Ijournal entry 022415 #08 Part V Quotes by Fr. Francis Fernandez, Brendan, Fr. James Swanson, LC, and St. Jose Escrivá.
Book: "Two Sisters in the Spirit: Thérèse of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity", by Hans Urs Von Balthasar. Article: "The Power of Spiritual Detachment", by Fr. Bob Camuso. Audio presentation by Fr. Roger J. Landry: "The Light of Faith: How the Papal Encylical is Meant to Change Our Lives"
Book: "Two Sisters in the Spirit: Thérèse of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity", by Hans Urs Von Balthasar. Article: "The Power of Spiritual Detachment", by Fr. Bob Camuso. Audio presentation by Fr. Roger J. Landry: "The Light of Faith: How the Papal Encylical is Meant to Change Our Lives"
"God, heavenly Father, look upon me and hear my prayer during this holy Season of Lent. By the good works You inspire, help me to discipline my body and to be renewed in spirit.
Without You I can do nothing. By Your Spirit help me to knowwhat is right and to be eager in doing Your will. Teach me to find new life through penance. Keep me from sin, and help me live by Your commandment of love. God of love, bring me back to You. Send Your Spirit to make me strong in faith and active in goodworks. May my acts of penance bring me Your forgiveness, open my heart to Your love, and prepare me for the coming feast of the Resurrection of Jesus"
Prayer from this site: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1915
Without You I can do nothing. By Your Spirit help me to knowwhat is right and to be eager in doing Your will. Teach me to find new life through penance. Keep me from sin, and help me live by Your commandment of love. God of love, bring me back to You. Send Your Spirit to make me strong in faith and active in goodworks. May my acts of penance bring me Your forgiveness, open my heart to Your love, and prepare me for the coming feast of the Resurrection of Jesus"
Prayer from this site: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1915
The Cheese & Crackers
🔴 "In order to benefit from this wealth of grace that reaches us in one way or another, we need a long-term preparation, by practicing daily a holy detachment from self, so that we are prepared to bear sickness or misfortune gracefully if Our Lord permits them". By Francis Fernandez
🔵 “Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You. Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me. I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in Your hand. Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow, make my obedience count for You.” By Brendan
⚫️ "My Christian Credentials May Not Be as Solid as I Think They Are: Many who think they are doing enough are going to be surprised to find they didn’t do enough. They think their Christian credentials are solid, but they will be found wanting. They will tell Jesus that they ate and drank with him, that they received communion every Sunday. They will witness to how many times they heard him preach in their streets, how much they contributed to the collection, but that will not be enough. Yet others who did not seem so good in life will be entering the Kingdom before them. Which group will I be in? Jesus is warning me that just because I feel I am doing enough for him doesn’t mean I am going to be in the group to be saved. I need to follow him with as much sincerity and honesty as I am capable of, doing his will and not my own". By Fr. James Swanson, LC
⚪️ "Begin now to make use of everyday opportunities such as foregoing cheerfully something you may have to do without, putting up uncomplainingly with small recurring pains, practicing little voluntary mortifications and putting into practice the Christian virtues". By St. Jose Escrivá
We all know it's a common place experience to receive a blessing after doing something for someone. Graces are released that blesses us in ways that can be spiritual or material. In offering help, sometimes you even come away more blest than the person you assisted. A couple of blessings came my way recently from helping someone. A big blessing was finding out that you can select several photos at once to paste or send, and not have to go back and forth transferring photos one by one to be emailed. This is a great find for the apostolate, because now all five menu items can be placed at once when constructing the new post alert page. This is a valuable time saver, thank you Jesus for that.
Spiritual blessings are the most profitable of all, because they carry eternal worth. Also in the various situations we encounter, there are many valuable lessons to be learned to help us grow. We will surely profit, if we but open up our hearts and desire true authentic holiness. That our souls, might day by day, become more fit and readied for the the Kingdom of God, Lord have mercy. The inspiration to desire and pray to grow stronger in Christ, was fostered by the behavior exhibited by the person being helped. It made me see that we need to rise above circumstances more and more, and place our complete trust in God. It is wise for us to follow the advice given in the book of James :
James 1:22-25 "Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does"
The person needed me to place an internet order with my credit card for a needed item. The company that previously offered the item was no longer carrying the particular item, so another order was then placed with a different company. The item was shipped. Well, in a couple of days an email arrived stating that the item was damaged in transit, and is no longer available, because it is now discontinued. A refund was being issued and 10$ was being added to my credit card for the inconvenience.
