Posts
Grace: To forgive ourselves
Scriptures: John 6:53-59; 1Peter 5:5-11; 1Peter 1:6-9
"The decision to forgive is often reached after much struggle. The problem with forgiveness is that there is something to forgive --- hurt. Those who have never been hurt have no need to learn of forgiveness.
Forgiving an injury or pardoning a wrong, letting go of a hurt unjustly inflicted are all spiritual actions that can be wrung from the depths of the soul It is not something to be taken lightly.
...The struggle ultimately is always a spiritual one and should be done in prayer. Christ himself went in to prayer in his struggles.
His forgiveness returned love whenever injury was received. This is the spiritual victory taught by Jesus but often beyond our reach.
The perfect prayer that the Lord has given us is the Eucharist. All of our spirituality flows from the Eucharist and returns there as well. It is the highest form of union with the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that the Lord Jesus is truly and fully present in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist with its many dimensions brings us to Calvary where we enter into Christ's Passion, are touched by it, and united to the Sacrifice of the Cross...
When the Eucharist is celebrated as a sacrifice ... each person who participates is invited to offer his or her life in, along with and through Jesus. One's life involves all the struggles, hurts, needs, feelings and emotions that make up life. It is not simply the virtues, gifts and blessings that we offer, but our basic humanity in all its frailty. That is the part of us that is still unfinished and has its share of shadows and dark corners. We offer ourselves just as we are."
--from Forgiveness, by Fr Richard McAlear, OMI
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Bless me, Father
Grace: For a good confession
Scriptures: John 20:19-23; Mt 6:14-15; Lk 17:3-4
"There is no better medicine for the ills and wounds of the soul than frequent confession when it is made with a humble, sincere, and contrite heart. Jesus awaits us in this Sacrament of His merciful love, not only to cleanse our soul in His precious Blood, but also to strengthen it in this salutary bath, fortify it, and guard it against future attacks of temptation and evil. Confession applies to our soul all the merits of the Passion of Jesus, all the infinite value of His Blood; we shall always return from this Sacrament renewed, sanctified, and strengthened in good in the measure in which we have approached it with a contrite and humble heart." --taken from Divine Intimacy, p. 213.
"Few words have ever produced more joy in the world than the words of absolution...St Augustine affirms that the wonder they work is greater than the very creation of the world. How glad are we to receive these words when we go to the sacrament of forgiveness? How grateful are we? How often have we thanked God for having this sacrament close at hand? In our prayer today we can show Our Lord our gratitude for this great gift." --taken from In Conversation With God Vol. 2, p. 211.
Here are links to some aids to examine your conscience in preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Catholic Pages and EWTN
Scriptures: John 20:19-23; Mt 6:14-15; Lk 17:3-4
"There is no better medicine for the ills and wounds of the soul than frequent confession when it is made with a humble, sincere, and contrite heart. Jesus awaits us in this Sacrament of His merciful love, not only to cleanse our soul in His precious Blood, but also to strengthen it in this salutary bath, fortify it, and guard it against future attacks of temptation and evil. Confession applies to our soul all the merits of the Passion of Jesus, all the infinite value of His Blood; we shall always return from this Sacrament renewed, sanctified, and strengthened in good in the measure in which we have approached it with a contrite and humble heart." --taken from Divine Intimacy, p. 213.
"Few words have ever produced more joy in the world than the words of absolution...St Augustine affirms that the wonder they work is greater than the very creation of the world. How glad are we to receive these words when we go to the sacrament of forgiveness? How grateful are we? How often have we thanked God for having this sacrament close at hand? In our prayer today we can show Our Lord our gratitude for this great gift." --taken from In Conversation With God Vol. 2, p. 211.
