Ijournal entry 031317 #11 March, month of St. Joseph. The rule of St. Benedict. 2nd Week of Lent. Quotes by Pope St. Leo the Great, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J., and St. Catherine of Siena. Part 2: "What St. John Vianney Taught About the Value of Suffering", by Gretchen Filz.
Senses Part 5 online Retreat: "Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Sense of Taste ", by Ginny Kubitz Moyer. Video presentation: "Lent", by Marino Restrepo.
Senses Part 5 online Retreat: "Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Sense of Taste ", by Ginny Kubitz Moyer. Video presentation: "Lent", by Marino Restrepo.
On the Cord of Saint Joseph- The devotion to the Cord of Saint Joseph took its rise in the town of Antwerp (Belgium), in the year 1657, in consequence of a miraculous cure effected by the wearing of this precious girdle.
⚒At the above epoch there lived at Antwerp an Augustinian nun remarkable for her piety, called Sister Elizabeth, who, during three years, had suffered excruciating pains, occasioned by a most cruel distemper. She had then reached such a stage that the physicians, seeing no resource possible, declared her death to be inevitable, and fast approaching. Losing all hope in human aid, the Sister addressed herself to heaven, and having always had a particular devotion to Saint Joseph, she prayed him to intercede with our Lord for her recovery. At the same time she had a cord blessed in the Saint’s honour, girded herself with it, and a few days after, as she was praying before his image, she found herself all of a sudden freed from pain. Those who knew the disease and its nature, in her instance, declared her recovery miraculous. An authentic act was drawn up in presence of a public notary, and a Protestant physician could not help proclaiming the truth.
⚒This fact, related by the Bollandists, was admitted by the author of a ‘Month of Saint Joseph,’ published at Rome in 1810. The reading of this book in 1842, in Saint Nicholas’s Church at Verona, where the devotion of the Month of March was beginning to be practised, brought to the knowledge of several persons the event above related. Immediately, in imitation of the religious of Antwerp, many patients, animated by a tender piety towards Saint Joseph, procured a cord blessed in the Church of Saint Nicholas, where there is a chapel (since become a celebrated sanctuary) consecrated to the Saint. Numerous special graces were obtained and the devotion soon spread rapidly. Hundreds of cords were despatched to France, Belgium, all parts of Italy, and even to America and Asia.
⚒The cord of Saint Joseph was asked, not merely as a remedy against bodily ailments, but also as a preservative of the virtue of purity. Ere long, his lordship the Bishop of Verona became aware of the necessity of addressing a supplication to the Congregation of Rites, which he did by a letter bearing date January 14, 1859. After a mature examination the Sacred Congregation, in accordance with the request, approved, by a Rescript of September 19, 1859, the new formula of blessing, and permitted its solemn and private use. Finally, his lordship obtained for the Association of the Cord of Saint Joseph the privilige of being declared ‘primarie,’ and at the same time His Holiness Pope Pius lX. enriched it with precious indulgences.
⚒Graces precious to the piety of Saint Joseph’s servants are attached to the wearing of his cord. They are: —- 1st, Saint Joseph’s special protection; 2, purity of soul; 3, the grace of chastity; 4, final perseverance; 5, particular assistance at the hour of death. The Cord of Saint Joseph should be of thread or cotton, ending at one extremity in seven knots, indicative of the joyful, dolorous, and glorious mysteries of the august Patriarch. It is worn as a girdle, and ought to be blessed by a priest possessing powers to engird one with it.
⚒Prayers of the Holy Cord - Recite daily in honour of Saint Joseph seven times Gloria Patri, together with the following prayer:
O Saint Joseph, Father and Protector of Virgins, to whose faithful custody Child Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary Virgin of Virgins, were committed; I pray and beseech thee by these dear pledges Jesus and Mary, that being preserved from all uncleanness, I may with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body, ever most chastely serve Jesus and Mary all the days of my life. Amen.
⚒Plenary Indulgences Attached to the Cord of Saint Joseph
1. On the day of entrance into the Association.
2. On the day of the Feast of the Espousals of the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph (January 23rd).
3. On the 19th of March, the Feast of Saint Joseph, and on one of the seven days which immediately follow that festival.
4. On the Patronage of Saint Joseph (3rd Sunday after Easter).
5. At the article of death, for all the Associates who, being truly pentitent, and having confessed their sins, shall receive the Holy Viaticum; or who, not being able to do this, shall invoke with the mouth or at least with the heart the Name of Jesus.
⚒Conditions for Gaining the Said Indulgences
1. To be truly contrite, and to confess and communicate.
2. To visit the church or chapel of the Association or any other church or public oratory.
3. To pray there for peace between Christian princes, the extirpation of heresies, and the exaltation of our holy Mother the Church.
