Ijournal entry 110314 #44 November, month of the Holy Souls.
GO SAINTS! Quotes from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Fr. Edward McNamara, and St. John Paul II. "Seven days of prayers for The Holy Souls", from Catholic Garden. "A Companion to the Summa", by Walter Farrell, O.P. Audio recording: "Coming Well Dressed and Calling Others to the Banquet", by Fr. Roger Landry
GO SAINTS! Quotes from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Fr. Edward McNamara, and St. John Paul II. "Seven days of prayers for The Holy Souls", from Catholic Garden. "A Companion to the Summa", by Walter Farrell, O.P. Audio recording: "Coming Well Dressed and Calling Others to the Banquet", by Fr. Roger Landry
November, month of the Holy Souls
"Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. As a reminder of our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in Purgatory, the Church has dedicated the month of November to the Holy Souls. The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
INVOCATION: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen."
Info from this site : http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=764
INVOCATION: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen."
Info from this site : http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=764
GO SAINTS!
The Cheese & Crackers = Quotes from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Fr. Edward McNamara, and St. John Paul II
The Potatoes = "Seven days of prayers for The Holy Souls" from Catholic Garden
The Meat = "Book: "A Companion to the Summa", by Walter Farrell, O.P.
The Dessert= Audio recording: "Coming Well Dressed and Calling Others to the Banquet", by Fr. Roger Landry
The Meat = "Book: "A Companion to the Summa", by Walter Farrell, O.P.
The Dessert= Audio recording: "Coming Well Dressed and Calling Others to the Banquet", by Fr. Roger Landry
The Cheese & Crackers
⚫️ "In order to respond to the call of God and start on our journey, it is not necessary to be already perfect. We know that the prodigal son's awareness of his own sin allowed him to set out on his return journey and thus feel the joy of reconciliation with the Father. Weaknesses and human limitations do not present an obstacle, as long as they help make us more aware of the fact that we are in need of the redeeming grace of Christ". By Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
🔵 "Sometimes penance itself can be a source of conversion. There is an old anecdote of a priest who overheard a group of lighthearted young men making a wager in which the loser had to go to confession. With this knowledge the priest took his seat in the confessional and when the youth came to confess, the cleric imposed as a penance that the boy go before the church’s large crucifix and repeat 20 times: “You did this for me and I couldn’t care less.” At first the youth repeated it nonchalantly, and then more slowly and finally finished in tears. For this young man this confession was the beginning of a journey of conversion that eventually led to his becoming archbishop of Paris". By Fr. Edward McNamara
🔴 "Speaking of purity in the moral sense, that is, of the virtue of purity, we use an analogy, according to which moral evil is compared precisely to uncleanness. Certainly this analogy has been a part of the sphere of ethical concepts from the most remote times. Christ took it up again and confirmed it in all its extension: 'What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man.' Here Christ spoke of all moral evil, of all sin, that is, of transgressions of the various commandments. He enumerates 'evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander,' without confining himself to a specific kind of sin. It follows that the concept of purity and impurity in the moral sense is in the first place a general concept, not a specific one. All moral good is a manifestation of purity, and all moral evil is a manifestation of impurity.
📖 Matthew 15:18-20 "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Matthew 15:18-20 does not limit purity to one area of morality, namely, to the one connected with the commandment, "You shall not commit adultery" and "Do not covet your neighbor's wife," that is, to the one that concerns the relations between man and woman, linked to the body and to the relative concupiscence. Similarly we can understand the beatitude of the Sermon on the Mount, addressed to "the pure in heart," both in the general and in the more specific sense. Only the actual context will make it possible to delimit and clarify this meaning". Opposition is born in the heart and penetrates into man's actions as "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." Similarly, St. Paul points out another contradiction in the Christian. It is the opposition and at the same time the tension between the "flesh" and the "Spirit":
📖 Galatians 5:16-17 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would"
It follows that life "according to the flesh" is in opposition to life "according to the Spirit."
