing I can't do. Watch me, see if my arms are too short. You will see mighty things, I am doing a new work.
So, if I want the right thing, God wants it more, and the Resurrection power is limitless. Praise the Lord for that.
✍🏼Day 2
A very helpful and consoling affirmation came my way. Knew it was very important to pray more for the people who are aggravating and do less complaining, so as to avoid entering into the aggravated state. Why, because their behavior is well known and predictable, and it's senseless to keep getting upset over and over. One will never know when graces will kick in and bring about sweeping changes. Fr. Josh's talk was just what the spiritual doctor ordered. His talk was filled with practical tips. What was helpful for me was the advice: run from sin. Things were beginning to move from the head to the heart, the place where changes are generated, Allaluia. A good takeaway was to tap into the way of praying and interceding methods utilized by Fr. Josh. He put it this way: "pray that the person become even more holier than myself, provided I work to become my best holy self as God desires". This allows God to get a "two for one" deal regarding the holiness of His children. A single prayer taking care of both parties at the same time.
Another tip from Fr. Josh was about the Daily Examen. Find myself hitting & missing a lot with this, more misses that hits. Talking things over with Jesus will indeed be a big help for getting in line with His agenda. May improvement graces come my way.
Now here comes the fireworks. It was in the homily of the Mass where my confirmation from what was written the day before would come via Fr. Josh. Enjoy the dessert served in this entry, it's his homily. The Lord was speaking to him that if the gift will help, and not hurt, God will oblige us. That certainly seemed to be saying the same thing to match what was personally tailored to me expressed in a way that said if I want the right thing, them God want it more, and that His Resurrection power makes all things possible.
Receiving prayer during the lunch break, and the evening talk before my drive to a near by church for a Holy Hour was amazingly interconnected. The ladies who prayed on me said that when we look with the eyes of Jesus we will see the unlovable differently. What aggravates us will not be seen in that way. In the evening talk, Michelle said that the Blessed mother went along with being addressed by Jesus as "Woman". She saw with eyes that this was the beginning of the mission. At the cross when she was addressed in the same manner as "Woman", she saw with eyes that revealed to her she would now be the spiritual mother of the church. As she was to be the mother of the disciple, she is the mother of all other disciples of The Lord.
While driving to the church for Eucharistic Adoration, the feeling was there that the puzzle pieces were being fitted together to bring into focus why the call was there for me to enter the school of Blessed Virgin Mary. That call came three days before the conference. With one "First Saturday" under my belt, didn't want to interrupt the sequence and miss Adoration because of the conference. Led to start the First Saturday Devotions at the beginning of the month, then the inspiration came at the end of the month about enrolling in the School of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The thoughts while driving were centered on what being a student would mean. In the light of the conference, it was seen that bring a student would be helpful in making it possible for me to begin to see and have eyes to recognize what Jesus is doing, and like the ladies who prayed on me said, when we look with the eyes of Jesus we will see the unlovable differently than what we ourselves see that is there aggravating us. To begin to become like the Blessed Virgin Mary is key. Seeing that as part of the school agenda is exciting, and the desire is there to do well in school and learn and apply the lessons learned from our Blessed Mother Mary. Who wouldn't want to improve themselves and be as God would wish them to be, that is kingdom bound and virtue cladded. (Virtues comes to mind because of something Sr. Briege said when she prayed over me recently. She prayed that my my soul would be adorned with virtues as my arms were with braclets. A sharing about her four day mercy mission retreat will be forthcoming in an ijournal entry)
A very helpful and consoling affirmation came my way. Knew it was very important to pray more for the people who are aggravating and do less complaining, so as to avoid entering into the aggravated state. Why, because their behavior is well known and predictable, and it's senseless to keep getting upset over and over. One will never know when graces will kick in and bring about sweeping changes. Fr. Josh's talk was just what the spiritual doctor ordered. His talk was filled with practical tips. What was helpful for me was the advice: run from sin. Things were beginning to move from the head to the heart, the place where changes are generated, Allaluia. A good takeaway was to tap into the way of praying and interceding methods utilized by Fr. Josh. He put it this way: "pray that the person become even more holier than myself, provided I work to become my best holy self as God desires". This allows God to get a "two for one" deal regarding the holiness of His children. A single prayer taking care of both parties at the same time.