The plenary indulgence of a priviliged altar is attached to all Masses celebrated for a departed Associate. (An indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines on each of the Sundays which come immediately after the Ember Saturdays for the Associates who shall visit with a contrite heart the church of the Arch-Confraternity, and there pray for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff. All these indulgences are applicable to the souls in Purgatory.)
Info from this site:
catholicsaints.info/on-the-cord-of-saint-joseph/
⚒At the above epoch there lived at Antwerp an Augustinian nun remarkable for her piety, called Sister Elizabeth, who, during three years, had suffered excruciating pains, occasioned by a most cruel distemper. She had then reached such a stage that the physicians, seeing no resource possible, declared her death to be inevitable, and fast approaching. Losing all hope in human aid, the Sister addressed herself to heaven, and having always had a particular devotion to Saint Joseph, she prayed him to intercede with our Lord for her recovery. At the same time she had a cord blessed in the Saint’s honour, girded herself with it, and a few days after, as she was praying before his image, she found herself all of a sudden freed from pain. Those who knew the disease and its nature, in her instance, declared her recovery miraculous. An authentic act was drawn up in presence of a public notary, and a Protestant physician could not help proclaiming the truth.
⚒This fact, related by the Bollandists, was admitted by the author of a ‘Month of Saint Joseph,’ published at Rome in 1810. The reading of this book in 1842, in Saint Nicholas’s Church at Verona, where the devotion of the Month of March was beginning to be practised, brought to the knowledge of several persons the event above related. Immediately, in imitation of the religious of Antwerp, many patients, animated by a tender piety towards Saint Joseph, procured a cord blessed in the Church of Saint Nicholas, where there is a chapel (since become a celebrated sanctuary) consecrated to the Saint. Numerous special graces were obtained and the devotion soon spread rapidly. Hundreds of cords were despatched to France, Belgium, all parts of Italy, and even to America and Asia.
⚒The cord of Saint Joseph was asked, not merely as a remedy against bodily ailments, but also as a preservative of the virtue of purity. Ere long, his lordship the Bishop of Verona became aware of the necessity of addressing a supplication to the Congregation of Rites, which he did by a letter bearing date January 14, 1859. After a mature examination the Sacred Congregation, in accordance with the request, approved, by a Rescript of September 19, 1859, the new formula of blessing, and permitted its solemn and private use. Finally, his lordship obtained for the Association of the Cord of Saint Joseph the privilige of being declared ‘primarie,’ and at the same time His Holiness Pope Pius lX. enriched it with precious indulgences.
⚒Graces precious to the piety of Saint Joseph’s servants are attached to the wearing of his cord. They are: —- 1st, Saint Joseph’s special protection; 2, purity of soul; 3, the grace of chastity; 4, final perseverance; 5, particular assistance at the hour of death. The Cord of Saint Joseph should be of thread or cotton, ending at one extremity in seven knots, indicative of the joyful, dolorous, and glorious mysteries of the august Patriarch. It is worn as a girdle, and ought to be blessed by a priest possessing powers to engird one with it.
⚒Prayers of the Holy Cord - Recite daily in honour of Saint Joseph seven times Gloria Patri, together with the following prayer:
O Saint Joseph, Father and Protector of Virgins, to whose faithful custody Child Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary Virgin of Virgins, were committed; I pray and beseech thee by these dear pledges Jesus and Mary, that being preserved from all uncleanness, I may with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body, ever most chastely serve Jesus and Mary all the days of my life. Amen.
⚒Plenary Indulgences Attached to the Cord of Saint Joseph
1. On the day of entrance into the Association.
2. On the day of the Feast of the Espousals of the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph (January 23rd).
3. On the 19th of March, the Feast of Saint Joseph, and on one of the seven days which immediately follow that festival.
4. On the Patronage of Saint Joseph (3rd Sunday after Easter).
5. At the article of death, for all the Associates who, being truly pentitent, and having confessed their sins, shall receive the Holy Viaticum; or who, not being able to do this, shall invoke with the mouth or at least with the heart the Name of Jesus.
⚒Conditions for Gaining the Said Indulgences
1. To be truly contrite, and to confess and communicate.
2. To visit the church or chapel of the Association or any other church or public oratory.
3. To pray there for peace between Christian princes, the extirpation of heresies, and the exaltation of our holy Mother the Church.
The plenary indulgence of a priviliged altar is attached to all Masses celebrated for a departed Associate. (An indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines on each of the Sundays which come immediately after the Ember Saturdays for the Associates who shall visit with a contrite heart the church of the Arch-Confraternity, and there pray for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff. All these indulgences are applicable to the souls in Purgatory.)
Info from this site:
catholicsaints.info/on-the-cord-of-saint-joseph/
lent Week 2
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: "Lent reminds us, therefore, that Christian life is a never-ending combat in which the “weapons” of prayer, fasting and penance are used." Let us nail our sins with the weapons of prayer, fasting, and penance.
