Ijournal entry 020617 #06. February is the month dedicated to the Holy Family. Truffles, The Rule of St. Benedict. Quotes by St. Leo the Great, St. John Paul II, and The Living Pyx of Jesus by A Religious, Pelligrini. "Living the Beatitudes, part 8: “What wounds do you bear for the sake of the reign of God?” by Mary Sharon Moore, M.T.S. "Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Senses Online Retreat", by Ginny Kubitz Moyer. Video presentation: "The pilgrimage on earth", by Marino Restrepo.
"Though the start of the Lenten season changes within the calendar year, a fair-sized portion of February gives us a space of time between the Christmas celebrations and the increased focus on Jesus's public life and ministry, which occurs in Lent. It is a transition from the feast of Christmas to the fasting of Lent. Therefore traditionally February has become a time to recall the Holy Family; within the Holy Family is where Jesus spent the time between his birth and embarking on his public journey"
Info from this site: http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-articles/monthly-dedications-of-the-church-year/article/184
Info from this site: http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-articles/monthly-dedications-of-the-church-year/article/184
The Rule of St. Benedict
"The twelfth degree of humility is that a monk should not only be humble of heart, but should also in his behaviour always manifest his humility to those who look upon him. That is to say that whether he is at the work of God, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on the road, in the fields, or anywhere else, and whether sitting, walking or standing, he should always have his head bowed and his eyes downcast, pondering always the guilt of his sins, and considering that he is about to be brought before the dread judgement seat of God. Let him constantly say in his heart what was said with downcast eyes by the publican in the Gospel: Lord, I a sinner am not worthy to raise mine eyes to heaven. And again with the prophet: I am bowed down and humbled on every side.1 Then, when all these degrees of humility have been climbed, the monk will presently come to that perfect love of God which casts out all fear: whereby he will begin to observe without labour, as though naturally and by habit, all those precepts which formerly he did not observe without fear; no longer for fear of hell, but for love of Christ and through good habit and delight in virtue. And this will the Lord deign to show forth by the power of his Spirit in his workman now cleansed from vice and from sin"
(MC= Well, if it is good enough for the Monk, it's good enough for us. Pondering our sins might help us come to realize our errors and have an eventual change of heart instead of concentrating on this, that and the other)
"The twelfth degree of humility is that a monk should not only be humble of heart, but should also in his behaviour always manifest his humility to those who look upon him. That is to say that whether he is at the work of God, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on the road, in the fields, or anywhere else, and whether sitting, walking or standing, he should always have his head bowed and his eyes downcast, pondering always the guilt of his sins, and considering that he is about to be brought before the dread judgement seat of God. Let him constantly say in his heart what was said with downcast eyes by the publican in the Gospel: Lord, I a sinner am not worthy to raise mine eyes to heaven. And again with the prophet: I am bowed down and humbled on every side.1 Then, when all these degrees of humility have been climbed, the monk will presently come to that perfect love of God which casts out all fear: whereby he will begin to observe without labour, as though naturally and by habit, all those precepts which formerly he did not observe without fear; no longer for fear of hell, but for love of Christ and through good habit and delight in virtue. And this will the Lord deign to show forth by the power of his Spirit in his workman now cleansed from vice and from sin"
(MC= Well, if it is good enough for the Monk, it's good enough for us. Pondering our sins might help us come to realize our errors and have an eventual change of heart instead of concentrating on this, that and the other)
🔵 “Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptations, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.” By St. Leo the Great
⚫️"This ideal of perfection must not be misunderstood as if it involved some kind of extraordinary existence, possible only for a few ‘uncommon heroes’ of holiness. The ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation of each individual. I thank the Lord that in these years he has enabled me to beatify and canonize a large number of Christians, and among them many lay people who attained holiness in the most ordinary circumstances of life”. By St. John Paul II
⚪️ "Everyone who speaks to me a harsh or unfriendly word, who slights me, or sets me aside,
who criticizes or injures me,Such a one delivers a message, a reminder, an invitation, a challenge to my aspiring soul.For such a one seems to be saying: 'You seek to be holy? I am your opportunity.'" (from The Living Pyx of Jesus by A Religious, Pelligrini
⚫️"This ideal of perfection must not be misunderstood as if it involved some kind of extraordinary existence, possible only for a few ‘uncommon heroes’ of holiness. The ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation of each individual. I thank the Lord that in these years he has enabled me to beatify and canonize a large number of Christians, and among them many lay people who attained holiness in the most ordinary circumstances of life”. By St. John Paul II
⚪️ "Everyone who speaks to me a harsh or unfriendly word, who slights me, or sets me aside,
who criticizes or injures me,Such a one delivers a message, a reminder, an invitation, a challenge to my aspiring soul.For such a one seems to be saying: 'You seek to be holy? I am your opportunity.'" (from The Living Pyx of Jesus by A Religious, Pelligrini
Recently a person talked to me about someone committing suicide. It was the wife of her husband's best friend. Later that day driving home from chapel, meditative thoughts surfaced about this. The first thoughts were about how sad it is that people really just don't know what life is suppose to be all about. Sadly catechized, we fall into traps and can find ourselves swept away by the rushing currents of the world. We are being taken, here, there, everywhere, even prematurely to deaths's door, everywhere except in the boat with Our Lord traveling the path that leads to living triumphantly with Christ.
