Ijournal entry 011617 #03. January, Month of The Holy Name of Jesus. Truffles, The Rule of St. Benedict. Quotes by St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Anthony, and St. Francis de Sales. Article: "Learning From the Benedictines - Why a Rule of Life", by Gail Seidel. Article: "SELF-ESTEEM TO SELF-DENIAL", by Janet Klasson. Video presentation: "Be Courageous", by Marino Restrepo.
Act of Reparation for Blasphemies Uttered Against the Holy Name
"O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer, Son of the living God, behold, we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation; we would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy holy name, for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, for all the irreverence shown toward Thine immaculate Virgin Mother, for all the calumnies and slanders spoken against Thy spouse, the holy Catholic and Roman Church. O Jesus, who has said: “If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you,” we pray and beseech Thee for all our brethren who are in danger of sin; shield them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith; save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss; to all of them give light and knowledge of the truth, courage and strength for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity! For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy name, unto God the Father, with whom Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost world without end."
Info from this site:
www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1045
"O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer, Son of the living God, behold, we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation; we would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy holy name, for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, for all the irreverence shown toward Thine immaculate Virgin Mother, for all the calumnies and slanders spoken against Thy spouse, the holy Catholic and Roman Church. O Jesus, who has said: “If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you,” we pray and beseech Thee for all our brethren who are in danger of sin; shield them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith; save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss; to all of them give light and knowledge of the truth, courage and strength for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity! For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy name, unto God the Father, with whom Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost world without end."
Info from this site:
www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1045
The Rule of St. Benedict
"An abbot who is worthy to rule a monastery should always remember what he is called and realise in his actions the name of a superior. For he is believed to be the representative of Christ in the monastery, and for that reason is called by a name of his, according to the words of the Apostle: Ye have received the spirit of the adoption of sons, whereby we cry Abba, Father.
1. Therefore the abbot ought not to teach, or ordain, or command anything that is against the law of the Lord; on the contrary, his commands and teaching should be infused into the minds of his disciples like the leaven of divine justice. Let the abbot remember always that at the dread Judgement of God there will be an examination of both these matters, of his teaching and of the obedience of his disciples. And let the abbot realise that the shepherd will have to answer for any lack of profit which the Father of the family may discover in his sheep. On the other hand, if the shepherd have spent all diligence on an unruly and disobedient flock and devoted his utmost care to the amending of its vicious ways, then he will be acquitted at the Judgement and may say to the Lord with the prophet: I have not hid thy justice within my heart:
2. I have declared thy truth and thy salvation; but they have despised and rejected me.
3. And so at the last, for these sheep disobedient to his care, let death itself bring its penalty"
MC=We are all abbots in this world, baptized into the faith, to learn, practice and share it. If we do not do our job in witnessing, sharing, and by word and deed spread the faith, we will be held accountable. The spiritual and corporal works of mercy will testify against us. If on the other hand we have performed our duties, the disobedient "other" will then be on trial.
"An abbot who is worthy to rule a monastery should always remember what he is called and realise in his actions the name of a superior. For he is believed to be the representative of Christ in the monastery, and for that reason is called by a name of his, according to the words of the Apostle: Ye have received the spirit of the adoption of sons, whereby we cry Abba, Father.
1. Therefore the abbot ought not to teach, or ordain, or command anything that is against the law of the Lord; on the contrary, his commands and teaching should be infused into the minds of his disciples like the leaven of divine justice. Let the abbot remember always that at the dread Judgement of God there will be an examination of both these matters, of his teaching and of the obedience of his disciples. And let the abbot realise that the shepherd will have to answer for any lack of profit which the Father of the family may discover in his sheep. On the other hand, if the shepherd have spent all diligence on an unruly and disobedient flock and devoted his utmost care to the amending of its vicious ways, then he will be acquitted at the Judgement and may say to the Lord with the prophet: I have not hid thy justice within my heart:
2. I have declared thy truth and thy salvation; but they have despised and rejected me.
3. And so at the last, for these sheep disobedient to his care, let death itself bring its penalty"
MC=We are all abbots in this world, baptized into the faith, to learn, practice and share it. If we do not do our job in witnessing, sharing, and by word and deed spread the faith, we will be held accountable. The spiritual and corporal works of mercy will testify against us. If on the other hand we have performed our duties, the disobedient "other" will then be on trial.