Another tip from Fr. Josh was about the Daily Examen. Find myself hitting & missing a lot with this, more misses that hits. Talking things over with Jesus will indeed be a big help for getting in line with His agenda. May improvement graces come my way.
Now here comes the fireworks. It was in the homily of the Mass where my confirmation from what was written the day before would come via Fr. Josh. Enjoy the dessert served in this entry, it's his homily. The Lord was speaking to him that if the gift will help, and not hurt, God will oblige us. That certainly seemed to be saying the same thing to match what was personally tailored to me expressed in a way that said if I want the right thing, them God want it more, and that His Resurrection power makes all things possible.
Receiving prayer during the lunch break, and the evening talk before my drive to a near by church for a Holy Hour was amazingly interconnected. The ladies who prayed on me said that when we look with the eyes of Jesus we will see the unlovable differently. What aggravates us will not be seen in that way. In the evening talk, Michelle said that the Blessed mother went along with being addressed by Jesus as "Woman". She saw with eyes that this was the beginning of the mission. At the cross when she was addressed in the same manner as "Woman", she saw with eyes that revealed to her she would now be the spiritual mother of the church. As she was to be the mother of the disciple, she is the mother of all other disciples of The Lord.
While driving to the church for Eucharistic Adoration, the feeling was there that the puzzle pieces were being fitted together to bring into focus why the call was there for me to enter the school of Blessed Virgin Mary. That call came three days before the conference. With one "First Saturday" under my belt, didn't want to interrupt the sequence and miss Adoration because of the conference. Led to start the First Saturday Devotions at the beginning of the month, then the inspiration came at the end of the month about enrolling in the School of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The thoughts while driving were centered on what being a student would mean. In the light of the conference, it was seen that bring a student would be helpful in making it possible for me to begin to see and have eyes to recognize what Jesus is doing, and like the ladies who prayed on me said, when we look with the eyes of Jesus we will see the unlovable differently than what we ourselves see that is there aggravating us. To begin to become like the Blessed Virgin Mary is key. Seeing that as part of the school agenda is exciting, and the desire is there to do well in school and learn and apply the lessons learned from our Blessed Mother Mary. Who wouldn't want to improve themselves and be as God would wish them to be, that is kingdom bound and virtue cladded. (Virtues comes to mind because of something Sr. Briege said when she prayed over me recently. She prayed that my my soul would be adorned with virtues as my arms were with braclets. A sharing about her four day mercy mission retreat will be forthcoming in an ijournal entry)
1 Peter 3:3-4 "Your adornment must not be merely external-- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God" ✍🏼Day 3 During the Eucharistic healing service when the monstrance was being carried around by the priest, when he passed by me and stopped, my experience was an understanding that Jesus would be pleased to have me say: Yes, Lord all that you want me to do. While reaching out to touch the monstrance pedestal, like others do when the priest stops before them, it seemed that the Lord was saying that my response to him should be the following: "All that you want me to do". My belief is that "All that you want me to do", translates into "letting go", letting go, letting go of everything. It's like as if the Lord is saying Let go and let me, let me Then it shall be, shall be Yes well, well it all shall be After receiving communion at the closing Mass, it felt like the Lord had cracked a flask of mercy upon me. Well Alleluia and praise the Lord for that. When the conference ended the next stop was at St. Joseph's for the Rosary, the chaplet of Divine Mercy and to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Divine Mercy Sunday. While in church reading scripture from my regular scheduled routine, the chapter at hand was Jeremiah 19, and it was verse 10 that kind of confirmed what came to me after receiving communion at the conference: |
The weekend was another opportunity to receive graces and have the Lord advance His agenda. The more we spend every waking moment in the place where the Lord would have us be, the better off we will find ourselves. Especially as one stepping stone leads to another, we will be able to advance, no matter how slow or long it will take. What matters is that every step is in the right direction. Thanks be to God for all of His blessings.
Thought this was a wrap for the entry, but two days before post date, something arrived from one of my email subscriptions: "The Cloistered Heart", that can well serve as the exclamation point.