MC= Choose one dominate fault and work on nailing it to The Cross
MC= Choose one dominate fault and work on nailing it to The Cross
The Rule of St. Benedict
"Let us follow the Scripture: Distribution should be made to every man according as he had need.1 By this we do not mean that there should be respect of persons (God forbid), but consideration for infirmities. He that needeth less, let him thank God and not be discontented; he that needeth more, let him be humbled for his infirmity and not made proud by the mercy shown to him. Above all, let not the vice of murmuring show itself in any word or sign for any reason whatever. But if a brother be found guilty of it, let him undergo strict punishment"
MC= With God the scales are always balanced. How horrible the spirit of complaining, complaining, complaining must be, that it warrants struck punishment. Trying to kick box that habit.
"Let us follow the Scripture: Distribution should be made to every man according as he had need.1 By this we do not mean that there should be respect of persons (God forbid), but consideration for infirmities. He that needeth less, let him thank God and not be discontented; he that needeth more, let him be humbled for his infirmity and not made proud by the mercy shown to him. Above all, let not the vice of murmuring show itself in any word or sign for any reason whatever. But if a brother be found guilty of it, let him undergo strict punishment"
MC= With God the scales are always balanced. How horrible the spirit of complaining, complaining, complaining must be, that it warrants struck punishment. Trying to kick box that habit.
Isaiah 35:10 "And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away" |
Lord, eternal rest grant unto Eugene. Also grant eternal rest to Deregal's Mother, Mrs. Hazel.
🎩A gentleman bids us goodnight
🎩The summons came, so it was time for Eugene to take a heaven bound flight
🎩Another talented one no longer gracing this earth
🎩Thanks you God for the gift of his birth
🎩Helpful and handy
🎩His name should have been Andy
🎩It was to just give a call to Eugene
🎩Sure enough he would appear on the scene
🎩Be it family or a friend
🎩Kindness he would graciously extend
🎩Now to pay back with Masses and to lift you up in prayer
🎩Of great value to your soul, the best way to show love and care
🎩Praise God, troubles, trials and tribulations for you now cease
🎩May your soul rest in peace
🎩For your efforts in practicing your faith
🎩How wonderful by mercy and grace, will it be to see swinging wide each pearly white gate
🎩The good works have been done, the mission is now complete
🎩 You ran the race as best as you could, so no longer do you have to fret to compete
🎩 Dear Lord let Eugene find with you great favor
🎩To enjoy your presence, fulfilled with happiness, a delight to forever savor
tmm/TruGIG
™
🎩The summons came, so it was time for Eugene to take a heaven bound flight
🎩Another talented one no longer gracing this earth
🎩Thanks you God for the gift of his birth
🎩Helpful and handy
🎩His name should have been Andy
🎩It was to just give a call to Eugene
🎩Sure enough he would appear on the scene
🎩Be it family or a friend
🎩Kindness he would graciously extend
🎩Now to pay back with Masses and to lift you up in prayer
🎩Of great value to your soul, the best way to show love and care
🎩Praise God, troubles, trials and tribulations for you now cease
🎩May your soul rest in peace
🎩For your efforts in practicing your faith
🎩How wonderful by mercy and grace, will it be to see swinging wide each pearly white gate
🎩The good works have been done, the mission is now complete
🎩 You ran the race as best as you could, so no longer do you have to fret to compete
🎩 Dear Lord let Eugene find with you great favor
🎩To enjoy your presence, fulfilled with happiness, a delight to forever savor
tmm/TruGIG
™
🔘 “There are three things which most belong to religious actions, namely prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. This threefold round of duty, dearly beloved, brings all other virtues into action: it attains to God's image and likeness and unites us inseparably with the Holy Spirit. Because in prayer faith remains steadfast, in fastings life remains innocent, and in almsgiving the mind remains kind". By Pope St. Leo the Great
⚫️ "Every moment we live through is like an ambassador who declares the will of God." By Jean-Pierre de Caussade, SJ
🎾 "No foolish irresponsibility, for time is short, and it is ours!" By St. Catherine of Siena
⚫️ "Every moment we live through is like an ambassador who declares the will of God." By Jean-Pierre de Caussade, SJ
🎾 "No foolish irresponsibility, for time is short, and it is ours!" By St. Catherine of Siena
For surely day follows night spiritually...
Recently several thoughts floated into my mind like passing clouds and an inspiration was gently awaken as from a from a refreshing night sleep:
1️⃣Inspired to accomplish much this lent, much, much, much, and all by the grace of God. A priority is to seek, search out, and work on one thing that comes between me and the love of God. What is coming to mind is to work on not losing peace so easily. We all know nothing can "separate" us from the love of God, but things sure can come between us. For instance a husband and wife may not separate and divorce, but many things may come between them.
2️⃣Nothing can separate us from the love of God, but it is "very" worthwhile to identify what it is that may be coming between us and our love for God, and blocking us from seeing and experiencing His love for us. A love that is always present and unlimited in it's scope. One that is tried and true.