The person complained, grumbled, and was very negative. We can show disappointment and voice our opinions, but to not be able to move to the point of being able to see things from a positive viewpoint, is a state that needs to be corrected if we are to grow in true holiness. My response initially was that maybe something better was in store down the line. Since the person is someone religiously active, it was imperative to put into play the spiritual works of mercy and mildly call the person to task. Sure enough another item, a little bit cheaper and with much higher ratings was found. This proved to be a better product, so the order was placed. The person called back a day later and was worried about someone stealing the package if delivered when no one was home. The person then recounted an incident where the UPS worker was robbed. My reaction at that point was not so mild but this: Please Trust God! If you compare a time of robbery, to all the times packages have successfully arrived at the proper destination, the odds are looking real good and not the opposite. Lord have mercy, you would expect more negativity and worry from a non "religiously active" person. We all need to be aware of the necessity for practicing our faith, but we must grow beyond practicing to actively living our faith. Sure, we all fall short, but at least let us try to "know thyself" and see where we are falling short, and try to grow and hear The Lord's voice with an open heart.
How sad it is that we don't trust the great love that our Father possess for us. We should automatically believe that He is looking out for our best interest. Haven't He proved Himself to be trustworthy? What, and if we are called to suffer, let it be known that all is working for our good, the good of others, and for God's glory. Let us have great hope, that things will work out for us as God so intends.
The person needed me to place an internet order with my credit card for a needed item. The company that previously offered the item was no longer carrying the particular item, so another order was then placed with a different company. The item was shipped. Well, in a couple of days an email arrived stating that the item was damaged in transit, and is no longer available, because it is now discontinued. A refund was being issued and 10$ was being added to my credit card for the inconvenience.
The person complained, grumbled, and was very negative. We can show disappointment and voice our opinions, but to not be able to move to the point of being able to see things from a positive viewpoint, is a state that needs to be corrected if we are to grow in true holiness. My response initially was that maybe something better was in store down the line. Since the person is someone religiously active, it was imperative to put into play the spiritual works of mercy and mildly call the person to task. Sure enough another item, a little bit cheaper and with much higher ratings was found. This proved to be a better product, so the order was placed. The person called back a day later and was worried about someone stealing the package if delivered when no one was home. The person then recounted an incident where the UPS worker was robbed. My reaction at that point was not so mild but this: Please Trust God! If you compare a time of robbery, to all the times packages have successfully arrived at the proper destination, the odds are looking real good and not the opposite. Lord have mercy, you would expect more negativity and worry from a non "religiously active" person. We all need to be aware of the necessity for practicing our faith, but we must grow beyond practicing to actively living our faith. Sure, we all fall short, but at least let us try to "know thyself" and see where we are falling short, and try to grow and hear The Lord's voice with an open heart.
How sad it is that we don't trust the great love that our Father possess for us. We should automatically believe that He is looking out for our best interest. Haven't He proved Himself to be trustworthy? What, and if we are called to suffer, let it be known that all is working for our good, the good of others, and for God's glory. Let us have great hope, that things will work out for us as God so intends.
Romans 8:28 We know that all things work for good for those who love God, * who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:31-32 "What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
From that point we move on to expiation, pray tell me who is not in need of expiation? Let that be a motivation to help us surrender and persevere. Time to grow up spiritually, or grow more, that should be on the list of us all. Let's strive to be the best that we can be, not mediocre or lukewarm. What is necessary is not to lose our first love, because to do so is to court disaster.
From that point we move on to expiation, pray tell me who is not in need of expiation? Let that be a motivation to help us surrender and persevere. Time to grow up spiritually, or grow more, that should be on the list of us all. Let's strive to be the best that we can be, not mediocre or lukewarm. What is necessary is not to lose our first love, because to do so is to court disaster.
Revelation 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.