Here are links to some aids to examine your conscience in preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Catholic Pages and EWTN
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Suffering
Grace: To suffer with dignity in silence
Scriptures: Is 53:11-12; James 1:2-5; John 12:23-26
"At the end of Lent, I was thinking about how important it is to know how to live the painful moments, the suffering, being cast aside, loneliness, moments of failure, disappointment, and unfaithfulness...Sometimes the Lord wants us to participate in human suffering. We must mature in this capacity to suffer and at the same time offer it to Jesus. To do this, it is necessary to speak to Him, to cry out to God about our suffiering, kneeling with our eyes fixed on the crucifix. We must form this way of thinking so that, in the moment of the Cross, we do not walk around complaining, trying to excape it, and wasting this precious moment in which Jesus is sharing the Cross with us and giving us a small part of His pain. Pain is a part of human life. Do not avoid it, minimize its significance, or talk about it in such a trivial way!"
"...Jesus invites us to look at him , to ask Him for faith and love, so that our heart will not lose hope, and after the darkness of Good Friday, we will know how to capture in our own lives the radiant light of Easter morning! The risen Jesus is our true hope, because in Him pain and death are defeated often!"
--Mother Elvira Petozzi, quoted in Magnifcat, March 2011, p. 321.
Scriptures: Is 53:11-12; James 1:2-5; John 12:23-26
"At the end of Lent, I was thinking about how important it is to know how to live the painful moments, the suffering, being cast aside, loneliness, moments of failure, disappointment, and unfaithfulness...Sometimes the Lord wants us to participate in human suffering. We must mature in this capacity to suffer and at the same time offer it to Jesus. To do this, it is necessary to speak to Him, to cry out to God about our suffiering, kneeling with our eyes fixed on the crucifix. We must form this way of thinking so that, in the moment of the Cross, we do not walk around complaining, trying to excape it, and wasting this precious moment in which Jesus is sharing the Cross with us and giving us a small part of His pain. Pain is a part of human life. Do not avoid it, minimize its significance, or talk about it in such a trivial way!"
"...Jesus invites us to look at him , to ask Him for faith and love, so that our heart will not lose hope, and after the darkness of Good Friday, we will know how to capture in our own lives the radiant light of Easter morning! The risen Jesus is our true hope, because in Him pain and death are defeated often!"
--Mother Elvira Petozzi, quoted in Magnifcat, March 2011, p. 321.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Testings
Grace: To love
SS: Luke 6:35 & 36
"Take neither great nor little notice of who is with you or against you, and try always to please God. Ask Him that His Will be done in you. Love Him intensely, as He deserves to be loved."
"Have a great love for those who contradict and fail to love you, for in this way love is begotten in a heart that has no love. God so acts with us."
"When something distasteful or unpleasant comes your way, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
Taken from The Way of the Cross with the Carmelites Saints by Sister Joseph Marie, CHT
SS: Luke 6:35 & 36
"Take neither great nor little notice of who is with you or against you, and try always to please God. Ask Him that His Will be done in you. Love Him intensely, as He deserves to be loved."
"Have a great love for those who contradict and fail to love you, for in this way love is begotten in a heart that has no love. God so acts with us."
"When something distasteful or unpleasant comes your way, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
Taken from The Way of the Cross with the Carmelites Saints by Sister Joseph Marie, CHT
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Making a Good Confession
Grace: To set things right
SS: Isaiah 1:16-20; Phil 2:3 & 4; 1 Pt 3:13-17
Our confession should be concise, concrete, clear and complete. The use of too many words frequently denotes a desire, whether conscious or not, to flee from direct and full sincerety. So as not to fall into this, we need to make a good examination of conscience.
Concise: Confession with few words, just the words that are needed to say humbly what we have done or have failed to do, without any unnecessary elaboration or adornment.
Concrete: Confession without digression, without generalities. The penitent will suitably indicate his situation, and also the time that has elapsed since his last Confession and the difficulties he finds leading the Christian life. Declares his sins and the surrounding circumstances that have a bearing on this fault so that the confessor can judge, absolve and heal.