1️⃣Inspired to accomplish much this lent, much, much, much, and all by the grace of God. A priority is to seek, search out, and work on one thing that comes between me and the love of God. What is coming to mind is to work on not losing peace so easily. We all know nothing can "separate" us from the love of God, but things sure can come between us. For instance a husband and wife may not separate and divorce, but many things may come between them.
2️⃣Nothing can separate us from the love of God, but it is "very" worthwhile to identify what it is that may be coming between us and our love for God, and blocking us from seeing and experiencing His love for us. A love that is always present and unlimited in it's scope. One that is tried and true.
3️⃣Thinking on how electrifying the Holy Spirit is.
4️⃣At home this evening thinking about how when we allow Jesus to abide in us, we begin to see beyond the surface. A spiritual X-ray type of vision develops and is sharpened day by day. The Lord becomes like a weight around our neck, and that is the only way we can ever go deep and our X-ray vision comes in handy. The more of Him we have, the deeper we go, as we sink into truth. It is as if the weight is a result of being filled with more and more of the Holy Spirit.
5️⃣ The "Rhema word" for March is the word "Goal"
Here we are, a next day after those thoughts and a text comes from Claudia . Can iron sharpen iron? It sure can:
4️⃣At home this evening thinking about how when we allow Jesus to abide in us, we begin to see beyond the surface. A spiritual X-ray type of vision develops and is sharpened day by day. The Lord becomes like a weight around our neck, and that is the only way we can ever go deep and our X-ray vision comes in handy. The more of Him we have, the deeper we go, as we sink into truth. It is as if the weight is a result of being filled with more and more of the Holy Spirit.
5️⃣ The "Rhema word" for March is the word "Goal"
Here we are, a next day after those thoughts and a text comes from Claudia . Can iron sharpen iron? It sure can:
Can a little yeast affect a whole batch of dough? You bet it can:
Well a paradigm shift in my Lent occurred because of two picture texts from Claudia. Matter of fact, it makes clear why the "Rhema word" the day before was "goal". It was no doubt to me that the word was &ego so", but did not have a reason why it was the word, nor what the goal would turn out to be. That it would pertain to eternal life , was clear and no mystery, for that is my greatest interest during this sojourn on planet earth. Not just for me but especially for those walking with me as we help each other, and really for everyone. That all might be infected spiritually and succumb to eternal life on high in God's kingdom.
The goal gleaned from the picture text is this: Partaking minute by minute of "the sacrament of the present moment". Yes, if the ultimate, dream goal is holiness, then living in God's will moment by moment is the only way to reach that lofty goal. Claudia's comment in sharing was:
"I thought you would enjoy these people who stress with their lives what you proclaim"
Well again, making the first step, but it is to be able to run on day by day so that others may see and God Himself might be able to say: "my child, you are now beginning to proclaim with the life I myself have given you.
The goal gleaned from the picture text is this: Partaking minute by minute of "the sacrament of the present moment". Yes, if the ultimate, dream goal is holiness, then living in God's will moment by moment is the only way to reach that lofty goal. Claudia's comment in sharing was:
"I thought you would enjoy these people who stress with their lives what you proclaim"
Well again, making the first step, but it is to be able to run on day by day so that others may see and God Himself might be able to say: "my child, you are now beginning to proclaim with the life I myself have given you.
Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" |
For each day it will always be a "just beginning" endeavor. Each and every day the beat goes on until death seals the deal. At that time to fall short and be found: desiring wholeheartedly, working hard, leaning and depending on the mercy and righteousness of God, will be to find oneself being carried across the finish line by Jesus. About Him it can only be said: nothing is impossible.
Moving right along with a song in my heart, it is to now discover the "Orations" by St. Gregory of Nazianzen. Of course it was like fire under my feet to buy the book, but found many places to download parts of it for free. A big no surprise is choosing St. Gregory of Nazianzen's Fifth Theological Oration (Oration 31), the one on the Holy Spirit. Just thinking while at Mass the day before how electrifying the Holy Spirit is. Of course thoughts of distractions still creep in at Mass, but it is getting better y'all, it is getting better, Praise the Lord. Thank you Claudia for sending the info on St. Gregory of Nazianzen.
Being that my standard MO is to "pick and peck" because there are only 86400 seconds in the day and mine dissolve like cotton candy in your mouth (thank you so much, O God for blessing me with the gift of life and spending it with me), it's only possible to live like like a "Sampler". No other choice but to just sample life until the fullness arrives in eternity. (BTW, how many of those seconds do you spend with God. He gives so much, how much will you appreciatively give back to Him?)
A little repeat from the Cheese Cracker section at the beginning of the entry is in order. St. Catherine of Siena says: "No foolish irresponsibility, for time is short, and it is ours!"