A life you never want to trade, that of being a spiritual renegade
🔻Renegade, renegade, want to live life like a renegade
🔻You heard what I said
🔻Livin life as a diehard Jesus driven renegade, not wantin 2 ever trade
🔻Able to do it cause the price by Jesus was long ago paid
🔻Cause in His image & likeness I was fearfully & wonderfully made
🔻All by the spoken word, knit together in the womb without any aid
🔻Never requiring an upgrade
🔻Private property that da enemy always want to plunder and raid
🔻But secure, safe & protected if in troubled waters we do not wade
🔻Allowing grace to enter our hearts in an overflowing cascade
🔻And adhering to God's laws, not doing things that He has forbade
🔻Will result in a renegade radical holiness that'll never tarnish or fade
A life you never want to trade, that of being a spiritual renegade
🔻Renegade, renegade, want to live life like a renegade
🔻You heard what I said
🔻Livin life as a diehard Jesus driven renegade, not wantin 2 ever trade
🔻Able to do it cause the price by Jesus was long ago paid
🔻Cause in His image & likeness I was fearfully & wonderfully made
🔻All by the spoken word, knit together in the womb without any aid
🔻Never requiring an upgrade
🔻Private property that da enemy always want to plunder and raid
🔻But secure, safe & protected if in troubled waters we do not wade
🔻Allowing grace to enter our hearts in an overflowing cascade
🔻And adhering to God's laws, not doing things that He has forbade
🔻Will result in a renegade radical holiness that'll never tarnish or fade
The Potatoes
Excerpts from the book: "Two Sisters in the Spirit: Thérèse of Lisieuz & Elizabeth of the Trinity", by Hans Urs Von Balthasar
Truth
"THÉRÈSE OF THE CHILD JESUS seems like a person whom we can see summoning all her energies in order to wrestle against something whose form is only dimly outlined and whose hostility we scarcely perceive. Not until the last years, when she herself came to realize that she had conquered in the fight, does the face of the enemy become visible to us, and perhaps also to her: it is the great lie.
Lying in all the forms it can assume within Christendom, the veneer of truth overlaying deep deception, genuine spiritual poverty mingling with contemptible weakness, pious trash beside real art, sanctity and bigotry, all inextricably bound together. It was Thérèse’s destiny to have to thread her way through all this; she was not only committed to being misunderstood both in life and death but often enough gave occasion for that misunderstanding. She had to fight against her time with the weapons of her time, fighting against pious trash with the aid of trashy pictures and words, throwing off her false skin without, however, being either willing or able to abandon her hereditary background.
And so her life becomes a continual battle, which she readily and frequently compares with the battles of her friend Joan of Arc yet which (apart from the heresy trial) was far harder to conduct than any battle with material weapons. Thérèse fights with the sword of the spirit against the powers of darkness, with the sword of truth against the serried ranks of lies that secretly encompass her about on every side. A tender plant with weak roots, she yet manages to force her way through the hardest rocks and finally to split them apart. Truth is the touchstone of her love, which is therefore brought into the province of theology. But truth in her case has all the richness, strength and decisiveness that one finds in the words of Holy Scripture: truth as a witness to the light of God illuminating the farthest reaches of one’s being. Her whole life becomes an exposition of God’s word, a sacrifice of all her own truth to the unique truth of God within her. That is her obedience, and it bestows her mission upon her."