📖 Romans 8:5 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit"
The purity of heart which Christ spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount--is realized precisely in life according to the Spirit". By St. John Paul II
🔵 "Sometimes penance itself can be a source of conversion. There is an old anecdote of a priest who overheard a group of lighthearted young men making a wager in which the loser had to go to confession. With this knowledge the priest took his seat in the confessional and when the youth came to confess, the cleric imposed as a penance that the boy go before the church’s large crucifix and repeat 20 times: “You did this for me and I couldn’t care less.” At first the youth repeated it nonchalantly, and then more slowly and finally finished in tears. For this young man this confession was the beginning of a journey of conversion that eventually led to his becoming archbishop of Paris". By Fr. Edward McNamara
🔴 "Speaking of purity in the moral sense, that is, of the virtue of purity, we use an analogy, according to which moral evil is compared precisely to uncleanness. Certainly this analogy has been a part of the sphere of ethical concepts from the most remote times. Christ took it up again and confirmed it in all its extension: 'What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man.' Here Christ spoke of all moral evil, of all sin, that is, of transgressions of the various commandments. He enumerates 'evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander,' without confining himself to a specific kind of sin. It follows that the concept of purity and impurity in the moral sense is in the first place a general concept, not a specific one. All moral good is a manifestation of purity, and all moral evil is a manifestation of impurity.
📖 Matthew 15:18-20 "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Matthew 15:18-20 does not limit purity to one area of morality, namely, to the one connected with the commandment, "You shall not commit adultery" and "Do not covet your neighbor's wife," that is, to the one that concerns the relations between man and woman, linked to the body and to the relative concupiscence. Similarly we can understand the beatitude of the Sermon on the Mount, addressed to "the pure in heart," both in the general and in the more specific sense. Only the actual context will make it possible to delimit and clarify this meaning". Opposition is born in the heart and penetrates into man's actions as "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." Similarly, St. Paul points out another contradiction in the Christian. It is the opposition and at the same time the tension between the "flesh" and the "Spirit":
📖 Galatians 5:16-17 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would"
It follows that life "according to the flesh" is in opposition to life "according to the Spirit."
📖 Romans 8:5 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit"
The purity of heart which Christ spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount--is realized precisely in life according to the Spirit". By St. John Paul II
The Veggies
One day driving home after Mass, the thoughts that pervaded my mind were related to how words matter. With so much talk going on about marriage, and having received a couple of wedding invitations, maybe that's the reason why the following came to mind:
The world says that someone is "getting married", and how a "wedding" is coming up, for sure that's the common lingo. For the Christian, their vocabulary should be different from that of the world. The reference point should be that a couple is entering into the "HOLY SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY". Substituting the word "marriage" for "Matrimony" can in a way be the catalyst for reducing the sublimity of the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony. The value of receiving the blessing of God in a church ceremony is kind of "lost in translation". That is why the thoughts are there to "let's just get married", rather than being thoughts about the importance of embarking upon the marital journey together as a couple to receive the blessing of God upon the holy union. It is not only about man, but very much about the plans of God. Since this is a holy sacrament that the couple will be administering to each another, officiated by the priest, it is of great importance to do this before God who in turn pronounces His blessings upon the couple. Before man it is made legal, but before God, it is blest and made binding. For the spiritual supersedes the material, and only death can end the covenant between two people who have validly entered into the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony.
The next contemplation was about purgatory, a good fit for an entry in the month that we remember the Holy Souls. It unfolded in this way: If at death a person is saved, that person will be found clothed in a wedding garment.
📖 Matthew 22:12-14 "And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? But he was silent. Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen."
Death gets us into the door of eternity, and we have a whole life time to prepare, no matter how long or short the span of life is. God grants all a sufficient amount of time to prepare well. It's interesting in the scripture, how the person is addressed as friend and not as an enemy. Maybe that is a person who is lukewarm, a sloppy Christian, and not a person who is a full fledge enemy of Christ.
📖 Revelation 3:16 "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth"
Our earthy life is to be spent preparing for eternal life, let us be very wise about time management. This is indeed an area where to be meticulous would certainly be in order.
📖 Matthew 25:1-4 "Then* the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them,4but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps"
When there are stains on the garments due to a lack of proper reparation for confessed and forgiven sins, the final cleansing of the garment will have to occur in purgatory. If one dies not wearing a wedding garment, symbolized by unrepentance of an unconfessed mortal sin, the person will be thrown into the fires of hell.
📖 Revelation 21:27 "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life"
With a stained garment one is detained, but not barred from eventually entering the wedding feast of the lamb. After final reparation is complete, with all spots and stains removed, the person is now ready to enter the kingdom of heaven.
📖 Ephesians 5:27 "that he might present the church to himself a glorious church , not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish"
Isn't it so well worth it for those wearing their wedding garment to keep stains to a minimum, and work in getting the stubborn spots out now. Accepting what befalls us patiently and enduring the crosses in a Christ like manner, can be very beneficial.