Now my Lenten Plate is getting crowded, hat's off to Claudia, but it is not in a way where wheels are just spinning, and nothing much is being accomplished. It is all about transformation dear people of God, and none, not one is exempt. If you don't think so, just ask a true friend and your faults will be out quickly like rapidly fired bullets. A true spiritual friend practices the spiritual works of mercy work love and with ease.
Of course it is better for us to please God rather than man, who may be a friend today and who knows what tomorrow. Not all, but some people are fair weather friends, is that not right?
Being that my standard MO is to "pick and peck" because there are only 86400 seconds in the day and mine dissolve like cotton candy in your mouth (thank you so much, O God for blessing me with the gift of life and spending it with me), it's only possible to live like like a "Sampler". No other choice but to just sample life until the fullness arrives in eternity. (BTW, how many of those seconds do you spend with God. He gives so much, how much will you appreciatively give back to Him?)
A little repeat from the Cheese Cracker section at the beginning of the entry is in order. St. Catherine of Siena says: "No foolish irresponsibility, for time is short, and it is ours!"
Now my Lenten Plate is getting crowded, hat's off to Claudia, but it is not in a way where wheels are just spinning, and nothing much is being accomplished. It is all about transformation dear people of God, and none, not one is exempt. If you don't think so, just ask a true friend and your faults will be out quickly like rapidly fired bullets. A true spiritual friend practices the spiritual works of mercy work love and with ease.
Of course it is better for us to please God rather than man, who may be a friend today and who knows what tomorrow. Not all, but some people are fair weather friends, is that not right?
It's easy to see others, but we really can't see others as clearly. The plank in our own eyes does help obscure our spiritual vision.
So now my Lenten leader board looks like this:
More, more , there is more. Claudia's material that was texted to me inspired the text mess of the day that was sent out to others. That text is the Dinner Mints for this entry. It was popping like popcorn with some people who received it. My response to Claudia:
A very big WOW!!! The material caused a paradigm shift in my Lenten journey. It will end up being a veggie. Also subscribed to the digital edition of "Give us this Day. That was where the material she sent me came from. Anything or anyone who brings me in closer contact with the saints, truth, change, etc. is a supernatural working, bringing about great good. Higher ground, is so, so, superior to the mediocre trodden path or side street distractions that entertain and amuse, doing nothing more. You are very valuable to me in my spiritual life, may you be greatly rewarded. Praying that my life so bears all the the fruit as God wishes, good and pleasing in His sight. The text was popping like pop corn, so glad for the serious soldiers on board, those wanting to wear the "Christian" uniform well. Many fight the good fight, knowing the battles will not all be easy.
A very big WOW!!! The material caused a paradigm shift in my Lenten journey. It will end up being a veggie. Also subscribed to the digital edition of "Give us this Day. That was where the material she sent me came from. Anything or anyone who brings me in closer contact with the saints, truth, change, etc. is a supernatural working, bringing about great good. Higher ground, is so, so, superior to the mediocre trodden path or side street distractions that entertain and amuse, doing nothing more. You are very valuable to me in my spiritual life, may you be greatly rewarded. Praying that my life so bears all the the fruit as God wishes, good and pleasing in His sight. The text was popping like pop corn, so glad for the serious soldiers on board, those wanting to wear the "Christian" uniform well. Many fight the good fight, knowing the battles will not all be easy.
Part 2
"What St. John Vianney Taught About the Value of Suffering", by Gretchen Filz
Info from this site
http://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/st-john-vianney-catechism-suffering/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CatholicCompanyBlog+%28Catholic+Company+Blog%29
"A soldier was telling me one day that during a battle he had marched for half an hour over dead bodies; there was hardly space to tread upon; the ground was all dyed with blood. Thus on the road of life we must walk over crosses and troubles to reach our true country. The cross is the ladder to Heaven. . . . How consoling it is to suffer under the eyes of God, and to be able to say in the evening, at our examination of conscience: “Come, my soul! thou hast had today two or three hours of resemblance to Jesus Christ. Thou hast been scourged, crowned with thorns, crucified with Him!” Oh what a treasure for the hour of death! How sweet it is to die, when we have lived on the cross! We ought to run after crosses as the miser runs after money. . . . Nothing but crosses will reassure us at the Day of Judgment. When that day shall come, we shall be happy in our misfortunes, proud of our humiliations, and rich in our sacrifices!
If someone said to you, “I should like to become rich; what must I do?” you would answer him, “You must labor.” Well, in order to get to Heaven, we must suffer. Our Lord shows us the way in the person of Simon the Cyrenian; He calls His friends to carry His Cross after Him. The good God wishes us never to lose sight of the Cross, therefore it is placed everywhere; by the roadside, on the heights, in the public squares – in order that at the sight of it we may say, “See how God has loved us!” The Cross embraces the world; it is planted at the four corners of the world; there is a share of it for all. Crosses are on the road to Heaven like a fine bridge of stone over a river, by which to pass it. Christians who do not suffer pass this river by a frail bridge, a bridge of wire, always ready to give way under their feet.