"For every place is Your place, and every moment Your moment. The whole earth is Your temple. All time is Yours. And my song of thanksgiving, my hymn of praise, my act of adoration is always called for. Here and there and everywhere, always and ever, You are my God. And I am ever and always Your child". (The Living Pyx of Jesus, Pelligrini, 1941, p. 150)
"For every place is Your place, and every moment Your moment. The whole earth is Your temple. All time is Yours. And my song of thanksgiving, my hymn of praise, my act of adoration is always called for. Here and there and everywhere, always and ever, You are my God. And I am ever and always Your child". (The Living Pyx of Jesus, Pelligrini, 1941, p. 150)
Fenelon's Maxims of the Saints, by Francois Fenelon
Info from this site: http://www.ccel.org/f/fenelon/maxims/maxims.htm
"Abandonment, or self-renunciation, is not the renunciation of faith or of love or of anything else, except selfishness. The state of abandonment, or entire self-renunciation, is generally attended, and perhaps we may say, carried out and perfected, by temptations more or less severe. We cannot well know, whether we have renounced ourselves, except by being tried on those very points to which our self-renunciation, either real or supposed, relates. One of the severest inward trials is that by which we are taken off from all inward sensible supports, and are made to live and walk by faith alone. Pious and holy men who have been the subjects of inward crucifixion, often refer to the trials which have been experienced by them. They sometimes speak of them as a sort of inward and terrible purgatory. "Only mad and wicked men," says Cardinal Bona, "will deny the existence of these remarkable experiences, attested as they are by men of the most venerable virtue, who speak only of what they have known in themselves."
Trials are not always of the same duration. The more cheer-fully and faithfully we give ourselves to God, to be smitten in any and all of our idols, whenever and wherever He chooses, the shorter will be the work. God makes us to suffer no longer than He sees to be necessary for us.
We should not be premature in concluding that inward crucifixion is complete, and our abandonment to God is without any reservation whatever. The act of consecration, which is a sort of incipient step, may be sincere; but the reality of the consecration can be known only when God has applied the appropriate tests. The trial will show whether we are wholly the Lord's. Those who prematurely draw the conclusion that they are so, expose themselves to great illusion and injury.
The state of abandonment, or of entire self-renunciation, does not take from the soul that moral power which is essential to its moral agency; nor that antecedent or prevenient grace, without which even abandonment itself would be a state of moral death; nor the principle of faith, which prevenient grace originated, and through which it now operates; nor the desire and hope of final salvation, although it takes away all uneasiness and unbelief connected with such a desire; nor the fountains of love which spring up deeply and freshly within it; nor the hatred of sin; nor the testimony of a good conscience.
But it takes away that uneasy hankering of the soul after pleasure either inward or outward, and the selfish vivacity and eagerness of nature, which is too impatient to wait calmly and submissively for God's time of action. By fixing the mind wholly upon God, it takes away the disposition of the soul to occupy itself with reflex acts; that is, with the undue examination and analysis of its own feelings. It does not take away the pain and sorrow naturally incident to our physical state and natural sensibilities; but it takes away all uneasiness, all murmuring ;-leaving the soul in its inner nature, and in every part of its nature where the power of faith reaches, calm and peaceable as the God that dwells there"
Info from this site: http://www.ccel.org/f/fenelon/maxims/maxims.htm
"Abandonment, or self-renunciation, is not the renunciation of faith or of love or of anything else, except selfishness. The state of abandonment, or entire self-renunciation, is generally attended, and perhaps we may say, carried out and perfected, by temptations more or less severe. We cannot well know, whether we have renounced ourselves, except by being tried on those very points to which our self-renunciation, either real or supposed, relates. One of the severest inward trials is that by which we are taken off from all inward sensible supports, and are made to live and walk by faith alone. Pious and holy men who have been the subjects of inward crucifixion, often refer to the trials which have been experienced by them. They sometimes speak of them as a sort of inward and terrible purgatory. "Only mad and wicked men," says Cardinal Bona, "will deny the existence of these remarkable experiences, attested as they are by men of the most venerable virtue, who speak only of what they have known in themselves."
Trials are not always of the same duration. The more cheer-fully and faithfully we give ourselves to God, to be smitten in any and all of our idols, whenever and wherever He chooses, the shorter will be the work. God makes us to suffer no longer than He sees to be necessary for us.
We should not be premature in concluding that inward crucifixion is complete, and our abandonment to God is without any reservation whatever. The act of consecration, which is a sort of incipient step, may be sincere; but the reality of the consecration can be known only when God has applied the appropriate tests. The trial will show whether we are wholly the Lord's. Those who prematurely draw the conclusion that they are so, expose themselves to great illusion and injury.