📖 Matthew 5:26 "Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny'
Most likely if we are caught fervently working on removing stains to the best of our ability, we can count on the mercy of God to complete our work through grace. To be found slack and wanting, oh what a tragedy!
📖 Daniel 5:27 "TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;"
Who would want to have to to pay the last penny?
📖 Matthew 18:34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.
Let us all work on obtaining "purity of heart", it will be well worth it. A good first step is living day to day with out wedding garments on. After taking one good step, we must press on, making haste as we climb up higher and higher.
📖 John 9:4 "As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work"
Now is the time to step it up a notch. For in the spiritual life, we have to keep boarding planes for connecting fights. Each plane takes us closer and closer to our final destination. We know where we are trying to go, but we do not the hour of arrival.
📖 Matthew 24:36 ""But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father"
Let's stay ready and vigilant about avoiding stains to our garment.
📖 Matthew 25:13 "Therefore, stay awake,* for you know neither the day nor the hour"
All of the finishing touches to this entry were complete, then bam!, here comes the Medjugorge message given for the month to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo. What captured my attention were the words: "purify your heart". Something was Just written about the need for working on obtaining "purity of heart". This is something that The Lord specifically
brought to my attention a couple of weeks ago. More about purity of heart will be discussed in another Ijournal entry.
"Dear children, I am with you with the blessing of my Son, with you who love me and who strive to follow me. I also desire to be with you who do not accept me. To all of you I am opening my heart full of love and I am blessing you with my motherly hands. I am a mother who understands you. I lived your life and lived through your sufferings and joys. You who are living the pain understand my pain and suffering because of those of my children who do not permit the light of my Son to illuminate them; those of my children who are living in darkness. This is why I need you – you who have been illuminated by the light and have comprehended the truth.
I am calling you to adore my Son so that your soul may grow and reach true spirituality. My apostles, it is then that you will be able to help me. To help me means to pray for those who have not come to know the love of my Son. In praying for them you are showing to my Son that you love Him and follow Him.
My Son promised me that evil will never win, because you, the souls of the just, are here; you who strive to say your prayers with the heart; you who offer your pain and suffering to my Son; you who comprehend that life is only a blink; you who yearn for the Kingdom of Heaven. All of this makes you my apostles and leads you towards the victory of my heart. Therefore, my children, purify your hearts and adore my Son. Thank you".
The world says that someone is "getting married", and how a "wedding" is coming up, for sure that's the common lingo. For the Christian, their vocabulary should be different from that of the world. The reference point should be that a couple is entering into the "HOLY SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY". Substituting the word "marriage" for "Matrimony" can in a way be the catalyst for reducing the sublimity of the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony. The value of receiving the blessing of God in a church ceremony is kind of "lost in translation". That is why the thoughts are there to "let's just get married", rather than being thoughts about the importance of embarking upon the marital journey together as a couple to receive the blessing of God upon the holy union. It is not only about man, but very much about the plans of God. Since this is a holy sacrament that the couple will be administering to each another, officiated by the priest, it is of great importance to do this before God who in turn pronounces His blessings upon the couple. Before man it is made legal, but before God, it is blest and made binding. For the spiritual supersedes the material, and only death can end the covenant between two people who have validly entered into the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony.
The next contemplation was about purgatory, a good fit for an entry in the month that we remember the Holy Souls. It unfolded in this way: If at death a person is saved, that person will be found clothed in a wedding garment.
📖 Matthew 22:12-14 "And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? But he was silent. Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen."
Death gets us into the door of eternity, and we have a whole life time to prepare, no matter how long or short the span of life is. God grants all a sufficient amount of time to prepare well. It's interesting in the scripture, how the person is addressed as friend and not as an enemy. Maybe that is a person who is lukewarm, a sloppy Christian, and not a person who is a full fledge enemy of Christ.
📖 Revelation 3:16 "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth"
Our earthy life is to be spent preparing for eternal life, let us be very wise about time management. This is indeed an area where to be meticulous would certainly be in order.
📖 Matthew 25:1-4 "Then* the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them,4but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps"
When there are stains on the garments due to a lack of proper reparation for confessed and forgiven sins, the final cleansing of the garment will have to occur in purgatory. If one dies not wearing a wedding garment, symbolized by unrepentance of an unconfessed mortal sin, the person will be thrown into the fires of hell.