He who does not love the Cross may indeed be saved, but with great difficulty: he will be a little star in the firmament. He who shall have suffered and fought for his God will shine like a beautiful sun. Crosses, transformed by the flames of love, are like a bundle of thorns thrown into the fire, and reduced by the fire to ashes. The thorns are hard, but the ashes are soft. Oh, how much sweetness do souls experience that are all for God in suffering! It is like a mixture into which one puts a great deal of oil: the vinegar remains vinegar; but the oil corrects its bitterness, and it can scarcely be perceived.
If you put fine grapes into the wine press, there will come out a delicious juice: our soul, in the wine press of the Cross, gives out a juice that nourishes and strengthens it. When we have no crosses, we are arid: if we bear them with resignation, we feel a joy, a happiness, a sweetness! . . . it is the beginning of Heaven. The good God, the Blessed Virgin, the angels, and the saints, surround us; they are by our side, and see us. The passage to the other life of the good Christian tried by affliction, is like that of a person being carried on a bed of roses. Thorns give out a perfume, and the Cross breathes forth sweetness. But we must squeeze the thorns in our hands, and press the Cross to our heart, that they may give out the juice they contain.
The Cross gave peace to the world; and it must bring peace to our hearts. All our miseries come from not loving it. The fear of crosses increases them. A cross carried simply, and without those returns of self-love which exaggerate troubles, is no longer a cross. Peaceable suffering is no longer suffering. We complain of suffering! We should have much more reason to complain of not suffering, since nothing makes us more like Our Lord than carrying His Cross. Oh, what a beautiful union of the soul with Our Lord Jesus Christ by the love and the virtue of His Cross! I do not understand how a Christian can dislike the Cross, and fly from it! Does he not at the same time fly from Him who has deigned to be fastened to it, and to die for us?
Contradictions bring us to the foot of the Cross, and the Cross to the gate of Heaven. That we may get there, we must be trodden upon, we must be set at naught, despised, crushed. . . . There are no happy people in this world but those who enjoy calmness of mind in the midst of the troubles of life: they taste the joys of the children of God. . . . All pains are sweet when we suffer in union with Our Lord. . . . To suffer! what does it signify? It is only a moment. If we could go and pass a week in Heaven, we should understand the value of this moment of suffering. We should find no cross heavy enough, no trial bitter enough. . . . The Cross is the gift that God makes to His friends.
How beautiful it is to offer ourselves every morning in sacrifice to the good God, and to accept everything in expiation of our sins! We must ask for the love of crosses; then they become sweet. I tried it for four or five years. I was well calumniated, well contradicted, well knocked about. Oh, I had crosses indeed! I had almost more than I could carry! Then I took to asking for love of crosses, and I was happy. I said to myself, truly there is no happiness but in this! We must never think from whence crosses come: they come from God. It is always God who gives us this way of proving our love to Him" – St. John Vianney
"What St. John Vianney Taught About the Value of Suffering", by Gretchen Filz
Info from this site
http://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/st-john-vianney-catechism-suffering/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CatholicCompanyBlog+%28Catholic+Company+Blog%29
"A soldier was telling me one day that during a battle he had marched for half an hour over dead bodies; there was hardly space to tread upon; the ground was all dyed with blood. Thus on the road of life we must walk over crosses and troubles to reach our true country. The cross is the ladder to Heaven. . . . How consoling it is to suffer under the eyes of God, and to be able to say in the evening, at our examination of conscience: “Come, my soul! thou hast had today two or three hours of resemblance to Jesus Christ. Thou hast been scourged, crowned with thorns, crucified with Him!” Oh what a treasure for the hour of death! How sweet it is to die, when we have lived on the cross! We ought to run after crosses as the miser runs after money. . . . Nothing but crosses will reassure us at the Day of Judgment. When that day shall come, we shall be happy in our misfortunes, proud of our humiliations, and rich in our sacrifices!
If someone said to you, “I should like to become rich; what must I do?” you would answer him, “You must labor.” Well, in order to get to Heaven, we must suffer. Our Lord shows us the way in the person of Simon the Cyrenian; He calls His friends to carry His Cross after Him. The good God wishes us never to lose sight of the Cross, therefore it is placed everywhere; by the roadside, on the heights, in the public squares – in order that at the sight of it we may say, “See how God has loved us!” The Cross embraces the world; it is planted at the four corners of the world; there is a share of it for all. Crosses are on the road to Heaven like a fine bridge of stone over a river, by which to pass it. Christians who do not suffer pass this river by a frail bridge, a bridge of wire, always ready to give way under their feet.