🔵 "Our fortunes run in a cyclical pattern that brings changes one after another, frequently within the space of a single day and sometimes even an hour, and one may rather count on the shifting winds, or the wake of a sea-faring ship, or the illusory dreams of night with their grief respite, or the lines that children at play trace in the sand than on human prosperity. The wise a those who because of their distrust of the present save for themselves the world to come, and because of the uncertain and fickle nature of human success embrace the kindness that does not fail". By St. Gregory Nazianzen
🔴“The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and those who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit.” By St. Anthony
🌑"Remember… to retire occasionally into the solitude of your heart while you are outwardly engaged in business with others. This mental solitude cannot be prevented by the multitude of those who surround you. As they are not about your heart, but only about your body, your heart remains alone in the presence of God.” By St. Francis de Sales
🔴“The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and those who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit.” By St. Anthony
🌑"Remember… to retire occasionally into the solitude of your heart while you are outwardly engaged in business with others. This mental solitude cannot be prevented by the multitude of those who surround you. As they are not about your heart, but only about your body, your heart remains alone in the presence of God.” By St. Francis de Sales
Check out the "tie ends". The first prompting was to have "The Rule of St. Benedict" be the truffles for 2017 that would be served up in the GIG's Ijournal entries. Next it was Holland who gave a large St. Benedict metal on a key chain. It is very large and everyone seems to like it.
No reason for the gift on his part, he was just being a good spiritual buddy generous and kind, but heaven's plans were unfolding. He also ordered me a rosary from the Benedictine Abbey with the medal inserted. That happened because when seeing his, that was at that moment a "must have" for me. He paid and didn't want to be reimbursed. So very thankful for the gift. Time marches by, then another opportunity to encounter a St. Benedict item. It was at the Seelos Center after viewing the creche's, that a fish bracelet with a little St. Benedict on it, was spotted. Beginning to see that St. Benedict was befriending me. While gathering info regarding the rule for the truffles to be presented, so much materials were discovered that led to the desire to establish a rule of life. Well things are beginning to take shape, God always have a plan.
Progressing right along, here comes Milton, my other spiritual buddy. We hadn't corresponded since he participated in the Consecration to Merciful Love. Seems our Adoration visits were not in sync for months. He called for Christmas and as usual informed me of some very good books he wanted to order. It never fails that he introduces me to some fantastic spiritual people that were no where on my radar. He wanted two books: "The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life", by Brother David Steindl-Rast, O.S.B., and "The Spiritual Writings of Raphael Cardinal Merry del Val". Of course, found myself thrilled just like him about the authors and the subject matter. The ebook that ended up being a purchase for me was the one by Brother David Steindl-Rast, O.S.B., "Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness". Something useful to establishing a rule of life.
The day after New Years was the time for me to tweak my rule of life, as it can take years, that was surprise to read about that time frame. While looking through a Franciscan Prayer book found online, settled on the humility prayer, which would be said every week to make my week special. In the rule of life something is done, weekly, monthly, and yearly to make that time special. After reading the prayer, the author was noticed, and it was Raphael Cardinal Merry del Val, the person Milton just introduced me to. That was a big surprise. If Milton had not spoken about Cardinal Merry del Val, that prayer might not have been chosen and passed over. The weak before thinking along the lines of having the admonitions of St. Francis be what would be used to make the week special.
The humility prayer turned out to be the right choice, because after reading the following article that is being served up as the potato dish, it served as a confirmation.
Here is the clincher text in the article:
"In the unsettled strife-torn Italy of the sixth century, Benedict’s Rule offered definitive direction and established an ordered way of life that gave security and stability. Life at St. Gregory’s is patterned after the calling of Saint Benedict toward humility as expressed both in contemplation (a life of prayer) and community (a life of love) and lived out in community within a rule – “regula”. Hence, “the life of prayer” is seen in their commitment to pray 5 times a day as a body (some Benedictine communities honor 7 times daily prayer)."