📖 Revelation 21:27 "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life"
With a stained garment one is detained, but not barred from eventually entering the wedding feast of the lamb. After final reparation is complete, with all spots and stains removed, the person is now ready to enter the kingdom of heaven.
📖 Ephesians 5:27 "that he might present the church to himself a glorious church , not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish"
Isn't it so well worth it for those wearing their wedding garment to keep stains to a minimum, and work in getting the stubborn spots out now. Accepting what befalls us patiently and enduring the crosses in a Christ like manner, can be very beneficial.
📖 Matthew 5:26 "Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny'
Most likely if we are caught fervently working on removing stains to the best of our ability, we can count on the mercy of God to complete our work through grace. To be found slack and wanting, oh what a tragedy!
📖 Daniel 5:27 "TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;"
Who would want to have to to pay the last penny?
📖 Matthew 18:34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.
Let us all work on obtaining "purity of heart", it will be well worth it. A good first step is living day to day with out wedding garments on. After taking one good step, we must press on, making haste as we climb up higher and higher.
📖 John 9:4 "As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work"
Now is the time to step it up a notch. For in the spiritual life, we have to keep boarding planes for connecting fights. Each plane takes us closer and closer to our final destination. We know where we are trying to go, but we do not the hour of arrival.
📖 Matthew 24:36 ""But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father"
Let's stay ready and vigilant about avoiding stains to our garment.
📖 Matthew 25:13 "Therefore, stay awake,* for you know neither the day nor the hour"
All of the finishing touches to this entry were complete, then bam!, here comes the Medjugorge message given for the month to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo. What captured my attention were the words: "purify your heart". Something was Just written about the need for working on obtaining "purity of heart". This is something that The Lord specifically
brought to my attention a couple of weeks ago. More about purity of heart will be discussed in another Ijournal entry.
"Dear children, I am with you with the blessing of my Son, with you who love me and who strive to follow me. I also desire to be with you who do not accept me. To all of you I am opening my heart full of love and I am blessing you with my motherly hands. I am a mother who understands you. I lived your life and lived through your sufferings and joys. You who are living the pain understand my pain and suffering because of those of my children who do not permit the light of my Son to illuminate them; those of my children who are living in darkness. This is why I need you – you who have been illuminated by the light and have comprehended the truth.
I am calling you to adore my Son so that your soul may grow and reach true spirituality. My apostles, it is then that you will be able to help me. To help me means to pray for those who have not come to know the love of my Son. In praying for them you are showing to my Son that you love Him and follow Him.
My Son promised me that evil will never win, because you, the souls of the just, are here; you who strive to say your prayers with the heart; you who offer your pain and suffering to my Son; you who comprehend that life is only a blink; you who yearn for the Kingdom of Heaven. All of this makes you my apostles and leads you towards the victory of my heart. Therefore, my children, purify your hearts and adore my Son. Thank you".
The Potatoes
Monday
Monday
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech You by the Precious Blood, which Your divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the souls in purgatory, and among them all, especially that soul which is nearest to its entrance into Your glory, that it may soon begin to praise You and bless You for ever. Amen.
Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary
CONCLUDING PRAYERS
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Say here the prayer for a particular day: click on link below for the torch representing a specific day:
http://www.catholicgarden.com/purgatory.html
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech You by the Precious Blood, which Your divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the souls in purgatory, and among them all, especially that soul which is nearest to its entrance into Your glory, that it may soon begin to praise You and bless You for ever. Amen.
Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary
CONCLUDING PRAYERS
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Say here the prayer for a particular day: click on link below for the torch representing a specific day:
http://www.catholicgarden.com/purgatory.html
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
The Meat
A Companion to the Summa" , Volume IV, CHAPTER XVI -- THE CONSTANT RESURRECTION (Q. 84-90; Suppl., 1-28), by Walter Farrell, O.P.
Excerpts from the book:
✏️ "Mistakes and their makers. A mistake is a genuine mark of human activity; moreover. it is a universal mark, for all of us make mistakes. The line dividing wise men from fools is not a line drawn between the absence of mistakes and their presence; rather it distinguishes the area of infrequent and dissimilar mistakes from that of frequent and similar ones. A wise man does not make the same mistake twice, but he does make others; whereas the fool cannot get variety even into his mistakes, their very character showing a lack of imagination and originality that approaches the monotony of a machine and recedes from the stamp of human activity.