The state of abandonment, or of entire self-renunciation, does not take from the soul that moral power which is essential to its moral agency; nor that antecedent or prevenient grace, without which even abandonment itself would be a state of moral death; nor the principle of faith, which prevenient grace originated, and through which it now operates; nor the desire and hope of final salvation, although it takes away all uneasiness and unbelief connected with such a desire; nor the fountains of love which spring up deeply and freshly within it; nor the hatred of sin; nor the testimony of a good conscience.
But it takes away that uneasy hankering of the soul after pleasure either inward or outward, and the selfish vivacity and eagerness of nature, which is too impatient to wait calmly and submissively for God's time of action. By fixing the mind wholly upon God, it takes away the disposition of the soul to occupy itself with reflex acts; that is, with the undue examination and analysis of its own feelings. It does not take away the pain and sorrow naturally incident to our physical state and natural sensibilities; but it takes away all uneasiness, all murmuring ;-leaving the soul in its inner nature, and in every part of its nature where the power of faith reaches, calm and peaceable as the God that dwells there"
Homily 71: "On the Lord's resurrection: Our Godly resolutions must continue all the year round, not be confined to Pascha only", by St. Leo the Great
Info from this site:
http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/patristictexts/175
Our Godly resolutions must continue all the year round, not be confined to Pascha only
"Let God's people then recognize that they are a new creation in Christ, and with all vigilance understand by Whom they have been adopted and Whom they have adopted. Let not the things, which have been made new, return to their ancient instability; and let not him who has 'put his hand to the plough' forsake his work, but rather attend to that which he sows than look back to that which he has left behind. Let no one fall back into that from which he has risen, but, even though from bodily weakness he still languishes under certain maladies, let him urgently desire to be healed and raised up. For this is the path of health through imitation of the Resurrection begun in Christ, whereby, notwithstanding the many accidents and falls to which in this slippery life the traveller is liable, his feet may be guided from the quagmire on to solid ground, for, as it is written, 'the steps of a man are directed by the Lord,and He will delight in his way. When the just man falls he shall not be overthrown, because the Lord will stretch out His hand'. These thoughts, dearly beloved, must be kept in mind not only for the Easter festival, but also for the sanctification of the whole life, and to this our present exercise ought to be directed, that what has delighted the souls of the faithful by the experience of a short observance may pass into a habit and remain unalterably, and if any fault creep in, it may be destroyed by speedy repentance. And because the cure of old-standing diseases is slow and difficult, remedies should be applied early, when the wounds are fresh, so that rising ever anew from all downfalls, we may deserve to attain to the incorruptible Resurrection of our glorified flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen."
Info from this site:
http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/patristictexts/175
Our Godly resolutions must continue all the year round, not be confined to Pascha only
"Let God's people then recognize that they are a new creation in Christ, and with all vigilance understand by Whom they have been adopted and Whom they have adopted. Let not the things, which have been made new, return to their ancient instability; and let not him who has 'put his hand to the plough' forsake his work, but rather attend to that which he sows than look back to that which he has left behind. Let no one fall back into that from which he has risen, but, even though from bodily weakness he still languishes under certain maladies, let him urgently desire to be healed and raised up. For this is the path of health through imitation of the Resurrection begun in Christ, whereby, notwithstanding the many accidents and falls to which in this slippery life the traveller is liable, his feet may be guided from the quagmire on to solid ground, for, as it is written, 'the steps of a man are directed by the Lord,and He will delight in his way. When the just man falls he shall not be overthrown, because the Lord will stretch out His hand'. These thoughts, dearly beloved, must be kept in mind not only for the Easter festival, but also for the sanctification of the whole life, and to this our present exercise ought to be directed, that what has delighted the souls of the faithful by the experience of a short observance may pass into a habit and remain unalterably, and if any fault creep in, it may be destroyed by speedy repentance. And because the cure of old-standing diseases is slow and difficult, remedies should be applied early, when the wounds are fresh, so that rising ever anew from all downfalls, we may deserve to attain to the incorruptible Resurrection of our glorified flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen."
YouTube video: Fr. Josh Johnson, Charismatic Conference Mass homily
Link to video:
http://youtu.be/vOlpjku6kwk
Link to video:
http://youtu.be/vOlpjku6kwk