The Seafood
"The Power of Spiritual Detachment", by Fr. Bob Camuso
Complete info found at this site: http://catholicexchange.com/the-power-of-spiritual-detachment
"Thomas a’ Kempis put it this way: “We must be watchful, especially in the beginning of temptation, because then the enemy is more easily overcome if he is not allowed to come in at all at the door of the soul, but is kept out and resisted at his first knock.” — The Imitation of Christ, I, 13
I then suggested to my friend that what might help him resist temptation is the ancient practice of spiritual detachment. Spiritual detachment is a process that frees us from whatever interferes with our spiritual growth. Detachment helps us avoid disordered inclinations and relationships with persons or things. Detachment can help us avoid negative memories and thoughts that keep us from God’s love. In the Bible, much is written on spiritual detachment. For example, the story of Abraham shows his spiritual detachment when he is willing to obey God’s command to leave his country and sacrifice his son, Isaac. This same spiritual detachment is found in Jesus when he sacrifices his human life to fulfill his Father’s redemptive plan of salvation. Jesus calls each of us to spiritual detachment when he says:
Matthew 16:24 “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow to me”
In other words, in order to follow Jesus we must detach ourselves from all worldly attachments (deny yourself); and detach ourselves from any fear over what it might cost to be a disciple (take up your cross). Jesus gave us an example of the cost of discipleship when he said to the rich official who asked what he must do to inherit eternal life:
In other words, in order to follow Jesus we must detach ourselves from all worldly attachments (deny yourself); and detach ourselves from any fear over what it might cost to be a disciple (take up your cross). Jesus gave us an example of the cost of discipleship when he said to the rich official who asked what he must do to inherit eternal life:
Luke 18:22 “Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come follow me”
With spiritual detachment, we recognize the cost of discipleship but, at the same time, we acknowledge the promise of something greater, which might be freedom of heart, freedom to be one’s true self or freedom to love. When we read the hard sayings of Jesus, we may wonder if he is too severe in his call for us to be detached from the world. We may even think of self-denial and mortification as a rejection of the goodness of God’s creation. But this is not the case. Jesus wants us to be free from the burden of attachments so that we might be happy and enjoy life. That is why he said:
With spiritual detachment, we recognize the cost of discipleship but, at the same time, we acknowledge the promise of something greater, which might be freedom of heart, freedom to be one’s true self or freedom to love. When we read the hard sayings of Jesus, we may wonder if he is too severe in his call for us to be detached from the world. We may even think of self-denial and mortification as a rejection of the goodness of God’s creation. But this is not the case. Jesus wants us to be free from the burden of attachments so that we might be happy and enjoy life. That is why he said:
John 10:10 “I came so that they may have life, and have it abundantly”
When Jesus said he wanted us to have life in abundance, he didn’t mean for us to indulge abundantly in disordered desire. We know what happens when, for instance, we overindulge in food or alcohol. The misuse of God’s abundance, because of disordered desire, results in sin and the consequent separation from the love of God, neighbor and self. It’s important to note that there is nothing wrong with having natural desire. We must have desire in life or life will be empty. Some religious traditions teach that all evil comes from desire, and that one must empty oneself of desire. But to empty oneself of desire is itself a desire. Part of God’s creation was to hardwire us with desire, especially with the desire for God. An abundant life is a life that balances desire with self-discipline. Self-discipline requires one to maintain a constant attitude that “I am enough as I am. I am enough as God created me!” Self-discipline is a vigilant attitude of contentment with the providence of God, with what God has given us.
Without self-discipline, spiritual detachment cannot withstand temptation. Self-discipline keeps us from clinging to things and to people. But in being detached, we are not contemptuous toward material things. To possess things is not, in itself, a bad thing. Problems occur not because we possess things but because we come to base our self-esteem on what we have. Our identity can be based on ownership of property or other possessions, and not on the identity given to us by God, which is that we are God’s beloved children. Here are five other common temptations and attachments that require self-discipline and detachment:
✏️1. The lust for power and control over others.
✏️2. The lust for power over nature.
✏️3. The lust for knowledge to be used to manipulate others.
✏️4. The lust for intense excitement or sensation.
✏️5. The demand to have the last word.
These attachments might be summed up as one: Being attached to our will—to having our way. To become detached from one’s will is perhaps the greatest detachment of all. But as we seek to become detached and self-disciplined, how do we know when we have achieved our goal? The greatest sign that detachment is working is that we feel a sense of peace about who we are and about the choices we make. But to find this peace requires work. Self-discipline comes, for instance, when a controlling person makes the choice to “let go,” and trust in God. But the hard choice to let go is a choice that needs to be made over and over again. Thus, detachment requires self-discipline and self-discipline holds open the door to the fresh air of detachment. In a way, the two are one.
When we “let go” to detachment, we return to God to direct us to our destiny. As we surrender control to God, we release anxiety and fear. As we release anxiety and fear, we come home to ourselves, to that place in our hearts where we know we have all we need in the present moment, that all is well and that life is good. Spiritual detachment can help us find this holy place and self-discipline insures that we remain there for the remainder of this life and into eternity"
When Jesus said he wanted us to have life in abundance, he didn’t mean for us to indulge abundantly in disordered desire. We know what happens when, for instance, we overindulge in food or alcohol. The misuse of God’s abundance, because of disordered desire, results in sin and the consequent separation from the love of God, neighbor and self. It’s important to note that there is nothing wrong with having natural desire. We must have desire in life or life will be empty. Some religious traditions teach that all evil comes from desire, and that one must empty oneself of desire. But to empty oneself of desire is itself a desire. Part of God’s creation was to hardwire us with desire, especially with the desire for God. An abundant life is a life that balances desire with self-discipline. Self-discipline requires one to maintain a constant attitude that “I am enough as I am. I am enough as God created me!” Self-discipline is a vigilant attitude of contentment with the providence of God, with what God has given us.