✏️ The wisdom of the wise. The difference, of course, is much deeper than this. A wise man recognizes the reason for the distastefulness of mistakes. True, they are human things, but not agreeably human because they fall short of humanity's capacities; there is something the matter with them. Now that it is all over, we know we shouldn't have argued with the traffic policeman, that it was a mistake to bring up the subject of illness before a hypochondriac, that the very small, very white lie was not so easy an escape after all. These are human acts, disfigured with pock-marks of unreason, of inhumanity, whether the particular pock-mark be one of ignorance, of malice, or of lack of control. One thing comforting about these disfigurements is that they need not be repeated, the disease need not be contracted again. A wise man can do something about them for the next time; and he does.
✏️ The outcasts of human action. Nothing disfiguring and ugly is welcome; so mistakes are always uninvited guests in our lives. Yet, they are forever knocking at the door at the most inopportune times. Perhaps our enemies will give them a hearty smile of welcome; but for everyone else, there is an embarrassment and tension about their arrival like that set up by the meeting of a shady past with a brilliant future. The easy, pleasant flow of life's conversation is instantly hushed; in the dead silence, all eyes focus on us to see how we shall face the confusing moment, how we can show a mistake to the door suavely, without a scene.
✏️ The technique of the makers of mistakes: The child's technique; the man's technique. The actual technique of dismissing a mistake varies with every individual. Some, clinging to methods found effective in childhood, brazenly deny the presence of mistakes through all the length of life; no one is deceived, of course, least of all these people themselves. Others employ strong-arm methods; the mistake is instantly hustled out of mind by a big muscled forgetfulness that never quite succeeds in ejecting the mistake the whole distance out of life itself. Still others put their trust in nonchalance. The mistake is greeted with a light, amused laughter that chimes on a desperate little note into a pathetic silence, like the tinkle of a doorbell into the ruined hopes of an abandoned shop. The silence is as portentous, and more tensing, than that of a hushed theater waiting for the point of a pointless joke. Then there is the whole class of timid compromisers, terribly anxious to keep the peace yet enjoy the spoils of war, who imagine that mistakes are handled effectively by an apologetic little cough or a muttered “pardon me.” Some of us, however, do grow up. Faced with our mistakes, we make no attempt to deny them. We admit them, look them in the eye; for it is well to fix their features in mind for future reference, it is good to study their strategy that we might meet them more successfully in the future".
✏️ Their common helplessness. "But wise men or fools, perpetual children or fighting men, are all faced with a common helplessness in the face of their own mistakes. Almost any little boy can take a clock apart; no little boy can put it together again. The clumsiest assassin can snuff out a human life in an instant; the cleverest cannot restore it. A conquering army can destroy the treasures of centuries of genius by a few well-placed bombs; and then must stand as helpless as the barbarians surveying the ruins of Rome. For our constructive power is very much less than our destructive capacities. Once we have shattered the fragile perfection of a human act, there is absolutely nothing we can do about restoring its delicate beauty. We can be careful of future destructions, yes; but this is over and done with, and the best we can offer is our regret. In a sense, then, all mistakes are fatal; that is, in relation to the life of the act in which the mistake occurs. Some are horribly fatal in their effects destroying what can never be restored, things like innocence, love, or life.
✏️ God's technique with man's mistakes. Such helplessness could fill a man's life with tears if it were not for the comforting difference between human powerlessness and divine power in dealing with the mistakes of man. The almighty power can do something, in fact everything; what is more, it does all that need be done. Not that God turns back the clock, decreeing that yesterday never existed; that is too much even for God. But the echo of the voice of Mary's Son has not yet died out of the world; befouled rebels against God still hear "thy sins are forgiven thee," throw off their filthy rags to put on the wedding garment, and are admitted to a feast of peace such as Magdalen found in the banquet room of the Pharisee. That divine voice still speaks its message of mercy in the sacrament of Penance".
Excerpts from the book:
✏️ "Mistakes and their makers. A mistake is a genuine mark of human activity; moreover. it is a universal mark, for all of us make mistakes. The line dividing wise men from fools is not a line drawn between the absence of mistakes and their presence; rather it distinguishes the area of infrequent and dissimilar mistakes from that of frequent and similar ones. A wise man does not make the same mistake twice, but he does make others; whereas the fool cannot get variety even into his mistakes, their very character showing a lack of imagination and originality that approaches the monotony of a machine and recedes from the stamp of human activity.