He who does not love the Cross may indeed be saved, but with great difficulty: he will be a little star in the firmament. He who shall have suffered and fought for his God will shine like a beautiful sun. Crosses, transformed by the flames of love, are like a bundle of thorns thrown into the fire, and reduced by the fire to ashes. The thorns are hard, but the ashes are soft. Oh, how much sweetness do souls experience that are all for God in suffering! It is like a mixture into which one puts a great deal of oil: the vinegar remains vinegar; but the oil corrects its bitterness, and it can scarcely be perceived.
If you put fine grapes into the wine press, there will come out a delicious juice: our soul, in the wine press of the Cross, gives out a juice that nourishes and strengthens it. When we have no crosses, we are arid: if we bear them with resignation, we feel a joy, a happiness, a sweetness! . . . it is the beginning of Heaven. The good God, the Blessed Virgin, the angels, and the saints, surround us; they are by our side, and see us. The passage to the other life of the good Christian tried by affliction, is like that of a person being carried on a bed of roses. Thorns give out a perfume, and the Cross breathes forth sweetness. But we must squeeze the thorns in our hands, and press the Cross to our heart, that they may give out the juice they contain.
The Cross gave peace to the world; and it must bring peace to our hearts. All our miseries come from not loving it. The fear of crosses increases them. A cross carried simply, and without those returns of self-love which exaggerate troubles, is no longer a cross. Peaceable suffering is no longer suffering. We complain of suffering! We should have much more reason to complain of not suffering, since nothing makes us more like Our Lord than carrying His Cross. Oh, what a beautiful union of the soul with Our Lord Jesus Christ by the love and the virtue of His Cross! I do not understand how a Christian can dislike the Cross, and fly from it! Does he not at the same time fly from Him who has deigned to be fastened to it, and to die for us?
Contradictions bring us to the foot of the Cross, and the Cross to the gate of Heaven. That we may get there, we must be trodden upon, we must be set at naught, despised, crushed. . . . There are no happy people in this world but those who enjoy calmness of mind in the midst of the troubles of life: they taste the joys of the children of God. . . . All pains are sweet when we suffer in union with Our Lord. . . . To suffer! what does it signify? It is only a moment. If we could go and pass a week in Heaven, we should understand the value of this moment of suffering. We should find no cross heavy enough, no trial bitter enough. . . . The Cross is the gift that God makes to His friends.
How beautiful it is to offer ourselves every morning in sacrifice to the good God, and to accept everything in expiation of our sins! We must ask for the love of crosses; then they become sweet. I tried it for four or five years. I was well calumniated, well contradicted, well knocked about. Oh, I had crosses indeed! I had almost more than I could carry! Then I took to asking for love of crosses, and I was happy. I said to myself, truly there is no happiness but in this! We must never think from whence crosses come: they come from God. It is always God who gives us this way of proving our love to Him" – St. John Vianney
Senses Part 5 online Retreat: "Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Sense of Taste ", by Ginny Kubitz Moyer.
Info from this site:
www.ignatianspirituality.com/24771/taste-and-see-experiencing-god-with-sense-of-taste
"We’ve explored each of the senses as a way to encounter God. Today we conclude by considering the sense of taste. We have to eat in order to live; that’s a given. Beyond that, though, there’s a great deal of variety in what and how we eat. With a world full of flavors and tastes out there, no two people will ever have eating preferences that are exactly alike. In fact, our very life stories are told by the things we eat. Food reflects our past, our traditions, our background, our beliefs. If we want to ponder our own God-given uniqueness, maybe a good place to start is by looking at the things on our plates.
For one thing, food can reflect our cultural heritage. The countries to which we trace our roots are often evident in the meals we eat and the tastes we find appealing, whether it’s pad thai, pierogi, or puttanesca. Likewise, our eating habits can sometimes indicate the part of the country in which we were raised. Before regional chains went national (or at least expanded their regions), it used to be that you could tell someone was from Southern California by their love of In-N-Out Burger or from New England because of their allegiance to Dunkin’ Donuts.
Food and family are tightly linked, and your relationships with others may be evident in what’s on your plate. There’s Grandma’s bean salad, Dad’s barbecue sauce, Mom’s enchiladas; the mere taste of these dishes can awaken memories of people you love and times you’ve spent together. Leafing through the family recipe box may reveal that these dishes go even further back, into generations of people you never had a chance to know personally but whose influence flavors your life all the same.
When holidays roll around, certain foods often make an appearance: the cookies of Christmastime, or the stuffing of Thanksgiving, or the special cake that Mom always makes for your birthday. What we eat reflects the things and people we celebrate, and thus shows what we honor and cherish. Most of all, as Catholics, the eating we do every Sunday at Mass reveals a lot about our faith. When we taste the Eucharist, we are affirming our belief that Christ is truly present in that bread and wine, a belief that is at the very core of our religion. And as different as we are, the Eucharist unites us. Wherever we are from, whoever raised us and however that affects what we eat, at Mass we all come together to taste and see the goodness of God. The flavor of the host, the sweetness of the consecrated wine—these are reminders that God loves every one of us entirely without reservation. And that wonderful truth is something to savor.