The way was being prepared with the "right on time" introduction, almost two years ago, to the canonical prayer hours like Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. So it was like a step by step process priming me for establishing a rule for the year 2017. With some essential components already in place, this rule of life may be a great help in solidifying a great need in my life, the practice of the Daily Examen to identity areas where one was or was't living the present moment in God.
Progressing right along, here comes Milton, my other spiritual buddy. We hadn't corresponded since he participated in the Consecration to Merciful Love. Seems our Adoration visits were not in sync for months. He called for Christmas and as usual informed me of some very good books he wanted to order. It never fails that he introduces me to some fantastic spiritual people that were no where on my radar. He wanted two books: "The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life", by Brother David Steindl-Rast, O.S.B., and "The Spiritual Writings of Raphael Cardinal Merry del Val". Of course, found myself thrilled just like him about the authors and the subject matter. The ebook that ended up being a purchase for me was the one by Brother David Steindl-Rast, O.S.B., "Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness". Something useful to establishing a rule of life.
The day after New Years was the time for me to tweak my rule of life, as it can take years, that was surprise to read about that time frame. While looking through a Franciscan Prayer book found online, settled on the humility prayer, which would be said every week to make my week special. In the rule of life something is done, weekly, monthly, and yearly to make that time special. After reading the prayer, the author was noticed, and it was Raphael Cardinal Merry del Val, the person Milton just introduced me to. That was a big surprise. If Milton had not spoken about Cardinal Merry del Val, that prayer might not have been chosen and passed over. The weak before thinking along the lines of having the admonitions of St. Francis be what would be used to make the week special.
The humility prayer turned out to be the right choice, because after reading the following article that is being served up as the potato dish, it served as a confirmation.
Here is the clincher text in the article:
"In the unsettled strife-torn Italy of the sixth century, Benedict’s Rule offered definitive direction and established an ordered way of life that gave security and stability. Life at St. Gregory’s is patterned after the calling of Saint Benedict toward humility as expressed both in contemplation (a life of prayer) and community (a life of love) and lived out in community within a rule – “regula”. Hence, “the life of prayer” is seen in their commitment to pray 5 times a day as a body (some Benedictine communities honor 7 times daily prayer)."
The way was being prepared with the "right on time" introduction, almost two years ago, to the canonical prayer hours like Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. So it was like a step by step process priming me for establishing a rule for the year 2017. With some essential components already in place, this rule of life may be a great help in solidifying a great need in my life, the practice of the Daily Examen to identity areas where one was or was't living the present moment in God.
He finds a million ways to get us to do one simple thing: to know, love and serve Him, and to love neighbor as thy self. As a part of what the rule brings to my life, two new practices described below, are helping me to identity better with Christ. It's not about the "doing", or just adding on another thing, or going from one thing to the next, but it's about getting deeper into God, with reverence,humility, and obedience that leads to the experience of victory. The focus is no longer on us, it's no longer about sin, self, etc., it's now about: "What would you have me do Lord?". It is about our vocabulary being expanded to include: "Yes Lord, be it done unto me according to thy will". Any other thoughts about what it should be all about?
🎬Practice number one, to sign each part of the body with The Sign of The Cross and mean the words that are being prayed to The Lord. Paying attention to every word at Mass pays off. What a delight to be in church at a Mass where Fr. Michael was CELEBRATINg THE RITE OF ACCEPTANCE INTO THE ORDER OF CATECHUMENS AND OF THE RITE OF WELCOMING BAPTIZED BUT PREVIOUSLY UNCATECHIZED ADULTS WHO ARE PREPARING FOR CONFIRMATION AND/OR EUCHARIST . It was beairiful and a practice that would fit in well in my spiritual life, because to ask is to receive.
🎬Practice number one, to sign each part of the body with The Sign of The Cross and mean the words that are being prayed to The Lord. Paying attention to every word at Mass pays off. What a delight to be in church at a Mass where Fr. Michael was CELEBRATINg THE RITE OF ACCEPTANCE INTO THE ORDER OF CATECHUMENS AND OF THE RITE OF WELCOMING BAPTIZED BUT PREVIOUSLY UNCATECHIZED ADULTS WHO ARE PREPARING FOR CONFIRMATION AND/OR EUCHARIST . It was beairiful and a practice that would fit in well in my spiritual life, because to ask is to receive.