Without self-discipline, spiritual detachment cannot withstand temptation. Self-discipline keeps us from clinging to things and to people. But in being detached, we are not contemptuous toward material things. To possess things is not, in itself, a bad thing. Problems occur not because we possess things but because we come to base our self-esteem on what we have. Our identity can be based on ownership of property or other possessions, and not on the identity given to us by God, which is that we are God’s beloved children. Here are five other common temptations and attachments that require self-discipline and detachment:
✏️1. The lust for power and control over others.
✏️2. The lust for power over nature.
✏️3. The lust for knowledge to be used to manipulate others.
✏️4. The lust for intense excitement or sensation.
✏️5. The demand to have the last word.
These attachments might be summed up as one: Being attached to our will—to having our way. To become detached from one’s will is perhaps the greatest detachment of all. But as we seek to become detached and self-disciplined, how do we know when we have achieved our goal? The greatest sign that detachment is working is that we feel a sense of peace about who we are and about the choices we make. But to find this peace requires work. Self-discipline comes, for instance, when a controlling person makes the choice to “let go,” and trust in God. But the hard choice to let go is a choice that needs to be made over and over again. Thus, detachment requires self-discipline and self-discipline holds open the door to the fresh air of detachment. In a way, the two are one.
When we “let go” to detachment, we return to God to direct us to our destiny. As we surrender control to God, we release anxiety and fear. As we release anxiety and fear, we come home to ourselves, to that place in our hearts where we know we have all we need in the present moment, that all is well and that life is good. Spiritual detachment can help us find this holy place and self-discipline insures that we remain there for the remainder of this life and into eternity"
The Dessert
Audio presentation by Fr. Roger J. Landry: "The Light of Faith: How the Papal Encylical is Meant to Change Our Lives"
Link to audio presentation:
http://catholicpreaching.com/the-light-of-faith-how-the-papal-encylical-is-meant-to-change-our-lives-mater-ecclesiae-college-august-31-2013/
Ⓦⓗⓨ e͜͡l͜͡s͜͡e͜͡ b͜͡ i͜͡n͜͡ i͜͡t͜͡, i͜͡f͜͡ n͜͡o͜͡t͜͡ 2w͜͡i͜͡n͜͡ i͜͡t͜͡?
Ⓦⓘⓣⓗ d͜͡a͜͡ h͜͡e͜͡a͜͡v͜͡e͜͡n͜͡l͜͡y͜͡ p͜͡r͜͡i͜͡z͜͡e͜͡, a͜͡l͜͡w͜͡a͜͡y͜͡s͜͡ i͜͡n͜͡ s͜͡i͜͡g͜͡h͜͡t͜͡ b͜͡4 y͜͡o͜͡u͜͡r͜͡ e͜͡y͜͡e͜͡s͜͡
Ⓛⓔⓣ d͜͡a͜͡i͜͡l͜͡y͜͡ m͜͡e͜͡t͜͡a͜͡n͜͡o͜͡i͜͡a͜͡ & t͜͡r͜͡a͜͡n͜͡s͜͡f͜͡o͜͡r͜͡m͜͡a͜͡t͜͡i͜͡o͜͡n͜͡ c͜͡o͜͡m͜͡e͜͡ 2f͜͡r͜͡u͜͡i͜͡t͜͡i͜͡o͜͡n͜͡
i͜͡n͜͡ Ch͜͡r͜͡i͜͡s͜͡t͜͡Ⓙⓔⓢⓤⓢ, y͜͡o͜͡u͜͡'l͜͡l͜͡ t͜͡h͜͡e͜͡n͜͡ b͜͡ a͜͡b͜͡l͜͡e͜͡ 2c͜͡o͜͡m͜͡p͜͡l͜͡e͜͡t͜͡e͜͡ y͜͡o͜͡u͜͡r͜͡ m͜͡i͜͡s͜͡s͜͡i͜͡o͜͡n͜͡
✞ⓂⓂ/℘✞L̶o̶r̶d̶ \o/
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