Clear: A Confession where we make ourselves understood, declaring the precise nature of the fault, manifesting our wretchedness the necessary modesty and delicacy.
Complete: Integral Confession, without leaving anything out through a false sense of shame so as not to appear bad in the confessor's eyes.
Let us examine whether, each time we prepare outselves to receive this sacrament, we make sure what we are going to say to the confessor has the characteristics just described.
Taken from In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez. Vol 2, pgs 46 & 47
SS: Isaiah 1:16-20; Phil 2:3 & 4; 1 Pt 3:13-17
Our confession should be concise, concrete, clear and complete. The use of too many words frequently denotes a desire, whether conscious or not, to flee from direct and full sincerety. So as not to fall into this, we need to make a good examination of conscience.
Concise: Confession with few words, just the words that are needed to say humbly what we have done or have failed to do, without any unnecessary elaboration or adornment.
Concrete: Confession without digression, without generalities. The penitent will suitably indicate his situation, and also the time that has elapsed since his last Confession and the difficulties he finds leading the Christian life. Declares his sins and the surrounding circumstances that have a bearing on this fault so that the confessor can judge, absolve and heal.
Clear: A Confession where we make ourselves understood, declaring the precise nature of the fault, manifesting our wretchedness the necessary modesty and delicacy.
Complete: Integral Confession, without leaving anything out through a false sense of shame so as not to appear bad in the confessor's eyes.
Let us examine whether, each time we prepare outselves to receive this sacrament, we make sure what we are going to say to the confessor has the characteristics just described.
Taken from In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez. Vol 2, pgs 46 & 47
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Power of the Cross of Christ
Grace: To bear with one another
Scriptures: Gal 6:1-10; Ephesians 4:31 & 32; Luke 14: 25-33.
"'Bear one another's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of
Christ' (Gal 6:2). Just as Christ bears our burdens, so also are we to bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters. The law of Christ which must be fulfilled is the bearing of the cross. The burden of my brother or sister that I am to bear is not only that person's external fate, that person's character and personality, but it is in a very real sense that person's sin. I cannot bear it except by forgiving it, in the power of the cross of Christ in which I, too, have a portion. Hence Jesus' call to bear the cross places every disciple into the community of the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins is implied in the sufferings of Christ commanded to the disciples; it is imposed on all Christians." --from *Meditations on the Cross*, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (p.16)
Scriptures: Gal 6:1-10; Ephesians 4:31 & 32; Luke 14: 25-33.
"'Bear one another's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of
Christ' (Gal 6:2). Just as Christ bears our burdens, so also are we to bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters. The law of Christ which must be fulfilled is the bearing of the cross. The burden of my brother or sister that I am to bear is not only that person's external fate, that person's character and personality, but it is in a very real sense that person's sin. I cannot bear it except by forgiving it, in the power of the cross of Christ in which I, too, have a portion. Hence Jesus' call to bear the cross places every disciple into the community of the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins is implied in the sufferings of Christ commanded to the disciples; it is imposed on all Christians." --from *Meditations on the Cross*, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (p.16)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Forgive
Grace: To forgive those who hurt me
Scriptures: Luke 6:33-37; Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matt 6:7-15
"To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, "I no longer hold your offense against you."...We also free ourselves from the burden of being the "offended one." As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves." --from Bread for the Journey, by Henri Nouwen, quoted in Lent and Easter Wisdom from Henri Nouwen, p.16.