If we see things for what they really are, we will be more prepared for the fast, curved, of slow ball coming our way in life. We'll have the courage to try to hit a home run, knowing God's plans are contained in the bigger picture. We will know that we will see us through any and everything, so it is to hold fast, hold on, and to hold out. More thoughts developed along the line of how earthly living is really a training ground for getting ready for the afterlife each person must face. The primary reason for living is not to satisfy ourselves and be satiated with happiness, fortune, and fame, but it's to train for the happiness to come that will be ours in eternity. On earth, we are in boot camp, and God will provide, knowing the exact time this should end.
Is boot camp fun, easy street, or a resting place before reaching the final destination? No, no, no, hope floats and we persevere because we know we labor for the good that is to come. Thank God there are happy moments and rest along the way as we travel through the valley of tears, but the journey continues, the road rough and rocky at times until we get to the mountain top, but we keep on keeping on. The reason and the purpose behind the training we go through should be ingrained in the brain, for that will prepare us for enduring all, knowing without a doubt, that a better day is ahead, a better, better, a day without end.
Trusting those in command, makes it easier to follow and obey. To have a vision is to take heart and keep on keeping on. We must believe God and not the lies of the world, the flesh, or the enemy. We are children of the light, children of God destined for good, let us not draw back and perish, but believe in faith and live, encouraging one another and imparting the faith in spirit and truth.
If we see things for what they really are, we will be more prepared for the fast, curved, of slow ball coming our way in life. We'll have the courage to try to hit a home run, knowing God's plans are contained in the bigger picture. We will know that we will see us through any and everything, so it is to hold fast, hold on, and to hold out. More thoughts developed along the line of how earthly living is really a training ground for getting ready for the afterlife each person must face. The primary reason for living is not to satisfy ourselves and be satiated with happiness, fortune, and fame, but it's to train for the happiness to come that will be ours in eternity. On earth, we are in boot camp, and God will provide, knowing the exact time this should end.
Is boot camp fun, easy street, or a resting place before reaching the final destination? No, no, no, hope floats and we persevere because we know we labor for the good that is to come. Thank God there are happy moments and rest along the way as we travel through the valley of tears, but the journey continues, the road rough and rocky at times until we get to the mountain top, but we keep on keeping on. The reason and the purpose behind the training we go through should be ingrained in the brain, for that will prepare us for enduring all, knowing without a doubt, that a better day is ahead, a better, better, a day without end.
Trusting those in command, makes it easier to follow and obey. To have a vision is to take heart and keep on keeping on. We must believe God and not the lies of the world, the flesh, or the enemy. We are children of the light, children of God destined for good, let us not draw back and perish, but believe in faith and live, encouraging one another and imparting the faith in spirit and truth.
"Living the Beatitudes, part 8: “What wounds do you bear for the sake of the reign of God?” by Mary Sharon Moore, M.T.S
"The first six beatitudes are fine. I can deal with them, find encouragement in them, grow with them. The seventh, about peacemaking, seems to turn a corner. This proposition of following Jesus seems to suddenly become dangerous, risky. Peacemaking can put me in the middle of conflict. The eighth beatitude turns me toward a place I do not want to go.
“Blessed,” Jesus says, “are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And then his language shifts from third person to something unsettlingly personal. “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.” Is this the voice of a madman? Are these words true? “Rejoice,” he says, “and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” And then he reminds his followers that the prophets before them received the same treatment.