Link for the rite:
http://www.catholicnh.org/assets/Documents/CatholicFaith/RCIA/AcceptanceAndWelcoming.pdf
✝the sign of the cross on my forehead that Christ himself may strengthen me with this his love so I can learn to know him and follow him.
✝the sign of the cross on my ears that i may hear the voice of the Lord.
✝the cross on my eyes that I may see the glory of God.
✝✍🏼My signature addition - the sign of the cross on my nose that I may smell the aroma of sanctity in the virtues and follow that path to live holy✍🏼
✝the sign of the cross on my lips that I may respond to the word of God.
✝the sign of the cross over my heart that Christ may dwell there by faith.
✝the sign of the cross on my shoulders that I may bear the gentle yoke of Christ.
✝the sign of the cross on your hands that Christ may be known in the work which I do.
✝the sign of the cross on my feet that I may walk in the way of Christ. Amen.
St. Gertrude's prayer: Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen.”
🎬Practice number two comes from the Flame of Love of The Immaculate Heart of Mary movement.
Link to the site: www.flameoflove.us
It is for me to kiss the crucifix and pray the following. So far a good doing off doing this is in the morning after waking up or in church or at the adoration chapel.
"We offer ourselves to the Heavenly Father thru the wounds of our Savior, Jesus Christ:
💋We kiss the wounds of your Sacred Head with sorrow deep and true. †
💋We kiss the wounds of your Sacred Feet with sorrow deep and true. †
💋We kiss the wound of your Sacred Left Hand with sorrow deep and true. †
💋We kiss the wound of your Sacred Right Hand with sorrow deep and true. †
💋We kiss the wound of your Sacred Side with sorrow deep and true. †
http://www.catholicnh.org/assets/Documents/CatholicFaith/RCIA/AcceptanceAndWelcoming.pdf
✝the sign of the cross on my forehead that Christ himself may strengthen me with this his love so I can learn to know him and follow him.
✝the sign of the cross on my ears that i may hear the voice of the Lord.
✝the cross on my eyes that I may see the glory of God.
✝✍🏼My signature addition - the sign of the cross on my nose that I may smell the aroma of sanctity in the virtues and follow that path to live holy✍🏼
✝the sign of the cross on my lips that I may respond to the word of God.
✝the sign of the cross over my heart that Christ may dwell there by faith.
✝the sign of the cross on my shoulders that I may bear the gentle yoke of Christ.
✝the sign of the cross on your hands that Christ may be known in the work which I do.
✝the sign of the cross on my feet that I may walk in the way of Christ. Amen.
St. Gertrude's prayer: Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen.”
🎬Practice number two comes from the Flame of Love of The Immaculate Heart of Mary movement.
Link to the site: www.flameoflove.us
It is for me to kiss the crucifix and pray the following. So far a good doing off doing this is in the morning after waking up or in church or at the adoration chapel.
"We offer ourselves to the Heavenly Father thru the wounds of our Savior, Jesus Christ:
💋We kiss the wounds of your Sacred Head with sorrow deep and true. †
💋We kiss the wounds of your Sacred Feet with sorrow deep and true. †
💋We kiss the wound of your Sacred Left Hand with sorrow deep and true. †
💋We kiss the wound of your Sacred Right Hand with sorrow deep and true. †
💋We kiss the wound of your Sacred Side with sorrow deep and true. †
"Learning From the Benedictines - Why a Rule of Life", by Gail Seidel
Info from this site:
blogs.bible.org/engage/gail_seidel/learning_from_the_benedictines_-_why_a_rule_of_life
"In the late 1800’s two French Benedictine Priests were sent to Louisiana. For some reason, they were not embraced there and had to leave. The Abbott of St. Gregory’s Abbey in Shawnee, Oklahoma explained to our students that God took these two French Benedictine priests who were not wanted to a land that was not wanted to a people that were not wanted to do what He wanted to be done.
Leaving Louisiana the Benedictine priests settled in Oklahoma where they began an amazing ministry to the Indian tribes that were moving into the Oklahoma territories. They started schools for the Indian children all over the territory and eventually founded a Catholic girl’s boarding school, St. Gregory’s University and St. Gregory’s Abbey.