Scriptures: Luke 6:33-37; Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matt 6:7-15
"To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, "I no longer hold your offense against you."...We also free ourselves from the burden of being the "offended one." As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves." --from Bread for the Journey, by Henri Nouwen, quoted in Lent and Easter Wisdom from Henri Nouwen, p.16.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Don't Give Up
Grace: To persevere
Scriptures: Micah 7:7-8; Eph 6:10-20; 2Cor 12:9-10
"Lenten self-awareness can bring with it a temptation to give up before we have even begun in earnest. We may seem to have failed so badly, year after year, to grow in the love to which we are commanded. To abandon the struggle is to yield to the 'enemy,' the evil that urges us to give in because we know ourselves to be weak. The message of Lent is that God's merciful love is stronger than all that urges us to settle for the least we can be." --from Magnificat, March 2011, p. 190
Scriptures: Micah 7:7-8; Eph 6:10-20; 2Cor 12:9-10
"Lenten self-awareness can bring with it a temptation to give up before we have even begun in earnest. We may seem to have failed so badly, year after year, to grow in the love to which we are commanded. To abandon the struggle is to yield to the 'enemy,' the evil that urges us to give in because we know ourselves to be weak. The message of Lent is that God's merciful love is stronger than all that urges us to settle for the least we can be." --from Magnificat, March 2011, p. 190
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Temptation
Grace: To trust Jesus when we are tempted
Scriptures: Matt 4:1-11; Gen 2:6-9 and 3:1-7; Mt 6:7-15
Temptations tend to come to us in the areas of our weakness. They are a gift. They are permitted in order to show us where we are weak. They reveal the need for deeper conversion. It's like the finger of God pointing to a place in the heart where He wants to reign. He's not testing you to see how strong you, he's showing you where He wants you to grow.
"This first Sunday of Lent shows us that Satan's tactics never change.He lives to foster doubt and thereby distort reality...Using the goodness inherent in nature, Satan deceives the couple about the scope of human freedom...
...The season of Lent is about bending our will. It is about opening ourselves to the truth of reality, our own and that of creation. Lent is a time when, like St. Therese, we can shatter the deception of Satan by holding fast to the righteousness of Christ. Lent is a time for seeing that all of creation is good for guiding us to a greater knowledge of God."
--(from The Little Way of Lent, p. 13-14, by Fr. Gary Caster
"If we are to overcome temptation we will have to repeat confidently over and over again the petition in the Our Father: and lead us not into temptation; grant us the strength to remain strong when faced with temptation. Since it is Our Lord himself who puts such a petition on our lips, it would be good for us to repeat it continually..." --from In Conversation With God, vol. 2, p.30
Scriptures: Matt 4:1-11; Gen 2:6-9 and 3:1-7; Mt 6:7-15
Temptations tend to come to us in the areas of our weakness. They are a gift. They are permitted in order to show us where we are weak. They reveal the need for deeper conversion. It's like the finger of God pointing to a place in the heart where He wants to reign. He's not testing you to see how strong you, he's showing you where He wants you to grow.
"This first Sunday of Lent shows us that Satan's tactics never change.He lives to foster doubt and thereby distort reality...Using the goodness inherent in nature, Satan deceives the couple about the scope of human freedom...
...The season of Lent is about bending our will. It is about opening ourselves to the truth of reality, our own and that of creation. Lent is a time when, like St. Therese, we can shatter the deception of Satan by holding fast to the righteousness of Christ. Lent is a time for seeing that all of creation is good for guiding us to a greater knowledge of God."
--(from The Little Way of Lent, p. 13-14, by Fr. Gary Caster
"If we are to overcome temptation we will have to repeat confidently over and over again the petition in the Our Father: and lead us not into temptation; grant us the strength to remain strong when faced with temptation. Since it is Our Lord himself who puts such a petition on our lips, it would be good for us to repeat it continually..." --from In Conversation With God, vol. 2, p.30
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Freed by forgiving
Grace: To desire to forgive
Scripture: Deut 30:15-20; Lk 6:37; Col 3:13; Mt 18:35
"Nothing cripples emotional and spiritual life more than unforgiveness." (--from Forgiveness, by Fr. Richard McAlear, OMI)
"Forgiveness is the very heart and soul of the gospel message." (from Forgiveness) It is what Jesus gave us in the face of His great suffering on Good Friday. He forgave and asked the Father to do likewise. In order to truly receive this precious and costly gift our hearts must be open and free. This freedom can only come by forgiving the hurts others have committed against us.