✏️ The wisdom of the wise. The difference, of course, is much deeper than this. A wise man recognizes the reason for the distastefulness of mistakes. True, they are human things, but not agreeably human because they fall short of humanity's capacities; there is something the matter with them. Now that it is all over, we know we shouldn't have argued with the traffic policeman, that it was a mistake to bring up the subject of illness before a hypochondriac, that the very small, very white lie was not so easy an escape after all. These are human acts, disfigured with pock-marks of unreason, of inhumanity, whether the particular pock-mark be one of ignorance, of malice, or of lack of control. One thing comforting about these disfigurements is that they need not be repeated, the disease need not be contracted again. A wise man can do something about them for the next time; and he does.
✏️ The outcasts of human action. Nothing disfiguring and ugly is welcome; so mistakes are always uninvited guests in our lives. Yet, they are forever knocking at the door at the most inopportune times. Perhaps our enemies will give them a hearty smile of welcome; but for everyone else, there is an embarrassment and tension about their arrival like that set up by the meeting of a shady past with a brilliant future. The easy, pleasant flow of life's conversation is instantly hushed; in the dead silence, all eyes focus on us to see how we shall face the confusing moment, how we can show a mistake to the door suavely, without a scene.
✏️ The technique of the makers of mistakes: The child's technique; the man's technique. The actual technique of dismissing a mistake varies with every individual. Some, clinging to methods found effective in childhood, brazenly deny the presence of mistakes through all the length of life; no one is deceived, of course, least of all these people themselves. Others employ strong-arm methods; the mistake is instantly hustled out of mind by a big muscled forgetfulness that never quite succeeds in ejecting the mistake the whole distance out of life itself. Still others put their trust in nonchalance. The mistake is greeted with a light, amused laughter that chimes on a desperate little note into a pathetic silence, like the tinkle of a doorbell into the ruined hopes of an abandoned shop. The silence is as portentous, and more tensing, than that of a hushed theater waiting for the point of a pointless joke. Then there is the whole class of timid compromisers, terribly anxious to keep the peace yet enjoy the spoils of war, who imagine that mistakes are handled effectively by an apologetic little cough or a muttered “pardon me.” Some of us, however, do grow up. Faced with our mistakes, we make no attempt to deny them. We admit them, look them in the eye; for it is well to fix their features in mind for future reference, it is good to study their strategy that we might meet them more successfully in the future".
✏️ Their common helplessness. "But wise men or fools, perpetual children or fighting men, are all faced with a common helplessness in the face of their own mistakes. Almost any little boy can take a clock apart; no little boy can put it together again. The clumsiest assassin can snuff out a human life in an instant; the cleverest cannot restore it. A conquering army can destroy the treasures of centuries of genius by a few well-placed bombs; and then must stand as helpless as the barbarians surveying the ruins of Rome. For our constructive power is very much less than our destructive capacities. Once we have shattered the fragile perfection of a human act, there is absolutely nothing we can do about restoring its delicate beauty. We can be careful of future destructions, yes; but this is over and done with, and the best we can offer is our regret. In a sense, then, all mistakes are fatal; that is, in relation to the life of the act in which the mistake occurs. Some are horribly fatal in their effects destroying what can never be restored, things like innocence, love, or life.
✏️ God's technique with man's mistakes. Such helplessness could fill a man's life with tears if it were not for the comforting difference between human powerlessness and divine power in dealing with the mistakes of man. The almighty power can do something, in fact everything; what is more, it does all that need be done. Not that God turns back the clock, decreeing that yesterday never existed; that is too much even for God. But the echo of the voice of Mary's Son has not yet died out of the world; befouled rebels against God still hear "thy sins are forgiven thee," throw off their filthy rags to put on the wedding garment, and are admitted to a feast of peace such as Magdalen found in the banquet room of the Pharisee. That divine voice still speaks its message of mercy in the sacrament of Penance".
The Dessert
Audio recording: "Coming Well Dressed and Calling Others to the Banquet", by Fr. Roger Landry
http://catholicpreaching.com/coming-well-dressed-and-calling-others-to-the-banquet-28th-sunday-a-october-12-2014/
http://catholicpreaching.com/coming-well-dressed-and-calling-others-to-the-banquet-28th-sunday-a-october-12-2014/
Thanks 4 taking a little time out to feed you soul
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To prevent a lack of spiritual knowledge from taking it's toll
✞ⓂⓂ/℘✞L̶o̶r̶d̶ \o/
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