Jesus plays for keeps. Lukewarm, half-hearted commitment, for him, is no commitment at all. Later on he would show us how to live this beatitude, with spiritual integrity, and all the way through to the end. In his arrest and mock trial, in his scourging and crucifixion, he showed us how it’s done, this radical surrender to God and unwillingness to back down from total commitment to revealing the reign of God.
What wounds do you bear for the sake of God’s reign? When have you been roughed up, cut off, dismissed, abused, your reputation maligned, because you wouldn't back down from God’s claim on your life and the sure movement of the Holy Spirit in the circumstances at hand? As St. Paul says,
“Blessed,” Jesus says, “are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And then his language shifts from third person to something unsettlingly personal. “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.” Is this the voice of a madman? Are these words true? “Rejoice,” he says, “and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” And then he reminds his followers that the prophets before them received the same treatment.
Jesus plays for keeps. Lukewarm, half-hearted commitment, for him, is no commitment at all. Later on he would show us how to live this beatitude, with spiritual integrity, and all the way through to the end. In his arrest and mock trial, in his scourging and crucifixion, he showed us how it’s done, this radical surrender to God and unwillingness to back down from total commitment to revealing the reign of God.
What wounds do you bear for the sake of God’s reign? When have you been roughed up, cut off, dismissed, abused, your reputation maligned, because you wouldn't back down from God’s claim on your life and the sure movement of the Holy Spirit in the circumstances at hand? As St. Paul says,
”Galatians 6:17: “From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body" |
Bringing it home
😱1. How do I feel when Jesus talks about the blessedness of persecution for the sake of the reign of God?
😱2. What wounds have I received for not backing down from the truth of the Gospel?
Hold this thought : God is my strength in moments of testing
😱1. How do I feel when Jesus talks about the blessedness of persecution for the sake of the reign of God?
😱2. What wounds have I received for not backing down from the truth of the Gospel?
Hold this thought : God is my strength in moments of testing
"Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Senses Online Retreat", by Ginny Kubitz Moyer
Info from this site:
www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/prayer-online/taste-and-see-experiencing-god-with-our-senses-online-retreat
"How does God speak to you? If you’re like most of us, it’s not through a mystical experience or a shimmering vision or a bolt of lightning. When I sit down for evening prayer and think about where I encountered God during the day, my list usually ends up looking a lot like this:
Listen for God speaking to you through the language of the senses and join an online retreat exploring each of the five senses. Each segment of Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Senses will begin with a reflection on one of the senses and then lead you through an Examen-style prayer and conclude with a suggestion for action to practice the ideas of the retreat in the week to come. This simple format will help you to encounter God, not only as you practice your faith but also as you participate in the “messy splendor” of daily life.
🐟Introduction. "Our Five Senses and Being Fully Alive"
The second-century St. Irenaeus said that “the glory of God is man [and woman] fully alive.” I love this idea and find that it always invites reflection. What does it mean to be fully alive? How well am I doing with that? One thing I’ve learned is that a big part of being “fully alive” is paying attention. It’s being aware of God’s presence in the present moment, right where I already am. And I’ve found that a good way to cultivate this mindfulness is to pay attention to the five senses.
God speaks to us through what we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. We know this intuitively, but to think about it consciously is a powerful form of prayer. When we’re inspired by a song on the radio, when we are moved by the sight of a sweetly vulnerable newborn, or when we are renewed by the cool water of a swimming pool on a hot day, we’re experiencing the creative goodness of God. These moments are proof of what St. Ignatius Loyola believed: that we can and should find God in all things. God meets us where we are, as humans living and breathing and moving in a tangible world, and the five senses are five entry points for God’s love to become known to us.
One thing I value about my Catholic faith is how thoroughly it embodies this reality. Our prayer and worship involve the touch of holy water, the smell of incense, the vivid glow of stained glass, and the taste of the Eucharist. Though there’s a stereotype that Catholicism is hostile to the body, the reverse is true: our faith knows that the body and the soul work together, powerfully.