For four days and three nights, our doctoral students and we had the privilege of being with the monks at St. Gregory’s Abbey. Having read and studied the works of Saint Benedict (c.480-547) and his rule of life made the time with the Benedictine monks more meaningful.
Benedict (c.480-547) lived in Italy during the disintegration of the Roman Empire. As a young man, raised in a wealthy, Roman home, he left Nursia to attend school in Rome. There he became disgusted with the paganism he saw and renounced the world to live in solitude in a cave some thirty miles from Rome. It was there he began his robust, deliberate God-centered life. In this cave Benedict sorted out what it means to live the Christian life in a pagan world; which eventually began the monastic movement committed to living life in a counter-cultural way.
In the unsettled strife-torn Italy of the sixth century, Benedict’s Rule offered definitive direction and established an ordered way of life that gave security and stability.
Life at St. Gregory’s is patterned after the calling of Saint Benedict toward humility as expressed both in contemplation (a life of prayer) and community (a life of love) and lived out in community within a rule – “regula”. Hence, “the life of prayer” is seen in their commitment to pray 5 times a day as a body (some Benedictine communities honor 7 times daily prayer).They meet in the chapel singing antiphonally through the entire book of Psalms every two weeks. In each time of prayer they read portions of the Old and New Testaments until they are finished and then repeat.
The “life of love” is carried out through their work. Each monk or priest has a job to do the proceeds of which are given over to the community to live on. The monks and priest have no personal possessions but all in common. Each has taken a vow of fidelity to those people, at that place for life. The monks graciously allowed us to participate in their hours of prayer held in the beautiful chapel on the campus five times a day and to eat our meals in their dining room while they were present. We sat separately. The breakfast and evening meals are eaten in silence and the monks depart from the beautiful dining room chanting the Psalms.
While we, as Evangelical Protestants, may not be called to live the communal life of celibacy as a priest, we can chose to live a life anchored in the Presence of Christ with a desire to be His hands and feet in an increasingly disintegrating culture.
We can include in our Rule of Life the answer Jesus gave to the scribe who asked “what is the most important commandment?”
Info from this site:
blogs.bible.org/engage/gail_seidel/learning_from_the_benedictines_-_why_a_rule_of_life
"In the late 1800’s two French Benedictine Priests were sent to Louisiana. For some reason, they were not embraced there and had to leave. The Abbott of St. Gregory’s Abbey in Shawnee, Oklahoma explained to our students that God took these two French Benedictine priests who were not wanted to a land that was not wanted to a people that were not wanted to do what He wanted to be done.
Leaving Louisiana the Benedictine priests settled in Oklahoma where they began an amazing ministry to the Indian tribes that were moving into the Oklahoma territories. They started schools for the Indian children all over the territory and eventually founded a Catholic girl’s boarding school, St. Gregory’s University and St. Gregory’s Abbey.
For four days and three nights, our doctoral students and we had the privilege of being with the monks at St. Gregory’s Abbey. Having read and studied the works of Saint Benedict (c.480-547) and his rule of life made the time with the Benedictine monks more meaningful.
Benedict (c.480-547) lived in Italy during the disintegration of the Roman Empire. As a young man, raised in a wealthy, Roman home, he left Nursia to attend school in Rome. There he became disgusted with the paganism he saw and renounced the world to live in solitude in a cave some thirty miles from Rome. It was there he began his robust, deliberate God-centered life. In this cave Benedict sorted out what it means to live the Christian life in a pagan world; which eventually began the monastic movement committed to living life in a counter-cultural way.
In the unsettled strife-torn Italy of the sixth century, Benedict’s Rule offered definitive direction and established an ordered way of life that gave security and stability.
Life at St. Gregory’s is patterned after the calling of Saint Benedict toward humility as expressed both in contemplation (a life of prayer) and community (a life of love) and lived out in community within a rule – “regula”. Hence, “the life of prayer” is seen in their commitment to pray 5 times a day as a body (some Benedictine communities honor 7 times daily prayer).They meet in the chapel singing antiphonally through the entire book of Psalms every two weeks. In each time of prayer they read portions of the Old and New Testaments until they are finished and then repeat.