🙏🏻Prayer
👅Begin. Center yourself. Take three deep breaths and open yourself to God’s presence.
👅Give thanks. Thank God for the variety of food in the world, for the people who prepare it and who share it with us, and for the uniqueness that each of us brings to the table of the world.
👉🏼Review.
👅Think of a few of your favorite foods. When did you start loving them? 👅What is the story behind each one—the people, places, and experiences?
💡Ponder the celebrations in your life—holidays, birthdays, or big events like a job promotion or graduation or retirement. What role does food play in those celebrations?
🍔Which foods reflect your cultural or regional background?
🍔 Have you come to love foods that don’t necessarily relate to your personal culture?
🍔Think of the marvelous diversity of tastes out there and the way food can build bridges between different places and people.
👀Look ahead
⛪️Next time you go to Mass, think about the Eucharist as a sign of your identity.
⛪️Think of how the love of God is a constant in every chapter of your life story.
⛪️Savor the taste of God’s constant love.
🐾Action
🐿Every day this week, at one meal, take some time to think about what you are eating or drinking. Focus on the experience and the taste.
🐿Reflect on what the food or drink reveals about you: your history, your preferences, your identity.
🐿Give thanks for the life God has given you."
Info from this site:
www.ignatianspirituality.com/24771/taste-and-see-experiencing-god-with-sense-of-taste
"We’ve explored each of the senses as a way to encounter God. Today we conclude by considering the sense of taste. We have to eat in order to live; that’s a given. Beyond that, though, there’s a great deal of variety in what and how we eat. With a world full of flavors and tastes out there, no two people will ever have eating preferences that are exactly alike. In fact, our very life stories are told by the things we eat. Food reflects our past, our traditions, our background, our beliefs. If we want to ponder our own God-given uniqueness, maybe a good place to start is by looking at the things on our plates.
For one thing, food can reflect our cultural heritage. The countries to which we trace our roots are often evident in the meals we eat and the tastes we find appealing, whether it’s pad thai, pierogi, or puttanesca. Likewise, our eating habits can sometimes indicate the part of the country in which we were raised. Before regional chains went national (or at least expanded their regions), it used to be that you could tell someone was from Southern California by their love of In-N-Out Burger or from New England because of their allegiance to Dunkin’ Donuts.
Food and family are tightly linked, and your relationships with others may be evident in what’s on your plate. There’s Grandma’s bean salad, Dad’s barbecue sauce, Mom’s enchiladas; the mere taste of these dishes can awaken memories of people you love and times you’ve spent together. Leafing through the family recipe box may reveal that these dishes go even further back, into generations of people you never had a chance to know personally but whose influence flavors your life all the same.
When holidays roll around, certain foods often make an appearance: the cookies of Christmastime, or the stuffing of Thanksgiving, or the special cake that Mom always makes for your birthday. What we eat reflects the things and people we celebrate, and thus shows what we honor and cherish. Most of all, as Catholics, the eating we do every Sunday at Mass reveals a lot about our faith. When we taste the Eucharist, we are affirming our belief that Christ is truly present in that bread and wine, a belief that is at the very core of our religion. And as different as we are, the Eucharist unites us. Wherever we are from, whoever raised us and however that affects what we eat, at Mass we all come together to taste and see the goodness of God. The flavor of the host, the sweetness of the consecrated wine—these are reminders that God loves every one of us entirely without reservation. And that wonderful truth is something to savor.
🙏🏻Prayer
👅Begin. Center yourself. Take three deep breaths and open yourself to God’s presence.
👅Give thanks. Thank God for the variety of food in the world, for the people who prepare it and who share it with us, and for the uniqueness that each of us brings to the table of the world.
👉🏼Review.
👅Think of a few of your favorite foods. When did you start loving them? 👅What is the story behind each one—the people, places, and experiences?
💡Ponder the celebrations in your life—holidays, birthdays, or big events like a job promotion or graduation or retirement. What role does food play in those celebrations?
🍔Which foods reflect your cultural or regional background?
🍔 Have you come to love foods that don’t necessarily relate to your personal culture?
🍔Think of the marvelous diversity of tastes out there and the way food can build bridges between different places and people.
👀Look ahead
⛪️Next time you go to Mass, think about the Eucharist as a sign of your identity.
⛪️Think of how the love of God is a constant in every chapter of your life story.
⛪️Savor the taste of God’s constant love.
🐾Action
🐿Every day this week, at one meal, take some time to think about what you are eating or drinking. Focus on the experience and the taste.
🐿Reflect on what the food or drink reveals about you: your history, your preferences, your identity.
🐿Give thanks for the life God has given you."
Video presentation: "Lent", by Marino Restrepo
YouTube video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ttr9JYBBuQ&sns=em
YouTube video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ttr9JYBBuQ&sns=em