That’s a lesson I had to learn myself, two decades ago. I was a cradle Catholic who moved away from the Church in my college years, in part because I thought my childhood faith wanted me to reject the physical world in favor of some unrealistic idea of soulful perfection. But thanks to a few key experiences in my twenties, I learned that Catholicism doesn’t deny the power of the body; it actually celebrates it. And now at Mass, when I kneel and hear the Great Amen and see the crucifix and taste the Body of Christ, I am living a faith that invites me to taste and see the goodness of the Lord, and to hear and smell and touch it, too. And when I let that awareness infuse my daily living, when I bring that kind of mindfulness to my commute and my workplace and my home, I see that St. Ignatius Loyola was right: if you have your senses open, you can indeed find God in all things.
So this month of prayer is an invitation: an invitation to “come to our senses,” and to celebrate how God reaches us through our eyes, nose, mouth, hands, ears, and skin. It’s a chance to become conscious of faith as a full-body experience, and to see how that awareness can make us ever more fully alive"
Info from this site:
www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/prayer-online/taste-and-see-experiencing-god-with-our-senses-online-retreat
"How does God speak to you? If you’re like most of us, it’s not through a mystical experience or a shimmering vision or a bolt of lightning. When I sit down for evening prayer and think about where I encountered God during the day, my list usually ends up looking a lot like this:
- God was in the mysteriously beautiful lifting of the fog over the hills on the morning commute.
- God was in the conversation with my mom, when she said those encouraging words I needed to hear.
- God was in the spontaneous kiss I got from my son, his little body standing on tiptoe to reach my cheek.
- God was in the taste of fresh homegrown tomatoes, an unexpected gift from a neighbor.
- God was in the sound of the kids playing soccer on the front lawn.
- God was in the smell of the wood smoke that greeted me as I got out of the car from my late-night visit to the grocery store, a smell that made me think of warmth and family.
Listen for God speaking to you through the language of the senses and join an online retreat exploring each of the five senses. Each segment of Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Senses will begin with a reflection on one of the senses and then lead you through an Examen-style prayer and conclude with a suggestion for action to practice the ideas of the retreat in the week to come. This simple format will help you to encounter God, not only as you practice your faith but also as you participate in the “messy splendor” of daily life.
🐟Introduction. "Our Five Senses and Being Fully Alive"
The second-century St. Irenaeus said that “the glory of God is man [and woman] fully alive.” I love this idea and find that it always invites reflection. What does it mean to be fully alive? How well am I doing with that? One thing I’ve learned is that a big part of being “fully alive” is paying attention. It’s being aware of God’s presence in the present moment, right where I already am. And I’ve found that a good way to cultivate this mindfulness is to pay attention to the five senses.
God speaks to us through what we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. We know this intuitively, but to think about it consciously is a powerful form of prayer. When we’re inspired by a song on the radio, when we are moved by the sight of a sweetly vulnerable newborn, or when we are renewed by the cool water of a swimming pool on a hot day, we’re experiencing the creative goodness of God. These moments are proof of what St. Ignatius Loyola believed: that we can and should find God in all things. God meets us where we are, as humans living and breathing and moving in a tangible world, and the five senses are five entry points for God’s love to become known to us.
One thing I value about my Catholic faith is how thoroughly it embodies this reality. Our prayer and worship involve the touch of holy water, the smell of incense, the vivid glow of stained glass, and the taste of the Eucharist. Though there’s a stereotype that Catholicism is hostile to the body, the reverse is true: our faith knows that the body and the soul work together, powerfully.
That’s a lesson I had to learn myself, two decades ago. I was a cradle Catholic who moved away from the Church in my college years, in part because I thought my childhood faith wanted me to reject the physical world in favor of some unrealistic idea of soulful perfection. But thanks to a few key experiences in my twenties, I learned that Catholicism doesn’t deny the power of the body; it actually celebrates it. And now at Mass, when I kneel and hear the Great Amen and see the crucifix and taste the Body of Christ, I am living a faith that invites me to taste and see the goodness of the Lord, and to hear and smell and touch it, too. And when I let that awareness infuse my daily living, when I bring that kind of mindfulness to my commute and my workplace and my home, I see that St. Ignatius Loyola was right: if you have your senses open, you can indeed find God in all things.
So this month of prayer is an invitation: an invitation to “come to our senses,” and to celebrate how God reaches us through our eyes, nose, mouth, hands, ears, and skin. It’s a chance to become conscious of faith as a full-body experience, and to see how that awareness can make us ever more fully alive"
Video presentation: "The pilgrimage on earth", by Marino Restrepo,
YouTube video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLrWUvIMFFs&sns=em
YouTube video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLrWUvIMFFs&sns=em