The “life of love” is carried out through their work. Each monk or priest has a job to do the proceeds of which are given over to the community to live on. The monks and priest have no personal possessions but all in common. Each has taken a vow of fidelity to those people, at that place for life. The monks graciously allowed us to participate in their hours of prayer held in the beautiful chapel on the campus five times a day and to eat our meals in their dining room while they were present. We sat separately. The breakfast and evening meals are eaten in silence and the monks depart from the beautiful dining room chanting the Psalms.
While we, as Evangelical Protestants, may not be called to live the communal life of celibacy as a priest, we can chose to live a life anchored in the Presence of Christ with a desire to be His hands and feet in an increasingly disintegrating culture.
We can include in our Rule of Life the answer Jesus gave to the scribe who asked “what is the most important commandment?”
Matthew 12:29-31 " “The most important one, Jesus answered is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment that those.” |
Observing the ordered life of the Monks at St. Gregory’s had a soul impact of all of us. They do not hurry! Their ordered life, their rhythms, their commitment to the Scripture, to prayer, their global view of reaching the world with the love of Christ through tangible works of service, their sense of stability and fidelity to their fellow monks in community and their submission to God and their vow to serve Him until death were all compelling.
Consider this: what disruptions in my soul do I need to attend to? What of the frenetic pace of my life do I desire to be altered? What do I need to add or remove; what practices or rhythms do I need to include or replace to help me live a more ordered soul-anchored life?
May each of us be encouraged in the Presence of Christ such that we may love others and serve Christ ourselves that Christ will be seen in and through us in an increasingly pagan culture."
For further reading: Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of Saint Benedict. Vintage Spiritual Classics. New York: Vintage Books, 1998.
Macchia, Stephen A. Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way. Downers Grove, IL InterVarsity Press, 2012.
Photograph Courtesy of Gail Seidel
Consider this: what disruptions in my soul do I need to attend to? What of the frenetic pace of my life do I desire to be altered? What do I need to add or remove; what practices or rhythms do I need to include or replace to help me live a more ordered soul-anchored life?
May each of us be encouraged in the Presence of Christ such that we may love others and serve Christ ourselves that Christ will be seen in and through us in an increasingly pagan culture."
For further reading: Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of Saint Benedict. Vintage Spiritual Classics. New York: Vintage Books, 1998.
Macchia, Stephen A. Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way. Downers Grove, IL InterVarsity Press, 2012.
Photograph Courtesy of Gail Seidel
"SELF-ESTEEM TO SELF-DENIAL", by Janet Klasson
Info from this site:
joyofpenance.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/self-esteem-to-self-denial/
Info from this site:
joyofpenance.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/self-esteem-to-self-denial/
"This familiar reading happens to be one of the Scripture passages on which St. Francis based his Rule of Life. There is much for we penitents to ponder in this passage, but I want to concentrate on the concept of “self-denial”.
Christ’s instruction on self-denial has always been counter-cultural, and our time in history is certainly no exception. This instruction has perhaps never been more relevant and challenging than it is today. The wide-spread teaching that children need “self-esteem” in order to grow into healthy adults has instead led to a society peopled with far too many self-absorbed, pleasure-seeking rebels.
Christ teaches that “God-esteem” and “other-esteem” are the practices that will save our life. The two Great Commandments of love of God and neighbor flow into this teaching. Self-esteem, according to this passage, leads to death. These days it is getting harder to ignore the evidence that our social experiment has had deadly consequences. What we have sown in self-love we are reaping in the Culture of Death.
But there is hope—in Christ there is always hope. Take St. Francis. Was anyone more self-absorbed than Francis Bernardone before his conversion? He was rich, spoiled, popular and dripping with self-esteem. But after his conversion, Francis became a master at imitating Christ in the virtue of self-denial. He employed every discipline that came his way, and he gave thanks for every humiliation. He became poor, shunning comfort and pleasure. He esteemed God above all, and next he esteemed God’s children and all creation above himself. In return for dying to self, he was given new life, an abundant life that has not stopped giving to this day.
St. Francis showed us it is possible to die to self, to turn away from the Culture of Death to the promise of life. If we let him teach us, we will progress on this holy way and we too will “find our life”.