"This outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us. In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father's merciful love..." CCC 2840 "It is there, in fact, 'in the depths of the heart,' that everything is bound and loosed. It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession." CCC 2843
Scripture: Deut 30:15-20; Lk 6:37; Col 3:13; Mt 18:35
"Nothing cripples emotional and spiritual life more than unforgiveness." (--from Forgiveness, by Fr. Richard McAlear, OMI)
"Forgiveness is the very heart and soul of the gospel message." (from Forgiveness) It is what Jesus gave us in the face of His great suffering on Good Friday. He forgave and asked the Father to do likewise. In order to truly receive this precious and costly gift our hearts must be open and free. This freedom can only come by forgiving the hurts others have committed against us.
"This outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us. In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father's merciful love..." CCC 2840 "It is there, in fact, 'in the depths of the heart,' that everything is bound and loosed. It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession." CCC 2843
Monday, March 7, 2011
Prepare
Prepare the way of the Lord.
Lent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. It's a time of reflection, a time the Church sets aside for us to take stock of our lives and the decisions we're making to see if we're heading in the right direction. A priest said if we focus on the end of the journey, we probably won't sin.
Where are you heading?
Lent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. It's a time of reflection, a time the Church sets aside for us to take stock of our lives and the decisions we're making to see if we're heading in the right direction. A priest said if we focus on the end of the journey, we probably won't sin.
Where are you heading?
Friday, March 4, 2011
Do not fear
"When the enemy presses in hard do not fear..."
According to Father Benedict Groeschel, whenever light comes in contact with darkness there is a battle. Similarly, in weather, when a high pressure center meets with a low pressure center, it creates storms -- sometimes, violent storms.
Agitation is like a spiritual storm and is based in fear. Fear exists where faith is weak or absent. It's an indication that there is a promise or truth of God's that you don't quite believe yet. When the Spirit of God is actively working in your life to reclaim an area that the enemy has held for far too long, the enemy doesn't like it and pushes back. This clash between 2 kingdoms can erupt into violent agitation just like a storm. The enemy is wanting to pull you off your base. Don't go.
So when you experience that internal agitation, stop and look for the Lord's presence. Ask for discernment. We're in a battle and the battle belongs to the Lord. Do not fear. The victory has been won. Press in. Move forward. Stand firm. Having done all, stand (Eph 6). Believe in His promises, even if all the thoughts and suggestions of the enemy sound irrefutable. Choose to believe His Word and thank Him for what He is doing. Thank Him for the new freedom He is winning for you. Trust Him even if He seems to be asleep in the storm.
The enemy must surrender. He has been conquered. Alleluia!
According to Father Benedict Groeschel, whenever light comes in contact with darkness there is a battle. Similarly, in weather, when a high pressure center meets with a low pressure center, it creates storms -- sometimes, violent storms.
Agitation is like a spiritual storm and is based in fear. Fear exists where faith is weak or absent. It's an indication that there is a promise or truth of God's that you don't quite believe yet. When the Spirit of God is actively working in your life to reclaim an area that the enemy has held for far too long, the enemy doesn't like it and pushes back. This clash between 2 kingdoms can erupt into violent agitation just like a storm. The enemy is wanting to pull you off your base. Don't go.
So when you experience that internal agitation, stop and look for the Lord's presence. Ask for discernment. We're in a battle and the battle belongs to the Lord. Do not fear. The victory has been won. Press in. Move forward. Stand firm. Having done all, stand (Eph 6). Believe in His promises, even if all the thoughts and suggestions of the enemy sound irrefutable. Choose to believe His Word and thank Him for what He is doing. Thank Him for the new freedom He is winning for you. Trust Him even if He seems to be asleep in the storm.
The enemy must surrender. He has been conquered. Alleluia!
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