I would like to share with you a personal story that illustrates this. I used to work in a small public school. One advantage to being in a small school is that I was able to get to know in some way each individual student. For the first few years that I worked there, I had trouble exercising my authority. I was afraid the students “wouldn’t like me” if I reprimanded them, so I let them get away with things I shouldn’t have. But one day the Lord showed me that by running away from my own authority, I was failing in my duty. I was letting my self-love get in the way of what my employer expected of me to the detriment of those students God had placed in my care.
Chastised in spirit, I began to change the way I interacted with students. I asked the Blessed Mother to teach me how to reprimand with love. This did not come naturally to me; some days it was a life and death struggle with my will. I did not always prevail, but by the grace of God and the guidance of Mary I made steady progress.
As I began to change my approach, I was convinced that the students would hate me for it. I was wrong. Often, the students whose behavior I called into question were the students that seemed most drawn to me. I also began to notice a new respect for me in the students, even the difficult ones. In losing the life I thought I had, I gained the life I didn’t know I wanted.
If God can do this much in one small part of my life, why do I still refuse to give up all that I think I am? I should be running down the path of self-denial instead of having to be coaxed, pushed or dragged.
Oh, St. Francis, teach me! I have such a long way to go! Help me to meditate often on this Scripture passage as you did, so that I may learn to run down the path of self-denial into the life the Lord has prepared for me. St. Francis, brother and mentor, master of self-denial, pray for us".
Christ’s instruction on self-denial has always been counter-cultural, and our time in history is certainly no exception. This instruction has perhaps never been more relevant and challenging than it is today. The wide-spread teaching that children need “self-esteem” in order to grow into healthy adults has instead led to a society peopled with far too many self-absorbed, pleasure-seeking rebels.
Christ teaches that “God-esteem” and “other-esteem” are the practices that will save our life. The two Great Commandments of love of God and neighbor flow into this teaching. Self-esteem, according to this passage, leads to death. These days it is getting harder to ignore the evidence that our social experiment has had deadly consequences. What we have sown in self-love we are reaping in the Culture of Death.
But there is hope—in Christ there is always hope. Take St. Francis. Was anyone more self-absorbed than Francis Bernardone before his conversion? He was rich, spoiled, popular and dripping with self-esteem. But after his conversion, Francis became a master at imitating Christ in the virtue of self-denial. He employed every discipline that came his way, and he gave thanks for every humiliation. He became poor, shunning comfort and pleasure. He esteemed God above all, and next he esteemed God’s children and all creation above himself. In return for dying to self, he was given new life, an abundant life that has not stopped giving to this day.
St. Francis showed us it is possible to die to self, to turn away from the Culture of Death to the promise of life. If we let him teach us, we will progress on this holy way and we too will “find our life”.
I would like to share with you a personal story that illustrates this. I used to work in a small public school. One advantage to being in a small school is that I was able to get to know in some way each individual student. For the first few years that I worked there, I had trouble exercising my authority. I was afraid the students “wouldn’t like me” if I reprimanded them, so I let them get away with things I shouldn’t have. But one day the Lord showed me that by running away from my own authority, I was failing in my duty. I was letting my self-love get in the way of what my employer expected of me to the detriment of those students God had placed in my care.
Chastised in spirit, I began to change the way I interacted with students. I asked the Blessed Mother to teach me how to reprimand with love. This did not come naturally to me; some days it was a life and death struggle with my will. I did not always prevail, but by the grace of God and the guidance of Mary I made steady progress.
As I began to change my approach, I was convinced that the students would hate me for it. I was wrong. Often, the students whose behavior I called into question were the students that seemed most drawn to me. I also began to notice a new respect for me in the students, even the difficult ones. In losing the life I thought I had, I gained the life I didn’t know I wanted.
If God can do this much in one small part of my life, why do I still refuse to give up all that I think I am? I should be running down the path of self-denial instead of having to be coaxed, pushed or dragged.
Oh, St. Francis, teach me! I have such a long way to go! Help me to meditate often on this Scripture passage as you did, so that I may learn to run down the path of self-denial into the life the Lord has prepared for me. St. Francis, brother and mentor, master of self-denial, pray for us".
Video presentation: "Be Courageous", by Marino Restrepo
Link to YouTube video:
http://youtu.be/pFhHcYQtr00
Link to YouTube video:
http://youtu.be/pFhHcYQtr00